Los Feliz Ledger Read by 100,000+ Residents and Business Owners in Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Vol 11. No. 5 November 2015 Atwater Village, Echo Park & Hollywood Hills Federal Lawsuit to be Filed in Walter DeLeon Shooting By Allison B. Cohen ficers involved in the incident handling of De Leon’s coma- flipping a nearly dead De Leon tose body was against LAPD LOS FELIZ—Attorneys for from his back to his front— protocol and may have con- Walter De Leon, the unarmed his head wound gushing with tributed to his injuries. man shot by a Los Angeles blood—to handcuff him. “They treated my body Police officer last June on Los According to Meiselas, the see SHOOTING page 18 Feliz Boulevard, will soon file a federal civil rights lawsuit and another civil lawsuit, in Ryu’s 100 Day Report Card Los Angeles Superior Court, By Allison B. Cohen against the Los Angeles Po- lice Dept. (LAPD), according Many say Los Angeles to attorneys representing De City Councilmember David Leon and his family. Ryu has been performing at According to attorney expectation since taking of- Ben Meiselas, with Los Ange- fice July 1st, but that the hon- les based law firm Geragos and eymoon is over and now they Geragos, the federal lawsuit Yovanna De Leon sits with her brother Walter recently at their attorney’s of- expect more. will seek to have the LAPD fice. While Walter has been more forgiving of the LAPD officer that shot him on Ryu campaigned to suc- Los Feliz Boulevard last June, Yovanna has not. Walter, who was unarmed and accept responsibility for De ceed iconic city councilmem- Leon’s “catastrophic” injuries thought to be attempting to wave down a LAPD patrol car with a gray towel when a LAPD officer shot him in the head, has become “dehumanized,” said Ger- ber Tom LaBonge against Some say the highlight of and to seek reform of LAPD agos and Geragos attorney Mark Meiselas. Photo: Allison B. Cohen. his hand-picked heir Carolyn Ryu’s first 100 days in office practices and policies, includ- Ramsay, promising city gov- was when he put the brakes on ing better police training, ac- monetary damages from the been dehumanized.” ernment transparency and a the city entering into an agree- countability and transparency police department. De Leon, 48, survived an platform of “neighborhoods ment to bid for the Summer in the investigative process af- “Walter De Leon is the LAPD-inflicted gun shot to first” for his disparate council 2024 Olympic games without ter officer involved shootings. face for the faceless victim and the head June 19th, the after- district which sprawls from more city council oversight. The also yet-to-be-filed the voice of the voiceless vic- math of which went viral after Sherman Oaks to Silver Lake. see RYU page 24 civil case will seek unnamed tim,” Meiselas said. “He has a motorist taped one of the of- Babysitting Co-Op Thriving Ryu Slush Fund Scrutiny Russell After Nearly 50 Years By Erin Hickey, Ledger Contributing Writer Bungalow By Allison B. Cohen During his campaign, Los hot topic in the election to re- Owner Tries Center and said: Angeles City Councilmember place Tom LaBonge, who was “You look like David Ryu promised he would councilmember for District 4 a New Tact you could use create an advisory board to (CD4) for about 15 years. By Allison B. Cohen some help.” supervise how his district’s LaBonge was criticized by That woman discretionary funding was pri- some for spending his discre- LOS FELIZ—At the request introduced me to oritized and spent. tionary funds on events and of the Los Feliz Business Im- the Larchmont In October, the nine- donations to charity when provement District (LFV- Babysitting Co- member “Discretionary Task some said the basic needs of BID), the appeal hearing for Op, a group of Force” began its work, voting the district—like re-paving the proposed demolition of about 25 families two organizations—who had broken streets and repairing two single family homes on in the Larchmont already spent money prom- potholes—were not being Russell Avenue has been post- Village, Han- ised by outgoing councilmem- met. poned until February 23rd, ber Tom LaBonge and later Criticism mounted after according to city officials. The publisher’s son, Griffin (left), back in the day with cock Park and Larchmont Babysitting Co-Op kids, Christian Wilks, Max Windsor Square rescinded by Ryu—should the Ledger revealed last spring According to a undated Capogrosso and his brother Sam. All four boys have either receive the funds. The group he had used over $1.6 million letter to the city’s planning graduated or are in college now. The photo is from a story neighborhoods published in the Larchmont Chronicle in the late 1990s. that, it turns also discussed Ryu’s request in discretionary funds from commission from LFVBID out, did much to use between $80,000 and 2006 to 2015 to increase his president Chris Serrano, a Twenty years ago, I was more than give me help with $150,000 in discretionary payroll. postponement allows the a new mother overwhelmed watching my nine-month-old, funds to increase staff. In the last years of his property owner, Gohar Afifi, with a fussy baby when a but helped create a foundation The issue of discretionary term, LaBonge had 25 ac- to investigate possibly creat- woman approached me in of friends and support for my spending, known colloqui- tive staff members, more than ing a public parking lot for the the food court at the Beverly see CO-OP page 9 ally as “slush funds,” became a see FUND page 4 see RUSSELL page 4 Community News: Community News: Politics: Ryu: Motions he’s Real Estate: Local Architects to Arts & Entertainment: O’Farrell Lawsuit begins in Cut Chemist spins “Funky Sole,” authored, page 10 the “City Lights” rescue, page 10 Theater: O.J., 20 years later, November, page 5 page 7 page 23 Los Feliz Ledger [LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER] It appears the issue of taking office in July. Griffith Park’s Old Zoo and tourists inundating the Hol- I don’t know about you, over its approval of two youth FOUNDED 2005 Available at these locations: lywood Hills and Beachwood but I think that’s a lot of meet- baseball fields at the park’s Delivered the last Thursday of areas of the district to take ings on a subject that some say Crystal Springs location. each month to 34,500 homes and Atwater Library 3379 Glendale Blvd. a selfie with the Hollywood should be fairly simple to solve. What strikes me as very businesses in the Los Feliz, Bruce Q’s Barbershop & Salon Silver Lake, Atwater Village, Sign has taken front stage dur- While Ryu has had his eye odd is on two of Ryu’s advi- 3013 W. Los Feliz Blvd. Echo Park and Hollywood Hills ing newly elected Los Angeles on that issue, he’s neglected sory panels—his transition Casita del Campo communities. City Councilmember David two others that are currently team and his newly formed 1920 Hyperion Ave Citibank 1933 Hillhurst Ave. Ryu’s first days in office. in active litigation. Discretionary Task Force— 1965 Hillhurst Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90027 According to Ryu’s com- Friends of Griffith Park, a there are three members of Courtney + Kurt Real Estate (323) 741-0019 munications deputy, Ryu and small non-profit, has sued the Friends of Griffith Park rep- 3167 Glendale Blvd. PUBLISHER/EDITOR Dresden Restaurant his staff have been in over 40 city over its approval to con- resented. Meanwhile, there is 1760 N. Vermont Avenue Allison B. Cohen meetings on the subject since struct a performance stage at see LETTER page 6 House of Pies ASSISTANT EDITOR 1869 N. Vermont Sheila Lane Los Feliz Public Library EDITORIAL ASSISTANT 1874 Hillhurst Avenue November Community Meetings Erin Hickey Los Feliz 3 Theaters 1822 N. Vermont ADVERTISING SALES Muddy Paws Coffee Atwater Village Neighborhood November 11th at 9 a.m. 155 N. Occidental Boulevard Libby Butler-Gluck 3320 Sunset Blvd. Council 1965 Hillhurst Avenue 323-644-5536 Budget and Finance Committee Silver Lake Neighborhood Council [email protected] Newsstand November 3rd at 6 p.m. Events and Marketing Committee Governing Board Vermont and Melbourne 3425 Casitas Avenue November 19th at 9:30 a.m. November 4th at 7 p.m. GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT Palermo Tiffany Sims 1858 North Vermont Avenue 1511 Micheltorena Street 1858 N. Vermont Governing Board BOOKKEEPER Silver Lake Chamber of Commerce November 12th at 7 p.m. Beautification Committee Transportation and Public Works Geeta Badkar 1724 W. Silver Lake Drive 3852 Edenhurst Avenue November 26th at 9 a.m. Committee Skylight Books 1858 North Vermont Avenue November 10th at 7 p.m. For more stories 1818 N. Vermont East Hollywood Neighborhood 4201 West Sunset Boulevard and updates: The Village Bakery and Café Council Los Feliz Neighborhood Council 3119 Los Feliz Blvd. Governing Board Executive Committee Public Safety and Crime Prevention LosFelizLedger.com November 10th at 6 p.m. November 17th at 7 p.m. Committee 1559 North Kenmore Avenue 1965 Hillhurst Avenue November 12th at 7 p.m. 2737 West Sunset Boulevard Los Feliz Improvement Association Governing Board Fall Member Meeting November 17th at 7:30 p.m. Silver Lake Meadow Native Garden November 9th at 7 p.m. 1965 Hillhurst Avenue Maintenance 4700 Western Heritage Way November 12th from 9 a.m. to noon D • ART • MU Silver Lake Chamber 1850 West Silverlake Drive OO SIC F Los Feliz Business Improvement Public Health 5-Year Plan District (BID) Presentation Governing Board November 20th from 9 a.m.