Los Angeles County Sheriff’sDepartment investigators havereleased new information about thesequence of events leading up to anaccidental deputy-involved shoot-ing of two victims on April 7 at anapartment building on PalmAvenue in West Hollywood.

Deputies mistakenly shot andkilled one victim, and wounded asecond victim, while responding toan assault with a deadly weaponcall at the building at 939 N. PalmAve. The victim who died wasidentified as John Winkler, 30. Thesecond victim was not identifiedand is recovering after being shot inthe leg by deputies and stabbed inthe neck by the assault suspect —Alexander McDonald, 27.

McDonald was arrested and hasbeen charged with one count of

murder, two counts of attemptedmurder and one count of torture. Heis being held in the Men’s CentralJail on $4.2 million bail.

McDonald reportedly lived in theapartment with an unidentifiedroommate, who was also allegedlystabbed during the incident. Theroommate suffered wounds to hislegs, arms and chest, and was treat-ed at the hospital and released.Winkler and the other victim werevisiting McDonald’s roommate.

Lt. David Coleman, with theSheriff’s Homicide Bureau, saidinvestigators are trying to deter-mine what caused McDonald to flyinto a rage and attack his roommateand the other two men. Colemansaid investigators are looking intowhether he was under the influenceof drugs, or whether he may haveundergone psychological problems.Toxicology tests were administeredto McDonald, and it will take sev-eral weeks for the results to bereleased.

“We don’t know what happened.

In hopes of heading off vehicletraffic to the Hollywood Sign, theLos Angeles Department ofRecreation and Parks has launcheda shuttle program to link touristsand residents with the sign and theGriffith Observatory.

The weekend shuttle pilot pro-gram will begin on May 3 and runthrough July. The cost will be $7per person, excluding children who

are two years old and younger. “It is a program we are excited

and proud to announce, and feel itwill benefit both the surroundingcommunities as well as locals andtourists who wish to visit these his-toric landmarks,” department gen-eral manager Michael Shull said ina statement.

For several years, residents inthe communities that surround theHollywood Sign have sought a

Some LGBT advocates are call-ing for a boycott of the BeverlyHills Hotel due to its affiliationwith the nation of Brunei, whichhas introduced stoning to death asa punishment for crimes of a sex-ual nature, such as sodomy.

The boycott is being led byUNITE HERE, a union represent-ing workers in the hospitalityindustry. The organization hascreated a website —www.dumpbhh.org — that callsfor people to “break up” with thehotel.

“The Beverly Hills Hotel’sowners don’t believe in equality,but they love to take our money,”the website states. “If we wouldn’teat at Chik-fil-A, why would wedine at the Beverly Hills Hotel?”

Representatives of theSovereign Wealth Fund Institute,a global watchdog organization

designed to study sovereignwealth funds and public investors,said the hotel is a part of theDorchester Collection, which isowned by the Brunei InvestmentAgency.

The investment agency fallsunder the Brunei Ministry ofFinance, according to the institute.A spokesperson for the BeverlyHills Hotel said the collection is

Volume 24  No. 17        Serving the West Hollywood, Hancock Park and Wilshire Communities          April 24, 2014

INSIDE

• P 22 treatedpg. 3

• Transient suspected ofarson, pg. 4

Temps in the60s, chanceof rain Sat.

See Shuttle page 20

By edwin folven

WWW.BEVERLYPRESS.COM

Early in the morning on a day in1996, Ron Sanchez and a gangunit officer were waiting on thecoroner to pick up the body of atagger/gang member in an alleywithin the jurisdiction of the LosAngeles Police Department’sHollywood Division.

Sanchez, then a detective lieu-tenant, and the other officer,George Ryan, struck up a conver-sation about — of all things —martial arts and how the combatpractices changed their lives andhelped them develop.

“During that conversation, wejust thought maybe we ought tojust start a training program wherewe can train some of these kidsthat are hanging out with gangs,and maybe instead of being overtheir dead bodies, we could bementoring their live bodies,”Sanchez recalled.

The two put the word out tosome patrol and gang officers, andsoon began teaching classes in theback of the Hollywood police sta-tion. They started with only a few

students, but the program grewquickly. Soon thereafter, the pro-gram partnered with the PoliceActivities League (PAL) to createthe Hollywood PAL.

Now in its 18th year, theHollywood PAL continues toserve area youth through several

programs: martial arts, soccer, theHollywood Fit Club, the JuniorPolice Academy, the YouthLeadership Council, the Culturaland Family Enrichment Programand the PAL College ScholarshipProgram.

n Invesitigation intoWinkler’s death couldtake up to six months

n Hotel criticized forties to the nation ofBrunei

n Shuttle program aims to reduce congestion

n Activities leagueoffers opportunities for children, officers

photo by Aaron Blevins

Martial arts instructor Ron Sanchez, who was instrumental in the

creation of the Hollywood PAL, teaches a class at the organization’s

studio on Hollywood Boulevard on April 18.

PAL program packs a wallop

Accidental shooting beingprobed in West Hollywood

City takes new route tothe Hollywood Sign

Groups boycott ‘The Pink Palace’

photo by Aaron Blevins

A 21-passenger bus will soon begin making trips from the Greek Theatre

to the iconic Hollywood Sign.

By AAron Blevins By AAron Blevins

See PAL page 20

photo by Aaron Blevins

The Beverly Hills Hotel, also known as “The Pink Palace,” has been

the subject of a boycott by local groups due to its alleged affiliation

with Brunei.

See Shooting page 22

By AAron Blevins

See Hotel page 21

24 Shakespeare’sBirthday Party

ANoise Within in Pasadena cele-brates William Shaekespeare’s

450th birthday on Thursday, April 24from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in front of the the-ater and in the lobby. Families areencouraged to attend the free eventwith a bounce castle, sword fightdemonstrations and lessons, and peri-od costumes. Guests can also leave aninsult on the Shakespearean Insultwall, sing Happy Birthday to the Bardand enjoy birthday cupcakes. 3352 E.Foothill Blvd, Pasadena. (626)356-3100, www.anoisewithin.org.

NCJW/LANetworking

National Council of JewishWomen/Los Angeles is hosting a

“Young Professionals Happy Hour”on Thursday, April 24 from 6:30 to8:30 p.m. on the Skydeck RooftopLounge at the Le Parc Suite Hotel.Guests can meet other professionalswith an interest in social justice.Admission is free; refreshmentsserved. 733 N. West Knoll Dr. RSVPto (323)852-8536, reshet@ncjwla.org.

‘Fat Pig’

Neil LaBute’s award-winning pro-duction “Fat Pig” runs from

Thursday, April 24 through Sunday,June 1 at the Hudson MainstageTheater. The play is a witty romanceabout love in the modern age of bodyimage and peer pressure. It followsthe story of Tom, a young career guywho hits it off with Helen, a bright,sexy woman who happens to be plus-sized. Showtimes are at 8 p.m.,Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 7p.m., Sunday. Tickets are $30. 6539Santa Monica Blvd. (323)960-7788,www.plays411.com/fatpig.

25 ‘Beyond Sight’

Blind actor Robert Smith and for-mer U.S. Marine Ginger

Lawrence head the cast of a newmusical titled “Beyond Sight” runningfrom Friday, April 25 through Sunday,May 25 at the Stella Adler Theatre.The production follows the story of asoldier who returns to the U.S. afterlosing his sight during combat inAfghanistan. Showtimes are at 8 p.m.,Friday and Saturday; 3 p.m., Sunday.

Tickets are $30. 6773 HollywoodBlvd., 2nd Floor. (310)902-8220,www.creoutreach.org.

Jazz & Arts Fest

Jazz lovers are invited to theDysonna City Art Gallery’s 2nd

annual “Los Angeles Jazz & ArtsFestival” running from Friday, April25 through Sunday, April 27. Thetheme for the festival is “Back PorchBlues”. Live musical performanceswill be held, and jazz and blues art-work will be displayed, along withhandmade crafts. Hours are 8 to 10p.m. on April 25; 6 to 10 p.m. onApril 26; and 3 to 7 p.m. on April 27.5373 Wilshire Blvd. (323)857-0030,dysonnacityartgallery.com.

26 Run The Grove

Registration is open for “We Runthe Grove”, a free 13.1-mile

run/walk on Saturday, April 26 from 9a.m. to 1 p.m. in The Park at TheGrove. The event benefit’s the

American Heart Association.Participants can enjoy breakfast,activities and a photo op after the run.Admission is free; suggested dona-tion is $15. 189 The Grove Dr.www.thegrovela.com.

Writing Seminar

Aspiring writers are invited to aseminar titled “Quality Queries

& Powerful Proposals: What DoAgents and Publishers Really Want?”on Saturday, April 26 from 10:30 a.m.to 1 p.m. at the Veterans MemorialBuilding, Culver City. Guests at theinteractive seminar will learn why agreat query and proposal are crucialfor any author who is seeking a tradi-tional publishing deal. Generaladmission is $35. 4117 Overland Ave.www.iwosc.org.

Jewelry Exhibit

Freehand Gallery presents its annu-al jewelry show with works by 16

contemporary American artists run-

ning from Saturday, April 26 throughSaturday, May 31. Guests can enjoy aconversation with jewelers RobertLiu and Stephen Myhre on Saturday,April 26 at 4 p.m., followed by anopening reception from 5 to 8 p.m.8413 W. 3rd St. (323)655-2607,www.freehand.com.

Cheyenne Jackson

Cheyenne Jackson makes his WaltDisney Concert Hall debut with

“Music of the Mad Men Era” onSaturday, April 26 at 8 p.m. The per-formance concludes the LA Phil’s2013/14 “Songbook Series”. Jackson,in partnership with his musical direc-tor Ben Toth and their 13-piece band,will perform standards from the1950s and 1960s such as the bolero,“Besamé Mucho”, tunes madefamous by icons such as Dean Martin,Frank Sinatra and Tom Jones, as wellas contemporary works. Tickets startat $52.50. (323)850-2000,www.laphil.com.

27 ‘Arts of Palms’

Celebrate with six renowned artistsfrom the city of Beverly Hills’

temporary public art exhibition titled“Arts of Palms” on Sunday, April 27from 1 to 3 p.m. at Beverly Hills CityHall. A reception runs from 1 to 3p.m. at the Crescent Drive entrance tocity hall, followed by an artists’ talk,introduced by Mayor Lili Bosse, inthe Municipal Gallery. 455 N.Rexford Dr.www.beverlyhills.org/artsofpalm.

String Quartet

Da Camera Society presents aclassical music performance by

the Dover String Quartet with violistTien-Hsin Cindy Vu on Sunday, April27 at 2 and 4 p.m. at Artemesia, a pri-vate residence in the HollywoodHills. Works by composers Dvorakand Janacek will be performed duringthe concert in the residence, which isthe largest craftsman house in theU.S. Tickets start at $80; address pro-vided upon ticket purchase.(213)477-2929, www.dacamera.org.

Art Symposium

Art and the role it plays in societywill be the topic at “State of the

Arts”, a free symposium organized bythe nonprofit collective Arts Alliancefor Humanity, on Sunday, April 27 at2 p.m. at the Central Library, down-

town. A public roundtable discussionand live artistic performances will beheld between 2 and 4 p.m., followedby a reception from 4 to 5 p.m. 630W. Fifth St. www.lapl.org.

‘Cosmic Dust’

New West Symphony presents theworld premiere of “Cosmic

Dust”, by Russell Steinberg, onSunday, April 27 at 4 p.m. in BarnumHall at Santa Monica High School.The New West Symphony and theConejo Valley Youth Orchestra willperform the work, which will beaccompanied by projected imagesfrom the Hubble Space Telescope.The piece taps into the wonder chil-dren feel when they look into thevastness of the evening sky and pon-der the nature of the universe. Worksby Chopin and Beethoven will also beperformed. Tickets start at $30. 600Olympic Blvd., Santa Monica.www.newwestsymphony.org.

28 Art Discussion

LACMA CEO and WallisAnnenberg Director Michael

Govan will lead a discussion withartist Helen Pashgian about her careeras a sculptor on Monday, April 28 at7:30 p.m. in the museum’s BingTheatre. The discussion is part of the“Director’s Series” and is being heldin conjunction with the ongoingexhibit, “Helen Pashgian: LightInvisible”. Admission is free; RSVPrequired. 5905 Wilshire Blvd.(323)857-6010, www.lacma.org.

30 Keren Ann

Enjoy a mesmerizing performanceby singer-songwriter, composer

and producer Keren Ann onWednesday, April 30 at 8 p.m. at theSkirball Cultural Center. Ann hasreleased six solo records, and hersongs have been performed by artistssuch as Jane Birkin, Françoise Hardy,Jacky Terrasson, EmmanuelleSeigner and Iggy Pop. 2701 N.Sepulveda Blvd. www.skirball.org.

Variety Show

Andrés du Bouchet, a writer for“Conan”, hosts a comedy/variety

show with comedian and band leaderAdam Felber on April 30 at 9 p.m. atClub Los Globos on SunsetBoulevard. Guests will enjoy perfor-mances by guest comics and musicalacts at the show, which will continueon the last Wednesday of each month.Admission is $5. 3040 W. SunsetBlvd. www.facebook.com/eve-nts/6937-95247339018.

2 April 24, 2014 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

C a l e n d a r

photo courtesy of the artist

Actor Henry Winkler will sign and discuss his new children’s books from

the “Here’s Hank” series on Saturday, April 26 from 3 to 6 p.m. at Ron

Robinson/Fred Segal Melrose. Winkler is well known for his role as

Fonzie on the television series “Happy Days”, and is also behind the

bestselling children’s book series. 8118 Melrose Ave. (323)651-3698,

www.ronrobinson.com.

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Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 3 April 24, 2014

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The West Hollywood CityCouncil on Monday voted in sup-port of AB 2493 authored byAssemblyman Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica), who is looking tofree up redevelopment fundingfrom 2011 for several projects inSouthern California.

In 2012, all redevelopment agen-cies in the state were dissolved,leaving millions of dollars of fund-ing in limbo. The city of WestHollywood’s redevelopmentagency had already issued approxi-mately $35 million in bonds, andthe California Department ofFinance has since declined thecity’s request to use the funding.

In West Hollywood, the bondproceeds were slated to go towardaffordable housing projects, such asThe Courtyard at La Brea and theJanet Witkin Center, and non-hous-ing projects, such as renovations toPlummer Park.

“We’re talking about three quar-ters of a billion dollars … in 2011redevelopment bond proceeds thatare all specifically allocated tocommunity projects that wouldgenerate an estimated 19,000 con-struction jobs and $2.8 billion ineconomic activity, well over a hun-dred million dollars in state andlocal tax revenue,” Bloom said.“And that doesn’t even get to thebenefit these projects will bring tothe public when completed.”

Last session, he introduced AB981, which also sought to release

the redevelopment funding that hadalready been issued. The bill failed,but Bloom said he is “cautiouslyoptimistic” that the new bill may beapproved this time around.

“We have been in discussionwith the governor’s office abouthow to resolve what I see as animpasse over the use of thesefunds,” he said. “This is money thatis sitting in bank accounts or readyto be turned into bond funds.”

Bloom said his office has notreceived the “go-ahead” fromBrown’s office, but they have tai-lored the legislation’s language toaddress the governor’s concerns.He said the state has the funding.

“The money is there. These arebonds that the city [of WestHollywood] can move on veryquickly,” Bloom added.

He said he is “agnostic” on thePlummer Park renovations, whichhave been controversial in WestHollywood.

“I simply want to make the fundsavailable, not just to WestHollywood but to a host of commu-nities,” Bloom said.

John Leonard, a senior manage-ment analyst for the city of WestHollywood, said the city has $32million in proceeds from the rede-velopment agency that is nowbeing held by the county, which isalso paying the debt service on thebonds. The majority of the funding— $26.4 million — is slated forPlummer Park, while the remainderwas to be used for affordable hous-ing, he said.

Without Bloom’s bill or otherstate action, the city could be forcedto hold the proceeds for an addi-tional eight years before they could

n WeHo officials supportBloom bill to free up $32 million

Council still seeking redevelopment funding

By AAron Blevins

photo by Aaron Blevins

Mayor Pro Tem John Heilman hugs city clerk Yvonne Quarker after

being sworn in during the council meeting at Plummer Park.

The Los Angeles City Councilis moving forward with an exami-nation on the use of rat poisons incity parks after it was disclosedrecently that a mountain lion liv-ing in Griffith Park may have beensickened from eating animals thathad consumed rodents that ingest-ed the poison.

The mountain lion was discov-ered in the park in 2012 and hassince been tracked by authoritieswith the Santa Monica MountainsRecreation Area, a branch of thefederal National Park Service.Remote cameras with night-view-ing capability have been set upthroughout the upper areas ofGriffith Park to study the moun-tain lion’s behavior. In March,they realized the animal appearedto be ill and was suffering from

mange. The mountain lion wascaptured and treated, and bloodtests were taken. The tests resultsshowed traces of rat poison, andauthorities believe the cougar like-ly ate a coyote that had eatenrodents that ingested the poison,

said Kate Kuykendall, a publicinformation officer for the SantaMonica Mountains RecreationArea.

“We investigate his kills, andthe majority have been mule deer,

n Officials fear that P 22’s illness could befrom rodenticides

photo courtesy of the National Park Service

P 22, a mountain lion that inhabits Griffith Park, is suffering from

mange, and officials believe his illness may be related to rat poison in

and around the park.

City to examine use of rat poison

See P 22 page 22

By edwin folven

See City page 21

Mayor Eric Garcetti hasannounced volunteer opportunitiesfor individuals living or workingin the city of Los Angeles tobecome a member of the Mayor’sCrisis Response Team (CRT). Theprogram is particularly in need ofvolunteers with bilingual capabili-ty in Spanish, Korean, Armenian,Farsi, Chinese and Tagalog, but allinterested volunteers are encour-aged to apply.

“Every day, we hear about unex-pected tragedies impacting ourcommunities and many of us wishthere was something more wecould do to help,” Garcetti said.“The Mayor’s Crisis ResponseTeam gives Angelenos an opportu-nity to join a team of compassion-ate volunteers who are committedto helping others as they begin thegrieving process and deal with theloss of life or a traumatic injury ofa loved one.”

The Mayor’s Crisis ResponseTeam is composed of communitycivilian volunteers that respond totraumatic incidents at the requestof the Los Angeles police and firedepartments. The teams of volun-teers provide immediate on-scenecrisis intervention, attend to sur-vival and comfort needs, act as aliaison between the victim andemergency personnel, and providereferrals to victims and their fami-lies affected by a death, a seriousinjury, a violent crime or othertraumatic incidents, such as homi-cides, suicides, serious traffic acci-dents, natural deaths and multi-casualty incidents.

CRT volunteers help Angelenosas they begin their grievingprocess and deal with the immedi-ate aftermath of the incident.

In 2013, CRT volunteersresponded to 268 separate inci-dents. While the majority of inci-

dents that volunteers respond toinvolve loss of life or severe trau-ma, CRT members have also beenincluded in large scale civic opera-tions, including the Kingdom DayParade, the transportation of theSpace Shuttle Endeavor and theLA Marathon.

CRT volunteers also participatein city events to provide communi-ty members information on theCRT program.

CRT volunteers must be at least21 years old and in good physicalcondition. Those accepted into theprogram are required to participatein 42 hours of intensive trainingdesigned to help them develop theskills, knowledge, and relation-ships necessary to function effec-tively in the field.

Residents interested in learningmore about volunteering for theCrisis Response Team shouldemail LACRT@lacity.org. A linkto the application can be found ath t t p : / / t i n y u r l . c o m / C R T-Spring2014.

Police in Hollywood arrested aman who they described as a tran-sient late Sunday after he assault-ed officers and then barricadedhimself inside a residence onFuller Avenue and attempted toset fire to the house.

The incident began at approxi-mately 11:30 p.m., when policereceived a call about vandalismand a possible assault occurring ata residential construction site at1439 N. Poinsettia Place, justsouth of Sunset Boulevard. Whenofficers arrived, they located thesuspect, identified as RamseyeSweidan, 32, on the roof of a res-idence that is under construction.Officers ordered the man to comedown, but the suspect began

throwing wood and constructionmaterials at the officers. Thepolice avoided being hit, butsome of the material landed on anew BMW parked nearby, caus-ing significant damage, accordingto an investigator with theLAPD’s Hollywood Divisionwho asked to remain unidenti-fied.

After a few minutes, the sus-pect attempted to flee to the rearof the building and ran into a res-idence on Fuller Avenue, which isthe next street to the west.Officers followed and entered thehouse, which was unoccupied atthe time. During the few minutesthat the suspect was inside theresidence, he started a small fire,ignited all of the burners on thestove and attempted to breakopen a natural gas line.

Officers unsuccessfully used aTaser to subdue Sweidan, butwere able to overcome him using

A female bank robber nick-named the “purse packing bandit”struck for the seventh time in thelocal area on March 27, and policehave released new photographsthat they hope will help identifyher.

The most recent robberyoccurred at approximately 4:40p.m. at a Bank of America branchin the 400 block of N. La Brea Ave.The suspect entered the bank andwaited for a teller, then presented anote demanding money. The sus-pect also brandished a handgun,said Det. Tracey Benjamin, withthe Los Angeles PoliceDepartment’s Robbery-HomicideDivision, Robbery Special Section.

“In this last one, she was armed,”Benjamin said. “Before … shewould just hand them a note, butnow she is starting to brandish aweapon.”

No injuries have been reportedduring any of the robberies, but thedetective said the incidents havebeen traumatizing for the tellersand bank employees. The suspectwas nicknamed the purse packingbandit because she carries a largepurse or handbag. Benjamin saidthe suspect wears a wig and darksunglasses during the robberies.

The suspect began her robberyspree at a Citibank branch in the8000 block of Santa Monica Blvd.in West Hollywood on Oct. 20,

2012. Next, she struck at a ChaseBank branch at 300 N. Fairfax Ave.on Nov. 14, 2012. She later robbeda Bank of America branch in the8000 block of Santa Monica Blvd.in West Hollywood on Dec. 20,2012, and a Chase Bank Branch inthe 3700 block of Crenshaw Blvd.on Dec. 24, 2012.

No bank robberies were attrib-uted to the purse packing bandit in2013, but she resurfaced inJanuary, when she allegedlyrobbed a bank in the 1900 block ofHillhurst Ave. in the Los FelizDistrict on Jan. 9, and later robbeda Chase Bank branch on Jan. 28.

Benjamin said investigators areuncertain why the bandit strikes inthe local area, other than conges-tion in the community offers thesuspect cover when fleeing. No

getaway vehicle has been seen.“She may have worked or lived

here at one time,” Benjamin said.“Maybe it’s because it’s very popu-lated, and she can just blend in.”

The purse packing bandit isdescribed as being an AfricanAmerican woman between 35 and40 years old, approximately fivefeet two to five feet four inches tall,and 120 to 140 pounds.

The robbery spree is beinginvestigated jointly by the LAPD,the Los Angeles County Sheriff’sDepartment and the FBI. Anyonewith information is asked to con-tact investigators with the LAPD’sRobbery-Homicide Division at(213)486-6840, the WestHollywood Sheriff’s Station at(310)855-8850 or the FBI at(310)477-6565.

4 April 24, 2014 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

By edwin folven

n Police hope newphotos will lead to suspect’s arrest

photo courtesy of the LAPD

The “purse packing bandit,” shown here on surveillance footage during

the robbery on La Brea Avenue on March 27, is wanted for a series of

local bank robberies.

‘Purse packing bandit’ strikes again

See Suspect page 21

n Officers escapeinjury after man throwsconstruction materials

Suspect arrested followingarson attempt in Hollywood

By edwin folven

Volunteers needed for CRT team

Lobbying report released by city ethics commissionEntities registered to lobby city

agencies reported receiving pay-ments totaling more than $11.3million in the fourth quarter of2013, according to a report dis-cussed by the Ethics Commissiontoday.

The clients that paid the most forlobbying services during the quar-ter include Harvard-Westlake; M.David Paul & Associates; LegadoCompanies; Amalgamated Bank;Exelon Corporation on behalf ofConstellation Energy; Coalition toSave the Westside; Champion RealEstate Company; iStar FinancialInc.; Academy of Motion PictureArts & Sciences; and The FifteenGroup.

During the fourth quarter, theclients each made total paymentsranging from more than $119,000to more than $479,000. Together,their payments represented 20 per-cent of all payments by clients forthe quarter.

The ten lobbying firms receivingthe most client payments in thefourth quarter of 2013 were CerrellAssoc Inc; Sheppard, Mullin,Richter & Hampton LLP; AfriatConsulting Group Inc; M AdvisorsLLC; Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher;Ek & Ek; Craig Lawson & Co.,LLC; Englander, Knabe and Allen;Jeffer Mangels Butler & MitchellLLP; and Armbruster Goldsmith &Delvac LLP. Together, the lobby-

ing firms received a total of morethan $5.9 million from their clients,representing 52 percent of all clientpayments received in the fourthquarter of 2013.

In addition to payments fromclients, 26 of the 550 registeredlobbying entities reported fundrais-ing activity totaling more than$240,000 for city campaigns,officeholders and committees. Thefull report on fourth-quarter lobby-ing activities, the disclosure reportsfiled by lobbying entities, andsearchable information about lob-bying entities and their clients areavailable at ethics.lacity.org or bycontacting the Ethics Commissionat (213)978-1960.

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 5 April 24, 2014

Center hosts beeping-egg hunt

photo by Aaron Blevins

The Blind Childrens Center on April 18 held its annual beeping-egg

hunt at the center, located at 4120 Marathon St. The beeping eggs

were specifically designed for children who are blind or visually

impaired, and students without visual impairments wore blindfolds to

level the playing field. After students found an egg, they presented it

to “The Bunny”, who rewarded them with baskets filled with goodies.

Students also enjoyed a petting zoo on-site. The nondenominational

holiday celebration has been a tradition at the center for more than

30 years.

D’Amico sworn in as WeHo mayor

photo by Aaron Blevins

West Hollywood City Councilman John D’Amico was sworn in asthe city’s new mayor on Monday at Plummer Park, marking the firsttime in almost 13 years that the city will have a newly-elected councilmember serving as a first-time mayor.

D’Amico was elected in March 2011, and became the first chal-lenger in West Hollywood history to beat all sitting incumbents to earna seat. His elevation to mayor comes as the city of West Hollywoodprepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary in November 2014.

“With new leadership comes new ideas and new directions,”D’Amico said in a statement. “While serving as mayor, I plan to focuson the city’s future, create an opening for discussions about innovationand new technologies, help integrate the new growth on the Eastsideand further the dialogue about how West Hollywood can participate inthe end of AIDS as we know it.”

In his three-year tenure on the council, D’Amico has initiated dis-cussions on issues such as traffic congestion, historic preservation,affordable housing, citywide communication strategies, electionreform, arts and culture and emerging technologies.

LAUSD receivesArbor Day Award

The Los Angeles Unified SchoolDistrict (LAUSD) is the recipient ofa 2014 Arbor Day Award in honor ofits outstanding contribution to treeplanting, conservation and steward-ship, the Arbor Day Foundationannounced on April 16.

LAUSD is one of 13 individuals,organizations and companies beingrecognized by the Arbor DayFoundation during the annual ArborDay Awards. The ceremony will beheld at Lied Lodge & ConferenceCenter, located at Arbor Day Farmin Nebraska City, Neb., on Saturday,April 26.

The LAUSD will receive theRachel Carson Award.

The district is taking a leadershiprole in making meaningful connec-tions with nature part of the dailylives of the children it serves. ItsEarly Education Center NatureExplore Classrooms are designed toenable the district’s youngest learn-ers to acquire a deep, hands-onunderstanding of the natural world.The LAUSD has made an initialcommitment to develop 11 natureexplore classrooms.

WeHo homeless report releasedIn November 2013, the West

Hollywood Human ServicesCommission formed aSubcommittee on HomelessServices to analyze homeless ser-vices available to communitymembers, and on April 8, the sub-committee released its report.

Over the course of severalmonths, the subcommittee con-ducted an analysis of each of theelements along the homeless ser-vices continuum of care, includingoutreach, shelter and permanentsupportive housing.

Attendees at the subcommitteemeetings included providers fromhomeless services organizations,Los Angeles County Sheriff’sDepartment personnel, human ser-vices commissioners and city ofWest Hollywood staff.

The subcommittee recommend-ed continuing to apply for housingvouchers and support partneragencies in efforts to obtainvouchers; exploring opportunitiesto implement the IntegratedMental Health Team model inWest Hollywood in conjunctionwith community partners as fund-ing becomes available through theLos Angeles County Departmentof Mental Health and other

sources; leveraging developmentresources through public-privatepartnerships to provide additionalhousing options in WestHollywood for people who arehomeless; and supporting the LosAngeles County Sheriff’sDepartment and its WestHollywood Sheriff’s Station inmaintaining a humane response tohomelessness, and help share bestpractices with other cities.

Over the past few years, therehas been a major shift in federalfunding for homeless services. Anemerging priority is fundingtoward Housing First, whichemphasizes placing people whoare homeless directly into perma-nent housing with supportive ser-vices, and bypassing traditionalshelter services. In this context, thesubcommittee reviewed how thecity of West Hollywood’s home-less services might need to adapt,without losing key service compo-nents such as street outreach andresidential shelters.

For additional information, callthe West Hollywood SocialServices Division at (323)848-6510. For people who are deaf orhard of hearing, call (323)848-6496.

Waxman praises Sebelius’ workU.S. Secretary of Health and

Human Services Kathleen Sebeliushas announced her intent to resign,and Congressman Henry Waxman(D-Calif.) expressed gratitude forher “remarkable tenure” leading thedepartment.

“After nearly one hundred yearsof struggle, the secretary was essen-tial in making comprehensivehealth care reform a reality for theAmerican people,” he said.“Because of her tireless efforts, tensof millions of Americans will gainthe security of health insurancecoverage and our nation will be

fundamentally and irrevocablychanged for the better. I congratu-late her for setting importantreforms in motion to ensure ourhealth care delivery system is oneof utmost quality and congratulateher for her tremendous work toensure that Americans lead saferand healthier lives.”

On April 11, President BarackObama announced that he is nomi-nating Sylvia Mathews Burwell forthe post. She has served as thedirector of the White House Officeof Management and Budget sinceApril 2013.

State Sen. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance), chair of the SenateCommittee on Business,Professions and ConsumerProtection, convened a joint over-sight hearing on April 21 to exam-ine private colleges and universitiesoffering degrees and training inCalifornia.

The hearing by Lieu’s commit-tee, the Senate EducationCommittee and the Assembly’sBusiness, Professions andConsumer Protection, and HigherEducation committees is inresponse to recent criticism of theBureau for Private PostsecondaryEducation, which currently over-sees the programs and has comeunder fire for backlogs in approv-

ing schools and processing studentcomplaints, and was the recent sub-ject of a report on its operationsissued by the California StateAuditor’s office.

“We have a primary responsibili-ty to the millions of students andconsumers attending these schools,attempting to better their lives andemployment opportunities,” Lieusaid. “Appropriate and fair govern-ment oversight ensures moneyspent at these institutions is truly aquality investment for the futurewith an important return – the abil-ity to be hired in a high paying,quality job.”

For-profit schools have comeunder particular scrutiny for prac-tices used to recruit military veter-

ans. Recently, California filed suitagainst one school for false andpredatory advertising, intentionalmisrepresentations to students,securities fraud and unlawful use ofmilitary seals in advertisements.According to the complaint, theschool included official Army,Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps andCoast Guard seals in mailings andon Web sites.

“Particularly when we are talkingabout enormous amounts of publicmoney like that offered throughfederal financial aid programs or inG.I. monies to veterans for highereducation and training, we have toensure that the cost is on par withthe earnable income of a person,based on that training. We also owestudents an opportunity forrecourse in the event that a schoolmakes false promises and misrepre-sentations,” Lieu added.

SB 899, introduced by state Sen.Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) torepeal the Maximum Family Grant(MFG) rule in the CalWORKsprogram, has moved passed itsfirst legislative hurdle. On a partyline vote of 3 to 2, the SenateHuman Services Committee votedto send the bill forward for furtherlegislative action.

CalWORKs benefits are nor-mally based, in part, on the num-ber of family members in a house-hold and their living costs.However, when a child is born intoa family that is already receivingthose benefits, the MFG rule cur-rently makes it illegal to increasestate aid.

One out of six Californians livedin poverty as of 2011, includingnearly one out of four of the chil-dren in the state.

Children in poverty are statisti-cally more likely to experiencehomelessness and hunger, becometeen parents or become victims ofcrime and sex trafficking.Research underscores the biologi-cal and economic costs of failingto intervene and prevent the nega-tive impacts of poverty early inchildren’s lives.

Additionally, the SenateBusiness, Professions andConsumer Protections Committeepassed Mitchell’s bill to protectpatients signing up for medicalcredit cards offered by their med-ical providers.

SB 1256 requires physicianswho offer medical credit cards toprovide written clarification of thefinancing arrangement betweenthe patient and the bank or lender,and prohibits physicians fromoffering the card while the patient

is under general anesthesia. “A patient offered a credit card

in a doctor’s office shouldn’t betaken advantage of,” Mitchell said.“Many patients are vulnerable inthese situations — some suffering

pain, others fearful of the mount-ing costs associated with their doc-tor-recommended treatment.”

Better disclosure requirementswill mitigate risks created whencredit cards are offered in connec-tion with medical services. SB1256 now heads to the SenateJudiciary Committee.

6 April 24, 2014 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

Mosaic ‘signed, sealed, delivered’

photo by Aaron Blevins

Actors Eric Mabius and Kristin Booth, stars of the Hallmark

Channel’s newest primetime series, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered”,

presented a mosaic art installation at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood

last Friday. The mosaic is comprised of hundreds of handwritten let-

ters mailed to Hallmark in anticipation of the series. The series, cre-

ated by “Touched By An Angel” executive producer Martha

Williamson, premiered on April 20.

City publishes report on the status of women in WeHoIn the midst of a vigorous nation-

al discussion about women and payequity, the city of West Hollywoodhas released a detailed report onthe status of women who live in thecity.

“I am so pleased that the city ofWest Hollywood has issued areport on the status of WestHollywood women,”Councilwoman Abbe Land said.“The state of California regularlyissues a report on women, and nowwe have a report for our city. Theinformation in the report isextremely valuable to better under-stand our constituency and help usmake decisions that best serve thewomen in our community.”

The report was prepared by theCity of West Hollywood’s SocialServices Division with a team of

research consultants, and compareswomen who live in WestHollywood with women who livein Los Angeles County as a whole,and to men who live in WestHollywood. Researchers lookedfor areas of consistency, and fordifferences that might point toassets or unmet needs amongwomen in West Hollywood.

According to the report, womenin West Hollywood are highly edu-cated — 63 percent have attendedsome college or have a collegedegree, with an additional 16 per-cent having earned a graduatedegree. In spite of those educationlevels, women in West Hollywoodearned less than half of men inWest Hollywood ($32,097 as com-pared to $68,435); WestHollywood women also earned

less than women in Los AngelesCounty ($34,497).

Women represent 44 percent ofthe city’s total population, com-pared to 51 percent of the popula-tion in Los Angeles County. Thirty-eight percent of women 65 andolder in West Hollywood live alone— more than double the rate ofwomen in Los Angeles County(which is 16 percent) and morethan double the rate of men in WestHollywood (which is 18 percent).Three percent of women in WestHollywood identify as lesbian.

The full report is available atwww.weho.org/statusofwomen.For information, call the City ofWest Hollywood’s Social ServicesDivision at (323)848-6510. Forpeople who are deaf or hard ofhearing, call (323)848-6496.

Sen. Mitchell’s bills move ahead

Several changes coming for dualMedicare/Medi-Cal participants

The city of West Hollywood israising awareness about importantchanges for people who have bothMedicare and Medi-Cal, as theprograms are partnering to launcha three-year project to promotecoordinated health care delivery toseniors and people with disabilitieswho are dually eligible for bothpublic health insurance programs.The new program will be calledCal MediConnect.

Adults with Medicare (A&B)and full Medi-Cal benefits willparticipate in Cal MediConnect.People who are eligible for CalMediConnect will receive infor-mation by mail three monthsbefore enrollment begins. In earlyApril, Cal MediConnect begansending letters to dual-eligiblehouseholds to provide detailedinformation and enrollment-by-mail forms.

In order to opt-out or to makeproactive decisions about enroll-ment, participants must respond tomailings. If no response isreceived, participants will beassigned automatically to a CalMediConnect Medicare/Medi-Calplan, which may mean unexpectedchanges in benefits and coverage.

The city of West Hollywoodurges dual-eligibles to watch their

mailboxes for letters regarding CalMediConnect information andread everything completely; talk totheir doctor or other healthcareproviders to see which health careplans work best with the CalMediConnect program; and con-tact Health Care Options toll-freeat (844)580-7272 to select a CalMediConnect plan or to makeother enrollment choices.

With healthcare changes underthe Affordable Care Act (ACA),the federal government has createda new office called the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office(MMCO). The office is workingwith several states, includingCalifornia, to design demonstra-tion projects that aim to signifi-cantly improve the health andquality of life for dual-eligibleswhile containing costs throughenhanced care coordination.

For information about the CalMediConnect program, the HealthInsurance Counseling andAdvocacy Program (HICAP) pro-vides free and objective informa-tion at (800) 434-0222. For ques-tions, call the City of WestHollywood’s Social ServicesDivision at (323)848-6510. Forpeople who are deaf or hard ofhearing, call (323)848-6496.

Hearing held on for-profit colleges

Investigators have ruled that anincident on March 28 in whichrocks were thrown through threestained glass windows at a syna-gogue on Fairfax Avenue was ahate crime.

Det. Jennifer Lee, the hatecrimes coordinator with the LosAngeles Police Department’sWilshire Division, said the deci-sion was made because the rockswere thrown at windows withJewish symbols such as the Star ofDavid, the Torah and a menorah.Three other stained glass windowswithout the Jewish symbols werenot targeted.

“It seemed to be that they wereintentionally damaging the Jewishsymbols,” Lee said. “And becauseof the timing of everything beforePassover, we decided on the classi-fication.”

Authorities initially were notsure whether the incident was van-dalism or a hate crime, but madethe ruling after speaking to repre-sentatives of the temple and con-sidering all of the information, Leesaid.

The hate crime ruling helpsauthorities track the number ofsimilar incidents occurring, andassists with determining whether apattern exists. Information aboutthe crime is also sent to the U.S.Department of Justice, whichkeeps track of hate crimes at thenational level.

Lee said no similar crimes havebeen reported in the Wilshire area,and added that police have fewleads. The incident occurred atapproximately 11:30 p.m. at theOrthodox Ohev Shalom

Congregation in the 500 block ofS. Fairfax Ave.

Police patrols have beenincreased in the area, and officershave been instructed to keep watchover Jewish temples, schools andcommunity centers.

Capt. Eric Davis, commandingofficer for the LAPD’s WilshireDivision, said any crime againstany religious institution is takenvery seriously, and he encouragedanyone with information to con-tact detectives at (213)922-8205.

Los Angeles City Attorney MikeFeuer has announced that he isexpanding the neighborhood pros-ecutor program citywide, and willsoon assign neighborhood prose-cutors to police stations in differ-ent regions, including the LosAngeles Police Department’sWilshire Division.

Neighborhood prosecutorsassist police and members of thepublic with quality of life issuesaffecting communities such as ille-gal dumping, graffiti, distur-bances, vandalism and blightissues. They also work on gun vio-lence problems and gang activity,street prostitution, zoning codeviolations and trespassing viola-tions, among other issues.

In addition to the WilshireDivision, neighborhood prosecu-tors will be assigned to the

LAPD’s Hollenbeck, Newton,Northeast, 77th Street, Harbor,Southwest and Topanga Divisions.The expansion will double thenumber of neighborhood prosecu-tors citywide to 16.

“Neighborhood prosecutors arecentral to improving the quality oflife in our neighborhoods,” Feuersaid. “Solving seeminglyintractable problems in a commu-nity can make the difference as towhether a park is safe or a businessdistrict thrives.”

The neighborhood prosecutorsare not expected to formally taketheir positions for a couple ofweeks, but the city attorney’soffice has named MehrnooshZahiri as the neighborhood prose-cutor for the Wilshire area. Moreinformation about the prosecutorwill be forthcoming in the nearfuture.

The office is working on sched-uling a series of public meetings inwhich the neighborhood prosecu-tors will introduce themselves tothe community and listen to publicconcerns.

Feuer said they will be workingclosely with community groups,neighborhood councils, homeown-ers associations, chambers of com-merce and schools.

Capt. Eric Davis, commandingofficer for the LAPD’s WilshireDivision, said neighborhood pros-ecutors are a valuable asset to anycommunity. A prosecutor was for-merly assigned to the division, butthe position was eliminated underthe previous city attorney, CarmenTrutanich. Davis said authoritieswere routinely in contact with thecity attorney’s office on crimeissues during that period, but hav-ing a neighborhood prosecutorassigned to the station will be asignificant bonus for the commu-nity.

“There is great value to theneighborhood prosecutor pro-gram,” Davis said. “Now, to havesomeone here is a wonderful thing.The access to the community willhave a big impact on quality of lifeissues. It reinforces communitypolicing and community govern-ment.”

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 7 April 24, 2014

Actress reads to local students

photo courtesy of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation

Actress Mindy Sterling on Monday read to second- and third-grade

students at Crescent Heights Boulevard Elementary School to

launch the Screen Actors Guild Foundation’s newest Storyline Online

video, “Library Lion”, written by Michelle Knudsen, illustrated by

Kevin Hawkes and featuring Sterling. Storyline Online, the Screen

Actors Guild Foundation’s signature children’s literacy website,

streams 25 creative videos featuring celebrated actors reading

award-winning children’s books. Storyline Online is available 24

hours a day for children, parents and educators. Each video includes

supplemental curriculum developed by an early childhood literacy

specialist that aims to strengthen comprehension, verbal and written

skills for English-language learners worldwide. For information, visit

storylineonline.net.

By edwin folven

New neighborhood prosecutors assigned

Vandalism at synagogueruled a hate crime

By edwin folven

n LAPD officers rampup patrols near Jewish centers

Padilla bill tobenefit computerscience students

A bill to allow high schooladvanced computer science cours-es to be counted towards core col-lege admissions requirements wasapproved on April 9 by theCalifornia Senate EducationCommittee.

The bill, SB 1200, by Sen. AlexPadilla (D-Pacoima), calls on theUniversity of California andCalifornia State University to pro-vide guidelines for high schoolcomputer science courses thatwould satisfy a math subject mat-ter requirement for undergraduateadmissions. The bill will now go tothe Senate AppropriationsCommittee for consideration.

California is driving the digitalage and is the world leader in com-puting, information technologyand advanced technology, accord-ing to Padilla’s office. By the year2018, California will need to fillhalf a million computing-relatedjobs. Unfortunately, mostCalifornians are unlikely to pos-sess the skills necessary to work inthis field.

n Official will examinequality of life issues incommunity

8 April 24, 2014 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

Find a ‘best friend’ at pet adoption eventMore than 1,000 adoptable pets

will be available at the NKLAAdoption Weekend being held onSaturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at La BreaTar Pits in Los Angeles.

Best Friends Animal Society ishosting the event as part of its No-Kill Los Angeles (NKLA) initia-tive, which seeks to turn L.A. intothe nation’s largest “No-Kill City”by 2017. By bringing togetherNKLA coalition partners and pas-sionate animal lovers eager tomatch shelters pets with lovingfamilies, the NKLA AdoptionWeekend is a tangible way to savethe lives of pets.

The NKLA Adoption Weekend isone of Best Friends’ “SuperAdoption” events, which launched14 years ago and average in thehundreds of adoptions per event.Several celebrity supporters of BestFriends Animal Society will enter-tain at the free, family-friendlyevent. Guests can enjoy cuisine

from numerous food trucks. Petsfrom more than 50 local sheltersand rescues will be offered.Adoption fees will be as low as $25.All pets are spayed or neutered,vaccinated and micro-chipped.

Adopters will also receive a free

starter kit with pet food, treats anditems from event sponsors, whichwill also provide samples.

The NKLA Adoption Weekendwill be held at the La Brea Tar Pits,

5801 Wilshire Blvd. For informa-tion, visit www.NKLA.org/events.

D.A. launches program onworkplace accidents

photo courtesy of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office

Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey on Mondaylaunched a new program that will dispatch investigators and prosecu-tors from her office to industrial incidents involving occupationaldeaths and environmental threats.  Lacey was joined by, from left,LAPD assistant chief Michael Moore, Los Angeles County Sheriff’sDepartment executive officer Neal Tyler, and Hoon Chun, assistanthead deputy of district attorney’s office’s Consumer ProtectionDivision . 

The OSHA and Environmental Crimes Rollout Program will senddistrict attorney staff to the sites of the most serious industrial inci-dents immediately after they are reported to enhance the preservationof evidence and ensure that witness accounts are documented.

“This program is designed to protect the health and safety of all LosAngeles County residents, wherever they may live, work and play,”Lacey said. “We will help law enforcement and regulatory agenciesmore thoroughly investigate these incidents so that criminal acts arediscovered and vigorously prosecuted.”

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is workingclosely with law enforcement and fire agencies on a notification sys-tem. First-responders are being asked to alert the district attorney’soffice when they are called out to locations involving workplacedeaths, or where victims have suffered life-threatening injuries poten-tially caused by violations of workplace safety rules. District attorneystaff also will be dispatched to environmental incidents that threatenserious harm to the environment, wildlife or public safety.

photo courtesy of Best Friends Animal Society

Visitors can find the perfect pet from the more than 1,000 available for

adoption at Best Friends Animal Society’s upcoming adoption weekend.

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CIM Group and FarmersInsurance, the largest insurer basedin Los Angeles, have announcedthat they have entered into a saleand partial lease-back of FarmersInsurance’s 10-acre campus in the4600 block of Wilshire Blvd.

For Farmers, the sale of its cur-rent home office complex marksthe next phase of its transition to anew company headquarters atWarner Center in Woodland Hills.In conjunction with the sale,Farmers executed a lease agree-ment to maintain a presence onWilshire Boulevard as its transitionplan continues.

“We are excited about ourprogress in transitioning ouremployees to the newer, more mod-ern Farmers Plaza at WarnerCenter, a move that will offer amore contemporary, engagingwork environment for our employ-ees and also keep us headquarteredin the city of Los Angeles,”Farmers Insurance CEO Jeff Daileysaid. “As previously announced,our transition will be a phased andmethodical process over severalyears. [The] announcement is a keymilestone in that process.”

The phased transition to FarmersPlaza at Warner Center began lastyear with the move of numerousemployees into the new location.Later this year through early 2019,

additional employees will be shift-ed to the office at Warner Center.More than 1,500 employees willeventually make the transition. “This is an unparalleled opportuni-ty to acquire a substantial propertyon Wilshire Boulevard in this desir-able neighborhood,” CIM foundingprincipal Shaul Kuba said. “We arepleased to have worked withFarmers Insurance on this transac-tion, and that it will continue as atenant at the property until it has

completed its transition, whilemaintaining a strong presence inLos Angeles in both locations.”The current Wilshire Campus is acentrally located urban office cam-pus, with large landscaped plazasand open space. The WilshireCampus is comprised of four cityblocks on Wilshire Boulevardbounded by Keniston Avenue to thewest and Muirfield Road to theeast. For information, visitwww.cimgroup.com.

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 9 April 24, 2014

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CIM Group buys Farmers Insurance campus

Hollywood Temple Beth El andThe Iranian American JewishFederation are hosting a series ofcommemorative events for YomHashoah on Saturday, April 26and Sunday, April 27 in the tem-ple’s sanctuary at 1317 N.Crescent Heights Blvd. in WestHollywood.

The commemorations will startwith a “Memorial to the Martyrs”on April 26, following joint ser-vices at 9:30 a.m. Joe Alexander, asurvivor of the Warsaw Ghettoand Nazi concentration camps,will speak at the ceremony. RabbiNorbert Weinberg, author of“Courage of the Spirit”, will alsospeak as a representative ofHolocaust survivors on the need toremember for future generations.Members will join in memorial

readings and prayers, as the namesof martyrs and relatives of mem-bers of the congregations will beread.

On April 26 at 8:30 p.m., theIranian Jewish AmericanFederation will host an interfaithprogram titled “Holocaust: Past,Present, Never Again” on the con-temporary dangers of genocide.The documentary film, “AloisBruner: The Last Nazi”, will beshown on April 27 at 4 p.m., andwill be followed by a discussionwith film producer, LyndaGoldman, a former Middle Eastcorrespondent for CNN and theAtlanta Journal.

For information, call the IranianAmerican Jewish Federation at(323)654-4700, or HollywoodTemple Beth El at (323)656-3150.

Holocaust commemoration tobe held in Pan Pacific Park

The Los Angeles Museum ofthe Holocaust is hosting its annu-al “Yom HaShoah: Day ofHolocaust Commemoration” onSunday, April 27 in Pan PacificPark.

The commemoration begins at9 a.m. when Jewish World Watchwill host a “Walk to EndGenocide” in the park.

Thousands of people areexpected at the main ceremony,which begins at 1 p.m. with ateaching with Rabbi ShmulyYanklowitz titled “How To TalkTo Your Children About theHolocaust”. The Ceremony of

Commemoration is scheduled tobegin at 2 p.m., with J.J.Goldberg, editor at large of “TheForward”, giving the keynotespeech. Yanklowitz, executivedirector of the Beit Midrash inPhoenix, AZ, will oversee theinvocation, and Mayor EricGarcetti will also speak at theevent.

The museum will be openfrom 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and theceremony will be held near theLos Angeles HolocaustMemorial, 100 S. The Grove Dr.For information, visitwww.lamoth.org.

photo by Edwin Folven

CIM group has purchased the Farmers Insurance campus on Wilshire

Boulevard, and will lease offices to the insurer until Farmers completes

its move to the Warner Center in Woodland Hills.

Temple hosts Yom Hashoahremembrance ceremonies

The city of West Hollywood ishosting a closing reception for the“Find Your Roots” exhibit onSunday, April 27 from 5 p.m. to 8p.m. in recognition of HolocaustRemembrance Day, which marksthe anniversary of the Warsawghetto uprising.

The free event will take place onthe second floor of a pop-up galleryspace at 7362 Santa Monica Blvd.

“Find Your Roots” is presentedthrough West Hollywood’s Artsand Cultural Affairs Commission,in collaboration with LarkGalleryOnline. The exhibition is presentedas part of “WeHo East Arts”, whichexplores the convergence of cul-ture, community and developmenton the city’s east side.For information, call (323)848-6883, or visit www.weho.org/arts.

WeHo honors Holocaust victims

The Immaculate HeartCommunity on Franklin Avenue iscelebrating the 8th annual MaryAwards at a fundraiser on Sunday,April 27 at the Almansor Court ban-quet facility in Alhambra.

The Immaculate HeartCommunity is an organization thatadvocates for marginalized individu-als, and for social and economic jus-tice and peace. The Mary Awardhonors individuals who exemplify intheir lives and work the organiza-tion’s philosophy “to build relationsin society which foster access of allpersons to truth, dignity and fullhuman development.”

The event begins with a cham-pagne brunch at 10 a.m., followed bythe awards presentation. A silent auc-tion and raffle will also be held.

The honorees are Aquil F. Basheer,Annette Ciketic, Phyllis D’Ambraand Sharon Gordon Donnan.Basheer is a nationally recognized

and certified gang intervention spe-cialist, consultant and pioneer instreet intervention. Ciketic is a pro-fessional artist, educator and socialjustice entrepreneur who has devel-oped projects through art and aware-ness programs.

D’Ambra, a patient care manager,clinical nurse and educator at LosAngeles Children’s Hospital, hasfounded programs empowering par-ents to keep families together, andhas dedicated efforts to establish anew hospital in Ghana. Donnan, aneducator, art conservator, documen-tary filmmaker and social justiceadvocate, is a member of the SanFernando Valley Dream Team,which focuses on education, advoca-cy and outreach for undocumentedstudents.

Almansor Court is located at 700S. Almansor St. For information,(323)466-2157, or visit www.immac-ulateheartcommunity.org.

Immaculate Heart Community presents ‘Mary Awards’

10 April 24, 2014 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

WeHo offers healthy funat annual kids fair

photo by Jonathan Moore

Join the city of West Hollywood for the 19th annual Healthy WestHollywood Kids’ Fair on Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. atWest Hollywood Park. The free event for families with young chil-dren offers entertainment, community services/school information,environmental education, health information, face painting, sheriff’sand fire department equipment and demonstrations, arts and crafts, atrain ride and more. West Hollywood Park is located at 647 N. SanVicente Blvd. for information, call (323)848-6510, or visitwww.weho.org.

Thalians to honor music legendat benefit for mental services

‘The PickUp’ recognized at statewide conferenceThe California Association of

Public Information Officials(CAPIO) gave the city of WestHollywood its top award in themarketing and communicationscategory for the city’s innovativelaunch campaign for The PickUp,West Hollywood’s free nighttimeride.

The PickUp (also known as TheWeHo PickUp) is a trolley service

that was launched as a pilot pro-gram by the city of WestHollywood in August 2013 as acool and convenient alternative todriving for people who go out on ornear Santa Monica Boulevard onFriday and Saturday nights.

The CAPIO award of Excellencein Communications was presentedat the CAPIO statewide conferencein Santa Barbara on April 10 at an

evening awards ceremony and din-ner. Staff members from the city ofWest Hollywood’s PublicInformation and EconomicDevelopment offices accepted theaward on behalf of the city.

For information about the ThePickUp, call (323)848-6402 orcheck out The PickUp’s socialmedia pages on Facebook andTwitter.

The Thalians, a leading entertain-ment industry nonprofit dedicatedto mental health treatment, willhonor music legend SmokeyRobinson at its 56th AnniversaryGala on Saturday, April 26 at theHouse of Blues Sunset Strip.

Robinson will be recognized fora lifetime of philanthropy with theorganization’s annual “Mr.Wonderful” award. Co-chairsRobert “Bob” and Kira Lorsch willco-host the event.

Numerous artists are scheduledto perform Robinson’s songs suchas Guy Sebastian, the rock groupPlayer, The Fifth Dimensions’

Florence La Rue, Joy Enriquez andothers, all backed by musical direc-tor Todd Schroeder and his band, aswell as surprise special guests.The Thalians, which is led byPresident Debbie Reynolds andBoard chair Ruta Lee, has raisedover $30 million in support of men-tal health diseases. This year’sevent benefits Operation Mend atthe UCLA Health System, whichtreats U.S. soldiers severely injuredduring service in Iraq andAfghanistan.

The House of Blues Sunset Stripis located at 8430 Sunset Blvd.Tickets are $502. For informationand tickets, call (818)994-4661, oremail info@theproperim-ageevents.com.City presents

literary eventsThe Lambda Literary Book Club

will meet on Tuesday, April 29 at 7p.m. at the West Hollywood LibraryCommunity Meeting Room. Eachmonth, the group highlights a differ-ent LGBT book, and the Aprilselection is “Fun Home: A FamilyTragicomic” by Alison Bechdel.

The club is a program of theLambda Literary Foundation and isco-sponsored by the WestHollywood Library. The booksselected are a mix of LGBT clas-sics, unheralded gems and notewor-thy new releases. Discussions areled by the Lambda LiteraryFoundation’s director, TonyValenzuela, or by guest facilitators.For information, call (310)652-5340, or visit www.lambdaliter-ary.org.

The city is also presenting a dis-cussion with author Kristen Moelleron Wednesday, April 30 at 7 p.m. inthe West Hollywood LibraryCommunity Meeting Room.Moeller will discuss her new book“What Are You Waiting For?: LearnHow to Rise to the Occasion ofYour Life”. which explores a perva-sive human tendency to wait forthings in life to occur, and to lookoutside ourselves for answers. TheWest Hollywood Library is locatedat 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. Forinformation, call (310)652-5340, orvisit www.weho.org.

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 11 April 24, 2014

Beverly Hills celebrates centennial with partyThe Rodeo Drive Committee and

the city of Beverly Hills are hostingthe “BH100 Centennial BlockParty” on Sunday, April 27 from3:30 to 8 p.m.  in the 200, 300 and400 blocks of Rodeo Drive.

The theme for the event will be“Dancing in the Street”, and thefamed song by the same name willbe performed by R&B legendMartha Reeves. The “Taste ofBeverly Hills” festival, featuringcuisine from some of the city’srestaurants, will also be held. Guestscan enjoy carnival games and rides— including two Ferris wheels —entertainment and a grand finale.

The centerpiece of the centennialcelebration will be a birthday cake

Congressman honors art contest winnersLocal Jewish communityobserves Passover

photo courtesy of Andrew Friedman

Local attorney Andrew Friedman (left) recently joined Long BeachPolice Chief Jim McDonnell, a candidate for Los Angeles CountySheriff, at a Passover Seder at the Hyatt Valencia Hotel. Rabbi MelTeitelbaum and Jeanne Litvin conducted the Seder, which was hostedby Friedman. More than 400 guests attended the celebration, preparedby Passover Resorts. Passover signifies the liberation of the Jewishpeople from slavery in Egypt. The theme of the Seder service was thatJews should be proud to be free, and that the concept of slavery anddiscrimination should be denounced. Teitelbaum declared that theforefathers of the Jewish people left Egypt so that modern Jewsthroughout the world can ask God that they be delivered fromenslavement to any form of self-destructive behavior. The Hagaddah— the prayer book for Passover Seder — is a message of hope,Friedman added.

Dear Ms. Weinlein

Pardon my ignorance, but I don’tknow what “Osso Bucco” is,despite my Italian surname andbackground.

I searched, but all I found was adish named Osso (bones) andBucco (holes). Is that the dish youmean? Or are you joining legionswho are speedily and religiouslyattempting to “screw up” the Italianlanguage as well as others? Justasking.

Louis J. Smaldino

Dear Mr. Smaldino,

Osso Bucco are veal shanksslowly braised in a onion, carrot,celery, red wine and beef brothmixture for hours, rendering themeat so tender it falls off the bone.The “hole” you mention is the cen-ter of the bone where the best partof the dish lies – the marrow. I sug-gest you go to Marconda’s Meats atthe Farmers Market and purchasetwo veal shanks (called ossobucco) and ask Louis for his fami-ly receipe. He’s Italian and I assureyou, no one is trying to “screw up”the Italian or any other language.Buon appetiito!

Karen VillalpandoEditor in Chief

New Hollywood Planpromises to be more of the same

[Re: “L.A. begins process to

redo 2012 plan update”, April 10issue], the city has no intention ofcomplying with everything JudgeGoodman ordered. They havealready decided that the newHollywood Plan will be the sameas the old Hollywood Plan. AllGarcetti plans to do is juggle thefigures again.

By the way, the litigation wasfrom July 18, 2012 until January14, 2014 — which took 18 monthsand not three years.

Scott ZwartzHollywood

Mayor shouldn’t rely onparking fines to helpbalance budget

Los Angeles Mayor EricGarcetti’s proposed budget for2014-2015 includes increased rev-enue from the collection of parkingfines and the addition of 50 addi-tional parking enforcement offi-cers. Budget-driven parkingenforcement policy is a big issuewith Angelenos these days.

Unfortunately, it appears that themayor has chosen to continuealong the beaten path of aggressiveticketing as a budgetary salve.Everyone can agree that parkingenforcement is necessary to a well-managed city environment. No onewants to see parking spots in acommercial district hogged all day,fire hydrants blocked or handicapspaces abused.

But what happens when theparking enforcement office of thedepartment of transportation getssent a revenue bill from the city?

Steven VincentLos Angeles Parking FreedomInitiative

Letters to the Editor

Osso Bucco refers to a delicious Italian veal dish

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) will host the annualCongressional Art CompetitionForum & Exhibit for the 28th Districton Sunday, April 27. The exhibit dis-plays artwork by high school studentsfrom the region, and the winner fromeach congressional district will havetheir work displayed in the U.S.Capitol for one year. In addition,Schiff opened up the competitionwith a “People’s Choice” award,which was decided through an onlinevote through April 24.

“Every year, I am amazed at thetalent and creativity displayed in theart I receive from students across the28th Congressional District,” Schiffsaid. “I look forward to seeing all theentries and welcoming artists andtheir families at the exhibition.”

The Congressional ArtCompetition began in 1982 to pro-vide an opportunity for members ofCongress to encourage and recog-nize the artistic talents of their youngconstituents. Since then, over650,000 high school students haveparticipated in the nationwide com-petition.

The first place winner’s artworkwill hang in the U.S. Capitol for oneyear, the piece awarded second placewill hang in the Congressman’sWashington, D.C. Office for oneyear, and the piece awarded thirdplace will hang in his BurbankDistrict Office for one year. The“People’s Choice” winner’s artworkwill be displayed in Schiff’s

Hollywood District Office.The winners will be announced at

the 28th Congressional High SchoolArt Competition Forum & Exhibiton Sunday, April 27. All participantswill receive a CongressionalCertificate of Recognition. The

exhibit will be held at DescansoGardens in La Cañada Flintridge,1418 Descanso Drive. Exhibit view-ing will begin at 3 p.m. and theforum and awards presentation willtake place at 5 p.m. For information,visit www.schiff.house.gov.

presented by the Luxe Hotel RodeoDrive and Guittard ChocolateCompany’s corporate executivepastry chef, Donald Wressell.  The10-foot-tall, 20-foot-long cake will

depict the Beverly Hills City Halltower and Rodeo Drive, and isanticipated to serve approximately15,000 slices. For information, visitwww.rodeodrive-bh.com.

Show benefits cancer researchComedians July Gold, Cathy

Ladman, Steve Mittleman andWendy Liebman will come togeth-er for “Happily Ever Laughter” onSunday, April 27 at 7 p.m. at theComedy Store in West Hollywood.

The comedy show raises moneyfor ovarian cancer research atUCLA by Dr. Sanaz Memarzadeh,and is organized by the nonprofit

Ovarian Cancer Circle, which wasfounded by Paulinda Babbini afterher daughter, Robin Babbini, diedof ovarian cancer at age 20 in 2006.Tickets are $75, plus a two drinkminimum. The Comedy Store islocated at 8433 Sunset Blvd. Fortickets and information, call(323)842-8100, or visit www.theo-variancancercircle.org.

12 April 24, 2014 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

A Dining Guide to

New OrleANsby Karen Villalpando

There are many benefits of a Tulane

University education, of which our

daughter is currently reaping. For us,

we rest assured she is receiving a world class

education at this prestigious bastion of

knowledge, and we have the opportunity to

visit her and enjoy all the amenities the

Crescent City has to offer – namely its fine

cuisine.

With its many restaurants, cafes, diners

and oyster bars, it’s easy to find an eating

establishment that satisfies your desires.

Exactly how many restaurants, diners and

cafes exist is hard to decipher – one website

said 1,521, while a news report said 1,300.

However, a waiter at Dickie Brennan’s

Tableau told me, if you dined out for 3 meals

a day it would take you three years to eat at

every NOLA dining establishment. He may

have been exaggerating.

With the annual celebration of Jazz Fest

starting this weekend in New Orleans, and

the Mardi Gras season finally coming to a

close, what better time to highlight some of

the best culinary experiences New Orleans

has to offer.

Donald Link

As a James Beard chef of the year and one

of the most popular chefs in the city, Donald

Link and the Link Restaurant Group are

churning out some of the most interesting

Southern fare in the city. With five restau-

rants throughout the city, diners have a

plethora of options to savor Link and part-

ners food.

Peche

I’m starting with one of the best meals

I’ve ever eaten. We strolled into Peche, just a

few blocks from our hotel in the Warehouse

District, and found ourselves in a marvelous-

ly rustic, re-purposed carriage house. The

building was erected in 1884, and was also a

mortuary at one point. The thick heavy

wooden doors are original, and chef Ryan

Prewitt even took time to point out the brass

hinges.

Prewitt teamed up with Link to open the

restaurant a year ago and Peche has quickly

become one of New Orleans’ most popular

restaurants. Recently, Peche was named a

finalist for the 2014 James Beard Best New

Restaurant.

Specializing in whole fish preparations,

Peche is a seafood grill with some very inter-

esting twists on Gulf seafood fare. Fried fish

collars dusted in corn meal sound like typical

Louisiana cooking, but Prewitt delivers a

light and delicate plate without heavy oil or

batter. The raw bar menu offers a selection of

fresh fish daily. We enjoyed a platter of cobia

sashimi marinated in chilies and lime render-

ing the fish tender and full of flavor. The

whole grilled fish for the table was the high-

light of the meal, presented with a caper, but-

ter, lemon sauce and a side of hush puppies.

The Royal Red, head-on Gulf shrimp were

bathed in a sublime garlic sauce. The varied

menu is highly appealing and provides plen-

ty of selections to try something different on

a return visit. It’s easy to see – and taste–why

Peche is a finalist for Best New Restaurant.

800 Magazine St, New Orleans, (504) 522-

1744. www.pecherestaurant.com

Herbsaint

One of the first in the Link Restaurant

Group, Herbsaint on St. Charles combines

New Orleans chic with Southern hospitality,

producing a winning result. I suggest order-

ing several small plates and sharing among

your guests as a way to taste all of chef

Donald Link and chef de cuisine Rebecca

Wilcomb’s dishes. I’ve visited Herbsaint on

several occasions and have enjoyed every

visit. The butter poached Gulf tuna with

pickled chilies and mint is delicate with the

chilies cutting the richness of the butter, sim-

ply marvelous. Slow cooked peanuts braised

in chicken broth for hours then tossed with

pork belly and chilies taste like the best

beans you’ll ever

eat. Housemade

spaghetti with

Guanciale (Italian

cured pork cheek)

and fried-poached

farm egg is remi-

niscent of a pasta

carbonara, with

elevated flavors

and sophistication.

Take your time

here and savor the

character of each

dish. They have an

interesting wine

list and cocktail

menu. Try the

herbsaint cham-

pagne cocktail to

start. 701 St.

Charles Ave,

New Orleans,

(504)524-4114.

www.herbsaint.com

KingfishKitchen andCocktails

New Orleans

born and raised

chef Greg Sonnier

is a proud Southerner with a big personality.

He brings his passion to the kitchen at

Kingfish, whose restaurant concept tips its

hat to the Huey P. Long era. Sonnier brings

years of experience to the Cajun-Creole

menu, with such selections as smoked rabbit

gumbo, hoppin’ John crawfish salad and blue

crab chop. I’ve never seen such a beautiful

gumbo – dark, smoky and delicious. The key

to getting the chocolate brown color to the

gumbo is all in the roux, Sonnier said. The

longer you cook it, the darker it gets. His

secret is to bake the roux in a shallow pan

for hours with outstanding results.

The hoppin John crawfish salad was laden

with crawfish and topped with fried green

tomatoes and remoulade. I have a hard time

saying no to remoulade – who doesn’t? And

Sonnier’s is worth every bite. For the blue

crab chop, jumbo lump crab meat is crispy

fried and served with a maque choux sauce –

a Cajun creation of stewed corn and herbs.

Big eats – as opposed to lil’ eats men-

tioned above – include “Every Man a King”

fish, duck with ramen noodles and a seafood

cassoulet – also fit for a king. The honey,

crab-boiled duck is boneless and tossed in

ramen noodles with preserved lemons, giv-

ing a slightly Asian influence to this dish

which still carries a Creole taste. The seafood

cassoulet is teeming with shrimp, fish, craw-

fish and alligator sausage – a true Cajun dish

without the “touristy” look or flavors.

Another great draw to Kingfish is the cock-

tail bar, where

Chris McMillian,

a Louisiana

native who

descends from

four generations

of bartenders, is

an internationally

recognized icon.

He was listed as

one of The 25

Most Influential

Cocktail

Personalities of

the Past Century

due to his impact

on cocktail cul-

ture in the world,

he was named

Best Bartender 2012 by New Orleans

Magazine. Kingfish is located on Chartes in

the French Quarter. 337 Chartres St. New

Orleans, (504)598-5005. www.cocktail-

barneworleans.com

Tableau

Dickie Brennan’s newest restaurant locat-

ed at Jackson Square is classical French

Creole with sophisticated cuisine and décor.

The open kitchen in the dining room pro-

vides a window to Chef Ben Thibodeaux’s

creativity in the kitchen. New Orleans main-

stays of shrimp remoulade, oysters maison

and turtle soup are offered as starters. Being

a Brennan’s restaurant, you will find a selec-

tion of egg dishes under entrées, as well as

local gulf fish prepared a la praline, mueniere

or amandine. BBQ shrimp and grits, seafood

gumbo and filet of beef béarnaise are in

homage to the Brennan’s brand while tourne-

dos Rossini topped with seared foie gras and

Marchand de vin, chicken Tableau and roast-

ed duck with bourbon sauce offer a new

twist to the quintessential New Orleans

menu. The restaurant offers a brunch menu

in additional to the regular lunch and dinner

menu. With the closure of Brennan’s on

Royal Street, you’ll be happy to find many

of their signature dishes here. Be sure to save

room for the Tableau crème brulée or the

monkey bread pudding. 616 St. Peter St.

New Orleans, (504)934-3463.

photo by Karen Villalpando

Butter poached tuna with chilies and mint is a delicate and generous

serving with the bite of the chilies contrasting with the subtle butter flavor.

photo by Karen Villalpando

The signature whole fish is as delicious as it looks – the presentation is only matched by the

depth of flavors in the dish. Hush puppies and royal red shrimp are great accompaniments.

photo courtesy of Kingfish

If you’re dining at Kingfish, you must order the fish fit for a king!

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 13 April 24, 2014

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival began in April 1970 by one of thegreatest gospel singers of our time, Mahalia Jackson, and Duke Ellington. Since

then it has grown into an important cultural event with great significance.The festival highlights all of the cultural bests of New Orleans - music, food, crafts

and marketplaces, Louisiana folklife and native nations and let’s not forget theparades.

Jazz Fest starts Friday, April 25 and runs through May 4. Some of the headliningacts are: Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen and the E. Street Band, Christina Aguilera,Phish, Santana, Arcade Fire, Robin Thicke, The String Cheese Incident, Trey Songz,and many more. For a complete listing of events, acts and ticket information, visitwww.nojazzfest.com.

Also available on the website is complete travel and hotel information. There are stillrooms available, with links to hotel discounts and airfare discounts. Shuttle busses takefair-goers to the Fair Grounds Race Course, centrally located at 1751 Gentilly Blvd., 10minutes from the French Quarter. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Gray Line Tours will oper-ate continuous round-trip transportation – the Jazz Fest Express – from the SheratonHotel, the Gray Line Lighthouse at the Steamboat Natchez Dock (Toulouse St. at theRiver – next to Jax Brewery), and City Park (next to Marconi Meadows) daily from10:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.

A special entrance will be used only by Jazz Fest Express vehicles to avoid traffic andbring Festival-goers inside the gates of the Festival. Add $18 ($15 City Park) to the priceof a Festival admission ticket for this round-trip transportation service. Admission andJazz Fest Express tickets are available for sale on the days of the Festival from theselocations or in advance through Ticketmaster. A one way ticket from the Festival todowntown will be available for $10. For more information, call (504)569-1401 or1(800)535-7786. Or visit www.graylineneworleans.com/jazzfest.html

Tickets will be available at www.nojazzfest.com and www.ticketmaster.com, at allTicketmaster outlets or by calling (800) 745-3000. Tickets can be purchased in personat the Jazz Fest ticket office located at the NewOrleans Arena Box Office. All Jazz Fest ticketsare subject to additional service fees and handlingcharges.

The 2014 commemorative poster

was created by Terrance Osborne.

Food at Jazz FestThe food at the New Orleans

Jazz & Heritage Festival is agreat sampling of all of the dif-ferent cuisine the city has tooffer. While there will be plentyof shrimp and crawfish avail-able, you can find freshlyshucked oysters, po’boys,boudin sausage, BBQ chicken,muffulettas, catfish meuniere,Cajun jambalaya, smokedsausage macque choux, evenhot dogs and peanut butter andjelly sandwiches. And that’s justa few highlight! And sweets?From ice cream to pecan pie,cupcakes, cream puffs, maca-roons, chocolate dipped straw-berries, sno-balls and of coursepralines, you will find some-thing to satisfy your sweettooth. Three different food areaswith hundreds of vendors willbe ready to serve you. Visit thewebsite for a complete listing ofthe food and restaurant demosavailable. www.nojazzfest.com.

A Taste of Louisiana

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Bruce Springsteen will headline the show on May 3. Below

is a map of the festival grounds, and a performer from 2013.

14 April 24, 2014 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

Two leaders of the ArmenianPower gang were convicted onApril 17 of participating in a racke-teering conspiracy that includedextortion, firearms offenses, bankfraud and identity theft targetingelderly bank customers.

The defendants were also con-victed of creating a sophisticatedcredit and debit card skimmingscheme that stole account numbersand personal identification num-bers from thousands of people whoused their cards at 99 Cents OnlyStores in Southern California.

Concluding a four-week trial, afederal jury returned guilty verdictsagainst Mher “Capone” Darbinyanand Arman “Horse”Sharopetrosian. RafaelParsadanyan, an associate of thegang, was also convicted for hisrole in the 99 Cents Only Storesskimming scheme.

Darbinyan, 38, of Valencia, wasfound guilty of 57 criminal counts,including racketeering conspiracy,extortion conspiracy, extortion,bank fraud, access device fraudconspiracy, aggravated identitytheft, and possession of a firearmby a convicted felon. According tothe evidence presented at trial,Darbinyan was a leader ofArmenian Power who participatedin extortions, firearms offenses,

frauds and identity theft, andrepeatedly engaged in criminalactivities with members of theMexican Mafia prison gang.

Darbinyan operated a sophisti-cated bank fraud scheme that usedco-conspirators to deposit and cashhundreds of thousands of dollars infraudulent checks drawn on theaccounts of elderly bank customersand businesses. Darbinyan alsoorganized and operated a sophisti-cated debit card skimming opera-tion targeting customers of the dis-count chain 99 Cents Only Stores.This expansive scheme involvedinstallation of skimmers in storesthat were used to steal customers’debit card numbers and PIN codes.

Prosecutors alleged Darbinyanalso conspired to extort and extort-ed funds from a member of theArmenian community using threatsof violence against the victim andhis family members. Darbinyan, ontwo separate occasions, possessedfirearms and ammunition after hav-ing previously been convicted offelony grand theft for his role in a2004 debit card fraud scheme. Atsentencing, Darbinyan will face astatutory maximum penalty of 973years in federal prison.

Sharopetrosian, 35, was convict-ed of racketeering conspiracy,extortion conspiracy and extortion.

The evidence at trial showed thatwhile Sharopetrosian was incarcer-ated in Avenal State Prison in 2009,he used smuggled cell phones todirect the extortion of a member ofthe Armenian community.Sharopetrosian worked togetherwith Darbinyan and others to carryout the extortion over a period ofsix months, at one point evenarranging the kidnapping at gun-point of the victim in order to has-ten the extortion payments.Sharopetrosian also threatened tokill and kidnap the victim to coercethe victim into paying him morethan $100,000. He faces a statutorymaximum sentence of 60 years infederal prison.

Parsadanyan, 29, of Los Angeles,was convicted of 14 counts of bankfraud for his role in the 99 CentsOnly Store scheme. The evidenceat trial showed that Parsadanyanassisted Darbinyan by collectingand storing proceeds of the fraudscheme, including deliveringapproximately $34,000 in criminalproceeds to a co-conspirator. Eachcount of bank fraud carries a statu-tory maximum sentence of 30 yearsin federal prison. According tocourt documents, the ArmenianPower street gang formed in theEast Hollywood area of LosAngeles in the 1980s.

a vehicle parked in the 6600 blockof Hollywood at 8 p.m.

At 9 p.m., an unknown suspectburglarized a residence in the 100block of Swall.

An unknown suspect burglarizeda vehicle parked in the 8200 blockof Beverly at 5:30 p.m.

At 6:15 p.m., an unknown suspectburglarized a vehicle parked in the7900 block of Melrose.

April 16

At 2 a.m., an unknown suspectburglarized a vehicle parked in the3900 block of W. 8th.

An unknown suspect committed apetty theft in the 7100 block ofSanta Monica at 9:39 a.m.

At 10:54 a.m., an unknown sus-pect committed a petty theft in the7100 block of Santa Monica.

An unknown suspect burglarizeda residence in the 1000 block ofHancock at 11:45 a.m.

At 1 p.m., an unknown suspectstole a vehicle parked near thecorner of Swall and Alden.

An unknown suspect committed apetty theft in the 8400 block ofBeverly at 5:15 p.m.

At 6:55 p.m., an unknown suspectrobbed a victim in the 7900 blockof W. Sunset.

An unknown suspect burglarizeda vehicle parked in the 500 blockof N. Sierra Bonita at 10:30 p.m.

April 17

At 7:14 a.m., an unknown suspectassaulted a victim near the cornerof Flores and Santa Monica.

An unknown suspect committed aburglary in the 1200 block ofCloverdale at 10 a.m.

At 10:40 a.m., an unknown sus-pect committed a burglary in the600 block of S. Bronson.

An unknown suspect stole a bicy-cle in the 7200 block of Hillside at10:45 a.m.

At noon, an unknown suspect bur-glarized a vehicle parked in the1000 block of Genesee.

An unknown suspect committed aburglary in the 4000 block of W.7th at 12:30 p.m.

At 1:30 p.m., an unknown suspectburglarized a vehicle parked in the6800 block of Hollywood.

An unknown suspect committed avehicle burglary near the corner ofVista and Franklin at 2:15 p.m.

At 4:30 p.m., an unknown suspectburglarized a residence in the1300 block of Fairfax.

An unknown suspect committed apetty theft in the 8900 block ofSanta Monica at 5:23 p.m.

At 6 p.m., an unknown suspectcommitted a grand theft near thecorner of Cahuenga and Selma.

Police Blotter

The following crimes occurred in West Hollywood and the areas patrolledby the LAPD’s Wilshire and Hollywood divisions between April 14 andApril 19, and were compiled from www.crimemapping.com. To report acrime, the telephone numbers of local law enforcement agencies are: LosAngeles Police Department, Wilshire Division (213)473-0489 and LosAngeles County Sheriff’s Department West Hollywood Station (310)855-8850.

April 14

At 3:40 a.m., a burglary wasreported in the 200 block of S. LaBrea.

An unknown suspect committed apetty theft in the 6700 block of W.3rd at 4 a.m.

At 4 a.m., an unknown suspectcommitted a petty theft in the 1700block of N. McCadden.

An unknown suspect committed apetty theft in the 7100 block ofSanta Monica at 9:39 a.m.

At 10:15 a.m., an unknown sus-pect committed a burglary in the1000 block of N. Highland.

An unknown suspect committed agrand theft in the 600 block of N.Larchmont at 1:30 p.m.

At 1:30 p.m., an unknown suspectcommitted a petty theft near thecorner of Wilshire and Crenshaw.

An unknown suspect committed agrand theft in the 900 block ofHavenhurst at 2 p.m.

At 2 p.m., an unknown suspectburglarized a vehicle parked nearthe corner of Wilshire andSpaulding.

An unknown suspect committed apetty theft in the 8300 block ofBeverly at 2 p.m.

At 3:36 p.m., an unknown suspectcommitted a petty theft in the 7100block of Santa Monica.

An unknown suspect physicallyassaulted a victim near the cornerof Kings and Santa Monica at 4:20p.m.

At 5:30 p.m., an unknown suspectburglarized a vehicle parked in the8400 block of W. 3rd.

An unknown suspect assaulted avictim in the 1300 block ofMansfield at 6:45 p.m.

At 11 p.m., a vehicle burglary wasreported in the 900 block of S.Plymouth.

April 15

At 6 a.m., an unknown suspectcommitted a burglary in the 5700block of San Vicente.

An unknown suspect committed apetty theft in the 5500 block ofWilshire at 8 a.m.

At 11:30 a.m., an unknown sus-pect committed a burglary in the300 block of N. Hayworth.

An unknown suspect committed agrand theft in the 6300 block of W.3rd at noon.

At 1:30 p.m., an unknown suspectcommitted a petty theft in the 7200block of Melrose.

An unknown suspect committed aburglary in the 7100 block ofSanta Monica at 3:02 p.m.

At 7 p.m., an unknown suspectburglarized a vehicle parked in the500 block of N. Lucerne.

An unknown suspect burglarized

A vehicle burglary was reported inthe 8900 block of Rosewood at 6p.m.

An unknown suspect burglarized aresidence in the 500 block of N.Spaulding at 10:20 p.m.

At 11:30 p.m., an unknown sus-pect burglarized a vehicle parkednear the corner of Dunsmuir and8th.

April 18

At 1:30 a.m., an unknown suspectcommitted a petty theft in the 300block of S. Arnaz.

An unknown suspect physicallyassaulted a victim in the 900 blockof Palm at 1:30 a.m.

At 12:15 p.m., an unknown sus-pect committed a grand theft in the1600 block of Vine.

An unknown suspect physicallyassaulted a victim in the 1100block of Formosa at 1 p.m.

At 5 p.m., an unknown suspectcommitted a petty theft in the 100block of N. La Cienega.

An unknown suspect burglarized avehicle parked near the corner ofWilshire and Ridgeley at 6 p.m.

At 6:45 p.m., an unknown suspectburglarized a vehicle parked nearthe corner of Sierra Bonita andHollywood.

An unknown suspect committed apetty theft in the 100 block of N. LaCienega at 7:30 p.m.

At 8 p.m., a vehicle burglary wasreported in the 1200 block ofCrescent Heights.

An unknown suspect committed aburglary in the 5700 block of W.

6th at 8:30 p.m.

At 9:30 p.m., a vehicle burglarywas reported in the 1400 block ofLaurel.

An unknown suspect committed apetty theft in the 1800 block ofGrace at 10 p.m.

April 19

At 12:30 a.m., an unknown sus-pect committed a petty theft in the600 block of Robertson.

An unknown suspect committed aburglary in the 7900 block ofMelrose at 4:45 a.m.

At 5 a.m., an unknown suspectburglarized a vehicle parked in the900 block of S. Detroit.

A robbery was reported in the6600 block of Melrose at 10:25a.m.

Gang members convicted on federal charges

Suspect arrested for luring girl into prostitutionSpecial agents with U.S.

Immigration and CustomsEnforcement’s (ICE) HomelandSecurity Investigations (HSI) havearrested a Los Angeles-area man forallegedly transporting a teenage girlfrom Minnesota to Los Angeles toengage in prostitution.

Laron Darrell Carter, a.k.a.“Birdd”, 36, is charged in a criminalcomplaint filed in U.S. District Courtin Los Angeles. If convicted, hefaces a mandatory minimum sen-tence of 10 years, and a statutorymaximum penalty of life in federalprison. Carter was taken into custodyon April 21 by HSI special agents inLas Vegas. The case is being prose-cuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Officefor the Central District of California.

HSI began its investigation a yearago after Los Angeles CountySheriff’s deputies rescued a 16-year-old girl in Los Angeles who hadbeen reported missing fromMinneapolis. According to the affi-davit, the teen, identified as Jane Doe1, told HSI agents that she metCarter over the telephone through amutual acquaintance. Carter subse-quently persuaded her to travel to

LosAngeles to meet him, promising tobe her “boyfriend” and “take care ofher.” He then bought her a bus ticketfor the trip.

“The manipulation and coercionof minors into prostitution is uncon-scionable,” said Claude Arnold, spe-cial agent in charge for HSI LosAngeles. “The defendants in thesecases prey on the impressionable andthe vulnerable, robbing them of theiryouth and their innocence.”

The victim told HSI that uponarriving in Southern California,Carter took her to a hotel, told hershe would be working as a prostitute,and directed her to pose for sugges-

tive photographs that he posted onthe Internet. Within days, the victimfled, but without money or a place tostay. She soon returned to the hotelwhere the defendant allegedly beather and whipped her with a belt. Onthe last night that the victim“worked” for the defendant in lateJanuary 2013, he slammed her headinto a car window and forced her toengage in a sex act with him. Thevictim sought refuge in a nail salonand was ultimately taken into protec-tive custody by Los Angeles CountySheriff’s deputies.

HSI’s investigation determinedthat Carter had been convicted ofpandering in January 2013 in ClarkCounty, Nevada. According to theaffidavit, a police report related tothat conviction alleged that Cartertransported a 13-year-old girl fromCalifornia to Las Vegas to work as aprostitute.

Authorities believe Carter mayhave additional unidentified under-age victims in Southern California.Anyone with information is asked tocontact agents at (866)347-2423, orsubmit information using HSI’sonline tip form at www.ice.gov.

“The manipulation

and coercion of

minors into

prostitution is

unconscionable.”

-Claude Arnold, special agent in charge for

HSI Los Angeles

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 15 April 24, 2014

16 April 24, 2014 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

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Crossword Puzzle by Myles Mellor

See Answers Page 22

Former LAPD Hollywood Division Capt. Ron Sanchez (right) waspictured in the Feb. 8, 2007 issue of the Park Labrea News and BeverlyPress as he taught martial arts to youths in the Hollywood PoliceActivities League. Sanchez has since retired from the LAPD, but con-tinues his work in helping young people in the Hollywood area throughinstruction at the activities league. For information, see page 1.

Activities League helpsyouths succeed

Garden tour highlights plight of the honeybee

photo courtesy of the Windsor Square-Hancock Park Historical Society

Guests can enjoy beautiful “bee friendly” gardens during the tour.

“The Plight of the Honeybee” isthe theme for the Windsor Square-Hancock Park Historical Society’s9th annual Los Angeles GardenTour & Party on Sunday, April 27from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The gar-den tours begin at 11 a.m.; a pro-gram presented by the Daughters ofthe American Revolution will beheld at 1 and 2:30 p.m., and DougFieri, board member of the SouthernCalifornia Beekeepers Association,will speak at 1:40 p.m. A boutiqueand silent auction runs throughoutthe event, and a light supper will beserved from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

One of the Hancock Park gardensembellishes an elegant 1923 EnglishCounty Manor home that is men-tioned in “My Friend Flicka”(1941). The “bee friendly garden” isbooming with lavender, penstamon,roses, coleus, plumbego, heliotrope,salvia, azalea, snap dragons andother plants. In 2005, the ownerbecame very concerned when firsthearing about colony-collapse disor-

der, a “sudden hive collapse syn-drome” of the honeybee. The devas-tating natural phenomenon originat-ed in the almond groves ofCalifornia. The private bee friendlygarden is still evolving by experi-mental trial and error planting.Many of the plants also attract other

pollinators such as butterflies, odes(dragonflies and damselflies) andhummingbirds. Guests can learnabout ways they can help to protectbees on the tour.

Check-in is at 419 S. LorraineBlvd. Tickets are $65, and proceedsbenefit a landscaping project at LosAngeles High School. For informa-tion, visit www.losangelesgarden-tour.org.

Local resident George Epstein, aretired plastics and aerospace engi-neer and renowned poker player,will be the subject of the first pro-duction of Celebration FamilyTheater on Saturday, April 26 at 11a.m. at the Whimsic Alley onWilshire Boulevard. Members ofthe community can learn aboutEpstein’s life and career through aplay staged by professional actors.

“I’m being honored, they’relooking at my life going back tochildhood,” said Epstein, a long-time resident of the FairfaxDistrict. “It’s very exciting. I’mlooking forward to seeing whatthey put together.”

Epstein, 87, was born in aBoston suburb in 1926, andwatched his father lose his leathergoods business during theDepression. He helped save thefamily from financial ruin byassisting his father in deliveringlaundry. Later, Epstein became astandout baseball player in highschool, and lifted buckets of waterto strengthen his muscles after afootball injury. At the urging of hismother, who valued education, hewent on to graduate MIT.

During his military service in theU.S. Navy, Epstein took on anti-Semitism and helped a destroyerminesweeper find its way back toport by fixing its broken radar highabove turbulent ocean waters.

When Epstein completed hisgraduate studies, and with the loveof his life by his side, he packed allhis belongings into a 1951Studebaker Champion. With $200

in his pocket, he headed to LosAngeles, and later becameinvolved in the aerospace industrydesigning cutting edge materialsfor airplanes, spacecraft and satel-lites.

The Celebration Family Theateris the brainchild of Peter Temes, aLos Angeles business consultant,educator and author, who launchedthe organization along with partnersMatthew Bamberg-Johnson andJudy Temes. The group of directors,actors, writers and family advisorswork with families to create worksfocused on the life of a grandfatheror grandmother, aunt or uncle, orbeloved friend.

Whimsic Alley is located at 5464Wilshire Blvd. Admission is free.For information, call Judy Temes,with the Celebration FamilyTheater, at (203)281-5805, or visitwww.celebrationfamilytheatre.com.

Play celebrates life of localengineer and poker standout

photo courtesy of Sue Epstein

George Epstein helped develop

innovative materials for airplanes,

spacecraft and satellites.

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 17 April 24, 2014

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Two years ago, a modestIndonesian martial arts film, “TheRaid”, slipped by the averagemoviegoer. Subtitles are a toughsell, and Jackie Chan largelyruined the entire roundhouse-kick-ing genre for most people.

But “The Raid: Redemption”rises above the rest. Forget CGI,“The Raid” redefined the martialarts film thanks to its originalapproach to action sequences andrather creative kill moments(they’re not jarring, but memo-rable). But unlike a grindhousefilm, it didn’t bask in the brutality–– the pacing was just too fast toconcern itself with such trite tac-tics. If only I could speak so high-ly of “The Raid 2”.

How do you feel about criticallyacclaimed sequels that discardmost of the characters and styliza-tions of their predecessors? Ourmarital artist Rama (Iko Uwais), arookie cop who near-single hand-edly took down an entire complexof thugs and crime bosses, contin-ues his mission to clean up thestreets of Jakarta. But rather thanrely on his incomparable agility,he goes undercover to take downcorruption from the source,becoming a thug for crime lordBangun’s (Tio Pakusadewo) orga-nization.

The road to victory isn’t a sim-ple one though, and Rama findshimself taking up residence inprison for two years protectingBangun’s son, Uco (Arifin Putra).Now the family owes him. Rama,under the alias Yuda, quickly findsfavor with the whole crew, butalso learns just how unsafe he isunder the pseudo-protection of adisorganized police unit.Meanwhile, a third party — hop-ing to drive a wedge betweenBangun and the Japanese mob —starts his own clean-up operation,employing a group of colorfulgoons.

“The Raid” kept things rathermodest, while the sequel goes fullB-movie. Vibrant assassins appearwith abilities only suited for aQuentin Tarantino production.First, meet siblings Baseball BatMan (Very Tri Yulisman) andHammer Girl (Julie Estelle).Guess what their weapons are.You haven’t lived until you see

someone killed by a line drive orthe claw side of a hammer. OK,maybe you don’t want to. It’srather graphic.

Next up: Prakoso, Bangun’smost loyal assassin. He’s actuallyportrayed by Yayan Ruhian, whoplayed Mad Dog, one of the pri-mary villains in the first film. Theonly difference is he looks like atransient, complete with comicallyenormous, nappy hair and a beardto match. And then there’s theAssassin (Cecep Arif Rahman),who utters little but knows how touse his duel karambits, which arecurved knives specific to theregion.

“The Raid” constructs a concisestory: a small police force worksits way up an apartment complexto arrest a crime boss residing onthe top floor. Things go bad andbullets, machetes and first swingsriddle the air (many accused2012’s “Dredd” of plagiarizing“The Raid”).

Adding chaos to cohesion, “TheRaid 2” features several subplotsand even more characters in a two-and-half hour film (the originalbarely ran past 90 minutes). This isconvolution at its most disappoint-ing. The first film offered a cultur-al insight to any moviegoer unfa-miliar with, or indifferent about,foreign action films. “The Raid 2”

romp). While “The Raid 2” abandons

the motifs of its origin, it’s hardlyhalf-cocked action. Just don’texpect to be blown away. Butbeware, this will probably be oneof the most gory films you’ll seeall year, sadly in a rather disap-

pointing way. Or perhaps skip it alltogether, and enjoy “The Raid”. Iknow, but what about the unevent-ful sequel. Well, just think back tohow enjoyable “The Matrix” wasand don’t think of what happenednext –– selective memory is ablessing.

‘The Raid 2’ lacks excitement of its predecessor

undermines all the good and fresh-ness of the first film.

It’s hardly the worst sequel toever premiere, just a bloody disap-pointing one. In place of brisk pac-ing, “The Raid 2” slows thingsdown far too much and adds layersof narrative complexity that thescreenwriting and directing aren’tmature enough to effectivelydeliver. But it does put anincreased budget to work. Whatdirector Gareth Evans loses inoriginality, he makes up for inspectacular cinematography andan explosive third act.

If the run time bothers you, atleast the last half hour will exhaustyou with action. It’s almost worthviewing for some very memorablesequences, even if they pale com-pared to even the weakestsequence in “The Raid” (seriously,YouTube them; they’re quite the

photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Iko Uwais (left) appears as Rama, and Cecep Arif Rahman stars as the

Assassin in “The Raid 2”.

photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Julie Estelle, as Hammer Girl,

uses a household tool as her

weapon of choice in “The Raid 2”.

18 April 24, 2014 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

Tequila atPetrossian

Tonight, West Hollywood’s pre-miere caviar house, Petrossian

offers an exclusive evening dedicat-ed to Tequila. Executive ChefGiselle Wellman will present a five-course menu inspired by herMexican roots and pair the dishesalongside the many 123 OrganicTequila labels. David Ravandi,founder and expert behind 123Organic Tequila, will be on hand toguide patrons through the culinaryexperience and the 100 percent sus-tainably made national spirit. Themenu highlights include Dungenesscrab corn soup with 123 OrganicTequila “2” that has rested in oakfor six months. Others are a Jicamasmoked trout taco with tequila-infused Petrossian trout roe; carni-tas a la Bourguignon with bacon,cilantro, beer, tequila, and polenta.The final course of PaletasD’Ananas is made with pina conchile. Cocktails are served at 7:30p.m. and dinner begins at 8 p.m.The cost is $99 per person. 321North Robertson Blvd.  (310)271-6300.

Obika RegionalDinner

Tonight experience a four-courseLa Cucina delle Osterie Slow

Food dinner of recipes fromCalabria.  The hot red chili pepperfrom the region sets the theme forthe menu. It enhances the flavor ineggplant, peppers, cabbage, olives,and every kind of sea catch, fromtiny anchovies to swordfish. Winesof Calabria are generally strong andfull-bodied and pair perfectly withthe local cuisine. The dinner is $42per person. 10250 Santa MonicaBlvd. (310)556-2452.

The ChandelierRoom at SantaAnita Park

Guest Chef Ricardo Zarate fromPicca, Mo-Chica and Paiche

will helm the kitchen on April 25 atSanta Anita’s first Twilight RacingSeries. Cesar Lopapa, the newDirector of Operations for TheChandelier Room has enlisted thehelp of David Rosoff to consult onthe development of the member-ship program along withChristopher Feldmeier to createnew tasting menus. Nathan Oliveris creating a bar menu to develop asignature cocktail program. Guestchefs from around the city will cre-ate menus highlighting the use offresh and seasonal ingredientswhile playing with themes tailoredto Santa Anita’s racing legacy dur-ing the Twilight Series. For tickets,visit http://sap.ticketmob.com/ 285W. Huntington Dr. (626)574-7223.

Scratch|Bar

Chef Phillip Frankland Lee andExecutive chef/owner of

Scratch|Bar invited chef PajoBruich as a guest chef on April 28and April 29 at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.Bruich’s multi-course tasting menuwill reflect his well-known artisticand technical abilities served at theChef’s Counter for $111 per guest.Additional wine pairings are avail-

able. Space will be limited to 11diners for each seating. Chef Bruichwill also prepare dinner on May 5and May 6 at 6 and 9 p.m.Reservations are required. 111 N.La Cienega Blvd. (310) 289-8010.

Republique Wine Dinner

Join Republique on  Monday,April 28 for a five course wine

dinner featuring 10 wines. The five-course menu, designed by ChefWalter Manzke, will be paired with10 wines by Mathieu Deiss ofDomaine Marcel Deiss. Space isextremely limited allowing gueststhe opportunity to ask questionsand learn about the wines. $145 perperson.  624 S. La Brea Ave.(310)362-6115.

Special WineTasting Event

See the famous Neutra KunHouse in Hollywood Hills

while listening to the legendarymusician and co-founder of DEVO,Gerald “Jerry” Casaleas. He islaunching his Sonoma wines fromhis new estate “THE 50 BY 50” onWednesday, April 30. Presentedexclusively by Wally’s Wine &Spirits, 7960 FareholmDr.  (818)380-0400. www.wally-wine.com.

Napa Valley GrilleWine Dinner

Aspecial Summerland Winerydinner is on Wednesday, April

30 at 6 p.m. The boutique vineyardis located in the heart of the CentralCoast. The five-course wine pairingdinner is $85 per person. ExecutiveChef Taylor Boudreaux’s dishesinclude macadamia nut encrustedhalibut cheeks, wild morel mush-room risotto, and a goat cheesegelato. Boudreaux andSummerland Winery’s ProprietorNebil “Bilo” Zarif will personallyguide diners through the meal,describing the inspiration behindeach dish and tasting notes for eachpairing. 1100 Glendon Ave. #100(310) 824-3322.

Morels FrenchSteakhouse &Bistro

Come to The Grove during themonth of May for Burgerfest

2014 - an American craft beer andhousemade burger event. The pas-ture-raised grass-fed beef burgersinclude American with barbecuesauce, onion rings, iceberg lettuce,smoked cheddar cheese and Frenchfries. The Mexican burger has picode gallo, avocado, queso fresco,cabbage, chipotle and French fries.The French burger is an open-facedtartine with white toast, whole grainmustard, truffle cheese, mayon-naise, arugula, fried egg and Frenchfries. Pair your burger with on-tapcraft beer include Dogfish Head,Bear Republic, Firestone, EagleRock, Black Market Brewing andIron Fist. Burgers are $16 each andcraft beers range from $8-10.Morels French Steakhouse &Bistro’s hours are Monday throughThursday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.,

Friday 11:30 a.m. to midnight andSaturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.to midnight. 189 The Grove Dr.(323)965-9595

Pink’s at UniversalStudios

Pink’s has been serving hot dogsin Los Angeles since 1939. The

iconic stand at Melrose and La Breahas a constant line of hungrypatrons waiting to order theirfamous hot dogs. Pink’s opened anew storefront at Universal Studios.Stop for lunch, a snack or sit downto an al fresco dinner before or afteryou ride the new Despicable MeMinion Mayhem ride and tour the“Super Silly Fun Land.” 100Universal City Plaza (818)622-2364.

Sportsmen’s Lodge

The first Thursday’s NightMarket on May 1 brings a live-

ly Bazaar scene to Studio City.After a multi-million Hollywood-style make-over, the iconicSportsmen’s Lodge Hotel in StudioCity is set to launch the SanFernando Valley’s only NightMarket. This fun evening will con-tinue throughout the first Thursdayof the month through October 2014with 50 vendors and 10 food trucks.The Sportsmen’s Lodge Hotel willbe a concentrated mecca of cloth-ing, craft, and greasy foodie satis-faction.  This free valley bazaar isfrom 3 to 9 p.m.  

As dusk descends a DJ will spina funky web of music for the crowdof visitors, merchants, and chefs.Food trucks include Currywurst,Macho Nacho, Wise Barbeque,Senor Crab, Street Kitchen, Me SoHungry, Son of a Bun and CousinsMaine Lobster. There is also a pool-side happy hour. The Sportsmen’sLodge Hotel will offer a 20 percentdiscount to all market-goers eachThursday night - based on avail-ability. Book your tickets atwww.SportsmensLodge.com andtype in the special code: MAR-KET.12825 Ventura Blvd.(818)769-4700. 

New Dishes atVeggie Grill

Now until early June, VeggieGrill is serving new organic dishesthat are non-GMO plant-based pro-teins and all-natural ingredients.The new items include a strawberryarugula salad with yellow beats,pomegranate, roasted salted pecansand a strawberry vinaigrette. Thereis a grilled asparagus dish, aspara-gus soup with tarragon and a straw-berry parfait made from localorganic strawberries. 8000 SunsetBlvd. (323)822-7575, 110 S.Fairfax Ave. (323)933-3997 and6374 Sunset Blvd. (323)962-3354.

The Wallace

Enjoy bottomless mimosas atThe Wallace weekend brunch

and during the weekly social hourand midnight social hour. Pair itwith roasted artichoke and crab dip,Merguez sliders, sweet potato friesand a chicken liver mousse. 3833Main St. (310)202-6400. 

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria

Try the rosemary potato and gor-gonzola pizza and seasonal

cheesecakes now through April 30at the El Segundo location. Thepizza is fired in Grimaldi’s 25-tonanthracite coal-fired brick oven,which reaches temperatures of morethan 1,200 degrees. Grimaldi’s usesthe freshest ingredients, a “secretrecipe” pizza sauce, handmade

mozzarella cheese and dough. Theintense heat helps create Grimaldi’sfamous crispy and smoky thin crust.For dessert order a slice of the pop-ular Bailey’s Irish Cream or Reese’sPeanut Butter Cup cheesecakes.2121 Rosecrans Ave. (310)648-7503. 

The Embassy Suites Mandalay BeachHotel & Resort

Tonight at 6 p.m., Coastal Grill’s Executive Chef Tim Hulbert ispreparing a five-course meal, accompanied by refreshing craft beers

provided by Surf Brewery. The menu consists of such tempting dishes asgrilled chicken medallions, accompanied by Mondo’s Blonde Ale; ahituna with Wahine Wheat Beer; Snake River pork tenderloin accompa-nied with Surf Black IPA-style Ale and braised short ribs with SouthSwell Double IPA Ale. The meal is topped off with a Chocolate MoltenCake and Carmel Anglaise. The cost is $59.95 per person. Reservationsare required. 2101 Mandalay Beach Rd. (805)760-9040.

photo by Lee Salem

Vintage Bouquet wine & food celebration The Beverly Hills Bar Association’s (BHBA) “Vintage Bouquet”

fundraiser is scheduled on Sunday, April 27 from noon to 4 p.m. atGreystone Mansion in Beverly Hills.  

Guests will enjoy wines, spirits and food while raising money forcommunity based pro bono legal service programs.  

Hors d’oeuvres and desserts prepared by Los Angeles-area restau-rants and chefs will be paired with tastings from California’s top winer-ies, and spirit and beverage companies. A live and silent auction willalso be held, along with musical entertainment and a VIP cocktail andmartini lounge. Proceeds benefit the Beverly Hills Bar Foundation’s probono legal services, such as free monthly legal clinics, courses for ele-mentary school students, programs to feed the homeless and more.

Some of the participating wineries and beverage companies are StellaArtois, Ahnfeldt Wines, Asahi Shuzo, Beekeeper Cellars, BernardusWinery, Beverly Hills Drink Company, Cielo Farms, Ferrari-CaranoVineyard & Winery, Heitz Wine Cellars, Knights Bridge Winery,Hubert’s Lemonade, Landmark Vineyards, Lewelling Vineyards, MinerFamily Winery, Moreno BHLV, Peju, Priest Ranch & Somerston Estate,Quady Winery, Sunstone Vineyard & Farms, Tudal Family Winery-Napa Valley and Wicker Vineyards.

Among the many restaurants participating are Bistrot Bagatelle, BrixChocolate, Café Firenze, CHAYA Catering, Celebrity Cruises, DandyDon’s HomeMade Ice Cream, Goldie’s, Il Fornaio-Beverly Hills,Lexington Social House, Napa Valley Grille, Nuovoterra Products,Phorage, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, STK, Taberna Arros y Vi, TheGood Cookies & Beyond, The Ice Cream Lab, Velvet Rope Bake Shopand Wood & Vine.

“There will be innovative dishes prepared with fresh locally-sourcedfood, award-winning wines, the opportunity to meet top chefs and wine-makers and much more,” said Leigh Leshner, past president of theBHBA’s Barristers, who is chairing the Vintage Bouquet for the 10thyear. “I didn’t think it was possible to top last year but this one justmight.” 

Advance tickets are $150; $175 per person at the door. GreystoneMansion is located at 905 Loma Vista Drive. For tickets and informa-tion, call Knock Out Productions at (818)610-0300, or visit www.vin-tagebouquet.com.

RESTAURANT NEWSBY JILL WEINLEIN

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 19 April 24, 2014

DeSano Pizza and BakeryBless this pizza pie from Napoli!

DeSano Pizza is a uniqueNapoli style pizza placewhere you can see your

pizza prepared and then poppedinto one of four traditional wood-fired ovens imported from Italy.Each oven is 10,000 pounds andheats easily to 900 degrees.

The ovens have the names of anItalian city and saint on the front.“In Italy, there is a saint for eachday. Each city is protected by asaint, and our ovens are protectedtoo,” said Marino Monferrato, theManaging Partner for DeSano’sLos Angeles.

Monferrato had been working atthe popular Cecconi’s in WestHollywood. When Scott DeSano ofDeSano Pizza restaurants inNashville, Tennessee and inCharleston, South Carolina dined atCecconi’s, he told Monferrato,“Your pizza is good, but my pizza isbetter.” At the time, Monferrato hadbeen the General Manager andSommelier at Cecconi’s for fiveyears. DeSano lured him away toopen a DeSano Pizza and Bakery

restaurant in East Hollywood. Monferrato accepted DeSano’s

offer and brought along prized piz-zaiolo, Massimiliano Di Lascio. “Inmy native Italy, you are surrounded

by restaurants that revolve around awood-burning oven and the piz-zaiolas who make the pies,”Monferrato said.

Both Monferrato and Di Lascioare natives of Italy and bring anauthentic perspective to the casualneighborhood pizzeria. Di Lasciowas raised in Salerno and becamean award-winning pizzaiolo prepar-ing pizza that he perfected in hisnative Italy.

Monferrato is from the Piedmontarea of Italy. “It’s home to a lot ofItalian wineries,” he said.

Sitting in a large 7,000-square-

foot warehouse space, we sat at atable near the kitchen and ordered acouple of the Napoli pizza piesmade with authentic flavors andingredients such as mozzarella de

bufala, prosciutto cotto and adelightful peppadew.

“Peppadew is a vegetable that ishalf tomato and red pepper. It offersa beautiful and clean taste withsausage,” Monferrato said. Thepeppadew has a sweet heat thatpeps up the flavors of the pizza.

Servers presented our freshlymade pizzas and salads within min-utes. Each pizza comes either per-sonal-sized or larger for families,couples and friends to share.Ingredients are sourced from theCampania region of Southern Italy.

DeSano is waiting for its liquorlicense, and hopes to be offering hiscustomers wine and beer soon.

Desserts are a choice of four tra-ditional housemade cannoli madewith homemade ricotta on thickshells imported from the EastCoast. The chocolate, pistachio andNutella were exquisite. Ask for ascoop of gelato made by local arti-san Alessandro Fontana. He makesall of the gelatos in Burbank andbrings them to Monferrato. Thesalted caramel and lemon are deli-

cious. “My gelato

has no chemi-cals and madewith 40 percentless butterfatthan ice cream.The lemongelato is glutenfat,” Fontanasaid.

There is anadjacent privatedining roomthat offers as e p a r a t eentrance off oneof the parkinglots for largerprivate parties.The parking isample atDeSana Pizza.

D e S a n oPizza andBakery EastHollywood isopen for lunchand dinner

daily from 11:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.or until DeSano runs out of dough.Free parking is offered in theattached lot. 4959 Santa MonicaBlvd., (323)913-7000.

photo by Jill Weinlein

DeSano Pizza and Bakery in East Hollywood on Santa Monica just East

of Normandie is baking up authentic Nephilinae style pizzas in four

ovens named after saints, to keep watch over the pizzas.

photo by Jill Weinlein

Pizzas at DeSano’s are baked in a 900 degree oven, made to order in the traditional

“Napoletana” style.

photo by Jill Weinlein

Try the traditional house made cannoli's made with home-

made ricotta on thick shells at DeSano’s.

SOLD

reprieve from individuals trying toget as close as possible to one ofthe country’s most iconic land-marks.

In September 2011, CouncilmanTom LaBonge, 4th District, held atown hall meeting about the issue,and residents sounded off abouttourists parking illegally, smokingcigarettes near dry brush, creatingcongestion, being rude to neigh-bors and stopping in the middle ofthe street to take photos of the sign.

The problems had persisted foryears, but GPS devices andInternet mapping sites exacerbatedthe issue by directing individualsthrough Hollywood Hills neigh-borhoods — with their small,winding streets — to get closer to

the landmark. “That’s why everyone is so emo-

tional. We attract people 365 days ayear. We’re totally defenseless,”Sarajane Schwartz, then-presidentof the HollywoodlandHomeowners Association, said atthe time.

The recreation and parks depart-ment hopes that the shuttle willhelp alleviate traffic congestion.The 21-passenger van will operatefrom 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. onSaturdays and Sundays, and willstop at a viewing point on MountHollywood Drive before headingto the Griffith Observatory.

The shuttle will start at the GreekTheatre parking lot. In all, the looptakes about 35 minutes. How fre-

quently the shuttle makes itsrounds will depend upon demand.The company operating the shuttle,Empire Transportation Services,will base the number of busses itdeploys on the amount of reserva-tions made online. Tickets must bepurchased at www.laparks.org.

The department is hopeful thatthe program will become a perma-nent option for tourists and resi-dents. If so, department officialsmay look into expanding the hoursof operation and running it onweekdays.

LaBonge said he was pleasedthat the department is seeking toremedy the issues caused by resi-dents and tourists flocking to theHollywood Sign through neighbor-

hoods. “I think it’s very important for

the recreation and parks depart-ment to jump in and help out,” hesaid. “People love Griffith Parkand [have] extra love [for] theHollywood Sign. …This will offsetthe heavy impact that theBeachwood Canyon area hasreceived due to the advancement ofGPS and the continued popularityof the beautiful monument of theHollywood Sign. We’re trying.This is all in an effort to lessen theimpact.”

Erik Sanjurjo, vice president ofthe Hollywood UnitedNeighborhood Council, said thecouncil looks forward to anyefforts that provide public trans-portation options to view theHollywood Sign.

“We’re hoping that the programis successful,” he said.

The city has been analyzing sev-eral different ways to lessen theimpact on neighborhoods. On

March 25, the recreation and parksdepartment began the installationof a wrought iron gate at the top ofBeachwood Drive that blocks vehi-cle access to the HollyridgeTrailhead, according to theHollywood HomeownersAssociation. The gate is to serve asa pedestrian entrance, and will belocked overnight.

Additionally, the city will beimplementing preferential parkingdistricts in the neighborhoods nearthe sign in the coming months.

Sanjurjo said the council willcontinue to study how the moveswill affect the area.

“We’re willing to see how thisplays out,” he said, adding that hehopes the $7 cost is not too muchfor residents and tourists. “We’llsee. Hopefully, people don’t mindpaying a few dollars to see thesign.”

For information, call the GriffithPark Visitor’s Center at (323)644-2050.

Sanchez, who previously servedas the captain of the HollywoodDivision, said the mission remainsthe same — use athletics and activ-ities as a means to mentor area chil-dren to prevent them from usingdrugs or joining gangs.

“It became an amazing thing,but we didn’t give a lot of thought.We both felt in our hearts that therehad to be a better way, so let’s dosomething different,” he said.

However, Sanchez doesn’t takecredit for the program’s longevity.

“I think that was spiritual. Ithink God had his hands on that. Idon’t take credit for being thatsmart,” he said, laughing.

Sanchez said martial arts, ifimplemented correctly, inherentlyteaches goal attainment, structure,discipline and respect, amongother things. It helps children workon their conditioning, while alsoproviding a platform for discus-sions about drugs, alcohol andsmoking.

“Our whole goal is to just devel-op them as people,” Sanchez said.

The classes run Monday throughSaturday, with three classes heldeach day. The classes are separatedby experience level. Sanchez andfellow black belt Siaka Hardingserve as the two instructors.Classes are held at the HollywoodPAL studio at 6411 Hollywood

Blvd.In the last 10 years or so, just six

students have made the rank ofblack belt, Sanchez said. He said itusually takes students about sevenyears to achieve the rank, as theHollywood PAL is “very strict”when promoting students.

Shantel Leyva, 17, hopes toattain her black belt in June. Shehas attended classes at HollywoodPAL since 2007, and enjoys theopportunity to build relationshipsand learn respect.

“I like that apart from just learn-ing martial arts, you learn lifelessons,” she said.

Sanchez said it’s common forblack belts to return to the programand teach. Some students, such asLeyva, also participate in competi-tions throughout the region, hesaid.

The retired police captain saidthe program has been quite effec-tive in changing lives. YusufHernandez, 12, said the classeshave helped him in several aspectsof his life. He said he is now moremotivated and always strives togive 100 percent in whatever hedoes.

“I kept not trying my best andletting the obstacles defeat me andstuff like that,” Hernandez said.“Then, when I came to this pro-gram, I started going over those

obstacles and trying my best andnot giving up.”

That kind of impact has beenseen throughout Hollywood PAL’sprograms. Valerie Lord, executivedirector, said sports have a naturaldiscipline element that translateswell into students’ personal lives.She said it’s also helpful for stu-dents to have a caring adult in theirlives, aside from their parents.

“It pushes them to care aboutthemselves,” Lord said.

Furthermore, it acclimates thestudents to police officers. TheHollywood PAL is managed bythree LAPD officers, with the helpof civilian staff members, such asLord, and volunteers. She saidsome young people equate policeofficers with the thought of some-one getting in trouble — instead ofnoting that the officers are aroundto improve public safety.

“The idea is for kids to relate topolice officers in a different set-ting,” Lord added.

She said soccer is another popu-lar PAL program. Eight teamscompete, and each team hasapproximately 18 players. Lordsaid the soccer program has a 150-name waiting list, as the organiza-tion is hamstrung by a very highdemand for field space in the localarea. The teams play at HelenBernstein High School.

Through its other programs,Hollywood PAL offers a runningclub, dancing and more. TheHollywood Fit Club offers threedifferent activities each week,Lord said.

She said each program is alwayswell attended — in part because ofthe programs’ low costs. However,the organization also gets referralsfrom schools, LAPD officers andother sources. Lord said on morethan one occasion, a police officerhas referred a child who has beenconsistently truant.

“It has happened, and it hasturned lives around,” she added.

PAL is a national organization

that has been in existence since1914. Lord said each PAL is differ-ent, and each affiliate chooses itsown activities. She said the non-profit is responsible for its ownbudget, though it is supported bythe LAPD and area organizations.

On April 28, Hollywood PAL isteaming up with KatsuyaHollywood, which is offering 15percent of its total sales to theorganization. However, customersmust present a promotional flyerfor the sale to be eligible. The flyeris available at the Hollywood PALwebsite.

For information or to donate,visit www.hollywoodpal.org.

20 April 24, 2014 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

Shuttle program coming to HollywoodFrom page 1

PAL teaches local students life lessonsFrom page 1

photo by Aaron Blevins

Students participate in a martial arts class at the Hollywood PAL studio

on Hollywood Boulevard.

L.A. zoo to present Earth Day Expo this weekendThe Los Angeles Zoo and

Botanical Gardens will celebrateEarth Day with a weekend expospotlighting California wildlife andthe role it plays in the health ofPlanet Earth on Saturday, April 26,and Sunday, April 27, from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m. at the zoo in Griffith Park.

The Earth Day Expo featuresinteractive stations throughout thezoo, providing guests an opportuni-ty to explore information and ideasabout animal conservation andpreservation, sustainable living forhumans, recycling and how tomake Earth a better place to live.All activities are free with paid zooadmission.

Among the Earth Day Expoattractions is a demonstration at thezoo’s Sea Lion Cliffs, where harborseals reside, of Enviroscapes’“Drains to the Ocean” product withtips on how to avoid polluting theEarth’s water systems.

Efforts for critically endangeredCalifornia condors are spotlightedat a station in Discovery Plaza,illustrating the zoo’s role in theCalifornia Condor RecoveryProgram, which focuses on the cap-tive breeding and reintroduction ofCalifornia condors to the wild withthe aim of establishing a self-sus-taining wild population.

In the Winnick Family Children’sZoo, there is a fish-toss game toastonish youngsters with just howmany sea creatures can fit into apelican’s vast mouth and a close-uplook at California desert tortoises.

At the black bear habitat, guestscan explore the ursine’s intenselysensitive sense of smell. Biofactmodels at the big-horned sheepexhibit offer a fascinating hands-onintroduction to the animal’s uniquephysiology. A presentation tied inwith the zoo’s extensive botanicalgardens stresses the important role

native plants play in the ecosystem.Lastly, the zoo’s Bat Station willpremiere with experts discussingthe five species of bats living inGriffith Park.

For more information, call(323)644-4200 or visitwww.lazoo.org.

photo by Tad Motoyama

On Sunday, April 27, the LosAngeles Conservancy will holdan in-depth exploration of the1929 Wilshire Boulevard Temple,from its rich history to its recentrestoration to its promisingfuture. Restoring the WilshireBoulevard Temple – SiteExploration will take place onSunday from 1 to 5 p.m.

The one-day-only architecturaltour will allow the public to wit-ness firsthand the results of therecently completed, two-year,$47.5 million renovation andrestoration project. In addition toa docent-guided tour of the origi-nal historic buildings, the eventwill offer presentations from spe-cialists involved in the restorationabout their work, includingrenowned preservation architectBrenda A. Levin, who spearhead-ed the project.

Temple leaders will be on handto share their vision for the futureof the campus and the neighbor-hood, and temple organistWilliam Beck will close the eventwith a performance on the newlyrenovated 4,000 pipe organ.Space on the tour is limited. Theconservancy recommends mak-ing reservations online at lacon-servancy.org/wilshire-temple assoon as possible to avoid disap-pointment.

Dedicated in 1929 and built fora then-princely sum of $1.4 mil-lion, the octagonal building wasdesigned by A. M. Adelman, S.Tilden Norton and David C.Allison. Its Wilshire façade com-bines a traditional Romanesquethree-arch portal and rose win-dow with a vast Byzantine domespanning 100 feet and rising near-ly 140 feet above street level.

L.A. conservancy to explore temple

owned by the London-basedDorchester Group Ltd.

According to the Office of theUN High Commissioner forHuman Rights, Brunei has alteredits penal code to include the deathpenalty for several offenses, such asrobbery, adultery and insult ordefamation of the ProphetMohammed. Sexual crimes, includ-ing adultery and sodomy, could bepunishable by stoning, according tothe organization. However, Bruneihas reportedly delayed the law’simplementation.

“Application of the death penaltyfor such a broad range of offensescontravenes international law,”office spokesman Rupert Colvillesaid. “We urge the government todelay the entry into force of therevised penal code and to conduct acomprehensive review ensuring itscompliance with internationalhuman rights standards. …Underinternational law, stoning people todeath constitutes torture or other

cruel, inhuman or degrading treat-ment or punishment and is thusclearly prohibited.”

He said the provisions of therevised code could encourage moreviolence and discrimination againstwomen and people on the basis oftheir sexual orientation. Accordingto UNITE HERE, homosexuality isalready punishable by up to 10years in prison in the nation ofBrunei.

“Here at The Beverly HillsHotel in Los Angeles, California,we do not tolerate any form of dis-crimination of any kind,” saidLeslie Lefkowitz, a spokeswomanfor the hotel. “We are also againstany law in any other countryaround the world that punishespeople for their religious beliefs,ethnicity, race or sexual orienta-tion. The laws and policies thatgovern how we run our hotel havenothing to do with the laws thatexist in any other country outsideof the United States. Dorchester

Collection’s code emphasizesequality, respect and integrity. Wedo not tolerate any form of dis-crimination and strongly valuepeople and cultural diversityamongst our guests and employ-ees.”

Leigh Shelton, of UNITEHERE, said the boycott has beenongoing for a few years. She saidthe union once represented work-ers from the Beverly Hills Hoteland Hotel Bel-Air, which is alsopart of the Dorchester Collection.

However, in the late 1990s, theBeverly Hills Hotel shut down toundergo renovations, and manage-ment opted not to bring back itsprevious workforce, whichallowed the hotel to circumventthe union, Shelton said. Hotel Bel-Air followed suit a few years ago,she said.

Lefkowitz said the only peoplewho can decide whether the hotelsare union are the employees.

“This decision has always been

for them to make, and we continueto fully support their right to voteon this via a secret ballot super-vised by the National LaborRelations Board,” she said.

After the Hotel Bel-Air renova-tions, the union began researchingthe company and learned of its tiesto the sultan of Brunei, HassanalBolkiah, Shelton said. She said theunion is progressive and works toprotect gay rights and humanrights.

“They’re all one and the same,”Shelton said.

She said the boycott has begunto gain traction, as the Gill ActionFund, an LGBT advocacy organi-zation, has changed the venue ofits conference after learning aboutthe Beverly Hills Hotel’s ties toBrunei.

The Courage Campaign, a LosAngeles-based human rights orga-nization, is supporting the boycott.Its executive chairman, Dr. PaulSong, said the Beverly Hills Hotelhas been the subject of boycotts inthe past due to its affiliation withBrunei.

“What we’re kind of asking foris that maybe people who feelstrongly that this is wrong wouldconsider taking their business else-

where,” he said. Song said anti-LBGT laws in

other countries could be the resultof hatred that originated in theU.S., which is why it is importantto take a stance. He referencedAfrica, and said some of the dis-crimination there is based on U.S.religious leaders visiting the coun-try and preaching about howhomosexuality could be “cured”through prayer.

“What we’re realizing is thatwhile our country is slowly chang-ing and moving toward full equal-ity for everyone, one of the mostunfortunate things our country hasdone is export sort of this evangel-ical theology that gay people canbe cured through prayer and repar-ative therapy,” Song added.“That’s why countries like Africa,as they grow in their evangelical-ism, are becoming the most anti-gay [countries in the world].”

He said the Courage Campaignis in the process of exploringwhether it plans to facilitate fur-ther action against the hotels.

“I really hope people realize thatit’s only by stepping up and beingsocially active that we can changecorporate behavior, much likeMozilla,” Song said.

be utilized, Leonard said. The Plummer Park project has

been on hold since October 2011,when community members raisedconcerns about the project and itsimpact on the park. In December2013, the West Hollywood CityCouncil voted 3-2 to analyze thecosts of razing Great Hall/LongHall, but then voted in January tostudy the possibility of moving thestructure to create more greenspace. That analysis is ongoing.

Stephanie Harker, of ProtectPlummer Park, said she would liketo see the city move forward with-out pursuing the funding, or per-haps find a different use for it, butshe is pleased the city did not takethe issue to court.

“I’m glad that they’re not litigat-ing, like many cities were doing,”she added.

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 21 April 24, 2014

Hotel criticized for alleged Brunei tiesFrom page 1

Suspect arrested for arson on FullerFrom page 4

City votes to support Bloom billFrom page 3

photo by Aaron Blevins

Protestors demonstrate at Plummer Park after learning that city officials

planned to raze Great Hall/Long Hall. The city is now looking to move the

structure.

Man pleads no contest in stabbingA homeless man who was part

of a group that allegedly attackeda woman on HollywoodBoulevard last summer, resultingin her death, was sentenced onWednesday to two years in stateprison.

The defendant, Jason JoelWolstone, 34, pleaded no contestto an assault charge for his rolein the fatal stabbing last June, theLos Angeles County DistrictAttorney’s Office announced. Heentered the plea to one count ofassault by means likely to pro-duce great bodily injury, and wassentenced by Los AngelesCounty Superior Court JudgeVictor Greenberg.

Prosecutors said Wolstone andDustin James Kinnear, who isalleged to be the individual whostabbed the victim, and BrianJoseph Widdows had their pic-ture taken by victim Christina

Calderon and a friend outside theHollywood & Highland Centeron June 18. Calderon declined togive the trio money and a fightensued where Wolstone pushedher and put her in a headlock,prosecutors said. Calderon diedafter she was allegedly stabbedby Kinnear.

Kinnear, 27, has pleaded notguilty to one count of murderwith a personal use of a knifeallegation. Widdows, 34, haspleaded not guilty to two countsof accessory after the fact. Bothmen are scheduled to return tocourt June 4.

The LAPD’s HollywoodDivision ramped up crime pre-vention efforts in the HollywoodEntertainment District followingCalderon’s death. The depart-ment has stated that the actionstaken after the incident haveresulted in crime reductions.

physical force. The suspect wastransported to the hospital and treat-ed for minor injuries suffered dur-ing the scuffle with police, and wasformally arrested at 1:05 a.m. Hewas booked for arson of an inhabit-ed structure. No motive for the inci-dent was provided, other than thesuspect may have been under theinfluence of alcohol or drugs, or

may have been suffering from men-tal health issues, according to theinvestigator.

Los Angeles Fire Departmentspokesman Brian Humphrey saidpolice called the fire department atapproximately 11:40 p.m.Authorities had already extin-guished a small fire in the residenceon Fuller by the time firefighters

arrived. The LAFD’s Arson Unit isalso investigating the incident.

Damage to the construction siteon Poinsettia Place was estimated at$5,000. The value of the damage tothe BMW and the residence onFuller Avenue was not available.

The suspect remained in custodyas of Wednesday and was beingheld on $250,000 bail.

Bill to protect consumer speechThe Assembly Judiciary

Committee on Tuesday approveda bill by Speaker John A. Pérez(D-Los Angeles) that takes aim ata little-known clause in common-ly used contracts that strips con-sumers of their right to say whatthey think of the good or servicethey bought.

As businesses look for ways toprotect their online reputation,many are resorting to contractualclauses that essentially gag theirreview-posting customers. Insome cases, corporations take thelegal position that a consumercan give up their right to an opin-ion simply by logging onto acommercial site, or “liking” abusiness’ Facebook page. AB2365 would make what areknown as non-disparagementclauses unenforceable unless theconsumer knowingly and volun-tarily agrees to relinquish his orher rights.

AB 2365 declares that a non-disparagement clause containedin a contract for sale or lease ofconsumer goods or services isunlawful, unless the clause wasknowingly, voluntarily and intel-

ligently waived. Under existing law, the con-

sumer would have to show thatthere was substantially unequalbargaining power in a take-it orleave-it contract or that the courtsacted to enforce the non-dispar-agement clause on behalf of abusiness. AB 2365 makes it clearthat these agreements must beopenly negotiated and if they arenot, allows not only the consumerbut also the attorney general, adistrict attorney or city attorneyto protect these free speechrights.

The bill establishes civil penal-ties in the amount of $2,500 for afirst violation; $5,000 for eachsubsequent violation; and$10,000 where the violation iswillful, intentional or reckless. Italso makes it unlawful to threatenor seek to enforce such a provi-sion or to otherwise penalize aconsumer for making such astatement, unless this right wasknowingly, voluntarily and intel-ligently waived.

The bill will next be heard bythe Assembly AppropriationsCommittee.

Legislators push for manufacturing in CaliforniaOn April 15, U.S. Rep. Tony

Cárdenas (D-San Fernando Valley)led several of his fellow SouthernCalifornia representatives in sup-porting the AdvancedManufacturing Partnership forSouthern California (AMP SoCal).

AMP SoCal is applying for thenewly-created Investment inManufacturing CommunitiesPartnership (IMCP) designationfrom the Department of Commerce.

AMP SoCal is made up of indus-try, local and regional government,economic development organiza-

tions, community colleges, universi-ties, workforce investment boardsand philanthropy spanning fourcounties with the common goal ofinvesting in American manufactur-ing and bringing jobs to SouthernCalifornia.

An IMCP designation would helpby allowing AMP SoCal to apply for$1.3 billion in future federal grants.With only 12 IMCP designationsawarded in 2014, the grants are aunique opportunity for the region toprove itself as a leader in the aero-space and defense industry.

In a letter to U.S. Secretary ofCommerce Penny Pritzker, the leg-islators joined most of the L.A. del-egation and representatives fromOrange County, San Diego andVentura to highlight the importanceof the IMCP designation forSouthern California.

Southern California is home to22.6 million people and 60 percentof California’s population. The letterto Pritzker emphasized the widerange of people and businesses thatwould benefit from the IMCP desig-nation.

His behavior was inconsistent withwhat he was known for,” Colemansaid. “By all accounts, he wasknown to be an affable young man.We don’t know if it was a psycho-logical breakdown or maybe some-thing else.”

Coleman said the incident startedwhen McDonald went to anotherapartment in the building shortlyafter 9 p.m. and knocked on thedoor. A woman who lives in theapartment recognized McDonald asa neighbor and opened the door.

“He stepped inside once the doorwas open and his behavior was irra-tional. She was very concerned.”Coleman said. “A few minutes later,her roommate arrived. At somepoint, [McDonald] went to theirkitchen and took a large knife fromthe butcher block. One of the resi-dents barricaded herself in a bed-room; the other he chased down thehall. She ran down the stairs andoutside and called 911.”

Coleman said it is unknownexactly what McDonald did next,but at some point he exited thebuilding and climbed over the bal-cony to his own second-story apart-ment and confronted his roommateand the two guests at knifepoint.

Deputies from the WestHollywood Sheriff’s Station arriveda few minutes after receiving the911 call and were told the suspectwas a thin Caucasian man wearing ablack T-shirt. Another individualtold deputies that the suspect maybe assaulting someone inMcDonald’s apartment, and thatonly two people lived there.

Deputies assembled an entryteam and announced their presence,but received no response. Momentslater, the door opened and a manwho was bleeding profusely from

his neck ran out, followed by a sec-ond man — Winkler — who waswearing a black shirt. The deputiesbelieved the second man wasattacking the first man, and threedeputies fired their serviceweapons, striking Winkler and theother unidentified victim.

After the shooting, the deputiesheard sounds of a fight going oninside the apartment, and madeentry. They located two men fight-ing on the living room floor, withone of the them, later identified asMcDonald, allegedly choking theother man. The deputies used phys-ical force to subdue them. A knifewas located on the floor.

“It was just a perfect storm,”Coleman said. “When deputiesarrived, they were trying to figureout what occurred. They were toldthat McDonald lived in that apart-ment and there were only two peo-ple living in that apartment. One ofthe victims unlocked the door andstepped into the doorway. His throathad been slashed and he was cov-ered in blood. As he stepped into thedoorway, the other man was run-ning for his life and ran right intothe back of him. Based on thedescription, the deputies believedthe assault was ongoing and theyhad to make a split second deci-sion.”

Coleman said investigators havebeen in contact with Winkler’s fam-ily, who live in the Seattle area, andare keeping them apprised of theinvestigation. The incident is underreview by the sheriff’s department’sHomicide Bureau and InternalAffairs Bureau, attorneys with theLos Angeles Office of the InspectorGeneral and the Los Angeles Officeof Independent Review, as well asthe Los Angeles County District

Attorney’s Office’s Justice IntegrityDivision. The results of all deputy-involved shooting investigations arealso are also investigated by theSheriff’s Executive Force ReviewCommittee. A final report is notexpected for up to six months.

Winkler had moved to LosAngeles to pursue a career in theentertainment industry, and hadrecently been hired as a productionassistant for the Comedy Centralnetwork show “Tosh.0”.

“Obviously, its very tragicbecause of the loss of life,”Coleman added. “This is a toughone.”

Lt. David Smith, with the WestHollywood Sheriff’s Station, saidthe deputies involved in the shoot-ing were scheduled to return to dutythis week, but he could not give anexact date because of “tactical rea-sons.” They had been on leave sinceApril 7, and had undergone inter-views with representatives from thesheriff’s department’s employeesupport unit to ensure they were fitto return to duty, Smith added. Hereiterated that the investigation“will be ongoing for a while.”

22 April 24, 2014 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

Shooting investigation may take monthsFrom page 1

Answers From Page 16

but we know he’s eaten at least twocoyotes,” Kuykendall said. “Twoother mountain lions we are track-ing in other parts of the SantaMonica Mountains had beenexposed to rat poisons in that way,and it came up in the blood tests.”

Kuykendall said they will contin-ue to monitor the mountain lion —known as P 22 — and the hope isthe treatment will lessen the mangeand other health ailments caused byingesting poison. The larger issue isthe use of rat poisons — alsoknown as second-generation roden-ticides — on public lands, which isbeing addressed at the local andstate levels, Kuykendall said.

Los Angeles City CouncilmenPaul Koretz, 5th District, and TomLaBonge, 4th District, have intro-duced a motion calling for a reporton the extent of the use of rat poi-sons in public parks. The LosAngeles Department of Recreationand Parks has compiled a reportthat will be examined on Monday,April 28, in the council’s Arts,Parks, Health, Aging and RiverCommittee. The councilmen saidthe department of recreation andparks uses the poisons to controlrodents, but it is unknown howmuch and how widespread theusage is, and how it affects theecosystem. Inquiries to the depart-ment of recreation and parks weredirected to assistant general manag-er Ramon Barajas, who did not

return calls seeking comment.Andy Shrader, deputy of envi-

ronmental affairs for Koretz, saidthe poisons appear to be affecting alot more animals than the mountainlion. Coyotes, bobcats and birds ofprey are also being affected. The ratpoisons, when ingested, prevent therodents’ blood from clotting, even-tually leading to death. Animalsthat feed on the dead or dyingrodents can be sickened as a result.

“Owls and hawks are literallylanding in people’s front yards up inthe hills and are dying,” Shradersaid. “One of the things we’re inter-ested in is how this is impacting thenatural species.”

LaBonge, who routinely hikes inGriffith Park, said he is also con-cerned about poisons harming larg-er animals and birds, and will beclosely examining the results of thereport. LaBonge said he once sawthe mountain lion on a ridge in thepark early one morning, and addedthat the cat is a valuable part of theecosystem.

“I am concerned about the wel-fare of all wildlife … and I’m con-cerned now that [the mountain lion]is being harmed by chemicals,”LaBonge said, adding that he does-n’t know the extent of the use of ratpoisons in the park. “But we aregoing to find out.”

Some members of the communi-ty are also joining the fight againstusing rat poisons — commonly

sold in the form of pellets. SusanSawn, president of the HollywoodUnited Neighborhood Council, saidthe council approved a motion onMonday in support of the city’sefforts to examine, and potentiallyprohibit, the use of rat poisons inparks.

“I think everybody was surprisedto find out it was being used inGriffith Park,” Swan said. “It’s thenatural food chain. P 22 was ashock for a lot of people. It doesn’tstop with the creature you are tryingto kill. It goes to your cat, it goes toyour dog and it could go to yourchild.”

Alison Simard, a member of thenonprofit Citizens for L.A. Wildlifeand a Laurel Canyon resident, saidshe believes the problem is morewidespread than people know.

“We are getting reports of hawksand owls literally falling out of thesky, and coyotes going on theirdeath walks in people’s yards,”Simard said. “Where we live,among the wildlife, we are seeing itup close and personal. Based on thecataclysmic effects its having, it’sgot to be more than just peoplegoing to Home Depot and buyingit.”

Sarah Christie, a spokeswomanfor the California CoastalCommission, said the commissionvoted earlier this month to prohibitthe use of rat poisons and rodenti-cides in the Santa Monica

Mountains. Because the mountainsare located over a large portion ofthe region, the county would beresponsible for implementing aban. Christie said representativesof the county are expected toappear before the commission thissummer with a plan to implement aban. She anticipated the earliestthat it could be in place would beby the end of the summer. The LosAngeles City Council could poten-tially act more quickly, however,and prohibit the use of the rodenti-cides in locations such as GriffithPark, she said.

Assemblyman Richard Bloom(D-Santa Monica) is also seekingto address the issue at the statelevel, and has authored a bill – AB

2657 — which would ban all salesand usage of second-generationrodenticides. A state law hasalready been approved banning thesale to the public of second-gener-ation rat poison beginning on July1. However, the poisons will stillbe available commercially.Bloom’s bill is currently making itsway through committees.

“There is mounting evidencethat these second-generation anti-coagulants are being consumed byrodents, and these rodents arebeing consumed by larger preda-tors causing injury or death,”Bloom said. “We’ve seen so manyphotographs of P 22, and to see thatphotograph where he was sick wasvery disheartening.

photo courtesy of the National Park Service

Reseachers with the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area cap-

tured P 22 in March and treated him for mange.

P 22 illness prompts rodenticide concernsFrom page 3

Page schools to host open house

photo courtesy of Page Private School

Page Private Schools in Hancock Park and Beverly Hills will beholding open houses running from Monday, April 28 through Saturday,May 3 from 9 to 11 a.m. The open houses provide an opportunity forprospective parents to visit the facility, meet the teachers and adminis-trators, learn about programs, and secure a space for the next schoolyear.

Page Private Schools accept students from age two through elemen-tary school. Parents who are interested in summer camp are also wel-come to attend. Page Schools offer a summer program from Monday,June 16 through Friday, Aug. 1 that is also open to outside students.Program hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., however, the campuses are openfrom 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The summer camp offers weekly activities based on themes thatinspire children to experience, explore and learn. There are weeklyfield trips, daily swimming and physical education activities, academ-ic review, arts and crafts, enrichment classes, computer classes and bar-becues.

Page Private School in Hancock Park is located at 565 N. LarchmontBlvd., while the Beverly Hills campus is located at 419 S. RobertsonBlvd. For information or to schedule a tour, visitwww.pageschool.com.

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24 April 24, 2014 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press