Category: News

Newsletter: Evil in the shadow of Disneyland, and the detective who cracked the case

Today’s special Sunday edition of the Essential California newsletter comes from Los Angeles Times Deputy Managing Editor Shelby Grad: What happened on the streets of Orange County in 2013 was evil. Women were being grabbed, their bodies later dumped in a local landfill. Two men were eventually arrested, labeled serial killers. There was public outrage,…

By JohnValbyNation November 24, 2019 0

Cate Blanchett is fun to watch in the otherwise mixed 'Where'd You Go, Bernadette'

New on Blu-ray “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” (20th Century Fox DVD, $29.98; Blu-ray, $34.99; also available on VOD) In the dramedy, Cate Blanchett plays a cranky, agoraphobic architect who mysteriously disappears, leaving her precocious teenage daughter, Bee (played by Emma Nelson) to piece together the meaning of her life. Maria Semple’s bestselling novel tells Bernadette’s…

By JohnValbyNation November 24, 2019 0

Raymond Kappe, California architect promoted pre-fab as environmentally friendly, has died

Raymond Kappe’s first attempt to shape the future of California architecture ended in failure. After starting the architecture program at Cal Poly Pomona in 1968, he was fired as the department’s chairman. Kappe said it was because his program was too “free-swinging.” Undaunted, he recruited six faculty members — future Pritzker Prize winner Thom Mayne,…

By JohnValbyNation November 24, 2019 0

A disease that could devastate citrus growers has reached San Bernardino County

An economically devastating citrus disease has been detected for the first time in San Bernardino County, expanding an already large quarantine area aimed at keeping the malady from hitting the commercial groves centered in the southern San Joaquin Valley, according to California agricultural authorities. Just one tree near the city of Montclair was stricken with…

By JohnValbyNation November 24, 2019 0

Home of the Week: Reinventing a 1920s-era home in Silver Lake

1/7 The modern bungalow, designed by architect Martin Fenlon.  (John Linden) 2/7 Architect Martin Fenlon utilized the original structure of a 1920s Spanish bungalow when creating the modern Silver Lake residence.  (John Linden) 3/7 Listed for $1.65 million, the multi-level house has open-plan living spaces, skylights and decking that extend the living space outdoors.  (John…

By JohnValbyNation November 24, 2019 0

Four Hours in El Segundo: Craft brews and high-brow culture

In some ways, El Segundo can feel like the South Bay’s forgotten beach town, lacking the popularity of Manhattan Beach’s posh storefronts and Hermosa Beach’s sometimes raucous nightlife. But overlooking El Segundo’s idyllic Main Street area is a mistake. With plenty of restaurants, watering holes, shops and Mayberry-esque charm, downtown El Segundo just might be…

By JohnValbyNation November 24, 2019 0

Vatican charity knew in 2017 of pedophilia concerns about Central African Republic director

TOKYO —  The Vatican’s Caritas Internationalis charity says it learned in 2017 of pedophilia concerns involving its Central African Republic director, but left it for his superiors to investigate and he remained in place and in ministry until this year. CNN revealed the scandal over the Rev. Luk Delft this week, reporting that the Belgian Salesian…

By JohnValbyNation November 24, 2019 0