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CONTENTS LETTERS....................................... 3 OPINION..................................... 4 COMMUNITY.............................. 6 FOOD & DRINK.......................... 7
PEOPLE....................................... 10 BUSINESS.................................. 12
COVER STORY.......................... 14 HEALTH & WELLNESS.............. 16 ARTS & EVENTS....................... 18 ADVICE GODDESS................... 19 WESTSIDE HAPPENINGS........ 24
PAGE 2 THE ARGONAUT JANUARY 6, 2022
ON THE COVER: Marischa Slusarski is a world-renowned interdisciplinary artist whose work has been displayed in galleries around the world. Photo: Chris Mortenson. Design by Arman Olivares.
Local News & Culture
The Westside’s News Source Since 1971 CONTACT US (310) 822-1629 Letters, News, Tips & Event Listings: kkirk@timespublications.com EDITORIAL Executive Editor: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski christina@timespublications.com Editor: Kamala Kirk (310) 574-7654 kkirk@timespublications.com Contributing Writers: Bridgette M. Redman, Michele Robinson Jenn McKee Editorial Interns: Holly Jenvey, Sebastian Lipstein ART Graphic Designers: Arman Olivares Kate Doll Staff Photographer: Chris Mortenson
ADVERTISING Display Advertising: Rebecca Bermudez (310) 463-0633 Peter Lymbertos (818) 624-6254 Classified Advertising: Ann Turrieta (626) 584-8747 aturrietta@timespublications.com BUSINESS Associate Publisher: Rebecca Bermudez (310) 574-7655 rbermudez@timespublications.com NEWS & SALES OFFICE PO Box 1349 South Pasadena, CA 91031 The Argonaut is distributed every Thursday in Del Rey, Marina del Rey, Mar Vista, Playa del Rey, Playa Vista, Santa Monica, Venice, and Westchester. The Argonaut is available free of charge, limited to one per reader. The Argonaut may be distributed only by authorized distributors. No person may, without prior written permission of The Argonaut, take more than one copy of any issue. The Argonaut is copyrighted 2021 by Times Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part in any form or by any means without prior express written permission by the publisher. An adjudicated Newspaper of General Circulation with a distribution of 30,000.
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L E T T E R S PHOTO COURTESY OF SANTA MONICA POLICE ACTIVITIES LEAGUE
On Dec. 15, the Santa Monica Police Activities League hosted its annual Holiday Workshop and Santa Claus presented youth with gifts provided through the “Best Gift Ever Toy Drive.”
Coronavirus by the numbers and local updates Compiled by Kamala Kirk Cases and deaths by neighborhood as of January 2: Culver City: 4,114 (deaths 116); Del Rey: 55 (deaths one); El Segundo: 1,640 (deaths 10); Marina del Rey: 1,071 (deaths four); Mar Vista: 4,171 (deaths 37); Palms: 4,734 (deaths 69); Playa del Rey: 259 (deaths one); Playa Vista: 1,298 (deaths 12); Santa Monica: 10,112 (deaths 198); Venice: 4,121 (deaths 20); Westchester: 5,089 (deaths 60) Total Westside cases: 36,664 Total Westside deaths: 528
Total confirmed cases in LA County: 1,741,292 Total deaths in LA County: 27,640 Total new cases as of January 2: 44,753 Total new deaths: 4 Hospitalizations: 1,628 Positivity rate (seven-day daily average): 12.30% Total number of people tested: 10,097,391 (Source: Los Angeles County Department of Public Health)
Open letter to the homeless Editor: Just because you are homeless does not mean you have an excuse for being dirty! I read the paper and this is the biggest complaint. Trash! I understand your bitterness, but leaving your spot filthy is not justifiable. It is misdirected vengeance and only exacerbates the problem by turning homeless sympathizers against us. If you leave your waste where someone was kind enough to let you crash without calling one time or turning on the sprinklers, they could turn from kind to frustrated. No one wants to clean up after grown folks. Keep a plastic bag and when you finish your meal, dispose of the packaging, also, the contents of your bowels in the plastic and when you push to your next spot, pick up somebody else’s trash too, and properly
dispose of it all in a dumpster! Perhaps if we show kindness and consideration to the Earth, by just taking care of your own self, the world will be a better place. Side note: rubbish is excellent fuel for campfires, if you are able to safely. It burns long and reduces your footprint by self-disposal Haqimah Allah Los Angeles
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OPINION: POWER TO SPEAK
Who Is Really Killing in Cold Blood: Prisoners or the Prisons?
Profit has been turned into a compelling motive for incarceration By Storey Wertheimer irca 2009 in WilkesBarre Pennsylvania, the juvenile prison population is skyrocketing. Thousands of students are hauled off to private detention facilities for offenses large and small –everything from mocking a principal on MySpace to cursing at a friend’s mother is now deemed just cause for imprisonment. When residents file complaints about this arbitrary iron fist, an investigation ensues. At last, the truth, more heinous than anyone would have imagined, comes to light. Private prisons had been paying two county judges millions of dollars to consign juveniles to detention centers. Later dubbed “Kids for Cash,” this scandal raised the crucial
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ArgonautNews.com question: why are private prisons desperate enough for inmates that they’ll pay judges to lock up innocent children? The answer lies in one word, sewn into the very fabric of every corporation: money, money, money. The privatization of prisons has turned profit into a compelling motive for incarceration – the more people locked up, the more money made. In the United States, 115,000 people are currently incarcerated in private prisons. Catastrophically, individual liberty rests in the hands of corporations that readily admit their business strategy is to imprison en masse. The Corrections Corporation of America itself wrote, “The demand for our facilities and services could be adversely affected by the relaxation of enforcement efforts.” With prison fat-cats extolling expansion, it comes as no surprise that since 2000, the private prison population has increased by 47% while the overall prison population has increased by just 9%. With justice administered
through the lens of profit maximization, private prisons will stop at nothing to continue raking in extraordinary sums – from spending millions on lobbying to moving their annual conference to Trump’s Golf Club in Miami. But for thousands of inmates, the reality of private prisons could not be further from glistening golf courses and blissful Miami beaches. Constantly searching for ways to cut costs, private prisons have become bastions of depravity and danger. Overworked, underpaid and untrained staff have fueled an uptick in violence, with private prisons recording 28% more inmate assaults than public facilities. The Department of Justice found a significant correlation between private prisons and increased contraband, lockdowns, and sexual assault. Private prisons rely on imprisoning people for minor offenses; however, this process is entirely counterproductive, making prisoners increasingly dependent on the system.
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Without any contact with the outside world, prisoners are not trained to thrive as lawful citizens, but instead, must merely fight to survive. Because prisons often return inmates to the community with severe dependency issues and psychological damage, recidivism rates are astronomical; half of those released are rearrested within two years. Yet, the private prison industry is incentivized to avoid rehabilitating prisoners and preventing recidivism. Rehabilitation means their prison population will no longer regenerate itself; their current revolving door system circulates a whole lot of money. Private prisons also target minorities and immigrants, with a 422% increase in the number of immigrants detained in private prisons between 2000 and 2016. This vicious cycle destabilizes minority communities – community members are locked away, churned up and spit out, only to be locked away again. Children who grow up with incarcerated parents are also three times more likely to
end up imprisoned themselves. Ironically, from the private prison industry’s perspective, this is the perfect, self-sustaining business model; they profit from locking someone up, and a few years later, profit from locking up their kids. Prisons allegedly exist to reprimand those who violate the social contract, and I agree that we should never make excuses for those who assault innocents or kill in cold blood. But paradoxically, that is exactly what private prisons are doing. We cannot sit idly by while prisons strip children of their futures, creating an intergenerational pattern of marginalization and systematic oppression. It is embedded within corporate DNA to fend for profit. When push comes to shove, corporations will never prioritize social good if it means less cash flow. Because of this disturbing reality, the only way to restore justice is to completely disband private prisons. But we cannot stop there. We must rethink the justice system as a whole, investing in
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rehabilitative practices to reduce recidivism. One such practice is restorative justice, a process that promotes rehabilitation through reconciliation with victims and the community at large. Restorative justice relies on the premise that, “To be fully accountable, offenders need to acknowledge their behavior was harmful to others and take action to repair that harm.” This victim-centered approach holds offenders accountable while lending support to victims through victim-offender mediation, reparations, community service, and community forums. Focusing on healing rather than punishment, this process has an astounding success rate, reducing recidivism between 7% and 45%. Private prisons merely strip innocents of their liberty and trap minorities within a broken, perverted system. When profit reigns supreme, our most vulnerable fall through the cracks. We can, and must, re-envision the prison industry, ensuring that our justice system does not perpetuate injustice.
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PHOTOS CREDIT: VIVIEN KILLILEA
C O M M U N I T Y
Giving Back to Those in Need Pair of Thieves and Baby2Baby helped families during the holiday season By Kamala Kirk n December 3, Pair of Thieves teamed up with Baby2Baby to volunteer their time to pack duffels for families in need during the holiday season. Each duffel included gloves, a beanie, a blanket, hygiene items and socks from Pair of Thieves. Pair of Thieves is a Culver City-based brand that was founded in 2012 by David Ehrenberg, Alan Stuart and Cash Warren. Originally created as a sock company, the brand has expanded to men’s underwear and undershirts, bringing high-quality basics to customers at an affordable price. Since inception, Pair of Thieves has donated millions of pairs of socks to those in need. “Giving back has been a core value for each of us even before founding Pair of Thieves,” said Ehrenberg, Stuart and Warren. “It was only natural that Pair of Thieves would inherit a social conscience. National Sock Day was created to be more than just a celebration of socks. It has become a service day with purpose, which is supportiing those in need with basic essentials. Our Good Fits program encourages our customers to purchase with purpose through numerous opportunities during the year which benefit the
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homeless, LGBTQ+ youth and raise awareness about the importance of mental health.” Pair of Thieves also donated more than 350,000 pairs of socks to children living in poverty that Baby2Baby serves across the country. National Sock Day, which takes place on December 4, was created by Pair of Thieves as a way to celebrate socks and all that they bring to the world. They have now turned the holiday into a celebration of giving back. Baby2Baby is a nonprofit organization in Culver City that provides children living in poverty with diapers, clothing and all the basic necessities that every child deserved. In the last 10 years, Baby2Baby has distributed over 200 million items to children in homeless shelters, domestic violence programs, hospitals and underserved schools, as well as children who have lost everything in the wake of disaster. Since the COVID-19 crisis, Baby2Baby has served over 1 million children across the country impacted by the pandemic. Pair of Thieves pairofthieves.com Baby2Baby baby2baby.org
Pair of Thieves co-founder Cash Warren (right center) packed duffels alongside volunteers for families in need over the holidays.
Pair of Thieves co-founders Alan Stuart, Cash Warren and David Ehrenberg.
Volunteers hard at work at Baby2Baby’s headquarters in Culver City. Pair of Thieves partnered with Baby2Baby for National Sock Day.
Pair of Thieves donated over 350,000 pairs of socks to children in poverty. PAGE 6 THE ARGONAUT JANUARY 6, 2022
Pair of Thieves is a Culver City-based brand that was founded by Cash Warren, David Ehrenberg and Alan Stuart.
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Year of the Tiger
Sugarfina debuts Lunar New Year Collection for good fortune, health and prosperity
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best-sellers. The collection also features lucky red envelopes to give the gift of good fortune and welcome sweet prosperity all year long. “We continuously analyze consumer insights through Sugarfina’s loyalty program to clearly understand our evolving customer base,” said Scott LaPorta, CEO and co-investor of Sugarfina. “Through this, we identified that a significant number of our audience celebrate Lunar New Year. For the fifth year in a row, we are thrilled to offer customers a luxurious, new Lunar New Year collection featuring innovative packaging to make this holiday feel extra special.” Sugarfina has stores in gateway locations across the United States, Canada and Hong Kong. The company also sells directly to consumers through its e-commerce business, in
specialty retailers, department store shop-in-shops, and corporate gifting. “An important part of our brand DNA is to continuously innovate to surprise and delight customers with new candy flavors and engaging packaging to create luxurious gifts,” LaPorta added. “Featuring exceptional new design elements, Sugarfina is thrilled to reveal our 2021 Lunar New Year collection.” Sugarfina Westfield Culver City 6000 Sepulveda Boulevard, Suite 1351, Culver City 424-400-8240 Sugarfina at Nordstrom Santa Monica Place 220 Broadway, Santa Monica 310-752-2701 sugarfina.com
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SUGARFINA
By Kamala Kirk hinese New Year falls on February 1 and 2022 marks the Year of the Tiger on the Chinese calendar. To make festivities sweeter and richer, luxury candy retailer Sugarfina has released a Lunar New Year Collection to honor the abundance of celebrations. The exclusive release commemorates both sunrise and new moon festivities with a new innovative shadow box packaging seen in the matching day and night Bento Boxes. The collection includes a 2-piece Candy Bento Box ($23) filled with Peach Tea Bears and limited-edition lychee-flavored Lotus Flowers; an 8-piece Candy Bento Box ($80) with additional sweet treats including Peach Blossoms and Tangerine Bears; and a red and gold 9-piece Mini Trunk ($120) featuring an abundance of seasonal favorites and classic
Luxury candy retailer Sugarfina has launched a Lunar New Year Collection to ring in the Year of the Tiger.
D I R E C T presents
HEALTH & WELLNESS ISSUE
THE ARGONAUT’S MONTHLY EDUCATION UPDATE In response to the ever-changing challenges facing our local schools & educators, The Argonaut wants to help share news about enrollments, tours, donations, distance learning, etc...
NEXT ISSUE IS JANUARY 20 Advertising Deadline: Monday, Jan. 17
If your business has anything to do with fitness, health or beauty this is the issue you don’t want to miss. It will be mailed into every home in Playa Vista, home to young professionals and families. S PA C E C L O S E D AT E :
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If your business is located in Los Angeles County, we can publish your FBN notice • Cost is $50 for the required 4 weeks of publication. • You must have filed your FBN statement with the LA County Clerk recently. • Deadline is Friday for publication the following Thursday.
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Special Spirit
Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr.’s Jetway wine seltzer lands in LA By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski he Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. was at a bar in Italy when he discovered an amaretto spritz. He was so taken by the spirit that he subsequently founded Jetway, an ultra-premium wine seltzer. “I like this so much that I want it to be successful so I can keep buying this,” Hammond Jr. said with a laugh. “I have a friend in Italy in Milan and we had a gathering of his friends at this local bar. I had an amaretto spritz and I loved the ability to have many of something to consume while interacting. We were buzzed, but everyone was chatting. I love the idea of that pairing. I wanted to make a version of that, but I wanted to take the stuff I didn’t like from it and make it uniquely my own.” Unlike hard seltzers, Jetway does not contain cane sugar or artificial flavors. The first offerings — a sauvignon blanc and a rosé of syrah and cabernet sauvignon — are sourced from the
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McNary Vineyard, which overlooks the Columbia River in Washington state. Both are blended with distinct and rare ingredients that enhance well-being — including elderflower, yerba mate, Fijian ginger and yuzu — all of which were handpicked by Hammond Jr. as they are inspired from his travels and childhood. “Half the enjoyment of Jetway is its aroma,” he said. “It takes you on a journey and makes you want to keep going back for another smell and taste. The color is beautiful and the bubbles playful. I want Jetway to be the bridge to your next adventure, whatever that might be — hanging at home with friends, a night out or an exotic trip.” Jetway has been available in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties since The Strokes debuted the beverage at their Forum show in October. Distribution will continue to expand into 2022. In Santa Monica, it’s available at The Bungalow Santa Monica, 101 Wilshire Boulevard. PHOTOS COURTESY OF JETWAY
ArgonautNews.com
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HEALTH & WELLNESS ISSUE This is the perfect way for your business to reach active consumers who care about healthy living, looking good and staying fit. This issue will focus on a variety of health, wellness, and beauty topics relevant to Westsiders. Don’t miss this chance to kick-off new year business by reaching health-conscious Westsiders! Materials Due January 21 • Publishes January 27 TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE CALL (310) 463-0633
The Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. debuted Jetway at California gigs in October. PAGE 8 THE ARGONAUT JANUARY 6, 2022
ArgonautNews.com At 100 calories per 8.4 fluid ounce can, Jetway wine seltzers are 5% alcohol by volume. Hammond Jr. came up with the idea long before the seltzer craze, he said — in 2017. “I was trying to create a drink that could compete against beer,” he said. “I want this over a beer. You can drink it like a seltzer and enjoy it like a wine.” When he pitched the idea, it was well received. “The whole process of how I got here is as magical as when I started the Strokes,” he said. “It had that same feeling that the universe was guiding me.” Jetway investors include Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Nick Hoult, Coran Capshaw, Robert Schwartzman and Zoey Grossman. Hammond Jr. has tapped Ben Parsons as Jetway’s chief operating officer. A winemaker and brand builder, Parsons pioneered the canned wine category. “Jetway is all about a sense of place,” Parsons said in a statement. “At its core, it’s a single vineyard designate wine blended with distinct and rare ingredients that actually complement the wine, coming together in unison to make something better. Wine has a healthy halo in its DNA since it’s made with grapes, so the added ingredients only enhance that.”
Jetway is available in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties.
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P E O P L E
Big Screen Dreams
TV producer Casey Kasprzyk found success in the world of soap operas By Kamala Kirk rom a young age, Casey Kasprzyk knew that he wanted to work in the entertainment industry. He attended Chapman University for the school’s film and television production program, where he helped produce various late night and business shows. “I was inspired by the film ‘Back to the Future’ and wanted to make movies like that one day,” Kasprzyk says. “I aspired to be the next Steven Spielberg or Robert Zemeckis. Then I went to film school and realized there was a difference between film and TV and how they’re produced. Film production is a very different world. I gravitated more towards television, I liked the controlled environment inside a studio with set hours. I knew at a young age what I wanted to do, and I’m fortunate that I went to school for it and have a job in this industry.” In college, Kasprzyk was very involved in student activities and was associated students president. During the last semester of his senior year, he landed an internship with the CBS soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful” and drove from Orange County to Los Angeles twice a week. “My friend Diane had interned there and I thought it would be fun because I watched the show,” Kasprzyk says. “I really enjoyed the internship.” After graduating from Chapman University in 2001, Kasprzyk enrolled in the graduate television program at Loyola Marymount University. He gained industry work experience through various internships including the Game Show Network and Fox Sports, and was a page at Television City. “I got exposure to television shows like ‘American Idol,’ ‘The Price Is Right’ and ‘Hollywood Squares,’ it was really cool to have that opportunity,” Kasprzyk says. “During my internship at Fox Sports I always had ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ on TV, but whenever someone would come into my office I changed the channel back to sports. I was always
PHOTOS BY CHRIS MORTENSON
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Casey Kasprzyk is an Emmy Award-winning television producer who has worked for the CBS soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful” since 2003.
PAGE 10 THE ARGONAUT JANUARY 6, 2022
more interested in what was going on with B&B, which reinforced that it was where I wanted to be.” In 2003 during his final year at LMU, Kasprzyk was hired to work at the front desk for B&B. He started out performing various administrative duties, which included answering phones and making copies of scripts, but quickly worked his way up. “At B&B, everyone starts at the front desk,” Kasprzyk says. “That’s what’s so special about working there, it’s a family-run production company and the Bell family who owns it is amazing. My boss, Brad Bell, really set a tone at the company that creates a family atmosphere and most of the employees have been there a very long time. That’s the secret sauce of the show.” Kasprzyk caught the attention of his boss and the show’s producers after he created entertaining videos for the company’s anniversary and Christmas parties. “After that, I started making videos for our website,” Kasprzyk says. “In 2008 after being with the company for five years, I became associate producer and helped with the creative aspects of the show, quality control, and helped move the show forward transitioning to high definition. I also supervise digital effects, and spend a lot of time in post-production editing montages and sequences. I have also directed several episodes. I always say that I don’t write the show, I look for ways to help enhance it creatively.” Kasprzyk eventually became the show’s location coordinator, scouting and securing places to shoot. “Brad and I started collaborating to make LA more of a character on the show,” Kasprzyk says. “It usually starts with him asking me where we could go that would be fun and different, like if a character is going to propose or there’s going to be a wedding. We’ve filmed in a lot of Westside locations like Malibu and Marina del Rey. On an episode, one of the show’s main characters, Stephanie, had a
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Kasprzyk is an alumnus of Loyola Marymount University, where he enrolled in the graduate television program. lifelong dream to ride a rollercoaster at the Santa Monica Pier so we filmed an entire episode about that. We’ve also taken the show to Aspen, Cabo San Lucas, Italy, Monte Carlo, Paris, Amsterdam and Sydney. I’ve been all over the world.” When scouting for a shoot, Kasprzyk will travel to destinations to do research and figure out logistics, meet with a local production company, then make a big concept board with the different locations for filming. “It all comes together really quickly,” Kasprzyk says. “One of the most challenging and rewarding locations to film in was Dubai, where Brad had this idea that one of the actors was going to fall off the helipad at the Burj Al Arab Hotel. When I saw it in person, I realized it was going to be hard to get the filming equipment up to the
helipad and the hotel decided they didn’t want us to shoot there. We changed the scene so that the character falls out of a helicopter, which made it even better. That was one of our most exciting location shoots.” Another memorable location was downtown LA’s Skid Row. The storyline ended up winning a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series in 2011, which was Kasprzyk’s first Emmy. “Brad came to me and said he wanted to do an episode about homelessness and he wanted to feature residents of Skid Row as actors,” Kasprzyk says. “That started our production team on this incredible journey stepping outside the studio, going into downtown LA and meeting with representatives from Union Rescue Mission and different community leaders. By the time
the episodes were edited and on air, winning an award was an afterthought. It was more about the experience, the people that we met and what we all taught one another. Skid Row was a part of LA I’d never been to before and now I have a connection to the community.” Always looking for new ways to challenge himself, Kasprzyk collaborated with his colleague, Anthony Ferrari, who oversees B&B’s international distribution, to write a song for the show in 2014. “I’d had this song in my head for 10 years and one day I sat down and put it on paper, then I gave him the lyrics,” Kasprzyk says. “He came up with a melody, we created a song and put it in the show. It was called ‘Hands of Time’ and was well received by the fans. It was the first song I ever wrote and it
won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Original Song for a Drama Series.” After their success, Ferrari and Kasprzyk continued to write songs for the show. Together they’re written over 40 songs, winning Daytime Emmy Awards in 2015, 2016 and 2019, in addition to earning multiple nominations. “The majority of songs start with an idea, I’ll be driving or going on a long walk around the neighborhood and lyrics will come into my head, then I’ll jot them down in my phone and elaborate on that,” Kasprzyk says. “When a script comes out, I’ll try to have it relate more to the storyline so it helps to tell the story through the song. It’s interesting, I’ll write these songs and then the episodes will come out and will be exactly how I was feeling when I wrote the song. I don’t play any instruments or have any music training, but writing song lyrics is like poetry. It’s been really cathartic to have that kind of outlet.” After COVID-19 hit and the entertainment industry was put on pause, B&B was the first scripted TV show that was officially approved to go back into production. Kasprzyk and his colleagues worked tirelessly to come up with ways to continue filming the show in a safe manner. “The producers met every day at the beginning of shutdown to figure out how we could make the show,” Kasprzyk says. “Once the unions and the guilds came out with their protocols, we were able to get approved quickly to go back into production. There were a lot of starts and stops because everyone wanted to do it safely. Our actors had to be 8 feet apart, we used mannequins and camera tricks, and some of our actors and actresses brought in their significant others as stand-ins for kissing scenes. Everyone gets tested weekly and half of our office works hybrid.” When faced with the decision of whether or not to incorporate the pandemic into the show’s storylines, Kasprzyk says that B&B ultimately decided not to include it because the show helps people escape from the realities of daily life. “The soap opera isn’t supposed to be real life, we need to tell stories that are larger than life,” Kasprzyk says. “Our show
gives viewers 30 minutes a day, five days a week where they can forget about their problems, see the characters they love and just have fun. People are tuning in to escape from the pandemic. That’s what I feel my contribution is: entertaining people.” Back in June, Kasprzyk started a weekly YouTube show called “Bold Live” where he interviews a cast member in every episode and fans can call in. “We talk to fans from around the world live on the air, it’s a fun way to get to know the actors and it grew out of COVID-19 because we couldn’t have fan events,” Kasprzyk says. “I enjoy hosting, it’s another creative outlet for me and it helps me feel the pulse of what our fans like.” March 2022 will mark the show’s 35th anniversary, and while Kasprzyk doesn’t exactly know yet what B&B will doing, he is looking forward to some type of celebration. “That’s what I love about this job, we film 250 episodes a year and eight episodes a week, but every day is something different,” Kasprzyk says. “B&B is the most watched daily drama series in the world. I’m very fortunate to have a job where I can use my creativity and I’ve really grown up with the show. I’ve learned a lot from the people I work with and we all help each other grow.” While B&B is a huge part of Kasprzyk’s life, in his spare time he enjoys mentoring students at his alma mater, running marathons, playing tennis, attending sporting events and spending time outdoors in Playa Vista. He moved to the community last year after being a Westchester resident for 19 years. “When I started at LMU in 2001, Playa Vista was starting to be incorporated,” Kasprzyk says. “I saw condos being built and over the years it continued to grow. I just felt a connection to the area and knew I needed to be on the Westside. It’s very open with hiking trails, dog parks and great access to the beach and airport. Playa Vista is such a welcoming community and I really feel at home in this part of LA.” The Bold and the Beautiful cbs.com/shows/ the_bold_and_the_beautiful
JANUARY 6, 2022 THE ARGONAUT PAGE 11
B U S I N E S S
Connecting People Through Music and History The Venice West offers live entertainment and great food By Sebastian Lipstein ive and a half years ago, Venice local Rob Lissner and his business partner, Allen Sanford, embarked on a journey to open a much-needed live music venue in the heart of Venice. Music fans at heart, Lissner and his friends would often joke about how difficult it was to see great live music on a consistent basis without driving at least 10 miles east. They’d pick numbers to see who had to drive or get them a ride whenever they’d go catch a show. Eventually they decided to solve the problem. The project had many twists and turns, but five years and a pandemic later, The Venice West finally opened its doors. “It was a very tough road, but we are stoked to finally be open and appreciative of all the local support,” Lissner said. “One of the reasons I moved to Venice 20 years ago was because it wasn’t like the rest of Los Angeles. The diversity, eccentricity and culture are what drew me here and made me want to raise my family here. What could be a better representation of those things and connector of people than music?” No stranger to the music business, Sanford is also the owner of St. Rocke, a popular music venue in Hermosa Beach that has yet to reopen following the pandemic. Lissner and Sanford are both cofounders of the BeachLife Festival, a music festival held in Redondo Beach that attracts 30,000 visitors across the three-day event each year. The building that houses The Venice West has a storied history as well. It was most recently the locally loved nightclub Witzend, and before that it served as a production studio and a nightclub called The 4H club, also known as Honky Hoagies Handy Hangout. The music at Venice West is tastefully diverse, with national touring bands such as Grammynominated blues act North Mississippi Allstars, internationally-renowned and New Orleans-based Dirty Dozen Brass Band, reggae legends The Wailers, as well as The English Beat, a ska-reggae group that toured with David Bowie, The
PHOTO COURTESY OF VENICE PAPARAZZI
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The Venice West is a newly-opened venue in Venice that showcases a wide variety of live music performances. PHOTOS COURTESY OF JP CORDERO
The menu at The Venice West features upscale-casual food headed by Chef Diego Balam.
PAGE 12 THE ARGONAUT JANUARY 6, 2022
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE VENICE WEST
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310.822.3377 DaviD P. Baker Legendary reggae group The Wailers recently performed to a sold-out crowd at The Venice West. Talking Heads and The Police. There are plenty of local acts as well, such as Torrance-based rock band Joker’s Hand, and Thursdays feature performances by Tom Freund and Friends, a multi-instrumentalist singer/ songwriter who has played alongside Jackson Browne and Elvis Costello. Musical acts change nightly and there are a wide array of genres and performers including dueling pianos, jazz and the legendary Guitar Shorty who recently played there. He has toured with Ray Charles and Sam Cooke, and allegedly introduced Jimi Hendrix, his former half-brother, to the wah pedal. Kaycee Smith, director of marketing and community engagement for The Venice West, said, “The goal is for this to be a neighborhood place where people are always like, “I don’t know what’s going on, but let’s go by the Venice West because you know it’s going to be good.” The owners of The Venice West put forth meticulous effort and time to make sure the venue and interior is designed for the best audio quality possible. Furthermore, every performance has a sound engineer behind it to ensure great quality of sound and lighting. “This is a full professional, proper venue,” said Carl Roberts, musician and general manager of The Venice West. “It’s a venue like The Coach House and Canyon Club. Here you’re getting a professional
level of lights and sound in a 225-capacity venue.” In addition to musical entertainment, The Venice West is also known for having a great menu. The upscale-casual food headed by Chef Diego Balam, former owner of Food Fair by Diego, is also guaranteed to impress. The flavorful menu features recognizable classics like fried pickles, calamari, spaghetti with Bolognese sauce and burgers, among other dishes. “I want people to come in and enjoy the menu and recognize it,” Balam said. “I also want to keep it reasonably priced for the customers. I just want people to be happy when they walk out. At the end of the day, that was the only goal when I owned my restaurant.” There is also a full liquor bar with over a dozen beers on draft featuring mostly local microbreweries like Smog City and Surfridge, and a cocktail menu. The venue’s name pays homage to the beat scene in the 1950s and 1960s in Venice, dubbed “Venice West.” Beats would gather in living rooms and coffee houses such as The Gas House and Venice West Cafe to recite poetry, play music and converse. The beat generation brought culture, the arts, bohemianism, eccentricity, and an overall renaissance to Venice that still lives on to this day. Inside, visitors will enjoy an immersive visual history of the era as there are dozens of original photos, posters and decor from that time, including
an original Gas House silkscreen print from famed local artist Earl Newman. Lissner was meticulous with the selection of the imagery and artifacts chosen for the interior and enlisted Brian Chidester, a writer, historian and documentary filmmaker who is a respected authority on Venice and LA during the beat era. “It was really important to me that everything displayed have an authentic connection to the storied history...either directly or through music and other creative influences,” Lissner said. From the art on the walls and friendly staff to the menu and music, it feels as if The Venice West has been around for ages. “The place is for the local crowd,” Roberts said. “It’s not corporate, it’s a real local bar not a chain. Most of the staff here is local and has been here for years. It’s about respecting Venice and hoping they respect us back. We’re all in it together. We love it and as soon as everybody knows we’re open, they’ll love it too. It’s new, but it’s respectful to the past and spotlights it. But we are in the now. It’s time to get the Roaring Twenties going. People have been waiting a long time to socialize and listen to good music again, and bands have been itching to play.” The Venice West 1717 Lincoln Boulevard, Venice 424-443-5222 thevenicewest.com
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C O V E R
S T O R Y
Staying True Artist Marischa Slusarski forged an extraordinary path to achieve her dream PHOTOS BY CHRIS MORTENSEN
Interdisciplinary artist and Marina del Rey resident Marischa Slusarski at her El Segundo studio. By Bridgette M. Redman hen one is called to be an artist, it doesn’t matter what hurdles have to be jumped over or what prejudices have to be overcome. An artist finds the way to create what they are meant to create and become the artist they are meant to be. Marina del Rey resident Marischa Slusarski knew from the time she was a young child that she wanted to be an artist. It didn’t matter that she came from a family of second-generation immigrants and was raised by strict, religious parents in a small suburb of Denver with no
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access to museums or other forms of art. “I was really voraciously curious about art, drawing and painting at an early age, but I didn’t have a foundation to support or nurture that curiosity,” Slusarski said. “My parents didn’t understand and we had no access to contemporary art or fine art galleries or museums. They wanted me to paint pictures of the Rocky Mountains and landscapes.” Instead, Slusarski drew half-human, half-rabbit creatures; biomorphic figures, and things that made her parents think she was insane.
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When she went off to a small state college, she wasn’t allowed to be an art major because she had to get a job. However, in between her journalism classes, she haunted the arts department, creating as often as she could. Some evenings she’d spend in print making shops. “I had to chart my own course,” Slusarski said. “I was my own north star.” Once she left college, Slusarski got a series of what she called “gold-bricking jobs” to support her painting. She would take jobs with no supervision where no one knew what she
was doing. “I would paint all night and then go to my office and fall asleep on the floor,” Slusarski said. “I was sticking it to the man for the right to be an artist. I was so determined to be a full-time artist.” Along the way she would do things like work as a body painter in a Hollywood nightclub. She’d paint the women who danced on the lit cubes as well as the nightclub customers. She’d make turkey dogs out of a rice cooker and steamer and sell them for $5 a piece to supplement her tips. Her first real show was at the
food court in the Santa Monica mall. “That was really weird,” Slusarski said. “My painting could be construed as somewhat disturbing. You’d be sitting there with your entire family eating a hot dog on a stick and looking at these weird paintings.” A person who was influential in the art world — and who later became a major champion of her work — approached Slusarski’s and the first thing she asked was whether she’d been abused as a child.
Commissions launched next artistic phase Soon, things started taking off for Slusarski’s art career. She caught the attention of people in the movie industry who bought her art. She was picked up by a gallery and a friend started acting as her European art consultant. “I was doing the hybrid work,” Slusarski said. “They were representational animal portraits that were half-human and half-animal. They were amalgamations, deformed and conjoined.” She was able to quit her gold-bricking jobs as commissions started to roll in. “There were a lot of TV actors and famous people who wanted me to paint their special family dynamic as animals,” Slusarski said. “A kid would want to be a parrot or a mountain lion. One TV actor wanted me to paint him as a half tiger. I painted him as a tigerfish—that was really weird.” Sometimes her clients got oddly specific. One woman commissioned Slusarski to paint her husband as a Chippendale beefcake with a wolf head, sitting in front of a lake while reading a book and catching a fly at the same time. “Those commissions were really hard,” Slusarski said. Life as a full-time artist came with adventures as well. Slusarski traveled the world looking for places to create. She described how she once got on a plane to Bangkok with no money. She had a friend there who had a great gallery and he was dubbed by a Bangkok magazine as artist of the year. She moved into his place and kept painting. Once back home, Slusarski was able to break into the
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methods to create layered paintings. One of her works had 37 layers. “I wanted to do everything,” Slusarski said. “Spray paint, air compressor — there was no judgment or ego involved. I had a lot of time and a single-occupancy studio, so I didn’t have to worry about COVID-19. I just got to play with paint on a lot of canvasses. I went crazy making these paintings.” She said everyone needs to figure out what they really want to do in this time and recognize that many people are having a really hard time. “A lot of artists did really depressing political work and I wanted to do riotous, super colorful, super iridescent, almost holographic work,” Slusarski said. “They have sparkling layers that draw you in. If you look at my painting, there are these lofty layers of work that kind of go back and forth in layering. That was what I wanted to do. I wanted to make myself happy or I would just lay down again and eat split pea soup and watch Netflix.” Slusarski has pursued a successful gallery career exhibiting paintings, sculptures, photography and digital media. Venice arts scene by renting a studio in the Franklin building. In lieu of rent, she gave them one painting a year. She did that for nine years and it became her springboard into the Venice art scene. In those days, there were very few women or BIPOC artists in the scene—and those that were often found themselves in danger from men who wanted to assault them. Slusarski bonded with the other women. “We ruled Abbot Kinney — we just ruled it,” Slusarski said. “Abbot Kinney is great now, but in the olden days it was the wild, wild west. We were making headway while also navigating the art world. All of Venice had this edgy feeling. It was this incredible community atmosphere. We didn’t feel less than the male artist. It was really a very fertile time to be an artist.”
Painter skipped across the planet Slusarski’s international adventures weren’t over yet. She moved to East London with a photographer she had met in Bangkok. They set up on Brick Lane, transforming one of her
apartment bedrooms into a studio. They started creating large-scale photographs that became dioramas with filters, scrims, scaffolding and populated with taxidermy and sculpted troglodyte figures. “We had them living in forests with sci-fi vegetables we’d get at the Bangladeshi market,” Slusarski said. “Anything we could find, we’d put in the photograph.” It was a challenging city to be an artist, Slusarski said, both as an American and someone without a master’s degree in art. Eventually she was able to open a gallery in the basement of a hair salon. That lasted until she got kicked out of the country because she went in and out of London too much and never had a green card. In late 2015, Slusarski and her husband traveled to Bhutan for a month. This time, both had work permits and she worked with the artist community there, giving them lectures. “It was one of the most extraordinary experiences in my life,” Slusarski said. “It had been closed off to the public for a long time. Himalayan Buddhists live there who actually believe in flying tigers and
mythical beasts..” She continued traveling and continued making art. She had shows in Asia, Europe and cities around the United States. “I just kept challenging the traditional boundaries of being an artist,” Slusarski said. Her resume is sprinkled with eclectic jobs she did throughout her journey — from designing children’s toys and being a production designer for a horror movie in an abandoned Ohio amusement park to doing volunteer work teaching art to teenagers with mental health issues.
Adapting during the pandemic Slusarski met her husband, Ricardo Angelo Mestres III, while selling art in Hollywood as he was the head of a major studio. However, when his daughter died of a brain tumor when he was 48, he quit and went back to medical school to become an emergency room doctor. Now in his 60s, he didn’t sign up for a pandemic, Slusarski said. They were both afraid that he would die or that he would bring it home and she would
die. She became very despondent and would lay around watching Netflix all day and eating the same flavor can of soup. Slusarski realized she had to get a job. She was invited to teach a visual arts lab via Zoom and began hanging out with women who were doing textiles and abstract work using digital tools. It led her to asking herself what was stopping her from making abstract work, something that had long been a dream of hers. “I don’t want to keep repeating myself,” Slusarski said. “I don’t want to replicate myself. I don’t want to build my brand. I don’t want to be famous. I want to be well regarded. Why not during the pandemic, as I’m teaching this class and getting ideas, do what I’ve always wanted to do? Do what I was curious about doing?” She began experimenting with different tools, creating forms that looked like centipedes scampering under the deep sea. She’d put them on freezer paper and then collage them onto canvases. She pulled out some abstract paintings from storage that she had created and started using digital and analog
Future is hazy — but it will include art Slusarski’s studio is located in El Segundo and she continues to be influenced by what she calls “the zany village that was Venice.” While she can’t predict what her future art is going to look like, she does plan to dally for a while in the abstract work. “I haven’t saturated the process,” Slusarski said. “I haven’t become tired of it. I haven’t started to make commissions of abstract wolves sitting in chairs catching flies. I’m able to do what I want to do and if I’m able to do that, I’ll continue to make these paintings. I know that for now, I’m really psyched and am having a blast.” It’s a message she passes on to the younger artists whom she’s mentored and lectured. “I think at the end of the day, I wouldn’t have done anything different,” Slusarski said. “We all become the artist we’re supposed to be. I don’t know if I would want to live if I couldn’t make art.”.
Marischa Slusarski slusarskistudio.com Instagram: @art_marischa
JANUARY 6, 2022 THE ARGONAUT PAGE 15
H E A L T H
&
W E L L N E S S
Curating the Health Space
Venice-based online wellness platform makes it easy to find affordable holistic care PHOTOS COURTESY OF KENSHŌ HEALTH
Krista Berlincourt and Danny Steiner are the founders of Kenshō Health, a Venice-based online wellness platform that makes it easy to find high-quality, affordable holistic care from thousands of licensed providers trusted by top health systems. By Jenn McKee t seems painfully ironic that Kenshō Health – an online holistic healthcare marketplace based in Venice – officially launched in February 2020, mere weeks before the world shut down due to a worldwide pandemic. In another way, though, the timing seemed uncanny. “From a demand perspective, one of the silver linings is people started focusing on their health more, and looking for more alternatives and different ways to solve ongoing problems,” said Kenshō cofounder Danny Steiner. “And chronic and situational health issues became more apparent, I think, during the pandemic. So with
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that, folks started turning toward platforms like ours, seeking out different types of care to solve their addictions, fatigue, stress, or anxiety.” Steiner met Kenshō cofounder Krista Berlincourt four years ago, in advance of a group trip. The two hit it off immediately, bonding over their shared zeal for holistic medicine. “I’ve been practicing meditation for many years, and right around the time I met Krista, I was searching for a name to identify this feeling of insider awakening – kind of a flash moment of inspiration,” Steiner said. “And of course Zen Buddhism had a perfect description of that, which is Kenshō.”
PAGE 16 THE ARGONAUT JANUARY 6, 2022
Berlincourt, meanwhile, had previously suffered severe adrenal fatigue in 2015, racking up $20,000 in medical bills while getting no relief or definitive answers. She traveled the world to explore alternative healing methods, curing herself while also becoming an advocate for what’s called “whole person health.” “As in, ‘OK, your biomarkers and bloodwork are great, you don’t have COVID-19, but you’re going through a mental downfall, your work is suffering, and your family is falling apart,’” Berlincourt said. “The pandemic was really an opportunity for us to support people, and because, for many people, this is their first time
finding new forms of care beyond a GP, we really had an opportunity to support them with care navigation.” Berlincourt and Steiner have kept Kenshō’s mission – to make the world healthier, one person at a time – at the forefront throughout the pandemic, offering free content and classes. “Honestly, all we cared about was helping more people, and luckily, that also served the business in the end,” Steiner said. Yet Steiner and Berlincourt also, during this time, decided to re-launch Kenshō with a new emphasis. “We have shifted our strategy in such a way where we’re
really focused on providing a membership for health coaching, and using that health coach as a conduit, or a partner who’s with you at all times for your health care, to provide you with referrals in our network of specialists, or to support you with easy, at-home lab testing,” Berlincourt said. You might wonder if this was Berlincourt and Steiner’s long game plan for Kenshō all along, but the company’s evolution has been far more organic than that. “The reason we got into this is to make people healthier, and to make it easier for people to find good health,” Berlincourt said. “But then suddenly you find yourself in an environment where the product’s only useful
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to someone if they’re meeting. Like, it almost feels like a dating app… Before, we hadn’t considered that health coaching was the pathway. You’re constantly putting together new pieces… But it really is proven that the number one thing you could give anyone who’s dealing with healthcare is a coach. Someone to help you navigate, and be a consistent through-line across, your health care experiences, and to remove this idea of healthcare as something that’s purely reactive.” One thing that’s been consistent since the very beginning, though, is Kenshō’s rigorous vetting process. “We really wanted to lean into evidence-based holistic care and whole person care,” Steiner said. “So the evidence behind the efficacy of these practices has always been super-important to us, and that obviously leads into our vetting process. So all the practices on the platform have gone through a filtration process of, can this be proven by, mostly, meta-analyses, but also double-blind studies, in a western sense? So we have over the years gotten rid of providers that don’t fit that bill, and we’ve become quite strict about that. … The process is comprehensive, but it hasn’t deterred thousands of providers from signing up – which is always a good balance.” While Kenshō and its providers have been bolstering their credibility, Americans have been opening their minds to the idea of integrated health care. “COVID-19 and the pandemic pushed us forward five or 10 years,” Steiner said. “… When we first started fundraising, back in 2018, the conversation would be half just providing out that this was real. Investors would push back so hard on, like, ’Is this really a market? Do people actually do this? This is kind of woo-woo stuff.’ That’s never the conversation anymore. And that’s over just two or three years.” Kenshō originally targeted providers in New York City and Los Angeles – partly because densely populated markets are ideal for testing a concept – but they’ve since seen demand rise in other parts of the country, too, across various age groups. “Our brand is designed to appeal to people who are in
Kenshō was born out of Berlincourt’s own frustration navigating the holistic health sphere, while trying to heal the adrenal fatigue that left her hospitalized. their 20s to early 50s, but I would say statistically, it targets millennials, because there’s a mindset, and it’s really around an age trigger,” Berlincourt said. “In marketing, or service companies, you call those ‘life stage moments.’ Health becomes a new, novel conversation for people when they turn 30. … In your 20s, it’s almost a moot point. You don’t even consider your health. And then it’s this groundswell of awareness in your 30s, and it feels very immediate.” This is where Kenshō can step in to lend a guiding hand. “Health coaching can be great to remove the delta between ‘Something’s wrong’ and ‘Here’s how to solve it,’” Berlincourt said. “That said, my mom’s friends are super excited about signing up for it, too. … It’s really for anyone who has something that they’d like to work on, or just wants to feel better.” Kenshō Health kenshohealth.com
Through an innovative system called Care Matching, Kenshō merges the best providers in the world onto one platform, delivers clear research, then personalizes information ad provider recommendations based on symptoms, lifestyle and goals. JANUARY 6, 2022 THE ARGONAUT PAGE 17
A R T S
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E V E N T S
An Autopsy of American Inequality
New documentary ‘Unzipped’ puts spotlight on affordable housing crisis
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PAGE 18 THE ARGONAUT JANUARY 6, 2022
COURTESY PHOTOS
By Michele Robinson nzipped: An Autopsy of American Inequality,” a new documentary film by Grainey Pictures, is both timely and relevant to today’s societal issues. Using Venice as the backdrop, “Unzipped” brings heart to a very divisive topic: the unhoused and America’s growing affordable housing crisis. The film is a call to action on how our society takes care of the most vulnerable. Writer and director Colin K. Gray offers a well-balanced and objective look at both sides of the struggle. “The goal is to humanize the lived experience of people struggling to survive in one of the most income divided zip codes in America,” Gray said. Grainey Pictures is an awardwinning Venice-based production company co-founded by brother and sister team, Colin K. Gray and Megan Raney Aarons (known as “The Sibs”). Grainey Pictures has been making poignant documentaries since 2003. Its goal is to create powerful programming, inspire advocacy and make an impact on human conditions. “Unzipped” is Grainey Pictures’ seventh documentary film. They have travelled the world to bring these stories to life, but this story was right in their own backyards. “This is a love letter to Venice,” Gray said. Gray and Aarons are both longtime Venice residents and they live six blocks from each other. Having lived in Venice for the past 20 years, Gray is very familiar with the community and what it has to offer. Using Venice
as the focal point, he highlights the staggeringly complex challenges surrounding the affordable housing crisis locally and brings them onto a world stage. “It is a window into my own backyard,” Gray said. “Venice is a progressive community, but this is such a polarizing issue. The film is a local lens on this urgent national and international issue.” The film tries to tackle some of the most difficult and complex topics of our day: affordable housing, unhoused people and income inequality. Interviewing local residents, activists, experts and other community partners like St Joseph Center, Venice Family Clinic, Venice Community Housing and Safe Place For Youth, the film brings home the message that housing is a human right. “Our hope is that the film will help catalyze further debate, awareness and action around this urgent issue,” Gray said. Filmed over two years from 2018 to 2020, the documentary follows two artists and their families, along with others who are struggling to maintain their rapidly gentrifying neighborhood. De Shawn and Nikol are both artists who have two young children under the age of three. They are unable to provide shelter for their family so they are living in a tent when the movie begins. The film also follows artist William Attaway and his partner Rayanne, who have three young children and are living illegally in an art studio. The film documents the two families and their quest to see if they will be able to find stable housing. “Unzipped” also shows the opposition to the unhoused. Venice Stakeholders Association is a local group opposed to the opening of A Bridge Home, a housing project for those in need. Although taxpayers said yes to Bond HHH, they did not want a housing project built in the selected location at the MTA lot. There is a scene in the film of a very heated town hall meeting where Mayor Garcetti and Councilmember Mike Bonin are present and almost unable to speak due to the loud and disruptive objections. The film also
“Unzipped: An Autopsy of American Inequality” is a new documentary that focuses on Venice and the growing affordable housing crisis in America.
The film explores stereotypes and humanizes the experiences of people caught in the crossfire of the growing housing divide. shows the gentrification controversy over the First Baptist Church (one of the oldest African-American churches in Venice) as it is sold to become a single-family housing project. Gray admitted that it was a very challenging movie to make because the issues are so complex, and people are very divided on this topic. “It has been such an emotional journey with this film - very
humbling and eye opening,” Gray said. “I’m so grateful for all the Venetians who shared their stories with us, and so grateful for our incredible crew who worked so tirelessly on this project the past few years. We’re thrilled to start sharing with the world.” “Unzipped” won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the Newport Beach Film Festival. It will also be
doing the festival circuit for several months before a spring release and a Venice premiere as a community film. 10% of the film’s profits will also be given to nonprofit organizations supporting affordable housing and unhoused people. “Unzipped: An Autopsy of American Inequality” unzippedmovie.com
LOS ANGELES TIMES SUNDAY CROSSWORD PUZZLE “MAKING A DENT” By MATT SKOCZEN ACROSS 1 Hankered (for) 7 Honi’s comics dad 12 Jungian concerns 19 Ricky Martin’s surname, by birth 21 Mindless 22 Stuffed meat dish 23 Fraudulent budget increase for cleaning supplies? 25 Together 26 Walk in the park, say 27 Ending with neur 28 Role for Ingrid 30 False __ 31 Lucie’s dad 32 Start of a classic dramatic question 33 Those waiting for Facebook friend acceptance? 36 Iain’s negative 38 Concerning 40 Pre-flight pandemonium? 44 Big spreads 49 Challenge, as testimony 50 Air issues org. 51 “I knew it __ you” 53 “Oy vey!” 54 Seal the deal 55 Hungry request 57 Fire 58 Folding ladder feature 60 H, to Kronos 61 Word of accusation 63 Mil. rhyme for “Yahtzee” 64 Lost steam 65 Banking at a beach ATM? 69 Shape-fitting game 72 “The __ Show” 73 Feed bag bits 74 Deg. of distinction 77 Just about 78 Letters to a lender 79 Part of CPA: Abbr. 81 Modeling supply 82 Stray
12 What a chair does 13 Spoken sounds 14 “Delish!” 15 Simple fastener 16 “__ mañana” 17 Car that didn’t go far 18 Percolates 20 Precise location 24 Moving 29 Pres. or CEO 32 Fed. antidiscrimination org. 33 __ Palace: castle on the Portuguese Riviera 34 Word with white or cream 35 “America’s __ Talent” 37 Legal gp. 39 Ready 40 One way to crack 41 “You found the right person” 42 Patti Tavatanakit was its Rookie of the Year for 2021: Abbr. 43 Jazz pianist __ Jamal 45 Quarterback Rodgers 46 Soften 47 One-named body-image advocate DOWN 1 Boast in a 1987 48 Sesame __ Michael Jackson 51 Bulb measure 52 Nightly news hit figure 2 “Chestnuts 56 Where it all roasting ...” started co-writer 57 One side of an 3 Exam no-nos issue 4 Tony winner who 58 Mgr.’s second-inportrayed TV’s command Barney Miller 5 Vogue alternative 59 Wintry strains 61 California’s San 6 __ gratias __ Obispo 7 Use to conceal, 62 Part of MIT: Abbr. as a bed 63 Fix 8 Added conditions 65 “The most 9 Chicken, in a Cantonese dish striking figure in 10 Wilson of Heart Starkfield,” in a 11 Saskatchewan Wharton classic capital 66 Twelve, half the
83 Atl.-based network 84 Shut out 85 Embrace, as a custom 88 Ancient Assyrian capital 91 Growing bulb? 93 First Black person to host a successful TV variety show 96 Whole lot 97 Major curves on a mountain road? 101 Record speeds, for short 103 “__ Smile”: Hall & Oates hit 107 Park way 108 Scott of “Hawaii Five-0” 109 “Oh” 110 Statehouse official: Abbr. 111 At Notre Dame, say 113 Ocean trip for relationship strengthening? 117 Saw-toothed 118 Strand at a chalet, say 119 More frivolous 120 Like a best friend 121 One of the Allman Brothers 122 Lots
time 67 African antelope 68 Polished off 69 Alpine lake 70 Weena’s race, in a Wells classic 71 IRS agent 74 Bit of talk show self-promotion 75 One may fall over a crowd 76 Something specific, informally 79 Heels 80 Showing support for 81 Take a limo, say 83 Special occasion service 84 Sofia’s home: Abbr. 86 Some NCOs 87 Arafat’s gp., once 89 Group for ex-GIs 90 Brings forth 91 Recycling receptacle 92 How deals are usually sealed 94 Kissing at the bar, briefly 95 Hit the jackpot 97 Protestant denom. 98 Group of experts 99 Geek Squad member, for short 100 Burns a little 102 Parts of gigs 104 Word from a coach 105 Where to find words for words 106 Label giant 109 “Gotcha, man” 110 Loaf 112 Pop’s Carly __ Jepsen 114 Text-scanning tech. 115 Called before 116 Limo passenger
DOWNWARD DOGHOUSE
There’s a woman in my yoga class I’d like to ask out. Though she’s friendly to me, I worry that this could lead to awkwardness in class if she rejects me or if we date but things go poorly. I have a two-year relationship with this class -- much longer than my fantasy relationship with her. What should I do? Grow a spine and go for it regardless of the eventual consequences -- or fish in a different pond? — Stuck
Spines are not to be grown promiscuously. In other words, there’s no one-size-fitsall answer to your question. Unlike 7-Elevens – pretty much the same in Boise as they are in Bumpass, Vermont – people vary wildly. Individuals have individual levels of “risk tolerance” (or what risk intelligence specialist Dylan Evans calls “risk appetite”): their ability to bear potential losses, should their initiative go toiletward. Take the question: “Should you risk $5,000 on a seemingly profitable investment?” Well, that depends on who “you” are – emotionally and, in this case, financially. Because your risk tolerance will vary in different situations, answering that takes more questions – situation-specific questions. For example: Do you shrug off losses...
or flog yourself bloody like the weird albino monk in “The Da Vinci Code”? Financially, would losing the 5K be a bummer or an enduring nightly bummer when the inability to pay your rent leads to your taking up residence in a walk-in ATM? Apply this method to your dilemma, “Can I afford to ask out the hot lady from hot yoga?” Tempting as it is to overdramatize – rewrite what would likely be a somewhat uncomfortable situation into an epic disaster movie – drill down to the actual worst-case scenarios. For example, would getting a, “Thanks, but I’m not ready to date” from the lady really trigger the giant zombie jellyfish apocalypse – or the rather mundane urge to temporarily relocate your mat to the other side of the room? Consider that awkwardness between people – some big uncomfortable something hanging in the air – usually stems from somebody acting all weirded out. There’s a remedy for this should asking her out go badly: preplanning to keep your cool – to act like the guy you were before you hit on her. In practice, how hard might that be? You’re probably inviting her to join you for “a coffee” after class – which few of us immediately recognize as code for “a midmorning orgy in my sex dungeon.”
SAVE THE INUNDATE
On dating apps, guys who message me always end up losing interest. My friend thinks my repeatedly replying before the guy writes back is the problem. I’ll reply to a guy’s first message and, while awaiting his response, have more to say and add messages (usually no more than four). I’m an enthusiastic person. What’s the problem with showing that honestly? — Authentic Woman Most of us bring an important understanding to our workplace: The fact that we have a feeling is not reason to let it give us marching orders. That’s why, when our idiot boss makes us stay late to complete a “super important assignment” (busywork no one will ever look at), we say, “Sure thing!” – and only picture ourselves attaching battery cables to his nipples at a CIA black site. Admittedly, anger is an obvious target for emotional restraint. But enthusiasm, while praised on elementary school report cards, should not be flung around like birdseed. Chances are your storm of messages – a monologue in the space for a conversation -- sends the wrong messages about you, such as: “desperate” and “has the social
skills of a 5-year-old.” Unfortunately, avoiding the impulse to act on our emotions is hard work. Psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky explain that emotions are “fast”: popping up immediately –automatically – and motivating us to act. Rational thought, however, is “slow” (and, frankly, lazy). We have to yank it out of bed and feed it a bunch of mental energy to make it do its job – for example, explore whether our emotions’ directives might have ruinous consequences. This feels, shall we say, unfun – and also depressing when all we can do is damage control after some off-leash emotion has blown up our life. Consider that the “job” in online dating is not getting someone to like you, but seeing whether you like them enough to take it beyond the small screen. As an experiment, you might put your impulse to reply on a strict diet: One message from a guy. One reply from you. Period. As a perhaps helpful model, try to come off like a rare vintage of fine wine – that is, hard to get–as opposed to red wine spilled across a white shag carpet (impossible to get rid of...save for a willingness to broaden one’s stain removal methods to include arson).
GOT A PROBLEM? Write to Amy Alkon at 171 Pier Ave, Ste. 280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or email her at AdviceAmy@aol.com.
©2021, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. Alkon’s latest book is “Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.” Follow @amyalkon on Twitter or visit blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon.
JANUARY 6, 2022 THE ARGONAUT PAGE 19
PAGE 20 THE ARGONAUT JANUARY 6, 2022
A Younger home gets noticed.
4350 VIA DOLCE #110 2 Bed | 2 Bath | $999,000 Gorgeous Marina Views
7812 NAYLOR AVENUE 3 Bed | 2 Bath | $1,395,000 Fabulous Westport Heights Home
8000 DUNBARTON AVENUE 5 Bed | 5.5 Bath | $4,295,000
IN ESCROW 7918 KENYON AVENUE 5 Bed | 3 Bath | $2,495,000
IN ESCROW 2641 GLENDON AVENUE 3 Bed | 3.5 Bath | $1,649,000
IN ESCROW 8238 W MANCHESTER AVE., #407 2 Bed | 2 Bath | $875,000
IN ESCROW 1260 W 81ST STREET 2 Bed | 1 Bath | $689,000
Stephanie Younger Group 310.499.2020 | DRE 01365696 stephanieyounger.com | @stephanieyoungergroup Compass is a licensed real estate broker (01991628) in the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdraw without notice. To reach the Compass main office call 310.230.5478.
JANUARY 6, 2022 AT HOME – THE ARGONAUT’S REAL ESTATE SECTION PAGE 21
THE ARGONAUT P R E S S R E L E A S E S
CALIFORNIA COASTAL MASTERPIECE
“Situated on a flat lot with 9,200 usable sqft, this 5BD/6BA home offers ample space for living, working, and relishing the epitome of a coastal lifestyle,” says agent Stephanie Younger. “Enter to a stately foyer where French oak herringbone parquetry guides visitors to a sun-drenched living room featuring custom oak cabinetry and an iconic book-matched slab fireplace. Lincoln Glass doors illuminate the space and open completely to ensure a steady flow of ocean breeze. The adjacent chef’s kitchen boasts a double Wolf oven/range, and paneled refrigerator. Anchoring the space and providing a generous surface to prepare dinner, the marble-clad island is a gathering place for friends and family.” Offered at $4,295,000 Stephanie Younger Compass 310-499-2020
STUNNING MARINA VIEWS
“This gorgeous 2BD/2BA unit offers views from every room,” says agent Jesse Weinberg. “Enjoy wood floors, full walls of glass that flood the entire unit with natural light, custom window coverings, SS appliances, granite counters, breakfast bar, large closets, 2-car parking with electric vehicle charging station, washer/dryer inside and much more. Second bedroom offers a beautiful built-in Murphy bed and desk which are included in the sale. Close proximity to Marina access, LAX, world famous beaches, trendy shops and restaurants, Abbott Kinney, bike path, dog parks, and movie theaters.” Offered at $1,649,000 Jesse Weinberg Jesse Weinberg & Associates 800-804-9132
THE ARGONAUT REAL ESTATE BUSINESS NEWS
2022 Real Estate Market Predictions It’s hard to believe we’re already approaching 2022, yet here we are. The new year has a lot of people planning for what’s ahead financially. As part of that, you could be wondering if you’re going to have a chance to buy a home next year after 2021 left few opportunities. So what are the predictions looking like for the coming year? Cities Could Surge Again People may become comfortable with big cities again, following the pandemic’s start, where many people relocated to the suburbs and less expensive states. That means some areas in the Northeast, Southeast and the West Coast could see an increase in real estate action. Of course, we don’t know how the pandemic will continue to unfold and whether that’s going to play a role in how willing or reluctant people are to make a move back to cities. There are certainly headwinds still being felt in large metro areas that could keep buyers away.
The Housing Boom May Lose Some Steam Between August 2020 and August 2021, home price appreciation was 19.9%. That represented a 12-month record. However, some indicators indicate the boom is losing some steam, although analysts are eager to point out they don’t necessarily see a crash in the near future. Instead, it looks like there’s some seasonality in the cooldown, which is typical during the holidays. It also seems that homebuyers are finally starting to take a pause against the surging prices in the real estate market. For example, in October, just over 60% of sales involved a bidding war, down from an all-time high of 74.5% in April. There’s also a pretty high likelihood the Federal Reserve will raise rates as a way of slowing inflation, and with a rise in mortgage rates, some buyers will be altogether priced out. Differing Models Zillow and Goldman Sachs are predicting home prices will go up significantly between October 2021 and October
PAGE 22 AT HOME – THE ARGONAUT’S REAL ESTATE SECTION JANUARY 6, 2022
2022. Zillow predicts a rise of 13.6%. Goldman Sachs is forecasting an increase of 16%. Both cite the ongoing supply-demand imbalance. They describe the housing shortage as being potentially the longest of all the shortages affecting the economy currently. Neither Zillow nor Goldman Sachs sees the first-time millennial homebuyer wave easing either. The five largest millennial birth years, which are between 1989 and 1993 are hitting the first-time homebuying age of around 30. Some analysts believe there won’t be enough homes for all of the future demand. Some forecast models, however, see things looking a bit different next year. For example, Fannie Mae is predicting U.S. home price growth of 7.9%. Freddie Mac is estimating 7%, which is higher than the historical norm but nothing like we’ve been seeing. There are some variances in models as analysts try to predict what will happen with mortgage rates and how hard employers push to get people back in the office.
The Mortgage Bankers Association, an industry trade group, sees the median price of existing homes decreasing by 2.5% between the fourth quarter of this year and the fourth quarter of next. The organization is forecasting the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate will rise to 4% by the end of 2022. That would be an additional $90,000 added to the cost of a $500,000 fixed-rate mortgage over 30 years. Even if that predicted pricing drop were to occur, it still wouldn’t be a crash. U.S. home prices, even if the Mortgage Bankers Association had the correct forecast, would still be up over 20% from levels before the pandemic. We don’t know what the coming year will look like, but most industry experts feel prices will remain somewhat high, although dependent on mortgage rates. THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTION CAME FROM:
Bob & Cheryl Herrera, Professional Real Estate Services 310-306-5427 DRE: 00910858 DRE: 01332794
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Lien Sales Notice of Self Storage Sale Please take notice US Storage Centers - Marina Del Rey located at 12700 Braddock Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90066 intends to hold an auction to sell the goods stored by the following tenants at the storage facility. The sale will occur as an online auction via www.storagetreasures.com on 1/20/2022 at 10:00AM. Unless stated otherwise the description of the contents are household goods and furnishings. George Milton II Harbaugh (2 units); Jody Lee Hann. All property is being stored at the above self-storage facility. This sale may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Certain terms and conditions apply. See manager for details. PUBLISHED: Argonaut Newspaper 12/30/21, 01/06/22
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Fic. Business Name FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2021268797 Type of Filing: Original. The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: THE GREENBERG GROUP. 4316 Campbell Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90066. COUNTY: Los Angeles. REGISTERED OWNER(S) RA Greenberg International Inc., 4316 Campbell Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90066. State of Incorporation or LLC: California. THIS BUSINESS IS CONDUCTED BY a Corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 07/2021. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. /s/ Randy Greenberg. TITLE: President, Corp or LLC Name: RA Greenberg International Inc. This statement was filed with the LA County Clerk on: December 10, 2021. NOTICE – in accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. a new Fictitious Business Name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions code). Publish: The Argonaut Newspaper. Dates: 12/16/21, 12/23/21, 12/30/21, 01/06/22
tious Business Name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions code). Publish: The Argonaut Newspaper. Dates: 12/16/21, 12/23/21, 12/30/21, 01/06/22 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2021268524 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: ARCHANGEL MICHAEL ORTHODOX BOOSTORE. 4145 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City, CA 90230. COUNTY: Los Angeles. REGISTERED OWNER(S) Joy Of All Who Sorrow Orthodox Church, 4145 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City, CA 90230. State of Incorporation or LLC: California. THIS BUSINESS IS CONDUCTED BY a Corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 07/1999. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. /s/ Thomas John Tomasi. TITLE: President, Corp or LLC Name: Joy Of All Who Sorrow Orthodox Church. This statement was filed with the LA County Clerk on: December 10, 2021. NOTICE – in accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. a new Fictitious Business Name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions code). Publish: The Argonaut Newspaper. Dates: 12/16/21, 12/23/21, 12/30/21, 01/06/22
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days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. a new Fictitious Business Name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions code). Publish: The Argonaut Newspaper. Dates: 12/16/21, 12/23/21, 12/30/21, 01/06/22 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2021269762 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: SEMICOLON BAKERY. 6601 Springpark Ave, Apt. 15 Los Angeles, CA 90056. COUNTY: Los Angeles. REGISTERED OWNER(S) Brian Szczerbinski, 6601 Springpark Ave, Apt. 15 Los Angeles, CA 90056. State of Incorporation or LLC: California. THIS BUSINESS IS CONDUCTED BY an Individual. The date registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant know to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000)). REGISTRANT/CORP/LLC NAME: Brian Szczerbinski. TITLE: Owner. This statement was filed with the LA County Clerk on: December 13, 2021. NOTICE – in accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious Name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. a new Fictitious Business Name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions code). Publish: Argonaut Newspaper. Dates : 01/06/22, 01/13/22, 01/20/22, 01/27/22
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The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) A Non-Profit Organization serving California Veterans. Needs dedicated Volunteer Drivers to transport Veterans to the West Los Angeles V.A. Hospital Vehicle and Gas is provided For more information please contact Blas Barragán at (310) 268-3344
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argonautnews.com JANUARY 6, 2022 THE ARGONAUT PAGE 23
WESTSIDE HAPPENINGS Compiled by Kamala Kirk
CREDIT: COURTESY OF THE BAY FOUNDATION
Have an event for the calendar? Send it to kamala@ timespublications.com Marina del Rey Farmers Market, Saturday, Jan. 8 This weekly outdoor event allows Westside residents to support local produce sellers and other vendors. Food from a wide variety of businesses is available for purchase. Masks are required and only 40 people are allowed to shop at any one time. Held in parking lot 11. 14101 Panay Way, Marina del Rey, 8 to 9 a.m. (seniors), 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (general public), beaches.lacounty.gov/ mdrfarmersmarket LAX Dunes Event Saturday, Jan. 8 It’s a fresh year of volunteering! Please join for this monthly restoration event at the LAX Dunes. Since 2015, The Bay Foundation, Friends of the LAX Dunes, and Los Angeles World Airports, along with thousands of volunteers, have worked to restore, enhance and protect this unique habitat. Capping at 30 participants. RSVP online. Face masks and social distancing will be required. Trask Triangle Park, Playa del Rey, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., santamonicabay.org Downtown Walking Tour Saturday, Jan. 8 This docent-led walking tour will share the architecture and history of Santa Monica. See
On Saturday, January 8 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., volunteer to help remove non-native and invasive vegetation and learn more about the historic Lax Dunes site. where Jim Morrison played his first show and visit the lavish Art Deco hotel that housed a speakeasy during Prohibition. The walking tour covers about six blocks and begins at the city’s first landmark – the 1875 Rapp Saloon. Tours are open to all ages and limited to six people. Reservations recommended. $10 per person, register online. 1436 2nd Street, Santa Monica, 10 a.m., smc.givecloud.co/dwt Santa Monica Main Street Farmers Market, Sunday, Jan. 9 COURTESY PHOTO
On Thursday, January 13 from 8 to 10 p.m., watch LA’s top comics perform in an outdoor speakeasy.
Shop for local fresh produce and prepared foods from local restaurants. You can also enjoy musical entertainment from featured weekly bands, face painting, balloon designs, and if you catch it on the right week, a cooking demonstration featuring local produce. 2640 Main St., Santa Monica, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Mar Vista Farmers Market, Sunday, Jan. 9 This vibrant, year-round market offers local produce, prepared foods, kids crafts and live events. 12198 Venice Blvd., 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., marvistafarmersmarket.org Second Sunday Jazz Sunday, Jan. 9 Enjoy music by the Mark Christian Miller Quartet during Second Sunday Jazz at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Santa Monica. $10 suggested donation at the door. Face masks and COVID-19 vaccination required. Free parking. Everyone is welcome. 1343 Ocean Park Boulevard, Santa Monica, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., mtolivelutheranchurch.org The “R-Word”: Reparations & Why It Matters Sunday, Jan. 9 Reparation measures are intended to be acts of justice that not only address harm but also recognize that recipients’ rights were violated. It’s an effort to create reparative justice. This can happen in many different
forms and arenas of community life. This virtual workshop of the Committee for Racial Justice is entitled “The R-Word: Reparations & Why It Matters” because they anticipate that this new year is going to bring some opportunities to repair past injustices to communities of color in the United States. Later this month, Santa Monica will roll out the “Right to Return” policy to allow homeowners and their descendants who were displaced by the 10 Highway construction and the Belmar triangle neighborhood destruction to be priorities for access to affordable housing in Santa Monica. Gain a broader understanding of reparations and how you might get involved to
ensure a deeper impact. For more information, call Joanne at 310-422-5431. 6:30 p.m., join on Zoom at us02web.zoom. us/j/88947830395 Painting in the Park Monday, Jan. 10 Take a free painting class at Burton Chace Park held every Monday afternoon. Presented by the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors, the beginning drawing and watercolor classes are for people ages 14 and up. The class size is limited. Please email chacepark@bh.lacounty.gov to register and reserve your spot. 13650 Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Freeway Funk Yard Standup Comedy Thursday, Jan. 13 Watch LA’s top comics perform in an outdoor speakeasy. Beer and wine available for donation. Freeway Funk Yard is a large hidden lot nestled near a secret Westside LA freeway. Lineup includes Nick Hoff and Ryan Churchill, Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Register online, tickets $15. 5301 Grosvenor Street, Los Angeles, 8 to 10 p.m., eventbrite.com
Send event information at least 10 days in advance to kkirk@ timespublications.com
On Sunday, January 10 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., take a free painting class at Burton Chace Park presented by the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors.
