Westside Village Civic Assn., Inc.

February 2004 Newsletter

Jan 31, 2004

News & Views

You are invited to the
Westside Village Civic Association
2004 Annual Meeting

Tuesday, February 24, 2004
St John?’s Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall
Southwest corner of National and Military

All are welcome!


Program

6:00 Registration
Desert, Coffee, and Refreshments

6:50 Comments by LAPD Senior Lead Officer Anthony Vasquez

7:00 WVCA Business Meeting

Free raffle at three different times during meeting

Reports by the President and Treasurer

CERT Training

Elections of Officers and Directors

7:30-8:00 "Westside Village seen as part of the Larger Mar Vista
Community Council Picture."

8:05- 8:25 Remarks by Councilman Jack Weiss, Fifth Council District

8:30- 8:50 Remarks by Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski, Eleventh
Council District

9:00 Closing Remarks and Adjournment










President?’s Message


The Annual Meeting of the WVCA will be held at St. John?’s Presbyterian Church located at 11000 National Blvd. on February 24th, 2004. The meeting will be held in Fellowship Hall and Registration will begin at 6:00 p.m. As some of may have noticed, the meeting will be free of charge and the dinner has been replaced with a raffle. One of the reasons for these changes is that many residents missed the dinner last year because they were still at work but were able to come for the meeting afterwards. By moving the meeting back, providing dessert, coffee, and refreshments free of charge, and having a raffle that everyone has the opportunity to participate in, we feel it will be more inclusive of the entire community of Westside Village.


As most of you are aware, Westside Village is part of the newly certified Mar Vista Community Council. Marie Wallace, who has served on the WVCA board for many years, has organized the presentation of "Westside Village seen as part of the Larger Mar Vista Community Council Picture" for the main presentation at the Annual Meeting. Marie articulated that, "the Outreach Committee of the MVCC will present a visual tour of familiar WV landmarks and touch on the past, present and future of the larger Mar Vista Community of which we are a part. And, believe it or not, there are still some unmodified 1939/1940 Fritz Burns homes in Westside Village. (At least they appear that way from the street.) Past president Ray Harder has been busy taking photographs of these homes and the pictures will be on display as examples of the MVCC presentation.

If you are really into the origins of Westside Village and things like how our streets were named, you can still obtain a video of the fascinating presentation made several years ago to the Annual Meeting by Greg Fischer, local community historian. It costs $10.00 and there will be an order sheet at the meeting. "

After the presentation, our Councilman of the Fifth District, Jack Weiss and Cindy Miscikowski of the Eleventh District will have the opportunity to interact with those who have submitted written questions at the beginning of the meeting. The reason for submitting written questions ahead of time is that there are a number of issues that people would like to cover and we would like everyone to be able to have their questions answered. There has been a great of discussion about the proposed DWP Substation-145 as of late and you will have the opportunity to ask your Council Representatives the status of the project at the meeting. There is an article included in this issue that addresses the latest updates.

One item of business that we cover at the Annual Meeting is the election of new Board Members. Included in this are those board members that have decided to retire from the board. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Director Michael Goldman for his contribution and service for the residents of Westside Village. Another Board Member who is retiring this year is Charles West. As you know, Charles was the President for three years and then Past President for this last term. He has been on the board for seven years and will leave behind a legacy of inviolable service, dedication, and a remarkably good sense of humor.

I hope all of you will attend this event with a show of support for your neighbors, friends, community, and for your Civic Association. I thank all of you who take an interest in your community for the betterment of Westside Village.

Also included in this Newsletter are the payment envelopes for those of you who are continuing members or for those who would like to join for the first time. We ask that you would please have mercy upon our Treasurer Richard Saltsman and send in your dues payment in February. The reason I ask is that it is very difficult to keep an accounting of members when the dues are paid throughout the entire calendar year. We appreciate your support in this matter.



?“The Village Festival ?“

Another reason why the board voted to make some changes for the Annual Meeting is so that we could divert the funds usually reserved for the dinner in order to organize ?“ The Village Festival?” in the fall of this year. We don?’t have an exact date as of yet, but October seems to be the month we are leaning toward. This ?“Festival?” will be held on a Sunday during the day and will be a place that the whole family can enjoy; it will be very similar to a huge Block Party. It will be outside during the day, there will be food and drinks, entertainment, activities and games for the children (adults can play too), a raffle, venders, Firemen, and those of you with old classic cars will finally have a place to display your precious cargo. There will be recognition of our Block Captains, Officers and Directors, and many other ideas that will be covered more extensively in our next Newsletter. We are open to suggestions if you have any ideas you would like to share or if you would like to participate in any way. There will be plenty of opportunities for that. The Festival will be open for everyone in the neighborhood and free of charge for all WVCA members, but for those who are not members there will be a $10,00 charge for admission, which will automatically pay for membership in the Westside Village Civic Association for one year.
I believe it will be an opportunity to see old friends, meet new neighbors, and a chance for the neighborhood to pull together and be a community.


Bobby Holliday
President



Airport Committee Chair Needed


WVCA is looking for an Airport Committee Chair. Aircraft flying over our neighborhood and schools presents serious noise, pollution, and safety issues. Volunteering for this job is an opportunity to become involved in how airport decisions are made.

The primary duty of the Airport Committee is to attend the monthly Santa Monica Airport Commission meetings held at the Santa Monica City Council Chamber, 1685 Main Street in Santa Monica. It is important that WVCA provide public comment and establish a presence at these meetings to support the many other local homeowner groups who are monitoring the increase in private jet traffic from Santa Monica Airport.

The secondary duties of the Airport committee Chair are to monitor the LAX Master Plan developments via the press and mailing lists, especially from Mayor Hahn?’s office, to alert the WVCA Board when action is necessary, to write an occasional informational column for the WVCA Newsletter and to develop a committee. For more information, call Marie Wallace 837-0839,







Library Events for Children, Teens, Adults

Explore. Have fun. Form a learning community. Pick up a copy of Library Events for Children, Teens and Adults at the Palms Rancho Park Library. It is a bi-monthly calendar of classes, programs, story times and activities at the PRP Library and other branch libraries including the Central Library.

Because the publication schedules of the WVCA newsletter and Library Events rarely coincide, it is impossible to reprint the dates of PRP activities for the current month but here is a sampling of recent and current PRP library events: drawing art for kids, mystery club, teen age program on how to deal with bullies and resolve conflicts, live choir music program, architecture model making class, and computer and internet classes. Look for an evening with science fiction writer Ray Bradbury coming this spring.

Library Events is a good way to prepare to come to Friends of Library meeting on the 4th Wednesday of the month from 6:30 to 7:30 in the PRP Library Community Room. Right now there is a small group thinking about forming a quilting group. If you are interested, contact WVCA member and Friend of the Palms Rancho Library, Michael Guiliano 478-6756.


FOCUS ON OUR NEIGHBORHOOD: Clover Avenue School

The recently landscaped Clover Avenue Elementary School is a treasure in our neighborhood. For many years we have been proud of the school?’s academic achievements but now we also have a beautiful campus that the children can enjoy and of which we can all be proud.

Principal Maureen Melvold spoke with pride about the new playground, its funding attributed to proposition BB, the school improvement bill that was passed in 1995. To create the best site plan for the playground, parents, teachers and administrators formed a team. A local landscape architect volunteered his services. With 30% greening, Clover is designated a DWP ?“cool school?”. Additionally, a grant from the Kirk Douglas Foundation has also provided an ?“eco?” pond with native plants. This has been a great community effort and truly adds to our neighborhood pride.

Going inside the school was a real surprise. Those of us whose children attended Clover some years ago will be overwhelmed at the wonderful new library. A donation of the Haim and Cheryl Saban Family Foundation has created a modern, completely stocked, beautiful library complete with a lovely seating area.

Nearly at capacity with 585 students, Clover Avenue is a neighborhood school and no longer participates in a busing program. Although parents do a terrific job at volunteering to assist in making the school its best, there are still opportunities for those of us who no longer have small children to help out as well. Volunteer opportunities include:
?• Volunteering in the classroom. Even one or two hours a week could make a real difference in improving a child?’s reading.
?• ?“Handyman/woman?” help ?– building shelves, laying pavers around the trees, etc.
?• Grantwriting or business connections that might assist Clover to continue its growth
?• Artistic painting of the newly created but very plain backboards on the schoolyard
?• Supporting the school?’s fundraisers and carnivals, including it?’s upcoming 50th Anniversary Reunion on Saturday, May 15th.

At the top of Mrs. Melvold?’s ?“WISH LIST?” is a full size copy machine, as well as computers and keyboards. If you are interested in volunteering or in helping Mrs. Melvold?’s ?“wishes?” come true, please call 310.479-7739. For her part, Mrs. Melvold is thrilled to be part of our community and wants residents to know that if there is an issue or concern ?– either good or bad ?– she would like to be contacted. She wants Clover Avenue Elementary School to be a great neighbor in a wonderful neighborhood.





Status of the DWP Substation

Jan 11, 2004
The MVCC Urban Planning Committee?’s meeting on Jan. 8th was well attended by residents of Westside Village, and their attendance helped the Urban Planning Committee to decide in our favor. The Committee directed the DWP to seek community input on the substation. We can all congratulate ourselves on this victory!

Many had said that the substation was a ?“done deal?”, but we believe that with enough community support we can pry the deal open so that our concerns will be addressed. It is our position that the DWP failed to seek adequate community comment on the revised substation plan, and by failing to do so, they didn?’t follow the process prescribed by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Prior court rulings support our contention that the DWP needs to again seek community comment.

The vote by the Urban Planning Committee is only the first step in our campaign against the substation plan, and we need to present our case to our elected representatives. If you haven?’t signed the petition to Councilman Weiss, please do so by February 1st (call Ian Halsema at 474-1790 for a petition). Councilman Weiss will appear at the WVCA annual meeting, so come and urge him to support us against the planned substation!
-By Ian Halsema








MVCC Update

The Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC) is the newly-certified L.A. Neighborhood Council of Mar Vista and Westside Village, and it represents Westside Village in such matters as the DWP substation issue. At the time of this writing, the MVCC Urban Planning Committee is looking into reopening the environmental and legal issues of constructing the DWP substation at the corner of National and Bentley.

The MVCC has also played a major role on transportation and environmental issues revolving around Playa Vista, LAX reconfiguration and future commercial revitalization of the Lincoln and Venice Blvds.

Every three months the MVCC conducts a "Stakeholders Meeting" for the benefit of all those who live and work and own property in Mar Vista/Westside Village. Three months ago a "Mar Vista: Past, Present and Future" symposium was held that outlined the history of Mar Vista, outlined current issues facing Mar Vista today and presented a potential future for Mar Vista with upgraded multimodal traffic corridors.

In mid-January another Stakeholders Meeting was held, with the theme of "Accessing City Services"--it featured panelists from L.A. City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski's office, a Transportation Engineer from the L.A. Department of Transportation, and a representative from the Department of Public Works who answered questions presented by Mar Vista/Westside Village residents.

The Mar Vista Community Council will hold elections for 6 Zone Directors/Board Members on March 16, 2004 at Mar Vista Elementary School.

Up for election are Six (6) Zone Directors/Board Members representing the stakeholders from their respective communities--including Westside Village, which is Zone 1.

To be a stakeholder, a candidate or voter must live, work or own property in the Mar Vista Boundaries. Only stakeholders from each zone will be allowed to vote for that zone's future MVCC Board Member. This is in contrast to the "at-large" Board Members voted on by the entire Mar Vista/Westside Village region--of which one Westside Village resident, Ken Alpern, remains on the Board until next year's "at large" elections.

Want to help make a difference? Want to represent Westside Village on the MVCC Board, or to volunteer in the election process?

Information on the elections can be accessed at www.marvistcc.org, or call Bill Scheding, Chair of the MVCC Election Committee, at 310-502-6502.

MVCC Approved Election Schedule for the 2004 election:

There was a Candidate Information Session Tuesday, January 20, 2004 (7 p.m.), Mar Vista Elementary School (3330 Granville Ave., L.A. 90066). Twenty (20) Westside Village stakeholder signatures will be required to become an official candidate.

The Candidate Filing Deadline is Tuesday, February 17, 2004, and there will likely be another meeting (likely at Mar Vista Elementary School) that evening.

The MVCC Candidate Forum (attendance is required for all candidates) and Election will be held on March 16, 2004 (Election Day) at Mar Vista Elementary School. The
Forum will be from 5:15 to 6:00 PM, and the Election from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.

In order to vote in the election, you must complete a Stakeholder Voter Registration Forum at the time of the election that certifies you as a stakeholder and designates your election zone. Bring a photo ID (Driver's License is OK, for example) or other proof that you live, work or own property with the MVCC boundaries.

The Installation of newly Elected Board and Annual MVCC Meeting, pending certification and resolution of any challenges to the election, will be held on Tuesday, April 20, 2004, 7:00 PM, at Mar Vista Park.


Help our local schools earn money!



It's easy! Shop at the Westside Pavilion or the Santa Monica Place now
through May 16, 2004, to help our schools win a guaranteed gift
certificate prize between $300 and $3000. While shopping at the Westside
Pavilion or the Santa Monica Place bring your receipts to the Guest
Services located on Level 2 (at both malls) and log in you receipts.
Schools earn 10 points for every dollar you spend at either center
(Macy's, Nordstrom's and Robinson-May receive 5 points). Receipts are
credited and returned immediately. Or just visit your local school
(Clover Avenue or Charnock Road), they have boxes in the front office.
You can leave the receipts in the box and the Schools Rule Coordinator will
turn in the receipts.
View currents points on the board in front of the
guest service desk or visit www.westsidepavilion.com or
www.santamonicaplace.com.
With all of the State budget cuts, this is an
easy way to help get needed money into our schools to help provide an enriched
education for our kids. Grand kids -- every one.