Residents Can Report Sidewalk and Handicapped Parking Issues

Posted on August 29, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

The van and its garbage have taken away handicapped parking spaces by the Westchester Senior Center. The site is under investigation by the City’s Department of Disability.

Many residents were appalled by the garbage that was in front of handicapped parking spaces in Westchester by the senior center. The garbage and van didn’t allow access for voting in June, and still doesn’t allow access for meetings.

“I am writing to you in shear frustration on behalf of my handicapped mother-in-law and other handicapped patrons of Westchester Senior Center and Westchester Library located in CD 11 on the busy Manchester and Lincoln Boulevards and in support of the woman and children who wish to use this parking lot for the library or to use the parking lot for children’s sports,” a resident wrote.

“Am I wrong to believe that clear safe access to public spaces is a right to all, and not just for the homeless?”

CTN reached out to Ashley Rodriguez, who is the public information officer for L.A. City’s Department of Disability and asked about obstructions, such as garbage and tents in front of handicapped parking.

“It is illegal to park in an accessible space if one does not have a valid Disabled Persons Parking Placard,” Rodriguez said. “Vehicles blocking an accessible parking space should be reported to LA Department of Transportation (LADOT) Parking Enforcement who can issue a citation to the vehicle.”

She said that “people can report encampments causing access problems to Los Angeles Housing Services Authority online at: https://www.lahsa.org/portal/apps/la-hop/request.”

This homeless encampment took away sidewalk access for seniors and the disabled.

(The Westside Current and CTN would like to do a follow up story. If residents have reported access problems to LAHSA, please send an email so we can follow the action taken and report back to the Department of Disability.)

If a handicapped individual cannot access a sidewalk, because of broken cement or other issue, visit https://safesidewalks.lacity.org/ to request a repair.

Rodriguez was asked about the vehicles with handicapped placards that seem to be permanently in the same space on the street.

“A Disabled Person Placard allows a vehicle to park at a meter and exceed the time limit associated with the meter parking,” Rodriguez said. “However, a vehicle is considered ‘Abandoned’ by LADOT if it exceeds 72 hours in the same parking space without moving after it was observed and recorded by a Traffic Officer.”

She said that an “Abandoned” vehicle can be cited and impounded by LADOT. But, if a person is living in the vehicle, a Traffic Officer has no authority to enforce anything other than the parking violation.

“LADOT Parking Enforcement has a team for addressing Parking Placard misuse and in the past, they would coordinate enforcement operations with California DMV enforcement teams from local offices,” she said.

Disabled Person Parking Placards from other states are honored, however, if they have an expiration date, that vehicle may receive a citation.

In Westchester Park, one resident wanted to know “If a person has a valid handicapped placard from the state of California, may that person basically dwell in his vehicle in a handicapped spot?” She added that “He takes up about five handicapped spots and his trash sprawls on either side.”

The resident was told that complaint was currently being investigated, so the department could not comment.

The bathrooms at the old gym and adjacent to the playground are not handicapped accessible.

CTN asked about the Pacific Palisades Recreation Center bathroom, which are not handicapped accessible and was told that since they were “grandfathered” with the building, they didn’t need to be redone.

Rodriquez replied, “the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not have a grandfather clause because it is a civil rights law. However, the California Building Code does have a grandfather clause. If there is a bathroom with accessible stalls nearby (at the same park), there should be signage in place directing people from the inaccessible bathroom to the accessible one.”

There may be handicapped bathrooms in the large gym, but it had been closed for several years during Covid.

CTN also asked about the playground at the Palisades Rec Center, which is not handicapped accessible. “Does the City not have to upgrade those areas for the handicapped?”

Rodriguez said that “The Department on Disability has been working with the Department of Recreation and Parks to review their facilities and identify any barriers that result in limitation to accessibility for people with disabilities through the City’s Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan. Once the plan is complete, the Department on Disability will provide Recreation and Parks with an execution strategy to remove barriers,” and recommend a site visit with ADA Compliance Officer Geoffrey Straniere.

There is an online form where one can submit an Americans with Disabilities Act – disability.lacity.org (and click on forms).

CTN filled out a complaint about the lack of handicapped restrooms at the Rec Center on August 26, and will keep readers posted.

Posted in City/Councilman Mike Bonin, Homelessness, Seniors | Leave a comment

Government Needs to Refund $5,000

Posted on August 29, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

When President Joe Biden said that people who owe on college loans can get relief, my mom, 92, called and asked if I was going to get $5,000 back. Maybe I should ask for a refund.

I had graduated from college with a degree in sociology and minors in math and chemistry and been accepted into medical school for the following fall.

Until medical school, I had no debt because I had received a merit scholarship that paid for everything for my first year of college.

I earned additional scholarships and performed work study to help pay for my final three years. And I had worked every summer to save money for college, starting at 12 with babysitting.

My parents, schoolteachers, with six children did not have any extra money for college. My grandparents were farmers, which meant they had no extra, either.

Going to medical school would mean taking out a $5,000 loan, which was a lot of money in 1976. There was no other way to attend, but I assumed that with a medical degree I would be able to eventually pay it back.

The summer before medical school, I had a job at a restaurant/club on the Reservation.

American Indian Movement (AIM) leaders came into place around 5 p.m. that afternoon. There had been numerous disturbances that summer. The manager, when she saw them called the police.

I was waiting on an elderly couple, the Dowds, who came out every day for supper.

The AIM members started wielding guns, and I helped the two out a side door. The police arrived and I felt some relief.

Suddenly, Mrs. Dowd turned to go back inside. “I forgot my purse,” she said, and when I couldn’t persuade her to turn around, I ran in to get it.

I crawled under a table and found the purse. The two police and five AIM members were fighting. The police were being hit with “blackjacks.” One policeman’s face was bloody he couldn’t see and tried to escape and by crawling to a window.

I managed to run outside with the purse – and was closely followed by the two police who ran and hid over a small hill. I handed the woman her purse and told them to get out of there. They drove off.

One of the AIM members was on top of the police car, kicking in the “cherry” the light, when a gun fired. The man on top of the car crumbled. A woman came up to me with a gun and pointed it at my face.

She said, “If you ever tell anyone about this, you’re dead.”

Then someone picked up the injured man, and the AIM members drove off in a car. I later learned they had taken the man to the BIA hospital in Rosebud and his spleen had to be removed. Several of the AIM people had been firing handguns when a bullet ricocheted and hit him.

I was glad when school started, and I was safe back in a classroom and off the reservation.

That was short-lived because I was served a subpoena during one of my classes in the spring and told I needed to testify in court.

The trial was awful. One policeman, who had most of his teeth knocked out, had gone to another job off the reservation, but there was no way he could pay to have his mouth fixed. As I tried to focus on my genetics lesson, he saw a picture of a child with Down’s syndrome and said, “That looks like my daughter.”

I was put on the stand. First, I was questioned by the prosecutor, then I was questioned by the defense. My story never changed. Then the AIM member decided to fire his defense lawyer and started questioning me himself, which the judge allowed.

Do you tell the truth, even if you worry by doing so, you may put you or your family in jeopardy?

I told the truth. The leader got jail time, his followers did not.

I might have made it through the spring semester with mostly Bs and Cs, but then the physiology professor decided that we should cut open live dogs that he secured from the pound, so we could see how their hearts worked.

A student could opt out, but their grade would be dropped—which would have meant I would have gone from a C to a D. I can’t describe how awful it was to see the dogs cut open with their hearts pumping and the blood and the smell – and I was done. I stumbled through the rest of the semester, receiving a D in physiology.

I fled to New York City, and found a place on 181st street, near the George Washington Bridge. I felt safer there then on the reservation.

I was numb, I had trouble sleeping, anytime I heard a car backfire, I froze, and the adrenaline started.

Now I realize I probably had PTSD, which is defined as a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event. They say the symptoms can last months or years and include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety.

I knew I wasn’t going back to medical school or South Dakota. I eked out an existence in New York, with a bunch of low paying jobs, working in a bookstore, at an off-Broadway theatre, a failing language school.

I eventually moved from Washington Heights to a five-floor walkup, with a bathtub in the kitchen, on the Eastside, that I shared with another person, so I could afford the rent.

Then, I received a notice in the mail that I had to pay off the $5,000 that I had borrowed. There was no forgiveness, but they would allow me to pay what I could, but it had to be something.

A sociology degree does not provide you with a job that allows you to pay down that kind of debt, so I started waitressing.

Tip, by tip, over five years, I paid the money back.

I’m sure I’m the kind of student that President Biden wants to help – not those who graduated from Harvard law school or medical school, who also have sizeable debts, but most likely will get a high-paying job.

So even if its 30 years late, Mr. President I would like $5,000. Even though I signed the loan . . . .please refund it—and with interest if possible.

Washington Heights in New York City

Posted in Viewpoint | 5 Comments

Friends of Library Address Community Concerns Regarding Patron Safety

Posted on August 29, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

The following statement was released by The Friends of the Library:

The board of directors of the Pacific Palisades Library Association (The Friends of the Library) devoted its August 9 quarterly board meeting and a subsequent follow-up meeting on August 23 to discuss the concerns raised by community members regarding homelessness and library patron safety.

At its August 9 meeting, the board heard in person and through written statements from community members about concerns regarding unhoused individuals who live outside the library.

Barbara Kohn (Pacific Palisades Community Council), Senior Lead Officer Brian Espin (Los Angeles Police Department) and Sharon Kilbride and Nancy Klopper (Pacific Palisades Taskforce on Homelessness – PPTFH provided informational background for the board.

Espin spoke on the enforcement of existing ordinances related to loitering and the recently passed amendment to Municipal Code 41.18, which will ban homeless encampments within 500 feet of schools and takes effect September 18.

The board was informed of the limits of its ability to force actions by either LAPD or to hire private security guards to patrol library property.

Espin indicated LAPD is awaiting direction from its legal counsel about the enforcement of the ordinance, which may be amended further to include library property. In any case, enforcement will be the responsibility of the LAPD and not the library staff or Friends of the Library.

The presentations also included details on the work of PPTFH, which provides resources to address homelessness in Pacific Palisades so that the community is protected and remains safe while homeless people receive compassionate, effective services as well as access to permanent supportive housing.

At its August 23 meeting, the board voted to take the following action:

Contribute $10,000 to the PPTFH to support a new Clinical Case Worker position that the PPTFH is in the process of recruiting. This experienced clinician will focus on providing services to the homeless in Pacific Palisades, particularly those who are service resistant.

The $10,000 pledge is contingent upon the hiring of the new Clinical Case Worker and will be funded from unrestricted gifts to The Friends, not from membership dues or book-sale proceeds.

This funding commitment is intended to signal The Friends’ desire to be part of the solution to our local homeless crisis while also affirming the distinct and proper roles of our local community organizations. The pledge is also intended to fulfill The Friends’ mission of fostering good will and understanding between the library and the community.

The Friends will increase efforts to keep the Palisades Library and its grounds clear of trash, debris and other waste. A local professional landscaping company has agreed to regularly report any incidence of hazardous waste so that library staff can have it promptly and properly removed.

The board also discussed additional environmental and landscaping options to keep the entry to the library as welcoming and safe as possible. These efforts are in keeping with The Friends’ mission of enhancing development and operation of the library facilities.

Encourage community members to report any health and safety issues related to the Palisades Library to the proper authorities. Library patrons should report concerns to the library staff. If illegal activity is observed or suspected, it should also be reported to the Los Angeles Police Department.

The board also re-committed The Friends to funding programs and resources that will maintain the Palisades Library as a vibrant hub of community activity.

Since the library’s reopening earlier this year, The Friends reopened its patio bookstore, organized a Community Open House in May, and supported numerous programs, including the Children’s Writing Contest, which is open for entries until September 6. The group also funds the Palisades Reads program, which will return for its fourth year this fall.

“As an all-volunteer organization, we rely on the community’s continued support and good will,” said Friends President Laura Schneider. “We have sincerely appreciated the community’s input as we have worked to address the complex issue of homelessness. While solving this problem is well outside the scope of the Friends’ mission, we do hope our actions as an organization will be a step in the direction of uniting the Palisades as a thoughtful and compassionate community.”

Posted in Community, Homelessness | Leave a comment

Happy Birthday to Me??

Posted on August 28, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Happy Birthday!

BY PEPPER EDMISTON

This week I reached an unthinkable age.

Baby Boomers were raised not to trust anyone over thirty, an age so old it was beyond our comprehension. How can I count on someone with twice those years, even if it’s me? Bottom line: I can’t.

This week I had a long-awaited doctor’s appointment. At our age, seeing one or another specialist is de rigueur.

There’s a quiet competition amongst us elders as to how many medical visits we have per week. My Uncle Jay, with one every weekday, is the current winner, but I’m gaining on him.

Because it was a first meeting with this “pain” doctor, I was scheduled to arrive at 1:30 p.m., a half an hour early. This is fine for an oldster as the appointment fills up more time. My friends no longer complain about waiting forty-five minutes to see the M.D. – again, more of the day gets whittled away.

I left late, drove to Tower radiology to grab my images, then went to where I thought the building was. It had disappeared.

I checked the address and found it was blah blah 16^th Street. Found the correct place and a metered spot right in front. It was 2 p.m. – and I moved as quickly as this old vessel could sail.

“Wrong building”, said a friendly guard. “Go through the lobby” blah, blah.

I finally arrived at the correct location, breathless. Waited for the elevator, got in but there was no #2 button. Ah, it only went down.

I got into the correct elevator, shuffling as quickly as I could, landed at 2:10 p.m. in the right spot!

Although I was double-masked, I insisted on explaining to the friendly nurse how the gods of ill health prevented me from appearing on time.

“Prykes umferd shrry bevner…” I mumbled.

“Not to worry,” she said, cutting me off. She took my x-ray and went into the warren, presumably to give the doctor my scans.

Five minutes later, the nurse returned, even smilier. She handed me back my scans. “Mrs. Edmiston,” she said, “Your appointment is next week.”

I rest my case.

Posted in Health, Viewpoint | 2 Comments

Removed: Community Concerns Regarding “Ruby” and Library Safety

Posted on August 28, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

“Ruby,” who lives in front of the library, had been housed, but left the apartment several years ago to return to the Palisades. She sleeps and eats by the front door, which is 500 feet from Corpus Christi School. She stores her belongings in the bushes by the patio. She has been approached numerous times by the Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness, but is service resistant. Occasionally, she is joined by other homeless, which intimidate library patrons.

The original story was removed by request because CTN would not take down the photos of the current library environment.

This is a summary of the situation:

Residents have worried about the safety of the children who attend Corpus Christi school, which is less than 500 feet from the library, where homeless have been living. Children from Village School and Seven Arrows, which are elementary schools occasionally use the park for physical education, as do the Corpus kids. To access the park, students walk by the library and have been harassed by some homeless, who occasionally take over the bench in front of the library by the sidewalk.

There have been reports of feces and toilet paper around the library bushes.

Additionally, this editor found “Ruby” (not her real name) lying on the sidewalk by the library last summer, and was worried she was dead. Having called 911 before for two other homeless individuals who appear to be neither moving nor breathing, this editor knows the first question 911 asks is can the individual speak. After much effort the woman was roused and started spewing profanities and threats. CTN has steered clear of the woman ever since.

Residents have reached out to the library staff and to Councilman Mike Bonin for assistance in keeping kids safe. Nothing has happened. Residents then reached out to the Friends of the Library, a nonprofit, who supports the library, for its assistance or at least a strong statement that the group feel homeless living by the library in public spaces does not serve either the homeless or the public.

The Friends met in August. The group voted to give $10,000 to the Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness to help fund a clinical social worker to help those homeless who are service resistant.

Municipal Code 41.18, which passed the City Council does not allow homeless encampments within 500 feet of schools and can be enforced starting September 15. Enforcement would be with the Los Angeles Police Department. Since the library is within 500 feet of a school, it would be against the law to allow the homeless to continue to live in that public location.

At least three shopping carts filled with items from homeless campers have been tucked away by the library patio.

Posted in Community, Homelessness | 1 Comment

U.S. Congressman Lieu Asks FBI to Investigate Antisemitic Flyers

Posted on August 28, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Ted Lieu

U.S. House of Representative Ted Lieu, in an August 25 letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, urged the FBI to launch a formal investigation into the antisemitic flyers that were distributed to local homes over the weekend of August 19-21. Lieu’s office did not disclose the flyers’ contents.

Lieu, the co-chair of the bipartisan Anti-Semitism Task Force, wrote in a statement, “I condemn in the strongest possible terms the antisemitic flyers distributed in Brentwood and Pacific Palisades over the weekend.

“These recent incidents follow a string of antisemitic acts that have shocked and appalled our community. We need the Department of Justice to help local law enforcement track down those responsible for these flyers, and to address the antisemitism that is on the rise here and all over the country.

“We have to hold perpetrators accountable and prevent these incidents,” Lieu said. “I stand in solidarity with our Jewish neighbors and urge the FBI to do more to keep our community safe.”

In his letter to Wray, Lieu wrote: “On August 21, 2022, residents of the Brentwood and Pacific Palisades neighborhoods reported to local law enforcement that they discovered antisemitic flyers at their doorsteps. At this time, it is unclear how many residents and communities have been impacted by this unwarranted act.”

Lieu updated Wray on prior acts “In December 2019, the Nessah Synagogue, a Persian Jewish congregation in Beverly Hills, was vandalized, resulting in damage to the sanctuary and several Jewish relics. Days later, three Los Angeles Jewish schools were tagged with antisemitic graffiti. According to police reports, a swastika and hateful messages, including the phrase ‘time to pay,’ were found spray painted at the American Jewish University in Bel Air, the Westwood Charter School, and Milken Community High School.”

Lieu said that this past January, antisemitic fliers were found at seven elementary and middle schools in Santa Monica, prompting an investigation by local law enforcement.
“I am deeply concerned because if these acts continue to happen without appropriate consequences, they will eventually lead to violence,” Lieu wrote.

He urged Wray update him and his staff on any developments. “I appreciate your work and am willing and able to provide any support or assistance you may need,” Lieu said.

Posted in Community | 2 Comments

City Council Will Vote to Adopt Covid Emergency August 26

Posted on August 25, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Homeless and garbage have taken away handicapped parking spaces at the Westchester Senior Center. The City’s Emergency [Covid] resolution, prevents the City from taking action

If a resident thinks they misread the headline about the Covid Pandemic Emergency, they have not. On August 26, 2022, councilmembers will once again vote to keep the City in a State of Emergency because of Covid 19. They have approved it every 30 days since the motion originally passed in March 2020.
The resolution up for adoption on Friday is:

Resolve that a local emergency continues to persist within the City of Los Angeles, within the meaning of Los Angeles Administrative Code Section 8.21, et seq., and the continuance of the Mayor’s March 4, 2020, Declaration of Local Emergency through 30 days from the adoption of this Resolution is therefore necessary.
Direct, in accordance with the LAAC, Section 8.21 et seq., all appropriate City departments, agencies and personnel shall continue to perform all duties and responsibilities to represent the City of Los Angeles in this matter for the purpose of abating the emergency and for the receipt, processing and coordination of all inquiries and requirements necessary to obtain whatever State and Federal assistance that may become available to the citizens of Los Angeles who may be affected by the emergency.
Instruct the General Manager, Emergency Management Department, to advise the Mayor and City Council on the need for extension of this Declaration of Local Emergency as may be required.
Instruct the City Clerk to forward copies of this Resolution to the Governor of the State of California, the Director of the California Office of Emergency Services, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Exactly what does this motion do, besides requiring people to wear face masks in Los Angeles City libraries and Rec Centers and in the City Council chambers? This resolution provides justification for RV dwelling and camping in public areas.

In an August 19, Wall Street Journal piece (“Fauci and Walensky Double Down on Failure”) author John Tierney examines the evidence of lockdowns and mask mandates.

“U.S. States with more restrictive policies fared no better, on average, than states with less-restrictive policies. There’s still no convincing evidence that masks provided any significant benefits. When case rates through the pandemic are plotted on a graph, the trajectory in states with mask mandates is virtually identical to the trajectory in states without mandates. (The states without mandates actually had slight fewer Covid deaths per capita.) International comparisons yield similar results.”

“Florida and Sweden were accused of deadly folly for keeping schools and businesses open without masks, but their polices have been vindicated. In Florida, the cumulative age-adjusted rate of Covid mortality is below the national average, the rate of excess mortality is lower than in California, which endured one of the nation’s strictest lockdowns and worst spikes in unemployment.”

Tierney wrote that initially, universal masking and school/business closures were not recommended, but that changed in March 2020, when computer modelers in England announced that a lockdown was the only way to avoid doomsday.

He writes that before the next pandemic, lessons should be learned from these lockdowns.

This brings us back to why is the L.A. City Council still adopting an emergency resolution?

Face masks are not required in L.A. County libraries, why are they required in L.A. City libraries?

It is time to end it. It is time to stop using a disease as an excuse not to deal with issues on the streets.

Visit: https://clerk.lacity.org/calendar to view the agenda. The resolution 20-0291 is on page 30 of the 32-page agenda. Public comment can be sent to LACouncilComment.com.

Posted in City/Councilman Mike Bonin, Health | 1 Comment

Matty Gottesman Offered First Record Deal

Posted on August 25, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Matty Gottesman just signed his first record deal.

By CHAZ PLAGER

Palisades resident Matty Gottesman recently signed a deal with Empire Records. “I am super excited to be working with them,” he said. “I want my music to uplift people.

“The majority of my songs are intended to make people feel good and dance! Empire will help me share my music with a larger audience,” said Gottesman,18, whose debut album is scheduled to be released in 2023.

He is a 2022 Palisades High School graduate, who writes and produces all of his own songs.

“The inspiration behind them can honestly come from anywhere,” he said. “Most of the time it’s experiences from my life with other people, but sometimes it’s nature/travel or even books or movies.

One song “Sleepless Summer” came about because “It was really hot one night and I couldn’t sleep. It was so hot.

“As I was lying there, I had this thought I’m never going to get any sleep this summer. A sleepless summer . . .”

The song has a catchy upbeat tune and can be previewed on Instagram, Youtube or Tiktok (@mattygottesman on each), as well as hearing other songs by Gottsman.

Gottesman has been interested in music ever since he was six, when he went to a birthday party and saw a family friend playing piano.

He asked his parents, Eve and Rick, if he could take lessons and started piano a few weeks later. Gottesman took to it naturally and began singing shortly after that. In addition to the piano, he’s learned how to play the guitar, French horn and the drums.

Gottesman wrote his first song 10 years ago, and looking back, he said, “It was actually a cool song for an eight-year-old to write.”

Many Palisades residents might remember him singing the National Anthem at the Palisades Field of Dreams on opening day in 2018, when he was a Pony player. His voice and presence were notable even them.

At Palisades High School, he continued to play varsity baseball, while working on his music, in his Palisades studio.

With his high-grade point average, he had the choice of several schools but opted to go local. “I decided to go to UCLA because it is an amazing school,” Gottesman said. “I can easily commute from campus back to my studio so I can continue working.”

By staying in Los Angeles, it also allows him to continue to work with professionals such as bassist Amos Heller (who works with artists such as Taylor Swift, Thomas Rhett, Florida Georgia Line); drummer Matt Billingslea (Taylor Swift, Lady A); guitarist Brent Paschke (Pharrell Williams, The Neptunes, Post Malone, Katy Perry, Beck); and horn player Jesse McGinty (Lizzo, Shawn Mendes, Pharrell Williams).

Gottesman also works with some amazing audio engineers, such as Sergio Ruelas (Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Lenny Kravitz), Sawyr (Taylor Swift, ZAYN, Nicki Minaj, Ryan Tedder), and Ted Jensen (Eagles, Billy Joel, Green Day).

Where does Gottesman see his career going? “I hope to help people with my music,” he said. “A few years ago, I started Charity Rocks, which brings together young musicians to perform in benefit concerts to raise money for various charities. This not only gives other young singers a chance to perform, but also helps raise money for wonderful causes.”

CTN urges readers to take a listen to a musician/singer/songwriter that is on the rise

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/k8A4ZHEFunQ

Posted in Music | Leave a comment

Repair the Antioch Sidewalk for Dick Littlestone

Posted on August 25, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

If someone is in a wheelchair, has a walker or even a stroller, it can be treacherous navigating the curb by the alley next to Cafe Vida.

When Colonel Dick Littlestone, a long-time Palisadian resident and an activist, was still alive, he tried to get a handicapped ramp installed on the sidewalk on Antioch Street next to Café Vida.

The curb does not allow those in wheelchairs and on walkers to continue on the sidewalk. The elderly and handicapped are forced into the street or a parking lot. He repeatedly contacted Councilman Mike Bonin’s office, but the curb was never fixed before Littlestone died in 2021 at the age of 98.

In writing a story about handicapped-accessible spaces in the city, Circling the News was told by Ashley M. Rodriguez, the public information officer for the Department of Disability, that sidewalks can be reported via this link (www.sidewalks.lacity.org/).

CTN went to the site on August 25 and wrote a report and enclosed a photo. CTN will keep you updated on the results. If other residents would like to report a sidewalk, try the link and report back to CTN the location, when you reported it and if it has been fixed.

Dick Littlestone in front of the traffic island on Alma Real he helped beautify.

(CTN received this same-day response from the City “Please note that due to the large number of requests Safe Sidewalks LA is receiving, there could be a significant wait before work is completed. At this time, we are not able to estimate when your request will be addressed.

Temporary asphalt may be placed for missing and loose pieces of existing concrete sidewalks. Thank you for your understanding and we will update you when we have more information.”)

Posted in City/Councilman Mike Bonin, Community | 3 Comments

Darling and Park Answer a Constituent’s Concern

Posted on August 24, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

The homeless, living in vans and cars – and the garbage left behind, have taken away handicapped parking spaces at the Westchester Senior Center.

(Editor’s note: A 32-year Westchester resident sent a letter (below) to city officials, including Councilman Mike Bonin. Circling the News and Westside Current sent the letter to CD 11 candidates Erin Darling and Traci Park and asked for their response to the resident.)

THE WOMAN’S MESSAGE:

“I am writing to you in sheer frustration on behalf of my handicapped mother-in-law and other handicapped patrons of Westchester Senior Center and Westchester Library located in CD 11 on the busy Manchester and Lincoln Boulevards and in support of the woman and children who wish to use this parking lot for the library or to use the parking lot for children’s sports.

“Am I wrong to believe that clear safe access to public spaces is a right to all, and not just for the homeless?”

The woman explained she has a handicapped mother-in-law, whom she cannot take to the Westchester Senior Center or the library because illegal campers have taken the handicapped space.

The woman notes that the Senior Center has been a designated city cooling station, as well as the Westchester Library, unofficially, for people to seek refuge from the heat for heat stroke prevention.

“Elderly people on a fixed income can’t afford to cool their homes and would go to the library during the day to stay cool. They do not feel safe to go there with the homeless encampment in the parking lot.” She also said a lot of seniors don’t have computers and have used the public library computers, but now are unable to.

The woman asked, “Don’t our seniors matter?”

She explained that handicapped children cannot use the library, because of illegal parking and asks, “Don’t handicapped children matter?”

The woman said that in June, seniors and handicapped couldn’t vote at the Westchester Senior Center, because the handicapped spaces were filled with trash and broken RVs.

“The Senior Center has been a place for legal assistance, rent assistance, nutrition to help seniors from becoming homeless, too!” the woman said. “But due to the homeless encampment, the Senior Center has been closed for a long time.

She asks, “Do the 30 or so homeless encamped here illegally matter more than the thousands of seniors or handicapped?

“We ask that the City find another location for these vehicle dwellers so users of the park can be safe and have adequate parking available for users of the park for purposes for which it was intended.

“Over the past couple years, we have had hundreds of incidents in the park involving homeless people and children. These incidents have included indecent exposure, meth-infused meltdowns, racial slurs children could hear, following children, trying to engage children in conversation, poking penises through the chain link fence surrounding the tennis courts and urinating on the courts, attacking children in the restroom, claiming that children belong to them and demanding the children be turned over to them, fires and open drug usage.”

ERIN DARLING’s RESPONSE:

Erin Darling

Everyone must be able to use quintessential public spaces like parks and libraries. My son is 3, and I want parents with young kids to feel safe on the sidewalk, at the playground and in the library. The question is not whether one group is more deserving of the public spaces, but rather how can we ensure that the public can enjoy public spaces in the face of the homelessness crisis. Three ways to do this:

Law enforcement is necessary when there is criminal activity. As your councilmember, I pledge to work with LAPD. We should not have to endure open-air drug markets and obvious bicycle theft rings at encampments.
Our public spaces must be clean. I am committed to working with city departments such as LASAN (LA Sanitation Department), Recreation and Parks and the LA Public Library, to ensure regularly scheduled cleaning and maintenance. This also means using discretionary funds to pay for additional cleaning. Filthy parking lots like the ones in the images shown here are unacceptable.
We must get people inside, where they can begin to get treatment and care. The City’s current approach is shuffling people around from one city block or park to the next, essentially playing whack-a-mole instead of addressing the root cause of the problem.

The City must convert motels, engage in adaptive re-use of commercial spaces, use tiny homes and modular housing on City-owned land, all while ensuring these places are good neighbors. The City must create permanent supportive housing, but we cannot sit on our hands during the years that it takes to build. As a leader I will marshal resources and convene stakeholders behind a shared purpose of creating this pipeline out of encampments.

TRACI PARK’S RESPONSE:

Traci Park

The safe parking program at Westchester Park has been under-utilized from the outset, and it makes no sense that RVs are allowed to permanently encamp in other areas of the park, particularly in designated disabled spaces.

These violations should be investigated and subject to immediate corrective action by the City’s Disability Department. There are no services on site, and inadequate sanitation to deal with the amount of garbage and belongings amassed in these public spaces. Because of the repeated failures of the Council office to manage the safe parking program or protect the rest of the park from the spillover effects, I am not in favor of the current efforts to take away an additional 162 parking spaces.

When elected, I will immediately begin the process of offering outreach and housing options, and then seek enforcement of 41.18(c)(1), which allows for a 500-foot safe perimeter around our public libraries and parks.

More than 11,000 letters from residents have been sent asking local elected officials to restore full use and access to Westchester Park. I stand with our community in asking the same. With youth sports returning and the ball fields slated to reopen this fall, it is time to restore the full, safe enjoyment of this important community resource for all residents.

When elected, I will focus on the inhumanity of encampment living with the urgency this problem demands. We must get people off the streets, for the health and safety of the entire community. This is not an unsolvable problem, it is a matter of resolve and leadership.

I would encourage the woman who wrote to you and your readers to visit my website, TraciPark.com, to learn more about my position on ending encampments and addressing not just those who are unhoused, but also mental health and substance abuse issues. We must take swift action to get the unhoused into safe settings and restore the full use and enjoyment of our parks, libraries, and recreation spaces to their intended public uses.

It is not acceptable that disabled people, seniors, children, and families cannot access the library, senior center and other amenities at Westchester Park. As a candidate, for well over a year, I have been actively engaged on issues around the park and fighting to clean it up. I’ve personally witnessed the highly concerning behavior and conditions the Council Office has allowed to persist there. None of it is okay.

Posted in City/Councilman Mike Bonin, Councilman Mike Bonin, Crime/Police, Homelessness | 2 Comments

Circling The News