www.veniceartscouncil.org

EDITORIAL: Time To Pull Out

About 75,000 documents describing a war without a purpose in Afghanistan have been “liberated” from military computers with another 15,000 to come.

The documents describe, among other things, U.S. soldiers randomly shooting Afghan civilians and Pakistan officials funneling U.S. funds to the Taliban. About 180 documents say the U.S. military believes Pakistan’s spy agency, ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence), has given support and guidance to the Taliban.

The documents appeared on the website WikiLeaks, which protects the source of submitted material. However, the U.S. Army has arrested Army Specialist Bradley Manning, who apparently tapped into the military’s computers and copied the material on CDs.

The original Pentagon Papers exposing the war in Vietnam were made public by Daniel Ellsberg and Anthony Russo. U.S. Senator Mike Gravel entered 4,100 pages into the Congressional Record, which insured they would be public documents. Then President Richard Nixon authorized a break-in of the office of Ellsberg’s psychiatrist. This revelation contributed to Nixon’s downfall.

Our own Representative Jane Harman took a dim view of the public learning the real story of the war in Afghanistan saying, “Someone inadvertently or on purpose gave the Taliban its new ‘enemies’ list.” But the real danger, as she must know, is that the whole military adventure has been exposed. Harman also voted, July 27, to send more troops to Afghanistan.

One item that will not be found in the 90,000 documents is a justification for the war and resulting deaths and destruction (1,209 U.S. deaths and at least 20 times as many Afghan civilians). It is time for the U.S. to immediately withdraw from this quagmire. It is a meaningless war, as were those in Vietnam, Panama, Grenada and Iraq. It was unnecessary from the beginning.

The Taliban were never accused of being involved in the attack on the World Trade Center in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. In fact, according to CBS News, the Taliban told the U.S. that they would turn over Bin Laden if it would provide evidence linking him to the attack. Had the Bush administration complied, there would have been no invasion or subsequent war in Afghanistan, which is now the longest in this nation’s history.

An immediate U.S. pullout would be a threat to the government of Hamid Karzai, a former Union Oil executive, whose regime, on a good day, controls the capital and outskirts of Kabul. However, the United States has no right or business in deciding who the Afghans have in their government. It is almost a cliché to say that the U.S. cannot be the world’s policeman.

The U.S. should also end the occupation of Iraq for the same reasons. It should withdraw troops from around the world, including Columbia, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea and other bases.

The billions of dollars used on these military adventures could be better spent reviving the economy here at home.

We owe Brandon Manning and WikiLeaks a debt of gratitude for reminding us once again of the futility of war.

–The Beachhead Collective

By Lynne Bronstein

I first found out about the existence of Venice, California from a novel.

Gavin Lambert’s Inside Daisy Clover, published in 1963 (and filmed in 1965 with Natalie Wood, Robert Redford and Ruth Gordon), was the saga of a teenage singing film star who rides the rough merry-go-round of Hollywood. But Daisy Clover was born, she tells us in the novel, in Hermosa Beach, and lives with her mentally unbalanced mother in a Playa Del Rey trailer park, in a building just off Santa Monica Pier, and in Venice.

The time period of the book is the early 1950s. At that time, Venice Pier still stood, as did Pacific Ocean Park. The Venice Peninsula was a place of oil wells. Venice and the Ocean Park area of Santa Monica were low-rent districts. There really was a trailer park on the Playa Del Rey bluffs. And there was a tram that traveled up and down the Ocean Front Walk.

Daisy, wild and fresh like her name, has a phrase for all of these beach towns: “cockeyed dump.”  She’s a beach kid who fends for herself, eats hamburgers and hot dogs to avoid her mother’s constant servings of canned refried beans, and takes the tram to Venice Pier where she records songs in one of those record-your-voice booths that amusement parks used to have.

Daisy can’t say anything good about her life in the trailer park. At the beginning of the book, she notes that she sometimes goes outside and sits on the trailer steps “just as I came into the world. So far, I have been totally ignored. The conformity around here is depressing.” (My late friend Mary Lou Johnson, who lived in another local trailer park near Washington Boulevard, would have agreed with her).

By the second chapter, Daisy’s wacky mother, known as the Dealer because she obsessively plays solitaire, moves herself and her daughter to a couple of rooms “overlooking Muscle Beach, where body builders work out all day.” This was not the current Muscle Beach in Venice but the original Muscle Beach just south of Santa Monica Pier. “You might describe the neighborhood as slightly run-down,” Daisy says of her surroundings.

Alas, Daisy’s mother sits in bed smoking and causes the Paradise Hotel to burn down. So Daisy and Mom finally move to Venice.

“It’s a Spanish joint and must have been pretty fancy once. Inside there’s an open courtyard with balconies running all the way around each floor. We go up two flights of iron steps and past lines of washing to reach our apartment, which is one big room with three alcoves—not bad for $35 a month.” (The year was 1952).

Daisy gets a screen test after she submits one of her pier-booth vocal recordings to a movie studio talent contest. She is “discovered” for the movies but is informed that she will have to live with her (greedy and jealous) older sister and that her mother is to be committed to an asylum. After hearing this news, Daisy, depressed about her future, sits on a canal bridge over one of the dried-up canals in the Peninsula.

“It’s supposed to be exactly like a bridge in Venice, Italy, there’s quite a few of them around here because once upon a time  some millionaire who must have been nuttier than the Dealer though I never heard they committed him, started building a complete imitation Venice Italy right where I’m sitting.”

Daisy thinks that Abbot Kinney’s idea of a replica of Venice never “caught on” and was never finished, so that “today it’s the creepiest, most beautiful ruin you ever did see.” She describes the oil field, empty, a suitable place for a person to feel depressed.

The rest of the book takes place in “Hollywood” wherever that may be—a movie studio in the Valley, residences in Beverly Hills and Malibu. But Daisy finds herself longing for the “cockeyed dumps,” returning to Venice Beach on her birthday to discover a colorful little beach-front café, a gay/lesbian hangout where people seem to like her for herself.

Later on, with her career in the waste basket, a sadder but wiser Daisy lives in New York’s East Village, finding the atmosphere reminiscent of the beach towns where she grew up.

One wonders what Daisy Clover would think of the changes that have happened to the beach front during the last 50 years. Condos raise their heads where the “beautiful ruin” stood in the oil field. The canals are now lined with expensive homes. Daisy Clover might see this as appropriate allegory for her own life – the funky but sincere neighborhood given a “makeover” and glamorization. The beauty of Daisy Clover herself is that she remains a feisty Venice brat all through the story. You can take the girl out of Venice but…….

All quotes are from Inside Daisy Clover,

by Gavin Lambert.

• Campaign Spending – Sandra Chen Lau
• Unenvironmental Advertising – Pirco
• Police Brutality – Name Withheld
• Michael McGuire – Dennis Stankie

————————

Campaign Spending

Dear Beachhead,

I appreciate the article Jim Smith wrote in regards to the 53AD Assembly race.  Lots of money were raised and spent.

However, the article reported that James Lau, who came in second, ranked #2 in money spent. This is inaccurate. Nick Karno who came in third spent more money than James Lau.

Here’s the link:

http://www.electiontrack.com/district.html?oc=AD53

Thank you,

Sandra Chen Lau

—

The writer responds:

At the time of our deadline for the article in June, filings by “independent” committees supporting various candidates had not be completed.

In those late filings, Lau did inch ahead of his fellow Venetian, Karno. Lau’s “independent” support came from medical associations, Asian-American businesses and the Apartment Association, while Karno’s came from labor unions. This minor “tweak” does not invalidate my contention that politicians buy elections, even in Venice.

Jim Smith

————-

Unenvironmental Advertising

Dear Beachhead,

I couldn’t help but notice the hundreds – if not thousands – of small plastic American flags strewn all over Venice, by “Tony,” the other day along with a card wishing a Happy 4th of July from his family to ours.

Times are tough these days, and as a business owner, myself, I understand the need to market and advertise services. But I’m concerned with his choice. Two days after his campaign was launched, I already see many of these flags in the gutters and blown all over the sidewalks, certain to end up in the ocean. In addition to the plastic, the flag is attached to a real wooden handle/pole.

Surely he must be aware how much this community cares about the environment. I’ve talked to several neighbors who share my concern about these flags and we’re saddened to see so much imperishable waste, and the wasting of precious resources.

Perhaps he would consider organizing a “Beach Clean-up” event or similar positive campaign to help counterbalance the negative impact of these plastic flags. In any case, I hope that in the future he might consider more environmentally friendly ways to promote his services.

Kind regards, pirco

————

Police Brutality

Dear Beachhead,

I was recently in the shopping center at Lincoln and Rose having a good old time, when I saw not one, but two acts of police brutality. The first was a man and a woman being handcuffed by two undercover police officers. I would have ignored it, but I was taken aback by the car that the two officers were driving: it looked like a sleeper’s van. With beat-up bumpers, scratches and a Mexican straw hat on the dashboard, I would have never second-guessed it to be an undercover cop car.

Just when I thought no one else was noticing, I saw a pedestrian taking a picture of the scene. But the policemen, looking more like out-of-shape trouble-makers than cops, started snapping pictures of the pedestrian. The pedestrian was then quickly approached by one of police, who put his face just a few inches away from the pedestrian’s face in an intimidating fashion and threatened to take them to jail if they continued to take pictures of him or his car. The pedestrian appeared to play it cool instead of becoming confrontational, but legally we all have a right to take pictures of anything that is happening in a public place. Far from it being grounds for arrest, it is actually the only thing that has been able to prove police brutality.

After the cops took off, I went back to talk to the people who had been handcuffed and get a scoop on the situation. As it turns out the gentleman, David Garcia, has been a local at Lincoln and Rose for 42 years playing guitar, washing windows or cars, helping people, and overall being “the last of the true troubadours.” He and his lady friend were just driving down the street when the undercover police car started following them and then asked them where the drugs are. Mr. Garcia told the policemen that he does not know where the drugs are and that he does not have any, but the policemen proceeded to search his vehicle while he was standing against his vehicle, with his lady friend, both handcuffed.

After not finding any drugs in the car, and because Mr. Garcia chose to be cooperative instead of hostile, the cops took off with the same bad attitude that they arrived with. However, Mr. Garcia was left feeling embarrassed, degraded and violated, wondering, “Why did they handcuff me?”

I can’t help but feel bad for the innocent pedestrians involved and wonder how similar situations can be prevented.

Sincerely,  A Concerned Venetian

————

Michael McGuire

Dear Beachhead,

This week the Los Angeles City Council voted to embellish a $50,000 reward for information leading to the killers of Michael McGuire. I became interested in this story after reading about it in the Beachhead, the Venice beach paper. I ride my bicycle around this area, going to In & Out and Starbucks. It was with great sadness I understood this tragic event that claimed this young man’s life.

Last weekend I went to the service at the Venice pier, where his surfer buddies gathered. I have been by the memorial on Louella Street several times, including last night, and I have interviewed about a dozen people. So far I have not reached any conclusions. The information I have been able to gather from the streets is hardly evidence. For about three weeks I have been studying the writing on the internet. Again, hardly any evidence or anything NEW. As a result, I applaud the city of L.A. for putting up this reward.

In a city with countless unsolved cases, Michael McGuire’s killers do not have to get away with this tedious act. I saw 400 of his friends gather at the beach. One man on Louella Street said what is true: “The streets have ears.” Someone saw something or has heard something. Each detail of that evening needs to be examined and re-examined to create descriptions of the suspects, the vehicle and the weapon used.

I applaud the media for its limited coverage of these events. The real source of truth in solving this crime lies in the community. Those individuals with countless details need to talk and write until fear and doubt become nil and void. If we let fears and doubts about Michael McGuire’s death control this investigation, we will be siding with the killers. Our fears and doubts will be their biggest defense. Come forward and shine the light on the despicable creeps.

Dennis Stankie

The Venice Community Housing Corporation (VCHC) recently received $1.3 million from the Housing Urban Development (HUD) to provide low-income housing to 19 people in Venice who are homeless and suffer from mental illness or other disabilities.

The participants will have to pay thirty percent of their incomes in rent, and the rest will be covered by the HUD through their Shelter Plus Care program. The rent-subsidies will cover the 19 participants for five years, during which time case managers from St. Joseph’s Center will assist them with medical and mental health services.

“The building is a block away from the beach, which will make it easier for the participants to adjust to being housed by allowing them to remain in their familiar surroundings and within their support systems,” said Kristen Laskaris, development director of VCHC.

The building will be ready for move-in January 2011. Meanwhile, solar panels are being installed to increase energy efficiency and the entire building is retrofitted to allow for disabled accessibility.

– Greta Cobar

By Jill Prestup

Navalette “Novie” Tabor, matriarch of one of Venice’s first families, passed away July 18. She was 95, two months short of her 96th birthday.

Born September 7, 1914, Novie was a lifelong Venice resident. Her family moved from Louisiana to Venice when she was 6 months old, and she lived for the last 52 years on the property that her father, Charles Tabor purchased the year of her birth.

For many years Novie was the person historians, journalists and community members called upon when they wanted to know about the Oakwood area of Venice. She had fond memories of her childhood, but also acknowledged the discrimination and limitations she encountered as a black child. Although she was the first black female student to graduate from Venice High School, it was a bittersweet celebration. She wasn’t allowed to enter a skating rink, the site of the graduation party.

As a young woman seeking employment, discrimination of the time continued. During the middle of the Depression, determined not to stay home, she was refused employment at a five and ten cent store. Instead, she found a job — doing housework, chauffeuring and taking care of children — that paid a dollar a day. The importance of self-esteem and her goal of being independent served her well through the decades.

In 1950, Novie was hired at Douglas Aircraft as an electrician installing junction boxes. Later, while taking care of her parents, she became interested in nursing, a reflection of her life of caring, and worked in a nursing home in Santa Monica.  She tried to retire at 62, but was a popular care giver and stayed part time until 67. She recalled that one of the best rewards of being a nurse was seeing a patient’s face light up when she walked into their room.

Retirement for Novie meant the opportunity to travel. When her father was ill, he mentioned his desire to return to Louisiana to see how things had changed. But he kept putting it off until, at last, he couldn’t travel. He advised his daughter not to wait and soon after he died, Novie began to explore the world.

She took her first airplane ride in 1964, at the age of fifty. It was a 29-day, around the world trip, offered by Douglas. And that was just the beginning. Novie island hopped six times in the Caribbean and took her grandson to the Far East. She enjoyed cruising the Mediterranean, South America, the Panama Canal and Alaska.

When Novie wasn’t traveling the globe, there were trips every two to three months to Laughlin, Las Vegas or Indian reservations to gamble. She spent whatever she could afford to lose.

While at home, Novie kept busy. She was a member of the Oakwood Recreation Senior Group since the late 70s. On Saturdays, family and friends were welcome to stop by for dinner. Novie was a gracious hostess and there was always more than enough delicious food. She generously allowed the Venice Historical Board of Directors to have its monthly board meetings at her home. Meetings aren’t always fun, but she made them appealing by offering fabulous munchies.

There are remembrances of Novie’s life in picture-packed albums. If you’ve seen photos of the filling-in of Abbot Kinney’s canals with trucks, they belonged to her father’s business. The feature article of the Argonaut’s Feb. 14, 1991 issue was “Blacks Who Helped Build Venice.” On the cover is a 1915 photo of Novie as an infant with her parents, sister and brother.

In her infinite wisdom, Novie reminded family and friends to enjoy life as it comes – do everything you can do, do what you want to do. There seems to be a lot of truth in positive thinking resulting in a longer life. That’s what Novie did – ignore the unpleasant and focus on what is good.

Novie is survived by son Alvin Christman, daughter-in-law Cynthia Christman and, the joys of her life, grandchildren Allen and Antonia Christman, plus a myriad of relatives and friends who will always cherish having Novie in their life.

(This interview originally appeared in the Beachhead’s March 2007 issue)

By Rex Butters

Beachhead: How long have you been with the historical society?

Navalette Tabor Bailey: Oh, about 20 years, I guess. I know it’s been a long time.

Beachhead: What does the historical society do?

Bailey: They try to restore and protect the original Venice. You know, they put up these monstrosities now, just ruin the architecture all together. Upside down houses, and everything.

Jataun Valentine: They look like bunkers.

Bailey: Until recently, Venice was just small cottages. It wasn’t designed to be a city, more of a resort. That’s what Abbot Kinney had in mind.

Valentine: One of the things the Venice Historical Society has been doing, they have all this history and artifacts and it’s costing them a fortune to keep it, because they don’t have a building of their own. That’s their goal, to have a building where they can show all of this history and things that they’ve been keeping, that people have given them.

Bailey: Especially photos, you have to keep them under certain conditions. When they built the library, they should have had a portion of it so we could store things. We’re trying to purchase one of those big red trolley cars, but we can’t find one. Put it right behind the library.

Beachhead: Did you get down on the old pier?

Bailey: I lived on the pier. That’s why I don’t care about Disneyland. I’ve had it all my life. Mr. Reese was the town decorator. He decorated the ballroom and the pier. He had a crew of men who cleaned the pier. He was in charge of everything, the plunge, where to get your towels, all that kind of stuff. Everybody knew our family, so we could go on the rides for free. We’d leave early in the morning and be gone all day long. My father was a Tabor, he was a cousin of Arthur Reese. And, his brother was a chauffeur for Abbot Kinney. He willed him his house. It was sold recently, the grand kids sold it. It’s sad. It was a beautiful old place. About 20 of the grandkids got married there.

It was sort of like a meeting place. It was large and our family was large, we would utilize the house so often for social events. We couldn’t go anyplace, we couldn’t go to any dances, because they didn’t allow us in the ballroom. We had this big house, we could do anything we wanted to do. My uncle was very good about letting us use it.

Beachhead: Where was it?

Bailey: Sixth & Santa Clara. It’s still there.

Valentine: We went through it not long ago. They were very nice. One thing I thought was interesting was that wall made of hide.

Bailey: Leather walls all the way around. Full hides each panel, beautiful.

Beachhead: Did you ever think it would get so expensive around here?

Bailey: No, I couldn’t imagine it. These flats they built all over Venice after the war, they were selling those for $10,000. I thought that was exorbitant. I wouldn’t buy one. Now they sell for a million dollars.

Valentine: There were a lot of empty lots around, now you don’t see any empty ones.

Bailey: We had that fear of losing, because my parents lost everything in the Depression. But, they weren’t the only ones. It made you leery of conditions and you didn’t take advantage of things like you should. Well, we’re still here, anyway.

Beachhead: Did you find work during the Depression?

Bailey: We didn’t have a lot of opportunities. We had to make the best of what we had. When I got out of high school I went to work in Malibu Colony, I was working for a family up there. A dollar a day, 30 dollars a month, sometimes 16 hour days.

I graduated from high school during the Depression, 1933. I was the first black woman to graduate from Venice High School. I didn’t want to be a burden on my family, because they were struggling, so I got myself a job.

I was taking care of two little girls, doing the hardest work. But one good thing, I had a car and a chauffeur’s license. I drove the kids to school. I was independent that way, on my day off they let me take the car, which is the only good thing I got out of it. I guess that’s why I stayed for that little of money. I dressed myself, I wasn’t a burden on my family. I stayed with them about four years I guess.

The woman’s family owned a lot of property in La Cañada. Her family put her on a budget. They’d only give her so much money a month, because she was a spendthrift. She was kind of spoiled. One day, she must have lost it. I had one day off, on Thursday. I heard her on the telephone inviting a lot of people over. It was the 4th of July, it came on a Thursday, my day off. I’d made plans, I heard her, I said, “You better call the employment agency in Santa Monica, see if you can get someone out here to help you, because you know I’m not going to be here.”

She hauled off, and POW! She hit me in the face and knocked me on my butt. I sat on the floor for a minute because I was stunned. I shook my head, and she was stunned too, because I didn’t get up right away. I got up slowly to get my bearings, because I was groggy. See, she didn’t know I could fight. My cousins were all amateur boxers and they use to teach me how to, 1-2-3 punch. So when I came up, I came with a hay bale. I hit her, POWEE! And I threw her up against a door, all this was in the little bathroom. It got too much for her in the bathroom and she ran into her bedroom, and I was right behind her. She turned around and kicked at me, so I just grabbed her foot and threw her on her back. Then I straddled her, and I was whaling on her.

Her husband came in, he pulled me off of her, and she said, “She hits like a mule!” She didn’t know what I would do. I was taught to fight, I didn’t fight like a woman, scratching. I was really throwing some punches. She ended up with a wet towel on her face begging me to stay. I hated to leave the kids, I was attached to them. But, I called home and had them come pick me up. I got another job, paid just as much.

Beachhead: You’ve been here since 1915. If you were granted the wish, what would you like to see happen in Venice in the next hundred years?

Bailey: I’d like it to remain like it used to be, a mecca of excitement. The railroad would bring car after car, people would get off in droves. Now it’s cars. They should never have gotten rid of the railroad.

Valentine: Those were the days, too, when we didn’t have to have bars on the windows, didn’t have to lock the door. That made a big difference.

Bailey: Everybody had passkeys. One key could open any door, so why lock them?

Valentine: It was fun when kids could be kids and stay out. Our parents didn’t worry about us, we didn’t have the kidnapping. As long as we got home before dark. Everybody knew everybody, too. It was a community. If you did something wrong, by the time you got home, your parents knew about it. Neighbors could discipline you, and the parents were glad they did it.

Bailey: They had a curfew. There was a big whistle that blew right where Bank of America is. But, you’ve got to give way to progress. I know it will never return like it was.

After the 2000 census, the Los Angeles City Council deemed it necessary to redraw the council district boundaries, presumably to accommodate shifts in population.  Accordingly, new districts were created, one of which was the new CD11, encompassing Venice, Westchester, West LA and Pacific Palisades,. Council member Cindy Miscikowski was appointed the representative for this new district, over the vociferous objections of large portions of their voting populations.

Immediately thereafter, talk arose about “problems” with violence and bad behavior on the Venice Boardwalk that needed some kind of city supervision.  The talk rapidly escalated into discussion of the need for a means to regulate activity on the Boardwalk and very shortly thereafter, the initial steps to this end were implemented through the establishment of a permit system for people wishing to be present on the west side of the Boardwalk – the area traditionally known as the Free Speech Zone.  Within a few months, the permit system was extended to include a lottery for the purpose of assigning spaces on the Boardwalk which had been predetermined by the city’s Department of Recreation and Parks.  All of this was done in the face of fierce, but ineffective resistance by traditional free expression people.

A lawsuit charging violation of first amendment rights was filed by opponents to the new system.  Unfortunately, a settlement was reached which modified the implementation of the permit/lottery, but did not address the problem of first amendment violation.  A second lawsuit met the same unhappy fate and has led to wholesale commercialization and egregious violations of those rights which are rampant on the Boardwalk today.

Today, true artists, performers and free speech advocates are being forced off the Boardwalk by city-sponsored resale of commercial goods which has converted the traditional Free Speech Zone into a cheap and tawdry swap meet.

Criminal activity such as selling and/or swapping of spaces, multiple family members – including minor children- entering the lottery for spaces, illegal vending (where such activity is proscribed by the ordinance LAMC42.15) and improper vending where vending is allowed (again, of a nature that is proscribed by the ordinance) are epidemic.  The twelve black spaces which were presumably set aside for true first amendment activity have been essentially highjacked by aggressive commercial individuals and groups of individuals who have threatened anyone attempting to use them for their presumed stated purpose.

Further, a reading of the ordinance reveals it is so vague and inconsistent as to be unenforceable, even if its intentions were to establish reasonable order on the Boardwalk.  The resistance maintains that such intentions are illusory, if they ever existed.

Therefore, the resistors are actively seeking a constitutional  attorney who is willing to take this issue on pro bono or for a modest fee, since these resistors are for the most part themselves of very modest circumstances.

If there is a local attorney or anyone else who can help the resistance in any way, please, please contact us at venicebeachboardwalkcoalition@gmail.com.

–VBBC Administrative Board

By Greta Cobar

Around thirty beautiful Venetians got together on Sunday, July 25, to take back the old City Hall, currently Beyond Baroque, and Venice Cityhood as well. What would it be like if we could make our own laws, regulations and decisions right here in Venice, instead of having some distant strangers make them for us in distant and extremely different downtown L.A.? What would it be like if we got to keep the money generated by Venice, as the top tourist destination in Southern California, instead of sending it downtown to be spent somewhere else? What if we had the power to stop the nearly automatic approval of new development that downtown is throwing at us?

Everybody in the room seemed to agree that it would be awesome. And the consensus also seemed to be that if the residents of Venice were to vote on it, it would happen. However, the Local Area Formation Commission (LAFCO) is in charge of determining the rules and procedures that cities have to go through to either join or break away from the city of L.A. According to LAFCO, more than half of voters in the whole city of L.A. would have to support Venice’s de-annexation.

Another, more likely option, of gaining cityhood would be to amend the law that created LAFCO by adding a “Buyer’s Remorse” clause that would allow former cities to withdraw based on a majority of the votes in that city alone.

The San Fernando Valley recently tried to break away from the city of L.A., but was unsuccessful because L.A. voters did not approve it. However, the Valley was never a separate city, like Venice was from 1905 to 1925.

On the other hand, the city of West Hollywood recently gained its cityhood and prospered tremendously as a result, but their fight was also different because, although part of the L.A. County, they were not part of the actual city of L.A.

There is no past example of a city that was annexed and then de-annexed, so once again Venice will have to make history. To amend the law that created LAFCO, we would have to lobby members of the State Assembly or State Senate to introduce a bill. Lisa Green, who is running for State Assembly and who was present at the meeting, said that she would most definitely introduce such a bill.

We have a long and rich history of victories here in Venice, such as the overturn of the biggest eviction in the history of the city of L.A. at Lincoln Place and the defeat of permit parking with of the Coastal Commission on two occasions. Through the years we also prevented the gated community project at the MTA lot, blocked the building of a freeway through Venice three times, prevented massive shopping centers from being built at Lincoln Center and where Costco is now, and made sure that our beautiful canals do not become another yacht harbor. As Tomito Kakos said, “don’t approach Venice cityhood with doubt, but as a process, the most important part of which is your participation.”

There are 88 cities in the L.A. county, 42 of which have less than 40,000 residents. Venice itself has 40,000 residents, right about average for the county. The city of L.A. itself, the largest in the county, also has the most problems. Obama bailed out the banks under the assumption that they are too big to fail, but Jim Smith pointed out that they are actually too big to work, much like the city of L.A.. New York, although a big city, is divided into Burroughs and provides more local control than L.A. does.

The meeting was dominated by people expressing anger, disappointment and frustration towards the city of L.A. and its annexation of Venice. Logistics such as police, schools and water were discussed, but the feeling was that we would be able to easily manage all those and in addition make improvements and provide services. Lisa Aycock recognized the fact that even in Venice there are different viewpoints on issues, but stressed the fact that we all need to work together instead of bickering.

In the 1950’s L.A. mayor Sam Yorty advocated that “Venice should be all torn down and start over.” Most of the canals and the lagoon were covered with cement, the pier at Windward was torn down, and 40 percent of the buildings on the Boardwalk were destroyed, including the most beautiful building in town, St. Mark’s Hotel. The money generated by the oil wells in what is today the Marina peninsula was used to build the pier in San Pedro, while the brand new fire truck that Venice bought just before annexation was taken and replaced with an old one.

Venetians have had it with the abuse, neglect and authoritarian leadership provided by the city of L.A. Kakos inspired us all at the end of the meeting by declaring that “this is the beginning of our journey towards Venice cityhood.” The time has come for us to rise to the occasion and take back our cityhood, livelihood and ability to decide for ourselves. If you would like to get involved, please email cityofvenice@freevenice.org or call 310-396-2525.

By Lisa Green

At the Venice Neighborhood Council (VNC), July 20, Officer Peggy Thusing, stated, “The Oversized Vehicle Ordinance (OVO) will be implemented on streets in Venice where we’ve tried for years to get them off your streets.”

Silly me, I was under the impression the mayor had instructed the City Council and Department of Transportation to find other solutions in lieu of implementing a OVO? Is the City implementing the old version?

The presenter of the Streets to Home Program, a recently hired consultant in Rosendahl’s office, was very unorganized, unfocused and scattered in her presentation. I suppose she expected a hostile crowd, and she got it from those angry NIMBY people, but if you’re going to do the job you have to be able to take the heat, stay on task. Yes, she had a tough task but she just didn’t come across as the right person for the task.

Some points of interest mentioned by the presenter(s):

• 250 vehicles counted that are assumed to be people living out of cars, van and campers on the Venice streets, no specific amount of spaces for the program were identified but 40 was used as an example;
• VNC will hold multiple meetings to inform the community about the Streets to Home Program (Linda Lucks did a good job with a tough subject);
• Apparently some believe that a good portion of the people are living in vehicles but have other alternatives, such as housing (believing the LA Weekly article, I suppose);
• The streets to Home Program will provide intensive case management, requiring a contract, and violations will result in termination from the program (sounded very militaristic);
• No lots specified at this time, but only 5 vehicles per lot will be implemented;

Arturo Pina was quick to state that Rosendahl’s office tried to help the angry NIMBY people but the darn Coastal Commission on two occasions believed the City of LA’s request was in violation of the Coastal Act. When you lead with fear, or anger (same emotion actually) you often tune out, losing your intuition, and reasoning abilities, but wait there’s more!

Officer Thusing was the most inappropriate telling the angry NIMBY people that they should tell her which parking lots to exclude, because she has her opinion as well, and she’s going to interject. Her job as an police officer works only if she promotes fear, and she’s trained at that. I like Officer Thusing as a person, but I am not in agreement with the dialog used. For example, “That her work to clean up the library will be protected. “

We are speaking of people that are being cleaned off the streets, with no services, no affordable housing available, etc. It’s unacceptable, this approach. Most of the people I know that are living on the streets or are sleeping in vehicles, are trying to get housing, and have been on lists, but the lists are long, and some of them just are not messed up enough? Get the picture?

No? Well, let me explain, if you’re just poor, ya know, not making enough to pay for the basics, to receive many of the limited services an individual must either be addicted, pregnant, mentally unstable, or unable to hold down a job but have no fear, living poor, and being attacked numerous times by other members of your community will get you that ticket to unhealthy mentality over time.

Yes, some of the angry NIMBY people were vile, hateful and loaded lots of trash into our collective consciousness. The worst comment I heard utter from a very inappropriate male was, “Maybe we should kill the program,” alluding to the Streets to Home Program.

So, the angry NIMBY people took the hate to a new level last night, showing their emotional immaturity level exceeded their actions at the Coastal Commission meeting last June. Sounds like we should ask the City of LA to implement a program to reconnect angry NIMBY people with their heart center but the residents of Venice will have to take on that task.

Thankfully, I know many people in Venice that believe the community is inclusive,and are working to find effective solutions for the challenges we face while we tolerate a small segment of our larger community that has an emotional immaturity level that screams “ inner child wounded.”

As someone who chose to leave a high paying corporate job to spend my time bringing awareness, assisting others to act, taking on lots of accountability, while working to get us back in balance with our compassion, and concern for our planet and each other, offering and working to find effective solutions for very challenging issues, I found the tone from the speakers of the City of L.A. departments very inappropriate, and filled with harshness for people that are struggling economically, and working, and waiting for services that are not available. The spokespersons fueled the NIMBY people by repeatedly stating, we’ll get them off your streets. The streets are public streets, and all people are part of the public common.

Thankfully, Venice is love not fear. I never invited fear to move here but Venice is an inclusive community so all are welcome. Maybe one day fear will actually believe that fear is a waste of energy and depart. In the meantime those of us that chose love, we’ll have to work to mend the wounded, heal our sick community, and get us back in balance with our living planet, and each other. Love is the strongest power in the universe.

Lisa Green is the Green Party candidate for State Assembly in the district that includes Venice.

By Bill Rosendahl

We are making progress on a groundbreaking program to deal with the issue of people living in their vehicles in Council District 11.

As many of you know, city agencies and I have been working very hard to develop a comprehensive strategy to come up with a solution that balances restricted parking and law enforcement with social services for those who need them.

Last month, the City Council approved amendments to an ordinance that will make it easier to restrict oversized vehicles from parking on our streets overnight.  At the same time, I have been working to create a Safe Parking program, which would create designated areas where economically disadvantaged people living in vehicles could sleep lawfully, obtain counseling and social services, and begin the transition to permanent housing.

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), the City-County agency charged with administering the program, has prepared a draft Request for Proposals (RFP), a legal document that solicits bids from social service providers to run the program. The RFP provides a broad framework and foundation for the program; more specific details will be worked out with the community once LAHSA selects a service provider.

LAHSA will formally release the final RFP next month, select a provider in early fall, and launch the program before the end of the year.  In the meantime, I wanted to circulate the draft RFP and ask for your feedback.  I have also asked my staff to prepare, in consultation with LAHSA, a PowerPoint presentation, summarizing how the program was developed and highlighting some of its key elements.

This proposed program is the result of months of collaborative effort by hundreds of people. This is s smart and cutting-edge program that builds on the successes of similar programs in other cities, and improves and tailors them for our community.  I hope to launch the program before the end of the year, concurrently with the implementation of the Oversized Vehicle Ordinance.

In a few weeks, I will be holding a Town Hall meeting to thoroughly discuss the program.  Prior to that, key members of my staff are available for meetings and briefings in smaller groups.   In the meantime, I welcome your comments and feedback.

Bill Rosendahl is the L.A. City Councilmember whose district includes Venice.

By Jim Smith

The California Coastal Commission began discussing Venice permit parking around 4 pm, after hours of hearing testimony from Venetians who overwhelmingly opposed the scheme.

At first, I had trouble comprehending that the “square” looking Mark Stone was saying that he would oppose the recommendation from their staff to support Overnight Parking Districts (OPDs). Then another Commissioner joined him in opposition, then another. The room began to sway and tilt. I couldn’t tell if it was the “big one” or a cataclysmic political event that was rocking my world. The woman next to me dug her fingers (talons?) into my shoulder, as if she would otherwise fly off into space.

I suddenly snapped out of my delusions when Richard Bloom, formerly a Santa Monica City Councilmember, began to propose a compromise. He made a substitute motion that there would be six months of enforcement of an oversized vehicle ordinance after which the city would have to come back to the Coastal Commission if it wanted to institute permit parking. I thought, “please no, not another hearing.” But to my surprise, the other Commissioners weren’t going for it. Several mentioned that the city had provided no evidence that there was a problem with access that needed regulation to fix. No one had come forward to say they couldn’t get to the beach because of the RVs, they observed. There had been no parking study, as Steve Clare and others had been telling them for hours.

Rumor has it that Bill Rosendahl put Bloom up to making the “compromise” motion when he (Bill) saw that things were not going his way. In any case, Bloom’s attempt to torpedo the rejection of the OPDs failed as five Commissioners voted against it and only four voted for it. Back to the main motion to reject the tremendous pressure asserted by everyone from the state legislature to the city of L.A., Mark Ryavec aka Venice Stakeholders Association, the Pacific Legal Foundation, and miscellaneous homeless haters.

In the end, six of the Commissioners found the courage to stand up for access for all, including those who can only afford to live in recreational vehicles. The motion was defeated six votes to three. The courageous ones who voted against it were Sara Wan, Ross Mirkarimi, Mark W. Stone, Esther Sanchez and Bonnie Neely. All those voting against OPDs were appointed by either the State Senate or Assembly, except Neely, who was appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Neely was the third vote in favor of Bloom’s substitute motion which would have allowed OPDs after six months. Those voting in favor of the staff recommendation for OPDs were all appointees of the Governor, except Bloom, who was appointed by the State Senate.

At the hearing, I witnessed my fellow Venetians rising to the occasion, and speaking more articulately and more brilliantly than I had ever heard them before. So many came and spoke. Some ditched work to be there. Those living in RVs risked exposure to the police who were watching and listening. We must make sure there is no retribution visited upon them for exercising their constitutional rights.

Many of them pointed out that nothing had changed since last year when the Coastal Commission overwhelmingly (9-1) voted this down. Others told the Commissioners that people were being arrested for being on the beach at night, just the opposite of access. Steve Clare explained why permit parking in Santa Monica doesn’t restrict access, while it would in Venice. Santa Monica has 5,500 parking places in beach lots, while Venice has only 1,727. At the same time, Santa Monica hosts three million beachgoers, while Venice is inundated with approximately 16 million per year.

There was the battle of the petitions. Mark Ryavec, who filed the lawsuit that kept OPDs alive, said he had signature of 441 Venice residents. A search of the petition on his Venice Stakeholders website showed that at least half were anonymous or name withheld. Karen Wolfe told the Commissioners that Venice Action, a group that opposes OPDs but supports an oversized vehicle ordinance, had collected 547 signatures. They were unfurled as she spoke. Peggy Lee Kennedy won the petition contest with 900 handwritten signatures and 300 online signatures against OPDs which were collected by the Venice Justice Committee and the Venice Town Council. She also said that her public records request turned up on 51 signatures in all of Venice from people requesting permit parking, and some of them were bogus.

The LAPD also got into the act with Captain Jon Peters saying that OPDs would be another tool in the police’s tool belt in fighting crime. He said that the current law that vehicles must move within 72 hours was not a good tool in their tool box because drivers can simply move a few feet. He was flanked while he spoke by officers Theresa Skinner and Peggy Thusing. All three wore their work uniforms and accessories.

Conservationist and former Beachhead Collectivist John Davis pointed out the irony of the police arresting and incarcerating people for coming to the beach at night when the coastal act is clearly in favor of access. Jack Ainsworth, the South Coast Deputy Director for the Commission responded that he completely agreed with Davis (then added “on this matter”). He said the staff was preparing a memo to city planning directors telling them that prohibiting access to the beach at night is not legal.

Several residents of the North Beach area, including Frank Lutz, Colleen Saro, Eloise Kong and Debra Gavlak, told the Commissioners that their parking problems would become worse if the OPD plan took away their overnight parking lot at Rose Avenue and Main Street. By putting in overnight meters, their parking costs could go from none to $700/month. This would force even more people to park on the streets which are already filled with cars.

Perhaps the speaker most appreciated by those opposing OPDs was Ruth Galanter. She showed how a city councilmember could be on the side of her constituents. While she is no longer in office, many expressed their wish that she was. She said in part,    “These are public streets. There is already a 72-hour law. The city doesn’t have the staff to administer parking permits. People won’t be able to come and visit.” She asked the Commissioners to “protect the ability of visitors to come to the coastal zone.”

Another speaker who was well known to the Commissioners was Pam Emerson, a retired staff member of the Coastal Commission. She told the Commissioners that OPDs were clearly a restriction of public access. She said, “In the 1950s, my family bought a Spartan trailer. At that time, trailer people were not considered upstanding citizens. I appreciate the life people live in RVs. I hope you will protect their rights.”

Also using history to good effect was Winola Smith. She told the Commissioners about her uncle, Irwin Tabor, who was Abbot Kinney’s driver. Kinney willed his house to Tabor, but when he died, Tabor had to move the house because Blacks weren’t allowed to live in that section of Venice (on the Circle). Smith asked, “So why are RVs being discriminated against all over again? These people need help. They could be anyone, your family or your friends.”

Other opponents of OPDs who gave a good accounting of themselves at the podium, included Juan Alcolar, Eden Andes, Lisa Aycock, Jim Bickhart, David Busch, Diane Butler, Ibrahim Butler, David Ewing, Mary Getlein, Ethel Gillette, Lisa Green, Ivonne Guzmán, Terry Hendrickson, Sue Kaplan, Mark Lipman, Susan Millmann Chris Plourde, Dana Schumacher, Jim Smith, Demetrius Tahmin, Mike Suhd, Linda Patterson, Holly Moser, Jataun Valentine, Patty Warivonchik, Lois Webb, Emily Winters and Joshua Xi.

The few speaking in favor of OPDs generally talked about their distaste for those living in vehicles. They included Lois Brower, Stewart Oscars, Michael Lamb, Shelly Burger, Phil Raider, Barbara Gibson and Marie Hammond.

Assistant city attorney Valerie Flores did a good job in distorting the facts of the city’s OPD case. She was apparently drafted to present the misrepresentations by her boss, Carmen “Nuch” Trutanich, who did not show up. Councilmember Bill Rosendahl, who seems intent on squandering the good will of Venetians on his adamant pursuit of OPDs, did not speak. He sat quietly for most of the hearing with Mark Ryavec as Venetians paraded to the microphone to denounce permit parking, and in some cases to denounce Ryavec and Rosendahl. The councilperson departed before the vote was taken. During a break, I asked him if he was getting an earful today. He responded that this was democracy in action. Yes, democracy can be a dangerous thing, as when Hamas won the Palestinian elections, and closer to home, anti-OPD candidates won most of the contested seats in the Venice Neighborhood Council, last April.

Rosendahl ultimately rejected the wishes of Venetians. In a written statement the next day, he (or ghost writer Arturo Piña) said: “I am very disappointed that the California Coastal Commission rejected a settlement proposal that would have given residents of Venice the same ability to regulate street parking as every other community on the California coast.” Yeah, right. It seems that the Coastal Commission is denying us the right to charge ourselves for pay parking and more tickets every time we turn around. Oh, the suffering Venetians!

Likewise, Mark Ryavec quotes himself on the Venice Stakeholders website saying the Coastal Commission action to deny OPDs was a “bait and switch” trick. ”Our only recourse is to remove overnight parking in Venice from this arrogant body’s jurisdiction by renewing our litigation,” Ryavec said.

Sour grapes notwithstanding, most of those who attended the hearing were jubilant at snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. In an age when politicians and their appointees usually have little or no backbone, the Commissioners showed that they would stand up for the people of California, no matter what powerful forces were aligned against them. In this case, they had to say no to the city of Los Angeles, the Pacific Legal Foundation, many of Venice’s landlords, real estate speculators and gentrifiers, not to mention distorted reporting in the Los Angeles Times and elsewhere.

Clearly those intent on driving the poor out of Venice will not give up. They will not say they are sorry for all the bad and untrue things they have said about those down on their luck. They will not try to work with the desperate and deprived. They will not even try to work with Peggy Lee Kennedy – who we all owe a debt of gratitude to for her unstinting determination and courage in spearheading this human rights struggle. It will take many more defeats like those of June 10, 2010 and June 11, 2009 before they finally learn that Venice is not Manhattan Beach and never will be.

My name is Mary Getlein. I’ve lived in Venice since 1971. One question I have is since people are being arrested for being on the beach at those hours, those nighttime hours, what’s the point in having coastal access?

The people who live in oversized vehicles and other vehicles are residents. You don’t have to be in a home to have a home. You have a home in your heart. I was homeless for 10 years. Do you know what being homeless is like? It’s like being a Jew in Nazi Germany. Everywhere you go, you are hassled. You are humiliated. You are put down. They take away your dignity as a human being.

People need help to get out of being homeless. It takes forever and a day to get out of being homeless. If you have a choice to do something good today or to do something wrong, why would you choose the wrong thing? Why? Is this a case of being the “good German” who knew what was going on and did nothing?

People are not homeless by personal choice. Heh – I think I’ll become homeless today. No, man. They lose their jobs. They lose their apartments. And you’re out there with the trash. And the police treat you like shit. They treat you like trash. They kick you from one trash can to the next.

We are put on this earth to help each other – not stick a label on someone, put them in a box and ship them away. Where are these people suppose to go? These are children of God. These are not cockroaches. We’re not here to be exterminated. We’re here to do the right thing today and not be “Good Germans!”

We are not going to sit silently by and watch powers that be round up our friends and the only crime is to be without a home. Where are you going to be 30 years from now when people talk about this? What are you going to tell your children, your grandchildren what you did to save people’s lives? We’re talking about people living in RV’s that are harassed by vigilantes.

As I speak, they come and break windows of RV’s. People who are staying in them are old ladies. They can’t get around without a cane. And these big, strong men come and break their windows. Because they don’t want to see a RV by the park. Well, they have nowhere to go. There’s no affordable housing here in LA.

This is our home. You don’t need a house to have a home. Home is where your heart is. My heart is forever Venice! We will not be moved!

• Albert Vera – Arnold Springer
• Vending on Ocean Front Walk – Della Franco
• Free Speech on Ocean Front Walk – Therese Dietlin

———-

Albert Vera

Dear Beachhead,

Albert Vera died last week in Culver City.

I went to his ‘commemoration’ at Holy Cross Cemetery on Slauson in Culver City.

I saw Sol Grammatico there.  He ran against Ruth Galanter in her first race for Council District 6.  He was from Culver City.  All the politicos were there as well, elected officials and their wives….and an honor guard of the fire and police departments, and the priest actually asked the people to give Albert Vera a loud and sustained applause for his service to the community.  Can you image that?  It was a Catholic ceremony.

Albert Vera ran the Sorrento Market on Sepulveda in Culver City, down by the mall there at the Richard M. Nixon Freeway appendage.

Well,  Anyway.

Albert Vera was an Italian and he came to California in 1947 as a teen or so,  after WW II. Then, what happened?

He worked hard.  Got Married.

He raised a family.

He became a small business man in Culver City.  He was successful. His neighbors liked him, and trusted him, and he gave back, and back, and back.!

Because he was trusted and loved by the community people  (we can say the ‘citizens’ which we in Venice cannot!) of Culver City, he was elected Mayor three times in popular votes of the people.  He was trusted and loved and respected.  A very simple immigrant.

And then after his service he went back to his Sorrento Market:  Where he worked with his partner and comrade Ursala until he was suddenly struck by a heart attack and died right there and then in his home. He was about 75.

Ursala had just hours before been admitted to the hospital with a high fever.  She is really ill with a kidney problem.

I knew Albert Vera from the Sorrento Market where I often shopped —for the best of everything and service etc—great, great bread and fresh pasta for example.

I knew his name from the campaign signs during election days when driving through Culver City.

I was always glad to see him and Ursala at the Sorrento Market.  What agenerous, wonderful, honest, concerned and caring Man.

Arnold  Springer

———-

Vending on Ocean Front Walk

Dear Beachhead

I am writing about the terrible situation the crafts people of the OFW are finding themselves in and it is getting worse as the summer season begins.

There are TOO MANY COMMERCIAL VENDORS taking up vital space on the OFW. The ordinance is not being enforced, vendors are not asked to display their work to Recs and Parks before getting a permit, anyone and any age can receive a permit. It is so sad to see over 200 real artists not receive a permit to set up while there are endless tables selling plastic factory-made goods that takes away the authenticity and uniqueness of Venice Beach.

Why can’t the old rule of “MAKE YOUR ART ON THE SPOT” be enforced in some or most designated areas? It has always been a solution to some of these problems.

The main issue with the lottery these days is that people are just joining the lottery to get a space in order to “sell it” to the highest bidder. Also, you now have vendors paying people to join the lottery to ensure they get a space. You also have several (or more) family members joining the lottery even though half of them do not participate on the OFW.

There has to be more control over the permit and lottery system, before Venice Beach becomes just another swap meet. The lottery has long been a corrupt system that does not protect the rights of the artists of the OFW. I encourage fellow Venetians, artisans and other concerned members of the public to write to Bill Rosendahl at bill.rosendahl @lacity.org and tell him of your concerns. Help Save Venice Beach!

Della Franco

———-

Free Speech on Ocean Front Walk

Dear Beachhead,

On Sunday, June 20, Dave Bradt (Mr. Anti-circumcision), Norman and Stella (Urantia), and I (general political commentary) were set up in the Sunset Pagoda area, as we had been led to believe by second hand reports from LAPD officers on the Pacific detail that we had every legal right to do. Our displays were compact and did not impede any traffic into, out of, or through the Pagoda area.

Early in that afternoon, LAPD officer Quesada approached Dave Bradt as I watched from the other side of the pagoda area.

After a few minutes of observed discussion between Officer Quesada and Dave, I joined the exchange, explaining that I was part of the group who had opted to do this. One of our justifications for being in the Pagoda was that the eight (8) black spaces purportedly set aside for first amendment people like us (LAMC42.15 section B (5)) were all occupied by aggressive commercial vendors of various inclinations and that we had been informed we could set up in the Pagodas.

Officer Quesada, while being very sympathetic to our plight, told us that we had been misinformed. We could NOT set up in the Pagodas. If we were allowed to be there, soon many others would be vying for the spaces. She told us we needed to go to the Recreation and Parks Office on Windward Plaza and ask them to make those black spaces available to us as LAPD had nothing to do with space allocation and usage. I told her I was willing to move but would not do so until my partners returned from a rest room break; the woman is 91 years old and I was not about to abandon her without telling her what was going on.

Shortly after, Officer Quesada returned to our little group in the Pagoda and told us she had found us a space but we needed to move there right away. Dave and I gathered what we could of our displays and took them to the space Officer Quesada had cleared of an illegal vendor for us. After moving all our stuff, Dave and I walked the Boardwalk to the Rec and Parks office to request that the people there remove the illegal vendors in the black spaces, with Dave taking pictures of the black spaces on the way.

We hoped to document the evidence of unacceptable commercial vending in those spaces. At space P-28 we encountered threats and hostility. We later learned that one of the individuals involved threatened to “kill” us.

When we got to the the Rec and Parks office, it was closed and a message on the door gave the hours (for permit purchase) as Mon-Sat 12noon to 4pm.

We returned to our new space and reorganized our prematurely disrupted displays.

My usual routine is to walk the Boardwalk after I have dismantled and stored my display. I look for plastic that may contaminate the ocean and kill our fish and fowl. I also pick up discarded evidence of city-sanctioned commercial vending on the Boardwalk. I now have two grocery bags full of “evidence,” should any civic minded soul care to look at it. Last Sunday, I did not do this routine check. I did not feel safe after the verbal threats that I learned were directed at me.

We are concerned that:

1. Commercial vendors are being allowed to occupy those black spaces, which have purportedly been set aside for First Amendment Free Speech Activists such as Dave, Norman, Stella and myself.

2. That the people occupying those spaces feel free to threaten us with bodily harm when we gather evidence to support our claim.

3. That Recreation and Parks has let these commercial vendors occupy those eight spaces and sell with impunity for over two years, while we have been afraid to take them due to threats to our persons.

4. We request that these spaces be identified in situ as available “for Free Speech Activity only; NO VENDING.”

We ask that this unacceptable and unconstitutional situation be remedied at once.

We further ask that steps be taken to insure our safety from assault or other harm while, before and after occupying those spaces.

In addition, we ask that those spaces be relocated further north on the Boardwalk where they will be less vulnerable to possible assaults to legitimate occupants by aggressive commercial elements masquerading as religious or other organization.

Therese Dietlin

By Laura Silagi, Stephanie Body, Ingrid Mueller, Joan Miner and Mindy Taylor-Ross.

Santa Monica residents have received a lot of press lately about the FAA test flight path of a few propeller planes over Santa Monica.  The test is over and the residents of Santa Monica are happy that all flights again have returned to departing over Venice. But what about those who live in Venice? Are we a dumping ground for Santa Monica?

We have no say in where the planes fly.  Despite years of calls and meetings with the Santa Monica Airport (SMO) officials, Venice receives no relief; we are in the same situation as before.

Here are some facts:

In 2009, there were on average 153 flights per day out of Santa Monica Airport (SMO), of which jets accounted for 19 operations per day, according to Robert Trimborn, Airport Director. During the FAA test period of flights over Santa Monica approximately 10 planes per day were rerouted over the Sunset and Ocean Park areas of Santa Monica, according to a 3 month interim evaluation by the FAA.

This caused the residents in Santa Monica to organize, petition and call the airport with the official tally for May being at least 3,500 complaints.  The City of Santa Monica was very supportive of its own residents, and even Congressman Henry Waxman wrote a letter to the FAA protesting this egregious intrusion into the quality of life to his Santa Monica constituents.

In Venice, there is an average of over 150 flights per day flying over our homes.  All the jets that depart out of SMO fly over Penmar Golf Course and down Rose and the sound and fuel pollution is spread out over the adjacent densely populated neighborhoods.

The noisy prop planes flying east are recommended to turn south at Lincoln and head east near Venice Boulevard.  SMO calls this their “ Fly Neighborly” program. It is certainly friendly to Santa Monica.  Now the residents of Santa Monica want to make the flight path over Venice mandatory. SMO benefits the City of Santa Monica with no benefit to those in Los Angeles.

Airport departure hours are weekdays from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and weekends starting at 8 a.m. Basically, Venice is assaulted from early morning to late at night. And there is no curfew on landings.

In addition, the six flight schools that are housed at SMO use the airways over Venice for practicing. They circle over the homes, schools and businesses all day and evening. They practice what is called “touch and goes.” Student pilots take off from SMO and circle around to the south of the airport and then head east, returning to the airport to land and then take off again. They practice the same procedure over and over again. And on weekends they practice “taxi back” procedures which simply means they land and then go to the end of the runway before starting the procedure again.

In a recent report by a team of Pediatric Residents at UCLA entitled  “Santa Monica Airport Health Impact Assessment,” the doctors analyzed other studies regarding negative impacts of other airports and assessed the results with Santa Monica Airport. One example cited from England showed that sound pollution above 55 decibels can affect the learning abilities and hearing of children. This is well below the noise level of jet plane take-offs.

Researchers from this study suggest aiming for noise exposure maximum values of 55 decibels during the daytime in order to protect the more sensitive segments of the population, such as children and the elderly. The report also details other potential negative health effects of Santa Monica Airport on the surrounding community especially to children, older adults and people with cardiac disease, pulmonary disease, or diabetes.

In the Venice and Mar Vista area alone, there are over 11 schools, from elementary through high school, as well as adult schools that lie in the flight path of both props and jets. There are also many daycare centers and young children at home, at the beach and in local parks exposed to sound pollution.

A recent UCLA research team led by Dr. Suzanne Paulson, published a study in which the area downwind, east of the airport was monitored for air pollution. High levels of Black Carbon particulates and very high concentrations of Ultra-fine particles were found.

Ultra-fine particles can enter a cell wall and travel virtually anywhere in the body. There is anecdotal evidence of high concentration of cancers in that area. Pollution levels associated with jet idle and jet blast measured in the Los Angeles neighborhood east of the airport can be as high as most anywhere in Los Angeles.  Although this study did not include Venice, we can assume that there are health risks here from air pollution caused by departing jets in particular.

And there are safety and quality of life issues. Student pilots flying over densely populated areas scare many people. Old planes and vintage planes are not restricted from SMO. There is no buffer zone required for jets. For more than twenty years, the FAA waived the runway length requirements for jets at SMO. Pilot error or mechanical malfunction can lead to tragedy.

Meanwhile, Congressman Henry Waxman and the City of Santa Monica continue to ignore the noise and pollution complaints that come from neighboring residents of Venice, Mar Vista and West Los Angeles.

What can be done?

There are now groups organized to fight this environmental injustice, and the new Venice Neighborhood Council’s Santa Monica Airport Committee is open to all those who are interested.  This committee has a survey on the VNC website for those in Venice who are adversely affected by the airport. Go to http://www.grvnc.org/node/1419.   Comments from those who participated so far include: inability to carry on a conversation in the home; work at home without constant noise; house shaking with vibrations as planes going overhead; blackened leaves on plants and fruit trees; children living in fear of planes crashing into their bedrooms; and the constant irritation of noise pollution.

The VNC group is trying to assess the number of people and areas in Venice where residents are affected by the SMO. That information will be publicized and used to pressure politicians to pay attention and change the situation for Venice and its neighbors. Venetians need to organize to fight for clear skies, especially targeting Federal representatives and the FAA.  The VNC Santa Monica Airport Committee meetings are held every third Wednesday, 9 a.m. at the Rose Café. Check the VNC website for upcoming dates, agenda items and minutes.

City councilman, Bill Rosendahl, has spoken out repeatedly about the problems SMO causes for Los Angeles residents. He has said he is willing to lie on the runway to make his point. Perhaps we should take him up on this offer and join him.  And please join in the struggle to stop Santa Monica Airport abuse.  It is also time to again complain to SMO regarding noise since they send these complaints to the FAA.  Santa Monica Airport 24 hour noise reporting: 458-8692.

Websites for further information:

VNC Santa Monica Airport Ad-Hoc Committee http://www.grvnc.org/node/1420

Concerned Citizens Residents Against Airport Pollution http://jetairpollution.com/ (a great resource for past and current information and actions.)

Santa Monica Airport Health Impact Assessment http://www.ph.ucla.edu/hs/hiaclic/pdfs/SM_Airport_Health_Impact_Assessment.pdf

Aircraft Emission Impacts in a Neighborhood Adjacent to a General Aviation Airport in Southern California http://pubs.acs.org/stoken/presspac/presspac/full/10.1021/es900975f?cookieSet=1

Santa Monica Airport Noise Complaint Form

http://www.smgov.net/departments/airport/form.aspx?ekfrm=8886

This review of how Venice voted carries on a Beachhead tradition established by Arnold Springer many years ago. These are semi-final results of the June 8 election. The final results can be found on www.lavote.net after July 8.

In the June primary, Venetians once again proved two things about their politics. First, they are more progressive than the rest of Los Angeles, and second that they are too lazy to actually get out and vote. Less than 17 percent went to the polls. Not to worry, soon the corporate oligarchy will relieve all of us of the burden to vote because it is too expensive.

One might think that this year there would be ample reason to spend a few minutes at a local polling place. Marcy Winograd, whose views are simpatico with most Venetians was taking her second crack at defeating Jane Harman, the darling of the spooks and generals. In the Assembly race no less than three Venetians – probably a record – were in the running in the hotly contested Democratic primary.

One other fact that emerged in this election is the divergence in the amount of “leftness” between Venice north of Washington Blvd. and Venice south of Washington Blvd. In the Peninsula, they even favored Harman over Winograd. What’s wrong with those people? Aren’t they reading the Beachhead?

Most of those Venetians who did vote went with the candidate who spent the most money, Betsy Butler, and not with any of their neighbors. Meanwhile, Winograd did well in Venice, but not well enough to offset aerospace country in the South Bay which voted hugely for Harman. Winograd did marginally increase her percentage district wide, rising from 37.5 percent in 2006 to 41 percent this time. Let’s see at that rate, she might defeat Harman in only four more elections. Harman again outspent Winograd by a 2-1 margin ($520,847 to $267,825)

In the Assembly race, surprise, surprise. Those who spent the most, got the most votes. Butler spent more than $400,000 to win 26 percent of the vote district wide. Also district wide, Venetian James Lau came in second with 18 percent, and it only cost him $360,000. But in Venice 90291, another Venetian, Nick Karno came in second with 23 percent. He finished third district wide, while Lau finished third in Venice. Another Venetian, Peter Thottham finished forth in Venice and sixth district wide.

Once again, Venetians voted for someone, Butler, who they had probably never heard of before the election. The current occupant of the 53rd Assembly seat, our “in Lieu of a representative,” failed to achieve stardom as the Democratic candidate for Attorney General as he had hoped, coming in forth out of seven candidates.

My conclusion is that Marcy Winograd could have easily won the Democratic primary for State Assembly, where she could have been a helpful resource for Venice and other communities. In four years or so, she could have used her strong record in Sacramento to run, and win, a seat in Congress.

In November, Butler will face Lisa Green, appropriately the Green candidate, Libertarian Ethan Musulin and Republican Nathan Mintz. Trying to unseat Harman will be Republican Mattie Fein and Libertarian Herb Peters. Neither the Greens nor Peace and Freedom put up a candidate against her.

-Jim Smith

By Jim Smith

Venice
A dream so sublime
A fate so unfair

What more can be said about Venice after 105 years? Venice has nearly everything: a beautiful beach, a great climate, walk streets galore, a multi-racial and multi-cultural population, a thriving arts and poetry scene, a habit of creating trends that sweep the country and the world.

Yes, Venice has everything except independence. Does it really matter that we can’t make decisions for ourselves, and that our highest form of democracy to is be able to advise others when they make decisions for us. Well, yes, it does matter. In a supposedly democratic country, we are ruled by politicians and bureaucrats in a building many miles to the east of us.

Recently, Venetians have conducted long struggles that have resulted in victories. Just last month, we convinced the Coastal Commission to deny a pay parking scheme devised for us in that high-rise city hall in downtown Los Angeles. Years of effort by many Venetians preserved the biggest chunk of our reasonable rental property – Lincoln Place. Last year at this time we defeated pay parking (it’s starting to be a regular event). Before that, we stopped the giant shopping center where Ralphs, Rite-Aid and Ross now reside. We’ve prevented numerous attempts to run a freeway through the center of Venice, we saved the canals, more or less. At least they didn’t become a yacht harbor. Those high-rises along Ocean Front Walk, like Santa Monica Shores, never got built.

These, and many more, are all great victories for Venice. Problem is, we were on the defensive every time. Strategists including Sun Tzu, Clausewitz and Napoleon, will tell you that you can’t really win a lasting victory unless you go on the offensive. We’ve won many battles, but the war cannot be won if we are always responding to someone else’s initiative.

This is why everyone who wants a Venice that is unique, and democratic, should now turn their attention to working for and restoring our status as a city.

So they faked an election, back in ’25
And there our independence died
Rise Venice Rise

When Venice lost its cityhood in 1925, it was a real tragedy. Most of the canals were filled in, many businesses went bust, oil revenue that could have made Venice rich disappeared downtown never to be seen again, and ultimately Abbot Kinney’s fantastic pier at the Windward Breakwater was torn down. The only lasting improvement L.A. made in Venice for many years was a police station and jail.

The election in ’25 was itself dubious. It was the third annexation vote in as many years. Threats were made to cut off Venice’s water supply, shady characters moved into Venice to agitate for annexation and to vote. There should be no doubt that a vote to restore cityhood would be equally difficult.

But restoring cityhood will be easier than reforming Los Angeles. It is a city of four million people. It is bigger than half the states in the United States. It has a bloated bureaucracy and a police force larger than the armies of more than 50 countries. It has so many vested interests that it cannot balance its own budget. Most of its city council is bought and paid for by developers and assorted billionaires. With or without Venice’s 40,000 residents, L.A. is too large and unwieldy to function effectively.

Would Venice do any better? Yes, because it does not need such an overwhelming bureaucracy.

Of the 88 cities in Los Angeles County, Venice is larger than nearly half of them. These small cities are doing just fine financially. Some are very rich, others have less revenue than Venice will have. Just how much revenue would Venice have? I asked L.A. City Controller Wendy Gruel that question a couple of months ago when she appeared at a Neighborhood Council meeting. She said she didn’t know how much revenue comes from Venice, or how much is spent here.

We can safely assume that Venice revenue to the city of L.A. is in the millions of dollars. At least it is far more than the $50,000 a year that L.A. gives back to the Neighborhood Council. With it, we would be able to beautify Venice, adequately fund social service agencies that do good things for Venice, and make our streets more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. Shuttles could take us to shop and transport visitors, urban gardens could provide much of our food.

Will having our own city stop the bickering among Venetians? Not entirely. But if it comes from frustration at not having any power to fix our problems, then there will be less of it and Venetians will work together more than in the past. We will still differ on many issues, but we will be able to resolve them among ourselves, instead of relying on others to decide what’s best for us.

Isn’t it nearly impossible to get out of L.A.? It is not easy. There are two ways to do it. We can go to the state agency, Local Agency Formation Commissions (LAFCO), <http://www.calafco.org/docs/CKH/2009_CKH_Guide.pdf> and circulate a petition according to their rules. One of their rules is that all of L.A. would have to vote in favor of Venice cityhood!

Or, we can change the rules. It’s logical that a former city that voted for annexation should be able to opt out. That is, there should be a “buyer’s remorse” clause that allows a former city to vote again on restoring its cityhood, without L.A. also voting. L.A. residents didn’t vote to annex Venice. Why should they vote on the reverse?

We can petition our state legislative representatives to author a buyers’ remorse bill. They would be under intense pressure from Los Angeles lobbyists not to introduce such a bill, or vote for it, so we had better have lots of signatures of Venetians in favor of the bill to modify LAFCO.

There is no reason to wait for someone to do this. To paraphrase Rabbi Hillel, “If not us, who? If not now, when?

All this and more will be discussed at our old city hall, now Beyond Baroque, 681 Venice Blvd. on Sunday, July 25 from 3 – 5pm. Be there if you care about the future of Venice.

One morning we will come out of our homes
with picks and shovels and dig out our canals
We’ll come with hammers and saws
and build homes for all of our Venetian family.

• Venice was incorporated as a city, not in 1905, but on Feb. 17, 1904.
• The original name for the city was not Venice, but Ocean Park. Today, Ocean Park is the name of the community to the north of Venice.
• The date we celebrate as the founding of Venice, July 4, 1905, was the grand opening of “Venice of America.”.
• It was not until May 29, 1911 that the park of Ocean Park south of Navy Street detached themselves and named their new city Venice.
• The city limits of Venice extended from Navy St. in the north to Imperial Highway. The southern park, from Pershing Drive west is today called Playa del Rey. Its street names and numbering follow the pattern in Venice.
• The most eastern point of Venice was Walgrove to Beethoven, south of Venice Blvd. It was here that the city of Venice built its high school.
• When Venice was a city, most of the surrounding area was farm land.
• Before Abbot Kinney Blvd. was named, it was called Washington Blvd. Before that it was called Lake Avenue. It was also called El Camino Real.
• North Venice Blvd. was named Pico Blvd. and South Venice Blvd. was named Virginia Ave.
• Palms Blvd. was an extension of Rialto Ave. and was named Rialto. Evidence can still be seen on the alley south of Palms, which is called Rialto Ct.
• The Venice civic center, city hall, fire and police departments were on Lorelei Ave.(now called 17th Ave.), between Pacific Ave. (then called Trolley Way) and Speedway.
• Why are so many streets and alleys in central Venice named for cities in Spain? Originally, they were named for cities in Italy. Did some hispanophile in Los Angeles change all the names after Venice was annexed at 9 am on Nov. 25, 1925? Here are just some of the names that were changed from Italian cities to Spanish cities: Verona to Toledo, Mantua to Granada, Ravenna to Valencia, Modena to Cordova, Pavia to Seville, and Ferrara to Navarre. Oddly Andalusia has always been Andalusia.

The above information was obtained from the city of Venice archives which are now being held captive in downtown Los Angeles. Free Venice!

–Jim Smith

A campaign promoted by the Beachhead since 2002 is gaining new supporters.

At a meeting of the Venice Neighborhood Council (VNC) Board, June 15, a slide show was presented, two former internees spoke, Arnold Maeda and Yosh Tomita. Everyone who spoke in public comment was in favor, including Scott Pine, a Venice High School student, who said: “This monument will clearly show the people of Venice, and every citizen who passes by this monument, how easy it is to lose our precious democratic rights.  Besides the monument’s symbolic meaning, it marks the historical setting where Japanese Americans gathered, to be relocated.”

He added: “I found out about this tremendous idea in an article in the Free Venice Beachhead.”

The VNC voted unanimously to support the monument and to write a letter to Councilmember Bill Rosendahl calling on him to introduce a motion in the L.A. City Council to authorize the memorial.

Japanese on the West Coast, both U.S. citizens and non-citizens, were put in concentration camps during World War II. Those in Venice were ordered to report to the northwest corner of Venice and Lincoln Boulevards where they were put on buses to Manzanar.

In recent months, new endorsements have come from the Venice Arts Council, the Venice Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, the Venice Japanese American Community Center, the Culver-Venice Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League, the Nikkei Student Union at UCLA, the New Media Academy students at Venice High, the Venice Town Council and the Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC).

The effort was initiated by the Venice Peace and Freedom Chapter which circulated petitions in 2001. Approximately 200 Venetians signed in support of the idea.

I was born in Santa Monica, in 1926 and have lived in Mar Vista since 1958. I am here this evening to voice my support for the MARKER project sponsored by various individuals and organizations of the Venice community. I feel that this is a worthy project, especially today, to highlight and educate the people about the historical event that took place at this intersection 68 years ago. We were ordered by Civilian Exclusion Orders to report for further instructions as to when and where to assemble for transportation to our unknown destination. Our pick up spot was on the northwest corner of Venice and Lincoln Boulevards.

The more we publicize information like this to the general public, the better chance we have of preventing a similar incident to occur again. On that unforgettable day in April of 1942, our destination turned out to be a mile-square patch of desert land that was fenced in by barbed wire and surrounded by eight guard towers — an American-style detention camp that eventually held over 10,000 men, women, and children. Our camp was named Manzanar War Relocation Center, and it was located between Lone Pine and Independence on the west side of Highway 395. I am not here to talk about Manzanar where I spent three and a half years of my teenage life.

I am here to encourage the Venice Neighborhood Council to pass a motion to write a letter to Councilman Bill Rosendahl in support of a memorial marker on the northwest corner of Venice and Lincoln.  I have such a personal connection to this corner, and I always point out this location to any of my passengers as we drive by.  I always have had a very visceral, emotional response to even thinking about my incarceration. But with discussion of this marker, my negative feelings have somehow dissipated, and have been replaced with feelings of hope.   b

By CJ Gronner

Maybe it’s because of all the horror of the Gulf Oil Spill down South, but it seems to me that people here in California are getting a lot more riled up lately about saving our own waters from the same fate. Because we MUST.

In that vein, I recently went out with the Santa Monica Baykeeper folks to observe National Oceans Day, and also to take a look at what shape our beloved Bay is in. Started in 1993, the Baykeeper’s mission is to protect and restore our waters through enforcement, field work, and community action. As we’ve seen down in the Gulf, if people are allowed to do whatever they want to our environment, they will – and with disastrous results.

So it was that I woke up early on a Sunday morning and pedaled over to the Marina to meet up with Brian Meux, Baykeeper’s Marine Programs Manager, and Kristy Pyke, their lovely P.R. Lady. The idea was to take the boat up to Point Dume and meet up with reps from Heal The Bay, The Surfrider Foundation, and Below The Surface, who were paddling out on stand up paddleboards to highlight our most diverse and productive ocean area, and check out the health of the kelp forests that keep our entire oceanic eco-system thriving (hopefully) while we were at it.

It was a misty morning, with waves just big enough to make us happy that we’d behaved ourselves (somewhat) the night before. It was, in all honesty, a joy just to look down and see blue water, after all the black globby images we’ve seen coming out of the Gulf Of Mexico. It was not a joy, however, to see a giant cluster of mylar balloons floating by, way out at sea. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again … LEAVE YOUR DANG BALLOONS OFF THE BEACH!

Your kids will still have a happy birthday, I promise. They kill marine life, period. That is not a good lesson to teach the birthday party kids, now, is it? We scooped up that bunch of balloons, and just wished we’d had a chance to wring the necks of those who thought it best to leave them in the sea. Grrr.

Cruising along, we spotted the Paddlers up ahead, and we all met up to discuss what they were doing, and what we can ALL do to make sure that we continue to have beautiful beaches and waters to enjoy for generations to come. It’s all about involvement, after all. Each of the organizations mentioned above has events or clean-ups you can volunteer for pretty much every week. And you should.

It’s good for the soul to participate in things that are bigger than you,and that make the world better in one instant. I pick up after some of you fools every morning as I walk along the beach, and you have the instant gratification of it being more lovely than you met it each morning, just by bending down and grabbing that broken bottle (REALLY?!) or picnic remnant or stupid balloon scrap.

We were all encouraged (and one surfer a little spooked) when a gigantic purple striped jellyfish wafted by right under the guy’s board who was next to the boat. If that big jelly was happy where he or she was, things may be looking up for our Bay. The stories these guys can tell you, from their paddle-outs, their aerial surveys, and kelp forest dives are full of both dismay, and hope.

Dismay that people actually still have the mental capacity to think it fine to dump old toilets and tires IN the sea, 3 miles out from the coast! What in the world is WRONG with these brains that could do that? Dismay at the “Plastic to Plankton ratio” that some say is like 6 bits of plastic to each one of plankton. I just almost puked as I typed that, but it’s true.

But there is hope for us yet. I felt it as we raced across the waves and watched about 30 dolphins race alongside us and in our wake, jumping out into the sunshine and gracing us with their sleek beauty and natural smiles. Hope that we were all out there early in the morning, because there are these organizations and people who care so much, and actually get out to DO SOMETHING about it.

Hope was evident again this past weekend as Baykeeper, Surfrider, Heal The Bay, and a whole bunch of concerned citizens met up for “Hands Across The Sand” down by the Venice and Santa Monica Piers, and at over 650 other coastal beaches around the world at noon our time.

We all gathered by the Venice Pier, and talk was less what you did last night, and mainly all how much we love our beaches, and how badly we all want to preserve and IMPROVE them, and especially save them from any oil related fate. On that note, Venice friends and neighbors laid down on the sand to spell out “Go Green” and “End Oil” out of humans. Then all of us who were not being used in a letter, held hands all across the beach to demonstrate to the world that we mean business about our beaches. We have to.

As the motto of Below the Surface states, “Be The Solution”. That can mean many things, but it HAS to mean doing SOMETHING. Bring your own bags to the market. BAN Plastic bags. Use a stainless steel water bottle every time, and phase out those plastic ones. Participate in beach clean-ups. Throw your beach trash away in the first place – duh. Get rid of your cigarette butts in an ashtray, not out your car window, jerks. (I will make a citizen’s arrest on that one. Every time.)Reduce your filthy oil habit, as best you can. Reuse and Recycle. Ride your bike. Take a WALK, L.A.! Hold hands across the sand with your friends to bring attention to it all. Walk the talk.

As Summer takes over Venice, get to know your H2O. Our health depends upon its health. Imagine our Summer months down at the beach, looking out at black tar islands and choking sea creatures, instead of shimmering blue waters full of life. That would wreck your buzz for sure … and we really don’t want that.