“I am thrilled that Cindy will be our next City Planner,” said Michael Forbes, the City’s Community Development Director.  “She is deeply respected by her team as a strong technical planner and leader. Her diverse experience and institutional knowledge will continue to be of great benefit to our community.”

Gordon joined the city of Beverly Hills in 2011 as an Assistant Planner and has promoted through the years to Associate Planner, Senior Planner, Principal Planner, and Project Manager. 

She has two bachelor’s degrees, in Community & Regional Planning and Sociology, from Iowa State University, and a Master’s degree in City & Regional Planning from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Gordon is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners.

She will assume her new role on Dec. 15.

The post Gordon Named Assistant Director of Community Development/City Planner appeared first on Beverly Hills Courier.

Let’s start with the challenge of gift giving. Consider skipping the parking lots, long lines and inflated prices, and instead expand your creativity.

If you’re new to AI, start simple. Use tools like ChatGPT, Gemini or Claudeai to brainstorm gift ideas tailored to specific people in your life. Describe their interests, your relationship, and your budget, and discover creative possibilities you might not have considered.

Use AI price trackers to ensure you get the best deals. Watch AI gift-wrapping tutorials to make your gift looks extra special. Smart budgeting apps can prevent overspending and assist in tracking gifts as they are purchased. By engaging visual search tools, you can upload a photo of an item you like and let AI find similar options instantly.

If you want to go a step further, you can try crafting personalized poems, songs or stories. Input key memories or qualities, and work with the AI to refine the output until it captures your sentiments perfectly. Imagine giving your daughter, granddaughter or BFF a custom poem that weaves together cherished memories—like your summer trip to Hawaii, late-night chats, and Black Friday shopping sprees. AI can help you create touching verses that surpass any store-bought item. 

Similarly, you could create a personalized song for your partner or friend, incorporating inside jokes and meaningful dates into a unique melody of your relationship. AI can help turn your feelings and memories into lyrics set to music, resulting in a cherished gift. For family historians, AI can compile and narrate family stories, transforming old photos and anecdotes into a cohesive narrative that becomes an heirloom. Parents can even use AI to create personalized holiday stories featuring their children as characters and print their own books, making bedtime reading extra special. 

If you have a foodie in your life, AI can generate a custom cookbook based on their dietary preferences and favorite flavors, complete with beautiful pictures. Remember the adage, “You are only as good as your prompts,” so keep editing and have fun. 

According to Professor and AI faculty fellow Jessica Kizorek, “AI is unlocking creativity for people who never considered themselves artists. Now, anyone can write rhymes, generate images, produce videos, create songs, layout custom books, and curate multimedia experiences. Using AI this holiday season isn’t cheating; it’s opening doors to meaningful human exchanges that will be remembered for years to come.” As a psychiatrist, I value the idea of tapping into the neuroplasticity of our brain and forging new pathways. This makes gift giving the win-win process it is supposed to be.

Beyond gifts, AI can inspire creativity in holiday projects you might never have attempted otherwise. Want to design custom holiday cards featuring your family in various artistic styles? AI image generators can assist. Struggling with writer’s block for a holiday newsletter? AI can help you draft and refine your message while maintaining your authentic voice.

For those hosting gatherings, AI can suggest party themes, create shopping lists, generate decoration ideas tailored to your space and style, and even help craft the perfect playlist by analyzing your musical preferences and the desired mood.

Need to accommodate various dietary restrictions at your holiday dinner? AI can instantly generate menu options that satisfy vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free guests while keeping the festive spirit intact. It can also help you plan balanced meals for the days surrounding big celebrations, ensuring you don’t abandon your wellness routine.

Not sure what to do with leftovers? Photograph them, upload the images to ChatGPT or your favorite AI site, and ask for meal ideas incorporating them. You can also request a shopping list and recipes to expand your menu.

AI isn’t just software—it’s being built into appliances too. Hostess Crystal Conner shared that she had her best Thanksgiving ever thanks to her smart oven. Yes, her oven now features built-in AI that ensures dishes come out perfectly every time with little or no effort on her part. Smart refrigerators will alert you when supplies run low, bringing us closer to the world of the Jetsons. Robot vacuums and mops are also available to help you keep holiday messes to a minimum and may serve as a popular gift option this season.

AI will also assist with holiday travel—from generating destination ideas and booking hotels and airfare at the best prices, to building your daily itinerary, finding local restaurants and attractions, and providing real-time translation services. It can even help you navigate airports, track flight delays, and adjust plans on the fly.

As we learn to utilize AI to reduce the stress and busywork that often overshadow the holidays, we can create more time and space for genuine connection, creativity, and joy. AI can help you spend less time worrying about logistics and more time laughing with family, savoring delicious food, and creating memories that will warm your heart long after the decorations come down.

During this season of gratitude and celebration, I encourage you to approach AI with curiosity and an open mind. Experiment, play, and discover how these tools might serve your unique needs and values. The future of holiday celebrations isn’t about technology replacing tradition. It’s about technology empowering us to honor traditions more fully and create new ones with greater ease and joy and make each year better than the last. 

The post Holiday Hack: Using AI to Optimize Your Holiday Season appeared first on Beverly Hills Courier.

RIOS’ design draws on California’s biodiversity and takes inspiration from the state’s distinct ecological zones. Species once cultivated by the historic nursery will be reintroduced alongside new plantings. Visitors will encounter pollinator gardens alive with butterflies and hummingbirds, color-themed landscapes, and cascading water features. 

Mayor Sharona Nazarian noted, “The forthcoming botanical gardens at One Beverly Hills will bring new life to our city. They reimagine the Western gateway to Beverly Hills, a site that has been a cornerstone of our community for generations. When complete, they will honor our city’s legacy while advancing our commitment to sustainability, beauty, and unity. Residents and visitors will have a new place to gather, connect with nature, and experience Beverly Hills in a way that celebrates both our history and our future.”

Jonathan Goldstein, co-founder and CEO of Cain, observed, “The gardens at One Beverly Hills reflect our belief that community and wellbeing must be at the centre of urban design. From the beginning, our vision has been to create a place that feels part of the fabric of Beverly Hills while welcoming residents and visitors alike. By restoring these historic grounds, we are investing in a landscape that will endure, enrich the city’s cultural identity, and provide future generations with a space to gather, reflect, and connect with nature.”

Additionally, One Beverly Hills has announced that retail and dining partners including Dolce & Gabbana, Casa Tua Cucina, and Los Mochis will be among the brands featured in the project’s 200,000-square-foot curated retail offering.

Phased completion of One Beverly Hills is expected to commence in 2027.  

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BHUSD Assistant Superintendent Dustin Seemann told the Courier that the district decided to make the change after seeing the need for more individualized counseling for students and families. 

The goal of the district is to support students through each educational transition, looking not only from secondary to post-secondary education, but also from fifth to sixth grade and eighth to ninth grade. 

A new Director of Counseling, Kristi Bond, will lead the College and Career Counseling Department with the support of the board to connect and streamline the TK-12 counseling services. 

“Our goal is to create a seamless roadmap of support that begins the moment a student enters BHUSD and continues until they walk across the graduation stage,” said Bond. “By investing in academic advisement, college counseling, and wellness, we are ensuring that each student feels cared for, supported, and prepared for the future.” 

Under Bond’s direction, the district will initiate counseling support for students at a younger age, instead of waiting until high school. 

“We want to make sure that our elementary, our fifth-grade families know all the options going into middle school,” said Seemann. Then, Seemann explained, high school counselors will visit eighth graders in the spring to help them prepare for ninth grade. These include helping students choose the best electives for the career pathway they want to follow.

Additionally, Beverly Hills High School will add three additional school counselors, totaling eight for the entire school. With the additional staffing, four counselors will be allocated to underclassmen and four to upperclassmen, providing a more specialized approach to counseling based on the students’ grade level needs. Seemann estimates that this equates to roughly 140 students per counselor, whereas the state average is around 500 students to one counselor. 

“Just by personnel power to be able to meet each student individually and making sure we have robust conversations around many options, from Ivies [Ivy League] to UCs [University of California] to out-of-state—there’s so many options for our students, that we want to make sure that they’re making the best, most educated decision,” said Seemann. The model runs on the idea that through delegating counselors based on grade-level need, students are able to get the most specialized support. 

The increased staffing also works to increase visibility and accessibility of counseling services, said Seemann. Now, instead of relying on students to reach out to their counselors, the counselors will schedule individualized meetings with each student and their family to discuss their specific needs and goals. 

The investments in the College and Career Counseling Department are also focused on providing support for students’ social and emotional needs through programs like the NormanAid Wellness Center at BHHS and BulldogAid at Beverly Vista Middle School. 

“The board has been instrumental in being able to expand our NormanAid into the middle school with the BulldogAid Center, and providing each of our school sites marriage and family therapists,” said Seemann. “When our kids are happier, our kids feel supported, our attendance is going to increase.” 

The Beverly Hills Counseling Team was awarded Recognized ASCA Model Program designation by the American School Counselor Association, marking BHHS as one of the leading schools in data-driven counseling practices. They were one of 18 schools in California to receive the distinction.

“Now, we are in direct competition with our private schools in the local areas,” said Seemann. “I could confidently say that we match them for the number of Advanced Placement courses … and now, we’re matching them with the individualized white-glove support that they are able to provide their students because of the high tuition cost. Our board is now backing that with funds, and now we can say confidently that we not only have the exact same academic programming that they provide, we are providing all the support behind it.” 

The ultimate goal of these expanded counseling services is to see higher test scores, increased enrollment, complete access to students’ post-secondary options of their choosing and more confidence in their abilities. 

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Representing the Southwestern United States—which includes Southern California, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada—Frier described the three missions he’s charged with in looking after the 25,000 registered French citizens living in the region. His priority is safety, ensuring they have their proper identity and travel documents. Because of the vastness of the United States and the six-hour plane ride to the French embassy in Washington, D.C., he also maintains strong relationships with local elected officials. And he describes his biggest duty as helping to spread French cultural influence through art, film, sports and education. 

France remains America’s oldest ally, a relationship spanning nearly 250 years since U.S. independence from Britain. Frier emphasized that defining military moments like D-Day and the liberation of Normandy during World War II cemented this partnership. “There is no other country in the world with which we have a stronger military relationship,” Frier stated.

The relationship between France and the U.S. extends beyond strategic and military dimensions. On a hyperlocal level, Beverly Hills and Cannes—the French Riviera city known for its annual international film festival—became “sister cities” in 1986 on the heels of the Cold War. Mayor Sharona Nazarian visited Cannes last year when she was vice mayor in hopes of revitalizing the relationship with the French city. 

The economic relationship between France and the U.S. has grown stronger in recent years, Frier stated. He noted that $161 billion was exchanged in trade between the countries per year—a significant increase from 2022 and pre-COVID-19 years.

“Beyond the strategic relationship, between the political relations, between the military connections, you also have things that change daily lives of this part of the country. Creating jobs, studies, culture: this is something that is very important at the end of the day,” said Frier. 

Yet the relationship between the United States and France and Europe as a whole is not without challenge. Frier, who spent 20 years as a diplomat specializing in military and strategy before serving as consul general of France, shared his insight on the strains being put on this alliance.

“We see a world where strength and confrontation are on the verge of replacing rule of law and negotiation,” said Frier. The world is witnessing an attempt by different countries to create a new world order to replace the current one which they believe has disproportionately benefited the United States.

Francis Fukuyama’s “End of History” theory, which posits that liberal democracies are the end goal for governments and would therefore end the outbreak of conflict between states, is now being challenged. The fundamental question now, Frier stated, is who is willing to step forward to try and defend the international system? That system has never been perfect but has “somehow managed to prevent us from repeating the worst that we have known twice during the last century,” he added.  

Through the weakening of bodies like the United Nations and the mutual defense principle, or Article 5 of the Charter of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the international system faces new challenges that require global cooperation and alignment. 

The economic and political turmoil resulting from the creation of the euro and Britain’s exit from the European Union in 2016 were “wake-up calls” for Europe. In February 2022, Europe’s security environment was completely transformed when Russia decided to invade Ukraine. 

“France never thought it would end up in a situation whereby a direct high-level intensity conflict with another country—Russia, which has a nuclear weapon—would be in the realm of possibility,” said Frier. 

Additionally, he recognized that though the French-American relationship is being tested with the second Trump administration, he believes that the countries’ relationship goes beyond three difficult years. Frier pointed to their aligned strategic goals, strong people-to-people relationships, and history, one of the assets of this relationship. 

“I am sure that this French, Euro-American friendship is not going away,” said Frier. “This is not going away because there are political disagreements between Paris and Washington or between Brussels and Washington.” 

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The commission was split in a 3-2 vote on the issue, with Commissioners Myra Demeter and Terri Kaplan and Chair Jeff Wolfe voting to deny the exemption. 

The issue was initially raised for public debate at the City Council’s Aug. 5 meeting, when the council voted to ban short-term rentals in the city. Short-term rentals were defined as leases of less than 12 consecutive months. 

After hearing from the public that some owners of single-family landmark homes used short-term rentals to finance the required maintenance of their homes, councilmembers instructed the Cultural Heritage and Planning Commissions to consider whether to offer an exemption. 

On Sept. 3, the Cultural Heritage Commission discussed the issue. Commissioners were generally in favor of the exemption, however they suggested certain changes to the draft proposed by city staff. Some of those changes were incorporated into the draft presented to the Planning Commission. 

The ordinance under review by the Planning Commission at their Sept. 11 meeting proposed that any short-term rental falling under the exemption must be located in a single-family residential zone; may only be offered in a separate structure such as a guest house, accessory dwelling unit (ADU) or junior ADU; and must have a minimum stay of two consecutive nights. The property owner would be required to be present during the renter’s stay and would pay transient occupancy taxes. 

Deborah Blum, a Beverly Hills resident who owns a single-family landmark historic home and has been at the forefront of advocating for the exemption, spoke on Sept. 11 about why the exemption would be important for individuals or families such as herself. 

“While cities can simply mandate that private property owners preserve historic features, they often create programs to make preservation more financially viable, thereby incentivizing people to landmark their properties in the first place … carving out an exemption will create another financial incentive,” she said. 

Demeter expressed her opinion that any short-term rentals at all would decrease the number of  available housing units in the city. 

“I believe that the city should not be encouraging any short-term rentals,” she said. “The carve-out takes units off the market, which is in direct contrast to our promise in our housing element. We can expect that if we were to do that, that we would hear from higher powers, perhaps the state. ADUs are a wonderful vehicle, and we’ve worked very hard to … streamline the process, but it is not for short-term rentals. It is to increase the housing stock.” 

Noting that there are many homes in the city that are expensive to maintain regardless of landmark status, Kaplan said she felt similarly to Demeter. 

“I think this is fundamentally poor policy, to create a carve-out that, on its face, suggests that it’s for the broad range of landmarked residential properties, but we’ve had zero input from any other owners [aside from Blum] … if we’re looking for incentives for people to landmark their properties, there are many other things we should look to,” she said. “This should not be one of them.” 

Commissioner Gary Ross, who voted against the denial of the exemption, expressed his support for individuals and families who willingly shoulder the responsibility of maintaining landmark homes. 

“I do believe that there are burdens and obligations on homeowners of these structures that they take on in a noble and righteous manner to preserve our community, and I’m in favor of encouraging that,” he said. “There are only 18 of them … they purchased their homes with certain rights and expectations.” 

Following the 3-2 vote, the commission’s recommendation to deny the resolution will be forwarded to the City Council for consideration at a future meeting. At that time, the council would have the option to adopt an ordinance that is not in alignment with the Planning Commission’s recommendation, however it could only include topics considered by the commission.

In other news, Assistant Director and City Planner Masa Alkire has announced his departure from Beverly Hills after accepting a position with the City of Manhattan Beach. As of Sept. 8, Alkire will serve as Manhattan Beach’s Community Development Director. 

“Masa’s service to the City of Beverly Hills included overseeing the City’s planning programs and handling several major development projects,” said Michael Forbes, Director of Community Development, in a statement. “We thank Masa for his years of dedicated service to Beverly Hills and wish him all the best in his new role.” 

The post Planning Commission Recommends Against Short-Term Rentals for Landmark Homes appeared first on Beverly Hills Courier.

The discussion, which took place at the Commission’s Sept. 3 meeting, came at the request of the City Council, which on July 1 voted to ban all short-term rentals in the city with a potential carve-out for owners of single-family landmark properties. 

At that time, the council heard from Deborah Blum, who owns such a home and said she utilizes income from renting her guest house as a way to keep up with the required maintenance of landmark properties. Blum said that while the exemption would be good for her family, it would also be “beneficial for the city … historic preservation drives tourism and economic growth.” 

The council instructed the Cultural Heritage Commission to take up the issue and provide input to the Planning Commission. 

At their Sept. 3 meeting, the Cultural Heritage Commission heard a staff report with a draft ordinance that would allow for the exemption. 

Under the ordinance, owners of landmark single-family homes would be permitted to rent a guest house, accessory dwelling unit (ADU) or “other permitted habitable space” on a short-term basis. Rentals would need need to be a minimum of two consecutive nights, and the property owner would be required to be present in the main residence during the stay. 

Property owners would also be required to apply for a business tax license and pay transient occupancy taxes.

There are currently 18 single-family landmark properties in the city, and according to the staff report, 16 appear to have an ADU or similar structure. 

Blum, whose house was built in 1913, spoke during the public comment period on Sept. 3. 

“I am grateful that this commission recognizes what not everyone appreciates,” she said, “that these landmarks reflect the magic of Hollywood’s Golden Age and represent a heritage that enriches our community and attracts visitors from around the world … the income from our guest house rental has been essential in allowing us to maintain and preserve this historic property in an independent and financially sustainable manner, ensuring its continued contribution to Beverly Hills its architectural and cultural legacy.”

Better Neighbors LA, a coalition of tenants, housing advocates and community members, wrote to the commission to oppose the exemption. 

“The Beverly Hills City Council recently adopted an amended short-term rental ordinance that prohibits [short-term rentals] in all residential units, establishes a one-year minimum lease requirement and creates a penalty schedule that sets fines to the maximum extent allowed under state law,” their message stated. “Introducing a new ordinance that permits [short-term rentals] in historic landmark homes would undermine this progress by creating a loophole that weakens enforcement and compromises the ordinance intended protections.”

The commissioners spoke largely in favor of the exemption, however most wanted stricter regulations.

Commissioner Marc Teren noted that historic landmark properties are “very expensive to maintain,” but expressed concern over the fairness of the exemption. Teren suggested mandating either a higher number of minimum days the property could be rented per stay along with a maximum number of times it could be rented per year, or a mandate that the property could only be rented for 30 days at a time. 

“My recommendation would be a minimum stay of at least five days and a maximum of two stays a month, 24 times a year … if I live next to a landmark property that has an ADU, and I have an ADU and I can’t rent mine, I’m not very happy about that,” he said.

Commissioner Alan Robert Block said that Beverly Hills wants more property owners to designate their homes as landmark properties, and this exemption is a way to encourage them to do so.

“I don’t see anything wrong with adding an additional incentive of … allowing a short-term rental,” he said. 

The Cultural Heritage Commission’s recommendations will be sent to the Planning Commission, which will address the issue at its Sept. 11 meeting. 

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In accordance with state law, the city of Beverly Hills participates in labor negotiations with its employee associations. The results of the negotiations process are written agreements or contracts reached between the city and the city employee associations.  In addition, the Beverly Hills City Council in 2014 adopted a Civic Openness in Negotiations “COIN” ordinance to provide additional impartiality and transparency to the collective bargaining process.

A community meeting was held on Oct. 29, 2024, in preparation for negotiations with the Police Management Group and the two other sworn employee groups: the Police Officers’ Association and the Firefighters’ Association. A public meeting seeking specific community input was held at the City Council meeting on Nov. 7, 2024. Negotiations are ongoing for the Police Officers’ and Firefighters’ Associations.

The proposed MOU covers salaries and benefits for a four-year term. Per the city’s COIN Ordinance, an independent fiscal analysis was conducted. The fiscal analyses and proposed MOU are posted on the city’s website at https://beverlyhills.org/1473/Labor-Negotiations-2025.

There are nine represented employee associations within the city of Beverly Hills. In addition to the three sworn employee groups there are six non-sworn employee associations, Confidential, Management and Professional, MEA (Technical Services), Part-Time, Safety Support, and Supervisors. The MOUs for the city’s six non-sworn employee associations expire in Oct. 2026.

To see all MOUs, visit beverlyhills.org/mou. 

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“Once again, another atrocious, heinous act has shaken those around the world who celebrate their Jewish heritage. Rabbi Zvi Kogan did not deserve to leave this earth in such a barbaric way and we must continue to stand strong against antisemitism and hatred of all kind,” said Friedman.  

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“George was a towering figure in our profession,” said Edward H. Phillips, M.D., executive vice chair of the Jim and Eleanor Randall Department of Surgery. “His profound legacy lives on in the hundreds—if not thousands—of medical students and surgeons influenced by his innovations and ideas.”

Berci’s designs and use of micro-instrumentation—including fiber optic-based lighting and cameras—paved the way for the development of endoscopic and laparoscopic surgery.

Berci’s influence and achievement in the field are all the more extraordinary given that medicine was not his primary passion during his formative years. The son of the assistant conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Berci showed considerable promise as a violinist and could play concertos by age 10.

Berci’s professional path was stalled by the outbreak of World War II, when he was forced to work as a laborer for the Nazis.

“Unfortunately, I had a terrible early life in respect to being a Jew,” said Berci, who often shared his story of survival with student groups at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles.

In the summer of 1944, Berci and hundreds of other conscripted Jewish laborers were packed onto a train destined for the death camps. The train stopped near the Hungarian capital during an air bombardment by British and American forces, which caused guards to flee.

“Everybody disappeared,” Berci recalled. “So, we disappeared, too.”

Soon Berci was recruited to work for the Hungarian underground and became part of a large-scale operation of forging papers. The network was organized by the Swiss Vice-Consul Carl Lutz, who helped save thousands of Hungarian Jews by issuing false protective letters.

After the war, Berci remained in Hungary and earned a medical degree from the University of Szeged in 1950. He continued surgical training before moving in 1953 to Budapest, where he helped establish an experimental surgical division. In 1957, Berci, who did not then speak English, moved to Australia after being awarded a Rockefeller Foundation fellowship in the Alfred and Royal Melbourne hospitals. In 1967, he was recruited to join the Cedars-Sinai Department of Surgery. Several years later he joined the faculty as full-time director of a multidisciplinary surgical endoscopy unit, a new idea at the time.

Berci’s vast contributions to medicine brought him significant acclaim, including Cedars-Sinai’s Pioneer in Medicine Award and the Jacobson Innovation Award from the American College of Surgeons.

He is survived by four children and six grandchildren.

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In a communication to the BHUSD community on May 29, Superintendent Dr. Michael Bregy noted, “Mrs. Dar’s professional career has deep roots in BHUSD history. An alumna of Hawthorne and Beverly Hills High School (BHHS), her dedication to our community goes far beyond her own time at school. Mrs. Dar began working for BHUSD as a Kindergarten Aide during college. After earning her English degree from San Diego State University, Mrs. Dar quickly found her purpose teaching English at BHHS. Her professional trajectory continued when appointed Assistant Principal at BHHS, followed by her role as Principal at Hawthorne.”

Dar is slated to begin her new position in July.  

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Councilmember Lili Bosse led the initial charge to address the outages while she was serving as mayor, and in August 2023 Mayor Dr. Julian Gold established the Mayor’s Citywide Electrical Resilience Ad Hoc Committee to continue working on solutions.

The committee helped craft the city’s Electrical Resilience Action Plan, which council members enthusiastically discussed for the first time at the Study Session.

“I want to thank the committee who worked very hard on this,” said Bosse. “I know this is a lot of analysis, a lot of work and clearly essential given what our community has faced the last number of years and even just recently.”

In developing the plan, the committee began with an investigation into the city’s past outages and found that electricity customers in Beverly Hills indeed experience a higher frequency of outages than regional SCE customers in general. 

“Seventy to eighty percent of the outages are driven by equipment failures or causes unknown to SCE and that’s concerning,” said City Consultant Mariko Geronimo, co-founder and chief economist at Lumen Energy Strategy. “When an issue does escalate, such as in Trousdale, it takes considerable pressure from the city to get anything done by SCE and if you can’t rely on service, even in normal conditions, you can’t expect to rely on it in an emergency.”

Since there were no clear patterns or reasons behind the outages, the committee focused on ways to mitigate their impact and improve the city’s electrical resilience. It came up with a range of solutions that can be implemented in the near-term, mid-term and long-term.

One of the immediate priorities is to subscribe the city to Poweroutage.US to enhance access to real-time data on outages and allow for more effective management of power disruptions. 

Another quick solution is to perform an audit of commercial and residential buildings to assess energy consumption patterns and identify opportunities for increasing efficiency.

“Energy efficiency doesn’t prevent outages, but it does reduce the need for power and therefore reduces your resilience need,” said Geronimo.

Another benefit of the audit is it can reveal community interest in installing solar panels and energy storage systems—both of which can help provide backup power during outages.

In addition, the plan recommends hiring an ombudsperson dedicated to electrical resiliency. This person would serve as a liaison between the city, its residents, and utility providers and help residents explore options and incentives for installing power generators and sustainable energy sources. 

Staff recommends folding this responsibility into the new Sustainability Administrator position created in this year’s budget. The recruitment and hiring process is already underway and the city anticipates having someone on board no later than May, said Public Works Director Shauna Epstein. 

In the long term, the city can look into establishing its own micro-grids. These are local electrical grids that can be connected to the wider grid system and operate independently when needed. This would take significant investment and planning but could have potentially huge benefits for energy independence. 

“I think this (the Electrical Resilience Action Plan) is an excellent outline and it is going to be my recommendation that we continue to work on this in the future,” said Gold. “This is really just the beginning of this conversation. 

“Obviously, the city and the community has to have a much broader discussion of what we want to do, where we want to spend resources, how resilient we want to be and what we can afford.” 

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An homage to the iconic NBC sitcom “The Golden Girls,” the pop-up is a fully functioning fast-casual restaurant (with an emphasis on desserts) and bar that transports guests to the girls’ 1980’s hangout spots. The pop-up has ample photo moments for fans to enjoy from the kitchen table to the lanai and more.

The menu was developed by executive chef Royce Burke with classic items like Sophia’s Lasagna al Forno (with vegan options), The Lanai: A “Miami style” Cuban sandwich, Blanche’s Georgia style cookie, a bacon lettuce potato sandwich, specialty cocktails, mocktails and cheesecake. Diners are required to purchase tickets in advance, and each 90-minute reservation includes a “Golden Main” and a slice of cheesecake. Guests have the option to purchase additional sides, drinks, desserts and exclusive The Golden Girls Kitchen merchandise. In partnership with East Side Cheesecakes, guests can order a variety of different cheesecake flavors including chocolate, strawberry, pumpkin, and Oreo.

The fully immersive restaurant experience is a collaboration between the online community Bucket Listers and Bucket Listers Creative Director Derek Berry. The pop-up is expected to open in New York City in the fall, Miami and San Francisco in the winter, and Chicago in the spring of 2023.

Tickets start at $39 per person during non-peak hours and $49 during normal hours.

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BHUSD officials expressed considerable disappointment with the verdict. Legal fees expended in litigation with MTA in recent years have exceeded $20 million.

“We are very disappointed with the results. Unfortunately, the results represent years of decision-making by the prior board majorities along with former attorneys and construction/bond manager. Thankfully, this chapter of our history is over, and I look forward to moving on with more transparency and better fiscal and legal management with our new team in place,” said BHUSD Board of Trustees President Mary Wells.

Dr. Michael Bregy, Superintendent of the BHUSD also issued a statement about the verdict to the school community.

“Today we received the verdict regarding the final chapter of our MTA journey. We are disappointed in the decision as we were optimistic that the jury would have seen the merits of our case and awarded a more favorable result. However, with this conclusion, there is now no pending litigation with MTA, and we are moving forward.

“The good news is we will begin the new school year with a fresh start in so many areas. The BHUSD community deserves our full attention to be focused on teaching and learning. This summer our leadership team and the Board of Education restructured our foundation for excellence. We are well positioned to welcome you back and hit the ground running. I am excited to continue working with you as we reimagine education together.”

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“Tonight, my mom is sleeping in a bathtub,” said Natasha, whose parents live in the northeast of the country, where nearby shelling shakes their apartment building.

Neither Natasha nor her parents thought it would come to this, with her parents opting to remain in Ukraine even as President Vladimir Putin saber rattled and amassed nearly 200,000 troops on the border. She even joked with her mom and dad that they would rather face a Russian invasion than see their grandchildren.

Now, Natasha worries if her children will see Ukraine or their grandparents ever again.

The post Protesters Rally for Ukraine in Westwood appeared first on Beverly Hills Courier.

Two suspects wearing red hoodies held a male victim at gun-point on Roxbury Drive south of Olympic Boulevard, Lt. Todd Withers told the Courier. The suspects took a Rolex from the victim and fled in a white four-door sedan, according to Withers.

The victim was standing on the sidewalk around 12:10 p.m. when the robbery took place, Withers said. Police are reviewing surveillance footage from the area for additional information. Withers could not confirm reports on social media of the license plate number of the getaway vehicle.

The victim, who lives across the street from the park, told the Courier that he left his home to take a walk down Roxbury Drive. He requested anonymity, citing concerns for his safety.

Beverly Hills and surrounding areas have seen a spate of robberies of high-end watches in the last year, including the armed robbery of a $500,000 watch from a diner at Il Pastaio in the Business Triangle in March 2020.

Related Story: BHPD Makes Arrests After Three Robberies

“Be aware of your surroundings and what’s going on around you,” Withers said.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

The post BREAKING: Watch Stolen at Gunpoint Near Roxbury Park in Beverly Hills appeared first on Beverly Hills Courier.

“Mrs. Avant was a treasured member of our community. Her generosity and good will touched so many lives,”  Gascón said in a statement. “My office is working closely with the Los Angeles and Beverly Hills police departments in the investigation and prosecution of this case. We must continue to work together to hold accountable the people who commit violent crimes against our community.”

In addition to one count of murder and one count of attempted murder, Gascón’s office charged Maynor with possession of a firearm as a felon and two counts of residential burglary with a person present.

A representative for the City of Beverly Hills was not immediately available to respond.

According to Beverly Hills Police Department Chief Mark Stainbrook, Maynor shot and killed Avant at her home in the Trousdale Estates neighborhood in the early morning of Dec. 1. Prosecutors and law enforcement allege that Maynor then broke into a house in the Hollywood Hills later that same morning. In the process of allegedly stealing items from the home, he allegedly accidentally shot himself in the foot. Police say they found Maynor incapacitated in the backyard of the home.

Early in life, Avant modeled for the Ebony Fashion Fair, a traveling fashion event that exposed Black communities to high-end fashion. She married Clarence in 1967. The couple had two children, Nicole and Alex.

She was an active philanthropist, serving as the president of the Neighbors of Watts, the support group for the South Central Community Child Care Center, in 1975, the entertainment chairman of the NOW benefit auction, and she sat on the board of directors for International Student Center at UCLA in 1980. She sat on the board of The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

Clarence, nicknamed the “Black Godfather,” is a titanic figure in the music industry who has worked with artists including Bill Withers, Sarah Vaughan, and Babyface. Their daughter Nicole served as U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas under President Barack Obama and is married to Ted Sarandos, co-chief executive officer and chief content officer for Netflix.

Susan Strauss, a former Design Review commissioner, knew Avant for 40 years, living near her in Trousdale at one point. The two worked together as docents at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and served as board members on The Wallis. She described the news as “devastating.”

“She was generous of spirit and kind and a wonderful friend,” Strauss told the Courier. Strauss remembered her as a devoted mother and wife of over 50 years who preferred to remain behind the scenes. “She was somebody who did her own thing in her own way that helped the community and a lot of people.”

As a Beverly Hills resident for over five decades and a lover of the arts, The Wallis had a special place in Avant’s heart, Strauss said. Strauss recalled that for Avant’s 80th birthday, she requested that friends make donations to The Wallis in her honor. On Dec. 1, The Wallis Executive Director and CEO Rachel Fine and Artistic Director Paul Crewes announced news of Avant’s death at the opening night of “LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE” and held a moment of silence. Fine noted that Avant and her husband would likely have been sitting in the audience and dedicated that night’s performance in her honor.

“Jacquie was the kindest, most beautiful, humble and generous soul, who loved and appreciated The Wallis. Both she and her remarkable husband, Clarence, have been passionately involved with The Wallis since its earliest days, well before our campus opened to the public,” said Fine.

Outside The Wallis, the American flag and the California state flag flew at half-mast.

As shock rippled across the Beverly Hills community and beyond, people took to social media to express sorrow over the tragedy.

“A heartbreaking day in the history of Beverly Hills,” Vice Mayor Lili Bosse said in a Facebook post. “Crime of any type will never be tolerated in Beverly Hills. I, as well as our community, send our love and deepest sympathies to the Avant family.”

Maynor was scheduled to be arraigned on Dec. 6, but his medical condition delayed the arraignment to Dec. 7. He will appear in department W30 of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Airport Branch.

The post Man Charged With Killing Jacqueline Avant appeared first on Beverly Hills Courier.

The two Nov. 22 robberies were reported to police just before 11 p.m. The first was near Elm Drive and Charleville Boulevard. The second was near Rexford Drive and Charleville. BHPD investigators gathered the license plate number, vehicle description and suspect descriptions at the crime scenes and later tracked the suspect vehicle, described as a black SUV, to West 54th Street and Figueroa Street in Los Angeles.

With help from the Los Angeles Police Department, BHPD stopped the suspect vehicle and arrested two occupants just after 1:30 a.m. BHPD charged 22-year-old Los Angeles resident, Chynelle Tyla-Lee Rhyne with “drawing an imitation firearm” in connection with the robbery after finding a replica gun inside the SUV, police said. BHPD also charged 25-year-old Los Angeles resident Justice Rasheedmalike Gill with robbery in connection with the pair of Nov. 22 robberies.

The Nov. 23 robbery was reported to BHPD just after 4 p.m. on Beverly Boulevard near Doheny Drive. The suspects were reported to have fled the scene on foot, but police were able to set up a containment operation and made three arrests later that day. Two of the suspects were found in possession of loaded handguns.

BHPD charged 37-year-old Seaside resident Lakeylia Lambert with robbery and criminal conspiracy. Police also charged 19-year-old Marina, Calif. resident Isaiah Hudson with robbery, criminal conspiracy and carrying a concealed weapon in connection with the Nov. 23 robbery. An unnamed 16-year-old was also arrested in connection with robbery.

In a statement released on Nov. 24, BHPD said they do not believe the three robberies this week are connected to any other criminal activity in the city. The robberies come on the heels of a recent spate of violence in Beverly Hills including incidents at Louis Vuitton and Saks Fifth Avenue Nov. 21 in which storefront windows were smashed at both locations. Additionally, a gun was fired during an Oct. 21 robbery attempt on Canon Drive, injuring one person.

The investigation of the Nov. 22 robberies is ongoing and police are asking anyone with information to call the BHPD at 310-285-2125. Anonymous reports can be made by text to BEVHILLSPD followed by the tip information to 888777.

The post BHPD Makes Arrests After Three Robberies appeared first on Beverly Hills Courier.

Event organizers chose 50 guests who will be participating by driving select British high-end luxury cars in the rally on a pre-designated route. Once complete, the group will return their cars for display along North Crescent Drive for the public. Cars that are scheduled to appear include Steve McQueen’s distinguished 1956 Jaguar XKSS, one of only two 1947 Rolls Royce Inskips ever to be made by hand, 1948 Bentley MK VI Mallalieu Mercia Roadster, an original 1962 Lotus 7 and a 2005 TVR Sagaris, which is the only one in the United States.

“We’re all about supporting the community and hosting engaging car events, and this is definitely one we’re really excited about,” Michael Bodell, Chief Operating Officer of the Petersen Automotive Museum, told the Courier. “Peterson is taking its Steve McQueen Jaguar XKSS on the rally, which is one of the most significant vehicles in the collection. It’s also one of the most valuable vehicles in the collection, and that is going to be the big one for us. We’ve got a couple of Blower Bentley’s from the late 1920s, and just a host of amazing cars. It’s a very diverse mix of vehicles that will be with us. In total, we should have somewhere around 300 vehicles, but only 75 of those 300 will be on the rally.”

The free and family-friendly event begins at 8 a.m. with a British-themed breakfast on the Petersen Museum’s rooftop, where guests can view the cars up close as they compete for the “Petersen Perfection,” “Best in Show,” “Hammertime Excellence” and “Outlaw” awards. The rally will begin afterward, at 10 a.m., and the cars will be on display for the public from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Crescent Drive, at Beverly Hills City Hall, and the Wallis Annenberg Motor court. 

“The fun thing is we just opened a brand-new Bond exhibit called Bond in Motion, which is the first official Bond vehicle exhibit mounted in the United States in partnership with Eon Productions and the Ian Fleming Foundation,” Bodell told the Courier. “So, for the people who do come to the museum, they have the opportunity to come inside the museum and see the exhibit. So that kind of ties the British theme together with James Bond.”

The rally is sponsored by Richard Mille, HSBC Bank, The Maybourne Beverly Hills Hotel, Britbox, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and O’Gara Coach Beverly Hills.

To learn more about BritWeek, visit https://britweek.org. 

The post BritWeek Coming to Beverly Hills appeared first on Beverly Hills Courier.

“This immune activity is detectable in laboratory mice even before damage to the brain occurs, so the finding could eventually lead to treatments that slow or even stop disease progression at an early stage,” Dr. Deepti Lall, the study’s lead author and project scientist in the Regenerative Medicine Institute at Cedars-Sinai, said in a statement.

Each year, 5,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The disease is characterized by a progressive decline in muscle control, with a deterioration in the motor nerves that send signals from the brain and spine to muscles. While scientists don’t fully understand the causes of ALS, studies have established hereditary factors in five to 10% of cases.

The study sought to examine the role of microglial cells on the cognitive performance of mice. While the cells play an important role in the autoimmune defense system of the brain in both humans and mice, researchers looked specifically at mice with a genetic mutation commonly found in the genetic code of those with ALS. Mice with the mutation performed worse in a maze that measures learning and memory compared to mice without the mutation. Under a microscope, researchers found that the microglial cells of mutated mice were in a “hyper-active state”–not just cleaning waste around neurons but eating away at parts of the neurons themselves.

“Our findings underscore the critical role played by non-neuronal cells like microglia in neurodegenerative disorders and provide evidence that these cells can significantly contribute to disease development and in some cases can cause cellular defects before neuronal loss occurs,” said Lall. “We are currently expanding on these studies to validate our findings in human cells.”

At UCLA, a study published in the July issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology found that women who vape during pregnancy are 33% more likely to give birth to low-birthweight babies, those weighing less than 5.5 pounds. At that weight, newborns often demand specialized medical care and have a greater chance for early-life and long-lasting health issues, according to study author and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Epidemiology Annette Regan. The study pulled together researchers from University of San Francisco, Texas A&M University and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .  

“The perception that e-cigarettes are less harmful than combustible cigarette smoking may contribute to their appeal among pregnant women who have difficulty quitting smoking,” Regan said in a statement. “These findings show that e-cigarettes should not be considered a safe alternative to regular cigarettes and that there are potentially very real health risks from vaping when it comes to pregnancy.”

The study comes on the eve of a crucial Sept. 9 deadline for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to decide the fate of the hugely popular e-cigarette Juul. The company Juul Labs, once a technology juggernaut, has faced mounting criticism and lawsuits accusing it of marketing towards teenagers and driving an epidemic of teenage vaping. The FDA must decide whether the benefit of the e-cigarettes as a cigarette alternative outweighs the harm caused by hooking teens on nicotine who had never smoked before. Juul Labs has denied that it knowingly sold or marketed its products to minors.

Much of this battle has taken place between the pages of scientific journals, with Juul going so far as to pay $51,000 to place 11 studies funded by the company in the May/June issue of the American Journal of Health Behavior, according to the New York Times. The arrangement with the journal led to the resignation of three editorial board members, the Times reports.

The city of Beverly Hills has taken an aggressive approach to curbing vaping and smoking within its boundaries. In 2019, Beverly Hills became the first U.S. city to ban the sale of most tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. To combat the surge in teen vaping, the Beverly Hills Unified School District launched in February 2020 a “multi-faceted educational campaign to eliminate student vaping.” 

The post Public Health Studies Out of Cedars-Sinai and UCLA appeared first on Beverly Hills Courier.

On May 2, BHPD apprehended a suspect believed to be responsible for multiple burglaries across the region. Rockim Prowell, a 30-year-old from Inglewood, has been charged with two counts of burglary, two counts of vandalism, and two counts of grand theft. His M.O. appears to have been the use of an unnervingly realistic full face mask topped off with a mop of auburn hair.

Beverly Hills law enforcement drew a connection between two separate burglaries that happened in the city when investigating a report of a burglary in the 1900 block of Loma Vista Drive on April 20. According to BHPD, surveillance video showed the same suspect and same car involved in another burglary back in July 2020. In both incidents, the suspect stole a flat-screen television.

On May 2, BHPD officers performed a traffic stop of a car driven by Prowell. In the course of the stop, police say they found the face mask in question and “other items located in the car connected him to residential burglaries” in Beverly Hills, according to a department statement. Officers also allege that the license plates of the vehicle were stolen.

Detectives with the department conducted a subsequent search of Prowell’s home in Inglewood. The department says that the search uncovered items that connect Prowell to “numerous residential burglaries within the Southern California area,” according to the statement. The BHPD is now working alongside police with the Los Angeles Police Department and Newport Beach Police Department.

If you have information about this suspect, BHPD encourages you to reach out at (310) 285-2125. If you would like to remain anonymous, text BEVHILLSPD followed by the tip information to 888777. You can also call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477. To access Crime Stoppers, download the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP or use the website https://www.lacrimestoppers.org.

The post Beverly Hills Police Arrest “Prolific” Masked Burglar appeared first on Beverly Hills Courier.

According to Wade Roach, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, permit issues account for 78 of the 259 decrease among students. “We had 234 permit students last year, and this year we only have 156,” Roach said. “That’s something to note. As we look at our overall enrollment…we’re having students reenroll who disenrolled from the District. So, I think we’re getting new students every day, so our resident population actually may be fairly stable. But we may continue to lose students because of our permit losses, as students go other places.”

In addition to the overall enrollment, the Board was presented with a breakdown by school of the number of students currently enrolled in full time in-person learning, hybrid learning (Live@BHUSD) and the ILC. While Superintendent Dr. Michael Bregy said that attendance varies day by day, the District expects to see it rise. “It was a little surprising, some of the data,” Bregy said. “But I think it’s worked in our favor, as far as being able to demonstrate how we can manage successfully larger groups of students coming back into our schools.”

At Beverly Hills High School, 838 students chose to enroll in the hybrid learning option, 189 in the ILC and roughly 212 who have returned to full-time in-person learning. At Beverly Vista Middle School (BVMS), 306 students are enrolled in the hybrid learning option, 40 students in the ILC and roughly 521 students who have returned to full-time in-person learning. At Hawthorne, roughly 442 students have returned to full-time in-person learning, 112 in the ILC and none in hybrid learning. At Horace Mann, roughly 414 students have returned to full-time in-person learning, 195 in the ILC and none in hybrid learning. 

Last week, the Board held a Special Meeting and approved Addendum #7 of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for 2020-21 school year between the District and the Beverly Hills Education Association (BHEA), which specified the April return dates to full day instruction for elementary, middle and high school.

“As case rates in Los Angeles County continue to decrease, there have been continued changes to the school reopening guidelines put out by Los Angeles County Department of Public Health,” BHEA President, Alana Castanon, told the Courier. “Due to the physical distancing requirements for students decreasing to three feet, BHUSD sent BHEA a demand to bargain in order to bring back students for in person instruction five days per week and eliminate the cohort model.”

Castanon added, “As we move into these new schedules, it will be more important than ever that staff, students and families observe and closely follow the health guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID infections in our school settings. We cannot relax our precautionary behaviors; we must remain vigilant to protect our community.”

For students enrolled in the Independent Learning Center (ILC), an entirely virtual learning option, and Live@BHUSD, a distance learning option that includes live instruction that mirrors the bell schedule, the fall remains unclear. Bregy speculated that he anticipates the District will be “going back to a situation where we will not have the ILC, that will be classroom instruction only.” 

During his Superintendent’s Report, Bregy addressed the effect of the updated guidance from the CDC, which states that fully vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear a mask outdoors. “I know that that raises a lot of anxiety, as far as what we are going to do in LA County,” Bregy said. “We do know that, as of late this afternoon, that LA County is going to align their practices with the CDC, but we do not have the exact language yet.”

With the end of the school year weeks away, Bregy urged the community to follow best practices ahead of in-person graduation events. 

With the news of relaxed mask mandates, Board Vice President, Tristen Walker-Shuman offered this precautionary warning. “I was really dismayed to receive videos of middle school parties that were happening on the weekends outside of school,” Walker-Shuman said. “And I know that’s not our jurisdiction, but I would just like to remind everyone, that if we have three cases that are tied at Beverly Vista, that will shut down the whole district.”

BHUSD Public Relations Director, Rebecca Starkins, confirmed that while currently there are no positive COVID-19 cases within BHUSD, “at one point there were three cases at BVMS. However, after thorough contact tracing there was no epidemiological link between them.”

According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, “at least 3 laboratory-confirmed cases with symptomatic or asymptomatic COVID-19 within a 14- day period in a group with members who are epidemiologically linked, do not share a household, and are not a close contact of each other outside of the campus” meets the criteria for an outbreak and potential school closure. According to the California Department of Public Health, “a Superintendent should close a school district if 25 percent or more of schools in a district have closed due to COVID-19 within 14 days, and in consultation with the local public health department.” Should one of the four BHUSD campuses close, the entire District could potentially close.  

The post School Board Discusses Decline in Enrollment in Beverly Hills appeared first on Beverly Hills Courier.

“After COVID for a year and a half, we all just want to celebrate,” a student who identified himself as John told the Courier.

“We just knew to come here. No one organized it or anything,” another student said.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8gwhnMvfaw[/embedyt]

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) arrived on the scene to extinguish a burning couch in the middle of the road. Although LAPD officers wore riot gear and carried less lethal munitions and zip cuffs, they did not declare an unlawful assembly. The crowd eventually dispersed of its own volition.

“It’s my alma mater and I’m ashamed,” one onlooker in his 50s who declined to give his name told the Courier.

It was a Biblical match-up. David versus Goliath. The underdog, UCLA, against the favorite, University of Michigan. In a stunning upset all the sweeter for its surprise, the Bruins toppled over the Wolverines 51 to 49 on Tuesday night, sending themselves to the Final Four for the first time in 13 years. They play the undefeated team from Gonzaga University on Sunday.

The post Raucous Celebration After UCLA Win appeared first on Beverly Hills Courier.

“Since May, 2020 there have been ongoing protests in [Beverly Hills],the region and throughout the country,” the contract between the City and Covered 6 reads. “Life and property may continue to be in peril and the safety of the public, and public and private property, has required the imposition of curfews and a limitation on public gatherings in residential areas of [Beverly Hills].”

“In order to ensure [Beverly Hills] is prepared for future protests, [Beverly Hills] desires to enter into this Agreement with a security services firm to supplement [Beverly Hills]’s Police Department (“BHPD”) and if needed, its Fire Department.”

The original agreement between the City and Covered 6, approved at the Oct. 13 City Council meeting, cost the City $541,264 for supplemental security services starting on election week. According to a report on the contract extension compiled by staff, that amount will run out by Dec. 12.

“Staff anticipates the weekend protests to continue through the Inauguration of President-Elect Biden,” the report reads. “As such, staff is proposing to continue using Covered 6 for supplemental security in the City’s Business Triangle through January 23, 2021.”

The City estimates the cost of the amended contract at $365,000.

The post Beverly Hills Council Extends Private Security Contract appeared first on Beverly Hills Courier.

Fast forward to the summer of 2020, when a dispute between Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) and LAUSD is dredging up that history once more.

According to court filings, even after the vote to secede from the district, BHUSD never actually obtained the title to all of the high school property. LAUSD, the nation’s second largest school district, is claiming rights to a significant portion of Beverly Hills’ only high school, including the historic campus buildings, lawn, and the Swim Gym featured in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

“If it really is L.A. Unified’s property, then they owe us the money for everything that got built,” BHUSD attorney Terry Tao told the Courier. He says he will recommend to the school board in December to file an “unjust enrichment” suit against LAUSD. If approved by the School Board, the suit will likely be filed early next year, seeking some $750 million for those improvements.

The legal fight is a surprising twist in a long-running conflict between BHUSD and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) over the construction of the Purple Line extension. That extension is slated to tunnel beneath Beverly Hills High School. Metro asserted an eminent domain claim in May 2019 over part of the school’s campus for the construction of the subway.

When a government entity asserts eminent domain over a property, it must pay the owner “just compensation” for the land and any damage to its value. In its eminent domain filing, Metro identified the Los Angeles Unified School District as a “Possible Fee Owner,” which means that LAUSD could potentially stand to receive a portion of the compensation.

In response to the eminent domain case, BHUSD requested that LAUSD relinquish its claims to the disputed parcel and any compensation from Metro’s seizure. LAUSD did no such thing. In fact, LAUSD doubled down, claiming an interest in the property.

BHUSD then filed a quiet title action against LAUSD in June.

“In the beginning, we just did not believe that this could possibly be L.A. Unified’s position,” Tao said. “We did not expect this kind of behavior.”

In a press release issued on Nov. 13, BHUSD stated, “LAUSD’s intent to take over BHHS shocks the conscience and seeks to disable BHUSD’s only high school.”

In a statement to the Courier, LAUSD shows no sign of backing down.

“Beverly Hills Unified School District’s attempts to portray Los Angeles Unified as a villain are disingenuous and false. In fact, title documents show that Los Angeles Unified owns a portion of the Beverly Hills High School property.”

“It’s pretty funny, if you’re on the sidelines, but it’s actually kind of sad,” said Tao.

“If you think about it, it’s really all about money. It’s like ‘Chinatown,’ you could do a black and white movie about this.”

The post LAUSD Asserts Ownership Claim Against Beverly Hills High School appeared first on Beverly Hills Courier.

“This is a great moment,” said Moore. “If you vote, that’s your power and I want to use mine.” Moore added, “When I got the call that they had a heart for me, I thought I would have to sacrifice my vote, but now I get to have my say.”

“In every election, we work to help our patients have their voices heard and their votes be counted,” said Camille Camello, director of Volunteer Services, who organized the project. “This year was complicated by COVID-19, but we are committed to helping our patients exercise their right to vote.”

On Nov. 2, Cedars-Sinai employees distributed the application to vote, so that the County Registrar’s office could determine their eligibility. Employees then picked up ballots for patients and returned them to the Registrar after they had been filled out.

“A lot of patients know they’re going to be in the hospital during Election Day,” Leibler told the Courier. “If they’re having a scheduled surgery, they may have voted earlier. Some patients who know they’re going to be in the hospital but were expecting to be discharged by Election day or maybe they’re in surgery, can all qualify.”

“It’s quite an undertaking because you know, we have more than 900 beds in the hospital,” Leibler added.

The post Cedars-Sinai Patient Casts His First Presidential Vote appeared first on Beverly Hills Courier.

Beverly Hills residents have also cast their votes in the General Election for the City’s Ballot Measure RP and three members of the Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) Board of Education.

According to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, as of press time, 73.39 percent of Beverly Hills residents approved Measure RP with 9,877 votes. Now approved, the measure will prevent the loss of local sales tax revenue to regional control, retaining the funds for local use under local control.

At press time, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk has reported that Mary Wells, Noah Margo and Dr. Amanda Stern are the three victorious candidates in the Beverly Hills Unified School District School Board election. Wells received 19.43 percent of the vote, for a total of 5,374 ballots cast in her favor. Margo (the only incumbent) received 19.35 percent of the vote, for a total of 5,353 ballots and Stern, 17.52 percent of the vote, for a total of  4,845 ballots.

“Based on the most recent election results, I’m thrilled to see that my campaign and plan for our school district resonated with the community and I look forward to the opportunity to serve on the BHUSD Governing Board. I want to thank all of the community leaders, parents, and students who supported me throughout this campaign. As a first time candidate for public office, I was overwhelmed by the amount of support I received. I am very excited to get to work to ensure that our children have access to the highest quality education available,” Wells told the Courier.

“Without having the final count, I am delighted at the election results so far,” Margo told the Courier. “The race was hard fought, and I appreciate all of the candidates who took the time and energy to run. I look forward to continuing to serve our community and especially our students.” The victory marks Margo’s third term on the Board.

“I am happy that the voters demonstrated their support and faith in my ability to serve the board,” Stern told the Courier. The County reported a total of 26,854 votes were cast in the school board election.

Trailing slightly behind Stern, Tryfman came in at 16.90 percent of the vote, with 4,675  ballots cast in her favor. The remaining candidates Benjamin Liker, Frank Chechel and Robin Rowe garnered garnered 2,725, 2,642 and 2,044 votes, respectively.

Beverly Hills residents also voted in California’s 50th State Assembly district race, in which incumbent Richard Bloom defeated Will Hess. Bloom earned 81.16 percent of the ballots cast, or 148,378 votes. Also on the ballot was United States Representative for California’s 33rd congressional district, which Democratic incumbent Ted Lieu defeated Republican James Bradley, accumulating 68.7 percent of the vote, or 222,298 votes.

In the race for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, challenger George Gascon emerged victorious over incumbent Jackie Lacey. Gascon earned 53.72 percent of the votes, or 1,655,481 votes and Lacey garnered 46.28 percent, or 1,426,459 votes.

The post Beverly Hills Breaks for Biden appeared first on Beverly Hills Courier.

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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On December 14, 2019, congregants of the Iranian Jewish temple found their house of worship in disarray. Trash cans were upended; chairs and furniture were toppled over; prayer rugs and yarmulkes lay scattered about and Torah scrolls were thrown to the ground. Two hearts appeared on the wall, drawn in the chalky white residue of a fire extinguisher.

“This cowardly attack hits at the heart of who we are as a community,” then-Beverly Hills Mayor John Mirisch said in a press release. “It’s not just an attack on the Jewish community of Beverly Hills; it’s an attack on all of us.”

News of the defilement followed on the heels of a string of anti-Semitic violence. Three days earlier, four people had been killed in a mass shooting at a kosher grocery store in Jersey City, New Jersey. That same week, graffiti appeared at three schools in Los Angeles that included anti-Semitic themes, including the phrase “Time to pay.” A report by L.A. County’s Commission on Human Relations found that 72 percent of religiously motivated hate crimes in L.A. targeted the Jewish community.

Days after the break in, the Israeli-American Civic Action Network (ICAN) organized a town hall to discuss anti-Semitism in the community. There, in the presence of nearly 400 city officials, community members, and law enforcement officers, then-Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) Chief Sandra Spagnoli unexpectedly announced that a suspect had been arrested. The news was greeted with a standing ovation.

“Now that we know this person responsible for this crime is in police custody, we really can begin the first steps in the healing process together as a community,” Chief Spagnoli said to the ICAN audience.

Spagnoli described a five-day, interstate manhunt that led four BHPD officers from Los Angeles to a pier in Kona, Hawaii, to take Redding into custody. Redding was allegedly captured on videotape forcing his way into Nessah pulling a rolling suitcase behind him. He left the scene via taxi, which drove him directly to Los Angeles International Airport.

In many ways, the strange details of Redding’s arrest seemed to raise even more questions than they answered. The incident also raised questions for Redding’s close friends, who all learned of his arrest through media reports. How did Redding, an aspiring photographer and model who had never been to California (let alone Los Angeles), end up in Hawaii?

Redding grew up in rural Pennsylvania after his parents adopted him from Russia as an infant, according to interviews the Courier conducted with multiple friends of Redding. He eventually became estranged from his mom and dad.

“He had a difficult relationship with them. They didn’t really speak well. They’re very conservative, so him being gay was an issue,” said Jorge Negron, who described himself as one of Redding’s best friends.

Friends of Redding also describe his struggles with substance abuse, and treatment in a rehabilitation facility in 2017. In the month leading up to the Nessah break-in, those friends describe Redding’s behavior as erratic and “manic.”

“I just think he’s broken a little bit and lost,” said Negron. “He’s a really good person. I’ve known him from 16-years-old to 25-years-old and he’s just always searching for love and acceptance,” Negron told the Courier.

When asked by the Courier if she thought her friend was motivated by hate, Nabila Bee responded, “Not at all! He is the most loving, accepting person.” Another friend, Pittsburg-based photographer Alyssa Maurer, echoed Bee, saying, “He is openly gay and would never commit a crime that devalues the beliefs of others.”

While he worked a series of service jobs around Pennsylvania, Redding’s passion was photography. Multiple friends wondered if Redding saw Nessah simply as another photo-op. “I used to go with Anton when he would go break into abandoned places to take pictures,” Negron says. “In my mind, he was probably going in there to take pictures and he’s unfortunately not smart enough to realize how disrespectful he is by doing what he’s doing.”

“I’ll say this,” said a friend who requested anonymity, “Anton doing this was a cry for help. He isn’t a Nazi by any means, I think this was a poor attempt at some artsy rebellion on religion gone terribly wrong, and him being so ignorant to the perception of his actions.”

Redding is next scheduled to appear at a hearing in Los Angeles on August 7.

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