Italy’s superstar tenor Andrea Bocelli received his star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame this week. He was joined by wife Veronica Berti. See more on George Christy's Page

The Beverly Hills City Council will support Assemblymen Mike Feuer and Bob Blumenfield in their efforts to prohibit California and local governments from contracting with companies that have business activities in Iran’s energy sector by unanimously endorsing the assemblymembers’ newly introduced bill AB 1650.

The bill precludes all public entities in California from renewing or entering into contracts with companies that have substantial business in Iran’s energy sector, ensuring that California’s tax dollars do not support companies whose investments either directly or indirectly support Iran’s nuclear program, exploitation of terror and brutal suppression of internal dissent.

Legendary Beverly Hills family, the Max Factors, will auction their private collection of jewelry, art and silver.

All proceeds from the property of Dorothy and Sidney Factor and son Max Factor III will be donated to several City organizations including a large endowment to benefit Beverly Hills High School’s music program. The auction begins March 31 and is organized through Heritage Auction Beverly Hills.

The auction will prominently feature important pieces from the couples’ extensive collection over their 65-year marriage and is held in memory of Sidney Factor and his commitment to philanthropy.

Planning a remodel and think Beverly Hills won’t notice if your builder ignores City approved plans?

Think again.

A single family residence at 1201 Laurel Way approved for a remodel that allowed for a demolition of only 50 percent of the structure was issued a stop work notice after the City’s building department realized 90 percent of the home had been torn down.

Project Supervisor Keith Bae claims he was given the okay to do so by a City building inspector named Steve Tabor.

A no-name beauty queen from Pasadena appears to be using her self-appointed title of  “Miss Beverly Hills” and her public opposition to gay marriage as a way to earn her 15 minutes of fame.

Lauren Ashley, a 23-year-old contestant in the 2011 Miss California USA pageant, has made recent headlines for her opposition to gay marriage under the title of “Miss Beverly Hills.”

But Beverly Hills states Ashley does not represent the City in any capacity.

The 9900 Wilshire Blvd. property controlled by Project Lotus LLC, a joint venture with Kaupthing Bank and Guernsey based development company, CPC Group, was foreclosed on Thursday morning in Norwalk, Calif.  by means of a public auction conducted at 10: 30 am.

There were no bidders other than the lender, Banco Inbursa, which now owns the property.

Spokeswoman from CPC Group, Nina Sanders, said early Thursday morning that CPC and the lender had reached a final agreement.

When asked whether the agreement called for the public sale to proceed today, she declined to comment.

FEB. 25, 2010 1:53 p.m.—It was once sunshine and blue skies for Beverly Hills real estate agent and licensed appraiser Kyle Grasso.
But now the only light he will be seeing is through prison bars. 
Grasso  was sentenced today to one year and one day in federal prison and five years of a supervised released for his role in a  $40 million Ponzi scheme.
He will also have to pay $13,070,148 in restitution fees.

Feb. 25, 2010 11:55 a.m.—The 9900 Wilshire Blvd. property controlled by Project Lotus LLC, a joint venture with Kaupthing Bank and Guernsey based development company, CPC Group, was foreclosed on this morning in Norwalk, Calif.  by means of a public auction conducted at 10: 30 am.

Plush Ultra Lounge, Beverly Hills’ only nightclub and its adjacent Bar 210, featuring cuisine by Top Chef Alum Marcel Vigneron, open this weekend in a 7,000 square-foot-space at The Beverly Hilton.   

 What most people adore about living in Los Angeles are  rooms with rich colors accentuated by contemporary fixtures, hidden enclaves in an already masked locale serving teasingly delicious bites coupled with habit-forming cocktails, that mix all the right elements to create the perfect spot after dark. 

The Courier’s online web site, bhcourier.com, stunned local readers and advertisers with its most recent results from Google analytics. The stats revealed a worldwide audience and following throughout California and the United States with 4.2 million total page views, 816,771 visitors, and more than 12.4 million hits in the last year alone.

It isn’t officially spring in Beverly Hills until the annual BHEF Apple Ball preparations get underway. Thursday, Beverly Hills Education Foundation CEO Dev Hankin announced the 2010 honorees.

This year finds Shawn and Larry King, acclaimed television and radio host and notable City personality, the recipients The Bosse Spirit of Philanthropy Award. The award, named for residents and long-time Beverly Hills Unified School District donors Lili and Jon Bosse, recognizes excellence in contributions to philanthropy to the City and world at large.

It was once sunshine and blue skies for Beverly Hills real estate agent and licensed appraiser Kyle Grasso.

But now the only light he will be seeing is through prison bars.  

The Beverly Hills agent  was sentenced today to one year and one day in federal prison and five years of a supervised released for his role in a  $40 million Ponzi scheme.

He will also have to pay $13,070,148 in restitution fees.

Last August, a jury convicted Grasso of criminal conspiracy, bank fraud, numerous loan fraud counts, and money laundering, according to Thom Mrozek, Public Affairs Officer for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

To promote Alice In Wonderland, Disney trotted out its stars during a Hollywood fan fest. Mia Wasikowski plays Alice, with Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, with Johnny Depp appearing as the Mad Hatter. See more on George Christy's page.

Feb. 25, 2010 11:55 a.m.—The 9900 Wilshire Blvd. property controlled by Project Lotus LLC, a joint venture with Kaupthing Bank and Guernsey based development company, CPC Group, was foreclosed on this morning in Norwalk, Calif.  by means of a public auction conducted at 10: 30 am.

Posted 10:52 a.m. Feb. 19, 2010 : The Courier learned exclusively early this morning that the public sale of 9900 Wilshire Blvd. has been postponed by the lender until Feb. 25, according to LPS Agency Sales and Posting.

Beverly Hills real estate agent and licensed real estate appraiser Kyle Grasso will be sentenced on Feb. 25 following his conviction on a $40 million mortgage fraud case last August.

The jury convicted Grasso of criminal conspiracy, bank fraud, numerous loan fraud counts, and money laundering.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is recommending three years in prison, according to Thom Mrozek, Public Affairs Officer.

Mrozek stated the office thinks Grasso should receive a sentence in line with the co-defendant on the case, Lila Rizk who was recently sentenced to 36 months in prison.

“Grasso and Rizk played roughly similar roles in the mortgage fraud debacle.  Both acted as outside, licensed professionals who were indispensable in facilitating the fraud at the behest of Fitzgerald and Abrams,” according to the court document filed by the US Attorney’s Office. “Both profited handsomely for their corrupt services, although neither Grasso nor Rizk benefited in the same manner as the main fraudsters.  Grasso and Rizk were, in a “big picture” view, similarly situated in the fraud scheme, and should receive comparable sentences from this court.”

The office is also objecting to Grasso’s request for home detention, said Mrozek.