LC Section One 02 2023

By Suzan Filipek and Casey Russell

Before Mayor Karen Bass left for the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C. in mid-January, she spoke with us about her rapid-fire actions to help alleviate homelessness since taking office just one month before.

The solution will take “all hands on deck,” she said on the telephone conference call with Larchmont Chronicle editors. She connected with us from Getty House, the city’s official mayoral residence on Irving Boulevard in Windsor Square.

Since taking office, Bass has reached out to Gov. Newsom and President Biden, as well as to members of the Los Ange-

By Casey Russell

Larchmont Village Wine, Spirits & Cheese has found a new wine buyer: Jesse Mangiagli.

Since 2014, Mangiagli has been travelling the world making wine in such places as Oregon, Central California, Napa Valley, South Africa and New Zealand. This is the wine aficionado’s first foray into the retail side of the wine business.

Said Mangiagli, “I became passionate about wine through tasting. I was interested in viticulture and farming… [and] originally went to Napa Valley College to get into grape farming.”

When asked what some of his favorite wines are, Mangiagli replied, “I like most things. I really love natural sparkling wine and cool-climate single vineyard wines, generally.”

The new wine buyer said Village Wine, Spirits & Cheese is known for carrying products that people can’t get in other stores. He likes to bring attention to wines that have a

By John Welborne

Four score, or more, hikers headed from Griffith Observatory up to the top of Mt. Hollywood on Jan. 7 to dedicate the Tom LaBonge Memorial Forest. Family and friends including former Mayor Eric Garcetti saluted the late, revered councilman of the former Fourth District. It was the second anniversary of his unexpected death in 2021. Installed as a project of the nonprofit Los Angeles Parks Foundation, the planting area consists of native shrubs and trees that

By Suzan Filipek

Choral works from the golden ages of composition of Tudor England and the European Renaissance will be reflected upon in new, contemporary California compositions, both being featured in a concert on Sat., Feb. 11, at 8 p.m., presented by The Golden Bridge, the professional singing consort based in Southern California.

Masterpieces from the English Reformation, some 500 years ago, will join modern commissions in the ensemble’s ninth season. The single performance will take place at All Saints’ Episcopal Church, 504 N. Camden Dr., in Beverly Hills.

“We’ve really struck gold this year with five new com-

missions (Latin American and jazz vibes — and L.A.’s wunderkind, Samuel Siskind, aged 17! He’s L.A.’s Mozart),” Golden Bridge founder and artistic director, Suzi Digby, said in an email.

On Feb. 11, Digby, who is a visiting adjunct professor at USC, will conduct 20 professional vocalists from Los Angeles as they explore together the relationship between the two choral traditions.

have been added to the space where LaBonge is said to have personally carried and sown baby California live oak trees.

This is an annual project that Digby produces as part of her duties as a professor of music at USC, where she teaches graduate choral studies, especially English choral literature, for about half a semester each year. At home in England, where she was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2007, Digby is the founder and artistic director of ORA Singers. Learn more at orasingers. co.uk.

Grant Gershon, artistic

Trees fall, streets flood, in heavy storms

By Suzan Filipek

Local streets and sidewalks were flooded during the downpours of mid-January, toppling trees and spreading debris. Crews from the city Public Works and Recreation and Parks departments reacted quickly, cleaning up most of the impacted areas by the next day, before new storms arrived.

A mature pine tree fell, pulling down an adjacent utility

MAYOR Karen Bass.

FORMER Mayor Eric Garcetti at the hike for Tom LaBonge.

Photo by Gary Leonard

CONDUCTOR and founder of The Golden Bridge, Suzi Digby. Photo by Andreas Grieger

FALLING tree and utility pole struck a car as it entered the intersection of Larchmont and Third Street. No one was injured in the incident.

Photo by Vivian Gueler

By John Welborne

Challenges to journalism remain

More and more, we learn of longtime newspapers shutting their doors. Among the primary reasons are rising costs of newsprint and increasing delivery costs, and the Larchmont Chronicle is not immune to these financial issues.

However, your local paper prevails! Our co-founder, Jane Gilman, celebrated her 90th birthday last month at Tom Bergin’s. This year is her newspaper’s 61st year of continuous publication, and we successor editors have every intention of continuing the paper long into the future.

We can do that — despite the rising economic challenges of the publishing business — because of the loyalty of our advertisers and readers.

Enclosed with this issue of the paper is a reply envelope that allows you to support the Larchmont Chronicle. If you overlooked returning the similar envelope that was in November’s issue, this is your second chance. Please help defray the annual cost of delivering the Larchmont Chronicle by sending $30 for the year 2023. If the reply envelope is missing, you may contact Nona Friedman in our circulation department at 323462-2241, ext. 13. Thank you!

Thurs., Feb. 2 — Groundhog Day.

Wed., Feb. 8 — Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council board meeting, 6:30 p.m. via Zoom, maybe in person. See greaterwilshire.org for details.

Sun., Feb. 12 — Super Bowl Sunday.

Tues., Feb. 14 — Valentine’s Day.

Mid City West Neighborhood Council board meeting, 6:30 p.m. via Zoom, maybe in person. See midcitywest.org for details.

Mon., Feb. 20 — Presidents’ Day.

Tues., Feb. 21 — Mardi Gras.

Thurs., March 2 — Delivery of the March issue of the Larchmont Chronicle

“We will have a glass of champagne at the dining room table in between putting the baby to bed.”

Larchmont

sense of place and wants to continue the shop’s tradition of carrying wines from high-quality, small family producers. Said Mangiagli, “Larchmont Village is great. I like this whole area and would love to stay here for a long time and help share wine with the community.”

Clark Street

Another welcome new store is Clark Street (139 1/2 N. Larch-

mont Blvd.). As the bakery opens in the morning, piles of fresh pastries tempt customers to take a step inside.

More at Mercantile

Across the street in the Larchmont Mercantile (formerly Lipson) building, retailer Top Drawer (140 N. Larchmont Blvd.) opened in time for the holidays with many gift options.

Larchmont is Top Drawer’s third shop in Los Angeles. The brand is known for “Tools for nomads.” There are bags, journals, footwear, eyewear, pens and on-the-go gear that also support sustainability.

Holey Grail

Donut lovers will be pleased to know that Holey Grail Donuts (148 N. Larchmont Blvd.) is moving forward with a mid-February opening. And because the store’s donuts are made from taro and fried in fair-trade coconut oil, even customers who have made healthy new year’s resolutions can say, “Yes! I’d love to buy a donut!”

The

Write us at letters@larchmontchronicle.com. Include your name, contact information and where you live. We reserve the right to edit for space and grammar.

“We are going to watch ‘The Lion King’ the week before — which is a musical that we first saw together when we were dating — and then go out to dinner.”

“I think I’ll probably come home, and my husband and I will make a really nice dinner with our kids. But I won’t be eating chocolate, because I don’t like it. Well… maybe some white chocolate. Also, my son is turning 10 that week, so I’m sure we’ll be celebrating him all week.”

Lila Byock and Clover Windsor Square

Sponsored by

‘What are your plans for Valentine’s Day?’

That’s the question inquiring photographer Casey Russell asked locals.

Gabe Greenspan and Kristina Holliman Larchmont Village

Jennifer Yu and Howard Kim Windsor Village

PILES OF PASTRIES at Clark Street bakery.

NEW WINE BUYER Jesse Mangiagli at Larchmont Village Wine, Spirits & Cheese with a recent wine-of-the-month.

Celebrating Jane, holiday revelries continue, Las Madrinas

If you’re anything like me, the first thing you do the morning that the Larchmont Chronicle comes out is toss aside your Los Angeles Times, grab a morning beverage and settle in to read your favorite local paper from cover to cover. The person you have to thank for that is none other than its co-founder Jane

Around

Gilman, who turned 90 years old on Jan. 13. A very public

(but simultaneously super secret) celebration was teased by Jane’s beloved Windsor Square Hancock Park Historical Society the month before the grand shindig. Anyone from the community who wanted to attend the Jan. 14 event was promised to “learn the secret, undisclosed location for the birthday bash”

once they RSVP’d. With a tease like that, it’s no surprise that more than 70 people were at the event, which finally was revealed to take place at none other than Tom Bergin’s on Fairfax Avenue. Jane, who started the paper in 1963 with her good friend and colleague Dawne Goodwin, looked every bit the belle of the ball, holding a festive birthday balloon and adorned with a shimmery sash and a sparkling tiara. Friends shared sonnets, haikus and numerous stories expressing their love and admiration for Jane. •

Though we’re a month re-

Memorial forest

(Continued from page 1)

The location, with spectacular views of the city that LaBonge loved so much, is an easy hike of a bit more than a mile from the Observatory parking lot.

moved from the December holiday festivities, it would be a cryin’ shame not to mention two more events that revved up the holiday and New Year’s

(Please turn to page 4)

DEDICATION of the Tom LaBonge Memorial Forest at the top of Griffith Park involved many, including former Mayor Eric Garcetti, center left, with — to his left — Parks Foundation Executive Director Carolyn Ramsay and (holding scissors) LaBonge’s widow Brigid and daughter Mary-Catherine, with the LaBonges’ son Charles between them. Photo by Gary Leonard

the Town with Sondi Toll Sepenuk

JANE GILMAN holds court (note the tiara) at Tom Bergin’s.

Around the Town

(Continued from page 3)

spirit for Larchmont locals.

On Dec. 22, after a two-year COVID-19 absence, one of Windsor Square’s most popular and treasured events came bounding back with a vengeance: the unofficial, informal, highly anticipated and deeply, sorely missed Windsor Square caroling party. The group of 60 gathered on Larchmont Boulevard in front of Le Pain Quotidien to guzzle holiday-themed beverages for the adults and warm cider for the children.

The celebratory crowd then moved along the Boulevard while children scurried among little red wagons, strollers and parents’ legs. Pet dogs accompanied the revelers with giddy exuberance as the moveable gaggle continued through Windsor Square, stopping at the home of Jennifer and Warren Rissier, who provided guests with cocktails and

the “shot ski,” a minty gulp of Schnapps to keep the vocal cords warmed and croon-worthy. The buoyant singers then found their way over to Irving Boulevard and First Street, then headed to the home of Frances and David Hoge on Plymouth Boulevard, where they enjoyed warm chili, desserts, more cocktails and faux snow in the backyard. In years past, this event was attended by hundreds — and I do mean hundreds — of local families which wanted to sing, drink, play and merrily celebrate living life in the middle of the city. Next year, Clare Cohen, one of the organizers, promises to “be back bigger and better with our beloved jazz band, The California Feetwarmers.”

Revelers who enjoyed the local festivities included Allison and Mark Meyerson, Aaron and Christine Woertink, Eileen and Matthew Rauchberg with son Max, Heidi Atherton and daughter Isabelle, Jennifer Kim, Erin Daffern and hus-

band Matthew, Jody Rath and Shannon McIntosh, Amy Savagian, Neal and Amy Fraser, and hosts Kevin and Clare Cohen and family, Frances and Dave Hoge and family, and Warren and Jennifer Rissier.

Also in December, on the 21st at the Beverly Hilton, 34 families and their daughters were recognized at the 2022 Las Madrinas Ball.

Two debutantes with family connections in our area, Fiona Jane Fisher and Marcella Victoria Tracy, and their families were honored for their dedication to the Southern California community and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA).

At the onset of the evening, Elizabeth Williams Shoemaker, president of Las Madrinas, thanked the debutantes and their families for supporting Las Madrinas’ mission to advance equity, quality and innovation in pediatric healthcare by supporting the Las Madrinas Diagnostic

Innovation Endowment at CHLA. This is the 11th project Las Madrinas has financed for the hospital, raising a total of more than $60 million over the years to directly and positively impact the most vulnerable of children. The organization Las Madrinas (which means “The Godmothers” in Spanish) began supporting Children’s Hospital in 1933.

As the old year drew to a close and the new year beckoned, Lucerne Boulevard residents Olivia and Steve Kazanjian threw open their doors to welcome friends and neighbors to Olivia’s Annual Friends and Family Home Show. Olivia, a jewelry designer as well as purveyor of one-of-a-kind, hard-to-find vintage baubles, went allout to make sure her guests were fed and watered. A large ham-carving station accompanied by all the trimmings, cheeses galore and every nut and cracker that could be plucked from the nearby gourmet food store shelves, was displayed in cheerful, “Bring On 2023” fashion!

Guests mingled and browsed with all of the appropriate oooh’ing and ahhh’ing to be expected from the unique and handmade finds. Spotted catching up with Larchmont friends and neighbors, ready to ring in the new year, were Isabel Mayfield, Greg and Donna Econn, Kiel Fitzgerald, Rosie Juda, Anne Mansour and

Mark and Dina Waters.

Between rainstorms, members of NGA Hancock Park met under the stars in Peggy Davis’ backyard on Jan. 12. The purpose of the gathering was threefold: to collect items for donation to local charitable agencies, to discuss important changes in the year ahead and to learn a bit about living a healthy lifestyle. The members, who had collected toiletries throughout the year, packaged individual bags filled

(Please turn to page 8)

skin deep

by Dr. Rebecca Fitzgerald

Q: I’ve been hesitant to try lip fillers for fear of that obviously overfilled look. Now I’m facing lip lines too. Any advice?

A: Despite your procrastination, your timing couldn’t be better. And you’re in good company; a study reveals that more than 50% of women would target their lips first of any cosmetic treatment. Lips are, after all, symbolic of intimacy, sexuality and love.

Let’s address those lines first (aka barcodes, smokers lines, or perhaps a more pleasant reference: kissing lines). The latest FDA-approved hyaluronic acid filler, RHA Redensity, can be injected into those vertical lines to fade them into near oblivion.

A beautiful bonus is that the effects last about a full year.

As for lip fillers, I agree. Overfilled lips that don’t look believable with your bone structure scream, “I had my lips done.”

Rather than plump lips, RHA Redensity can be injected to create “lip flip”, which is the gentle outward rolling of the upper lip to create a fullerlooking pout. Again, no added volume — just your natural lips with a more alluring shape.

Contact our office for lips that look like you were born lucky.

Dr. Rebecca Fitzgerald is a Board Certified Dermatologist located in Larchmont Village with a special

Visit online at www.RebeccaFitzgeraldMD. com or call (323) 464-8046 to schedule an appointment.

focus on anti-aging technology. She is a member of the Botox Cosmetic National Education Faculty and is an international Training Physician for Dermik, the makers of the injectable Sculptra. She is also among a select group of physicians chosen to teach proper injection techniques for Radiesse, the volumizing filler, around the world. Dr. Fitzgerald is an assistant clinical professor at UCLA.

LARCHMONT CHRONICLE’S Pam Rudy addresses Jane Gilman (under balloon, at left) and others gathered at Tom Bergin’s to celebrate Jane’s 90th birthday.

RESIDENTS enjoy the local Windsor Square carolers.

CAROLERS GATHERED on Larchmont Boulevard before moving through the neighborhood.

Marcella Victoria Tracy

Photos by Nick Boswell Photography

Fiona Jane Fisher

Council committee assignments announced

In my last column, I shared why I decided to run for Council District 5. Put simply, no other level of government has as much impact on our everyday experience as Angelenos as the Los Angeles City Council. Our quality of life, our ability to raise our children in safe neighborhoods with access to parks, how long we spend in our cars getting to and from work — these are

CD 5 Council Report

by Katy Young Yaroslavsky

all impacted by who is working for you at City Hall.

A few weeks ago, the council president announced new

committee assignments for each councilmember. I have the honor of serving as chair of the Energy and Environment Committee, and I also will serve on these committees: Budget & Finance; Planning & Land Use Management; Transportation; and Ad Hoc Olympics. Each of these committees has a direct role to play in the quality of life issues I ran on. Livable, walkable neighborhoods, bikeable streets, a sustainable future for our children and new, affordable housing in transit-rich areas are all within reach for our District.

As chair of the Energy and Environment Committee in particular, I plan on tackling our climate crisis head on. It’s why, during my first council meeting, I filed a motion requesting a report from the City Planning Department on how we can adopt a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan into the city’s General Plan. As it stands, the city’s efforts to mitigate climate change are not codified into law, and they are not legally enforceable. If we are to seriously tackle climate change as a city, that must change. And the Energy and Environment Committee is the legislative body to take on that work.

I am looking forward to continuing these updates on our work as your councilwoman, and I ask that you continue to hold me accountable to these critical quality of life issues. Together, we can better the lives of Angelenos across our city and transform our future.

WWII Italian Jews remembered at commemoration

The eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day will include a commemoration ceremony in collaboration with the Consulate General of Italy at the Holocaust Museum LA, 100 The Grove Dr.

The Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles will also be represented at the remembrance on Thurs., Jan. 26 at 3 p.m.

Leading on transit – safe streets for our children

Cars are the leading cause of death among children in Los Angeles, and one person in L.A. dies from traffic violence every 30 hours. That’s why our office got to work from day one to make our streets safer, especially for our kids.

Our neighborhoods have some of the deadliest intersections in the entire city. That’s why we introduced a critical transit motion that will allow us to identify the most dangerous streets in the district for safety improvements.

Our motion will specifically:

1. Identify the top 10 most dangerous locations for pedestrians in CD13;

2. Order a list of bike infrastructure projects that could be completed in the district within 18 months, and

3. Report on ways to improve our bus network and install bus shelters.

From deadly streets to broken sidewalks to gridlocked traffic, our city has so much room for improvement, and we need to begin now. That means more crosswalks,

CD 13

Council

Report

by Hugo Soto-Martinez

slower car speeds in residential neighborhoods, protected bike lanes and more.

Everyone hates traffic. But in L.A., a lack of more efficient options leaves people feeling dependent on their cars, which just adds more traffic. That dependency is bad for the environment and dangerous for pedestrians. We deserve fast, comfortable, safe transit options so our children don’t have to risk their lives just walking or biking to school.

If you know of areas that are in need of sidewalk repair, street repair or bike lanes, let us know! We are ready to improve our infrastructure to give folks more options on how to get around. Contact councilmember.soto-martinez@lacity.org.

Rain

(Continued from page 1)

which could have destabilized the tree.

325 N. Larchmont Boulevard, #158 Los Angeles, California 90004

windsorsquare.org

157 N. Larchmont Boulevard

WSA maintains a robust website as a resource for neighborhood residents. At www.windsorsquare.org, you will find information on: • History of Windsor Square • HPOZ • Filming • Helpful Contact Information • Security • Canopy • Current News and More

The Windsor Square Association, an all-volunteer group of residents from 1100 households between Beverly and Wilshire and Van Ness and Arden, works to preserve and enhance our beautiful neighborhood. Join with us! Drop us a line at 325 N. Larchmont Blvd., #158, Los Angeles, CA 90004, or visit our website at windsorsquare.org. ©LC0223

Names of some of the 8,000 Jews that were deported from Italy during World War II will be read, and selected short films will be screened at the event honoring the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

“Selfies

in Auschwitz”

Jackie Feldman, professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, will explore honoring memory in the modern age on Wed., Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. in “Selfies in Auschwitz: The Challenges of Holocaust Memory in a Digital Age.” Visit holocaustmuseumla.org.

pole by the pole’s wires, both crashing on top of a car as the driver entered the intersection at Larchmont Boulevard on Third Street on Jan. 9. No one was hurt in the incident. Recent pruning of the storm drain-adjacent pine tree’s roots for construction of a handicapped-accessible curb may have led to root rot,

During the same storm, an old-growth tree toppled over at Harold Henry Park in Windsor Village, luckily not injuring anyone in its path. City clean-up crews responded by the next morning, making the park safe again for visitors.

As usually happens in such winter rains, various intersections in and around Hancock Park were flooded temporarily.

city by

a.m.

THE NEXT MORNING, the downed tree was removed by the

10

Photos by Casey Russell

DOWNED TREE in Harold A. Henry Park was a victim of the mid-January storms.

Mayor Bass

(Continued from page 1)

les City Council and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

“I want everybody to be working together… if we pool our resources, we can be much more effective.

“Can you imagine our powers if we’re all on the same page?

“One of the things that’s been a frustration — work is being done, housing is being built, people are being taken off the street — but we are never able to reach the scale of what we need.”

The new mayor didn’t hesitate when Biden announced recently that he wanted to alleviate homelessness nationally by 25 percent in two years.

“Just come to Los Angeles; if you come here, you can actually reach your national goal,” she told the president.

She also noted to us that, “Besides lacking temporary, affordable and permanent housing, enough isn’t done to prevent people from falling into homelessness in the first place.”

But she is hopeful that the tide is turning.

Because of Proposition HHH, passed by city voters in 2016, “Thousands of new [housing] units are coming online.” And, after a couple of years of COVID-19, hotel and motel owners, who once shied away, are “coming forward. There’s so much we learned from the pandemic…

they will now lease to you and sell to you. We’ve learned we can move people differently…”

Mayor Bass cited the 13-story L.A. Grand Hotel (formerly the Sheraton Grande, on Figueroa and Third streets in Downtown Los Angeles). The hotel’s contract for interim housing was extended last month to house homeless people for another year under Project Roomkey.

Extending tenant protections is another crucial element, she says. (Pro-tenant rules were adopted as temporary COVID-19 relief, and further extension was approved by the City Council as this issue of the paper went to press.) Mayor Bass told us that she believes that the extension also must include safeguards for mom-and-pop landlords so that they don’t become homeless as well.

Nearby transient

When told of an apparently homeless, transient man who circulates in Windsor Village turning over trash cans as he goes, Bass said he may be among the “profoundly” mentally ill, a group that needs a different course, one that Bass — whose career began in the field of psychiatric emergency care — is “passionate about.”

She noted that, two days before our interview, she, plus Gov. Newsom and leaders of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, had announced their intentions to implement the law establishing CARE Court by Dec. 1, 2023, a full year ahead of schedule. She told us that CARE Court is a program to “help people get into conservatorship to get the help they need…”

“I feel it is downright inhumane for people who are mentally ill to be on the

street. It’s dangerous for them and for you.

“Now we wait ‘til they commit a crime or they wind up severely injured or dead.”

(With respect to the specific Windsor Village individual cited by the Chronicle staff, Mayor Bass asked an attending staff member to see what might be done to help him.)

Locking arms

Besides working with the county’s Board of Supervisors — which recently endorsed her declaration of a state of emergency to get as many as possible of the approximately 45,000 street dwellers off the city’s streets — Bass emphasized to us that she also is in sync with the 15 city council members.

She told us that she was pleased to find that, unlike rumors she had heard, they are not 15 people acting as chiefs of different “fiefdoms... but are more than willing to say, ‘Yes you take it...’ I have been welcomed to take on the responsibility. I have met with every council member more than once. There is no resistance at all.”

She has found that each council district has different needs with its homeless population. For example, while a recent, successful program to temporarily house nearly 100 people in Venice comes with support services to keep them housed long-term, the need in South Los Angeles is less for outreach and more for hotel rooms.

Asked to elaborate about the 100 people just housed temporarily in Venice and where those people may go from there, the mayor responded, “We don’t see them being there for a couple of weeks. We see them being

Around the Town

(Continued from page 4) with shampoo, conditioner, lotion, soap, makeup and dental care to be distributed to the homeless through two of their partnerships, Good Shepherd Center and McIntyre House.

NGA Hancock Park President Beverly Brown announced that the organization also would be partnering with another entity, Los Angeles House of Ruth, an organization that serves abused homeless women and their children.

Brown also announced that, because last year’s usual February fundraiser was pushed to May (due to COVID-19), this year the group would forego the annual February gala and instead fundraise through more intimate PartyBook-style gatherings throughout the year. NGA member Dr. Alecia Beckford-Stewart, a former Olympic athlete, then guided the members through a discussion of injury prevention and health.

there for a couple of months. We see them moving into permanent supportive housing. There are thousands of units coming online — HHH. It is not the objective to put them in a hotel for a couple of weeks and then scatter them back out. [If we do that], we fail. If they go into permanent housing, then we succeed.”

She added that, regarding Proposition HHH construction of new housing, “One of the reasons it costs so much is that it takes so long!”

Transit

As mayor, Bass has a seat on the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (“Metro”) Board of Directors (plus she appoints three additional directors). She told us: “The fact that [Metro] is served by three different law enforcement agencies has always mystified me. It is high on my agenda to address this.”

She mentioned to us another of her concerns about transit: “One thing that I look forward to learning about is safety on Metro. People won’t ride if they don’t feel safe onboard or in the station.”

Safety is paramount all around, she emphasized. “Nobody wants to see tents,” she said, adding, “Everyone needs to be part of the solution.”

Getty House

She told us that her move into Getty House in Windsor Square is slow but ongoing, taking place in the middle of her full schedule, where the main focus is to tackle homelessness head on.

And, with that, we wish her well and welcome her to the neighborhood.

John Welborne participated in the interview and contributed to this article.

NGA MEMBERS (from left to right) Robin Jameson, NGA Hancock Park President Beverly Brown, Jennifer Kim, Alecia Beckford-Stewart.

Chef Michael Beglinger kept the group fed with mini spicy fried chicken sandwiches, blinis with smoked salmon and dill creme, parmesan crisps with pears, mascarpone and prosciutto. Members pitching in their time and energy to organize the event included Marion Plato, Jennifer Kim, Stephanie Sourapas, Robin Jameson and Mary Woodward.

WILSHIRE PARK residence was the locale for a rally of supporters of Karen Bass (center) two days before election day.

Nyakio and David Grieco: a couple that was meant to be

By Helene Seifer Nyakio and David Grieco

are both children of the ’70s from Upstate New York. She was born Nyakio Kamoche to Kenyan immigrants in Buffalo and lived throughout the tri-state area before moving to Oklahoma by the time she was nine. David was born two years earlier to parents of Italian and Irish heritage in Watertown, New York, and stayed there until he went to Alabama for college.

They could have met as children at the park in Syracuse when her father and his uncle were professors at the university there. But they didn’t.

They should have met after college when they lived within blocks of each other in Los Angeles on three separate occasions. But they didn’t.

They met at last in the fall of 1997. Nyakio, an assistant in talent management, was asked to evaluate the acting reel of David Grieco, whose older brother Richard was

known from the original “21 Jump Street” television series. She thought David was cute and recommended that he should be signed, which he was.

David and Nyakio spoke often on the telephone about his upcoming auditions. She appreciated his kindness and “passion about making a difference in this world.”

“I desperately wanted to

meet him,” Nyakio reveals, “So I invited him to go to drinks under the guise of wanting to talk to him about his career.”

They met, and he brought her to see his bronze sculptures in his nearby art studio. She was impressed.

It wasn’t until three years later, in November 2000, that they finally went on their first date. Nyakio had been given two tickets to “The Lion King,” and David joined her.

“By the time we had dinner [after the show], I knew it was going to be something,” Nyakio acknowledged.

“I fell in love with her, or realized I had been in love already, when we went to ‘The

Lion King,’” David says. “It changed my life.”

At dinner, David asked her what new place she’d most like to visit, and she replied “Italy.” Three years later, on Nyakio’s 30th birthday, David gave her a journal with pictures of Italian locations. On the last page he had affixed plane tickets to the Bel Paese.

Nyakio was certain David planned to propose on the trip, and she was right. However, as the vacation days went by without a proposal, Nyakio began to get grumpy.

She called her Los Angeles roommate to complain, “I’m not sure what I’m doing. I just don’t feel right.” David, (Please turn to page 25)

THE GRIECO FAMILY: David, Rocco, Nyakio and Lulu, in front of their Windsor Square home. Photo courtesy Carina Miller

JUST MARRIED: Nyakio and David Grieco at Stauffer Chapel, Pepperdine University, 2004. Photo courtesy Felicia Becky

Disneyland engagement leads to 29 years of marriage

By Nona Sue Friedman

Sam Nymous proposed to Sadie Griner on his birthday, at Disneyland, in what was the start of their magical journey that has lasted 29 years, so far, and includes three girls, two boys and four grandkids.

Being Orthodox Jews, it is customary in their circle for single people to be set up or matched either by friends or family members. Often the mother or father will vet the family before the kids’ meeting even occurs.

Sadie Griner is a native Angeleno who grew up in Hancock Park. She flew back to New York monthly for two and a half years to find the love of her life. There were more opportunities back East, she explains.

She has a very large family in New York that was more than happy to host her for weekends and find available men for her to date. She started making these cross-country trips in her late teens, and it took about 25 blind dates before meeting Sam.

Four different sources had suggested that she meet Sam, including one of her other blind dates. “I knew he was ‘the one’ on our first date,” recalls Sadie.

Sam, a very reserved and

conservative individual, was born and raised in a suburb of Philadelphia. According to him, “It’s a nice place, but very ordinary and not very exciting.” At the time, he was attending college in New Jersey, studying Talmudic law and accounting. A high school friend suggested he meet this young woman from Los Angeles. Although he didn’t know much about her, he was intrigued. She was only the second set-up for him. He liked his friend and liked the idea of Los Angeles, so he accepted the match. He fondly remembers seeing Sadie walk down her cousin’s staircase in Brooklyn. It took him about three or four dates to realize she was his beshert , the Yiddish word for destiny.

The nice thing about Orthodox courtship is that everyone involved is there for the same reason — to get married. As Sam said, “Dates progress quickly. The first few dates are just fun. Then, if you like the person you start discussing

goals, desires, lifestyle and where you are religiously.”

Sam and Sadie dated for about two and a half months on weekends in New York before Sam came to visit

Sadie in Los Angeles. Being a very casual guy, he didn’t get down on one knee in Disneyland to propose. He wove the proposal into the day. Do you want to ride the Matterhorn? Perhaps you want to get married?

They agree they are total opposites. Sam, a director at assisted living homes in the South Bay, is happy to go to San Diego every year for vacation, while Sadie, a local real estate broker, plans adven-

tures that take her family all over the world. Sam is the nuts and bolts guy when they go away. He’s in charge of auto rentals and air travel, while she’s in charge of tours and adventures like skydiving and scuba diving.

According to Sadie, “He’ll check the box,” whereas she “Wants to make the ordinary extraordinary.” The combination works great.

She comments that he’s fascinated with her, even down to how she makes a sandwich special. She enjoys his stability, kindness, intelligence and that he’s a great dad.

“Everyday with Sadie is an adventure,” said Sam. “It’s fun and exciting. She’s got a unique flair in everything she does and everything she is. It’s nice to be along for the ride,” he reflected. He’s even become less reserved over the years.

Talking to the two of them, it’s easy to hear the respect, admiration and love they have for each other and the life they have made together. Sam said, “Maybe, for our 30th or 50th anniversary, I’ll propose to her again more officially and dramatically on one knee in Disneyland.”

The names of Sam Nymous and Sadie Griner are pseudonyms. Theirs is a true story, but the couple is modest, and we are keeping them anonymous to add a dash of mystery to this romance. We also thank fellow Angeleno, Gabrielle Zevin, for creating Sam and Sadie in her book. — Ed.

MAGICAL MOMENTS of all kinds happen at Disneyland.

A loving team for 53 years — the Mulveys of Windsor Village

By Casey Russell

Rosaleem and Cyril Mulvey, with their pleasant Irish lilts, have lived in Windsor Village for 53 years. The two met as employees of airline Aer Lingus in Dublin, Ireland. Rosaleem worked in the canteen, and Cyril was an engineer.

“I asked her where she danced — everybody went dancing then,” Cyril said. “So I found out where she’d be, and one night when my brother and a friend and I were out, I said, ‘Let’s go to the club on the other side of the airport. I sorta have a date… and maybe she’ll have friends.’ So we went and that’s all it took,” said Cyril.

Rosaleem agreed. “That was it.”

The couple got engaged a year later and, although Irish engagements at that time often lasted three or four years, they were married one year after getting engaged. He was 24, she 20. “My parents had decided to move to America,” said Mr. Mulvey. “If

CYRIL AND ROSALEEM

MULVEY

on their wedding day, Feb. 12, 1966.

we didn’t get married soon, he’d have had no one on his side of the church,” said Mrs. Mulvey.

During a two-week-long honeymoon to London and Coventry, the couple conceived their first child and, nine months and five days after the ceremony, their daughter was born. Rosaleem and Cyril laugh, thinking back, “At that time, they counted on their fingers, you see. It had to be

nine months.”

Many members of Mr. Mulvey’s family had moved to the United States, and they suggested the couple join them here. “We went along with the idea and made plans,” said Mrs. Mulvey. The couple has been here ever since.

For the first year, they lived in and managed one of the rental properties the family owned. But in 1970, they bought their Windsor Village

home. Mr. Mulvey was working at American Airlines and, when their daughter was a bit older, Mrs. Mulvey got a job as a manager at a restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard. Their son arrived seven years after their daughter, and the couple recalls walking and going to Harold Henry Park with the kids.

The couple recounted some of the things that keep their relationship strong. “We do a

lot of walking. We started that together in about 2004 after he retired,” said Rosaleem. She had been walking for about 10 years prior. “I wanted to do it,” said Cyril. “But she nearly had to drag me, and then she used to bring a candy.” Rosaleem added, “I’d have to bribe him, you know.” Mr. Mulvey chimed in, “We’d go up to Wilshire and then up to Third and then we went up to Beverly — all the way round.” Mrs. Mulvey continued, “I’d say, ‘Just a little bit more.’” “And then at the end, I got to like it,” said Mr. Mulvey. When asked when he got the candy, he said he got it on the way back. “If I gave it to him on the way up he’d turn around at The Ebell and go home.”

Because of the perks from working for American Airlines, the couple can fly standby for 10 percent of ticket prices. “We go to Ireland three times a year and then continue on somewhere else. You name it, we’ve been everywhere.” While in Ire-

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THE MULVEYS at home.

Sharon and Fred

By Talia Abrahamson

Sharon and Fred Cohanim, the owners of Larchmont Beauty Center, have grown up with the community and with each other.

They met in Tehran when she was 17 and he was 19.

Sharon was friends with Fred’s sister, and she attend-

Cohanim share

ed a swimming party at his parents’ house. Sharon said it was love at first sight.

“He was very handsome,” Sharon said. “Little by little, we got to know each other, and we grew up together.”

They dated for two years and lived in Tehran until right before the 1979 Irani-

family on Larchmont Blvd.

an Revolution. Sharon, who was born in New York, was first to move from Iran to Los Angeles. Fred followed one month later. She remembers that month in between as one of their hardest moments. Their move to Los Angeles was 43 years ago. Sharon said the idea to open Larch-

mont Beauty Center, a neighborhood staple for health and beauty products, was a shared one. The doors opened at Larchmont Beauty in April 1992.

“We opened here, and we were supported by the neighborhood. We are very grateful for that. It’s a very nice neighborhood; very fantastic clientele,” Sharon said.

Last year, Sharon and Fred celebrated 51 years of marriage. She said the key to their long relationship has been compromise. That is how they have supported each other through good and bad times, like the Revolution.

“What I love about him, he’s a very good man. What he loves about me, I’d have to ask him,” Sharon laughed. “But we get along. There have been so many ups and downs, but we still get along. Maybe it’s the compromise part.”

Together they have raised three sons: Radi, Barry and Teddy. Radi and Barry have joined the family business, and Teddy works in real estate.

The highlight of their marriage has been seeing their children marry and start their own families.

“Our very good moments together were when our children got married,” Sharon said. “The fruit of our life. This is something that we built together, Fred and I.”

Over the past three decades at Larchmont Beauty, Sharon

Mulveys

(Continued from page 11)

land, the couple goes to the horse races. (Mrs. Mulvey’s father was a stud manager — the queen used to send all of her horses to be foaled at his place.) The couple hasn’t traveled for three years due to the pandemic, but they have a trip planned for the spring.

So what’s the secret to their nearly 57-year marriage? “For everything, we’re a team. I cook, he does the dishes. If I see the trash, I take it. If he sees it, he does. It doesn’t matter,” said Mrs. Mulvey. “The first thing I do in the morning is make the

said their customers have also become part of their family story.

“It’s really a pleasure to come to work. To see the customers makes me happy,” Sharon said. “They’re like family to me.”

Most customers are not tourists, but regulars who have known Fred and Sharon for years. She said her greatest pleasure is talking and catching up with her customers.

“For example,” Sharon said, speaking over the phone from the store, “right now, a customer comes in. They know Fred’s name and say, ‘Hi Fred, how are you doing?’ It’s like somebody has come home.”

She considers their relationship very lucky. Through Larchmont Beauty, Sharon and Fred have built a community.

“We have a big family,” Sharon said. “This is how it feels to me and to Fred.”

bed. When I go to bed at night, there’s not a cup in the sink. That’s another thing. We never leave dishes,” said Mr. Mulvey.

“We’ve always been two peas in a pod, [but] you both need your own time, too. I am a morning person, Cyril likes to stay up and watch things,” said Mrs. Mulvey. But they both emphasized that they always like to know the other is there.

And the advice they’d give to young couples? “You have to give and take,” said Mrs. Mulvey. Mr. Mulvey added, “And I don’t contradict her. I don’t care about being right. I’m not going to be a know-it-all.”

Ecclesia Gnostica Gnostic Christian Church

Bishop Dr. Stephan Hoeller

Sunday Eucharist 11:00am

Wednesday Eucharist 8:30pm Lectures • Fridays • 8pm 3363 Glendale Boulevard, Atwater, Los Angeles • 323-467-2685 307

Sunday Eucharist 11am Wednesday Eucharist 8pm Lectures • Fridays • 8pm 2560 N. Beachwood Dr., Hollywood • 323-467-2685

THE COHANIMS have celebrated 51 years of marriage.

Photo courtesy of Sharon Cohanim

S couting for 113 Y ear S

Troop 10 combines outdoor adventure with community

By Matt Rauchberg

Boy Scout Troop 10 is the oldest continuously chartered Scout troop in the Western United States.  Based at St. James’ Episcopal Church on Wilshire Boulevard since 1914, the troop brings together boys ages 11-17 from nearly a dozen area schools.

Troop 10 is very fortunate to have continued to thrive during the pandemic with a variety of outdoor adventures in 2022.  In July, the troop spent a week at Camp Cherry Valley on Catalina Island, earning merit badges in swimming, lifesaving, kayaking, first aid, wilderness survival and more.  Other adventures included backpacking in the High Sierra and trips to Joshua Tree and Anza-Borrego. In summer 2023, 14 Scouts from

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Construction of safety rails was the project’s easy part

By Spencer Isbell

Over the summer, I worked with Hollywood’s American Legion Post 43 to complete my Eagle Project. The American Legion supports veterans physically, mentally and emotionally. At their classic building on North Highland Avenue, the front yard included a hazardous, unexpected, 3-foot step-down drop.

Working with the Post’s commander, I designed and built a safety railing. I spent more than 50 hours researching, planning and fundraising. With the funds, I purchased 110 feet of aluminum tubing and dozens of fittings. The construction phase of the project lasted two days, during which I led 18 Scouts to complete the project.

The part that I found most challenging, and most rewarding, was not actually the construction of the project. Instead, it was the hours of

preparing, the communicating and the leadership skills I got a chance to use.

The safety rail seemed simplistic enough.

When I broke down all the necessary phases and discovered the very precise leveling required, I realized that the project would be more difficult than it had first seemed. The work paid off.

Now, the veterans and their guests have a safety railing.

Completing my Eagle Project was the last step for earning Eagle rank. Having completed my board of review, I am now looking forward to being officially awarded the Eagle Scout rank at a ceremony with friends and family in the spring.

Spencer Isbell is a senior at Loyola High School.

TROOP 10 and Camp Cherry Valley counselor (kneeling, lower right) on Catalina Island, July 2022.

TROOP 10 selling baked goods on Larchmont Boulevard to raise money for children and families displaced by the war in Ukraine.

FISHING in the High Sierra: Scout Michael Hanna casts his line on a backpacking trip in the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness in July 2022.

SPENCER ISBELL between his recently installed removable safety rails at Hollywood American Legion Post 43.

Troop 10 will be going on a backpacking and kayaking adventure in Alaska.

By Casey Russell

Girl

cookies are officially being sold! Online sales started in mid-January and booth sales will begin on Fri., Feb. 10, and continue through Fri., March 10.

The newest flavor — a spinoff of the Scout’s trademark Thin Mints — is called the Raspberry Rally. That cookie, with its chocolaty coating, will only be sold in limited quantities online.

Longtime favorites will be sold online and in booths, so keep your eyes open for

activities, Girl Scouts has helped me become more of a well-rounded participant in my community.

Girl Scouts emphasizes community service as one of its core principles. Individual troops have the ability to achieve bronze, silver and gold awards. The bronze award was for a group activity where my troop worked together to clean up trash

on our beaches. This experience helped me to come up with my silver award project. I made masks for volunteers at animal rescues during the early days of the pandemic. Now in my junior year, I am coming up with gold award ideas that will make a lasting impact on society. These awards give us the freedom to choose a problem that we

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Scout

member Tera Cheng,

fun to sell cook-

RASPBERRY RALLY cookie debuts this year.

GIRL SCOUTS Faith Kim (13) and Alyson Kim (10) selling in a past year on the Boulevard.

LOCAL GIRLS in Troop 12545 visit San Francisco.

By Diane Gilmore St. James’

Episcopal

Church sponsors a Family Cub Pack — boys, girls and parents, too. This new way of Scouting brings the family together on overnight adventures, day hikes and field trips. Scouting is a purely volunteer activity, and it has been wonderful to now host coed adventures.

Families want more outdoor activity. In small groups, Pack 10 participants go overnight camping, challenge themselves with day

hikes in the Los Angeles area and walk to a neighborhood fire station.

Cubs learn to cook their own food and to safely use a pocketknife or a bow and arrow. Parents often find themselves learning new skills, too.

Big Pack events, called Pack Meetings, are adventures like sailboat regattas, Cub Olympics, camp skit nights (called Howling at the Moon) and, of course, the Pinewood Derby, a race of Cub-made unpowered miniature wooden cars.

Pack 10 brings both St. James’ School and neighboring families together. The Pack now boasts 34 families, all contributing their time to teach the aims of Scouting: character, fitness and citizenship. With all families pitching in — some on weekdays, some on weekends — we teach our youth to “Do Your Best.”

Pack 10 thanks our neighbors who supported us during our recent fundraising effort — the Scout popcorn sale.

PACK 10 at the William S. Hart Museum with Diane Gilmore.

S couting for 113 Y ear S

Troop 10

(Continued from page 13)

Troop 10 is especially proud of our two most recent Eagle Scouts who have earned the highest rank in Scouting.  As a part of earning the Eagle rank, each Scout planned and carried out a major service project for a local community service or conservation organization.

Colin Kneafsey built a garden

Cookies:

(Continued from page 14) ies on Larchmont because lots of people buy cookies, and I like seeing all the dogs!” Alyson Kim, also a member of the troop, said, “Larchmont is my favorite place to sell cookies because everyone is always so generous and supportive.”

Faith Kim added, “Sell[ing] cookies together… teaches us the importance of leadership and public speaking. I like seeing my elementary school friends walking around Larchmont Village.”

If you have a sweet tooth, consider stopping by a local booth to support the Girl Scouts while they, as Lauren Madero of Troop 7865 puts it, “learn the power of entrepreneurship.”

storage box, planter boxes and a table for Alexandria House. Spencer Isbell built a safety rail for Hollywood American Legion Post 43.

Last spring, the Scouts of Troop 10 dedicated their spring fundraising event to displaced families in Ukraine. They held a bake sale on Larchmont Boulevard for two consecutive weekends and raised more than $1,800 for children and

families affected by the war.

As another service project, for the fourth consecutive summer, the Scouts of Troop 10 partnered with Friends of Griffith Park and the Park Rangers to adopt the trees in the upper Fern Dell section of the park. Scouts took turns watering and mulching the trees to help them survive the drought.

Larchmont tree lot

During the holidays, the Scouts helped out at the Rotary Club Tree Lot on Larchmont Boulevard, and they sold baked goods and handmade Christmas ornaments as a fundraiser for the Troop.

Troop 10 is open to new members and meets every Tuesday night at St. James’ at

Girl Scouting:

(Continued from page 14)

feel strongly about and work to make a positive change. Being a Girl Scout in Troop 12545 has opened new opportunities for me — including trips to Hurricane Harbor where the whole park is filled with only Girl Scouts from all over Southern California. We have had trips to Disneyland with thousands of other Scouts.

From tea parties at the Hotel Bel-Air to a trip to San Francisco, where troops from all over

New way of Scouting

(Continued from page 15)

Pack 10 raised more than $5,500 selling popcorn, with two-thirds of the proceeds going directly into Scouting programs.

“Socks and Soaps”

From the youngest Cub Scouts to the most senior Boy Scouts, Pack 10 and Troop 10 teach community service.

For example, St. James’ provides a weekly free shower program to the unhoused. To complement this effort, Scout youth run a “Socks and Soaps” drive in the month of the Thanksgiving holiday.

The Boy Scout patrols and the Cub Scout dens compete to gather the most cleaning supplies for our neighboring unhoused community. This year, Scouts gathered more than 80 pounds of soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes. Some brought gently used towels along with mountains of socks. These are all greatly appreciated by those who need a fresh start.

The Cubs in Pack 10 also participate in two beach cleanup days. The Boy Scouts troop volunteers for Clean Up the LA River Day and commits to a Griffith Park weekly

6 p.m. in the Scout Room.  St. James’ is also forming a Boy Scouts of America Troop for girls. Please get in touch if

the country crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, it’s been exciting to travel with my friends. I get to talk to girls just like me.

For our final Bridging ceremony, a tradition of honoring girls’ achievements from the past year and celebrating passing to the next level of being a Girl Scout, we had planned to do a trip to Europe. The pandemic prevented the trip from taking place, but we are hoping to do a makeup trip in the near future.

Group trips and experiences create unique memories that

program, watering trees during drought months. Boy Scouts also serve the community through Eagle Scout projects. Scouting families certainly teach their youth to look for ways to give back to their community.

Diane Gilmore is the Metropolitan District’s Scout Commissioner.

Area Directory

Cub Scouts:  Pack 10 Glen Lim, Cubmaster Glenlim416@gmail.com

Pack 16 Carolyn Reyes, Cubmaster Carolyn.reyes@gmail.com

Boy Scouts: Troop 10 Matt Rauchberg,  Scoutmaster Matt.rauchberg@gmail. com

Troop 621 Alan-Michael Graves, Scoutmaster a-graves@sbcglobal.net

Troop 777 Joseph Shin, Scoutmaster troop777bsa@hotmail.com

interested by emailing matt. rauchberg@gmail.com.

Matt Rauchberg is the Scoutmaster of Troop 10.

will last a lifetime. These fun adventures, combined with service awards, have assisted me in my journey to become a woman I can be proud to be.

Veronica Mullen is a junior at Immaculate Heart School.

Farmers family fun: Lunar New Year, Mardi Gras

By John Welborne

Adults and children will be captivated by a traditional lion dance performance celebrating the Year of the Rabbit on Sat., Feb. 4, at the Original Farmers Market, 6333 West Third Street.

Other Lunar New Year activities that day, from 2 to 4 p.m., will include balloon twisting and a rabbit crown-making workshop. Market management also promises giveaways featuring Farmers Market gift certificates and merchandise.

In addition to the Feb. 4 activities, the market will feature “Lucky 8” Lunar New Year specials from Jan. 30 to Feb. 5, offered by nearly two dozen of its merchants.

Mardi Gras

This year, “Fat Tuesday,” the day preceding the start of Lent, is Feb. 21. That day, also called Shrove Tuesday, is the big blowout preceding some people’s fasting and abstinence during the 40 days leading up to Easter. The American celebrations and carnival activities relating to Mardi Gras got their starts in New Orleans in the 1700s.

Shrove Tuesday this year is the day after Presidents’ Day, and the Original Farmers Market has scheduled many festive activities for the weekend of Feb. 18-19 as well as Fat Tuesday, the 21st. Learn more about both Mardi Gras and Lunar New Year at: farmersmarketla.com/events.

VERDUGO PEAK was hiked by troop 10 Scouts (left to right) Jacob Milder, Matthew Savagian, Wyatt Moen and Manan Gupta.

LAUREN MADERO, 10, was ready for customers last year near Peet’s Coffee.

Strengthening relationships through one-on-one time

By Casey Russell

February means Valentine’s Day is upon us, and the season of love has arrived. Hopefully, if you are a parent who is also in a romantic relationship, you’ll make a point of spending some special couple time with your partner. As a parent, it’s nice to remember to foster the very feelings that, ultimately, lead to kids in the first place. So date night, here you come!

One-on-one time is so important to relationships — all of them. My mom and dad did a good job of remembering that when I was growing up. They made a point of finding opportunities for each twosome in our family to have moments together. It can seem hard to carve out these special moments for the puzzle pieces that make up our families. But it’s so worth it.

NEW COVENANT ACADEMY

Sue Jung Park 10th Grade

As the new year came, NCA students wrapped up their threeweek winter break and returned to school excited and ready to learn! Hopefully the winter break was a time during which students were able to get plenty of rest and spend a festive time celebrating the holidays with their families.

To kick off the spring semester, NCA held an open house event. Parents were invited to the students’ classrooms, and were able to spend time looking through the impressive work students did during the first few weeks of school. It also served as a time for parents to communicate with the teachers.

Unfortunately, like last year, the annual winter camp that normally happens late-January got pushed to mid-February.

The boys’ basketball team continued to play hard in games for the season. Come out to future games and support the team as they continue to compete! Go Huskies!

THE OAKS

Amelia Goldberg 6th Grade Something

The Oaks prides itself on is teaching how to understand math — not just how to get the right answer. Our kindergarten class has been working on their Problem of the Day with simple addition and subtraction. One student said her favorite part of math was learning the numbers and counting.

Spending focused time with one person lets the other know that they matter to you.

The message that is sent to a child when an adult chooses to spend quality one-on-one time with her is that she is valued — that the adult enjoys being with her and cares about her thoughts, ideas, words and interests. With this subtle knowledge, her self-worth and confidence grow. And it’s not just important for one parent to take the time. We are each an individual and, as such, can offer our kids different things. Perhaps one parent has a knack for bringing out gigglefests and another is better with cuddle time. Each is unique, and each is important for the child.

But the benefit of this time together does not just go one way. The adult’s understanding of his child expands, and

In first grade, students are learning to do their Problem of the Day using different strategies. Soon they will start the Post Office, a long-standing tradition that improves school-wide communication, as first graders run a small post office and learn about money as they sell homemade stamps.

Second grade has been really busy doing logic puzzles. Their puzzles look like this: o + Δ = 7, o - Δ = 1 or even 0 ÷ o = 8. Third grade is learning multiplication and their multiplication facts. Fourth grade is learning about decimals and money. Fifth grade is learning about comparing fractions. In math, 6th graders are working on ratios, percentages, and other rational number concepts.

I feel really proud because I know we are all confident.

CHRIST THE KING SCHOOL

By Joshua Lo 8th Grade

Happy New Year to all our readers! CKS students returned to school after a long, jolly break and reacclimated quickly to the school environment. We started the year with a Mass to celebrate the feast of the Epiphany.

Eighth grade students are working hard in preparation for their high school placement tests, which they will be taking in the coming weeks. Basketball practices have been less frequent because of the heavy rains. Nevertheless, our team is working tirelessly to hone their skills for upcoming games.

We all enjoyed a day to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. who fought for the rights of African American people, protested against segregation and gave many speeches.

Tips on Parenting

by Casey Russell

with greater understanding comes greater connection. These bonds that are formed through one-on-one time make our relationships with our kids strong. Each person feels more seen, valued, truly known and loved.

This solid foundation may prove to be important when kids hit rough spots and can decide to, or not to, talk to us about their struggles. And when you have taken the time to really know your child — through time spent together — you will be better equipped to help her with her feelings,

Catholic Schools’ Week is approaching and CKS has planned many fun activities. We will begin the week with an Open House, Science Fair and Book Fair, which will be held on Sun., Jan. 29, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. To celebrate Student Appreciation Day, we will have a masked Viking Talent Show. Among the other celebrations for Catholic Schools’ Week will be parents, grandparents and faculty appreciation days. We will also have a Career Day at which guest speakers will talk to students about their chosen careers. We will wrap up the week with Spirit Day — a day that students will enjoy fun and games.

her moments of turmoil and also with her aspirations.

So how can busy families find time to regularly make these moments a reality?

I grew up in a family of five — my parents, my two sisters and me. Once in a while, my dad would wake one of us up early in the morning and say, “Let’s go watch the planes.” We lived by a little airport. Quietly, we’d get ready and leave the house. We’d go through the McDonald’s drive-through to get an Egg McMuffin and then he’d park near the airport and we’d watch the planes take off. There was no agenda, no set topic to discuss. We just watched the planes and enjoyed each other’s company.

One-on-one time doesn’t have to take hours. Here are some ideas:

Ideas for one-on-one time

Invite one family member to go on a walk with you.

Read aloud to a child.

Take some time to rough house with one kid — chase each other around the house throwing rolled up socks at each other or trying to take the glasses off your partner’s face.

Learn something together. Play a board game. Do a craft project together. Have a special picnic in the park.

Get one kid up early and go pick out donuts for everyone as a surprise breakfast treat. Go for a hike.

Take one child to the beach. Pretend together.

Sit in the dark and listen to music together.

Go outside after bedtime and look at the stars.

Take a blanket and lie under some trees either to just look up or each with your own book to read.

Plan a meal together and work to make it for the rest of the family.

Let your kid do a makeover on you (without scissors).

Play dress-up together. Hold a special one-on-one movie night at home or take a cinema outing.

Invite one kid on a short work trip with you.

Go to a baseball game or theater performance.

Do bedtime a bit early so you have time in the dark to just cuddle.

There is no right or wrong. There is no set amount of time. One-on-one time can take any form that works for you and your family. But besides movie night or the occasional video game showdown, devices are not great instruments of true bonding. Take time to really be together in whatever way feels right in the moment. If we make oneon-one time a priority, it can make a big difference in how close we feel to each family member and that, overall, can make entire families stronger.

For more parenting tips, check out my book, “The Handbook for Life With Little Ones: Information, ideas and tips for birth to age five,” on Amazon.

Girls’ basketball continues its winning streak; it’s number one

By Casey Russell

The fans are still cheering the girls’ basketball team at Larchmont Charter School (LCS) as the girls continue their winning streak from last year into this season.

“[LCS] girls’ basketball and soccer are both number one in their leagues, both moved up to Division 4 this year and both are gunning for the city championships,” LCS Athletic Director Robin Power told us via email.  (LCS girls’ soccer is also at the top of their game; see page 19.)

The season started in November, and there are three games per week. Coach Karen “Goldie” Goldberg observed, “Because six of last year’s players graduated, it’s a very young team, which I find extremely exciting. They are very skilled.” There are only two seniors on the team, captains Sasha Khomutetsky and Stephanie Zarate. Frida Heim,

the third captain on the team, is a junior. Of the 12 players on the team, six are freshmen. (With the exception of one of the youngest players, they all have been playing in Goldie’s Youth Sports All Girls’ Basketball League for about five years.)

“I think there’s a natural, innate skill that the younger kids brought to the team. We found the incoming freshman class was very athletic — well-versed in lots of sports, not just basketball, which I think is very important. There was also a natural connection. They just know each other well on the court,” said Goldie. “They were mentally, physically and emotionally prepared for competition at the varsity level. They rose to the occasion, and that’s extremely exciting for a coach.”

The season will end Mon., Feb. 6. Said Goldie, “[Then] we’ll find out who will play in

the city championships and if we’ll get a chance to be number one.” City championships

will take place Wed., Feb 22. Goldie’s predictions?

“I think they’re on their

way to being city champions again. I think they have it in them.”

AYSO soccer teams advance in the rain

By Suzan Filipek

Our local AYSO 78 Hollywood division had “a great tournament for our teams which was made all the more memorable by the wet conditions,” Kurt Muller, regional commissioner, AYSO 78 Hollywood, told us.

“It was absolutely pouring much of the day [Jan. 14],

but our motto is, ‘Soccer is a game played in the rain.’

“Perhaps a little crazy… certainly something the kids will remember,” Muller added.

The weekend of Jan. 1415, the AYSO 78 Hollywood divisional champion teams competed in the Area 1P

(Please turn to page 22)

LCS BASKETBALL TEAM (with the exception of two members). Front row (left to right): Sophia Hayes, Frida Heim, Lucy Yerrid, Karen “Goldie” Goldberg, and Stephanie Zarate. Back row (left to right): Hailey Kang, Colette Yerrid, Holly Jung, Sasha Khomutetsky, and Cailyn Locke. Standing in back: Brianna Bel.

TEAM CAPTAINS: (left to right) Frida Heim, Sasha Khomutetsky and Stephanie Zarate.

GIRLS 10U TEAM — the Watermelon Warriors.

BOYS 14U PLAYERS (left to right) John Duchesneau, Luis Cartagena and Henry Hoegee.

LCHS soccer finishes a winning season; may head to playoffs

By Suzan Filipek

When David Brown saw the potential for greatness years ago, he told the principal at Larchmont Charter High School (LCHS) that her upand-coming soccer team was going to put her school on the map.

“I think she was shocked,” said Brown, coach of the varsity girls’ soccer team at LCHS at Lafayette Park. It turns out he wasn’t wrong about the team.

Last year, the team, called the Timberwolves, went to the CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) city championship for the first time. The players finished in second place.

By mid-season, they’d numbered first in their league and eighth in the city with nine wins, zero losses and 99 goals scored.

The season ended Jan. 23, after the Chronicle went to press, but Brown was confident the 19-member team, which is in the Ocean League, will make it to the playoffs in February. He also thinks they have a chance for the state championship that takes place soon thereafter.

The team’s mix of top scor-

‘Sounds About Town’ concert is Feb. 25 at Disney

Benjamin Britten’s “War Requiem” leads the American Youth Symphony and the National Children’s Chorus program on Sat., Feb. 25 at 2 p.m.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic’s “Sounds About Town Series” will be at Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave.

American Youth Symphony (AYS) Music Director Carlos Izcaray will lead the symphony, and Luke McEndarfer is National Children’s Chorus conductor.

The AYS provides fellowships to musicians in high school through doctoral programs.

Gala in April

Mark the date: AYS 58th annual gala is Sun., April 23, at 4 p.m. in UCLA’s Royce Hall. Richard Strauss’ “Ein Heldenleben” leads the program.

For more information visit ayssymphony.org.

ers and newcomers is the team’s secret sauce, said Brown.

The top scorer in Los Angeles and second in the nation, sophomore Veronica Toscano, is joined by other highly competitive players including Brown’s daughter Harper — she ranks ninth in the city.

They also “work their butts off,” said Brown.

They are joined by other top-notch players as well as girls just starting out on the field. When the younger ones witness the more experienced players’ determination in making a goal, “they start to grow up.”

“We have a really good collection of players. They have a great knowledge of soccer,” added Brown, who has counted 30 wins and three losses in the last two years coaching middle school and varsity girls’ soccer.

His coaching skills reach

back 10 years, when Harper and Veronica Toscano were in the 6-and-under group, and who are now among the team’s star players.

Since coming to the high

Warriors evaluations set for Feb. 11

Players aged 4 to 12 are welcome and encouraged to play in the spring season of Wilshire Warriors Baseball at Pan Pacific Park.

Evaluations for the community-based, nonprofit baseball league are scheduled for Sat., Feb. 11, said Warriors VP of Recreation Joel Rubin.

Practices for the season begin in mid-March, and the season is tentatively sched-

uled to begin March 17 and continue to May 21.

Each team will have a practice once a week in the late afternoon or early evening. Games for the older kids will be on Friday nights and on Saturdays for the younger age groups.

The littlest players, ages 4 to 6, don’t attend evaluations and don’t have weekday practices. They practice and play games on Sunday mornings, Rubin told us.

Visit wilshirewarriors.com.

school varsity team last year, Brown implemented what he thinks is a game changer. After a two-minute talk at the outset followed by a game plan, players are encouraged to give feedback as a collective group during halftime. “I let my captains take over and coach the team up.”

It makes them think ahead,

strategize, and, “It teaches them how to be a leader. They’re developing into leaders both on the field and off… When they leave their senior year they’re going out in the world, and they will be leaders.”

But for now, “If we win our league, we get a first round bye in the playoffs.” Stay tuned.

Wilshire Wildcats deadline is Feb. 6

Wilshire Wildcats Fastpitch Spring season 2023 started in early January and continues through Sun., May 7. Late registration has been extended through Mon., Feb. 6.

This girls’ softball league practice days are Mondays and Wednesdays at Lemon Grove Recreation Center,

4959 Lemon Grove Ave. Games are offered in four age divisions from 6- to 16-years-old, plus All-Star teams in the spring and holiday tournaments during the fall. For information, call or text Coach Keith at 323383-5954, email president@ wilshiresoftball.com or visit wilshiresoftball.com

Miracle Mile 2023

Our year-round guide to lifestyle, entertainment, residential and business news (last year’s cover, above) will be published with the March issue of the Larchmont Chronicle. Advertising deadline is Mon., Feb. 13.

For more info, contact Pam Rudy, 323-462-2241, ext. 11.

TIMBERWOLVES, back row (left to right): Annika Salinas, Harper Brown, Alyson Alivos, Rachel Kang, Jill Gray, Jareline Garcia-Diaz, Ada Travis, Veronica Toscano, Avery Owen-Lara. Front row (left to right): Johana Perdomo, Claudia Sanchez, Rose Matheu, Melis Paz Soldan, Harper Keiner, Hannah Bloomfield, Sophia Bazini-Barakat and Biancca Dominguez.

EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Evan Listi 6th Grade

Hello everyone! I hope you’ve all had a great start to 2023! We have had quite an eventful beginning of the year here at St. James’.

We officially started rehearsing our spring musical, “Honk! Jr.” If you are not familiar with “Honk!,” it is the musical version of the classic Ugly Duckling story. I am in the cast and it has been such a blast so far! Mark your calendars for our performance on Sat., Mar. 18, at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre!

We also had fun during a visit from Harvard University’s oldest acapella group, The Krokodiloes and on our first field trips of the year.

We have a lot to look forward to in February. On Wed., Feb. 8, we will have author Oliver Chin come and share his newest book, “The Year of The Rabbit,” with our school. A week later, on Wed., Feb. 15, we will have the opportunity to see the Futa Toro African Dance Ensemble perform. Then, only a couple of days later, on Tues., Feb. 21, we will have class photos taken for the whole school for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Also that day, there will be a Black History Month Commons that the Parent Association is currently organizing.

I hope you have a fantastic February and I can’t wait to update you next month!

MELROSE ELEMENTARY

By Stella Coppola 5th Grade

February is a fun, yet quiet month at Melrose Elementary. It’s Black History Month! That means that 1st through 5th graders research, learn and create projects about Black Lives Matter, The Civil Rights Movement and contributions of so many African Americans to our history.

This is an advantage for third graders who, according to Mr. Palacios, a third grade teacher at Melrose, “research African American artists, scientists or engineers. Based on the research, students make a one-minute video on the notable person they researched.” Students also create artwork based on styles of famous Black American artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kara Walker and Kehinde Wiley. The work is published on our school website.

Here’s a little sneak peak at the Melrose 2022 / 2023 yearbook. The team, including me, picked the theme, “Under the Sea.” Our yearbook committee is very unique because it is made up of 23 students in the three 5th grade classes who vote, design, edit, photograph, draw and create the Melrose Yearbooks each year. We plan to take photos with underwater cameras during our 5th grade trip to Catalina Island.

Thanks for reading. Look for more Melrose Elementary news next month!

THIRD STREET SCHOOL

Nikka Gueler 5th Grade

Hello, Larchmont Chronicle readers. We have lots coming up at school. First off, we have prospective parent tours scheduled on Fri., Feb. 3, and Fri., Mar. 24. Sign-up details can be found at thirdstreetschool.com. Also on Feb. 3 is our school spirit day — a day we are encouraged to wear red.

Leading up to our annual fundraiser at the Carondelet House is Third Street’s silent auction. Parents will be able to bid on homework passes, vacations and more at the themed event. The fundraising profits will pay for the fifth grade AstroCamp trip, which I am very excited about!

Last month’s awards were given to talented students who entered the national Reflections art competition. The contest has been around since 1969 and is organized by the PTA. It features art, music, dance, photography and writing. Enjoy your Valentine’s Day.

THE WILLOWS

By Simone Meltzer 8th Grade

When the new year started, everyone in The Willows’ middle school was anxiously awaiting the start of electives. I thought I would go around to all the classrooms and

do a special Willows elective rundown for readers.

Starting in robotics and programming, students have spent these first weeks brainstorming and designing a robot that will be able to do tasks around campus.

Next door, everyone in strategy games is playing Clash Royale and examining game mechanics and method.

The Dungeons and Dragons Club has been hard at work fighting off skeletons and advancing to hopefully defeat the evil vampire Lord, Strahd.

Onto baking, every middle schooler’s favorite elective, so far, students have made snicker doodles, muffins, cookies and plan for more delicious treats in the future.

The kids in Let’s Make a Video, located in the art room, have been hard at work writing a script for their experimental video and will be filming and editing in the coming weeks.

Moving outdoors, the sports and games elective is currently playing volleyball and in the music room, rock band is learning to play songs from The Police to Joan Jett & The Blackhearts.

Electives are off to a great start!

ST. BRENDAN SCHOOL

By Jack Byrne 8th Grade

Hello, Larchmont. Saint Brendan School had a great January. The 8th graders have finished their high school applications and are waiting to find out where they will be going to school next year. It is an exciting time for them.

The third quarter has begun and many fun events have started. On Sun., Jan. 29, St. Brendan will host an open house to allow parents to see their children’s work.

Catholic Schools’ Week will also start soon. Every day during

Catholic Schools Week has a different theme. One is Teacher Appreciation Day during which we will have a presentation to thank all of our teachers. The final day of Catholic Schools’ Week is the annual 8th grade vs. faculty volleyball game, which is always very fun.

In sports, St. Brendan’s boys’ and girls’ basketball teams have been doing really well and have many games ahead.

Thank you for reading the St. Brendan section in the Larchmont Chronicle

PILGRIM SCHOOL

By Allison Pak 9th Grade

The new year is off to a great start at Pilgrim School. This is the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese Zodiac. The year of the rabbit represents longevity, peace and prosperity.

We are almost halfway through the school year and it’s an exciting time here at Pilgrim as we wrap up the first semester. The entire high school — classmates and teachers — will spend time together in Big Bear, from Thur., Jan. 26, through Sat., Jan. 28. This has been a Pilgrim tradition for many years and it is so great to be doing it again.

The middle school students will be celebrating their hard work by having their middle school dance on Fri., Jan. 27, here on campus. Our community will be celebrating the Lunar New Year, on Mon., Jan. 23, during Community Monday. On Sun., Feb. 5, we will have the Lantern Festival to send off well wishes for the new year.

Pilgrim School will have Parent and Me classes starting in February. This program is for parents of students ages 9 months to 18 months. For more information, please contact admissions@pilgrim-school.org

By Yena Rhee and Alastair Ayandele 4th Grade

Now that we have celebrated the holidays and the Lunar New Year, it is time to celebrate Black History Month.

In art, we will be studying black artists for Black History Month. Our art teacher, Ms. Sabina, plans to include artists such as Nick Cave, Donate Bearden, Glenn Ligon, Augusta Savage, Kehinde Wiley, Alma Thomas and Kara Walker. All the grades will be focusing on something different like embroidery, painting and drawing.

For Morning Sing, Mr. Malcolm, our music teacher, will bring in some students from our Lafayette Park High School campus (LFP) to perform in Morning Sing. Then, we will listen to and sing plenty of songs by African Americans for our special Black History Month Morning Sing. Some of Mr. Malcolm’s favorites that will likely be included are The Neville Brothers, Tracy Chapman, Stevie Wonder, Anderson Paak, Alicia Keys, Bill Withers, Prince, Sly & The Family Stone and Bobby McFerrin.

Speaking of LFP, one student from our LFP campus will be helping us put together a Black History Month celebration that will be on Fri., Feb. 10.

Larchmont also has our Kindness Week coming up. It will be the Mon., Feb. 13 through Fri., Feb. 17. We hope February will be great for you. We hope it will be filled with kindness and a fun time with friends and family!

PAGE ACADEMY

By Isabella Argiropoulos 7th Grade

Hello, my Larchmont neighbors! Page Academy is now more than half way through the school year. We marked this fact on Jan. 23 with the 100th Day of School celebration. Our students were looking great dressed up as if they were 100!

For our first Fun Friday of the year on Jan. 24, we had a soccer tournament, which brought out our students’ competitive spirits!

While spring is not yet in the air, hearts are! On Tues., Feb. 14, Page will be awash in red, pink, purple and white in celebration of Valentine’s Day. Our students will be able to send Valentine Grams to their friends and enjoy Valentine’s Day treats at their class parties. Student Council also has a Valentine’s Day-themed scavenger

hunt planned for February, and the council expects everyone to bring their sleuthing caps!

Instruction in February will focus on Black History Month, as well as our country’s presidents, in honor of Presidents’ Day on Mon., Feb. 20. Our students will then go on break from Tues., Feb. 21 through Fri., Feb. 24 with classes resuming on Mon., Feb. 27.

We hope that you and your families, friends and loved ones have a lovely month!

HOLLYWOOD SCHOOLHOUSE

By Miles Hoffman 6th Grade

Hello everybody! It is a great time to be a student at Hollywood Schoolhouse right now, especially for the 4th grade. They are doing a whole project about the Native American tribes that lived in California. They even get to go on a field trip to Palm Springs to see the Indian Canyon. They are also going to make a news skit about the different Native American perspectives. I’m so jealous, and I wish I had a time machine to put me back into 4th grade.

Second grade students are currently learning about place values in math and earthquakes, animals and their offspring in science. An exciting part of second grade is the 2nd-Grade Sale! The classes create arts and crafts, and then sell them to the rest of the school! Students then select an organization to donate the funds to.

In art and history class, the 6th-grade class and I will be doing a Lascaux cave painting exhibition. We drew animals on cement, so when it dried, it would look like a part of a cave. We all decorated the art classroom to look like a cave, and we even have cave-like sounds playing in the background. We’ll perform a skit, as well.

As part of our speaker series, Angel Jennings, from the Los Angeles Times, will take time out of her day to talk with us. My classmates and I are really lucky to be a part of a school environment that is able to make what seems like magic happen. None of this would be possible without Hollywood Schoolhouse, and to that, I say thank you.

MARLBOROUGH SCHOOL

By Avery Gough 11th Grade

After a January full of activities, including Semi-Formal for our Sophomores and Juniors at The Avalon in Hollywood, we move into Spirit Week. This is a morale-building event for the whole school. From Mon., Jan.

30 to Fri., Feb. 3, students compete by grade, and even perform choreographed dances, all to win points and raise money. The grade with the most points then has bragging rights, and all the money and items donated go to charity.

Auditions begin for the chance to study with guest artist, soprano Lisa Vroman. There is also a planned talk with visual artist Michelle Jane Lee.

The Spring sports season began Jan. 21, and includes lacrosse, track and field, culminating in a Winter Athletics ceremony in early March.

We are also looking forward to the presentation of the 10th grade’s class banner on Tues., Feb. 28. The banner was designed by the students and the ceremony will feature the performance of a class song they selected.

And finally, 11th graders have begun to prepare for their Ring Ceremony, held towards the end of the school year, during which time they receive their class rings which is another long-standing tradition.

ESLA Isabel Viola 12th grade

Heading into the new year, ESLA has a lot in store for the fresh semester. The senior class just spent a restful few days in the Big Bear area. With warm cabins and a fresh blanket of snow, we were happy to get away on a winter retreat. The school newspaper, the Bowtie Bulletin, has started planning for its first issue of 2023. With a staff ranging from 9th to 12th graders, we’re looking forward to what they’ll have to share. Regarding our resident thespians, an enthusiastic announcement was recently revealed to the community. Our next school-wide play will be “Grease!” Those involved

in theater are looking forward to putting on a thrilling performance and emulating the classic characters.

During our Lessons and Carols event, ESLA’s Service Council asked members of the community to bring in $25 gift cards that would be donated to youth in foster care. Due to the generosity of our community, $1500 was raised and will be given to Extraordinary Families who are dedicated to supporting older youth that have aged out of the foster care system. We are so thankful for our community’s kindness and its enthusiasm to spread love.

OAKWOOD SCHOOL

By Scarlett Saldaña 12th Grade

As the second semester begins, February opens with the Global Gender Justice Summit. It will be Oakwood’s first time hosting this event with help from The Pad Project, an organization that advocates for menstrual equity. Students, faculty and human rights leaders will be brought together to speak on gender equality, and there will be breakout sessions offering workshops with topics such as ecofeminism, self-identifying female representation in finance and many more.

At the end of February, Oakwood will present this year’s high school musical, “Little Shop of Horrors.” Students have worked hard to rehearse songs, learn choreography, memorize lines and hold technical rehearsals with assistance from the crew. It’s really exciting to see it all come together to create an eccentric, fun ensemble.

The Theater Department will also hold auditions for “Mother Courage and her Children.” A play by Bertolt Brecht, it showcases a mother who profits on the Thirty Years’ War by selling

different goods. It’s an important story that displays a strong woman fighting patriarchal norms, and it will be interesting to see what the theater director cooks up through his unique process.

IMMACULATE HEART

By Kellyn Lanza 12th Grade

Happy February from Immaculate Heart! After returning from a three-week holiday break, students got right back to work starting the second semester of the 2022-23 school year.

For sports news, our basketball and soccer teams continued their winter seasons while Immaculate Heart’s first beach volleyball team held tryouts. As the soccer and basketball competitive seasons come to an end, we congratulate all our hard-working Panda athletes for their efforts. We also wish all the best to the upcoming spring teams as they prepare.

It’s amazing how quickly the school year is flying by! In January, students were able to show off their unique talents in our annual talent show. That event was followed up by Bingo Night, which raises funds for the athletic department and brings our school community together for a fun evening.

Now February promises to be a busy month of activities. Students will celebrate Black History Month by participating in several school-wide events. Members of the Class of 2024 will also receive their class rings during the upcoming Junior Ring Ceremony, which will include a special liturgy for students and their families. Meanwhile, prospective students can still take advantage of Shadow Visits at both the high school and middle school. Register online by visiting the admissions pages at immaculateheart.org.

Brawerman teacher honored after being nominated by student

By Casey Russell

Isai German, a teacher at Brawerman East Elementary School, was recently chosen as a Transformative Teacher. The award came with a prize of $5,000 from Honored, a national organization that strives to elevate transformative teachers.

Shortly before the pandemic hit, then second-grade student Malin Scott approached German, Brawerman East’s Innovation Lab / Science Lab Specialist, with an idea to build a Little Free Library (LFL).

“I’m the guy with all the tools in my classroom,” said German, when asked why he thinks Scott came to him with her idea.

Scott’s interest was sparked by the little libraries she saw in her neighborhood while walking with her parents. The

they built together.

Karsh Center, like Brawerman East, is located on the Wilshire Boulevard Temple campus. The Center is an outreach space that provides dental, vision, mental health and pro bono legal services, as well as

groceries and clothing vouchers to those in need. The now fifth-grade student thought a free library would be a nice addition for kids who accompanied parents to the Karsh Center.

During Scott’s lunch and snack time, she and teacher German set about making the student’s dream a reality. “Our school has a woodworking program that the kids participate in once a week. They get to dive in, handson. It’s all project-based. We teach practical skills that we hope they’ll take into the real world,” said German.

The pair did just that. “We used drills, impact drivers so as not to crack the wood, clamps — we attached hinges and made the frame for the plexiglass from an old ruler.”

Miniature house

The library is a miniature house on a stand that holds about 20 - 30 books. It took two weeks to complete and is a beloved addition to the Karsh Center.

Scott wrote to Honored to

nominate teacher German, and he was selected as January’s recipient out of all the nation’s nominees.

“I’ve been a teacher at this school for six years and before that, I was on the nonprofit track teaching science and engineering. Teachers don’t go into this to get recognition and awards.

“We do it for the love of our students,” said German. “I am only one part of what our school is. This award is a reflection of our school, my family… This is nice. My mom cried.”

Students and parents who want to nominate a deserving teacher can visit honored.org. Each month from September through May, one teacher is selected to receive the Honored Transformative Teacher Award.

Larchmont Charter named a 2023 California Distinguished School

By Casey Russell

Larchmont Charter School has been selected as one of 2023’s California Distinguished Schools. Its Hollygrove elementary cam-

AYSO soccer

(Continued from page 18)

League Champions Tournament.

“Our top result was our Boys 14U team finishing 2nd place in Area. Boys 14U advanced to the section tournament next month, Feb. 25-26, in Chino,”

pus is among the nine schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District that were recognized.

Elementary School awardees will hold the title

Muller said.

He also reported that the Boys 12U team finished in third place with a win over Beverly Hills.

The weekend of Jan. 21-22, the All-Star teams competed in the Area 1P All-Star Tournament.

The division is made of play-

for two years.

Middle and high schools are recognized in the alternating years.

State Superintendent of Public Education Tony

ers from Larchmont Charter, St. Brendan, Third Street and other schools.

While fall is the group’s primary program, the season returns in March for Spring Clinics and possibly a Spring League. Details are expected to be posted on the website in January. ayso.78.info.

Thurmond said the award recognizes schools whose “innovation and hard work have helped to ensure their students can heal, recover and thrive — even in the toughest times.”

Schools are chosen based on their exceptional work in either closing the achievement gap or achieving extraordinary student performance.

In total this year, 365 California elementary schools were recognized by the California Distinguished Schools Program, which was established by the California Department of Education in 1985.

Learn more at: cde.ca.gov/ ta/sr/cs.

CAMPBELL HALL SCHOOL

Claire “Cal” Lesher 10th Grade

We just had a restful holiday break and are approaching the halfway mark of our school year. Our winter formal is around the corner, and our students are back in full swing with a variety of sports for girls’ basketball, soccer and boys’ basketball, soccer and baseball.

Our high school robotics team has had tournaments at Harvard Westlake and Chaminade schools. The next tournament will be held at James Monroe High School. Go teams!

We also just began rehearsals for our wonderful annual Gospel Choir event.  In middle school, the play “Trixie the Teenage Detective” was performed at the end of January. Stay tuned until next month.

CATHEDRAL CHAPEL SCHOOL

By Olivia Sherman 6th Grade

Our students are refreshed and ready to take on the new year after a great holiday vacation. We are excited about the return of our annual Religion Bee which will take place on Thur., Feb. 9.

We kick off Catholic Schools’ Week on Sun., Jan. 29, with the 10 a.m. Mass, Open House from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and our Scholastic Book Fair. All are welcome to attend Mass and then to attend our Open House. Our second Open House will be on Thur., Feb. 2 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. All are welcome to come and see our teachers and students in action.

CCS’s Academic Junior High Decathlon (AJHD) team is diligently preparing for the Quiz Bowl on Sat., Feb. 4, as well as the upcoming AJHD Regionals in March. Our girls’ and boys’ basketball teams have resumed their practices and look forward to an exciting season.

Our school is off to a great start this new year and we can’t wait to see what 2023 brings!

ISAI GERMAN AND MALIN SCOTT with the Little Free Library

Photo by Christina Edwards

Secret Syrian pop-up in a house, and pizza with pizzazz

By Helene Seifer

One of the pandemic’s unexpected benefits is the innovation brought to the food world, including a panoply of pop-ups. Anyone interested in a fun, unusual eating experience is encouraged to seek one out.

Most of the ad hoc eateries are started by restaurant workers who were displaced when COVID-19 forced closures. Others are efforts by accomplished home cooks who hope to one day own a food truck or restaurant.

Nawal , on the other hand, is the creation of three siblings

who wanted to honor their mother’s Syrian cooking.

The pop-up is a hobby more than a stepping stone, as it’s only open on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.

The rest of the week, two of the siblings are woodworkers who’ve built cabinetry for homes in Hancock Park, the South Bay and restaurant 71 Above, the stunning Downtown restaurant with a 360-degree view.

A simple residential home not far from Dodger Stadium is the setting for Nawal’s fare.

Walk alongside the property until arriving at a hole cut

in their wooden fence with a menu affixed to it. After ordering and paying, find a seat at one of a few tables in the backyard.

The siblings prepare their dishes in a ghost kitchen, an industrial kitchen that one rents and that has been per-

Finding community at Fancifull

By Nona Sue Friedman

“Gifting relays a message to the recipient and brings the parties closer,” is what Susan Park, the new owner of Fancifull Fine Food and Gift Baskets, recently told the Larchmont Chronicle . This sense of community and connecting is one of the reasons Park was drawn to Fancifull and wanted to purchase it. She feels that people have difficulty connecting and she “wanted something that brings people together.”

Fancifull has been creating and delivering specialty and gourmet gift baskets for 35 years. The store is a foodie’s heaven, with cheese from Sonoma, wine from the Napa Valley, unique crackers and John Kelly chocolate truffles, as well as high-end champagnes. They also offer a wide selection of gift items to welcome a new baby, new home, or items to make you and your space more tranquil, such as scented candles and calming teas.

Park was a little nervous

Cooking at the Skirball with ‘Las Abuelitas’

“Las Abuelitas Kitchen,” a program featuring USC food scholar Sarah Portnoy and the food of Mexico, is at the Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., on Sun., Feb. 19 at 4 p.m.

A short documentary about 10 elders will be included in the program, along with live food demos and three of the abuelitas (Spanish for grandmothers) featured in the film.

Enjoy a tasting of each dish and view a small exhibition that shares the abuelitas’ stories and culinary artifacts.

“The Jewish Dog,” a oneman performance, takes place Thurs., Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. at the Skirball. The play views the Holocaust through the eyes of a canine.

Visit skirball.org.

taking over this business in November, with her husband Miguel Morel, right before the holiday rush, and she felt like the new kid on the block. Luckily, the tenured staff is staying with her and has been very welcoming. “The staff has gone way beyond my expectations,” she said. This is a big relief as she’s still figuring out the basics, like where the lights are and how the email system works.

Park trained as a lawyer, and she and her husband — a chef and sommelier — also own a restaurant in their native Guam.

Since Fancifull has been a longstanding, successful local business, she isn’t looking to make any major changes. Minor tweaks to the back end of the business, like upgrading the computer system, are what she’s thinking. Eventually, she’d like to change the retail portion of the store to make it even more appealing and accessible, but that’s in the future. For now, she has a lot to learn. As she says, “I hope I do them [previous owners Terry and Wally August] proud. My journey begins.”

If you are looking to connect with someone, take a stroll to Fancifull at the intersection of Melrose Avenue and Larchmont Boulevard, 5617

mitted for safe cooking. Then they bring the food home to sell and serve.

There were eight food options on offer the day we visited, and we ordered four of them. We enjoyed the labneh crisp, which is a toasted rectangle of flatbread with olive oil, dried mint and za’atar and circles of soujouk, a dried beef sausage, for $4; $2 without the sausage. It was a perfect nibble.

Soujouk also features in a small but satisfying wrap, alongside fried cheese, tomatoes, parsley, pickled turnips and peppers for a savory and salty $12 taste.

Ful medames is a fava bean version of hummus. Pureed favas are mixed with tahini, jalapeños, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. The $12 creamy dip was served with pita. I prefer the brighter garbanzo bean version.

A refreshing bowl of fatteh has a base of hummus supporting garbanzo beans, fried pita chips and almond slivers. A hot olive oil drizzle finishes the dish. A small bowl is $12; large is $15.

Nawal. 838 Solano Ave., Los Angeles 90012. No telephone. Follow on Instagram @nawal_losangeles

o o o

Most of the time we get our pizza to go so we can eat in front of the television, and many pizzerias are barely set up to accommodate people who want to eat their pies on the premises.

Ronan, a pizzeria with a small selection of surprisingly high-end Italian dishes — such as a crispy half chicken for $34 with olive pistachio pesto and fennel pollen and $36 spicy clams with fennel, pine nuts and cheesy garlic bread — has an inviting dining room and string-lit patio.

Ronan’s $15 mixed lettuce salad with pickled chili and cucumber vinaigrette is leagues above standard pizza parlor salad fare.

Ronan’s pizzas are small, puffy and speckled with burnt spots. The dough is delicious, as are the various combinations of toppings, which include such choices as soppressata, togarashi (a Japanese spice mixture) and gorgonzola. Their classic Margherita, $21, has a deeply flavored San Marzano tomato sauce crowned by mozzarella and pecorino romano. A scattering of fresh basil leaves is integral to the flavor.

A sauce-less $25 pizza topped with guanciale, peppery ricotta and a touch of honey was also terrific, but we were disappointed with the dip accompanying the clever “Ode to Philippe,” a huge calzone filled with excellent shaved roast beef, $27.

At home, we made beef broth with thyme and garlic, and that perked up the leftover calzone considerably.

Ronan. 7315 Melrose Ave., between Fuller and Poinsettia. 323-917-5100.

FANCIFULL’S NEW OWNER, Susan Park (center) is surrounded by her dedicated crew inside the store.

Photo by Nona Sue Friedman

On the Menu by Helene Seifer

Melrose Ave., or visit fancifullgiftbaskets.com.

Authentic Japanese restaurant opens in the neighborhood

By Nona Sue Friedman

Looking for a taste of Tokyo? No need to travel far.

Head to the new restaurant, Tonchin, at 5665 Melrose Ave. on the corner of Larchmont Boulevard and Melrose. Pre-pandemic, the site was the short-lived home of restaurant and store Le Petit Marché.

The new and authentic Japanese restaurant opened in early January. All of the food is house-made, including the noodles.

Tonchin offers ramen, whose broth is cooked for hours; dipping noodles, which are like deconstructed ramen; Asian meatballs in a taco-type shell; and flavorful

shaved ices.

This is owner Anan Sugeno’s third restaurant in the United States. The other two are in Brooklyn and New York City.

Sugeno is following in the footsteps of his father, Katsuhiro, who opened a ramen restaurant of the same name in Tokyo 30 years ago.

American West comes alive at Autry fundaiser

The Masters of the American West Art Exhibit and Sale runs Feb. 11 through March 26 at the Autry Museum of the American West in Griffith Park. Several events are planned during the exhibition.

The art sale is on Sat., Feb. 25, beginning at 10 a.m., and there is an artists’ reception and sponsor preview the night before, on Fri., Feb. 24, from 6 to 9 p.m.

On Sat., Feb. 25, there are

two moderated panel discussions with artists that run concurrently with the sale. The morning panel is at 10 a.m., followed by a luncheon and artist award ceremony.

An afternoon panel discussion the same day is at 2 p.m. Later that day, a cocktail reception, art sale and after-sale soiree with a live band, dancing and cocktails begins at 5:30 p.m. (Guests are encouraged to wear dressy western attire.)

Since its beginnings in

1988, the museum’s signature fundraising event has highlighted works by contemporary western artists. These include works of landscapes, seascapes, wildlife, historic themes and other subjects inspired by the American West.

For more information on the event and to purchase tickets visit the website.

Autry Museum of the American West, 4700 Western Heritage Way, autry.org.

Victorian Valentine tour is at Grier

Step into the past in a 1898 Victorian home for a “‘Be My Valentine,’ “Victorian Valentine Tour” at the Grier Musser Museum, 403 S. Bonnie Brae St., on Sun., Feb. 12 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Call to make a reservation for the 1 or 2:30 p.m. tour

at 213-413-1814. Visit griermussermuseum.org/calendar.

A SIGN OF THE TIMES in the window of its former location notes the take-out shop’s move up the street.

Tacos Tu Madre relocating to North Larchmont

By Talia Abrahamson

Tacos Tu Madre, the takeout-only taco shop known for its local flavors and neon pink “Make Tacos Not War” sign, is changing its name and moving up the Boulevard to the corner of Melrose.

The shop formerly at 203 N. Larchmont Blvd. closed in late December. According to posters on the window, the new location of “Tu Madre” will be at 660 N. Larchmont Blvd. The new venue will offer dine-in service and a full bar.

Construction is currently ongoing at the new location, and it is unknown when it will be completed.

David Aschkenasy, executive vice president of Commercial Asset Group, is the broker for the now-available 203 N. Larchmont Blvd. space. He said in a phone call last month that he expects to lease the space to another small food vendor. Although he said he has a “dream list” of possible tenants, further arrangements will likely be worked out over the next few weeks.

Tacos Tu Madre, founded in 2015 in Westwood, made Larchmont Village its fourth location.

FATHER AND SON Katsuhiro and Anan Sugeno at Tonchin.

Valentine odes to Will Geer, Ava Gardner and the

St. Valentine, according to legend, is the patron saint of epileptics and beekeepers, as well as lovers. Martyred during the persecution of Christians in 270, he supposedly signed his letters to his jailer’s daughter with “from your Valentine.” In that spirit, herewith are two Valentines:

The first is to the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Actor Will Geer, with his friend, the singer Woody Guthrie, had been a social activist and labor organizer, and was blacklisted for refusing to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. After years of struggle, he was cast as Grandpa Walton on TV and, with his actress wife, Herta Ware (“Cocoon”), ploughed his Hollywood salary into reopening their Theatricum Botanicum. As their daughter, Ellen Geer, has recently written, “The family found a haven under

Griecos

(Continued from page 9) meanwhile, called his father to grumble, “I’m so mad at her right now.”

The next day was their last on Capri before heading home. They hiked up a hill to glimpse Donatella Versace’s home. Nyakio is a little afraid of heights, but she noticed that David seemed more nervous than she.

Nyakio took the lead going back down the hill. She chatted; he didn’t respond, so she turned around.

“He was down on one knee and I thought he fell. ‘David, get up! You’re going to be okay.’ He was just so quiet. Then he said, ‘Can I speak?’”

He had removed a ring from its hiding place in his sock. He said, “My family and I would be so honored if you would wear my mother’s ring.’”

Nyakio had been close to his mother and had fallen in love with David when she saw how he stepped up to help every-

the sweetest arms possible; the California live oaks and the gracious, giving ground of Topanga Canyon. Here, other blacklisted actors, directors and folk musicians gathered to rebuild community.” That community provided many Angelenos with their first encounter with Shakespeare. Their productions may be a little too family-friendly at times, but the Theatricum is one of the great cultural assets of Los Angeles. It is proof that, as Bertolt Brecht wrote, even in the “dark times” there will be singing — something to keep in mind in our own increasingly dark times. We look forward to their season, especially this year!

The second Valentine actually is Alessandra Assaf’s love letter to Ava Gardner and the Golden Age of Hollywood. “Twelve O’Clock Tales with Ava Gardner” is Ms. Assaf’s one-woman show about the “world’s most beautiful ani-

one manage grief when she passed away. Nyakio explains, “I thought, ‘This is the man I want to start a family with.’”

She thought the ring was a sweet gesture, and David had to assure her that he was proposing.

“It was such a beautifully dysfunctional moment,” David laughs, “which is like life anyway.”

Nyakio and David married in May 2004 in the stained-glass Stauffer Chapel at Pepperdine University in Malibu.

As Nyakio exclaims, “I guess we were meant to be.”

At first the couple lived Downtown. Their daughter, Lulu, was born in 2006, and in 2008 they moved to Windsor Square where their son, Rocco, was born.

Nyakio had fallen in love with Larchmont when she first moved to Los Angeles, and when running errands, would stop on the Boulevard for coffee and pizza.

She said to herself, “One day when I get married and have children, I want to raise them

Theater Review by Louis Fantasia

mal,” running at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks.

Gardner’s story is a rags-toriches to (almost) rags saga of fame and fortune. A country girl who gets a Hollywood contract because someone saw her photo in her brother’s shop window, Gardner was a minor contract player for MGM until “loaned out” for a role in “The Killers,” the 1946 film version of Ernest Hemingway’s short story. From there it was a slow-butsteady rise to the top with such pictures as “Show Boat,” “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” and my favorite, “On the Beach.” Her onstage persona was matched by stormy mar-

in this neighborhood.”

In 1994, David had eaten at an Italian restaurant on Larchmont after doing a play, and he, too, felt drawn to the area.

They both are very connected to the Larchmont community. Nyakio is one of the founders of Larchmont Charter School. She will soon open Thirteen Lune, a skin care store primarily featuring BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) products, to be located in the space most recently occupied by the LF clothing store on Larchmont Boulevard.

After a frightening bout with COVID-19 (and a continuing battle with long COVID,) David had an “aha” moment, and he is celebrating life by dedicating himself to his family, his art and his community. This summer, his 12-foot-high sculpture commemorating Watertown history will be installed in his hometown.

David writes a blog on Facebook about the Larchmont Farmers Market called “farmersmarketdad.”

What to watch for

“Incident of Our Lady Of Perpetual Help” at Theatre 40 Beverly Hills, looks at life in the 1970s before cell phones and social media, through Feb. 19; 310-364-0535.

“Southern Girls” at the Hudson, explores race and friendship in Alabama from 1952 through 1992, to Feb. 26; 323-856-4249.

A Noise Within plays Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” through March 12; 626-356-3100.

riages (Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw, Frank Sinatra), fiery romances (Howard Hughes, George C. Scott, Robert Mitchum), intense female friendships (Lena Horne, Princess Grace) and a reputation for four-letter language and a copious capacity for alcohol, which led her, late in life, to leave her secluded London apartment for a role in the blockbuster “Earthquake” and sell her story for money. It was either that or her jewels and, as she famously said, she preferred to keep the jewels.

This is the premise that Ms. Assaf and her team (co-writer Michael Lorre and director Michael A. Shepperd) use as the basis for a well-paced conversation with the star, who Ms. Assaf inhabits more than impersonates. Using the twin

devices of dictating memoirs to a tape recorder and reminiscing with her long-time (Black) companion Reenie Jordan, we get perhaps a bit too much biography and not enough insight. Ms. Assaf’s strongest moments are when she speaks directly to the audience. Her description of the beatings she received literally at the hands of George C. Scott is particularly gripping and leads me to suggest that the team, as the show evolves, drop the devices, trust the talented Ms. Assaf, and just have her embodiment of a legend talk to us. I think we would be enthralled even more than we are now with this wellpenned Valentine.

Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, on Sundays at 2 p.m. until March 5; 818-687-8559.

DAVID AND NYAKIO GRIECO in his studio.

Photo by Birdie Thompson at The Retaility

Callous bombing of America by autocrats told in film

Downwind (10/10), 93 minutes, NR. I’m devoting my entire column to one film that makes its debut at the Slamdance Film Festival because it is an important film that might not get much exposure. Of all the nonsensical decisions with deadly consequences made by the autocrats in Washington who run our lives, including financing and fighting multiple foreign wars (excluding WWII, in which our participation was justified since we were attacked) and opening the border, none equates in moral depravity with the “testing” of nuclear bombs within the borders of the United States for more than 40 years.

From 1951 to 1992, the United States detonated 928 large-scale nuclear weapons in Nevada. While they claimed they owned the land, in fact it was part of the Shoshone Reservation, land which is held “in trust” by the federal government for the Shoshones. So that was a lie, unless you believe that it was not a breach of trust for the trustee to blast the land into total uselessness. It was, basically, Shoshone land. These people knew that, but their reasoning was obviously, “Hey, we’ve screwed the Indians from the start (see the Cherokees and Georgia and President Andrew Jackson et seq.), nothing can stop us from continuing.”

Producer/directors Mark Shapiro and Douglas Brian Miller have pointed their cam-

eras at the story and it’s about time. They let it all hang out. People today are only vaguely aware of this bombing of America. In fact, probably the only reason they know anything about it is because RKO filmed the John Wayne film “The Conqueror” (1956) in St. George, Utah, which was downwind (hence the title) from the Nevada desert location of the blasts. At that time, there had already been nine blasts. Out of 220 people on the set, 110 died of cancer, including Wayne, Susan Hayward and director Dick Powell. But they weren’t all. Everyone knew that the nuclear fallout was as dangerous as the blast, if not more so. These Machiavellian buffoons didn’t care about that, even though they were aware of it. According to the film, one reason they held the tests where they did was that they didn’t want the fallout to go to Southern California, where there were so many people who could be infected. The prevailing winds would blow it eastward where there were fewer people, and eastward it went. How callous is that?

Claudia Peterson, a medical social worker in St. George, says the authorities were passing out potassium iodine pills after the test to inhibit the absorption of the radiation. There’s a radio broadcast from the government played in the film that says that due to a change in wind, the fall-

At the Movies with Tony Medley

out will be over St. George, adding, “There is no danger.” Oh, yeah? Then why were they passing out potassium iodine pills they (probably falsely) claimed would help? Peterson tells how it infected six members of her family, who all died of the effects of the blast, including her beautiful 3-year-old daughter, Bethany, who died of neuroblastoma / leukemia at age 6. Watching

Golden Bridge

(Continued from page 1)

director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale and resident conductor of LA Opera, said recently of The Golden Bridge: “As a proud native Angeleno, I’m delighted by the legacy of great L.A. choral works created for the Golden Bridge series. Suzi Digby makes the musical connection between the glorious Tudor period and our own modern day choral renaissance vividly clear!”

At the Beverly Hills concert this year, there will be world premieres of four new works by Shelly Berg, Nick Strimple, Ernesto Herrera, and 17-year-old Siskind. The

this is heartbreaking.

The film has interviews with victims and with people like Ian Zabarte, Principal Man of the Western Bands of the Shoshone Nation of Indians, who tells of all the members of his family who died of cancer caused by the blasts. Also interviewed are Patrick Wayne, John’s son, who spent two weeks on location for “The Conqueror,” and Michael Douglas. Patrick told me that his father blamed his cancer on all his smoking throughout his life, but that is unknowable.

The film shows the hypocrisy of the evil people sponsoring these blasts who put out PR films by the Atomic Energy Commission lying about their effects — one in

work by pianist Shelly Berg is unusual because it involves jazz and will be performed by him, Aaron Serfaty and Kevin Axt. Berg is the dean of the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. Before moving east, Berg was the McCoy / Sample Professor of Jazz Studies at the Thornton School of Music at USC.

Cristian Grases’ work “De

1957 saying things like, “Radioactive fallout more than 2-3 miles from the test site has not been known to be serious.” That, of course, was blatantly false. If these blasts that killed innocent Americans were not criminal, how else can they be described?

Unfortunately, the film does not get to the essential question of why did these insular, callous despots think they had to drop 928 nuclear bombs on America? What did they say afterwards? “Yep, it’s a bomb!”?

“It really goes ‘Boom!’?” “And it always has a mushroom cloud! Let’s do it again… and again… and again….”? And the bodies kept piling up. There is lots more in this film; I’m just scratching the surface.

Profundis,” which was commissioned by The Golden Bridge in 2019, also will be performed, along with contemporary vocal works by Morten Lauridsen, Toby Young and Renaissance pieces by Tallis and Byrd.

California Poet Laureate Dana Gioia will introduce the program. For tickets and more information, go to thegoldenbridge.org

SINGERS and conductor Suzi Digby perform at a prior year’s Golden Bridge concert at All Saints’ Beverly Hills.

Still Creating MEmories

For Now 100 years

"I was first introduced to El Cholo by Jack Nicholson in 1969. He told me stories about how struggling actors would come to El Cholo and buy a bowl of Frijoles a la Hoja (beans in a pot) for 35-cents, and how the waitresses would bring a side of warm tortillas and salsa at no ex tra charge. This was how Jack survived for many years. As for me, well I've never left the place! We have celebrated ever birthday of mine, as well as the birthdays of my various boyfriends and all of my children at El Cholo for half a century, including my famous 40th birthday party. Ron and I have been friends for an eternity, and I have also been close to many members of the staff. I will never find a more fun and delicious place!

Michelle Phillips, The Mamas & The Papas, 2022