WestchesterParents

Westchester, Playa del Rey and LAX combined have over 180 billboards making up over 1/3 of the billboards in Los Angeles City Council District 11. These numbers were collected as part of an audit performed by volunteers who fanned out into the district and collected billboard locations, number of billboards, and who owned the billboard. Later the imformation was submitted to banbillboardblight.org.

Here is a photo representation of the billboards that I collected for Dennis Hathaway’s organization. There are three of the more nefarious Bladerunner digital billboards among this collection. Not all of the billboards are pictured here but I hope to have all of them soon.

There is also an excellant article on billboard blight and how our city representatives got us to this point at LA Weekly.

[Read more →]

Tags: GENERAL, OUR ENVIRONMENT // Add Comment »

While opponents of Proposition 8 and the media focused their ire on Blacks, Hispanics, Mormons and Catholics who were each an individual part of Prop 8’s success, what opponents missed was the fact that most of them were also parents. In fact, the largest segment in shear numbers were the propositions built-in supporters, parents.  The Edison/Mitofsky exit poll:

• Married voters…
  • 62% of of exit polls respondents were married
  • 60% of them supported Prop 8 (est. 7,336,957 over 4,891,305)
• Married Voters with children under 18…
  • 64% of them supported Prop 8 (est 4,695,652 over 2,641,305)
• Of married voters with children (including adult children) …
  • 68% of them supported Prop 8 (est 4,989,131 over 2,347,826)

Regardless of a parents racial makeup, a strong majority of mother’s, fathers and grandparents intuitively supported the amendment to California’s Constitution that simply says that a marriage is between a man and a woman. They voted that way because it is in their families best interest. Parent’s owe no one an apology.

Other interesting data…

• Political party
  • Prop 8 captured 36% of Democrat voters
  • Prop 8 captured 82% of Republican voters
  • Prop 8 captured 46% of Independents and other parties
• Philosophical leanings…
  • Prop 8 captured 22% of liberals
  • Prop 8 captured 47% of moderates
  • Prop 8 captured 85% of conservatives

Tags: GENERAL // 2 Comments »

Given Los Angeles’s economic slide over the last six years and next years $110 million budget shortfall, this choice doesn’t appear to be a good omen….

Villaraigosa headed to Chicago as part of Obama’s economic transition team

(Daily News) Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is headed to Chicago Thursday to meet with President-elect Barack Obama, who asked the mayor to be part of his Economic Transition Advisory Board.
The meeting, with Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden, is part of an effort to develop policies the new administration can put into effect after taking office.

In addition to Villaraigosa, others involved include billionaire Warren Buffett, Chicago Mayor William Daley, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and other business leaders and government officials.

Aides to the mayor said the trip had nothing to do with a potential job in the new administration and said Villaraigosa’s only plan is to run for re-election next year.

What Villaraigosa has to offer Obama’s economic transition team is unfathomable.

Tags: GENERAL // 1 Comment »

I don’t think there is a single person in California today that thinks that our public schools or our States curriculum are better today than it was thirty years ago.

So before you vote Tuesday, maybe you should consider using education as a litmus test on who you should vote for among the California’s Assembly and Senate candidates. Poorly educated students have profoundly effected California’s competitiveness in business, manufacturing, education and have been a huge burden on social services such as health care and unemployment.

History is turning out to be an excellent gauge in telling us who is most responsible for the horrible slide in academic performance in California’s public school system over the last 30 years. A task made much simpler by looking at the California’s legislative majority leadership and Superintendent of Schools.

The California Assembly
The California’s Speaker of the Assembly is most always choosen by the majority party. Since 1971 California’s Speakers were Bob Moretti, Leo T. McCarthy, Willie Brown, ** Cruz M. Bustamante, Antonio Villaraigosa, Robert M. Hertzberg, Herb J. Wesson, Jr., Fabian Núñez, and today Karen Bass.

The California Senate
Like the Assembly, The Senate President pro tempore is choosen by the Senate majority. Since 1971 this position has was held by James Mills, David Roberti, Bill Lockyer, John Burton, Don Perata, and now Darrell Steinberg.

The California Superindendent of Schools
The Supertendent of Schools is choosen by California’s voters. Since 1971, our Superintendent of Schools were Wilson Riles, Bill Honig, Delaine Eastin and today Jack O’Connell.

So who has been in charge?
By and large when you’ve looked at each of these leaders platforms, the most common theme has been “improving our schools.”  Most of these leaders saw that much of their campaign contributions came from the California Teachers Association (CTA) or the United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) so you could rightfully assume that they were the education party. After-all public schools are bad, they are going to fix them. 

History has demonstrated to us that the collective efforts (or non-efforts) of these elected officials has had an opposite effect. A failure of seismic proportions that have rocked the foundations of our public school system.

What’s startling about this Who’s Who of California’s political leadership is that you can’t really spread the blame around much because all of these people are Democrats or are members of the party as in the case of the Superintendent of Schools. Collectively as leaders in the majority they have owned the Assembly, they’ve owned the Senate and owned the Department of Education.

Elected Democrats over the last 30 years have driven California’s curriculum, controlled the money, changed how schools are budgeted, campaigned for school bonds, staffed the education departments from the State superintendent of schools all the way down to local school boards and accepted millions in campaign donations from teacher unions.

Legislative control by this party has led to a crippled education system failing millions of students. Democrats and Republicans alike.

Why do we keep believing that they will improve our schools when it’s been absolutely clear that since 1971 they have been responsible for running it into the ground where it is today?

However you vote, consider applying the education litmus test to all of the candidates whether they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or Green.

Simply believing the ads and voting by party line is a surefire guarantee that another million students will fail to graduate from high school over the next ten years.

QUESTION AUTHORITY as we once encouraged to do. Before you vote,  ask them “what are they going to do to improve education that is a break from the last 30 years?” 

VOTE SMART or DON’T VOTE. You might be responsible for yet another dropout.

**For a very brief period of about 18 months were Republicans were in the majority in the Assembly.

Tags: GENERAL, OUR SCHOOLS // 3 Comments »

A hiring committee of 11 members consisting of teachers, parents, community members and staff announced today the selection of a new permanent Principal for Westchester High School.

WESTCHESTER HIGH SCHOOL
SELECTS DR. BRUCE MIMS AS PRINCIPAL

WESTCHESTER – The Westchester High School hiring panel, comprised of parents, teachers, students, classified staff, community members and the Director of Learning and Leadership, selected Dr. Bruce Mims as principal of Westchester High School.

Dr. Bruce Mims comes to Westchester with a wealth of knowledge and experience. He has been at assistant principal at high schools in Hacienda-La Puente School District, Rialto School District, and most recently, Long Beach Unified School District. Dr. Mims was also a teacher for nine years in the Juvenile Court and Community Schools program in San Diego Unified School District. He is currently an adjunct professor for Argossy University, and worked for several years as an adjunct professor at National University.

He received his doctoral degree from University of Southern California Rossier School of Education, holds a masters degree from University of San Diego, and obtained a bachelor’s degree in political science from University of California-Berkeley.

Tags: WESTCHESTER HS // Add Comment »

It’s time for the LADWP to suspend issuing ”Will Serve” letters to developers that promise to provide water for new housing projects. Continuing to issue these letters serves to demonstrate that our water utility does not have its current users best interests in mind.

Yesterday, the Department of Water Resources announced its initial allocation of 15 percent for water delivery to State Water Project (SWP) contractors in 2009.. a month early.  The unusual early arrival of the contractors notice added to the sense of urgency of California’s water supply.

“This further dramatizes the urgent need for additional investments in water storage and conveyance infrastructure to assure an adequate and reliable water supply,” said DWR Director Lester Snow. “The uncertainly of precipitation patterns due to global warming and deteriorating conditions in the Delta, California’s main water hub, demand immediate action to enhance our ecosystem and keep our economy productive in the 21st century. The Governor has sounded the wakeup call, and the clock is ticking.”

The allocation is the second lowest in the history of the SWP. It reflects the low carryover storage levels in the state’s major reservoirs, ongoing drought conditions and court ordered restrictions on water deliveries from the Delta.

The MWD’s initial allocation from the state will be cut water supplies from 1,911,500 acre feet (AF) to only 286,725 AF. That’s an 85% cut in supplies to all MWD customers including LADWP. The MWD then divides up the supplies allocated to them and distributes it to its various customers throughout the Southland. 

Looking at this in another context, LADWP received more water last year from MWD than what MWD is going to get this year for the 26 cities and water agencies it serves in southern California. While all of this does not include supplies from the Colorado River Aqueduct, it to is being consumed faster than the river can supply it.

Reading Lester Snows comments above I can’t help get the feeling that they don’t get it or that they are political appointees parroting what their bosses want them to say.

We cannot even fill the lakes we have (Diamond, Folsom, etc.) so what’s with the comment that “additional investments in water storage” are needed? Furthermore, he goes on to say there needs to be additional investments in a “conveyance infrastructure” yet there is not enough water to fill those pipes such as “Inland feeder” and convey it somewhere.

Our city and state leadership both need to come to grips with the problem and recognize that their policies have contributed significantly to it.

Regardless of desktop assessments that tell the city it needs need ten’s of thousands of new housing units, the reality is that there are not enough water resources to fulfill that fantasy.  Ignoring the practical limits of supply, cities have built-out so significantly that they have finally reached the point where consumption exceeds supplies.

The problem is their fantasy that we as a region continue to build new housing to meet projected population growth which is expected to grow to 26 million in Southern California by 2035, and 30 million by 2050. 

The City of Los Angeles has been contributing to the problem by its insistence to build 13,000 housing units per year. Other counties have been doing the same. One city planning official was heard saying “if a city doesn’t grow, it dies.”  This philosophy is absurd.

Now we’ve come to this. Not even the Villaraigosa’s recently rolled out “Securing L.A.’s Water Supply” plan will be able to overcome a water supply that may drop to below 500,000 AF levels. Recycled or not!

This reminds me of the famous phrase “If you build it, he will come.” Both the State and local Government agencies seem to have adopted a similar twist to that “If you build it, they will come.” However if you don’t build it they will look for greener locations elsewhere.

If Judge Wanger can order Delta pumps shut off to protect the Delta Smelt, then the LADWP can withhold ”Will Serve” letters to new housing projects to protect residents in the City of Los Angeles.

Tags: GENERAL // 4 Comments »

I knew that the news coming out of the State Water Project was going to be bad this coming November but if early reports of 85-90% cut are true, Los Angeles is going to be in a world of hurt.. and soon.

The news is bad because LA gets roughly 50% of its water from Metropolitan Water District and much of its supply comes from the SWP. Cutbacks to contractors of 85-90% could result in our city water service being cut back to 60-70% of historical norms to Los Angeles residents. Maybe less. My guess is that we may see water deliveries dropping to historic lows. Lower than 1977-78 levels and this time with an additional burden of a million more people.

The financial market crisis has hit building construction very hard and the result has been in a slowing of new housing construction but eventually that will turn around.

What will not turn around is our water supply. The Los Angeles Planning Department along with the Mayor and the City Council need to take this into account before they approve any further housing production from this day forward.

We are built-out when it comes to the water supply and its time to redefine what ‘normal’ is.

SCAG tells us we need housing for 26 million people in Southern California by 2035 but given the real cap on available water, that can’t happen unless we are reduced to 60 gallons a day per person. 

An honest discussion has to be made on how far our region can be allowed to grow before limits are placed on it. 

Anyone want to bet that we’ll skip phase II and III water restrictions and simply jump to phase IV or V this coming year?

Tags: MANAGING GROWTH, WATER // Add Comment »

You might remember the figures that Villaraigosa recently quoted at the arrival of the Quanta’s A380 at LAX. The press release claimed, which was later parroted in a speech by the Mayor that just one flight each day would bring Los Angeles $632 million a year which comes out to be $1.73 million a day. Given the planes configured capacity of 450 passengers that would be about 164,250 tourists a year.

Compare that with the report on LAist.com about the just expanded federal visa waiver program, Villaraigosa’s office thinks the program could bring 200,000 South Korean tourist and $60 million a year.

Hmmm.  Why the extraordinary difference?

164,250 Aussies bring in $632 million and 200,000 South Koreans bringing in just $60 million? This can only mean one of three things. 1) That the Aussies are incredibly rich with each tourist spending over $3,800 a day or, 2) South Koreans are incredibly frugal spending just $300 each or, 3) the Mayors office left off the decimal point in the Quanta’s estimate.

He wouldn’t have been have been purposely ginning up the A380’s economic impact for the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce would he? A plane that the downtown chamber has been hoping would bring dollars to downtown.

October 22, 2008
Possible South Korean Tourism Influx on the Horizon. A host of Eastern European countries and South Korea were accepted into the U.S. Visa Waiver Program today, meaning visitors from these countries will be permitted an unlimited number of travelers to visit the U.S. without a Visa. And that’s good news for Los Angeles’ tourism, says Mayor Villaraigosa: “Los Angeles already enjoys a strong community of nearly 400,000 citizens of Korean descent, but this new program will strengthen our economic and cultural ties with South Korea to unprecedented new heights.” His office thinks the program could bring an additional 200,000 tourists and $60 million in visitor spending to Los Angeles within a year. The program will go into effect next month.

If the mayors A380 claims are correct, that’s enough to solve our city budget, lower our trash and water rates and hire 2000 more police officers!

Tags: LAX - AIRPORT // Add Comment »

Lucy asked about the display houses in a comment of an earlier article on the Milliron’s Department Store. Our community historian and author Duke Dukesherer replies:

The display houses and many of the display windows are long gone.

Old time residents will remember that The Broadway sponsored a window painting competition every Halloween. Teens would paint huge mural-like paintings on the windows, and awards were given to the goulie-spooky artists. When I was a kid, it was great fun walking along Sepulveda Boulevard and viewing the art.

Also when I was a kid, this part of Westchester was a vibrant, meaningful part of the town; much more so than today, although many recent improvements have brought the vital shoppers back to the Boo-levard, (sorry, I am in a Halloween mood). Years ago, neighborhood residents had the luxury of two department stores, The Broadway and JC Penney; two theatres, Thom McCann Shoes, See’s Candies, Monroe’s Men’s Store, Woolworth, Newberry’s, Thrifty’s, and specialty stores like jewelry and pet stores—and many more.

I am not an expert in this sort of thing, but I believe that the department store is the key, to “anchor” the area, and draw in the shoppers to the area. Moreover, to keep residents, including the students of LMU and Otis Colleges, trading locally, and creating jobs for locals in the process. This is one of the reasons I mentioned Sears as a good alternative, as they carry a great variety of goods and services. By the way, there is a second story at the Mervyn’s, or at least there was, and perhaps the rooftop parking could be restored.

The former Milliron’s location traces its roots to one of the most prolific architects in history; sometimes credited with “inventing,” and called, the Father of, the shopping mall: immigrant Victor Gruen.

Gruen escaped Nazi occupied Austria in 1938, and eventually came to California with his new wife, and co-worker, Elsie Krummeck. They eventually designed the location, and began a lifelong successful career in designing shopping centers. This building was his first major project.

Milliron’s: 1949. Here is an aerial shot of the location and roof top parking and restaurant.

This is a view of the entrance to the rooftop parking lot, later closed as you can see from the photo on the right. This is at the south side of the building on La Tierja.

GRUEN AND KRUMMECK, graffiti painted, commemorative plaque.

As the end of the war approached, Gruen became more and more interested in the concept of shopping centers as the ultimate retail achievement. As with his other retail endeavors, Gruen sought to combine the concepts of a retail shopping facility with a social and entertainment center.

Gruen believed that the shopping center was the heart of any community, and without one, a town would eventually grow stagnant. We have a chance to rally around this grand old dame, and make sure that developers continue to try and do the right thing in Uptown Westchester.

Tags: GENERAL, WPDR HISTORY // Add Comment »

Formerly sections of Rancho La Ballona and Rancho Centinela; previously called Rancho Sausal Redondo (Ranch of the Circular Willows), the former horse and cart paths: Manchester, Sepulveda and Lincoln Boulevards were developed.

As more efficient means of transportation and construction were introduced, these former dirt roads brought students to Loyola University, crops to market and tourists to the seashore.

MANCHESTER BOULEVARD, 1928. Looking west from about Sepulveda Blvd. (Courtesy, Google Books)

Eventually, a local barley field: Mines Field would be developed into LAX, and these roads would be further developed to bring travelers to the new international airport, and the new communities that sprung up in the area. Developers like Burns, Drollinger, Hannon and Kaiser would erect a town where celery, strawberries and other crops once grew.

SEPULVEDA BOULEVARD, 1942. Partly sparked by the war effort, Sepulveda was widened and re-opened to great fan-fare as it was dedicated near Centinela Boulevard. (Courtesy, Los Angeles Public Library)

“The American city should be a collection of communities where every member has a right to belong. It should be a place where every man feels safe on his streets and in the house of his friends.” Lyndon B. Johnson

LINCOLN BOULEVARD, 1934. This is a view heading south, approaching Jefferson Boulevard, at present day Marina Del Rey. (Courtesy, Los Angeles Public Library).

Today, along with the San Diego Freeway, route 405, these three roads remain the most vital arteries for the residents of Playa Del Rey, Westchester, and Playa Vista, California.

Much has changed over the years, but one thing remains constant; the need for proper and well-ordered roads and infrastructure to sustain the citizens of, and visitors to, our town.

Tags: WPDR HISTORY // Add Comment »