Aug 31 2026
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News

Youth Champions: High school students earn money to learn life skills

Michelle Durand loves to travel — so much so that about five years ago, she started living nomadically. Possessing no permanent residence, she hops around from place to place. It seemed like the natural order of events for someone who is always seeking to learn from other people and things all the time. It is also what landed her in her current position of executive director of the LA-based nonprofit Youth Champions.

Photo by: Lyndon Arcega

Youth Champions provides paid personal growth internships to high school students (grades 10-12) in underserved communities. The 24-week program offers mentorship, career exposure and life-skills development while teaching financial literacy, leadership and critical thinking. Accepted students can earn up to $1,000 based on their participation in virtual workshops and in-person field trips.

“I recognize I am not the expert in everything,” Durand said, “but there are a lot of people out there who know a lot of things. I try to learn in different and unique ways, and so often it comes down to exposure. Just giving students exposure is important. For me, that resonated because I am big on exposing myself to ideas and concepts that I’ve never interacted with before.” . . .

Read the entire article at LA Downtown News.

Aug 27 2026
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Lifestyle

America’s Favorite Couple: South Pasadena-based spouses are a quarter-finalist — will they win?

Jill Weiss Ippolito’s love story is the stuff movies are made of. The film synopsis would read: She was a kid in juvenile hall. Not once, but three times she fell from a second-story building. At 18, she broke her third lumbar and wore a back brace for a year. At age 29, she had to have her left arm rebuilt in metal and began practicing yoga to heal. Nick was a student in her class, where he developed a crush and a strong practice. They fell in love, married and founded the South Pasadena-based nonprofit, UpRising Yoga, which offers yoga life skills training to incarcerated youth.

So, about two months ago, when an invite to participate in 2026 America’s Favorite Couple (AFC) contest popped up as she was scrolling in the wee hours of the night, Ippolito thought, why not? She would love to share her story with Variety magazine, win $20,000 to help fund UpRising Yoga and have a dinner date with AFC Ambassadors Jeff and Emilie Goldblum. . . .

Read the entire article at Pasadena Weekly.

Aug 27 2026
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News

In the Thick of It: Ballona Wetlands Land Trust is weeding the way to a better future

The Ballona Wetlands is a source of great pride for locals — and also a bone of contention. Since 2003, when the state of California purchased the 577-acre ecological reserve, a variety of environmental groups have voiced their differing opinions about the best laid plans for its restoration. While everyone awaits the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) revised environmental impact report (EIR), each group is trying to “move that needle a little bit,” said Walter Lamb, president of the nonprofit Ballona Wetlands Land Trust (BWLT) since 2012.

The Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve is divided into three areas — A, B and C — bordering Marina del Rey, Playa Vista and Playa del Rey. Nobody disagrees that it is home to native and migrating birds and native and invasive plants, and its benefits include absorbing carbon in the atmosphere and buffering coastal communities from flooding. The source of tension lies in how and how long it will take to restore the wetlands. CDFW’s initial EIR was published in 2017, certified in 2020 and struck down by a judge in 2023. It has yet to submit the revised version. . . .

Read the entire article in The Argonaut.

Aug 24 2026
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Art

Writing Its Own Rules: Publishing house’s DIY spirit has taken it around the world

This past May, Paper Work’s booth at Printed Matter’s LA Art Book Fair at the ArtCenter College of Design had a rather large presence. The art and publications company was one of the advertising sponsors of the fair, and one of its featured photographers, Estevan Oriol, who directed and appeared in the 2020 Netflix documentary “LA Originals,” about his and Mister Cartoon’s creative lives, was awarded a Certificate of Recognition by the city of Los Angeles at City Hall that same weekend.

“We had a massive art display of the photography of all the artists that we published that year,” explained Paper Work founder Michael Krim, “and it was like the big elephant in the room.”

By Krim’s design, Paper Work presents artists with a multidisciplinary platform to express their vision in both tangible and event-/gallery-curated formats. . . .

Read the entire article at LA Downtown News.

Aug 20 2026
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Lifestyle

Scout’s Honor: Teenager fundraises to donate care kits to Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles

All Eagle Scouts must complete an Eagle Scout Project, but not every project catches the attention of the higher-ups at the Western Los Angeles County Council Scouting America. Seventeen-year-old Agustya Karadkar has been part of Troop 1 West Los Angeles for about 3 1/2 years. He is currently a senior at Loyola High School of Los Angeles and an Eagle Scout, the highest rank in the Scouting program of Scouting America. This summer, he spent his break leading a community donation drive to create care kits for children receiving treatment at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA).

Recently, a member of Karadkar’s family became seriously ill, which steered the focus of his scout project in its current direction.

“It kind of woke me up to the realization that these kids may not be enjoying themselves because they’re going through treatment,” Karadkar said. “I’m hoping this will put a smile on their faces, a smile on their family’s faces, as they are tackling all these challenges in their lives.” . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.

Aug 17 2026
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Art

Art as Universal Language: Braille Institute student exhibition expands how art is experienced

Lenny Gerard knows firsthand about disability. He had been volunteering as an art teacher at the Braille Institute for a few years when he had a freak accident that paralyzed him from the neck down. Once he recovered just enough, he had an epiphany to leave the corporate world and devote himself full time to being an artist and educator. This month, 30 of his student artists ages 18 to 82 will show 50 of their artworks in a group exhibition titled “Through My Eyes.”

“I had my accident three years ago, and I had three surgeries,” explained Gerard. “I had to relearn how to walk after each one. But I would go to the Braille Institute on a walker because I love it so much. I went back as soon as I could — the first thing I wanted to do was go back.”

Gerard teaches Abstract Expressionism, a class he developed, and printmaking to the blind and visually impaired. His goal for the exhibition was to highlight their voices rather than their disabilities. He has even pioneered a technique for his students: They put raised objects in the printing press to emboss paper, so students can feel what they’ve done. . . .

Read the entire article at LA Downtown News.

Aug 17 2026
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Food

Where’s the Beef?: Dry or wet-aged, bone-in or filet: Choose your steakhouse

Steaks have been movie stars (John Travolta ordered one “bloody as hell” in “Pulp Fiction”) and used as weapons (one was hurled at John Heder’s face in “Napoleon Dynamite”). They have been devoured in eating challenges (John Candy in “The Great Outdoors”) and savored as comfort food (after dodging tornadoes in “Twister”). Whether celebrating or in the mood for a steak-out, Downtown Los Angeles offers quite a few options — with more opening every year. They range in style, including Brazilian and French and vibe. Reserve a spot at one of these top choices — and save an appetite.

Photo by: Jess Ayotte

This summer, Mastro’s, known for its steaks cooked 28 days, wet-aged in a 1,500-degree broiler, has rolled out its Summer of Luxury $100 prix fixe menu. Guests can choose an appetizer, entrée including a petite filet, fresh vegetables and potatoes and a dessert, including its signature warm butter cake.

“We feel that 28-day wet aging is the optimal time for flavor and for the beef to tenderize,” said Patrick Barrett, the divisional vice president of Mastro’s. “We use a house steak dry rub that’s proprietary and then put them on a broiler at 1,500 degrees, and those broilers get a nice sear on the steak, a nice crust, and lock in all the flavor.” . . .

Read the entire article at LA Downtown News.

Aug 14 2026
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Health & Fitness

Awaken Now: Acupuncture and wellness spa offers 3 new whole-person programs

The source of inspiration for Marina Dabcevic’s work at Awaken Now Acupuncture & Wellness can be traced to her childhood. She attended a private all-girls Catholic school, and “it wasn’t the best time of my life,” she shared. She experienced health issues, mostly with digestion. She would visit doctor after doctor, who would perform scans and bloodwork, and each one said she was fine. She decided to pursue functional medicine and eventually open Awaken Now, which recently launched three new 12-week programs: Whole-Body Reset, Cardiometabolic and Neuro-Regeneration & Resilience.

Photo by: Chris Mortenson

“I chose Awaken Now because I wanted people to wake up to the world around them,” Dabcevic said. “What are they eating? What are they wearing? How are they cooking? What are they breathing? Awaken to the world around you and to your mind and how incredibly powerful it is, whether it’s a good thing or it’s pulling you down.”

When Dabcevic opened the acupuncture and wellness spa in 2015, she envisioned a one-stop shop where visitors could experience the different modalities she offered. . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.

Aug 14 2026
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Food

Farmers Market Freshness: Rustic Canyon jumpstarts its 20th anniversary celebration

Ten million, 512,000 minutes: This is how long Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen has been serving the Santa Monica community and beyond with its casual, farmers market-driven approach to dining. During this time, co-owner Josh Loeb met his wife, Zoe Nathan, and had three kids. The kitchen launched the careers and provided a creative space for trailblazers including opening chef Samir Mohajir, Felix Trattoria’s Evan Funke, Birdie G’s Jeremy Fox and Beethoven Market’s Michael Leonard.

Photo by: Alex Scott

“It’s been a lot of everything,” said Loeb, who, along with his wife and business partner, grew up in Santa Monica. “My restaurant journey, it’s where I met so many friends — so much learning, so much success, so much failure. A lot has happened in the last 20 years, but I’m really grateful for it. It’s been an experience that shaped and changed my life in so many ways.”

Rustic Canyon received a Michelin star in 2019 and has been listed on the Los Angeles Times’ 101 Best Restaurants list. It was ranked No. 95 on Robb Report’s “100 Greatest Restaurants of the 21st Century” and was the first in the succession of the Rustic Canyon Family of Santa Monica restaurants: Huckleberry Bakery & Café (16 years), Sweet Rose Creamery (16 years), Milo & Olive (14 years), Cassia, Esters Wine Shop & Bar, Tallula’s, Milo SRO and Birdie G’s. . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.

Aug 14 2026
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Art

Free from Convention: Hibiscus TV challenges what older artists can and should do

Amy Kaps and Kaye Freeman are both over 60, but — in their opinion — they may not act like conventional older adults. In fact, in one of the accompanying performances to their art show, “Origins of Matter,” which opens Aug. 16 at Matter Studio Gallery, they will be dressed as gods of metal.

Photo by: Chris Mortenson

“I’m 63, and what a 63-year-old woman looks like or should be doing is still pretty pervasive,” said Freeman, who works out of a shared studio with Kaps at Allied Crafts Building in the Fashion District. “It’s important that if you can stand up and be true to who you are and be the best that you can be at this age, we have a lot to show and share.”

“I’m not into anti-aging,” she added. “Aging is important, and we need to reclaim the value of aging instead of trying to be youthful all the time. Because it’s creepy. We have to step up. Let’s become national treasures. We still have a lot of vitality and a lot to give.” . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.

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