“When we sent people to help, I knew they were going to see some things in this fire that maybe they’ve never seen before,” BHFD Chief Greg Barton told the Courier. “It takes a toll on them, and it takes a toll on their families.”

“We were very aware of the toll it was taking on the firefighters who were putting their lives on the line,” Varina Bleil, CEO of Maple Counseling, told the Courier. “Whenever there is a crisis going on and first responders are dealing with it, that also means that their families are really called upon to support them and hold it together on the home front. It was a prolonged crisis, and we wanted to recognize the sacrifices made for the safety of all of us in the Los Angeles area.”

According to Bleil, people typically wait between six weeks and two months after a trauma before seeking mental health support. “The truth about mental health during a crisis is that we’re really sowing the seeds of a future investment,” Bleil said. “When working with first responders who are trained to take on that kind of trauma as part of their day job, sometimes the demand is not immediate. Sometimes, first responders consider being able to manage stress on their own as part of the job, but it really shouldn’t and doesn’t have to be.” Recently, demand for these services has started to “pile in.”

In the weeks after the fires were extinguished, flyers were circulated among the department with information and signs to look for if someone was struggling with mental health. If a firefighter was withdrawing, not sleeping, not eating, having mood swings or acting differently, they were referred to Maple.

“There’s a lot of stuff that they see throughout their career that is very traumatic, and they have to push it down and do their job,” Chief Barton said. “That’s what the community expects from them, and that’s why this service is so important.”

In addition, Maple is also offering six free therapy sessions to anyone in Los Angeles County who was impacted by the fires. Beyond talk therapy, Maple counselors teach people how to integrate mindfulness, breath work, and somatic awareness to help manage day-to-day anxiety. “I’m just encouraging everyone to add a professional into your corner as you navigate life after living through a crisis like the LA fires,” she said.

Established in 1972 by Beverly Hills parents, Maple Counseling has been involved with the city for years. It has contracted with the Beverly Hills Unified School District to provide counseling and mental health support services to students on school sites, and as part of the city’s crisis response, a licensed therapist from Maple is also embedded with Beverly Hills first responders.

Before the fires, Maple already had an arrangement available for the Beverly Hills Police Department, the BHFD and their families, where therapy sessions were capped at $20.

The emotional and psychological impacts seen in people affected by the recent Palisades and Eaton wildfires run the gamut. Still, Bleil noted that they are primarily suffering from anxiety, existential rage, guilt, and grief.

These services can be accessed by calling Maple Counseling at 310-271-9999. Bleil encouraged the public to also call the Briskin Wilder Welcome Center, which offers mental health intake and management support at zero cost to anyone in the county. “Essentially, we’re trying to eliminate all barriers to anybody getting the mental health help that they need by removing the arduous process of even figuring out what you need, where to go, or what you can afford,” she said. “We have licensed practitioners who can take that on.”

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There’s a camp for almost everyone whether it’s one of the expensive, sophisticated types that dot the Eastern seaboard and the Malibu coast; Girl or Boy Scout camp with tents, latrines and where every mosquito known to man seems to live; YMCA camp for an urban population far from lakes and canoes; or religious camps that sprinkle God into the lanyard making. Then there’s theater camp, a species unto itself. Interlochen in Michigan is the most famous arts camp where the audition process is grueling and many a star has been born, including Ed Helms (“The Hangover”), Tom Hulce (Tony winner), Anthony Rapp (“Rent”), Santino Fontana (Tony winner), Josh Groban, Norah Jones and Jewel. Camp AdirondACTS is not that.

Owner and founder of Camp AdirondACTS, Joan, with trusty co-director Rita, spend the non-summer months beating the bushes for next summer’s campers, trying to entice parents to pay to send their children to theater camp. It is during just such a recruiting trip, at a middle school production of “Bye Bye Birdie,” that Joan suffers a seizure from the strobe lights in the big Conrad Birdie song, “One Last Kiss.” Hauled off in an ambulance, the comatose Joan will not be presiding over the next camp session.

Full to the rafters with repeat child performers, the counselors will carry on, led by Amos (drama), Rebecca-Diane (Musicals), Clive (Choreography), Gigi (Costumes), Glenn (Stage Manager), all supervised by Rita. Unexpectedly, Joan’s clueless son Troy arrives to announce that he will be running the camp in his mother’s place. A self-described en-Troy-preneur, he has come armed with plans, none of which make any sense, let alone fit into the mission statement. His musical knowledge is restricted to B-list rap music. He wouldn’t know a Hammerstein from a hammerlock.

Competition for the leads in this summer’s productions is tense. There will be a musical production, a straight play, and an original musical written by Amos and Rebecca-Diane. Troy, wide-eyed, asks what a straight play is. He’s informed that it’s a play with words and no music. Still puzzled, he asks them what the difference is between a straight play and a gay play. And so it goes. 

Amos and Rebecca-Diane have been the closest of friends since they first met at AdirondACTS when they were middle schoolers. They have written an original musical together every summer since anyone can remember. They are inseparable, although it was crushing when Amos came out to her when she confessed her undying love for him. Still, they carry on with one voice. Lurking in the background are the financial difficulties exacerbated by Troy’s lack of expertise. It seems that he hasn’t been opening the bills and foreclosure looms on the horizon. The more immediate danger, however, is the rich kids’ camp on the other side of the lake. The owners, expansion in their eyes, have been trying to buy AdirondACTS for years. With Joan absent and Troy in charge, they see an opening.

“Theater Camp” is an homage to all those Judy Garland-Mickey Rooney “let’s put on a show” musicals of the 1930s and the Christopher Guest mockumentaries like “Best in Show” and “Waiting for Guffman.” The tale may have been told before, but “Theater Camp” has made every trope its own and lovingly created something new.

Written by Molly Gordon, Noah Galvin, Nick Lieberman and Ben Platt, they all met at theater camp when they were very young. They know this arena intimately, from the campers to the counselors and understand the passion that sometimes looks a bit unhinged. All the craziness comes through, but so does the talent, acceptance, and hard work. Theater nerd or not, everyone knows these kids from school no matter on what side of the fence you stood. Me? I lived and died for theater, begging for parts, lack of talent notwithstanding. And musicals? There’s no higher art form and I loved singing (see above: lack of talent notwithstanding). How I looked forward to singing to my child before he dropped off to sleep. Unfortunately, almost the first two words he was able to string together were “Please don’t.” Nothing can describe how crushed I was. “Theater Camp” captures all of those emotions, hopes and dreams. 

Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman shared directing duties and kept everything moving at a breathless pace, leaving room for the laugh-out-loud moments (and there were a lot of them). The cast is pitch-perfect, led by Gordon as Rebecca-Diane and Platt as Amos. Noah Galvin plays under-appreciated Glenn, the stage manager who longs for attention; Jimmy Tatro is the clueless Troy; and Ayo Edebiri, Janet, is a standout as a clueless counselor hired by Troy whose resumé is a complete lie. The child performers are fantastic and very talented with an extra nod to Alan Kim as Alan, the 10-year-old wanna-be agent with a phone permanently glued to his ear. As the adults, Amy Sedaris has what amounts to a very funny cameo as the comatose Joan, and my heart was already won with the appearance of Caroline Aaron, she of the unmistakable gravelly voice and pushy demeanor. Would “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” have been so marvelous without her?

I smiled from the first moment, watching a 12-year-old Conrad Birdie singing his heart out (and quite well, by the way) as Joan collapses in her seat, to the last moment when the students sing the finale of the original musical. The laughs come steadily and are never forced. You don’t have to like musical theater to appreciate this film. With nary a misstep and lots of heart, soul, and a great script, there’s much to love.

Now playing at the AMC Century City 15 and The Grove 14. 

Neely Swanson spent most of her professional career in the television industry, almost all of it working for David E. Kelley. In her last full-time position as Executive Vice President of Development, she reviewed writer submissions and targeted content for adaptation. As she has often said, she did book reports for a living. For several years she was a freelance writer for “Written By,” the magazine of the WGA West and was adjunct faculty at USC in the writing division of the School of Cinematic Arts. Neely has been writing film and television reviews for the “Easy Reader” for more than 10 years. Her past reviews can be read on Rotten Tomatoes where she is a tomato-approved critic. 

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At some point in the past decade, all of us have huddled inside a large tent for a wedding reception. Now, the concept is taking on a more intimate scale. Personally curated tents are a new way of catering and entertaining during COVID-19.

Raj Tents co-founder Maurice Walsh has been one of the leading tent providers for the past 15 years in Los Angeles, from Hollywood industry events to weddings by David Tutera. The pandemic brought larger scale events to a halt for Walsh’s business, even outdoors.  “Since venues are history for now,” he told the Courier, “small groups including micro-weddings in clients back gardens, is how weddings [and events] have been happening since this past summer.”

The events include smaller, more sophisticated luxury tents, along with a collection of Indian and Moroccan boho lounge furnishing elements, lighting and lamps. “Most of the time my clients want to furnish my tents with suitable lounge furniture for their event,” he said.

His Beverly Hills clients are now partying under small canopies at much smaller gatherings. “Instead of large-scale installations for a birthday party for 40 to 120 people, the events under my canopies are now with six to 12 guests,” said Walsh. Raj Tents prices begin at  $950 per day and more information is available at www.rajtents.com.

WonderTent Parties actually launched in 2017 with a simple request for a sleepover. Owner Trish Healy and her husband had just fostered a 13-year-old-girl through non-profit charity Kidsave that connects older youth with families. After the teen requested the overnight stay with her friends, the company was born by initially offering glam, five-star, at-home sleepover and glamping experiences for kids and adults.

“Once lockdown opened up again, we introduced a series of socially distanced experiences such as the Picnic Circle, Dining Circle and Movie Circle that allowed for small groups of friends and family together safely while still getting to enjoy that connection everyone misses,” Healy told the Courier.

The latest collaboration was partnering with celebrity chef Curtis Stone, transforming the rooftop terrace area of his new venture, The Backyard at Picnic Society by Gwen at the Grove. “We’ve extended the [tented] offering to deliver the experience to people in their own backyards with our beautiful dining experience or intimate Picnic Circles and Curtis Stone’s amazing food,” said Healy. “Aussies love a good picnic too so it’s in my blood,” said Stone. The team is currently working on creating specialty menus for unforgettable Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings, either fully catered or in a picnic-basket.

As a way to honor her daughter’s spark of inspiration, Healy created the “Good InTent” initiative, which donates a portion of the proceeds from each WonderTent Parties event to Kidsave to support the great work they do.

Healy also partners with a range of caterers to help people find the right fit for their celebration and budget. And clients can always enjoy their own food with the brand’s dining setups.

“No matter what is happening in our city and the world, small groups are still wanting to come together in a safe and positive way,” said Healy. “We want to make what has no doubt been a challenging year for everyone one that can still hold a little wonder.”

Stone and his team wanted to create a safe and convenient way for individuals to find solace in the shared experience of simply enjoying a meal together. “The world has changed in recent months, and so has the way that we enjoy food and come together,” said Stone. “I began thinking back to the stories of early 19th century gatherings of ‘picnic societies’ in Europe.  With good food and the right company, you can really make anywhere in the world your restaurant.”

WonderTent Parties experiences start at $300 per table of six and can be booked at wondertentparties.com.

As a response to COVID-19 and the slowing of the restaurant industry, private chefs Manouschka Guerrier and Natalie Romero formed The Lemons Theory from the old adage “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

The business was launched just a few months ago after a birthday picnic on the beach with friends who hadn’t seen each other in six months.

Those friends and colleagues, many from the entertainment industry, now gather with colorful cushions scattered on lawns with umbrellas for shade, and under lace tepees with Moroccan leather footstools.

Even though the teepees retain heat, there won’t be as many beach picnics once winter arrives. The company will increase their movie night offerings, with one already planned in November at popular cocktail bar Employees Only in West Hollywood.

No matter the backdrop, every set-up from The Lemons Theory includes masks for the guests, hand sanitizer and social distanced spacing achieved by smaller tables, different tents and separate blankets if needed.

Other perks include individual smores stations and fire pits. Space heaters, a standard offering from party planners,  can also be ordered. For an upcoming event in the Hollywood Hills, a masseuse is also on the menu, along with safety measures. “This is a way for people to gather and get together now but we need to be cognoscente of not hosting a super spreader event,” confirmed Guerrier.

“We decided to take a backseat as chefs and to get the food from restaurants we love in the geographical locations of our events,” said Guerrier, who was a cast member on the Food Network’s “Private Chefs of Beverly Hills,” and has clients from Drake and Ariana Grande to Selena Gomez.

“People trust our palate, and they discover new restaurants,” added Guerrier. Some of the restaurants and ghost kitchens they frequently support include Vietnamese from Phorage, sushi from Sugarfish, Secret Lasagna, Roe Caviar, healthy fare from Kreation Organic and even Cannabis Cuisine by Chef Andrea Drummer (formerly of Lowell in West Hollywood.)

When they do cook, Guerrier makes food from her Haitian roots that honor her grandmother while Romero focuses on grazing boards with the city’s best charcuterie, vegan cheese, pickles, olives with French lemonade flowing and bundles of fresh flowers to top off the table settings.

Clients can also bring their own food to the party but Guerrier designs the look of the event, whether it’s for a date night, movie night, baby or bridal showers. Their latest event was a fall-friendship gathering of college friends who hadn’t seen each other in seven months.

And, they are eliciting a range of emotional responses from these gatherings as well. “There has not been one single event, where someone is not crying at the end because they are so happy, grateful or overwhelmed,” said Guerrier. “It’s an amalgamation of everything that’s going on from the setting, weather, food and friends, and it’s pure joy.” Packages start at $125 per person, with more information listed at www.thelemonstheory.com/.

If you’re feeling adventurous  this holiday season, the Courier has recently discovered that the glamping tent on the roof of the Beverly Wilshire was purchased from Shelter in the Bay Area. https://shelter-co.com/. So, you can order your own tent and put together a family fete for yourself, but it still might be best to call in a professional. Either way, you might find yourself saying “pass the gravy” on Thanksgiving from your backyard
this year.

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While many of the area’s top restaurants are not blessed with outdoor patios, some have expanded onto the street, in alleys and parking lots. In early June, the City was already discussing the option of utilizing the public parking meter spaces in front of the sidewalks to build parklets, offering restaurants more outdoor dining space for customers.

As part of the OpenBH program, businesses are allowed to apply for special event permits with the City,  which include expanding to the parklet. It’s a 30-day permit with no fee. After this trial period, businesses can extend as long as the parklet is moved up to the sidewalk. Greek restaurant Avra was one of the first to try the extension at the street level and it has been so successful, they are planning to move up to the curb level as early as next week.

Now Canon Drive resembles a grand European boulevard with pop-up dining spaces holding tables and chairs enshrouded in greenery including newcomer MÍRAME, who is doing a brisk business with its new wooden parklet enclosure. “We ultimately decided to move forward after seeing the success of our neighbors like Il Pastaio and Porta Via utilizing the extra seating,” co-founder Matt Egan told the Courier. “We are grateful to the City for streaming the permitting process as we have seen a notable increase not only in revenue, but also visibility, which is important as a new restaurant,” he added.

Even though there might be less parking, the initiative is helping restaurants bring back customers. “It’s a positive thing because it adds seating for us and reduces the wait time,” said Il Pastaio Manager Nina Chua. “Saturday night is the busiest time and the wait could be two hours before the parklet,” she added. As for business, Chua feels they are back to about 60 percent capacity now prior to the March shutdown. “The community seems to be really enjoying it, and our neighbors are doing it too.”

Popular breakfast and lunch spot, Croft Alley, has expanded onto the sidewalk on Brighton Way. It also has big plans brewing for the space in the next few weeks. Adam Rubin, co-owner of the crowded café, has applied for a parklet permit with the City. The extra 14 seats will house their debut dinner menu and expanded hours launching on Sept 10. “The City has been amazing,” he told the Courier. “Over the top accommodating and doing anything they can to help.”  The new menu will feature a peri-peri South African chicken dish, plus beer and wine for the first time.

Il Fornaio was one of the first to add a booming sidewalk scene with verdant pods safely separated by plexiglass, but they also felt the need to expand even farther to a parklet on the Dayton Way side of the building. Now they can seat an additional 32 people, which brings them to operating at a little over 25 percent capacity which is a boost to the bottom line.

Beverly Hills celebrity institution Mr. Chow has never offered patio dining of any kind until restaurants were ordered to close indoor dining for the second time a few months ago. Now the sidewalk in front of the space has bushes to conceal the famous clientele, special lighting, music and even heaters for when the weather turns chilly in the evening. Plastic glass separates the tables for extra safety. According to manager Ricardo Amorim, the locals are fully supportive of the outdoor shift. “People love it!” he told the Courier. ‘The customers are telling me when we reopen in indoors, we should keep it like this, it feels like Europe.”

Neighboring Madeo is still occupying a temporary space in town until their original Beverly Blvd. space in West Hollywood reopens late this year or in early 2021. The first area of expansion was the front of the restaurant with tables and outdoor seating which has expanded down Camden Drive and they have plans for a parklet already in the works. “We enjoy working with the City to come up with creative ways to stay open and be safe in these unusual times,” co-owner Gianni Vietina told the Courier. It seems that plenty of long-time local regulars still wanted to join them for a meal, especially on the converted parking lot patio in the back. It’s exclusive and intimate with handmade rugs, colorful umbrellas for shade and it’s blocked off with walls of greenery for privacy.  “People are looking for comfort, security and some type of normalcy,” said in-house representative Ash Castro. “They can see familiar faces, some of the staff has worked here for 30 years. It’s like seeing family again, even in a parking lot at six feet away.”

Other local restaurants who will be revealing parklet spaces in the coming weeks include The Cheesecake Factory, e.baldi, Cantina Frida and Caffé Roma who will be sharing the space with next door neighbor Xi’an.

Hotels Accommodating Weary Home Workers

On the hotel front, The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills has hatched a new plan for home workers who can’t escape to their usual private club and need a change of scenery.

“Offices at The London West Hollywood” is a new concept in remote working. This new offering is the brainchild of Greg Velasquez, director of sales and marketing at the property, who anticipated a demand for an office alternative with so many people working from home now. “We have seen an uptick in long term stay requests for business travelers. We try to anticipate our guests’ needs and we think that temporary, controlled office environments might be the next area of demand,” he told the Courier.

The concept is broader than simply hanging out by the pool with your laptop or ordering a room service “working lunch” in your suite. The beds are actually removed from the rooms. What remains is a large desk, chair, furniture and wall-mounted television.

This service will also accommodate businesses who are unable to open their L.A. offices or are not fully prepared to accommodate social distancing requirements. Individuals and companies can lease the hotel’s spacious, secure guest rooms on a monthly basis without the hassle of an annual lease agreement and deposit required by most commercial spaces. It beats working at the kitchen table.

It’s also cost-effective for the hotel. “Because these rooms are converted hotel rooms, the additional staffing required is minimal. The beds are removed from the offices and periodic janitorial and cleaning service is provided by our existing staff,” Velasquez told the Courier.

The rents start at $242 per day or $5,000 per month for a 725 square foot guest room that has been converted to a fully usable office space. “Because each of our rooms also has a private bathroom and a private balcony, we consider this a very competitive and attractive rate,” said Velasquez. Additionally, The London’s Executive Chef Anthony Keene has created a special culinary menu for guests who have an office at the hotel, called “The Commissary Menu.”

The hotel sees this as a stepping-stone solution. “We certainly hope that we can all return to more ‘normal’ operations sooner rather than later, but if the need for this service remains, we are here to provide it,” added Velasquez.

Other local properties such as Hotel Bel-Air and Beverly Hills Hotel have also opened up some of their guest rooms for a new “Work from Hotel” alternative accommodations. Amenities include an on-call IT concierge for any tech issues, complimentary snacks from the mini-bar, plus the ability to order from any of the restaurants as well as use the pool facilities.

The rooms or suites have ample space to meet clients or host video conferences with desks, stationary supplies, high-speed Wi-Fi and discounted parking. The rooms are available at both iconic properties from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, starting at $875.

The Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills also offers a special “office” day rate that is considered on a case-by-case basis. It includes access to the pool and private fitness suite with a Peloton bike and other equipment that is now replacing the gym. For provisions, the patio at Vinoteca is back open seven days a week.

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“Beverly Hills seemed like an ideal backdrop because of its beauty and the demographic it represents,” #WalkAway founder Brandon Straka, who organized the rally on Saturday, told the Courier. “Many Beverly Hills residents have fallen under the spell of leftist philosophy simply because of the constant reinforcement of these narratives in this entertainment industry and media-driven town.”

In fact, two precincts in Beverly Hills cast a majority of votes for Trump in 2016, according to data compiled by the Los Angeles Times.

Straka came to prominence as a conservative personality in 2018 when Right-Wing news outlets picked up a YouTube video he filmed in which the gay, New York City hairstylist renounced Liberalism and the Democratic Party. He capitalized on the virality of the video and went on to appear across conservative media, giving interviews to Laura Ingraham, Tucker Carlson, and Alex Jones, the conspiracy theorist who has called the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting a hoax.

Jones donated $10,000 to a GoFundMe set up to support Straka and his nascent campaign.

Straka says that he also chose Beverly Hills as the location for the rally because of the recent protests against police brutality held in the City.

“As I watched the radical left doing so much destruction to our country, I had this vision in my head,” Straka told the crowd on Saturday after they had marched from West Hollywood to Beverly Gardens Park. He compared America to a “damsel in distress” tied to a railroad track from a black and white film. “I feel like America is a country in distress, America is a country in peril, America is like that damsel tied to the railroad tracks with the radical left charging at her like a freight train. But America needs heroes right now, like you, and me, and everybody here.”

A near-ceaseless din of car horns blared out along Santa Monica Boulevard in support of the rally, with occasional obscenities joining the cacophony. While Beverly Hills saw another, smaller pro-Trump rally a few weeks ago at the same location, that one was unaffiliated with #WalkAway.

The Courier observed more than a third of attendees not wearing face coverings, which are required by Beverly Hills. According to Beverly Hills Police Department Public Information Officer Lt. Max Subin, law enforcement did not issue any citations for non-compliance. “There were no reportable incidents from yesterday’s protest,” he said.

As the rally wound down toward the late afternoon, the Courier observed unmasked rally-goers filter into the Golden Triangle.

Straka told the Courier that he was unconcerned about the lack of precautions. “I believe in letting every person make the decision that they deem to be best for themselves in regards to their health and the choices they want to make when researching the most up to date facts and science regarding this widely controversial virus,” he said. “In the end, we are all responsible for protecting ourselves.”

Although public health agencies made conflicting statements about the efficacy of face coverings at the outset of the pandemic, epidemiologists have since emphasized their importance in slowing the spread of COVID-19. With more data, experts have a better idea of how the virus spreads and how to prevent it. A model published by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation on June 24 suggested that more than 33,000 deaths could be avoided by Oct. 1 if 95 percent of the population wore masks in public.

That same model forecasted nearly 180,000 deaths by Oct. 1 in the United States at its current trajectory.

As if to emphasize the risks of gatherings like the rally on Saturday, one woman handing out anti-vaccination materials described feeling sick just two weeks earlier. “I’m still even sore now, in my body, because of that sickness,” said Lie Neyda, who was not wearing a mask.

“It could have been [COVID-19],” she said.

Neyda was passing out flyers that called on voters to reject mandatory vaccinations, which has not been proposed by any government agency to date.

“I want the freedom to accept or reject vaccination for myself and my minor children,” said the handout. “The state or federal government cannot force me or my minor children to be vaccinated without my express permission.”

Another woman passed out cards with the text “Beware the Needle” that repeated misinformation about the side effects of vaccines.

The event sought to straddle a message that both appealed to disenchanted Democrats while also emphasizing a more traditional, Evangelical conservative world-view. Speakers repeatedly hit on religious and moral themes, describing America as a “Judeo-Christian nation”

“I love everything about this country,” actor Scott Baio told the crowd. “I want to save it for my child. I want to save it because I love that we’re a God-fearing nation, I love that we’re a law-abiding nation, I love our tradition and our values.”

Another actor, Lorenzo Lamas, warned of a similarly anti-religious threat to the country. “America and her ideals have never been more threatened by atheists and socialists ever, in our history,” he said. “Marxism and fascism have been permeating our children’s education for decades.”

Straka sought to distance the rally and the organization from its overtly pro-Trump sentiment. “#WalkAway is NOT a pro-Trump movement or a pro-Republican movement,” he wrote in an email. “We are an anti-leftist movement.”

Toward the end of the rally, a representative of the Walk Away Foundation took the stage to read a disclaimer from his phone. “The Walk Away Foundation, which is a 501(c)3, does not support or endorse any direct candidate, organization, cause, or business that is in attendance and/or speaking at today’s rally,” he said.

To maintain its tax-exempt status as a nonprofit organization, the Walk Away Foundation is barred from “directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office,” according to the IRS’s website. The Foundation indicated in filings to the IRS in 2018, the most recent year for which documents were available, that it had not engaged in political campaign activities.

Yet, at the rally itself, speakers repeatedly called for Trump’s reelection and shared anecdotes of former-Democrats planning to vote for Trump in 2020, venders sold Trump re-election merchandise, and large Trump 2020 flags flew over the crowd.

“Can I get a ‘Trump 2020’?” the emcee, Anthony Cabassa, asked the audience at one point.

“If we don’t reelect President Trump, every single thing that we hold dear will be gone,” Baio warned. “God, law, Christmas, the flag, the national anthem, anything you can think of. And it will be gone before you can blink.”

Straka says #WalkAway will “most certainly” return to Beverly Hills. “But for the time being our focus is traveling the country between now and Election Day.”

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The number of cases in the City of Beverly Hills stands at 523.

County-wide, there are 2,210 confirmed cases currently hospitalized, 28 percent of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU and 19 percent are confirmed cases on ventilators.  The number of hospitalizations has remained over 2,200 for five consecutive days.

Earlier this week, LACDPH announced that the COVID-19 was on pace to become the second leading cause of death in the county, just behind coronary heart disease. More than 3,400 people died from the infection in the first six months of the year, killing more people than Alzheimer’s Disease, other kinds of heart disease, stroke and COPD. By comparison, influenza killed 1,521 people during the 2019 flu season from October to May.

According to officials, new cases of the virus continue to be driven by people under the age of 41 years old. On June 22, the seven-day average of new cases was 1,763, now the county is averaging 2,952 new cases a day – almost twice as many cases reported just a month ago. This is higher than at any point this entire pandemic.

In another grim milestone, California surpassed New York this week as the state with the highest number of confirmed infections.

Health officials stress that it is important if someone thinks they could be positive for COVID-19 and are awaiting testing results, to stay at home and act as if they are positive. This means self-isolating for 10 days and 24 hours after symptoms and fever subside. If a person has a positive lab result for COVID-19, expect a public health specialist from L.A. County Public Health to contact them by phone to interview about possible exposures and to identify others who may have also been exposed to the infection. The information is protected and cannot be shared with others except in emergency situations. A public health specialist will never ask for a social security number, payment or documented status.

Public Health has a dedicated call line for confirmed cases of COVID-19. If someone is positive for COVID-19 and has not yet connected with a public health specialist or needs more information on services, call toll-free at 1-833-540-0473. Residents who do not have COVID-19 should continue to call 211 for resources or more information.

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The Task Force’s creation in March was spearheaded by then Mayor John Mirisch as part of the City’s response to COVID-19. While the agenda is for discussion purposes only, the exchange informs and promotes public health policy – part of the City’s proactive efforts to flatten the curve. Topics ranged from the increased spread of the virus seen among young people, to voluntary contact tracing, safety concerns regarding outdoor dining and the dangerous lack of national leadership.

Medical Advisory Task Force members include David B. Agus, M.D.; Mike Altschule; Kirk Y. Chang, M.D.; Rhonda Curry; Annabelle de St Maurice, M.D.; Jazmin Diego, MSW; Jonathan Fielding, M.D.; MPH, M.A., MBA; Joel Geiderman, M.D.; FACEP; Julian A. Gold, M.D.; Karen Grimley, R.N., Ph.D; Lee H. Hilborne, M.D.; David Hopp, M.D.; Irving Posalski, M.D.; Enrique Terrazas, M.D.; Sam Torbati, M.D.; Daniel Z. Uslan, M.D.; Rachel Zabner, M.D.; Alyssa Ziman, M.D. and guest member Erica Felsenthal, Ph.D.

Before Mayor Lester Friedman read the first of four questions prepared by the Council, he introduced Task Force member Dr. Jonathan Fielding, one of the leading public health experts in the world. Fielding served for 16 years as the Director of Public Health and Health Officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and distinguished professor of Health Policy and Management and of Pediatrics in the Schools of Public Health and Medicine at UCLA. In addition to presenting an update on COVID-19 metrics in the City, Fielding commanded everyone’s attention to highlight a solemn message.

“Schools are a huge problem, and because things are getting worse it’s harder and harder to recommend that schools open,” Fielding said. “But we have to focus on those kids, otherwise we’re going to wind up with a whole generation of those who have not had the right kind of help in terms of their education, and are not going to get the good jobs and  going to continue to exacerbate the inequities we have now. Focusing on the schools is absolutely critical.”

Below, the experts weigh in on important questions shaping the future.

“What is the impact of large gatherings, such as the protests, on the spread of COVID-19 and it’s current spike related to those protests?”

“It’s not a masking issue, it’s a transmissibility issue. And at the end of the day, the issue is getting the transmissibility down to one. It’s entirely an epidemiology issue. So, when we talk about the impact of large gatherings, that increases transmissibility when we talk about not social distancing. I think when we ask the question about large scale gatherings such as protests or whatever, particularly without masks, those will increase transmissibility. We know that the virus in a general population has a transmissibility of about 2.5 people. So that every person who’s infected can spread it in fact about two and a half people. The goal needs to be to get that lead to less than one.”

-Lee H. Hilborne, M.D., Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UCLA Senior Medical Director, Medical Affairs Quest Diagnostics; Past President of the American Society for Clinical Pathology

“There was an observational study for a protest demonstration near the UCLA Medical Center. In the case, there were 2000 demonstrators not practicing social distancing, but for the most part, wearing masks during the demonstrations. Most of the people attending that demonstration were healthcare workers at UCLA Medical Center, who are currently being, and were being tracked for detectability for COVID-19 exposure and contraction. Guess what the answer was. None. Zero. So, more than two weeks later there was no contraction among any of the attendees at that demonstration, as they’re being followed by UCLA by testing.”

– David Hopp, M.D., President, Los Angeles County Medical Association, District 7 Beverly Hills and Cedars-Sinai; Senior Attending Surgeon, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; Founder, CEO YouthFill MD

“What is the advice of the taskforce about measures that the City should or could be taking?”

“The consideration that I am putting forward is a volunteer contact tracing proposal for the City of Beverly Hills. That would be a voluntary automated contact tracing program, much like the one undertaken in New Zealand. But it’s all dependent upon voluntary participation. And it’s an automated system that allows you to basically register individual citizens and households, as well as establishments, using a QR coding system.

Each household has a QR code, wherever they frequent they flash the QR code and it gets recorded. Then later on, cross referencing for positive outcomes of COVID-19. And then the automated system sends out the information to anyone that was potentially exposed and gives them directions as to what to do next.”

– David Hopp, M.D.

“It’s ‘see something, say something.’ And unfortunately for many of us, we become the bad guy by asking people about their masks. I see the Ambassador’s and the police out all the time, especially on the bike patrols now, and it would be really great if they could take a minute to help support what a lot of the citizens are doing. But I think that there may be an opportunity, because if we don’t model it and show it as important, people are not necessarily going to think it’s a big deal. And this is going to go on for a long time, this isn’t going to stop next month, and I think as good optimistic Americans people keep thinking it’s going to end really soon, that is in fact not the case.”

– Karen Grimley, R.N. Ph.D., Chief Nursing Officer, UCLA Health

What is the level of safety regarding the option of closing streets to encourage people to dine in the street and is that something that this group feels would be good or not?

“There was an establishment that had many people waiting for their reservations. I think that’s the sort of gathering situation that Councilmember Bosse was referring to. If there’s a way to mitigate those gatherings by more tables, only reservations, for sure. But people can’t wait for a table without masking. There are gatherings even while the streets are open now, of people waiting for reservations. I think that enlarging that opportunity may be problematic. But, at the same time, the establishments are as interested in keeping businesses open safely as anyone else. So, I’m sure that they would be helpful in exerting whatever influence the council decides that would be necessary in order to create a safe environment for everyone.”

– David Hopp, M.D.

What is the shortest period of time a vaccine could be available, and from the day a vaccine is available, how long would it take to vaccinate the entire U.S.?

“The best-case scenario is that a vaccine could be available between mid-September and mid-October, and that would take three to six months for a rollout across the U.S. It will be a process to get rid of the virus over time, even with the vaccine, and normalizing the wearing of masks will be important.”

-David B. Agus, M.D., Director of the USC Center for Applied Molecular Medicine; Director of the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine of USC; Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering

“There are currently at least 15 different vaccines being tried and tested. Two of those are already in phase one and phase two trials. In the best-case scenario, if one of those two is safe enough, then they go to the phase three trials to prove that they are okay. It’s not going to be a perfect vaccine, and it is going to be a very important part of this fight, but we’re in this for the long run.”

– Rachel Zabner, M.D., Infectious Disease Specialist, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

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Rent Subsidy for Landlords and Tenants

Residential landlords and tenants will get a financial reprieve following direction from City Council to move forward with a rent subsidy.

“We certainly have concurrence…that this is a program that we want to go forward with,” Mayor Lester Friedman said. “I do think we need to get the biggest benefit for the dollar. I think saving both a landlord and a tenant should be our priority.”

Originally proposed by Vice Mayor Bob Wunderlich last month, the July 21 Study Session marked the first time the Council formally discussed the item. Following discussion, Council directed staff to return with a cohesive plan to subsidize tenants and landlords unable to pay rent due to circumstances related to COVID-19. The City of Beverly Hills is a renter-majority City.

In March, the Council enacted a temporary moratorium on evictions for non-payment of rent by residential tenants impacted by COVID-19. Once the emergency ends, tenants have 12 months to pay back rent that was not paid during the declared emergency. However, if the tenant fails to pay rent when the emergency declaration is lifted, the landlord will have grounds to evict the tenant for failure to pay rent.

“Although City Council has enacted a residential moratorium on evictions, once the ordinance is lifted many residents will be faced with evictions because of their inability to pay rent,” states the July 21 staff report, which was authored by Director of Community Development Susan Healy Keene and Deputy Director of Rent Stabilization Helen Morales. “To ensure tenants maintain their occupancy and avoid eviction, the rent subsidy should cover rent as it becomes due once the urgency ordinance is lifted.”

The City Council must determine the amount to allocate for the subsidy as well as the source of funds. “I think we should add $1 million to this,” said Councilman John Mirisch. According to the staff report, $537,000 may currently be available to fund the subsidy.

Morales detailed multiple options for implementing the subsidy, including the staff recommendation to provide it to the 166 tenants who have filed the COVID-19 Form with the City. The total cost to the City would be $498,000 in such a scenario if the City offers a rent subsidy of $1,000 for three months per household. Another scenario would be to pay the total monthly rent that the tenant is unable to pay once the urgency ordinance is lifted, which would require $730,530 for a three-month rent subsidy.

In moving forward, the Council also expressed support for giving priority for residents with children who attend Beverly Hills schools, in addition to teachers within the school district. According to the staff report, as of May 2018, 42 percent of the total Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) enrollment resided in rent-stabilized housing.

“It supports our residential community,” said Vice Mayor Wunderlich. “I absolutely think this is the right thing to do.”

Expanding Businesses

Following last week’s direction from Council, staff detailed the possible expansion of the OpenBH program for businesses to utilize additional outdoor space. The program was created in response to the COVID-19 regulations that have significantly reduced revenue for businesses throughout Beverly Hills. Over 20 businesses have already availed themselves of the program, which allows the temporary expansion of services to adjacent areas such as parking lots, sidewalks, and metered parking spaces (parklets) through a Special Event Permit.

“We already are a pedestrian friendly City, and this is an opportunity for us to become more so,” said Vice Mayor Bob Wunderlich.

While stopping short of recommending staff further explore full street closures in various parts of the business district, the Council was united in helping businesses further expand into outdoor areas. Costs to the City include a combination of waived permit fees, loss of revenue from parking meters and paying for various traffic control measures. The program currently waives the $800 special event permit fee that each participating business is issued. To date, the City has waived $21,600 in special event permit fees.

“The program has received positive feedback from the business community and residents alike,” states the July 21 staff report, which was authored by Marketing and Economic Sustainability Manager Laura Biery and Special Events and Filming Coordinator Magdalena Davis.

Throughout the City, various businesses have been successful in creatively pivoting operations to utilize the OpenBH programs, including Matsuhisa, which now offers dining on its parking lot and Color Me Mine, which now offers pottery-making outdoors.

Mayor Lester Friedman underscored the importance of ensuring that augmented operations don’t bring more crowds who fail to abide by appropriate social distancing measures.

“With the resurgence of the COVID-19 virus, we really should be staying at home,” he said.

“This is a matter of public health and safety…from that all else follows,” said Councilman John Mirisch, who emphasized the need for increased enforcement.

The Council heard from several members of the business community, the majority of whom were largely supportive of expanding the program as long as it did not include closing streets.

“It would be selfish of me to promote a policy which benefits me while negatively impacts my neighbors,” said Estiatorio Louka owner Vasili Kotsiovos. “Accessibility is key in allowing our business owners to operate and expand in ways that benefit each personally. Closing access to the street will make it more difficult for our community to reach and support us.”

“This would kill off an already fragile retail situation,” cautioned Carroll Custom owner John Carroll, in reference to the possible closure of Canon.

According to the staff report, there was not “overwhelming” support for a full street closure on South Beverly Drive and North Canon Drive among the business owners surveyed. “Businesses were however supportive of parklets or smaller scale expansions into the roadway that continued to preserve some parking and travel access,” stated the report.

“I wholeheartedly support this program and its expansion,” advocated Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce CEO Todd Johnson. “We’re in a different world right now.”

The post Beverly Hills City Council Debates Subsidies and Closures appeared first on Beverly Hills Courier.

“We all know the really hard work gets done at the commissions,” Mayor Friedman told commission chairs at the July 13 meeting in anticipation of listening to the reports.

Architectural Commission

Chair Sheri Hirschfeld highlighted two projects of interest on Rodeo Drive: Van Cleef & Arpels wants to do a temporary art installation that will stay up for two months and Chanel wants to change its exterior cladding.

Arts and Culture Commission

Chair Michael Smooke shared that the famed artwork by Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei is “stuck” in China. “We can’t seem to get a permit to ship it out of the country,” he said. The Millard Sheets mosaic, which had been under restoration, is now finished and ready for installation. In addition, this month the commission welcomed Liliana Filipovic, a classical musician, as its newest member. “She should be able to broaden our expertise to fulfill the cultural component,” Smooke said.

Charitable Solicitations Commission

Later this month on July 23 the commission will be holding an interview process for two upcoming openings. Seven people have applied. Commissioner Joe Safier’s term is slated to come to an end on Dec. 31 and Vice Chair Pam Kraushaar is slated to end her term on June 30, 2021. Chair Ira Friedman said that two letters were recently sent out for groups that did not obtain permits for soliciting. “We’re waiting to see what happens with that,” he said.

Cultural Heritage Commission

Chair Jill Tavelman Collins paid homage to the commission’s founding chair, Noah Furie, who ended his term last month. He had been the final commissioner of the original five Cultural Heritage Commission members. Tavelman also highlighted the two new properties recommended by the commission for Landmark designation, the MCA/Litton Headquarters Complex by architect Paul Revere Williams and the Pendleton/Evans Residence by architect John Elgin Woolf.

Design Review Commission

Chair Tony Spann shared that the biggest issue the commission was dealing with was the increase of fake materials. “We don’t want the quality of our built environment to be so low,” he said. In addition, the commission will welcome Terri Smooke as its newest commissioner on Jan. 1, 2021.

Health & Safety Commission

Chair Daniel Nazarian highlighted how all previous commission meetings since the mayor’s last cabinet meeting have centered around COVID-19. Nazarian underscored the importance of preventive measures, which everyone has heard repeatedly over the past three months. Currently, Nazarian said it was important to educate people to not hold social gatherings in their homes. In addition, Nazarian highlighted the importance of undertaking actions to improve mental health. An upcoming meeting with the COVID-19 Medical Advisory Task Force is slated for July 17 at 10 a.m.

Human Relations Commission

The commission launched its ninth Embrace Civility Award campaign this week to recognize individuals or groups in the City who exemplify one or more of the following attributes: acts as a role model of positive behavior; takes a stand in support of responsible actions; and promotes positive neighbor to neighbor interactions. As part of the campaign, the commission will select an Embrace Civility Award recipient and is currently accepting recommendations through Sept. 4 (http://beverlyhills.org/embracecivilityaward). “Now more than ever the City of Beverly Hills promotes positive human relations in all aspects,” said Chair Ori Blumenfeld. The commission also helped facilitate 19 organizations to receive money from the community assistance grant fund. In addition, the commission welcomed Rhoda Sharp as its newest member and said farewell to Sonia Berman.

Planning Commission

Chair Peter Ostroff highlighted how busy the commission has been, particularly with respect to moving a Mixed Use Ordinance forward for City Council approval that will permit residential units in certain commercial areas. “It drew a lot of attention on both sides,” he said. In addition, he said that the Planning Commission would be weighing in on a “number of significant projects” in the future, including the Beverly Hilton/One Beverly Hills project, the LVMH luxury hotel on Rodeo Drive, and the transformation of Lots 12 and 13. Ostroff said that a priority for the commission would be its “effort to deal with the requirement that we as a City enact a revised housing element of our General Plan.” The City is expected to have to build over 3,000 new housing units. “It’s very important that folks pay attention and give us input,” he said.

Public Works Commission

Just one day before the City Council voted to approve $68 million in water revenue bonds, Chair Joshua Greer highlighted the positive change in the City’s Water Enterprise fund, which just had its credit rating upgraded. “The Water Enterprise Fund just got a AAA rating, which is fantastic. It’s the best rating,” he said. He also touted the importance of the City’s integrated Water Resource Management Plan. However, in light of the state of the City, he said that the commission might need to reexamine the plan. In addition, the City can soon decamp from the Oil Well project, with the final oil well now in the process of being decommissioned.

Recreation & Parks Commission

Chair Julian Javor detailed a bevy of endeavors from the Community Services Department. City staff is continuing to provide daily meals for seniors and has augmented the program through the Beverly Hilton expansion program, which increased the number of seniors receiving free meals from 60 to 180. Javor detailed the success of several virtual summer camps, which kicked off on June 8. In addition, an in-person summer camp, which began on July 6 had the registration fill in one day. “This of course remains to be seen whether it will continue,” he said. Virtual preschools began on July 6, continuing the trend of virtual learning. The tennis courts reopened on June 15, although Javor noted, “Who knows for how long at this point.” In addition, the Farmers’ Market once again reopened on June 21 with new safety measures.

Rent Stabilization Commission

Inaugural Rent Stabilization Commission Chair Lou Milkowski shared that the commission held its first meeting on June 3. The first meeting included having the new members sworn in, being educated by City staff on the requirements of commissioners, and electing Neal Baseman as the vice chair. “We’re an unusual commission in that we have an uneven number of commissioners by design,” Milkowski stated. The commission is slated to hear its first rent appeal at its upcoming meeting on July 22.

Traffic & Parking Commission

Following a three-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Traffic and Parking Commission last met on July 2. Chair David Seidel shared that the City is now in the process of updating signage about “red flag alerts” and educating residents about parking restrictions when such an alert is declared. With respect to the “Complete Streets Plan,” which stalled following the Dec. 3, 2019 Town Hall, Seidel said it would be important to reignite the process in order for the City to be able to apply for grant money. “That seems to have stalled out completely as we sit here in July,” he said. “Hopefully we can do it.”

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