WWW.BEVERLYPRESS.COM INSIDE Kip’s Toyland mourns loss of Partly cloudy matriarch • p. 5 with temps in the mid 70s Volume 26 No. 23 Serving the West Hollywood, Hancock Park and Wilshire Communities June 9, 2016 Weekend closures for Turnoutn jumps for primary Incumbents hold Wilshire start tomorrow n leads in state Purple Line to add seven stops over nine miles and federal races By GreGory Cornfield build a world-class transportation By GreGory Cornfield system that the county so desper- If you need to drive through the ately needs and deserves.” Miracle Mile during the weekend With cranes, excavators and con- California saw a large jump in this summer, beware and plan struction machinery behind them, voter participation Tuesday after ahead. Sections of Wilshire city and Metro officials last week votes were tallied in the 2016 state Boulevard will be closed for 22 officially announced that the 22 primary. Nearly 6 million people weekends starting tomorrow for full-weekend closures of one of the voted out of nearly 17.9 million Purple Line Extension construc- city’s busiest corridors will begin who registered in the state result- tion. Friday evening, June 10, to begin ing in 33 percent turnout, accord- “We ask the public’s patience,” the decking process for the subway. ing to the Secretary of State. It is a said Metro board member Metro received final approval earli- 25 percent jump over the 2014 pri- Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker. “Bear er this month for the detour routes mary when fewer than 4.5 million with us, we plead, as we continue to See Metro page 22 people voted. More than 1.4 million people voted in Los Angeles County of photo courtesy of David Ryu’s Twitter the 4.9 million registered – a 29 Above, Los Angeles Councilman David Ryu, 4th District, on Tuesday percent turnout. posted the photo above to show off his ballot for the June 7 primary. Congressman Ted W. Lieu took Voter turnout jumped 8 percent since 2014. control in his race to retain the 33rd District office with 69 per- vacy and campaign finance results because they fell in line cent of the vote. reform. The wisdom and inspira- with the voting demographics of “The voters have spoken, and I tion of my constituents has ani- the district. am deeply humbled by their sup- mated my work on Capitol Hill “People vote by party lines,” he port and look forward to moving and in Los Angeles County these said. “They don’t know the voting forward into the general election past two years, and I hope to have record of the incumbent or the this November,” Lieu said in a the chance to continue that service policy of the person running. It’s statement. “Over the coming come January 2017.” easier to vote down the party photo by Gregory Cornfield months, I greatly look forward to The Republican candidate run- line.” speaking with voters about how ning against Lieu, Dr. Kenneth W. Wright said he was also guilty Wilshire will be reduced to one lane in each direction tomorrow morning we can – together – make a differ- Wright, received 31 percent of the of voting just for Republicans in before the full weekend closure begins at 8 p.m. That process will repeat ence on fierce, urgent issues like vote for the district. Wright said the past if he didn’t know the can- for 22 weekends this summer. climate change, veterans care, Wednesday that he was not sur- didates’ policies or record. It’s a LGBT equality, protecting our pri- prised or discouraged by the See primary page 21 Ali’s greatnessNews changed, Analysis saved lives By GreGory Cornfield Last week, the world lost former boxing heavy- weight champion, Muhammad Ali, known as “the photo by Georg Lester Greatest,” at 74 years old. First making headlines in Approximately 2,400 cyclists on the 545-mile AIDS LifeCycle ride will 1960 as a young man named Cassius Clay, his great- cross the finish line on June 11 at Fairfax High School. ness extended from his hometown in Kentucky to Africa, to the Philippines, to Muslim communities and around the world, including in the Miracle Mile and Hollywood. In the few days since he passed, stories about the AIDS LifeCycle pedals champ flooded the country’s conscience from newspa- pers to social media feeds – about his grace and power in the ring, about his loud and self-aggrandizing poetry, through WeHo and about his activism and courage in the name of photo by Gregory Cornfield By edwin folven began June 5 and concludes June peace. The reaction further justifies his nickname, but Thousands of visitors from around the world visited 11. Completing the ride will be a at the same time introduces ambiguity as to which Muhammad Ali’s star – the only one to be installed West Hollywood resident aspect of Ali’s life the term “greatest” applies to. homecoming of sorts, as the rid- into a wall – in the days after his death. Christopher Vanek so enjoyed the Nicknames to the effect of “the best ever” are applied ers will pedal along Santa 545-mile AIDS LifeCycle ride to athletes in every sport – Wayne Gretzky, Michael But Ali’s personality and activism polarized genera- Monica Boulevard on Saturday Jordan, Tiger Woods, Babe Ruth – and for good reason. tions and helped him transcend his sport light-years last year from San Francisco to and finish at Fairfax High The same applies to Ali, a three-time heavyweight past any of the other “great ones.” The stories filling Los Angeles, he couldn’t wait to School. For the first time in more champion and Olympic gold medalist whose highlights newspapers and social media feeds from former boxing hop on his bike and repeat the than a decade, the ride will end are still as thrilling in today’s YouTube era. And he reporters and sports columnists who met Ali are just as experience. near West Hollywood. Vanek delivered theatrical performances named the “Fight of much about his presence and his unmatched charisma This week, Vanek is pedaling said he expects it to be a tri- the Century,” “The Rumble in the Jungle” and the as they are about his achievements in the ring. They’re his way toward Los Angeles in umphant ride to finish, surround- “Thrilla in Manila.” See Ali page 21 the 2016 AIDS Lifecycle, which See cycle page 22 2 June 9, 2016 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press 9 African Art tion and healthcare. Boxer recently oin assistant curator of African arts authored a memoir about her decades Erica Jones as she explores two new in politics. Tickets start at $49. 9390 N. Jinstallations of the exhibit C a l e n d a r Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. “Intersections: World Arts/Local Lives” (310)746-4000, www.TheWallis.org. on Thursday, June 9 at noon at the ‘Queen of Spades’ ungin and David Seidler’s new Fowler Museum at UCLA. The instal- film “Queen of Spades” runs Art and Wine lations include Yorùbá art of West our the Los Angeles County Friday, June 10 through Thursday, June Africa in the “Art and Power” section, L Museum of Art’s (LACMA) spe- 16 at Arena Screen. The Russian and a Lobala drum and Yaka headdress, cial exhibition “Reigning Men: thriller is about the great soprano T as well as works by Lega and Zulu art, Fashion in Menswear, 1715–2015” and Sophia Maier, who conquered the gifts from Fowler patron Jay T. Last in enjoy noble grape wines from France, world with her voice and beauty. Now, “Fowler in Focus: The Collector and Italy and the United States during an only the legend remains, as the diva the Dealer.” 308 Charles E. Young event on Saturday, June 11 at 6 p.m. at hasn’t performed for years or been seen Drive North. www.fowler.ucla.edu. the museum. Educator and art historian in the society circles she once dominat- Amber Smith leads the tour; Barbara ed. Maier wants to crown her career Baxter of Planet Wine will discuss the with one more triumph, and she will Zika Virus wines. General admission is $100; $90 use every dirty trick she knows. for LACMA members. 5905 Wilshire Showtimes on June 11 is 8 p.m.; see Symposium Blvd. (323)857-6000, www.lacma.org. SC presents a symposium on the schedule for additional showtimes. Zika virus on Thursday, June 9 Admission is $12. 1625 N. Las Palmas Ufrom 1 to 5 p.m. Although there are no Blvd. (323)306-0676, www.are- 24-Hour Play incidences of locally acquired Zika nascreen.com. ornerstone Theater Company pre- virus in the United States, 591 travel- sents “24 Hour Plays Los Angeles” associated cases have been reported, Con Saturday, June 11 at 6 p.m. at The according to the Centers for Disease 11 Ovarian Cancer Moss Theater at the Herb Alpert Control and Prevention. Medical Educational Village at New Roads experts will discuss approaches to pre- Benefit School in Santa Monica. The series achel Zoe, Rodger Berman, Molly venting and fighting the disease. Aresty brings together six writers, six directors Sims and Scott Stuber host the Conference Center at the USC Health and 24 actors who create and perform Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Sciences Campus, 1450 Biggy St. R six plays within 24 hours. Tickets are Alliance’s third annual “Super (213) 300-1381, or email $150 and include admission to a recep- Saturday Los Angeles” charity sale on [email protected]. tion with the artists following the per- Saturday, June 11 from noon to 5 p.m.