Thanks for the Memories, Part I
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Khalili cause of death Referendum petition New and • • • undetermined,city Coroner says Page 3 submittedbriefs Page 4 Oldrudy Battles cole Page 6 ALSO ON THE WEB Beverly Hills www.bhweekly.com WeeklySERVING BEVERLY HILLS • BEVERLYWOOD • LOS ANGELES Issue 453 • June 5 - June 11, 2008 ThanksThanks forfor thethe Memories,Memories, PartPart BHUSD retiring faculty and staff bid farewell to Beverly HillsII cover story • pages 8-9 Many unanswered questions remain Looking Beyond to host Some • • • cin itydeath of Beverly High senior Page 3 bfirstriefs ninth annual gala Page 4 rudySelected Short cole Stories Page 6 ALSO ON THE WEB Beverly Hills www.bhweekly.com letters WeeklySERVING BEVERLY HILLS • BEVERLYWOOD • LOS ANGELES Issue 452 • May 29 - June 4, 2008 email & “Hilton Revitalization” What do the following have in common? Western, Beverly Hills, Reeves, Hilton, Terrace, Pavilion, Del Flores, Regency, Luxe, Maison, Summit, Thompson, Mosaic, Montage, Kerry. All 15 of them are Beverly Hills hotels! City Art Next year, the one-person majority of the TheThe Weekly’s exclusive interview Beverly Hills City Council will probably with Fine Art Commission Chair decide, “We need at least six more hotels so Brooke Kanter that we can continue to have a fire department cover story • page 10 and schools – like every other small city in the U.S. does, without 15 hotels.” WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND? Herb Wallerstein Beverly Hills You can write us at: 140 South Beverly Drive #201 A thank you to the Weekly for your fair cov- Beverly Hills, CA 90212 erage of the petition drive by the citizens of You can fax us at: Beverly Hills. The petition’s goal was to get 310.887.0789 the Hilton expansion project on the ballot, so the citizens could decide about a project that, email us at: in its current form, will forever change the [email protected] quality of life for all Beverly Hills residents. Thank you, too, to the 3,200+ people who signed the petition enthusiastically. This was in spite of a hugely expensive and dishonest PR campaign blitz by the Hilton machine. I shudder to think what they will do to try to confuse and obfuscate the issues as the vote draws near. Once again, we count on you to be a fair voice of the people of this community. SNAPSHOT Joy C. Shefter Beverly Hills WeeklyBeverly Hills Issue 453 • June 5 - June 11, 2008 Beverly Hills Weekly Inc. Founded: October 7, 1999 Published Thursdays Delivered in Beverly HilIs, Beverlywood, Los Angeles ISSN#1528-851X www.bhweekly.com 1 year Publisher & CEO subscriptions Josh E. Gross are available. Reporter Lauren Gabbaian Sent via US Mail $75 payable in Sports Editor advance Steven Herbert Contributing Editor Rudy Cole Adjudicated as a General Manager newspaper of general Rebecca Rihani circulation for the County of Los Angeles. Case # Advertising Representatives BS065841 of the Los Natasha Hakimian Angeles Superior Court, Nicole Adasha Patricia Massachi on November 30, 2000. Legal Advertising Michael Saghian 140 South Beverly Drive #201 Beverly Hills, CA 90212 310.887.0788 phone 310.887.0789 fax CNPA Member [email protected] All staff can be reached at: first name @bhweekly.com Unsolicited materials will not be returned. ‘E’ IS FOR ELMO ©2008 Beverly Hills Weekly Inc. NOKIA THEATRE Dylan Van Rossum (right), daughter of Beverly High teachers Celeste McDonald (left) and Pete Van Rossum (not pictured), got to see Elmo and all his friends at the Sesame Street Live show “Elmo Grows Up” on May 31. Page 2 • Beverly Hills Weekly “They had what’s called a love-hate relationship,” Carter said. “They loved city schools to be with each other, but & when they argued with each other, everyone Khalili cause of death knew it.” Lombardo would not comment on the substance undetermined, Coroner says of telephone conversa- tions before and after the Officials say they are close to making a determination fall. By Lauren Gabbaian Afrahim’s family, speaking through a family spokesperson, had no LAPD detectives and the Los Angeles point to support the conclusion that the comment. County Coroner’s office say the cause of death was a homicide. the death of Beverly High senior Bianca “At this point in the investigation, it Khalili are still undetermined. Khalili appears that if it wasn’t an intentional act, died after falling off a 15th-floor balcony meaning a suicide, then it most likely – I of a condominium building on Century can’t say with 100 percent certainty – but Park East on May 26. most likely may have been just a tragic “We are conducting an investigation,” accident,” Lombardo said said Lt. Ray Lombardo, Commanding Lombardo went on to say, however, that Officer of the West L.A. Detective Afrahim and Khalili were the only people Division. “We have been and are in the in the residence at the time and that raised process of interviewing many of Bianca’s voices were heard by neighbors immedi- friends. We’ve interviewed the other party ately preceding the fall, indicating a pos- [in the residence at the time], [Beverly sible argument. High senior] Dora Afrahim – She was “There were only two people in that interviewed last Friday [May 30]. We residence at the time this happened,” have talked to several other key people Lombardo said, “so obviously Dora’s we believe are key people who might statement is very critical to us.” have some insight and background infor- The building’s Security Manager, mation on the parties involved.” Dennis Carter, who spoke to the Weekly Lombardo went on to say that neither in an exclusive interview, knew both girls, LAPD detectives nor the Coroner has as Khalili often visited Afrahim in the uncovered any physical evidence at this building. Conference Calling • Local Numbers Throughout California • Reservation-based or Reservationless • Recording Capability 5 ¢/minute Local Access 10 ¢/minute Toll Free Access San Francisco Los Angeles Dallas Atlanta San Diego New York Chicago The Telephone Connection 310 -789 -7900 June 5- June 11, 2008 • Page 3 team member who died shortly after grad- The freshman class athletes of the year uating. She was also a Senior Varsity were Sydney Gray, Torrey Lubkin, Club honoree. Megan Margolin, Morgan Mason, Josh Abrams, Choi, Steinberg and Yip are Newman and Kevin Suarez. sports scores seniors. The awards were determined by voting Fellow seniors joining Rosen, Sandifer by the school’s coaches. & and Karlan in the school’s Athletic Hall of Quest Award Winners Fame are tennis players Ethan Bond and Boys’ Tennis Uday Singh; golfers Alex Choi and Brentwood 10, Beverly Hills 8 Brendan Doyle; girls’ basketball guard The Normans lost to the Eagles in the Announced Taylor Craig; cheerleader Kaitlyn Southern Section III final at The Dommers; swimmers-water polo players Claremont Club May 28 by the same Norman boys’ swimming team wins Pioneer Benji Koltai, Mikey Lee, Jonathan Pony score as a nonleague match April 16 at League title. and Micah Smith; soccer players Alex Beverly Hills. Lichtenberg and Jake Weissberg; football Beverly Hills got its eight points differ- By Steven Herbert linebacker Sae Bin Park; Shayad ently than in the first meeting, with four Meshkaty, a football lineman and track victories in singles instead of five, but Dominique Sandifer and Rebecca team as the girls’ team of the year. The team member; swimmer Daryan Namba; four victories in doubles, instead of three. Rosen were named Monday night as boys’ golf team won the Southern Section cross country runners and track team When asked what made the difference Beverly High’s male and female athletes Western Division championship, while members Jon Simmons and Ashwin between winning and losing in the final, of the year for the 2007-2008 school year. the girls’ basketball team reached the Thomas; David Skura, a member of the Normans coach Mike Margolin first cited Sandifer caught a team-leading 54 pass- Southern Section Division II-AA quarter- football and baseball teams; sprinter the Eagles’ five victories in six sets by es for 877 yards and three touchdowns as finals in their first playoff victories since Rikka Springfield; and Monty their top two doubles teams. a wide receiver for the football team, and 1978. Zimmerman, a football kicker and soccer “When we played them last, their sec- was one of two Norman athletes to com- Andrew Steinberg was named as the and baseball player. ond doubles team, was strong, but may pete in last month’s Southern Section winner of the Scholar Athlete Award. The other Senior Varsity Club honorees have not been as confident,” Margolin Masters Track and Field Meet, finishing Jocelyn Karlan, a second-team All- were Danny Berkowitz, Charlie Bogart, said. “I knew we were going to have to do sixth in the 110 meter high hurdles. He Southern Section Division III soccer Ben Bradbury, Kimberly Cho, Lili Choi, it in singles.” will attend San Diego State on a football player who also played softball as a sen- Brandon Cohen, Chatura De Silva, However, top-seeded Brentwood (18-6) scholarship. ior, was the recipient of the Don Tronstein Amanda Ellis, Alexis Goswitz, Jordan also had two strong performances in sin- Rosen led the softball team with a .359 Community Service Award, named for Hughes, Jerome Johnson, Danielle Jonas, gles. Its No. 1 player, Walker Kehrer, was average and was a first-team All-Ocean the late developer dubbed as “The Father Brian Kim, Berry Myers, Gina Park, Matt a 6-1, 6-1, 6-0 winner, while its No. 2 League selection, was a soccer midfielder of Rodeo Drive.” Ross, Netta Rottstein, Justin Schwartz, player, Chris Lord, won his final two sets, and volleyball starter. Alex Yip, a cross country runner, Todd Sheerin, Christian Stain, Christine 6-0, 7-5, following a 6-2 first-round loss Rosen was also named as the recipient received the Sue Jones Sportsmanship Sun, Lynn Swerhone, David Vayzner, to Gary Parizher.