BEVERLYPRESS.COM INSIDE • Roxy, Rainbow officially Sunny, with landmarks pg. 3 highs in the • Ed Buck trial 80s continued pg. 8 Volume 29 No. 45 Serving the Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Hancock Park and Wilshire Communities November 7, 2019 Beverly Hills prepares Bringing wildlife back to WeHo n City Council wants to for housing changes create habitats certified n SB 330 will limit some local control over development by the National Wildlife Federation BY CAMERON KISZLA BY MORGAN KEITH With a significant state law going into effect in less than two months, After noticing the elaborate gar- the Beverly Hills City Council dis- den of fellow West Hollywood cussed how the city will respond to resident Lynn Hoopingarner, changes in the development of Councilwoman Lauren Meister multi-family housing in a Nov. 5 transformed her own front yard. study session. The garden from which Meister Senate Bill 330, the Housing drew inspiration was deemed a cer- Crisis Act of 2019, was signed into tified wildlife habitat by the law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on National Wildlife Federation as part Oct. 9. It temporarily prohibits of a program to help remedy local some local restrictions on housing photo courtesy of Lauren Meister and global habitat elimination. West Hollywood Councilwoman Lauren Meister wants to create certi- development and limits how cities On Monday, Meister asked that fied wildlife habitats across the city like the one in her front yard. can prevent multifamily housing the City Council direct staff to from being built. From Jan. 1, 2020, determine appropriate locations, young and sustainable practices. water conservation, controlling to January 2025, cities won’t be such as public parks, to create Applicants must plant three exotic species and using organic able to change regulations once a more certified wildlife habitats native species or supply three sup- practices. These constitute strate- developer applies for a project, hold and promote the program through plemental feeders for birds, squir- gies such as reducing water use, more than five hearings about a the city’s communication chan- rels, hummingbirds or butterflies. organic gardening, adding rain project, or change their general plan nels. A water source must also be pre- barrels and more. or reduce the intensity of land use “If everybody did something sent in the designated area. Two When Meister worked on for residential areas, among other small, it’d have a cumulative shelter areas and two nesting areas implementing the requirements, stipulations. impact on our environment,” need to be provided by trees, she began to notice more wildlife The City Council was in agree- photo by Cameron Kiszla Meister said. dense shrubs, nesting boxes or and self-certified her yard as a ment on many of staff’s recommen- On Nov. 5, the Beverly Hills City NWF created essential compo- other methods. wildlife habitat through NWF’s dations, such as creating a compre- Finally, sustainable practices application process. Council looked at ways the city nents for applicants to include when constructing the habitats: are required by NWF in two of See City page 34 might be impacted by SB 330. food, water, cover, places to raise three provided categories: soil and See Habitats page 35 Hazy future for WeHo consumption lounges Councilmen call for more n City Council open to to-go orders, against environmental protections more smoking sites n Motion follows visit BY CAMERON KISZLA by teen activist Greta Thunberg “Flexibility” is the key word as West Hollywood seeks to help the BY EDWIN FOLVEN city’s fledgling cannabis businesses get off the ground. In conjunction with a rally and One of the biggest hurdles faced youth climate strike on Nov. 1 in by the consumption lounges is a downtown Los Angeles featuring state regulation that prevents globally-recognized teen activist cannabis businesses from selling Greta Thunberg, City anything other than cannabis prod- Councilmen Paul Koretz, 5th ucts. In West Hollywood, many of District, and Paul Krekorian, 2nd the consumption lounges anticipat- District, introduced a motion ed being able to sell cannabis prod- photo by Cameron Kiszla calling for the city to require con- ucts alongside food and drinks. Lowell Café on La Brea Avenue is the only consumption lounge that’s tractors to follow more environ- So far, only one of the city’s eight open for business in West Hollywood. mentally-sensitive practices. photo courtesy of the Council District 5 office winners of a permit for a consump- Approximately 3,000 young Youth climate change activist tion lounge that allows smoking, lounges open their doors, the City instance, if hallways or bathrooms adults participated in the Youth vaping and edibles, and none of the Council and city staff on Nov. 4 dis- could be shared so the businesses Climate Strike LA and called for Greta Thunberg spoke on Nov. 1 eight permit winners for edible- cussed multiple ways the city could wouldn’t have to duplicate con- stricter state regulations on oil during a rally at Los Angeles City only consumption lounges, has become more business-friendly for struction work or inspection fees. drilling and production in urban Hall. opened. Lowell Café opened in consumption lounges. The council also agreed to give areas, as well as other reforms to September, with a lounge located The council directed city staff to the consumption lounge permit protect the environment. being intensified by the climate adjacent to a separate restaurant work with the license-holders to see holders a year-long extension on Thunberg, 16, addressed the crisis,” Thunberg said. “But it’s that “delivers” food to the dining if flexible design standards could their requirement to be approved by crowd outside Los Angeles City not just here. Everywhere around area, as the lounge can only sell make it easier for the businesses to the Business License Commission. Hall and met with fellow the world we can see these horri- cannabis products, and the restau- open, especially in cases where The city gave all permit winners activists. ble environmental impacts that rant can only sell non-cannabis there might be some overlap until Feb. 7, 2020, to secure their “In California, we can see the countless people are suffering products. between the cannabis and non- wildfires happening just around To help more of the consumption cannabis sides of the business – for See Council page 34 the corner. The wildfires are See Contractors page 35 2 November 7, 2019 CALENDAR Park Labrea News/Beverly Press Carolyn Campbell at 1:30 p.m. at the Autry Museum of the Holocaust film American West. The plays investigate book signing how gaming impacts relationships, Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust power and life in Native communities. will show the film “The Last Author and photographer Carolyn One of the plays will receive the Von Survivors: Echoes from the Holocaust” Campbell will discuss and sign copies Marie Atchley Excellence in on Sunday, Nov. 10, at 1 p.m. The of her new book, “City of Immortals: Playwriting Award, a $1,000 cash prize. museum and the Survivor Mitzvah Père-Lachaise Cemetery, Paris” on 4700 Western Heritage Way. (323)667- Project are presenting the film in con- Thursday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. at 2000, theautry.org. junction with the 81st anniversary of Chevalier’s Books. Père-Lachaise is a Kristallnacht. It tells the story of the 107-acre labyrinth that is the final rest- last Holocaust survivors in Eastern ing place of celebrated artists, archi- Rita Moreno Europe and the heroic efforts to bring tects, writers, musicians, dancers, film- them lifesaving aid. An award-winning The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in makers and actors including Oscar cast, including Edward Asner, Elliott Santa Monica presents “An Evening Wilde, Jim Morrison, Gertrude Stein, Gould, Frances Fisher, Valerie Harper, With Rita Moreno” on Saturday, Nov. Edith Piaf, Marcel Proust, Frédéric and Lainie Kazan, gives voice to the 9, at 7:30 p.m. Moreno and her trio will Chopin, Isadora Duncan, Amedeo survivors’ stories of loss and persever- perform favorites from the American Modigliani, Sarah Bernhardt and ance. A Q&A sessions with director Songbook, Broadway classics, swing, Colette. The book is a first-person Zane Buzby, founder of the Survivor jazz, selections from her Spanish album account of the famous cemetery featur- Mitzvah Project, will follow the and rap. Tickets start at $79. 1310 11th ing new unpublished material, over 100 screening. 100 S. The Grove Drive. St., Santa Monica. (310)434-3200, the- original color photographs and an illus- (323)651-3704, lamoth.org. trated pull-out map. 126 N. Larchmont broadstage.org. Blvd. chevaliersbooks.com/carolyn- campbell. ‘Pretty Beast’ “Pretty Beast,” a show written and per- Beverly Hills formed by Los Angeles-based Japanese photo by Jenny Graham comedian Kazu Kusano, returns to Los Chamber breakfast Tessa Auberjonois stars in Antaeus Theatre Company’s “Eight Nights,” a Angeles on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 8 p.m., Join the Beverly Hills Chamber of story developed in the Antaeus Playwrights Lab honoring the global at the Fanatic Salon. Based on Commerce for its monthly networking refugee experience running through Monday, Dec. 16, at the Kiki & Kusano’s life story growing up in Japan breakfast on Friday, Nov. 8, from 8 to David Gindler Performing Arts Center. Set during the eight nights of with a schizophrenic mother and alco- 9:30 a.m. in the chamber’s boardroom. holic father, “Pretty Beast” takes audi- Hanukkah and spanning eight decades of the protagonist’s life, Jennifer Chamber members, local professionals ences on a journey that is both funny and community leaders will come Maisel’s play gracefully weaves together heart-aching moments with and heartbreaking.