Larchmont Chronicle

Community News

David Ryu’s tenure has been a boon for preservation in CD4

In last month’s edition, this paper went on record supporting the election of City Councilmember David Ryu to serve a second term. While Ryu has been reported upon in this paper for his work on an array of issues including homelessness, affordable housing, crime, etc., I decided to do a survey of his record on […]

Lipson owner-tenant relationship frays as construction kicks off

Tension between tenants of Larchmont’s historic Lipson Building and its new owner Christina Development came to a head after a block of parking spaces facing the property was reserved in October for construction. “COVID has made our lives difficult enough without losing parking spots as well as visibility,” said Edie Frère, owner of Landis Gifts […]

Contested local seats on Nov. 3 ballot

Incumbent Fourth District City Councilmember David Ryu is facing a challenge from newcomer Nithya Raman. The district includes most of Larchmont, Hancock Park and surrounding Larchmont Chronicle readership areas. See the map of local political districts on page 8. Other local candidates in highly contested elections on the Nov. 3 ballot are Holly Mitchell, who […]

Larchmont stores struggle, seek help from community

As pandemic-related pain continues for many small businesses, several beloved shops on Larchmont Boulevard have reached out to the community to share their struggles. Here’s what Chevalier’s Books, Village Pizzeria and YogaWorks are saying. Chevalier’s Books Supporters of Chevalier’s Books, the oldest independent bookstore in Los Angeles, received an Oct. 5 email asking for their […]

What's Entertaining

Short, short tale of loss is a big winner

A story inspired by a writing exercise in a class taught by Helene Seifer at The Ebell is among winners in the Summer 2020 Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) Short Story Contest. Seifer’s story, “The Last Time I Saw Her,” was one of 12 winners from among 265 entries. The winners are posted on the […]

Kip’s Toyland celebrates 75 years of good, old-fashioned fun

Five years ago, I wrote the Larchmont Chronicle’s article celebrating Kip’s Toyland’s 70th anniversary. It’s now five years on, and life has changed quite a bit around the globe. But thankfully, not at Kip’s Toyland. “We just keep trucking along,” says Lily Kipper, the granddaughter and buyer / store-manager of store founder Irvin ‘Kip’ Kipper, […]

Youth Sports: Talk about rough timing to start a column

I was invited to write the “Youth Sports” column for the Larchmont Chronicle after inquiring this summer if the publication could use another writer. I’ve been a columnist for “Drag Racer Magazine” and am presently assistant editor of “Amateur Wrestling News.” I also coached in St. Brendan’s boys’ basketball league so, of course, a local […]

Nonprofits pivot for this year’s gala season — with success

Cocktails, a fine dinner, a silent auction, live entertainment, celebrities and a glittering array of guests — a standard formula for major gala fundraising events for many organizations. But not this year. While many nonprofits are canceling or postponing such events, others are pivoting, creating gala-type events that take social distancing or virtual connection into […]

Who's Doing What

Will the pandemic gobble up Thanksgiving get-togethers?

Thanksgiving is second only to Christmas as America’s favorite holiday. This family gorge-fest has been widely celebrated since Sarah Josepha Hale, founder of “American Ladies Magazine” and writer of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” convinced President Abraham Lincoln to declare it a national holiday in 1863. With this country in a second and perhaps third […]

Daryl Twerdahl retires after 31 years with Meals on Wheels

Daryl Twerdahl, Hancock Park, a 1994 Larchmont Chronicle Woman of Larchmont, retired from St. Vincent Meals on Wheels (SVMOW) last month after a total of 31 years volunteering and working for the organization. Inspired by a meeting with SVMOW founder Sister Alice Marie Quinn, Twerdahl began volunteering with local support group, Cuisine á Roulettes, in […]

Safer alternatives to trick-or-treating advised: Wear a costume and enjoy a safe, spooky holiday

Halloween during the COVID-19 pandemic does not need to mean “all dressed up and nowhere to go.” Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health offer suggestions for how to enjoy a low-risk spooky holiday. Although not explicitly banned, traditional trick-or-treating and the modern […]

Brooksiders join hundreds to help, one sandwich at a time

Every Sunday morning, Brookside resident Nanci Leonard spreads peanut butter and jelly on slices of bread. She makes 10 sandwiches, and she places each one in a bag with a snack, a drink and a note. Leonard likes to include inspirational quotes by Charlie Brown or Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, among others. Some […]

Real Estate News

Larchmont Blvd. Holiday Open House Nov. 28

Hear live holiday music while strolling the boulevard or (maybe) see Santa come by in a fire truck at the Larchmont Boulevard Association’s annual Holiday Open House and Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28 from noon to 5 p.m. There will be no trolley to take people between the open house and the Wilshire Rotary tree […]

Real Estate Sales

Wallace Neff portrayed in book

Father of the California style of architecture, Wallace Neff is featured in the third and latest volume in the series, “Master Architects of Southern California 1920 – 1940.” Neff’s career spanned six decades and included designing homes all around Southern California, including the Leaf House in Hancock Park. This mansion on June Street has served […]

Pumpkins, Christmas trees bring old-time cheer to Boulevard

It’s beginning to look a lot like the holidays are upon us, what with the Larchmont Pumpkin Patch open for business … and fresh-cut Christmas trees soon headed our way. “We plan to close the Pumpkin Patch at the end of the day on October 30, but if we still have a good supply of […]