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Kamala Kirk Kamala Kirk Editor
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E MARISA IT: DASHAUNA PHOTO CRED
ur annual Westsiders issue is here and we’re shining the spotlight on 14 exceptional individuals who should be on your radar. From business owners and educators to TV personalities and performers, they are paving the way for others and making a positive impact on the community with their creativity, innovation, activism and leadership, among other things. Cologne Trude and Cammy Miller, featured on our cover, are local business owners who revolutionized online retail over a decade ago when they launched Show Me Your Mumu, a successful fashion lifestyle brand and e-commerce platform. Legendary rock musician Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction is a true renaissance man who at 62 shows no signs of slowing down—his latest project is a new monthly nightlife concert series, “Heaven After Dark,” that focuses on iconic and emerging musicians, performance artists and varietal acts to showcase alternative music, underground culture. Celebrity yoga instructor and New York Times-bestselling author, Mandy Ingber, who is known for training A-list clients such as Jennifer Aniston, is the creator of Yogalosophy, a workout program that helps people get into shape while emphasizing the union of the mind-body connection. Selema Masekela, son of jazz great Hugh Masekela, has enjoyed a successful career as a sports commentator, TV host and entrepreneur, and most recently opened Mami Wata in Venice, the first U.S. store for the South African surf brand he cofounded that challenges the culture and norms surrounding the sport. Deepak Chopra’s daughter, Mallika, is an author, public speaker and businesswoman who recently became the CEO of Chopra Global, the modern-day health company at the intersection of science and spirituality founded by her father, where she heads the popular meditation and well-being app, Chopra App. Read on to learn more about the outstanding Westsiders who grace the pages of this special issue. We hope you will feel as inspired as we are by their diverse backgrounds, interesting personal journeys, and passion for what they do that has led each of them down a unique path to success and happiness.
PHOTO BY CHRIS MORT ENSON
Westsiders 2022 O
Local News & Culture
The Westsiders Class of 2022 includes celebrity yoga instructor Mandy Ingber and TV host Selema Masekela.
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C O M M U N I T Y
Decluttering Your Life
WISE and Healthy Aging resumes in-person workshop and support group By Michele Robinson ack by popular demand, WISE and Healthy Aging is offering “From Collecting to Decluttering,” a 15-week in-person workshop designed to help older adults gain control of their belongings. Headquartered in Santa Monica, WISE and Healthy Aging is a community-based, nonprofit with a long history of service and outreach. With its innovative services it offers advocacy, dignity and higher quality of life to older adults. A unique feature of the upcoming workshop is that, upon completion, participants have the option of ongoing support. “The program has influenced my entire life,” said Nancy Tyler, a program graduate. After facing several evictions,
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WISE and Healthy Aging in Santa Monica is resuming its popular in-person workshop and support group, “From Collection to Decluttering,” for older adults. Tyler completed the program in 2019. Describing herself as a “recovering hoarder,” she has remained active in the support group. “I no longer bring in stuff,” Tyler said. “I can recognize my
hoarding tendencies now because of the program. I ask myself if I need something, will I use it or is it just extra?” Tyler said she uses similar criteria for getting rid of things. The program offered her a
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community of people with a shared approach and vocabulary. “I have made friends, their support is meaningful to me and we all help each other,” Tyler said.
Another component of the program that she found useful was that it gave her the tools she needed to set realistic goals. “Not every person uses all the tools in every instance, but we all know what the tools are,” Tyler said. “Realistic, individual goal setting is one such help.” WISE and Healthy Aging started offering the workshop in 2013. It is based on a book called “Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding” by David F. Tolin. Each participant in the program will receive a copy of the book along with other program materials including a workbook and a certification of completion. The support group is open to all who finish. Ellen Satkin and Polly Ross
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will be the facilitators for the workshop. They are both long-term volunteers with the program and have a great deal of experience and expertise in this area. Satkin is a retired social worker who began facilitating the workshop at its inception in 2013. She recruited Ross, who joined two years later. Both are responsible for writing the handbook and developing the workbook for the class. Ross facilitates the support group, which meets twice a month and provides peer discussion of materials and an opportunity for individuals to set goals. The meetings are free to attend. “Polly is really dedicated to the support group, it’s a big commitment,” Satkin said. “She researches and finds new materials for each session.” Anat Louis, director of case management at WISE and Healthy Aging, oversees the program. “This structured program is for seniors 60+ who want to
make changes,” Louis said. “They learn how to think about their belongings and make choices about acquiring and saving excess. A person feels respected, supported and understood as a result of participating in the workshop. They no longer feel alone or stuck.” The program has limited space (12 to 15 participants) and a very high retention rate. Participants must attend a free introductory meeting then they decide if they want to continue with the workshop. During the orientation, a graduate shares their experiences with the program and people can ask questions. For those who decide to participate, they can expect to receive weekly assignments after each class. This can be in the form of a reading assignment or various exercises. Upon returning each week, they also share their experiences. When the program has been completed, feedback is welcome and used for subse-
quent sessions. “The workshop gives you the tools and resources to manage this issue,” Louis said. “It gives you a higher quality of life to live comfortably, safely and with less stress.” For the next session, the introductory workshop will meet on April 6. For those who decide to sign up, the classes will continue to meet on Wednesdays, starting on April 13 through July 20, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. The workshop costs $100, but no one is ever turned away due to inability to pay. The follow-up groups are free. Participants must be fully vaccinated to enroll in the course. The program will be held on the first floor of the Ken Edwards Center in Santa Monica.
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C O M M U N I T Y
Making Neighborhoods Better
A former homeless man inspires others by cleaning up cities By Sebastian Lipstein odd Olin (aka “Todd the volunteer”) is known around Los Angeles for cleaning up neighborhoods, picking up trash, clearing walkways, fixing potholes and “doing things the city doesn’t do,” he said. After becoming homeless in 2016 due to a work injury that put him out of work, Olin began cleaning the streets as a way to earn a living and give back to his community. He started his journey in Orange County and has worked in Venice, Huntington Beach and Anaheim. He is currently working around the Westside. “When I started cleaning in 2016, I was homeless and pushing all of my property in two shopping carts,” Olin said. “But I believed in what I was 4.81x5.85 doingArgonaut and kept doing it. From
PHOTOS COURTESY OF TODD OLIN
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Todd Olin, also known as Todd the volunteer, is a former member of the homeless community who spends his days cleaning up neighborhoods and “doing things the city doesn’t do.”
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the very first day, I got a little picker-upper for trash and made two signs that said, ‘Please help support my cleanup effort. I’m homeless and hungry.’ And I just started picking up trash on the center divider in Anaheim. And from that day forward, my entire existence has been dependent on donations.” On a typical day, Olin can be seen collecting hundreds of bags of trash and debris on streets and by the 405 Freeway on streets such as La Tijera Boulevard, Abbot Kinney and Manchester. During a recent rainstorm, he cleared 16 sewer drains in the Westside area that had been clogged with debris and trash, which could have caused flooding. Olin also recently cleaned the intersection of the Culver
Loop and Lincoln Boulevard, and created several walkways and beautified the area. Whether it’s fixing a pothole on a residential street or cleaning the sidewalks of Manchester Boulevard with 150 black trash bags, he is always improving the community. Not surprisingly, Olin is quite the fan favorite in his signature neon green vest. He frequently receives honks from drivers, praise from passerby and money as he does his work to make neighborhoods better. After being homeless from 2016 to 2020, one of Olin’s fans and supporters bought him a motor home to live in. Olin has received over 60 job offers, but continues his journey as a volunteer in order to inspire other people who
Olin started his journey in Orange County and is currently cleaning up neighborhoods on the Westside. are down on their luck or are homeless. He relies on donations for his day-today living. People can donate money and communicate with Olin via his GoFundMe page. Olin is currently writing a book to inspire other homeless people to clean and find work. He believes that the homeless can improve themselves and their community by finding something to work on and they may gain employ-
ment that way. “I want to show people that there’s occupation right out on the street,” Olin said. “There is a whole occupation out there for anybody. You don’t have to be a college grad. Clean is clean, you can see it and I can see it. Your past or record doesn’t matter. The community likes the work they see and it benefits them.” He added, “I want to show people that employers will find you if you do good work. The people that drive by, they’re business owners, managers, construction people who are looking for good workers. They observe long enough to say, ‘That’s the kind of guy I want on my crew right there.’ They are able to overlook my homeless sign and offer me a job because of the way I work.” Once homeless, injured and unemployed, now Olin inspires others to make the best of what they have, improve the community and to work hard. He has certainly made lemonade out of his lemons for everyone to enjoy. Todd the Volunteer gofundme.com/f/volunteer-worker
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C O M M U N I T Y
Young Champions
Fresh breezes and swells define 2022 Opti Midwinters PHOTO COURTESY OF DEL REY YACHT CLUB
By Andy Kopetzky and Brendan Huffman ixty kids competed in the annual Stephen M. Pitts Memorial/SCYA Midwinters Optimist Regatta on Feb. 19 and 20 hosted by Del Rey Yacht Club. Stephen Pitts was twice named Association of Santa Monica Bay Yacht Clubs’ Junior Yachtsman of the Year and selflessly mentored younger kids on sailing. He passed away from leukemia in 2009 when he was 18. The Optimist is a 7-foot 9-inch pram similar to a Sabot or El Toro except that it has a sprit rig rather than a triangular sail. There are more than 150,000 of them in existence and they can handle a lot of sea state-related nastiness in the hands of a good skipper. They were first introduced by
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Sixty kids competed in the annual Stephen M. Pitts Memorial/SCYA Midwinters Optimist Regatta on Feb. 19 and 20 hosted by Del Rey Yacht Club.
Clark Mills in 1947 as a low-cost sailboat for young people up to the age of 15. On any given day there are hundreds of them out sailing in New Zealand as part of grade school classes. In past years, the normally light air mid-February event has featured thunder and lightning (a definite no-go), Santa Anas, and strong breezes that nearly blew the kids off the water. The ’22 Champ fleet event didn’t have the normal lack of breeze. Saturday began with SW winds of 6-7 at the noon start and after two general recalls, winds increased gradually and the swells followed suit. By 2:30 p.m., close together swells topped 6 feet. Winds peaked at 15 knots by the fourth and final Saturday race. The kids took it all in stride
and did a terrific job racing while the RC boat pitched and lurched as though inside a bounce house. One boat capsized at the top mark. Sunday saw the seas lay down, the sun ducked behind clouds and temperatures cooled to the fifties by 3:30 p.m. It was a perfect, albeit slightly chilly sailing day. Three races were recorded on Sunday. The Green (younger) fleet regatta was held inside the Marina and, except for one lame-brain motoring through the kids’ fleet and a coachassisted rescue, it went well. In the Champ fleet, 13-yearold Cooper Keeves of Del Rey Yacht Club rattled off six bullets to claim overall honors and won the Red fleet. “There were amazing conditions for the competition
and a great race against the other competitors,” Cooper said after his win. “Sailing is a way for me to compete and have a constant goal to score better than I did before.” Louisa Neumann and Miles Gordon, both of California Yacht Club, won the Champ White and Blue fleets respectively. The Green fleet winner was Adrian Gerber of California Yacht Club, who scored four firsts. “It takes a lot of courage for these kids as young as 8 years old to race small dinghies in the ocean,” said DRYC Vice Commodore Janet Bubar Rich, who also volunteered on the committee boat. “DRYC is so proud of all these kids who put in so much effort to compete at this level.” For complete results, visit bit.ly/3JCPvgH.
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PAGE 12 THE ARGONAUT MARCH 24, 2022
INNOVATO RS, I N F LU E N C E R S & C H AR AC TERS
Storyteller Extraordinaire Selema Masekela opens new worlds to all who will listen
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SELEMA MASEKELA
PHOTO CREDIT: DASHAUNAE MARISA
By Bridgette M. Redman portscaster, surfer, entrepreneur and musician Selema Masekela loves Venice in part because there is a conversation he never has to have there. Unlike the rest of car-obsessed Los Angeles, Masekela can walk to the beach with his surfboard and no one will stop and ask him what’s wrong that he has to set out on foot. “Venice is one of the last places in LA where it isn’t weird if you’re seen walking around on foot,” Masekela said. “I love my proximity to the beach and ocean, and that I can hop on my bike in the morning, throw my surfboard on my racks and go ride on the beach. I love my outside open gym at Deuce on Lincoln Avenue, which is really unique and the next generation of what the ‘70s and ‘80s of Venice outdoor fitness used to look like.” It’s just the start of a list of things he loves about having landed in Venice and spent the past 20 years of his career there. At least, that is, when he’s not globetrotting the world having spectacular adventures and covering historic sporting events. For 13 years, Masekela hosted ESPN’s Summer and Winter X Games. He was standing on the vert ramp when Tony Hawk did his infamous 900 at the X Games V in 1999 that changed how the mainstream perceived skateboarding and action sports. He covered the Olympics in Russia and Japan—and was present when his favorite sport, surfing, had its first showing on the Olympic stage. In 2010, he got to cover the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in what was a particularly meaningful event for him. His father, jazz great Hugh Masekela (1939-2018), dubbed the father of South African jazz, was a political exile who was only able to go home after apartheid was lifted. Together, they made a documentary that was shown in 10 parts during the World Cup games. “My father and I drove and took viewers on a journey through South Africa to show people the place and its peoples,” Masekela said. “We got to show the where and why of the country and its people. My dad and I got to take three weeks and go on a father-son road trip of South Africa. It was extremely special.” Masekela has experienced stories with considerably less fanfare but that still resonated strongly with him—such as his coverage of the Lakota Sioux people in South Dakota and how basketball literally saves lives. “To see the passion around a game of basketball on a Native American reservation was truly special and heartbreaking at the same time,” Masekela said. “To learn about the suicide rates, but to also be able to tell a story and provide some context about what that looks like—it’s very special.” As part of his work, Masekela has traveled the planet. He said he doesn’t know where he would be without travel. “Travel has been my lens into the world,” Masekela said. “It’s been the way that I’ve been able to see, listen to, taste, feel and move through the world. It allows for an immense amount of actual discovery of people and culture. It is the difference between being a tourist and being a traveler. When you are a traveler, you have to be of and amongst the people. You have to try your best to move to the magical rhythms of that place and to listen and learn.” In March, Masekela opened the Venice store for Mami Wata, a brand committed to sharing African surf culture, particularly South African surf culture. He’s the co-founder along with a group of surfers in Cape Town: Andy Davis, Nick Dutton and Peet Pienaar. During the pandemic, they published a coffee table book called “AFROSURF” which features pictures and stories of African surfers from 18 coastal African countries. “So many people have told me they sit with the book with their kids and it’s like they’re discovering surfing for the first time through this African lens,” Masekela said. “It is a bit of a Trojan horse in getting people to discover modern-day Africa and its relationship to the world. People assume they know everything there is to know about surfing culture. The story and narrative that has been driven by this Southern California idea is very limiting.” Like travel, surfing has helped to shape who Masekela is. He described it as the way he got to learn about himself as a kid when his family moved to California. “Surfing is a place of real personal expression whilst interacting with nature,” Masekela said. “It’s a balance between having the best time of your life and also trying not to die. You’re in battle with the ocean.” Whatever he undertakes, Masekela hopes that within his career, the things that he is
able to do and be a part of will spark people’s curiosity, encourage them to step out of their box and be open to new interactions with the world. He hopes that he can make people want to engage with others and to have empathy for the rich diversity of the billions of people on the planet. “I hope people see in me someone who is relentlessly curious about the human experience, the many shapes and forms that it comes in, and the infinite nature in which life can be lived and expressed,” Masekela said. “That’s how I would like to be remembered—as someone who told those stories and hopefully was able to bring people together.” Selema Masekela mamiwatasurf.com MARCH 24, 2022 THE ARGONAUT PAGE 13
INNOVATO RS, I N F LU E N C E R S & C H AR AC TERS PHOTO BY CHRIS MORTENSON
Trainer to the Stars
MANDY INGBER Celebrity yoga instructor Mandy Ingber helps Hollywood A-listers get into top shape By Kamala Kirk andy Ingber was first introduced to yoga when she was 7 years old. Her father, who was very athletic and had sustained various injuries over the years, began practicing yoga and cycling in the ‘70s, which ultimately rubbed off on his daughter. “I was raised in a household where yoga was practiced daily so I joined along,” Ingber said. “We would attend family yoga classes together and there was a PBS show I watched that featured yoga instructor Richard Hittleman. Yoga was almost like our family religion, it’s embedded in my conditioning. It was the bridge for my relationship to understanding my own father, the gift he gave me without realizing it. It’s been an incredible way to connect with and help others.” Growing up in Santa Monica, Ingber attended a mobile school for experiential learning, which provided her with an empowering educational experience. The students made individual academic agreements weekly, did academics and individualized learning in local libraries, ate lunch in parks and went on multiple field trips every week. As a teenager and young adult, Ingber found success as an actress in the entertainment industry. She began acting in the early ‘80s and landed multiple roles in televi-
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PAGE 14 THE ARGONAUT MARCH 24, 2022
sion, film and theater. “I was 14 when I booked my very first acting job in the original company of Neil Simon’s Tony-award winning Broadway show, ‘Brighton Beach Memoirs,’ with Matthew Broderick,” Ingber said. “I was a series regular on many different TV shows including ‘Cheers,’ where I played Annie Tortelli. I also get recognized a lot for my role as Polly in the cult-classic film ‘Teen Witch.’” In her early twenties, Ingber took up indoor cycling and eventually became a spinning instructor at the encouragement of her friends. “It was all very organic and accidental,” Ingber said. “I started spinning in 1991 and was a total gym rat. At the time, two of my best friends were Gunnar Peterson, a well-known personal trainer, and Bob Harper, who later became one of the hosts on ‘The Biggest Loser’ show. They pushed me to start teaching, and since I was in the acting world I knew a lot of celebrities, which brought an onslaught of clients.” Ingber’s spinning classes were a huge hit and she was teaching as many as 100 people each morning, attracting celebrities like Helen Hunt, Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick and Brooke Shields. After going through a breakup with her boyfriend who was a fellow spin instructor, Ingber found herself heading down another path as a yoga teacher. “We had decided we would take a yoga teacher training to add another thing into the mix, then we broke up,” Ingber said. “He took one teacher training and I took another, and I decided to immerse myself because I wanted to take my mind off the heartbreak. Right after that training my father passed away, which led to this whole revelation. I realized that my father had shared this ancient practice that was very valuable and useful to me, and right after he died I started getting all of these different opportunities to teach yoga.” From being a teacher’s aide for an infomercial to teaching yoga classes at a spinning studio, Ingber jumped at the opportunities that came her way. Her introduction to private classes came about when a friend who was supposed to teach Courtney Love asked Ingber to cover the session. From there she segued into teaching private yoga sessions for A-list clientele that included Helen Hunt, Kate Beckinsale and longtime friend Jennifer Aniston, who talked about Ingber in Vogue. In 2006, Aniston and Ingber did a spread together in SELF magazine that featured some of her top yoga moves. Ingber is also the creator of Yogalosophy, a unique workout program that helps people get into shape by combining yoga poses and toning exercises into a hybrid workout while emphasizing the union of the mind-body connection. “My philosophy is about loving your body into shape,” Ingber said. “Back when I taught spinning, I incorporated positive self-talk into my classes. That’s the basis for Yogalosophy, which is designed to be more accessible to people who have never tried yoga and to give serious practitioners a new challenge. I love traditional yoga, but I wanted to contribute something different and new. Together, the combination of yoga poses and toning exercises gives you an amazing head-to-toe workout in just 35 minutes.” In 2013, Ingber published the New York Times best-selling book, “Yogalosophy: 28 Days to the Ultimate Mind-Body Makeover,” followed by her second book, “Yogalosophy for Inner Strength: 12 Weeks to Heal Your Heart and Embrace Joy,” in 2016. “My first book combines fitness, wellness and creativity,” Ingber said. “It includes breathing techniques, cardiovascular exercises and astrological influences so there’s a different approach to one’s workout each day. My second book is a 12-week program and it includes exercise routines, meditations, recipes and playlists designed to help elevate the spirit and lift ourselves up.” During COVID-19, Ingber taught online classes and began to offer virtual astrological consultations as well. “The pandemic allowed me to connect with and teach people from all over the world, offering a new level of accessibility that wasn’t there before,” Ingber said. “I enjoy connecting with people. For my astrological consultations, I’ll do a chart reading and help create a guideline or roadmap of what a person’s soul is here to fulfill. I’m good at timing and understanding what someone is going through during a particular cycle in their life. I provide action-oriented guidance that is tailored to the individual.” A longtime resident of Santa Monica, Ingber loves to spend time at her favorite places on the Westside doing things like shopping at the local farmers market, enjoying a cup of tea at Buena Vida Tea Bar & Garden or Cafe Berlina, indulging in vegan ice cream at Frozen Fruit Co, and reading books at the public library. “I love Santa Monica and the Westside,” Ingber said. “I love that I live in such a walkable neighborhood where I see my neighbors with their dogs, and I can look at the ocean any day I want. Everyone cares about the community, people are interested in the zero waste movement and there are great public programs that support the arts. It’s really an amazing place.”
Mandy Ingber mandyingber.com
INNOVATO RS, I N F LU E N C E R S & C H AR AC TERS PHOTO CREDIT: ZANE ROESSELL
The Best Perry Farrell
PERRY FARRELL
Venice renaissance man has big plans for 2022
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski hen Perry Farrell hit 60 in March 2019, he knew he had to change. He spent years in the dark but decided it was time to emerge. Among the ways he’s celebrating his third chapter is with “Heaven After Dark,” which the Venice renaissance man called an extension of his landmark Lollapalooza festival. Like Lollapalooza, it focuses on iconic and emerging musicians, performance artists and varietal acts to showcase alternative music, underground culture. “Heaven After Dark” attendees will experience “seven realms of heaven;” “an audio sensory journey that introduces attendees to musicians, dancers, comedians and street performers to narrate and shape the evening’s story;” the Farrells performing as Kind Heaven Orchestra; and DJs and producers playing acid house music. “We want to start germinating the seeds in LA with emerging artists,” Farrell said. “They are very reminiscent of the groups I played with when I was coming up in LA in the early ‘80s. I’m trying to recreate that vibe. But, of course, you can never go back.” “Heaven After Dark” is a departure from Lollapalooza, which plays to approximately 385,000 in Chicago each year. “During large events, you get to see something that you didn’t expect,” Farrell said. “To me, it was like, OK, where are we going to get the emerging music from if the music industry isn’t really nurturing it? “To me, it was essential that we went back to the original place where we started our music and started to garden it, curate it so that they could grow and one day be on the Lollapalooza stages.” His wife, Etty, added, “I think it’s nice that when you do big shows, when you’re in a big festival, you do get the production and all the bells and whistles. At the same time, you lose that personal contact with your audience. So you get to sing and perform and look into people’s eyes, and then open a dialogue with the audience.”
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Recalling the past Last year, Farrell’s management pushed him to release, “Perry Farrell—The Glitz; The Glamour,” a 35-year retrospective of Farrell’s life, music and arts. Across nine 180-gram vinyls, “Perry Farrell—The Glitz; The Glamour” takes fans through his expansive solo career starting with his first band, Psi Com, and its five-song self-titled EP. Recorded in 1985, just prior to the formation of Jane’s Addiction, the Psi Com sound was inspired by artists like Joy Division and Siouxsie and the Banshees. From 2001, “Song Yet to Be Sung” was inspired by and recorded after a life-changing experience in Sudan helping free thousands of slaves from human bondage. This experience and album set forth Farrell as a humanitarian and his commitment to equality. The 12-song EP was written and produced by Farrell and is joined on the album
by lifelong friends including Dave Navarro (Jane’s Addiction), Martyn LeNoble (Porno for Pyros) and Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction and Porno for Pyros). Satellite Party’s 2007 album, “Ultra Payloaded,” was co-produced by Perry, Steve Lillywhite and Nuno Bettencourt and features his wife and muse, Etty Lau Farrell. The 12-song LP also includes collaborations with John Frusciante, Flea, Fergie, New Order’s Peter Hook, Peter DiStefano (Porno for Pyros),Thievery Corporation and Mad Professor. For the recording of 2018’s “Kind Heaven,” the alt-rock icon assembled guest stars—Elliot Easton (The Cars), Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Mike Garson (David Bowie), Chris Chaney (Jane’s Addiction), Etty Lau Farrell, Dhani Harrison as well as Tommy Lee, the Bloody Beetroots, Kascade and Joachim Garraud. It features singles “Pirate Punk Politician,” a searing indictment of the current state of our planet under a rising tide of autocratic regimes, and the soaring song of hope, “Let’s all Pray for This World.” “The project was led by my management team,” Farrell said. “They came in, maybe a year ago, and they noticed I was all over the place. I hadn’t documented my career, all my pictures I’ve been saving, my life, my memories. My publishing was all over the place.”
Pandemic panic The COVID-19 pandemic was devastating to Farrell, as he had to cancel Lollapaloozas in Chicago, Brazil, Argentina, Stockholm, Paris and Berlin. Jane’s Addiction emerged to play Lollapalooza Chile and Argentina in mid-March. “I think it’s worth mentioning that Jane’s Addiction is coming back for what would have been their 30th anniversary,” Etty said. “However, because of COVID-19, we pushed it a year. They’re going to start with Lollapalooza in South America.” Before the gigs, Farrell said he was excited about the reunion. “We’ve had our bouts,” Farrell said with a laugh. “But right now, we’re closer than ever.” Etty added, “I think it’s because you’re older.” “I didn’t want to say that,” Farrell laughed. “As you get older, you let go of all of the petty stuff that you thought was important.” Besides brainstorming new events, Farrell used the pandemic to work on his memoir. “I have history,” he said. “When the pandemic hit, I said, ‘OK. I’m going to settle down and get my act together—probably what everybody’s doing—gather my music, my publishing, my pictures, stories, and I’ve had a really fun time doing it. “Now, I really feel I’m prepared to enter into the third act of life. There’s a lot you can accomplish in this third act. I don’t want to look at this third act as I have to slow down. I was slowed down in the middle. Now I feel like the best Perry I can be.” MARCH 24, 2022 THE ARGONAUT PAGE 15
INNOVATO RS, I N F LU E N C E R S & C HAR AC TERS
A Passion for Teaching Rooted in Love PHOTO CREDIT: ROBERT MACAISA/LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY
DR. DARIN EARLEY LMU’s Dr. Darin Earley aims to give students what he’s given his own children By Marin Heinritz ne of Darin Earley’s first teaching jobs was at Horace Mann Junior High, and one returning fall when discussing with his class what they did over summer break, he disclosed that he’d gotten engaged. One new seventh grader he hadn’t met before that day told him: “I’m going to be in your wedding, Mr. Earley.” It came as a surprise, but it turned out she was right. In the months that passed between their meeting and Earley’s marrying his wife of now 31 years, they developed the kind of connection and relationship that led to her being in his wedding. And that, in many ways, is what being a teacher is all about, according to Earley, director of the Loyola Marymount University Family of Schools. “The students that I’ve taught I’ve done my best to love them at the same level of the children that I’ve birthed,” Earley said.” That’s important to me.” In addition to his 15 years at Loyola Marymount University Family of Schools, where he has managed various programs and grant-funded projects that support 16 partner schools, and served as a liaison between the university and the local education community, Earley has worked as a secondary school administrator, classroom teacher and human relations facilitator, serving over 18 years with the Los Angeles Unified School District. “Education is an opportunity for me to learn, for me to give back,” Earley said.
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The son of teachers, education is in Earley’s bones. Though it wasn’t until after the LA native, who graduated from Westchester High in 1983, went to Howard University with the initial goals of becoming a lawyer that he realized his calling. It started the moment he and his dad got off the plane. “All the freshmen were getting there and it was just a sea of African American folks, I’d never seen that in an educational setting at all,” Earley said. He also remembered stepping in front of the school of fine arts one day and hearing the most extraordinary sounds coming out of the building. It was a black woman singing opera. “I had no idea,” he said. “We are so diverse. . . we all are part of this diaspora.” For Earley, after having grown up as one of a handful of Black students in the gifted classes, “always trying to validate my place in the space that was called Westchester,” he said, this notion of being one out of many was a relief. “This was transformative. You’re not the smartest kid in the space and you don’t have to be—such a weight off my shoulders. It was like freedom, liberating, you don’t have to carry the mantle.” With the pressure off, he “felt like I could just be.” And that allowed him to realize something that changed him. “You know, I’m not here just to go to school and take some money and get out,” Earley said. “I’m here to learn to make a difference.” The notion of making a difference through teaching was solidified after his freshman year when he interned as a TA for his mom (who had been the first Black teacher in her Ohio hometown) in her fourth grade classroom following an internship at Pepsi that turned out to not be what he was looking for. The rest is history. In his 33 years teaching elementary to doctoral students and working as an administrator for LAUSD and LMU, Earley has educated Angelenos on just about every level. And in his current position, he’s helping initiate the kind of programs that aim to change lives for years to come. The Cultivating Young Black Excellence tutoring program pairs LMU students with LAUSD students, because it’s crucial that students see themselves where they want to be. Whether it’s Black students getting tutoring from a Black college student, or the Black tutor seeing themself as a real teacher for the first time, the exchange can have a powerful effect. Earley remembered this kind of effect with one young woman on a tour of LMU as part of a college readiness program. She pulled out her cell phone and called her mom while on campus with a view of the mountains and ocean to tell her how beautiful it was and that she was going to go to college there. And this is exactly the point. She had to see herself there before she knew it was possible for her. As Zora Neal Hurston wrote in “Their Eyes Were Watching God:” “You got to go there to know there.” “People want to do things because they’ve had a positive experience,” Earley said. “Unfortunately, school has not been a positive experience for Black kids, especially in LA. We want to do things to change their experience with school. We want kids to be excited about school.” And it’s important to encourage Black students to want to teach because “if one Black child has one Black teacher they’re 30% more likely to graduate from high school and matriculate to college,” Earley said. How to get more kids involved in teaching is a question Earley has grappled with for years. “First, they have to have a good experience,” he said. “Second, they have to see the value of contributing to the lives of others. Third, they have to know they don’t have to do it forever.” Another program Earley helped initiate that aims to create better educational experiences for Black students is the Leadership and Equity Academy for Principals (LEAP Academy), a two-year program that began in Fall 2021 that seeks to assist principals in creating a school environment in which Black students are accepted, valued, cared for, and encouraged to be active and responsible members of the school community, as well as connecting students to local business owners for internships and local community centers for recreational opportunities. Even with the various roles Earley plays in education at LMU and beyond, he still thinks of himself primarily as a teacher. “Administration is a different skill set because now you’re thinking broader and how you spread your knowledge in different spaces,” he said. “Not all teachers are good administrators, but all administrators should be good teachers.” And being a good teacher to Earley—who in addition to being a teacher, administrator, husband and father, is a Christian minister—is shot through with love, and rooted in the golden rule. “What probably makes me the most proud is I’ve tried to give to other people’s children the same thing I would want them to give to mine,” he said. “That’s been my aim.”
INNOVATO RS, I N F LU E N C E R S & C H AR AC TERS
By Srianthi Perera o Santa Monica interior designer Kim Gordon, intuition goes hand-in-hand with design. The self-taught designer developed it alongside her career. Gordon visited different homes and met various types of individuals who lived within. This helped her develop a perception for her art. “Because I worked with so many different types of people who were artistic and really put a lot of thought in their homes, I really learned a lot about how people live in a house and how it feels,” Gordon said. “Anyone can put walls up, but sometimes you walk into a place and you think it feels so nice.” The ambiance is the sum of the different parts of a home and its spaces: from the color of the walls to the floor and every little thing in between. They have to sing together to create that particular feeling. Gordon notices the little things. “It’s the hunger of the work, leading to people and always paying attention and gaining that knowledge,” she said. “Are you keeping that knowledge and building up on it? Then it becomes very intuitive. After you’ve done this and you work with so many different people, there’s a lot of intuition to design.” It all began in Venice 20 years ago, when she worked with architects and fellow designers. Gordon cut her teeth doing installations for interiors. She started out with decorative artwork, using natural materials such as mosaic on ceilings, murals and also chandeliers. Using craft techniques for interior design was not common then. Everything was clean and modern, Gordon said. With the opening of unique stores such as Anthropologie and Etsy, opportunities came for a more natural look in design, and for artists to create hands-on. Gordon also “got an itch” to do a project of her own, so she bought a house in Mandeville Canyon and worked on it as a showpiece. “It did well, and I kept taking a lot of risks to continue to do that kind of work and I was really lucky,” she recalled. Nowadays, Gordon’s signature design is resort-like; she spends a lot of time and energy making a home feel like a spa. The trend is related to the pandemic and the resultant long hours spent at home. She’s inspired by natural materials and clay walls, and because most of her materials such as stone and limestone couldn’t be shipped in during the past two years, she sourced them in closer places. That introduced her to “lovely makers” in Canada, Mexico and Southern California. Gordon has had her share of celebrity clients, among them Don Henley, for whom she was hired to antique the wood in his recording studio. How does she meet them? “I’ve always been lucky; I guess we live in Los Angeles and it’s a company town,” she said. “I don’t really advertise. You meet one and then you meet another and another.” The experience working with sound was invaluable and she was able to use the knowledge to make home theater designs. Working on projects for celebrities, however, meant adding stress to the body. Gordon had her share of setbacks, also. One of the biggest was getting cancer. Now cancer-free for three years, Gordon, nevertheless, won’t forget her experience. “Cancer changed me; it definitely made me nicer,” she said. “I think I was mean and crazy when I was on all that medication and it kind of brought me to my knees.” She used to be pushy and hard, with a driving ambition. “Now I feel like I want to be a lot nicer,” Gordon said. “I think more about what stress can do for the body. That’s also where some of the introduction of spa materials, spa vibes in houses comes from. I’m at my house all the time. If I had a spa, it would be fantastic; it would make me feel better.” With the worst of the pandemic hopefully behind, in February Gordon opened an artsy atelier with terra cotta clay walls on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica. “I was able to work out a really nice deal with the landlord,” she said. “We decorated it really sweet and we do so much creative work there.” The location has yielded her good neighbors as well. “It’s nice to have a place to go and get coffee and be a part of the community,” Gordon said. She has many plans for programming there—presentations on designing, house hunting, book signings and other activities will enhance it, she thinks. How does she feel about life right now? “I feel like actually what I really need to do is be quiet now, chill out a little bit and I think there’s a lot of inner work (introspection),” Gordon said. She still “has to survive,” but realizes that she needs to stop running for a little. Her
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Natural Eye for Design
PHOTO BY CHRIS MORTENSON
Kim Gordon creates one-of-a-kind spaces that are beautiful and functional
KIM GORDON two sons still need her; the 19-year-old is in college and the 13-year-old is at home. Her partner, Mauricio Suarez, is by her side. And so are their three dogs: a Pomsky, Australian shepherd poodle and Pomeranian husky poodle, named Pablo, Eva and Ghost. “We live together in a happy little house,” Gordon said. Kim Gordon Designs kimgordondesigns.com MARCH 24, 2022 THE ARGONAUT PAGE 17
INNOVATO RS, I N F LU E N C E R S & C HAR AC TERS PHOTO CREDIT: LAUREN DESBERG
SYNDEE WINTERS
A Message of Kindness Syndee Winters brings magic to the stage By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski yndee Winters spent her childhood dancing around her mother’s Brooklyn beauty shop, entertaining the clientele with her singing. “They asked me, ‘Syndee, what do you want to be when you grow up?’ My mother, while she was curling someone’s hair, said, ‘Don’t you want to be a pediatrician?’ I didn’t even know how to spell that.’” Eschewing that route, Winters selected entertainer as her career. Her resume includes stints with “Hamilton,” “The Lion King” and “Disney Princess—The Concert,” as well as the new band Butterfly Black. Winters, who spent the last few months on the road with “Disney Princess—The Concert,” relocated to Culver City from New York during the pandemic. “I moved at the top of 2021, not knowing what I would be doing,” she said. “I really wanted a change of pace. I thought LA would grant me that. My really good friend’s apartment became available. I moved into her place with my partner, Ben Williams, who is an incredible musician.” The two helm the band Butterfly Black. To record material, the couple turned one of the bedrooms into a “full-blown studio.” They met in the fall of 2020 on social media, via a mutual connection in “Hamilton.” Williams’ message and musicianship were attractive, she said. Williams’ resume includes tours with Pat Metheny, David Sanborn and Robert Glasper. “When the pandemic happened, the only thing I could control when the industry closed was songwriting and making music,” she said. “I sought out to find a collaborator. I went on to his Instagram and he released an album, ‘I Am a Man,’ in 2020. “I really loved his message. He said the album was inspired by 1968 sanitation workers’ strike in Memphis. He talks about mental health and the American Black male. I’m an advocate for positive messaging in music.” Winters messaged Williams on socials to see if he would be willing to collaborate. “I was in New York for a trip to move my things from New York to Florida,” she said. “When I met Ben for a writing session, something switched and I thought, ‘I don’t think I’m going to Florida. We thought we would hang out for a little bit and see what happens. In one of our first writing sessions together, we wrote ‘I Just Wanna Love You.’” In mid-March, Butterfly Black released “I Just Wanna Love You,” a track that was leaked to Natasha Diggs, a NYC DJ, who played it on her “Soul in the Horn” show. From there, it was picked up by D-Nice, a DJ, beatboxer, rapper, producer and photogra-
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pher, who began his career in the mid-1980s with the hip-hop group Boogie Down Productions. “D-Nice was in the chat listening to the set,” Winters said. “It kind of blew us away. We were like, ‘What’s happening?’ It was so exciting.” Winters described “I Just Wanna Love You” as “music that makes you dance, connect with and feel good.” “During the pandemic, we were so isolated, and I wanted to create dance music,” she said. “It is the music that brings you together. We connect the styles of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and some of our favorite musicians—the Jacksons, Quincy Jones and Prince—to create this single that, hopefully, audiences will enjoy. We’ve gotten some really good feedback so far.”
Disney love Growing up, Winters fell in love with Disney World. So, touring with “Disney Princess — The Concert” was an obvious choice for her. “I feel like every chapter of my life since age 3 has had an element of Disney in it,” she said. “On my Instagram, I did a little flashback of my visits to Disney World. Now to be able to say I’m a part of the Disney legacy as a princess makes me feel just in awe of life. “Now, I get called Nala all the time. When I was on ‘The Lion King’ tour, I was in New Orleans and I visited my co-star Jelani Remy,” she recalled. “His little niece heard my voice and said, ‘Nala.’ It was so cute and then we sat and watched ‘The Princess and the Frog.’ I thought, ‘This is awesome and now I get to sing a song from ‘The Princess and the Frog’ in ‘Disney Princess—The Concert.’” She has made a living starring as royalty—as future queen Nala in Disney’s “The Lion King” on Broadway. Besides Winters, the cast featured Susan Egan, Broadway’s original Belle in “Beauty and the Beast” and Meg in Disney’s animated feature “Hercules;” Arielle Jacobs, Broadway’s Jasmine in “Aladdin” and “In the Heights;” and Disney Channel icon Anneliese van der Pol, “That’s So Raven,” “Raven’s Home” and Broadway’s final Belle in “Beauty and The Beast.” “Disney Princess—The Concert” had a profound effect on its fans and Winters. “I get to see all the little girls dressed like their favorite princesses, moms singing along to the songs they grew up on,” she said. “A lot of the Disney princess songs are pretty much the soundtrack to our lives. When they sing the songs back to us makes me feel really good. I get to be the vehicle for these lyrics and this message of encouragement and kindness.”
Arts aficionado Winters’ Broadway experience is vast, with spots in “Hamilton,” “The Lion King,” “Pippin,” “Jesus Chris Superstar” and “Motown the Musical.” On television, she’s been featured on NBC’s live “Jesus Christ Superstar” with John Legend, and as Ms. Smiley on “Law & Order SVU,” where she interrogated Lt. Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) on her parenting methods. Inspired by the art of storytelling, Winters’ latest writing project celebrates the life of Lena Horne in a one-woman play with music entitled, “Lena: A Moment with a Lady.” As a recording artist, she has written and released several singles, EPs, and her debut Horne-influenced jazz album “Lessons: From a Lady.” She also lent her vocals to recordings by Snoop Dogg, Big Daddy Kane and Grandmaster Flash. Winters’ dreams of teaching were realized when she founded ROAR School, which equips students to be resourceful, optimistic, authentic and reliant. Winters watched “Hamilton” blossom from its workshop phase to the final piece. She auditioned for the soon-to-be blockbuster, but there wasn’t a place for her. A space became available during its first year on Broadway, so she auditioned. Winters landed the role of principal cover, which means she covered all of the Schuyler sisters’ roles. “The show had already blown up, right after the Tonys,” she said. “I was really excited to be a part of the show—not because of the impact it made in pop culture, but more so, the fact that my specific skill set—writer, actor, singer and rapper—made it onto the Broadway stage in this form and fashion. “All the skills I had been building and been passionate about happened to translate into the biggest musical in history,” she said. “I love Broadway, but I’m not a Broadway performer. I’m an artist and my skillset is what Broadway was looking for at the time. With the ‘Disney Princess—The Concert’ and ‘The Lion King,’ I’m a musician and those voices resonated with me. Those were the voices I heard on the radio.” Syndee Winters syndeewinters.com
INNOVATO RS, I N F LU E N C E R S & C H AR AC TERS PHOTO BY CHRIS MORTENSON
YAGO CURA
Librarian Sparks a Publishing Revolution Yago Cura founded HINCHAS PRESS to offer a platform for marginalized readers and writers By Marin Heinritz ago Cura, Hyde Park librarian at the Los Angeles Public Library, grew up skateboarding in Miami in the ‘90s, before skateboarding was cool, before anybody knew what anyone else was doing on social media, before comparing yourself to others became a full-time job. “When skateboarding wasn’t cool the only thing we wanted to do was go skateboarding,” Cura said. “It wasn’t about dating or girls, it was about what curb are we going to go hit tonight—not about what influencer should we try to mimic. It was about being focused on the thing that you loved regardless of what other people thought.” That ethos has guided Cura in everything he does, especially his literary aspirations. In 2016, Cura started HINCHAS Press out of need and passion. The Mar Vista-based publishing house focuses on building a bridge between U.S. and Latin American writers, providing a platform for underrepresented writers, and providing a greater opportunity for readers to access a greater diversity of voices. “I want to read what I want to read, not something that’s been vetted or distilled by someone else,” Cura said, noting a long-standing problem in the publishing industry. “This is nothing new, this over-prevalence of specific type of people in publishing. I’ve consistently given a voice to people who’ve been looking for a platform.” The seed of HINCHAS began in 2009, as an online literary magazine, thanks to a loan of $400 from Cura’s friend James Foley, the American combat journalist who was murdered in Syria by ISIS in 2014. “If it wasn’t for him, I really wouldn’t exist,” Cura said. HINCHAS’ first publication was in Foley’s honor, the poetry collection “Ghazals for Foley” in 2016, and the press was born. Since then, HINCHAS has published “XLA Poets,” a collection of 10 BIPOC poets, including Los Angeles Poet Laureate Lynne Thompson. Cura described the writers as “women poets I’ve worked with who are kicking ass,” he said. “Interesting writers who happen to be women but they’re amazing in their own right and deserve to be together.” In addition, the press, which relies on no funding from outside agencies, has released several volumes of “Librarians With Spines: Information Agitators in an Age of Stagnation,” edited by Cura in collaboration with Max Macias and Autumn Anglin, and is set to release the third volume this year. Cura said these collections of alternative narratives provide an opportunity for librarians to be advocates. “The work is so much more than pointing out the fault lines in the system,” Cura said.
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The work is what do we do with this knowledge how do we change this system? ‘Librarians With Spines’ stands as an alternative to people sitting around and pointing a finger saying, ‘I don’t like it.’ It’s real applications of how to fix things.” Which seems to be what Cura is about. And it’s often nothing less than a revolution. “People are attracted to the idea that revolutions are something that happen quickly, but the real work is going to take a lot of time, and a lot of people don’t see it,” he said. The son of Argentinian immigrants, Cura grew up in Bensonhurst and Miami, and after earning his MFA and burning out on teaching in New York, he earned a Masters in Library Science from Queens College, which he puts to use at LA’s Public Library, where he’s worked since 2011—most recently as a bilingual Adult Services Librarian at the Hyde Park Miriam Matthews Branch, named for the first African American librarian employed by the City’s Public Library. It’s an interesting location, Cura said, being in South Central LA but in the western region of LA’s Public Library system, which includes Mar Vista, Playa Vista and Venice Branch Libraries. “For me, it’s an honor at the very least to work here and assist the community,” Cura said. “I love it because no two days are the same. It’s a trip: it’s good, it’s bad. It makes a nice complement to being a writer and a publisher, a curator, editor and former teacher.” Cura does it all, building community as he goes. Right now he’s working on a novel loosely based on his family’s experience in Argentina’s Dirty War and promoting “Tlacuilx: Tongues in Quarantine,” a collection of poetry by Project 1521, a group of Southern California poets and an artist that drew inspiration from the Florentine Codex, the creation of a group of Indigenous Mexican artists amid a plague in response to the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs. Through his work at the library, as well as a writer, editor and mentor through HINCHAS, Cura is doing what he loves, independent of larger influence—but at the behest of a greater purpose. “I’m not a religious person, but teaching people and empowering people to do their own thing is the faith part of what I exert,” Cura said. HINCHAS Press hinchaspress.com MARCH 24, 2022 THE ARGONAUT PAGE 19
INNOVATO RS, I N F LU E N C E R S & C H AR AC TERS PHOTO BY CHRIS MORTENSON
RICK OEFINGER
Gone Fishing Marina del Rey Sportfishing’s Rick Oefinger takes people on first-class adventures at sea By Michele Robinson ince 1997, Captain Rick Oefinger has been the president of the Marina del Rey Sportfishing and Whale Watching Company. “I enjoy taking people fishing, meeting people and sharing my passion with them,” says Oefinger. For Oefinger fishing is definitely a passion, but it’s also a way of life and his business all wrapped up together. His earliest memory of fishing was doing it with his grandfather when he was only 2 years old. From this experience, he got hooked. At the young age of 14, he started working on a fishing boat. That was 51 years ago and he has never looked back. “I fish every day,” he said. Dedicated to his craft and business, Oefinger or his crew are on deck as early as 5 a.m., seven days a week, 364 days a year, weather permitting. The only day the landing isn’t open is on Christmas. Growing up in Manhattan Beach, Oefinger worked in Redondo Beach for 20 years. He was fired from his job in May 1990. But when one door closes, another one opens and that is exactly what happened in his case. Oefinger had a friend who needed help with the maintenance of boats in Marina del Rey. He went to help out, and the old owner of the company had a boat and was looking for someone to take people out on trips. Oefinger needed a job so he worked for him. In 1997, the old owner left and Oefinger took over the lease. There are several things that are unique about how Oefinger runs the company. Customers receive a first-class fishing adventure along with a full-service experience. All of the necessary gear and equipment is available. Everyone is welcome, including those with no prior fishing experience. It is very popular with first-time fishers, tourists, women, families, and people from all walks of life and from all over the world. “You just make your reservation and get yourselves to Dock 52, everything is here,” Oefinger said. “The friendly, affable crewmembers will demonstrate basic operations. They will also help, assist and instruct the guests while they are on board. For a nominal charge they will even clean the fish for you.” Another special aspect of Marina del Rey Sportfishing is the way they fish. They use the unique Southern California style of sportfishing, which means they use live anchovy or sardines. This live bait is different from what would was used on the East Coast and it was developed on our coast about 100 years ago in the 1920s. A distinctive feature about Oefinger’s company is that four of his boats are custom designed by him. He built the boats from the ground up, which included designing
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them and overseeing their production at the shipyard building site. Besides work, Marina del Rey Sportfishing uses their boats for fun. Annually, their boats have participated and won trophies in the Marina del Rey Holiday Boat Parade. The boats are decorated by volunteers at the Cabrillo Aquarium, then ready to participate in the fun party. Every summer, the Betty-O is rented out several days a week by the Marina del Rey Anglers, Del Rey Yacht Club, Friends of Rollo and other nonprofit organizations to take underprivileged youth on fishing trips, some who have never seen the water before. The California Yacht Club also rents out the boats for fishing trips with the Junior Blind and Braille Institute. Oefinger also shared some tips for planning a fishing trip. One thing to remember is the time of the year makes no difference. From October to February, the fish available will primarily be bottom feeders like rockfish, sculpin and sand dabs. After March 1, red snapper and grouper become more abundant. In the spring the fish migrate and one may catch barracuda, bass bonito and even yellowtail. “The prettiest time to go out on the water is from October to February,” Oefinger said. “The water is usually calm and fewer people are on the boats.” The public is invited to come on board on one of their six “party boats,” which can hold around 70 to 80 people, but are currently limited to 60% due to COVID-19 concerns. People can also rent boats for private trips, which hold up to 100 people and offer tours for 20 to 25 people. Trips can last as long as a half day (four to five hours) excursion up to a whole day (eight to nine hours) experience. For those interested in whale watching, Marina del Rey Sportfishing offers three hours of private and public options. “When you go out to see whales, or on any other trip for that matter, you will likely see myriads of unique sea birds, seals, dolphins and all sorts of other wonderful sea creatures,” Oefinger said. At 66, Oefinger isn’t ready to slow down yet, but rather continues to love what he does. “I would not change a thing in my life, I’ve had a lot of fun doing it,” Oefinger said. “It’s a wonderful life.” Marina del Rey Sportfishing 310-822-3625 mdrsf.com
INNOVATO RS, I N F LU E N C E R S & C H AR AC TERS
By Kamala Kirk hen Cologne Trude and Cammy Miller first met as students at UC Berkeley, the connection was instant. The two quickly became friends, then after graduation they moved to New York together to work in the fashion industry and were roommates for several years. It was during a weekend trip to Miami in 2010 when the idea for their future clothing brand and e-commerce platform, Show Me Your Mumu, was born. “When we were packing for our trip, we felt there was one item of clothing that was missing from our suitcases,” Miller and Trude said. “We wanted a loose, flowy piece in a fun print that was versatile enough so you could wear it out at night and to the pool during the day. We were at dinner one evening talking about this item that we wanted but didn’t have, when one of our friends suggested that we make it ourselves. He jokingly said, ‘Show me your mumu!’ And that’s how we came up with the name for our company.” Upon returning from their vacation, Miller and Trude launched Show Me Your Mumu, transforming their apartment into the company’s headquarters. They hunted for fabrics and worked with a patternmaker, production source and web designer to create their first items of clothing and sold them online. When the brand began to take off and all of their items were selling out, they decided it was time to quit their full-time jobs and move back to California to pursue their dream as entrepreneurs. Since its inception in 2010, Show Me Your Mumu has expanded to hundreds of different styles and prints including kids and swimwear lines, denim, maternity wear, a bridesmaid collection, as well as men’s ties and socks. Their list of celebrity fans includes Kendall Jenner, and they’re known for doing special collaborations for limited-edition collections with Barbie, Disney, and media personalities such as Hannah Brown from “The Bachelorette,” among others. They also have a successful wholesale business and are carried in over 350 stores across the United States. “It’s been really fun with Mumu because we’ve evolved the brand,” Miller said. “When we see a need in our own closet, we’ll design something to fulfill that. Our denim does really well, as does our swimwear because girls love the flexible and supportive fabric. We’re a very print-based brand, and our designs are fun and exciting. We have several prints each year that are our superstars and we’ll bring them back in new styles, which our customers love.” Trude added, “We’re always launching new collections and every week we release new items. We have so many fun seasonal collections, and we love festivals and holidays like Fourth of July and Valentine’s Day. Cammy and I got married six months apart and during that time we discovered the need for cool, stylish and flattering dresses for bridesmaids that were affordable and could be worn again. We launched our wedding line in 2015 and it has become a big part of our business. After we got pregnant and had our daughters, we launched a line for kids. This year we’re launching some fun things for men that we haven’t done before.” Miller and Trude opened their Venice boutique in 2015, then the following year they opened a bridal boutique across the street. As the company grew, they moved their warehouse to a bigger location in Downtown Los Angeles. Over the years they’ve been featured by numerous media outlets including Forbes in 2019. Social media has also played an important role in Show Me Your Mumu’s success, and Miller and Trude are very focused on their community, always engaging with fans and customers on platforms like Instagram. “People love that we have a Mumu community,” Miller and Trude said. “A lot of fashion brands feel inaccessible and exclusive, but we’ve always wanted everyone to feel included and that we’re right there with them. We work hard to maintain affordable price points and we make a lot of our items in America while paying fair wages and working with good factories. Our customers really appreciate that.” At the beginning of COVID-19, Miller and Trude closed their retail store, but still have their office and bridal showroom, which are located off Abbot Kinney. They also host private fittings for brides-to-be and their wedding parties at the showroom. “We’d love to open another store one day, but our business shifted with e-commerce so it made sense to focus our energy there,” Miller and Trude said. “Having a store and bridal showroom is so fun. Girls come in groups with their bridesmaids, friends and family and everyone is in such a great mood. We love spending time with our customers in person.” Looking ahead, Miller and Trude are growing their team and expanding their sizing to include more plus-size styles and collaborations. They also hope to open another retail space down the road and look forward to getting more face time with customers
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Fashion Pioneers
PHOTO BY CHRIS MORTENSON
Show Me Your Mumu founders Cologne Trude and Cammy Miller have revolutionized online retail
COLOGNE TRUDE AND CAMMY MILLER through various fun events and activations. Miller and Trude live in Venice, and Trude’s husband, Sam, owns Great White café on Pacific Avenue and Gran Blanco under the Venice sign. Trude grew up in Newport Beach and Miller is a New Orleans native. Both said that the people and community of Venice were what attracted them to the area as residents and business owners. “Even when we were in New York and started the brand, people always assumed we were in California,” Miller and Trude said. “We’ve always been a California lifestyle brand with a Southern soul. We’ve combined where we both are from to create this brand that is so natural and organic to us and really shows who we are. Our first office, store and bridal showroom were in Venice—we’ve always been Venice girls. It’s home for us and the brand.”
Show Me Your Mumu showmeyourmumu.com MARCH 24, 2022 THE ARGONAUT PAGE 21
INNOVATO RS, I N F LU E N C E R S & C HAR AC TERS
Dancing Through Life I
Ballet instructor spreads light, inspiration and love on the Westside
PHOTO BY CHRIS MORTENSON
CHASEN GREENWOOD
By Bridgette M. Redman t’s good that Chasen Greenwood had a persistent friend when he was but a boy in Texas. He already knew by age 10 that he loved musical theater, but his friend wanted him to take a ballet class with him. “I said, ‘No, boys don’t take ballet,’” Greenwood said. “That’s not the cool thing in Texas.” He did it anyway, taking a class at Lisa Owen’s New World Ballet in Richardson, Texas and his life was changed. He would go on to dance on full scholarships with Pacific Northwest Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Houston Ballet and Ballet Austin. He’d perform in the West Coast premiere of “Newsies.” He’s worked with Lady Gaga’s choreographer, Richy Jackson, and director Neal Brennan for an Xbox Super Bowl commercial. He recently choreographed a yet-to-be-released movie about a Black ballerina. The reluctant boy fell in love with dance and his choreography even won him “Best Young Choreographer” at Regional America Southwest. Now a teacher at Westside School of Ballet in Santa Monica, Greenwood said it is a place that helps him pursue his life goal of spreading light, inspiration and love. “Like so many others, dance was my light,” Greenwood said. “It really was what got me through most of my childhood. I want to spread what the art form does for me. At Westside School of Ballet, I started meeting great adults and they helped me produce shows in Los Angeles.” Light, inspiration and love became Greenwood’s mantra. His classes are open to anyone of any age, from ex-dancers to professionals and semi-professionals to those who are new to dance. He said he starts every class guiding his students in breath work and then tells them that the next hour and a half is for them. “The one thing we all agree on is that we love dance,” Greenwood said. “For me, teaching is therapeutic. I can be having the worst day and when I show up, I am able to be with the dancers. No matter how busy I get, I will always go back to coaching. Dancers have always been my friends and the people I relate to. When people come to my class it’s important that we show up for ourselves and it doesn’t matter what our politics, religion or anything else is. We all love dance.” Greenwood remembers teaching at Westside School of Ballet just as the pandemic was shutting things down. He recalled the last class he taught. “It was when we didn’t know what was going to happen,” Greenwood said. “The last thing I said to my students was, ‘I’m sending you all love, I don’t know when I’ll see you again.’” However, Westside School of Ballet found ways to safely dance through the pandemic—with strict protocols and safety measures in place. On Father’s Day in 2021, Greenwood was able to do his first show since the start of the pandemic—one where everyone was masked, they checked vaccinations and kept everyone distanced. “We had a sold-out show and a lot of those adults (at Westside) helped to fund and raise money for those shows,” Greenwood said. “I hired 15 professional dancers and created all new work. We filmed it live with an audience and they got to see each thing twice because we filmed at different angles. They saw my directing, saw the product and saw what it was like to be on stage.” After that, he did another fundraiser where he hired 12 to 13 dancers and brought on two other choreographers. While Greenwood has loved live performance, he is now enjoying work on television and in film, and hopes to do more choreography for it. He also dreams of founding his own company, a contemporary ballet group that would collaborate with such organizations as Universal Studios and whose dancers would perform in television and film. As someone who has lived all over the country, Greenwood acknowledges that there are challenges and sacrifices to living in LA. It’s expensive and the traffic is intense. But he loves the people and it is here where he wants to build his career. He also credits Westside School of Ballet as re-inspiring his desire to teach. He said he is proud to be a part of the dance organization. It has not only kept him going, but restored his spirit. “There is something about the energy that I can’t explain,” Greenwood said. “It sometimes gets me teary-eyed when teaching. When I see people completely together doing pliés, I get chills. It’s something I can’t explain with words, which is why I’m a dancer.” Chasen Greenwood Instagram: @chasengreenwood
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INNOVATO RS, I N F LU E N C E R S & C H AR AC TERS
Meeting Patients Where They Are Ebony Funches of Venice Family Clinic provides medical care to the homeless community By Michele Robinson bony Funches, doctor of nursing practice, loves helping underserved patients. As a member of Venice Family Clinic’s street medicine team, she pounds the pavement to provide care to people experiencing homelessness. “I meet patients exactly where they are,” Funches said. “My goal is to always provide quality care for those who need it most.” Every Thursday and Friday morning, she goes out with the street medicine team, which is composed of a social worker, registered nurse and mental health specialist, to provide medical care to unsheltered neighbors. They travel across the Westside in the Santa Monica, Venice and Westchester areas, providing care anywhere their expertise is needed including the local library, a new or existing encampment, or simply on the sidewalk. “I provide outreach services and build trust to deliver the best health care possible,” Funches said. Funches treats new and existing patients, and is able to provide a variety of medical services to them such as taking vitals, prescribing medication, performing wound care and helping with mental health issues. The long-term goal of the outreach program is to help people living on the street successfully get housing. Funches provides comprehensive care, including physical and mental health options, as well as follow-up care. “We can diagnose and treat schizophrenia on the street,” Funches said. “We can offer patients with psychosis injectable antipsychotics that last one to six months, which reduces the burden of taking a pill daily. This strategy for treating patients with psychosis helps these people become more organized so that they can function well enough to get housed and meet their long and short-term goals.” Dedicated to Venice Family Clinic, Funches drives an hour each way to work at the Rose Avenue location. She has been a registered nurse since 2008 and has worked at Venice Family Clinic for the past four years. “I knew immediately that I was going to be a lifer at Venice Family Clinic,” Funches said. “I am really invested in the Westside. I am most grateful to work at Venice Family Clinic with people who are so dedicated to our mission.” Funches’ career choice is inspired by her mother, who still works as a nurse in a local correctional facility. By watching her mother help people, Funches knew from a young age that she wanted to do the same. “I knew I wanted to be a nurse when I was 8 years old,” she said. Funches worked full time as a nurse while she went to school for additional nursing credentials. Eventually she earned her doctorate in nursing practice, an accomplishment only 10% of nurses have achieved. In addition to working in street medicine and substance use treatment, she is board certified in three different specialties: she’s a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner, a family nurse practitioner, and an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner. She also credits the clinic staff and her patients for inspiring her to continue learning. “The clinic provides integrated care, which blends behavioral health services within primary care,” Funches said. “I would not be the provider I am without Venice Family Clinic. The clinic helped me to grow both personally and professionally.” Besides street medicine, Funches sees others who come to Venice Family Clinic for health care services. In a typical week, she is practicing family medicine, caring for the unhoused who walk in, and providing psychiatry services via telehealth or in-person. In 2020, Venice Family Clinic celebrated 50 years in the community. As the first community health center in Los Angeles to practice street medicine, it began sending health care providers into the community to care for people experiencing homelessness in 1985. Venice Family Clinic’s street medicine program has grown to nine teams with 11 health care providers. Venice Family Clinic serves 4,500 unhoused residents, which is about 10% of the total population that the Clinic serves. They also recently launched a new Street Medicine Curriculum. This program is designed to train the next generation of healthcare providers who want to work with the unhoused. Having recently merged with South Bay Family Health Care, the Clinic now serves patients at 17 convenient locations from the Santa Monica Mountains to the South Bay. Providing in-person primary care and telehealth options to the community, Venice Family Clinic serves more than 45,000 people, regardless of their income, insurance or immigration status.
PHOTO BY CHRIS MORTENSON
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EBONY FUNCHES For people without insurance, services are provided on a sliding scale and no one is turned away. The Clinic receives grant funding and raises private donations to help cover the cost of care for people who don’t have the funds to pay for their care. During the pandemic, the Clinic was also instrumental in reducing COVID-19 by administering more than 33,000 vaccines to a population that typically has lower vaccination rates. To protect patients and staff at the outset of the pandemic, the Clinic offered telehealth options. Telehealth continues to be an important option for the Clinic’s patients because many lack reliable transportation or have difficulty taking time off work to attend an in-person appointment. For Funches, serving the community she loves is her main focus. “I really love my job, it feels meaningful and purposeful every day,” Funches said. “My role is to make sure patients are cared for and respected. I enjoy making sure patients get the care they need and deserve. I’ve never worked for a place where people really live out the mission in their daily work like they do at Venice Family Clinic. It inspires me.” Venice Family Clinic venicefamilyclinic.org MARCH 24, 2022 THE ARGONAUT PAGE 23
INNOVATO RS, I N F LU E N C E R S & C H AR AC TERS PHOTO CREDIT: MATT AKANA
‘The Vibe Plays a Big Part’
JIM KAUFMAN
Producer Jim Kaufman helps artists be authentic By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski im Kaufman is a music producer by trade, but he more accurately describes his job as a “vibe tech.” “Half of my job is just making sure everyone’s stoked, getting their opinions heard,” said Kaufman, a six-year Santa Monica resident. “I have to make sure everything on the tech side sounds great. That’s a huge part of it. The vibe plays a big part. Album listeners gravitate toward authenticity. You can’t fake having a good time. You’re having a good time or you’re not. There’s an authenticity you can’t edit that comes across in recordings.” Music is in Kaufman’s blood. His mother took him to his first concert—The Beach Boys—at age 8 in Washington, D.C. “I was blown away,” he recalled. “Brian (Wilson) wasn’t touring at that time. This was the ‘Kokomo’ era.” The Phoenix native grew up playing piano and picked up his first guitar at age 7. “I already knew that music was my thing,” he said. Kaufman graduated in 1998 from New School for the Arts & Academics, then in Scottsdale, Arizona. A year later, the guitarist/keyboardist co-founded the post-industrial rock band Opiate for the Masses, which inked a deal with Warcon Enterprises and Century Media. Kaufman was trained early on by Nine Inch Nails “Downward Spiral”-era musician/“Saw” film franchise composer Charlie Clouser. He became part of Helmet’s production team, too—all before the age of 21, by expanding outside the world of alternative rock and forging ahead into genres diverse as alternative, country and hip-hop. “I was his assistant for a little while,” said Kaufman, who moved to SoCal 20 years ago. “I did that and toured for a decade. About 2008, I said, ‘I’m over the road.’ I really loved making records and being in the studio. I gave up touring and have been locked inside of a studio since then.” Through Jim Kaufman Productions, his first client was Tempe, Arizona’s The Black Moods in 2002. Kaufman and the rock band recorded two full-lengths (2012’s “The Black Moods” and 2016’s “Medicine”) and the EPs “Laurel Canyon” and “Killers in the Night.” After the success of the album “Sunshine,” The Black Moods and Kaufman have reunited. “‘Medicine’ allowed us to get a deal with Another Century/Sony, which is really what moved us to the next level,” said singer Josh Kennedy, who met Kaufman through The Black Moods’ drummer Chico Diaz. When Kaufman fractured his hand, Kennedy moved in and served as his in-studio guitarist for acts like Danny Worsnop of Asking Alexandria.
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As far as Kaufman’s relationship with The Black Moods, Kennedy said his friend is inspiring. “He pushes us really hard,” Kennedy said. “He’s our friend, but he makes it a point to be honest, just like producers should. They question you and go and back with ideas. It’s inspiring to work with him because he’s such a close friend and we both came up together in this whole mess that you call the music business.” Kaufman’s resume also includes songs by Dee Snider, Them Evils, Anti-Flag, Helmet and Atlas Genius, as he primarily focuses on alternative, rock and country. “I truly try to listen to music as a fan, as a listener, as a student,” Kaufman said. “I really try to soak up the energy and provide bands with an awesome studio environment. I have this feeling the microphone pics up a lot more than the soundwaves. It picks up energy. If everyone has a great time, the mics are going to hear that.”
Dedicated and loyal Kaufman’s other love is his family. For 10 years, he has been with his partner, yoga instructor Jasmina Hdagha, with whom he has one daughter, Sedona Ann, who was born March 17, 2021. “My partner and I met in Phoenix and then a group of our friends were going up to Sedona,” Kaufman said. “We spent this amazing weekend together and been together ever since. She’s a wonderful mother and I’m very lucky.” The family enjoys living in Santa Monica, which he calls a “great scene of good, like-minded people.” “Being from Arizona, I have PTSD from the heat when I was a kid,” he added. “I love California—the farmers markets with the wonderful produce. I love to work out and ride my bike to the beach. “There’s a wonderful music culture with 4th Street Recording Studio in Downtown Santa Monica. A lot of my friends, who like me, spent their twenties living up in Hollywood, have moved west. Now that we’re in our thirties and forties, it’s a great scene of like-minded people. There is the food, yoga, the great weather. It’s always 71 and sunny.” The key to his career is seeing music as the universal language. “It’s how we communicate,” he said. “Being in the womb, listening to your mother’s heartbeat. It’s something that everyone loves. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like music. “I love helping bands. I love the actual, technical process of making records. We’re at United Recording in Hollywood. We go there if we need to do bigger sounds. I feel like I’m going to Disneyland. The magic has never been lost on me.”
INNOVATO RS, I N F LU E N C E R S & C H AR AC TERS PHOTO CREDIT: KWAKU ALSTON
Serving Others Mallika Chopra uses her lifelong knowledge to support others on their journey of well-being By Srianthi Perera rowing up, Mallika Chopra was immersed in self-help concepts such as meditation, mindfulness and self-reflection. Hence, it’s no surprise that Chopra—the daughter of famous author and alternative medicine advocate Deepak Chopra—has honed her adult life and livelihood around these insights. The Santa Monica resident, who is an author, speaker and businesswoman, said that her driving passion, influenced by her father, is service. “One of the questions he always asked us to ask ourselves is, ‘How can I serve?’” Chopra said. “For me, that’s been the question since I was a child. I feel very lucky and privileged with so many of the gifts and opportunities that I’ve got in my life that really the driving force is how can I serve. That includes how can I serve myself, my family, my community and my world.” Chopra recently became the CEO of Chopra Global, a modern-day health company at the intersection of science and spirituality founded by her father. There, she heads the popular meditation and well-being app, Chopra App. She’s a public speaker and presents to various companies on topics such as finding balance, managing stress and anxiety. She’s an author of several children’s self-help books and the consultant to a television show, also for children, called “Apple TV+ Stillwater.” She’s also a wife and mother to daughters Tara, 20, and Leela, 17. What does Chopra deem her biggest accomplishment? “Being a mother to my two daughters, they are their own unique people who will contribute to the world in meaningful ways,” Chopra said. “So, I really measure success through that.” Career wise, Chopra said her biggest accomplishment has been “a pattern of launching different projects” and focusing on relationships. “I really think it’s about nurturing relationships, and through that, finding professional success,” Chopra said. “I’ve had many failures, I’ve had some successes, but for me, I really measure my professional career through the impact I’m making on a day-to-day basis.” Chopra Global supports people on their journey of well-being in body, mind and spirit. It hosts events and programs for the public, and also certifies education professionals to teach meditation and other healthful activities. The Chopra App is chockful of content on similar topics led by her father and the larger community of his friends and experts. Chopra didn’t plan to become an author. She only wanted to write if she had something authentic to express. Her writing career began when she became pregnant with her first baby and began to think about her intentions. The first book, “100 Promises to My Baby,” is about her commitment, responsibilities and conscious parenting. It was followed by many others aimed at children and parents. Chopra realized first-hand that even at a young age, kids are overwhelmed, have a lot of anxiety and confusion. “I knew from my personal experience because I learned to meditate when I was 9 years old,” Chopra said. Her books reflect her personal journey. The “Just Be” series: “Just Breathe,” “Just Feel” and “Just Be You,” is a trilogy of illustrated how-to books for children (and the adults in their lives) that provide simple tools to understand and support social and emotional knowing, resilience, meditation, mindfulness and self-reflection. “My Body Is a Rainbow: The Color of My Feelings” helps children imagine a rainbow of colors radiating from their body and combines this color connection with breathing exercises. In “Living with Intent: My Somewhat Messy Journey to Purpose, Peace, and Joy,” Chopra shares insights gained while seeking meaning and balance as a mom and entrepreneur who felt she was overwhelmed by work, family and responsibilities. “The books have done amazingly well because they’re actually quite unique,” Chopra said. “I purposely wrote these books for kids who can read by themselves.” Her next book due out in the summer is based on wisdom traditions and aimed at younger children; it is titled “The Buddha and the Rose” and is a subtle story about our connection with the natural world.
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MALLIKA CHOPRA Chopra’s impact on local children may be measured by her winning the OWL Award presented to outstanding women leaders by the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce. She has shared her meditation skills with children at Carlthorp School in Santa Monica, where her daughters attended, among other schools. Chopra didn’t grow up on the Westside, however. Her own childhood was spent in Boston and other cities in the U.S. and India. She moved to the area in 2000 with her husband. “After we graduated from business school, we never thought we’d end up living here so long, but this is absolutely home and where we are anchored,” Chopra said. Her brother, Gotham, lives in Pacific Palisades, just a 10-minute driving distance away. Their father, Deepak, lived in San Diego for many years and now lives in New York City, although he spends time in LA with his grandchildren. Tara is in college and Leela has another year of high school left. Chopra, who turned 50, is close to reaching another stage in her life with her husband as empty-nesters. “My brother and I are feeling responsibility and privileged to think about my dad’s legacy, and that’s why I got involved more in the company,” she said. That’s a large part of her service to the world. Chopra Global offers tools to empower people to impact their communities. She, herself, used her lifelong knowledge and content to impact women and children. “We can use Chopra Global as a company that can empower other people to find their voice and make impact,” Chopra said. “That’s something I feel serves in our unique way.” Mallika Chopra mallikachopra.com Chopra Global chopra.com MARCH 24, 2022 THE ARGONAUT PAGE 25
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Nurturing an Art Ecosystem
Art of Recovery initiative evolves to new model of community partnerships By Bridgette M. Redman he City of Santa Monica knows that art is crucial to the recovery of a city, whether the recovery is from the pandemic, an economic crisis, racial and social injustices, cultural inequity, or any of the other ails that Angelenos have wrestled with. It’s why they are reorganizing their Art of Recovery program to make sure it continues to have a thriving life that pairs artists with Santa Monica businesses, organizations and residents. “All of the things we were grappling with throughout the pandemic—we were putting artists to work to help these efforts and to connect artists with other sectors and neighborhood groups,” said Shannon Daut, the city’s manager of cultural affairs. “We use the arts to help our community and have been really successful. We’ve paid more than 100 artists since the inception of the program. It’s met its goal, it’s really forged key relationships, and built some strong and meaningful networks between artists and other community groups.” The plan going forward incorporates a model where projects are paired with a production partner—a plan the city hopes will build capacity and sustainability among local arts producers while providing more community access to artistic experiences. Since they launched the program in 2020, the Art of Recovery initiative has received more than 200 project ideas and funded 24 artistic works and projects that have employed more than 100 artists. The projects have transformed some of Santa Monica’s most iconic landmarks and public spaces into works of art. The first group of production partners for Art of Recovery artists includes Downtown Santa Monica, Ocean Park Association, Montana Avenue Merchants Association and 18th Street Arts Center.
PHOTOS CREDIT: HALLINE OVERBY
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Since its launch in 2020, as part of the City of Santa Monica’s economic recovery, the Art of Recovery initiative has received over 200 project ideas and funded 24 artistic works and creative projects that have empowered over 100 artists. “We realized we always had this informal matchmaking,” Daut said. “An artist would propose an idea and then we would match them with a business district, neighborhood group or someone who had a site to host. This year, we formalized the partnership into production partners. We did a call for partners and most that responded had hosted Art of Recovery projects in the first year and a half.” Downtown Santa Monica manages the property-based Business Assessment District downtown and services and operations in the area. Ocean Park Association is the neighborhood association in Ocean Park that works closely with the Main Street Business Improvement Association. Montana Avenue Merchants Association is a business improvement district that represents the businesses on Montana Avenue, spanning 10 blocks and more than 150 shops and storefronts. The 18th Street Arts Center is the largest artist residency in Southern California and supports artists from around the globe with studio facilities in Santa Monica. Two other partners have been chosen to assist with the production and documentation
PAGE 26 THE ARGONAUT MARCH 24, 2022
of Art of Recovery projects. The Community Arts Resources are cultural event producers that create unique experiences and Halline Overby is a contemporary content creator. The new model is a two-step process designed to streamline project implementation. Dout said that with the city process, it was taking a long time to get artists to work on the street. This new model creates a master service agreement between the city and the production partners. The city will still vet artist proposals through their recovery panel, but then it will hand projects off to the production partner so that they can be implemented more quickly. “It’s a streamlining thing,” Daut said. “It took a while to set up, but now it’s getting started.” She said they have quite a few project concepts that have been short-listed and are in the process of matching them up. One example she gave was that they want to reboot the airport art walk as a part of Art of Recovery. 18th Street Arts Center already has a studio at the airport. Daut also pointed out that because of public health orders at the time, performing artists
were often limited to proposing films. One of the grantees did a film called “Undanced Dances Through Prison Walls.” Prior to the pandemic, she had a residency with a California prison that got canceled because of COVID-19. She found a way to do the work virtually with choreographers creating pieces based on the stories of people who were imprisoned. It’s been screened in many locations virtually and now she wants to do a live performance of it. Another film they commissioned was of a Black composer working with an orchestra in Santa Monica. They created a film celebrating the Black history of Santa Monica accompanied by the orchestra. Another part of the role Art of Recovery has played has been doing such things as connecting them with local parks who will host their performances this coming summer. “There is the money that the artists get from these grants, but they also get a lot of technical assistance from us,” Daut said. “We help them navigate city processes, help with marketing, help with documentation. It’s much deeper than, ‘Here’s a check,
go do something cool.’ We’re really deepening relationships and connections for them.” She said these connections are a win-win for the artists, the city and the different groups in it. It’s a process of nurturing an ecosystem for artists that will help everyone recover in the months and years to come. “I hope that we’ll just continue to strengthen and build on our networks and really illustrate to the full community the power of the arts and how it can have a meaningful impact for both the city and their own lives,” Daut said. They’ve spent a lot of time embedding artists in various sectors across the city, committed to making meaningful connections and infusing creativity everywhere it is needed. With the new model, Daut said they are preparing to launch a bunch of new projects in the coming month and over the next year. “I hope people will come out and let an art experience spark a moment of joy for them—we all really need joy,” Daut said. Art of Recovery santamonica.gov/arts
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MARCH 24, 2022 THE ARGONAUT PAGE 27
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Prime Time
Fia Steak features Michael Grecco’s iconic celebrity portraits PHOTO CREDIT: WONHO FRANK LEE
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photographer, has teamed up with executive chef Brendan Collins to create an ode to the classic steakhouse and provide an intimate atmosphere of exposed brick, classic leather booths and well-known faces. The likes of Martin Scorsese, Laurence Fishburne and Teri Hatcher peer over the diner’s
PHOTO CREDIT: JON RAU
By Paul Wozniak ia Steak, the Santa Monica dining companion to the Michelinrecognized Wilshire Boulevard, Fia, has launched a permanent exhibit of custom celebrity portraiture. Michael Grecco, an awardwinning commercial fine art
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PAGE 28 THE ARGONAUT MARCH 24, 2022
Award-winning photographer Michael Grecco’s celebrity portraits of Hollywood icons such as Martin Scorsese and Laurence Fishburne are now on permanent display at Fia Steak in Santa Monica. tables. Michael Grecco’s “ICONS” opened on March 15 with an RSVP reception. Grecco, who has a background in editorial and advertising photography, selected his best-known works with each image telling a story within a story. “When you’re working with great talent, they’re able to act, [Scorsese] was extremely expressive,” Grecco said. In the portrait that was originally shot for Direct TV as an accompaniment to Scorsese’s favorite films, Scorsese is hiding his face in his hands. “But you can always tell it’s Martin Scorsese because of his eyebrows, right?” Grecco said. “Martin Scorsese tells the story of Martin Scorsese in a way.” Grecco’s career spans five decades with initial work freelancing for the Associated Press and later joining the Boston Herald as a staff photographer. He made a name for himself as a magazine photographer with People Magazine and others, covering notable names in New York and LA during the 1990s and 2000s. Drawn to extreme contrasts of light and dark, Grecco’s signature technique encapsulates a stark visual to incite
emotion within the viewer and create a reaction. Grecco modestly described the collection as a “mixed bag of images” despite the notoriety of his subjects. “There’s a picture of Johnny Cash, there’s a picture of Gwen Stefani on her first tour when her first single broke,” Grecco said. “There’s Pamela Anderson doing one of her first photo shoots. There’s my history and there’s a little bit of the history of contemporary Hollywood there.” Sometimes Grecco employs props or animals to enhance a shot while others, like a shot of Laurence Fishburne, rely simply on the talents of the subject. “We shot [Fishburne] for 20 Questions for Playboy Magazine,” Grecco said. “They used to have a full-page portrait that went with the feature.” In the effort to highlight Fishburne’s range and raw talent, Fishburne was initially wearing stage makeup and holding a Kabuki mask to symbolize theater. “But we have a portrait where he doesn’t have makeup on and it’s just him and he just emotes that sort of intensity and introspectiveness,” Grecco said. “It just tells what a great
actor he is.” Asked for his reaction to his work being part of the identity of a high-end, California steak house, Grecco complimented the framing and the establishment itself. “They’re framed in a really exceptional, beautiful way and they just in a way read opulence,” Grecco said. “What’s really nice about it is that this dining room in particular is just a gorgeous dining room. That and the prints are situated in such a way…and yeah, I’m very proud of being a part of it.” When asked about viewing his photographs through the long lens of history, Grecco said he thinks these photographs will be the subject of his next book. “These pictures have a bit of a vintage nature to them,” Grecco said. “Gallerists tell me, ‘As time goes on, the images get better like a fine wine.’” Fia Steak 2458 Wilshire Boulevard Santa Monica 424-355-5437 fiasteak.com Michael Grecco grecco.com
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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.
MARCH 24, 2022 AT HOME – THE ARGONAUT’S REAL ESTATE SECTION PAGE 29
THE ARGONAUT PRESS RELEASES MARINA POINTE BEAUTY
“Find unbelievable Marina and Ocean Views from the 14th floor in the full service Azzurra”, says agent Jesse Weinberg. “This gorgeous 2 bdrm/2 bath unit offers stunning views from every room, wood floors, full walls of glass that flood the entire unit w/natural light, custom window coverings, stainless steel appliances, granite counters, breakfast bar, 2 car parking with EV charging station, washer/dryer inside & much more. Second bedroom offers a beautiful built-in Murphy bed and desk which are included in the sale. HOA fees includes cable/internet/water/ trash/EQ insurance & an abundance of resort-style amenities-24 hr front desk/security/valet for guests, concierge, rooftop lounge, pool & spa w/cabanas, indoor/outdoor gym. Close proximity to Marina, access to beaches, shops & restaurants.” Offered at $1,649,000 Jesse Weinberg Jesse Weinberg and Associates 800-804-9132
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THE ARGONAUT REAL ESTATE NEWS Condo shoppers beware: Balcony law could cost you thousands of dollars after you buy Funding reserves is a key indicator for buyers of a condo association’s financial health. Almost six years to the day before 98 people died last June 24 in South Florida’s Champlain Towers condo collapse, six people died in Berkeley when an apartment balcony gave way and fell 50 feet to the ground. Festering dry rot due to shoddy workmanship caused the June 16, 2015, collapse. As a result, California enacted two balcony inspection laws, Senate Bill 721 in 2018 and SB 326 in 2019. Buildings with three or more units with wood balconies, decks, stairs and walkways 6 feet or more above the ground require a deep dive inspection and resulting repairs by Jan. 1, 2025. Apartments would then have to be reinspected once every six years, and condos would have to be reinspected once every nine years. In addition, condo associations are required to conduct reserve studies every three years to determine how much the association needs to set aside for future maintenance. Visual inspections are required as part of those studies. Condo buyers need to pay attention to this to avoid getting a surprise down the road in the form of a special assessment requiring an additional bushel of money for deferred maintenance. Think water proofing, dry rot and termites. “I don’t think (condo owners and buyers) have a level of awareness. Special assessments can run into the tens of thousands of dollars per unit,” said Jeff Beaumont, condominium homeowners’
association attorney at Beaumont Tashjian. “Beach cities, because of salt in the air, can have $100,000 special assessments. I’ve seen it many times.” Tragically, the Champlain Towers collapse occurred after owners balked at efforts to levy $15 million in special assessments for urgent repairs, ranging from $80,000 for a onebedroom unit to more than $336,000 for the penthouse. Alex Del Toro, president of The Termite Guy, replaced 35 balconies five years ago at a Los Angeles building for the owner of the Berkeley apartments involved in the 2015 collapse. It cost $25,000 per balcony. “Depending on cubic footage and square footage, termite tenting fumigation can range from $1,500 to $3,000 per unit,” said Del Toro. January 2025 will be here before you know it. The HOA needs to hire a licensed engineer to inspect the entire complex. Then once the report is completed, it must get bids for any needed repairs. The worse the deferred maintenance, the longer it is going to take to complete. Don’t forget the COVID induced materials shortages and supply chain challenges. “The engineering report can run $10,000 to $30,000 for a smaller HOA of four to 10 units,” said Erik Rivera, president of Manhattan Pacific Management. “A recent 60-unit inspection was $65,000.” Few HOA’s have even started the process. And there is a finite number of qualified inspectors to fight over. That will guarantee longer wait times and higher inspection fees.
PAGE 30 AT HOME – THE ARGONAUT’S REAL ESTATE SECTION MARCH 24, 2022
Law firm Adams-Stirling provides legal support for more than 1,000 California condo HOA’s. “(Just) 10- 20% of these condos have been inspected so far,” said Nathan McGuire, a partner at the firm. “Noncompliance will likely expose the board to liability should something unfortunate happen, but the true consequences may be market forces,” added Robert Nordlund, founder and CEO of Association Reserves. “Property and liability insurance could get cancelled. Non-compliance answers on the Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac condo addendum questionnaire will likely result in lenders unable to sell the mortgage to Fan or Fred, making it more difficult for buyers to buy and for owners to refinance,” Nordlund said. What happens if the HOA board mandates a special assessment on the existing condo unit owners? What happens if you get tagged with a $50,000 or $100,000 bill? God forbid if you are a senior on a fixed income, and you can’t cough up the funds. Assessment bills are due in 30 days. Non-judicial foreclosure is allowed or not paying assessments. Usually, special assessments are put to a vote of the owners. But the condo board can unilaterally hit the owners with an assessment for health and safety emergencies. Instead of one big bill for each owner, there is a market for HOA financing from bankers. Let’s say a 20-unit HOA is short $500,000 to repair wood rot and waterproofing, which amounts to $25,000 per unit. Some owners may not have the cash.
The HOA can take out a 10-year amortized note at perhaps 6%. The monthly payment would be $5,551. If you divide that by 20 owners, the additional assessment comes to $277.55 per unit, on top of the existing HOA dues. McGuire, the Adams-Stirling law partner, advises condo shoppers to look not just at the unit they’re thinking of buying, but also at the association’s finances. Scrutinize the covenants, conditions and restrictions, the articles of incorporation and the bylaws. Most importantly, read the annual budget report reserve summary plan. Look for the summary of reserves or the summary of funding reserves. “If the reserve funding plan is close to zero, that’s bad,” McGuire said. That means the HOA hasn’t been raising HOA dues to set aside a needed reserve. Just three in 10 HOAs in the nation have at least 70% or more of the amount needed in their reserve funds, Nordlund said. About an equal number have less than 30% in their reserve. If you are shopping for a condo, ask your financial expert to look at the reserve study. Hire the best home inspector you can find. If you own a condo now, and you have heard nothing from your HOA about balcony law required inspection, I’d start asking questions about their plans. THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTION CAME FROM:
By Jeff Lazerson MortgageGrader.com
MARCH 24, 2022 AT HOME – THE ARGONAUT’S REAL ESTATE SECTION PAGE 31
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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2022041163 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: P.K. NOTARY SERVICE. 7131 West Manchester Avenue Suite 100 Los Angeles, CA 90045, 8738 Villanova Avenue Unit Half Los Angeles, CA 90045. COUNTY: Los Angeles. REGISTERED OWNER(S) Paul Kleinfinger, 8738 Villanova Avenue Unit Half Los Angeles, CA 90045. 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: 12/2021. 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: Paul Kleinfinger. TITLE: Owner. This statement was filed with the LA County Clerk on: February 22, 2022. 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 fictiann@argonautnews.com tious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or comObituaries mon law (see Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions code). Publish: Argonaut Newspaper. Dates: 03/03/22, 03/10/22, 03/17/22, 03/24/22
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Debra Winkler passed away on February 25, 2022. 20 + year resident of Marina City.
Celebration of Life Saturday, April 2, 2022, 1:00pm Service to be held at Marina City Club, The Galaxy Room (Third floor center tower) 4333 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey PAGE 32 THE ARGONAUT MARCH 24, 2022
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2022060994 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: THE FOX'S DEN MILLINERY. 3964 Michael Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90066. COUNTY: Los Angeles. REGISTERED OWNER(S) Karen Louise Fox, 3964 Michael Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90066. 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: Karen Louise Fox. TITLE: Owner. This statement was filed with the LA County Clerk on: March 18, 2022. 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: 03/24/22, 03/31/22, 04/7/22, 04/14/22 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2022055319 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: PATINA MOTORWORKS. 2005 Lincoln Blvd. Venice, CA 90291, 2016 5th St. Santa Monica, CA 90405. COUNTY: Los Angeles. REGISTERED OWNER(S) Alexander Pierre 2016 ½ 5th St. Santa Monica, CA 90405. 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: Alexander Pierre. TITLE: Owner. This statement was filed with the LA County Clerk on: March 10, 2022. 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
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: 03/24/22, 03/31/22, 04/7/22, 04/14/22
Name Change ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME Case No. 22STCP01014 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES. Petition of IAN WILLIAM PUGH, for Change of Name. TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: 1.) Petitioner: IAN WILLIAM PUGH filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: a.) IAN WILLIAM PUGH to IAN PERCIVAL SHADE 2.) THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING: Date: May 02, 2022. Time: 10:00 AM. Dept.: 74 Room: 735. The address of the court is 111 North Hill Street Los Angeles, CA 90012-Stanley Mosk Courthouse-Central District. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Los Angeles. Original filed: March 12, 2022. Michelle Williams Court, Judge of the Superior Court. PUBLISH: Argonaut Newspaper 03/24/22, 03/31/22, 04/07/22, 04/14/22
objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING: Date: May 02, 2022. Time: 10:00 AM. Dept.: 74 Room: 735. The address of the court is 111 North Hill Street Los Angeles, CA 90012-Stanley Mosk Courthouse-Central District. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Los Angeles. Original filed: March 12, 2022. Michelle Williams Court, Judge of the Superior Court. PUBLISH: Argonaut Newspaper 03/24/22, 03/31/22, 04/07/22, 04/14/22
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LOS ANGELES TIMES SUNDAY CROSSWORD PUZZLE “IN RE” By JEFFREY WECHSLER ACROSS 1 Beat decisively 5 Evoke an “Eww!,” maybe 13 Venetian Renaissance painter 19 He played Klaatu in “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (2008) 20 Inferior accommodations 21 Common cone color 22 All caps in an angry blog? 24 Glutinous 25 Christmas in Rome 26 Etna output 27 Nonsense 29 Artist friend of Dalí 30 They usually have frames 32 “Untoward behavior shall call for appropriate countermeasures,” e.g.? 36 Trig function 37 Word with tax or L.A. 41 __ martini 42 Put away 43 Fruity, so to speak 44 Absorbs, with “up” 46 Barfly 47 Wiseacre mom and dad? 53 Hider’s hissed revelation 55 Biblical spy 56 Means 59 Skilled at painting, say 63 Type of dog that does origami? 69 Perjurious testimony 70 81-Down friend 71 Astonish 72 23rd Greek letter 73 Capital NNW of
Copenhagen 74 Farsi editor’s mark? 77 Submit a crossword, say 79 Nytol competitor 80 “I’m not __ brag, but ... ” 81 Urban park snack snitcher 84 Finishing touch for foppish painters? 92 __ roll 93 Long-running CBS drama 96 Nose-wrinkling 97 Prov. bordering four Great Lakes 98 Formicidae family member 99 Mourns 100 Meat serving 104 1932 presidential election victory? 108 Fixed function 110 Gator relative 111 White team 112 Shout 115 Heat units 116 “Tear down this wall!” speaker 118 Hush-hush lamasery topic? 122 Keep going 123 Higher than normal, maybe 124 Cal State city 125 Joust participants 126 Sticks in drinks 127 Brings together DOWN 1 U.S. peak officially renamed in 2015 2 Palm used in furniture 3 Angst 4 Rounded, knotty tree growths 5 Follower of Mao? 6 “__ girl!” 7 Congressional mtg. 8 Worker with mice 9 Go left instead of right, say 10 One inspiring
PDAs 11 “F Troop” corporal played by Larry Storch 12 Musicians’ garage creations, maybe 13 “Mazel __!” 14 “Fighting” Indiana team 15 It’s shocking 16 Go up 17 Washer component 18 “Spider-Man” reporter __ Leeds 19 Board members who might become mated? 23 Supplies order phrase 28 Beginner 31 Ivory, for one 32 Viking great Tarkenton 33 No. 2 34 Entering, as data 35 Head of France 38 Significant archaeological find 39 Long-nosed fish 40 Boise-to-Fargo dir. 45 Brush off 47 Make a killing on, in a way 48 Skyler’s sister on “Breaking Bad” 49 Redo 50 Come out with a more current version of 51 “Chad” network 52 “A pity” 54 Most any Disney princess 57 Ones often seen in restricted lounges 58 Massachusetts motto starter 60 Sleeper, for one 61 Electrolysis products 62 Pixar film set in Mexico
63 64 65 66 67 68 75 76 78 81 82 83 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 94 95 100 101 102 103 105 106 107 109 112 113 114 116 117 119 120 121
Distant Need to pay Permit Fragrant compound Top names Prohibition words Privy to Concert piece Pt. of an age calculation Storied bear Unworldly PepsiCo sports beverage 1970 Kinks hit Driver of “BlacKkKlansman” Dot follower? Choler Prefix with event or issue Nerve Valuable things Swing voters: Abbr. Lightning simulators Yuletide display Really awful Early Mexicans Basil-and-pinenuts sauce Lauren Hutton has been on its cover 26 times Modern greeting Rejoice “Superman & Lois” network Burn a bit Solemn event Belgian river Hi-__ image Video game letters Agnus __ Binge-watcher’s device Ideal NFL drive endings
MUZZLE-BOUND
My wife and I got married eight months ago. Whatever I suggest for the apartment – a paint color, a bathroom fixture – my wife immediately dismisses. For example, the living room couch she wanted was too huge for the space: a really awkward, uncomfortable fit. She kept ignoring objective facts about spatial relations – even after I pulled out a measuring tape and drew a schematic of the room. It occurred to me that her wanting it her way and ignoring my ideas are patterns in our relationship. This feels pretty bad. — The Husband
There are those of us with special abilities in certain areas. Personally, I have a multi-decade track record in two areas: as a writer and as an automotive moron. (Lift your hood and I’ll identify all the parts: “There’s that round thingie and a bunch of intestine-esque tube-y thingies...”) Hiring me to write something (ideally for dump trucks of money) suggests you have fabulous taste and superior intelligence. Hiring me to fix your car suggests you lack the mental firepower to pick your nose without assistance. Men and women, in general, have different spatial abilities – in line with the sexual divisions of labor in the ancestral hunter-gatherer world: male hunters tracking and killing animals and female gatherers doing the “grocery shopping” 2 million-ish years before grocery stores. Psychologists Irwin Silverman and Marion Eals find that women, across cultures, are vastly better than men – even 60 or 70% better – at “object location.” This is the ability to remember an array of objects in a setting, as well as their placement (relative to the other objects) – basically by pulling up a mental snapshot: “Those nice berries by the cliff; poison ivy near the river – by the dead tree where I found those yummo beetle appetizers.” Men, on the other hand, are significantly better at “mental rotation”: turning a 3-D object around in their mind and predicting how the object would fit in a certain space – or hurtle through it. This skill allows the outfielder to catch the pop fly, but for Joe Loincloth, being ace at aiming his spear meant his family might dine on wildebeest mignon instead of mealymouthed excuses. Granted, your wife – like most people – is probably not clued in to the wonders of evolved sex differences in spatial ability. However, you
mention that her unwillingness to listen to you is a pattern in various areas of your relationship. And that’s a major problem. Being ignored – especially by those who matter most to us – takes a bite out of our dignity. Contrast that with somebody giving us their attention – their full attention (meaning listening like we’re about to tip them off on tomorrow’s winning lotto numbers). They’re telling us they respect us. Whatever we have to say is important for them to hear. That kind of listening doesn’t just come from the ears. Psychologist Carl Rogers, who used it with his therapy clients, described it as “active listening” and explained: “I hear the words, the thoughts, the feeling tones, the personal meaning, even the meaning that is below the conscious intent of the speaker.” Listening deeply like this starts with setting aside the impulse to “win” – to hammer another person with what you believe. Admittedly, that can be a highly successful tactic – if you’re looking to persuade someone to bolt themselves even more tightly to their position. Listening is a vital element of a healthy relationship – one in which spouses accept each other’s “influence,” explains marriage researcher John Gottman. This means each spouse makes the other a “partner” in their decision-making: respecting and honoring them and their opinions and feelings. For a marriage to thrive, spouses have to “share the driver’s seat.” For your marriage to have a chance at thriving, your wife needs to see the benefit in acting as a “we” instead of pressing forward as a “me” (with a large piece of husband-shaped luggage). The direct approach – telling her she needs to change – is likely to be a fail, coming off as a threat to her getting her way and thus triggering not change but rebellion. Instead, tell her how you feel. (For example: hurt, disrespected and embarrassed that your opinions seem of no interest to her.) This should evoke her empathy – meaning make her feel bad that you feel bad – which could motivate her to take steps to change (which, by the way, would involve time, practice, and setbacks). Ultimately, she knows being a marital bully is way out of line – assuming her wedding vows didn’t include: “I promise to love, honor, support, blah, blah, blah – uh, providing my husband shuts his complainy yap about having to scale the Couch Alps whenever he wants to grab a beer out of the fridge.”
GOT A PROBLEM? Write to Amy Alkon at 171 Pier Ave, Ste. 280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or email her at AdviceAmy@aol.com.
©2022, 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.
MARCH 24, 2022 THE ARGONAUT PAGE 33
WESTSIDE HAPPENINGS Compiled by Kamala Kirk
“The Price Is Right” Come on Down Tour Friday, March 25 “The Price Is Right” is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with a 50-stop nationwide tour beginning March 25 with Drew Carey and more of the show’s talent taking over the Santa Monica Pier, lighting up the iconic Ferris wheel at 7 p.m. The tour kicks off in Los Angeles with a one-day launch event open to the public with Carey and model Alexis Gaube. LA prizes for fans will include gift cards benefitting local businesses and ride tickets for the Ferris wheel for all who win. 200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, Noon to 8 p.m. Marina del Rey Farmers Market Saturday, March 26 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),
PHOTO CREDIT: ADAM ROGERSON FOR CBS
Have an event for the calendar? Send it to kamala@ timespublications.com
On March 25 from noon to 8 p.m., “The Price Is Right” is celebrating its 50th anniversary by kicking off a 50-stop nationwide tour beginning with Drew Carey and more of the show’s talent taking over the Santa Monica Pier, offering various prizes and lighting up the iconic Ferris wheel at 7 p.m. beaches.lacounty.gov/ mdrfarmersmarket Meet & Greet: Erin Darling for LA City Council District 11 Saturday, March 26 Come out to meet candidate Erin Darling at Oakwood Park and hear him speak on the issues that are important to the community. Also speaking will be Chicano cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz, an award-winning visual/media artist and television/film writer. Please bring your own outdoor/lawn chairs. RefreshPHOTO CREDIT: ERIN DARLING
On March 26 from 1 to 2 p.m., come out to meet LA City Council District 11 candidate, Erin Darling, and hear him speak at Oakwood Park on the issues that are important to the community. PAGE 34 THE ARGONAUT MARCH 24, 2022
ments and cookies provided. Hosted by Laura Ceballos. 767 California Avenue, Venice, 1 to 2 p.m. HINCHAS Press Online Zine Workshop Saturday, March 26 Yago Cura, owner of Mar Vista-based HINCHAS Press, will walk attendees through the sequencing of a zine based on Freytag’s Pyramid. The cost for the virtual class is $5 or people can donate what they like. All ages welcome. Registration required. Virtual, 2 to 3 p.m., bit.ly/ZINETIX Women Filmmakers Showcase 2022 Saturday, March 26 In celebration of Women’s History Month and Oscar weekend, Heartland Films, Inc., Cloud 21 PR International and Kultura PR International are pleased to present “Women Filmmakers Showcase 2022,” a special panel event that will be held at Laemmle Film Center Santa Monica. Following the panel will be an exclusive cocktail reception. Registration is required for the complimentary event. 1332 2nd Street, Santa
Monica, 2 to 3 p.m., bit.ly/3NbqVG0 Honoring Venice Black History Thursday, March 31 Come and learn about the dedicated lives of service of former and present Black residents of Venice. From the very founding of our community, Black residents have made significant contributions to our history. Join Lutheran Church of Venice in an outdoor worship service with special gospel music led by Carol Brown. First Lutheran Church of Venice, 815 Venice Boulevard, Venice, 10 a.m., flvenice.org Crowns & Hopes x Caravan Swim Club Supper Series Wednesday, March 30 Hotel June’s Baja-inspired restaurant, Caravan Swim Club, launches its 2022 Supper Series with Inglewood-based craft brewery, Crowns & Hops. Founded by Beny Ashburn and Teo Hunter, Crowns & Hops will join the Caravan Swim Club team and F&B partner Steve Livigni for the one-night only sunset dinner that includes a four-course pre-fixe menu by chef Angie Lee. Tickets are
$70 per person and include an all-day pool pass, dinner, beer pairings and conversation with Teo & Beny to learn more about their mission with Crown & Hops. Live music by X will also be playing throughout the evening. 8639 Lincoln Boulevard, Los Angeles, 7 to 9 p.m., bit.ly/3irGAD0 Notre Dame Academy Presents “Godspell” Thursday, March 31 Join Notre Dame Academy High School in the classic revival of “Godspell,” with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz of “Wicked.” Don’t miss this joyous, uplifting retelling of parables and the Passion Story. What better way to celebrate the good news of Jesus during this Lenten season? Preview “Godspell” on March 31 at 7 p.m. or join for opening night on April 1 at 7:30 p.m. with free concessions and prize giveaways. Additional shows are available on April 2 at 7:30 p.m. and April 3 at 7 p.m. Ticket prices vary and can be purchased online, seating is limited. 2851 Overland Avenue, Los Angeles, 7 p.m., academy.ndasla.org Artopia Thursday, March 31 Artopia is back in full swing. This month they are welcoming back Thomas Furr, Alison Oksner, Art by Mushu and more to come. There will be a renowned chef serving up the most unique and delicious tacos. There will be screen printing on site as well as live painting. When attendees but the special “Artopia” drink, they will be entered to win a raffle of gifts, art and more. Free event. 2819 Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica, 8 p.m. to midnight
Send event information at least 10 days in advance to kkirk@ timespublications.com
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MARCH 24, 2022 THE ARGONAUT PAGE 35
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