Board Awards First Contracts How Late Touchdown Pass • • • cityfor Measure E Projects in 3-2 Vote Page 3 Governmentrudy cole Really Works Page 6 sportsEnds BHHS Football Season Page 7 ALSO ON THE WEB Beverly Hills www.bhweekly.com WeeklySERVING BEVERLY HILLS • BEVERLYWOOD • LOS ANGELES Issue 479 • December 4 - December 10, 2008 TakingTaking thethe ReinsReins TheThe Weekly’sWeekly’s exclusiveexclusive interviewinterview withwith thethe BHUSD’sBHUSD’s interiminterim superintendentsuperintendent Dr.Dr. JerryJerry GrossGross cover story • pages 8-9 letters cont. on page 5 What does ‘Basic Aid’ About Anger BHHS Wins First Football • • • citymean for the BHUSD? Page 3 rudyAnd Board coleViews Page 6 sportsPlayoff Game Since 2005 Page 8 on Measure H. “The Montage” ALSO ON THE WEB Beverly Hills www.bhweekly.com Once our investigation is completed, Last weekend, when I drove up North letters Citizens Right to Decide will file a law- Beverly Drive, I was pleased to see the suit in Los Angeles Superior Court to “Beverly Hills—Public Parking” sign on WeeklySERVING BEVERLY HILLS • BEVERLYWOOD • LOS ANGELES Issue 478 • November 27 - December 3, 2008 have the court set-aside the election on the newly opened underground lot on Measure H. what used to be the D lot, now under the email The Beverly Hilton spent over $3.3 Gardens and the Montage Hotel. million to try to fool voters on the bene- What a disappointment it was to see the & fits of high-rise condo towers, which only rates posted. Unlike other “B.H. Public “Hilton winning by 80 votes in Measure benefit the Hilton developer. Lots” that feature either 1 or 2 hours free, PastPast honorees tell us why they are thankful Citizens Right spent approximately this one posted $2.00 for the first hour, thisthis holiday season H race” [Issue 478] The Beverly Hilton Hotel has won the $80,000. The Hilton’s cost for each “Yes” $2.00 for the second hour and $2.00 for Measure H election with a narrow lead of vote is over $400. Our cost for each “No” each ? hour therafter. only 4/5 of 1% of all ballots cast. vote is only $10. Part of this underground facility was Our observers who went to Norwalk to Our campaign does not have any corpo- supposed to replace the City surface lot as monitor the review of ballots learned that rate funding and is supported only by well as provide parking for the hotel. The cover story • page 10 the County does not conduct any verifica- concerned residents. While we have ade- original surface lot charged the same as tion to confirm whether voters are U.S. quate monies to commence our investiga- the other municipal lots or buildings fur- WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND? Citizens. Furthermore, the County does tion, we still are in need of more funding. ther north and provide parking for the Any financial help that you or your stores in that area. You can write us at: not verify that voters on Measure H actu- ally live in the City of Beverly Hills. As friends can provide is greatly appreciated. Charging for parking from the first 140 South Beverly Drive #201 If you have any facts regarding anyone minute was not what we were led to Beverly Hills, CA 90212 long as a voter uses a Beverly Hills resi- dence when they register to vote or vote who voted illegally in Beverly Hills on believe when the development plans were You can fax us at: provisionally, the voter’s ballot is count- Measure H, please provide the facts, presented to the community. This is not 310.887.0789 ed. including names and true addresses of the what we expected when 1 & 2 hour free Voting relies on the “honor” system. illegal voters by calling the following parking was restored in the triangle. email us at: However, some voters who voted on number -323 782 1144. Democracy relies I call on the City Council to change the [email protected] Measure H are not honorable. We have on having honest elections without voter parking charge to provide at least the 1st discovered that some do not live in the fraud. If we do not find and expose these hour free and that readers of the Weekly City of Beverly Hills. We also believe fraudulent voters, they will return to vote will contact the councilpersons and that some voters are not U.S. citizens. again in all future Beverly Hills elections. demand the change. Based on the above, the Measure H election is far from over. With consider- Larry Larson Steve Dahlerbruch able effort and more tips from residents, Beverly Hills Beverly Hills we believe that we can ferret out hundreds SNAPSHOT of fraudulent voters who voted illegally WeeklyBeverly Hills Issue 479 • December 4 - December 10, 2008 Beverly Hills Weekly Inc. Founded: October 7, 1999 Published Thursdays Delivered in Beverly HilIs, Beverlywood, Los Angeles ISSN#1528-851X www.bhweekly.com 1 year Publisher & CEO subscriptions Josh E. Gross are available. Reporter Jacquelyn Ryan Sent via US Mail $75 payable in Sports Editor advance Steven Herbert Contributing Editor Rudy Cole Adjudicated as a newspaper of general Advertising Representatives circulation for the County Nicole Shamtoob Nicole Sakhai of Los Angeles. Case # Batel Ouda BS065841 of the Los Angeles Superior Court, Legal Advertising on November 30, 2000. Michael Saghian 140 South Beverly Drive #201 Beverly Hills, CA 90212 310.887.0788 phone 310.887.0789 fax CNPA Member [email protected] All staff can be reached at: first name @bhweekly.com GOBBLING UP THE COMPETITION Unsolicited materials will not be returned. ©2008 Beverly Hills Weekly Inc. BALBOA PARK Beverly Hills ‘Boys Under 10’ All-Star Soccer Team won first place at the Turkey Tournament at Balboa Park in Sherman Oaks over the Thanksgiving weekend. Beverly Hills Boys Under 12 All-Star Soccer Team also won first place in their division at the same tournament. Pictured is the Boys Under 10 All-Star Soccer Team: Top Row: Coaches David Zamos, Gilberto Gazcon and Arturo Sneider. Middle Row: Campbell Geddes, Luciano Gazcon, Michael Revah, and Ryan Zamos. Bottom Row: Keith Stone, Zachary Harleston, Yoel Cohavy, and Nicolas Sneider. Page 2 • Beverly Hills Weekly But Board members Steven Fenton and Dougherty + Dougherty donated $10,000 to Brian Goldberg disagreed. the Yes on Measure E campaign; LPA donated “My question is if a person gets the lead $11,000. city schools role in a musical their sophomore year, does Both firms had been through an RFQ & that mean they no longer have to audition [for process before being hired at the BHUSD. But future performances],” said Goldberg in an on Aug. 26, the Board voted 5-0 to go for Board Awards First Contracts for interview. another RFQ for a master architect and for Goldberg said he believed that firms had project site architects, like Dougherty and done “good” work for the district, but believes LPA. Measure E Projects in 3-2 Vote that the projects for Measure E “are different” The major point of contention in Monday than their previous projects and warrant a night’s debate was whether a discussion at an Both architecture firms hired donated to Yes on Measure fresh start. Oct. 14 Board study session directed the E campaign Both Goldberg and Fenton questioned too BHUSD’s contracted facilities director Karen the architects role in the passage of Measure Christiansen to put that RFQ search on hold. By Jacquelyn Ryan E. Goldberg and Fenton don’t believe that it did, “What’s the message we’re sending the the others do. In a 3-2 vote at a special meeting on Qualifications (RFQ) process for contracts on community? Donate thousands of dollars to An RFQ is basically an interview process to Monday night, the BHUSD Board of the Learning Annex building and a marquee our bond campaign and you too can be award- get the Board familiar with each firm that Education awarded the first Measure E bond project at Beverly High. ed a huge contract without having to go applies. Lurie believes that Dougherty and project contracts to two architectural firms Dougherty + Dougherty and LPA will begin through the interview process,” said Fenton, LPA already understand Beverly Hills “idio- that have previously worked with the district the scoping process on the four kindergarten- who was an advocate for holding an RFQ syncratic ways” and the district has already and donated a combined $21,000 to the Yes on through-eighth-grade schools as part of the process for all new contracts on the Measure E city and schools cont. on page 5 Measure E campaign. first stages in work under the recently passed bond work. The contracts went to Dougherty + $334 million general obligation facilities bond Dougherty Architects, which completed Measure E. Beverly Vista Building B among other proj- The Board majority, Board president Dr. NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ects, and LPA, which completed Beverly Myra Demeter, vice president Nooshin High’s Science and Technology building Meshkaty and member Myra Lurie, bolstered DATE: THURSDAY, among other projects. Both firms have been their argument in favor of the contracts in the DECEMBER 11, 2008 working with the BHUSD in the ‘master plan- spirit of a quote by Beverly High choral ning’ process, which loosely outlines the work teacher Joel Pressman. TIME: 7:00 pm, or as soon thereafter as the matter to be done with Measure E monies. “The best audition is the performance may be heard The decision was part of an amended itself,” Pressman said at the previous Board motion that will also require a Request For meeting.