Issue 759 • April 17, 2014 - April 23, 2014
briefs • Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills to break ground in the summer Page 5
briefs • Trousdale estate plans approved with 2-1 vote Page 4
Former students and friends share how
the legendary choral teacher has influenced
them
Pages 6 - 7
cover story • pages 8-9
A Day in the Life of “Walk with the Mayor”
briefs • Sooky Goldman passes at 91 Page 3
From City Hall to the Witch’s House, on the road with Lili Bosse’s new program
Page 8 • Beverly Hills Weekly
coverstory
From City Hall to the Witch’s House, on the road with Lili Bosse’s new program By Nancy YeangmondAY, APRil 7, 2014
8:25 a.m.IparkmycarintheCitylibraryparkinglotonthesecondlevel.IwasoutofmynormalbusinessworkwearandtradedinmyblackheelsanddresspantswithshortsandNikerunningshoes.IspotanotherresidenttyinguphersneakersandstretchingasIrushouttheparkingstructuretomakesureIcatchthegroup.8:35 a.m. I arrive in frontofCityHallonCrescentDrive and see a crowdofpeople
alreadywaitingtobeingthewalk.IhadonablueandgreywindbreakerbutrealizeImis-judgedtheweather.ThetemperaturewasrisingandIwantedtoputonsunblockasIseepeoplewearingsunglassesandhats.Threedogsareleashedandreadytogoastheypantedandwalkbackandforthwhiletheir
ownersareamongthe40peoplechatting,waitingtobeginthetrek.Newly-installed Mayor Lili Bosse is vibrant with her neon orange jacket and a hot
pink shirt underneath and back pants. Other members for the Beverly Hills HealthyCity Committee were also wearing Bosse’s favorite color; bright orange shirts with“#BHHealhtyCity”printedonthefront.“We’regoingtowalkthroughourhistory!”Bossesaid,revvingeveryoneupfortheday’s
walkthatwouldleadusthroughtheresidentialareasbetweenSunsetBoulevardandSouthSantaMonicaBoulevard.“Let’sgo!”sheannouncesandpumpsherfistsintheair,andthegroupstartsthewalk
onCrescent.I’malreadysweating.8:36 a.m.Whilewewait at the crosswalk onNorthSantaMonica andCrescent, two
morepeoplewavefromacrossthestreetandwaitsforthegrouptocrosstojointhewalk.Althoughthetrafficlightsturnedgreen,thewalkingsigndidn’tlightupwiththegreen
“Go”handsignandweallpause,eventhoughitwasourrightofway.Noonehadpressedthecrosswalkbutton.Wewaitatthecrosswalkascarsnervouslydrivethroughslowly,eye-ingusfromboththecuriosityofwhyweweren’tcrossingthestreetandalsowhythereisalargecrowdofpeopleinworkoutgear.WewaitanotherturnafterBossepressedthebutton.8:42 a.m.“Lilishouldpickupthepaceifwewantaworkout,”Ioverhearafewladies
behindmegossiponschoolsandcommunityevents,whilewearecrammedontheside-walk.Westrollthroughtheneighborhood,andpeoplewalkinpairs,orrowsofthree.Afew
walkalongtheparkinglanesalongCrescenttogetsomemoreelbowroom.Thisismyfirst timewalkingthroughtheneighborhood.I’musuallydrivingmybeige
hand-me-downToyotaCamryonthestreetsbelowSantaMonicaBoulevard,andI’mbusypayingattentiontotraffic.Rightwhenwecrossedthestreets,weswitchfromthebustleofCityHallandtheBusinessTriangletotree-linedstreetsandmanicuredlawns.
8:44 a.m.CommunitymembersoutsideofBeverlyHillsalsojoinedthewalk.SamuelworksonWilshireasalifeinsurancerepresentative,andstopsbytotalkwithme.Iwaswalkingonthegrassareatohavesomespacetowalkandtalk.“Watchit!”hesaysandhegrabsmetowardstosidewalksothatIwouldavoidstepping
onwhatseemedlikedogdoo.Heapologizesforgrabbingmesuddenly,andItellhim,“It’sokay,”asImovetowalkonthestreettoavoidanyunfortunatemishaps.8:52 a.m.AvandrivingdownCrescenthonksatus.ThedriverwasinaRecreationand
Parksvanandslowsdowntowaveateveryone.8:53 a.m.WecrossLomitasandCrescent,andheadtoWillRogersPark.Thecrowdwas
over50atthispointandIspotafewmoredogsinthegroup.Iwassurprisedatthelarge
groupofcommunitymemberstakingoverthesidewalks.8:56 a.m.Westopatahousethatwasbuiltin1908.PhilSavenick,whoisdocumenting
BeverlyHills’historyin“100Years100Stories,”holdsupablackandwhiteimageshowinga“Before”photoofthelonehousewiththeBeverlyHillsHotelonbarren,dirtland,priortoallthedevelopmentandlandscapingthatexiststoday.Thetailendof thegroupstopstoadmirethecontrastfromtheemptylots to landscaped
residentialdevelopmentsrightinfrontofus.9:00 a.m.ImeetHawthorne’sretiredteacherRachelleMarcusatthispoint.Shetellsme
thatsincesheretired,shehasbeendoingsomesubstituteworkatHawthorne,pickedupsomeneedlepointinganddoesvolunteerworkatCedars-Sinai.ShejoinedthefirstWalkwiththeMayorthepreviousweekaswell.ShementionshowthedaysarepassingbyquicklyandtellsmehowtheWeeklyinterviewedherwhensheretired.9:02 a.m. We stopped at the
WillRogersMemorialParkfoun-tain and Marcus explained howthe ducks used to pick at thefish in the fountainandpointsatsome coins at the bottom of thefountain.“Sohere’s somemoney, ifwe
needsomemoney,”Marcuspointsasshetakesaseatbythefountainand another person laughedwhooverheardthecomment.Bosse gathers everyone in
frontof thefountainto introduceBeverly Hills Heritage PresidentKimberly Reiss and Savenickwhostoodonabench.Theyexplainhowthepark,orig-
inally named Sunset MunicipalPark,openedin1915andwasthefirst park in Beverly Hills. ThenamewaschangedtoWillRogersMemorialParkinthe1950s.Savenickpoints out how the five-cornered intersectionbehindus “proves the civilityof
BeverlyHills,”sincenoaccidentshaveoccurredonthatintersection.ThebenchSavenickisstandingonwasthesamebenchCharlieChaplinsatonin“TheIdle
Class.”Thoughthebenchwasmovedfromitsoriginalspot,PhilsaidthatthiswastheparkChaplinranthroughashewasbeingchasedinthemovie.9:10 a.m.Wegetasneakpeak
at the Centennial rose, with thebushes resting in fresh soil don-ning pink buds, almost in fullbloom. Centennial Tree Plantingand Commemorative Rose BushCo-Chair Ray Flade was in thedirt, with a yellow shovel andgrayed gardening gloves, prepar-ingtoplantmoreroses.Aresidentwalks up to the rose and cups itwith one hand as he stoops overtosmellit.9:16 a.m. We walk along
Sunset andmade a left onNorthRodeo Drive to view more his-toricsites.Icomplimentawomanwithasimple,blackshoulderbagwithbrightfabricandpatternsthatseemedlikeitwasfromSoutheastAsia or India. She tells me howshe bought it at a shop that wasin Beverly Hills but it moved toadifferent location.She is anot-quite residentwho livedonBurtonWaybetweenBeverlyHillsandLosAngelesand tellsmesheheardaboutthewalkthroughwordofmouthandthoughtitwasagoodactivitytodoonceaweek.9:28 a.m.Wemake a right onElevadoAvenue.The temperaturewas either risingor I
waswalkingquicker,butIrollupthesleevesonmywindbreaker.Luckily,afoodtruckwas
A DAy in the Life of “WALk With the MAyor”
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Victoria Gordon, Lori Greene Gordon, Marc Saleh, Annette Saleh, and Lucky
Ray Flade
April 17-April 23, 2014 •Page 9
parkedonthestreet,andafewindividualsstoptogetsomerefreshments.9:30 a.m. Wemake a left on
WaldenandarriveattheWitch’shouse,which,accordingReiss,isoneofthebestexamplesofasto-rybook house. The roof’s steepslopesand thewindows’ irregu-lar patchwork patterns with afrontfencethatlookedlikeitwasfromDisneylanddefinitelymadeitlooklikesomeonegrabbedtheimagefromabedtimestory.Savenick explains to me that
the house was moved in fromCulver City in 1929 where“it’s been scaring children eversince.” Jack Haley, who playedthe Tin Man in the “Wizard ofOz,”livedacrossthestreetandinBeverlyHills,theTinManlivedneartheWitch.SavenickmentionshowHaley’sson,JackHaley,Jr.marriedJudyGarland’sdaughter,LizaMinnelli.Savenickpointsout thatHowardHughescrashedaplaneat805NorthLinden in1949
[seerelatedstoryonpg.2).The50,000spectatorswhocamebytolookatthecrashwerethebiggestproblemduringtheevent.9:42 a.m.Tworesidentsandadogwalkawayfromthegroupandcontinuetotheirhomes.
Thereisabreakinthegroup,withthetailendabitfurtherbehindthehead.9:44 a.m.Wemakea rightonRoxburyDrive,and thena leftonSouthSantaMonica
BoulevardwherewestoppedbyTheNosh,arestaurantthatopenedin1975andknownfortheirbagels.AboxofArrowheadwaterbottleswaswaitingforusinsideandthegrouptookamini-break.IwaitoutsideandmeetformerRecreationandParkscommissionerMartyGeimer.Iask
himwheretheLockeHousewas,andhetellsmethatImisseditonthebeginningofthewalk.Wepassafewpeoplewalkinginfrontofusaswetrytocatchuptotheheadofthe
groupwellaheadofus.10:00 a.m. WearriveatCityHall’sentrance,aseveryonepreparestogetagroupshot.“Arewethehealthycity?”Bosseyelledoutandeveryoneresponds,“Yah!”andcheers.Thebrightorangeshirtswith“#BHHealthyCity”onthefrontwerepassedout,alongwith
pedometersandCentennialpins.EveryonegatherstotalktoBosseandthecrowddispersesastheywentonabouttheirday.“Itdoesn’tevenfeellikeaMonday!”aresidentsaysbeforesheleaves.
The Witch’s House at 516 Walden Drive
Chamber of Commerce President John Bendheim, Mayor Lili Bosse, Rachel Zoe, Justin Mateen, Larry King, Haim Saban, Noel Bairey Merz, and Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Alex Stettinski
BHCoC and King hosts Beverly Hills TomorrowBeverly Hills Chamber of Commerce and Larry King hosted the second annual
“BeverlyHillsTomorrow:AVisionfortheFuture”symposiumonApril8attheWallisAnnenbergCenterforthePerformingArts.King led discussions with Saban Capital Group Chair and CEO and Univision
CommunicationsInc.ChairHaimSabam,TinderCo-founderandCMOJustinMateen,BarbraStreisandWomen’sHeartCenterandtheLindaJoyPollinWomen’sHeartHealthProgramatCedars-SinaiInstituteDirectorNoelBaireyMerz,andRachelZoeIncCEORachel Zoe on the role innovation has andwill play in defining local businesses andresidents.
Garden Founder Barbara Linder, Councilmember Willie Brien, Vice Mayor Julian Gold, Mayor Lili Bosse, Beverly Hills Whole Foods Market Store Manager Eliberto Gamino, and Whole Foods Market Marketing Supervisor Ellen Prager
Ribbon cutting at Greystone demonstration Garden dedicationTheCityofBeverlyHillsandMayorLiliBossehostedaribboncuttingeventforGreystone
DemonstrationGarden’sgrandopeningonSunday.“TheGreystoneDemonstrationGardenisanimportantpartofourHealthyCityinitiative,”
MayorLiliBossesaid.“Ihopethateveryonewilltakeadvantageofthisopportunitytoenjoygardeninginacommunitysettingandlearnaboutthebenefitsoflocallygrown,organicfood.”AttendeesparticipatedinafreeherbandvegetableclassbyArmstrongGardenCenters,pro-
motionalgiveaways,andhealthysnacksprovidedbyWholeFoodsMarket.ArmstrongGardenCentershostedaplantsaleduringthededicationceremonywhere20%of
saleswenttowardsGreystoneMansion.Thefundswilldevelopthegarden,seatingandaccom-modations,plantingsuppliesandmaterials,andfreeclasses.GardenFounderBarbaraLinderwaspresentedacheckfor$4,856.11fromtheproject’sspon-
sor,WholeFoods,whohelda“FivePercentDay”wherefivepercentofaday’snetsaleswenttowardstheGreystoneDemonstrationGardne.TheGreystoneDemonstrationGardenissponsoredbytheCityofBeverlyHills,Armstrong
GardenCenters,andWholeFoodsMarket.Itisapublicoutdoorvenueforvisitorstodevelopagreenthumbbylearninghowtoplantflowersandgrowherbsandorganicvegetables.
Walk with the Mayor group photo in front of City Hall at the end of the walk
