Larchmont Chronicle
VOL. 58, NO. 6
• DELIVERED TO 76,439 READERS IN HANCOCK PARK • WINDSOR SQUARE • FREMONT PLACE • MIRACLE MILE • PARK LA BREA • LARCHMONT •
IN THIS ISSUE
Taste of Larchmont officially cancelled this year
Larchmont-area skateboarders seek a place of their own n Not everyone is on board
GRADUATION 2020
EBELL members cook.
VIRTUAL moves.
By Sondi Toll Sepenuk Skateboarding and Southern California go together like peanut butter and jelly. Or sunsets and the ocean. Or surfers and waves. So it’s only fitting that we should see skateboarders zipping up and down the streets of our SoCal neighborhoods on a daily basis. While many observers see skateboarding as harmless, youthful fun, others have been bothered by the feeling of a See Skateboarding, p 26
11
‘Slow Streets’ on fast track, primarily for pedestrians
For Information on Advertising Rates, Please Call Pam Rudy 323-462-2241, x 11 Mailing permit:
n Association supports proposal for Windsor Square By Helene Seifer In a move designed to support social distancing while exercising outdoors, the City of Los Angeles has implemented a program that cities such as Oakland, Seattle and Berlin, Germany have already put into place: closing some residential streets to through See Slow Streets, p 4
Pets of Larchmont
Send us photos of your dog, cat, bird or any localresident pet for our annual Pets of Larchmont in the July issue of the Larchmont Chronicle. Please include your name and a contact. Advertising deadline is Mon., July 13. For more information contact Pam Rudy, 323462-2241, ext. 11.
ing retail merchants on their toes. At the end of last month, retail stores finally were allowed to reopen, so long as social distancing and similar
By Rachel Olivier Taste of Larchmont (TOL) was canceled officially last month after a meeting of the HopeNet board of trustees, announced Levi Webb, executive director of HopeNet. The vote was unanimous, continued Webb, who said that, while not a surprise, the vote was a difficult decision. “The board and I labored over this decision. We wanted to make sure it wasn’t a kneejerk reaction, that it was in the best interest of our TOL partners while promoting health and safety in the community.” In a Zoom interview with
See Stores open, p 4
See HopeNet, p 16
FINALLY BACK OPEN for business are some, but not all, retail stores in Los Angeles. Shown here is Pickett Fences on Larchmont, with the masked proprietor left holding the bag.
Stores open on Boulevard after mayor lifts ban on retail
n Takeout restaurant guide on pages 14-15
Nearby riots in Fairfax / Beverly Grove / Beverly Hills / Santa Monica; Larchmont looted too SLOW STREET signs advise drivers that the road is open to local traffic only.
MUSEUMS offer outdoor, online art. 2-9
n HopeNet needs our help
By John Welborne Fast-changing state, county, and city rules have been keep-
27
JUNE 2020
FOR THE RECORD, the above took place on Sat. and Sun., May 30 and 31, 2020. Our readers probably got more than enough of the disturbing news live on TV. We hope none of you was injured, and we send our condolences to all who had their businesses vandalized, looted, and ruined by the mobs. If you wish to comment in our July issue, write to letters@larchmontchronicle.com. J.H.W. – Ed.
1930s Depression: Surviving on pins and needles n Parable for weathering our modern-day crisis By Suzan Filipek It’s a simple pincushion, standing 10 inches high, made of cardboard and covered with fabric. But, it was a lifesaver for Joan Allemand and her family in 1930 during the Great Depression. Her mother would sell each one for a whopping 50 cents — and when she sold 12, that was “a whole week’s wages!” Allemand, 89, told us last month.
Today, Allemand lives in Miracle Mile, but lessons learned in a small village south of Chicago all those years ago can teach us how to weather our modern-day crisis, she says. Allemand’s father worked in construction, building highways and homes on a fourthgrade education, until the job market dried up. “My parents were out of See Surviving, p 8
Home life, homeschool: the series, Part III
n Older students, friends at home too
By Caroline Tracy At this point, every student (and family) has come to terms with the fact that schools in Los Angeles County will not reopen their doors this school calendar year. As of our April 2020 edition, some private schools were still on the fence. Not anymore; with stay-athome orders still in place, homeschool has become the norm. Google classrooms, where curriculums have moved and homework assignments can be posted, have replaced real classrooms, and Zoom functions as the conduit to virtual teaching. For this, the third part of our copingwith-COVID-19 series, we also get a window See Homeschooling, p 24
HOUSEGUEST Julian Rappaport, a sophomore studying jazz at The New School (NYC), and Priscilla Duggan, a freshman studying at Barnard College (neuroscience), work at home in her parents’ back yard.
www.larchmontchronicle.com ~ Entire Issue Online!
2
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
SECTION ONE
Editorial
Calendar
By John Welborne
Obituaries and a Hope Network This month’s Larchmont Chronicle celebrates a large number of local people who have passed on. They are people who meant much to their families and communities. Obituaries are the stories of lives lived and remembered — often-exceptional lives — although every life is exceptional. This issue of the paper also reports on an important local institution, HopeNet, and its current coronavirus challenges. The story, beginning on Page 1, tells of new hurdles not unlike those confronting many other nonprofits in this remarkable era of COVID-19. HopeNet was founded as a network of caring people in the Mid-Wilshire area who knew that they could provide hope to fellow Angelenos in need. Hence, “HopeNet.” Because the virus has caused cancellation of this year’s Taste of Larchmont, we successors to Dawne Goodwin and Jane Gilman, founders of that event to assist HopeNet, are making a cash contribution to help the organization, and we urge others to do the same. Extra help is needed at this time by HopeNet and many other deserving and needy nonprofits. And that brings us full circle, to the lives well lived, recounted in this month’s obituaries. The stories of people’s good works remind us that we can do that, too.
Wed., June 10 – Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council board meeting via Zoom. Check greaterwilshire.org to confirm and for online login. Sun., June 14 – Flag Day. Sat., June 20 – Summer begins. Sun., June 21 – Father’s Day. Thurs., July 2 – Delivery of the July issue of the Larchmont Chronicle.
‘How do you plan to celebrate your graduation?’
That’s the question that inquiring photographer Talia Abrahamson remotely asked local students experiencing this year’s unusual “coronavirus commencement.”
1
Letters to the Editor Spice cake recipe?
I enjoyed the article on the “Countess of Kent” by Paula Panich [Larchmont Chronicle May, 2020]. Would she be willing to share her recipe for spice cake? Linda Fowells Larchmont Village Neighborhood [Ed. Note: Of course. Please turn to page 17.]
“My school is reimagining certain graduation traditions such as jumping in the pool on the last day, grad night, receiving diplomas, and being serenaded by other grades via virtual outlets. I will personally continue the celebration with my family at home, and look forward to celebrating with my friends once we can be together in person.” Ashira Weinreich La Brea-Hancock
Kudos for bake sale
Thanks to our Block Captains and Councilman Ryu In late May, the Hancock Park block captains met, via Zoom, with each other, HPHOA Board members, and Councilman David Ryu and members of his staff to talk about the important issues facing our community as a result of the coronavirus emergency. Before the coronavirus outbreak, the City already was facing a homelessness crisis and was ramping up efforts to house those without shelter. Those efforts are even more important now; and the City, our Councilman and his office are working hard to provide people with temporary shelter as well as a permanent path off the streets. The Councilman also discussed with our block captains some of the security challenges we face because the City no longer incarcerates suspects charged with non-violent crimes. In addition, our mostly empty streets are now being used as speedways, and the strain of enforcement is falling on the very short-staffed traffic enforcement department. HPHOA Board members gave status reports on tree planting, street repair, maintenance of the Highland median, security, traffic and historic preservation. The HPHOA website will soon have information and photographs of the trees chosen for our historic streetscape. There remains money in the upcoming City budget for street repair, and the Highland median is now being watered and cleaned. The HPOZ board will start meeting and reviewing cases next week, via Zoom. With help from the Council Office, problem properties are being investigated and cited. Your block captain network is a vital part of community safety and awareness. If you don’t know who your block captain is, contact the Association. If you want to volunteer to be a block captain, let us know! Thanks to all the community minded people who volunteer to be block captains — Hancock Park wouldn’t be what it is without you! Don’t forget to follow social distancing guidelines, wear a mask when out in public, wash your hands, not touch your face and check with your neighbors to be sure they are OK. For more information, please visit our website: hancockparkhomeownersassociation.org/ page-18054/8843518.
o o o If you’re planning to make any changes to the street-visible portion of your house, including hardscaping and windows, check with our HPOZ Planner Suki Gershenhorn (suki.gershenhorn@ lacity.org) before starting. The HPOZ Preservation Plan, which regulates our HPOZ, can be found at preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/ la/hancock-park. There is also an online form you can fill out to help speed up the process — the Initial Screening Checklist (preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/initial.screening.checklist). Report graffiti sightings by calling 311 or at the City’s Anti-Graffiti Request System: laocb.org/programs/graffiti-abatement and by calling Hollywood Beautification, 323-463-5180.
Adv.
Re: Suzan Filipek’s piece about the Pablove Foundation: I was so inspired and uplifted to read of Lilly Roth-Shapiro’s commitment to her late friend Pablo by holding her annual bake sale for the Pablove Foundation despite the pandemic. Her decision to have a virtual sale to raise money to fight childhood cancer tells
Correction
In our May story about “victory gardens” flourishing during the current stay-at-home restrictions, the surname of Windsor Village resident and local gardener, Ivna Gusmão, was misspelled four times, for which we apologize.
BAKER and fundraiser Lilly Roth-Shapiro.
me Lilly is a young lady of great compassion, integrity, and creativity. I will be ordering both cookies and masks from the Foundation to support its efforts, and I look forward to doing so (Please turn to page 22) 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.
.
.
Publisher and Editor John H. Welborne Managing Editor Suzan Filipek Associate Editor Billy Taylor Contributing Editor Jane Gilman Staff Writer Helene Seifer Advertising Director Pam Rudy Advertising Sales Caroline Tracy Art Director Tom Hofer Classified and Circulation Manager Rachel Olivier Accounting Jill Miyamoto 606 N. Larchmont Blvd., #103
Los Angeles, CA 90004 323-462-2241 larchmontchronicle.com
“In a best case scenario I would hope to have a couple people over to my front yard and celebrate six-plus feet apart, maybe with some individually packaged food items? But more likely, we will just do something small with family and Zoom a couple of friends.” Emma Cruz, Windsor Square
3
Larchmont Chronicle Founded in 1963 by Jane Gilman and Dawne P. Goodwin
2
Census responses on track at 60% Responses to the 2020 Census are on track, says the Census Bureau. More than 60% of U.S. households have responded to the 2020 Census, with approximately four out of every five households that responded on their own choosing to do so online. Census Bureau Director Dr. Steven Dillingham is encouraging everyone to respond soon — to help shape their future for the next 10 years. If you have not responded, learn more at: 2020census.gov. Photos at right by: 1. Tara Rose Weinreich 2. Katie Cruz 3. Katerina Johnson 4. Char Hatch Langos
“My family and I took graduation photos in the only white dress we could find in the house! Holding a white sheet up, we did our best to capture a similar look to Marlborough’s classic portraits. In addition, my entire family is going to tune in to a presentation of my high school accomplishments! Beyond these activities, my mom has some special surprises that I don’t know about yet.” Peyton Johnson Windsor Square
4 “We don’t have any super concrete plans, but I think that my family is going to do some sort of dinner situation. Maybe my grandma is coming over. I think just something small.” Lily Langos, Windsor Square
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
SECTION ONE
3
Local lawmaker pushes Getty House parkway barricades replaced By John Welborne for denser housing In early May, the Twittern Assemblyman Bloom has two bills
By Billy Taylor Following the defeat of SB 50, and its predecessor SB 827 — controversial bills that would have preempted local control of zoning — California politicians have returned to the drawing board. Among them, local Assemblyman Richard Bloom, who has a constituency that stretch-
SECTION ONE
es from Santa Monica to Larchmont Village, has sponsored two housing-related bills that deserve your attention. AB 1279 This bill by Bloom, which passed the Assembly in May 2019 and now sits in the Senate Housing Committee, would direct the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to designate “high-opportunity areas,” which are not yet defined, to promote denser development. According to law firm Holland & Knight partner Jennifer Hernandez, these areas are expected to overlap at least in part with federal Economic Opportunity Zone tax relief areas. In short, the bill allows for a CEQA-exempt (California Environmental Quality Act) housing approval process for (Please turn to page 6)
CONFESSIONS of saferat-home failures. 9 COUNCIL REPORT POLICE BEAT AROUND THE TOWN ON THE MENU HOME GROUND OBITUARIES
6 7 8 12 17 20
SECTION TWO VIEW:
Real Estate, Libraries, Museums, Home & Garden
BACK by popular demand. 6, 7 ON PRESERVATION 2 REAL ESTATE SALES 4 LIBRARIES 8 MUSEUM ROW 9 ON BOOKS, PLACES 11 THEATER REVIEW 12 AT THE MOVIES 12 BRIDGE MATTERS 14 BEEZWAX 15 PROFESSOR 15 CLASSIFIED ADS 15
SECTION THREE SECTION THREE
GRAD SALUTE
1-16
sphere was all abuzz when “Los Angeles Times” staff writer Dakota Smith reported on May 12 that new barricades had been erected around the parkway in front of the official Getty House mayoral residence in Windsor Square. This followed weeks of protests on various issues, including opposition to the stayat-home orders issued for the coronavirus pandemic. One protest included people sprawled on the parkway engaged in a die-in protest about rent. Reporter Smith first wrote that the Mayor’s office had declined to comment on why the barricades were installed. Later that night, she tweeted that the Mayor’s office responded further: “The city put in temporary barriers to protect the plants.” The Larchmont Chronicle wrote about the Getty House drought-tolerant parkway in
GETTY HOUSE with barricades erected in mid-May 2020.
our November 2015 issue. It now turns out that the barricades indeed were tempo-
rary. A low metal parkway fence recently was installed, presumably to protect the plants.
LOW FENCE now protects the drought-tolerant plantings.
4
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
SECTION ONE
Greater Miracle Mile Chamber of Commerce meets via Zoom
By Caroline Tracy The Greater Miracle Mile Chamber of Commerce held its first-ever virtual luncheon meeting (menu: contents from each attendee’s own kitchen). Organized over Zoom, Chamber guests included Sen. Ben Allen (D-CA); Fernando Morales, district director for County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl; and Rob Fisher, field deputy for Councilman David Ryu. All spoke about issues related to COVID-19 and the state, local and federal govern-
ments’ responses to the crisis. Each told of the various measures being advocated by his office — such as tax filing extensions, stimulus/relief packages and mortgage relief options — that are available to members of the business and residential communities that make up the Miracle Mile. In mid-May, another virtual Chamber luncheon hosted guest speaker Ron Galperin, Los Angeles City Controller. For more information, visit miraclemilechamber.org.
MEMBERS OF the Greater Miracle Mile Chamber of Commerce participate in the organization’s first virtual luncheon.
Slow Streets
(Continued from page 1) traffic. These “Slow Streets” allow pedestrians in denser, park-poor neighborhoods to spread out on designated residential roads to enjoy fresh air and flowering jacarandas without crowding other passersby on narrow sidewalks. However, the road still must be shared with cars (supposed-
ly local residents, but there’s no enforcement), delivery trucks and bicyclists, so caution is advised. Mid City West In the Mid City West Community Council area, signs went up on May 23 to designate a 33-block route that winds from Formosa Ave. (just west of La Brea Ave. and south of Santa Monica Blvd.) along Rosewood and Oakwood Ave-
tion and StreetsLA (the City’s Bureau of Street Services in the Public Works Dept.), todate has created Slow Streets in Del Rey, West Los Angeles / Sawtelle, and Eagle Rock, and others are in process. Those interested in establishing a Slow Street in their area need a sponsoring agency, such as a homeowners association, neighborhood council or Parent Teacher Association. Spon-
sors submit an online application to the city and agree to maintain Slow Street signage and report social distancing and mask violations or any congregating in groups. Slow Streets are meant to facilitate safe movement rather than provide an excuse to hold a block party! Let’s wait till the pandemic passes for that. The Safe Street application is at: tinyurl.com/ya2bj2e6
Stores open
(Continued from page 1) hygiene measures are followed. In the interim period preceding the governments’ latest loosening of controls, some of those same stores had been selling from their front doors, as was the case at Landis Gifts & Stationery. Now, the only way to find out if your favorite store is open is to give a call or drive by. Right: EDIE FRÈRE at Landis Gifts & Stationery sold items from her front door prior to being allowed to let customers back inside.
Celebrate All DADS &
GRADS
when you visit
Larchmont Village Shops & Eateries or
Go Online to Shop Our Merchandise & Services “an oasis in the city” SPONSORED BY
www.LARCHMONT.com
LARCHMONT BOULEVARD ASSOCIATION
©LC0620
OAKWOOD AT HARPER is part of the 33-block Slow Street route supported by the Mid City West Community Council.
nues to Sweetzer Ave., where it turns south, crossing Beverly Blvd. and Third St., to end at Sweetzer and Colgate Avenues. Windsor Square Slow Street advocates have filed applications to implement a zone in Windsor Square, as shown on a city website: tinyurl. com/y9cxmx9c. At its May 27 board of directors meeting, the Windsor Square Association discussed the proposal and agreed to support the efforts of the sponsors, while suggesting to them that the Fourth and Fifth Street “Slow Streets” should extend east to Van Ness Avenue (to be “from Rossmore Ave. to Van Ness Ave.”). A city program In addition to the Mid City West route, the program, managed by the Mayor’s office, the City’s Dept. of Transporta-
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
SECTION ONE
THE SCEI GLAUCOMA
CENTER OF EXCELLENCE CONDITIONS WE SPECIALIZE IN
Founding Director, Dr. Rohit Varma (left) and Dr. Alena Reznik
ABOUT US
The glaucoma experts at Southern California Eye Institute are dedicated to preventing vision loss through high-quality patient care and cutting-edge research. The earlier glaucoma is detected and treatment is initiated, the more likely visual function can be preserved. When glaucoma is confirmed, our specialists develop a personalized treatment plan. This may include non-invasive treatments such as medication and lasers, minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS), or an incisional surgical procedure.
• Open-angle Glaucoma • Angle-closure/Narrow Angle Glaucoma • Congenital and Childhood Glaucoma • Juvenile Onset Glaucoma • Glaucoma Associated with Retinal Diseases • Glaucoma Secondary to Eye Trauma • Neovascular Glaucoma • Glaucoma Secondary to Steroid Use • Pigmentary Glaucoma Dispersion • Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome • Uveitic Glaucoma
www.sceyes.org
hollywoodpresbyterian.com
NO GLAUCOMA DAMAGE
EARLY GLAUCOMA DAMAGE
MODERATE GLAUCOMA DAMAGE
ADVANCED GLAUCOMA DAMAGE
Images represent how vision loss progresses with increasing glaucoma damage.
LOS ANGELES • BEVERLY HILLS • ENCINO • PASADENA • BAKERSFIELD
Call us today at (323)375-1834 to schedule an appointment
5
6
JUNE 2020
SECTION ONE
Larchmont Chronicle
Threat of virus exposes simmering racism and bigotry These past months have been harrowing, as we have worked together as a community to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus. Unfortunately, it has exposed many pre-existing vulnerabilities in our society — income inequality, educational disparities, weaknesses in our social safety nets — that have exacerbated the gravity of this crisis. What this virus has also exposed is the racism and bigotry that have long simmered in certain corners of our society, particularly against Asian Americans as well as Asian and Pacific Islanders around the world. Asian Americans have long been told to simply sit down and be quiet — to put our heads down, work, and try to achieve the American dream through courtesy and hard work. My grandmother, who lived through wars, revolutions, and moving to America
Council Report by
David E. Ryu
from Korea with my family, used to always tell us “don’t act up,” “stay quiet,” because “we are guests in this country.” My grandmother had her reasons for saying this — she had seen her life upended from conflict, and she simply wanted the best for my siblings and me. She thought that, in America, the best came from staying quiet. But no amount of staying quiet kept America from interning citizens of Japanese descent during World War II. No amount of hard work saved Korean businesses during the Los Angeles Riots of 1992. And no matter how hard Asian
Americans of all backgrounds work, many of them as nurses and doctors currently saving lives, hate crimes against AsianAmericans are today on the rise. This racism and rise in hate doesn’t come out of nowhere — and it takes on a different and more emboldened tone when it is propagated by the highest levels of American democracy. We have heard the President and Congressional leaders use terms like “Wuhan Virus” or “Chinese Virus,” all while a shocking rise in violent attacks against Asian Americans continues across the country. Asian Americans Advancing Justice, a local advocacy organization, has documented the stories of survivors of these hate crimes, which you can read more about at StandAgainstHatred.org. Contagion Unfortunately, we can also find the impacts of this hate here in Los Angeles. In our
own Fourth Council District, there have been deeply disturbing instances of racist, antiAsian graffiti. Even our diverse City of Angels is not immune from the contagion of bigotry. For years, we have seen a troubling rise in anti-Semitism and crimes against the Jewish community. Hate knows no boundaries, and it is overcome only when we stand together. Although we have yet to find a cure to racism and hate, we on the City Council are committed to fostering an inclusive and safe Los Angeles for all communities. We know that this is the time for all affinity, identity and religious groups to stand in solidarity and work towards the promise of acceptance. Legislation As a member of the Public Safety Committee, I have championed landmark hate crimes legislation. Alongside regularly tracking and reporting on hate crimes, we are also working on a system to proactively prevent these crimes. I have also launched a hate crime security fund with Council District Four discretionary funds. Hate must be addressed at every level of government. When our most prominent national leaders propagate absurd and unproven conspiracy theories about the source of the virus, when racism is used as a cheap political token, we must speak out. We must demand better. That is why I was proud to sponsor a Resolution in the
City Council in support of Rep. Grace Meng’s COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act (H.R.6721). This bill, co-sponsored by the Greater Wilshire area’s Congressional Representative Ted Lieu and others, condemns anti-Asian hate in all its forms. We need the FBI and the Department of Justice to take the issue of hate crimes seriously and protect all our country’s people. This legislation is something that is much needed, and I believe that, if passed and appropriately implemented, it can begin to peel back at this rise in hate. Moreover, I believe that legislation can help create an important shift in our cultural discourse and re-emphasize key notions of civility, respect, and acceptance. These are all values to which we collectively aspire as an American people. They are ideals that are enshrined in our founding documents and are re-affirmed by every generation of Americans bending the arc of history toward justice. They are virtues that inform my approach as your Councilmember. As we work together towards these values, we will undoubtedly hit challenges and meet resistance. We are at one of those challenges. But it is how we react in times of difficulty that shows us who we are. Let Los Angeles show the world that, when hate rears its ugly head, we rise, together, to stand with one another and overcome hate.
Bloom
zations have a general policy concern with the bill’s delegation of legislative prerogative to the executive branch to develop definitions that will dictate where AB 1279 will apply. We strongly prefer to develop a specific definition in statute.” The advocacy group Livable California argues that AB 1279 would jam ultra-dense housing into newly defined areas: “Bloom would force 50-unit and 120-unit apartments into fully settled, stable communities. Which ones? AB 1279 will map them out later, then drop the mess on we, the public.” Bloom, unavailable In an attempt to find some clarity as to what constitutes a “high-opportunity area,” the Chronicle made multiple requests over a three-week period to chat with Bloom about the legislation that he authored. According to Chief of Staff Guy Strahl, Bloom’s schedule could not accommodate a phone call during that time because lawmakers were working to catch up on the legislative calendar after an extended recess due to the coronavirus. AB 3173 Introduced by Bloom in Feb. 2020, this bill would require (Please turn to page 7)
(Continued from page 3) residential development projects meeting size and other eligibility criteria. What do supporters say about the bill? San Francisco-based civil rights law firm Public Advocates described their support of the bill in an April 2020 update: “To promote more mixed-income and affordable housing development in areas with wealth and other resources where low-income people have been denied an opportunity to live for generations.” The Western Center on Law & Poverty, another co-sponsor of the bill, says of the legislation: It “would facilitate denser, mixedincome and affordable housing development in high-resource communities that lack racial and economic diversity.” The devil might be in the details, critics argue. What is an opportunity zone? What does it mean to lack racial and economic diversity? These are questions that can be sorted out after the legislation is passed, supporters say. “Not so fast,” argues the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) in a letter to Sacramento: “Our organi-
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
SECTION ONE
New Wilshire Captain has the experience we need now
By Billy Taylor There is a new commanding officer at the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Wilshire Division, and she has the ideal background to respond to a pandemic, residents learned at a recent town hall. Capt. Shannon Paulson joined the LAPD in 1991, after serving as a police explorer from the early age of 13. Since then, Paulson has worked as an officer in divisions across the city, including West Los Angeles, West Valley and Van Nuys, to name a few. In addition to her work on the LAPD, Paulson has prior active duty and reserve service with the United States Navy as an enlisted intelligence specialist and a commissioned intelligence officer. An Iraqi War combat veteran, she left the Navy in 2012 as Lieutenant Com-
skin
deep by Dr. Rebecca Fitzgerald
This month I just want to reach out and let you know how much we are looking forward to reopening the office soon. We miss our patients dearly. Like the rest of the world, there will be a new normal until this virus is safely behind us. We’re carefully planning safety measures for when we reopen, such as wearing masks, taking staff temperatures daily as well as staff COVID testing, and staggering appointments so that our patients are not sharing space in the waiting area. Thankfully, as medical professionals we are accustomed to all elements of safety protocol. In the meantime, we are up to many of the same things at home that you likely are. We are taking stock of this unique time to enjoy our immediate families, cooking, exercising and, of course, sleeping in! Some of us are rediscovering old hobbies such as painting and practicing improv, some of us are learning new languages. And one of our staff members is using this time to study for the medical school entrance exam. Of course we will let you know as soon as we are able to determine our reopening date. Our hearts go out to all of those who have been harshly impacted by this pandemic, We hope you are able to find some unexpected silver linings in all of this. Stay safe, be well. 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 to teach proper injection techniques for Radiesse, the volumizing filler, around the world. 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.
mander. This experience led to her engagement with the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, a training cooperative through the Department of Homeland Security, where she instructs emergency response personnel across the nation and assists with the design of curricula on subjects related to terrorism, crisis response and disaster management. Coronavirus Thanks to this specialized training in emergency response, Paulson was ready to confront the coronavirus. During an April 29 Town Hall meeting hosted via Zoom
Bloom
(Continued from page 6) cities with more than 400,000 people to permit the development of “micro-unit buildings” that include units that are no greater than 80 square feet, excluding a bathroom. Local agencies may establish a minimum size for a microunit less than 80 square feet. Affordable units are not required in the bill. Sure, building closet-size apartments does produce density, but who does it serve? The idea that a couple, much less a family with kids, could live in such a small space is hard for some critics to imagine. However, the benefit to developers is clear: Micro-units can double the rent per square foot of a midsize apartment. In an Urban Land Institute study, “The Macro View on Micro Units,” the think-tank found that: “In the West, price premiums for small units reach 43 percent over their mid-sized counterparts and a whopping 80 percent over the large units.” Senate housing production package Our local lawmaker, Bloom, authored the two
POLICE BEAT WILSHIRE DIVISION Senior Lead Officer Dave Cordova 213-793-0650 31646@lapd.lacity.org Twitter: @lapdwilshire
OLYMPIC DIVISION Senior Lead Officer Joseph Pelayo 213-793-0709 31762@lapd.lacity.org Twitter: @lapdolympic
Capt. Shannon Paulson
by the LAPD Wilshire Division to update residents on coronavirus-related issues, Paulson assured the commubills discussed above, but they are in no way the only housing bills currently being considered in Sacramento. In fact, the California Senate Democrats released a Housing Production Package of five bills on May 20 that, if passed, would modify existing CEQA requirements in an attempt to increase and expedite housing production. Those bills include: SB 902 (Wiener), SB 995 (Atkins), SB 1085 (Skinner), SB 1120 (Atkins) and SB 1385 (Caballero). “This is light touch density, but it has the possibility to significantly increase housing over time,” said state Sen. Scott Wiener about SB 902, which he filed after his efforts to pass both SB 50 and SB 827 failed.
nity that the LAPD is in control: “The bottom line is that the police are completely and fully able to fulfill and render regular service, as well as the additional measures that we are taking.” Paulson explained that the Wilshire Division front desk was closed during the crisis, but that all calls for service were handled as usual. She noted that some community officers, such as Senior Lead Officers, have been reassigned to patrol activities. Paulson reported that she has been in regular communication with hospitals in the area, including CedarsSinai and Kaiser. “Words cannot express how impressed I am with their dedication and competency,” she said in praise. With the exception of a single day in April, both hospitals have been able to manage the traffic in their critical care units. “So far, they are operating at normal levels. They are in good shape,” she reported.
7
Pan Pacific In addition to their regular duties, Paulson said that Wilshire Division officers were staffing a temporary homeless shelter at Pan Pacific Park Recreation Center. The shelter is for people local to the area, said Paulson, who noted that all receive a health screening when they arrive and when they re-enter the facility, which was operating near its capacity of 200 people in April. The shelter at Pan Pacific Park is designated by the city as a “no symptoms” shelter, so if someone with symptoms arrives, he or she is re-directed to a new location. In regards to crime, Paulson described a marked decrease in Wilshire over the past couple of months “that is probably a result of the circumstances.” Still, she warned, as the weather warms, remember to keep doors and windows closed and locked. And beware of scams, either by phone calls, emails or letters that offer COVID-19 testing — “they are all bogus.”
Sylva Bezian, DDS Comprehensive Dentistry for All Ages
Lifetime Member of ADA, CDA & LADS
Voted Top Dentist in Los Angeles 2018-2019 Yelp 5 Star rating • USC Dental School graduate
H Evening and Saturday appointments available H Larchmont Medical Building 321 N. Larchmont Blvd., Suite 517 • 323-957-5100 www. sylvabeziandds.com
8
JUNE 2020
SECTION ONE
Larchmont Chronicle
Safari fashion in vogue at GLAZA; New Village girls inspire For the first time ever, anyone could attend the Beastly Ball, but only virtually. The event — held annually by the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA), the volunteer organization that supports the Los Angeles Zoo — was on May 15. Guests tuning in were encouraged to wear their finest safari fashions and order goodies from supporting restaurants such as El Cholo, Pink’s Hot Dogs and Formosa Café. Although GLAZA could not host its usual strolling meal at the Zoo this year, the array of supporting eateries offered discounts and provided exclusive recipes. The only glitch was a 15-minute delay at the beginning — which the master of ceremonies, comedian and actor Joel McHale, quickly overcame, quipping, “Hey, the quarantine silent auction
Around the Town with
Patty Hill package, I’ll autograph the toilet paper.” Many celebrities participated. Each encouraged viewers to bid on featured items (Charlie Sheen rooted for the mountain yellow-tailed frog’s release back into the wild). Others among the famous and fabulous making appearances were: Brian Wilson (yes, that Brian Wilson) and Dave Matthews (who both sang from their homes), Lance Bass, Julie Chang and Lisa Ling. Future Zoo Ball honorees (and brothers) Chris Kratt and Martin Kratt, with Dr. Barbara Natterson-
ZOO BALL host Joel McHale promises to autograph 4-packs of toilet paper.
DAVE MATTHEWS performs in support of LA Zoo.
Horowitz and Kathryn Bowers, also joined in the video fun, along with GLAZA President Tom Jacobson and Los Angeles Zoo CEO and Director Denise Verret. Although the auction did not close until 10 p.m. on Sunday evening, the event recorded an interim total raised of close to $1 million for the Zoo’s educational programs. ••• New Village Girls Academy, the first single-sex public school in the state of California, held its own virtual fundraiser May 17. Viewers met some of this year’s inspiring students and Principal Jennifer Quinones answered questions asked live. Opportunities to support the school’s mission were
plentiful. Participants were asked to finance one month of counseling and social service support, Wi-Fi access for distance learning, laptops and an entire year of wellness days, all geared to developing students’ ability to care for themselves physically and emotionally. Chair of the Board Dan Posel, along with board member Belinda Smith Walker, spoke of the determination and resiliency of the students. “During ordinary times, the care and continuity we provide is already unmatched. With the COVID-19 crisis, our students and their families need your support more than ever,” said Principal Quinones. Harriet Strong, the first president of The Ebell of Los
NEW VILLAGE GIRLS Academy Principal Jennifer Quinones at virtual fundraiser.
Angeles, once said, circa 1895: “I find a way, or I make one. I serve.” Angelenos continue to find ways to serve … and to support their worthy causes. And that’s the chat!
Surviving
(Continued from page 1) work. I was a new baby, and my father took care of me and my three-year-old brother.” Her mother found a job on a farm, earning $6 a week plus butter, eggs and milk for her growing family. Allemand’s grandmother had made the first pincushion — the family called it a “sewing chair” — and her mother made two smaller ones as gifts, from one yard of fabric. “Each one cost about 7 cents apiece to make. … “One day when my mother came home from work, my dad was taking care of my brother Kenneth and me. He had made 12 of these little sewing chairs and had them sitting on top of the davenport. They looked so cute, she thought that she could sell them.” So, her mother took them to a nearby upscale neighborhood and, going door-to-door, sold each one. The compact design had a thimble tucked in a side pocket, scissors in the back, thread stored under the seat and pins pricked in the seat cushion. Her mother, who would eventually become a hospital nurse and treat tuberculosis patients, years later sent one of the sewing chairs to Joan,
JOAN ALLEMAND says the Depression-era pincushion project can teach how to help weather the COVID-19 crisis of the present day.
with a note: “Dad kept making chairs, and I worked! We paid ALL our bills, kept food on the table, & NEVER WERE ON RELIEF! “When he went back to work, I quit my job. These little chairs have always been a fond part of our lives, so I hope you enjoy having one. Love, & Fond Memories, Dad & Mom.” Joan’s father also was handy with the laundry, according to another note from her mom: “On Sunday night, after I left for my job, and he had baby you and Kenneth tucked into bed, he’d do the weekly wash and hang it out! “All the neighbor ladies sure envied him. No matter how
SEWING CHAIR design came in handy during the 1930s Great Depression.
early they did their Monday wash, [he] had his on the line before they did. He was quite a sharpie! Ha! Love, Mom.” Her parents worked “very, very hard,” said Allemand. “It was pounded into us to never take money and to work hard.” It’s a lesson Allemand has carried with her throughout her life. She came to Los Angeles in 1960, earned a doctorate in art history from UCLA, and she taught art at Beverly Hills High School. With her then-husband, Denis Allemand (an architect, who had worked at Welton Becket and Associates), she opened an interior design company, Denis Allemand & (Please turn to page 9)
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
SECTION ONE
9
Confessions of a COVID-19 non-cleaner and other failures
Surviving
(Continued from page 8) Assoc. The couple designed interiors for hotels, restaurants, airports and shopping malls. In 1989, she created the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program for kindergarten through 12th graders (this year’s winning duck stamp will go on sale June 26), and, she is now completing an abstract drawing
TEENAGERS Estelle and Ruby are horrified that their mom Mel Stolz-Sumegi wants to cut their hair.
WHAT DO YOU DO when the store delivers too many cucumbers? Peggy Giffin makes pickles!
“I failed at grocery shopping.” The process of making a supermarket list electronically and waiting for it to arrive is exciting — “It’s kinda like Christmas!” Giffin enthuses — but just as one’s holiday wish list doesn’t always arrive under the tree, so, too, grocery deliveries can vary from dreams. “I ordered two bananas and got two bunches. I ordered two
WHAT IS THIS? The writer is perplexed with cleaning supplies in her cabinet.
program for Kindle for high school and college students. Joan has visited every continent and traveled to 100 countries over her lifetime. And, she gives a mean party. “I usually have a fabulous July 4th party and a December one.” She’s already planning her next one for when the coronavirus is over. “My invite list contains former art students from Beverly Hills, artists, actors, writers, photographers, teachers,
WITH USELESS SKIS behind her, even owning weights doesn’t inspire Lauren Deutsch to exercise at home.
ON STRIKE from preparing breakfasts, Myrna Gintel makes air-fried chicken brunch.
RIMPAU resident Rudy Gintel gets domestic.
cucumbers and got 14 cucumbers,” she laughs. “So I made pickles!” Breakfast or lunch Over on Rimpau there’s another type of COVID-food fail. Myrna Gintel initially approached the challenge of staying home with enthusiasm. That changed about three days in, as she states, “I was making breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. I said to [my husband] Rudy, ‘I’m done! I’ll make dinner, but it’s either breakfast or lunch.’” She details further, “He [Rudy] comes into the dinette and sits down, waiting for breakfast to be served. Normally I’m happy to do it. Eggs, bacon, toast.” Instead, Gintel asked, “You do know where the refrigerator is, don’t you?” A small victory occurred in the midst of their food negotiations. One day Rudy cleared the table, put on an apron and washed the dishes. “It’s a miracle!” exclaims Gintel. To ease the cooking burden, they purchased an air fryer, and Gintel enjoys making “air-fried brunches” — especially air-fried chicken. The downside to being home all the time means that food is always around, and Gintel has discovered that “It’s not the COVID-19, it’s the COVID-19-pounds!” She hasn’t wanted to step on the scale lately, but she reveals that, so far, “Rudy’s gained nine.” Exercise? Perhaps it’s time for some exercise and who among us hasn’t been bombarded with emails and messages about
Zoom cardio classes, Facebook live yoga, or flexibility instruction. They’re there for the taking, but not everyone takes. “I can’t seem to get into exercise,” admits Lucerne Blvd. resident Lauren Deutsch. She was all set to go skiing when
the stay-at-home order hit, and now her skis stand as a constant reminder of her sedentary life, covered as they are in masks and sanitized gloves. “I was thinking this would give me more incentive [to (Please turn to page 27)
JUNIOR DUCK STAMP for 2020 is a wood duck painted by Madison Grimm, age 13, from South Dakota.
neighbors and the post office lady.”
325 N. Larchmont Boulevard, #158 Los Angeles, California 90004 www.windsorsquare.org 157 N. Larchmont Boulevard
Our Health
June is usually a time for big celebrations — graduations, Father’s Day barbeques, weddings and family reunions, among others. Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed those traditions for the time being, as we are all advised to avoid groups and to shelter at home, as much as possible. Marking milestones under these circumstances calls for creativity — drive-by birthday parties, Zoom reunions and cocktail parties, and small, socially distanced front yard get-togethers. Also this year, all of Windsor Square is sharing in the celebration of high school graduates from a variety of nearby schools, through those cheerful signs dotting lawns all over the neighborhood. Even though you didn’t have a large audience applauding your accomplishment in person, you do have a whole community, including the Windsor Square Association, cheering you on! Although the Los Angeles area is making positive strides in handling this unpredictable virus, it’s still important to follow expert advice to prevent infection rates from rising. The Mayor has issued a statement requiring residents to wear masks when around other people, both in stores and outside. Keep in mind that masks are meant primarily to protect others, not necessarily the wearer, and that the disease can be spread even by people who have no symptoms themselves. While some may think the risk is overblown, doctors and nurses working long shifts in dangerous circumstances would beg to differ. Be a good citizen: Cover up and keep your distance!
o o o
And Our Trees’ Health The WSA has been dedicated to our local “urban forest” for many years, helping to keep Windsor Square’s beautiful tree canopy as healthy and full as possible. We’d like to alert homeowners to a new problem that has the potential to kill many street trees. It’s an insect called Tulip Tree Scale, which seems to target younger Magnolias in particular. Aggressive infestations have been spotted on Arden, Irving and Norton, north of Third, for example. The insect, which looks like a large, round wart, reproduces rapidly and gradually sucks the life out of the tree. Other signs of infestation are black soot on leaves and yellowing leaves. To survive, trees need to be sprayed with horticultural oil by arborists. We are working with homeowners and the city to try to provide solutions to this problem. If you see signs of this insect on Magnolias in your yard, let us know by emailing info@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. ADV.
©LC0620
By Helene Seifer During this time of social distancing, the population has divided into two camps: those who have robustly embraced their inner homebody by mastering bread baking, closet organizing or conversational Italian; and those who might be politely categorized as failing to do any of that. I fall into the latter camp, having discovered to my horror that relying on a housekeeper all these years has left me with absolutely no idea how to clean my home. Which of dozens of spray bottle cleaning agents should be used for scrubbing the kitchen counter? For polishing the furniture? For attacking the soap scum on the shower door? I didn’t recognize for weeks that the weird pot-bellied stick in the hall closet was a vacuum cleaner. When had we traded in the Hoover for that space-age gadget? And will someone please tell me what the liquid-filled milk jug labeled “not H2O” under the sink contains? At least I’m not alone. Mel Stolz-Sumegi prefers her home on S. Victoria to be neat, but things aren’t working out that way in the age of the coronavirus. “I like a really clean house,” she emphasizes, “and I’m trying to organize things. I pull things out of the cupboard, but I get bored halfway through. Marie Kondo would not approve!” Instead, she starts new projects, from sorting the Tupperware to attacking the linen closet. “I’m kind of a clean freak, but now I have all these random piles — at least 20 of them!” With a husband, two children and lots of pets, Stolz-Sumegi finds it impossible to get everything done. “I think I have all this time, but I never actually finish anything. The intention to be a domestic goddess is there.” “I’m terrible at cleaning,” Peggy Giffin admits. “I did ruin a fairly expensive bathroom faucet by using the wrong product on it. Now it has permanent spots all over and I’ll have to buy a new one.” The Hancock Park resident has another confession.
10
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
SECTION ONE
Comfort food was on the menu at 13 area fire stations Firefighters dined on barbecued ribs and homemade pies on Los Angeles Fire Service Day, thanks to City Council District Four, the Original Farmers Market and First-In Fire Foundation. Councilmember David Ryu and First-In Fire members delivered meals to 13 Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) fire stations May 9. “Los Angeles firefighters continue to serve our city with courage throughout this coronavirus pandemic,” Councilmember Ryu said. “Most years, we’d celebrate Fire Service Day with a community celebration or pancake breakfast. This year, I thought we could show our appreciation and our support for small businesses by buying meals for all the fire stations in Council District Four.” On the menu were baby
COUNCILMAN David Ryu brought some well-deserved fare to firefighters at Fire Station 27 on Fire Service Day.
back ribs from Huntington Meat and Sausage, fresh produce from Farm Boy Produce and, for dessert, apple and cherry pies from Du-par’s Restaurant and Bakery. The meals were funded by Councilmember Ryu’s discretionary funds and the First-In
Fire Foundation. “What a perfect way to thank our local hometown heroes — delivering firefighters’ favorite foods, comfort foods, right to the firehouse door,” said Lyn MacEwan Cohen, president of First-In Fire Foundation. “We are so pleased that our
merchants were asked to participate,” said Mark Panatier, retiring vice president of the A.F. Gilmore Company, owner of The Original Farmers Market. “Providing nourishing and delicious food is what our grocers and restaurants do best. I know our participating businesses are thrilled to be a part of this heartfelt ‘thank you gift’ to the brave men and women at our local fire stations who work so tirelessly for our community each and every day,” concluded Panatier. Panatier marked completion of 29 years of working at the Market on May 29. “The Los Angeles Fire Department is extremely grateful to Councilmember Ryu and the First-In Fire Foundation for their generous donation to several of our fire stations,” said LAFD Deputy
Chief Graham Everett. The Firehouse Dinners pilot program, created and managed by the First-In Fire Foundation, began on April 8 at Fire Station 61 on Third Street at Alta Vista Blvd. To support the First-In Fire Foundation and the Firehouse Dinners program, visit firstinfirefoundation.org. New director at Market Peter Hayden has taken over Panatier’s duties as director of development at the Farmers Market. Prior to joining Gilmore, Hayden managed redevelopment of commer- Peter Hayden cial assets in Seattle and Southern California for Simon Property Group. And, he has overseen several projects for Caruso.
Wilshire Rotary club raises record amount for St. James’ food pantry Last month, Wilshire Rotary collected three truckloads and one carload of food — 1,865 pounds worth — and raised an additional $1,300 for donation to the food pantry at St. James’ Church, which gives out approximately 900 grocery and quick bags of food per month. The food drive was conducted over the first two weekends in May at the vacant lot at 568 N. Larchmont Blvd. (also the location of the annual pumpkin patch and Christmas tree lot). Social distancing protocols were practiced and face coverings were worn as Rotarians spent four hours in the sun each day of the drive accepting donations such as canned meats, vegetables, and fruit,
ROTARY MEMBERS who helped collect donations for the food drive included Tish Johnson, Janice Prior, John Duerler, Melody St. John, Kelly Bevan Spirer and Ron Reyes (foreground).
peanut butter, jelly, fruit juices, soups, stews, beans, rice, pasta and cereal. Other items
Have you been working on that memoir or novel while you‘ve been stuck at home?
Need a fresh pair of eyes for your manuscript?
and developmental editing. • APA, MLA, Chicago and AP • Novels, memoirs, scripts, theses, essays, articles & more.
Track Changes. • Prices start at $30/hour for straight proofreading.
©LC0520
Putt Putt Productions can help! • Proofreading, copyediting, • Hardcopy or MS Word’s
Email rachel@puttputtproductions.com for job estimate.
For more information, go4X2.5.qxp_BLUTHNER/LARCHMONT to PuttPuttProductions.com BLUTHNER/LARCHMONT 4X2.5 8/22/16
Leipzig, Germany since 1853
Concert, Recording, Home Rentals Henle Editions Helga Kasimoff
LA’s oldest family piano store
kasimoffpianoslosangeles.com
¨
KASIMOFF-BLUTHNER PIANO CO. 337 N. LARCHMONT BL. • HOLLYWOOD, CA 90004
323-466-7707
included pouches of tuna, crackers, cookies, snack packs, instant soups and mini-cereals. Cathy Helm from St. James’ Food Pantry said that this was the single largest donation of food ever given to the church’s food pantry. The church distributes food in two ways, as in grocery bags for people who can prepare their own food, and in quick bags for people who do not have access to a kitchen. The food donated by Wilshire Rotary was the equivalent of almost two months’ worth of quick meals and pantry supplies. The high yield in gifts came about despite a heat wave on 11:04 the first weekend. The next weekend, the drive was held during balmy weather on the Friday and Saturday before Mother’s Day. Ron Reyes, Wilshire Rotary president, announced that in addition to the St. James’ Food Pantry, Wilshire Rotary Club, along with Wilshire Rotary Foundation, managed to donate numerous meals to people on Skid Row and provide donations to Alexandria House and HopeNet, as well. “The food drive was a great
ACCEPTING DONATIONS for the food drive last month were John Duerler, Yvette Paz, Janice Prior, Joyce Kleifield, Larry Gillham, Ron Reyes, Danielle Reyes, Christopher Cox and Angel Amezquita.
success that attracted donations from as far as the South Bay area of Los Angeles,” says Reyes. They are considering another event in June to support the Karsh Family Social Service Center. The goal of the food drive was to help with food donations to meet the needs of those affected by the coronavirus, as well as individuals who typically need assistance. For more information on future activities, or to donate, contact Ron Reyes at 323-6463090 or ron@woodexpressions.com, or visit wilshirerotary.org.
FUTURE ROTARIAN donated tomato soup with Elsa Gillham and Joyce Kleifield.
SCREEN SHOT. The Wilshire Rotary food drive is viewed through a window screen from an apartment next door.
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
SECTION ONE
11
Pre-COVID-19, The Ebell celebrated its 125th and a cookbook n The club faces a difficult future
EBELL’S 125TH Anniversary Ball celebrants Bill Simon, Patty Lombard, Lorraine Spector and Laurie Schechter.
HOMEBOUND COOKS can try contemporary and vintage recipes from “The Ebell 125th Anniversary Cookbook.”
part of the Windsor SquareHancock Park community since 1927. So many came to Cotillion here, to lunches and lectures, to weddings.” Virtual programming The clubhouse might be closed, but the Ebell remains vibrant and active through virtual programming, some for members only and other programs that are open to the public. In June, public events include yoga sessions, a dairy-free cooking demonstration from Don’t You Dairy, a Brightland Olive Oil seminar on selecting and using the oil, a harp and vocal concert and a presentation from a Hollywood makeup artist. Recipes from diverse membership And now that so many of us are cranking up our cooking skills while sheltering at home, readers are invited to try recipes from “The Ebell 125th Anniversary Cookbook.” Cookbook editor Lizzie Blatt, a Windsor Square resident, explains, “We wanted to reflect what had been going on at The Ebell in the past, so we included recipes from the 1953 and 1979 cookbooks. We can see how foods have changed — it used to be ‘open up a can.’ Now cooking has become a leisure pursuit. We’ve gone back to basics with fresh and healthy foods.” She continues, “We also wanted to reflect the diversity of our membership, collecting their recipes from Korea, Guyana, Russia, Poland,
France, Ireland and Africa, plus African-American dishes.” Elizabeth Taylor cooks The Ebell’s food history is the same as our neighborhood’s history, and it’s fun to try the 1953 recipe for Green Goddess dressing from Mrs. Lon V. Smith, Ebell president from 1948-1950 (back when women never used their own first names, even at a women’s club) or 1979’s Nixon’s Chicken (made with mayonnaise and a can of cream of chicken soup) whose submitter, Jeanne Garcia, helpfully offered, “Democrats enjoy this too!” Also from the 1979 cookbook is a roast chicken recipe from Mrs. John Warner (Elizabeth Taylor). Or try one of these contemporary recipes from our friends and neighbors. Laurie Schechter’s Russian Pancakes 4 eggs 2 cups cottage cheese 1 cup sour cream 3/4 cup flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray or butter. Pour a large spoonful of batter onto the skillet and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side. Jane Gilman’s Rack of Lamb Serves 3-4 1 rack of lamb, with 7-8 ribs, at room temperature 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
CELEBRATING The Ebell of Los Angeles’ 125th anniversary before COVID-19 shut the doors. Photos by Boone Studios
2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons soy sauce Garlic powder to taste Salt and pepper to taste Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Marinate the lamb with a mixture of rosemary, oil and soy sauce. Sprinkle with garlic powder and place in a plastic bag. Place in refrigerator overnight or for at least three hours. Before roasting, sprinkle with salt and pepper, wrap bones in aluminum foil, and place in a pan, fat side up. Put the lamb in the oven for 45 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 125 degrees for rare or 135 degrees for medium rare. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes. Cut the lamb chops away from the rack by slicing
Local nutritionist to host ‘Age Well’ webinar June 5
Join nutritionist and author Patricia Greenberg in a Zoom webinar Fri., June 5 at 11 a.m. The Hancock Park resident will discuss “10 Steps to Aging Well,” based on her book, “Eat Well, Live Well, Age Well.” To register, visit tinyurl.com/ y8a74eba. The book includes nutritional tips, how to navigate the medical system, emotional wellness, relationships and end-of-life care.
between the bones. Serve 2-3 chops per person. Copies of “The Ebell 125th Anniversary Cookbook” can be ordered for $25 plus shipping at ebellofla.com/club/ club-events/cookbook. For the schedule of upcoming virtual programs, go to ebellofla.com/ club/clubevents. To contribute to the Emergency Relief Fund, go to ebellofla.com/donate. The Ebell website reminds readers that “The Ebell legacy is strong. We have endured for more than 125 years, through two World Wars and the Great Depression, and we will get through this.” Helene Seifer has been a member of the Ebell of Los Angeles for eight years and is a former board member.
Majestic Time Piece Melkon & Vartan High End Watch & Jewelry Repair
419 N. Larchmont Blvd., Suite 419 3/4 at the former Hans Custom Optik location
©LC1219
By Helene Seifer In December 2019, the Ebell of Los Angeles capped its 125th anniversary year with a sold-out dinner and dance party and the release of a cookbook filled with over 190 recipes from Ebell members past and present, including many from our Larchmontarea neighbors. It had been a banner year for the women’s club, with a record number of Ebell programs and lucrative rentals, a jump to over 620 members, and record-breaking fundraising. In March 2020, that all came to a screeching halt. The coronavirus shutdown has taken its toll on individuals and businesses alike, but nonprofits may be suffering most of all, and Southern California’s longest continuously operating women’s club is no exception. According to club president Ginger Barnard, “The 125th-anniversary fundraising campaign raised over $100,000 for the preservation and restoration of the clubhouse and Wilshire Ebell Theatre,” quadrupling the usual money raised in its annual donor drive. This money had been earmarked for long-desired improvements, such as adding more air conditioning. The elation was short-lived, however, when doors were closed. Gone was the crucial income from catering, theater rentals and feature film production. Gone was the excitement over upcoming sold-out programs. Now the extra money raised in celebration became an operating fund. “We have endowments to support our ongoing philanthropic work,” explains Barnard. “But the building itself does not have an endowment.” Fresh off the success of its anniversary fundraising, the Ebell finds itself in the position of having to turn back to the well. “We have created the Emergency Relief Fund to help with upkeep of our 83,000-square-foot building,” states Barnard, continuing, “We are very appreciative of the support our members are showing. In the first two weeks of the campaign they gave $50,000, but we need to raise half a million dollars during the next six months.” The Ebell has also received funds from the Payroll Protection Program and from the Small Business Administration, but that isn’t enough to preserve and protect this local historic landmark. With high expenses, including $20,000 per month for insurance, Barnard is hoping neighbors and local businesses consider donating. As she reminds us, “The Ebell has been an integral
lry Jewe tch & Wa too! , sales
(323) 933-0288 • Majestictimepiece@gmail.com
12
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
SECTION ONE
Local favorite Marino hosts virtual dinner with chef, vintner, farmer The longer social distancing continues in some form, the more creative restaurants become. From well-priced prix fixe takeout meals to revolving nightly menus, many of our favorite former sit-down eateries are finding resourceful ways to keep diners interested and their businesses alive. Marino Ristorante was one of the first to include grocery options along with their takeaway dishes, and now they’ve leapt further with weekly Zoom dinners catering to the foodie crowd.
On the Menu by
Helene Seifer Sal Marino isn’t a fussy chef — no tweezer-placed pile of radish microgreens balanced atop a nasturtium blossom here — but he cooks with the honesty and depth of flavor one craves from the land of pasta. Now those comforting qualities are offered as weekly coursed virtual dinner events. Sign up for dinner for two, and a set meal with a bottle of wine will be delivered in time for a 6 p.m. Zoom conference with the other diners, Chef Marino and experts representing the featured food and wine. There are two reasons why this approach to dining is so welcome: it adds atmosphere lost when a restaurant’s dining room is subtracted from the eating equation, and it provides face-to-face time with the purveyors of the meal’s ingredients, thereby tapping into the locally-sourced, farmto-table movement. The mid-May virtual dinner that we experienced was
MARINO RISTORANTE Zooms dinner with experts and eaters. Arrow at top left is chef Sal Marino. Below him is Anthill Farms winemaker Anthony Filiberti. Arrow at right is Meredith Bell of Autonomy Farms.
loosely structured. Some of the roughly two-dozen participants ate while the experts spoke. Some waited until after the presentations. At times, it felt as though we had crashed a private dinner party since several of the diners clearly knew the chef, but the freewheeling quality had a charm and intimacy of its own — like a real dinner party in the real world. Our $149 meal for two began with an amuse bouche of a dollop of farmers’ market green garbanzo puree on a tiny romaine leaf. Creamy, almost buttery, with a taste somewhere between hummus, white bean puree, and smashed fresh peas, this little starter packed an outsized flavor punch. Then the meat of the meal began, pun intended, with
featured guest Meredith Bell from Autonomy Farms, a 4,000-acre farm outside Bakersfield that raised the grass fed lamb and pastured chicken in our dishes. The shredded lamb sauce in the Maccheroncini Braised Lamb Sugo was dense with pure meat funk and deeply satisfying, driving home the flavor difference between a hastily grabbed package of supermarket lamb loin and a naturally raised, quality cut. Chicken Vesuvio, one of Chef Marino’s signature dishes, was a heaping pile of drumettes and thighs, seasoned with chili flakes, garlic, white wine and parsley, and cooked in a hot oven. After Bell (under a tree in her pasture, where the wind noise sometimes covered her cellphone Zoom comments) described her farm’s animal-
raising methods, Chef Marino advised us to note the pastured poultry’s texture, since “chicken shouldn’t be soft.” Indeed, we appreciated the bite in our bites. We sopped up the garlicky oil with Sour Broz bread, a new artisanal purveyor. Vintner Anthony Filiberti
joined us from Anthill Farms on Dry Creek Road, near Geyserville in Sonoma County, and he explained that the “fresh and crunchy” 2017 Pinot Noir we enjoyed was culled from 12 vineyards. He expounded, “It might seem simple at times, (Please turn to page 13)
Our restaurant menu is available for take out & delivery!
Kids Graduation Tea Peanut Butter & Jelly Triangles Assorted Mini-Sandwiches Ham & Cheese, Chicken Salad Smoked Salmon upon request ($2 extra)
Available for Take-Out & Delivery **Order 2 days in advance
We are OPEN and here to serve our community!
GRADUATIO CUPCAKESN
Phone in an order and we’ll have it ready for pick up! Or get it delivered through Postmates! Our deli, bakery and all of your favorites are available!
Mini-muffins & Donuts Fresh Fruit Ske wers Tea & Apple Ju ice
Children’s Tea for 2......$16 Children’s Tea for 6......$24 Children’s Tea for 4......$20 Children’s Tea for 8......$28 Includes paper plates & a surprise for kids!
Fun for the Whole Family!
(323) 933-8447
©LC0620
In the Original Farmers Market 3rd & Fairfax • Open 24 Hours
Since 1931
World Famous, Award Winning Restaurant • Deli • Bakery • Bar
419 N. Fairfax Ave. (323) 651-2030
Larchmont Chronicle
DINNER ELEMENTS received from the delivery service are ready for discussion and eating and drinking.
On the Menu
(Continued from page 12) but complex foods sometimes need simple wines.” It was a perfect pairing. Peach streusel ended the meal on a sweet note, but five minutes later I found myself scraping the last lamb bits out of the bowl. Marino Ristorante 323466-8812. marinorestaurant. com. Autonomy Farms has a booth at the Sunday Hollywood Farmer’s Market. Anthill Farms wines are carried by K&L Wines. klwines.com. Movie pairings and other unusual food experiences There are numerous food experiences now available beyond the standard fare. Japan House, a cultural center as well as restaurant, is continuing its food-related series online until it’s safe to gather again. Their Japanese Food Lab is a video cooking class. As of this writing, their website features the Sakura Carrot Takikomi Gohan, a chicken and mirin dinner. Their Movie & Bites series selects a foodrelated Japanese film easily found on streaming services and publishes material online about the featured food. The first film selection is the noodle soup-obsessed “Tampopo,” accompanied by an exploration of regional ramen differences and tips on how to enhance the store-bought variety. Japanhouse.jp/losangeles. For those who enjoy a buildit-yourself experience, Chef Walter Manzke’s Petty Cash Taqueria has a $21 Taco Dinner Kit, which includes five blue corn tortillas, a choice of fillings, beans, poblano rice, chips and guacamole. They also offer brisket or cauliflower nacho kits for $13. 323-9335300. pettycashtaqueria.com. 7360 Beverly Blvd. If you find yourself driving back from a walk on the beach in Santa Monica, consider stopping at Röckenwagner Market for a culinary time travel experience: 1960s-style aluminum tray TV dinners can be preordered. The Salisbury steak and other classic meals sold in the market are provided by the updated Sinatra-
JUNE 2020
vibe (but COVID-closed) Dear John’s restaurant (Hans Rockenwägner is a partner, along with Josiah Citrin). 310-5770747. rockenwagnermarket. com/collections. 12835 Washington Blvd. Those craving a feel-good meal that helps the hungry can check out Few for All (FEW), an endeavor by three newly unemployed chefs and restaurant managers which delivers fresh pastas, sauces, cookie dough and bread Wednesday through Sunday. For every item ordered, they donate one pound of pasta to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. On Fridays, their Table 60 Project proffers a three-course meal for two with a bottle of wine and instant atmosphere: flowers with a bud vase, tablecloth, artist-designed menu, and playlist for a suggested minimum donation of $58 (their cost). Every dollar paid above that is also donated to the Food Bank. 323-602-0095. instagram.com/fewforall.
SECTION ONE
Restaurateurs / chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo give back to Los Angeles By Helene Seifer Restaurateurs are faced with tough decisions about the best way to proceed during the Safer-at-Home mandates. So many people depend on them: staff for their salaries, customers for the simple joy of eating someone’s expert cooking. They must determine whether they can stay open in any capacity without risking people’s health and without going bankrupt. Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo have assessed each of their restaurants separately and found ways to keep many staff members, serve the community, and give back. Jon & Vinny’s, a local favorite all-day Italian, offers pickup and delivery, as does its attached wine store, Helen’s. Their seafood-centric Beverly Grove eatery, Son of a Gun, is similarly open four half days a week. “We’re trying to get people
back to work,” explains Shook, although he admits that there are a lot of obstacles. “Even getting product has become more challenging,” he concedes. Their Animal restaurant was converted into Jon and Vinny’s Goods, a pickup and delivery store for organic produce, meats and many diverse items. Charitable cooking Over on Highland, Shook and Dotolo have temporarily closed their tiny French Bistro, Petit Trois (although their Valley version remains open for takeout), and they have transformed Trois Mec, their prix fixe fine dining restaurant with Chef Ludo Lefebvre, into the main kitchen for their charitable cooking for José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen (WCK), which provides meals for hospital workers and others in need. With the meal money they receive from WCK, their
repurposed space provides jobs for some of the employees who worked at this or other of their restaurants. Son of a Gun is also a WCK kitchen in the morning. “It’s been incredible to be able to work with these charities,” states Dotolo, adding, “We want to do more. We feel for people struggling more than we are. I feel incredibly lucky for the support of our community, our friends and our family. … It shows the love that we’ve gotten from this city at every turn. When this is over, we’ll continue to give love back.” Jon & Vinny’s 323-3343369 jonandvinnys.com. Helen’s 213-280-5118 helenswines.com. Jon & Vinny’s Goods 323782-9225 goods.jonandvinnys.com. Son of a Gun 323-782-9033 sonofagunrestaurant.com.
Open Daily For take out AND delivery MAGEE’S KITCHEN
FRITZI COOP
DU-PAR’S RESTAURANT
SUSHI A GO GO
BRYAN’S PIT BARBECUE
PHIL’S DELI
PATSY’S PIZZA
MOISHE’S RESTAURANT
THE GUMBO POT
CHARLIE’S COFFEE SHOP
SINGAPORE’S BANANA LEAF
BOB’S COFFEE & DOUGHNUTS
For a complete list of open merchants visit farmersmarketla.com NEW HOURS:
10AM UNTIL 7PM DAILY
•
(Many merchants have extended hours. Please call individual businesses for details.)
6333 W. THIRD ST. LOS ANGELES FARMERSMARKETLA.COM
•
13
• 323.933.9211 @FARMERSMARKETLA
14
JUNE 2020
SECTION ONE
Larchmont Chro
Updates in takeout and deliv By Rachel Olivier With the cautious reopening of more businesses, eateries and other food establishments have made adjustments on how they may safely serve customers. The following is a list of food places that offer takeout, call-ahead curbside pickup and / or contactless delivery, sometimes using services, such as Doordash. com, Grubhub.com, Postmates. com, Seamless.com, Trycaviar.com, or Ubereats.com. Some places sell fresh produce boxes, and many eateries offer wine, beer and cocktails. Call or check online as hours and services change. This is current as of late May, but information changes almost daily, so please check first. If you know a place we have missed, please email us at info@ larchmontchronicle.com. Grocery Delivery Grocery delivery businesses include: Instacart.com for Ralph’s, Vons, Pavilions, and Sprouts and others; Amazon.com for Whole Foods (as a Prime member); and Yummy.com, Butcherbox.com, Farmfreshtoyou.com, and Purplecarrot.com. Visit farmersmarketla. com/delivery or mercato.com for delivery from the Original Farmers Market.
l
l
l
Restaurants and cafés that offer takeout or delivery along Larchmont Boulevard or very close by include: Astroburger 5601 Melrose Ave. 323-469-1924 astroburger.com
BENNETTS ICE CREAM
Patrons of the Original Farmers Market, 6333 W. Third St., can find open vendors that offer curbside delivery and takeout via a button on the website, or order fresh produce and other items through mercato.com. Call 323933-9211 or visit farmersmarketla.com. Groceries and specialty foods: Bennett’s Ice Cream 323-939-6786
Bob’s Donuts 323-933-8929 The Dog Bakery 323-935-7512 thedogbakery.com
Burger Lounge 217 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-462-2310 burgerlounge.com
Kreation Juice 121 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-848-4714 kreationjuice.com
Tacos Tu Madre 203 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-499-1143 tacostumadre.com
Chan Dara 310 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-467-1052 chandararestaurants.com
Larchmont Village Wine, Spirits & Cheese 223 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-856-8699 larchmontvillagewine.com
Vernetti 225 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-798-5886 vernetti.la
Chipotle Mexican Grill 301 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-978-2047 chipotle.com Coffee + Food Larchmont Café 5630 Melrose Ave. 323-962-3390 coffeeplusfood.wordpress.com Erin McKenna’s Bakery 236 N. Larchmont Blvd. 855-462-2292 erinmckennasbakery.com Good Goose Café 5210 Beverly Blvd. 323-378-5272 goodgoosecafe.com
Le Petit Greek 127 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-464-5160 lepetitgreek.com Lemonade 626 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-464-0700 lemonadela.com
Go Get Em Tiger 230 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-543-4321 gget.com
Peet’s Coffee 124 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-978-1003 peets.com
Jamba Juice 122 N. Larchmont Blvd. (323) 378-5720 jamba.com
Pressed Juicery 201 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-464-5800 pressedjuicery.com
Kali Restaurant 5722 Melrose Ave. 323-871-4160 kalirestaurant.com
Farm Boy Produce (323) 936-6363 Farm Fresh Produce (323) 931-3773 Farmers Market Poultry (323) 936-8158 Green Maya Coffee 323-433-4010 greenmayacoffee.com Huntington Meats & Sausage 323-433-4010 huntingtonmeats.com Kaylin & Hobbs Pickles 323-933-9211 kaylinandhobbs.com Light My Fire 323-930-2484
l
DU-PAR’S at the Market has takeo
l
Beyond Larchmont Boulevard, you can find other open restaurants and cafés here:
Muraya 125 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-856-0369 Osteria Mamma 5732 Melrose Ave. 323-284-7060 osteriamamma.com
BOB’S DOUGHNUTS
l
Louise’s Trattoria 232 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-962-9510 louises.com
Groundwork 150 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-843-4920 groundworkcoffee.com
Kiku Sushi 246 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-464-1323
Village Pizzeria 131 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-465-5566 villagepizzeria.net
Angelini Alimentari 7317 Beverly Blvd. Angelini Osteria 7313 Beverly Blvd. 323-297-0070 angelinirestaurantgroup.com Antonio’s 7470 Melrose Ave. 323-658-9060 antoniosonmelrose.com Berri’s Café 8412 W. 3rd St. 323-852-0642 berrisla.com
ANGELINI on Be food-to-go.
El Ch 1121 S. We 323-734 elcholo
Cake Monkey 7807 Beverly Blvd. 323-932-1142 cakemonkey.com
Escuela T 7615 Beve 323-932 escuelataq
Sam’s Bagels 154 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-469-1249
Canter’s Deli 419 N. Fairfax Ave. 323-651-2030 cantersdeli.com
Fancifull G 5617 Mel 800-350 fancifullgiftb
Sweetfin 135 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-465-6040 sweetfin.com
The Cat and the Fiddle 742 N. Highland Ave. 323-468-3800 thecatandfiddle.com
COFFEE CORNER
Littlejohn’s English Toffee 323-936-5379 littlejohnscandies.com Magee’s House of Nuts 323-938-4127 mageesnuts.com Magic Nut & Candy Co. 323-936-1383 themagicnut.com Marconda’s Meats 323 938-5131 marcondas.com Marconda’s Puritan Poultry 323-938-0312 marcondas.com Michelina Artisan Boulanger 323-329-4000 michelinala.com
Jon & V 412 N. Fa 323-334 jonandvin
FARM BOY PRODUCE
M. Marcel Gourmet Market 323-939-7792 mrmarcel.com M. Marcel Seafood Market 323-938-1919 mrmarcel.com T (Tea Shoppe) 323-930-0076 Temecula Olive Oil 323-879-9441 temeculaoliveoil.com T&Y Bakery 323-930-2355
l
l
l
Original Farmers Market restaurants: Bar 326 323-272-4928 farmersmarketbars.com
Blaze 323-931 www.blaze
Buca di 323) 37 www.bucadi
Charlie’s C 323-933
Chip 323-857 chipotl
Coffee Bean 323-857 coffeebe
Coffee 323-938
onicle
JUNE 2020
SECTION ONE
15
very options as city reopens
e Original Farmers out.
everly Blvd. offers
l
holo estern Ave. 4-2773 o.com
Taqueria erly Blvd. 2-6178 queria.com
Gift Baskets lrose Ave. 0-4437 baskets.com
Vinny’s airfax Ave. 4-3369 nnys.com
i Beppo 70-6560 ibeppo.com
Coffee Shop 33-0616
potle 57-0608 le.com
n & Tea Leaf 57-0461 ean.com
l
l
La Brea Avenue neighborhood eateries include: All About the Bread 7111 Melrose Ave. 323-930-8989 allaboutthebread.com Anarkali Indian Restaurant 7013 Melrose Ave. 323-934-6488 anarkalilosangeles.com Bludso’s Bar + Que 609 N. La Brea Ave. 323-931-2583 barandque.com Chipotle Mexican Grill 7101 Melrose Ave. 323-297-0334 chipotle.com
MAGIC NUT & CANDY
Pizza 31-1197 epizza.com
Corner 38-0278
Marino Ristorante 6001 Melrose Ave. 323-466-8812 marinorestaurant.com Papa Cristo’s 2771 W. Pico Blvd. 323-737-2970 papacristos.com Petrossian 321 N. Robertson Blvd. 310-271-6300 petrossianrestaurants.com Providence 5955 Melrose Ave. 323-460-4170 providencela.com Tart Restaurant 115 N. Fairfax Ave. 323-556-2608 tartrestaurant.com Tsujita & Co. 109 N. Fairfax Ave. 323-591-0470 tsujita-usa.com
Eatz Cooking School 612 N. La Brea Ave. 323-935-3289 eatzla.com. Hot Wings Café 7011 Melrose Ave. 323-930-1233 hotwingscafe.net Isa Japanese Restaurant 916 S. La Brea Ave. 323-879-9536 isajapanese.com La Brea Bakery Café 468 S. La Brea Ave. 323-939-6813 labreabakery.com Lucifer’s Pizza 7123 Melrose Ave. 323-424-4230 luciferspizza.com M Café 7119 Melrose Ave. 323-525-0588 mcafedechaya.com/menus Met Her at a Bar 759 S. La Brea Ave. 323-847-5013 metheratabar.com Met Him at a Bar 801 S. La Brea Ave. 323-852-3321 methimatabar.com Milk Bar 7150 Melrose Ave. 347-577-9504, ext. 15 milkbarstore.com République 624 S. La Brea Ave. 310-362-6115 republiquela.com Roji Bakery 807 S. La Brea Ave. 323-852-3311 roji-bakery.business.site
PATSY D’AMORE’S PIZZA
Du-par’s Restaurant & Pies 323-933-8446 dupars.net Fritzi Coop 323-936-9436 fritzicoop.com Gumbo Pot 323-933-0358 thegumbopotla.com Magee’s Kitchen 323-938-4127 mageeskitchen.com Marmalade Café 323-954-0088 marmaladecafe.com M. Marcel Bistro 323-605-9020 mrmarcel.com
Moishe’s Restaurant 323-936-4998 moishes-la.com Nonna’s Empanadas 323-934-3724 nonnasempanadas.com Pampas Grill 323-931-1928 pampasgrill.com Patsy’s Pizza 323-938-4938 patsydamore.com Phil’s Deli and Grill 323-936-3704 The Salad Bar 323-933-3204 Singapore Banana Leaf 323-933-4627 singaporebananaleafca.com
Standing’s Butchery 7016 Melrose Ave. 323-413-2212 standingsbutchery.com Supremo Ristorante 901 S. La Brea Ave. 323-852-3192 supremoristorante.com Tatsu Ramen 7111 Melrose Ave. 323-747-1388 tatsuramen.com Trejo’s Tacos 1048 S. La Brea Ave. 323-938-8226 trejostacos.com Tsuri Sushi and Sake Bar 7015 Melrose Ave. 323-935-1517 Wirtshaus 345 N. La Brea Ave. 323-931-9291 wirtshausla.com
l
l
l
Miracle Mile restaurants that are delivering or offering takeout include: Apollonia’s Pizzeria 5176 Wilshire Blvd. 323-937-2823 apolloniaspizzeria.com Black Dog Coffee 5657 Wilshire Blvd. 323-933-1976 blackdogcoffee.com Chipotle Mexican Grill 5550 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 101B 323-272-6661 chipotle.com The Counter 5779 Wilshire Blvd. 323-932-8900 thecounterburger.com
THE SALAD BAR
Drago Ristorante 6060 Wilshire Blvd. 323-800-2244 dragoristorante.com Einstein Bros. Bagels 5550 Wilshire Blvd. 323-330-9501 einsteinbros.com Fatburger 5001 Wilshire Blvd., #103 323-939-9593 fatburger.com Five Guys Burgers and Fries 5550 Wilshire Blvd., #101D 323-939-2360 fiveguys.com India’s Tandoori 5468 Wilshire Blvd. 323-936-2050 indiastandoori.net International House of Pancakes 5655 Wilshire Blvd. 323-297-4467 ihop.com Mixt Greens 5757 Wilshire Blvd. hello@mixt.com mixt.com Ono Hawaiian BBQ 5550 Wilshire Blvd. 323-525-1688 onohawaiianbbq.com The Pop on Wilshire 6317 Wilshire Blvd. 323-852-6002 hotelwilshire.com Rocco’s Pizza 6335 Wilshire Blvd. 323-655-0058 roccospizza.la Yuko Kitchen 5484 Wilshire Blvd. 323-933-4020 yukokitchen.com
TEMECULA OLIVE OIL
Starbucks 323-965-9594 starbucks.com
Maggiano’s Little Italy 323-965-9665 maggianos.com
Sushi A Go Go 323-930-7874
Pressed Juicery 323-549-9811 pressedjuicery.com
Veggie Grill 323-933-3997 veggiegrill.com
l
l
l
Restaurants at The Grove, 189 The Grove Dr., that are open for delivery or takeout include: Cheesecake Factory 323-634-0511 cheesecakefactory.com
Sprinkles Cupcakes 323-931-4498 sprinkles.com Umami Burger 323-954-8626 umamiburger.com Call 323-900-8080 or visit thegrovela.com/dining to get updates on restaurant availability.
16
JUNE 2020
SECTION ONE
Larchmont Chronicle
HopeNet
(Continued from page 1) the Larchmont Chronicle in April, with Webb and Brian Milder, who is on HopeNet’s board of trustees, Milder said that they were trying to come up with alternative ways to hold the event. TOL normally is held at the end of summer, and it allows locals to gather and sample wine and food from restaurants and coffee shops on Larchmont Boulevard for the price of a “passport ticket,” with all the proceeds supporting HopeNet. In the interview, Milder pointed out that, even if there were not a pandemic, the changing restaurant scene on Larchmont has made holding TOL a challenge. Long-established restaurants have closed, and new eateries unfamiliar with the TOL tradition have moved in. The loss of income from the Safer at Home directive, on top of physical distancing, made soliciting participation from local restaurants along Larchmont Boulevard a “big ask,” says Milder. And although Los Angeles is slowly reopening now, there will be no large gatherings for some time to come. Immediate impact of a year without a Taste of Larchmont The impact of not being able to hold this event is immediate, says Webb. As with other
DEMAND for food from HopeNet’s food pantries comes from middle-class families as well as the working poor.
TASTE OF LARCHMONT is a tradition cancelled this year. Beneficiary of the annual event, usually held in late August, HopeNet, still needs financial support.
charities, HopeNet depends on fundraising events to help fill its coffers. TOL provides HopeNet with around 40 percent of its annual operating budget. Typically, the proceeds raised from the event average $55,000 to $60,000, and they go almost exclusively — about 90 cents for every dollar donated — to grocery items for the 13 food pantries operated by HopeNet at 12 local churches and temples. The average number of individuals helped in a typical year is about 15,000 per month. In March 2019, for example, 14,580 people received shelfstable (packaged and canned) food, as well as fresh produce. This year, however, those
numbers have more than tripled because of increased demand. In March, 42,734 people came through HopeNet in need of groceries. In April, with just six out of 12 congregations reporting, there were 66,729 people who were in need of help. In addition, “The demographics of those seeking assistance have changed and not only include the most needy and the working poor, but also families from lower- and middle-income households,” Webb said. HopeNet also delivers groceries to seniors and shut-ins. When the volunteers (mostly seniors) had to self-quarantine mid-March, Webb became the sole delivery person for
those clients. In a normal year, there are about 400 seniors who get groceries delivered. In March this year, that number increased to 800 seniors and shut-ins who received groceries. Webb and Milder pointed out that currently Webb is a “one-man-show” on the delivery end. After hearing about all that was going on with HopeNet, I was both surprised and more appreciative for the time they made available for our Zoom interview. Webb has applied for a grant to the Eisner Foundation that may bring in $50,000 to partially help fill the need, but in the meantime, he said that “HopeNet will be reaching out via electronic and analog means to those who might
have usually supported us. Letters will be sent to those entities who have sponsored us in the past in the hope of garnering support to continue our mission.” How you can help Jane Gilman and Dawne Goodwin, founders of the Larchmont Chronicle, began the Taste of Larchmont to support HopeNet in celebration of the Chronicle’s 30th anniversary (in 1993). It was a way to bring people together and give back to the community. If the spirit moves you, and if you have the means, consider how you can give back to an organization that has helped people in our neighborhood for more than three decades. Visit hopenetla.org.
UNEMPLOYED CHEFS are filling in at Project Angel Food during current health crisis.
Project Angel Food adds 400 new clients
Lunch & Dinner Every Day of the Year
3357 Wilshire Blvd. • 213-385-7275
©LC 0406
Restaurant Hours: Mon. - Tues. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wed. - Sat. 11 a.m. to midnight Sun. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Bar Open till 1:00 a.m. Mon.-Thurs. ~ 1:30 a.m. Fri., & Sat.
to our kitchen to volunteer.” However, suspending all volunteering at this time seemed the better choice, and the board of directors and Ayoub decided to take deeper safety precautions and hire profes-
sional chefs. The food delivery non-profit still needs help, however, since fundraising events also have been suspended. To make donations or learn more, visit angelfood.org/covid19.
BOGIE’S LIQUOR
Open 7 Days Hours: Open 10 a.m. Close 2 a.m.
5753 Melrose Ave.
Call 323-469-1414
©LC0420
RESTAURANT & COCKTAILS
By Rachel Olivier Project Angel Food (PAF) has added 400 new clients to their delivery schedule, bringing the total of clients receiving delivered meals to 2,000 per day. This means increasing the annual meal production by 146,000 meals, said Richard Ayoub, executive director. Previously, PAF announced it had hired out-of-work restaurant chefs to fill in for volunteers who could no longer help out at the nonprofit due to COVID-19. There had been a callout for volunteers when the pandemic first hit. “Angelenos came through in a big way,” said Ayoub. “In one week we had 200 different people coming
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
SECTION ONE
17
Recipe: Secret of the Countess of Kent’s spice cake revealed Larchmont Chronicle reader Linda Fowells wrote us a kind note asking for the recipe for the Countess of Kent’s Spice Cake, mentioned in the May “Home Ground” column. The recipe is complex, and we thought it deserved a full response. Spice cakes were well known to the Elizabethans, and in fact, at the end of Elizabeth’s reign, the Clerk of the Markets to London’s bakers forbade them to bake spice cakes or buns or similar goods except for burials, on the Friday before Easter and on Christmas. If the recipe seems a bit voluminous, consider that the 17th-century (Stuart period) original, before the marvelous English cookery writer Elizabeth David (1913-1992) adapted it in the 1970s, calls for almost 20 cups of flour. Interpreting Elizabeth David’s language here is part of the challenge. The Countess of Kent’s Spice Cake Originally published in “English Bread and Yeast Cookery” (1977), the New American Edition came out in 1994, from which this recipe is quoted.
Home Ground by
Paula Panich Ingredients: For two rather wide 2-quart loaf pans: 6 and 3/4 cups unbleached flour; 2 teaspoons dry yeast; 2 teaspoons salt; 2/3 cup cream; a little under 2 cups (whole) milk; 1/2 cup sugar; 3 eggs; 2 cups currants (warmed); 1 cup almonds, ground and mixed with 1 or 2 tablespoons rose water; * 1 cup butter (2 sticks); 1 nutmeg grated or 3 teaspoons pudding spice; ** 6 tablespoons light sherry. *** Directions: Put the flour, salt and sugar into an extra large mixing bowl and put it in the oven to warm for a few minutes. Mix the yeast with the cream, warmed. **** Have the milk also warmed to blood heat. ***** Stir the yeast into the flour; add the milk, and then the whole eggs. Mix all to a light dough. Cover and leave to rise, until it is at least doubled in volume and looks spongy. This will take about 1
and 1/2 hours. Have ready all the other ingredients. The butter should be cut into small pieces and put in a warm place so that it is easily malleable, and prepare the ground almonds and rose water. Break down the dough, knead it lightly (on a lightly floured surface), then work in the butter, the almond paste, the warmed currants, the spice and the sherry. At this stage the dough requires thorough and careful kneading, so that all ingredients are well and equally distributed throughout the mass. Now the dough is put into warmed and buttered tins. There will be sufficient dough to fill each tin by about twothirds. Cover them with a cloth and leave them for 15 to 25 minutes, until the dough has risen to almost the tops of the tins and is perfectly light and springy. Bake in the center of a moderately hot oven, 375 to 400 degrees F. After 15 minutes, cover the tops of the loaves with double sheets of parchment baking paper, and bake another 30 minutes, or until a fine skewer plunged into the center of the loaves comes out quite clean. As soon as the loaves are taken from the oven, brush the tops with a thick sugar and milk glaze (4 tablespoons milk, mixed with 4 tablespoons sugar, heated in small pan), but leave the loaves in the pans until they have contracted suf-
MEDIEVAL BAKING techniques may not have differed much from the 17th century approaches recounted by the Countess of Kent in 1653.
ficiently to be turned out quite easily. Leave them on a cake rack to cool completely. Store the loaves in an airtight tin. “This is a delicious and delicate tea or breakfast bread, to be eaten with or without butter. The almonds give the bread a wonderful flavour and help to keep it moist,” writes Elizabeth David. Paula Panich’s notes: * Use water if you don’t have any culinary rose water. ** Pudding spice: Try La
Varenne’s 1655 “epices doux:” two parts ground ginger to one each of pepper, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. *** I suggest 4 tablespoons sherry instead. **** Follow the directions on the package in order to proof the yeast, in the cream, properly. I use a candy thermometer; I can never guess the correct temperature by touch. ***** Blood heat: The average human body temperature, 98.6 degrees F.
THANK-YOU MESSAGE from masked Farmers Market vendors is on YouTube and on the Original Farmers Market’s website.
Farmers Market says ‘Thank you’ The creative brainstorm of Maritza Cerrato, marketing and tourism specialist, and Ilysha Buss, marketing director, both at A.F. Gilmore Company, resulted in an engaging YouTube message featuring masked Farmers Market vendors. In the video, the vendors offer thanks to their many loyal customers. It can be viewed on YouTube and at farmersmarketla.com. According to Buss, Cerrato first came up with the idea as
a way to thank customers and also encourage people in the face of the pandemic. The duo then worked on the idea with Mark Panatier, the just-retired VP of marketing and development, and local ad agency Adlhoch Creative. A.F. Gilmore Company owns and operates the Original Farmers Market, founded in 1934. Panatier was honored recently by the Greater Miracle Mile Chamber of Commerce.
Open for curbside pick-up daily
Mention this ad for Mention Mention a special this ad for this ad for Please treat! and a special a special check our website treat! treat! call (323) 297-0070, ext. 1
from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
or email info@angeliniosteria.com
Get Your Favorites Delivered Pickup and Delivery Everyday from 11:30am to 8:00pm.
©LC0520
Partnered with Postmates, GrubHub, UberEats and DoorDash for all your RISTORANTE delivery needs. 7313 – 7317 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, 90036 | 323.297.0070 7313| –323.297.0070 7317 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, 90036 | 323.297.0070 Drago Ristorante 7313 – 7317 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, 90036 www.angelinirestaurantgroup.com at the Petersen 6060 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles www.angelinirestaurantgroup.com www.angelinirestaurantgroup.com Automotive Museum www.angelinirestaurantgroup.com (323) 800-2244 will reopen as soon Open for Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner – Catering Open for Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner – Catering as conditions allow. dragoristorante.com Open for Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner – Catering
OAKWOOD SCHOOL By Scarlett Saldaña 9th Grade
As the last day of school approaches, even though O a k w o o d School is apart, we still find ways to connect–after all, we are Better Together. Whether it’s in person, or in this case, online, Oakwood manages to keep our community together, especially when it comes to adapting. In a usual school year, Oakwood celebrates several beloved traditions to bring the school together, and this includes the Arts Festival. Usually filled with visual and performing arts, it’s always been a great way for students to express themselves creatively and artistically. Not only that, but it has also allowed the seniors to have one of their last special events at school. Although we won’t be able to celebrate these events in person, Oakwood has been working toward an alternate online festival, hoping to bring
this long-standing tradition to our homes. Especially with the senior graduation, Oakwood has always taken students’ input to create the best event all students can enjoy. Even though the seniors won’t be able to graduate with
their class in person, the administrators, faculty, and students have given them constant support, knowing how special graduation is in a student’s life. Because of that, our community has become even stronger, despite these uncertain times.
IMMACULATE HEART
that is so far from normal for everyone. In May, for example, our school held the 99th year of our Mary’s Day tradition, a celebration that honors our school’s patroness and all women everywhere. When we are on campus, this day usually features a liturgy, dancing, food, and other festivities. Although we didn’t get to experience some of these activities, teachers and faculty worked hard to bring the Mary’s Day experience to us at home, with virtual dancing and a video featuring meditative reflections and songs. As a senior, I know this has been a difficult time for members of the Class of 2020 to grapple with. We have lost a lot of our last important milestones, like graduation and a traditional prom, and we won’t get to see our friends, teachers, and classmates for a long time. But, I think it’s comforting to know that there are so many of us across the nation going through the same thing. We’re not struggling alone, and we know we’re all in this together, and that makes the pain a little bit easier to bear. I am hopeful that we will be able to go to college this upcoming fall semester, and if not, then sooner rather than later. Once again, I want to express my gratitude to everyone who is working to help get us back to normalcy in a safe way.
By Samantha Hutchinson 12th Grade The school year is about to wrap up at Immaculate Heart. Students have finished their AP tests and finals, despite the challenges of online learning. The College Board created a way for students to easily access their AP tests with plenty of time and question adjustments in order to accommodate for this strange situation we’re in right now. Though we still had finals, they have also been adjusted for online learning, counting for a smaller percentage of our grade than usual. It has been great to see some of our normal end-of-year activities continue despite a situation
Dentistry for Children and Young Adults
Pediatric Dentistry Randall E. Niederkohr, D.D.S.
Member American Dental Association Diplomat of American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
Orthodontics Available ©LC1010
TV & Video Games
We have a unique living room atmosphere Children from newborns to 18-year-olds feel comfortable Saturday Appointments Available
(323) 463-8322 • 321 N. Larchmont Blvd, Suite 809
Larchmont Chronicle
PILGRIM
By Siobhan Schallert 8th Grade Like most other schools, Pilgrim decided to close its doors and begin distance learning. In order to help flatten the curve, Pilgrim will remain closed for the remainder of the school year. Like most people, we don’t know what comes next year, however our faculty and staff are making sure we get everything we need. Teachers conducting online classes use Google Meets to gather all of their students for periods every day, where three class periods meet a day. We pushed back the start of the school day to 9:30, then after three 1:15 minute blocks, with breaks in between, from 3:30-4:30 is community building time or office hours: a time for students to reach out to faculty and get any needed assistance online. On Wednesdays, in order to break up the workload and help us better adjust to distance learning, advisory groups meet in the morning and the rest of the day is independent work time, with time at the end
ST. BRENDAN
By Olivia Martinez 8th Grade The muchawaited month of June is here! Because St. Brendan has done a flawless job at transitioning into online programs, we will be finishing classes at our normal end-of-school date, June 12th. In our last few weeks of school, we will have the last of our weekly all-school Zoom assemblies, as well as a talent show! We eighth graders will have a personalized graduation celebration on our graduation day, June fifth; while we are waiting for the approval to gather as a community for our traditional graduation ceremony and reception. After nine years of being at Saint Brendan, I have grown to love and cherish all of the friends and memories I have made here. Although we are all ready and excited to move on and into high school, we will miss all of the faculty, our fellow students, the community, and most of all, our friends.
of the day to unwind with some of the many community building “classes”. Some of these include Poetry Writing, Beat Lap/Young Producers Group, an end of the day workout, Origami, and Improv. Advisory has been used as a time for students to unwind and talk about their struggles with the quarantine, and gives students a chance to reflect on the school year. It also just gives us a space to talk with our peers and enjoy spending digital time together.
Core College Counseling JUNIOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS
College Admissions & Covid-19… What a stressful time! Are you frustrated attempting to navigate the COLLEGE PROCESS? Meet remotely with NANCI LEONARD an expert in college admissions, standardized testing and virtual college visits! Your anxiety will disappear and your challenging questions will be answered! NANCI LEONARD 310-717-6752 nancitheexteacher@yahoo.com Nanci Leonard is a Certified College Counselor who has assisted thousands of students in discovering colleges that are the right “fit.” Google: Core College Counseling for more information or call 310-717-6752. Nanci has been a Brookside resident for 44 years.
©LC0620
JUNE 2020
SECTION ONE
Back to School Edition Publishes Thursday, September 3
Call Pam Rudy to reserve your space by Monday, August 17 323-462-2241 x 11
©LC0620
18
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
CHRIST THE KING
YESHIVAT YAVNEH
Distance learning has proven to be very successful here at Christ the King School. Students of all ages are having fun learning while meticulously preparing for the next school year. Teachers have been working hard to keep a daily routine and add some normalcy into students’ lives. All academic subjects as well as Art and Physical Education are being innovatively covered and taught. Teachers regularly meet with us in our individual classes, and bring the whole school together each Friday on Zoom for a prayer service. Some of the middle school students have made videos of ourselves reciting famous speeches and soliloquies from Shakespearean literature, as well as preparing engaging presentations for our classmates to enjoy. We have also been keeping up with the spring spirit by creating fun art projects! Easter crafts and creative Earth Day projects have been made and displayed during our weekly prayer services. In commemoration of Mother’s Day, students throughout the grades made thoughtful gifts for their mothers, including flowers and cards. The class of 2020 made a heartfelt video to express their gratitude for everything their moms have done for them. Unfortunately, due to the quarantine, our annual International Festival has been cancelled. This is very unfortunate because every year, students look forward to watching each grade perform their dances. However, there has also been a cause for celebration at our school. Eighth grade student Joel Lee, who placed 1st in Math in the Junior High Academic Decathlon, went on to compete in the State competition. He worked extremely hard, and brought great pride and joy to our school by placing 3rd overall.
Like all the nation’s elementary schools, Yavneh has operated these past few weeks using Zoom and other online platforms. Yavneh continued its RISE program onlineoffering special programming and speakers. We commemorated and celebrated three special days this month: First, Yavneh marked Yom Hoshoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) with an online program that included a Holocaust survivor and a Holocaust scholar. The program was very moving and inspirational for the students to hear first hand stories about the Holocaust. A few weeks later, we commemorated Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, which acknowledges the fallen soldiers in Israel’s wars, as well as all victims of terror. Again, Yavneh offered a meaningful program to mark the day. The next day, we celebrated Israel’s Independence Day. Students, teachers, and parents participated in an online concert, featuring a musician who performed live from Israel! Although we would nor-
By Scarlett Gonsalves 7th Grade
By Nikhil George 6th Grade
Currently, Hollywood Schoolhouse is practicing remote learning, and we students have been very productive. For upper school, we log onto Zoom each day at 8:50. In our classes, we go over WIN work, projects, test prep, and upcoming assignments. In addition, we have an enrichment class every day. HSH is making learning from home the best it can be. In English, we have started a new book, Weedflower. It’s a novel about a young girl named Sumiko, who is of Japanese American decent. The book begins with her receiving an invitation to a popular girl’s birthday party. The day after the party, however, the bombing on Pearl Harbor happens. The rest of the story is about how Sumiko and her family navigate their way during this time. Their difficult journey inspires hope, courageousness, and the reminder of how strong a family’s bond can be. Recently, the sixth-grade class went on a virtual field trip to The Music Center. It was a student performance of “24 Hours and a Dog” by the Malpaso Dance Company. The performance included jazz music playing as performers were doing dances individually, in pairs, and in larger groups. It was a great mix of visual storytelling, self-expression, Cuban culture, and ranging perspectives through movement. Speaking of sixth grade, we are coming very close to our graduation and have been preparing for the big day on June 4. We are working incredibly hard to make it as great as possible virtually. It’s going to be something special that we all remember. Lastly, we are excited to announce that one of our sixth graders, Maxwell Coy, has been hosting HSH’s very own edition of SGN, also known as Some Good News. This is a show that the school has been doing to ease life in quarantine and to serve as a source of, well, good news to the community. This previous episode, Maxwell covered topics such as the Quarantunes fundraiser. This was an event Hollywood Schoolhouse held where performers such as SZA, Dove Cameron, and Jordan Fisher came to sing and dance in a Zoom meeting to raise money for financial aid for HSH Families. Well, that’s everything that has been going on here at Hollywood Schoolhouse.
Feel the beat online
Grand Park’s “Sunday Sessions: Home Edition” brings its annual dance and music party online Sundays, June 14, July 19 and Aug. 23 from 2 to 8 p.m. The first lineup, Ladies First, features a diverse all-female format. Visit tinyurl.com/y7v4ye8v.
PARENT SUPPORT FOR HEALTHY BONDING with Savannah Sanfield, MA, LMFT Early Childhood and Perinatal Specialist
“There is more to a healthy family than just having the right doctor.” Morning + Evening Parenting Classes FOR MORE INFO CONTACT info@SavannahSanfield.com
By Shoshana Zisblatt 8th Grade
mally mark these days on campus as a community, our school made sure we all felt the impact of the days together. As an 8th grader, I am of course sad to be spending my last weeks as a Yavneh student off campus. However, I greatly appreciate all the effort our teachers and administrators are making to
19
offer us the best possible experience online. The extra programming has really added to the Yavneh experience. These last few months have truly given the students a new perspective and appreciation for everything we had on a daily basis. I wish everyone health and happiness during these challenging times.
The Plymouth School NOW ENROLLING • Preschool program for children 2 to 5 ½. • Creative activities to encourage cognitive & social development including art, music, 31movement & play • Experienced teachers devoted to fostering self-esteem in a safe nurturing environment ©LC0917
HOLLYWOOD SCHOOLHOUSE
SECTION ONE
• Over 45 years serving the neighborhood
315 S. Oxford Ave. • 213-387-7381 www.theplymouthschool.com theplymouthschool@gmail.com
20
JUNE 2020
SECTION ONE
Larchmont Chronicle
Remembering Carole and Barry Kaye and their Museum of Miniatures
By Suzan Filipek The Museum of Miniatures on the Miracle Mile was, by some accounts, the largest collection of its kind in the world before it closed in 2001. The two-floor museum across from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) was filled with historic and whimsical miniature replicas of such places as Hampton Court, Versailles and Fontainebleau. Palaces were furnished with working lights, sconces to match the originals, and hand-done paintings, which hung on teeny, tiny walls. There was an Arts and Crafts bungalow with Greene & Greene furniture, Louis Armstrong at the Hollywood Bowl, and a small-scale Titanic — made of 75,000 matchsticks! And, of course, there were tiny dolls, some living the life in carved four-poster beds and drinking from golden goblets.
THE MIRACLE MILE museum was the largest of its kind before it closed in 2001.
At the helm was Carole Kaye. She and her estate planning insurance broker husband, Barry Kaye, died in April in New York, a few days apart, after complications from the novel coronavirus. She was 87. He was 91. According to their obituary in the “Los Angeles Times,” “Carole loved miniatures partly because she could create any world she wanted, just as she created the life that she dreamed of instead of living the small-town life she was born into [in Somerville, New Jersey].” Barry Kaye had dropped out
THE MUSEUM OF MINIATURES was in the building complex designed by William L. Pereira & Associates, which also designed LACMA’s original campus across the street.
of high school and worked as a radio and TV personality before working in the life insurance business. He became a household name, running full-page ads in newspapers, and being seen on TV commercials and at seminars, and he authored several books. Carole Kaye’s fascination with miniatures started when creating a dollhouse with one
of her grandsons, and it grew from there. Her collection was first housed in her husband’s Century City offices, and, in 1994, the couple opened the Miracle Mile museum in one of the two low-rise wings of the tall building at 5900 Wilshire Blvd. That building complex was designed by William L. Pereira & Associates, which also designed LACMA’s
original campus across the street. Miniature Van Goghs The miniature museum had 200 exhibits that overflowed the 14,000 square-foot space and included commissioned works, such as miniature Van Goghs, to complement an exhibit featuring works by the Impressionist painter that was simultaneously on view at LACMA. The Kayes are survived by their three children and a son from Barry’s previous marriage, 15 grandchildren and three great grandchildren. A memorial service, attended by approximately 300 people, was held over Zoom. Philanthropists to the end, the Kaye’s estate arranged for copies of Barry Kaye’s motivational bestseller, “Die Rich and Tax Free!,” to be given to donors to New York-Presbyterian Hospital and to other charities.
Donald Ralph Shewfelt August 21, 1930 - April 26, 2020 Donald Ralph Shewfelt, much beloved husband and father, passed away in his home on April 26, 2020, surrounded by his wife, Joan, and many of his seven children and their spouses. He was 89 years old. Donald was born on August 21, 1930, the son of Roy Freeman Shewfelt and the former Margaret Agnes Ballman. A native Angeleno, he was proud of his hometown and a great narrator of tales of the City in the Depression era of his youth. His children were constantly regaled with wonderful tales of raising rabbits and chickens in his backyard to sell around the neighborhood; of the kids on his street who formed an athletic club called the Carmona Diablos, who competed against like sports teams from neighboring blocks like Ridgeley and Dunsmuir; of hunting rabbits in the Baldwin Hills with a bow and arrow; of going to a Saturday afternoon matinee at the Del Mar Theater, which included a double feature and an Abba Zabba bar for a dime; of hitchhiking to Loyola High School down Venice Blvd. and getting picked up in less than a minute because he wore his ROTC uniform; and of other tales that hail from an era seemingly long-forgotten. After his parents’ divorce, he developed an unbreakable bond with his mother, Marge, and formed his ideas of the good and moral man he wished to be. His family would forever benefit from that. Don attended college after graduating from high school and immersed himself in the baseball leagues around town, at Los Angeles City College and later Loyola University. He remained a passionate devotee of the sport throughout his life. When he played competitively, he was known as the “Big Right Hander.” He served in the U.S. Army in Korea from 1951 to 1953, an experience that created a whole new panorama of tales for his family. His time on the baseball diamond and his time in the world of war dovetailed to sharpen his sensibilities, and they marked him ever after as a man of conscience and bravery, who never failed to uphold the values of camaraderie and dedication to a collective purpose. He emerged from these, too, with both a keen appreciation of the absurd and a marvelous capacity for light-heartedness under adverse condi-
tions. This was the recipe for his legendary wit, which spared no one and was a delight to all. Shortly after returning from military service, Don met Joan Catherine Aker, the love of his life and partner in all his future endeavors. They married in 1955 and created a family of seven adoring children. Don had also begun working for his father’s firm, Wilshire Escrow Company, where he quickly emerged as an industry leader. He ultimately became President of the Company in 1970 and guided Wilshire Escrow, along with his brothers Richard and Lawrence, to periods of great success and an unparalleled reputation for commercial transactions and tax-deferred exchanges. The platform he created lives on today, long after his retirement in 2001. Don was an avid golfer, passing on the love of the game to his four sons. He was a 45-year member of Wilshire Country Club and played the game with zeal and competitiveness. He cherished the friendships and playing partners he made through over sixty years of playing golf. He was a great playing partner himself and his company on the course was much desired by other members of all ages. Don was active in professional escrow as-
sociations, not to mention his children’s schools and his parish, Cathedral Chapel. He had a tremendous reputation for impeccable ethics, hard work, unquestioned dependability and efficiency in all his endeavors. But for all the recognition that Donald received professionally, in athletic or other endeavors, nothing ever brought him the joy and satisfaction that he received from his wife and children. He was an active, engaged spouse and parent, the envy of every kid on the block as he would come out and play baseball, basketball, football and other games with his kids. He and Joan mentored their children by their tireless efforts, high moral standards, and by immersing them in exhilarating vacations and trips. They ultimately settled on the annual family vacation in Wawona, along the South Fork of the Merced River in Yosemite, at the family home dubbed “Shew’s Chalet.” His verve and vitality later made him the object of great affection from sixteen grandchildren, all of whom benefited greatly from the large extended family cocoon created by Don and Joan. To his adoring family, he will always be remembered for being a playful gentleman, a role model, a stand-up mensch, and “Our Hero.” He and Joan led epic lives within the history of Los Angeles. But his highest ambitions were always to be a good husband, father, and man for others. In those, he was a consummate success. Don is survived by his wife of over 64 years, Joan, his children Eric (Olga Lucia), Mary Hughes (Kenneth), Kristin, John Shewfelt (Layne), Kurt (Jeralee), Ellen Multari (Alfred) and Craig (Maki), sixteen grandchildren, two great grandchildren, and his brother Richard. He was preceded in death by his beloved mother, Marge, his father Roy, his brothers Leonard and Lawrence, and grandson, Kyle. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of Don’s favorite charities: • Cathedral Chapel Church • http://www.cathedralchapel.org/ • Good Shepherd Center • http://gschomeless.org/ • Smile Train https://www.smiletrain.org/ A Celebration of Life will be held when appropriate at a later date to be advised. ADV.
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
Stadium is among Covid-19 test sites
By Rachel Olivier Los Angeles was the first big city to offer free swab testing for COVID-19 to anyone, whether or not he or she is experiencing symptoms. You now can get tested at Dodger Stadium, as well as other places. According to Mayor Garcetti, the Dodger Stadium site has been designated to test people quickly and process up to 6,000 tests per day. For more information, visit coronavirus.lacity. org/testing. Last month, I decided to get tested after the free testing was first offered. While I am not yet in the 65-and-over age group, I am in my 50s and have underlying health conditions. I thought it might be a good idea to make sure I was not an asymptomatic carrier. In addition, as an information-nerd, I am aware of how scientists need as many people tested as possible to obtain a clear picture of how the virus travels. Providing a data point is one small way I can help. Getting an appointment At the website (coronavirus. lacity.org/testing), answering the questions and providing your information takes you to a drop-down menu of test sites from which to choose. However, I suggest that, rather than
MAYOR GARCETTI attends the launch at Dodger Stadium.
going through the appointment-scheduling link, people actually start at the “Find a Location Near You” link. The link leads to a map where you can input an address to find a site nearer to you that may not be offered as a choice on the drop-down menu. You can then scroll through to see if sites near you are drive-through or walk-up. As I don’t have a car, I needed a walk-up site, and found one at Exposition and Crenshaw Boulevards, an easy onebus ride on the 210 from my Larchmont neighborhood. On the day I went, there was no line. I was asked to get out my patient ID number before proceeding into the facility. When I walked in, a medical worker behind a plastic
curtain, dressed in personal protective equipment (PPE), checked me in, and then she handed me a test kit in a plastic tub through a slit in the curtain. She then directed me to another room. I was instructed to sit down, pull my face covering down and then tilt my head back as far as I could manage. A swab was inserted very far up my nostril and moved around for a bit. It was uncomfortable, but not painful. I was told my results would be back in 48 to 72 hours. The process took no more than 10 minutes. A little over 48 hours later, I received an email letting me know that my results were available. I followed the link and signed in to the secure website and found out that I was negative (phew!).
SECTION ONE
Kneafsey, 79, Diane Cornwell, president of community Docent Council volunteer
Longtime Windsor Square resident, mother and avid volunteer, Michele Marco Kneafsey, died last month after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 79. She was a volunteer for Meals on Wheels, St. Anne’s, and The Good Shepherd Shelter. Later in life she returned to school and earned a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy and founded a practice for underprivileged families. Kneafsey also founded the Lucerne Boulevard Block Party 45 years ago, which continues to this day, and she was a lifelong tennis player, playing competitively at the Los Angeles Tennis Club. She is survived by her husband, Thomas Kneafsey, and her children, Sean Kneafsey (Susan), Brian Kneafsey (Maura), Karen Schwartz (Howie), Kevin Kneafsey (Ashley), and Joseph Kneafsey, and several grandchildren. A graduate of Immaculate Heart High School, she graduated from Marquette University in 1963. She met her husband of 52 years at a Marquette University reunion.
Diane Duncan Cornwell lived in Windsor Square for many years before moving to Pasadena with her husband, Michael, the longtime president of the Windsor Square Association. Diane is fondly remembered by her friends and neighbors. She died April 25 after a long illness. She was 81. An avid traveler, Diane took her first overseas trip to India in 1959 as a student at UCLA. She met Michael in an Italian class, also at UCLA, and they married in 1961. She also was an avid contemporary art collector and was a longtime docent at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. She served as president of the Docent Council in the early 1980s. Diane worked for many years as the administrative director of the John Randolph Haynes & Dora Haynes Foundation — a leading supporter of social science research for Los Angeles and the oldest private foundation in the city. She is survived by her husband and their older daughter Molly and their grandchild, Miranda.
Mary Helen Rolfes Brady Mary Helen Rolfes Brady, beloved daughter of Helen Slavik Rolfes and William Henry Rolfes, loving mother of Joseph (Debbie), Mark (Linda), Douglas (Tanya), John and Todd (Karen), and adoring grandmother to 10 wonderful grandchildren, peacefully joined her loving parents and sister (Joan Rolfes Simpson) in Heaven on March 21, 2020. Mary was an amazing and accomplished woman, mother, fundraiser and community leader. Born in St. Louis, MO in November 26, 1933, Mary made her way to Stanford University after having graduated in the Evanston Township (Illinois) High School class of 1951. After marrying her husband Donald Sheridan Brady, whom she met at Stanford, Mary settled in Southern California in 1954. For 30 years in Los Angeles, Mary was a major fundraising volunteer for organizations including the John Tracy Clinic (1960-1965), the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (1968-1972), the Los Angeles Junior Philharmonic (1969-1980), the Stanford University Women’s Guild (1972-1980), the Hollygrove Orphanage and the St Francis Medical Center. Mary served as President, Treasurer and Legislative Coordinator of the Los Angeles Junior Philharmonic Committee during the 1970s, and later as a member of the Founders Circle. Mary served on the Board of Directors of Hollygrove Orphanage from 1982 to 1985 and on the Board of Directors of the Saint Francis Medical Center from 1985 to 1987. Mary was recognized as a lifelong member and volunteer of St. Vincent Medical Center. Mary was a retired residential real estate agent both in Los Angeles (Hancock Park / 10 years) and in Rancho Mirage 25 years). Mary was also active in Palm Desert, where she lived for the last 30 years, fundraising on behalf of the McCallum Theatre for the Performing Arts. Mary was instru-
21
November 26, 1933 - March 21, 2020
mental in helping steer substantial resources from the corporate offices of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Atlantic Richfield Company, and Trader Joe’s Grocery Store Chain to the fine arts world and to the orphaned children of Southern California. Mary’s friends and neighbors in Rancho Mirage fondly remember Mary as someone who always put others ahead of herself, as Mary was always the first to call on neighbors and friends during times of illness or challenge. An avid disciple of classical music, an accomplished classical pianist, a perfection-demanding
piano instructor, and a loving mother and giving friend, Mary gave private piano lessons to many of the young children of Hancock Park during the 1970s and 1980s from her home on North McCadden Place. Mary’s other passion was teaching the young children of Hancock Park piano, and the apex of her piano teaching career was in 1986-1988 as Tina Turner’s private piano instructor. Mary was a gracious, gregarious and outgoing member of the community. Her opinions on community issues were often sought, as she stayed active as both a powerful fundraiser for the community, and as the strong and disciplined mother of her five sons. Mary’s primary loves were her family, classical music, Stanford University, fundraising and the Republican National Party. Mary Rolfes Brady is survived by her five sons, in birth order: Joseph William, Mark David, Douglas Sheridan, John Rolfes, and Todd Christopher. She was also adored by her 10 grandchildren: Ashley, Cameron, Sheridan, Tyler, Henry, Eleanor, Claire, Griffin, Gerhardt, and Spranger. Mary is survived by her oldest sister Shirley Rolfes McCreight of Gilbert, AZ. A Celebration of life will be held for Mary in Rancho Mirage, after current shelter-in-place restrictions lift. Mary’s final resting place will be in Lafayette, California, beside and in-peace with her mother and father. In lieu of Flowers, the family asks that any donations be made to the McCallum Theatre for the Performing Arts in Palm Desert, California. For those wishing to co-celebrate Mary’s life later this summer or fall, please contact her oldest son Mr. Joseph W. Brady at jbrady@thebradcocompanies.com or on his cell (between 7AM-5PM) at (760) 954-4567. ADV.
22
JUNE 2020
SECTION ONE
Letters
ple we were able to reach, and how much money we were able to raise for this incredible foundation. Lilly Roth-Shapiro Brookside
(Continued from page 2) again in the years to come. We need more teens like Lilly and her friends, who think more of others than themselves. Many thanks to all concerned. Wendy Werris Park La Brea
Honor Flag Day at home
More on bake sale
Thanks so much for writing a piece on my Virtual Bake Sale for the Chronicle; it got us a lot of orders, and meant a lot! On our Pick-Up Day for cookies and masks, we had:
BAKE SALE co-hosts Zoe Gittelson, left, and Teva Corwin, above.
- 10 co-hosts - 114 orders and donations - 1,026 cookies baked - 140 masks sewn - $4,300 raised
I’m enclosing photos of a couple of my co-hosts and me on Pick-Up Day. Thanks again for your story. It’s so amazing how many peo-
Hans W. Fiebig April 10, 1929 – April 19, 2020 Hans was born in Schweidenitz, Germany (Swidnica, Poland). He was raised by his grandparents on a farm. They had a family business making and repairing farm equipment. When WWII ended, the farm, land and business was given to Polish soldiers. Hans & his family had to leave with only a few belongings that fit into a small wagon. Shortly after walking West, Hans’s grandfather died on the road. In Hamburg he met & married the love of his life Frida Rosin. They would remain married for 50 years! Hans & Frida wanted to create a better life for their soon to be growing family. Their first choice was to come to the U.S.; however, they were denied during the McCarthy era. Frida had two uncles living on a farm in Archerville, Canada. Her uncles agreed to sponsor The Fiebigs. In 1953, Hans arrived in Canada to pave the way for his family. His train broke down in Winnipeg. He met a man that was a member of the same church (The New Apostolic Church.) When he learned that Hans was an Optician, he said he knew of a great job opportunity right there in Winnipeg! Hans said that he needed to continue up to Archerville, to pay his uncles back for sponsoring him. When the Uncles learned that Hans might have a job in Winnipeg, they encouraged him to return – They jokingly said he looked more like an Optician than a farmer! Back in Germany, Frida gave birth to Regina. Shortly thereafter, Hans sent for his wife and child. In 1955, their son Gary was born followed by the arrival of baby Elona in 1958. Then in 1959, tired of Winnipeg’s snow & cold weather, Hans & Frida loaded up their ’57 Chevy to drive to Los Angeles. At Rips Opticians in downtown Los Angeles, he would meet his future business partner. Together they would form Optique Boutique. Their corporate office would be located on The Sunset Strip. Frequented
by celebrities such as Elvis Presley, Sir Elton John, Steve McQueen, Sammy Davis,Jr., Hugh Hefner and Robert Evans, Hans would form a specialty niche in creative eyewear. In the 70-80’s, Hans was asked if he could create many different looks for stage & screen. Always up for a challenge, he became known as a master craftsman in the Industry. Optique Boutique would grow to 13 stores from LA to Chicago. The partnership wouldn’t last; however, & Hans decided to go it alone. Hans Custom Optik first opened in the Hollywood Palladium in the early ‘80’s. Developers recruited Hans to take a look at a new retail center being built on Larchmont Blvd. Hans loved the “small town village” feel & signed the lease in 1986. Hans loved Hancock Park & his new community. Later, he would join The Wilshire Country Club & have lunch there every Sunday after church. At home, Frida was raising their three children and singing in the church choir. The Fiebigs lived in Echo Park, Monterey Park, Alhambra, Malibu (destroyed in the ’93 fire), Bel-Air and finally Hancock Park! The Family would like to thank everyone for their love and support. Hans loved being a part of this community and he appreciated everyone that supported his business! He enjoyed making the best eyewear possible for 80 yrs! The friendships he formed and his sense of humor and style remain legendary! He is survived by his (3) children: Regina, Gary and Elona (8) Grand-children James, Matthew, Alicia, Ryne, Casey, Michael, Daniel and Brian and (5) Great-children Julie, Mason, Nora, Stella and Dagny A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully suggests a contribution to The New Apostolic Church or to a charity of your choice.
ADV.
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the flag of the United States of America. While not officially established as National Flag Day until 1949, June 14 has served as an annual opportunity to commemorate the American flag by organizations and individuals for over 200 years. This year, all celebrations look a little different. During the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, we are all encouraged to stay home to stop the spread of the virus. However, Flag Day can be celebrated by everyone, wherever you are. We encourage everyone to use their time at home to fly their American flags proudly this Flag Day. To show camaraderie and solidarity in this time of uncertainty, let your American Flag wave daily. We are all in this together, and we will get through this together, as one nation, under God. Michael J. Kuznik State Commander Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of California
We need a new mayor
I speak for a lot of people in Los Angeles. Please step down, Mayor Garcetti. You have failed. After years of blah blah blah about getting the homeless off of the streets, you have failed. During the worst health crisis in our history, where you mandate City lockdown, tens of thousands still live in the streets of filth, trash, stench and disease. Your city government is second to Chicago in corruption. You have failed. You are not a leader. If you really want to help the City of Los Angeles, step down. Bruce Taylor President Taylor’s Steak House
Books and Places: War then and now
Last evening I read the beautifully prepared May 2020 edition of the Larchmont Chronicle. As I understand it, one of the purposes of the paper is to strengthen the community within the neighborhoods the paper serves. Which leads me to the point of this email, which is the statement of a political viewpoint that is not shared by, possibly, many of your readers. Mr. Beiderwell, in his otherwise excellent article, states on page three of section two: “Our current state of perpetual war, for example, began in 2003 with colossal mistakes and misrepresentations. Peo-
Larchmont Chronicle ple, American soldiers among them, have died for — or because of — those essential wrongs. Such reflection may leave us trying on Memorial Day to disentangle politics from the dead we wish to honor.” There are always mistakes in any administration of government. However, not everyone believes the part about “misrepresentations” and “essential wrongs.” Further, not everyone entangles politics with remembering our war dead. May we have otherwise interesting articles without the writer’s personal opinions and politics being interjected. Thank you for continuing this wonderful publication in the tradition Jane Gilman and Dawne Goodwin began 57 years ago. Thomas E. Brandlin Kingsley Drive
Archeologist speaks for earth’s oldest oak
Great article Ms. Seifer. I’ve had the privilege to work with Dr. Stickel, and I have seen his incredible devotion to preserving our history, much like the fictional character Indiana Jones. Though not a grand and beautiful oak, this oak [the Jurupa Oak] is truly unique and one of a kind. It truly deserves the respect and protection that is given to other world treasures. This tree is a gift to all of us who reside in this beautiful State of California. How amazing it is that a life form can survive over 13,000 years through fires, droughts, and who knows what, only to find itself fighting off another foe, the urban sprawl. A true underdog this oak is. I guess we will not be happy until every square acre in California holds some sort of structure on it. Elijah S. Bernal Rancho Cucamonga
Trash on Larchmont
Larchmont Boulevard is currently filthy. There are discarded masks, gloves and trash everywhere. Is the street not being cleaned on a daily basis? With stores opening up, we should attract shoppers, not discourage them from coming to our beautiful boulevard. Thank you. Judy Zeller Windsor Square (Please turn to page 23)
TRASH pile-up on Larchmont.
Larchmont Chronicle
Letters
(Continued from page 22) o o I want to alert everyone to the state of Larchmont Boulevard between Beverly and 1st Street. My daughter and I have been walking our dogs each day on the boulevard witnessing litter growing daily and now there is the addition of discarded masks and plastic gloves. The trash bins are filthy and sometimes not emptied. They could also use a good exterior cleaning now and then. The one in front of the eternally-vacant building to the north of Vernetti’s is most disgusting. Does anyone know why there isn’t another tree planted in the large well on the west side of the boulevard in front of 141 N. Larchmont? It seems like the well, which has been waiting a long time to get a tree, is now just a large empty shallow pit gathering litter and waiting for a senior citizen or another to fall. It’s a lawsuit waiting to happen. Why can’t we get a tree in there? Is this something the historical society can help
JUNE 2020
with? We will be happy to plant a tree there. It is long overdue. Richard Battaglia Windsor Square Hancock Park Historical Society o o Re: the sidewalks and the trash on Larchmont during this time. I have been in constant contact with the trash company over this. Texting photos several times a week. They go and clean, and then within hours, we have the same issue. The problem is that those visiting Larchmont have just begun to throw their trash on the sidewalks instead of putting it in the trash cans. I have picked up trash that has been thrown on the ground by our neighbors several times during this epidemic. It’s very disappointing that people are treating the street this way during this time. I think that one of the issues is that people do not want to touch the trash cans to throw the trash away. It is something we will have to address moving forward. The new Big Bellies do have a feature that opens them with your foot rather than your hand. CD4 provided those cans to use several years back, and
STILL-EMPTY tree well in front of 141 N. Larchmont Blvd.
hopefully we can discuss with them how to replace these cans. The BID has worked tirelessly with the merchants on Larchmont during this difficult time to provide information and marketing. We will continue to do all we can to support their businesses. As for the trees, I’ll leave that to Windsor Square as I know they have their outline of what needs to happen before a tree is planted, and I think as part of their guidelines, watering has to be determined before a tree is installed. The property owner of the new trees in front of Rite Aid is paying for
SECTION ONE
the watering of those trees. Fortunately, there is a water source directly next to the trees, which makes it easier. Please let me know if you would like any further information. Heather Duffy Boylston Larchmont Village Business Improvement District o o To beautify our neighborhood, the Windsor Square Association (WSA) has offered to pay to replace three missing Larchmont Village street trees, as part of WSA’s 2018 proposal for the planting, maintenance, and orderly replacement of the trees that do so much to create a village atmosphere. However, WSA’s tree replacement offer and plan is still pending — awaiting a consensus among other stakeholders, including the Larchmont Boulevard Association (of merchants), the Business Improvement District (of property owners), and Council District 4. When one or more of these parties (or an abutting landlord) takes responsibility for irrigation of the newly planted trees, WSA is ready, willing, and able to
move forward to replace the missing trees, but not before. Willingness to take responsibility for irrigation of Larchmont Village street trees has been an ongoing problem. Larry Guzin President Windsor Square Association
Support Larchmont merchants
Last night I picked up dinner from a favorite restaurant in Larchmont Village. My family has been enjoying their food since we moved into the neighborhood thirty years ago. Larchmont Village is the heart and soul of our community; it is what makes Hancock Park and Windsor Square so unique. I encourage residents in the community to think of ordering take-out and delivery from local restaurants to help them get through these difficult times. It is important that we support our restaurants and small businesses. I would hope their landlords realize this as well. Paul Miller Windsor Square
Jerry Snyder, local developer, dies at age 90
Prominent developer and industry icon Jerome H. (Jerry) Snyder, who started his career as a homebuilder at 19 and went on to build major Los Angeles landmarks, died May 8 at his home in Bel Air surrounded by his loving family after a brief battle with cancer. He was 90. Founder and Senior Partner of J. H. Snyder Company, Snyder built thousands of homes and millions of square feet of commercial developments. He always said,“My favorite project is the next one.” Throughout his 70-year career, Snyder displayed an enviable ability to envision, plan and create outstanding projects that set new standards such as the Water Garden and Ocean Towers in Santa Monica, Beverly Glen Park, The River at Rancho Mirage and Coronado Shores in San Diego. Pioneer in Miracle Mile A strong advocate of the Miracle Mile, Snyder and three partners acquired what was then Prudential Insurance headquarters at 5757 Wilshire Boulevard in 1978. Now known as SAG-AFTRA Plaza, this complex included an 11-story office building plus substantial additional acreage that was used for future development including the Wilshire Courtyard across the boulevard. The one million square foot, twin building Wilshire Courtyard is another Snyder classic, innovative for its terraces that were unique in an office building in 1987 but commonplace today. The two office properties attracted top tenants, changing the perception of the area and leading many to say Snyder helped put the “miracle” in Miracle Mile. Residences at Wilshire Curson Currently underway at SAG-AFTRA Plaza is Snyder’s most recent favorite project, The Residences at Wilshire Curson. This 20-story state-of-the-art apartment building will house 285 luxury rental residences that overlook neighboring museums and their acres of parks.
A visionary in all aspects of his development life, Snyder recognized the need to gain community acceptance of projects and personally led this effort for the company, often walking door-to-door to speak with neighbors. Almost unheard of, The Residences at Wilshire Curson received city approvals with no opposition. Another important element in J. H. Snyder Company’s success is that it is able to act as its own contractor because Snyder established a construction company led by Patrick Irvine, a longtime associate. Born in Brooklyn, Snyder moved with his family to Los Angeles in 1944, arriving by train at Union Station. The family lived in Boyle Heights and Snyder graduated from Roosevelt High School. He attended one semester at UCLA but found himself too restless for school and then served a brief stint in the U.S. Navy. Snyder & Son At the age of 19 he bought a truck and started a home remodeling business based on the experience he had gained working with his carpenter father. He printed business cards for Snyder & Son, letting potential clients believe there was an older person in the business since he was afraid they would think he was too young to be trustworthy. His plan worked and he was soon busy with individual home projects. As he gained experience, he
moved to small subdivisions and then developed an 80-home community in Orange County, which he convinced Home Savings & Loan to finance. Snyder named his first company Signature Homes capitalizing on the GI Bill that allowed veterans to buy homes for $1 and a signature. At the age of 22 he was building 2,000 homes a year. He established J. H. Snyder Company and became a major homebuilder in Southern California and then nationally. In 1969 Snyder partnered with Loew’s Corporation to form Loew’s Snyder Environmental Communities and, over the next seven years, the company built thousands of homes across the United States from Coronado Island to Staten Island. In the late 1970s, as the economy stagnated and homebuilding contracted, Snyder transformed J. H. Snyder Company from a homebuilder into a developer of commercial properties, including making his Prudential acquisition in the Miracle Mile. His uncanny ability to forecast economic and market trends and shift development plans accordingly was a strategy he employed successfully over the next four decades, going from office buildings to retail centers to multifamily projects to fit market demands. Partners, awards Lew Geyser and Michael Wise have been partners with Snyder for 50 years. A third partner is Lon Snyder, who worked with his father during college years at UCLA and joined the company fulltime in 1986. Milton Swimmer and Cliff Goldstein were earlier partners. Over the years Snyder has received numerous honors and appeared on covers of multiple magazines. The Los Angeles Business Journal selected him to join its Business Hall of Fame in 2019 for the lasting impression he has made on Los Angeles. He is routinely named to rankings of Most Powerful
23
Los Angeles Business Leaders. He has been honored by UCLA and many civic, business and charitable organizations for his accomplishments. Philanthropy, family Snyder and his wife, Joan, have made UCLA the beneficiary of much of their philanthropy. They have contributed $3 million to endow three faculty chairs at the Stein Eye Institute, which they have supported for 40 years.They established the Jerome Snyder Systems Building and Housing Research Fellowship at the UCLA Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning. Forty Snyder Fellows from 13 nations have pursued research under this program. The Snyders have supported a wide range of UCLA programs including Operation Mend, which provides health care for service members, veterans and their families. Children’s welfare is another major philanthropic interest with support going to Boys and Girls Club of Venice, Jeffrey Foundation, Rotaplast International, After-School All-Stars, among others. Devoted to his family, Snyder annually took his entire family on vacations with Hawaii the most recent destination. Each summer including last June, he traveled to the south of France with family and close friends of many years, always basing at the Hotel du Cap-EdenRoc. He also enjoyed spending time at homes in Flathead Lake, Montana, and Palm Springs. For many years he was a top golfer, taking home many trophies. Snyder is survived by his wife, Joan, and three children,Wendy Snyder married to Toshi Nakajima, William Snyder married to Martin Larsen, and Lon Snyder married to Linda Snyder, and three grandchildren, Catherine Nakajima, Kevin Nakajima and Katie Snyder. A memorial service is planned at a later date. To honor Jerry Snyder’s memory, contributions may be sent to the UCLA Stein Eye Institute. ADV.
24
JUNE 2020
SECTION ONE
Larchmont Chronicle
Homeschooling (Continued from page 1)
into the homeschool lives of the college-aged set, which appears markedly different from the elementary and preschool tales featured in previous installments as well as this one. Should you wish to have your child’s / family’s experience of homeschool featured, please submit to caroline@ larchmontchronicle.com. The questions asked: 1) What are the names, ages, and grades of your children? 2) How are you structuring your days? 3) What remote learning strategies are you employing and what (if any) materials / resources did the school provide? 4) How are YOU coping (as parents)? Hedy Hutcheson, South Lucerne Blvd., wrote: 1) My three children are Emerson Duggan, 22, senior at NYU Tisch School of the Arts; Priscilla Duggan, 19,
EMERSON DUGGAN, a senior in film school at NYU Tisch, and Grace Leichter, a psych major also at NYU, “homeschool” in her parents’ back yard.
freshman at Barnard College; and Rhett Hutcheson, 14, freshman at Loyola High School. We also have significant others “stuck” living here (!). They are Grace Leichter, 22, senior at NYU, and Julian Rappaport, 20, sophomore at The New School. 2) Days start early here because we are dealing with
school hours from both coasts. Best-laid plans to get up late by all my college students have morphed into 8 a.m. classes for all! Mostly everyone is finished with structured class hours by 2 p.m., whereupon cooking, swimming, exercising, and video games ensue. 3) Zoom is the name of the game here. 4) My husband, Andrew Hutcheson, an institutional consultant, is busier than ever and contemplates work-
PRISCILLA DUGGAN in a Zoom science lab from Barnard College.
ing from home forever. I find myself happily getting to be more aware of my young adults’ impressive lives as I sneak views of student film projects, hear about current neuroscience research of antidepressant compounds, understand analysis of personalities in psychology, listen to jazz riffs drift from the upper floor, and watch pre-professional soccer workouts take place in the yard and house Monday-Friday. We all enjoy dinner togeth-
RHETT HUTCHESON, ninth grader at Loyola High School, practices soccer in the back yard.
er every night. It reminds us of community — we share our thoughts and feelings of the day. There is laughter and argument, but mostly true support of each other’s passions and the all-important private space in such a full household. (Please turn to page 25)
Willard Zeller Carr, Jr. December 18, 1927 April 10, 2020
ANDREW J. FENADY October 4, 1928 – April 16, 2020
Andrew J. Fenady and his beloved wife, Mary Frances, are together again. Longtime Hancock Park resident, A.J. Fenady died peacefully at the family home on April 16, 2020. A.J. was born in Toledo, Ohio to John A. Fenady and Mary B. Fenady. He and Mary Frances met in college in 1948 and were married June 30, 1956. After establishing a writing and producing career in Hollywood, A.J. brought M.F. (who was finishing up two master’s degrees) out west and they started their family of six children in the house they purchased on Rossmore in 1960. With a love of Larchmont, it wasn’t long before A.J. and M.F. set down stakes on the boulevard, purchasing the first of several buildings the same year that A.J. wrote and produced “Chisum,” starring John Wayne – and setting up his permanent office (between hitches at all six major studios) in his crown jewel on
the corner of Larchmont and Beverly. In addition to writing and producing scores of Feature Films, Movies of the Week and Television series, A.J. wrote over twenty novels, and nearly a dozen plays. The neighborhood became embedded in A.J.’s DNA. He savored weekend afternoons coaching his boys at Ahmanson Field – his daily strolls down, then up, the boulevard – and of course contributing, with Mary Frances to a multitude of neighborhood charitable and social organizations. As proud as he was of his professional career, A.J. and M.F.’s proudest achievement was the family they created — Gena, Duke (Di), Sean, Shannon (deceased) Andrew (Regina) and Thomas — along with their grandchildren — Jonathan, James, Megan, Jack, William, Griffin, and Parker; and great grandchildren – Nicholas, with two more on the way due August 2020. A memorial service will be held at a future date. ADV.
B
ill Carr was born in Richmond, Indiana to Willard Zeller Carr and Susan Brownell Carr, the youngest of four children. He lived a long, happy and productive life and served his community and his country well. Bill loved life and engaging with people. He had a keen intellect, and was kind, witty and generous. He received his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the Indiana School of Law in 1950, where he was an Editor of the Indiana Law Journal. Following his graduation, he joined the United States Air Force during the Korean War. While stationed at the Air War College at Maxwell Field in Montgomery, Alabama, he met Margaret Paterson, who became his wife of 68 wonderful years. He was next sent, as a Captain in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, to Okinawa. Following his return from Okinawa and discharge from the Air Force, he and Margaret moved to Los Angeles in 1952 and he joined the law firm of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher, where he practiced for 42 years until his retirement in 1994. Bill was an internationally recognized expert in Employment Law and Labor Relations, and he was the author of numerous publications. He served the firm as a Senior Partner and member of the Executive Committee, and as a mentor to generations of young lawyers. The prestigious Gibson Dunn has grown organically from 31 attorneys, when he started, to over 1,440 lawyers today.
Bill was extraordinarily active in civic, legal and philanthropic affairs, including chairmanships of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, the California Chamber of Commerce, the Labor and Employment Law Practice Group of the Federalist Society, the Los Angeles Area American Red Cross, and numerous committees for the International and American Bar Associations. He was a founder of the Los Angeles Police Memorial Foundation and the Pacific Legal Foundation, and he was on the boards of the California State Parks Foundation, the Los Angeles Zoo, and the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. He also was a Commissioner of the California World Trade Commission. In 1999 he endowed the Willard and Margaret Carr Professorship of Labor and Employment Law at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law. He was predeceased by his parents, his brothers James and Brownell, his sister Patricia, and his son Clayton Paterson Carr. He is survived by his wife Margaret, his son Jeffrey Westcott Carr, his grandson Daniel Carr and Daniel’s wife Alexis, and his daughter-in-law Deborah von Rosenvinge Carr. A celebration of Bill’s life will be held later this year. Donations in his memory may be made to the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology in care of USC Advancement Gift Services, 1150 South Olive Street, 25th Floor, Los Angeles, Ca. 90015, telephone 213740-1360. ADV.
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
thing we could have handled was the feeling of falling behind in schoolwork. Both of us work full-time, and we are in a partnership — we try to be very cognizant of supporting each other’s work demands. So what that really means is that between work and homeschooling we can get up at 6 a.m. and go to bed at 10 or 11 p.m. every day and still feel behind. It sucks. We have both been trying to carve out time to exercise and take care of ourselves … and we are somewhat successful. The stress is a lot on so many fronts. 4) Coping? Ugh. I work with LAUSD, and as we plan for
SECTION ONE
August reopening, it’s hard to know what is solid footing in terms of public health guidance, etc. Every day there is new guidance and new information about COVID. There is really no great option out there for school re-opening. So we all soldier on and try to find the best solution within a really tough situation. My partner is high risk, so there is that added layer of stress for our family. We don’t want to bring sickness back to our household, and our basic feeling is to stay isolated for as long as is necessary. It’s not great, but we have to believe that this too shall pass!
‘Zoomers to Boomers’ is free for seniors
The Original Farmers Market, 6333 W. Third St., has partnered with volunteer delivery service, Zoomers to Boomers, a free service for seniors 60 and over. Seniors who want to order 15 items or fewer, without the extra fee typically charged for small deliveries can use the service. No tips are expected. Call 323-364-5878, email zoomerstoboomers@gmail.com or visit zoomerstoboomers.com.
SANTIAGO-BONKOVSKY family’s homeschooling schedule for one day in May.
Homeschooling (Continued from page 24)
I hope the community of others returns for all of us sooner than later. Rachel Bonkovsky and Laura Santiago, Gower St. 1) Eva, 3rd Grade, Center for Early Education (CEE / The Center); Hanna Louisa, preschool (EC1), Center for Early Education. 2) We start our morning at 8:30 a.m. with “morning meeting” and then split the day into 30-minute time blocks for each child. It looks pretty different for each child because they are in very different places developmentally. Our older daughter, Eva, is able to work independently for a fair amount of her day. She needs some help when she gets stuck or when she craves human interaction (!), but once she’s going on an assignment she can work through the end of her time block. Our preschooler, Hanna Louisa, needs a lot more from us — essentially what would be best for her right now is playing with her peers and exploring social interactions and early reading strategies. It makes us all sad that this isn’t possible. Today, in the middle of the day, we spent 20 minutes cuddling in bed … that was not on our schedule, but it’s what made sense for her in that moment. Early on, we enlisted grandparents on both sides of our family to help, and that has been lovely. Each girl gets one-on-one time with a grandparent (or two) two-to-three times per week. It’s fun to see those bonds strengthen. Along with giving us parents a minibreak (enough time to load or unload the dishwasher!), it also gives the grandparents something to look forward to, albeit over Skype / FaceTime.
We also feel incredibly blessed to be part of the CEE community. Right from the start, the teachers sent along developmentally appropriate plans for the week. These included wellstructured lessons with embedded videos and with platforms and apps the students were already familiar with. As the weeks have gone by, CEE has layered in more structure and synchronous, or live, options that we appreciate but don’t always use. Eva, our third grader, is already learning about “Zoom fatigue,” and Hanna Lou, our preschooler, doesn’t really connect to the live classes. What she does love are the engaging, fun daily videos her classroom teachers, librarian, music teacher, and PE teacher post. Sometimes she will watch a read-aloud two or three times! CEE has been very upfront about the reality that this is not education that stands up to their philosophical underpinnings. None of us parents would have blessed four hours of screen time a day, and certainly not The Center! But here we are! The Center has made concessions to meet the needs of the COVID reality and has managed to stay as true to their core mission as is possible. Over the last month they have really focused on continuing to maintain community both for the students and the parents, and we are grateful. A wonderful, stress-relieving mantra that is often said by teachers and administrators at The Center is something along the lines of: “Don’t worry, follow your child’s lead and do what is right for her. We will meet your child where she is when we return to campus. No one will be ‘behind.’” 3) Part of what was so reassuring about those words from our daughters’ school is that this is so very hard. The last
25
All that you are, you are here. A WARM WELCOME. A tapestry of friendship. A place where there is room to be yourself. Find the gem of authenticity in a community within a community. Kingsley Manor is a pastiche of Hollywood grandeur and modern living, six miles to Beverly Hills, ten minutes to Walt Disney Concert Hall and L.A.’s best restaurants. Discover the art of living right in the heart of Hollywood. At Kingsley Manor you’ll find a community that shines from the inside out. There’s so much to discover and so many ways to thrive with Truly Yours assisted living services and a skilled nursing care center on site.
making the move to a simpler life M U L T I - L E V E L R E T I R E M E N T L I V I N G — E X C E P T I O N A L VA L U E AVA I L A B L E O N A S I M P L E M O N T H - T O - M O N T H F E E B A S I S .
Call us today. 323- 661-1128 1055 N. Kingsley Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90029 kingsleymanor.org We’re an equal opportunity housing provider. CA License #197602346
26
JUNE 2020
SECTION ONE
SKATEBOARDER carries a portable ramp as he passes Larchmont’s Bank of America.
Skateboarding (Continued from page 1)
“takeover” by groups of youths hanging out in the Larchmont area, specifically the empty parking lots up and down the boulevard. Discomfort Over the past year, there has been a lot of back-andforth on the Nextdoor app — between those who support the skateboarders and those who are fed up. The arguments became very personal at one point, pitting neighbor against neighbor. “In a weird way,” says Larchmont area homeowner Clare Cohen, “it fractured the neighborhood.” Even though most kids try to follow the rules, there are always a few who don’t. “I have two minds about this,” says Cohen thoughtfully. “I skateboarded; my brother skateboarded; it’s part of Southern California culture. It’s great that it keeps kids off
of electronic devices; they get to be outside; it’s cool … but the problems in Larchmont arose when some groups of older skaters started ‘vibing’ people when they walked by, and those skaters were cursing and not really caring what people were hearing. It went from the innocence of jumping cracks to something that made people uncomfortable.” Love of skateboarding Many young people growing up in the Larchmont community skate on a daily basis and love everything about it: the exercise, the freedom to roam and explore, the friendships, and the love of the community it fosters. “Skateboarding has connected me with so many other people,” says Meyer, a 13-yearold local. His friend Jack, who has lived in the Larchmont area his entire life, agrees. “Skateboarding around Larchmont is fun because everyone’s around, it’s safe,
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF
HOLLYWOOD
2 blks from Hollywood & Vine Metro 1760 N. Gower St. 90028 323-463-7161 www.fpch.org
ONLINE SERVICES Be strong & courageous! We are not alone. Christ is among us!
6720 Melrose Ave. Hollywood (323) 938-9135 VIRTUAL SUNDAY CONCERT WORSHIP 10:30am hopelutheranchurch.net
©LC0520
Hope Lutheran Church
Ecclesia Gnostica Gnostic Christian Church
307
©LC0320
Bishop Dr. Stephan Hoeller Sunday Eucharist 11am FREE Valet Parking Sundays Sunday Eucharist 11:00am Eucharist 8:30pm 8 pm Lectures • Fridays • 8• pm Wednesday Eucharist Lectures • Fridays 8pm 3363 Glendale Boulevard, Atwater, Los Angeles • 323-467-2685 2560 N. Beachwood Dr., Hollywood • 323-467-2685
Larchmont Chronicle
LOCAL skateboarder practices his “pop shove” and “ollie” moves in the empty Flywheel parking lot.
and you get to hang out with your friends. We go together and buy candy and ice cream... it’s comfortable because we know everyone.” Jack also appreciates the skill and hard work that goes into the sport. “I really like the creativity of skateboarding and setting goals for myself. There may be a certain trick that I’m working on, and I’ll do it over and over and over until I get it right.” USC study This attitude falls right in line with a recent groundbreaking study by USC’s Pullias Center for Higher Education, funded by a grant from the Tony Hawk Foundation, a study that focuses on skateboarding culture. In the report, found at pullias. usc.edu, USC research associate professor and lead investigator Zoe Corwin, a Windsor Square resident, reveals the study’s purpose: “Skateboarders are prone to being labeled by society as rebels, social deviants, or rule-breakers. Stereotyping masks an array of valuable skills obtained through skateboarding. The study aims to redefine what it means to be a skateboarder and highlight connections among skateboarding, education and career.” The study included a national survey of over 5000 skateboarders and interviews with over 120 skaters and community stakeholders. Corwin was deeply surprised with the results of the research. “What we learned from skateboarding youth was profound,” she reveals in the report’s final analysis. “Study data illustrate how skateboarding bolsters mental health and facilitates community. Skaters of color explained feeling safer and more supported in the skate community. Skaters clearly articulated skills they learned through skating, such as persistence (skaters will practice a trick hundreds of times until they land it), problem solving, [and] intergenerational and cross-cultural communication.” Beginning in the 1940s Skateboarding popped onto the SoCal scene as early as the late 1940s. When waves were scarce, surfers in California
KYD KALIN and Jackson and Hudson Little take a break from skating at Lake Street Skate Park.
and Hawaii looked for alternative forms of entertainment. They tore apart wooden boxes, attached metal roller skates, and took off down the pavement, “surfing the sidewalk.” Skateboarding in the 1970s blossomed even more with the advent of the polyurethane wheel, which made skating on paved surfaces smoother and more controlled. Skateboarders took full advantage of this new wheel and started skating in empty swimming pools and reservoirs in and around San Diego and Los Angeles. Skateboarding competitions soon became all the rage, the most notable group of competitors being a local skate team from Santa Monica, the Zephyr team, famously known as the “Z-Boys.” Sidewalk alternatives So, yes, skateboarding is baked into our culture. As the streets and sidewalks around Larchmont Village have become more crowded, though, some locals are trying to come up with ideas for the business and skateboarding communities to live together in peace. One of those people is Jim Kalin, a Larchmont-area resident and father of 11-year-old skateboarder, Kyd Kalin. Jim conceived the idea to create a small-group summer skate camp, called Tour de Skate, where he will shuttle campers around Los Angeles for five days, Monday – Friday, to visit the best skate parks and skateboard shops around Los Angeles. “In this whole new COVID-19 era, people are thinking outside the box about summer options,” says Kalin. “Parents need things for their kids to do this summer, and they probably won’t be sending their kids to camps with 200 people, or to packed sports gymnasiums, so this is a small-group alternative.” Kalin grew up in Ohio, the son of an Ohio State University wrestler. Eighteen years later, Jim was doing the same thing.
JIM KALIN, founder of Tour de Skate summer camp, and son, Kyd, visit the beach near Venice Beach Skate Park.
“That was my skateboarding,” he laughs. Kalin has taught physical education and coached local sports teams including soccer, St. Brendan’s Basketball (SBBA), kids’ wrestling programs and Wilshire Warriors baseball. He also is part-owner of Power House Bar on Highland Ave. in Hollywood, and he helped open a bar on Melrose called “The Darkroom,” a former camera shop turned gastropub. Kalin accompanies his son around town to watch him skate, and he’s grown to love the skateboard culture. “The skateboarders are so generous and very supportive of each other,” says Kalin. “It was a complete surprise to me how wonderful this culture is; they are so dedicated and considerate… I love going to the skate parks, meeting people and getting to know them, visiting their shops and talking to the pros.” Build one here? Both Kalin and Cohen wish that there were a public skate park closer to the Larchmont area so skateboarders would have a dedicated place to practice their skills. “There’s been a complete failure of imagination on how (Please turn to page 27)
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
SECTION ONE
27
Teams are ready to play ball, eventually
DR. LO SPRAGUE and one of the tigers at ADI’s temporary Rescue Center in Guatemala.
Animal rescue was a trip of a lifetime for locals, wildlife
Dr. Lo Sprague, of Windsor Square, and president of the Guibord Center, and Mary Kirchen, of S. Citrus Ave., recently returned from transporting 12 tigers and five lions to a wildlife refuge in South Africa. “It was a challenge!” Sprague told us of the trip taken before the coronavirus restrictions. The pair participated in Animal Defenders International’s (ADI) rescue from Guatemala, where the former circus animals had suffered brutality and confinement. The ADI team traveled 36 hours through four countries via a Qatar Airlines cargo plane, and then the animals were driven to ADI’s new Wildlife Preserve in South Africa. “Mary and I went ... to represent The Guibord Center’s commitment to bring voices of faith into the discus-
Skateboarding (Continued from page 26)
to use our public spaces,” says Cohen. “We have places around town that just sit dormant and could get so much use if we figured out how to multipurpose them.” Skateboarders Jack and Meyer agree. “I would definitely use a skate park,” says Jack excitedly. “Skating on the street is fun, but if there was a place with rails and ramps, it would definitely be more fun.” “One hundred percent!” enthuses Meyer. “I would absolutely use a skate park. If there was something like Stoner Skate Plaza or El Sereno Skate Park nearby, I would go there all the time.” Cohen has high hopes that a solution will be found. “I would love for there to be a way to find harmony and let the skaters have fun and be social,” she says, “but at the same time be mindful that we’re in a neighborhood. In any negotiation, people need to give a little on each side.” For more information about Tour de Skate summer skateboarding camp, go to tourdeskate.com.
sion of how we humans are to understand our responsibility to care for animals and the earth,” Sprague said. “Mary and I also went because it was the adventure of a lifetime! There is nothing like trying to balance on heavy cargo nets while feeding and watering 17 dangerous wild animals through a 2” by 2” steel mesh opening in their travel crates strapped to pallets in the hold of a 777 cargo plane at 38,000+ feet.” She added, “[Dr. Gwynne Guibord] and I championed the sanctuary since its inception in 2018. Before her death in August, Gwynne was tremendously excited that our friend Mary Kirchen and I were going to make this trip.”
Confessions
(Continued from page 9) start exercising], but I don’t enjoy walking around on pavement. I don’t enjoy walking around the block.” She owns weights, and her complex has a pool, but neither has tempted her to join the COVID-fitness trend. Deutsch continues, “People are talking about exercising, and people are doing it, and even that hasn’t gotten me off my duff.” One thing we’re all failing at during the coronavirus distancing is personal grooming. For some, that means never getting out of pajamas and showering less frequently, but even the fastidiously clean have issues with hair growing out of control and roots clearly marking the before COVID and after COVID divide. Mel Stolz-Sumegi reports that she was looking like the European fairytale character Struwwelpeter (translated as “slovenly Peter”), and, so, she pulled out her mother’s old hair scissors and hacked away. She was pleased enough with the results that she came after her teenagers, but she says, “When I asked my daughters when they would like me to trim their manes, the look they gave me was priceless!”
By Suzan Filipek Nothing spells summer like baseball and Little League, and the Wilshire Warriors are ready to play in the time-honored tradition. They have been for a while. “We are ready to play baseball as soon as the authorities deem it safe,” says Wilshire Warriors Baseball President Tom Eisenhauer on the group’s website. “Thanks to the efforts of so many league volunteers, all the work to prepare for the season was completed before the COVID-19 shutdown — fields renovated, permits purchased, uniforms delivered, players evaluated, and teams formed — and so we are ready to play baseball.” He added, “We don’t know when we will get the green light to play, but we will notify everyone as soon as we do.” Practices and games are held at Pan Pacific Park and/or John Burroughs Middle School. wilshirewarriors.com ••• The Larchmont Charter High School and Middle School spring baseball seasons were also both cancelled. “We’re awaiting word from city and state officials as to when to resume action,” coach and parent Daniel Frankel told us. ••• Things took a virtual turn in the world of Goldie’s Youth Sports, team leader Goldie (Karen Goldberg) told us. A record number of girls
GOLDIE’S YOUTH SPORTS MEMBERS, clockwise from above left: Ruby Clay, 9; Kennedy Collier, 8; Casey Chong, 11; and Aria Uttamchandini, 8.
signed up for the spring season, only to be told to stay home. “The season was canceled, which was awfully sad. But, 300-plus girls registered, which was an all-time high for us. And that shows that girls want girl-empowering / girlsports teams! So, that part was the shining part. But, yes, the season was cancelled.” Online basketball contests, and game tutorials were launched and continue to be posted weekly on Goldie’s
Youth Sports YouTube channel for registered players. Once the season starts, Goldie’s will be launching its third year with St. Brendan’s Basketball Association. Practice and games are at St. Brendan School, 238 S. Manhattan Place. Goldiesyouthsports.com ••• Sports are also on hold at Pan Pacific Park Recreation Center, which as of May 26 remained closed. la-parks.org/ reccenter/panpacific
Have Medicare questions?
I have the answers - let’s talk! CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 UPDATE I am happy to provide full support over the phone or online while social distancing is recommended.
I am a local, licensed and trained Independent Agent. I represent most major Medicare insurance plans and I can answer all of your questions. I can help you find a health plan that suits your personal healthcare needs and budget at no cost to you.
Give me a call today. I look forward to helping you. Lara Goulson (818) 472-5484 License #0E69969 By calling the number above, you will be directed to a licensed insurance agent.
28
SECTION ONE
JUNE 2020
Larchmont Chronicle
YOUR CHILD’S HEALTH IS ESSENTIAL. Nothing is more important than your children’s health. That was true before COVID -19 and it’s still true now. Don’t wait to get your kids the care they need, including vaccinations, well-child visits and more.
With in-office appointments and virtual visits, we are here for your family. Visit CHLA.org.
MUSEUMS
THE GROVE
SERVICES
Outdoor venues and live music among area museum offerings.
What’s missing in this photo? Inquiring minds want to know.
Dr. Door and Window among home services to the rescue.
Page 9
Page 5
Real Estate Museums, Libraries, Movies, Theater, Home & Garden
Page 13
VIEW
Section 2
LARCHMONT CHRONICLE
JUNE 2020
HANCOCK PARK • WINDSOR SQUARE • FREMONT PLACE • GREATER WILSHIRE • MIRACLE MILE • PARK LA BREA • LARCHMONT
COLDWELL BANKER 542 S. Lorraine Blvd. | Hancock Park | $5,510,000
100 S. Beachwood Dr. | Hancock Park | $3,995,000.
SOLD. Represented Buyer. 6 Bd, 7 Ba, quintessential Windsor Square, built in 1920
Fab 4Bed/3.5 Bas in main house; garage has gst rm + ba over it &game rm w/wine cellar/ half BA under it!
835 S. Longwood Ave. | Brookside | $2,750,000 Perfect home in coveted Brookside! Impeccably maintained 4Bd + 3.5Ba. 835SLongwood.com
531 N. Rossmore PH B | Hancock Park | $1,739,000 Contemporary penthouse near Larchmont Village. Rare 3,090 sqft. 4Bd+5Ba renovated unit.
Lisa Hutchins 323.460.7626
Lisa Hutchins 323.460.7626
Loveland Carr Group 323.460.7606
Loveland Carr Group 323.460.7606
CalRE#01018644
CalRE#01018644
CalRE#01467820, #00888374
CalRE#01467820, #00888374
651 N. Lillian Way | Hancock Park | $1,600,000 SOLD Off Market. Chic 3 bed/2 updated plus pool in Hancock Park Proper!
633 N. Cahuenga Blvd. | Hancock Park | $1,250,000 Charming fixer next to LA Tennis Club. 2bed+tandem/1.5 baths. HP Proper!
2017 S. Orange Dr. | Mid City | $749,000 Great opportunity to remodel. R2. One block from La Brea Ave. and W. Washington Blvd.
746 S. Los Angeles St, #908 | DTLA | $469,000 Very cool arch loft in mills act building, huge prop tax savings. 1 Bd + 1 Ba w/ character.
Lisa Hutchins 323.460.7626
Lisa Hutchins 323.460.7626
Rick Llanos 323.810.0828 CalRE #01123101
CalRE#01018644
CalRE#01018644
Barbara Allen 323.610.1781 CalRE # 01487763
644 S. Rimpau Blvd. | Hancock Park | $17,000/MO Magnificent 5-6 Bd/ 4 Ba estate on approx 20,000 sqft lot w/ pool/spa. Available early August.
449 N Highland Ave| Hancock Park | $8,000/MO JUST LEASED. Beautiful restored Spanish, 4 Bd, 4 Ba, gourmet kitchen & pool.
251 S. Citrus Ave. | Hancock Park | $7,500/MO JUST LEASED. Charming 1920’s Spanish home 3 Beds, 3 Baths & Guest House. Beautiful Street.
5717 W. 2nd St | Hancock Park | $5,500/MO Beautiful townhome. 3Bd/3.5Ba + balcony, new kitchen w/ family rm, private patio + garage
Lisa Hutchins 323.460.7626
Rick Llanos 323.810.0828 CalRE #01123101
Rick Llanos 323.810.0828 CalRE #01123101
Kathy Gless & Rick Llanos 323.460.7622, 323.810.0828 CalRE# 00626174, CalRE# 01123101
CalRE#01018644
The real estate company that shines like no other
COLDWELLBANKERHOMES.COM Hancock Park 323.464.9272 | 251 N Larchmont Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90004 The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Realty are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2020 Coldwell Banker Realty. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Realty fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC CalBRE# 00616212
2
JUNE 2020
SECTION TWO
Larchmont Chronicle
Let’s preserve the ‘Legacies’ of Larchmont Boulevard At the time of writing, stayat-home orders for Los Angeles County have been extended through July, while gentle efforts have been made to begin to reopen. Now one can shop online from some shops on Larchmont Boulevard and collect one’s purchases in person. As I was walking down the nearly deserted Boulevard, I began to think of what are referred to as Legacy Businesses. Defined by the Los Angeles Conservancy as “longstanding community anchors where neighbors connect, memories are made and our sense of community nourished,” Legacy Businesses are part of what gives a neighborhood its vital sense of place and character. Long-established shops and restaurants were already under pressure from rising rents and non-local developers seeking to change the character of the boulevard. One of the more devastating impacts of the COVID-19 crisis and its resulting stay-at-home orders has been to put many of our Legacy Businesses under further threat. Historic preservation is not simply about the protection of the built environment; it also is about preserving community assets such as these that define a place.
On Preservation by
Brian Curran
I am encouraged that many of our favorite restaurants and shops are not taking this crisis lying down. Dimitris Houndalas of Le Petit Greek has been quite adept at generating support through social media like Facebook and NextDoor, while Steve Cohen’s Village Pizzeria has been having “pizza popups,” creating lines down the block. I am glad to see Chevalier’s Books and Landis
Gifts & Stationery set up for the new “normal.” Help Larchmont’s Legacy Businesses in their struggle to stay afloat by turning to them rather than Amazon. It would compound the tragedy of this crisis when, one day, we return to normal to find the familiar and comforting landscape of the boulevard dismal and adrift without its anchors. Speaking of dismal, have you seen the new design of Larchmont Mercantile? This is the rebranding of the Lipson Building located at 126-148 N. Larchmont, which is home to some of the Legacy Businesses mentioned above. The new concept, “re-imagined” by the ubiquitous ar-
chitecture firm Gensler and announced by the Malibubased owner, Christina Development, shows a revealed and gleaming white central pavilion flanked by renovated storefronts with the old midcentury and badly maintained green awnings removed. While it is commendable that the central brick pavilion is to be restored to its former glory, its wings have been clipped by a design that makes the flanking rows of storefronts resemble corrugated iron garages. The choice of materials, metal siding in either silver or black, with enormous plate glass windows and awnings that look like garage doors is straight out of Westfield’s Century City Mall.
The developer and architects had a unique and rare opportunity to enhance all of the qualities that make Larchmont Boulevard such a beloved neighborhood center and city-wide destination. Larchmont Mercantile’s marketing material states, “unlike any other neighborhood in Los Angeles, Larchmont is recognized as authentic and soulful… it’s a classic intersection of contemporary trendsetting and homegrown sincerity.” Well, nothing says “authentic,” “soulful” or “homegrown” — not to mention sincere — more than dated, cold, minimal and corporatist design. Charming it is not. Back to the drawing board with you!
LARCHMONT MERCANTILE is proposed as an update of the 15-unit LaBonte Building, one of the Boulevard’s originals.
Expert exceptional Service. Exceptional EXPERT SERVICE. results Results. new listing NEW LISTING NEW LISTING 201 S. RIMPAU
FOR SALE
315 8th ST #901
COMING SOON
137 S. LARCHMONT HANCOCK PARK
DOWNTOWN LA
2 BED +2 bATH | $899,000
5 BED+ 4 BATH | $1,995,000
HANCOCK PARK | 4 BED +4.5 BATH | CUL DE SAC 4 BED + 3.5 bATH3300 | CONTACT FOR PRICE GOLF COURSE VIEW | CO-LISTED STAR JASPER LARISSA | SILVERLAKE 531 N. ROSSMORE W/| HANCOCK PARK
SOLD sold over asking 6059 SCENIC DR.
SOLD
BEACHWOOD CANYON
2 bed+ 2 bath | $901,000
7 BED+ 5.5 BATH | $7,200,000
636 N. GRAMERCY
PENTHOUSE #B | 4+5 | $1,995,000
NEW soldLISTING in 1 week IN ESCROW
3 BED+ 2 BATH | $1,195,000
3331 CAROLINE
SOLD
LARCHMONT ADJACANT
3 BED 4 BATH| $1,087,113 CULVER CITY | 2 HOUSES |3+2.5 EACH | $2,850,000 358 N. VAN NESS | LARCHMONT 418 N. MANSFIELD | HANCOCK PARK
3 BED+ 3.5 BATH | $2,332,272
www.coregroupla.com DRE #01819365
4 BED+ 3.5 BATH | $3,250,000
Pete Buonocore
DRE #01279107
323.762.2561
pete@coregroupla.com
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
SECTION TWO
3
31 vacancies on the boulevard and nearby?
By John Welborne There are a number of retail and other commercial spaces that appear vacant or “For Lease” along Larchmont Boulevard and in the immediate neighborhood. And this situation predates any COVID-19 closures. In the Village between First and Beverly, along the west side of the street, there are five empty spaces: next to Village Pizzeria, the still-vacant 133 N. Larchmont Blvd. (which once was set to become a Face Haus store, and maybe still is); the former Goorin Bros. space at 141 1/2 N. Larchmont Blvd.; the old Flywheel space at 147 N. Larchmont Blvd.; and the two spaces in the building north of Vernetti at 227 and 229 N. Larchmont Blvd. On the east side of the street, there appear to be vacancies at 120 N. Larchmont Blvd. (the former LF); 124 1/2 N. Larchmont Blvd. (where Jessica from Sunset, and later, Poshé, used to be); and 146 N. Larchmont Blvd. (where Bonne Chance was located for many years). The sign on the window of Landis Labyrinth Toy Shop at 140 N. Larchmont Blvd. says “Everything Must Go!”
EMPTY RETAIL SPACE at 120 N. Larchmont Blvd. has been on the market for some time.
Larchmont Mercantile These last three spaces are in the former LaBonte Building, scheduled to become the upscale, 15-unit “Larchmont Mercantile” creation of Malibu real estate investor Lawrence Taylor’s company, Christina. Tenants of the remaining 12 spaces in the LaBonte building understand that they will have to vacate at the end of this year, or prior to the start of Larchmont Mercantile remodeling next year. North of Beverly Boulevard, on the east side of the street, the building at 320 N. Larch(Please turn to page 4)
AVAILABLE SPACE at 147 N. Larchmont Blvd. may have a new tenant, but nothing has been announced yet.
CROSSWALK at the proposed Larchmont Mercantile ends at the present locations of Lipson Plumbing, the former (now vacant) Bonne Chance, the northern unit of Landis Labyrinth Toy Shop and Larchmont Barber Shop.
4
JUNE 2020
SECTION TWO
Larchmont Chronicle
NEW OWNER proposes to create a valet-assisted rear surface parking lot behind new Larchmont Mercantile project.
Vacancies
(Continued from page 3) mont Blvd. no longer has the Cerrell name on it. There is a “For Lease” sign on the building at 500 N. Larchmont Blvd., and 550 N. Larchmont Blvd. also seems to be for lease. There also are vacancies at 660 N. Larchmont Blvd., at the intersection with Melrose, where a car crashed into the stores last year at about the same
time that a new owner took control of the building. On the west side of Larchmont, 531 N. Larchmont Blvd. has a “For Lease” sign, and the old Hans Weisshaar building, with the ornate sign at 627 N. Larchmont Blvd., has space available. Along Melrose Avenue, the Le Petit Marché space at 5665 Melrose Ave. is still available for lease, as is 5750 Melrose (formerly Fin Asian Tapas Bar).
BARBER SHOP owner Jorge Hilario, at the end of May, learned that, under certain conditions, he again could get and give haircuts at his Larchmont shop in the former LaBonte Building.
CONSTRUCTION is progressing on the new Audrey Irmas Pavilion at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, east of the historic building. Photo by Gary Leonard, May 18, 2020
All told, if these spaces remain or become vacant, there could be 31 vacancies on and adjacent to Larchmont Boulevard at the end of this year.
627 N. LARCHMONT BLVD., home of the Hans Weisshaar violin shop from 1947 to 2018, has space for lease.
Top 100 in Southern California
Our Teamwork - Makes Your Dreams Work For Lease
For Lease
737 N. McCadden Ave. 4BR/3BA + Bonus Room Offered at $5,500/Month
JUST SOLD!
Naomi Hartman
Leah Brenner
Members Society of Excellence Www.naomiandleah.com www.naomiandleah.com
SOLD: This home at 825 Muirfield Rd. in Brookside was sold in April for $1,550,000.
Single-family homes
136 S. Martel Ave. | Offered at $2,200,000
CalRE # 00769979
Real Estate Sales
No matter the storm that interrupts your journey, the sun will once again shine through, and we will still be here to guide you, in finding your way home.
Owner Willing To Install A Pool! 415 S. June St. 5BR/7BA + Family + Playroom + Library/Study Offered at $20,000/Month
323.860.4259 nhaman@coldwellbanker.com
LANDIS LABYRINTH Classic Toy Shop in the former LaBonte Building on Larchmont is saying “Everything Must Go!!”
323.860.4245 lbrenner@coldwellbanker.com
©2020 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. CalRE #00616212
CalRE # 00769979
111 S. Hudson Ave. 542 Lorraine Blvd. 635 Seward St. 446 N. Citrus Ave. 147 N. Windsor Blvd. 800 S. Windsor Blvd. 446 S. Highland Ave. 202 N. Gower St. 825 Muirfield Rd. 552 N. Bronson Ave. 608 Lillian Way 636 N. Gramercy Pl. 509 N. St. Andrews Pl.
$5,600,000 5,510,000 2,720,000 2,437,500 2,000,000 1,900,000 1,830,000 1,729,000 1,550,000 1,372,000 1,300,000 1,087,113 850,000
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
SECTION TWO
5
Lots of activity at The Grove during COVID-19 shutdown
By John Welborne Like everywhere in Los Angeles, things were very quiet at The Grove in April and almost all of May.* Impresario developer Rick Caruso kept all of his real estate projects open for walking (with the fountains flowing and music playing), even though the retail shops were not open. Later during this early phase of the pandemic, a few of his restaurants were available for takeout, but the outdoor shopping mall remained pretty quiet. With one big exception. During this business slowdown, demolition equipment made quick work of the former, two-story Crate & Barrel store. Located just west of Nordstrom’s, the big building was taken down to the ground. What will replace it? That is a very good question. What’s next at The Grove? Some observing architects and urban designers have suggested that this is a wonderful opportunity to penetrate The Grove’s long wall along Third Street by providing a pedestrian experience where people may walk into the center of the project direct from Third Street. These design kibitzers
VIEW in May of the former Crate & Barrel site.
NEW GROVE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS from Third Street? View from the street looks north during Crate & Barrel demolition.
SPACE for new stores or more, the former site of Crate & Barrel, with apartments and the Miracle Mile to the south.
NOVEL DRIVE-THRU on the Grove’s Main Street, normally accessible only to a trolley, was open one afternoon during novel coronavirus shutdown.
MIRAMAR HOTEL food truck (from Montecito [blue stripes) visited The Grove and helped raise funds to provide 21,000 meals through Para Los Niños.
note that such a new pathway would be on axis with the landmark “The Grove” sign atop the eight-story parking structure. One source at Caruso, who said details about the replacement for Crate & Barrel were not ready for public disclosure, did indicate that what is proposed is some sort of exciting new concept. That made it sound like a single vendor, rather than a series of smaller shops and pop-up merchandise carts along a winding pedestrian street. Stay tuned.
Grove “drive-thru” Despite the empty interior, there was one, novel event that took place inside The Grove during mid-May. On May 16, scores and scores of private vehicles had the opportunity to do what only The Grove trolley has done before. From the east end of The Grove’s Main Street, people in their cars were allowed to enter the mall and drive around the village green space, pass the movie theater, wind around the tall column with the angel sculpture (that becomes San-
ta’s House at the appropriate time of year) and finally make their ways to Gilmore Lane, where the adventure ended. And the purpose of this drive-thru expedition? Well, it is The Grove after all, so the answer is “to shop.“ And how does one shop in his or her car? Just like at McDonald’s. In this case, the fare for sale was far fancier than at Mickey D’s. From Kurobuta Carnitas Tacos and Mary’s Organic Fried Chicken Sand(Please turn to page 15)
MENU for patrons on Main Street at The Grove.
6
JUNE 2020
SECTION TWO
Larchmont Chronicle
Demolition continues at LACMA
At the end of May, noticeable to westbound drivers and pedestrians (and to stay-at-home walkers out for exercise at the adjacent Tar Pits), the tallest of the east buildings of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art complex is coming down. The gable roofs over the interior courtyard in front of the Hammer Building, and parts of the former Robert O. Anderson (now Art of the Americas) Building, are disappearing. The remainder of that building may be next. Alternatively, what is next for the wrecking equipment may be the lower, and older, Hammer and Ahmanson Buildings. Museum spokespeople say the project is on track to commence construction later this year on the new David Geffen Galleries designed by Pritzker Prizewinning Swiss architect Peter Zumthor.
EAST BUILDINGS of LACMA on February 21, 2020. Included is the Leo S. Bing Center, one of three original buildings designed by William L. Pereira that opened in 1965. Directly across Wilshire Boulevard is the Spaulding Avenue parking lot that is the future location of the southern portion of the new David Geffen Galleries building (that will include a café and a new theater at ground level). Photo by Gary Leonard
LACMA IN LATE MAY features demolition underway at the Art of the Americas building on the existing campus. View west from the La Brea Tar Pits gardens. Chronicle staff photo WILSHIRE BOULEVARD will pass under the new David Geffen Galleries building as the street makes its way west to the sea. In the foreground is the Pavilion for Japanese Art. It will remain, as will the two newest gallery buildings with the white roofs, designed by Renzo Piano (Broad Contemporary Art Museum and Reznick Exhibition Pavilion). Photo by Gary Leonard
Jill Galloway
323.842.1980 | jill@jillgalloway.com
Estates Director, Sunset Strip
jillgalloway.com | DRE 01357870
At the end of quarantine, if you decide you can’t stand the people you live with, remember, I’m your Realtor®
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
7
SECTION TWO
Above LACMA, 2020
Last month, we received a number of compliments for the exquisite aerial photographs of local construction activity provided by legendary photographer Gary Leonard. Several readers said they wanted to see the photos in a larger size. Of course, readers usually can enlarge images on our larchmontchronicle. com website by themselves. But, by popular request, here again are those Gary Leonard aerial views of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art construction site, taken from helicopters on February 21 and April 21, 2020. Also last month, the museum reported completion of its demolition and removal of the Bing Center and the completion of the interior demolition of the Hammer Building and the Ahmanson Building. Structural demolition of the Art of the Americas Building (that fronts on Wilshire Boulevard) is underway.
WIDE OPEN SPACE, on April 21, 2020, represents the spot formerly occupied by the Leo S. Bing Center. That eastern portion of the current LACMA campus will house a café and education facility with a public gallery on the ground floor beneath the central portion of the new building designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor to span Wilshire Boulevard. Photo by Gary Leonard
Make history at NHM’s COVID-19 archive project, ‘Your Story Matters’ Be a part of history and take part in the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM) COVID-19 archive project, “Your Story Matters.” The crowd-sourced project
is documenting the pandemic’s effects on the region’s people, communities and nature. The museum opened in 1913, and during the Spanish flu influenza pandemic of
1918-19, little was documented by NHM. Now, museum officials are taking full advantage of today’s technology to record this pandemic from the Los Angeles-point of view.
Food, music on ‘First Fridays’ menu June 5 “First Fridays Connected” will kick off with a livestream event on June 5. The discussion-and-live-music event is sponsored by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. The season debut features a conversation on the “Future of Food” during a Zoom webinar starting at 6 p.m. Panelists are Dr. Ella Jorgensen, cofounder and chief
science officer at Aanika, a biotech startup, and Caroline Kolta, project manager at the XPRIZE Foundation, where she supports research to chart future roadmaps for food systems. Moderator is award-winning columnist Patt Morrison. Interactive quiz game Dino 101 is at 7 p.m., followed by a live performance by Choir Boy and a DJ set from
KCRW’s Novena Carmel at 8 p.m. Visit tinyurl.com/y8wlehbp. Free with RSVP.
Material will be collected, catalogued and archived, and an online exhibit will showcase submissions as well as become part of the museum’s permanent collection. “We know the coronavirus has affected everyone in our community in some way, and all of those stories deserve to be part of the way we remember this time,” Dr. Trina Rob-
erts, NHM associate vice president of collections, said at the project’s May 8 launch. The project is ongoing through the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit nhmlac.org/ your-story-matters to submit written accounts, art, photography and images as well as video and audio files. For information, write yourstory@ nhm.org.
Multiple sales so far in 2020 and still ready to help you sell your property now. 123 South Hobart Blvd. 7 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths, 95% Renovated. $1,295,000
Day — A trusted name in Los Angeles since 1879 Bob Day’s tradition of service began with his great grandfather’s music store at First & Spring Streets. Bob continues that legacy of service as a top Realtor with Coldwell Banker Hancock Park.
Bob Day 323-821-4820 BobDay@coldwellbanker.com
©LC0620
PROGRESS CONTINUES at The Residences at Wilshire Curson, a 20-story tower overlooking the museums in Hancock Park and the Miracle Mile. The new building will contain 285 luxury apartments being constructed by the firm founded by the late Jerry Snyder, who died in May.
DRE # 0851770
A Trusted Name in Los Angeles since 1879
Coldwell Banker HanCoCk Pk • residential & CommerCial • 351 n. larCHmont Blvd.
8
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
SECTION TWO
LIBRARY CALENDAR
Add to archive, enjoy story times, movies, classes at lapl.org By Rachel Olivier Learning to manage life during a pandemic is a (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, and the Los Angeles Public Library would like your help in archiving your experiences for future generations. Called the Safer at Home Archive, the completed collection will be a curated record of life during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it will include photographs, letters, emails, and other correspondence, journal and diary entries, blog posts or other social media posts, notices or signs, and creative art such as drawings, paintings, and poetry. Visit lapl. org/safer-archive. The digital collection ultimately will be available through the online special collections portal Tessa at tessa.lapl.org. Virtual services available Meanwhile, the brick-andmortar LAPL branches are still closed to visitors, but virtual services are available to anyone
ALREADY HAVE A CARD? It can access the e-media.
USING A library card from the comfort of your home will give you access to a variety of e-media.
with a library card and Internet access, from e-books and audiobooks to movies, newspapers, podcasts, research materials and online courses. Some services are available without a library card, such as online story times, teen council and adult book club. It all starts with a card If you already have a regular library card, you do not need
an e-card. The 14-digit number on the back of your library card and a PIN (the last four digits of the phone number you used when you signed up for the card) are all that you need to access much of the emedia on the library’s website. Pre-pandemic, anyone who wanted a library card needed to appear in person at the library and prove Los Angeles
Custom Kitchen Design & Remodeling
DPR General Building Contractor License #1020763
residency. Because people cannot now appear in person to sign up for a library card, LAPL has made it possible to sign up for an ecard, which will allow you to check out e-media, such as e-books, audiobooks, music, movies, podcasts, newspapers, magazines and other research materials, but will not allow you to check out physical books and movies once the libraries open again. Movies, music, books, papers Streaming movies may be accessed via a service called Kanopy, which works as a streaming channel similar to Netflix or Amazon Prime, and can be downloaded to a computer or to devices such as a
LIBRARIES FAIRFAX 161 S. Gardner St. JOHN C. FREMONT 6121 Melrose Ave. MEMORIAL 4625 W. Olympic Blvd. WILSHIRE 149 N. Saint Andrews Pl.
Visit Our Showroom
617 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036 323-350-0680 • www.grittel.com • steve@grittel.com
©LC1119
HOURS All branches are temporarily closed. ASK A LIBRARIAN 213-228-7272 infonow@lapl.org
ADT Security Services Four decades serving Mid-Wilshire Los Angeles
Let us be your 1st Responder.
©LC1218
• • • •
Response Patrol Alarm Monitoring
For more details, contact Mike Ball 818-435-3179
Please call now for a special offer for new customers who sign up for patrol or response services. Lic. # PPO 120288
Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire Stick. Some movies are “free” for library patrons to watch, while others count as a checked-out item. Patrons are allowed a limited number of movies to check out per month. Similarly, patrons can use Press Reader for reading newspapers and magazines, OverDrive for reading e-books, and Freegal for listening to music. This is in addition to the regular online tools offered to library cardholders through ProQuest and Gale Research and other research guides. A note on the e-books: ebooks are downloadable mostly in an epub format, which works for many e-readers, but does not easily transfer to Kindle. Patrons who use a Kindle need to look for e-books that specifically say they are available for Kindle. Storytimes and classes Other activities that are available at lapl.org are virtual story times (some for adults) and book clubs and classes that the library might otherwise hold in a community room. Find the class or story time that you are interested in, click on it, and email the contact person listed. The person will set you up with a link for the Zoom meeting when the class or story time begins. Patrons can also subscribe to the LAPL feed on YouTube for previous story times and activities. When asked where patrons should get started on their exploration of LAPL’s virtual world, Annie Cipolla, the branch manager at John C. Fremont Library, suggested checking the online programs that are listed on the upperright corner of the website. “They will see a schedule of not only story times but many other vibrant programs that LAPL librarians across the city are offering each day,” she said. Cipolla also wanted to remind patrons that checked out items are not due until the libraries re-open on June 30. There will be no late charges when items are returned. Librarians are available via email at infonow@lapl.org and lapl.org for more information.
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
SECTION TWO
9
MUSEUM ROW
Museums offer live music, art projects and outdoor venues By Suzan Filipek Herald in the start of summer with live Latin music and jazz and art projects or head to outdoor venues at our local museums. But don’t do so in large groups (yet)! Music programs at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art may not feature live bands you can dance or tap your feet to in person, but you can swing to the beat online. “Latin Sounds: Meet the Musicians” will open its 15th season with some get-up-andmove salsa music by The Echo Park Project. “Jazz at LACMA: Meet the Musicians” kicks off the program with guitarist Roy Gaines and his Tuxedo Blues Orchestra. Both programs’ playlists are Fri., June 5 and feature interviews hosted by series director Mitch Glickman. New episodes play every Friday in June. Visit Latin Sounds at tinyurl. com/y7q34j6v. Visit Jazz at LACMA at tinyurl.com/yc2yklkk. While museums are closed at the time of this writing, some parts of their campuses are open to the public.
PIANIST Makiko Hirata plays June 22 online. TOUR THE GROUNDS of the La Brea Tar Pits, which includes the Lake Pit, where replica mammoths succumb to their fate. PHOTO: page 1, section 1: “Miss Forest” at LACMA.
At LACMA you can stroll by “Urban Light” (an installation of 1920s-era streetlights), the 340-ton boulder “Levitated Mass,” and LACMA’s newest outdoor addition, “Miss Forest.” A 26-foot-tall painted bronze sculpture, Miss Forest stands on Wilshire Boulevard and is part of the Yoshitomo Nara exhibit. (The full exhibit has been postponed because of the coronavirus.) LACMA@Home taps into the museum’s digital archives,
highlighting new features each week on its website as well as hands-on art-making videos. A self-guided walk around the Lake Pit at the La Brea Tar Pits reveals the 10,000-yearold history of the site and the ongoing paleontology research there. Walk by pine, sage and other native vegetation of the Ice Age in the Pleistocene Garden. Visit tarpits.org. Learn to make your own mask and enjoy some retail
therapy in the online gift shop at the Craft Contemporary. Step-by-step craft tutorials include Printing with Leaves, Hammered Flowers and a NoSew T-Shirt Mask. The Craft at Home site features weekly easy at-home projects, as well as artist talks. Visit the site at craftcontemporary.org. Tour the vault digitally and see new content streamed daily at the Petersen Automotive Museum. Sign up for free tours and also to enter a digital monthly event: Global Cars & Coffee. To enter, submit a video of your car, and the selected entries will be compiled and air live on YouTube. See
the website for more information, petersen.org. Wellness Wednesdays at the Japan Foundation Los Angeles feature bilingual yoga classes on June 10 and June 24 at 12:30 p.m. Meditate with the soothing sounds of a Japanese singing bowl on June 17. Music Mondays feature pianist Makiko Hirata on June 22. Also featured this month will be ukulele and taiko performers. Visit jflalc.org and facebook.com/JFLALC. Also find online programming at: Korean Cultural Center, Kccla.org, and Los Angeles Holocaust Museum, lamoth.org.
10
JUNE 2020
SECTION TWO
Larchmont Chronicle
Book talks at Chevalier’s continue – but online
A LARGE AUDIENCE attended the Chevalier’s Books event – from the comfort of attendees’ own homes.
nificant insights about him. Newton had Brown’s exclusive cooperation in preparing the new account of Brown’s life story. Nichols has worked with Brown on and off, going back 45 years, beginning in 1975 in his first administration as California’s governor. When Brown became governor again in 2010, Nichols continued to serve on the Air Resources Board. “Man of Tomorrow” is available at Chevalier’s, 126 N. Larchmont Blvd.
VETERAN REPORTER Jim Newton is the author of a new book on former Gov. Jerry Brown.
MODERATOR Bert H. Deixler, co-owner of Chevalier’s Books on Larchmont Blvd.
AIR RESOURCES BOARD Chair and Windsor Square resident Mary D. Nichols.
Summer Fun!
To find out how you can help others in this time of need, visit HopeNetLA.org/donate
Send us pictures of your adventures — near and far — for our Summer Fun special section in the July issue. Send your name, contact information (not for publication) a caption along with your pictures to info@larchmontchronicle.com. Deadline is Mon., June 15.
LIPSON
Plumbing, Inc.
L to R: Simon, Mark, Donny, Victor, Bob, Pete, Zeb, Mundo, Kris, Matt, Bronco, and Alicia
“Your Neighborhood Plumbers” Celebrating 44 Years on Larchmont
323-469-2395 148 N. Larchmont Blvd. • lipsonplumbing@gmail.com LIC.# 481793
INSURED
©LC0120
By John Welborne It seemed like it was an even larger-than-normal crowd of lovers of intellectual stimulus who attended a recent book talk at our favorite independent bookseller in late May. Counting all the faces on multiple Zoom screens calculated an audience of approximately 75 people enjoying the conversation among author Jim Newton and Windsor Square local attorneys, Bert H. Deixler and Mary D. Nichols. Deixler, co-owner of the bookstore (the city’s oldest independent bookseller), served as moderator of the discussion between Newton, who has been a reporter, bureau chief and editor at the “Los Angeles Times,” and Nichols, who has worked with Gov. Jerry Brown on environmental issues for decades and serves currently as chair of the powerful California Air Resources Board. A Chevalier’s e-mail alert explained that: “We are finally venturing into the daunting frontier of cyberspace in our first ever virtual author Q&A.” The online event was a resounding success as the two knowledgeable guests answered questions from Deixler, as well as questions he received electronically and conveyed to Newton and Nichols. Newton, who also wrote “Justice for All,” an acclaimed biography of Justice Earl Warren in 2006, just completed his multi-year project of interviewing Gov. Brown and researching archives and more to publish “Man of Tomorrow,” which went on sale last month. The speakers spoke candidly about Brown, the subject of Newton’s new book. Both Newton, through his interviewing, and Nichols, through years of working with Brown, have sig-
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
SECTION TWO
11
Explore scintillating city life through modern detective stories
We’ve seen over the past months stunning photographs of familiar places — Times Square, Avenue des Champs-Elysees, Piazza San Marco. What’s stunning about the images is the simple fact that these and other perpetually crowded places have been emptied of people. It’s as if famous buildings, squares, and streets have become architectural mock-ups, devoid of context. We don’t need photographs of distant places to feel the strangeness. By the time this article appears, signs of a reopening Los Angeles may be evident, but many current closures will surely remain, and much profound and widespread suffering will linger for years. Even the most fortunate will not in the near future seek out big events. We’ll have fewer people over for dinner. We’ll shop differently. We’ll move in smaller circles. Whatever directives may be in force, we will be living in a changed city. We’ll have less of what has always made cities confusing, exciting, rewarding, scary, and promising: the unpredict-
On Books and Places by
Bruce Beiderwell
able crossings, meetings and partings of people. Without routine life on the street and without human movement inside and outside buildings that line the street, our built environments will at times seem like empty sets. As I write this piece, the creative charge of mixing with others amidst places remains highly restricted. The flip side of that for me and other lucky ones resides in the value of reflection; we’re settling into our homes, cooking what’s available, and walking about the immediate neighborhood. If we listen, we’ll hear more birds. If we’re attentive, we’ll observe the small as well as large transitions to summer. While isolation may offer such gifts, most of us staying home will still long for the scintillat-
ing human clutter of city life. Since that will return only in stages, I’d suggest we address that longing through books — more specifically, through modern detective stories. All good detective novelists understand the sometimes productive, sometimes threatening chaos of urban life very well. And they understand that their detective heroes must know the city as a vast and dynamically peopled organism. Perhaps that’s knowledge Raymond Chandler gained or sought from his tendency to move often from one house or apartment to another in Southern California. Chandler lived many places, including Pacific Palisades, Westwood and for a time, shortly after writing the screenplay for “Double Indemnity,” on Drexel Avenue just east of South Sweetzer Ave. Detective fictions seem especially apt now amidst this pandemic because they build tension from what we do not know and cannot confidently control. In addition, the detective’s work is typically complicated by incompetent or uncaring bosses. But some lim-
ited resolution may be gained by disciplined, evidence-based and brave investigations. Available triumphs — as opposed to absolute victories — result from close observation and timely action along with a willingness to admit error. And while an individual case may be closed, there’s always a problem ahead, always more work to do, and always something to learn. My wife and I had planned to spend most of March in Paris. The trip was cancelled, of course, but the novels of Georges Simenon (along with his Inspector Maigret) have provided me more of that city than I would have experienced isolated in a small apartment through the shut-down. Los Angeles famously offers many options for densely peopled cityscapes — Chandler, Ross MacDonald and Walter Moseley are just a few of the obvi-
ous choices. Beyond the obvious, I have a particular suggestion. Go on line to Chevalier’s website, or call them, or drop by if they’re open (please, not Amazon) and order “In a Lonely Place” by Dorothy B. Hughes. It’s a chilling story set mostly in Pacific Palisades and Beverly Hills and the stretches between. Humphrey Bogart starred in a film version, but the script radically altered much of what makes the book compelling. NYRB Classics have recently republished this novel first published in 1947, along with Hughes’ last novel, “The Expendable Man.” I won’t give anything away, but I will remark that “In a Lonely Place” is refreshingly free of the misogyny that ripples through many novels in this genre. And it’s women, not men, who see what’s before them.
Former staff writer has a ‘Fighting Chance’
WRITER ALICIA Doyle found her way to boxing through a story about a neighborhood gym.
geles Daily News” and the “Ventura Star.” And boxing? One fateful evening while at the “Star,” she answered a phone call, a tip on a story about a community gym in need of help. As Doyle tells it, she didn’t want to write a story about the neighborhood boxing gym. Sports were “not her thing.” She was also more than a little turned off by the violence inherent in boxing. But the caller was persuasive, and once she arrived at the gym, Kid Gloves, and saw how it was keeping at-risk kids off the street, she knew the story was a good one. She still wasn’t convinced that boxing was anything other than a violent sport — until eventu-
ally she was. “Boxing is described as a noble art of self-defense, the sweet science, a channel for courage, determination and self-discipline,” says Doyle. In boxing, she found a channel for some of her own inner demons. In her brief career as a boxer, she earned two Golden Glove championship titles, as well as the moniker “Disaster Diva.” While she no longer practices the “sweet science,” Doyle says she continues to use skills she learned in the ring in her work as a journalist. “Focus, heart and dedication — and how to get up when knocked down. … To this day, the skills I discovered in the ring translate to everyday life,” says Doyle. Give it a “Fighting Chance” Because of COVID-19, book signings have been cancelled or postponed. However, a visit to Doyle’s website has footage from past fights, podcasts of current interviews, and even the chance to purchase an autographed copy. Gilman, when asked about her read of Doyle’s book, said she felt like she was in the ring with Doyle, brought to the fight through Doyle’s “blowby-blow descriptions” and perseverance. Most recently, the book has been optioned as a movie and will hopefully be on the big screen in the near future. Visit aliciadoyle.com.
We Provide Expert Customer Assistance! Fabulous Fabric Selection Includes …. • Exclusive Outdoor & Eco-friendly fabrics • Quality linen & specialty designer fabrics • On-site upholstery and custom cushions
“BEST Fabric Store” - LA Magazine
Mon-Sat • 9am – 5pm We Have Moved! Our New Address is: 4910 W. Jefferson Blvd. Parking Available
323.931.8148
diamondfoamandfabric.com
©LC0520
By Rachel Olivier Alicia Doyle, former staff writer at the Larchmont Chronicle, has published her first book, “Fighting Chance.” The memoir tells how Doyle, an award-winning journalist, discovered boxing while covering a story for a neighborhood gym that was down on its luck. She went on to become one of the few women at the time in America who participated in the sport. Some of what she brought into the ring she learned as a writer, some of that from Jane Gilman. Boxing also taught her a lot about life. Love for writing Doyle first developed a love for writing and journalism at Pierce College while working on the student-run paper, “Pierce College Roundup.” Her father and stepmother, on hearing how passionate she was about writing, put her in touch with Chronicle founder Jane Gilman, who hired her as a staff reporter rewriting press releases, copyediting and getting the occasional byline. Doyle says that when she first met Gilman in 1993, “she exuded lady-like confidence” and was able to run a paper with that confidence in the middle of what was considered a “man’s world.” From the Chronicle, Doyle moved onto working as a stringer for the “Los Angeles Times,” followed by the “San Diego Tribune,” the “Los An-
12
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
SECTION TWO
Plays may be our modern-day canaries in the coal mine From my office at home, I can hear the protestors in front of Mayor Garcetti’s residence, demanding that he “open up” Los Angeles for economic reasons, despite the public health dangers. Compared to some of the other protests nationwide, these have been relatively polite and disciplined, given the honking of horns, shouting of chants, and circling of helicopters. I mention this because, while it is not my place to comment on politics or economics, the question of when theaters re-open (and what do theater artists do in the meantime) is indicative of a sort of reverse “canary-in-thecoal-mine” syndrome: theater, perhaps more than any of the other arts, will be the last to come back to life. In an April 6 article in the “Los Angeles Times,” local theater artists were still “hopeful” of “making it through,” with “light at the end of the
tunnel.” By the 28th of that month, in another “Times” feature focusing on local producing artistic directors, the mood had shifted to one of acknowledging a “free-fall” with “no end in sight.” 18-24 months? On May 1 (appropriately), the French philosopher and economist Jacques Attali, in what he described as an otherwise “positivist” interview with Japan’s NHK, predicted that the arts would be severely crippled for the next 18-24 months, with perhaps a majority of artists and arts organizations not surviving the pandemic financially. Why? The one thing that this virus seems to do extremely well is to take advantage of underlying, pre-existing conditions and capitalize on them. It does this to the human body, to relationships, to the economy and to institutions. Do you remember the last time you were at the theater?
Theater Review by
Louis Fantasia How old was the average theatergoer? How expensive were the tickets? How crowded were the lobby and restrooms? Moving on to the stage, did you know that singing can send virus droplets out up to 27 feet? How do you socially distance a love scene, or a fight, or kitchen table dialogue? Theaters plan their seasons years in advance. What plays will have relevance in 2022? Which performers will have survived economically till then, and be available? Streaming Obviously, theaters and performers are trying — struggling — to stay alive till the next opening. Streaming is all
the rage. Two that I’ve seen were pretty good: the Royal Court’s “Cyprus Avenue,” starring Stephen Rea (written by David Ireland); and the National Theatre’s “Frankenstein,” with Benedict Cumberbatch, directed by Danny Boyle (“Slumdog Millionaire”). It’s no surprise that a film director creates the best theater for home viewing (“Cyprus Avenue” had “onlocation” scenes in Northern Ireland.) Their success owed, in my opinion, as much to film theory as stage blocking. Streamed content for theater ranges from the wellintentioned (see #ShareYourShakespeare), to archival videos from smaller theaters (“Oh, I haven’t seen ‘The Wild Duck’ in ages. Let’s see what they’ve done with it.”). The advantage here being the ability to fast-forward, frequently. The worst streamed theatricals, in many ways, are the slick, polished productions
from the National Theater or the Royal Shakespeare Company or Broadway, where the acting is aimed for the second balcony and the audience is laughing at jokes you don’t understand, and you have the feeling you are watching a kind of pre-formative, homunculus theater that could spring into full-bodied life if only it could escape the oocyte of the screen. A play is a three-dimensional event. A play-script is a twodimension indication of what that event might be (or might have been). The streamed, video version, much more often than not, is also only a twodimensional indication of that three-dimensional event. It is the difference between going out to dinner (remember that?) and enjoying a meal, and eating the menu of that dinner. In both cases, you’ve consumed the meal, but only one of them has given you any sustenance.
Not sure what to watch when safer at home? Here are some favorites At the Movies with
Tony Medley Chicago (2003) 113 minutes. PG-13: Even though director Rob Marshall dumped Bob Fosse’s wonderful Broadway choreography and cast non-singers as stars, this is a funny, entertaining, scintillating 113 minutes. Showtime. Freaky Friday (2003) 97 Minutes. PG: Unlike lots of comedic films, this farce where mother and daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, respectively, switch personas had me laughing out loud throughout. Amazon Prime. Luther (2003) 123 minutes. PG-13: The 1960s were a time that produced some of the best historical dramas. Becket (1964), A Man For All Seasons (1966), Lion in Winter (1968) all came within four
years of each other. Luther fits comfortably with these. This is a movie that is as educational as it is entertaining. Amazon Prime. Out of Time (2003) 105 minutes. PG-13: An atmospheric, neo-noir Denzel Washington thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. Amazon Prime. Till Human Voices Wake Us (2003) 101 minutes. R: An emotional, evocative romantic tragedy. There aren’t any laughs in it, but the story is unique, and the acting, the writing, and the directing are so good it kept me enthralled. Amazon Prime. Shattered Glass (2003) 94 minutes. PG-13: Biographical story of Stephen Glass who wrote 27 fabricated articles for The New Republic from 199598, highlighted by a superb performance by Peter Sarsgaard as Glass’s editor. Amazon Prime. Swimming Pool (2003) 102 minutes. R: This is an exceptional script by Emmanuèle Bernheim and François Ozon,
Sun’s Out.... Now’s the Time to Repair Your Gutters and Downspouts!
since 1978.
Residential • CommeRCial
• Upgrades • Landscape • Pool Lights • Phone & Computer Lines • Security & Emergency Lighting © LC 0717
Brian Brady (213) 910-0980
minutes. PG-13: As good as a movie gets, but bring a box of tissues because this is a major tearjerker. It still evokes emotion almost two decades later. Amazon Prime. Miracle (2004) 135 minutes. PG: The best sports film ever. Amazon Prime. Chasing Liberty (2004) 101 minutes. PG-13: Reminiscent of It Happened One Night (1934), this is a happy, feel good romantic comedy. Complementing the Capraesque script is stunning cinematography, which shows scenery of Prague, Berlin, and Venice, Italy that would be good enough for a travelogue. Even the modern music was good. Amazon Prime. The Inheritance (2004) 115 minutes. NR: This is an intense Ibsenesque drama of a family involved in major business decisions. It’s heavy, starkly realistic, and engaging. I was exhausted when it was over. In Danish. Fandor with Amazon Prime. Ray (2004) 152 minutes. PG-13: One of the best musical biopics extant, and Jamie Foxx wins the Oscar, lip-syncing to Ray Charles’s iconic voice. Amazon Prime. (Please turn to page 13)
B Gaddy ElEctric
Local Hancock Park resident for over 35 years, specializes in gutter cleaning and repair. an Handymes, Servic too!
who also directed. The story is enthralling and involving up to the ending, as you try to figure out what’s going on. Amazon Prime. The Hunted (2003) 94 minutes. R: One thing director William Friedkin (The French Connection, The Exorcist) knows is action. And this is a lot of well-paced action. Amazon Prime. Bon Voyage (2004) 114 minutes. PG-13: A non-stop, peripatetic, neo-Hitchcockian farce immeasurably aided by wonderful music by Gabriel Yared that continues to remind you that this is a lighthearted thriller, a rewarding romp. In French. Amazon Prime. The Bourne Supremacy (2004) 108 minutes. PG-13: When Paul Greengrass took over directing this then-fledgling Matt Damon franchise, he produced a thriller at its best. Amazon Prime. Hotel Rwanda (2004) 121 minutes. PG-13: This story of Rwanda’s Hutus slaughtering more than one million Tutsis is many times more exciting than any James Bond film, with the advantage that it’s mostly true. STARZ. The Notebook (2004) 123
Service & Repairs
Call Bill 323-462-1023 Licensed & Insured
Local References
LIC #700914
©LC1010
With no theaters open and people stranded at home, these movies, listed chronologically, are some suggestions for old films from the dawn of the 21st century that you might want to see if you missed them, or might want to see again, including several of which you may have never heard of, along with where you may access them. The Man from Elysian Fields (2002) 106 minutes. R: Not as dark and gothic as Sunset Boulevard (1950), and despite an ending that needed the touch of a Julius Epstein (Casablanca), this is an enjoyable, stimulating movie by any measure with a fine supporting performance by Mick Jagger. Amazon Prime. The Pianist (2002) 150 minutes. R: An intense 148-minute movie, this story of the Warsaw Ghetto has no objectionably graphic scenes of violence. Even so, you feel the danger throughout. In the end, The Pianist is an uplifting film, showing how one person can survive in a world gone mad. Amazon Prime.
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
SECTION TWO
13
These essential home services have stayed open for business closing at 6 p.m. weekdays, 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and all day on Sunday — but otherwise the store is open for business. For a period, Koontz even owned Larchmont Hardware, which opened a few years before Koontz opened in West Hollywood in 1938. Rising rents forced the beloved Larchmont Hardware to close at the end of 2007. “We loved it. I reDR. DOOR AND WINDOW (Steve Byroads) removes a dysfunctional double- ally hated to lose that hung window pulley and will replace it one,” said the owner. with a new rope so the window can glide He owns the Santa up and down with ease. Monica Blvd. property, so that store will ufacturers and is proud of its never close, he promises. product and cabinet design. Koontz Hardware, 8914 Grittel, 323-350-0680, gritSanta Monica Blvd., 310-652tel.com. Heating and air condition- 0123, parking is underground. “We are here for our valing installation and repair are ued clients’ construction Tim Stivers’ specialty. He and needs, and, most importanthis eight technicians fan out from his Miracle Mile-based ly, any emergency repairs / troubleshooting required company, Tim Stivers Inc. Homeowners, property man- during this time,” said Neil agers and commercial build- Donnelly, principal of Pobal Construction. ings are among his clients. As an asthmatic husband “We’re up and running. We’re considered essential, so and father, he does not take we’ve been working through the COVID-19 virus precauthis whole thing,” said Stivers. tions lightly. “It is an impor His 20-year-old firm also tant time to reflect and stand specializes in air purification by our company values when systems for asthma and allergy we are needed most.” Among his projects is “consufferers, which also provide a struction on a beautiful Spancleaner indoor environment ish Colonial Revival renovafor everyone. tion on Genesee Ave. in the Tim Stivers at 323-6501616, timstivers.la Area residents are frequent shoppers at Koontz Hardware, where they are on a first-name basis with many of the 50 employees on staff, who help with challenges from finding an License #768437 exact paint match to locating items in housewares, lighting and electrical. The vast inventory also includes masks and hand sanitizers, kiddie wading pools and gardening soil. Since the pandemic hit, store hours have been trimmed —
Since 1959
CONTEMPORARY-STYLE kitchens are in vogue. Above is an example designed and built by Grittel.
Miracle Mile Historic Preservation Overlay Zone. “In between these projects, we are working through some smaller outdoor project lists for past clients, as now is a great time for those works to be undertaken as we enter the summertime period.” Pobal Construction, 310975-3141, pobalconstruction. com. Steve Byroads has been repairing and restoring vintage doors and windows since 1988. “Hancock Park is the jewel of my crown as to where I like to work,” says Byroads of Dr. Door and Window. Windsor Square as well as other historic neighborhoods in our vicinity are also among his “jewels… These homes are so well built,” he explains. He’s found that the homeowners equally appreciate his attention to detail and Old
World techniques. “They really want somebody who knows what they are doing.” His expertise includes reconditioning ropes on doublehung windows and door frame repairs on century-old doors and older. “Instead of replacing the entire frame, costing big bucks and weeks in time if it has to be ordered, I simply remove the rotted part and craft a piece on the job site.” He also rebuilds antique locks, and he has developed weather stripping ideal for older homes. Call Steve at 323-664-6248. Doctordoorandwindow.com Bill Gaddy of B. Gaddy Electric is based in Larchmont Village. Besides all your electrical needs indoors and out, he can add phone and computer lines to your home or office. Call Bill at 323-462-1023.
PLOTKE
Plumbing
Inc.
At the Movies
(Continued from page 12) Mean Girls (2004) 97 minutes. PG-13: I’m supposed to be interested in a story about high school girls? Against all odds, this delightful comedy superbly directed by Mark Waters enchanted me. Showtime. Riding Giants (2004) 105 minutes. PG-13: The best surfing movie ever. Amazon Prime. The Big Bounce (2004) 88 minutes. PG-13: An Elmore Leonard-inspired caper film set in Hawaii with a charming Owen Wilson; I liked it even though it went almost straight to oblivion. Amazon Prime.
Mario & Lynn (323) 463-9201 FAX (323) 463-1259
• COMMERCIAL • RESIDENTIAL
SERVING THE LARCHMONT AREA FOR 60 YEARS!
3121 W. Temple St., LA 90026
©0618
By Suzan Filipek Designers, contractors and electricians have been working throughout the pandemic, albeit with masks and gloves, and they plan to continue doing so to help keep us safe at home. Among our local essential services is Bernie Zavala’s fullservice electric company, Zavala Electric. “We’ve been in business for 36 years. We’re always rolling,” said Zavala. He and his staff of seven cover homes and businesses in the Larchmont, Hancock Park and Wilshire areas, plus much of Southern California, adds Zavala. Large and small jobs are on the schedule. Some customers have cancelled jobs because of pandemic fears, he notes, but, by and large, it’s business as usual. Zavala Electric, 818-5007778. Rosie Fortunat of Alakazam Upholstery and Drapery brings books of fabrics and her ideas to clients’ homes, and, well, alakazam! As a small business with seven employees, she’s able to keep her costs down and pass the savings on to her clients, she says. She started the business after the 2008 recession when she was laid off from her job of 30 years as a bookkeeper at an entertainment firm — something she thought would never happen. Luck was on her side, though, for as it turns out, she has an eye for color and style, judging by her repeat customers. “They value my opinion and I appreciate that. … People call me over and over. I have a lot of referrals. It’s very rewarding and very satisfying.” Alakazam Upholstery & Drapery, 310-491-8409. Design and remodeling company Grittel does the entire job, from cabinets and floors to appliances, plumbing and light fixtures. “We recommend customers choose a kitchen style to follow their house style. Do not follow the fashion,” said designer Steve Gurfinkel. Today’s trend is a contemporary style, which features flat-door cabinets that meet in horizontal and vertical lines, built-in sleek appliances, recessed lighting, flat walls and big tiles. Often a more classic design with a modern look and allnew materials works best with Colonial, Tudor, Craftsman, Spanish and other traditional homes. Grittel Kitchen Design and Remodeling also does bathrooms and walk-in closets. In business two decades, the company works with Italian, Canadian and American man-
14
JUNE 2020
SECTION TWO
Larchmont Chronicle
Challenge of game is not in the hand but in who is defending
Here’s your hand sitting South, North dealer, nobody vulnerable:
♠ KQ6432 ♥ ♦6 ♣ KQ9732
Your partner, North, opens 1C. Here’s the bidding to you: West North East South 1C P 1S 2H Dbl* P ? * Support Double You’ve got a huge hand now that you know you have a double fit (you know that North has at least three clubs). You know that you and partner have two
Family-Run
suits in which you have at least nine cards. You have to make a forcing bid, but what? Any bid of one of your two suits would be non-forcing. If you jump to game, the bidding will probably be over if partner has a simple 12-14 HCP opener. You want to look for slam. If she’s got both black aces, six spades should be cold. Lacking one of them, though, it would be down unless she’s got the diamond Ace or the heart Ace and gets a heart lead. Your best bid here could be 3H, but that could be ambiguous because partner could interpret it as Western Cue, asking for a heart stopper to play in no trump instead of showing
Bridge Matters by
Grand Slam first round control and telling partner you are interested in slam. If it were Western Cue, North would bid 3N showing a heart stopper. So this depends on partnership understanding. If it’s Western Cue, North’s response of 3S would simply deny a heart stopper. Because most pairs play Western Cue, 3H is not a good bid. Here are the four hands:
North ♠ A85 ♥ KT32 ♦ J95 ♣ AJ4 West East ♠ 97 ♠ JT ♥ AQJ854 ♥ 976 ♦ A873 ♦ KQT42 ♣ 5 ♣ T86 South ♠ KQ6432 ♥ Void ♦6 ♣ KQ9732
Over 50 years
A Family Flooring Business Built on 3 Generations of Experience
Your Neighborhood Choice Custom Area Rugs to Custom Installations Carpet • Linoleum • Hardwood • Vinyl
Here’s how the bidding could go with an advanced pair:
West North East 1C P 2H Dbl* P P 4S† P P 6C††† P All Pass
South 1S 4H** 5C†† 6S
*Support Double showing three spades ** Big hand implying but not promising first round control of hearts, confirming spades as trump, looking for slam † Cue bid showing the spade Ace but this could be an ambiguous bid and partner could just be signing off in spades. †† Regardless of North’s ambiguous bid, I’ve got a great club suit and fit for you and worst case it’s a three loser hand! Even if you were signing off in 4S I still think we might have slam because you opened and you should have at least two tricks for me. If not, bid 5S and I’ll pass. ††† I’ve got the club Ace but you pick the slam, clubs or spades This bidding shows how an experienced pair can reach
a difficult-to-find slam with cooperative bidding. This hand was played 12 times. One pair got to 6C, two pairs got to 6S. Confirming the difficulty in bidding this hand, 4S making seven was an average board. Two pairs were in 6N, a ridiculous contract, but one made it, and it was played by south! West, on lead, has two Aces. How could this possibly have made 6N when West can take the first two tricks? Even if north plays 6N, the standard lead would be the diamond Queen or partner’s suit. If the diamond, West would overtake with his Ace, take the heart Ace, and return a diamond so EW should take the first six tricks for down five. But even if East leads his partner’s bid suit, hearts, west should take his two Aces for down at least one. That’s what makes bridge such a challenging game. It’s not so much who is playing the hand as who is defending! Grand Slam is the nom de plume for an author of a bestselling book on bridge, an ACBL accredited director and a Silver Life Master.
Mother’s Day By Jon Sklaroff
©LC0319
Staff Experts Provide Personal Service to Select the Ideal Flooring for Your Home
With respect to My Mother who many a time has spoke from her heart disguised as rhyme, I will pay homage to her and cite that as my memory — short, concise. In case you find the following does not suffice. And do forgive my meter and scheme a bit too green and a tad too loose, but my reading of late has been mostly Seuss.
Call: 323•934•7282 7815 Beverly Blvd. • Lestercarpet.com
With regard to My Mother, not Goose nor Hubbard, but my mother who lives not in a cupboard, but with another doctor: To ask for a single memory, or to recall a lone image, just one … From the eldest of children — a now half-century old Son. Is neither possible, nor just nor even fair. For even I am too old to remember all that my mother was or did, as my mother: suckling her baby, or comforting her child, or reassuring her teen running rampant and wild, as I would soon try for Man, armed only with more hair and a stronger voice, certain to fail or make the odd choice. My mother would become a voice in my head — a compass and gauge, so when I took my steps I might fail less, hurt less, and fearless, as I raged and raged and fled from the cage.
We Now Offer Solar!
Your local roofer at the same location for 95 years.
Perhaps that’s the fate of us Fathers and Mothers, not abandoned like most think by Sons and Daughters. But rather becoming voices and spirits. We are our children’s conscience, their fairies and guides, always with them. Inside. A part of their heart, a part of their soul, for without us neither would be entirely whole. They need us to love and need us to blame, and we are good for both, equal in measure. The same. We will always need our children to be who we are, and they will always need us to point out what they are not.
“Experience does make a difference. Customer satisfaction will bring you back to our
323-469-2981 • supremeroofing.net 1015 N. Gower St., 90038
Until they become us and have their own, who will then repeat what you did, and I did, chastising theirs for taking that tone. We continue to go and go, and spin on this planet, repeating ourselves over and over, so that none of us is special or different from before. Just Mothers and Sons and Daughters and Dads forgetting most and more of what each of us has: an introduction to a kind of love and trust felt only between a parent and child whose bond is unseen. No contract or ring or attachment or lien. There is a promise we take, from the beginning or birth, a pledge we swear worth more than we’re worth; lifelong and everlasting, and no matter the clash and all its hash, one we will not forsake, we will not rehash. But rather remember that creating another, a girl or a boy, that bundle of joy, is a lifelong gift whose only return is love, unconditional love. Through Life and through Death and long after that. So that every memory and thought is love, deep love.
Z
ZAVALA ELECTRIC Call 818.500.7778 For immediate installation
• Complete Electrical • Service and Repair • Residential • Commercial • Bonded Insured
Guaranteed Excellence
And that is that.
State Lic. #C-10 556059
Serving All Larchmont Hancock Park & Wilshire Communities
LC0509
© LC 0120
Residential & Commercial
Lic.#386172
FULL SERVICE COMPANY.
Jon Sklaroff is an actor and writer. He lives in the Larchmont neighborhood with his wife and daughter and shared his Mother’s Day poem with us last month.
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
SECTION TWO
15
Soldiers abroad left to consider chances of being replaced My late father was in the Vietnam War and whenever he talked about his girlfriend back then (who sent him a Dear John letter) he also mentioned somebody named “Jody” that apparently every soldier had to contend with. What did he mean? ponders Celia Hobart. “Jody” is the universal, generic name used originally by African American U.S. Army soldiers in WWII to identify the omnipresent shirker who stayed home and took advantage of a soldier being overseas to move in on the soldier’s girl. If it was a
The Grove
ProfessorKnowIt-All Bill Bentley
soldier’s wife and kid, he was called “Uncle Jody.” Well, it wasn’t long before Jody was adopted by all the armed services and incorporated into the cadences used by drill sergeants when marching their troops. An example: “You ain’t got nothin’ to worry about, Jody will be there till you
get out. But that won’t be till the end of the war... in nineteen hundred and eighty-four. Ain’t it great to have a pal, who works so hard to keep up morale.” • • • “Why is a woman with a bad reputation, a “Scarlet Woman”? wonders Edie Mannon. This colorful appellation actually refers to the Roman Empire and its ruthless and bloody persecution of early Christians. The metaphor originates with the woman seen by St. John in his vision: “arrayed in purple and scarlet, sitting upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blas-
phemy, having seven heads and seven horns, drunken with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs.” Whew, I’m glad I never met her. • • • Where do the “Amish” get their name, asks Tanya Logan? In the late 17th century, a strictly conservative sect who followed the teachings of one Jacob Ammann separated from the Mennonite religion. They first settled in Pennsylvania, and communities eventually
sprang up in Ohio, Illinois, and Iowa. They are conspicuous by their colorful customs, industry, and frugality and still use the German language, wear old-fashioned dress and employ horse-drawn vehicles. The colony members in Iowa are the original makers of the Amana brand of washers, dryers, ranges, refrigerators, etc. Professor Know-It-All is the nom de plume of Bill Bentley, who invites readers to try and stump him. Send your questions to willbent@ prodigy.net
(Continued from page 5) wiches, everything being sold was “food to go.” Main Street at The Grove became a “drivethru” for that Saturday afternoon. Caruso’s Rosewood Miramar Beach Hotel in Montecito brought some of Chef Massimo Falsini’s favorite foods to be enjoyed here in Los Angeles. The chef prepared them in a fancy food truck. Patrons, upon entering Main Street in their cars, were greeted by the modern equivalent of a carhop, who took orders and accepted payment. The cars then moved on to the Miramar food truck, where drivers were handed bags with their purchases and were wished goodbye. They also were, in essence, thanked for a good buy. The event was a charity fundraiser. Caruso donated 100 percent of sales proceeds to beneficiary Para los Niños, based on Skid Row. The money provided by sales and more from Rick and Tina Caruso provided 21,000 meals to help feed 85,000 individuals in need during this time of shutdown and unemployment. The president and CEO of Para Los Niños, Drew Furedi, said his organization is “enormously grateful to be a part of the first-ever drive-thru at The Grove — as our children, families, and youth are some of the hardest hit by the disruptions caused by COVID-19.” * Sadly, looters broke into several Grove stores on May 30.
ON TARGET. This store under construction is at a former OSH (Orchard Supply Hardware) site at 415 S. La Brea Avenue. The new Target is scheduled to open this year and will be approximaetly 59,000 square feet, according to corporate.target.com.
DeaDline For the July 2020 iSSue iS fri., June 19, 2020.
this spaCe for rent This space For renT!
Four easy steps: 1)Email circulation@ larchmontchronicle.com. 2) Include gist of the ad. 3) I send you a proof. 4) You send in a check! Pay $35/inch or $52.50/1.5 inches to reach approx. 20,000 homes in our delivery neighborhood.
Larchmont Chronicle's
Classified ads
tell our aDvertiSerS you "saw it in the larChmont ChroniCle!"
Place a classified ad at circulation@larchmontchronicle.com.
For rent
Wilshire Vista Apt.
2 Blks. NE of Pico & Fairfax 1300 Block of S. Odgen Dr. LA, CA 90019 1 Bdrm., 1 Bath., $1,500 Moly. 1 Bdrms., 1 Baths, $2,000 Moly. newly deco., part city/mntn. vw., carpet & lino. flrs., carport/off street pkg. Application Needed Phone Intvw. & Sec. Dep. Req. Contact (323) 394-0606 Ask for Carolyn
For Sale
Almost BrAnd new! Buzzaround Golden Tech 3-Wheel Scooter & lt wt titanium collapsible wheel chair $1,000 for both For info, call Ann at 323-793-8500
ServiCeS Proofreader CoPy editor
Community Get Tested!
Community PubliC ServiCe announCement
Communiyy Congratulations, Grads!
Books, Scripts, Theses, Dissertations, Newsletters, Magazines & More. aP, aPa, mla, ChiCago StyleS + 20 years experience
Free COVID-19 testing Looking for things to • Wash hands often to all L.A. County residents, whether or not • Cover mouth/nose w/ tissue do until college starts? Check out when coughing / sneezing you are experiencing VolunteerLA for coronavirus symptoms • Clean frequently touched surfaces daily. service opportunities. of the virus. • Stay six feet away from
puttputtproductions.com
Visit corona-virus.la
develoPmental editing
323-856-9501
Visit: coronavirus. lacity.org/testing.
people while out in public.
Visit: volunteer. lamayor.org
16
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
SECTION TWO
Realtor® Founder & Executive Director, Architectural Division
“We had absolutely THE best experience selling our home with Hancock Park realtor Bret Parsons. We could not possibly sing his praises enough. Flawless! I don’t think we can truly appreciate how easy the process was except to say we heard all the realtor horror stories and not one came true. We felt protected and taken care of by Bret and his colleagues Diane Manns and Aaron Montelongo from start to finish. Thank you!”
310.497.5832 bretparsons.com DRE 01418010
Jeff Olde & Alan Uphold 110 So. Martel Avenue 90036
Bret Parsons
Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. DRE 01866771. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate.
Larchmont Chronicle JUNE 2020
Congratulations,
Class of 2020! WILLOW
S
CAT
HED
CHR
IST
THE
JOHN
KING
RAL
CHA
PEL
GHS
B
OU URR
S
ME
JA ST.
ST. B
REND
AN MARLBOROUGH
E HEART
IMMACULAT
HOLLYWOOD SCHOOLHOUSE
PILGR
IM
MAN
LOYOLA
IN
RID
ST
WE
BRAWER
BRISK
GE
NEW
COVE
NANT
2
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
GRADUATE EDITION
W E
S A L U T E
T H E
GRADUATES OF 2020
Local graduates reveal their choices for college By Billy Taylor
Looking for ways to give back to the community Hancock Park senior Chris Tanquary has deep family roots in the neighborhood. His grandfather, Grafton P. Tanquary, was raised on Dunsmuir and attended Third Street School and Los Angeles High School. But for Chris, he has matriculated at Larchmont Charter School (LCS) from first grade. When asked about his time at Larchmont Charter, Tanquary says that he will best remember his time on the court: “Quite frankly I am a sports kid. My passion is basketball.” Tanquary explains that he grew up playing on the LCS basketball program, which has been “built from the ground up” over the past six years: “I will miss it very much. Playing on the team taught me many lessons, including sportsmanship, loyalty, brotherhood and humility.” In fact, Tanquary says that his experience with LCS basketball is the reason he now wants to pursue a career in
says that he is planning to study this fall at Santa Monica College, where he will begin his kinesiology courses. From there, Tanquary says that he wants to transfer to UCLA to obtain his teacher’s credentials. “My intention is to return to my LCS family and teach physical education and coach basketball,” says Tanquary, who notes that he’d ultimately like to specialize in working with kids that are physically challenged. “Quite frankly, I want to give back to a community that has given so much to me.” In the meantime, Tanquary admits he’s looking forward to some free time: “It’s been a long, very busy 12 years.”
Chris Tanquary
physical education, as a teacher and coach. Senior year activities were cut short this year, including tennis season, another sport that Tanquary plays. “It’s been sad and difficult to process,” admits the graduating senior. “It has certainly given me a
different view of life, and it has exposed inequalities in society. I think it’s up to my generation to change that now. However, I don’t really want it to go back to normal; I want it to go back to better,” says Tanquary. With that in mind, Tanquary
To study mathematics, medicine on campus Immaculate Heart senior Samantha Hutchinson also is a longtime Larchmont resident, and, for the past year, she has served as a school reporter for this paper. “I have lived in the Larchmont community since I was born. This community means everything to me, and the people here are like family,” says
Hutchinson, who attended Larchmont Charter for elementary before transferring to Immaculate Heart (IH). While at IH, Hutchinson worked as a member of the student council and she helped to plan two dances. Both are experiences that she says taught her “about the responsibilities it takes to be a leader.” Outside of school, Hutchinson volunteered at Cedars-Sinai on the weekends. “Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic, my track season was cancelled and so was our school’s tradition of having graduation at the Hollywood Bowl,” said Hutchinson of her biggest senior year disappointment. When it came time to consider college, Hutchinson says she first narrowed her list to her top 10 schools. But because of the pandemic, she didn’t get to visit any of the campuses. “My top three picks were Cornell, UC Berkeley and Boston College,” said Hutchinson. In the end, she has decided to attend UC Berkeley because (Please turn to page 4)
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
GRADUATE EDITION
3
4
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
GRADUATE EDITION
W E
S A L U T E
T H E
GRADUATES OF 2020 says that “everything for the fall is really up in the air,” but she says that there is a real possibility that classes will begin online for the first semester.
Samantha Hutchinson
College choices (Continued from page 2)
of the school’s “amazing mathematics program as well as the tremendous amount of school spirit and traditions that they have on campus,” said Hutchinson. She plans to study applied mathematics and pursue a career in the medical field. “Hopefully this blend of science and math can help me launch a successful career.” Currently, Hutchinson
Moving east for a little academic exploration Fremont Place resident Bryce McMullin told us that his main activity during his senior year at Loyola High School was the theater program. “I acted in two productions, one of which got cut short,” said McMullin. In addition to acting, he served as the program’s spirtual coordinator, which means he organized small pre-show moments for the cast and crew to pray and reflect. In 2018, McMullin played the lead role of King Richard in “Richard III” at Loyola’s Hannon Theatre (while maintaining a weighted cumulative GPA above 4.0). McMullin’s senior activities didn’t end with the theater program; he also served as a member of his school’s Big Brother program, which helps incoming students adjust to life at Loyola. “So much about my senior year was changed by the coronavirus,” McMullin told us last month. “The obvious one
being the sudden transition to an online schedule. “The change to an online schedule meant the sudden cancellation of our spring musical, ‘Pippin,’ which ended after nearly two months of daily rehearsals.” McMullin says that the school allowed the cast to invite parents to attend the last rehearsal: “But it definitely wasn’t the same,” he says. Other changes to the Loyola schedule meant that graduation was moved to online, and senior prom was cancelled. While considering colleges, McMullin says he spent a lot of time visiting campuses for both official tours and personal trips: “I probably visited around 30 in person,” he says. Soon, he realized he had a problem because he “liked most of them,” so he spent some time and narrowed his list to 12 schools. When asked, McMullin says that his top four choices were Yale, UPenn, Vanderbilt and Duke. Which did he pick? “My final decision was Duke,” says McMullin. “I applied for early decision and got in, which meant that I didn’t have to complete the application essays for many of the shools on my list, as early decision is a binding agreement.”
the extent of freedom I have in choosing my classes, and that I don’t have to declare a major until the end of sophomore year.” That extra time might come in handy because McMullin says that he is “terribly unsure” about his focus in college and beyond: “I enjoyed my senior psychology class, so I may choose to pursue that, and maybe a theater studies minor. But as of right now, I am just going to take the classes that seem of interest and hope to figure it out from there.”
Bryce McMullin
Coincidentally, McMullin says that Duke was the first campus that he visited. “Something about the look and the atmosphere there just felt right,” he admits. An impressive theater program, smaller class sizes and specific opportunities in Duke’s curriculum are reasons McMullin lists: “I like
To study film production at a California university
For Larchmont Charter senior Amaya Lawton, senior year was her favorite year in high school, until it ended. “Senior year meant I had a lot more freedom and was able to focus a lot more on my art and personal projects without being stressed out like in previous years,” says Lawton, who is a Larchmont Charter lifer. For the past couple of years, Lawton says that she’s had the opportunity to express her creativity in her school’s visual and performing arts pro(Please turn to page 5)
Immaculate Heart Congratulates the Class of 2020! A Catholic, Independent, College Preparatory School for Girls Grades 6 – 12
Our graduates have been accepted at universities and colleges across the country, including: American University Amherst College Bard College Bishop’s University Boston College Boston University California State University, All Campuses Cal Poly Pomona Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Chapman University Colgate University Connecticut College Cornell University DePaul University Emerson University Fordham University Gonzaga University Goucher College Grinnel College Howard University Loyola Marymount University Loyola University Chicago Macalester College Mount St. Mary’s University New York University Oberlin College Otis College of Art & Design Pepperdine University Pomona College Purdue University
Rhode Island School of Design Reed College Rollins College Saint Mary’s College of California Santa Clara University Sarah Lawrence College School of the Art Institute of Chicago Seattle University Smith College Spelman College Syracuse University The Catholic University of America The George Washington University Tufts University University of California, All Campuses University of Chicago University of Michigan University of Oregon University of Portland University of Puget Sound University of San Diego University of San Francisco University of Southern California University of St. Andrews University of Washington University of Wisconsin Madison Vassar College Virginia Tech Wellesley College Whitman College
5515 Franklin Avenue ♥ Los Angeles, CA 90028 ♥ (323) 461-3651 ♥ www.immaculateheart.org
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
W E
GRADUATE EDITION
S A L U T E
T H E
GRADUATES OF 2020
College choices (Continued from page 4)
gram: “I’ve been acting in the school’s plays and musicals since my sophomore year, directing and designing costumes for these shows since my junior year, and that’s in addition to art, yearbook, choir and film classes.” It was going to be an amazing senior year, she thought. Then coronavirus hit: “I was working on our spring musical, where I was planning to do both acting and costumes, when it got cancelled a week before we were set to open.” Since then, Lawton says that she has been helping to create artistic illustrations to fill empty pages of the yearbook. “It’s really sad for a lot of my peers that all of the things we’ve been working towards all year, like in visual art, performing art, and sports, have been cancelled, and we’ll never get to celebrate all the hard work we put towards them.” When looking at colleges, Lawton started with a list of five schools: “I had a very precise focus on where I wanted to go, and I wanted to spend more time perfecting those applications instead of doing tons of applications personalized to colleges that I wasn’t enthusiastic about.” Lawton intends to study film production, and although she felt like there were “a fair amount” of great programs in California, she quickly narrowed her top picks to Chapman University, UCLA and Cal State Northridge.
WESTRIDGE SCHOOL
Congratulations Class of 2020
Amaya Lawton
“A few weeks ago, I committed to Cal State Northridge for a degree in cinema and televison arts, which I’m really excited about!” said Lawton. The Cal State campuses will probably be closed this fall, Lawton’s been told, so she is planning to start college online: “Thankfully, my program for the first year is all general education units, so I’ll be able to knock them out at home.” Even with the inconveniences, Lawton is optimistic: “The good thing from this situation is that we’ve been encouraged to make friends early, by getting involved in your future college’s online communities. I’ve already made a few friends, which I may never have done.”
Members of the Westridge Class of 2020 will continue their educational pursuits at the following institutions: Barnard College Boston University (2) Brandeis University Brown University California Institute of Technology University of California: Berkeley Santa Cruz (2) University of Chicago (3) Claremont McKenna College (2) Columbia University & Trinity College Dublin Cornell University George Washington University (2) Hamilton College Haverford College High Point University Indiana University Johns Hopkins University
CLASS OF
Lehigh University Loyola Marymount University (2) University of Michigan University of MinnesotaTwin Cities New York University (3) Northeastern University (3) Oberlin College Pasadena City College University of Pennsylvania (2) Princeton University (3) Scripps College University of Southern California (7) St. Olaf College The New School Tufts University (3) Tulane University (2) Vassar College (2)
Washington State University University of Washington Wellesley College Wesleyan University
An independent, forwardthinking girls’ school committed to educating intellectually adventurous thinkers, and courageous, compassionate leaders.
324 MADELINE DRIVE, PASADNA, CA 91105 626.799.1053 EXT. 256 WESTRIDGE.ORG
5
6
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
GRADUATE EDITION
W E
S A L U T E
T H E
GRADUATES OF 2020
Commencement looks different this year; first graduating class for GALA By Rachel Olivier Graduation is looking a little different for high school seniors this year. Many schools are hosting online events with an eye to having in-person celebrations or commencement ceremonies later on in the year. Some schools are trying different ways to make it special, such as yard signs announcing graduates, keepsake boxes, films celebrating the graduates and car parades. GALA’s first graduating class This year will be the inaugural graduating class for Girls Academic Leadership Academy (GALA). “We are so proud that all of our girls are graduating, and 80 percent are going on to a
four-year university — many with full scholarships,” said GALA’s principal Elizabeth Hicks. The school will have a virtual pre-recorded ceremony for its 43 seniors, which will be shown June 11. An online baccalaureate service to recognize 16 graduating seniors at Episcopal School of Los Angeles will be held Thurs., June 4. “We will hold our full-blown celebrations as soon as it is safe to do so and when we can get all of our graduates together,” noted Megan Holloway, chaplain at the school. This will include a commencement ceremony and dinner for the seniors and their families later in the year. Almost 300 Harvard-Westlake graduates will accept diplomas in a drive-through ceremony Fri., June 5, according to Ari Engelberg, head of communications at Harvard-WestCOLLAGE showcases some of the many lake. signs posted on neighborhood lawns con- W e s t r i d g e gratulating our 2020 graduates. School honored
MARLBOROUGH SCHOOL DRIVE-THROUGH COMMENCEMENT takes place on May 28, in the parking lot and driveways of the school, and features teachers cheering on their graduating students. Photo by Bill Devlin
63 graduating seniors with a car parade after the online commencement Fri., June 5. Board chair Rick Caruso will address 303 Loyola High School seniors at a virtual graduation ceremony Sat., June 6. An online ceremony was held for the 73 seniors graduating at Shalhevet Sun., June 7. There will be 350 Fairfax High students graduating in an online ceremony Thurs., June 11. Larchmont Charter High
School will hold a virtual ceremony for 103 graduating seniors Fri., June 12. Ceremonies later in the year The 19 high school graduates at Pilgrim School were given yard signs and keepsake boxes to help celebrate their graduation. In addition, the school is making a film about the students and their families that will be shown at a drive-in event sometime in July. Kris Williams, librarian at Pilgrim School, said the film would in-
corporate many of the elements of their traditional baccalaureate service. They hope to have an in-person ceremony later in the year, perhaps in December. Earlier ceremonies There were 20 seniors who accepted diplomas at New Covenant Academy May 14 via a ceremony held over YouTube. A Zoom reception followed. Marlborough School hosted a drive-through celebration for 88 graduating seniors May (Please turn to page 13)
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
GRADUATE EDITION
7
8
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
GRADUATE EDITION
W E
S A L U T E
T H E
GRADUATES OF 2020
‘Signs of affection’ posted on lawns of graduating seniors By Talia Abrahamson High school seniors across Los Angeles and the nation received large gift boxes with custom signs and wire stakes this spring. Schools including Campbell Hall, Harvard-Westlake, Shalhevet and Marlborough delivered lawn posters to all their graduating seniors and encouraged them to post the signs on their front lawns. What Campbell Hall calls “signs of affection” are small tokens to celebrate high school graduation while everyone remains socially distanced. With “Class of 2020” embossed on the front, the signs are meant to distinguish homes with graduating seniors so that passersby can recognize their accomplishments from afar. The lawn signs are customized with school colors and mascots so that students can also represent their schools when at home. Students have been sending in photos with their lawn signs to school social media accounts for virtual celebrations. These photos serve a second function: to document for the school archives how students and administrators are finding ways to celebrate seniors while traditional in-person ceremonies have been suspended. Talia Abrahamson is a 2020 graduate of Marlborough School.
LAWN SIGNS throughout the community salute graduating seniors. This is just a sample.
Congratulations to the Class of 2020
2020 High School Acceptances: Academy of Music and Performing Arts at Hamilton High School | American International School Chennai* Bishop Montgomery High School | Brentwood School* | Buckley School | Campbell Hall | Chadwick School Crossroads School | Episcopal School Los Angeles* | Geffen Academy | Immaculate Heart High School Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles High School | Loyola High School* | Marlborough School* | Marymount High School* New Roads School | Notre Dame Academy | Notre Dame High School | Oakwood School* | Pacifica Christian High School* St. Bernard High School | Wildwood School | Windward School* | Vistamar School* *Denotes Turning Point graduate(s) enrolling next fall.
8780 National Boulevard | Culver City, California 90232 | www.turningpointschool.org
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
GRADUATE EDITION
9
10
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
GRADUATE EDITION
W E
S A L U T E
T H E
GRADUATES OF 2020
History of past college pandemic responses as a guide for this fall By Talia Abrahamson Most universities have suspended in-person classes and sent students home to minimize potential spread of COVID-19, as the country mobilizes resources to care for growing numbers of infected patients. Officials have branded these efforts as part of their “war” against the virus, with President Donald Trump even calling himself a “war-time president.” The present circumstances are shaping up to be comparable to 1918, when the world faced a pandemic and a world war concurrently, and among others, universities have been looking to history to guide current responses to COVID-19. 1918 responses The 1918 flu pandemic, known as the Spanish Flu, swept across the globe toward the end of World War 1. With at least 50 million deaths and 500 million infections, which at the time was a third of the world’s population, the pandemic claimed more lives than the war. Traditional university life was upended, especially with the institution of the Student Army Training Corps (SATC) in April 1918, which the US War Department cre-
ated to train young men for war while they were still taking college courses. 157 colleges established the SATC on campus just in time for the second wave of the virus to hit, in October. The SATC was demobilized in December following the armistice. Because SATC training was considered vital to the war effort, students stayed on campuses, and that compelled universities to find ways to minimize spread. Universities like Yale and Notre Dame prohibited students from leaving campus and entering the surrounding college town. No member of the Yale community could see an external contact unless the Yale Emergency Council granted a special pass. Ban on gatherings South Bend, Ind., where Notre Dame is located, instituted a ban on public gatherings. Notre Dame’s football team had to cancel three of its nine games, and classes were cancelled for a week. Similarly, a century later on March 19, 2020, South Bend banned all non-essential travel, and like other collegiate and professional sport seasons, the football season was ended.
Incoming freshman at Notre Dame Nell Hawley said that it is difficult to start the school year in the fall without the school’s customary traditions. Because freshmen have not experienced universities under normal circumstances, many are afraid or disappointed that they are not receiving the college experience that they signed up for. “Football at Notre Dame is a really big thing, and it’s the heart of the Notre Dame culture,” Hawley said. “Missing out on football, and just the traditions that go along with that, will be really sad, especially as a freshman.” During the Spanish Flu, the Army had special interest in ensuring that their recruits followed optimal hygienic and sanitation procedures. Before the SATC was demobilized at the University of Pennsylvania, the SATC took over in setting up emergency hospitals and a sanitation squad. The SATC at Columbia University in New York City had one of the best records for nationwide SATC camps, cleaning and ventilating the mess hall, taking temperatures, decreasing the number of students per living space and increas-
ing the number of bathrooms. Universities today will be looking into all of these measures, but circumstances are not entirely the same. For one, the Army is not present to aid with sanitation measures. By age, health risks to the student body are comparably lower than the Spanish Flu, whose victims were largely between the ages of 20 and 40 and were otherwise considered healthy, making college campuses hot spots for fatalities. Although research is ongoing, COVID-19 seems most serious for the elderly and people with underlying or pre-existing health conditions. Online alternatives Colleges now have the ability to look into online alternatives for classes. Most colleges are already instituting some variant of online classes for the rest of the 2019-2020 academic year and may continue those classes through the fall semester. However, online schooling is something else that disadvantages incoming freshmen, who have not had the chance to meet their peers, find friends and connect with clubs and extracurricular opportunities.
“In terms of virtual classes, I feel like that’s something I wouldn’t prefer, just because I want to meet new people,” Hawley said. “It will be hard to establish those friendships and connections early on, especially over Zoom.” Spanish Flu-era masks Stanford and Harvard kept their campuses open, back in 1918. Stanford required all community members to wear masks made of cheesecloth and mandated nightly temperature checks. Harvard quarantined any student who sneezed or coughed during class and cancelled large lectures. History has seen a variety of collegiate responses to pandemics, including when Cambridge sent home all students, including Isaac Newton, as a preventative measure during the Great Plague of London in 1665. While at home, Newton developed the foundations for his theories on calculus, optics and gravity. Universities have been examining a variety of pandemic-conscious measures, some in line with historical efforts and others completely new. Some plans include reducing (Please turn to page 15)
Congratulations to our Class of 2020 From Strength to Strength
Our graduates have been accepted into these outstanding schools:
Miles Gerber
Joey Little
Julia Vaughan
Josh Nasseri
Itai Pedowitz
Archer School for Girls • The Buckley School • Campbell Hall School • Chadwick School • Crossroads School • The Episcopal School of Los Angeles • Geffen Academy • Immaculate Heart School • Larchmont Charter School • Marlborough School • Milken Community School • Oakwood School • Pilgrim School • Rolling Hills Preparatory School • Summit View School • Tree Academy • Turning Point School • Westridge School for Girls • Westside Neighborhood School • Willows Community School • Windward School •
For more information, visit: brawerman.org/east
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
W E
GRADUATE EDITION
S A L U T E
11
T H E
GRADUATES OF 2020
USC student copes with a senior year reshaped by COVID-19
2017 Academic Junior High Decathlon STATE CHAMPIONS
Congratulations to the 2020 Graduating Class from Cathedral Chapel School! Samantha Ayala Bishop Conaty High School Jalen Cabral Cathedral High School Kylin Cantrell John Muir High School Cristian Chapman Enovate High School Yu Hyun Choi Loyola High School Samuel Christopher Harvard Westlake School
GRADUATE Justin Chung attended his USC commencement ceremony “virtually” this year due to the pandemic.
goodbye.” According to Chung, he only found out that he had graduated after receiving a brief email with details for a “virtual celebration” where actor and USC alumnus Will Ferrell offered students some comedic words of wisdom. After the commencement ceremony was over, Chung was fast to start working on his next move. “I’ve been spending a lot of time preparing for the LSATs and getting my law school applications ready,” said Chung, who plans to study entertain(Please turn to page 15)
Dominic Hernandez Don Bosco Technical Institute Patrick Holloway Loyola High School Jacob Hwong Park Cathedral High School Jihun Joo Loyola High School Paul Jopanda Cathedral High School
Justin Cofield Crossroads High School
Kennedy Kilpatrick Immaculate Heart High School
Rhyse Cunningham Culver City High School
Mark Kim Loyola High School
Megan David Notre Dame Academy
Roberto Lopez Loyola High School
Jordan del Pozo Bishop Conaty High School
Anabel Manriquez Notre Dame Academy
Jared Fellin Cathedral High School
Francesco Monzon Culver City High School
Lily Gray Notre Dame High School
Aaron Moon Beverly Hills High School
Aliyah Hampton Marlborough School
Althea Morris Campbell Hall School
Issac Nuño St. Monica High School Annie Park Marlborough School Patrick Park Loyola High School Nathan Pena Cathedral High School Camila Perez St. Monica High School Joaquin Recinos Loyola High School Calle Richtmyer-Han Immaculate Heart High School Izabella Rivera Bishop Conaty High School Katherine Sanchez Bishop Conaty High School Hannah Silverstein Notre Dame Academy Evelyn Song Bishop Conaty High School Diego Velasco University High Magnet School
A Catholic Education is an Advantage for Life!
755 S. Cochran Ave • 323-938-9976
St. Brendan School 238 S. Manhattan Place, Los Angeles, CA 90004 www.stbrendanschoolla.org
Congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2020
Angelina Bland - Marlborough William Blando - New Roads Peter Borges - Loyola Erin Bracco - Immaculate Abigail Byrne - Marlborough William Chandler -Loyola Sergio Chavez - Notre Dame Chase Cheng - Loyola Jamie Choi - Marymount Finn Corboy - Loyola Cutter East - Harvard-Westlake
Luke Garvin - Loyola Baron Gonzalez - Loyola Janella Herrera - Marymount Emile Hidalgo - Loyola Imogen Hutchman - Immaculate Elianna Isbell - Immaculate Benedict Jeong - Loyola Aiden Kim - Loyola Diana Kim - Marymount Madison Lee - Marlborough Mariasole Marino - Marymount
Olivia Martinez - Immaculate Mckenzie Mercado - Immaculate Elizabeth Murphy - Immaculate Rachel Oh - Marymount Oliver Payne - Loyola Jacob Prior - Loyola Jonathan Ryu - Loyola Mary Salcedo - Marymount Louis Son - Loyola Kiley Topping - Immaculate Aiden Turrill - Loyola
©LC0620
By Billy Taylor Local student Justin Chung would have walked with his graduating class at the University of Southern California (USC) last month were it not for the coronavirus. Instead, he watched the ceremony from his home computer. “I graduated college in my sweats,” laughed Chung, as he described the anti-climatic ending to his undergraduate program at one of the country’s most elite universities. The longtime Miracle Mile resident and Loyola High School alumnus had spent the past four years living near USC when, in mid-February, Chung says everything changed. “First, classes were halted, but I was still living near campus. Then, we weren’t allowed to walk around because of sanitation reasons,” Chung told the Chronicle last month. The university quickly moved classes to Zoom, but Chung says that it was not quite the same: “We had a lot of senior projects planned that didn’t happen.” It wasn’t just academics that Chung missed out on, but the social activities that come with graduating college: “My friends had a tradition to go to this bar called 901 on Wednesdays, and we didn’t get to do that. In fact, a lot of my friends weren’t from Los Angeles, so we didn’t even get to say
Cathedral Chapel School
12
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
GRADUATE EDITION
W E
S A L U T E
T H E
GRADUATES OF 2020
Three Fairfax students receive scholarships in virtual ceremony By Rachel Olivier Dong Su Kim, Juel Nissi Park and Yomna Ehab Shousha, seniors at Fairfax High School, were awarded the 2020 Irene Epstein Memorial Scholarship by the Los Angeles Chapter of the Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE) in an online ceremony May 20. The students, who were first, second and third, respectively, in their graduating class, were presented with commemorative plaques along with the scholarships by Howard Katzman, Aerospace Corporation executive and education chairman of the Los Angeles chapter of SAMPE, at the virtual event. In addition, City Councilman Paul Koretz is mailing the winners commendations from the City of Los Angeles. The scholarships were increased to $4,000 this year, noted George Epstein, Park La Brea. Epstein, who manages membership at SAMPE, has taught engineering courses at UCLA and for NASA, and he developed military defense systems for the Air Force, Navy and Army. A short video presentation, in which Epstein explains the history of the scholarship award,
will be featured at Fairfax High School’s Senior Awards Night. At the top of their class The students have each earned “A” grades in Advanced Placement math and science courses, participate in school and community events and plan to earn science degrees. Dong Su Kim, ranked first in his graduating class out of 328 students, has a grade point average (GPA) of 4.463. Kim’s (AP) classes included environmental science, biology, statistics, calculus, psychology and physics. He was student body treasurer, president of the physics and chess clubs and particpated in track and field. He ran in the Los Angeles Marathon as part of the Students Run L.A. Club. Kim plans to major in bioengineering at the University of California at Berkeley. Juel Nissi Park is second in his class, with a GPA of 4.378. His AP classes included calculus, physical chemistry, biology, environmental science, macro economics and computer science. He was president of the math modeling club, vice-captain of the varsity tennis team, and a member of the physics club. Park plans to study premed human biology at University of Southern California.
AT THE ZOOM board meeting where scholarship students were honored included, from left to right, George Epstein, Howard Katzman, Dong Su Kim, board member Alan Hyken, Juel Nissi Park, Yomna Ehab Shousha, Fairfax High School counselor Beri Best, board member Alma Saiya and board member Sana Elyas, calling in from India.
Yomna Ehab Shousha is ranked third in her class, with a GPA of 4.365. Her AP classes included environmental science, statistics, calculus, physics, and macro-economics. She was named the Fairfax High School’s Advanced Placement Scholar with Honor. Park founded and is active in the
Girls Up Club, a UN organization that promotes the health, safety, and leadership of girls in developing countries. She plans to attend Claremont McKenna College as a pre-med or engineering student, majoring in economics and engineering or science management. The Irene Epstein Memorial
Scholarship program was initiated in 1996 after the death of Irene Epstein, George’s wife, to assist financially needy, academically deserving students to attend college to study engineering, science, mathematics or medicine. This is the 24th year that these scholarships have been awarded. Visit lasampe.org.
CONGRATULATIONS! JB Culminating Class of 2020! Best wishes to our students as they embark upon their college-bound journey. Burroughs MS students are academically prepared and they successfully matriculate to the following schools: Buckley School Campbell Hall Cleveland Magnet Fairfax HS & Visual Arts Magnet Hamilton HS & Humanities Magnet Hollywood HS SAS Immaculate Heart
“If you think you can do it, you can.” John Burroughs
Los Angeles HS SAS Loyola HS Marshall HS SAS Notre Dame HS Pacific Hills HS St. Genevieve St. Mary’s Academy University HS SAS Venice HS Windward School
A special THANK YOU to our parents, teachers, staff and neighbors for making this a successful school year! 600 S. McCadden Place, Los Angeles 90005
|
Burroughsms.org
|
323-549-5000
©LC0620
Bravo Medical Magnet
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
W E
S A L U T E
GRADUATE EDITION
T H E
GRADUATES OF 2020
PRINCIPAL JASON Song addressed seniors at New Covenant Academy in one of many virtual commencement ceremonies around the city last month.
Commencement (Continued from page 6)
28. Previously, each of the seniors had received a lawn sign for her family to display, proclaiming her status as a Marlborough graduate. In addition, there are plans to host an in-person gathering either in August or December, whichever is safe, said Carly Rodriguez, director of communications at Marlborough. Marymount High School held a virtual ceremony for 108 seniors “with plenty of surprises for our families” at the end of May, said Stephanie David, director of marketing and communications at Marymount. David noted that an in-person celebration would be held sometime in the future, when it is allowed.
Ninety-six young women graduated from Notre Dame Academy in a virtual ceremony May 30. Christine Knudsen, longtime chair of Immaculate Heart High School’s theology department, who retired last year, addressed 118 seniors and their guests at Immaculate Heart’s virtual commencement Wed., June 3. Additional ceremonies The following schools had not returned our calls or emails by press time, but still appear to be having some sort of commencement ceremonies. Buckley seniors graduated May 29. Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles has Mon., June 8 as the school’s commencement date. Los Angeles High School will hold a commencement ceremony Thurs., June 11.
Congratulations to the
Class of 2020! PILGRIM
SCHOOL
An Independent School Established in 1958 • Early Education • Elementary • Middle School • High School (Day/Boarding)
540 South Commonwealth Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90020 (213) 385-7351 A division of the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles
This year, more than ever before, you set sail into an unknown future, but we know that you will make it yours. You will make your mark on our world. We are so proud of your creativity, strength of spirit, and resiliency as you leave Pilgrim for ports as far-flung as RISD and Purdue, as iconic as Stanford and UC Berkeley, and as close to home as UCLA, CSUN, and CalArts. You are a small class with mighty plans and we look for our future to THRIVE in your hands.
13
14
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
GRADUATE EDITION
W E
S A L U T E
T H E
GRADUATES OF 2020
‘Wonderland’ triplets harmonize on music of the ‘70s, ‘80s
By Talia Abrahamson Christian, Isabella and Magdalena Ortega-Christiansen perform as the band 111 Wonderland and are fresh off their first televised performance on Nickelodeon’s “America’s Most Musical Family.” They picked up singing almost a decade ago, and now, they are 15 years old. “We sang a song together and did harmonies, and everyone loved it,” Magdalena said, “so we started after that.” The triplets, who are Hancock Park natives, specialize in a mix of pop and acoustic music and consider the harmonies of the 1970s and 1980s as their model. They have covered songs from “Put A Little Love On Me” by Niall Horan to “Chelsea Hotel No. 2” by Leonard Cohen. Among other inspirations, they pointed out the Jonas Brothers, which is an allbrothers pop band. “There’s not a triplet band,” Isabella noted. Magdalena agreed and added, “When we sing, there is a connection since we’re triplets and siblings.” Before COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, the band practiced daily and recorded in the studio every two weeks under the guidance of multi-platinum record producer Andrew Lane.
THE BAND 111 Wonderland: (left to right) Magdalena, Isabella and Christian Ortega-Christiansen. Photo by Ashley Wendt
They transitioned to homeschooling in seventh grade so that they could have more time to focus on their music. In addition to vocals, each band member has an instrumental specialty, with Isabella on the piano, Magdalena on the guitar, and Christian, who decided recently to pick up the bass ukulele. “When we want to record in the studio or play live, we want some kind of rhythm because no one plays drums,” Magdalena said. “When we learn a new song, we get our harmonies as well as our instruments down. It takes time for us to start singing and playing at the same time, but we
practice, and then it comes together and sounds great.” 111 Wonderland released its first original song, “You,” with Magdalena as lead vocalist, and dropped an accompanying official music video on Nov. 29. They have had to put additional filming on hold for the immediate future, but they have two additional original songs in the works so that each band member gets a turn at taking lead vocals. “We don’t want the two others to be background music because it’s not really how we want that to be,” Magdalena said. “We want everyone included.” They timed the release of
CHRIST THE KING SCHOOL Congratulations to the
Graduating Class of 2020! Elaiza Allen Sebastian Alora Marly Ayala Eve Mariel Azul Alexander Binder Eugene Choi Tyler Dy Jon Christopher Edmalin Jacob Fernandez Erin Kim Neil Kim Brooke Lee Joel Lee Jazmine Lopez Chavez Esperanza Quintanilla Isaac Seo Brandon Torres Curtis Won Ryan Won
Undecided Loyola High School Holy Family High School Bishop Conaty-Our Lady of Loretto Loyola High School Loyola High School St. Monica High School Loyola High School Cathedral High School (Math & Science Academy) Immaculate Heart High School Loyola High School Marymount High School Brentwood St. Monica High School Holy Family High School Loyola High School Cathedral High School (Math & Science Academy) Granada Hills High School Granada Hills High School
617 North ArdeN Blvd. l.A. 90004 (at Melrose & Vine)
(323) 462-4753
©LC0620
Our graduates will attend the following Catholic High Schools
“You” with the air date of their performance on “America’s Most Musical Family.” The Nickelodeon show, which ultimately named The Melisizwe Brothers as the winner, was a reality music competition among 30 musical families from across the country. They submitted a video of their covers and were the last group to be selected for the show. “It was very exciting and also shocking,” Magdalena said. “No one thinks you’re going to get in right away. We just auditioned once. Everyone else had to do it maybe twice, but they liked us right off the bat.” “We’re very unique,” Christian added. They performed an acoustic version of “Without Me” by Halsey, with Isabella as lead vocalist. The group performed under their family’s name, “Christiansen,” in-line with the naming pattern established by the program. The performance was their first time singing on television. Previously, their largest audience was about 300 people. “I was mostly nervous because I was singing the main for that song,” Isabella said. “I never played in front of so many people, and then, of course, we’re
on TV, so I was really nervous backstage. But, as soon as I got onstage, I wasn’t nervous when I started singing.” Although they did not advance, they gained followers as a result of the show. The YouTube video of their performance has close to 150,000 views. On Instagram (@111wonderland), their covers — many of which are filmed in their own living room — receive thousands of views. They have partnered with Palm Tree Productions to produce those videos and the band’s still images. 111 Wonderland also has a YouTube channel and Spotify account where the band updates followers with their latest songs. “That’s why we keep posting covers and photos, so we can keep it going with our followers and our music,” Isabella said. The triplets said they hope to perform at more venues, when it is safe to do so, and build up their social media presence with the releases of new original songs and covers. “It’s our passion,” Christian said. Magdalena added, “This is what we want to do, forever.” Talia Abrahamson is a 2020 graduate of Marlborough School.
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2020
W E
Justin Chung
GRADUATE EDITION
S A L U T E
T H E
GRADUATES OF 2020
(Continued from page 11) ment law. “And I’ve been managing a young artist named Nick Vyner over Zoom.” The ambitious graduate says that he has been holding weekly “virtual meetings” with his budding artist, where they discuss music tracks set to be released later this month as well
as a live show fundraiser in the works (more information at nickvyner.com). Although Chung says that he did have feelings of disappointment in regard to his final weeks as an undergraduate, he optimistically told us of the experience: “I’m trying to spend this time to find opportunities to better myself and to help those around me who are in need.” An approach we can all take.
VIRTUAL meetings conducted online are how Chung (right) is pushing forward with his plans for singer-songwriter Nick Vyner (left).
Fall fears
(Continued from page 10) class sizes; learning in-person with live-streamed lectures; offering only remote learning; insulating community members who are older than 35; shortening block schedules; bringing only freshmen to campus; and postponing the start of the school year to
January. In many ways these are unprecedented times, but there are methods and lessons to be drawn from the past. Universities will need to determine how they open, quickly, because the new fall term is only a few months away. Talia Abrahamson is a 2020 graduate of Marlborough School.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE The Larchmont Charter School family salutes the class of 2020! We recognize your perseverance over these last few months and hard work over the last four years in achieving this milestone. We are grateful that we have been able to learn, laugh, grow and graduate "together."
CLASS OF 2020! We're proud of you and know that you have the curiosity, creativity and compassion that our world needs now more than ever to address the great challenges before us.
Congratulations Seniors!
Anthony Aguilar • Alex Alegre • Alexander Arellano • Aaryon Belk • Liam Bermudez • Maurice Bernier Alma Blanco • Jordan Bolte • Luxe Boone • Courtney Bow • Finn Boydstun • Dominiq Brooks • Karla Calvo Polanco Kai Camacho • Paolo Camon • Karla Carrasco • Francis Cendana-Guerrero • Logan Cheney • Ryan Cheung Joseph Choe • Daniel Choi • Adriana Contreras • Lea Dahlke • Lucas Dahlke • Ryan De Jesus • Ashley De Mira Daisy Deagueros • Brazil Demarks • Georgette Elkaim • Ye-Ab Fekadu • Laura Gayfullina • Tristan Go Arianna Gomez • Madeline Gomez • Joey Gray • Daisy Green • Daevon Guerrero • Serenity Harris • London Hayes Ava Henry-Hinojosa • Oona Hollister • Joo Hong • Dana Hwang • Marwa Iskander • Bernard James Brianna James • Eoin Janeiro • Jason Jin • Eugene Jo • Evan Jones-Sawyer • Aspen Jung • Lile Khomasuridze Grace Kim • Amaya Lawton • Jade Lee • Juliann Lee • Kyoung Eun Lee • Eli Marcus • Martin Martinez Sebastian Massengale • Ruby Matheu • Emma Mele • Sofia Menck • Ashley Mendez • Linsey Miyakawa Cassius Mohapi • Emily Mondragon • Emily Moreno Melah Motani • Jaimie Myong • Gitane Neil • Adal Ong Dohyun Park • Tanner Park • Arria Patton • Lolita Perrudin • Azure Porton • Ilan Pozeilov • Roy Readmond Anthony Reyes • David Reyes • Ludwig Rodriguez • Leonard Rogers • Aaron Romo-Navarrete • Jonah Sage Gisselle Santos • Clarisse Sapida • Mickie Scheinbaum • Richard Shin • Vincent Snyder • Hinata Soares David Song • Liam Stahl • Quinn Stark • Aminata Sylla • Christopher Tanquary • Rocco Trillo • Brigid Tucker Christopher Vargas • Denice Yoon • Se Min Yoon • Ralston Young
15
16
GRADUATE EDITION
JUNE 2020
Larchmont Chronicle
Congratulations,Class of 2020! We are incredibly proud of our Class of 2020 graduates who were all admitted to four-year collegiate programs and gained acceptance to over 155 college and/or university programs. Please note that all institutions with one or more graduates attending are denoted in bold, and that a school denoted with an * indicates multiple enrollees. American University Amherst College Bates College Baylor University Boston College Boston University * Brown University * Bucknell University California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo) California State University (Fullerton) Carnegie Mellon University Colgate University College of William and Mary Columbia University Cornell University Denison University Elon University Emory University George Washington University * Georgetown University Gonzaga University Haverford College Howard University Indiana University Kenyon College Loyola Marymount University * Mount Saint Mary’s University Muhlenberg College New York University * Oberlin College Pepperdine University Rhode Island School of Design Rutgers University Santa Clara University *
Santa Monica College Scripps College Smith College Southern Methodist University * Syracuse University * Texas Christian University The New School The University of Texas at Austin * Tulane University * Union College University of California (Berkeley) * University of California (Davis) * University of California (Los Angeles) * University of California (Santa Barbara) University of California (Santa Cruz) University of Chicago * University of Colorado Boulder * University of Michigan * University of Notre Dame * University of Oregon University of Pennsylvania University of Rochester University of San Diego University of San Francisco University of Southern California * University of Virginia University of Washington University of Wisconsin * Vanderbilt University Vassar College Villanova University * Wake Forest University * Wellesley College Whitman College Washington University in St Louis *
For more information on this outstanding group of young women, please visit: www.mhs-la.org/Classof2020