Investors take the Cockatoo under their wing. It’s squawking again.
GRABLE SLEPT HERE: A Hollywood legend in the middle of Hawthorne has been rescued by investors from the People’s Republic of China.
After being forced to close Dec. 22 amid financial difficulties, the landmark Cockatoo Inn reopened its doors Friday.
The inn has attracted a colorful clientele since it first opened in 1946 as a chicken-and-rib restaurant. Jockeys and horse trainers from nearby Hollywood Park as well as other celebrities patronized the half-timbered inn at Hawthorne Boulevard and Imperial Highway.
As legend has it, Betty Grable slept there, and so did Mickey Rooney, Harry James and other stars.
Then, in 1970, the inn’s original owner was identified as a major organized-crime figure by the U.S. attorney general’s office. Later, the 1990s recession took its toll.
But scandal did not destroy the Cockatoo, and neither did money troubles. The new owners from the C.A. Bridge Corp. are promising to restore the luster to the 213-room hotel. New manager Eddie Pearson calls the Cockatoo the “best-kept secret in the greater Los Angeles area.”
Pearson does not expect to woo Hollywood greats away from such glitzy settings as the Peninsula or the Bel-Air. Instead, he hopes to attract a more mainstream clientele: European, Canadian and Australian tour groups as well as American tourists and business travelers.
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JUST A COUPLE OF ROOMIES: Here’s an idea for a sitcom: Put a Redondo Beach gadfly and a state Assembly candidate in an ocean-view apartment and see what happens.
It isn’t always pretty.
Julian Sirull, who ran against Assemblywoman Debra Bowen (D-Marina del Rey) in last year’s election, was arrested on misdemeanor battery charges after an argument with his roommate, Redondo Beach council-watcher Chris Boyle. Their dispute was over how loud Boyle turned up the TV set. Sirull was booked into jail for about 15 to 20 minutes and then was released, pending a court appearance on Jan. 24.
“He doesn’t have any injuries,” Sirull said. “I didn’t injure him at all. . . . It was just a simple wrestling match. He’s got to be so melodramatic and blow it out of proportion.”
Boyle, who called 911, suffered minor injuries and was taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance by paramedics.
Sirull acknowledged he had been in a “surly mood” at the time, given that he recently had jaw surgery, but said the flap was “making a mountain out of a molehill.”
“I was just trying to sit there and eat,” Sirull said. “He has (the TV) on night and day.”
For now, Sirull is staying put at the prized apartment, which the two have shared for about a year. They met through a Young Republicans group. Boyle, apparently living elsewhere, could not be reached for comment.
“I don’t feel that I should have to move,” Sirull said. “I found this apartment.”
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CIVIC SOGGINESS: As city workers in Carson pass out aid applications to flood-ravaged residents, they may be wondering where to find their own disaster relief.
During recent rainstorms, a damp ambience has permeated Carson City Hall.
Plastic tarps cover large sections near the entrance, and more plastic sheeting covers desks behind the city treasurer’s counter. Three workers in the treasurer’s department have been relocated to Parks and Recreation because of roof leaks.
At last count, the roof had sprung leaks in 12 places--including the second-floor offices for members of the City Council. Last week, the sewer lines backed up and flooded the basement.
The building had been repaired after leaking two or three years ago, said City Manager Lawrence G. Olsen.
“Obviously it didn’t get repaired sufficiently,” he said.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“I’m supposed to be this really smart person. Everybody’s always saying I have to get A’s. But there’s one thing I’m afraid of: What if I fail? Will they still love me?”
--Senior Magnolia Ramos, on the toll that achievement can take on Asian children struggling to live up to high expectations from their parents, teachers and peers. J8
