Greater Los Angeles

Remember the wildfires last autumn? There were several, and each blaze had a name. Collectively, however, the disaster was known as the Southern California firestorm, an important distinction that told folks throughout the nation that the damage was indiscriminate and widespread. Too bad earthquakes are named for their epicenters, or at least for where the experts initially presume the epicenter to be.

The number of nonwhite children increased dramatically across the nation in the last decade, with one notable exception: Los Angeles. An analysis, released Wednesday, of U.S. Census Bureau data showed that the number of nonwhite children had grown by almost 22% over the last decade, while the number of white children had declined by 4.3 million, or almost 10%. But the study by the Brookings Institution singled out Greater Los Angeles as...

The City of Los Angeles recently approved construction of Watt City Center, a 1.6-million-square-foot office complex located downtown, west of the Harbor Freeway. As part of the deal, the developers agreed to include an on-site day-care center, implement a state-of-the-art traffic management system and pay $38 million in fees and taxes. That added about $24 a square foot to the cost of construction. Nonetheless, some citizens groups wanted the city to impose even greater taxes and fees.

It was James Cameron's turn to present an award at the Fulfillment Fund's annual gala Nov. 1. The recipient? Jim Gianopulos, co-chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment, whose friendship Cameron called, "one of the great treasures in my life. " Cameron thanked the audience for their support of Gianopulos, as well as for their generous bidding during the evening's auction But he suggested to guests from Fox, "I'd like to point out that you just signed a deal with me to make two 'Avatar' movies.

Plans to find a home for Los Angeles' nascent Latino Museum of History, Art and Culture have moved forward with the formation of a site-acquisition team. "This sterling group of people will assist me in identifying permanent sites, selecting three or four possibilities, negotiating and ultimately making an acquisition," said Frank H. Cruz, president and executive director of the planned museum.

Adults who drank draft beer or imported beer and households using pretzels during the past year, indexed against the national average (100). Draft Beer Greater Los Angeles 88 Greater New York 89 Greater Chicago 109 Imported Beer Greater Los Angeles 139 Greater New York 136 Greater Chicago 138 Pretzels Greater Los Angeles 125 Greater New York 77 Greater Chicago 87 Source: 1986 Study of Media and Markets, Simmons Market Research Bureau, Inc.

The Building Owners and Managers Assn. of Greater Los Angeles is taking nominations for its annual "Building of the Year" awards program. Awards will be given in seven categories and nominations must be made by July 1. Applications and more information can be obtained from the association's headquarters at 700 S. Flower St., Los Angeles 90017.

Thank you for your editorial ("Trust Reinstated," Feb. 28) noting that 83 cents of ever dollar raised by United Way of Great Los Angeles is spent locally on needed services. Last year, in fact, the local United Way distributed $67 million to more than 300 health and human services agencies in Greater Los Angeles, including 14 local chapters of the American Red Cross and 13 health partners. Even though our local United Way is completely autonomous from United Way of America, the recent controversy surrounding the former national president was a source of great concern to all of us. And while William Aramony has announced his resignation, a number of troubling issues remain concerning fiduciary responsibility at the national level.

Views of the greater Los Angeles area in the year 2000 will be among the 40 news stories featured in the BOMA Office Marketing Guide to be published by the Building Owners & Managers Assn. in November. The listing of 1,600 office buildings is expected to run to 200 pages, up from 168 last year, according to Tom Newton, the editor. Los Angeles County is divided into 15 geographic areas, each with its own listings, related advertising and news stories about development trends, he added.

The Brewery Artwalk was going full-tilt last weekend, drawing art lovers of all stripes ? young professionals, couples pushing strollers, fedora-topped hipsters ? to its downtown L.A. industrial complex, an old Pabst Blue Ribbon brewery converted to one of the world's largest artists' live-work compounds. They streamed through 160 or so private studios and galleries, ogling the "art candy"-packed walls, commingling in the capacious loft hallways and gathering under tented food courts. Still, Iva Hladis, a board member of the Brewery Artwalk Assn.

A loosely organized protest planned this week over a proposed new mosque in Temecula whose organizers urged demonstrators to bring their dogs was sharply denounced by a Southern California Islamic organization Tuesday. Organizers of the rally, to be held outside the Islamic Center of Temecula Valley during prayers Friday, appear to be associated with a southwest Riverside County political group affiliated with the "tea party" movement. In anonymous e-mails and website postings, organizers encouraged protesters to bring their dogs — considered an insult to Muslims.

In July 1947, the greatest play ever to have its premiere in Los Angeles opened at the Coronet Theatre on La Cienega Boulevard: Bertolt Brecht's " Galileo." The play, with Charles Laughton in the title role, dramatized the great scientist's running battle with the Roman Catholic Church over his telescopic discovery that the Earth orbited the sun rather than the other way around. At the climax of the play, Galileo — threatened with torture by his inquisitors, who fear that the church's cosmology and authority will be destroyed by Galileo's revelations — recants.

Few newspapers or magazines escaped 2009 without losses and the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles suffered like many others. Operators of the weekly news outlet trimmed staff. They cut salaries 20%. Still, they worried whether the Journal — chronicler of a variety of topics including Torah portions, sexual mores, Mideast politics and entertainment industry chatter — would make it to its 25th anniversary next year. But by banking hard on two of the most robust growth trends in 21st century media — niche journalism and philanthropy — the Jewish Journal appears to have extended its life expectancy and expanded its coverage of Jewish life in Southern California.

For the third time this year, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board postponed a decision Thursday on whether to grant a $300-million contract to an Italian rail manufacturer that hopes to build 100 new light-rail cars for the Greater Los Angeles area. At the same time, the MTA board asked the agency staff to begin preparing a request for proposals from other rail firms to build the 100 cars. That open-bidding process -- which will include an industry review to begin in the next few weeks -- would proceed if MTA officials cannot reach a deal with AnsaldoBreda, which holds contract options for the manufacture of the 100 additional light-rail cars.

Marcella M. Meyer, a prominent advocate for the deaf who fought to expand civil rights and establish social services through the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness, an advocacy group she helped found in 1969 and ran for almost three decades, has died. She was 84. Meyer died May 26 at Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, said her daughter Coleen Ashly.

The Building Owners & Managers Assn. of Greater Los Angeles has been named "Association of the Year" by BOMA International. In the past three years, BOMA Los Angeles, currently headed by George A. Julin and representing more than 900 office building professionals in the greater Los Angeles area, has expanded its membership base by 18% and its visibility.

Bernard Glassman, president of Crown Associates of Gardena and a 20-year veteran of the Southern California industrial and commercial real estate profession, has been elected 1990 president of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors, Southern California/Greater Los Angeles chapter. Officers serving with Glassman include Kenfield E. Kennedy, Matlow-Kennedy Corp., Los Angeles, vice president; Akido Maeda, William D.

A local Latino business group launched Thursday, calling itself "the go-to organization" for companies wanting to tap into the Obama administration's stimulus package. And although most agree there's room for another group advocating for Latino-owned businesses, there is debate over what the Latino Business Chamber of Greater Los Angeles will do that isn't already being done.

Briana Ramirez and Troy Harrington, both seniors at Santa Monica High School, recently spent an afternoon at a local community center, searching the Internet for college scholarships. Thousands of results appeared on the computer screen, making the confusing process even more daunting. But nearby was a walking, talking college resource, ready to answer their questions.