Larchmont Chronicle
VOL. 58, NO. 8
• DELIVERED TO 76,439 READERS IN HANCOCK PARK • WINDSOR SQUARE • FREMONT PLACE • MIRACLE MILE • PARK LA BREA • LARCHMONT •
IN THIS ISSUE
9-20
PARIS REPORT: Schools, cafés.
21
TREKKING in wilds of Griffith Park. 2-7
Big Sunday heads Back to School
410 N. Rossmore residents feel pressure of ‘buy-out’
n Gala is August 12
n Information lacking
While many students won’t be going “back to school,” they still need school supplies. Big Sunday volunteers will be collecting school supplies for 2,000 backpacks during Back to School Week between Mon., Aug. 10 and Thurs., Aug. 13. Volunteers must wear masks, and backpack-stuffing sessions will take place outside in the Seward St. parking lot. Each 75-minute session will have no more than 10 volunteers plus two to three staff. Backpacks can be sponsored at $25 each. Contact beenish@ bigsunday.org. Gala goes virtual The fifth annual Big Sunday Gala will be celebrated online Wed., Aug. 12 from 7 to 8 p.m. See: bigsunday.org/virtualgala.
By Billy Taylor As the coronavirus pandemic continues to plague the City of Los Angeles, a group of Hancock Park residents in a rentcontrolled apartment building say that they feel pressured from their new landlord to take a buy-out offer, with no other information available to them. To learn more, the Chronicle joined a group of six residents last month over Zoom to discuss their recent experiences. “They want us to make a decision without any information. I haven’t worked since March! We are in a situation where we don’t know if we’re going to still have a job. “In a way, it’s abusive,” says resident Cinzia Zanetti. The five-story building, located at 410 N. Rossmore Ave., whose construction originally started in 1930 (see Larchmont Chronicle story, Feb., 2020, Section 2, page 2) was purchased in January by Atlanta-based Domos Co-Living. Domos specializes in housing that provides affordable options in expensive areas. Speaking to the Chronicle last January, Domos Construction Manager Richard Loring confirmed that his company is committed both to offering to: (a) “buy-out” some residents and (b) pay for relocation, See Rossmore, p 4
2-12
For Information on Advertising Rates, Please Call Pam Rudy 323-462-2241, x 11 Mailing permit:
HANCOCK PARK Homeowners Association distributed 200 lawn signs last month to encourage people to wear a mask and maintain social distancing. The signs were distributed after the subject came up at the group’s annual Block Captain meeting (this year by Zoom, of course). Block Capt. Shondell Spiegel designed the sign, and Morgan and Max Keane delivered bundles of signs to the homes of block captains who requested them, HPHA President Cindy Chvatal-Keane told us.
Imagine LA’s Back 2 School Schools to remain closed for start of school year drive thru n Sponsorships offered
TRAVEL Part Two.
AUGUST 2020
Backpacks, care packages and hot meals will be given away at Imagine LA’s annual “Back 2 School Bash — Drive Thru Edition,” Sat., Aug. 15 from 10 a.m. to noon. The event will feature driveup stations to distribute the items. There also will be a celebration station for “Family Graduates.” Needed for the event are sponsorships or in-kind donations for balloons, tables, linens, family car decorating kits, hot meals, back packs, care kits, and entertainment. To get involved or inquire about sponsorship opportunities, contact Val Vogt at val@ imaginela.org.
By Caroline Tracy Schools in Los Angeles county, both public and private, will not open for on-campus learning this fall. Rather, instruction will be conducted virtually. The official word from the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) came on July 13 during Superintendent Austin Beutner’s weekly ad-
dress. “The health and safety of the school community is not something we can compromise,” Beutner said. During a July 17 news conference, Gov. Gavin Newson ordered all schools currently on the state’s “watch list” to remain closed this fall and switch to virtual. The mandate applies to private schools See Schools, p 27
Get ready for Back to School
Our annual Back to School section in September will highlight students, faculty and schools! Advertising deadline is Mon., Aug. 17 For more information contact Pam Rudy, 323-4622241, ext. 11.
“SOUTHLAND SESSIONS” airs Wednesdays through the rest of the year on KCET, featuring local arts and culture. The premiere episode presented local arts leaders including: Top row, left to right: Leslie Ito, exec. dir. Armory Center for the Arts; Ravi Rajan, president CalArts; Kristin Sakoda, director L.A. County Dept. of Arts/Culture; Alberto Retana, CEO Community Coalition; Middle row: Juan Devis, host, KCET; Danielle Brazell, general manager City of L.A. Dept. of Cultural Affairs; Tim Dang, theater director; Josephine Ramirez, exec. VP Music Center Arts; Bottom row: Ben Caldwell, Director KAOS Network; Michael Govan, CEO LACMA; Betty Avila, Self Help Graphics; Antonia Hernandez, CEO Calif. Community Foundation. Learn more at kcet.org/southlandsessions.
www.larchmontchronicle.com ~ Entire Issue Online!
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Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
SECTION ONE
Editorial
Calendar
By John Welborne
Sacramento … oh what a town!
In the past five decades that I remember well, it never seemed that we Angelenos had to focus so much of our attention on the State Legislature in Sacramento. However, a majority of the current occupants of those offices seem to have decided that their role is to dictate every detail of the lives of Californians, including those of us in Mid-Wilshire Los Angeles. In Section 2 of this month’s paper, in the “On Preservation” column, you again will read about bad housing bills being pushed through the Legislature by luxury real estate developers and building contractors. Speak up now, or you soon may find six- and 10-unit condos or multiple small houses being built on the formerly single-family lot next door to your home. And those won’t be the needed “affordable” housing units; luxury housing is what these bad bills promote. Another area where actions of Sacramento legislators can have a negative, or positive, local impact is on the delivery of local news to you. The Legislature must add newspapers to the exemptions in Assembly Bill 1850 (Gonzalez). Please urge our local state legislators to save community journalism by amending and enacting AB 1850 to continue the exemption for news carriers. See the public service ad on page 27 of this issue, and learn more at savemypaper.com
Election of Board and Annual Meeting The HPHOA, est. 1948 Annual Meeting will be held virtually, via Zoom, at 7:00 PM on Monday, October 19. The Annual Meeting is where Hancock Park residents hear from the Board committee chairs about schools, traffic, Historic Preservation, zoning, street repaving and security. The meeting also hosts updates from our Councilman, David Ryu, and the LAPD, and it is where half of the Board of Directors is elected. The meeting also provides an opportunity to ask questions and get further involved in the community. The HPHOA Board has nominated the following candidates: • Cindy Chvatal-Keane • Jennifer DeVore • David Gajda • Joel Kozberg • Pam Newhouse • Shondell Spiegel • Erik Storey • Victoria Vickers If you are a dues paying member of the Association, you will be receiving a ballot and instructions for mailing in your ballot. Remember, the Coronavirus infection rates have soared, and hospitals are overloaded with very sick people. Please remember to protect yourself, your loved ones, your neighbors and your community by wearing a mask and keeping a social distance of at least six feet from other people. Wearing a mask protects other people, not just you. If you have questions or need information, visit the Association Website. It’s a place where you can contact Association Board members about getting a tree planted, status of the street repair project and many other things — https://www. hancockparkhomeownersassociation.org/page-18054/5048881. 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 AntiGraffiti Request System: laocb.org/programs/graffiti-abatement and by calling Hollywood Beautification, 323-463-5180. And don’t forget to respond to the census, if you haven’t already. Go to https://2020census.gov/?UTM_campaign=c20m&utm_ medium=partner&utm_source=nextdoor&utm_state=ca
Adv.
Wed., Aug. 12 — Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council board meeting via Zoom. Check greaterwilshire.org to confirm and for online login. Tues., Aug. 18 — Los Angeles Unified School District begins new school year with distance learning. Thurs., Sept. 3 — Delivery of the August issue of the Larchmont Chronicle. Mon., Sept. 7 — Labor Day
That’s the question inquiring photographer Talia Abrahamson asked locals along Larchmont Blvd.
Letters to the Editor ‘31 vacancies on blvd.’
Pre-Covid, rising rents were threatening the viability of restaurants operating on thin margins and retail competing with online purchasing. This is now exacerbated by a season in which retail and restaurants will be forever changed by this pandemic. The time is now to re-imagine how the commercial core can serve this community and survive what may be more than a year of further economic dislocation. A new normal invites; we cannot long for a return to pre-Covid realities. Kerry Morrison Windsor Square
‘Lawmakers push housing legislation’
Thank you for your monthly coverage of Sacramento’s continued efforts to increase housing in our state and Billy Taylor’s reporting. While the articles are great information, as a creative, I understand that a picture paints a thousand words. Would you please publish maps of our greater area and how each of these bills might change the density
Larchmont Chronicle Founded in 1963 by Jane Gilman and Dawne P. Goodwin .
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Publisher and Editor John H. Welborne Managing Editor Suzan Filipek Associate Editor Billy Taylor Contributing Editor Jane Gilman Staff Writers Talia Abrahamson 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
‘What is your favorite summertime memory?’
and make up of our city. I have been saying for a while now that, by taking Getty House as an example of the first property to be used under any one of these bills, the neighborhoods could see what could happen if complacency reigns. Rory Cunningham St. Andrews Square
‘Many sons of failed SB 50’
Thanks to the Larchmont Chronicle for Brian Curran’s very informative column, “Sacramento strikes back with the many sons of failed SB 50,” July 2020. It seems that California State Senator Scott Wiener will never give up — despite the state voters telling him to stop messing with our housing density. He worked hard from his offices in Sacramento hoping to get SB 50 enacted — and failed. Now he has partnered with Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins to try to push through a package of five bills that would end single-family housing in most of California. To me, it seems just another give-away for the benefit of the big real estate developers. Do we need it? There are abundant vacant high-rental housing units already on the market. Do we want more? Why don’t they focus on the crisis for low-cost affordable housing and housing for the homeless? Why not let our local city councils and mayors work on what each community really needs? What’s more, haven’t we learned from the real estate fiasco that has gotten L.A. City Councilman Jose Huizar into so much trouble? George Epstein Detroit St.
“We wanted to spend a couple of days in Italy, and our entire family was like, ‘Okay, we don’t know what to do — let’s look for agriturismo.’ We didn’t know what agriturismo was, and it’s basically a big feast for very cheap. You were also in a farm. We were with our daughter, who was five years old, and she could play with animals. It was your ideal version of what vacation in Italy would be like.” Stan Duprey, Hancock Park “[With] everything [the agriculture tourism hosts] grow they create this sumptuous, delicious meal, and they create their own wine. We had the biggest meal of our lives, like 10 courses. We had amazing wine, the most beautiful food, and the mamma that was cooking kept coming.” Monica Rodriguez Hancock Park
“I like to play video games with my friends and go swimming with them.” Lucas Chang, Windsor Square “I like to join my brother.” Anthony Chang
“Playing in the waves of Malibu.” Gil Harris, Windsor Square “Malibu! We had a house that had a Pac-Man machine and a pool table.” Coco Harris
‘Common sense matters’
Reading your paper just now, I was struck by the Letters to the Editor from residents in unanimous outrage about the (Please turn to page 25) 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.
“Going to Malibu beach. I always go in the summer–– visit there once and get some fresh air.” Justin Kim with Elena Loukas Koreatown
Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
Editors’ Note
The essay at right was submitted to several local publications by its author on July 14. Although it already has been published in a few places, we thought it would be of great interest to our Larchmont Chronicle readers who have not read it elsewhere. This is especially so because the author, Capt. Shannon K. Paulson, commands the Los Angeles Police Department’s Wilshire Division, an area of the city that includes most people who reside or work in our newspaper’s coverage neighborhoods. More about the author, a 29-year member of the LAPD, can be found in the June issue of the Chronicle, on page 7 of Section One, and at this link: tinyurl.com/y3d3gt6a
SECTION ONE
NEW LEADERSHIP.
8
POLICE BEAT 6 AROUND THE TOWN 8 WOMEN OF LARCHMONT 9 SCHOOL NEWS 21
SECTION TWO VIEW:
Real Estate, Libraries Entertainment, Home & Garden
TRAVEL. 12 HOME GROUND 2 ON BOOKS, PLACES 3 ON PRESERVATION 4 REAL ESTATE SALES 6 LIBRARIES 8 ENTERTAINMENT Theater Review 9 On the Menu 10 At the Movies 11 POKER FOR ALL 13 BEEZWAX 15 PROFESSOR 15 CLASSIFIED ADS 15
SECTION ONE
3
I Am Not Your Enemy
By Shannon K. Paulson I am one of the 249 Los Angeles Police Officers currently assigned to Wilshire Division1 of the Los Angeles Police Department. We were essentially “ground zero” in the recent violent unrest. Perhaps you know me as the fascist, the storm trooper, the pig, the bastard ... and those are just some of the nicer names I’ve been called. I am the one you never recognize out of uniform, because you choose not to see that there is a person, an individual, who wears it. So please, let me take a moment to tell you about myself, because so many of you clearly don’t know me ... and I am not your enemy.
I am one of the over 9,500 Los Angeles police officers who records approximately 14,000 public contacts on body-worn video every day, almost every one of 1 The percentages and facts cited here are a true statistical representation of the demographics and career experiences of the 249 police officers assigned to Wilshire Division as of July 14, 2020.
which ends without conflict, complaint or issue. If you saw something on the news recently about a tragedy brought about by a police officer somewhere, I am one of over 750,000 police officers nationwide who would never be involved in such a heinous act. And if you or your family member was ever treated inappropriately by a police officer, I am one of the overwhelming number of LAPD officers who had absolutely nothing to do with that. On the contrary, I’m the one left to work that much harder to regain the trust and respect I never deserved to lose. I am not your enemy. I acknowledge the egregious errors of my profession and the historical injustices committed by police officers, including those from my own department. But I am not the one that committed them. I freely admit I am a person who has made mistakes; sometimes because I’m tired, sometimes because I’m having a bad day, sometimes just because human error is just that — human. I admit and acknowledge there is a small percentage of those among us
who have acted out of carelessness, laziness or even criminality. I admit there are those who do not deserve the honor and privilege of the badge I hold so dear. But, overwhelmingly, I am not one of them. I am not your enemy. 87% of my Wilshire brothers and sisters, myself included, have been called a racist and a race traitor repeatedly throughout our careers. Yet, 82% of us are ourselves minorities. Perhaps I am one of the 13% of Wilshire officers who is an immigrant, or one of another 46% who is a first generation American — the child of an immigrant. I come from places as far and wide as Egypt, Greece, Lebanon, Mexico, Israel, Jamaica, South Korea, England, Vietnam, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Columbia, Nicaragua, Guatemala and the Philippines. I represent a cross-section of America from Texas to Alaska, Washington to New Jersey, Wisconsin, Nevada, New Mexico and Arkansas. I was raised in regions of Southern California as diverse as Watts, Santa Monica, East L.A., Whittier and Long (Please turn to page 26)
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SECTION ONE
410 N. Rossmore (Continued from page 1)
©LC0720
moving expenses and any difference in a higher-cost rent for those residents who want to stay after the company finishes extensive renovations to the building. Over the ensuing five months, residents say that written correspondence to them has been far less clear, even contradictory at times. “They really do seem to want CONFUSION at a rent-controlled building at 410 N. Rossmore to not acknowledge that we Ave. as some tenants decline “buy-out” offer. YEAR have the rights that we have,” YOU! says resident Joy Wingard. pattern in that they don’t In a Jan. 30 letter obtained “In the letters that they’ve acknowledge their responsi- by the Chronicle, Councilman the holiday with… DMHto, mani ped sent tostresses us, you can SPA, see spin, a bility Ryu reminded Domos execuus,” she explains. tives of those rights. The letter stated: “The Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) lays out the limited and specific situation in which tenants may be evicted. Evictions for renovation or to convert to a different type of rental housing are illegal. If substantial renovations are to be undertaken, tenants have the right Support Your to be temporarily relocated Local Businesses with no change to the tenancy status, and have the right to or Go Online to: return to the same unit.” Ryu urged Domos to diswww.larchmont.com close its short-term and longterm plans for the building, noting the lack of communication as of late January: “This vacuum of clear information is fueling a deep concern among residents about the future of their homes.” For tenants taking the “buy-out,” things have moved smoothly, by all accounts. But for those residents that want or need to return to the building,
information is less forthcoming. Those residents that wish to stay say that they’ve been advised by Councilman Ryu to “wait until plans are filed” to take any action. Residents fear that taking any action before that time could invalidate their legal protections. “For instance, the RSO says that if we have a studio, we should be allowed to return to that same studio. But Domos has suggested that we agree to move our units within the building, which would change our lease agreement. Their goal is to confuse people,” says Wingard. “I think that’s what they want.” Among their grievances, residents say that Domos has moved multiple executives into the building to pressure residents, noting it feels like a good cop, bad cop tactic. “They have people in the building to make us feel uncomfortable,” says resident Jeremy Brown. Domos responds Regarding accusations that there’s been a lack of communication, Loring respectfully disagrees, pointing out that the buy-out window only ended on July 15. “Relocation is not an option until late 2020, or early 2021. We are in the process of sending out a newsletter that discusses next steps, and out of respect for our residents, we feel that information should come from Domos to tenants first,” Loring said, responding to questions from the Chronicle. “We’ve also been in constant communication with the City Council office regarding all pertinent steps that we’ve made. And we are very happy to do more. That said, relocation is a process governed by the City via the Tenant Habitability Program (THP), which requires ownership to locate suitable housing for residents during the renovations.”
Larchmont Chronicle Loring said that he does not anticipate the THP relocations to begin until later this year or early next year. “However, in the coming months, we intend to roll out a very detailed information campaign for our residents regarding THP to ensure that all of their questions and concerns are answered.” The company expects renderings of the project to be available later this month.
Cerrell leaves Larchmont after 40 years
After 40 years on Larchmont Blvd., Cerrell Associates recently moved its offices to 5900 Wilshire Blvd. across from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. California’s longest operating public relations and public affairs firm is now on the 21st floor of the SBE Building. “We’re over on Wilshire… but our heart remains on Larchmont!” Chief Financial Officer Steve Bullock told us. “After four decades of great memories, success and celebrations with incredible clients and staff in iconic Larchmont Village, our firm looks to the future and all the possibilities that come with it,” said Trevor Daley, Cerrell President. Founded in 1966 by legendary political figures, the late Joe and Lee Cerrell, Cerrell Associates’ first office was located inside the historic Ambassador Hotel on Wilshire Blvd. After several years in other local offices, including political campaign offices, the Cerrells (who lived on Lucerne Blvd.) bought property on the Boulevard beginning in 1978. They ultimately constructed the modern office at 320 N. Larchmont that the company just left. More on Cerrell and Larchmont next month!
Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
SECTION ONE
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SECTION ONE
Larchmont Chronicle
Economic crisis requires more federal assistance It is now August, and the first wave of the Coronavirus pandemic — rather than tapering down to a manageable level — has exploded in Los Angeles and communities across the United States. Along with a public health crisis that has taken the lives of tens of thousands of Americans, we are experiencing an economic crisis that has laid off millions of workers and thrown our nation into an uncertain future. These twin crises are often put at odds with one another. Some argue that we must lift restrictions to bring jobs back and get people working again. Others say that a firm, mandatory lockdown is the only way to bring the rates of infection down. But the reality is that one crisis is not solved without the other. We cannot restart our economy until we can gain control over this virus (and commit to widespread use of masks,
Council Report by
David E. Ryu face-coverings and social distancing). Likewise, we will not have a reliable compliance with safer-at-home orders until we fully address the economic crisis playing out in households across this country. At the writing of this column, the $600 weekly supplement to unemployment insurance made possible by the federal CARES Act is set to expire at the end of July. The U.S. Senate is currently debating what the next aid package will look like, even though the House of Representatives approved the HEROES Act — including rent and mortgage assistance, stimulus payments, and sup-
POLICE BEAT
325 N. Larchmont Boulevard, #158 Los Angeles, California 90004
WILSHIRE DIVISION
www.windsorsquare.org 157 N. Larchmont Boulevard
Mask, Mask, Mask!
Senior Lead Officer Dave Cordova
As we all know by now, COVID-19 is not going away any time soon, and in fact rates of infection have worsened in California in recent weeks. At this point, schools will not be reopening for in-person learning this fall, unessential businesses have been closed again, and Governor Gavin Newsom has urged all Californians to stay vigilant in the fight against the spread of the novel coronavirus.
213-793-0650 31646@lapd.lacity.org Twitter: @lapdwilshire
OLYMPIC DIVISION
This means, of course, maintaining social distancing, avoiding large gatherings, frequent hand washing and sanitizing, and wearing face coverings in public. The “Los Angeles Times” recently quoted Newsom as saying, “Wearing face coverings is the single most effective non-pharmaceutical intervention” we have.
Senior Lead Officer Joseph Pelayo
Making the rounds are many misconceptions about masks. By gathering facts from a variety of trusted sources, it’s easy to debunk some of them.
213-793-0709 31762@lapd.lacity.org Twitter: @lapdolympic
It is false that masks cause wearers to breathe in carbon dioxide and inhibit oxygen intake, and thus cause health risk. Scientific studies using oxygen meters have proven this to be completely untrue. There is no evidence whatsoever that wearing a mask is dangerous.
Firehouse Dinners on the menu this summer and fall
It is false that wearing a face covering only protects other people, not the wearer. New studies have demonstrated that even cloth facemasks will filter out the majority of viral particles. “And even if a person wearing a mask gets infected from someone else, the mask — by filtering out most of the viral particles exhaled by the other, infected person — probably leads to less severe disease,” as Dr. Monica Gandhi, UC San Francisco professor of medicine, told “The Times” recently. It is false that children do not get COVID-19. They are less likely than adults to develop severe illness, but they can contract the virus and also transmit it to other people. It is false that a person with no symptoms cannot spread the virus. COVID-19 is most infectious before any symptoms appear (unlike the seasonal flu, which is most infectious about a day after the onset of symptoms). In fact, 44% of COVID-19 transmissions are believed to occur when the infected person has no symptoms at all.
©LC0820
Let’s all be true to one another and work together to de-politicize mask wearing. It’s a simple public safety measure (like seat belts and stop signs). Have some fun with masks — for example, check out museum stores for cool versions, or make tie-dyed ones with kids. Above all, let’s rise to the challenge of this stressful situation by being kind and respectful to one another — and help keep Windsor Square a wonderful place to live. 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.
port for small businesses — over two months ago. Perhaps, as you read this column, Washington has it all figured out. On the chance that isn’t the case, let’s be clear why this federal support — including the supplemental unemployment dollars — is so crucial. Over the past few months, I have spoken to residents of District Four who were down to their last few meals. I’ve heard from countless neighbors who couldn’t make rent or mortgage payments and small businesses barely hanging on, and I have seen anxiety growing faster than household debt. Providing aid when millions of Americans are forced out of work through no fault of their own is not a hand-out, it is a basic humanitarian gesture. Here in Los Angeles, we’ve worked to halt evictions, freeze rent increases where possible,
“Firehouse Dinners,” a program bringing food to firefighters and first responders during the coronavirus, will continue into the fall, said program sponsor First-In Fire Foundation. The program began in the spring in response to the pandemic challenges and continues under the Summer of Patriotism banner. Among events, First-In Fire Foundation partnered with Councilman David Ryu, for a “thank you” dinner on Independence Day, and another dinner was served on Flag Day. The program continues to expand because of contributions from donors supportive of local fire stations and the enthusiasm of the firefighters and LAFD leadership, said Steve Rosenthal of Fire-In Fire Foundation. Visit firstinfirefoundation.org or call 323-933-8164.
and start the largest rent-relief fund in the nation. The state worked with the big banks to put off mortgage payments and halt eviction proceedings in the courts. But a city and state cannot act alone. The federal government — and only the federal government — has the power to cancel rent and mortgage payments altogether, cover small businesses for their losses, and save American families before they fall off a financial cliff. But this assistance is not just a moral imperative — it is also necessary for public health. Many hourly, low-wage workers can’t do their jobs from home, and they fear that a positive COVID-19 test will cut them off from their only source of income. In a city as expensive as Los Angeles, the supplemental unemployment insurance is necessary to put food on the table, buy medicine and pay a rent or mortgage.
Most importantly, this assistance will assure working people that if they need to stay home to stay safe, they can still feed their families. If the federal government forces people to decide between staying home when they feel sick and earning an income to feed their kids, a lot of people will continue to put themselves and others at risk. This is a choice that no one should be forced to make. If we really want people to stay home and stay safe, we need to make it financially possible. We need supplemental unemployment dollars. We need relief for renters and mortgage holders. We need a focus on the daily reality of working families before we focus on stock market futures. A grassroots approach to shoring up our economy — and protecting the most vulnerable — will remain my focus and my fight. But we can’t do it alone. Congress must step up.
Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
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Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
SECTION ONE
Westlake Theatre’s crown jewels were talk of Foundation Around the Town with
Patty Hill It was renovated by architect Charles Lee in 1935. During the ’60s and ’70s, Spanish language movies were featured. The interior later was adapted for retail use and even later became a swap meet. The building and surrounding property were sold in 2018 to local real estate investor and developer Jamison Properties, which said at the time that it had plans to restore the theater to its former Spanish Colonial Revival glory. How wonderful that the LAHTF members have per-
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THE THEATER is proposed to be restored to its 1920s Spanish Colonial Revival glory. Photo: Adrian Scott Fine/L.A. Conservancy
As pandemic lingers, Ebell elects new officers The doors are locked tight, and only the ghosts of programs past dance in The Ebell ballroom, but newly-elected President Patty Lombard is busy working with her board to plan a safe transition back to live, in-person programming. She states, “I’m excited and honored to be tasked with the presidency at this time.” The 15-member board of The Ebell has just elected eight new members to serve two-year terms, led by Lombard. A resident of Fremont Place, where she lives with husband Bill Simon and daughter Allie (their other daughter, Emily, lives in Chicago), Lombard has stepped into the Ebell presidency at a particularly challenging time. Heading a nonprofit board is always a big endeavor; the coronavirus fundamentally changes the rules. Luckily, she brings extensive leadership experience to her new position. Lombard, who is co-publisher of the “Larchmont Buzz,” maintains active memberships in both the Hancock Park Garden Club and
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the Windsor Square-Hancock Park Historical Society. She is a Trustee Emeritus of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, where she says, “I learned so much about how to be a good volunteer.” Lombard served two terms as Chair of the Ebell’s charitable arm, the Rest Cottage Association (RCA) and Dinner to go at one term as Vice President of Ebell Membership. Most rel- Musso & Frank evant, perhaps, is the work Musso and Frank Grill, the she did in 2019 on the Ebell’s iconic 101-year-old restaurant Strategic Plan, which defined on Hollywood Boulevard, priorities and identified areas is now open for pickup and in need of reorganization. delivery seven days a week. Even with complications “Musso’s to You” offers many arising from the pandemic, of the items from Musso and Lombard is optimistic that Frank’s traditional menu, she can get The Ebell up and though sadly not its famous running, with a lot of help. martinis. According to Mark “Because of the immediate Echeverria, chief operating crisis, it’s all hands-on-deck officer and fourth generation from the volunteer leaders.” member of the family of Other officers owners, “Offering to-go orders Vice president is Laurie and delivery service is our way Schechter. Treasurer is Don- of supporting our patrons just na Russell, and director of as they have supported us in house and grounds is Caro- 2020 and throughout the 100 BLUTHNER/LARCHMONT 4X2.5.qxp_BLUTHNER/LARCHMONT 4X2.5 8/22/16 line Moser. Director of pro- years that preceded.”
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NEWLY-ELECTED President of The Ebell, Patty Lombard.
grams Phyllis Hansen also will continue her interest in illuminating the past as club historian. Director of membership is Aretha Green. Just days after retiring as deputy city attorney at the City of Los Angeles, Janis Barquist joined the board as director of governance. After a record-breaking fundraising year, director of development Lorraine Spector has been elected for a second term in that capacity. Continuing on the board to complete their terms are recording secretary Karlene Taylor and the following directors: Madelyn Murray (finance), Lizzie Blatt (publications), Suzanne Wilton (historic collections), Randi Jones (Rest Cottage Association), Judith Day (scholarship) and Rebecca Hutchinson (public relations).
Leipzig, Germany since 1853
LA’s oldest family piano store ©LC0320
©LC0512
Certified Pilates Instructor
sisted in protecting some of the most beautiful theaters in the country, right here in Los Angeles. For the foundation’s Zoom-cast, Windsor Square-Hancock Park Historical Society chairman Richard Battaglia had arranged for an invitation to be extended to Society members to tune in, which was well worth doing. How miraculous it will be to see the seats in this structure occupied once again. Thanks to the advocacy of LAHTF and the courage of our frontline health workers, this just might happen. And that’s the chat.
Dr. Danielle Roth
kasimoffpianoslosangeles.com
¨
The morning of July 11, the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation (LAHTF) hosted “Coffee and Conversation” (online, of course). The subject was the Westlake Theatre, located on Alvarado St. at the edge of MacArthur Park. LAHTF members Tiffany Mitsche, David Saffer, Mike Hume and Anthony Caldwell highlighted the crown jewels of the property that include murals by Anthony Heinsbergen and the original threestory steel frame that holds the neon sign on the roof of the building. The 1,950seat theater was designed by Richard D. Bates, Jr. in 1926. Both vaudeville and movies were first presented here to an audience of nearly 2,000. Like so many of our historic structures, it has metamorphized over the last 100 years.
KASIMOFF-BLUTHNER PIANO CO. 337 N. LARCHMONT BL. • HOLLYWOOD, CA 90004
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1965: Mrs. Rudolph W. Alpert (Lora), Mrs. James Anson, Mrs. George M. Bell II (Lucy), Mrs. Henry T.S. Bonesteel (Kay), Mrs. Clyde R. Burr (Alice), Mrs. Eugene Calhoun (Veronica), Mrs. G. Earl Carson (Virginia), Mrs. Norman Chandler (Dorothy), Mrs. Clifford B. Cherry, Mrs. Guy Chaffee Earle, Jr. (Eleanor), Mrs. M.C. Hollingsworth, Mrs. Robert Hope (Marian), Mrs. Miriam Nadel Karr (Miriam), Mrs. Glen H. Mitchel, Mrs. Sigurd Murphy (Dorothy), Mrs. Harry Nelson, Mrs. Lloyd Stevens Nix (Helen), Mrs. Kenneth Olsen, Mrs. Harrison Price, Mrs. Bayard Rhone (Edna), Mrs. Clay Robbins, Mrs. Emily Brinton Sims (Emily), Mrs. Oscar A. Trippet (Bernice), Mrs. Russell Vaughan (Leslie), Mrs. Louise Ward Watkins (Louise), Mrs. William E. Welborne (Polly), Mrs. Donald O. Welton, Mrs. Herbert White, Mrs. Gilbert Woolway 1966: Mrs. Howard Ahmanson (Caroline), Mrs. Fritz Burns (Grace), Mrs. Edwin Curl, Mrs. Cutler Dippell (Jeanette), Miss Julia Stearns Dockweiler, Mrs. Charles E. Donnelly III, Miss Gwen Halvorson, Mrs. Harold Hodge, Mrs. Roy Hoffman (Hazelle), Mrs. J. Edward Johnson, Mrs. Richard Kimbrough (LaVerne), Miss Margo Leonetti, Mrs. Helen Young Luke, Mrs. Alfred Margolis, Reverend Mrs. Henry Melczer, Mrs. Elizabeth Ornduff, Mrs. William Pereira (Margaret), Mrs. Clay Robbins (Anita), Mrs. Charles Russell, Mrs. George Schechter, Mrs. William Scully, Mrs. Marie Semrod, Mrs. William Sesnon (Margaret), Mrs. James C. Smith, Mrs. Frank C. Sullivan (Ruth), Miss Clara Tatley, Mrs. Laughlin Waters (Voula), Mrs. Benjamin Wernett, Mrs. Tony Whan, Mrs. David J. Witmer, Mrs. Ed Yeomans (Pat) 1967: Mrs. Robert Byerts (Betty), Mrs. Edward C. Cazier, Jr. (Vyonne), Mrs. Charles William Crawford (Madeline), Mrs. James Crisafulli (Ruth), Mrs. Richard Dillon (Pat), Mrs. Gabriel Duque (Mary), Mrs. William Fitzgerald (Martha), Mrs. Robert Frampton (Mary), Mrs. John Isaacs (Elizabeth), Mrs. Henry A. Mackie (Virginia), Mrs. William Rowland Moore, Mrs. Harry Mynatt (Helen), Mrs. Aileen Pauley, Mrs. Richard Schuur, Mrs. Donald Shanahan (Jeanne), Anne Thompson Smith, Mrs. Guy Wadsworth (Isabelle) 1968: Miss Jessie D. Brown, Mrs. Bernard V. McDermott (Genevieve), Mrs. Hughes Gregory Morton (Mary) 1969: Mrs. Marvin Chesebro (Vivi), Mrs. Frederick G. Larkin Jr. (Fran), Mrs. Z. Wayne Griffin (Elinor) 1970: Mrs. G. Earl Carson (Virginia), Mrs. Edward Pallette (Vilma), Mrs. James L. Stuart (Joyce) 1971: Mrs. Arden Day (Cookie), Mrs. Andrew Fenady (Mary Frances), Mrs. Leonard Meyberg (Lorraine), Mrs. Ogden Vest (Janice) 1972: Mrs. Lemuel Bancroft (Evelyn), Mrs. Ed Borcherdt, Jr. (Wendy), Mrs. Harry Burk (Margaret), Mrs. Sandy Elster (Ernestine), Mrs. A. Richard Kimbrough (Laverne), Georgia Bullock Lloyd, Mrs. John McClure (Lil) 1973: Mrs. Hal Blackman (Mary), Mrs. Giles Mead (Dr. Sylvia Earle), Mrs. J. Roy Hoffman (Hazelle), Mrs. David Schine (Hillevi), Mrs. Maurice Schwarz (Marj), Mrs. Ralph Singer (Joan), Mrs. Frederick Wehrle (Eleanor) 1974: Mrs. Dan Bond (Beth), Mrs. Howard Fitzpatrick (Barbara), Mrs. William Rowland Moore (Sally), Mrs. Jerry Patterson (Carol) 1975: Mrs. Willard Z. Carr, Jr. (Margaret), Mrs. Norman Chandler (Dorothy), Mrs. John Glessner (Alice Taylor), Mrs. Margery Margolis, Mrs. Holmes Tuttle (Virginia) 1976: Mrs. George Gibbs (Gretchen), Mrs. Don Keene (Linda), Mrs. Joe Turner (Marge), Judge Mary Waters, Mrs. Ed Yeomans (Pat) 1977: Mrs. Lucy Ann Bell (McBain), Mrs. Roger Craddock (Iris), Mrs. Gordon Crary (Mary), Mrs. George W. Dickinson (Ginny), Mrs. Floyd Kirby (Dora), Mrs. Bill Stinehart (Martha), Mrs. Larry Thrall (Beverly) 1978: Miss Cecil Carnes, Pat Hug, Mrs. Alec Jack (Lee), Mrs. Howard Fithian Kingman (Adelaide), Mrs. Lawrence O'Neill (Dr. Ynez Violé), Mrs. George Rice (Kathleen), Mrs. David Stern (Pat), Mrs. Larry Yust (Clara) 1979: Mrs. Beecher Baldwin (Jane), Mrs. Robert Craig (Eve), Miss Leslie Newquist, Mrs. Gregor Norman-Wilcox (Grace), Mrs. Nate Synder (Elizabeth), Mrs. William L. Tooley (Reva) 1980: Mrs. Mickey McCullough (Irene), Mrs. Owens Miller (Margaret Mary), Mrs. Alfred Orena (Catharine), Mrs. Daniel Sooy (Mary), Sheila Tepper, Mrs. Davis von Wittenburg (Jean) 1981: Mrs. Jim Bonorris (Lucy Zahran), Mrs. William J. Flaherty (Bonnie), Mrs. Robert Gates (Anne), Mrs. William Hinckle (Lupe), Mrs. Richard Hoffman (Evelyn) 1982: Mrs. M.L. Brittain III (Kilbee), Mrs. Richard "Skip" Byrne (Chickie), Mrs. Steve Griffith (Louise), Mrs. Harry Robbins Haldeman (Jo), Mrs. Kenneth Olsen (Dorothy) 1983: Mrs. Henry P. Baldwin Jr. (Virginia), Mrs. Donald Chalker (Mary Ann), Mrs. Linda Hadley Keller, Mrs. Tom Reddin (Betty), Judge Pam Rymer, Mrs. Rod Tull (Tanya) 1984: Mrs. David Bosko (Carmela), Mrs. Craig Combs (Anne), Mrs. George Fritzinger (Grace), Mrs. Barney Leason (Jody Jacobs), Mrs. Angus McLeod (Peggy), Mrs. Vernon Underwood (Adrienne) 1985: Mrs. Carl Barrow (Bernadine), Mrs. Gabriel Carlos Duque Jr. (Marilyn), Mrs. Warner Henry (Carol), Mrs. Elliot Roberts (Gwen), Mrs. Walter Ryon (Joy), Sonia Suk 1986: Mrs. Dwight Kendall (Dona), Mrs. Miguel Llanos (Nelly), Mrs. Bruce Ludwig (Carolyn), Mrs. Stuart Singer (Vilma Martinez), Mrs. Romus Soucek (Anne) 1987: Mrs. Roy Bushee (Joan), Mrs. Marcus Crahan (Catherine), Mrs. Tom Hodgkiss (Toni), Mrs. Barry Lundy (Gwen), Mrs. Jim Powers (Nadia) 1988: Mrs. Paul Avazian (Grace), Mrs. Shannon Clyne (Pamela), Mrs. Brian Dockweiler Crahan (Michele), Mrs. William Curtis (Helen Shepherd), Mrs. Ben Hayes (Terry), Mrs. Joseph Keon (Sally) 1989: Mrs. Lance Erikson (Suzanne), Mrs. John Estrada (Anne), Mrs. George Fujii (Gertrude), Mrs. Bob Gershon (Barbara), Mrs. Frank Moulton (Marilyn) 1990: Mrs. Norman Branchflower (Suzanne), Mrs. John Ferraro (Margaret), Esther Hays, Mrs. Michael O'Connell (Margo), Mrs. Martin Wolff (Donna) 1991: Mrs. Walter Allen (Mary), Mrs. John Brinsley (Louise), Mrs. Lockwood Haight (Joyce), Mrs. Luther Newby (Jo), Mrs. Ragnar Qvale (Mollie) 1992: Mrs. Larry Gillham (Elsa), Mrs. Rick McKnight (Linda), Mrs. Charles Witt (Colette), Mrs. James Young (Brooke) 1993: Mrs. Robert Andrews (Adrianne), Mrs. Thomas Larkin (Margaret), Mrs. Ron Mandelbaum (Mercy), Mrs. Sandy McLean (Fluff) 1994: Mrs. Robert Auth (Peggy), Mrs. Bill Conti (Shelby), Mrs. Michael Enright (Carol), Mrs. Michael J. Hennigan (Phyllis), Mrs. James Twerdahl (Daryl) 1995: Mrs. Jack Blumenthal (Susan), Mrs. Michael Cornwell (Diane), Mrs. Steve Feller (Katy), Mrs. Peter Gates (Kay), Mrs. Eric Shewfelt (Olga) 1996: Carolyn Bennett, Phyllis Lanni, Loretta Morgenstern, Betty Jean Shea 1997: Sally Acosta, Margaret Chambers, Ellen Hoberman, Jane Spuehler, Cameron Taylor-Brown 1998: Jan Atchity, Ann Bloxsom, Barbara Coad, Marion Plato 1999: Maureen Binder, Sandy Boeck, Barbara Hardesty, Therese Holz, Laurie Stoneman 2000: Gloria Carroll, Jennifer Fain, Beth Grimes, Laura Hotchkiss, Barbara Yaroslavsky 2001: June Bilgore, Lyn MacEwen Cohen, Cindi du Bois, Brenda Newby, Mary Adams O'Connell 2002: Linda Dean, Michele Kneafsey, Angela Maria Sacchi, Fern Wallace 2003: Karla Ahmanson, Cindy Chvatal-Keane, Joane Henneberger Pickett, Mary Pickhardt 2004: Betsy Anderson, Kay Balue, Sherry Marks, Alyce Morris Winston 2005: Henrietta Consentino, Sally Davies, Robin Kramer, Mary Rajswing 2006: Heather Boylston, Margy Hudson, Rebecca Hutchinson, Suz Landay, Mary Nelson, Lindsay Sturman 2007: Alysoun Higgins, Blaire Larsen, Kerry Morrison, Kate Nunes, Wendy Savage 2008: Liz Fuller, Carol Leahy, Jane Usher, Jan Wieringa 2009: Annie Johnson, Patty Lombard, Kelley Nelson, Robby O'Donnell 2010: Laura Foti Cohen, Jan Daley, Karen Gilman, Myrna Robin Gintel 2011: Jennifer DeVore, Julie Grist, Joanne Medeiros, Kathleen Mulligan 2012: Jan Blacher, Flo Fowkes, Patty Hill, Debbie Willis 2013: Shelagh Callahan, Caroline Labiner Moser, Areva Martin, Jacqueline McNally Kruse 2014: Wendy Clifford, Diane Gilmore, Frances Hoge, Susan Kneafsey 2015: Melanie Boettcher, Patti Carroll, Susan Grossman, Julie Stromberg 2016: Jill Bauman, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Regina Chung, Vivian Gueler 2017: Janna Bodek Harris, Janet Clayton, Diane Hawley, Sheri Weller 2018: Hilary Crahan, Diane Dicksteen, Jane Gilman, Lynn Hall Russell 2019: Shonda Rhimes, Tammy Rosato, Allison Schallert, Marilyn Wells 2020: Edie Frere, Kari Garcia, Geraldine Hurley, Madelyn Murray
55 Years of
1965-2020
Edie Frère
Madelyn Murray
Geraldine Hurley
Kari Garcia
Larchmont Chronicle
10
WOMEN OF LARCHMONT 2020
1965 Mrs. Rudolph W. Alpert (Lora), Mrs. James Anson, Mrs. George M. Bell II (Lucy), Mrs. Henry T.S. Bonesteel (Kay), Mrs. Clyde R. Burr (Alice), Mrs. Eugene Calhoun (Veronica), Mrs. G. Earl Carson (Virginia), Mrs. Norman Chandler (Dorothy), Mrs. Clifford B. Cherry, Mrs. Guy Chaffee Earle, Jr. (Eleanor), Mrs. M.C. Hollingsworth, Mrs. Robert Hope (Marian), Mrs. Miriam Nadel Karr (Miriam), Mrs. Glen H. Mitchel, Mrs. Sigurd Murphy (Dorothy), Mrs. Harry Nelson, Mrs. Lloyd Stevens Nix (Helen), Mrs. Kenneth Olsen, Mrs. Harrison Price, Mrs. Bayard Rhone (Edna), Mrs. Clay Robbins, Mrs. Emily Brinton Sims (Emily), Mrs. Oscar A. Trippet (Bernice), Mrs. Russell Vaughan (Leslie), Mrs. Louise Ward Watkins (Louise), Mrs. William E. Welborne (Polly), Mrs. Donald O. Welton, Mrs. Herbert White, Mrs. Gilbert Woolway 1966 Mrs. Howard Ahmanson (Caroline), Mrs. Fritz Burns (Grace), Mrs. Edwin Curl, Mrs. Cutler Dippell (Jeanette), Miss Julia Stearns Dockweiler, Mrs. Charles E. Donnelly III, Miss Gwen Halvorson, Mrs. Harold Hodge, Mrs. Roy Hoffman (Hazelle), Mrs. J. Edward Johnson, Mrs. Richard Kimbrough (LaVerne), Miss Margo Leonetti, Mrs. Helen Young Luke, Mrs. Alfred Margolis, Reverend Mrs. Henry Melczer, Mrs. Elizabeth Ornduff, Mrs. William Pereira (Margaret), Mrs. Clay Robbins (Anita), Mrs. Charles Russell, Mrs. George Schechter, Mrs. William Scully, Mrs. Marie Semrod, Mrs. William Sesnon (Margaret), Mrs. James C. Smith, Mrs. Frank C. Sullivan (Ruth), Miss Clara Tatley, Mrs. Laughlin Waters (Voula), Mrs. Benjamin Wernett, Mrs. Tony Whan, Mrs. David J. Witmer, Mrs. Ed Yeomans (Pat) 1967 Mrs. Robert Byerts (Betty), Mrs. Edward C. Cazier, Jr. (Vyonne), Mrs. Charles William Crawford (Madeline), Mrs. James Crisafulli (Ruth), Mrs. Richard Dillon (Pat), Mrs. Gabriel Duque (Mary), Mrs. William Fitzgerald (Martha), Mrs. Robert Frampton (Mary), Mrs. John Isaacs (Elizabeth), Mrs. Henry A. Mackie (Virginia),
Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
55 years of Women of Larchmont By John Welborne 55 years ago, my brilliant editorial predecessor, Jane Gilman, and her advertising genius colleague, Dawne Goodwin, decided to create a special section each year featuring the “Women of Larchmont.” This was just the third year of their Larchmont Chronicle enterprise, which they founded in 1963. As the paper stated on the cover of its first Women of Larchmont section: “This annual section is a tribute to these women, who, through their gifts of time, money, ideas and talent have enriched our city.” Noble and accurate thoughts! Of course, that statement also did go on to describe Women of Larchmont as “a tireless army of petticoats…” Times change! And here we are, now reflecting upon 55 years of publishing stories about amazing local women and what they do for the community. To accompany this 2020 special section, we have attempted to list all of the “Women of Larchmont” from the past decades. There is a bit of a challenge in doing this, because times do change. During the first three years, the special section was chockfull of articles about local women and their accomplishments,
primarily philanthropic. I have learned that the editors in those first years enlisted the publicity chairwomen of many local women’s organizations to draft and submit stories that generally ended up being about the then-current presidents of their organizations.
The cover For the first three years, the cover of the special section — part of an all-black-and-white newspaper — featured fashion drawings, typical of the blackand-white newspaper advertisements of the time. In the fourth year, 1968, Jane and Dawne started the section with photographs on the cover of some of the women whose sto-
ries would be in the section. Internally, the editors began to refer to these as the “cover girls.” We try not to use that term these days. Also about that time, the paper’s coverage began evolving from utilizing the contributions from organizations’ publicity chairs to having the paper’s staff writers and editors focus on interviewing a few distinguished female members of our community for the August issue. There would be fewer stories, and photos of the subjects of the feature articles would be included on the cover of the section. That is why, on the accompanying list, beginning in 1968, we end up leaving out many women about whom interesting stories were included in a given year’s “Women of Larchmont” section. For example, because they were not on the cover, the 1968 stories on Maria Cole (Mrs. Nat King Cole), Liz Peeler, Ethel Toll, and 11 others are not included in the accompanying list. The 1969 list leaves out Betty Ann Hibbard, Virginia Knight (Mrs. Goodwin Knight), Princess Conchita Pignatelli, Anne Shaw Price, and eight other ladies about whom interesting stories were written. And so it goes today. (Cover photos by Bill Devlin.)
Mrs. William Rowland Moore, Mrs. Harry Mynatt (Helen), Mrs. Aileen Pauley, Mrs. Richard Schuur, Mrs. Donald Shanahan (Jeanne), Anne Thompson Smith, Mrs. Guy Wadsworth (Isabelle) 1968 Miss Jessie D. Brown, Mrs. Bernard V. McDermott (Genevieve), Mrs. Hughes Gregory Morton (Mary) 1969 Mrs. Marvin Chesebro (Vivi), Mrs. Frederick G. Larkin Jr. (Fran), Mrs. Z. Wayne Griffin (Elinor)
1970 Mrs. G. Earl Carson (Virginia), Mrs. Edward Pallette (Vilma), Mrs. James L. Stuart (Joyce) 1971 Mrs. Arden Day (Cookie), Mrs. Andrew Fenady (Mary Frances), Mrs. Leonard Meyberg (Lorraine), Mrs. Ogden Vest (Janice) 1972 Mrs. Lemuel Bancroft (Evelyn), Mrs. Ed Borcherdt, Jr. (Wendy), Mrs. Harry Burk (Margaret), Mrs. Sandy Elster (Ernestine), Mrs. A. Richard Kimbrough (Laverne), Georgia Bullock Lloyd, Mrs. John McClure (Lil) 1973 Mrs. Hal Blackman (Mary), Mrs. Giles Mead (Dr. Sylvia Earle), Mrs. J. Roy Hoffman (Hazelle), Mrs. David Schine (Hillevi), Mrs. Maurice Schwarz (Marj), Mrs. Ralph Singer (Joan), Mrs. Frederick Wehrle (Eleanor) 1974 Mrs. Dan Bond (Beth), Mrs. Howard Fitzpatrick (Barbara), Mrs. William Rowland Moore (Sally), Mrs. Jerry Patterson (Carol) 1975 Mrs. Willard Z. Carr, Jr. (Margaret), Mrs. Norman Chandler (Dorothy), Mrs. John Glessner (Alice Taylor), Mrs. Margery Margolis, Mrs. Holmes Tuttle (Virginia) 1976 Mrs. George Gibbs (Gretchen), Mrs. Don Keene (Linda), Mrs. Joe Turner (Marge), Judge Mary Waters, Mrs. Ed Yeomans (Pat) 1977 Mrs. Lucy Ann Bell (McBain), Mrs. Roger Craddock (Iris), Mrs. Gordon Crary (Mary), Mrs. George W. Dickinson (Ginny), Mrs. Floyd Kirby (Dora), Mrs. Bill Stinehart (Martha), Mrs. Larry Thrall (Beverly)
Larchmont Chronicle
1979 Mrs. Beecher Baldwin (Jane), Mrs. Robert Craig (Eve), Miss Leslie Newquist, Mrs. Gregor Norman-Wilcox (Grace), Mrs. Nate Synder (Elizabeth), Mrs. William L. Tooley (Reva) 1980 Mrs. Mickey McCullough (Irene), Mrs. Owens Miller (Margaret Mary), Mrs. Alfred Orena (Catharine), Mrs. Daniel Sooy (Mary), Sheila Tepper, Mrs. Davis von Wittenburg (Jean) 1981 Mrs. Jim Bonorris (Lucy Zahran), Mrs. William J. Flaherty (Bonnie), Mrs. Robert Gates (Anne), Mrs. William Hinckle (Lupe), Mrs. Richard Hoffman (Evelyn) 1982 Mrs. M.L. Brittain III (Kilbee), Mrs. Richard “Skip” Byrne (Chickie), Mrs. Steve Griffith (Louise), Mrs. Harry Robbins Haldeman (Jo), Mrs. Kenneth Olsen (Dorothy) 1983 Mrs. Henry P. Baldwin Jr. (Virginia), Mrs. Donald Chalker (Mary Ann), Mrs. Linda Hadley Keller, Mrs. Tom Reddin (Betty), Judge Pam Rymer, Mrs. Rod Tull (Tanya) 1984 Mrs. David Bosko (Carmela), Mrs. Craig Combs (Anne), Mrs. George Fritzinger (Grace), Mrs. Barney Leason (Jody Jacobs), Mrs. Angus McLeod (Peggy), Mrs. Vernon Underwood (Adrienne) 1985 Mrs. Carl Barrow (Bernadine), Mrs. Gabriel Carlos Duque Jr. (Marilyn), Mrs. Warner Henry (Carol), Mrs. Elliot Roberts (Gwen), Mrs. Walter Ryon (Joy), Sonia Suk 1986 Mrs. Dwight Kendall (Dona), Mrs. Miguel Llanos (Nelly), Mrs. Bruce Ludwig (Carolyn), Mrs. Stuart Singer (Vilma Martinez), Mrs. Romus Soucek (Anne) 1987 Mrs. Roy Bushee (Joan), Mrs. Marcus Crahan (Catherine), Mrs. Tom Hodgkiss
WOMEN OF LARCHMONT 2020
11
Edie Frère reflects on her years on Larchmont By Billy Taylor Edie Frère has been a fixture in the Larchmont community for most of her life. She grew up in homes on Third Avenue in Wilshire Park and McCadden Place in Hancock Park, has lived for many years on Las Palmas Avenue in Hancock Park, and this coming October will celebrate the 30th anniversary of her Larchmont Boulevard store: Landis Gifts & Stationery. In her youth, Edie Dunn attended Wilton Place Elementary and Marlborough School. “I can remember shopping at the old record store on Larchmont Boulevard, Stratton’s, called ‘Strat’s,’ where you would go into these booths and listen to 45s and sneak and carve your initials into the walls,” Frere told us last month. “Back in those days, everybody knew each other’s names.”
Edie Frère
Adventure and travel When it came time for college, Dunn set off for Stanford, where she studied history and art history. After graduating, she left for New York City to seek adventure and travel, but after a short while she decided: “NYC was just not what I wanted.” Instead,
she packed her bags for Wash., D.C., where she accepted a role in the State Department with the Chief of Protocol. Later, when her boss was named ambassador to Denmark, she packed her bags for Copenhagen. After a year in that role, she accepted an opportunity to serve as the social secretary for the U.S. Ambassador to France, a position she held for more than a decade. “I can remember the move from Denmark to France because it was the day we landed on the moon. I watched the moon landing in Denmark, and the next day I got on a train to France,” she says. While living abroad, she met her husband, Christian Frère, and they started a family. Return to Larchmont It was in 1984 that the Frère family, which now included two young kids, returned to
the neighborhood, settling in a home on Las Palmas just a couple of blocks from her childhood home. Several years later, Frère heard rumors that Larchmont’s beloved Landis Department Store, which had been a fixture on the Boulevard since 1933, might soon close with the retirement of owner Bob Landis. At the time, Frère had partnered with her neighbor Christine Wolfus, and the two were operating a gift catalogue from inside their homes. “When Bob Landis was going to retire, we didn’t want that kind of business to leave the Boulevard. We thought it was important to keep the Landis name because it was such an important part of Larchmont. And we thought the community needed a store that served that same purpose,” explains Frère. (Please turn to page 18)
FROM THE WOMEN OF
WILSHIRE ESCROW ANITA BARRY TONI BEYMER TAMRA CUNNINGHAM KATHY GASTELUM BEVERLY HARPER LESLIE LIM
SALUTING THE
2020 WOMEN OF LARCHMONT
SHARON MELANCON ELLEN SHEWFELT MULTARI ELIZABETH PENA SHEIBA RAJADAS KRISTIN SHEWFELT MAKI MOON SHEWFELT MARTHA TREJO
Owned and operated by the Shewfelt Family since 1944 4270 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90010
323.935.3530 www.wilslhire escrow.com
©LC0820
1978 Miss Cecil Carnes, Pat Hug, Mrs. Alec Jack (Lee), Mrs. Howard Fithian Kingman (Adelaide), Mrs. Lawrence O’Neill (Dr. Ynez Violé), Mrs. George Rice (Kathleen), Mrs. David Stern (Pat), Mrs. Larry Yust (Clara)
AUGUST 2020
Photo by Henning Witzel on Unsplash
WOMEN OF LARCHMONT 2020
(Toni), Mrs. Barry Lundy (Gwen), Mrs. Jim Powers (Nadia) 1988 Mrs. Paul Avazian (Grace), Mrs. Shannon Clyne (Pamela), Mrs. Brian Dockweiler Crahan (Michele), Mrs. William Curtis (Helen Shepherd), Mrs. Ben Hayes (Terry), Mrs. Joseph Keon (Sally) 1989 Mrs. Lance Erikson (Suzanne), Mrs. John Estrada (Anne), Mrs. George Fujii (Gertrude), Mrs. Bob Gershon (Barbara), Mrs. Frank Moulton (Marilyn) 1990 Mrs. Norman Branchflower (Suzanne), Mrs. John Ferraro (Margaret), Esther Hays, Mrs. Michael O’Connell (Margo), Mrs. Martin Wolff (Donna) 1991 Mrs. Walter Allen (Mary), Mrs. John Brinsley (Louise), Mrs. Lockwood Haight (Joyce), Mrs. Luther Newby (Jo), Mrs. Ragnar Qvale (Mollie) 1992 Mrs. Larry Gillham (Elsa), Mrs. Rick McKnight (Linda), Mrs. Charles Witt (Colette), Mrs. James Young (Brooke) 1993 Mrs. Robert Andrews (Adrianne), Mrs. Thomas Larkin (Margaret), Mrs. Ron Mandelbaum (Mercy), Mrs. Sandy McLean (Fluff) 1994 Mrs. Robert Auth (Peggy), Mrs. Bill Conti (Shelby), Mrs. Michael Enright (Carol), Mrs. Michael J. Hennigan (Phyllis), Mrs. James Twerdahl (Daryl) 1995 Mrs. Jack Blumenthal (Susan), Mrs. Michael Cornwell (Diane), Mrs. Steve Feller (Katy), Mrs. Peter Gates (Kay), Mrs. Eric Shewfelt (Olga) 1996 Carolyn Bennett, Phyllis Lanni, Loretta Morgenstern, Betty Jean Shea 1997 Sally Acosta, Margaret Chambers, Ellen Hoberman, Jane Spuehler, Cameron Taylor-Brown 1998 Jan Atchity, Ann Bloxsom, Barbara Coad, Marion Plato 1999 Maureen Binder, Sandy Boeck, Barbara Hardesty, Therese Holz, Laurie Stoneman 2000 Gloria Carroll, Jennifer Fain, Beth Grimes, Laura Hotchkiss, Barbara Yaroslavsky
Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
Kari Garcia strives to keep us all safe By Suzan Filipek You will survive. Whether it’s an earthquake, a robbery or some other crisis, Kari Garcia wants you to know there are tools and neighbors to help and there are all sorts of ways to be prepared. Oh, and the next big earthquake, it’s not biding its time waiting for a vaccine against the coronavirus. “The earthquake actually could hit at any time,” warns Garcia, head of the Safety Committee and a Vice President of the Miracle Mile Residential Association (MMRA). Thoughts of an impending disaster keep the trained nurse and mother of four up at night. “If you were worried about toilet paper [during the COVID-19 crisis] you might want to worry about an earthquake and be prepared with a few supplies… “If it doesn’t happen, you’ll feel safer for knowing you are ready.” The Marin County native has never been one to shy away from a crisis. After she graduated from UC San Francisco, she worked in intensive care units at several hospitals — St. John’s in Santa Monica, Good Samaritan, and Olympia Medical Center — before staying home to raise her children, ages 18-26. Garcia moved here 28 years ago after marrying into a longtime Miracle Mile family and into a house on a street where her husband Art Garcia grew up. She enjoys the close proximity to museums and the Mile’s storied architecture and family-friendly streets. “We’re very old-fashioned. We’ve lived a house away from my in-laws. We’ve just loved it here.” Her father-in-law has since died, and Kari helps care for Art’s mother. His parents, who were once head of housekeeping for Olympia, assisted when the children were growing up. She extends that sense of interconnectedness to her
Kari Garcia
neighbors. The “Four Corners” — Miracle Mile, Park La Brea, La Brea Hancock and Sycamore Square — share resources and communication, which “makes for a stronger society,” says Garcia. Armed with a detailed plan, the four neighborhood groups share a list of volunteers equipped with two-way radios and a pre-determined community meeting place in a disaster. Garcia encourages residents to have available: water, food and first aid, as well as other supplies listed on the City of Los Angeles Emergency Management Dept. RYLAN (Ready Your LA Neighborhood) website. Garcia also participates in the Los Angeles Fire Dept.’s CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) program. She was set to bring the community up to date on disaster preparedness at the annual MMRA meeting in March. It was cancelled because of the novel coronavirus. Then, the Black Lives Matter protests and local looting followed. While the Miracle Mile was not hard hit, its Neighborhood Watch program was still credited with keeping the lines of communication open and soothing rattled nerves. Kari reignited the sleepy Neighborhood Watch program two years ago after a spate of burglaries in her neighborhood and more serious incidents. In one, a repeat offender
— an opioid schizophrenic — had compromised the alarm system and turned the power off at her home in an attempt to break in while she was inside. The incident kick-started Garcia into action. Today, she coordinates the Mile’s 30 block captains. She simplified the city Neighborhood Watch plan into a threetier approach: harden your target, utilize the LAPD and a dedicated private patrol, and be active in your Neighborhood Watch. She’s a big fan of Wilshire Division’s new Capt. Shannon Paulson (“the most effective captain we’ve seen”), as well as the senior lead and other officers in the division. While there is room for improvement in police departments everywhere, for increased justice and for “reform,” Garcia says that — to get there — “we need to participate with them and have an open dialogue… “That’s how it works with my family, and that’s how it works in my neighborhood and on my block, and that’s how it should work with the LAPD. “People need to be part of their community. They need to know what’s going on with their community police.” She encourages residents to join her at Wilshire Division meetings held the third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m., these days on Zoom. She represents the Miracle Mile on the board of the local LAPD CPAB (Community Police Advisory Board). After tackling the Neighborhood Watch program, Garcia turned her attention to security issues on the commercial and retail side of her community. She founded the Miracle Mile Business Watch last year after reports of crime had unsettled shopkeepers. The program has grown to include 35 businesses from a (Please turn to page 18)
Thank you Larchmont for 19 great years on the Boulevard!
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2001 June Bilgore, Lyn MacEwen Cohen, Cindi du Bois, Brenda Newby, Mary Adams O’Connell 2002 Linda Dean, Michele Kneafsey, Angela Maria Sacchi, Fern Wallace 2003 Karla Ahmanson, Cindy Chvatal-Keane, Joane Henneberger Pickett, Mary Pickhardt 2004 Betsy Anderson, Kay Balue, Sherry Marks, Alyce Morris Winston 2005 Henrietta Consentino, Sally Davies, Robin Kramer, Mary Rajswing 2006 Heather Boylston, Margy Hudson, Rebecca Hutchinson, Suz Landay, Mary Nelson, Lindsay Sturman 2007 Alysoun Higgins, Blaire Larsen, Kerry Morrison, Kate Nunes, Wendy Savage 2008 Liz Fuller, Carol Leahy, Jane Usher, Jan Wieringa 2009 Annie Johnson, Patty Lombard, Kelley Nelson, Robby O’Donnell 2010 Laura Foti Cohen, Jan Daley, Karen Gilman, Myrna Robin Gintel 2011 Jennifer DeVore, Julie Grist, Joanne Medeiros, Kathleen Mulligan 2012 Jan Blacher, Flo Fowkes, Patty Hill, Debbie Willis 2013 Shelagh Callahan, Caroline Labiner Moser, Areva Martin, Jacqueline McNally Kruse 2014 Wendy Clifford, Diane Gilmore, Frances Hoge, Susan Kneafsey 2015 Melanie Boettcher, Patti Carroll, Susan Grossman, Julie Stromberg 2016 Jill Bauman, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Regina Chung, Vivian Gueler 2017 Janna Bodek Harris, Janet Clayton, Diane Hawley, Sheri Weller 2018 Hilary Crahan, Diane Dicksteen, Jane Gilman, Lynn Hall Russell 2019 Shonda Rhimes, Tammy Rosato, Allison Schallert, Marilyn Wells 2020 Edie Frère, Kari Garcia, Geraldine Hurley, Madelyn Murray
Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
WOMEN OF LARCHMONT 2020
13
Introducing
at the offices of
3 2 1 N La r c h m o n t B l v d. # 9 0 6 Lo s A n g e l e s, C A 9 0 0 0 4 323.464.8046 w w w. r e b e c c a f i t z g e r a l d m d. c o m
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The following organizations involve many Larchmont Chronicle neighbors, and while the pandemic may have disrupted nonprofit organizations’ activities this year, these groups are still viable and active. If your group is not listed, or if you see information that needs to be updated, please write to circulation@larchmontchronicle.com or call 323-462-2241, ext. 13.
Philanthropic ALEXANDRIA HOUSE
Michelle Tonn, executive director. Judy Vaughan, founding director. Purpose: A transitional residence for single women and women with children in the process of moving from homelessness to permanent housing. Volunteers are needed for preparing meals, mentoring, job and entrepreneurial coaching, childcare, gardening and more. Donations are always appreciated. Contact Michele Richards, development director, 213381-2649 or michele@alexandriahouse.org.
ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL
Jenny Chow, president. Seven members. Purpose: Chartered in 1938, serves and provides support to School on Wheels, Good Shepherd Shelter for Homeless Women, Braille Institute and Hope-Net. 213-810-8791.
ASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF LOS ANGELES
Kathy Balzer, Board President. Melanie Merians, Chief Executive Officer. 500+ members. Purpose: In its 101st year, the League seeks to improve the quality of lives of at-risk children and their families. Programs range from an accredited preschool, to two clothing and school supplies programs for homeless and foster youth, as well as a theater for children and a new scholarship program for graduating high school seniors who are homeless or in foster care. Auxiliaries and their chairs include Anne Banning Auxiliary (for Operation School Bell), Debbie Roper; College Alumnae Auxiliary, Barbara Hardesty; Hilltoppers Auxiliary (for Foster Children’s Resource Center), Judy Davis; Mannequins Auxiliary, Donna Econn; Nine O’Clock Players Auxiliary (for Theatre for Children Program), Lenore Schlachtman and Preschool Auxiliary (for Preschool Learning Center), Yvonne Cazier. Other types of memberships for young professionals and families are also available. Contact Kai Tramiel, Director of Membership and Community Outreach at 323-545-4847, ktramiel@assistanceleaguela.org or visit assistanceleaguela.org.
AVIVA FAMILY AND CHILDREN SERVICES PLATINUM ASSOCIATES
Purpose: Fundraising group for Aviva Family and Children’s Services, providing support, therapeutic services and guidance to at-risk young women, children and families. Programs bring families back together, promote permanency, and build stronger and more empowered families. Contact Cynthia Tirado at 323-8760550, ext. 1107, or development@aviva.org.
AVIVA FAMILY AND CHILDREN SERVICES ASSOCIATE BOARD OF PROFESSIONALS
Purpose: A committee of professionals and business leaders dedicated to increasing community awareness and support for Aviva’s mission by strategizing to expand outreach in the community through innovative and effective fundraising, marketing and volunteerism. Visit aviva.org or contact Cynthia Tirado at 323-8760550, ext. 1107, or development@aviva.org.
BIG SUNDAY
Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
WOMEN OF LARCHMONT 2020
DIRECTORY OF WHO'S WHO
California solely dedicated to addressing the comprehensive and legal needs of women and girls. The three primary activities are education and support services, including training; impact litigation, including lawsuits and amicus briefs; and policy advocacy. CWLC places particular emphasis on effecting change for low-income and indigent women and girls. 323-951-1041; cwlc.org.
CHILDHELP
Pat Whiting, president. 100 members. Meets every 2nd Thurs. except July, Aug. and Dec. Purpose: Address the physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs of abused, neglected and at-risk children by focusing efforts and resources in the areas of advocacy, prevention, treatment, and community outreach. 323-465-4016; childhelp.org.
THE COLLEAGUES
Jenny Jones, president. Purpose: Supports Children’s Institute, Inc. to help children affected by violence, abuse and other trauma through fundraising and operating The Colleagues Boutique, a designer resale and vintage clothing store at 3312 Pico Blvd. 213260-7621; thecolleagues.com.
development, healthy living and social re- 9964; friendlyhousela.org. sponsibility. 323-467-4161; ymcala.org. PROJECT ANGEL FOOD HOPE-NET Richard Ayoub, executive director. Jason Levi Webb, executive director. 13 food pan- Ball, KTLA chair. Founded in 1989 by Maritry members. Board meets monthly. Pur- anne Williamson and a group of volunteers pose: Hope Net is a non-profit organiza- to provide food to those combating the eftion whose mission is to empower indi- fects of HIV/AIDS. Project Angel Food conviduals and families facing food insecurity tinues to serve the critically ill and provides with access to available resources in col- 2,154 free meals per day with the increased laboration with inter-faith agencies. Taste need during the COVID-19 pandemic, along of Larchmont is usually the last Monday in with love and support, to men and women August. 213-389-9949; levi@hopenetla.org. battling critical illness, including cancer, kidney failure, diabetes, congestive heart JEFFREY FOUNDATION Alyce Morris Winston, founder and CEO. disease and other illnesses, and their depenPurpose: Provide services for special needs dent children. 323-845-1800; angelfood.org. children and their families, typically chilUPLIFT FAMILY SERVICES dren from three months through age 22. AT HOLLYGROVE 323-965-7536; thejeffreyfoundation.org. Purpose: Family-centered community orgaJUNIOR LEAGUE OF LOS ANGELES nization serving abused and neglected chilBuffany Hunter, president. 1,100 members. dren to age 18, and those at risk of abuse Founded in 1926. Seven general meetings Sept. or neglect or in poverty. 323-463-2119; upto May. Purpose: Promote voluntarism, develop liftfs.org/about/hollygrove. women’s potential and improve the community through effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. 323-957-4280; jlla.org. ARCS FOUNDATION, INC.
Civic
JUNIORS OF SOCIAL SERVICE LOS ANGELES FOUNDER CHAPTER COLLEAGUE HELPERS IN Purpose: Fundraising and other support for Sharon Fadem, president. 68 members. PHILANTHROPIC SERVICE (CHIPS) Regis House Community Center, owned and Meets monthly Sept. through June. Pur-
Purpose: Support Children’s Institute, Inc. with its work to help children affected by violence, abuse and other trauma. Fundraising and volunteer efforts include boutique fashion events, hosting special children’s activities, and donating and distributing toys. 213-260-7621; thechips.org.
CUISINE Á ROULETTES
Members come together to fulfill the mission to fundraise and provide volunteer support for St. Vincent Meals on Wheels. Founded in 1983 by Nelly Llanos Kilroy, Bea Wallace and others in the neighborhood, Cuisine is still going strong. Two general membership meetings yearly at St. Vincent Meals on Wheels. Open board meetings monthly. Purpose: Help MOW, needed now more than ever. For information, contact Daryl Twerdahl at 213-4847112; dtwerdahl@stvincentmow.org.
DIDI HIRSCH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Michael Wierwille, board chair. Dr. Jonathan Goldfinger, CEO. Debbi Winter, vice president of development. Established in 1942. Purpose: Provide mental health and substance use services to low income children and adults in the Los Angeles area. The Suicide Prevention Center offers 24/7 multi-lingual crisis services, therapy support and training for people affected by suicide. Two annual fundraisers: Erase the Stigma Awards in April and Alive and Running 5K for suicide prevention in September. 310-751-5331; didihirsch.org.
EBELL OF LOS ANGELES
Patty Lombard, president. 500+ members. Purpose: Women’s club with philanthropic, cultural and educational programs that support 20 charities that help women and children and grants for over 50 college scholarships each year. Holds lunches with guest speakers, wine and dine dinners, barbecues, art receptions, dances, holiday events, play readings, film screenings, book clubs, and crafts workshops in a National Register historic Italian Renaissance building., Meredyth Deighton, membership director. 323-931-1277 or visit ebellofla.com.
David Levinson, founder and executive director. FREEDOMS FOUNDATION Purpose: Connects people by providing a variety AT VALLEY FORGE of volunteer opportunities to improve lives and Judith Mancini, president. Purpose: Raise build community. Board of directors meet four funds to provide scholarships to students times a year. 323-549-9944. bigsunday.org. and accredited teachers to participate in the BLIND CHILDREN’S CENTER Foundation’s educational programs. 310Jeff Leitzinger, board president. Sarah Orth, 729-6338; freedomsfoundation.org. CEO. Scott Kassel, director of development GOOD SHEPHERD CENTER FOR and communications. Purpose: Provide famHOMELESS WOMEN AUXILIARY ily-centered early intervention and education Beverly Weir, president. Mary Kane, auxilservices for children birth to kindergarten who are visually impaired. Fundraiser each May. iary contact. Purpose: Assist at four centers Volunteer opportunities available year round. for homeless women and their children and raise funds. Call Mary Kane or 818-789-1519 323-664-2153; blindchildrenscenter.org. or email mk15440@aol.com. Contact Good CALIFORNIA WOMEN’S Shepherd Center at 213-235-1460 or email LAW CENTER asandoval@gschomeless.org. Betsy Butler, executive director. PurHOLLYWOOD YMCA pose: Break down barriers and advance the Merton Harris, executive director. Purpose: potential of women and girls in California Strengthen the community through youth for more than 30 years. First law center in
operated by the Sisters of Social Service. pose: Advance research in America by rais213-380-8168; regishousecommunitycen- ing scholar awards for the best undergraduter.com, regishousecc @att.net. ate, graduate, medical students and postdocLAS FLORISTAS toral fellows in the fields of science, math, Amanda Settlage, executive director. 80+ engineering and medical research. 310-375members. Celebrating its 83nd year, Las Flo- 1936; arcsfoundation.org/los_angeles ristas meets once a month, Sept. to June. PurBANNING RESIDENCE pose: Serve the special needs of children with MUSEUM VOLUNTEERS exceptional physical or cognitive challenges at Purpose: Support the educational and culRancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation tural programs and restoration and conserCenter. Support includes wheelchair sports, vation of Banning Residence Museum. 310scholarships, recreational therapy, adolescent 548-7777; thebanningmuseum.org. support and pediatric art therapy. Annual NATIONAL SOCIETY DAUGHTERS scholarship and awards dinner every June. OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 562-298-3508; amanda@lasfloristas.org. Eschscholtzia and Hollywood Chapters. LES AMIES CHILDREN’S Founded in 1890 and headquartered in INSTITUTE, INC. Washington, D.C., D.A.R. is a nonprofit, Purpose: Support Children’s Institute, Inc. non-political volunteer women’s service with its work to help children affected by vio- organization dedicated to promoting patrilence, abuse and other trauma. Fundraisers otism, preserving American history, and include theater receptions, and annual holiday securing America’s future through better dinner. 213-260-7621; childrensinstitute.org. education. Visit dar.org, or hollywood. NATIONAL CHARITY LEAGUE californiadar.org or follow on Facebook at LOS ANGELES FOUNDER CHAPTER facebook.com/Los-Angeles-EschscholtziaMary Ann Jacobsen, president. 522 members. Chapter-DAR-154076664662448/. Purpose: Mother-daughter philanthropy orgaFRIENDS OF THE nization. Annual benefit in December. TimeFAIRFAX LIBRARY less Treasures Thrift Shop open Tuesdays, Fri- Liz Goralka, contact. Purpose: Support the days, Saturdays and Sundays at 9441 Culver library acquisition fund and various proBlvd, Culver City, 323-665-5981; nclla.org. grams. 323-936-6191; lapl.org.
NATIONAL CHARITY LEAGUE CORONET DEBUTANTE BALL BOARD
Julie Barker, ball director. Alice Wilson Gould, president. Purpose: Annual Coronet Debutante Ball is Sat., Nov. 28, 2020 at Beverly Hilton. Event fundraising supports philanthropic projects of National Charity League, Los Angeles, coronetdebutanteball.org.
NGA HANCOCK PARK NEEDLEWORK GUILD OF AMERICA
Beverly Brown, president. Purpose: Improve the quality of life for disadvantaged members of the community by purchasing and distributing new clothes, linens and personal care items through seven local charities. Annual fundraiser event in February. ngahancockpark.org; ngahancockpark@gmail.com.
ORPHANAGE GUILD
Purpose: Raise funds for Maryvale, Los Angeles’ oldest children’s charity founded in 1856. Maryvale offers mental health, therapeutic and community-based services for individuals and families, and a pre-school for children ages infant to five years. 626-2806510; laorphanageguild.com.
PEGGY ALBRECHT FRIENDLY HOUSE
Peter White, board president, Monica Phillips, executive director. Founded in 1951 as the first home for women recovering from alcohol and drug addiction in the US. Purpose: Provide opportunity for women to recover physically, spiritually and emotionally from drugs and alcohol in an atmosphere of love, compassion and support. 213-389-
FRIENDS OF THE JOHN C. FREMONT LIBRARY
Thomas Garbrecht, president; Michelle Commardo, secretary; David Kendrick is treasurer. Polin Cohanne is co-treasurer. Eight members. Purpose: Fundraise to support the library’s programming for the community. Always looking for more volunteers. 323962-3521; lapl.org/branches/john-c-fremont.
FRIENDS OF THE MEMORIAL LIBRARY
Chris Metro, president. Jane Dobija, contact. Purpose: Support the library through various programs. 323-938-2732; lapl.org.
FRIENDS OF THE WILSHIRE LIBRARY
“Or FOWL as we call ourselves.” Ruth Silveira, President; Debbie Willis, Treasurer; Alysoun Higgins, Secretary; Barbara Coad, Vice President. Seven active members (plus more who help with sponsored events). Purpose: Support the library through purchasing supplemental books, equipment, and items that assist library staff, enhance community programming, and maintain the thriving garden. Fundraising through book and bake sales and donations. Monthly meetings. Always eager to welcome new volunteers. 323-957-4550; lapl.org/ branches/wilshire.
HOLLYWOOD BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN
Founded in 1920 as advocates for women. Purpose: Achieve equity for individuals in the workplace through advocacy and education. Visit bpwcal.org.
Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
IN OUR COMMUNITY
WOMEN OF LARCHMONT 2020
ST. JOHN OF GOD WOMEN’S LEAGUE
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS COMMITTEE, Margaret Cherene, president. 100 members. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Purpose: Volunteering and fundraising to assist patients in St. John of God Retirement Mona Field and Crissi Avila, co-presidents. Purpose: Philanthropy, staffing of the Good and Care Center. 323-731-7141; info@hospi350 members. Meets monthly Sept.-May. Samaritan Gift Shop and public relations. tallerfoundation.org. USC MEDICAL CENTER Purpose: Non-partisan organization to in- 213-977-2939; goodsam.org. CARES AUXILIARY form citizens about government. 213-368LAS MADRINAS 1616; lwvlosangeles.org. Kelly Rouse, president. Sheridan Link, pub- Mindy Halls, president. 200 patrons. Board LOS ANGELES GARDEN CLUB lic relations chair. 180 members. Meets three meets monthly Sept. to June, brunch Meets 2nd Mon. of the month at Visitors’ times yearly. Purpose: Philanthropic organi- in April. Purpose: Support Los Angeles Center, Griffith Park at 9:15 a.m. to 12:45 zation dedicated to a tradition of support- County+USC by providing financial support p.m., Sept. to June; different guest speaker ing pediatric care and research at Children’s and volunteer services. The primary mission each month. First meeting is free. Purpose: Hospital Los Angeles by honoring families is to benefit patients by adding comfort to Increase knowledge and love of gardening, who have shown exceptional commitment to their hospital stay and providing services to educate, and to support philanthropic the Southern California community. Contact that help the patients access quality health care. 323-409-6941; lacusccares.org causes. Annual toy collection/monetary do- correspondingsecretary@lasmadrinas.org. nations in Nov. for Homeless Health Care LUMINAIRES, Los Angeles. Three horticultural scholarFOUNDER CHAPTER THE BLUE RIBBON ships are given for students at Mt. San Anto- Purpose: Benefiting vision research at Terri Kohl, president. Suzy Boyett, associate nio College. losangelesgardenclub.org. Doheny Eye Institute, now affiliated with director, 450 members. By invitation only: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION UCLA’s Jules Stein Eye Institute. 323-342meets on a special events basis. Purpose: OF WOMEN BUSINESS 7101; doheny.org. Founded in 1968 by Dorothy Chandler, this OWNERS, LOS ANGELES ORTHOPAEDIC INSTITUTE FOR charitable support group of The Music CenPatty Ross, president. Purpose: Propel womCHILDREN (OIC) ter is comprised of women leaders in the en entrepreneurs into economic, social and See auxiliaries below. Contact michaelwil- Los Angeles community. Funds raised go to political spheres of power through advocacy, lis@mednet.ucla.edu; ortho-institute.org. its education programs and resident cominnovation and community. 213-622-3200; CHARITABLE CHILDREN’S GUILD (CCG) panies — Los Angeles Opera, Los Angeles nawbola.org. Purpose: Support Orthopaedic Institute for Philharmonic, Los Angeles Master Chorale NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH Children’s charitable care program with fi- and Center Theatre Group. 213-972-3347; WOMEN, LOS ANGELES nancial resources and volunteering. Main sboyett@musiccenter.org. Pam Brown, board president. Purpose: To fundraiser is a tea in springtime. BARNSDALL ARTS / FOJAC advance economic justice and equity for LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE Shelah Lehrer-Graiwer, executive direcwomen. Operates seven thrift stores in Los tor. 16 board members. Purpose: Provide ORTHOPAEDIC GUILD Angeles. 323-852-8500; ncjwla.org. quality art education and exhibits that nurAUXILIARY OF THE CCG TOWN AND GOWN OF USC Purpose: Support Orthopaedic Institute for ture creativity, artistic skills, and aesthetHilary Crahan, president. Established in 1904. Children’s charitable care program with finan- ic appreciation of art. Build community Purpose: Philanthropic organization support- cial resources and volunteering. Main fundrais- through access and engagement. Zoomed ing USC through scholarships for students, er is a Book & Author Luncheon held in Octo- programming includes Sunday free family building and campus enhancements and cul- ber. Collects holiday gifts throughout the year. art workshops throughout the year from tural programs. townandgownofusc.org. 10 a.m. to noon. Call 323-363-4629. Visit LAS AMIGAS DE LAS LOMAS barnsdallarts.org. WILSHIRE ROTARY CLUB OF
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, LOS ANGELES CHAPTER
GOOD SAMARITAN HOSPITAL AUXILIARY
Art-Music
AUXILIARY OF THE CCG
LOS ANGELES COUNTY Purpose: Support the Orthopaedic Institute for Ben David, president. Meets first and third Children’s charitable care program with finanMUSEUM OF ART Wednesdays at 11:55 a.m. at The Ebell of Los cial resources and volunteering. Visit lasamiCOSTUME COUNCIL Angeles, 743 S. Lucerne Blvd. (Confirm loca- gas.org or facebook.com/lasamigasdelaslomas. Anne Landsberger, contact. 50 members. tion at wilshirerotary.org.) Purpose: “People Council members enjoy six to eight fashionLAS MADRECITAS taking action to help our community for 87 centric programs annually. Purpose: AcquiAUXILIARY OF THE CCG years.” Contact Ray Schuldenfrei, membership sitions and special project support for the chair: rayanddia@hotmail.com, or visit wilshir- Mother /daughter organization. Purpose: Sup- Costume and Textile Curatorial Department port Orthopaedic Institute for Children’s charerotary.org or facebook.com/wilshirerotary. itable care program with financial resources of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. WINDSOR SQUARE-HANCOCK and volunteering. Evergreen Ball is in January. 323-857-6558; costumecouncil@lacma.org. LOS ANGELES
PARK HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Richard Battaglia, president, 300 members. Board of Trustees meets quarterly via Zoom. Researches and preserves historical information on Windsor Square, Hancock Park and Greater Rancho La Brea. Historical tours, social events and annual Homes / Gardens Tour. Contact: wshphs@gmail.com, wshphs.com.
WOMEN AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE
LAS NIÑAS DE LAS MADRECITAS
Members are girls grades nine to 12. Purpose: Volunteer at Orthopaedic Institute for Children and in the community; fundraising projects benefiting the patients of OIC include a spring fashion show and Christmas See’s Candy Sale; presentation of seniors at annual Evergreen Ball.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART DOCENT COUNCIL
Hospital-Medical CEDARS-SINAI WOMEN’S GUILD
Shelley Cooper, president. Purpose: Support Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, primarily through fundraising, support programs, research and education. 310-423-3667; womensguildcs.org or womensguild@cshs.org.
CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL LOS ANGELES ASSOCIATES & AFFILIATES
St. Anne’s Guild supports St. Anne’s, a social service agency offering an array of comprehensive services promoting the safety, resilience and ongoing achievement of the young mothers, their children and families. Located at 155 N. Occidental Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90026. Fundraising thrift shop at 3315 W. Burbank Blvd. Contact: Esperanza Evans 213-381-2931 x248; eevans@stannes.org .
ST. JOHN OF GOD HELPER’S CLUB
Purpose: Raise money for St. John of God Retirement and Care Center through apBonnie McClure, chairman. 34 Guilds and peals and events such as the annual “Charity Auxiliaries. Purpose: Raise money for ChilGolf Classic.” The Helper’s Club also spondren’s Hospital Los Angeles. 323-361-2367; sors the Foundation’s newsletter. 323-731chla.org. 7141; info@hospitallerfoundation.org.
Marilyn Levin, president. Purpose: Support the National Museum of Women in the Arts and to increase public awareness of the work of California women artists locally and nationally. nmwa.org.
Education
BUCKLEY SCHOOL PARENTS ASSOCIATION
Purpose: Support the school; assist in social and cultural activities; foster a good relationship among the school, the students, and the parents; assist in fundraising. pa@ buckley.org.
CATHEDRAL CHAPEL SCHOOL PTO BOARD
Purpose: Fundraising events for Cathedral Chapel School and general support of school. 323-938-9976; cathedralchapelschool.org.
FRIENDS OF HANCOCK PARK ELEMENTARY
Schedule is posted on website. Purpose: Fundraising and implementing projects. hancockparkschool.com/friends-of-hancock-park-school.
FRIENDS OF THIRD STREET
Quarterly meetings held each year in the school auditorium; see calendar on website for dates and times. Purpose: Raise money for enrichment programs. 323-939-8337; friendsofthird.org.
HARVARD-WESTLAKE SCHOOL PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION
Purpose: Support school and build community. Visit hw.com/parents/parents-association.
IMMACULATE HEART PARENTS’ COUNCIL
Fred and Teresa Weeden, co-presidents. Board meets tri-annually. Purpose: Communication and information for parent / student events, including parent information nights, the WALK fundraiser in November, faculty appreciation luncheons, the Spring Luncheon & Fashion Show in March, and the used uniform sale in May. 323-4613651; immaculateheart.org.
LOYOLA HIGH MOTHERS’ GUILD
Elizabeth Warner, president, 50 board members who meet quarterly. Purpose: Hospitality and fundraising for faculty salaries. AnEmily Craig, docent council coordinator. nual spring luncheon. 213-381-5121; loyo401 members. Purpose: Volunteer educa- lahs.edu. MARLBOROUGH PARENTS’ tional services for students and adults in the form of tours, lectures, and informal conASSOCIATION versations. 323-857-6109; lacma.org. Purpose: Provide leadership and involvement opportunities. 323-935-1147; marlLOS ANGELES COUNTY borough.org. MUSEUM OF ART
Margot Bennett, executive director. Purpose: LOS AMIGOS Prevent gun violence by educating the public, MUSEUM SERVICE AUXILIARY OF THE CCG policymakers and the media about the human, COUNCIL financial and public health consequences and Purpose: Volunteer at Orthopaedic Institute for dangers of firearms. 310-204-2348; wagv.org. Children and in the community; support Las Tim Deegan, chair. 150 members. AnWOMEN LAWYERS ASSOCIATION Amigas de Las Lomas through volunteerism. nual meeting at museum. Purpose: Guest services. 323-857-6228; tdeegan @ SISTERS SERVANTS OF LOS ANGELES lacma.org. OF MARY GUILD Jennifer Leland, president. Purpose: ProLOS ANGELES Maureen Manion, president. 165 members. mote the full participation in the legal proPurpose: Fundraising to assist Sisters who are PHILHARMONIC fession of women lawyers and judges from diverse perspectives and racial and ethnic RNs, LVNs, CNAs in carrying out their mission AFFILIATES backgrounds, maintain the integrity of our to care for patients in the patient’s own home, Purpose: Support the mission of the LA Phil legal system by advocating principles of fair- regardless of illness, race or religion. The an- through volunteer service, community enness and equality, and improve the status of nual benefit luncheon for this year has been gagement, and fundraising; be ambassadors women by supporting their exercise of equal cancelled. For further information regarding for music and connect communities. 213rights, equal representation, and reproduc- the Sisters or the Guild please contact mau- 972-3530; laphil.com. reen.manion@ca.rr.com or call 323-896-9906. tive choice. 213-892-8982; wlala.org. LOS ANGELES
ST. ANNE’S GUILD
15
ST. BRENDAN SCHOOL PARENT TEACHER BOARD
Board meets 2nd Tues. of each month. Purpose: Fundraising, communication forum, support of co-curricular activities and welcome for new families. 213-382-7401; stbrendanschoolla.org.
ST. JAMES’ EPISCOPAL SCHOOL PARENT ASSOCIATION
Meets monthly, year-round. Purpose: Community building, fundraising and hospitality. 213-233-0133; sjsla.org/about-us/parentassociation/
THIRD STREET PTA
Monthly virtual meeting times still to be PHILHARMONIC determined. Purpose: Promote and build INTERNATIONAL par-ent/family engagement, support and enCOMMITTEE courage staff, and work with Friends of Third Purpose: Encourage attendance at Los An- to raise funds for enrichment and curricular geles Philharmonic performances; fund- pro-grams for students. Visit third-streetpta. raise; build bridges between cultures and org email or info@thirdstreetpta.org. countries through the International Ball WILSHIRE CREST PTA once a year; 213-972-3530; laphil.com. Purpose: Fundraising and support for school MUSES OF THE and student needs. Contact 323-938-5291, CALIFORNIA SCIENCE CENTER or info@wilshirecrestpta.org. Visit wceFOUNDATION lausd-ca.schoolloop.com/pta. Jennifer Upham Saunders, president. 100 WILTON PLACE members. Meets 2nd Mon. of the month SCHOOL PTA Sept to June. Purpose: Support and promote For information, call 213-389-1181 or visit the California Science Center and its edu- wiltonplacees-lausd-ca.schoolloop.com/parcation programs for youth. 213-369-9988; ent_links. jusaunders88@yahoo.com.
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WOMEN OF LARCHMONT 2020
Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
Geraldine Hurley: a fierce advocate for those in need By Helene Seifer As former congressman and seminal civil rights leader John Lewis said, “When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something. … To do something.” That is a guiding principle of many Women of Larchmont – none more so than Geraldine Garrett Hurley. Humble beginnings Geraldine Hurley came from humble beginnings – her parents Ella Ree and John Sher-
man Garrett moved from Texas to Los Angeles during the Great Migration and she and her five siblings spent their early years in the Miravilla projects in East L.A. “My mother was an orphaned mixed-race Black child,” Hurley begins, fondly recalling her Cherokee-Black mother, “and she brought us up to believe that if we worked hard and achieved an education, we could do anything.” She continues, “We never looked to see how many Black chil-
Dr. Neville Anderson Dr. Anderson grew up in the Windsor Square area. She attended St. James’ School and Marlborough School. After graduating from Stanford University, she was an assistant teacher at Bing Nursery School. She received her medical degree from the University of Rochester. She completed her internship and residency at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. There she received the Victor E. Stork Award for Continued Excellence and Future Promise in the Care of Children. For seven years, she practiced in La Cañada at Descanso Pediatrics. In 2014 she followed her dreams and opened her own practice on Larchmont Boulevard. She was named a Top Doctor in Pasadena magazine and a Top Rising Super Doctor in Los Angeles magazine for multiple years. Dr. Anderson is one of the founding members of the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Health Network, is on the Board of Managers and is the Chair for the Network’s Finance Committee. She is also an attending physician at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and is on the Board of the Los Angeles Pediatric Society. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, hiking, going to the beach, reading and playing tennis.
Dr. Courtney Mannino Dr. Courtney Mannino grew up in Hartsdale, New York. She attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and then continued on to the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University. After spending her entire life in the North East, she decided to explore residencies in Southern California, which led her to UCLA in 2015. She completed her internship and residency at UCLA in 2018. She worked for a year and a half at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center as a neonatal hospitalist, splitting time between caring for newborns in the nursery and in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). While working at the hospital, she realized how much she missed caring for older children and being the primary care provider. While not at work, Dr. Mannino enjoys spending time with her miniature poodle named Maisy, enjoying the beautiful weather in Southern California, and finding new restaurants and bakeries to enjoy.
Dr. Amaka Priest Dr. Amaka Ajalla Priest joined Larchmont Pediatrics in January 2019. She moved from Oklahoma City in the fall of 2017 to Southern California after her husband was accepted to the graduate screenwriting program at UCLA. She spent her first year in California practicing in the primary care and adolescent medicine clinic at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County before relocating to Los Angeles. A proud Sooner alumni, she graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in 2012 and completed her pediatric residency at the OU Children’s Hospital at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in 2015. After finishing her residency, Dr. Priest joined a fast-growing pediatric clinic in Oklahoma City, where she was a primary care pediatrician by day and an urgent care pediatrician by night. Dr. Priest enjoys seeing all ages but has a soft spot for teenagers and is happy to treat them at any stage in their adolescence. When she’s not working, she enjoys listening to music, editing her husband’s scripts, cultivating deep conversations over a hot cup of coffee, and cheering on the OKC Thunder. Dr. Priest is thrilled to be part of the Larchmont Pediatrics family and looks forward to watching her patients grow up for many years to come.
321 N. Larchmont Blvd., Suite 1020 • (323) 960-8500
GERALDINE HURLEY believes change begins with the individual.
dren were in the room – and we were often the only ones. It was [my mother’s] determination that we were going to be in the room.” Since then she’s been in the room to work for religious tolerance, access to birth control and housing the homeless, among other concerns. Whirlwind romance After earning a history undergraduate degree, master’s in secondary education, and certification as a special education teacher, all at USC, Hurley began her teaching career until fate intervened in July 1972. That’s when she met Maurice (“Maury”) Hurley, on a blind date. A Minneapolis advertising executive in L.A. on business, he proposed to her that very night. She turned him down. He persisted. After a brief longdistance courtship, they married that December, and Geraldine Hurley joined him in Minneapolis for five years before returning to California so he could pursue a writing career, which would result in his earning such credits as executive producer and writer on “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Maurice Hurley had three children from a previous marriage whom he wasn’t allowed to see. “I didn’t want them to not have a father in their lives, to grow up and then say, ‘Where were you?’ ” Hurley states. “I started a campaign to get custody,” resulting in his two sons Timothy and Patrick joining them permanently; his daughter Seana stayed with her mother. “I raised those boys like my own,” Hurley states, and she threw herself into stay-at-home motherhood, helping the older boys overcome learning disabilities and dyslexia, and taking care of their son Michael, born in L.A. in 1981. The Hurleys realized they wanted to provide a richer multi-cultural experience than found in Malibu, where they were living. “We came to Larchmont and fell in love with it. We decided to move to the area, to Hancock Park.” Classrooms and causes In spite of describing herself as a self-involved woman who spends hours on tennis
and yoga, Hurley has always devoted countless selfless hours to our community. As is true for so many parents, Hurley became involved in her children’s schools, becoming chair of the parent association at St. James Episcopal School, joining the board at HarvardWestlake, and serving on the Vestry of St. James in the ’80s, ’90s and now. As a woman of abiding faith, she also earned a certificate in theology from the University of the South (offered through St. James)
after completing a four year study of the old and new testaments. She spent ten years as a docent at LACMA, and held various leadership positions at the Ebell, including multiple board chairmanships: membership, Rest Cottage Association (the charitable arm of the club) and governance, a position she originated. Supporting family planning In 1991 Hurley joined the board of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles for 12 years. She (Please turn to page 19)
Dr. Rebecca Fitzgerald Although we sometimes seem to be living in somewhat divisive times, I feel sure that we can all agree that 2020 will be a year we all remember vividly. Safety, of course, is on everyone’s minds. I’m profoundly grateful and proud of the way my colleagues, Dr. Fincher and Dr. Jalian, as well as our wonderful staff, have pulled together during these unprecedented times to restructure our office environment in order to ensure the safety of everyone concerned while continuing to provide patient care. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our loyal patients and the unique community of Larchmont for their ongoing support. I feel honored to practice what I love in our cherished community. We extend our deepest sympathies to our patients and community members who have been personally affected by COVID-19, and would like to recognize and thank the dedicated first responders and medical workers on the front lines fighting for us every day. We know that we are all in this together, and that together we will get through this challenging time stronger than ever. Meanwhile, stay safe, stay strong, and stay calm.
Dr. Helen Fincher I joined Dr. Fitzgerald’s practice full time in 2017, and really enjoy working in the neighborhood where I live. Our practice continues to provide the Larchmont Community with a variety of treatments individualized to each patient’s needs. This year I’m so proud of our practice and the way we’ve come together during this challenging time. Everyone is working hard to provide a safe environment while continuing to offer comprehensive cosmetic and medical dermatology treatments. The quarantine presented a rare opportunity to have everyone together at home – myself and my husband and our three children. We also welcomed another Great Dane to the family. Our puppy, Moose, is already huge and keeping us all very busy! Now that we’re back in the office and masks are the new normal, patients are focused on their upper faces. A great combination of procedures is Thermage to tighten and tone skin of the upper and lower eyelids, Ultherapy to lift the brows, and Botox to address frown lines. You can even add Latisse to lengthen lashes. These can all be done on the same day to refresh the upper face (while wearing a mask). To reduce post-quarantine bulges, patients are choosing Coolsculpting and following it up with Cooltone to tighten and tone skin.
Angela Sarff, Nurse Practitioner I joined the practice in 2012 as a registered nurse and went on to complete my Master’s Degree at the University of California, Irvine. I continue to enjoy my new role as a Nurse Practitioner and am so fortunate to be able to work with physicians who are leaders in the field of Dermatology. I’m currently expecting baby number two - a girl due at the end of August. As my due date quickly approaches, I’m working from home helping with social media and marketing initiatives. We will be launching a skin care membership program in the upcoming year that I’ve been working on with Dr. Fitzgerald. The products are based on our philosophy that frequent treatments with minimal downtime combined with evidence-based skincare can transform your skin. I can’t wait to share it with our patients. I’m grateful for the opportunity to spend time with my son who is almost two, and my husband, who is also working from home. I relate to all the working-from-home moms out there with small children. It’s challenging to find to time to get things done! I am so thankful to Dr. Fitzgerald and our practice for the opportunity to work from home until the baby arrives.
Visit www.RebeccaFitzgeraldMD.com or call (323) 464-8046. 321 N Larchmont Blvd. Ste. 906
Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
WOMEN OF LARCHMONT 2020
Pioneer and mentor, Madelyn Murray paved her own way By Suzan Filipek When Madelyn Murray started out as a stockbroker, the 5-foot, 2-inch MBA graduate was not only the only woman in the room, but also the only Black woman in the room. No matter, she thought. “I can do this.” She went on to a successful 30-year career in finance and investments. But when starting out and seeking a job, she approached insurance companies on Wilshire Blvd. “Why don’t you apply in
Baldwin Hills?” they suggested. “You’ll never work on Wilshire Boulevard. Go see to your people.” Undaunted, she interviewed at the stock brokerage firm Merrill Lynch. And she joined a class-action lawsuit charging the insurance industry with racial discrimination. She got the job, and she won the lawsuit, she said triumphantly by telephone from her Brookside home last month. Since she retired five years ago from the Bank of New York
Elizabeth Angelini Founder & Owner, Angelini Restaurant Geoup
In 2001, Elizabeth Angelini opened Angelini Osteria alongside her husband and chef, Gino Angelini. The restaurant has since become LA’s most celebrated destination for authentic Italian cuisine served with the highest level of hospitality. The Osteria has blazed the trail for many Italian dishes in Los Angeles, including its famous Sea Urchin Pasta and the sought after Spaghetti Norcina. This year, Angelini Osteria was awarded the illustrious Tre Gamberi — Gambero Rosso’s highest rated marker for the top Italian restaurants in the world. Since opening Angelini Osteria nearly 20 years ago, Elizabeth and Gino have grown their expanding culinary portfolio into the Angelini Restaurant Group with properties that include Angelini Osteria, Angelini Alimentari, Angelini Catering, Gino Angelini Authentic Italian Artisanal Sauces and Products and plan for further expansion in the next year. Mention this ad for a special treat!
7313 – 7317 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, 90036 | 323.297.0070 www.angelinirestaurantgroup.com
Open for Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner – Catering
7313 Beverly Blvd. • (323) 297-0070 • angelinirestaurantgroup.com
Tara Brancato Pilgrim Star, Stellar Mom Tara Brancato had a busy modelling career in Chicago when she met her future husband Chris, who managed to convince her to leave the Midwest to come to Los Angeles and raise their family. She runs her busy house, supports and keeps Chris and her three children on track, and is an involved member of both the St. Brendan’s and Pilgrim School families. She has been a pillar of Pilgrim School for many years, and of the 3rd Street Elementary School community before that. Her Frankie graduated from Pilgrim a couple of years ago, and Olivia (Associated Student Body President for the coming year) is getting ready to graduate in June of 2021. Tara is always ready to help out whenever and wherever she is needed. And when she is not volunteering or fixing anything that needs fixing around the house, she can be found rinkside cheering on her beloved Los Angeles Kings, expertly skiing in her favorite Sun Valley, watching movies and eating ice cream with her family, or playing with her two cats—and the occasional dog too. We will miss you, Tara!
540 S. Commonwealth Avenue • www.pilgrim-school.org
Angelique S. Campen, MD Esthetic Medicine Specialist and ER Doctor Angelique S. Campen, MD is a mother of three, an Emergency Medicine Physician, an entrepreneur, and an expert in the field of esthetic medicine. As a graduate of Marlborough, Georgetown University, and UCLA School of Medicine, Angelique has served as Medical Director of the Emergency Department at Providence St Joseph Medical Center in Burbank and faculty in emergency medicine at UCLA. She also owns an esthetic medicine practice, “The Best Kept Secret in Larchmont.” She offers in-home confidential botox and fillers. You have likely seen many of her clients either on the big screen, TV, or along the streets of Larchmont, but you would never know it (with her talent for achieving the natural look). She is founder of Vital Medical Services, which provides COVID-19 testing, medical clearances and DUI blood draws at law enforcement facilities and thus reduces ER overcrowding. In her “free time” she is mom to Hunter, Paris, and Scarlett, travels on medical missions to Peru, Cambodia, and nepal, is a member of Wilshire Rotary and The Ebell of Los Angeles, and helps lead the $70 million campaign to build a new ER at Providence.
323-788-3409
Madelyn Murray
Mellon as vice president in the institutional asset management division, she has upped her mission to help pave the way for the next generation. Madelyn’s volunteer work kicked off after she agreed to her mother’s dying wish that she would help her sister — a nun with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet / Los Angeles, Hawaii and Japan. Murray went on to serve two terms on the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Province Finance Advisory Board, and she fundraised for its founding school and her alma mater, St. Mary’s Academy, Inglewood. “Hey, I’m not Oprah Winfrey, but I love the school, and I want to help,” she pitched to her fellow alumnae at St. Mary’s Academy. The self-described “volunteer leader” chairs St. Mary’s Alumnae Association, developed its Belles & Books Alumnae / Student summer reading project, coordinates alumnae retreats, events and fundraisers and is a mentor to students. Many of the events are now on Zoom or on hold, although she is reading Belles’ summer pick, “Barking to the Choir,” by Windsor Square native son Fr. Gregory Boyle. “I want young women to know they can do it,” whether in finance or whichever career they choose, she said. Murray has joined several women’s organizations during the course of her career — most of which “didn’t exist when I was becoming a stockbroker,” she said. Among those that did exist was The Ebell of Los Angeles. Much of the finance expertise she shared with St. Mary’s also benefits the venerable women’s organization on Wilshire and Lucerne boulevards. A 20-year Ebell member, Murray has held numerous posts and is in the second year of a two-year term as finance director. She helped democratize The Ebell’s membership and grow its numbers to a robust 600 women before the pandemic hit. She is “blessed,” she said, “to help the 125-yearold institution through this tough time.” At the onset of her term
last year, “We had a great balance of events and cash in the bank… We were booked with weddings through this year.” Unfortunately, brides won’t be walking down the aisle at the historic clubhouse until late 2020 or even 2021. Filming and theater events, sponsored by Netflix, Live Nation and others, are also on hiatus. Murray is confident The Ebell will get through this. “We don’t think The Ebell will ever, ever go away. It’s just
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that we have to get more creative.” Outdoor events and pop-ups are being considered for additions to the club’s online programming. After getting a psychology degree from UCLA, Madelyn became a retail buyer at Ohrbach’s department store (now the Petersen Automotive Museum). A double Bruin, she returned to UCLA to get her masters degree from the Anderson School of Management. (Please turn to page 19)
Patricia Carroll President Hollywoodland Realty Patricia Carroll grew up in the real estate business as the daughter of Hollywoodland owner Ed Carroll. She is now president of the firm her late father operated in two offices since the 1940s on Larchmont Blvd. and Beachwood Dr. Patti actively works for preservation, and is the Treasurer for the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, where she also serves on the Land Use and Outreach committees. She is a member of the Ebell Club, SASNA, Friends of Hope-Net and is on the boards of the Anderson-Munger YMCA and the Larchmont Boulevard Association. She also commutes to Paris and Majorca with her husband Mark, where they served for many years as directors of international marketing for French Vogue and French Architectural Digest magazines. Her address is in the Hollywoodland Realty office at 584 N. Larchmont Blvd., and the original 1923 Hollywoodland Realty office is at 2700 N. Beachwood Dr. (323) 469-3171 • Cell: (213) 268-3171
Careylyn Clifford Controller I am a Hancock Park native! My first jobs were on Larchmont Blvd. at My Favorite Place, Landis & Mail Boxes Etc. I am a blessed mother of two. Noah is 13 years old at Larchmont Charter School on the honor roll during COVID. Natalee Carey is now 9 years old. Several years ago I earned my contractor’s license, MBE, SBA8(a). While I still enjoy coaching T-Ball, I have started a global Health & Wellness business as an independent consultant with Arbonne Int., offering beneficial plant-based nutrition, skin care, makeup & an opportunity to change your life (www.careylynclifford.arbonne.com). I am an active member/volunteer with the National Women In Roofing organization providing mentoring and education for women roofing professionals. I have worked with Doug Ratliff, owner of Supreme Roofing on Gower, since 2004 and we are still enjoying working together. While at Supreme Roofing, I implemented a new Safety, Injury and Illness program with a 100% success rate. I am most thankful and admire Doug Ratliff at Supreme Roofing! Doug has been a monumental mentor and positive influence in my life. I am most grateful for my children and the continual joy they bring to my life. Together we have made life changes to overcome and take a stand against the emotional abuse of domestic violence. I remained silent for a long time as many women do to avoid social judgment and lived in fear. My children and I are healing, rediscovering ourselves and starting over.
1015 N. Gower St. • 323-469-2981
HEIDI DAVIS Realtor Humbled & grateful is how I feel about helping my clients navigate the LA real estate market. I have had the privilege of being a Realtor for 13+ years and having my clients put their trust in me to help guide them with such an important process in their lives is truly an honor. I came to real estate after a long career producing television commercials, yielding me a lifetime of experience and an abundance of great friendships. People would ask me “how did you make a career change?” And the answer was simple. Passion. If you don’t have a passion to do something, you simply won’t do it. It sounds cliché but I truly love what I do. I work with sellers & buyers all over this vast city. Being a native to Los Angeles gives me a wealth of expertise about the market in general and the nuances that each neighborhood offers.I currently live in Larchmont Village with my son & daughter, who are nearly grown! I feel so blessed to be part of this community and to be considered a specialist in my field. For me, every client is important and every client has a story. Listening to their stories and understanding how I can be of service is an incredible honor. 213.819.1289 • HeidiDavis5@gmail.com • www.simplyheididavis.com
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WOMEN OF LARCHMONT 2020
Frère
(Continued from page 11) With the blessing of Landis, the two women opened a smaller version of the store across the street, called Landis General Store. “We sold almost everything the original Landis store sold except for hardware and underwear,” Frère says with a laugh. After he retired, Bob Landis even came to work at the new storefront for a short time. “Bob came in and he was fantastic. He would always say, ‘this is my social life,’ about his time with us.” Nevertheless, Landis
helped mentor the new owners as they got used to running a retail store. The early success of Landis General Store allowed Frère and Wolfus to expand into a second space focused on children’s toys, and, then, a third storefront for custom stationery and gifts. However, in late 2006, Frère’s partner Wolfus announced plans to retire. That’s when Frère decided to split from the general store, but kept Landis Gifts & Stationery, which she continues to run today. In fact, putting her high-level experience of social protocol to good use,
Lila Guirguis, MPA Executive Director, Karsh Family Social Service Center Lila Guirguis, MPA, is the Executive Director of the Karsh Family Social Service Center, which offers an array of cross-sector, integrated, and co-located social services at its Koreatown location. She arrived in 2018 with more than two decades of professional experience working with LA-based nonprofit organizations, community and neighborhood groups. The COVID-19 crisis impacted operations at the Karsh Center in dramatic ways, but “the fundamentals of what makes us the “Karsh Center” has not changed at all,” she said. “We are moved to act by the pronounced vulnerabilities of individuals and families in our immediate area and across Los Angeles and supported by incredibly generous providers, community members, and amazing donors. “The determination of our team to help the community and their willingness and ability to be flexible, innovative, and strong, only fuels my determination to be an even better organization, especially in the face of what is happening now.”
The Karsh Center at Wilshire Boulevard Temple 3750 West 6th Street, L.A., CA 90020 • info@karschenter.org
Stacey Koch, M.P.A. Director of Advancement, Hollywood Schoolhouse Stacey Koch is beginning her 7th year at Hollywood Schoolhouse as Director of Advancement, overseeing all fundraising and communications. This is a particularly important and exciting year for Hollywood Schoolhouse as the school celebrates its 75th anniversary while navigating a global pandemic and renewed commitment to anti-racism in its curriculum, culture, and community. Stacey grew up in Northern California, but has lived in Los Angeles since attending Occidental College for her undergraduate studies in Critical Theory and Social Justice and the University of Southern California for her degree in Public Administration and emphasis in nonprofit management. Prior to joining Hollywood Schoolhouse, Stacey was the director of an auxiliary fundraising group for Children’s Institute, Inc. A new and proud resident of Larchmont, Stacey, her husband, and two dogs can be found on daily walks exploring their new neighborhood or doing some very amateur gardening. Stacey is also a former member of the Junior League of Los Angeles and current Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Girls on the Run of Los Angeles County.
stacey@hshla.org • (323) 465-1320
Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
Frère has become the person to go to for high-quality, custom stationery and cards. “When you’re new, you have to prove yourself; it doesn’t matter who you are or who knew you. Gradually our reputation built up. We know what we’re doing,” says Frère. While raising a family and running a popular store, Frère has still found time over the years to give back to the community. Frère is a longtime member of Las Madrinas, a philanthropic organization dedicated to supporting Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), and for more than 25 years she also has supported Children’s Chain of CHLA. Additionally, Frère is the head of the Southern California chapter of the French Heritage Society. In this role, Frère has put her knowledge of French culture to good use raising funds to help restore historic buildings and gardens in France. Over the years, Frère says that the local chapter has helped save a little church, part of a château, and a couple of old buildings in a little town that was being decimated by antique dealers, among other things. “It’s a fabulous organization,” she says as she recalls trips that took members to places like the Paris Antique Show and the French countryside.
BOB LANDIS stands between new owners Christine Wolfus (left) and Edie Frère (right) at Landis General Store circa 1990. Photo from the Larchmont Chronicle archive
Marking 30 years This October will mark 30 years since Frère opened shop on Larchmont. However, the store’s future is all but clear. “Our lease is unsure,” says Frère. “I’ve not been able to get in touch with the new owner of this building, so I have no idea if we’re going to be able to stay in this spot,” she says. Malibu-based Christina Development bought the Lipson Building in Oct. 2018 for $23.5 million and has announced plans to renovate the 1920s building, which houses 14 tenant spaces. “I worry about the future of Larchmont Boulevard. I worry
about it staying the focal point of the neighborhood, where it feels cozy and comfortable and where stores can afford to stay open,” says Frère. “People care about the community here. I think that’s the secret. There’s a sense of kindness and gentleness around here.” For now, at least, you can find Frère busy teaching the next generation how to leave a lasting impression with custom stationery: “Our biggest growing market is clients in their late 20s and early 30s, who are hard working and upwardly mobile, that know how important a hand-written note is now. “We’re here to help.”
Garcia
(Continued from page 12) small hair salon to a major bank. The coronavirus has curbed the program’s growth, but its flow of communication continues with a group text system that provided relief up and down Wilshire during the recent BLM protests. Hesitant to shine a spotlight on herself, Kari agreed to this interview after her husband convinced her it might motivate some to join her cause. “I hope the article motivates each reader of the Larchmont Chronicle to organize their block this week, complete the RYLAN training by September, and to be part of the CERT Radio Net by October! At the very least — they should make sure there is an email roster for their block!” A tall order? Maybe, but the Mile couldn’t have a better role model. Garcia also gives Power Points and presentations in backyards and homes, wherever folks want to meet and talk about Neighborhood Watch, emergency preparedness and making life even better in her beloved Miracle Mile. And, she does this for adjacent neighborhoods as well. “[Neighborhood Watch] really has proven to be effective… It allows us to stay safe, stay informed,” said Kari. To learn more, visit: tinyurl.com/y2evu74o Also: tinyurl.com/yyklg29b
Sevan Nahabedian Larchmont Cleaners Sevan is an LA native and a Hancock Park resident since July 2012. Her family has proudly owned Larchmont Cleaners since 1997. She joined her mother at the family business in November of 2006 and, with the help of their loyal, hardworking staff, they are happily and busily serving their customers every day. Her interactions with people from all backgrounds, including celebrities, politicians and studio executives, has helped her become a better businesswoman, catering to all types of needs. There is not a human behavior she has not witnessed and claims there’s never a dull moment at Larchmont Cleaners! Sevan’s passion to help others led her to start her own fitness training business in 2012. She became an avid cyclist over 10 years ago, completing many Century rides, including a 150-mile charity ride for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. In 2011 she joined Team in Training and raised funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by entering her first triathlon. It brings her great joy to share her energy in the fitness world with her clients who strive to be the best version of themselves. Sevan is most grateful for the Larchmont community and thanks them for making her six-day work weeks delightful. What she enjoys most about Larchmont Cleaners is the pleasant interactions with her customers, of whom many have become dear friends.
415 N. Larchmont Blvd. • (323) 461-9518
Rachel V. Olivier Putt Putt Productions Writer, proofreader, copy editor, developmental editor: From books to website content, Rachel Olivier, soleproprietor of Putt Putt Productions, has been helping clients clarify their communications for over 20 years. A champion of the motto, “slow and steady wins the race,” Rachel believes thorough and thoughtful work stands the test of time. She has volunteered at AIDS Project Los Angeles and the Larchmont Boulevard Association’s Family Fair, as well as mentored students through online leadership programs at her alma mater, Western Washington University, organized and participated in local writers groups, read slush for the online speculative fiction and poetry ’zine “Bewildering Stories,” and has been a member of The Hatchery. A resident of Larchmont since 1999, she joined the Larchmont Chronicle in 2008 (you can read some of her articles online). Visit her websites to check out her business Putt Putt Productions and her published poetry and speculative fiction. Visit her Instagram page to see her “COVID projects,” including crocheting items to donate where needed, experiments with box cake mixes, growing herbs on her window sill, and hanging out with her cats.
puttputtproductions.com • rachelvolivier.com • @raevolivier
Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
Hurley
(Continued from page 16) visited the organization’s border clinics to observe their successful effort to bring birth control to Mexican women who needed help controlling family size in order to stay in well-paying jobs in the American factories that had moved from the U.S. Inspired, she then served on the Planned Parenthood subgroup that followed the Mexican model and brought mobile clinics into the Latino community in Los Angeles. “We had neighborhood mentors to hold coffee klatches about birth control. … We worked at getting brick and mortar clinics built.” Now, Hurley says proudly, “East LA has some of the best clinics in the city.”
Murray
(Continued from page 17) At the time, Merrill Lynch was offering an interview to any woman with an MBA. After the interview, on Wilshire Boulevard, Murray started in Merrill’s training program the day after she graduated from the Anderson School. “It was an unusual time to
Tragedy strikes Hurley returned to teaching before Michael left for college to stave off empty nest syndrome, but in 2011 she had to quit. “I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and they didn’t expect me to live. [Maury and I] weren’t going to complain about it. … We talked about dying.” It took her two and a half years to recover from the operation, but 18 months later, Maury died. Hurley explains, “He had an aneurism on Valentine’s Day 2015.” Fostering tolerance A year after that devastating loss, Hurley embraced another societal need. She was disturbed by the rampant intolerance of Muslims in our country, and volunteered with The Institute for Religious Tolerance, Peace and Jus-
tice. She helped coordinate communication among the churches and temples along Wilshire Blvd. and the mosque on Vermont in order to foster religious understanding. She also noticed how humanely the mosque dealt with their homeless population and decided to devote herself to that important cause, which she has done for the past two and a half years. Helping the homeless Hurley refers to herself as a foot soldier with Stories from the Frontline, an organization that advocates for supportive housing to transition people off the streets. They aim to combat neighborhood resistance by educating the community and also making sure that proper support services are put in place.
be doing it as a woman, and as a Black woman,” she notes. Three years later she moved into investment banking for corporations, foundations and cities. Among her civic roles was as appointee to the city’s Convention Center Authority Board. She served as the board’s president at a time when Chicago and New York were drawing
big numbers to its venues. She and her board approved the issuance of bonds to expand the Los Angeles center. “It was a huge project,” she recalled — so big it would lead to the revitalization of the Figueroa Corridor and open the way for the Staples Center years later. Her husband of 49 years, John Murray Jr. — they have two sons and three grandchildren — continues to represent the City of Los Angeles as a director for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. (Her father was a civil engineer / bridge designer for the State of California Division of Highways, now CalTrans.) Before the pandemic, she and her husband took frequent visits to the East Bay to visit family. “We were having a good time… We were planning two to three trips a year.” Now, she works on keeping The Ebell afloat and steering young women into the world. “You’re going to wind up either giving your time or your money,” she tells them. “I try to help them aspire… get degrees, have a portfolio, invest when you’re young.” It’s still “mainly a male-dominated field,” admits Murray, adding, “A lot of women are becoming CEOs and becoming financially savvy.” She adds that, in some ways, it’s not as easy for young women today, as it was in her day, when college was affordable and she could work her way through school. But in other ways it was more difficult then. She’s been through racial upheaval before: the 1965 riots, the 1992 Rodney King verdict and aftermath and, today, the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of the George Floyd murder. “BLM is huge now, and, so there will be change. I just hope that other people decide we’ve got to continuously make the changes. Freedom doesn’t just happen.”
Lisa Rosenstein Founding Head, The Willows Community School We salute Lisa Rosenstein for her visionary leadership since the founding of The Willows 25 years ago and for her uplifting devotion to our community during the current challenging times.
Lisa has over 40 years of experience as an educator and has overseen the development of The Willows from 90 students in a single building to 465 students on a six-building campus. Through her leadership, The Willows is nationally recognized as a progressive educational leader with a strong academic program incorporating experiential learning, critical thinking, and thematic instruction into cutting-edge curriculum. Lisa has collaborated with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence to bring RULER, Yale’s social/emotional learning approach, to the West Coast. She is a leader in community education establishing a lauded parent education program, speaker series, and professional development program. Lisa was the founding head of Temple Isaiah Day School and worked at the Steven S. Wise School. A graduate of American University, she has served on the boards of Windward School and Cal/West Educators. 8509 Higuera St., Culver City • (310) 815-0411 • www.thewillows.org
Julie Stromberg
Attorney, Activist, and Advocate An active community member, Julie is a civil rights attorney with the Disability Rights Legal Center where she is leading their special education practice. She also serves on the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council (GWNC) Sustainability Committee, which she founded in 2015. Julie is a delegate to the California Democratic Party for Assembly District 50. She is a member of the Executive Committee for the Los Angeles City College Foundation. She also serves on the board of directors for Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, Equality California, and National Women’s Political Caucus LA Westside. In addition, she is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Craft Contemporary. An Emerge California alumna, Julie was recognized as a “Woman of Larchmont” in 2015 and “Wonder Woman of Council District 4” in 2019. Julie is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and Loyola Law School. Although she takes pride in her civic service, she is most proud of her role as mother of three young children and three rescue dogs.
1541 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 400, Los Angeles js@drlcenter.org • (323) 430-8658
WOMEN OF LARCHMONT 2020
On a monthly basis, Hurley visits various local city councils to gather and disseminate information about building supportive housing in their neighborhoods and she facilitates making connections between the concerned parties. “I find out where they’re building for the homeless. What they will look like. How they pick who moves in. … We would take people up to Selma Ave. to see the supportive housing there and explain the programs offered by the city to support these individuals.” Hurley points to one housing success story. “One of
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our worst cases was Sherman Oaks,” she states, referring to their initial NIMBY reaction to a building proposal. “Within nine months we were coming in enough and introducing enough information that the neighborhood council voted to build low-income housing.” The power of one Reflecting on her life, Geraldine Hurley crystalizes her philosophy. “Change happens one person at a time,” she affirms. “Working for the betterment of people begins with the individual saying, ‘Let me find other people like me’ – and you always find them.”
Frances Tario Owner I attended Cal State Northridge University and majored in business. Throughout the years I developed an extensive background within the private social clubs such as the Bel-Air Bay Club, The Jonathan Club, and The California Club. I fell in love with the industry! I have had a passion for the business since I was incredibly young. It is a learning curve that requires mental and physical strength. The greatest lessons are self-confidence, self-improvement, self-worth, and humility. Growing up, I spent my summers at the Bel Air Bay Club, helping at clambakes and summer activities, learning how to manage a tray, table setting, and how to serve fancy hors d’ouevres. I remember on many occasions dining at Tiny Naylor’s on Wilshire and visiting the Ontra and Clifton’s cafeterias. My passion for the business was obvious when I joined the Du-Par’s family giving it all my best. I am hoping to have many more years to come. Thanks to God, my family, and the learning path throughout the years.
frances@dupars-psr.com • (323) 933-8446
Kathy Whooley PT, OCS, CSCS, CPI, MBA Owner, Larchmont Physical Therapy (LPT) “Providing a safe and clean environment while keeping you moving” An accomplished physical therapist, Kathy Whooley has enjoyed serving the orthopedic and sports medicine community for over 36 years. LPT is regarded as one of the most respected outpatient practices in the city, where Kathy oversees a dedicated team of professionals whose goals are to ensure optimal results for a variety of clients with ever challenging sets of needs. Kathy is a Boston University Magna Cum Laude graduate who relocated to Southern California, where she earned her MBA in Business Administration from Pepperdine University. Her other credentials include: • Orthopedic Clinical Specialist Certification (OCS) • Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Certification (CSCS) • Certified Pilates Instructor (CPI) • USGAFA Golf Specific Fitness Trainer
Kathy Whooley, PT, OCS • Larchmont Physical Therapy 321 No Larchmont Blvd #825 LA, CA 90004 • 323 464-4458
Leisha Willis CPCU, AU, API Owner & Agent Leisha opened her State Farm agency in Larchmont Village in 2013 following a 20-year career in management with the organization. Prior to becoming a State Farm agent, she directed human resources operations in California and led recruiting efforts in the southeast states for State Farm. A Michigan native, Leisha graduated Magna Cum Laude from Spelman College with undergraduate studies at Oxford University as a Luard Foundation Scholar. Her professional accreditations include Chartered Property-Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Associate in Underwriting (AU), and Associate in Personal Insurance (API). She is a Leadership America alumna and former board member for the United Way. Leisha holds her Life/ Health and Property/Casualty licenses and is a Registered Representative for State Farm VP Management Corp. In her spare time, Leisha enjoys running, traveling and spending time with family. She is active in community outreach organizations, serves on the board of the Larchmont Boulevard Association, and is honored to have mentored many young people in their careers.
500 North Larchmont Blvd • 323-785-4080 • leisha@leishawillis.com
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Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
WOMEN OF LARCHMONT 2020
The Women of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Salute the
Women of Larchmont LISA HUTCHINS
SUE CARR
After 35 years, Sue is a virtual computer: if you want to know the history of a property, she likely has the answer. Her credibility with industry colleagues often results in referrals & is given preview on exclusive properties before coming on the market. Her patience, humor & attention to detail are unparalleled.
Celebrating 26 consecutive years as the #1 Office Agent & the #5 Company Agent in Greater L.A. for 2019! Graduate of local 3rd Street and Marlborough schools and Stanford University. Born on Norton Ave and currently lives in Windsor Square. Over 32 years in Real Estate. CalRE #01018644
Call Lisa (323) 216-6938
JUNE AHN
CalRE #01188513
June Ahn is a top producing agent and an estate director with Coldwell Banker Hancock Park South. A member of the International President’s Elite, June has been recognized as one of the top 100 agents of Coldwell Banker in all of Southern California. She has earned many awards for her outstanding achievements. Please call (323) 855-5558.
CalRE #00769979
CalRE #01883730
CalRE #01510192
CalRE #01206447
Armed with an MBA from USC, Anne brings business discipline to the team, its staff & her clients. Loveland Carr is consistently among the Top 100 producing teams nationwide. Anne loves architecture, creative problem solving and applying technology to the buying & selling process. She always answers the phone!
Call (323) 864-7407 www.LovelandCarr.com
CalRE #00877506
A Tradition Of Excellence, Integrity, Hard Work And Innovation. Among The To p R e a l E s t a t e A g e n t s From Hancock Park To The Coastline. Specializing In All Aspects Of Residential And Income Properties. Distinctive, Personalized And Attentive Service. Call Anne at (213) 718-1527
CalRE #01293183
Cecille delivers results. Resolves problems. Reliable, responsive, effective. Over 37 years distinction. President’s Club. Top awards. She & her husband are parents of 5 children who attended Yavneh, Toras Emes, YULA, Bais Yakov, Yeshiva Gedolah.
Nadia Kim looks forward to working with you now and in the future, handling all of your real Estate needs. She is fluent in English and Korean. In her first year with Coldwell Banker, she was honored to be recognized as “Rookie of the Year” and she has consistently built on that success each year. Her one goal is to insure that all of her clients achieve their Real Estate goals. Call Nadia at (213) 700-3709.
CalRE #00884530
A long-time resident of the area, Jenny specializes in residential and commercial real estate. She has more than 34 years experience and is a consistent top producer. Jenny is a native of Taiwan & speaks three dialects of Chinese. She is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers & Altrusa International. She is married with two sons. Call (213) 810-8791
Sandy is dedicated to bridging the needs of buyers and sellers with personalized, one-on-one service from the starting line to the dotted line. She has the comprehensive knowledge, negotiating experience and marketing skills helping her clients since 1988 to achieve their goals. Sandy grew up in Hancock Park and has lived in Brookside for over 40 years. Call (323) 687-6552.
Hana Ali is the daughter of Muhammad Ali. Like her father she is a people person and enjoys being of service to others. Hana grew up in Fremont Place Hancock Park and went to Paige Elementary school on Larchmont Blvd. Hana will provide the highest level of service for every buyer and seller. Call (310) 775-5307
Bella Kay, with over 39 years of experience in the local real estate industry, speaks five languages fluently: English, Arabic, French, Italian, and Spanish, taken courses in interior design. Known for her patience, persistence, and enthusiasm, she has a loyal following of satisfied clients throughout Hancock Park, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, & the Westside. (323) 972-3408.
Call (213) 810-9949 cecille.cohen@camoves.com
CalRE #01865790
TERRI MCCORTNEY
CalRE #01161421
Terri has lived in the Hancock Park area since 1971. She has been with the Coldwell Banker Hancock Park North office since 1995 where she has been a multi-million-dollar producer. She specializes in Westside residential real estate to include Hancock Park, Miracle Mile, Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz and Silver Lake. Please call Terri at (323) 460-7612.
CalRE #01118844
CalRE #02070839
F or
PEGGY BARTENETTI
I am a neighbor. I love our neighborhood! I am passionate, ethical and smart. I do not take lightly the responsibilty that I am given. I do try to make every sale as stress free and yes..even fun and exciting. Call Cindy at (760) 703-3877
Holding the title of Executive Sales Director and Global Luxury Specialist, Kathy is celebrating her 36th year with Coldwell Banker. She and her partner are noted for pleasant, stress free and successful transactions. Charities include Meals on Wheels, Good shepherd Center for Women & Children and Hope Net. CalRE #00626174
CalRE #01440214
CalRE #00887754
Victoria is a Los Angeles native and a long-time resident of Hancock Park/Windsor Square. Her real estate career spans 25 + years with such achievements as Rookie of the Year, Assistant Manager, Top Producer and Woman of the Year. She has sold from Santa Monica to Palm Springs & is a member of numerous charitable & religious organizations. (323) 823-6869.
I have worked in Real Estate since 1974, selling property from BWI’s to Mexico, Virginia, Florida, Utah, and California. I know how to find the best value and use it to your advantage. If you are thinking about a move, please call me Ginger (323) 252-6612 CalRE #01884677
MICHELLE HANNA
CalRE #01068814
CATHIE WHITE
more listings and inFormation visit us online at
Call (323) 371-3152
ColdwellBankerHomes.com
“Each transaction is like a puzzle and it excites me to make sure all the pieces fit as easily as possible! I love helping people achieve the American Dream!” I was born & raised in Los Angeles with over 25 years of experience in real estate & graduate of Pepperdine University. When she is not selling real estate she is serving @ St. Brendan’s School or Loyola H.S. where her children attend. Call (213) 923-8086
SEV CAMERON
Cathie’s philosophy as a real estate agent mirrors her philosophy for life - listen learn and care. She lives, works and plays in Larchmont but her experience expands beyond these boundaries. Cathie’s goal at Coldwell Banker is to be an advocate for her clients, be it as they buy, lease orsell,andmakesuretheyreceivethe best information service and overall experience available. CalRE #02088625
Call (323) 460-7622
GINGER LINCOLN
VICKIE BASCOY
SALINA CORTEZ
Salina holds a degree in design which she incorporates strongly into the real estate market. Inheriting a strong work ethic since childhood believes being honest, available and following through has sustained the elite clientele throughout her professional life. She has a calm sense in wisdom of knowing they connect with her. “Believe in yourself and anything is possible”. (310)487-0447
CalRE #01240652
Peggy graduated from UCLA with a BA in English; studied design at Otis Parson’s Art Institute for 3 years and completed a summer course in the Architecture of English Country Homes at Oxford University in England. Peggy has been selling real estate for 23 years with Coldwell Banker South on Larchmont & has been a resident of Hancock Park for 48 years. Peggy is involved in many community activities. Call (323) 860-4250
BARBARA ALLEN
GRACE KIM
For 21 yrs, Laura Kate has lived within 5 mins of her Larchmont office. An avid traveler, she brings an Int’l perpective to her work - she understands what draws people from all over the world to LA, but also knows what makes Angelenos feel at home. Call (310) 600-4723
CalRE #01487763
Over twenty years ago, Barbara relocated from Massachusetts with a Master’s Degree from Boston University’s School of Communications. She specializes in residential homes & residential income properties in the Hancock Park, Miracle Mile, Hollywood, Silver Lake & Los Feliz areas. She’s a member of International President’s Circle. Call (323) 610-1781 www.BarbaraAllenla.com
LEAH BRENNER
KATHY GLESS
Grace Kim understands that buying and selling a home can be a challenging experience. As an experienced real estate professional, Grace provides the highest quality service with attention to details that will make your sale or purchase a smooth and seamless process. You can rest assure that Grace will take care of your real estate needs every step of the way. Trust in Grace to have your best interest at heart. Call Grace at (213) 700-6833.
LAURA KATE JONES
CalRE #01865790
CalRE #00917665
Leah has three loves: family, real estate and community. A proud grandmother of 17, resident of HP, supporter of local charities and a top producing agent, Leah has achieved many accolades over her 37-year career. Leah and her partner Naomi are members of the prestigious Society of Excellence and earned a position on The Wall Street Journal/ REAL Trends list of the nation’s top 1,000 REALTORS®. (323) 860-4245 www.naomiandleah.com
CINDY DEFATTA
CalRE #01011584
JEANNINE YATES
Started her career as a real estate agent 30 years ago in the Coldwell Banker Beverly Hills office. Fluent in English and French. Recently relocated to L.A. from Australia. Hardwork ing, great local knowledge and marketing skills to achieve her client’s goals. Loves working with sellers, preparing their homes for sale. Hancock Park resident (310) 739-3070
Call (323) 864-3004 www.LovelandCarr.com
BETSY MALLOY
Betsy is a very trustworthy real estate agent. Her expertise in preparing a house for sale is incredible. She takes a marginal house and with minimal expense, turns it into a home where people put multiple offers to live in. She is a fullservice agent whose warmth and genuine caring has made her loved by all who know her. She is deeply committed to her clients getting them top dollar for their homes. (323) 806-0203.
As an agent who’s an expert in this local area, I bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise about buying and selling real estate here. It’s not the same ever ywhere, so you need someone you can trust for upto-date information. I am eager to serve you. Call (323) 252-7287
CalRE #01467820
ANNE AUSTIN
NADIA KIM
BELLA KAY
CalRE #01007407
Janet always loves a challenge and a chance to be creative. Working with Sellers to fix up their homes prior to listing & complex negotiations remain her greatest joys. Preserving is her new hobby. See her in action & the fruits of her labor at the Loveland Carr Facebook page!
CECILLE COHEN
HANA ALI
CalRE #02021986
Maria, a 40yr Hancock Park Resident & Top Real Estate Sales producer since 1995. Her specialties are Single Family, Multi Family, Short Sale, Bank Owned, (REO), Probate & Trust Sales. In 2016, Maria has been awarded the Coldwell Banker Int’l President’s Circle Award . Maria ranks in the top 3% Sales producer Nationwide. For a free and private consultation. English and Spanish languages. Call (213) 705-1603
ANNE LOVELAND
SUSAN YIM
SANDY BOECK
CalRE #01005153
Celebrating 23 years of residing in the Hancock Park area with her family and fifteen years with Coldwell Banker. Shar thrives on the sales skills and negotiations paramount to closing the deal. Your referrals are always welcome. Shar has been named to the International President’s Circle and is certifield Global Luxury Specialist. Call (323) 860-4258.
MARIA GOMEZ
JENNY CHOW
CalRE #00918577
CalRE #00855785
SHAR PENFOLD
NAOMI HARTMAN
Buying or selling in Hancock Park or Miracle Mile? Look no further. Respected by clients and colleagues, Naomi has 41 years of real estate experience. She and her partner Leah have a history of setting records and garnering accolades, including their membership in the Society of ExcellenceandTheWallStreetJournal/ REALTrendslistofthenation’stop1,000 REALTORS® (323) 860-4259 www.naomiandleah.com
Call (323) 864-7406 www.LovelandCarr.com
CalRE #00888374
JANET LOVELAND
Sev is a friendly problem solver professional with a positive attitude and engaging personality. Strong business background. She is dedicated to her work and a good communicator. Lifetime learner. Earned degrees in Real Estate and Paralegal. Speaks English, Turkish and French. CalRE #02081494
Call (310) 717-8519
Hancock Park 251 Larchmont Blvd. 323.464.9272
©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
Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
SECTION ONE
Paris report: School readies to open, cafés bustling for now
By Brooke Stewart As for many around the world, everyday life in France changed instantly when President Macron announced on a Thursday in March that all higher education institutions would be closed from the following Monday. A few days later, the announcement that we were going into lockdown arrived, sending us all into a flurry of panic. I had arrived in Paris two weeks before the quarantine announcement for a language class at the Sorbonne. Before coronavirus, I planned to take a French language class, pass the French language exam called the DALF (required to enter graduate school), and apply for master’s programs. My plans, like those of so many, were derailed. I could no longer take the DALF exam because all testing centers were closed; all my interactions with my professors were online; my graduate school interview was held via Skype. The most significant adjustment during lockdown was learning in a virtual classroom. Even though I had once lived in Paris before I arrived in February, I somehow felt cheated by only experiencing two weeks of living in the city. I did not even see the Eiffel Tower until the quarantine ended! The only extent of Parisian life I experienced for months was walking down the aisles of Monoprix — the French equivalent of Target — while grocery shopping. Need discipline online For most students, virtual tools such as online resources are standard in our education. However, this does not prepare you to study exclusively online. I discovered that online learning requires more discipline than being in a classroom. I have never been very productive working from home. I cannot concentrate clearly, and struggle to motivate myself to work when the temptation of Netflix is constant. Online learning does not foster classroom discussion. Before lockdown, we would cover several topics during a class. Online, we could only cover one subject per day as it would become too complicated with people talking over each other or connection problems. Elementary, middle, and high schools in France opened when quarantine ended. However, universities remain closed until September. I look forward to being in a classroom again. Not only because it is more engaging than online learning, but because I will be able to socialize with my classmates. The threat of a second wave is continuously looming. There has been an increase in cases in two re-
ICONIC BRASSERIE, Les Deux Magots in Saint-Germain-desPres, was once popular with artists, philosophers and writers.
gions in France, prompting the government to pass a law, making masks mandatory in confined public areas. Many students in the United States do not have the luxury of returning to school in the fall. In France, we can only hope that people continue to wear masks and wash their hands
to ensure we will not have to quarantine again. Reopened Paris The liveliness of Paris has returned since the end of quarantine in May. People have returned to work. Stores are open. Restaurants and bars have set up terraces on the sidewalks and streets — welcom-
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ing patrons after a long absence. Restaurants were one of the things I missed the most in quarantine. Although being in quarantine forced my boyfriend and me to cook instead of ordering take-out, we were eager to make reservations at our favorite restaurants. One night CAFÉ DE FLORE in Paris. Photos by Brooke Stewart at one of them, called Marée Daguerre, a seafood res- tude, anxiety and fear. taurant in the 14th arrondisse- It is a privilege to enjoy norment, I made sure to savor ev- mal activities again, especially ery bite of the roasted sea bass when the fight against coronaand revel in the bustling ambi- virus is far from over throughance of the restaurant. out the world. Although we Sitting in a restaurant, en- are a long way from normalcy, joying delicious food while sip- the sight of bustling terraces ping on a glass of crisp white and parks shows that regardwine, listening to the chatter less of the obstacle, Paris’s viof the groups of friends and brancy will always return. families around me filled my Brooke Stewart lived in heart with joy. What was once Park La Brea and interned an ordinary Friday night scene at the Larchmont Chronicle in Paris was extraordinary af- the summer before her junior ter months marked by soli- year in college.
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Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
SECTION ONE
Past scouting trips swapped for activities closer to home
By Rachel Olivier COVID-19 has not slowed down local Girl Scout troops — much. Most trips and other activities have been postponed or cancelled. However, Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles (GSGLA) has recently issued guidelines for in-per-
son activities, and troop leaders told us Scouts also have been busy meeting over Zoom and doing projects together. Hiking, masks, time capsules Troop 495 leaders Amy Kiehl Miller and Alysoun Higgins said that their Scouts have been on several social distance
hikes this spring and have been having Zoom meetings. They learned how to make mocktails, and they planned a virtual scavenger competition for later this year, said Miller and Higgins. Celia Lopez, leader of troops 625 and 2115, which both
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AMBASSADOR TROOP 495 on a trip in 2016, left to right: Maeve Carney, Amadi Cary, Teva Corwin, Zoe Gittelson, Kayla White, Quinn Lanza, Poppy Miller, Fiona O’Malley, Olivia Brancato, Mary Higgins, Vivienne Black, Amy Kiehl Miller, Alysoun Higgins and Zoe Corwin.
meet at St. James’ Church, said that two of her Scouts are making and selling face masks and donating the proceeds to food banks, where they also are donating masks. Tasha Welton, troop leader at 1125, another St. James’ Church-based troop, tells us that her Scouts have been busy with virtual Girl Scout camp and Zoom meetings where they play games, and are putting together a time capsule to open when they reach sixth grade (they are currently ages 7 to 9 years). Some of the items the Scouts are including in the capsule are friendship bracelets, pictures, letters from parents and other troop members and All About Me Daisy and Brownie pages. They hope to complete the capsule by the end of the summer. For more about virtual Girl
“Educating the Hearts & Minds of Young Women Since 1906”
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Scout camp, visit girlscoutsla. org/en/camp/summer-camp. html. Trips postponed for now The Miller and Higgins Troop 495 (whose Scouts are going into 12th grade or their freshman year in college) did not make a scheduled trip to Oregon this year. Miller says GSGLA is allowing a onetime extension for 12th graders to use funds earned in Scout projects to reschedule cancelled activities into the next membership year. “That’s good news for us because we have two 2020 graduates,” Miller concluded. Miller, who is also troop leader for 615, reported that those Scouts were able to make one last trip to San Francisco in February for the Girl Scout Golden Gate ceremony before most activities in the state were shut down.
Distance Learning Classes Begin August 18
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◆ A challenging academic curriculum ◆ A strong spiritual and moral foundation ◆ An advanced technology program ◆ Competitive after-school sports ◆ An education of the Fine Arts and more.......
323-462-2241 x 11
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Please call the school (323) 462-4753 and schedule a tour of our campus: 617 N. Arden Blvd. L.A. 90004 Visit our website www.cksla.org
Publishes Thursday, September 3
Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
SECTION ONE
Alaskan adventure is an experience of a lifetime
By Rachel Olivier In a normal year, Boy Scouts are often seen picking up trash at the annual Taste of Larchmont or decorating Larchmont Boulevard for the holidays. They consider that to be paying their dues for the summer, when Boy Scout troops get to go on adventures that they will remember for the rest of their lives. This year, however, those trips have been cancelled or deferred. To help us all reminisce, Scoutmaster Matt Rauchberg sent us an update on Troop 10’s adventure in the Alaskan wilderness last August when Scouts and seven adults from Troop 10 (St. James’ Church-based) spent a week in the Alaskan wilderness, backpacking, kayaking, whitewater rafting and exploring what was “a completely foreign environment for most of us on the trip,” says junior assistant Scoutmaster Max Rauchberg. Environments of Alaska The Scouts were based out of Camp Gorsuch, which is north of Anchorage. They split into two groups, one going backpacking along Kesugi Ridge, and the other kayaking in Blackstone Bay. The groups then switched places after resting up back at Camp Gorsuch. Kayakers went to the town
BACKPACKING on Kesugi Ridge are Scouts from Troop 10. Mt. Denali is in the distance.
many different environments that had a different experience to each of them.” On the last full day in Alaska, the troop went whitewater rafting. Before heading to the airport on that last day, they also visited the Alaska Native Heritage Center, where they
viewed exhibits and live demonstrations of Native Alaskan culture. Gil said, “The trip really allowed scouts to venture out and see what experiences this beautiful world has to offer, especially in a place as unique as Alaska.”
Scouting at home While adventures in the wilderness have been cancelled, Scouts have been participating in virtual activities, said Matt Rauchberg. The troop has been holding weekly Zoom meetings, “which, (Please turn to page 24)
of Whittier and were then ferried into neighboring Blackstone Bay. They then made their way back, traveling approximately 25 miles, reports Rauchberg. They made several stops along the way, including at Lawrence Glacier. “It was melting before our very eyes. Even several miles away from the glacier you could hear enormous chunks of ice falling off occasionally,” he said. Hikers traveled along Kesugi Ridge in Denali State Park, going from dense and swampy forest to barren tundra. Luke Gil, senior patrol leader of Troop 10, said, “Before the trip, I had always made Alaska out to be relatively monotonous in its scenery — miles and miles of snow, the occasional town, and so on. But I was terribly mistaken. Alaska is a melting pot of
SCOUTS FROM Troop 10 prepare to launch their kayaks after camping on a remote forested island in Blackstone Bay, Alaska.
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
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• Experienced teachers devoted to fostering self-esteem in a safe nurturing environment • Over 45 years serving the neighborhood
315 S. Oxford Ave. • 213-387-7381 www.theplymouthschool.com theplymouthschool@gmail.com
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Hands-on Projects • Swimming & Field Trips Computer Science & Technology • Before & After Care Included Small Class Size with Differentiated Instruction
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Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
SECTION ONE
Alaska
HOLLYWOOD SCHOOLHOUSE
(Continued from page 23) thanks to the energy and creativity of Senior Patrol Leader Luke Gil and his staff, have been filled with games, virtual merit badge sessions, and live cooking demonstrations from Scouts Jack Hughes-Sanchez, Jackson Wright, and Scotty and Michael Hanna,” says Rauchberg. They still hope to do a High Sierra backpacking trip in early August, in preparation for a planned Mt. Whitney trip in summer 2021, he said. To learn more about virtual Scout activities, visit glaacbsa. org/Scouting_at_Home.
By Nikhil George 6th Grade
NATHAN YANG and Scott Hanna from Troop 10 paddle on Blackstone Bay, Alaska.
Another year has come to an end at Hollywood Schoolhouse, and just like the HSH community does every year on its last day of school, there was a luau. Of course, it would usually be in person at a park or beach. This year, though, we had it on Zoom, and it included fun games, like bingo. It was a fun event! For me though, the end of this school year means graduating from the only school I’ve known for my entire life. This is my 10th year here, and my journey has been amazing. Especially this school year, where I became a writer for this newspaper, received a scholarship, and was awarded valedictorian of my class. The memories I have with other students are unforgettable. For instance, outdoor ed. was a good time for my friends and I to bond in our last year together. We went on daily hikes, did teambased activities, and had campfires together. Or later on in the school year, we had our virtual ditch day. Despite the complications from the global pandemic, our teachers and HSH faculty still wanted to give us a fun day before we moved on. The first thing we took part in was a vir-
OAKWOOD SCHOOL By Scarlett Saldaña 10th Grade
Have a Happy Summer! Neville Anderson, MD, FAAP
As we continue to live in these uncertain times, schools around California decide whether or not to reopen this fall. Whether it be an onlineonly or hybrid learning model, each school has carefully devised a plan to keep students educated and safe. At Oakwood, we have planned to operate in a hybrid model, which brings a combination of in-person and remote learning. This may be the plan for now, but if there are any drastic changes to the current situation, Oakwood is ready to quickly transition back into a full online-only learning model. Along with the hybrid
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tual escape room. We split up into two teams and competed to see which team could escape faster. Afterwards, we had a virtual dance party and a scavenger hunt on Zoom. In the end, all of the memories I’ve had with my classmates are very important to me, and I could not be more appreciative. Our graduation events and ceremonies continued on after ditch day. The first was our recognition dinner. This is a night full of speeches from each sixth grader acknowledging their parents and teachers, as well as Hollywood Schoolhouse. There was also a tribute to the class of 2020; a slide show compiled of photos from over the years. It was a very emotional night, where everybody got to share their gratitude and appreciation for the important people and things in their life. On June 4, our class finally put on our caps and gowns. Graduation was still a great ceremony and exceeded expectations in its online form. A highlight for me was reading my valedictorian speech and listening to my teachers give theirs. At this point in time, I am now officially an alum of Hollywood Schoolhouse! I will always remember to be safe, kind, and responsible, the three values that the school lives by. Again, I want to say that I’m thankful for this opportunity I had to write in this newspaper and report on what was happening monthly at Hollywood Schoolhouse. This is Nikhil signing off. model, however, there are certain precautions–wearing masks, keeping a six feet distance, etcetera–we as a school have to take to create a safe learning environment. Besides those protocols, events and trips are a different story. All secondary students on Aug. 27 have orientation and through this month and the next, 7th, 9th and 11th graders are usually scheduled for a class trip. For now, though, school events and trips will either be postponed or, when possible, attended to online. Overall, regardless of our hybrid model, once it becomes safer, Oakwood will move back to its regular all-campus experience. Nevertheless, in order to do so, we have to protect each other from the spread of the virus by following the precautions given to us to keep ourselves and each other safe.
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Larchmont Chronicle
Letters
(Continued from page 2) paper’s use of the words “riots” and “looters,” etc. I watched a few weeks ago, from a few feet away, my neighborhood grocery store quite destroyed and looted by a mixed multitude of young people on La Brea. There are a few things that it seems people of common sense need to hold in our minds at the same time. Black lives of course matter. The opinions of racists are beneath contempt, and their criminal behavior should be prosecuted. And, common sense and decency dictate that criminal behavior by angry rioters and anyone else ought to be also out of the question. Is this too courageous a position? Lawlessness and violence is always objectionable, whether it is in the name of anti-racism or otherwise. Anyone who seeks to justify crime using the kind of pseudo righteous indignation I read in three Letters to the Editor today is just off base, at least. Many Black people have had their stores destroyed by protesters all over the country, also. Do they have a right to legitimate outrage over having their property destroyed and their life disrespected? Yes, get rid of racism. But to support and compliment violence against innocents? To rename “violence” as acceptable due to outrage? Please! A little empathy toward both sides would go a long way in restoring sanity and preventing us from
AUGUST 2020
emboldening rioters and looters. How do all of us enjoy the new plywood and particleboard look in our neighborhoods? Does anyone really think pandering and virtue signaling will accomplish any progress? I, for one, do not. It would amaze me if this or sentiments like these will be published by the paper. Decency and common sense will be driven underground. Andrew L. Sacks Miracle Mile North
‘Life versus property’
I am a 20-year resident of Hancock Park and currently live on Larchmont Boulevard. I was present and on the front lines of the riots and — yes — they were riots; there was looting; there was damage to property; and — yes — some disrespectful protestors. I saw it with my own eyes and lived with the National Guard, police and media choppers overhead 24/7, sometimes up to 10 at once hovering over my building for hours and hours with spotlights on for onground pursuits. For seven days straight. The National Guard was still present during the cleanup and the aftermath. Nothing like leaving your front door to go to the grocery store and saying hello to 10 guys sitting in a Hummer with rifles. I had a birds-eye view from my third-floor penthouse apartment, and I saw them starting at the Grove, working their way to Melrose Mac, looting the Pavilions grocery store, and then stopping at Larch-
SECTION ONE
mont at 5:30 in the morning. My boyfriend (who is a minority by the way lest you try the race or political card) and I slept with a chef’s knife in the bed and a lantern because we do not own firearms. We are directly on Larchmont Boulevard. Anybody a block or two in either direction has no clue what we were experiencing on the front lines. Constant sirens, no sleep for a week, suitcases packed, ready to flee to a waiting vehicle (and that’s if it was still there). It was incredibly traumatizing, and I still flinch when I hear a helicopter. How anyone could dare
speak about defunding the police and National Guard when these men and women are the only thing that saved bucolic Hancock Park and Larchmont Village. To make blanket statements that all police officers are corrupt is outrageous. Like any other group of people, any other race on planet earth, you have the good and the bad. To criticize the Larchmont Chronicle and their reporting is offensive. I’m speaking to the young millennials who wrote in, talking about “property versus people” — how dare you? Get a job, work your entire life and build up a thriving, re-
spected business. The owner of Melrose Mac watched 17 years crumble beneath her, on security cameras no less, paid her taxes, did not furlough anyone. She was so completely gracious I don’t even know where she found the spiritual strength in such a horrific situation. To even allude that she should give up a lifetime of work for a cause not to mention the expense, the time, the energy, the effort and the heartbreak to rebuild a well established business. What would you know about it Ms. JH, millennial commenter? You are the (Please turn to page 26)
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within a community.
Donald Rae Daves, a longtime resident of Hancock Park, passed away peacefully at his home in Newbury Park on June 7, 2020 at the age of 89. Don was born December 6, 1930 in Los Angeles and grew up in Glendale, California. He was an alumnus of USC, a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, president of Trojan Knights and an honoree of the Blue Key Honor Society and Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. While at USC, Don was responsible for the expansion of the Troyscope card stunts that took place during televised sporting events, as well as beginning the tradition of the white stallion, later known as “Traveler,” taking the field at football games. Don worked in the entertainment industry, spending ten years as the unit production manager and director of the television show Bonanza. In 1973, he became the assistant general manager of Goldwyn Studios (later Warner Hollywood Studios) and was there for 24 years. Don is survived by his wife of 63 years, Teri, as well as his daughters Torie and Toni and granddaughters Kathleen and Kimberly, in addition to their spouses and significant others Robert, Brad, Matthew and Sean. Also mourning his loss are his brother Brent, his sistersin-law Mary, Jeni and Gretchen, brother-in-law Ed, several nieces and nephews, and many dear friends. Don will always be remembered as someone who brought love, humor, fun and adventure into everyone’s lives. His was truly a life well lived.
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AUGUST 2020
SECTION ONE
Letters
(Continued from page 25) person who should be feeling shame. You clearly wouldn’t know a hard day’s work if it hit you over the head. You don’t have much to lose which is why you can make such a frivolous and reckless statement. You don’t know that this
business owner wasn’t deeply upset about the cause, but does that mean she should lose her life‘s work? How about the people who worked for her? Many your age? Forgive me, but “you know not what you say.” Easy to say, with several roommates at 20-something years old. I’d like to meet you at 30, 40 and 50 and see if you still feel the
same. You have also shown zero compassion for the trauma and the terror of living through a situation like that. The ignorance of youth. Speaking of powerful and positive youth, I strongly recommend that you read Davion Pilgrim’s story reported in the same Larchmont Chronicle section as your Letter to the
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Editor. I actually cut it out and put it in a special drawer to read — it was so beautiful. Here is a 16-year-old boy who clearly stated that there is “no need to loot and tear things down.” Ms. H., you need to hear this Black man. He doesn’t expect you to lose your business for his cause; he doesn’t think it’s right that violence was a part of this. His being African-American (and you being white), I think you need to read his story and listen to him. He’s not living in his personal victimhood. He knows about injustice, but he’s living in strength and power. This spiritual man, at the tender age of 16, has all of the knowledge and wisdom that this world needs. If everyone thought like this man, what a different world we would be inhabiting. Violence is not the answer, and this bright young man is spreading a good and powerful lesson and words even in the face of injustice. That is the tricky part. Learning to NOT lash back and retaliate, or condone vio-
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Larchmont Chronicle lence to get your point across, is very challenging. He is wise beyond his years and seems to have mastered it. His message needs to be heard. The non-accusatory flow of his words, the absence of anger (while stating facts), is what will make people listen to you. People mistakenly believe that anger propels. No it doesn’t, it repels. When is the last time you got anyone to do something you wanted or to hear you out by yelling at them? Chances are they deeply resented you afterwards even if they did comply. Davion even made mention of having to rebuild all over again, so imagine if we had never gone there in the first place. No violence. Thank you Davion, for all your hopeful messages of unity and for describing your personal experience. I heard and felt every word, and I will stand by you. If I could, I would give you a hug as a white woman who cares, if I could! Anonymous resident frightened of social media shaming, Larchmont Village
Capt. Paulson (Continued from page 3)
Beach, just to name a few. Or perhaps I’m the Wilshire officer who, at the age of five, was rescued when my overloaded boat sank from beneath me as my family attempted to flee Castro’s Cuba. I too, have been a victim of racism, sexism, homophobia and even fascism. I assure you, I am not your enemy. I am one of the 58% of offi- LAPD Wilshire Area Comcers assigned to Wilshire Divi- manding Officer Capt. Shannon K. Paulson sion who has been forced to seek emergency medical attention for injuries sustained in service to people I don’t know and who rarely say thank you. Maybe I am one of the 45% who have been refused service or received service that made me question whether it was safe to even eat the meal I paid for, all because of the uniform I’m wearing. I am the person who does my duty on a holiday, perhaps Christmas, New Year’s or Thanksgiving, away from my own family, responding to your family’s calls for service and assistance. Between those calls I drive down the street and smile and wave to children, only to have a percentage of them return that wave with a middle finger, because their parents have taught them to hate me. But I am not your enemy. I am the person who takes the verbal attacks and ridicule for being unable to solve a problem for which there are no answers in the realm of law enforcement. I weather the accusations of incompetence and ineptitude for failing to adequately fill the role of social worker, psychologist or sanitation employee. This by public officials, as well as members of the public, who are more than willing to make me the scapegoat for society’s collective failures. I have very recently been called “murderer” by those same elected government leaders. Yet still, I am not your enemy. Perhaps I am one of the 78% of officers who hopes to go home safely at the end of each shift to a spouse or partner; or one of the 76% who is a loving parent to a child who was born to me or whom I adopted. Maybe I am one of the 27% who is a military veteran who pursued this profession to continue a heartfelt dedication to public service. Perhaps I’m one of the officers who left my prior profession as a chef or a teacher, in aerospace, the health field, engineering, financial management or accounting, and joined the department as a second career. (Please turn to page 27)
Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
SECTION ONE
27
Capt. Paulson
(Continued from page 26) A full 32% of us were willing to risk starting over, many at a substantial pay cut, in order to be part of something good and decent — something larger than self. I buy Girl Scout cookies, support school fundraisers, coach little league, and adopt shelter animals. I am not your enemy. I am perhaps, myself, a political activist who has also marched and demonstrated on my personal time to advocate for my rights as well as yours. Then, while on duty, I have stood my post between opposing demonstrators in order to protect everyone’s rights. In recent weeks I have spent hours blocking traffic to protect and facilitate protest marchers advocating specifically against me. Simultaneously, I would be standing only feet away from destroyed and looted buildings displaying graffiti that openly advocated my death. Yet still, I am able to discern a difference between the protesters and the rioters and looters. I am steadfast in my refusal to blame the many for the criminal acts of the few, despite the fact that same objective fairness is rarely afforded to me. I do this because I am not your enemy. I am a person willing to risk my safety to protect the ideals of this country, while acknowledging we have not yet truly achieved them. I spend every day standing against hate, against racism, against sexism and against homophobia. I stand for freedom of expression, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly. I stand in defense of your ability to move about society safely, free of fear and intimidation. I might not always succeed in my stand, but I am willing, quite literally, to die trying. I do not require your appreciation and I willingly accept your fair and objective criticism, but I certainly do not deserve your hate. Because I am not your enemy. I am a father, a son, a mother, a daughter, a husband, a wife, a sister and a brother. I am Black, white, Asian, Hispanic, and Middle Eastern, or increasingly, some combination of several. I am gay, I am straight, I am bi and I am trans. I am Catholic, Jewish, Mormon, Protestant, Muslim, Buddhist, Jehovah’s Witness, atheist and agnostic. I am conservative and liberal; a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent (but while on duty, I am always apolitical). You may not know me, but quite simply, I am very much like all of you. I am an American, an idealist, a dedicated public servant. I am a Los Angeles Police Officer.
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Schools
(Continued from page 1) as well. How and when will schools reopen? For LAUSD, Beutner stated, “the school district will continue planning for a return to in-person learning during the 2020/21 academic year as soon as public health conditions allow.” Private and, in some instances, charter schools (which fall
under the umbrella of LAUSD but operate independently and often with non-unionized teachers) will have to wait until Los Angeles is removed from the watch list before recalibrating their plans.
Read all about it in our annual section published in the September issue of the Larchmont Chronicle.
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2020_GAF_OutDoor-Dining-LC_PrintAd_Final_HR-Print.pdf SECTION ONE
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Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
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Book reflects on how gardens take on trascendent meanings in war and pandemics.
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Remembering a forgotten hero of the American Revolution: On Books and Places. Page 3
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Real Estate / Entertainment Libraries Home & Garden
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Section 2
LARCHMONT CHRONICLE
AUGUST 2020
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AUGUST 2020
SECTION TWO
Larchmont Chronicle
Life, home, work, hope, beauty, plants and gardens
We thought we would be on our way now, here in early August, in the year of pandemic, to something resembling normal. The new normal, of course — face covered, six feet apart, perfectly scrubbed hands — but we might be out in the world anyway, dining, shopping, singing — ah, but not singing. But fine. We’ll take it; that is, we would have taken it. But we are back to the beginning, and back to a sense of timelessness in many ways, and this morning, at first light, I unlocked a door and stepped into a courtyard to check on my plants. For a gardener, this is what we do no matter what, check
Home Ground by
Paula Panich on our plants. One or two in a windowsill, we still check on our plants. And here in pandemic-land, where we, all of us in this world, live, a private conversation with our plants is a bridge to something normal, and to something resembling hope. When I first read Kenneth Helphand’s “Defiant Gardens: Making Gardens in Wartime” (Trinity University Press,
Residential program at Maryvale, city’s oldest children’s charity, closes
By Rachel Olivier Maryvale, Los Angeles’ oldest children’s charity, will cease operation of its residential services Wed., Aug. 5. Maryvale, founded in 1856 as the Los Angeles Orphan Asylum, began as an orphanage and hospital on the site where Union Station now stands. It expanded and moved to Boyle Heights in 1891 until growth (helping up to 8,000 children), earthquake damage and freeway
construction meant a move to Rosemead in 1952, where it remains today, with preschool and a community-based family program added to its residential program, otherwise known as Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP). The STRTP closure was announced in June by Maryvale’s CEO Steve Gunther. There was a final graduating class of residents in the (Please turn to page 5)
2006), I was deeply moved and was convinced that what I had just read will likely prove to be among this century’s great contributions to garden and landscape history and to the study of human behavior in wartime. The image in my mind of the gardeners of the Warsaw Ghetto, planting a crop they knew they would not live to harvest, has stayed with me, and will always. But I have just reread this stunning book. Its thesis — that human beings often make gardens in response to difficult and abnormal circumstances — has accrued a different and deeper meaning. Commonplace in ordinary times, gardens take on transcendent meanings during war — and pandemics. Wherever and whenever gardens appear, they encompass ideas and feelings, as Helphand has suggested, of life, home, work, hope and beauty. “The persistence of the ordinary,” he has written, can become extraordinary when worlds turn upside down. Gardens, made in almost impossible circumstances, give some semblance of order. In World War I, soldiers in the trenches of France grew celery; imprisoned Japanese-
wire and armed guards, there is a psychological connection between life, as many of us experience it now, and wartime civilian internees. Kenneth Helphand’s original research is impressive. His citing of memoirs and diaries of internees and prisoners of war gives the book’s narrative gravitas and emotional resonance. People speak of the experience of the “timeless present” — that is, when the duration of imprisonment is unknown — and of the boredom and depression that sets in with the loss of contact with the outside world. “The worst shock” of the internment experience, wrote Canadian J. Davidson Ketchum, interned in Germany during World War I, “was the wiping out of the future.” Making gardens then and now can assist in reinventing hope, and reinventing ideas of the future. Gardens provide useful work. They engage all aspects of the human being with their harvests of beauty and of nourishment. Garden-making gives us a small wedge of control over our situation — some small power, as Helphand says, over our sense of powerlessness. The reading of Helphand’s book can give that, too.
BOOKS AND GARDENS can give us some small wedge of control and power over our sense of hopelessness in times like these.
Americans and Japanese citizens built elaborate gardens in internment camps during World War II. Gardens fed people, and gardens could, and did, nurture a tenuous hold on retaining a sense of basic humanity. The fourth of the seven chapters in this book, called “Barbed-Wire Gardens,” is a study of the gardens in both world wars planted by Allied prisoners of war and civilian internees in Europe and Asia. We too are locked into a timeless present. While we are not surrounded by barbed
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Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
SECTION TWO
3
Some statues are worth saving; some people worth remembering
A statue of Haym Salomon resides on the southeast corner of Pan Pacific Park. As I write this column, the bronze figure sits barricaded by a chain link fence and construction activity on Third Street. It’s visible as one drives west towards Farmers Market, but few will now walk near the statue through the surrounding trucks, tools and workmen. Funny that I had never noticed this statue when the park was fully open to the public and clear of obstructions. My inattention couldn’t last. Monuments of such scale have become objects of charged controversy in the weeks following the murder of George Floyd. The points of discussion aren’t new of course, but never have they been so powerfully foregrounded. What and who do we choose to remember? Why and how do we make those choices? Where do we station monuments? And perhaps most urgently, who is the “we” in these questions? Haym Salomon seems a person worth a public remembrance. He brokered, raised, and gave money in support of the 18th-century American revolt against Great Britain. He was imprisoned twice and faced execution as a spy. He escaped to Philadelphia and pro-
On Books and Places by
Bruce Beiderwell vided crucial support for Gen. George Washington’s military campaigns. But he didn’t benefit from Washington’s success. Nor could he, a prominent citizen, hold public office in Pennsylvania. Salomon was a Jew. He gave and loaned a substantial fortune for a cause that would break him. He died a poor man at an early age. Even a quick recounting of such a life invokes worthy themes: on the personal side, service and sacrifice; from the public perspective, gratitude and atonement. Still, the sheer bronze weight of the monument hasn’t kept it settled in the 74 years since it was cast. As Michael Darling explains in a nice piece on the sculpture published in “LA Taco,” the Salomon memorial has moved about Los Angeles very much in sync with movements among Jewish communities. The monument was first settled in Boyle Heights, then
moved near MacArthur Park, then off to the Fairfax district close by its current location. The permanence signaled by bronze, and the adaptability suggested by the multiple moves, indicate complexities of public memorializing. We’re, after all, honoring not just individuals, but communities and ideals. We’re interested in aspirations as well as past actions. Communities, ideals, aspirations are abstractions subject to change. What is remembered can be again forgotten. The interests driving remembrances aren’t stable or unassailable. The meaning of the Haym Salomon monument, for example, may be extended to suggest other marginalized or uncredited heroes. Think of Black servicemen who returned from World War II to find Jim Crow laws firmly in place. Conditions resulting from the pandemic along with the public murder of George Floyd have intensified much dialogue over essential matters as well as accelerated change — or at least the perception of change. Certainly new forms of memorializing have developed. On my way driving down Third Street to the Farmers Market, I recently saw, just a few blocks before the Haym Salomon monu-
HAYM SALOMON supported the American Revolution. It was a cause that would break him financially.
ment, a mural painted on an east-facing wall of ModShop. It’s a large portrait of George Floyd by Misteralek (a muralist and commercial artist) that seems to have appeared overnight. The words I first read scrolled under the tragic face were “Change the World.” The next time I passed and slowed to view more carefully, I noted I had missed seeing a final “d” on the verb: “Changed the World.” My misreading speaks to our currently unsettled state. “Change” is a command; “changed” is a proclamation. Perhaps both are necessary now. And perhaps such murals are for the moment exactly
the sort of public art that’s needed. Because they are commissioned privately and can be produced quickly and relatively inexpensively, they are able to respond to the moment. They are more ephemeral than bronze, but that can be an advantage, too, for they are easily revisable, replaceable or erasable. They commence a dialogue of what should be rather than pronounce what is. I’ll take the pop-up art that appears on the street over the cynical project proposed by President Trump to memorialize the “greatest Americans” at the very time he is defending existing symbols of white supremacy.
4
Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
SECTION TWO
Assaults from Sacramento, part two: The Assembly now attacks!
When I last reported on the shotgun blast of California State Senate bills aimed at the heart of single-family neighborhoods and the quaint idea of local control, I had been keeping an eye on the second barrel coming out of the Assembly which produced its own buckshot of bills. Like the Senate proposals, these bills blew through their respective committees
with minor changes in July and will be arriving in their opposite house as the Larchmont Chronicle lands on your doorstep. Meanwhile, our local neighborhoods’ dynamic duo in the upper house, Sen. Benjamin Allen and Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, voted to approve all of the bad Senate bills mentioned here last month (SBs 995, 1085, 1385, 1120) with
On Preservation by
Brian Curran
the exception of SB 902 — arguably the worst bill, from San Francisco’s single-family housing hater Sen. Scott
Wiener — where both Allen’s and Durazo’s votes were not recorded. Were they afraid that maybe their Los Angeles constituents would not favor the opportunity bestowed upon us by Sacramento to gut our own single-family neighborhoods and historic districts? Perhaps Allen and Durazo were more comfortable with SB 1120 that would allow developers to create luxury duplexes in single-family neighborhoods, but only if the locations were not encumbered by any type of Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, other overlay zone, environmental issues or pesky existing tenants. Still not a good approach to planning. While we concerned citizens might have been focusing on the many threatening SBs, our own Assemblyman Richard Bloom teamed up with eastern San Francisco’s ambitious Assemblyman David Chiu (and Sen. Wiener) to craft the Assembly’s answers to the soundly-rejected SB 50 from earlier this year. Let’s quickly examine this second brood conceived as kin of that defeated, mean-spirited bill. AB 725: Written by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (Berkeley) and Sen. Wiener, this bill uses the cudgel of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) to force cities to ensure that at least 25 percent of their share of moderate income and above moderate income housing be allocated to sites with zoning that allows for at least two units of housing which, with new accessory dwelling unit laws, includes all neighbor-
hoods zoned single-family. AB 1279: This is the attempt by Assemblyman Bloom (representing our neighborhoods, basically west of Plymouth Blvd.) to usurp local control by imposing byright developments in undefined “high opportunity areas” to be determined by the Dept. of Housing and Community Development if RHNA targets are not met (again the cudgel!). Once triggered, AB 1279 allows 50 housing units per quarter-acre and 120 units per half acre within all existing residential areas, from single-family neighborhoods to mixed-use shopping districts. Affordable units are supposed to be included, but a fee to the government may be paid instead! AB 2345: San Diego’s Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez teamed up with Assemblyman Chiu to produce a bill that is essentially Los Angeles’s Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) program with less affordable housing required. It has the potential to conflict with our town’s TOC program by offering a 15 percent affordable housing requirement rather than our 17 percent requirement in order to get a 50 percent density bonus. Result? More luxury housing units for fewer affordable ones! AB 3040: Assemblyman Chiu strikes again with what Livable California called his “Sophie’s Choice” bill, which forces cities to choose between rezoning single-family homes over 15 years old to satisfy RHNA targets (the (Please turn to page 5)
Larchmont Chronicle
On Preservation (Continued from page 4)
cudgel!), or do it through the state Density Bonus Program which has proved impossible for most cities. Since failure is assured, Wiener’s SB 35 (streamlined construction) is
Maryvale
(Continued from page 2) spring. Since then, Maryvale has worked with the Los Angeles County Dept. of Children and Family Services, the Dept. of Mental Health and the Probation Dept. to place residents in the most appropriate settings, said Gunther. The pandemic has changed how nonprofit groups and organizations such as Maryvale, and its auxiliary the Orphanage Guild, founded in 1950, function and fundraise. Many of these groups also are reconfiguring their purposes. Maryvale still operates a preschool for children — infants to five-year-olds — and a community-based set of family programs that include mental health and other “wraparound” services. With the closure of the residential program, the Orphanage Guild is also having to revise how it operates. But both organizations are still going strong. To learn more visit maryvale.org or laorphanageguild.org.
AUGUST 2020
brought to bear to provide a sucker punch. Learn more about Livable California, the nonprofit that advocates for empowerment of local governments to foster equitable, livable communities and truly affordable housing, at livablecalifornia.org. AB 3107: Finally, to add insult to injury, our own Assemblyman Bloom proposes a bill that legalizes housing in commercial areas (something already legal in Los Angeles) Local state representatives considering the bad housing bills are: East of the centerline of Plymouth Boulevard: State Senator Maria Elena Durazo District Office (213) 483-9300 State Assembly Member Miguel Santiago District Office (213) 620-4646 West of the centerline of Plymouth Boulevard: State Senator Benjamin Allen District Office (310) 318-6994 State Assembly Member Richard Bloom District Office (310) 450-0041
4614 Finley Ave, Unit 22 Just Listed 1 Bed | 1 Bath | 798 Sq Ft | $525,000 Located in the heart of prime Los Feliz Village
but also specifies that housing projects with 20 percent affordable units will be arbitrarily up-zoned, regardless of their surroundings, to the tallest height allowed in commercial or residential areas within one quarter mile. In Los Angeles, that potentially means nine-story mixed-use apartments citywide. It is not too late to contact your State Senators and
SECTION TWO
Assemblymembers! The best way to do this is to call your representative directly and tell him or her to oppose these bills. You also can organize a group to schedule a Zoom meeting with a staff member or the legislator to express your concerns. You can also reach the relevant committees and their staffs through the “California Legislature Position Letter Portal”:
5
calegislation.lc.ca.gov/Advocates
Once you sign up on that portal, you can use it to search and submit comment that is received by the Legislature’s “bill analysts” and committee members. You can create an account for groups as well. Act now to ensure that housing policy and planning remain in local control and that your voice will continue to be heard.
What Lies Beyond The Door? Many of my sales are “off market” or “pocket listings.” As more homes are bought and sold under the radar, it pays to know who has this information. I have many such properties in my pocket. Be in the know and contact me!
JILL GALLOWAY Estates Director, Sunset Strip 323.842.1980 jill@jillgalloway.com jillgalloway.com DRE01357870
Compass is a licensed real estate broker (01991628) in the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdraw without notice.
617 N Lillian Way Just Listed | Prime Hancock Park 4 Bed | 2.5 Bath | $2,300,000 Light and Bright Renovated Traditional with 4 Beds in 3rd Street School District
Ali Jack Windsor Square Native & Marlborough Alumna 213.507.3959 ali.jack@compass.com @thealijack TheAliJack.com 717 N Highland Ave, #23 Lease 2 Bed | 2 Bath | 1,280 SF | $5400/mo Perfect Live Work Loft with Private Balcony Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01991628. 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.
6
AUGUST 2020
SECTION TWO
Larchmont Chronicle
Local architect restoring 1926 Victorian house on Larchmont
By Billy Taylor A beautiful if slightly faded 1926 Victorian house on Larchmont Boulevard has been given a new lease on life thanks to a restoration project being undertaken by local design and architecture firm AR&D Architects.
Sean Lockyear, the firm’s founding principal and lead architect, told the Chronicle last month that he is excited to restore the old house to its former glory, while adding some modern touches to complement the design. When we spoke, construction crews
were preparing to replace the building’s old foundation. “It’s a beautiful Victorian building,” said Lockyear of the house located at 424 N. Larchmont Blvd. “But the foundation was crumbling everywhere. Everything that we opened, we realized we were
going to have to start fresh.” Interested in keeping all of the original Victorian character, Lockyear is working with a Paramount Studios workshop to produce replicas of the exterior siding as well as the interior moldings and trim for the house. Once complete, Lockyear said
the renovated Victorian house will serve as his firm’s Los Angeles office because they have outgrown their space across the street at 507 N. Larchmont Blvd. Studio AR&D is an architecture, design and construction firm with offices in Los Angeles and Palm Springs. More information is at studio-ard.com.
HEIDI B DAVIS
Your Neighborhood Realtor 2 stunning properties on the market in Brookside: Don’t hesitate, they won’t be for sale long!
Sold
852 Mullen Ave 4+4.5, 3450 Feet, Pool + Spa + Office 110 S Sq Martel Avenue* www.852Mullen.com Stunning Estate Property w/Guest House & Pool $2.950M
Listed
935 S Hudson Ave 3+2,930 1771NSq Feet, Converted Wetherly DriveGarage #304 www.935SouthHudson.com www.930NorthWetherly.com $1.899M
Available for private showings
VICTORIAN-style house sits ready to be restored by architecture firm AR&D Architects. Photo by Lance Gerber
Real Estate Sales
Cut through the noise. There is a lot to discuss about the market today. Happy to be your resource. Be well,
HeidiBDavis HeidiDavis5@gmail.com // 213.819.1289 www.simplyheididavis.com // dre# 01831924
SOLD: This home at 444 S. Sycamore Ave. in La Brea-Hancock was sold in June for $2,090,000.
Single-family homes
Just Listed | Hollywood Hills 3354 Troy Drive 3 Bed | 2.5 Bath 2,126 Sq Ft | 4,789 Sq Ft Lot Offered for $1,649,000
JUST LISTED
Windsor Square
Just Listed | Hollywood Hills 2329 Holly Drive 3 Bed | 3.5 Bath 2,036 Sq Ft | 5,074 Sq Ft Lot Offered for $1,250,000
Amazing opportunity and incredible value in Windsor Square. Remodeled Spanish style gated home with great floor plan, tons of natural light, privacy, pool / outdoor space, and full guest house. Just a short stroll to Larchmont Village. 631 South Arden Boulevard 6 Bed | 6.5 Bath | 7,046 Sq Ft Main House 800 Sq Ft Guest House | 17,115 Sq Ft Lot Offered for $3,999,000 chasecampen.us/properties Co-listed with David Rothblum, RE/MAX ONE
Chase Campen 323.788.4663 chase.campen@compass.com DRE 01323112
Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01991628. 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.
232 S. Rimpau Blvd. 538 N. Alta Vista Blvd. 100 S. Beachwood Dr. 300 N. June St. 537 N. Cherokee Ave. 631 N. Lucerne Blvd. 336 N. Orange Dr. (duplex) 301 S. Mansfield Ave. 160 N. Martel Ave. 444 S. Sycamore Ave. 358 S. Citrus Ave. 173 N. Citrus Ave. 546 N. Highland Ave. 6124 Warner Dr. 635 S. Citrus Ave. 7416 Rosewood Ave. 412 S. Edinburgh Ave. 167 N. Gardner St. 920 S. Plymouth Blvd. 408 S. Highland Ave. 837 Hauser Blvd. 554 N. Irving Blvd. 929 S. Dunsmuir Ave. 1003 Keniston Ave.
Condominiums
531 N. Rossmore Ave., #402 610 S. Wilton Pl., #403 4407 Francis Ave., #308 5132 Maplewood Ave., #206
$5,700,000 4,000,000 3,800,000 3,618,000 2,570,000 2,325,000 2,250,000 2,200,000 2,175,000 2,090,000 2,078,000 2,036,250 1,992,000 1,760,000 1,718,000 1,550,000 1,505,000 1,500,000 1,400,000 1,325,500 1,325,000 1,315,000 1,199,000 1,038,690 $900,000 707,000 689,000 695,000
Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
SECTION TWO
7
‘Local’s’ new guidebook to our enormous and wild park
By Larry Guzin If you’re a local, you will learn a lot by reading Casey Schreiner’s “Griffith Park: A Local’s Guide.” Certainly not limited to “locals” however, this guidebook is a great read for an out-of-towner with even a vague interest in our city’s enormous and wild municipal park. Personally, I first learned about Griffith Park growing up a few blocks south in Los Feliz, where I played with neighbor pals as a boy, earned my Troop 20 Boy Scout “Nature” merit badge, and ran crosscountry for John Marshall High School. The park was like my backyard, my hallowed ground, and still is. In adulthood, with 40 years of twiceweekly evening hikes and over 300 as a Sierra Club certified outings leader, my love for the park and the depth of my park knowledge has grown. However, reading Schreiner’s outstanding guidebook has increased my knowledge of the park. This genteel Baedeker about all things Griffith Park is a fulsome trail guide and much more, chock full of substantive facts and practical hints to help the reader fully enjoy all that the park has to offer. The armchair adventurer, the would-be hiker, or the rugged mountaineer alike will be
NEW GUIDE BOOK by Casey Schreiner.
informed by detailed descriptions of 33 Griffith Park hikes. These descriptions are sure to whet a newbie trekker’s appetite to experience the “back country” of our city-adjacent wilderness and will no doubt amplify a greybeard trails devotee’s appreciation for the footpaths leading to the park’s mini-mountaintops and grand viewpoints. Useful extras In addition to turn-by-turntype hiking route navigation, Schreiner’s apt descriptions provide objective measures of the distances to be traveled, elevations to be gained, and high points to be reached on each, enumerated route. Subjective (but quite accurate) assessments of the difficulty
(ranging from “Easy” to “Very Challenging”) and the time required to complete each trek are also provided. This data is supplemented by uber-useful information about “amenities” available for each hike, including nearby restrooms, sources for drinking water, GPS location coordinates, driving directions, and nearest public transit to each trailhead. Example hikes As an example of the hikes listed, “Hike 15” leads the rambler on a moderate hike to infrequently visited Glendale Peak, an actual mountain in Griffith Park with its very own U.S. Geodetic Survey benchmark showing a 1,184-foot
elevation. The last few hundred feet to the summit traverse a narrow ridge with a sublime overlook of remarkable city and valley views, one of my favorites in the park. Another example, “Hike 23” (and what Schreiner calls “Mineral Wells Loop” but which I refer to as “Amir’s Circuit” on the Sierra Club hikes I lead) is a fantastic workout for someone seeking a strenuous hike. The guidebook pegs this as a hike of oneand-one-half hours duration, but my experiences inform me a fit hiker will require an extra half-hour and perhaps more to complete the splendid circuit, just a bit of a quibble. These are two of 33 adventures await-
SIERRA CLUB leader Larry Guzin (third from left) and a group take a break at the intersection of Bill Eckert Trail and Ankle Breaker trail en route to Mount Hollywood. City of Glendale is in the background.
ing the Griffith Park visitor wishing to hit the trails. Details described The hiking route descriptions, however, are only half the content of Schreiner’s excellent guidebook. The other half is devoted to just about everything else you would want or need to know about the park, ranging from the obvious (Hollywood Sign, Observatory, Autry Museum, Greek Theater, Zoo, and Travel Town) to the nuanced (Joe Klass Water Stop, Griffith Park Tea House, and the longgone beacon of Beacon Hill). If it is a feature of Griffith Park, big or small, this book describes it in detail, and well. Sierra Club hikes I only wish Schreiner paid a bit less attention to routes to the Hollywood Sign (which looks much better from the streets below the park and is, frankly, a nothing burger up close) and gave more than a passing reference to the iconic Sierra Club evening hikes, a half-century institution in Griffith Park. These Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday rambles start at 7 p.m. sharp from Lot 2 just past the Merry-Go-Round and are led by experienced Sierra Club leaders all year round. These sociable conditioning hikes divide participants into groups (Please turn to page 14)
508 North June Street — AVAILABLE OFF MARKET — $4,995,000 A stunning English home full of charm and character overlooking Wilshire Country Club, this beautifully decorated estate features a charming entry, wonderful living room with vaulted beamed ceiling, built in bookcase and fireplace and a formal dining room with views to the rear garden. Spacious family room, beautiful powder room, updated cooks kitchen with laundry area plus a maids room and bath complete the first floor. Upstairs you will find a well sized master suite with a walk in closet, bathroom and dressing area. There is also access to the 2nd floor deck which offers views of the professionally landscaped grounds and Wilshire Country Club. Additionally there are 3 bedrooms, 2 more bathrooms and an office with wonderful golf course views. Step outside to find a yard perfect for entertaining with outdoor lounge and sunny pool area. There is also a full workout room.
120 North Hudson Ave — SOLD OFF MARKET
2741 Rinconia Drive — $1,599,000
This beautiful home is located on Wilshire Country Club and offers wonderful golf course views from most rooms. The light filled rooms featured wood floors and floor to ceiling windows within a graceful floor plan. The master suite occupies the first floor while upstairs there are 3 additional bedroom suites plus a family room. A truly wonderful home that sold quietly off market.
Nestled on a quiet cul-desac in Beachwood Canyon stands this large modern Mediterranean. Enter to find a 2 story living room with balcony and calming views out to the canyon, step up to the formal dining area and into the updated kitchen with stainless steel appliances and a separate breakfast area. Upstairs is a large master suite with an equally large master bathroom and walk in closet. There are 2 additional bedrooms and another bathroom on this floor. On the lower level is a family room with access to the outdoor entertaining area, home gym or could be an office plus a mother-in-law unit with kitchenette and full bathroom. A great value in a great location.
Hancock Park
251 N. Larchmont Blvd. (323) 464-9272
Representing Buyers and Sellers in the Hancock Park/Windsor Square neighborhoods for the past 28 years
Rick Llanos (C) 323-810-0828 (O) 323-460-7617 rllanos@coldwellbanker.com CalRE# 01123101
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 Residential Brokerage are independent contractor agents and are not employees of the Company. ©2018 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker Logo, Coldwell Banker Global Luxury and the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury logo service marks are registered or pending registrations owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.
©LC0920
Coldwell Banker
Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
SECTION TWO
‘Library To Go’ curbside pickup at Fairfax library
Fairfax library, 161 S. Gardner St., is one of 18 Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) branches participating in “Library To Go,” a program that offers curbside pickup and dropoff of books, audiobooks, DVDs and CDs. “By bringing curbside pickup to these beating hearts of our communities, we will reopen doors of creativity, discovery, and imagination for all of us,” said Mayor Garcetti when the program was launched last month. “Learning to live with COVID-19 means finding creative ways to reconnect us with critical public resources.” How it works Using the online catalog, patrons can reserve materials for checkout, and they then are given instructions via email or phone for scheduling a pickup at one of the 18 branches. Materials are set out on tables located outside the library branches for patrons to collect at their scheduled time. There is a designated waiting area; facemasks and maintaining physical distance are required. Bookdrops are also available at the 18 locations for patrons returning materials. All returned materials are isolated for a period of time before being re-shelved or reissued. The due date for materials checked out before the LAPL closure in March has been extended to Wed., Sept. 30. However, due dates on new items follow the standard borrowing schedules: three weeks for books and audiobooks and one week for DVDs and music CDs. Visit lapl.org/library-to-go.
AERIAL VIEW of the under-construction Audrey Irmas Pavilion on the southeast corner of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple block on Wilshire Boulevard.
Photo by Gary Leonard, July 18, 2020
166 N. Gardner Street
Beautifully designed open concept w/ two living areas, one more formal at the front of the home, with a more casual living area at the back of the home. Custom kitchen with a dining area for intimate or large gatherings. Kitchen has oversized island with high-end appliances. 4 bedrooms and 4 1/2 bathrooms. Master bedroom has en-suite bathroom with spa tub and custom walk-in closet. Guest bedroom has ensuite 3/4 bathroom. Private back yard with cafe lighting is perfect for entertaining. Updated one bedroom guest house (approximately 480 SF) potential for rental income or home office. Automatic gate for added security and easy access. Located minutes to The Grove, Pan Pacific Park, amazing restaurants, Beverly Center & Melrose Ave.
Offered at $1,999,999 call for lease pricing
MICHAEL BERLIN CAL BRE# 02035381
(310) 486-2613
m i c h a e l b e r l i n @ k w. c o m w w w. m b b r e a l t y. c o m
Hancock Park Spanish Revival 617 N. McCadden Pl. New Listing: $2,125,000
Nestled on a pristine, prime Hancock Park street. Captivating Moorish details such as rotunda foyer, exquisitely carved wood ceiling beams in living room, and coved ceilings in master bedroom. Entertain on the rear patio overlooking a lush green back yard with mature citrus trees or opt to add a pool. Reimagine this 3BR/2BA character-filled home with your finishing touches!
Marianne Simon Keller Williams Larchmont cell 310-497-6112 mariannesimon@kw.com CA DRE# 01436515
©LC0820
8
MAYOR GARCETTI displays some of the books available for checkout through ‘Library To Go’ curbside pickup.
LIBRARIES *FAIRFAX 161 S. Gardner St. JOHN C. FREMONT Online only MEMORIAL Online only WILSHIRE Online only ASK A LIBRARIAN 213-228-7272 infonow@lapl.org HOURS
*Library to Go Fairfax: Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. All other branches will remain closed until further notice. Visit lapl.org.
Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
SECTION TWO
Guilty pleasures, topical and relevant plays
We are approaching an existential crisis. It’s not the present danger to our democracy, health, or economy — although those are certainly real enough. Rather, it is how to be a theater critic when there is no theater? There have been valiant attempts, such as drive-in plays where the audience sits in cars; one-person shows for audiences of two or three; actors performing behind plexiglass (talk about the fourth wall!); and the ubiquitous Zoom. There are pluses and minuses to the Zoom experience: 80,000 people logged on to watch Richard Nelson’s play, “What Do We Need To Talk About,” which was specifically written for the medium. The play would have needed to run for a year to get an audience that size. Audiences love to “chat” during Zoom performances, which is even worse behavior than texting during a play. While there are advantages to streamed, stayat-home-theater such as comfort, safety, and better food at intermission, the Zoomed play takes away the one thing live theater requires of an audience as a collective: to meet the play and its ideas on its terms, rather than our own. You walk into a theater, you see who else is in the audience, you look at the set, wondering how it will be used, the lights go down and you perk up. You give your attention and your “willful suspension of disbelief.” You engage in the fiction of being “there,” while the cast engages in the fiction of you not being “there,” and in that agreed upon lie, the magic of theater happens. It feeds performers and spectators alike! Which is why, having watched the trailer several times on the Internet, I have no desire to see “Hamilton” on Disney+ (I saw it live in New York). There has been criticism, since the George Floyd shooting, of the play glossing over the fact that its cast is portraying slave owners. Last year, Ishmael Reed castigated the whole creative process that led to the juggernaut’s creation with his own play, “The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda,” denouncing “Hamilton” for “giving the genocidal men who wrote America into existence a veneer of social justice legitimacy” through its multiracial casting. (Nawal Arjini, “The Nation,” June 3, 2019.) Quite a comedown for a show that made waves lecturing Vice President Pence when he attended the play four years ago! This is the difference between the “topical” (which touches the topic of the day) and the “relevant” (which lifts it up for perspective). “Hamilton” was topical; Shakespeare
Theater Review by
Louis Fantasia is still relevant (as the current audio version of “Richard II” from the Public Theater makes clear). My own guilty Revolutionary pleasure is Peter Stone and Sherman Edward’s “1776!” I know: an all-white male cast of Founding Fathers, slave owners, or men who made money from the slave trade (as Hamilton did), who punted on the one great moral issue that continues to haunt us to this day, all singing and dancing as if they hadn’t a care in the world. “1776!” won the Tony for Best Musical that year, 1969, a time fraught with its own racial crises. Perhaps it pointed to the ir-
relevance of Broadway, as “serious” plays were being done on smaller, experimental stages. Or perhaps, in a less aware (or possibly, more forgiving) time, we could appreciate these Revolutionary icons as staged, with their shortcomings in full view: flawed, imperfect, yet striving — much like the new Republic they were trying to create. One of the casualties of the pandemic was the cancellation of Diane Paulus’s “gender inclusive” restaging of “1776!,” with a cast featuring “multiple representations of gender, race and ethnicity,” with casting calls for “female, nonbinary and trans-identifying performers” (playbill.com). It is now scheduled to open right after the 2021 Inauguration, assuming we can finally get a handle on this virus. It will be interesting to see if the production still seems relevant, or if it is just merely topical.
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Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
SECTION TWO
Nearby Black-owned restaurants worth supporting post-BLM protests
The recent protests have sparked a nationwide conversation about the meaning of Black Lives Matter and how best to move forward and effect change. One recommended action is to support Black-owned businesses, and an enjoyable way to do that is to eat one’s way through the varied cuisines found in our city’s myriad Black-owned restaurants, such as sampling the “California Soul Food” found at Alta Adams. Executive Chef Keith Corbin had an unlikely path to restaurant success. Hailing from
the circa-1955 Jordan Downs housing project in Watts, Corbin ran with a tough crowd and served 10 years in prison. Upon release, it was difficult to find employment until Corbin applied at LocoL, then a newly opened restaurant in South Los Angeles, whose mission was to bring affordable, healthy food to the neighborhood and provide opportunities for the chronically underemployed local residents. Corbin was hired as a line chef and quickly caught the attention of Daniel Patterson, the Michelin-starred chef who co-
On the Menu by
Helene Seifer founded the restaurant. When LocoL closed a few years later to become catering only, Patterson took Corbin under his wing, trained him in his San Francisco restaurants and then partnered with him to open Alta Adams. Mindful of his own inauspi-
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etarian option. Alta Adams, 5359 W. Adams Blvd., 323-571-4999. • • • A Black-owned restaurant with exceedingly bad timing, Flavors from Afar opened in March, days before the stay-athome order hit. It had been a catering operation and market previously, but this expansion into full-service dining came at a risky time. Nevertheless, they persisted with takeout and a unique concept. Owner Meymuna HusseinCattan is a refugee from Ethiopia, having fled civil unrest in 1975. Once in Southern California, she started the Tiyya Foundation to help other refugees navigate and adjust to a new home. The foundation is credited with helping over 250 families to date. A catering operation was established to fund the nonprofit, and refugees from around the world were hired as chefs and trained to translate the flavors of their homelands into food worthy of a paying crowd. The logical next step was to open a sit-down restaurant. Overseen by co-founder Christian Davis and program instructor Jalen Bannet, an Eataly alum, Flavors from (Please turn to page 15)
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cious start, Corbin is paying it forward at Alta Adams by hiring and training others with prison records. Additionally, at least during this COVID takeout time, he offers two food options: a three-course dinner for two for $78 and a one-course main with sides on a sliding scale. Those who pay the $20 full fee underwrite a meal for someone else. Those for whom $20 is a hardship can pay a percentage or nothing at all. My husband and I decided to try the fried chicken dinner. Each $20 plate came with a generous portion of delicious red beans and rice, tender, vinegary collard greens, and a plump and juicy chicken leg and thigh. The chicken was shatteringly crisp, even after a car ride home, and was loaded with flavor and just the right touch of heat. It was one of the most flavorful and satisfying fried chicken dinners we’ve had. We also bought two $10 pints of their homemade ice cream. Not as rich and creamy as Salt & Straw’s, yet satisfying. Strawberry tasted fresh and authentic; butter pecan was loaded with nuts and buttery afternotes. Some other meals on their biweekly rotation have featured ribs or oxtail, and there’s always a veg-
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AUGUST 2020
Surprises, laughs, thrillers on home screens
Military Wives (9/10): 108 minutes. PG-13. This was such a pleasant surprise. “Inspired by true events,” the story of a monopolizing wife of the Commanding Officer, Kate (Kristin Scott Thomas), and her officious efforts to organize the wives of the men under his command while they are deployed to a sixmonth tour of duty in Afghanistan is disarmingly captivating when, under less talented hands, it could have dripped with banality. This is a realistic, heart-warming film with some good music and shines a light on a part of society that rarely gets considered. I recommend it highly, not something I generally say about a chick flick, although I also liked “Emma;” am I getting soft? This is a 2020 release but it’s available on Prime. Worthy old movies and where to find them: Cassandra’s Dream (10/10): Woody Allen is something like the little girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead. When he’s bad, he’s very, very bad, but when he’s good he’s wonderful. In this 108-minute film, which he wrote and directed and filmed
At the Movies with
Tony Medley in London, he’s wonderful. It’s a gripping drama of decisions, family loyalty, selfishness, and how one can drift into disaster. Let me add here that one thing I’ve always admired about Woody is his statement that no film should be longer than 90 minutes, with which I wholeheartedly agree. But I have no complaint that this ran almost 20 minutes over his limit, because it is a compelling story with acting that is off the scale. Prime. Chaos Theory (10/10): This film has scenes so funny I was laughing out loud, uncontrollably. But it also has scenes of pathos. It starts with Ed (Mike Erwin), a fledgling bridegroom unsure about his potential wife, Jesse (Elisabeth Harnois as the grown up/ Matreya Fedor as the sevenyear-old), having discovered her infidelity. He mistakenly wanders into the bar where he finds his potential father-in-
law, Frank Allen (Ryan Reynolds), who engages him in an unwanted, unexpected contentious conversation about life. This is a gem of a film that did not get a wide release, so many people didn’t see it. STARZ with Prime video channels. Tell No One (10/10): Directed and written (with Phillippe Lefebvre) by Guillaume Canet (who also appears in the film as Phillippe Neuville), this thriller is based on Harlan Coben’s bestselling novel of the same name, which has been translated into 27 languages, and has sold over six million copies worldwide. It’s always difficult to write a review of a good thriller because anything a critic writes can spoil the enjoyment of a fresh viewing without knowing what’s going on and what’s going to happen. But the way Canet sets the ambience of the film (Please turn to page 15)
SECTION TWO
11
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Summertime & the living iS eaSy …. We have these useful and fun fruit and vegetable savers. Examples are “avocado savers.” You just cut the avocado in half, use half, and put the other half in the “avo saver” right with the pit still inside. Put it in the refrigerator and it keeps it fresh and unblemished. “We also have “savers” for onions, tomatoes, garlic, lemons, limes. Forget the saran wrap. We also have a “multi-level” steamer, cooker. You can microwave fish on one level and vegetables on another, all in the microwave. All done in minutes. We have great beach chairs, attractive and portable. We have the carbon monoxide detectors to comply with newly passed laws. Check out our fans and portable AC units, also, while you are here. We love our Larchmont customers who we hope to see this August! Have a great summer.
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AUGUST 2020
SECTION TWO
Locals who dared to travel—part two
LIPSON
By Helene Seifer Last month, we covered several residents’ travel reports. Here is Part Two. There is a lot to sort out when balancing health with the desire to burst out of confinement during these coronavirus times. Abshez family For Wendy and Allan Abshez, that included ascertaining the best way to visit their daughter Erica and son-in-law Dave Moran in Minneapolis, whose baby was due. They wanted to time their one-week visit to coincide with the birth, but COVID prevented that. Wendy first consulted with her doctor and a pediatrician, and both said that, they “…absolutely must quarantine for 14 days” in the Twin Cities before seeing the newborn in person. Therefore, no road trip. They are hoping to go in late summer and are considering driving to Minneapolis to visit Jane Nina Moran, born July 14. In addition to greeting the next generation, the Abshezes were supposed to go to England to spend a week at Wimbledon and then travel around Britain. When the tennis tournament cancelled, they transferred their tickets to next summer. In the meantime, they and their other daughter, Natalie, road-tripped to their home in Sonoma County where it was quiet, peaceful, and felt
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safe. Natalie lives and works in Wash., D.C., but Wendy explains, “Her job went remote... so in the beginning of May she flew home to join her family in Windsor Square, where she spent two weeks confined to her room to make sure she hadn’t contracted the virus.” Ester Poberezhskaya Larchmont Boulevard functional fitness instructor Ester Poberezhskaya, of Body by Ester, initially conformed to safer-at-home directives, but she then began taking small trips with her girlfriends in May. She has gone to Apple Valley to look at the blooms, Palm Desert to swim, Oxnard to golf, Lake Elsinore to waterski and San Diego to paddleboard. As someone who is used to picking up and heading off to Croatia’s beaches, Canada’s slopes, or the rugged British countryside, Poberezhskaya is itching to take a bigger trip. “I would like to get back to Europe. Maybe Italy. I travel all the time. Either I’m going to the snow or the water.” Yvonne Adams Yvonne Adams refuses to be completely confined to her Miracle Mile home and has regularly spent time in Palm Desert. After all, the former travel agent is used to exploring the world, having visited all seven continents, including Antarctica. “I enjoyed South Africa, Buenos Aires, Korea, China. Hong Kong was a big shopping trip. I took a whole group on a Black History tour of Paris.
ESTER POBEREZHSKAYA enjoys a streak of sunlight playing golf in Oxnard.
FASCINATORS ON: Yvonne Adams (left) and friend dressed for Ladies Day at Royal Ascot Races.
NEW ZEALAND DREAM VACATION for Dennee Frey and husband Uvaldo Marson.
Last year I went to Ladies Day at Ascot.” Not eager to board a plane these days, she’s embarking on a road trip with her daughter Dana Coleman, sonin-law Che Coleman, grandson CheThomas and Che’s mother Joan Abu Bakar. The two-week (Please turn to page 14)
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Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
SECTION TWO
Poker: Game of chance, or skill? Find out from a poker wiz Poker for All by
George Epstein your less-skilled opponents. In the long run, the skilled player goes home with the chips (money). The more skilled you are, the more you can expect to win. In that sense, the skilled player is investing. The reward is greater than the risk. Watch your chip stacks grow! It is akin to investing in a business and making it profitable. In summary, poker has elements of both gambling and
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investing. The greater your skills compared to your opponents, the more it is similar to an investment. Millions of people throughout the world play poker. Some become professionals (“pros”) who depend on poker for their livelihoods. (That, I don’t recommend.) The vast majority play for recreation. We enjoy the challenge (like playing a competitive sport or checkers, or doing a crossword puzzle). The mental stimulation (some even believe playing poker may help prevent Alzheimer’s) and social interaction are priceless. After retiring from their jobs, poker players may enjoy longer and happier lives than those who become “couch potatoes,” spending their free time watching television. And it is always a good feeling to go home a winner from the casino. Those are the reasons why so many people play poker… Texas hold’em There are many forms of poker. The most popular today is the game known as Texas hold’em. Twenty-five years ago, 7-card stud was the most widely played and still is often played. And then there are draw poker, Omaha, and others. Most are available in casinos and card rooms across the country. Some players enjoy moving
from one game to another. I do not recommend that. It is much better to specialize and become as skilled as you are able by focusing on a single game. My columns will be about low-limit Texas hold’em. It is available in thousands of casinos and cardrooms across the country, including those owned by Native American Indian tribes. Home
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games are common most everywhere. Several states allow online poker. In next month’s column, we will explore the basics. Subsequent columns will discuss various key skills, including your starting-hand selection, improving your hand as the game progresses, building the (Please turn to page 14)
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An oft-asked question: Is playing poker gambling? Gambling is the wagering of money or something of value on an event with an uncertain outcome, with the primary intent of winning money or material goods. Since you cannot control the cards that are dealt out, luck is a big factor in poker. What is poker? Using a deck of 52 cards, poker has evolved over many years; and there are many varieties. Since it involves luck, it is a form of gambling. It is like tossing a coin into the air — heads I win; tails you win. However, in playing poker, skill makes a big difference. It puts the chance (probability) of winning on your side versus
13
Travel
(Continued from page 12) motor home journey will take
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AUGUST 2020
SECTION TWO
them up the coast into Canada, if allowed. “I’ve never been in a motor home before,” Adams admits. “As long as I don’t have
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band Uvaldo Marson recently rented a house in Palm Springs for a week. “It almost felt normal there. It was so good to get away. We had contact-less check-in. They sanitize between people.” The 46-year residents of Windsor Village [recently relocated to Beverly Hills adjacent] will eventually plan their annual visit to Italy to see Mar-
POKER
(Continued from page 13) size of your pots, bluffing and other forms of deception, raising, value betting, and more… George Epstein, a long-time local resident, was an engineering manager in defense and aerospace. Upon retiring in 1991 at age 65, poker became his second career. He is the author of three poker books and currently is writing “Win More in Texas Hold’em.” He has taught poker classes at West L.A. Community College, the VA/West Los Angeles, Santa Monica Public Library, and an Alzheimer’s group. He created the Claude Pepper Seniors Poker Group, which grew from six members to over 200. He has been elected to the Seniors Poker Hall of Fame.
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To our readers: Columnist Grand Slam of “Bridge Matters” is on sabbatical.
Larchmont Chronicle son’s daughter Giorgia and her husband Massimo. They also will be changing their typical accommodations. “We usually do house exchanges,” explains Frey, “But I don’t know when we’ll do that again.” The headache of planning a trip with a pandemic as backdrop makes Frey nostalgic for trips past. “We went for a month to Australia and New Zealand in 2019. I am so glad we did that trip when we did.”
Griffith Park
(Continued from page 7) according to various, subjective degrees of strenuousness, from a plodding pace on relatively flat ground to all-out trail running, with various levels of moderate hikes in between. What better way to spend an evening than with good exercise and feeling a sense of accomplishment in reaching the summit of Mount Hollywood, to look out at twinkling lights of our vast city below? Before you join the fun, however, avail yourself of this excellent Griffith Park guidebook! Larry Guzin is a longtime Sierra Club hike leader in Griffith Park as well as a Himalayan trekker. Guzin is president of the Windsor Square Association.
Larchmont Chronicle
AUGUST 2020
SECTION TWO
15
Correct pronunciation was a matter of life or death in the Bible
On the Menu
(Continued from page 10) Afar features a different chef and cuisine each month. As of this writing, eight chefs are on rotation; we experienced Chef Sonia’s Guatemalan food in July, and August will feature flavors from either Somalia or Kenya. Wednesday through Sunday, a short list of selections is posted. We decided to plan on leftovers and order one of everything. Besides, the prices are more than fair: the chicken entrée was $12; the other items were $5 or $6 each. Not only does ordering support the foundation, but a percentage of all sales goes to providing nonperishable foods to a needy family. The pollo en recado de tamales was the Guatemalan
say “sh” but only “s” as in sibboleth. You see, the Gileadites had defeated the folks from the tribe of Ephraim, and some of the conquered had escaped
into Gilead to escape retribution. The vindictive victors put these refugees to this simple test and when they failed to correctly pronounce “shibboleth,” gave them the axe. Gives new meaning to speaking correctly, eh? • • • How come a flirty girl is a “coquette”? wonders Susan Brooke. This evocative word is a the feminine form of the French coquet — a flirtatious man.
It is the diminutive of coq, which is a rooster. • • • Why is a hearty eater known as a “trencherman”? ponders Ed McCauley. “Trencherman” is from the French trencher, a wooden board or platter on which food is served or carved. Those gluttons who camped out at the trencher were forever labeled. • • • A person who roams around aimlessly is a “gadabout.”
Why? queries Sonya Kern. This descriptive term is the shortened form of the Middle English gadden, which means “to rove about without purpose.” It also is used in “gadfly,” a somewhat political term which describes an irritating nuisance with a pet cause who will not be easily deterred. 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.
equivalent of a homey midweek dinner. White rice was the bed for two chicken pieces in a moderately spicy thick red sauce cooked with peppers, potatoes and carrots. We also loved the ground beef and onion sambusas. The four triangular pastries were flaky and well-seasoned; the accompanying mild green chili sauce enhanced the dish. Not everything was equally successful. The corn slaw would have benefitted from a pungent dressing, and the
fried potato pancakes were mushy. I’ve had more flavorful taquitos, but crunchy rolled tortillas, crema and pico de gallo always satisfy even if the chicken filling didn’t sing — but for food at that price and with such a big heart, how can one resist? Flavors from Afar, 1046 S. Fairfax Ave., 714-623-9420. To support more Blackowned restaurants try Kat Hong’s neighborhood-byneighborhood list at https:// tinyurl.com/y7z2542q.
At the Movies
him the FBI is on the way and he must get out immediately. He doesn’t believe the caller; the FBI comes and he’s in big trouble. Inspired by producer Stephen Spielberg, while this is a thinly veiled attack on The Patriot Act, it is still a high-tension thriller, regardless of your political belief, reminiscent of (if not homages to) “2001” (1968), “Colossus: The Forbin Project” (1970), and even “The Man Who Knew Too Much” (1956). Prime.
Professor KnowIt-All Bill Bentley
Larchmont Boulevard
Pets of Larchmont, redux Tiffany Easton and Alden Oreck sent a photo of Muse, 9, taken on her birthday, last April. “She just moved to Hancock Park and is excited to meet her neighbors,” they tell us. Our annual Pets of Larchmont ran last month.
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at the start, you’d have to be dull, indeed, not to know that something pretty bad is about to happen. Although this is rare, it’s a film that is at least as good as the book. In French. Fandor with Prime video channels. Eagle Eye (9/10): Jerry (Shia LaBeouf) comes to his apartment to find all sorts of boxes he didn’t order. His phone rings and a voice tells
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My grandfather used the word “shibboleth” when talking about a saying identified with a group or cause. What’s the origin? asks Nathan Brauer. “Shibboleth” actually refers to any test word which might distinguish one people from another. The word in ancient Hebrew means stream or flood and was used as a test word (as told in the Old Testament, Judges 12: 4-6), to distinguish the people of Gilead from the Ephraimites, who could not
community public Service announcement
communiyy Volunteer!
Big Sunday still has Suppliers of domestic staff, Free COVID-19 testing develoPmental editing its Big Summer List! • Wash hands often to all L.A. County resscreened to extremely high Books, Scripts, Theses, • Cover mouth/nose w/ tissue Exp. creative professional; idents, whether or not standards w/ rigorous ref. Dissertations, Newsletters, From virtual arts and when coughing / sneezing very cat & dog savvy. you are experiencing & background validation. Magazines & More. movements classes Visit emiliasparagna.com For childcare, housekeeper, coronavirus symptoms • Clean frequently touched aP, aPa, mla, to stuff backpacks surfaces daily. or email cheffing or P.A. needs, ChiCago StyleS of the virus. • Stay six feet away from somejerseygirl@sbcglobal.net for school kids. please call: + 20 years experience Visit: coronavirus. people while out in public. Also available for dog walking. Visit: thesummerl(323) 230-0497 323-856-9501 lacity.org/testing. Visit corona-virus.la Located in Hancock Park. puttputtproductions.com foxandmagor.com ist.bigsunday.org/
Pet Portraits, headshots, editorial
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SECTION TWO
AUGUST 2020
Larchmont Chronicle