BEVERLYPRESS.COM INSIDE • Missing woman confirmed dead. pg. 3 Sunny, with • Beverly Hills highs in the adjusts electric upper 60s vehicle charging laws. pg. 5 Volume 29 No. 1 Serving the Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Hancock Park and Wilshire Communities January 3, 2019 Street vendors could be DeputyI who lost leg returns to service Following a traffic accident in August, coming to BeverlyStreet vending Hillswas not previ- ously allowed in Beverly Hills, Garrett Rifkin spent An urgency ordinance to regu- but the city needed to conform its months rehabbing late street vending in Beverly laws with the new state regula- Hills went into effect this year, tions by Nov. 1. City Council corresponding with a law signed members derided the new law as by the governor that allows ven- “an attempt to make one size fit Losing a leg in a traffic acci- dors to operate throughout the dent could end a career in many state. See Vendors page 22 professions, particularly law enforcement, which requires per- sonnel to meet the physical rigors of the job. But West Hollywood deputy Garrett Rifkin, a five-year sher- iff’s department veteran with two years serving locally, wouldn’t photo by Edwin Folven let a life-altering injury put him on the sidelines. Five months West Hollywood Sheriff’s Deputy Garrett Rifkin started a new chapter after having his left leg amputat- in his law enforcement career on Dec. 27. ed below the knee, he returned to the station on Dec. 27, beating A lot of falling, a lot of getting doctors told him if he kept his the odds in an unlikely come- back up. It’s been different.” leg, he would likely face a crip- back. On Aug. 3, Rifkin, 25, was rid- pling injury for the rest of his “I didn’t really expect to get ing his motorcycle to work on life. With amputation, and a tech- back until around June. But the Fountain Avenue when he was nologically advanced prosthesis, doctor cleared me … and I am struck by a hit-run driver who ran he had a shot at normal mobility, back to work,” Rifkin said. “The a stop sign heading northbound gait and agility. Rifkin said it was last four months have been a trial on Formosa. The collision put an easy decision. He has used a photo courtesy of Kerry Morrison process. I have had a lot of inter- him in the hospital with major prosthetic leg for the past two Street vendors, prevelant throughout L.A., will now have a chance to esting experiences I never injuries and forced him to make a See WeHo page 17 apply for permits to sell their wares in Beverly Hills due to new state law. thought I would have to endure. life-changing decision. Rifkin’s Wife, mother, local activist VolunteersI needed for homeless count Local leaders hope this year’s count will Barbara Yaroslavsky dies show another decrease Family, friends and civic lead- in overall homelessness ers are mourning Barbara Edelston Yaroslavsky, who died on Dec. 26 at age 71. Yaroslavsky, wife of former With the city hoping to build on Los Angeles County Supervisor last year’s slight decrease in the and Los Angeles City overall homeless population, local Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, leaders are asking residents to vol- was a longtime community unteer for this year’s homeless leader and activist. She was diag- count on Jan. 22-24. nosed with West Nile virus Approximately 8,000 volunteers approximately five to six weeks will be required for the Greater ago, said Joel Bellman, a Los Angeles Homeless Count, spokesman for the Yaroslavsky which spans the whole county photo courtesy of Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas’ office family. She was hospitalized at except Glendale, Pasadena and Ridley-Thomas joined Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and other local Cedars-Sinai Medical Center but Long Beach, which conduct their leaders to encourage residents to volunteer for the homeless count. showed signs of improvement own counts. recently and was discharged on “Every year, Los Angeles director of Los Angeles Homeless throughout the years to lessen Dec. 21. to a care facility for photo courtesy of the Yaroslavsky family County residents by the thousands Services Authority. “These efforts those neighbors’ burden – whether recovery. She suddenly collapsed spend a couple of January nights help us recognize the scale of our by showing up to support locating at the facility on Dec. 26 and died Yaroslavsky was active in the walking the streets where too crisis and the specifics of our fel- affordable and bridge housing in community in many capacities many of our homeless neighbors low Angelenos’ lives. And they See Yaroslavsky page 22 over the years. live,” said Peter Lynn, executive come on top of admirable work See Homeless page 22 2 January 3, 2019 CALENDAR Park Labrea News/Beverly Press silver screen figure. General admis- 1 p.m., weekends. Tickets are $68. 905 Legal clinic sion is $15; $7.50 for Hollywood Loma Vista Drive. theatre40.org. Volunteer attorneys from the Beverly Heritage members. 2100 N. Highland Hills Bar Association Barristers will Ave. hollywoodheritage.org. answer legal questions during a free clinic on Saturday, Jan. 5, from 10 a.m. Classical music fans concert are invited to a to 11:30 a.m. in the Elm Room at Camerata Pacific Roxbury Park in Beverly Hills. Small JapaneseFans of Japanese cinema film won’t want to performance on claims, wills and trusts, business dis- miss a screening of “Yoko the Cherry Thursday, Jan. 10, putes, consumer law and landlord-ten- Blossom” on Wednesday, Jan. 9, at 7:30 at 8 p.m. at the ant law will be discussed. 471 S. p.m. at the Japan Foundation Los Colburn School’s Roxbury Drive. (310)601-2422, Angeles. Based on an inspiring true Zipper Hall. The bhba.org. story, the film chronicles the life of orchestra kicks off Masaaki Takaoka, a high school teacher the new year with in rural Japan during World War II. His a continuation of Carroll Shelby beloved students are called upon to join its “Why Beethoven?” project with a the imperial forces’ last-ditch efforts to performance of the composer’s Septet in E-flat Major, Op. 20; Mozart’s Quintet Celebratetribute the life and legacy of auto- win the war. He has no choice but to for Piano and Winds in E-flat Major, K. motive legend Carroll Shelby during a send them off with the promise that 452; and Poulenc’s Sextet. Tickets start tribute on Saturday, Jan. 5, from 7 to 10 they would all meet again under the at $58. 200 S. Grand Ave. (805)884- p.m. at the Petersen Automotive beautiful cherry blossoms on the school 8410, cameratapacifica.org. Museum. Shelby’s contributions to grounds upon their return, despite automotive engineering and motor- knowing the odds of their survival are sports will be recognized, and the event slim. Admission is free. 5700 Wilshire includes a panel discussion with leg- Blvd., Ste. 100. jflalc.org. endary drivers, a Forza driving compe- tition and live entertainment. The fol- lowing day, the museum will host one of the largest Shelby cruise-ins in the MerceJoin Holly Gillette Cunningham for a discussion and U.S. with more than 400 Mustangs and exploration of “Merce Cunningham, Cobras. Tickets start at $55. 6060 Clouds and Screens” on Thursday, Jan. Wilshire Blvd. (323)964-6331, 10, at 12:30 p.m. at the Los Angeles petersen.org. County Museum of Art. Cunningham revolutionized dance by challenging every aspect of the form. The event will explore the exhibition’s installations by ‘Dance at photo courtesy of Specular Charles Atlas and Andy Warhol, and Andrew Polec stars as Strat and Christina Bennington as Raven in Jim will feature two video projections of Odysseythe Odyssey’ Theatre Ensemble celebrates Steinman’s “Bat Out of Hell: The Musical” running from Tuesday, Jan. early dances by Cunningham. the art of dance with its third annual Admission is free. LACMA’s Smidt 8, through Saturday, Feb. 2, at the Ahmanson Theatre. Bringing to life Dance at the Odyssey festival running Welcome Plaza. 5905 Wilshire Blvd. from Saturday, Jan. 5, through Friday, the legendary anthems of Steinman and Meat Loaf, the critically (323)857-6010, lacma.org. Feb. 8. Opening weekend includes acclaimed production combines the magic of a musical with the energy Berlin-based choreographer and dancer of rock ‘n’ roll. The musical is a romantic adventure about rebellious Shade Théret in youth and passionate love set against the backdrop of a post-cata- “maybe,” a site- clysmic city adrift from the mainland. Strat, the forever young leader of ‘TheTheatre 40 Manor’ presents the return of “The specific work pre- The Lost, has fallen for Raven, daughter of Falco, the tyrannical ruler of Manor-Murder and Madness at sented in collabo- Obsidian. Showtimes are 8 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; 2 and 8 p.m., Greystone” running from Thursday, ration with artist Jan. 10, through Sunday, Jan. 27, at the Saturday. Tickets start at $30. 135 N. Grand Ave. (213)972-4400, Lukas Panek on Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. Jan. 5, at 8 p.m. ahmansontheatre.org. The production is written by Kathrine and Jan. 6, at 2 Bates, directed by Martin Thompson p.m. “Be Seen,” Jan. 9, at 7:30 p.m. Gloria Swanson’s attempts to create and produced for Theatre 40 by David from choreographer, performer and at the Hollywood her musical version of “Sunset Hunt Stafford. Scandal envelops a visual artist Rebecca Lemme will be Heritage Museum. Boulevard.” The program will include Beverly Hills family during the performed on Jan.