Volume 22 No. 4 Serving the West Hollywood, Hancock Park and...

Approximately 100 protes-tors demonstrated outsidethe Kenneth Hahn

Administration Building onTuesday, calling for the LosAngeles Board of CountySupervisors to reduce the county’sjail system population instead ofexpanding its facilities to accom-modate for more inmates.

According to county docu-ments, the board has been lookingto address overcrowding in thejails since at least 2006, thoughvarious legal hurdles have stalledor altered projects. Protestors,however, called for the supervi-sors to invest any project fundinginto the community instead.

“The California prison systemhas shown that you cannot arrestyour way out of social problems,”said Susan Burton, the founder ofA New Way of Life ReentryProject, which provides housingand support to formerly incarcer-ated women and their children.

Burton argued that the countyshould provide services in lieu ofexpanding its jail system, becauseinmates need resources in order totransfer back into society success-fully. Since 1999, A New Way of

Life has enabled 600 women toreturn home without governmentfunding, she said.

Many protestors took issue withthe county’s $1.4 billion jailexpansion proposal, which wasdiscussed at the supervisors’ Oct.11 meeting. However, SupervisorZev Yaroslavsky’s press deputy,Joel Bellman, said that proposal,suggested by county ChiefExecutive Officer WilliamFujioka, was “dead on arrival.”

On Tuesday, the supervisorsreceived another proposal, callingfor a $5.7 million report byAECOM Services to provide rec-ommendations for solving thecounty’s jail overcrowding prob-lem. The board, though, asked fora more concrete scope of workplan, Bellman said.

“The board was conceptuallyOK with the consultant taking afresh look,” he said.

Detectives are still searchingfor suspects in the murderand dismemberment of a

66-year-old Hollywood residentwhose head, hands and feet werefound last week off a trail near theHollywood sign.

The victim, identified as HerveyMedellin, was reported missingeight days before his head was dis-covered on Jan. 17 by two women

walking nine dogs on a trail inBronson Canyon Park near the3200 block of Canyon Drive. Oneof the dogs found a plastic bag con-taining the head, and the womennotified police. An extensive inves-tigation ensued, and on Jan. 18, thevictim’s hands and feet were locat-ed in a shallow grave near the loca-tion where the head was found.Authorities searched the area untilFriday, when Bronson Canyon park

Representatives of CarusoAffiliated have confirmedthat, as promised, devel-

oper Rick Caruso and former LosAngeles Dodgers manager JoeTorre have partnered to submit aformal bid to buy the Dodgers.

The deadline to submit bids

was Monday, and several groupsand individuals reportedly sub-mitted proposals. Among themare Dallas Mavericks owner,Mark Cuban, former Dodgersowner Peter O’Malley andLakers’ great Magic Johnson.

Caruso and Torre hadannounced their partnership andintentions in a press release at thebeginning of January. Accordingto representatives of CarusoAffiliated, both have declinedinterview requests throughout the

What do coconuts and key-boards have in common?Answer: They both help

make MusIQ.Gardner Street Elementary

School on Monday unveiled itsnew music education program,MusIQ, which uses keyboards andinteractive games to teach studentshow to read music. Available forstudents K-6, the program can dif-ferentiate between skill levels whileguiding students toward proficien-cy, said Lesley Holmes, founder ofthe school’s parent group, Friendsof Gardnerville.

“They’re going to learn the lan-guage of music,” Holmes said. “It’sa life skill that we’re giving themhere.”

For beginners, MusIQ offers sev-eral different exercises that expandon previous lessons. In one exer-

cise, students were asked to hit ahigh note or a low note on the key-board depending on the size of acoconut. In another, they were sim-ply allowed to improvise. Each stu-

dent is paired with a computer, akeyboard and earphones.

“We think this will build a wholenew generation of not only talented

Volume 22 No. 4 Serving the West Hollywood, Hancock Park and Wilshire Communities January 26, 2012

INSIDE• Arson suspect faces

100 charges. pg. 4

• Grant used for anti-terrorism

boat. pg. 5

Clear andwarm throughthe weekend

See Lab page 20See Bids page 20

BY AARON BLEVINS

See Police page 21

See Supervisors page 22

BY EDWIN FOLVEN

WWW.BEVERLYPRESS.COM

n New Lab is NamedAfter the ʻKing of Popʼ

n Caruso, Torre areAmong the PotentialNew Owners

photo by Aaron Blevins

Ashley Kang, a 3rd grader at Gardner Street Elementary School, tickledthe ivories in the new Michael Jackson Music Education Lab.

n Man Whose Body Parts Were Found NearHollywood Sign Was Local Resident

n Supervisors Look toImprove Facilities,Increase Capacity


Protesters at the Kenneth Hahn Administration Building want the countyto reduce the size of its jail population instead of building more jails.

Demonstrators Denounce Jail Expansion

Gardner Elementary Boosts Music IQs

Police Still Searching forClues in Beheading

Bidders are On Deck to Purchase Dodgers


Bidding began this week for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and somewell known local figures are looking to buy the team.

BY AARON BLEVINS

BY AARON BLEVINS

http://normsrestaurants.com/

27 Classical Duo

The classical music duo of violinistAugustin Hadelich and pianist

Joyce Yang will perform on Friday,Jan. 27 at 8 p.m. at the DohenyMansion, on the campus of Mount St.Mary’s College near downtown LosAngeles. The duo will perform musicby Schumann, Beethoven, Ravel andTakemitsu in the mansion’s PompeianRoom. A champagne and dessertreception, with an opportunity to meetthe musicians, will follow the concert.Tickets are $55 and $75. 8 Chester Pl.(213)477-2929, www.DaCamera.org.

28 El Capitan Tour

The Los Angeles Historic TheatreFoundation is hosting a tour titled

“All About the El Capitan” onSaturday, Jan. 28 at 8 a.m. Led bytrained docents, the tour will take par-ticipants from the basement to thebooth, including backstage, understage where the performers prepare,and behind the footlights, where tech-nicians operate sophisticated systemsfor the live shows. Before the tour, the-atre historian Ed Kelsey will present aphotographic history of the El Capitan.Tickets are $12, reservations required.6838 Hollywood Blvd. www.lahtf.org.

LGBT Art Exhibit

The Luis De Jesus Gallery is hold-ing an exhibition titled “Tilt-Shift

L.A.: New Queer Perspectives on theWestern Edge” running from Saturday,Jan. 28 through Feb. 25. The show iscurated by Darin Klein and featuresworks by 15 local artists, includingBrandon Andrew, Zackary Drucker,A.L. Steiner, Deanna Erdmann, MattGreene, and many others. 2685 LaCienega Blvd. (310)838-6000,www.luis-dejesus.com.

Tommy HawkinsBook Signing

Former L.A. Lakers star TommyHawkins is holding a presentation

of his new poetry book on Saturday,Jan. 28 from 2 to 4 p.m. at ChevaliersBookstore. Hawkins was a forward

who played in the NBA from 1959 to1969. The book features 45 narrativesaccompanied by paintings and illustra-tions by artists including LeRoyNeiman and Ernie Barnes. 126 N.Larchmont Blvd. (323)465-1334,www.tommyhawkins.net.

Baroque Musical

Musica Angelica BaroqueOrchestra presents Pergolesi’s

“Stabat Mater” on Saturday, Jan. 28 at8 p.m. at AT&T Center Theatre in

downtown Los Angeles, and onSunday, January 29 at 3 p.m. at FirstPresbyterian Church in Santa Monica.Joining Musica Angelica will be sopra-no Dame Emma Kirby, and coun-tertenor Daniel Taylor. The programwill also include songs and arias byBach and Handel. Tickets are $29 to$49. AT&T Center Theatre, 1150 S.Olive St., downtown; FirstPresbyterian Church, 1220 2nd St.,Santa Monica. (310)458-4504,www.musicaangelica.org.

‘El Nogalar’

The Fountain Theatre presents “ElNogalar (The Pecan Orchard)” by

Tanya Saracho running fromSaturday, Jan. 28 through March 11.Director Laurie Woolery and play-wright Luis Alfaro team up for a taleof humor and heartache in a changingMexico. Showtimes are at 8 p.m.,Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m.,Sunday. Tickets are $25 to $30. 5060Fountain Ave. (323)663-1525,www.FountainTheatre.com.

29 Cathedral ChapelSchool Open House

Cathedral Chapel School is hold-ing an open house on Sunday,

Jan. 29 and Thursday, Feb. 2 in con-junction with Catholic Schools Week.The events begin on Jan. 29 at 10 a.m.with a mass at Cathedral Chapel of St.Vibiana at 923 S. La Brea Ave., fol-lowed by an open house from 11:30a.m. to 1 p.m. at the school. The openhouse provides parents an opportunityto meet the teachers and staff. In-N-Out Burger will be selling burgers tobenefit the school. An open house willalso be held on Thursday, Feb. 2 from8 a.m. to noon at the school.Registration is open from Monday,Jan. 30 through March 2. 755 S.Cochran Ave. (323)938-9976,www.cathedralchapelschool.org.

Green Workshop

The Natural History Museum ofLos Angeles County is holding its

“Sustainable Sundays” series onSunday, Jan. 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30p.m. Titled “Soil, Dirt and Land”, theevent will teach participants how tohelp the environment in a fun way.900 Exposition Blvd. (213)763-DINO, www.nhm.org.

‘Glee’s’ Eric Nicolau

Pop crooner, Eric Nicolau, knownas the guitarist and keyboard play-

er on “Glee”, will perform on Sunday,Jan. 29 at The Mint on PicoBoulevard. Nicolau will performmusic from his self-released soloalbum, “Won’t You Stay”. Also includ-ed on the bill is Fiore, Brook andRiver, Planet Booty, Abby Posner andAlaska Reid. Doors open at 7 p.m.Tickets are $10 to $13. 6010 W. PicoBlvd. (323)954-9400, www.themint-la.com.

30 Jackie DeShannon

The Grammy Museum presents“An Evening With Jackie

DeShannon” on Monday, Jan. 30 at 8p.m. The evening will honor singer-songwriter and music pioneer JackieDeShannon, known for her soulfulvoice in Bacharach-David’s “WhatThe World Needs Now Is Love”, andher own “Put A Little Love In YourHeart”. Tickets start at $20. 800 W.Olympic Blvd., Ste. A245. (213)765-6803, grammymuseum.org.

Joan Rivers

The Reprise Theatre Company ishosting “An Evening With Joan

Rivers” on Monday, January 30 at 8p.m. at UCLA’s Freud Playhouse.Rivers will perform her signature-brand of comedy, and ticket sales ben-efit Reprise Theatre Company’s edu-cation and outreach programs. Ticketsare $75. MacGowan Hall on theUCLA Campus, 245 Charles E. YoungDr., East. (310)825-2101,www.reprise.org.

February

2 Lecture Series

City View Villa welcomes MichaelSolomon for an informative lec-

ture on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 11 a.m.Solomon gives free lectures everyWednesday at the City View Villaassisted living facility on topics suchas the “Rise and Fall of the JewishMafia” and “Women in the WhiteHouse”. Call for specific programs.515 N. La Brea Ave. (323)938-2131;www.CityViewVilla.com.

2 January 26, 2012 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

C a l e n d a r

photo courtesy of Terry Okey

A slide guitar extravaganza with country-blues-folk artist Terry Okey isscheduled on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 9 p.m. at Genghis Cohen. Okey, alocal Hollywood songwriter and guitarist, will play historic resonator gui-tars from 1929 to 2000 in performing his musical stories of love, longing,blues and the road. Admission is $8. 740 N. Fairfax Ave. (323)653-0640,www.genghiscohen.com.

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The City Attorney’s Office andthe LAPD have had their hands

tied when it comes to enforcingmedical marijuana laws.

On Jan. 18, the CaliforniaSupreme Court essentially madethe city of Los Angeles’ medicalmarijuana ordinance obsolete. Thecourt will determine whether citiesand counties can enact laws gov-erning medical marijuana dispen-saries, however, no date for areview has been set, and theCalifornia Supreme Court couldtake up to a year or more to consid-er the issue.

According to Jane Usher, specialassistant city attorney, the decisioneffectively makes the city of LosAngeles’ medical marijuana ordi-nance “unenforceable”. The CityAttorney’s Office is now calling foran ordinance that will force the clo-

sure of all medical marijuana dis-pensaries.

“It means we don’t have the legalguidance and clarity that we need toenact a lawful ordinance,” Ushersaid. “[The California SupremeCourt] has decided they are goingto reconcile all of the courts ofappeal and speak with one judicialvoice. The California SupremeCourt is identifying itself as thefinal authority, which we believe isappropriate. They are telling thecities to clear the decks and be pre-pared for this legal clarity.”

The California Supreme Courtreviewed a lower court decision inthe case of Pack v. Los AngelesSuperior Court, in which theCalifornia Court of Appeal ruledthat Long Beach’s medical marijua-na ordinance was invalid because itviolates the federal ControlledSubstances Act. The Long Beachordinance was modeled after Los

Angeles’ ordinance, so the decisionto review the case effectively inval-idates both cities’ medical marijua-na laws.

Usher added the illegal dispen-saries are considered very problem-atic, and that is why City AttorneyCarmen Trutanich is calling for a“gentle ban”, which would allowpatients with a doctor’s prescrip-tion, and their licensed caregivers,to grow their own marijuana, butwould force all dispensaries toclose. The proposal has been for-warded to the city council, and aformal date has not yet been set forreview.

Capt. Bill Hart, who heads theLos Angeles Police Department’sGangs and Narcotics Division, saidmedical marijuana dispensariescause problems in the community,and are frequently a target for crim-inals. Hart, a former patrol captain

The 24-year-old Germannational accused of setting

almost 50 fires in Hollywood,West Hollywood and other partsof Los Angeles over the NewYear’s weekend pleaded notguilty Tuesday to nearly 100felony counts.

Bail was also increased to $7.5million for Harry Burkhart, whohas been in custody since he wasarrested on Jan. 2 near the cornerof Santa Boulevard and FairfaxAvenue. A new court hearing wasscheduled for March 1 to set adate for Burkhart’s preliminaryhearing, according to JaneRobison, a spokesperson for theLos Angeles County DistrictAttorney’s Office.

Robison added that prosecu-tors amended the criminal com-plaint against Burkhart Tuesdaymorning, and increased the num-ber of counts from 37 to 98. Thedefendant is now charged with75 counts of arson of property, 19counts of arson of an inhabited

structure, two counts of arson ofan uninhabited structure, and twocounts of possession of flamma-ble material. The charges stemfrom 49 fires that occurredbetween Dec. 30 and Jan. 2.Burkhart was originally implicat-ed for setting 52 arson fires, butthat number was amended basedon the investigation by LosAngeles Fire Department’sArson Unit and other lawenforcement agencies.

Authorities have not releasedan official motive for the arsonspree, but it is believed Burkhartwas angry after federal authori-ties arrested his mother, DorotheeBurkhart, 53, in December on anarrest warrant issued in Germany.She is tentatively expected backin federal court on Feb. 7 forextradition proceedings.

The defendant reportedly wentinto an anti-American tirade at adeportation court hearing for hismother the day before the arsonspree began. Dorothee Burkhartis facing extradition to Germanyto face fraud charges.

Burkhart and his mother hadbeen living in an apartment at


The West Hollywood PlanningCommission approved plans

for a new Walgreens at the cornerof Santa Monica and CrescentHeights boulevards on Jan. 19. Thedrug store’s owner proposed build-ing a retail and residential project atthe site in 2005, but numerousdesign changes and the requirementthat an environmental impact reportbe conducted delayed the projectfor nearly seven years.

Nathan Gapper, an associateplanner for the city of WestHollywood who is overseeing theproject, said it will move forwardinto the design and permittingphase unless an appeal is filed with-in 10 days of the planning commis-sion’s decision.

In addition to a Walgreens drugstore and a smaller ground-levelretail space, the project will include20 units of housing, with four unitsdesignated as affordable for low-income tenants. The development,which is officially called

“SMB20”, was scaled down from48 units to 20 after the developer,Pacific Development PartnersLLC, addressed the concerns ofresidents and community memberswho objected to the initial size ofthe project. The Walgreens will alsohave specific amenities to serve thecommunity, including pharmacyemployees who are speciallytrained to assist people with HIVand AIDS, as well as parkingspaces for ride-sharing and bicycle-sharing to encourage more pedes-trian activity.

“We are very pleased with theresolution and think the planningcommission did an excellent job inreviewing the project,” said ToddElliott, an attorney representing thedeveloper.

Gapper added that the developerwill also be required to removecontaminated soil from the projectsite. The location was home to TopHat Cleaners, and an environmen-tal impact analysis found that therewere low levels of the cleaningchemical known as perchloroethyl-

WeHo Walgreens Project Gets a Green Light

CA Supreme Court Makes L.A.ʼs Pot Law Obsolete

photo courtesy of LOHA Architects

A rendering shows how the Walgreens project will look once it is com-pleted at the corner of Santa Monica and Crescent Heights boulevards.

photo by Edwin Folven

One of the arson fires was set in the carport of an apartment build-ing at 1045 N. Genesee Ave.

n Planning CommissionApproves Retail andHousing Development

n Suspect Enters Not Guilty Plea

See Walgreens page 20

Hollywood Arson SuspectFaces Nearly 100 Felonies

BY EDWIN FOLVEN

BY EDWIN FOLVEN

BY EDWIN FOLVEN

See Suspect page 22 See Court page 22

http://www.redirectewaste.com/

http://www.farmersmarketselfstorage.com/

http://www.laeyeworks.com/

The U.S. Senate last weekopted to postpone the con-

sideration of the Stop OnlinePiracy Act (SOPA) and theProtect IP Act (PIPA), two piecesof controversial legislation thataimed to combat online piracy.The move follows an Internetblackout by several sites, mostnotably Wikipedia, to protest thebills on Jan. 18.

On Jan. 20, House JudiciaryCommittee Chairman LamarSmith (R-Texas), who draftedSOPA, said the judiciary com-mittee would postpone the legis-lation until a wider agreement ona solution to online piracy isreached.

“It is clear that we need torevisit the approach on how bestto address the problem of foreignthieves that steal and sellAmerican inventions and prod-ucts,” Smith said in a statement.“The problem of online piracy istoo big to ignore. Americanintellectual property industriesprovide 19 million high-payingjobs and account for more than60 percent of U.S. exports. Thetheft of America’s intellectualproperty costs the U.S. economymore than $100 billion annuallyand results in the loss of thou-sands of American jobs.Congress cannot stand by and donothing while American innova-

tors and job creators are underattack.”

He said the committee willcontinue to work with copyrightowners and Internet companiesto develop proposals. The com-mittee also welcomes input fromorganizations and individualswith an “honest difference ofopinion” about ways to addressonline piracy, Smith said.

U.S. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nevada), the author of PIPA,issued a similar statementregarding his legislation.

Congresswoman Karen Bass(D-California), one of SOPA’sco-sponsors, said it is not unusu-al for sweeping legislation suchas SOPA and PIPA to be post-poned, especially when publicscrutiny points out unintendedconsequences.

“I think that’s part of the leg-islative process, frankly,” Basssaid.

She assumed that the judiciarycommittee will continue to workon the legislation, but SOPA isn’tlikely to be addressed on theHouse floor in 2012. Bass saidthat going forward, the legisla-tion will need to accommodatefor the concerns of the technolo-gy industry.

Parker Higgins, an activist forSan Francisco-based ElectronicFrontier Foundation (EFF), anonprofit dedicated to defending

When it comes to anti-terrorismefforts in Los Angeles

County, securing the Port of LosAngeles is major priority.According to police, an incidentthat would shut down the portcould cost the U.S. economy asmuch as $2 billion per day.

Therefore, the Los AngelesCounty Sheriff’s DepartmentSpecial Enforcement Bureau,Homeland Security Division,patrols the area with a fleet ofboats, one of which features anti-terrorism technology that allows itto scan ship hulls for biological,chemical and nuclear weapons.

Ocean Rescue II is operableevery day, and has been used in alarge-scale marijuana bust and torecover wreckage from planecrashes. Now, the sheriff’s depart-ment, thanks to a $3 millionHomeland Security Grant, is look-ing to purchase a second such ves-sel.

“It’s impossible to be too pre-pared,” said Joel Bellman, LosAngeles County Supervisor ZevYaroslavsky’s press deputy.

The board of supervisors lastweek approved the sheriff’s depart-ment pursuit of the grant. Bellmansaid the county “would be derelict”for not attempting to secure everyfunding source possible, especiallywhen it pertains to public safety.

“Nobody wants to find out aftersomething happens,” he said.

Lt. Jack Ewell, who has workedon Ocean Rescue II since it hit thewaters off of L.A. County threeyears ago, said the first vessel

requires a lot of maintenance. Asecond anti-terrorism boat wouldlessen that impact, he said.

Ewell said the second vessel willbe built exactly as Ocean Rescue II.The boat, which was built byWillard Marine in Anaheim, is 55-feet long, equipped with sonarequipment and has a remote under-water vehicle that can removebombs from the bottom of ships ordive 3,000 feet underwater for evi-

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 5 January 26, 2012

photo courtesy of L.A. County Supervisors

The sheriffʼs department uses the Ocean Rescue II for counter-terrorismoperations, and is looking to purchase a second identical boat.

County to Add Second Anti-Terrorism Vesseln Boats are a FrontlineTool for Protection andInvestigations

See Sheriffs page 21

See SOPA page 20

BY AARON BLEVINS

BY AARON BLEVINS

Cityʼs Adult Film CondomOrdinance Signed Into Law

File Not Found: Smith PullsStop Online Piracy Act

AIDS activists praised city offi-cials Tuesday for approving a

new city ordinance requiring per-formers in adult films to wear con-doms, a day after Mayor AntonioVillaraigosa signed the ordinanceinto law.

“At the end of the day, the ideathat this was about worker protec-tion and fairness prevailed,” saidMichael Weinstein, president ofAIDS Healthcare Foundation(AHF), the primary organizationthat advocated for the ordinance.“It shows the power of the activismthat is coming out of the HIV com-munity.”

The ordinance will go into effectin early March, and Weinstein saidthe next step will be for the city toestablish a system of monitoringadult film sets to ensure condomsare being used. The film companieswill pay a fee when they apply forpermits, and it is anticipated thatcode enforcement inspectors willconduct random site checks at thefilm sets. Fines will likely be estab-lished for violations, and compa-nies that do not comply will pre-sumably not be issued future per-mits, Weinstein added.

The AHF had been pushing for alaw on condom use in adult filmsfor the past five years, andWeinstein said the spread of HIVamong adult film performers is akey public health issue. The AHFhad gathered approximately 70,000signatures on petitions calling forthe issue to be decided through aballot initiative. CityCouncilmember Paul Koretz, 5thDistrict, authored the motion call-ing for an adult film condom ordi-nance, and the council voted 11-1last week, to approve the new law.The lone opposition vote was castby Councilmember MitchEnglander, 12th District. Koretzsaid the decision spared the city a$4 million expense in holding anelection on the issue.

Weinstein added that 90 percentof the adult film industry is cen-tered in Los Angeles’ San FernandoValley, and that the AHF will nowconcentrate on getting other juris-dictions to pass similar laws, possi-bly at the state level.

“We know the battle to protectthese workers will go on for manymore years,” Weinstein said. “Wedefinitely have the wind at ourbacks, and we are going to contin-ue the fight.”

BY EDWIN FOLVEN

http://gilmorebank.com/

http://www.mathnasium.com/hancockpark


The Inner City Law Center(ICLC) had a humble begin-

ning. It started on Skid Row in1980, when a wet-behind-the-earsUCLA graduate student namedNancy Mintie began providinglegal services out of a trailer behindthe Los Angeles Catholic WorkerHospitality Kitchen.

Now, the center has 12 advocatesand organizers, 19 staff attorneysand a newly-expanded office onEast Seventh Street in Los Angeles.While the economy continues torecover, the demand for its servicescontinues to climb, said GregSpiegel, the center’s director of pol-icy and communications.

“Poverty is a growth industry,sadly,” Spiegel said.

He said ICLC provides free legalservices to very low-income resi-dents. The majority of its resources

are used to litigate against slum-lords and prevent eviction andhomelessness, Spiegel said.

“We want to help the people whoare the most vulnerable,” he said.

Spiegel said clients are priori-tized based on need. He said someclients suffer from grotesque livingconditions, which can include rawsewage leaking into the home or ratinfestations.

According to a statement, onefamily the center is currently repre-senting has the worst cockroachinfestation the center staff has everseen. The family avoids killing spi-ders in the home, because theyknow the arachnids kill the bugs.

Most of the center’s litigation isagainst “slumlords” who providesuch deplorable living conditions,Spiegel said. He said 30 percent ofthe center’s budget is from therecovery of attorney’s fees fromlandlords.

Spiegel said ICLC also fightsunjust evictions, which can wreck afamily’s eligibility to retain hous-ing. He said the center is launchinga “huge” program to serve the

2,000 families and individuals cur-rently facing eviction in L.A.’sSuperior Court. Statistically, some98 to 99 percent of tenants are notrepresented during eviction hear-ings, Spiegel said.

“And they always lose,” headded. “We’re dedicating a lot ofresources to represent more peoplein eviction court.”

Additionally, ICLC helps home-less veterans, many of whom havedisabilities. Spiegel said navigatingthe Veteran Administration’sbureaucracy can be a challenge,and post-traumatic stress disorder isdifficult to have diagnosed. He said7,000 to 8,000 veterans are home-less in L.A.

“As a society, we are not treatingthose people with dignity,” Spiegelsaid.

To meet the demand for its ser-vices, ICLC has been increasing itsfundraising efforts. Interested resi-dents can send donations to 1309 E.7th St., Los Angeles, CA 90021.For information, call (213)891-2888 or visitwww.innercitylaw.org.

Law Center Protects Residents From Slum Lordsn Organization ProvidesFree Legal Services toLow-Income Residents

Celebs Help Celebrate Red Line Tours Unveiling


Comedian Rip Taylor reacts as singer Barbara Van Orden (left) andactress Ruta Lee (right) spruce up his appearance at a Red Line

Tours reception on Jan. 19 at The Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.During the event, Red Line, which offers bus tours around LosAngeles, unveiled its collectible souvenir tickets designed by artistAndre Miripolsky. The 2012 edition ticket series will highlight theCapitol Records building, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and theHollywood Bowl. Other guests included actors George Chakiris,Hugh O’Brian and Don Most and actresses Romi Dames, Ilene Graff,Kate Linder, Erin Murphy and Judy Norton.

Open Carry Ban on Rifles, Shotguns ProposedAssembly Member Anthony

Portantino (D-La CanadaFlintridge) has introduced AB 1527,a measure that would prohibit indi-viduals from openly displayingunloaded rifles and shotguns in pub-lic.

Portantino introduced the legisla-tion at the urging of law enforce-ment as a follow up to AB 144, alaw passed last year that bans opencarry of an unloaded handgun inpublic places. In reaction to AB 144,organizations advocating for opencarry laws began hosting open carryevents and brandishing rifles andshotguns in place of the now illegal

handguns. In at least once instance,they showed up at a police fundrais-er wielding unloaded rifles.

“Last year, the state made it clearthat this type of behavior had noplace on Main Street, California,”Portantino said. “Unfortunately, theopen carry community has decidedto once again force our hand byescalating their unnecessary activi-ties and entering our communitieswith AR-15s and other long guns. Ihad hoped cooler heads would haveprevailed and this law wouldn’t benecessary, obviously that hasn’tbeen the case.”

The proposed law would provide

exemptions to enable safe trans-portation, lawful hunting, and use ofrifles and by law enforcement offi-cials. Portantino’s bill is supportedby the Brady Campaign.

“These public displays of shot-guns, rifles, and live ammunitionintimidate and scare people,” saidDr. Dallas Stout, president of theCalifornia Brady CampaignChapters.

AB 1527 is currently awaitingreferral from the Assembly RulesCommittee, and will likely bescheduled for a hearing in the PublicSafety Committee sometime in lateMarch or early April.

Congress May Hold Hearing onDangerous Medical DevicesSeveral Democratic Energy and

Commerce Committee leadersrecently called on their Republicancounterparts to hold hearings ondangerous medical devices.

U.S. Reps. Henry Waxman (D-California), Diana DeGette (D-Colorado), and John Dingell (D-Michigan) sent a letter to ChairmenFred Upton (R-Michigan), JosephPitts (R-Pennsylvania) and CliffStearns (R-Florida) urging the com-mittee to hold hearings to examine

medical devices that have devel-oped serious defects or caused seri-ous health risks after being implant-ed in patients.

The members are also urging thecommittee to seek documents relat-ed to the “Lap-Band” weight lossdevice and urogynecologic surgicalmesh. This request follows an Oct.12 request for hearings on two othermedical devices that have causedserious problems, brain stents andmetal-on-metal hip implants.

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Major League Baseball for provid-ing me with invaluable baseballoperations experience over the pastten months.”

The bids, which will not bereleased, will be reviewed by cur-rent owner Frank McCourt andBlackstone, an investment andadvisory firm with a location inSanta Monica. Eventually, they’llbe narrowed down, and a pool ofpotential bidders will be sent toMajor League Baseball for pre-approval. Another round of bids, inwhich newcomers can submit pro-posals, will follow. McCourt willultimately determine the newowner.

The bids were received just daysafter the Dodgers and its debtoraffiliates filed a Chapter 11Bankruptcy reorganization plan.According to a statement, the planresolves the Dodgers’ financialchallenges through a sale of all theequity of the Dodgers, which willresult in a change of ownership. Allcreditor claims will be paid in fullby new owners or by cash proceedsfrom the sale of the team.

“The Dodgers are fully commit-ted to maximizing the value of thedebtors’ estates,” team officials saidin a statement. “The Dodgers are

not only a storied franchise withtruly global appeal, but also presentthe attractive potential for strongcash flow and significant valueenhancement. The combination ofthese unique attributes is helping to

drive significant interest frompotential bidders in the Dodger saleprocess. The Dodgers expect toidentify the highest and best bidprior to the confirmation hearing,which is anticipated to be in April.”

but skilled musicians,” Friends ofGardnerville member Garby Leonsaid.

Leon, who spent two years onUCLA’s music faculty, discoveredthe MusIQ program while search-ing for a way to expand his daugh-ter’s musical talents. He thenpitched the program toGardnerville members, and lastyear, the creator of the software,Adventus chief executive officerJim Mullen, agreed to visit GardnerElementary while in Los Angeles.

“I said, ‘We have to have this,’”Principal Ken Urbina added.

Holmes said Friends ofGardnerville received private sup-port to create the program. TheYouth Policy Institute donated thecomputers, Adventus donated itssoftware licenses for the first yearand the Hollywood Hills WestNeighborhood Council and GuitarCenter donated the keyboards.

Although Gardner is an arts pro-gram school, the elementary cam-pus had been lacking in its musiccomposition offerings, Urbina said.

The inclusion of MusiQ will furtherensure that students leave theschool “with a well-rounded educa-tion,” he said.

“We’re laden with a wealth of artservices, and this will be one morepiece,” Urbina said.

Leon believes the program willfill that need nicely. He said MusIQstrays from traditional one-to-oneteaching, allowing students to honetheir own “interactive skills” attheir own pace.

“Music is a skill,” Leon said.“It’s more than an intellectualunderstanding.”

He said the “beautifully engi-

neered” program is available to stu-dents with special needs as well.It’s fun, and it provides Gardner anadditional art offering in an era ofdistrict budget cuts, Leon said.

“What a ray of light this is,” headded.

Mullen, the Adventus CEO,referred to a 2006 ChineseUniversity of Hong Kong study,which suggested that children withmusical training had a better verbalmemory than their counterparts. Hesaid music composition skillswould positively impact other areasof the students’ curriculum.

“It permanently increases therate of learning,” Mullen said.“This is a real impact — not imag-ined.”

Leon suggested that parents leasethe software for $10 per month andrent a keyboard so that their stu-dents can practice at home. He saidthe Friends of Gardnerville may beable to help some low-income fam-ilies make arrangements.

“That’s the part of the programthat is really important,” Leon said.

The lab, coined the MichaelJackson Music Education Lab, is inRoom 8 of the elementary school,which is the school room whereJackson learned when he attendedGardner in sixth grade.

Holmes said Gardner is the sec-ond school in California to use

MusIQ, and is the first in the LosAngeles Unified School District.She said the program will cost$17,000 per year, and the Friends ofGardnerville are seeking donationsfor next year.

For information, visit friendsof-gardnerville.blogspot.com.


Walgreens Gets Approval forWeHo DevelopmentFrom page 4

Lab Helps Students Create a New BeatFrom page 1

Bids Submitted for L.A. DodgersFrom page 1


Expanded music lessons are bring taught at Gardner Street ElementarySchool through its new MusIQ program.


A decision on who will buy the Los Angeles Dodgers is expected in April.

“It permanentlyincreases the rateof learning. This is

a real impact —not imagined.”

-Jim Mullen, CEO of Adventus

process.“The Dodgers are an iconic Los

Angeles franchise, and I amthrilled to partner with Joe Torre,one of baseball’s all-time greats, tolaunch a bid for this storied organi-zation,” Caruso said in a statement.“Joe has a proven track record offielding winning teams and I amlooking forward to our group ben-efiting from his unique experience.I am a lifelong Angeleno; I lovethis city and have dedicated mycareer to creating world-class des-tinations that support this commu-nity and foster great customerexperiences. Joe and I believe inthe Dodgers and Dodger fans, andknow that together we will foster awinning culture and deliver a pre-mier, fan-focused baseball experi-ence at Dodger Stadium.”

Torre, who managed theDodgers from 2008 to 2010,stepped down as executive vicepresident for baseball operationsfor Major League Baseball inorder to submit a bid to buy theDodgers.

“I have great confidence in RickCaruso’s unique qualifications andhis ability to lead a successful bidfor the Los Angeles Dodgers,”Torre said in a statement. “In RickI found a partner who understandsconsumers and fully appreciatesthat the Dodgers are a treasuredL.A. institution. Since moving toLos Angeles, I have seen firsthandRick’s dedication to business andthe people of Los Angeles. I amvery excited about this new oppor-tunity and also want to thankCommissioner [Bud] Selig and

ene (perc) in some samples takenat the site. The developer isrequired to remove any contami-nated soil as the project is built.The chemicals were not found tobe in high enough concentrationto pose a significant risk to peo-ple.

A case remains open with theLos Angeles Regional WaterQuality Control Board, whichwill be conducting the oversightto ensure the contaminated soil isremoved.

Elliott said the developer isanxious to get started with theproject as soon as possible, but itis anticipated that it will take 13to 15 months to go through thedesign and permitting process.That amount of time is normal fora project that size, Elliott added.

West Hollywood Mayor JohnDuran said he could not specifi-cally comment on the project incase the city council has toreview it again under appeal, butsaid it should bring sorely neededchange to the southwest corner ofSanta Monica Boulevard andCrescent Heights.

“That corner is blighted,” Duransaid. “It is in definite need of rede-velopment.”

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On Jan. 19, the American LungAssociation released the State

of Tobacco Control 2012, an annualreport that provides grades to thefederal government and all 50 statesand the District of Columbia on fourkey tobacco control areas. In con-junction with this national report,the American Lung Association inCalifornia released the State ofTobacco Control 2012 — CaliforniaLocal Grades, which issues gradesto all cities and counties inCalifornia on local tobacco controlpolicies including those for smoke-free outdoor environments, smoke-free housing and reducing sales oftobacco products.

Baldwin Park, Compton andPasadena all passed ordinances in2011 and raised their overall gradeto an A. They join three other citiesin Los Angeles County (Calabasas,Glendale and South Pasadena) withan overall A grade. The two biggestcities in the region, Los Angeles andLong Beach, both received an over-all C grade. Fifteen cities in LosAngeles County passed an ordi-nance and improved their grade in atleast one of the grade categories in2011.

Once a national leader in tobaccocontrol policies, California’s effortsare now lagging. The state receivedan F for failing to adequately fundtobacco prevention and control pro-grams and a D for its low cigarettetax. California currently ranks 33rdamong the 50 states and the District

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 21 January 26, 2012

Sheriffs to Use Grant forAnti-Terrorism VesselFrom page 5

was reopened. Los Angeles CountyCoroner’s officials identifiedMedellin through fingerprints andother tests, but officials are stillsearching for the rest of his body.Officer Norma Eisenman, aspokesperson for the LAPD, saidWednesday no updates were avail-able, and officials are not dis-cussing the case because of theongoing investigation.

Medellin, a retired MexicanaAirlines employee, had reportedlybeen living with his boyfriend at anapartment building 6238DeLongpre Ave. The Los AngelesTimes has reported that Medellin’spartner said the victim left theapartment on Dec. 26, but he hadspoke to Medellin as recently asJan. 4, and reported him missing onJan. 9 after he lost contact.

The door to the building whereMedellin and his partner reportedly

shared a third-floor apartment hada no trespassing sign posted onMonday. A DeLongpre Avenue res-ident named Raul who lives nearbybut declined to give his last name,said he did not know Medellin, butis concerned about the murder.

“It’s pretty scary not knowingwhat happened,” he said. “It’s apretty quiet neighborhood.”

He added, however, that therewas a lot of police activity at thebuilding last week when investiga-tors served a search warrant at theapartment. Detectives reportedlytowed a silver Honda from thebuilding last Thursday as part ofthe investigation. Although author-ities are looking into whetherMedellin was killed by someone heknew, they are also probing allother possibilities, and no arrestshave been made. The LAPD wouldnot confirm or deny whether

Medellin’s partner is a suspect.It was uncertain how long

Medellin had lived at the apartmenton DeLongpre, but it was reportedthat he had formerly owned a con-dominium in the Los Feliz area.Medellin also reportedly used tohike in the Hollywood Hills nearwhere the body parts were found.

Anyone with information isasked to call the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division at (213)486-6890.

Police Still Need Clues to Solve MurderFrom page 1

photo by Edwin Folven

The victim lived in an apartment building on DeLongpre Avenue nearVine Street in Hollywood.

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dence, he said.The vessel has been used for a

variety of purposes, including therecovery of a plane crash thatoccurred in 1955 at Los AngelesInternational Airport (LAX) withtwo crewmen aboard. The T-33fighter jet was located in the oceannear the airport in 2009, a welcomedevelopment for the families of thetwo crewmen.

“They’d never had any closure,”Ewell said.

He said 22 captains operate thevessel, and crewmembers mustundergo 1-1/2 years of extensivetraining in order to be eligible. With

the Port of L.A. being such a “sensi-tive area,” extensive training is anecessity, Ewell said.

“It’s very important to maintain asecure area there,” he said.

Bellman said L.A. is a high-pro-file target for terrorism, so enhancedsafety measures to prevent them areof high importance.

He referenced the attempt tobomb LAX in 1999, when LosAngeles was targeted as part of the2000 millennium terrorist attackplots.

“That’s the kind of thing thatreminds us that we can be and are atarget,” Bellman said.

Answers From Page 16

of Columbia for its $0.87 per packtax, far below the national averageof $1.46. While California earnedan A for smoke-free air policies,the state received another F forpoor coverage of smoking cessa-tion and treatment services.

Both the state and local gradesdemonstrate the need forCalifornia to pass the CaliforniaCancer Research Act on the June2012 ballot.

“Now is the time for Californiato raise the grade,” said JaneWarner, president and CEO of theAmerican Lung Association inCalifornia. “The California CancerResearch Act is an historic oppor-tunity for California voters to pro-vide more than $855 million annu-ally to fund research for cancer andother tobacco-related diseases.”

For information, visitwww.lung.org/california.

L.A. Gets Average Grade forTobacco Regulations

www.weho.org


Suspect Pleads Not GuiltyFrom page 4

Court to Rule on Medical Pot LawsFrom page 4

7274 Sunset Blvd., but it isunclear how long the Burkhartshad been living in the UnitedStates. Investigators believe theyhad been in the area since at leastlast October. Investigators in bothGermany and Vancouver,Canada, where the pair had alsopreviously lived, are investigat-ing whether Burkhart is involvedin arson fires in those countries.

No one was killed in the arsonspree, but at least one person suf-fered minor injuries, and a fire-fighter suffered neck injurieswhen he fell from a ladder duringone of the blazes. The fires areestimated to have caused $3 mil-lion in damage. If convicted,Burkhart could face more than 80years in prison, according toRobison.

According to county documents,the board was advised to considernew, rehabilitation-based housingfor female inmates at the PitchessDetention Center; options for recon-figuring, modernizing or expandingthe jail system with specific recom-mendations for Men’s Central Jail;and program alternatives that wouldreduce the jail population.

In 2006, the board approved a newfemale barracks at Pitchess and therefurbishment of the Sybil BrandInstitute for a total of $258 million.That move would have allowed thecounty to transfer 2,024 femaleinmates from the Century RegionalDetention Center, opening 1,222high-security beds and 366 mediumsecurity beds at the detention centerfor male inmates. The state’sCorrectional Standards Authority(CSA), however, determined that thereuse of the institute would require100 percent compliance of CSAstandards, increasing constructionand operating costs.

The new proposal would create afemale detention facility at Pitchessthat would include 1,156 low-to-medium security beds and a 26-bedclinic at a cost of $194.7 million. The

detention facility would open addi-tional beds for male inmates at theCentury Regional Detention Center.

Several issues had previouslybeen raised regarding the conditionof Men’s Central Jail. A panel in2006 identified several issues,including overcrowding, inadequateindoor and outdoor recreationopportunities, a lack of direct inmatesupervision and the deterioration ofthe facility itself. While the LosAngeles County Sheriff’sDepartment has worked to alleviatethose issues, the facility doesn’t lenditself to improvements in thoseareas, according to county docu-ments. Additionally, a large seismic

event could create severe structuraldamage to the facility.

While a report would further out-line the potential costs, county offi-cials are looking to receive $100 mil-lion in grant funding from the CSA.The grants give funding preferenceto counties that committed thelargest percentage of inmates to statecustody in relation to the total inmatepopulation of the CaliforniaDepartment of Corrections andRehabilitation. In 2010, Los AngelesCounty had the largest percentage.The grants are expected to be award-ed in March.

Bellman said the supervisorsrequested that Fujioka’s officeexplore additional options or alterna-tives to incarceration. For example,the county may be able to find a bet-ter way to supervise inmates await-ing trial, he said.

“We need someone to keep themin the area under supervision, but itdoesn’t necessarily have to be in ajail cell,” Bellman said.

He said he isn’t sure when Fujiokawill return with a revised proposal,though the supervisors would like tohave jail facility options presented tothem in June.

“It’s obviously urgent,” Bellmansaid.

Protestors, however, reiteratedtheir desire to see the inmate popula-tion reduced without building pro-jects. Esther Lim, of ACLUSouthern California, said LosAngeles County should stick tobeing known for its celebrities, glitzand glamour.

“It should not be known for hav-

ing the largest jail system in theworld,” Lim said.

Mary Sutton, of CriticalResistance, a nonprofit that aims toabolish the use of prisons, saidCalifornia has one of the largestprison populations in the UnitedStates, second only to Texas.

“Keep our people home, keepthem safe and let’s have a healthyand happy L.A.,” Sutton said.

Supervisors Urged to Limit Jail ExpansionFrom page 1


Former State Assembly Member and former L.A. City CouncilmemberJackie Goldberg (left) joined the protesters in calling for a reduction injail expansion plans.

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Councilmember Joins PilgrimSchool for Chinese New Year

photo by Sam Kim

Pilgrim School held its annual Chinese New Year banquet on Jan.20 at the Empress Pavilion restaurant on Hill Street to celebrate the“Year of the Dragon”. Pilgrim students showed off their languageskills and knowledge of Chinese arts and culture, and every studentreceived a traditional lucky red envelope. City Councilmember TomLaBonge (left), 4th District, joined Pilgrim School Chinese teacherand event organize, Dr. Sherry Walker. Pilgrim School, located at540 S. Commonwealth Ave., is a private campus serving studentsfrom preschool through 12th grade. For information, call (213)385-7351, or visit www.pilgrim-school.org.

at the LAPD’s Wilshire Division,said there have been numerousinstances of robberies and murdersoccurring at medical marijuana dis-pensaries throughout the city. Ashooting occurred Tuesday nightoutside a medical marijuana dis-pensary in Tarzana. Hart added thatthe LAPD works in concert withthe City Attorney’s Office toenforce the laws regarding dispen-saries, and just because the city’s

medical marijuana ordinance isunenforceable pending the courtruling, there are other ways author-ities can make sure the laws arebeing obeyed.

“Many of them are not operatingproperly, and may be operating as afor-profit business, which is not theway they are supposed to be run.There is a state law barring the saleof marijuana, and we can and doenforce those laws,” Hart said.

three dispensaries in the Wilshirearea have been closed in the pasttwo months through lawsuits,including the La Brea Collective at812 S. La Brea Ave., Little Ethiopiaat 1051 S. Fairfax Ave., andOrganic Heaven at 5719 MelroseAve. All three of those dispensarieswere in violation of a state law pre-venting dispensaries from beingwithin 600 feet of a school.Greenberg said there also numer-

ous cases pending in various stagesof litigation.

“We are doing everything we canin light of the state of the law, andunfortunately, the dispensaries takeadvantage of that,” Greenberg said.“We do file lawsuits under thestatutes available to us, and thatsometimes makes the proceedingsvery lengthy and protracted. It canmake it very difficult to shut theseplaces down.”

“We respond to community com-plaints about these locations, as werespond to any complaints aboutillegal narcotics activity. We proac-tively check these places and thecommunity does report the crimes.There are also quality of life issueswe handle, such as loitering, trashand secondary sales, and that typeof activity should be reported to thelocal police stations or the seniorlead officers. I don’t want to givethe impression that we are ignoringthem. If they are violating the law,then we will take a look at that.”

Assistant City Attorney AshaGreenberg, who oversees enforce-ment operations for the CityAttorney’s Office, said the dispen-saries are targeted for prosecutionbased on complaints received fromlaw enforcement, the communityand other sources, such as citycouncil offices. Greenberg said

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