LC Section One 05 2023

Top lady golfers play April 27-30

By Suzan Filipek

As the Chronicle’s May issue is delivered throughout neighborhoods, the world’s top female golfers are walking the historic course at Wilshire Country Club (WCC). And readers may join them in the galleries!

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tournament — which has 17 of the current top 20 women players in the world — takes place Thurs., April 27, through Sun., April 30.

The winner and other top players will share a whopping $3 million purse — one of the largest for an LPGA event outside of the majors.

While the LPGA Tour has staged its signature Los Angeles event at Wilshire Country Club since 2018, this is the LPGA’s inaugural JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro.

Walter and Shirley Wang

Los Angeles residents and Taiwan natives Walter and Shirley Wang are sponsoring the tournament through their companies. Walter is CEO of JM Eagle, the world’s largest plastic pipe manufacturer. His wife, Shirley, is founder of Plastro, a leading manufacturer of fiberglass entry doors.

At the October 2022

Green corn tamale season!

By

Election is April 30 for GWNC, MCWNC

By Suzan Filipek

Two hyperlocal elections are being held on Sunday for the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council (GWNC) and the Mid City West Neighborhood Council (MCWNC) — advisory groups that discuss and opine about issues at City Hall, from development to homelessness.

SPONSORS of the tournament at Wilshire Country Club, Walter and Shirley Wang.

Green

have returned for their annual appearance at El Cholo (May through October). On the heels of the March 30, 2023 naming of the intersection of 11th and Western Avenue as Alejandro and Rosa Borquez Square, El Cholo owner Ron Salisbury and numerous dignitaries kicked off the green corn tamale season on April 24.

EL CHOLO’S 100TH is recognized at the corner of 11th Street and Western Avenue.

Both councils are holding in-person elections this Sun., April 30. The GWNC’s will take place at The Barking Lot, 336 N. Larchmont Blvd., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Stakeholders in Mid City West can vote at Pan Pacific Park, 7600 Beverly Blvd., from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Vote-by-mail ballot requests for both areas closed April 11.

Block party in Larchmont this weekend

By Casey Russell

A small committee of neighbors looking to bring the Larchmont Spring Block Party back to Larchmont Village has organized a day of family fun. This Saturday, April 29, the 500 block of North Bronson Avenue will be closed to parking and traffic for the event.

Sponsors include Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez’s office, Larchmont Village

See Block party, p 22

Porsche fêtes its 75th at Petersen Museum

By Casey Russell

To mark the 75th anniversary of Porsche, the iconic sports car, a collection of more than 40 extraordinary vehicles has come to the Petersen Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd. At the exhibit, “We Are Porsche,” museum-goers can see how Porsche was transformed into the cultural phenomenon it now is. The exhibit runs through April 2024. Learn more at petersen.org/porsche.

PORSCHE EXHIBIT in the Miracle Mile museum features 40 key examples of the iconic sports car on two floors.

John Welborne

corn tamales

Guest Editorial

By Martha Welborne,

FAIA

Dick Riordan, risk-taker

Since the death of our former mayor, much has been said about how he successfully led the city through crises. While that was certainly true, Dick Riordan also was noteworthy in areas where he was willing to take a risk on a good idea and trust his team to carry it out.

I was fortunate to be involved with him on two such initiatives. First, when I was envisioning the Metro Rapid system (the red articulated buses), I convinced Mayor Riordan to come with me to Curitiba, Brazil in 1999 to see the bus system that officials there had built because they could not afford a subway. Within two years of that trip, Metro had several successful demonstration lines up and running in Los Angeles and now has hundreds of miles in operation.

Then, in 2000, with construction underway on the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Riordan’s friend Eli Broad persuaded the mayor to collaborate with the County to develop the parking lots that then surrounded the Hall, a collaboration they had me manage for the next 11 years. Today, with many thanks due to Dick Riordan, we have the Gloria Molina Grand Park, The Broad Museum, the Conrad Los Angeles hotel, and 707 residential units in The Emerson and The Grand, 20 percent of which are low income.

Dick Riordan was willing to take on ideas others might have thought impossible or foolish. He also was a lot of fun to work with.

GWNC Voting April 30

On Sunday, April 30, 2023 , the Greater Wilshire community will elect 21 board members and 21 alternates for two-year terms on the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council (GWNC).

We have five Hancock Park residents running in the election this year. All of them would really appreciate your votes. (For each seat, both a board member and an alternate are elected.) Voting in this election enables you to have a critical voice in super-local government. Every vote matters, as many people do not bother to vote in Neighborhood Council elections. The GWNC plays an important role in calling attention to local issues; having adequate effective representation for our neighborhood has proven to be very helpful in accomplishing our neighborhoods priorities.

Please consider a vote for the following HP candidates:

• Cindy Chvatal-Keane is running for the At-Large seat.

• Jennifer DeVore and David Trainer are running for the Area 5 seat.

• Mark Alpers is running for the Special Interest - Other Nonprofit seat.

• Benny Rosenberg is running for the Special InterestReligion seat.

Who is Eligible To Vote in the GWNC Election:

Stakeholders — like all Hancock Park residents — who live, work, or own property in the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council area can cast up to two votes:

1. One vote for a Geographic Area board seat (Area 5)

2. One vote for a Special Interest seat or the At-Large seat. Other stakeholders, i.e., those who declare an interest in the neighborhood (but do not live, work or own property) can only cast one vote for the At-Large seat.

To vote in the election, you will be required to present a drivers license (or any other picture ID with age and address) to show eligibility to vote for all board seats, including AtLarge. In addition, for the Special Interest seats (Other Nonprofit, Religion, etc.) you will be required to provide one additional piece of evidence to support your eligibility as part of that constituency.

Vote in person on Sunday, April 30, at The Barking Lot, 336 N. Larchmont Blvd, from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Please bring your specified IDs to register on the spot. Check the document on the City Elections site for specific examples of acceptable credentials (tinyurl.com/9dyxykyd).

Please email any questions to Jen Devore at JenDeVore@ gmail.com or Cindy Chvatal-Keane at snorekel@gmail.com.

Calendar

Fri., May 5 — Cinco de Mayo.

Sun., May 14 — Mother’s Day.

Tues., May 9 — Mid City West Neighborhood Council board meeting is 6:30 p.m. at Pan Pacific Park Senior Center, 141 S. Gardner St. See midcitywest.org.

Wed., May 10 — Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council board meeting is 6:30 p.m. at The Ebell of Los Angeles at 743 S. Lucerne Blvd. See greaterwilshire.org.

Mon., May 29 — Memorial Day.

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

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

Thurs., June 1 — Delivery of the June issue of the Larchmont Chronicle.

Letters to the Editor

Multiple musings and interest in ‘Lost King’

It’s refreshing to see a commenter who’s so open about his belief that Edward de Vere was Shakespeare. And his informative review of “The Lost King” [At the Movies, April 2023] has sparked my interest in watching that film. Thanks.

Richard Agemo Washington, D.C.

Some thoughts on the question of Shakespeare vs. de Vere: tinyurl.com/2p926jc6.

Rik Edwards Chorleywood, England

There are three errors in the movie review about “The Lost King.” The director is Stephen Frears (not Richard Frears). The script is by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope (not Richard Frears and Philippa Langley). The book, “The King’s Grave — The Discovery of Richard III’s Lost Burial Place and the

Larchmont Chronicle

Founded in 1963 by Jane Gilman and Dawne P. Goodwin

Publisher and Editor John H. Welborne

Managing Editor Suzan Filipek

Contributing Editor Jane Gilman

Staff Writers

Talia Abrahamson

Casey Russell

Helene Seifer

Advertising Director

Pam Rudy

Advertising Sales including Classifieds

Caroline Tracy

Art Director Tom Hofer

Circulation Manager

Nona Sue Friedman Accounting

Jill Miyamoto

606 N. Larchmont Blvd., #103 Los Angeles, CA 90004 323-462-2241

larchmontchronicle.com

Clues it Holds,” is by Philippa Langley and Michael Jones (and not Jeff Pope as indicated).

Tracy Bryce Chairperson, Richard III Society Toronto, Canada

When can I return to Lucy’s El Adobe?

I read with great interest and indeed eager anticipation of the reopening of Lucy’s El Adobe Cafe in Hollywood [“Breaking News: Lucy’s El Adobe Cafe plans its reopening,” December 2022]. The article suggested February 2023. It is now April.

Many Angelenos would be eager for an update as to when the restaurant will be open for business or if in fact it will reopen at all.

Mark Rothschild  Westwood

When is the opening? It is now April.

Patti Mullen Park LaBrea

It’s April, and Lucy’s is still closed. What’s up?

Cheryl Marshall

Santa Clarita

[Ed. Note: We also received a recent telephone inquiry on this subject from former Windsor Square resident (now a New Yorker) Alexandra Witt Sorensen. She, like others, recalled our report in December 2022 that Lucy’s El Adobe Cafe was hoping to reopen in February 2023. However, in recent conversations with Patricia Casado, owner and daughter of founders Frank and Lucy Casado, we learned that the shuttered restaurant had been burglarized and vandalized in late March. That and roof repair

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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.

“It’s our second official Mother’s Day and, this year, I think we’ll actually be able to do something out of the house. Maybe a hike and brunch… and maybe a surprise sprinkled in.”

“Normally my daughter makes me breakfast in bed. She’s away at college but my son is staying with us, so hopefully he’ll pick up where she left off.”

Suzanne Zuaiter with Grayson Hancock Park

“I’ll probably hang out with my fiancé’s mom and stop by my grandma’s to give her flowers. I’ll send my mom flowers, too.”

Marina Thompson Windsor Square

Hannah Edwards, Dorian Damian and Dylan Damian Windsor Village

Charities for children, opera education, a Nobel Prize and more

Exclusive bridal gown designer and Larchmont resident Cocoe Voci’s design studio on Robertson Boulevard in Beverly Hills was the spot for champagne, macarons, shopping and giving on March 29. Voci shares half of her showroom with another designer brand, Chloe Colette, one of 111 local businesses that have partnered with Make March Matter (MMM), an annual fundraising event benefitting Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA).

Founder and creative director of the Paris-, Geneva-, and Los Angeles-based Chloe Colette, Jenny Rizzuto, recently opened her new showroom with head designer Victoria Zito and looks to make a splash with their bubblegum pink sweaters, tops, skirts and dresses, as well as other eye-popping spring colors that will make you say “au revoir!” to all of that winter rain.

SECTION ONE

Around the Town with Sondi Toll Sepenuk

Champagne servers wore Chloe Colette hot pink fuchsia tracksuits to dole out the bubbly as guests opened their wallets for a good cause. CHLA took in 10 percent of sales at the shopping event.

“Make March Matter is a way for community and businesses to come together to support the mission for the hospital,” said MMM official Dawn Wilcox. Also enjoying the event from MMM was Jillian Green.

• • •

The early part of April included a special treat for music lovers in the area. In the exquisite lounge of the 1927 Ebell Club, a full house

MAKE MARCH MATTER for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is the cause for Dawn Wilcox, left, and Jillian Green, who attended the benefit event in Beverly Hills at the design showroom of Cocoe Voci and Chloe Colette.

experienced the 1994 work, “ Impressions of Pelléas for Voices and Two Pianos” arranged by Marius Constant. “Impressions” is based upon the 1898 opera by Claude Debussy (his only opera), “Pelléas et Mélisande,” which is a musical rendition of the

CHLA SUPPORTERS at the March 29 benefit included, from left: Michelle Lucas, Cocoe Voci, Elizabeth Beristain and Jenny Rizzuto.

1892 five-act play of the same name by Maurice Maeterlinck. First performed in 1902 in Paris, the opera is often overlooked in repertoires, according to LA Opera Music Director (and Windsor Square resident) James Conlon. To remedy that, local opera goers had six opportunities to attend LA Opera’s first presentation

since 1995 of what LA Opera describes as “Debussy’s enigmatic operatic masterpiece [that] captures an exquisitely nuanced dream world where forbidden love blossoms.”

Those performances at The Music Center were in addition to a citywide celebration — “Discovering Debussy”

(Please turn to page 4)

MAESTRO JAMES CONLON gave The Ebell audience a pre-performance talk about Debussy and the opera.

mezzo-soprano Madeleine Lyon (Genevieve), bass Alan Williams (Arkel, seated), soprano Deepa Johnny (Mélisande), baritone Ryan Wolfe (Golaud), and baritone Anthony León (Pelléas, seated. The four pianists who accompanied the singers were Yanfeng Tony Bai, Vijay Venkatesh, Hyejin Park and Ryota Yamazaki.

Around the Town

(Continued from page 3)

— curated and directed by Conlon in March and April, of which “Impressions of Pelléas” at The Ebell was the concluding event.

Spotted at The Ebell on April 4 were locals Patty Lombard and Bill Simon, Donna Russell, Janet Ciriello, Robert Ronus and many more. Some of Maestro Conlon’s thoughts on Debussy are included in the LA Opera’s printed program at: tinyurl.com/94y5s3jy.

AFTER THE PERFORMANCE, locals discussing Debussy included, from left, Robert Ronus, Janet

Jennifer

and Ms. Ringo’s husband, conductor James Conlon.

• • •

It was a real achievement, just up on Vine Street, across from Vine Street Elementary School — in the kitchen of Project Angel Food (PAF) — when the sixteen millionth medically tailored meal was prepared and delivered on April 10th.

Equipped with a hair net, apron, and gloves, Mayor Karen Bass joined the assem-

bly line for that day’s meal of stir-fry chicken and fresh vegetables. Next, as the meal containers emerged from the sealing machine and were labeled, the mayor took the one with label “16,000,000,” and handed it to a grateful PAF client, Leon Williams.

As longtime PAF CEO Richard Ayoub watched approvingly, Mayor Bass said, “It is my honor and pleasure to present this 16 millionth meal to a member of our community, Leon Williams. He told me he’s a heart patient. A lot of times when people think of health care they think of doctors and medicine, but they don’t necessarily think of food, which is so important. That is why Project Angel Food is so important.”

Project Angel Food was founded in 1989, and it feeds 2,500 seriously ill people each day, providing more than 1.5 million meals per year.

•

What to do for a big birthday?

Spike Booth (Franklin Otis Booth III, to be precise) chose to give a gift to several dozen of

his good friends. On April 13, he provided them a VIP lunch and a guided tour of the many levels of the fantastic new Sofi Stadium, a two-team football, concert and event venue unparalleled anywhere in the world (for the time being, at least). Joining the Booth party were a half-dozen men from this neighborhood, including Hancock Park’s Dick Lowry and Bob Baker and Windsor Square‘s Peter Ziegler, John

Welborne and Bill Fain.

• • •

One of the older institutions in Los Angeles is the downtown Jonathan Club. Its opulent main dining room was a fitting setting to be talking about the age of the universe and the discovery of black holes that exist within it. Andrea Ghez, professor of physics and astronomy at UCLA (with multiple other (Please turn to page 6)

The Beauty of Experience

Larchmont's own Rebecca Fitzgerald M.D., a board certified dermatologic surgeon, brings extensive experience and up-to-theminute expertise to the convenience of your own neighborhood.

IMPRESSIONS DE PELLÉAS for Voices and Two Pianos in The Ebell’s lounge featured, from left, conductor James Conlon,

Ciriello,

Ringo

THE MUSES support the California Science Center Foundation, this time at an April 17 luncheon at the Jonathan Club.

MEAL SIXTEEN MILLION is delivered by Mayor Karen Bass to Project Angel Food (PAF) client Leon Williams in the PAF kitchen as PAF CEO Richard Ayoub applauds for the local media.

SOFI STADIUM was the venue for Spike Booth (second from left) to celebrate his birthday with two-dozen friends, including locals, from left, Dick Lowry and Bob Baker from Hancock Park and Peter Ziegler and Bill Fain from Windsor Square.

This

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Loida Umipig, Registered Nurse, Mother-Baby department

Around the Town

(Continued from page 4)

titles and a 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics, to boot) was celebrated as the Woman of the Year by THE MUSES of the California Science Center Foundation. THE MUSES, founded more than 60 years ago to support the California

Science Center and its predecessor, the California Museum of Science and Industry, has recognized a Woman of the Year annually (recent Covid-19 years excepted) since 1965.

More than 200 members of THE MUSES and their guests enjoyed the April 17 luncheon and raffle — and, especially, the experience of listening to

Celebrate All Moms & Graduates

Shops & Eateries

Professor Ghez explain her work studying black holes in space. At the luncheon, it also was fascinating to hear her recount her upbringing and the personal discoveries that led her down the path towards science and discovery.

“The moon landing inspired me as a kid to pursue astronomy, but I also wanted to be a ballerina,” Ghez recounted to the rapt audience. Ghez is a big advocate for inspiring young girls to pursue science and math.

Locals enjoying the luncheon included Margo O’Connell, Mary O’Connell and Melanie Guise of Hancock Park and Judith Miller of Windsor Square. The event was sponsored at the Jonathan Club by Gloria and Richard Pink.

• • •

Volunteers and supporters strutted their merry ways across the Wilshire Country Club’s Hancock Ballroom carpet “runway” for “A Chic Affaire” — a “friend raiser” to help create awareness and recruit new members for one of

Letters

(Continued from page 2) continue to delay a reopening. We shall apprise readers as soon as we know more.]

Restriping no better

Regarding the recent story about Rossmore Avenue re-striping [“Traffic slows on Rossmore after striping,” April 2023], please note that cars ignore lane striping and speed bumps, evidenced by the cars going around the speed half-bump on South Norton Avenue (three of four cars went around the bump that covers only half of the roadway).

Ron Balue Windsor Square

Goodbye, Los Angeles

I was chatting with my lovely neighbor who inspired me to get a meeting with staff of Council District 13. Our meeting confirmed her decision to sell her home and move to a nearby city that has a better handle on the homeless / encampment issues.

For her, as someone who lives near where we were able to get an encampment on Wilton removed, it is a real safety concern. LAPD Hollywood Division has been outstanding dealing with some of those issues.

FYI, I’m informed a new tent went up near our current encampment in the Larchmont Village Neighborhood Association (LVNA) area at Raleigh Street by Wilton Place.

I’ve told neighbors to contact our SLO at LAPD, and they’ve reported not hearing back from him.

Keith Johnson Larchmont Village

Los Angeles’ oldest charitable organizations, the Assistance League of Los Angeles (ALLA).

The League, which started here in 1919, currently supports 24,000 disadvantaged youth in the Los Angeles area through its many programs, including the Foster Children’s Resource Center, Operation School Bell, the League Scholarship Program,

the Preschool Learning Center, the Theatre for Children and the Court Referred Volunteer Center.

The April 19 fashion show and luncheon was organized by two of the ALLA’s auxiliary support organizations, the Mannequins and the College Alumni Auxiliary (CAA). The luncheon’s volunteer runway

(Please turn to page 8)

Jamie Yoo named head of CHA

Jamie Yoo has been named Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center (CHA HPMC), a member of CHA Health Systems.

Yoo said in a release.

Yoo joined CHA Health Systems as chief strategic operating officer in June 2022 and has been serving as interim CEO at CHA HPMC since October 2022.

JAMIE YOO

Yoo began his new post April 6 at the hospital at 1300 N. Vermont Ave.

His appointment comes at a pivotal time for CHA HPMC, he said, as its new patient tower — a state-of-the-art acute care facility — opens in 2024.

“Our hospital is truly a special place, and I am proud of the history that is our foundation, and I look forward to the future we are building towards. We will continue to make the improvements to all areas to build on our success to deliver better outcomes to our patients and community,”

Prior to joining CHA HPMC, Yoo held executive roles at several hospitals and healthcare organizations including serving as CEO of Anaheim Global Medical Center and South Coast Global Medical Center, and as COO at Silver Lake Medical Center.

“Jamie Yoo has a deep understanding of healthcare and brings with him strategic planning experience, operational excellence, and cultivating teams that deliver results,” said Yongseok Kim, CEO at CHA Health Systems.

Yoo, a Southern California native, earned his master’s degree in business administration from the Marshall School of Business at USC and his bachelor’s degree in history from UC San Diego.

Search for Next Great Merchant is on at Original Farmers Market

By Suzan Filipek

Regulars at the Original Farmers Market know that the landmark shopping destination has, since 1934, been offering a dizzying array of groceries and global cuisine at restaurants, bakeries, candy, nut and tea shops, and much, much more.

Soon there will be one more — the lucky winner of the “New Originals Pop-Up Contest — The Search for the Next Great Farmers Market Merchant.”

Earlier this year, small business owners with a grocery, specialty food and / or culi-

nary products business plan were invited to apply for a prime brick-and-mortar location in the Market, rent-free for three months.

Finalists will be announced Mon., May 8, and soon thereafter will undergo a series of reviews including an in-person interview with the Market executive team. A social media voting process and Finalist Showcase Day on Sat., May 20 will follow. The winning merchant is expected to be announced in June and is projected to open its doors by July 2023. Sounds delicious!

ASSISTANCE LEAGUE local supporters (in no particular seating order) include Donna Econn, Dina Phillips, Nancy Gale, Michelle McMullin, Patty McKenna, Karla Ahmanson, Amza Bossom, Kelley Nelson, Amanda Holdsworth and one unnamed.

PROF. ANDREA GHEZ, Woman of the Year 2023, gathered with eighth and ninth graders from St. Mary’s Academy after her talk.

Election

(Continued from page 1)

Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council

For Greater Wilshire, in addition to local residents, stakeholders include employees and property owners plus individuals who are a member of, or participate in, a community organization (such as a local business, school or religious or other nonprofit organization) within the boundaries of the council.

In Greater Wilshire, 39 candidates are on the ballot vying for one of 21 seats as directors of the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council (GWNC) for the following two years. Among categories, 15 are for

geographic areas; others are renters, business, education, religious, other nonprofit and at-large. (Also, 21 alternates will be elected; they are usually those who come in second.)

The bylaws of the GWNC provide that people who document their eligibility to vote in specific categories must vote in person at the polling place on election day. At that time, voters must bring their driver licenses (or other photo ID showing birthday and address). If you also are voting for one of the special interest board seats in addition to the geographic area where you live, work or own property, you also must bring evidence of your participation in that

(Please turn to page 9)

To

Happy

Tailwaggers

Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council Candidates

Geographic Areas:

1 — Brookside

Owen Smith

2 — Citrus Square

Jeffry Carpenter

3 — Country Club Heights

Selene Betancourt

4 — Fremont Place

Mark McQueen

5 —Hancock Park

David Trainer

Jennifer Devore

6 — La Brea-Hancock

Sixto J. Sicilia

7 — Larchmont Village

Charles D’atri

Vincent Cox

8 — Melrose Neighborhood

Craig Au Jesseca Harvey

Jason Wood

Ladies’ golf

(Continued from page 1) announcement of their sponsorship of the tournament and the increased prize purse for the players, the Wangs said, “We are incredibly honored to partner with the LPGA Tour as title and presenting sponsors.”

They added, “We are excited to work with the LPGA Tour in enhancing this world-class tournament at Wilshire Country Club, and we look forward to supporting and empowering these incredible athletes with our elevated purse of $3 million.”

Walter and Shirley Wang are heavily involved in philanthropic initiatives throughout the world through their companies and through the Walter and Shirley Wang Foundation. As just one

Around the Town

(Continued from page 6) models wore Jonathan Simkhai designs as guests enjoyed salmon, mixed salad, roasted vegetables, steamed rice, chocolate éclairs, chocolate chip cookies and fresh berries. In addition to 10 percent of all fashion purchases going toward the charity, 20 percent of all proceeds from a boutique set up just outside the ballroom also helped achieve fundraising goals.

CAA Chair June Bilgore emphasized that the Assistance League is the only local organization that gives clothing and other items to disadvantaged Los Angeles children and teens on a consistent basis.

Among those enjoying the runway fashion show were Donna Econn, Dina Phillips, Michelle McMullin,

9 — OakwoodMaplewood- St. Andrews Square

Tess Paige

Alex Nava

10 — Ridgewood-Wilton/ St. Andrews Square

Patricia (Patti) Carroll

11 — Sycamore Square

Conrad Starr

12 — Western-Wilton

(“We-Wil” Neighborhood)

(None)

13 — Wilshire Park

John Gresham

14 — Windsor Square

David Meister

Gary Gilbert

15 — Windsor Village

Bianca Sparks Rojas

Claire Ortiz

Julie Kim

example, the Wangs were the first and major sponsors of the Emmy-nominated PBS documentary “Becoming American: The Chinese Experience,” a Bill Moyers special.

Top Players

In all, the 72-hole tournament will feature 144 women golfers from every corner of the globe said David Tucker, vice president of Outlyr, the LPGA tournament operator. Top players include: No. 2 Nelly Korda, No. 3 Jin Young Ko, No. 4 Atthaya Thitikul and No. 5 Minjee Lee. No. 10 Georgia Hall and Southern California natives (and past LPGA Tour winners)

Danielle Kang and Lilia Vu headline the latest commitments to the tournament. Added viewing areas New at the tournament this year, spectators and guests will

Special Interest Categories:

At-Large

Lucy Pinkwater

Cindy Chvatal-Keane

Diran Yanikian

Business

Michael Knowles

Romi Cortier

John Winther

Education

Scott Appel

Other Nonprofit

Mark Alpers

Brian Curran

Religious

Benjamin Rosenberg

Suzana Kim

John Halbert

Renters

Lourdes Gomez

Tommy Atlee

Annah Rose Verderame

MJ Anderson

John Marchesini

get an even better, up close look with added viewing areas as golfers play on the historic course that opened in 1919. Upgraded food and beverage hospitality also is featured. Single day and weekly grounds passes, as well as upgraded hospitality ticket options, are available when purchased in advance. Tickets can also be purchased at Will Call this weekend, pending availability.

Outlyr and the LPGA have partnered with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and will offer free admission on Thurs., April 27, to all guests who donate three or more nonperishable, un-expired food cans at the admissions tent (accessed from Rosewood Avenue at Lillian Way). Visit lpga.com for tickets and more information.

Kelley Nelson and model / attendee Jan Daley.

And now you’re in the Larchmont know!

Enjoy sweets, adopt a pet April 29

Make a new furry best friend and give a pet a forever home on National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day Sat., April 29.

Dylan’s Candy Bar will host the adoption event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Plaza next to the Dylan’s ice cream window at the Original Farmers Market, 6333 W. Third St.

Dylan’s Candy BarN Animal Foundation, created by Dylan Lauren, owner of the national Candy Bar chain, has partnered with the nonprofit L.A. Love & Leashes for the event.

Nancy Gale, Patty McKenna, Nan Wallan, Karla Ahmanson, Amanda Holdsworth, Angelique Campen, Amza Bossom,

JAN DALEY struts her stuff at ALLA fashion show luncheon at Wilshire Country Club.

Zones (1 seat each):

Zone 1

Hunter Burgarella

Zone 2

Sam Roseme

Zone 3

Amy Goldenberg

Zone 4

J. Keith Van Straaten

Zone 5

Tedd Cittadine

Zone 6

Bob Shore

Zone 7

Brent Kidwell

Thao Tran

Special Interest Categories:

Youth Representative (1 seat)

Clark Raustiala

skin deep

by Dr. Rebecca Fitzgerald

I’ve heard about the latest “Botox” that lasts longer. What can you tell me?

Despite the decidedly unsexy names, neuromodulators or neurotoxins are the group of injectable medications that you’re referring to. The latest cousin to join the party is called Daxxify and it offers a major benefit: smoother lines and wrinkles for about twice as long.

As you likely know, this group of injectables works by freezing muscles underneath wrinkles, causing the tissue to relax therefore creating a smoother appearance of overlaying skin. But Daxxify has a different molecular makeup that includes peptides and amino acids. These hardworking peptides are likely credited with Daxxify’s staying power. In clinical trials submitted to the FDA, 80 percent of people using Daxxify had no visible wrinkles at 4 months, and about 50 percent had little evidence of wrinkles at 6 months. Just like its helpful relatives, Daxxify can be used to treat other than your appearance: it can address migraines, excessive sweating and some causes of an overactive bladder. Many professionals in my line of work are in agreement that Daxxify may become the preferred choice simply because of requiring fewer visits for a myriad of goals.

Contact our office to discuss Daxxify and you may find yourself looking as stunning as ever, yet calling us about half as often.

Dr. Rebecca Fitzgerald is a Board Certified Dermatologist located in Larchmont Village with a special 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. Visit online at www.RebeccaFitzgeraldMD. com or call (323) 464-8046 to schedule an appointment.

Homeowners (3 seats)

Shem Bitterman

Valerie Jaffee Washburn

Don Whitehead

Renters (5 seats)

Lauren Borchard

Ramiro Castro, Jr.

Lynda La Rose

Ava Marinelli

Xcevio Zuluaga

Business (6 seats)

Craig Brill

Sara Griebe

Frank La

Henry Mantel

Terence Mylonas

Danielle Rodriguez-

Donovan

Nick Starr

Nonprofit Organizations (6 seats)

Cindy Bitterman

Chris Dower

David Mann

Elizabeth Margaret Mason

Mid City West Neighborhood Council Candidates Election

Christina Mondy

Matthew Peskay

Julian Stern

Members At Large (8 seats)

Shelby Blecker

Aimee Garcia

Ellie D. Goralnick

Dre Guttag

Andrew L. Herman

Benjamin Kram

Christian La Mont

Charles A. Lindenblatt

Michael Schneider

Sandra Sims

(Continued from page 8) special interest constituency (such as a pay stub or membership roster). Therefore, as has been the case since the founding of the local neighborhood council in 2001 and the official certification of GWNC in 2003, an individual voter who lives, works or owns property within GWNC may cast up to two votes. Detailed information about 2023’s GWNC election is at greaterwilshire.org/ 2023-elections.

Information about the certified candidates for the GWNC seats is at tinyurl.com/824npp2j.

Mid City West Neighborhood Council

In Mid City West, 41 candidates are running for 36 seats. There are seven zone representatives, and there are seats for youth, homeowners, renters, business, nonprofit organizations and members at large.

Information about the certified candidates for Mid City West seats is at tinyurl.com/ mua29fum.

Yom HaShoah: a ceremony of remembering

By John Welborne

Survivors and those who perished in the Holocaust were honored at Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, April 16 at 2 p.m. at Holocaust Museum LA.

Attendees at the outdoor, in-person event at Pan Pacific Park included keynote speaker Jeffrey Abrams, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky.

Also in attendance were Consul General of Israel Dr. Hillel Newman and Wilshire Boulevard Temple Emerita Rabbi Karen Fox. A musical composition by the late Holocaust survivor Herbert Zipper was performed by musicians from The Colburn School.

This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and uprisings at Sobibor and Treblinka death camps.

FORMER CONTROLLER for the City of Los Angeles, Ron Galperin, reads the Mourner’s Kaddish and El Malei Rachamim at the conclusion of the Yom HaShoah Commemoration in Pan Pacific Park in April.

GREATER WILSHIRE Neighborhood Council returned to in-person meetings at The Ebell in April.

HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR Harry Davids addresses Yom HoShoah Commemoration attendees in Pan Pacific Park, including fellow speakers such as Mayor Karen Bass. The Master of Ceremonies, Mike Burstyn, sits at left on the stage.

Commemorating and standing strong

Eighty years ago, a small group of Jews living in the Warsaw ghetto bravely sacrificed their lives to stand and fight Nazi soldiers who were rounding up residents of the ghetto and sending them to their deaths. Despite being vastly outnumbered and outgunned, the Jewish fighters held off the Nazi army for almost a month, before the ghetto was finally razed to the ground. This act is a testament to the human spirit and a stark reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust. It is also a reminder of the spirit of resistance that Jewish people across the world have demonstrated for millennia.

Last month, I had the honor of joining Holocaust Museum LA for its Yom HaShoah Commemoration in Pan Pacific Park, where we marked the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. We heard from Holocaust survivors, from local rabbis and from individuals who were born in refugee camps following the war.

When it was my time to speak, I shared my experience of being a mom to three young Jewish children and my conversations with my oldest, who is just learning about the Holocaust for the first time. For those of you with children, you know how devastating it can be to explain to a

Helping people to stay housed

CD 5 Council Report

by Katy Young Yaroslavsky

child how humanity is capable of such evil.

During our conversation, my son asked how I know that it won’t happen again, and I told him the truth. I told him that it won’t — because we won’t let it. I could tell him that confidently because, every day, I see the resilience of the Jewish community on display here in Los Angeles, as well as the demonstrations of solidarity by non-Jewish allies. Even in the face of a horrific uptick in antisemitic hate crimes here in Los Angeles, including the recent attack on two Jewish men leaving shul in Pico-Robertson, we have come together, and we are fighting back.

Each of us shows up every day and practices that spirit of resistance so that, when our children or our nieces and nephews come to us and ask how we can be sure that the Holocaust won’t happen again, we can confidently tell them that it won’t. Because, working together with intentionality and resolve, we won’t let it.

Did you know that it costs 10 times more money to house someone after that person becomes homeless than it does to keep the person from becoming homeless in the first place?

With the city’s homelessness crisis at the top of mind for residents, our local government has an unprecedented focus on bringing people indoors. We are utilizing programs like Inside Safe and increased resources from the state and federal governments. But these initiatives won’t get us out of this crisis if we don’t prevent more folks from being pushed into the streets in the first place.

Right now, people are becoming homeless faster than they can receive housing. As Los Angeles’ eviction morato-

CD 13 Council Report

by Hugo Soto-Martinez

rium has expired, the disparity could become even worse.

To empower renters and to help prevent illegal evictions, our office put together a list of resources, including:

• A flow chart showing if one might be at risk of being evicted;

• A guide on how to respond to an eviction notice;

• Legal workshops so renters know their rights; and

• Resources on how to form a tenants’ union.

You can find all of these re-

sources and more by visiting bit.ly/larenterhelp.

We also are looking to give people the right to a lawyer in eviction court, just like they have the right to a lawyer in criminal court. We know this will help prevent illegal evictions that force families into encampments. When New York City passed a similar law, 84 percent of renters were able to stay in their homes.  By helping our neighbors, sharing these resources with our communities and supporting hardworking families who are struggling to make ends meet, we can keep folks from living in the streets and start reversing the trends that created this homelessness crisis.

Visit bit.ly/larenterhelp to find Council District 13’s renter resources.

Carolyn Ramsay leaves legacy

By Suzan Filipek

Carolyn

Ramsay,

a muchloved and active member of the community since she moved to Norton Avenue in 1993, is heading back to her hometown at the end of May.

Among her numerous Los Angeles leadership positions, Ramsay served as a deputy for Councilman Tom LaBonge and, then, chief of staff. More recently, she has been the executive director of the Los Angeles Parks Foundation for the past five years. Among numerous achievements for the Foundation, she launched the Los

Angeles Park Forest Initiative that, to date, has planted shade trees at 22 parks.

Her involvement with the environment began soon after she arrived in Los Angeles with her husband, Andy Goodman. She worked as a freelance writer, including for the Los Angeles Times Magazine and New York Times, and she dove into community issues.

She started the nonprofit Olive Branches to raise funds for parks, school gardens and medians including two on Larchmont Boulevard today. She served as president of the Windsor Square Association and worked to secure the Windsor Square Historic

be closer to both of their families.

CD 13 hires a new field deputy for Larchmont, Windsor Square

Councilman for District 13, Hugo Soto-Martinez, has hired a new field deputy for Larchmont Village and Windsor Square. Karla Martinez took the post in mid-April. She grew up in Ontario, Calif. and graduated from USC.

In addition to Larchmont and Windsor Square, her area includes Greater Wilshire, East Hollywood and Los Feliz. She can be reached at karla.g.martinez@lacity.org or at her office phone at 213-8473878.

Local residents to present Twice a Citizen Awards

The Los Angeles Police Reserve Foundation (LAPRF) will present the 2023 Twice a Citizen Awards on Sat., May 6, at 6:30 p.m. at the Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd.

Presidents of LAPRF, local resident Karla Ahmanson and her co-president Michael Sellars, will present the two Angeleno couples being recognized by the foundation along with two retired reserve officers receiving awards. The couples are honored for donating their time and resources to supporting

local causes while the reserve officers are honored for their many years of service.

LAPRF partners with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to recruit volunteers who donate their time to protect and serve our city. The volunteers receive the same training as full-time LAPD officers and work in tandem with the officers. The program has been in existence for more than 75 years. Its efforts are meant to build a bridge between the communities. RSVP at info@ theproperimageevents.com.

Preservation Overlay Zone. Ramsay and Goodman will be moving to New York City to

Forbidden love, American dream and real-life ‘Blue’ on stage

Plays are sprouting all over town like dandelions after the rains!

LA Opera presented a world-class, richly textured production of Claude Debussy’s “Pelléas & Mélisande” (1902). Based on Maurice Maeterlinck’s 1892 play, the opera explores the longings of forbidden love. Golaud (Kyle Ketelsen) finds Mélisande (Sydney Mancasola) in the woods, brings her home (and marries her when older), only for her to fall in love with his half brother, Pelléas (Will Liverman). Happiness turns to tragedy, and love, like water (a major symbol in the opera), can only breed disease and death when it stagnates, festers and is not allowed to flow.

Conductor James Conlon brought out Debussy’s Impressionistic palette, but lovers Mancasola and Liverman lacked any chemistry, undercutting the score’s tension and putting the focus on the jealous Ketelsen. The result had more in common with Othello than Romeo & Juliet, which might bode well for the Opera’s next production: Verdi’s “Otello.”

LA Opera will present a live simulcast of its May 13 opening night at both Cal State Dominguez Hills and the

Theater Review by Louis

Fantasia

Santa Monica Pier.

For more information, go to LAOpera.org/OperaAtTheBeach or LAOpera. org/OperaOnTheLawn. The live-streamed performance, starting at 7:30 p.m. on May 13, is free.

Repressed desires are at the center of William Inge’s “Picnic at the Odyssey.” Featuring an all-Black cast and set in Kansas in the 1960s (rather than Inge’s 1950s), the production, under John Farmanesh-Bocca’s direction, features a strong, talented ensemble which seems to populate a world created by August Wilson rather than Inge.

Inge’s theme is the claustrophobic, smug, American small-town mentality that keeps desire and dreams, especially sexually charged ones, at bay. The script is still topical (the local library bans Carson McCullers’ “The Ballad of the Sad Cafe”), but something goes amiss and off-key in the updating.

Inge’s critique of the American Dream (shared with contemporaries Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams) is lost in this well-intentioned transposition to an under-represented world. (Through May 28: OdysseyTheatre.com; 310-477-2055, Ext.2.)

Repressed is the last word anyone would apply to Ava Gardner, whose life is on stage at the Geffen in “Ava: The Secret Conversations.” Based (as was an earlier, different production reviewed in February) on Gardner’s biography (ghost written by journalist Peter Evans), the dirt is dished about her multiple marriages as well as numerous relationships.

Actress Elizabeth McGovern, who wrote the three-character play, has enough star-power to command the stage, but occasionally slips into a generic star-is-born stagey alcoholism. Aaron Costa Ganis nearly steals the show with his quick-change impersonations of Evans and husbands Artie Shaw and Frank Sinatra, but there is more information than insight to the script. Still, the Gen Zers in the row ahead of me were completely baffled. “Who ARE these people she keeps talking about?” one whispered. Oh, dear!

What to watch for

Presented by Latino Theater Company, “Whittier Boulevard,” a world premiere, tackles ageism while searching for the divine in each of us. LATC through May 28; 866811-4111; latinotheaterco.org/

Stephen Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music” is at the Pasadena Playhouse through May 28; 626-356-7529; pasadenaplayhouse.org.

Three years after his death, William Shakespeare’s closest friends put together The Book of Will, otherwise known as the “First Folio.” At A Noise Within through June 4; 626-356-3100; anoisewithin.org

“Six,” the musical, lets the queens of Henry VIII have their say and get their revenge! Pantages Theater through June 11; 323-468-1770; hollywoodpantages.com

Oh, dear!! (Through May 7; tickets.geffenplayhouse.org; 310-208-2028.)

The Independent Shakespeare Company, known for its family-friendly Shakespeare in Griffith Park, is presenting an equally friendly version of Noël Coward’s classic, “Private Lives,” at its Atwater Village indoor ISC Studio. Set in Acapulco and Palm Springs of the 1950s (instead of Coward’s Riviera and Paris), the production owes more to Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz than Coward and Gertrude Lawrence. Slapstick and farce replace wit and style, and the production makes up in energy what it loses in elegance. A fun night, but I’m not sure the Master, Coward,

would approve. (Through May 7; iscla.org; 818-710-6306.)

The best production this month is Rogue Machine’s “Blue” at the 29-seat Henry Murray stage at the Matrix. June Carryl’s 65-minute script about the interrogation by a Black, female LAPD detective of a white cop who has shot a Black vet at a traffic stop veers close to cliché, but that may be because the scene has been played out in real life too many times (not just in L.A.!). Julianne Chidi Hill and John Colella give memorable, gripping performances under Michael Matthews’ taut, immersive direction. (Through May 14; roguemachinetheatre.com; 855-585-5185.) Plenty of options — go!

‘Coronation Concert’ at All Saints’ Church Family drama, climate change told in ‘Scintilla’

By Nona Sue Friedman

The coronation of King Charles III will be celebrated at All Saints’ Church, Beverly Hills, with music written by J.S. Bach and George Handel

Fri., May 5, at 8 p.m., 504 N. Camden Dr. Handel’s Coronation Anthems 1 and 3 were originally written for the coronation of George II in 1727.

In addition to these compositions, the “Coronation Concert” features uplifting and joyous songs written in the 18th century.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for students and seniors. Payment is accepted at the door or online at allsaintsbh.org. Entrance is free with Music Guild donor season pass.

Oscar-nominated Alessandro Camon and directed by Ann Hearn Tobolowsky, the cast includes David Gianopoulos, a longtime resident of Windsor Boulevard.

Watch ‘Moana’ under the stars at Hollygrove campus

The world premiere performance of “Scintilla,” presented by the award-winning Road Theatre Company, runs through Sun., June 4, at the NoHo Seniors Arts Colony, 10747 Magnolia Blvd. Climate change takes root in this family drama set in the woods near California’s Wine Country. Written by

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Visit roadtheatre.org for tickets and more information. Bring a blanket, chairs and the entire family and enjoy a movie under the stars at the Hollygrove campus, 815 N. El Centro Ave., on Sat., May 20, at 7 p.m.

The evening will feature a screening of the Academy Award-nominated movie “Moana,” beginning at sunset. All proceeds support privately funded Hollygrove programs, which offer mental health, substance use treatment and more in the

local Hollywood / Larchmont area. The Hollygrove campus was once the home of Norma Jeane Mortenson before she became Marilyn Monroe. At the movie night, food from Tacos Igualas will be included with admission along with pre-movie entertainment and games courtesy of The Amazing Kid Company. Parking is at 5851 Waring Ave. Tickets are $25. Sponsorships are available. Visit pacificclinics.org.

Two-country friendship inspires K-Town Persian restaurant

On a commercial street at the western boundary of Koreatown, the area’s first Persian restaurant sits on the same block as a Korean corn dog spot, a Chinese lamb restaurant, a boba shop, a T-shirt printing company, an Italian furniture store and a dental chain.

The TehranRo Grill opened in August 2021 when the pandemic restrictions were beginning to loosen. Friends

Pasha Tootoonchi and Hassan Mohammadyar recognized that residents of Koreatown, Greater Wilshire and Miracle Mile needed to travel to Glendale or Westwood for authentic Persian food, and the two friends decided to fill the void.

Tootoonchi and Mohammadyar specifically wanted to locate TehranRo Grill in K-Town as an homage to the close relationship Korea (later, after the split, just South Korea) and Iran (formerly Persia) have enjoyed for more than 1,600 years. First, the countries established cultural exchanges, then, in 1962, they formed an economic partnership.

In 1977, the then mayor of Tehran visited Seoul, and the cities agreed to each name

On the Menu

by

Helene Seifer

a street after the other as a token of friendship. Tehran renamed a street Seoul Boulevard and later developed Seoul Park and filled it with pine trees that are very common in Korea and rare in the Middle East. Seoul turned a formerly dull street into Teheran-ro or Tehran Boulevard, which is now in one of the wealthiest areas in Seoul, filled with skyscrapers and rolling in venture capital and IT entrepreneurs, earning it the nickname “Teheran Valley” in deference to Silicon Valley. Note that “Tehran” has many English spellings, and different ones find their ways into different uses.

Back here in Los Angeles one enters the TehranRo Grill off cacophonous Western Avenue into a small, enclosed patio with an enormous fountain. Most people head indoors to either order take out or take a seat in the simple room with colorful

accents and tables separated by rough-hewn wooden dividers. The biggest decorative elements are inset squares of brick on the wall and a large screen with a travel video on a loop. Nicer than a fast-food joint; not quite on par with a charming café.

The food, however, is quite good. The gluten-free menu features what kabob lovers have come to expect from a Persian grill restaurant, plus several interesting sides and mains.

Diners are served squares of flat bread with sliced onions and mint. To amp up the bread course, we ordered creamy $7 hummus and a side salad. The $8 refreshing Shirazi salad presented a crunchy mix of cucumbers, tomatoes and onions tossed in an olive oil, lime juice and mint dressing.

There are nine different choices of kabob plates, $19$29, and each comes with two skewers, basmati rice with saffron and a charbroiled tomato. Selections include juicy, well-seasoned koobideh (ground beef and lamb), chicken or filet mignon shish kabobs, salmon, jumbo shrimp and Cornish game hen. We ordered the koobideh

and chicken skewers. The flavorful ground meat skewers were our favorites. The chicken was beautifully grilled but bland and benefited from the garlicky mayonnaise that came with our $9 order of grilled eggplant, zucchini, peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes.

We also tried one of their special dishes: the marinated lamb shank, $19. Fall-off-thebone tender and not gamey, this plate was also enhanced by a hit of TehranRo’s garlic

Heidi Duckler

Dance at The Ebell luncheon May 1

The Ebell of Los Angeles, 743 S. Lucerne Blvd., will feature Heidi Duckler Dance (HDD) on Mon., May 1, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. as part of its Speaker Series. “Everyday is Different,” an interdisciplinary presentation of film, music and dance, will include a live performance featuring musician Jeonghyeon Joo and dancer Nadia Maryam and a film highlighting moments from HDD’s 2022 season. Ms. Duckler will also participate in a discussion about her creative process. For tickets visit tinyurl.com/5enyuv8h.

mayo.

Overall, it’s worth hazarding the fiasco that is K-Town parking to enjoy some very good kabobs. You just might want to reward yourself with some beer, wine or soju after your ordeal.

TehranRo Grill, 414 S. Western Ave., Unit D. 213-529-4111.

‘Godfather’ dinners on menu at the Academy Museum

To coincide with the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures exhibit, “The Art of Moviemaking: The Godfather,” which celebrates the 50th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s acclaimed film, Fanny’s is offering weekly themed family-style Sunday suppers.

Rotating Italian dishes are inspired by famous lines from the film, such as A Pasta You Can’t Refuse, Sonny’s “Bada Bing” ribs and Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli.

Four-course “Godfather” dinners are $85 per person excluding drinks.

Fanny’s at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. 6067 Wilshire Blvd. 323-9303080. Make reservations at OpenTable or Resy.

Best ‘Madoff’ yet; secret agents, FBI on hunt in well-made thrillers

Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street (9/10): Four episodes. TV-MA. Netflix. What Bernie Madoff actually did is explained, and the people who coordinated with him are exposed. I’ve seen all the Madoff treatments, and this is the best.

Agent Hamilton (8/10): Season 2, eight episodes. MHz Choice. TV-14. Charismatic Jakob Oftebro stars as Carl Hamilton, a former Swedish secret agent who is hired by the Swedish Security Service (SÄPO) to find out who is responsible for a series of cyberattacks and bombings. He must fight against the powers in his own agency as well as Intelligence agents of Russia and the United States who seem to be conniving with international business interests (like the World Economic Forum?) encouraging a new Cold War. Based upon

the novels by Jan Guillou, but updated to include modern technology, various episodes have different directors but all keep the same motif. Shot in Sweden, Lithuania, Morocco and Zagreb, Croatia, this is the second season of a well-made thriller that keeps the viewer involved throughout. The first season may be viewed on Prime Video.

The Night Agent (8/10): 10 episodes. TV-MA. Netflix.

Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Brasso) is a newbie FBI agent locked in an office in the lower echelons of The White House waiting for a phone that never rings to ring. When it does finally ring, he finds himself smack dab in the middle of a conspiracy that involves the Deep State threatening to take over the government as he is stuck with protecting a vital witness, Rose Larkin (Lucianne Buchanan), and,

At the Movies with Tony Medley

ultimately, saving the country. He is vilified, and they are chased by everyone including his own FBI, and he doesn’t know whom to trust.

Rabbit Hole (7/10): Eight episodes. TV-MA. Paramount+. While it’s got tension, it is diminished by the production, like the convoluted back-and-forth switches in time that can be annoyingly confusing. Then there is the whispered dialogue of star Kiefer Sutherland, the master of mutter, when everyone else is speaking normally. Subtitles, please! Even worse is

the dark cinematography. Not only is it hard to hear, it’s hard to see.

In a nutshell, John Weir (Sutherland), some sort of corporate espionage expert, is framed for murder (in an only-in-Hollywood elaboration), so he spends the rest of the time trying to clear himself, stay alive and figure out what’s going on in what appears to be a grandiloquent scheme to, what? Take over the world? The producers did not grant access to the last two episodes, so this is based on the first six. As a result, fortunately, I don’t have to sit through the last two unless I really want to, which I probably don’t.

To Catch a Killer (4/10): 119 Minutes. R. This is a strange story of the chase to find a serial killer. Eleanor (Shailene Woodley) is a fledgling police investigator who

has a troubled past when she is drafted by the FBI’s chief investigator (Ben Mendelsohn) to help track the killer down. She is demeaned by others because of her youth, inexperience and psychological problems, but Mendelsohn has faith in her mainly because he recognizes that her verstehen makes her the only person who could somehow intellectually identify with the killer and understand him.

It’s a tenuous proposition, and it leads to a denouement that challenges reason, given the sociopathy of the killer. Worse, it treats the vicious cold-blooded killer with surprising and blatantly unjustified sympathy and understanding.

Mafia Mamma (3/10): 101 Minutes. R. Anything you can do, I can do better. / I can do anything better than you.

-Irving Berlin

“Annie Get Your Gun,” 1946 Berlin beat director Catherine Hardwicke to this story 77 years ago, and he did it better. This movie epitomizes why everyone acknowledges that comedy is hard and requires unique talent for both director and actors. Toni Collette portrays a normal, if unconfident, American mother who works at an advertising agency where she is unappreciated due to her sex. She goes to Italy to attend her grandfather’s funeral. But this is no ordinary grandfather. He was a mafia godfather, unbeknownst to her.

From a screenplay by Michael J. Feldman and Debbie Jhoon, what follows is a silly screwball comedy attempt with Collette giving an inept Lucille Ball imitation as she fumbles her way into reluctantly replacing her grandfather as the godfather. It is so implausible with so many unlikely events that it’s more pitiful than humorous. I didn’t even smile once, much less laugh. Worse, it has a twist that strains credulity. The one thing that made this mildly watchable (ergo my 3/10 rating) was the location with beautiful shots of Rome and other parts of Italy. Even with talent, it would take a thaumaturge to make something of this bunkum.

Eco Fair is May 7

A free family-friendly Eco Fair is on Sun., May 7 from 1 to 4 p.m. at 546 N. June St. The second annual event will feature games, music, planet-conscious vendors and information on recycling and rebate programs. Everyone is welcome to this Hang Out Do Good event, but space is limited. RSVP at tinyurl.com/ ynb696a4. To volunteer write hangoutdogood@gmail.com.

Area youth share camaraderie on Loyola swim team

During my first year of college dormitory living, I roomed with a swimmer. I wrestled, and Steeb Hall, located on Ohio State’s south campus, was where most of us Buckeye athletes lived.

Wrestlers work hard. Add that we have to lose weight, and there probably isn’t a more demanding sport. That’s what I believed until my first year in the dormitories. My roommate woke at 5:30 a.m. five days a week, then walked — no matter what the weather was like — to Larkins Hall, where Ohio State’s aquatic facilities were located, so he could practice before breakfast and classes. Then he’d return to the pool later that afternoon to join his teammates for their second practice of the day.

I became thankful I only wrestled. The plunge

Loyola High School’s pool is outdoors. The water is heated (they use a cover to reduce energy costs) but, with the brisk temperatures this winter, the

pool temperature remained below comfortable. It’s surprising anybody goes out for the swim team or gets in the pool.

“A lot of us just sit on deck stalling as long as we can,” said junior Kenny You. “It’s only a few minutes of being cold, but I don’t think anyone ever gets used to it.”

Frigid water isn’t the only challenge that makes swimming one of the most difficult sports.

“Training often includes multiple timed sprints or distance swims with very little rest,” explained You. “Most of that time is spent staring at a black line on the bottom of the pool for hours on end as we push our bodies to their physical limits for the smallest improvements.”

“A lot of people don’t understand the level of training this requires,” said Joe Drynan, a senior who likes the 500-yard freestyle race. “Swimming engages almost every muscle in

Youth Sports by

Jim Kalin

the body, and we have to work out while holding our breath most of the time. I would say it is fairly difficult.”

Starting young

Eugene Choi is a junior who likes to swim the 100- and 200yard freestyle races. He recently logged his personal best times during an invitational hosted by Loyola High School at USC’s Uytengsu Aquatics Center that saw the Santa Margarita High girls’ 200 freestyle relay set a national high school record.

“I began swimming when I was 5,” said Choi.

Kenny You was also 5 when he started.

“My parents wanted me to do a sport when I was little, and I initially took lessons at the YMCA,” said You. “I started swimming competitively when I was 11 for LACC (Los Angeles Community College) in Rapids

Swim Club, then Team Century Swim. My favorite race is the 100-yard backstroke.”

Joe Drynan started later than Choi and You. He was in fifth grade when he began.

“It was initially just for fun,” said Drynan. “I swam for team HPSC (Hancock Park Swim Club), which had a name change to BLAST (Burbank-Los Angeles Swim Team). We swam at Marlborough’s pool.”

Camaraderie

Strenuous training builds camaraderie, but so do other things. One tradition at Loyola pertains to every first-year member of the varsity swim team. They get their heads shaved. Without humor, reward and student leadership (the team captains are Max Cahill and Rex Mauer), there is no team unity.

Two years ago, on April Fools’ Day, the swim coaches

decided to play a joke on the team. None of the coaches showed up for practice. So what did the swimmers do?

“After about an hour of waiting we all went to eat breakfast together,” said You. Talk about getting the last laugh!

ST. JAMES’ EPISCOPAL

Evan Listi

6th Grade

At St. James’ we have our Night of the Arts on May 11. It is a joyous evening where students showcase what they have been learning in music and performing arts. The 6th graders will be singing “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift and I can’t wait to see the other grades’ performances.

Another highly anticipated day in May is Grandparents and Special Friends’ Day on May 12.  We bring our loved ones to school and they get to see what it’s like being a St. James’ student.

May is also the time that 5th and 6th graders travel for their overnight field study trips. The 6th graders will travel to Washington D.C. It is such an amazing experience to be able to see, in-person, the things we have been learning about in class. It is definitely a highlight of the year for most 6th graders. The 5th graders will be taking an equally exciting trip to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. I know the 5th graders are looking forward to this out-of-this-world trip!

LOCAL RESIDENTS Joe Drynan, Eugene Choi and Kenny You swim for Loyola High School.

LOYOLA SWIMMER Eugene Choi starts a race.

Photo by Cathy James-Perez

SENIOR at Loyola High School, Joe Drynan, after he makes the turn.

Photo by Cathy James-Perez

KENNY YOU in the pool.

Photo by Cathy James-Perez

Camp Manu gives kids survival skills and adventures in nature

By Casey Russell

Toigo organizes adventure day trips, hosts sleepaway survival week camps, has done a number of camps with the Girl and Boy Scouts, provides nature programs and field trips for some schools and also offers after-school hiking programs.

Toigo started her business after she noticed that many Los Angeles kids were “confined in their schools and homes… It felt like they were losing connection with nature.”

“We can’t save our planet or our wildlife if we lose our connection with nature,” she said.

Toigo knows a lot about nature and wildlife. She was raised on a sugar cane farm outside of Ingham, Australia, and she grew up exploring and learning from nature. She has experience in desert, jungle, mountain and urban environments and, as a wellknown survivalist teacher, has appeared on top survival and nature platforms, including the Discovery Channel and National Geographic.

For her day camps, the outdoor enthusiast picks kids up

E.S.L.A.

By Isabel Viola 12th Grade

After a relaxing and well-deserved spring break, the ESLA community is back to school and prepared for the last stretch of this semester. Our seniors are thrilled for their upcoming prom and everyone is excited to see how they execute the chosen theme, Met Gala. With all college decisions now released, we are so proud of our graduating class and where they have chosen to go. We know that they will continue to uphold ESLA’s virtues as they take their first steps into adulthood.

The freshness of spring has inspired ESLA to introduce a brand new program into our curriculum: peer tutoring! Hosted by the Academic Council, council members will assist their fellow classmates on schoolwork while providing a focused and designated space for people who want to get ahead of assignments. This is a great opportunity to receive extra help by people you are familiar with while simultaneously strengthening connections throughout the community. We are all looking forward to seeing how it goes!

at Griffith Park and takes them to the day’s location. Campers visit areas of Malibu and the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains and areas in the Angeles Crest National Forest. (Parents are always provided Google Maps of locations.)

The day starts at 9 a.m. and ends back at Griffith Park at 3:30 p.m. Upon arrival at the day’s site, everyone partakes of organic, gluten-free foods, which Toigo brings to sustain

(Please turn to page 17)

THE OAKS

By Amelia Goldberg 6th Grade

The campout is an absolutely core part of my experience at The Oaks. For one weekend each year, the whole school camps out together in Hurkey Creek near Idyllwild.

We have an Olympics event, with three-legged races, relay races and other fun activities. Kids always bring bikes to get around the campsite, which is divided by grade. We have a lot of potlucks and community meals. There is also a concert of sorts, where the community sings songs that carry tradition and meaning for the school, such as “Big Yellow Taxi,” “California Dreaming,” “Imagine” and others.

Last year the 6th grade class hosted several events at their campsite, and our 6th grade class hoped to live up to the sound bath they hosted. The nearby lake is also a huge draw for some classes. It’s so cold!

The campout is a time for traditions and nostalgia for many students, teachers and parents. It’s a great way for all of us to spend time together before the close of the school year.

HAPPY CAMPERS ready for a night under the stars.

Founded and run by Manu Toigo, Camp Manu is a camp experience unlike others in Los Angeles.

MANU TOIGO

Camp Manu

(Continued from page 16) energy and strength throughout the day. Toigo teaches kids how to prepare for a healthy day and why it’s important. She also encourages campers to drink lots of water. “It’s all about safety, preparedness and educating kids to be observant and aware of their surroundings.” She has one or two other experienced adults with her on all adventures, and she carries an emergency beacon that, when set off, instantly activates a rescue. She has never had to use it on any camp outing.

After running through safety protocols, the group sets off to explore. “It’s an adventure, but they’re also learning life skills in order to be safe in their environments. As we walk along, there are lots of stops because I notice things and I show them and we talk about it.” Kids are introduced to local flora and fauna. “Yucca

PILGRIM SCHOOL

By Allison Pak 9th Grade

Pilgrim school had a great spring break, but it’s great to be back and see everyone. We will be welcoming the new families on campus at the New Family Reception on April 20. We are so excited to welcome them.

The musical “Matilda” will be from April 27 through 29, and tickets are already sold out.

High school students have been working really hard to prepare for the AP exams that start in early May. Seniors have received admissions to many wonderful colleges and universities like Brown, USC, Howard, UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, Carnegie Mellon, Berklee School of Music and many more. We are so proud of our seniors.

OAKWOOD SCHOOL

By Scarlett Saldaña 12th Grade

With a month left in the school year, many of our annual events have started to build up. Students will attend IDEAS Summit, a themed, threeday event that features discussions surrounding identity, diversity, equity and action. Last year, our theme was “Building Coalition for Racial & Social Justice,” and students spoke about effective ways to build unity to help sustain change at Oakwood and beyond.

The secondary school will come together soon for one of the most

gets a lot of returning kids and loves to hear kids who have adventured with her for years now talking about wanting to go into careers like marine biology or anthropology.

CAMPERS getting nice and dirty exploring.

is one of my favorites,” said Toigo. “The flowers can be eaten, the stalk can be used as a fire tinder or as a cooking container or musical instrument. The spiny leaf, I have kids unravel, pick open and separate the tiny strands. If you rub these with water, you have a wonderful soap. You can also use the strands to make cordage and rope… I teach kids things like this and they’re fascinated by it… I’ll have parents call me, and they can’t believe their kids know this stuff.”

The camp leader says she

beloved Oakwood traditions, Arts Festival. It is a day celebrating students’ work in visual and performing arts. There are activities like a silent disco and karaoke. After exploring different installations, everyone gathers in the gym to enjoy a variety of music and dance performances from students and faculty.

While it is certainly a bittersweet moment for the seniors as they experience their last Arts Festival and truly embrace the moment, it remains my favorite event. It reminds me of the supportive community at Oakwood.

ST. BRENDAN

By Jack Byrne 8th Grade

St. Brendan had a great month of April.

We began by celebrating an Easter tradition as 8th graders helped their kindergarten little buddies dye eggs. It was very fun and there were so many cool designs.

A new tradition began as the 8th graders presented the Living Stations of the Cross. We recreated and reflected on each Station.

St. Brendan School will present the “Matilda, Jr.” musical! Students from 2nd to 8th grade are performing April 28 and April 29. Some of the actors include 8th grader John Gonzalez as Ms. Trunchbull, 8th grader Noah Fox as the escapologist, 6th grader Alyssa Lee as Miss Honey and 3rd grader Avyn Lee as Matilda.

Lastly, St. Brendan held an auction to raise money for its new TK program. Thank you for reading the St. Brendan section in the Larchmont Chronicle

Toigo believes that the more time people spend outdoors, the healthier they’ll be. She notes that kids with behavioral issues and immunity issues are helped by time in nature, and she encourages kids to get dirty.

Overnight camping

The overnight, weeklong

camps are located at campgrounds ideal for survival training. Kids learn how to start a fire, find and cook food, stay warm, find water and make shelter. They learn navigation and do a mock search-and-rescue. They sleep on cow hides under shelters they make themselves from tarps and ropes. All food is included in the camp’s price, and parents are allowed to come along for the weeklong camps at no additional cost.

While campers sleep at the

campground, they get to spend their days at one of two exotic animal sanctuaries and get time at a river learning how to build a bamboo watercraft. Clearly, Toigo loves her job. “We got to see a vulture today! It was beautiful! It’s their first time seeing these things. It’s [the kids] that make me so excited about what I do.” An Adventure Day week starts at $590 per person, and an overnight survival week is $990. For more information, visit manutoigo.com.

Marionettes entertain throughout the spring

By Nona Sue Friedman

Marionettes will keep you busy this time of year, starting on Sun., April 30, with Bob Baker Day! This is a wildly creative, all-day event filled with making art and being entertained by puppets and clowns while enjoying the great outdoors.

It’s a celebration to honor the man behind the namesake marionette theater. Festivities take place from 10

a.m. to 5 p.m. at Los Angeles State Historical Park, 1245 N. Spring St. The event is free, but reservations are required at bobbakerday.com. A $20 donation is appreciated.

While at the event, pick up a copy of “Enchanted Strings,” a colorful coffee table book about the late Bob Baker and his theater. It’s a comprehensive history that is filled with photos.

If you still want more, visit

the theater at 4949 York Blvd. in Highland Park on Sat., May 6, at 7:30 p.m. for a special evening of puppets and bubbles. A bubble-making master will create all kinds of bubbles while interacting with the audience and puppets. Lastly, “¡Fiesta!” is being performed through Sun., June 25. This is a classic production with dancing cacti and puppet mariachis. Visit bobbakermarionette.com.

PLAYING WITH HEART! The 2023 Gus Deppe H.E.R.O. (Heart, Effort, Relentlessness, Optimism) Award winners were announced recently. St. Brendan Basketball Association’s version of an MVP (Most Valuable Player) award is given each spring to one player from each division for good sportsmanship and hard work, qualities exemplified by Gus Deppe, a 10-yearold St. Brendan fourth-grader who died in June 2012. This year’s awardees are, left to right: Micah Minton, Alligators; Davis Bolden, Bobcats; Rex Wright, Cobras; and Joe Fiedler, D-League. Deppe’s parents Cecilia and Paul Deppe are rear left and right.

LARCHMONT CHARTER

By Yena Rhee and Alastair Ayandele 4th Grade

As you know, May can be a fun month, so let’s hope it’s fun this year too!

Mr. Malcolm explained that in music, he will be spending lots of time with the 4th graders. “We’ll let them choose what songs they want to do,” he said. That’s because we’re about to have our step-up ceremony to honor [the 4th grade students’] last year at Hollygrove. In music class, we’ll learn about famous figures including David Bowie, John Lennon, Bob Marley and Prince.

Ms. Sabina is hosting an Art Show on May 25, and the release of the art book will also be in May. She shared, “We’ll also be preparing for graduation.”

Ms. Eva, our principal, said students take a state test in grades three and four called the CAASPP. Testing will be spread across three weeks, and the campus will be set up so students taking the test can focus.

Teacher appreciation week is in May, so make sure to treat teachers well for that!

MARLBOROUGH By Avery Gough 11th Grade

The first two weeks of May can be extremely stressful yet rewarding for students.

AP exams begin during the first week of May and continue until May 12. Upper class students are wrapping up final projects and studying for ACT and SAT exams.

The annual Junior Ring ceremony is on May 11. Juniors receive their class rings to signify entering senior year at Marlborough. This ceremony is followed by the Pin ceremony on May 23 for our rising sophomores. In both the Pin and the Ring ceremonies, students wear a formal version of the uniform. Being both “pinned” and “ringed” are long-standing traditions students look forward to as milestones in their Marlborough career.

Senior prom is on May 20, and can be seen as the final activity of the leaving Senior class before graduation festivities, which includes the Senior Sleepout on the May 24. We say goodbye to the class of 2023 on the May 25. Congratulations to our seniors and happy summer everyone!

Promote learning and family bonding with new experiences

By Casey Russell

Teaching our kids to form everyday routines can be so helpful. Kids learn to start the day by brushing their teeth, getting dressed and finding some breakfast. We encourage them to be in charge of cleaning up their toys and doing their homework. They learn their bedtime routines and feel safe and secure knowing what to expect, and they feel confident realizing how much they can do for themselves.

But while routines are great for many aspects of life, it’s important to make sure we give our kids opportunities for new experiences from time to time.

Shaking things up

New experiences help kids learn and grow. They give them opportunities to discover new skills, likes and dislikes. They push kids out of their comfort zones and encourage them to work through things that don’t come easily. These opportunities give children practice with resilience and perseverance while helping them become well-rounded humans.

Catering experiences to age

Obviously, in thinking about what experiences to provide, the age of your child matters. Things that seem mundane to adults can be magical to a baby or toddler, especially if we talk to him or her about what’s happening. Getting your car serviced? Ask if you and your little one can watch.

Turning on the sprinklers?

Let your kids run through the water. A routine task can actually be interesting and fun to a young child.

Little kids love to go to parks. Making a point of venturing to different parks and playgrounds once in a while gives young kids the chance to explore the different things each has to offer. Some have sand, some, different climbing apparatuses — each challenging kids’ physical abilities in unique ways.

As your child gets older, hopefully, she’ll find an activity that brings that special excitement and light to her eyes. While encouraging this passion, also find opportunities to let her explore new activities. Maybe your kid loves soccer. Great! She might also enjoy playing the drums, being in a school play or teaching herself how to paint with watercolor at home. Making a point of introducing new ideas and reserving some unscheduled time can allow our kids the chance to discover new things about themselves.

Family experiences

Experiences that are meaningful tend to stick with us. And family time is great for

Tips on Parenting

by Casey Russell

having bonding experiences that allow parents and kids to see the wonder of the world.

If you’re looking for something to do relatively near home, consider driving to the mountains for a family ski day, doing a day hike to Switzer Falls in the San Gabriel Mountains, taking a blanket to Griffith Observatory’s lawn to gaze at the stars together or spending an afternoon at a tide pool.

Longer family trips give kids the chance to see how varied our world is. Family vacations can expose us to the myriad ways in which people live — opening not only our kids’ eyes, but our own. They give us a chance to get out of our habitual roles and routines and allow family members a chance to learn new things about each other. As a bonus, our kids can

PAGE ACADEMY

Isabella Argiropoulos

7th Grade

April was a short, but busy, month at Page Academy. We returned from Spring Break and kicked things off with Panorama Picture Day. We also participated in “Move Up Morning” during which students were given a sneak peek of what to expect in the coming year by following the next grade level’s schedule.

We recently held our second Scholastic Book Fair of the school year and celebrated Earth Day. Students participated in various events, including planting in our school garden and attending an assembly during which each class presented their Earth Day poster.

Standardized testing began on April 24th and the month ends with International Day on the 28th. There will be presentations on our students’ heritage and students dressing in traditional dress from their families’ native countries!

In May, we will celebrate our amazing teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. Students will also be working on Mother’s Day surprises and Page will be holding a special event for Mother’s Day on May 12th.

Spirit Week is coming up and there will be unique outfits. The most creative costumes and the best school spirit will be rewarded with some cool treats!

see that we are unafraid to try something new — unafraid to possibly fail or eat something we’ve never tried. We can find joy together while learning and discovering new things.

Promoting learning

All of us, but kids especially, learn by doing. Hands-on experiences awaken multiple senses — touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing. That’s one of the reasons many of today’s schools strive to give

kids an experience-centered, inquiry-based education. New synapses are formed as young kids experience novel things. And the synapses are strengthened as the new experience is repeated. This has been shown to increase mental activity, to help kids retain learning and also to promote memory skills.

The great thing is that simply becoming aware of the benefits new experiences can bring gets our brains primed to look for

them. With summer approaching, lots of opportunities for adventures will be available. And by taking a moment to think about what your family members might enjoy, you’ll be on the path to making some great memories together. 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.

Summer Riding Camps Summer

For over 25 years we have offered a safe, fun-filled program

June 5 - September 12 (weekly) 9am to 3:30pm

- Applications accepted May 1 — first come, first served

- Beginner to Advanced

- Ages 6 and up

- Patient instructors, gentle school horses

- Limited group size

- Health precautions observed

- Arts & Crafts

www.EnterpriseFarms.com

NEW COVENANT ACADEMY

By Sue Jung Park 10th Grade

For New Covenant Academy, May is a month full of celebrations!

Everyone in the school is finishing off the 2022-2023 school year strong! The school transitioned to a different curriculum program

this year. Transitioning can be challenging, but ultimately, we gained a deeper understanding of different subjects built our critical thinking skills.

The school’s annual commencement will celebrate all the

accomplishments of the graduating class of 2023. This year’s graduating class received many college acceptance letters, and have committed to exceptional schools. Congratulations, and we are so happy for all of you seniors!

In addition, NCA’s summer school program is starting soon. It will provide students with preparedness for the upcoming

school year and many clubs are available for students to join.

THIRD STREET

By Ren Stoppani Brown 5th Grade

I am graduating in June and going to middle school in the fall! The parents and teachers are planning lots of fun activities for us to say goodbye to each other.

But before we depart, there are some events this May. First, we will have the annual Walkathon to raise money for Friends of Third. There will be a walking challenge, an obstacle course and other activities for all students to enjoy.

Friends of Third supports our tech lab, science lab, library, music, drama, PE, visual arts and field trips. All these programs make Third Street a special school.

But on the not so fun side, our school will also have two weeks of standardized testing at the end of May.

This summer, kids can attend Got Game Summer Camp at Third Street School. I attended last year and there were lots of activities to try, like oasis, bottle rockets, gaga ball and more. They also have field trips each Friday!

CATHEDRAL CHAPEL

By Olivia Sherman 6th Grade

We are proud to announce that our school won First Place in the regional event for the Academic Junior High Decathlon. The decathlon took place

on March 24 and we won third place in the nation. We also had students that placed third in the nation in Religion and Fine Arts.

We concluded the season of Lent with our reenactment of the Stations of the Cross prepared by our 8th graders. We celebrated Easter with a Sunday Mass and Easter egg hunt.

Our softball and track teams are practicing for upcoming games and meets. Our school hosted its annual Jog-a-thon on April 21.

Lastly, our students will compete in our annual Geography Bee, starting with class challenges.

CHRIST THE KING

Joshua Lo 8th

Grade

The Track and Field season has begun and students are practicing their running and jumping skills to build their endurance. Our Drama Club is preparing for their production of “Beauty and the Beast.” Students are practicing singing, acting and choreography skills. As a reward for their hard work, decathletes are celebrating their victory with a trip to Universal Studios. And, the 8th grade will soon have a retreat at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center.

Christ the King School is having a Fun Run on May 5th. Students will be doing a variety of physical activities to test our athleticism. With Earth Day approaching, our student council is organizing an assembly to spread awareness about pollution and educate students about what we can do to help the earth.

Student is semifinalist in NASA competition

By Casey Russell Hancock

Park Elementary 9-year-old Nikhil Gaddam was recently selected as a semifinalist in the “Power to Explore” NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) competition.

NASA challenged students across the country to learn about Radioisotope Power Systems, a nuclear energy technology. Entrants were asked to imagine “how their ‘personal super powers’ would energize their success on their own radioisotope-powered science mission,” according

to the NASA website. The contest received nearly 1,600 entries. Gaddam was one of only 15 semifinalists in his grade category.

The third-grade science enthusiast came up with a mission that would send a rover to Venus. He postulated that probing our neighboring planet’s carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere and studying how Venus has changed over time could tell us a lot about global warming.

To see this local student’s NASA-recognized entry, visit tinyurl.com/mv8fpx47.

NIKHIL GADDAM with his telescope.

ANDERSON MUNGER FAMILY YMCA 4301 W. THIRD ST. LOS ANGELES. CA. 90020

HOLLYWOOD SCHOOLHOUSE

Miles

Hoffman

6th Grade

Hello everybody! The 6th graders all just finished the challenging yet exciting middle school application process. The schools my classmates and I will be attending include Oakwood, Campbell Hall, Buckley, Harvard-Westlake, Pilgrim, ESLA and St. Margaret’s.

Another cool thing that the 6th graders have been looking forward to is AstroCamp. It’s a field trip that the graduating class at Hollywood Schoolhouse attends each year. Some of the activities include building and launching rockets, human foosball, ziplining, night hikes, telescope viewing and more! There is even a huge soccer field, an indoor basketball court and a swimming pool.

Right now, we are working on our inventions for the Makers Fair, which challenges us to make our own themed creations. This year’s theme is sustainability.

Lastly, the 5th and 6th graders are going on a field trip to the Mayan exhibit at the California Science Center. We will take a bus together, see the exhibit and fill out a questionnaire about the Mayans. Well, that’s all from me. See you next time!

THE WILLOWS

By Simone Meltzer

8th Grade

The Willows is back from spring break and our middle schoolers are singing in the hallways, literally. The 8th graders started this first week with some exciting news; the cast list for the spirit week play!

As an annual tradition, the graduating class performs a play on the last week of school. “The Prom” will be this year’s production. It’s a modern romantic drama that follows a lesbian couple in Indiana that is banned from going to their school’s prom.

Our first rehearsals were preceded by two days of auditions that entailed the whole grade singing, laughing and cheering their fellow students on. Before taking turns singing and reading

TIMBERWOLVES, the varsity girls’ soccer team at Larchmont Charter High School at Lafayette Park, won the City Championship in Division 4 out of 30 teams. (They subsequently lost at the quarterfinals.) Front row, left to right: Sophia Bazini-Barakat, Annika Salinas and Rose Matheu; second row standing left to right: Madeline Urizar, Ada Travis, Rachel Kang, Avery Owen-Lara, Melis Paz Soldan, Biancca Dominguez, Allyson Avalos; back row left to right: Hannah Bloomfield, Harper Keiner, Veronica Toscano, Harper Brown, Jill Gray, Jareline Garcia-Diaz and Coach David Brown.

lines, we were asked not to clap to in case students might feel uncomfortable, an instruction that was soon forgotten as we broke into goofy rounds of applauds and cheering after every rendition or reading. The catchy songs can still be heard in the hallways between classes, homerooms, or lunch periods, much to the annoyed looks from other grades.

CENTER FOR EARLY EDUCATION

By Eloise Cotteleer 5th Grade

The Center for Early Education’s Olympic Games will soon be here! This year CEE’s 41st Olympic Games will be held in late May. This tradition is very popular at The Center because it brings the entire community together, since most of the grades compete.

Just like the real Olympics, we take an oath as athletes. There is also a torch ceremony, and every class performs their own dance at the opening of the Olympics! Every year the 5th graders perform the Tinikling dance, which is one of the most popular dances in the Philippines and definitely the dance everybody loves to perform at CEE.

At the CEE Olympics, students compete in all different kinds of sports such as the dash, cup stacking, jump rope, basketball shot and the long jump. Even though every team wants to win, we are always reminded by our teachers to focus on the best we can do. We try not to worry about winning or losing but do our best and have fun…although a gold medal would be nice too!

RICHARD RIORDAN died on April 19. He was 92 years old. Elected as mayor in 1993, he served two terms. Here, he is shown near Wilshire Boulevard with community leaders and local children on a Saturday morning kicking off the second year of a tree-planting program planned for a threemile section of Wilshire Boulevard and due for completion in 1996.

Block party

(Continued from page 1)

Neighborhood Association and Hancock Homes Realty, and many other local businesses and organizations also are contributing.

Four food trucks will be on site with food for purchase, but the block party is free for all who attend.

Annie O’Rourke, who helped organize the event, told us there will be “free tarot card reading.” The event also will feature live music, arts and

crafts, river rock painting (operated by a painting teacher from Ann Bridges Art Studio), water play, a chalk course — for scooters and bikes — and a scavenger hunt.

Stop by between noon and 5 p.m. For more information, email larchmontvillageblockparty@gmail.com. In conjunction with the event, the committee has set up a GoFundMe page for donations. All proceeds will go to Alexandria House, a local transitional home for women and children. Visit gofund.me/55fb404d.

By Casey Russell

Kevin Proulx

Windsor Village has been taking care of, rescuing and re-homing tortoises for the past 20 years.

As of September of last year, TortoiseLand is officially a 501(c)3, and Proulx is eager to ensure its success.

In an effort to raise funds for the 38 baby and 40 adult tortoises he currently has in his care, the first annual community yard sale and silent auction fundraiser for TortoiseLand will take place on Sat., May 20, and Sun., May 21, at 911 S. Lucerne Blvd. near Harold Henry Park.

To donate goods for the event, please email thetortoiseguykevin@gmail.com or

visit the nonprofit’s website at: thetortoiseguy.com.

Pets of Larchmont

And, get ready to hear about more Larchmont area animals and pets in the Chronicle’s Pets of Larchmont issue this July. We will be including photos of local pets. Email pictures of your furry, feathered or shelled family members to: suzan@ larchmontchronicle.com.

LVNA BLOCK PARTY, in its 2018 version

KEVIN PROULX with a baby tortoise at TortoiseLand.

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Photo by Keith Johnson