January 2017

January 2017 Issue Number 327 Celebrating Tour Volunteers Wellington Square West Adams www.westadamsheritage.org WAHA Holiday Tour A Successful Holiday Tour Preservation Matters WAHA's Holiday Tour in words and pictures. 18 16 President's Message Chinese New Year Potluck 23 24 The West Adams Matters newsletter is a publication of West Adams Heritage Association. Members and supporters of WAHA are invited to submit articles by contacting news@westadamsheritage.org. Letters and articles will be subject to space restraints and may be cut for length. Articles will be published subject to the editors. Advertising is subject to the approval of the publishers. Although WAHA appreciates its advertisers, the Association does not accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Services and products are not tested and the appearance of advertising does not imply, nor does it constitute, endorsement by the West Adams Heritage Association. Copyright 2017. All rights for graphic and written material appearing in the newsletter are reserved. Contact the publisher for permission to reprint. 22 A special reprint of an article by Martin Weil 12 You Can't Graffiti a Bougainvillea Radha Yoga 26 Newsletter Staff WAHA membership includes:  * 10 issues of the West Adams Matters newsletter  * Invitations to all WAHA programs, parties, Evening Strolls,   and other activities, mostly free  * Discount on WAHA tours and advance notice of tours  * Membership Directory  * Special publications  * Membership card for discounts on services and products. Join online at http://www.memberwaha.org/amember/signup/index 11 Save trees! Opt for digital delivery only by emailing news@westadamsheritage.org A friendly yoga studio on Washington Boulevard near Arlington Become a member (or renew) Frémont House Update  Join at any level: • Individual/Household $50 • Student/Senior $25 • Preservation Circle $100 • Heritage Circle $250 • Patron Circle $500 • Benefactor $1000 To pay by check, send the following information (Name(s), Address, Phone, and email along with your level of choice) with your check to: WAHA 2263 S. Harvard Boulevard Historic West Adams Los Angeles, CA 90018 4 Inez Mogul 1920-2016 Do You Know This House? Holiday Tour Where's A.J.'s Hat? John Patterson, Communications Chair Reggie Jones,  Publisher & Editor Suzanne Cooper,  Layout & Design Don Lynch,  Writer Upcoming Events 20 The “community” in its broadest sense really came together to produce a wonderfully successful Holiday Progressive Dinner tour this year. What a great way to have commemorated our 30th edition of this wildly popular event. Natalie Neith and Don Lynch took the lead in bringing their Western Heights neighbors together to participate. Don wanted to be sure to share houses that had not been on previous tours, and Natalie earned extra kudos for securing additional houses – one just a week before the tour, when we encountered an unexpected withdrawal AND our hoped-for Dinner House failed to materialize. Thank you to both for all the heavy lifting you provided to allow this tour to succeed. And thank you to ALL the homeowners for graciously opening and sharing your homes for this event. We couldn’t have done it without you! We are also hugely in debt to the participation of outside organizations. KCET’s support as a Community Partner came to us via Board Member Paula Brynen. Our event was provided an extraordinary level of visibility via KCET’s promotion of the tour thru their website as well as digital publications. The synergy of KCET’s current programming “The Migrant Kitchen,” which celebrates the diversity of ethnic cuisine in Los Angeles, gave the participation of our local restaurants an even greater resonance. The event took on a particularly unique perspective as one restaurant after another joined in, and not only offered their unique culinary specialties to our “Cultural Diversity” theme, but went even further by offering to both prepare the course, AND to donate the product as well!! Taqueria Los Anaya created their signature ensalada nopales; Papa Christo's prepared twenty gallons of their wonderful lemon chicken soup; Justin Lewis, Executive Chef at Firestone Walker Brewery, arranged the donation of two kegs of “Luponic Distortion,” one of their specialty brews; and Pasta Sisters prepared an incredible array of items for our dinner experience. The opening and closing acts of our tour were supported, as they always have been, with local resident chefs stepping forward to share their talents. Jeff Valdez reached out to a supportive gaggle of friends who shared their recipes and then experimented in his kitchen, resulting in the creation of a trio of extraordinarily delicious appetizers reflective of African American cuisine. Molly Reiss brought her culinary talents to the fore by creating a wonderful “deconstructed” Southern Fruit Crumble to bring our tour to a deliciously sweet conclusion. The finale of our tour—a Frank Tyler-designed four-plex—was added to our tour literally at the last moment thanks to the generosity of Western Heights resident Chris Carlson. This venue also provided the opportunity for our guests to receive a sneak peek – well actually a sneak sip – of the deliciously prepared Guatemalan coffee served up by Alibi Coffee Co. – again, generously donated. We look forward to their “soon to be opening” café located within the new art gallery complex at the corner of Venice and Western. All in all, an awesome event. I encourage ALL WAHA members to show our appreciation to these fine local restaurants by frequenting their establishments and relishing the vast variety of culinary diversity we celebrate here in Historic West Adams. What great neighbors we have!! WAHA’s Christmas Cavalcade John Patterson was the Holiday Tour Coordinator Photos: Reggie Jones Holiday Tour Photos: Reggie Jones Soup House Homeowners: Henri Khodaverdi and Tina Aghassian Volunteer Spotlight: Holiday Tour Check-In House Homeowners: Larry Leker and Tom Rozelle Laura Meyers, House Captain Chris Eisenberg, Kitchen Captain Jarod Allen James Carey Khalin Chand Carol Chacon Art Curtis David Habtewolde Cheryl Francis Harrington Jane Harrington Chris Hedburg Kim Michener James Mills Hunter Ochs Lanna Pian Caira Richardson Caylin Richardson Lauren Schlau Deb Shadovitz Lana Soroko Marius Stelly Christie Webb Michele Marlene York Beer Haus Homeowners and House Captains: Anne and Dan Hakes Jean Cade, House Captain Chef Jeff Valdez, Kitchen Captain Suzy Adler Audrey Arlington Trinity Bailey Janet Bailey Norma Davis Suzanne Dickson Coleen Gong Don Lynch Vern Menden Miller Rob Johnson John Kurtz Karen McGaughey Paula Phillips Norma Reynolds Heather Robinson Jim Robinson Janice Robinson Steve Stautzenbach Bryan Weston Angela Whiteway Bill Wolfe Janice Wong Candy Wynne Appetizer House Homeowners: Steve Gonzales and Albert Lum Bonus House Homeowners: Andrea Dunlop and Max Miceli Photos: Reggie Jones Don't forget to click on any photo to see more detail. Don Lynch, Coordinator Ansley Bell Paul Brynen Paula Brynen Kathleen Campbell Liz Cooper Rory Cunningham Lora Davis Steve Davis Chris Hedberg Pat Karasick Nick Kasparek Paul King John Kurtz Hilary Lentini AJ Lentini Chris McKinnon Marianne Muellerleile Paul Nielsen Pat Norwine David Pacheco David Raposa Lisa Raymond David Saffer Lara Elin Soderstrom Michael Sonntag Marius Stelly Ed Trosper Addison Wright, House Captain Laurene Landon, House Captain SeElcy Caldwell Ellen Farwell Lyn Gillson Norma Reynolds Flo Selfman Don Weggeman Chris Carlson Randi Danforth Elizabeth Fenner Brian Fenner and Son Steve Garcia Esra Guen Brian Hakes Adam Janiero Brian Jett Bill Judson Katie Larkin Raphael Lieberman Merris Lieberman Jeanette Palmer Jordan Pohl Demitrius Pohl Gisele Sanchez-Rochet Carrie Yutzy Lore Hilburg, House Captain Janel Glover, House Captain Doug Chin Nicole de la Cruz Kim Lai Jones & Daughter Andrew Mahoney Shepherds This period photograph of a Californian home is believed to have been taken in Los Angeles. Is it in West Adams? Does it look familiar? WAHA would love to know for its archives. If you can identify it, please email news@westadamsheritage.org. Molly Reiss, Dessert Captain Jennifer Watson Lindsey Wiggins Dinner House Homeowners: Donna and Doug Hanson Dessert House Homeowners: Chris Carlson and Demitrius Pohl Natalie Neith, House Captain Lisa Schoening, Kitchen Captain Kwesi Ankai Frank Cooper Suzanne Cooper Gavin Glynn Bob Hausenbauer Carolyn Malconian Jane McMahon Jeneal Monique Adam Seid Maxine Toler Tibor Vojtko ChrisAngel (Angie) Walston Jill Wells Do you know this house? Gisa Nico, House Captain Regina Berry, House Captain Alessia B Richard Battaglia +1 Isis Bay Brenna Bronson Eric Bronson Victoria Brown Marilyn Facey Michelle Guidry Robert Hampton Chris Hoo Ari Lentini Tali Lentini Carolyn Malconia John Maroney Jane McMahon Joe McManus Susan Miller La'Nay Ragsdale Rina Rubenstein Rebecca Sekulich Lara Soderstrom Roland Souza ChrisAngel (Angie) Walston Mary Wayment Jill Wells Salad House Homeowners: Paul Deppe and Cecilia Uribe Exercise in West Adams Radha Yoga Radha Yoga offers a variety of classes suited to everyone, regardless of flexibility and level of fitness, at their new studio in a Deco-era building at 2525 West Washington Boulevard, Unit 201 (2nd floor). Classes range from gentle and restorative to very challenging. It's a friendly, welcoming place to fulfill a New Year's resolution or just support a convenient local business. More information on the types of classes and the weekly schedule can be found on their website, radhayogala.com. Photos: Logan Cooper and Frank Cooper.  Radha Yoga instructors: Juhn Kwon. Photos: Reggie Jones Neighborhood Spotlight Wellington Square Fremont House Update Jessie Benton Fremont’s House  No Longer Lost to History Jessie Benton Fremont’s Victorian-era home is NOT dead, after all. It is still right here in West Adams, looking for a future angel. Last March, 2016, I discovered that the Fremont house – long thought to have been moved to the San Fernando Valley and subsequently demolished, in fact had actually been moved in 1912 to a new site at 3117 S. Raymond, one lot away from Jefferson Boulevard. Designed by architect Sumner P. Hunt in 1891 and located in a grove of three dozen orange trees at the northwest corner of Hoover and 28th Street, Mrs. Fremont’s two-story, eight-room home was presented to her by a committee of women headed by Caroline Severance. Severance mounted an appeal to the “women of California” and a national fundraising campaign to purchase a home for Jessie in memorial to her deceased husband, John C. Fremont. Donors included Mrs. John S. Slauson, Arabella (Mrs. Collis P.) Huntington, Phoebe Apperson (Mrs. George) Hearst (the U.S. Senator; parents of William Randolph Hearst), and Georgina (Mrs. John P.) Jones (also a U.S. Senator). The house featured an unusual cross-gabled roofline that included set of double-peaked gables. Architect Hunt described the house as “Eastern suburban style,” according to a New York Times article published on July 26, 1891. Its exterior boasted a first floor of oiled redwood, with both the second story and the wood-shingled roof itself painted red. Mrs. Fremont had stipulated that Hunt’s design should avoid “gingerbread” details, and the resulting design, which today we would likely label “Shingle Style,” utilized handcrafted materials and made an effort to integrate the residence into its semi-agricultural locale in the University District. Jessie Benton Fremont was the daughter of the famed U.S. Senator from Missouri, Thomas Hart Benton, and the wife of the “Pathfinder,” John C. Fremont. She was an author, abolitionist, suffragist, and political activist (when J.C. Fremont ran for President in 1856, one campaign slogan extolled “Fremont and Jessie, too.") But by the 1890s the Fremont family’s finances were precarious, leading to the gift by the women’s committee to Jessie Fremont. In 1891, Mrs. Fremont and her daughter, Lily Fremont, praised the house, calling attention to their views of the countryside from the distinctive second story windows. She thanked the “ladies committee,” who were continuing to fundraise at that point to pay off a remaining “incumbrance.” After Jessie Benton Fremont’s death in 1902 Lily Fremont continued to occupy the home until at least 1910. But two years later Eugenia Caldwell hired the D.R. Tripp House Mover company and, at a moving cost of $900, relocated the house to 3117 Raymond. I, like others, “knew” that the Fremont home had been demolished. But a year ago, when a home at 3117 S. Raymond was listed for sale in the MLS Multiple Listing Service as having “three kitchens” (in a zone that does not automatically allow three units) and described as being perfect for student housing or even a fraternity (in an overlay zone that does not permit that kind of housing by right), I decided to look up its permit history to see if it was grandfathered in for three units. Answer: no. But what I discovered next astonished me: the 1912 building permit describing its move from 1107 West 28th Street, and, following up, a 1907 permit at 1107 West 28th Street with the owner listed as Lily Fremont. Um, what? Back to the MLS. This time I looked closely at the photos. Here it was, a stuccoed-over, blue-green, general wreck of a place. Miserable, really. But there they were: those distinctive double gables. I compared old photos and current. I sent the set of images to Joe Ryan, WAHA’s resident expert on Jessie Benton Fremont. I sent the photos to Marcello Vavala at the Los Angeles Conservancy, and Christina Rice, senior librarian for the Los Angeles Central Library’s photo collection – both of whom had spent time attempting to research the fate of the Fremont House in the San Fernando Valley, where clearly it does not exist. All concurred: this was Jessie’s beloved home. To further confirm, I looked at the 1922 Sanborn Map for Raymond at Jefferson. Sure enough, it shows those same character-defining double gables. Lost but now found! A mess, and subsequently purchased by a limited partnership, the Bomo Investments LLC. As of this writing, no building permits have yet been applied for to do any rehab of the house, and I do not know its future under the current ownership. But how did the incorrect story – what I tend to call “neighborhood lore,” sometimes true and usually based in partial fact – get started? Back to research mode. After the Fremont House was moved, it appears that a new, more substantial residential structure was erected at 1101 West 28th Street. I do not see, online, a building permit for it. I looked at the 1922 Sanborn Map records again, and that building shows a large two-story balcony entrance, along with a bay window at its southwest elevation – not the same building outline as the Fremont house. In 1939, several permits for additions and alterations to that residence were applied for, and the current apartment building on the parcel appears to be possibly a version, albeit much altered, of the residence seen on the 1922 Sanborn Map. That same year, 1939, another house-moving permit was acquired, this time to move a four-room building from 1101 West 28th Street to 5744 Ethel, in the San Fernando Valley. So a residence was lifted off of its foundation at the site of Mrs. Fremont’s home. It just wasn’t her home. Laura Meyers is a longtime journalist and historian, specializing in house genealogy and local history. She is a member of the WAHA Board and coordinates WAHA’s annual Living History Tour at Angelus Rosedale Cemetery, where Jessie Benton Fremont is interred. Jean Frost is the current Preservation Committee Chair. Contact her at preservation@westadamsheritage.org. 2016 Ends with a Preservation Win Sometimes you have to stop a bad idea to make way for a good one to come along. It has been a very long road for WAHA and its Preservation Committee, and our attorneys, friends and colleagues to see what began as a fight for adequate environmental review culminate in a development that will embrace historic standards and adaptively re-use historic buildings. This success has been achieved at the Roger Williams Baptist Church and Bishop Mansion site consisting of five parcels at 1342 West Adams Boulevard. One of the hardest things in preservation advocacy is to arrive at some positive closure. In this instance, time allowed the developer, the owner, WAHA and the community to come together and, after frank and open discussion at a series of meetings, a project has evolved that complies with the Secretary of Interior’s Standards and affords an opportunity for a school use. Both the Roger Williams Baptist Church and the Bishop Mansion will be restored using historic standards. The entry hall of the Bishop Mansion will be restored along with the interior details. At the Roger Williams Baptist Church, all of the existing stained glass windows will be retained and restored, and visible both externally and internally; the Church nave, one of the key character defining features of the Church, will be kept as open undivided space; the southerly stained glass window will be remounted and now viewable externally; and the northerly Rose window will be visible from the nave as well as externally. The Church basement will be utilized as classrooms. In 2013, the City issued a CE for a project which would have gutted the entire interior spaces in the historic Bishop Mansion to make way for 8 apartments with 23 bedrooms for student housing. (There are several levels of review: the lowest, a categorical exemption (CE) which essentially says the type of project has no environmental impacts; a negative declaration (ND) which examines the project and reaches an assessment that there are no environmental impacts; a mitigated negative declaration (MND) which determines that while there are impacts they can be mitigated to a less than significant level; and the highest level of review, an environmental impact report (EIR) which studies and evaluates thoroughly all of the impacts of a project.) The absence of adequate environmental review (and premature demolition of the interior of the Bishop Mansion without an approved project) triggered WAHA’s engagement in January, 2013. At its General Membership meeting in April 2013, the Membership directed the WAHA Board to take all steps necessary to prevent the severe impacts this project would inflict on our historic community. WAHA engaged the services of attorney Amy Minteer of Chatten-Brown & Carstens. The project also would have required a lot line adjustment to provide for the buildings straddling over the existing lot lines. The Project needed parking for the newly created residential units. The Church relied on the existing parking spaces for services and other church-related activities. In the architectural renderings and site plans for the conversion of the Bishop Mansion and its carriage house, all of the site’s parking was devoted to the proposed residential parking needs. No parking spaces were set aside for Church uses. So the remaining Roger Williams Baptist Church complex would have no supportive parking for its viable usage. The City also allowed segmentation of the Project when it addressed the Bishop Mansion residential development without considering the future development of the Roger Williams Baptist Church complex. The City also ignored the demolition of the cloisters, the connective arcade which was created when the Roger Williams Baptist Church was built in 1934 and the Church adaptively re-used the Bishop Mansion for Sunday school and Church services. Once demolition of the cloisters was dropped from the Project, the City held to a CE being adequate. Fortunately, WAHA and the Court disagreed. The site became vacant and derelict. But along the way, the parties began talking. New Designs Charter School entered the picture. The New Designs people were already adaptively reusing historic buildings at Figueroa and 23rd Street, the Slauson House and the Frisby Carriage House. The school management was not scared at the prospect of utilizing historic properties and having to meet historic standards: rather they embraced the opportunity. The Owner/developer (1342 West Adams LLC) became open to the idea of a non-residential usage. Historic consultants were hired (Robert Chattel) along with a new land use attorney (Ellia Thompson). Over months of meetings a project was developed. L&V Architects (Vladimir Tomalevski) created a design that minimized any impacts to the Bishop Mansion and to the Roger Williams Baptist Church. The last critical negotiation insured that the Church nave would remain an undivided open space. Of key importance to WAHA was that an MND be prepared for development at this very complex site. Notice of the Mitigated Negative Declaration was published on October 13, 2016 and comment was due by November 2, which WAHA provided. The project was presented to the Design Review Board and Planning Director at a public hearing on October 16, 2016 to positive reactions from everyone in attendance - one of those rare public hearings where everyone was smiling. On December 15, City Planning’s Office of Historic Resources issued a strictly conditioned Certificate of Appropriateness for the new Project. We are finally reaching closure and anticipate a charter school utilizing all five parcels as a wonderful learning site, creating opportunities for young people to learn in a historic setting for generations to come. Preservation Matters Where's AJ's hat? Western Heights, my friends, on a special holiday edition of WAHA Dudes Do Dinner. Tonight's feature presentation stars Santa AJ as your Shepherd, Mrs. Claus [my wife] as the Sweep . . . and 45 wide-eyed costars, aka, the 5:30 Saturday group on the 30th Annual Holiday Progressive Dinner Tour. I'll start by answering the age-old question that you didn't ask, "Santa AJ, what exactly does a Shepherd do?" Well, it's a massively important job that includes NOT tripping over my own two feet, NOT saying anything offensive, and, most importantly, pointing. I may fail the first two, but I'm a pro at gesturing with authority at corbels, gables and gaping sidewalk cracks that, according to recent census figures, swallow one out of every three L.A. residents. "But what about the Sweep, what's their deal?" you ask. For that we go to Emily Post-Kellogg-Wheaties, who writes, "A good sweep should gently assist slow-moving tour-goers, politely tap on bathroom doors before leaving each house so all are accounted for, and forcefully conk dim-witted Shepherds on the head for yapping endlessly about the Cubs." "But how do you know when to leave each house, and where to go next?" you ask. Sheesh, with the questions. Lucky for us, each year we're given a set of Shepherd's Notes with information about the houses, the neighborhood we're walking through, and the history of WAHA. They're put together by team of researchers and writers whose work is so solid even I can't screw it up. (Okay, fine, I always do. Shhh.) There's also a meticulous schedule that keeps the tour moving so other tours don't crash into us like carnival bumper cars. Here's a look at our first leg: 5:30: Welcome the tour-goers, lead them happily away. 5:40: Arrive at appetizer house. 5:41: You're late for appetizer house. 5:42: You're more late for appetizer house. 5:43: Get to the damn appetizer house NOW or you'll ruin this tour, every tour this weekend, and everything WAHA stands for. 5:44: Arrive at Appetizer house as the docent chirps, "Hey, you're early. Good to see you." This timeline will rinse and repeat at every stop along the way. Delicious Menu Item(s) #1: The Appetizer House: Alabama Stuffed Mushrooms with Sausage or Spinach, Sweet Potato Puffs, and Mini Shrimp & Grits Spoon. Thanks to Jeff because, damn, delicious. Once treats have been tasted and highlights have been seen, we lead our merry band out the door and on to the next destination. It's this "between the houses" part that every Shepherd/Sweep earns their salad. You must move quickly but not too fast, be entertaining yet informative, and no matter what apocalyptic event goes down, and something will, you must remain utterly unflappable. That's right, flappables need not apply. One more thing: You must do all this while walking backwards and wielding a big flashlight. Or a small flashlight. I don't judge. Delicious Menu Item #2: The Soup House: It's called Avgolemono, and it's a traditional recipe of chicken, lemon and rice thickened with egg yolk. It from THE best Greek restaurant in L.A., the one and only Papa Cristo's. At this point I'd like to give a shout-out to the L.A. weather. Because of you, oh temperate one, Shepherds never have to say things like frostbite, ice patch, or sidewalk salt. Cue Randy Newman. Delicious Menu Item(s) #3: The Beer Haus. Is beer one of the four food groups? It is tonight thanks to Firestone Walker Brewery and their custom-brewed "Luponic Distortion," a mix of experimental hops that blew our collective minds. In a good way. It's usually about halfway through the evening when tour-goers start peppering me with questions. They do this after I say, "Anyone want to pepper me with questions?" Here are some typical queries: Do you live in the neighborhood? Did you renovate your house? What are the current home prices? What are the schools like? What's the secret to your intense animal magnetism? Delicious Menu Item(s) #4: The Salad House: Can you say Ensalata Nopales? Yes we can with mixed greens, pickled cactus, tomatoes and Veracruz Cole Slaw, all brought to you by Taqueria Los Anaya. If you dine there, and you definitely should, don't be surprised to see the WAHA Dudes Doing Dinner at the next table. You'll know it's them because who else uses words like "dentil," "dowel," "pommel," and "Batchelder" in the same sentence. By now you've noticed there are countless moving parts to our tour, so I'll tell you about the man we call John, because that's his name. He's the one who shouldered the herculean task of overseeing it all this year. Yes, the buck stopped there. Imagine a juggler with a thousand balls in the air and 500 people nipping at his heels shouting, "Where's mine, how's mine, here's mine." Delicious Menu Item(s) #5: The Dinner House: Chicken Piccata, Grilled Polenta and Crespelli . . . all prepared with love by The Pasta Sisters. [Side Note: Dear Pasta Sisters, thank you, thank you, thank you. And also, thank you.] The Dinner House is a welcome respite where the Shepherds and Sweeps get to sit down to eat with our lovely tour-goers. It's the perfect time to check in and make sure all of their needs have been met and their wine glasses are filled. It's also when I like to pitch a great timeshare opportunity in Baja. And when I say, "I'd like to" I mean, "I never do" because of Mrs. Claus and that head-conking thing. And that brings us to Delicious Menu Item #6: Dessert: Southern Fruit Crumble topped with just the right amount of chilled cream. Mmm, mmm, Molly good. Yes, YOU, Molly. You nailed it. And finally: If you've read this column before then you know it's a harmless collection of trite similes and mixed metaphors topped with cringe-worthy punch lines. Well, the following is no joke. Behind every WAHA event are countless volunteers putting in thousands, yes, thousands of hours. Time that could be spent on so many other endeavors. And yet, here you are. So to YOU each and every WAHA volunteer, your service does not go unnoticed. Thank you from the bottom of my flappable Italian heart.  Warmest Regards and  Happy New Year, Santa AJ & Hilary [Mrs. Claus] Lentini Where's AJ's Hat? UPCOMING waha EVENTS Saturday, January 28, 2017 4: 00-7:00 p.m. Chinese New Year Potluck The Lentini house, 1626 Virginia Road LA 90019 Join us to celebrate the Year of the Rooster. Bring your favorite Asian food, prepared at home or from a local takeout. WAHA will provide drinks and fun. If you would like to volunteer to host this or another WAHA event, please contact Suzie Henderson at events@westadamsheritage.org. Martin Weil was a highly regarded preservation architect who lived in West Adams. This article is reprinted. Classified Ads —————————————————————————————————————————— To have your classified ad placed in this newsletter, please send your proposed ad to news@westadamsheritage.org no later than the first of the month prior to the month of publication of the ad. One of the most pernicious acts that can affect the health of a neighborhood is the graffiti which covers walls, fences and any surface that can be spray painted or tagged. While painting out the graffiti buys some respite from visual pollution, the sad fact is that the newly painted surface provides another opportunity for more graffiti. This process locks the taggers and the neighborhood residents in an unending cycle. It is clear that painting out graffiti is not a longterm solution to eradicating this problem from a community. In order to reduce the impact of graffiti, it is necessary to explore other avenues that will impede the opportunity for tagging. Consideration should be given to using plants and landscape material in innovative ways to cover surfaces that are defaced with graffiti. Landscape material such as vines, ground cover and leafy shrubs can be used to cover walls of buildings, retaining walls, fences and posts. In addition to stopping graffiti, the greenery contributes to softening the hard edges of the built environment and enhancing the appearance of the street. The selection of plant material for a given spot should consider the environment of the area and the physical qualities of the plant. Environmental consideration should include orientation of the surface to be covered, the size of the planting area, the amount of sun the site will receive, the availability of water and the type of care that can be provided to maintain the plant. While the list of available landscape material is extensive, consideration should be given to plants that are water thrifty, bushy, fast growing and evergreen. Following is a list of vines, ground covers and bushes that generally meet these four qualifications. Plants that cascade can be used at the top of retaining walls so that they spill over the edge. Popular cascading plants are bougainvillea, cape plumbago, English ivy, ice plants, ivy geraniums, prostrate rosemary, trailing gazania and trailing lantana. For covering vertical surfaces the most useful vines are those that cling to the wall by themselves. Some of the familiar clinging vines are Algerian ivy, English ivy and creeping fig. Unfortunately, all three prefer semi-shade. Boston ivy and Virginia creeper do well with direct sun, but they are deciduous. Since there is not a wide selection of clinging, sun loving, evergreen vines, it may be preferable to select a vine that requires support to cover the wall. Bougainvillea, cape honeysuckle and cup and saucer vines are vigorous and add color to a wall. Climbing roses, sickle thorn and bougainvillea have thorns that discourage people from climbing up or over the wall. The potato vine is useful in shady areas. Shrubs that are tall and bushy can also provide protection for walls. Oleander, ceanothus, flannel bush, mahonia, mock orange, and New Zealand tea tree are drought- tolerant shrubs. Hibiscus and Natal plum are also useful, but they require additional water. Pyracantha and Natal plum have spines that discourage intrusion. Buildings and walls that abut sidewalk or paved areas present several special problems. In order to locate plants where they are needed it will be necessary to cut the paving in order to create a planting area. The size of the planting area for different plants varies. While this may not be a problem on private property, it will require approval from your local government to alter sidewalks and install plants on a public right-of-way. It may be wise to enlist the aid of your council person to obtain the cooperation of the city. Books that provide useful information for the selection of appropriate plants are the Sunset New Western Garden Book, Lane Publishing; Trees and Shrubs for Dry California Landscape, Bob Parry, Land Design Publishing; Reference Lists of Ornamental Plants for Southern California Gardens, Philip E. Chandler, Southern California Horticultural Society. These books can be found at nurseries, arboretums and book dealers who specialize in landscape gardening. You Can't Graffiti a Bougainvillea Inez Mogul 1920-2016 Make Jefferson Beautiful 2016 has marked substantial progress for the Make Jefferson Beautiful campaign. $6 million for Jefferson Boulevard! In December, the California Transportation Commission awarded $6 million to the City of Los Angeles to repair sidewalks, plant trees, install decorative pedestrian lighting and build buffered and protected bike lanes on Jefferson Boulevard from Vermont Avenue to Western Avenue. Redeemer Community Partnership (RCP) worked with the City to prepare and submit the application. Jefferson Drill Site Hearing Date Set The City of Los Angeles in an unprecedented move scheduled a public hearing for January 26 on the Jefferson Drill Site to abate nuisance activities at this oil and gas extraction site on Jefferson Blvd. Tree Planting Residents planted 28 trees on Jefferson Blvd. and the surrounding community. RCP applied for and received a $5,000 from North Area Neighborhood Development Council (NANDC), $3,000 from the Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative, and partnered with the Korean Youth Community Center (KYCC) to water and maintain the trees. CalTrans approves $6 million Make Jefferson Beautiful was selected 8th out of 486 applications for the California Active Transportation Fund! The funds will go towards buffered and protected bike lanes, decorative pedestrian lighting, sidewalk repairs, planted median, curb extensions, and street trees. End Neighborhood Drilling Six months ago we filed an unprecedented Nuisance Abatement Petition for the Jefferson Drill Site to impose protective conditions afforded to wealthy West side neighborhoods with drilling sites. The Zoning Administrator's office has indicated that the hearing will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 26, 2017 at Los Angeles City Hall, 200 North Spring Street, Room 1020. This hearing will be a critical opportunity for our community to provide testimony and evidence to the noise, fumes, and nuisances this site has imposed on adjacent neighbors for far too long. Inez Mogul at 18. Inez Mogul and siblings, circa 1931. As we go to press we have learned of the passing of WAHA resident Inez Mogul on December 16, 2016. Inez was born on December 3, 1920 in New York, and was very well-known at WAHA events as her beloved daughter, Mitzi Mogul, is a long-time WAHA member, resident of West Adams, and member of our preservation committee. Inez was a thoughtful, caring woman, always interested in others, and was loved and appreciated by everyone who knew her. For many years she has attended WAHA events and it is to her credit that she even attended the most recent WAHA gathering, just days prior to her passing. She enjoyed everyone, and to the end retained her intelligence, wit, memory, and her gift for entertaining others with her stories of her past. She was truly a fixture in West Adams, even though she didn't live here full time until only the last few years. WAHA and its members express their sincere condolences to her daughter, Mitzi, and son, Joel, in the sad loss of their mother. It will be a long time before we enjoy someone the likes of Inez Mogul again. Photos courtesy of Mitzi March Mogul Inez Mogul at this year's WAHA party. John Kurtz can be reached at president@westadamsheritage.org. Lentini Design & Marketing Wins 10 National Design Awards Lentini Design and Marketing recently won ten more national design awards from the esteemed GDUSA Magazine (Graphic Design USA), bringing their total national design awards to 117 thus far. WAHA has been the beneficiary of their design skills for years in the form of our website, newsletter and tour brochures. We are pleased to see their talents recognized on a national scale. The 2016 WAHA HOLIDAY TOUR was one of the most successful ever. About 450 tickets to the progressive dinner part of the tour were sold and about 50 additional tickets for the walking tour were, so we had 500 paid tickets. Special thanks goes out to KCET for being our media sponsors. It’s the first time we have ever teamed with them and I hope we can continue to do that in the future. Our fabulous food donors also need to be mentioned for special thanks, Papa Cristo's for the soup course, Los Anaya for the salad course and Pasta Sisters for the main course. A super-duper extra-special thank you goes out to all the homeowners who opened their houses and shared them with us over two days. First the check-in house with Larry Leker and Tom Rozelle , Steve Gonzalez and Albert Lum who were the appetizer house, Andrea Dunlop and Max Miceli who were the bonus house, Henri Khodaverdi and Tina Aghassian who were the soup house, Dan & Anne Hakes who were the beer house, Paul Deppe and Cecilia Uribe who were the salad house, Doug & Donna Hanson who were the dinner house and finally Chris Carlson and Demetrius Pohl for the two dessert apartments. Our Official Organizing Operators, John Patterson and Jeff Valdez, once again pulled a fantastic tour together, thank you John & Jeff. Thanks goes out to Don Lynch and Natalie Neith for being the Western Heights representatives who helped line up the tour houses, write docent notes and staff the houses. Our Ever Efficient and Everywhere Lisa Raymond gets thanks for doing just about a little of everything, everywhere all weekend. Thanks to all the people who did the research & docent notes, all the house Captains, all the shepherds, all the docents and all the servers and all the kitchen help. Profuse gratitude goes out to the hundreds of volunteers who made this tour happen. Whether you were a front porch docent, washing dishes in the kitchen, leading a tour, picking up dirty plates & glasses or were already mentioned……with you all, we made the tour a huge success and our major fundraiser for the year. Thank you all, Thank You, THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!! One of WAHA’s highest honors, the Bortfeld Award, named after WAHA co-founder Bob Bortfeld, is presented to a member who has given special service to the community. It is given to a member in good standing who demonstrates: consistent and visible leadership in WAHA and the preservation community an obvious commitment to preservation leadership in deed, not just title notable accomplishments/contributions over a range of activities, not just in one particular activity ability to bring people together to address issues and resolve problems For 2016 this award is presented to Eric Bronson, who came out from Michigan to be the Dinner House Kitchen Captain on the tour, once again I might add. Here is the letter written nominating him for this award: I nominate Eric Bronson for the Bortfeld Award. Although Eric has previously won the Martin Weil award, I think he is eminently qualified for this premier award of West Adams Heritage Association. Eric has served on the West Adams board of directors for over 10 years, including the year he left to run the family farm in Michigan. While living in the Harvard Heights section of West Adams with his wife Darby and 3 young (now going to college) children, he bought and restored four houses in that area. They still own three of the houses. Even after moving to Michigan, he came back to be our head chef for the Holiday Tour where he has been the head chef for many years with only one or two years off for good behavior and because he was out of the state. He has organized a dinner crew for the Holiday Tour which exists today and would follow him anywhere, except not Michigan. He has always been ready to help his neighbors and those who are trying to restore their homes by offering items from his stock of historic building materials salvaged for reuse and rehabilitation, such as windows, doors and hardware. In addition, he has loaned out his tools to those in need. He organized the painting of a home cited for its condition where the homeowner could not afford to paint it. Eric continues to be active in preservation, having bought an old library in Union City, Michigan, which he adapted for reuse into a commercial building and restored its tin ceiling and brick construction. The family home, which he and Darby purchased in Marshall, Michigan and moved into, is a Victorian which they also restored. Clearly Eric still has roots in West Adams and I would like to acknowledge his contribution to our community and give him and his family yet another a reason to visit by awarding him this honor from West Adams. Respectfully submitted, Lore Hilburg President's Message Benefactor Circle Lore Hilburg and Reggie Jones Patron Circle Craig Bartelt & Nick Mercado Ellen Farwell John Kurtz Hilary & A.J. Lentini Hunter Ochs & Kim Michener Ivy Pochoda & Justin Nowell Maryanne Sawoski Ed Trosper & David Raposa Heritage Circle Edy & George Alva Barbara Bestor & Tom Stern David Bottjer & Sarah Bottjer Jean Cade Robert Cresswell Lisa Ellzey & Jeff (Ulrik) Theer Friends of Hazy Moon Zen Center Blake McCormick Jim & Janice Robinson David Saffer Elvie Tuttle Transitioning from Paper to Digital As you know, one of our major goals this calendar year is to transition the WAHA Matters Newsletter from the printed document you’ve received in the mail to one you are able to read online. By now, most if not all of you have had a chance to review the digital version of the newsletter. This digital format is now the primary newsletter version and will be the source material for the printed version AND it includes FULL-COLOR photographs and many bonus features that the printed version will not have. The bonus content in the digital version includes: The ability to link directly to other online content such as photographs, articles and websites for more content, including the WAHA website. Click and enlarge FULL COLOR photographs for easy viewing or to see additional photographic content. Download the newsletter to any device and take it with you wherever you go. Allows printing of multiple copies of specific articles or the whole newsletter if you desire in FULL COLOR. An interactive document that will allow members to participate and share information, events and resources. This new digital format is much less expensive to produce and deliver to WAHA to members, both from a financial and manpower perspective. Every print copy of the newsletter costs roughly $1.70 to produce and about $1.50 to mail. Sending the newsletter in digital format saves the organization between $1,000 to $1,500 each month or approximately $13,000 per year. In terms of the total budget for the organization, printing the newsletter consumes approximately 70% or more of most members’ annual dues. In addition to the financial cost, a considerable amount of volunteer labor and time are required to prepare, label, seal, stamp and mail each newsletter to members. The financial and man-hour savings by not printing the newsletter can be reinvested in preservation efforts, additional web site improvements, tours or events. The Communications Committee is now consistently producing and sending the newsletter electronically to every member with an email address. If for some reason you’re not receiving the electronic format (Do we have your current correct email address?) or if you’d like to only receive the digital edition and opt out of receiving the paper edition, please contact me at news@westadamsheritage.org. As a reminder, you will receive the electronic format through a download email sent by the Communications Committee Chair, John Patterson via his email communications@westadamsheritage.org. Thanks Reggie Jones Preservation Circle Board of Directors Officers John Kurtz, President 323-732-2990 Jean Frost  Vice-President, Preservation Suzanne Henderson 323-731-3900  Vice-President, Events Jean Cade, Treasurer 323-737-5034 Paula Brynen, Secretary 323-936-7285 Board Members Regina Berry 323-333-0175 SeElcy Caldwell 323-292-8566 Jim Childs 213-747-2526 Lore Hilburg 323-934-4443 Janel Glover Laura Meyers 323-737-6146 John Patterson 213-216-0887 Roland Souza 323-804-6070 Jeff Theer 323-964-9999 Candy Wynne 323-735-3749  Advisor Harold Greenberg Legal Advisor 323-732-9536 Barbara Bestor & Tom Stern Adam Bialow & Paul Yang Michael & Ashley Boardman Oliver Dallmer & Lindsay Hendrickson Steve Gonzalez & Albert Lum Donna & Doug Hanson Henri Khodaverdi & Tina Aghassian Jason Kirkham & Rachel Kashon Larry Leker & Tom Rozelle Lyndon & Myra Parker Jean Pryor Raehan & Shannon Qureshi Cecilia Uribe & Paul Deppe Harry Anderson & Terry Bible Audrey Arlington Albert Aubin Jeffrey & Patricia Baum Regina Berry Paula & Paul Brynen Odel Childress & Donald Weggeman Clare & Michael Chu Rory Cunningham & David Pacheco Art Curtis & Shelley Adler Suzanne Dickson & Steven Stautzenbach James Downey & James Waller Andrea Dunlop & Max Miceli Nazelie Elmassian Sarah and Charles Evans Craig Fajnor Elizabeth Fenner & Brian Robinson Jean Frost & Jim Childs Sharon Hartmann Donald & Suzanne Henderson Sophie Jefferies Amanda & Tomas Jegeus Patricia Judice Patricia Karasick & Christopher McKinnon Kevin Keller & Marc Choueiti Paul King & Paul Nielsen Adrienne & Blake Kuhre Sarah & Steve Lange Los Angeles Conservancy, Linda Dishman Cassandra Malry & Thom Washington Joseph McManus & Lara Elin Soderstrom JoAnn Meepos & Steven Edwards Marina Moevs & Steven Peckman Mimi Munson Michael Nigosian Sharon Oxborough John Patterson & Jeff Valdez Gail D. Peterson Mary Power & Librada Hernandez Judy Reidel & Al Hamburger Becky Rhodes Walter Rivers, Jr. Donna & Mark Robertson, Sr. Amy Ronnebeck & Alan Hall Debbie & Stan Sanders Rebecca Sekulich Mary Shaifer & Chris Murphy Chris Taylor & Ansley Bell Willie Thomas Stephen Vincent & Jessica McCullagh Jeffrey Weiss & David Bailey Lindsay Wiggins Ned Wilson & Carrie Yutzy Candy Wynne Ashley Wysong & Robert Lobato New Members WAHA (and Friends) Calendar   Friday, Jan 13, 2017 7:00-9:00 p.m. Cocktails in Historic Places Goes Bowling Highland Park Bowl, 5621 N. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90042 Polish up your vintage bowling technique because the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles is taking over the Highland Park Bowl! More details at www.adsla.org. Saturday, January 28, 2017 4: 00-7:00 p.m. Chinese New Year Potluck The Lentini house, 1626 Virginia Rd LA 90019 Join us to celebrate the Year of the Rooster. Bring your favorite Asian food, prepared at home or from a local takeout. WAHA will provide drinks and fun. If you would like to volunteer to host this or another WAHA event, please contact Suzie Henderson at events@westadamsheritage.org.