I'm sure there will be some heated debate at the next Monday night's Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council Land Use & Planning Committee. Chair, Rick Mayer, said this project was going to be an important one for Sherman Oaks.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Rye Street Condo Conversions
Condo conversions are hot hot hot. But they also very unpopular with the renters who get kicked out. This renter got creative with what was on the street:
I'm sure there will be some heated debate at the next Monday night's Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council Land Use & Planning Committee. Chair, Rick Mayer, said this project was going to be an important one for Sherman Oaks.
I'm sure there will be some heated debate at the next Monday night's Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council Land Use & Planning Committee. Chair, Rick Mayer, said this project was going to be an important one for Sherman Oaks.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
May SONC Notes...very tired version
It's been awhile since I last posted, but I went to tonight's extremely long Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council Meeting. It went from 6:30 p.m. to about 10:00 p.m. The Land Use & Planning Committee (the equivalent a City Planning Commission) was the usual suspect. Sherman Oaks residents are passionate about development in the community and how it effects them. Hence, the savvy folks at SOHA.
As part of the Public Safety Committee, I'm taking a field trip with Jack Weiss' office down to the Hollywood Police Station to get a behind the scenes tour of Hollywood Boulevard's security camera system. I'll be sure to post something on LAist after the tour, which is a couple of weeks away.
The reason for the tour is to see if this is something that Ventura Blvd. needs. Being the fiscal conservative I am, I'm not sure Ventura Blvd. is the place for it. Jason at LAist thought Victory and Sepulveda was more appropriate.
The pool at Sherman Oaks/Van Nuys Park will be closed for two weeks in the summer for some cleaning of some sort. Perfect timing really. No, not really, but whatever kind of cleaning this is (which I forgot the technical term) is the type of cleaning that cannot be planned on (no, not the Chevy Chase version either).
Marlene Goodman of the Animal Committee (which is under SONC and the Directors of Welfare) prepared a really massive and informative folder on pets, especially in regards to emergency preperation for your pet (have you stored enough water for them too?)
One of the more interesting notes of the meeting was in Jill Barad Bank's summary of her lunch with SOHA's Ellen Vukovich. It seemed to be a healthy conversation where they agreed to disagree on somethings and partner on others. It makes sense. SONC's mandate is different than SOHA's. Ahhh...tense moments are good.
All in all, good meeting but wayyyyyyy long.
As part of the Public Safety Committee, I'm taking a field trip with Jack Weiss' office down to the Hollywood Police Station to get a behind the scenes tour of Hollywood Boulevard's security camera system. I'll be sure to post something on LAist after the tour, which is a couple of weeks away.
The reason for the tour is to see if this is something that Ventura Blvd. needs. Being the fiscal conservative I am, I'm not sure Ventura Blvd. is the place for it. Jason at LAist thought Victory and Sepulveda was more appropriate.
The pool at Sherman Oaks/Van Nuys Park will be closed for two weeks in the summer for some cleaning of some sort. Perfect timing really. No, not really, but whatever kind of cleaning this is (which I forgot the technical term) is the type of cleaning that cannot be planned on (no, not the Chevy Chase version either).
Marlene Goodman of the Animal Committee (which is under SONC and the Directors of Welfare) prepared a really massive and informative folder on pets, especially in regards to emergency preperation for your pet (have you stored enough water for them too?)
One of the more interesting notes of the meeting was in Jill Barad Bank's summary of her lunch with SOHA's Ellen Vukovich. It seemed to be a healthy conversation where they agreed to disagree on somethings and partner on others. It makes sense. SONC's mandate is different than SOHA's. Ahhh...tense moments are good.
All in all, good meeting but wayyyyyyy long.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Immigration Bill & Los Angeles
I unfortunately was not present at L.A.'s half million person protest on Saturday. But there is something in the air this week in Los Angeles. And I really felt it when I saw this young girl today while driving home from the DMV in the Van Nuys area (click to enlarge)...
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Running Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks Park
I finally did it! No City official could tell me the distance of the full course around the park. So I took a measuring stick and measured both the trail and "track" at Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks Park.Here are the results:
The Trail (the large one that covers the park)
One Loops = 6888 ft (about 1.3 miles)
The Track (near Hazeltine Parking lot, circle 4 baseball diamonds)
2600 ft (40 ft. shy of 1/2 mile)
What's additionally rad about this?
1 Trail Loop (1.3.) + 1 Trail Loop (1.3) + 1 Track Loop = 5K (3.1 miles)
For a 10K, just double all of it.
View a Google Map of Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks Park
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Shameless Self Promotion - ArtFilmsNow.com
I've been wanting to do something like this for awhile now. And here it is: ArtFilmsNow.com.
I've not found one good single place that aggregates the indie, foreign, art house, animation, festival, documentary movies that I can see in theatres. I feel I really have to search it out sometimes. So here's my thing: It's an e-mail list, not a website. If you want the 411, you gotta sign up. Simple. Hope to see you there!
www.ArtFilmsNow.com.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
The Sherman Oaks Documentary
See, Sherman Oaks is cool! Director Farah Z. Khalid goes out to prove the Valley has some spunk. LAist points towards the new upload-your-video-into-a-flash-movie site - Turn Here: Short Films. Cool Places.
The the short doc leads you to some classic movie star homes and peaks into the uniqueness of Ventura Blvd. All we need now is a few more live theatres, clubs, and the Ventura Blvd. Subway. Oh yeah, can we bring the farmer's market back?
WATCH THAT VIDEO BY CLICKING RIGHT HERE
Other Notable Docs:
L.A. Without a Car
North Hollywood
Atwater Village
The the short doc leads you to some classic movie star homes and peaks into the uniqueness of Ventura Blvd. All we need now is a few more live theatres, clubs, and the Ventura Blvd. Subway. Oh yeah, can we bring the farmer's market back?
WATCH THAT VIDEO BY CLICKING RIGHT HERE
Other Notable Docs:
L.A. Without a Car
North Hollywood
Atwater Village
Auto Vs. Pedestrian: Surreal
I was sore to begin with. A post holiday run at the Pacific Shoreline Marathon 5K on Sunday did that to me. Now I'm really going to need to rest.
Today while crossing the street at Valencia Blvd. and Citrus Ave in Santa Clarita on my way to City Hall, out of the corner of my eye I saw something move toward me. Then I was on top of that thing. Then I was on the ground staring at the driver. Then I was pointing to the parking lot for her to pull over and talk. Then she drove away.
I was shocked as it was. But when the car drove away, leaving me in the crosswalk, I was stunned - "Is this for real? Am I really in a hit-and-run?"
I'm lucky I was on top of the car rather than below. I'm lucky she didn't drive through me. I'm lucky I was able to stand up and walk. I'm lucky I got her license plate number.
Today was a red flag day, so when the police and ambulance came to City Hall, so did the fire department water truck.
I'm thankful for all the support I got from city staff who stayed with me through this. Even the Assistant City Manager gave a visit in the E.R. to check up on me. An all staff e-mail went out because rumours were spreading fast. It's all one surreal experience and I'm sure no one will ever want to park in the Citrus Lot for another few weeks (The Citrus Lot is our rotating overflow lot across the street).
Self defense mode must have kicked into gear fast because I wrote down her license plate down correctly. Sheriff's found the maybe octogenarian at her house where she apparently thought my pointing to pull over was a "No worries! I'm all good! Have a great day!" She must have been a little shocked too. How often do you make a left turn and all of the sudden someone is on your hood? Nevertheless, you hit someone, you pull over. Pedestrians don't win, even if I was crossing legally.
Weird thing is, I'm a pretty damn conscientious pedestrian. Traffic safety is one of my "things." I cross this street 5 days a week. I always keep an eye on "turn on red" drivers making eye contact with them. And when there is car that is going to make a left hand turn, I'll keep an eye on them. This time, there was no car waiting to turn left when the light turned green. I wasn't that far from the other side when I got struck. She must have caught the green and rode on through. I'll never cross a street the same.
After a long time in the E.R. at Henry Mayo Newhall hospital, I was released and drove back home. I'll have a check up with a doctor very soon. I'm still in more shock than pain at the moment, but a friend from LAist warned me: "I had a really good friend who was in an accident like yours and unfort. in like two-three days you're going to probably feel a lot worse than you do now." Alright! I can't wait. Bring it on!
So that's that. I have to give City of Santa Clarita employees props. It's truly a great City to work for. I can't imagine a better place to be hit outside of.
Today while crossing the street at Valencia Blvd. and Citrus Ave in Santa Clarita on my way to City Hall, out of the corner of my eye I saw something move toward me. Then I was on top of that thing. Then I was on the ground staring at the driver. Then I was pointing to the parking lot for her to pull over and talk. Then she drove away.
I was shocked as it was. But when the car drove away, leaving me in the crosswalk, I was stunned - "Is this for real? Am I really in a hit-and-run?"
I'm lucky I was on top of the car rather than below. I'm lucky she didn't drive through me. I'm lucky I was able to stand up and walk. I'm lucky I got her license plate number.
Today was a red flag day, so when the police and ambulance came to City Hall, so did the fire department water truck.
I'm thankful for all the support I got from city staff who stayed with me through this. Even the Assistant City Manager gave a visit in the E.R. to check up on me. An all staff e-mail went out because rumours were spreading fast. It's all one surreal experience and I'm sure no one will ever want to park in the Citrus Lot for another few weeks (The Citrus Lot is our rotating overflow lot across the street).
Self defense mode must have kicked into gear fast because I wrote down her license plate down correctly. Sheriff's found the maybe octogenarian at her house where she apparently thought my pointing to pull over was a "No worries! I'm all good! Have a great day!" She must have been a little shocked too. How often do you make a left turn and all of the sudden someone is on your hood? Nevertheless, you hit someone, you pull over. Pedestrians don't win, even if I was crossing legally.
Weird thing is, I'm a pretty damn conscientious pedestrian. Traffic safety is one of my "things." I cross this street 5 days a week. I always keep an eye on "turn on red" drivers making eye contact with them. And when there is car that is going to make a left hand turn, I'll keep an eye on them. This time, there was no car waiting to turn left when the light turned green. I wasn't that far from the other side when I got struck. She must have caught the green and rode on through. I'll never cross a street the same.
After a long time in the E.R. at Henry Mayo Newhall hospital, I was released and drove back home. I'll have a check up with a doctor very soon. I'm still in more shock than pain at the moment, but a friend from LAist warned me: "I had a really good friend who was in an accident like yours and unfort. in like two-three days you're going to probably feel a lot worse than you do now." Alright! I can't wait. Bring it on!
So that's that. I have to give City of Santa Clarita employees props. It's truly a great City to work for. I can't imagine a better place to be hit outside of.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
OOPS! M.I.A.
Well, I must apologize to my reader base which is probably all gone by now. After the New Year, I took too long of a break. Way toooooo long. For those of you who read many of L.A.'s blogs, you may have noticed that I am now writing for LAist.com. You can read all my posts as of so far. in the oaks has been focused mainly on Sherman Oaks (and a little beyond) politics and civics, but my degree is in music, so LAist fits my art side very well and I'm having a blast! I'm so blog happy, I'm trying to start a few a work.
But not to worry, in the oaks is back! I promise! Stay tuned...
But not to worry, in the oaks is back! I promise! Stay tuned...
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
RED FLAG DAYS UPDATE
I'm sad to still be in Chicago and miss this meeting. But people who want to be clear on this and have their voice heard on this issue should attend tonight. Here is the latest from the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council:
To All Concerned,
The meeting tonight promises to be extremely informative. We will have representatives from the Mayor's office, our Councilperson Jack Weiss's office and the Fire Department to present the facts and answer questions. Here are a few salient facts:
1. Red Flag Days are defined as days when the humidity drops below 15% and the wind exceeds 25 mph. There are approximately 10 Red Flag Days a year, usually from October 31-December 31.
2. Despite the 5,200 signs that the city is posting throughout the hills of the city by the end of January, they will not be towing the first year. They will issue only warnings or tickets until the public has had a chance to become educated.
3. Parking is prohibited on Red Flag Days on any hillside street less than 28 feet wide, while parking will be restricted to one side on streets between 29 and 36 feet wide.
The law was passed after the devastation of the Oakland Hills fire when there was an enormous loss of life due to the fact that parked cars made roads impassable to emergency vehicles. There is no doubt that such regulations are necessary, the question is whether this one has incorporated all available creative solutions to mitigate the burdens to residents, protect the needs of the elderly and infirm and allow for orderly evacuation if needed. I encourage you to make the effort to come
tonight for the first in what will undoubtedly be several community meetings to iron out the kinks in this law.
Sherman Oaks Library (Beverly Glen and Moorpark), 6:30-8:00 P.M.(12/28).
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Red Flag Parking & 405 Construction
Been and still out of town (Chicago), so sorry for no new posts lately. But here is some news:
Red Flag Day Parking
Last week, LA Times reports on the Red Flag Warnings in Los Angeles hillside communities. The article states that councilman Jack Weiss spoke with Homeowner groups, but it appears he did not consult the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council (SONC).
Members of SONC's Parking, Traffic and Transportation Ad Hoc Committee were extremely disappointed that Weiss did not see fit to consult with the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council. More to come on this as details get punched out, but if you have words to say on either side of it, go to the Committee's meeting on Wednesday.
Latest 405 News courtesy of SONC
Caltrans has announced the following closures nightly beginning Tuesday, December 27 through Thursday, December 29:
Red Flag Day Parking
Last week, LA Times reports on the Red Flag Warnings in Los Angeles hillside communities. The article states that councilman Jack Weiss spoke with Homeowner groups, but it appears he did not consult the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council (SONC).
Members of SONC's Parking, Traffic and Transportation Ad Hoc Committee were extremely disappointed that Weiss did not see fit to consult with the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council. More to come on this as details get punched out, but if you have words to say on either side of it, go to the Committee's meeting on Wednesday.
Latest 405 News courtesy of SONC
Caltrans has announced the following closures nightly beginning Tuesday, December 27 through Thursday, December 29:
- 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., the northbound Ventura Freeway (U.S. 101) connector to the northbound San Diego Freeway (I-405)
- 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., the northbound I-405 Burbank Boulevard off-ramp
- 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., the southbound I-405 Ventura Boulevard on-ramp
- 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., up to two lanes of southbound I-405 from U.S. 101 to Burbank Boulevard
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
The Valley, Music, & Google
Last thursday at 12:00 a.m., Google launched, with no big announcement, their new Google Music Search. SearchEngineWatch.com reports that "the new feature works directly from any Google web search form, and results are returned as 'one box' results at the top of the search result page next to a musical notes icon." You can also search directly.
Giving "San Fernando Valley" a try led me all to close too home at America's Suburb.com within a few clicks. Gordon Jenkins, who wrote the song, San Fernando Valley, resided in Sherman Oaks:
It was Bing Crosby's rendition, however, that enticed war-weary GI's with the promise of a mythical place. "San Fernando Valley" hit No. 1 on the Billboard chart on April 29, 1944... Once the war ended, about a year after the song reached No. 1, plenty of Americans took Bing's advice and took a trip to California to make the Valley their home.
Full Article & Lyrics
Giving "San Fernando Valley" a try led me all to close too home at America's Suburb.com within a few clicks. Gordon Jenkins, who wrote the song, San Fernando Valley, resided in Sherman Oaks:
Full Article & Lyrics
Sunday, December 18, 2005
City Council Celebrity Countdown
This technology is going to soon have a Gladwell style tipping point, at least in social conversation that is:
MyHeritage.com is one of the world's first applications to apply the scientifically advanced technologies of face detection and recognition to family history and to consumer photos... As part of its pioneering development on face recognition in genealogy and consumer photos, MyHeritage.com has created extensive face recognition technology for celebrities. It's free and fun to use.
So what would the Los Angeles City Council look like if they morphed into their celebrity counterpart? MyHeritage gives each picture you submit about 5-10 different celebrities you resemble. The following countdown reflects either the closest matches or just the funniest (numbers not related to Council District):
15. Janice Hahn & Sarah Michelle Gellar (Runners Up: Rita Hayworth, Isabella Rossellini, Monica Lewinsky)
14. Tom LaBonge & John Cleese (Runners Up: Gregory Peck, John Ashcroft, Kofi Annan, Sigourney Weaver)
13. Greig Smith & former Queen Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (Runners Up: Gerard Depardieu, Michael Caine, David Howell Evans of U2. SPECIAL AWARD FOR: Being "Across the Pond.")
12. Herb J. Wesson, Jr. & Paul Newman (Runners Up: Martin Luther King, Jr., Martin Gardner, Inventor of Linux - Linus Torvalds, José Saramago. SPECIAL AWARD FOR: Looking most like notable world changing leaders)
11. Wendy Greuel & Andie MacDowell (Runners Up: Helen Clark, Jerry Seinfeld, Clint Eastwood, Annette Bening)
10. Jan Perry & Hilary Swank (Runners Up: Jane Fonda, Tom Clancy, David Lynch, Zhang Ziyi )
9. Tony Cardenas & Dean Martin (Runners Up: Edward Norton, Gary Cooper, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Slyvester Stallone)
8. Eric Garcetti & Mel Gibson (Runners Up: Alec Baldwin, Hugh Grant, Jeff Buckley, Artie Shaw. SPECIAL AWARD FOR: Getting women naked by looking like a number of beefy hunks and singing Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah.")
7. Ed Reyes & Mubarak (Runners Up: Roger Moore, Matthew Perry, Jomo Kenyatta, David Lloyd George, Andre Malraux. SPECIAL AWARD FOR: Looking like the most International and political group.)
6. Alex Padilla & Audrey Tautou (Runners Up: Beyonce Knowles, Jacques Chirac, Madonna, Frida Kahlo, Leonardo DiCaprio. SPECIAL AWARD FOR: Looking like a random-ass bunch of folks.)
5. Jack Weiss & John Travolta (Runners Up: Nikita Khrushchev, Tom Cruise, Edward Said, Steve Martin, José Carreras.)
4. Dennis Zine & Gary Oldman (Runners Up: Ferdinand Porsche, Amitabh Bachchan, Kim Dae-jung, Yuri Andropov, Gabriel García Márquez. SPECIAL AWARD FOR: Not looking like many on-screen Celebrities.)
3. Bernard Parks & Lou Reed (Runners Up: John Carpenter, Uylsses S. Grant, Vladimir Lenin, Grace Jones, Jawaharlal Nehru, Abdelaziz Bouteflika. SPECIAL AWARD FOR: Looking like many dead and famous leaders.)
2. José Huizar & Yao Ming (Runners Up: Henry Fonda, Hilary Duff, Carl Sagan, John Belushi, Julia Roberts)
1. Bill Rosendahl & Jimi Hendrix (Runners Up: Pierre Boulez, Princess Diana, Steve Reich, Benicio del Toro, Cate Blanchett, Wesley Clark, Jacques Chirac. SPECIAL AWARD FOR: Oddly looking like two famous classical minimalist composers - Steve Reich and Pierre Boulez.)
And Just for fun....
Antonio Villaraigosa & Howard Dean
Laura Chick & Sharon Stone
Yvonne Burke & Shirley McClaine
Don Knabe & Richard Wagner
Gloria Molina & Annette Bening
Zev Yaroslavsky & Meatloaf
Michael Antonovich & Ozzy Osborne
So what would the Los Angeles City Council look like if they morphed into their celebrity counterpart? MyHeritage gives each picture you submit about 5-10 different celebrities you resemble. The following countdown reflects either the closest matches or just the funniest (numbers not related to Council District):
15. Janice Hahn & Sarah Michelle Gellar (Runners Up: Rita Hayworth, Isabella Rossellini, Monica Lewinsky)
14. Tom LaBonge & John Cleese (Runners Up: Gregory Peck, John Ashcroft, Kofi Annan, Sigourney Weaver)
13. Greig Smith & former Queen Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (Runners Up: Gerard Depardieu, Michael Caine, David Howell Evans of U2. SPECIAL AWARD FOR: Being "Across the Pond.")
12. Herb J. Wesson, Jr. & Paul Newman (Runners Up: Martin Luther King, Jr., Martin Gardner, Inventor of Linux - Linus Torvalds, José Saramago. SPECIAL AWARD FOR: Looking most like notable world changing leaders)
11. Wendy Greuel & Andie MacDowell (Runners Up: Helen Clark, Jerry Seinfeld, Clint Eastwood, Annette Bening)
10. Jan Perry & Hilary Swank (Runners Up: Jane Fonda, Tom Clancy, David Lynch, Zhang Ziyi )
9. Tony Cardenas & Dean Martin (Runners Up: Edward Norton, Gary Cooper, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Slyvester Stallone)
8. Eric Garcetti & Mel Gibson (Runners Up: Alec Baldwin, Hugh Grant, Jeff Buckley, Artie Shaw. SPECIAL AWARD FOR: Getting women naked by looking like a number of beefy hunks and singing Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah.")
7. Ed Reyes & Mubarak (Runners Up: Roger Moore, Matthew Perry, Jomo Kenyatta, David Lloyd George, Andre Malraux. SPECIAL AWARD FOR: Looking like the most International and political group.)
6. Alex Padilla & Audrey Tautou (Runners Up: Beyonce Knowles, Jacques Chirac, Madonna, Frida Kahlo, Leonardo DiCaprio. SPECIAL AWARD FOR: Looking like a random-ass bunch of folks.)
5. Jack Weiss & John Travolta (Runners Up: Nikita Khrushchev, Tom Cruise, Edward Said, Steve Martin, José Carreras.)
4. Dennis Zine & Gary Oldman (Runners Up: Ferdinand Porsche, Amitabh Bachchan, Kim Dae-jung, Yuri Andropov, Gabriel García Márquez. SPECIAL AWARD FOR: Not looking like many on-screen Celebrities.)
3. Bernard Parks & Lou Reed (Runners Up: John Carpenter, Uylsses S. Grant, Vladimir Lenin, Grace Jones, Jawaharlal Nehru, Abdelaziz Bouteflika. SPECIAL AWARD FOR: Looking like many dead and famous leaders.)
2. José Huizar & Yao Ming (Runners Up: Henry Fonda, Hilary Duff, Carl Sagan, John Belushi, Julia Roberts)
1. Bill Rosendahl & Jimi Hendrix (Runners Up: Pierre Boulez, Princess Diana, Steve Reich, Benicio del Toro, Cate Blanchett, Wesley Clark, Jacques Chirac. SPECIAL AWARD FOR: Oddly looking like two famous classical minimalist composers - Steve Reich and Pierre Boulez.)
And Just for fun....
Antonio Villaraigosa & Howard Dean
Laura Chick & Sharon Stone
Yvonne Burke & Shirley McClaine
Don Knabe & Richard Wagner
Gloria Molina & Annette Bening
Zev Yaroslavsky & Meatloaf
Michael Antonovich & Ozzy Osborne
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Wearing Your Seat Belt - Not For Your Safety
Getting that seat belt ticket is not about the City collecting revenue either. It's about maintaining a budget.
Before I was all gung-ho for the seat belt law, I always told myself that only two things will convince me of it: a) the statistics of human projectiles from cars injuring others are incredibly high or b) economic reasons.
One day I caught up with Los Angeles County Sheriff, Tony Arnold, who heads the Santa Clarita Traffic Division. I presented my two options to him and he explained the latter was correct. And it only makes sense:
An injury from a seat belt-less driver without health insurance still has bills to pay. More often than not, our taxes pay that bill. So in closing, it's not about your safety, it's about our wallet. I rather see my money go towards a park or pothole than your negligent medical bills.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
My true love sent to me, 7 buses a-crashin'
The 7th in a string of crashes occur on the Orange Line tonight at Kester Ave. Luckily, this red light runner was hit by a 10 mph cruising bus. When I was walking to a restaurant and later taking pictures for the 311 Project post, I was astonished to see a car run a red light each time at the same intersection. These were not even close calls to yellow lights. They were just saying "fuck it."
Watch It
Read It
Watch It
Read It
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Dec. SONC Meeting
Interesting notes from Monday night's Sherman Oaks Neighbourhood Council (SONC) Meeting:
- The LAPD reported while Sherman Oaks is statistically lower than other neighbourhoods in the Van Nuys Station district, the nice houses in the hills are being hit because people feel safe to leave their garage doors open. Also, 24 Hour Fitness' locker room has been a repeat target.
- Looks like a Renters Rights committee will be formed to help bridge the gap between tenants and their landlords. Sherman Oaks has a population of 58,000. Just about half of those are renters.
- Other new committees for SONC are the Beautification Committee and an Education/School based one.
- SONC will look more official on paper now with the by-laws changed to be consistent with the nomenclature of the L.A. City Council
- The Department of Neighborhood Empowerment will be getting a few more Project Coordinators in order to lessen the amount of Neighbourhood Councils they represent.
- Sherman Oaks Castle Park, a city run recreational facility, will be renewing the contracts and going out to bid for the various functions of the park. Supposedly, the current vendors (arcade, mini golf, etc) are getting a little "snotty."
Monday, December 12, 2005
405 Construction News
From the Parking, Traffic, and Transportation Committee of the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council:
Caltrans has announced the following closures nightly beginning Sunday, December 11 through Thursday, December 15:
The next project milestone will be the re-opening of the
Sepulveda/Greenleaf on-ramp to the U.S. 101 connector, expected in summer 2006. The Sepulveda/Greenleaf on-ramp to northbound I-405 is estimated to open in spring 2007, with project completion anticipated for summer 2007. It may still be closed at night, from 9p to 6a, for at least a few more weeks.
This project is one of a series of improvements at the U.S. 101/I-405 Interchange. When completed in 2007, aside from the onramp/offramp improvements, it will provide a continuous HOV lane on southbound I-405 from the San Fernando Valley to Los Angeles International Airport.
Caltrans has announced the following closures nightly beginning Sunday, December 11 through Thursday, December 15:
- 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., the northbound Ventura Freeway (U.S. 101)connector to the northbound San Diego Freeway (I-405)
- 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., the northbound I-405 Burbank Boulevard off-ramp
- 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., the southbound I-405 Ventura Boulevard on-ramp
- 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., up to two lanes of southbound I-405 from U.S. 101
to Sepulveda Boulevard
The next project milestone will be the re-opening of the
Sepulveda/Greenleaf on-ramp to the U.S. 101 connector, expected in summer 2006. The Sepulveda/Greenleaf on-ramp to northbound I-405 is estimated to open in spring 2007, with project completion anticipated for summer 2007. It may still be closed at night, from 9p to 6a, for at least a few more weeks.
This project is one of a series of improvements at the U.S. 101/I-405 Interchange. When completed in 2007, aside from the onramp/offramp improvements, it will provide a continuous HOV lane on southbound I-405 from the San Fernando Valley to Los Angeles International Airport.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
In Brief: DASH Gets New Benches
The City of L.A. has begun replacing the conventional hard plastic benches used for DASH stops with plush sofas. "We decided that we needed to 'up' the image of public transportation. And why not do it with some Hollywood flair?" said a DOT spokesman. The pilot program kicked off at the corner of Moorpark & Allott Ave. on the Van Nuys/Studio City Clockwise Route. Unfortunately, the program was cancelled a day later when vandals stole the couch and dumped it into the L.A. River.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
The 311 Project: Pedestrian Patrol
Ever since I discovered the powerful use of dialing 311, I feel the City of Los Angeles has another thing to be championed about. There is one thing you cannot complain about in the City and that is 311 - One Call to City Hall. 24 hours a day, you can talk to operators with great names like Amelie, Korea, and my favourite, a cross-dresser named Ms. Sha-nay-nay (well, that's what it sounded like. It was a late night call.)
Tonight I was walking (yes, as in walk commuting) to Siam Cabin in Sherman Oaks for a dinner meeting. At Ventura Blvd. and Sunnyslope, the pedestrian crosswalk button device was hanging by its wires two feet off the ground. Since God knows when this might be noticed by the infamous City Pedestrian Device Patrol, I decided to call 311 and report this broken and possibly this newly invented technocratic cowboy toy (got lasso skills?).
Walking back a hour later, I was pleased to see the situation had been temporarily fixed with some quick wit from DOT (a huge zip tie). So if you see a broken traffic light, drive through an annoying pothole, or have a non-emergency police request, call 311. They are there to help you.
Tonight I was walking (yes, as in walk commuting) to Siam Cabin in Sherman Oaks for a dinner meeting. At Ventura Blvd. and Sunnyslope, the pedestrian crosswalk button device was hanging by its wires two feet off the ground. Since God knows when this might be noticed by the infamous City Pedestrian Device Patrol, I decided to call 311 and report this broken and possibly this newly invented technocratic cowboy toy (got lasso skills?).
Walking back a hour later, I was pleased to see the situation had been temporarily fixed with some quick wit from DOT (a huge zip tie). So if you see a broken traffic light, drive through an annoying pothole, or have a non-emergency police request, call 311. They are there to help you.
MTA Gets Smarter
Let's talk about target marketing! Way to go MTA! Today I received a localized Sherman Oaks Reference Guide to MTA. It has a map of Sherman Oaks with 10 routes, a destination guide (with what route number to take to get there), and important phone numbers (911 is for emergencies, good to know! But why isn't 311 listed?). It also has a form you can fill out and send in to get a free one-week pass. I can only hope and assume that many other neighbourhoods are receiving similar brochures to encourage the use of public transportation.
(Okay, I know. I have a crappy camera or I just don't know how to use it.)
Monday, December 05, 2005
Valley Loses More Times Coverage?
Not that I felt there was much local coverage anyway. LA Observed reports that the Times is pulling out of the Valley. I am an online newspaper reader, so that means I even get less local coverage, Daily News included. How is it in this Information Age that we get less information?
Eugene Carr, the president of Patron Technology, an e-marketing firm, reported once that local information will be the next Internet tipping point (In addition to wireless. Wireless technology integrated with local info? Dig it?). Google Local and Yahoo! Local demonstrate this local information flow. L.A. Times seems to be the antithesis of these future trends.
There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.
- John F. Kennedy -
Eugene Carr, the president of Patron Technology, an e-marketing firm, reported once that local information will be the next Internet tipping point (In addition to wireless. Wireless technology integrated with local info? Dig it?). Google Local and Yahoo! Local demonstrate this local information flow. L.A. Times seems to be the antithesis of these future trends.
- John F. Kennedy -
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