BEVERLYPRESS.COM INSIDE • Teen in fatal collision pg. 4 Partly cloudy, • WeHo updates with highs in social media the 60s policy pg. 5 Volume 31 No. 11 Serving the Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Hancock Park and Wilshire Communities March 18, 2021 BH pushes back on Gascón n Council approves vote of no confidence LAUSD parents want more progress n Current return-to- BY CAMERON KISZLA strikes” sentencing law. school plans only a Council members said Gascón’s The Beverly Hills City Council directives have made Beverly Hills start, they say took a stand against Los Angeles and other parts of the county less County District Attorney George safe. BY CAMERON KISZLA Gascón with a vote of no confi- “Safety is our No. 1 priority in dence on March 16. our city … Unfortunately, under With vaccinations increasing Council members criticized sev- Gascon, we’ve had more crime, and and coronavirus cases trending eral of Gascón’s special directives, unfortunately, there are no conse- downward, the Los Angeles such as those that eliminated cash quences,” Councilwoman Lili Unified School District is moving bail, listed multiple misdemeanors Bosse said. toward a return to school. that his office will no longer pursue “To have no responsibility if you It’s been more than a year of and refused to file sentence are a trespasser, are disturbing the virtual learning, but earlier this enhancements, such as those for month, the LAUSD and United gang affiliations or for the “three See Beverly page 21 Teachers Los Angeles reached an agreement to resume in-person classes in April. The exact time- line depends on COVID-19 infec- tion numbers and the amount of vaccination doses that have been photo courtesy of Renee Bailey administered. Students of color are likely to be negatively impacted by a continued UTLA did not return interview distance learning model, Renee Bailey said. requests, and LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner was not available for an interview, of the virus.” that while they appreciate a return but in remarks to the LAUSD With positive momentum, some to campus, the proposed system – community on March 15, he said parents of LAUSD students are which has high school students, the deal provides “for a hybrid pushing for the district to go farther. who are physically at school, tak- model at all grade levels, combin- At a pair of rallies held in Pan ing online classes with their teach- ing in-person and online instruc- Pacific Park and in Ted Watkins ers in separate classrooms – is not photo by Cameron Kiszla tion with students remaining in Memorial Park in Watts on March enough. Beverly Hills City Council members said District Attorney George small, stable cohorts while at 13, parents and students let school Gascón’s directives make the community less safe. school to help prevent the spread district and union officials know See School page 22 Alleged Rolex robbery suspects arrested in L.A. WeHo’s city attorney retires n Armed suspects in Beverly Hills robbery still at-large after ‘generation’ at helm BY JUSTIN SAYERS BY EDWIN FOLVEN Michael Jenkins, who has Detectives from the Los Angeles served as city attorney for West Police Department’s Wilshire Hollywood since its incorpora- Division recently arrested two sus- tion in 1984, playing a role in the pects believed to be involved with a city’s foundational legislation, as series of street robberies in which well as defending some of its Rolex watches and expensive jew- most-progressive policies, is elry were stolen from victims. retiring. At least seven robberies involv- Jenkins was honored during ing expensive watches and jewelry the council meeting on Monday, have occurred since the beginning March 15, where he was recog- of the year in the Melrose and nized by Mayor Lindsey Horvath Beverly Grove neighborhoods. with a proclamation honoring his Similar robberies have also years of service and a key to the photo courtesy of the LAPD photo courtesy of the city of West Hollywood occurred in Beverly Hills and West city. Michael Jenkins, who helped Hollywood, as well as other parts of Police returned jewelry to a robbery victim. “Mike’s legacy in West draft the city’s municipal code, is Los Angeles, authorities said. Hollywood includes 3 1/2 retiring after 36 1/2 years with Police believe the crimes are released a photograph on Twitter of was shot and is recovering, and decades of service to the city and, being committed by a crew of sus- jewelry being returned to one of the another victim was injured when along with his dry sense of the city. pects, and the two men in custody robbery victims. she was knocked down by people humor and long-winded legal were allegedly involved in three of Authorities in Beverly Hills said fleeing the scene. Police are still explanations, we will miss his and things that we would like to the hold-ups in the Wilshire area. the two men in custody are not sus- searching for three Black male sus- dedication and love for the city of do, you have helped steer us to Jewelry allegedly stolen during the pects in a high-profile robbery on pects in that robbery. West Hollywood,” she said. get to this point and all of the suc- robberies was recovered. March 4 at the Il Pastaio restaurant “The suspects arrested have no “Thank you for many years of cesses we have seen in our city. Authorities did not release any fur- at 400 N. Canon Drive. During that connection to the Beverly Hills rob- service. All of the things we are We thank you for your contribu- ther information, stating it could hold-up, three suspects stole a bery at this point,” Beverly Hills proud of in our city have hap- tions not only to our city but to jeopardize their ongoing investiga- watch valued at $500,000 from a Police Department Capt. Max pened on your watch. While we the entire craft.” tion. On March 11, the Wilshire patron dining on the restaurant’s have challenged you at times Division announced the arrests and patio, police said. A female victim See Watch page 22 with our very progressive ideas See Jenkins page 21 2 March 18, 2021 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press CALENDAR with a virtual Baldessari’s 1976 work “Concerning Contemporary Irish dance class Diachronic/Synchronic Time: Above, for beginners on On, Under (with Mermaid),“ a mon- Black art Saturday, March tage of six appropriated movie stills. It The California African American 20, from 9 a.m. is part of the museum’s For Families Museum is holding “I Am Woman: to 10 a.m. The series. Participants will need a sheet Promoting Self-Worth in program is being of blank paper, pencil or pen, scissors Contemporary Black Art,” a virtual held in partner- and glue. Admission is free. moca.org. program on Thursday, March 18, ship with the Society for the from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Though standards Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los of what constitutes “beauty” have Angeles and will be led by Courtney broadened, Black women remain Miracle Babies Jay, who studied Irish music and underrepresented in mass media dance at the University of Limerick. benefit depictions of ideal beauty. In a Suggested donation is $6 and benefits Miracle Babies, a nonprofit that pro- Women’s History Month conversa- spcala. spcaLA.com. vides transportation and supportive tion moderated by CAAM Assistant services for families with critically-ill Curator Taylor Bythewood-Porter, newborns, will host a virtual discus- photo by Fawad Assadullah/courtesy of Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office artists Genevieve Gaignard, Deborah Kate Johnson sion with author and Holocaust sur- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti recently visited a mobile vaccination Roberts and vivor Dr. Edith Eva Eger on Sunday, clinic in Chinatown. Grace Lynne March 21, from 5 to 6 p.m. The dis- Haynes will dis- tribute Artists, hackers and futurists will cel- cussion will be focused on cuss how their ebrate the life and artistry of Kate “Managing Stress Through Difficult work explores Johnson during a virtual program on Times.” Tickets are $40. miracleba- imaging of Saturday, March 20, at 5 p.m., pre- bies.org. Black women City vaccination program sented by the 18th Street Arts Center. and the shaping The date of the program marks the of racial and personal identity. one-year anniversary of the artist’s IAMA Theatre Admission is free. caamuseum.org. death. Performances, memories and expands as supply permits interaction will celebrate Johnson’s Company’s Enjoy IAMA Theatre Company’s vir- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti The city was expected to receive 50 years of creativity and achieve- tual productions of “Anyone But Me” announced that city-run vaccination 55,000 doses of the Moderna vac- Theatre 40 ments. The program includes live and “The Oxy Complex” running sites would offer approximately cine this week and continued to dis- Theatre 40 will present a reading of performances by Barbara T. Smith, S. from Sunday, March 21, through 55,000 first dose appointments this tribute Johnson & Johnson doses the play “Vacuum” by Leda Siskind Pearl Sharp, Mike Garson and Kate Sunday, April 18. The plays were week, while eligibility expands received last week. More doses of on Thursday, March 18, at 7 p.m., via Crash, as well as video vignettes. filmed at the Pico Playhouse. Tickets across L.A. County to include resi- the one-shot Johnson & Johnson Zoom. Siskind describes her play as a RSVP by visiting are $15 per household for a single modern re-telling of “Oedipus the forms.gle/KsU7hFohn4qtZm329.