LC Real Estate 10 2023

Initial public comment is open through Mon., Oct. 2, on proposed 42-story development.

BROOKSIDE Face painting, a dessert contest and more were at the 41st annual event.

New flavors and custom paper goods come to the Boulevard

By Casey Russell

Shorthand, the new-to-theBoulevard boutique stationery store at 126 N. Larchmont Blvd., has opened for business. Fernanda Izidorio, a Shorthand sales associate, told us there have been a lot of people coming in to check out the beautiful paper goods.

The store carries desk supplies, pens, custom stationery, notebooks and wrapping paper. It also has a wide array of greeting cards — designed by owner Rosanna Kvernmo — that are printed at Shorthand’s Highland Park location. So far, Kvernmo told us, the Larchmont store’s biggest sellers are its pens and custom notebooks.

Everything that says Shorthand on it is made by hand, but the store also imports Japanese and European stationery and desk supplies. “My litmus test is: for the love of your desk,” said Kvernmo.

The owner says she looks for aesthetically pleasing, functional tools. “I want to sell things that people are actually going to use and that will make their lives easier.”

When asked why Larchmont was chosen as the home for her second store, Kvernmo told us she had been looking for a place that had community vibrancy. Larchmont, she said,

has that “times a thousand!”

New food flavors will soon abound at Suá, 144 N. Larchmont Blvd. The Sichuan superette plans to open in late October. When we spoke recently with Jing Gao, an owner of the establishment, she said, “We are so excited to be bringing delicious, Sichuan flavors in a convenient, healthy, grab-and-go format to this neighborhood we love.”

Replacing Vernetti restaurant at 225 N. Larchmont Blvd., Cosimo Mammoliti and Shereen Arazm’s new Italian eatery La Bettola di Terroni is scheduled to open its doors in the first weeks of October.

Like the owners’ Terroni on

Beverly Boulevard, this restaurant will serve southern Italian food. While still serving Terroni classics, it will have more seafood on the menu. The menu will be curated by Sicilian head chef Costantino Guzzo.

Mammoliti is the creator of the Terroni brand, and the restaurants in the group use his family’s recipes. But Arazm is the one who pushed to gain this location.

“I really fought for the space to be ours,” said Arazm. Vernetti’s owner, Steve Vernetti, had decided he wanted the location to go to a neighborhood person and to remain an Italian restaurant. “Terroni is a neighborhood brand,” said Arazm, who has lived in Hancock Park for years. “I was determined that it had to be us in the space. My sister is one of the managers, and I can walk to work,” she said.

The duo is looking forward to doing business on the Boulevard. “We have a full liquor license, so we will be the only place on Larchmont where you’ll be able to have a martini,” said Arazm. The name La Bettola di Terroni is derived from the Latin word bevettola, which means “a place where you can drink.”

Anticipation is high for Cookbook Market at 310 N.

Larchmont Blvd. to begin doing business. Representatives told us they expect to open soon.

Also, we spoke recently with Caren Ho, vice president of marketing for the company bringing Larchmont Jewelers to the neighborhood at 119

N. Larchmont Blvd. (See our comprehensive article about the new store in the Chronicle’s June 2023 issue.) She told us they had expected to open in October but ran into some minor remodeling disruptions. “I think we’ll probably open at the end of November,” Ho said.

at Shorthand browse the store’s colorful selection of paper goods.

BETTOLA DI TERRONI is preparing to open in the former Vernetti restaurant space.

OWNER Rosanna Kvernmo

(left) with Sasha Siefman at Shorthand’s opening soirée.

Photo by Caroline Tracy

Dining and meeting neighbors at annual ‘Taste of Larchmont’

By John Welborne

Diners enjoyed the summer breeze while visiting with new and old friends and sampling a variety of food and drinks at HopeNet’s 31st annual Taste of Larchmont on Sept. 18.

Upon entering under a colorful balloon arch by the Larchmont Boulevard clock tower, guests picked up their passports to 19 participating eateries on the Boulevard. Money raised supports nearly a dozen local food pantries. To learn more, visit hope-net.org.

STROLLING Larchmont were (from left) Martha Welborne with Adam, Leighton and Landry Wiese, and baby Joni in the buggy. PATTI CARROLL ran the raffle and silent auction.

DINERS lined up for Kiku Sushi.

TASTE OF LARCHMONT sponsors were listed on a banner adjacent to the balloon arch entrance to the party HQ in the parking lot.

“PAVILION” in the parking lot was party central.

JUNE AHN checked in passport holders at Muraya. Jane Kwak is at right.

NORA HOUNDALAS (far left) oversaw Le Petit Greek’s Taste of Larchmont offerings with (left to right) Nicholas and Dimitri Houndalas, Jeannine Yates and Peter Aburto.

Celebrate Halloween and our local hotbed of ‘haunted houses’

By Brian Curran

It’s that time of year again, when our lawns, trees and houses are invaded by a ghoulish army of pumpkins, ghosts, graveyards and monsters! I have to confess I am a bit of a Halloween fanatic, and our house goes full Haunted Mansion mode for the month of October. But did you know that Halloween has become a major event for historic sites throughout Los Angeles and a vital source of their income and support?

During the month of October, many of Los Angeles’ historic sites become a hotbed of haunted houses and hayrides, vampiric operas and Día de Los Muertos altars attracting thousands of revelers.

Part of what drew me to historic preservation were illustrations in books of crumbling “haunted” Victorian mansions and desolate plantations of the South, where I grew up. In her 2005 article “Better For Haunts,” for the Smithsonian Institution’s

On Preservation by Brian Curran

American Art magazine, Sarah Burns explored this link between the haunted house and Victorian architecture. She traced how works from artists like Edward Hopper and Charles E. Burchfield, who painted lonely and abandoned Victorian houses, were seized upon by modernizers to label architectural fancies of the Victorian era as “ugly, excessive, and un-American” and “a symbol of past corruption still haunting the present.” Such sentiments led to the obliteration of a great deal of Victorian architecture in neighborhoods such as Bunker Hill in Downtown Los Angeles.

The ideas also bled into popular culture with cinematic architecture, from the Amberson Mansion in Orson Wells’ “The Magnificent Ambersons” (1942) to Alfred Hitchcock’s Bates House in “Psycho” (1960) and even to lighthearted but still decayed and creepy homes of “The Adams Family” (1964) and “The Munsters” (1964). Two of the more recent famous horror houses are our neighbors, such as The Rosenheim Mansion at 1120 Westchester Pl., aka “The Murder House” of the series “American Horror Story” (2011) in Country Club Park, and the Lambert House, used in the movie “Insidious” (2010), at 4350 Victoria Park

Dr. in Victoria Park. Nothing seems to beat the Victorian for a sense of the macabre.

Today such “haunted” architecture can even be a selling point, whether it be a real estate transaction or an historic attraction. Kat

Von D’s blood-red gothicized 1896 Van Nuys mansion recently found the perfect buyer when it sold to someone who truly appreciates the draw of the ghoulish delights — the owner of Hollywood Forever Cemetery. The cemetery itself is partly supported by tours and events such as its annual Día de Los Muertos event.

So if you are an advocate of historic preservation, remember when you are celebrating the spooky season, be it scary or child-friendly, to check out the offerings of these historic sites so you can show your support!

Hollywood Forever Cemetery: Día y Noche de Los Muertos, the annual crosscultural celebration of the Mexican traditional Day of the Dead. Costumes and decorated altars galore! Oct. 28, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 6000 Santa Monica Blvd.

Immanuel Presbyterian Church: Candlelight Koreatown, a Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics. Classical concert of the spookiest Halloween-inspired music played under the glow of flickering candlelight. Oct. 26, 6:30 p.m., and Oct. 27, 9 p.m. 3300 Wilshire Blvd.

Grauman’s Chinese Theater: Screamfest is the largest and longest-running horror film festival in the United States. Based in Hollywood

and considered the “Sundance of Horror,” the festival premieres and showcases new work from American and international independent horror filmmakers. Oct. 10 through 19. 6925 Hollywood Blvd.

Wilshire Park HPOZ: Wilshire Park Halloween Haunt, an annual family- friendly Halloween block party put on by the Wilshire Park Association. On S. Bronson Ave. (between Wilshire Blvd. and 8th St.) Oct. 28, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The Montalban Theater: The Vampire Circus, an extraordinary, immersive theater experience blending mystery, terror and exhilaration with breathtaking acrobatics and captivating characters. It offers fear, joy, laughter and wonder, taking audiences on a phenomenal ride through the world of vampires and the Underworld. Sept. 30 to Oct. 1 and Oct. 28 to 30. thevampirecircusexperience.com. 1615 Vine Street.

Ovation Hollywood: Icons of Darkness is not a historic place but the historic collection of Hancock Park collector Rich Correll, who — over 50 years — has amassed the world’s most extensive collection of sci-fi, fantasy and horror movie memorabilia. Daily through Dec. 6801 Hollywood Blvd.

Los Angeles Theater: Angel of Light. Prepare to embark on a thrilling experience where ancient curses, sonic secrets and demonic possession intertwine. Old Hollywood comes alive for this live immersive walk-through horror

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Development moves forward with city notice, public comment

By Suzan Filipek

Finally, the 42-story Mirabel project is gaining some momentum.

It’s been nine years since Wally Marks first brought to the Miracle Mile his vision for the skyscraper proposed at 5411 Wilshire Blvd.

The City Planning Dept. released a Notice of Preparation (NOP) for the 348-unit development last month.

The NOP is the initial step in the lengthy city process that starts the ball rolling on the Draft Environmental Impact Report process, Marks told us in a phone interview last month.

Public comment on the project is open through Mon., Oct 2. Mail comments directly to Jason McCrea, City of Los Angeles, Dept. of City Planning, 221 N. Figueroa St., Room 1350, Los Angeles, Calif. 90012, or email jason. mccrea@lacity.org.

The four-page study, released Aug. 31, provides the public, nearby residents, property owners and others with information on the project and its potential environmental effects.

The project, at 5401-5425 Wilshire Blvd., will include 29 units set aside for very low-income households, 12,821

square feet of ground floor commercial space and 475 parking spaces.

Marks has designed the $500 million project with the nearby subway stations — now completing construction under La Brea and Fairfax avenues — in mind. Many younger people today don’t want to own a car, he notes.

“I’m hopefully going to be able to come up with ideas that incite a dazzling urbanite to rent my cars or use the

bus,” he said. He plans to have car rentals on the site for tenants as well as an automated, three-level, underground garage modeled after one at his Helms Bakery property on Venice Boulevard. And the location can’t be beat, he says. Besides walking to nearby museums, tenants will be able “to get to Koreatown and the Broad and the Hammer all without traffic. It’s great to be in the middle of the city.”

He also praises the Keating Architecture tower design, which features a glass exterior with a curvilinear form and a rooftop deck and common open space above a parking podium.

The façade of the historic 1936 Streamline Moderne Sontag Drug Store building at the corner of Wilshire and Cloverdale Avenue will be preserved.

Marks expects the city to release the Draft Environ-

mental Impact Report this coming spring, with community hearings to follow. If the Final EIR is approved by the city in 2025, the Mirabel could open in 2028 — in time for the city’s Summer Olympics, Marks says. His Miracle Mile roots go way back. His grandfather was the broker who convinced May Co. department store offiicials to open a store on Wilshire Blvd. back in 1939. “They (Please turn to Page 13)

THE 42-STORY MIRABEL will include 348 residential units and 12,821 square feet of ground floor commerical space. The façade of the historic Sontag Drug Store building will be preserved.

Consuls general homes on tour Nov. 4 with the WSHPHS

The Windsor Square-Hancock Park Historical Society (WSHPHS) will showcase the homes of consuls general and other landmark estates on Sat., Nov. 4, from noon to 4 p.m.

The tour includes a visit to the beautiful homes and gardens, as well as refreshments and a silent auction. Society

President Richard Battaglia stated that attendees will have the opportunity to see treasures and interiors that are rarely seen by the public.  Fire stations and schools among beneficiaries

Proceeds from the event will go towards local fire stations, schools and libraries for landscaping projects. The Historical Society is also currently planning to beautify the medians at the intersection of Rossmore Avenue and Beverly Boulevard.

The committee members involved in this project include Bret Parsons, Joseph Guidera, Marlene Zweig, Judy Zeller, Beate McDermott, Kelly Montalvo, Debbie Alpers, Joyce Kleifield and June Bilgore.

If you’re interested in attending the event, the cost is $65 for Historical Society members and $85 for non-members. Tickets can be purchased on the day of the event at Fourth Street and Windsor Boulevard, or in advance at wshphs.com.

Former ‘bad boy’ to speak at Chevalier’s Books

By Casey Russell Andy Romanoff, author of

a new book called “Stories I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You,” has lived in Larchmont Village for nearly 40 years. Before moving to this area, he lived, in his words, “a pretty wild life.”

In 2015, Romanoff started writing about his youthful adventures and putting his tales into the world via various media outlets. “It’s fun to write about being one of those [wild] guys if you’re no longer one of them,” said Romanoff when we spoke.

He enjoyed writing about individual moments from his life, but he told us he never thought he had a book in him. Both Romanoff’s wife and his daughter are authors, so he

was well aware of the work involved in writing a book.

Several years passed, and Romanoff found that he had written close to 100 stories. The wordsmith realized he had unwittingly started to write a book.

A friend connected him to editor Amy Bookman and, together, they began figuring out how to create a timeline and framework for the numerous stories. A book was born.

Romanoff’s son, Jordan, had experience in the publishing world, having once worked at Taschen, the well-established publishing company. Jordan produced the cover and book design for his 81-year-old father. The book came out in the spring of this year.

“Stories I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You” recounts Romanoff’s early years in the ’60s and ’70s, when he would hang out on street corners waiting for something to happen.

Readers vicariously experience Romanoff’s many adventures, like stealing mo-

torcycles, getting kicked out of five high schools and living at a legendary commune called The Hog Farm.

But Romanoff also takes readers through his realization of wanting more for himself. He includes stories of his time in the film business, where he found himself pioneering remote-operated cranes in movies. He worked with such names as Steven Spielberg and Hal Ashby.

“Stories I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You” is written with an octogenarian’s knowledge and hard-won wisdom about his wild youthful adventures, his transition to career success and the peace this former bad boy found with family and friends.

Romanoff will read from his book at Chevalier’s Books, 133 N. Larchmont Blvd., on Tues., Oct 5, at 6 p.m.

Hancock Park Homeowners annual meeting is Oct. 16

Hancock Park Homeowners Association annual meeting is scheduled for Mon., Oct.

16, at 6 p.m., on Zoom. For information visit hancockparkhomeownersassociation.org.

Real Estate Sales*

Single-family homes

CONGRESSMAN Adam Schiff (at right) discussed his recent book with interviewer Richard Drooyan at Chevalier’s Books on Sep. 3. The store’s co-owner, Darryl Holter, is at left.

Photo by Gary Leonard

ROMANOFF’S “Stories I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You.”

SOLD: This home at 330 S. Windsor Blvd. in Windsor Square sold for $5,900,000 in August.

‘Major issues’ surface at TV City development, opponents say

By Suzan Filipek

A document setting forth “several egregious issues” for an expansion project at Television City at Fairfax Avenue and Beverly Boulevard was recently unearthed by people opposed to the project.

The 46-page TVC 2050 proposed Specific Plan “rewrites” height limits in the municipal code, includes a maximum of 10 liquor licenses and would prevent the public from appealing the project.

“They’re not following the rules,” Shelley Wagers and Danielle Peters, co-chairs of Neighbors for Responsible TVC Development, told us. The developer, Hackman Capital Partners, “has made a very big point of [building] a 21st century studio, when in fact the Specific Plan leaves the door very, very wide open to many other uses,” the cochairs added.

Mega-large in scope, if approved, the TVC 2050 development would be nearly 1.875 million square feet of new space on the Television City property.

The City Planning Dept. and the developer maintain that the developer-suggested draft Specific Plan has been in the case file all along and available to the public.

Yet, it’s curious that even a prominent Los Angeles law firm could not find the proposed Specific Plan, Wagers and Peters said.

“There is absolutely no clarity as to what the actual project is,” the attorney at Latham & Watkins LLP wrote in a Sept. 13, 2022 letter to the Los Angeles City Planning Dept. The law firm represents The Grove.

The attorney’s letter was among more than 400 comment letters submitted last year when the city circulated the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for TVC 2050 for public review.

“The DEIR makes clear that the project is essentially the establishment of a Specific Plan, but the Specific Plan is not included in the DEIR,” the Latham & Watkins letter continued.

The letter’s author did receive the newly discovered materials on Aug. 28, 2023, after a second request was made to the Planning Dept. under the California Public Records Act.

Hackman Capital says: Hackman Capital Partners responded in an email that “as part of the entitlement process, a draft specific plan was submitted to the Department

of City Planning in 2021. Since that time, the draft specific plan has continued to be refined concurrently with the environmental review process to allow comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) to be reflected in the updated draft specific plan ordinance, including giving all members of the community the right to appeal. It should be noted that all versions of the draft specific plan are consistent with the application materials

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Watts Towers celebrates its colorful history

By Casey Russell

For 33 years, starting in 1921, Italian immigrant Sabato “Simon” Rodia worked on his masterpiece, “Nuestro Pueblo” (Our Town), known internationally as the “Watts Towers.”

The structure consists of 17 sculptures made out of steel, mortar and mosaic tiles. This fall, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs will honor the 102-year history of this beloved artwork and its site, the artist’s original residential property in Watts, which now is an arts center.

The 41st annual Watts Towers Day of the Drum Festival

on Sat., Sept. 30, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., will celebrate percussion and its role in society.

The 46th annual Simon Rodia Watts Towers Jazz Festival on Sun., Oct. 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., will serenade visitors with jazz, gospel and blues.

Admission is free to both events, which will take place at the Watts Towers Arts Center Campus, 1727 East 107th St. Food vendors will be onsite, cultural performances will abound, and there will be educational arts opportunities for young people.

For more information, go to wattstowers.org or call 213-847-4646.

DEVELOPER FOR THE PROJECT says it plans to continue a robust community outreach program. Above, a rendering of part of the Hackman Capital Partners’ TVC 2050 proposal.

WATTS TOWERS are still standing strong in the heart of Watts.

Photo courtesy of Dept. of Cultural Affairs City of Los Angeles

Time for

a

By Suzan Filipek

relaxing bath at Beverly Hot Springs, but not for long

Just as the Chronicle’s September issue was heading to press, the developer of a proposed seven-story building on Beverly Boulevard pulled the plug and cancelled the project.

If that project were to have proceeded, it would have capped artesian well water that bubbles up from deep below the Beverly Hot Springs Spa — the last natural hot springs in the city and one of the first Korean spas in Los Angeles. All about one mile east of Larchmont Village.

The City of Los Angeles Dept. of City Planning terminated all processing relating to that project in response to the developer’s Aug. 22 letter requesting withdrawal of its application.

While spa enthusiasts, including Teresa Burkett Bourgoise, a leading opponent of the proposal to demolish the Beverly Hot Springs, were relieved with the developer’s withdrawal, the good feelings did not last, Burkett Bourgoise told us in mid-September.

“Our enthusiasm about the developers pulling out was tempered quickly by the realization that yet another entity could emerge with an equally bad idea. It looks like we can

expect a prolonged course of action to keep the springs safe,” Burkett Bourgoise said.

The proposed sevenstory, 101-unit multi-family apartment building had many devoted spa-goers on edge because the design did nothing to incorporate a spa.

The springs would have been capped in connection with the project proposed by Century City-based Manhattan West Real Estate LLC. The project, called Oxford Apartments, was on Beverly Boulevard.

Warm alkaline waters that bubble up from an artesian well deep underground have refreshed and relaxed area residents and celebrities here for decades.

Many spa guests were caught off guard about the pending closure to make way for the proposed development, including Burkett Bourgoise, who became a “reluctant activist” upon hearing the news.

She and others quickly took action; they hired a lawyer and filed an appeal of the Planning Dept.’s approval.

While relieved with the latest developments, “We are moving forward with historic research and reaching out to historians about putting in an application for the springs to be a historical landmark.  That will

at least preserve the springs,” Burkett Bourgoise said.

Spa listing

The spa advocates’ fears may be justified. A posting on LoopNet, last updated Sept. 5, 2023, shows the property at 308 N. Oxford Ave. back on the market, with a price reduction, now offered for $10.5 million. The listing includes the spa and additional structures and parking, all on three parcels.

Owners Eddie Hugh and Yang Cha Huh took over the spa from Yang Cha’s parents, who built and opened the spa in the 1980s.

Besides losing the hot springs, spa devotees and others opposed the proposed development for its density, which would overpower the neighborhood. “It is like covering up the tar pits with a big box apartment building,” Burkett Bourgoise says in a post by Tracy Cook, a member of the Beverly Hot Springs Alliance.

“The hot springs and the spa are part of the bigger, richer story of Los Angeles that starts where a lot of LA tales begin, [with] Edward Doheny,” according to Cook. She was referring to Doheny’s legendary discovery of oil. She goes on to say some oil wildcatters hit something other

than the prized “black ooze,” which ultimately led to the local spa as well as many other hot springs.

As for the recent fight to save the Beverly Hot Springs, she writes: “The Alliance stepped up the battle as the September land use meeting approached.  Several in the group went to a local neighborhood council meeting and made the case with the attending City Council member (CD 13’s Hugo Soto-Martinez] to take on the cause.  He was resistant.  Fortunately, two days later, the developers pulled out of the project.   While this news is welcomed by those who care about Beverly Hot Springs, it is a temporary reprieve. We understand that we must do all we can now to protect the springs.  Much of that will come through the work for a historic preservation designation and community activism.  We also will need to exert pressure on elected officials who hide behind the process and shrug their shoulders with,  ‘Sorry, there is nothing I can do.’ This is hogwash.”

The Beverly Hot Springs is the only remaining of the many mineral baths that once dotted the city landscape, according to a Dec. 28, 2015, Los Angeles

Times article by Patt Morrison included in the appeal. The hot springs was discovered by oil drillers in the late 19th century, and it supplied water to residents before water mains were installed in this part of the city in 1915.

A May, 14, 1972, Los Angeles Times article by Terence M. Green recounts how the water was bottled and sold until World War II. In a 1972 interview with Grant K. MacCoon, a descendant of the 1910 land purchaser whose family still owned the property in the 1970s, MacCoon said the well then produced about 250,000 gallons of fresh water a day.

To read more, visit rancho-land.com/2023/08/27/ saving-beverly-hot-springs

Dinner for Linda Dishman Nov. 5

Linda Dishman, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Conservancy, is retiring from the organization after 31 years of leadership there. She will be honored on Sun., Nov. 5, beginning at 5 p.m., at a cocktails and hors d’oeuvre reception, followed by a sponsor dinner, at Vibiana, one of the Los Angeles landmarks she helped save. See: tinyurl. com/2h3rt2vw

Guest House: Over the garage has a 1BR & 1BA huge living room with pitch point ceiling, kitchen, laundry inside, patio with tree top view. Beautiful backyard with matured fruit trees, plum and fig. Brand new wall unit heating & air, brand new roof. Huge front & back yard, automatic remote control parking gate. Easy to show.

Guest House

Guest House

Brookside Block Party is back in business with food and fun

By Sondi Toll Sepenuk

On Sept. 17, the entire neighborhood showed up to welcome the triumphant return of the 41st annual Brookside Block Party. This year’s party took place on the 800 block of Muirfield Road. More than 300 people filled the street to eat, drink, socialize, play and enjoy each other’s company as families have done for four decades. A mariachi band welcomed guests at the check-in table, then neighbors had free rein to make use of the bounce house, water slide, obstacle course, face paint-

ALL ABOARD. Neighborhood children checked out the equipment from Los Angeles Fire Dept. local Station 29.

ENJOYING THE DAY were Reatha (center) and Owen Smith (right), their daughter Lisa (left), and Clare Shomer, in pink.

FACE PAINTING was among the many activities offered at the block party, which also included a dessert competition and watermelon-eating contest. Laura Prangley is at far left.

Brookside

(Continued from Page 10) ing and potluck, and many participated in the dessert competition and watermeloneating contest.

Summer-fun tunes

A DJ played summer-fun tunes while friendly canines strutted the asphalt runway and showed off their best doggie tricks, with the winners taking home prizes from Tailwaggers and a gift certificate to frame for the mantle.

Pinches Tacos and Mateo’s Paletas filled hungry bellies, offering tacos, rice, beans, corn-on-the-cob, condiments and churros. Each block was instructed to bring an assigned food item or beverage for the communal potluck, and neighbors did not disappoint. There were barrels of soft drinks and beer and wine on ice, along with cold juices for the little ones. Covering every inch of the communal table were treats and savories, including homemade cream cheese pinwheels with spinach and sun dried tomatoes, veggie bacon jalapeño poppers, lemon basil pasta salad, peanut butter chip cookies, chocolate cake, cheesecake and fruits.

Fire Station 29

From the local station on Wilshire Boulevard and Van Ness Avenue, Los Angeles Fire Dept. Ladder 29 fire trucks showed up to the delight and wonderment of the neighborhood children, who jumped aboard and played “firefighter for a day.” Local businesses, schools and homeowners who donated to the event included Met Him At A Bar, Matteo’s Ice Cream, Trejo’s Tacos, Larchmont Charter School, Louis the Loafer, St. James Episcopal School and the

Center for Yoga Larchmont,

others.

Brookside Neighborhood Association board member Loren Dunsworth was thrilled

with the turnout and all of the neighbors who showed up to pitch in, making the party a wildly successful return to normal.

Rare opportunity to live in Hancock Park ’s premiere full-service condominium building, the renowned Country Club Manor. One could be on the Champs Elysees, only with stunning golf course views and magnificent sunsets.

• Old world elegance abounds

• Impeccably maintained

• Bright, airy and delightful with views from all rooms

• Double-paned windows

• Formal dining and living room with hardwood floors

• Large master bedroom with sitting area plus two auxiliary bedrooms

• Two marble clad bathrooms: one full, and one 3/4 bath

• 2 parking spaces: one underground, one street level. Your choice to valet or self park

• Gym and in-ground spa

among many

DECKED OUT were Sylvie Garrigan (left) and friend; Above is Ryder Newmark.

FRIENDLY CANINES strutted the block, and some even took home prizes.

COMMUNAL TABLE offered an assortment of homemade sweet and savory foods.

Create Halloween treat boxes, listen to live music and dance

FAIRFAX LIBRARY

Toddlers

Story time: Sing songs and listen to stories at 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. every Wednesday.

Adults

Walk-in tutoring: Every Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. come for help with searching the internet, job resumes, applications and filling out forms.

All ages

Book Sale: Browse used books every Wednesday from noon to 4 p.m. All sales support the library branch.

FREMONT LIBRARY

Babies & Toddlers

Story time: Listen to stories every Wednesday, from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m.

All ages

Book Sale: Browse used books Fri., Oct. 6, and Sat., Oct. 7, from noon to 4 p.m. All sales support the library branch.

Eclipse viewing party: Come view the eclipse with free solar glasses and make a cyanotype print with the sun’s rays on Sat., Oct. 14,

Toddlers

Story time in the park: Bring a blanket and listen to stories and sing songs in Memorial Park each Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Preschool painters: On Mon., Oct. 30, at 11 a.m., visit the library for possibly messy painting.

Babies, Toddlers & Kids

Live music: Listen to a musician use literature as a jumping-off point for making music. Sing, dance and move to the songs on Mon., Oct. 16, from 11 a.m. to noon.

Kids & Teens

Drop-in tutoring with Steve: Need a refresher on some academics? Anyone in grades kindergarten to 12 is

welcome to stop by every Thursday, from 3 to 5 p.m., for one-onone assistance with any subject.

Reading to the rescue: Love dogs? Take this opportunity to read to a therapy dog on Wed., Oct. 11, from 4 to 5 p.m.

Spooky crafts: Stop by Sat., Oct. 28, at 11 a.m. to make some Halloween inspired crafts.

Teens

Game day: Enjoy some friendly competition with your peers on Thurs., Oct. 5, at 4 p.m. College search: Get help creating or narrowing your list of colleges on Sat., Oct. 7, from 11 a.m. to noon.

Perler bead creations: Create magnets and key chains with Perler beads on Thurs., Oct. 19, at 4 p.m.

Adults

B.Y.O. needle arts: Work on needlecrafts while sitting with others Mondays, from 1 to 3 p.m.

Art class: Paint and color every Wednesday at 3 p.m.

Book club: Meet on Fri., Oct. 6, at 1 p.m., to discuss “The Spectacular,” by Fiona Davis. If you want to read ahead, November’s discussion will be about “The Nightingale Affair,” by Tim Mason.

All ages

Solar eclipse: Safely view the partial solar eclipse at 9 a.m. on Sat., Oct. 14. There will be related activities and glasses available.

Chess club: Play chess or learn how each Friday from 3 to 5 p.m.

Book sale: Support your library by purchasing your next favorite read every Tuesday from 12:30 to 5 p.m., and every Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m.

WILSHIRE LIBRARY

Kids, Tweens & Teens

Halloween treat boxes: Create a special container for the treats you’ll get on Oct. 31. All supplies provided on Thurs., Oct. 26, from 4 to 5 p.m.

Adults

Film noir screening: Author Jim Dawson introduces a screening of “The Ring” (1952), a film noir set in and around Los Angeles about a Mexican-American prize fighter, on Tues., Oct 17, at 6 p.m.

LIBRARIES

FAIRFAX

161 S. Gardner St. 323-936-6191

JOHN C. FREMONT 6121 Melrose Ave. 323-962-3521

MEMORIAL

4625 W. Olympic Blvd. 323-938-2732

WILSHIRE

149 N. St. Andrews Pl. 323-957-4550

HOURS

Mon. and Wed., 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Tues. and Thurs. noon to 8 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The library will be closed Mon., Oct. 9 in honor of Indigenous Peoples’ and Columbus Days.

POSTER for 1952’s “The Ring,” to show at Wilshire Library Oct. 17.

EXISTING TELEVISION CITY property at the southeast corner of Beverly and Fairfax is the subject of great controversy because of a developer’s “TVC 2050” up-zoning proposal. Imagery ©2023 Google, Imagery ©2023 CNES / Airbus, Maxar Technologies, U.S. Geological Survey, USDA/FPAC/GEO, Map data ©2023 Google

TVC 2050

(Continued from Page 8) and plans, Initial Study and Draft EIR. All of the elements of the specific plan that could have physical impacts on the environment were fully disclosed in the DEIR. The refined specific plan will be published along with the Final EIR.

“There will be no night clubs at TVC, and alcohol permits are common studio amenities.

“Alcohol sales, service and consumption are routinely regulated in specific plans, as seen in Paramount Studios Specific Plan and NBC Universal Specific Plan. The TVC Specific Plan includes this use to address studio needs and support neighborhood serving retail uses.

“Again, the TVC team is

On Preservation

(Continued from Page 4) experience which takes you on a journey of the macabre and suspenseful. Select dates and times Sept. and Oct. 615

S. Broadway.

Ace Hotel Theater: The Bride of Frankenstein. As this 1935 horror classic plays out larger than life on the silver screen, the magnificent musicians of the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, conducted by Jenny Wong, perform Franz Waxman’s groundbreaking original soundtrack score live. It’s the ultimate cinematic experience! Oct. 27 and 28, 8 p.m. 929 S. Broadway.

Walt Disney Concert Hall:

fully committed to maintaining a robust community outreach program, listening to and responding to community feedback throughout this process and beyond. As the process moves forward, we are committed to continuing to refine the draft specific plan to address community concerns.”

Neighbors for Responsible TVC Development say:

The opposition contends that the proposed Specific Plan has provisions that did not appear in the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR), the official document that formed the basis for public review. A great concern is that the proposal deprives the public of its customary right to appeal planning decisions regarding the project.

The newly discovered proposal replaces key definitions

Phantom of the Opera, starring Lon Chaney as Erik, the Phantom, in makeup he famously constructed for the role. The projection of the 1925 silent film will be accompanied by a live soundtrack performed by organist Clark Wilson. Oct. 31, 8 p.m. 111 S. Grand Ave.

Heritage Square Museum: Tour rescued Victorians dressed up in their funerary best while participating in a ghost host of Oct. events such as an Edgar Allan Poe Storytelling Event Oct. 7, The Magic Market Oct. 8, Ghost Tours Oct. 13, the Annual Mourning Faire Oct. 15, and Boo-ze, Bites & Frights Oct. 20 and 21. 3800 Homer St.

La Plaza de Cultura y Ar-

B Gaddy ElEctric

of the Los Angeles Municipal Code with definitions that understate the height and mass of the proposed development.

It includes 10 liquor licenses to serve alcohol until 2 a.m. — far more licenses than those used by standard studio operations and longer hours than those granted to neighboring restaurants, bars, and hotels.

It includes such uses as indoor / outdoor nightclubs and concerts featuring amplified sound, lights, and special effects.

When the Final EIR is made available — no date has been set — a new public comment process is expected to begin, and the project will be reviewed by the City Planning Commission, City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee and the full City Council.

tes: The Final Exorcism is a staged reading of the play by Josephina Lopez, directed by Yel de Leon. Día de Los Muertos Family Day is where you can explore the historical and cultural significance of Day of the Dead traditions. Enjoy live music and dance and art workshops in the historic heart of Los Angeles. Oct. 26, 6:30 p.m. and Oct. 29, 12 p.m. 501 N. Main Street.

Mirabel

(Continued from Page 5) wanted to go to Hollywood, but he said Wilshire will be a big street.”

And indeed it was, with several other department stores

to follow. It was, after all, the Miracle Mile. It’s had its ups and downs since those early days, Marks notes.

But he’s optimistic about the future.

“I think this is going to be a wonderful place to live.”

KEATING ARCHITECTURE designed a tower that features a glass exterior with a curvilinear form and a rooftop deck and common open space above a parking podium.

Plymouth party house cited; neighbors anxious for its closure

By Nona Sue Friedman

Neighbors of the home at 300 N. Plymouth Blvd. finally feel some relief. After neighbors’ efforts, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officially cited the house as a party house. This is the first step to close the house down for all future events.

For months, nearby residents have been terrorized on a weekly basis by the activities occurring illegally at the home that sits on the northeast corner of Beverly and Plymouth boulevards.

Stopping the parties

Starting in the spring of this year, eight residents organized themselves as the North Plymouth Coalition (NPC).

Over the last few months, as the seriousness of the party house problems increased, so did the activity of their group. There are now more than 50 members who communicate regularly via What’sApp.

NPC has assigned tasks to

members, coordinated calls to LAPD about disturbances and compiled pictures of the events and the aftermaths.

Members have even solicited help from someone who successfully stopped a party house in his neighborhood.

In the week leading up to the Sept. 15 bust, members of NPC trolled social media and notified LAPD of a party

scheduled to take place.

As evening descended, about 350 underage kids arrived at the location. The street was jammed with cars. Neighbors flooded LAPD’s non-emergency phone line to report the loud and disruptive party. Los Angeles’ finest’s black and whites arrived, and officers walked down the block with blazing flashlights telling the kids to leave, while a helicopter flew overhead. Neighbors were ecstatic.

Senior Lead Officer Joseph Pelayo spoke with the home’s resident manager, Errol Webber, outside of the property and cited the home for loud and unruly gatherings, under Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 41.58.1. He then affixed a citation to the front of the house.

While Pelayo was talking with Webber, a 911 call came through stating there was a stabbing at the location. With

some protest from Webber, LAPD went into the home to investigate. It turned out to be a fight and no weapons were found. Officers cleared the house and the street. All was quiet once again.

The following evening, Sept. 16, neighbors noticed trucks arriving with cases of alcohol and a DJ set up. Again, NPC went into action with calls to LAPD’s non-emergency line alerting them of the party prep. This time, since the house is on record as a party house, the police came and shut it down as guests were just beginning to arrive.

As Pelayo explained, “Once a home is in the system and identified as a party house, LAPD prioritizes the complaints. These citations also allow the city attorney’s office to build a

Armed man at Ebell during Kennedy speech

By Nona Sue Friedman

An armed man, posing as a phony U.S. Marshal, requested to be escorted to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on Sept. 15. Adrian Paul Aispuro, 44, was carrying a loaded gun, spare ammunition and a fake badge around his neck.

He appeared at a side entrance of the theater claiming to be part of Ken nedy’s private security team. Kennedy’s actual security detail detained Aispuro and called the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

LAPD arrived quickly to the site at South Lucerne Boulevard and Eighth Street and arrested Aispuro for carrying a concealed weapon, a felony charge. Aispuro is being held in jail in lieu of posting $35,000 bail.

Kennedy was at The Ebell giving a speech for his presidential campaign, honoring Hispanic Heritage Month. His father, Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated 1.8 miles east on Wilshire Boulevard at the Ambassador Hotel in 1968 after winning California’s Democrat primary presidential nomination.

case against the home owner.”

City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto is aware of the situation at 300 N. Plymouth Blvd. When asked about the home, her office responded, “We are unable to discuss potential enforcement actions against specific properties, however, party houses and their serious impacts to residents nearby and overall neighborhood quality of life are a top priority for this office.”

A representative from Council District 13 relayed a similar sentiment toward illegal party houses. “This office is against party houses. It is a clear violation of loud noise ordinances. The citing of this home is a good step, but not the end of the saga.”

The resident coalition realizes this is not the end, but is thankful for the swift actions of LAPD. They are hopeful that Feldstein Soto’s office will take further action against the home. Although it’s a horrific situation, NPC’s excellent communication and tenacious efforts seem to be paying off. They look forward to once again being able to enjoy their serene and peaceful neighborhood.

(Please turn to Page 15)

PLYMOUTH PARTY HOUSE after it had been cited. KIDS LINING UP to enter the Plymouth party house.

A croissant, or crescent, and other

This October, Word Café masquerades as a French bakery, its display case abundant with flakey, buttery confections.

The crown jewel of the French viennoiserie — the specialty bakery that sells sweet breads and breakfast pastries originally from Vienna — is the croissant. Its lustrous exterior shatters when torn, crisp shards giving way to layers of soft, pliant pastry.

“Croissant’’ traces its origins to the Old French croisant, translating to “crescent of the moon,” from the Latin crescentum, meaning “to come forth or grow.” This association, formed in reference to the moon’s waxing phase just after the new moon, nods to the croissant’s curved shape while rightfully glorifying its otherworldly splendor.

A sudden flash of light — this one streaking across the sky — provides the origin for the name of the éclair, a pâtisserie mainstay made of “choux” pastry filled with cream. From the French word for “lightning bolt,” éclair aficionados have debated whether the moniker is so assigned for the reflective sheen of the pastry’s chocolate

coating or rather the speed at which one typically devours it.

The profiterole, a close relative of the éclair, appears to have been equally adored. These round cream puffs are said to be named for the French profit, meaning “profit” or “advantage,” indicating their use as a small reward or compensation. Choux pastry puffs are further exalted when stacked two-up and coated with chocolate ganache, gaining the title religieuse, the French word for “nun,” for the dessert’s (some would say hazy) resemblance to a nun’s habit. Churchly garb gets in another sweet rendition with Jésuite, a triangular almond cream pastry named for the three-cornered hats worn by members of the Jesuit order.

The kouign-amann is a sugary, caramelized viennoiserie made from laminated dough. If the articulation of this conspicuously un-French sounding snack seems tricky, you’re not alone. My boyfriend tells the story of a particularly sadistic cashier at a bakery who wouldn’t let him order the delicacy until he figured out how to correctly pronounce its name — which

Mother of abandoned toddler appears in court

By Nona Sue Friedman

A toddler was left in a stroller on Larchmont Boulevard in the wee hours of the morning on Sept. 12. A pedestrian walking on the street called 911, and the toddler was taken to the hospital and was found in good health. Authorities

Party house

(Continued from Page 14)

How do party houses operate?

The homeowner rents the empty home for the evening to a party organizer. Then, the event organizer hires a DJ for the night and usually brings alcohol to the location. One party at this location advertised poolside bottle service for $1500.

The organizers advertise the party through social media channels. Hundreds of kids, normally underage according to the police, flock to the advertised location and pay admission ranging from $5 to $45. The events are loud, unsafe and illegal.

The residential streets are overtaken by teens needing to park. Then, they drive recklessly and intoxicated throughout the neighborhood and often urinate and puke on public and private property. They also litter and have rude and crude interaction with residents.

by Mara Fisher

took more than a few tries. This gluten gatekeeper was onto something, however, as this harrowing experience proved to be the perfect mnemonic — I don’t think my beau (or I, for that matter) will ever forget the pronunciation “kween a-mahn.”

The pastry’s vocalization to the English speaker — and its arguably crown-like appearance — are somewhat deceiving in their grandeur. “Kouign-amann,” a term in the Celtic-derived Breton language spoken in France’s

Brittany region from which the treat hails, is simply a hyphenation of the words for “cake” and “butter.”

A far cry from the divine derivations that brought us croissant, éclair and religieuse, there’s an abundance of pâtisserie fare whose names, when elucidated, feel less than dignified. Beignets, the deep-fried delight made variably from leavened dough or choux pastry (depending on whether you’re in Louisiana or France), get their name from the Old French buigne, meaning “bump” or “lump.” Similarly humdrum is the origin of “galette,” a round, flat dessert that may appear as a rustic, open-faced pie, inviting in its offering of seasonal fruit, or instead as a tidier, flakier tart closed with a glazed puff-pastry top lay-

er. Cast your gaze underfoot for the inspiration behind the name of this toothsome treat, which comes from the Old French gal, meaning “pebble.”

The title “pâtisserie” itself is serious business. In both France and Belgium, the law restricts its use to bakeries staffed with a licensed maître pâtissier, or master pastry chef, a designation earned after a lengthy training process. Despite the prestige associated with the role, I hope these experts in their craft can steal a smirk every now and then; if not from hearing a butchered pronunciation of kouignamann, then perhaps from preparing one of my favorite new discoveries — a small, round, airy pastry impishly titled pets de nonne, or “nun’s farts.”

soon located the child’s father and the two were reunited.

The Los Angeles Police Department found the driver’s license of the toddler’s mother, Targie Alexandre, in the stroller, and the 24-yearold mother was arrested at her workplace and taken into custody on Sept. 13. She was booked under a charge of child endangerment, a felony. Bail of $105,000 was set.

After being arraigned, Alexandre was released at approximately 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 14. She is scheduled to appear in court on Wed., Oct. 4, at Los Angeles Superior Court Central Division.

Word Café