INSIDE • Beat cop saves pedestrianʼs life. Partly cloudy, pg. 3 with temps • FDA addresses around 64º overdoses. pg. 4 Volume 20 No. 6 Serving the West Hollywood, Hancock Park and Wilshire Communities February 11, 2010 Preserving Hollywood Neighborhood Councils Unite Sign is a Peak Concern Around n Trust for Public Land Hopes to Purchase Parcel and Donate it to the City Budget Cuts the Peak.” BY IAN LOVETT BY AMY LYONS The sign’s new look was orches- ust a week after local pop trated by the Trust for Public Land music star, Ke$ha, released a (TPL), a national land conservation hen City Administrative Jviral YouTube video, which organization, in an effort to raise Officer (CAO) Miguel portrayed the singer and her friends money to buy a nearby plot of land WSantana released Los remodeling the Hollywood sign at called Cahuenga Peak, which sits Angeles’ mid-year financial status night with flashlights, gigantic just west of the sign. A year ago, report and plan on January 29, white sheets, and spray paint, TPL negotiated an exclusive option neighborhood councils began to Southern California’s most recog- to buy the plot for $12.5 million, mobilize. The councils had already nizable landmark will get a and has already raised about $7.5 banded together in early January to makeover today, when the million, but will need to come up create Budget LA, a grassroots Hollywood Sign is covered over with the additional money by April group of neighborhood council with a fabric sign reading, “Save leaders determined to make the See Hollywood Sign page 22 city’s neighborhood councils have more of a voice in the budget process. But on January 29, when the CAO’s plan showed recom- mended cuts to city council bud- gets, Budget LA began focusing on a fight to save the neighborhood council system from potential col- lapse. photo by Edwin Folven Hollywood resident, Stephen Box, who works with the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council ‘Starr’ Ceremony Celebrates and is one of the founders of Budget LA, said the aim right now is to save neighborhood councils so they can work for other causes. Walk of Fame Anniversary “It’s like when you are on an air- plane and they say ‘put your mask BY EDWIN FOLVEN Records building on Vine Street, on before you help others get their photo by Ian Lovett next to the stars of former band- masks on’, that is what we are The Hollywood sign will be covered today to illustrate how Cahuenga o launch the 50th anniver- mates, John Lennon and George doing. We have to protect ourselves Peak would look if the city were to lose the landmark. sary celebration of the Harrison. in order to do the work,” Box said. THollywood Walk of Fame, Starr was joined by his wife, Currently on the chopping block Ringo Starr of “The Beatles” Barbara Bach; Joe Walsh, of the for neighborhood councils are, received the 2,401st star on the “Eagles”; musician Ben Harper; among other things, a 50 percent Senior Programs Could Lose Hollywood Walk of Fame and hundreds of fans as he cut to the $45,000 annual budget Monday in front of the Capitol Millions in State Funding See Ringo page 20 See Budget page 21 n Loss Would Impact Nancy Volpert, director of pub- Rose ‘Petaler’ Spreads the Love in WeHo lic policy for JFS, said the orga- JFS Agencies nization has already lost $11 BY IAN LOVETT million in funding during the BY EDWIN FOLVEN s she entered the restaurant, last two years, and could stand a young man on the patio at ewish Family Services (JFS) to lose millions more if the cuts Fiesta Cantina leaned over provides quality-of-life care are enacted. Volpert said that A the railing and yelled, “Rosas.” nearly 700 seniors in the would translate into less ser- J Heads turned to watch the 63-year- local area everyday, including vices being provided though the old woman, carrying two-dozen adult day healthcare, transporta- JFS’ Multi-Purpose Senior roses, smile at the bouncer and walk tion, meal delivery and other ser- Service (MSSP) program, slowly through the door. When she vices. But proposals to cut the which enables seniors to stay in reached the young man’s table, he state’s $24 million budget deficit their homes and receive general hugged her, and kissed her on the may jeopardize the funding JFS healthcare as opposed to being cheek, as did another woman at the receives and the services seniors forced to move into assisted liv- table, and four or five others as she rely on. ing facilities. During the last made her way around the bar. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger two years, JFS has already She left the bar without making a released a budget proposal in dropped from serving 798 local sale several minutes later, again January that outlined a $4 billion seniors to 667. While it is not smiling at the bouncer as she reduction to the state’s general known exactly how many more walked by. “I don’t know any of funding for in-home senior ser- seniors would be affected until their names,” she said of the people photo by Ian Lovett vices and the Adult Day the budget is adopted later this who had just hugged her so affec- Maria La Rosa, affectionately known as “Rosas,” is well known among Healthcare (ADHC) program. See JFS page 22 See ʻRosasʼ page 21 restaurant and bar patrons in West Hollywood. VVaalleennttiinnee’’ss DDaayy SSaallee!! !"#$ #%($!#( 0#1'")3 &($ ( 48B74F (6AD9E6549 249@DC ! ! " 2 February 11, 2010 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press sultations with Walgreen’s pharma- 12 Digging Up Dad Calendar cists will take place at the Park La solo show about a man coming Brea Activity Center. The LIFE Ato grips with his past, “Digging Program of Jewish Family Service of Up Dad”, will open at the Ruskin Winged Tiger in China” at the 34th LA is teaming up with Walgreen’s to Group Theatre on Friday, February 12 annual Home Remodeling & provide the one-on-one meetings with at 8:00pm. Cris D’Annunzio investi- Decorating Show at the Los Angeles pharmacists to review over-the- gates his past with comedy and rever- Convention Center on February 13 counter medications, prescriptions, ence as he explores the mysterious and 14, as the world celebrates the vitamins and other supplements. circumstances surrounding his lunar new Year of the Tiger. Yeh has Guests will have a chance to ask ques- father’s death. Tickets are $20. been invited to paint an original work tions of the pharmacy team. Park La Ruskin Group Theatre, 3000 Airport of art live on Saturday, February 13, Brea Activity Center, 475 S. Curson Ave., Santa Monica. Call (310)397- at the Los Angeles Convention Ave. To schedule an appointment, call 3244. Center, which will be auctioned off at (323)936-7194. 6:00pm that evening to benefit the L.A. County Charter Schools. 13 Dual Citizens at 17 Exploring Odyssey Theatre The Story of Easter The Essay hit of the 2009 Polish uthor John D’Agata will read International Theatre Festival, a in Stained Glass Afrom his latest anthology “The A n exhibit of stained glass win- production of “Dual Citizens” will Lost Origins of the Essay” on dows depicting the story of open at the Odyssey Theatre on A Wednesday, February 17 at 7:00pm at Easter, “Light & Passion”, will be on Saturday, February 13 at 8:00pm. the Hammer Museum. In the antholo- display at Forest Lawn Museum in Polish actress/puppeteer Anna Skubik gy D’Agata takes the reader from Glendale from Saturday, February 13 takes on a life-sized Marlene Dietrich ancient Mesopotamia to classical through June. The exhibit features six puppet, as both are caught in a code- Greece and Rome and beyond. With large stained glass windows that pendent relationship during the star’s brief and brilliant introductions to recount events during the passion dying days. Meanwhile, her partner seminal works, D’Agata reexamines while capturing the nature of Christ’s confronts his family’s escape from the international forebears of today’s relationships with his mother and dis- Communist Bulgaria. Odyssey American nonfiction. The Hammer is ciples. It is available for viewing from Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd. located at 10899 Wilshire Blvd. Call 10:00am - 5:00pm Tuesdays through Tickets are $25-$30. Call (310)477- (310)443-7000. The event is free. Sundays. Forest Lawn Museum, 1712 2055. S. Glendale Ave., Glendale. Club Hopping Admission is free. Call (800)204- Psycho Turns 50 3131. Meets Cardio he Alex Film Society (AFS) will evel 3 Nightclub at Hollywood & Tpresent two screenings of Alfred LHighland Center gives the dance Hitchcock’s classic thriller, “Psycho”, 14 Romance on beat a whole new on Saturday, February 13, at 2:00pm The Big Screen meaning with “Nightclub Cardio” classes, which are held every and 8:00pm at Glendale’s historic n Valentine’s Day, Sunday, Wednesday, including February 17, Alex Theatre. The film stars Anthony Photo by Michael Lamont February 14, the American O from 6:30pm – 7:30pm. The class Perkins as Norman Bates, a creepy Clockwise from left, Ivonne Coll, Barbara Niles, June Gable and Leslie Cinematheque at the Egyptian aims to get students in shape via a fun, motel owner with some serious Easterbrook star in “Broads”, a musical comedy opening at the El Portal Theatre will host a double feature hip dance regimen. Laser lights and a mommy issues. Prior to the screening, Theatre on Saturday, February 13 at 8:00pm.