volume 21 no. 50 serving the west hollywood, hancock park ...dec 12, 2011 · job and go back home...
TRANSCRIPT
Seemingly in response to theshutdown of the OccupyLAencampment, the hacking
group Anonymous has publishedvarious Los Angeles PoliceDepartment officers’ personalinformation, such as homeaddresses, property values andspouse names.
The leak has promptedCouncilmember Dennis Zine, 3rdDistrict, to introduce a motionthat would mandate county asses-sors to make officers’ recordsconfidential. LAPD CommanderAndrew Smith, who oversees thepublic information offices in sev-eral divisions, said that motion
may be helpful, but the leak isstill concerning.
“It’s disconcerting,” Smithsaid.
He said the majority of the offi-cers — more than 20 were namedin the document — were notinvolved in the OccupyLA shut-down. Some of those listed workin the LAPD’s planning depart-ment, and at least one is retired,Smith said. A handful of the offi-cers were from the OlympicDivision.
“It’s misguided, and it’s themlashing out,” he said. “I don’tunderstand why.”
Smith said the LAPD’s han-dling of OccupyLA was moreprofessional than the raids onencampments in other cities. Hesaid officers just want to do theirjob and go back home to theirfamilies.
The Mid City WestCommunity Council(MCWCC) voted unani-
mously Tuesday to work with thecity on a new shuttle service it istentatively calling “The Mid CityWest Trolley”.
The service could connect pas-sengers with Museum Row onWilshire Boulevard and MOCA atthe PDC in West Hollywood, withretail and entertainment destina-tions like The Grove, the BeverlyCenter and the Melrose and FairfaxAvenue Shopping Districts. Thecouncil previously formed a com-mittee to explore whether there iscommunity support for a trolley,what route the shuttle servicewould follow and which destina-tions it would serve. Julie Brame, a
board member for the MCWCCand chair of the Ad Hoc TrolleyCommittee, said she reached out torepresentatives of The Grove andseveral business associations in theMelrose and 3rd Street areas, and
has received some positive respons-es. The goal is to create apublic/private partnership to payfor the service, and some city lead-ers, such as Councilmember Tom
Shoppers are being asked touse reusable shopping bagstoday instead of paper or plas-
tic bags as part of “Day Without ABag”, an annual event sponsored byHeal The Bay and retailers through-out Los Angeles County.
“After five years of hosting thisevent, it’s gratifying to see us reachthe tipping point in getting rid of
single-use shopping bags in LosAngeles County,” said MeredithMcCarthy, programs director forHeal the Bay. “Bringing a reusablebag to the store is an easy andimpactful way to improve thehealth of our oceans and neighbor-hoods.”
“Day Without A Bag” is beingheld a day before the Los AngelesCity Council Energy and
It takes a family to overcome adisease, and it takes a family toweave that recovery into a
good deed for others.Such was the case for the
Graves family, who brought holi-day cheer — in the form of toysand music — to patients in therehabilitation unit at Children’sHospital Los Angeles for the 10thyear on Monday.
The Pasadena family has a spe-cial bond to the hospital and theunit, which is where Chris Graves,now 22, stayed for several monthswhen he was battling juvenile der-matomyositis, a rare auto immunedisease, at the age of 13.
“It’s like, amazing,” Chris said.“We get more and more giftsevery year.”
He eventually overcame thedisease at age 15, though it kepthim from walking or eating for afew months. However, followinghis recovery, a family friend,David Venghaus, suggested thatthe family do something for thepatients who they had come toknow during that trying time.
During the Graves’ annual holi-day celebration that December,they collected toys to distribute at
the unit. Chris had suffered fromrashes, muscle pain and immobil-ity throughout his illness, but hegraced a wheelchair to help thefamily complete its newfoundmission.
“Then, we just started comingevery year,” Chris’ mother, Joyce,said.
The donations continue to besolicited through the Graves’
annual holiday party, and they aregrowing in number. Chris said thefamily had to rent a U-Haul truckto deliver the toys to Children’sHospital this year.
“It means so much to us,” Joycesaid. “It’s always bittersweet. Wecome back, and I just thank Godwe still have him.”
The Graves didn’t actually dis-
Volume 21 No. 50 Serving the West Hollywood, Hancock Park and Wilshire Communities December 15, 2011
INSIDE• Water and sewer
rates may rise. pg. 3
• NoH8 hosts eventin WeHo. pg. 4
Partly cloudy,with windyconditionsFriday
See Former Patient page 24
See Trolley page 26BY EDWIN FOLVEN
BY AARON BLEVINS BY EDWIN FOLVEN
See Records page 26
WWW.BEVERLYPRESS.COM
n Council Hopes to Form Public/PrivatePartnershipn Councilmember Zine
Calls for Documents tobe Strictly Confidential
photo courtesy of LADOT
The LADOT already uses some buses designed to look like trolleys,which may be available for the Mid-City West Trolley.
n ʻDay Without a Bagʼ Held on Dec. 15; City Council to Consider a Ban
n Former Patient andHis Family Provide Toys for Sick Kids
photo by Aaron Blevins
Jimmy Nguyen, 5, a patient in the rehabilitation unit at ChildrenʼsHospital Los Angeles, received a special gift from Santa on Monday.
Santa Shares Gifts at Children’s Hospital
Mid City West Gets Rolling With Trolley
Shoppers Asked to StopUsing Single-Use Bags
Cops ̓Personal RecordsLeaked on the Internet
photo by Edwin Folven
Heal the Bay previously piled shopping bags in downtown L.A. to illus-trate the harmful effects of plastic bags.
BY AARON BLEVINS
See Ban page 24
15 Tar Pits Books
The Page Museum at the La BreaTar Pits is hosting a free book
signing and lecture on Thursday, Dec.15 at 6 p.m. for two publications thatfeature vintage photography of the tarpits. The discussion will be led byauthor and museum archivist, CathyMcNassor, on the books “LosAngeles’s La Brea Tar Pits andHancock Park” and “Postcards ofAmerica: Los Angeles’s La Brea TarPits and Hancock Park”. An informal,behind-the-scenes tour will be held at7:00 pm. 5801 Wilshire Blvd.(323)934-PAGE, www.tarpits.org.
Fairfax BandHoliday Show
The award-winning FairfaxAcademy Band and Orchestra
Program will host its annual holidayconcert on Thursday, Dec. 15 at 6:30p.m. in the Fairfax High SchoolAuditorium. The concert will be ledby Maestro Raymundo Vizcarra.Tickets are $5; $2 for students andseniors. 7850 Melrose Ave. (323)370-1200.
‘ChanticleerChristmas’
The Los Angeles Philharmonicpresents “A Chanticleer
Christmas” on Thursday, Dec. 15 at 8p.m. at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.Chanticleer: An Orchestra of Voices isan all-male chorus founded in SanFrancisco. It returns to Los Angeleswith a fresh take on seasonal classics,from serene chant to vibrant spiritu-als. Tickets are $38 to $97. 111 S.Grand Ave. (323)850-2000,www.laphil.com.
16 James Barbour
The Coterie at the RenaissanceHollywood Hotel & Spa is hosting
a show titled “James Barbour: TheHoliday Concert” on Friday, Dec. 16and Saturday, Dec. 17 at 8:30 p.m. Eachconcert features special surprise gueststars and a program celebrating the
American Song Book. Tickets are $10to $35. 1755 N. Highland Ave.(323)856-1200, www.thecoteriela.com.
Student Dance Show
Students from CalArts’ SharonDisney Lund School of Dance
will perform on Friday, Dec. 16 andSaturday, Dec. 17 at 8:30 p.m. at theRoy and Edna Disney/CalArtsTheater. The shows will includeworks by Israeli choreographer OhadNaharin, and CalArts faculty choreog-
raphers, Colin Connor and StephanieNugent. Tickets are $20; $16 for stu-dents. 631 W. 2nd St., downtown.(213)237-2800, www.redcat.org.
Organ Spectacular
Organist David Higgs will leadthe annual Holiday Organ
Spectacular on Friday, Dec. 16 at 8p.m. at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.The concert features Higgs and sopra-no Shana Blake Hill performing aselection of holiday classics. The
audience is encouraged to sing-alongto favorites such as “Hark, the HeraldAngels Sing” and “O, Come All YeFaithful”. Also included will bemusic by Bach and Liszt. Tickets are$35.25 to $85.25. 111 S. Grand Ave.(323)850-2000, www.laphil.com.
17 Zen for Kids
Chevalier’s Books in LarchmontVillage is hosting a book signing
by children’s author Sanjay Nambiaron Saturday, Dec. 17 from 11 a.m. to1 p.m. Nambiar will also discuss hisbook, “Maybe (A Little Zen for LittleOnes)”, which makes Zen philosophyaccessible to both children and adults.126 N. Larchmont Blvd. (323)465-1334, www.alittlezen.com.
Comedy Book
Cinefamily (formerly the SilentMovie Theatre) is holding a
book release party, screening andvariety show on Saturday, Dec. 17from 2:30 to 4 p.m. The event cele-brates the release of “Flying SaucersRock ‘n Roll” by Jake Austen, authorand publisher of Roctober Magazine,and will include a screening of thefilm adaptation of the book. Alsoincluded is comedy by NeilHamburger, live music and more. 611N. Fairfax Ave. (323)655-2510,www.cinefamily.org.
Gay Men’s Chorus
The Gay Men’s Chorus of LosAngeles spices up the season
with performances of its annual holi-day spectacular, “Naughty & Nice”,on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 8 p.m., andSunday, Dec. 18 at 3 p.m. at the AlexTheatre in Glendale. The show fea-tures the 200-voice chorus and spe-cial guest, Melissa Manchester.Tickets are $15 to $55. 216 N. BrandBlvd. (800)636-7464,www.gmcla.org.
Curator’s Tour
The Natural History Museum ofLos Angeles County presents a
free curator’s tour of the exhibit“Artistic Evolution: Southern
California Artists” on Saturday, Dec.17 from 11 a.m. to noon, led by cura-tor Charlotte Eyerman. From 10 to 11a.m., the museum will also hold its“Critter Club: Cold Weather Quest”for children ages 3 to 5, which willfocus on how turtles survive duringthe winter. 900 Exposition Blvd.(213)763-DINO, www.nhm.org.
18 French BaroqueConcert
The Da Camera Society celebratesthe season with a unique holiday
concert on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 5 pm inthe Doheny Mansion’s PompeianRoom, on the campus of Mount St.Mary’s College. The AulosEnsemble, a period-instrumentensemble, presents “Joyeux Noël: anEvening of French Baroque Music forthe Season”, featuring Christmasmusic by Couperin, Corrette, andRameau. 8 Chester Pl., near down-town. Tickets are $55 and $75.(213)477-2929, www.DaCamera.org.
‘Home for theHolidays’
The Geffen Playhouse presents“Home for the Holidays”, a fes-
tive concert featuring singer NathanPacheco, on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 7p.m. at the Gil Cates Theater at theGeffen Playhouse. Pacheco will per-form Christmas classics such as “AveMaria” and “Silent Night”, as well asperennial anthems including “DannyBoy”, “Hallelujah” and “NessunDorma”. Tickets are $50 to $70.10886 Le Conte Ave. (310)208-5454,www.geffenplayhouse.com.
21 Holiday Fun
Downtown Culver City presents aholiday installment of its “Third
Wednesdays” entertainment series onWednesday, Dec. 21 from 5 to 9 p.m.Guests can celebrate the yuletide spir-it with holiday songs and live musicfrom 100.3 FM The Sound, as well asthe Other Reindeer carolers. Alsoincluded are free samples, discountsand prize giveaways from localrestaurants and merchants. The eventtakes place around the intersection ofCulver and Washington boulevards,and Dusquene Avenue. www.down-townculvercity.com.
2 December 15, 2011 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
C a l e n d a r
photo courtesy of Mike Pingel
The Gardenia is holding the “The Judy Garland Christmas Special” star-ring tribute artist Peter Mac on Friday, Dec. 16 and 17 at 9 p.m. The con-cert was specifically designed for the cabaret room at The Gardenia, andMac captures the magic, humor and joy of the woman who was hailed asthe “Worldʼs Greatest Entertainer”. Mac also performs as Garlandʼs chil-dren, Liza, Lorna and Joey, as well as her showbiz friends like EthelMerman, Paul Lynde, Mae West, Tallulah Bankhead, Robert Goulet, BeaArthur and Katharine Hepburn. There is a $15 cover charge, with a twodrink or dinner entrée minimum. 7066 Santa Monica Blvd. (323)467-7444.
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Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 3 December 15, 2011
Crews Scramble to Clean UpAfter Wind Storm
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The Rotary Club has been inexistence since 1905, but it
wasn’t until 1987, when SylviaWhitlock was elected president ofthe Rotary Club in Duarte, Calif.,that the service organizationallowed a female to preside over aclub.
Whitlock, who walked into aworld that had been dominated bymen for the last 80 years, shared herstory with the Wilshire Rotary Clubof Los Angeles on Wednesday.
“It’s amazing. When we weregoing through this, we neverthought it would make such animpact,” she said prior to herspeech.
Whitlock was elected presidentof the Rotary Club of Duarte in1987, when Rotary Internationalwas battling to keep womenexcluded in the U.S. SupremeCourt. Having been stripped of itscharter by the organization’s boardof directors for allowing femalemembers, the club was then knownas the Ex-Rotary Club of Duarte.
Duarte was also the first club toallow women to join, which theydid in 1977. In 1978, the club lostits charter for doing so. After aseries of appeals, the U.S. SupremeCourt affirmed a decision by theCourt of Appeals of California toreinstate the club in 1987.
When the Duarte club embarked
on the fight, it was a membershipissue, not a women’s right issue,Whitlock said. She said theSupreme Court ruling sparked amedia frenzy, however.
Prior to that, Whitlock hadattended a training seminar thatincluded 310 men and her. She wasinstructed to wear a coat and tie forpictures, and she marveled at theline to the men’s restroom.
“In the ladies room, it was justme,” Whitlock said.
During that seminar, the District530 governor, Tim Keen Siu, spokeof the Supreme Court case, andsaid, “This is the case of the mousethat roared.” The Duarte club stuck
with the motto and placed it on itsbanner.
Though Whitlock is no longer amember of the Duarte club, sheserves in the Claremont RotaryClub, helping the local and nationalorganizations in their many mis-sions, from promoting literacy toeradicating polio. She travels toshare her experience, and with the25th anniversary of her presidencyupcoming, she has spoken on thesubject 15 times this year.
“Rotary is so much richer withthe presence of women,” Whitlocksaid. “We’re all serving, and we’reall capable of serving.”
ʻThe Mouse That Roaredʼ
photo by Aaron Blevins
Sylvia Whitlock became the first female president of a rotary club whenshe was elected president of the Duarte Rotary club in 1987.
n First Female RotaryClub President Speaksat Wilshire Ebell
photo courtesy of the Fourth Council District Office
City Councilmember Tom LaBonge and members of his staff fannedout to neighborhoods throughout the 4th Council District last week-end to remove branches and debris that fell during the windstorm onNov. 30 and Dec. 1. The clean-ups occurred in the Wilshire area,Windsor Square, Larchmont Village and Hancock Park, as well asLos Feliz, Griffith Park and Silverlake.
See Rotarian page 25
Residents Can Expect Water,Sewer Rate Increases
Los Angeles residents canexpect to see some alterations
in their utility bills in the comingmonths, as the city looks toupgrade its sewer and water infra-structure.
The Los Angeles Department ofWater & Power (LADWP) is look-
ing to fulfill new water qualityrequirements set forth by the U.S.Environmental Protection Agencyby investing $1.1 billion in itsinfrastructure over the next fiveyears.
Joe Ramallo, the department’sdirector of public affairs, said themonthly increase in 2012 will be
See Rate Hikes page 25
BY AARON BLEVINS
BY AARON BLEVINS
Don’t h8, and don’t discrimin8.That message was loud and
clear on Tuesday, when the NOH8Campaign celebrated its thirdanniversary with a gallery show atthe House of Blues in WestHollywood. Organizers rolled outthe red carpet for several celebrities,and DMC, from Run DMC, per-formed with actress Pauley Perette.
The campaign, created by partnersand Los Angeles residents AdamBouska and Jeff Parshley, is a photo-
graphic silent protest to the passageof Prop. 8. Subjects are frequentlyphotographed wearing white cloth-ing with duct tape covering theirmouths and the NOH8 symboldrawn on their faces.
“We were looking for a way tospeak out,” Bouska said.
He said the first gallery show heldin 2008 featured 300 photos, withParshley being the first subject.Bouska said the project started withfriends and family, but the initiativesoon blossomed. This year, approxi-mately 18,000 were on display,some as part of collages.
“We’ve had an overwhelminglypositive response,” Bouska said. “Itjust shows how much this campaignhas grown.”
The campaign has expanded withhelp from social media sites, he said.The campaign website,www.noh8campaign.com, alsoallows interested parties to upload
their own NOH8 photographs, andpeople from all over the world par-ticipated, Bouska said.
“It’s really cool,” he said. “It’sreally community-driven.”
Bouska has been a professionalphotographer for four or five years,and has taken a variety of photos,including shots for Megan McCain’sbook cover. He had never dabbled inhuman rights issues prior to NOH8,but the passage of Prop. 8 ignited a“newfound ambition,” he said.
“Something had to be done, andphotos were our way to contribute,”Bouska added.
He said the issue had personal rel-evance, but he and Parshley weren’ttrying to get married. Bouskadenounced the legal battle that pre-ceded Prop. 8, which featured oppo-nents and proponents spending“over $150 million to battle love” ina down economy.
The campaign is not just aboutLGBT rights, however. Bouska saidother minorities could be victim tosimilar discrimination.
“We’re trying to show that it’s rel-evant to everyone,” he said.
More than 150 people attended onTuesday, and the event lured severalmusicians, actors and actresses,including LeAnn Rimes and Perette,who stars on NCIS. WestHollywood Councilmember JohnD’Amico was in attendance, andMayor John Duran proclaimed Dec.13 as “NOH8 Day” in WestHollywood while onstage.
Duran said the council’s presenceat the event was to remind those inattendance that the NOH8 campaignis more than taking a photo with ducttape and the NOH8 symbol.
“It’s about getting out there andfighting for equality by voting, bygetting involved,” Duran said.
He said the initiative reflects thepower of art in making political andsocial statements. Duran said art hasbeen a well-used outlet for theLGBT community as its membershave struggled for equality through-out the years.
“Often, art has played a prominent
role in the community’s protest tovarious issues,” he said. “This is justa continuation of this.”
Bouska continued to create art-work during the event, using thestage as his studio. Some of the redcarpet guests, such as singerRebecca Black and actressMackenzie Phillips, donned the ducttape and NOH8 message for animpromptu photo shoot.
4 December 15, 2011 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
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Removing the Duct Tape
photo by Aaron Blevins
Actress Pauley Perette was one of the celebrities who participated.
District Diverts$99 Million toFund TechnologyUpgradesThe Los Angeles Unified School
District (LAUSD) Board ofEducation voted 6-1 Tuesday touse $99 million in facilities bondprograms to fund information tech-nology infrastructure upgrades atschools throughout the district.
The voter-approved bondmoney, which is not part of the dis-trict’s general fund, is being movedfrom facilities programs to enableschools that are low on the prioritylist for federal funding to receiveupgrades necessary to install wire-less access and use other technolo-gy.
The federal e-rate programassigns a higher priority to TitleOne schools, defined as those inwhich at least 75 percent of the stu-dents participate in the free andreduced lunch program. “Our vote ensures that every stu-dent in every LAUSD school willhave access to wireless technolo-gy,” LAUSD board member TamarGalatzan said. “This is a criticalstep towards closing the vast digitaldivide that plagues our schools.”
n NoH8 Holds 3rd Annual Event in Protest of Prop. 8
“We were lookingfor a way to speak out.”
-Adam Bouska, co-founder of the NoH8
campaign
BY AARON BLEVINS
Drunk driving is a major con-cern during the holidays, and
West Hollywood city officials andrepresentatives of the WestHollywood Sheriff’s Station fannedout to local bars, restaurants andnightclubs earlier this week to handout napkins asking people not todrink and drive, as well as cardswith information about taxi andshuttle service options.
The annual napkin distributionhas been held for the past 13 years,and is only one component of amulti-pronged approach the cityand the sheriff’s department uses tocombat drunk driving, said Capt.Kelley Fraser, commanding officerfor the West Hollywood Sheriff’sStation.
“I personally think [the napkindistribution] is effective,” Frasersaid. “When you collaborate withlocal government to educate thecommunity in a positive light, it iseffective. If you affect one life, andprevent them from drinking anddriving, you have saved a life.”
The cocktail napkin handouts
took place on Monday and Tuesdayevenings, and will continue onother dates throughout the holidays.In addition, sheriff’s officials meetwith the staff at local venues toremind them about the dangers ofover-serving, and to inform themabout safe alternatives to drivingfor their customers.
This week, the NationalHighway Traffic SafetyAdministration (NHTSA) releaseda report stating that alcohol-relatedfatalities had dropped to a recordlow in California in 2010, from 791last year compared to 924 in 2009.The NHTSA largely credited thedecreases to sobriety checkpointsand an increase in public awarenessabout the dangers of drinking anddriving.
Fraser said although WestHollywood officials rarely conductsobriety checkpoints, patroldeputies are proactively searchingfor drunk drivers. She added that acheckpoint held last summer yield-ed few violations, and that couplingeducation campaigns with aggres-sive enforcement is a more affec-tive approach.
“We did a checkpoint on SanVicente south of Melrose last sum-mer, and we had minimal arrests,”Fraser added. “We are not doingany checkpoints this year, but thatdoesn’t mean we are not out therelooking for them (drunk drivers).”
Lt. Dave Smith, with the WestHollywood Sheriff’s Station, saiddrunk driving arrests are up signifi-cantly in the city in 2011, and hecredited an aggressive approach bypatrol deputies. So far this year,there have been 270 arrests for dri-
ving under the influence, comparedto 196 for the same period in 2010.Smith added that there have been87 alcohol-related collisions thisyear compared to 86 in 2010, andthere have been no fatalities.
“We have a couple of reallyaggressive deputies who like doingthe enforcement. They take theirjob really seriously, and they arevery good at it,” Smith said. “Wearen’t doing the checkpoints andhave opted for aggressive patrolsinstead, but it starts with aggressivedeterrence at the clubs. It’s all abouteducation.”
The Los Angeles PoliceDepartment also conducts aggres-
sive DUI patrols, and couples themwith sobriety checkpoints. LAPDspokesperson Bruce Borihanh saidupcoming checkpoints are currentlybeing scheduled, and added theyare a significant deterrent to drunkdriving.
“The last [checkpoint] we hadwas on Dec. 12, and we are going tobe holding them during the holi-days. The holidays are the time ofthe year for celebration, and peoplesometimes take the celebration toanother level. DUIs are the cause ofa majority of injuries we see in col-lisions on the streets,” Borihanhadded. “Checkpoints are a very
6 December 15, 2011 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
WeHo Officials Crack Down on DUI Drivers
photo by Edwin Folven
A vehicle that was heavily damaged in a DUI collision is being displayedin front of the West Hollywood Sheriffʼs Station during the holidays as areminder not to drink and drive.
n Annual NapkinCampaign Augmentedby Strict Enforcement
See Police page 16
BY EDWIN FOLVEN
When you collaborate withlocal government
to educate thecommunity in a
positive light, it iseffective.”
Capt. Kelley Fraser, West Hollywood Sheriffʼs Station.
Police shot and killed a gunmanin Hollywood last Friday after
he went on a shooting rampagenear Sunset Boulevard and VineStreet, critically injuring onemotorist and causing minor injuriesto two other victims. The criticallywounded victim, 40-year-oldmusic executive John Atterberry,died Monday from his injuries.
The gunman, Tyler Brehm, wasarmed with a .40-caliber handgunand started shooting into the airaround 10:15 a.m. near theMcDonald’s at the corner of VineStreet and DeLongpre Avenue.Brehm then reportedly walkednorth towards the intersection ofSunset Boulevard and Vine Streetand continued shooting into the airand at motorists, striking severalvehicles. Just south of SunsetBoulevard, he fired several shots ata Mercedes-Benz, strikingAtterberry three times in the faceand neck. Brehm continued to firefor approximately three minutesuntil he was confronted by an off-duty LAPD motorcycle officerwho was working at a nearby filmset, and an on-duty plain clothesLAPD detective. They orderedBrehm to drop his gun, but the sus-pect was shot after he pointed theweapon at authorities. Paramedicsarrived a few minutes later andtook Atterberry to Cedars-SinaiMedical Center, where he diedshortly before 5 p.m. on Monday.Brehm was pronounced dead at thescene.
The two other victims were treat-ed at the scene and released,
according to LAPD spokesperson,Officer Rosario Herrera. One had agraze wound to the thigh after a bul-let passed through his car door, andthe other victim suffered minor cutsto his face from glass that shatteredwhen a bullet struck his vehicle.
Herrera said no motive has yet
been determined, and the investiga-tion is ongoing. Reports have stat-ed that Brehm and his girlfriendhad recently broken-up, andHerrera said that was one possibili-ty detectives were investigating.Brehm was originally fromPennsylvania but had been living inHollywood with his girlfriend, andwas reportedly unemployed.
Atterberry had previously beenvice president for Death RowRecords, which produced recordsfor famous rappers such as Dr. Dre,Snoop Dogg and Tupak Shakur. Helater worked on recordings byChristina Aguilera, The Spice Girlsand Jessica Simpson. At the time ofhis death, Atterberry was workingfor an event promotion companycalled the GridLock Group, andwas also reportedly producing aChristian-themed movie titled“God’s Country”.
Alex Gopstein, the owner ofHollywood Pawnbrokers at 1354
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 7 December 15, 2011
Police Kill Suspect in Hwd. Shooting Rampage
photo by Aaron Blevins
A gunman fired numerous shots at motorists last Friday on a stretch ofVine Street south of Sunset Boulevard.
n One Victim Dies FromInjuries Sustained NearSunset and Vine
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After about twentyto thirty seconds, Iheard more shots
and saw him goingtowards Sunset.The police found
three shell casings right in
front of my business.”
-Alex Gopstein, owner ofHollywood Pawnbrokers
Reward Offered for Arrest ofʻSmash and Grab ̓Suspects
Former Attorney General toReceive Hall of Fame Award
A$50,000 reward will beannounced today for the
arrest of a crew of suspects whowere involved in a jewelry storeheist on Wilshire Boulevard ear-lier this year.
The reward was offeredthrough the office of CityCouncilmember Herb Wesson10th District, and the LosAngeles Police Department’sOlympic Division. Det. Ron Kimsaid although the crime tookplace on Aug. 16, the reward isbeing announced now in hopesnew clues will come forward. Ittook several weeks to initiate thereward and have it approved bythe city council. Kim added thatit is unusual for a $50,000 rewardto be offered for a robbery, butauthorities believe it is warrantedbecause the suspects stoleapproximately $500,000 in jew-elry, and they severely injured asecurity guard.
The hold-up occurred around11 a.m. on Aug. 16 at CCDiamonds, located on the groundfloor of an office building at3240 Wilshire Blvd. The jewelrystore is one of a several retailstores that are part of a shoppingcomplex known as the Wilshire
Gallery, Kim said. Investigatorsbelieve the suspects specificallytargeted CC Diamonds and hadconducted surveillance inside thestore prior to committing the rob-bery. They stole mostly high-endwatches, diamond rings, neck-laces and other expensive jewel-ry. They also were familiar withthe entrances and exits, and wereonly inside the store for a coupleof minutes.
“They studied the location andplanned out the robbery,” Kimsaid. “This building has twoentrances, one on the north sideand one on the south side, andthey came in through both doors.In my opinion, these guys are thetype of suspects who have beeninvolved in this kind of thing fora long time.”
Kim said one suspect enteredthrough the south door near theparking lot and confronted asecurity guard at gunpoint. Twoother suspects then enteredthrough the north door offWilshire Boulevard, one carryinga hammer and the other a pillow-case. The suspect with the ham-mer began smashing glass caseswhile the other suspect filled thepillowcase with jewelry.
“They ransacked the store and
District Attorney Steve Cooleywill present the prestigious
California Forensic ScienceInstitute “Hall of Fame” award onFriday to former state AttorneyGeneral John Van de Kamp, whoalso served as Los AngelesCounty District Attorney from1975 to 1981.
Cooley will recognize Van deKamp, who served as state attor-ney general from January 1983 toJanuary 1991, for his decades-long commitment and majoraccomplishments in advancingforensic sciences as tools to assistcriminal prosecutions and exoner-ate the innocent throughoutCalifornia.
After he took office as attorneygeneral, Van de Kamp set up thefirst genetic marker database inthe nation in 1983. Genetic mark-ers were used to help law enforce-
ment with identifications prior tothe development of DNA technol-ogy. In 1989, he established theCalifornia DOJ DNA Programwith the opening of a crime labo-ratory dedicated to DNA testing inBerkeley.
Also in 1989, his office helpedsecure the first conviction inCalifornia using DNA evidence inPeople vs. Lynda Axell. Theadmissibility of DNA evidencewas key in proving that severalstrands of dark hair foundclutched in the hands of murdervictim George White were hers.
Her robbery and murder convic-tion was unanimously upheld in1991 by the 2nd District Court ofAppeal. Van de Kamp’s unwaver-ing support of DNA paved theway for allowing prosecutors toutilize a major tool in fightingcrime.
BY EDWIN FOLVEN
See Rampage page 24
See Reward page 25
BY EDWIN FOLVEN
Christmas and Hanukkah are onthe way, and Jewish Family
Service (JFS) is preparing for bothof them.
The nonprofit organization is cur-rently soliciting donations for itsAdopt-A-Family program, whichwill pair donors with families at thefederal poverty level or seniors withfixed incomes.
Susie Forer-Dehrey, JFS’ chiefoperating officer, said the organiza-tion has been hosting the programfor more than 20 years, and lastyear organizers provided Christmasand Hanukkah presents to 176 fam-ilies, including 278 children. Thisyear, they expect more than 200families.
“It really is about being able toshare the abundances and blessingssome have with others who do not,”Forer-Dehrey said.
Families are confidentiallymatched, and donors receivevignettes that state what gifts thefamily has requested. Forer-Dehreysaid JFS selects its neediest familiesand seniors for the program.
“They don’t, at any point, meet,”she said. “It’s really to protect thedignity and integrity of the family.”
Forer-Dehrey said JFS is alwaystaking donations, even beyond theholidays. The organization is nottaking any more applications forassistance, though.
“Hunger doesn’t take a holiday,”Forer-Dehrey said. “Poverty does-n’t take a holiday. The needs areunrelenting.”
Additionally, Jewish FamilyService is preparing for itsHanukkah party for Holocaust sur-vivors on Dec. 22. Forer-Dehreysaid the organization generallyserves approximately 250 survivorseach year.
Members of the Café Europa,JFS’ support program for survivors,are invited to the party at TempleBeth El. Café Europa meets weeklyin Los Angeles and the SanFernando Valley. Entertainmentwill be provided, and food will beserved.
Forer-Dehrey said the holiday
8 December 15, 2011 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
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n Hannukkah Begins on Dec. 20
Greuel Releases First Phase ofHousing Department Audit City Controller Wendy Greuel
released the first phase of herinvestigation of the HousingAuthority of the City of LosAngeles (HACLA) on Tuesday,and declared that reckless spend-ing and lax travel policiesallowed for thousands of dollarsto be wasted on lavish meals. Theinvestigation also uncoveredinstances of double and triple dip-ping and inappropriate reim-bursements and charges for hotelrooms that went unused.
“Los Angeles taxpayers arebeing duped by HousingAuthority officials who claim toserve the poor but instead reck-lessly waste public money to sup-port their lavish lifestyles,”Greuel said. “Angelenos deservebetter. There must be zero toler-ance for this type of out-of-con-trol spending and fraudulentactivity.”
The first phase of Greuel’saudit uncovered numerous unal-lowable expenses and excesscosts. Examples of thousands ofdollars of questionable or unsup-ported travel expenses include:
• Public safety representativeScott Butler was approved todrive an agency vehicle to SanDiego, but instead paid airfareexceeding gas cost and left theconference early to take a flight toChicago, unnecessarily charginga night in a hotel that was notused.
• HACLA board member M.Del Angel paid costs for othertravelers who were not HACLAstaff and for whom executiveapprovals were not provided.
• Planning representative JohnKing had meals paid in excess of$1,000, which is above theallowed per diem. The chargesdid not identify the names of indi-viduals served, what was con-sumed to rule out the purchase ofalcohol and the business transact-ed at the group meal.
Greuel had released prelimi-nary audit findings a few weeksago that revealed agency officialsspent $300,000 per year on travelin 2009 and 2010. At that time,she highlighted irregular travel
expenditures, including staffreimbursements for sight-seeingtours.
“What’s more alarming is thatthese findings are just the tip ofthe iceberg,” Greuel said.
Prior to Greuel’s release of thatinformation, Mayor AntonioVillaraigosa released a letter urg-ing the seven-member Board ofCommissioners that overseesHACLA to pursue a comprehen-sive review of its policies and per-sonnel and to work Greuel on theindependent audit.
Villaraigosa also urged theboard to consider Doug Guthriefor the position of interim chiefexecutive officer of HACLA, and
the board approved that requeston Tuesday.
Guthrie previously served asgeneral manager of the LosAngeles Housing Departmentand has almost four decades ofprofessional experience in thearea of affordable housing,including serving as deputy exec-utive director and chief operatingofficer of the Chicago HousingAuthority.
Villaraigosa has changed theboard with a top to bottom reviewof policies and personnel atHACLA, and the implementationof systematic controls over travel,meal and other expenditures andover the use of agency purchasingcards. The board will work withGreuel on the audit.
“Los Angeles taxpayers are
being duped byHousing
Authority officialswho claim to
serve the poorbut instead
recklessly wastepublic money.”
-City Controller Wendy Greuel
BY AARON BLEVINS
See Holiday page 22
24 December 15, 2011 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
Environment Committee is sched-uled to consider a motion to ban sin-gle-use plastic and paper shoppingbags in Los Angeles that wasauthored by Councilmember PaulKoretz, 5th District. McCarthy saidevents like “Day Without a Bag”and bans like the one being pro-posed by Koretz are necessary tocurtail the use of an estimated 2.33billion single-use plastic carryoutbags, and 400 million single-usepaper bags, annually in the city ofLos Angeles. She added that one-in-three cities in California now havebans on single-use plastic bags, asdoes the County of Los Angeles inunincorporated areas.
“The average person still uses500 to 600 bags per year. It is prettyunacceptable that we are still usingplastic bags,” McCarthy added. “ADay Without a Bag hopes to encour-age people to stop using single-usebags and to consider alternatives.”
Koretz said he wants a ban on allsinge-use bags, both paper and plas-tic, but believes the city council maytake a step-by-step approach, firstbanning single-use plastic bags, andlater banning paper.
“I am still going to ask the com-mittee to consider [banning bothsinge-use plastic and paper bags],but my guess is that the city will
want to take a more gradualapproach. As a compromise, I amasking them to look at doing some-thing like what the county and SantaMonica have done, which is ban-ning single-use plastic bags, andcharging customers for paper bags,”Koretz said.
He added that the full city councilmay address the issue on Friday, butit depends on what the energy andenvironment committee decides. Hesaid if the city approves a ban onsingle-use shopping bags, it willlikely prompt the State to do thesame.
Assemblymember Julia Brown-ley (D-Santa Monica) has indicated
that she plans to reintroduce a mea-sure next year calling for a uniformstatewide ban on single-use plasticbags.
While the city council grappleswith the issue, McCarthy said Healthe Bay is giving the public optionsthrough “A Day Without a Bag”. OnThursday, Dec. 15, Heal the Bay ispartnering with Ralphs, which isoffering rebates for people who usereusable bags, and the 99 Cents OnlyStores, which is offering a freereusable bag with every purchase of$19.99 or more. Some of the promo-tions will also last throughout theholidays. “Green Santa” and hisband of Los Angeles County PublicWorks “eco-elves” will distributefree reusable bags to patrons at shop-ping areas throughout L.A. Countythrough Jan. 1. Patrons “caught”using reusable bags will be rewardedwith special prizes. For a list of pro-motions and giveaway sites, visitwww.heal-thebay.org/dwab.
“Bringing a reusable bag to thestore is an easy and impactful way toimprove the health of our oceans andneighborhoods,” McCarthy added.
RampageFrom page 7
Ban on Single-Use Bags ConsideredFrom page 1
Former Patient Provides ToysFrom page 1
photo courtesy of Heal the Bay
Single-use plastic bags often end up in the storm drains, according toHeal the Bay, and harm marine life if they end up in the ocean.
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Bringing areusable bag tothe store is an
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-Meredith McCarthy, programsdirector for Heal the Bay
tribute the toys on Monday. Familymembers left that to Santa Claus,who spent some time with eachwilling child and gifted them theirselection from the racks in the unit.Santa Clarita resident HunterHudson, 10, served as Santa’s Elf.
Nurse Phan Dang co-managesthe rehabilitation unit, and said theGraves’ toy distribution is alwayshelpful to the hospital and the chil-dren. She said donations are gener-ally handled through the hospital’sfoundation, but this event is unique.
“It’s so vital, especially duringthe holidays,” Dang said.
Some of the patients can’t gohome for the holidays, so getting apresent from Santa Claus can makeall the difference, she said. JimmyNguyen, 5, of Reseda, was so excit-ed on Monday that he lost hisappetite, his father, Trong, said.Jimmy received a Nerf Blaster fromSanta.
“He’s very happy,” Trong added.A couple days before Santa’s
visit, Chris and his brothers, Seanand Kevin, played music for thechildren. The three make up The
Graves, which has a song titled,“The Beach Song”, featured in thefilm “New Year’s Eve”, starringRobert DeNiro, Halle Berry andAshton Kutcher, among others.Venghaus is the manager of theband.
During the visit, the Gravesbrothers visited the room that Chrisonce occupied, and spoke with thelittle girl who stays there now. Seansaid the visits help erase the heart-wrenching memories of Chris’ hos-pital stay many years ago.
“Now, it gets to remind us of thisawesome fundraiser thing we do,”he said.
Joyce said the family will contin-ue to have the donation drive anddistribution as long as they can. Shesaid the Graves are very thankfulfor the care Chris received, andthey hope to continue to transformthat gratitude into smiles for theforeseeable future.
“We’ll never forget it,” Joycesaid.
Vine St., said he heard shots around10:15 a.m. and saw the gunman infront of his shop.
“I looked out my front door andsaw the man in the white shirt firingshots into the air. After about twen-ty to thirty seconds, I heard moreshots and saw him going towardsSunset. The police found three shellcasings right in front of my busi-ness,” Gopstein said. “Cars weremaking U-turns and one of myemployees went outside and tried tostop traffic so the cars could turnaround and get away. At first I did-n’t understand what was going onand thought it was firecrackers. Ithappened so quickly there wasn’tany time to be scared.”
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 25 December 15, 2011
Rotarian Honored byWilshire ClubFrom page 3
Rate Hikes Sought for Water, Sewer Service From page 3
photo by Aaron Blevins
Sylvia Whitlock is considered a pioneer for her role as the firstfemale president of a rotary club.
apparently knew what they weregoing after,” Kim said. “They stolea lot of brand name watches likeFendi, Maurice Lacroix, Oris andThe One, which is a diver’s watch.They also stole the store’s laptop.”
Kim said the suspects thenregrouped and ran out the southdoor into the parking lot. A secondsecurity guard who heard the com-
motion ran over to help, and one ofthe suspects knocked him to theground, severely injuring his face.
“He had multiple fractured bonesin his face,” Kim added. “He wasan elderly man. His face will neverbe the same.”
Kim said the suspects must havethought their getaway vehiclewould be waiting in the parking lot.When they realized it wasn’t there,they attempted to carjack a vehiclein an adjacent alley, but the driversped away. One of the suspects thensuccessfully carjacked another dri-ver and sped off, about the sametime the getaway vehicle pulledthrough driven by a fourth suspect.The two remaining suspects thenjumped in the vehicle and droveaway. Kim said the stolen vehicleand the alleged getaway vehiclewere found abandoned a short dis-tance away. The getaway vehicle, agreen minivan, had been reportedstolen a few days earlier.
Kim said the suspects aredescribed as African American menin their late 20s, between five-feet-six-inches to six-feet tall. The sus-pect who carried the hammer washeavy set, weighing approximately200 pounds, and was wearing a
hooded jacket with a blue and whitestriped pattern and white gloves.The suspect with the pillowcase wasthin, around 170 pounds, and waswearing black bomber jacket and ablack baseball cap. The suspect withthe gun was also around 170 poundsand was wearing black clothing. Nodescription was available for thedriver of the getaway vehicle.
Kim said the robbery was verysimilar to another hold-up thatoccurred last May at a jewelry storein the 900 block of S. WesternAvenue. In that robbery, the sus-pects also smashed the cases andstole jewelry. Detectives are alsoinvestigating whether the suspectsare part of a larger crew that is com-mitting similar robberies in otherparts of the city, including down-town Los Angeles. The detectiveadded that the suspects may be sell-ing the jewelry on the street througha middleman, or may be trying tosell the stolen merchandise to a bro-ker or pawnshop.
“There are a lot of smash andgrab robberies going on throughoutthe city, but the descriptions are notall the same. We think they could beconnected, but we don’t know,”Kim said. “We trying to stimulate
someone to come forward withinformation by offering this reward.Someone out there knows some-thing.”
Wesson added that he also hopesthe reward will generate new infor-mation.
“We need the public’s help inapprehending the suspects. Theseare violent offenders who need tobe taken off the street and held toaccount for their crimes,” Wesson
added. “ We hope that the rewardwill be an incentive for anyone whomay have witnessed what happenedto come forward.”
Anyone with information isasked to contact Kim or DetectiveLuis Corona, with the OlympicDivision Robbery Unit, at(213)382-9460. During weekendsand off-hours, call the LAPD’s 24-hour, toll-free hotline at(877)LAPD247.
Reward Offered in Jewelry Store HeistFrom page 7
photo courtesy of the LAPD
A surveillance camera captured an image of one of the suspects want-ed in the robbery.
photo courtesy of the LAPD
Police have also released theimage of a suspect who allegedlygathered the jewelry in a pillow-case.
Mani Family Recognized forDonation to WeHo Library
photo by Amy Graves
Community leaders and supporters gathered in West Hollywoodon Dec. 7 for an event honoring local developers, Daniel and
Simon Mani, for the $1.5 million they donated to the WestHollywood Library. The Manis previously donated the money to thecity’s Library/Park Campaign, which raised funds for the construc-tion of the library, which opened earlier this fall. The city created the“Mani Family Floor” at the new facility in honor of the developers.Attendees included West Hollywood City Councilmember JohnHeilman (left), Mayor John J. Duran, Councilmember Abbe Land,Daniel Mani, Simon Mani, Mayor Pro Tempore Jeff Prang, and citymanager Paul Arevalo.
“We are so proud to be associated with this fantastic creative pro-ject, and it is such a vital part of the community,” said Simon Mani,co-founder of Mani Brothers, LLC. “It’s a privilege to support thecity’s new landmark.”
The new West Hollywood Library, located near Melrose Avenueand San Vicente Boulevard, is a state-of-the-art facility with morethan 150,000 volumes, including special collections that spotlightWest Hollywood’s diversity. For information, visit www.weho.org.
approximately 35 cents per cus-tomer.
“These projects are critical toensuring the safety of the water weserve to our customers and are partof a compliance agreement withthe California Department ofPublic Health,” Ramallo said.
“With overall water rates lowerthis year, we have an opportunityto collect the necessary fundingwhile keeping this year’s waterrates lower than last year’s.”
The compliance requirementsinclude covering, bypassing and/orbuilding new reservoirs to replace
five out of the department’s 10reservoirs; converting the LosAngeles Reservoir to ultravioletlight treatment; converting andreducing chemicals; and complet-ing more than 100 other improve-ments.
According to department docu-ments, an independent third-partyreview of the water quality factorincrease will be ongoing untilJanuary. A rate-payer advocate willbe hired next month as well. OnJan. 25, the Los Angeles CityCouncil is scheduled to discuss therate increase, and LADWP cus-tomers will be notified of anyaction.
Similarly, the Los AngelesDepartment of Public WorksBureau of Sanitation is looking toalter its rates. Lisa Mowery, thebureau’s acting chief financial offi-cer, said the bureau is looking at a10-year series of rate adjustments.
“The issue is really our infra-structure,” Mowery said.
She said the first three years ofadjustments will result in a 4.5 per-cent increase for customers, andthe last seven years will incorpo-rate a 6.5 percent increase.Mowery said a sewer bill of $29.88would jump to $52.99 by the 10thyear.
The proposal has already beenreviewed by the city council,which gave the bureau permissionto send customers a notice regard-ing the plan. The council is sched-uled to have a public hearing on thematter on Jan. 27. Mowery saidany rate increase would occur onMarch 1, with the subsequentincreases being applied every Julyin the following years.
She said the majority of thecity’s sewer system is more than 80years old. Much of it needs to berehabilitated or replaced, and thetreatment plants are aging as well,Mowery said.
“We’ve had to defer a lot of thiswork,” she added.
Mowery said the last rateincrease occurred in 2005. She saidthe bureau refrained from making
increases up until now because ofthe economy. The need for systemupgrades, however, is reaching a“critical level,” Mowery said.
Sewer customers likely receiveda notice about the increase, and it
was highlighted in the bureau’sOctober newsletter. Mowery said itcontains tips on keeping sewer rateslow. The bureau serves 650,000 cus-tomers and has four treatmentplants.
Kyle Pierce, the Wilshire clubpresident, said she had heardWhitlock speak before, and thatit was an “honor and a privilege”to host her.
“What she went through — tobring Rotary to the progressiveorganization that it is today — ishistoric, and I think Rotary is thatmuch richer for it,” Pierce said.
The Wilshire club beganadmitting women in 1987, fol-lowing the Supreme Court deci-sion. Approximately 40 percent
of its 78 members are women,and worldwide, 22 percent ofRotary International’s 1.2 mil-lion members are women.
The club’s first female presi-dent was Amy Worthington, whowas elected in 2005-2006. Pierceis the club’s fourth female presi-dent.
The Wilshire Rotary Clubmeets at noon on Wednesdays atThe Ebell of Los Angeles. Formore information, visitwww.wilshirerotary.org.
“Officers … are part of the 99percent,” Smith said.
He said some of the officers’information is public record, andsome officers willingly put per-sonal information on social net-working sites. However, Smithsaid the information leaked, suchas personal and work e-mailaddresses, were not lifted fromFacebook or Twitter.
He said publishing the officers’addresses and personal informa-tion put them at risk. Smith refer-enced a handful of cases wherecriminals followed an officerhome or showed up at theirdoorstep. In at least one instance,the officer was shot, he said.
“People do crazy things forcrazy reasons,” Smith added.
Officers are accessible and canbe contacted “a million ways,” hesaid. At least one officer hadreceived a phone call on his home
phone following the leak, Smithsaid.
“They don’t need to show up attheir houses or know their spouses’names,” he said.
Zine, a former LAPD sergeantand a current reserve officer, wasalso troubled by the informationleak.
“I introduced this motion to helpsafeguard the brave men andwomen who protect our communi-ties,” said Zine, who serves as amember of the Public SafetyCommittee. “When personal infor-mation about law enforcement per-sonnel is disseminated to the pub-lic, it is a safety concern not onlyfor the officers themselves, but alsofor their families. This would offerthese public servants one more wayto shield this information fromthose who may wish to intimidateor inflict harm on them or membersof their family.”
The hacking group Anonymoushas taken credit for the leak. TheTwitter feed the link was publishedto has also posted informationabout police departments and elect-ed officials in Boston and Dallas,giving warnings beforehand thatthey would act if the protestorswere not dealt with humanely.
26 December 15, 2011 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
Records on LAPD Personnel are LeakedFrom page 1
Answers From Page 21
LaBonge, 4th District, are enthusi-astic about pushing the idea for-ward. Brame said now that theMCWCC board has approved theconcept, the next step will be tosubmit the information to the LosAngeles Department ofTransportation (LADOT) to deter-mine costs, the exact route andstops.
Phil Aker, a transportation plan-ner for the LADOT, said there are alot of variables concerning howmuch a trolley service could cost,such as what type of vehicleswould be used, and how many daysa week and during what hours theservice would run. He said the basecost to operate a shuttle service likethe idea being considered — whichwould likely use a small bus withan exterior designed to look like atrolley — is $75-per-hour.Depending on what the MCWCCultimately decides, the cost couldbe around $250,000 per year, Akersaid. The LADOT will compile areport on how much it will cost tooperate a trolley on a six-mile routeonly on the weekends, compared toseven-days-a-week, and will alsoprovide analysis on the cost ofusing trolley buses the departmentalready has, compared to the costof contracting with a private com-pany.
“It all depends on what theywant. If it is something like aDASH bus or trolley buses, wehave some existing in our fleet thatcould be used, but if they wantsomething else, then we may have
to contract out, and that would be adifferent cost,” Aker said. “We willhave to see what is involved. Wecan provide the consulting exper-tise, but we can’t provide the oper-ating money.”
Aker said the trolley could theo-retically augment DASH bus ser-vice that already exists on FairfaxAvenue. He added that the city pre-viously operated a nighttime trol-ley service in Hollywood, but thatwas discontinued a few years agobecause of cost concerns and lowridership. He added that the citycurrently operates a similar trolleyservice from Hollywood to theGriffith Observatory on the week-ends, and that Paramount Studiossubsidizes a lunchtime weekdaypublic shuttle service in theLarchmont Village area, althoughhe didn’t have any details aboutcosts.
Aker also said shuttles are typi-
cally used to “fill in the gaps” inareas served regionally by Metro orother public transportationproviders. Brame added that thetrolley service being consideredwould probably run along a loopon La Cienega or San VicenteBoulevard, Melrose Avenue,Fairfax Avenue, 3rd Street, La BreaAvenue, and Wilshire Boulevard.She said there would likely be aneed to run two trolleys in oppositedirections to serve more people in atimely manner, but it will dependon costs.
Brame also said because the ideais in the early stages, the councilwill be asking the LADOT to pro-vide information on a broad rangeof possibilities. Although there hasbeen some positive reaction fromthe community, there has been nodiscussion of the costs or whowould pay what amount. Once theLADOT comes back with concretenumbers, the committee will reachout again to members of the com-munity to determine how much ofthe costs could be privately subsi-dized.
LaBonge said the trolley serviceis one of his “goals for 2012”, andadded that representatives from hisoffice have been acting as a liaisonbetween the MCWCC, theLADOT, and the community.
“I am certainly excited aboutthis,” LaBonge added. “I have beenworking to get this trolley ideamoved farther down the track. I’dlike to see a public/private partner-ship. We have limited money, but I
believe more can be done, and willbe done.”
Brian Cornelius, vice presidentof development for CarusoAffiliated, the owner of The Grove,said he has discussed the trolleyservice with Brame, and that hebelieves the idea has merit.
“I think we support the idea of atrolley. It could work because ofthe cluster of destinations locatedin the area,” Cornelius said. “I’dhave to see the details, but I think it
would be interesting. My gut saysthis is the one place in town wherethis could work very well.”
Brame added that she will likelysubmit the information to theLADOT next week. Aker said hewill not know how long the analy-sis will take until planners receivethe request. Brame added that thecouncil hopes some form of thetrolley service, perhaps just aweekend shuttle, could be in placeby next summer.
Trolley Proposal to be Analyzed by LADOTFrom page 1
photo by Ian Lovett
The LADOT already operates DASH service on Fairfax Avenue, but theproposed trolley service would augment the existing buses.
“I have been working to get thistrolley idea movedfarther down thetrack. I’d like to
see a public/private partnership.”
-Councilmember Tom LaBonge, 4th District
“When personalinformation aboutlaw enforcement
personnel is disseminated tothe public, it is a safety concern.
-Councilmember Dennis Zine, 3rd District
A Place Called HomeHonors Benefactors
photo by Zach Lipp
APlace Called Home (APCH), a non-profit organization servingat-risk youth, held its “Gala for the Children” on Dec. 7 at the
Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Pictured at the event were Michael Bostick,CEO of Walden Media; Peter Gilhuly, a partner at Latham &Watkins; actress Shondrella Avery, who appeared in “The Secret Lifeof Bees”; Jonathan Zeichner, executive director of APCH; and FrankChiocchi, executive vice president of Disney Studios. The eventraised approximately $940,000 to fund art, music and sports pro-grams and college scholarships.
“A Place Called Home has worked with thousands of young peo-ple who need and deserve a safe place to learn and grow,” Zeichnersaid. “Our honorees share in our mission to help young people devel-op life skills and strengths and move on to higher education and pro-ductive lives.”
The honorees included Chiocchi, who received the Angel of theChildren Awards; Bostick, who was recognized with the Children’sInspiration Award; Gilhuly, who was honored with the DebrahConstance Humanitarian Award. For information, visitwww.apch.org.
Jewish teens are eligible for$36,000 in social action awards
through the “Diller Teen TikkunOlam Awards”, which recognizecommunity service and socialaction projects.
The awards are given annuallyto up to five young volunteers whodemonstrate leadership and com-mitment to making the world a bet-ter place. Each recipient receives$36,000 to be used as they wish.Nominations must be submitted byJan. 6.
Tikkun Olam is a central con-cept of Judaism that translates to“repair of the world.” Establishedby Bay Area philanthropist Helen
Diller and funded by the HelenDiller Family Foundation, theawards aim to celebrate andencourage the next generation ofJewish leaders to pursue theirvisions for social change. Teensmay be nominated by teachers,community leaders and rabbis, oranyone who knows the value oftheir volunteer service, exceptfamily members. Teens may alsonominate themselves. Each candi-date must be a California residentage 13-19 years old, and must self-identify as Jewish. Communityservice projects may benefit theJewish community or the generalpopulation. For information, call
(415)512-6437, or visit www.jew-ishfed.org/diller/teenawards.
Nominations Sought for Jewish Teen Awards
