Los Angeles City Councilman David Ryu, 4th District, announced on March 14 that plans will allow the Larchmont Farmers’ Market to remain at its current location in the 200 block of North Larchmont Boulevard while also accommodat-ing a small pocket park and play-ground at the site.

The plan precludes the need for the farmers’ market to relocate and enables all vendors to remain. Construction of the approximately 1,200-square-foot pocket park and playground is anticipated to occur from April through June, but the market will remain open and ven-dors will be reconfigured around the project, which will occupy six spaces in the lot. The farmers’ mar-ket is part of an essential food dis-tribution network of businesses that are remaining open to serve the public during the coronavirus emer-gency, although additional mea-sures will be in place to ensure hygiene and social distancing. The

market is operated by the company Raw Inspiration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday.

“I want to make it absolutely clear, the Larchmont Farmers’ Market is not leaving Larchmont,” Ryu said. “I love the farmers’ mar-ket. I do not and would not support any plans that threaten the farmers’ market. The farmers’ market is going nowhere and is staying in that

same location [for now].” Melissa Farwell, director of coor-

dination and development for Raw Inspiration, said the market has grown over the years and the oper-ators would like to move some-where else nearby if a site is identi-fied, but the market will remain in its current location until other plans

Government leaders in the city and county of Los Angeles have taken numerous steps to prevent the spread of coronavirus or COVID-19. As of March 18, the Los Angeles County Department of public health has reported 190 cases countywide.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on March 15 ordered all bars and nightclubs that do not sell food to close through March 31, as well as movie theaters, entertain-ment venues, arcades, bowling alleys, gyms and fitness centers. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors extended the regula-tions countywide on March 16.

Restaurants, bars that sell food and retail food facilities may con-tinue to offer food for delivery, takeout and in drive-throughs, but

may not serve food for consump-tion on premises. Grocery stores remain open and there is no threat to the food supply, Garcetti said. Many shopping centers including The Grove and Original Farmers Market are also open and have increased hygiene and cleaning protocols and are practicing social distancing. Houses of worship are urged to limit gatherings to 50

people and observe social distanc-ing practices.

The Los Angeles City Council held a meeting on March 17 to consider responses to the coron-avirus emergency. The council has canceled all committee meetings and will meet only on Tuesdays through the end of March. The

Volume 30 No. 12 Serving the Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Hancock Park and Wilshire Communities March 19, 2020

INSIDE

• Standoff at gas station pg. 4

• Restaurants feel coronavirus

impact pg. 6

Cloudy, with highs in the 60s

BEVERLYPRESS.COM

BY EDWIN FOLVEN

BY EDWIN FOLVEN

After months of discussions between the cities of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood, both parties have agreed upon a deal for the Log Cabin and parking lot which would allow the city of West Hollywood to enter a lease agreement with an option to pur-chase the property. Negotiations for the property, however, are still being finalized.

West Hollywood City Council members directed city staff to move forward with the lease to purchase agreement with the city of Beverly Hills, which currently owns the property located at 617-621 N. Robertson Blvd., during a meeting on Monday, March 16.

“When I heard the city of Beverly Hills was looking to get rid of the Log Cabin and redevel-op the land, something had to be done,” Councilman John Duran said. “We want to express how

important these meetings are for sobriety.”

Duran, who has been attending 12-step meetings for 22 years, added the Log Cabin is a place dedicated to 12-step programs. Each week, between 24 to 29 12-step meetings at the Log Cabin

On March 16, the Beverly Hills City Council added to the numer-ous actions the city has taken to combat the spread of the coron-avirus pandemic.

Beverly Hills had already formed the COVID-19 (Novel Corona -virus) Advisory Committee to inform city policy and help reduce the spread of the virus through proactive measures; postponed events and activities like the city’s annual Employee Awards Luncheon, Mayor’s Sing-Along planned for April 1, the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce’s Innovate Beverly Hills event and others; launched a COVID-19 Hotline – (310)550-4680 – that will be staffed Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. to answer questions about the coronavirus and public health; closed park commu-nity centers and canceled preschool and afterschool programs; and closed City Hall to the public, rely-ing instead on virtual participation for city commission meetings.

On March 16, the virtual meeting plan was put to the test as the coun-

cil met through a teleconference to ratify the local emergency that was declared by City Manager George Chavez the day before. While

See Lions page 21

BY CAMERON KISZLA

See Raw page 22

n Plans call for Larchmont Farmers’ Market to coexist with new pocket park

photo courtesy of the Larchmont Farmers’ Market

The public can purchase fresh produce, flowers and other goods from the merchants at the Larchmont Farmers’ Market, which will remain on Sundays in the 200 block of North Larchmont Boulevard.

n Retailers closed, restaurants to-go and delivery only

n City Council cancels committee meetings; full council to only meet once per week

photo courtesy of Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti joined representatives from grocery store chains and suppliers to assure that food supplies are stable.

L.A. city and county take extraordinary steps during coronavirus emergency

Farmers’ market to stay at current site

photo by Laurenz Heymann/courtesy of Unsplash

The Beverly Hills City Council met virtually for eight hours on March 16 to discuss the city’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

n Despite coronavirus, 12-step meetings to continue

photo by Jose Herrera

The Log Cabin hosts weekly 12-step programs for people recov-ering from various addictions.

WeHo plans to lease Log Cabin from Beverly Hills

See Supervisors page 22

BY JOSE HERRERA

Beverly Hills bunkers down

See City page 21

2 March 19, 2020 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

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P.O. BOX 36036 LOS ANGELES, CA 90036

(323)933-5518 BEVERLY HILLS OFFICE:

8440 WILSHIRE BLVD. SUITE 2B BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90211 WWW.BEVERLYPRESS.COM

Michael Villalpando PUBLISHER

Karen Villalpando

EDITOR & PUBLISHER

Edwin Folven editor@beverlypress.com

EDITOR

Cameron Kiszla cameron@beverlypress.com

REPORTER

Jose Herrera jose@beverlypress.com

REPORTER

Jill Weinlein, Tim Posada, Rebecca Villalpando, Emily Jilg

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS The Park Labrea News and Beverly Press are weekly newspapers, published on Thursdays. Mail subscription is $120 annually. Decreed newspa-pers of general circulation, entitled to publish legal advertising, Feb. 10, 1960 by Superior Court Order No 736637.

Founded 1946

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY

AS TO STUDENTS PAGE ACADEMY admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, pro-grams and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not dis-criminate on the basis of race, color, national and eth-nic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs. PAGE ACADEMY Hancock Park Campus 565 North Larchmont Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90004 323-463-5118 Beverly Hills Campus 419 South Robertson Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA 90211 323-272-3429 Newport Mesa Campus 657 Victoria Street Costa Mesa, CA 92627 949-642-0411

Bogie’s Liquor

Wine • Spirits • Champagne Beer • Kegs

5753 Melrose Ave. Corner of Melrose & Vine

(323) 469-1414 www.bogiesliquor.com

Don’t Drink & Drive!

Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer and Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey are warning the public to beware of misinformation, price gouging and scams related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Feuer and Lacey announced the creation of a Joint Coronavirus Task Force with the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs and L.A. County Counsel, and detailed efforts to stop illegal and dangerous practices.

“We’re fighting to protect an anx-ious and uncertain public from price gouging, online scams and misin-formation,” Feuer said. “My office is investigating traditional stores and online retailers, uncovering unsubstantiated advertising claims about alleged coronavirus preven-tion, treatment and cures, and inves-tigating safety products such as pro-tective masks that may not perform as advertised, as well as products

being sold at astronomical prices. And we’re taking action. If you’re a victim, please contact our Office.”

The City Attorney’s Office

announced success in removing internet advertising making alleged false claims about coronavirus pre-vention and treatment. Attorneys

Feuer, Lacey warn about scams during emergency

photo courtesy of the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office

Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey and Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer came together to inform the public and warn poten-tial perpetrators of scams and price gouging about legal consequences.

from Feuer’s office discovered alleged false advertising from the Los Angeles-area company CEN Group LLC on its website, safebabyhealthychild.com, which claimed that vitamin C is a “safe and proven treatment” that “can protect against coronavirus,” that “high doses of vitamins, especially Vitamin C, can be used to address the coronavirus outbreak” and that “the coronavirus can be dramatical-ly slowed or stopped completely with the immediate widespread use of high doses of vitamin C.”

The Food and Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission recently warned that there are currently no vaccines or drugs approved to treat the coron-avirus. The National Institute of Health has also cautioned that “alternative” treatments such as high doses of vitamins A, C and D do nothing to protect people from the virus and can in fact, be harmful.

Feuer, concerned that the adver-tising claims related to Vitamin C might cause consumers to ignore

recommended precautions, such as vigilant hand-washing and social distancing, contacted the company. In response, CEN Group LLC immediately agreed to remove the claims from its website.

Price gouging laws are put in place whenever a federal, state or local state of emergency has been declared. For 30 days following the emergency declaration, it is unlaw-ful for any consumer good, food or service to be sold, or offered for sale, at a price higher than 10% more than it was prior to the emer-gency declaration. This includes medical supplies and any items pur-chased online and delivered to Los Angeles.

The city attorney has the authori-ty to proceed both criminally or civilly in response to price gouging violations. Violators may be sen-tenced to up to one year of county jail and fined up to $10,000.

Feuer urged anyone who believes they are a victim to call the City Attorney’s Office at (213)978-8340, or visit lacityattorney.org.

that take-out orders are picked up by a single person and social dis-tance is maintained in any necessary queuing.

“I think what is going to slow or deter the influx of people entering the city is just businesses closing,”

The city of West Hollywood has declared a local emergency in response COVID-19.

Kristen Munde, a regional health officer from the Los Angeles County of Department of Public Health, confirmed additional cases of COVID-19 during a West Hollywood City Council meeting on Monday, March 16. There are now 190 cases in the county, and 11 of them have been confirmed in West Hollywood, as of Wednesday, March 18.

“There’s community transmis-sion,” Munde said. “We have to assume that [COVID-19] is [spread-ing] all over, and we have to take

precautions knowing that.” Lauren Langer, deputy city attor-

ney, and Paul Arevalo, city manager, presented three urgency items that would provide services and create an emergency fund for residents and local businesses as part of the city’s declaration of a local emergency.

City staff worked for approxi-mately four weeks on creating con-tingency plans in case COVID-19 escalated in Los Angeles County, and ultimately, the city of West Hollywood. City Council members voted unanimously on all three urgency items which consisted of a resolution from the city, emergency supportive services and a temporary moratorium on evictions for non-payment of rent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The City Council will review, and as needed renew, these actions at least every 60 days. The local emer-gency will continue to exist until its

termination is proclaimed by the City Council.

“As you know, things are chang-ing hourly, we are learning new things hourly,” Langer said.“When drafting this resolution, we tried to capture the issues that were of utmost importance at the moment.”

The city resolution took effect Monday, March 16, and enabled the city to mobilize local resources, coordinate interagency responses, collect vital supplies at a faster rate, use mutual aid and allow for future reimbursement by the state and fed-eral governments.

The resolution will work in tan-dem with orders from the L.A. County Department of Public Health to close all bars, nightclubs, gyms, movie theaters, live perfor-mance venues and place restrictions on restaurants until March 31. Restaurants can recieve take-out orders and deliver them, provided

WeHo responds to COVID-19 pandemic

photo by Jose Herrera

The West Hollywood City Council has declared a local emergency in response to the coronavirus. Multiple urgency items were approved at a City Council meeting on March 16, including a temporary moratorium on evictions for nonpayment of rent and emergency supportive services.

n Steps are taken to ensure safety and protect residents

By Jose herrera

See WeHo page 4

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 3 March 19, 2020

4 March 19, 2020 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is warning about scams preying on unsuspecting individuals during the state of emergency.

LADWP does not request pay-ment of any kind over the phone, including credit card, debit card or prepaid card payments. The only way to make a bill payment over the phone is by accessing the

LADWP’s automated payment system; never with a live person.

People who suspect a scam are urged to hang up and dial (800)DIALDWP.

The LADWP is also encourag-ing social distancing and bill pay-ment online. The utility has sus-pended service shutoffs. For infor-mation, call (800)DIALDWP, or visit ladwp.com.

Firefighters quickly extinguish blaze in vacant building

photo by Edwin Folven

A fire damaged a vacant building on March 13 at the corner of Gower Street and Carlton Way in Hollywood. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded at 10:53 a.m. after receiving call about a fire at the building, which was listed by the fire department as a single-family home but appears to be a vacant structure that once housed a business at the southeast corner of the intersection. A sign at the site stated the building was for lease. Firefighters extinguished the blaze in nine min-utes and confined it to a single interior room. The exterior of the build-ing appeared undamaged but charred building materials were piled outside. No injuries were reported and no estimate of damage was available. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Man arrested after standoff at gas station

photo by Edwin Folven

A man armed with a screwdriver was taken into custody on March 15 after holding an employee hostage at a gas station in Koreatown, police said.

The suspect eventually surrendered to police after and was taken to a hospital for evaluation. Charges are pending.

The incident occurred at the ConservFuel station at 3625 Beverly Blvd. The assailant, a white man in his 30s, entered the gas station at approximately 4:10 p.m. and threatened an employee, LAPD spokes-woman Lizeth Lomeli said. Officers arrived and the man barricaded himself inside the station.

A SWAT team and crisis negotiator were summoned and spoke with the suspect before he was taken into custody. Lomeli did not know exactly when the man surrendered, but the incident was resolved by 9 p.m. No injuries were reported.

Authorities in Connecticut charge man with threatening U.S. Rep. Schiff

Federal authorities announced on March 16 that a 62-year-old man from Connecticut was charged with threatening to murder U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank).

The announcement was made by John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, special agent in charge of the New Haven Division of FBI.

The defendant, Robert M. Phelps, 62, of Torrington, Connecticut, was arrested on March 13, appeared in court and was released on $25,000 bail. According to court documents, on Nov. 12, staff at Schiff’s office received threatening communication through a meeting request entry form on the congressman’s official web-site. The meeting request included the statement “…I want to kill you with my bare hands and smash your…face in.” In addition, in response to the preferred days of the week for the meeting request, Phelps allegedly wrote “Measure your Coffin day.” Authorities further alleged that on Dec. 4, investigators interviewed Phelps and confirmed that he sent the threatening commu-nication.

The criminal complaint charges Phelps with threatening to assault and murder a U.S. official, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and making interstate threats, which carries a maximum term of five years in prison.

LADWP warns about scamsArevalo said. “Right now, we are looking at restaurants, clubs and more social gatherings spots, but at some point the emergency declara-tion will go toward office space and other types of gatherings. At that point, we would work with state and county leaders to shut down those businesses as well.”

The city will also prohibit all for-mal and informal group activities, games and sports in city parks. Dog parks will remain open. New sig-nage warning that COVID-19 is known to survive on surfaces for 72 hours or more will be posted around city parks as well.

According to Arevalo, commer-cial transportation – such as the Pickup Line on Santa Monica Boulevard and the Sunset Trip – will be suspended; however, the dollar-ride and other shuttle ser-vices such Dial-a-Ride for seniors will continue to operate.

“We consider those essentials for people to get to work and get around town,” Arevalo said.

The second item of emergency supportive services consists of nine recommendations.

These include increasing the funding for emergency rental assis-tance; authorizing the city manager, social services staff and sheriff’s department to shelter homeless individuals who are unable to care for themselves; establishing an emergency fund of up to $50,000 to assist residents and employees in West Hollywood and authorizing the city manager to consider tem-porarily reducing certain taxes for businesses if they agree to not lay off employees.

It will also create volunteer opportunities to help deliver meals and other items to those in need, coordinate with Cedars-Sinai for possible volunteers, authorize the city manager to approve the use of public or private property for emer-gency temporary medical facilities, authorize the city manager to approve appropriate assistance to local grocery stories dealing with panic-buying and allocate a tech-

nology allowance up to $150,000 to ensure constituent and employee remote access to work from home.

Lastly, the temporary moratori-um on evictions for nonpayment of rent during COVID-19 pandemic will help people who are going to stay home, Langer said.

“There has been a call to protect renters in the city who are going to be losing their wages during this crisis and who aren’t going to be able to work,” Langer said.

Under the proposed ordinance, a tenant, within 30 days after the date that rent is due, can notify their landlord through writing, email or text of loss of income and inability to pay rent due to financial impacts related to COVID-19.

The ordinance defines financial impacts as being sick with COVID-19, caring for a household or fami-ly member who is infected with COVID-19, being laid off or loss of hours resulting from business clo-sure or other economic impacts, following government health orders to stay home, self-quaran-tine or avoid congregating with others during the state of emer-gency, extraordinary out-of-pocket medical expenses, or child care needs arising from school closures related to COVID-19.

The ordinance does not relieve tenants from eventually paying the rent within six months after the expiration of the local emergency. Landlords may not charge a late fee on the rent, according to the tempo-rary moratorium.

Toward the end of the meeting, Arevalo thanked City Council members and city staff for working on these emergency plans. He said the community’s response to the pandemic has been phenomenal, but there is more to come during this health crisis.

“It’s one thing to shut down an economy,” Arevalo. “ It's some-thing else to restart it. We are going to have a really difficult time get-ting back online. While we are get-ting ready to feel the pain, we haven’t felt any of the pain yet.”

WeHo declares emergency From page 2

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 5 March 19, 2020

6 March 19, 2020 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

instance, Richard Pink, of Pink’s Hot Dogs on La Brea Avenue, said so far, his business has not been overly impacted by the dine-in pro-hibition.

“Surprisingly, during the day, it’s been about normal … Everything is to-go, but people are still lining up and they’re either bringing it home, back to their business or eating it in their cars. Nighttime business is slower, I think because of the weather and I think people are hun-kering down a little bit at night,” he said.

To compensate, Pink said he will reduce the store’s nightly hours from 2 a.m. on weekdays and 3 a.m. on weekends to 10 p.m. each night. Even with the reduced hours, Pink said, as of now, all 32 employees will be able to keep their jobs.

“Many of our employees have been with us for over 10 years, and we’re aware they have families they’re supporting,” he said.

At Canter’s Deli on Fairfax Avenue, however, not all of the

The coronavirus pandemic has forced drastic reactions in many sectors of society, but the restaurant industry has been hit as hard, if not harder, than any other.

For almost all eateries,  the busi-ness model has shifted from bring-ing customers in to bringing the restaurant to the customers. After emergency declarations and ordi-nances were approved by the City Councils for Los Angeles, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, restaurants may not offer dine-in meals. Instead customers must take their food to go or have their dishes delivered.

For some restaurants, that hasn’t caused too much of a change. For

DTLA Collections and Estate Auction On Sunday, March 22 at 10:30 am, Andrew Jones Auctions will present its DTLA Collections & Estates event, featuring a vast selection of market fresh fur-nishings, decorations and accessories, all enticingly priced. This over-500 lot sale will include fine art, an-tiques, Asian works of art, design, decorations, fine jewelry, accessories, vintage and limited edition bindings and vintage finds from local private sources including property from a variety of private Beverly Hills-based collections and estates. For those un-able to attend the sale in person, Internet bidding will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com and In-valuable.com. Telephone and absentee bids will also be accepted. Included within the March 22 auction will be two unique fine artworks from the estate of the late, long-time Bel Air resident Edward Lewis, producer of Kirk Douglas’ iconic film “Spartacus.” The artworks: a late Roman Mosaic Panel of an Urn (probably 4th cen-tury C.E.), and an Etruscan Terracotta Votive Head mounted on a stand. (pictured here)

Andrew Jones, celebrating over 40 years in the auction industry, has previously been involved in the auc-tioning of various artworks and memorabilia items from a long list of celebrity estates including those of Peter Falk, Sammy Cahn, Michael Curtiz, Ann Miller, Gregory Peck, Sue Mengers and Mr. Blackwell, and from the collections of: Warner Bros. Studios, Universal Studios, Diahann Carroll, Rod Stewart and Rupert Murdoch, among others. “On the heels of our wildly successful auction of Collections Curated by Designers of Distinction, we are thrilled to bring more affordable, equally chic antiques, art and décor from the same collections and some new ones as well. The addition of fine jewelry will make our March 22 event even more exciting,” said Mr. Jones, president and CEO, Andrew Jones Auctions. Andrew Jones Auctions is located at 2221 S. Main Street, Downtown LA, 90007.

Visit www.andrewjonesauctions.com

paid advertisement

POSTPONED until further notice

employees have been so fortunate. While the restaurant has been able to serve takeout orders and the bak-ery has continued to serve cus-tomers, there hasn’t been any work for the waitresses, busboys and dishwashers, Marc Canter said. That could be close to 100 people needing work, and Canter said he’s encouraged those employees to find temporary work elsewhere.

“If our restaurant is closed, we can’t bring them back. We have nowhere to put them. But we’ve made the suggestion that those who have newer cars, maybe they should drive for Uber. No matter what kind of car they have, they can get a job with Postmates or DoorDash. That’s what’s thriving, people doing more online order-ing,” Canter said.

Customers, especially regulars, are coming in to place their to-go orders and pick up baked goods, which grocery stores have trouble keeping on their shelves, Canter said. Customers can also have their food brought out to their car in the parking lot, and delivery services will allow customers to purchase food from Canter’s as well. The loss of dine-in business, however, is still “a big blow,” Canter added.

“We are a big establishment, and we have bills coming in from last week that need to be paid next week. The cash flow stopped, 80% of it stopped. For us, it’s about pay-ing the bills from last week. People still have paychecks they’ve got to cash. When you’re running a busi-ness that big, it takes a lot of cash flow. It’s a very scary time for everybody,” he said.

Pandemic forces tough choices on restaurants

photo courtesy of Musso & Frank Grill

Musso & Frank Grill will continue to pay its employees during its coron-avirus-related closure.

BY CAMERON KISZLA

With tax season in full swing, Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin is offering Angelenos an updated map of free tax prepa-ration service providers through-out the region. Tax day is tradi-tionally April 15, though on March 17, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said people who owe $1 million or less and corporations that owe $10 million or less will have an additional 90 days to file their taxes.

The map, available at lacon-troller.org/taxprepla, lists 22 tax preparation assistance locations that include local community-based organizations and resource centers.

“This map is an excellent resource for Angelenos who need help filing taxes and deserve to get the tax credits they work so hard to earn throughout the year,” Galperin said. “As the taxpayers’ watchdog in Los Angeles, I believe everyone should have access to tools that will save them money and help secure a better financial future for their families.”

The tax prep map is geared toward individuals and house-holds who earn less than $55,000

annually and qualify for state and federal Earned Income Tax Credits. Low- to moderate-income individuals and families may receive up to $9,500 in EITC refunds, but only if a tax return is filed and EITC is claimed. Taxpayers who have disabilities, are elderly or with limited English skills are encour-aged to check eligibility for the free services.

All service locations on the map are staffed with IRS-certi-fied volunteers who provide basic tax prep services, in addi-tion to enrollment specialists who can help people sign up for public benefits like the CalFresh food assistance program.

The tax prep map is part of Galperin’s push to use technolo-gy to connect people with critical public services.

Other maps released by Galperin feature resources to assist with emergency prepared-ness, LGBTQ homeless youth, homeless housing, wildfire pre-vention efforts, affordable hous-ing incentives, domestic violence services, youth programs, sum-mer fun activities and more.

View all of Galperin’s maps at lacontroller.org/resourcemaps.

Controller wants to help Angelenos file taxes

n Coronavirus ends dine-in service, but some eateries pivot to take-out and delivery

As of March 17, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office reported that in the Council District 4 race, incumbent David Ryu’s lead over challenger Nithya Raman had narrowed.

Ryu held 44.96% of the vote, compared to Raman’s 40.88%. Challenger Sarah Kate Levy had 14.16%.

If the results hold, Ryu and Raman will be in a runoff elec-tion on Nov. 3.

In the race for Los Angeles

County District Attorney, incum-bent Jackie Lacey garnered 48.79% of the vote, short of the 50% she would need to avoid a runoff in November against either challenger George Gascón, who has 28.18% of the vote, or Rachel A. Rossi, who has 23.03%.

In the Beverly Hills City Council race, incumbents Lili Bosse and Dr. Julian Gold were still in the lead with 5,076 and 3,745 votes, respectively. Chall -enger Lori Green Gordon was in third with 3,038 votes.

Election results show likely runoffs for D.A., CD4 races

However, even operating on a limited basis doesn’t work for every restaurant. At Musso & Frank Grill on Hollywood Boulevard, the take-out and delivery options aren’t enough to keep the famed restau-rant going, said Mark Echeverria, the restaurant’s COO, CFO and proprietor.

“Our food, by the nature of our menu, isn’t food that travels. We’ve always kind of stayed away from that. I also feel like if we were to try to do something like that, it’s hard to make money, to even break even on that kind of stuff,” Echeverria said.

Echeverria said he is also worried for the safety of his 82 employees, so he closed the restaurant entirely until March 31, though the workers will still receive their regular pay, as well as their employer-sponsored health insurance.

“It comes down to family,”

Echeverria said. “Everyone that we work with is our family. In times like this, we take care of our family. It’s an incredibly stressful time, and you deeply compound that stress when people worry about how they’re going to get that next meal or pay that rent.”

Echeverria said it’s fortunate that Musso & Frank is in the position to be able to pay their employees with the restaurant closed, though he added that when the pandemic is over, Musso & Frank – as well as dine-in restaurants everywhere – will desperately need customers to return quickly, as the closures are “really going to affect us.”

“When this is all said and done, come out and support dine-in restaurants. We’re really, to this point, taking the biggest hit of this, and that’s nationwide ... Support all of us, because we need the help,” he said.

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 7 March 19, 2020

Hotels were not available for inter-views, but in a press release, Daniel Hyde, president of Artist Guild Hotels, said the development com-pany is “honored to contribute to the rehabilitation of the Palmer Building and the continued revital-ization of Hollywood Boulevard.”

“The Palmer Building has gone through some very rough times over the past few years, and we’re excited to have the opportunity to revitalize the building, bring back its historic charm and create a unique experience for hotels guests and pedestrians along Hollywood [Boulevard],” Hyde added.

The Palmer Building at Hollywood Boulevard and Cosmo Street has seen a great deal of histo-ry in its more than 90 years.

According to a history of the building by journalist Richard Bence published on the Hollywood Business Improvement District’s website, the Palmer Building was developed by Dr. E.O. Palmer, a founder of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Over the years, it hosted the Los Angeles bureau of the Associated Press and was home to iO West, the Los Angeles site of the famed Chicago improvisational comedy group and school ImprovOlympic.

In February 2018, however, iO West closed. Seven months later, the Los Angeles Police Department conducted a raid on the building, which was supposed to be vacant but was suspected to be the site of drug use and drug and weapons sales, and found dozens of people living there, according to the LAPD.

After an announcement earlier this month, the future looks brighter for the historic four-story building. Artist Guild Hotels stated that the Palmer Building, located at 6362 Hollywood Blvd., will undergo ren-ovation and seismic retrofitting so it can be home to an 87-room hotel called the Palmer.

Representatives for Artist Guild

The developer plans to add up to seven partial stories on top of the Palmer building in a tiered system that will “minimize its appearance from Hollywood [Boulevard]” and “maximize pedestrian interaction,” according to the release. The tiered system will also allow for a rooftop pool, restaurants and bars that will be open to the public, and multiple areas for guests and visitors to enjoy views of Hollywood and the Hollywood sign.

In addition, the rehabilitation will include the building’s historic archi-tectural details, including the store-front on the ground floor and the

Palmer Building to be renovated for hotel

photo by Cameron Kiszla

The Palmer Building was the site of a police raid in 2018 after reports of drug and gun sales.

BY CAMERON KISZLA

n Developer plans bars, restaurant, views of Hollywood sign

Hollywood BID sanitizes the streets

photo courtesy of the Hollywood BID

To protect the members of the Hollywood community and help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the Hollywood Business Improvement District had teams of people sanitizing and disinfecting high-contact surfaces such as door handles, crosswalk buttons, ATMs, benches and parking meters.

In a statement on its website, the Hollywood BID said, “We will be taking all of the normal precautions (and more), to help prevent the spreading of germs throughout the district with our Clean & Safe Team operational procedures.”

For information, visit onlyinhollywood.org/covid19.

blade sign on the Hollywood Boulevard façade.

“We’ve worked very closely with our preservation team to identify, retain and preserve the building’s character-defining features and to design an addition that is compati-ble with but distinct from the exist-ing building,” said Hilda

Rodriguez, the project’s architect, in the statement.

Kristopher Larson, president and CEO of the Hollywood Property Owners Alliance, which oversees the Hollywood Business Improve -ment District, said the HPOA is

See Historic page 22

8 March 19, 2020 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

few days. The former staffer is feel-ing better, and no current staff have reported any flu-like symptoms at this time.

“Even prior to receiving this noti-fication, we had postponed my dis-trict events and meetings, and requested that my staff telecom-mute from home for the foreseeable future out of an abundance of cau-tion.

“Throughout this health crisis, I feel that the job of elected officials is to push out the best information possible, listen to the advice of pub-lic health professionals and scien-

On March 15, U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) announced that a former staff member tested positive for COVID-19. That staff member left Schiff’s office earlier this month.

“We have received notice that a former staff member has tested pos-itive for COVID-19. As a result, we consulted with the House attending physician and will be acting on their recommendations,” Schiff said. “Medical professionals believe that my former staff member likely con-tracted the virus after leaving the office, but we will still be taking additional precautions over the next

tists, and be cautious. “I’m also distinctly aware that, as

a member of Congress, I have access to affordable and quality healthcare, and that if I were sick and needed to take time off work, I would not lose a paycheck. Many Americans don’t have the same assurances, and fear the economic pains of coronavirus, not just the potential deleterious health effects. It’s incumbent on Congress to con-tinue to act in their interests.

“I will provide additional updates, as warranted, in the com-ing days,” Schiff added.

Former Schiff staffer tests positive for coronavirus

On March 14, U.S. Ted W. Lieu (D-Torrance) praised the House of Representatives for passing the Family First Coronavirus Response Act, which will offer support for fam-ilies, first responders and mem-bers of the community to help the country address the spread of the coronavirus.

The legislation includes free coronavirus testing, emergency paid leave, enhanced unemploy-ment insurance, strengthened food security initiatives and increased federal funds for Medicaid.

“I am pleased the House of Representatives passed the Family First Coronavirus Response Act, so that we can take another critical step to help

Americans as we combat this deadly illness,” Lieu said. “To mitigate the harm of the coron-avirus, we must ensure anyone who needs a test can get one at no cost. Additionally, American families and workers must have protections should they get sick or have to change their work arrangements because of the coronavirus. I’m pleased that this bill addresses those issues, in addition to others. We have to give our first responders the resources and support they need to save lives. Stopping the coron-avirus requires all of us, regard-less of party, to work together for the collective good. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to pass this bill quickly so we can miti-gate this deadly virus.”

Lieu praises coronavirus response passed by House

The Beverly Hills City Council will consider memoran-dums of understanding with the Police Officers Association and Police Management Association at the Tuesday, March 31, City Council formal session, which begins at 7 p.m. in the Council Chamber at City Hall.

In accordance with state law, the city of Beverly Hills partici-pates in labor negotiations with its employee associations. The results of the negotiations process are written agreements or contracts reached between the city and the city employee asso-

ciations that are commonly referred to as MOUs.

The MOUs have been ratified by each of the employee associa-tions and are subject to the adop-tion of the City Council on March 31. Negotiations with the groups were completed in mid-February. The proposed MOUs cover salaries and benefits for a three-and-a-half-year period for both associations.

An MOU independent fiscal analysis and summaries of signif-icant terms are posted on the city’s website at beverly -hills.org/negotiations.

BH City Council to consider labor agreements on March 31

Flowers for TV, movie star

photo courtesy of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce

Flowers marked the Hollywood Walk of Fame star of Stuart Whitman, who died on March 16 at the age of 92.

Whitman acted in television and movies, including “The Comancheros,” “Night of the Lepus,” “Cimarron Strip” and “Superboy.” He was nominated for an Academy Award for his star-ring role in “The Mark” in 1961.

Whitman’s star is located at 7083 Hollywood Blvd. For informa-tion, visit walkoffame.com.

immense breadth and depth of experience addressing public health issues and can ensure alignment with the health care ecosystem.”

“Government support is essential in combating health threats, such as COVID-19,” said Judy Monroe, president and chief executive offi-cer of the CDC Foundation. “But, philanthropic and private sector donations – such as this generous gift from Kaiser Permanente – can be used alongside government funds to extend response efforts and meet rapidly emerging needs, including those with organizations supporting state, local, county and territorial health officials.”

The CDC Foundation is an inde-pendent nonprofit organization cre-ated by the U.S. Congress to help extend the lifesaving work of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC

Kaiser Permanente is contribut-ing $1 million to 10 public health organizations and is collaborating with the CDC Foundation to strengthen the United States’ public health infrastructure and response systems to stop the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

The organizations that will receive the funding include American Public Health Association, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, Big Cities Health Coalition, Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, County Health Executives Association of California, Health Officers Association of California, National Association of County and City Health Officials, National Health Law Program, the Network for Public Health Law and Trust for America’s Health.

The organizations work closely with state and local health officers and play an important role to sup-port them in responding to public health threats. The contribution will help the organizations rapidly share emerging evidence and data, align on effective protocols and policies, and disseminate accurate informa-tion as it becomes available – as well as quickly debunk misinforma-tion, said Dr. Bechara Choucair, chief health officer at Kaiser Permanente.

“Public-private collaboration and intergovernmental coordination are critically important in creating effective outbreak response,” Choucair said. “These groups have

Foundation activated its Emergency Response Fund for the COVID-19 response in late January.

A key part of Kaiser Permanente’s mission as the nation’s largest nonprofit, integrat-ed health system is to improve the health of its 12.2 million members, as well as that of the 68 million people who live in the communities it serves.

“As a leading health care provider with a deep commitment to community health, Kaiser Permanente is proud to support these organizations to safeguard health and mitigate the impact of the virus in our communities,” said Cynthia Telles, Community Health Committee chair for the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals Boards of Directors.

For information, visit kp.org/thrive.

Kaiser Permanente donates to COVID-19 response

The primary concern of COVID-19 is for human health, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control. Dogs and cats have their own coronavirus that is not the same virus as COVID-19.

There is no current evidence that people will get COVID-19 from a family pet, though people who are sick with COVID-19 are recom-mended to limit close contact with pets until more information is known about the virus.

As a general rule, people should always wash their hands after han-dling animals, the department said.

Owners should include pets in their emergency preparedness plan-ning, including a two-week supply of food and medications.

For information, visit pub-lichealth.lacounty.gov/media/coro-navirus.

Animal Control advises on pets and COVID-19

In response to the need to control and prevent the spread of the coro-navirus in Los Angeles County, Presiding Judge Kevin C. Brazile has suspended all civil and criminal trials through April 16.

The Los Angeles Superior Court, which was closed from March 17-19 under an emergency order by Brazile, will reopen on Friday, March 19 for emergency and essen-tial matters. Brazile was allowed to close the courts under emergency authority granted by California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye.

The Los Angeles Superior Court will reopen on Friday, March 20, for the limited purpose of hearing or handing essential or emergency matters in criminal, civil, probate, family law and dependency/juve-nile cases.

“The Superior Court of Los Angeles County is committed to providing equal access to justice through the fair, timely and effi-cient resolution of all cases. However, it is imperative that we continue aligning our court with the most recent directives and guide-lines issued by our national, state and local public health officials,” Brazile said. “Let me be clear, we will continue to serve the needs of the most vulnerable people in Los Angeles County, our children, the elderly, domestic violence victims, people whose life and liberty inter-ests are at stake and in many other emergent cases as is possible and safe.”

No jurors should report and no additional prospective jurors will be summoned for jury service for 30 days.

The emergency order enabled Brazile to extend statutory dates and deadlines for case filings and case proceedings and to make the dates of March 17-19 a statutory court holiday for that purpose. The order is authorized under California Government Code section 68115.

Brazile has also been authorized to grant extensions of time for criminal arraignments, preliminary hearings and trials, and extend the filing and hearing deadlines in civil, small claims, unlawful detainer and dependency cases.

For information, visit lacourt.org.

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 9 March 19, 2020

The Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector will not accept in-person payments or pro-vide in-person tax or business license services until further notice, following the closure of all county buildings.

The facilities that are now closed include the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, where the depart-ment’s cashiers are located, as well as its satellite offices providing busi-ness license services. The suspen-sion is being done as a precaution-ary measure to help slow the spread of coronavirus.

Taxpayers are asked to use alter-nate payment methods for the upcoming 2019-20 annual secured property tax second installment due on April 10, including paying online, via telephone or mailing payments. 

“We recognize this is a challeng-ing time for all, and we remain deeply committed to the safety of the public and our employees. We will continue to monitor develop-

ments, adjust where necessary and inform you when we will resume in-person services, including accepting tax payments,” Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector Keith Knox said. “In addition, taxpayers can use our website to access many self-service options, including look-ing up taxes due, requesting a dupli-cate bill and looking up payment history.”

There is no cost for e-check pay-ments online. A 2.25% service fee applies to online credit and debit card transactions. For information, visit ttc.lacounty.gov.

Treasurer and Tax Collector suspends in-person services

The California Office of Emergency Services has awarded $15 million in grants to 87 nonprof-it organizations through the newly established California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program.

“In a world where hate crimes and antisemitism are on the rise, government must do more to pro-tect vulnerable communities,” said Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel (D-Woodland Hills), who authored leg-islation establishing the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. “This funding will provide critical securi-ty resources and sends a powerful message that the state of California stands firmly with those targeted by hate.”

Last October, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1548 authored by Gabriel, who serves as vice chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus. AB 1548 established the California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program to provide security funding for nonprofit organizations at risk of hate-motivated violence. The legislation marked a historic commitment by the state to increase

protection for vulnerable institu-tions following an uptick in violent extremism, including the attack last April at the Chabad Synagogue in Poway, California.

In December, the California Office of Emergency Services received 456 applications for the grant program. Eighty-seven orga-nizations have been awarded grants, including numerous syna-gogues, mosques, churches and LGBT community centers. Organizations in the local area that received grants include Chabad of North Beverly Hills and Young Israel of Los Angeles.

Grant funds will help at-risk non-profits with physical security enhancements and security person-nel. The maximum grant is $200,000 per institution.

Many nonprofit institutions, including houses of worship and community centers, operate on extremely limited budgets and would be unable to fund needed security enhancements without the funds provided by the program, Gabriel said. For information, visit caloes.ca.gov.

Grants help religious institutions implement security enhancements

Courts close but will reopen for essential services

photo courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org

Los Angeles Superior Court will reopen on March 20 for emergency and essential services.

“We remain deeply committed to the

safety of the public and our employees.”

-Los Angeles County Treasurer

and Tax Collector Keith Knox

Following increased concerns regarding the coronavirus, the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control has closed all Animal Care Centers. 

Certain services will be available by appointment only. Considerations for the health and safety of residents, pets, animals in care and employees are at the fore-front of all operational decisions.

Animal control officers will con-tinue to respond to public safety and animal welfare calls such as dangerous dogs, sick animals, police assistance, animal cruelty investigations, patrols and dead animal reports. Less urgent calls will be deferred until further notice.

No animals will be euthanized during the emergency closures

unless they are irremediably suffer-ing, dangerous or unable to eat without assistance.

Pet adoptions will be by appoint-ment only. If you believe your pet is being cared for at a county Animal Care Center, call to schedule an appointment to bring the pet home.

Owner surrenders will not be received until further notice.

People who have lost or found pets are encouraged to download the SHADOW app, which can also be accessed by visiting

animalcare.lacounty.gov, and if possible, to foster those pets tem-porarily.

The department will not accept stray healthy cats, but any sick or injured cats can still be brought into the Animal Care Centers, by appointment.

The public is asked to renew pet licenses by mail or online. Pet own-ers will be given a 30-day grace period for late license submittal. For information, visit animalcare.lacounty.gov.

10 March 19, 2020 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to California small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. 

“Offering support and disaster relief is a critical government func-tion,” said Kevin McGowan, direc-tor of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management. “There is a great need for economic

support during the coronavirus dis-aster, and SBA federal disaster

loans are an excellent resource for small business owners.”

The deadline to apply for an eco-nomic injury disaster loan is Dec. 16. Business owners may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and down-load applications by visiting disas-terloan.sba.gov/ela. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800)659-2955, or email disastercustomerser-vice@sba.gov.

Assistance available for small business owners

Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced that First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom will serve as honorary chair of the California Volunteers Commission, which is tasked with uniting residents in ser-vice and empowering them to take action in their communities.

“California Volunteers is at the forefront of driving civic engage-ment and service opportunities to create a culture of ‘WE,’” Jennifer Siebel Newsom said. “I’m excited to serve as honorary chair of this important effort.”

The governor also announced the appointment of Los Angeles resi-dent Rodrego A. Byerly, 44, to the

California Volunteers Commission. Byerly has been a professor at the California State University, Los Angeles’ College of Business and Economics since 2015 and has been a managing director at Janas Associates since 2018. He was co-founder and director of Blue Beacon Capital from 2003 to 2007, assistant vice president at SG Capital in 2003 and equity research analyst at UBS Securities from 2000 to 2003.

Byerly is a member of the adviso-ry board of the Center of Entrepreneurship at California State University, Los Angeles, the 100 Black Men of Los Angeles Board of Directors and the Western Academy

of Management. Additionally, Rene Jones, 50, of

Los Angeles, was appointed to the California Volunteers Commission. Jones joined United Talent Agency in 2004, where she is a partner, glob-al head of social impact and founder of the UTA Foundation. She is a senior fellow for the Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab at the University of Southern California, global ambassador for Vital Voices and a member of the Corporate Leadership Council for Southern California Grantmakers.

The positions do not require state Senate confirmation and there is no compensation.

Appointments made to state Volunteers Commission

Animal Control operates with reduced services

AIDS/LifeCycle has announced that the seven-day, 545-mile jour-ney from San Francisco to Los Angeles held annually in June has been canceled this year to protect vulnerable communities during the coronavirus pandemic.

AIDS/LifeCycle cyclists were scheduled to depart from San Francisco on Sunday, May 31, and arrive in Los Angeles on Saturday, June 6. Hundreds of volunteer “roadies” were scheduled to sup-port riders during the journey.

The ride generates funds that support the Los Angeles LGBT Center and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. In 2019, participants raised a record-breaking $16.7 mil-lion.

“We have not made this decision lightly, and we have made it in con-sultation with members of the AIDS/LifeCycle community,” Los Angeles LGBT Center CEO Lorri L. Jean said. “This will be the first time since we began riding in 1994 that we have had to cancel the ride, so we are navigating uncharted waters. I have the utmost faith that

we will get through this because of all of you, our beloved riders and roadies.”

AIDS/LifeCycle participants are encouraged to continue fundraising

and join the ride in 2021. Dates for next year’s ride are to be deter-mined.

For information, visit aidslifecy-cle.org.

Upcoming AIDS/LifeCycle ride canceled

photo courtesy of the Los Angeles LGBT Center

Cyclists are encouraged to continue fundraising for the Los Angeles LGBT Center and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and plan for the 2021 ride.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has announced that the city has received $19.2 million in state funding to improve existing parks and create two new ones in underserved neighborhoods.

“Parks are the heart of our city, because they are where people of all ages can come together to cre-ate a sense of community and belonging,” Garcetti said. “New funds flowing into these neigh-borhoods means that we can pro-vide more opportunities for Angelenos to get out on the field, enjoy healthy recreation, and connect with nature and the out-doors.”

Awarded from the state’s Proposition 68 funds, the city received the largest sum of grants of any agency in California. The grant includes over $4.8 million to improve Lincoln Heights Recreation Center with a new synthetic soccer field, shade structures, public art, a walking path, fitness equipment, lighting, landscaping, barbeque and picnic areas, a playground, basketball court and parking lot.

More than $2.1 million is being provided for updates at El Sereno Arroyo Playground. The money will be used for a new playground, walking path, fitness area, public art, restrooms, light-ing, landscaping and new fenc-ing.

Nearly $7 million will be allo-cated to build the new Allegheny Park in the San Fernando Valley, which will include two splash pads, two playgrounds, a walking path, fitness equipment, public art, barbeque and picnic areas, shade structures, restrooms and new landscaping and lighting.

More than $5 million will be provided to create Brooklyn Heights Parks, which will cover the costs of purchasing .2 acres of land and installing fitness equip-

ment, shade structures, a walking path, public art, new landscaping and lighting.

“Strong neighborhoods start with strong parks,” said Councilmember David Ryu, chair of the Los Angeles City Council’s Arts, Parks and River Committee. “When we invest in public parks, we invest in the building blocks of community. These are the spaces where neighbors meet neighbors, where new connections are made and where kids can have fun. This new funding will allow us to go even further in improving Los Angeles city parks.”

To ensure that input from local communities was factored into the proposals for the four parks, the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks held 111 community meetings for Proposition 68 applications last summer. The department is set to finish the designs for each of them by fall, and the projects are expected to break ground before the end of the year. All work to improve and build the four parks is required to be completed by June 30, 2022.

“We appreciate the community members who have invested their time to meet with us and provide feedback in order to improve the quality and well-being of their communities,” said Department of Recreation and Parks General Manager Michael Shull. “The funding for the parks we have been awarded will be the begin-ning of many improvements in our L.A. City neighborhoods. We look forward to receiving contin-ued support as we pursue more funding to ensure maximum recreational and play opportuni-ties for people of all ages, pro-vide safe and clean parks to visit, and expand park hours and activ-ities.”

Mayor to use state funds for new parks and greenspace

“Offering support and disaster relief

is a critical government

function” -Kevin McGowan, Office of

Emergency Management

Re “Facing development, apart-ment residents unite,” March 12 issue

You may have seen my name

numerous times in the Park Labrea News. I am horrified at the thought that developers will throw out elderly tenants in order to build another eight-story building containing over 200 apartments.

How greedy can the Hennick and Colliers group be?

God has been very good to my husband and me and we have built a lot of real estate throughout the Midwest for poor people. We are getting a group together, including my brother who is a well-known tax lawyer in town, to support this organization to not allow them to tear down buildings where tenants have lived for 50 years.

How cruel and insensitive can they be?

Mrs. C. Stoller Los Angeles

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 11 March 19, 2020

Red Cross issues urgent call for blood donationsThe Red Cross expects the num-

ber of cancellations to continue to increase, which is causing height-ened concern for blood collection organizations and hospitals. This blood shortage could impact patients who need surgery, victims of car accidents and other emergen-cies, and patients suffering from cancer and other diseases.

The Red Cross has implemented measures to ensure blood drives and donation centers are safe, including checking the temperature of staff and donors before entering, providing hand sanitizer, spacing beds for social distancing and increasing disinfecting protocols.

For information, visit redcross-blood.org.

CITY OF WEST HOLLYWOOD PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the West Hollywood Planning Commission will hold a Public Hearing to con-sider the following item: LOCATIONS: 629 WESTBOURNE DRIVE, West Hollywood, California REQUEST: Applicant is requesting a parcel

map to subdivide a three-unit res-idential building into a common interest development.

PERMIT(S): Subdivision Permit, and any other

required permits. APPLICANT(S): Kevin Tsai Architecture TIME/PLACE Special Meeting OF HEARING: at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 2, 2020

Plummer Park Community Cen-ter, Rooms 5 and 6

7377 Santa Monica Boulevard West Hollywood, CA 90046 ZONES: R2 (Residential, Low Density) ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS: Categorically exempt from the

provisions of the California Envi-ronmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to Section §15332 (In-Fill Development Projects)

The staff report will be available on Thursday, March 26, 2020 at City Hall, 8300 Santa Monica Boulevard, the W.H. Library, 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard, and on-line at www.weho.org IF YOU CHALLENGE this item in court, you may be lim-ited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the Public Hearing described in this notice, or in the written correspondence delivered to the West Hol-lywood Planning Commission, via the Planning & Devel-opment Services Department at, or prior to, the Public Hearing. To comply with the American with Disabilities Act of 1990, Assistive Listening Devices (ALD) will be available for checkout at the meeting. If you require special as-sistance to participate in this meeting (e.g., a signer for the hearing impaired), you must call, or submit your re-quest in writing to the Office of the City Clerk at (323) 848-6409 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. The City TDD line for the hearing impaired is (323) 848-6496. Special meeting related accommodations (e.g., trans-portation) may be provided upon written request to the Office of the City Clerk at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. For information on public transportation, call 1-323-GO-METRO (323/466-3876) or go to www.metro.net ALL INTERESTED PERSONS are invited to attend said Public Hearing to express their opinion in this matter. For further information contact Dereck Purificacion, Associate Planner in the Planning & Development Serv-ices Department at (323) 848-6475; or via email at: dpu-rificacion@weho.org Yvonne Quarker, City Clerk Мы сообщаем вам об обсуждении про-

екта. Для дополнительной информации

на русском языке звоните: 323-848-6826.

Letters to the EditorDeveloper of Fairfax building should consider tenants

Metro is continuing with con-struction of the Purple Line Extension project along Wilshire Boulevard and is offering updates.

In Beverly Hills, piling work is occurring through April along the north side of Wilshire Boulevard near the future Wilshire/Rodeo sub-way station from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week, with non-drilling activities from 9 to 11 p.m. Wilshire Boulevard has been reduced to two lanes in each direction between Beverly and Crescent drives, and left turns are not permitted in that area. Once the north side is com-plete, the work will move to the south side of Wilshire Boulevard and continue through July.

Work is also occurring at other locations in Beverly Hills. Through March 20, eastbound Wilshire Boulevard will be intermittently reduced to one lane from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. between Hamilton Drive and San Vicente Boulevard. The work supports ongoing subsurface inves-tigation underneath Wilshire Boulevard.

Material deliveries, instrumenta-tion and concrete pouring are ongo-ing as part of station construction near Wilshire/La Cienega. Gale Drive will be intermittently closed at Wilshire Boulevard to support con-struction in the staging yard. Work hours are Monday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Access to Gale Drive will be maintained from San Vicente Boulevard. Concrete and material deliveries to the La Cienega station box are also anticipated to continue through April, and lane reductions are anticipated.

Intermittent lane reductions, turn restrictions and sidewalk closures may be in place to support instru-mentation work and road and utility maintenance at Wilshire/La Cienega and Wilshire/Stanley.

Utility and tunnel investigation will occur at Wilshire/Crescent Heights and Wilshire/La Jolla dur-ing off-peak hours from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. on weekdays, and 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., weekends. Lanes along Wilshire Boulevard may be closed between San Diego Way and San Vicente

Boulevard. Street restoration will also occur

during off-peak hours from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., weekdays, and 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., weekends. One- and two-lane clo-sures along Wilshire Boulevard will be necessary between San Diego Way and San Vicente Boulevard.

Near Wilshire/Fairfax, subway station construction, hauling and concrete pouring are ongoing. Ogden Drive will be closed intermit-tently at Wilshire Boulevard, Monday through Saturday. The south sidewalk along Wilshire Boulevard between Orange Grove Avenue and Ogden Drive will remain closed for one year. Orange Grove Avenue will also continue to be closed south of Wilshire Boulevard through June.

Near Wilshire/La Brea, work con-tinues in staging yards and in a work zone in the center of Wilshire Boulevard just east of Sycamore Avenue. Hauling and deliveries to and from the La Brea staging yards are ongoing. Work hours are 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., Monday through Saturday. Intermittent lane closures may be necessary between Highland

Avenue and Detroit Street for con-struction support.

Material deliveries and under-ground construction support will continue through September at a work zone in the center of Wilshire Boulevard just west of Rimpau Boulevard. Wilshire Boulevard has been reduced to two lanes in each direction between June Street and Muirfield Road.

Tunneling support is ongoing 24 hours at a staging yard just west of the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue. Northbound Manhattan Place will be closed intermittently just north of Wilshire Boulevard, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Intermittent single-lane clo-sures may also occur on Wilshire Boulevard between Western Avenue and Manhattan Place. Southbound Oxford Avenue will also be reduced to a single lane through May 1, from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

For questions and concerns, call the 24-hour project hotline at (213)922-6934, email the project team at purplelineext@metro.net, or visit metro.net.

Work continues on Metro’s Purple Line project

photo courtesy of Metro

Crews are working underground on the Purple Line Extension project in the future Wilshire/La Brea subway station.

The American Red Cross is fac-ing a severe blood shortage due to an unprecedented number of blood drive cancellations in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Healthy individuals are needed for donations to help patients counting on lifesav-ing blood.

Individuals can schedule an appointment to give blood by call-ing (800)RED-CROSS, using the Red Cross Donor App, or visiting redcrossblood.org.

As the coronavirus has spread in the United States, blood drive can-cellations have increased at an alarming rate. Nearly 2,700 Red Cross blood drives have been can-celed across the country due to con-cerns about congregating at work-places, college campuses and schools. The cancellations have resulted in 86,000 fewer blood donations. More than 80% of the blood the Red Cross collects comes from drives held at these locations.

In Southern California, more than 160 blood drives have been can-celed, resulting in 5,500 fewer blood donations. The Red Cross is adding appointment slots at donation cen-ters and expanding capacity over the next several weeks to ensure ample opportunities for donors.

12 March 19, 2020 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

6333 W. Third St. • Farmers Market • 323.938.5131 www.marcondas.com

We’re Open and Ready to Serve You!

Monday–Saturday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Sunday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Family Owned at the Farmers Market for 79 Years

all real sooaHope to see y’

oon!

33rd & ffaairfMbars

rffaaxcom

fMbars.

Based on Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s orders that all bars and restaurant dining rooms be temporarily closed due to the coro-navirus, many of your favorite restaurants are offering curbside pickup and delivery service of meals and, in some cases, basic grocery items to serve their loyal patrons. Here are some restaurants that have shared how they are com-mitted to the health and safety of their kitchens, dining rooms, staff and guests:

BEVERLY HILLS

Nerano

Nerano is open for curbside pickup and delivery. Visit ner-

anobh.com and click on the to-go menu for 15% to be taken off the bill. 9960 S. Santa Monica Blvd., (310)405-0155.

BEVERLY GROVE

Du-par’s

Order a Blue Plate Special din-ner for four for $40 and pick

up at their Farmers Market location at Third and Fairfax. Choose from five different Blue Plate Specials: chicken pot pie with salad; meat-loaf with mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables; turkey dinner with all the trimmings; macaroni and cheese casserole with garlic bread and soup; two full stacks of hot-cakes, scrambled eggs hash browns, bacon or sausage and cof-fee. The first four include a whole fruit pie or full stack of hotcakes.

Call (323)9333-8446 or (323)933-8447 to place your order. Order full menu through Chow Now at https://direct.chownow.com/order/14031/locations/19696.

Chao Krung Restaurant

One of the oldest family-owned Thai restaurants in Los

Angeles is open and offering curb-side service. They are preparing authentic Thai favorites packaged for grab-and-go. Call to place your order or go online and call when you arrive. One of the staff will deliver the food to your car and take care of payment. Curbside orders receive 10% off their bill. chaokrungla.com. 111 N. Fairfax Ave., (323)939-8361.

Tocaya Organica

To-go orders can be placed on the website and delivery orders on

Postmates, which offers a non-con-tact delivery option. Also through Postmates, Tocaya Organics offers a meal-prep kit of four servings of various menu options with individ-ually packaged ingredients. In an effort to better serve families, the family four-packs are a smaller scale option available for pickup via catering.tocaya.com. Delivery offered by Door Dash, UberEats and Grubhub is only for non-L.A. locations. For all locations, go to tocayaorganica.com/locations. 8720 Sunset Blvd., (424)288-4871; 6550 Sunset Blvd., (323)472-5802; 8500 Beverly Blvd., (424)285-6080.

Jar offers delivery

Jar’s take-out menu is now deliv-ered to your door with

Postmates. Go to Jar’s website and click on the Jar shopping bag to order online. Items on the menu include Jar’s signature pot roast, coq au vin, crab deviled eggs, six different salads, fried Ipswich clams, Jar burger, lemongrass chicken, char sui pork chop, Japanese Wagyu skirt steak, prime filet of beef and roasted wild king salmon. They are offering an array of desserts to sweeten your evening. thejar.com/jar-to-go. 8225 Beverly Blvd., (323)655-6566.

DOWNTOWN LA

Faith & Flower open for take-away

According to executive chef Michael Hung, the restaurant

is offering a take-away option and is also starting a grocery program

and will be offering food staples that include milk, eggs, rice and pasta. For more information, email info@faithandflower.com. 705 W. Ninth St., (213)239-0642.

San Antonio Winery

The Los Angeles location is offering take-out options to

enjoy Italian food from Maddalena Restaurant. Delivery is through the major food delivery apps, including Grubhub, Postmates, DoorDash and Uber Eats. For families, Maddalena is offering Nonna’s tra-ditional Italian spaghetti and meat-balls, which serves six to eight peo-ple, for $35 or a full sheet of 12 to 15 servings for $70. The order comes with a freshly baked baguette. They will also be offering two wines a week at extremely dis-counted deals. This week, two of their classics, San Antonio Chianti Classico and San Antonio Velvet Burgundy, are only $2.95 per bot-tle. People can also order wine online at sanantoniowinery.com, where there will be discounts on shipping. 737 Lamar St., (323)986-2360.

Otium to-go

The staff is taking all possible steps to keep guests, employees

and the community safe. They have made informed decisions – based on information from local health officials and government leaders – to prepare a to-go menu available for pick up. Soon they will be deliv-ering a select menu of Otium favorites. The hours have been reduced to dinner service only from Tuesday through Saturday. To see the menu, go to otiumla.com. 222 S. Hope St., (213)935-8500.

HOLLYWOOD

Supertoro trays

Order a sushi and crispy rice tray that includes four cut rolls

(choice of spicy tuna, yellowtail, California, salmon and veggie) and four crispy rice rolls (choice of spicy tuna crispy rice, yellowtail crispy rice, salmon crispy rice, rock shrimp crispy rice, mushroom crispy rice and pork belly crispy rice). The package includes one large seaweed salad and one large edamame for $40. It’s available for pick-up or delivery only from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. thesupertoro.com. 1542 N. Cahuenga Blvd.; 1315 Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica; (424)317-5429.

Los Balcones

The family-owned restaurant serving classic and innovative

Peruvian food is offering curbside pickup and delivery. Visit losbal-conesperu.com. Order from either location: 1360 Vine St., Hollywood (323)871-9600 or 11334 Moorpark St., Studio City; (818)924-2323

RESTAURANT NEWS by Jill Weinlein

continues next page

photo courtesy of Chao Krung

Order a comforting bowl of Tom Kha Gai, or coconut chicken soup, a classic favorite at Chao Krung. Call when you arrive and they’ll deliver it to your car. photo courtesy of San Antonio Winery

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 13 March 19, 2020

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PASADENA

Union Pasadena

One of Pasadena’s neighborhood favorites is offering curbside

pickup and will continue using Postmates for delivery. They have created a family menu starting at $55 and extended take-out and delivery hours to 12-9pm daily.unionpasadena.com. 37 Union St., (626)785-5851

SANTA MONICA

STRFSH’s Bryan Voltaggio on ‘Top Chef’

Tonight, March 19, watch “Top Chef All-Stars” at 7 p.m. to see

how Brian Voltaggio proves he has what it takes to bring home the title of “Top Chef.” To celebrate, STR-FISH is offering Voltaggio’s own combo for $15 all month long. His signature sandwich is made with grilled salmon, Old Bay Seasoning, lettuce, tomato, avocado and green chile mayo on a potato roll. Order on Postmates, Grubhub, UberEats, Doordash and Ritual for delivery. strfsh.com. 1315 Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica; (424)317-5429.

SHERMAN OAKS

Casa Vega

The restaurant is offering drive-thru and menu items to-go.

Place your order, call again when you arrive and they will have some-one deliver your food directly to your car. They are also presenting a family-style menu to feed your familia at home. 13301 Ventura Blvd., (818)788-4868.

SILVERLAKE

Same Same curbside

A staff member will deliver food to your car. Order any bottle of

wine and get 20% off. Delivery options are via Grubhub, Uber Eats, Caviar, and Postmates. You can also place your order by calling. 2835 W. Sunset Blvd., (213)273-8424.

photo courtesy of Union

Family meals like spaghetti and meatballs are now available for delivery.

The Original Farmers Market, located at the corner of Third and Fairfax, announced that due to the impact of the coronavirus, operat-ing hours have been modified to 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday.

In keeping with city of Los Angeles’ directives for restaurants and bars, the market’s bars have closed and all market dining tables and chairs have been removed. The restaurants remain open for take-out and delivery service, and gro-cery and retail locations are open.

As the health crisis evolves, the merchants of the Original Farmers Market will continue to serve as a resource for the community. All Original Farmers Market mer-chants are taking the utmost pre-caution regarding hygiene, cleanli-ness and wellness. Health, well-being and overall satisfaction of customers remains the top priority.

Customers can purchase fresh grocery items and pantry staples, including produce meat, poultry, eggs, milk products, cheese, fish, canned goods, beans, rice, tea and spices, pasta and healthy snacks. Merchants remaining open include Dragunara Spice Bazaar, Du-par’s Bakery, Farm Boy, Farm Fresh Produce, Farmers Market Poultry, Huntington Meats & Sausages, Itty’s Cheese, Kaylin and Hobbs Pickles, Magee’s House of Nuts, Magic Nut and Candy Company,

Marconda’s Meats and Marconda’s Puritan Poultry, Michelina Bakery, Monsieur Marcel Gourmet Market, Monsieur Marcel Seafood Market and T&Y Bakery.

Shoppers can order groceries

and prepared meals for delivery by visiting mercato.com.

The Original Farmers Market is located at 6333 W. Third St. For information, call (323)933-9211, or visit farmersmarketla.com.

Original Farmers Market remains open for take-out and delivery

photo courtesy of the Original Farmers Market

The clock tower stands proud and strong over the Farmers Market, where customers can get all the groceries they need.

14 March 19, 2020 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

POLICE BLOTTER

Beverly Hills Police Department March 8 At 6:30 p.m., an unknown suspect committed a petty theft from a vehicle parked in the 300 block of S. Rexford. March 9 At 1 a.m., an unknown suspect committed a residential burglary in the 200 block of Reeves. An unknown suspect committed a petty theft from a vehicle parked near the corner of Clark and Gregory Way at 1:45 p.m. At 2:25 p.m., a vandalism incident was reported near the corner of Crescent and Elevado. An unknown suspect assaulted a victim in the 400 block of Evelyn at 7 p.m. March 10 At 5:30 a.m., an unknown suspect burglarized a construction site in the 600 block of N. Canon. A vandalism incident was reported in the 9100 block of Wilshire at 9:07 a.m. At 11:35 a.m., an unknown sus-pect committed a commercial bur-glary in the 200 block of N. Canon. An unknown suspect assaulted a victim in the 9600 block of Wilshire at noon. At 2 p.m., an unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the 300 block of N. Rodeo. An unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the 200 block of N. Beverly at 5:30 p.m. At 10:30 p.m., an unknown sus-pect burglarized a vehicle parked in the 300 block of S. Rexford. March 11 A vandalism incident was reported in the 400 block of S. Roxbury at 8:05 a.m. At 10 p.m., an unknown suspect committed a commercial burglary in the 200 block of S. La Cienega. March 12 At 5 a.m., an unknown suspect committed a commercial burglary in the 200 block of S. Robertson. An unknown suspect committed a grand theft in the 300 block of S. Doheny at 12:15 p.m. At 2:30 p.m., an unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the 300 block of Reeves. March 13 An unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the 600 block of Alpine at 9:50 a.m. At 10:30 p.m., an unknown sus-pect robbed a victim near the cor-ner of Charleville and Santa Monica.

March 14 At 8 p.m., an unknown suspect assaulted a victim in the 400 block of Rexford. An unknown suspect committed a grand theft in the 100 block of S. Elm at 8:50 p.m.

West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station March 9 At 2:30 p.m., a suspect assaulted a victim during a domestic vio-lence incident near the corner of Crescent Heights and Santa Monica. An unknown suspect burglarized a vehicle parked in the 900 block of N. Orange Grove at 8 p.m. March 10 At 1 p.m., an unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the 8300 block of Sunset. March 11 At 12:45 a.m., an unknown sus-pect committed a burglary in the 1100 block of La Brea. An unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the 9000 block of Beverly at 4:40 p.m. At 9:17 p.m., a suspect assaulted a victim during a domestic vio-lence incident in the 8800 block of Sunset. March 12 At 9 a.m., an unknown suspect assaulted a victim in the 700 block of N. San Vicente. An unknown suspect burglarized a vehicle parked in the 7800 block of Santa Monica at 11:15 a.m. At 1:15 p.m., an unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the 1000 block of La Cienega. An unknown suspect robbed a vic-tim in the 8300 block of De Longpre at 5:05 p.m. At 5:30 p.m., an unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the 700 block of West Knoll. An unknown suspect burglarized a vehicle parked in the 9000 block of Melrose at 6:30 p.m. March 13 At 7:50 p.m., an unknown suspect committed a grand theft in the 7100 block of Santa Monica. March 14 At 5:24 p.m., an unknown suspect robbed a victim in the 8900 block of Sunset. March 15 An unknown suspect assaulted a victim in the 1000 block of Sweetzer at 12:55 a.m. At 1:15 a.m., an unknown suspect assaulted a victim in the 8900

block of Santa Monica. An unknown suspect committed a burglary in the 8400 block of Sunset at 4:30 a.m. At 9:45 a.m., a suspect assaulted a victim during a domestic vio-lence incident in the 1000 block of Gardner.

Los Angeles Police Department March 9 At 2:10 a.m., an unknown suspect committed a burglary in the 500 block of N. Arden. An unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the 1500 block of N. Gower at 3:26 a.m. At 6 a.m., an unknown suspect robbed a victim near the corner of Fuller and Sunset. An unknown suspect committed a burglary in the 5500 block of Barton at 10:30 a.m. At 12:45 p.m., a suspect assaulted a victim during a domestic vio-lence incident in the 600 block of N. Hayworth. An unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the 5900 block of Sunset at 1 p.m. At 1:50 p.m., an unknown suspect stole a vehicle parked in the 5700 block of Wilshire. An unknown suspect committed a petty theft near the corner of Wilshire and Highland at 2 p.m. At 6:30 p.m., an unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the 7100 block of Hollywood. An unknown suspect committed a burglary in the 7700 block of Melrose at 8:25 p.m. At 11:15 p.m., an unknown sus-pect burglarized a vehicle parked in the 800 block of N. Fairfax. An unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the 1900 block of N. Argyle at 11:30 p.m. March 10 At 2:30 a.m., an unknown suspect robbed a victim in the 400 block of S. Norton. An unknown suspect committed a burglary in the 200 block of N. Van Ness at 9 a.m. At 10 a.m., an unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the 1600 block of N. El Centro. An unknown suspect burglarized a vehicle parked in the 1900 block of Grace at 4 p.m. At 4:30 p.m., an unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the 500 block of S. Curson. An unknown suspect stole a bicy-cle in the 6200 block of Franklin at 12:45 p.m. At 3:15 p.m., an unknown suspect committed a burglary in the 700 block of N. Sierra Bonita. An unknown suspect committed a burglary in the 200 block of S. June at 6:10 p.m. At 7 p.m., an unknown suspect committed a grand theft in the 5500 block of Melrose. An unknown suspect burglarized a vehicle parked in the 4000 block of Leward at 10:30 p.m. At 10:30 p.m., an unknown sus-pect stole a vehicle parked in the

6500 block of Sunset. An unknown suspect stole a vehi-cle parked in the 1600 block of N. Cahuenga at 11:30 p.m. March 11 At 12:45 a.m., an unknown sus-pect committed a burglary in the 1100 block of N. La Brea. An unknown suspect stole a vehi-cle parked near the corner of Schrader and Hollywood at 1:30 a.m. At 4:15 a.m., an unknown suspect committed a burglary in the 100 block of S. La Brea. An unknown suspect committed a burglary in the 1400 block of N. Cahuenga at 5:15 a.m. At 6:30 a.m., an unknown suspect burglarized a vehicle parked in the 6300 block of W. Fifth. An unknown suspect committed a petty theft near the corne3r of San Vicente and Third at 10 a.m. At 11:30 a.m., an unknown sus-pect committed a petty theft in the 1800 block of N. Ivar. An unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the 100 block of N. La Cienega at 12:52 p.m. At 1:45 p.m., an unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the 5100 block of Wilshire. An unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the 5800 block of Wilshire at 1:45 p.m. At 4:30 p.m., an unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the 8700 block of Alden. An unknown suspect burglarized a vehicle parked near the corner of Wilshire and Cloverdale at 6 p.m. At 8:30 p.m., an unknown suspect committed a burglary in the 8300 block of Beverly. An unknown suspect burglarized a vehicle parked in the 300 block of N. La Cienega at 10:30 p.m. March 12 At 9:15 a.m., an unknown suspect committed a grand theft in the 300 block of Hauser. An unknown suspect committed a petty theft near the corner of Wetherly and Alden at 11:30 a.m. At 11:50 a.m., an unknown sus-pect committed a petty theft in the 3900 block of Wilshire. An unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the 6900 block of Sunset at 1:15 p.m. At 2:45 p.m., an unknown suspect assaulted a victim in the 700 block of Gramercy. An unknown suspect stole a vehi-cle parked in the 300 block of S. Gramercy at 8 p.m. At 9 p.m., an unknown suspect burglarized a vehicle parked near the corner of La Jolla and Melrose. March 13 At 1:50 a.m., an unknown suspect assaulted a victim in the 700 block of N. Hayworth. An unknown suspect burglarized a vehicle parked near the corner of Mansfield and First at 4 a.m. At 5:45 a.m., an unknown suspect committed a burglary in the 6800 block of Fountain. An unknown suspect assaulted a

victim in the 5400 block of Hollywood at 6:40 a.m. At noon, an unknown suspect bur-glarized a vehicle parked in the 600 block of Hauser. An unknown suspect burglarized a vehicle parked near the corner of Melrose and Vista at 12:15 p.m. At 1:30 p.m., an unknown suspect burglarized a vehicle parked in the 8100 block of Beverly. An unknown suspect burglarized a vehicle parked in the 700 block of Saint Andrews at 5 p.m. At 6:30 p.m., an unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the 7000 block of Hollywood. An unknown suspect burglarized a vehicle parked in the 600 block of N. Orange at 9 p.m. At 9:20 p.m., an unknown suspect burglarized a vehicle parked near the corner of Melrose and Sweetzer. An unknown suspect burglarized a vehicle parked in the 600 block of N. Fairfax at 9:21 p.m. At 10 p.m., an unknown suspect stole a vehicle parked in the 6100 block of Afton. March 14 At 12:30 a.m., an unknown sus-pect burglarized a vehicle parked near the corner of Argyle and Sunset. An unknown suspect robbed a vic-tim in the 5900 block of Hollywood at 1:45 a.m. At 2 a.m., an unknown suspect stole a vehicle parked near the corner of Vine and Yucca. An unknown suspect robbed a vic-tim in the 600 block of Kingsley at 2:30 a.m. At 2:55 a.m., an unknown suspect committed a burglary in the 6400 block of Colgate. An unknown suspect committed a burglary in the 5200 block of Romaine at 6:15 a.m. At 10 a.m., an unknown suspect robbed a victim in the 7600 block of Melrose. An unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the 900 block of Western at 12:45 p.m. At 6 p.m., an unknown suspect burglarized a vehicle parked in the 5800 block of Sunset. An unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the 7900 block of Beverly at 7:35 p.m. At 8:30 p.m., an unknown suspect assaulted a victim in the 4500 block of Wilshire. An unknown suspect stole a vehi-cle parked in the 1500 block of N. Ivar at 8:45 p.m. At 9:45 p.m., an unknown suspect stole a vehicle parked near the corner of Hawthorn and McCadden. An unknown suspect assaulted a victim in the 300 block of San Vicente at 10:10 p.m. March 15 An unknown suspect assaulted a victim in the 1700 block of Tamarind at 12:30 a.m. At 12:40 a.m., an unknown sus-pect assaulted a victim near the corner of Hollywood and Cahuenga.

The following crimes occurred in West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and the areas patrolled by the LAPD’s Wilshire and Hollywood divisions between March 8 and March 15. The information was compiled from www.crimemapping.com. To report a crime, call local law enforcement agencies: Los Angeles Police Department, Wilshire Division (213)473-0476, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department West Hollywood Station (310)855-8850, and the Beverly Hills Police Department, (310)550-4951.

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 15 March 19, 2020

A recipe from...

INGREDIENTS: n 1/2 lb. of noodles of choice! I like cavatappi. n 2 Italian sausage links. They keep in the freezer great! n 1/4 diced onion n 4 cloves of diced garlic n 3 anchovy filets, chopped n 1 teaspoon red chili flakes or 1 Calabrian chili pepper n 1/2 cup dry white wine n 1/2 cup chicken broth n 1 cup chopped Italian kale n 1/2 cup Parmesan n 2 tablespoons butter n 2 tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper to taste! DIRECTIONS: In a large saucepan cook the sausage for 10 min-utes or until fully cooked. Remove with a slotted spoon and set it aside. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan on medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the garlic, anchovies and chili flakes. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. Deglaze the pan with white wine, scrap-ping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to

Italian sausage and kale pasta by Emily Jilg

@inemilyskitchen.com

pick up all the goodies stuck to the pan. Then add the chicken broth and lower heat to a simmer. Cook the noodles until al dente. Then, with a slotted spoon, add the noodles directly into the large skillet. Add the kale, sausage, Parmesan, butter and remaining olive oil to the pan. Give it a good stir and cook together for another 3-4 minutes. Taste to see if you would like to add any salt and pepper! But it should be well seasoned with between the sauce, anchovies and Parmesan!

On March 13, Beverly Hills/Greater Los Angeles Association of Realtors, formerly known as BH/GLAAR, announced a name change to the Greater Los Angeles Realtors, or GLAR, effective imme-diately.

GLAR represents over 11,000 realtors and affiliate members in the surrounding cities – Beverly Hills, Culver City, Santa Monica, West Hollywood and unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County.

“Just like our wonderful city of L.A., we are truly a diverse organi-zation across all categories. We are determined to authentically repre-sent that to our members, clients, local, state and national govern-ments/organizations,” said Ryan Ole Hass, GLAR president.

Hass has been a realtor for 16 years and is a native Angeleno.

“I could not be prouder of the direction our association is headed, and am truly humbled to serve as your 2020 president,” Hass added. “This coming year will continue to bring challenges to our industry on

many fronts, but we will remain united and resolute in providing unparalleled member value, profes-sionalism, leadership, advocacy and innovation.”

In January, Marty Nash joined the association, coming on board as the new CEO of GLAR. With nearly 15 years of experience in association management, Nash has experience in operations, member services, training and event planning.

“With the announcement of the new name change, new president and new association logo, this is an exciting time in our industry and I am truly proud to be a part of it,” Nash said. For information, visit bhgglaar.com.

This recipe is delicious and made with pantry goods and long last-ing ingredients.

photo by Emily Jilg

Beverly Hills realtor group announces name change, new leadership

photo courtesy of GLAR

Ryan Ole Hass, right and Marty Nash of GLAR.

Across 1. Hodges of the Dodgers 4. Accused's need 9. Los ___, Calif. 14. Gold, in Mexico 15. Puerto ___ 16. Golf clubs 17. End of a round 20. Globe section 21. “The Bourne Identity” director Liman 22. Shut off from view 26. Kind of state 31. QB's gains 32. Fissure 34. Vacillate 35. “Aha!” 37. It comes to a point 38. Prepare to complete the hole 42. “___ And Stitch”

43. Smiths 44. Favor 47. Continental capital 48. Worked (up) 51. Liberate 53. Orderly methods 55. Vintner’s prefix 57. Billing abbr. 58. Keeps the drive on the fairway 65. Nettle 66. Equestrian, for instance 67. Open tract 68. Fathers 69. Sing an Alpine song 70. Clairvoyance, briefly Down 1. Let up 2. Colored like a rainbow

3. Systems of reasoning 4. Titian’s work 5. “I cannot tell a __!” 6. Rocks, to a bartender 7. Spectrum of radio frequencies 8. Behind 9. Laugh a little 10. Abbr. at Kennedy 11. Digit 12. Not divided 13. Common ID 18. “2001” computer 19. Tints 23. Desir 24. “Mon ___!” 25. Electronic tax deposit system acronym 27. Former embryo 28. “Be that __ may . . .” 29. Sound off 30. Mrs. sheep 33. Religious payment 35. Keep money ___-shore accounts (stash cash) 36. G’s 38. Old moola in Milano 39. “Why should ___ you?” 40. Like “The Pit and the Pendulum” 41. Players who are paid 42. CD predecessors 45. Rusts 46. Golf course designer Jones 48. Badger 49. Runs the event 50. Sandal feature, perhaps 52. Race participant 54. Neutral color 56. Columbus's home 58. PC program 59. Some necklines 60. “__ the ramparts we watched ...” 61. Ending for disrupt 62. Roush of baseball fame 63. Flower pollen robber 64. Website address

16 March 19, 2020 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

Crossword Puzzle by Myles Mellor

In keeping with guidelines from the state of California and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the Autry Museum, store and café will be temporarily closed to the public starting Saturday, March 14, until further notice, said Richard West, presi-dent and CEO of the Autry Museum.

The closure will also include the Southwest Museum Mt. Washington Campus. All public programs, events, school tours and docent-guided tours until Sunday, May 31, have been canceled. Refunds will be issued for pro-grams that have fees, he said.

Operational updates will be announced through the museum’s

website as well as social media channels. West added the Autry is exploring ways to bring more of the museum experience online during the closure.

The Autry Museum is located in Griffith Park at 4700 Western Heritage Way.

For information, visit theautry.org.

Park La Brea springs into warmer weather

A photograph in the Feb. 23, 1950, issue of the Park Labrea News signaled the beginning of spring and hope for better days ahead. Park La Brea resident Rita Eskin was shown enjoying warmer weather on her patio. This year, spring begins today, See Answers page 22

Autry Museum provides COVID-19 update

Performances of “Hamilton” at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre will be suspended beginning Thursday, March 12, until Tuesday, March 31.

The decision to follow the orders of county and state health authori-ties was made in support of the well-being of theater-going public, as well as those who work on the production. Ticket holders are enti-tled to a refund including fees, which should be received within 7 to 10 business days.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has issued orders to close down gyms, bars, nightclubs, movie theaters and live performances.

Health officials have ordered gatherings of more than 50 people to be cancelled.

Performances are scheduled through Nov. 22 and tickets can be purchased for future dates.

The Hollywood Pantages Theatre is located at 6233 Hollywood Blvd.

For information, visit broadway-inhollywood.com.

‘Hamilton’ performances on hold

photo by Joan Marcus

The March performances of “Hamilton” at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre will be canceled due to rising concerns of coronavirus.

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Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 17 March 19, 2020

As the threat of COVID-19 evolves and needs continue to increase, the Los Angeles Dream Center is providing meals for fami-lies at 2301 Bellevue Ave.

The Dream Center is complying with all advice and regulations from the CDC, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. The meal service is meant to offset needs caused by school closures throughout Los Angeles.

Food will be served from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. to anyone who arrives at the center. People can pick up meals and are then required to leave. There is no congregating on the Dream Center campus. A drive-through option has also been implemented.

Social distancing is particularly important for seniors, and the Dream Center is putting care pack-ages together for the elderly with food, hygiene and cleaning prod-ucts. The care packages are being delivered to the center’s outreach sites.

Food donations and financial support are also needed. Although the Dream Center has been approached by many people inter-

ested in helping, there is currently no need for volunteers. Staff is han-dling the needs and working to ensure all precautions that have been advised are being followed, including implementing social dis-tancing as much as possible. The Dream Center is monitoring the sit-uation and staying up to date with the latest regulations from health officials.

“When there’s a need in our com-munity, the Dream Center is laser-focused on whatever that need is,” co-founder Matthew Barnett said. “We’re living in turbulent times, and we need to be able to adapt quickly and help those who need it most. Providing meals is just one small way we can lend a helping hand as Los Angeles grapples with this pandemic. We are praying faithfully and earnestly for the threat of COVID-19 to be eliminat-ed and are so grateful for all those around us who have our health and safety in mind.”

The Los Angeles Dream Center is a faith-based nonprofit organiza-tion dedicated to transforming lives in underserved communities. For information, visit dcf.dreamcen-ter.org.

photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Dream Center

Struggling families can receive free meals at the Los Angeles Dream Center.

Dream Center responds to crisis with free meal service

LAUSD offers meals at Grab & Go centers at schools

Due to the recent developments with the coronavirus pandemic, the Los Angeles Unified School District is offering free nutritious meals for children at 60 Grab & Go Food Centers throughout the city. All Los Angeles Unified School District campuses were closed on March 16 for two weeks.

The service will operate from 7 to 10 a.m. on weekdays at Fairfax High School, 7850 Melrose Ave., Helen Bernstein High School, 1309 N Wilton Place, Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools, 701 S Catalina St., and Berendo Middle School, 1157 S Berendo St. Staff are following guidelines from public health experts and government partners who have called for increased social distanc-

ing to slow the spread of the virus. The service is being held in

partnership with the Red Cross. “The Red Cross is here to help

during times of need, and here in L.A., there is need. School cancel-lations are visiting hardship and hunger on many students,” said Jarrett Barrios, CEO for the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region. “We are so pleased to staff these food distribution sites with Red Cross volunteers and call on Angelenos to join us by signing up to volunteer to help feed our schoolchildren.”

For a list of all LAUSD Grab & Go Food Centers, visit achieve.lausd.net/resources where much more information about resources is available, or call (213)443-1300.

In addition to online learning resources, the Los Angeles Unified School District has partnered with PBS SoCal and KCET to provide continuity of learning for students during school closures due to the coronavirus.

The measure will allow 700,000 LAUSD students educational resources via television broadcasts. All students will have access to free educational resources at home provided by the local public media organizations, both on-air and online, regardless of broadband access. The initiative involves three local public media channels broad-casting content specifically target-ed to children in pre-K-12th grade.

“We want to continue to provide the best possible education for our students, even in the event of a sig-nificant number of school closures for an extended period of time,” LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner said. “We asked PBS to work with us with a simple goal: we know what good looks like, let’s find a way to share it with our students.”

“As education is one our organi-zation’s highest priorities, we want to harness the power of public

media in assisting all students in Southern California,” said Andrew Russell, president and CEO of KCET and PBS SoCal. “As corner-stone institutions in our communi-ty, PBS SoCal and KCET have a mission to connect communities so we’re already talking to stations throughout the state, and even across the country, to follow our model.”

The LAUSD serves almost 700,000 students. An estimated 50% of students lack computers or tablets to participate in online cur-riculum, and 25% of families lack access to the internet at home.

PBS SoCal offers daytime pro-gramming from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. for pre-K-second grade students.

KLCS-TV programming offers content for third-12th grade stu-dents from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with an additional educational program in the evenings. KCET also offers daytime programming for students in the 9th-12th grades. Additional educational programming on PBS SoCal and KLCS digital channels.

LAUSD teachers also have access to PBS LearningMedia, a national resource that offers addi-tional content to support education-al assignments. The PBS Learning Media materials will be offered in conjunction with the on-air content and will be available online.

For information, visit pbssocal.org and kcet.org, and lausd.net.

LAUSD partners with PBS and KCET for learning

Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order ensuring California public school districts retain state funding during closures. The order directs school districts to use state funds for online learning and educa-tional opportunities, providing school meals and arranging for supervision of students if possible.

“Closing schools has a massive, cascading effect for our kids and their families, especially those least equipped financially to deal with them,” Newsom said. “The needs of California kids must be met regard-

less of whether their school is open or closed. School districts that choose to close must use state edu-cational dollars to quickly meet the needs of children and families. The state of California is working around the clock to help those dis-tricts and provide best practices to ensure no kid is left behind.”

The Los Angeles Unified School District has closed for two weeks to help prevent the spread of coron-avirus.

“I applaud Gov. Newsom for the action in his executive order to pro-

vide schools with the tools they need to continue providing students with high quality education while keeping them safe,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said. “This allows schools to put safety first without jeopardizing the financial resources needed to meet the needs of our stu-dents.”

The order stipulates that even if schools close temporarily, districts must continue to pay employees.

For information, visit gov.ca.gov and cde.ca.gov.

State will continue to fund school districts during closures

18 March 19, 2020 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

Sir Patrick Stewart is an interna-tional treasure. He enlivened X-Men leader Charles Xavier for seven films, lends his vocal talents to “American Dad” and concocted quite the villain in “Green Room,” a neo-Nazi horror-thriller. But he is first and always Jean-Luc Picard, the once and future captain of the Starship Enterprise of the United Federation of Planets, who boldly went to planets unknown for seven glorious seasons and four films.

Thanks to CBS’s streaming ser-vice All Access, the greatest “Star Trek” captain reprises his role yet again. He might portray an older, retired admiral, but Jean-Luc’s eter-nal optimism – his unbending belief in universal ideals like progress, equality and decency for all, preju-dice be damned – serves as an enduring legacy.

In 2009, the Paramount film “Star Trek” seemed to reset much of the timeline by sending a Romulan ship back in time when a star went supernova destroying the

alien species’ home planet. Many diehard Trekkies wondered what that meant for the old timeline. Was it erased? Had director J.J. Abrams snapped it out of existence? Only a throwaway line offered a clue: a parallel timeline. With “Picard,” the story picks up after those events.

Set some time after the inter-galactic tragedy first referenced in 2009, Picard has long since resigned his commission. He over-saw the relocation of immigrant Romulans in need of new homes. But something went very wrong, and the man who served as a tall pillar of the Federation choses soli-tude instead of confronting the problem head on.

Now, things have changed for Jean-Luc. Hiding from the galaxy in the confines of his winery, he only resurfaces with a new book on lost history. But nights are a prob-lem since he dreams of his deceased friend Data (Brent Spiner), the android officer of Enterprise killed during the events of “Star Trek:

photo courtesy of CBS All Access

Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) is retired and prefers the solitude of his winery, but is thrust back into duty in “Star Trek: Picard.”

photo courtesy of CBS All Access

Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) reunites with Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) in “Star Trek: Picard,” which also includes other familiar faces.

Violence and strong language are easy examples of what is a much grittier exploration of Gene Roddenberry’s golden goose, but that all makes Jean-Luc’s goodness shine even brighter. Without him, the Federation caves to fear, but his principles remain intact. The galaxy changed, but he is still the Kantian idealist projecting his moral imper-ative into unfriendly solar systems.

Jean-Luc stands for the marginal-ized – Romulans and even A.I., in this case. The general public might ignore the rights of the few to appease the anxieties of the many, but not Picard. That’s why Picard endures as a character. He serves as a reminder that some things must bend for the sake of peace and progress – as he often did with the help of his team in that good ol’ Ready Room – while others are deal breakers, especially when they hide behind spin like the common good.

Rather than an alien of the week

approach to each episode, “Picard” focuses on a singular story. Each performance and new character entirely works with only minimal pauses in the story’s overarching pulse. And like “Discovery,” this is much more adult fare with an incredible budget that feels more appropriate for the big screen than the living room.

Season one includes 10 episodes, the ninth premiering today. Sign up for $6 a month or binge quickly with a one-week free trial. That said, having access to every “Star Trek” series from Kirk’s five-year mission to “Discovery,” might be worth shelling out half the price of Netflix. “Picard” already received a green light for another season, and Stewart actually appeared on “The View” to formally invite Whoopi Goldberg to also reprise her role from “Next Generation.” Frankly, they could spend seven hours debating wine pairings and still have another hit.

Why aren’t you watching ‘Star Trek: Picard?’ Do it now

Nemesis,” that wretched film fea-turing a young Tom Hardy as a clone of Picard. Then he’s visited by a woman, Soji (Isa Briones), with a unique connection to Data. Ending life away from life, Picard shirks the Federation’s wishes that he quietly die.

Unwilling to take advantage of his former crew, who would do any-thing for him, he seeks out a younger, far-less-refined batch, including Captain Rios (Santiago Cabrera), tarnished former officer Raffi (Michelle Hurd), walking robotics encyclopedia Dr. Agnes Jurati (Alison Pill) and Romulan refugee Elnor (Evan Evagora), raised by women warriors in an ancient tradition.

This is all mostly new territory, but a few familiar faces suture old-timers into this entirely updated and visually quite polished experience, including Spiner’s Data, former Counselor Deanna Troy (Marina Sirtis) and Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes), who formally went by “Number One.” Frakes also direct-ed two of the season’s episodes. Such cameos are fun, but others arrive with more pressing relevance to the story, particularly Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), the liberated Borg from “Voyager.”

Be warned. Showrunner Michael Chabon fears no fan backlash by fatally concluding certain popular characters’ stories. “Picard” proves the “Star Trek” canon continues, never stuck in the past.

On All Access, “Star Trek” has taken on new life, the kind unavail-able during primetime on CBS.

n This is the first in a series of recommendations of films and series that can be accessed at home during the sea-son of social distancing and shutdown of theaters. Stay safe while you quarantine and chill on home screens

Sel Kardan, Colburn School president and CEO, announced on March 12 that the school will sus-pend all in-person instruction, per-formances and related social events associated with the conser-vatory, music academy, dance academy, Trudi Zipper Dance Institute, Community School for Performing Arts and Center for Innovation and Community Impact in response to the coronavirus out-break in Los Angeles County.

To date, no COVID-19 cases have been identified on campus, Kardan said, but activities will be suspended until Monday, April 13.

Colburn’s residential facilities will also close on Tuesday, March 17. All students who are currently in residence will move out of the dorms and those who are not cur-rently on campus will not return.

Conservatory, music academy and dance academy students will

transition to online learning begin-ning Thursday, March 23, through Wednesday, April 13. The commu-nity school and other youth dance students will continue in-person classes on April 13. However, the school will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and inform the school community of any changes.

The school has enacted mea-sures to ensure the safety of the campus community, such as installing hand sanitizer stations throughout the campus, cleaning of hot-spot areas and beginning the special disinfecting procedures of pianos on campus.

Colburn community members have been encouraged to wash their hands frequently, stay home when sick and avoid handshakes in day-to-day interactions.

For information, visit colburn-school.edu/coronavirus.

Colburn School suspends all in-person instruction

National, state and community organizations are leading a massive effort to highlight the

importance of Advance Healthcare decision-making. In California, the growing importance of every adult having an Advance Health Care Directive (AHCD) has been addressed by the Secretary of State who has established a state-wide AHCD Registry. Should you become injured, ill, or otherwise unable to speak for yourself, your healthcare provider or legal rep-resentative may request information from the

state-wide registry regarding your healthcare. In an AHCD, you designate an individual whom you direct to carry out your wishes regarding choice of hospital, your doctor, support staff, treatment, and end-of-life issues if you become unable to speak for yourself. Healthcare providers must follow your Agent’s instructions. The significance of having an AHCD cannot be overstated. Privacy laws and liability issues have made it increasingly difficult for doctors and hospitals to dis-cuss medical matters with family members – even a spouse or parent! Consequently, without an AHCD, it may be the courts or hospital administrators determining your care.

Kramer + Dresben Stephen W. Kramer

5858 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 205 • Los Angeles, CA 90036 • (323)964-7100 www.kramerdresben.com

ADVANCE HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE

The Greenway Court Theatre will temporarily suspend all events and operation of the Melrose Trading Post in accordance with Los Angeles Unified School District regulations and California advisories about coronavirus.

Events such as Da Poetry Lounge, which was scheduled for Tuesday, March 17, and the fourth annual LA Get Down Festival in April were also affected by the-ater’s decision.

Greenway Court Theatre’s deci-sion to follow precautionary guidelines is to ensure the safety of patrons and help “flatten the curve” of the potential rise of coro-navirus. There is no knowledge of anyone affected by the virus at Greenway or Fairfax High School.

LA Get Down Festival is planned to be rescheduled for July or August. The production of “A

Little Night Music” is anticipated to open on schedule in May.

Greenway Court Theatre is

located at 544 N. Fairfax Ave. For information, visit greenway-courttheatre.org.

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 19 March 19, 2020

In response to the rapidly evolv-ing situation regarding the coron-avirus, including the California Department of Public Health’s social distancing guidelines, the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust will be closed to the public through March 30.

Museum staff is monitoring the situation closely and will extend

the closure past March 30, if neces-sary. All programming and public events are canceled through the end of April, including “Violins of Hope,” an exhibit featuring restored Holocaust-era violins.

The health and safety of visitors, staff and volunteers is the muse-um’s top priority. For information, visit lamoth.org.

LAMOTH closes, including ‘Violins of Hope’ exhibit

In their efforts to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, the Broad Stage will suspend perfor-mances through Wednesday, April 8.

The Broad Stage is working alongside Santa Monica College in monitoring the situation and will update the community as things change. The organization plans to resume performances on Thursday, April 9, and hopes to reschedule all suspended performances.

Ticket holders for “Wicked Tinkers,” “blackbox @ the edye: Jennifer Leitham,” “At Home with Sir James Galway,” “Mnozil Brass,” “Hiromi: Solo” and “Red Hen Press: New Traditions” will be emailed by the patron services team about possible accommodations.

The March 30 members-only season announcement event is also postponed, and the 2020-21 season will go on sale at a future date.

The Broad Stage is located at 1310 11th St., Santa Monica.

For information, visit thebroad-stage.org

Broad Stage suspends events

In the interest of protecting the health and wellbeing of staff and visitors, the MAK Center has decided to temporarily close, postponing programs and events until further notice.

The center hopes to reopen on Saturday, March 21, but they will

continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and will take action according to updated information from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

The MAK Center is located at 1137 S. Cochran Ave. For infor-mation, visit makcenter.org.

MAK Center temporary closes

photo courtesy of MAK Center

The MAK Center, in response to COVID-19, has closed the Schindler House until further notice.

photo courtesy of Greenway Court Theatre

The Greenway Court Theatre closed and suspended events for a tempo-rary time.

The Music Center announced it will close its four theaters through Tuesday, March 31, under the order of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recommen-dation that gatherings of 50 or more people across California should be canceled.

The performing arts center has postponed its new “Play on the Plaza!” series that was previously scheduled for Saturdays, March 28, April 25 and May 23. New dates regarding these free events and activities on the Music Center Plaza will be announced at a later date.

As of Monday, March 16, the Music Center has increased disin-fection practices across its campus including its theatres. The center has placed hand sanitizer stations at its venues including the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ahmanson Theatre and Mark Taper Forum.

The Music Center’s resident companies, LA Phil, LA Opera, Center Theatre Group and the Los Angeles Master Chorale, along with TMC Arts and “Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The

Music Center,” are also canceled. Along with the “Play on the

Plaza!” series, all presentations, public gatherings, educational pro-grams and tours have been can-celed. All Music Center on-campus restaurants will also be closed through March 31.

On March 12, multiple events were canceled including perfor-mances by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, an Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater student matinee, The Blue Ribbon Children’s Festival and Tanzteater Wuppertal Pina Bausch’s “Palermo Palermo.”

The Music Center is offering accommodations for current ticket holders to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Tanzteater Wuppertal Pina Bausch perfor-mances. The center is providing various options for ticket holders including donating the value of the tickets as a charitable contribution, exchanging the tickets for a future performance, holding the money for a future purchase and, lastly, a refund.

The Music Center is located at 135 N. Grand Ave. For informa-tion, visit musiccenter.rog

Music Center postpones new series on plaza, events

Project Angel Food is issuing an urgent plea for volunteers and donations in response to the spread of the coronavirus and COVID-19.

Project Angel Food has recently had 18 volunteer groups cancel, three fundraisers postponed indefi-nitely and is experiencing an increased demand for meals.

Every week, Project Angel Food cooks, prepares and delivers 15,000 meals for 1,600 clients liv-ing with critical illnesses. More than 62% of those clients are 60 and older and have compromised immune systems which place them at greater risk. Because of this at-risk client base, the organization has always been hypervigilant but is now ramping up its already stringent food safety measures.

Six days a week, 80% of the Vine Street kitchen workforce is comprised of volunteers. The recent cancelations represent 200 people and 800 hours of labor lost. As a result, the organization is ask-ing Angelenos who are healthy to step up and help it continue service uninterrupted. Interested individu-als are being asked to email volun-teers@angelfood.org, or call (323)845-1832.

At a time when volunteerism is down, the charity is also having to look to other sources for the funds that would have been raised through postponed events. The organization is also actively work-ing to raise an additional $150,000 to guarantee all of its clients will receive three weeks of extra meals,

including medically-tailored frozen meals and shelf-stable foods such as ready-to-eat meals, canned tuna and chicken noodle soup.

“Project Angel Food’s response to COVID-19 is proactive and focused on ensuring that our clients not only get the meals they need today, but have emergency meals on hand should we not be able to reach them,” Project Angel Food Executive Director Richard Ayoub said. “Our organization has been serving the chronically ill for 30 years, since the AIDS crisis, so we are well-equipped to handle today’s healthcare emergency.”

The organization is accepting donations in any amount at angelfood.org/covid19.

Project Angel Food seeks volunteers and donations in response to coronavirus

u

Pd

The Broad was closed to the pub-lic on Friday, March 13, and will stay closed through Tuesday, March 31, to support efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

This decision was made to ensure the health and safety of the commu-nity, visitors and staff, according to Joanne Heyler, the museum’s founding director. The museum has canceled public group tours and school visits. Events through mid-May will be postponed in addition to other precautionary measures.

“We can’t wait to welcome you back to the museum, and we’ll keep you posted on when we will be able to reopen through our email and social media channels,” Heyler said.

The musuem encourages its com-munity to continue practicing social disntancing, continue to wash hands advice provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Health.

The Broad is located at 221 S. Grand Ave.

For information, visit thebroad.org.

photo courtesy of the Broad

The Broad announced it will close until Tuesday, March 31.

The Broad closes its doors

Greenway Court Theatre suspends shows

20 March 19, 2020 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

On March 10, Geffen Playhouse announced six productions that will make up the 2020-21 season in its Gil Cates and Audrey Skirball Kenis theaters, with two additional productions to be announced. This marks the 25th anniversary season for Geffen Playhouse, which will launch Sept. 8 and run through July 25, 2021.

The 2020-21 Gil Cates Theater season will commence with Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies’ “Collected Stories,” making its return to the Geffen after an initial run in 1999 that was directed by Geffen Playhouse founder Gil Cates Sr. Next up will be Samuel Baum’s riveting mystery “The Engagement Party,” which will be directed by Tony Award winner Darko Tresnjak (“A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and Murder,”

Geffen Playhouse announces 2020-21 season

On March 13, Friends of the LA River announced it is postponing the 31st annual Great LA River CleanUp to October due to con-cerns around COVID-19, which is caused by the coronavirus. The CleanUp has been postponed to Oct. 3, 10 and 17 from its original dates of April 11, 18 and 25.

“It is FoLAR’s duty and commit-ment to protect the interest of the environment and also the commu-nity,” FoLAR President and CEO Marissa Christiansen said. “To that point, with the rapidly developing coronavirus situation, we at FoLAR have decided it is best to postpone our annual CleanUp to the fall of this year. We were already taking precautions to maintain public health at the event, but we realize the threat to public health is grow-ing and want to do our part to ensure the safety and comfort of the community, our volunteers and our partners.

“We recognize and are grateful for everyone’s commitment and support through this decision-mak-ing process – from volunteers to sponsors to our staff – and we want to guarantee a successful event,” Christiansen added.

FoLAR’s CleanUp attracts thou-sands of volunteers (families, stu-dents, community members and elected officials) across multiple sites along the 51 miles of river. It is the largest urban river cleanup in America four years running. Last year’s CleanUp attracted over 6,000 volunteers, who removed over 100 tons of trash from the L.A. River at 11 sites.

Postmates, which returned to be the lead corporate sponsor of the 2020 CleanUp, supports FoLAR’s decision to postpone.

“Community safety and public health is our paramount priority, that’s why we appreciate the steps FoLAR has taken in response to

public health events, and it’s why Postmates has taken actions to sup-port our customers, merchants and a fleet of flexible workers in this time. We look forward to being on the river for the 31st Great LA River CleanUp in October,” said Vikrum Aiyer, vice president for public policy and strategic commu-nications at Postmates.

On April 22, Earth Day cele-brates its 50th anniversary, which typically falls around the second or third weekend of the annual CleanUp.

“We are especially sad to miss celebrating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day with our month of cleanups, but we encourage every-one to do something on their own to celebrate our planet,” Christiansen said. “So many care deeply about the river, and we encourage every-one to keep in touch with us as we gear up for cleanups later this year.”

For information, visit folar.org.

FoLAR postpones river cleanup due to COVID-19

“Anastasia”). The third production will be Geffen’s first presentation of a play in two parts with the West Coast premiere of the highly acclaimed and Olivier Award-win-ning “The Inheritance,” a poignant drama chronicling the legacy of the AIDS epidemic in New York, inspired by E. M. Forster’s “Howards End.” The season will close with a to-be-announced pro-duction directed by DGA Award nominee (“Modern Family,” “Breaking Bad”) and Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony Award winner Bryan Cranston, who has previously appeared in Geffen’s production of “The God of Hell” (2006). One additional production for the Gil Cates Theater will be announced .

The 2020-21 Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater season will be a full

lineup of world premieres and will launch with the brand-new musical “A Wicked Soul in Cherry Hill,” a true-crime tale from writer and composer Matt Schatz, who devel-oped the work in the Writers’ Room playwrights program at the Geffen. Following will be Emily Kaczmarek’s “Soft Target,” the powerful story of a young girl nav-igating the aftermath of a traumatic event with the help of the beloved toys in her bedroom. The Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater will com-plete its season by welcoming its first mentalist, Vinny DePonto, as he debuts his magic and storytelling mashup “Mindplay,” from Broadway producer Eva Price.

Geffen Playhouse is located at 10886 Le Conte Ave. For informa-tion, call (310)208-2028, or visit geffenplayhouse.org.

The final result of a multi-year National Park Service and California State University Northridge research project that studied coyote diets show that these urban canines are not as discrimi-nating in regard to their culinary tastes as their suburban counter-parts, according to a new study.

Using two different techniques –  scat analysis and stable isotope analysis –  the study found that human food resources such as garbage; ornamental fruits like ficus, loquat, grapes and palm tree fruit; and domestic cats accounted for between 60% and 75% of urban coyote diets. Cat remains were found in 20% of urban coyote scat, as compared to 4% of suburban coyote scat.

Urban coyotes still eat small ani-mals like rabbits and rodents, but they are the ultimate opportunists. Suburban coyotes vary their eating habits by season: they typically eat natural prey in the cooler, wetter winter months and include ripe ornamental fruits in the summer months while consuming lesser amounts of human food resources than their urban counterparts.

“What this study shows us is that coyotes in Los Angeles’ urban areas are taking advantage of food sources that we don’t secure,” said ecologist Justin Brown, the lead researcher on the project for Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, a unit of the

National Park Service. “Whether it’s cats, fruits or garbage, the food resources that we have left out for them is why coyotes hang around. We do have some control over coy-otes being here, and it’s all tied to us. If we don’t provide the food sources in our neighborhoods, they would not be living in them.”

The NPS launched the urban coyote study in May of 2015 with the goal of learning more about the basic ecology of these canids. Along with the diet aspects, the research has provided insight into how coyotes use the urban land-scape.

Researchers monitor this move-ment by using GPS collars. Ultimately, the project will help identify how city and suburban

dwellers can reduce conflict with coyotes.

The research specifically study-ing their diet began in 2017 when volunteers were recruited to collect coyote scat in a variety of commu-nities around metropolitan Los Angeles including Westlake Village, Culver City, Baldwin Hills, Silver Lake, the San Fernando Valley, Thousand Oaks, Beverly Hills, Marina del Rey and other communities.

Brown recommends that if resi-dents are experiencing unwanted coyotes in their neighborhoods, the best thing to do is to work within your community to remove food resources.

For information, visit nps.gov/samo.

New study looks at urban coyote diets in L.A.

photo courtesy of the National Park Service

The National Park Service launched its coyote study in 2015.

In a statement on March 13, the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County announced they would close to the public until further notice. Closures include the Natural History Museum, the La Brea Tar Pits Museum and the William S. Hart Museum.

All scheduled events and pro-grams through Friday, April 10, will be canceled or postponed. All school program visits, as well as

mobile museum visits, have been canceled until further notice.

“Our employees at all three of our museums will be transitioning to multiple work arrangements, with some working on site and some working remotely,” the statement said. “NHMLAC is committed to provide support for our employees during this period.”

For information, visit nhm-l a c . o r g / u p d a t e - n h m l a c s -response-covid-19.

Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County close

photo by Cameron Kiszla

The La Brea Tar Pits Museum and other Los Angeles County muse-ums are closed to the public.

Based upon the directive from Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to limit visitors to 50 at a time at pub-lic facilities, the Los Angeles Zoo announced it would close through March 31. Zoo employees will con-tinue to report to work as normal in order to care for the animals and facility, the zoo said.

“At this time, we do not have any indication that this virus is of immediate concern to any of our

zoo animals,” the Los Angeles Zoo said in a statement. “Our animal health experts on staff are in com-munication with public health offi-cials, along with local and national veterinary networks, to stay up to date on animals in human care and any potential risks.”

The Los Angeles Zoo is located at 5333 Zoo Drive. For informa-tion, call (323)644-4200, or visit lazoo.org/covid-19.

L.A. Zoo closed through March 31

On March 12, the Hollywood Chapter of the National Organization for Women sent out a statement confirming that all planned events are being post-poned “due to recent guidance, as well as out of the safety of you, our members, events attendees and the general public-at-large.”

The postponements included performances of “The Transvagina Diaries” that were scheduled for March 14 and 15 and the fifth annual Women’s HERstory Awards & Reception, which was scheduled for March 17.

“[Hollywood NOW] has decided to postpone … ‘The Transvagina Diaries’ and [the] fifth annual Women’s HERstory Awards & Reception to a date uncertain in the future,” the state-ment said. “Additionally, the advanced screening of ‘Blow the Man Down’ that we were part-nering with Amazon Studios on has been canceled.

“For anyone that bought a tick-et to ‘The Transvagina Diaries,’ [they] will be valid and redeemable at the future perfor-mance. If you would like a refund, please email hollywood-nowchapter@gmail.com,” the statement added.

“We ask you for your patience during this difficult time as we continue to work with the cast, as well as our attendees, to make sure all needs are taken care of. As we continue to monitor news from federal, state and local agencies and adjust our response to this rapidly evolving situation, we ask all of you to take the same common-sense precautions: stay home if you are feeling unwell, wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 sec-onds, and avoid touching your face and shaking hands, among other good hygiene practices,” the statement concluded.

For information, visit holly-woodnow.org.

All Hollywood NOW chapter events postponed

On March 14, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art shut its doors due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, and in a statement, the museum said it plans to stay closed until further notice.

“While LACMA’s mission is to celebrate centuries of creativity and inspiring human endeavors, our foremost priority is the health and safety of our visitors, staff, volun-teers and neighbors,” the statement said. “Following recommendations from Los Angeles County and in

coordination with our sister institu-tion, the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, LACMA will close temporarily to the public … until further notice. Please also note that all public programs and events, including those hosted at our gallery at Charles White Elementary School, have been canceled at this time. Hancock Park and our public outdoor sculptures, including ‘Urban Light’ and ‘Levitated Mass,’ will remain open.”

The statement said the museum

had hopes to keep galleries open “so that our visitors may look to art for inspiration and solace in these uncertain times,” but “we believe that closure is the best way for us to support public health officials in their efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. LACMA staff are cur-rently exploring ways for visitors to enjoy our wonderful exhibitions and collections in a digital space, and we will be sure to let you know about these initiatives.”

For those who have already pur-chased tickets for admission or an event, the museum offers refunds or credits for a future date after the museum reopens. For help, contact boxoffice@lacma.org.

“Our dedicated staff are the soul of LACMA, and each and every one of them makes the museum a wel-coming, creative and dynamic place for all of Los Angeles County,” the museum added. “We are committed to supporting all of our employees, both salaried and hourly, during this unprecedented time.”

LACMA is located at 5905 Wilshire Blvd. For information, visit lacma.org, or email publicin-fo@lacma.org.

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 21 March 19, 2020

offer recovery services to combat addiction-related issues such as drugs, HIV and homelessness across the city of West Hollywood.

The lease to purchase agree-ment is set for a six-month period for an annual base rent of $1 with an option to purchase the proper-ty for $5.7 million. The $1 is a nominal fee and common for this type of transaction, according to Steve Campbell, director of the West Hollywood facilities and recreation services department.

It is the minimum that a public agency can charge to prevent the transaction from being a gift of public funds.

It also directs the city of West Hollywood to provide additional compensation of 50% of the property’s fair-market value as determined by an independent third-party appraiser, if at any point in the future West Hollywood decides to redevelop the property or cease using the Log Cabin primarily for addic-tion recovery services.

The agreement is to begin no earlier than April 1 and, soon after, West Hollywood will be allowed to sublease the Log Cabin to the West Hollywood Recovery Center, which will use the property for recovery ser-vices.

During the six-month lease period, West Hollywood will determine rehabilitation costs and other potential issues. Each city will also appoint an ad-hoc committee of their respective City Councils to negotiate any outstanding issues.

The city of Beverly Hills had previously issued a notice in January to the West Hollywood Lions Club, which has been managing the property and host-ing 12-step meetings in the Log Cabin since 1948, of a possible demolition, said Gyula Kangiszer, president of the West Lions Club.

But public outcry, including efforts from the recovery and West Hollywood communities, halted any decision made by Beverly Hills regarding the prop-erty. Although, as the cities work on finalizing their agreement, Kangiszer does not think it is the best solution.

“The West Hollywood City Council is trying to decide on the fate of the building and parking lot,” Kangiszer said. “We are worried about a potential clause that would allow the city to rede-velop the property.”

Kangiszer said the Lions Club made an offer to the city of Beverly Hills to lease or pur-chase the Log Cabin in hopes they would reach an agreement instead of the city of West Hollywood.

He said he had hoped West Hollywood would extend the sublease to the Lions Club, but no conversations have occurred between the city and organiza-tion. According to a letter sent on Jan. 10 by the city of Beverly Hills to the Lions Club, it stated the club’s lease expired in 1977 and directed the Lions Club to vacate the building by March 31.

On April 1, when the city of West Hollywood plans to lease

the Log Cabin from Beverly Hills, the Lions Club must to cease to operate on the property.

Duran said the city is not seek-ing any partnership or co-habita-tion of the Log Cabin when they sublease it to the West Hollywood Recovery Center.

The Lions Club was not con-sidered when the city was look-ing at potential organizations for the sublease of the Log Cabin, Duran said. He added, “the Lions Club has been largely absent,” and although they are charitable – donating to organizations such as the Red Cross – their money goes outside the West Hollywood community.

The West Hollywood Recovery Center was the best option for the sublease due to a decade-long relationship with the city, Duran said.

“We trust them and we know them. The board of directors [is] composed of members of the community of West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and other Westside cities,” Duran said. “We want the dollars being spent reinvested into our community.”

All parties involved agree that the history and current use of the Log Cabin is significant to the recovery community, especially during difficult times such as the coronavirus pandemic in Los Angeles County.

Until the end of the month, the West Hollywood Lions Club will continue in-person meetings at the Log Cabin and abide by cur-rent health regulations prohibit-ing gatherings of more than 50 people, adhere to social distanc-ing by setting chairs 6 to 8 feet apart, and offer more in-person meetings in smaller groups and online meetings too, according to Kangiszer.

The West Hollywood Recovery Center will be closed following orders from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, according to Duran. The center will provide meetings online using technolo-gy such as Zoom or Skype.

Additionally, West Hollywood City Manager Paul Arevalo clar-ified during a City Council meet-ing on Monday, March 16, some 12-step meetings held in public city-facilities such as Plummer Park will be allowed to occur with proper social distancing.

Arevalo said there are two issues with allowing 12-step meetings at this time: the pan-demic and its effect on recovery services. He added the programs are important; it is just a matter of working with organizers to ensure that people entering the buildings are educated on safety measures.

“We did hear from one of the recovery facilities that it is going to be doing online, like a Skype-type program for its members,” Arevalo said. “People are being innovative. People are being sup-portive and we have to be cre-ative. We are trying to be sup-portive and flexible as we can.”

“We certainly do not want any-body to break their sobriety, but we want to make sure everybody stays healthy across the board,” Mayor Pro Tempore Lindsey Horvath said.

The council decided to close entirely all bars and nightclubs that do not serve food, fitness centers and gyms, and entertainment venues and movie theaters.

“We should do the best we can to try to slow this down. From my per-spective, at least for the near future, for the next few weeks, we should do everything we can as a commu-nity to try to slow this down,” Councilwoman Lili Bosse said.

As restaurants can conduct busi-ness via pick-up and delivery, so too can retail establishments, the coun-cil decided. However, all non-essen-tial retail businesses –  including those on Rodeo Drive – will be lim-ited only to order pick-up and limit-ed transactions by appointment.

While hardware stores, grocery stores, pharmacies and pet supply stores were declared essential, other businesses, such as hair salons, massage parlors, nail salons and spas, were closed except for retail sales done as to-go orders or limited appointment-based business. In addition, elective dental, medical and surgical procedures are now prohibited.

“I think our position should be that we really encourage things that are truly elective being put off,” said Councilman Julian Gold, who is also an anesthesiologist.

The council also put in place a moratorium on evictions for both residential and commercial cus-tomers who can’t pay rent due to the coronavirus. Gold argued for more stringent restrictions on who could claim to be impacted and thus exempted from paying rent for a short time.

“At the end of the day, I’m absolutely in support of tenants who should not be evicted if they’re sick or their family is sick … but I’m concerned with the potentially unin-tended consequences,” Gold said.

The other council members pointed out that the missed months’ rent will need to be paid back after the crisis is over, and this is solely to keep people and businesses in their homes and offices until people can get back to work.

“This is not forgiveness of rent,” Councilman Robert Wunderlich said.

The council also said it would put in place a temporary suspension on

water cutoffs, as the Beverly Hills Public Works Department provides water service in the city, and it strongly recommended non-city-owned utilities do the same. During the meeting, Chavez found that many utilities that service Beverly Hills, from Southern California Edison to Spectrum, had pledged to not cut service for those unable to pay during the pandemic.

The council also decided to tem-porarily suspend some parking reg-ulations, as more people are work-ing from home and parking has become more difficult, especially on days where people must move their vehicles for street sweeping.

“We need to work with the resi-dents and figure out a way to do that where they won’t get ticketed,” Mirisch said.

Mirisch also announced he would lead the creation of the COVID-19 Kindness Task Force, where volunteers could help seniors and other vulnerable groups get their groceries and medicines, and provide companionship during a trying time.

Some members of the council raised concern that the increased social contact could help the virus spread, especially by those who don’t know they’re infected.

“I see this as a virtual exercise, where we can call people and talk to people, or use FaceTime, but the person-to-person … I worry a little bit that that senior, as frail as they might be, might be better protected by that envelope that is their home,” Gold said.

“We just have to make sure we do it safely,” Bosse added.

Mirisch assured the other council members that some of the task force’s work will be virtual, reduc-ing the risk of transmission, and the task force would act in ways that ensure public safety.

“If anything, I hope we make kindness – and not COVID-19 – contagious,” Mirisch said.

For information about the COVID-19 Kindness Task Force, email Keith Sterling, public infor-mation manager, at ksterling@bev-erlyhills.org.

For information about Beverly Hills during the coronavirus pan-demic, visit beverlyhills.org/novel-coronavirus.

Chavez, Mayor John Mirisch and city staff members were present in the Council Chamber, the other four City Council members telephoned in and participated in the eight-hour-long meeting via phone.

The council unanimously passed an urgency ordinance that went into effect at midnight following the meeting. The ordinance, which will remain in effect until the city’s local emergency is canceled or the ordi-nance is changed by the council, took multiple steps that aim to slow the spread of the virus and limit the impact on residents and businesses in the community.

Restaurants are only allowed to conduct business via to-go orders and delivery, and dine-in service – as well as buffet service – will no longer be allowed. Only cafeterias and commissaries in nursing homes and similar institutions will be exempted.

Almost all of the public speakers emailed their comments or called in to make their voices heard, though Todd Johnson, president and CEO of the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce, appeared in person; however, he spoke via video confer-ence from a separate room. Johnson said many of Beverly Hills’ restau-rants have already pivoted to take-out and delivery only.

“It’s vitally important restaurants are able to do the to-go and take-out here, because they have stockpiles of food and we don’t want to waste it,” Johnson said.

The council considered some exemptions –  for example, restau-rants located inside hotels –  but concerns that the hotel employees could be put at higher risk of infec-tion by dine-in service led the coun-cil to include the hotel restaurants in the ordinance’s stipulations.

“We know all the measures we are going to take are going to hurt businesses. We’re not doing it for that reason. We’re doing it for pub-lic health and safety,” Mirisch said.

The council decided to better accommodate parking in front of restaurants so that to-go customers could be more easily serviced.

“I think the health of our residents is of paramount importance, but the health of our businesses has to be considered,” Vice Mayor Lester Friedman said.

City weighs public health against businesses From page 1

Lions Club must vacate Log Cabin by March 31 From page 1

LACMA closed until further notice

photo courtesy of LACMA

LACMA closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

22 March 19, 2020 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

through March 31, ban property owners from evicting residential tenants. Garcetti extended that pro-tection to commercial tenants on March 17 by ordering a moratorium on commercial evictions of tenants unable to pay rent due to circum-stances related to the coronavirus.

“Angelenos who own businesses in our city deserve peace of mind,” Garcetti said. “The moratorium will help ease some of the deepest con-cerns while we get through this cri-sis together.”

Parking restrictions for street sweeping have been temporarily removed and a moratorium has been placed on ticketing and towing abandoned vehicles and those in violation of overnight parking regu-lations. A freeze on parking fine increases is in place for 60 days and deadlines for paying citations have been extended until June 1.

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday also approved motions by Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, 13th District, that relaxed posted rush-hour metered parking restrictions across the city. Motorists who pay meters in those areas will not be ticketed and towed. O’Farrell also instructed the Department of Transportation to waive parking citations issued since March 16 that would have been covered under the mayor’s directives.

Additionally, the council approved O’Farrell’s recommenda-tions for requiring dockless vehicle companies to more frequently clean the transportation devices and report to the council about their plans. More mobile sanitation sta-tions and hand cleaning stations will also be added to densely popu-lated areas under a directive approved on March 17.

Motions by Councilman David Ryu, 4th District, were also approved that will finance a rental assistance and personal loan pro-gram for people affected by coron-avirus, fund more cleaning and san-itization at senior centers, and keep bathrooms at parks open 24 hours. The motions also support state and federal programs to assist people affected by the coronavirus.

The council approved motions by Paul Koretz, 5th District, laying the groundwork for ordinances that will help landlords and mortgage holders work out plans for financial relief, and provide greater assis-tance to homeless individuals.

Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Interim Executive Director Heidi Marston updated the City Council and said efforts are underway to assist homeless indi-viduals during the emergency and

protect outreach workers. She said LAHSA is expanding shelter facili-ties and working to extend the win-ter shelter program to boost capaci-ty, and is conducting more outreach to people on the streets.

While parks themselves remain open, all facilities within them have been closed, including libraries, recreation centers, senior centers and sports facilities. All activities in those buildings are canceled. Arrangements have been made for seniors to pick up meals at seniors centers from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., although only the lobbies will be open and social distancing mea-sures will be in place. For informa-tion, call the Los Angeles City Department of Aging at (213)482-7252.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has ordered all coun-ty buildings closed through March 31. All Metro public transportation service remains operational. Metro has increased cleaning at Union Station and major transit hubs. That includes high-touch-point areas such as handrails, elevator call but-tons and ticket vending machines. Metro is also cleaning buses and trains at least once daily with EPA-approved disinfectants and review-ing cleaning protocols as the situa-tion evolves.

The Los Angeles Unified School District has closed all campuses in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The schools are cur-rently closed for two weeks but that period could be extended. The LAUSD has created Grab and Go centers at many campuses where families can pick up meals, includ-ing Fairfax and Bernstein high schools.

“We are asking everyone to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, and I know that LAUSD leaders did not arrive at the decision to close schools lightly. This will be a chal-lenging time for families and put a strain on teachers and students and each of us can play a part in sup-porting them,” Garcetti said. “The city will work closely with the school district to help ensure our kids are healthy, safe and fed during this closure. Employers should give workers the job security and flexi-bility they need to protect the well-being of their children. We know friends and neighbors will continue to be kind, generous and thoughtful at a moment when we have to pre-pare for any change in circum-stances. We are getting through this together, and I am confident that Los Angeles will rise to the chal-lenge as we always do in moments of crisis.”

Los Angeles City Hall complex has been closed to the public. People wishing to comment on items being considered by the council will do so from a microphone at a location cre-ated for the public audience near Spring Street outside City Hall.

The City Council received public safety updates from Los Angeles police and fire departments as well as the Emergency Management Department. Although cases of coronavirus continue to rise in Los Angeles County and nationwide, local public safety leaders said the situation in Los Angeles is stable. With many businesses closed and large numbers of people working from home or sheltering in place, the crime rate has remained stable throughout the city, according to LAPD Chief Michel Moore, and calls for service have been slightly below average during the past cou-ple of days, said Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas.

“The city is in a local emergency, in a state of emergency operations,” Moore said. “The status in the city is stable. People across Los Angeles have a sense of uneasiness, and we recognize that. What we ask for everyone to continue to operate as good community members, and what we have seen here in Los Angeles to date is the community honoring the mayor’s executive directive, the order shutting down bars and restaurants for on-site ser-vices and gyms and other locations that are non-essential, and we have seen an overwhelming sense of compliance with that.”

The LAPD has reassigned 50% of its detective staff to field opera-tions for the protection of public safety and property through patrol services. The lobbies at police sta-tions have been closed, but people can still make appointments to con-duct business such as filing reports by calling police stations directly. Many routine services are available online.

Terrazas said protocols are being implemented in the fire department to ensure service is available for people needing all types of emer-gency care and treatment and that first responders are protected when potentially coming in contact with people who may be infected by the coronavirus.

“I am extremely confident that we are well prepared to handle this health crisis that we are facing. We face earthquakes, brush fires, high-rise fires, and we will get through this,” Terrazas said. “We will contin-ue to do what we are doing. We are meeting on a regular basis, and I have to thank the public, too, for their cooperation in staying away from those closed facilities. We are in a good place and continue to pre-pare for all emergencies at this time.”

Other provisions included in the emergency declaration, which lasts

Supervisors close all county buildingsFrom page 1

Answers From Page 16

are made. “We have been working close-

ly with the councilman’s office to move the farmers market to a location that works for the farm-ers market as well as the commu-nity. We do not intend to leave the Larchmont area. We have been an important part of the community for 18 years and we have no intention of changing that,” Farwell said. “The reality is that the market has grown over the 18 years, and while we have loved our current location, we also would like the opportunity to find a new home where we have a bit more room to accommodate the demand of the community.”

Ryu said his office will contin-ue to assist Raw Inspiration in its attempt to locate a new space, and the councilman said he also supports the new pocket park and playground. Ryu added that he embraces creating new open space in the district and the new playground helps meet that goal.

The cost of the new pocket park is approximately $272,000, said Craig Raines, a landscape architect with the Los Angeles Department for Recreation and Parks. The city owns the lot and

park funds will be used for new play structures and benches, as well as ground surfaces that cushion falls.

Raines and Ryu said the impacts should be minimal, as the remaining parking will be located away from the pocket park and playground, and a load-ing zone will be available nearby on Larchmont Boulevard for drop-off and pick-up. Ryu said the community supports the pro-ject, including the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, the Windsor Square Association, the Larchmont Business Association, Larchmont Village Neighborhood Association, Hancock Park Homeowners Association and the Recreation and Parks Commission.

Ryu added that he is willing to meet with people who have con-cerns or are seeking information about the project in small groups, but does not plan to hold any large public meetings. Anyone who is seeking information or wants to schedule a meeting is urged to contact Ryu’s Field Deputy Rob Fisher by calling (323)957-6415, or email rob.fish-er@lacity.org.

Raw Inspiration to stay for now, but seeks space From page 1

excited to see the historic legacy of the Palmer Building brought back to the forefront, as it is “cur-rently a bit of a stigmatized build-ing on Hollywood Boulevard.”

“Obviously, the reinvestment also means hopefully the elimi-nation of the challenges the building has created in the pub-lic safety aspects of the commu-nity. Then of course, it adds additional hotel rooms to our visitation economy, which is so critical to the community,”

Larson said. Larson also praised the pro-

posed redesign and renovation, calling the reinvigorated Palmer Building a “much better-looking, aesthetically pleasing property.”

“Anytime you have a blighted building, the impression that it lends to its neighboring buildings is significant,” Larson said. “The replacement of that blight with something that is going to be reinvigorated and restored is huge.”

Historic building to go from blight to sight-seeing venue From page 7

In a statement, the Petersen Automotive Museum announced it had closed as of March 15 due to the coronavirus pandemic and would remain closed through the end of the month.

“Bob Petersen set out to share car culture with the world more than 70 years ago and succeeded by creat-ing numerous publications and opening the Petersen Automotive Museum,” the statement said. “For the last 25 years, the museum has shared that passion with the public through your support … Following recommendations from the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and Los Angeles County, the Petersen will temporar-ily close to the public until March 31.”

The closure includes programs and events, though the Petersen is offering free educational livestreams.

“We believe this closure is the best way to protect our staff, patrons and volunteers, while also supporting public health officials in their efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19,” the statement said.

On Thursday, March 19, students will read “Go, Dog, Go!” by P.D. Eastman, a beloved tale about dogs and their cars at 10 a.m. Students

will make a car of their favorite ani-mal with materials found around the house at 1 p.m.

On Friday, March 20, students will utilize the car to explore how things go from idea to finished product at 10 a.m. At 1 p.m., stu-dents will create car models – a crit-ical part of automotive design – to show how the modeling process can help to explore design choices.

Future lessons will cover propul-sion, aerodynamics, racing and a host of other topics.

“The Petersen Automotive Museum offers students an oppor-tunity to gain an education during school closure and in between their digital course loads,” Petersen Executive Director Terry L. Karges said. “Our special programming will broaden kids’ knowledge and expose them to the world of the automobile.”

If someone has already pur-chased tickets for admission, the vault or an event, and it was can-celed due to the closure, the Petersen will honor that ticket at a future date when the museum reopens or issue a refund or a credit, at the purchaser’s option. Contact info@petersen.org for assistance.

For information, visit petersen.org.

Petersen temporarily closed

photo courtesy of the Petersen Museum

The Petersen Automotive Museum is closed through at least March 31.

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