Los Feliz Ledger Read by 100,000+ Residents and Business Owners in Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Vol 12. No. 10 April 2017 Atwater Village, Echo Park & Hollywood Hills Schiff Takes On Western at Trump Tweets Franklin Project By Juliet Bennett Rylah Moves Forward Ledger Contributing Writer Community Split Bright and early March By Erin Hickey 20th, our area’s own Rep. and Allison B. Cohen Adam Schiff (D-CA)—the ranking member of the House LOS FELIZ—A mixed-use Permanent Select Committee apartment complex planned on Intelligence—was front for the corner of Franklin and and center on CNN providing Western avenues has proved the opening statement during controversial among its neigh- a hearing on Russia’s possible bors, with locals split down interference in the 2016 presi- the middle in their support, or dential campaign. lack thereof, for the project. But Schiff has been The development, which making other statements of will replace a Valero gas sta- late—this time in 140 char- tion, a single family home and acters or less. a duplex, will add 96 units of Schiff, who represents housing to the area—16 of communities including Atwa- them affordable for those with ter Village, East Hollywood, “very low income,” per city Echo Park, Franklin Hills, standards—along with ap- Silver Lake, Griffith Park, the proximately 5,500 square feet Hollywood Hills and Los Fe- of retail space and 123 parking liz, has recently begun using Silver Lake’s beautiful reservoir will be filled sooner and faster than expected, much to the delight of ev- eryone. Officials say, due to L.A.’s recent winter storms, the reservoir will not only be refilled, but at historic spaces. Twitter to speak out against levels, hopefully eliminating its concrete sidings. See our full story at losfelizledger.com. Detractors say the project, the Trump administration. Photo: Michael Locke, taken in the winter of 2006. which will stand at 60 feet, is see SCHIFF page 4 see 1860 page 6 Jewish Centers on High Alert Raves on Ravi As He Says Goodbye Amid Bomb Threats By Juliet Bennett Rylah, Ledger Contributing Writer By Michael Aushenker, Ledger Contributing Writer SILVER LAKE—For over 20 well known to his neighbors, love my neighbors. Silver Lake In these early months of threats have escalated into years, Ravi and Miriam Ka- who frequently refer to him is a wonderful place full of 2017, local Jewish community attacks but they have been runaratne have lived in the as the unofficial “Mayor” or wonderful people,” Ravi said. centers—including the West- alarming enough to move Yet soon, the Karunara- side Jewish Community Cen- members of the U.S. Senate to tnes will sell their home and ter and the Silverlake Inde- call for swift action from the move elsewhere—possibly to pendent Jewish Community Trump administration to ad- Oxnard, where they have fam- Center—have been operating dress this recent wave of psy- ily. on heightened alert and deal- chological terrorism. To remember his neigh- ing with a new normal as a While the Silver Lake bors, Ravi has been passing surfeit of bomb threats target- center was not among those around a journal and asking ing centers and other Jewish targeted in these hoax threats, them to write him farewell institutions have proliferated the Westside JCC’s (WJCC) letters. Photos of families and nationwide and in Canada. preschool did receive a threat- pets fill the pages alongside According to the news ening call February 27th, missives that paint a picture data outlet ProPublica, be- followed by another bomb of a beloved family, known for tween January 1st and March threat March 8th, according their kindness. 15th, 145 threats have been to WJCC Executive Director One neighbor wrote she made to the nation’s 104 Jew- Brian Greene. only recently realized that it ish institutions, including Founded in 1954, the A few pages in the goodbye journal that Ravi has passed around amongst his was Ravi who had been leav- community centers and Anti- nonprofit Westside Jewish Silver Lake neighbors. Photo: Juliet Bennett Rylah. ing “beautiful poems” in her Defamation League (ADL) Community Center has been family’s mailbox for years. offices. a reliable mid-city institution same home overlooking the “Ambassador” of Silver Lake. Another recalled Ravi None of these bomb see JCC page 4 Silver Lake Reservoir. Ravi is “I love this house, but I see R AVI page 23 Community News: Coachella: Real Estate: Katy Perry, Closer Real Estate: School News: How Betsy DeVos Sleeping in Cars, Now Legal, Local Bands Headed to the to becoming a Los Felizian, Woman’s landlord tried to relo- Might Change local schools, page 7 Desert, page 8 page 14 cate her to cemetery, page 17 page 23 Los Feliz Ledger [LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER] is a series of exchanges be- There’s No PC In Journalism tween Eireann and I that are far too lengthy to publish here. When I was a young moth- Somewhat cheerfully, I But the issue of bias, FOUNDED 2005 Available at these locations: er, in 1996, I read Hillary Clin- opened the letter and soon whether subconscious or de- Delivered the last Thursday of Atwater Library each month to 34,500 homes and ton’s It Takes a Village, and it learned Eireann and the femi- liberate, is so important espe- 3379 Glendale Blvd. businesses in the Los Feliz, resonated, perhaps too much. nist group had declared I had cially now in a Trump world, Bruce Q’s Barbershop & Salon that Eireann’s and the feminist Silver Lake, Atwater Village, 3013 W. Los Feliz Blvd. To this day, I think about engaged in perhaps unconscious Echo Park and Hollywood Hills group’s concerns should be Casita del Campo that book when I see or hear bias because the story in ques- communities. 1920 Hyperion Ave what I feel is a child or teen- tion had three white men (in- aired and debated. Alcove & Big Bar ager that could use a voice of cumbent Mitch O’Farrell and For my part, I later apolo- 1933 Hillhurst Ave. 1929 Hillhurst Avenue gized to Eireann for contact- Los Angeles, CA 90027 Courtney + Kurt Real Estate reason from an adult. challengers Doug Haines and (323) 741-0019 3167 Glendale Blvd. This once traumatized Bill Zide) first in our story, fol- ing her father. It was a gut re- Dresden Restaurant one of my sons (who is now a lowed by two women and then flex: one parent to another. PUBLISHER/EDITOR 1760 N. Vermont Avenue sophomore in college) when I the sole Latino candidate. I additionally explained Allison B. Cohen House of Pies 1869 N. Vermont ASSISTANT EDITORS reached out to a parent when I The letter stated the femi- to Eireann that journalism, Los Feliz Public Library Sheila Lane was alarmed by what I felt was nist group had confirmed with at least the journalism I try to 1874 Hillhurst Avenue Erin Hickey inappropriate public social be- Marshall’s Advanced Place- produce, has no room for such Los Feliz 3 Theaters ADVERTISING SALES 1822 N. Vermont havior by their daughter. ment AP Math teacher that political correctness. Good Libby Butler-Gluck Muddy Paws Coffee I did so again in March the chance of such by random journalists don’t write and edit (323) 741-0019 3320 Sunset Blvd. after I received a letter from a coincidence was .1389%. stories with such filtering. We [email protected] Newsstand do our jobs: report and edit Vermont and Melbourne Marshall High School senior, When I got that that part GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT Palermo who had—as a member of of the letter, I called Eireann’s stories for clarity and readabil- Tiffany Sims 1858 N. Vermont school’s feminist group—sent father to say, “Tomas, come on, ity and often on unrelenting Silver Lake Chamber of Commerce 1724 W. Silver Lake Drive me a letter saying the Ledger you know journalism doesn’t deadlines. For more stories Skylight Books had been both sexist and racist work that way. Can you please Journalists, like me, and and updates: 1818 N. Vermont regarding the order in which talk to your daughter and let those that work for me, have LosFelizLedger.com The Village Bakery and Café Los Angeles City Council her know journalists aren’t no time or inclination for such 3119 Los Feliz Blvd. candidates had been listed in quite that calculating?” strategies. Those that do write a February 2017 story. I didn’t reach the elder blogs or Facebook posts or do so I immediately recognized O’Grady that day. But I did as public relations specialists for the sender from her email: respond to Eireann that her organizations with an agenda. All Welcome! Eireann O’Grady, daughter letter had made me sad: sad We have no agenda but of Los Feliz resident Tomas because, in today’s political to produce readable copy on O’Grady, who I have known, climate, it seems there is no deadline. and interviewed often, when trust of the media. I suggested You can read the full ac- he ran unsuccessfully in 2011 the feminist group should use count of Eireann’s letter, my and 2015 for a seat on the Los their time more wisely. response and her response to my Angeles City Council. What transpired after this response at losfelizledger.com Fine Mexican Food Thank You L.A.! 55 Years Serving the community! 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