Larchmont Chronicle
presort standard u.s. postage
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south gate ca. permit no. 294
SEPTEMBER 2012
vol. 49, no. 9 • delivered to the 76,439 readers in hancock park • windsor square • fremont place • park labrea • larchmont village • Miracle Mile
SECTION ONE Back To School
Red lights extended
Larchmont chronicLe • 2012
On the Inside ... Warriors pick up momentum. 17 Reporting from the Mile. 19
Special Section Pages 13-28 ELECTIONS for Greater Wilshire.
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DEFENSE for Bungalow speaks out. 2 SUBWAY extension gets green light. 6 SIDEWALK sale on Bouelvard.
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BEST FRIENDS strut their mutts. 8 SCHOOL directories.
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THRIFT SHOP fashions. 33 TAR FEST sounds off.
Traffic safety increased after fatality at 6th, Hauser
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SECTION TWO Real Estate Home & Garden
By Suzan Filipek Red traffic lights at Sixth St. and Hauser Blvd. were extended by two seconds last month to give an extra cushion of safety following a fatality at the busy intersection. The city is considering more safety measures for the area, which is adjacent to the Park La Brea apartment complex. Councilman Tom LaBonge filed a motion asking the Dept. of Transportation to implement a study on calming measures for Sixth St., between Fairfax and La Brea avenues, which, he said, has one of the largest concentrations of people within the city. “This is our opportunity to find new solutions to decrease speed here, add left-turn lanes, and possibly install bike lanes,” the councilman said. The Transportation Dept.’s study found an increase in ac-
Pets of Larchmont
We welcome photos of your dogs, cats, birds and other creatures in our annual special section in October. E-mail them along with your pet’s and your name and address (not for publication) to suzan@ larchmontchronicle.com. Advertising deadline is Fri., Sept. 14. Call 323-4622241, ext. 17.
cidents at the corner and “set in motion the two-second red light phase to allow the safe and full clearance of intersections.” The improvements will take up to 18 months to construct and require an environmental impact report due to the removal of six to 10 parking spots on Sixth St., a city spokesman estimated. The study also seeks to review a report by Mid-City West on traffic safety and bike lanes in that area. See Traffic safety, p 10
Ramsay back in Council District Four Chief of staff returns to former post By Laura Eversz Twenty-one year resident of Council District Four, Carolyn Ramsay is returning to Councilman Tom LaBonge’s office as chief of staff following a 15-month stint as the L.A. director of The Trust for Public Land. “Word travels fast, and this is headline news,” said LaBonge of Ramsay’s return effective Sept. 1. “I’ve already run into so many people in the neighborhood who have heard, and they have voiced their respect for Carolyn’s skill and dedication. This is great See Ramsay, p 12
ON THE BEACH in Malibu were Henry Beck Boylston, Declan O'Malley, Tanner Mahon, Seamus O'Malley and Finn O'Brien. Frances Fricke, right, went fishing in Montana. See more vacation photos on pages 22, 23.
Nat King Cole post office closing being considered Public comments accepted to Sept. 7 By Suzan Filipek Hail, sleet and snow are mild compared to the Internet’s effect on the United States Postal Service (USPS). The latest casualty could be the Nat King Cole/Oakwood station at 265 S. Western Ave. Selling the building and relocating the retail and P.O. box service to a nearby but smaller, leased location is being proposed. If approved, P.O. Box numbers and ZIP codes would not change. “Retail counter service (pur-
Bungalow case moved to Aug. 30
On the Boulevard
Chairs inspected
ADIEU to Chronicle ficus.
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FAIRFAX Theatre mixed-use project. 2 MAX FACTOR building awarded. 8
For Information on Advertising Rates, Please Call Pam Rudy 323-462-2241, x 11
The criminal trial for the Larchmont Bungalow scheduled for Aug. 14 was continued to Thurs., Aug. 30, after the Chronicle went to press. Bungalow attorney Alan Fenster asked for the continuation because of a conflicting trial. L.A. Superior Judge David Herriford granted the continuance and moved See Bungalow, p 10
chasing stamps, mailing packages, etc.) and delivery service would be provided at the new location,” added USPS spokesman Richard Maher. Also proposed is moving the letter carrier division to Los Feliz Station. Public input on the proposal was heard at a meeting at Pio Pico Koreatown Public Library on Aug. 23. Veteran mail carrier Carl Mitchell, who has spent most of his 37-years at Nat King Cole, said it would be a shame to lose the station—a bustling place with busy counter serSee Nat King Cole, p 4
Glimpses by Jane
A HOME RUN! "A Taste of Larchmont" raised funds for food pantries at the 20th annual neighborhood event. See more photos on page 8, and online.
School started early this year, and so did parents and students. We saw them on a mad dash to get in shape— getting haircuts, or buying new clothes and shoes. *** Vicki Christianson Lavery’s son Ryan make the most of the heat wave, she told us at See BLVD., p 30
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