Issuu

Larchmont Chronicle

VOL. 58, NO. 6

• DELIVERED TO 76,439 READERS IN HANCOCK PARK • WINDSOR SQUARE • FREMONT PLACE • MIRACLE MILE • PARK LA BREA • LARCHMONT •

IN THIS ISSUE

Taste of Larchmont officially cancelled this year

Larchmont-area skateboarders seek a place of their own n Not everyone is on board

GRADUATION 2020

EBELL members cook.

VIRTUAL moves.

By Sondi Toll Sepenuk Skateboarding and Southern California go together like peanut butter and jelly. Or sunsets and the ocean. Or surfers and waves. So it’s only fitting that we should see skateboarders zipping up and down the streets of our SoCal neighborhoods on a daily basis. While many observers see skateboarding as harmless, youthful fun, others have been bothered by the feeling of a See Skateboarding, p 26

‘Slow Streets’ on fast track, primarily for pedestrians

For Information on Advertising Rates, Please Call Pam Rudy 323-462-2241, x 11 Mailing permit:

n Association supports proposal for Windsor Square By Helene Seifer In a move designed to support social distancing while exercising outdoors, the City of Los Angeles has implemented a program that cities such as Oakland, Seattle and Berlin, Germany have already put into place: closing some residential streets to through See Slow Streets, p 4

Pets of Larchmont

Send us photos of your dog, cat, bird or any localresident pet for our annual Pets of Larchmont in the July issue of the Larchmont Chronicle. Please include your name and a contact. Advertising deadline is Mon., July 13. For more information contact Pam Rudy, 323462-2241, ext. 11.

ing retail merchants on their toes. At the end of last month, retail stores finally were allowed to reopen, so long as social distancing and similar

By Rachel Olivier Taste of Larchmont (TOL) was canceled officially last month after a meeting of the HopeNet board of trustees, announced Levi Webb, executive director of HopeNet. The vote was unanimous, continued Webb, who said that, while not a surprise, the vote was a difficult decision. “The board and I labored over this decision. We wanted to make sure it wasn’t a kneejerk reaction, that it was in the best interest of our TOL partners while promoting health and safety in the community.” In a Zoom interview with

See Stores open, p 4

See HopeNet, p 16

FINALLY BACK OPEN for business are some, but not all, retail stores in Los Angeles. Shown here is Pickett Fences on Larchmont, with the masked proprietor left holding the bag.

Stores open on Boulevard after mayor lifts ban on retail

n Takeout restaurant guide on pages 14-15

Nearby riots in Fairfax / Beverly Grove / Beverly Hills / Santa Monica; Larchmont looted too SLOW STREET signs advise drivers that the road is open to local traffic only.

MUSEUMS offer outdoor, online art. 2-9

n HopeNet needs our help

By John Welborne Fast-changing state, county, and city rules have been keep-

JUNE 2020

FOR THE RECORD, the above took place on Sat. and Sun., May 30 and 31, 2020. Our readers probably got more than enough of the disturbing news live on TV. We hope none of you was injured, and we send our condolences to all who had their businesses vandalized, looted, and ruined by the mobs. If you wish to comment in our July issue, write to letters@larchmontchronicle.com. J.H.W. – Ed.

1930s Depression: Surviving on pins and needles n Parable for weathering our modern-day crisis By Suzan Filipek It’s a simple pincushion, standing 10 inches high, made of cardboard and covered with fabric. But, it was a lifesaver for Joan Allemand and her family in 1930 during the Great Depression. Her mother would sell each one for a whopping 50 cents — and when she sold 12, that was “a whole week’s wages!” Allemand, 89, told us last month.

Today, Allemand lives in Miracle Mile, but lessons learned in a small village south of Chicago all those years ago can teach us how to weather our modern-day crisis, she says. Allemand’s father worked in construction, building highways and homes on a fourthgrade education, until the job market dried up. “My parents were out of See Surviving, p 8

Home life, homeschool: the series, Part III

n Older students, friends at home too

By Caroline Tracy At this point, every student (and family) has come to terms with the fact that schools in Los Angeles County will not reopen their doors this school calendar year. As of our April 2020 edition, some private schools were still on the fence. Not anymore; with stay-athome orders still in place, homeschool has become the norm. Google classrooms, where curriculums have moved and homework assignments can be posted, have replaced real classrooms, and Zoom functions as the conduit to virtual teaching. For this, the third part of our copingwith-COVID-19 series, we also get a window See Homeschooling, p 24

HOUSEGUEST Julian Rappaport, a sophomore studying jazz at The New School (NYC), and Priscilla Duggan, a freshman studying at Barnard College (neuroscience), work at home in her parents’ back yard.

www.larchmontchronicle.com ~ Entire Issue Online!

Larchmont Chronicle

JUNE 2020

SECTION ONE

Editorial

Calendar

By John Welborne

Obituaries and a Hope Network This month’s Larchmont Chronicle celebrates a large number of local people who have passed on. They are people who meant much to their families and communities. Obituaries are the stories of lives lived and remembered — often-exceptional lives — although every life is exceptional. This issue of the paper also reports on an important local institution, HopeNet, and its current coronavirus challenges. The story, beginning on Page 1, tells of new hurdles not unlike those confronting many other nonprofits in this remarkable era of COVID-19. HopeNet was founded as a network of caring people in the Mid-Wilshire area who knew that they could provide hope to fellow Angelenos in need. Hence, “HopeNet.” Because the virus has caused cancellation of this year’s Taste of Larchmont, we successors to Dawne Goodwin and Jane Gilman, founders of that event to assist HopeNet, are making a cash contribution to help the organization, and we urge others to do the same. Extra help is needed at this time by HopeNet and many other deserving and needy nonprofits. And that brings us full circle, to the lives well lived, recounted in this month’s obituaries. The stories of people’s good works remind us that we can do that, too.

Wed., June 10 – Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council board meeting via Zoom. Check greaterwilshire.org to confirm and for online login. Sun., June 14 – Flag Day. Sat., June 20 – Summer begins. Sun., June 21 – Father’s Day. Thurs., July 2 – Delivery of the July issue of the Larchmont Chronicle.

‘How do you plan to celebrate your graduation?’

That’s the question that inquiring photographer Talia Abrahamson remotely asked local students experiencing this year’s unusual “coronavirus commencement.”

Letters to the Editor Spice cake recipe?

I enjoyed the article on the “Countess of Kent” by Paula Panich [Larchmont Chronicle May, 2020]. Would she be willing to share her recipe for spice cake? Linda Fowells Larchmont Village Neighborhood [Ed. Note: Of course. Please turn to page 17.]

“My school is reimagining certain graduation traditions such as jumping in the pool on the last day, grad night, receiving diplomas, and being serenaded by other grades via virtual outlets. I will personally continue the celebration with my family at home, and look forward to celebrating with my friends once we can be together in person.” Ashira Weinreich La Brea-Hancock

Kudos for bake sale

Thanks to our Block Captains and Councilman Ryu In late May, the Hancock Park block captains met, via Zoom, with each other, HPHOA Board members, and Councilman David Ryu and members of his staff to talk about the important issues facing our community as a result of the coronavirus emergency. Before the coronavirus outbreak, the City already was facing a homelessness crisis and was ramping up efforts to house those without shelter. Those efforts are even more important now; and the City, our Councilman and his office are working hard to provide people with temporary shelter as well as a permanent path off the streets. The Councilman also discussed with our block captains some of the security challenges we face because the City no longer incarcerates suspects charged with non-violent crimes. In addition, our mostly empty streets are now being used as speedways, and the strain of enforcement is falling on the very short-staffed traffic enforcement department. HPHOA Board members gave status reports on tree planting, street repair, maintenance of the Highland median, security, traffic and historic preservation. The HPHOA website will soon have information and photographs of the trees chosen for our historic streetscape. There remains money in the upcoming City budget for street repair, and the Highland median is now being watered and cleaned. The HPOZ board will start meeting and reviewing cases next week, via Zoom. With help from the Council Office, problem properties are being investigated and cited. Your block captain network is a vital part of community safety and awareness. If you don’t know who your block captain is, contact the Association. If you want to volunteer to be a block captain, let us know! Thanks to all the community minded people who volunteer to be block captains — Hancock Park wouldn’t be what it is without you! Don’t forget to follow social distancing guidelines, wear a mask when out in public, wash your hands, not touch your face and check with your neighbors to be sure they are OK. For more information, please visit our website: hancockparkhomeownersassociation.org/ page-18054/8843518.

o o o If you’re planning to make any changes to the street-visible portion of your house, including hardscaping and windows, check with our HPOZ Planner Suki Gershenhorn (suki.gershenhorn@ lacity.org) before starting. The HPOZ Preservation Plan, which regulates our HPOZ, can be found at preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/ la/hancock-park. There is also an online form you can fill out to help speed up the process — the Initial Screening Checklist (preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/initial.screening.checklist). Report graffiti sightings by calling 311 or at the City’s Anti-Graffiti Request System: laocb.org/programs/graffiti-abatement and by calling Hollywood Beautification, 323-463-5180.

Adv.

Re: Suzan Filipek’s piece about the Pablove Foundation: I was so inspired and uplifted to read of Lilly Roth-Shapiro’s commitment to her late friend Pablo by holding her annual bake sale for the Pablove Foundation despite the pandemic. Her decision to have a virtual sale to raise money to fight childhood cancer tells

Correction

In our May story about “victory gardens” flourishing during the current stay-at-home restrictions, the surname of Windsor Village resident and local gardener, Ivna Gusmão, was misspelled four times, for which we apologize.

BAKER and fundraiser Lilly Roth-Shapiro.

me Lilly is a young lady of great compassion, integrity, and creativity. I will be ordering both cookies and masks from the Foundation to support its efforts, and I look forward to doing so (Please turn to page 22) Write us at letters@larchmontchronicle.com. Include your name, contact information and where you live. We reserve the right to edit for space and grammar.

Publisher and Editor John H. Welborne Managing Editor Suzan Filipek Associate Editor Billy Taylor Contributing Editor Jane Gilman Staff Writer Helene Seifer Advertising Director Pam Rudy Advertising Sales Caroline Tracy Art Director Tom Hofer Classified and Circulation Manager Rachel Olivier Accounting Jill Miyamoto 606 N. Larchmont Blvd., #103

Los Angeles, CA 90004 323-462-2241 larchmontchronicle.com

“In a best case scenario I would hope to have a couple people over to my front yard and celebrate six-plus feet apart, maybe with some individually packaged food items? But more likely, we will just do something small with family and Zoom a couple of friends.” Emma Cruz, Windsor Square

Larchmont Chronicle Founded in 1963 by Jane Gilman and Dawne P. Goodwin

Census responses on track at 60% Responses to the 2020 Census are on track, says the Census Bureau. More than 60% of U.S. households have responded to the 2020 Census, with approximately four out of every five households that responded on their own choosing to do so online. Census Bureau Director Dr. Steven Dillingham is encouraging everyone to respond soon — to help shape their future for the next 10 years. If you have not responded, learn more at: 2020census.gov. Photos at right by: 1. Tara Rose Weinreich 2. Katie Cruz 3. Katerina Johnson 4. Char Hatch Langos

“My family and I took graduation photos in the only white dress we could find in the house! Holding a white sheet up, we did our best to capture a similar look to Marlborough’s classic portraits. In addition, my entire family is going to tune in to a presentation of my high school accomplishments! Beyond these activities, my mom has some special surprises that I don’t know about yet.” Peyton Johnson Windsor Square

4 “We don’t have any super concrete plans, but I think that my family is going to do some sort of dinner situation. Maybe my grandma is coming over. I think just something small.” Lily Langos, Windsor Square

Larchmont Chronicle

JUNE 2020

SECTION ONE

Local lawmaker pushes Getty House parkway barricades replaced By John Welborne for denser housing In early May, the Twittern Assemblyman Bloom has two bills

By Billy Taylor Following the defeat of SB 50, and its predecessor SB 827 — controversial bills that would have preempted local control of zoning — California politicians have returned to the drawing board. Among them, local Assemblyman Richard Bloom, who has a constituency that stretch-

SECTION ONE

es from Santa Monica to Larchmont Village, has sponsored two housing-related bills that deserve your attention. AB 1279 This bill by Bloom, which passed the Assembly in May 2019 and now sits in the Senate Housing Committee, would direct the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to designate “high-opportunity areas,” which are not yet defined, to promote denser development. According to law firm Holland & Knight partner Jennifer Hernandez, these areas are expected to overlap at least in part with federal Economic Opportunity Zone tax relief areas. In short, the bill allows for a CEQA-exempt (California Environmental Quality Act) housing approval process for (Please turn to page 6)

CONFESSIONS of saferat-home failures. 9 COUNCIL REPORT POLICE BEAT AROUND THE TOWN ON THE MENU HOME GROUND OBITUARIES

6 7 8 12 17 20

SECTION TWO VIEW:

Real Estate, Libraries, Museums, Home & Garden

BACK by popular demand. 6, 7 ON PRESERVATION 2 REAL ESTATE SALES 4 LIBRARIES 8 MUSEUM ROW 9 ON BOOKS, PLACES 11 THEATER REVIEW 12 AT THE MOVIES 12 BRIDGE MATTERS 14 BEEZWAX 15 PROFESSOR 15 CLASSIFIED ADS 15

SECTION THREE SECTION THREE

GRAD SALUTE

1-16

sphere was all abuzz when “Los Angeles Times” staff writer Dakota Smith reported on May 12 that new barricades had been erected around the parkway in front of the official Getty House mayoral residence in Windsor Square. This followed weeks of protests on various issues, including opposition to the stayat-home orders issued for the coronavirus pandemic. One protest included people sprawled on the parkway engaged in a die-in protest about rent. Reporter Smith first wrote that the Mayor’s office had declined to comment on why the barricades were installed. Later that night, she tweeted that the Mayor’s office responded further: “The city put in temporary barriers to protect the plants.” The Larchmont Chronicle wrote about the Getty House drought-tolerant parkway in

GETTY HOUSE with barricades erected in mid-May 2020.

our November 2015 issue. It now turns out that the barricades indeed were tempo-

rary. A low metal parkway fence recently was installed, presumably to protect the plants.

LOW FENCE now protects the drought-tolerant plantings.

Larchmont Chronicle

JUNE 2020

SECTION ONE

Greater Miracle Mile Chamber of Commerce meets via Zoom

By Caroline Tracy The Greater Miracle Mile Chamber of Commerce held its first-ever virtual luncheon meeting (menu: contents from each attendee’s own kitchen). Organized over Zoom, Chamber guests included Sen. Ben Allen (D-CA); Fernando Morales, district director for County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl; and Rob Fisher, field deputy for Councilman David Ryu. All spoke about issues related to COVID-19 and the state, local and federal govern-

ments’ responses to the crisis. Each told of the various measures being advocated by his office — such as tax filing extensions, stimulus/relief packages and mortgage relief options — that are available to members of the business and residential communities that make up the Miracle Mile. In mid-May, another virtual Chamber luncheon hosted guest speaker Ron Galperin, Los Angeles City Controller. For more information, visit miraclemilechamber.org.

MEMBERS OF the Greater Miracle Mile Chamber of Commerce participate in the organization’s first virtual luncheon.

Slow Streets

(Continued from page 1) traffic. These “Slow Streets” allow pedestrians in denser, park-poor neighborhoods to spread out on designated residential roads to enjoy fresh air and flowering jacarandas without crowding other passersby on narrow sidewalks. However, the road still must be shared with cars (supposed-

ly local residents, but there’s no enforcement), delivery trucks and bicyclists, so caution is advised. Mid City West In the Mid City West Community Council area, signs went up on May 23 to designate a 33-block route that winds from Formosa Ave. (just west of La Brea Ave. and south of Santa Monica Blvd.) along Rosewood and Oakwood Ave-

tion and StreetsLA (the City’s Bureau of Street Services in the Public Works Dept.), todate has created Slow Streets in Del Rey, West Los Angeles / Sawtelle, and Eagle Rock, and others are in process. Those interested in establishing a Slow Street in their area need a sponsoring agency, such as a homeowners association, neighborhood council or Parent Teacher Association. Spon-

sors submit an online application to the city and agree to maintain Slow Street signage and report social distancing and mask violations or any congregating in groups. Slow Streets are meant to facilitate safe movement rather than provide an excuse to hold a block party! Let’s wait till the pandemic passes for that. The Safe Street application is at: tinyurl.com/ya2bj2e6

Stores open

(Continued from page 1) hygiene measures are followed. In the interim period preceding the governments’ latest loosening of controls, some of those same stores had been selling from their front doors, as was the case at Landis Gifts & Stationery. Now, the only way to find out if your favorite store is open is to give a call or drive by. Right: EDIE FRÈRE at Landis Gifts & Stationery sold items from her front door prior to being allowed to let customers back inside.

Celebrate All DADS &

GRADS

when you visit

Larchmont Village Shops & Eateries or

Go Online to Shop Our Merchandise & Services “an oasis in the city” SPONSORED BY

www.LARCHMONT.com

LARCHMONT BOULEVARD ASSOCIATION

©LC0620

OAKWOOD AT HARPER is part of the 33-block Slow Street route supported by the Mid City West Community Council.

nues to Sweetzer Ave., where it turns south, crossing Beverly Blvd. and Third St., to end at Sweetzer and Colgate Avenues. Windsor Square Slow Street advocates have filed applications to implement a zone in Windsor Square, as shown on a city website: tinyurl. com/y9cxmx9c. At its May 27 board of directors meeting, the Windsor Square Association discussed the proposal and agreed to support the efforts of the sponsors, while suggesting to them that the Fourth and Fifth Street “Slow Streets” should extend east to Van Ness Avenue (to be “from Rossmore Ave. to Van Ness Ave.”). A city program In addition to the Mid City West route, the program, managed by the Mayor’s office, the City’s Dept. of Transporta-

Larchmont Chronicle

JUNE 2020

SECTION ONE

THE SCEI GLAUCOMA

CENTER OF EXCELLENCE CONDITIONS WE SPECIALIZE IN

Founding Director, Dr. Rohit Varma (left) and Dr. Alena Reznik

ABOUT US

The glaucoma experts at Southern California Eye Institute are dedicated to preventing vision loss through high-quality patient care and cutting-edge research. The earlier glaucoma is detected and treatment is initiated, the more likely visual function can be preserved. When glaucoma is conﬁrmed, our specialists develop a personalized treatment plan. This may include non-invasive treatments such as medication and lasers, minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS), or an incisional surgical procedure.

• Open-angle Glaucoma • Angle-closure/Narrow Angle Glaucoma • Congenital and Childhood Glaucoma • Juvenile Onset Glaucoma • Glaucoma Associated with Retinal Diseases • Glaucoma Secondary to Eye Trauma • Neovascular Glaucoma • Glaucoma Secondary to Steroid Use • Pigmentary Glaucoma Dispersion • Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome • Uveitic Glaucoma

www.sceyes.org

hollywoodpresbyterian.com

NO GLAUCOMA DAMAGE

EARLY GLAUCOMA DAMAGE

MODERATE GLAUCOMA DAMAGE

ADVANCED GLAUCOMA DAMAGE

Images represent how vision loss progresses with increasing glaucoma damage.

LOS ANGELES • BEVERLY HILLS • ENCINO • PASADENA • BAKERSFIELD

Call us today at (323)375-1834 to schedule an appointment

JUNE 2020

SECTION ONE

Larchmont Chronicle

Threat of virus exposes simmering racism and bigotry These past months have been harrowing, as we have worked together as a community to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus. Unfortunately, it has exposed many pre-existing vulnerabilities in our society — income inequality, educational disparities, weaknesses in our social safety nets — that have exacerbated the gravity of this crisis. What this virus has also exposed is the racism and bigotry that have long simmered in certain corners of our society, particularly against Asian Americans as well as Asian and Pacific Islanders around the world. Asian Americans have long been told to simply sit down and be quiet — to put our heads down, work, and try to achieve the American dream through courtesy and hard work. My grandmother, who lived through wars, revolutions, and moving to America

Council Report by

David E. Ryu

from Korea with my family, used to always tell us “don’t act up,” “stay quiet,” because “we are guests in this country.” My grandmother had her reasons for saying this — she had seen her life upended from conflict, and she simply wanted the best for my siblings and me. She thought that, in America, the best came from staying quiet. But no amount of staying quiet kept America from interning citizens of Japanese descent during World War II. No amount of hard work saved Korean businesses during the Los Angeles Riots of 1992. And no matter how hard Asian

Americans of all backgrounds work, many of them as nurses and doctors currently saving lives, hate crimes against AsianAmericans are today on the rise. This racism and rise in hate doesn’t come out of nowhere — and it takes on a different and more emboldened tone when it is propagated by the highest levels of American democracy. We have heard the President and Congressional leaders use terms like “Wuhan Virus” or “Chinese Virus,” all while a shocking rise in violent attacks against Asian Americans continues across the country. Asian Americans Advancing Justice, a local advocacy organization, has documented the stories of survivors of these hate crimes, which you can read more about at StandAgainstHatred.org. Contagion Unfortunately, we can also find the impacts of this hate here in Los Angeles. In our

own Fourth Council District, there have been deeply disturbing instances of racist, antiAsian graffiti. Even our diverse City of Angels is not immune from the contagion of bigotry. For years, we have seen a troubling rise in anti-Semitism and crimes against the Jewish community. Hate knows no boundaries, and it is overcome only when we stand together. Although we have yet to find a cure to racism and hate, we on the City Council are committed to fostering an inclusive and safe Los Angeles for all communities. We know that this is the time for all affinity, identity and religious groups to stand in solidarity and work towards the promise of acceptance. Legislation As a member of the Public Safety Committee, I have championed landmark hate crimes legislation. Alongside regularly tracking and reporting on hate crimes, we are also working on a system to proactively prevent these crimes. I have also launched a hate crime security fund with Council District Four discretionary funds. Hate must be addressed at every level of government. When our most prominent national leaders propagate absurd and unproven conspiracy theories about the source of the virus, when racism is used as a cheap political token, we must speak out. We must demand better. That is why I was proud to sponsor a Resolution in the

City Council in support of Rep. Grace Meng’s COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act (H.R.6721). This bill, co-sponsored by the Greater Wilshire area’s Congressional Representative Ted Lieu and others, condemns anti-Asian hate in all its forms. We need the FBI and the Department of Justice to take the issue of hate crimes seriously and protect all our country’s people. This legislation is something that is much needed, and I believe that, if passed and appropriately implemented, it can begin to peel back at this rise in hate. Moreover, I believe that legislation can help create an important shift in our cultural discourse and re-emphasize key notions of civility, respect, and acceptance. These are all values to which we collectively aspire as an American people. They are ideals that are enshrined in our founding documents and are re-affirmed by every generation of Americans bending the arc of history toward justice. They are virtues that inform my approach as your Councilmember. As we work together towards these values, we will undoubtedly hit challenges and meet resistance. We are at one of those challenges. But it is how we react in times of difficulty that shows us who we are. Let Los Angeles show the world that, when hate rears its ugly head, we rise, together, to stand with one another and overcome hate.

Bloom

zations have a general policy concern with the bill’s delegation of legislative prerogative to the executive branch to develop definitions that will dictate where AB 1279 will apply. We strongly prefer to develop a specific definition in statute.” The advocacy group Livable California argues that AB 1279 would jam ultra-dense housing into newly defined areas: “Bloom would force 50-unit and 120-unit apartments into fully settled, stable communities. Which ones? AB 1279 will map them out later, then drop the mess on we, the public.” Bloom, unavailable In an attempt to find some clarity as to what constitutes a “high-opportunity area,” the Chronicle made multiple requests over a three-week period to chat with Bloom about the legislation that he authored. According to Chief of Staff Guy Strahl, Bloom’s schedule could not accommodate a phone call during that time because lawmakers were working to catch up on the legislative calendar after an extended recess due to the coronavirus. AB 3173 Introduced by Bloom in Feb. 2020, this bill would require (Please turn to page 7)

(Continued from page 3) residential development projects meeting size and other eligibility criteria. What do supporters say about the bill? San Francisco-based civil rights law firm Public Advocates described their support of the bill in an April 2020 update: “To promote more mixed-income and affordable housing development in areas with wealth and other resources where low-income people have been denied an opportunity to live for generations.” The Western Center on Law & Poverty, another co-sponsor of the bill, says of the legislation: It “would facilitate denser, mixedincome and affordable housing development in high-resource communities that lack racial and economic diversity.” The devil might be in the details, critics argue. What is an opportunity zone? What does it mean to lack racial and economic diversity? These are questions that can be sorted out after the legislation is passed, supporters say. “Not so fast,” argues the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) in a letter to Sacramento: “Our organi-

Larchmont Chronicle

JUNE 2020

SECTION ONE

New Wilshire Captain has the experience we need now

By Billy Taylor There is a new commanding officer at the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Wilshire Division, and she has the ideal background to respond to a pandemic, residents learned at a recent town hall. Capt. Shannon Paulson joined the LAPD in 1991, after serving as a police explorer from the early age of 13. Since then, Paulson has worked as an officer in divisions across the city, including West Los Angeles, West Valley and Van Nuys, to name a few. In addition to her work on the LAPD, Paulson has prior active duty and reserve service with the United States Navy as an enlisted intelligence specialist and a commissioned intelligence officer. An Iraqi War combat veteran, she left the Navy in 2012 as Lieutenant Com-

skin

deep by Dr. Rebecca Fitzgerald

This month I just want to reach out and let you know how much we are looking forward to reopening the office soon. We miss our patients dearly. Like the rest of the world, there will be a new normal until this virus is safely behind us. We’re carefully planning safety measures for when we reopen, such as wearing masks, taking staff temperatures daily as well as staff COVID testing, and staggering appointments so that our patients are not sharing space in the waiting area. Thankfully, as medical professionals we are accustomed to all elements of safety protocol. In the meantime, we are up to many of the same things at home that you likely are. We are taking stock of this unique time to enjoy our immediate families, cooking, exercising and, of course, sleeping in! Some of us are rediscovering old hobbies such as painting and practicing improv, some of us are learning new languages. And one of our staff members is using this time to study for the medical school entrance exam. Of course we will let you know as soon as we are able to determine our reopening date. Our hearts go out to all of those who have been harshly impacted by this pandemic, We hope you are able to find some unexpected silver linings in all of this. Stay safe, be well. Dr. Rebecca Fitzgerald is a Board Certified Dermatologist located in Larchmont Village with a special focus on anti-aging technology. She is a member of the Botox Cosmetic National Education Faculty and is an international Training Physician for Dermik, the makers of the injectable Sculptra. She is also among a select group of physicians chosen to teach proper injection techniques for Radiesse, the volumizing filler, around the world. Dr. Fitzgerald is an assistant clinical professor at UCLA. Visit online at www.RebeccaFitzgeraldMD. com or call (323) 464-8046 to schedule an appointment. Adv.

mander. This experience led to her engagement with the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, a training cooperative through the Department of Homeland Security, where she instructs emergency response personnel across the nation and assists with the design of curricula on subjects related to terrorism, crisis response and disaster management. Coronavirus Thanks to this specialized training in emergency response, Paulson was ready to confront the coronavirus. During an April 29 Town Hall meeting hosted via Zoom

Bloom

(Continued from page 6) cities with more than 400,000 people to permit the development of “micro-unit buildings” that include units that are no greater than 80 square feet, excluding a bathroom. Local agencies may establish a minimum size for a microunit less than 80 square feet. Affordable units are not required in the bill. Sure, building closet-size apartments does produce density, but who does it serve? The idea that a couple, much less a family with kids, could live in such a small space is hard for some critics to imagine. However, the benefit to developers is clear: Micro-units can double the rent per square foot of a midsize apartment. In an Urban Land Institute study, “The Macro View on Micro Units,” the think-tank found that: “In the West, price premiums for small units reach 43 percent over their mid-sized counterparts and a whopping 80 percent over the large units.” Senate housing production package Our local lawmaker, Bloom, authored the two

POLICE BEAT WILSHIRE DIVISION Senior Lead Officer Dave Cordova 213-793-0650 31646@lapd.lacity.org Twitter: @lapdwilshire

OLYMPIC DIVISION Senior Lead Officer Joseph Pelayo 213-793-0709 31762@lapd.lacity.org Twitter: @lapdolympic

Capt. Shannon Paulson

by the LAPD Wilshire Division to update residents on coronavirus-related issues, Paulson assured the commubills discussed above, but they are in no way the only housing bills currently being considered in Sacramento. In fact, the California Senate Democrats released a Housing Production Package of five bills on May 20 that, if passed, would modify existing CEQA requirements in an attempt to increase and expedite housing production. Those bills include: SB 902 (Wiener), SB 995 (Atkins), SB 1085 (Skinner), SB 1120 (Atkins) and SB 1385 (Caballero). “This is light touch density, but it has the possibility to significantly increase housing over time,” said state Sen. Scott Wiener about SB 902, which he filed after his efforts to pass both SB 50 and SB 827 failed.

nity that the LAPD is in control: “The bottom line is that the police are completely and fully able to fulfill and render regular service, as well as the additional measures that we are taking.” Paulson explained that the Wilshire Division front desk was closed during the crisis, but that all calls for service were handled as usual. She noted that some community officers, such as Senior Lead Officers, have been reassigned to patrol activities. Paulson reported that she has been in regular communication with hospitals in the area, including CedarsSinai and Kaiser. “Words cannot express how impressed I am with their dedication and competency,” she said in praise. With the exception of a single day in April, both hospitals have been able to manage the traffic in their critical care units. “So far, they are operating at normal levels. They are in good shape,” she reported.

Pan Pacific In addition to their regular duties, Paulson said that Wilshire Division officers were staffing a temporary homeless shelter at Pan Pacific Park Recreation Center. The shelter is for people local to the area, said Paulson, who noted that all receive a health screening when they arrive and when they re-enter the facility, which was operating near its capacity of 200 people in April. The shelter at Pan Pacific Park is designated by the city as a “no symptoms” shelter, so if someone with symptoms arrives, he or she is re-directed to a new location. In regards to crime, Paulson described a marked decrease in Wilshire over the past couple of months “that is probably a result of the circumstances.” Still, she warned, as the weather warms, remember to keep doors and windows closed and locked. And beware of scams, either by phone calls, emails or letters that offer COVID-19 testing — “they are all bogus.”

Sylva Bezian, DDS Comprehensive Dentistry for All Ages

Lifetime Member of ADA, CDA & LADS

Voted Top Dentist in Los Angeles 2018-2019 Yelp 5 Star rating • USC Dental School graduate

H Evening and Saturday appointments available H Larchmont Medical Building 321 N. Larchmont Blvd., Suite 517 • 323-957-5100 www. sylvabeziandds.com

JUNE 2020

SECTION ONE

Larchmont Chronicle

Safari fashion in vogue at GLAZA; New Village girls inspire For the first time ever, anyone could attend the Beastly Ball, but only virtually. The event — held annually by the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA), the volunteer organization that supports the Los Angeles Zoo — was on May 15. Guests tuning in were encouraged to wear their finest safari fashions and order goodies from supporting restaurants such as El Cholo, Pink’s Hot Dogs and Formosa Café. Although GLAZA could not host its usual strolling meal at the Zoo this year, the array of supporting eateries offered discounts and provided exclusive recipes. The only glitch was a 15-minute delay at the beginning — which the master of ceremonies, comedian and actor Joel McHale, quickly overcame, quipping, “Hey, the quarantine silent auction

Around the Town with

Patty Hill package, I’ll autograph the toilet paper.” Many celebrities participated. Each encouraged viewers to bid on featured items (Charlie Sheen rooted for the mountain yellow-tailed frog’s release back into the wild). Others among the famous and fabulous making appearances were: Brian Wilson (yes, that Brian Wilson) and Dave Matthews (who both sang from their homes), Lance Bass, Julie Chang and Lisa Ling. Future Zoo Ball honorees (and brothers) Chris Kratt and Martin Kratt, with Dr. Barbara Natterson-

ZOO BALL host Joel McHale promises to autograph 4-packs of toilet paper.

DAVE MATTHEWS performs in support of LA Zoo.

Horowitz and Kathryn Bowers, also joined in the video fun, along with GLAZA President Tom Jacobson and Los Angeles Zoo CEO and Director Denise Verret. Although the auction did not close until 10 p.m. on Sunday evening, the event recorded an interim total raised of close to $1 million for the Zoo’s educational programs. ••• New Village Girls Academy, the first single-sex public school in the state of California, held its own virtual fundraiser May 17. Viewers met some of this year’s inspiring students and Principal Jennifer Quinones answered questions asked live. Opportunities to support the school’s mission were

plentiful. Participants were asked to finance one month of counseling and social service support, Wi-Fi access for distance learning, laptops and an entire year of wellness days, all geared to developing students’ ability to care for themselves physically and emotionally. Chair of the Board Dan Posel, along with board member Belinda Smith Walker, spoke of the determination and resiliency of the students. “During ordinary times, the care and continuity we provide is already unmatched. With the COVID-19 crisis, our students and their families need your support more than ever,” said Principal Quinones. Harriet Strong, the first president of The Ebell of Los

NEW VILLAGE GIRLS Academy Principal Jennifer Quinones at virtual fundraiser.

Angeles, once said, circa 1895: “I find a way, or I make one. I serve.” Angelenos continue to find ways to serve … and to support their worthy causes. And that’s the chat!

Surviving

(Continued from page 1) work. I was a new baby, and my father took care of me and my three-year-old brother.” Her mother found a job on a farm, earning $6 a week plus butter, eggs and milk for her growing family. Allemand’s grandmother had made the first pincushion — the family called it a “sewing chair” — and her mother made two smaller ones as gifts, from one yard of fabric. “Each one cost about 7 cents apiece to make. … “One day when my mother came home from work, my dad was taking care of my brother Kenneth and me. He had made 12 of these little sewing chairs and had them sitting on top of the davenport. They looked so cute, she thought that she could sell them.” So, her mother took them to a nearby upscale neighborhood and, going door-to-door, sold each one. The compact design had a thimble tucked in a side pocket, scissors in the back, thread stored under the seat and pins pricked in the seat cushion. Her mother, who would eventually become a hospital nurse and treat tuberculosis patients, years later sent one of the sewing chairs to Joan,

JOAN ALLEMAND says the Depression-era pincushion project can teach how to help weather the COVID-19 crisis of the present day.

with a note: “Dad kept making chairs, and I worked! We paid ALL our bills, kept food on the table, & NEVER WERE ON RELIEF! “When he went back to work, I quit my job. These little chairs have always been a fond part of our lives, so I hope you enjoy having one. Love, & Fond Memories, Dad & Mom.” Joan’s father also was handy with the laundry, according to another note from her mom: “On Sunday night, after I left for my job, and he had baby you and Kenneth tucked into bed, he’d do the weekly wash and hang it out! “All the neighbor ladies sure envied him. No matter how

SEWING CHAIR design came in handy during the 1930s Great Depression.

early they did their Monday wash, [he] had his on the line before they did. He was quite a sharpie! Ha! Love, Mom.” Her parents worked “very, very hard,” said Allemand. “It was pounded into us to never take money and to work hard.” It’s a lesson Allemand has carried with her throughout her life. She came to Los Angeles in 1960, earned a doctorate in art history from UCLA, and she taught art at Beverly Hills High School. With her then-husband, Denis Allemand (an architect, who had worked at Welton Becket and Associates), she opened an interior design company, Denis Allemand & (Please turn to page 9)

Larchmont Chronicle

JUNE 2020

SECTION ONE

Confessions of a COVID-19 non-cleaner and other failures

Surviving

(Continued from page 8) Assoc. The couple designed interiors for hotels, restaurants, airports and shopping malls. In 1989, she created the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program for kindergarten through 12th graders (this year’s winning duck stamp will go on sale June 26), and, she is now completing an abstract drawing

TEENAGERS Estelle and Ruby are horrified that their mom Mel Stolz-Sumegi wants to cut their hair.

WHAT DO YOU DO when the store delivers too many cucumbers? Peggy Giffin makes pickles!

“I failed at grocery shopping.” The process of making a supermarket list electronically and waiting for it to arrive is exciting — “It’s kinda like Christmas!” Giffin enthuses — but just as one’s holiday wish list doesn’t always arrive under the tree, so, too, grocery deliveries can vary from dreams. “I ordered two bananas and got two bunches. I ordered two

WHAT IS THIS? The writer is perplexed with cleaning supplies in her cabinet.

program for Kindle for high school and college students. Joan has visited every continent and traveled to 100 countries over her lifetime. And, she gives a mean party. “I usually have a fabulous July 4th party and a December one.” She’s already planning her next one for when the coronavirus is over. “My invite list contains former art students from Beverly Hills, artists, actors, writers, photographers, teachers,

WITH USELESS SKIS behind her, even owning weights doesn’t inspire Lauren Deutsch to exercise at home.

ON STRIKE from preparing breakfasts, Myrna Gintel makes air-fried chicken brunch.

RIMPAU resident Rudy Gintel gets domestic.

cucumbers and got 14 cucumbers,” she laughs. “So I made pickles!” Breakfast or lunch Over on Rimpau there’s another type of COVID-food fail. Myrna Gintel initially approached the challenge of staying home with enthusiasm. That changed about three days in, as she states, “I was making breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. I said to [my husband] Rudy, ‘I’m done! I’ll make dinner, but it’s either breakfast or lunch.’” She details further, “He [Rudy] comes into the dinette and sits down, waiting for breakfast to be served. Normally I’m happy to do it. Eggs, bacon, toast.” Instead, Gintel asked, “You do know where the refrigerator is, don’t you?” A small victory occurred in the midst of their food negotiations. One day Rudy cleared the table, put on an apron and washed the dishes. “It’s a miracle!” exclaims Gintel. To ease the cooking burden, they purchased an air fryer, and Gintel enjoys making “air-fried brunches” — especially air-fried chicken. The downside to being home all the time means that food is always around, and Gintel has discovered that “It’s not the COVID-19, it’s the COVID-19-pounds!” She hasn’t wanted to step on the scale lately, but she reveals that, so far, “Rudy’s gained nine.” Exercise? Perhaps it’s time for some exercise and who among us hasn’t been bombarded with emails and messages about

Zoom cardio classes, Facebook live yoga, or flexibility instruction. They’re there for the taking, but not everyone takes. “I can’t seem to get into exercise,” admits Lucerne Blvd. resident Lauren Deutsch. She was all set to go skiing when

the stay-at-home order hit, and now her skis stand as a constant reminder of her sedentary life, covered as they are in masks and sanitized gloves. “I was thinking this would give me more incentive [to (Please turn to page 27)

JUNIOR DUCK STAMP for 2020 is a wood duck painted by Madison Grimm, age 13, from South Dakota.

neighbors and the post office lady.”

325 N. Larchmont Boulevard, #158 Los Angeles, California 90004 www.windsorsquare.org 157 N. Larchmont Boulevard

Our Health

June is usually a time for big celebrations — graduations, Father’s Day barbeques, weddings and family reunions, among others. Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed those traditions for the time being, as we are all advised to avoid groups and to shelter at home, as much as possible. Marking milestones under these circumstances calls for creativity — drive-by birthday parties, Zoom reunions and cocktail parties, and small, socially distanced front yard get-togethers. Also this year, all of Windsor Square is sharing in the celebration of high school graduates from a variety of nearby schools, through those cheerful signs dotting lawns all over the neighborhood. Even though you didn’t have a large audience applauding your accomplishment in person, you do have a whole community, including the Windsor Square Association, cheering you on! Although the Los Angeles area is making positive strides in handling this unpredictable virus, it’s still important to follow expert advice to prevent infection rates from rising. The Mayor has issued a statement requiring residents to wear masks when around other people, both in stores and outside. Keep in mind that masks are meant primarily to protect others, not necessarily the wearer, and that the disease can be spread even by people who have no symptoms themselves. While some may think the risk is overblown, doctors and nurses working long shifts in dangerous circumstances would beg to differ. Be a good citizen: Cover up and keep your distance!

o o o

And Our Trees’ Health The WSA has been dedicated to our local “urban forest” for many years, helping to keep Windsor Square’s beautiful tree canopy as healthy and full as possible. We’d like to alert homeowners to a new problem that has the potential to kill many street trees. It’s an insect called Tulip Tree Scale, which seems to target younger Magnolias in particular. Aggressive infestations have been spotted on Arden, Irving and Norton, north of Third, for example. The insect, which looks like a large, round wart, reproduces rapidly and gradually sucks the life out of the tree. Other signs of infestation are black soot on leaves and yellowing leaves. To survive, trees need to be sprayed with horticultural oil by arborists. We are working with homeowners and the city to try to provide solutions to this problem. If you see signs of this insect on Magnolias in your yard, let us know by emailing info@windsorsquare.org. The Windsor Square Association, an all-volunteer group of residents from 1100 households between Beverly and Wilshire and Van Ness and Arden, works to preserve and enhance our beautiful neighborhood. Join with us! Drop us a line at 325 N. Larchmont Blvd., #158, Los Angeles, CA 90004, or visit our website at windsorsquare.org. ADV.

©LC0620

By Helene Seifer During this time of social distancing, the population has divided into two camps: those who have robustly embraced their inner homebody by mastering bread baking, closet organizing or conversational Italian; and those who might be politely categorized as failing to do any of that. I fall into the latter camp, having discovered to my horror that relying on a housekeeper all these years has left me with absolutely no idea how to clean my home. Which of dozens of spray bottle cleaning agents should be used for scrubbing the kitchen counter? For polishing the furniture? For attacking the soap scum on the shower door? I didn’t recognize for weeks that the weird pot-bellied stick in the hall closet was a vacuum cleaner. When had we traded in the Hoover for that space-age gadget? And will someone please tell me what the liquid-filled milk jug labeled “not H2O” under the sink contains? At least I’m not alone. Mel Stolz-Sumegi prefers her home on S. Victoria to be neat, but things aren’t working out that way in the age of the coronavirus. “I like a really clean house,” she emphasizes, “and I’m trying to organize things. I pull things out of the cupboard, but I get bored halfway through. Marie Kondo would not approve!” Instead, she starts new projects, from sorting the Tupperware to attacking the linen closet. “I’m kind of a clean freak, but now I have all these random piles — at least 20 of them!” With a husband, two children and lots of pets, Stolz-Sumegi finds it impossible to get everything done. “I think I have all this time, but I never actually finish anything. The intention to be a domestic goddess is there.” “I’m terrible at cleaning,” Peggy Giffin admits. “I did ruin a fairly expensive bathroom faucet by using the wrong product on it. Now it has permanent spots all over and I’ll have to buy a new one.” The Hancock Park resident has another confession.

Larchmont Chronicle

JUNE 2020

SECTION ONE

Comfort food was on the menu at 13 area fire stations Firefighters dined on barbecued ribs and homemade pies on Los Angeles Fire Service Day, thanks to City Council District Four, the Original Farmers Market and First-In Fire Foundation. Councilmember David Ryu and First-In Fire members delivered meals to 13 Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) fire stations May 9. “Los Angeles firefighters continue to serve our city with courage throughout this coronavirus pandemic,” Councilmember Ryu said. “Most years, we’d celebrate Fire Service Day with a community celebration or pancake breakfast. This year, I thought we could show our appreciation and our support for small businesses by buying meals for all the fire stations in Council District Four.” On the menu were baby

COUNCILMAN David Ryu brought some well-deserved fare to firefighters at Fire Station 27 on Fire Service Day.

back ribs from Huntington Meat and Sausage, fresh produce from Farm Boy Produce and, for dessert, apple and cherry pies from Du-par’s Restaurant and Bakery. The meals were funded by Councilmember Ryu’s discretionary funds and the First-In

Fire Foundation. “What a perfect way to thank our local hometown heroes — delivering firefighters’ favorite foods, comfort foods, right to the firehouse door,” said Lyn MacEwan Cohen, president of First-In Fire Foundation. “We are so pleased that our

merchants were asked to participate,” said Mark Panatier, retiring vice president of the A.F. Gilmore Company, owner of The Original Farmers Market. “Providing nourishing and delicious food is what our grocers and restaurants do best. I know our participating businesses are thrilled to be a part of this heartfelt ‘thank you gift’ to the brave men and women at our local fire stations who work so tirelessly for our community each and every day,” concluded Panatier. Panatier marked completion of 29 years of working at the Market on May 29. “The Los Angeles Fire Department is extremely grateful to Councilmember Ryu and the First-In Fire Foundation for their generous donation to several of our fire stations,” said LAFD Deputy

Chief Graham Everett. The Firehouse Dinners pilot program, created and managed by the First-In Fire Foundation, began on April 8 at Fire Station 61 on Third Street at Alta Vista Blvd. To support the First-In Fire Foundation and the Firehouse Dinners program, visit firstinfirefoundation.org. New director at Market Peter Hayden has taken over Panatier’s duties as director of development at the Farmers Market. Prior to joining Gilmore, Hayden managed redevelopment of commer- Peter Hayden cial assets in Seattle and Southern California for Simon Property Group. And, he has overseen several projects for Caruso.

Wilshire Rotary club raises record amount for St. James’ food pantry Last month, Wilshire Rotary collected three truckloads and one carload of food — 1,865 pounds worth — and raised an additional $1,300 for donation to the food pantry at St. James’ Church, which gives out approximately 900 grocery and quick bags of food per month. The food drive was conducted over the first two weekends in May at the vacant lot at 568 N. Larchmont Blvd. (also the location of the annual pumpkin patch and Christmas tree lot). Social distancing protocols were practiced and face coverings were worn as Rotarians spent four hours in the sun each day of the drive accepting donations such as canned meats, vegetables, and fruit,

ROTARY MEMBERS who helped collect donations for the food drive included Tish Johnson, Janice Prior, John Duerler, Melody St. John, Kelly Bevan Spirer and Ron Reyes (foreground).

peanut butter, jelly, fruit juices, soups, stews, beans, rice, pasta and cereal. Other items

Have you been working on that memoir or novel while you‘ve been stuck at home?

Need a fresh pair of eyes for your manuscript?

and developmental editing. • APA, MLA, Chicago and AP • Novels, memoirs, scripts, theses, essays, articles & more.

Track Changes. • Prices start at $30/hour for straight proofreading.

©LC0520

Putt Putt Productions can help! • Proofreading, copyediting, • Hardcopy or MS Word’s

Email rachel@puttputtproductions.com for job estimate.

For more information, go4X2.5.qxp_BLUTHNER/LARCHMONT to PuttPuttProductions.com BLUTHNER/LARCHMONT 4X2.5 8/22/16

Leipzig, Germany since 1853

Concert, Recording, Home Rentals Henle Editions Helga Kasimoff

LA’s oldest family piano store

kasimoffpianoslosangeles.com

KASIMOFF-BLUTHNER PIANO CO. 337 N. LARCHMONT BL. • HOLLYWOOD, CA 90004

323-466-7707

included pouches of tuna, crackers, cookies, snack packs, instant soups and mini-cereals. Cathy Helm from St. James’ Food Pantry said that this was the single largest donation of food ever given to the church’s food pantry. The church distributes food in two ways, as in grocery bags for people who can prepare their own food, and in quick bags for people who do not have access to a kitchen. The food donated by Wilshire Rotary was the equivalent of almost two months’ worth of quick meals and pantry supplies. The high yield in gifts came about despite a heat wave on 11:04 the first weekend. The next weekend, the drive was held during balmy weather on the Friday and Saturday before Mother’s Day. Ron Reyes, Wilshire Rotary president, announced that in addition to the St. James’ Food Pantry, Wilshire Rotary Club, along with Wilshire Rotary Foundation, managed to donate numerous meals to people on Skid Row and provide donations to Alexandria House and HopeNet, as well. “The food drive was a great

ACCEPTING DONATIONS for the food drive last month were John Duerler, Yvette Paz, Janice Prior, Joyce Kleifield, Larry Gillham, Ron Reyes, Danielle Reyes, Christopher Cox and Angel Amezquita.

success that attracted donations from as far as the South Bay area of Los Angeles,” says Reyes. They are considering another event in June to support the Karsh Family Social Service Center. The goal of the food drive was to help with food donations to meet the needs of those affected by the coronavirus, as well as individuals who typically need assistance. For more information on future activities, or to donate, contact Ron Reyes at 323-6463090 or ron@woodexpressions.com, or visit wilshirerotary.org.

FUTURE ROTARIAN donated tomato soup with Elsa Gillham and Joyce Kleifield.

SCREEN SHOT. The Wilshire Rotary food drive is viewed through a window screen from an apartment next door.

Larchmont Chronicle

JUNE 2020

SECTION ONE

Pre-COVID-19, The Ebell celebrated its 125th and a cookbook n The club faces a difficult future

EBELL’S 125TH Anniversary Ball celebrants Bill Simon, Patty Lombard, Lorraine Spector and Laurie Schechter.

HOMEBOUND COOKS can try contemporary and vintage recipes from “The Ebell 125th Anniversary Cookbook.”

part of the Windsor SquareHancock Park community since 1927. So many came to Cotillion here, to lunches and lectures, to weddings.” Virtual programming The clubhouse might be closed, but the Ebell remains vibrant and active through virtual programming, some for members only and other programs that are open to the public. In June, public events include yoga sessions, a dairy-free cooking demonstration from Don’t You Dairy, a Brightland Olive Oil seminar on selecting and using the oil, a harp and vocal concert and a presentation from a Hollywood makeup artist. Recipes from diverse membership And now that so many of us are cranking up our cooking skills while sheltering at home, readers are invited to try recipes from “The Ebell 125th Anniversary Cookbook.” Cookbook editor Lizzie Blatt, a Windsor Square resident, explains, “We wanted to reflect what had been going on at The Ebell in the past, so we included recipes from the 1953 and 1979 cookbooks. We can see how foods have changed — it used to be ‘open up a can.’ Now cooking has become a leisure pursuit. We’ve gone back to basics with fresh and healthy foods.” She continues, “We also wanted to reflect the diversity of our membership, collecting their recipes from Korea, Guyana, Russia, Poland,

France, Ireland and Africa, plus African-American dishes.” Elizabeth Taylor cooks The Ebell’s food history is the same as our neighborhood’s history, and it’s fun to try the 1953 recipe for Green Goddess dressing from Mrs. Lon V. Smith, Ebell president from 1948-1950 (back when women never used their own first names, even at a women’s club) or 1979’s Nixon’s Chicken (made with mayonnaise and a can of cream of chicken soup) whose submitter, Jeanne Garcia, helpfully offered, “Democrats enjoy this too!” Also from the 1979 cookbook is a roast chicken recipe from Mrs. John Warner (Elizabeth Taylor). Or try one of these contemporary recipes from our friends and neighbors. Laurie Schechter’s Russian Pancakes 4 eggs 2 cups cottage cheese 1 cup sour cream 3/4 cup flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray or butter. Pour a large spoonful of batter onto the skillet and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side. Jane Gilman’s Rack of Lamb Serves 3-4 1 rack of lamb, with 7-8 ribs, at room temperature 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

CELEBRATING The Ebell of Los Angeles’ 125th anniversary before COVID-19 shut the doors. Photos by Boone Studios

2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons soy sauce Garlic powder to taste Salt and pepper to taste Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Marinate the lamb with a mixture of rosemary, oil and soy sauce. Sprinkle with garlic powder and place in a plastic bag. Place in refrigerator overnight or for at least three hours. Before roasting, sprinkle with salt and pepper, wrap bones in aluminum foil, and place in a pan, fat side up. Put the lamb in the oven for 45 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 125 degrees for rare or 135 degrees for medium rare. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes. Cut the lamb chops away from the rack by slicing

Local nutritionist to host ‘Age Well’ webinar June 5

Join nutritionist and author Patricia Greenberg in a Zoom webinar Fri., June 5 at 11 a.m. The Hancock Park resident will discuss “10 Steps to Aging Well,” based on her book, “Eat Well, Live Well, Age Well.” To register, visit tinyurl.com/ y8a74eba. The book includes nutritional tips, how to navigate the medical system, emotional wellness, relationships and end-of-life care.

between the bones. Serve 2-3 chops per person. Copies of “The Ebell 125th Anniversary Cookbook” can be ordered for $25 plus shipping at ebellofla.com/club/ club-events/cookbook. For the schedule of upcoming virtual programs, go to ebellofla.com/ club/clubevents. To contribute to the Emergency Relief Fund, go to ebellofla.com/donate. The Ebell website reminds readers that “The Ebell legacy is strong. We have endured for more than 125 years, through two World Wars and the Great Depression, and we will get through this.” Helene Seifer has been a member of the Ebell of Los Angeles for eight years and is a former board member.

Majestic Time Piece Melkon & Vartan High End Watch & Jewelry Repair

419 N. Larchmont Blvd., Suite 419 3/4 at the former Hans Custom Optik location

©LC1219

By Helene Seifer In December 2019, the Ebell of Los Angeles capped its 125th anniversary year with a sold-out dinner and dance party and the release of a cookbook filled with over 190 recipes from Ebell members past and present, including many from our Larchmontarea neighbors. It had been a banner year for the women’s club, with a record number of Ebell programs and lucrative rentals, a jump to over 620 members, and record-breaking fundraising. In March 2020, that all came to a screeching halt. The coronavirus shutdown has taken its toll on individuals and businesses alike, but nonprofits may be suffering most of all, and Southern California’s longest continuously operating women’s club is no exception. According to club president Ginger Barnard, “The 125th-anniversary fundraising campaign raised over $100,000 for the preservation and restoration of the clubhouse and Wilshire Ebell Theatre,” quadrupling the usual money raised in its annual donor drive. This money had been earmarked for long-desired improvements, such as adding more air conditioning. The elation was short-lived, however, when doors were closed. Gone was the crucial income from catering, theater rentals and feature film production. Gone was the excitement over upcoming sold-out programs. Now the extra money raised in celebration became an operating fund. “We have endowments to support our ongoing philanthropic work,” explains Barnard. “But the building itself does not have an endowment.” Fresh off the success of its anniversary fundraising, the Ebell finds itself in the position of having to turn back to the well. “We have created the Emergency Relief Fund to help with upkeep of our 83,000-square-foot building,” states Barnard, continuing, “We are very appreciative of the support our members are showing. In the first two weeks of the campaign they gave $50,000, but we need to raise half a million dollars during the next six months.” The Ebell has also received funds from the Payroll Protection Program and from the Small Business Administration, but that isn’t enough to preserve and protect this local historic landmark. With high expenses, including $20,000 per month for insurance, Barnard is hoping neighbors and local businesses consider donating. As she reminds us, “The Ebell has been an integral

lry Jewe tch & Wa too! , sales

(323) 933-0288 • Majestictimepiece@gmail.com

Larchmont Chronicle

JUNE 2020

SECTION ONE

Local favorite Marino hosts virtual dinner with chef, vintner, farmer The longer social distancing continues in some form, the more creative restaurants become. From well-priced prix fixe takeout meals to revolving nightly menus, many of our favorite former sit-down eateries are finding resourceful ways to keep diners interested and their businesses alive. Marino Ristorante was one of the first to include grocery options along with their takeaway dishes, and now they’ve leapt further with weekly Zoom dinners catering to the foodie crowd.

On the Menu by

Helene Seifer Sal Marino isn’t a fussy chef — no tweezer-placed pile of radish microgreens balanced atop a nasturtium blossom here — but he cooks with the honesty and depth of flavor one craves from the land of pasta. Now those comforting qualities are offered as weekly coursed virtual dinner events. Sign up for dinner for two, and a set meal with a bottle of wine will be delivered in time for a 6 p.m. Zoom conference with the other diners, Chef Marino and experts representing the featured food and wine. There are two reasons why this approach to dining is so welcome: it adds atmosphere lost when a restaurant’s dining room is subtracted from the eating equation, and it provides face-to-face time with the purveyors of the meal’s ingredients, thereby tapping into the locally-sourced, farmto-table movement. The mid-May virtual dinner that we experienced was

MARINO RISTORANTE Zooms dinner with experts and eaters. Arrow at top left is chef Sal Marino. Below him is Anthill Farms winemaker Anthony Filiberti. Arrow at right is Meredith Bell of Autonomy Farms.

loosely structured. Some of the roughly two-dozen participants ate while the experts spoke. Some waited until after the presentations. At times, it felt as though we had crashed a private dinner party since several of the diners clearly knew the chef, but the freewheeling quality had a charm and intimacy of its own — like a real dinner party in the real world. Our $149 meal for two began with an amuse bouche of a dollop of farmers’ market green garbanzo puree on a tiny romaine leaf. Creamy, almost buttery, with a taste somewhere between hummus, white bean puree, and smashed fresh peas, this little starter packed an outsized flavor punch. Then the meat of the meal began, pun intended, with

featured guest Meredith Bell from Autonomy Farms, a 4,000-acre farm outside Bakersfield that raised the grass fed lamb and pastured chicken in our dishes. The shredded lamb sauce in the Maccheroncini Braised Lamb Sugo was dense with pure meat funk and deeply satisfying, driving home the flavor difference between a hastily grabbed package of supermarket lamb loin and a naturally raised, quality cut. Chicken Vesuvio, one of Chef Marino’s signature dishes, was a heaping pile of drumettes and thighs, seasoned with chili flakes, garlic, white wine and parsley, and cooked in a hot oven. After Bell (under a tree in her pasture, where the wind noise sometimes covered her cellphone Zoom comments) described her farm’s animal-

raising methods, Chef Marino advised us to note the pastured poultry’s texture, since “chicken shouldn’t be soft.” Indeed, we appreciated the bite in our bites. We sopped up the garlicky oil with Sour Broz bread, a new artisanal purveyor. Vintner Anthony Filiberti

joined us from Anthill Farms on Dry Creek Road, near Geyserville in Sonoma County, and he explained that the “fresh and crunchy” 2017 Pinot Noir we enjoyed was culled from 12 vineyards. He expounded, “It might seem simple at times, (Please turn to page 13)

Our restaurant menu is available for take out & delivery!

Kids Graduation Tea Peanut Butter & Jelly Triangles Assorted Mini-Sandwiches Ham & Cheese, Chicken Salad Smoked Salmon upon request ($2 extra)

Available for Take-Out & Delivery **Order 2 days in advance

We are OPEN and here to serve our community!

GRADUATIO CUPCAKESN

Phone in an order and we’ll have it ready for pick up! Or get it delivered through Postmates! Our deli, bakery and all of your favorites are available!

Mini-muffins & Donuts Fresh Fruit Ske wers Tea & Apple Ju ice

Children’s Tea for 2......$16 Children’s Tea for 6......$24 Children’s Tea for 4......$20 Children’s Tea for 8......$28 Includes paper plates & a surprise for kids!

Fun for the Whole Family!

(323) 933-8447

©LC0620

In the Original Farmers Market 3rd & Fairfax • Open 24 Hours

Since 1931

World Famous, Award Winning Restaurant • Deli • Bakery • Bar

419 N. Fairfax Ave. (323) 651-2030

Larchmont Chronicle

DINNER ELEMENTS received from the delivery service are ready for discussion and eating and drinking.

On the Menu

(Continued from page 12) but complex foods sometimes need simple wines.” It was a perfect pairing. Peach streusel ended the meal on a sweet note, but five minutes later I found myself scraping the last lamb bits out of the bowl. Marino Ristorante 323466-8812. marinorestaurant. com. Autonomy Farms has a booth at the Sunday Hollywood Farmer’s Market. Anthill Farms wines are carried by K&L Wines. klwines.com. Movie pairings and other unusual food experiences There are numerous food experiences now available beyond the standard fare. Japan House, a cultural center as well as restaurant, is continuing its food-related series online until it’s safe to gather again. Their Japanese Food Lab is a video cooking class. As of this writing, their website features the Sakura Carrot Takikomi Gohan, a chicken and mirin dinner. Their Movie & Bites series selects a foodrelated Japanese film easily found on streaming services and publishes material online about the featured food. The first film selection is the noodle soup-obsessed “Tampopo,” accompanied by an exploration of regional ramen differences and tips on how to enhance the store-bought variety. Japanhouse.jp/losangeles. For those who enjoy a buildit-yourself experience, Chef Walter Manzke’s Petty Cash Taqueria has a $21 Taco Dinner Kit, which includes five blue corn tortillas, a choice of fillings, beans, poblano rice, chips and guacamole. They also offer brisket or cauliflower nacho kits for $13. 323-9335300. pettycashtaqueria.com. 7360 Beverly Blvd. If you find yourself driving back from a walk on the beach in Santa Monica, consider stopping at Röckenwagner Market for a culinary time travel experience: 1960s-style aluminum tray TV dinners can be preordered. The Salisbury steak and other classic meals sold in the market are provided by the updated Sinatra-

JUNE 2020

vibe (but COVID-closed) Dear John’s restaurant (Hans Rockenwägner is a partner, along with Josiah Citrin). 310-5770747. rockenwagnermarket. com/collections. 12835 Washington Blvd. Those craving a feel-good meal that helps the hungry can check out Few for All (FEW), an endeavor by three newly unemployed chefs and restaurant managers which delivers fresh pastas, sauces, cookie dough and bread Wednesday through Sunday. For every item ordered, they donate one pound of pasta to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. On Fridays, their Table 60 Project proffers a three-course meal for two with a bottle of wine and instant atmosphere: flowers with a bud vase, tablecloth, artist-designed menu, and playlist for a suggested minimum donation of $58 (their cost). Every dollar paid above that is also donated to the Food Bank. 323-602-0095. instagram.com/fewforall.

SECTION ONE

Restaurateurs / chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo give back to Los Angeles By Helene Seifer Restaurateurs are faced with tough decisions about the best way to proceed during the Safer-at-Home mandates. So many people depend on them: staff for their salaries, customers for the simple joy of eating someone’s expert cooking. They must determine whether they can stay open in any capacity without risking people’s health and without going bankrupt. Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo have assessed each of their restaurants separately and found ways to keep many staff members, serve the community, and give back. Jon & Vinny’s, a local favorite all-day Italian, offers pickup and delivery, as does its attached wine store, Helen’s. Their seafood-centric Beverly Grove eatery, Son of a Gun, is similarly open four half days a week. “We’re trying to get people

back to work,” explains Shook, although he admits that there are a lot of obstacles. “Even getting product has become more challenging,” he concedes. Their Animal restaurant was converted into Jon and Vinny’s Goods, a pickup and delivery store for organic produce, meats and many diverse items. Charitable cooking Over on Highland, Shook and Dotolo have temporarily closed their tiny French Bistro, Petit Trois (although their Valley version remains open for takeout), and they have transformed Trois Mec, their prix fixe fine dining restaurant with Chef Ludo Lefebvre, into the main kitchen for their charitable cooking for José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen (WCK), which provides meals for hospital workers and others in need. With the meal money they receive from WCK, their

repurposed space provides jobs for some of the employees who worked at this or other of their restaurants. Son of a Gun is also a WCK kitchen in the morning. “It’s been incredible to be able to work with these charities,” states Dotolo, adding, “We want to do more. We feel for people struggling more than we are. I feel incredibly lucky for the support of our community, our friends and our family. … It shows the love that we’ve gotten from this city at every turn. When this is over, we’ll continue to give love back.” Jon & Vinny’s 323-3343369 jonandvinnys.com. Helen’s 213-280-5118 helenswines.com. Jon & Vinny’s Goods 323782-9225 goods.jonandvinnys.com. Son of a Gun 323-782-9033 sonofagunrestaurant.com.

Open Daily For take out AND delivery MAGEE’S KITCHEN

FRITZI COOP

DU-PAR’S RESTAURANT

SUSHI A GO GO

BRYAN’S PIT BARBECUE

PHIL’S DELI

PATSY’S PIZZA

MOISHE’S RESTAURANT

THE GUMBO POT

CHARLIE’S COFFEE SHOP

SINGAPORE’S BANANA LEAF

BOB’S COFFEE & DOUGHNUTS

For a complete list of open merchants visit farmersmarketla.com NEW HOURS:

10AM UNTIL 7PM DAILY

•

(Many merchants have extended hours. Please call individual businesses for details.)

6333 W. THIRD ST. LOS ANGELES FARMERSMARKETLA.COM

•

• 323.933.9211 @FARMERSMARKETLA

JUNE 2020

SECTION ONE

Larchmont Chro

Updates in takeout and deliv By Rachel Olivier With the cautious reopening of more businesses, eateries and other food establishments have made adjustments on how they may safely serve customers. The following is a list of food places that offer takeout, call-ahead curbside pickup and / or contactless delivery, sometimes using services, such as Doordash. com, Grubhub.com, Postmates. com, Seamless.com, Trycaviar.com, or Ubereats.com. Some places sell fresh produce boxes, and many eateries offer wine, beer and cocktails. Call or check online as hours and services change. This is current as of late May, but information changes almost daily, so please check first. If you know a place we have missed, please email us at info@ larchmontchronicle.com. Grocery Delivery Grocery delivery businesses include: Instacart.com for Ralph’s, Vons, Pavilions, and Sprouts and others; Amazon.com for Whole Foods (as a Prime member); and Yummy.com, Butcherbox.com, Farmfreshtoyou.com, and Purplecarrot.com. Visit farmersmarketla. com/delivery or mercato.com for delivery from the Original Farmers Market.

Restaurants and cafés that offer takeout or delivery along Larchmont Boulevard or very close by include: Astroburger 5601 Melrose Ave. 323-469-1924 astroburger.com

BENNETTS ICE CREAM

Patrons of the Original Farmers Market, 6333 W. Third St., can find open vendors that offer curbside delivery and takeout via a button on the website, or order fresh produce and other items through mercato.com. Call 323933-9211 or visit farmersmarketla.com. Groceries and specialty foods: Bennett’s Ice Cream 323-939-6786

Bob’s Donuts 323-933-8929 The Dog Bakery 323-935-7512 thedogbakery.com

Burger Lounge 217 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-462-2310 burgerlounge.com

Kreation Juice 121 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-848-4714 kreationjuice.com

Tacos Tu Madre 203 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-499-1143 tacostumadre.com

Chan Dara 310 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-467-1052 chandararestaurants.com

Larchmont Village Wine, Spirits & Cheese 223 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-856-8699 larchmontvillagewine.com

Vernetti 225 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-798-5886 vernetti.la

Chipotle Mexican Grill 301 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-978-2047 chipotle.com Coffee + Food Larchmont Café 5630 Melrose Ave. 323-962-3390 coffeeplusfood.wordpress.com Erin McKenna’s Bakery 236 N. Larchmont Blvd. 855-462-2292 erinmckennasbakery.com Good Goose Café 5210 Beverly Blvd. 323-378-5272 goodgoosecafe.com

Le Petit Greek 127 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-464-5160 lepetitgreek.com Lemonade 626 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-464-0700 lemonadela.com

Go Get Em Tiger 230 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-543-4321 gget.com

Peet’s Coffee 124 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-978-1003 peets.com

Jamba Juice 122 N. Larchmont Blvd. (323) 378-5720 jamba.com

Pressed Juicery 201 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-464-5800 pressedjuicery.com

Kali Restaurant 5722 Melrose Ave. 323-871-4160 kalirestaurant.com

Farm Boy Produce (323) 936-6363 Farm Fresh Produce (323) 931-3773 Farmers Market Poultry (323) 936-8158 Green Maya Coffee 323-433-4010 greenmayacoffee.com Huntington Meats & Sausage 323-433-4010 huntingtonmeats.com Kaylin & Hobbs Pickles 323-933-9211 kaylinandhobbs.com Light My Fire 323-930-2484

DU-PAR’S at the Market has takeo

Beyond Larchmont Boulevard, you can find other open restaurants and cafés here:

Muraya 125 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-856-0369 Osteria Mamma 5732 Melrose Ave. 323-284-7060 osteriamamma.com

BOB’S DOUGHNUTS

Louise’s Trattoria 232 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-962-9510 louises.com

Groundwork 150 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-843-4920 groundworkcoffee.com

Kiku Sushi 246 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-464-1323

Village Pizzeria 131 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-465-5566 villagepizzeria.net

Angelini Alimentari 7317 Beverly Blvd. Angelini Osteria 7313 Beverly Blvd. 323-297-0070 angelinirestaurantgroup.com Antonio’s 7470 Melrose Ave. 323-658-9060 antoniosonmelrose.com Berri’s Café 8412 W. 3rd St. 323-852-0642 berrisla.com

ANGELINI on Be food-to-go.

El Ch 1121 S. We 323-734 elcholo

Cake Monkey 7807 Beverly Blvd. 323-932-1142 cakemonkey.com

Escuela T 7615 Beve 323-932 escuelataq

Sam’s Bagels 154 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-469-1249

Canter’s Deli 419 N. Fairfax Ave. 323-651-2030 cantersdeli.com

Fancifull G 5617 Mel 800-350 fancifullgiftb

Sweetfin 135 N. Larchmont Blvd. 323-465-6040 sweetfin.com

The Cat and the Fiddle 742 N. Highland Ave. 323-468-3800 thecatandfiddle.com

COFFEE CORNER

Littlejohn’s English Toffee 323-936-5379 littlejohnscandies.com Magee’s House of Nuts 323-938-4127 mageesnuts.com Magic Nut & Candy Co. 323-936-1383 themagicnut.com Marconda’s Meats 323 938-5131 marcondas.com Marconda’s Puritan Poultry 323-938-0312 marcondas.com Michelina Artisan Boulanger 323-329-4000 michelinala.com

Jon & V 412 N. Fa 323-334 jonandvin

FARM BOY PRODUCE

M. Marcel Gourmet Market 323-939-7792 mrmarcel.com M. Marcel Seafood Market 323-938-1919 mrmarcel.com T (Tea Shoppe) 323-930-0076 Temecula Olive Oil 323-879-9441 temeculaoliveoil.com T&Y Bakery 323-930-2355

Original Farmers Market restaurants: Bar 326 323-272-4928 farmersmarketbars.com

Blaze 323-931 www.blaze

Buca di 323) 37 www.bucadi

Charlie’s C 323-933

Chip 323-857 chipotl

Coffee Bean 323-857 coffeebe

Coffee 323-938

onicle

JUNE 2020

SECTION ONE

very options as city reopens

e Original Farmers out.

everly Blvd. offers

holo estern Ave. 4-2773 o.com

Taqueria erly Blvd. 2-6178 queria.com

Gift Baskets lrose Ave. 0-4437 baskets.com

Vinny’s airfax Ave. 4-3369 nnys.com

i Beppo 70-6560 ibeppo.com

Coffee Shop 33-0616

potle 57-0608 le.com

n & Tea Leaf 57-0461 ean.com

La Brea Avenue neighborhood eateries include: All About the Bread 7111 Melrose Ave. 323-930-8989 allaboutthebread.com Anarkali Indian Restaurant 7013 Melrose Ave. 323-934-6488 anarkalilosangeles.com Bludso’s Bar + Que 609 N. La Brea Ave. 323-931-2583 barandque.com Chipotle Mexican Grill 7101 Melrose Ave. 323-297-0334 chipotle.com

MAGIC NUT & CANDY

Pizza 31-1197 epizza.com

Corner 38-0278

Marino Ristorante 6001 Melrose Ave. 323-466-8812 marinorestaurant.com Papa Cristo’s 2771 W. Pico Blvd. 323-737-2970 papacristos.com Petrossian 321 N. Robertson Blvd. 310-271-6300 petrossianrestaurants.com Providence 5955 Melrose Ave. 323-460-4170 providencela.com Tart Restaurant 115 N. Fairfax Ave. 323-556-2608 tartrestaurant.com Tsujita & Co. 109 N. Fairfax Ave. 323-591-0470 tsujita-usa.com

Eatz Cooking School 612 N. La Brea Ave. 323-935-3289 eatzla.com. Hot Wings Café 7011 Melrose Ave. 323-930-1233 hotwingscafe.net Isa Japanese Restaurant 916 S. La Brea Ave. 323-879-9536 isajapanese.com La Brea Bakery Café 468 S. La Brea Ave. 323-939-6813 labreabakery.com Lucifer’s Pizza 7123 Melrose Ave. 323-424-4230 luciferspizza.com M Café 7119 Melrose Ave. 323-525-0588 mcafedechaya.com/menus Met Her at a Bar 759 S. La Brea Ave. 323-847-5013 metheratabar.com Met Him at a Bar 801 S. La Brea Ave. 323-852-3321 methimatabar.com Milk Bar 7150 Melrose Ave. 347-577-9504, ext. 15 milkbarstore.com République 624 S. La Brea Ave. 310-362-6115 republiquela.com Roji Bakery 807 S. La Brea Ave. 323-852-3311 roji-bakery.business.site

PATSY D’AMORE’S PIZZA

Du-par’s Restaurant & Pies 323-933-8446 dupars.net Fritzi Coop 323-936-9436 fritzicoop.com Gumbo Pot 323-933-0358 thegumbopotla.com Magee’s Kitchen 323-938-4127 mageeskitchen.com Marmalade Café 323-954-0088 marmaladecafe.com M. Marcel Bistro 323-605-9020 mrmarcel.com

Moishe’s Restaurant 323-936-4998 moishes-la.com Nonna’s Empanadas 323-934-3724 nonnasempanadas.com Pampas Grill 323-931-1928 pampasgrill.com Patsy’s Pizza 323-938-4938 patsydamore.com Phil’s Deli and Grill 323-936-3704 The Salad Bar 323-933-3204 Singapore Banana Leaf 323-933-4627 singaporebananaleafca.com

Standing’s Butchery 7016 Melrose Ave. 323-413-2212 standingsbutchery.com Supremo Ristorante 901 S. La Brea Ave. 323-852-3192 supremoristorante.com Tatsu Ramen 7111 Melrose Ave. 323-747-1388 tatsuramen.com Trejo’s Tacos 1048 S. La Brea Ave. 323-938-8226 trejostacos.com Tsuri Sushi and Sake Bar 7015 Melrose Ave. 323-935-1517 Wirtshaus 345 N. La Brea Ave. 323-931-9291 wirtshausla.com

Miracle Mile restaurants that are delivering or offering takeout include: Apollonia’s Pizzeria 5176 Wilshire Blvd. 323-937-2823 apolloniaspizzeria.com Black Dog Coffee 5657 Wilshire Blvd. 323-933-1976 blackdogcoffee.com Chipotle Mexican Grill 5550 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 101B 323-272-6661 chipotle.com The Counter 5779 Wilshire Blvd. 323-932-8900 thecounterburger.com

THE SALAD BAR

Drago Ristorante 6060 Wilshire Blvd. 323-800-2244 dragoristorante.com Einstein Bros. Bagels 5550 Wilshire Blvd. 323-330-9501 einsteinbros.com Fatburger 5001 Wilshire Blvd., #103 323-939-9593 fatburger.com Five Guys Burgers and Fries 5550 Wilshire Blvd., #101D 323-939-2360 fiveguys.com India’s Tandoori 5468 Wilshire Blvd. 323-936-2050 indiastandoori.net International House of Pancakes 5655 Wilshire Blvd. 323-297-4467 ihop.com Mixt Greens 5757 Wilshire Blvd. hello@mixt.com mixt.com Ono Hawaiian BBQ 5550 Wilshire Blvd. 323-525-1688 onohawaiianbbq.com The Pop on Wilshire 6317 Wilshire Blvd. 323-852-6002 hotelwilshire.com Rocco’s Pizza 6335 Wilshire Blvd. 323-655-0058 roccospizza.la Yuko Kitchen 5484 Wilshire Blvd. 323-933-4020 yukokitchen.com

TEMECULA OLIVE OIL

Starbucks 323-965-9594 starbucks.com

Maggiano’s Little Italy 323-965-9665 maggianos.com

Sushi A Go Go 323-930-7874

Pressed Juicery 323-549-9811 pressedjuicery.com

Veggie Grill 323-933-3997 veggiegrill.com

Restaurants at The Grove, 189 The Grove Dr., that are open for delivery or takeout include: Cheesecake Factory 323-634-0511 cheesecakefactory.com

Sprinkles Cupcakes 323-931-4498 sprinkles.com Umami Burger 323-954-8626 umamiburger.com Call 323-900-8080 or visit thegrovela.com/dining to get updates on restaurant availability.

JUNE 2020

SECTION ONE

Larchmont Chronicle

HopeNet

(Continued from page 1) the Larchmont Chronicle in April, with Webb and Brian Milder, who is on HopeNet’s board of trustees, Milder said that they were trying to come up with alternative ways to hold the event. TOL normally is held at the end of summer, and it allows locals to gather and sample wine and food from restaurants and coffee shops on Larchmont Boulevard for the price of a “passport ticket,” with all the proceeds supporting HopeNet. In the interview, Milder pointed out that, even if there were not a pandemic, the changing restaurant scene on Larchmont has made holding TOL a challenge. Long-established restaurants have closed, and new eateries unfamiliar with the TOL tradition have moved in. The loss of income from the Safer at Home directive, on top of physical distancing, made soliciting participation from local restaurants along Larchmont Boulevard a “big ask,” says Milder. And although Los Angeles is slowly reopening now, there will be no large gatherings for some time to come. Immediate impact of a year without a Taste of Larchmont The impact of not being able to hold this event is immediate, says Webb. As with other

DEMAND for food from HopeNet’s food pantries comes from middle-class families as well as the working poor.

TASTE OF LARCHMONT is a tradition cancelled this year. Beneficiary of the annual event, usually held in late August, HopeNet, still needs financial support.

charities, HopeNet depends on fundraising events to help fill its coffers. TOL provides HopeNet with around 40 percent of its annual operating budget. Typically, the proceeds raised from the event average $55,000 to $60,000, and they go almost exclusively — about 90 cents for every dollar donated — to grocery items for the 13 food pantries operated by HopeNet at 12 local churches and temples. The average number of individuals helped in a typical year is about 15,000 per month. In March 2019, for example, 14,580 people received shelfstable (packaged and canned) food, as well as fresh produce. This year, however, those

numbers have more than tripled because of increased demand. In March, 42,734 people came through HopeNet in need of groceries. In April, with just six out of 12 congregations reporting, there were 66,729 people who were in need of help. In addition, “The demographics of those seeking assistance have changed and not only include the most needy and the working poor, but also families from lower- and middle-income households,” Webb said. HopeNet also delivers groceries to seniors and shut-ins. When the volunteers (mostly seniors) had to self-quarantine mid-March, Webb became the sole delivery person for

those clients. In a normal year, there are about 400 seniors who get groceries delivered. In March this year, that number increased to 800 seniors and shut-ins who received groceries. Webb and Milder pointed out that currently Webb is a “one-man-show” on the delivery end. After hearing about all that was going on with HopeNet, I was both surprised and more appreciative for the time they made available for our Zoom interview. Webb has applied for a grant to the Eisner Foundation that may bring in $50,000 to partially help fill the need, but in the meantime, he said that “HopeNet will be reaching out via electronic and analog means to those who might

have usually supported us. Letters will be sent to those entities who have sponsored us in the past in the hope of garnering support to continue our mission.” How you can help Jane Gilman and Dawne Goodwin, founders of the Larchmont Chronicle, began the Taste of Larchmont to support HopeNet in celebration of the Chronicle’s 30th anniversary (in 1993). It was a way to bring people together and give back to the community. If the spirit moves you, and if you have the means, consider how you can give back to an organization that has helped people in our neighborhood for more than three decades. Visit hopenetla.org.

UNEMPLOYED CHEFS are filling in at Project Angel Food during current health crisis.

Project Angel Food adds 400 new clients

Lunch & Dinner Every Day of the Year

3357 Wilshire Blvd. • 213-385-7275

©LC 0406

Restaurant Hours: Mon. - Tues. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wed. - Sat. 11 a.m. to midnight Sun. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Bar Open till 1:00 a.m. Mon.-Thurs. ~ 1:30 a.m. Fri., & Sat.

to our kitchen to volunteer.” However, suspending all volunteering at this time seemed the better choice, and the board of directors and Ayoub decided to take deeper safety precautions and hire profes-

sional chefs. The food delivery non-profit still needs help, however, since fundraising events also have been suspended. To make donations or learn more, visit angelfood.org/covid19.

BOGIE’S LIQUOR

Open 7 Days Hours: Open 10 a.m. Close 2 a.m.

5753 Melrose Ave.

Call 323-469-1414

©LC0420

RESTAURANT & COCKTAILS

By Rachel Olivier Project Angel Food (PAF) has added 400 new clients to their delivery schedule, bringing the total of clients receiving delivered meals to 2,000 per day. This means increasing the annual meal production by 146,000 meals, said Richard Ayoub, executive director. Previously, PAF announced it had hired out-of-work restaurant chefs to fill in for volunteers who could no longer help out at the nonprofit due to COVID-19. There had been a callout for volunteers when the pandemic first hit. “Angelenos came through in a big way,” said Ayoub. “In one week we had 200 different people coming

Larchmont Chronicle

JUNE 2020

SECTION ONE

Recipe: Secret of the Countess of Kent’s spice cake revealed Larchmont Chronicle reader Linda Fowells wrote us a kind note asking for the recipe for the Countess of Kent’s Spice Cake, mentioned in the May “Home Ground” column. The recipe is complex, and we thought it deserved a full response. Spice cakes were well known to the Elizabethans, and in fact, at the end of Elizabeth’s reign, the Clerk of the Markets to London’s bakers forbade them to bake spice cakes or buns or similar goods except for burials, on the Friday before Easter and on Christmas. If the recipe seems a bit voluminous, consider that the 17th-century (Stuart period) original, before the marvelous English cookery writer Elizabeth David (1913-1992) adapted it in the 1970s, calls for almost 20 cups of flour. Interpreting Elizabeth David’s language here is part of the challenge. The Countess of Kent’s Spice Cake Originally published in “English Bread and Yeast Cookery” (1977), the New American Edition came out in 1994, from which this recipe is quoted.

Home Ground by

Paula Panich Ingredients: For two rather wide 2-quart loaf pans: 6 and 3/4 cups unbleached flour; 2 teaspoons dry yeast; 2 teaspoons salt; 2/3 cup cream; a little under 2 cups (whole) milk; 1/2 cup sugar; 3 eggs; 2 cups currants (warmed); 1 cup almonds, ground and mixed with 1 or 2 tablespoons rose water; * 1 cup butter (2 sticks); 1 nutmeg grated or 3 teaspoons pudding spice; ** 6 tablespoons light sherry. *** Directions: Put the flour, salt and sugar into an extra large mixing bowl and put it in the oven to warm for a few minutes. Mix the yeast with the cream, warmed. **** Have the milk also warmed to blood heat. ***** Stir the yeast into the flour; add the milk, and then the whole eggs. Mix all to a light dough. Cover and leave to rise, until it is at least doubled in volume and looks spongy. This will take about 1

and 1/2 hours. Have ready all the other ingredients. The butter should be cut into small pieces and put in a warm place so that it is easily malleable, and prepare the ground almonds and rose water. Break down the dough, knead it lightly (on a lightly floured surface), then work in the butter, the almond paste, the warmed currants, the spice and the sherry. At this stage the dough requires thorough and careful kneading, so that all ingredients are well and equally distributed throughout the mass. Now the dough is put into warmed and buttered tins. There will be sufficient dough to fill each tin by about twothirds. Cover them with a cloth and leave them for 15 to 25 minutes, until the dough has risen to almost the tops of the tins and is perfectly light and springy. Bake in the center of a moderately hot oven, 375 to 400 degrees F. After 15 minutes, cover the tops of the loaves with double sheets of parchment baking paper, and bake another 30 minutes, or until a fine skewer plunged into the center of the loaves comes out quite clean. As soon as the loaves are taken from the oven, brush the tops with a thick sugar and milk glaze (4 tablespoons milk, mixed with 4 tablespoons sugar, heated in small pan), but leave the loaves in the pans until they have contracted suf-

MEDIEVAL BAKING techniques may not have differed much from the 17th century approaches recounted by the Countess of Kent in 1653.

ficiently to be turned out quite easily. Leave them on a cake rack to cool completely. Store the loaves in an airtight tin. “This is a delicious and delicate tea or breakfast bread, to be eaten with or without butter. The almonds give the bread a wonderful flavour and help to keep it moist,” writes Elizabeth David. Paula Panich’s notes: * Use water if you don’t have any culinary rose water. ** Pudding spice: Try La

Varenne’s 1655 “epices doux:” two parts ground ginger to one each of pepper, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. *** I suggest 4 tablespoons sherry instead. **** Follow the directions on the package in order to proof the yeast, in the cream, properly. I use a candy thermometer; I can never guess the correct temperature by touch. ***** Blood heat: The average human body temperature, 98.6 degrees F.

THANK-YOU MESSAGE from masked Farmers Market vendors is on YouTube and on the Original Farmers Market’s website.

Farmers Market says ‘Thank you’ The creative brainstorm of Maritza Cerrato, marketing and tourism specialist, and Ilysha Buss, marketing director, both at A.F. Gilmore Company, resulted in an engaging YouTube message featuring masked Farmers Market vendors. In the video, the vendors offer thanks to their many loyal customers. It can be viewed on YouTube and at farmersmarketla.com. According to Buss, Cerrato first came up with the idea as

a way to thank customers and also encourage people in the face of the pandemic. The duo then worked on the idea with Mark Panatier, the just-retired VP of marketing and development, and local ad agency Adlhoch Creative. A.F. Gilmore Company owns and operates the Original Farmers Market, founded in 1934. Panatier was honored recently by the Greater Miracle Mile Chamber of Commerce.

Open for curbside pick-up daily

Mention this ad for Mention Mention a special this ad for this ad for Please treat! and a special a special check our website treat! treat! call (323) 297-0070, ext. 1

from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

or email info@angeliniosteria.com

Get Your Favorites Delivered Pickup and Delivery Everyday from 11:30am to 8:00pm.

©LC0520

Partnered with Postmates, GrubHub, UberEats and DoorDash for all your RISTORANTE delivery needs. 7313 – 7317 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, 90036 | 323.297.0070 7313| –323.297.0070 7317 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, 90036 | 323.297.0070 Drago Ristorante 7313 – 7317 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, 90036 www.angelinirestaurantgroup.com at the Petersen 6060 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles www.angelinirestaurantgroup.com www.angelinirestaurantgroup.com Automotive Museum www.angelinirestaurantgroup.com (323) 800-2244 will reopen as soon Open for Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner – Catering Open for Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner – Catering as conditions allow. dragoristorante.com Open for Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner – Catering

OAKWOOD SCHOOL By Scarlett Saldaña 9th Grade

As the last day of school approaches, even though O a k w o o d School is apart, we still find ways to connect–after all, we are Better Together. Whether it’s in person, or in this case, online, Oakwood manages to keep our community together, especially when it comes to adapting. In a usual school year, Oakwood celebrates several beloved traditions to bring the school together, and this includes the Arts Festival. Usually filled with visual and performing arts, it’s always been a great way for students to express themselves creatively and artistically. Not only that, but it has also allowed the seniors to have one of their last special events at school. Although we won’t be able to celebrate these events in person, Oakwood has been working toward an alternate online festival, hoping to bring

this long-standing tradition to our homes. Especially with the senior graduation, Oakwood has always taken students’ input to create the best event all students can enjoy. Even though the seniors won’t be able to graduate with

their class in person, the administrators, faculty, and students have given them constant support, knowing how special graduation is in a student’s life. Because of that, our community has become even stronger, despite these uncertain times.

IMMACULATE HEART

that is so far from normal for everyone. In May, for example, our school held the 99th year of our Mary’s Day tradition, a celebration that honors our school’s patroness and all women everywhere. When we are on campus, this day usually features a liturgy, dancing, food, and other festivities. Although we didn’t get to experience some of these activities, teachers and faculty worked hard to bring the Mary’s Day experience to us at home, with virtual dancing and a video featuring meditative reflections and songs. As a senior, I know this has been a difficult time for members of the Class of 2020 to grapple with. We have lost a lot of our last important milestones, like graduation and a traditional prom, and we won’t get to see our friends, teachers, and classmates for a long time. But, I think it’s comforting to know that there are so many of us across the nation going through the same thing. We’re not struggling alone, and we know we’re all in this together, and that makes the pain a little bit easier to bear. I am hopeful that we will be able to go to college this upcoming fall semester, and if not, then sooner rather than later. Once again, I want to express my gratitude to everyone who is working to help get us back to normalcy in a safe way.

By Samantha Hutchinson 12th Grade The school year is about to wrap up at Immaculate Heart. Students have finished their AP tests and finals, despite the challenges of online learning. The College Board created a way for students to easily access their AP tests with plenty of time and question adjustments in order to accommodate for this strange situation we’re in right now. Though we still had finals, they have also been adjusted for online learning, counting for a smaller percentage of our grade than usual. It has been great to see some of our normal end-of-year activities continue despite a situation

Dentistry for Children and Young Adults

Pediatric Dentistry Randall E. Niederkohr, D.D.S.

Member American Dental Association Diplomat of American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry

TV & Video Games

We have a unique living room atmosphere Children from newborns to 18-year-olds feel comfortable Saturday Appointments Available

(323) 463-8322 • 321 N. Larchmont Blvd, Suite 809

Larchmont Chronicle

PILGRIM

By Siobhan Schallert 8th Grade Like most other schools, Pilgrim decided to close its doors and begin distance learning. In order to help flatten the curve, Pilgrim will remain closed for the remainder of the school year. Like most people, we don’t know what comes next year, however our faculty and staff are making sure we get everything we need. Teachers conducting online classes use Google Meets to gather all of their students for periods every day, where three class periods meet a day. We pushed back the start of the school day to 9:30, then after three 1:15 minute blocks, with breaks in between, from 3:30-4:30 is community building time or office hours: a time for students to reach out to faculty and get any needed assistance online. On Wednesdays, in order to break up the workload and help us better adjust to distance learning, advisory groups meet in the morning and the rest of the day is independent work time, with time at the end

ST. BRENDAN

By Olivia Martinez 8th Grade The muchawaited month of June is here! Because St. Brendan has done a flawless job at transitioning into online programs, we will be finishing classes at our normal end-of-school date, June 12th. In our last few weeks of school, we will have the last of our weekly all-school Zoom assemblies, as well as a talent show! We eighth graders will have a personalized graduation celebration on our graduation day, June fifth; while we are waiting for the approval to gather as a community for our traditional graduation ceremony and reception. After nine years of being at Saint Brendan, I have grown to love and cherish all of the friends and memories I have made here. Although we are all ready and excited to move on and into high school, we will miss all of the faculty, our fellow students, the community, and most of all, our friends.

of the day to unwind with some of the many community building “classes”. Some of these include Poetry Writing, Beat Lap/Young Producers Group, an end of the day workout, Origami, and Improv. Advisory has been used as a time for students to unwind and talk about their struggles with the quarantine, and gives students a chance to reflect on the school year. It also just gives us a space to talk with our peers and enjoy spending digital time together.

Core College Counseling JUNIOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS

College Admissions & Covid-19… What a stressful time! Are you frustrated attempting to navigate the COLLEGE PROCESS? Meet remotely with NANCI LEONARD an expert in college admissions, standardized testing and virtual college visits! Your anxiety will disappear and your challenging questions will be answered! NANCI LEONARD 310-717-6752 nancitheexteacher@yahoo.com Nanci Leonard is a Certified College Counselor who has assisted thousands of students in discovering colleges that are the right “fit.” Google: Core College Counseling for more information or call 310-717-6752. Nanci has been a Brookside resident for 44 years.

©LC0620

JUNE 2020

SECTION ONE

Back to School Edition Publishes Thursday, September 3

Call Pam Rudy to reserve your space by Monday, August 17 323-462-2241 x 11

©LC0620

Larchmont Chronicle

JUNE 2020

CHRIST THE KING

YESHIVAT YAVNEH

Distance learning has proven to be very successful here at Christ the King School. Students of all ages are having fun learning while meticulously preparing for the next school year. Teachers have been working hard to keep a daily routine and add some normalcy into students’ lives. All academic subjects as well as Art and Physical Education are being innovatively covered and taught. Teachers regularly meet with us in our individual classes, and bring the whole school together each Friday on Zoom for a prayer service. Some of the middle school students have made videos of ourselves reciting famous speeches and soliloquies from Shakespearean literature, as well as preparing engaging presentations for our classmates to enjoy. We have also been keeping up with the spring spirit by creating fun art projects! Easter crafts and creative Earth Day projects have been made and displayed during our weekly prayer services. In commemoration of Mother’s Day, students throughout the grades made thoughtful gifts for their mothers, including flowers and cards. The class of 2020 made a heartfelt video to express their gratitude for everything their moms have done for them. Unfortunately, due to the quarantine, our annual International Festival has been cancelled. This is very unfortunate because every year, students look forward to watching each grade perform their dances. However, there has also been a cause for celebration at our school. Eighth grade student Joel Lee, who placed 1st in Math in the Junior High Academic Decathlon, went on to compete in the State competition. He worked extremely hard, and brought great pride and joy to our school by placing 3rd overall.

Like all the nation’s elementary schools, Yavneh has operated these past few weeks using Zoom and other online platforms. Yavneh continued its RISE program onlineoffering special programming and speakers. We commemorated and celebrated three special days this month: First, Yavneh marked Yom Hoshoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) with an online program that included a Holocaust survivor and a Holocaust scholar. The program was very moving and inspirational for the students to hear first hand stories about the Holocaust. A few weeks later, we commemorated Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, which acknowledges the fallen soldiers in Israel’s wars, as well as all victims of terror. Again, Yavneh offered a meaningful program to mark the day. The next day, we celebrated Israel’s Independence Day. Students, teachers, and parents participated in an online concert, featuring a musician who performed live from Israel! Although we would nor-

By Scarlett Gonsalves 7th Grade

By Nikhil George 6th Grade

Currently, Hollywood Schoolhouse is practicing remote learning, and we students have been very productive. For upper school, we log onto Zoom each day at 8:50. In our classes, we go over WIN work, projects, test prep, and upcoming assignments. In addition, we have an enrichment class every day. HSH is making learning from home the best it can be. In English, we have started a new book, Weedflower. It’s a novel about a young girl named Sumiko, who is of Japanese American decent. The book begins with her receiving an invitation to a popular girl’s birthday party. The day after the party, however, the bombing on Pearl Harbor happens. The rest of the story is about how Sumiko and her family navigate their way during this time. Their difficult journey inspires hope, courageousness, and the reminder of how strong a family’s bond can be. Recently, the sixth-grade class went on a virtual field trip to The Music Center. It was a student performance of “24 Hours and a Dog” by the Malpaso Dance Company. The performance included jazz music playing as performers were doing dances individually, in pairs, and in larger groups. It was a great mix of visual storytelling, self-expression, Cuban culture, and ranging perspectives through movement. Speaking of sixth grade, we are coming very close to our graduation and have been preparing for the big day on June 4. We are working incredibly hard to make it as great as possible virtually. It’s going to be something special that we all remember. Lastly, we are excited to announce that one of our sixth graders, Maxwell Coy, has been hosting HSH’s very own edition of SGN, also known as Some Good News. This is a show that the school has been doing to ease life in quarantine and to serve as a source of, well, good news to the community. This previous episode, Maxwell covered topics such as the Quarantunes fundraiser. This was an event Hollywood Schoolhouse held where performers such as SZA, Dove Cameron, and Jordan Fisher came to sing and dance in a Zoom meeting to raise money for financial aid for HSH Families. Well, that’s everything that has been going on here at Hollywood Schoolhouse.

Feel the beat online

Grand Park’s “Sunday Sessions: Home Edition” brings its annual dance and music party online Sundays, June 14, July 19 and Aug. 23 from 2 to 8 p.m. The first lineup, Ladies First, features a diverse all-female format. Visit tinyurl.com/y7v4ye8v.

PARENT SUPPORT FOR HEALTHY BONDING with Savannah Sanﬁeld, MA, LMFT Early Childhood and Perinatal Specialist

“There is more to a healthy family than just having the right doctor.” Morning + Evening Parenting Classes FOR MORE INFO CONTACT info@SavannahSanﬁeld.com

By Shoshana Zisblatt 8th Grade

mally mark these days on campus as a community, our school made sure we all felt the impact of the days together. As an 8th grader, I am of course sad to be spending my last weeks as a Yavneh student off campus. However, I greatly appreciate all the effort our teachers and administrators are making to

offer us the best possible experience online. The extra programming has really added to the Yavneh experience. These last few months have truly given the students a new perspective and appreciation for everything we had on a daily basis. I wish everyone health and happiness during these challenging times.

The Plymouth School NOW ENROLLING • Preschool program for children 2 to 5 ½. • Creative activities to encourage cognitive & social development including art, music, 31movement & play • Experienced teachers devoted to fostering self-esteem in a safe nurturing environment ©LC0917

HOLLYWOOD SCHOOLHOUSE

SECTION ONE

• Over 45 years serving the neighborhood

315 S. Oxford Ave. • 213-387-7381 www.theplymouthschool.com theplymouthschool@gmail.com

JUNE 2020

SECTION ONE

Larchmont Chronicle

Remembering Carole and Barry Kaye and their Museum of Miniatures

By Suzan Filipek The Museum of Miniatures on the Miracle Mile was, by some accounts, the largest collection of its kind in the world before it closed in 2001. The two-floor museum across from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) was filled with historic and whimsical miniature replicas of such places as Hampton Court, Versailles and Fontainebleau. Palaces were furnished with working lights, sconces to match the originals, and hand-done paintings, which hung on teeny, tiny walls. There was an Arts and Crafts bungalow with Greene & Greene furniture, Louis Armstrong at the Hollywood Bowl, and a small-scale Titanic — made of 75,000 matchsticks! And, of course, there were tiny dolls, some living the life in carved four-poster beds and drinking from golden goblets.

THE MIRACLE MILE museum was the largest of its kind before it closed in 2001.

At the helm was Carole Kaye. She and her estate planning insurance broker husband, Barry Kaye, died in April in New York, a few days apart, after complications from the novel coronavirus. She was 87. He was 91. According to their obituary in the “Los Angeles Times,” “Carole loved miniatures partly because she could create any world she wanted, just as she created the life that she dreamed of instead of living the small-town life she was born into [in Somerville, New Jersey].” Barry Kaye had dropped out

THE MUSEUM OF MINIATURES was in the building complex designed by William L. Pereira & Associates, which also designed LACMA’s original campus across the street.

of high school and worked as a radio and TV personality before working in the life insurance business. He became a household name, running full-page ads in newspapers, and being seen on TV commercials and at seminars, and he authored several books. Carole Kaye’s fascination with miniatures started when creating a dollhouse with one

of her grandsons, and it grew from there. Her collection was first housed in her husband’s Century City offices, and, in 1994, the couple opened the Miracle Mile museum in one of the two low-rise wings of the tall building at 5900 Wilshire Blvd. That building complex was designed by William L. Pereira & Associates, which also designed LACMA’s

original campus across the street. Miniature Van Goghs The miniature museum had 200 exhibits that overflowed the 14,000 square-foot space and included commissioned works, such as miniature Van Goghs, to complement an exhibit featuring works by the Impressionist painter that was simultaneously on view at LACMA. The Kayes are survived by their three children and a son from Barry’s previous marriage, 15 grandchildren and three great grandchildren. A memorial service, attended by approximately 300 people, was held over Zoom. Philanthropists to the end, the Kaye’s estate arranged for copies of Barry Kaye’s motivational bestseller, “Die Rich and Tax Free!,” to be given to donors to New York-Presbyterian Hospital and to other charities.

Donald Ralph Shewfelt August 21, 1930 - April 26, 2020 Donald Ralph Shewfelt, much beloved husband and father, passed away in his home on April 26, 2020, surrounded by his wife, Joan, and many of his seven children and their spouses. He was 89 years old. Donald was born on August 21, 1930, the son of Roy Freeman Shewfelt and the former Margaret Agnes Ballman. A native Angeleno, he was proud of his hometown and a great narrator of tales of the City in the Depression era of his youth. His children were constantly regaled with wonderful tales of raising rabbits and chickens in his backyard to sell around the neighborhood; of the kids on his street who formed an athletic club called the Carmona Diablos, who competed against like sports teams from neighboring blocks like Ridgeley and Dunsmuir; of hunting rabbits in the Baldwin Hills with a bow and arrow; of going to a Saturday afternoon matinee at the Del Mar Theater, which included a double feature and an Abba Zabba bar for a dime; of hitchhiking to Loyola High School down Venice Blvd. and getting picked up in less than a minute because he wore his ROTC uniform; and of other tales that hail from an era seemingly long-forgotten. After his parents’ divorce, he developed an unbreakable bond with his mother, Marge, and formed his ideas of the good and moral man he wished to be. His family would forever benefit from that. Don attended college after graduating from high school and immersed himself in the baseball leagues around town, at Los Angeles City College and later Loyola University. He remained a passionate devotee of the sport throughout his life. When he played competitively, he was known as the “Big Right Hander.” He served in the U.S. Army in Korea from 1951 to 1953, an experience that created a whole new panorama of tales for his family. His time on the baseball diamond and his time in the world of war dovetailed to sharpen his sensibilities, and they marked him ever after as a man of conscience and bravery, who never failed to uphold the values of camaraderie and dedication to a collective purpose. He emerged from these, too, with both a keen appreciation of the absurd and a marvelous capacity for light-heartedness under adverse condi-

tions. This was the recipe for his legendary wit, which spared no one and was a delight to all. Shortly after returning from military service, Don met Joan Catherine Aker, the love of his life and partner in all his future endeavors. They married in 1955 and created a family of seven adoring children. Don had also begun working for his father’s firm, Wilshire Escrow Company, where he quickly emerged as an industry leader. He ultimately became President of the Company in 1970 and guided Wilshire Escrow, along with his brothers Richard and Lawrence, to periods of great success and an unparalleled reputation for commercial transactions and tax-deferred exchanges. The platform he created lives on today, long after his retirement in 2001. Don was an avid golfer, passing on the love of the game to his four sons. He was a 45-year member of Wilshire Country Club and played the game with zeal and competitiveness. He cherished the friendships and playing partners he made through over sixty years of playing golf. He was a great playing partner himself and his company on the course was much desired by other members of all ages. Don was active in professional escrow as-

sociations, not to mention his children’s schools and his parish, Cathedral Chapel. He had a tremendous reputation for impeccable ethics, hard work, unquestioned dependability and efficiency in all his endeavors. But for all the recognition that Donald received professionally, in athletic or other endeavors, nothing ever brought him the joy and satisfaction that he received from his wife and children. He was an active, engaged spouse and parent, the envy of every kid on the block as he would come out and play baseball, basketball, football and other games with his kids. He and Joan mentored their children by their tireless efforts, high moral standards, and by immersing them in exhilarating vacations and trips. They ultimately settled on the annual family vacation in Wawona, along the South Fork of the Merced River in Yosemite, at the family home dubbed “Shew’s Chalet.” His verve and vitality later made him the object of great affection from sixteen grandchildren, all of whom benefited greatly from the large extended family cocoon created by Don and Joan. To his adoring family, he will always be remembered for being a playful gentleman, a role model, a stand-up mensch, and “Our Hero.” He and Joan led epic lives within the history of Los Angeles. But his highest ambitions were always to be a good husband, father, and man for others. In those, he was a consummate success. Don is survived by his wife of over 64 years, Joan, his children Eric (Olga Lucia), Mary Hughes (Kenneth), Kristin, John Shewfelt (Layne), Kurt (Jeralee), Ellen Multari (Alfred) and Craig (Maki), sixteen grandchildren, two great grandchildren, and his brother Richard. He was preceded in death by his beloved mother, Marge, his father Roy, his brothers Leonard and Lawrence, and grandson, Kyle. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of Don’s favorite charities: • Cathedral Chapel Church • http://www.cathedralchapel.org/ • Good Shepherd Center • http://gschomeless.org/ • Smile Train https://www.smiletrain.org/ A Celebration of Life will be held when appropriate at a later date to be advised. ADV.

Larchmont Chronicle

JUNE 2020

Stadium is among Covid-19 test sites

By Rachel Olivier Los Angeles was the first big city to offer free swab testing for COVID-19 to anyone, whether or not he or she is experiencing symptoms. You now can get tested at Dodger Stadium, as well as other places. According to Mayor Garcetti, the Dodger Stadium site has been designated to test people quickly and process up to 6,000 tests per day. For more information, visit coronavirus.lacity. org/testing. Last month, I decided to get tested after the free testing was first offered. While I am not yet in the 65-and-over age group, I am in my 50s and have underlying health conditions. I thought it might be a good idea to make sure I was not an asymptomatic carrier. In addition, as an information-nerd, I am aware of how scientists need as many people tested as possible to obtain a clear picture of how the virus travels. Providing a data point is one small way I can help. Getting an appointment At the website (coronavirus. lacity.org/testing), answering the questions and providing your information takes you to a drop-down menu of test sites from which to choose. However, I suggest that, rather than

MAYOR GARCETTI attends the launch at Dodger Stadium.

going through the appointment-scheduling link, people actually start at the “Find a Location Near You” link. The link leads to a map where you can input an address to find a site nearer to you that may not be offered as a choice on the drop-down menu. You can then scroll through to see if sites near you are drive-through or walk-up. As I don’t have a car, I needed a walk-up site, and found one at Exposition and Crenshaw Boulevards, an easy onebus ride on the 210 from my Larchmont neighborhood. On the day I went, there was no line. I was asked to get out my patient ID number before proceeding into the facility. When I walked in, a medical worker behind a plastic

curtain, dressed in personal protective equipment (PPE), checked me in, and then she handed me a test kit in a plastic tub through a slit in the curtain. She then directed me to another room. I was instructed to sit down, pull my face covering down and then tilt my head back as far as I could manage. A swab was inserted very far up my nostril and moved around for a bit. It was uncomfortable, but not painful. I was told my results would be back in 48 to 72 hours. The process took no more than 10 minutes. A little over 48 hours later, I received an email letting me know that my results were available. I followed the link and signed in to the secure website and found out that I was negative (phew!).

SECTION ONE

Kneafsey, 79, Diane Cornwell, president of community Docent Council volunteer

Longtime Windsor Square resident, mother and avid volunteer, Michele Marco Kneafsey, died last month after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 79. She was a volunteer for Meals on Wheels, St. Anne’s, and The Good Shepherd Shelter. Later in life she returned to school and earned a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy and founded a practice for underprivileged families. Kneafsey also founded the Lucerne Boulevard Block Party 45 years ago, which continues to this day, and she was a lifelong tennis player, playing competitively at the Los Angeles Tennis Club. She is survived by her husband, Thomas Kneafsey, and her children, Sean Kneafsey (Susan), Brian Kneafsey (Maura), Karen Schwartz (Howie), Kevin Kneafsey (Ashley), and Joseph Kneafsey, and several grandchildren. A graduate of Immaculate Heart High School, she graduated from Marquette University in 1963. She met her husband of 52 years at a Marquette University reunion.

Diane Duncan Cornwell lived in Windsor Square for many years before moving to Pasadena with her husband, Michael, the longtime president of the Windsor Square Association. Diane is fondly remembered by her friends and neighbors. She died April 25 after a long illness. She was 81. An avid traveler, Diane took her first overseas trip to India in 1959 as a student at UCLA. She met Michael in an Italian class, also at UCLA, and they married in 1961. She also was an avid contemporary art collector and was a longtime docent at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. She served as president of the Docent Council in the early 1980s. Diane worked for many years as the administrative director of the John Randolph Haynes & Dora Haynes Foundation — a leading supporter of social science research for Los Angeles and the oldest private foundation in the city. She is survived by her husband and their older daughter Molly and their grandchild, Miranda.

Mary Helen Rolfes Brady Mary Helen Rolfes Brady, beloved daughter of Helen Slavik Rolfes and William Henry Rolfes, loving mother of Joseph (Debbie), Mark (Linda), Douglas (Tanya), John and Todd (Karen), and adoring grandmother to 10 wonderful grandchildren, peacefully joined her loving parents and sister (Joan Rolfes Simpson) in Heaven on March 21, 2020. Mary was an amazing and accomplished woman, mother, fundraiser and community leader. Born in St. Louis, MO in November 26, 1933, Mary made her way to Stanford University after having graduated in the Evanston Township (Illinois) High School class of 1951. After marrying her husband Donald Sheridan Brady, whom she met at Stanford, Mary settled in Southern California in 1954. For 30 years in Los Angeles, Mary was a major fundraising volunteer for organizations including the John Tracy Clinic (1960-1965), the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (1968-1972), the Los Angeles Junior Philharmonic (1969-1980), the Stanford University Women’s Guild (1972-1980), the Hollygrove Orphanage and the St Francis Medical Center. Mary served as President, Treasurer and Legislative Coordinator of the Los Angeles Junior Philharmonic Committee during the 1970s, and later as a member of the Founders Circle. Mary served on the Board of Directors of Hollygrove Orphanage from 1982 to 1985 and on the Board of Directors of the Saint Francis Medical Center from 1985 to 1987. Mary was recognized as a lifelong member and volunteer of St. Vincent Medical Center. Mary was a retired residential real estate agent both in Los Angeles (Hancock Park / 10 years) and in Rancho Mirage 25 years). Mary was also active in Palm Desert, where she lived for the last 30 years, fundraising on behalf of the McCallum Theatre for the Performing Arts. Mary was instru-

November 26, 1933 - March 21, 2020

mental in helping steer substantial resources from the corporate offices of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Atlantic Richfield Company, and Trader Joe’s Grocery Store Chain to the fine arts world and to the orphaned children of Southern California. Mary’s friends and neighbors in Rancho Mirage fondly remember Mary as someone who always put others ahead of herself, as Mary was always the first to call on neighbors and friends during times of illness or challenge. An avid disciple of classical music, an accomplished classical pianist, a perfection-demanding

piano instructor, and a loving mother and giving friend, Mary gave private piano lessons to many of the young children of Hancock Park during the 1970s and 1980s from her home on North McCadden Place. Mary’s other passion was teaching the young children of Hancock Park piano, and the apex of her piano teaching career was in 1986-1988 as Tina Turner’s private piano instructor. Mary was a gracious, gregarious and outgoing member of the community. Her opinions on community issues were often sought, as she stayed active as both a powerful fundraiser for the community, and as the strong and disciplined mother of her five sons. Mary’s primary loves were her family, classical music, Stanford University, fundraising and the Republican National Party. Mary Rolfes Brady is survived by her five sons, in birth order: Joseph William, Mark David, Douglas Sheridan, John Rolfes, and Todd Christopher. She was also adored by her 10 grandchildren: Ashley, Cameron, Sheridan, Tyler, Henry, Eleanor, Claire, Griffin, Gerhardt, and Spranger. Mary is survived by her oldest sister Shirley Rolfes McCreight of Gilbert, AZ. A Celebration of life will be held for Mary in Rancho Mirage, after current shelter-in-place restrictions lift. Mary’s final resting place will be in Lafayette, California, beside and in-peace with her mother and father. In lieu of Flowers, the family asks that any donations be made to the McCallum Theatre for the Performing Arts in Palm Desert, California. For those wishing to co-celebrate Mary’s life later this summer or fall, please contact her oldest son Mr. Joseph W. Brady at jbrady@thebradcocompanies.com or on his cell (between 7AM-5PM) at (760) 954-4567. ADV.

JUNE 2020

SECTION ONE

Letters

ple we were able to reach, and how much money we were able to raise for this incredible foundation. Lilly Roth-Shapiro Brookside

(Continued from page 2) again in the years to come. We need more teens like Lilly and her friends, who think more of others than themselves. Many thanks to all concerned. Wendy Werris Park La Brea

Honor Flag Day at home

More on bake sale

Thanks so much for writing a piece on my Virtual Bake Sale for the Chronicle; it got us a lot of orders, and meant a lot! On our Pick-Up Day for cookies and masks, we had:

BAKE SALE co-hosts Zoe Gittelson, left, and Teva Corwin, above.

- 10 co-hosts - 114 orders and donations - 1,026 cookies baked - 140 masks sewn - $4,300 raised

I’m enclosing photos of a couple of my co-hosts and me on Pick-Up Day. Thanks again for your story. It’s so amazing how many peo-

Hans W. Fiebig April 10, 1929 – April 19, 2020 Hans was born in Schweidenitz, Germany (Swidnica, Poland). He was raised by his grandparents on a farm. They had a family business making and repairing farm equipment. When WWII ended, the farm, land and business was given to Polish soldiers. Hans & his family had to leave with only a few belongings that fit into a small wagon. Shortly after walking West, Hans’s grandfather died on the road. In Hamburg he met & married the love of his life Frida Rosin. They would remain married for 50 years! Hans & Frida wanted to create a better life for their soon to be growing family. Their first choice was to come to the U.S.; however, they were denied during the McCarthy era. Frida had two uncles living on a farm in Archerville, Canada. Her uncles agreed to sponsor The Fiebigs. In 1953, Hans arrived in Canada to pave the way for his family. His train broke down in Winnipeg. He met a man that was a member of the same church (The New Apostolic Church.) When he learned that Hans was an Optician, he said he knew of a great job opportunity right there in Winnipeg! Hans said that he needed to continue up to Archerville, to pay his uncles back for sponsoring him. When the Uncles learned that Hans might have a job in Winnipeg, they encouraged him to return – They jokingly said he looked more like an Optician than a farmer! Back in Germany, Frida gave birth to Regina. Shortly thereafter, Hans sent for his wife and child. In 1955, their son Gary was born followed by the arrival of baby Elona in 1958. Then in 1959, tired of Winnipeg’s snow & cold weather, Hans & Frida loaded up their ’57 Chevy to drive to Los Angeles. At Rips Opticians in downtown Los Angeles, he would meet his future business partner. Together they would form Optique Boutique. Their corporate office would be located on The Sunset Strip. Frequented

by celebrities such as Elvis Presley, Sir Elton John, Steve McQueen, Sammy Davis,Jr., Hugh Hefner and Robert Evans, Hans would form a specialty niche in creative eyewear. In the 70-80’s, Hans was asked if he could create many different looks for stage & screen. Always up for a challenge, he became known as a master craftsman in the Industry. Optique Boutique would grow to 13 stores from LA to Chicago. The partnership wouldn’t last; however, & Hans decided to go it alone. Hans Custom Optik first opened in the Hollywood Palladium in the early ‘80’s. Developers recruited Hans to take a look at a new retail center being built on Larchmont Blvd. Hans loved the “small town village” feel & signed the lease in 1986. Hans loved Hancock Park & his new community. Later, he would join The Wilshire Country Club & have lunch there every Sunday after church. At home, Frida was raising their three children and singing in the church choir. The Fiebigs lived in Echo Park, Monterey Park, Alhambra, Malibu (destroyed in the ’93 fire), Bel-Air and finally Hancock Park! The Family would like to thank everyone for their love and support. Hans loved being a part of this community and he appreciated everyone that supported his business! He enjoyed making the best eyewear possible for 80 yrs! The friendships he formed and his sense of humor and style remain legendary! He is survived by his (3) children: Regina, Gary and Elona (8) Grand-children James, Matthew, Alicia, Ryne, Casey, Michael, Daniel and Brian and (5) Great-children Julie, Mason, Nora, Stella and Dagny A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully suggests a contribution to The New Apostolic Church or to a charity of your choice.

ADV.

On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the flag of the United States of America. While not officially established as National Flag Day until 1949, June 14 has served as an annual opportunity to commemorate the American flag by organizations and individuals for over 200 years. This year, all celebrations look a little different. During the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, we are all encouraged to stay home to stop the spread of the virus. However, Flag Day can be celebrated by everyone, wherever you are. We encourage everyone to use their time at home to fly their American flags proudly this Flag Day. To show camaraderie and solidarity in this time of uncertainty, let your American Flag wave daily. We are all in this together, and we will get through this together, as one nation, under God. Michael J. Kuznik State Commander Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of California

We need a new mayor

I speak for a lot of people in Los Angeles. Please step down, Mayor Garcetti. You have failed. After years of blah blah blah about getting the homeless off of the streets, you have failed. During the worst health crisis in our history, where you mandate City lockdown, tens of thousands still live in the streets of filth, trash, stench and disease. Your city government is second to Chicago in corruption. You have failed. You are not a leader. If you really want to help the City of Los Angeles, step down. Bruce Taylor President Taylor’s Steak House

Books and Places: War then and now

Last evening I read the beautifully prepared May 2020 edition of the Larchmont Chronicle. As I understand it, one of the purposes of the paper is to strengthen the community within the neighborhoods the paper serves. Which leads me to the point of this email, which is the statement of a political viewpoint that is not shared by, possibly, many of your readers. Mr. Beiderwell, in his otherwise excellent article, states on page three of section two: “Our current state of perpetual war, for example, began in 2003 with colossal mistakes and misrepresentations. Peo-

Larchmont Chronicle ple, American soldiers among them, have died for — or because of — those essential wrongs. Such reflection may leave us trying on Memorial Day to disentangle politics from the dead we wish to honor.” There are always mistakes in any administration of government. However, not everyone believes the part about “misrepresentations” and “essential wrongs.” Further, not everyone entangles politics with remembering our war dead. May we have otherwise interesting articles without the writer’s personal opinions and politics being interjected. Thank you for continuing this wonderful publication in the tradition Jane Gilman and Dawne Goodwin began 57 years ago. Thomas E. Brandlin Kingsley Drive

Archeologist speaks for earth’s oldest oak

Great article Ms. Seifer. I’ve had the privilege to work with Dr. Stickel, and I have seen his incredible devotion to preserving our history, much like the fictional character Indiana Jones. Though not a grand and beautiful oak, this oak [the Jurupa Oak] is truly unique and one of a kind. It truly deserves the respect and protection that is given to other world treasures. This tree is a gift to all of us who reside in this beautiful State of California. How amazing it is that a life form can survive over 13,000 years through fires, droughts, and who knows what, only to find itself fighting off another foe, the urban sprawl. A true underdog this oak is. I guess we will not be happy until every square acre in California holds some sort of structure on it. Elijah S. Bernal Rancho Cucamonga

Trash on Larchmont

Larchmont Boulevard is currently filthy. There are discarded masks, gloves and trash everywhere. Is the street not being cleaned on a daily basis? With stores opening up, we should attract shoppers, not discourage them from coming to our beautiful boulevard. Thank you. Judy Zeller Windsor Square (Please turn to page 23)

TRASH pile-up on Larchmont.

Larchmont Chronicle

Letters

(Continued from page 22) o o I want to alert everyone to the state of Larchmont Boulevard between Beverly and 1st Street. My daughter and I have been walking our dogs each day on the boulevard witnessing litter growing daily and now there is the addition of discarded masks and plastic gloves. The trash bins are filthy and sometimes not emptied. They could also use a good exterior cleaning now and then. The one in front of the eternally-vacant building to the north of Vernetti’s is most disgusting. Does anyone know why there isn’t another tree planted in the large well on the west side of the boulevard in front of 141 N. Larchmont? It seems like the well, which has been waiting a long time to get a tree, is now just a large empty shallow pit gathering litter and waiting for a senior citizen or another to fall. It’s a lawsuit waiting to happen. Why can’t we get a tree in there? Is this something the historical society can help

JUNE 2020

with? We will be happy to plant a tree there. It is long overdue. Richard Battaglia Windsor Square Hancock Park Historical Society o o Re: the sidewalks and the trash on Larchmont during this time. I have been in constant contact with the trash company over this. Texting photos several times a week. They go and clean, and then within hours, we have the same issue. The problem is that those visiting Larchmont have just begun to throw their trash on the sidewalks instead of putting it in the trash cans. I have picked up trash that has been thrown on the ground by our neighbors several times during this epidemic. It’s very disappointing that people are treating the street this way during this time. I think that one of the issues is that people do not want to touch the trash cans to throw the trash away. It is something we will have to address moving forward. The new Big Bellies do have a feature that opens them with your foot rather than your hand. CD4 provided those cans to use several years back, and

STILL-EMPTY tree well in front of 141 N. Larchmont Blvd.

hopefully we can discuss with them how to replace these cans. The BID has worked tirelessly with the merchants on Larchmont during this difficult time to provide information and marketing. We will continue to do all we can to support their businesses. As for the trees, I’ll leave that to Windsor Square as I know they have their outline of what needs to happen before a tree is planted, and I think as part of their guidelines, watering has to be determined before a tree is installed. The property owner of the new trees in front of Rite Aid is paying for

SECTION ONE

the watering of those trees. Fortunately, there is a water source directly next to the trees, which makes it easier. Please let me know if you would like any further information. Heather Duffy Boylston Larchmont Village Business Improvement District o o To beautify our neighborhood, the Windsor Square Association (WSA) has offered to pay to replace three missing Larchmont Village street trees, as part of WSA’s 2018 proposal for the planting, maintenance, and orderly replacement of the trees that do so much to create a village atmosphere. However, WSA’s tree replacement offer and plan is still pending — awaiting a consensus among other stakeholders, including the Larchmont Boulevard Association (of merchants), the Business Improvement District (of property owners), and Council District 4. When one or more of these parties (or an abutting landlord) takes responsibility for irrigation of the newly planted trees, WSA is ready, willing, and able to

move forward to replace the missing trees, but not before. Willingness to take responsibility for irrigation of Larchmont Village street trees has been an ongoing problem. Larry Guzin President Windsor Square Association

Support Larchmont merchants

Last night I picked up dinner from a favorite restaurant in Larchmont Village. My family has been enjoying their food since we moved into the neighborhood thirty years ago. Larchmont Village is the heart and soul of our community; it is what makes Hancock Park and Windsor Square so unique. I encourage residents in the community to think of ordering take-out and delivery from local restaurants to help them get through these difficult times. It is important that we support our restaurants and small businesses. I would hope their landlords realize this as well. Paul Miller Windsor Square

Jerry Snyder, local developer, dies at age 90

Prominent developer and industry icon Jerome H. (Jerry) Snyder, who started his career as a homebuilder at 19 and went on to build major Los Angeles landmarks, died May 8 at his home in Bel Air surrounded by his loving family after a brief battle with cancer. He was 90. Founder and Senior Partner of J. H. Snyder Company, Snyder built thousands of homes and millions of square feet of commercial developments. He always said,“My favorite project is the next one.” Throughout his 70-year career, Snyder displayed an enviable ability to envision, plan and create outstanding projects that set new standards such as the Water Garden and Ocean Towers in Santa Monica, Beverly Glen Park, The River at Rancho Mirage and Coronado Shores in San Diego. Pioneer in Miracle Mile A strong advocate of the Miracle Mile, Snyder and three partners acquired what was then Prudential Insurance headquarters at 5757 Wilshire Boulevard in 1978. Now known as SAG-AFTRA Plaza, this complex included an 11-story office building plus substantial additional acreage that was used for future development including the Wilshire Courtyard across the boulevard. The one million square foot, twin building Wilshire Courtyard is another Snyder classic, innovative for its terraces that were unique in an office building in 1987 but commonplace today. The two office properties attracted top tenants, changing the perception of the area and leading many to say Snyder helped put the “miracle” in Miracle Mile. Residences at Wilshire Curson Currently underway at SAG-AFTRA Plaza is Snyder’s most recent favorite project, The Residences at Wilshire Curson. This 20-story state-of-the-art apartment building will house 285 luxury rental residences that overlook neighboring museums and their acres of parks.

A visionary in all aspects of his development life, Snyder recognized the need to gain community acceptance of projects and personally led this effort for the company, often walking door-to-door to speak with neighbors. Almost unheard of, The Residences at Wilshire Curson received city approvals with no opposition. Another important element in J. H. Snyder Company’s success is that it is able to act as its own contractor because Snyder established a construction company led by Patrick Irvine, a longtime associate. Born in Brooklyn, Snyder moved with his family to Los Angeles in 1944, arriving by train at Union Station. The family lived in Boyle Heights and Snyder graduated from Roosevelt High School. He attended one semester at UCLA but found himself too restless for school and then served a brief stint in the U.S. Navy. Snyder & Son At the age of 19 he bought a truck and started a home remodeling business based on the experience he had gained working with his carpenter father. He printed business cards for Snyder & Son, letting potential clients believe there was an older person in the business since he was afraid they would think he was too young to be trustworthy. His plan worked and he was soon busy with individual home projects. As he gained experience, he

moved to small subdivisions and then developed an 80-home community in Orange County, which he convinced Home Savings & Loan to finance. Snyder named his first company Signature Homes capitalizing on the GI Bill that allowed veterans to buy homes for $1 and a signature. At the age of 22 he was building 2,000 homes a year. He established J. H. Snyder Company and became a major homebuilder in Southern California and then nationally. In 1969 Snyder partnered with Loew’s Corporation to form Loew’s Snyder Environmental Communities and, over the next seven years, the company built thousands of homes across the United States from Coronado Island to Staten Island. In the late 1970s, as the economy stagnated and homebuilding contracted, Snyder transformed J. H. Snyder Company from a homebuilder into a developer of commercial properties, including making his Prudential acquisition in the Miracle Mile. His uncanny ability to forecast economic and market trends and shift development plans accordingly was a strategy he employed successfully over the next four decades, going from office buildings to retail centers to multifamily projects to fit market demands. Partners, awards Lew Geyser and Michael Wise have been partners with Snyder for 50 years. A third partner is Lon Snyder, who worked with his father during college years at UCLA and joined the company fulltime in 1986. Milton Swimmer and Cliff Goldstein were earlier partners. Over the years Snyder has received numerous honors and appeared on covers of multiple magazines. The Los Angeles Business Journal selected him to join its Business Hall of Fame in 2019 for the lasting impression he has made on Los Angeles. He is routinely named to rankings of Most Powerful

Los Angeles Business Leaders. He has been honored by UCLA and many civic, business and charitable organizations for his accomplishments. Philanthropy, family Snyder and his wife, Joan, have made UCLA the beneficiary of much of their philanthropy. They have contributed $3 million to endow three faculty chairs at the Stein Eye Institute, which they have supported for 40 years.They established the Jerome Snyder Systems Building and Housing Research Fellowship at the UCLA Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning. Forty Snyder Fellows from 13 nations have pursued research under this program. The Snyders have supported a wide range of UCLA programs including Operation Mend, which provides health care for service members, veterans and their families. Children’s welfare is another major philanthropic interest with support going to Boys and Girls Club of Venice, Jeffrey Foundation, Rotaplast International, After-School All-Stars, among others. Devoted to his family, Snyder annually took his entire family on vacations with Hawaii the most recent destination. Each summer including last June, he traveled to the south of France with family and close friends of many years, always basing at the Hotel du Cap-EdenRoc. He also enjoyed spending time at homes in Flathead Lake, Montana, and Palm Springs. For many years he was a top golfer, taking home many trophies. Snyder is survived by his wife, Joan, and three children,Wendy Snyder married to Toshi Nakajima, William Snyder married to Martin Larsen, and Lon Snyder married to Linda Snyder, and three grandchildren, Catherine Nakajima, Kevin Nakajima and Katie Snyder. A memorial service is planned at a later date. To honor Jerry Snyder’s memory, contributions may be sent to the UCLA Stein Eye Institute. ADV.

JUNE 2020

SECTION ONE

Larchmont Chronicle

Homeschooling (Continued from page 1)

into the homeschool lives of the college-aged set, which appears markedly different from the elementary and preschool tales featured in previous installments as well as this one. Should you wish to have your child’s / family’s experience of homeschool featured, please submit to caroline@ larchmontchronicle.com. The questions asked: 1) What are the names, ages, and grades of your children? 2) How are you structuring your days? 3) What remote learning strategies are you employing and what (if any) materials / resources did the school provide? 4) How are YOU coping (as parents)? Hedy Hutcheson, South Lucerne Blvd., wrote: 1) My three children are Emerson Duggan, 22, senior at NYU Tisch School of the Arts; Priscilla Duggan, 19,

EMERSON DUGGAN, a senior in film school at NYU Tisch, and Grace Leichter, a psych major also at NYU, “homeschool” in her parents’ back yard.

freshman at Barnard College; and Rhett Hutcheson, 14, freshman at Loyola High School. We also have significant others “stuck” living here (!). They are Grace Leichter, 22, senior at NYU, and Julian Rappaport, 20, sophomore at The New School. 2) Days start early here because we are dealing with

school hours from both coasts. Best-laid plans to get up late by all my college students have morphed into 8 a.m. classes for all! Mostly everyone is finished with structured class hours by 2 p.m., whereupon cooking, swimming, exercising, and video games ensue. 3) Zoom is the name of the game here. 4) My husband, Andrew Hutcheson, an institutional consultant, is busier than ever and contemplates work-

PRISCILLA DUGGAN in a Zoom science lab from Barnard College.

ing from home forever. I find myself happily getting to be more aware of my young adults’ impressive lives as I sneak views of student film projects, hear about current neuroscience research of antidepressant compounds, understand analysis of personalities in psychology, listen to jazz riffs drift from the upper floor, and watch pre-professional soccer workouts take place in the yard and house Monday-Friday. We all enjoy dinner togeth-

RHETT HUTCHESON, ninth grader at Loyola High School, practices soccer in the back yard.

er every night. It reminds us of community — we share our thoughts and feelings of the day. There is laughter and argument, but mostly true support of each other’s passions and the all-important private space in such a full household. (Please turn to page 25)

Willard Zeller Carr, Jr. December 18, 1927 April 10, 2020

ANDREW J. FENADY October 4, 1928 – April 16, 2020

Andrew J. Fenady and his beloved wife, Mary Frances, are together again. Longtime Hancock Park resident, A.J. Fenady died peacefully at the family home on April 16, 2020. A.J. was born in Toledo, Ohio to John A. Fenady and Mary B. Fenady. He and Mary Frances met in college in 1948 and were married June 30, 1956. After establishing a writing and producing career in Hollywood, A.J. brought M.F. (who was finishing up two master’s degrees) out west and they started their family of six children in the house they purchased on Rossmore in 1960. With a love of Larchmont, it wasn’t long before A.J. and M.F. set down stakes on the boulevard, purchasing the first of several buildings the same year that A.J. wrote and produced “Chisum,” starring John Wayne – and setting up his permanent office (between hitches at all six major studios) in his crown jewel on

the corner of Larchmont and Beverly. In addition to writing and producing scores of Feature Films, Movies of the Week and Television series, A.J. wrote over twenty novels, and nearly a dozen plays. The neighborhood became embedded in A.J.’s DNA. He savored weekend afternoons coaching his boys at Ahmanson Field – his daily strolls down, then up, the boulevard – and of course contributing, with Mary Frances to a multitude of neighborhood charitable and social organizations. As proud as he was of his professional career, A.J. and M.F.’s proudest achievement was the family they created — Gena, Duke (Di), Sean, Shannon (deceased) Andrew (Regina) and Thomas — along with their grandchildren — Jonathan, James, Megan, Jack, William, Griffin, and Parker; and great grandchildren – Nicholas, with two more on the way due August 2020. A memorial service will be held at a future date. ADV.

ill Carr was born in Richmond, Indiana to Willard Zeller Carr and Susan Brownell Carr, the youngest of four children. He lived a long, happy and productive life and served his community and his country well. Bill loved life and engaging with people. He had a keen intellect, and was kind, witty and generous. He received his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the Indiana School of Law in 1950, where he was an Editor of the Indiana Law Journal. Following his graduation, he joined the United States Air Force during the Korean War. While stationed at the Air War College at Maxwell Field in Montgomery, Alabama, he met Margaret Paterson, who became his wife of 68 wonderful years. He was next sent, as a Captain in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, to Okinawa. Following his return from Okinawa and discharge from the Air Force, he and Margaret moved to Los Angeles in 1952 and he joined the law firm of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher, where he practiced for 42 years until his retirement in 1994. Bill was an internationally recognized expert in Employment Law and Labor Relations, and he was the author of numerous publications. He served the firm as a Senior Partner and member of the Executive Committee, and as a mentor to generations of young lawyers. The prestigious Gibson Dunn has grown organically from 31 attorneys, when he started, to over 1,440 lawyers today.

Bill was extraordinarily active in civic, legal and philanthropic affairs, including chairmanships of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, the California Chamber of Commerce, the Labor and Employment Law Practice Group of the Federalist Society, the Los Angeles Area American Red Cross, and numerous committees for the International and American Bar Associations. He was a founder of the Los Angeles Police Memorial Foundation and the Pacific Legal Foundation, and he was on the boards of the California State Parks Foundation, the Los Angeles Zoo, and the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. He also was a Commissioner of the California World Trade Commission. In 1999 he endowed the Willard and Margaret Carr Professorship of Labor and Employment Law at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law. He was predeceased by his parents, his brothers James and Brownell, his sister Patricia, and his son Clayton Paterson Carr. He is survived by his wife Margaret, his son Jeffrey Westcott Carr, his grandson Daniel Carr and Daniel’s wife Alexis, and his daughter-in-law Deborah von Rosenvinge Carr. A celebration of Bill’s life will be held later this year. Donations in his memory may be made to the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology in care of USC Advancement Gift Services, 1150 South Olive Street, 25th Floor, Los Angeles, Ca. 90015, telephone 213740-1360. ADV.

Larchmont Chronicle

JUNE 2020

thing we could have handled was the feeling of falling behind in schoolwork. Both of us work full-time, and we are in a partnership — we try to be very cognizant of supporting each other’s work demands. So what that really means is that between work and homeschooling we can get up at 6 a.m. and go to bed at 10 or 11 p.m. every day and still feel behind. It sucks. We have both been trying to carve out time to exercise and take care of ourselves … and we are somewhat successful. The stress is a lot on so many fronts. 4) Coping? Ugh. I work with LAUSD, and as we plan for

SECTION ONE

August reopening, it’s hard to know what is solid footing in terms of public health guidance, etc. Every day there is new guidance and new information about COVID. There is really no great option out there for school re-opening. So we all soldier on and try to find the best solution within a really tough situation. My partner is high risk, so there is that added layer of stress for our family. We don’t want to bring sickness back to our household, and our basic feeling is to stay isolated for as long as is necessary. It’s not great, but we have to believe that this too shall pass!

‘Zoomers to Boomers’ is free for seniors

The Original Farmers Market, 6333 W. Third St., has partnered with volunteer delivery service, Zoomers to Boomers, a free service for seniors 60 and over. Seniors who want to order 15 items or fewer, without the extra fee typically charged for small deliveries can use the service. No tips are expected. Call 323-364-5878, email zoomerstoboomers@gmail.com or visit zoomerstoboomers.com.

SANTIAGO-BONKOVSKY family’s homeschooling schedule for one day in May.

Homeschooling (Continued from page 24)

I hope the community of others returns for all of us sooner than later. Rachel Bonkovsky and Laura Santiago, Gower St. 1) Eva, 3rd Grade, Center for Early Education (CEE / The Center); Hanna Louisa, preschool (EC1), Center for Early Education. 2) We start our morning at 8:30 a.m. with “morning meeting” and then split the day into 30-minute time blocks for each child. It looks pretty different for each child because they are in very different places developmentally. Our older daughter, Eva, is able to work independently for a fair amount of her day. She needs some help when she gets stuck or when she craves human interaction (!), but once she’s going on an assignment she can work through the end of her time block. Our preschooler, Hanna Louisa, needs a lot more from us — essentially what would be best for her right now is playing with her peers and exploring social interactions and early reading strategies. It makes us all sad that this isn’t possible. Today, in the middle of the day, we spent 20 minutes cuddling in bed … that was not on our schedule, but it’s what made sense for her in that moment. Early on, we enlisted grandparents on both sides of our family to help, and that has been lovely. Each girl gets one-on-one time with a grandparent (or two) two-to-three times per week. It’s fun to see those bonds strengthen. Along with giving us parents a minibreak (enough time to load or unload the dishwasher!), it also gives the grandparents something to look forward to, albeit over Skype / FaceTime.

We also feel incredibly blessed to be part of the CEE community. Right from the start, the teachers sent along developmentally appropriate plans for the week. These included wellstructured lessons with embedded videos and with platforms and apps the students were already familiar with. As the weeks have gone by, CEE has layered in more structure and synchronous, or live, options that we appreciate but don’t always use. Eva, our third grader, is already learning about “Zoom fatigue,” and Hanna Lou, our preschooler, doesn’t really connect to the live classes. What she does love are the engaging, fun daily videos her classroom teachers, librarian, music teacher, and PE teacher post. Sometimes she will watch a read-aloud two or three times! CEE has been very upfront about the reality that this is not education that stands up to their philosophical underpinnings. None of us parents would have blessed four hours of screen time a day, and certainly not The Center! But here we are! The Center has made concessions to meet the needs of the COVID reality and has managed to stay as true to their core mission as is possible. Over the last month they have really focused on continuing to maintain community both for the students and the parents, and we are grateful. A wonderful, stress-relieving mantra that is often said by teachers and administrators at The Center is something along the lines of: “Don’t worry, follow your child’s lead and do what is right for her. We will meet your child where she is when we return to campus. No one will be ‘behind.’” 3) Part of what was so reassuring about those words from our daughters’ school is that this is so very hard. The last

All that you are, you are here. A WARM WELCOME. A tapestry of friendship. A place where there is room to be yourself. Find the gem of authenticity in a community within a community. Kingsley Manor is a pastiche of Hollywood grandeur and modern living, six miles to Beverly Hills, ten minutes to Walt Disney Concert Hall and L.A.’s best restaurants. Discover the art of living right in the heart of Hollywood. At Kingsley Manor you’ll find a community that shines from the inside out. There’s so much to discover and so many ways to thrive with Truly Yours assisted living services and a skilled nursing care center on site.

making the move to a simpler life M U L T I - L E V E L R E T I R E M E N T L I V I N G — E X C E P T I O N A L VA L U E AVA I L A B L E O N A S I M P L E M O N T H - T O - M O N T H F E E B A S I S .

Call us today. 323- 661-1128 1055 N. Kingsley Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90029 kingsleymanor.org We’re an equal opportunity housing provider. CA License #197602346

JUNE 2020

SECTION ONE

SKATEBOARDER carries a portable ramp as he passes Larchmont’s Bank of America.

Skateboarding (Continued from page 1)

“takeover” by groups of youths hanging out in the Larchmont area, specifically the empty parking lots up and down the boulevard. Discomfort Over the past year, there has been a lot of back-andforth on the Nextdoor app — between those who support the skateboarders and those who are fed up. The arguments became very personal at one point, pitting neighbor against neighbor. “In a weird way,” says Larchmont area homeowner Clare Cohen, “it fractured the neighborhood.” Even though most kids try to follow the rules, there are always a few who don’t. “I have two minds about this,” says Cohen thoughtfully. “I skateboarded; my brother skateboarded; it’s part of Southern California culture. It’s great that it keeps kids off

of electronic devices; they get to be outside; it’s cool … but the problems in Larchmont arose when some groups of older skaters started ‘vibing’ people when they walked by, and those skaters were cursing and not really caring what people were hearing. It went from the innocence of jumping cracks to something that made people uncomfortable.” Love of skateboarding Many young people growing up in the Larchmont community skate on a daily basis and love everything about it: the exercise, the freedom to roam and explore, the friendships, and the love of the community it fosters. “Skateboarding has connected me with so many other people,” says Meyer, a 13-yearold local. His friend Jack, who has lived in the Larchmont area his entire life, agrees. “Skateboarding around Larchmont is fun because everyone’s around, it’s safe,

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF

HOLLYWOOD

2 blks from Hollywood & Vine Metro 1760 N. Gower St. 90028 323-463-7161 www.fpch.org

ONLINE SERVICES Be strong & courageous! We are not alone. Christ is among us!

6720 Melrose Ave. Hollywood (323) 938-9135 VIRTUAL SUNDAY CONCERT WORSHIP 10:30am hopelutheranchurch.net

©LC0520

Hope Lutheran Church

Ecclesia Gnostica Gnostic Christian Church

307

©LC0320

Bishop Dr. Stephan Hoeller Sunday Eucharist 11am FREE Valet Parking Sundays Sunday Eucharist 11:00am Eucharist 8:30pm 8 pm Lectures • Fridays • 8• pm Wednesday Eucharist Lectures • Fridays 8pm 3363 Glendale Boulevard, Atwater, Los Angeles • 323-467-2685 2560 N. Beachwood Dr., Hollywood • 323-467-2685

Larchmont Chronicle

LOCAL skateboarder practices his “pop shove” and “ollie” moves in the empty Flywheel parking lot.

and you get to hang out with your friends. We go together and buy candy and ice cream... it’s comfortable because we know everyone.” Jack also appreciates the skill and hard work that goes into the sport. “I really like the creativity of skateboarding and setting goals for myself. There may be a certain trick that I’m working on, and I’ll do it over and over and over until I get it right.” USC study This attitude falls right in line with a recent groundbreaking study by USC’s Pullias Center for Higher Education, funded by a grant from the Tony Hawk Foundation, a study that focuses on skateboarding culture. In the report, found at pullias. usc.edu, USC research associate professor and lead investigator Zoe Corwin, a Windsor Square resident, reveals the study’s purpose: “Skateboarders are prone to being labeled by society as rebels, social deviants, or rule-breakers. Stereotyping masks an array of valuable skills obtained through skateboarding. The study aims to redefine what it means to be a skateboarder and highlight connections among skateboarding, education and career.” The study included a national survey of over 5000 skateboarders and interviews with over 120 skaters and community stakeholders. Corwin was deeply surprised with the results of the research. “What we learned from skateboarding youth was profound,” she reveals in the report’s final analysis. “Study data illustrate how skateboarding bolsters mental health and facilitates community. Skaters of color explained feeling safer and more supported in the skate community. Skaters clearly articulated skills they learned through skating, such as persistence (skaters will practice a trick hundreds of times until they land it), problem solving, [and] intergenerational and cross-cultural communication.” Beginning in the 1940s Skateboarding popped onto the SoCal scene as early as the late 1940s. When waves were scarce, surfers in California

KYD KALIN and Jackson and Hudson Little take a break from skating at Lake Street Skate Park.

and Hawaii looked for alternative forms of entertainment. They tore apart wooden boxes, attached metal roller skates, and took off down the pavement, “surfing the sidewalk.” Skateboarding in the 1970s blossomed even more with the advent of the polyurethane wheel, which made skating on paved surfaces smoother and more controlled. Skateboarders took full advantage of this new wheel and started skating in empty swimming pools and reservoirs in and around San Diego and Los Angeles. Skateboarding competitions soon became all the rage, the most notable group of competitors being a local skate team from Santa Monica, the Zephyr team, famously known as the “Z-Boys.” Sidewalk alternatives So, yes, skateboarding is baked into our culture. As the streets and sidewalks around Larchmont Village have become more crowded, though, some locals are trying to come up with ideas for the business and skateboarding communities to live together in peace. One of those people is Jim Kalin, a Larchmont-area resident and father of 11-year-old skateboarder, Kyd Kalin. Jim conceived the idea to create a small-group summer skate camp, called Tour de Skate, where he will shuttle campers around Los Angeles for five days, Monday – Friday, to visit the best skate parks and skateboard shops around Los Angeles. “In this whole new COVID-19 era, people are thinking outside the box about summer options,” says Kalin. “Parents need things for their kids to do this summer, and they probably won’t be sending their kids to camps with 200 people, or to packed sports gymnasiums, so this is a small-group alternative.” Kalin grew up in Ohio, the son of an Ohio State University wrestler. Eighteen years later, Jim was doing the same thing.

JIM KALIN, founder of Tour de Skate summer camp, and son, Kyd, visit the beach near Venice Beach Skate Park.

“That was my skateboarding,” he laughs. Kalin has taught physical education and coached local sports teams including soccer, St. Brendan’s Basketball (SBBA), kids’ wrestling programs and Wilshire Warriors baseball. He also is part-owner of Power House Bar on Highland Ave. in Hollywood, and he helped open a bar on Melrose called “The Darkroom,” a former camera shop turned gastropub. Kalin accompanies his son around town to watch him skate, and he’s grown to love the skateboard culture. “The skateboarders are so generous and very supportive of each other,” says Kalin. “It was a complete surprise to me how wonderful this culture is; they are so dedicated and considerate… I love going to the skate parks, meeting people and getting to know them, visiting their shops and talking to the pros.” Build one here? Both Kalin and Cohen wish that there were a public skate park closer to the Larchmont area so skateboarders would have a dedicated place to practice their skills. “There’s been a complete failure of imagination on how (Please turn to page 27)

Larchmont Chronicle

JUNE 2020

SECTION ONE

Teams are ready to play ball, eventually

DR. LO SPRAGUE and one of the tigers at ADI’s temporary Rescue Center in Guatemala.

Animal rescue was a trip of a lifetime for locals, wildlife

Dr. Lo Sprague, of Windsor Square, and president of the Guibord Center, and Mary Kirchen, of S. Citrus Ave., recently returned from transporting 12 tigers and five lions to a wildlife refuge in South Africa. “It was a challenge!” Sprague told us of the trip taken before the coronavirus restrictions. The pair participated in Animal Defenders International’s (ADI) rescue from Guatemala, where the former circus animals had suffered brutality and confinement. The ADI team traveled 36 hours through four countries via a Qatar Airlines cargo plane, and then the animals were driven to ADI’s new Wildlife Preserve in South Africa. “Mary and I went ... to represent The Guibord Center’s commitment to bring voices of faith into the discus-

Skateboarding (Continued from page 26)

to use our public spaces,” says Cohen. “We have places around town that just sit dormant and could get so much use if we figured out how to multipurpose them.” Skateboarders Jack and Meyer agree. “I would definitely use a skate park,” says Jack excitedly. “Skating on the street is fun, but if there was a place with rails and ramps, it would definitely be more fun.” “One hundred percent!” enthuses Meyer. “I would absolutely use a skate park. If there was something like Stoner Skate Plaza or El Sereno Skate Park nearby, I would go there all the time.” Cohen has high hopes that a solution will be found. “I would love for there to be a way to find harmony and let the skaters have fun and be social,” she says, “but at the same time be mindful that we’re in a neighborhood. In any negotiation, people need to give a little on each side.” For more information about Tour de Skate summer skateboarding camp, go to tourdeskate.com.

sion of how we humans are to understand our responsibility to care for animals and the earth,” Sprague said. “Mary and I also went because it was the adventure of a lifetime! There is nothing like trying to balance on heavy cargo nets while feeding and watering 17 dangerous wild animals through a 2” by 2” steel mesh opening in their travel crates strapped to pallets in the hold of a 777 cargo plane at 38,000+ feet.” She added, “[Dr. Gwynne Guibord] and I championed the sanctuary since its inception in 2018. Before her death in August, Gwynne was tremendously excited that our friend Mary Kirchen and I were going to make this trip.”

Confessions

(Continued from page 9) start exercising], but I don’t enjoy walking around on pavement. I don’t enjoy walking around the block.” She owns weights, and her complex has a pool, but neither has tempted her to join the COVID-fitness trend. Deutsch continues, “People are talking about exercising, and people are doing it, and even that hasn’t gotten me off my duff.” One thing we’re all failing at during the coronavirus distancing is personal grooming. For some, that means never getting out of pajamas and showering less frequently, but even the fastidiously clean have issues with hair growing out of control and roots clearly marking the before COVID and after COVID divide. Mel Stolz-Sumegi reports that she was looking like the European fairytale character Struwwelpeter (translated as “slovenly Peter”), and, so, she pulled out her mother’s old hair scissors and hacked away. She was pleased enough with the results that she came after her teenagers, but she says, “When I asked my daughters when they would like me to trim their manes, the look they gave me was priceless!”

By Suzan Filipek Nothing spells summer like baseball and Little League, and the Wilshire Warriors are ready to play in the time-honored tradition. They have been for a while. “We are ready to play baseball as soon as the authorities deem it safe,” says Wilshire Warriors Baseball President Tom Eisenhauer on the group’s website. “Thanks to the efforts of so many league volunteers, all the work to prepare for the season was completed before the COVID-19 shutdown — fields renovated, permits purchased, uniforms delivered, players evaluated, and teams formed — and so we are ready to play baseball.” He added, “We don’t know when we will get the green light to play, but we will notify everyone as soon as we do.” Practices and games are held at Pan Pacific Park and/or John Burroughs Middle School. wilshirewarriors.com ••• The Larchmont Charter High School and Middle School spring baseball seasons were also both cancelled. “We’re awaiting word from city and state officials as to when to resume action,” coach and parent Daniel Frankel told us. ••• Things took a virtual turn in the world of Goldie’s Youth Sports, team leader Goldie (Karen Goldberg) told us. A record number of girls

GOLDIE’S YOUTH SPORTS MEMBERS, clockwise from above left: Ruby Clay, 9; Kennedy Collier, 8; Casey Chong, 11; and Aria Uttamchandini, 8.

signed up for the spring season, only to be told to stay home. “The season was canceled, which was awfully sad. But, 300-plus girls registered, which was an all-time high for us. And that shows that girls want girl-empowering / girlsports teams! So, that part was the shining part. But, yes, the season was cancelled.” Online basketball contests, and game tutorials were launched and continue to be posted weekly on Goldie’s

Youth Sports YouTube channel for registered players. Once the season starts, Goldie’s will be launching its third year with St. Brendan’s Basketball Association. Practice and games are at St. Brendan School, 238 S. Manhattan Place. Goldiesyouthsports.com ••• Sports are also on hold at Pan Pacific Park Recreation Center, which as of May 26 remained closed. la-parks.org/ reccenter/panpacific

Have Medicare questions?

I have the answers - let’s talk! CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 UPDATE I am happy to provide full support over the phone or online while social distancing is recommended.

I am a local, licensed and trained Independent Agent. I represent most major Medicare insurance plans and I can answer all of your questions. I can help you find a health plan that suits your personal healthcare needs and budget at no cost to you.

Give me a call today. I look forward to helping you. Lara Goulson (818) 472-5484 License #0E69969 By calling the number above, you will be directed to a licensed insurance agent.

SECTION ONE

JUNE 2020

Larchmont Chronicle

YOUR CHILD’S HEALTH IS ESSENTIAL. Nothing is more important than your children’s health. That was true before COVID -19 and it’s still true now. Don’t wait to get your kids the care they need, including vaccinations, well-child visits and more.

With in-office appointments and virtual visits, we are here for your family. Visit CHLA.org.