Los Angeles Downtown News 07/10/2023

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Workers Walk Out

Hotels, hospitality union disagree on contract negotiations

By Morgan Owen LA Downtown News Managing Editor

During one of the busiest travel weekends of the summer, thousands of hotel and hospitality workers walked out as they began the Unite Here Local 11’s largest multi-hotel strike. The union, representing around 15,000 employees, initiated the strike after its contract with hotels throughout Southern California expired July 2.

Union employees, including cooks, servers, room attendants, dishwashers and front desk agents, authorized the strike with an overwhelming majority in June, at 96%, in the hope the walkout would inspire better wages, health care benefits and adjusted workloads.

Workers claim that while hotels received $15 billion in bailouts during the pandemic, working conditions have worsened as profits increased. There was also concern about the capacity of the tourism industry to support upcoming mega-events such as the FIFA World Cup in 2026 and the Olympics in 2028.

In a recent survey by a travel publication, Santa Monica is the second-most expensive hotel destination across California at an average of $297 per night. Meanwhile, the tourism industry in Marina del Rey continues to boom, emerging stronger and more profitable in 2023 than before the pandemic began, according to a report released by the Marina del Rey Tourism Board.

According to the Downtown Center Business Improvement District, Downtown LA hosts approximately 22 million visitors annually and the average daily hotel rate is $217.14. In the first quarter of 2023, the year-to-date occupancy rates were up 5.4% from last year and that the daily average rate also had increased to $225.50.

“Our members were devastated first by the pandemic, and now by the greed of their bosses,” said Kurt Petersen, co-president of Unite Here Local 11. “The industry got bailouts while we got cuts. Now, the hotel negotiators decided to take a four-day holiday instead of negotiating. Shameful.”

Negotiators request an immediate $5 per hour raise with an additional $3 per year for the contract’s duration. The proposed deal also includes improvements to health care and retirement benefits. At the time of the strike, the hotel bar -

gaining group’s proposal offered an increase of $2.50 per hour for the first year and an additional $6.25 increase over four years.

According to published reports, hotel representatives blame the strike on the union’s unmovable mindset, stating that Unite Here Local 11 has been uncooperative and does not want to engage in good-faith negotiations.

However, workers at the Westin Bonaventure, one of Downtown LA’s largest hotels, reached an agreement that conceded to the wage increases proposed by Unite Here Local 11. Although the two reached an agreement June 28 before the strike, the union followed through with the walkout, given that deal was not found with the remaining 44 unionized hotels throughout Southern California.

For some workers like Arturo Huesno, a houseman at the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica, contract negotiations aren’t just about pay increases, it is also about improving the quality and coverage of health care offered to union workers.

“Because of my cancer, I have no choice but to fight to keep my health care,” Huesno said. “I am prepared to

fight on the picket line, inside the hotel — whatever it takes. This is a fight for my life.”

During the strike, hotels remained open by operating with nonunion staff. On July 5, workers returned to work, though reports say the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica briefly barred workers from returning to the hotel. According to Maria Hernandez, spokesperson for Unite Here Local 11, union workers returned to work to allow other union employees to move forward with their authorized strikes.

Peterson said the walkout was the “first of many actions that may come this summer by workers at hotels across Southern California.” It’s not the only tool in their arsenal, he continued, and that workers have “suffered enough.” The union characterized the Fourth of July strike as merely the first wave of what will come.

“We went on strike to show these companies what we were willing to do to win a fair contract. As I get ready to return to work, I am proud to be part of the first wave of strikes, leading the way for the rest of our union to follow,” said Joy Johnson, a housekeeper at the Courtyard Marriott Downtown LA.

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‘Treating Everyone With Respect’

Second bus of migrants from Texas arrive in Downtown

By Leah Schwartz

LA Downtown News Staff Writer

Dozens of migrants sent from Texas by Gov. Gregg Abbott arrived at Union Station on July 1 — the second instance in the last month.

The 41 asylum-seekers, which included 11 children, hailed from Belize, Cuba, Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Venezuela arrived at 12:40 p.m. from Brownsville, Texas. They were received by the LA Welcomes Collective, a network of faith, nonprofit and immigrant rights groups.

Although not formally notified, city officials became aware of the bus on June 30 and promptly began mobilizing efforts to receive it, said Zach Seidl, a spokesperson for Mayor Karen Bass’ office.

“The City of Los Angeles believes in treating everyone with respect and dignity and will do so,” Seidl said.

St. Anthony’s Croatian Catholic Church on Grand Avenue became a temporary welcome center for the migrants, who were offered water, food, clothing, medical checkups and access to legal immigration assistance with the help of the Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights.

The organization also helped arrange transportation for a few migrants who needed to reach other cities, including Las Vegas, Seattle, San Francisco and Oakland, for upcoming court dates. However, most were received in LA by friends and family.

On June 14, 42 migrants were similarly bused from the Texas-Mexican border to Union Station by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who said in a statement that Texas border towns are “overrun” by migrants due to President Biden’s “refusal” to secure the border.

“It is abhorrent that an American

elected official is using human beings as pawns in his cheap political games,” Bass responded in a statement. “Shortly after I took office, I directed city departments to begin planning in the event Los Angeles was on the receiving end of a despicable stunt that Republican Governors have grown so fond of.”

Since April, Abbott has bused over 23,500 migrants to cities across the country, including Washington D.C., New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver and LA, according to a post on the governor’s official Twitter.

Similarly, the California state attorney general’s office is investigating two incidents from early June after Florida governor Ron DeSantis allegedly arranged for migrants to be flown on chartered flights from Texas by way of New Mexico to Sacramento.

Also in June, LA City Council unanimously passed a motion directing the city to draft a “Sanctuary City” ordinance, prohibiting any city property, resources or personnel from being used for federal immigration enforcement.

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Creating a More Equitable LA

Community leadership holds 4th annual Immigration Summit in Downtown

By Morgan Owen LA Downtown News Managing Editor

Leaders from the public and private sectors gathered in Downtown Los Angeles at the end of June for the fourth annual Immigration Summit. To kick off the summit, the USC Equity Research Center, the Council on Immigrant Inclusion and the California Community Foundation released their State of Immigrants in LA County 2023 Report.

The report collected large data sets and information about LA’s immigrant communities and delved into issues that impact that demographic, such as language access, housing, employment and digital equity.

Overall, State of Immigrants in LA County 2023 found that 34% of the county’s population are immigrants and that those individuals collectively contributed $10.7 billion in state taxes and $20.8 billion in federal taxes. Of that 34%, more than 800,000 are undocumented, and 1.1 million residents in LA

County live with someone undocumented.

Rosie Arroyo, the senior program officer for California Community Foundation, highlighted that 40% of the workforce in LA County are immigrants. The majority of those immigrant employees pay taxes. The 800,000 undocumented immigrants in the area do so without access to the social programs and benefits taxes fund.

“This is about racial equity and making sure that we have a level playing field for everyone,” Arroyo said. “If we’re all contributing (to taxes), then we all deserve rights … This summit is very intentional in elevating the current state (of immigrants) and the progress made in the region, but also the opportunity to continue to strengthen the work and sustain the gains we have made.”

Other trends identified in the report show immigrant populations are more financially burdened than nonimmigrant demographics. For example, 50% of undocumented individuals lack high-speed internet or a com-

puter at home, and 36% do not have health insurance. What’s more, 60% of all immigrants are rent-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their gross income on housing.

The summit’s goal, Arroyo explained, is for local leaders to get together and discuss the current state of immigrants in LA County. It came about through California Community Foundation’s immigration grant-making portfolio as the foundation began collecting data on immigrants in the region. In response, they began developing the State of Immigrants in LA County 2023 reports to pinpoint the challenges immigrant communities face to advance a more inclusive Los Angeles.

Arroyo said the summit’s discussions are important to developing effective policies and breaking down barriers for the immigrant population — a demographic that is especially vital to the economic and social well-being of Los Angeles, she added.

Abigail Marquez, general manager for the city of Los Angeles, agreed, saying that improving the lives of immigrants will have “a multiplier effect on the economy. If we are able to help improve the economic viability of these populations that we are trying to target. … It will yield huge economic gains for us as a region.”

The 2023 summit brought together more than 300 regional leaders, including Mayor Karen Bass, LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis, Shiu-Ming Cheer from the California Immigrant Policy Center and Gina Da Silva from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office. Representatives from philanthropic and nonprofit immigrant stakeholders were also present, including the Flourish Collaborative, ACLU Southern California and the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute.

Along with key data, the State of Immigrants in LA County 2023 report produced

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Dementia Doula

Specialists provide guidance and wisdom

By Ellen Snortland LA Downtown News Columnist

“What do you do professionally?”

“I’ve been a production coordinator. Pre-pandemic, I coordinated commercials and programs; now I’m coordinating live events.” Then Anna Schloblom de Cruder added, “The work I’m truly passionate about came from my experience with my mother’s dementia. I am also a dementia doula and advocate.”

We are talking while standing on the busy street corner outside my home. It’s hot. Cars whiz by. Anna is on a ladder I am holding. Anna, a friend from the Central Altadena Buy Nothing group, agreed to help me hang a protest sign up high in my olive trees.

The sign is decrying the proposed Poly Tech Sports Complex for the Altadena Foothills. Realizing the importance of our conversation and that Anna’s work helps so many people deal with dementia in their families, I ask, “Will you text me more about dementia doulas? It sounds like a great column.”

Good to her word. Anna texted me references, including a TEDx talk by Judy Cornish, a pioneer in “strengthbased” dementia care. I immediately watched the TED talk. Ms. Cornish also has books and more on her website, thedawnmethod.com. DAWN is an acronym for Dementia & Alzheimer’s Wellbeing Network. I’ve had older relatives succumb to Alzheimer’s, and within my contemporaries, a friend is following in her own mother’s Alzheimer’s footsteps. My friend quit her job as a therapist last year because she could no longer keep track of her clients. Dementia and Alzheimer’s is painfully familiar and often close to many of us. Those numbers will steadily increase as the boomers hit their boom.

In Ms. Cornish’s TEDx talk, she uses two columns. “Lost,” on the left side, lists three functions we use when our brains are healthy: rational thought, remembering self, and mindfulness. Those functions dissipate at varying rates when we go through and into dementia. “Retained,” on the right side, is intuitive thought, experiential self and mindlessness.

“Experiential self” struck a chord with me. I thought back to a friend I have

who is Mexican, whom I’ll call “Belinda.” “Belinda’s” mother, “Charlotte,” began to exhibit behaviors that were worrisome to her large family. As the new matriarch, Belinda was helpless even though she was a family therapist. As is often the case, what we know professionally can fly out the window when the problem is in our front yard. Belinda and her family would argue with Charlotte in Spanish, her only language. They would try to convince her that she wasn’t making sense … which didn’t make any sense to Charlotte since she’d lost her rational thought, one of the functions of a healthy brain.

I dealt with Charlotte successfully because I could not argue with her since I have the equivalent of toddler Spanish. So what I did, and what lit Charlotte up, was I sang and danced with her! She was a young adult in Mexico City in the ’40s and ’50s and knew a lot of American Standards. We sang Gershwin and Porter at the top of our lungs and danced. The more the family did that with her, the better they all got along.

In further conversation with Anna via email, she said, “I read ‘The Dementia Handbook’ by Judy Cornish in late 2019, and it was so helpful to me as I spent time with my mom in her last months. It’s written for caregivers, and I swear it should be required reading for every elder caregiver (and family member!), starting at the beginning of an elder displaying any symptoms of cognitive decline.”

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doula before, neither had I. It’s like it sounds, but instead of a doula for birth, or for death in some cultures, there are people who manage people and families through the often-excruciating process of going into the tunnel of dementia.

Dementia doulas provide relief, guidance and hard-won wisdom to families and people who are often overwhelmed. In a culture that prides itself on never needing help (how crazy are we?), we all need help with new phases of life. Dementia is no different. If we see a child showing a talent for music, we funnel musical resources toward them. The same is true of a person who is experiencing dementia. Think of it as a reversal in childhood; rather than gaining skills, the person is decreasing competencies, so playing to their strengths is incumbent.

Anna continued, “Cornish truly helped me to find joy in my time with my mother by changing my attitude and mindset. When I was in the present and without worry as I interacted with her, her anxiety and agitation levels were much

lower, and the enjoyment and appreciation for both of us were much greater. Ms. Cornish’s other book ‘Dementia eith Dignity’ expands on the handbook, including her background and path to this caretaking methodology, with many more examples.”

Most bookstores carry “Dementia with Dignity,” but few have “The Dementia Handbook.” Currently, Amazon carries English and Spanish editions.

If you don’t have someone in your life with dementia, earmark this column for when you do, as, statistically, most of us will. Dementia can be full of joy — and that’s a sentence you never thought you’d read.

2023 marks the 30th year that Ellen Snortland has written this column and was one of three winners of the LA Press Club’s Journalist of the Year. She also teaches creative writing online and can be reached at: ellen@beautybitesbeast. com. Her award-winning film “Beauty Bites Beast” is available for download or streaming at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/beautybitesbeast.

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Strengthening Ties to Downtown

UCLA purchases historic LA landmark, the Trust Building

By Leah Schwartz LA Downtown News Staff Writer

University of California, Los Angeles continues to expand its Downtown presence with the recent acquisition of the Trust Building, a historic landmark built in 1928.

It boosts access to UCLA education and furthering the university’s impact on the region. The recently renovated location will be known as UCLA Downtown.

The move is an “investment in Downtown,” said Eddie North-Hager, director of media relations at UCLA. “(The acquisition) speaks to the draw that downtown Los Angeles has become. Acquiring a location like this has been in the works for about a decade.”

The 11-story, 334,00-square-foot high-rise near Pershing Square will house the administration offices of UCLA Extension — a continuing and

professional education institution serving thousands of students each year — and reflects UCLA’s 2030 systemwide goals to strengthen engagement with Los Angeles and increase student access as the most applied to university in the nation. The building’s occupants will also include the UCLA real estate department and current tenants Rising Realty, KTGY Architecture + Planning and restaurant group José Andrés’ corporate offices.

“Los Angeles is one of the world’s greatest cities, and our university’s location within it both enriches the UCLA experience and provides us innumerable opportunities to serve our local communities,” said Chancellor Gene Block and executive vice chancellor and Provost Darnell Hunt in a message to the campus.

“We are thrilled about the possibilities this new space offers and confident

that it will further intertwine UCLA and LA, helping us to deepen the impact of our teaching, research and public service mission.”

As the fourth-largest employer in LA County, UCLA has been present in the Downtown community for over a century. Seventh Street is home to UCLA Health’s primary, specialty and cancer care clinics. Nearby, in MacArthur Park, the UCLA James Lawson Jr. Worker Justice Center has managed programs providing aid to lower-income and immigrant workers for over two decades.

“Downtown is at the center of so much of what makes Los Angeles great, like our growing public transportation system, job opportunities, and arts and cultural institutions,” Mayor Karen Bass said. “It’s exciting to see institutions like UCLA expanding their presence in downtown Los Angeles and committing to its future as a vibrant urban hub that draws people from all over our city and around the world.”

The Art Deco-style property on Spring Street, in line with the university’s dedication to sustainability, is LEED

gold-certified and mere blocks from Metro’s Purple Line, which will connect to UCLA’s Westwood neighborhood in 2027.

“By growing its footprint in Downtown Los Angeles, UCLA is demonstrating its commitment to our city center as a hub of employment, education and entertainment opportunities, as well as a massive driver of economic impacts throughout the region,” said Nella McOsker, CEO of Central City Association. “We are thrilled to have UCLA continue to expand the university’s Downtown presence and look forward to partnering to expand access to high-quality education and career pathways for Angelenos.”

The recent acquisition comes on the heels of UCLA’s purchase of Marymount California University, a 35.5-acre campus in Rancho Palos Verdes and San Pedro, which will become UCLA South Bay. The new campus — 30 miles south of UCLA’s Westwood campus — was the largest land acquisition in UCLA history and will allow the instruction of nearly 1,000 students. Ronald Mackovich/Submitted

The Trust Building, UCLA’s most recent acquisition, will be known as UCLA Downtown and will house the administrative offices of UCLA Extension, the university’s continuing education program.

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Inspiring in Transit

Metro Art reveals monumental installations in 3 Downtown stations

By Leah Schwartz LA Downtown News Staff Writer

Metro Art unveiled new artworks by eight acclaimed artists during the opening of Metro’s Regional Connector Transit Project, which offers riders a seamless, nonstop journey from Azusa to Long Beach and from East Los Angeles to Santa Monica through the heart of Downtown.

The project consists of three new Downtown underground stations — Little Tokyo/Arts District Station, Historic Broadway Station and Grand Avenue Arts/Bunker Hill Station — which opened June 16.

The stations bring together the Metro L (Gold), A (Blue), E (Expo), B (Red) and D (Purple) lines at the Seventh Street/ Metro Center Station to increase direct access to arts and cultural destinations, education, jobs and essential services. Eliminating the need to transfer, these additional stations will save many riders up to 20 minutes of commute time.

Courtesy of Metro’s public art policy, which allocates half a percentage of total construction costs to public art, each new station is outfitted with integrated, site-specific artworks from artists Andrea Bowers, Audrey Chan, Mark Steven Greenfield, Ann Hamilton, Pearl C. Hsiung, Clare Rojas, Mungo Thomson and Clarence Williams.

Works by artists Ralph Gilbert and Samira Yamin are also temporarily on

view at the Grand Avenue Arts/Bunker Hill and Historic Broadway Stations as part of the Metro Art Lightbox Exhibition Program.

“Downtown Los Angeles is a major cultural center, and that arts and cultural experience is extended into the stations through these artworks that are integrated into the station architecture,” said Zipporah Yamamoto, senior director of Metro’s special projects. “When you take the train and arrive on a rail platform Downtown, you’ll know you’ve arrived at a major center for arts and culture. You will experience the presence of that arts and cultural community as you move through the stations and then out into the surrounding community.”

The eight artists were chosen from a pool of over 1,200 applicants by a panel of community-based art professionals. More than 180 artists, art and cultural organization and community advisers have shaped regional connector’s art program over the last decade.

The committee looked for artists “whose experience demonstrated the ability to design and work with a fabricator on a major large-scale artwork over an extended period and to engage the community in the process,” Yamamoto said.

The artists all “have connections to these particular areas and Los Angeles,” Yamamoto said, whether they at -

tended school in LA, grew up in the area or are current residents. The artwork is site-specific and reflects the communities and areas surrounding each station.

At the Little Tokyo/Arts District Station, “Harmony,” an installation by Rojas, reflects on the natural world within the urban landscape. Rojas’ 152-foot-long composition of abstracted shapes and gradated colors on the glass walls of the station’s entrance pavilion refracts daylight in a full spectrum of color on the pavement.

“The landscape is the great equalizer of humanity,” Rojas said in a statement. “Our cultural traditions are deeply shaped by the earth’s (daily) rotation around the sun, lunar tides, sunrise and

sunset.”

Similarly, Greenfield’s glass mosaic piece, “Red Car Requiem,” at the Historic Broadway Station,” pays homage to the historic Pacific Electric Red Cars, a bygone LA transit system.

“It is my hope that the overall impact of the work will be seen as a whimsical abstraction of the energy of the Red Cars and the communities that are once again being served by Metro Rail,” Greenfield said.

The 148-foot-long artwork is an abstract rendering of destinations along a route depicted through the red, orange, and yellow rosette-like clusters, which contain the shapes once punched into Red Car passenger tickets.

Artist Pearl C. Hsiung’s “High Prismatic” is on permanent display at the new Grand Avenue Arts/ Bunker Hill Station.

Artist Mark Steven Greenfield’s “Red Car Requiem” is on permanent display at the new Historic Broadway Station.

Guiding Figures

International ballet unveils the artistry of Frida Kahlo

By Bridgette M. Redman

LA Downtown News Contributing Writer

The ballet coming to The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion this month will present a truly international feat of storytelling and dance.

The Friday, July 14, to Sunday, July 16, performances mark the debut of the Dutch National Ballet at the Center and the U.S. debut of “Frida,” a ballet about the iconic Mexican artist, created by a Colombian-Belgian choreographer and British composer with the title role danced by ballerinas from the Eastern European nation of Georgia.

Choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and composer Peter Salem were inspired by Frida Kahlo’s life to tell her story in dance and music.

A Mexican painter who specialized in portraits of others and herself, Kahlo is famous for her resilience, her willingness to challenge taboos and her championing of women’s rights. The ballet captures her surrealism and tells her story in an expressionistic way, one more committed to themes than to a structured, linear narrative.

Matthew Rowe conducts the live orchestra accompanying the 60- to 70-member ballet troupe performing this work.

The artistic director of the Dutch National Ballet, Ted Brandsen, said Rachel Moore, the CEO of the Music Center, flew in for the ballet’s world premiere in the Netherlands in 2020.

“She was very enthusiastic about the scale of the production, the colors, the vibrancy, and the fact that it’s a story of a unique artist told by a woman, which really addresses some of the issues that maybe men won’t be addressing in their work,” Brandsen said. “It was very much Rachel’s wish to bring us to LA.”

Ochoa and Brandsen are long-time collaborators and the choreographer has created works for the Dutch National Ballet, the Netherlands’ largest ballet company. She created a short work for the English National Ballet about Kahlo called “Broken Wings.” Brandsen was impressed by the work, but thought it was too short.

“Normally with ballet, I always find everything too long,” Brandsen said.

“But here there was so much to tell. I said to Annabelle that I would love for her to expand the work and make it the fulllength work that it deserves to be.”

Together with Salem and designer Dieuweke van Reij, Ochoa added storylines to create a more layered portrait of a person Brandsen described as an extraordinary artist and woman.

He said the team’s intent was not to create a detailed biography that captured everything about Kahlo’s life.

“She wanted to hone in on (Kahlo’s) artistic development, her artistic vision and her struggles as a woman who suffered at a very young age a terrible accident, who was limited in a lot of her physical possibilities and who had a very passionate, but also very complex and difficult relationship with Diego Rivera, her husband and partner.”

Kahlo was on a bus headed to Coyoacan on Sept. 17, 1925, when the vehicle slammed into an electric trolley car. She suffered serious internal injuries when a metal rod tore through her midsection.

Brandsen said Ochoa sought ways to portray Kahlo’s struggle to be independent, free and to express her true self. She did so by creating alter egos of Kahlo based on her self-portraits.

As Kahlo was often bedridden — hav-

ing to paint while lying down or half sitting up — her alter egos can dance her story.

“The thing that she did was paint portraits with an enormous amount of imagination and rich creativity that made us see different aspects of herself and these different aspects come to life quite literally on stage,” Brandsen said.

“At one point, you see Frida with her 10 alter egos and they’re beautiful and recognizable images if you know a little bit of her paintings. What was less important for the storyline was the exact biographical exactitude of things.”

Ochoa curated very carefully and thoughtfully what elements should be a part of the ballet, Brandsen said. She deliberately used dance to present dramatic developments in Kahlo’s life.

“Annabelle has achieved an incredible emotional strength in different layers that we experience as an audience, through which we get to feel much more about who Frida was and what her art was all about,” Brandsen said.

The ballet tells the story of Kahlo’s injuries in a very stylistic and abstract way,

one that shows her getting stuck to a wall, making her look, Brandsen said, very much like a butterfly that has been pinned to a display box.

Kahlo had a pet deer who appears as one of her alter egos in the ballet, so when Kahlo cannot move, the deer can, letting her spirit travel while her body is immobile.

“Different fantasy figures and different animals represent different aspects of herself,” Brandsen said. “That’s the sort of surrealist if you want, or magical, side of her work. There are 10 Fridas and the Fridas are all representations of Frida Kahlo herself — and they’re men, they’re not women. They represent the duality in her character and in her persona of a very strong woman, a woman who acted sometimes like a man. She had lovers, she smoked cigars, she was not just a little missy. She was a strong personality in a time when that was very unusual for women.”

He said Ochoa chose to have her alter egos danced by men to help people see another side to Kahlo and to express the sexual ambiguity. The men are sometimes dressed in colorful skirts and each

Hans Gerritsen/Contributor

In the ballet “Frida,” the artist is surrounded by her alter egos who help to tell her life story.

Skeletons lift Frida Kahlo in a ballet about her life debuting at The Music Center.

of them represent a Frida Kahlo painting.

Often, these alter egos do more dancing than the dancer playing Kahlo, yet there are times when Kahlo soars through the air in choreography that expresses her liberation and freedom. At other times, the horrible events that limit and handicap her come back and she is again unable to move.

“It’s very visual and it’s very clear,” Brandsen said, saying Ochoa succeeded exceptionally well in portraying the life of a painter in dance. “You get transported into a world that is recognizably a world inspired by Frida Kahlo and her life, but not in a literal way.”

The scenic designer, van Reij, created a colorful set inspired by authentic Mexican customs in history and folklore. One element she used repeatedly were skeletons that are sometimes humorous and other times frightening. Four skeletons help to build the world, bringing on props and moving set pieces.

“The whole set is a movable feast,” Brandsen said. “Everything is fluid, and it gets moved and transported by these dancers who are dressed like skeletons. It’s a way (of saying) death is omnipresent, death is always there. In a way, it is dictating our lives as well. Death can be our friend and death can be our enemy,

but in the end, death is always going to win out.”

Brandsen said Salem was committed to creating music that drives the story and creates drama. In “Frida,” he incorporated music that already existed, using songs from famous Mexican singers.

“You have the live music written for orchestra with very colorful instruments from Mexican street music,” Brandsen said. “It’s luscious, romantic music with songs…that are completely incorporat ed within the score. That gives a feeling of authenticity to the whole piece.”

The role of Kahlo was created on Maia Makhateli, one of the company’s princi pal dancers from the nation of Georgia. She’ll share the role with a fellow Geor gian, Salome Leverashvili. Brandsen said that while Makhateli is not Mexican, she is a strong dancer with an international ca reer who recognizes in herself Kahlo’s fi ery temperament.

In addition to the 60 to 70 people on stage, they’re bringing another 50 ballet masters, conductors and designers.

“It’s a very exciting opportunity for us to share this wonderful work with the audience in LA,” Brandsen said. “And for us as a company — we haven’t been in LA for decades. We really look forward to visiting the wonderful Music Center as well.”

“Frida” with the Dutch National Ballet

WHEN: 7:30 p.m.

Friday, July 14, and Saturday, July 15; and 2 p.m.

Sunday, July 16

WHERE: The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles

COST: Tickets start at $34

INFO: 213-972-0711, musiccenter.org/dnb

Hans Gerritsen/Contributor

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Clever Carolla

Comedian, podcaster enjoys the sporting life

By Jeff Moeller

LA Downtown News Contributing Writer

Adam Carolla did not grow up dreaming of being a famous podcaster. If anything, a young version of the popular, enduring on-air personality envisioned himself enjoying the sporting life at the highest levels.

“I played high school football,” he said. “On offense, I played guard and on defense I played inside linebacker. I led the team in tackles and was named Best Defensive Player at North Hollywood High in 1981. I even got recruited by some smaller colleges.

“But because my family was poor and downtrodden, and I couldn’t fill out the applications, I never went to that next level.

“I also played baseball, but I was more passionate about football. Just one of the many ways I’m like Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders.”

Or maybe the clever Carolla could have been the next great Lakers star. It seems like a birthright.

“As my fans know, my parents were too lazy to give me a middle name so when it came time to get my license, I just threw ‘Lakers’ in there on a whim. I’m an LA guy so it made sense. Still waiting for those season tickets though. Maybe I’ll change it to Clippers next time I have to renew.

“Podcasting is in my blood. My father was a podcaster. My grandfather was a podcaster. My great grandfather was podcasting on a steamer from Italy on its way to Ellis Island. So, of course, I grew up wanting to be a podcaster.

“I’m being a jerk, but podcasting wasn’t even a thing when I started doing it in 2009. I was essentially just trying to figure out a way to stay connected to my radio audience.”

The podcast part of that naturally is tongue in cheek. The medium did not become widely popular until some 10 years ago, yet Carolla owns a Guinness World Records mark for the most downloaded podcast. The popular “The Adam Carolla Show” podcast, which drops for free five days a week via PodcastOne and be heard anywhere podcasts are available.

Why has it been so successful?

“I have so much success in the medium because even though I don’t understand the technology of it, I understand

the importance of being real and staying connected to your audience,” Carolla said.

“Listening to a million hours of talk radio driving to and then busting my tail on construction sites taught me how to authentically connect with people.”

A former carpenter, Carolla is seemingly everywhere. And his resume is incredibly unique.

He was the co-host and co-creator of “The Man Show” with Jimmy Kimmel. He was the co-host of the nationally syndicated radio call-in show “Loveline” with Dr. Drew Pinsky.

“When we did a ‘Man Show’ bit with Tommy Lasorda, he said he could have coached me onto the roster of the Dodgers,” Carolla recalled.

“He thought I had some pop in my bat, and I still take that as a huge compliment from an L.A. sports legend. I also got to play in a couple celebrity games at Dodger Stadium and it’s just cool being on that field.”

Carolla was a regular on “Crank Yankers,” another yet show he co-created, and other Carolla-led popular TV projects include a home improvement show on TLC, and a car show on Speed.

“I do a lot of vintage racing so if you count that in terms of what kind of athlete I am these guys, there is that,” said the soon to be 60-year-old who was also featured on “Dancing with the Stars.”

Speaking of automobiles, Carolla is now paired with another legendary comedian, actor and fellow car enthusiast in Jay Leno. The duo is partnering with the producers of Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp to launch the first Comedy Fantasy Camp. Taking place in Hollywood, the new experience will offer participants the opportunity to work with premier comedy talent this October.

“LA is such a disaster as far as traffic and parking I don’t know how anyone can get to a game on time,” Carolla said.

“If you want to see the Rams opening game at SoFi you have to leave your house sometime around Memorial Day. I’ll leave early if it’s a blowout but if it’s a good game I’ll hang out.”

Throughout his many incarnations in the entertainment industry, Carolla’s great passion for sports has not been too far behind. Nor is his well-known cutting humor.

“I’m a Rams fan and I’m glad LA has

a team again. There were a lot of dark years there where I had to root for St. Louis, even though I couldn’t find it on a map,” said Carolla, also the author of two books that have reached New York Times bestseller status.

Comedian, actor, radio personality, host, author. Currently on tour with his stand-up The Adam Carolla Show act, which includes many upcoming dates in Southern California, the long-time area resident also has a tremendous passion for boxing…and he has been able to marry that with his full-time gig in entertainment.

“I always had an interest in boxing and had done some amateur stuff. I had a friend who went to college with a guy who owned a chain of gyms called Bodies in Motion,” Carolla said.

“I met him and offered to teach there

and was promptly counter offered to buzz off because I wasn’t an ex-pro. But I counter-counter-offered to use my construction background to hang the speedbags and generally spruce up the place in exchange for the chance to teach a class. I started assisting one of the regular teachers and when they eventually opened another location in Pasadena, I was able to help build it in exchange for teaching three or four classes a week. I’ve always liked coaching people up.

“That’s why I’m excited about this Comedy Fantasy Camp I’m doing with Jay Leno. And being a boxing instructor directly led me to meeting Jimmy Kimmel and striking up a friendship and partnership that continues to this day. Boxing is directly connected to me having a broadcasting and comedy career.”

An Evening with Adam Carolla

WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday, July 13

WHERE: Ice House Comedy, 24 N. Mentor Avenue, Pasadena

COST: Tickets start at $30

INFO: icehousecomedy.com

Guttman Associates/Submitted

Adam Carolla’s love for sports started at a young age, and only intensified when he told the DMV to put “Lakers” on his driver’s license. A popular podcaster, the Rams are his favorite football team.

Covered California will help DTSPORTS

Loving His Roots

NFL player JuJu Smith-Schuster embraces his Polynesian heritage

By Jeff Moeller

LA Downtown News Contributing Writer

Heartwarming.

That was the word JuJu Smith-Schuster used to describe his feelings when talking about the approximately 85 players of Polynesian descent in the NFL, and the more than 200 who are participating in college football.

It also brought a big smile to the face of the former USC star wide receiver and SoCal native, who is set to soon begin his seventh NFL campaign.

“Honestly, it is heartwarming for me and the entire Polynesian culture. It is huge,” he said. “I think for us, we put so much on ourselves to provide support, and it warms my heart because I thought at the time when I was growing up there weren’t going to be as many opportunities as possible.”

Born and raised in Long Beach, Schuster-Smith is readily available for the opportunity to discuss what it means to be a Samoan athlete.

For starters, one of the things that surprises many is the fact Schuster-Smith is even Polynesian.

“So many people the first time they see me they think I am Black. They think I am full Black. I have to say, ‘Nah, I am Afakasi, I am half Black and half Samoan. I will show you my parents.’

“What helps make me, what helps make us, so unique is being from a small culture. Once my friends see and how I interact with my family, they truly see how close we are.”

Smith-Schuster, who is deeply religious and charitable, credits his family for much of his success. Among his many pro highlights include being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft; setting the NFL record as the youngest player to reach 2,500 career receiving yards; and making his first career Pro Bowl in 2018.

Oh, and Smith-Schuster earned a Super Bowl championship ring with the Kansas City Chiefs in February before inking a three-year contract with the New England Patriots as a free agent in March.

As a kid in Long Beach, where he eventually was a five-star wide receiver at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, the road to the National Football

League began by playing in the Snoop Youth Football League, where he was coached by entertainment icon Snoop Dogg. In 2014, he was a rookie at USC. With the Trojans, he was part of 27 total games over three years including the 2016 Rose Bowl over Penn State.

It is also a school renown for recruiting and developing Polynesians in particular.

Junior Seau. Lofa Tatupu. Troy Polamalu. Juju Smith-Schuster. Those are some of the great Polynesian names associated with Trojan Football. USC is a tremendous destination spot for any high school football player. By why does

Smith-Schuster believe the school has had so much success in this particular area?

“They understand that these students, when they leave their home, they are so used to being around so many people, it is a lot harder to go to a school without a lot of Polys.

“I chose USC and committed with four or five other Polynesians because we all knew each other. When it comes to recruiting, USC is amazing with that. A guy will go there because he knows he will be comfortable there as he has a family within a family already.”

Despite his on-the-field heroics in col -

lege, the transition to the NFL was not without its challenges.

“I was 20 years old when I got drafted. I was a long way from home. At ‘SC, it was just 20 or 30 minutes to drive home. Even now at this age — because I am so close to my family — it is hard. The separation is difficult. My siblings are experiencing so much these days, and I am not around them as much as I would like.

“It is a blessing, however, to do what I do.”

In Pittsburgh, he joined a franchise that for a dozen years had featured the beloved Polamalu, who is of American Samoan descent. Like his prep days at Southern Cal (where Polamalu also played), the Steel City for Schuster-Smith was a great fit, off the field as well.

“The (Polynesian) culture there is huge. You go to games and see the Tongan flag being waved. You see the Samoan flag. It was cool.”

Smith-Schuster, who has hauled in as many as 111 catches in an NFL season, said he is looking forward to the upcoming 2023 football season along with the challenge of again being on a new team.

In his short time with the Bill Belichick-led Pats, the wide receiver admitted he is indeed impressed with the culture the franchise is infamous for employing.

Meanwhile, Smith-Schuster is enjoying his more recent status as a veteran, and one who has helped usher in the next generation of professional Polynesian players.

“It just goes to show that there’s just more of us out there. It shows everyone that we can do this. We love the sport we play.

“We make sure that we are in the right mindset and that we have respect for one another. Respect your elders and show people how you want to be treated,” the 26-year-old continued.

“I’m honored to be part of and just even being associated and having my name in the same category as those guys who came before me is really cool.

“These guys paved the way and I’m still following the path while helping to create a path for a lot of younger guys too who look up to me.”

Smith-Schuster Family/Submitted

JuJu Smith-Schuster celebrates his Super Bowl LVII victory with the Kansas City Chiefs with his mom Sammy in February.

DT PHOTO PAGE

Grand Central Market

By LA Downtown News Staff

The Grand Central Market is LA’s largest and oldest public market.

Then called the “Wonder Market,” their doors first opened in 1914. Today, the market hosts 40 stalls, many of whom are legacy vendors like the “China Cafe” and “Roast to Go.”

The market encompasses a 30,000 square foot arcade with a food emporium and retail marketplace. It offers

Downtown LA a place for people to gather and is a public hub for programming and events.

Grand Central Market, located at 308 S. Hill Street can be accessed by car, through the LA Metro Red or Purple lines and by bus. The market is open Monday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m..

Photographer Chris Mortenson visited to capture the sights.

Jeremy Worker shops for some fruits at Grand Central Market’s produce stands.

Open until 10 p.m., Grand Central Market offers food and drinks to locals and guests of Los Angeles.

LA locals and tourists both traverse the Grand Central Market in search of delicious food and drinks.

Chips Barranco and Molly Grace from the band Funds for Jimmy pose for a portrait.

Ivan Carmona poses for a portait at La Huerta candy shop in Grand Central Market. He’s been working at this location for 21 years.

10 recommendations for the city and the private sector to consider. Several of the suggestions were straightforward, such as expanding operational funds and creating more expansive data sets. However, several key points reflected broader systemic issues that CCP felt should be addressed.

One recommendation considered the issue of language access and cultural competency, suggesting that summit partners work to ensure all immigrants have access to language assistance in areas such as housing and health care.

“A key component of inclusion is language access,” explained the report producers in a news release. “Data shows that 28% of immigrant households were linguistically isolated … When disaggregated by immigrant status, undocumented households were most likely to be linguistically isolated at 37% compared to 30% for lawful permanent residents.”

This language isolation, they argued, exacerbates inequalities in immigrant communities.

Another recommendation in the report highlighted the need to consider a broader range of issues that impact immigrant lives, including mental well-being, to address the community’s needs beyond immigration.

“We found out that the immigration issue was one of the main factors that contributed (to immigrants’) mental illness, or mental health issues … because we cannot separate the issues surrounding immigration and men-

tal health issues,” said Senait Admassu from the African Coalition in the State of Immigrants in LA County 2023 report.

Other recommendations put forward by the report include investing in LGBTQ+ and disabled resources, decreasing bureaucratic hurdles, promoting workplace standards and anticipating future trends in immigration.

“Each year, we build on the progress and the work done in previous years. Our goal and hope (is to) have dialogue with cross-sector leaders and organizations about the points that were elevated at the summit,” Arroyo said. “How are we holding ourselves and our leaders accountable for ensuring this work continues?”

The report concluded by emphasizing how well LA County could develop longterm infrastructure that advocates for the needs of immigrants. However, the report says that will require a strong coalition with community power and organizational capacity. The summit, Arroyo said, is one way the county and community stakeholders are beginning to accomplish this.

“LA County is positioned to provide equitable access to resources, create the conditions for immigrants to thrive, and foster a welcoming place for its immigrant communities. Yet, the data highlights where we are falling short,” said Manuel Pastor, director of the USC Equity Research Institute. “While there is work to be done, LA County continues to innovate policy and grow as a dominant force in the movement toward racial justice and equity for all.”

Mike Kingsley holds down the fort at the information booth at Grand Central Market in Downtown Los Angeles.

Nelson Zepequeno comes to Grand Central Market on his lunch break and loves the diversity that it offers.

Avian Ku checks out the menu at one of many Mexican food restaurants in Grand Central Market.

Publication Date: August 14, 2023

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

The Best of Downtown publication is our biggest issue of the year!

On August 14, 2023, we announce all of the winners and reader recommended companies in this year’s survey.

Whether you won or not, all companies are welcome to advertise in this special issue. This is one of the best times to market your business. DTLA is coming back and now is when you want to put your business in front of our readers. The Best of Downtown issue has a glossy cover and is a keepsake for those who only want the best.

Contact us today to get rates and reserve your space.

Catherine Holloway cholloway@timespublications.com

213-308-2261

Michael Lamb

mlamb@timespublications.com

213-453-3548