LC Section One 06 2024

Larchmont Chronicle

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For information on advertising in the paper, please call Pam Rudy 323-462-2241, x 11

Mailing permit:

Auto Show to kick off Farmers Market’s 90th

By Helene Seifer

Driving the launch of a “90 Days of Summer” celebration of its 90th year of operation, the Original Farmers Market (OFM) will present the 28th annual Gilmore Heritage Car Show on Sat., June 8. Named for Arthur Fremont Gilmore, the original investor in a dairy farm that later evolved into the landmark at Third Street and Fairfax Avenue, this anniversary kickoff event will feature “cars that fueled the birth of the market,” primarily classic American vehicles from the 1930s and earlier in deference to the OFM’s establishment in 1934, plus some exceptional later model cars. Attendees can expect to see 70 beautifully restored automobiles, including a 1914 Ford Model T, a 1929 Ford

Pets of Larchmont

Celebrate our best friends in the annual Pets of Larchmont section in the July issue. To be included, send a high-resolution (actual size) photo of your four-legged and feathered pals, along with the pet’s (and your) name and address (not for publication) and your contact info to suzan@ larchmontchronicle.com.

Summer Fun!

Summer is on the way. To honor the season, send us your favorite vacation photos, past and present, to be featured in the Summer Fun section in the July issue. Include your name and contact info.

Deadline for both sections is Fri., June 14.

For advertising information, contact Pam Rudy, 323-462-2241, ext. 11.

Streetlight wire theft hits neighborhoods

By Nona Sue Friedman

Streetlights in the neighborhood are going dark. Sometimes, lights are old and just malfunction, or the new LED bulbs don’t last as long as they should. But these days, the primary reason they don’t work is because thieves are stealing the copper wire from inside them. “They sell the wire to make a quick buck,” according to a spokesperson in Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez’s office. Dark streets leave some residents feeling vulnerable, unsafe and frustrated. When a light fixture is vandalized, the most challenging part is getting the city to repair it.

Outages in the area

Although many more lights are probably not working throughout the larger Great-

er Wilshire neighborhood, a substantial number are out on both Plymouth and Irving boulevards and Beachwood Avenue between Beverly Boulevard and Second Street. The area that has been hit the hardest are the streets of the Ridgewood Wilton Neighborhood Association (RWNA).

According to RWNA President Bob Reeves, who walked the area the night of May 16, “Fifteen of the lights are out; that’s more than half [of the lights in the area].”

Late-night streetlight vandalism has been a hot topic on a Ridgewood neighborhood text thread. Residents share eyewitness reports of streetlights being rummaged for copper wire. Surveillance video and photos show a thief coiling the copper wire, as

well as pictures of the vandalized light poles and their junction boxes, from which the wires emanate to power the bulbs above.

On Ridgewood Place, the same thief has returned numerous evenings and damaged many lights, making

Improved meters are not so improved

By Casey Russell

Two multi-space pay stations recently were installed in the public parking lot on the west side of Larchmont Boulevard. They look pristine and high tech and offer touch screens and a plethora of payment methods for parkers. There is a slot for coins, another for credit cards, a chip tap area and a pay-by-app option.

The two pay stations replaced the previous ones, which faced west and were a bit difficult to use when the sunlight hit the station’s screen. When the new stations were installed, sun glare must have been kept in mind,

because both new meters face north, making it much easier to view the screens.

But, these IPS Group-designed “smart” meters may

THREE STREETLIGHTS are out at the intersection of Ridgewood Place and Wilton Drive.

Photo by Kate Corsmeier

FIRETRUCK is expected to make a return visit to the “Days of Summer” auto show.

VANDALIZED STREETLIGHT at the corner of Arden Boulevard and Third Street.

PEOPLE attempting to use the new pay stations last month.

Editorial

By John Welborne

Twenty or so weeks left… to decide

Each of us age 18 and older in this part of town, and across Los Angeles County and across the nation, has the opportunity to decide about issues and individuals at the time of elections.

Although the beginning of summer is just upon us, summer soon will pass, and each of us voters — in about 20 weeks — will be choosing who and what he or she supports in various contests in the November 2024 elections.

In races for elected offices, the choices generally are down to two candidates in each race. An important election for all of us is the one for District Attorney of Los Angeles County.

One of the two DA candidates is  Nathan Hochman . A group called “Neighbors for Larchmont” is hosting a “meet and greet” for candidate Hochman on Tuesday, June 18 The drop-in gathering will take place at Le Pain Quotidien, 113 North Larchmont Blvd., from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Everyone is invited.

The  Larchmont Chronicle  hopes that Hochman’s opponent, incumbent DA George Gascón, similarly will come to visit our community and talk with potential voters. If Gascón lets us know when he is visiting, we will share the date and time with our readers.

DEDICATED TO THE PRESERVATION OF HANCOCK PARK

137 N. LARCHMONT BLVD. LOS ANGELES 90004 www.HancockPark.org

Public Hearing on Pawnshop Sports Bar!

Plan to attend the virtual public hearing on Thursday, June 6th at 9:30 a.m. and provide your comments about the proposed plan for the conditions of operation for the Pawnshop Sports Bar at 5901 Melrose (corner of Melrose and Cahuenga). The owner is asking for extended operating hours of 6 a.m. until 2 a.m., seven days a week, has not provided a parking plan as requested by the neighbors, and has shared no plans for security and noise management. The Pawnshop can host 275 patrons and will be a site to view broadcasts of international sporting events.

This part of Melrose Avenue has a number of restaurants, all of which close by 11 p.m. Many of them have full bars, but the number of patrons is much lower than would be hosted at the Pawnshop. Without some reasonable controls and agreements, this quiet part of Melrose, immediately adjacent to residential homes, could change dramatically. The Association and the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council have asked the owner to limit the hours of alcohol service from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., to provide a parking plan, and to set up a security plan. To date, the owner has refused the communities’ requests, and his permit application is unchanged.

Any permissions for extended alcohol service granted for this bar/restaurant will stay with the property. It would also set a new precedent for business owners on other properties along Melrose to receive the same kind of extended alcohol service hours. This is an important transition time for Melrose and Hancock Park. We ask you to think carefully about what’s important to you about living in our diverse neighborhood — home to many houses, apartments, condominiums, schools and churches.

The hearing is: Thursday, June 6th at 9:30 a.m. This hearing allows for public comment. We have learned over the years that strong community attendance and participation at these hearings is needed to get the attention of the Department of City Planning. We encourage everyone living in Quadrant One (Lillian Way, Cahuenga and Wilcox) as well as other Hancock Park residents to please attend. If you can’t attend, please submit a letter to the Hearing Officer: Yasmin.Diaz@lacity.org.

The ZOOM link is: https://planning-lacity-org.zoom.us/j/85765192714

Meeting ID: 857 6519 2714 and Passcode: 563278

If joining by phone: (669) 900-9128 or (213) 338-8477. When prompted, enter the Meeting ID: 85765192714#

The meeting’s agenda is to be provided no later than 72 hours before the meeting at planning4la.org/hearings.

Calendar

Tues., June 11 — Mid City West Neighborhood Council board meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Pan Pacific Park Senior Center, 141 S. Gardner St., midcitywest.org.

Wed., June 12 — Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council board meeting, 6:30 p.m. at the Ebell of Los Angeles, 743 S. Lucerne Blvd., greaterwilshire.org.

Fri., June 14 — Flag Day. Sun., June 16 — Father’s Day.

Wed., June 19 — Juneteenth National Independence Day.

Thurs., June 20 — Sum-

mer solstice: first day of summer.

Thurs., June 27 — Delivery of the July issue of the Larchmont Chronicle

Letters to the Editor

Andre’s is open!

They are finally open now. Place looks great, full of old memorabilia. My husband, Perry Cooper, grew up going to Andre’s with his parents. It has always been a popular spot for Fairfax area families. We were so happy to finally visit their new location on Wilshire last month. The new place is a nice mix of memorabilia from Mr. Andre’s many restaurants over the years. Perry actually saw someone he knew since pre-school when we went, who was there with his parents. Perry even went back again for lunch last week, happy to have one of his old favorites back in the rotation. [“Andre’s Italian to open soon on Wilshire Boulevard,” Jan. 2024].

Shari Cooper

Beverly Grove

Burroughs boondoggle

Thank you for publishing Suzan Filipek’s update on the massive boondoggle of the Burroughs Middle School

Larchmont Chronicle

Founded in 1963 by

Gilman and Dawne P. Goodwin

Publisher and Editor John H. Welborne Managing Editor Suzan Filipek

Gilman

Helene Seifer

Hofer

Circulation

Accounting Irene Janas

606 N. Larchmont Blvd., #103 Los Angeles, CA 90004

323-462-2241

larchmontchronicle.com

‘How will you be celebrating graduation?’

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

Modernization [“Modernization on track at Burroughs School,” April 2024]. Please note that LAUSD has not been truthful with the Larchmont Chronicle from day one and has repeatedly given false information to you and the general public. The first meeting for the Burroughs MS Project Advisory Group (PAG) was in January 2016 in the Burroughs Middle School Library, so not “3 to 5 years ago,” and the initial projection for the entire capital budget was $107 million. Currently, at $270 million. For those readers who have gone to LAUSD in the last 20 years, that’s a 152.34 percent budget overrun. When completed in the middle of 2027, it will have been a dozen years of consultants, bond executives, architects and administrators — all getting hefty fees building a monstrosity that wasn’t needed.

John Burroughs was designed in 1924 for 400 students. There currently are barely 85,000 middle school students in the whole district — and 77 middle schools — and city planners expect a 30 percent decrease in enrollment by 2030. Le Conte Middle School is just three miles northeast, and Bancroft Middle School is just 1.9 miles

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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.

CORRECTION

In a front-page story from last month, the Larchmont Chronicle touted golfer Nelly Korda’s highly anticipated attendance at the LPGA tournament at Wilshire Country Club. Two hours after we went to press, Korda withdrew. Even without Korda, it was a great tournament, won for the second year in a row by Australia’s Hannah Green.

“I think my family is going to go to a block party that a lot of people from my school will be at. And, two friends and I are going on a trip to Jamaica!”

“I can’t wait to celebrate my graduation with friends and family. We are having a celebration brunch, and my friends and I are planning a senior bonfire.”

Larchmont Charter School St. Andrews Square

“I celebrated with my whole family at dinner at Benihana and also went to see the Grateful Dead at the Sphere in Las Vegas with my dad and my best friend.”

Peter Borges Loyola High Windsor Village

Frida Heim

Oz Rubinson Windward School Brookside

School galas shine with future artists and alumni; charities hear from space scientist, view fashion, enjoy opera and honor local history

Town with Sondi Toll Sepenuk

Guests were welcomed into the Avalon Hollywood by a student-led strings orchestra for the annual LACHSA Future Artists Gala. LACHSA (Los Angeles County High School for the Arts) is a tuition-free high school. Founded nearly 40 years ago, the conservatory-style school focuses on dance, theater, music, visual arts and cinematic arts.

and

Angeles County High

Students are accepted based on their auditions, and they come from all over the greater Los Angeles County area.

Prominent LACHSA alumni include singer and Broadway performer Josh Groban (who was brought up in Windsor Square), popular sister band HAIM, visual artist Kehinde Wiley (who created the official portrait of former president Barack Obama), and singer / musician Phoebe Bridgers.

Actor and LACHSA alum Finn Wittrock was host for the gala on April 27, and he seamlessly guided the event through each performance. John and Robin Lithgow received the 2024 LACHSA Arts Advocates Award, based on their giving and their newly produced special, “Art Happens Here,” which was filmed at LACHSA for PBS stations nationwide.

World-renowned artist and

LACHSA alum Robert Vargas (who recently painted the LA Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani mural in downtown Los Angeles) received the LACHSA Luminary Award, which was followed by a live auction hosted by Jimmy Kimmel writer Tony Barbieri.

Also, in late April, at a full house luncheon at the Jonathan Club downtown on April 25, The Muses of the

California Science Center Foundation honored Dr. Laurie A. Leshin as Woman of the Year. Dr. Leshin, a geochemist and space scientist, is the first female director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a role that includes serving as a vice president at Caltech, which manages JPL for NASA.

The Muses was created more than 60 years ago by a group of women who wanted to support

children’s education programs at the California Museum of Science and Industry. Local supporters attending the luncheon honoring Dr. Leshin included Hancock Park residents Melanie Miller Guise and Margo O’Connell.

It truly was A Chic Affaire at the lovely Lakeside Golf Club on May 9. There, The Manne(Please turn to Page 4)

LARCHMONT residents

Los

School for the Arts (LACHSA) board member Elizabeth Dennehy (left) with son Jack Lancaster (LACHSA alum) and Netta Walker.

JOSH GROBAN (left) and, left-to-right, Jerry Freedman, Robert Vargas and Finn Wittrock attended the LACHSA gala. Groban and Wittrock are alumni.

THE MUSES Woman of the Year luncheon honored JPL Director Dr. Laurie Leshin (center), shown with Hancock Park’s Melanie Miller Guise (left) and Margo O’Connell.

BILGORE (front left) hosted A Chic Affaire table with guests (clockwise, starting behind her), Jennifer Costin, Andrea Falco, Dre Guttag, Andrew Bilgore, Deniz Olgac Bilgore, Greer Saunders, Christian B. Mitman and Christy McAvoy.

Around the Town

(Continued from Page 3)

quins Auxiliary and the College Alumni Auxiliary of the

Assistance League of Los Angeles gathered with friends for a super fashion show and boutique luncheon. Windsor Square’s June Bilgore shared

the welcoming duties with chairman of The Mannequins Rebecca Trail. The fashions were from Trina Turk, and bright color clearly was the theme. Turk calls this her “Capri Collection,” inspired by the turquoise waters and bright florals of the Mediterranean.

The Assistant League’s Mannequins Auxiliary was founded in 1943 and continues to raise funds for the League’s charita-

ble services that have been a fixture in Los Angeles for more than 100 years. Fremont Place local Donna Econn is not only an executive officer of The Mannequins; she also was one of the models for Trina Turk’s new collection.

The next day, Larchmont Charter School (LCS) — the little free neighborhood charter school that could — celebrated its 20th anniversary at Vine Street’s Taglyan Cultural Complex on May 10. Billed as “20 Years of Magic,” the blowout event,

which featured a silent auction and many many many courses of food, showcased the history and growth of the school in the 20 years since its inception.

Starting on one campus in Hollywood, the school has now grown to four campuses throughout the greater Larchmont / Hollywood / Brookside / Downtown areas, giving hundreds of local children an alternative choice for public education, rooted in “the values of community, diversity and academic excellence.”

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FREMONT PLACE resident Donna Econn models new fashion from Trina Turk.

THE MANNEQUINS model Melly Lindsay shows a Capri Collection ensemble.

SUPPORTERS gather at Taglyan Center on Vine Street to celebrate 20th Anniversary of Larchmont Charter School.

LARCHMONT CHARTER founding parents Lisa Norling, Kim Huffman Cary, Lisa O’Malley with teacher Heather Kampf.

FOUNDERS Heather Boylston and Lindsay Sturman reminisce about the early years of the brand new charter school.

JUNE

CHA HOLLYWOOD PRESBYTERIAN MEDICAL CENTER

Around the Town

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Heather Duffy Boylston, one of the school’s founders, recalled that, in the beginning, parents took out second mortgages on their homes to fund the school, as well as delivered toilet paper and other supplies to the school when they realized there was none available.

“The first time we pulled up and that ‘Larchmont Charter School’ sign was there, it was like, ‘oh my gosh, this is real,’” Boylston recalled happily.

The school opened as a K-2 program in 2005, then expanded by one grade each year until the school reached its final destination: K-12. But then, it grew even more! When California approved universal TK, Larchmont added the new grade to the roster.

Students this year, some of whom are the first to graduate in their families, received more than 500 college acceptances to schools such as Harvard, Princeton, Yale, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Loyola Marymount University and USC. Today, LCS has more than 1,600 students enrolled in grades TK-12 and is one of the most sought after charter schools in Los Angeles. LCS is a California Distinguished School, one of Niche’s Best Schools, and is ranked one of the Best High Schools in America by U.S. News & World Report.

A week later, the theme shifted to opera — in the Hancock Park backyard of Robert Ronus. He gathered neighbors and friends from

included,

across the city to experience the extraordinary singing of young artists who are part of the Pacific Opera Project (POP), specifically singers in the upcoming “Madama Butterfly” performances taking place at the Aratani Theatre in Little Tokyo. Performing in the Ronus garden were Janet Szepei Todd, Peter Lake, Kimberly Sogioka and Kenneth Stavert.

The novel production, sung in Japanese and English (as compared to Puccini’s original Italian) is being revived during Opera America’s 2024 Opera Conference and World Opera Forum, being held this year in downtown Los Angeles. The event brings opera administrators, artists, trustees and advocates from across North America to DTLA.

POP’s “Madama Butterfly” will have performances on Saturday and Sunday, June 1 and 2, and on Friday and Sunday, June 7 and 9. Learn more at pacificoperaproject.com. The timing of the conference also allows out-of-towners (assuming tickets are still available) to attend LA Opera’s fabu-

lous production of Puccini‘s “Turandot,” which has four performances remaining at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion through June 8.

The next day, Los Angeles history was the theme as local resident and former Los Angeles County Supervisor (and Los Angeles City Councilmember before that) Zev Yaroslavsky was one of the

Michael Holland

and fellow Los Angeles City Historical Society board member Geraldine Knatz present the group’s Special Recognition Award to local resident and former Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev

guests of honor at the Los Angeles City Historical Society annual Gala Awards Show and Dinner. Held, as it was for many years past, at Taix French Restaurant on May 19, Yaroslavsky was saluted along with other award winners DeMarco Smith, Bobby Green, Christina Rice, Judy Baca, and, posthumously, Todd Gaydowski, the former president of the society and former City Archivist. Former society president and former chief executive of the Port of Los Angeles, Geraldine Knatz, and City Archivist Michael Holland presented the awards.

Rounding out the merry month of May, NGA held its first ever off-site member appreciation party in a private room at All Season Brewing Company at 800 S. La Brea Ave. on May 21.

Members showed up with their “plus ones” to enjoy an open bar and Mexican food from Chicas Tacos. The endof-year party celebrated the hard work the members have performed over the past year, raising $53,000 to purchase and then provide needed clothing, linens and personal care items to organizations including Operation School Bell, Alexandria House, Assistance League of Los Angeles, Aviva Family and Children’s Services, Good Shepherd, Imagine LA, and Los Angeles House of Ruth.

Guests bid on silent auction items such as horseback riding in Griffith Park, Jewelry by Olivia K, Hollywood Bowl box seats, LA Dodgers tickets, and more! The night ended with Skee-Ball, lots of rowdy conversation, and plenty of

excitement for the upcoming year of NGA.

• • •

For those of you looking to support an important cause, which is both local and fun, don’t miss this year’s St. Vincent Meals on Wheels Hollywood Under the Stars gala fundraiser on Sat., June 22 at Paramount Studios. The event features some of Los Angeles’ “premier culinary and beverage offerings presented by L.A.’s top celebrity chefs and restaurants, with a spectacular program including live entertainment.”

Guests will indulge in mains and dessert samplings from chefs such as Gino Angelini of Angelini Osteria, L’antica Pizzeria da Michele (Francesco Zimone), Bertha Mae’s Brownie Co. and Malibu Meringue.

The magic starts at 6:30 p.m. and will feature actor and longtime Circle of Angels donor Ian McShane as an Honored Guest.

It’s not too late to buy your tickets, so go online to svmow.org/hollywood to reserve your place in Hollywood fundraising history!

And now you’re in the Larchmont know!

SKEE-BALL attracted NGA members and guests at La Brea Avenue’s All Season Brewing Company (in the former Firestone Tires building). Shown rolling away is June Bilgore.

RONUS GARDEN music aficionados

from left, nextdoor neighbors Sinan and Alina Kuzum, Dr. Neville Anderson, Robert Ronus, Pacific Opera Project executive director Katherine Powers and Carlotta Keely.

CITY ARCHIVIST

(left)

Yaroslavsky (center).

NGA PARTIERS felt very appreciated at the All Season Brewing Company party.

CURTAIN CALL (without the curtain) was given in the Hancock Park garden of Robert Ronus by “Madama Butterfly” singers, from left: Kimberly Sogioka, Janet Szepei Todd, Kenneth Stavert and Peter Lake.

‘Concours’ on Rodeo is in time for Father’s Day

Thrilling supercars, high performance vehicles and shiny antiques will be among the automobiles featured at Rodeo Drive Concours d’Elegance on Sun., June 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Fathers, families and car enthusiasts are invited to enjoy an up-close look at some of the world’s most exotic and expensive vehicles at the 29th annual car show.

Cars from McLaren, Pagani and Czinger, plus race cars, classics and custom-built models, will line Beverly Hills’ toniest street — between Wilshire Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard.

Admission is free.

“This Father’s Day tradition has always been something families look forward to attending, and this year’s lineup of cars will truly be inspir-

skin deep

by Dr. Rebecca Fitzgerald

Hair product, oil, dirt, oh my. If you stop and consider the buildup that’s likely on your scalp right now, you’ll agree ta deep-cleaning is well overdue.

Welcome the HydraFacial for your scalp. The HydraFacial Keravive cleanses, exfoliates and infuses skin with nutrients for healthier, fullerlooking hair. Who can benefit from Keravive? Anyone with a scalp, and especially those looking to address dryness, clogged follicles and poor circulation. Here’s how Keravive’s three-step process works: first, light suction plus HydraFacial Beta HD solution cleanses and exfoliates to clear away oil, dirt and buildup. Step two: Keravive booster serum with its blend of growth factors and proteins is massaged into your scalp for 10 glorious minutes. Finally, you’ll head home with a daily peptide spray to continue to keep your scalp and hair in optimal condition.

We are offering a package of three monthly treatments for $1,500. Contact our office to schedule your first appointment and get ready to enjoy your healthiest hair.

Out of sight, out of mind: your hardworking scalp gets little appreciation — until now.

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 from around the world to teach proper injection techniques for Radiesse, the volumizing filler. Dr. Fitzgerald is an assistant clinical professor at UCLA. Visit online at www.RebeccaFitzgeraldMD.com or call (323) 464-8046 to schedule an appointment.

Art, music and more at Tarfest June 15

By Suzan Filipek

ing,” said Beverly Hills Mayor Lester Friedman.

“This year, we’re bringing some of the world’s rarest and most expensive cars to the show, plus the nostalgic vintage cars we all love,” said Bruce Meyer, chairman of the event.

Proceeds from the Concours benefit the Beverly Hills Police Officers Association and Beverly Hills Firefighters’ Association.

Larchmont Family Fair offers early sign-ups

The Larchmont Family Fair returns for its 59th year on the Boulevard on Sun., Oct. 27, a mere five months away! It’s never too soon to sign up for a booth for your school or nonprofit. Sponsorships are also available.

Larchmont Boulevard Association (LBA) Board President John Winther and the Family Fair committee have just begun alerting local organization of the availability of booths for the Oct. 27 event. Contact Winther at john.winther@camoves.com to reserve a space while they last!

In addition to the nonprofit booths, there will be thrilling rides, cuisine from around the world and, back by popular demand, a beer garden (for adults).

A children’s costume contest is also planned, in time for Halloween.

Larchmont Boulevard will be closed from First Street to Beverly Boulevard for the event, which will feature

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Juneteenth celebrated at Bowl June 19

Upcoming events celebrate the end of slavery in the U.S. — or rather when the people of Texas got word on June 19, 1856, that all slaves were free, pursuant to Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation issued 30 months earlier.

Juneteenth has been a federal holiday since 2021. There will be celebratory events throughout the country and in Southern California. At the Hollywood Bowl, a celebration of freedom and creativity co-curated by singer-songwriter T-Pain begins at 8 p.m. Music will be performed with a full orchestra conducted by Derrick Hodge at this event. For tickets and more information visit hollywoodbowl.org.

A live music and art festival returns to Pan Pacific Park, 7600 Beverly Blvd., on Sat., June 15, from 2 to 8 p.m.

The 21st annual free Tarfest — “A Day in the Park” — celebrates the city’s cultural diversity.

The headliner, Jamaican artist Blvk H3ro (pronounced Black Hero), will perform modern reggae, blending dancehall and afrobeats with soul and R&B. Musical performances also include Mariachi Quinto Sol and the reggae and afrobeat party Boomyard, among others. KCRW DJ Novena Carmel will spin tunes.

Art installations and gourmet food trucks will be at Pan Pacific Park. Art-making and cultural activities for all ages will be offered through the Korean Cultural Center, the Japan Foundation, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the Holocaust Mu-

seum LA and other partners. Hip-hop and breakdancing workshops will be offered, and a Kids Creativity Lab with face painters and balloon artists will be sponsored by Television City Studios. Petersen Automotive Museum and Waymo will showcase state-of-the-art vehicles. The event is produced by Launch LA.

“Tarfest has been part of the Los Angeles community for more than 20 years, remaining an annual free event through massive changes that have transformed the city and our neighborhood,” Launch LA and Tarfest Founder James Panozzo said in a release. For more information visit tarfest.com.

ARTIST BLVK H3RO (aka Black Hero) will perform at Tarfest.

Photo by Pascal Shirley

I was one of those fortunate kids who never wondered where his dad was. He didn’t belong to clubs, wasn’t in a bowling league, and never played poker with the guys at night. Our family was his interest.

My dad forged memories. He took me hiking in Virginia on the Appalachian Trail for a week. One summer we built a small barn on our property from an old billboard that had been torn down. But my favorite memories are of him coaching me from the mat’s corner at wrestling tournaments. He was a prime example that encouragement adjusts better than reprimands when parenting.

Brighton

Johnny Patisaul’s son Brighton is a freshman at Loyola High School. Johnny’s favorite memory of his own father

Youth Sports by Jim

Kalin

he himself was 6. His dad was

skateboarder and would take Johnny

skate parks where he and his friends launched from 12foot vertical ramps.

“I’d sit there with my donut and chocolate milk, my feet dangling over the coping, and just watch them in awe,” says Johnny.

His son Brighton ran cross country for Loyola this fall.

“During the start of last semester, my dad wanted me to try a sport, and cross country was no-cut for freshmen,”

said Brighton. “Running has clicked with me since then.”

Brighton now is on the Loyola track team and runs the long-distance races.

“I thank my dad for giving me a strong work ethic and for being there when others weren’t,” says Brighton. “I would not be who I am without my dad in my life.”

Kim Sisters

Steven Kim competed in track for John Marshall High School and was the 100-meter league champion.

“I was a 5’7” Korean teenager, and I beat all those kids who were taller and stronger.”

Kim’s own daughters are also accomplished athletes. Faith is an eighth grader at GALA (Girls Academic Leadership Academy) and competes in Goldie’s AllGirls Basketball League. Faith’s little sister Alyson is a fifth grader at Larchmont Charter and rides horses at TES (Traditional Equitation School). She also played volleyball for Larchmont this fall. The sisters compete in the Starlings COLA (City of LA) Volleyball Club, and both mentioned that their favorite memory of their dad is practicing basketball with him late into the night in their driveway.

“I would like to thank my ahpah (Korean for dad) for all the time he’s dedicated toward my life on and off the courts,” says Faith. “He’s practiced basketball and volleyball with me countless hours after he got back from his office. He is the most amazing best friend and father.”

“‘Thank you ahpah for always supporting me,” adds Alyson.

Quinton

Jonathan Palmer’s son Quinton is a sophomore at Loyola High School and is in the school’s mountain bike club. He joined when a friend convinced him to give it a try.

“I wasn’t fully on the bandwagon until I saw pictures of the club on beautiful mountaintops. It’s hiking and biking combined, so what’s not to like?”

Quinton’s favorite memory of his father is when they at-

tended the 2012 MLS (Major League Soccer) Cup, and the home team, Galaxy, won.

“I still have the commemorative ring.”

Quinton’s father remembers watching his son at a mountain bike race in Temecula on an extremely challenging course called Vail Lake that was plagued with hills.

“He got his best time there,” said Palmer. “It was amazing.”

“I’d like to thank my dad for letting me try so many different sports,” says Quinton. “Cycling might be my forte now, but I was able to try soccer, baseball, tennis, basketball and more. He really

fostered my appreciation and love for sports.”

DAUGHTERS Faith and Alyson Kim with dad Steven.

LOYOLA freshman Brighton Wegg with his dad, Johnny Patisaul.

SPORTS ENTHUSIASTS Jonathan Palmer and his son Quinton.

Father Boyle honored with Presidential Medal of Freedom

By Suzan Filipek

Father Gregory Boyle of Homeboy Industries, a Windsor Square native, has been honored with the nation’s highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Boyle, a Jesuit Catholic priest, was among 19 recipients saluted May 3 at the White House by President Biden.

The White House credited Boyle — founder of the world’s largest gang intervention and rehabilitation program — with turning around the lives of thousands

of Angelenos. Father Greg Boyle Day Closer to home, on May 17 the city of Los Angeles declared May 19, 2024 Father Greg Boyle Day. The City Council issued a proclamation establishing the tribute in honor of Los Angeles’ most famous priest.

Boyle grew up on Norton Avenue, where he was one of eight siblings. He attended St. Brendan church and school and Loyola High School.

As a youth, he frequented Chevalier’s Books, he told us in 2018 during a book signing

at the Larchmont Boulevard store. The event drew one of the largest crowds in the store’s then 78 years.

The Chevalier’s talk was focused on Father Boyle’s book, “Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship,” which evolved from his work at Homeboy.

The book is a collection of stories, ideas and parables based on Boyle’s then 30 years of working with former gang members and their families. He’s written several books; the most recent, which he co-authored, is titled “Forgive Everyone Everything.”

Among his many awards, Boyle received the 2017 Laetare Medal from the University of Notre Dame, the oldest and most prestigious honor given to American Catholics.

Boyle, often called “Father G,” was ordained a Jesuit priest in 1984; he was set to head a student program at Santa Clara University when a trip to Bolivia, where he met the poorest people in the region, changed his course.

“The poor are trustworthy guides,” he told us in 2017, and “… as luck would have it, [the Los Angeles Archdiocese] needed a pastor at Dolores Mission, which was the poorest parish in the city.”

Dolores Mission was an area rife with warring gangs, and Boyle soon got to work.

Boyle and some business owners founded Homeboy Industries in Downtown Los Angeles in 1988.

License Plate-Reading Cameras Coming to Windsor Square?

You may have read or heard about a relatively new security tool that is being used by many local cities and also by individuals and businesses in the community.  License Plate Reading Cameras (LPRC) are solar powered and placed on top of a pole, which is then placed on private property.  They take photos of passing vehicle’s license plates only (no pictures of individuals) and store the information in a central storage site for 30 days.  In areas where LPRCs are in use, police say that they are an invaluable tool in investigating crimes by allowing them to see the vehicles located at the crime scene at the time of the crime.  Also, when vehicle license plates in the system that have been involved in a previous but unsolved crime are identified by an LPRC, the vehicle can be pursued by police.

At this time, the City of Los Angeles has not invested in LPRCs for the community, although many police vehicles have this equipment.  Some individuals and businesses in Los Angeles have leased the cameras for additional security.  In the City of Los Angeles, community cameras must be situated on private property.

There are Windsor Square neighbors who are looking to install LPRCs on their properties. If you are interested in further information about this security technology or might be interested in the extra security the cameras may provide, please let us know at tator100@aol.com. To learn about a nearby intallation on Melrose Avenue, type the following into your internet browser: melroseaction.org/lpriniative

WE NEED BLOCK CAPTAINS! Be the leader of your block and point person for all that’s going on in the neighborhood. The WSA has numerous block captain positions open. A great opportunity to engage with neighbors and community leaders. blockcaptains@ windsorsquare.org

The Windsor Square Association, an all-volunteer group of residents from 1100 households between Beverly and Wilshire and Van Ness and Arden,

Join

LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL declared May 19 Father Greg Boyle Day with a proclamation on May 17, 2024.

Immigrants and the American Dream live on; opera of the season

An article in The Christian Science Monitor (2/7/24) notes a 239 percent increase, since 2017, of U.S. expats moving to Portugal, one of Europe’s “hottest destinations.” Fifty years ago, however, Portugal was among the most repressive dicatorships in the world. The “Carnation Revolution,” a bloodless coup, set the country free in 1974.

Helder Guimarães’ The Hope Theory, at the Geffen through June 30, tells the tale of a child of that revolution who comes to Hollywood for a better life. What makes the

evening so extraordinary is not only the humanity that Mr. Guimarães (a professional magician) shares in his tale, but also the absolutely amazing magic tricks he performs. (No spoilers here — sorry!)

Mr. Guimarães is not the first immigrant to realize that America’s streets are not paved with gold, or that the American Dream has its nightmare moments, but hope for a better life is what led his countrymen to revolt, and others, like himself, to a new life. Caringly directed by filmmaker Frank Marshall,

Theater Review by Louis Fantasia

“The Hope Theory” is a quiet rebuke to much of the noise we hear about immigrants today. (boxoffice@geffenplayhouse.org)

What to watch for

The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum opens its season June 1. Despite the landslide that fell on Topanga Canyon Blvd., the theater and local shops are open, but struggling. Access from the 101 Freeway is open and safe. Climate change is devasting summer theaters and festivals with intense storms and heat. The Theatricum has eliminated nearly all matinees because of heat, and it has stretched its season into cooler October. Many of the plants in its Shakespeare Garden have been replaced with hardier stock. Still, it continues — and should be supported! (theatricum.com/buy-tickets).

revival by groups such as Mr. Valenzuela’s Latino Theater Company would make Mr. Bushnell proud.

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• • • José Cruz González’s American Mariachi at LATC (through June 9) is another American Dream tale, with music rather than magic at its center. Set in the 1970s, Mr. González’s sprawling play combines a “getting-the-band-together” format with a female empowerment story (plus a dash of Catholic mysticism) as the women in the play overcome macho misogyny and patriarchy to form the first all-female mariachi band. Director José Luis Valenzuela puts the emphasis on the music (which is terrific) and the play’s heart (which is enormous) in overcoming the script’s narrative clichés. (tickets@thelatc.org)

Bill Bushnell, the stage impresario and founder of the Los Angeles Theater Center, died in January at the age of 86. Bushnell ran the four-theater complex from 1985 to 1991, when LATC was second only to the Taper in quality programming. There were many complicated reasons for LATC’s collapse, but its

• • •

The Independent Shakespeare Company is known for its Shakespeare in Griffith Park (As You Like It opens July 10), but it has established its second space as a venue for adventurous programming.

Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days, starring Monica Horan (“Everybody Loves Raymond”), continues the adventure (through June 8). Beckett’s 90-minute near monodrama features Winnie, buried up to her waist in Act I and to her neck in Act II. In spite of loss, defeat and disappointment, Beckett argues that we must go on. Ms. Horan’s Winnie (directed by Melissa Chalsma) is the pluckiest and most optimistic Beckettian character ever. It’s a choice that takes the sting out of Winnie’s nostalgia and removes the terror from Beckett’s landscape, but Ms. Horan and company are to be commended for reviving this challenging, and all too rarely seen, work. (818-7106306)

• • •

Los Angeles Opera bills its production of Puccini’s Turandot (through June 8) as “the opera event of the cen-

tury.” Er…no. But it is the opera event of the season. The production features sets by David Hockney (originally for the Chicago Lyric Opera), massive forces and Puccini’s last score, which had to be completed by other hands after his death. Set in a fairytale China, the opera is full of racial stereotypes, which, for the most part, this production handles sensitively.

Tenor Russell Thomas is an impressive Calaf, the lover who solves fire-and-ice Turandot’s life-and-death riddles. Angela Meade was more ice than fire in the title role, while Guanqun Yu’s singing stole the show as the lovestruck servant, Liu. Garnett Bruce’s no-nonsense direction is a breath of fresh air, and Maestro James Conlon led the combined forces with stylish aplomb. Truly a grand night at the opera!

Comedy night at Hollywood Improv Bill Devlin’s Comedy & Cocktails is Sat., June 15 at 8:30 p.m. at the Hollywood Improv Lab, 8162 Melrose Ave. Special guests and live music will join Devlin in his long-running show. Visit improv.com for ticket and information.

ZOZO at Maison Midi: ‘cuisines of sun’ in home goods store

At Chef John Sedlar’s new restaurant, ZOZO at Maison Midi, one dines surrounded by purchasable items in an actual home goods store: colorful bistro chairs from Italy hang from the walls, shelves hold sparkling glass tumblers from Milan, and striped linen napkins are stacked next to sets of cheese knives. A large vase of flowers welcomes arriving guests, beautiful asymmetrical pendant lamps hang from the soaring ceiling, and the dining room’s backdrop is a wall-sized mural of Abiquiu, New Mexico, Sedlar’s childhood and current home, which provides much of his culinary inspiration. I couldn’t help but smile when I first entered the charming space.

Chef Sedlar is perhaps best remembered for Rivera, his acclaimed pan-Latin restaurant that operated in Downtown Los Angeles from 2009 through 2014, after which he moved to New Mexico. Lured back to Los Angeles by restaurateur Bill Chait to open ZOZO to replace the closed Cafe Midi, Sedlar elevates Maison Midi’s former food experience. Tastes developed at Rivera have been reinvented here in celebration of “cuisines of the sun: Native American, French and Hispanic flavors with world accents.” Chef Sedlar personally selected the contemporary silverware, the stunning ceramic plates and the square platters with glass-topped photos of Zapotec statues or colorful Indigenous pottery. Some dishes come with small figurines — one of ours sported a miniature of Aristide Maillol’s “Air” sculpture (an original of which is on view at the Getty Center). Chef Sedlar aims to spark conversation with his tableware as well as his culi-

Book launch of ‘California Eden’ June 9 in Pasadena

A party to launch the new book “California Eden: Heritage Landscapes of the Golden State” will take place on Sun., June 9, from 2 to 4 p.m. at La Casita Del Arroyo, 177 S. Arroyo Blvd., in Pasadena.

Co-editors Christine Edstrom O’Hara, a professor of landscape architecture at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and Susan Chamberlin, a landscape historian, architect and founding member of the California Garden & Landscape History Society, will discuss storied landscapes featured in the book, from grand vistas to historic gardens.

Published by Angel City Press at the Los Angeles Public Library, the 224-page hardcover includes 200 images. It retails for $65. Visit angelcitypress.com.

nary artistry.

Although there’s a well curated wine list, with many by the glass and carafe as well as bottle options, we selected two of their many fruit-forward cocktails. A refreshing rum-based drink mixes passion fruit, lime and pineapple juices, topped with yuzu “air,” $16. A smoky take on a Margarita combines mezcal with grapefruit and lime juices. The $16 cocktail is sweetened with agave, rimmed with lava salt and finished with a soda float. Both enhanced the food that followed.

Appetizers are terrific.

Piquillo peppers stuffed with gruyere cheese, golden raisins and chorizo, $11, are a lovely sweet, salty and savory starter. Gorgeous prawns in a mustard seed vinaigrette were accompanied by grilled endive, $21. Duck leg confit in tamarind sauce, $26, was an earthy, flavorful plate. A $15

On the Menu by

Helene Seifer

spring salad of dragon fruit, cactus pear, persimmon and crunchy sea beans was beautiful and refreshing, but I would have preferred a more assertive dressing to challenge the delicately flavored fruit. The starter that most awed us was the cream of cremini mushroom soup, $12. The rich, umami-laden soup was silky and immensely satisfying — a must-order.

Three bread choices were recently added to the menu, including $9 blue corn madeleines, but we went straight for the mains, supplementing with a vegetable dish, a $21

chile relleno filled with minced mushrooms, accompanied by purple potatoes and a Spanish-stye carrot dipping sauce for a sophisticated take on the usually cheese-laden dish.

The entree selections include every manner of fish, fowl and beast: soft-shell crab with green chile aioli, $28; $25 braised lamb neck from the tandoori oven; Berkshire pork chop with red chile pepita sauce, $32; a New Mexico green hatch chile burger, $20; and a $75 Wagyu ribeye with chimichurri, among others. We ordered chicken Jerusalem with olives, za’atar, mint and couscous, $27, a winning combination. A sweet branzino filet was served with honey labneh, feta and minced cucumber, $32, unexpected sides to what is most frequently served grilled à la Italiano. Lamb with chayote chutney and heirloom polenta, $44, was superb. The lamb ate

like a medium rare steak and was every bit as delicious as a prime cut of beef. I suspect even those who usually find lamb’s taste too funky will appreciate this meaty dish. The aforementioned Maillol figurine perched on a platter of little sides that accompanied our lamb. The visually arresting display included cold white asparagus, fava beans, crispy eggplant slices, caponata and roasted cherry tomatoes on the vine. A lovely feast! We skipped the cheese course and went straight to the sweets. I’m partial to fruit-based desserts or ice cream, so I was happy with the $12 tarte tatin and $11 raspberry almond tart. As of this writing, ZOZO will soon offer homemade ice cream — I look forward to trying their promised popcorn flavor!

ZOZO at Maison Midi, 148 S. La Brea Ave., 323-7464700.

Seinfeld’s frosted fun Pop-Tarts; lesson in money doesn’t add up

Unfrosted (9/10): 93 minutes. Netflix. PG-13. Jerry Seinfeld’s first foray into directing (he has a co-writing credit with Spike Feresten and Andy Robin) at age 70 is a booming success. This is a sparkling satire based on Kellogg’s and Post’s race to develop a new cereal that became Pop-Tarts. It’s got a topflight cast. In addition to Seinfeld, there are Melissa McCarthy, who is as funny as she’s ever been; Hugh Grant, who sparkles as he always does; and Amy Schumer, along with a plethora of cameos by people like Peter Dinklage, John Hamm, Jim Gaffigan — the list goes on. It is exactly the kind of lighthearted, funny film we need in today’s world to give us an hour and a half of fun.

A Man in Full (9/10): Six 45-minute episodes. Netflix. TV-MA. This is a multi-faceted tale based on Tom Wolfe’s 1999 novel about a real estate

mogul, Charlie Croker (Jeff Daniels), in big trouble. He is attacked by his banker, Harry Zale (Bill Camp), who claims he owes the bank hundreds of millions of dollars. Zale is aided by Charlie’s former employee, Ramone Peepgrass, (Tim Pelphrey) and eventually joined by Charlie’s former wife, Martha (Diane Lane).

Thrown in is a B story involving Roger White (Ami Ameen), the Black husband of Charlie’s Black secretary Henrietta (Jerrika), who is thrown in jail for assaulting a traffic cop, even though the cop was assaulting him. He is defended by Charlie’s attorney, Conrad Hensley (Jon Michael Hill), even though Conrad is a corporate lawyer. They get a judge, Judge Taylor (Anthony Heald), who appears to be as biased as the day is long. I mention these characters because they all give award-quality

At the Movies with Tony Medley

performances throughout this involving tale.

Finding the Money (8/10): 95 Minutes. Prime Video. NR. As the fly said when it walked across the mirror, I never looked at it like that before. This is a paean to Modern Monetary Theory (MMT). Its John the Baptist figure is Stephanie Kelton, who is called “an American heterodox economist, an advisor to Sen. Bernie Sanders.”

In ordinary language, heterodox means heretical. The argument here is that everyone is looking at the deficit wrongly. What one draws from those

who argue for MMT is that the larger the amount of what we call the “deficit,” the better for us. Kelton and her many cohorts interviewed in this film proclaim that the “deficit” should be called an asset. When we sell bonds to China, she says, that’s good, and the “debt” is really an asset.

They say that all the deficit is is the government putting more money into the economy than it’s taking out. If the government puts $100 into the economy and taxes 90 percent of it out, that’s a deficit for the government, but a surplus for the economy.

Produced and directed by Maren Poitras, there are lots of interesting, seemingly sacrilegious discussions about what money is and how it has worked throughout the ages.

L. Randall Wray, a professor of economics, says that when money comes back to the issuer, it is destroyed. It’s been that way for all time. When taxes were paid in the Middle Ages in England, they were paid in tally sticks. When the tally sticks were returned as payment of taxes, they were burned. He claims that when money is repaid to the government, it is burned. I’m not sure if he is speaking metaphorically.

One of the best parts of the film is when Kelton interviews Jared Bernstein, chair of the

Council of Economic Advisors under President Biden. Following is an unedited transcript of how Bernstein stammers and mutters after Kelton asks him a simple question. Bernstein clearly seems to be in way over his head.

Kelton: “Why exactly are we borrowing in a currency that we print ourselves? I’m waiting for someone to stand up and say, ‘Why don’t we borrow our own currency in the first place?’”

Bernstein: “Well… The… So the… I mean… Again, some of this stuff gets… Some of the language that the… some of the language and concepts are just confusing. I mean the government definitely prints money, and it definitely lends that money, which is why the government definitely prints money and then it lends that money by… by selling bonds.

“Is that what they do?

“They, they… They yeah, they, they. They sell bonds. Yeah, they sell bonds. Right? Since they sell bonds and people buy the bonds and lend them the money. Yeah. So…”

The non-explanation continues for another 27 lines of text, not included here.

The participants in this video give a glimpse of their true colors at the end when the

Auto Show

(Continued from Page 1)

Model A Roadster, a khaki-colored 1930 Ford Model A Deluxe Coupe with contrasting yellow rims and a gorgeous baby blue 1955 Buick.

The car show promises to be

Parking meters

(Continued from Page 1) need to go back to school. Many users have experienced problems while attempting to pay. On the afternoon we spent time observing customers’ experiences, the meter on the south side of the lot was out of order, and the other one had multiple issues.

Some users found that when they entered their space numbers, the screen showed erroneous numbers and the meter would not let them add any time.

At the Movies

(Continued from Page 12) thrust of their goal is advocating for taxing the rich to pay their “fair share” and income distribution. However, the data for 2021 show that the top one percent of earners,

one of the most popular OFM events of the summer, drawing large crowds each year, says a Market spokesperson. Folded into the 90th celebration is the annual summer music series, slated to begin Thurs., June 6. Other noteworthy June events are a Pride Celebration

If time remained on the meter from the previous space-user’s transaction, the new parker had trouble figuring out how to add time to what was already there.

At times, the meter would only let a person add a total of 25 cents worth of time to the screen when prompted to “add time.”

Those trying to use their credit cards to pay found that swiping their cards worked just fine, but the tap-to-pay option was not reading the chip in the card.

Joe Russell, who parked in

defined as those with incomes over $682,577, paid nearly 46 percent of all income taxes.

The top 25 percent paid 89.2 percent of all taxes. The bottom 50 percent paid under 2 percent. I’m not sure how they define “fair share.”

Even so, I recommend this

on Thurs., June 13, featuring a Queen tribute band and a Blood Drive June 13-15.

July, the official birthday month of the market, heats up the celebratory action on Thurs., July 18, with an anniversary shop-‘til-you-drop Night Market. Fashion-related vendors without traditional brick-and-mortar shops, who instead reach customers online or through social media, will gather to offer a night of in-person shopping while tunes from the ‘90s play. It’s a wonderful opportunity to see and touch clothing that one normally has to judge by a photo on Instagram, according to an event organizer. Partici-

the lot, said, “For some reason, space 113 seems to be haunted. When you click to add more, it just gives random numbers with a minus sign in front of them — even on the app. You can’t add time, and therefore, you can’t pay.”

Eight out of 10 users on May 20 — in a time span of about 30 minutes — had some kind of trouble and ended up abandoning the effort and going to do their errands without paying. Apparently risking a ticket outweighed spending more time attempting to deal with the issues of the one working

because the discussions and arguments are interesting and thought-provoking, and the slant on the use of money is enlightening if what they say is accurate. Or is it nonsense?

Recommended Reading: “The Fury” by Alex Michaelides, a diverting mystery.

pating apparel merchants will be announced at a later date.

The fun continues through August with music nights and other anniversary plans still being finalized. The July issue

machine. On other occasions more problems were reported.

Aside from the meter’s payment problems, many users found themselves needing to hunch over in order to attempt their transactions.

The pay stations are perhaps perfectly proportioned for

of the Larchmont Chronicle will feature an historic overview of the Original Farmers Market and a comprehensive list of the “90 Days of Summer” events.

those of us in the 5-foot-ish range of height.

Update

A spokesperson for the city’s Department of Transportation told us a technician repaired the malfunctioning meters May 21 and that they are now “operating normally.”

THIS 1960 LINCOLN will be in the Gilmore Auto Show.

ATTENDEES at a past Original Farmers Market auto show.

Streetlights

(Continued from Page 1)

them inoperable, and thus creating dark streets.

RWNA is particularly upset about having a majority of their lights vandalized because, in 2013, residents voted to tax themselves and establish an official city lighting district specifically to keep the area safer.

Lights were installed in January 2014, and each home was assessed a one-time fee ranging between $7,500 and $15,000. Their lights are the newest in the neighborhood.

That is in addition to a $95 annual maintenance fee every

homeowner with streetlights pays.

More than just streetlights

Windsor Square residents and members of RWNA have also reported that landscaping and security lighting is being stolen from yards. The good intentions of neighbors to keep their homes and the sidewalk well-lit is being sabotaged by bicycling thieves. These actions add to a street’s darkness.

Frustration reporting nonworking lights

Reeves, along with Ridgewood Place resident Kate Corsmeier, has been very frustrated by the city’s complicated process for reporting damaged

the police can’t do anything until a report is filed. It’s a classic case of a catch-22, he said.

Corsmeier also tried filing a police report electronically. After spending a substantial amount of time with the online report, it was rejected and sent back to her, since she isn’t the victim.

lights. What both found out is that residents cannot file a police report for a streetlight damaged because the

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crime is against the city. This means that either the Bureau of Street Lighting (BSL) or someone else from the city has to report the defacement. Reeves had been told that

Letters

(Continued from Page 2) almost directly north, and LACES is to our southwest.

The City of Beverly Hills is only two miles due west with mostly low-density homes or small apartments in that direction.

The Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools campus has three middle schools on the old Ambassador Hotel property just 2.7 miles from JB. That latter construction project became the most expensive school in the United States. It opened in September 2010 at the cost of $578 million to serve 4,200 students K-12. Costs in 2010 were $350 per square foot. None of these six middle schools is at capacity, yet LAUSD wanted to rebuild John Burroughs Middle School to house 1,800. Where do the kids come from? The last time the school gave the community data, the students arrived from 63 different ZIP Codes driving past numerous partially empty schools. Instead of years of construction with kids exposed to asbestos, particulate matter and construction noise, LAUSD could have

Her annoyance with the situation led her to dial numerous random numbers from the Olympic Community Police Department webpage. She finally got through to a detective who was interested in the footage. After multi-

closed JB for one year and two summers and renovated the historic original building to accommodate 1,200 students for one-third of the cost. LAUSD could have used the other $200 million to renovate numerous other schools in the district.

LAUSD doesn’t care about our community; numerous homes on June and McCadden have suffered damage from vibration and construction earth movement, and the new building will be an eyesore for people who live across the street. Where is LAUSD’s logic? Why are kids commuting 45 minutes one way — increasing traffic, squandering their personal time and impacting the environment — all the while being driven past middle schools that have a lot of capacity?

It is bad for both their physical as well as their mental health. The entire LAUSD construction division is not about the kids or their education. It’s about consultants and bureaucrats feeding off the taxpayers, making large fees, salaries and pensions. Dr. Howard C. Mandel Hancock Park

Children’s Learning Lab offers exceptional small-group and individualized online learning in reading and math for K-6 students. Explore our

or call 310-454-1560

(Please turn to Page 15)

A SEALED JUNCTION box on Ridgewood Place.

THE MIDDLE OF the night, a suspect coils copper wire from a streetlight on Ridgewood Place.

Streetlights

(Continued from Page 14) ple attempts, she was able to upload some footage to a site the detective sent her. But still, no police report.

Council District 13

With this sort of frustration, the Chronicle reached out to Councilmember SotoMartínez’s office. According to a spokesman there, streetlight outages are the third

Family Fair

(Continued from Page 7) the “Larchmont’s Got Talent” show (check back for audition dates) and entertainment.

biggest complaint his office receives after housing / landlord issues and homelessness.

“The BSL has the highest [staff] vacancy rate of any department in the city at 30 percent,” said the representative. There are not enough BSL employees to make repairs. Citizens have to wait up to six months for streetlight repairs.

The Los Angeles City Council adopted a Soto-Martínez motion for his Council District 13 to utilize an additional $200,000 from the councilmember’s discretionary fund to pay for BSL overtime. The councilmember is hopeful that this will reduce repair time to two months.

“We know that well-lit streets are safer streets, and extended outages can make a neighborhood feel unsafe or scary to walk in. We’re prioritizing these repairs so we can ensure safe and walkable streets at all hours of the day,” Soto-Martínez said in an email. His office, as a city entity, can file a report to get outages repaired. His office encourag-

The free event has been produced by the LBA since the mid 1960s. It raises funds for the Boulevard’s upkeep, gardening, holiday decorations and more.

es residents with streetlight issues to first report outages, along with pictures and video if available, to 311 and then to the CD13 office at councilmember.soto-martinez@ lacity.org. These reported outages will be placed on a priority list.

Future of streetlights

Once the streetlights are repaired, how will BSL keep the fixtures safe from crimi-

nals and theft?

According to SotoMartínez’s office, there are plans underway to deter thieves and fortify the lights. But with more than 400 different kinds of streetlights in Los Angeles, there isn’t one easy answer.

One tactic that BSL and residents of RWNA are using is cementing the junction boxes shut. This makes stealing the

wire more difficult. There’s also the possibility of making some lights solar-powered, but that’s expensive and not all lights have that capability.

The Chronicle reached out to BSL numerous times for comment, but didn’t get a response. The author is a resident of Ridgewood Place and was instrumental in getting the lighting district adopted in 2013.

The Plymouth School

• Preschool program for children 2 to 5½.

• Creative activities to encourage cognitive & social development including art, music, movement & play

• Experienced teachers

• Over 50 years serving the neighborhood

AN OPEN JUNCTION BOX, after the copper wire has been stolen from it, making the light inoperable.

Photo by Mary Sandoval