BEVERLYPRESS.COM INSIDE • Voluntary staff reductions in Sunny, with Beverly Hills pg. 3 high temps • Update on party this weekend houses pg. 7 Volume 30 No. 36 Serving the Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Hancock Park and Wilshire Communities September 3, 2020 Beverly Hills renews cap Uncertainty mounts for ‘Uplift Melrose’ n Deadline nears for on delivery application fees crucial project grant By cameron kiszla fees, such as those for credit card By edwin folven processing, marketing and other On Sept. 1, the Beverly Hills City uses already put in place before the Both support and opposition Council unanimously reimposed its pandemic began. In that meeting, continues to grow for “Uplift cap on the fees charged by food council members and city staff said Melrose,” a proposed plan that delivery services. The cap will they had heard the delivery service would dramatically change the remain in place until the state of fees had been crippling local restau- shopping and dining district emergency related to the COVID- rants, sometimes by charging as between Fairfax and Highland 19 pandemic is lifted. much as 30% or 40% of the price of avenues. Delivery apps such as Uber Eats, the food. However, the council’s Los Angeles City Councilman Grubhub and DoorDash had been cap expired on Aug. 31. Paul Koretz, 5th District, is still limited to charging a maximum of “When the ordinance was adopted, analyzing responses to an online 15% on delivery fees by a council community survey that closed on vote on June 16 and 5% on other See Fee page 22 Aug. 31 seeking public input on photo by Cameron Kiszla the proposed project and has not The “Uplift Melrose” project would make the street more pedestrian- made a decision whether to sup- friendly and less car-friendly. port or oppose moving forward, spokeswoman Ali Simard said. Angeles Department of Public well as dedicated bike lanes sepa- It is unclear when Koretz will Works spokesman Paul Gomez rated from the lanes for cars. Curb make a decision, but the clock is said on Sept. 2 that Streets LA has extensions would be created at ticking. The project, proposed by no updates on the plan. intersections to reduce the amount the Streets LA and the Melrose According to a description by of distance required to cross. Business Improvement District, is Streets LA, the project would be Raised crosswalks, which are a contingent on the city receiving a implemented along a 22-block couple inches above the street sur- $31.8 million state grant from stretch of Melrose Avenue. It aims face, would also be installed and Caltrans. The deadline to apply for to make Melrose Avenue safer more trees would be planted. the grant is Sept. 15. Streets LA, while creating more space for Streets LA determined approxi- formerly the Bureau of Street pedestrians and cyclists. The plan mately 8,000 square feet of pedes- photo by Cameron Kiszla Services, is awaiting a decision by calls for lane reductions on trian space can be added to each Though outdoor dining is allowed, restaurants are not currently able to Koretz to move forward with Melrose Avenue, resulting in one open their indoor dining rooms. applying for the grant. Los traffic lane in each direction, as See Melrose page 21 Rail service to roll through West Hollywood Drop boxes provide voting n Completion by 2028 Olympics a possibility alternative in Nov. election By cameron kiszla n L.A., WeHo, Beverly Last week, Los Angeles City The effort to bring rail to West Hills brace for high Councilman David Ryu, 4th Hollywood is one step closer to District, introduced a motion to becoming reality after the Aug. 27 numbers of ballots expand ballot drop-off centers. meeting of the Los Angeles County “California is fortunate to have Metropolitan Transportation By laura coleman universal mail-in voting, but dur- Authority Board of Directors. ing the COVID-19 pandemic and The Metro board unanimously With vote-by-mail starting on cuts at the USPS, we need to voted to award a contract for engi- Oct. 5 and in-person voting expand our resources to ensure neering work and environmental beginning Oct. 24 for the upcom- every Angeleno can vote easily analysis on three potential routes ing presidential election, cities and safely,” Ryu said. for the Crenshaw Northern are working to facilitate the vot- On Tuesday, Sept. 1, the Extension rail line, all of which go ing process, including determin- Beverly Hills City Council through West Hollywood. ing where to install new Vote by Mail drop boxes. See Vote page 21 In 2018, Metro proposed five map courtesy of the city of West Hollywood/illustration by Karen Villalpando routes, one of which would have missed West Hollywood entirely by Boulevard and will service Beverly would begin where the traveling through Koreatown to Hills, is currently under construc- Crenshaw/LAX line currently ends connect to the Crenshaw/LAX line tion and is expected to open stations at Crenshaw and Exposition boule- to the Red and Purple lines at the at Wilshire/La Cienega and vards, then travel north up Wilshire/Vermont station. Wilshire/Rodeo in 2023 and 2025, Crenshaw Boulevard. After travel- Instead, all three proposals – one respectively. ing up San Vicente Boulevard, two of which is a hybrid of two alterna- West Hollywood leaders and res- routes split, one going north up La tives presented in the 2018 study – idents have long hoped to bring rail Brea Avenue and another going up will allow subway riders to board to the city, Mayor Lindsey Horvath Fairfax Avenue. The Fairfax route and disembark in West Hollywood. said. would split again at Beverly Currently, the nearest subway sta- “We couldn’t be more excited in Boulevard, with the hybrid route tion to West Hollywood is West Hollywood to see what has heading west until it turns north Hollywood/Highland, though the been a years-long journey coming onto San Vicente Boulevard again, Purple Line Extension, which trav- to be a real thing,” she said. image courtesy of the City of Beverly Hills els along a long stretch of Wilshire The three potential routes all See Rail page 22 Official 24-hour drop boxes will be placed throughout the county. 2 September 3, 2020 Park Labrea News/Beverly Press CALENDAR To our readers, Author Tori director Ben Guillory. The narrative protocol for the Obama administra- Next week we will yet again expand our coverage in the focuses on events in the lives of attor- tion, discussing her latest work. Eldridge ney and activist William Lorenzo chevaliersbooks.com. neighborhood. Starting with the Sept. 10 issue of the Patterson (portrayed by Glover) and Book Soup is hosting a virtual discus- Beverly Press, we will now deliver to Bel Air residents in the actor and activist Paul Robeson sion with author Tori Eldridge on (played by Guillory), who presented Piano Spheres 90077 zip code. This is part of an overall plan to increase Thursday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m. Eldridge papers to the United Nations in 1951 news coverage and penetration into vital areas of our com- will discuss her book “The Ninja’s Piano Spheres presents a special online accusing the United States govern- munities. Blade” with Rachel Howzell Hall. In performance of American composer ment of the attempted genocide of the book, Lily Wong, a Chinese- David Lang’s work for six pianos, “face If you have any suggestions, questions or comments, Black Americans due to its failure to Norwegian modern-day ninja, has so pale,” on Tuesday, Sept. 8. The piece please email me at [email protected] pass legislation against lynching and more trouble than she bargained for will be performed by the six Piano to bring its perpetrators to justice. when controlling grandparents arrive Spheres core artists: Gloria Cheng, Vicki Thank you, Other characters will be portrayed by in Los Angeles from Hong Kong at Ray, Mark Robson, Susan Svrček and Michael Villalpando Cydney Wayne Davis, Kimberly the same time she goes undercover in HOCKET (Sarah Gibson and Thomas Bailey and Melvin Ishmael Johnson. Publisher the dangerous world of youth sex Kotcheff), from six locations. It will be The suggested donation is $10. trafficking. As she hunts for a kid- will livestreamed on Sept. 8 and avail- robeytheatrecompany.org. napped prostitution victim, a missing able on demand any time afterward. high school girl and a sociopathic pianospheres.org. trafficker, the surviving members of a Jewish Women’s Metro explores feasibility of murderous street gang hunt for Lily. She relies on her ninja skills to Theatre Dog training deceive and infiltrate, rescue and kill Two accomplished and hilarious The Society for the Prevention of – whatever is necessary to free the creating fare-free transit guests will take the virtual stage at Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles is girls from their literal and figurative The Braid/Jewish Women’s Theatre offering a free online loose leash slavery. booksoup.com. A new internal Metro exploratory “L.A. Metro has a moral obliga- for a Zoom event titled “The Comedy training seminar on Wednesday, Sept. task force is working on a proposal to tion to pursue a fareless system and of Coping,” on Sunday, Sept. 6, at 11 9, at 11 a.m. Sara Taylor, SPCALA’s eliminate fares for all riders on buses help our region recover from both a a.m. Emmy- and Golden Globe-win- director of animal behavior & train- and trains, Metro CEO Phil once-in-a-lifetime pandemic and the ‘Jazz Musicians ning writer and producer Cindy ing, will lead the seminar focusing on Washington announced. devastating effects of the lack of Unite’ concert Chupack will join actress and best- eliminating disruptive dog behavior.