LC Real Estate 03 2022 by Larchmont Chronicle

AT THE MOVIES

WILSHIRE VISTA

Our 16th president strategized a brilliant balancing act to save the Union.

TINY CHALLENGE

This “little gem of a neighborhood is here to stay,” thanks to its new official designation. Page 8

Page 6

Real Estate Entertainment, Libraries Home & Garden

Simple suggestions to help make our tiny hamlet in a big city a wee bit smaller. Page 15

VIEW

Section 2

LARCHMONT CHRONICLE

MARCH 2022

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

117 S. Windsor Blvd. | Windsor Square | $5,000,000

146 N. McCadden Pl. | Hancock Park | $4,000,000

JUST SOLD. Beautiful Mediterranean in A+ location. 3 beds + 2.5 baths. Pool. 117Windsor.com

SOLD. Stately Mediterranean on a great blk. 6Bd/5.5 bas+dramatic entry. Needs work but great potential

Loveland Carr Group 323.460.7606 CalRE #01467820, #0888374

Kathy Gless 323.460.7622

Rick Llanos 323.810.0828

552 Wilcox Ave. | Hancock Park | $3,899,000 IN ESCROW. Gorgeous newly remodeled 2 story Spanish. 4 bedrooms 4.5 baths plus beautiful pool area.

4957 Melrose Hill | Hollywood | $2,895,000 Historic Melrose Hill family compound w/ 4 bed, 3 baths, studio & 2 bed guest house. Large lot.

Rick Llanos 323.810.0828 CalRE #01123101

Kathy Gless 323.460.7622 CalRE #00626174

351 N Poinsettia Pl.| Miracle Mile| $2,250,000

6330 Pimrose Ave. | Hollywood Hills | $1,699,000

6550 W. 84th St. | Westchester | $1,465,000

631 Wilcox Ave. #3B| Hancock Park | $935,000

SOLD OVER ASKING. Grand 3/2 Charac. Spanish in prime area. X-lrge frml D.R, Grnte kitc. Fpl, hdwd flrs. Cecille Cohen 213.810.9949 CalRE #00884530

Newer Construction 3 bed, 3 bath modern home w/ beautiful kitchen & baths. Yard with office & spa.

Developer’s dream! Permits ready to issue for apprx. 3,000 total SF. 2-Sty ADU to be delivered completed! Erik Flexner 310-941-FLEX (3539) CalRE #01352476

Gorgeous golf course view from the top floor. Large 1 bed + 2 bath. Pool, spa & 24-hr security. Loveland Carr Group 323.460.7606 CalRE #01467820, #0888374

647 Wilcox Ave. #1H | Hancock Park | $597,000

641 Wilcox Ave. #3D | Hancock Park | $580,000 Here is your opportunity to purchase one of the larger 1 bed + 1.5 baths floorplans at the top floor at HPT. Bob Day 323.821.4820 CalRE #00851770

6151 Orange St. #121 | Hancock Park | $499,000

Move-in ready, large 1 bd, 1.5ba. Central location. Updated mstr bath, custom walk-in closet. W/D in unit. Helena Ortega 310.456.4515 CalRE #02167696

Cecille Cohen 213.810.9949 CalRE #00884530

145 S. Hudson | Hancock Park | $25,000/MO FOR LEASE. Stately English on one of the finest blocks in Hancock Park. 6 bedrooms + 5.5 baths, pool w/ spa. Rick Llanos 323.810.0828 CalRE #01123101

165 N. Las Palmas Ave. | Hancock Park | $23,000/MO

160 N. McCadden Pl. | Hancock Park | $20,000/MO

738 S. Longwood Ave. | Hancock Park | $17,500/MO

6078 Pickford St. | Beverlywood | $2,800/MO

LEASED. Stately English Tudor on a beautiful treelined st. 5Bd / 4.5Bas, covered patio, large pool.

Furnished Lease, short or long term. 4 beds, 4.5 baths w/ a pool and guest house. Great location. Rick Llanos 323.810.0828 CalRE #01123101

Majestic 1920s Tudor Estate in Brookside. 3 beds 5 baths, brick patio w/fireplace, bar & grill. Pool. Benjamin Baylin Edgar Garcia-Gutierrez 323.627.5365 323.597.7396 CalRE #02112321 CalRE #02074263

Amazing opportunity to live in a sunny 2 bedrm & one original bath lower unit of a duplex. Fenced yard.

Rick Llanos 323.810.0828 CalRE #01123101

SOLD. Beautiful 1/1 condo. Frplce, balcony. Pool. Gated garage. Close to LACMA, Grove, Transportation.

COLDWELLBANKERHOMES.COM

Barbara Allen 323.610.1781 CalRE #01487763

Hancock Park 323.464.9272 | 251 N Larchmont Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90004 ©2022 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. CalRE #00616212

Larchmont Chronicle

MARCH 2022

SECTION TWO

†

Announced and Possible Local Election Candidates in 2022 Mayor Michael A. Alspach Christina M. Bailey Karen Bass Barry Boen Najmah Brown Dr. Cheyenne Bryant Joe Buscaino Rick Caruso Chuck Cho Eden Cristo

Louis De Barraicua Kevin de León Austin Dragon Sean I. Enright Michael “Mike” Feuer Jesse N. Forte Chris Gilmore Craig Greiwe Alex Gruenenfelder Smith Jesseca Harvey

John Samuel Jackson Evan Jasek G. Juan Johnson Andrew Kim Jessica Lall Juanita Lopez Alycia T. Lowery Asher Luzzatto Helan Mahmood Joseph May

Douglas Paul Michaels Brian Morrison William Rodriguez Morrison Dr. Jemiss Nazar DC, JD Gina Viola Peake Toshia Poundstone Jorge Ramirez Ahn Shin-Ae Jamila Sozahdah Joe Taylor

Kat Tuck Jacob (Alestar) Van Mater Michael Vance Ramit Varma Vincent Willis Mel Wilson

Council District 5

Council District 13

City Attorney

Supervisor District 3

City Controller

Danny Bahr Molly Basler Jimmy Biblarz Scott Epstein Dory Frank Kristina Irwin Josh Nadel Katy Young Yaroslavsky Sam Yebri

Albert Corado Carlos H. Flowers Steve Johnson Clarendon “Clay” K. Johnston Dylan Kendall Rachael Rose Luckey Chad Michael Manuel Mitch O’Farrell Kate Pynoos Hugo Soto-Martinez

Sherri Onica Valle Cole Faisal Gill Kevin James Richard Y. Kim Teddy Kapur Hydee Feldstein Soto Marina Torres

Richard Bloom Jeffi Girgenti Bob Hertzberg Lindsey P. Horvath Henry Stern

Stephanie Clements Paul Koretz Reid Lidow Kenneth Mejia James O’Gabhann David T. Vahedi Robert “Rob” Wilcox

2022 Candidate fields narrow down The primaries for this election cycle are on June 7, and a general election, if runoffs are needed, will be on Nov. 8. In just the City of Los Angeles mayor’s race, there were 38 people who told the Ethics Commission that they wanted to run, but those who

actually picked up nominating petitions dropped the number to 27. The chart above lists names of people still in the various races as of press time. A truly final list for city candidates will not be available until after the March 12 deadline for candidates to return their signed petitions.

Potential: Robert “Bob” Iger Austin Beutner

† Registered with City Ethics Commission

Hancock Park CD5 Forum to be held later this month The Hancock Park Homeowners Association (HPHOA) will host a City Council District 5 Candidate Forum this month. At press time, event

details were not confirmed, but residents are encouraged to visit the HPHOA website for updates at hancockpark.org.

The Hottest Market inYears. The Lowest Inventory in History.

Thinking of Selling? We Would Embrace The Opportunity to Meet & Discuss

The Top Selling Real Estate Team In Larchmont Village

www.CoreGroupLA.com Pete Buonocore | 323.762.2561

Larchmont Chronicle

MARCH 2022

SECTION TWO

Election 2022 race is on for Board of Supervisors, Third District By Suzan Filipek, Billy Taylor and John Welborne Four candidates are on the June 7 primary ballot seeking election to the seat of Supervisor of the Third District on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. They are: State Senators Bob Hertzberg and Henry Stern, West Hollywood City Councilmem ber Lindsey Horvath and small business owner Jeffi Girgenti. The Larchmont Chronicle editorial staff interviewed three of the candidates last month via Zoom. Here are

reports on those candidates based on the interviews and other sources. (The fourth candidate, who entered the race late, is also profiled.) Robert Hertzberg, State Senator, 18th District, the central part of the San Fernando Valley Robert “Bob” Hertzberg is California State Senator for District 18. He assumed that office on December 1, 2014. His current term ends on December 5, 2022. He served as Senate Majority Leader from 2019 to 2022, and he previously served in the LOS ANGELES COUNTY

.......

= Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council

BOB HERTZBERG

LINDSEY HORVATH

California Assembly. First elected to the Assembly in 1996, he quickly established himself and moved up the ranks, eventually serving as the 64th Speaker of the California State Assembly after being unanimously elected by both parties in 2000 and 2001. Following his tenure as Speaker, lawyer Hertzberg joined the Downtown Los Angeles office of an international law firm, and he also became a clean energy entrepreneur. The “Los Angeles Times” once described him as “a high velocity wonk; he loves big ideas and will flesh out every one of them if you give him a chance.” That was a description he even endorsed in the Chronicle’s interview. In that Zoom meeting, a question right out of the gate

concerned housing. When asked whether the Legislature — that recently has been passing myriad laws dictating what cities should do to allow more housing development — would allocate state money to help those cities build needed affordable housing, Hertzberg’s answer was direct: “No.” Hertzberg said he agrees that money for affordable housing is critical. He said that the only way that Californians throughout the state can help with funding housing is by passing a housing bond. He is sponsoring such a measure. When the discussion turned to the related issue of homelessness, Hertzberg pointed out that California’s 58 counties are a creation of, and subdivision of, the state. State laws govern what

HENRY STERN

JEFFI GIRGENTI

counties can do. It is the County of Los Angeles that has primary responsibility for providing homelessness services, including mental health services. But, says Hertzberg, that’s obviously not going very well right now. (Please turn to page 10)

Larchmont Chronicle

MARCH 2022

SECTION TWO

A word or two about Meat Loaf (1947-2022) and his mother, Mrs. Aday

Mrs. Wilma Artie Hinkel Aday was my sixth-grade teacher, in a shining new elementary school, F.P. Caillet, in a new suburb in North Dallas. I started at Caillet toward Christmas in third grade, when it was under construction. We students were in the “annexes” then, awaiting the opening of our school. By sixth grade, our final year at Caillet, I was in Mrs. Aday’s

Home Ground by

Paula Panich

class, and her son, M.L. (Marvin Lee), was in a different sixth grade group. (Much later, he changed the Marvin to Mi-

chael.) We sixth-grade students then spent all day in the classroom with one teacher. Mrs. Aday was the definition of sweet, and kind. She loved geography, and so do I. Long ago, I found a photograph, circa 1958, of Mrs. Aday and me. She was sitting at her desk, and I was standing by her side, and we had our arms around each other. She was a

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large, heavy woman, and she was holding me tight, with real affection. I look a little abashed, but I loved her. I was wearing a white, twopiece dress with a round neck and puffy sleeves, gold zig-zag rick-rack on the bodice and voluminous skirt. We were square dancers at F.P. Caillet, and we were assigned to “squares” — eight boys and eight girls. The girls, or more precisely, their mothers, were in charge of the square dance outfits. The square dance was once a year, and this is how we spent weeks in P.E., practicing. On the day of the photograph, I was wearing my dress, post-dance festival. The chalkboard was behind Mrs. Aday in the photograph, and on it was written, as a headline, in Mrs. Aday’s perfect, balanced, beautiful, teacher’s Palmer Method hand: China. Under that five-letter word were listed a few characteristics of Chinese culture, but this is the one I recall: Children Obey Parents. One rather fractious day in the classroom, Mrs. Aday was exasperated with us. She said something about how we were just playing around — just like M.L., she said. He would play with anything! At dinner, on his plate, his peas would be at war with his mashed potatoes. We all went on to Cary Junior High in seventh grade; and stayed through ninth; then on to Thomas Jefferson High School. M.L and I were not friends, but I was aware that, at last, M.L. had found

M.L. ADAY, senior photo, Thomas Jefferson High School, Class of 1965.

a place in the world, on the football field. By then he was known as Meat Loaf. I attended Thomas Jefferson High School short of a year before I moved to Phoenix. About 10 years ago, I saw a documentary about Meat Loaf, where it was revealed that M.L.’s father was an abusive, violent drunk. M.L. stayed with his maternal grandmother a good deal, ostensibly to protect him from his father’s rages. My teacher Mrs. Aday was born in 1913, and she died of breast cancer in 1967, when M.L. was about 19. She was 54. M.L. repeated frequently in the press that just after his mother died, his father, raging and drunk, came after M.L. in bed with a knife; the son rolled to the floor just in time. (Please turn to page 5)

Larchmont Chronicle

MARCH 2022

SECTION TWO

Finding hope and comfort in words of a dead, and white, playwright

“The better part of valor is discretion,” claimed Falstaff in Shakespeare’s “Henry IV, Part 1.” I exercised this discretion after reading Charles McNulty’s “Los Angeles Times” review (1/25/22) of “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” at the Ahmanson. Mr. McNulty wrote that he “couldn’t encourage my loved ones to see a show right now,” during the Omicron surge, even though he was enthusiastic about the feelgood British import. So, I retreated to the relatively germ-free security of my den to watch Joel Coen’s adaptation of “The Tragedy of Macbeth” and Patrick Someville’s mini-series adaptation of Emily St. John Mandel’s 2014 novel, “Station Eleven,” which starts with an actor dying on stage playing King Lear, and ends with a post-apocalyptic theater company making the world (or what’s left of it) a better place by performing “Hamlet.” It would be an understatement to say that the theater world is going through a turbulent period of self-examination. The pandemic and social justice movements have prompted radical rethinking in equity and diversity, not only in casting and play

selection, but also artistic management. These challenges are particularly rife in the Shakespeare world, with its issues of white privilege and cultural imperialism. As reported in “The Washington Post” (1/29/22), theater producers at the recent annual conference of the Shakespeare Theater Association (the league of Shakespeareproducing theaters, large and small), voiced such opinions as, “This pedestal we have put [Shakespeare] on should be smacked down to the floor!” and “Maybe, if white men had not been the predominant culture, Shakespeare wouldn’t be ‘Shakespeare.’” Classic theaters are trying to respond in innovative ways. Theater for a New Audience in New York has cast John Douglas Thomas (best known as the police chief on “Mare of Easttown”) as Shylock. The Public Theater has announced that Danai Gurira (“Black Panther”) will star as Richard III this summer. A Black Shylock or a female (and Black) Richard expand our understanding of the roles, even if we are not quite sure how. Even Oskar Eustis, the Public’s artist director, didn’t seem too certain: “We are not going to re-gender the role, but what

Theater Review by

Louis Fantasia that means exactly we won’t know until we’re doing runthroughs,” he said in a recent “New York Times” interview. “I know where we’re starting, but that doesn’t mean we know where we’re ending” (2/2/22). Which brings us to the Coen film, starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand (in theaters and on Apple+). My own view of the film is that it is disappointing. The verse speaking is uninspired, and the blackand-white visuals, which owe much to Orson Welles’ 1948 version and Akira Kurosawa’s 1957 “Throne of Blood,” seem flat and lifeless, neither theater nor cinema. But... More people will probably see this version of the “Scottish play” than will see all the Shakespeare plays produced by all the members of the Shakespeare Theater Association in a given year. The principals are to be commended for taking the artis-

tic risk of doing Shakespeare at this point in their careers. In an interview with Maureen Dowd in the “New York Times” (2/1/22), Mr. Coen said he wanted a “Macbeth” that was “universal” and not “topical,” while Ms. McDormand thought it was “banal” to try and make Shakespeare “politically correct.” Even Mr. Washington wanted viewers to look past Macbeth’s race (and that of the Macduffs, who are also Black in the film). “We ought to be at a place where diversity shouldn’t even be mentioned, like it’s something special,” the actor said in an NBC interview (1/14/22). Which is why I am so in

love with the “Station Eleven” miniseries, even though I hated the book. Shakespeare is performed (brilliantly in the final episode) by a truly diverse troupe of misfits — not by the theater-geek kids of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s world, nor a group of woke elitists, but survivors who came through the plague years, and who, though they may be “diverse” in all the ways we claim today, are united in the loss and pain and loneliness and terror they have suffered, and who find comfort, sustenance, and — above all — hope, in the words of a long-dead playwright who just happened to be a white male.

Home Ground

thing good in me came from my mother. I sent the photograph to M.L. 30 years ago. I did not have a response. I’m only sorry I didn’t photocopy it. I do love his greatest hits.

(Continued from page 4)

He said he left the house in a T-shirt and shorts and never returned. Mrs. Aday was 45 when she was my teacher. According to her obituary, she was a member of the Vo-di-o-do Gospel Quartet. To think of the pain and chaos and fear this kind woman suffered at the hands of her husband is unbearable. M.L. was able to sing from the depths of this suffering out into the world. I have read that M.L. said, at one of his concerts: Any-

Art reception at the Loft at Liz’s March 5

An opening reception for “Lost in Colors” is Sat., March 5 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Loft at Liz’s, 453 S. La Brea Ave. The artists featured in the show are Rhea Carmi and Yoella Razili. Ends April 19. Visit theloftatlizs.com.

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Larchmont Chronicle

MARCH 2022

SECTION TWO

Lincoln at his best, chilling tale of Boeing’s 737 Max

Abraham Lincoln (9/10): Three-episode series. Maybe the best and most accurate telling of Lincoln’s life ever made. Graham Sibley is a dead ringer for Honest Abe, and the script uses the actual words of Lincoln and incumbent Sen. Stephen Douglas. It shows the brilliant balancing act Abe undertook to both save the Union and free the slaves. Sibley gives a moving rendition of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. History Channel. Downfall: The Case Against Boeing (8/10): 99 Minutes. PG-13: If you don’t like to fly, this won’t help you. It’s the nuts-and-bolts story of the 2018 crashes of two brand new Boeing 737 Max passenger planes. It explains that the crashes were totally Boeing’s fault because Boeing installed a new system in the plane but never explained it to the pilots who had to fly them. When

the system on the two planes kicked in right after takeoff, the pilots had no idea what to do, and the planes flew into the ground. This is the story of how Boeing stonewalled responsibility. It’s frightening and fascinating. Netflix. Icahn: The Restless Billionaire (8/10): 104 minutes. This is a surprisingly fawning tale of corporate raider / activist investor (take your pick) Carl Icahn who rose from nothing to be worth $20 billion. Told mostly through interviews with Icahn, it’s a no-warts telling of the story of a man with a controversial reputation. Basically, he tells his story himself, and the filmmakers have apparently done little research because — except for his feud with Bill Ackman over Ackman’s decision to short Herbalife — never is heard a discouraging word. Icahn hits the nail on the head, though,

At the Movies with

Tony Medley when he castigates the greedy corporate CEOs who are overpaid and are there mostly to screw their shareholders and make as much money for themselves as they can. (Ray Irani of Occidental Petroleum is the poster child.) HBO. Secrets of Playboy (8/10): Seven one-hour episodes. If you think Hugh Hefner looked like a dissipated creep, that barely scratches the surface of the despicable truth. This blunt documentary interviews intimates like Sondra Theodore, a “Playmate” and Hef’s girlfriend from 1976 to 1981; PJ Master, Los Angeles and

Montelongo and Parsons LA’s Architectural Real Estate Group

Chicago Bunny mother 197282; Mimi Garcia, “Playmate” and head of Promotions 197382; Stefan Telenba, Hefner’s valet 1978-81; and many others, and they let it all hang out, the rapes and suicides, chapter and verse of his depravity and the appalling lifestyle they all lived. For instance, Theodore says that sex with Hef was never enjoyable because he took it too far and she gives some examples. The den of iniquity called The Playboy Mansion in Holmby Hills was a prison for most of these women. A&E. The Tinder Swindler (7/10): 114 minutes. TV-MA. This documentary has three women (29-year-old Cecilie, Swedish woman Pernilla and Dutch woman Ayleen) tell their stories about how they were preyed upon by an Israeli, Simon LeViev, who portrayed himself as an immensely wealthy playboy that they met on dating site Tinder. This is mostly factual, backed up by actual cell phone communications and some recreated scenes, which I guess were necessary. It is enhanced by fine cinematography that includes Oslo, London, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Prague and the Greek Islands. It’s hard to comprehend these ladies’ gullibility, but it’s an intriguing slice of life. Netflix. Blacklight (5/10): 104 minutes. PG-13. Liam Neeson’s latest thriller starts out extremely well. Travis Block (Neeson) is an off-the-books covert freelance government

“fixer” for the FBI’s Chief, Gabriel Robinson (Aidan Quinn), who does a lot of dirty stuff like extracting FBI agents out of dangerous situations, but Block wants out. Alas, the Chief won’t let him leave. The first 60 minutes is involving, but the film devolves into another excruciatingly ridiculous Hollywood Shootout, and one of the more hackneyed, anticlimactic endings of recent history. Lincoln’s Dilemma (3/10): four-part series. This is a superficial, revisionist telling of Lincoln fighting the Civil War. Immediately diminished by spuriously equating the Civil War with January 6, the series goes on to make ludicrous speculations, like claiming that Lincoln was a reluctant opponent of slavery and only prevailed in winning the war because of the influence of Frederick Douglass, and almost entirely because of Black Union soldiers. In fact, the Union Army was 90 percent white. Approximately 2,128,000 men served in the Union Army, and 1,940,000 were white. At least 600,000 Union soldiers were killed, wounded, or went missing in the war (probably many more), and 90 percent of them were white, but that fact is ignored in this series. Well, you get the picture. If you watch this biased series you wouldn’t have any idea that white people had much, if anything, to do with freeing the slaves. AppleTV+.

1955 CADILLAC COUPE DE VILLE owned by Willie Wallace (with his car) and shown at a pre-COVID-19 Gilmore Heritage Auto Show.

Leprechauns and Auto Show are in Farmers Market 2022 lineup

Charming 1922 Windsor Village Traditional sold for 24% over asking price within days.

AARON MONTELONGO

BRET PARSONS

Executive Director, Luxury Division

Founder & Executive Director, Architectural Division

310.600.0288 aaronmontelongo@gmail.com DRE 01298036

310.497.5832 bret@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.

By Suzan Filipek The Original Farmers Market kicked off its yearlong lineup of events last month with the return of Mardi Gras. While scaled back from previous years’ celebrations, it was a colorful, fun event with New Orleans-style food and music to match. Another one of the Market’s most iconic events — the Gilmore Heritage Auto Show -— will return in June after taking a brief hiatus in 2020 and making a limited comeback in September 2021.

Also, Summer Music on the Plaza returns with a live performance every Friday evening throughout the summer. The traditional Fall Festival, which includes crafts, performances and picture-perfect moments, is also poised to make a comeback. “We are so pleased to bring back our schedule of favorite Market annual events in 2022,” said Ilysha Buss, director of marketing at the Original Farmers Market. “We are honored to serve as the com(Please turn to page 12)

Larchmont Chronicle

MARCH 2022

SECTION TWO

Charming character and delectable dishes in outdoor spaces

Pity the poor people in frigid climates. Angelenos can escape the COVID-19 breeding grounds of indoor dining with the simple addition of an outdoor heater or two. Back East, even a dozen heaters, a down parka, earmuffs and fur-lined boots won’t keep a lover of al fresco dining warm this winter. In our land of year-round greenery and close-to-perfect weather, we have an abundance of outdoor eating spaces with delectable dishes and charming character. Norah and Terra are two particularly beautiful and tasty options. Norah is a sophisticated restaurant, both in its décor and its presentation of eclectic dishes. The interior features a white marble bar, wood tables, potted trees and soothing beiges and greys, but the back patio is magical. Unlike so many restaurants that scrambled to add outdoor areas by taking over parking spaces, parking lots or sidewalks, Norah has a well-appointed exterior courtyard filled with tall palms, lush potted plants, attractive heating towers, umbrellas and well-spaced tables. Norah’s menu starts in Italy then skips around the globe. There are pizzas, including one with garlic cream, zucchini, preserved lemon and ricot-

ta salata for $28, and pastas including maltagliati, a $30 dish of flat, irregular dough squares sauced with braised lamb. Mexican-style shrimp and halibut aguachile is a refreshing bowl of chopped marinated fish with minced avocado and hibiscus pickled onion for $24. Middle Eastern flavors abound in $22 eggplant and cauliflower tossed with tahini, the pungent herb mixture za’atar and pistachios. $34 crispy hamachi collar is a Japanese treatment of the section of yellowtail just below the head, where shoulders would be if fish had shoulders. Dipped in rice flour batter, the fried hamachi is enhanced by a squid ink caramel and served with spicy slaw. We started with delicious cornbread. Served in the small cast iron pan in which it was baked, and accompanied by a ramekin of rosemary honey butter, the $14 loaf is sweet, crunchy on top and just the right amount of crumbly underneath. Brussels sprouts atop carrot puree and mixed with shallots and puffed black rice made a satisfying side dish for $20. Tagliatelle, a broad ribbon pasta, is served in a mushroom, pea, parmesan and hazelnut sauce. Tasting of

On the Menu by

Helene Seifer springtime, the flavors melded perfectly in this $30 dish. $48 sea bass, often referred to as branzino, but here referred to by its French name, loup de mer, was perfectly cooked with moist, flaky flesh and crisp, flavorful skin. Norah, 8279 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, 310643-5853. ••• Another stunning outside dining option, this one with the added attraction of a view of the hills, is Terra, Eataly’s rooftop Italian restaurant. Many of their menu items are prepared on the custom-made wood-fired grill that takes up most of the indoor space. The expansive outdoor terrace features a bar with a particularly fine collection of gin, a covered section and a large open plaza with scattered tables, a fire pit, numerous plants and ample heaters. It’s a lovely place from which to watch the sky darken and see the hill homes light up

and the stars come out, and a perfect place to enjoy $22 burrata with grilled tomatoes or tiny skewers of chicken, beef or lamb (six for $12), or $15 grilled wild shrimp. A whole branzino is beautifully and simply grilled with garlic, herbs and lemon, $45. The skin has a wonderful crunch and the flesh is succulent and sweet. This dish, although very similar to Norah’s delicious version of the fish, might be just a tad more flavorful. I find pasta irresistible; add

truffles and you completely capture my heart, no matter the price. Luckily, Terra’s tagliolini, a kind of thin tagliatelle, with parmesan and shaved black truffle, is not only delectable but affordable at $30 for a generous, shareable portion. After dinner, pick up some salumi, Italian cheese, dried pasta and a scoop or two of chocolate gelato from Eataly’s marketplace below. Terra, Westfield Century City mall, 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., 213-310-8008.

Celebrate Nowruz State-of-the-art March 7 at the resource center Laugh Factory for Autry Museum Midnight Mission is partnering with the Laugh Factory in Hollywood for a comedy night and fundraiser on Mon., March 7 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. The event also celebrates Nowruz, a 3,000-year-old Persian holiday for people of all faiths that honors light symbolically conquering darkness. The Midnight Mission has served the homeless poulation of Los Angeles since 1914. For tickets and more information, visit midnightmission.org/ nowruz or email kaskar@midnightmission.org.

After a six-year fundraising campaign, the Autry Museum of the American West has raised $80 million for a 100,000-square-foot state-ofthe-art research and collections care center for the Autry and the Southwest Museum of the American Indian. “Beyond serving as a site of scholarship and collections care, this facility will help the Autry honor and enhance its ongoing commitments to Native communities across California and the West,” said Autry Board Chair David Cartwright.

Larchmont Chronicle

MARCH 2022

SECTION TWO

Wilshire Vista West now oﬃcially recognized as historic By Jane Galbraith It’s official — Wilshire Vista West is a City of Los Angeles “Historic District.” In early January, residents awoke to see city crews installing the distinctive latte-colored signs on lampposts within the six-block sector of MidCity, which last October was listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historical Resources. Of the signs, “It’s really satisfying to look out the window and see them,” said Barbara Kroll, co-chairperson

of Save Wilshire Vista West. “We launched Save Wilshire Vista West in May 2019, and COVID-19 changed the timeline for our meeting with the state’s Office of Historic Preservation. But Zoom saved the day; we eventually had a successful hearing, and despite COVID-19, the signs are up and we can finally breathe. Our little gem of a neighborhood is here to stay.” With assistance from Council District 10 and the city’s Department of Transportation, 10 signs were installed demarcating the

historic and architectural distinction of several blocks south of San Vicente Boulevard and east of Fairfax Avenue. The district is entirely multifamily, dating to the 1920s and 1930s. There are 113 buildings in all, 96 percent of which are preserved in their original condition. Most are duplexes and four-plexes, plus a few larger-unit buildings with interior or shared courtyards evocative of certain eras in Los Angeles development, including Spanish Revival, French Normandy, Art Deco and Colonial styles.

Nearby Carthay Square, South Carthay, Carthay Circle and Miracle Mile are now joined by Wilshire Vista West in expanding the number of buildings identified in the city’s “Survey LA” project that are able to be preserved and protected by such designations.

An outdoor celebration for residents and supporters of the historic district, longdelayed due to the pandemic and masking mandates, is planned for the summer. Jane Galbraith served as co-chairperson of Save Wilshire Vista West.

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Hancock Park Market Report The housing market is constantly changing, and this year has certainly brought new challenges. I can help you navigate the landscape of the trends in Hancock Park so you can get the highest possible price for your home! If you’re considering making a change, call me.

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SOLD: The home at 427 S. Lucerne Blvd. in Windsor Square was sold in January 2022 for $5,027,000.

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Larchmont Chronicle

MARCH 2022

SECTION TWO

Decline and despair over the Ruin of Ravenswood

By Brian Curran Driving down Rossmore Avenue on any given night I often feel transported into a film noir movie as I pass the faded grandeur of the Ravenswood Apartments, its great neon sign with bright red letters, some dark, others flickering, hovering over the great concrete hulk which was once the haunt of stars and artists. Today, while its Art Deco detailing is still prominent, the Ravenswood’s 96 apartments are largely rent-controlled and home to a loyal coterie of entertainment professionals — some who have resided in the building for decades, but in recent years have witnessed with growing distress the neglect and slow dilapidation which plague the building. ••• While many histories claim the Ravenswood was built by Paramount Studios, it was actually financier Maurice Feigenbaum who obtained the permit for the apartments at 570 N. Rossmore Ave. He hired Max Maltzman, one of the few Jewish architects practicing in Los Angeles at the time, who would also design for Feigenbaum the ill-fated “Beverly-Rossmore” at 410 N. Rossmore Ave. Maltzman’s

On Preservation by

Brian Curran

Ravenswood soon attracted a sophisticated clientele drawn to the lavish apartments, commissary, subterranean garage, sumptuous lounges and tennis courts. ••• Hollywood soon followed, with the likes of “Queen of Vaudeville” Eva Tanguay, actor Clark Gable, bandleader Paul Whiteman and director George Sidney all residing at the Ravenswood. Mae West It was, however, Mae West who would become the Ravenswood’s most famous resident. West moved into the apartments following the signing of her contract with Paramount Studios in 1932. Paramount even decorated the apartment of its treasured sex symbol in a style that her biographer described as “early French candy box.” West bought the Ravenswood outright following an argument with management about allowing visits from

ALONG ROSSMORE AVENUE, Ravenswood Apartments are north of the El Royale.

William “Gorilla” Jones, a Black boxer with whom it was rumored she was having an affair. Mae West would remain at the Ravenswood until her death in 1980. The Ravenswood has remained a draw to Hollywood creatives including those relocating from New York. Patrick Kilpatrick, actor, producer and director, moved to the building in 1998. He said, “The building has many attributes: it is historic, charming and centrally located. Being rent controlled, it also allowed me to send my kids to good colleges.” But, following the building’s purchase in 2005 by Talmadge LLC, a subsidiary of Commer-

cial Property Management run by President David Soufer of Brentwood, Kilpatrick noticed a precipitous decline in maintenance and living standards. Complaints Filed A look through the 100 complaints filed with Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) shows persistent heating and plumbing issues, broken elevators, fire safety and lack of security. The tenants have even offered to fix things such as the pool heater, only to receive no response from management. Mills Act What really galls Kilpatrick is the fact that the owners of the (Please turn to page 10)

OWNERS OF THE BUILDING collect a significant tax abatement through a Mills Act Contract (the Ravenswood was declared Historic Cultural Monument #768 in 2003).

3951 Ingraham St. #503, Los Angeles Represented Tenant / Landlord Leased $3,100/MO

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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. Affiliated real estate agents are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2021 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. CalRE #00616212

Ravenswood

(Continued from page 9) building collect a significant tax abatement through a Mills Act Contract (the Ravenswood was declared Historic Cultural Monument #768 in 2003). “The Ravenswood deserves owners that revere the history, honor the legacy, rise to stewardship – rather than year after year bilking the citizens of the City of Los Angeles of millions from a tax incentive for renovation and maintenance never carried out,” says Kilpatrick. Heidi Bright, a more recent tenant, says that the community of creatives who make up the heart of the Ravenswood’s tenants are at their wits’ end. “I was first introduced to the Ravenswood building about nine years ago when I fell in love with my husband … So I associate romance with the building, and its history of occupants (like Mae West) resounds with the romance of Old Hollywood. … The owners’ neglect baffled, saddened and eventually angered me.” She and other tenants are “exhausted by pursuing every avenue of communication regarding the maintenance, restoration and preservation of The Ravenswood with Talmadge LLC, to no avail. Talmadge refuses to even communicate back.” Kilpatrick and other tenants have made phone calls, written letters, filed complaints and even appealed to the Office of Historic Resources. But it was the tenants’ working with the staff previously at CD4, together with LADBS, that seems to have prodded management into minimal action. During a recent tour of the property, I saw that all of the

Larchmont Chronicle

MARCH 2022

SECTION TWO

lobby furniture had been removed (presumably for reupholstery), dead trees were being cut down in the pool area and the carpets had recently been cleaned. However, an air of general neglect pervades the atmosphere, with dark handprints on the public room walls, broken doors, a garbagestrewn and dirty garage and a forlorn garden and pool. ••• “The community of Ravenswood tenants deserves landlords that don’t ignore wellmeaning pleas, petitions and genial offers of collaboration,” says Kilpatrick. Let’s hope that the tenants’ efforts and perhaps working with new staff at CD5 will get Talmadge LLC’s attention and halt the decline of this treasured icon of our neighborhood.

Supervisor

(Continued from page 3) Hertzberg argues that, with his skills and knowledge from a long and successful career in state government, he is the candidate best positioned to succeed on the Board of Supervisors when it comes to dealing with homelessness. He said he understands well how such tools as joint powers authorities and partnerships with nonprofits can be successful. He says a key is for voters to hold officials accountable. A question arose about protecting single family homes and neighborhoods, and Hertzberg reminded the editors that he was outspoken in his opposition to State Senator Scott Wiener’s proposal to dictate statewide rules to benefit real estate

THE RAVENSWOOD has remained a draw to Hollywood creatives including those relocating from New York.

developers and Wall Street investors while doing nothing to address the need for affordable housing in the state. Hertzberg not only opposed the recently enacted (in 2021) SB 9, he also claims credit for stopping its predecessor, Sen. Wiener’s SB 50, the year before. In the discussion with our editors, Hertzberg emphasized that there are many complicated issues, including water supply and economic development, that are critical to the residents of Los Angeles County. He points to his long experience as a lawyer and legislator who has addressed these matters and who knows the often-tangled histories and issues involved. Hertzberg also made an interesting point that all of us need to look toward the future, “training the next generation,” as he described it. He says he has been involved in multiple initiatives to do just that. He summed up by saying that election to the Board of Supervisors will put him in his “last job.” He wants to use what he knows and has learned — to do an exemplary job for the people of Los Angeles County. See: hertzbergforsupervisor.com Lindsey Horvath, City Councilwoman, West Hollywood Lindsey Horvath comes ready to meet the challenges the county faces, she says, because

she has already tackled the major issues — homelessness and crime — on her home turf, West Hollywood. The route to the solutions would follow a path similar to the one she has blazed since being elected to the WEHO City Council in 2015. “I’ve had an 80-percent success rate getting people off the street,” she told us. Horvath attributes her success to working with leaders and staff at the local and county levels. These are the same people she would be working with if elected supervisor. (The City of West Hollywood’s law enforcement is provided by the County Sheriff, and fire protection is from the County Fire Dept.) Horvath works to make direct contact with the unhoused and “meet them where they are,” the 30-something-year-old candidate said in an oft-heard refrain. She cited the West Hollywood LGBT Center, which provides health and social services, as a model that could be applied and adapted to serve the homeless in other neighborhoods. She also told us that she is “working on creating a homeless navigation center, at least in this time of emergency.” Afterwards, the site could be transformed into a public park. “That’s a winning strategy.” To the “NIMBY naysayers,”

she blames misinformation, and she points to the permanent housing and transit-adjacent housing that she has helped (Please turn to page 11)

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Larchmont Chronicle

Supervisor

(Continued from page 10) create, that is “architecturally award-winning, appropriately scaled... “Everyone believes there needs to be more housing,” she added. As to where to build that housing, she pointed to “commercial corridors … existing retail buildings” that are going underused. The money is there — from Measure

MARCH 2022

H and Prop HHH — and also from untapped state resources, she told us. As to rising crime, “We need to invest in solutions that make sense,” such as allowing police officers and social service workers to do the jobs for which they are uniquely trained. “We need to set up our law enforcement to succeed” and prioritize early intervention and systems of care, she added. As a former transportation

commissioner, her priorities include building out our transportation infrastructure, in time for the 2028 Olympics. “How wonderful it was to welcome people to Inglewood during the Super Bowl,” she exclaimed. She also said we have to focus on providing everyday trips to get people to their jobs and medical services. The economy is another priority. “It’s good to see businesses back up and running,”

SECTION TWO

she said, and she proudly stated that West Hollywood was named the most businessfriendly city in the county when she served as mayor. If elected, she’d work to create more pockets that are neighborhood-serving and pedestrian-friendly. Judging from a recent visit with Randy Paskal, one of the owners of the recently reopened Center for Yoga, she cited Larchmont, where the energy is also more

2022 state redistricting has many complications

By John Welborne Although the new state maps (for U.S. Congress, and the following state bodies: Senate, Assembly and Board of Equalization) are final, their effective dates present complications. Although you may be voting in June (and, maybe, November) for a candidate in a new district of which you now are a part . . . you will continue to be represented until around the end of the year by the same person who has been representing you before the new districts maps were approved. Confusing? Of course! The California Redistricting Commission (CRC) recently has tried to explain this in layperson’s terms on its website: (bit.ly/3snWbZK). Here is a distillation of that explanation:

• When do new maps go into effect? The state Constitution says that the final maps are deemed to have been “enacted” on the date of their certification to the Secretary of State (12/27/2021). The maps and the new district boundaries don’t actually become “operative” until the 2022 primary and general elections. The new boundaries are used for those elections, but the new districts don’t actually “exist” until after the 2022 general election is completed. • Do I have a new representative? The current boundaries still apply for purposes of determining who are the constituents of the various

elected officials. In other words, until the 2022 general election / inauguration, constituents are still represented by the representative of their old / existing district, and not by the existing representative of the new district in which they might find themselves following the 2022 election. For examples, see the dates when the currentlyserving officials in and around the Miracle Mile no longer will represent their existing districts — listed on Page 18 of the Miracle Mile section (Section 3 of this March issue). • Where can I see final (new) maps? Final maps can be found on the CRC website,

under the “Final Maps” tab: https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org/final_maps Use the map viewer at the bottom of the same page to view your district and zoom in and out of your community. Start by entering an address or ZIP Code in the search box. • Where can I see current maps? The current maps (approved in 2011) can be viewed using the map viewer under the “Data” tab on the CRC website. Once you enter an address or ZIP Code, simply select “current day” maps in the drop-down menu for the preferred map type (Congress, Senate, Assembly, Board of Equalization). https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org/map_viewer

upbeat, she told us. Rather than have state overlords direct us at the local level, she aims to work up close, with neighborhoods. “I am the only local running. I will be the champion for your neighborhood.” She said that is not just a campaign slogan; it’s how she’s managed West Hollywood. “I bring people to the table. I will rely on local leaders …” Building better neighborhoods “is not a one-size-fits-all that disregards what makes our communities unique and special.” While she values responsible development and growth, no one “wants to hear that their neighborhoods will be demolished.” Lindsey Horvath is endorsed by Los Angeles County Supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Janice Hahn and Mayor Eric Garcetti. For a complete list, visit lindseyhorvath.com Henry Stern, State Senator, 27th District, Malibu and the western part of the San Fernando Valley Senator Henry Stern is a sixth-generation Californian who grew up in the greater Los Angeles area and currently represents nearly one million residents of the 27th Senate District — ever since being (Please turn to page 13)

Larchmont Chronicle

MARCH 2022

SECTION TWO

Garden Club to host event on landscapes and climate March 14 By Billy Taylor The Los Angeles Garden Club (LAGC) is hosting a March 14 presentation in Griffith Park on the topic of regenerative landscapes and the climate crisis. The event is free and open to the public. Speakers Shawn Maestretti and Leigh Adams, both from the landscape consultancy firm Studio Petrichor, will challenge attendees to embrace real-life solutions,

accessible to homeowners and garden enthusiasts, in order to combat the growing climate crisis, according to event organizers. Creator of the talk series “Regenerative Landscapes and the Climate Crisis,” Maestretti is the principal of Studio Petrichor and has been designing thoughtful, engaging and environmentally sensible gardens since 2006. Adams is a consultant

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of vaccination and will be required to wear masks inside the auditorium. Organizers ask that anyone not feeling well on the day of the event to please stay home. For more information, visit losangelesgardenclub.com

Farmers Market

up your heels, from reggae to rock & roll. Classic Californian cars The Gilmore Heritage Auto Show will be back Sat., June 4 in its full glory, featuring close to 100 cars that exemplify classic California culture. This year’s theme is: A Tribute to American Royalty – a salute to Cadillacs, Imperials, Lincolns, Duesenbergs, Packards and other luxury vehicles. The Market comes alive for one of its oldest and most beloved traditions, the Fall Festival Sat., Oct. 22 and

(Continued from page 6)

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and horticultural interpreter at Studio Petrichor and previously worked at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens. The event will be held on Mon., March 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Griffith Park Visitor’s Center Auditorium, 4730 Crystal Springs Dr. (next to the Park Ranger Station). Light refreshments will be served. Attendees must show proof

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munity’s gathering place for celebrations, from St. Patrick’s Day to Fall Festival, and everything in between and beyond. We have something for everyone and look forward to sharing great times and memories with our customers.” St. Patrick’s Day Don’t forget to wear green on Thurs., March 17 and head over to the Market for its St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, which include feasting on Magee’s corned beef and cabbage and quenching your thirst with green beer from EB’s and Bar 326, while enjoying live music, including a strolling bagpiper. Summer Music on the Plaza will take place on Friday evenings from May 27 to August 26. A wide range of musical genres will inspire you to kick

Right: ARBORIST Shawn Maestretti will present on regenerative landscapes and their impact on climate change.

Sun., Oct. 23. Weekend-long events include live music, a petting zoo, crafts and a pieeating contest. A Hanukkah Celebration and Christmas festivities are planned for December. Additional details on these events and new calendar additions will be available in the coming weeks and months. For more information, visit farmersmarketla.com. (The schedule and events are subject to change and cancellation, Market management reminds us.)

Learn to grow spring vegetables for home gardens March 5 on Zoom Growing spring vegetables is on the menu at a workshop at the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden on Zoom Sat., March 5 from 10 a.m. to noon. To register, visit education@ arboretum.org or call 626-

821-4623. The price for the workshop is $25 for members and $35 for non-members.

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Supervisor

(Continued from page 11) elected a state legislator in November 2016. Now he is ready to take on the challenges being faced by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, he told us. “We have over-promised, and under-delivered,” Stern says of the current response by the County to address the issue of homelessness. “I’m reticent to give some magic plan to voters,” says Stern. “We have to be a lot more humble during campaign season. “I want to talk a lot less, and do a lot more,” he told us. A former educator and environmental attorney, Stern received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and earned his law degree at UC Berkeley. Stern’s first job as a lawyer was as a junior staff counsel to Rep. Henry Waxman during Waxman’s chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. From that experience, Stern says that he learned how Waxman’s approach to public service — focused not on power politics, but on smart policy, pursued with determination — can bridge longstanding divides and help people. In the California Senate, Stern has chaired the Natural Resources and Water Committee since 2018, where he has been working to bolster the state’s wildfire preparedness, and where he pushes to have the state address the climate change emergency. There are three big issues that Stern is ready to tackle if elected Supervisor: homelessness, housing and

public safety. “These are the top issues facing residents right now,” he said. On homelessness, Stern explains: “We’ve asked taxpayers to step up, but I don’t think that they’re getting results. People are starting to feel burned and distrustful. “The County has been avoiding accountability,” he added. Stern believes that everyone in Los Angeles has the right to live safely in the community: “But our streets are not safe,” he said. Citing a state auditor report on California’s mental-health system, Stern said that the system has nearly one billion dollars in taxpayer funds bottlenecked and that the problem is compounded by a vicious cycle of hospitalization and incarceration for un-housed Angelenos facing mental illness and addiction. “I don’t think it’s a wise strategy to make the [homelessness] services side wait for permanent supportive housing to be built. We need to deal with mental illness and drug issues on the street,” said Stern. The county also needs to do a better job of coordinating services, he said: “When there’s an issue, there’s no one to call. When you call LAHSA [the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority], for example, there’s nobody there to pick up the phone.” On affordable housing, Stern said that he wants to work towards a “more collective approach” to the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) quota, a state mandate that directs all California local authorities to plan for the housing needs of residents, regardless of income. “There is space to be building, and

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cheaper land to build on,” said Stern, who noted that “there is a false sense that if Malibu doesn’t find a way out of the housing crisis, then the solution is too hard.” On public safety, Stern believes that Los Angeles has been offered a false choice between safer streets and an anti-racist, restorative justice system. “We have to completely change the conversation in Los Angeles about public safety,” he told us. “There’s no reason that we should be trying to defund the police and the sheriff’s department,” said Stern. He believes that investing in alternatives to incarceration through drug courts, social work and street medicine should not mean that violent crime is without consequence. “There needs to be work done with the District Attorney’s Office,” said Stern, who admits that the current system “is not working.” “I think it’s progressive to not dismiss suspects of criminal misdemeanors, but to take that case up and then get them into treatment, if needed. Actually, compel them into that treatment.” See: stern4supervisor.com Jefﬁ Girgenti, business owner and equestrian Also in the race is Jeffi Girgenti, owner of a small business and who has lived for several decades in what has become the Third District. Her father was a police officer in the City of San Fernando. Girgenti supports expanding “proven” homeless programs, such as the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s HOST (Homeless Outreach Services Team), as well as reopening and utilizing existing facilities for the mentally ill. The homeless issue should be declared a local state of emergency, and we should end abuse of taxpayer dollars on

SECTION TWO

homeless housing, she states. In addition, criminals should be held accountable, she adds on her website. She advocates working with first responders under current laws, and she supports businesses in opposing campers and tents on private and public property. An equestrian and horse owner, she supports property rights, individuals’ rights to maintain their lifestyles,

low taxes and preventing overdevelopment. She is also a dog owner and is a proponent for the humane treatment of animals. Girgenti is endorsed by David Hernandez, chairman of the Los Angeles Hispanic Republican Club, Bishop Juan Carlos Mendez and Roy Burns, past president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs. See: jeffiforsupervisor.com

Koontz

“The hardware STore” formerly “Larchmont Hardware”

Shopping at Koontz Hardware (formerly Larchmont Hardware) is so much fun. It’s like a treasure hunt. Come in and see if you can find these things: The “Stud Buddy,” A new dry wall stud finder that is the world’s simplest and a lot cheaper than other stud finders. “Frog Tape.” The most advanced tape to give you absolutely sharp paint lines with no color bleed. You can use them up to 21 days indoors. The “Curious Chef” real kitchen tools for kids. There are “Measuring and prepping kits,” “Cupcake and Decorating” kits, “Cookie” kits, even “Pizza” kits. Think of the fun you can have shopping here! Larchmont customers be sure to say “Hello.”

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LC608

Larchmont Chronicle

MARCH 2022

SECTION TWO

POLICE BEAT

Burglaries increase: Lock and secure your home at all times

OLYMPIC DIVISION Senior Lead Officer Joe Pelayo warned the Chronicle last month of an increase in residential burglaries in the Windsor Square and Larchmont Village areas. “Please remind the community to lock and secure their homes and property when they leave for the day,” he told us. ROBBERIES: A victim was sitting on the front steps of his home on the 600 block of S. St. Andrews Pl. when a suspect approached, pointing a handgun, and ordered the victim inside his home, where he was robbed of his wallet and mobile phone on Feb. 9 at 1:20 a.m. A female victim arrived home on the 700 block of S. Gramercy Pl. and pulled her vehicle into her driveway. At the same time, a vehi-

OLYMPIC DIVISION

WILSHIRE DIVISION

Furnished by Senior Lead Officer Joseph Pelayo

Furnished by Senior Lead Officer Dave Cordova

213-793-0709 31762@lapd.lacity.org Twitter: @lapdolympic

213-793-0650 31646@lapd.lacity.org Twitter: @lapdwilshire

cle arrived and two suspects jumped out and approached the victim’s vehicle, pointing a handgun at the victim, who, in fear, quickly reversed her vehicle, causing the two suspects to jump back into their vehicle and flee on Feb. 14 at 12:05 a.m. BURGLARIES: A suspect jumped the fence and entered a home on the 300 block of Lorraine Blvd. while the home was occupied. The female victim, in fear, contacted police, who

found the suspect still located inside the home when they arrived on Feb. 5 at 10:45 p.m. Three bicycles were stolen and a door damaged after a suspect broke into the locked garage door of a home on the 100 block of N. Van Ness Ave. on Feb. 5 between 2:30 and 3 a.m. Jewelry and a mobile phone were stolen from inside a home after a suspect entered through an unlocked front door on the 200 block of N. Wilton Pl. on

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an unlocked window on Feb. 9 between 11:30 a.m and 1 p.m. A suspect pushed in a window AC unit at a home located on the corner of Rosewood and N. St. Andrews Pl. That created access for the suspect to enter the residence and steal jewelry on Feb. 18 at 2:30 p.m. WILSHIRE DIVISION ROBBERIES: A victim was walking on the 100 block of S. Sycamore Ave. when a suspect approached, pointing a handgun and demanding the victim’s belongings, which included a wallet and mobile phone on Feb. 1 at 11 p.m. A suspect approached a victim on the 800 block of Seward St. while pointing a handgun at the victim, demanding his belongings. The victim surrendered his mobile phone, and the suspect fled on Feb. 1 at 8:50 p.m.

Griffith Park lion sparks a movement

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Feb. 5 at 10:20 a.m. More than $30,000 in cash and jewelry was stolen from a home on the 200 block of N. Wilton Pl. after a suspect entered through an unlocked back door. The victim arrived home during the incident and confronted the suspect, who fled, on Feb. 5 at 10:20 a.m. Money was among the items stolen from inside a home in the 200 block of S. Gramercy Pl. after a suspect cut the victim’s side door lock and entered the residence, also removing electrical wiring from a panel in the home between Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. and Feb. 9 at 7 a.m. More than $150,000 in cash and a laptop was stolen from inside a home on the 700 block of S. Norton Ave. after a suspect removed a window screen and entered through

By Suzan Filipek Hollywood’s own mountain lion, P-22, last month celebrated a decade of stardom roaming in the great urban wilderness of Griffith Park. Friends of Griffith Park (FoGP) is celebrating the tenyear anniversary since P-22 was discovered by rolling out a comprehensive chronicle of the mountain lion’s life on the group’s website at friendsofgriffithpark.org/p-22/

PLOTKE

Plumbing

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Known as the Brad Pitt of mountain lions, P-22 was discovered accidentally as part of the Griffith Park Wildlife Connectivity Study. Cameras were placed around the park to document wildlife such as coyotes, bobcats, mule deer and an occasional gray fox. Reviewing the camera’s SD memory cards was a timeconsuming process, so images were not looked at immediately when memory cards were swapped out of the cameras. Years earlier, there had been a handful of alleged mountain lion sightings in Griffith Park but nothing had been officially documented. Everything changed during the first week of March 2012 when the SD memory card with the now-famous initial image

Family-Run

P-22 IS A POSTER LION for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing.

of P-22 was reviewed and the mountain lion of Griffith Park was discovered. The image’s date and time stamp: “February 12, 2012, 9:15 p.m.” The photo proved that a mountain lion was living in Griffith Park, one of the largest urban parks in North America, in the center of Los Angeles. (Please turn to page 15)

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Larchmont Chronicle

MARCH 2022

SECTION TWO

Time – it’s important in life and in cards — use it wisely! Out of curiosity, I looked for the definition of the word “time.” Time is defined as the continued progress of events in apparent irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. Rather confusing, I thought, but we know that time is very important in our lives.

In the game of poker, time is one of our most widely used standing terms alongside many other keywords — such as bet, call, raise, reraise, fold, deception, outs, pot odds, card odds, positive expectation, check-raise, slow-play, money management and tells. Let’s take a quick look at all the ways you may use

Poker for All by

George Epstein your time while playing poker. Starting with your drive

Say ‘Hi!’ in our little neighborhood It’s a brand new month so we’ve got a brand new tiny, easy, zero-calorie challenge to readers of the Larchmont Chronicle. A tiny challenge to make our community just one endorphin-boost better. This month’s challenge: Just say “hi.” Just say “hi” to a neighbor! Don’t worry, introverts — I’m not challenging you to have a whole darn conversation. That would be A Socially Significant Challenge; this is A Tiny Challenge. But just say “hi” to a neighbor when you pass him or her or them on the street or in the lobby of your apartment building. And don’t belabor the moment: just that one noresponse-required word. “Hi” — not “Hi, how are you today?” or “Hi, going shopping, huh?”

P-22

A Tiny Challenge with

Eric Cunningham We’re all private people, but a short greeting is just enough to remind people that we’re all part of a neighborhood, full of people who recognize that other people exist. Yes, the full meaning of the greeting is “Hi, you exist.” Though that is implied, you don’t have to add the “you exist” part. It doesn’t even have to be “hi.” It can be “hey” or “hello” or any of its equivalents. Something a bit more than a smile-and-eyebrow raise combo — but much less than a ’90s “Whazzzaaaaaappp?”

(Save your Whazzzaaaaaappps for close friends and loved ones.) Maybe you’re already a person that says “hi” to neighbors, and you’re thinking this challenge doesn’t apply to you. Fine then. Just say “hi” to someone else! A stranger walking a dog, the USPS deliverer, someone driving the same car as you. Just a little wave through the windshield like, “Yeah, you got a Mini Countryman with an out-ofcharacter racing stripe down the middle; me too!” Los Angeles is a big city in a giant state in a huge country. But Larchmont is a little neighborhood, and saying “hi” to someone could make it feel a bit smaller. And that’s what a Tiny Challenge is for. Just say hi! Hi! Hello! Hey! That’s all. OK. Goodbye!

to the casino, you review in your mind the key strategies and tactics and wish yourself good luck. That all takes time — valuable time, but it’s worth the effort to refresh your skills. At the casino, here are some of the time-related events you are likely to encounter: Signing up to play your favorite game, there are only three other players before you. It won’t be a long wait. Use that waiting time to your benefit: Unobtrusively stand behind a $4 to $8 limit game and observe how they play their hands. What are their traits? Any obvious tells? Who has lots of chips; who is low in chips? Time allowing, you may be able to do the same at one or two other tables. Certainly, using your time to better “know” your opponents will add to your edge over them. While involved in a hand, if you are slow in acting, someone may shout “Time!” at you. If you take too long as you consider the information you have before acting, your hand may be declared dead (out of play) and the chips you had already put into the pot may be lost to you. You can avoid that by calmly announcing “time” and will usually be allowed a bit more time with-

out penalty. You can leave the table at any time for a break to go to the restroom or enjoy a fast meal, but if you are away for too long a time, the floor person may remove your chips and other belongings. You will need to redeem them and then start again at a new table — and have to wait a time. Time is important also to the casino and the dealers. The casino takes a rake after every hand played, and the dealer is usually tipped by the winner. You may find dealers rushing the game along in order to increase the house’s rake and the dealer’s tips — and your cost to play. Time to go home. Cashing in your chips at the cage, you are pleased to be going home a winner — well worth your time. And you look forward to the next time. Life/poker quotes of the month “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” Leo Tolstoy “War and Peace” “They always say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” Andy Warhol

(Continued from page 14)

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“P-22’s story is legendary because it’s a relatable one of survival and resilience. He is an unprecedented case study of puma adaptation to extremely urbanized habitat. None of us expected to find a mountain lion in Griffith Park, which we thought was way too disconnected from the nearest mountain lion populations by freeways and urbanization. We originally assumed maybe he was only passing through, but now, 10 years later, it seems that P-22 is here to stay,” said Miguel Ordeñana, FoGP board member. Like other famous celebrities, P-22 has also become symbolic of a groundbreaking movement. He has been instrumental in the National Wildlife Federation’s (NWF) campaign to build the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing above eight lanes of traffic on the busy 101 Freeway in Agoura, the first such animal overpass in this region. Many other urban areas have similar vegetated freeway overpasses and underpasses that facilitate safe wildlife movement, aiding with genetic mixing of species and permitting larger territories for animals like mountain lions. Critical to the Santa Monica Mountains’ puma survival, the project kicked off in 2014, and it is set to start construction soon and be complete in 2023.

Please call Mike at 323-661-9639

SECTION TWO

WOODWARD REAL ESTATE

MARCH 2022

Larchmont Chronicle