Float Honors AIDS Pioneer 2011: Yearin the Queue

WWW.BEVERLYPRESS.COM
INSIDE
• WeHo readies
for Day of Service.
pg. 3
Mostly clear,
with weekend
temps in the
70s
• Wire thieves hit
Miracle Mile. pg. 4
Volume 21 No. 52
Serving the West Hollywood, Hancock Park and Wilshire Communities
December 29, 2011
2011: Year in the Queue Float Honors AIDS Pioneer
n Angelenos See Small Steps in Economic
n First AHF Rose
Recovery, Yet See Hope on Horizon in 2012
BY EDWIN FOLVEN
A
long with slight improvements to the Los Angeles
economy, there were several miracles — or milestones at least
— that occurred along the Miracle
Mile in 2011.
Two such milestones transpired
at the Park Labrea News and
Beverly Press. In April, the newspaper celebrated its 65th year of publishing with a special commemorative issue, “Our People, Our
Places”. The other big announce-
photo by Edwin Folven
New Year, New Legislation
Legislators
to Take Effect
BY AARON BLEVINS
H
undreds of state and federal laws are set to take
effect on Jan. 1, and they
cover a plethora of topics, from
head injuries in school sports to
drinking water regulations and
inmate release notifications.
Local state and federal politicians, such as Assemblymember
Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles) and
State Sen. Fran Pavley (D-Santa
Monica) have been attempting to
alert their constituents regarding
the implementation of new legislation.
Among them is the Divest
From Iran Act, authored by Feuer
and Bob Blumenfield (D-San
Fernando Valley). The bill aims
to enhance the state’s divestiture
law and bring more transparency
BY EDWIN FOLVEN
O
ne of actress Elizabeth
Taylor’s most enduring
legacies was her work in
support of people with HIV and
AIDS, and that legacy will be
honored on Jan. 2 through the
AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s
(AHF) first float in the
Tournament of Roses Parade in
Pasadena.
Crews are hard at work decorating the float, which will feature a
large red ribbon and a globe symbolizing worldwide support for
people with HIV and AIDS, and
three portraits of Taylor from difphoto by Edwin Folven
ferent periods in her career. The Jim Blythe, of Fiesta Floats, decorated one of the portraits of Elizabeth
float also marks the 30th anniverTaylor that will be featured on the AIDS Healthcare Foundationʼs Rose
sary of the discovery of the first
cases of HIV, and is designed to Parade Float.
remind people that the fight
against the disease is not over.
We felt this float is particularly America, understanding the dis“There is still a great deal of timely and important in promoting ease. She defended people with
ignorance out there, but at the the work of Elizabeth Taylor,” HIV and AIDS from ridicule and
same time, a majority of the AHF president and CEO Michael scorn, and also participated in
American public are supportive of Weinstein said. “She played a piv- quiet philanthropy.”
getting control of the epidemic. otal role in the world, and
See Elizabeth Taylor page 20
See A Look Back page 20
Many changes occurred along the Miracle Mile in 2011.
n Bills by Local
Parade Entry Marks
30th Anniversary
of Disease
ment at the newspapers came in
October, when the headquarters
moved to the Miracle Mile at 5150
Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 330.
But there was plenty of news that
made headlines in 2011, including
the fur ban in West Hollywood, the
battle between the Hollywood
Farmers Market and the Los
Angeles
Film
School
in
Hollywood, and the Occupy LA
protest at city hall.
With the coming year also likely
to be a period of change, particular-
to California’s public pension
funds, in hopes of ensuring that
taxpayer dollars are not used to
aid Iran’s nuclear weapons development.
“This new law underscores that
complying with California’s
divestment laws is mandatory,”
Feuer said in a statement. “As one
of the world’s largest economies,
California can take a meaningful
stand against companies that
choose to fund Iran’s nuclear
ambitions by investing in its energy sector.”
Both legislators last year
authored the Iran Contracting Act
of 2010, a bill that prohibits contracts of $1 million or more
between the state and companies
with business in Iran’s energy
sector. That bill, AB 1650, also
passed.
Another bill authored by Feuer
will allow same-sex spouses and
registered domestic partners of
nursing home residents the same
See New Laws page 22
Plummer Park Plan, 2.0
n Grassroots Group
Prompts WeHo to
Reexamine Renovations
BY AARON BLEVINS
I
t appears the grassroots effort to
curb the proposed Plummer
Park project has succeeded.
Changes are coming to Plummer
Park, but they’ll be sifted through a
new-look subcommittee first.
The project subcommittee, initially comprised of Mayor John
Duran and Councilmember Abbe
Land, has been altered and will
reconvene in the coming weeks at a
meeting with the project’s design
team. At Duran’s recommendation,
he will be replaced on the subcommittee by Councilmember John
D’Amico, who has a background in
architecture and urban planning.
The project had been nearing its
construction phase, with a groundbreaking expected in January or
February. Now, the city is hoping
the subcommittee will be able to
offer new recommendations by late
February.
“Hopefully, it will be a better
project for it,” city senior management analyst Lisa Belsanti said.
photo by Aaron Blevins
Demonstrators gathered in Plummer Park in November, and the city has
now agreed to examine changes.
“It’s not without a lot of angst.”
Belsanti said the design team,
consisting of architectural firm
Brooks + Scarpa and landscape
architects OLIN, will meet with the
$ $)'3$/ /,"$/'$0 '66 $)' +#4'"&$0 '.2,/
$$/ '+$ ,/$ 1, 5,2/ ,,/
'+ !,21 *'+21$0
, 1,
444-'+(#,1",*
,+71 /'+(
/#$/ ,+)'+$ $"$'3$
, $)'3$/5 & /%$
1-800-PINK DOT
323-656-6060
+# /'3$
$1 0 $)'3$/
, ,2
See Plummer Park page 22
2/"& 0$ $4 $ /70 3$ +)5
For delivery orders only.
One coupon per order.
Must present coupn
to driver.
Valid 12/31/11-1/1/12, 3am
Open Daily 9am-3am
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
2 December 29, 2011
30 LACMA’s Art &
Storytelling
Calendar
T
he Los Angeles County Museum
of Art is holding a storytelling
event for children on Friday, Dec. 30
at 2 p.m. The storytelling session will
be held in the museum’s Boone
Children’s Gallery, located in the
Hammer Building, which also
includes activities on brush painting
and art from Korea and China. 5905
Wilshire Blvd. (323)857-6000,
www.lacma.org.
frosty swim. 11798 Foothill Blvd.
(818)899-3779, www.laparks.org.
2 Rose Parade Party
T
he Natural History Museum of
Los Angeles County is hosting a
Rose Parade Viewing Party on
Monday, Jan. 2 from 7:30 to 11:30
a.m. Guests are invited to watch the
museum’s first-ever float on a big
screen. 900 Exposition Blvd.
(213)763-DINO, www.nhm.org.
Korean New Year
T
he Korean Cultural Center, Los
Angeles is hosting its “Kansik
Holiday Festival” on Friday, Dec. 30
from 5 to 9 p.m. in the Wilshire
Hotel’s Grand Ballroom. The festival
will be hosted by Cathlyn Choi, from
PBS Television’s “Cathlyn’s Korean
Kitchen”, and will feature cooking
demonstration, live traditional
Korean dancing and drumming, as
well as silent and live auctions.
Tickets are $20. 3515 Wilshire Blvd.
(323)936-7141, www.kccla.org.
Speed Networking
T
he West Hollywood Chamber of
Commerce is hosting an installment of its Speed Networking program on Tuesday, Jan. 3 from 8 to 9
a.m. at the Viper Room on the
Sunset Strip. Speed Networking is a
chamber program that strives to generate business leads and referrals.
The event uses a format similar to
speed dating where members have
the opportunity to share information
with as many people as possible in a
one-hour period. Admission is $10
for non-members of the chamber;
free for chamber members. 8852
Sunset
Blvd.
(323)650-2688,
www.wehochamber.com.
Yoga Workshop
N
aam Yoga Los Angeles is hosting a Universal Kabbalah intensive workshop on Friday, Dec. 30
from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at its center in
Santa Monica. The workshop will be
led by Dr. Joseph Michael Levry,
founder of the center, and is titled
“The Year 2012 And the Dawn of the
Golden Age”. It will explore predictions about the coming year, and how
to face the future with grace and confidence. On Dec. 31 from 11 a.m. to
12:30 a.m., the center will also host a
New Year’s meditation session.
1231-35 4th St., Santa Monica.
(310)751-7550,
www.naamyoga.com.
New Year’s Eve Revue 1 Polar Bear Plunge
31 ‘Pink Martini’
T
T
he Los Angeles Philharmonic
presents “New Year’s Eve With
Pink Martini” on Saturday, Dec. 31 at
7 and 10:30 p.m. Pink Martini rings
in the New Year with a musical performance fusing Brazilian samba,
’30s Cuban dance and Parisian café
music. Also featured is Ari Shapiro
and special guests. Tickets are $78 to
$209. 111 S. Grand Ave. (323)8502000, www.laphil.com.
photo courtesy of R. Benito Cardenas
The Knightsbridge Theatre presents an upcoming production of “Steel
Magnolias” running from Friday, Jan. 6 through 29. Playwright Robert
Harlingʼs “Steel Magnolias” uses characters from his own life to tell the
tale of the ladies of Louisianaʼs Chinquapin Parish. Director R. Benito
Cardenas leads an all-Knightsbridge Company member production of
the popular story.
Showtimes are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.,
Sundays at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20. 1944 Riverside Dr. (323)667-0955,
www.knightsbridgetheatre.com.
he Santa Monica Playhouse is
holding its “New Year’s Eve
Revue” on Saturday, Dec. 31 at 6 and
9:30 p.m. The show not only ushers in
2012, but also marks the final festivities of the playhouse’s 50th anniversary. It includes audience favorite
songs, dances and comedy culled
from five decades of playhouse productions. Tickets are $39.50 to
$49.50. 1211 4th St., Santa Monica.
(310)394-9779 ext. 1, www.SantaMonicaPlayhouse.com.
TAXI
L.A. CHECKER CAB
FAST & ON-TIME TO LAX
Professional • Courteous • Reliable
(800) 300-5007
(800) 696-4919
24-hour radio
dispatch service
!"!
*%'.2'& '.'1$, /.31$%3/1
8 '6 /-' /.2314%3*/.
8 /.%1'3' $5*.)
8 //(*.) 8 $*.3*.)
8 73'1*/1 /.2314%3*/.
8 '.%'2 ,/%+ #$,,2 /1'
! 8 ! 8 /-0'3*3*5' 1*%*.)
*1*.) /-0'3'.3 /.2314%3*/. '12/...',
8 *% T
he City of Los Angeles
Department of Recreation and
Parks is inviting the public to take a
chilly plunge at its annual “Polar
Bear Swim” on Sunday, Jan 1 at 8
a.m. at the Hansen Dam Aquatic
Center. The free event is open to anyone age eight or older, and swimmers
will get a certificate of participation.
The aquatic center has a 1.5-acre
manmade swim lake where participants will take the plunge, and a bonfire will warm participants after the
5 Hwd. Central
Park Benefit
T
he
“For
the
Love
of
Hollywood” gala fundraiser
will be held on Thursday, Jan. 5 at
the Taglyan Cultural Complex. The
event is held by the Friends of the
Hollywood Cap Park, a nonprofit
organization working to build
the Hollywood Central Park on top
of the Hollywood (101) Freeway.
The gala will be hosted by
Councilmember Tom LaBonge, 4th
District, and honorees include
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, actress
Daryl Hannah, the Los Angeles
Bureau of Engineering, and the
Department of Recreation and
Parks. Tickets are $250. A reception
begins at 5:30 p.m.; dinner and program at 7 p.m. 1201 N. Vine St.
(310)364-4553, www.hollywoodcentralpark.org.
American Russian
Business Mixer
T
he American Russian Business
Council is hosting a business
mixer on Thursday, Jan. 5 at 7:30 p.m.
at the Isla Cantina in West Hollywood.
The event will also celebrate the
Russian Orthodox Christmas and New
Year. tickets are $40, $50 at the door.
8788 Sunset Blvd. (818)377-2101,
www.russiancouncil.org.
Classical Concert
C
onductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya
and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet
will join the Los Angeles
Philharmonic for four performances
running Thursday, Jan. 5 at 8 p.m.
through Sunday, Jan. 8 at 2 p.m. at the
Walt Disney Concert Hall. Thibaudet
will perform Liszt’s “Second Piano
Concerto”, in a program that also
includes Dvorák’s “Hussite Overture”
and Saint-Saëns’ “Symphony No. 3,
Organ”. Tickets start at $24. 111 S.
Grand
Ave.
(323)850-2000,
www.laphil.com.
7 Black Dahlia Tour
E
souteric L.A. is observing the
65th anniversary of the notorious
Black Dahlia murder with the “Real
Black Dahlia Crime Bus Tour” being
held on Jan. 7 from noon to 4 p.m.
The tour departs from the downtown
Millennium Biltmore Hotel, where
the victim, actress Elizabeth Short,
left for a nearby bar and vanished.
The tour includes the Figueroa Hotel,
where Short stayed at the time;
Leimert Park, the location of the formerly vacant lot where her body was
discovered; and the home of the late
Dr. Walter Bayley, who has emerged
as the most compelling suspect.
Tickets are $58. 506 S. Grand Ave.
(323)223-2767, www.esotouric.com.
Ongoing
T
he George Billis Gallery is holding an exhibit titled “Suspended
States” running through Monday, Jan.
2 as part of “Pacific Standard Time”.
The exhibit features works by Santa
Monica-based assemblage artist and
sculptor Maddy Le Mel, 2716 S. La
Cienega Blvd. (310)838-3685,
www.maddylemel.com.
Chuck’s Auto & Dream Machines, Inc.
Complete Automotive Service - We Do It All!
• Tires
• Brakes
• Shocks & Struts
• Lube & Oil
• Air Conditioning
• Wheel Alignment
• CV Boots
• Timing Belts
• Water Pumps
Classic Ford
Mustangs
1965-1970
Sales &
Restoration
• Foreign & Domestic
• All Years, Makes & Models
• Latest Computerized Diagnostic Services
• Computerized Customer Service Files
105 South Fairfax Ave. at 1st St.
(323)931-1481 • (323)936-6141
Serving the
Fairfax District
for 50 Years
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
3 December 29, 2011
WeHo Prepares for MLK Day of Service Expo Line Opening Delayed
While Bugs are Worked Out
n Donation Drive in
December Kicks Off
Local Projects
n Phase I of the Project Needs a Few More Months
BY AARON BLEVINS
BY AARON BLEVINS
T
he city of West Hollywood is
prepping for its second annual
MLK Day of Service, and city
staff members held a donation
drive in early December to raise
awareness and help pair volunteers with organizations in need.
The city’s Day of Service project will be held from 9 a.m. to 1
p.m. on Jan. 14 at West
Hollywood Elementary School.
Volunteers will complete beautification work to the front of the
school’s campus.
However, the city is using the
event to promote other volunteer
opportunities in the city throughout January. Participating organizations include Ace of Hearts,
Heal the Bay, Operation
Gratitude, Tails of the City Animal
Rescue and TreePeople.
“We’re looking to basically
activate people, but we’re also
looking to accommodate for their
interests,” said Larissa Fooks,
administrative services specialist
for the city.
Last year’s event went well, she
said, as 24 volunteers helped at the
SOVA food pantry, which had
opened a new office in West
Hollywood at the time. She said
the city uses the volunteer opportunities to build consciousness and
motivate residents.
“Each year, it’s getting bigger,”
Fooks said.
T
he opening of Phase 1 of the
Expo Line project, which will
eventually run from downtown Los
Angeles to Culver City, is probably
still a few months away, as workers
continue to fix bugs in the light rail
system.
Rick Jager, spokesperson for the
Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority (Metro),
said Metro and the Exposition
Construction Authority are looking
to fix a signal problem at the junction before the Pico station and ventilation issues near the University of
Southern California station.
“That is needed before we can
determine the schedule and train all
the operators,” Jager said.
At the Pico and 7th Street stations, the Expo Line will share
tracks with Metro’s Blue Line, but a
signal problem is keeping the station from recognizing the arrival of
the Expo Line trains, he said.
“We’re working with it,” Jager
said.
At the USC station, Metro and
the construction authority are determining if they need to add more
ventilation systems, since the curSee Expo Line page 21
photo by Aaron Blevins
Volunteers Danielle McGuire (left) and Bianca Andriana wrote letters to
the troops as part of a Day of Service program held in December.
The participating organizations
are certainly appreciative of the
help. Julia Charles, West
Hollywood Elementary School’s
principal, said the project scope is
still being determined, but the help
is needed in an era of budget cuts.
“It’s incredibly helpful because,
as a school, we’re not getting any
money … to do beautification
projects,” Charles said. “Anytime
we can partner with an agency …
it’s always to our benefit.”
Fooks said approximately 30
people are needed for the work at
the school. She encouraged residents looking to volunteer to consider the other organizations’ projects. They include:
• Ace of Hearts, a nonprofit dog
rescue organization that needs
help with adoptions from noon to
5 p.m. Jan. 7 and 14 at Petco, 508
N. Doheny Drive in West
Hollywood. To register, call
(310)358-3344 or e-mail dogsfromheaven@aol.com.
See WeHo page 22
photo courtesy of Metro
Crews are still working on some signal problems with the Expo Line.
LAUSD All-Star Band Comedy Writer’s Death Appears to Be a Suicide
Victim Had Reportedly
Prepares for Rose Parade Worked
on ʻSNLʼ and
n
ʻWayneʼs Worldʼ
BY EDWIN FOLVEN
A
photo courtesy of the LAUSD
T
he Los Angeles Unified School District/Beyond the Bell All
District Honor Marching Band was honored at a special ceremony on Dec. 21 at Dodger Stadium prior to its participation in the
Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 2.
Rick Jackson, Tournament of Roses Parade president, presented the
2012 Parade Flag to Tony White, Beyond the Bell’s arts coordinator
and band director.
The band has served as the district’s ambassador to the parade for
39 years. The celebration also included Franklin High School senior,
Sarah Zuno, of Highland Park, the first LAUSD high school student
to be selected as a Rose Princess in the event’s 123-year history.
Marching bands appearing in the parade will also perform in the
annual Tournament of Roses Bandfest on Friday, December 30 at 2
p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 31 at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in Pasadena
City College’s Robinson Stadium, 1570 E. Colorado Blvd. For information, visit www.tournamentofroses.com.
63-year-old former comedy
writer for “Saturday Night
Live” was found dead inside a
Hollywood hotel on Dec. 26, the
apparent victim of a suicide.
Coroner’s officials identified the
man as Joseph Bodolai, and said
his body was found inside a room
at the ReTan Hotel, located at 1732
Whitley Ave., a block north of
Hollywood Boulevard. Craig
Harvey, a chief of operations for
the Los Angeles County Coroner’s
Office, said officials recovered a
Gatorade bottle and a bottle of antifreeze in the room, and Bodolai
may have consumed the antifreeze, but an official cause of
death would not be available until
an autopsy is performed.
Los Angeles Police Department
Commander Andrew Smith said
patrol officers were initially called
to the hotel by staff around 1:30
p.m. and discovered the body, and
then notified coroner’s officials,
who will complete the investigation.
“Because there was no foul play,
we ruled it a possible suicide and
let the coroner’s office do its
work,” Smith said. “There was no
suicide note, but this was standard
procedure in these types of cases.”
News media outlets reported that
Bodolai posted a message on his
blog on Dec. 23 under the title “If
This Was Your Last Day Alive,
What Would You Do?”, and the
message also listed Bololai’s
photo by Edwin Folven
A former comedy writer for “Saturday Night Live” was found dead inside
the ReTan Hotel on Whitley Avenue in Hollywood on Monday, and
authorities believe he committed suicide.
accomplishments. Smith could not
confirm the report, but said authorities were aware of the posting and
would be investigating. Bodolai,
who was originally from Toronto,
Canada, reportedly wrote for
“Saturday Night Live” in the early
1980s, and had produced the
Canadian comedy show “Kids in
the Hall”. Bodolai had also worked
on the script for “Wayne’s World’
with comedian Mike Myers. He
had reportedly been staying at the
ReTan Hotel since Dec. 19.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
4 December 29, 2011
Sears, K-Mart to Close 100 Stores
n Company Has Not
Yet Announced Outlets
to be Shuttered
BY AARON BLEVINS
S
photo by Tad Motoyama
The zooʼs two female elephants, Tina and Jewel, were in the enclosure when the unidentified woman jumped over the fences.
Woman Evaluated After
Entering Elephant Exhibit
BY EDWIN FOLVEN
A
n unidentified woman
climbed over two fences and
entered the “Elephants of Asia”
enclosure at the Los Angeles Zoo
on Tuesday before zoo staff members convinced her to leave the
enclosure.
Jason Jacobs, a spokesperson
for the zoo, said the unidentified
woman was inside the elephant
enclosure for approximately five
minutes. Visitors reported the
incident to the staff members,
who yelled for her to come back,
and she complied. Jacobs said the
zoo’s two female Indian elephants, Tina and Jewel, were in
the enclosure at the time, but the
lone male elephant, Billy, was
being housed in another part of
the exhibit. The woman reported-
ly petted the elephants before
climbing back over the fences.
She was not injured, and was
taken into custody by the zoo’s
security officers. Jacobs said she
was later turned over to paramedics and transported to the hospital for psychiatric evaluation. It
has not been determined whether
any charges will be filed.
“This was an isolated incident. I
have worked here for six years
and have never heard of anybody
entering an exhibit,” Jacobs said.
“She apparently went up to the
elephants and touched them, and
they touched her with their trunks.
She admitted to being treated for
multiple mental illnesses, and had
not been taking her medications.
We were very concerned, but fortunately she wasn’t injured and
there were no further problems.”
PATH Offers a Helping
Hand to Homeless Kids
photo courtesy of PATH
P
eople Assisting the Homeless (PATH) held its annual “Celebrity
Holiday Party” on Dec. 21 with actor and comedian Tommy
Davidson (left) and Seth Grabel, of “America’s Got Talent”.
Additional participants included Pat O’Brien, of FOX Sports,; actor
Todd Bridges; actress Kate Linder, of the “Young & The Restless”;
and Adrianna Costa, of “Extra”. PATH is a nonprofit community
organization providing housing and support services for homeless
families and adults, and the annual “Christmas Holiday Party” provides a fun, holiday celebration for the children of homeless individuals. PATH Partners is located at 340 N. Madison Ave. For information, visit www.epath.org.
ears Holding Corp. has
announced that it plans to
close 100 to 120 Kmart and Sears
stores after a dismal December.
However, the company has not
announced when and where those
closures will take place, and has
declined to elaborate.
According to a statement, holiday shopping season sales were
down for both Kmart and Sears.
That decline was the result of consumer electronics and home appliance sales suffering, with more
than half of decline coming from
consumer electronics.
“Given our performance and
the difficult economic environment, especially for big-ticket
items, we intend to implement a
series of actions to reduce ongoing expenses, adjust our asset
base and accelerate the transformation of our business model,”
Sears Holding Corp. chief execuphoto by Aaron Blevins
tive officer Lou D’Ambrosio said. It has not been announced whether the Kmart near the corner of 3rd
“These actions will better enable
and Fairfax will be on the list of stores to remain open.
us to focus our investments on
serving our customers and members through integrated retail — at through the sale of their invento- their performance.
“While our past practice has
the store, online and in the home.” ries. Sears Holding Corp. also
The store closures are expected plans to optimize the space alloca- been to keep marginally performto generate $140 to $170 million tion of certain stores based on
See Kmart page 22
Metro Offers Copper Wire Thieves Target
Special Transit Miracle Mile Streetlights
Programs for Thefts Have Caused
That Could
Rose Parade Outages
Affect Public Safety
n
T
he Metropolitan Transportaiton
Authority (Metro) is giving visitors to the Tournament of Roses
Parade and Rose Bowl game on Jan.
2 many options to use public transportation.
The Red, Purple, Orange and
Gold Lines will be operating
throughout the night of Jan. 1 and 2
to enable the public to get an early
space along the parade route.
Metro will also run additional
trains and more frequent service on
the Metro Gold Line, which provides service to Pasadena., beginning at 5 a.m. and continuing
through 9 p.m., with trains running
every seven to eight minutes to and
from Pasadena.
All Metro Rail lines will also
operate on New Year’s Eve and New
Years Day, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, to
give revelers a safe alternative to driving. On New Year’s Eve/Day only,
Metro will be providing free rides on
all Metro bus and rail lines from 9
p.m. until 2 a.m. on Jan. 1. After 2
a.m., regular fares go into effect.
Metrolink is also providing service that will connect event-goers
with Gold Line and service to
Pasadena. On Jan. 2, Metrolink is
offering a two-for-one special on
tickets.
Parade goers can access any of
four Metro train stations near the
Parade route on Colorado
Boulevard, including the Memorial
Park, Del Mar, Lake and Allen stations. For information, visit
www.metro.net.
BY EDWIN FOLVEN
T
hieves who steal copper wire
from streetlights are costing
the city hundreds of thousands of
dollars each year, and are creating
public safety hazards in areas
where the streets are blacked out
because of the thefts, according to
the Bureau of Street Lighting.
On Dec. 12, streetlights along
Ridgeley Drive, Burnside Avenue
and Dunsmuir Avenue between
8th Street and Olympic Boulevard
were plunged into darkness
because of copper wire thieves,
said Miracle Mile resident Kevin
Glynn. It took several days to get
the power restored to the streetlights, and Glynn said he is fed up
with the problem. He is telling
anyone who will listen to be on
the watch for the thefts, which the
Los Angeles Police Department
has acknowledged are becoming
more prevalent in the local area.
“We had a problem back in
October, but the highlight was on
December 12, when the area was
out for about a week,” Glynn said.
“It was just the streetlights, but
who knows what will be their next
target.”
Glynn said the day before the
power went out, there was a white
van parked in the neighborhood
and some workers with hard hats
were working on the lights. He
said he didn’t think anything was
wrong at the time, but later
learned that the men were likely
thieves posing as city workers,
and they had cut the copper wires
during the daytime and returned at
night when the power was off to
steal the wire.
Lt. Bryan Wong, head of detectives for the LAPD’s Wilshire
Division, said that scenario is
common, and added that it is often
difficult to identify suspects or
make arrests because by the time
police find out about the theft, the
perpetrators are long gone.
“It is a concern, but it is a very
hard problem to get a handle on,”
Wong said. “We can’t investigate
things we don’t have leads on. We
occasionally get reports about the
thefts, but the reports don’t usually have descriptions or license
plate numbers, so where do we
start? Whether it’s a license plate
or some other information, we
need a place to start.”
Det. Kevin Romine, with the
LAPD’s Commercial Crimes
Division, said the thefts have been
most prevalent throughout the
city’s Westside, and that the
thieves steal the copper wire for
its recycling value, which currently is around $3 to $3.50-perpound. Romine said he canvasses
the city’s approximately 80 recycling yards on a daily basis
searching for stolen goods, but
added that he has no way of
knowing whether copper wire is
stolen because it is generally
stripped and has no identifying
marks. He also said it is hard to
catch the thieves because they
generally operate under the cover
of darkness.
“They do this at three or four in
See Thieves page 22
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
20 December 29, 2011
Elizabeth Taylor Honored on Rose Float
From page 1
Taylor is credited with being the
first celebrity to stand up for people
with AIDS, which carried a stigma
in the 1980s when it was first identified because it primarily affected
members of the gay community.
Taylor first joined with AIDS
Project Los Angeles to promote the
organization’s fundraising efforts,
but later teamed with AHF and
many
other
organizations.
Weinstein said Taylor worked with
every AIDS support organization in
Los Angeles over the years, and
was responsible for helping the
public understand that the disease
can affect anyone. Taylor went on
to testify before Congress about the
epidemic, and was instrumental in
promoting educational programs
that helped prevent the disease from
spreading. She also founded the
American Foundation for AIDS in
1985, and in 1993 established the
Elizabeth Taylor HIV/AIDS
Foundation, which has raised more
than $270 million. In 2006, she
donated $500,000 for a mobile HIV
services clinic for the victims of
Hurricane Katrina, and continued to
be a tireless advocate for support up
until her death last March at age 79.
“When you’ve got someone like
Elizabeth Taylor being a champion,
it gives heart, it gives comfort, and
it encourages other people to come
forward,” Weinstein said. “She
encouraged people to speak openly,
photo by Edwin Folven
L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky (left), Congressman Henry
Waxman and Assemblymember Mike Feuer were featured in an article
titled “Los Tres Moustachios” in the 65th anniversary issue of the Park
Labrea News, which is available online at www.beverlypress.com.
A Look Back at 2011
From page 1
ly with a presidential election on
the horizon, the end of the year
marks an appropriate time to look
back on the people and events that
shaped the news in 2011.
Gov. Jerry Brown, elected in
November, 2010, took office on
Jan. 3 and later proposed a budget
with something for everyone to
hate, reflecting the economic hardships facing California. Brown first
served as governor from 1974 to
1982. The City of Los Angeles
approved an ordinance to block
mobile billboard advertising. The
council, led by Councilmember
Dennis Zine, 3rd District, concluded that the signs, which are frequently attached to trailers left
parked on city streets for days, presented a safety hazard and violated
city sign ordinances. The West
Hollywood City Council also acted
on alleged safety hazards on the
road in January when it ordered city
staff to look into the dangers posed
by party buses, limousine-like vehicles that are often more than 36 feet
long and sometimes cruise the city
without stopping.
January was also a solemn month
as many people in the community
expressed concern over the Tucson
shooting rampage on Jan. 8, where
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords
was shot in the head and was seriously wounded, and six others were
killed.
Congressman
Henry
Waxman (D-Los Angeles) spoke
during a scheduled event at the
National Council of Jewish
See 2011 page 21
and that is how we will get a handle
on AIDS in this country.”
The float is AHF’s first entry into
the Rose Parade, which will be held
on Jan. 2 this year instead of New
Year’s Day, continuing a longstanding tradition of never holding
the event on a Sunday. The 123rd
annual parade begins at 8 a.m. near
the corner of Colorado and Orange
Grove Boulevards, and runs along
a 5.5-mile route that ends near
Pasadena High School, where a
float viewing area will be held.
Warren Fujimora, a patient with
AIDS who receives care from AHF,
will be a member of the
Tournament of Roses crew — serving as an “official white suiter” at
the float staging area — and said
his first time being a part of the
event is especially poignant
because of AHF’s first entry in the
parade.
“When I first saw the AIDS
Healthcare Foundation’s float, I
said, ‘this is where I belong’,” said
Fujimori, 57, a resident of Tujunga.
“I call it ‘my float’, because I
wouldn’t be alive today without
AIDS Healthcare Foundation and
the help they have provided. It is
all about awareness, and we are not
done. People are still dying, and the
message still needs to get out.”
Fujimori added that he is especially excited about Taylor being
honored, and said he greatly
admires her support for people living with HIV and AIDS. Fujimori
said he briefly saw Taylor once
when he worked at Cedars-Sinai
Medical Center as a technician and
the actress was undergoing surgery.
He said Taylor acknowledged him,
and it left an impression he will
never forget.
“We were in an elevator and I
realized who she was, and I told her
I just wanted to thank her for all the
work she had done for all of my
friends,” Fujimori said. “She
looked at me and smiled and
winked.”
Fujimori added that he is no
longer employed at the hospital,
photo by Edwin Folven
One of the portraits to be featured on the parade float depicts Elizabeth
Taylor as she appeared in the film, “Cleopatra”.
and has found a new lease on life
through AHF and Pasadena City
College, where he is currently
studying in hopes of entering nursing school. He credited his experience at the college for getting him
involved in the Tournament of
Roses, and said his participation as
a “white suiter” will be among the
greatest achievements of his life.
“When I turned to AHF, my emotional state and physical state were
not great. My immune system was
so damaged, and I didn’t have a lot
of hope,” Fujimori said. “I am actually doing a lot better now. They
helped me get my medications, and
helped me turn my life around.”
Dana Miller, executive producer
of events for AHF, said the Rose
Parade provides a perfect venue to
publicize the need for more support
for HIV and AIDS programs, and to
honor Taylor’s legacy.
“It is the 30th anniversary of
HIV, and I think with the passing of
Elizabeth Taylor, it was a perfect
time to let people know that the
HIV is still around, and it is not
over,” Miller said. “We wanted to
pay tribute to Elizabeth Taylor, not
as a movie star but as an activist,
because she really brought the
world to the cause. It’s a chance to
get the message out worldwide.”
Weinstein added that Taylor’s
contributions have enabled the
organization to help people like
Fujimori, and added that the actress
was involved in much broader
ways. She helped fund AHF’s international efforts, including the medical clinic in Durban, South Africa
for people with AIDS who have
nowhere else to turn.
“AHF’s ‘Our Champion’ float
also serves as a reminded that,
though Ms. Taylor bravely stood up
for people living with HIV and
AIDS at an important moment in
history, the AIDS epidemic is still
not over and there remains much
work to be done,” Weinstein added.
“This year the theme of the
Tournament of Roses Parade is
‘Just Imagine’. Lets imagine and
work toward a world without
AIDS.”
For information on the parade,
visit www.tournmentofRoses.com,
or for information on AHF, visit
www.aidshealth.org.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
21 December 29, 2011
2011 Was a Dynamic Year
From page 20
Women, Los Angeles on Jan. 13,
and after recalling his working
friendship with Giffords, called for
stronger federal firearms regulations.
The beginning of the year was
also election season in the 4th
Council District, where incumbent
Councilmember Tom LaBonge
squared off against challengers
Stephen Box and Tomas O’Grady;
and in West Hollywood, where
councilmembers Abbe Land, John
Heilman and Lindsey Horvath
competed against a field of newcomers. LaBonge later emerged
victorious in his bid for a third and
final term, and Heilman and Land
took the top spots in West
Hollywood, but Horvath was
unseated by community advocate
John D’Amico.
Protests broke out in West
Hollywood in February directed at
businesses that sell clothing and
accessories made of animal fur. The
protests led to the city council
eventually passing a ban on sale of
the fur products, making West
Hollywood the first city in America
to enact such a ban.
February also marked the beginning of a lengthy dispute between
the Hollywood Film School and the
Hollywood Farmers Market over a
stretch of Ivar Avenue between
Sunset Boulevard and Selma
Avenue. The film school claimed
that the weekly market was blocking access to its parking garage,
and refused to sign-off on permits
the market needed to operate each
week. After months of negotiations
between the market, film school
and the Office of City
Councilmember Eric Garcetti, 13th
District, the school withdrew its
opposition, and the market is still
held on Ivar each Sunday.
Local elections were making
headlines as March began, and in
The gay and
lesbian community
was also
celebrating in July
when New York
became the seventh state to
approve same-sex
marriage.
addition to the council races, the
big news was the defeat of Measure
A in West Hollywood, which
would have placed a tax on billboards but would also have permitted them in more locations throughout the city. Over the border in Los
Angeles, a controversial ballot initiative known as Measure M that
authorized the taxation of medical
marijuana was passed by voters.
Officials are still in the process of
figuring out how the tax will be collected, and how to implement the
permitting process. Medical marijuana dispensaries continue to proliferate in the Melrose District, and
throughout Los Angeles, despite an
ordinance passed by the city council to limit their numbers and regulate their locations.
April also began with the West
Hollywood City Council weighing
the controversial issue of designating the neighborhoods near Santa
Monica and San Vicente boulevard
as “Historic Boystown”. The idea
was not adopted after a significant
number of people voiced concerns
that the name is derogatory, but the
proposal is still on the table and
may likely be considered again in
2012.
The national election was at the
forefront at the end of April when
President Barack Obama made two
photo by Adam Popescu
The Occupy LA demonstrators camped out on the lawn at city hall for
several weeks before eventually being removed by the LAPD.
campaign stops in Los Angeles to
get an early start on fundraising for
2012. A few weeks later in May, the
West Hollywood City Council
approved a plan to build an automated parking structure behind city
hall that will feature spaces for 200
cars to be hoisted up and down on
mechanical lifts. West Hollywood’s
state-of-the-art library was also
nearing completion and was given
a boost in May when local developers, the Mani Family, pledged a $1
million gift for its construction. The
city itself began a new chapter
when the library opened in October
near San Vicente Boulevard and
Melrose Avenue.
As summer approached, the
AIDS Healthcare Foundation
marked the 30th anniversary of the
first diagnoses of HIV. The disease
was first identified by doctors in the
local area, including Dr. Michael
Gottlieb, of UCLA and later
Olympia Medical Center, and the
anniversary was observed at a candlelight vigil on June 5 at the
Matthew Sheppard Memorial
Triangle in West Hollywood.
June was also a big month for
Fairfax High School, where a project to renovate the athletic field got
underway. The $6 million project
includes a new track and field, and
new bleachers and a scoreboard,
and is expected to be completed in
time for the 2012 football season.
The gay and lesbian community
was also celebrating in July when
New York became the seventh state
to approve same-sex marriage. The
ruling provided a boost to local
couples wishing to marry.
California’s same-sex couples are
still awaiting a decision in federal
court in the battle over Proposition
8, which prohibits same-sex marriage.
Youth sports also got a boost in
July, when the Los Angeles
Dodgers opened a Dodgers
Dreamfield at Pan Pacific Park,
renovating the baseball field and
scoreboard, and hosting a baseball
clinic for little leaguers.
A near-riot broke out in
Hollywood in August when a DJ
associated with the “Electric Daisy
Carnival” raves tweeted that he was
going to perform outside the
Chinese Theatre as part of the premier of a documentary about the
festival. The tweet prompted thousands of people to swarm
Hollywood Boulevard. Police
arrested three people, but the crowd
was eventually dispersed without
any major injuries occurring. The
incident prompted Los Angeles
Police Department officials to
examine policies on monitoring
social media and coordinating
responses to flash mobs.
Redistricting was also a hot topic
in August, when a state commission
approved new boundaries for the
local assembly district. District 42,
which is currently represented by
Assemblymember Mike Feuer (DLos Angeles), will become District
50 in 2012. It will still include West
Hollywood, Hollywood, Hancock
Park and the Wilshire area, but will
be much larger, extending northwest to Agoura Hills. Feuer is
termed out in 2012, and the a group
of candidates that includes former
L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center CEO
Torie Osborn and current State
Assemblymember Betsy Butler
will be competing in a June election
to represent the 50th District.
Redistricting also became an issue
in September when the County
Board of Supervisors wrangled
over a proposal to create a new,
heavily Latino-populated District in
Los Angeles. The Board later voted
to reject the plan and adopted districts that only slightly adjusted the
existing boundaries.
September was also a special
time for the Jewish community,
when in addition to celebrating the
start of the High Holy Days, the
Jewish Federation marked its
100th anniversary by hosting its
third community day of service
with thousands of volunteers participating.
Many local politicians were also
in the news in September, with
Assemblymember Feuer announcing plans to run for city attorney,
and Council President Eric
Garcetti, 13th District, announcing
plans for a mayoral bid in 2013.
President Obama also visited West
Hollywood in September for a
highly-publicized fundraiser at the
House of Blues, and a second
fundraiser at the Fig & Olive
10 new stations being created along
the Exposition right-of-way,
according to Metro’s website. The
new stations will be located on 23rd
Street, Jefferson/USC, Expo
Park/USA,
Expo/Vermont,
Expo/Western, Expo/Crenshaw,
Farmdale, Expo/La Brea, La
Cienega/Jefferson and Culver City.
“We are very excited about it,”
Jager said. “It’s a great system.”
He said the new system will be a
“great alternative” to the Santa
Monica Freeway, and should be
very popular among residents.
Jager said Metro’s fare structure
will not change, so riders will pay
$1.50 one way.
The trains should be ready to roll on the Expo line within a few months.
photo by Edwin Folven
The athletic field, scoreboard and stands are being renovated as part of
a large project underway at Fairfax High School.
restaurant on Melrose Place.
Occupy LA occupied the headlines in October when the group set
up camp on the lawn at Los
Angeles City Hall. City officials,
including
Mayor
Antonio
Villaraigosa, initially told the
demonstrators they could stay as
long as they wanted, but as the
weeks passed by and the lawn was
damaged, the city removed the
encampment. The removal effort
was largely peaceful, however,
with approximately 292 people
being arrested, but no major
injuries reported.
In the LGBT community, opponents of Proposition 8 announced
they would not seek a ballot initiative in 2012 to overturn the controversial law. The AIDS Healthcare
Foundation also called for more
funding for AIDS programs as
President Obama returned to
Hancock Park for a pair of
fundraisers.
The coming year also promises
to be a period of continuous
change, with the installment in
January of new City Council
President Herb Wesson, 10th
District, and new Council
President Pro Tempore, Ed Reyes,
1st District. State budget cuts are
also likely to continue to threaten
school districts and city programs
on a regional level, and issues such
as new limits on mansionization in
the Beverly Grove neighborhood
and a city-wide ban on single-use
plastic shopping bags will continue
to be contentious locally.
Nationally, 2012 is shaping up to
be a controversial election year,
and the local communities will
continue to play a role in the contest. With all of the changes that
occurred in 2011, it appears that
change will continue to be the one
constant in the area in the coming
year.
Expo Line Opening Delayed
From page 3
rent tunnel configuration only supports a one-train operation, he said.
“That, obviously, would hamper
our operations,” Jager said, adding
that testing is ongoing.
Testing began on Phase 1 of the
Expo Line in April, in hopes of
opening in mid-November. Now,
officials are hoping to begin providing service in early 2012, and they
may open only the lines from
downtown L.A. to La Cienega
Boulevard. No decision has been
made yet on which segments will
be opened, however.
“So far, no date has been set,”
Jager said.
He said the construction authori-
“So far, no date
has been set. We
are very excited
about it. It’s a
great system.”
-Rick Jager, Metro
spokesperson
ty continues to work on the Culver
City station, and construction commenced in September on Phase 2 of
project, which will run from Culver
City to Santa Monica.
Phase 1 will run 8.5 miles, with
photo courtesy of Metro
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
22 December 29, 2011
Plummer Park Plan to be Revisited
From page 1
subcommittee to find realistic alternatives to the current plan, which
features underground parking, the
razing of Great Hall/Long Hall and
the renovation of Fiesta Hall,
among other things.
“They’re going to look at everything,” she said. “It’s not to say the
current plan won’t be in the mix.”
The subcommittee will also take
into account the costs associated
with any adjustments, Belsanti
added. The current plan would cost
approximately $41 million, as part
of the city’s $125 million, 25th
Anniversary Capital Project. The
entire project is being funded
through reserves in the general and
parking funds, bonds and private
money.
Belsanti said the city does not
know when construction will com-
mence, but she encouraged residents to call city hall if they have
questions.
“It’s especially hard for seniors
and people with children who have
incorporated that park into their
daily lives,” she said. “We just want
folks to feel comfortable reaching
out.”
Cathy Blaivis, a member of
Protect Plummer Park, said the
group is pleased that the city is
rethinking some aspects of the plan.
Several members of the West
Hollywood community had been
outspoken about the project, and
some organized an Occupy
Plummer Park event in November.
“It was good news in the sense
that it sounds like they’re abandoning the underground parking,”
Blaivis said.
That had been a contentious
aspect of the plan. Opponents feared
that subterranean parking would
result in the loss of 54 old-growth
trees that provide shade, and also
force the park to be closed for a considerable amount of time during
construction.
While opponents are grateful, the
city’s action does not come without
concerns. Blaivis said she doesn’t
know how the current architects,
who specialize in modern and ultramodern architecture, would be able
to tweak their design to fit with
neighboring structures and the historical status of Plummer Park.
“It is good news,” she added.
“I’m just hoping that the community … has some sort of a dialogue
[with city officials] this time around.
…We have guarded optimism.”
New Laws Set to Take Effect in 2012
From page 1
financial protections available to
married heterosexual couples. The
bill will allow residents in same-sex
relationships to apply for MediCal’s long-term care benefit without
risking access to joint bank accounts
or stocks.
“This new law addresses an
inequity that would have left samesex spouses of nursing home residents without the means to support
themselves,” Feuer said. “When
spouses make the difficult decision
to place their loved ones in nursing
homes, they should concentrate on
finding the best possible care. They
should not have to worry that their
spouse could lose access to joint
financial resources and face poverty
due to unequal treatment and discrimination.”
The federal government recently
issued a memo saying that states
have flexibility in administering the
long-term care benefit.
Feuer’s AB 1344 seeks to address
local government abuses, such as
the scandal in the city of Bell. It
restricts excessive and automatic
increases in local officials’ pay, and
also requires officials who are convicted of a crime to reimburse local
agency funds used during their legal
defense, such as paid leave and cash
severance.
“This new law aims to restore the
public trust in local governments by
implementing several much-needed
good government and transparency
policies,” Feuer said. “California
taxpayers must have confidence that
their representatives are expending
funds appropriately.”
The bill also requires government
hearing agendas to be posted online,
and that the community has more
involvement in adopting guiding
legal documents for local governments.
Additionally, Feuer authored a
bill establishing the Certified Green
Business Program, which provides
participating businesses with consultants who offer assistance on
implementing quality environmental practices.
Pavley has 14 bills set to take
effect in 2012. They cover topics
from energy appliances to business
regulations to sex offenders. Two of
her bills — one that would have
doubled fines for elder abuse and
another that would have imposed
protections for the issuance of signature stamps — were vetoed by
Gov. Jerry Brown.
“My legislative package was
aimed at helping Californians,”
Pavley said, “whether through
encouraging business growth in the
state, providing additional tools to
law enforcement to protect our residents or encouraging the adoption
of energy efficiency measures.”
Pavley’s SB 61 will continue the
state’s wiretap program, which aids
the most serious and difficult law
enforcement issues, such as orga-
photo by Aaron Blevins
Protesters at Plummer Park called for the trees and some of the buildings to be saved in the renovation plan.
nized crime and large-scale narcotics seizures.
SB 152 repealed a law that prohibited the state from charging for
any private recreation pier that is
erected on state lands for use by the
landowner. The State Lands
Commission will be allowed to
charge “appropriate and fair rents”
for such piers, according to a statement.
Pavley’s SB 170 allows local air
districts to negotiate for a share of
revenues with entities that provide
research and development for new
technology that reduces pollution
and offers other public benefits.
SB 179 aims to ensure that sex
offenders who are identified as violent predators serve their court-order
parole after being released from state
hospitals. According to a statement, a
loophole was allowing serious sex
offenders to forego parole supervision after being released from state
hospitals into the community.
Pavley also authored bills that
allow physician assistants to provide
more services in emergency rooms
and allow students to attend a school
in a district in which the parent or
guardian works. SB 454 empowers
the California Energy Commission
to further regulate energy-efficiency
appliances, and SB 502 requires all
general acute care hospitals with a
perinatal unit to have a posted infant
feeding policy that promotes breastfeeding and other guidance.
Additional Pavley bills require
more rigorous assessments of economic impacts by government agencies, completely ban lead in jewelry,
reallocate $25 million in low-interest
loans for local governments for energy efficiency retrofits, allow protective orders for up to 10 years for
domestic violence victims, and give
authority to probation officers and
county medical staff to provide care
to juvenile detainees even if the parent or guardian cannot be located.
WeHo Prepares for Day of Service
From page 3
Thieves Target Streetlights for Copper Wire
From page 4
the morning, so people rarely see
them. I come across copper wire
every day at the recycling yards, but
determining whether it is stolen or
not is beyond my scope,” Romine
said. “If you come across a statue or
a manhole cover or something like
that, they have a serial number, but
with the wire, you can’t tell where it
came from. The DWP’s copper wire
is the same as the railroad yard’s
copper wire and a commercial
building’s copper wire, so there is
no way to tell.”
Richard Lee, a spokesperson for
the city’s Department of Public
Works, which includes the Bureau
of Street Lighting, said the city is
trying to warn residents to watch
for the thefts. A flyer is being distributed at city government buildings, libraries and community centers alerting the public that they
should call 911 if they see someone tampering with the streetlights. Official Bureau of Street
Kmart and Sears Stores
May be Closed
From page 4
ing stores open while we worked
to improve their performance,
we no longer believe that to be
the appropriate action in this
environment,” according to the
statement.
Additionally, the company
will reduce its peak domestic
inventory by $300 million in
2012, improve its inventory
management and reduce its fixed
costs by $100 to $200 million.
Locally, it is unknown whether
the closures will impact the
Kmart store at 3rd Street and
Fairfax Avenue. One manager at
the Kmart, who declined to
named, said he isn’t nervous
about the whether the store will
be closing, “but I’m not the one
holding the list.”
“I don’t think our location is
affected,” he said.
Sears Holding Corp. representatives did not return calls before
deadline.
Lighting contractors will have the
city seal on their vehicle, and are
required to wear orange vests and
provide identification when
requested. The thieves pry open a
hatch at the base of the streetlights
to access the copper wire. Lee
added that the city is in the process
of installing locking hatches as a
preventive measure. The thefts
cost the city approximately
$630,000 for the purchase of new
wire and repairs in the 2010-11 fiscal year.
“It will take some time to install
the locking doors because there are
many thousands of street lights out
there,” Lee added. “In the meantime we are trying to get the message out to the public about calling
the police if they see something
suspicious.”
Jim O’Sullivan, president of the
Miracle
Mile
Residential
Association, added that he is also
distributing information about the
thefts to his neighbors, and added
that he is concerned the thefts will
continue to spread.
“It’s a terrible public safety
issue. If you are out at night and
there are no streetlights, then you
are privy to problems,” O’Sullivan
said. “It seems to be getting worse
and worse. The city needs funds to
deal with this, and they need to
find new ways to deal with this.”
• Heal the Bay, an organization
that seeks to make Southern
California’s coastal waters and
watersheds clean, healthy and safe.
Heal the Bay’s next event will be
from 10 a.m. to noon on Jan. 21 at
a yet-to-be determined location. No
RSVP is needed, but for more
information, call (800)432-5229,
ext. 148.
• Operation Gratitude, which
sends care packages and letters to
U.S. military personnel overseas.
To participate, e-mail opgratvolunteer1@aol.com or visit www.operationgratitude.org.
• Tails of the City Animal
Rescue, which holds pet adoptions
in Los Angeles. The events are held
from 11:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. every
Saturday at Petco, 200 S. La Brea
Ave., Suite C. For more information, visit www.tailsofthecityrescue.com.
• TreePeople, an environmental
nonprofit organization, is holding a
Park Work Day from 9 a.m. to noon
on Jan. 14 at Coldwater Canyon
Park. To register, e-mail volunteer@treepeople.org.
• Big Sunday Weekend, during
which projects are scheduled
throughout the weekend at hundreds of nonprofits, schools and
other agencies in the region. The
event will be held May 5 and 6. For
more information, visit www.bigsunday.org.
Fooks said it is possible that the
city may add another event or two
to the list, but all of the participating
organizations have coordinated
with West Hollywood in the past.
She said the city hopes that the volunteers continue to work with the
organizations beyond the Day of
Service.
“The one time thing is great, but
they have ongoing needs,” Fooks
said.
She said the donation drive in
early December went well, but
organizers are still accepting toys
and food. Donations can be
dropped off at West Hollywood
City Hall between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
on weekdays.
Fooks said that, generally, the
organizations request that volunteers sign-up before participating.
She said interested residents can
also
e-mail
wehovcorps@gmail.com for information.
Answers From Page 15