Before I say anything else, I’d like to say “so long†to everyone’s favorite Brentwoodian, Vee Motto.
The “Mother Hen†of Brentwood Park is moving to Haverford, Pennsylvania, to be closer to her daughter. Vee has been a great friend to all, a true pillar of the community. She is one in a billion, that Vee.
I’m not kidding when I say that I thought of Vee whenever the Brentwood News got into trouble. I figured if we ever stopped printing, Vee would kill me. That alone motivated me to figure out a way to keep going. Vee has always been a great supporter of the Brentwood News, and she’s not alone.
Many of you have responded to my request that you become a “Brentwood Booster†and pay $39 a year for a “voluntary subscription.†See some of the notes we received from your neighbors on page 12. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I know more Brentwoodians will join in as the word gets out.
In these leaner times, putting out this paper is largely a volunteer effort.
Two of our summer interns, Sarah Coe-Odess (Brentwood School) and Paulina Firozi (Palisades Charter High School), agreed to stay on during the school year to put together the content part of the Brentwood News. They do such a great job I’ve named them both co-managing editor. We don’t have a paid editorial staff. We couldn’t do this without them.
You can best support these young journalists – and the rest of the community – by sending in your stories to editor@brentwoodnewsonline.com. Or, you can go to www.brentwoodnewsonline.com and post your items in the “contribute†section.
My good friend Scott Regberg died unexpectedly in August. For many years he chaired the Crestwood Hills Association, a homeowner association up at the top of Kenter Canyon. Scott ran a successful public relations agency in Westwood and sponsored several high-level political panels and debates.
This is a real loss. Scott is survived by his wife, Melanie, and son, Hayden. Scott seemed a confirmed bachelor into his fifties until he was smitten by Melanie. Once the thunderbolt hit, nothing seemed to give him more joy than family and friends. Scott had a favorite statement of philosophy: Be brilliant, be brief, be gone. He was true to his word, that’s for sure.
The Brentwood Art Fair returns to San Vicente Blvd. this September 26. I have become a big fan of this event over the years, I end up doing almost all my Christmas shopping in one day. Most items are fairly inexpensive, but they are interesting, fun, highly creative — and recipients always seem to like them. Why spend more in a shopping mall? See you there on the 26th.
That said, I did visit a shopping mall recently that looked quite spectacular. The new Santa Monica Place just reopened after a big renovation.
The Third Street Promenade now flows into the new structure, which is wide open, with several floors of retail, restaurants, bars and just about anything else you might want.
It’s a definite upgrade from the street scene on the Promenade but the two complement each other nicely. If you haven’t been yet, check it out!
