LC Real Estate 11 2023 by Larchmont Chronicle

PRESERVATION

What does the city’s new housing plan mean for our historic districts?

Page 2

ENTERTAINMENT

MUSEUMS

Nine O’Clock Players opens its 95th season with “Enchanted Sleeping Beauty.”

New regime starts at Craft Contemporary and new exhibits open. Page 12

Page 11

Real Estate Entertainment, Museums, Libraries, Home & Garden

VIEW

Section 2

LARCHMONT CHRONICLE

NOVEMBER 2023

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2 SECTION TWO

NOVEMBER 2023

Larchmont Chronicle

City’s Housing Element threatens our historic districts In October the governor signed 56 new housing bills in an effort to address California’s housing crisis. The majority of these only continue to chip away at the issue through making construction a little bit easier here, offering an incentive there, or by enacting greater tenant protections, all in the elusive pursuit of bringing the cost of housing down. In a statement of overheated triumph, Sen. Scott Wiener declared, “The era of saying no to housing is coming to an end. We’ve been planting seeds for years to get California to a brighter housing future, and today we’re continuing strongly down that path.” Flood of development While there may be truth to these sentiments, Wiener knows that the real silver bullet he is seeking that will supposedly unleash a flood of development lies in widespread upzoning and the dismantling of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). While kneecapping CEQA may be in the power of the state, upzoning in Los Angeles remains, for now, the purview of the Los Angeles Department of City Planning. In the midst of the pandemic, the department dutifully laid the groundwork for major chang-

es in the city’s zoning, while complying with and surpassing the state’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) in the city’s recent Housing Element revision. Luckily for the department, most if not all of its public hearings were held online, aided by the use of opaque maps and statements of strident social justice language, and the changes passed with little notice. Housing Element For preservationists such as myself, the Housing Element was of little interest until alarming aspects of the plan became clearer as advocates, such as Fran Offenhauser of Hollywood Heritage, began to point out that the Housing Element maps indicated upzoning large areas of Hollywood Boulevard — including parcels occupied by historic theaters such as Grauman’s Chinese — even before the plan was approved. This conflict was most recently highlighted in presentations by Cindy Chvatal-Keane and Cathy Roberts before the Greater Wilshire Land Use Committee and the GWNC Board on behalf of United Neighbors, a coalition of neighborhood residential groups throughout California. Their presentation, besides

On Preservation by

Brian Curran

highlighting the shocking chasm by a factor of five between the number of units RHNA requires and those suggested by the planning department, also displayed a series of maps which showed areas in La Brea Hancock, Sycamore Square, Brookside and Larchmont as targeted for expanded use of the Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) mechanism, which allows for greater densities close to identified transit corridors. While the draft Housing Element excludes Historic Preservation Overlay Zones (HPOZs) and Historic Cultural Monuments (HCMs) from consideration for development, it does not exclude National or California Register districts or SurveyLA identified districts. This means that, if enacted, the cottages of La Brea Hancock, the historic houses of Sycamore Square and the terraces of Brookside could make way for high density development. As it stands now,

the city continues to ban the creation of new HPOZs, interpreting state law SB330’s prohibition of “subjective design standards” to include Preservations Plans, which govern development in HPOZs. As I have stated in other articles, this has led to a surge in the preparation of applications MAJOR DENSIFICATION following tearfor National Regis- downs of houses is what is proposed for ter status for those residences in the LVNA community north would-be HPOZs in of Beverly Boulevard. an effort to at least Map courtesy of United Neighbors be covered as historic resources for the purposes not given such assurances. His of CEQA. recent motion, which proposes While the majority of the changes to the “Public Facilisuggested changes to zon- ties Zone” zoning and land use ing will require an updated designations applied to many Wilshire Community Plan to city-owned properties to ease be put into place, expanded the construction of affordable TOC zones could potentially be housing, could potentially affect much easier to adjust through single-family neighborhoods the increase in transit service. and historic districts if those are While Mayor Bass “believes not specifically removed from that many single-family-home consideration. neighborhoods … should reWithout resolute support main off-limits for greater from our elected city repredensity,” and Councilmember sentatives, we and our historic Katy Yaroslavsky stated at a neighborhoods remain at the recent GWNC Board meeting, mercy of the cold maps and “I don’t support upzoning sin- hard numbers of the Housing gle-family neighborhoods,” CD Element and the Planning De13’s Hugo Soto-Martinez has partment staff.

Larchmont Chronicle

NOVEMBER 2023

SECTION TWO

Explore consulate general homes on tour Nov. 4

This year’s annual Windsor Square Hancock Park Historical Society (WSHPHS) home tour, “A Very Special Interior Tour of Rarely Seen Consulate General Homes,” will also feature other stately neighborhood residences. The tour will take place Sat., Nov. 4, from noon to 4 p.m. Hancock Park and Windsor Square have a number of historic homes, including

11 consulate general homes. While not all of these will be included in the day’s tour, the event will be a rare opportunity — one that hasn’t been attempted by the WSHPHS since 1976. Lunch, refreshments (including Prosecco) and a silent auction will be included in the day, and proceeds will go to the greening and improving of spaces in the area.

BEVERLY FAIRFAX Historic District residents gathered to celebrate their neighborhood.

Beverly Fairfax celebrates

(and to Melrose Ave. on GeneBy John Welborne A colorful assemblage of see and Spaulding avenues). At this year’s event, Counpeople, animals and balloons was the scene on Oct. 8 at cilmember Katy Yaroslavsky the annual block party that and daughter Yael made an celebrates the Save Beverly appearance to salute the celeFairfax victory in having its brants. Nora Wyman and Dale neighborhood added to the Kendall made remarks, and evNational Register of Historic eryone had fun (and consumed a lot of Halloween candy!) Places in 2018. The Beverly Fairfax Historic District collection of Spanish Colonial Revival, Late Chateauesque, Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, Monterey Revival, Art Deco, and Streamline Moderne residences — both multi- and single-family — is approximately Fairfax Ave. east to Gardner St. and Beverly Blvd. north to HALLOWEEN evidently was on the minds of Rosewood Ave. Beverly Fairfax celebrants.

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Tickets for the Consulate Home Tour are $85 for non-members and $65 for members. For tickets, visit wshphs.com or purchase them on tour day at Fourth Street and Windsor Boulevard. Other WSHPHS events include a holiday party on Tues., Dec. 12, and a high tea in January at the Woman’s Club of Hollywood.

4 SECTION TWO

Larchmont Chronicle

NOVEMBER 2023

Expansion will enable Project Angel Food to serve more clients By Casey Russell Project Angel Food is moving forward with plans for its new facility. While retaining and renovating its 922 Vine St. location, the nonprofit has obtained the property just across Barton Avenue, at 960 Vine St., and current home of a mini-mall that includes Cactus Tacos and El Rancho Super Market. Honoring the project’s lead donor, the entire two-building facility has been dubbed “The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation Campus.” The new space will allow the nonprofit to triple the amount of food it prepares for the many critically ill Angelenos who benefit from the organization’s medically tailored meals. Demolition of the 960 Vine St. location is planned to begin in 2025, or early 2026, depending on how quickly the permitting process moves. The new building will be two stories. It will include a

roof deck, which will house an herb garden and solar panels and also will feature spaces for volunteers and staff to take breaks. Volunteers will, most likely, maintain the garden, but staffers also see it as a perfect place for local school groups to come and be of service. When asked if clients will be able to participate in garden upkeep, Project Angel Food CEO Richard Ayoub told us most are too ill to participate in that way. “If [clients] are on-site, the garden will be a beautiful place to gather for some fresh air and stillness,” said Ayoub. Demo kitchen On the first floor of the new building, there will be a demo kitchen for client education. According to Ayoub, Project Angel Food has had great success bringing clients, staff chefs, a nutrition team, board members and others together to have advisory sessions and share a meal.

PROJECT ANGEL FOOD kitchen staff members have the assistance of Mayor Karen Bass (at right) when preparing their 16 millionth meal in April of 2023.

RENDERING of the Project Angel Food buildings. Existing is at right, new is at left.

The first level of the building will also allow space for meetings, school and community groups, large numbers of volunteers and donor gatherings. It will also be a place that interested Angelenos can visit to see how they can become involved. The new building will also provide more space for volunteers, allow the nutrition and client services departments to expand and be a home for a research and policy institute the organization is establishing. The expansion will create more than 300 construction jobs between now and the estimated completion date in 2027. Additionally, the expansion will allow Project Angel Food to hire approximately 60 more staff members, bringing its current employee count up to 150.

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But it did not just provide food. Volunteers provided smiles, hugs and connection. Today, the nonprofit serves thousands of people living with all types of illnesses.

SOLD: This home at 216 N. Arden Blvd. in Windsor Square sold for $2,500,000 in September.

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Project Angel Food was founded in 1989 by author Marianne Williamson. It began as a way to get nutritious meals to people living with HIV / AIDS.

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Larchmont Chronicle

NOVEMBER 2023

SECTION TWO

TVC 2050 Specific Plan now available and debates continue

AIA/LA fundraiser to be at new headquarters Nov. 30

By Casey Russell The American Institute of Architects Los Angeles Chapter (AIA/LA) will hold its annual Design Awards Ceremony Thurs., Nov. 30, from 5:30 to 11 p.m. The event serves as the organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year and will honor the 2023 Design Award winners, Next LA winners and board of director’s honorees. Having recently relocated its headquarters from the nearby Wiltern Building to West Adams — the historic neighborhood just a bit south of our Mid-Wilshire communities — AIA/LA will hold its fundraiser at its new home, a former bank building at 4450 W. Adams Blvd., at the corner

of Victoria Avenue. The large new space also will house the group’s new nonprofit, Architecture for Communities Los Angeles (ACLA). The new organization encourages local students to learn about architecture. The new facilities that ACLA and AIA/LA are sharing will enable AIA/LA to expand its offerings and continue providing programming for advocacy, sustainability and professional development. The Los Angeles chapter is one of the three largest chapters of the American Institute of Architects — a group representing the professional interests of architects since 1857. For tickets, visit tinyurl. com/2p85fscm.

GILMORE ADOBE behind the Original Farmers Market loaned its garden for an Oct. 1 discussion with opponents of the current version of the TVC 2050 project, which would be built right behind the trees and low buildings in the background of the photo.

TVC 2050 proposal is challenged by Neighbors for Responsible Development leaders Shelley Wagers (left) and Danielle Peters.

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ARCHITECTURE finds a home in this historic bank building on West Adams Blvd. Image courtesy of Clay Holden Architects

By John Welborne Opponents who contest the Hackman Capital Partners proposal to significantly increase the development of the former CBS Television City site gathered behind the historic Gilmore Adobe to discuss their concerns on Sun., Oct. 1. The Hackman team then held another of its open houses at Television City on Sun. Oct. 22, after the Chronicle press deadline. The focus of the most current debate is the draft Specific Plan that had been sought for more than a year and that was officially distributed by the Planning Department only on Oct. 13, following the discovery by project opponents in August — in response to a public records request — that the Planning Dept. possessed the draft document all that time. The opponents, Neighbors for Responsible TVC Development, have this website: fixtvc.org. The developer’s site is: tvcstudios.com.

6 SECTION TWO

Larchmont Chronicle

NOVEMBER 2023

Marat’s ‘Nutcracker’ to feature local as Sugar Plum Fairy By Casey Russell Students, staff and parents at the Marat Daukayev School of Ballet are hard at work preparing for this year’s performances of “The Nutcracker.” The classical ballet school was established in 2001 by Windsor Square residents Marat and Pamela Daukayev. Marat danced with Russia’s Kirov Ballet for 20 years and was a principal dancer. He and Pamela have created one of the largest and most eminent ballet schools in Los Angeles. When we visited the school’s

expansive facilities on the second floor of the highrise at 3435 Wilshire Blvd. recently, the level of professionalism was clear. Marat and the other teachers expect dedication and focus. But, as Valerie Weiss, parent to one of this year’s five teens dancing the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy, told us, “It’s a warm, loving, nurturing environment.” Weiss appreciates that the school fosters such a caring atmosphere while rigorously teaching dancers the best technique. One young Windsor Square resident, Grace Tankenson,

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has been learning in the Marat atmosphere since she was 3. This year, the junior at Immaculate Heart will dance the Sugar Plum Fairy role during the Saturday afternoon performance. Said Tankensen, “I’ve grown up here at Marat, seeing others play the role. Now I get to do it with my dance family. It’s like a dream come true.” Some other locals in this year’s performances are: Annabel Cury of La Brea Hancock, Lola Vernetti of St. Andrews Square and Reece and Tate Clossey of Windsor Square. Touring the school and seeing all the activity going on to prepare, it’s apparent that it takes a village to make the show happen each year. “The production costs around $300,000 to produce,” executive director Pamela Daukayev told us. Funds are raised through ticket sales, donations and fundraisers. But money isn’t all that’s required. Parents are a big part of the reason the shows are so successful. Grace’s mother, Mandy Tankenson, has served as the school’s volunteer production coordinator for several years. Her older daughter, Amelia, also performed many times in “The Nutcracker.” There’s a whole crew of parents backstage, working to get performers where they need to be, assist with quick changes and take care of all the odds and ends that are necessary to make performances run

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SUGAR PLUM FAIRIES: Annabell Johnson, Natalie Moon, Grace Tankenson, Wynter Ross and Maya Ozawa-Minoff take a rehearsal break.

LEVEL ONE dancers rehearse, guided by teacher Wendy Quinn and dancer Annabel Cury.

smoothly. Some dancers’ fathers participate as Dancing Dads in the show’s party scene. Other past and present parents are already working tirelessly to ensure that more than 400 of the 6,000-strong collection of costumes the school owns (most from Russia and Japan) are mended and adjusted to fit each of this year’s 106 per-

formers to perfection. (Many dancers play three to four roles.) “The parents get very involved,” said the executive director. She continued, “We couldn’t do it without them.” The Daukayevs believe the arts are a sacred profession. Many of Marat’s students do end up going on to dance professionally, and they are (Please turn to Page 10)

Larchmont Chronicle

NOVEMBER 2023

SECTION TWO

M I C H A E LCO N N E LLY BOO K S

CO N N E LLY BOO K S

LITTLE, BROWN AND COMPANY Hachette Book Group

8 SECTION TWO

Larchmont Chronicle

NOVEMBER 2023

A blatant miscarriage of justice

A SKYSCRAPER VIEW is featured in American Contemporary Ballet’s “Nutcracker.” Photo: Victor Demarchelier

This ‘Nutcracker’ leaps 300 feet above the city skyline

By Suzan Filipek “The Nutcracker Suite” by the American Contemporary Ballet (ACB) is among the seasonal performances set to warm up the holidays. Also sure to be tugging at our heart strings this season will be Marat Daukayev’s more traditional version, featuring locals who will dance the part of the Sugar Plum Fairy and other roles. (See story starting on page 6.) Snow globe high above Known for its unusual staging, the ACB holiday ballet is set to live music in a DTLA skyscraper with sweeping views of the city skyline. It’s described as a mysterious fantasy snow globe 300 feet above the city lights. ACB’s immersive one-hour take on the holiday favorite features the joyful dance that audiences expect and much more of what they don’t. The company is mum on the details but promises a live

performance of Tchaikovsky’s transcendent score, swirling snowflakes and many surprises in this show for all ages. “We present world-class classical and contemporary ballet in extraordinary stagings unlike any other, some semi-immersive, several of which are centered around holiday events,” ACB’s communications manager and Miracle Mile resident Amy Jones told us. Director Lincoln Jones also calls the Miracle Mile home. “‘The Nutcracker Suite’ is truly magical and has become such a family favorite that we’ve doubled our performances several times since its premiere and still cannot keep up with ticket demand,” Amy Jones said. The ACB “Nutcracker Suite” performances are Sat., Nov. 25, to Sun., Dec. 24, at Two California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Avenue, 28th Floor. Tickets are $85 to $125 at acbdances.com.

The Burial (3/10), 126 minutes, R. At first glance, this is a pleasing, feel-good story — about Jerry O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones), a white businessman who owned funeral homes and sold insurance, who sues Raymond Loewen (Bill Camp), a white Canadian centi-millionaire businessman who ran a huge company with 15,000 employees and operated 1,115 funeral homes. The lawsuit was for breach of contract for $5 million. O’Keefe replaces his white attorney with charismatic Black personal injury lawyer Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx), who immediately ups the claim to $100 million. This dispute between two white men is contested by two Black attorneys opposing one another in front of a Black judge and a predominantly Black jury in Mississippi. Because the facts are against him, the only card Gary has to play is the race card, and he plays it constantly. There were things about the film that deeply troubled me as a lawyer, so I investigated this case, of which I previously had never heard. What I found was astonishing. One of the many distressing things about the film is that the Black judge allows the admission of “evidence” that has no relevance to a breach of contract litiga-

At the Movies with

Tony Medley tion, such as evidence about Loewen’s character and the value of his yacht. Despite that, an undertaker friend of mine who worked in competition with Loewen, said he was unlikeable but not corrupt, so there was no basis for a plaintiff to be awarded punitive damages, which are rarely, if ever, awarded in breach of contract cases. Spoiler alert: The $500 million final award was so outrageously inequitable that it should never have been allowed to stand. However, because Mississippi law required anyone appealing a judgment to post a bond equal to 125 percent of the huge award, Loewen (and virtually no one) could afford that kind of money to file an appeal, so he was stuck with the verdict. Ultimately, because the amount was so huge and the plaintiffs worried they might suffer in a Loewen company bankruptcy, the parties ultimately settled for $175 million. Afterwards, Sir Robert Jennings, Queen’s Counsel and Professor of Law at the University of Cambridge, England, was asked to write an opinion of the case concerning a reparation claim against the United States, under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) treaty, arising from the proceedings. This is an excerpt from his 22-page opinion:

‘It makes no difference that the manifest injustice in this case results from the verdict of a common law jury (a majority verdict of 11 votes out the twelve). (Transcript at 573233, 5811-12.) It is clear that in the present case the origin of the manifest injustice was in effect created by a gross abuse of the system by plaintiffs’ leading counsel, which if not quite aided and abetted by presiding

Judge, was at least tolerated and totally uncontrolled by the Judge, even though he knew very well the game that was being played in his court. “There were so many occasions when the Judge ought to have stopped plaintiffs’ counsel; and occasions when he certainly ought to have warned the jury against counsel’s methods. Whatever the reasons for the Judge’s silences, and some of his curious utterances, the result was a remarkable travesty of justice. “Moreover, the Judge’s observation that counsel was playing the “race card,” shows that the Judge was wholly aware of what was happening in his court (Transcript at 359597). There are cases where bias, though wrongful, is relatively innocent because it is of the kind stemming from ignorance. “This case was different. (Please turn to Page 11)

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[This month, our movie reviewer — a lawyer and decades-long member of the California Bar — turns his focus on a single movie. – Ed.]

Larchmont Chronicle

NOVEMBER 2023

SECTION TWO

Three entertaining plays to take our minds off of everything Sometimes, a play is just a play, and that’s a good thing. We need a night out to take our minds off the world right now. The three plays below are all entertaining, though each left me less than satisfied. The Los Angeles premiere of Anna Ouyang Moench’s Birds of North America, at the Odyssey until Sun., Nov. 19, is a touching play that traces a decade in the relationship between a bird-watching dad (Arye Gross) and searchingto-find-herself adult daughter (Jacqueline Misaye). The story unfolds over various seasons in various years (although the set stubbornly refuses to molt), and all the tropes are hit: daughter can’t find a job until she goes all right-wing corporate, alienating her leftwing dad, who is a research scientist whose work never pays off. There is mom’s cancer, boyfriend One’s instability, boyfriend Two’s daughter from a previous marriage, dad’s temper, etc., etc. The decade is covered in 10 scenes that feel like John Cheever short stories, and perhaps would have been more effective as prose read in quiet contemplation. 310-477-2055; odysseytheatre.com. Unlike the limited autumnal

setting at the Odyssey, The Engagement Party, at the Geffen through Sun., Nov. 5, features a full-bore, two-story Park Avenue mansion (that revolves!), occupied by WASP-y Katherine (Bella Heathcote) and her Jewish fiancé, Josh (Jonah Platt), who, in the classic tradition of Fitzgerald’s “Gatsby,” makes it from a humble background to Wall Street Master of the Universe. Since the play is set in 2007, I assume the playwright, Samuel Baum, is implying that more than one bubble is about to burst. And it does. The couple has invited her parents and his friends (an odd mix) to celebrate their engagement. The centerpiece is a $300,000 engagement ring, which is a symbol either of Josh’s love or his insecurity. In the manner of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” (Mr. Baum picks his templates well), people get drunk and secrets are revealed (which to spill would spoil the script’s scant tension). In the course of dinner, Katherine’s rock goes missing, friends who are not as wealthy get accused, and the WASP pater familias (pace Ibsen, et al) is revealed to have feet of clay. That a ring this size slips into the crack of the couple’s Danish modern dining table,

Theater Review by

Louis Fantasia only to be found by the repentant Josh as he cleans up later, beggars belief, even for an engaging soufflé. 310-208-2028; geffenplayhouse.org. A Noise Within presents Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream through Sun., Nov. 12. The production is part of the company’s “Balancing Act” season. As co-directors Geoff Elliott and Julia Elliott-Rodriguez note, “When we start off [in Athens], there’s a great deal of conflict, everything is out of whack. As the characters come together in the forest, they — and we — get to see everything in a whole new way and be changed by it. The characters, and even the forest itself, find a kind of alignment. They learn to get along and live with one another… the stakes are high and great transformations happen.” I wish I had seen some of that transformation on stage. The play starts in an Orwellian/Beckettian Athens/

Luckman Theatre 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles 90032

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

What to watch for

“Inherit the Wind” plays at the Pasadena Playhouse through Sun., Nov. 26. Alfred Molina and John Douglas Thompson star. 626-356-7529; pasadenaplayhouse.org The world premiere of “SHE” by Marlow Wyatt is at Anteus through Mon., Nov. 20. Camille Ariana Spirlin plays the title role; 818-506-1983 or antaeus.org. L.A. Opera brings Rossini’s sprightly “Barber of Seville” to town from the Lyric Opera of Chicago, through Sun., Nov. 12. 213-972-8001; laopera.org. London and travels through a Vivienne Westwood steampunk forest, but never finds its own balance (especially in the verse speaking). For scheduling reasons, I saw the play on its last preview and will assume things balanced out over the run. 626-356– 3100; anoisewithin.org.

Finally, the Los Angeles theater community lost a true pioneer with the passing of actress / director Shirley Jo Finney, who was long associated with the Fountain Theater, as well as noted for her work in regional theater and TV and as a superb teacher and mentor. A real loss.

Bob Baker Marionette Theater to kick off its 60th with a party Dancing cakes, prancing candy and, of course, puppets will be featured at Bob Baker Marionette Theater’s 60th birthday kickoff this month as part of a year-long celebration. The birthday festivities begin with a party on Sat., Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m. Birthday-themed shows will be offered on both Nov. 18 and Sun., Nov. 19. Attractions include fan fa-

vorite numbers from throughout the past six decades, plus a “Marionette Palooza” show and musical performances, such as “Unpopable” [sic] playing a balloon bass guitar. A balloon art workshop, birthday cake treats and a DJ will add to the extravaganza. Get party tickets and more information at bobbakermarionettetheater.com. The theater is at 4949 York Blvd., Highland Park.

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

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10 SECTION TWO

Larchmont Chronicle

NOVEMBER 2023

MARAT and other teachers look on while the corps de ballet dancers rehearse.

NUTCRACKER PRINCE Zarek King leaping during practice.

COSTUME TEAM: Seiko Kuriyayashi, Yuko Wood and Madoka Ozawa-Minoff in the room where numerous alterations are made.

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all encouraged to let their bodies be a vehicle of expression when they dance. Pamela Daukayev told us, “People identify with things

October to purchase tickets. Performances of The Marat Daukayev Ballet Theatre’s Nutcracker will take place at the Luckman Theatre at Cal State LA, 5151 State University Dr., Fri., Dec. 8 through Sun., Dec. 10.

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[that dancers] show or express. You want to fully feel — not only for yourself, but also for the audience.” To experience these young artists performing this year’s “Nutcracker,” visit maratdaukayev.com in late

Marat

Larchmont Chronicle

NOVEMBER 2023

SECTION TWO

Nine O’Clock Players ready to enchant families with new show

By Casey Russell The Nine O’Clock Players will open its 95th year entertaining families with a production of “Enchanted Sleeping Beauty: The Legend of Briar-Rose.” Opening day is Sun., Oct 29, at 2 p.m. This season, the award-winning Assistance League of Los Angeles’ producers are joined by two former Disney Imagineers — from that company’s parks and resorts creative arm. Chris Runco and Chris Kelly both recently retired from the Walt Disney Company and, as new member volunteers, are working hard on the set design and on set coordination. Said Kelly, “Not only has Chris Runco created a beautiful environment for the cast, his background in special effects and storytelling design holds some special surprises for the guests.” New fog machines have been bought, and this production will have numerous special effects. “Enchanted Sleeping Beauty,” like all Assistance League productions, will joyfully teach life lessons for today’s youth through magical music, characters that make audiences laugh and interesting story twists. Annually, the Players

CAST MEMBERS in rehearsal for “Enchanted Sleeping Beauty: The Legend of Briar-Rose.” Photos by: Yvette Marie Jones

host more than 17,000 Los Angeles-area children. School field trip groups, special needs students and low-income families are welcomed at no- or low-cost to experience the magic of live theater. All performances will be held at the historic Assis-

tance League Theatre located at 1367 N. St. Andrews Place. After opening day, performances will be Sundays, Nov. 5, 12 and 19, also at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15. Call 323-545-6153 or visit nineoclockplayers.com or brownpapertickets.com.

FORMER IMAGINEER Chris Runco (left) works on the set for the palace scene with scenic artist volunteer Alex Papoban.

At the Movies

tionally stirring up racial and nationalistic bias against Canada and Canadians; possibly one must suppose because he had decided that this was the way he might win the case and harvest absurdly and outrageously inflated damages.” Professor Jennings’ entire scathing 22-page opinion may

be read here: tinyurl.com/ 46fy3s95. A film about this case would have been more appropriate had the story been told from the point of view of how Loewen and his company were destroyed by a flawed system of civil justice and a devious attorney. But that would have

(Continued from Page 8)

The jury might have been to some extent unaware of how they were being manipulated. But so far as the court was concerned, both the Judge and counsel knew perfectly well that counsel was inten-

made co-producer Foxx unable to make lawyer Gary look like a hero. This judgment has been widely criticized, but you’d never know it from this film that whitewashes, indeed extols, a case that should be universally condemned for its blatant miscarriage of justice.

12 SECTION TWO

Larchmont Chronicle

NOVEMBER 2023

Open house attendees learn more about Tar Pits Master Plan

INFORMATION STATIONS at the Sept. 30 open house were in front of the George C. Page Museum that will be preserved and restored as part of the La Brea Tar Pits Master Plan.

Adrian Scott Fine named to succeed Linda Dishman at LA Conservancy

Adrian Scott Fine has been picked to head the Los Angeles Conservancy. He has overseen the organization’s advocacy, outreach and revitalization efforts since 2010. He will succeed Linda Dishman as president and CEO of the Conservancy. She is retiring from the

organization after 31 years of leadership. 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. Visit tinyurl.com/2h3rt2vw

By John Welborne In a two-hour period in front of the George C. Page Museum in Hancock Park, on Saturday morning, Sept. 30, about three score neighbors and other interested people looked at illustrations, spoke with the author about her draft environmental impact report (EIR), and chatted with representatives of the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. All were there because the draft EIR for the project, “La Brea Tar Pits Loops and Lenses, Master Plan and Concept Design,” was released on Sept. 11, and interested parties were asked to comment by Oct. 26. For more information about the project, visit tarpits.org/ reimagine.

DETAIL OF “Beautiful Mountain” by Carolyn Castaño, who mixes watercolors with colonial travelogues and other motifs. The painting is part of the new exhibit at the Craft Contemporary.

Craft Contemporary has new leadership; new exhibits open

By Suzan Filipek Soon after Rody N. López took over the post as executive director at the Craft Contemporary, he oversaw the opening of three new exhibitions. All three were the product of Suzanne Isken, the longtime head of the museum who López replaced after Isken announced her plans to retire in May. López recalls meeting Isken in 2008 when he was a Getty intern and she was the education director at the Museum of Contemporary Art. After a tour, she took the interns to lunch. “She opened our eyes. That was a wonderful experience.” He has ambitious plans for upcoming exhibits, which include incorporating the textile tradition of his native Guatemala and his love of ceramics. (He even wrote a book on the subject: “Living with Clay: California Ceramics Collections.”) But to start, he plans for a low-key approach. “I want to observe and ab-

NEW HEAD of the Craft Contemporary, Rody López. Hector Islas Photography

sorb as much as possible. I’m meeting with all of the staff, who are an amazing asset to the organization.” Joseph Coriaty, chair of the search committee, wrote in an announcement last month, “We are thrilled to welcome Rody to the museum — he brings with him a keen understanding of art and the nonprofit landscape… I’d also like to thank Suzanne for her extraordinary leadership for the past 12 years, under (Please turn to Page 14)

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Larchmont Chronicle

NOVEMBER 2023

SECTION TWO

LIBRARY CALENDAR

Attend a Día de los Muertos workshop and learn about robots Story time: Listen to stories every Wednesday from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. Kids Rock painting: Design and paint your own rock for Día de los Muertos on Thurs., Nov. 2, from 4 to 5 p.m. Limited to 12 participants. Register at jcfrmt@lapl.org. All ages Book Sale: Browse used books Fri., Nov. 3, and Sat., Nov. 4, from noon to 4 p.m. All sales support the library branch. MEMORIAL LIBRARY CREATE AUTUMN-THEMED Toddlers art at the library this month. Story time in the park: Bring a blanket and listen to to use measuring tools, cooking stories and sing songs in Me- equipment and read a recipe on morial Park each Wednesday Mon., Nov. 20, at 11 a.m. at 10:30 a.m. Kids & Teens Kids Drop-in tutoring with Autumn art: Use seasonal Steve: Need a refresher on items to make an array of fallthemed art on Sat., Nov. 18, at 11 a.m. LIBRARIES CrEATive plate: Learn how

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Run, walk, shop at Race for Rescues at Rose Bowl

Animal lovers of all ages can run, walk, shop and adopt at Race for The Rescues on Sat., Nov. 4, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The event — aimed to help save the lives of homeless dogs, cats, horses and farm animals in Southern California — is a fundraiser where 100 percent of the net proceeds go to local animal welfare organizations, Delilah Loud, tell us. The longtime Larchmont Village resident is spokesperson for the group. The Rescue Train’s largest annual fundraising event began in 2005 and has raised more than $5.5 million to benefit 50 animal nonprofits to date. This day of family fun includes a 5K run/walk (with or without their dog) and a 1K dog walk. There is also a virtual “couch potato” race for those that would like to donate from the comfort of their home. Participants can join as individuals or start a

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team. Every pre-registered racer gets an official Race for The Rescues T-shirt, finisher’s medal and the chance to win fundraising prizes. Dogs and cats will be available for adoption from Pasadena Humane. Visit racefortherescues.org.

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by Tim Mason. If you want to read ahead, December’s discussion will be about “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus. All ages 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 Henna tattoos: Artist Manjushree Nomulwar will create temporary henna tattoos on Thurs., Nov. 2, from 4 to 5 p.m. She will also discuss the history and artistry of henna. Adults Book making: Learn how to make a softcover, handstitched mini-book to use as a journal or planner on Sat., Nov. 4, from 1 to 3 pm. Advance registration required; call 323-957-4550.

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some academics? Anyone in grades kindergarten to 12 is welcome to stop by every Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m. for one-on-one assistance with any subject. Reading to the rescue: Love dogs? Take this opportunity to read to a therapy dog on Wed., Nov. 8, at 4 p.m. Teens Robots: See how robots and animatronic creatures are assembled with expert Paul Thompson on Thurs., Nov. 2, at 4 p.m. Zine making: Express yourself by making your own mini-magazine on Thurs., Nov. 30, 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., Nov. 3, at 1 p.m., to discuss “The Nightingale Affair”

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. Libraries will be closed Fri., Nov. 10 and Sat., Nov. 11 for Veterans Day; Thurs., Nov. 23 and Fri., Nov. 24 for Thanksgiving.

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FAIRFAX LIBRARY Toddlers Story time: Sing songs and listen to stories at 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. every Wednesday. Kids Story time with STAR volunteer: Every Monday at 3 p.m. listen to STAR volunteer Kathy read stories. 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 LEGO Club: The library provides the LEGOs, you create the structure,s Thurs., Nov. 21, at 4 p.m. Book Sale: Browse used books every Wednesday from noon to 4 p.m. All sales support the library branch. FREMONT LIBRARY Babies & Toddlers

14 SECTION TWO

Larchmont Chronicle

NOVEMBER 2023

POLICE BEAT

Car thieves are out and about; retailers also need to be alert

OLYMPIC DIVISION Auto theft continues to rise with Kias and Hyundais both being high-demand cars for thieves, according to Senior Lead Officer Joseph Pelayo. To help combat this increase in crime, Olympic Community Police Station auto detectives are giving away free steering wheel locks to residents. Pick one up at the detective front desk at the station, 1130 S. Vermont Ave. ROBBERIES: Two robberies were reported. One was with a firearm at the Subway at 3939 Wilshire Blvd. Another occurred at 7-Eleven at 473 N. Western Ave., and the robber used pepper spray.

WILSHIRE DIVISION Senior Lead Officer (SLO) Dave Cordova is out on sick leave. His interim replacement is SLO Hebel Rodriguez at 213-793-0715, 35738@ lapd.online. BURGLARIES: There were multiple home burglaries in the beginning of October. The first burglary occurred on Oct. 3 at 4 p.m. at South Orange Drive near Eighth Street. Next, a home on the 700 block of South Longwood Avenue was burglarized at 8:15 p.m. on Oct. 6. Two homes were invaded on Oct. 6., the first at 4 p.m. on June Street, south of Beverly Boulevard and the second

happened at 8:40 p.m. on the 400 block of South Citrus Avenue. Another home was broken into on the 500 block of North Citrus Avenue on Oct. 7 at noon. Lastly, a home on the 100 block of North Citrus Avenue was burglarized on Oct. 10 at 10:30 p.m. THEFTS: Two robberies occurred on the 300 block of South Detroit Street. The first happened on Oct. 9 at 10 a.m. and the second at 1:15 p.m. on Oct 11. GRAND THEFT AUTOS: A car was stolen from the 600 block of North Sycamore Avenue on Oct. 10 at 5:30 p.m. Another was taken near the corner of Larchmont Boule-

(Continued from Page 12) which the museum has grown immeasurably.” López has held numerous administrative positions at museums and nonprofits. Most recently, he was director of development and communications for QueensCare and QueensCare Health Centers. He also served in the development department at Para Los Niños, a comprehensive social services organization. His posts at the Long Beach Museum of Art and the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona include curating exhibits and spearheading

fundraisers. He has a master of fine arts in exhibition design from Cal State Fullerton and a bachelor of arts from Pomona College. On exhibit The three new exhibitions that opened at the Craft Contemporary soon after López started his new position on Sept. 25 are: Carolyn Castaño, “Cumanday-Beautiful Mountain,” which looks at the disappearing glaciers in Columbia; Linda Sibio, “Economics of Suffering, Part IV,” which considers the worldwide financial crisis that peaked from 2007-2010; and “Chirk” by Margaret Griffith, which

takes a look at the gates in front of late-13th-century Chirk Castle in Wales, built to keep the Welsh under English rule. They are on exhibit through Jan. 7, 2024. While Isken has several exhibits on schedule at the museum for months to come, López has ideas in the wings and is planning on hiring a chief curator in the new year. “I’m so excited to build upon what [Isken] has created here, and she truly has transformed this institution,” he said. Craft Contemporary is at 5814 Wilshire Blvd. Visit craftcontemporary.org.

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Party house permits are suspended for 120 days

By Nona Sue Friedman After receiving two citations from the Los Angeles Police Department, a party house at 300 N. Plymouth Blvd. has been quiet and party-free for the last month. That’s a relief to the surrounding neighbors who have endured raucous and illegal parties held at the site for months. The North Plymouth Coalition (NPC), created to stop unlawful activity at the home, said, “NPC is committed to continue our fight until the owners and property manager are completely shut down.” In addition to support from multiple neighborhood organizations as well as the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office, Senator Maria Elena Durazo’s office and Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur’s office, the coalition also received unanimous support from the Greater

By Nona Sue Friedman With the upcoming holidays, you may be leaving town. Unfortunately, that is what a burglar is looking for — an unoccupied home. Try to make it hard for thieves to enter your home. Here are some tips from the Los Angeles Police Department to prevent your home from being burglarized. Make your home look occupied. Leave a car in the driveway, turn lights on

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Wilshire Neighborhood Council Land Use Committee. The committee passed a motion on Oct. 11 to halt the issuance of any permits for that location for the next 120 days. With that motion in place, Councilman Hugo SotoMartínez’s office is able to reach out to local agencies, such as the Los Angeles Dept. of Building and Safety, and urge them not to issue any permits for that location. NPC commented that “The help from these offices has been invaluable and we are extremely grateful they are committed to continuing their support until the book is closed on 300 N. Plymouth Blvd.” Halloween is around the corner and a member of the NPC said the property manager, Errol Webber, posted a call out on his Instagram to have a party at the house on Halloween.

Keep your house safe while you’re away for the holidays

before leaving or have a timer turn lights on and off while you are away, or even keep a radio on to give the impression that someone is there. Keep all your doors and windows locked. Side gates should also be locked. Arrange with the US Post Office to cease delivery of mail and don’t order items that will arrive while you are out of town. Arrange for a friend or neighbor to check your porch for any miscellaneous fliers.

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Larchmont Chronicle

NOVEMBER 2023

SECTION TWO

‘Odonymological’ journey on Larchmont and in Hancock Park A friend of mine recently sent me a link to a browser-based game with a simple premise. “Name SF Streets,” created by designer and public transit activist Chris Arvin, challenges users to identify all of San Francisco’s street names from memory. A map of the city without its streets labeled offers a visual aid, and a sidebar in the game’s interface displays your “score,” which is the percentage of the city’s total mileage you’ve named thus far. Having lived in the City by the Bay for a few years while in my 20s, I breezed through the first 25 percent of the city’s streets quite easily. Once I plumbed the furthest reaches of my mental map, I began throwing out hopeful contenders that fall under the usual conventions used for city street naming — colleges, U.S. states, trees, European capitals. My score creeped up to a meager 35 percent. The exercise made me wonder about the origins of the names of streets we traverse on a daily basis, often without a second thought. The study of road names itself has a name: odonymy, from the Ancient Greek hodós, meaning “road,” and ónuma, or “name.” Road names follow a two-part format — first an individual word known as the “specific” (like Larchmont), followed by an indicator of the type of street, called the “generic” (like Boulevard, for example). The Boulevard — specifically the Larchmont Chronicle headquarters — is where I decided to embark on an “odonymological” journey of my own. Walking south on Larchmont — named after Larchmont, New York, which was a center of movie-mak-

ing in the early 1920s — I reach Beverly Boulevard, another appellation inspired by an East Coast locale. The boulevard was designated in connection to developer Burton Green’s Beverly Hills, founded in 1906. Green’s inspiration for the title of his idyllic new enclave was Beverly Farms, Massachusettes, where he read that Standard Oil scion John D. Rockefeller, Jr., was summering that year. Ida Hancock Ross Turning right on Beverly, I walk three blocks westward and turn right on Rossmore Avenue, which traces its origins to Ida Hancock Ross. Born Ida Haraszthy, Ross was the daughter of Hungarian aristocrats who arrived in California in 1849. In 1863, at the age of 20, Ida married Major Henry Hancock, a native of New Hampshire who, three years prior, had orchestrated a deal that landed him ownership of Rancho La Brea. The vast 4,439-acre land grant comprised present-day Hollywood, parts of West Hollywood and Miracle Mile, including the La Brea Tar Pits. This was in the years when the late Pleistocene fossils at the Tar Pits were thought to be nothing more than the bones of livestock or other animals roaming the area that had become mired in the property’s thick, inky deposits. When Henry died in 1883, Ida became the steward of Rancho La Brea, and she made a fortune leasing out portions of the property for oil drilling. She married Judge Erskine Mayo Ross in 1909 and took on his surname for the remainder of her life, which would only be four

Word Café by

Mara Fisher short years. Ida’s son with Henry, George Allan Hancock, would go on to found the eponymous Hancock Park neighborhood in 1919. The first street he christened in the development was a treelined avenue to be named for the late, great Ida Hancock Ross — Rossmore. Named for Tongva village Heading north on Rossmore, I walk one block and make a left turn onto a stretch of Rosewood Avenue lined with crepe myrtle trees thick with pink blooms. Further along this unassuming neighborhood block is a link to Los Angeles’ Indigenous history: the southernmost point of Cahuenga Boulevard. Named

for the Tongva village “Kawee’nga” that once thrived in the southeastern San Fernando Valley, Cahuenga as we know it today traces an ancient footpath that once connected the Los Angeles Basin to the village through the Santa Monica Mountains. In the Tongva language — the original language of Los Angeles — “Kawee’nga” translates to “place of the fox.” I continue north on Cahuenga for a few blocks, eventually exiting the charming pocket of residences at the northeastern corner of Hancock Park. From there I turn right onto Melrose Avenue, cruising along to reach my next destination: Vine Street. Hollywood In an age when the region had more citrus groves than it did star power, devout Kansas prohibitionists Harvey and Daeida Wilcox (Wilcox Avenue nearby honors the

couple’s legacy) arrived in sunny Los Angeles and, in 1887, purchased the 120-acre parcel they would call “Hollywood.” They designated one of the streets in the tract “Weyse Avenue” after Otto Günther Weyse, who partnered with Harvey Wilcox and developer Ivar (sound familiar?) Weid to build the ambitious Hotel Hollywood. After the failure of the hotel project, the road was relabeled “Vine Street,” in 1894, after the grapevines growing along the street just north of present-day Santa Monica Boulevard. As I cross the intersection past Vine and continue east to return to Larchmont, I pass restaurants, shops, apartment buildings and offices, as well as more street signs — Arden Boulevard, Lucerne Boulevard and El Centro Avenue. Though the vineyards and orchards are long gone, clues of the city’s early landscape and the figures that shaped it are always within view.

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1451 S. GENESEE AVE. ǀ $7,600/MO.

SHORT/LONG-TERM ǀ FURNISHED/UNFURNISHED 6 BED + 7 BATHS + POOL + GUEST HOUSE

SPACIOUS SUN-FILLED ROOMS ǀ 3RD ST SCHOOL 4 BED + 3 BATH + COVERED PATIO + GARAGE

STATELY ENGLISH ǀ DESIRABLE BLOCK 5 BED + 4.5 BATH + REMODELED + POOL

CHARMING UPGRADED 1920’S SPANISH 4 BED + 3 BATH + PRIVATE YARDS

C: 323.206.0280 KRISTEN.TOSTADO@CBREALTY.COM @HANCOCKPARKHOMES CALRE#02203805