Red Cross Sells Coffee to Perk Up Its Fund Raising

Always there in times of need, the American Red Cross is selling hot cups of caffeine to weary holiday shoppers at its World Village Coffee Co. in the Fox Hills Mall.

In this case the Red Cross’ effort is not completely altruistic. Its donations dwindling, the organization is trying out a new way to raise funds, according to a Red Cross spokesperson.

To that end, the nonprofit Red Cross will sell coffee, espresso, pastries, juice, gift baskets and Red Cross memorabilia--including coffee mugs and tote bags--at its World Village location.

World Village gives a new twist to nonprofit fund raising, but there is a historical link between the Red Cross and coffee. Etched in the minds of many Americans are the images of Red Cross volunteers comforting disaster victims with cups of the stuff.

The coffee shop opened its doors late last month, but its official grand opening is Dec. 14. The Red Cross hopes its Fox Hills Mall location will be the first in a nationwide chain of coffee shops.

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MITZVAH TIME: What better opportunity to perform a mitzvah, or good deed, than the one national holiday, Christmas, that has little meaning for most Jews?

That’s the thrust of a one-day volunteer campaign being launched this year by the Jewish Community Relations Committee and ACCESS, a newly formed organization of young leaders.

The idea is for Jewish people to devote Dec. 25 not to traditional pastimes such as going to the movies, but rather to volunteer work.

“We’ve got a day planned that’s more heartwarming than anything you’ll see in a darkened theater,” an ad for the program declares.

Assignments will range from delivering food to people with AIDS to painting a retirement home to doing crafts projects with runaway teen-agers.

Volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. at the Jewish Federation Building, 6505 Wilshire Blvd., where they will be given a light breakfast and assigned their tasks for the day. Snacks and socializing are scheduled for 2 p.m.

Further information: (213) 683-3433.

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WESTWOOD HO: Efforts continue to restore Westwood Village to its former glory.

The City Council last week formally approved the appointment of 19 merchants, property owners, professionals and UCLA representatives to serve on the Westwood Village Business Improvement District Advisory Board.

A public hearing before the council is set for Dec. 20 to establish the district’s boundaries and determine assessment rates for street and sidewalk improvements, landscaping and security.

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BLIND JUSTICE: What does a law student do when the lights go out while he’s taking the bar exam? Sue, of course.

At least that’s what David Hollander is doing. Hollander contends that he failed the intensive three-day bar exam in July, 1993, because the overhead lighting in his area of the testing room took a 16-minute break during the test. Test administrators deemed that there was enough surrounding light and continued the test.

Hollander argues that operators of the Los Angeles Airport Hyatt Hotel, the test site, were negligent in allowing the lapse. “Lights don’t just go off in absence of someone’s negligence,” said Michael Mirharooni, Hollander’s attorney.

Phooey, says Hyatt attorney Robert Anderson, who argues that Hollander should be suing the State Bar of California. “If the lights go out in the last minute of a football game and the referee requires the kicker to kick the winning field goal in the dark, who’s to blame, the referee or Con Edison?” Anderson asked.

Though Anderson said he sees the lawsuit as a frivolous publicity stunt, Mirharooni disagrees. “I think this is a really important case,” he said.

Hollander is seeking unspecified damages to compensate for the “economic injuries, mental distress and other injuries” he incurred from the incident, Mirharooni said.