Larchmont Chronicle
VOL. 58, NO. 7
• DELIVERED TO 76,439 READERS IN HANCOCK PARK • WINDSOR SQUARE • FREMONT PLACE • MIRACLE MILE • PARK LA BREA • LARCHMONT •
IN THIS ISSUE
Lawmakers push housing legislation as session ends
Bridge Home to open in Los Feliz n Includes 100 beds
PETS OF LARCHMONT.
10
RAPPING Around the Town. 4
VACATIONING past and future.
2-4
By Suzan Filipek A giant, open structure with 100 beds to temporarily house people experiencing homelessness is poised to open behind the Mulholland Fountain at the corner of Riverside Drive and Los Feliz Bouelvard. The $5.6 million Los Feliz Bridge Home project will be operated by the nonprofit People Assisting the Homeless (PATH). Adjacent to the 10,800square-foot structure will be a hygiene trailer, an administrative-intake trailer, storage, waste and recycling areas, an elevated deck and an outdoor pet area. It will be the third Bridge Home plus an emergency shelter to open in David Ryu’s Council District Four in a little more than one year. Tentative opening is July 28.
Front yard regains its former glory
n With masks, of course
REOPENINGS on the Boulevard. 2-7 For Information on Advertising Rates, Please Call Pam Rudy 323-462-2241, x 11 Mailing permit:
By Suzan Filipek Ah, the great outdoors. Nothing like a pandemic to make you crave some fresh air and time in nature. And friends. All of these forces combined have elev a t e d the oftneglected front yard to its earlier prominence. Laura Dine Mil- PLAYING IT SAFE lion and on Wilton Drive. See Front yard, p 8
Women of Larchmont
Our annual section, which has honored local women since 1965, will be published in the August issue. Advertising deadline is Mon., July 13. For more information contact Pam Rudy, 323-4622241, ext. 11.
JULY 2020
n Impacts single-family
NATIONAL GUARD ON LARCHMONT JUNE 3. See our coverage of recent Black Lives Matter demonstrations and more in the special center section starting on page 8A. Photo by Billy Taylor
Hair salons, barbershop are on cutting, color edge
n Sites open, eventually, after getting okay from City By Suzan Filipek Slowly, bit by bit, businesses are re-opening. Among them are the hair salons and a barbershop on Larchmont Boulevard — which got the okay from the city to open at the end of May. Manicurists were given a green light effective June 19. The excitement of salons opening was thwarted at first in the wake of protests that took place around the world, and on Larchmont, following the killing of George Floyd. And while the social and pandemic issues of the era continue — and hopefully pos-
itive changes will result — the salons (and barbershop) have, indeed, laid out their welcome See Salons, p 12
By Billy Taylor As Angelenos simultaneously deal with the coronavirus pandemic and nationwide protests, California lawmakers are busy in Sacramento pushing forward housing legislation that has the potential to forever change our historic neighborhoods. With Aug. 31 the last day for each chamber to pass bills, state lawmakers are working fast, perhaps even hastily, to wrap up the current legislative session. Here’s what you should know. SB 902 This bill, which passed the state Senate by a 33-3 vote June 22, would allow cities to grant by-right zoning approval for up to ten units in transit- and job-rich areas. The bill is now headed to the Assembly for review. In short, SB 902 would See Legislature, p 6
Summer camp: This year, it’s not about the campsite n Performances, plays and shows go on... online By Talia Abrahamson This summer, “camp” is not about the campsite. Traditions, like camp songs, arts and crafts, dress-up days or bonding with counselors, help to bring campers closer together, and it is activities like
those that camps this summer are holding onto during this time of COVID-19 social-distancing regulations. Los Angeles County announced that, effective June 12, day camps were allowed to See Summer camps, p 14
Residents come together to save ducks n ‘It was instantly clear the mom was in distress’
In the lonely days of the pandemic quarantine, June Street resident Ed Redlich last month discovered some surprising new company in the neighborhood. A mother duck and four of her ducklings had become hopelessly lost, wandering north on the west side of June Street between Rosewood and Clinton. “It was instantly clear that the mom was in distress,” Redlich says. “It looked like they were trying to find a way east somewhere but were being blocked by the homes along June.” Redlich was soon joined by neighbors, as they all struggled to come up with a solution. “We considered trying to get them to a pool or fountain,” Redlich says, “But we were not at all sure how to move them there.” And to make matters worse, one of the young JUNE STREET resident Mindy Schulducklings, unable to climb over higher walls and curbs, theis watches in surprise as a family of See Ducks, p 12 ducks marches by.
www.larchmontchronicle.com ~ Entire Issue Online!
2
Larchmont Chronicle
JULY 2020
SECTION ONE
Editorial
Calendar
This month’s Editorial is on page 8B NO FIREWORKS at Wilshire Country Club this year on July 4. The Club announced that it has cancelled all July 4 activities because of COVID-19.
Sat., July 4 — Independence Day. Wed., July 8 — Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council board meeting via Zoom. Check greaterwilshire.org to confirm and for online login. Thurs., July 30 — Delivery of the August issue of the Larchmont Chronicle.
Letters to the Editor Push for denser housing
Regarding “Local lawmaker pushes for denser housing: Assemblyman Bloom has two bills” by Billy Taylor, June 2020: How will it be guaranteed to go to low income? It won’t, and with COVID, density doesn’t sound good. Daphne Brogdon Longwood Highlands
‘Slow streets’ fast track
It would be awesome to see Slow Streets in Windsor Square. I love the pilot in MidCity West. I walk it every day! Lauren M. Nichols First Vice Chair, Mid City West Community Council o o o I am a resident of more than 40 years on a street intersecting a street proposed to become a “slow street” in Windsor Square. That is a proposal that your paper reports was endorsed in May by our Windsor Square Association board of directors. It was very premature to encourage and endorse a “slow street” experiment for our section of Windsor Square. An invitation to the world, encouraging surrounding neighborhoods to come occupy and sit on our walkway steps and relax on our front lawns, will quickly be accepted. Also, the access to and from our homes will be affected as pedestrians always have the right of way, and they usually
Please Keep Everyone Safe! As the state and city have reopened businesses and more and more people are resuming activities, it’s important to remember that the Coronavirus is not gone. It’s still infecting people at increasing rates and while some people show no or mild symptoms, others in your family or community could get deathly ill, suffering long term health problems or even death. Please, please, please wear a mask and keep a social distance of at least six feet from other people. Until there is a vaccine this disease is going to continue to cause pain, suffering and death. The most vulnerable among us are at great risk: those with compromised immune systems, those with chronic diseases and those disabled by strokes, cancer or other health problems. Be the best person you can be and take care of others by doing all you can to stop the spread of the disease. Remember: wearing a mask protects other people, not you. You are only protected if other people wear masks. As businesses reopen, it’s clear that many of our neighborhood restaurants and shops have suffered a devasting loss of income in the last three months. Make a point of visiting Larchmont Village and other areas of business around us and getting a meal to-go, or buying a book or new shirt. The Association Website is an excellent source of ongoing information and a place where you can contact Association Board members about getting a tree planted, status of the street repair project and many other things - https:// www.hancockparkhomeownersassociation.org/page18054/5048881
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.
o o o If you’re planning to make any changes to the streetvisible 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. And don’t forget to respond to the census, if you haven’t already. Go to https://2020census.gov/?UTM_campaign=c20m&utm_ medium=partner&utm_source=nextdoor&utm_state=ca
Larchmont Chronicle
©LC0520
Putt Putt Productions can help! • Proofreading, copyediting, • Hardcopy or MS Word’s
For more information, go to PuttPuttProductions.com
In last month’s June issue, the photos of Goldie’s Youth Sports members were incorrectly identified. They are:
Ruby Clay, 9
Kennedy Collier, 8
Kasey Chong, 11
Aria Uttamchandini, 8
o o o In our June story about “Home life, homeschool,” the captions were reversed on two photographs for the portion of the story about the Hutcheson family on S. Van Ness Ave. (not Lucerne Blvd.), for which we apologize. These are the photos, captioned properly:
.
Need a fresh pair of eyes for your manuscript?
Email rachel@puttputtproductions.com for job estimate.
Corrections
.
Have you been working on that memoir or novel while you‘ve been stuck at home?
Track Changes. • Prices start at $30/hour for straight proofreading.
Letters continue on page 8B
Founded in 1963 by Jane Gilman and Dawne P. Goodwin
Adv.
and developmental editing. • APA, MLA, Chicago and AP • Novels, memoirs, scripts, theses, essays, articles & more.
force cars to wait for them. Then there is the beauty of all the required “slow street signs for local traffic only.” Plus, of course, there is “no enforcement.” If I were a criminal, this is the perfect plan for me to be able to case our neighborhood for future crimes. The past encouragement of community watch and safety programs will be diluted due to the promoted increase in foot traffic in our neighborhood. Anonymous resident frightened of social media shaming
Publisher and Editor John H. Welborne Managing Editor Suzan Filipek Associate Editor Billy Taylor Contributing Editor Jane Gilman Staff Writers Talia Abrahamson 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
EMERSON DUGGAN, a senior in film school at NYU Tisch, and Grace Leichter, a psych major also at NYU, “homeschool” in his parents’ back yard.
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.
‘How did you meet your pet?’
That’s the question inquiring photographer Talia Abrahamson asked locals along Larchmont Blvd.
“I actually got him from a breeder because mini Aussies are hard to find. I was talking to a woman in Texas, and she showed me this picture of him, and I was in love.” Ara Ko with Logan Wilshire Center
“We met that dog (Shiloh) at the West Valley Center and that dog (Milly) at the South Los Angeles shelter. We got him in 2019, and we got her in 2013.” Dana Klein, Addie Feuerstein and Lili Feuerstein with Shiloh and Milly Windsor Square
“It was my birthday, and I was driving to get my car washed. I saw him on the corner of Wilshire at the Oasis Church, all by himself. I thought he was dead in the road. I stopped to check him out, and he ran into the parking lot. I couldn’t get him. I went and got my car washed and called my husband, and he said, ‘You don’t want to do this.’ I went to the vet and got the leash, went around the corner and sat there with him for 40 minutes to try to get the leash on him. When I finally got it on him, he was my dog.” Nancy Kristol with Rex Wilshire Park
“We drove to just outside San Francisco to pick her up. We had gone locally, and it turned out to be a bad situation. I had puppy fever, so we got in the car.” Ashley Levy with her daughter and Winnie Melrose Neighborhood
Larchmont Chronicle
JULY 2020
SECTION ONE
3
Therapy dogs lead the pack in Children’s Hospital program By Suzan Filipek Wrigley takes his job as a therapy dog at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) “very seriously,” says his owner, Kate Buhrmaster. The eight-year-old Bernese mountain dog is among 127 “volunteer” dogs in the therapy program at CHLA. “He’s visited with — and hopefully helped lift the spirits of — thousands of people over the past six-plus years, and currently does virtual visits,” said Buhrmaster, a S. Windsor Blvd. resident and head of the program at CHLA. Before the pandemic, the four-footed, furry therapists trotted from room to room, drawing smiles and sharing cuddles along the way. These days the dogs get belly rubs and share comfort and joy via computer screens. “Even though they’re not here, I can still see them, and do everything I was able to do
TRADING cards are a popular feature of the program. KATE BUHRMASTER and Wrigley on S. Windsor Blvd.
except for pet them,” says an 11-year-old girl on a video call with one of the dogs from her hospital bed. She, along with other children, parents and the dogs — mutts and breeds alike — can be seen in an episode about the dog therapy program which recently aired on “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt:
Kids Edition.” “The dog therapy program is invaluable …. It just really lightens up his days,” says a parent of a four-year-old boy fighting cancer. “It’s not quite the same” as in-person visits, Buhrmaster notes on the show. “The one thing you’re missing is petting,” she agrees. “But all the
other benefits — the companionship, the support, the relaxation that comes from seeing the happy, adorable face on the other side of the call, that is all still possible.” The dogs are so popular that their affectionate, furry faces are featured on trading cards that are collected by the children. The dogs seem to intuitively know to be gentle and give the children what they need,
Buhrmaster said. They are also well prepared before joining the program, have obedience training and take a test before they are accepted. A onetime rescue dog, Wrigley, 8, was something of a C student initially. “We had to take our time” with the training, recalls Buhrmaster. But now he eagerly wears his uniform — a purple scarf and ID badge — before going to “work.” His pack mate on S. Windsor, Kacey, also a Bernese mountain dog, is still learning the ropes. “She’s a superhero with the infant humans in our house, though … who love her to pieces,” says Buhrmaster. Watch the May 19 NBC TV episode at tinyurl.com/y9ub3kf8. (The dog therapy program starts at about the 3:15 mark.) For information visit chla.org/volunteer-the-dogtherapy-program.
SECTION ONE
BACK TO WORK.
12
AROUND THE TOWN 4 SPECIAL SECTION 8A COUNCIL REPORT 8E
SECTION TWO VIEW:
Real Estate Libraries Home & Garden
VACATIONING. 4 ON PRESERVATION 2 ON BOOKS, PLACES 3 HOME GROUND 5 REAL ESTATE SALES 6 LIBRARIES 6 DINING & ENTERTAINMENT On the Menu 9 At the Movies 10 Theater Review 11 BRIDGE MATTERS 14 BEEZWAX 15 POLICE BEAT 15 PROFESSOR 15 CLASSIFIED ADS 15
TABLETOP . HOME DÉCOR . GIFTS SHAKE UP YOUR SUMMER WITH GEARYS! Shop GEARYS.com & enjoy complimentary ground shipping. In-store shopping & curbside pick-up also available at 351 N. Beverly Drive
4
JULY 2020
SECTION ONE
Larchmont Chronicle
Women Speak and rappers, children rap for Alexandria House
Alexandria House held its said Keanakay Scott. annual “Women Speak” LunMs. Scott’s words were a recheon June 4 the only way minder of the impact of the open possible for the long-revered letter she sent to media outlets, organization. Even with the which went viral and was fealimitations imposed by re- tured on PBS News Hour. mote access, there were guest Rabbi Brous spoke of the speakers: author, activist and power of acts of holy defiance in former Alexandria House resi- this time of uncertainty. “It was dent Keanakay Scott and Rab- the women who gathered tobi Sharon Brous, who once led gether in the streets to protest the prayers at the Obama and war, resulting in the election of Garcetti inaugurals. the first female president,” she “My work is inspired by said, imparting her experience YEAR history not repeating itself, from her trip to Liberia. YOU! whether coming from foster Alexandria House also bencare by way of second gen- efits from the support of Be the holiday with… SPA, spin,Kind, DMHan , mani ped that enlists erationstresses or systemic injustice,” auxiliary
with
Patty Hill the aid of the music industry. Be Kind representatives Christine and Mereki said, “You can’t leave Alexandria House without your heart filled!” What followed was a music video of Justin Bieber and rapper Quavo performing their composition at the House, filmed pre-pandemic. The interactions with the children had a nostalgic glow and evidenced genuine connection to the residents. That was followed by a dance performed by founding director Judy Vaughan and managing director Michelle Ton. Also appearing was volunteer Nancy Berlin: “I’ve painted walls, even delivered a baby!” (Now, that’s extreme volunteering.) Others there online included board presi-
©LC0720
Support Your Local Businesses or Go Online to: www.larchmont.com
Around the Town
RABBI SHARON BROUS offers inspired words for Alexandria House Luncheon.
RAPPER Quavo compares teeth braces with Alexandria House resident.
ALEXANDRIA HOUSE Founding Director Judy Vaughan.
dent Caroline Fitzgerald, supporter Jacqueline Johnson (who donates a percentage of her income, even her stimulus check), and Mike and Anne who gave $50,000 to assist in the repair of Alexandria House after the recent fire. This generous couple left their last names anonymous. However, Mike and Anne and all of the
donors of time, food and care are no less valued by the women and their children whose lives are saved by Alexandria House. “Start doing what is necessary; then do what is possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” — Francis of Assisi And that’s the chat!
JUSTIN BIEBER has a laugh with an Alexandria House resident.
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
Larchmont Chronicle
JULY 2020
SECTION ONE
5
JULY 2020
SECTION ONE
Developmental / Behavioral / Pediatric Optometry and Vision Therapy Treating lazy eye, strabismus (eye turn), focusing problems, convergence insufficiency, eye tracking disorders, post concussion/brain injury syndromes, computer vision, visual information processing disorders: letter reversals, difficulty with left and right, visual motor problems, visual memory and comprehension issues when reading, sports vision, double vision, and learning difficulties.
Call us today for a developmental eye exam and functional and visual perception testing.
323-879-9259 For more information, visit: beverlygrovevision.com
©LC0320
6
Dr. Danielle Roth
Legislature
(Continued from page 1) permit, but not require, local governments to implement zoning ordinances to permit housing projects of up to 10 units without CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) review, if the housing is located in a transit- or jobs-rich area or in an urban infill site. San Francisco-based State Senator Scott Wiener says that this bill “provides cities with a powerful new tool to quickly re-zone for increased density.” The bill was introduced following the Senate defeat of Wiener’s SB 50, a controversial housing production bill that would have preempted local control of zoning. “If SB 902 becomes law, it would be among the most powerful tools cities have to increase the number of affordable homes in our cities,” read a June 23 statement from
Larchmont Chronicle advocacy group California YIMBY celebrating the bill’s victory in the Senate. “Worse than SB 50,” argues Livable California. According to that advocacy group, the bill allows a majority on any city council to rezone a parcel to 10-unit luxury apartments, overriding all other zoning, including single-family neighborhoods, creating a speculation frenzy. AB 725 This bill, which passed the state Assembly by a 48-22 vote Jan. 30, would require that at least 25% of a jurisdiction’s share of the regional housing need for “moderate income” and “above moderate income” housing be allowed in neighborhoods whose current zoning permits at least two units, but no more than 35 units, of housing per acre. The bill is designed to facilitate the construction of “missing-middle” housing types (including duplexes, fourplexes, garden apartments and town homes) for moderate and above-moderate incomes. Currently in the Senate, the bill was referred June 23 to the Senate Committee on Housing, where it is expected to be voted on in the coming weeks. Focused on housing for moderate and above-moderate income categories, it does not create affordable housing. Critics argue therefore that the bill is a massive up-zoning Trojan horse that ignores affordable housing while wiping out existing communities in exchange for denser versions. Further, there is odd language used in the bill, according to land-use attorney Robert Silverstein, who notes that the bill directs higher density growth to areas zoned for two units to 35 units per acre. “That is a strange metric to use,” says Silverstein. “In reality, that targets neighborhoods with expensive, high density projects. The language is a concern.” Lots under this calculation can be between 1,250 and 21,750 square feet, which means that such housing will be allowed on nearly all Los Angeles single-family lots. Surprised by how little attention this bill has garnered from lawmakers, Livable California suspects that many Assemblymembers supported the bill without realizing that the acreage-based language includes single-family neighborhoods. Senate housing production package Both of the bills described above are expected to receive their final legislative vote in the coming weeks, but they are in no way the only housing bills being considered in Sacramento. See page 2 of Section 2 for columnist Brian Curran’s take on the package of bills currently under consideration in the Senate.
Larchmont Chronicle
JULY 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 • PASADENA • BAKERSFIELD
Call us today at (323)375-1834 to schedule an appointment
7
8
SECTION ONE
JULY 2020
Larchmont Chronicle
Time to rethink the ‘Front Yard,’ maybe now more than ever Park Garden Club’s booklet, “Your Next Front Yard.” Since its publication in 2017, the front yard “is definitely as important and maybe increasingly important,” said the booklet’s co-author, architect and urban designer John Kaliski. “The thing about front yards is they really are the common area for communities,” he said. Yet, single-familyhome front yards are under threat from several fronts: mansionization, accessory dwelling units (ADUs) — granny flats— and a Sacramento legislature looking to further ease developers’ zoning restrictions. “There are a lot of BOOKLET from Hancock Park garpressures on commuden Club is carried by Chevalier’s nities in general to Books.
intensify R-1 [single-familyzoned neighborhoods],” said Kaliski. As a result, “The quality of front yards will become even more valuable in cities and towns,” he predicts. More recently, as an urban planner, Kaliski has revisited single-family zoning under review in four Southern Californian cities. A constant among all of them: a desire to maintain the front yard. Water conservation, drought tolerant landscaping and revisiting the origi-
Front yard
(Continued from page 1) her husband Mike Million and son watched from their front porch on Wilton Drive as her daughter Chloe and friends celebrated her 12th birthday last month. Where to throw the party was never in question. The front lawn was “a more airy space and it would feel safer” than the back yard, said Laura. The birthday girl and her friends sat on comfy and spacious Turkish towels. “We measured the spaces out six feet long and a couple of feet apart and everyone had on masks. I was so impressed, they wore them the whole time,” said Laura. The tweens, all entering seventh grade this fall at Larchmont Charter, tie-dyed bandanas (later worn as masks) and snacked on individually wrapped cupcakes. The hardest part was keeping the group small, as Chloe wanted to invite all her friends. “We wanted everyone to be able to fit in one very small, but distanced circle,” said Laura. “We have been so conservative about sticking very strictly to quarantine rules and social distancing and we just didn’t want to wind up with anyone feeling crowded. “This party was a big departure for us,” she added. “We’ve definitely been taking quarantine very seriously, and continue to, but were so happy to feel like we came up with a format that felt super safe.” (Please turn to page 9)
nal concept of an open shared landscape — its roots largely tracing back to England — were the original impetus behind the Hancock Park Garden Club booklet. Water conservation and the drought are still key, but maintaining a community realm of open green space has taken on even more
importance, said the Windsor Village resident. The 40-page booklet, which is co-written by landscape architect and architect Takako Tajima, is at Chevalier’s Books, 126 N. Larchmont Blvd. It retails for $7.99. For more information and to review the booklet online, visit hancockparkgardenclub.com.
325 N. Larchmont Boulevard, #158 Los Angeles, California 90004 www.windsorsquare.org 157 N. Larchmont Boulevard
A Different Kind of Summer Summer 2020 is definitely different from any other — no packed beaches, no Hollywood Bowl, no crowds at Dodger Stadium, and more. The COVID-19 virus has changed assembling for the foreseeable future. Although the routine of keeping “socially distant” and donning masks in public spaces is wearing thin with some, it’s essential to keep up that discipline to counter the spread of the virus. After all, California’s rate of infection is still increasing, especially among young people — and it’s up to all of us to do what we can to protect our community and ourselves. Wearing a mask may not provide foolproof protection for the wearer, but it has been proven to decrease the spread of the virus. It’s not a big inconvenience, plus it has been fun to see the colorful and creative varieties being sported around the neighborhood. The virus may have closed some things down, but it has opened up the neighborhood in some interesting ways. Many people are using their front yards in new and wonderful manners, hauling their backyard furniture to the front lawn or porch, where they can greet passing neighbors or host small, well-spaced gatherings. What a great way to add to the community spirit, and make Windsor Square an even more inviting place to live. Our shady streets are also very inviting. We’ve all noticed — and mostly welcomed — the huge increase in walkers, runners, bikers and skaters using our sidewalks and streets in recent weeks. Vehicle traffic, including a greater number of delivery trucks, has increased as well. Just a reminder to runners, bikers and skaters: Be observant at intersections, and don’t fly through stop signs as if they didn’t exist. Drivers, too, be extra watchful. Outdoor exercisers have become accustomed to having the streets to themselves, and they may not be as careful as they should. (Parents leading groups of kids on bikes, this means you, too!) Meanwhile, support our local merchants and restaurants if you can. Stay safe and considerate of others. And, in a summer when the usual pleasures are unavailable, get creative and come up with some new ideas. Picnic in your front yard, anyone? 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.
©LC0720
By Suzan Filipek With the front yard gaining renewed prominence, we thought it would be a good time to peruse the Hancock
Larchmont Chronicle SPECIAL SECTION
JULY 2020
SECTION ONE
8A
Melrose Mac counters devastation with uplifting mural painting party By Caroline Tracy On May 30, Sandy Nasseri, founder and owner of Melrose Mac, like many citizens concerned in the wake of George Floyd’s death, followed television coverage of the protest marches originating at Pan Pacific Park. As a business owner, she never thought to board up her already highly secured storefront at Melrose and Highland. However, by 6:30 p.m. that May 30 evening, she grew concerned, as protesters had mobilized far to the east and north of Pan Pacific Park — at Melrose Ave. and Poinsettia Place, mere blocks from Melrose Mac. “We have 36 security cameras on property — which includes a retail storefront, corporate offices and a lab — and what we began to see was horrifying.”
MEMORIAL MURAL to the late George P. Floyd Jr. was painted on the side of Cup Foods in Minneapolis, which is where Floyd allegedly presented a counterfeit $20 bill and outside of which he was restrained and killed by Minneapolis police officers. The mural artists are Xena Goldman, Greta McLain and Cadex Herrera, with contributions from artists Maria Javier, Rachel Breen, Niko Alexander, and Pablo Helm Hernandez. The words “I can breathe now” were suggested by an African American community member, Anjel Carpenter, and were added to the mural by an anonymous community member. Photo courtesy of @munshots from unsplash.com
Minneapolis killing sparks nationwide protests
n Generally peaceful marches in Los Angeles were marred in demonstrations’ early days by bands of criminals
By Larchmont Chronicle Staff A video of the brutal killing of a 46-year-old Black man by a white Minneapolis police officer on May 25 sparked nationwide peaceful protest that was accompanied in some places by violent crime from riotous mobs vandalizing and looting, especially on the weekend of May 30 and 31. In the subsequent days of June, hundreds of thousands of concerned people have continued to march in numerous peaceful protests across the nation in support of Black lives. Say his name George Perry Floyd Jr. was a tall man, 6 feet 6 inches, who had moved from Houston to work in Minneapolis and who FAMILIES help neighborhood was recovering from the corobusinesses clean up the day fol- navirus at the time he was lowing local criminal rampages.
They watched the first breach on a live security trasmission (she was with her sister and husband, Sean Nasseri, co-owner of Melrose Mac, and their children). “We watched four guys approach and throw a huge geode crystal they had looted from a store on Melrose right through the window. There were chainsaws to cut through security bars — these were professionals. Ultimately, we took a big hit to the sales office side of our building, where the looters lit a fire and where our lab and demo gear was based.” City unprepared Nasseri is vocal about her disappointment with the police and the City of Los Angeles in general during this time. “We were calling the police for (Please turn to page 8F)
killed. Knowingly or unknowingly, Floyd allegedly presented a counterfeit $20 bill at Cup Foods, a neighborhood market in Minneapolis, on Memorial Day, May 25. Police were called. Floyd was arrested and brutally restrained, including by a police officer who kept his knee on Floyd’s neck on the ground for more than eight minutes while Floyd said he could not breathe. George Floyd died. That officer and the three officers in attendance or assisting have been arrested and criminally charged with various degrees of murder and aiding and abetting murder. The ensuing protest demonstrations have focused on that crime against George Floyd and on many other reported instances of racism in
policing and racism elsewhere throughout the country and the world. Protestors say they are trying to bring attention to systemic racism they say is prevalent in society and social institutions beyond what is within police departments. Local organizers and leaders of the protest marches in Los Angeles have included Black Lives Matter - Los Angeles. On the May 30-31 weekend, sometimes in close proximity to the vast majority of peaceful protestors, mostly unaffiliated mobs of criminals rioted and took advantage of the situation to vandalize property, break into commercial buildings, burglarize the contents, set arson fires, and in some instances physically assault people
trying to defend the property or objecting to the vandalism. Curfews Following the combination of peaceful protests and violent criminality on May 30 and 31, curfews were enacted throughout Los Angeles County for various times, even starting in the afternoon (for example, 1 p.m. on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills). Also, and just as happened during the 1992 Los Angeles riots following the Rodney King verdict, the California National Guard was mobilized, and its presence was very visible in shopping districts around the county, including on Larchmont Boulevard. At some protest marches that started peacefully and (Please turn to page 8F)
JUNE 2, 2020 at Getty House, the official residence of the Mayor of Los Angeles in Windsor Square, where hundreds of Black Lives Matter protestors peacefully demonstrated on the sidewalks and in the street.
8B
Editorial By John Welborne
Black Lives Matter This special section has been added this month to provide a forum for sharing ideas and opinions on the important issues raised by Black Lives Matter discussions and demonstrations. That was not possible last month; the paper already was at the printer as events transpired. This month, we can include stories about immediate neighborhood reactions, including families helping merchants clean up after looting, and contemporary neighborhood associations commenting upon the protests. We include a bit of related local history, too: A reprint of the single Larchmont Chronicle story published the month following the April 1992 riots and looting in Los Angeles. The peaceful protests and violent crime of May 30-31, 2020 generated comment across the city from hundreds of prominent Angelenos, including local residents and businesspeople. Current neighborhood association leaders are interviewed in the story on Page 8C. The June 2 televised speech of Mayor and Windsor Square resident Eric Garcetti, accompanied by the remarks of his guest, 16-yearold high school student Davion Pilgrim, begin on Page 8G.
Mayor Eric Garcetti
Windsor Square residents and Hancock Park restaura-
Larchmont Chronicle
JULY 2020 — SPECIAL SECTION
SECTION ONE
teurs Nancy Silverton and Michael Krikorian presented an Op-Ed piece in the “Los Angeles Times” on June 4.
Page 1 of last month’s issue, all beginning on this page. One longer letter has become a guest column by Larchmont neighbor Bethel S. Moges. It appears on Page 8D. Another guest column is by civil rights leader Connie Rice, on page 8G. The monthly column of Councilman David Ryu focuses on Black Lives Matter and related issues and appears on Page 8E.
Letters to the Editor The June issue of the Larchmont Chronicle already was at the printer over the May 30-31 weekend. We “stopped the presses” on Monday morning, June 1, and we shortened a front-page article to insert the short box that acknowledged the unfortunate results of the LOCAL looting and vandalism that so many neighbors presumably watched happen on Melrose, Beverly, Fairfax, La Brea, Third, Larchmont and elsewhere in our surrounding neighborhoods. There was neither time nor space nor perspective to address the large peaceful marches also taking place nearby and nationwide, and the reasons for them, in the issue that was distributed a few days later, on June 4. But we used the short box on the front page to make a record of the local physical impacts of May 30-31 and also to serve as an invitation for deliberative community comment to be sent to the newspaper. We heard back, and we are using our Letters to the Editor forum to share that feedback and to accompany our staff’s own reports on the news behind the May 30-31 protest demonstrations, other and subsequent demonstrations, and the related public policy issues confronting all people, both nearby and globally. – Ed.
Protests were not riots Nancy Silverton
Michael Lawson
Proprietor of The Grove, Rick Caruso, published a lengthy letter to the Los Angeles community in several newspapers in the middle of last month.
Hundreds of thousands of concerned (peaceful) people have marched all over this town (and across the country), seeking to highlight the problem of systemic racism that leads to crime, including the killing of George Floyd, and other unacceptable aspects of 21st-century North America (and the whole planet, frankly). Those who have stood up to be antiracist are to be commended. “Antiracist” — what does that mean? The National Museum of African American History and Culture, a part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., writes: “To create an equal society, we must commit to making unbiased choices and being antiracist in all aspects of our lives.”
Rick Caruso
Los Angeles chapter president of the National Urban League, and Fremont Place resident, Michael Lawson, spoke about racism, police brutality and criminal justice reform as part of a June 18 Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall video panel discussion. Within this special section, we include commentary from others, including four letters received in response to the Chronicle’s short, four-inch, “for the record” box added on
A helpful, detailed discussion about race is at the museum’s website: https://nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talkingabout-race/topics/being-antiracist
Fighting against racism is to be antiracist. Racism impacts Black Americans now, as it has impacted Black Americans for (Please turn to page 8F)
I am a Brookside neighborhood resident who normally enjoys your monthly paper over coffee. I was shocked and dismayed by the language in the bold box on the front page of your June newspaper. Referring to “nearby riots” and “mobs” was jarring enough. Neglecting to mention the peaceful protests that have made their way through the neighborhoods your paper serves over the last few weeks, often with neighborhood residents and business owners cheering or marching along, was inexcusable. I appreciate the fact that you added the box at the last minute, in an effort to acknowledge the terrible looting and vandalism experienced by some neighborhood businesses. I don’t believe that excuses the references to “riots” and “mobs.” At this critical time, there is simply no room for incendiary language. Los Angeles is a diverse city, and the Larchmont Chronicle generally does a wonderful job of covering our diverse collection of neighborhoods. I am writing on behalf of residents who felt hurt and alienated by your language, regardless of the color of their skin. Property damage is always worthy of condemnation. Doing so in this way, with no mention of George Floyd or racial injustice, was unacceptable. Yolanda Felton Brookside Resident St. James’ Parent
Value life over property
ORIGINAL FARMERS MARKET at 3rd and Fairfax prior to graffiti removal the afternoon of May 31.
I live in a lovely house that I and my three roommates rent — we are probably some of the only renters on our block. We have a black cat that once out-ran a coyote, the blurry escape captured on a neighbor’s security camera. She is a tough cat, “defending” our house from any dog that passes. Two of us have lived in this house four years this July.
We are young women in our 20s. I am white and my three roommates are Black. We are neighbors and Larchmont residents. Perhaps you forgot who you may have been speaking to, in this edition of the Larchmont Chronicle — that there are those of us among your readers who value Black life over private property. Your small black box on the front page that noted the “nearby riots,” the “business vandalized,” and “mobs” did not do justice to the current state of our world. That is putting it lightly. I have questions for you. Do you know what caused the protests? I hear your concern about smallbusiness owners and their stores. You send your “condolences.” What do you think about the murders? Where are condolences for black lives? We are reading this paper on the day of George Floyd’s memorial. You have made your choice and declared the world you live in. I am grateful to live in a different one, in which there is mourning, and anger, and a recognition of human loss. I urge you to honor the lives lost more than you do the buildings. What about listing the names of the people who were killed? You ought to be ashamed — if you were self-aware enough, you would feel it. Julia Hannafin Larchmont Village
Nearby riots
I’m a local resident. My wife and I live on Mansfield Ave. I hope this is not the first message you’ve received on this subject. I was deeply upset by your front page “coverage” of the “riots” in our area. Your blatant priority for the sanctity of private property over the sanctity of human life and equal rights is frankly deplorable. The fact that your editor did not even mention the peaceful protests that have been convened in our area and around the world is a (Please turn to page 8D)
Larchmont Chronicle
JULY 2020 — SPECIAL SECTION
SECTION ONE
8C
Local association leaders report on 2020 protest impacts, responses By Billy Taylor Following more than two weeks of unrest as Angelenos took to the streets to protest racial injustice and systemic racism, local leaders are evaluating the impact the events have had on their community. The neighborhoods of Hancock Park (Highland to Rossmore; Wilshire to Olympic) and Windsor Square (Arden to Van Ness; Wilshire to Beverly) were on alert, and there was some May 2020 looting in the commercial part of Windsor Square. The Larchmont Chronicle shared with current local association leaders the accompanying 1992 Chronicle story following the unrest experienced then, and we asked for comments about the situation 28 years later. Hancock Park “Aside from what happened nearby on Larchmont Boulevard, we didn’t have any problems in our neighborhood,” said Cindy Chvatal, president of the Hancock Park Homeowners Association. “It was overwhelmingly peaceful,” she explained to the Chronicle last month. “Even those days when we experienced large groups in the neighborhood, it was always peaceful.” Nevertheless, when the protests first erupted, security and emergency preparedness were topics on the minds of many local residents. “As a homeowners’ association, we started to send out information immediately,” explained Chvatal, who praised the new LAPD Wilshire Divi-
LAPD Capt. Shannon Paulson
sion Commanding Officer Shannon Paulson for reaching out to community leaders with accurate and reliable information that helped residents feel safe. “There was some misinformation being circulated on social media that we were able to help dispel,” said Chvatal. Additionally, private security firms SSA and ADT increased the number of patrol cars in the neighborhood and kept communications open with community leaders. “SSA kept three cars and ADT kept two cars in the neighborhood at all times, and we were able to send residents the car information and phone numbers,” said Chvatal. In regards to property crime, Chvatal said that she was not
PEACEFUL PROTEST, Getty House in Windsor Square, June 2. Photo by Frank Moser
aware of a single incident directly related to the protests. “Hancock Park was able to quickly come together because of our well-organized block captains and an active neighborhood watch program,” said Chvatal. “In some ways, the events actually brought people together.” Windsor Square Most of the more intense action took place within the borders of Windsor Square, including light vandalism and several smash-and-grab burglaries in the Larchmont Vil-
WINDSOR SQUARE RESIDENTS show their 2020 support for Black Lives Matter.
lage shopping district during the first weekend of unrest, followed by several days of National Guard patrols, as well as multiple well-attended demonstrations outside Getty House, the Irving Blvd. official residence of the mayor of Los Angeles. An active board of directors for the Windsor Square Association (WSA) was quick to mobilize in response. “One of the long-time, standing committees appointed by the board is our three-director Public Safety Committee,” explained WSA President Larry Guzin. “Upon learning these civil rights protests were going to be conducted at the Mayor’s residence, this committee contacted and met with an LAPD Senior Lead Officer assigned to our neighborhood to share information after we anecdotally learned protests and possible looting would occur in Larchmont Village. This was information LAPD had not otherwise been provided.” Guzin credits the WSA block captains for providing reliable information to residents in a timely manner: “The Association is proud of our block captain network,” he said. “During these civil rights protests vetted information from various government officials, including Council District 4 and LAPD, was shared on a repeated basis with our residents.” When asked about any lasting impact the protests will have on the neighborhood, Guzin said that the “civil rights protests” have given the WSA residents a lot to think about:
ON GUARD on Larchmont, June 2020.
“The Association encourages the freedom to peacefully assemble on public property in our neighborhood and to speak freely on civil rights and other issues. This freedom of expression guaranteed by our Bill of Rights is democracy in action, distinguishing us from places that do not benefit from living under the rule of law. “Nevertheless, and particularly in these difficult times, the Association regrets the instances of concurrent criminality in Larchmont Village, where innocent merchants were victimized by looting, and the peace of mind of our Windsor Square neighbors was unduly affected.” Guzin said that further discussion of the protests and the underlying issues will be on the agenda for the Association’s next board meeting as well as a topic to be discussed at the annual Town Hall in November.
Transcript of June 1992 story at right
Residents Plan Meetings to Expand Neighborhood Watch By Jane Gilman As the momentum for Rebuild LA grows following the riots which erupted on April 29, local residents are evaluating their lack of preparedness and feelings of helplessness they experienced during the four days of looting, arson and other crimes. “As the riots escalated, residents realized how illprepared they were for a disaster,” said Gary J. Herman Sr., president of the Hancock Park Homeowners Assoc. Michael Cornwell, president of Windsor Square Assoc., said homeowners he queried after the riot handled the situation in a variety of ways. “Some residents left for the nearest resorts, others patrolled and others took precautionary steps such as taking in the trash in case it was set on fire, asking neighbors to turn on all their outside lights, and removing their parked cars from the streets.” A few residents hired their own private security
guards to patrol their own and adjacent blocks; others equipped themselves with walkie-talkies and patrolled the neighborhood in their cars. Westec, the private security firm which serves Hancock Park and Windsor Square, set up a command post in Fremont Place and increased its patrol personnel by 50 percent. Cornwell said the Westec cars were very much in evidence and provided tremendous security for the community. On Thursday, the second day of the rioting and looting, Larchmont Village shop owners began closing their stores early in the afternoon. Some took merchandise with them or hid it safely out of sight. Fred and Suzanne Rheinstein, owners of Hollyhock, hired a security guard to protect their store. Mark Pelton, owner of Larchmont Japanese Antiques, also patrolled outside his store. Because local resident Don Hedgepath felt the
deserted look of Larchmont Blvd. made it a target, he joined the security guard and later so did several others. Residents got in touch with Barry Greenberg, one of the leaders of the Larchmont Neighborhood
Watch, and he mobilized his neighbors. Said Greenberg, “We knew the police would be unable to service our area, so we grabbed radios, cellular telephones, flashlights, floodlights and the yellow jackets (indicating that
they were part of the official Neighborhood Watch program) and mobilized for the next three days. “Block captains drove continuously from Arden Blvd. east to Norton Ave., from Third St. to Beverly Blvd. We found numerous
individuals, both in cars and on foot, who might have meant harm to our shops and homes, but we refused to allow it. “We chased them, shined lights on them, detained them...and reported license
(Please turn to page 8E)
8D
SECTION ONE
JULY 2020 — SPECIAL SECTION
Larchmont Chronicle
What does community mean in Larchmont? I wrote the following letter to the Larchmont Chronicle because, upon reading their June issue, I felt more unwelcome in this community than I’ve ever felt. To their credit, the Chronicle offered to run my “l o n g,” seething, critical letter as a guest column. I’ve opted to have it reprinted here because in addition to writing it as a letter to the Chronicle and to Councilman David Ryu, I also meant it as a letter to members of this community, my (residential) community. For those of you who make it to the end, I hope it makes you feel something. I hope you interrogate those feelings patiently, and honestly. ••• Dear Larchmont Chronicle, I found your newspaper on my doorstep last Thursday and thought long and hard before I opened it. In the middle of a week when the country has been boiling over with the overwhelming twin pandemics of the novel coronavirus and the not-at-all-novel virus of police brutality against Black lives, I didn’t know what to expect from a paper that serves my largely wealthy, White neighborhood. Alas, I opened it and learned just how notably invisible I, as a Black resident, seem to be to this newspaper. I was surprised by the abject truth that this paper took pains to ignore, or else altogether talk around, my existence and presence in this neighborhood. On the morning of June 4, 2020, the same day as the first of many memorials for George Floyd and mere days after people of all creeds and colors gathered (just a stone’s throw from my own home) to demand more of “our” mayor (not for a plethora of loosely articulated reasons, but for the very clearly and oft repeated insistence that this city put an end to police brutality against Black lives), the Larchmont Chronicle managed to ignore that anything so grand had taken place. In the entire June issue there was not a single mention of the Black Lives Matter protests that have taken place in this neighborhood, all over this city, in ev-
ery state of this nation, and in various countries all over the world. There was not a single mention of the specific deaths and injustices, which incited those protests. And, perhaps most bafflingly, not even a single mention of the word Black (or African American) in reference to any person at all. The Larchmont Chronicle, it seems, cannot state unequivocally — or even flounderingly, as some are wont to do — that Black lives matter because the Larchmont Chronicle, apparently, doesn’t even acknowledge that Black people exist! In all of this month’s issue, there was no space to discuss the movement for Black lives, but there was space to sympathize with (and offer condolences to!) the business owners whose store fronts and merchandise may have been negatively impacted. There was no space to invite reflection from the community about how they may feel, what questions they may be asking themselves and what resources they may have to better understand the current moment. But there was space for lamentation that this year’s Taste of Larchmont festival has been canceled. There was no historical contextualizing of the legacy this district has played in red-lining and anti-Black socio-political oppression, no reminder that it was in Hancock Park where a finally wealthy and famous Nat “King” Cole returned to his newly purchased home to find the word “NIGGER” spelled in gasoline and lit ablaze as a perverse and most-American (and, apparently, Hancockian) welcome to the neighborhood. But there was space in this month’s paper for a bizarre and almost satirically tone-deaf full-page spread about White women embarking upon the adventure of cleaning their own homes for the first time, reveling in their own ignorance of common household products and appliances (and, seeming, an inability to read product labels), all without even superficially stumbling into the valley of appreciation and respect for those who’ve
Letters
Readers, like me, matter
(Continued from page 8B) critical failure of journalism. You have a responsibility to your fellow Americans and your community. Thousands of people gathered in Park La Brea to stand up for American civil rights and you don’t even mention it? Shame on you. Do better. You are functioning as part of the problem. People in our community surely rely on you as a news source, and you have failed us. Charlie Hewson Mansfield Ave.
I am a young Black woman, raised in Los Angeles county, and a resident of Larchmont for the past four years. I’m also a filmmaker, web developer, cat lover, and avid traveler. I love Larchmont, the vibrancy of the community, and above all, the diversity of Los Angeles. However, the past few weeks in Los Angeles and around our country have shaken me to my core, and reading the cover of your June issue cut me that much deeper. I am writing in regards to your choice to highlight the
ensured that they never once have to clean up after themselves. How is the absurdity of all of this beyond you all? How can you not see that at a time when people are literally dying for the right to live lawfully, your merry anecdotes about husbands washing the dishes for the first time — paired with the resonant absence of any even perfunctory acknowledgement of those for whom life is unbearable right now — is ludicrous! It’s asinine. It’s irresponsible. Beyond offensive, far beyond negligent, it is VIOLENT. It constitutes, in no uncertain terms, an ERASURE. The banner of the Larchmont Chronicle claims that the paper is delivered to 76,439 readers across Hancock Park, Windsor Square, Fremont Place, Miracle Mile, Park La Brea and Larchmont. Do you really think that in these neighborhoods in the center of one of the most ethnically diverse cities in this “melting pot” of a nation, there are not thousands of Black lives? Thousands of Black readers whom your paper could be delivered to? And, what if actually none of your readers are Black? Are you under the impression that would then excuse your silence in the face of brutality against us? It does not matter that this issue was distributed so soon after the protests began — if you had enough time to publish condolences for businesses impacted by the uprisings, then you had more than enough time and page space to offer condolences for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and a list of names so long you could fill next month’s issue with it. You could have, at least, made clear where you stand, that you know that BLACK LIVES MATTER. And you didn’t. To my neighbors, I say: either you are anti-racist or you are okay with benefiting from
the racism our country (and likely a considerable amount of your family’s personal wealth) is built upon. Either you want to fight racism or you value your apathy and your comfort more than Black and Brown trauma. That is it. Those are your options. It’s important to me that this newspaper and neighborhood understand: either you at least state (and pretend that you understand) that BLACK LIVES MATTER. That Black lives matter, full stop, without caveat. Or, you accept that through your silence, you are actively making clear that to you, Black lives don’t actually matter. I’m not saying, Larchmont Chronicle, that you have a choice to make. I am saying that, with your June issue, you have chosen. I’m saying that for all of the constituents of this neighborhood who are actively and passionately invested in the fight against racism, it is clear to us that you do not count yourselves among our number. That to you, racism and the sustained letting of Black blood upon stolen American soil is not worth commenting upon. When you chose this month of all months to instead publish an article celebrating a new LAPD captain, you told us loud and clear where you stand. Even the godforsaken 49ers, of all organizations, saw fit to make explicit that suddenly they understand that Black lives matter. Saying so would’ve been the least you could do with your front page before it hit the presses and my front door on that especially burdensome day. With regard to David Ryu’s article, and to Ryu himself, I say: I was heartened when I saw the title of your article, “Threat of virus exposes simmering racism and bigotry,” but, again, I found myself disappointed. And too, laughing at myself for expecting anything more. Ryu, I’m glad you made the genuinely bold decision to speak openly about racism and discrimination in this city and to do something about it. We both know that is no small feat when one is
speaking and working with a mostly White — and at that, wealthy — audience who are likely to resent you bringing up what they might prefer to deny or ignore. But your failure to connect that specific racism which hits home for you, anti-Asian racism, to the long legacy of anti-Black racism and White supremacy in this country was unacceptable. What is more, that you had the gall to bring up the ’92 LA riots exclusively in relation to how it affected Korean shop owners was fantastically infuriating. And that you only managed to connect, and limply at that, the struggle against anti-Asian xenophobia with that of antisemitism read plainly — and dishonorably — as a superficial attempt to engage this district’s many Jewish residents. I’m embarrassed for you. We all know that this neighborhood, this district, is not overwhelmingly Black. But your care and passion for defending life and justice should not end at your voter base. You should care about Black life, whether or not it directly socially or monetarily benefits you to do so. You should care about Black life, whether or not you have the historical knowledge or the informed foresight to understand the complex ways in which the fight to protect and value Black life is inextricably bound with the fight to protect and value Asian and Jewish life and freedom. I call on you to remember Martin Niemöller’s poem “First They Came,” to understand that this is where we are. These are the times we are in. Silence is not apolitical — it never has been — and now, more than ever, is the time to grow a spine and be about it. Trust, there is so much power with the people. So I ask, David Ryu and the Larchmont Chronicle, what does community mean in Larchmont? Unity in blissful ignorance? Spare me. Bethel S. Moges, Larchmont Village, is an educator and is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley (AB 2011) and the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies (MSc 2016).
looting in the city on your front page, over your acknowledgement that Black Lives Matter. That my life matters. That people who look like me, your readers, matter. The center piece, black box that alerted to “riots and mobs” cruelly said to me, “I understand that Black people are being killed, but that’s no reason to loot,” when the humane thing would be to say, “I understand that stores are being looted, but Black people are being killed.” In essence, you’ve let me and many others know that you value property over human life.
I appreciate the essence of time in publishing, but what are your priorities? You could have addressed the various opinions on looting in your July issue. Instead, on the day of George Floyd’s memorial, you choose to send your “condolences” to those whose property might be damaged, rather than condole with the families who have lost loved ones to police brutality. In reference to the “riots,” you choose to write that your readers “probably got more than enough of the disturbing news on TV,” rather than express the disturbing news in
seeing another Black life taken at the hands of police. You made it very clear that you are not with us in the urgent fight against anti-racism. And like many people across the United States and world right now, you need to ask yourself: In what ways am I either upholding or working to dismantle this country’s greatest pandemic — white supremacy? BLACK LIVES MATTER DEFUND THE POLICE CARE, NOT COPS Tayler Johnson Larchmont Village
Guest Column by
Bethel S. Moges
Larchmont Chronicle
JULY 2020 — SPECIAL SECTION
SECTION ONE
8E
Institutional racism framed city housing policy, practices for generations Beginning the week of Memorial Day, Los Angeles — alongside cities across the world — has seen massive, multi-racial and multi-generational calls for justice unlike anything we have seen since the Civil Rights era. Outrage at the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, as well as years of simmering frustration about police brutality against Black Americans, have birthed a new awakening on racial injustice. If we want to truly invest in solutions that ensure this brutality does not continue, we need to look closely at our past and begin the process of true healing and reconciliation. From the original sin of slavery, to the subjugation of Black people during the Jim Crow era, to mass incarceration and housing discrimination, we can draw a throughline from our painful past to the injustices of today. It also needs to start at home. Los Angeles is a city that prides itself on diversity, but it is also a city built on racist policies and violent discrimination that has created disparities in health, education and income in our present day.
For example, the American dream of homeownership was denied to many Black Americans in the early- to mid-20th century — and to many Black Angelenos. Restrictive covenants in land subdividers’ deeds for residential parcels, coupled with redlining — a discriminatory practice wherein mortgage lenders denied loans for certain neighborhoods that were composed largely of Black Americans — shaped the city we see today. This redlining practice was aided by two government agencies created as part of 1930s New Deal legislation. The Federal Home Loan Bank Board and the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation created “residential security maps” that used a color system to grade neighborhoods into distinct categories. “Red” neighborhoods, composed of communities of color or ethnic minorities, were determined to be risky for mortgage lenders and insurers. Racially discriminatory deed covenants and redlining effectively ruled out the possibility for Black Americans and other marginalized groups to purchase some properties or get a mortgage or insurance,
1992 response
number of concerned residents who volunteered their time to make sure nobody dared even think about destroying property in this community. Local resident Huell Howser and his neighbors chased looters away from Radio Shack near
(Continued from page 8C) plates numbers of their cars to the police.” Larchmont Village was spared, said Greenberg, because his group was able to enlist a
BROKEN GLASS DOOR at Mo:Vint on Larchmont, May 31.
LOS ANGELES CHEDER / BAIS TZIVIA elementary school on La Brea and Waring avenues was marred with obscene and anarchist graffiti the afternoon of May 30.
leading to the governmentsanctioned, de facto segregation of America’s cities and a resulting racial wealth gap that persists to this day. We must acknowledge that communities like Hancock Park, Miracle Mile, Wilshire Park and Windsor Square — graded on the redlining maps in part green or blue for “first” and “second” grades, respectively — are not exempt from this history. In fact, they are built from it. Many of you know the story of when Nat King Cole moved into Hancock Park. When Cole, perhaps the most famous Black entertainer at the time, and his wife, Maria, tried to buy a home in Hancock Park, they faced verbal harassment, intimidation and violence. Someone even poisoned their dog. All this, simply for being Black in a traditionally white neighborhood, and for violat-
ing the private deed covenants that excluded non-Caucasians. Ultimately, and righteously, Cole stood his ground. He and his family built roots in the community. Today, the neighborhood post office for 90004 bears his name. However, Nat King Cole was not the rule — he was the exception — and the work continues. As we confront this painful history that shaped our own city — and as we work to dismantle systems of injustice — we must start with ourselves, and with the city we are building for the next generation. As your councilmember, I am committed to making change at the root. This moment requires us to listen, to work together, and to move forward with a vision that serves our city and all its people. One avenue is through the City of Los Angeles budget, and how we invest tangible dollars into the fight against racism and historic discrimination. As we find our budget at a shortfall due to the pandemic, we must affirm our commitment to the social services that support the most vulnerable.
As I have written before, we must prioritize city programs that focus on housing, homelessness, workforce development and more. Homelessness and inequality are not solved through increased policing, but through dedicated work at every level of government to prioritize people and communities in need. We must be willing to reimagine public safety — and think critically about when an armed law enforcement response is needed. We ask law enforcement to respond to so many of society’s fractures — not to fix them, but to put them out of sight. This isn’t a solution; it’s a band-aid. Solving problems like poverty, homelessness, and systemic racism takes work — and it takes investment in the communities that have historically been left behind. The effects of institutional racism have framed our policies and practices for generations, but we cannot let them define our future. This work ahead will be hard, and it will involve many tough conversations. However, it is the work worth doing — and I look forward to making that progress together.
Melrose Ave. and Rossmore Ave. while employees at George’s Chevron at Melrose Ave. and Larchmont Blvd. helped to patrol the nearby antiques shops. Community meetings have been scheduled by three homeowner groups in June to determine ways to increase Neighborhood Watch and other security programs. Community Meetings The Wed., June 3 board meeting of the La Brea-Hancock
Homeowners Assoc. at the offices of Advanced Information Services, 4929 Wilshire Blvd., suite 270, at 7 p.m. will be open to the general membership, said Fred Pickel, president. All Windsor Square block captains and Larchmont Village shop owners are invited to the quarterly meeting of the Larchmont Neighborhood Watch group on Thurs., June 4 at 7 p.m. in the Western Federal Savings community
room, 101 N. Larchmont Blvd. Emergency planning procedures and expanded Neighborhood Watch activities are the meeting topics. Psychiatrist Dr. David Viscott will address the Hancock Park Homeowners Assoc. meeting on Tues., June 9 at 7 p.m. at Marlborough School, 250 S. Rossmore Ave. He will talk about ways to help individuals and the community cope after the recent riots.
Council Report by
David E. Ryu
8F
JULY 2020 — SPECIAL SECTION
SECTION ONE
Editorial
(Continued from page 8B) centuries. A step toward becoming antiracist is simply to understand and remember that Black Lives Matter. Prosecute criminals We at the Larchmont Chronicle believe that most people support peaceful protest marches. We also believe that most people are opposed to violent mobs rioting. The violent activities that took place locally on May 30 and 31 — on Larchmont and in nearby locations — definitely were riots (“violent disturbances of the peace by a crowd”). The not-peaceful groups of people who were smashing windows, breaking into stores, stealing property, and setting fires definitely were mobs (“large crowds of people, especially ones that are disorderly and intent on causing trouble or violence”). The two groups (a majority of peaceful protesters and a minority of criminal rioters) absolutely should not be lumped together (although
the rioters clearly took advantage of the peaceful protesters and their marches). Individuals exercising their Constitutional rights by protesting in a peaceful march are different from violent individuals in a rioting mob. The two should be treated differently in a civil and peaceful society. Protestors and victims need to be protected from those who break the peace. The killing of George Floyd is a serious crime that is being prosecuted. So should be all murders, arsons, assaults, burglaries and vandalism. All crimes matter, and all crime should be prosecuted. If something is not appropriate to prosecute, legislators should no longer make that act a crime. Peaceful marchers are not criminals and should not be treated as criminals. Mobs of violent individuals who riot are criminals and should be prosecuted. We hope that public officials will do both — protect and prosecute.
COLORFUL MURALS painted by neighbor families and friends in place of shattered glass.
Melrose Mac
(Continued from page 8A) help for over four hours. “I’m just mad because we’ve been providing a valued service for over 17 years (as one of the only Apple Premier partners in the U.S.); we pay our taxes; I have not furloughed anyone during quarantine; and our livelihood was destroyed before our eyes (and many other small businesses, too). The city should have been more prepared — Los Angeles has been through this before. They have the handbook already.” Moving forward She may be angry, but Nasseri is not letting it stand in her way. She and her family are moving forward with getting Melrose Mac back to its full operational status. “We are operational now, out of our warehouse and home office, and are lucky that a vacant building two doors down from the store became available for us to use. But it will take another 6-8 weeks for our retail storefront to be back to its for-
Protest
(Continued from page 8A)
LARCHMONT Rite-Aid pharmacy, May 31 after burglary.
BLENDS sneaker store on Larchmont, morning of May 31.
Larchmont Chronicle
were largely orderly, authorities nevertheless declared unlawful assemblies at some points. Police ordered assembled people to disperse and to leave the areas. Whenever that did not happen, or in situations where protesters did not observe a curfew, arrests were made throughout the county. Also, some of the looters were arrested, but not many initially. Detectives are still seeking to identify and arrest those alleged criminals. Almost everyone arrested for failure to disperse or for violating the curfew was released within hours or overnight, and local prosecutors District Attorney Jackie Lacey and City Attorney Michael Feuer decided not to pursue prosecution. Clean-up volunteers As early as the morning after the Saturday, May 30 violence, concerned neighbors from
DEVASTATION from arson is visible in the sales office and computer lab portions of Melrose Mac.
mer glory. And the lab will take over a year.” Uplifting messages Nasseri put out a June 13 call to friends, family, customers and members of the community, including her children’s school and temple (Wilshire Boulevard) to come down for a day of morale-boosting activity, fun and camaraderie. They would spend the day painting colorful murals with uplifting messages on the store’s board-
ed-up façade. “I just couldn’t look at those boards anymore. We decided to turn something ugly into something beautiful,” she says. The event also featured a book drive (Nasseri is a long time supporter of The Book Foundation, which has donated thousands of books to children in need during the pandemic), a churro truck, popsicles, and, of course, face masks for all.
throughout the surrounding community, including families with children, brought their brooms and cleaning equipment to help repair the damage done to small neighborhood businesses, synagogues and other institutions. Such citizen volunteerism also was in evidence after the 1992 vandalism and looting. For example, by late Sunday May 31, all of the graffiti and broken windows on the Third Street side of the Original Farmers Market had been removed or repaired by market staff and volunteers. However, evidence of damaged businesses and boarded-up windows remained evident through mid-June along Fairfax, La Brea, Melrose and even Larchmont. De-fund the police? On June 3, Mayor Eric Garcetti suggested that his in-process 2020-2021 City of Los Angeles budget should be revised to transfer some expenditures out of the Police
Department and into city social services. Elected officials in San Francisco, Portland, Nashville, Denver and other cities across the nation are similarly reconsidering their budgets for police funding. On June 15, Black Lives Matter - Los Angeles leaders and others met with members of the Los Angeles City Council, in Council Chambers at City Hall, for two hours to present arguments for a different sort of city budget, the “People’s Budget,” and for “defunding the police.” Learn more at peoplesbudgetla.com. At press time, there had been no City of Los Angeles action on such budget revisions. Throughout June, organizations and individuals across the country have been commenting in writing and on air on the issues of racism and the Black Lives Matter movement, and a selection of these comments appears in this Special Section.
Larchmont Chronicle
JULY 2020 — SPECIAL SECTION
SECTION ONE
8G
We now know what works in policing. Let’s do it. The LAPD has improved, but it won’t get things right until it abandons its “warrior” culture. Over decades as a civil rights lawyer, I have sued police departments, represented victims and whistleblower officers and, for 16 years, worked closely with Los Angeles Police Department Chiefs William J. Bratton and Charlie Beck as they tried to transform policing in the city. As Americans march in outrage over the videotaped police killing of George Floyd, many have asked me whether the LAPD has improved at all since the 1991 beating of Rodney King. The answer is yes, and for the better. But we have a long way to go before men like Rodney King and Floyd would claim it as a department that protects and serves them. I know many good officers who risk their lives to protect rather than hunt residents of Black neighborhoods; officers who serve the code of truth, not the code of silence; who divert poor Black and Latino children away from gangs and the prison pipeline. I know their valor, compassion and integrity firsthand. And I know that they are a minority, both within the predominant warrior culture of American policing and within the LAPD.
With civilian and court help, progressive police leaders have improved discipline, reduced police killings, banned chokeholds, engaged with community leaders and made other changes that are seismic in the world of policing. In most of Black America, however, those changes have meant little. Progress at the top did not help George Floyd, Walter Scott, Philando Castile or the hundreds of victims whose abuse wasn’t recorded. Even in cities that made real changes, like Los Angeles, the progress has failed to end an entrenched warrior culture of impunity, or the “thin blue line” mindset of us versus them. Most departments still use toxic tactics like stop-and-frisk. This kind of dehumanizing policing has turned the poorest Black and brown neighborhoods into gulags. A Black man living in the ZIP Code that includes the Nickerson Gardens housing projects in Watts now faces a 70% to 80% chance of being incarcerated at some point in his life, according to research conducted by Raj Chetty at Harvard. That statistic is almost as unacceptable as what happened to Floyd. Disciplined warrior cops will always be needed to respond to the direst dangers. But
Guest Column by
Connie Rice
unchecked warrior culture leads to the aggression seen in the use of Tasers on unresisting students in Atlanta, the shoving of a 75-year-old man to the ground in Buffalo, N.Y., and televised baton strikes against peaceful protesters in Los Angeles. We saw its most extreme expression in the casual malevolence of the Floyd killing. Under warrior policing, communities on the right side of the “thin blue line” receive safety and protection; communities on the wrong side receive suppression and prison. Folks living on the right side of that police line do not ask officers to kill the unarmed, but they do expect them to contain neighborhoods on the wrong side of the line, and they blind themselves to the kind of searchand-destroy tactics that feed mass incarceration. The good news is, we know how to change this. In 2010, then-LAPD Chief Beck and activists created the Community Safety Partnership, a holistic, problem-solving
approach to safety for highcrime areas that minimizes suppression, maximizes trust and acts through partnerships among residents, gang interventionists, local leaders, experts and other agencies to remove the root causes of trauma and crime. A recent UCLA evaluation found that reductions in violent crime and gang control in these partnership sites exceeded countywide declines, and the gains were accomplished with far fewer arrests and no police shootings or beatings. Moreover, residents reported higher trust in Community Safety Partnership officers. Residents of neighborhoods traumatized by gang violence, predatory policing, endemic poverty and mass incarceration did not report seeing significant improvement in policing since 1992. The exception was residents in partnership sites. Warrior enforcement culture needs to be replaced with this kind of guardianstyle approach that rewards problem-solving engagement between officers and the communities they protect. The less good news is that the work to institutionalize this approach will be challenging. Fully replacing warrior DNA with guardian DNA is a battle for the soul of policing that LAPD has just begun.
And that’s not the only fight we have to win. After the 1965 Watts riots, the McCone Commission concluded that preventing future unrest required two things: ending police mistreatment and addressing “the spiral of despair” caused by entrenched poverty. We haven’t even begun to address that second crisis. The cause for hope is that we know how to fix policing. The cause for inspiration is the multiracial army marching across the nation demanding that Black lives matter. The protesters have served notice that the consent of the governed for predatory policing and industrialized racial injustice has been revoked. As the sign held by a little girl with long blond hair marching in Chicago put it, “Shut the Whole Damned System Down.” Thanks to them, we have one last chance to, finally, overcome. Connie Rice, a former member of President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, is a civil rights attorney and author of “Power Concedes Nothing.” She also is the founder of urbanpeaceinstitute.org. The Larchmont Chronicle thanks Ms. Rice for this contribution that also was published on June 9 in the “Los Angeles Times.”
Mayor Garcetti addresses protests, COVID-19; Black student tells story By Rachel Olivier The Tuesday following the Sat.-Sun., May 30-31 peaceful demonstrations and tangential civil unrest in multiple parts of the county, including in and near to Larchmont Village, Mayor Eric Garcetti addressed the city in one of his 5:15 p.m. COVID-19-era broadcasts from City Hall. Larchmont Chronicle editors, impressed more than usual by what he had to say that evening, and with no transcript available from the Mayor’s Office, transcribed the 16-minute, June 2, 2020 speech from his MayorOfLA Facebook videos page, and we share it here. (Subheads have been added by the Chronicle.) Mayor Garcetti Good evening, Los Angeles. We come together tonight after a day that, I hope, as painful as these days are, that we can be proud of. Proud because we see our neighbors, our brothers and sisters, our fellow Americans, not only exercising their constitutional, but their God-given, right to share their life and their perspective and to call in this moment for this country to pivot. For this country to do better. Not for some Americans, but for all
Americans. I felt a little cooped up today, so I went outside. I joined organizers on the streets of Mayor our city just Eric Garcetti outside here in City Hall. I know I’m the mayor, so I know some people would be happy to see me, and others might be upset at this moment and need to yell at me. And both of those things happened. That’s part of what you do as a leader. You step forward to hear people’s pain, to try to understand it and never dismiss it, and to try to offer more than a voice forward, but steps forward. To understand that peace isn’t just built as a request, but it is earned when we embrace the idea of justice. Look, most of these briefings that you listen, and I don’t know how long television stations will carry me tonight, they usually have a fire chief, and a police chief, and a city manager, and council members and mayors. They usually update you on what’s happening in the city, and I think that’s important, but you’re getting that news every hour. I wish some of it were more
the stories of everyday Angelenos marching, who want to share what it means to have faced racism in their lives. And their allies who say this isn’t just the work of Black Americans, but of white, and Asian, and Native and Latino Americans, too. I wish we could hear those stories more. Talk from my heart And so tonight, I want to do something a little bit different. I want to talk from my heart to and about Black Angelenos, and Americans, because at the end of the day, this moment is first and foremost about whether we make a decision collectively, not just to answer the snuffing out of a life — the lynching of a man in Minneapolis, and the collective death that we have seen pile on and pile on and pile on, until people wonder what Black lives mean, what Black bodies, whether they are valued — but to go deeper to understand that this is a moment of opportunity, and of hope, and of change. I left the protests in the street after taking a knee, after praying, and after addressing the crowd. And, I joined Rev. K.W. Tulloss, who’s the president of the Baptist Ministers Conference; my old friends Pastor William Smart, Bishop
Juan Carlos Mendez, and Pastor Michael Fisher, Jr., who is here with me tonight; and many others. And before anybody who is friends with them, say anything to them, they gave me a good, hard time. They were demanding about justice, as everyone in America should be right now. And like so many others who were peacefully protesting, we need to hear those voices. And I want to lift one of those up tonight. And I would just ask, cut away when I come back, if you need to. But I would ask our television stations to give the voice on the evening news to a young, Black, male Angeleno. Because, at the end of the day, this story is about the pain that people carry the day that they are born from the traumas visited on their ancestors, and from the first moment they’re taller than a cute little boy, the way they’re looked at in our society. And I’m going to ask a young man of faith, and of inspiration, who I met today, Davion Pilgrim, a 16-year-old student from Morningside High School, who told me his story. And I want you to hear his story to talk about what this moment and this movement means.
So, Davion, thank you so much for being with us. This microphone and this city is yours. [Davion Pilgrim’s remarks are in an accompanying box] Thank you, Davion. Thank you for the courage of this moment, and for the courage of your generation. Justice is never given; it is earned. It is earned by the chapters we see written on the streets of our country — sometimes with people’s bodies, and always with the courage that they have to move us forward. To do the right things So, here’s the uncomfortable part tonight. It falls on leaders not just to say the right things, but to do the right things. After I left that meeting across the street with the leaders from the Baptist community and the faith community, I came back and I listened to folks on my own team. I listened to a powerful, young Black man, who said that it’s tough to even work in government right now. Another member of my team who said every single time, even though he works for the mayor and carries a mayor’s badge, when somebody rolls up behind him from law enforcement, it (Please turn to page 8H)
8H
SECTION ONE
Mayor’s speech (Continued from page 8G)
makes him shudder. And he’s worried about whether reaching for that badge to reassure them, might scare them more than just sitting there until he can explain who he is. I heard from April who is doing the most amazing work, housing Angelenos who are unhoused, and who is dealing with the pain of this moment by taking things to folks who are living in our shelters that we’ve set up. So, she brought shoes to them, and all she could think about in her mind was, with a car full of shoes, will they think that I’m a looter? I want non-Black Angelenos to hear those stories and to have those conversations. Have them in your workplace and in your neighborhood. Have them in your church and wherever you are. If we don’t acknowledge that a Black woman is four times more likely to die because she wants to bring a child into this world than a white woman, then we can’t see that. If we don’t see that if you’re a Black man in Los Angeles, you’re 10 times more likely to be homeless than if you’re a white man, we can’t see that. And while not every death is as visible and as vicious as George Floyd’s, we have to own those deaths that come from the diabetes, and that come from COVID-19, and all of the things that visit Black Americans disproportionately because of where they start life and where this society values their life. The schools that they are born into in the neighborhoods where they live, that have been discarded, and efforts to fund those schools rejected. The moments in which we see that racial justice can’t be the work of 10 percent of a nation, it has to be the work of 100 percent of the nation. Placing our resources So to my fellow Angelenos, to my African-American brothers and sisters who live in this city, I want to say, I hear you. And I hear that this isn’t just about
Larchmont Chronicle
JULY 2020 — SPECIAL SECTION
the criminal justice system. This is about also our society and where we put our resources. When we’ve done things like raise the minimum wage, and that disproportionately hits women and African-Americans, we have to see those as important bricks in building this new house. When we do things like making community college free, that contributes to what we see with justice. But we also have from our budget, which is a moral document, which needs to keep people safe and protected, but the best way for people to be safe and protected, and I hear you on the street loud and clear, is not just by throwing dollars always into police departments, but also into youth programs, and into educational opportunities, and into trauma-based recovery for people who carry trauma. I don’t have announcements tonight, but I want you to know that I’ve been having these conversations for the last two or three days. I’m having them with my fellow elected officials. I’m having them with community leaders. I’m having them with young people, who are demanding that I, and we, collectively do better. That just as after the trauma of 1992, we emerged forward with saying never again to things like legalized chokeholds, which kill Black men in this city. Never again to no independent investigations when there’s acts of police brutality. And never again to many things. We must ask what are the never again moments today. And I look forward in the next day or two, and with mayors across the country, who I’ve been having this conversation with, to make sure that we build from this moment, that we hear from this moment, that we fund from this moment. That we look at the prism of race in America as one of the greatest sins that we have had and one that stays with us, and that we can only get past when we all get past that together. Looking forward That’s my simple pledge to
you tonight. As we look at what has been a safer day and a more beautiful day, I look forward to the day when we get rid of a curfew, when we don’t have National Guard, when our police officers don’t have their helmets on. And I want to make sure we can see the difference between people who are looting, and we will go after folks who break into businesses. We will go after people who are looting or worse, causing violence against demonstrators or to peace officers. But let’s put that here, and not let that dominate what this moment and this movement is about. Because if we let that be the only image, if we let that be the only story, we are missing our opportunity and this isn’t going to go away soon. It will only go away when there is the trust that we are taking the actions to build a summer of peace this summer in Los Angeles and across the country: with jobs for young people, with peaceful places to be, with the mental healthcare that we need to deal with, what that feels like day after day after day, to be a young Black man who doesn’t know why people don’t trust him, look at him that way, feel that way, every moment they inhabit a body. Somebody powerfully said to me today, “I’m an ally, but at the end of the day, I can turn off my phone. I can stop looking at Twitter. I can watch some TV. But for my Black brothers and sisters, they can’t turn that off. They can’t stop being Black. They can’t stop being seen by the racism that still pervades our country.” There is so much work for us to do, and I am so proud of this city. I know that there’re those who just want to focus on the law and order. And I know it is my responsibility to throw everything I have into peace, restoration, and building in this city, but that doesn’t just happen from peace officers. That happens from our investments in communities and in neighborhoods. Whether or
STORES WERE BOARDED UP on Larchmont Boulevard for many days in early June.
Davion Pilgrim Hi, my name is Davion Pilgrim, and I am 16 years old. First, I want to say thank you to Mayor Garcetti for giving me this opportunity to speak today because I have a story to share. I was recently stopped by the police officers and racially and criminally profiled. I was accused of being associated with a gang. I thought that really hurt, because that’s not me. I am a God-fearing young Black man. I’m an athlete. I’m a president of the youth department at Greater Zion Church in Compton, under the leadership of Dr. Michael J.T. Fisher. I love God. That’s why I believe in change and I have hope. The opportunities with the people of faith to Davion have a conversation with the mayor today was Pilgrim hopeful. We want to make sure that what happened to George Floyd does not ever happen again to someone that just looks like me. Losing our lives to police officers is one of the biggest fears that we have in South L.A. I have seven brothers and sisters, and I would surely not want none of that to happen to them. This is a hard moment, but the good news is that there is still time for unity. And while I think we should keep protesting and demanding change, there is no need to loot and tear things down. It is time for us to rebuild. Conversations are what we need. We need to talk to each other. We need to understand each other. The police need to understand where we are coming from. It is my prayer — my deep prayer — that we come together in unity. And we take a stand together in a time like this. We need to hold our officers accountable, and we must stay strong for change and for peace. Thank you. Amen.
not we say to folks who have been involved in the criminal justice system: Instead of, “You’re done with your time but there’s no help”…“Here’s a job and here’s a way forward.” For us to look at what our fight with COVID-19 now is about — and please, please, please, everybody who’s been out there protesting so beautifully around Los Angeles — make sure you get tested and make sure you’re maintaining your physical distance, that you’re washing your hands and wearing a mask. Imagine if these days lead to a spread that leads to things getting worse and more people dying. Please, go to coronavirus.lacity.org/testing and get a test. Not only did we have Dodger Stadium open, we’re reopening the Crenshaw Christian Center site, three or four sites that can do thousands and thousands of tests to meet the capacity that we need, because we have to defeat that threat to us all, which does discriminate disproportionately against communities of color. Middle of the mountain Let me just take a breath to say, we aren’t where we once were, but we aren’t where we need to be. We’re maybe stuck somewhere in the middle of the mountain, in this nation, in this city’s history. If you’re young, all you can see is up, and how far we have to go to reach the peak, and you should be unyielding and demanding that we keep climbing. And for some of us who have been around, who have seen the changes, who have worked hard to bring about things like implicit bias training and de-escalation in our police force, or to look at the ways that Summer Night Lights and our gang reduction youth development programs came out of demands from the community to say parks need to be places of peace for the sum-
mer and for our children, that helped us get up the mountain. And we can look down and see how far we’ve come. Two choices We have two choices, Los Angeles: either hopelessness, that this is a moment that can’t be fixed, that America is so broken, that we can’t repair our hearts, and we can’t repair our streets, and we can’t bring peace to our lives; or, we have hope — the only thing that has ever guided this country, our city and our world. We all know, or many of us know, the Negro National Anthem, and I want to quote from it. In the first verse it ends, “Sing us a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us. Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us. And facing the rising sun of our new day begun, let us march on till victory is won.” Tomorrow the sun will rise above Los Angeles. Tomorrow we have a choice to make. I have a choice to make, and I choose to listen and to move forward, to bring this city together, to build peace on our streets and in our neighborhoods, and to admit the country that we live in, that we love and that we want to see do better. George Floyd died in our America so that we may make sense of our future, to make sure that we never see that again, and that we do the work to carry the promise of this country, and of our City of Angels, forward. I celebrate you on the streets. If you’re breaking the law, we will not let you change the message. And tomorrow when the new sun comes, I hope that everybody in Los Angeles will embrace the work that we have to do together. Hopelessness is not our option; we only have hope and we only have each other.
Larchmont Chronicle
(Continued from page 8) Pokémon trade dates In Larchmont Village, a family on Gower Street with two kids, ages 5 and 7, play basketball, do art projects and picnic in the back yard. Visits with friends? Those are on the front lawn, keeping a safe social distance, said the mom, who asked to remain anonymous. They also have fun trading Pokémon Cards — from a safe
skin
deep by Dr. Rebecca Fitzgerald Who’s ready for the word of the day!? Maskne…when wearing a mask (good call) leads to acne mechanica - a form of acne triggered by heat, pressure, or rubbing of the skin. When friction breaks down the skin’s barrier, bacteria is able to enter creating the perfect environment for an acne breakout. We’re all for mask wearing and tip following: • Choose a washable mask that’s snug but comfortable and change it daily (considering its 2020’s MVP accessory we’re guessing you have more than one). • Wash your face in the morning and before bed with a gentle cleanser, (and wash immediately after exercise or sweating). • Use a gentle exfoliating pad daily with salicylic or glycolic acid such as ZO Skin Health Oil Control Pads Acne Treatment, (take care not to over exfoliate as this can lead to further breakdown of your skin’s barrier and actually make the acne worse.) • Apply a moisturizer with ceramides and hyaluronic acid to restore your skin’s natural barrier. Office favorites include SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore and Skinbetter Trio Rebalancing Moisture Treatment. • Remember to apply SPF to exposed skin. We know we don’t need to explain this one! And finally, remember we are here for you…we are officially open! Visit our website for information on how to schedule an appointment. 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.
distance. “When a trade is made, we put the cards in a designated drop-off spot, and we take turns going there so we don’t meet at the same time!” explains the mom. Other games include “danceoffs at a distance. Burning off energy and seeing friends at the same time is a good combination!” Masks in place, the family walks to friends’ houses, greeting them from a distance on their front lawns. “Sometimes the kids will play hide and seek. It can be invigorating for the kids to see their friends’ faces in person, even if for a few minutes! Not to mention, I enjoy chatting with my friends (their parents)!” A serious downside has been school closures. “Having school close in mid-March was really hard,” said the mom, who’s been homeschooling ever since. “My kids are very sociable, and pre-pandemic loved having play dates and seeing their friends. I feel good when I can give them that sense of normalcy (by seeing their friends in person on the front lawn). Seeing friends on Zoom is not the same!” Rollerblading on Plymouth Andi Ballard, mom to two girls (ages 9 and 6) and a 2 ½-year-old boy on Plymouth Boulevard, says the pandemic and quarantine have made them closer to each other and their friends.
Grand Park, Music Center July Fourth: Home Edition
Grand Park and The Music Center bring their annual Fourth of July block party into your home via ABC7/ KABC-TV and abc7.com Sat., July 4, 7 to 8 p.m. The celebration, with performances by 25 local artists, will stream on Grand Park and the Music Center’s digital channels from 8 to 10 p.m. Visit july4.grandparkla.org. Fourth District Councilmember David Ryu reminds us: “July Fourth celebrates a revolution — and the work of building a more perfect Union is ongoing. We must continue the fight for freedom until all Americans — regardless of race, income, religion or background — are truly free.”
Majestic Time Piece Melkon & Vartan High End Watch & Jewelry Repair
419 N. Larchmont Blvd., Suite 419 3/4 ©LC1219
at the former Hans Custom Optik location
lry Jewe tch & Wa too! , sales
(323) 933-0288 • Majestictimepiece@gmail.com
SECTION ONE
9
also helps. A lot hasn’t worked for the young family: A bounce house popped after a month. They built obstacle courses in the backyard, crafted “more over the past few months than I’ve ever crafted in my life. (I’ll be happy to never touch a hot glue gun again).” Baking? “… If there’s anything I dislike more than crafts it’s baking… “The girls took up gardening in March, but killed all their plants by April.” No one seems to mind, what with sprinklers to run through, making potions from flowers gathered on nature walks, chalk writing on sidewalks and slime making. “What’s kept us the most sane by far are exercise, fresh air and sunshine… “We bought the girls rollANDI BALLARD-SHARP and Simone Sharp got to know their erblades when the quarantine neighborhood better during the pandemic. The family bought began which has been great rollerblades when the quarantine began, and goes on “walks / for us all to go on family walks blades around the neighborhoood,” says Andi. / blades around the neighbor “Our kids and us are lucky amount of times I’ve tak- hood. to have close friends in the en the kids to public places “I’m sad to say we never took advantage of our beauneighborhood, and quaran- since March.” Being a self-described tiful neighborhood4X2.5 pre-pantine has made us all even clos- BLUTHNER/LARCHMONT 4X2.5.qxp_BLUTHNER/LARCHMONT 8/22/16 “borderline hypochondriac” demic the way we do now.” er,” said Andi. “When quarantine started, we tried the front yard picnics and play dates but quickly toggled to walks around Leipzig, Germany since 1853 the block, since we’re a pretty Concert, Recording, active family.” Home Rentals About a month ago, they Henle Editions gave up, she admitted, and “bent most rules in terms of Helga Kasimoff LA’s oldest family piano store social distancing. kasimoffpianoslosangeles.com “That said, we’ve mainly been around five or so famiKASIMOFF-BLUTHNER PIANO CO. lies this whole time, and I 337 N. LARCHMONT BL. • HOLLYWOOD, CA 90004 323-466-7707 can count on one hand the ¨
Front yard
JULY 2020
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.
11:04
10
Larchmont Chronicle
JULY 2020
SECTION ONE
Boulevard favorites and a masked golden are among the pack
Meet this year’s inductees into our annual Pets of Larchmont! Rockstar Halpern-Goldstein, Windsor Square, “loves belly rubs, her Peppa Pig plush doll and walking up to Larchmont and getting puppy treats from Diptyque or a piece of turkey from Larchmont Wine and Cheese,” says Jonathan Goldstein. Joey, 12, never asked for a baby sister — Lily Reuben, 3; “but he is eternally patient with her at their Windsor Square home,” says Kiel Fitzgerald. Beau, a 12-year-old Havanese who has grown up in Windsor Square on Beachwood, loves walking on the boulevard visiting stores and getting treats at Chevalier’s Books or just getting petted
PUPPY Sophie in her pink crown bed.
ROCKSTAR Halpern-Goldstein enjoys strolls and treats on Larchmont Blvd.
while his parents (Adrienne and Stephen Cole) eat at [before the pandemic] Peet’s, Groundworks, Louise’s, Le Pain Quotidien and more. You may remember So-
JOEY didn’t ask for his baby sister Lily Reuben — but he loves her all the same.
BELLA AND BUSTER Manhattan Place. BEAU likes to get treats at Chevalier’s Books.
phie, a red, longhaired dachshund featured in our Pets of Larchmont issues 2014-2018? “Unfortunately Sophie died in March 2019 at the young age of 11. We were heartbroken,” Susan Tepper-Goodman tells us. The S. Plymouth Blvd. family has recently welcomed “a new, gorgeous, 10-month-old red longhaired dachshund puppy also named Sophie.” Bella and Buster live on Manhattan Place where the felines are often “giving us the sad eyes for more treats ... which works every time,” said Mary and Art Fruchtenbaum. Scarlet lives on N. St. Andrews Pl., where her favorite hobby is squirrel patrol, Lori Elmelund tells us. “Zhatto Solis is a small fell-
on
er with a big bark but an even bigger heart,” James Geovanny tells us of his shih tzu. Zhatto, it turns out, is “a huge fan of the Larchmont Chronicle, and wears its colors on his sleeves and ears.” We’re not sure about the colors, or the sleeves, but we think he is adorable all the same. The pair lives on Wilshire and Western. Rachel Olivier lives and works (at the Larchmont Chronicle!) on Larchmont with Dakota and Pippin, both 1. “I adopted them from NKLA at an adoption event in September 2019. I only went to ‘look’ and came home with
ZHATTO SOLIS is a huge fan of the Larchmont Chronicle.
Celebrating the Pets of Larchmont Village CelebratCelebrat ing The iPetn50% g sTheOf PetLarchmont sOFF Of Larchmont Village Village
BEATRIX is a “good citizen.”
FIRST EXAM
Pain Management Pain Management Allergy and elief Itchy Skin Relief Euthanasia Services Euthanasia Services
Ear Checks Spay and Neuter Spay and Neuter ificates Health Certificates Surgery Surgery
are
SCARLET heads up squirrel patrol on St. Andrews Place.
HARRISON FORD was rescued through an animal group on Larchmont Blvd.
PUCCI is 8.5 pounds of pure PRIMARY CARE PRESCRIPTION joy. FOOD DENTISTRY LOCAL HOME SURGERY DELIVERY DIGITAL X-RAY ONLINE Get a NEIGHBORHOOD Get a NEIGHBORHOOD DISCOUNT when DISCOUNT when IN HOUSE PHARMACY you visit us during you the visitmonth us during of July the month of July DENTISTRYGROOMING DENTISTRY MEDICATIONS,MEDICATIONS, ARE PRIMARY DIAGNOSTICS CARE FOOD & PRODUCTS FOOD & PRODUCTS IN HOUSE Dental CleaningsDental Cleanings Radiology are WellnessRadiology Care PHARMACY In-House Pharmacy In-House Pharmacy
e
two kittens who were the last of their two separate litters. They are best friends. ‘They are also a wonderful chaotic joy for me as they keep me cheerful and grounded during the pandemic lockdown. (Please turn to page 11)
Acupuncture
Geriatric Care
Dental X-rays
Dental X-rays Home Delivery Home Delivery Anesthesia Free Anesthesia Free Dental CleaningsDental Cleanings
TESTING
OTHER SERVICES OTHER SERVICES TESTING
Grooming Full Diagnostics Full Diagnostics Day Boarding
Grooming
Day Boarding
In-House Laboratory In-House Laboratory
(323) 378-6676(323) 378-6676
©LC0720
Larchmont Village Larchmont Vet Village Vet www.larchmontvillagevet.com www.larchmontvillagevet.com 428 N. Larchmont 428 N. Blvd., Larchmont Los Angeles, Blvd., CA Los 90004 Angeles, CA 90004
www.facebook.com/larchmontvillagevet www.facebook.com/larchmontvillagevet
DAKOTA AND PIPPIN on Larchmont.
Larchmont Chronicle
JULY 2020
SECTION ONE
Larchmont pets (Continued from page 10)
“It’s really hard to leave them behind when I come to work,” Olivier added. Pucci “is 8.5 pounds of pure joy here on Las Palmas,” Steven Steinman and Doris Berger tell us. Harrison Ford, a Maine coon tabby, was adopted from the Kitt Crusaders animal rescue group on Larchmont, Violet Buescher tells us. Beatrix is a two-year-old rescue Affengriffon, Lion Paulson of N. June St. tells us. “She is an American Kennel Club good citizen and has completed two courses of dog training,” adds the St. Brendan eighth grader. The toy breed also has her own Instagram feed. Angel, a seven-month-old French standard poodle puppy, and Raphael, a giant schnauzer (nine months old), are First-In Fire Foundation’s new mascots, Lyn and Marc Cohen tell us. Sparky, on Brookside, is following the rules: The “masked” 11-year-old goldendoodle lives with Nanci and
Rich Leonard, 44-year residents of Brookside. Robin Jameson greeted a new puppy Sonny, who joins Josie, 10, on S. Lucerne Blvd. “They are both black and rust Dobermans… Sonny was 8 weeks old in this pic... now [he’s] a big boy at six months and 65 lbs.!” Jameson says. “Sophie is a popular Fremont Place pet,” Julia Dalton tells us of her calico. “She likes to visit with children and dogs when they are walking around the neighborhood. She will always greet you, and enjoys the company! In the past, Sophie could be found in the driveway, but this summer, she has relocated to the backyard because of a coyote sighting. Sophie is staying safe!” Queen Calafia (Callie) is a beautiful brown tabby white Maine coone. “Callie knows she’s royalty, and is always treated as such!” says Dalton of her second feline. Tokki is the name of Councilman David Ryu’s new kitten. It means “bunny” in Ko-
rean, he explains. Bailey has found his new home — and fellow golden retriever and look-alike Keesha — with Pam Rudy and Pierre Debbaudt on S. Gramercy Place. And, so there you have it. Until next year, be well. And remember to take the dog out (and pet the cat).
*
Finest quality meats and sausages
Our Own Pet Food!
Put up in the USDA-Inspected Plant 5 Varieties:
* Beef & vegetables * lamb & vegetables * chicken & vegetables * Turkey & vegetables * Fish & vegetables We AlSO cArry MArrOW & KnUcKle BOneS FOr DOgS & PUPPIeS! ©LC0716
KEESHA AND BAILEY — siblings in spirit.
SONNY AND JOSIE make each other’s acquaintance.
*
SPARKY is following the social-distancing rules in Brookside!
11
QUEEN CALAFIA, aka Callie, also lounges in Fremont Place.
L A C
323-938-5383
6333 West 3rd St. (in Original Farmers Market) www.huntingtonmeats.com
LARCHMONT ANIMAL CLINIC
WE ARE PROUD TO BE THE TRUSTED VETERINARY CLINIC TO THE LARCHMONT COMMUNITY FOR NEARLY HALF A CENTURY!
(323) 463-4889 larchmontanimalclinic.com
316 N. Larchmont Blvd.
TOKKI and Councilman David Ryu.
ANGEL AND RAPHAEL guard pies from Du-pars’, as part of First-In Fire Foundation’s “We Care: Firehouse Dinners” program.
CLINIC HOURS: Monday - Friday 8 am - 6 pm Saturday 8 am - 4 pm Closed Sunday CONVENIENT FREE PARKING
Complete Selection of Natural Pet Food & Supplies Hours: Mon – Fri • 10 am to 6 pm Sat. • 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Closed Sunday
SOPHIE lounging in Fremont Place.
336 N. Larchmont Blvd. • (323) 464-3031
©LC0720
• FREE PARKING!
12
JULY 2020
SECTION ONE
Salons
(Continued from page 1) mats. No sense in not looking our best, even in a pandemic. Just remember to wear your mask. Since Vincent Hair Artistry, 136 N. Larchmont Blvd., reopened in early June, clients have returned at a steady pace, and stylists have worked their magic to lighten, darken and tame unruly locks. Haircuts, highlights and blowouts are on the menu as before; it’s just that social distancing is now part of the beauty plan. Masks are de rigueur, and chairs, counters and everything else are sanitized to Mr. Clean’s approval. Stylists could sing 10 renditions of “Happy Birthday” in the time it takes to wash your hair, said co-owner Jurgen Sauer. A seated waiting area is outside the shop, and a plexiglass shield has been installed at the register. Unlike in the past, when the weekends were the busiest times, weekdays see an equal measure of clients, notes receptionist Jay Baeza. Walk-ins are not accepted, and it’s appointment-only at Larchmont’s oldest hair salon at 136 N. Larchmont Blvd. There are no double bookings, which were not common at the salon anyway, said Sauer. But now, stylists are only allowed to see one client at a time under the city guidelines. Vincenthairartistry.com 323-465-4341 o o o
CASEY HAMMER, with foils in her hair, travels up from San Diego to have her hair done at Romi Cortier.
Clear plastic shower curtains hang from the ceiling to separate the four swivel chairs firmly fixed in place for about 90 years at Larchmont Barber Shop, 142 ½ N. Larchmont Blvd. Owner George Hilario reopened June 8, later than planned because of protests in the street. “Everything got crazy with the riots,” George explained. Bring your own mask. Hand sanitizers are supplied at this shop, opened in the 1920s. Hilario and his staff follow a detailed list of city-mandated protocols, which include cleaning the chairs before and after each client. 323-464-6659 o o o Romi Cortier of Romi Cortier Design, 425 N. Larchmont Blvd., has worked throughout the pandemic, mixing fresh dye formulation at the back of his car and leaving the potion “curbside.” He talks the client through the application
process on FaceTime. In many cases, he’s talking to the husband, who is helping his wife cover her roots. “One couple — she was in her 70s and he in his 80s and they did it!” The salon is now brighter and lighter after some remodeling during the safer-athome closure. An air purifier has been installed, and windows let in fresh air. A former medical suite, the salon is perfect for social distancing, with each station having its own private space, Cortier says. Besides in-person visits, Cortier still offers the “backyard” house calls and the curbside color drop-offs. “Several clients prepaid for services during the shutdown, and one client in particular gave me a very large gift to ensure that we were able to pay our rent here at the salon. “It was beyond anything I’ve ever experienced and truly made me feel like a valuable part of the Hancock Park community,” Cortier said. Romicortierdesign.com 343-462-1089 o o o Five hair stylists and three manicurists are on staff at Larchmont Hair and Nails, 417 N. Larchmont Blvd., said owner Helen Yeom. Manicures and pedicures were allowed by the city starting on June 19, she added. 323-463-4473 o o o Call ahead or visit the salon websites to make an appointment. City updates are at corona-virus.la/faq.
Larchmont Chronicle
Household domestic workers reintegrate… carefully
By Caroline Tracy to help out as much with our The National Domestic 6- and 8-year-olds. As much as Workers Alliance (NDWA), a we’ve enjoyed the “free” time 13-year-old organization dedi- with our little ones, it’s time cated to advocacy for domestic to get some actual work done. workers, recently promoted a We called our babysitter and checklist on its website that asked if she’d be comfortable details specific guidelines for coming to watch the kids a few bringing workers back into afternoons a week. We knew the home. The recommenda- that she had been safely quartions include a plan for open antined for two months, catcommunication, discussion of sitting for a family who travsafety protocol (such as using eled home to Canada when masks and gloves and frequent Stay at Home began. We dishandwashing), procedures for cussed who she had seen and what to do if someone gets sick who we had seen and what and even discussion of new these interactions looked like. compensation agreements. (Please turn to page 13) I happened to stumble across this during an otherwise meandering social media session, but the information couldn’t be more timely. More work, less play (for parents) My husband and I are planning a move in the coming weeks and have a mounting to-do list. Production is likely starting again (at least it seems so as of this writing), which means he’s already taking meetings with LORILEE BECKMAN, babysitter, prodirectors and post- duction dynamo and jill-of-all-trades production manag- (center), plus Dick “Van” Dyke and one of ers, and he’s not able her charges.
Ducks
(Continued from page 1) kept falling behind the others and had to be picked up by hand and returned to his waddling siblings. Seeking help from June Street neighbors George Stoneman and his wife Laurie, the crew soon learned the secret behind the floundering fowl. It seems a Channel 7 News helicopter had made a low-fuel emergency landing on the course of the Wilshire Country Club, and the terrified mallard must have assumed the large craft was some new species of predatory bird. Luckily, the Stonemans were able to provide a large box, while the others came up with a plan. It was decided that
A GREEN ANOLE watches the activity unfold perched on a fence between the golf course and a residence on June Street.
rather than attempt to corral the mom, they would use the box to scoop up her ducklings and walk them back to the golf course, with their mom hopefully following close behind. After checking several homes along the course, the team found a neighbor whose back yard had a gate that opened onto the course, and the rescue plan went into action. Wearing protective gloves, and staying socially distanced, they snatched up the elusive fuzzy youngsters while attempting to calm the increasingly agitated mom, who flapped, hopped and flew behind the box as the entire entourage headed between homes and onto the course. Waddling off back toward their presumed home in the El Rio del Jardin de las Flores brook that runs through the golf course on its way to Ballona Creek and the ocean, the happy mallard and her kids seemed undeterred by the two large copters that now sat preparing to take off. (The second came to service the first chopper.) “We thought for a while we’d have some new pals in our bathtub for a couple of days.” Redlich reflected. “But at a time we all feel so distanced from each other, this was certainly a nice way to bring back some neighborly spirit.”
Larchmont Chronicle
Household workers
(Continued from page 12) They were minimal on both sides, and all took place in open-air settings for brief periods of time. We made plans for her to watch the kids outside, in our yard or at the park. So far, this arrangement is working out and giving us a little more breathing room. As we prepare for the move, we also are working with a cleaning crew to help us clean out and sanitize both homes (the one we are leaving and the one we are moving into). We will refer and adhere to the NDWA checklist to do this safely. When I asked some neighborhood friends how they are handling the delicate issue of reintegrating in-home care workers and cleaners et al., I was not surprised to learn that many are welcoming their nannies and housekeepers back into the fold, albeit with adjustments to ensure safety. They asked to use only their first names.
JULY 2020
Windsor Square resident Wendy brought back her family’s nanny/housekeeper about three weeks ago (at the time of this writing). “We decided that it was best for all involved — our nanny, our kids, and us — so that we could get back to work and have some normalcy again,” she shared. “In terms of precautions, we — our nanny and us, the parents — took a COVID-19 test before she came back. We also do frequent handwashing, no shoes in the house, and if anyone feels sick or feverish, she’ll stay home.” Brookside resident Valeshka said, “My husband and I are still both working full time. We were lucky enough to have my dad visiting from Vermont for the first month of Stay at Home, but he has since left and we needed help.” Valeshka’s housekeeper comes once a week, when everyone is out of the house. “She wears a mask and gloves and we actually go over all hightouch surfaces with disinfec-
tant wipes again when we enter the house. We also pay her via Venmo, so there is no physical contact of any kind.” In addition to the house cleaning, Valeshka needed child care after her father returned to Vermont. A full-time nanny now watches her 3-year-old daughter. Interaction with other children is minimal — no
SECTION ONE
nanny meet-ups as of yet. Another acquaintance from Larchmont Village, a psychologist who prefers to remain completely anonymous, has schoolaged children, a husband who works full-time, and is continuing to meet her own clients virtually. When I asked if she has brought in help, she told me plainly, “It’s necessary.”
With families needing structure and more time for incomeproducing work, it seems that childcare and cleaning services are increasingly back in demand. It’s not quite a return to normalcy. More thought (and thoughtfulness with regard to workers’ protections) is being allocated to these matters, and that’s a good thing.
IMMACULATE HEART Middle School graduate Amelia Reyes on Larchmont Blvd. June 5, as members of the California Army National Guard stand by. Her mom took this photo of her on the way back from the campus ceremony. “It is such a great photo, so timely, and is such a reflection of our times. I thought it would be a great photo to include in the Larchmont Chronicle,” mom Danielle Avazian-Reyes said. We agreed. The graduation ceremony felt special, she added. “It took place on the campus in small groups. Each graduate was given a time slot and was presented her diploma in person by the principal (while wearing white satin face masks to match their gowns) with immediate family looking on. They did a great job and it still felt special.”
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
©LC0917
• Experienced teachers devoted to fostering self-esteem in a safe nurturing environment • Over 45 years serving the neighborhood
315 S. Oxford Ave. • 213-387-7381 www.theplymouthschool.com theplymouthschool@gmail.com
13
Hands-on Projects • Swimming & Field Trips Computer Science & Technology • Before & After Care Included Small Class Size with Differentiated Instruction
14
JULY 2020
SECTION ONE
Summer camps (Continued from page 1)
reopen. Tumbleweed Day Camp, Sunny Days Kids Camp and other camps generally with access to large, open spaces have opened with significant safety procedures, while camps in mid-city Los Angeles have on the whole gravitated towards virtual summer offerings or suspending programming entirely. o o o The turning point for Youth Academy of Dramatic Arts (YADA), according to Managing Director Lisa Gilbar, was when LAUSD announced on
March 13 that schools were shutting down. YADA was nearing the end of its winter session, with some classes in dress rehearsal for live performances, when the Academy had to transition to an online setup, which it calls “Yadavision.” The Academy conducted its entire spring session over Yadavision and is continuing in the same way through the summer. “The technology just isn’t there right now, to have live performances or even recorded performances, when you’re trying to do singing because of the lag,” Gilbar said. “With any internet, no matter what the speed is, there’s always going
to be a delay, so because of that, we knew it was going to be really tricky. So, we figured out our own way of how to make that happen. When we dove in for spring, it was a trial by fire.” YADA currently plans on running five virtual summer camps, each with multiple sessions. The staff members are staging “Les Miserables” and “Shrek the Musical,” as well as a Disney-themed program, Beatles camp and a musical improv retreat. YADA’s designers are giving directions to kids on how to make their own costumes, sets and props, and staff members will record audio clippings of campers singing.
IMMACULATE HEART
A Catholic, Independent, College Preparatory School For Girls Grades 6-12
Larchmont Chronicle
CAMPERS, counselors and staff on the school field at Marlborough Summer School, July 2019. Photo by Bill Devlin
Campers will perform over Zoom, which will then be edited into a video to share with friends and family. “Even though it’s not in the theater, it’s a sense of healing. It’s a sense of togetherness. It’s a sense of normalcy for these kids who love theater, and that’s something that YADA has always prided itself on,”
Gilbar said. “This can be obviously a very isolating time for everyone right now, and so the fact that we’re able to bring theater to all of those kids, to the kids who might be isolated when we’re not isolating, but even more so now, to be able to bring them together and to have them unite over the (Please turn to page 15)
“Educating the Hearts & Minds of Young Women Since 1906”
5515 Franklin Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90028 ♥ (323) 461-3651 ♥ www.immaculateheart.org
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.”
Have a Happy Summer!
Morning + Evening Parenting Classes FOR MORE INFO CONTACT info@SavannahSanfield.com
Neville Anderson, MD, FAAP Board-Certified Pediatrician
Dentistry for Children and Young Adults
• We care for children 0-21 years old • Most PPO Insurance plans accepted
Pediatric Dentistry
• Complimentary “meet the doctor” appointments available
Member American Dental Association Diplomat of American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
Randall E. Niederkohr, D.D.S. Orthodontics Available
Call Today!
323.960.8500
321 N Larchmont Blvd., Suite 1020 . Los Angeles . CA . 90004 . www.larchmontpediatric.com
©LC1010
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
JULY 2020
SECTION ONE
AP, and the Chronicle, change to upper-case ‘B’ in ‘Black’ Like most, but not all, newspapers in the United States, the Larchmont Chronicle generally follows the guidance of “The AP Stylebook,” published by The Associated Press, in matters of spelling, punctuation, etc. On June 19, 2020, The Associated Press (The AP) changed its stylebook to capitalize the “b” in the term “Black” when
HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR and artist Eva Nathanson is featured showing to students her floral bouquet created from recycled material. Students were challenged to create art pieces out of found and recycled materials from home for their LAMOTH “camp” project with Eva. Photo by Jordanna Gessler
Summer camps (Continued from page 14)
shared passion of musical theater is a pretty amazing thing.” News on four other local camp programs, and the remainder of this article, appear in the full story on our website, larchmontchronicle. com. Those four programs are: Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust (LAMOTH). Pan Pacific Park usually runs a summer camp, but will not this year. Marlborough Summer School. JCamp at the Westside Jewish Community Center. This full story is at larchmontchronicle.com
International American University (IAU) will host a Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) on-site Evaluation Team on August 4-7, 2020 for the purpose of evaluating the institution for Accreditation status. Third party comments are invited and may be addressed to: TRACS, 15935 Forest Road, Forest, VA 24551. TRACS is approved by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized institutional accrediting agency and appears on the DOE Secretary’s List of Approved Accrediting Agencies, which is provided in the Higher Education Directory. TRACS is also recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Adv.
©LC0720
INTERNATIONAL AMERICAN UNIVERSITY TO HOST ON-SITE EVALUATION TEAM VISIT
the word refers to people. This announcement reportedly came after two years of deliberation, research and discussion among colleagues and experts within and outside The AP. An AP official wrote in a blog posting on June 19, “AP’s style is now to capitalize Black in a racial, ethnic or cultural sense, conveying an essential and shared sense of history, identity and community among people who identify as Black, including those in the African diaspora and within Africa. The lowercase black is a color, not a person.” The AP will be coming out with a decision on whether to capitalize “white” within the month, and The AP has noted that staff members are debating what that would mean, especially outside of the United States. Common pushback on capi-
talizing “white” is that Black people and white people do not share the same form of identity. Black identity was formed over centuries by systemic racism and oppression, and white people do not have a shared racial history in that way. In addition, capital-
izing “white” is most often used in supremacist literature (and in the niche of antiracist scholarship), therefore saying “White” could mean invoking the harm and violence of that association. At this time, the “New York Times” still uses the word
15
“black,” as does the “Washington Post.” The “Los Angeles Times” and many other news outlets changed to use “Black” the week following the announcement from AP. The “Seattle Times” and “Boston Globe” changed last year. Report by Talia Abrahamson
16
2020_GAF_WelcomeBack-LC-July_PrintAd_Final_HR-Print.pdf SECTION ONE
1
6/16/20
1:33 PM
JULY 2020
Larchmont Chronicle
Welcome Back to The Grove C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
WE
CAN’
U O Y T WA I T T O S E E
Take a stroll under the summer sun with family and friends around The Fountain. With endless options for in-store shopping and dining, there's something for everyone to enjoy. For more information on your favorite stores and restaurants, visit TheGroveLA.com.
1 8 9 T H E G R OV E D R I V E , L O S A N G E L E S , C A 9 0 0 3 6 | 3 2 3 .9 0 0 . 8 0 8 0