lc real estate 02 2020

PRESERVATION

PARK LA BREA

When quirky structures are held in high esteem by communities.

PLACES

apartment complex’s Residents Association held its annual meeting.

Page 5

can evoke aspiration and new foundations.

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Real Estate Libraries, Museums Home & Garden

Page 9

VIEW

Section 2

LARCHMONT CHRONICLE

FEBRUARY 2020

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

100 S Beachwood Dr | Hancock Park | $4,750,000 Fab 4Bed/3.5 new bas in main house; garage has gst rm +ba over it & game rm w/wine cellar/ half BA under it!

Lisa Hutchins 323.460.7626 CalRE #01018644

522 S Bronson Ave| Hancock Park | $2,295,000 Wonderful remodeled English on picturesque S. Bronson w/ 3 bdrms, 3.5 ba’s & large yard.

Rick Llanos | Lisa Hutchins 323.810.0828 | 323.460.7626 CalRE #01123101, #01018644

590 N Cahuenga Blvd | Hancock Park | $1,975,000

825 S. Muirfield Rd | Hancock Park | $1,825,000

NEW PRICE. Looking for great place to entertain?

4 beds + 2.5 baths. 590NCahuenga.com Loveland Carr Group 323.460.7606 CalRE #01467820, #0888374

$100,000 Price Reduction! First time on the market in nearly 50 years. 3Bed/2Bath, pool & spa.

Sandy Boeck 323.860.4240 CalRE #01005153

620 N Cahuenga Blvd | Hancock Park | $7,250/MO FOR LEASE in 3rd St. Elementary near Larchmont & LA Tennis Club. 4Bd + 3Ba. 620Cahuenga.com

251 N Gower St | Hancock Park | $4,200/MO LEASED. Charming 1920’s Windsor Square cottage in desirable Hancock Park. 2Bd + den / 2 baths, wood flrs.

Loveland Carr Group 323.460.7606 CalRE #01467820, #0888374

Jeannine Yates 310.739.3070 CalRE #01118844

243 N. Norton Ave | Windsor Square | $2,249,000 Exceptional opportunity in prime Windsor Square location! Sweet Spanish 4+3. 243Norton.com Loveland Carr Group 323.460.7606 CalRE #01467820, #0888374

Hancock Park | $1,995,000 Coming Soon: Charming 2-Story 3+2 Spanish, great Windsor Sq. block near Larchmont Maria Gomez | Rick Llanos 213.705.1603 | 323.810.0828 CalRE #0126447 | #01123101

316 Rossmore Ave #100 | Hancock Park | $1,599,000 New Price. Exclusive, full-service Country Club Manor. Bright 3+2 Architectural. 316Rossmore.com Loveland Carr Group 323.460.7606 CalRE #01467820, #0888374

LEASED. Traditional 4Bd / 4Ba plus guest house in gated Fremont Place. Co-listed.

Shar Penfold 323.860.4258 CalRE #01510192

1515 Beverly Blvd | Beverlywood | $3,800/MO 3/2.5 condo. Bvwd adj. Living room w/high ceilings, fpl, din rm area, balcony w/views. Pool, gym, library & etc.

Cecille Cohen 213.810.9949 CalRE #00884530

201 Lorraine Blvd | Hancock Park | SOLD Represented Buyer. Majestic Mediterranean on one of Windsor Square’s prime blocks was sold off market.

Rick Llanos 323.460.7617 CalRE #01123101

118 Fremont Pl | Hancock Park | $15,500/MO

2

Larchmont Chronicle

FEBRUARY 2020

SECTION TWO

Developer buys building with history of design changes

By Billy Taylor Residents of a rent-controlled apartment building in Hancock Park say they are worried about plans from the building’s new owner to evict them while the structure undergoes expansion and seismic upgrades, converting apartments into “co-living” units. The building has a long history of development twists and turns.

Located at 410 N. Rossmore Ave., the five-story building, which sits overshadowed between two historic towers — the El Royale to the north and Country Club Manor to the south — includes a fascinating history of how it came to be built, but more on that later.

“Housing some tenants for more than 30 years, the building’s fate is hanging in the balance,” resident Michelle Hodan wrote to the Chronicle.

“We don’t want to lose our homes,” she pleaded.

The building’s new owner, Atlanta-based Domos CoLiving, describes itself as a “tech-enabled co-living developer” that specializes in housing that provides “affordable options in expensive areas.”

Residents were first informed of the eviction plans on Christmas Eve., when a

FOUR FLOORS were built before construction ended, leaving an unfinished project across from the Wilshire Country Club.

FRENCH GOTHIC 13-story tower by architect Max Maltzman was original design for 410 N. Rossmore Ave.

representative from Domos called tenants to preemptively brief them on plans before the new owner closed escrow on the property in January.

According to resident Anne Roberts, the tenants are still seeking more information.

“Some of us were told by Domos that we would be relocated while the building was renovated into co-living units, and then invited back.

“But it’s unclear what we

will be invited back to — who wants to live like a bunch of college kids?” said Roberts.

Co-living units generally are designed to include a private bedroom space while areas like bathrooms, kitchens and living rooms are shared with other tenants.

On questions of: which residents would be invited back; whether all units will be converted into co-living; and where the additional parking

will come from, answers were not provided.

Fearing the worst, residents are seeking to have the city designate the property as a Historic-Cultural Monument, thinking that may thwart change.

Speaking to the Chronicle, Domos Construction Manager Richard Loring confirmed that the company closed escrow on the building on Jan. 17.

“There is a great deal of planning and renovation that goes into this kind of project,” explained Loring by phone.

In regard to current residents, Domos will offer to “buy out” some residents and for other residents, the company will pay for relocation,

moving expenses and any difference in a higher-cost rent during the renovation period.

When asked about specific design aspects, Loring said he was unable to discuss such details at this time, but he did indicate that the company is planning “extensive work” on the property.

“The building has an interesting history,” explained Loring, who noted that the building’s foundation was first constructed in 1930 for a much bigger project. “But because it was built with concrete almost 100 years ago, it doesn’t come close to meeting modern building codes and standards.”

(Please turn to page 3)

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Larchmont Chronicle

FEBRUARY 2020

more detail on the building in his blog Paradise Leased.

Construction on the project began in November of 1930 even as the country’s economic outlook declined by the day.

By the summer of 1931, with only four floors completed, and nearly $500,000 spent, work ground to a halt.

Then, in 1937, it was announced that financing was arranged to complete the ARMY ENGINEERS finished the building in 1944 without the grand designs and with only five stories in an effort to ease a housing crisis during World War II.

Building

(Continued from page 2) Building background Officially completed in 1944, the building at 410 N. Rossmore is in fact older, dating back to 1930.

One year after the great Wall Street Crash of 1929, it was announced that a grand apartment building was to be built at the then-enormous cost of over $1 million for developer Harry Feigenbaum. (A Hancock Park resident himself, Feigenbaum had built his personal residence at 624 S. June St. in early 1929, according to Historic Places LA.) Known as the “Beverly-Rossmore,” the planned 13-story

apartment tower was expected to be one of the grandest structures in the west.

Iconic architect Max Maltzman (after designing the nearby Ravenswood Apartments) was tapped to design the structure in a French Gothic style. Maltzman’s plans called for 103 elegant apartments, with the 12th and 13th floors reserved for two eightroom penthouses, all situated above a series of grand public spaces on the lower floors that included a grand lobby, ballroom, lounge, billiards room and an 80-foot-long solarium, all created for the pleasure of residents, according to research by historian Steve Vaught, who has written in

SECTION TWO

project; however, the grand 13-story French Gothic design was replaced with plans for an eight-story Streamline Deco building designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood (architect of The Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite and the U.S. Courthouse in Downtown Los Angeles, among many other works). This time, it would be called the “Rossmore-Beverly.”

3

Soon, financing dried up for a second time, and work stopped before much progress.

In the years to come, the United States entered World War II and, as civilians and soldiers returned to war production work, Southern California soon found itself in a severe housing shortage — not unlike today. In an (Please turn to page 4)

What Lies Beyond The Door?

Many of my sales in 2018 & 2019 were “off-market” or “pocket listings.” As more homes are bought and sold under the radar, it pays to know who has this information. I have many such properties in my pocket.

Be in the know and contact me!

JILL GALLOWAY Estates Director, Sunset Strip 323.842.1980 jill@jillgalloway.com jillgalloway.com DRE01357870

Compass is a licensed real estate broker (01991628) in the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdraw without notice.

4

FEBRUARY 2020

SECTION TWO

Larchmont Chronicle

11-story tower proposed on N. Rossmore Avenue

Building

(Continued from page 3) effort to ease the crisis, the Army Corps of Engineers took notice of 410 N. Rossmore Ave. Reworking the four floors already built, and changing design plans, including dividing the double-height public rooms into two separate floors, the Army was able to create 78 apartments within the simple, no-nonsense fivestory design seen today.

11-STORY TOWER rendering for 617 N. Rossmore Ave., looking north.

Courtesy of Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects

$100,000 Price Reduction!

First time on the market in nearly 50 years

By Billy Taylor Co-living units aren’t the only change maybe coming to Rossmore Avenue. Construction is expected to start this spring on a twisting, 11-story, mid-rise apartment building.

Located at 617 N. Rossmore Ave., plans for the 120-foottall modern residential tower in Hancock Park include razing an existing two-story structure to make way for the new building with a curling design, which takes inspiration from the curve in Rossmore, just south of Melrose. The result is an optical illusion: from one

direction, the top appears thinner than the bottom, while from another direction, the opposite appears true.

While the northern stretch of Rossmore has no height limits, and while additional density theoretically would be permitted beyond the planned 14 units, the parking requirements for a larger project would require costly belowgrade construction. So, it’s to be 14 units.

The project is designed by Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects and developed by Metros Capital.

825 S Muirfield Rd | $825,000 3 bedrm, 2 bath home has a light and bright interior. There is also an office/ study, "must see" exquisite original plaster detailing on entry, office, living, and dining high ceilings; leaded glass windows in all front rms; lovely, serene views through leaded bay window in living rm and through the formal dining rm doors. The living room has an inviting Batchelder tile fireplace. The eat-in kitchen has ample cabinets, all stainless steel appliances and hard surface counters, hardwood floors throughout, and all the bathrooms have been recently updated. The master bedroom is generously-sized, with an en suite bath with a walk-in shower. The backyard area is completely paved in a wonderful brick providing a patio area, shimmering pool and spa. Private rear entry from alley for enclosed garage parking; garage is plumbed to convert to an ADU/studio with additional laundry hookups; ample storage throughout including the garage.

MAIN ROOM of the remodeled House of Lebanon building, at Wilshire and Hudson in the Park Mile, was the venue for the opening reception for the exhibit, “The Lebanese in America.”

Sandy Boeck 323.687.6552 CalDRE: 01005153

251 N. Larchmont Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90004

House of Lebanon presents history exhibit The remodeled, former bank building on the south side of Wilshire Boulevard, between Hudson and Tremaine in the Park Mile, is the House of Lebanon (HOL). It was the setting, Jan. 19, for the opening reception for the travel-

ing exhibit, “The Lebanese in America.” The exhibit, organized by the Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies at North Carolina University, continued at the HOL for a week. More about the (Please turn to page 7)

Larchmont Chronicle

FEBRUARY 2020

SECTION TWO

5

Of log cabins and lost heritage in our communities

In early January, a controversy broke out between the cities of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood over the preservation of one of the unlikeliest monuments. In deciding to cash in on the flurry of development that is taking place up and down the small stretch of Robertson Blvd. in West Hollywood, between Santa Monica and Melrose, Beverly Hills announced it had decided to demolish the famed Log Cabin and clear the site (which Beverly Hill owns) for development.

The West Hollywood community was outraged. The humble Log Cabin on Rob-

COHANZAD family, of Wiseman Residential, used “abatement” to scar historic courtyard apartment building on Hawthorn Ave.

On Preservation by

Brian Curran

ertson Blvd., which was originally built in 1928 or 1936 (sources vary) for Boy Scout Troop 27, was supposed to be demolished after the Scouts’ lease ended. That never happened, and the cabin was instead leased to the local Lion’s Club, which at some point decided to rent the space out for 12-Step recovery meetings, including Alcoholics Anonymous. It is through its prominent role as a refuge for recovery that the Log Cabin became, according to a new petition to save the landmark, “a much beloved and important community resource.” Such is the community support for the Log Cabin that West Hollywood Mayor John D’Amico and Councilman John Duran have both voiced their support for preservation.

“Abatement” demolition In nearby Hollywood, the clever gentlemen of Wiseman Residential would not make the same mistake as the city

of Beverly Hills by announcing in advance their plans to demolish an historic building.

Instead, they avoided public scrutiny by sending their minions at night to demolish 7054 and 7058 Hawthorn Ave. Designed by architect Gene Verge, designer of St. Luke’s Medical Center in Pasadena, the Jonathan Beach Club in Santa Monica, and the home of Buster Keaton, the 1941 courtyard apartment building was an identified historic resource in numerous surveys commissioned for the former Community Redevelopment Agency. Nonetheless, the building was partially demolished on Jan. 5 without permits, other than for “abatement.” What abatement meant in this case was the removal of all character-defining features and façade walls, making the building ineligible for landmark designation… de facto demolition.

A similar trick had been used in December by Philip Rahimzadeh to destroy a 1938 Paul Williams house under consideration for Historic Cultural Monument status at 100 Delfern Dr. in Brentwood.

Wiseman Residential, aka the Cohanzad Family, has used all manner of chicanery in

LOG CABIN is on a West Hollywood parcel owned by the City of Beverly Hills.

its business model. These developers are known to target historic, rent controlled, affordable apartment buildings.

Their most egregious crimes have involved three historic properties, 423 N. Hayworth Ave., 419 N. Hayworth Ave., and 1332 Formosa Ave. They ran rings around Council District Five’s Paul Koretz, and in each case illegal activity was rewarded by a slap on the wrist and blamed on bureaucratic incompetence. As for Hawthorn, a campaign lead by Hollywood Heritage and concerned citizens is pressuring the city to take a stand. Per-

haps Mitch O’Farrell running for re-election this year will ensure success where other attempts have failed.

Community esteem What caught my interest about both these cases is that, yet again, historic structures, however shabby, quirky or run down, can be held in such esteem by the communities in which they reside. It’s that power of place and how it connects with memory, continuity, and identity that so draws the ire of the public when a structure is threatened.

Closer to home, the demoli(Please turn to page 10)

“My husband and I cannot recommend Ali enough! In a city of multiple bidding wars, hot homes, suitcases of cash and high prices, Ali somehow managed to make our dreams come true” – Anne & Jess W.

1815 Westmoreland Boulevard | Harvard Heights Just Sold With Multiple Offers - $1,120,000 4 Bed | 3 Bath | 4,366 Sq Ft

Ali Jack

Windsor Square Native & Marlborough Alumna 213.507.3959 ali.jack@compass.com DRE 01952539 828 N Spaulding Avenue | Melrose-Fairfax Just Sold With Multiple Offers - $1,585,000 3 Bed | 2.5 Bath | 1,886 Sq Ft Get access to inventory not yet on the market.

Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01991628. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate.

6

FEBRUARY 2020

SECTION TWO

EIGHTEENTH hole of the LPGA tournament at Wilshire Country Club has pavilions and bleachers. This photo from the 2019 event shows the El Royale Apartments in the background. This year’s tournament is April 20 to 26.

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Our Teamwork - Makes Your Dreams Work For Sale or Lease

441 N. Mansfield Ave.

For Lease

For Lease

415 S. June St.

737 N. McCadden Ave.

Offered at $20,000/Month Just Sold

Offered at $6,500/Month Just Leased

525 N Sycamore Ave #417 1BR / 1BA Offered at $429,000

Represented Tenant 118 Fremont Pl. 5BR / 4BA Offered at $15,500/Month

5BR / 7BA + Family + 2 Libraries

5BR / 5.5BA + Family + Den

Offered at $3,595,000 Just Sold

Represented Buyer 2142 Century Park Ln #112 2BR / 2BA Offered at $1,088,000

Larchmont Chronicle

Tickets now on sale for LPGA at Wilshire Country Club in April

Tickets are now on sale for the return of the Ladies’ Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tournament at the Wilshire Country Club April 20-26.

The event will feature 144 of the world’s best female professionals competing over four rounds for a share of the $1.5 million purse.

“We look forward to once again offering our classic golf course as a challenge and showcase for the world’s finest professional women golfers,” said Patrick O’Grady, president of Wilshire Country Club. “With our close proximity to Hollywood, Koreatown and downtown Los Angeles, our course has stood the test of time and has remained a constant within a city of

change.”

In addition to daily and weekly grounds passes ($25 daily; $45 weekly), this year’s ticket packages include two new options for fans interested in taking their LPGA experience to the next level: A $99 (daily) 538 Club Lounge pass has access to a premium hospitality club adjacent to the 18th Green equipped with full cash bar, private bathrooms, flat screen TVs, and light fare. A $1,500 weekly Macbeth Pass entitles guests to access the Wilshire Country Club clubhouse with complimentary food and beverage, as well as access to the 18th Green lounge.

Visit la-open.com for more information on tickets.

4BR / 3BA + Bonus Room

Naomi Hartman

Real Estate Sales

Leah Brenner

323.860.4259 nhaman@coldwellbanker.com

323.860.4245 lbrenner@coldwellbanker.com

CalRE # 00769979

CalRE # 00769979

SOLD: This home at 628 N. Highland Ave. in Hancock Park was sold in December for $1,850,000.

Single-family homes

Hancock Park Luxury Home Specialists

311 S Lucerne Blvd Hancock Park Offered at $5,985,000

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5 Bed | 7 Bath | 4,988 Sf Detached pool house Impeccably remodeled

JOHN KOSTREY 323.785.7545 | dre#: 01729039 john@thekostreycollection.com

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An entertainer’s paradise Fully equipped Smart Home Elegant period detailing

KATHARINE DEERING 310.382.4908 | dre#: 01934262 kdeering@thekostreycollection.com

460 S. Las Palmas Ave. 647 S. June St. 208 S. McCadden Pl. 634 S. June St. 260 Lorraine Blvd.

333 S. Irving Blvd.

630 N. Las Palmas Ave. 754 S. Citrus Ave. 111 N. Plymouth Blvd.

257 S. Wilton Pl. 236 S. Larchmont Blvd.

500 S. Norton Ave. 644 Lillian Way 628 N. Highland Ave. 435 N. Arden Blvd.

106 N. Lucerne Blvd.

561 N. Arden Blvd.

349 N. Citrus Ave. 571 N. Bronson Ave. 942 S. Bronson Ave.

Condominiums

681 S. Norton Ave., #114 5019 Mapleweood Ave., $104 602 S. Wilton Pl., #106 647 Wilcox Ave., #3G 525 N. Sycamore Ave., #417 533 S. St. Andrews Pl., #209 525 N. Sycamore Ave., #226

$7,550,000 5,555,556 5,000,000 4,485,000 3,900,000 3,873,000 3,266,388 2,260,000 2,235,000 2,175,000 2,100,000 1,902,500 1,895,000 1,850,000 1,750,000 1,740,000 1,710,000 1,575,000 1,425,000 1,160,000 $1,045,000 990,000 680,000 530,000 423,048 402,500 400,000

Larchmont Chronicle

FEBRUARY 2020

7

SECTION TWO

Bike lane, speed safety on La Brea-Hancock meeting agenda

Safety on Sixth Street and speed monitoring signs as well as a bike lane proposal on Fourth Street will be discussed at the La Brea-Hancock Homeowners Association annual meeting Sun., Feb. 9 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.

The meeting will be at Beverly Hills BMW, 5070 Wilshire Blvd., between Highland and S. Mansfield avenues, in the third-floor conference room.

Councilman David Ryu is

CONSTRUCTION of the new Audrey Irmas Pavilion at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, east of the historic building.

Photo by Gary Leonard, January 21, 2020

Park LaBrea Residents hold their annual meeting

VIEW of downtown skyline can be seen from the apartment complex.

Listed for $1,995,000 Charming 2-story Spanish fixer on a great block and close to Larchmont. Step into a formal entry with elegant staircase, large barrel ceiling living room with fireplace and French doors opening out to a covered patio and to the private yard. There is also a large formal dining room, original kitchen plus adjoining breakfast room also overlooking the yard, maids room and bath. Upstairs there are 2 well-sized bedrooms, one with an attached sunroom/office and one original full bathroom. This home is being sold by the same family that purchased the house new and is subject to Court overbid.

Co-Listed with Maria Gomez, Coldwell Banker Hancock Park

TOWER AND GARDEN apartments have been local landmarks for more than 70 years.

ber turning down appearances at nearby candidate forums.

Robert Shore, vice president of the PLBRA, said he felt like Ryu’s decision not to attend the Jan. 13 Mid-City West City Council candidate forum felt like “the community is being disrespected.”

There also were complaints about road closures on Curson Avenue. Ryu said he would forward those questions about the closures to Senior Field Deputy Rob Fisher.

New board The PLBRA was also gathered to vote on its new board of directors for 2020, with Bruce J. Altshuler serving as inspector of elections.

(Please turn to page 14)

House of Lebanon

(Continued from page 4) exhibit: tinyurl.com/tmw6nm8.

The HOL, a Lebanese American cultural center, opened its renovated facility last October. Its trustees and directors include local leaders who promote its mission of being a gathering place where older generations can pass on their traditions and exchange their knowledge and experiences with newer generations of Lebanese Americans. More information is at houseoflebanon.com.

COMING SOON IN PRIME WINDSOR SQUARE

w Ne

522 South Bronson Ave.

ng i t Lis

Listed for $2,295,000

Located on one of the most sought after and charming streets in Windsor Square stands this beautiful remodeled English gem. Step inside and you’ll find a living room with French windows and a fireplace, formal dining with French doors out to the yard, a den also overlooks the private yard, a large eat-in kitchen with attached family room. Upstairs is a charming master suite with lots of closet space and attached bathroom plus two additional bedrooms and another bathroom. One of the larger lots on this quaint block.

Co-Listed with Lisa Hutchins

201 Lorraine Blvd.

Sold Off Market

Stately Mediterranean with light-filled living spaces. Large gourmet kitchen with breakfast area and adjacent family room opening out to the private gardens.

Upstairs are a luxurious master suite with fireplace as well as 3 additional bedrooms, all with private baths. Located on a beautiful tree-lined street in prime Windsor Square.

D L SO

BUYER’S NEEDS I have well-qualified Buyers looking for a character home on a large lot with at least 4,000 sq.ft. of living space in the Windsor Square & Hancock Park neighborhoods. If you are thinking of selling, please give me a call and we would love to work out a sale “Off Market.”

Representing Buyers and Sellers in the Hancock Park/ Windsor Square neighborhoods for the past 26 years Coldwell Banker Hancock Park

251 N. Larchmont Blvd.

(323) 464-9272

EXHIBIT opening panel of the eight-panel exhibit seen at the House of Lebanon in January.

Rick Llanos (C) 323-810-0828 (O) 323-460-7617 rllanos@coldwellbanker.com CalRE# 01123101

©LC0220

By Julia Stier Park LaBrea Residents Association (PLBRA) held its 32nd Annual Meeting Jan. 12. The group welcomed guest speaker Councilman David Ryu, 4th Council District. More than 50 residents turned up to hear Ryu discuss laws surrounding short-term rentals and how he has been addressing the homelessness crisis.

Ryu shared his three-prong plan for taking on homelessness: build new housing; preserve and produce affordable and moderate-income housing; and expand access to critical resources and mental health care. He emphasized that for his plan to work, all three prongs must be implemented at the same time.

There was some contention concerning the councilmem-

scheduled to speak, and Los Angeles Police Dept. Senior Lead Officer Dave Cordova will give a report.

He will also give an update on the Neighborhood Watch program.

In addition, there will be updates on Senate Bill 50.

Plus the city’s Transit Neighborhood Plans and Transit Oriented Communities programs also are on the agenda, said Tammy Rosato, La BreaHancock Homeowners Association president.

The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification.

Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor agents and are not employees of the Company. ©2018 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker Logo, Coldwell Banker Global Luxury and the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury logo service marks are registered or pending registrations owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

8

FEBRUARY 2020

SECTION TWO

Larchmont Chronicle

Design Review Board learns former Farmers tower project remains on track Staff of property owner CIM Group, together with architectural and landscape consultants, formally presented updated plans for their housing project adjoining Brookside, across from Hancock Park, on Jan. 16.

The project combines adaptive re-use of the former Farmers Insurance Co. eight-story tower at Wilshire and Rimpau with construction of new residences to the east. On the tower block, eight townhouses will be added above new underground parking. On the block between Mullen Avenue and Muirfield Road, the developer will construct 10 “row house” duplexes and six single-family homes that will front on Eighth Street.

There will be a total of 87 units. This is the maximum

density authorized by the restrictive Park Mile Specific Plan that has governed the area since 1979.

At the meeting, held in the Council District field office in Hollywood, Park Mile Design Review Board members reviewed and commented upon the plans, nearly identical to what was under discussion and review between 2016 and 2018. CIM Group resubmitted the project to the City Planning Dept. last spring, and the Planning Dept. staff moved it forward in November. A presentation to the Land Use Committee of the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 25 at 6:30 p.m. at Marlborough School, 250 S. Rossmore Ave., and the public is welcome to attend.

BROOKSIDE NEIGHBORS joined Park Mile Design Review Board members in reviewing and commenting upon CIM Group plans for the two blocks of former Farmers Insurance Co. property between Muirfield Road and Rimpau Boulevard. Hans Anderle of architects Bassenian Lagoni is shown presenting. BELOW: The drawing shows, from left, the existing tower for 63 units and eight adjacent new townhomes and, between Mullen Avenue and Muirfield Road, six new “row house” buildings for ten duplex units and six new single-family homes along Eighth St.

Music, meditation at ‘Night of Ideas’ at NHMLAC Jan. 31 Moonlight meditation, music and dance performances, and virtual reality experiences are some of the activities available at the “Night of Ideas” (“La Nuit des Idees”) at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC) Fri., Jan. 31 from 5:30 to 11 p.m.

The free, ticketed event will feature discussion panels about rainforest biodiversity, ocean health and sustainability. There will be “speed dating,” where guests can interact with community organiza-

tions one-on-one, and guests will enjoy performances by Jessica Fichot Quartet and the Heidi Duckler Dance Company. There will also be a virtual reality nature preserve and moonlight meditation in the gardens.

The NHMLAC is hosting the event in collaboration with the Consulate General of France in Los Angeles and the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the U.S. For more information, visit nhm.org/nightofideas.

JFLA honors Sarah Dusseault, Bruce Whizin Sarah Dusseault, chair of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) and co-chair of its committee on women and homelessness, and Bruce Whizin of the Whizin Foundation will be honored at a benefit, “Facing Homelessness.”

The event is at the Luxe Sunset Blvd. Hotel, 11461 Sunset Blvd., Sat., Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m.

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Dusseault previously was chief of staff for Councilman David Ryu. The event, hosted by the Jewish Free Loan Association

(JFLA), will raise funds for LAHSA. For more information, and to order tickets, visit jfla.org/ facing-homelessness-benefit.

Safe Sidewalks LA open for comment The Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering has opened the public comment period on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Safe Sidewalks LA Program.

Comments will be accepted until Mon., Feb. 24. The pro-

gram addresses the relationships among sidewalk and curb ramp improvements and street tree retention.

For more information and to comment, visit: sidewalks. lacity.org/environmentalimpact-report

Larchmont Chronicle

FEBRUARY 2020

SECTION TWO

9

‘Windsor’ evokes aspiration; ‘Kingsley,’ ‘Kipling’ moved residents forward

The need to look back in time or to another country for a style or name suggests cultural insecurity. Without established homegrown models or points of reference, or at least without ready signals to achieve the desired ambiance, developers and city planners borrow from a real or imagined place and past.

The strain of presumption becomes comic when there is too large a gap between the ideal invoked and the actual place: for example, decades ago “Grubbs,” a small town in Delaware, became the idyllic sounding “Arden.” Our Arden Blvd. didn’t need such a rechristening. From the start, the developers of the time struck a distinctly English note that played in tune with other choices: Victoria Avenue and Windsor Boulevard come immediately to mind, as does Windsor Square and Windsor Village.

And “Larchmont” too suggests something rather posh.

It’s common to attribute such gestures to mere snobbishness. But while social pretensions are surely part of the

On Books and Places by

Bruce Beiderwell story, snobbishness doesn’t align with those feelings of insecurity. Early residents, it’s worth remembering, sought rewards that could only be realized by risks. In this vein, Victoria or Windsor suggests not self-satisfaction so much as eager aspiration. And “Plymouth” doesn’t so much invoke a past accomplishment as claim a new foundation to build upon.

Charles Kingsley Kingsley Street captures in its name a breadth of attitudes from early 20th-century Los Angeles and its surrounding neighborhoods. It suggests, if we look to support the snob thesis, “from the King’s wood.”

But surely the meaning behind this street name attaches more to Charles Kingsley — an English clergyman, novelist and pamphleteer who died in 1875.

His works, especially “Westward Ho!” and “The Water Babies,” were still well known in the early years of the 20th century.

And Kingsley was, as much as anyone, the force behind “muscular Christianity.” Without actually reading any of his works, an educated Southern Californian of the teens and ’20s would associate the name with energy, masculinity and a “never say die” confidence. Kingsley’s racist, misogynistic and imperialist tendencies would not back then have been noteworthy or even objectionable to most residents of the area.

Rudyard Kipling On the corner of Kingsley and Third, just west of Ardmore, stands the Kipling Apartments, formerly the Kipling Hotel, a building from the 1920s (take note if you have not; it’s lovely). Rudyard Kipling was (unlike Kingsley) genuinely popular at the time, actually read by the public as opposed to being merely “known.” He was thought of as an heir of Kingsley, one who carried forward the elder’s notions of manly vigor and — alas — the white man’s burden. Again, in context of the time and the place, the latter attitude would be unremarkable and the former celebrated.

We still have the names about

the neighborhood of these two British writers who have long fallen out of fashion. Yet, we have no Twain Street, or Whitman Avenue. No Poe Alley or Melville Blvd. And also no Emily Dickinson Hotel or Emerson Grill. And on the British side, nothing to invoke Dickens, Thackeray or George Eliot. In their different ways, these writers — from either side of the Atlantic — problematized life in ways Kingsley or Kipling did not. Those two felt moving forward meant not looking inward.

They didn’t value reflection so much as projection. A Kingsley Street or a Kipling Hotel was

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for those who were going somewhere. That’s an attitude early real estate developers and residents could embrace.

John Kipling Of course, none of us really knows what’s ahead. History takes turns we do not foresee and do not recognize when the turn arrives. And we are all, Kingsley and Kipling included, complicated. No human is a type. That’s partly the point of David Haig’s play, “My Boy Jack.” It takes up Kipling’s tragic reckoning with his own myth-making. John Kipling, Rudyard’s only son, was killed in World War I, barely eight weeks after his enlistment. He had recently turned 18, and he would not have been in the military at all without his father’s active intervention. It’s a heartbreaking play, well worth seeing, and available (in a concentrated version) as a British television production that PBS picked up in 2007. John Kipling went missing in 1915. His death was only confirmed three years later. His body was not recovered in his father’s lifetime. During these years of emotional devastation for the man, the name “Kipling” remained a signal of spirited and promising adventure. No ghosts would be allowed to haunt the hotel on the corner of Third and Kingsley.

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10

FEBRUARY 2020

SECTION TWO

Larchmont Chronicle

Evaluating a rebid to partner’s weak response playing inverted minors East-West (EW) was playing inverted minors, so the jump to three clubs showed a weak, preemptive hand with at least five clubs. So what’s your call?

You have seven clubs. You know partner has five clubs but not many points. Forget slam and forget about playing it in five clubs. You have 3N cold.

If you bid 3N, and get the contract, you can make three (nine tricks) regardless of the lead. Since you know that partner has five clubs there is only one club outstanding in opponents’ hands. If it’s the King it will drop. So with a diamond or a heart lead you will make three (seven clubs, the Ace of hearts and the Ace of diamonds). If you get a spade lead, you will make at least four because the lead into you makes your King of spades a winner.

Bidding: West North East South

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In the actual hand as played by East, she jumped to five clubs over 3S, going down one, not even attempting 3NT. If north bid 4C instead of 3S, East would be in a quandary because if she didn’t get a spade lead she would not make 4NT. She could take 9 tricks off the top but once the two red Aces are gone she’s got no stopper in the red suits. And she’s going to get a heart lead (despite South’s good, five card diamond suit; from the bidding, South knows partner has five hearts, so

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Grand Slam her best lead is from her four-card heart suit) so after East takes her nine tricks, they are going to run their hearts and the spade Ace for down one. Even if South leads the diamond six, the result will be the same, only the winners they take will be in diamonds, not hearts.

The only question on the hand depends on North. An aggressive north might bid 4C (Michaels Cue Bid promising 5-5 in the majors). This would be aggressive because it’s a game-forcing bid when he doesn’t have an opening hand as it doesn’t even satisfy the Rule of 20 (10 cards in two suits and 10 HCP). So to make a gameforcing bid like this would be super aggressive. When this North merely overcalled 3S (a good overcall giving partner a lead), South didn’t think a nine point hand was worth taking action by bidding game, 4S. But if North bids 4C, South can comfortably bid 4H if East passes, and 4H makes.

It was an interesting hand with game for both pairs if

On Preservation (Continued from page 5)

tion of 361 S. Citrus Ave. by developer Reuven Gradon was such a case, as were the losses that led to the establishment of the Historic Preservation Overlay Zones of Windsor Square and Hancock Park. I recently went through last year’s agendas for the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council Land Use Committee, and I counted more than 45 planned demolitions of 100-year-old structures.

While these old buildings,

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they can find it. This hand was played 9 times, only three got it right. However, if EW is not playing inverted minors, West’s initial response would be 2C (a weak raise), and North could then overcall 3C showing the majors at a lower level so it would not force to game, and North-South (NS) would find their good heart fit. Two pairs played in 3NT, making three; one pair played in 4NT, making four; two pairs played in 5C, down one; only one NS found a heart bid, playing in 3H making four; one pair played in 5S down one and one pair played in 6C, down two.

What should East do if North bids 4C? She has only three possible tricks on defense, the Aces of hearts and diamonds and possibly the spade King.

One of the opponents is void in clubs (she’s got seven and her partner is promising five) so her club Ace is dead. As a result, she doesn’t want them to find a major suit fit, so it would be appropriate to sacrifice in 5C. If they go to five spades or hearts she would set it, since North, with the strong hand, has the spade Ace, and East is sitting behind with the spade King.

Grand Slam is the nom de plume for an author of a bestselling book on bridge, an ACBL accredited director and a Silver Life Master. many humble bungalows dating from the 1910s, all are in areas long zoned “R3” for multi-family development and may not rise to the level of monument and will be little missed, they are still remnants of Los Angeles’ and our community’s history that are vanishing before our eyes.

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Larchmont Chronicle

FEBRUARY 2020

SECTION TWO

11

Changing California and the world; Carleton Watkins: Part I

If you are a faithful Getty Museum visitor, you have seen at least a few of Carleton Watkins’s (1829-1916) large-scale Western landscape photographs. When Watkins’s photographs of Yosemite were revealed to the cultural and political elites of New York and Washington, D.C., the images were instrumental in the preservation of this majestic land. (President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Bill on June 30, 1864.)

As the federal government held no portfolio to manage wild lands, the bill granted the vast Yosemite Valley, and the stunning Mariposa Grove, to the State of California to be “held for public use, resort, and recreation.” Holding this land in this manner “shall be inalienable for all time.” The setting aside of American landscape for its citizens would evolve into law, with the establishment of Yellowstone, in 1872, as the first U.S. National Park. (Yosemite and Sequoia would follow, in 1890.)

Who was Carleton Watkins?

How were these photographs, such as the Getty’s 1861 “The Grizzly Giant, Mariposa Grove,” made? Who supported these efforts by Watkins? How did the photographs get to Washington, D.C. and, most

Home Ground by

Paula Panich likely, into the hands of President Lincoln? And how did Watkins’s work, itself at the confluence of 19th-century art, history, science and philosophy, inform the politics of the country?

Book on Watkins These questions and others have been tackled by the art critic, now art historian, Tyler Green, in his exhaustive yet fascinating 2018 book, “Carleton Watkins: Making the West American.”

Watkins, Green argues, was the most important American artist of his time, and his influence on the history of California is enormous.

Green weaves an enormous web of people and events to tell the story of Watkins’s career, and California’s rise from hardscrabble mining camp to national cultural and political prominence. Watkins’s enterprising life and career includes relationships with Collis P. Huntington; John C. and Jessie Benton Fremont;

Frederick Billings; Thomas Starr King; John Muir; Leland Stanford and others.

Photography — and its practitioner Watkins — changed the world.

‘Wildest court case’ One of Watkins’s first independent assignments (he had been working as a studio photographer) was to document a quicksilver (mercury) mine.

Hired by a mine investor, Watkins was party to “United States v. Fossat,” which was, as Green tells it, “the longest, wildest court case in American history.” The mine was crucial to the California economy, and Watkins was to photograph its landscape in an effort to prove one side’s claim to owning land. It was groundbreaking legal procedure in 1858, and groundbreaking photography.

In the 1850s, photographers in California worked indoors, according to Green. For the court case, Watkins joined together two images (it was over two feet long); it is the first photograph attributed to him.

Huntington friend Watkins was not a California boy. He was a family friend, from Oneonta, New York, of Collis P. Huntington, a successful purveyor of butter, and later a general store man. The enterprising Collis came to

“GRIZZLY GIANT, Mariposa Grove” in Yosemite Valley by Carleton Watkins, 1865-66.

Oneonta in the 1840s, when he was 22, and Watkins was 14. About a year after gold was discovered in California, Collis saw the opportunity for the family’s store to serve the mines. The older man chose

five men to accompany him west, including Watkins.

Decades later, when Watkins’s business was in disarray, the by-then railroad man Collis P. Huntington, possibly the (Please turn to page 14)

12

Larchmont Chronicle

FEBRUARY 2020

SECTION TWO

LIBRARY CALENDAR Story times, books and reading to therapy dogs at Fairfax library Story time mornings, reading afternoons, a therapy dog, Lego time and book deals are just some of the activities at the Fairfax branch library, 161 S. Gardner St. Bring a sewing or quilting project to work on at the Quilter’s Guild Sat., Feb. 1 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. All levels are welcome.

Discuss this month’s book, “The Bluest Eye,” by Toni Morrison, at the Fairfax Book Club Tues., Feb. 4 at 10:30 a.m. Book is available at the library.

Watch “Judy” (2019) with Renée Zellweger Thurs., Feb. 6

at 2 p.m. Popcorn will be served.

Kids ages three to eight can enjoy playing with Lego bricks Thurs., Feb. 6 at 4 p.m.

Music and poetry are used in a meditation class with Cantor Estherleon Schwartz and LEGOS bricks are on the calendar Thurs., Feb. 6 at 4 p.m.

Ivor Pyres Satur One-on-one walk-in tutordays Feb. 8 and 22 from 3 to 4 Thurs., Feb. 13 at 3 p.m.

Get more comfortable using ing is available for adults who p.m.

Kids can practice their read- computers at a class on Moning aloud to a therapy dog days at 1 p.m.

Author talk at Memorial library

Frieze to show art from around world at Paramount Frieze Projects returns to Paramount Pictures’ iconic back lot, 5515 Melrose Ave., with a series of immersive art installations, site-specific works, performances and videos Fri., Feb. 14 through Sun., Feb. 16.

The event welcomes more than 70 galleries from Los Angeles, the United States

and around the world. It will feature a new curated section dedicated to merging Los Angeles-based galleries. Cocurated by Rita Gonzalez (the Terri and Michael Smooke curator and department head of Contemporary Art, LACMA) and Pilar Tompkins Rivas (director at the Vincent Price Art Museum), that Para-

mount back lot is an anchor part of Frieze Los Angeles.

For more information, visit frieze.com.

Los Angeles Art

The LA Art Show will be at the Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St., Wed., Feb. 5 to Sun., Feb. 9.

Visit laartshow.com.

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Library patrons can hear about a new mystery novel and pick up good deals on books and other items and support the Friends of the Library at the Memorial branch library, 4625 W. Olympic Blvd.

Kwei Quartey, crime fiction writer and physician, will discuss his newest mystery novel, “The Missing American,” Sat., Feb. 22 at 2 p.m.

Sales on used books, CDs and DVDs are Saturdays from 4 to 5:15 p.m. and Tuesdays from 12:30 to 5 p.m.

Volunteer reader series at Fremont

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Kids of all ages can participate in story telling and reading (STAR) at the Fremont branch library, 6121 Melrose Ave., Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Mondays at 10 a.m.

STAR is for babies and toddlers who can either hear a volunteer read a story, or who want to read one themselves.

Regular participants can earn a free book.

Family-Run

need help with language and math skills Mondays from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Infants up to 18 months can hear stories, sing songs and say rhymes Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Story time for toddlers up to four years old is Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m.

Story Telling and Reading (STAR) afternoons, where volunteers read to children of all ages, is Wednesdays and Fridays at 3 p.m. First-time participants will receive a punch card, and after three visits, a child can take home a free book.

Pick up new and used books, CDs and DVDs at discounted prices Wednesdays from noon to 4 p.m.

Play games and have conversations to improve your English-speaking skills at the English Conversation Class Tuesdays at 6 p.m. and Saturdays at noon.

For more information, call 323-933-8146.

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Larchmont Chronicle

FEBRUARY 2020

SECTION TWO

13

MUSEUM ROW

A Ferrari 30th anniversary, Ming dynasty, ceramic works at sites

“Vera Lutter: Museum in the Camera” opens March 29 in the Resnick Pavillion. The photographer uses one of the oldest optical technologies, the camera obscura. Ends Aug. 9

WORKS by Luchita Hurtado will be on exhibit at LACMA.

riods of abstraction and use of the body as subject and recent environmental issues. She was named to the Time 100 list of most influential people in 2019. The exhibit opens Feb. 16 in BCAM. Ends May 3.

Concert, survivor at Holocaust Remembrance Kimono textile International Holocaust Remembrance Day was commemorated January 27 at the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust.

Marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the event included a concert with performances by Italian guitarist Alberto Lombardi and German bassooncello duo Friedrich Edelmann and Rebecca Rust.

The event was also hosted by the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles and the Consuls General of Italy and Germany.

Auschwitz survivor Renee Firestone made remarks, and there was a reading of names of Italian Jews who perished during the Holocaust.

EXHIBIT to feature camera obscura technology. Above, Rodin Garden, LACMA, 2017.

artist exhibit

“Melodies of Shining Silk: Japanese Embroidery” is an exhibit that showcases Shizuka Kusano’s work at the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles, 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Sat., Feb. 15 to Sat., March 14.

Kusano’s art pieces are based on 1500-year-old traditional embroideries inspired by poetry, literature and art.

Meet the textile artist Fri., Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. at the Japan Foundation. Free.

A master class with kimono embroidery artist Kusano will be at Craft Contemporary, 5814 Wilshire Blvd., Sat., Feb. 15 and Sun., Feb. 16 from noon to 2 p.m. Fee is $65, $60 for museum members.

Ceramic exhibit to open at Craft Contemporary Opening reception of a group exhibition, “The Body, The Object, The Other,” is Sat., Feb. 1 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Craft Contemporary, 5814 Wilshire Blvd.

Sculptural objects, site-specific installations and performative works will be included in the show, which will feature pieces created over the past decade.

A walk-through with curators Holly Jerger and Andrew Payan Estrada is Sun., Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. Free. Ends May 10.

For more information, visit www.cafam.org.

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‘Art of Qiu Ying’ coming to Resnick Pavilion “Where the Truth Lies: The Art of Qiu Ying” opens Sun., Feb. 9 in Resnick Pavilion at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The exhibit includes works

by Ming dynasty painter Qiu Ying, his predecessors and teachers and his daughter.

Ends May 17.

Eight decades of works by a Venezuela-born artist are featured in a new show at LACMA, “Luchita Hurtado: I Live I Die I Will Be Reborn.”

Hurtado’s works, in storage for most of her life, include pe-

PETERSEN AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Ferrari F40. Above, a 1952 model.

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Celebrate the Ferrari F40’s 30th anniversary at the Petersen Automotive Museum’s eighth annual Enzo Ferrari Tribute Sun., Feb. 23 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Cruise-in welcomes all Italian makes and models.

“Why Do Bad Guys Drive Nice Cars and Live in Good Houses?”

Find out at a panel discussion with architect Chad Oppenheim, film professionals and critics Thurs., Feb. 27 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The museum exhibit “Hollywood Dream Machines” will feature examples. Free.

FEBRUARY 2020

SECTION TWO

Larchmont Chronicle

Houseplants, rose auction, raised beds, fungi at Arboretum

growing and identifying mushrooms at the annual Los Angeles Mycological (mushroom) Society fair Sun., Feb. 9 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Keynote speaker will be Britt Bunyard, editor and publisher of Fungi magazine.

Hear how to identify trees at a class Sat., Feb. 22 from 10 a.m. to noon.

Learn how to get the most out of raised-bed gardening at a workshop Sat., Feb. 29 from 10 a.m. to noon.

For more information, visit arboretum.org.

Park LaBrea

Susan Ferris, Barbara Gallen, Simon Joyal, Gulsen Kan, Tobi Levine, Anne McLean, Patricia McLean, Jeffrey Roth, Leslie Shapiro and Robert Shore.

Park La Brea Apartments are at 6200 W. Third Street.

(Continued from page 7) The results are: Elizabeth Bowen, Chelle Buffone, Stephanie Castro, Ramses Diaz, Michael Ann Easton,

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Wishing All Our Good Larchmont Friends A Happy Valentine’s Day!

Get inspiration for changing your lawn into a garden and learn how to maintain your native plants at talks at the Theodore Payne Foundation, 10459 Tuxford St., Sun Valley.

Hear what type of plants to place where with horticulturist Lili Singer, Sat., Feb. 1 from 1 to 3:30 p.m.

Take a walk around the gardens to see how to change your lawn into a garden, Fri., Feb. 7, from 8:30 to 10 a.m.

Learn how to propagate

(Continued from page 11)

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Home Ground

It’s February and Valentine’s Day. We have Heart shaped cookie cutter sets. We have “heart” baking pans. We have the most beautiful “Waechtersbach” plates and bowls and serving pieces in brilliant red, from Germany.

February is also a great month for cleaning. You know about the new “E” cloths with 1.6 million cleaning fibers per square inch. They clean with no chemicals needed. We have over 10 different kinds for cleaning everything from stainless steel to glass to electronics.

We have 50 different kinds of the new “led” bulbs in different wattages and styles, including low voltage bulbs and dimmable bulbs.

Plus, we have the new faucet filter which fits in the palm of your hand and just screws onto the faucet.

Come visit us and take 20% off any one item as our good, loyal Larchmont customer. Happy February.

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THIS HOME in West Adams was part of the Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden Tour in 2019.

richest man in the country, generously rescued Watkins.

But later, Watkins’s photographic and textural archives could not be saved; they were destroyed in 1906, in the San Francisco earthquake and fire.

An image exists, by an unknown photographer, of Watkins — ill, blind, and leaning heavily on a cane, being led by two men out of the rubble of the city Watkins did so much to raise above its dubious 19th-century reputation as a city of ill-repute.

Part II will be in the March issue.

native plants from cuttings at a talk with horticulturist Tim Becker, Sat., Feb. 8 from 9 a.m. to noon and Sat., Feb. 15 from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Practice mindfulness in the garden Sat., Feb. 15 from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.

Take a free class to learn how to use plant flash cards Sat., Feb. 15, 10 to 11 a.m.

Finally, save the date for the Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden Tour Sat., March 8 and Sun., March 29.

Call 818-768-1802 or go to theodorepayne.org.

Celebrate the Year of the Rat at the Chinese New Year Festival at The Huntington Library, 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino, Sat., Feb. 1 and Sun., Feb. 2.

The festival will include a variety of performances including lion dancers, a mask changer, martial arts demonstrations, traditional Chinese dance, taiko drum performances with swords, spears and fans and a Chinese music ensemble.

There will also be arts and craft activities, calligraphy and brush painting demonstrations and a Lego display of the Chinese garden.

Theme snacks and beverages will be available for purchase.

Visit huntington.org.

YEAR OF THE RAT celebration includes brush painting.

Orchid exhibit, stars, foraging at Descanso Gardens this month

See an orchid exhibit, learn about stars and constellations and participate in a community service day this month at Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge.

Learn about stars and constellations while enjoying food, music, crafts and puppetry Sat., Feb. 1 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Help clean up the gardens and get ready for spring on community service days Saturdays Feb. 8 and 22 from 8 to 10:30 a.m.

See a variety of orchids and other tropical plants on display Sat., Feb. 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Discover flowering plants visited by native bees while learning how to forage for edibles, such as tea and a snack,

on a walk with ecological systems engineer Nance Klehm Sat., Feb. 29 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

For more information call 818-949-7980, or go to descansogardens.org.

Save the date: Robinson Gardens tour is May 16

The Friends of Robinson Gardens has announced the date for its 2020 garden tour, and showcase house extravaganza, “City of Angels,” at Virginia Robinson Gardens, 1008 Elden Way, Sat., May 16, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tickets, which start at $250, include a lunch and fashion show with the tour. Visit robinsongardens.org.

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Pick up rare roses, get more comfortable with houseplants and hear about raised-bed gardening this month at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens at 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia.

Find rare and unusual rose plants at the annual Pacific Rose Society auction Sat., Feb. 1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Pick up tips on how to get more comfortable with growing houseplants at a workshop Sat., Feb. 1 from 10 a.m. to noon.

See demonstrations on

Year of the Rat at the Huntington

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Larchmont Chronicle

FEBRUARY 2020

SECTION TWO

15

Sweets were used as bargaining chips by military in China commodities in China, so our boys found the candy useful for bartering in the towns and villages for everything from parasols to prostitutes. You see, the Chinese word for prostitute, roughly translated, is “pogey.” Thus, the proffered candy became “pogey bait.”

• • • How come an umbrella is also a “bumbershoot”? queries Nola Cogburn.

Contrary to what I originally thought, bumbershoot is not the German word for umbrella. It is a combination of the Middle Danish word bumpe, which means “to strike with a fist,” but also has come to describe the swelling caused by a blow. “Shoot,” of course, refers to the straight stalk of a plant. When you put a bump on top of a shoot you get - an

ProfessorKnowIt-All Bill Bentley

umbrella. Or … some say the word is a late 19th century combination of “unbrella” and “parachute.”

• • • Why do we “curry” favor? ponders Ed Teasdale.

This is a corruption of the Middle English expression to curry Fauvel. Fauvel was a centaur (a mythical beast, half horse, half man) in a popular 14th century satirical French romance play who symbolized cunning and bestial degradation. Hence, to curry or pet Fauvel was to enlist the services of duplicity, to ingratiate oneself by slavish attentiveness.

• • •

How come a goody-goody person is “Simon Pure”? queries Joan Preston.

This name is also a pseudonym for the authentic article.

In “Bold Stroke for a Wife,” a popular book of the early 1800s, a nefarious character passes himself off as “Simon Pure,” a Quaker, and thereby wins the heart of the heroine.

However, before the marriage

takes place, the real Simon Pure turns up and foils the villain’s plans.

In modern usage, “Simon Pure” is a hypocrite, one who makes much of his or her false virtue.

Professor Know-It-All is the nom de plume of Bill Bentley, who invites readers to try and stump him. Send your questions to willbent@prodigy.net.

Z

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My dad, a marine in World War II, always used the words “pogey bait” and “skivvies.”

Any idea of the derivation? wonders Kathy Timson.

Well, I don’t usually do a “two-fer,” but... “Skivvies” was an 19th-century brand name for underwear derived from one Joseph Skivvy, the firm’s founder.

Thankfully, “pogey bait” is much more colorful. This military term now refers to any (usually junk) food not served in the mess hall and therefore strictly forbidden to recruits in training. Its origin goes back to the Marine Corps mission in China in the 1920s where the troops were given candy (Baby Ruths, Tootsie Rolls) to supplement their rations. At that time, sugar and sweets were rare

Dance with Those You ♥ on a New Floor This Year!

DIVISION 10-11 girls going in for the shot during a game.

Deadline to register for girls basketball is March 16

SEVEN-YEAR-OLD Sabrina Kampt aims to make a shot.

with scholarships available.

For more information, visit goldiesyouthsports.com.

Batter up! Warriors spring season starts Registration is underway for the Wilshire Warriors PONY Baseball Spring League. It starts March 15, ends June 14.

Once registered, upper level players will participate in evaluations at the end of February.

Weekly practices and

DeaDline for the March 2020 iSSue iS fri., feb. 21, 2020.

for rent Rare find!

weekend games will be held throughout the season at Pan Pacific Park and / or John Burroughs Middle School.

Divisions are co-ed for ages 4 to 14. For more information, visit wilshirewarriors. com.

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Larchmont Chronicle's

Classified ads

To place a classified ad, call 323-462-2241, ext. 13.

for rent

Wilshire Vista Apt.

2 Blks. NE of Pico & Fairfax Lg. 1Br / 2.5Ba 1300 Block of S. Ogden Dr. Hancock Pk. Ter. Apt., adj.

LA, CA 90019 to Larch. Vill., LA Tennis, 1 Bdrm., 1 Bath., $1,500 Moly.

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2 Bdrms., 2 Baths., $2,000 Moly.

Fully renovated, walk-in clo., newly deco., part city/mntn. vw., hdwd. flrs., in-unit ldry., balc., carpet & lino. flrs., carport/off street pkg.

24-hr. sec., pool.

Application Needed In Third St. schl. dist.

Phone Intvw. & Sec. Dep. Req. $3300/mo. inc. HOA, cable & int.

Contact (323) 394-0606.

Call or text 909.272.2424 Ask for Carolyn.

Beauty Salon

High End Salon w/ Stations for Rent

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Drafting ServiceS

Full Architectural avail.

License # on request.

8419 W. 3rd St. Contact Peter: • Prime Location 213-321-9380 • Great Street Frontage peteangeldesign@gmail.com • Lots of Foot Traffic Includes: shampoo, back Have a great day! bar, client refreshments, wifi, utilities.

For info, contact Yaffa: 310/801-5969.

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Advertise for $35/inch!

Email: info@larchmontchronicle.com

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Suppliers of domestic staff, screened to extremely high standards w/ rigorous ref. & background validation.

For childcare, housekeeper, cheffing or P.A. needs, please call:

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Girls ages six to 15 years can sign up now through Mon., March 16 for the Girls Basketball League with Goldie’s Youth Sports / St. Brendan’s Basketball Association at St. Brendan School, 238 S. Manhattan Pl. The season is April to June, with practices on weekday evenings and games on Saturdays or Sundays. Participation fee is $220 and uniform cost is $35,

tell our aDvertiSerS you "saw it in the larChmont ChroniCle!"

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thiS Space for rent

~PhotograPher~ How to advertise in

Pet Portraits, headshots, editorial

Exp. creative professional; very cat & dog savvy.

Visit emiliasparagna.com or email somejerseygirl@sbcglobal.net Also available for dog walking.

Located in Hancock Park.

the classifieds:

1) Email circulation@ larchmontchronicle.com.

2) Include your info and the gist of your ad.

3) We send you a proof of the ad to approve.

4) Pay $35/inch (about 15-20 words per inch).

5) See the results!

16

Larchmont Chronicle

FEBRUARY 2020

SECTION TWO

110 South Martel Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90036

• • • •

1928 Spanish Colonial Revival Full of charm and Old World character 4 bed + 5 bath ±3,479 sqft interior, ±8,225 sqft parcel

• • • •

Impeccably updated, upgraded, and maintained Pool and cabana Minutes between Hancock Park and The Grove Offered at $2,895,000

Bret Parsons Realtor® Founder & Executive Director, Architectural Division 310.497.5832 bretparsons.com DRE 01418010 Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. DRE 01866771. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate.