Los Feliz Ledger Vol 5. No. 7 Serving the Greater Los Feliz, Silver Lake & Hollywood Hills Area | Distribution 34,500 January 2010 Los Feliz Ledger Continue practicing your figure eights thru Jan. 10th at Ice skating at “Downtown on Ice” at Pershing Square, 532 South Olive, 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Free lunchtime concerts Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Open New Year’s Day, 12 noon to 10 p.m. Visit laparks.org and click on Pershing Square or call (213) 847- 4970. Admission is $6. 2009 was a busy year in local real estate despite its tumultuous start with the finan- cial services in- dustry in near collapse. Dire predictions of a flood of “short sale” and foreclosed houses glutting the market failed to materialize locally. e single most affecting influence new to the market in 2009 was the introduction by Federally-chartered sec- ondary lenders of the “Home Valuation Code of Conduct” (HVCC). In short, the effect was that lenders were obliged to use appraisers drawn blindly from a pool. What happened is that our local properties were appraised by those who knew nothing about our community and what local buyers pay pre- miums for. What’s ahead in 2010? Watch interest rates creep up in reaction to signs of inflation, a side effect of all the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP). Don’t want to go back to Wall Street? Remember that real estate never drops to zero value. Grab a low-interest loan—show the banks you’re tougher than they are—a tax credit before the end of April and a depreciated-value house in 2010. When inflation (it’s coming) rears its ugly head, it will be a great time to be in debt. What a concept! Here’s how the 2009 lo- cal real estate market shaped up as the Ledger went to press: Statistics approximated from the Combined L.A./Westside MLS. Real Estate in 2009: Lenders Retard Recovery By Richard Stanley, Ledger Real Estate Columnist see REAL ESTATE page 12 see BID REVIEW page 4 see REVIEW page 3 see CHAMBER page 4 Silver Lake Chamber: A Look Back By Dyan Collings Ralph, Silver Lake Chamber President SILVER LAKE— Despite the great challenges 2009 pre- sented to the business com- munity, as president of the Silver Lake Chamber of Com- merce (SLCC) I’ve had the privilege of seeing so many local businesses overcome and thrive. e key, I believe, has been harnessing the power of coming together and sharing brainpower and resources. In fact, this has been a pretty fan- tastic year for the Silver Lake Chamber of Commerce. Early in the year we de- cided this was the perfect time to hold a series of events that would give businesses the tools they needed to survive these economic times. e result was our Business Develop- ment Speaker Series and it was a great success, thanks to the SLCC volunteers who brought it all together. We hosted three low-cost seminars, covering electronic (Internet) market- ing, traditional marketing and Here’s a recap of some of the sto- ries the Ledger covered in 2009: GGPNC Faces Ongoing Grievances e Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council (GG- PNC) continues to process two grievances filed by stake- holders within the past four- teen months. In December, 2008, lo- cal resident Dana-Joy Cremin filed a grievance regarding the GGPNC’s decision to oppose and actions pertaining to her request for a preferential park- ing district in Los Feliz’ Dis- trict B. Currently, the issue has been handed over to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, which is working to schedule a mediation. Home Restaurant own- ers Aram Serobian and Vardui “Rose” Petoyan filed the other grievance in July of 2009. e GGPNC handed the issue over to DONE for mediation that same month, however no action has yet been taken by the agency to arrange said mediation. Autry National Center Moves Forward with Upgrades After abandoning in 2009 its once extensive plans for expansion, staff at the Autry National Museum is attempt- ing to upgrade the museum within its existing structure. According to Joan Cum- mings, Director of Communi- cations, the museum is looking primarily into redoing interior galleries in order to provide more space for exhibits. Cahuenga Peak Continues to Seek Buyer e prime piece of realty surrounding the iconic Hol- lywood sign, known as Ca- huenga Peak, remains on sale after going on the market in February of 2008. e 138-acre parcel is list- ed by Beverly Hills real estate boutique Teles Properties. City officials, meanwhile, continue to try to raise funds to buy back the land to preserve it. City Seeks Compromise on Griffith Park Master Plan Since downgrading the Griffith Park Master Plan to a Vision Plan earlier last year, city officials said they hope to come to an agreement in 2010 with the advisory committee that created the plan over sev- eral contentious issues, such as the designation of wilderness areas in the park. e committee was com- missioned by the city to revise a master plan for the park that was first presented in 2005. After working for three years 2009 In Review By Jessica Ogilvie, Ledger Contributing Writer Los Feliz BID Year in Review By Ermanno Neiviller, BID President 2009 com- menced with several new ad- ditions to the Los Feliz Vil- lage Business Improvement District Board (LFVBID): Heather & Rob Valerio from Happy sharing a position; Mark Cianciulli & Susan Cianciulli-Bailey from Solutions, also sharing a posi- tion; Robert & Arzu Benavides from Distant; and Jonathan Sample from Fresh Pressed. As a volunteer board on be- half of all businesses in the LVF- BID we continue to keep our “triangle,” the entry into Los Feliz, clean and watered; streets free of trash as best as possible; trees trimmed; advertising of all businesses on the LFVBID ONLY IN CALIFORNIA: Pau Navas, 20 months, of Los Feliz snacks on a carrot while his parents do their weekly shopping at the Los Feliz Farmer’s Market. Rain or shine, regulars make their way to the market for fresh produce and to support local farms. The market is every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Photo credit: Michelle Kunz. Happy New Year!
Transcript
Los Feliz LedgerVol 5. No. 7 Serving the Greater Los Feliz, Silver Lake & Hollywood Hills Area | Distribution 34,500 January 2010
Los Feliz Ledger
Continue practicing your figure eights thru Jan. 10th at Ice skating at “Downtown on Ice” at Pershing Square, 532 South Olive, 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Free lunchtime concerts Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Open New Year’s Day, 12 noon to 10 p.m. Visit laparks.org and click on Pershing Square or call (213) 847-4970. Admission is $6.
2009 was a busy year in local real estate despite its tumultuous start with the finan-cial services in-
dustry in near collapse. Dire predictions of a flood of “short sale” and foreclosed houses glutting the market failed to materialize locally.
The single most affecting influence new to the market in 2009 was the introduction by Federally-chartered sec-ondary lenders of the “Home Valuation Code of Conduct” (HVCC). In short, the effect was that lenders were obliged to use appraisers drawn blindly from a pool. What happened is that our local properties were appraised by those who knew nothing about our community and what local buyers pay pre-
miums for. What’s ahead in 2010?
Watch interest rates creep up in reaction to signs of inflation, a side effect of all the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP). Don’t want to go back to Wall Street? Remember that real estate never drops to zero value. Grab a low-interest loan—show the banks you’re tougher than they are—a tax credit before the end of April and a depreciated-value house in 2010. When inflation (it’s coming) rears its ugly head, it will be a great time to be in debt. What a concept!
Here’s how the 2009 lo-cal real estate market shaped up as the Ledger went to press: Statistics approximated from the Combined L.A./Westside MLS.
Real Estate in 2009: Lenders Retard RecoveryBy Richard Stanley, Ledger Real Estate Columnist
see REAL ESTATE page 12see BID REVIEW page 4
see REVIEW page 3see CHAMBER page 4
Silver Lake Chamber: A Look BackBy Dyan Collings Ralph,
Silver Lake Chamber President
SILVER LAKE—Despite the
great challenges 2009 pre-sented to the business com-munity, as president of the Silver Lake Chamber of Com-merce (SLCC) I’ve had the privilege of seeing so many local businesses overcome and thrive. The key, I believe, has been harnessing the power of coming together and sharing brainpower and resources. In fact, this has been a pretty fan-tastic year for the Silver Lake Chamber of Commerce.
Early in the year we de-cided this was the perfect time to hold a series of events that would give businesses the tools they needed to survive these economic times. The result was our Business Develop-ment Speaker Series and it was a great success, thanks to the SLCC volunteers who brought it all together. We hosted three low-cost seminars, covering electronic (Internet) market-ing, traditional marketing and
Here’s a recap of some of the sto-ries the Ledger covered in 2009:
GGPNC Faces Ongoing Grievances
The Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council (GG-PNC) continues to process two grievances filed by stake-holders within the past four-teen months.
In December, 2008, lo-cal resident Dana-Joy Cremin
filed a grievance regarding the GGPNC’s decision to oppose and actions pertaining to her request for a preferential park-ing district in Los Feliz’ Dis-trict B. Currently, the issue has been handed over to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, which is working to schedule a mediation.
Home Restaurant own-ers Aram Serobian and Vardui “Rose” Petoyan filed the other
grievance in July of 2009. The GGPNC handed the issue over to DONE for mediation that same month, however no action has yet been taken by the agency to arrange said mediation.
Autry National Center Moves Forward with Upgrades
After abandoning in 2009 its once extensive plans for expansion, staff at the Autry National Museum is attempt-
ing to upgrade the museum within its existing structure.
According to Joan Cum-mings, Director of Communi-cations, the museum is looking primarily into redoing interior galleries in order to provide more space for exhibits.
Cahuenga Peak Continues to Seek Buyer
The prime piece of realty surrounding the iconic Hol-lywood sign, known as Ca-huenga Peak, remains on sale after going on the market in February of 2008.
The 138-acre parcel is list-ed by Beverly Hills real estate boutique Teles Properties. City officials, meanwhile, continue to try to raise funds to buy back the land to preserve it.
City Seeks Compromise on Griffith Park Master Plan
Since downgrading the Griffith Park Master Plan to a Vision Plan earlier last year, city officials said they hope to come to an agreement in 2010 with the advisory committee that created the plan over sev-eral contentious issues, such as the designation of wilderness areas in the park.
The committee was com-missioned by the city to revise a master plan for the park that was first presented in 2005. After working for three years
2009 In Review By Jessica Ogilvie, Ledger Contributing Writer
Los Feliz BIDYear in ReviewBy Ermanno Neiviller,BID President
2009 com-menced with several new ad-ditions to the Los Feliz Vil-lage Business
Improvement District Board (LFVBID): Heather & Rob Valerio from Happy sharing a position; Mark Cianciulli & Susan Cianciulli-Bailey from Solutions, also sharing a posi-tion; Robert & Arzu Benavides from Distant; and Jonathan Sample from Fresh Pressed.
As a volunteer board on be-half of all businesses in the LVF-BID we continue to keep our “triangle,” the entry into Los Feliz, clean and watered; streets free of trash as best as possible; trees trimmed; advertising of all businesses on the LFVBID
ONLY IN CALIFORNIA: Pau Navas, 20 months, of Los Feliz snacks on a carrot while his parents do their weekly shopping at the Los Feliz Farmer’s Market. Rain or shine, regulars make their way to the market for fresh produce and to support local farms. The market is every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Photo credit: Michelle Kunz.
Happy
New Y
ear!
Los Feliz Ledger
Page 2 www.losfelizledger.com January 2010
FOUNDED 2005 Delievered the last Thursday of each month
to 34,500 homes and businesses in the Los Feliz, Silver Lake and Hollywood Hills
communities.
PUBLISHER/EDITORAllison B. Cohen Ferraro
ADVERTISING SALES Olga Measures
Betsy Hall
GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUTTiffany Sims
OFFICE ASSISTANTGriffin O. Cohen
Los Feliz Ledger Los Feliz Ledger
Story ideas, submissions, advertising rates & inquiries
Our new and i m p r o v e d website is fi-nally ready to launch! We hope you will find the new
design easier to read. Plus, there will be additional sto-ries on the web that are not located in our print edition.
Please check it out at www.losfelizledger.com, make com-ments and let us know what you think!
[LETTER FROm THE PUBLISHER]
ONLINEVisit www.losfelizledger.com
for these stories:
• Local Officials Promise Traffic Nightmares Will Not Materialize with West Silver Lake Drive closures
• Thomas Starr King Magnet Sends 7th Grader to
Statewide National Geographic Bee Contest
• Family Matters: Columnist Kristen Taylor’s New Year’s Wish: An End to our
Nation’s Childcare Crisis
• Neighborhood Council Candidate Filing Informa-
tion. Deadline: January 19th
• Students Give the Zoo a Boost
Los Feliz Ledger
January 2010 www.losfelizledger.com Page 3COMMUNITY NEWS
Emergency Training Set for Jan. 13th thru Feb. 24th
LOS FELIZ—The Greater Griffith Park Neighbor-hood Council is offering free CERT Emergency Prepared-ness Training from Jan. 13th through Feb. 24th.
Local residents 18 and over are invited to attend. Topics that will be covered include: disaster preparedness, fire sup-pression, light search and res-cue and disaster psychology, to name a few.
The training will be from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Our Moth-er of Good Counsel Church, 2060 N. Vermont Ave.
Pre-registration is required by emailing: [email protected] or by calling (310) 773-7248. For more informa-tion visit: www.cert-la.com
to do so, the city, in 2009, in-formed the committee that the plan would be turned into a Vision Plan, resulting in fewer funds allocated for its recom-mendations and less authority to take action.
LA Zoo’s Pachyderm Forest Under Construction
After a debate over wheth-er to keep open the Los Ange-les Zoo’s Pachyderm Forest—which houses Asian elephant Billy—the Los Angeles City Council in March, 2009 voted to continue construction on the forest. The construction is tentatively scheduled for com-pletion in late 2010.
According to Jason Jacobs, the zoo’s Director of Market-ing and Public Relations, the construction will expand the forest and create a “dynamic habitat for the animals.” Once completed, the forest will boast a waterfall and a new barn, and will be home not just to Billy but to Chinese water deer, sau-rus cranes and, the zoo hopes, more Asian elephants.
Los Feliz BID Faces Ongoing Scrutiny
In an April 2009 board meeting, the Los Feliz Village Business Improvement Dis-trict (LFVBID) board heard a list of suggested reforms from “Get Rid of the BID,” a group that unsuccessfully tried to shut the LFVBID down ear-lier last year. According to LFVBID board member Jona-than Sample, many of the pro-posed reforms were already in board’s purview prior to being raised by Get Rid of the BID.
King Middle School Returns to Traditional School Year
King Middle School last September returned to a tra-ditional school year after op-erating, due to overcrowding, for 10 years on a year-round schedule.
Built to accommodate 1,050 students, King’s enroll-ment at one time was as high as 3,000.
Date for Silver Lake Meadow Traffic Light Pushed Back
A traffic light at the in-tersection of Silver Lake Bou-levard and Earl Street, origi-nally slated for spring of 2009, is now scheduled for fiscal year 2010-2011.
Traffic Light Planned for Finley and Hillhurst
According to city officials, funding for a traffic light at Finley and Hillhurst avenues is in place, and the light is scheduled for installation in the summer of 2010.
The light is being installed in response to a recent acci-dent in which a woman was
struck by a car while crossing Hillhurst Avenue at the Clar-issa Avenue crosswalk, located one block north of Finley. As part of the project, the Clarissa Ave. crosswalk will be removed at the same time that the Fin-ley Ave. light is put in.
GGPNC Maintains Number of Appointed Seats
Punctuating the divisive “Elected Not Selected” cam-paign spearheaded by Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council (GGPNC) board mem-ber Tomas O’Grady earlier last year, the GGPNC in September re-appointed six members of its 19 members, brought back one former member, appointed one individual who was affiliated with the board and one indi-vidual with no prior affiliation to the board.
The Elected Not Selected campaign sought to change the GGPNC’s uncommon practice of appointing nine
of its 19 board members. The motion was ultimately voted down by the board, despite the campaign’s collection of 500 signatures from stake-holders who were in favor of the change.
Atwater Village Pot Stores Under Investigation
Five medical marijuana dispensaries in Atwater Vil-lage—all of which opened during a 2007-2009 morato-rium on new dispensaries—have been denied hardship exemptions that would have allowed them to continue to operate legally.
The dispensaries, which sprang up along Glendale Boulevard, each claimed that closing would create a finan-cial strain, and so applied for the exemptions. To be shut down, the dispensaries must face prosecution from the City Attorney’s office, which is cur-rently reviewing the cases.
Future of Los Feliz Village Street Fair Uncertain
After the unexpected can-cellation of the Los Feliz Vil-lage Business Improvement District’s (LFVBID) Street Fair in 2009, it remains un-clear whether the fair will re-turn in 2010.
Ermanno Neiviller, LFV-BID President, said in a phone interview that the LFVBID hopes to bring the fair back.
“We’re going do our best,” he said.
Prior to last year’s cancel-lation, the street fair was held annually for 17 years.
Van de Kamp Charter School Opens Amid Protest
Despite the protests of a local community coalition, the historic Van de Kamp site on Fletcher Drive opened in September as a charter high school rather than the adult education facility the coalition was expecting.
REVIEW from page 1
Los Feliz Ledger
Page 4 www.losfelizledger.com January 2010COMMUNITY NEWS
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branding. Business owners who attended told us it was priceless information. Please keep your eyes peeled for more such events in the future.
As David Etzen, SLCC Creative Director and prin-cipal of his graphic design company Redbar, puts it: “Everyone knows the terms “brand identity” and “brand management.” But it’s more than taking the logo on your business cards and putting it on your web site. It’s more about the core personality of a product or service and the perception and experi-ence the audience has to that product or service. In other words, what traits come to mind when I say Apple Com-puter, or Starbucks, or Toyo-ta… or Silver Lake?”
As a Chamber of Com-merce we seek to “go beyond” the chamber logo and com-municate the whole experi-ence of Silver Lake. Con-tinuing our 5-year tradition we printed the 2009-2010 Member Directory on 100% recycled paper, with vegetable based inks, and printed an eco audit on the back cover to demonstrate the benefits of responsible printing. And
new for this year, we are an Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified publication. The FSC was conceived at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio to change the dialogue about, and the practice of, sustain-able forestry worldwide.
For the chamber, produc-ing an FSC certified publication is one example of how we can go “beyond the logo” and com-municate the core personality of the chamber and the experience of being in Silver Lake.
We also fully revamped the SLCC Web Site (silverlake-chamber.com) and we get a lot of traffic. Our audience views an average of 8,500 pages per month and the most hit page is the member directory.
We will continue to update and improve our website and all our communications and pub-lications, the annual Member Print Directory, the quarterly Silver Planet, and the weekly silver e-news. Our goal is to go “beyond the logo” to com-municate the core personality of the Silver Lake Chamber of Commerce and the experience of being in Silver Lake.
When someone mentions Silver Lake, we want people to think: an exceptional and unique place to shop… live… and create.
CHAMBER from page 1 BID REVIEW from page 1website and serving as a liai-son between the police depart-ment and LVFVBID members to keep businesses informed.
This year we also success-fully defeated an attempt by a minority group of members to disband the LFVBID.
We encourage all members to attend one of our monthly meetings so you can voice your opinions and concerns.
More importantly, we en-courage LFVBID members to join a committee or run for a seat on the board. It’s the best way to get your voice heard! To the best of our knowledge no one involved with the disband move-ment has chosen to do either.
Our year culminated with a well-attended mixer—thanks to our host the Vista Theatre—and our successful Holiday Festival.
One immediate change for 2010 will be the reduced assessment for BID members with one employee—from $200 to $100.
Our goals for 2010 include: updating and improving the LFVBID website; taking steps toward the arduous process of
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FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE AND COMFORT;WE COME TO YOU.
alleviating area parking con-cerns and re-evaluating and cre-ating a street fair that reflects us as a BID and community.
The Board of 2010 looks forward to the challenges the upcoming year brings. We encourage your support and hope for your volunteerism.
January 2010 www.losfelizledger.com Page 5COMMUNITY NEWS
Happy New Year!Councilmember Tom LaBonge
and Family
LOS FELIZ—The Hollywood/Los Feliz Kiwanis Club last month provided donations of $100 each to the Los Angeles Police Depts.’ Hollywood Divi-sion’s Toy Drive, providing toys to needy children in the com-munity and to the Los Angeles Chapters of Habitat for Hu-manity and the Make-A-Wish
Foundation. Additionally, the club donated $500 to the Chil-dren’s Miracle Network, the parent organization of Los An-geles Childrens’ Hospital.
For info visit www.holly-woodlosfelizkiwanis.org, or stop by for lunch at Acapulco Restau-rant on Sunset Blvd. any Tues-day from 12 noon -1:30pm.
Kiwanis Club Brings Cheer This Holiday Season; Finishes 2009 Strong
LOS FELIZ—The Los Feliz Village Business Improvement District’s most recent election late last year garnered a 14.5% return rate among the BID’s 270 members.
According to Chris Ser-rano, LFVBID Vice President, 270 ballots were mailed. Of
those, 39 were returned. Last year 37 of 270 ballots were returned for a 11.7% return rate.
Earlier last year, the board voted and approved
its size to increase to a maximum of 13 members, which created seven open seats on the recent ballot. Seven candidates ended up vying for those seats, all of whom will be seated at the LFVBID’s board meeting in January.
The seats will be filled by the following (business affiliation and vote counts are shown): Nina Fayad (Al-berto Salon) 27 votes; Chris Serrano (Coldwell Banker)
26; Laura Springer (Spring-er Chiropractic) 28: Dana Premer (Hotel de Ville) 23; Ermanno Neiviller (Il Ca-priccio) 27; Teddy Chambers (Narconon) 16; and Tony Fa-nara (Palermo) 30.
All are incumbents with the exception of Premer and Narconon.
BID Election Garnishes Paltry 14.5% Return
According to Chris Serrano, LFVBID
Vice President, 270 ballots were mailed.
Of those, 39 were returned.
Los Feliz Ledger
Page 6 www.losfelizledger.com January 2010SCHOOL NEWS
F a i t hL e a r n i n g
A w a r e n e s sC o m m u n i c a t i o n
D i s c i p l i n e
"The Hidden Treasure of Silver Lake"
ADMISSION TOURS AVAILABLE Kindergar ten through 8th GradeChristina Fernandez-Caso, Principal323-662-3777 • 2215 Fargo Street, Los Angeles, CA 90039
Student coun-cil officers for the 2009-2010 school year are Han-na Barakat (Pre s ident),
Tess Stewart (Vice President), Samantha Fonacier (Secretary) and Elias Ephron (Treasurer). We have had two fun meet-ings so far this year. We have been working on improving
our school, and the classroom representatives have brought lots of good ideas to the stu-dent council meetings.
The 5th grade had a cul-mination ceremony for their Full Circle program. In the program, they learned about systems, made fire using sticks and then baked bread in the fire, made rope from yucca plants, and took three team-building, nature field trips.
[IVANHOE ELEmENTARY]
Student Council Elections By Luca Herman, 4th Grade
[PILGRIm SCHOOL]By michael Wong, Grade 7
In December, we had our magnif icent Christmas pro-gram, which was very enter-
taining, especially because I got to perform in it. We donated lots of gifts to Commonwealth Elementary School.
Our seniors are busy ap-plying to different colleges in-cluding Stanford, NYU, Co-lumbia, Pitzer, USC, all of the
UCs, and other top schools..Our new Arts Center
will soon be ready. Look for a dedication soon. Now there are plans for a new elementary and middle school science lab.
Working with our colonies has become a very enjoyable process. The entire school is divided into 15 colonies, with students from all grades, plus
faculty and staff members. We get together every six weeks to do special projects.
January 2010 www.losfelizledger.com Page 7SCHOOL NEWS
If Pilgrim School Is At The Top Of Your List, You’ve Done Your Homework.
OPEN HOUSE Tuesday, January 12, 2010
at 6:00 pm
PRESCHOOL THROUGH GRADE 12
5 4 0 S . C O M M O N W E A LT H A V E N U E L O S A N G E L E S , C A L I F O R N I A 9 0 0 2 0 w w w . p i l g r i m - s c h o o l . o r g ( 2 1 3 ) 3 5 5 - 5 2 0 4
Pilgrim School is a division of First Congregational Church of Los Angeles
W e l c o m e to the New Year! Soon, I m m a c u -late Heart
students will be well rested from their holiday break! For now, though, it’s time to start
studying! Semester finals take place in the middle of January, and we are already preparing for them. With the conclusion of finals, a promising semester break is a time to recuperate and get back into the pattern of Immaculate Heart student
life. During our break, a select few juniors will be traveling to Washington D.C to take part in the annual Close-Up pro-
gram and witness our govern-ment in action. As for prospec-tive IH students, Immaculate Heart will offer its high school
entrance examination on Sat., Jan. 30th, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Good luck and cheers to the New Year!
[ImmACULATE HEART HIGH SCHOOL]
A Busy Start to the New Year!By Ana Cano ’12 & marisol medina y Cadena ’12
Los Feliz Ledger
Page 8 www.losfelizledger.com January 2010SCHOOL NEWS
[LYCEE]
AIDS ProjectLucie Gareton, 11th grade
I was one of two students who came up with the idea of organizing an event on World
An independent day school for college-bound girls grades 4 through 12
Prospective families are invited to attend an Open House at Westridge School.
Saturday, January 9, 20101 to 4 p.m.
LOS FELIZ—Students from Our Mother Good Counsel School located shared their blessings this past December with those in need from the neighborhood and with Unit-ed States Marines serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“It feels so good to give back to those that are pro-tecting us,” said Alexia Grad-ford, a member of the Class of 2010. Christopher Peterson, a 5th grader, was proud of his classmates as he helped pack canned foods that would find their way to those less fortu-nate in the neighborhood.
A special Thanksgiving Mass was held on Thanksgiv-ing Eve. The canned goods collected by each class were
brought forth to the altar dur-ing the offertory by a represen-tative from each class.
Mrs. Deebs, our principal, looked on with pride as she spoke with her students about their generosity.
“Even though the econo-my is not in great shape, all of our students and their parents reached deep into their hearts and gave freely.”
Mrs. Deebs is particularly proud of the relationship that the school has with the Ma-rine Corps.
“We have been work-ing together with the Marine Corps for the past four years. They are wonderful role mod-els teaching responsibility and teamwork to our students.” The Marine Representatives take time out to share a P.E. period with us. This is the first year that we have collected goods for the Marines. We call it ‘Operation Semper Fi’, (Al-ways Faithful). Our student body went above and beyond collecting items that our Ma-rines need. Mr. Jackson, our teacher, organized the collec-tion and helped us to pack all the boxes to be shipped.
This past holiday season proved that the spirit of char-ity and giving were alive and well at Our Mother of Good Counsel School.
[OUR mOTHER OF GOOD COUNSEL]
By OmGC 7th Grade Students
The weeks at Holy Trinity are flying by so fast. When I started 8th grade, I never knew it would
be so hard to keep up with is
pace. We have endless amounts of homework each day. I know if I try hard enough it will be worth it in the end. Although, being in 8th has its down sides, there are many privileges we have received. We just got our warm 8th sweaters.
My day starts with the morning assembly and prayer service. After that, we settle
in and read stories and learn about the different genres we read about. Then we get ready to switch rooms for the ad-vanced classes. We then have recess and see all of the other students in the yard. When re-cess is over, we go back to the classroom to learn American history and also discover more about our beliefs in God and our Christian charity. Next it is lunch and we have recess once again. Following that, we have our electives such as Spanish, computers, art, music and physical education.
Many of the students have joined extra-curricular activi-ties and the special events that our school has to offer. I love all my teachers here and some-how, they just make being here feel like home. They are the most hard-working group of teachers you will ever meet.
[HOLY TRINTY]Stephanie Intal, 8th Grade
Dec. 1st, I arrived at school to see everyone dressed in red. Red ribbons were sold to col-lect donations for AIDS Project Los Angeles. 6th through 12th graders gathered for an assem-bly that began with a speech by campus director Mr. Phillipe Vanhille about the evolution of AIDS awareness. We raised $567.84 that day for APLA.
Los Feliz Ledger
January 2010 www.losfelizledger.com Page 9COMMUNITY NEWS
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SILVER LAKE — Living in the local area of Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Echo Park and Atwater Village, or just about anywhere in the city for that matter, chances are you’ve spotted a Red Lilly Plumbing service van.
As one of the oldest plumb-ing companies in Los Angeles County, it’s also likely that Red Lilly has serviced your home or one of your nearby neighbor’s some time in the past 80 years or so.
John W. Lilly, or “Red” as he was called because of his red hair, licensed his company back in 1924. Since then, the company has changed hands only three times—each time being passed down to an em-ployee already familiar with Red Lilly’s clients and service.
That kind of consistency is why Red Lilly is known for quality service.
“We have some in our sys-tem that have been Red Lilly customers since the original owners of the homes back in the 1920s-1930s,” said office manager Jennifer Aragon.
By the time current own-
er, Giovanni Torreschico 30, came to work for Red Lilly as one of two technicians in 2005, staff numbers had dropped and business was running with only two service trucks. Then owner, Linda Adams, taught him the business end of things and led the way for Tor-reschico, a son of Salvadoran immigrants, to take over and buy the company.
Torreschico looked for technology that would be the least visibly disruptive for the older homes in the area and upgraded to current industry standards such as trenchless technology, perma-lining ex-isting systems and tankless water heaters. All equipment is tailored toward water con-
servation and to help owners of historic homes modernize while protecting their assets and mature landscaping.
In four short years, Red Lilly has grown to eight ser-vice trucks with a sleek new look and 14 technicians all trained with Torreschico’s su-pervision.
“I bring in apprentices, because if you don’t teach it stops,” said Torreschico.
Not only does he run classes for employees on site and teaches his apprentices on the job, his company pays
to send workers to Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association school. It’s a prac-tice not just good for business, says Torreschico, it’s good pro-tection for the homeowner.
“Plumbing can be a dan-gerous job so we always have the proper insurance, provide worker’s compensation and we train our employees how to be safe,” he said. “We are con-stantly bringing in new cus-tomers and we want to make sure we leave a good name with them, and that their great grandkids use us for years.”
[FOCUS ON THE ADVERTISER]
Red Lilly maintaining a Tradition of QualityBy Kimberly Gomez, Ledger Contributing Writer
Red Lilly Owner Giovanni Torreschico, at right, with office manager and sister, Jennifer Aragon and Jake Rodriguez. Photo by: Kim Gomez.
Los Feliz Ledger
Page 10 www.losfelizledger.com January 2010COMMUNITY NEWS
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ATWATER VILLAGE—Lilly LaBonge had been produc-ing television commercials for close to thirty years when, in November 2005, she was diag-nosed with breast cancer.
“I had a wonderful career,” she said. “I traveled around the world, ate at the best res-taurants… but breast cancer made me stop and reevaluate what’s important and what’s not…”
She continued producing for about a year and a half af-ter the diagnosis—and subse-quent recovery—but on one very long flight home from a job in South Africa, LaBonge
decided to make a change.
“I told my husband, ‘I don’t know if I have five minutes, five years, or 50 years left, but I want to do something that I’m passion-ate about with that time,’” she recalled.
Luckily for chocolate lov-ers, LaBonge is passionate about baking brown-ies.
“It was al-ways my way to sort of detox at
the end of the day,” she said, “and a lot of times I would bring them in to my clients. They were very well received.”
So, LaBonge traded the long hours and high stress of television producing for the
longer hours and utter bliss of baking––and Sweets for the Soul was born.
“I wanted to bring the gourmet dessert experience to the public,” LaBonge said. That meant organic ingredi-ents and Valrhona chocolate. “I won’t compromise on the Valrhona chocolate!”
Granted, expensive ingre-dients make expensive brown-ies, “But,” La Bonge said, “the people that appreciate the quality really appreciate it.”
Initially, LaBonge rented space in a commercial kitchen
and sold her brownies online, but she soon realized that she would need a kitchen of her own and a storefront to go with it if she wanted to have a successful business. She found the perfect location—and an appreciative fan base—on Hy-perion Avenue.
Sweets for the Soul will celebrate its one-year anni-versary on Jan. 14th, but La-Bonge said she’s still learning. And her business is changing accordingly. In the past year she has expanded the menu by adding cupcakes and Car-
mela’s ice cream, worked with a wedding planner to create individual packages for wed-dings, and extended her store hours to better accommodate her customers.
It’s apparent, however, that some things—like LaBonge’s commitment to quality, the community (she recently do-nated 160 boxes of brownies to St Jude’s Children’s Hospital) and pursuing her passions—will never change.
And yes. She is the sis-ter-in-law of, you guessed it: Tom.
ENGLISH ESTATE: Los Feliz.Archt’l Paul Williams estate with massive English gardens with pool. Updated systems. Exquisite interior with style & grace. $2,790,000 WEB: 0283749 Allen Levoff 213.999.6564
4524 AMBROSE AVE: Los Feliz. Hedged & private character Georgian home. 2bd/2ba unique private resort-like residence. An artistic, enviable home.$997,000 WEB: 0283812Charlie Clark 323.671.2311
SPANISH TRI-PLEX: Los Feliz. Spanish Tri-plex, front units 1bd/1ba each w/hdwd fl rs. Single home in back. Parking for 3 cars. Character & charm.$649,000 WEB: 0283779Allen Levoff 323.671.2313
5047 AMBROSE AVE: Los Feliz. Vintage 3bd/2ba home built in 1923. Good architectural details: Batchelder tile, fpl, high ceilings, veranda, patio, hot tub. $965,000 WEB: 0275282Linda Zinn, GRI 626.396.3980
1935 SPANISH VILLA: Los Feliz.1935 Span Villa 2 story home 3bd/3ba, living rm w/fi replace, French drs, Library w/fi replace & frml dining rm. Remod bath w/roman tub/shower. Guest unit. $1,098,880 WEB: 0283799 Manvel Tabakian 323.376.2222
Page 12 www.losfelizledger.com January 2010Su Casa REAL ESTATE
Los Feliz and Franklin Hills (90027 and 90068): Single Family Homes: Homes sold: 126 (-1% change from same period 2008) Median home sale price: $1,000,000 (-9% from 2008) Median home asking price: $1,125,000 Asking price vs. sale price: 89% Median days on market: 39 Median home size: 3 bedrooms; 2.5 baths; 2,428 sf on a 7,361 sf lot; built in 1933. Highest home sale: $4,600,000 (15% more than 2008 highest sale) Second highest home sale: $4,200,000 (5% more than 2008 highest sale) Lowest home sale: $391,500 (19% more than 2008 lowest sale) Second lowest sale price: $483,000 (51% more than 2008 lowest sale)
Condos: Condos sold: 19 (-14% change from same period 2008) Median condo sale price: $515,000 (+4% change from same period 2008) Median condo asking price: $519,000 Median asking price vs. median sale price: 99% Median days on market: 30 Median condo size: 2 bedrooms; 2 baths; 1,400 sf; built in 2007 Highest condo sale price: $620,000 (11% less than 2008 highest sale) Second highest condo sale price: $590,000 (16% less than 2008 highest sale) Lowest condo sale price: $190,000 (33% less than 2008 lowest sale) Second lowest condo sale price: $275,000 (3% less than 2008 lowest sale) Los Feliz/Franklin Hills OverviewMixed results characterized this market in 2009. Sales stag-nated and median property val-ues slid another 9% (in contrast to rising median prices in other neighborhoods)—probably in response to the difficulty buy-ers had in obtaining “jumbo” loans. Here, there seemed to be two markets. One market com-prised sound, well-priced proper-ties that attracted multiple offers, sold close to the asking price (or above) and in about a month or less. The other market was com-prised of the rest. These latter properties sat interminably at in-flated prices; had compromising quirks and flaws or needed more repair than over-worked and/
or cash-strapped buyers could abide. Still, there were a good many plush sales—especially to celebrity buyers. In particular in 2009, many household names were keenly attracted to gated Laughlin Park as a paparazzi-proof refuge.
Silver Lake (90039):
Single Family Homes: Homes sold: 100 (+12% change from same period 2008) Median home sale price: $800,000 (+6% change from same period 2008) Median home asking price: $799,000 Asking price vs. sale price: 100% Median days on market: 41 Median home size: 3 bedrooms; 2 baths; 1,595 sf on a 5,361 sf lot; built in 1935 Highest home sale: $1,890,000 (28% less than 2008 highest sale) Second highest home sale: $1,750,000 (34% less than 2008 highest sale) Lowest home sale: $272,000 (19% more than 2008 lowest sale) Second lowest home sale: $285,000 (19% more than 2008 lowest sale)
Condos: Condos sold: 18 (+39% change from same period 2008) Median condo sale price: $500,000 (-7% change from same period 2008) Median condo asking price: $489,000 (102% of asking price) Median asking price vs. median sale price: 102% Median days on market: 53 Median condo size: 2 bedrooms; 2 baths; 1,140 sf; built in 1982 Highest condo sale price: $685,000 (10% more than 2008 highest sale) Second highest condo sale price: $630,000 (1% more than 2008 highest sale) Lowest condo sale price: $272,000 (21% less than 2008 lowest sale) Second lowest condo sale price: $285,000 (17% less than 2008 low-est sale)
Silver Lake Overview:Prime Silver Lake (90039) woke up in 2009! Ivanhoe Elemen-tary School continues to attract families to this area. Both single-family residences and condos—when priced attractively—sold at, or above, asking prices. Buy-ers bid up some prime properties, including a Hollywood Regency with an exceptional garden. Prime Silver Lake continues to capture the attention of celebrity buyers, especially younger ones in the music industry.
Silver Lake and Echo Park (90026): Single Family homes: Homes sold: 120 (-15% change from same period 2008) Median home sale price: $507,000 (+6% change from same period 2008) Median home asking price: $525,000 Asking price vs. sale price: 97% Median days on market: 27 Median home size: 3 bedrooms; 1.75 baths; 1,266 sf on a 5,097 sf lot; built in 1929 Highest home sale: $1,089,000 (36% less than 2008 highest sale) Second highest home sale: $975,000 (43% less than 2008 highest sale) Lowest home sale: $150,000 (23% less than 2008 lowest sale) Second lowest home sale: $150,000 (23% less than 2008 lowest sale)
Condos: Condos sold: 7 (+14% change from same period 2008) Median condo sale price: $395,000 (-12% change from same period 2008) Median condo asking price: $399,000 Median asking price vs. median sale price: 99% Median days on market: 55 Median condo size: 2 bedrooms; 2 baths; 1,392 sf; built in 1991 Highest condo sale price: $545,000 (5% more than 2008 highest sale) Second highest condo sale price: $543,000 (4% more than 2008 highest sale) Lowest condo sale price: $261,000 (61% less than 2008 lowest sale) Second lowest condo sale price: $316,000 (33% less than 2008 low-est sale)
Silver Lake/Echo Park Overview:Silver Lake/Echo Park (90026) proved very popular among first-time buyers in 2009. Competition for sound, well-priced inventory at-tracted multiple offers and pushed prices upward. Fixer properties, when priced to foment urgency among buyers, collected astound-ing numbers of offers.
Atwater Village (90039): Single Family homes: Homes sold: 31 (-35% change from same period 2008) Median home sale price: $575,000 (+8% change from same period 2008) Median home asking price: $589,000 Asking price vs. sale price: 98% Median days on market: 42 Median home size: 3 bedrooms; 1.50 baths; 1,200 sf on a 5,400 sf lot; built in 1927
Highest home sale: $1,100,000 (5% more than 2008 highest sale) Second highest home sale: $753,000 (39% less than 2008 highest sale) Lowest home sale: $290,000 (16% less than 2008 lowest sale) Second lowest home sale: $442,000 (32% more than 2008 lowest sale)
Condos: Condos sold: 5 (+500% change from same period 2008) Median condo sale price: $345,000 (-1% change from same period 2008) Median condo asking price: $379,000 Median asking price vs. median sale price: 9% Median days on market: 17 Median condo size: 2 bedrooms; 1 bath; 980 sf; built in 1947 Highest condo sale price: $350,000 (no change from 2008 highest sale) Second highest condo sale price: $349,000 (less than 1% change from 2008 highest sale) Lowest condo sale price: $325,000 (7% less than 2008 lowest sale) Second lowest condo sale price: $330,000 (6% less than 2008 lowest sale) Atwater Village Overview:
Starter homes sold well in At-water Village in 2008, but 2009 brought a cooling trend, volume-wise. Prices showed a modest increase, as low inventory drove demand. Condos (there are 40 only) play a minuscule role here, but remain the best values around among 2-bedroom condos. After a moribund 2008, 1/8th of these condos sold in 2009 in the low- to mid-$300,000s.
Richard Stanley is a 22-year vet-eran of local real estate. He can be reached at Coldwell Banker-Los Feliz, (323) 906-2417 or website: www.richardstanleyrealtor.com.
REAL ESTATE from page 1 Silver Lake Groups Celebrate 20 Years of ServiceBy michael LockeLedger Correspondent
Community activism has a storied history in Silver Lake. Perhaps no group has had a more distinguished record of service than the Silver Lake Im-provement Association (SLIA) and the Silver Lake Reservoirs Conservancy (SLRC, formerly the Committee to Save Silver Lake’s Reservoirs).
Both organizations got to-gether recently for an appetiz-ers-and-dessert potluck, to share stories and congratulate each other for a “job well done.”
The community owes these very special volunteers a debt of gratitude! SLIA Presi-dent Genelle LeVin organized the event, held at the Laguna Apartments, Dec. 7, 2009.
Pictured are (top row, L-R) Former SLRC President Dave Keitel; SLRC President Shelley Marks; SLIA President Genelle LeVin; SLRC Board Member Maryann Kuk and Vincent Brook, SLIA Board Member, Former President and Found-er of “Music Box Steps Day”; (bottom row) SLIA Board Members Cherie Miller, Susan Martin and Tom Davidson).
Los Feliz Ledger
January 2010 www.losfelizledger.com Page 13Su Casa REAL ESTATE
IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. Times are hard and you want to keep your family safe and happy. Next time you’re thinking about buying and selling real estate call Gail Crosby because she’s always got your best interest in mind.
[email protected] SRES Licensed ECObroker Certified® DRE# 01377453 Sotheby’s International Realty owned and operated by NRT LLC
The Hunting-ton Library in San Marino is a haven for historians. On any given day, authors and
professors by the dozen peruse the institution’s rare books, manuscripts, photographs, prints and maps—5 million items and growing. Jack Lon-don’s manuscript for his novel “The Sea Wolf” is there, so charred by the 1906 San Fran-cisco earthquake and fire that it cannot be handled.
A shrine to scholarship, the library attracted Dr. An-
drew Rolle nearly a half a cen-tury ago as he was beginning his career in academia, and he has never left. His 21 books were written, in part, in an austere little office adjacent to the second floor’s collection on the history of the western world.
Rolle is emeritus professor of history at Occidental Col-lege and an authority on Los Angeles, the Gold Rush, Ital-ian immigration, John Charles Fremont and Henry Mayo Ne-whall. The 7th edition of his college textbook, “California: A History” was published in 2008. Rolle combined Cali-fornia social and political his-tory into popular reading long before Kevin Starr began troll-ing the same waters.
Facing the vigorous 87-year-old Rolle in his office, I opened a copy of his Califor-nia history to a reference to a certain golfer that’s been in the news, a lot, of late.
“Few athletes have had more of an impact on a sport,”
it reads. “Born in Cypress, California, Tiger Woods took to the links at an early age, ap-pearing on television at age 2. The very next year, at age 3, he shot an incredible 48 for nine holes. By age 19, Woods had become the youngest golfer in history to win the U.S. Ama-teur Tournament. Before he turned 30 years of age, he had won 10 major golf champion-ships, ranking him third on the all-time list behind golf leg-ends Jack Nicklaus and Wal-ter Hagan. Proud of African American and Asiatic origins, Woods is an inspiration for young persons of mixed race.”
What we inquired, have recent revelations of Wood’s sexual proclivities done to Woods’ reputation?
“As a historian of Califor-nia,” he responded, “I don’t think that’s my problem. I am appalled at the way the press continues to feed the aber-rant and spurious interests of the public. There are dark se-crets in the lives of everybody which ought to remain that way. It has nothing to do with his accomplishments.”
Rolle’s objectivity in the face of scandal meant that O.J. Simpson got his due as an “outstanding” college football player in Rolle’s 1993 volume, “Los Angeles: From Pueblo to City of the Future,” after Simpson’s wife Nicole had been murdered.
In truth, the shelves of Cal-ifornia history are filled with the stories of people who made their reputations in one area while fighting off public scru-tiny in another. Rolle has been around long enough to know.
[CITY SLEUTH]
Catching a Tiger by the Tail?By Diane Kanner, Ledger Columnist
Facing the vigorous 87-year-old Rolle in his office, I opened a copy of his California history to a reference to a certain golfer that’s been in
the news, a lot, of late.
[KEEN TO BE GREEN]
“Sustainable Saturdays” Workshops Planned for Silver Lake LibraryBy meher mcArthur,Ledger Columnist
At the start of a new decade, it seems impor-tant to renew our own per-sonal commit-
ments to the environment and make at least one green New Year’s resolution.
This year, I have decided to learn as much as I can from experts about how to live a more sustainable life, and I suspect that there are others in our community who would like to too. Starting in Febru-ary, I will be organizing a se-ries of monthly lectures, films and workshops on green issues at the new Silver Lake Library. The series, Sustainable Sat-urdays, will be held on the first Saturday of each month at 11 a.m., starting Feb. 6th, and will be free to the public. Watch this space or contact the library for more details.
Home Buyer Seminar Jan. 30th
Keller Williams agents Karen Numme and Caroline “Pinky” Young will conduct a free homebuyer’s seminar Sat., Jan. 30th.
The event is open to first time homebuyers as well as those re-entering the market. $10 for lunch.
A panel of experts—in-cluding lenders, escrow, title and home inspectors— will be on hand to answer questions. Raffle prizes and lunch pro-vided.
1660 Hillhurst Ave., 323-600-1000.
[ SELECT HOmE SALES JANUARY 2010 ]90026 Condominimums
Call 866-905-2266 or visit www.belmontvillage.com to order your free guide to Assisted Living
‘‘ I Choose Belmont Village’’
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‘‘We choose a happy new year.”
LozFeliz_1_10_NewYear.indd 1 12/18/09 10:25 AM
Griffith Park Adult Community Club Calendar
Lunch and General Meeting, 12pm – 3 pm Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Friendship Auditorium
Trips: Contact Doris Slater, (323) 667-1879 for information on new trips.
Classes and Events: Contact Griffith Park Adult Community Center (GPACC) at (323) 644-5579 or stop by at 3203 Riverside Dr., in the parking lot of Friendship Auditorium south of Los Feliz Blvd. to get a schedule of classes and events.
Silver Lake Recreation Center at 1850 W. Silver Lake Dr. (323) 644-3946 will also have classes.
The Lunch Program: Lunch is served 5 days a week at the Center. $1.75 is the donation for those over 60 years. Daily lunch is served at 12 pm and you can come in for coffee and sign in at 11:30am.
Club and Newsletter: For Information on the Griffith Park Adult Community Club and getting a newsletter, call Stephanie Vendig at (323) 667-3043, or e-mail at [email protected].
Programs for Free-Thinking Seniors! To learn more about our current calendar of classes, concerts and cultural events, visit www.sunsethall.org. For information: Wendy Caputo (323) 962-5277
Los Angeles Breakfast ClubMaking Los Angeles a better place
through community service and friendship.
Wednesdays, 7:00 to 9:00 a.m.First-time visitors – FREE (normally $6.00)
Full bu�et breakfast
Songs – Movement – Interesting Speakers – Music
Jan. 6: Wildlife Habitat Steward – Alan Pollack – “How to A�ract Birds & Bu�er�ies to Your Garden”Jan. 13: Cindy Abbo�-Mayer – “Hollenbeck Palms – Continuing Care Retirement Community”Jan. 20: Greater L.A. Zoo Assn. – Stacey Hagreen – “California Condors Recovery Project” Jan. 27: USC Professor – Michael Orosz – “Protecting the Homeland through Scienti�c Research”
Friendship Hall, 3201 Riverside Drive
(1/4 mile south of Los Feliz Blvd.)(323) 662-1191
BreakfastClub_Jan10.indd 1 12/21/09 3:14:23 PM
When the Griffith Park Adult Com-munity Cen-ter (GPACC) first opened, the Los An-
geles Dept. of Recreation and Parks offered to purchase rocking chairs for our porch.
The response from us “active seniors” was immediate. We couldn’t visualize a line-up of rocking chairs with people passively viewing the parking lot. The rocking chair idea died quietly. But after visiting Nicaragua recently, I am re-thinking that notion.
Nicaragua is a country of many things, but one feature caught my attention—the rocking chair. Everywhere, in living rooms, restaurants, and hotels, the rocking chair symbolizes a relaxed
life style. They are placed around tables, in living room settings, in doorways, or on the porch. You can carry on engaging conversations or just watch or greet the world as it passes by your door. In addition, the “rattan” back of the chair provides air circula-tion, as well as a comfortable back support. The sculptured
wood from the forests of Ni-caragua makes your chair a thing of beauty.
Nicaragua, of course, is more than rocking chairs. It’s a land of volcanoes, earth-quakes, hurricanes, tropical forests, lakes and beaches and apparently, rocking chairs.
It’s amazing how our per-spective can change when we
see a different culture’s take on something—a rocking chair in this case.
I no longer look at the rocking chair as a place for the elderly to bide their time. But instead, a seat to be taken to relax, enjoy con-versation and a symbol that the American view is not the only view.
[SENIOR mOmENTS]
The Land of Rocking ChairsBy Stephanie Vendig, Ledger Columnist
It’s amazing how our perspective
can change when we see a different culture’s take on
something—a rocking chair in
this case.
Los Feliz Ledger
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BourbonBy Tara de Lis, Ledger Wine and Spirits Columnist
Until recently, mention of the word “bour-bon” would conjure images of old men in
overalls sitting on a Kentucky porch sipping a cheap, sinister spirit. Hard to believe it’s be-coming the drink of choice for everyone from grown-up hip-sters to… (gasp!) women.
Today, bourbon is retrac-ing its roots to century-old pride in craftsmanship. To-day’s it’s all about artisan tech-niques like single-barrel bottles and small batches.
The most recognized and best-selling worldwide brand is Jim Beam, whose overall portfolio now includes a spe-cial “small batch collection” of four unique brands, hand-crafted in limited quantities.
Knob Creek is aged nine years and has an almost nou-gatine nose; it’s smooth and best enjoyed on the rocks. Ba-sil Hayden’s superb golden hue gives way to an almost creamy flavor that finishes remarkably clean. Baker’s is spiciness in a bottle, an incredibly intense kick in the pants barely tamed by a splash of water. But the real badass of the bunch—at almost 125 proof—is Booker’s, which is bottled straight-from-the-barrel, producing a macho mix of coffee and oak.
Another impressive lineup comes from the Sazerac Com-pany. The family-owned Buf-falo Trace distillery produces a complex blend of rustic leather, sweet molasses and a touch of anise. Honey-hued Eagle Rare single barrel is aged 10 years and possesses the elegance of a tawny port, but with refresh-ing hints of pine.
For more info, visit www.jimbeam.com/mixolog y /drink-recipes or www.saz-erac.com/bourbon.aspx.
HOLLYWOOD—Off-Vine, the popular restaurant, located on
Leland Way in a hun-dred year old b u n g a l o w that was dev-asted by fire in April of
2008, is set to reopen after a nearly two year restoration.
At first, rebuilding was daunting, according to co-owner Richard Falzone. But thanks to Falzone and his partners, Greg Fedderly and chef Tony Hernandez, they kept their optimism in check even at the hardest times.
What could have been a scene from Frank Capra’s “It’s A Wonderful Life,” the com-munity pitched in to advise, lend support and to physically help start the rebuilding. One impeccably dressed customer came by days after the fire, asking what he could do to help? He took a broom to help clean up the ashes.
“Off Vine is re-opening thank to the residents and cus-tomers who lent their undying support throughout this pro-cess,” said Falzone.
The newly renovated space has more footage, a larger kitchen, more bathrooms and is now wheelchair accessible.
The downstairs eating area and patio remains much as it did before the fire—the cozi-ness of dining in a Craftsman home with a fireplace—a true Californian experience.
The restaurant will con-tinue to serve affordable con-tinental cuisine, brunches and those delicious soufflés for des-sert but will have more room to expand and explore new fare as well. About 95% of the wait staff are coming back—a true testament to the Off Vine legacy.
Off Vine Restaurant6263 Leland Way (323) 962-1900 www.offvine.com
[IN mY NEIGHBORHOOD]
Off Vine Set to Re-OpenBy Rona Edwards, Ledger Columnist
Los Feliz Ledger
January 2010 www.losfelizledger.com Page 17ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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It’s always a pleasant sur-prise to dis-cover great act-ing in a small s t o r e f r o n t theater. That’s
why it was a pleasure to go to “That Perfect Moment” at the tiny Little Victory Theatre in Burbank, just over the hill from the Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Hollywood neighborhoods.
The play is a poignant comedy about four aging baby boomers in the San Fernando Valley. Disillusioned with their lives, the four long to re-capture their youth when they were in a hot rock band called The Weeds.
Mark Vanowen, an old hippie college professor who was the lead guitarist in the band, has invited his three friends to a reunion with the dream of reuniting the group. His plans start to unravel when he discovers that the drum-mer, a balding Skip Chan-dler, who has made a bundle in business, has also become a Republican. The band had broken up years earlier when Chandler gained control over the group’s original music, and he is unwilling to release the rights for a comeback.
Time has taken its toll on the other band members. Ga-briel Vesper now plays at a piano bar and Albert Tees-dale, the other member of the band, is a long haired, new age chiropractor without an office who plies his skills at a picnic table in Van Nuys Park. Mark’s life is addition-ally complicated by his wife’s announcement that she is fed up with his counter-culture dreams and is leaving him.
As the four middle-aged men grapple with their at-tempts to reconcile their dreams of the past with their present realities and prob-lems, we see their foibles,
their strengths and their an-gers. The power of friendship is revealed through comedy which is both hilarious and bittersweet.
“That Perfect Moment” will strike a chord with those who lived through the tumul-tuous decades of the ‘60s and ‘70s. The acting is superb, and the 90 minutes really take you back in time. The uptight businessman, Skip, portrayed by Bruce Katzman is a perfect foil to the old hippie Mark beautifully acted by Tait Rup-pert. John Bingham as Albert and Guerin Barry as the gay and cynical Gabriel also give fine performances. Kelley Lester as Sarah, Mark’s long suffering wife also shines.
Locally, those who at-tended Catholic schools will find “’Til Death Do Us Part, Late Nite Catechism” another way to escape back in time. The play, which has appeared around the countr , makes its Los Angeles debut and is performed at Our Mother of Good Counsel Church on Jan. 9th. The play is the third in a four-part franchise of touring one-woman shows that com-bines Catholic humor with au-dience interaction. Be sure to arrive on time and don’t speak out of turn, or Sister may haul you out of the audience and take you to task.
“That Perfect Moment,” week-ends through Jan. 16th at The Little Victory Theatre, 3324 W. Victory Blvd., Burbank. $25; seniors $5 off, using promo code SENIOR. (323) 960-7745 or www.plays411.com/perfect
“’Til Death Do Us Part, Late Nite Catechism,” Sat., Jan. 9th, Our Mother of Good Coun-sel Church, 2060 North Ver-mont Ave. Tickets are $35-$40 ($5 less with Los Feliz Ledger ad discount). (323) 664-2111 or www.omgc.org.
[THEATER REVIEW]
January Plays Dish Up NostalgiaBy marilyn Oliver, Ledger Theater Critic
[EASTSIDE EYE]
Arty HollywoodBy Kathy A. mcDonaldLedger Contributing Writer
Hollywood Boulevard continues to evolve visually: new clubs, restaurants and the soon-to-open W Hollywood have upgraded the area’s once forlorn look.
Bringing three dramatic art works to the corner of Hol-lywood and Argyle, the W Hollywood will have pieces from Los Angeles-based artists Christian Moeller, Pae White and Erwin Redl.
“Wind Thing” was in-spired by Pae White’s visit to a county fair. The colorful and reflective 75’ high kinetic sculpture consisting of metal forms suspended between buildings will move and shift independently.
In the hotel’s plaza area, look for Christian Moeller’s “Pushing.” Made from anod-ized aluminum, the material is manipulated so that light and shadow create what appears to be a digital image. The im-age clarifies as you move away from it and is the most easily accessible artwork.
Erwin Redl is creating “Wave” an architectural en-vironment of 40,000 white
LED lights on a 6” grid at the entrance to the hotel’s motor court on Argyle. The wave like arc of lights will change seasonally.
Also on the boulevard is the non-profit Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE), a fixture since the mid-1990s providing a venue for experimental and innova-
tive art. Performance art, vid-eo art and installation-based work is also supported. Mark Tribe’s video work “Port Hu-ron Project” is up through Jan. 24th as is “I Feel Different,” a multi-media group exhibition.
LACE, 6522 Hollywood Blvd., (323) 957-1777. Admis-sion free though there is a $3 requested donation.
Los Feliz Ledger
Page 18 www.losfelizledger.com January 2010CALENDAR
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[ JANUARY 2010 EVENTS CALENDAR ]
Edited by Oliver Gettell
ART
Artist’s Choice Exhibition
With nearly 300 works of art, this
show presented by the Pasadena
Society of Artists will be the largest
in the organization’s history. In
addition to weekend exhibition
hours (Sat., Jan. 9th, and Sun., Jan.
10th), the show will include a salon
with the artists (Tues., Jan. 12th)
and a closing awards reception
(Sat., Jan. 16th). RSVP is requested
for the art salon. Citibank of Silver
Lake, Sat., Jan. 9th, noon to 5 p.m.;
Sun., Jan. 10th, noon to 5 p.m.; Tues.,
Jan. 12th, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Sat.,
Jan. 16th, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
2450 Glendale Blvd., Silver Lake.
Information: (626) 389-0390 ext. 1;
www. pasadenasocietyofartists.org
Los Feliz Art Walk
A dozen local galleries and studios
display art of all kinds—painting,
photography, sculpture, music
and more—and welcome visitors
for viewing, conversation and
refreshments. The locations are
all within walking distance of each
other, and admission is free.
Courtyard Studio and Arts (and
nearby galleries), Fri., Jan. 8th, 6
p.m. to 9 p.m.
1733 N. New Hampshire Ave.,
Los Feliz.
Information: (323) 667-1212;
www.losfelizartwalk.org
BOOKS & READINGS
Audrey Niffenegger: ‘Her Fearful
Symmetry’
The author of the best-seller The Time Traveler’s Wife will read from
and sign her second novel, Her Fearful Symmetry. First printings of
the new book will be available for
purchase. Skylight Books, Thurs.,
Jan. 28th, 7:30 p.m.
1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz.
Information: (323) 660-1175; www.
skylightbooks.com
Joe Sacco: ‘Footnotes in Gaza’
The award-winning cartoonist
and journalist Joe Sacco will
discuss and sign his latest work,
Footnotes in Gaza. The graphic
novel is a historical and journalistic
investigation of a forgotten crime
in the Gaza Strip.
Skylight Books, Tues., Jan. 19th,
7:30 p.m.
1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz.
Information: (323) 660-1175;
www.skylightbooks.com
The moth StorySlam
The Moth, a not-for-profit
storytelling organization,
continues its monthly StorySlam at
El Cid. Ten participants are selected
out of a hat, and each tells a five-
minute story (no notes allowed)
related to a particular theme.
Judges from the audience then
choose and announce a winner. This
month’s theme is “neighborhoods.”
El Cid, Tues., Jan. 19th, 7:30 p.m.
(doors open and signups begin at
6 p.m.)
4212 W. Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake.
Information: (213) 446-9631;
www.themoth.org
Patti Smith: ‘Just Kids’
Punk-rock legend Patti Smith
will sign and discuss her first
book of narrative writing. Just Kids is a memoir of Smith’s
enduring relationship with the
famous photographer Robert
Mapplethorpe; the two met in New
York in 1967 and became lifelong
friends.
Skylight Books, Sat., Jan. 30th,
5 p.m.
1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz.
Information: (323) 660-1175;
www.skylightbooks.com
Tom Zimmerman: ‘Downtown in
Detail’
Photographer and historian
Tom Zimmerman kicks off this
year’s Architecture and Beyond
series. He will discuss his new
book, Downtown in Detail, which
explores the historic buildings of
L.A.’s city center. Skylight Books
will have copies of the book
available for purchase and signing.
Los Feliz Branch Library, Thurs., Jan.
14th, 6:45 p.m.
1874 Hillhurst Ave., Los Feliz.
Information: (323) 913-4710;
www.lapl.org
DANCE
‘Winterbourne’
This dance performance
celebrating the season of winter
is limited to 40 seats per show in
order to create a comfortable,
intimate environment. Tickets are
by donation and must be ordered in
advance.
Studio A Dance,
Fri., Jan. 29th,
8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
2306 Hyperion Ave., Silver Lake.
Information: (323) 661-8311;
www.studioadance.com
FILm
The Best of James Bond: Agent 007
The American Cinematheque
presents a program of double
features of the best classic James
Bond movies: Dr. No and You Only Live Twice, Goldfinger and
Thunderball, and Moonraker and
For Your Eyes Only. James Bond
expert Steve Rubin will be on
hand to introduce films Friday and
Saturday. General admission to
each double feature is $11.
The Egyptian Theatre, Fri., Jan. 1st,
Sat., Jan. 2nd, Sun., Jan. 3rd, 7:30 p.m.
6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood.
Information: (323) 466-3456;
www.americancinematheque.com
Native Women in Film Series:
‘Older Than America’
This series features Native
American women who work in front
of and behind the camera. Through
screenings and discussions, the
series examines portrayals of
Native Americans in contemporary
cinema. This month’s film, Older Than America, is directed by
Georgina Lightning. The series
is tied to the Autry’s upcoming
exhibition Home Lands: How Women Made the West, opening
in April. Screenings are free with
museum admission ($9 for adults,
$5 for students and seniors,
$3 for children).
Autry National Center of the
American West,
Sun., Jan. 24th, 2 p.m.
4700 Western Heritage Way,
Griffith Park.
Information: (323) 667-2000;
www.theautry.org
FOOD
Blue monday Wine Tastings
Every Monday, Silverlake Wines
serves three distinctly different
wines along with a selection of
cheese, olives and La Brea Bakery
bread. Cost is $12 per person.
Silverlake Wine, Mon., Jan. 4th, 11th,
18th, 25th, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
2395 Glendale Blvd., Silver Lake.
Information: (323) 662-9024;
www.silverlakewine.com
Friends Cook at Canelé
Would-be chefs get a chance to man
the stoves on Tuesday nights at
Canelé. The restaurant staff works
with amateur cooks to create, cook
and serve unique three-course prix
fixe menus. Diners may also order
from the regular menu. Beer and
wine are available.
Canelé, Jan. 5th, 12th, 19th,
5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
3219 Glendale Blvd.,
Atwater Village.
Information: (323) 666-7133;
www.canele-la.com
mUSIC
The French Semester
On the heels of their new EP, Forces Afield, the French Semester will
January 2010 www.losfelizledger.com Page 19POLITICS
Former GGPNC Board member Announces Candidacy for State Assembly Seat
Former Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council (GG-
PNC) presi-dent and sec-retary, Andrew Westall has announced his candidacy for the 43rd Cali-
fornia Assembly District, re-cently vacated by Paul Kreko-rian, who will leave the office to serve on the Los Angeles City Council.
The 43rd Assembly Dis-trict includes the areas of At-water Village, Los Feliz and Silver Lake.
Westall, 36, has had a career in public service. Cur-rently, he is a senior deputy to Los Angeles City Coun-cilmember Herb J. Wesson, Jr. He additionally served as Vice President (2003) and Secretary (2004) of the GGPNC.
This is a great time to reflect on what the city of Los An-geles has ac-complished re-cently and look
ahead to the coming year. To see a map of the accomplish-ments in the 4th Council Dis-trict during 2009, I hope you’ll visit my website: www.tomla-bonge.com. The map is on the lower right side of the page.
You should be aware that the Dept. of Water and Pow-er’s River Supply Conduit project will mean temporary street closure of West Silver Lake Drive at Rowena Avenue for about five months begin-ning early next year. For more information about this im-portant water quality project, visit: http://www.ladwp.com/
ladwp/cms/ladwp011501.jspEven though the city is in
a challenging financial situa-tion right now, there are five great projects in your area that were funded—mostly through voter-approved bond mea-sures—and will move forward in 2010. Here’s some informa-tion on each of them:
Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens Green Parking Lot. The city will plant trees and install a porous pavement and filtration system to capture storm water on this vast surface parking lot.
New street light at Hillhurst and Finley. The Community Redevelopment Agency is funding this much-needed traffic light, which will be installed by summer.
Sunnynook River Park. We hope you’ll join us for the
fall groundbreaking for the Sunnynook River Park proj-ect. This five-acre greenway along the existing Los Angeles River bike path will serve as a rest area for pedestrians and cyclists. It will be landscaped with native vegetation and include picnic areas, benches, educational signage and art.
Western Ave. Streetscape improvements. My office is working with Council President Eric Garcetti’s office and many community groups on plans for improving Western Avenue between Hollywood Boulevard and Franklin Avenue. Among the improvements will be trim-ming the ficus trees as well as tree and vine planting.
North Atwater Park Ex-pansion. We expect to break ground this fall on the North Atwater Park Expansion proj-ect. This project will provide approximately three acres of open space adjacent to the Los Angeles River. It will include a park and an enhanced green-way to complement ongoing creek restoration efforts.
[GREETINGS FROm TOm]
A Look Ahead to 2010By Los Angeles City Councilmember Tom LaBonge
[ERIC GARCETTI]
Righting Our Own EconomyBy Eric GarcettiLos Angeles City Council
President
P r e s i d e n t Obama’s an-nouncement that he plans to accelerate
job-creation efforts was wel-come news. Though the recent plunge in national unemploy-ment statistics was heartening, big problems remain in some parts of the country. Here in Los Angeles, the unemployment rate is a staggering 13.9 percent –far above the national average of 10 percent. In the coming months, we must focus on creating jobs and putting people to work.
Here are some of the ini-tiatives on which I am work-ing to help:
Give tax credits to busi-nesses that create jobs. I have asked President Obama to ex-pand targeted tax credits to harness the private sector and create more jobs in cities hit hardest by the economic down-turn. Under my proposal, the same employment tax credits now available to businesses in Empowerment Zones would be expanded throughout any city with higher-than-average unemployment rates. The U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development already adminis-ters both tax credits, so it would be it easier to quickly expand them to cover all eligible cities compared with building a new program from scratch.
Cut and simplify the city’s business tax. I authored a mo-tion that was passed unani-mously to reconvene the Busi-ness Tax Advisory Committee (BTAC), which will review and recommend reforms to the city’s business tax program. A simpler and lower city business tax can help us attract business-es and jobs. The most recent BTAC was created in 1999 and met through 2004. The result-ing tax reforms, which I co-authored, reduced the average business’s city tax significantly and are now providing $90 million in annual tax relief.
Establish mandatory eco-nomic impact analyses. An-other motion that I authored establishes mandatory eco-nomic impact analyses for city initiatives that could affect our regional economy. There is currently no established pro-tocol for objectively reviewing the local legislations’ impact on our economy, such as the num-ber and type of jobs created, the number of businesses retained, or the amount of private sector investment attracted. An anal-ysis of legislation’s economic impact would be an invaluable tool in our legislative decision-making process, helping us decide how to allocate scarce resources so that they have the biggest positive impact on our local economy. The Chief
Legislative Analyst and City Administrative Officer are now reviewing best practices and developing a proposed process for conducting the economic impact analyses and for incor-porating the information into the decision-making process.
In addition, our city is al-ready using federal economic recovery funds to drive job creation, both through existing programs and with new ones under development such as our Green Corps, which will train people for jobs that also will increase our energy efficiency. These additional policies will make a difference in provid-ing economic stability, creating jobs and giving people hope for a better Los Angeles.
In Los Angeles, we have all the right ingredients for re-covery: great weather, a diverse and creative workforce, and committed and experienced group of entrepreneurs. Now it’s time to get back to work.
Los Feliz Ledger
Page 20 www.losfelizledger.com January 2010FAMILY & HEALTH
Silver Lake Family
Dentistry
KATHRYN PALLAKOFF ADVANCED BODYWORK
• Rolf Structural Integration • CranioSacral Therapy • Meridian Sound Healing • Chi Nei Tsang/ Visceral • Energy Medicine
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Contemporary Relational Psychoanalyst323-664-8240, Silver Lake
Specializing in: new and pregnant mothers, parenting, depression, anxiety, assertiveness, shyness, relationships, couple communication, eating problems and self esteem issues.
As you create your inten-tions for the coming year, become aware of past uncom-pleted New Year’s resolutions. How many unfinished plans do you still carry in your en-ergy field? Some long-forgot-
ten goal, abandoned ages ago, could be entangeld with your current goals, creating a non-conscious blockage.
Old to-do lists, ancient in-spirations that never material-ized, and that suppressed sense
of coulda-been-a-contender... these can fester in your cellu-lar memory, auric field or sub-conscious mind.
Let’s fix that right now. No need to dredge up the ac-tual content of these obsolete goals. We’re simply going to delete the files that contain them. So here goes. Find your delete button, located somewhere in your spine area—just go wherever your attention is first drawn. Now, with your mind, press the de-lete button for all those old files. Take a breath. You’ve
just cleared your energy field. It doesn’t matter whether or not you think this will work—your energy shifts anyway, regardless of belief.
Now, get in touch with a current goal. Sense how it’s already cleaner, because you’ve just deleted all those entanglements. What are your assumptions about it? Does it feel possible? In your mind’s eye, create a box. Put your goal in it. The box now automatically assembles all the details, the pathways to your goal, without your
knowing the particulars, and without your conscious help. Now find the align button on your spine. Press it, and align with your goal. Breathe. Feel what’s different now.
Notice the changes in your life over the next few hours or days. To activate even more shifts, post this column on your fridge and delete/align daily for a week or two.
Elma Mayer is a healer and teacher of energetic healing in Silver Lake. www.nowhealing.com (323)309-7687.
[BEING WHOLE]
Upgrade Your GoalsBy Elma mayer, Ledger Columnist
Los Feliz Ledger
January 2010 www.losfelizledger.com Page 21RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY
Special Events:
Martin Luther King, Jr. Concert Sunday, January 17th – 6:30 p.m.
Reception following concert
Mary Rice Hopkins Concert Saturday, January 30th – 6:30 p.m.
1760 N. Gower St., Hollywood, CA 90028 (323) 463-7161 www.fpch.org
Traditional Worship Progressive Values Inspiring Community
540 South Commonwealth Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90020
Between Downtown and Hancock Park
Sunday Morning Worship 11:00am
Featuring Glorious Music on the World’s Largest Church Pipe Organ
First Congregational Church of Los Angeles
Happy New Yearfrom
COMING IN JANUARY Dr. R. Scott Colglazier’s January Sermon Series
“Three Thoughts for a NewYear” Sunday, January, 17, 24, 31, 11:00am
Spritual Life Retreat - Saturday, January 16, 10am-3pm
Midday Organ Concerts - Thursdays, 12:10pm
FCCLA Book Talk - “Returning” by Dan WakefieldSunday January 31, 12:30pm
LOS FELIZ—At the corner of Findley and Vermont stands the lovely large white Gurd-wara. I’m a neighbor and have wandered in myself, as one does in a place of worship, quiet and a bit shy. The hall is quiet and reverent.
But when a friend, Bishop Robert Clement, wandered in on Thanksgiving Day this past year, he told the story of their enormous hospitality that de-serves retelling.
Clement had decided to tour the neighborhood and ventured up the stairs to the Gurdwara.
“An older man in white
and a purple turban took me around. He showed me where to take off my sandals, gave me the cloth to cover my head. All he said to me was ‘I don’t speak English.’ It was remark-able, a wonderful experience,” said the 85-year-old Clement.
What the Sikh host did speak was the universal lan-guage of care for the stranger.
Another man—though a translator—Clement said, of-fered him something to eat.
“I did the Anglo-Saxon thing and said ‘thank you’ but that I wasn’t really hungry,” Clement said. “But the young man insisted,” saying the food
was a “gift from God.” Clem-ent then enjoyed a bowl of curry and beans, with bread and rice.
A gurdwara is a Sikh house of worship. It is said to be the doorway into the guru’s house.
The temple in Los Feliz is typical in many ways. It is where a Sikh pursues disci-plined, personal meditation on the name of God.
As you enter—to the left—is a room where you can take off your shoes and a head covering is provided. There is a sink where you can wash.
A simple set of guidelines for how one is to behave in the
gurdwara is posted, and above the doorway the three prin-ciples of Sikhism are printed in three scripts. The English version:
Meditate on God’s NameEarn an honest livingShare and care
It doesn’t get much more simple, nor much more pro-found, than that.
The bishop nodded. “I truly felt enriched by this. So unexpected, a very gentle bless-ing. What a lovely Thanksgiv-ing Day,” he said.
1966 N. Vermont Ave., (323) 665-7707.
[RELIGION & SPIRITUALITY]
A Visitor Stumbles in to The Vermont Gurdwara:By Roberta morris Religion and Spirituality Columnist
Library Donor Wall Unveiled
LOS FELIZ—The Los Fe-liz branch of the Los Angeles Public Library recently un-veiled a donor wall, ten years in the making.
The donations, in excess of $50,000, will go towards purchasing laptop computers, oversized books for the Chil-dren’s Early Learning Collec-tion, audio books and the ever popular, best sellers. The do-nors were:
Dr. Fredric Alexander and
Althea Alexander
Marisa Antonini Foundation
Roz and Peter Bonerz
Marilyn Bush
Luise Baur & Angela Stewart
Denis Cagna & Carlos Medina
Paul Cajero, Meg Huntington Cajero,
Channa Cajero
The Chew Family
Florence & Wing Kim
Dennis & Sharon Charlene
Sue Kroll & Michael Desilets
Palermo Restaurant
Barbara Ferris & Arthur B. Rubinstein
Thomas Ford & Hugh Farrington
Keller Williams Realty Los Feliz
Marcia Kraft Goin, MD
Greek Theatre / Nederlander
Concerts
Don & Becky Hanson
Yuca’s Restaurants
Brigid & Tom Labonge
Chris Laib & Lon Wahlstrom
Los Feliz Improvement Association
Donna Matson
Jay McNamara
Tom & Melinda Peters
Dave, Jennie, Gabe & Lilly Robles
Mark Stong & Raymond Coty
Valerie Vanaman
Genna & Greg Yaitanes
Los Feliz Ledger
Page 22 www.losfelizledger.com January 2010EDITORIAL / OPEN MIKE
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H A P P Y N E W Y E A R
When I was researching gas blowers I came across this quote from author Kenneth Maue: “When harsh noise hits, instead of reaching out to greet the world with open ears, we shrink back into shells, or try to; in truth the ears can’t shut, nor like the eyes turn away. Noise controls space like an occupying army, travels through walls, enters homes, molests bodies, violates priva-cy, stops thought, batters each of us into isolation.”
It made me think that’s why we choose to live here, right? That’s why we support local business, know our neighbors’ names, enjoy an evening stroll, read the local rag, hike in the park, support our schools and (mostly) pick-up after our pets.
Why would we sit back and let something lessen our quality of life and harm our health and well-being especially when we have the law on our side?
It’s kinda terrifying when you start researching the ill-ef-fects of gas blowers. Seriously.
That Particulate Matter they churn up and blow into the faces of your pets and chil-dren is full of animal feces, lead and ozone. They spew out pollution and noise and are uneconomic and incredibly harmful to the operators.
We vote in the politicians who invariably follow their own self-aggrandizing agendas. When we see no change or ben-efits, we throw that guy out and vote for the other guy, and so on. Or we just don’t vote anymore.
Well, the buck stops here with gas blowers. It’s up to us to rid our streets of these ma-chines. Gas blowers have been illegal in the city of Los An-geles since 1998—let’s work together to enforce the law by asking our gardners to use rakes.
We just won protection of our wonderful park, Peo-ple-Power is a most awesome force for good. You’ll see our sandwich boards around the streets—take a leaflet and re-claim the tranquility of our community and the future of our planet. And say hi to your neighbors. For more informa-tion visit: farmfeliz.org.
Mark Staufer Avocado Street, Los Feliz
[EDITORIAL]
This Ordinace Has Been Blown into the WindAs a Los Angeles native,
Silver Lake resident since 1991, and avid Los Feliz Led-ger, reader I would like to join the chorus AGAINST Silver Lakers claiming the “Eastside” distinction for themselves.
Anyone with more than a provincial and insular view of the city and county of Los Angeles knows that the true Eastside is East Los Angeles: Boyle Heights, Belvedre, City Terrace, El Sereno, Lincoln Heights, and countless other communities east of the Los Angeles river.
It seems to me that many who call Silver Lake the “east-side” have only West Los Ange-les as their frame of reference. True, if you ran away from high real estate values and traffic in Brentwood or Santa Monica, then Silver Lake and Los Feliz certainly do seem far
to the east.But anyone who has had
a burrito at El Tepeyac, tacos at King Taco, attended a Day of the Dead art show at Self Help Graphics, ran a 10K at the Aztlan Invitational, pur-chased bulk chiles at El Mer-cado on 1st and Lorena, or recently ridden the brand new Gold Line East Side extension knows what Los Angeles’ true East Side is.
I would hope that in addi-tion to dropping the “Eastside Eye” name of the Ledger’s col-umn, your wonderful newspa-per might also help to promote the more accurate reference of Silver Lake and Los Angeles as being located in Central or North Central Los Angeles and certainly not in the east side.
Carlos M. JimenezSilver Lake
[OPEN mIKE]
Stop Using “Eastside” Terminology
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2226 Wayne ave $1,350,000Outstanding 1960 Post & Beam by well known architect David Hyun. Original details intact. 4bds/4ba. Represented Buyer.
karen lOWer/MarC GirOux (323) 804-8043
COMinG in January!Beautiful 3-unit, Mid-Century bldg in highly desirable area of Los Feliz. The 3+2 and one 2+2 will be delivered vacant. Great investment or owner/user opportunity!
Matt MOrGus/Dan OrteGa (213) 880-6420
3344 GlenHurst ave/atWater villaGeGreat owner/user triplex 1 block away from shops & res-taurant, on one of the best streets atwater village has to offer. One unit delivered vacant!
Matt MOrGus/Dan OrteGa (213) 880-6420
2018 GriFFitH Park blvD. #306 Went into multiple offers and over asking within 1st week. Let us do the same for your property!
Matt MOrGus/Dan OrteGa (213) 880-6420
3636 aMesbury rD. $1,899,000 5bd/4ba with View estate includes two guest houses and swimmers pool. 3 car garage. Represented Buyer.
karen lOWer/MarC GirOux (323) 804-8043
1660 Hillhurst avenue la, Ca 90027 www.1660Hillhurst.com
tel 323-300-1000 • Fax 323-300-1001www.kWlosFeliz.com
COMinG sOOn!Priced to sell. 2br, 2ba condo in the Los Feliz Towers. Walls of glass look out to a beautiful treetop/poolside view. The large balcony with views of the hills & obser-vatory is perfect for entertaining.Dan OrteGa/Matt MOrGus (323) 839-3936
Consideringa Career
in Real Estate?
GUARANTEED TO PASSREAL ESTATE SCHOOL
(310) 927-8646WWW.G2PASS.NET
2424 tesla terraCe $899,000 Spanish duplex. Perfect for friends + family to buy to-gether in prime Silver Lake. Ivanhoe School. Do the math!
karen lOWer/MarC GirOux (323) 804-8043
2714 auburn #2 $535,000Walk to coffee or stroll to dinner from this very hip 3 bedroom 2 bath condo in Prime Silver Lake with wood floors, new kitchen and baths, central AC and 2 car parking.
Dave rObles (323) 761-6444
Just sOlD!
in esCrOW!
Just sOlD!
1736 MaltMan ave $799,000 Silver Lake Character Spanish bungalow 3bed/1.5 bath plus a sep. studio complete with bath and kitchenette. Lush landscaping, grassy yard, charming patios.
karen lOWer / MarC GirOux (323) 804-8043
Just sOlD!
2150 Hillhurst Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027
323.668.7600georgeandeileen.com
Coming Soon Just Listed For Sale
3471 Griffith Park Boulevard Los Feliz Hills $1,395,000Dramatic 4+3 Mediterranean + separate studio over garage. Gorgeous & spacious living & dining rm. Lovely views, beautiful hardwood floors, archways & fireplace. Wonderful character throughout. Lushly landscaped grounds w/waterfall, fountains & several great patios.
In Escrow
2160 Moreno Drive Silver Lake Call For Price Wonderful 3 + 2.5 Traditional home w/breathtaking views of the reservoir! Gorgeous living w/fireplace opens to large view balcony. Newly renovated Cook’s kitchen. Large formal DR. Beautifully refinished hardwood floors. Great yard w/fruit trees. Ivanhoe school!
In Escrow
3642 Holboro Drive Los Feliz Hills $899,000Comfortable Mid-Century 3+ 2.5 home w/family room in the Los Feliz Hills with views. Spacious living rm w/high pitched beamed ceiling. Hardwood flrs in some rms. 2 fireplaces. 2 car garage w/direct access. Large patio & yard awaiting a gardeners touch.
1957 Bronson Ave Hollywood Hills $479,000Charming Two-story townhouse w/2 bedrooms & 2.5 baths offering a beautifully remodeled kitchen, large dining area & living room w/fireplace. Oversized garage w/direct access. Walking distance to many great restaurants & public transportation.
3600 Crestmont Ave Silver Lake $1,199,000A very special Four-Plex on a wonderful street to street lot.Sweeping views from downtown to the ocean. Spacious 2 bd &2 ba owners unit + 3 wonderful apartments each with stunningviews. Owner’s unit will be delivered vacant at COE. Must See!
In Escrow
2249 Duane Street Silver Lake $725,000Great investment or owner user property in great Silver Lake Hills location. Four large one bedrooms apartments. Nice views from several units and large front yard. Walking distance to the Silver Lake reservoir & dog park, shops, & restaurants.
Sold
2487 Lindsay Lane Silver Lake $949,000Mid Century 3 + 3 Silver Lake Architectural with wonderful views of the reservoir, hills, Observatory and Hollywood Sign. Spacious living room & master suite each w/soaring ceilings. Both lead to large view balcony. Ivanhoe school. Represented buyers.
Happy New Year!from George and Eileen
3743 Amesbury Road Los Feliz Hills $1,345,000Stunning gated 4 + 3 Moorish Mediterranean villa with unob-structed panoramic views from most rooms + large studio w/4th. Ballroom size living room w/fireplace. Gourmet kitchen. Hardwood flrs, A/C, large terraced yard. Approx 3356 sq ft. Gorgeous!
