Area
Newsletter
September
20 17
San Fernando Valley
Community News CSUN receives $17m gift for performing arts
Old aqueduct to bring new water to the Valley
A married philanthropist couple has donated $17 million to Cal State Northridge to fund performing arts at the school. Younes and Soraya Nazarian, who live in Beverly Hills, have made the gift through their Y&S Nazarian Family Foundation with the goal of boosting the reputation of performing arts at CSUN, particularly at the Valley Performing Arts Center, which is expected to be renamed in the Nazarians’ honor. VPAC is a 1,700 seat theatre that opened in 2011 and has hosted a wide range of world class performances. The Nazarians emigrated from Iran after Younes lost his business in the 1979 revolution. Once settled in L.A., Younes and his brother bought Stadco, a company that found success with the U.S. space shuttle program, and were also early investors in Qualcomm. Soraya is a noted stone sculptor. Together, the Nazarians have been active in philanthropy here and in Israel, donating to schools such as UCLA, USC, and the Milken Community High School. The Nazarians’ son David, a successful entrepreneur in his own right, attended CSUN and has also made generous donations to the school.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power are restoring an old aqueduct from Sylmar to Pacoima to help replenish groundwater in the Valley. The Maclay Highline is an underground water system that runs from the LA Aqueduct to the Maclay Reservoir that was retired 30 years ago when state regulations required the construction of a new filtration plant for drinking water. The LADWP now plan to use the water tunnels to bring mountain runoff to the Pacoima Spreading Grounds, which in turn will replenish the city’s aquifer. Clearing and restoring the old aqueduct will cost approximately $4.5 million, but is expected to transport $20 million worth of water to the Valley in the first year alone. During the drought, Los Angeles imported nearly 60% of its water from the Colorado River, so city officials are hoping to take advantage of current Sierra runoff to avoid shortfalls in the future.
Community News Gateway project to improve Chatsworth
A shopping area in Chatsworth will find new life and be expanded to include a hotel, a gym, and a Starbucks. Named The Gateway, the project will encompass the site at Lassen Street and Mason Avenue, replacing some existing structures while preserving others. A former Safeway supermarket, built in the 1950’s, will find new purpose as a Planet Fitness gym, but retain its historic architecture in the process. The developers have plans to build a 87,000 square foot Marriott Residence Inn as well a Starbucks and Jack in the Box location. The Chatsworth Neighborhood Council have been supportive of the project thusfar, having long desired an improvement to the area. If approved, construction is expected to last until late 2018.
Pilot program to reduce parking tickets The City of Los Angeles will begin a pilot program in Woodland Hills and West LA that will warn residents through text or online messages when it’s safe to park their cars after street sweeping. Following
the suggestion of a working group formed by Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2014, the project will develop technology aimed at reducing the number of parking citations to residents. The program is
expecting to take 8 to 10 months to implement, and if successful would be rolled out citywide.
L.A. is second busiest city for commercial construction If you thought there were an abundance of construction cranes on the horizon lately, you were right. A recent survey has concluded that Los Angeles has the second busiest city in the U.S. for commercial construction, with 36 projects underway, as of July 2017. However, L.A.’s standing near the top of the leaderboard is a bit misleading, as Seattle is far-and-away the busiest city with 58 crane projects, and Toronto is tops on the continent with 81 projects. Other top U.S. cities include Denver (35 cranes), Chicago (34) and Portland, Oregon (32).
Restaurant
Spotlight
The Sushi by Jin
Gus’s Fried Chicken
Igloo Parlor
6010 Laurel Canyon Blvd North Hollywood
509 S. Glenoaks Blvd Burbank
14545 Ventura Blvd Sherman Oaks
If you’re going to fill yourself up with raw fish, it better be quality. In North Hollywood, The Sushi by Jin has an all-you-can-eat-deal that will satisfy you! Here you can test the elasticity of your stomach with three rounds of all-you-can-eat sushi for one hour. Don’t worry about quickly filling up since you won’t find the sushi rolls loaded with rice. You can also maxi¬mize your fish intake by ordering the “no rice” rolls. Keep in mind with your last plate though be¬cause you will be charged regular price for any leftover items. The Sushi By Jin is open Monday – Thursday from 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., 5 – 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m., and Sunday from 3 – 9 p.m.
This restaurant chain is among the most popular fried chicken names in all of America! Gus’s originated in Tennessee and dates back to the 1960s. Today, there are more than 22 restaurants across the South and Midwest. Unlike other places, here there’s only one level of spiciness: “hot & spicy.” Meals include two or three pieces of chicken, white or dark, a slice of bread, coleslaw and baked beans. To get the en¬tire southern experience, try the iced tea. For additional sides, get the fried okra, collard greens or their creamy-style mac and cheese. After your meal, treat yourself to a slice of pie! Daily hours for Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken in Burbank run 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. most nights, and 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Get your roll on at Igloo Parlor—the first and only rolled ice cream shop in the San Fernando Valley! There are four simple steps when making your ice cream here, mix it, roll it, top it, and driz¬zle it. Pick your base, add chopped ingredients, stack it on top, and sauce it up! You can choose from a large variety of toppings and ingredients to make your ice cream special! Some house favorites include the rocky road, the cookies & cream, and the caramel pecan. You can also add a fresh waffle bowl for only .99 cents! For mixed ideas, try the hazelnut heaven—a Nutella ice cream base with Ferrero Rocher chocolate drizzled with Nute¬lla and topped with another Ferrero Rocher chocolate on top. Igloo Parlor is open seven days a week. Typically stay¬ing open until 11 p.m.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS in LOS ANGELES
J. Paul Getty Museum
LACMA
1200 Getty Center Drive Los Angeles, CA 90049
5905 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90036
CURRENT EXHIBITION:
CURRENT EXHIBITION:
Happy Birthday, Mr. Hockney July 18 - November 26, 2017
Japanese Painting: A Walk in Nature May 13 - September 10, 2017
In honor of David Hockney’s 80th birthday, the Getty is exhibiting a two-part retrospective of his career, focusing on self-portrait paintings than span 65 years of his life, as well as photographs and Polaroid photocollages from the 1980’s.
In contrast with a western tradition that often depicts nature as a force to be feared or conquered, the pieces featured in this exhibit often depict the natural world as a place of tranquility. This exhibition includes 24 paintings created by Japanese artists of the 16th to 20th centuries, including work from the Maruyama, Rinpa, and Literati schools.
Annenberg Space for Photography 2000 Avenue of the Stars #10, Los Angeles, CA 90067 CURRENT EXHIBITION: Cuba Is September 9, 2017 – March 4, 2018 Cuba has long held the fascination of many Americans, and even as travel restrictions have decreased in recent years, few have seen what life is actually like on the island. This exhibit features over 120 photos depicting a wide range of Cuban subjects, as well as an original film documenting how the photographers captured the images.
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