Hollygrove Children And Family Services

Some might say that Judy Nelson specializes in repairs of the heart. While president of Hollygrove, a Los Angeles home for severely abused and neglected children, she has dried the eyes of little ones waiting in vain for a visit from Mom or held tight to the hands of children too scared to speak. But after a few months in her care, they smile at her approach. "Miss Judy, Miss Judy!" one said Saturday. "Look at my new drawing!" Another shouted, "Look what I can do!"

Marilyn Monroe spent some of her most important Hollywood nights in its safe embrace. So did about 20,000 others. Now, though, the last young resident has packed his bags and moved. Los Angeles' original orphanage is shutting its cottage doors after 125 years of housing children whose families have all but given up on them. Without fanfare, the venerable privately run Hollygrove children's residential treatment center has closed.

Marilyn Monroe spent some of her most important Hollywood nights in its safe embrace. So did about 20,000 others. Now, though, the last young resident has packed his bags and moved. Los Angeles' original orphanage is shutting its cottage doors after 125 years of housing children whose families have all but given up on them. Without fanfare, the venerable privately run Hollygrove children's residential treatment center has closed.

Some might say that Judy Nelson specializes in repairs of the heart. While president of Hollygrove, a Los Angeles home for severely abused and neglected children, she has dried the eyes of little ones waiting in vain for a visit from Mom or held tight to the hands of children too scared to speak. But after a few months in her care, they smile at her approach. "Miss Judy, Miss Judy!" one said Saturday. "Look at my new drawing!" Another shouted, "Look what I can do!"

The other kids at Vine Street Elementary School's fifth-grade graduation ceremony eagerly scanned the crowd for parents and grandparents. From her spot on the stage, though, 11-year-old Shari nervously searched the school auditorium for Jean Wagner. Shari is a resident of Hollygrove Children's Home in Hollywood, where Wagner is a staff educational liaison. And at Shari's graduation from elementary school six months ago, Wagner was her surrogate parent.

"An Evening With Golda Meir" features Renee Taylor in the West Coast premiere of her new solo work about Israel's former prime minister. The show, directed by Taylor's actor husband, Joseph Bologna, will benefit Hollygrove Children and Family Services. Friday and Saturday at Lee Strasberg Creative Center in Hollywood.

Gift-GIVING in Hollywood is a year-round competitive sport. So it's no surprise that come holiday season, the rich and well preserved (and those who get stuck shopping for them) are challenged to find that certain something for the person who has, if not everything, more than enough. Necessity, naturally, is irrelevant. Often it's about luxury and the kind of rarefied detachment found only here, where people hand over $75 leather dog booties, $54,900 Von Dutch motorcycles, $28,000 Jacob & Co.

The other kids at Vine Street Elementary School's fifth-grade graduation ceremony eagerly scanned the crowd for parents and grandparents. From her spot on the stage, though, 11-year-old Shari nervously searched the school auditorium for Jean Wagner. Shari is a resident of Hollygrove Children's Home in Hollywood, where Wagner is a staff educational liaison. And at Shari's graduation from elementary school six months ago, Wagner was her surrogate parent.