LC 12 2023 by Larchmont Chronicle

Larchmont Chronicle

VOL. 61, NO. 12

• DELIVERED TO 76,439 READERS IN HANCOCK PARK • WINDSOR SQUARE • FREMONT PLACE • MIRACLE MILE • PARK LA BREA • LARCHMONT •

DECEMBER 2023

IN THIS ISSUE

Holidays & Museums

MUSEUM shop gift ideas. 14

HOLIDAY SPIRIT abounds throughout Greater Wilshire this month. Above, opening night festivities at The Grove on Nov. 13 included entertainment, fireworks and a visit from Santa. Snow is forecast nightly at the shopping mecca now through Dec. 31.

Snow, snow, snow, snow, snow! n Real snow on Larchmont this month; skiing is nearby; festive shops old and new; adio Le Petit Greek By Casey Russell Larchmont Village will be getting in the spirit of Michael Curtiz’s 1954 film “White Christmas” multiple times

GOLDIE in action — Youth Sports. 24

Affordable senior housing opens nearby n 62-unit site is part of Mayor’s Directive 1

GIRL POWER.

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

“There are going to be elderly unhoused Angelenos living inside this month as opposed to later this year or early next year because of our work to expedite this project,” Mayor Karen Bass said at the Nov. 6 dedication of a new 62-unit affordable housing complex. The project, The Wilcox, is located at Santa Monica Boulevard and Edgemont Street in East Hollywood. The project was expedited See Wilcox, P 2

Health, Fitness & Beauty

Read all about Health, Fitness & Beauty in our special section in the January issue of the Larchmont Chronicle. An intro to our Summer Camps and Programs will also be featured. For more information, contact Pam Rudy, 323-462-2241, ext. 11.

this December, as there will for the first 100 customers, Academy parking lot at 565 N. be “Snow, snow, snow, snow, photo opportunities with San- Larchmont Blvd. On Sun., Dec. ta Paws and Mrs. Paws, dis- 10, from noon to 5 p.m., that snow…” on the Boulevard! The famous Irving Berlin counts at the store and… the space will be full of snow. Again, “Snow” song, featuring Bing Tailwaggers parking lot will real snow! Kids and visitors can Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary be transformed into a winter sled, play, drink hot cocoa and apple cider Clooney and Vera-Ellen, and enjoy can be heard at numerother goodous Internet links, ies. including tinyurl.com/ Santa will mwn8d4wd. The movie be at Page is available on Netflix School to and other streaming visit with services. children and, Back here in Los in an effort Angeles, and on the to collect Boulevard, on Sat., BING CROSBY, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye and more toys for Dec. 2, from 11 a.m. Vera-Ellen introduce the Irving Berlin song, “Snow” (tinyurl. the Salvation to 4 p.m., Tailwaggers, com/mwn8d4wd) in the 1954 film, “White Christmas.” Army Red 147 N. Larchmont Shield Community Center, the Blvd., invites the neighbor- wonderland of real snow! Eight days later, Give a Gift to jolly man will be accepting hood to its “Santa Paws” event. There will be holiday Santa when the Wilshire Rota- gifts rather than giving them. vendor booths with compli- ry Club will be calling all kids The Rotary event, “Give a Gift mentary pet treats, gift bags and snow lovers to the Page See Snow, P 8

Jewish neighbors feeling threatened

n Nov. 25 disruptive demonstration at Pan Pacific Park, Grove, Third and Fairfax Fairfax Avenue parking lot of giving, a rally with 200 demBy John Welborne Canter’s Deli on Nov. 1 (and onstrators took place in Pan and Suzan Filipek Local residents, Jewish and quickly removed by owner Pacific Park, the location of non-Jewish alike, have felt Marc Canter and his staff) Holocaust Museum LA and the statue of Haym significant distress on “To insult us, to yell that if (the Palestinians) Solomon, a Jewish account of the savage Hamas terrorist don’t get ... the entire country of Israel, hero of the American attack into Israel on that they will never rest ... chanting about Revolution. From Oct. 7. Rising nation- killing Jews and taking over Israel on the the park, the protestal and international single most Jewish street in Los Angeles ing group marched anti-Semitic rhetoric — how is one supposed to perceive that?” through The Grove to disrupt shoppers and actions have people on edge locally. The wide- was just one of many actions there, and the marchers then headed to the intersection of ly reported anti-Semitic graf- keeping nerves on edge. See Jewish fear, P 6 The day following Thanksfiti written on the wall of the

www.larchmontchronicle.com ~ Entire Issue Online!

2 SECTION ONE

Editorial

Calendar

By John Welborne

Tolerance Our front-page story about the legitimate fear being experienced by Jews in our community and around the world cites a number of newspaper stories about specific examples of recent incidents that justify such fear. Not included was a report about the fighting that broke out Nov. 8 at the Museum of Tolerance in West Los Angeles. Mayor Bass subsequently wrote in response: “We cannot allow current worldwide tension to devolve into this unacceptable violence in our city.” Amen. Switching gears to another area where people with different views could benefit from tolerance and dialogue, note the story on Page 3 of Section 2 — relating to concerns about further upzoning proposals from City Planning Department staff members with minimum input from affected communities. The proposals relate to an all-new “OPP RC” zone that would impose high density on some existing single-family lots, including in our Greater Wilshire neighborhoods. There indeed is sufficient development capacity on commercial streets throughout Los Angeles to create needed new housing. Those of us who favor the construction of affordable housing can still oppose this scattershot “planning.” Taking the proposed new OPP RC off the table so it may be discussed further will not discourage the building of affordable housing. DEDICATED TO THE PRESERVATION OF HANCOCK PARK

• Homeowners • C I AT

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

HANCOCK PARK HOME Est. OWNERS ASSOCIATION 1948

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

We’re Still Looking for Answers! Our City Councilmember, Katy Yaroslavsky, and her team have been in place for almost a year. The Association and its members have a number of important and pressing issues that we’ve asked our Councilmember and her staff to help us with and, unfortunately, we’re still waiting for answers: • How will the City address the dangerous flooding on Clinton, between Lillian and Rossmore, that occurs during rain storms (hopefully before someone drowns)? • What progress has the DWP made in fixing the lack of communication to consumers when there is a major power outage? Four days without power or information is inexcusable.

Thurs., Dec. 7 — First night of Hanukkah. Tues., Dec. 12 — Mid City West Neighborhood Council board meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Pan Pacific Park, 7600 Beverly Blvd., Classroom #104, midcitywest.org. Wed., Dec. 13 — Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council board meeting, 6:30 p.m. at the Ebell of Los Angeles at 743 S. Lucerne Blvd., greaterwilshire.org. Sun., Dec. 24 — Christmas Eve. Mon., Dec. 25 — Christmas Day. Tues., Dec. 26 — Kwanzaa and Boxing Day.

• When will repairs to our sidewalks and streets be done so pedestrians don’t trip and break bones and cars aren’t damaged?

Larchmont Chronicle

• When will the streetlights on Rossmore be fixed and the utility boxes secured so the vandalism stops?

Founded in 1963 by Jane Gilman and Dawne P. Goodwin .

Publisher and Editor John H. Welborne

• Graffiti, tagging and illegal flyer removal / cleanup is never done with urgency — inviting more vandalism.

Managing Editor Suzan Filipek

Lastly, your constituents would like an accounting of how your office’s Discretionary Funds are spent. The Association would like to continue our history of productive working relationships with our Council Office, and we look forward to these and other issues being addressed fully and expeditiously. To our residents and neighbors, please remember that these are not the only concerns we have, but these are the specific issues we have been trying to resolve for months! There always is a lot to do on behalf of the community, and there are many efforts underway to improve all areas of life in Hancock Park. We welcome volunteers to help with our work. Again, see our website for more specific information about all of these initiatives and other efforts. A recording of our recent annual meeting is available on our website, hancockparkhomeownersassociation.org Adv.

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

Thurs., Dec. 28 — Delivery of the January issue of the Larchmont Chronicle. Sun., Dec. 31 — New Year’s Eve.

Naming Larchmont here and Larchmont, New York By Vincent Cox The November issue of the Larchmont Chronicle included an entertaining column on local street names [“‘Odonymological’ journey on Larchmont and in Hancock Park,” Word Café, Nov. 2023] in which columnist Mara Fisher implied that Larchmont Village’s naming may have been attributable in some way to early film industry activity in Larchmont, New York. East Coast film industry activity indeed began with D.W. Griffith’s 1919 purchase of the 28-acre Henry Flagler estate on Orienta Point in Mamaroneck, New York, adjacent to Larchmont, New York. Griffith used the estate for several epics, including his biggest box office success, “Way Down East” (1920).

Assistant Editor Casey Russell Contributing Editor Jane Gilman Staff Writers Talia Abrahamson Helene Seifer Advertising Director Pam Rudy Advertising Sales Caroline Tracy Art Director Tom Hofer Circulation Manager Nona Sue Friedman Accounting Jill Miyamoto 606 N. Larchmont Blvd., #103

Los Angeles, CA 90004 323-462-2241 larchmontchronicle.com

‘What is tops on your holiday wish list?’

1910 news article However, it is unlikely that Griffith’s post-1919 activities near Larchmont, New York, had anything to do with the naming of Larchmont Village. I say this because the May 8, 1910, Los Angeles Times (Page V24) noted: “James V. Baldwin has just placed the Larchmont Heights tract on the market. The subdivision lies between Melrose (Please turn to Page 12)

“Well, Reid just got this awesome car, so he’s kind of set, but the rest of us are just hoping for a happy, healthy holiday season.” Eric and Reid Lauritsen with Roger Windsor Village

Wilcox

(Continued from Page 1) under the Mayor’s Directive 1, which works to lower the cost and to speed up the process of constructing affordable housing. At The Wilcox event, Mayor Bass announced that more than 8,000 units of affordable housing are being expedited under Executive Directive 1. Signed by Mayor Bass on Dec. 16, 2022, Executive Directive 1 has a track record of accelerating and lowering the cost of affordable housing projects being built in Los Angeles. The directive continues to dramatically increase the number of affordable housing projects and units in the development pipeline: So far, 105 affordable housing projects have been filed with the Department of City Planning; Some 50 project cases have been completed (55 are currently under review); Another 8,228 units of affordable housing have been proposed, of which 4,155 units of affordable housing are approved and another 4,073 units of affordable housing are currently under review. 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.

“I want two things: I’m hoping for a Nintendo Switch, so that I can play Super Mario Odyssey, and I want an ice cream maker.” “I’m hoping for big Squishmallows. I have a pretty good collection of them but I’m hoping for a big ice cream one. I’d also like some ChapStick that looks like a drink.” William and Lila Leeds Hancock Park

“I’d like cooking supplies. I just moved into the neighborhood, and I plan to do more cooking at home.” Chevail Alexander with Jetson St. Andrews Square

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

Trees for a good cause on Larchmont By Nona Sue Friedman Trees have replaced pumpkins at the vacant lot used for good causes by Wilshire Rotary at 568 N. Larchmont Blvd. For the 17th year, customers can purchase noble, Douglas and Nordmann fir trees to bring in the Christmas spirit. Sales started early in the morning the day after Thanksgiving and will continue through Sat., Dec. 23. This year, the lot ordered 2,800 trees, which is a bit more than last year. To accommodate different people’s buying habits, the lot will receive four different deliveries throughout the selling period, making sure there is always fresh inventory for customers. These firs come from all over Oregon, which is a twoday drive to Los Angeles. “The trees often arrive cold and wet, sometimes still having snow on them,” according to Rotarian Wendy Clifford, who’s in charge of the tree lot.

SECTION ONE

DIAMOND on Fairfax.

AROUND THE TOWN 4 ENTERTAINMENT Movies 16 Theater 18 On the Menu 33 SCHOOL NEWS 22 YOUTH SPORTS 24 TIPS ON PARENTING 26

SECTION TWO VIEW:

Real Estate Libraries Home & Garden

FINAL EIR for Television City is out. 4 ON PRESERVATION 2 REAL ESTATE SALES 6 LIBRARIES 13 POLICE BEAT 14 BEEZWAX 15 WORD CAFÉ 15

VETERAN HELPER Kari Gips of Windsor Square decorates Santa’s sleigh.

Photo by Wendy Clifford

WOODEN REINDEER are among some of the accessories available at Wilshire Rotary’s tree lot.

In addition to pine trees, you can purchase wreaths and cute wooden reindeer and snowman statues made from tree branches in Colorado. If your chosen tree is too big for your car, Clifford’s daughter and right-hand woman at the lot, Kari Gips, will arrange delivery for you for a fee. The Wilshire Rotary donates a portion of its sales to local charities. This year, some of

those charities include Big Sunday, Anderson Munger YMCA, the visually impaired classes at Van Ness Elementary and the Assistance League of Los Angeles, Operation School Bell. So, your Christmas decor is also doing good for your community. The lot is open every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Call them at 323-464-1935 with questions.

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Marat’s ‘Nutcracker’ to twirl on Luckman Stage

By Casey Russell Marat Daukayev School of Ballet’s annual performance of “The Nutcracker” is upon us — a clear sign that the holiday season has begun. This year’s performance will feature 105 students, many playing multiple roles. Local Windsor Square resident Grace Tankensen dances as the Sugar Plum Fairy in one of the performances. She danced last year as the Snow Queen. Windsor Square resident Marat Daukayev founded the school in 2001. As he traditionally does, the artistic director and star alumnus of the Kirov Ballet in Russia will play the role of Drosselmeyer in this 22nd season of “The Nutcracker.” Each year, after auditions are held, Marat dancers dedicate themselves to three months of rigorous practice preparing to

GRACE TANKENSEN as the Snow Queen, with guest dancer Yui Masuda, performing in Marat’s 2022 “Nutcracker.”

bring this classic story to Los Angeles audiences. This year’s performances will take place at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex Los Angeles, 5151 State University Dr., Fri., Dec 8, through Sun., Dec. 10. Tickets are available at theater.maratdaukayev.org.

4 SECTION ONE

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

Haunts, consuls general and crime fiction author ring in season The end of October and the beginning of last month saw a plethora of parties and events involving locals. Halloween, 2023! Before the sun went down, before the lights came up, and before the ghosts and goblins sprung to life, the Brookside Homeowners Association and the Levin-Hare family invited trick-or-treaters young and old to the first annual Brookside Haunted Walk on the 800 block of Tremaine Avenue. I call it the “first annual” because the Oct. 31 event was such a huge success that I’m hoping they make this an

Around the Town with

Sondi Toll Sepenuk annual event. Hundreds of neighbors showed up decked out in full costumes to enjoy a light buffet and beverages, candies, homemade sweet treats and spooky music that set a foreboding yet fun mood. Neighbors up and down the street decorated their homes with their spine-chilling,

WINDSOR SQUARE residents Nancy, Jacob and Matthew Ladner enjoy the family-friendly Brookside Haunted Walk.

creepy best Halloween decor. What started out as a “pretrick-or-treating jumping-off point,” turned into an all-evening affair. Children who were dressed as witches and warlocks, Buzz Lightyears, Barbies, princesses and superheroes ran up and down sidewalks, excited for the best night of the year. Parents laughed at memories of their own childhood Halloweens, friends and families socialized in the street, and neighbors on their front porches welcomed faces new and old. The small-town atmosphere of the neighborhood wowed friends from near and far who had joined in the merriment, leaving them wondering, “How did we not know about this community?” So, here’s to hoping the second annual Haunted Walk is already in the planning stages! But in the meantime… Boo! ••• Historic preservation was very much in the news during this time period, especially because of the retirement

TRICK-OR-TREATERS old and young fill the Brookside sidewalks.

FURRY FRIENDS join Alejandra Espasande, Randy Haberkamp, Jan Wieringa and Taylor Louden.

DRESSED UP, Cy and Ray Weiss are ready to bring home the sugary loot.

of Linda Dishman, longtime president of the Los Angeles Conservancy. Her 31 years of service were celebrated in Windsor Square and downtown at Vibiana and in

Highland Park and in City Hall at the meeting of the Cultural Heritage Commission. The most local gathering assembled longtime local pres(Please turn to Page 5)

PRESERVATIONISTS of long standing were guests of Amy Forbes and Andy Murr at a Windsor Square garden brunch to honor retiring Los Angeles Conservancy CEO Linda Dishman, at left at the table at left. To her right and counter-clockwise are her husband, John Hinrichs, Leslie Heumann, Jack Rubens, host Andy Murr and David Raposa. At the table in the foreground is Christy McAvoy, and the table behind her features, from left and counterclockwise, host Amy Forbes, Tom Michali, Barry Milofsky and Nancy Michali. At the far table, and counterclockwise from the right, are Doug Campbell, Howard Heitner, Marcia Hanford, Mary Alice Wollam and Regula Campbell. Not pictured is Ruthann Lehrer.

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

LINDA DISHMAN speaks at the Conservancy outdoor reception at Vibiana. Her successor as executive director, Adrian Scott Fine, is in the middle, and Getty Conservation Institute director and former National Trust for Historic Preservation chair Tim Whalen is at right.

Around the Town (Continued from Page 4)

ervationists a few days before Halloween at a brunch reminiscent of the one attended by candidate Dishman when she was being interviewed for the Conservancy job 31 years ago. Held in the lovely garden of Windsor Square resident Amy Forbes (a former Conservancy president) and her husband, Andy Murr, attendees came from far and wide. Regula and Doug Campbell drove down from Santa Barbara to salute Dishman. Others attending were Marcia Hanford, Howard Heitner, Linda’s husband, John Hinrichs, Leslie Heumann, former Larchmont Chronicle columnist Christy McAvoy, Tom and

INSIDE VIBIANA, retiring Conservancy CEO Linda Dishman speaks with preservation supporter Charles Thornton. Dishman’s husband, John Hinrichs, is at her left.

Nancy Michali, Barry Milofsky, David Raposa, Jack Rubens, Martha and John Welborne, Mary Alice Wollam, and one of Linda’s predecessors as executive director, Ruthann Lehrer. ••• A week later, the Los Angeles Conservancy annual fundraising gala was a salute to Dishman. Appropriately, the gala took place at Vibiana, the events venue in the former Cathedral of St. Vibiana — an 1876 Los Angeles landmark that still exists because of the efforts of Dishman and Conservancy leaders commencing in 1996. At the Nov. 5 gala, an outdoor reception was followed by a more intimate (and expensive) dinner inside the former cathedral. Spotted from the neighborhood were Vivian

Gueler and daughter, Nikka, among others. Dishman’s successor, Adrian Scott Fine, was among those offering remarks. ••• The Conservancy’s Sunday event capped a busy threeday period that included a local history luncheon and a Scottish send-off to a volunteer supporter of historic preservation. On Thurs., Nov. 2, the 83rd gathering of the First Century Families took place at The California Club. Attendees included Joann Clark, Hilary Crahan, Carolyn Layport with her daughter Kathleen Zlockovich, Bettijane Stuppy Pike, who grew up in the historic Victorian at Fourth and Lorraine, Chronicle publisher John Welborne and Andrew Woodward

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with his son Henry. Chairing the event was Original Farmers Market neighbor and A.F. Gilmore Company chairman Henry Hilty, attending with his wife Diane and son Michael. The luncheon talk this year was presented by museum director Michael Sanborn, who discussed the “Phineas Banning Residence Museum.” First Century Families is composed of descendants of the pioneers who came to Southern California before or during the first hundred years after the founding of the City of Los Angeles on September 4, 1781. Chairman Hilty explained that its purpose is (Please turn to Page 9)

THE CALIFORNIA CLUB was the venue for Michael Sanborn’s “Phineas Banning Residence Museum” talk for First Century Families members and guests on Nov. 2.

GUESTS OF MANY GENERATIONS were at the 2023 FCF luncheon. Shown, from left, are Henry Woodward and his father, Andrew; Carolyn Layport and her daughter, Kathleen Zlockovich; and luncheon chair Hank Hilty with wife, Diane, and son, Michael.

The Larchmont Boulevard Association thanks our

2023 Family Fair sponsors

6 SECTION ONE

Jewish fear

(Continued from Page 1) Third Street and Fairfax Avenue, where many sat and shut down traffic for nearly an hour. The Los Angeles Daily News reported in its Nov. 25-26 edition that, “The marchers then headed back to Pan Pacific Park, stopping at Third Street and The Grove Drive, where they once again temporarily blocked traffic while chanting, with one demonstrator waving a Palestinian flag while standing on the bed of a truck.” According to the Daily News, there were reports of some “minor skirmishes, but there were no immediate reports of arrests or injuries.” The organizers were responding to an international anti-Israel movement that includes many participants, as listed on the website shutitdown4palestine.org. It is clear that this movement is not just pro-Palestine, but anti-Israel. One local per-

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

son who observed the Nov. 25 activity, but did not want to give his name, told the Daily News that he took offense at a demonstration held in a neighborhood with a large Jewish population. “To insult us, to yell that if (the Palestinians) don’t get ... the entire country of Israel, that they will never rest ... chanting about killing Jews and taking over Israel on the single most Jewish street in Los Angeles — how is one supposed to perceive that?” he told the Daily News. The Oct. 7 surprise attack and murders and kidnappings of innocent civilians in Israel, and the subsequent rhetoric being amplified locally and abroad, represent what one local resident described to the Chronicle as the most “significant attack on Jewish people in recent history.” Rabbi Shlomo Einhorn of Hancock Park’s Yavneh Hebrew Academy told the Chronicle in early November that the situation is

impacting how the teachers are educating at Yavneh. “It’s impacting sense of safety and security.” Rabbi Einhorn cited many other effects that the Oct. 7 attack and aftermath are having on local Jewish people and institutions. Such gestures as tearing down posters placed to support kidnapping victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas raid have an impact, as those who tear them down no doubt intend. Such tensions — faced by both Jews and Muslim Americans — are well documented in the daily media. See the thoughtful Nov. 5 Orange County Register story: tinyurl. com/ytcdv26n. The sense of hurt and terror felt by many Jews was described in a much-cited opinion piece written by American actress Julianna Margulies in the Nov. 20 issue of USA Today: tinyurl. com/nhf7xfsj. New York Times columnist Bret Stephens also has written about this real fear on Nov.

T H E O R I G I N A L F A R M E R S M A R K E T

Chanukah

CELEBRATION W I T H J L O S A N G E L E S A N D M I R A C L E M I L E C H A B A D

10: tinyurl.com/y7u8dsdz, as has the Los Angeles Times on Nov. 14, focusing on the need for sensitivity for students of all faiths in local schools: tinyurl.com/3r43mtws The fear is real; what can be done? With members of the Jewish community feeling unsafe with war reverberating around the world, a new security company has been added to a list distributed by the Hancock Park Homeowners Association (HPHOA). Magen Am, Hebrew for “nation’s shield,” joins longtime local security providers SSA Security Group and ADT. “Magen Am is a nonprofit actively working in our community,” Marty Beck, security chair for the HPHOA, told us. Besides private patrol in the La Brea / Hancock Park area, the nonprofit also offers training in gun ownership and other self-defense techniques. Launched in 2015 by Rabbi Yossi Eilfort, the licensed

S U N D AY DECEMBER 10

3PM - 5 PM

MENORAH ICE SCULPTURE CARVING DEMO AND ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITIES

3 PM 4:45 PM

YOUTH MUSICAL PERFORMANCES BY JLA

4:45 PM

security company has 60 trained volunteers embedded in schools and shuls, as well as patrol service protecting the community at large. Eilfort had been a full-time rabbi who began the security company as a volunteer. It has grown to a full-time post on account of the overwhelming need. Last year, the company received 950 calls for help. In the six weeks between the Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel and mid-November, the nonprofit was overwhelmed with 1,400 calls. “We can’t keep up. The need is higher than ever before,” Eilfort said. “Things have been getting progressively more challenging the last few years,” he said. But recent events have “changed the global perspective on Jewish security.” Just like 9-11 changed flying forever, “the Jewish community will never be the same. I think it will continue to get worse before it gets better,” Eilfort observed. Security companies The following are security companies that serve the general area of Larchmont Chronicle readers: ADT: 800-238-4653 — Security monitoring and patrol. adt.com Deep Sentinel: 833-9836006 — A camera-monitored 24/7 service with live security guards and AI assistance. deepsentinel.com Magen Am: 310-5155310 — Security patrol services. magenam.com SSA Security Group: 818-773-5600 — Subscription-based security and patrol. ssa-securitygroup.com

Holiday events for all at the Ebell of Los Angeles By Casey Russell

CHANUKAH SING-ALONG WITH MISS MELO

5 PM

ICE SCULPTURE MENORAH LIGHTING WITH MIRACLE MILE CHABAD

5:15 PM

6333 W. THIRD STREET | LOS ANGELES | TEL. 323 933 9211 @FARMERSMARKETLA | FARMERSMARKETLA.COM 90 MINUTES FREE PARKING IN FARMERS MARKET LOTS WITH MERCHANT PURCHASE VALIDATION.

There is a lot going on at the Ebell of Los Angeles this holiday season. A holiday boutique and luncheon on Wed., Dec. 6, will get attendees into the holiday spirit. The free boutique will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Little ones and their families can enjoy Supper with Santa Fri., Dec. 8 at 5 p.m. There will be craft making, a gourmet holiday buffet, a performance by the Bob Baker Marionettes and opportunities for photos with Santa. The Ebell’s Gold and Silver Holiday Ball will take place Sat., Dec. 16 from 6 to 11 p.m. This year’s Holiday Chorale Concert and Tea will take place Mon., Dec. 18 at 2 p.m. While the performance is free, there is a fee for the tea that follows at 3 p.m. All events will take place at The Ebell, 743 S. Lucerne Blvd. Tickets can be purchased at ebellofla.org.

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DECEMBER 2023

SECTION ONE

HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING HOME DECOR . TABLETOP . GIFTS . JEWELRY

8 SECTION ONE

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

Snow

(Continued from Page 1) a Gift to Santa,” is free to anyone who brings a present. A small fee will be charged for non-gift toting participants, so that Rotary can purchase more toys. There also are opportunities to enjoy “snow” every night through the end of the year at The Grove, 189 The Grove Dr., at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, an additional snowfall will take place at 6 p.m. In the mountains For locals wanting a taste of snow in its natural environment, a three-hour drive will bring you to Santa’s Village in Skyforest. A day in the village lets you visit with Santa, take a ride on the Northwoods express train, ice skate and more. Visit skyparksantavillage.com for more info. Skiers will be happy to know that the Mt. Baldy ski resort is open every Saturday and Sunday this winter from

SNOW falls at The Grove nightly through the end of the year.

TRIPLE BERRY CAKE from Sweet Lady Jane.

SHOPPERS explore the Boulevard’s new Sichuan Superette, Suá.

7 a.m. to 6 p.m. for tubing, snow play, snowboarding and, of course, skiing. Purchase tickets in advance online at mtbaldyresort.com. Festive Larchmont On the Boulevard, festive decor will bring holiday cheer to the neighborhood as usual this time of year. To add to the decorations, the Larchmont Boulevard Association (LBA) and the Larchmont Village Business Improvement District (LVBID) will be debuting a holiday-themed Instagram Wall on Sat., Dec. 2, from noon until 5 p.m. The wall and some small Christmas trees will be installed near the Rotary Clock

at the city surface parking lot. The wall is for passersby to take free, festive photos throughout the holiday season. LBA board members told us they plan to provide refreshments on the 2nd, and the event also may feature musical performances by students from the Rhodes School of Music. Promoting an afternoon of fun, DU/ER, 129 N. Larchmont Blvd., is hosting a community paint night Fri., Dec 15, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Led by local artist Chloe Glueck, participants will paint together with store-provided supplies. Light refreshments and snacks will be provided. New stores

New shops are now open, or are opening soon, on the Boulevard — in time for holiday diners and shoppers to enjoy. Sweet Lady Jane at 203 N. Larchmont Blvd. plans to open in the first weeks of December. Michael Williamson, store supervisor for the location, told us that Sweet Lady Jane is very excited to be in this area because of the sense of community Larchmont Boulevard radiates. “The neighbors have been so warm and welcoming,” he said. For now, Williamson told us, the specialty dessert shop will focus on highlighting classic fan favorites and debuting some recently launched

COOKBOOK COUNTER, right near the front door, is a source of sandwiches and much more.

PATIO diners sample selections from the Cookbook Market café menu.

cake designs. There is a wide array of treats, like the store’s famous Triple Berry Cake and a chocolate mousse and vanilla cream cake called The Beverly. The store also will have a variety of new retail goods. Said Williamson, “We aim to be your partner in party planning in this next era of Sweet Lady Jane, and we can’t wait to have everyone along for the ride.” Suá, the Sichuan Superette at 144 N. Larchmont Blvd., opened in mid-November, and co-owner Stephanie Liu Hjelmeseth of Windsor Square told us, “This is my passion. I love being here.” Suá carries flavorful prepared foods made from the owners’ families’ recipes and from cultural recipes that have what Liu Hjelmeseth calls, “a California sensibility.” Suá also highlights Asian-founded products in the sleek, contemporary store. Cookbook Market at 310 N. Larchmont Blvd. is officially open for business. The clean, white, open decor is a perfect backdrop for the colorful produce, foods and products the new neighborhood market has on display. General Manager Dani Stefanos told us the café, with its outdoor dining area, “has been a fun experience so far!” Stefanos went on to say, “We are thrilled to be in the neighborhood and love the Larchmont community.” Nora Houndalas confirmed to us in late November that Larchmont stalwart Le Petit Greek is closing. The restaurant’s last day will be Dec. 31. She told us: “While it was a very difficult decision for us to leave Larchmont, it is time for our curtain call. We have been here for 35 years and seven months and are the oldest restaurant on Larchmont. We still live in the neighborhood. I am sure you will see us regularly having our morning coffee and shopping on Larchmont.” Houndalas also shared with us that their traditional Greek food will continue to be available nearby, and she told us (Please turn to Page 9)

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Holocaust Museum LA expanding

By John Welborne In the midst of rising anti-Semitism, the renowned, and local, Holocaust Museum LA broke ground on a major expansion Nov. 15. Numerous government officials joined museum chief operating officer CEO Beth Kean, board chair Guy Lipa and his fellow directors and Holocaust survivors at the ceremony. The museum is the first survivor-founded and oldest Holocaust museum in the United States. Jona Goldrich Designed by award-winning architect Hagy Belzberg and named the Jona Goldrich Campus, the expansion will feature outdoor reflective spaces, expansive galleries and classrooms, a theater for survivor talks, film screenings, concerts, conferences and public programs and a pavilion atop the existing building that will house an authentic boxcar

found outside the Majdanek death camp in Lublin, Poland. The expansion will double the museum’s existing footprint and provide an increase in visitor capacity, including additional student visitors. The new campus is expected to be finished in 2025. Significant funding for the project has been received from Andrea Goldrich Cayton and Melinda Goldrich, daughters of museum found-

er and survivor Jona Goldrich, the Stanley and Joyce Black Family Foundation, the S. Mark Taper Foundation and others. A gift received from the Smidt Family Foundation was “the largest ever contribution from a family or foundation whose members are not descendants of Holocaust survivors or victims,” according to CEO Kean. For more information, visit hmla.org.

TAM O’SHANTER was a favorite of the late Stephen McAvoy, and friends and family gathered there on his Nov. 2 birthday to celebrate his life. Speaking is Christy McAvoy.

historic preservationists Around the Town of and others gathered at the

(Continued from Page 5)

GROUNDBREAKING for the Holocaust Museum LA Jona Goldrich Campus took place in front of the future building’s location above the storm water spillway and overlooking Pan Pacific Park from the west.

twofold: first, a yearly luncheon gathering to renew the friendships among its members whose families have shared generations of Los Angeles history and, second, its work to assure the preservation of family records and memories for the use of scholars studying Southern California’s growth and progress. ••• Later that same day, a host

favorite restaurant of the late Stephen McAvoy, who passed away in June. Nov. 2 was Steve’s birthday, and there was a full house at the Tam O’Shanter to celebrate him and the great volunteer work he performed for groups such as the Committee for Simon Rodia’s Towers in Watts, Hollywood Heritage, the Los Angeles Conservancy, the Ennis House Foundation, (Please turn to Page 10)

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who will be moving into Le Petit Greek’s longtime space on the Boulevard. The Houndalas family, not long ago, designed and constructed a take-out facility on the south side of Third Street, at Harper Avenue, in Beverly Grove. Nora Houndalas told us they are opening Greek Eats on January 6, 2024, where they will continue to “share our family recipes with our customers.” The address is 8236 W. Third St., online at: www. greekeatsla.com. Houndalas said, “We are happy about who is coming into our space. We are leaving you with an excellent new restaurant by Phil Rosenthal who is also a neighborhood resident and can be seen on Netflix, ‘Somebody Feed Phil.’ He told us that his partner in the restaurant will be Nancy Silverton [another local – Ed.] and that it will be a deli named after his father, Max.” The Chronicle understands that remodeling of the space at 127 N. Larchmont Blvd. will commence around April 1.

Net proceeds from the Christmas Tree Lot go to the Rotary International Foundation and the Wilshire Rotary Foundation to benefit Rotary Service Projects in our community and around the world. For more information visit www.rotary.org or www.wilshirerotary.org

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Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

Around the Town (Continued from Page 9)

the Downtown Women’s Center and more. ••• The Saturday of that weekend — as arranged by our very own Windsor Square - Hancock Park Historical Society — found scores of interested visitors touring three local homes, two of those being consular residences. The Consul General of Canada, Zaib Shaikh, and the Consul General of Thailand, Tor Saralamba, opened their lovely, historic homes — in Hancock Park and Windsor Square, respectively. In addition, Joseph Guidera was the gracious host at his Hancock Park home, a Mediterranean Revival structure designed by architects Hunt and Burns for a descendant of the grantees of Rancho Dominguez. The beautiful Windsor Square gardens of June Bilgore provided a setting for

THAILAND Consul General Tor Saralamba (left) in the garden of the Consular Residence in Windsor Square with Historical Society President Richard Battaglia (center) and volunteer Beate McDermott (right). CANADA Consul General Zaib Shaikh and Historical Society First Vice President Judy Zeller at the consular residence — a 1923 Hancock Park home commissioned by its first resident, Harold H. Braly, and his family.

refreshments and a silent auction to help support the Society’s charitable and history-oriented activities. ••• That same busy Saturday, neighbors from the 300 and

Photo by Jane Gilman

400 South blocks gathered for a Plymouth Boulevard block party. Organized by block captains Brian Kennedy and Bernie Cummings, the gathering took place in the circular driveway of the home of Cummings and Ernie Johnson under the giant Montezuma Cypress. The home was built in 1918 by John Welborne’s maternal grandparents, by the way. The tree was planted in 1920 by

BLOCK PARTY for residents of the 300 and 400 South blocks of Plymouth Boulevard gathered almost all of the residents on Nov. 4.

Welborne’s grandfather. ••• Still early in November, on the 7th, a large audience of locals and others gathered at The Ebell for an event organized by Chevalier’s Books. It was the international launch of the latest book by author Michael Connelly. Published that day and titled “Resurrection Walk,” the new novel features both the Lincoln Lawyer, Mickey Haller, and retired detective Harry Bosch. The

format for the evening event was an interview of Connelly by television journalist Josh Mankiewicz (“Dateline NBC”), followed by questions from the audience, followed by Connelly inscribing books for those who asked. Things seemed to slow down a bit for the remainder of the month, as locals began preparations for Thanksgiving. Whew! And now you’re in the Larchmont know!

MICHAEL CONNELLY and television journalist Josh Mankiewicz are introduced to a large crowd of Connelly fans by Miles Parnegg, bookseller and manager of the oldest independent bookstore in Los Angeles, Chevalier’s Books, at the historic Ebell Club.

AUTHOR Michael Connelly, left, and Josh Mankiewicz discuss the world of Mickey Haller and Harry Bosch.

RESURRECTION WALK, the new novel from Michael Connelly, is signed by the author for reader Tom Hofer, left, at the book launch at The Ebell.

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

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Stromberg appointed to Central Area Planning Commission “We can’t just willy-nilly overturn the zoning administrator’s decision. We look at all factors, including community input and the location of the project,” Stromberg explained. The CAPC is one of seven regional panels that review development projects in different regions of Los Angeles. The CAPC handles appeals of

Naming Larchmont

(Continued from Page 2) and Rosewood Avenues and is intersected by Vine Street, El Centro Avenue, Glenwood Boulevard and Gower Street.” The 1913 Los Angeles City Directory noted (Page 85) that Glenwood Boulevard’s name had just been changed to Larchmont Boulevard. So, by 1913, we had a Larchmont Heights subdivision located around Larchmont Boulevard, about to become the home of the Yellow Car Line when the tracks were installed there in about 1915. It was not until 1923 that the names of Vine Street and El Centro below Melrose Avenues were changed to Arden and Lucerne boulevards, linking them to the street names adopted in 1913 for the Wilshire Heights subdivision in what is now the Windsor Square neighborhood to the south. Evoking success My own laborious word search for the word Larchmont in

projects in the area from the Beverly Hills and West Hollywood city borders to Griffith Park and Downtown Los Angeles. Stromberg, a lawyer and longtime area resident, was elected to the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council in 2014 and has served as chair of several of the council’s committees, including Land

Use, Transportation, Sustainability and Neighborhood Purpose Grants. In 2015, she chaired the renovation for Harold Henry Park in Windsor Village, where she and her family lived at the time. Stromberg told us she had hoped for an appointment to a volunteer seat on either the city com(Please turn to Page 28)

Los Angeles newspapers before World War I revealed numerous mentions of Larchmont as a prestigious suburb of New York City and as the home of many well-publicized yachting competitions. There was not a single mention of Larchmont as an entertainment production hub. I suspect that developer James Baldwin chose the name Larchmont for its evocation of social and economic success, in much the same way

that columnist Fisher noted Beverly Hills had acquired its name in 1906 from the exclusive oceanfront resort of Beverly Farms, Massachusetts. Our own Beverly Boulevard, in turn, acquired its current name (previously Temple Street) in the early 1920s when that road was extended outward toward Beverly Hills. Local lawyer Vincent Cox is a longtime Larchmont Village resident and neighborhood association board member.

325 N. Larchmont Boulevard, #158 Los Angeles, California 90004 windsorsquare.org 157 N. Larchmont Boulevard

Mayor and Councilman Headline Annual “Town Hall” The Lounge of the Ebell Club was packed with well over 100 Windsor Square residents and guests at the Windsor Square Association annual “Town Hall” meeting on November 15. Special guests were Mayor (and Windsor Square resident) Karen Bass and 13th District City Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez. The meeting was called to order by WSA president Larry Guzin, who made the introductions. Next, the Mayor was interviewed by WSA Board member Sarah Dusseault. The Mayor noted how delighted she is to be a new neighbor in Windsor Square. Dusseault then asked the Mayor boardprepared questions as well as ones received on index cards from members of the audience. CD13 Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez also was interviewed by board member Dusseault. Mr. Soto-Martinez described how his office has a dedicated homeless response team headed up by Patrick Mooney, who also was present at the meeting. CD13 also has contracted with PATH (People Assisting The Homeless) to assist in the council district’s efforts and, to date, residents of four of the largest encampments in CD13 have been provided temporary housing through the Mayor’s “Inside Safe” program. The meeting wrapped up with short presentations by several WSA board members who spoke in more detail about certain issues: Larry Guzin talked about public safety; Angie Szentgyorgyi and Tracey Durning discussed the Block Captain program and crime awareness and crime reporting; Gary Gilbert and Steve Kazanjian reported on the RYLAN emergency preparedness program; and Jane Usher and John Welborne described Land Use issues including possible real estate development on Upper Larchmont and the under-discussion General Plan Housing Element’s relation to the Wilshire Community Plan. The meeting concluded with the election of the WSA directors for 2024, who are: June Bilgore, Jeryl Bowers, Brian Curran, Michael Davis, Tracey Durning, Sarah Dusseault, Amy Forbes, Gary Gilbert, Jason Greenman, Larry Guzin, Steve Kazanjian, Angie Szentgyorgyi, Steve Tator, Jane Usher, and John Welborne. 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.

©LC1223

COMMISSIONER Julie Stromberg signs official city appointment forms.

By Suzan Filipek Brookside resident Julie Stromberg had long been willing to fill a city post, and then the mayor called. “All of a sudden I got this call. They were looking for someone for the Central Area Planning Commission (CAPC) who had strong ties to the community, and they thought I was a good fit,” Stromberg told us. The commission serves as an appeals board for projects reviewed by the City Planning Department. The appointment is for two years.

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Check out exhibits, events while visiting museum gift shops

By Suzan Filipek Find exceptional gifts that harken back to long ago and far away as well as the here and now at gift shops at our local museums this holiday season. Check out new exhibits, programs and Ice Age fossils while on your holiday shopping expedition. Lights, camera and lots of action is at the Academy Museum gift shop.

Playing cards featuring an Oscars theme celebrate the 95th Academy Awards. The deck, created with theory11, is embossed in gold foil inspired by the gold Oscar statuette presented to the winners at the Academy Awards. The price is $16.95; members’ price is $15.26. Stud earrings designed by Broken Plates are made with restored mosaic glass tiles

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from the museum’s original 1930s May Company façade. Price is $65; members’, $58.50. Academy Museum, 6067 Wilshire Blvd., academymuseum.org, 323-930-3000. Get in the holiday mood with the Crafts Holiday Marketplace on Sat., Dec. 2 and Sun., Dec. 3, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Craft Contemporary. Works by local artisans and designers will be showcased, and shoppers can enjoy drinks and music at the two-day event, free with museum admission. In the gift shop, one can find a Moroccan bird menorah in an array of colors for $138. Craft Contemporary, 5814 Wilshire Blvd., craftcontemporary.org, 323-937-4230. Alongside the only active Ice Age fossil site in the world that is in the middle of a bustling city is a gift shop at the La Brea Tar Pits & Museum. A plush three-toed sloth that stands 12 inches tall will warm everyone’s heart, $25;

JEWELRY handcrafted from original mosaic tiles of the museum’s 1930s façade are in the Academy Museum shop.

members pay $22.50. A saber-tooth cat showing its fangs on a coffee mug is sure to help kick-start your morning, $14.99. Members pay $13.49. La Brea Tar Pits & Museum, 5801 Wilshire Blvd., tarpits. org, 213-763-3499. If there’s a foodie on your list, consider the catalogue companion to the exhibit “Dining with the Sultan: The Fine Art of Feasting,” open(Please turn to Page 16)

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PLAYING CARDS worthy of an Oscar are at the Academy Museum.

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MOROCCAN BIRD menorah is at the Craft Contemporary. Other colors are available.

DINING WITH THE SULTAN exhibit opens this month at LACMA. The exhibit’s catalogue cover features a 15th century manuscript from the Book of Delights, a medieval-style recipe book. British Library Images

FLOWERS IN A VASE (1671), by Dirck de Bray, above, was the inspiration behind two modern-day nail polish shades at LACMA, below.

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Tense thriller; Cary Grant and Napoleon’s legacies suffer in pics The Marsh King’s Daughter: (9/10) 108 minutes. R. Daisy Ridley shines as the titular daughter, in this tense and emotional tale that never lets you relax. Ridley is simply superb as the emotionally scarred Helena, who was raised in the marsh by her mother (Caren Pistorius) and father, Jacob (Ben Mendelsohn), but is suddenly thrust from what she knows of her home, torn away from her beloved father. Young Helena is played by 11-year-old Brooklynn Prince, who gives a stunningly moving performance for one so young. Fifteen years later she is married to a loving husband, Stephen (Garrett Hedlund), with a daughter of her own. But she is clearly troubled, and things progress without a single letup of tension. I never relaxed once, and a lot

of that was due to Ridley’s award-quality acting. I can’t fail to mention the cinematography of Alwin W. Kucher, who captures beautiful vistas but also utilizes lighting and angles in inventive ways that enhance the tension. La Syndicaliste (The Sitting Duck) (9/10): 116 minutes. Based on a true story, Maureen Kearney (Isabelle Huppert) is a powerful head union representative of a French nuclear powerhouse. But when she discovers corruption, she becomes a whistleblower and finds herself alone fighting against government and industry leaders. She is sexually assaulted in her own home but instead of being viewed as a victim, she becomes the accused. This is a terrific thriller that shows what happens to someone who tries to do what is right when challenging

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At the Movies with

Tony Medley powerful people. In French. Archie (6/10): Four-part TV series on Britbox. NR. One lesson from this is, don’t let your divorced spouse tell your story. There is a possibly apocryphal story of a fan telling Cary Grant, “I always wanted to be like Cary Grant,” and Grant replies, “Well, so did I!” This film produced by his former wife,

Dyan Cannon, tells that story of Archie Leach masquerading as Cary Grant (well played by Jason Isaacs), never happy, never satisfied. The first two parts tell of Archie up to 1932. It then jumps over all his brilliant successes as Cary Grant and cuts to 1962 when it picks up with his relationship with Cannon (Laura Aikman). She pictures him as an unhappy, unreasonable man. If you watch this and buy it, it destroys the romantic, sophisticated image that he created throughout his brilliant 35-year career. Napoleon (5/10): 158 minutes. R. There are so many things wrong with this revi-

Museum shops (Continued from Page 14)

ing Sun., Dec. 17, in the Resnick Pavilion at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The catalogue sells for $85 (museum member price is $76.50). Make a fashion statement with limited-edition nail polish inspired by a 17th- century Dutch still life. There are two: an azure shade, Morning Glory, and an apricot, Hollyhock, $22 each. The work that inspired the nail polish, “Flowers in a Glass Vase,” is in the exhibit “The World Made Wondrous: The Dutch Collector’s Cabinet and the Politics of Possession.” LACMA, 5505 Wilshire Blvd., lacma.org. Butterfly necklaces handmade of clay by artist and Holocaust survivor Gabriella Karin are available in the gift shop at Holocaust Museum LA. The pendants come in a rainbow of colors and hang from an 18-inch silver chain, $18. Online, find coffee mugs, totes, hats and more deco-

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BUTTERFLY PENDANTS are at the Holocaust Museum LA.

rated merchandise with the museum’s logos. The coffee mug sells for $20. The “hand” T-shirt is $30. A Celebration of Light with music, art and food will recognize Hanukkah at the museum on Sun., Dec. 10, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Holocaust Museum LA, 100 The Grove Dr., holocaustmu-

HAND T-shirt is for sale at the Holocaust Museum LA.

sionist look at Napoleon, it’s hard to know where to begin, so let’s start with the miscasting of clearly middle-aged chubby Joaquin Phoenix. While Napoleon was barely 30 years old when he assumed power in 1799, Phoenix is a well-worn 50 and looks it. Phoenix strikes out on capturing the personality of a man who could conquer Europe. Napoleon’s challenged height has been well-known and publicized (see “Napoleon complex”) but is never even alluded to. Director Ridley Scott trivializes the battle at Austerlitz by inventing a battle sequence (Please turn to Page 29) seumla.org, 323-651-3704. “We are Porsche,” a coffee table book in honor of the iconic sports cars’ 75th anniversary, accompanies an exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum. Dreamers, drivers, celebrities and collectors make up the list of the cars’ enthusiasts. Maybe you have one on your list? The book sells for $45. A new, exclusive, twohour docent-led tour takes guests through the museum’s “vault,” behind the scenes and under the hood. The cost is $150 per person for the smallgroup tour. Petersen Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd., petersen.org, 323-930-2277.

COFFEE TABLE book honors the sports car maker’s 75th anniversary.

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What ails the Taper is felt around the English-speaking world been cut, theaters close, and companies are forced to move out of London. Arts workers are made redundant, with few opportunities for recent graduates to enter the field. A recent British-German arts conference found that the economic condition of German arts organizations (and arts workers) was much better post-COVID 19 and the attendant inflation than their British counterparts because local, regional and national governments had effectively declared them to be “essential” and supported them as such throughout the crisis.

Theater Review by

Louis Fantasia

Nationally, a personal story might serve as an example: I am writing this from Watertown, Massachusetts, the Boston suburb where I grew up. When I was a kid, Watertown was a working class enclave wedged between tonier Newton and Cambridge. Now it is a bedroom community of million-dollar-plus homes. I am directing a play at the Arsenal Center for the Arts, which was a munitions manufacturing complex from the Civil War to World War II. In my youth it was an abandoned compound of run-down buildings with broken windows. Now it is home to upscale restaurants, hotels, condos and, until last month, the New Rep Theater, one of Boston’s preeminent, mid-sized Equity companies, which abruptly canceled its season after 40 years. The reasons: a dwindling subscriber base, ticket buyers who waited until the last minute, donor shortfalls and programming that alienated some audience members. Sound familiar? As I sat nursing a $9 latte, I kept looking at the foot traffic outside and wondering how to get those people to the theater. Obviously, ticket cost is a factor, as is programming, but

What to watch for

“A Christmas Story, The Musical,” based on the 1983 TV film, is at the Ahmanson through Dec. 31; 213-6282772; www.centertheatregroup.org Theater 40 presents a send-up of the Bruce Willis thriller with “A Very Die Hard Christmas,” through Dec. 20; 310-364-0535; www.Theatre40.org The political satire “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive,” runs at the Geffen Jan. 25 through Feb. 18; 310-2082028; www.geffenplayhouse.org also educational policies that have viewed the arts as marginal at best for the last two generations play a part, as does our addiction to streaming and social media and the fact that a major part of the audience comes from the gerontocracy. Some theaters respond by casting “stars” in leading roles (whether they can act or not); others try bigger production budgets or “immersive” experiences to justify ticket prices. Neither is a long-term solution. Producers such as “Support Black Theater” and the “Collaborative Artists Bloc,” who opened Nikkole Salter’s Lines in the Dust at the Matrix, talk about “cultivating” audiences while building “capacity” among theaters. But the play they launched with, despite a first-rate cast and an elegant set, is a dated polemic on the impact of racism and school choice (which has, I must add, one brilliant, powerful scene where a mother pleads for her daughter’s right to a chance in life). Not an auspicious start, but a start nonetheless. Through Sun., Dec. 10. Matrix Theatre, 7657 Melrose Ave.; (310-619-6322; LinesintheDust.eventbrite.com). The Los Angeles Opera (which I feel has been less than world-class recently) scored a major hit with Rob Ashford’s staging of Rossini’s

Barber of Seville last month. I mention it here because Rossini’s opera is based on Pierre Beaumarchais’ play. Figaro is the clever servant who outwits bourgeois masters and whose rebelliousness was a crucial precursor to the French Revolution. Beaumarchais’s plays were banned until, ironically, Marie Antoinette appealed on his behalf. Louis XVI knew better. “For this play not to be a danger, the Bastille would have to be torn down first,” he said. We need what the late, great critic Robert Brustein called a “theater of revolt.” We need it now… and we need it fast.

JLLA’s Harvest Boutique and lunch is Dec. 3

Shopping, dancing and an awards ceremony are part of the 24th annual Junior League of Los Angeles Harvest Boutique, Sun., Dec. 3, at the Skirball Cultural Center from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event includes a threecourse lunch, silent auction, live entertainment and a hosted bar. Teresa Grady Weeden will be honored with the Spirit of Voluntarism Award, and Jen Lilley will receive the Community Achievement Award. For tickets and more information visit jlla.org/events.

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CENTER FOR EARLY EDUCATION By Griffin Miller 5th Grade I recently interviewed the director of the a f t e r- s c h o o l program, Lisa Gilbar. She said, “It’s an amazing chance for students to try new things that are not a part of the normal school day curriculum.” Some of the most popular classes available include cooking, coding, debate, skateboarding, Karate, ceramics, a capella, “Lullaby of Broadway” and chess — and those are just a few of the great classes offered!

The 4th through 6th grade sports teams, run by Ryan Henry, the after school athletic director, are another great afterschool opportunity. The Center teams include flag football, volleyball, basketball, soccer and track. There is even a 6th grade golf team. Ryan shared, “The goal is to help kids try new sports and give them opportunities to play sports that they have never played before.” He also stated, “Kids should play sports at The Center because their hardworking, caring, and knowledgeable coaches provide skills and conditioning for the kid’s favorite sports, and it also helps with team building skills.”

Whether it is creating a Zen garden in woodworking class or scoring a touchdown in football, the after-school program at CEE helps kids try new things that they may love and even make new friends.

THE WILLOWS By Birdie Reynolds 8th Grade With the end of the semester coming up, The Willows students are finishing up their final projects. Grades Kindergarten through 5th have their exhibitions. They will pres-

ent what they have learned and worked on to their families. While 5th grade is learning about the Wampanoag tribe and about the Pilgrims, middle school students are working with Deb Studebaker on different poetry pieces for The Willows poetry anthology. The 6th graders have finished their forensics unit with a mock trial, during which they used all the research they had collected to convict the murderer of the crime scene they had studied. Coming up on Dec. 14, the Winter Concert will showcase dancers, choir and poetry. We’re all very excited for the holidays and winter break and incorporating winter festivities into our regular school day.

MARLBOROUGH By Avery Gough 12th Grade The all-school dance concert will be held at the end of November and the beginning of December. On Dec. 1, our Arts Gallery will be open to display student work. It provides an opportunity for all student artists to share their portfolios with friends and families. The Performing Arts Department has its Winter Choral concert on the Dec. 8. This concert features all levels of vocal performance, with students from the middle school and the upper school participating. The fall sports teams did very well! The varsity tennis team made it to the CIF Semi-Finals and the cross-country team advanced to the CIF Finals. Our winter sports teams of basketball, soccer and swimming have begun their practices which will continue into early next year. The last day of the second semester is Dec. 14, which is also Winterfest. Winterfest is a carnival-themed winter celebration with food trucks, rides and games. It is a great way to end a stressful semester and to commemorate all of the hard work students and faculty have done.

ST. JAMES By Hailey Lee

Neville Anderson, MD, FAAP Lauren Estrada, MD

Fall has been a very active season. Enthusiastic 6th graders passed out brownies and drew the crowd in at the Larchmont Family Fair, raising $560! We all were

Turning Point celebrated Halloween with our annual carnival. For the past two months, 8th grade students have been building games for younger kids to play at the Halloween Carnival. These included Pop-A-Shot, Skee Ball, Simon Says, What’s in the Cauldron and many more! We started out by finding the designs we wanted to create. After that, each group used Arduino boards (microcontroller boards for building digital devices) to wire and code the games. We coded lights and sounds and anything else we wanted. Then, we used the wood laser cutter to create our designed pieces, drilling and gluing them together. We painted the completed games to make them extra special for the younger students. This was a super fun experience for the 8th grade class, and it taught us more about coding, woodworking and leadership. The carnival was a great success; the kids loved it and we were super happy to make it special.

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expecting some money, but not this much! Of course, the money isn’t for us. We donate it to our amazing soup kitchen that feeds unhoused people. Another event that had everyone stirred up was the Halloween Dance. Although only 4th through 6th grades were allowed to attend, tons of people showed up to have a good time. The Grandparents and Special Friends Day was a wonderful way to send people off into the Thanksgiving break. October and November definitely had many great events, but December is when we really celebrate the holidays! We have an annual Christmas Pageant and each grade gets to perform in our chapel for parents and other guests. Another yearly event is the holiday market. During the Holiday Market, our school parking lot is turned into a mini-mall filled with holiday gifts, but my favorites are the hot chocolate and crepe stands.

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SECTION ONE

The World Made Wondrous The Dutch Collector’s Cabinet and the Politics of Possession September 17, 2023–March 3, 2024 Filled with over 300 objects—from paintings to taxidermy—this fictive 17th-century collector’s cabinet examines the political and colonial histories of European collecting.

IMAGE: Ambrosius Bosschaert, Bouquet of Flowers on a Ledge, 1619, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Edward W. Carter, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

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24 SECTION ONE

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

Private lessons are a great holiday gift for young athletes It’s that time of year, when holiday gifts add to the kids’ already overwhelming cluster of belongings, worldly goods, and… just… STUFF! Since it’s impossible not to give something material — at least a new tennis racquet, basketball or skateboard — why not

replace some of those tangibles with private lessons? Extreme Norman Woods grew up in South Central Los Angeles but attended Birmingham High School in the Valley. “I rode city buses to and from school, hours each way,”

he said. Woods played trumpet in the marching band, but it was skateboarding that appealed to him most. “I learned to skateboard on sidewalks and curbs because there were no skate parks in Los Angeles at that time.”

There are few out there who skate better than Norman Woods. He’s competed on the Dew Tour, and his sponsors include Monster Energy, Converse and Kingswell, a skate shop in Los Feliz. He even has his own manufacturing company — Collage Skateboards. A session with Woods is more than a skateboard lesson; he teaches the sport’s history and culture, and his approach is philosophical and sensible. “I instruct beginners to observe the other skaters around the skate park to learn the rules and protocol.” Need an endorsement? One of Woods’ students was No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani’s son. Success Any parent whose daughter has played basketball in Goldie’s Youth Sports All Girls League knows who Karen “Goldie” Goldberg is. Goldberg began the program in 2018. There were 10 teams that contained 103 girls the initial season. This past spring, 350 players participated, and there were 36 teams. The league attracts girls from all over Los Angeles, but most of the games are played at St. Brendan School’s gymnasium. “We’re so grateful to them for partnering with us to provide this service to our community,” said Goldberg. Goldie grew up in Brockton, Massachusetts (home of Rocky Marciano and Marvelous Marvin Hagler), and began playing basketball in an all-girls league in fourth grade. “I was very fortunate to grow up in a town that gave girls lots of opportunities to participate in so many sports.” At Brockton High School, she was on the Division I State Championship basketball team. Afterward, she attended the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she also played tennis. Like Norman Woods, a session with Goldberg includes much more than just the sport’s techniques. “I focus on giving girls their voice through sports — in this case, basketball. I focus on their body language and building their confidence and self-worth through incremental achievements on and off the basketball court.”

Youth Sports by

Jim Kalin Patience Cliff Frazier was in the music business before making tennis his full-time job. Frazier grew up in Los Angeles and attended Beverly Hills High, where he also played basketball. Afterward, he attended Alabama State University on a tennis scholarship. Frazier’s interest in tennis stemmed from his mother, Ronita Elease Elder. She played tennis at Whittier College, then worked for the Southern California section of the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association). She also founded Sports Explorer Inc., a nonprofit that provides a comprehensive sports experience for underserved children in Los Angeles. At present, Cliff and his mother co-chair the organization. Some of the money raised helps provide opportunities for kids to travel and compete at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Coach Frazier can be found at Poinsettia Park, where he’s the head tennis pro, six days a (Please turn to Page 25)

NORMAN WOODS performs a crooked grind.

WOODS with one of his Collage skateboards.

KAREN “Goldie” Goldberg instructs one of her league teams.

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

Youth Sports

(Continued from Page 24)

COACH Cliff Frazier is the head tennis pro at Poinsettia Park.

week, wearing a big widebrimmed sun hat and giving private and small group lessons on the tennis courts. “My philosophy is trust, patience, effort, fun,” he said.

Larchmont Charter girls volleyball team crowned league champion!

By Nona Sue Friedman The team of a dozen middle school girls’ volleyball players from Larchmont Charter School (LCS) became league champions on Nov. 16. It is the first LCS middle school team to claim this victory.

Winning the final game of the season was the topper to an undefeated streak. After the final point was scored, the girls exploded in cheers and hugs with their teammates, parents and teachers.

LARCHMONT CHARTER middle school girls’ volleyball team members pose with their championship swag.

For private lessons, contact: Skateboarding / Norman Woods, normhhk@yahoo.com; Tennis / Cliff Frazer, Insta-

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gram: @coach_frazier; or Girls Basketball / Karen Goldberg, goldiesyouthsports. com.

If you have difficulties reaching any of these coaches, please contact me at info@ larchmontchronicle.com.

26 SECTION ONE

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

Sprinkle your favorite family traditions throughout the year Casey Russell I love this time of year. As a child, I always looked forward to the winter holidays, and I still do. I suppose part of the reason is that this time of year is full of get-togethers, festivities and family traditions — though the appearance of peppermint ice cream in stores is definitely an added plus! These gatherings and activities that we come to expect as we grow are a big part of what makes family life special. No matter how big or small, family traditions bond us. They strengthen our feelings of belonging to each other. They make us feel valued for the people we are, and they build not only memories but — through our shared experiences — trust, as well. In essence, a family tradition is part of our unique family culture. It’s made up of the ideas, moral principles

and attitudes our family has. Sometimes family traditions are connected to larger cultural, ancestral or religious traditions. And sometimes the core family with which we live creates them. They help shape who we are as individuals and, most often, they make us feel really good. Examples Some obvious traditions would be lighting a menorah each night of Hanukkah, decorating a Christmas tree, hanging stockings or playing dreidel. My family had a neighborhood Christmas party every year. But there was an unspoken tradition within that larger one... the cleaning and preparation that was always necessary prior to the event. My mom would make a list of all the things that needed to be done, and we would each put our initials by a certain number of chores. It paid to

Tips on Parenting by

Casey Russell get to the list first. The party prep and the party itself ended when the pandemic hit, but other family traditions are still going strong. Each December, we go on a little hike, find a tree that seems just right and decorate it with cut or dried fruit, nuts and seeds. It’s our holiday gift to the forest animals. Family traditions all year But family traditions can happen all year long. They can be as simple as a weekend movie night, or as involved as an annual summer yard sale. Here are some ideas for bringing more family tradi-

tions into your family’s life. First-day-of-summer lemonade stands are fun. As kids get older, the tradition can shift to making lemonade, driving to (for example) a construction site and giving it out to the workers at no charge. Birthdays can be more than cakes and cards. My sister’s family creates signs for each person’s birthday. Each has something to do with the age that person is turning. Age 8? One sign might say, “4 + 4.” Another would have a picture of a pirate with some gold pieces of eight ... you get the idea. On Valentine’s Day, why not write a bunch of notes letting your family know specific things you love or appreciate about them? With these, you can make a path on the floor leading to a box of chocolates. Many families find it fun to decorate for holidays and / or make homemade crafts such as holiday wreaths, candles, ornaments. On half birthdays, perhaps a favorite treat gets baked or a funny half-written birthday sign gets made. Weekend morning waffles, Friday night tacos or try-anew-recipe night can happen once a week. On every long car trip there can be a traditional In-N-Out Burger stop or the family can seek out a special dessert place along the way. First and last days of school are wonderful opportunities

to create unique family traditions. On New Year’s Day, we like to do a bunch of good deeds. Last year we did 23, this year we’ll do 24 ... it will get harder as the year number gets bigger, but it’s working for now... More ideas There are so many possibilities! Ritual sports games at family gatherings, yearly family photos, days of service cleaning up the neighborhood or helping out at food banks or retirement homes, planting a spring garden, telling a specific family story every Thanksgiving, learning dances from your family’s culture, berry picking in the summer, making extra cookies and delivering them to neighbors whenever you bake up a batch, going all-out on April Fools’ Day, having secret signals to let another family member know you love them without saying any words — the possibilities are limitless. The main thing is to find traditions that reflect your family’s values and interests, and then to make a point of doing them together at predictable times throughout the year. These things — whatever they are — start to be looked forward to. They keep us connected as family units and build bonds that help our kids become resilient and self-confident. Family traditions serve as subtle reminders to our kids that they are valued members of our family group.

PAGE ACADEMY By Isabella Argiropoulos 8th Grade

an appearance! We will then be going on our two-week holiday break. Wishing you all a lovely holiday season full of love and joy with your friends, families and loved ones!

Hello my Larchmont neighbors! We had our Potluck Thanksgiving Feast on Nov. 17, and it was truly a feast, with dishes from all over the world. I’m so happy I wore my stretchy pants! Our Page students, families and staff had a well-deserved rest over the Thanksgiving holiday just in time for the December holiday rush. Our Mexican Dinner, Silent Basket Auction and Movie Night will be on Dec. 1. The baskets are beautiful and creative, and we hope you are all ready to bid, bid, bid and (hopefully) win! The dinner and auction will be followed by our outdoor screening of “Elemental,” so do not forget your blankets, cushions and lawn chairs. Our Annual Holiday Show will be on Dec. 8, and we are expecting a huge turnout! Students are so excited to be performing for family and friends! The school holiday parties and Secret Santa will be on the 22nd with a special jolly guest making

THE BUCKLEY SCHOOL By Max Terr 10th Grade The senior class of 2024 offered a treat to the middle and high school students recently with the Harvest Festival. It included breakfast and lunch being served by the seniors to all students who participated. The Buckley girls’ tennis team had a very successful season, making it all the way to the quarter-finals. They narrowly missed the victory. GO BUCKLEY! Boys’ varsity soccer kicked off its season with its first game against Malibu High School. Though we just had our Thanksgiving holiday break and the world slowed down for a bit, The Buckley School is now ramping up. A talented cast and crew of students will be presenting the musical “Little Shop of Horrors.” It is really a must-see show.

LARCHMONT CHARTER HG@SELMA By Rocco Djokaj 4th Grade The 4th graders recently went to the Selma middle school campus to see what 5th grade is going to look like for us next year. We also had a great time decorating Thanksgiving bags that were handed out to newly housed families. Bags were filled with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, canned veggies, cranberry sauce, money for sliced turkey, packaged dessert, a cozy blanket, a grocery gift card and most of all, love. Another important thing going on is the toy fair. We are collecting toys to give to kids who aren’t able to afford them. Children’s books, too, are being collected. The books collected from the community will be given to kids who might otherwise not have any to read.

THIRD STREET By Olive Clancy 5th Grade Happy holidays, readers! Twenty lucky 5th graders got to travel to South Korea over the Thanksgiving break to learn about Korean culture. The trip was funded by a cultural arts

DECEMBER 2023

grant that was given to LAUSD. We also have another class trip coming up in the new year to AstroCamp. At AstroCamp, we’ll learn about our solar system and get to see and feel space rocks. We’ll also get to rock climb and eat space ice cream! This month, the 5th graders will perform, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which is a hilarious play by Shakespeare with a hint of drama. At Third Street, 4th and 5th graders have a chance to do funny plays every year. This year, like last year, we’ll perform in costume, and we’ll do hair and make-up just like real actors. It’s an amazing opportunity to shine on stage! The 4th graders will begin their theater production in January and will perform their play in the spring.

Before the winter break, however, we have a busy lineup of winter sports. The high school girls’ and boys’ soccer and basketball teams began last month. Our girls’ high school volleyball has made it to CIF State Regional Semifinals! We also have a plethora of holiday school events, including our annual Nutcracker performance, World Music Concert for grades 7 through 12, La Familia Las Posadas for all grades, the Evening of Jazz Concert, a choral concert and we also have chamber music at lunchtime. Furthermore, our robotics team is doing great this season. During the last competition in Downey all our teams placed, and one team made it to the semi-finals! The art gallery team is excited to present “P.S. I Love You” by Michael Decker. I wish everyone a safe and peaceful holiday full of laughter.

CAMPBELL HALL By Claire “Cal” Lesher 11th Grade

ST. BRENDAN By Harry Jannone Kim 8th Grade

The air is brisk; the smells and sounds of the holiday season are upon us. I love reconnecting with family, friends, loved ones and our community during this time of year.

At Saint B r e n d a n School, November was a busy month and we look forward to December. We had our Veterans’ Day assembly to commemorate our Veteran family

SECTION ONE

members and friends. We also had a middle school mixer at which our middle school students welcomed interested families while playing games of ping pong and eating delicious treats. The cross-country and football teams’ seasons have come to a close with the football team losing in the second round of the playoffs. They each had a great season.

Students came back from Thanksgiving break and have started to get ready for the spectacular Christmas pageant by learning the songs they will perform at the church on Dec. 20. Students will sing Christmas songs for parents and other students. The Christmas boutique is happening in December and people can buy Christmas goods for the holidays.

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28 SECTION ONE

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

GirlsBuild summit focused on empowering young women By Nona Sue Friedman One thousand girls from schools throughout Los Angeles filled the Academy Museum’s David Geffen Theater on Nov. 13 for a citywide summit organized by GirlsBuild. The annual event brings young women together with prominent female figures in the community. The girls gathered to hear Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, the first woman to hold this position; Jacqueline Stewart, the Academy Museum’s director and president; and Councilwoman Nithya Raman. They also watched the movie “Barbie.” GirlsBuild’s mission is to empower young women, foster leadership and create social change in their communities. This year, Girls Academic Leadership Academy (GALA) and Larchmont Charter School (LCS) high school were two of the local

HER’D, THE ZINE created for the GirlsBuild project.

Photo by Stacy Mahony

MAYOR KAREN BASS is presented with a specially made GirlsBuild trophy by Larchmont Charter student Jackie Olano during the summit. Photo courtesy of GirlsBuild

public schools chosen to participate in the summit. Each participating school has a club that is tasked with creating a project focused on civic engagement, health and wellness and digital skills. Of the numerous participants, LCS was highlighted as a success story at the summit for its bimonthly magazine (a “zine”) called “HER’d.” The zine has been distributed on the LCS campus and scattered at random locations in the community and was brought to the summit. Student members wrote and drew anonymously about issues they feel need atten-

tion. Topics range from how to ride the bus safely, the frustration of “mansplaining” and the origin and meaning of provocative words. Stacy Mahony, the host of the LCS group and a teacher at the school, says, “I have seen an incredible amount of growth and leadership emerge” from the group over the years. She adds, “I am honestly inspired by them every single day.” One of her students, Jackie Olano, was chosen to interview Mayor Bass at the summit. Leslie Aaronson, a resident of La Brea Hancock and chief program officer of LA Promise

LARCHMONT CHARTER girls proudly pose at the summit outside the Academy Museum with their zine.

Photo by Stacy Mahony

Fund, which sponsors GirlsBuild, said the girls involved “report feeling more confident in their leadership and communication skills as a result of building community.”

The summit activities continued with a day of service on Nov. 18 where 250 volunteers created 2,500 hygiene kits that were distributed to organizations through the city.

Stromberg

the year. A mom to three kids (and three dogs), she is married to attorney Winston Stromberg. She also was a 2015 Larchmont Chronicle Woman of Larchmont. The CAPC meets in-person at City Hall on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month. For more information, visit planning. lacity.org/about/commissions-boards-hearings.

(Continued from Page 12) mission for recreation and parks or animal services, both passions of hers. But the Central Area Planning Commission was high on her list as well. Her legal practice focuses on special education, and Stromberg is opening her own office on Larchmont Boulevard at the beginning of

Larchmont Chronicle OAKWOOD By Charlotte Zabel 11th Grade This month has been jampacked for Oakwood students. From practicing for the school play — this year was “The Clean House” — to the varsity tennis team’s historic CIF run all the way to quarter finals, students have been overwhelmed in a good way! Due to these activities, some school has been missed and there have been struggles to complete homework assignments. Nevertheless, students persisted! The mock trial team was able to compete in person at the Los Angeles courthouse for the first time in three years in a very exciting case. Our Middle Eastern affinity groups raised more than $1,000 to donate for Armenian genocide relief. And, we celebrated Día de Los Muertos in the central courtyard. Some OSPR (Oakwood Students for Progressive Reform) members also volunteered at the South Central festival on Nov. 2. More than $500 was raised for AlzLA in honor of November being Alzheimer’s awareness month. Our annual Gratitude Assembly took place before the Thanksgiving Break and it was wonderful to see the multitude of performances.

HOLLYWOOD SCHOOLHOUSE By Penny Yoon 6th Grade Hello everyone! It’s been a busy month. First of all, it was just Halloween! To celebrate, my

At the Movies

(Continued from Page 16) that did not occur. The presentation of Napoleon’s return from exile on the island of Elba is mind-numbingly absurd. That’s just a start on this shallow movie. I don’t have space for more. But in 2½ hours, couldn’t he have at least mentioned the Napoleonic Code (still in force)? On the positive side is the battle at Waterloo where Scott at least made it look realistic and then ruins it with a Hollywood-silly meeting of the eyes between Wellington and Napoleon after the battle. On the plus side, Vanessa Kirby steals the show with her performance as Josephine. Eileen (3/10): 97 minutes. R. The only good thing I can

DECEMBER 2023

friends and I got dressed up, went trick-or-treating, and got tons of candy. In English class, we wrote and read excerpts from Gothic literature, like Dracula. I’m looking forward to Grandparents and Special Friends’ Day at school. This is when grandparents, or other extended family members or friends, get to come and see what we’ve been doing in our classes. There is also a Community Circle. My classmates and I are performing on drums, while other grades are singing, and some are even dancing or reading poetry. It’s kind of like a talent show, except you’re showing off what you’ve been learning in school. It’s always really fun, and you get to meet your friends’ relatives and special family friends. Finally, on Dec. 2, Hollywood Schoolhouse is having an Open House from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. I’ll be helping to give tours, so you should definitely come visit!

NEW COVENANT ACADEMY By Sue Jung Park 11th Grade It is already the month of December, and it is another month full of events. The middle school student council hosted a volleyball tournament, and students played hard for the prize! Every year during the first weeks of December, the high school student council sells Christmas Grams for the students and staff. With candy canes, chocolate and hot chocolate packets, everyone is able to enjoy a sweet treat from their peers. The last week of school is special because the school’s staff provides a heartwarming break-

say about this movie is that it made me thankful I did not read the book. Eileen (Thomasin McKenzie) is an unhappy young woman working in a boys’ prison who lives with a drunken, abusive father (Shea Whigham). She meets Rebecca (Anne Hathaway), a new psychologist, who comes on to her, and Eileen becomes infatuated with Rebecca’s attention to her and her glamour. But this is not a gay-themed movie. It is dark, enhanced by good cinematography and music, and has good acting with shocking twists but, in the final act, loses its track and makes little sense. Book recommendation: Night Flight to Paris by Cara Black, a high-tension World War II thriller.

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fast to make sure students have the energy needed to do well on their final exams! NCA’s annual Christmas Service is held for the school community to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The service is always heartwarming and eventful with performances and a meaningful message about Christmas. The Huskies have almost finished the fall semester and will be able to enjoy their long-awaited winter break!

IMMACULATE HEART By Emmelyne Lay 12th Grade Happy Holidays! With the air

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getting colder and the days getting shorter, Immaculate Heart has had a festive and cozy transition to winter. November was a proud month for Immaculate Heart athletes. The high school’s varsity tennis team was a finalist for CIF Division 5, a proud feat for the Pandas. And the middle school’s swim team won the Delphic League championship for the second year in a row! For our fall production, the IH Genesians staged “The Heidi

Chronicles,” a feminist piece following a woman at the center of the “Women in Art” movement. The play starred seniors Bo-Violet Vig and Amalia Mauceri and was a poignant and beautiful demonstration of the acting talent at IH. Before departing for the holidays, students will complete the cumulative assessment period marking the semester’s end. Festive events will follow, including the IH Winter Concert, the Winter Formal and the annual Christmas Program. Interested students are also invited to our Open House Weekend, Dec. 2 and 3, starting at 1 p.m. Learn more at immaculateheart.org.

30 SECTION ONE

DECEMBER 2023

Larchmont Chronicle

Larchmont Charter’s World Fair brings cultural fare

By Casey Russell under immense stress Larchmont Charand there is a lot of ter School (LCS) is fear, I think this is an bringing communities amazing opportunity together with a celto showcase all the love ebration of cultures and community that Sat., Dec. 9, from 11 can occur when people a.m. to 3 p.m. work together,” said Open to the public, Jason Daley Kennedy, World Fair is an anevent chair and parent nual event that will of three LCS students. take place this year “And it’s super fun!” at the school’s Fairfax Parent volunteers campus, 1265 N. Fairdonate the food and fax Ave. funds for the booths Foods from 20 rethey run. gions across the world, Tickets are available including Ireland, at give.larchmontthe United Kingdom, charter.org or can be WORLD FAIR attendees enjoy foods from around the world at 2022’s event. Latin America, South purchased the day of Korea and Japan, will be avail- Non-alcoholic beverages will charterstore.org/bakesale in the event. Free or discounted able at booths run by families be sold, and a sweet and sa- early December. tickets are available for school This year’s entertainment families qualifying for free or with children attending any of vory bake sale booth will make an appearance again this year. features bands that formed reduced lunch. LCS’s four campuses. To peruse the baked goods because of the school’s music Bounce houses and carniParking information will val-style games will abound, and savory meal items that will program, as well as multi-cul- be posted on the ticket weband culturally relevant games be available for pre-order and tural dance performances. site prior to the event. For “In a year where our com- more information, contact are planned in conjunction at the event through the bake with some of the food booths. sale booth, visit: larchmont- munity and our world are lcsworldfair@gmail.com.

Bruce Lynn Ludwig

October 26, 1940 — October 25, 2023

ruce Lynn Ludwig passed away on October 25, 2023. He was born in Lennox, South Dakota to Lloyd A. “Jack” Ludwig and Marguerite (Marge) Thea Ludwig (née Jacobs). His family moved to Burbank, California in the summer before Bruce’s senior year in high school. He graduated from Cal State University and began his career in institutional and fiduciary real estate. Until his death, he served as Chairman of LUDWIG & Company, a Consultant and Middle East Representative. In 1981, he was one of four founding partners of Westmark Realty Advisors and TCW Realty Advisors. From 1981 through 1995, he was a member of the five-person Westmark Executive Committee, and the Investment and Management Committees. Westmark had a $4.5 billion real estate portfolio under management when it was purchased by CB Richard Ellis in 1995. He served as Vice Chairman, a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Westmark Realty Advisors, a subsidiary of CB Richard Ellis, from 1995 through 1997. In 1997, he formed LUDWIG & Company. Prior to co-founding Westmark/TCW Realty Advisors, he was employed by CB Commercial as a Shopping Center Specialist from 1964 to 1972, when he was appointed Director for Commercial Properties for the Southwest, Southeast and Eastern regions of the U.S. In 1975, he was appointed First Vice President, National Accounts, responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with major retailers and developers throughout the United States. He served as: Officer, Trustee,

and member of the Executive Committee of The Urban Land Institute (ULI) and member of its Governance Committee; Officer and member of the Board of Governors of the Urban Land Foundation; International Council of Shopping Centers Trustee and Director of its Educational Foundation; member of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries, National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT), and the National Realty Committee, where he served on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors. His true passion was for bringing people together. Whether for business, philanthropy, or in his personal life, Bruce was passionate about connecting people to one another. His days as an Eagle Scout in South Dakota sparked an interest in the natural world and mapping. Out of this, his life’s passion grew to include a deep curiosity for ancient history and cultures, conservation and the envi-

ronment, especially in Egypt and Kenya. He led countless trips for scores of friends, to Egypt, Kenya, and beyond. His enthusiasm, knowledge, and passion were contagious and unmatched. It was the thrill of his life to have served as a Trustee for the American University in Cairo, the Trust for African Rock Art, Amboseli Trust for Elephants; and on the Advisory Council for the National Geographic Society, and Boards of the Petra National Trust, Institute of Human Origins, and the Planetary Coral Reef Foundation. He was a proud elected member of the Explorer’s Club, the Royal Geographic Society, the Egyptian Exploration Society of England, and the Oriental Institute. From 2003 to 2021 Bruce and Carolyn published five books about The Churches of Egypt, The History and Religious Heritage of Old Cairo and The Child Jesus in Egypt. Bruce’s happiest place in his last few years was in McCall, Idaho, where he and a few friends would gather for social hour on the greens to watch the sunset. He is survived by Carolyn, his wife of more than sixty years, his daughters Pamela Hearn (Craig) of Pasadena, California, and Charla Thompson (Ryan) of Newcastle, Washington, grandchildren Henry and Margaret Thompson, and his brother Don Ludwig (Debbie) of Burbank, California. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to either the Amboseli Trust for Elephants (www. elephanttrust.org) or the American Research Center in Egypt (www.aeraweb.org). ADV.

Rita Hollingsworth, longtime local resident and publicist, has died

Citrus Square resident Rita Hollingsworth died unexpectedly on Nov. 16. She was 61. For decades, she represented entertainment and nonprofit clients as a publicist. She worked with Barbra Streisand, Michael Jackson, Liza Minnelli and Neil Diamond, as well as the Carousel of Hope and Race to Erase MS for Barbara and Nancy Davis — all while at the Lee Solters Company. She later founded RMH Media to promote film directors Robert Altman, Mike Figgis, Chen Kaige and others, bringing their films to the Cannes, Toronto and Sundance film festivals. Hollingsworth was especially proud of her work in the nonprofit arena with St. Vincent Meals on Wheels, the Anthony & Jeannie Pritzker Family Foundation, Foster Care Counts and artworxLA. Hollingsworth was born in East Los Angeles in 1962 and (Please turn to Page 38)

Former mayor, Lakers’ doctor Aronberg, 93 By Casey Russell President and chair of the Los Angeles High School Alumni Association and former mayor of Beverly Hills Dr. Charles Aronberg died Nov. 9 at the age of 93. “Chuck,” as he was known to many, graduated from Los Angeles High at 15 and subsequently attended UCLA for his undergraduate degree. He received his medical degree from UC San Francisco. Aronberg’s life was filled with service to causes he championed. For 12 years, he served on the Beverly Hills City Council, where he had two terms as mayor. Aronberg was an ophthalmologist, and he was well-respected in the field of sports medicine, serving as team doctor for the Lakers, Kings and Raiders. He was a physician for three Olympic Games. Aronberg is survived by his wife, Dr. Sandra Aronberg, his daughter, Cindy Aronberg, and two grandchildren, Leo and Kate Rheinheimer.

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

SECTION ONE

L.A.’S FINEST SINCE 1953!

Happy Holidays! Celebrating Our th Anniversary!

“This is an upscale steak house with prices half those of its competitors. Taylor’s doesn’t have competitors. It’s achieved the status of legend.” -Merrill Shindler, KLSX Radio 3361 W. EIGHTH ST., LOS ANGELES • (213) 382-8449 Dinner 4 - 10 p.m. ~ TUESDAY - SUNDAY • FULL BAR • VALET PARKING

32 SECTION ONE

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

Italian American Museum rediscovers musical icon Louis Prima By Helene Seifer The Italian American Museum of Los Angeles (IAMLA) is located upstairs in the historic Italian Hall, a 1908 building on Main Street, backing up to Olvera Street in Downtown Los Angeles. The museum was swinging and jiving at the Nov. 3 opening of the new and enlightening exhibit “Louis Prima: Rediscovering a Musical Icon.” While a jazzy cover band

played such Prima hits as “Sing, Sing, Sing” and the Grammy-winning “That Old Black Magic,” guests nibbled hors d’oeuvre that honored both Prima’s Italian heritage and his New Orleans birthplace. The life and success of the Italian American trumpeter, singer and bandleader (19101978) are recounted in displays of photographs and memorabilia, including one of his gleaming trumpets, his Gram-

my award, stage costumes, original sheet music, hit records and album covers and a particularly charming letter Prima sent to the boys and girls of New York in 1945, imploring them not to cut class to see his upcoming concerts. During his prolific 50-year career, Prima embraced varied musical genres, from jazz and swing to pop, blues and the big band sound. He famously married five times; two of his

LOUIS PRIMA EXHIBIT is at the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles.

wives — fourth and fifth wives Keely Smith and Gia Maione — were critical partners as singers in his band in setting

new musical directions. Louis Prima’s ability to pivot creatively influenced the music scenes in New York and Los Angeles, and his popular show at the Sands Hotel helped put Las Vegas on the map as an entertainment destination. Prima appeared in films and voiced the orangutan King Louie in Disney’s “The Jungle Book.” Elvis Presley maintained that his gyrations were inspired by Prima’s dance moves. Singer David Lee Roth recorded Prima’s “Just a Gigolo / I Ain’t Got Nobody,” clothing retailer the Gap used his song “Jump Jive an’ Wail” in their ad for khakis, and he’s been sampled by hundreds of artists. Prima was posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010. “Louis Prima: Rediscovering a Musical Icon” at IAMLA, 644 N. Main St., 323-485-8432, continues through Oct. 13, 2024. Parking for a fee is available across the street at 615 N. Main St.

POLISH ORNAMENTS are a centuries-old tradition.

Ornaments have holiday spirit

BOGIE’S LIQUOR

Lunch & Dinner Every Day of the Year

Open 7 Days

3357 Wilshire Blvd. • 213-385-7275 • thehmsbounty.com

©LC 0821

Restaurant Hours: Mon.-Thurs. noon to midnight Fri.-Sat.-Sun. noon to 1:00 a.m. Bar open till 1:00 a.m. Mon.-Thurs. ~ 1:30 a.m. Fri. & Sat.

Hours: Open 10 a.m. Close 2 a.m.

5753 Melrose Ave.

Call 323-469-1414

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RESTAURANT & COCKTAILS

By Suzan Filipek Agnieszka Spieszny’s ornaments blend modern design with a traditional style that she learned from her 93-yearold grandfather. “The handmade ornaments are a Polish folk craft that’s been around for decades, if not centuries,” Spieszny tells us. “My grandpa taught me how to make them.” Growing up, Spieszny visited her grandfather, who still lives in Poland, many times. She immigrated to the United States in 1988, she tells us from her Windsor Village home. The young teen’s interest was sparked on one of those visits, and she returned home equipped with patterns and tissue paper. While her day job is in publishing and marketing, what is now her side business grew out of a desire to help an Afghanistan refugee student and young mother she met as a volunteer English teacher. All the profits from the ornament shop go to her student and growing family. The ornaments are available at the Larchmont Farmer’s Market, the Craft Contemporary gift shop and at jezykishop.com.

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

SECTION ONE

Elevated energy at new Italian restaurant on Larchmont Blvd. First, let’s get to the real headline: I had a vodka martini on Larchmont Boulevard! For some, serving cocktails is a sign of doom on a street that tries, with good reason, to maintain a level of wholesome community. For others, it’s an exciting new addition to the increasingly sophisticated fare found on our beloved street. I definitely fall in the latter category. For me, a bar stocked with fabulous pours of the hard stuff is reason enough to welcome a new eatery to the Boulevard. La Bettola di Terroni is the restaurant in question, newly inhabiting the former Vernetti space. I had always enjoyed Vernetti. The food was good. I liked the atmosphere. But on a Thursday evening at 6:15 p.m. when I walked into La Bettola, I was immediately slapped in the face by the volume of conversation bouncing off the walls and the general air of excitement. Patrons will either be thrilled to dine in a hopping place, or resent shouting “What? What?” to dinner companions all night. My three girlfriends and I loved the vibe, but ultimately settled into two separate conversations, finding it easier to communicate with the person seated across from us than

trying to talk among all four of us at once. The general layout is similar to what had existed before, with a bar area (previously for wine) separated from the small dining room by a half partition. The dark wood bar and its bottle-lined shelves and glass-fronted cabinets lend a warm, urban feel. Accordion-style lamps dangling above the bar provide a touch of whimsy; we decided they resembled the Pixar lamp mascot. White tablecloths are a classy touch and comfortable padded chairs, both at the tables and the bar, are a welcome and uncommon appointment. La Bettola has built an attractive outside deck in the adjacent city parking spaces. Short curvilinear walls enclose the eating space in an architecturally interesting way rather than the mostly expedient responses to the outside needs of pandemic dining found elsewhere. Owner Shereen Arazm Koules is a restaurateur and former judge on “Top Chef Canada.” She first brought the Terroni chain to Beverly Boulevard from her native Toronto in 2007, although she had been opening clubs and dining establishments in Los Angeles since 2003. Koules

On the Menu by

Helene Seifer explained to us that she plans for La Bettola di Terroni to be an elevated version of a neighborhood bistro. The menu offers a myriad of options: six appetizers, three salads, three fried dishes, nine pastas, six pizzas and two mains, plus vegetable sides and a handful of specials. Of course, they also offer cocktails and a good selection of Italian and other wines, including an unusual number of wines by the glass from Sicily, one of my favorite wine regions. Starters range from $19 for an autumn salad of arugula, Brussels sprouts and squash to $36 for a cheese and charcuterie plate. Pizzas and most pastas sit reasonably in the $20 to mid-$30 range, such as the $23 hot Calabrese salami and mushroom pizza and the $21 fried eggplant and tomato-sauced tubular pasta, but one might be tempted to splurge on the pasta with lobster for $49. The mains include $35 salmon, $39 bran-

Luckman Theatre 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles 90032

Friday, December 8 at 7pm Saturday, December 9 at 2pm and 7pm Sunday, December 10 at 11.30am and 4.30pm

zino and a classic braised veal shank — the $72 osso buco. Each of us chose an appetizer to share. Raw sushi-grade hamachi, a table favorite ($24), was quick-cured in lime juice and olive oil. Cut into thicker slices than Japanese sashimi, it was equally good and refreshing. Satisfyingly plump and crispy fried zucchini flowers were amply stuffed with ricotta, Parmesan and anchovies, $19. The creamy, oozy cheese tasted somewhat like Boursin, but was a little on the salty side from the anchovies. My friends and I disagree on the success of the carpaccio di Spada (smoked swordfish slices in vinaigrette), $28. Most thought it was delicious, but I thought it was stodgy. Perhaps a squeeze of citrus would have brightened it up. We ordered one starter from the specials menu: burrata with diced red and yellow beets, pistachios and pomegranate seeds in balsamic vinegar, $24. La Bettola receives a shipment of fresh burrata from Italy every other day and a load had arrived that very morning. Italian burrata that fresh is heavenly, with a sweet cream taste and a luscious texture. The earthy beets and balsamic drizzle were a perfect pairing. We dove headfirst into the

carbohydrates on the menu for the rest of our meal. Spaghetti pomodoro in a San Marzano tomato sauce ($19) shows the power of simplicity. It reminds me of the first time I visited Rome and discovered that pasta didn’t need mounds of tomato-paste-laden sauce in order to taste good. The capunti pasta has a pea pod shape with pealike indentations to catch the sauce. In this case, the $25 dish is served in a tender beef ragu that clumps rather than pools in the capunti’s crevices. A $26 mushroom pizza was my least favorite dish. Caramelized onions enhance the flavor of the mushrooms, but the crust doesn’t have the perfect bite/crunch/chew ratio. However, linguini with tomato and mixed seafood, $31, is delicious. It is served perfectly al dente, sauced with a light touch and a scattering of calamari rings, baby scallops, mussels, clams and shrimp. We groaned that we were full, but ordered three $12 desserts for the table anyway, all worth the calorie splurge: tiramisu, a silky crème brûlée and a plate of two adorable little cannoli. La Bettola di Terroni, 225 N. Larchmont Blvd., 323-9900042.

For tickets and information please scan the QR code or visit:

www.maratdaukayev.com

34 SECTION ONE

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

Taylor’s Steakhouse still going strong after 70 years

Enjoy our World Famous House Margaritas.

We wish a happy holiday season to all our friends and neighbors!

7312 Beverly Blvd. 323-939-2255

©LC1221

www.elcoyotecafe.com

By Nona Sue Friedman Opening the solid wooden front door of Taylor’s Steakhouse and walking over the threshold into the dimly lit dining room feels as if you have stepped back in time. The room is filled with red Naugahyde booths, and each table is draped in a white tablecloth with a candle in the center. The bar is long and dark and filled with glassware and liquor bottles. It has the vibe all the hipster places want, but this is the real thing. “The place hasn’t changed much over the years,” according to Bruce Taylor, whose parents are the original owners. The historic restaurant is located at 3361 W. Eighth St. and is celebrating its 70th year. There is a second location, in La Cañada, that opened in 1996. In 1953, Tex and Margie Taylor bought a small bar, O’Kelly’s Tavern, near Olympic Boulevard and Western Avenue. After a few years, the bar gained popularity, and the Taylors needed more space. They moved to the restaurant’s current location, which was very cool and lively at the

time. The Ambassador Hotel with the Cocoanut Grove nightclub was around the corner, and many other music venues were sprinkled throughout the area. In time, the tavern morphed into a steakhouse. As a teen, Bruce Taylor would hitch a ride with one of the waitresses from his home in Burbank to help his parents at the restaurant. He’d bus tables, set tables, take out trash — whatever needed to be done. Working at the restaurant continued while he attended USC. After graduating with a business degree, his mom suggested he take some time over the summer and stay around before interviewing for jobs. Well, as the saying goes, the rest is history. The young Taylor never interviewed for any jobs. He continued working at the restaurant. As he says, “I must like it, because I’m still working here.” He’s been there 49 years. Taylor’s Steakhouse is classic in decor and in its menu selection. The restaurant features bone-in rib eye; 32 oz. porterhouse for two; filet (Please turn to Page 38)

Du-par’s Holiday Ham and Turkey Feast Savor a Bourbon & Brown Sugar-Glazed Ham with Pineapple Chutney and all the Trimmings! Large Ham or Turkey (serves 8 to 10)

$280 including 2 pies

Smaller Ham or Turkey (serves 4 to 6)

$220 including 1 pie

Plated Dinner $30.50 Child’s Plate $18.25 (3-11 years)

Open Christmas Day and New Year’s

Dinners include butternut squash soup, homemade mashed potatoes, glazed fresh carrots, green beans amandine, sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls and Du-Par’s fruit pie.

w! NoOrder online at http://dupars.net/store

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Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

SECTION ONE

36 SECTION ONE

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

So many food options at the Original Farmers Market and the Grove! Every November, the Larchmont Chronicle produces our Dining Guide for the area. The following is a December expansion for the many wonderful restaurants at the Original Farmers Market located at 6333 W. Third St. and at The Grove, 189 The Grove Dr. If a favorite eatery has been overlooked, please let us know at info@larchmontchronicle.com.

ALMA

The Grove 323-879-9596 alma.mx Sun. to Thurs. 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fri., Sat. 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

BAR VERDE

The Grove 323-900-1610 nordstrom.com Mon. to Thurs. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Fri., Sat. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

BHC CHICKEN

Farmers Market 323-424-3733 m.bhc.co.kr Mon. to Sat. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

BLUE RIBBON SUSHI BAR & GRILL

The Grove 323-352-9300 brsushigrove.com Sun. 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Mon. to Thurs. noon to 9 p.m.; Fri, Sat. 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

CHARLIE’S COFFEE SHOP

EL GRANJERO CANTINA

MARKET CHICKEN

PHIL’S DELI & GRILL

Farmers Market Farmers Market ROTISSERIE 323-879-9324 323-936-3704 Farmers Market Farmers Market cantinalla.com Daily 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. 323-933-0616 323-917-5081 Mon. to Fri. 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Mon. to Thurs. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; marketchicken.com Sat. 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sun. 9 a.m. Fri., Sat. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Mon. to Fri. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m. to 8 p. m. ROXY & JO’S to 7 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun. 10 SEAFOOD GRILL a.m. to 7 p.m.

THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY

& OYSTER BAR

FRIENDS AND FAMILY PIZZA CO.

Farmers Market MARMALADE CAFE 323-919-5228 The Grove Farmers Market mrmarcel.com Farmers Market 323-634-0511 323-954-0088 Mon. to Sat. 10:45 a.m. to 9 323-879-9366 Mon. to Thurs. 11:30 a.m. to 10 marmaladecafe.com p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. ffpizzaco.com p.m.; Fri. 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sun. to Thurs. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sat. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sun. 10 Mon. to Sat. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fri., Sat. 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sun. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. a.m. to 10 p.m.

CHILL SINCE ‘93

FRITZI’S COOP

MOISHE’S RESTAURANT

Farmers Market The Grove Farmers Market 323-933-3204 323-433-7635 323-936-9436 Mon. to Sat. 9 a.m. to 8:45 p.m.; chillsince93.com fritzicoop.com Sun. to Thurs. 10 a.m. to 9:30 Mon. to Sat. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun. 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. p.m.; Fri., Sat. 10 a.m. to 10:30 Sun. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. p.m. MONSIEUR MARCEL Farmers Market 323-605-9020 CHINA DEPOT GUMBO POT mrmarcel.com Farmers Market Farmers Market Mon. to Sat. 11 a.m. to 8:30 323-937-6868 323-933-0358 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. Mon. to Sat. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; thegumbopotsla.com Sun. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon. to Thurs. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; PAMPAS GRILL Fri., Sat. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun. 9 Farmers Market CHIPOTLE a.m. to 8 p.m 323-931-1928 Farmers Market pampas-grill.com 323-857-0608 Mon. to Sat. 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; chipotle.com LA PIAZZA Sun. 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Daily 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Grove 323-933-5050 PASTA CORNER DU-PAR’S lapiazzathegrove.com Farmers Market Farmers Market Mon. to Thurs. 11 a.m. to 10:30 323-787-4444 323-933-8446 p.m.; Fri. 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.; pastacornerla.com dupars.net Sat. 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.; Sun. Mon. to Fri. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun. to Thurs. 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun. 10 Fri., Sat. 6 a.m. to midnight. a.m. to 7 p.m.

EDO BITES

MAGEE’S KITCHEN

THE SALAD BAR

Farmers Market 323-933-3204 Mon. to Sat. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

SINGAPORE’S BANANA LEAF

Farmers Market 323-933-4627 singaporesbananaleaf.com Sun. to Thurs. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Fri., Sat. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

SUSHI A GO GO

Farmers Market 323-930-7874 sushi-gogo.com Daily 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

THICC BURGERS

Farmers Market thiccburgers.com Mon. to Sat. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

PATSY D’AMORE PIZZA

The Grove Farmers Market Farmers Market TREJO’S TACOS 323-879-9507 BRYAN’S PIT BBQ 323-938-4938 323-938-4127 Farmers Market edobites.us Farmers Market patsydamore.com mageeskitchen.com 323-847-5074 Mon. to Thurs. noon to 9 p.m.; Mon. to Fri. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Mon. to Sat. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; 323-931-2869 trejostacos.com Mon. to Sat. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fri., Sat. 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 Sat. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun. 10 Sun. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon. to Sat. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; p.m.; Sun. 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. a.m. to 7 p.m. Sun. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sun. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The Holiday Superstore

Order your Holiday Prime Rib … cut to order! TRI TIP DRY AGED STEAKS RIB EYE NEW YORK STEAKS

TOMAHAWK STEAKS

Party Paper Goods • Room Decorations • Centerpieces • Banners • Garlands

New Year’s Eve Party Assortments

Hats • Horns • Blowouts • Confetti Balloons • Serpentines • Metal Noisemakers Sold by the box or individually

FILET MIGNON WHOLE OR SPIRAL-CUT HAM

323-938-5383 6333 West 3rd St. #350 (in Original Farmers Market) www.huntingtonmeats.com

20% OFF

All Merchandise in the store with this ad (Except printing, already discounted goods, balloons and balloon delivery)

©LC1222

PORTERHOUSE

©LC1222

Vine American Party Store

5969 Melrose Ave. (corner of Wilcox) • 323-467-7124

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

SECTION ONE

Share the Holidays at Pink’s with Family & Friends! ION T A C O L IC HISTOR od Legend o w y l l o H A 9! 3 9 1 e c Sin

Still Ow & Oper ned the Pink ated by Family!

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@ pinkshotdogs

38 SECTION ONE

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

Diamond Bakery, a gem for more than 75 years and many generations By Nona Sue Friedman “I love seeing customers eat one of the baked treats for the first time or the 500th time,” says Doug Weinstein, also known as Diamond Doug. He is the newest owner of the classic bakery at 335 N. Fairfax Ave., following his spontaneous purchase in June 2021. Diamond Bakery is a Jewish institution that’s been around since 1946. It sells traditional black-and-white cookies, assorted rugelach, bagels and apple strudel — just to scratch the surface of its offerings. However, it is most famous for its corn rye. Numerous customers claim it’s the best corn rye between here and New York. A national following Weinstein described how

DEDICATED CUSTOMERS Meg and Brad Dworsky traveled from Chicago to get family favorites corn rye and mandel bread.

some die-hard customers come to the bakery from around the country. Some even make a point to have a stopover in Los Angeles just to make a pilgrimage to

Diamond. They arrive with an empty suitcase eager to fill it with corn rye and other family favorites. In fact, while talking to Weinstein in the bakery for this article, a couple who live in Chicago — and who were visiting San Diego — drove up for the day for that exact reason. Being a friendly and easygoing guy, Weinstein is privy to all sorts of stories from his customers. One customer came in and pointed out her mother in an enlarged 1950s photomural on the wall. In another instance, a great-grandma came in with her great grandson to buy goodies, as she had done with her own mother and grandmother. That’s five generations of a family all visiting the same bakery in the same

DIAMOND BAKERY owner Doug Weinstein, sits in front of a photomural of Fairfax Avenue in the 1950s.

Photos by Nona Sue Friedman

location. Now that’s tradition. Struggle But, Weinstein admits, business has been tough since he bought the bakery. He says, “It’s a joyful struggle.” He’s looking into different ways of diversifying the business. One way is by making Diamond an incubator of sorts for other bakers. For example, he let Adam Shapiro, owner of Shappy’s Pretzels, bake his

Taylor’s

(Continued from Page 34) mignon; tomahawk rib eye; and rack of lamb — along with fish, chicken and seafood entrées. Taylor’s is also proud of its “culotte” cuts of steak. This is the top sirloin cap. According to Taylor, he popularized the name for this slice of beef. He says, “It was around 1978, and I visited Stear’s for Steaks, a restaurant on La Cienega Boulevard that was known for its baseball steak.” After having and liking the Stear’s specialty, Taylor talked to his meat purveyor to figure out how to serve it at Taylor’s.

We are available to cater your weddings, Mention showers, this ad for holiday parties and all other typesa special of events.

Hollingsworth

(Continued from Page 30)

treat!

Ask about our private dining spaces & off-site catering options! Call us at 323.297.0070 ext 27 or

7313 – 7317 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles,|90036 | 323.297.0070 7313-7321 Beverly Blvd 323.297.0070 www.angelinirestaurantgroup.com www.angelinirestaurantgroup.com

©LC1121

e-mail catering@angeliniosteria.com

Open for Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner – Catering

Open Christmas Eve Closed Christmas Day

was raised in Whittier. She received a B.A. from Whittier College and a double M.A. in Japanese language and diplomacy at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. While at MIIS, she lived in Tokyo, where she mastered the Japanese language and conducted research focused on cultural exchange and its

Cat & Fiddle

pretzels in the back of the bakery. Now, Diamond makes all the pretzels for Shappy’s. Weinstein feels each promotes and helps the other. But what Weinstein is really looking for is help from the community — someone with capital, someone to assist with social media and more customers to keep the bakery going for future generations. As Weinstein says, “This bakery is a time warp,” and he wants to perpetuate the store and the experience. He finds it very rewarding, and it gives him joy working at Diamond. He says the next couple of months are critical for Diamond’s survival. So, if the holidays conjure up the desire for freshly baked treats, stop by the store Tuesday through Saturday. You can place your order in advance at 323-655-0738 or online at diamondbakeryla. com. When he got the first invoice, he saw the name culotte referenced. Taylor decided this was just the right name to introduce this very flavorful, limited cut of meat. “We take pride in putting out the best prime steak at the most reasonable price in town,” says Taylor. His menu reflects this statement. He praises his meat distributor of 35 years as being the best supplier anywhere. His restaurant has a full bar and a wine list for anyone’s palate, he tells us. Call 213-382-8449 for reservations or visit taylorssteakhouse.com. positive effects on international relations. After her graduate studies, she held roles in civil rights organizations including Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA), where she organized with Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition protesting anti-Asian media bias. Hollingsworth is survived by her husband, Jeffrey, and a devoted group of extended family and friends.

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Larchmont Chronicle STAFF

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

SECTION ONE

40 SECTION ONE

DECEMBER 2023

Larchmont Chronicle

FIX THE BEEP

Teens’ nonprofit helps Angelenos get smoke alarms in working order.

Page 10

Real Estate Libraries Home & Garden

HEAVENLY

Pumpkin bread and a dose of history served at The Monastery of the Angels. Page 12

VIEW

WORD CAFÉ

The world of printing presses led to some common terms heard today. Page 15

Section 2

LARCHMONT CHRONICLE

DECEMBER 2023

HANCOCK PARK • WINDSOR SQUARE • FREMONT PLACE • GREATER WILSHIRE • MIRACLE MILE • PARK LA BREA • LARCHMONT

2 SECTION TWO

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

Ridgewood Place, St. Andrew’s Square were just designated It is my distinct honor to announce that Greater Wilshire has two new official historic districts to add to its collection. The California State Historic Resources Commission on Nov. 3 approved for inclusion on the California Register of Historical Resources the St. Andrew’s Square Historic District and the Ridgewood Place Residential Historic District. This is the first step on the neighborhoods’ paths to listing on the National Register of Historic Places — which advocates hope will take place by the end of January next year. This will mark the first time in more than a decade that our community has welcomed new historic districts and is cause to celebrate! In previous columns, I wrote about the history and evolution of these new districts’ original developments like Ridgewood Park and what the column denominated “The Places.” Described was how time, real estate marketing and the exigencies of other preservation campaigns — for other areas under threat — left remnants of these historic streets and neighborhoods adrift from their founding communities. From 2007 to 2010, Hancock Park, Windsor Square,

On Preservation by

Brian Curran

Country Club Heights, Windsor Village and Wilshire Park all became official City of Los Angeles Historic Preservation Overlay Zones (HPOZs), preserving a vast area of Greater Wilshire. However, efforts to preserve more neighborhoods with the HPOZ mechanism stalled due to politics, associated costs and time. Up to 10 new districts were identified in 2014 by Survey LA, the eight-year survey of Los Angeles’ historic resources by the city and the J. Paul Getty Trust. Unfortunately, with the 2019 passage of the state housing law Senate Bill 330 (SB 330), further HPOZ endeavors were put on hold. But just as the state took one tool away, preservationists saw that the state offered another; one with less ironclad protections, but with more gravitas — a National Register Historic District. The applications to designate Ridgewood Place and St. Andrew’s Square Nation-

al Register Historic Districts were authored and shepherded through the review process by James Dastoli, a rising star in Los Angeles preservation who has also championed the successful nominations of several Historic Cultural Monuments. Organizing and working with teams of local residents and homeowners from the Ridgewood-Wilton and St. Andrew’s Square neighborhoods, Dastoli and the teams gathered survey data, architectural descriptions, photos and historical documentation on more than 200 properties. The result of this incredible community-driven effort, which can cost upwards of $30,000 when working with professional firms, is the creation of the two new districts flanking the community’s original designated area, the Wilton Historic District, which was added to the National Register in 1979. During the Nov. 3 state commission meeting, it was noted that both the Ridgewood Place and St. Andrew’s Place / Gramercy Place districts (combined into the new St. Andrew’s Square district) were identified by Survey LA as retaining sufficient integrity to convey significance. During commission member comments, Commissioner Janet

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New Listing 152 S. Windsor $1,750,000 2Bed+2Bath+pool Windsor Square

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Hansen commented about how important a role surveys play in identifying properties for the National Register. Commissioner Luis Hoyos, an eminent preservation architect and professor at Cal Poly Pomona, stated how good it was to see Los Angeles communities getting organized for these preservation efforts. Both his and Hansen’s

observations are significant statements from our state decision makers because they point to an important truth about preservation. While our city, state and federal governments do a heroic job of trying to manage their vast and growing collection of historic resources, it is up to us individuals to keep a watchful eye and to put in the effort to ensure the preservation of our historic neighborhoods, houses and resources.

Happy Holidays May Peace, Happiness, Health & Prosperity be yours during this holiday and throughout the New Year.

Pete Buonocore pete@coregroupla.com

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Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

SECTION TWO 3

Neighborhoods seek removal of another proposed upzoning

By Suzan Filipek Score one for Hancock Park, Brookside, La Brea Hancock and single-family neighborhoods everywhere in Los Angeles. “We are taking a quick victory lap together, but we need to stay vigilant!” reads a November email from the Hancock Park Homeowners Association (HPHOA) to residents. The glee shared by local homeowner groups was the result of the City Planning Dept. pulling back on two proposed density overlays for residential neighborhoods that could have resulted in four- to five-story buildings built next to single-family homes. The “Affordable Housing Overlays” and “Transit Oriented Community Expansions” are off the table now after fierce opposition to the Planning Dept. staff’s proposed Citywide Housing Incentive Program (CHIP). “At this time, single-family zoned land is not being considered as eligible for the Affordable Housing Overlay incentives in development,” Planning Director Vince Bertoni said in a statement on the Planning Dept. website on Oct. 26.

“Additionally, single-family zoned sites are not being considered in the expansion of the Transit Oriented Communities Affordable Housing Incentive Program.” (See tinyurl.com/vjjbnd4a) While welcoming the news last month, local homeowner groups remain cautious and vigilant as a third overlay is still on the table. Third upzoning overlay The third zoning strategy — Opportunity Residential Corridor — still threatens all single-family neighborhoods. By contrast, commercial business-zoned corridors offer sites to accommodate the city’s much-needed housing, the HPHOA wrote to residents. The message urges residents to write a second follow-up letter to the mayor and councilmembers to remove the third overlay. HPHOA President Cindy Chvatal-Keane and La Brea Hancock Homeowners Association President Cathy Roberts oppose the overlays in partnership with United Neighbors, a statewide coalition of renters, homeowners and community organizations. “The Planning Department obviously felt the pressure from our collective groups to remove the overlays,” Ma-

ria Kalban, of United Neighbors wrote in the email in November. “They had no idea anyone was looking at the Housing Element maps. But if we go away quietly now, we lose. We still have to see the actual Housing Element Maps, fight the Community Plan Updates…” The new maps are expected to be released by the city this month. The controversial upzoning plans were under the radar until they were discovered by homeowner groups. The city is proposing to accommodate construction on a 1.4-million-parcel “inventory of potential OPP RC STANDS FOR Residential (R Zoned) Opportunity Corridors — sites” from which the a City Planning staff idea about upzoning single-family lots. City Planning Department says it will choose Department’s draft “Plan to in our area are identified as a much smaller number of House LA” — the state-man- Transit-Oriented communiproperties to rezone to help dated Housing Element of the ties (TOC). These include the deal with a housing shortage. city’s General Plan. areas of the Larchmont Village See our accompanying chart The mandate requires zon- Neighborhood Association, from the Chronicle’s Novem- ing capacity for an additional north of Beverly Boulevard, ber story on this subject. 255,432 housing units to be plus Sycamore Square, La The inventory had includ- part of City of Los Angeles-ad- Brea Hancock and Brookside. ed parcels on both residential opted law by February 2025. View the Plan to House LA at streets and commercial corriNeighborhoods which had planning.lacity.org/plans-poldors, according to the Planning been most likely impacted icies/housing-element.

4 SECTION TWO

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

Residents voice concerns with TVC Plan’s traffic and density By Suzan Filipek

The Final Environmental Impact Report for the TVC 2050 Project proposed development at Television City was released by the Los Angeles City Planning Dept. on Nov. 21. “The Project would establish the TVC 2050 Specific Plan to allow for the continuation of an existing studio use and the modernization and expansion of media production facilities within the approximately 25acre Television City studio,” according to the document, at tinyurl.com/7zaprzje. Final EIR. What’s next? With the release of the Final EIR as well as the Sign Plan and the Traffic Manage-

ment Program, several public hearings will be scheduled, before votes by the City Planning Commission, City Council PLUM Committee, and the full City Council. This follows a question-and-answer session Nov. 15 held by Neighbors for Responsible TVC Development. Co-chair Danielle Peters said at the outset, “Our group is not against this development. We support it. We support jobs. Our goal is to make this something that is livable.” Several residents expressed concerns about the size and traffic impacts of the proposed development. “This area is already at a critical mass with traffic, and

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the density with this project could tip the scales with the quality of life, where people will just go somewhere else,” said resident Aaron Hasson. He lives near Beverly Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, across from the studio, and he was among the many who came out on a rainy night and filled the 70-seat Greenway Court Theater at Fairfax High. Brian Glodney, executive vice president of development and planning for developer Hackman Capital Partners, stated that the 70-year-old facility was visionary when CBS opened it in 1952. Hackman’s proposal is to modernize the facility, increasing it to a maximum of 1.85 million square feet of sound stages, production support, offices and other uses on the site. He was among four project team members at the meeting representing the developer. Several residents expressed concern with the impacts of traffic (5,000 additional parking spaces are proposed onsite), and a request to change the land to Regional Center zoning. Besides being twice the size of the “old Staples Center, it will bring thousands of commuters to the area,” Peters said. “Upzoning to Regional Center will allow you to build much bigger than zoning allows for,” she added. The Regional Center designation “doesn’t double the density. It brings the various land uses into modern land uses,” Glodney said. “The development does not increase the 1.75 FAR (floor

COMMUNITY MEETING, held at Greenway Court Theater, was attended by developer project team members (at the table on the left), and Shelley Wagers and Danielle Peters of Neighbors for Responsible TVC Development, on the right.

area ratio),” he added. But Peters said the FAR could rise to that existing in Century City — a 6.1 FAR — if the site were sold to a new owner with the Regional Center zoning. “For the community, it’s the long game. It’s not just your property going forward. “It could change the landscape of the neighborhood,” Peters said. Glodney countered that a new owner would have to reapply with the city, hold public hearings and conduct additional environmental review to build more density than allowed. “They would need to ask the city to exceed the 1.75 FAR. That’s the fail-safe.” Fifteen stories max Glodney added, “[An] unlimited amount of height is allowed under current zoning.” Yet, the project’s Specific Plan imposes a maximum of 225 feet, or 15 stories, on the 25-acre property, he said. “The height is less than

eight percent of the project, and it’s far from the edges,” he added. By contrast, one resident said the Park La Brea apartment towers are 150 feet high. Another point of contention is that the developer seeks a construction agreement with the city allowing construction to be underway for a period of 32 months up to 20 years. Glodney said Hackman Capital hoped the project could be built in 32 months, but if not, the project can be spaced out in five phases. It would not be 20 years of steady construction, he added. “It’s very difficult for the community to have a project that is open-ended and deal with that level of uncertainty,” Neighbors for Responsible TVC Development Co-chair Shelley Wagers responded. Emergency response times were also questioned by residents, as the local fire station, (Please turn to Page 6)

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

SECTION TWO

Happy Holidays

from My Family Tree to Yours LISA HUTCHINS

Lifelong resident of Hancock Park

Coldwell Banker Realty Hancock Park #1 Office Agent 27 of the last 30 years

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Daughter KATE HUTCHINS Born April 9, 2002 Daughter GRACE HUTCHINS Born June 10, 2005

Mom Lucy McBain Lifelong resident of Hancock Park #1 realtor in Hancock Park 1973 – 1993 #1 realtor for Coldwell Banker in the USA for 13 years Grandfather Homer Toberman Lifelong resident of L.A., Civic Leader Local real estate developer, home builder, Hancock Park resident until he died at 86

Great-great-uncle Mayor James Toberman, sent here by President Lincoln as a tax collector in 1863. Despite that, he was elected Mayor of L.A. three times: 1872, 1878 and 1880. During his terms he paved Main St.and turned on the first electric lights in the city.

Great-grandfather C.E. Toberman “Mr. Hollywood” Built the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Chinese, Egyptian, El Capitan Theaters to name a few.

Subdivided, sold lots in 53 tracts, including parts of Las Palmas, McCadden, etc., and Outpost Estates in Hollywood. Owned Black-Foxe School at Wilcox and Melrose.

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6 SECTION TWO

TVC Today.

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

TVC Future concept.

TVC Plan

(Continued from Page 4) No. 61, is already shorthanded, a resident noted. Others questioned how paramedics would be able to snarl through two-lane Fairfax Avenue with added traffic. A Hackman representative said the Final EIR shows the fire services to be adequate. Also alarming to residents was the number of projects — 66 — proposed for the surrounding area. Developer transportation consultant Pat Gibson said only a few of those projects were in the works. “The six to seven major projects are going to be done by the time we start construction.” The developer plans to close the site during the construction, keeping the staging onsite to minimize street traffic. The finished project would include a Mobility Hub with employee shuttles to the subway and other sites. The developer said a Sign District will keep digital signs on-site without visibility from

the street. Alcohol use will be limited to 10 facilities on the site and two off-site. These and other measures are in the Final EIR, the project team said. But many attendees questioned the analysis and

reports. “You don’t live here. You don’t know what it’s like to make an EIR a real document. They falsify. They don’t really tell the story of what it’s like to live here for decades,” one resident said.

Candles by DWC at Grove pop-up All-natural candles made by residents of the Downtown Women’s Center (DWC) are represented in the Home & Gift collection featured in a pop-up store at The Grove through Sun., Dec. 31. The candles, such as “Joshua Tea,” which is made of sun-dried tea leaves and bergamot, are among items in the MADE by DWC line. The product line also includes soaps, bath salts and journals featuring artwork by

women participating in the hand-crafting manufacturing project. Each purchase helps fund programs that provide handson training and mentorship at DWC. The women’s center helps end homelessness through job training and employment. The MADE by DWC popup is just east of the Farmers Market, past Gilmore Lane. Visit The Grove at 189 The Grove Drive.

SOLD: This home at 916 S. Rimpau Blvd. in Brookside sold for $1,442,000 in October.

Real Estate Sales* Single-family homes

537 N. Las Palmas Ave. 203 N. Lucerne Blvd. 135 N. St. Andrews Pl. 437 N. Windsor Blvd. 130 N. Windsor Blvd. 921 S. Citrus Ave. 578 N. Gower St. 741 S. Orange Dr. 916 S. Rimpau Blvd. 546 N. Martel Ave.

$3,251,890 $2,645,000 $2,600,000 $2,360,000 $2,281,000 $1,990,000 $1,979,000 $1,450,000 $1,442,000 $1,260,000

641 Wilcox Ave., #2A 646 Wilcox Ave. 681 S. Norton Ave., #103 611 N. Bronson Ave., #9 749 S. Cloverdale Ave., #101 739 Lorraine Blvd., #201 421 S. Van Ness Ave., #23 822 S. Windsor Blvd., #201 835 S. Lucerne Blvd., #208 585 N. Rossmore Ave., #512

$1,435,000 $1,287,000 $1,185,000 $1,175,000 $1,025,000 $955,000 $905,000 $890,000 $837,500 $740,000

Condominiums

*Sale prices for October.

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

SECTION TWO

4533 COCKERHAM DRIVE, LOS FELIZ | $38,000,000 20,000+ sqft multi-structure compound, ±2 acre promontory, long gated driveway, unobstructed views. Designed by Studio William Hefner Gated with a 650-foot driveway leading to a prime 2+/- acre promontory with vast unobstructed city to ocean views. Multi structure private compound includes a newly built limestone Neo-Classical mansion with over 20,000 square feet on 3 levels. Grand 2 story entry with sweeping staircase, library and living room with expansive entertainment view terraces. Bar/lounge, formal dining room with hand-painted walls. Imported historic stone fireplaces throughout. Bespoke kitchen and breakfast room/lounge. Bar, movie theater and game room. Spectacular gym with head on city views, terrace spa, steam room, infrared sauna and salon/glam room. Elevator between all 3 floors. 2 separate 1 bedroom guest houses, pool with fountains and nature paths under mature specimen trees and tranquil nature elements. Shown to pre qualified buyers only.

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8 SECTION TWO

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

LVNA meeting touches on crime among hot-button topics By Nona Sue Friedman The Larchmont Village Neighborhood Association (LVNA) semi-annual meeting drew more than 50 members via Zoom on Nov. 14. The agenda included remarks from Los Angeles Unified School District board member Nick Melvoin, California State Senator Anthony Portantino, Los Angeles Police Department officers and Hancock Park Home-

owners Association president Cindy Chvatal-Keane. One of the items that Melvoin, who lives in Larchmont Village, spoke about is his priority of greening school campuses. Van Ness Elementary recently received money to help green its campus. Next up was Senator Portantino, whose current state legislature district stops just short of the LVNA but who — like Melvoin — is running

After escrow fell out, Beverly Hot Springs back on market

By Suzan Filipek The Beverly Hot Springs spa is back on the market while business continues as usual at the only natural hot springs spa of its kind in the city. A previous sale recently fell out of escrow after the developer backed out. A 101-unit, seven-story apartment building was proposed at the site at 308 N. Oxford St. about one mile east of Larchmont Village. The property is now listed for $10.5 million, according to LoopNet. The facility has been fami-

ly-owned and operated for 38 years. According to spa goers, business is going well at the spa, which offers body treatments and pools with warm alkaline water that bubbles up from a well deep under ground. Some patrons of the spa are pursuing a historic designation to help protect the site going forward. (See Larchmont Chronicle: “Time for a relaxing bath at Beverly Hot Springs, but not for long,” Oct. 2023; and “Project bubbling at Beverly Hot Springs,” Sept. 2023.)

for Rep. Adam Schiff’s seat in Congress. Portantino says education is his number one issue. He also claims, “I am the community guy.” LAPD Capt. Sonia Monico and Senior Lead Officer (SLO) Hebel Rodriguez, both from Wilshire Division, along with SLO Joe Pelayo from Olympic Division, fielded questions about crime in the neighborhood. In response to an

armed attempted home invasion on Nov. 4, a white Tesla without a license plate casing and burglarizing homes on numerous recent occasions, and fears stemming from the war in Gaza, both police divisions have added extra patrol cars. With so much talk about crime, LVNA president Charlie D’Atri suggested planning a separate meeting with LAPD.

Chvatal-Keane spoke about land development and additional housing and zoning issues. Her United Neighbors presentation focused on the need for current residents to be aware of the kind, amount and location of new housing that is being proposed. Residents need to stay well informed to try to keep their neighborhoods intact, she warned.

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Plymouth ‘party house’ neighbors meet with CD13 By Nona Sue Friedman A notorious party house at 300 N. Plymouth Blvd. on the northeast corner at Beverly Boulevard has been dark for weeks. Despite threats of a party on Halloween, all was quiet. As the saying

goes, “Silence is golden,” and the North Plymouth Coalition (NPC) is happy with the silence. Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez of Council District 13 met with neighbors (Please turn to Page 14)

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Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

SECTION TWO

Mayor and CD 13 councilman speak at Windsor Square meeting

WINDSOR SQUARE president Larry Guzin introduces Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez (standing and waving) at the association’s annual Town Hall meeting, held this year in the Lounge at The Ebell.

in their homes. Councilman Soto-Martinez spoke with Dusseault and the attendees about his own office’s recent work in relocating four of the 200 encampments in his district, using the mayor’s Inside Safe program. He said that the stance he took in his campaign against WSA BOARD MEMBERS, Angie Szentgyorgyi — (left) and Tracey Durning discuss the Block Cap- e n f o r c i n g anti-camptain program.

The mayor also emphasized the need to assist people on the verge of becoming unhoused, to allow them to stay

MAYOR KAREN BASS was interviewed by Windsor Square neighbor and WSA board member Sarah Dusseault, at right.

ing prohibitions such as Municipal Code Section 41.18 — remains his position. Densification When the councilman was asked about the issue of densification of single-family neighborhoods, he noted that the Historic Preservation Overlay Zones (HPOZs) and single-family (R-1) neighborhoods would not be impacted. He went on to say that each neighborhood would have to contribute to alleviating the city housing crisis. Soto-Martinez believes residents of each neighborhood should decide for themselves where they want to add housing, but every neighborhood has to do its part. The councilman also ad-

dressed issues with regard to the Department of Water & Power, center-lane parking on Larchmont and speed bumps. Committee reports Following the interviews, WSA president Guzin introduced numerous board members who updated attendees on such things as the Block Captain program, the RYLAN emergency preparedness program and Land Use issues affecting the area. John Welborne, the WSA’s vice president for planning and land use, reported on the in-process discussions of General Plan and Wilshire Community Plan revisions. The meeting concluded with the election of WSA directors for 2024.

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Windsor Square Country English

3 Bed | 2.5 Bath | 2382 sq ft | 7937 lot

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By Casey Russell The Windsor Square Association’s annual “Town Hall” meeting took place in the Lounge of the Ebell Club on Nov. 15. More than 100 residents welcomed speakers Mayor Karen Bass and 13th District City Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez. Following introductory remarks by WSA president Larry Guzin, board member Sarah Dusseault interviewed each the mayor and then the councilman. Bass remarked upon her appreciation of the warm welcome she has received from her Windsor Square neighbors and noted extra tolerance shown by her immediate Getty House neighbors on account of the many events she has been hosting there. She also cited the extra tolerance required when there are noisy protestors, such as at 5 a.m. the morning of the meeting. Homelessness Her main points involved giving detailed answers to questions that Sarah Dusseault asked about the city’s homelessness strategies, with the mayor emphasizing the need to create a system of “long-term interim housing” to move people from the streets and to prepare them for permanent housing.

10 SECTION TWO

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

Two local teens work to keep Angelenos safe and ‘beep’-free By Casey Russell Two local teens are on a mission to make sure Angelenos have working smoke alarms in their residences. Dylan Foley of Wilshire Park and Rowan Carney of Hancock Park started their nonprofit, Fix the Beep, two years ago. Prior to that time, neither girl had grand plans to become the safety ambassadors they are today. The mission began when Foley’s father had noticed a lot of beeping in the background of a video the family had been sent from a teacher and her class. It turned out that many educators were hearing beeps while teaching on Zoom. Realizing the beeping came from out-oforder smoke alarms, the girls began researching the problem and, ultimately, decided to step forward and take action. During the pandemic, Foley and Carney discovered that many people don’t realize how much of a safety issue an outof-order smoke alarm can be. They also learned that faulty smoke alarms are a common problem in low-income areas. Sometimes people don’t have the resources to change the batteries; some tenants don’t understand their rights; and other tenants are worried they will get in trouble if land-

FIX THE BEEP girls (left to right) Rowan Carney and Dylan Foley assembling kits.

lords come in and realize how many people are living in the dwellings. Whatever the reasons, “It’s very dangerous,” said Carney. It’s also required that landlords install and maintain smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. With their eyes newly opened, the girls wanted to help people to be safer in their homes by making the testing and replacement of batteries more accessible. With that goal in mind, Fix the Beep was born. “The first meeting was with our parents… everyone was being so collaborative and was wanting to help,” said Foley. The team started making kits that would include a battery tester, two types of batteries,

bilingual pamphlets and a magnet with a QR code to access fixthebeep.org. It just so happened that Foley’s elementary school, The Center for Early Education, was giving a community service alumni award to four former students. The girls applied and were awarded $1,000 that helped start their nonprofit. Their first partnership was with Flower Truck LA, an organization that does pop-up flower shops around the city and also teams up with local charities. A weekend partnership helped the girls raise $5,000 and started to get the word out about Fix the Beep. The duo also has partnered with A Sense of Home, an organization dedicated to preventing homelessness by creating homes for kids aging out of the foster care system. “A lot of our kits are given to young adults moving out of the system, so that they’ll have them in their first apartments,” said Carney. Family Fair Most recently, Fix the Beep partnered with My Safe LA at the Larchmont Family Fair in October. My Safe LA works to help people prepare for, and survive, disasters, but the organization’s representatives

DYLAN Foley, Rowan Carney and firefighter Kira Coblentz take a break from filming a fire safety video.

can only go into homes with a landlord’s permission. Partnering with My Safe LA to get Fix the Beep kits into the hands of actual residents — many living in apartments — was an effective way to help keep even more Angelenos safe. The Family Fair booth “turned a lot of heads at the Fair,” said Foley. “One woman stopped by and told us that her friend had died because his smoke alarm wasn’t working… he didn’t know there was a fire.” The girls have visited fire stations twice — once to make a fire safety video with the first female firefighter at Station #64 in San Dimas. Foley, a senior at Immacu-

late Heart, and Carney, a senior at Brentwood High, both plan to attend out-of-state universities. They are excited to learn how other areas are handling the issue but are committed to keeping Fix the Beep strong in their fire-prone home state. “We made this from the ground up, and we are giving back and helping people. It’s changed my perspective,” said Carney. Foley agreed, “This experience has reinforced what I love and want to do,” she said. “I’m very interested in business and innovation… helping a business give back to a community or even helping with marketing for nonprofits.” For more information, visit fixthebeep.org.

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

SECTION TWO

Hancock Park condo residents sue over ‘life-threatening’ flooding By Suzan Filipek When it rains, it really, really pours at The Rossmore. During one heavy storm last winter, 29 cars were flooded in the condominium complex’s underground parking garage at 585 N. Rossmore Ave. “Every car was a total loss,” said Caroline Debbané, president of The Rossmore Owners Association (the condo residents’ HOA). Some cars even floated as the water nearly rose to the ceiling. The water also flooded the elevator and electrical room. Luckily no one was hurt. During heavy storms, rainwater travels down from Melrose Avenue, flooding the garage in spite of flood barrier measures. “No matter what we do to protect our property, it’s not enough,” said Debbané. Residents blame an antiquated infrastructure — a storm drain with a too-small pipe that ends underground in front of the five-story complex, where water pressure is so forceful it uplifts a manhole cover. “With each storm comes the risk of a truly hazardous and potentially life-threatening situation,” says Debbané. “The city has neglected to

FLOODING OCCURS in front of The Rossmore condos and surrounding streets during heavy storms, such as during Hurriane Hilary in August, above.

properly address the issue. The storm drain system currently in place is overtaxed and grossly inadequate, causing increasingly dangerous conditions and property damage in the neighborhood every time it rains.” On behalf of The Rossmore Owners Association, attorney Mike McLachlan filed a complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court Sept. 2. He is calling in a state flood expert for the discovery phase, he said, adding that, in his 28year career, he has never seen anything like the volume of water that turned Rossmore

into a river and shot 6 feet out of the manhole, which was captured on a video. “The water had nowhere else to go.” Also listed as a plaintiff in the complaint is longtime penthouse resident Eleanor Corcoran, who was “forced to move out of the building because there was no working elevator in the building after the Jan. 9, 2023, flood,” according to the complaint. The city’s seven-page response on Oct. 24 denies the allegations, stating that the plaintiffs “knowingly … exposed themselves and,

therefore, voluntarily assumed the risks of any damages, injuries and/or liability.” The city filing adds that damages sustained were “caused by the natural instability of the area which has been of a duration and intensity beyond the capability and duty of the city.” Deputy City Attorney John Minor told the Chronicle that he has “requested documents from the Bureau of Sanitation and then will undertake the usual discovery, which generally consists of us asking: what are you complaining about,

and provide your proof.” A hearing has been set for Fri., Jan. 19 in Los Angeles Superior Court, Dept. 37. Flooding in the area has been documented since at least 1983 in correspondence among the city, the county and The Rossmore apartments and later, after it was converted to condos, the HOA. In a 1997 letter to then City Councilman John Ferraro, the building property manager wrote the “ownership entity” had spent more than $100,000 on a flood barrier and hired a consultant after the city said it was unable to fix the problem because of the cost. The consultant reported, “Due to the development in the area the past seventy years, heavy rainfall results in the storm drain becoming overloaded and being inadequate to handle the runoff.” By 2002, the project was referred to as the Rossmore Avenue Drain project by the city in documents and the Hancock Park Drain by the county. Around then, the Ballona Creek Watershed Task Force was initiated to create a plan for the stakeholders, which include Hancock Park. Fixing the problem, how(Please turn to Page 12)

12 SECTION TWO

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

Heavenly pumpkin bread from the Monastery of the Angels

PUMPKIN BREAD, freshly baked and ready to be wrapped!

families order the bread and peanut brittle and boxes of chocolates every year. Actor Bill Pullman dropped into the gift shop recently to buy some treats and stayed to sign bags wrapping their pumpkin bread. The late Tom LaBonge famously was known to carry loaves of the pumpkin bread in the trunk of his car to distribute around town. In its heyday, 65 Dominican sisters lived in the monastery. A few years ago, the number had dwindled to six. And then, the last remaining nun, Sister Mary John, an expert candy-maker, left in November 2022.

MONASTERY GENERAL MANAGER Carlos Sanchez in the gift shop.

The work continues Although now devoid of nuns, the monastery’s work continues. The Dominican friars are working with real estate agent Dominic Dutra, who specializes in helping religious communities repurpose their properties. While the friars seek a way to maintain the Monastery of the Angels as a sacred Dominican space, perhaps by converting it into a school, senior care facility or a home for retired priests, the monastery has its own civilian angel making sure the work continues: Carlos Sanchez.

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When Sanchez was hired in 1996, the sisters warned him not to get too comfortable because they wouldn’t need his help for too long. He’s still there. He began by sweeping up and letting in workers who needed to fix things around the complex. Then he began to take the nuns shopping and to their doctors’ appointments, many of them in the Larchmont Medical Building. As the nuns aged, he shopped for them. Before they had a website for ordering, he would take orders over the phone, pack up the goodies

(Continued from Page 11) ever, has not proved easy. It “involves the construction of mainline pipes and laterals across 23 intersections in nine different streets in the vicinity of the Wilshire County Club,” according to a March 23, 2001, city document. Plus, it apparently never has been affordable. In 1998, it was estimated to cost $11 million — more than the city’s entire Flood Control Capital Improvement Program annual budget. In a 1998 letter, a city engineer wrote to the then director of the Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Works, “On several occasions the storm water has burped out of the overtaxed 63-inch drain into a sump which is adjacent to an apartment building at [585 North Rossmore]. Both of the apartment building garages as well as the lobby have flooded at various times.” Some say streams and a river — the Cahuenga Wash

and take them to the post office to mail. When the sisters got overwhelmed with the baking, he oversaw the hired bakers. “I’m quality control,” he says. “It’s my duty to make sure the original recipe gets followed.” The work for him is more than a job. “I’m keeping traditions alive. I continue to do it for the sisters,” Sanchez explains. “If this bread ever stops, the sisters will be forgotten little by little. It keeps them alive in a way.” In addition, Sanchez, who lives in a small guesthouse on the property, believes people need the bread. “I get so many calls from grandmas, great grandmas. I’m helping them keep their family tradition alive. People get teary-eyed when they talk about it.” When Tom LaBonge passed away, nearly every obituary written about him mentioned the pumpkin bread he handed out all over the city. He was so associated with the Dominican nuns and their bread that when his wife, Brigid LaBonge, came into the shop to buy more loaves, Sanchez recounts, “She told me that (Please turn to Page 13) — added to the problem, as those were diverted from their natural courses to make room for development, such as with Susan Grossman’s house built on Lillian Way in the 1920s. “When water comes barreling down the hills,” it floods all of the area streets, preventing crossings on Lillian Way and Clinton Street during storms, Grossman told the Chronicle. “The city hasn’t adequately managed the water that comes through,” she said. Grossman is vice president of land use of the Hancock Park Homeowners Association. Grossman guesses the problem is only going to get worse, with El Nino predicted to bring wetter conditions, and with the drought in the rearview mirror. Meanwhile, the 39-unit Rossmore HOA has circulated a petition — which, as of early November, has garnered more than 467 signatures — demanding the city repair the “failed storm drain system.”

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By Helene Seifer Tucked into the Hollywood Hills, the Monastery of the Angels, established in 1924, might seem an unlikely place to find sweet treats, but the large sign promoting “MonasteryGoodies.com” at the corner of the property proclaims otherwise. Although the nuns and their staff make various chocolate candies and peanut brittle, the sisters are primarily known for pumpkin bread, some with nuts, some with nuts and cranberries. The monastery estimates it has baked well more than half a million loaves. In the 1980s, “pumpkin money” brought in 25% of the monastery’s income. Baking was not one of the original duties of the Dominican nuns; it started in 1972 when Sister Mary Agnes baked her grandmother’s pumpkin bread for dinner. It was such a hit with the sisters that they went into the baking business. Chocolates and brittle came later when a Pasadena candy-making family’s children weren’t interested in inheriting the business, so they donated their equipment to the sisters. Multiple generations of

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

SECTION TWO

Larchmont Family Fair brought smiles and fun, plus pie contest

Monastery

(Continued from Page 12) she buried Tom with a pumpkin bread.” Sanchez continues, “He’s the first man buried with it. I’m going to be number two.” The Monastery of the Angels & Gift Shop is at 1977 Carmen Ave., 323-470-5884. monasterygoodies.com. Pumpkin bread is $7.50 & $14.50; peanut brittle is $10.50 & $20; and various chocolate candies are $10.50 & $24.50.

Family-Run

test were Food Network host Daphne Brogdon of Brookside, Marino Ristorante chef Sal Marino of Windsor Square, Deborah Brooks of Hancock Park and former James Beard Award judge Heather John Fogarty of Windsor Square. There also were winners at the Family Fair’s talent contest, Larchmont’s Got Talent. The third-place winner, Rosy Donavan, won $200 for the song she sang. Lexi Adler sang and played guitar and

was awarded second place and $300. In first place, for the grand prize of $500, was Josephine Thomas, who sang and played guitar. Bob Baker Marionettes wandered Larchmont Boulevard during the event, bringing smiles to kids’ faces and confusing some local dogs (see photo). Proceeds from the event, a local tradition since 1966 and produced annually by the Larchmont Boulevard Association, support Boulevard upkeep, gardening, holiday decorations and more.

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By Casey Russell Neighbors came out in great numbers for the 2023 Larchmont Family Fair on Oct. 29. Fair organizers estimate that more than 10,000 people attended. “I think it went really well,” said Melissa Farwell, one of the co-chairs of this year’s event. “We got a lot of great feedback,” she said. A multi-ride inclusive wristband was new to the fair this year. Farwell said many parents and caregivers were happy to see it as an option for kids excited about the rides and bouncers. The pie-baking contest had winners in multiple categories. Jason Feuerstein of Miracle Mile North won for “Best Savory Entry’ with his lamb and chickpea hand pie. The “Most Creative Expression” award went to Ellie Martino of Wilcox Avenue for her “Com-pie-sition II in cherry, blueberry and strawberry” pie. “Best Overall Fruit Pie” was won by Barbara Fruhling. She baked her blueberry apple pie while visiting her daughter (a resident of Beachwood Drive) for a birthday. Judges for this year’s con-

14 SECTION TWO

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

POLICE BEAT

Rear glass doors are recently targeted for home invasions OLYMPIC DIVISION

Furnished by Senior Lead Officer Joseph Pelayo

WILSHIRE DIVISION

Furnished by Senior Lead Officer Dave Cordova

213-793-0709 31762@lapd.online Twitter: @lapdolympic

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BURGLARIES: A male suspect broke a rear glass window and entered a locked residence on the 300 block of South Mansfield Avenue on Nov. 4 at 10 p.m. He took jewelry and fled in an unknown direction from the home.

The rear glass door of a home on the 200 block of South Lucerne Boulevard was smashed with an unknown object. The suspect entered and vandalized the home on Nov. 7 at 9 p.m. A home on the 100 block of South June Street was

burglarized on Nov. 9 at 9:30 p.m. The suspect entered the backyard and threw a security camera into the pool before breaking the sliding glass door of the home. The suspect then entered and ransacked and vandalized the home.

GRAND THEFT AUTO: A white Mistubishi was stolen from the 300 block of South La Brea Avenue on Nov. 2 at 9:15 p.m.. OLYMPIC DIVISION No information was available this month from SLO Joseph Pelayo.

NOTORIOUS PARTY HOUSE on Plymouth Boulevard as seen from inside an unpermitted fence and hedges that are too high.

Party house

(Continued from Page 8) Oct. 19. Los Angeles Police Senior Lead Officer Joe Pelayo, Deputy City Attorney Gabrielle Taylor and CD 13 Community Development and Planning Director Emma Howard also attended. According to a neighbor who was present, “It was a great meeting!” The various agencies each brought their own perspectives on different ways to eliminate disruptive parties from happening at the “Plymouth party house.” Members of North Plymouth Coalition felt seen and heard by CD 13 and appreciate the diligence of LAPD and the insight and attention from the City Attorney’s office, according to Sam Uretsky, advisor to NPC. Uretsky also told the Chronicle that the meeting opened paths of communication and created connection. On the same day as the meeting, NPC learned from Officer Pelayo that the Plym-

outh party house was cited by the Los Angeles Dept. of Building and Safety (LADBS) for an unpermitted fence as well as hedges that are too high. These infractions were supposed to be remedied by Oct. 30. As of press time, no visible changes have taken place at the property, however LADBS is supposed to reinspect the location in mid-December. If the violations haven’t been brought up to code, the home will receive a fine and another chance to repair the offenses. Two ordinances The NPC also learned that there are two ordinances — one regarding short-term housing and another about party houses — making their way through City Council. The goal of the proposed ordinances that Councilmember Soto-Martínez sponsors is to make it harder for party houses to operate in Los Angeles. Party houses plague many neighborhoods in the city, according to Officer Pelayo.

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WILSHIRE DIVISION Senior Lead Officer (SLO) Dave Cordova is out on sick leave. His interim replacement is SLO Hebel Rodriguez at 213-793-0715 or 35738@ lapd.online. BURGLARY THEFT FROM VEHICLE: A catalytic converter was stolen from a grey Toyota Prius on the 700 block of South Mansfield Avenue between Nov. 2 at 8:30 p.m. and Nov. 3 at 2:30 p.m. Another catalytic converter from another Prius was stolen between Nov. 7 at 6:30 p.m. and Nov. 8 at 6:30 a.m. on the 400 block of South Mansfield Avenue.

Larchmont Chronicle

DECEMBER 2023

SECTION TWO

Aardvark Letterpress minds its p’s and q’s — only in reverse Word Café by

Mara Fisher of drawers filled with metal single-character molds in every size and font imaginable. As I took in a dizzying display of drawers holding tiny metal parentheses, slashes, pound signs and asterisks, Brooks came over and asked, “Wanna see something cool?” “Always!” I replied. Brooks led me over to the shop’s Ludlow Typograph machine, a piece of equipment not unlike the one his father learned on. Brooks opened a few drawers and pulled out letter molds — an M, an r and two a’s — and assembled them together on a tray-like “composing stick.” He inserted the stick into the machine, and hot molten lead in a crucible attached to the machine was injected into the letter molds. A few clicks and thuds, and then, within seconds, a clack — the machine spit out a metal slug reading the mirrored version of my name — “ .” The piece, now ready for printing, was still warm to the touch. “That’s ‘typecasting,’” explained Brooks. “Typecasting…” I nodded, my own inner machinations clicking and whirring into action. I learned that this actors’ affliction is just one of the insults created by superimposing the jargon of the printing world — where replicability is the goal — onto people and ideas. To the layman, the word “stereotype” refers to an often unfair and untrue belief that individuals may hold about all people or things with a particular characteristic. The word originates from a type of cast metal printing plate developed in the late 18th century that was widely used

in the production of books and newspapers. Formed from the Greek stereós, meaning “solid,” and túpos, which translates to “blow, impression or engraved mark,” stereotype plates were often referred to by a different term — “cliché.” Another sin of sameness, “cliché” originates from the French verb clicher, meaning “to click,” which itself is thought to be an onomatopoeia based on the sound of a typeform striking metal when creating stereotype plates. Printmakers serve up popular idioms as well. To “mind one’s p’s and q’s” is to behave politely, but this descriptor of diligence originates with the typesetting process, where words and images are reversed. The lowercase p and q, being mirror images of

A HEIDELBERG WINDMILL press is just one of many century-old printing machines still in use at Aardvark.

one other — and which are consecutive in the alphabet — must be properly heeded. Another phrase, to be “out of sorts,” meaning ill or irrita-

ble, comes from the incidence of a printer running out of his or her required “sorts,” which is a name for individual letter blocks used for printing. Remembering Luis After more than five decades serving the community, Luis Ocon sadly passed away in October of this year. In a loving tribute posted on social media, Brooks and Cary note that, well into his 80s, Luis continued to be a fixture at Aardvark, often hard at work on the shop’s linotype machine. His legacy lives on in those who knew and loved him, and through the craft and artistry that was his life’s work. Aardvark Letterpress is located at 2500 W. 7th St. Visit aardvarkletterpress.com or call 213-388-2271 for more information.

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On a recent errands day, I struck etymological gold. I suppose I should say this wasn’t just any routine stop, but rather a visit to Aardvark Letterpress, where I was having some stationery printed. Located in a stately 1924 Spanish Colonial Revival building one block from MacArthur Park, Aardvark has been printing, using the time-honored letterpress method, since its founding in 1968. That was the same year Luis Ocon, at the time a busboy at the cafeteria at Britts Department Store across from the Original Farmers Market, married a waitress there named Helen. Luis was born in the small village of San Francisco del Oro in the state of Chihuahua in Mexico. At the age of 13, he moved to Mexico City to work at a newspaper press. Staying late at work after everyone else had gone home for the day, Luis taught himself the trade of linotype — the process of grouping molds of individual letters and casting them in molten lead to produce a single piece called a “slug,” which can then be used to print. Not long after, he became the press’ lead linotype operator. Luis left Mexico in 1964, landing in Los Angeles, where he met Helen. Though Luis spoke no English, and Helen didn’t speak Spanish, they fell in love and together raised five children. After their nuptials, Luis found work as a linotype operator at Aardvark Typographers, going on to purchase the business in 1978 and shift its focus from typesetting to letterpress printing. Thus, Aardvark Letterpress was born. I was visiting Aardvark that day for a “press check” to approve a test print of my design. At the door, I was greeted by Master Printer Brooks Ocon, Luis and Helen’s eldest son, who along with his brother, Cary, now runs the shop. Set in the building’s sunfilled corner unit, Aardvark is a treasury of centuries-old printing machines whirring and clicking like something out of a H.G. Wells novel. These steel workhorses are meticulously cared for and maintained, each day producing thousands of wedding invitations, business cards, stationery and any other paper good one could dream of. Once I arrived, Master Printer Bill Berkuta began to mix the ink for my project by hand, adding a drop of black to deepen the color until it reached the perfect hue — a sultry vermillion. Next, Bill would prepare the plate with my design before making a test print. In the meantime, I wandered around the shop, perusing sets

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16 SECTION TWO

DECEMBER 2023

Larchmont Chronicle