Ben Lee Properties — October 2021 Newsletter
This Month's Article
By Ben Lee B y this time last year, I believe the local authorities and medical professionals had already pulled the plug on any real Halloween festivities.
I remember feeling disappointed for the kids who wouldn’t have the chance to trick or treat around the neighborhood and engage in that age-old tradition of knocking on random doors and accepting candy from strangers.
I remember thinking back when our boys were toddlers and how odd that we would have to drill into them not to talk to people they don’t know, let alone accept any food from them.
Except, of course, on just one day of the year when that rule goes right out the window (along with the packets of raisins and candy corn.) Our boys have always loved the holiday and it was certainly a disappointment last year when they couldn’t partake in the trick or treating part of the night.
I might have been the saddest about it, though, because when it comes to upholding family traditions, I’m the stickler.
I’ve noticed that the rest of the team is slightly more flexible when an obstacle gets in the way of doing something we’ve done year after year.
Halloween 2020 slightly resembled that of Halloweens past.
We still shared our spaghetti and meatball dinner with our close friends and former neighbors from back when we lived near Ocean Park/West L.A.
Since we started celebrating together, the crowd has grown extensively over the years and up until Covid, you never would know who’d knock on the door looking for a meatball or extra piece of garlic bread en route to other houses around town.
But Halloween 2020 didn’t look too kindly on a big crowd, so it was just us and this one other family and none of the kids ventured out.
I am not even sure Covid was the reason.
At a certain point, kids just age out of the activity and aren’t as consumed with the sheer joy of collecting that huge pillowcase full of decadent sweets that are so tightly monitored and somewhat forbidden the other 364 days of the year.
I think by the time they’re old enough to walk down to Rite Aid and buy their own candy bars, the tradition has lost a bit of its luster.
Remember how clever some homeowners got last year in designing exotic contraptions to get candy from their front doors to kids on the sidewalk for contact-free deliveries?
Or others who meticulously created individual candy bags they’d leave out on their doorsteps to avoid any human interaction?
We did none of that. Eliminating the social aspect of the holiday defeats one of my favorite components of the night.
If I can’t open the door to see the kids’ cool costumes (does anyone else remember the girl from several years ago who dressed up as “inner thoughts?” it was the weirdest yet most awesome costume ever) or run into friends canvassing the neighborhood, then I rather just enjoy an extra meatball and stay home.
But as of this writing, we haven’t gotten much guidance yet as to how the holiday will go this year.
Will homeowners still be somewhat hesitant to open their doors to throngs of people?
Will families pause before sending their kids out to be face to face with those they don’t know?
Los Angeles’ numbers are low and vaccination rates are high, but will that make a difference to the population at large?
Our youngest may be considered too old to trick or treat but he also may be very anxious to make up for that lost year of staying in before he was truly ready to give up the activity.
I think if homes are open for business this year, it would be nice to overlook and ignore the ages of the kids asking for candy.
You may have wrinkles, walk with a cane and not bother with a costume but if you want candy, I’ll pass some out to you, no questions asked.
Well, technically speaking, I probably won’t be the one passing out candy this year even if it is all systems a go.
The giveth and taketh away of various traditions during the pandemic has allowed me the freedom to be a little less rigid when it comes to clinging to how we’ve always done things in the past.
It’s made me realize that the whole world can shift with barely a moment’s notice so what is the point of holding fast to something that can go away so easily?
When I had the chance to see a concert this year that happened to be held on October 31, I asked the family if they’d be too distraught if I skipped our usual festivities and instead went to the Grateful Dead show (Dead and Company) at the Hollywood Bowl.
Part of me was hoping they’d pitch a fit and beg me to stick around.
My wife asked, “What about the meatballs?” My eldest said (I’m paraphrasing), “I’m 17.
Do you think I’m staying home?” The 15-year-old had heard good things about that Halloween Horror nights (or whatever it’s called) at Universal Studios and the 12-year-old was only concerned about still getting to eat all the candy in sight.
In other words, they were OK with starting new traditions this year: namely, doing what we want vs. what we’ve done.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved what we’ve done in the past, but I’ve also learned that embracing change is good, too.
So, however Halloween 2021 unfolds for you, whether you’re passing out candy or singing along with me at the Dead show, I hope you have a bootiful evening full of fright and fun.
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Community & More
Beverlywood happenings By Ben Lee T hank you to all those who entered our 50/50 charity raffle!
We had a robust response to the idea: a dollar per entry to the winner matched by me toward the charity of his/her choice.
Congratulations to Mike Cohn! You are the winner of $135 dollars.
And your charity of choice, Temple Beth Am, will receive an additional $135 dollars, too.
To all those who entered and didn’t win, don’t worry.
There’s always another raffle around the corner.
For October, we’re offering a $50 gift card to the chic new bakery Ludivine Paris.
Located on Pico near Patricia and featuring an array of delectable pastries, sandwiches and drinks, you can pretend you’re in France while supporting a new local business!
To enter, simply send an email to: ben@benleeproperties.com and write LUDIVINE in the subject.
That’s it! We’ll draw a winner at the end of the month and let you know via email.
Good luck (or in this case, bonne chance!) – Raffle – By Ben Lee M y wife was taking her daily walk around the neighborhood and came upon a woman who had just tripped over a significant lip in the sidewalk and fallen flat on her face.
Dozens of worried neighbors stopped to make sure she was OK, offered their assistance, an ice pack, and a ride home.
After bemoaning how little the city does to fix the hazardous sidewalks around town, Lilli asked a contractor friend of ours to fix the area so no one trips and stumbles there again.
A nice gesture, yes, but also a temporary solution and mere band-aid for a larger problem at hand.
Our sidewalks need fixing! Lilli is enlisting our son Mason’s help and the two of them are going to attempt to get the city to fix some of our most pressing sidewalk problems.
If your property has one of these dangerous sidewalks, one that has developed a step instead of a flat surface or one that would make it dangerous or impossible for a person with a disability to navigate, please send an email to: lillijlee@yahoo.com and include your address.
This is potentially a rather arduous process and navigating the City Hall system is never quick or easy.
However, if you would like them to do the leg work and attempt to get those major sidewalk problems near your home fixed (all legally with permits, etc. and zero cost to you the homeowner) please send them a note today and they’ll get started!
Sidewalk Talk By Michael Harris 1 976 was the 200th anniversary of the founding of our country.
There was a Bicentennial Commission which encouraged all the neighborhoods to take on a particular event or activity to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of our country.
At that time, I was the president of the Brentwood Homeowners Association and the event that we put on in celebration of the country’s birthday was a July 4th parade.
We were fortunate to have Buzz Aldren, the second man to walk on the moon, as our Grand Marshal and were able to close off San Vicente Blvd. from 26th Street to Wilshire Blvd. so that the parade could travel down San Vicente.
It took quite a bit of planning and effort to close the streets, to entice high school and other bands from across the county, get animals, clowns and acts to participate.
We had a tourn out of almost all of Brentwood on the median strip that picnicked, celebrated with red, white and blue colors and enjoyed a beautiful day of friendship and cohesion.
The tradition of that parade continued for just a few more years but the costs became prohibitive and the number of people willing to spend their time to organize and find the bands to participate became difficult.
Also, the sponsorships began to dissipate so as not to compete with the Palisades’ 4th of July parade.
In subsequent years it was moved from July 4th to Memorial Day and finally after approximately four more years, the tradition of the neighborhood Brentwood parade was history.
There is no longer a parade, but the memory still lingers of the children and parents who celebrated these happy occasions.
The Brentwood Parade By Ben Lee I received the nicest call last month from Ruth, a neighbor who is a fan of the newsletter, particularly my father-in-law’s articles pertaining to the historical sites and stories of Los Angeles.
She mentioned one of her many connections to the history and fabric of LA: her brother is the World Famous Dodgers Peanut Man!
Even if you only have a passing interest in hometown baseball, you may have heard of Roger Owens.
He is a native Los Angeleno, the eldest of nine brothers and sisters.
As a teenager, he got a job in concessions when the Dodgers were brand new to the city, back when they played at the Coliseum.
Today, nearly six decades later, Roger still sells peanuts to the lucky fans at Dodgers Stadium home games.
But ‘selling’ is not giving Roger enough credit.
From his first day on the job, Roger has delighted fans by tossing peanut bags with flair, uncanny precision, astounding accuracy, and specializing in complicated throws that often shock and impress the peanut-loving crowd.
He’s appeared in countless television shows, most notably he was asked to join Johnny Carson on that coveted couch during an appearance on The Tonight Show.
He has served as an ambassador on behalf of our city, tossed peanuts at Jimmy Carter’s inauguration, and was even asked to make the ceremonial first pitch at Dodgers Opening Day festivities.
He managed to throw the ball all the way to homeplate from the loge level!
Roger is still hard at work, always with a smile on his face, throwing his bags of peanuts and wowing the crowds of Dodgers Stadium, night after night.
Ruth’s late son Danny wrote a book about his uncle Roger called Perfect Pitch if you’re curious about learning more about the interesting and remarkable life of Dodgers’ own Peanut Man.
The World Famous Dodgers Peanut Man
