ReportWire

Category: Los Angeles, California Local News

Los Angeles, California Local News | ReportWire publishes the latest breaking U.S. and world news, trending topics and developing stories from around globe.

  • Leaders of Influence: Top LA Doctors 2024 – Ravi Dave, MD – Los Angeles Business Journal

    Leaders of Influence: Top LA Doctors 2024 – Ravi Dave, MD – Los Angeles Business Journal

    [ad_1]

    RAVI DAVE
    CARDIOLOGY
    Director of Interventional Cardiology
    UCLA Health 

    Ravi Dave, MD is professor of medicine at UCLA and the director of interventional cardiology at UCLA Health. He is the program director of the Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program. He is also serving as the director of the Cardiac Catheterization laboratories at Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center and director of the Community Cardiology Practices. Dr. Dave’s clinical interests include percutaneous coronary interventions using all devices, treatment of chronic total occlusions of coronary vessels, performing complete revascularization in high-risk indicated patients, Mitraclip procedure and percutaneous treatment for peripheral artery disease. Dr. Dave has been in practice at UCLA for over 20.

    Return to Index.

    [ad_2]

    Kelly Garcia

    Source link

  • Commanders hiring Dan Quinn as head coach, sources say

    Commanders hiring Dan Quinn as head coach, sources say

    [ad_1]

    The Washington Commanders have an agreement with Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to hire him as coach, according to two people with knowledge of the decision.

    The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the team had not yet announced the move.

    Quinn, 53, spent the past three seasons running the defense for the NFC East-rival Cowboys after five-plus seasons coaching the Atlanta Falcons. Quinn coached the Falcons to a Super Bowl appearance in 2016 before being fired after an 0-5 start in 2020.

    He became Washington’s choice after Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, considered a top candidate, told teams Tuesday he was staying with Detroit and the Seahawks hired Baltimore defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.

    Controlling owner Josh Harris, new general manager and head of football operations Adam Peters and Quinn give the organization a much-desired new approach after four years of Ron Rivera in charge turned out to be a disappointment. Harris was committed to splitting the personnel and coaching duties this time around.

    Much like Peters with the ability to hire a new coach, Quinn now gets the chance to fill out his own staff in his second stint as an NFL head coach. It remains to be seen if Eric Bieniemy returns as offensive coordinator, though that’s not expected, and that position on defense is vacant after Rivera fired Jack Del Rio midway through this past season.

    Quinn’s defense ranked fifth in the league in yards and points allowed, helping Dallas win the NFC East before losing in the first round of the playoffs. He inherits the Commanders after they went 4-13, including two blowout losses to the Cowboys.

    Washington does have the second pick in the draft, more than $80 million in salary cap space and the opportunity for Peters and Quinn to handpick the next quarterback for a franchise that has not had any consistency at the position in decades.

    After Johnson pulled himself out of consideration, Washington brass had to pivot to other candidates. Macdonald going to Seattle made Quinn the front-runner, and he got the job over the likes of Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and Baltimore assistant Anthony Weaver.

    Quinn had also been linked to the Seahawks, for whom he worked under Pete Carroll as defensive coordinator in 2013 and 2014 before getting his first chance to run a team with Atlanta. The Falcons led 28-3 in the Super Bowl on Feb. 5, 2017, before losing to the New England Patriots.

    A New Jersey native, Quinn broke into coaching by running the defensive line for William & Mary in 1994 before one year at Virginia Military Institute and five at Hofstra. He worked on staff for San Francisco, the New York Jets and Seattle from 2001-10, returned to college at Florida and went back to the Seahawks, helping them win the Super Bowl in the 2013 season.

    [ad_2]

    The Associated Press

    Source link

  • LA Home Brokers Mull Fed’s Pledge for Steady Rates Ahead

    LA Home Brokers Mull Fed’s Pledge for Steady Rates Ahead

    [ad_1]

    L.A. real estate professionals reported mixed opinions to the Federal Reserve Bank statement on Jan. 31 that the government’s interest rates would stay between 5.25 and 5.5 percent.

    For some agents, the announcement brought relief that the market would hold steady; others see an uptick in transactions. Douglas Elliman’s Stephen Kotler said that no change is better than the skyrocketing rates of 2023. 

    “It’s actually good for agents,” Kotler explained. “It feels much better that we’re not on a roller coaster.” Kotler is CEO of brokerage for the Western Region at Douglas Elliman.

    The Fed announcement was a welcome change from the 2023 market, added Shelton Wilder, founder of Shelton Wilder Group Christie’s International Real Estate in West L.A. 

    “Last year felt like quicksand. But this year we’re having huge turnouts and multiple offers on homes,” she said. “It has been a long time since we’ve had a 3 percent rate. People have accepted rates more. It’s a more active market.”

    Jennifer Lind, Western Regional president of Coldwell Banker Realty, said that mortgage rates would be just one part of  L.A.’s complex market — plenty of other factors influence home sales.

    “We’ve got an affordability problem and an inventory problem — interest rates are just one part of it,” Lind said. “The stock market has been great. For  a lot of our clients, stock prices might have a lot more impact than interest rates.”

    For Stephen Shapiro, co-founder of Westside Estate Agency in Beverly Hills, the announcement was a proverbial nothing burger. 

    “It might affect the stock market, not the real estate market,” Shapiro said. “It won’t encourage someone to buy or not to buy a home. The difficulty is finding a house (buyers) like at a price they like.”

    For mortgage lender Jason Hecht of Guaranteed Rate, the past year was the slowest time in his  almost 30-year career. He forecast that the market is on the verge of opening up. 

    “I’m bullish on where rates will be headed in the next quarter,” Hecht said. “The average 30-year fixed rate loan is just above 6.5, according to [marketplace platform] Optimal Blue. I’m pretty bullish on the average 30-year fixed-rate loan dropping by half a percent by this summer.”

    The Fed announcement should have no effect on apartment rentals, said Taylor Avakian, founder of  Los Angeles-based The Group CRE at Lyon Stahl Investment Real Estate. But the steady-state of lending rates will prove frustrating for people who trade residential buildings. 

    “A lot of people were banking on rates coming down; they had old loans and they were doing capital calls,” Avakian said. “They were kicking the can down the road. Now that a cut won’t be happening any time soon, you’re going to see a lot more sellers — there’s going to be a lot more transactions in the next quarter.”

    Read more

    [ad_2]

    Andrew Asch

    Source link

  • Atmospheric river moves into SoCal, bringing heavy rain and raising risk of flooding: LIVE UPDATES

    Atmospheric river moves into SoCal, bringing heavy rain and raising risk of flooding: LIVE UPDATES

    [ad_1]

    LOS ANGELES (KABC) — The first of two storms expected to batter the Southland began bearing down on the region Thursday, with significant rainfall and snowfall expected Thursday morning and well into the afternoon — ahead of more dramatic downpours anticipated early next week.

    Drivers brace for rain-soaked commute

    The Southland will likely see the brunt of the rainfall throughout morning rush hour, with the strongest downpours expected to occur during a one- to three-hour period “when the primary frontal band moves through,” according to the National Weather Service.

    The first of two back-to-back atmospheric rivers rolled into Southern California amid storm preparations and calls for people to brace for powerful downpours, heavy snow and damaging winds.

    Forecasters predicted rain rates of about a half-inch per hour, with some localized areas receiving 0.8 inches per hour. Coastal and valley areas are expected to receive 1 to 2 inches of rain during the Thursday storm, with foothills and mountains potentially seeing 3 to 5 inches.

    Heavy snowfall in Wrightwood

    In Wrightwood early Thursday, the weather system was dumping significant snow amid powerful winds.

    The first of major back-to-back storms barreled into Southern California and began dumping heavy snowfall in Wrightwood amid powerful winds.

    A winter storm warning was in effect and is scheduled to last until 10 p.m. Thursday in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains, including Mount Wilson, Mount Baldy, Wrightwood and the Angeles Crest Highway. As much as 18 inches of snow could fall above 7,000 feet in the area, with 6 inches possible at 6,000 feet and 3 inches at elevations as low as 4,500 feet. The snow will be accompanied by winds gusting at up to 55 mph, according to the NWS.

    2nd storm on the way

    The “Pineapple Express” – called that because its long plume of moisture stretched back across the Pacific to near Hawaii – will be followed by an even more powerful storm on Sunday, forecasters said.

    The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services activated its operations center and positioned personnel and equipment in areas most at risk from the weather.

    Brian Ferguson, Cal OES deputy director of crisis communications, characterized the situation as “a significant threat to the safety of Californians” with concerns for impact over 10 to 14 days from the Oregon line to San Diego and from the coast up into the mountains.

    “This really is a broad sweep of California that’s going to see threats over the coming week,” Ferguson said.

    Last winter, California was battered by numerous drought-busting atmospheric rivers that unleashed extensive flooding, big waves that hammered shoreline communities and extraordinary snowfall that crushed buildings. More than 20 people died.

    The second storm in the series has the potential to be much stronger, said Daniel Swain a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles.

    Models suggest it could intensify as it approaches the coast of California, a process called bombogenesis in which a spinning low-pressure system rapidly deepens, Swain said in an online briefing Tuesday. The process is popularly called a bomb cyclone.

    The new storms come halfway through a winter very different than a year ago.

    Despite storms like a Jan. 22 deluge that spawned damaging flash floods in San Diego, the overall trend has been drier. The Sierra Nevada snowpack that normally supplies about 30% of California’s water is only about half of its average to date, state officials said Tuesday.

    Copyright © 2024 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.

    [ad_2]

    Marc Cota-Robles

    Source link

  • February storms soak SoCal. How much rain did we get this time?

    February storms soak SoCal. How much rain did we get this time?

    [ad_1]

    Southern California started the month of February with moderate to heavy rainfalls, accompanied by gusty winds and chilly temperatures.

    It all started with scattered showers Wednesday night, but by Thursday early morning, some parts of Southern California saw flooded roadways and hazardous driving conditions.

    The LA basin and valleys as well as coastal areas were forecast to receive between 1 to 3 inches of rain this time around. In mountain areas, 4 to 5 inches of rain was expected.

    As LA County saw heavier rain during the early morning hours, more rainfall was record in El Segundo with 2.12 inches between 12:30 a.m. through 12:30 p.m. Thursday. Agoura recorded 2.13 inches of rain during the same 12-hour period.

    During the same time span, Carbon Creek Channel in Orange County received nearly 2.5 inches of rain while Seal Beach saw a rainfall amount of 2.7 inches.

    Because of the heavy rainfall amount during a short span of time, a flash flood warning was issued for Southern LA County during the morning hours. A flood advisory was in effect in Orange and Ventura counties, impacting rivers, creeks and other flood-prone areas.

    So far this year, the LA area has recorded over 6.6 inches of rain, still below the average rainfall amount of 7.13 inches.

    “We are catching up as the rain continues to accumulate today, and we have another potentially wetter system starting on Sunday,” NBC4 meteorologist Belen De Leon said.

    LA County public health officials warned beachgoers to avoid all water contact through this Sunday because there are potentially higher bacteria levels especially near discharging storm drains, creeks, and rivers.

    [ad_2]

    Helen Jeong, Belen De Leon and David Biggar

    Source link

  • The Closing: Los Angeles’ Top Residential Broker Aaron Kirman

    The Closing: Los Angeles’ Top Residential Broker Aaron Kirman

    [ad_1]

    Los Angeles’ top residential broker cuts a casual figure, but wants you to know things are getting serious with his new venture.

    Aaron Kirman, who’s known for spinning trophy properties while sporting T-shirts and jeans, made headlines in late 2022 with news that he was establishing his own brokerage in partnership with AKG Christie’s International Real Estate.

    “We’ve just begun,” said Kirman, who topped The Real Deal’s 2023 rankings with $1.1 billion in on-market sales.

    He’s added some top names to his team so far, scooping up Cindy Ambuehl, ranked 16th on TRD’s 2022 list of top Los Angeles brokers with $268 million in sales volume and Joe Babajian, a top L.A. agent in the 1990s and 2000s whose career was derailed by scandal (but Kirman calls one of the best agents he’s ever met).

    Kirman balances developing a brokerage with his forte: Selling homes. Bullish on Los Angeles, with aspirations to expand across Southern California’s luxury scene, Kirman sat down with TRD to break down leveling up, the new definition of luxury and why he can’t watch real estate reality TV.

    This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

    Born: Sept. 24, 1978
    Hometown: Los Angeles
    Lives: Los Angeles
    Family: Husband

    What were you like as a kid?

    I had a really bad speech impediment. I couldn’t say the letter R. I also had severe learning disabilities, severe dyslexia. So my younger years were not so easy. I couldn’t read, I couldn’t talk. On top of it, I knew I was gay at a young age, and that had something to do with my self-confidence. 

    What’s your earliest memory of real estate? 

    My parents couldn’t afford to move, but when I was about 10, I said, “Mom, let’s go look at houses.” I forced her to call a fancy real estate agent in the area, and I remember being in her Jaguar looking at houses.

    Around the age of 16, I would break into mansions I knew were empty, because I wanted to see what was inside. I wanted to feel it, and I wanted to be part of that world.

    How did you translate the home visits into getting legitimately involved in the industry?

    As a teenager, I still had really bad dyslexia and couldn’t hold a job. People liked me, but I made too many mistakes.

    I was hired by this guy, Alan Long [Legittino, formerly of DBL Realtors], to be an intern at his company. I got fired from that because, of course, I made mistakes. 

    The minute I got my license, I kind of flourished. The minute I was not working for somebody and had to take responsibility, it was meant to be.

    “When Russia was the big money here 15 years ago, I was in Moscow, I was in St. Petersburg, doing tequila shots with an oligarch.”

    What was your first deal?

    A small little house in the Valley for like $200,000. I did what everyone else did, I hustled and sold one, then sold two.

    What did you spend your first big real estate check on?

    Even when I was poor and I didn’t have a whole lot of money, I always chose to live really well. 

    When I was 17, I went to my mom and said, “I’m gonna go into real estate. No one’s gonna take me serious because I’m too young to begin with. I need a Mercedes, and I need a nice one.”

    She thought I was crazy. But she figured out a way to get me a Mercedes. 

    As I started getting a little bit more money, I would always get the newest, nicest car. But I lived with my mom until I could buy my first condo. 

    A car feels like a very Los Angeles answer.

    It’s different for different people. Once you reach a certain level of success, you no longer have to do it. When you’re young, people don’t take you that seriously unless you have the right look.

    You came up with the rise of social media. What has that done in your career?

    When social media first started, I dismissed it. But one time I was on a plane with a billionaire who was 78 and on Facebook at the time. I’m like, “Oh, my goodness, if this guy is on, I need to embrace it.”

    At one time in this business, it was who you knew and who you had access to, and that’s it. Today, I teach that we can get to anyone in the world through social media.

    It is an added layer of time, energy and money. To do it right is very time-consuming. 

    But you feel like you’re still getting return on investment there?

    Absolutely. It’s an integral part of brand and keeping in alignment with your buyers and your sellers. Also, as a broker-owner, it’s great for recruitment.

    You founded the Aaron Kirman Group under the Compass umbrella in 2018. What’s it like building a team with your name on it?

    I made so many mistakes. We brought on 50 people our first year, and they were the wrong 50 people. I remember losing a lot of money.

    Now I know somebody’s gonna be successful pretty quickly. Half of my assistants are top producers, some of them are selling hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

    You have three offices now, and sounds like plans for more. How are you mapping where to go next?

    We’re not quite there yet. Our goal is to dominate Southern California luxury. So we’re gonna be in all the markets where luxury exists, where there’s room for new entrants. People are tired of the old companies, they’re tired of Compass, tired of Coldwell, tired of Berkshire [Hathaway HomeServices]. 

    Speaking of the new wave, you joined the ever-growing population of real estate agents to venture into reality TV with “Listing Impossible” in 2020. How was that?

    All the shows out there now are all about showing fancy houses and people and pretending like we live these glamorous lives making hundreds of millions of dollars. I wanted to show the real life of what we do every day. The stories we did were hard stories; there were people losing a ton of money on houses that were impossible to sell. We documented that. People can get really rich in real estate and make a ton of money, and people can also lose their shit. 

    Do you keep up with any of the real estate shows?

    I can’t watch it on my off time. A, a lot of them are not real. B, a lot of it is like fakely put together and C, it’s like watching a bad version of my real day. 

    I honestly would rather eat razor blades. No offense to “Selling Sunset” or Jason [Oppenheim.] Just the thought of having anybody in real estate in my bed freaks me out. 

    How do you take a break?

    It’s a week off. But I never just take a vacation. Anytime I take a trip, my husband and I are working. We are meeting developers, we are meeting builders, we are meeting clients, and it makes me a ton of money. Not only is the trip paid, but I make a big check along the way. 

    On top of building those relationships, how early do you typically get involved with a new project?

    The earlier the better.

    Nothing drives me more crazy than bad houses. I hate them. A lot of time, securing the good houses means I have to be somewhat involved in the architectural process, studying the floor plans, the design. 

    How do you evaluate an aspirational property?

    I always do my best to figure out who the buyer is. I always do this completely fake story of what that person or people are looking for. 

    But sometimes people surprise you. I once listed a house, thinking someone in their 30s or 40s with a lot of money is going to buy. I sold it to an 86-year-old.

    The One was a big property that made headlines early on, all over the world. How did you get involved, and did you know what you were getting into?

    That house was really tricky. I was honest, I was sincere about that — I told [developer Nile Niami’s ex-wife] Yvonne, and she bought in. Eventually, though, we were all hired by Nile Niami, and that didn’t work out. He wasn’t a seller, and then it went to a trustee. We pushed the trustee because the house wasn’t going anywhere. There was too much conflict with too many owners. The trustee fired us after we had fought to get them higher. We were devastated. We had already worked on it for like a year and spent a lot of money. Eventually that trustee got fired. So we were fired twice before we even got to market. 

    There was a new trustee, and I remember telling my partners at the time, “Don’t go in with all the history. Let’s just go in with the here and now.” That trustee hired us and turned out to be an amazing business guy. I pitched the auction strategy because I knew it was going to be a complicated sale, so we wouldn’t have to worry about contingencies and all the liabilities. 

    I’m proud of it. It might have been a disappointing number for some of the investors, but the house had no certificate of occupancy and needed $50 million worth of work. 

    You really emphasize marketing and branding. What was it like thinking about that outside image through such a turbulent process?

    Just another day at work. I love marketing and advertising and I love media, where you can tell stories. In order to sell houses, we also have to tell the story of the house. 

    I can never guarantee an outcome because I don’t know what a house can sell for. But I can guarantee I’m going to bring it to all the right people, and that’s going to determine the destiny of that sale. 

    “People smell what I call commission breath. When you have it, nobody wants to be part of that.”

    How do you bring it to all the right people?

    They’re relationships. Part of my history was figuring out where wealth is. I always called myself a wealth curator. I have always chased the wealth. And when wealth is coming into the United States, I’m at the forefront. When Russia was the big money here 15 years ago, I was in Moscow, I was in St. Petersburg, doing tequila shots with an oligarch. 

    How are you making the jump to a new stream of wealth or client you don’t already know?

    I usually know a connector. So I know one person who will lead to the next, to the next. Not to sound arrogant, but I always tell my clients there’s really nobody in the world that I can’t get access to.

    We hear a lot from brokers who, you know, would target events like F1 races.

    I don’t do that. I’m not that social, and I feel like sometimes I’m a little awkward in a room. I’m about intimate settings and taking somebody to dinner. So I stay away from Formula One, but I’ll call the people that run Formula One when it’s not happening and try to get to know them in a different way.

    Have you ever had to get creative to get in contact with somebody?

    You’re not going to get to that guy that manages $80 billion if you don’t have a connector. Sometimes connections happen by just living life. Some of my best connections, I was not trying to get business. I was at the gym, I was eating, I was on Air France.

    If you’re looking too much, people smell what I call commission breath. When you have it, nobody wants to be part of that.

    You embrace the casual approach, jeans and a sweater. You’re not a suit guy.

    If I could wear sweats every day of my life, I probably would. 

    When I was 18, in my first real estate interview, the interviewer told me, “You might want to not wear those jeans again.” I think they were a little baggy. It kind of hurt my feelings at the time, but I moved on. 

    Do you see that translate to real estate or the type of money you’re working with? 

    The days of those glossy white marble showcase houses are done. People want simple, beautiful, elegant. 

    Yeah, I think “Succession” kicked off this term, but it sounds like quiet luxury has made its way into the real estate market.

    There’s reasons for that, right? The world has changed. People don’t like to show off any more. I think luxury has evolved into something that’s bigger and better than it was. 

    [ad_2]

    Ellen Cranley, Andrew Asch

    Source link

  • Opinion: Why is L.A. still letting single-family homeowners block solutions to the housing crisis?

    Opinion: Why is L.A. still letting single-family homeowners block solutions to the housing crisis?

    [ad_1]

    Last month YIMBY Law, a nonprofit, pro-housing advocacy group, sued the City of Los Angeles on behalf of a private developer seeking to construct a 360-unit apartment building in Canoga Park. These apartments would be only for renters who meet the federal definition of low to moderate incomes in L.A. The project was submitted under Mayor Karen Bass’ Executive Directive 1, meant to dramatically speed up the approval and permitting process for 100% affordable housing projects. But recently the city revoked the eligibility of the Canoga Park building for this program following complaints from single-family homeowners.

    This about-face is part of a trend. Last year, the mayor’s office amended ED1 to shield single-family zones from streamlined development — after eight such applications, including the Canoga Park proposal, were already submitted. Those proposals were then denied eligibility for ED1. Some of the projects have filed appeals; one denial has been overturned, but the City Council rejected an appeal for the Canoga project.

    Without ED1, these projects face a discretionary approval process that may involve lengthy environmental review and other delays likely to prevent them from happening. This turn of events may cost the city more than 1,100 affordable apartments.

    Bass announced ED1 as moving “City Hall away from its traditional approach that is focused on process and replacing it with a new approach focused on solutions, results and speed.” The mayor’s stated intention received a remarkable boost via the state law AB 2334, passed in 2022, allowing developer incentives for 100% affordable projects including substantial increases in height limits and allowable density (the number of housing units on a given-sized parcel of land) in “very low vehicle travel areas,” where limited residential development has kept down traffic. The idea is that these areas can more easily accommodate any extra traffic stemming from increased housing density.

    The potential cost savings from ED1 and AB 2334 encouraged private developers to produce long-term, income-restricted units — crucially, without relying on public financing. If the more than 1,100 apartments now held up from ED1 streamlining were built through the standard publicly subsidized pathway, at a typical cost of around $600,000 per unit, they could require up to $660,000,000 in public funding. Privately funded alternatives are a boon to local, regional and state governments that have sought for years to spur the production of so-called “missing middle” housing that is affordable to working-class and middle-income households.

    Yet now this progress is in question, just as the power of these complementary city and state reforms has begun to emerge. The lawsuit concerning the Canoga Park building may result in one or more of the halted projects being built eventually, and the state has suggested that the city erred in revoking their ED1 eligibility. But even if these projects get approved, since ED1 now excludes the single-family neighborhoods that make up approximately three-quarters of residential land in L.A., they would mark an end rather than a beginning to similar development.

    Some residents of these neighborhoods say that’s only fair. According to Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, for homeowners affected by new apartments, “their property value is going to get cut in half, they’re going to have a big shadow over their place.”

    As it happens, I can speak personally to these concerns. I am the owner and resident of a unit in a small rowhouse condo development on the Westside located directly across the street from an ongoing project converting a single-family home into a multi-unit apartment building.

    My neighbors and my family are losing a good deal of sunlight throughout the day from the new building. Our street has been a cacophonous, messy construction site for so long it’s hard to remember what it was like before.

    But I know that this is what solving the housing crisis looks like: A single parcel that previously housed one family is being transformed into apartments for perhaps 15 to 25 people, with units reserved for low-income households. Like those in the contested ED1 projects, these affordable units won’t require public funding.

    There is simply no way to solve our housing crisis without throwing shade in some single-family residential areas. We might have to increase traffic in some neighborhoods, too, though providing more housing in jobs-rich West L.A. could ultimately reduce traffic by allowing people to live closer to where they work. As for property values, multiple studies have shown that low-income housing does not substantially reduce them, including in high-cost neighborhoods, and often increases them.

    Some constituencies will always oppose development. Local policymakers who are serious about solving our dual crises of housing affordability and homelessness have to take a hard look at how much political capital they are willing to spend to create effective policies in the face of such objections.

    If we can’t build fully affordable projects that don’t drain government coffers even on the edges of land zoned for single-family residences, then Angelenos should prepare for a permanent housing crisis.

    But if this sounds like the wrong direction for the city, Bass and the City Council should fully commit to protecting and expanding innovative policy such as the original ED1, without categorical exclusions for single-family neighborhoods, and AB 2334. Mechanisms that convince private developers to produce long-term affordable housing offer what is as close to a free lunch on this crisis as L.A. is ever likely to get.

    Jason Ward is an economist at Rand Corp. and the co-director of the Rand Center on Housing and Homelessness.

    [ad_2]

    Jason Ward

    Source link

  • Burbank Crime Report – January 31 Edition

    Burbank Crime Report – January 31 Edition

    [ad_1]

    The Burbank Police Department has been actively responding to a range of criminal activities over the past few days. Here’s a detailed chronology of the recent incidents:

    January 24, 2024

    • Vehicle Break-In/Theft: At 7:15 PM, a vehicle break-in was reported at 4200 Block W Kling ST.

    January 25, 2024

    • Motor Vehicle Theft: A vehicle was reported stolen at 7:30 PM at 2600 Block W Oak ST.
    • Vandalism: At 5:30 PM, a vandalism incident occurred at 200 Block W Olive AV.
    • Theft/Larceny: A theft was reported at 8:30 AM at 1700 Block N Victory PL and at 4:30 AM at 0 Block W Olive AV.

    January 26, 2024

    • DUI: At 3:21 AM, a DUI incident occurred at 700 Block N First ST.
    • Motor Vehicle Theft: Vehicle thefts were reported at 6:20 AM and 6:10 AM at 600 Block N Screenland DR.
    • Fraud: At 9:00 AM, a fraud incident was reported at 3800 Block W Riverside DR.
    • Theft/Larceny: Thefts occurred at 12:05 PM at 1400 Block N Victory PL and at 2:11 PM at 200 Block E Cypress AV.
    • Fraud: Another fraud incident was reported at 9:10 PM at 1600 Block N Victory PL.

    January 27, 2024

    • Burglary: A burglary occurred at 5:12 AM at 400 Block Irving DR.
    • Theft/Larceny: A theft was reported at 8:16 AM at 1300 Block N Victory PL.
    • Drugs/Alcohol Violations: At 3:40 AM, a violation was reported at N Buena Vista ST/N Glenoaks BL.
    • Theft/Larceny: A theft occurred at 1:20 AM at 2000 Block N Ontario ST.

    January 28, 2024

    • DUI: DUI incidents were reported at 2:12 AM at N Buena Vista ST/N San Fernando BL and at 1:56 PM at N Hollywood WY/W Alameda AV.
    • Vandalism: Vandalism occurred at 5:14 AM at 800 Block N Victory BL and at 9:31 AM at 3700 Block W Magnolia BL.
    • Motor Vehicle Theft: Vehicle thefts were reported at 11:30 AM and 11:46 AM at N Glenoaks BL/Birmingham RD.
    • Theft/Larceny: Thefts occurred at 4:00 PM at 1600 Block N Victory PL and at 8:30 PM at 600 Block E Magnolia BL.
    • Assault: An assault was reported at 11:22 PM at N Kenneth RD/N Myers ST.

    January 29, 2024

    • Assault: Assaults were reported at 9:30 AM at 300 Block N Maple ST and at 10:20 AM at 900 Block N Third ST.
    • Theft/Larceny: Thefts occurred at 11:50 AM at 500 Block N First ST, at 1:08 PM at 1300 Block N Victory PL, and at 6:50 PM at 100 Block E Orange Grove AV.
    • Vandalism: A vandalism incident was reported at 2:54 PM at 100 Block E Angelino AV.
    • DUI: At 2:39 AM, a DUI incident took place at 700 Block N Fifth ST.

    The Burbank Police Department is working diligently to address these criminal activities and urges the community to stay vigilant, report any suspicious activities, and take necessary precautions to protect their properties.

    BurCal Apartments8715

    [ad_2]

    Police Blotter

    Source link

  • Troy Terry, Frank Vatrano rally Ducks past Sharks in OT

    Troy Terry, Frank Vatrano rally Ducks past Sharks in OT

    [ad_1]

    ANAHEIM — The NHL All-Star break is coming at an inopportune time for the Ducks.

    They’re hot.

    After taking three of four possible points in a pair of recent road games, the Ducks returned to Honda Center on Wednesday night, securing their NHL-best ninth third-period comeback by defeating the San Jose Sharks, 3-2 in overtime, giving them points in six of their last seven games.

    The contest between the bottom teams in the Pacific Division was tight as they alternated goals until 2024 All-Star Frank Vatrano scored with 53 seconds left in the 5-minute overtime, making the upcoming flight to Toronto all the more enjoyable for the 29-year-old from Massachusetts. Troy Terry had tied the score with 1:01 remaining in regulation before assisting on Vatrano’s game-winning goal.

    The Ducks nearly grabbed an early lead in the opening minute of the game when rookie defenseman Olen Zellweger banged a shot off the piping.

    For the next five minutes, the Ducks (18-30-2, 38 points) kept a dangerous edge about them by pushing the action and creating several quality chances against the Sharks (14-32-5, 33 points), who entered the game feeling good about themselves after beating the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday in San Jose.

    At 2:12, Ducks winger Isak Lundestrom netted his second goal of the season, cleaning up a rebound in front of San Jose goalie Kaapo Kahkonen to make it 1-0.

    The strong start gave way when a tripping penalty on Brett Leason at 5:44 gave the Sharks an opportunity to collect themselves and step into the game.

    San Jose forward Anthony Duclair’s ninth goal, thanks in part to the first NHL point from defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin, cashed in the power-play chance at 6:59.

    Both teams asserted themselves with stretches of sustained action in the opposing zone. By the end of the first period, after each side had two tries with a man advantage, the score remained unchanged.

    The stalemate held until 17:57 of the middle frame.

    San Jose snatched a 2-1 lead on a Marc-Edouard Vlasic slapshot from the blue line that flew end-over-end through traffic, beating goaltender John Gibson on his stick side. The Canadian defenseman’s five goals have all come in the last nine games.

    [ad_2]

    Josh Gross

    Source link

  • Explainer: What is an atmospheric river and how does it affect drought in California?

    Explainer: What is an atmospheric river and how does it affect drought in California?

    [ad_1]

    Atmospheric rivers get talked about a lot during winter in California — and for good reason.

    The invisible rivers in the sky play a significant role in how much rain the state receives and can contribute to some of California’s wettest winters on record.

    But what exactly are they?

    What is an atmospheric river?

    Atmospheric rivers are long, powerful portions of the atmosphere that carry lots of water from the tropical regions near the Earth’s equator towards the poles.

    They’re invisible to the naked eye — the water is moved over the ocean in the form of water vapor, not a “river” in the way we think of them on land. They tend to move through the atmosphere in streams between 250 and 375 miles wide.

    That’s about the distance between LA and San Francisco.

    That stretch moves an astonishing amount of water. Just one atmospheric river can move an average of 10.5 trillion gallons of water per day.

    The strongest atmospheric rivers can move anywhere between seven and 25 times as much water as the flow of the Mississippi River, which is the second longest river in North America and has a watershed that reaches 32 states, according to the national park service.

    According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, atmospheric rivers “are a primary feature in the entire global water supply and flood risks, particularly in the western U.S.”

    How do atmospheric rivers form?

    A view of the Earth using a water vapor satellite shows that moisture in the atmosphere is concentrated over the equator.

    Temperatures at the equator tend to run hotter, and just like in grade-school science lessons, hotter temperatures cause water to evaporate into the atmosphere. Warmer air can also hold more water vapor.

    The circulation of the atmosphere will pull streams of moisture away from the equator forming “atmospheric rivers.” These “rivers” of moisture can be pushed towards land by weather systems.

    Atmospheric rivers play a major role in California’s rain season. 25-50% of our state’s annual precipitation is produced by atmospheric rivers. Rain and snow amounts can vary widely depending on the exact location, timing and moisture content.

    Why are storms fueled by atmospheric rivers so powerful?

    Atmospheric rivers form and move fairly close to the surface of Earth at below 10,000 feet.

    In contrast, planes spend most of their time travelling at altitudes of 30,000 feet or higher.

    This means that, once atmospheric rivers reach land, especially the coastal mountains in California, they move up in altitude from their starting point as they travel.

    As the water vapor that makes up the rivers moves up, it cools with the temperature of the atmosphere, turning into water droplets and — eventually — lots and lots of precipitation.

    What does this have to do with California’s drought?

    Atmospheric rivers come in all shapes and sizes around the globe, and while some tend to point in a mostly consistent direction — there’s one that, according to NOAA, generally comes in from Hawaii and moves towards the West Coast of the U.S. — they do get moved around with the winds like other weather phenomena.

    This upcoming weekend, for example, will start with an atmospheric river pointed at northern and central California. Scattered clouds will make their way into the SoCal area while other parts see up to 7 inches of rain.

    But as the atmospheric river moves south, the storm will bring more and more rain to our area. That’s if they move as predicted, which can be difficult.

    “Now the one note with atmospheric rivers is, because they’re kind of narrow, and they’re very dependent on the moisture coming in off the Pacific, any slight shift in position or timing could have a big impact on how much rainfall we’re looking at,” Biggar said.

    And when the drought conditions are so severe, that change in impact gets noticed.

    [ad_2]

    Jonathan Lloyd and Maggie More

    Source link

  • Teen snowboarder at Mammoth Mountain slips out of chair lift, falls to ground

    Teen snowboarder at Mammoth Mountain slips out of chair lift, falls to ground

    [ad_1]

    ByABC7.com staff

    Thursday, February 1, 2024 4:57AM

    Teen snowboarder falls from ski lift at Mammoth Mountain

    The teen snowboarder dangled from the chair lift for several minutes as Mammoth Mountain employees brought in a net to cushion her fall.

    KABC

    MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN, Calif. (KABC) — In a frightening moment caught on video, a teen snowboarder fell out of a chair lift at Mammoth Mountain.

    The incident happened the morning of Jan. 27. The 16-year-old girl is seen at first dangling down from the chair lift, being held by the other lift riders who were apparently unable to pull her back up.

    She dangled there for several minutes as ski lift employees responded with a net to help cushion her fall. Eventually she is seen falling down.

    “Five Mammoth Mountain employees and eight guests immediately responded and positioned the deceleration net under the guest,” the mountain operators said in a written statement.

    “When the guest slipped from the grasp of her chair mates, the net decelerated her fall, but did not stop it. The guest was transported to Mammoth Hospital for evaluation. Our thoughts are with the guest and her family.”

    An update on the teen’s condition was not immediately available.

    Copyright © 2024 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.

    [ad_2]

    KABC

    Source link

  • ‘Do Not Rehire’: Panel finds Villanueva violated county discrimination, harassment policies

    ‘Do Not Rehire’: Panel finds Villanueva violated county discrimination, harassment policies

    [ad_1]

    An oversight panel has recommended that former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva be deemed ineligible for rehire after officials found he discriminated against Inspector General Max Huntsman, according to records obtained by The Times.

    In the initial complaint filed in March 2022, Huntsman accused Villanueva of “dog whistling to the extremists he caters to” when he repeatedly referred to the inspector general by his foreign-sounding birth name, Max-Gustaf. In an interview with The Times editorial board a few weeks later, Villanueva — without any evidence — accused Huntsman of being a Holocaust denier.

    “You do realize that Max Huntsman, one, he’s a Holocaust denier,” Villanueva told the board. “I don’t know if you’re aware of that. I have it from two separate sources.”

    At the time, Villanueva refused to identify the sources. On Wednesday, he did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.

    Records show that after the department investigated the allegations, a County Equity Oversight Panel met in 2023 and found that Villanueva had violated several policies against discrimination and harassment. By that point, Villanueva was no longer sheriff, and the panel recommended that he “should receive a ‘Do Not Rehire’ notation” in his personnel file. Villanueva is currently running for county supervisor, and it’s not clear how the finding could affect his campaign.

    On Wednesday, the Sheriff’s Department confirmed to The Times that it upheld the panel’s recommendation. Meanwhile, Huntsman said he was “happy” with the finding.

    “I’m glad that Villanueva is no longer the sheriff and, now that he is gone, the facts have been treated in a more fair and objective way,” he told The Times. “But it doesn’t undo the damage that is done when an agency is allowed to operate above the law.”

    Throughout his time in office, Villanueva repeatedly sparred with Huntsman, who was one of the department’s top critics as well as the chief watchdog tasked with its oversight.

    Villanueva leveled personal attacks against Huntsman and eventually banned him from the department’s facilities and databases, saying he was “a suspect” in two criminal cases.

    Huntsman issued subpoenas aimed at forcing the sheriff’s cooperation and at one point launched an investigation into whether Villanueva lied about a violent incident involving an inmate.

    Amid that tension, on March 9, 2022, Huntsman filed a complaint — which he told The Times this week he was required to do under county policy — accusing Villanueva of sending an email “throughout the Sheriff’s Department that was a racially biased attack.” In the email, Villanueva allegedly referred to Huntsman by his full name. Around the same time, during an interview on KFI-AM radio , the sheriff raised the issue again, adding, “He’s dropped the Gustaf for some reason, and there might be a story behind that.”

    When Villanueva found out about Huntsman’s complaint, he in turn told The Times editorial board about it, adding in the new claim about Huntsman’s supposed denial of the Holocaust.

    The editorial board functions independently of The Times newsroom, and the interview — during Villanueva’s reelection campaign — came as part of the board’s usual endorsement process in the 2022 election cycle.

    At the time, Huntsman wrote a letter to the Board of Supervisors, alerting them to the sheriff’s allegations and offering a response. He wrote that Villanueva was “dog whistling to his more extreme supporters that I am German and/or Jewish and hence un-American.”

    Huntsman explained his family’s history, saying his German grandfather had been conscripted into the Nazi army, but was not allowed to carry a rifle because he had previously employed Jews. Growing up during the Holocaust, he said, his father had developed a deep distrust of authority. Huntsman’s father left Europe for North America after the war ended but abandoned the family shortly after his son was born. “He gave me the name Max-Gustaf and so I do not use it,” Huntsman wrote. “I would never deny that the Holocaust happened.”

    During his internal affairs interview about his complaint, records show, Huntsman added that his father was a “piece of work — as a result of the Holocaust.” He said that the “way the Nazis functioned” did great damage to his family.

    “I don’t claim that’s as bad as the Holocaust, but it had a direct impact on me,” he said, according to a transcript of the summer 2022 interview. “So the idea that I would deny the Holocaust is crazy. I have no love for Nazi Germany; quite the opposite.”

    When Villanueva began using the inspector general’s birth name, Huntsman said he believed it was an effort to say: “This guy’s a foreigner; he’s either German or Jewish or both.”

    During his internal affairs interview — conducted by an independent investigator hired by the county — Huntsman also detailed the genesis of his tensions with the former sheriff, which he said dated back to at least 2019 when the Office of Inspector General began investigating Villanueva’s controversial decision to rehire a deputy who’d been fired for domestic violence and dishonesty.

    When Huntsman’s office prepared to issue a report on the matter, he said, he gave a draft to the Sheriff’s Department.

    “When I did that he shut off our computer access and I was asked by people in the county to try to convince him to change his mind,” Huntsman said, according to the internal affairs transcript. “In that context he said to me, ‘If you issue this report, there’ll be consequences.’”

    Not long after that, Huntsman said, Villanueva announced that the inspector general was the target of a criminal investigation, and sent a letter to the Board of Supervisors asking them to relieve Huntsman of duty.

    Huntsman stayed on the job, but his tensions with Villanueva continued.

    Though heavily redacted Internal Affairs Bureau records show Huntsman was interviewed by an investigator in summer 2022, it wasn’t until October 2023 that the county oversight met to discuss the case and issue its recommendation.

    [ad_2]

    Keri Blakinger

    Source link

  • Burbank Commemorates International Holocaust Remembrance Day

    Burbank Commemorates International Holocaust Remembrance Day

    [ad_1]

    Burbank Mayor Nick Schultz presents a proclamation marking January 27, 2024 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day to David Meyerhof, coordinator of the Holocaust Survivor Speakers Program.

    In a somber reflection of history’s darkest hours, the City of Burbank honored the memories of the Jewish lives extinguished in the Holocaust, while paying tribute to those who endured and survived the atrocity.

    Mayor Nick Schultz proclaimed January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which also signifies the day of liberation for Auschwitz-Birkenau, the notorious concentration and extermination camp, in 1945.

    The grim remembrance serves as a stark reminder of the six million Jewish men, women, and children whose lives were claimed by systematic murders during the Holocaust, and the millions more who suffered under the Nazi regime’s brutal enforcement of antisemitism and genocide.

    “The City of Burbank should always remember the terrible events of the Holocaust and remain vigilant against hatred, persecution, and tyranny,” said Mayor Nick Schultz at Burbank’s city council meeting on January 30. “We must actively reaffirm the principles of individual freedom in a just society.”

    Accepting the proclamation was Burbank resident David Meyerhof, whose parents and grandparents escaped from Germany and survived the Holocaust. A retired math and science teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, Meyerhof has been coordinating Holocaust Survivor Speaker programs for the Burbank, Glendale and Los Angeles school districts for eight years, ensuring that students in grades 5-12 learn about the Holocaust directly from survivors.

    KTLA-TV interviewed David Meyerhof about the Holocaust remembrance activities in the Burbank City Hall foyer following the proclamation.

    Meyerhof emphasized the importance of Holocaust education, describing it as a vital history lesson on the consequences of hatred dominating a nation. “These speakers lived through it and they have a powerful message that all people deserve respect, no matter what color eyes or skin they have,” he said. Meyerhof finds great satisfaction in the transformative impact these interactions have on students. He noted that many students have shared how their conversations with the survivors have profoundly altered their perspectives and life views.

    Burbank Unified School District was the first school district in U.S. to have Holocaust speakers, according to Meyerhof. This program, initiated by Sylvia Sutton from Temple Beth Emet in Burbank, was designed with a specific goal: to ensure that every student heard directly from a Holocaust survivor.

    Vice Mayor Nikki Perez expressed her appreciation for the efforts to honor and acknowledge the Holocaust and its survivors in the city. “I’m thankful for the opportunity we’ve had to welcome a speaker from the program,” she said. Recalling her own experience as a BUSD student, Perez noted the profound impact these speakers had on her and her peers. Hearing directly from a survivor is “very impactful and it motivates our young people to learn more…so that history does not repeat itself,” she said.

    California is one of just 26 states that have any kind of Holocaust education in the schools, Meyerhof said. According to a national survey released by the Claims Conference, 49% of millennials surveyed could not name one of the 40,000 ghettos or camps where Jews were slaughtered. And 22% of those did not know about the Holocaust at all.

    Meyerhof’s commitment to education is deeply influenced by findings such as these. He believes that students are most profoundly impacted by firsthand accounts from Holocaust survivors. However, the opportunity for such direct interactions is dwindling with time.

    Initially, Meyerhof coordinated the Holocaust Survivor Speaker program with a roster of 25 survivors. Over the years, as time has taken its toll, the number has significantly diminished. Now, only eight survivors remain in the program, a stark reminder of the urgency to preserve their stories.

    In his address, Meyerhof presented a powerful video interview featuring Joseph Alexander, a centenarian who endured the horrors of 12 concentration camps. The atmosphere in the Burbank City Council chamber was one of profound silence, punctuated only by Alexander’s vivid descriptions. The audience was captivated by the haunting images of the boxcars used to transport Jews to concentration camps, as Alexander recounted his experiences within them.

    Mayor Nick Schultz and Holocaust educator David Meyerhof watch a video featuring Holocaust survivor Joseph Alexander.

    “It’s important for people to see the boxcars, to understand that 30 to 40 people were jammed in each one, for days without food or water,” Alexander said. “I saw people beaten to death, being electrocuted. But I never gave up. I never stopped believing in God. Today may be a bad day but I hope tomorrow will be a better day.”

    “We know how [these atrocities] started—they started slowly but kept going on and on. We have to stop this from the beginning by educating young people to prevent another holocaust,” Alexander continued.

    “This country is on the edge of either continuing as democracy or continuing as dictatorship,” Meyerhof said. He noted that even if young people cannot vote, they can still use their voices to prevent racism, bigotry and anti-Semitism.

    Meyerhof also shared the story of his grandfather, Otto Meyerhof, a distinguished scientist who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1922 alongside A.V. Hill for their research on muscle contraction. Despite this remarkable achievement, Otto Meyerhof was not immune to the rising tide of anti-Semitism in Germany. He and his family were forced to leave for Paris in 1938 as the situation for Jews worsened. However, the Nazi invasion of France in 1940 compelled him to flee once more, ultimately finding refuge in the United States. There, he continued his academic pursuits as a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. (Watch a video of Meyerhof’s father, Walter, discussing Otto Meyerhof’s dramatic escape from Vichy France with Varian Fry, an American journalist who ran a rescue network.)

    “We need to make sure we remember what happened and talk about it with clear eyes and a clear understanding of history,” said Councilmember Konstantine Anthony.

    For individuals seeking a deeper understanding of the Holocaust, two key resources in Los Angeles offer invaluable insights: the Holocaust Museum Los Angeles and the Museum of Tolerance. Both institutions provide a wealth of information and exhibits that delve into the historical events of the Holocaust, offering visitors a poignant and educational experience. These museums not only chronicle the tragic events and stories of survivors but also serve as powerful reminders of the importance of tolerance and the dangers of unchecked hatred in society.

    [ad_2]

    Lynn Lipinski

    Source link

  • UCLA’s Lauren Betts ‘day to day’ with no updates on absence

    UCLA’s Lauren Betts ‘day to day’ with no updates on absence

    [ad_1]

    WESTWOOD — UCLA women’s basketball head coach Cori Close on Wednesday offered a guarded update on center Lauren Betts, who has missed the Bruins’ past two games for “undisclosed medical” reasons.

    “She practiced a little bit today,” Close said. “She’s day to day and we’re starting to reintegrate her a little bit.”

    Close didn’t go into details on the extent of Betts’ absence, what has caused it or a specific date of when she could return to game action, but she mentioned that UCLA will send out a press release with information Saturday.

    UCLA (16-3, 5-3) faces Cal (13-8, 3-6) at 7 p.m. Friday in Berkeley.

    Betts leads the team with 15.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. The Bruins have split their two games without the 6-foot-7 sophomore – pulling away from Washington on Friday before falling behind against Washington State and coming up short Sunday to drop them five spots in the AP poll to No. 7.

    The focus now is on leaning into the strengths of their guards until Betts can return.

    [ad_2]

    Aaron Heisen

    Source link

  • Street racing crash in Canoga Park leaves 1 dead; hit-and-run driver sought

    Street racing crash in Canoga Park leaves 1 dead; hit-and-run driver sought

    [ad_1]

    CANOGA PARK, Calif. (KABC) — A street racing crash left one person dead early Wednesday morning after one driver rear-ended another in Canoga Park and fled the scene, authorities said.

    The violent collision occurred shortly after 1 a.m. in the 6800 block of North Topanga Canyon Boulevard, near the Vanowen Street intersection.

    Two drivers were street racing in southbound lanes when one vehicle struck the other, causing the second driver to lose control and slam into a pole, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department said.

    News video from the scene showed that the impact of hitting the pole nearly split the car in two.

    One witness, Theo Georgescu, said the collision sounded like “something exploded.” The sound was so loud, he said, he thought the crash had happened a few feet from where he was. He went around a corner to see if anyone needed help and realized the collision was about half-a-mile away.

    A description of the hit-and-run driver was not available.

    The driver who died at the scene was not immediately identified.

    Copyright © 2024 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.

    [ad_2]

    Sid Garcia

    Source link

  • Joe Kelly surprises fans at Ontario Jack in The Box restaurant

    Joe Kelly surprises fans at Ontario Jack in The Box restaurant

    [ad_1]

    Dodger fans in the Inland Empire were in for a treat at an area fast-food restaurant when pitcher Joe Kelly made an appearance for a meet and greet.

    The athlete started his day Wednesday at his alma mater, Corona High School, to lift spirits at a pep rally. While still in the Inland Empire, Kelly then stopped by an Ontario Jack in the Box for a surprise photo op with fans.

    Decked out with blue and white balloons, the fast-food restaurant made a warm welcome for the pitcher and had a grass-like backdrop for photos. Once word spread about Kelly’s appearance, several fans formed a line outside the eatery for a chance to meet the World Series winner.

    Kelly’s trip to Corona and Ontario was part of the baseball team’s “Dodgers Love LA Community Tour” – a weeklong effort from the team’s players, staff and alum to service Los Angeles and its greater region.

    “This year, we are producing one dozen impactful events all intended to provide memorable experiences that showcase the diversity and uniqueness of L.A., to the greatest fans in the world,” Kristin McCowan, Dodgers Vice President of Government & Community Affairs, said in a press release.

    Other events from the tour include volunteering at a women’s center, reading with children, an animal shelter visit and more.

    [ad_2]

    Karla Rendon

    Source link

  • Leaders of Influence: Top LA Doctors 2024 – Andrew Herzik, MD – Los Angeles Business Journal

    Leaders of Influence: Top LA Doctors 2024 – Andrew Herzik, MD – Los Angeles Business Journal

    [ad_1]

    ANDREW HERZIK
    EMERGENCY MEDICINE
    Clinical Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine
    Keck Medicine of USC

    During residency Andrew Herzik, MD was selected as chief resident in his final year at LAC+USC Medical Center. Since completing residency, Dr. Herzik has worked tirelessly to serve the community of Los Angeles by providing compassionate care to every patient he sees. In the emergency department, his patients are often in their greatest time of need, and he considers it a great privilege to be entrusted with their health and wellbeing. He has focused his professional career on developing himself as a provider so he can provide the most compassionate and effective care to each individual patient that he sees.

    Return to Index.

    [ad_2]

    Kelly Garcia

    Source link

  • Leaders of Influence: Top LA Doctors 2024 – Elisabeth Brown, MD – Los Angeles Business Journal

    Leaders of Influence: Top LA Doctors 2024 – Elisabeth Brown, MD – Los Angeles Business Journal

    [ad_1]

    ELISABETH BROWN
    FAMILY MEDICINE
    Family Medicine
    PIH Health

    Elisabeth Brown, MD is a family medicine physician at PIH Health. She has been with the organization since 1999, beginning as a resident and later establishing her practice at PIH Health. Dr. Brown is highly regarded by her peers and patients alike for her compassion, thoroughness and overall excellence as a primary care provider always putting her patients first. Dr. Brown is passionate about family medicine, and enjoys seeing patients at different stages of life as well as the opportunity to care for multiple generation families. She considers it a privilege to guide her patients’ healthcare and also participate in their stories.

    Return to Index.

    [ad_2]

    Kelly Garcia

    Source link

  • Rio Properties sells apartment portfolio in LA and Oakland for $30M

    Rio Properties sells apartment portfolio in LA and Oakland for $30M

    [ad_1]

    Rio Properties has sold a portfolio of five apartment buildings in Los Angeles and Oakland to multiple buyers in deals worth about $30 million.

    The Westchester-based firm run by David Darling sold two properties in Venice to Advanced Real Estate; a property in Oakland to Virtú Investments; and two properties in L.A. and Marina del Rey to a real estate investment trust controlled by Ares Management and RBC Capital Markets, the Commercial Observer reported.

    Rio sold three of the properties to tax-sheltered multifamily funds, and traded two properties to a REIT, according to Colliers. Prices for each deal were either not exact or not disclosed.

    Advanced Real Estate, based in Irvine, bought two apartment buildings at 1400 and 1500 Venice Boulevard in Venice through a contribution fund agreement for more than $13 million. 

    Advanced plans to eventually dispose of the properties through a property swap known as a 1031 exchange to defer capital gains taxes.

    “Our plan for ‘The X Fund’ is to gather as many smaller properties as possible, renovate them (if needed) through our in-house renovation company, manage them well, and improve their value,” Richard Julian, CEO of Advanced, said in a statement. 

    “Ultimately, we will sell this portfolio and trade into much larger and more efficient properties. The large properties we trade into will be held in our fund indefinitely.”

    Virtú Investments bought a building through a contribution fund at 612 Mariposa Avenue in Oakland for $10.6 million.

    A REIT with Ares Management and RBC Capital Markets acquired an eight-unit complex at 4034 Redwood Avenue in Los Angeles for $3.84 million, or $480,000 per unit. They also bought a complex at 5100 Via Dolce in Marina Del Rey for $760 per square foot — though its size and final price were not disclosed.

    Apartment occupancy across Greater Los Angeles was 95.3 percent in the fourth quarter, according to Colliers, 0.2 percent less than a year ago. At the same time, average rents fell for two consecutive quarters, though they were 10.5 percent higher than before the pandemic.

    — Dana Bartholomew

    Read more

    [ad_2]

    TRD Staff

    Source link

  • FH One to Convert PG&E Building in Oakland Into Housing

    FH One to Convert PG&E Building in Oakland Into Housing

    [ad_1]

    FH One wants to replace a parking lot of a former headquarters for PG&E in Downtown Oakland with an eight-story apartment building.

    DM Development, based in San Francisco, filed plans on behalf of the Sausalito investor to build a 94-unit apartment building at 585 17th Street, the San Francisco Business Times reported.

    An affiliate of FH One bought the century-old PG&E building at 1625 Clay Street and its narrow parking lot on 17th Street in 2021 for $14 million.

    Transforming the parking lot has been part of the company’s long-term plan for the property, FH One President Daria Hosseinyoun told the Business Times.

    Plans call for an eight-story building with 94 studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments above 4,200 square feet of ground-floor shops on a quarter-acre at 17th and Jefferson streets.

    Hosseinyoun said the firm will not replace the parking, as it aims to create a transit-oriented development less reliant on cars. Parking will be included for five bicycles, according to SFYimby, which first reported on the project.

    It’s not clear if the complex would include any affordable units.

    The putty and gray project, designed by San Francisco-based BDE Architecture, would include banks of floor-to-ceiling windows topped by a rooftop deck, according to renderings.

    The site is close to San Pablo Avenue and a five-minute walk to Downtown Oakland’s 12th Street and 19th Street BART Stations.

    Read more

    The PG&E building, built in 1922, was designed by Charles Dickey, the architect behind the Claremont Hotel and the Oakland Rotunda. It served as home to PG&E until 1975.

    After buying the property three years ago, FH One affiliate Lincoln Village Offices renovated the lobby and offered highly discounted rent to tenants — raising its occupancy from 45 percent to 90 percent in four months, according to the Business Times.

    Office vacancy in Oakland’s central business district, which includes the Uptown, Downtown and Lake Merritt markets, rose to 30.2 percent in the fourth quarter, up from 29.7 percent in the prior period, according to CBRE. Office availability, which measures vacant and marketed space, increased to 33.9 percent, from 33.4 percent.

    — Dana Bartholomew

    [ad_2]

    TRD Staff

    Source link