One in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Regular mammography screenings are the best way to screen for breast cancer. Mammograms can detect the cancer at an early stage, which can lead to early treatment, a wider range of treatment options, and better outcomes.
Here’s why a mammogram appointment is too important to put off: Mammograms find cancer you can’t feel. You may not be able to feel a lump if it’s small or deep inside your breast. Mammograms can show lumps and other changes in the breasts that can be caused by cancer be fore they’re otherwise felt. The screenings use low-dose X-rays that allow doctors to see through the breast tissue and identify any signs of cancer. Early detection of breast cancer leads to more treatment options and better outcomes. Your chance of surviving breast cancer is much better if the cancer is found early. According to the National Breast Can cer Foundation, women whose breast cancer is detected at an early stage have a 99% or higher survival rate in the first five years. Breast cancers found during screening exams are more likely to be smaller and still con fined to the breast. If found early, your doctor may only need to remove the cancer instead of the entire breast. Follow your doctor’s recommen dations to help detect breast cancer early — when it is easiest to treat. Family history of breast cancer increases your risk of breast can cer. Your chance of getting breast cancer could be higher if someone else in your family had the cancer. If your mother, daughter or sister had breast cancer, your risk could be nearly double. Keep in mind, however, that you
can also get breast cancer even if no one in your family has ever had it. Risk of breast cancer increases with age. You can get breast cancer at any age, but it’s more likely to happen as you get older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that most breast can cers happen in women over 50. The American College of Radiology rec ommends starting yearly breast cancer screenings at age 40. Talk to your primary care doctor about when and how often you should get mammo grams.
There are other things that may increase your risk for breast can cer. According to the CDC, factors that may raise your risk of breast cancer are dense breasts, having breast cancer in the past, radiation treatment of the chest or breasts, starting your period before age 12, or starting meno pause after age 55. Talk to your doctor about your risk factors. A mammogram is a quick procedure that can save your life. Most places that provide screenings offer a choice of appointment times so you can select a time that’s most convenient for you. You might be able to get a screening during your lunch hour, before or after work, or on the weekend. Some people dread getting mammograms because they feel they are uncomfortable, but remind yourself that it’s only a few minutes of discomfort that can potentially save your life (breast compressions only last 10 to 15 seconds per image). The more you relax and think positive thoughts, the less bothered you will be by the test.
Getting routine mammograms is an important step in maintaining your breast health. Schedule your mammogram today at pihhealth.org/ mammogram or call 562-906-5692.
Asa record-setting heat wave en veloped California last week, resi dents of Downtown LA’s Skid Row sweltered amid triple-digit temperatures. Skid Row is a district containing one of the largest populations of people experienc ing homelessness. The blistering heat dis proportionately puts unhoused residents at risk of heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
Dehydration can exacerbate such heat-related afflictions. In addition to food insecurity, many unhoused people strug gle with water scarcity — a lack of access to clean, safe drinking water.
Water Drop LA is a nonprofit organi zation whose mission is to provide clean drinking water to those experiencing homelessness. Every Sunday morning, vol unteers drive to Skid Row and distribute upward of 2,000 gallons of water to the unhoused community; this is called a “wa
ter drop.” What sets Water Drop LA apart from similar organizations is its method of water distribution: Volunteers dole out gallons of water directly to those in need, instead of through a more remote distri bution location.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
STAFF WRITERS: Andrew Checchia, Andres De Ocampo, Julia Shapero
Cataño said. “After coming back every sin gle week for the last two years to do water distributions, all of us have strong friend ships with those we see on a regular basis.”
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Sara Edwards, Kamala Kirk
ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, Stephanie Torres
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Luis Chavez
EXECUTIVE
Aria Cataño, a co-founder of Water Drop LA, highlights this distinctive feature of the organization.
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Myriam Santos
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway, Michael Lamb
FOUNDER EMERITUS: Sue Laris
“At Water Drop, we really value build ing real, consistent relationships with unhoused members of the community,”
EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
DEPUTY EDITOR: Luke Netzley
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Jeff Moeller, Bridgette M. Redman, Ellen Snortland
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Chris Mortenson
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: David Heymann, The Ingalls, Wonho Frank Lee, Osceola Refetoff
ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, Stephanie Torres
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway (213) 308-2261
Michael Lamb (213) 453-3548
Denine Gentilella (323) 627-7955
FOUNDER EMERITUS: Sue Laris
Its distribution route allows for such re lationships to flourish. Volunteers make their way through every single block of Skid Row during each water drop, striving for person-to-person conversations and interactions with the community.
“Watching these friendships blossom has been the most rewarding element of
this work,” Cataño said.
Water Drop LA was founded in 2020, during the height of the pandemic. Cataño and her friends were passing out homemade burritos to unhoused neigh bors. They hadn’t brought water to dis tribute along with the burritos and were asked repeatedly if they had any water on hand.
“This inspired me to do some digging into public water sources in the area, and I found that there was a very limited num ber of drinking fountains in Skid Row,”
Cataño said. “Realizing this gap in services, we started fundraising via social media for water and raised enough to become a for mal organization.”
This year, during the brutal heat wave broiling California, the unhoused popula tion of Skid Row is especially at risk.
“Heat waves can seriously jeopardize the health and safety of unhoused resi dents, especially if they have pre-exist ing conditions, are on medications that already lead to dehydration, or are using substances that can further exacerbate
dehydration,” Cataño said.
Thankfully, the unhoused residents can rely on Water Drop LA’s consistent weekly distributions to provide them with clean, safe drinking water.
Leading Water Drop LA, a fully volun teer-run organization, is not without its challenges. Team members of the non profit hold full-time jobs during the week and also “manage the logistics of purchas ing and picking up large orders of water every weekend,” Cataño said. “Many of our team members struggle with burnout as a
result of not using the weekends to actu ally rest.”
When the stress accumulates, Cataño finds it beneficial to focus on the culture of mutual aid in the community.
“Getting to see members of other or ganizations and collaborate is something that always brings me hope,” she said. “There’s a collective understanding of the need to support each other and boost each other’s work … and this camaraderie is something that really motivates me to keep pushing for change.”
One of Downtown Los Angeles’ his toric gems and home of Banksy’s
“Girl on a Swing” mural, 908-910 S. Broadway, will be sold at auction on Friday, Oct. 28. The gothic mid-rise build ing was built in 1914 and remains a land mark of the Fashion District.
Current owners Alfonso Campos and Tarina Tarantino bought the building for $4 million in 2007 and began an ambi tious restoration project that was com pleted in 2018, reviving the grandeur of 908-910 S. Broadway’s original appear ance.
The building has played an integral role in Downtown’s history with deep ties to classic Hollywood as well, particularly in the 1923 film “Safety Last!”, where film star Harold Lloyd scaled the building’s outer façade and famously dangled from the arms of a clock in an iconic moment in cinematic history. In 1924, silent film comedienne Dorothy Devore performed a similar stunt to Lloyd’s that was filmed on the rooftop for the film “Hold Your Breath” as well.
“All these buildings have so much his tory, you just have to uncover it,” Taranti no explained. “Nobody handed this to us. We knew nothing when they gave us the
keys. It was like, ‘Here’s a building.’ And we’re like, ‘Oh, it’s really pretty.’ And then we started digging.”
During their restoration, Tarantino re called a moment when they removed a wall in the basement and found a secret room, which they opened to find bottles of Prohibition-age alcohol stored within.
“At one time all these basements were speakeasies. It was all underground drinking,” Tarantino said. “I wish more of the buildings in Downtown would show case their history, because it’s so import ant.”
908-910 S. Broadway has also seen its share of recent history, with its roof top facing the Eastern Columbia Build ing where Johnny Depp used to own five penthouse units before selling them all for a total of $12.78 million following his divorce with Amber Heard.
While the seven-story structure has over 26,000 square feet of space in ad dition to the accessible rooftop that’s zoned for advertising, a notable sell ing point for 908-910 S. Broadway is its 13-by-33-foot mural, “Girl on a Swing,” painted by famed British artist Banksy.
The piece appeared in 2010 after Banksy had attended a premier for the movie “Exit Through the Gift Shop” at the nearby Los Angeles Theatre. Campos and
Tarantino were in New York at the time, when a mutual friend of Tarantino and Banksy’s called her and said, “I’m with an artist who really likes the wall on your building for a piece.”
“I said, ‘OK, fine, go ahead.’ And so we come back from New York and there was this beautiful piece on the wall,” Tarantino recalled. “He wanted to be near the Los Angeles Theatre, which down the street. But the amazing thing was we show up to work and there’s like a hundred people in the parking lot. I mean, there are peo ple pulling in, parking, people getting out to take pictures of it. … We were al ready fans of his, but we were just blown away. And by the size of the piece, too. I mean, it’s one of the largest works he’s ever done.”
Otherwise known as LA’s most infa mous parking sign, the authenticated Banksy occupies the building’s south west-facing edge. Campos and Taranti no sought to protect the piece with an ti-graffiti paint and then eventually a thin plexiglass barrier to cover the mural.
“It’s very important that it’s preserved,” Tarantino insisted “I feel like it’s the Mona Lisa of Downtown LA because it brings people from everywhere and it’s really important for the community. You look at it like a cultural landmark now. It’s some thing that’s on maps.”
The painting is the only Banksy mu ral in LA and one of a handful worldwide that’s been preserved in its original loca tion. In a city home to a diverse bounty of artists, the painting serves as a symbol that speaks to the wealth of artistic talent in DTLA.
“(Downtown) is a very creative commu nity, and that’s what I love about it. … It’s just full of inspiring, interesting people,” Tarantino described.
From its storied past to its iconic pres ent, 908-910 S. Broadway remains a core actor in the story of DTLA. The building will be sold at auction by Hilco Real Es tate on Friday, Oct. 28, just over a week past the qualifying offer submission
deadline on Thursday, Oct. 20.
“We do sales like this all over the coun try, and this one’s such a unique sale in having the Banksy on it and where his name is in the world right now,” said Jeff Azuse, senior vice president at Hilco Real Estate. “We’re excited about the next ownership. It really is a cultural landmark that someone’s going be able to take ad vantage of.”
When asked why the owners had de cided to sell the property, Azuse replied, “COVID was really the catalyst that kind of pushed things to where they’re at now. And now that COVID’s over and things are rejuvenating, this is the right time.
They don’t need all the space, and it’s just a good time to sell. … They bought it in 2008. They’ve had their time here. Every one’s looking at things differently after COVID, what the next steps in their life are, what they’re going to do, and it feels like the right time to do it.”
Though the ownership may change by the end of October, the impact that Cam pos and Tarantino have had on 908-910 S. Broadway and the building’s image in the city today is a lasting one. Their work to restore the historic building to its for mer glory has breathed life back into a re vered historic landmark.
“I love the fact that we have these won derful views of all these historic build ings,” Tarantino said as she looked out from the rooftop. “I’m looking out and there’re so many, like one, two, three, four that weren’t here 10 years ago. It’s just Downtown, and it’s rising, which I’m so glad.
“Every time I hear about a skyscraper, I’m happy because I just really think that Downtown, no matter what they say, it’s coming back. I felt it. We went through the pandemic, and it’s already popping back. It will roar back because there is just too much invested down here. It will be the metropolis that it’s meant to be because there’re too many people who believe in it and love it. … It’s going to continue, and there’s no way to stop it.”
By Luke Netzley
LA Downtown News Deputy Editor
Los Angeles is in a housing crisis.
In the past year alone, the cost of housing throughout the city has in creased by over 8.8% while the homeless population has increased by nearly 3,000 people since the start of the pandemic.
To help combat the rise in housing in security, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) will open the Section 8 Waiting List Lottery on Monday, Oct. 17, for the first time in five years.
“I say the three main issues for Los An geles’s success are housing, housing and housing. It will define our city,” Mayor Eric Garcetti described. “While we have put nearly a decade of focus and work into building more housing, into accel erating more housing, just too many thousands of families still struggle to pay their rent in this city.
“In this affordable housing crisis, we can see it in our unhoused population, but you don’t have to be unhoused to
feel it, to consider, ‘Can I afford to stay here? Will my children be able to stay here? Will their children be able to stay here?’”
Section 8 is a rental assistance pro gram built to help low-income individu als and families afford housing and avoid severe rental burden, which is defined as spending more than 50% of an individ ual’s income on rent. For Section 8 par ticipants paying more than 40% of their income in rent, the government will cov er the remainder. The payment comes in the form of housing assistance paid on behalf of the participant to the landlord of whichever available Section 8 rental property they choose to live in.
“There are hundreds of thousands of low-income households here in Los An geles that are worried about keeping a roof over their heads,” Garcetti explained.
“They pay either more than half of their income on rent, or they live in severe ly overcrowded, vulnerable housing sit uations. It affects their financial stress and their personal health. And in a city
of renters, providing access to programs that can provide rent burden and relief is critical.”
HACLA will utilize a lottery system to ensure that, of the eligible applicants, Section 8 participants will be randomly selected. Garcetti is expecting is receive roughly 200,000 applications, with space for 30,000 people to be accepted.
“It is a valuable program because it al lows the private landlords to rent apart ments and homes at fair market rates to qualified low-income residents,” HA CLA President and CEO Douglas Guthrie said. “The need is so great in the city of Los Angeles. We don’t have enough re sources to go to all qualified households, which is why we have to open this up to a waiting list. … The last time we had an open Section 8 waiting list was, I believe it was this exact same day, five years ago. … And before that, it had been 13 years since the waiting list had been opened. So this is an important but rare oppor tunity.”
Applicants who have been on the pre vious waiting list must reapply, as the list will reset on Oct. 17, and applica tions must be submitted online at hacla. hcvlist.org. People without access to free internet or a computer are encouraged to visit any of the city’s 72 public libraries.
“We want everyone that’s eligible and has an interest in this to not be intimi dated and to have the support, whatever you need to make an application for this program, so we’ve tried to make the lot tery easy, convenient and the entire pro cess available online,” Guthrie said.
In a city where the reported cost of liv ing is 41% higher than the national av erage, Section 8 was born in the hope of make a lasting positive impact.
“I think the pandemic showed just what we can do when we come togeth er in a moment of crisis to help people in need,” Garcetti said. “A lot of people said, ‘Why does it take so long to build hous ing?’ And they’re right. Can we buy old motels and existing apartment build ings? And this housing authority in our housing department has been able to ac quire 35 sites with 2,383 units, but it’s not enough. So let me first talk to our proper ty owners and make a plea.
“Whether you’re a property owner or manager, you can be a part of the solu tion. I know that you see homelessness on those streets. I know that you know families that are struggling with hous ing. Why not step up and be a part of the solution with those units that you have? So if you have a unit for rent, please take
advantage of our incentives.”
One of the financial benefits of the Section 8 program for landlords is re liability. Since the payments are being made by the government, it is a guaran tee that rent will be paid on time each month. Property owner Matt Sheriff also spoke to the fulfillment of participating in a program that helps those in need.
“My wife and I own two income prop erties, one is a single-family home in Highland Park and the other is a triplex in San Pedro,” he began. “We bought the tri plex in 2019, and after doing all the final upgrades needed to make the building a home, we advertised online. Plenty of ap plicants reached out, and all three units were quickly rented. However, turnover began to occur in about six months, and after about two years we decided to rent to our first Section 8 voucher holder. It was the best decision we have ever made as landlords.”
Sheriff described his two Section 8 ten ants as “two of the best tenants we’ve had.” One is a retired social worker and grandmother who enjoys home decora tion, while the other is a young mother completing a nursing program.
“They help improve the property, and they are just simply nice people,” Sher iff said. “Our experience with Section 8 tenants has been so positive that we are considering investing in more buildings, and we will certainly accept voucher holders as a priority. I think it’s a new era for the Section 8 housing program, and I’m glad to be a part of something that helps so many.”
While drastic increases in housing pric es and homelessness are not unique to Los Angeles, the way that the city seeks and implements potential solutions to these crises can act as a model for other metropolises throughout the state and beyond.
According to reports, the cost of build ing a single housing unit for a homeless individual under Proposition HHH has reached as high as $837,000. Meanwhile, additional studies have shown that in vesting money in single cash infusions of around $1,000 to help hold individuals and families in homes above the poverty line could keep them off the streets for a minimum of two years.
By dedicating resources to rental assis tance in a city where more than 63% of households are renter occupied, Los An geles could begin to remedy the blows it has been dealt since the start of the pan demic.
Apply online at hacla.hcvlist.org any time between Monday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 30.
It’s a slow, sweet and thankfully cool Sunday in Southern California. My hairdresser, Susann Edmunds, and I have been seeing each other for 20plus years and have bonded over many things, yet I still manage to surprise her. “Ewwww!” said Susann, who then burst into laughter. “Is that real ly a thing? I’ve never heard of it.” We catch each other’s eyes in the mirror and laugh. “There’s your column for this week,” she said. “Really? You think?” “Oh, yes, your affliction definitely has Snort land written all over it.”
Hang on to your wigs and keys: I go under the knife to have two toes on my right foot sewn together. I fully acknowl edge this might fall into TMI territory, so you may want to stop reading now. I have had a chronic corn between my right baby toe and its next little piggy for years.
Until recently, I would go to my favor ite podiatrist, Dr. Wenjay Sung, in Arca dia, and he’d “shave” off the corn, which is actually a nasty little callus on ste roids. I’d be good for a month or so and then have it removed again.
Dr. Sung has a special place in my heart. I never had kids, but if I’d shopped at the offspring store and visited the “sons” department, I would have picked him. For one thing, our visits aren’t just about perfunctory medical stuff. We talk about books, including our favorite nov els, and have turned each other on to some of our favorite reads. “Hail Mary” by Andy Weir was his latest entry in the “You’ve gotta read this!” department (he was right), and mine was “The Dictionary of Lost Words” by Pip Williams. So even though my corn — which I’m calling Cornelius — causes excruciating pain, I always looked forward to my appoint ments with Dr. Sung.
One day he says, “There’s a procedure that’s not covered by insurance, so it’ll be out of pocket. I can’t guarantee any thing, but it might work.” By this time, I had fallen over and hit the ground from the pain in my little toe and will do any thing to have a normal walking life. “Give it to me, Doc! I’ll do anything! What is it?” He had a nurse practitioner come in and inject fat between my two toes, as toes lose fat faster than any other place on our bodies. Oh, the irony! I struggle with
fat in every other part of my body, yet I don’t have any in the one place I need it! Fat toes keep the Cornelius’ away.
So we tried the fat injections; they could hear me screaming down the medical center hallway. “I’ll talk, I’ll talk, anything, I did it!” It’s easy to see why the favorite body parts of torturers are the digits. I walk into the reception area, and everyone stares at the floor or the ceiling. “Amy, everyone could hear me, right?” She said, “Yes.” “I’m so em barrassed.” She said, “Don’t be. I’ve seen men twice your size scream like little boys, louder than you did.” Phew. OK.
Sadly, the fat injection didn’t work. Back to Cornelius, rearing his nasty head like a sharp piece of gravel between my toes. Meanwhile, I try telling myself that if this is my biggest medical problem, I should feel grateful… until I step on my foot the wrong way and ugly-cry. It’s reminiscent of the canard, “If you think little things are not a big deal, try sleep ing in a room with a mosquito.”
I already have a foot condition called “windswept deformity.” Is that a “Wuthering Heights” malady? It sounds romantic. My sisters used to mercilessly
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California Electroplating, Inc. emite cromo hexavalente (un producto quími co conocido por el estado de California para causar cáncer también se sabe que causa defectos de nacimiento u otros daños reproductivos). Las personas dentro del área que se muestra dentro de la línea gruesa en el mapa están expuestas al cromo hexavalente a un nivel determinado por el Estado para requerir una advertencia
taunt me with “Duck feet!” At family re unions, I’d take relatives aside, take off my shoes, and ask them if anyone else in the family had “windswept” feet. Nope. Norwegians have fjord feet: bumpy, granite-like and cold.
We decide that since the fat injections were a bust, the next step is a procedure whose name I can never remember and always have to Google: toe syndactyl w/ excisional biopsy of lesion. Fun! In En glish, “sewing my little toe to the next one so they won’t rub and make a Cor nelius.”
It turns out I’m in very good compa ny. Michael Jordan also had this done. He was off the courts for two weeks, and then, swoosh! He was back. “Will I be able to play basketball after you sew my
toes together?” I ask. “Yes,” Dr. Sung says. “That’s a miracle,” I say. “I’ve never played it before.” (Insert rimshot here.)
At least I’ll get some good drugs. P.S. Please put 7 p.m. Oct. 22 in your calendars. I’m doing a free staged read ing of my award-winning solo show, “Now That She’s Gone,” at All Saints Epis copal of Pasadena. It’s right across from Pasadena City Hall and easy to get to from Downtown Los Angeles. More next week.
Ellen Snortland has written this col umn for decades and also teaches cre ative writing. She can be reached at ellen@ beautybitesbeast.com. Her award-win ning film “Beauty Bites Beast” is available for download or streaming at vimeo.com/ ondemand/beautybitesbeast.
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Participation is easy. Go to downtownnews.com, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the “Let ter to the Editor” link. For guest opinion proposals, please email christina@timespublications.com.
Each and every day, women take on a wide variety of tasks, juggling between the needs and priorities of their families, friends and work. Mothers have the added responsibility of caring for their children and tending to their packed day-today schedules. With that said, women’s own health needs often take a backseat, which can lead them to forget about important appointments and annual checkups.
At Dignity Health – California Hospital Medical Center’s Los Angeles Center for Women’s Health, situated in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, a remarkable team of health care professionals work tirelessly to care for those who put others first. The first thing most people notice about this center is its spa-like environment. Here, one can schedule a routine ex amination, mammogram and other wellness appointments, in addition to finding care for medically complex situations.
“The Center for Women’s Health is an amazing resource at California Hospital Medical Center, offering high-quality, compassionate care for women with a multitude of health needs,” said Alina Moran, California Hospital Medical Center president. “While many people pushed off their health care needs in the last two and a half years, the future of our health
landscape looks bright, allowing us to continue to improve the overall health of the female population in the communi ties we serve.”
The center offers treatment and management in the follow ing areas:
• Bone density assessment.
• Breast health.
• Female pelvic reconstructive surgery.
• Genetic testing.
• Gynecologic health.
• Cardiac services.
• Urodynamics and more.
As one of the best-kept secrets in Downtown Los Angeles, the center keeps women’s needs and schedules in mind, of fering excellent customer service and the convenience to meet the ever-changing schedules of all who walk through its doors.
During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, scheduling your mammogram is an important way to ensure you take charge of your health, so be sure to visit the Los Angeles Center for Women’s Health and prioritize your needs. You can visit dignityhealth.org/lacwh or call 213-742-6400.
Anative of Odessa, Ukraine, violin ist Irina Voloshina has watched Russia decimate her country.
She will honor Ukraine and its fight against the Russian invasion during the Freedom Philharmonic’s debut concert, “Freedom for All!,” at 7:30 p.m. Satur day, Oct. 29, at Pasadena Civic Auditori um. The 70-plus musicians will be led by music director and principal conductor Maestro Clyde Mitchell.
The second half’s centerpiece is the Ukrainian Anthem & Prayer, featuring concertmaster Voloshina. It is joined by Verdi’s Overture to “Nabucco” conduct ed by Ruth Orellana-Wheeler and “Va, pensiero” from “Nabucco” conducted by Orellana-Wheeler and the SoCal Chorale, conducted by its director, Marya Basara ba.
The first half will begin with Strauss’ “Sunrise” (theme for “2001: A Space Od yssey”), followed by Orff’s “O, Fortuna”
from “Carmina Burana,” Skoryk’s “Melo die” featuring associate conductor Ruth Orellana-Wheeler, Foster’s “The Prayer” with mezzo-soprano Anna Pflieger and lyric tenor Barry Johannson, and Schönberg’s “Bring Him Home” from “Les Misérables” with Johansson.
“Freedom for All” continues with An drew Lloyd Webber’s “Masquerade” from “Phantom of the Opera,” Dvořák’s “Song to the Moon” from “Rusalka” featuring soprano Erin Wood, Verdi’s “Anvil Cho rus” and “Stride la Vampa” from “Il trova tore” featuring Pflieger, Gounod’s “Fu neral March of a Marionette,” Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma” from “Turandot” fea turing tenor Timothy Gonzales, and “Te Deum” from “Tosca” with baritone Ben Lowe.
Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” from the 9th Symphony closes the concert.
Longtime friends, performer Barry Jo hansson and Chris Beskar, CEO of Stavat ti Aerospace, founded the nonprofit Freedom Orchestra to share their love
of music. Their dream includes starting a youth orchestra.
Voloshina has lived in Altadena for 12 years and made news when she and her Melodia Mariposa performed in her driveway during the COVID-19 quaran tine. On July 24, 2021, she received the Congressional Leadership Award: Home town Heroes of the Pandemic for out standing contributions to the people of the 27th Congressional District.
The Freedom Philharmonic is just as special.
“I’m excited because every time some thing is created, it’s exciting,” Voloshi na said. “The pandemic has gone on for a long time. All of our concerts were canceled, and we were devastated. We didn’t work at all. It was pretty crazy time, and that’s when I decided to per form on my driveway. I did 65 concerts. We missed our performances so much. Then I heard about this orchestra. I think it’s beautiful.”
For other shows, she plays fundraising
concerts for Ukraine, helping the only way she says she can.
“I used to play with the philharmon ic in Odessa,” she said. “When the war started, I thought, ‘How can I help?’ You feel so helpless. You want to help but how do you help?
“My friends are fine. At one point, they were in a really bad situation and need ed to help. I play violin. I didn’t know how to raise money. I could donate some, but it’s not that much.”
She learned about GoFundMe and other fundraising platforms. She held a benefit concert for Ukraine at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Altadena in August with Melodia Mariposa.
She has raised $13,000 for the Odes sa Philharmonic Orchestra to travel to Musikfest Berlin via bus to the Republic of Moldova and then plane to Berlin.
“They didn’t have money to stay in the hotel,” she says. “They couldn’t fly be cause of the war. They asked if I would pay for the hotel, which was about
$5,500. It was such a nice break for them to leave that horrible place. They were just crying. That was so touching. It is a very emotional subject. I can’t even say how I feel.”
The war and year have been trying to Voloshina. Her mother died in February, and she visited the cemetery the first day of the war.
“I could not even imagine how she would feel,” Voloshina says.
“Her two sisters are still in Ukraine. I’m helping their family, too. I never even met them. I left the country when they were 3, and now they have kids. They wanted me to help them find a sponsor. They’re safe now in England.”
Voloshina’s resume is impressive. She
moved to the United States in 1993 without knowing English. She has per formed on more than 600 films scores including those by John Williams, Jer ry Goldsmith, James Horner and Hans Zimmer, to name a few. She performed for “American Idol” and the “MTV Music Awards” and was a member of the Acad emy Awards orchestra. She has joined the Pasadena Symphony and Pops Or chestra.
“Every time I perform for John Wil liams, it’s a historic moment,” she says.
“I have to pinch myself. It’s magic, mag ic every time I’m there. He is absolutely amazing. Everybody has such a huge re spect for him. When the actors come, it’s really special.”
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29
WHERE: Pasadena Civic Auditorium, 300 E. Green Street, Pasadena
COST: Tickets start at $32
INFO: freedomphilharmonic.org or ticketmaster.com
By Bridgette M. Redman LA Downtown News Contributing Writer
Photographer and artist Osceola Refetoff has traveled from the Antarctic to the Arctic in search of images that will help to save the world.
The Los Angeles-based artist left Oct. 2 for a 15-day expedition to the Arctic Circle. He’s one of 21 artists and scientists selected to explore the waters off the inter national territory of Svalbard.
The Arctic archipelago, which is just 10 degrees latitude from the North Pole, has many unusual rules, Refetoff said.
“I will not make it to the North Pole, which is in the middle of water, but I’ll be very close,” Refetoff said.
“I start in a place called Svalbard — the northernmost archipelago, the northernmost cinema, the northernmost grocery store, the northernmost everything there. I think there is about 3,000 people, and apparently up to 3,000 polar bears.”
The overwhelming number of bears means that no one is allowed to leave town without a gun or, in the case of the people on the expedition, an armed guard. He’s learned some unusual facts about the place.
“You’re not allowed to have a baby there or be buried there,” Refetoff said. “You’re not allowed to own a cat. They’re all for some very practical reasons, one of which is that it’s not really a country. If you had a baby there, the baby wouldn’t have any citizenship.”
As for the cats, they are too much of a predator and threaten the birds and other
nonpolar bear-sized wildlife.
From Svalbard, they’ll board the Antigua, a traditionally rigged Barquentine tall ship equipped with workspaces for each participant as well as collaborative common spac es where they can cross pollinate their projects.
“This is like a three-masted boat with square rigging,” Refetoff said. “I like to tell peo ple it’s a cross between a pirate ship and a schooner. The whole thing has a steel hull to make it able to travel amongst all this floating ice.”
Refetoff described himself as an outdoor person who enjoys the cold, something that makes this trip a good fit.
His message on this trip is to encourage people to seek out plant-based alternatives to Omega-3 dietary supplements because fish oil pills are harmful.
“It’s no longer enough to simply draw attention to environmental issues — everyone knows the glaciers are melting,” Refetoff said.
“I plan to identify explicit measures that can be taken by individuals to address spe cific problems related to the region where my work is created — in this case, the largescale commercial overfishing of tiny crustaceans that are the basis for the arctic food chains. Recent interest in Omega-3 dietary supplements has fueled an international in dustry for harvesting krill and other arctic crustaceans.
“Many consumers are unaware of the environmental cost of their purchases and that plant-derived Omega-3 supplements are widely available.”
It’s an environment he said is under a lot of pressure from the humans who don’t live
there.
“That’s where my artistic practice and my environmental photojournalism merge when I do a trip like this,” Refetoff said. “I pick one discrete environmental message that is specifically actionable. There are a lot of things we can do — have fewer kids and drive smaller cars. But I think it gets frustrating with these messages about the ice pack melt ing because people leave an exhibition feeling bad, but not knowing what to do.”
He said, as an artist and an environmental journalist, he can inform audiences. Refetoff, whose work has been displayed around the world (most recently in France), plans to add photos from this trip to his extensive archive.
Refetoff’s recent work that was exhibited in Santa Monica last year, “It’s a Mess With out You,” was made up of color photographs taken through the windows of abandoned buildings in the California desert. They were works that were single-frame exposures without digital manipulations. It’s a work that has a through line to the Arctic expedi tion.
“The Arctic is a desert,” Refetoff points out of the ocean-covered land in which there is little to no fresh water. “I’m making interesting pieces for people, but also leaving them with a message that the deserts are worth preserving, even if they are never going to visit them themselves.”
The Arctic is classified as a desert because it gets a small amount of rain. He said that without fire, you’d die of thirst. He hopes to engage people’s imagination about a place that is worth preserving, one that is vital to the survival of the planet. He wants his pho tographs to counteract the misconception that the Arctic is a wasteland or an empty place.
“My primary approach to photography is to capture not only the way places look, but how it feels, to capture the essence of what a place is,” Refetoff said.
He prepared heavily for the expedition. The 2020 trip was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the intervening years, he’s read extensively about the Arctic, its environment and wildlife.
He developed new skills to use while on the trip. His camera is a 100-megapixel sys tem. He’s learned how to stitch five or six of those images to create an enormous image with fine detail.
He learned to fly a drone, earning both an FAA drone certification and the Norwegian civilian aviation authority’s proof of pilot competence so he can legally fly it in the Arc tic. Learning to fly a drone safely was just the first step.
“Then learning how to use it as a platform for photography — there’s going to be all kinds of environmental challenges up there flying off a boat, which isn’t going to be in the same place when the drone wants to come home,” Refetoff said.
Lastly, he’s expanded his knowledge of infrared photography from exclusively black and white to color. He explained that with color infrared photography, the sensor on the camera can see things on the spectrum that is invisible to the eye.
“The reason infrared is really attractive is because it cuts through dust better than the visual spectrum,” Refetoff said. “You can really see beyond clouds and into the structure of clouds much further and sharper than you would otherwise. What I’m interested in exploring with color infrared photography is mixing that with the visual spectrum using a variety of filters from the film that were designed for black-and-white portrait photog
raphy or other types of photography. They do weird, unexpected things. That’s the ex perimental part for me.”
For this trip, he’s leaving himself open to discovery.
“One of the great things in photography is when preparation meets with fortuitous happenstance,” Refetoff said. “Having an element that you’re not in control of can be a very powerful, artistic device.”
Refetoff said that while the world is saturated with photographic images, most of them are consumer focused. Artists, on the other hand, are working toward a noncom mercial goal, he said. It’s why this trip pairs artists and scientists.
“The artistic process is very similar to the scientific process in that both artists and scientists are exploring things that are unknown,” said Refetoff, the son of a scientist. “So much of what I do involves failure. What will this filter look like? Oh, it looks crappy. Now I know not to use it. Those questions are part of my process.”
The Antigua is hosting 21 artists, scientists and educators and five crew. They repre sent a wide spectrum of interests and specialties.
Refetoff said that in the forum created for them to communicate before the trip, he learned that people are exploring interactive online experiences, immersive theater, contemporary dance, sound technology, multidisciplinary art, visual art, documentary filmmaking and kinetic sculpture.
Once he returns home, he expects it will take months and even years to process and develop everything and figure out interesting ways to display them. While he has exhi bitions scheduled as far into the future as 2025, he is eager to share what he’s learned both before and during the trip. He hopes that through his work, he can help inch the planet’s inhabitants toward more environmentally friendly practices.
S itting around a phone on FaceTime in Atlantic City, Il Volo’s three singers — baritone Gianluca Ginoble and tenors Piero Barone and Ignazio Boschetto — are en thusiastic about returning to Los Angeles.
After all, the goal for each “popera” tour is to “surprise” the audience.
“We try to always bring something new, something dif ferent when we come back on tour,” Ginoble said with this thick Italian accent.
“We added new songs that you will hear, too.”
This tour — which comes to the Dolby Theatre on Satur day, Oct. 15 — supports the 2021 release “Il Volo Sings Mor ricone.”
Ennio Morricone, who died in July 2020, was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor and trumpeter who wrote more than 400 scores for cinema and television, and over 100 classical works.
His filmography includes “Exorcist II,” “The Untouchables,” “Bugsy,” “In the Line of Fire” and “The Hateful Eight.” His score to the 1966 movie “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” is recognized as one of the most influential soundtracks.
“As you probably know, our latest album is a tribute to Morricone, right?” the bespectacled Barone said.
“It’s beautiful to sing these melodies he wrote. He’s one of the most (famous) Italian composers of all time. It’s beautiful to share these songs with audiences. They’re all recognizable melodies. These melodies belong to each one of us. We have to say thanks to what he wrote, and this tour is wonderful.”
Ginoble said the concerts are a tribute to Morricone but Il Volo’s fans as well. That said, Il Volo is always thinking about the next show.
“We try to be unique in our style,” Ginoble said. “There are
many influences who have inspired us. We are the only guys of our age singing this kind of music.
“We (Il Volo) have different tastes, but we love the same songs. For the show, it’s important to say it’s a good show for our fans and for the people who are not lovers of (this music). It’s a show that gets to the heart of the people.
“It’s a vocal show where you can have fun and listen to amazing songs — standards, Italian music, American standards. I used to see people come to our shows with many family members, their grandmas. You can have fun with your family, and we’ll do our best to take you away for two hours.”
Barone, Boschetto and Ginoble met in 2009 when they were competing in the Italian televised singing competition “Ti lascio una canzone” at the Teatro Aris ton in Sanremo.
The show’s creator, Roberto Cenci, put the three together, emulating the Three Tenors of Plácido Domingo, José Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti. During the fourth episode, they won as a group singing the Neapolitan song “O Sole Mio.”
The trio was “discovered” in America by producer and Italian singer-songwriter Tony Renis. Eventually, Il Volo signed a deal with Geffen Records, making them the first Italian artists to directly sign with an American recording label.
Then known as The Tryo, the teens participated in the charity single “We are the World 25 for Haiti” in 2010. Later that year, they changed their name to Il Volo, which means “the flight.”
Since 2010, Il Volo has released eight albums and the men are working on a “surprise” project for Christmas.
“The audience is like oxygen for us,” Boschetto said. “It’s the truth. We feel our selves onstage. We look into the audience’s eyes and see the reaction. It’s beau tiful being onstage, and the beauty of sharing our art is the reason why we keep doing this.”
Il Volo
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15
WHERE: Dolby Theatre, 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood
Tickets start at $59.50
Hockeywood is about the love of this game, this brand and this team. It’s not about the glitter, the tinsel, the glamour and the lights. It’s about the grit, the grind and the fight. That’s the Hockeywood we know.
This past Saturday night the LA Kings hosted the inaugural Hockeywood event at their club headquarters, Crypto.com Arena, in Downtown Los Angeles.
Just days before from the start of the 2022-23 NHL regular season — the Kings host the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, Oct. 11 Hockeywood was branded by the team as the club’s new marquee season kick-off event benefiting the Kings Care Foundation event.
“An event like Hockeywood and our other great signature team events helps allow the Kings Care Foundation to support families in our community by dedicating financial and in-kind resources to services and programs,” said Jennifer Pope of the Kings Care Foun dation. “It also allows us to reinvest in LA-based nonprofits with the shared goals of well ness, sustainability, social advocacy and inclusion.”
The invite-only, exclusive party featured Kings players mingling with event attend ees… all for a great cause.
“We looked to keep the event small and intimate, hosting a number of supporters who are creative within fashion, production and technology. They all want to support our team while making a difference in our city,” Kings Chief Operating Officer Kelly Cheese man said. “We have a lot of great partners, a lot of tremendous enthusiasm for the sea son, which starts on Tuesday at home. We think an event like Hockeywood, which will make a big impact for our Kings Care Foundation, assists us in building even more mo mentum heading into a season we are really excited about.”
In an aggressive sports and entertainment market, longtime local journalist Arash Markazi — who attended the event commended the Kings for trying something dif ferent.
“No sports scene in the country is as crowded and as competitive as the one in Los An geles. The Kings realize this and have always tried to find different ways of engaging with their loyal fan base while also trying to find ways to create new fans,” said Markazi, the founder and editor in chief of the new website The Sporting Tribune.
“An event like Hockeywood, for example, brings together different parts of Los Angeles culture, from Hollywood and fashion to the culinary and cocktail scene. Even a casual fan attending the event leaves with a connection to the team and the brand stronger than when they arrived. They want to come back and support the team.”
“As an organization we are always looking to do something different, and we feel this is a great way to collectively help start the season with an emphasis on our players,” Kings President and Hockey Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille added.
Coming off a seven-game first-round playoff loss to Edmonton this past spring, the
season is a highly anticipated one. The Kings expect to be a favorite to land another post season spot, with the goal to improve upon its 99-point campaign from a year ago.
One of the big reasons to be excited is the addition of a newcomer expected to be a major contributor on offense.
Kevin Fiala, who played for the Minnesota Wild last year, joins 2012/2014 Stanley Cup Champions Anze Kopitar, Jonathan Quick and Drew Doughty.
Several young, emerging star players are coming through the Kings system, including Adrian Kempe, a first-time All-Star in 2022. It is also a team undergoing change as Dustin Brown, who played in more games than anyone else in club history, retired.
The 2022-23 version of the Kings were on hand at Hockeywood with various influenc ers and personalities in attendance. Collectively they enjoyed a behind the scenes festive event celebrating the game of hockey at Crypto.com Arena.
The event was also supported by UNDEFEATED, popular for being a trendy sports ap parel and footwear outlet. In fact, attendees had the opportunity to get a first look at the new UNDEFEATED x LA Kings HO22 Collection, which debuts later this month.
“UNDEFEATED are tremendous partners,” Cheeseman described. “They have such a special connection with the city of LA and our fans, young and old, and we feel strong ly that the two brands blend and complement one another very well. We were really thrilled to do something different with them on their 20th anniversary.”
Other on-site opportunities for guests and media included seeing recently reno vated areas of Crypto.com Arena on the event level. Also, there were many unique #Hockeywood photo opportunities to choose from.
“The Kings have always known if they can just get you into the building, you’ll be hooked,” Markazi said. “There’s nothing like seeing a hockey game live. I still have never heard a crowd as loud in Los Angeles as when the Kings won the Stanley Cup.”
The 2022-23 regular season begins this Tuesday, Oct. 11, when the Kings host the Vegas Golden Knights at Crypto.com Arena. Game time is 7 p.m. The team will wear their popular ‘90s era adidas Heritage Jersey and chrome helmets. Fans attending the contest will receive free silver pompoms and are encouraged to be in their seats early for pregame festivities. A fan fest takes place as well.
No gold jacket required.
In the NFL, a Hall of Fame entrant takes the grand stage and is bestowed a beautiful gold jacket. It is iconic, and it symbolizes the elite status of be ing a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Slipping it on for the first time is the culmination of a lifetime of work on the gridiron. Jackie Slater is one of the fortunate few who knows the feeling well. He played in the NFL with the Rams for 20 seasons from 1976-95.
Six years later, he took his rightful spot in Canton, Ohio, gold jacket in hand.
Now the 68-year-old former offensive lineman is spending a great deal of his time helping fight for those he lined up with and against on Sundays. And he is doing it by being a good partner.
“There are a lot of guys out there who have not had the opportunities as some of the Hall of Fame guys did. They might not have played very long. Some labor in anonymity,” he said. “People at Hall of Fame Health and those of who serve as am bassadors know of these opportunities. It is about bridging the gap and letting them know there is someone who can help them with their needs.”
Slater knows he is fortunate to be as healthy as he is. Think of the smash-mouth style that comes with playing on the O-Line. A concussion diagnosis when Slat er played was primarily being told “your bell was rung” and the treatment on the sideline was an ammonia tablet.
From his home in Orange, Slater told a story of a game in San Francisco in which an opponent cracked him in the earhole. He stood up and inadvertently walked toward the other team’s bench. He was dazed, but then had a glass of water and was back on the field in just minutes.
That is part of the reason he joined forces with Pacific Neuroscience Institute, part of Providence Saint John’s Health. “I remember thinking back then I was able to handle this. I didn’t think much about it at the time. Now I realize I should not have taken for granted that I needed help.”
The goal of this new partnership? To provide complimentary initial cognitive screenings to any and all professional football players. No Hall of Fame resume needed to apply.
According to a report in Science.org, 99% of ailing NFL player brains show hall marks of neurodegenerative disease.
Clearly it is an alarming statistic, and Slater — who is also featured on The Win ning Side football show on ION with former Rams quarterback Vince Ferragamo — feels so many problems can be addressed if they are first detected.
“A lot of the problem is they know they have symptoms, but they don’t what
the symptoms mean. They can’t be shy about reaching out,” said the seven-time Pro Bowl Selection and past Athletes in Action/Bart Starr Award recipient, which is given annually to the NFL player who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community.
“We recognize our partners can help them. We need to hear from them — their complaints, their problems. These can be unique issues and we need answers.”
Innovative programs can be designed. There are physical and cognitive exercises which can help. In some cases, memory decline can even reverse.
The average length of an NFL career is less than 3.5 years. How many concus sions can one absorb? The brain can take only so much mechanical impact. The common belief is pro football players are at the top of the list when it comes to this kind of impact compared to other professional athletes.
The majority of ex-ballers do not have employer-sponsored medical plans. It is the ultimate contact sport but, Slater stresses, no need here for macho bravado.
In the Brotherhood of the National Football League, it hits Slater hard thinking of all the teammates it has affected. It hits him even harder thinking about the possibilities that could affect his son who is in the midst of his own standout ca reer.
A draft selection of New England in 2008 out of UCLA, Matthew Slater has carved out a long, successful career with the Patriots. He has three Super Bowl championship rings, but the younger, Long Beach-born Slater also plays a position that is at a higher risk of injury: Special Teams.
“He gets into a real-life equivalent of two, three car crashes a game,” Jackie said.
The father-son duo has already bucked so many odds to thrive in the NFL. Proud father Jackie does not know if his son will eventually join him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame — he feels that process will play itself out in the future — he does want what is physically best for all who play a role on the gridiron. Due to a unique partnership between a top health care provider and the legend who enjoyed the nickname Big Bad Jackie, Matthew and all of his NFL teammates will get the chance at a richer life.
“That makes me feel fantastic. It makes me feel very good. When this whole idea comes up in terms of how we can help guys out, I have an extra incentive. I myself have a son who is playing, and I am concerned about his health.
“Like me, he loves the game. Like me, he is playing into his 30s. His job is one of the most violent in the game, though. Without a doubt, as a father that is part of my motivation of helping put things in place, for him and his brethren.
“If they need help to improve the quality of their life, I could not be working on anything better.”
Gold jacket or not.
within the ornate and foliage-laden interior of the historic core’s Hotel Per La, walk ing into Per L’Ora transports guests into a space far removed from the energetic hustle of DTLA. The hotel restaurant is the property’s ground-floor signature dining venue, hoping to serve as a new neighborhood classic for Downtown.
“It’s a space that’s a healthy transition from the hustle and the grandeur of the world into this little portal of discovery,” said Jordan Nova, general manager of food and beverage at Hotel Per La.
“Everything is draped in white linen with lots of lush greenery and foliage also inside the restau rant, so you almost move into this Downtown oasis… the whole thing is meant to be these mo ments of tension and discovery. … I think there’s a lot of things to discover and be surprised by, and it’s not any one point. It’s a triangulation of a lot of small little moments that we like to cre ate.”
Drawing on the historic roots of the building as the former Bank of Italy, the restaurant’s main dining room boasts a golden coffered Italianate 20-foot ceiling and a marigold racetrack-shaped communal table. The bar, which acts as a dramatic centerpiece for the room, features a marble top coated with shades of green, gray and white beneath globe-shaped light fixtures.
The entire design is meant to present an air of both glamour and comfort, a blend that perme ates into the restaurant’s menu as well. From easygoing Italian bites to a bold lineup of locally in spired mains, Per L’Ora sports a roster of dishes that are as diverse as they are flavorful.
“I think a lot of restaurants in this part of the country really focus on Californian cuisine, which is driven by the ingredients, the agriculture and the climate,” Nova described. “But from the point of view that our team takes, we’re really inspired by the cultures, which is more about stories. … It’s about communities, and we’re really using that as the jumping-off point for our creative piec es.”
The menu seeks to enhance the flavors of coastal Italy with notes of Los Angeles cuisine, fea turing starters like arancini, beef crudo and Hamachi and main courses such as the bone in veal Milanese, cioppino and spatchcock chicken.
Their specialty pastas include the radiatori, which is a mix of pork sugo, almonds, scallions, tofu and Sichuan peppercorn, as well as the orecchiette, a birria oxtail ragu with scallion and Manche go.
The beverage menu features a collection of curated wines centered around the Mediterranean as well as inventive cocktails such as the “Oxymoron” made with St. George Terroir Gin, High West Campfire whiskey, Cotes du Rhone, guava and lemon, and “Owl’s Castle” made with Tenjaku Gin, Haku Vodka, Mancino Sakura, Nigori Sake and rose orange bitters.
“We’re really inspired by people,” Nova said. “If we’re thinking about the culinary team, the pastry team, the wine team or the bar team, the service team. … Everyone’s deeply inspired by Downtown LA and all of the things that make it such a cultural hub. … We really looked for peo ple who have deep ties to LA, who have deep ties to Downtown … and who were all really true pros in their discipline.”
The culinary team at Per L’Ora is comprised of executive chef Courtney Van Dyke, a third-gen eration Angeleno who has spent her career leading acclaimed kitchens at the Montage Beverly Hills, Peninsula New York and Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire; director of bars Coleen Morton, who brings mixology and bar experience from neighboring DTLA bars such as the Redwood Bar and Grill, Spring Street Bar and El Dorado; director of wine Rick Arline, who gained experience across several five-star luxury hotels like the Montage Beverly Hills and Hotel Bel-Air; and pastry chef Sohrob Esmaili, previously from New York’s esteemed Jean Georges and Proper Hotel San Fran cisco.
“It’s interesting when you speak to each discipline, everyone really speaks about ‘our menus’ and not ‘their menu’ or their respective menu. … Everyone has a deep story in each ingredient that they create,” Nova explained. “With the lamb kibbeh dish, that is a recipe from one of chef Courtney’s dear friends’ grandmothers. She likes to say that she sees all of her friends on the menu.
“When you move into cocktails and you look at Coco’s menu, she is really pulling from deep Italian inspiration, but she’s also created cocktail menus that are really of the times from the way she has integrated low abv cocktails or the way she’s introduced distilled spirits that are zero proof alcohol or the way she’s even made wine cocktails. She’s really understood the rhythm of Downtown and built a cocktail list that moves with that everchanging rhythm.
“When you look at Rick Arline’s wine list … he’s really assured the rules of classical wine list blueprints and made something that resonates with our food and the varying flavors that come from being a truly Downtown LA-inspired restaurant. He’s kind of left those rules to create a wine list that focuses on climate and richness, but all of his wines have this remarkable flamboyance to them where you can’t just drink one sip. There’s nothing overly esoteric, and there’s nothing over ly safe. They’re all just remarkable wines that are chosen with a high degree of confidence.”
Nova described the team as an “ensemble cast” working hand in hand within a co-dependent culinary ecosystem, a cast that is delighted to perform for an in-person audience once more. The aim is to generate a sense of discovery for each guest both as the move physically through Per L’Ora and mentally through its menu.
“For two years, especially on the coast, we were really starved for connection and really inter acted with a few people,” Nova said. “That’s informed our approach to hospitality and to cuisine and beverage a little bit differently.”
Nova’s two approaches are to focus on technique, but also prioritize the “story” of the experi ence and the interaction with guests.
“We do have the same technique and same precision, but we let that take a backseat,” Nova ex plained. “What we really want to do is have cocktails, have wine, have food, have pastry, have mu sic and have ambiance that allows you to connect with the people you’re sitting with and have a deep emotional connection in our space that we’ve facilitated.
“Being able to speak to a restaurant that’s really focused on creating human connection be tween people first rather than with the space first, I think, is a fun approach. It’s very exciting to be so inspired by Downtown, be a champion of Downtown, and create a restaurant that’s really in spired by Downtown and a true LA point of view.”
WHERE: Hotel Per La, 649 S Olive Street, Los Angeles
HOURS: 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday; closed on Monday and Tuesday INFO: hotelperla.com
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