Real Estate Quarterly, See Pages 15-19 BEVERLYBEVERLY HILLSHILLS THIS ISSUE VOLUME XXXXVII NUMBER 30 $135 PER YEAR - $1.25 PER COPY • www.bhcourier.com SINCE 1965 AUGUST 5, 2011 BH Safety Employee Pensions Aren’t Sustainable: Task Force By Courier Staff to follow. The Task Force had its It doesn't matter how rich hands full getting to the truth. the city of Beverly Hills is, it can- The way it works is this: the City not sustain the level of public pays into the California Public Harbor cruise set sail in employee pensions it now gives, Employee Retirement System honor of LA Navy Week. 4 mainly tax-free, to its staff. That's (CalPERS. CalPERS sets the rate the conclusion of the Beverly based on a combination of pay- Hills Pension Task Force headed roll, rate of return on CalPERS' by City Treasurer Elliot Finkel. investments, and the payout The Task Force presented its find- needed for retired workers. The ings at Tuesday's city council norm is that each public safety meeting. employee is supposed to con- National Night Out, spon- Calculating and paying city (see ‘PENSIONS,’ page 13) sored by the BHPD, was pensions is convoluted and hard held on Tuesday night. 4 Beverly Hills City Confirms ACADEMY PRESIDENT RE-ELECTED—Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences President Tom Sherak was re-elected to a third one-year term Staff Get 13 Weeks Time Off Tuesday night at its Wilshire Boulevard headquarters by the AMPAS Board of Governors. Matt Petit/A.M.P.A.S By The Courier staff and other benefits awarded staff. City Councilman John According to Aluzri, the Peninsula Beverly Hills will Mirisch wanted to know just jaw-dropping total results from How South Pasadena Fought celebrate its 20th anniver- how much paid time off city staff vacation (3-6 weeks per year/be- sary on Monday. 5 receives. He got his answer at ginners only 2), overtime - un- Tuesday’s city council study ses- limited, “sick days” (8 per year), And Won Its Battle To Survive sion from Assistant City Manager regular holidays, the “every oth- Mahdi Aluzri. Yes, most get 13 er Friday or Monday off” (the Against Caltrans And Metro weeks paid time off on top of the “9/80 Plan”) even for executive By Marla Schevker and The Long Beach to Pasadena. astonishing salaries, overtime (see ‘13 WEEKS OFF,’ page 11) Courier staff That study started the move The small city of South to slice South Pasadena in two. BHHS student establishes Pasadena (pop. 25,000) had Cal- California’s all-powerful fashion Website. 5 Trans’ bulls eye painted all over state transportation agency and it from 1949 on. nearly all the players in L.A. That year, California’s then- County transportation planned to Gov. Earl Warren (grandfather of split the historic little city in two current Vice Mayor Willie Brien) with the final leg in the 710 Free- ordered a study of connecting (see ‘SOUTH PAS,’ page 10) Concerts on Canon attract a crowd last week. 5 •Fashion 9 •Birthdays 14 SALUTING ‘THE GODFATHER’–A champagne reception at Neiman Mar- cus honoring Fred Hayman, the legendary “Godfather of Rodeo Drive,” was hosted by former General Manager John Martens. The occasion HERE COME THE marked the publication of Rose Apodaca’s Fred Hayman: The Extraordi- SMART ASSES— George Christy, nary Difference The Story of Rodeo Drive, Hollywood Glamour And The Freida Pinto plays Page 6 Showman Who Sold It All. Pictured (from left): author Rose Apodaca, au- a primatologist and A Celebration thor Judith Krantz (Scruples), Martens and Fred Hayman. For more infor- James Franco is a Sherry Hackett mation, visit www.fredhayman.com. scientist develop- Hosted For Phyllis Photo by Philip Oshiro ing a higher intelli- Diller’s 94th gence in primates, Birthday; Phyllis’ bringing on a war Memoir, Like A New Legislative Boundaries for supremacy in Lampshade In a Rise Of The Planet Whore House, Is Of The Apes, Chockablock With Will Affect B.H. Districts which is being released today. Her Zany Zingers By Brenton Garen election. Editorial from New boundaries for Califor- If approved, these are the Inset: Producer Rabbi Pressman nia’s congressional and legisla- changes that affect Beverly Hills. Peter Chernin. AND MORE tive districts will affect Beverly When it comes to Congres- CLASSIFIEDS 24 Hills should tentative final maps sional representation, Beverly More photos in • Announcements be approved by the California Hills will change from District George Christy’s • Real Estate Citizens Redistricting Commis- 30 to District 33, which would column on page 6. • Rentals sion on Aug. 15, 2011. exclude parts of Culver City, but • Sales The changes will then take include Marina del Rey, Santa Janet Gough/ • and More Celebrity Photo effect after the November 2012 (see ‘REDISTRICTING,’ page 8) Page 2 | August G5, 2011 reen Car Service BEVERLYBEVERLY HILLSHILLS Westside $ .00 To LAX from 45 Beverly Hills resident special. Additional $10 for LAX pick-up. 310.430.1882 122 Lincoln Boulevard Venice, 90291 CA www.MyGreenTaxi.com BEVERLYBEVERLY HILLSHILLS August 5, 2011 | Page 3 BEVERLY HILLS COURIER | AUGUST 5, 2011 Page 4 HERE! BEVERLY HILLS MAIN NEWS LEFT: R.Adm. Mike Shoemaker, com- City Ignores School Defense, Navy Week Hosts Harbor Cruise manding officer Carrier Strike Group 9 Wants BHUSD Tunnel Info For MTA (USS Abraham Lincoln) with (front left) Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associ- Beverly Hills city officials fense agreement to protect the ate dean Simon Wiesenthal Center, continue to try to get the Bever- information, the information and Fred Balitzer, host aboard ly Hills Unified School District becomes public. The District “Burning Daylight” on harbor cruise to give them highly confiden- has offered that agreement during Los Angeles Navy Week. tial, attorney/client and attor- twice but the city remains BELOW: Candace and Kathryn Smith ney work product data com- silent on the offer. with Cmdr. Chris Sobol aboard piled by District experts to de- The information sought by Burning Daylight during Los Angeles fend Beverly Hills High School the city is the vital, irreplace- Navy Week. from the MTA subway tunnel. able data the District will use This is despite repeated advice in court when it comes time to from District lawyers that un- sue the MTA under the Califor- less the city signs a joint de- (see ‘METRO,’ page 13) MAZEL TOV—Sara (right) and Todd Okum (not pictured) had their Bat Mitzvahs in Jersualem on July 25. The Okum Family, including Laurie (left), are traveling throughout Israel this summer. Email your special- summer photos to Council To Spend $$$ On Own PR Television Show mschevker@bhcouri By Courier Staff saw them giving the “go ate” with him. As of now, Cole er.com. The City Council majority ahead” to two 30 to 60 minute will not be paid by the City. of Mayor Barry Brucker, Vice “public affairs” programs to be Where did this come from? American Cancer Society’s Gourmet Mayor Willie Brien, M.D., and paid for by the city and broad- Brucker, Brien, Cole and city Garden Party Sunday At Design Center Councilmember Julian Gold, cast on the city's cable televi- staff presented the matter as M.D., apparently decided that sion channel. though Cole originated it. Chef Wolfgang Puck, Sher- Restaurants last year included eight hours of live television They picked local lobbyist The Courier has obtained ry Lansing and Barbara Beacon, Chinois on Main, Cut broadcasts of themselves is not Rudy Cole to be the “modera- city emails that call this into Lazaroff have gathered many & Sidebar, Lago, Minestraio enough. tor” to select topics, format and (see ‘COUNCIL PR SHOW,’ page 11) top restaurateurs and vintners Trattoria, Montage Beverly Tuesday’s study session guests. City staff will “cooper- for “California Spirit XXVII” on Hills, Nobu, Red O, Red 7, Sunday, Aug. 7, at Pacific De- Sashi, Spago and Tar Pit. The Board Gives Direction On Measure E Funding sign Center’s plaza to benefit event honors Margaret Loesch, By Marla Schevker project funding by up to five Hsieh said that was not true. American Cancer Society re- president/CEO of The Hub, During a study session years. The board also gave direc- search, education and free pro- who will receive ACS’s “Cele- Wednesday, the Board of Educa- Through BAN’s, the district tion to Cayabyab to further flesh grams and services for cancer bration of Life” award for her tion agreed to further investigate can get the money in by 2013 out a construction-phasing plan. patients, families and care- support of lifesaving programs Measure E funding and construc- and there will not be an inten- This plan would be a hybrid, in givers. and services. tion. tional increase in tax rates. tearing down and keeping exist- The gourmet garden party Tickets are $350. For reser- Although many financing Keygent Managing Director ing buildings, and will consider presents hearty samples of vations, contact Adriana San- options were discussed to keep Tony Hsieh said L.A. County an- ed spec requirements to update L.A.’s culinary offerings, live doval at 310-348-0356, option Measure E on schedule, the board nounced a one percent increase buildings for programming needs. entertainment, a VIP reception 3, ext. 227 or adriana.san- decided to examine Bond Antici- in AV. Both Keygent representatives and live and silent auctions. [email protected]. pation Notices (BANs) as a viable While there was concern and Cayabyab will present more option for obtaining bond money that BAN’s would affect the dis- detailed information to the board allowing the district to expedite trict’s exemplary credit rating, Aug.