Los Feliz LedgerRead by 100,000+ Residents and Business Owners in Los Feliz, Silver Lake,

Atwater Village, Echo Park & Hollywood HillsAugust 2020Vol 16. No. 2

SCHOOL NEWS: Los Feliz MOMS Club disbands, forms new organization, page 12

COMMUNITY NEWS: Los Feliz homeless facility opens, raising enforcement questions, page 3

CORONAVIRUS: Find daily COVID-19 coverage online at losfelizledger.com

THEATER: Skylight brings the show online, with pandemic-inspired plays, losfelizledger.com

POLITICS: Dealing with the EDD is a full-time job for Assembly-member Laura Friedman, page 11

[EDITORIAL]

Not Reopening Schools is Best By Nicolle FeffermanMarshall High School Teacher

On March 13th, when I left Room 501—the room where I have taught at John Marshall High School for the past six years—I knew we would not be back in two weeks.

The news out of Asia and Europe, along with the science explained by Mabel Wong, a wonderful science teacher at our school, led me to believe that we would be gone for longer.

What I could not imag-ine, though, is that we would end our year or start this upcoming school year over

see TEACHER page 14

see TRADER JOE’S page 15 see WAIVER page 12

see BERENDO page 3see PARENT page 14

[EDITORIAL]

Parents: You Can Do It, But It’s HardBy Lori Rosales

“Mom, how does…, Why does …, Will it…,” comes out of my children’s mouths 17,549 times a day. That num-ber may be a bit low on aver-age. The once dreaded “Hey Mom, Look!” has been re-placed with the 9,000 ques-tions that would have once been posed to a teacher but now are coming at me. But unlike for the teacher, these inquiries, start at 6 a.m. and don’t taper off until about 8 p.m. I love 8 p.m.

Yet I know I am the lucky one, because with a back-ground as an educator I have

Lax Enforce-ment Makes Berendo St. “A Living Hell”By Sorina Szakacs,

Ledger Contributing Writer

LOS FELIZ—A group of about two dozen Berendo Street resi-dents have asked city officials to declare a “local emergen-cy” in response to a growing homeless encampment they say has turned their street into a “living hell.”

The encampment sprang up next to the now-vacant site of the Steve Allen Theater, which was torn down in 2017 to make way for a condo devel-opment. But construction on that project never began and what was once a sprinkling of tents, has now “morphed into a colony of violent transients,”

REMOTE LEARNING TO RESUME

Slain Trader Joe’s Manager Honored with Police ProtestBy Erin Hickey PinheiroLedger Contributing Writer

SILVER LAKE—Hundreds of demonstrators marched the roughly two miles from the Los Angeles Police Dept. (LAPD)’s Northeast Division to the Silver Lake Trader Joe’s July 19th in honor of Melyda “Mely” Corado and in protest of police brutality.

Corado, a 27-year-old Trader Joe’s manager, was killed by a stray police bul-let two years ago, on July 21, 2018, during a hostage situa-tion at the store.

The police officers who shot Corado were aiming for Gene Evin Atkins, 29, who is facing more than 50 criminal counts, including murder for initiating the events that led to

Schools Seek State Waiver To ReopenBy Allison B. Cohen

A handful of local private elementary schools are consid-ering applying for a “waiver” to reopen for on-campus in-struction, according to school representatives. 

As the Ledger went to press, those schools were: Pil-grim School, Holy Trinity in Atwater Village and Ribet Academy in Glassell Park. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on July 17th ordered all Los Angeles County schools to remain closed for the start of the upcoming school year, as the county and nearly three dozen others in the state saw dramatic spikes in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in July.  Those counties, including Los Ange-les, are now on the state’s so-called “Monitoring List.”

UTLA FUNDING REQUESTS FOR RE-OPENING SCHOOLS

FEDERAL SUPPORT• Federal bailout funds, especially for students with

disabilities• Fully funding Title I• Fully funding IDEA (Individuals With Disabilities

Education)• Medicare for all

STATE SUPPORT• Passage of Nov. 2020 Ballot Prop. 15 (tax on

commercial and industrial properties)• Wealth tax (1% annually on unrealized capital gains

of billionaires)• Millionaire tax (adds a 1% surtax on incomes over

$1 million annually and 3% over $3 million annually)

LOCAL SUPPORT• Defund police• Housing security• Ten additional sick days for every worker in the city• Charter moratorium • Financial support for undocumented students and

families

Read the UTLA’s paper, published in July 2020, at utla.net

Atwater Village parent Lori Rosales has enriched her sons’ LAUSD remote learning by creating her own lesson plans. (See her editorial below right.) She’s started an Instagram page to share her and her three sons’ journey. Photos: 1st row: Making recycled postcards; reading for the older ones, chess for the little one; cooking and math using a ½ cup, when only a ¼ cup was needed; 2nd row: “Willy Wonka Math,” counting by 5 cents; country research; kitchen covered in teaching posters and the little one revisits one on his own time; 3rd row: recognizing numbers playing Bingo; writing lesson; reading on “Sports Day.” Photos: @robrohomeschool Instagram.

Los Feliz Ledger

Page 2 losfelizledger.com August 2020

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Ryu Seeks to Make “Slow Streets” Permanent Post COVID-19By Erin Hickey Pinheiro, Ledger Contributing Writer

LOS FELIZ—The Los Fe-liz Neighborhood Council (LFNC) will vote August 18th on whether to support a motion by Los Angeles City Councilmember David Ryu to make a recent “Slow Streets” program permanent.

The program, implemented to allow for easier social distanc-ing during the coronavirus pan-demic, closes select residential streets to non-local automobile traffic to allow for recreational and pedestrian street use.

“Local traffic—includ-ing access by delivery vehicles and emergency vehicles—and local parking are still allowed on Slow Streets, however, non-residential cut-through traffic is prohibited,” Ryu’s June 24th motion reads. “Community feedback on Slow Streets is be-ing received by [The Los An-geles Dept. of Transportation], and the response from a wide range of residents and groups in participating neighbor-hoods has been overwhelm-ingly positive.”

While some Los Angeles neighborhoods implemented the program as early as May, slow streets are new to Los Fe-

liz. Temporary “road closed” signs popped up on a handful of residential streets—including Rodney Drive and Finley, Mel-bourne and Ambrose avenues—in mid-July, leading some resi-dents to say the idea of making them permanent is premature.

Many residents wrote or called in their support for the initiative at a recent LFNC meeting, saying the road clo-sure signs had reduced speed-ing on residential streets and made the area safer.

“We are truly apprecia-tive of and support the slower streets program!” wrote Los Feliz resident Marisa Policas-tro. “Permanent signs would be wonderful. We live [on] Finley between Common-wealth and Hillhurst and it has always been scary to cross the street with my children.”

Some said they worried the signs created a “false sense of security,” since they do not actually prevent non-local traf-fic from entering streets or force cars to slow down, while others said they liked the idea, but not the implementation.

“I like the idea in con-cept, but I don’t think the way

they are now is a great thing,” wrote Kingswell resident Les-lie Sloan. “… I appreciate the idea of trying to slow down cars as they often zoom very fast down my street, but I do not believe wide obstructions in the road that impede turn-ing is the right solution.”

Multiple residents said they were concerned the program would worsen traffic congestion on Franklin Avenue and other local thoroughfares.

One Rodney Drive resi-dent, Steve Gifford, said the

see STREETS page 14

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For more stories and updates:LosFelizLedger.com

Los Feliz Ledger

August 2020 losfelizledger.com Page 3COMMUNITY NEWS

[LOS FELIZ IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION]

Tall Timbers Grace the BoulevardBy Lynne T. Jewell

When was the last time you traveled east or west on the two-mile-plus stretch of Los Feliz Boulevard? Anyone who’s done so can’t help but notice the signature trees of Los Feliz—our big and majes-tic deodar cedars.

Fifty years ago, these ev-ergreen trees were designated Historic Cultural Monument No. 67 by the city. First plant-ed in 1934 by the LFIA and the Los Feliz Woman’s Club, they were nominated and ac-cepted as “monuments” in September 1970.

The city’s cultural monu-ment program has designated more than 1,200 landmarks since it was established in 1962. The majority of the des-ignated landmarks have been awarded to historic and archi-tecturally significant buildings and residences—some related to a famous person or event.

But there are exceptions that might surprise you, like the Los Feliz Heights Steps, Travel Town’s “Little Nugget” and some very special trees: the deodars, the avocado trees on the street of the same name and the Moreton Bay fig trees on N. Vermont Avenue.

Over the years, the LFIA with the help of the Woman’s Club and generous communi-ty donors have been caring for

and replacing these “timbers of gods” as deodars are known in their native Himalayas.

“They grow relatively fast and are happiest once mature with deep, infrequent water-ing and a plain, mulched col-lar of soil at least three feet around the trunk’s exposed flared bottom,” said LFIA board member Dee Paul. “The fastest way to kill a deo-dar is by spraying the trunk while watering the lawn and by installing a flower or ivy bed around the base.”

Paul, who also happens to be a landscape designer, can be seen canvassing the boulevard for trees in need of trimming and removal. Her last survey identified at least half a dozen deodars that need replacing.

Today, there are over 300 deodar specimens along the parkway from Western Ave-nue to Riverside Drive, some more than 80 feet high with a 40-foot canopy of pendu-lous branches. The oldest tree is estimated at nearly nine decades old.

“Our deodars are unique-ly beautiful and require a com-munity effort to preserve them for future generations to en-joy,” said Paul.

Check out lfia.org for more information on the deodars.

[LOS FELIZ NEIGHBORHOOD

COUNCIL]

Making Connections, From Bees to Baby SeatsBy Sarah Tressler

Since the LFNC launched Los Feliz Helps, we’ve dis-covered a ton of resources of-fered by the city, county and state, and some of them were … well, a little surprising. It’s not all trash pickup and small business assistance.

Some of the more nota-ble offerings: the Bee Hotline (800-BEE-WARY); tips on fishing in Echo Park Lake; “Why is this insect trap on my property?”; Complaints Related to Keeping Chickens or Roosters; Free Child Car Seat Training Class (with free car seat!); and “Our Per-manent Neighbors: What You Should Do If a Coyote Approaches You.”

We made it a point to find out what’s out there to use so we can actually use it. We’ve compiled this information and made it publicly available at losfelizhelps.org, under our Resources Directory.

One of our biggest func-tions as a council is connecting our neighbors to the wealth of available resources. We’re not re-inventing the wheel—that

see LFNC page 14

according to a letter the resi-dents sent to city officials.

The issue came to a head after the city suspended an ordinance preventing home-less encampments from block-ing the public right of way in March, citing concerns that forcing people out their tents could contribute to the spread of COVID-19.

Since then, the encamp-ment has only grown, along with a rise in crime, and a sto-len bike and electronics “chop shop,” locals say.

Several residents, all of whom asked that their names not be published for fear of retaliation, said they had been personally threatened by members of the encampment after witnessing drug deals, prostitution and incidents of violence—including a July 16th stabbing—and that they no longer felt safe leaving their homes.

Additionally, they said, they have had their tires slashed, car windows smashed, properties broken into and ex-perienced death threats and racial slurs.

“I have been harassed, I

have been chased, and my prop-erty has been targeted and van-dalized by the individuals at this encampment,” said one woman. “I see them dealing, selling and using drugs on the daily. I’ve had trespassers too many times to count. I have found used syringes in my backyard. I wit-nessed a man defecating on my front lawn.”

Another resident, an el-derly woman who uses a wheelchair, said she has been confined to her home because the encampment takes up the full width of the sidewalk in front of her house—an Ameri-cans with Disabilities Act vio-lation—and she cannot pass it in her chair.

But even if she were physi-cally able to leave her home, the woman said, she wouldn’t.

“I fear for my safety,” she said. “I frequently hear fights and arguments from the en-campment area. There have been multiple times people from the encampment have jumped over [my] gate … There are times I smell fire and see them making a fire out-side from my window, and I’m afraid the fire could get out of control.”

One man, who has lived on Berendo Street for more than three decades, said he has seen an influx of rats on the street since the encampment grew and now worries about the spread of disease.

Although city crews occa-sionally clean the area, he said, the size of the encampment makes it impossible for them to do their jobs properly.

“The sidewalk is complete-ly cluttered  with large  tents. Unless these items are moved, no meaningful  disinfection can take place.”

Another neighbor agreed, saying the street “has all the ingredients for a major public health disaster.”

“We have rats, we have filth and we have fleas,” he said. “Through its neglect, the city is allowing a petri dish of filth to exist here. It has rec-reated the conditions which caused the 1924 outbreak of pneumonic plague in Down-town Los Angeles.”

One longtime resident said “everything changed” on Berendo Street after the city stopped enforcing its encamp-ment ordinance due to the coronavirus.

“Before COVID-19, I had no concerns walking at night in Los Feliz, even past homeless sites,” she said. “Our previous homeless neighbors weren’t an issue. But the peo-ple who moved in during CO-VID-19 are drug users, crimi-nals and violent people. I now worry about walking around the neighborhood during the day.”

But despite what has quickly become a hazard-ous situation on their street, Berendo residents said they have received no help from the “negligent” developer who owns the vacant lot, city offi-cials, or the Los Angeles Police Dept. (LAPD). Instead, they said, everyone keeps “passing the buck.”

“When we reach out to LAPD, they tell us their hands are tied by the laws and by the orders placed upon them by [Los Angeles City Coun-cilmember David] Ryu’s and [Los Angeles Mayor Eric] Garcetti’s offices,” the resi-dents’ letter to the city reads … “When we reach out to Da-vid Ryu’s office, we are simply told over and over again that their hands are tied, to call the

LAPD, and/or perhaps hire private security. The Mayor’s office redirects us to David Ryu’s office.”

For Ryu’s part, he said he has been working with the county, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and local nonprofits to conduct outreach efforts at the Berendo encamp-ment specifically, as well as working to address homeless-ness on a systemic level.

“Nothing stops homeless-ness like a home,” Ryu said in a statement. “Housing and outreach are the long-term so-lutions to this issue and that’s why I’ve opened a 100-bed bridge home nearby ... We must continue to seek lasting solutions and build more of the housing that gets people off the streets.”

The LAPD, the mayor’s Unified Homelessness Re-sponse Center and the devel-opment company that owns the vacant lot did not respond to multiple requests for com-ment.

[Editor’s Note: A story about a similar encampment at Hollywood Boulevard and Ly-man Place ran in our July 2020 edition.]

BERENDO from page 1

Bridge Home Opening RaisesEnforcement QuestionsBy Erin Hickey Pinheiro, Ledger Contributing Writer

LOS FELIZ—A 100-bed “Bridge Home” homeless housing facility opened right on schedule July 24th near the Mulholland Fountain on Riverside Drive, but ques-tions remain about a so-called “special enforcement zone” planned for the area.

Enforcement zones prohib-it unhoused individuals from camping within a certain radius of a homeless housing site.

As proposed, the Los Feliz Bridge Home includes such a zone—following negotiations with nearby residents—but the zone has not yet been for-mally established by the city, and the Los Feliz Neighbor-hood Council (LFNC) would like to keep it that way.

The board voted 11 to seven on July 21st to send a letter ask-ing the city not to implement an enforcement zone for the Riverside Drive facility, citing a lack of sufficient beds to accom-modate all those currently un-housed in the area, the high fi-nancial cost of enforcement and concerns about over-policing.

“With additional LAPD officers patrolling this area, special enforcement zones would also increase the num-ber of interactions between police and unhoused individ-uals,” the letter reads. “From 2018 to 2019, year-over-year

use of force by police on home-less individuals in the third quarter increased by 26%. Special enforcement zones will only add fuel to the fire.”

Meanwhile, some board-members, like LFNC Vice President Dan McNamara, raised concerns that reneg-ing on the enforcement zone would damage the city’s cred-ibility with residents and make it more difficult to get approv-als for new homeless housing projects down the line.

According to Mark Pam-panin, a spokesperson for Los Angeles City Councilmember David Ryu, the city has stopped enforcing all encampment sweeps to limit the spread of COVID-19 “whether it is a spe-cial enforcement zone or not.”

Ryu additionally asked the mayor’s office not to post enforcement zone signs at the site, said Pampanin.

As for whether such as zone will be implemented post-COVID-19, Pampanin said, “We’re taking this one day, one week at a time.”

However, Pampanin said, due to laws that prohibit extra enforcement near certain types of shelters, none of the three other homeless housing centers Ryu has brought to the district have enforcement zones, and “there’s never been a problem.”

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Los Feliz Ledger

August 2020 losfelizledger.com Page 5POLITICS

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[COUNCIL DISTRICT 4]

The Fight Against Homelessness ContinuesBy Los Angeles City Councilmember David Ryu

As we cope with the eco-nomic impacts

of the coronavirus pandemic, we know that the months ahead will continue to put intense pressure on working families in Los Angeles.

Although we’ve implement-ed a ban on evictions during the emergency period, a freeze on rent increases for rent-stabilized units, and developed a rent re-lief program to help the most vulnerable residents stay in their homes, we know that this is not enough.

We’ve seen homelessness continue to rise in Los Ange-les year after year, and in the coming months, many fami-lies who were already on the brink may be pushed over the edge.

Homelessness will contin-ue to increase until we tackle a system of poverty, inequality, and unaffordability that drives this crisis. In order to pull peo-ple out of a system that con-tinues to push them down, we need fundamental change.

Just recently, we opened our fourth homeless housing center in Council District 4, right here in Los Feliz. The Los Feliz Bridge Home has wel-comed 100 people, and their pets, off of the street and into a safe and secure environment, where they have access to case workers, mental healthcare, and a place to call home.

This incredible project, one of eight homeless hous-

ing centers open or underway in CD4, was made possible by the coalition of support from the Los Feliz Neighborhood Council, Los Feliz Improve-ment Association, Griffith Park Adult Community Cen-ter, Griffith Park Advisory Board, and so many more.

But we must also fight to keep people in their homes. Too many Angelenos are one missed paycheck away from ending up on the streets. I’ve heard from countless residents who’ve spent days, or even weeks, on the phone with the unemployment office, terrified that they wouldn’t be able to pay rent, and unsure of where their next paycheck would come from.

Los Angeles has always faced affordability issues, but the coronavirus pandemic has shone a bright light on just how dire the need for reform is.

We must expand our so-cial safety net and invest in social services that lift up the most vulnerable Angelenos. We must preserve and expand our affordable and moderate income housing stock. We must protect tenants from eviction, and repeal state laws like Costa Hawkins, which limit our ability to implement new rent control policies.

With joblessness at De-pression-era levels, we need rent and mortgage forgive-ness and increased funding for social programs and un-employment benefits. This is

something I’ve been fighting for since the start of the coro-navirus pandemic, and I will continue to make it absolutely clear: keeping people housed is not a political issue—it’s a hu-manitarian issue.

In Los Angeles, I’ve fought

for a unified, citywide approach that treats homelessness like the emergency it is. I’m proud that we are bringing real solutions and hundreds of beds to neigh-borhoods like Los Feliz, but homelessness can’t be solved one neighborhood or one council district at a time.

At the start of the corona-virus pandemic, we were able to rapidly house thousands

of Angelenos in just three months. This type of action is unprecedented in Los Ange-les—and it’s exactly what we need going forward.

This moment calls for a unified resolve and bold ideas. We can only move through this crisis together, and I will keep fighting for critical mea-sures that keep people housed and safe.

[COUNCIL DISTRICT 13]

Moving Forward on Supportive HousingBy Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell

We are another step closer to seeing supportive housing built for those experiencing homelessness in Echo Park.

The city’s Housing and Community Investment Dept. recently announced a request for proposals to build up to 98 units of Affordable and/or Permanent Supportive Housing on city-owned prop-erty for those experiencing homelessness. We also want to reimagine important out-door recreation space for the local community, including the current non-profit lease holder.

These city-owned lots are located at 1140-1152 N Glen-dale Blvd., and 1149 - 1155 N Lemoyne St. I have been partnering with the commu-nity on the best use of these lots for more than two years, following a report by the City Administrative Officer that

identified and evaluated all city-owned properties.

The city is in the midst of a housing crisis coupled with a growing pandemic, which could potentially result in further displacement and an increase of homelessness. We have a responsibility to ad-dress this crisis with a sense of urgency by utilizing and re-purposing these underutilized city-owned properties in Echo Park to provide housing for people experiencing homeless-ness in the area.

The city’s Housing and Community Investment De-partment is managing the re-quest for proposals, and a de-veloper for the project should be selected by the end of the year. For more information, please contact my Echo Park Field Deputy Juan Fregoso at juan.fregoso@lacity.org.

We’re moving forward!

Los Feliz Ledger

Page 6 losfelizledger.com August 2020SENIOR MOMENTS

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[SENIOR MOMENTS]

Adjusting By Stephanie Vendig, Ledger Columnist

At this writ-ing, we are still endur-

ing the coronavirus pandemic, and it looks like it is not going away soon. Like everybody, we have to find new ways of living in spite of the restrictions put upon us during this natural disaster.

In response to the ex-tended closure of the Griffith Park Adult Community Cen-ter (GPACC), Facility Direc-tor Monty Sutherlin and the volunteers of the GPACC Club began creating offer-ings to enable seniors to take advantage of activities from their homes.

Through new virtual pro-gramming, participants can stay connected to others even when they are not physically in the same space.

For example, on Fridays two alternating discussion groups—Socrates Café and Current Events—host up to 30 people to discuss the issues of the day. Joneen Burrell continues Book Club and Mystery Group at their usual times each month, but now they are

teleconferencing. Jay Smith has taken his

Folk Singing Group online (with a little technical help from Cliff Towne), and Dede Nardini did the same with her Tai Chi Group. The Life Story Writing class is Zoom-ing along under the guidance of writers Mina Kirby and Doranne Jung.

In mid-July, instructors Alicia Lumarque and George Finley for Stretch & Balance and Yoga underwent Zoom training provided by the De-partment of Recreation & Parks.

We anticipate that virtual programming will continue to be part of GPACC’s offerings, even when the center is able to welcome people in person again.

You can access other on-line classes at laparks.org/vir-tualrecreation or sign up for GPACC classes at GPAC Club website: site.gpacclub.com.

We often do not realize how much our well-being is dependent upon our connec-tion to others. Our commu-nities, our economic struc-tures, our learning, and our

spirituality is all reliant on togetherness.

And two age groups are particularly dependent upon socialization—the young and the old. Through school-ing, the young learn from the company of others in order to achieve a healthy adulthood, and the old need others to avoid the emotional conse-quences of isolation. In other words, both groups need op-portunities created by their communities for that purpose.

However, neither schools nor senior centers can operate right now as they previously did. For both, new protocols and additional resources will be needed in order to contin-ue offering opportunities for education and engagement. Hopefully, social distancing will lead back to social togeth-erness some time soon.

[OBITUARY]

Carole Ann JosephDecember 16, 1933 - July 10, 2020By Diane Kanner

A native of Chicago, Car-ole Ann Joseph and husband Bryan arrived in California in 1960. They purchased a home on Canyon Drive in 1967, where she spent the remainder of her life.

While supporting the PTA at son Paul’s school, Jo-seph became active in the election campaign of Michael Woo, who was running for the Los Angeles City Council seat in District 13.

After Woo was elected, he named Joseph a deputy. Their association lasted for 40 years.

Her colleagues in Woo’s office describe Joseph as a strong woman with a positive

energy and spirit who worked hard for the community she loved. 

“Carole got us the desper-ately needed stop sign at Edge-mont and Finley,” said Kenneth Lewis, a past president of the Los Feliz Improvement Assoc.

In 1991, Joseph co-found-ed the Hollywood Farmer’s Market. Until her health be-gan to wane, she could be found working at the market every Sunday morning.

Johnson is survived by her son Paul, her stepson Tone and many grandchildren and great grandchildren. Services will be announced at a later time.

[OBITUARY]

Charles Phillips Eddy III

Charles Phil-lips Eddy I I I — e n v i -r o n m e n t a l a t t o r n e y ,

outdoorsman, loving father, grandfather and husband—passed away Thursday, June

25, 2020 after a 10-year battle with amyloidosis. He was 79 years old.

Known as “Charlie,” he was born on April 2, 1941 in Westfield New Jersey, the oldest son of Charles Eddy Jr. and Maria Cabanellas.

He attended Westfield High School before heading to the University of Colorado, Boulder on an NROTC scholarship. After gradua-tion, he served four years in the Navy, winning a Bronze

see OBITURARY page 9

Los Feliz Ledger

August 2020 losfelizledger.com Page 7Su Casa REAL ESTATE

Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01991628. All material presented herein is

intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made

without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed.

ROB KALLICK • MARY REGAL • LAURA MARCHETTI • JUSTIN FREELING 323.775.6305 | takesunset.com/sell | hello@takesunset.com | @takesunset | DRE 01871966

1820 SAN JACINTO STREET • silver lake2 Bd • 3 Ba • $1,695,000

2239 elsinore STREET • echo park4 Bd • 3 Ba • $1,895,000

2758 Rinconia drive • hollywood hills 1 Bd • 2 Ba • $1,795,000

4549 avocado street • los feliz3 Bd • 2 Ba • $1,695,000

Chris Laib323.854.1820 | ChrisLaibLA.comChris@ChrisLaib.com

Elegant authentic Spanish Revival, circa 1932 with views. 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom + screening room. Los Feliz | Offered at $3,248,000 | Visit : 4224Parva.com

Sold in 1 Day | 4224 Parva Avenue

Michael Remacle310.902.1564 | RemacleGroup.com

Michael.Remacle@SothebysHomes.com L o s Fe l i z B ro ke r a ge | 1 8 0 1 No r t h Hi l l h u r s t Ave n u e, L o s A n ge l e s , CA 9 0 02 7 © Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material is based upon information which we consider reliable but because it has been supplied by third parties, we cannot represent that it is accurate or com-

plete and it should not be relied upon as such. This offering is subject to errors, omissions, changes including price or withdrawal without notice. If your property is listed with a real estate broker, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other real estate brokers. We are happy to work with them and

cooperate fully. Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Real estate agents affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. are independent contractor sales associates

and are not employees of Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Equal housing opportunity. Chris Laib Dre#1202400, Michael Remacle Dre#01383766

[REAL ESTATE]

Home Sales, Prices Continue to Rise Despite PandemicSixty-three homes sold lo-

cally in June, roughly double the number of sales recorded at the start of Los Angeles’ coronavirus lockdowns.

Of those, Echo Park and Silver Lake’s 90026 ZIP code had the highest share, with 20 homes sold for a median price

of $1.153 million—about 15% higher than June 2019. Two condos sold in the area for a median of $758,000, also about 15% up from the previ-ous year’s median.

Meanwhile, 16 homes sold in Los Feliz’s 90027 ZIP

code, for a median of $1.92 million, roughly 6% below last June’s median price. Two condos sold there for a median of $614,000, down about 5% from 2019.

In Silver Lake and Atwater Village’s 90039, 14 homes sold for a $1.343 million median,

roughly 6% above the previous June’s price, while one condo sold for $590,000, about 29% lower than last June.

The 90068 ZIP, which in-cludes the Beachwood Canyon area of the Hollywood Hills, had 13 home sales this June

for a median price of $1.39 million—about 7% below 2019—and five condo sales for a median of $619,000, a 12%

drop from the previous year. Comparatively, 3,626

homes sold in all of Southern California this June—about

30% more than at the start of lockdowns—for a median price of $690,000, a 6% spike over last year. The region had 1,197 condo sales for a median price of $520,000, about 3% lower than in 2019.

Echo Park and Silver Lake’s 90026 ZIP code

had the highest share [of local home sales],

with 20 homes sold for a median price of

$1.153 million—about 15% higher than June 2019.

3002 PEAK PL, GLASSELL PARK $989,000

Small lot 3+2 home with views & private back yard.

Chris Furstenberg 323.422.2244

2061 OUTPOST DR, HW HILLS $2,250,000

Pristine 3bed/3bath Spanish home on famed Outpost Drive.

Ryan King 310.850.6058

2501 N VERMONT AVE, LOS FELIZ $7,685,000

L. Milton Wolf 1920s Tudor estate on almost 1/2 acre lot.

Alex Barad 323.251.9779

5450 RHODES AVE, VALLEY VILLAGE $1,148,000

Unique oasis set back from the street with 3 bed & 2 baths.

The Kostrey Collection 323.785.7545

1958 OUTPOST CIRCLE, HW HILLS $4,195,000

Pristine 1928 Spanish estate epitomizing Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Levi Freeman 310.388.7916

5083 ½ HIGHLAND VIEW, EAGLE ROCK $1,025,000

Brand new 3+3.5 small lot home near downtown Eagle Rock.

Chris Furstenberg 323.422.2244

2292 RIVERSIDE TER, SILVER LAKE $1,794,000

Modern 3+3 contemporary with mountain views and guest unit.

Linda Chamberlain 323.828.7269

2456 LOY LN, EAGLE ROCK $899,000

Opportunity to build architectural home w/ approved permits.

The Kostrey Collection 323.785.7545

2401 LAUREL PASS, LAUREL CYN $1,849,000

Classic mid-century w/open floor plan behind privacy hedges.

Danielle Farrell 917.403.7932

5308 RANGE VIEW AVE, HIGHLAND PK $1,349,000

Updated, customized Contemporary w/ solar panels & pool.

Tyler Giles 310.428.0563

2412 GATEWOOD ST, FROGTOWN $1,299,000

Artfully redesigned 1928 Craftsman Bungalow w/ guest unit.

Linda Chamberlain 323.828.7269

5906 FOOTHILL DR, HW HILLS EAST $1,469,000

Classic Spanish designed by Paul Williams with pool & patio.

Ben Shapiro 323.842.0169

5320 LUBAO AVE, WOODLAND HILLS $1,798,000

Fully gated, sprawling 3bd/3ba ranch style estate on a 1/2 acre.

Tracy Fink 626.818.9478

6422 ELGIN ST, HIGHLAND PARK $1,195,000

2 newly remodeled/new construction bungalows on a single lot.

The Kostrey Collection 323.785.7545

1946 N OXFORD AVE, LOS FELIZ $3,297,000

Exquisite & timeless 1923 Mediterranean with 3 bed & 4 bath.

Konstantine Valissarakos 323.252.9451

Expect GreatnessEst. 1976

6525 Sunset Blvd, Ste G2Los Angeles, CA 90028

www.nourmand.com

Howard Lorey | Vice President

Los Feliz Ledger

August 2020 losfelizledger.com Page 9Su Casa REAL ESTATE

FOR SALEINCOME OPPORTUNITY

6422 ELGIN AVENUEHIGHLAND PARK | $1,195,000

FOR SALE2 HOMES • DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY

4865 WICOPEE STREETEAGLE ROCK | $995,000

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801 CHESTNUT AVENUEHIGHLAND PARK | $1,125,000

FOR SALEPLANS FOR ARCHITECTURAL SFR W/ VIEWS!

2456 LOY LANEEAGLE ROCK | $899,000

YO U R LO C A L E A STS I D E N E I G H B O R H O O D S P E C I A L I STS

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Advertise in the Los Feliz Ledger (323) 741-0019

Star for valor during his two tours in Vietnam.

Returning to the states in 1967, he rekindled a romance with old flame and longtime friend Brenda Broz, and they were married in June 1968. They remained flames and best friends for fifty-two years.

Charlie graduated in 1970 from Cornell Law School, after helping found the Cornell Legal Aid Clinic for low income clients. He later established a Dean’s fund to help alleviate student debt for alumni working in the public interest. True to his love of the outdoors, he specialized in environmental law and worked in Wash-ington, D.C. serving in the White House on the Presi-dent’s Council on Environ-mental Quality and later in the Dept. of the Interior as Deputy Assistant Secretary, Energy and Minerals.

In 1980, he moved to Los Angeles, which remained his beloved home for nearly 40 years. Here, he advised and later ran companies with a fo-cus on environmental policy and protection.

Throughout his career, he applied his considerable legal and management talent to-

wards causes near to his heart, including helping found both Friends of Franklin in support of the neighborhood elemen-tary school and the High Si-erra Energy Foundation. He also served on the boards of Counterpart International and The Friends of the Los Angeles River and somehow found the time to coach numerous base-ball and soccer teams for his three kids.

An iconoclast with an unshakable moral compass, Charlie was always a cham-pion of the underdog, a taker of the roads less travelled. He was a source of wise counsel and support to all those lucky enough to know him.

He died peacefully in his sleep, surrounded by his entire family: his wife Brenda, their three children, Marisa, Billy and Matt (and their spouses Mike, Sandie and Staci), their seven grandchildren, Brody, Drew, Evie, Bayler, Camden, Charlotte and Brendan, and his two sisters Bambi Arellano and Sue Fleischli.

Donations on Charlie’s behalf can be made to Coun-terpart International (coun-terpart.org), the Cornell Law School (lawschool.cornell.edu), or the Friends of the LA River (folar.org).

OBITUARY from page 6

L O S F E L I Z B RO K E RAG E | 1 8 01 N O RT H H I L L H U RST AVE N U E , L O S A N G E L E S, CA 9 0 02 7 | 3 2 3.6 6 5 .17 0 0

Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Real estate agents affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Patricia Ruben Dre# 01262286

PATRICIA RUBEN323.333.3801

Patricia.Ruben@sothebyshomes.com

theVanPeltEstate.com

Los Feliz, the east-of-Hollywood neighborhood continues to be the hub-bub of the famed entertainment industry, but the next time you think of Los Feliz, you will associate it with something that hasn’t been seen for the last 45 years: The “John A. Van Pelt Residence,” a 2.5-acre compound, and an early influence on the renowned Los Feliz culture.

Now, at long last, this historic estate and its story have been rediscovered. The “John A. Van Pelt Residence” is complete with 5 Residential Buildings. 12 fireplaces. 8 fountains. Parking for 14 cars. Historians, bloggers, local residence, and the city of Los Angeles are about to feel a jolt. Not an earthquake, but a large camouflaged estate, so rich in history, parts of this story can not be written. They are endless. Not revealed in 45 years. PRIVATE HOLLYWOOD HISTORY presented in classic Storybook Architecture. Gated private drive to MAIN HOME: 3 bedroom, 2 bathrooms. Separate Guest Quarters, Wine cellar, meat locker, vintage outdoor kitchen, chauffeur’s room. Private infamous POOL HOME showcases Hieroglyph graphics, almost fiction.

4 enchanting additional HOMES privately spaced and surrounded by nature and stoned pathways, have rich history of past tenants and guests. Pelt, an original creator of our east-side love affair, was a musician, developer and entrepreneur and subdivided his large tract into 71 parcels and named it LYRIC Avenue per family lore. An early preservationist, he salvaged the anchor, banister rope, and oars from Jack London’s boat ‘The Snark.’ He reclaimed clinker bricks from the LA cable car demolition to build his many walls and stone paths. Endless astonishing stories of a surviving Kingdom.

2131-2149 Lyric Avenue | Los Feliz | $12,000,000

Los Feliz Ledger

August 2020 losfelizledger.com Page 11Su Casa REAL ESTATE

5724 Green Oak Drive$3,600,000L.A. Times’ “Home of the Week”! Open-plan; triple-lot, canyon views; immaculate. 4 BR; 3.5 BA; den.www.5724greenoak.com

5432 Red Oak Drive$3,450,000Authentic Spanish Colonial; Los Feliz Oaks; double lot. 3 BR; 3.5 BA; den. www.5432redoak.com

5370 Los Feliz Boulevard$2,657,000Romantic 1920s hacienda; 5,500 sq. ft on 1/3 acre lot.

3500 Griffith Park Boulevard$2,250,000Classic Mediterranean; 2-story, GH or ADU? 4 BR; 3.5 BA; den.www.3500griffi thpark.com

2511 Mount Beacon Terrace$1,600,000Los Feliz Oaks 1940s California Colonial fi xer; 4 BR; 3.5 BA; family room; pool.

6225 Temple Hill Drive$1,250,000Vine Hills Mid-Century Ranch with sweeping views of downtown and the Observatory; 2 BR; 2 BA.www.6225templehill.com

2420 Aspen Drive$950,000Los Feliz Oaks pied-à-terre; 1 BR; 2 BA; den; views. Adorable!www.2420aspen.com

Richard Stanley#1 Agent - Coldwell Banker, Los Feliz

Estates Director Architectural and Historic Properties

rstanley@richardstanleyrealtor.com213 300-4567 cell / voice mail©2020 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Owned and operated by NRT LLC. All rights reserved. If your property is listed with another broker, this is not intended as a solicitation. DRE# 00971211

3 Markets Compete“How’s the market?” has never been more top-of-mind than now. First,

there’s the retail market comprised of turn-key houses for folks who will pay for perfect. These buyers can be conflicted however. Second, there’s the wholesale flipper market flush with cash and looking for projects to keep their crews busy. They vie in multiple offers for houses with the right things wrong. Third, there are soft-on-the-market ‘tweens: not perfect nor needing enough updating for flippers. Please call me for details!

5370 Los Feliz Boulevard

Romantic 1920s hacienda; 5,500 sq.

2511 Mount Beacon Terrace

Los Feliz Oaks 1940s California

6225 Temple Hill Drive

Vine Hills Mid-Century Ranch with

3500 Griffith Park Boulevard

Classic Mediterranean; 2-story, GH or ADU? 4 BR; 3.5 BA; den.

[U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES]

Disastrous Leadership in a Natural DisasterBy Rep. Adam Schiff

  Although it seems like a different era altogether, it was only five months ago that the Senate voted in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump. And right before that fateful vote, as House managers, we knew that there were many Repub-lican senators who understood the House had proven the President guilty of the conduct with which he was charged, but wanted to know whether it was necessary to convict and remove him from office with an election only nine months away. Why not just leave it up to the voters? 

So I asked senators a sim-ple rhetorical question:  How much damage could Donald Trump really do between now and the election? The answer, I said: A lot. A lot of damage.

Standing in the well of the Senate, I had no idea just how grave the damage would be, nor how Trump’s unfitness for office would contribute to the unprecedented crisis and loss of life we are suffering through today.

Trump didn’t create the  COVID-19  pandemic, but the same brand of fa-natical devotion to personal interest over the national interest that was on display in his decision to withhold military aid from an ally at war to coerce support for his re-election, has also led to a strategy for dealing with the pandemic that ignores the health risks to the Ameri-can people in favor of what Trump perceives as his per-sonal interest.  

At every critical juncture, President Trump has misman-aged, miscalculated, and flat out ignored the coronavirus pandemic because he thought it would  hurt  his re-election. Now, more than 135,000

Americans have died.  Cases are spiking  in 30 states,  in-cluding California,  where many businesses that just re-opened will have to close once again. 

Tens of millions of Ameri-cans are unemployed as our economy suffers through the worst recession since the Great Depression.  And while our country still struggles to ramp up testing and contract trac-ing, and encourage common-sense, lifesaving practices like wearing a mask and social dis-tancing, other developed na-tions have managed to flatten their curves and avoid thou-sands more deaths. 

Public health experts have been cautioning for months that increasing our testing capabilities is essential to preventing mass deaths. But President Trump said “slow the testing down, please” be-cause “when you do testing to that extent, you’re going to find more” cases, which he be-lieves  could make his admin-istration  look bad. And for months after the CDC recom-mended that Americans wear masks outside their homes—as many other countries have done successfully—President Trump pointedly refused to wear a mask himself and mocked those who did. 

This is a failure from the top. Coronavirus itself  is a natural disaster, but America’s deadly, flawed response is en-tirely man-made.

The heart of the House’s impeachment case was that the President endangered national security and abused his power because he could not conceive of a higher cause than his own interests. 

That dangerous pattern has continued, whether con-fronting a global pandemic,

see SCHIFF page 14

see FRIEDMAN page 15

[CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY]

Our Unemployment CrisisBy Assemblymember Laura Friedman

In January, when I re-turned to the

halls of the California Capitol, I was prepared to join my col-leagues in another legislative session with the backing of a vigorous economy and record-level revenue. Then the CO-VID-19 pandemic began its wildfire-like spread through every corner of our state. Prac-tically overnight, the pandem-ic radically shifted the lives of every Californian, and signifi-cantly altered my focus as your representative.

Within weeks, millions of Californians lost their jobs as businesses were ordered to close to prevent the spread of the virus. Now, the Employ-ment Development Depart-ment (EDD), a once relatively obscure part of our state’s ex-ecutive branch, has become a towering and exceedingly frustrating facet of millions of Californians’ daily lives.

The EDD has processed over five million claims this year. Millions of these cases have been processed without major problems. However, there are a startling number of claims that have never been re-sponded to, apparently lost in the shuffle of the millions be-ing processed simultaneously through an antiquated system.

Since the beginning of the crisis, my office has had people from every walk of life reach out to us for help with un-employment claims that have gone awry—entertainment industry professionals, restau-rant servers, business owners, travel agents, therapists and even silversmiths.

We have helped hun-dreds of constituents navigate the notoriously complex and glitch riddled EDD bureau-cracy. Many of our constitu-ents are weeks or days away from financial ruin.

The problems are many: people can’t reach EDD staff over the phone, mysterious errors prevent people from reporting wages and then there’s mail and information that is never received, just to name a few.

Among the most egre-gious problems with the de-partment is what my office is calling the “identity verifica-tion black hole.” This is when the EDD demands claimants send documents within 10 days verifying their identity, only to disqualify them be-cause it takes the department longer than 10 days to process the response.

These constituents are hard-working, creative, dedi-cated people who I consider myself lucky to represent. They

contribute to society, pay their taxes, enrich our community and are being left completely high-and-dry by an agency that doesn’t seem to know that they exist. I have run out of patience with EDD’s incom-petence.

I’ve reached out directly to the governor and California’s Labor and Workforce Devel-opment Secretary Julie Su, and I’ve joined my colleagues in pushing for these issues to be resolved. Recently, I wrote another letter to the governor urging the administration to solve the identity verification black hole plaguing my con-stituents. 

My request to Gov. New-som is that the EDD must im-mediately and without delay

Los Feliz Ledger

Page 12 losfelizledger.com August 2020SCHOOL NEWS

Former Los Feliz MOMS Club Forges Its Own Path After Dispute with Parent OrganizationBy Erin Hickey Pinheiro, Ledger Contributing Writer

LOS FELIZ—The local chapter of national nonprofit orga-nization MOMS Club—an acronym for Moms Offering Moms Support—has disband-ed, after the parent organi-zation blocked an Orange County chapter from posting its anti-racism collage, claim-ing such was “too political.” Instead, the chapter will form a new organization to support mothers in the neighborhood.

The organization’s Rancho Santa Maria chapter made the collage, which featured a group of smiling moms and their chil-dren holding signs that spelled out the message, “We stand with all moms and pledge that racial discrimination will stop with our kids,” after the killing of George Floyd May 25th by Minnesota police.

When hundreds of MOMS Club members pushed back, saying anti-rac-ism was not a political stance, but a humanitarian one, the organization returned auto-mated responses saying chari-ties were barred from mak-ing political statements “and, graphics like that collage and

the statements/resources that we’ve been requested to post imply that our members have been racists before now,” ac-cording to media reports.

More than 200 chapters nationwide had left the organi-zation at press time, including

the 150-member Los Feliz chap-ter, which formally disbanded by unanimous vote in July.

“Being anti-racist is not and will never be ‘construed as a political [act],’” read a statement announcing the

Los Feliz moms posed with their children for a July disbandment announcement, holding signs that read “Black Lives Matter. We pledge to fight racism where we see it. Today that fight is with MOMS Club International. – Former MOMS Club of Los Feliz.”

While Newsom did not mention the prospect of Pre-K through 6th grade schools applying to reopen for in per-son instruction, that directive came in a footnote to 5-page document released by the Cal-ifornia Dept. of Public Health also on July 17th.

In order for a school or a school district to reopen, the county where they are located must be off the monitoring list for 14 consecutive days. 

Waivers will be evaluated, according to the state’s health department, if they are request-ed by an administrative head, like a superintendent or head-master, and are “in consultation with labor, parent and commu-nity organizations.”

A request for clarifica-tion regarding the meaning of “community organization” was not returned by state of-ficials.

Rules changing with the start of the school year only weeks away left some educa-tors irked for answers.

Ronald Dauzat, the head-master at Ribet Academy, said he was told he could apply for a waiver around the third week of July. He expressed frustration recently, saying he tried to contact the county for

hours July 24th and instead got the runaround.

“I was transferred numer-ous times,” said Dauzat, “be-cause no one was aware of the [waiver] program.” 

At press time, Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the county’s top health official, said the county was still waiting for information and clarification from the state on the waiver program.

According to the state’s document on the issue, a de-cision to grant such a waiver would be made by local health officers, in this case, Los Ange-les County, who would receive “community epidemiological data, consider other public health interventions and con-sult with [the California Dept. of] Public Health.”

National attention is now on the issue of schools reopen-ing, while at the same time numerous states have seen COVID-19 cases and hospi-talizations rise. All schools in Los Angeles County, like much of the nation, closed in March and switched to re-mote, online learning only, to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. 

In hindsight, some dis-tricts like Los Angeles Uni-fied, have said online learning

WAIVER from page 1

see MOMS page 15 see WAIVER page 13

Los Feliz Ledger

August 2020 losfelizledger.com Page 13SCHOOL NEWS

smileandwonder.com

Speech. Occupational. Behavior Therapy

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Artists Wanted for Racial Equity Poster Contest, Students Welcome

“Hope for Unity, an art competition seeking poster de-signs to promote peace and ra-cial equity, is seeking submis-sions for an October exhibit at Silver Lake’s Neutra Museum and Gallery and in the win-dows of local businesses and community organizations.

The inaugural contest, timed to mark Diversity Month, was created by Steve Meek of the Los Feliz and Sil-ver Lake Community Guide and will be sponsored by Baller Art Ware. Neutra Art Curator Dulce Stein will host.

According to Meek, the contest was inspired by recent peaceful protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd by police on May 25th.

“We need to keep this im-

portant dialogue alive, espe-cially in challenging times,” he said. “And we hope that this will provide a thought-provok-ing, creative summer project for students and adults alike during self-isolation. The added loss we are experiencing due to the pan-demic reminds us how much we share in common.”

The top three artists will receive cash awards, with ad-ditional gift certificates for top student participants. 

Submissions should be 18” x 24” on canvas or illus-tration board and are due by September 19th.

To submit a poster design, email an image of your artwork and contact info to: DulceStein@yahoo.com

WAIVER from page 12

could have been done better. Many students, the district reported, never logged in each day or failed to turn in work. Ultimately, LAUSD negated grades for much of the course-work last spring.

“It is critically important for our public health to open schools this fall,” said Center for Disease Control Director

Dr. Robert R. Redfield, July 23rd in a released statement, which included guidance it said allowed for schools to re-open safely. 

“The CDC resources re-leased today will help parents, teachers and administrators make practical, safety-focused decisions as this school year begins. I know this has been a difficult time for our nation’s families. School closures have disrupted normal ways of life for children and parents, and they have had negative health con-sequences on our youth. CDC is prepared to work with K-12 schools to safely reopen while protecting the most vulnerable.”

President Donald Trump, who has long advocated for re-opening as much of the nation as possible, also said July 23rd, however, that some schools in the hardest hit COVID-19 areas might need to delay fall reopening plans. He addition-ally said he would direct the federal government to with-hold funding for districts that aren’t reopening, saying those funds would instead go di-rectly to parents, so they could make a “choice,” he said, em-

phasizing “choice” numerous times, to instead turn to pri-vate schools or to assist with tutors or at-home learning. 

Additionally, nine par-ents, including three who live in Los Angeles County, filed a lawsuit July 21st against New-som and other state officials saying California has “placed politics ahead of the well-be-ing of children, and children’s

important–indeed fundamen-tal–interest in receiving access to meaningful education.”

They are demanding schools reopen for in-class in-struction, citing emotional suffering, isolation, discipline issues and a lack of interest among their children during the shut down of schools last spring. The complaint also states some teachers never provided any live instruction, but “merely sent work packets to the students to compete independently.”

“California is the only state in the U.S. that is man-dating at the state level that school districts not hold in-person classes, affecting mil-lions of students, rather than leave that decision to the indi-vidual school district,” the 35-page complaint, filed in U.S. District Court, read.

The county’s Dr. Ferrer said the reason for a waiver op-tion is that “with attention to infection control and social dis-tancing you can modify some of the risks in [school] settings. That’s the reason why there was an appetite for making sure we offered a waiver application process across the state.”

In order for a school or a school district to reopen, the county where they are

located must be off the monitoring list for 14 consecutive days.

Los Feliz Ledger

Page 14 losfelizledger.com August 2020SCHOOL NEWS

determining trade policy, defending against foreign interference in our elec-tions,  or  any  other  issue that comes across his desk. The sad, irredeemable fact about this

presidency remains as true to-day as it was in February:

We know we can’t trust Donald Trump to do what’s right for this country. We can only trust he’ll do what’s right for Donald Trump.

SCHIFF from page 11

LFNC from page 3

screens. After I left Marshall, I swung by my own children’s Los Angeles Unified elementa-ry school to pick them up. We said goodbye to friends and teachers and headed home.

One week later, I was meeting with students online via Zoom. It was a relief to see their faces and process the in-formation flooding us all.

Transitioning to online learning was not easy. I had to re-evaluate my curriculum and make choices about what students had to know by the end of this experience. What skills and content did they ab-solutely need? And how was I going to keep them engaged when they were at home deal-ing with the pandemic, family life and endless hours of lock-down?

Within the first two weeks, I quickly learned that students needed space to talk about their experiences, but also wanted our regular con-tent. Thankfully, my juniors were able to pivot pretty well, but those who were struggling in class before the lockdown quickly began to drift away. My freshmen were another

story. These were students who did not have three years of high school work habits to help them through and more of them disappeared.

Calls home and emails to check in with missing students helped me to understand that some were outside the home as essential workers in grocery stores; some were babysitting younger family members;

some were taking care of sick family members; some did not have reliable internet and tech-nology; and some just could not get out of bed or off their screens to deal with school. It was a true lesson in surrender-ing to the moment and mak-ing the best of it for those who could plug into our meetings and complete assignments.

I took roll every day to watch my numbers and was glued to my computer for hours, trying to reconfigure lessons, answer messages from students and administrators, monitor class discussions on the web-based platform “Schoology,” grade assignments and work to make Zoom a safe and produc-tive space. Meanwhile, I was also trying to help my own chil-dren navigate this crisis. Some

days were just so hard. Unfortunately, our fed-

eral government has failed to manage the pandemic and so I was relieved when LAUSD finally announced a decision about Fall 2020. None of the options were good, but at least the option not to open schools in August is safe.

For our most vulnerable students, in a school district

made up of mostly working-class families of color, I know that we need to do better to support them. I lay awake at night worrying about all those students who drifted away in the spring. What will the fall bring for them?

At the same time, I am so proud that our union, UTLA, is advocating for the econom-ic support our students and families need at this time, and is also calling for California’s wealthiest to pay their fair share to support our schools. (We should all Vote Yes on Prop 15!)

We are going to need a lot more resources and a concen-trated effort to keep students learning, to help keep families safe and, eventually, to prepare for our return to campuses.

TEACHER from page 1

is, we aren’t creating an array of entirely new programs from the ground-up. We’re making sure the people who need these services know they exist, and we help connect our neighbors to those services. It costs noth-ing (except LFNC volunteer hours), and it creates a way to educate the community about all our city has to offer—and there’s A LOT.

There are so many pro-grams and organizations out

there for such a wide range of issues; we know we aren’t capturing them all. If you know of a program or re-source that would be a fitting addition to our directory, please drop us a line at info@losfeliznc.org.

And if you need a hand with something, give us a call at (323) 391-3411 and leave a message, or email us at the ad-dress above. There’s a solution out there for just about any problem.

successfully learned how to shoot the questions back with, “Well, why do you think? How would that work? Where could we look up that idea?”

After 17 years in the edu-cation world, the one thing I want my students, the teachers and leaders I have worked with to know is that you should question everything and that one person doesn’t know all the answers.

I want my kids, my stu-dents and the adults I work alongside to always sit in the seat of a learner. The really smart learners always try to find the right person to direct them to the answer, or a new idea, or a new perspective. That person isn’t going to be Mama most days. However, since distance learning started last spring, I find I am working that much harder to find sources for my kids to seek out.

When the lockdown started in March, my boys ages six and seven were no longer attending their local school and my five-year-old boy’s play-based day-care had also shut down.

On Saturday I cried a bit, but that Sunday I rallied. I

could plan lessons that were engaging and fun. Our first day was based on the TV show LEGO Masters, and our day was filled with sorting and count-ing Legos, designing their own Lego creations and producing a how-to manual for others to cre-ate their own masterpieces.

I planned for two weeks, finding a new topic each day and planning activities where we could count, draw, read about and search for that topic on nature walks while I waited for their school to send home direction.

I was getting tired, but with three littles of differ-ent abilities, the themed days were a chance for me to engage them all in joy of learning, even if it meant 8 p.m. was double rum and Coke time for momma.

Sadly, when the plans did come from their teachers, they were really hard for us to adopt.

The plans were trying to re-create a classroom in the home, with activities that were better suited for a teacher and a room-ful of kids that could engage in discourse and add new elements and ideas to the lessons.

I was looking at plans that were worksheets. No

one learns from a worksheet. A worksheet can reinforce a skill, but it’s not teaching. I love my neighborhood school, but the plans and expectations triggered my kids to say, “This isn’t school.” Or “That’s not how this is supposed to go,” or my favorite, “That’s not what my teacher says.” The work-books I put in front of them were a reminder that home was not school.

So I went back to picking a theme and planning my own day. Sometimes the boys got to pick the theme. “Day of pa-jamas” was a big hit. I utilized the resources from school and

sent in pictures of work when I could, but it was hard. I was trying to be a mom, a teacher, planner and wife while also trying to work part time.

I hope when we start up again in August that the teach-ers consider project-based learn-ing or choice boards that allow

students’ thinking to be at the center and parents to support ideas but not lead lectures.

Parents are looking to teachers to lead the charge in thinking about how distance learning is very different than in-class learning and how to bridge that gap. I wish I had the answer, but I’m just a mom with three littles trying to get to 8 p.m.

This is my 17th year in ed-ucation. I have been a teacher, a principal and spent the last few years coaching teachers and leaders. For all you newly appointed teachers (parents), I know that you are scared and

tired and wondering if you are screwing your kids up. I worry the same thing every day. This is new for ALL of us. 

I urge you to be patient with yourself as we continue moving forward in this new world and know that those little eyes are watching you. 

You don’t have to be the best teacher, have all the great-est crafts, or even check for understanding with each les-son. But what you have to do, and I say this to every new teacher is, “You have to love them, FIERCELY,” and you already do that!

Here’s a quote I share with every teacher or school I work with, from teacher Rita Pierson (she has a TED talk that is amazing called Every Kid Needs a Champion): “Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.”

Be kind to yourselves. Be kind to others (from a social distance) and let’s get through this.

Lori Rosales is an educa-tional consultant. She lives in Atwater Village along with her husband Craig and their three sons. Follow Lori and her home teaching posts on Instagram @robrohomeschool

I love my neighborhood school, but the plans and expectations triggered my kids to say, “This isn’t school.” Or “That’s not how this

is supposed to go,” or my favorite, “That’s not what my teacher says.” The workbooks I put in front of them were a

reminder that home was not school.

PARENT from page 1

Unfortunately, our federal government has failed to manage the pandemic and so I was relieved when LAUSD finally announced a

decision about Fall 2020. None of the options were good, but at least the option not to open schools in August is safe.

STREETS from page 2

program was essentially priva-tizing public streets by closing them to non-local traffic.

“I’m all for slowing down traffic on these streets. I’m all for eliminating them as cut-through streets,” Gifford wrote. “However, any permanent so-lution should not be a ‘locals only’ solution (as the current signs declare). There are many superior ways this could be ac-complished, such as one-way streets, turning some streets into dead-ends, etc... which discourage traffic, but apply the same rules to everyone.”

But some just flat out hate the program.

“This is such unnecessary waste of our tax dollars,” wrote Los Feliz resident Phideaux Xavier. “If you don’t want to live on a street, move to a dead end.”

Ryu’s motion will move to City Council’s Transportation committee for discussion after the council returns from its summer recess in August.

Los Feliz stakeholders can weigh in during public com-ment via Zoom or telephone at the LFNC’s August 18th meeting, or by emailing info@losfeliznc.org

Los Feliz Ledger

August 2020 losfelizledger.com Page 15SCHOOL NEWS

New Kindergarten DragonsTK Aqua DragonsBig, Little, Baby Dragons (ages 2-5 yrs.)

We're expanding! Open spots in the following programs:

APPLY NOW / Fill out Steps 1 & 2www.camelotkids.org

A variety of educational classes Little + Big Knights (ages 12 mo. - 5 yrs.)

We're continuing E-Learning through our Little Knights program!

REGISTER TODAY:www.littleknightsla.com.

CAMELOT KIDS CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER

323.663.2064 | holytrinityla.com

• Fully accredited by WCEA and WASC

• Transitional Kindergarten – 8th Grade

• Small class sizes for individual attention

• Before and After-school Programs

• Affordable family tuition plans

• 1 to 1 Technology Program

• Hands-on STEM activities

• Providing a welcoming andsafe environment for all

Returning to in-person instruction with optional distance learning flexibility!

NOW Taking Applications

grant benefits to individuals who are waiting, through no fault of their own, for benefits that are pending because of identity verification. This is a humanitarian crisis.

I’ve also spent the last few months personally calling constituents who are facing issues with EDD, helping en-sure my staff has the resources and information they need to help as many of our constitu-ents as possible, and continu-ing to lobby the administra-tion to fix this. But there’s only so far that any legislator can go unless big structural changes take place.

The state must audit the entire EDD to better under-stand the core issues. But an audit will not fix the immedi-

ate urgent needs of my con-stituents. They need help now. 

You can rely on my office to try and help if you need it. For anyone who is struggling with EDD, or any other state issue, I urge you to reach out to us. We are here and we are ready to do what we can to help.

In a crisis leadership is crucial and there is no duty more important to an elected leader than to serve those they represent.

If you or someone you know requires help, or if you have an idea or question, please reach out to me with any comments, questions, or concerns through my District Office at (818) 558-3043 or Assemblymember.Friedman@Assembly.ca.gov.

FRIEDMAN from page 11

Corado’s death. The two offi-cers who fired the rounds were later cleared of wrongdoing by the city’s Police Commission.

Corado’s family filed a wrongful death suit against the city in November 2018, and additionally requested unedited video footage of the incident, both from the LAPD and Trader Joe’s store cameras. The lawsuit remains ongoing, but the family received some footage this May after signing a confidentiality agreement, according to court documents.

Protesters at the July 19th march carried “Justice for Mely” signs and sunflow-ers—Corado’s favorite flow-er—while speakers called for abolishing the LAPD and the resignations of LAPD Chief Michel Moore and Los Ange-les Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Corado’s brother Alberto, who spoke at the demonstra-tion, criticized Garcetti for

failing to hold the LAPD ac-countable and said that the mayor had not attended his sister’s funeral because he was preparing for a since aban-doned presidential run.

He then led protesters in a chant of: “[expletive] Garcetti.”

A Garcetti spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on deadline.

“Mely was killed because the LAPD was trying to kill a black man. … They were try-

ing to kill a black man, and they just didn’t care who—they fired eight rounds,” Alberto Corado said. “One of them hit the sus-pect, one hit Mely and killed her. Six bullets unaccounted for. That could have been anybody. It could have been anybody in this community who thinks cops are good.”

The LAPD declined to comment.

TRADER JOE’S from page 1

Hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Silver Lake Trader Joe’s July 19th to call for abolishing the police and to commemorate the two-year anniversary of Melyda Corado’s killing. Photo: Erin Hickey Pinheiro.

disbandment on the Los Feliz MOMS Club Facebook page. “To label anti-racism as such is not only misinformed and a cowardly attempt to use non-profit status as a shield, but it perpetuates racism itself.”

According to former Los Feliz MOMS Club President Misty LeGrande, while the Rancho Santa Maria incident was the final straw, the Los Feliz chapter has long been at odds with the parent organiza-tion over some of its policies.

A little over a year ago, she said, the Los Feliz chapter tried to organize a fundraiser for Immigrant Families To-gether, a charity organization dedicated to reuniting families separated at the United States

and Mexico border. “They put the kibosh on

that,” said LeGrande. “…They thought it was political in na-ture because it was during the border crisis.”

Additionally, she said, the organization has long discriminated against work-ing mothers, prohibiting chapters from holding eve-ning meetings, limiting the number of weekend events, and using language that im-plies stay-at-home moms are better mothers.

“Being in Los Feliz, about 85% of our moms are primar-ily working full time, with maybe some freelancers and part-timers and some stay-at-home moms too,” according to LeGrande. “We had al-

ways kind of brushed it aside because it was easy—we were under [the national organiza-tion’s] umbrella, but we were sort of autonomous. It turns out we weren’t the only ones doing that.”

Now, LeGrande said, the former members of the Los Fe-liz MOMS Club have decided to create their own umbrella organization, which other chapters can join.

The organization, called MAEVE, which stands for “Motherhood. Alliance. En-

gagement. Village. Empower-ment.” is in the process of re-ceiving 501c3 nonprofit status, and expects to begin accepting new chapters in August or Sep-tember, according to LeGrande.

“A lot of chapters are in a state of limbo” after leaving the MOMS Club, LeGrande said. “They’re stuck in a place where it can be difficult to grow.”

MAEVE will offer pro-gramming, workshops and re-sources to help smaller chapters thrive, with sliding scale dues, “so that fiscal entry is never a

barrier,” said LeGrande. “Moms have their hands

in so many different aspects, whether its economic respon-sibilities or education responsi-bilities,” she said. “As a neigh-borhood with more money and more advocacy, we can model that for other areas that don’t have the same level of advocacy and empower those moms with additional resources.”

For updates on the new organization, visit wearemaeve.com

MOMS from page 12

Advertise in the

Los Feliz Ledger(323) 741-0019

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Spacious 4+4 on highly coveted Cedarhurst Circle. with sweeping downtown views. Gracious living rm & formal dining rms with hardwood floors that lead out to charming terrace overlooking lovely backyard. Well appointed kitchen. Great home office space. 3-car garage. Franklin Elementary School. Central AC/Heat.

3704 Prestwick Drive • Traditional • $2,395,000

Located in the coveted Los Feliz Hills is this gated 4+5 Traditional view home. Fabulous updated kitchen that leads to scenic view deck. Large dining room. Master suite with seating area, en-suite bath and wonderful views. Spacious family room. Stunning grounds. Patio and possible room for a pool.

IN ESCROW in the Los Feliz Hills

1312 Occidental Blvd • Cal Bungalow • $949,000

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3895 Aguilar Street • Glassel Park • $780,000

1930s Traditional home in trendy Glassell Park! Super sweet 2bd/1ba + studio. Freshly painted interior. Hardwood floors. Newly landscaped front yard and spacious backyard with patio. Finished garage + parking in the driveway. Great proximity to Eagle Rock, Highland Park, and downtown Los Angeles.

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3573 Division Street • Mid-Century • $1,043,000

Stunning Mid-century 3+2 Post & Beam. Lovely views. Walls of glass to enjoy the hillside foliage. Dramatic wood ceiling. Large bedroom suite with private bath. Charming back yard. New appliances, central air and heat, plus solar panels. Great location near Highland Park and Eagle Rock. Dunia represented buyer.

SOLD in Glassell Park

“ Laura Moreno is an angel sent from above!! In the beginning of our search, we thought we’d buy a house without an agent. Boy, would that have been an awful idea. Laura consistently provided great insight and helped us through more than a few situations where we fell for a house only to learn it had insurmountable problems. She steered us away from making rookie mistakes. She was open and supportive, never stopped working for us, and truly went above and beyond. She understood what we were looking for and sent us the exact listings we’d want to see. When we went into escrow, she immediately had fantastic inspectors out and had our backs on every level. I can’t say enough great things about Laura, we adore her and are so glad she represented us in buying our first home! She’s an absolute asset in this complicated process, a gem of a person, and A+++ realtor. “

THANK YOU LAURA...109 Kilkea Drive • Miracle Mile • Los Angeles

Keller Williams Los Feliz

2150 Hillhurst Avenue

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Laura Sheehy and Ryan DeNardo, Buyers of 109 S Kilkea Drive, Miracle Mile