Jessica Ritz

During the past week since we posted about culinary legend Julia Child’s passing, LAist has been angrily stewing (so to speak) over a local issue related to the woman who transformed the way Americans perceive and experience food. What a loss that the Pasadena native was never featured as Grand Marshal of the Tournament of Roses Parade. Ideally this should have happened in 2003, in commemoration of her 90th birthday year, but any point...

The nervous anticipation and anxiety that greets each new school year just increased for 10,000 California students. California Charter Academy, the largest operator of charter schools, announced the closing of 60 campuses throughout the state [via L.A. Times]. Investigations surrounding the organization’s misdeeds and problematic academic programs and performance are in part to blame. The Charter Schools Association is now rushing to find seats at other schools for the California pupils whose schools will...

The nervous anticipation and anxiety that greets each new school year just increased for 10,000 California students. California Charter Academy, the largest operator of charter schools, announced the closing of 60 campuses throughout the state [via L.A. Times]. Investigations surrounding the organization’s misdeeds and problematic academic programs and performance are in part to blame. The Charter Schools Association is now rushing to find seats at other schools for the California pupils whose schools will...

Following the recent successful community campaign to keep Wal-Mart out of Inglewood, Los Angeles continues to move ahead in the effort to mitigate the “Wal-Mart effect.” Thirteen of the fifteen members of the Los Angeles City Council support a proposed law that calls for certain superstores to perform additional fiscal and social due diligence. If it passes on Tuesday, the ordinance will require an economic study that “would forecast whether a proposed store would...

Following the recent successful community campaign to keep Wal-Mart out of Inglewood, Los Angeles continues to move ahead in the effort to mitigate the “Wal-Mart effect.” Thirteen of the fifteen members of the Los Angeles City Council support a proposed law that calls for certain superstores to perform additional fiscal and social due diligence. If it passes on Tuesday, the ordinance will require an economic study that “would forecast whether a proposed store would...

Large-scale development in Downtown took a new turn yesterday when the Grand Avenue Committee announced the developer selected to undertake the massive project on oft-contested Bunker Hill. The Committee chose New York-based Related Cos. to develop the four parcels, for which design proposals are still pending. Local patron of the arts and real estate magnate Eli Broad and representatives from the City and County of Los Angeles are directing the effort. The parcels are owned...

Large-scale development in Downtown took a new turn yesterday when the Grand Avenue Committee announced the developer selected to undertake the massive project on oft-contested Bunker Hill. The Committee chose New York-based Related Cos. to develop the four parcels, for which design proposals are still pending. Local patron of the arts and real estate magnate Eli Broad and representatives from the City and County of Los Angeles are directing the effort. The parcels are owned...

If Los Angeles is the city where stars are made and dreams realized, sadly it’s also where many talented individuals meet their untimely fate. Rick James died this morning at his home in the Universal City area as a result of “existing medical conditions.” The man embodied the glam of the post-disco transition era, and L.A. was the place to live it up. His decadence and distinctive personal style rounded out a run of fantastic...

If Los Angeles is the city where stars are made and dreams realized, sadly it’s also where many talented individuals meet their untimely fate. Rick James died this morning at his home in the Universal City area as a result of “existing medical conditions.” The man embodied the glam of the post-disco transition era, and L.A. was the place to live it up. His decadence and distinctive personal style rounded out a run of fantastic...

The proliferation and profitability of storefront psychics in Los Angeles is one of those persistent urban mysteries, such as the absence of baby pigeons in New York City. The recent vote by the Los Angeles Police Commission suggests that it might be explained by good old fashioned people being easily suckered. The soothsaying industry will remain marginal after the Commission decided yesterday to not officially regulate it. In contrast, Riverside and San Francisco allow psychics...