Fewer Than in Hollywood Remove Supergraphic N Traffic Safety Stats Spell out Differences

INSIDE • WeHo considers Tara as park. pg. 3 Sunny and • Letters to the clear, with Editor. pg. 16 temps around 62º Volume 20 No. 9 Serving the West Hollywood, Hancock Park and Wilshire Communities March 4, 2010 Sign Comes Down After Bail Posted DUI Arrests in WeHo Much n City Attorney Uses Tough Tactics to Fewer Than in Hollywood Remove Supergraphic n Traffic Safety Stats Spell Out Differences BY AMY LYONS BY IAN LOVETT Hollywood, at least when you’re looking at it by populations and to a n illegal supergraphic n Monday night, the West certain extent by daily vehicle miles placed on a building at Hollywood City Council traveled, has problems,” said Chris Athe corner of Hollywood Oreceived the city’s public Cochran, spokesperson for OTS. Boulevard and Highland Avenue safety update for the last six “What that stems from is something was taken down piecemeal over months, and approved recommen- they have to look at themselves two days, with the entire sign dations for public safety priorities. locally. They’re number two in gone by 6:00am Wednesday, The priorities included efforts to alcohol-related collisions. If they March 3. “mitigate impacts from nighttime have a lot of bars and nightlife, The giant sign caused huge establishments” and “monitor and maybe a lot of people are in from buzz since it went up last week in adjust traffic enforcement deploy- other locations, or people who live violation of the City of Los ment as needed to assess speeding there are coming in their cars.” Angeles sign ordinance that vehicles, driving while using cell See DUI Arrests page 22 became official in August. The phones, bicycles on sidewalks, and ordinance disallows new digital other traffic violations.” and supergraphic billboards. Yet, despite the focus on nightlife Businessman Kayvan Seterah and traffic, any mention of drunk erected the sign despite Los driving remained largely absent Angeles billboard laws and the from the report. fact that the city attorney’s office The California Office of Traffic warned him not to, according to Safety (OTS) has not yet released Jeffrey Isaacs, chief assistant city figures for 2009, but in 2008, when attorney. adjusted for population, West “It was a willful and calculated Hollywood ranked fourth from the move and he did it even after our bottom in total fatal traffic injuries office sent a cease and desist let- and fatalities (312) among 97 cities ter to his council,” Isaacs said. of its size, second highest in alco- Seterah was arrested on Friday hol-related collisions (47), and first and bail was set at a whopping $1 in hit and runs (33) and nighttime million, which was later reduced collisions (62). The city’s rankings to $100,000 when he agreed to were slightly better when adjusted photo by Amy Lyons take the sign down in exchange for daily vehicle miles traveled photo by Edwin Folven for release from jail. He was An Illegal supergraphic on a building at the corner of Hollywood through the city, instead of popula- Police in Hollywood use both charged with three misdemeanor Boulevard and Highland Avenue was taken down as part of a bail tion. patrols and checkpoints to target See Supergrahic page 22 reduction negotiation. “What that says is that West drunk drivers. Libraries Face New Chapter in Budget Battle Mayor Signed Pot Law 30 n Hours Will Likely be Guild, launched the “Save the “Once I got a full understanding Library” Campaign. His guild rep- of what budget cuts were going to Days Ago, Still Not Enforced Cut at Branches resents more than 350 librarians do, I realized we needed to pull who work for the City of Los together a campaign, and launched n Advocate for pensaries that will be forced to BY IAN LOVETT Angeles, and the campaign oppos- an emergency meeting,” Stone Dispensaries move because they are within es the proposed cuts to LAPL staff, said. “I understand it’s going to 1,000 feet of sensitive uses such s members of a computer as part of the city’s effort to close look like every department is get- Files Lawsuit as residences, places of worship, schools and community centers. class sat at eight machines the budget shortfall. See Cuts page 21 Aaround a table in the Fairfax BY EDWIN FOLVEN According to Monica Valencia, Branch of the Los Angeles Public deputy to Los Angeles City Library (LAPL), Librarian Roy ore than a month after Councilman Ed Reyes, 1st Stone scampered back and forth, the Los Angeles City District, the council is waiting for teaching the students around the MCouncil approved its a report from the city’s table how to access gmail, and medical marijuana ordinance and Administrative Officer, the showing off the other parts of the Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Building and Safety Department library. signed it into law on February 3, and the Los Angeles Police “All the classes we offer are the ordinance has not been put Department as to how much fees free,” Stone said. “We offer 18,000 into effect because the city is will be for the dispensaries. free programs. We have story time waiting to determine what fees Valencia said the report will be for kids, and even for toddlers. A lot the dispensary owners will be available next week, but a city of parents bring little ones when charged for monitoring sales and council review has not yet been they come to use the library. We’re patient records. scheduled. part of the cheapest way to prevent On Tuesday, Americans for Frank Mateljan, a communica- crime. You have to clean up the Safe Access, the largest medical tion deputy for the Los Angeles mess if kids start off in the wrong marijuana advocacy organization City Attorney’s Office, said City direction.” in the country, filed a lawsuit Attorney Carmen Trutanich is Last week, Stone who, in addition photo by Ian Lovett against the city, alleging that the eager to enforce the ordinance Librarian Roy Stone (standing), of the Fairfax Branch Library, is con- to managing the Fairfax branch, ordinance unfairly restricts dis- See Pot Ordinance page 21 serves as president of the Librarians cerned about the effect budget cuts will have on the libraryʼs programs. !"#$ #%($!#( 0#1'")3 &($ ( 48B74F (6AD9E6549 249@DC ! ! " 2 March 4, 2010 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press Shéhérazade featuring one of today’s 5 Library Book Sale most innovative soloists, Anne Sofie he Friends of the John C. Fremont Calendar von Otter. The Orchestre Library are holding their monthly T Philharmonique is known for its book sale this Friday and Saturday, adaptable symphonic configuration, March 5 and 6. Support your local which allows the 141-member group library and choose from a huge selec- Oscar Party at to perform a wide range of classical tion of books, CD’s, audio books and Beverly Hills Hotel and contemporary works. Tickets are DVD’s. Sale runs 1:30pm – 5:00pm he Beverly Hills Hotel will shine $34 - $85. UCLA Live at Royce Hall, on Friday; 12:00pm – 5:00pm on Ton Sunday, March 7 at 4:00pm, 340 Royce Drive, Westwood. Call Saturday. The library is located at with an annual Oscar party that has (310) 825-2101. 6121 Melrose Ave. Call (323)962- been attracting celebrities for years. 3521. It’s a formal dinner and viewing party that has made the hotel’s Crystal Two French Love First Fridays at Ballroom sparkle for the last two Stories at Raymond decades. It’s not an after-party, but a Schindler House star-studded viewing party. Tickets are Kabbaz n Friday, March 5, the MAK $1,000 per person. Call (310)446- n Wednesday March 10, at OCenter for Art & Architecture at 5416. The Beverly Hills Hotel, 9641 O7:30pm, world-renown French the Schindler House will present Sunset Blvd., Beverly Hills. actress, Astrid Bas, and American “First Fridays”, a studio tour of the actor, Daniel Pettrow, will present a 29th group of MAK Center artists and theatrical reading in French and architects in residence. The event, 8 Afghan Women English of Margueritte Duras’ “The which begins at 11:00am, will also Lover”, followed by “La Musica include a talk with MAK Vienna Speak Out Deuxième”, at Théâtre Raymond Director and CEO, Peter Noever. ollywood unions, guilds and Kabbaz. The first piece evokes Tour prices range from $12 - $50, with Horganizations will unite in sup- Duras’s childhood in Vietnam, discounts for students, seniors and port of International Women’s Day on recounting a teenager’s scandalous Friends of the MAK Center. The Monday, March 8, with “Out of affair with a rich, Chinese business- MAK Center for Art & Architecture at Silence: Readings from The Afghan photo by Joan Marcus man. The second piece tells the story the Schindler House is located at 835 Women’s Writing Project.” The event of a man and a woman who meet three N. Kings Rd., West Hollywood. Call It’s All About Felines begins at 6:00pm at the Museum of years after they have separated. (323)651-1510. On March 9 at 7:30pm, a production of “Cats” will open at the Pantages Tolerance. It will feature readings Though they have begun new lives, Theatre. This Andrew Lloyd Webber classic has become one of the from actresses Jennifer Beals (“The L their shared nostalgia leads them to re- longest running shows in Broadwayʼs history. Winner of seven Tony Word”), Conchata Ferrell (“Two and a examine the past. Tickets are $20 with Hot Pants, Awards, including Best Musical, CATS features 20 of Webberʼs timeless Half Men”) and more.

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