Over at Mayor Sam's place...

They're 'a talking 'bout life in this 'ere Council District 15.

New ILWU anti-diesel pollution initiative

Both the Daily Breeze and the Long Beach Press Telegram are covering the ILWU's new initiative to curb diesel pollution at the Port.

From the Breeze:

ILWU International President James Spinosa said union workers not only work in conditions involving high-pollution levels at the ports, but they also often go home to the adjacent communities.

"We also live in the area and we want clean air," he said

Biting the hand that strokes you

The Long Beach Press Telegram's San Pedro Magazine (part magazine, mostly doorstep advertising supplement), recently ran an article called, "20 things that make San Pedro great." This scrappy blog was number 8 or 9 on that list.

San Pedro Magazine and Copley Newspapers' More San Pedro seem to exist mainly to sell homes and cars to the area's residents, and in the process are no doubt draining advertising dollars from the established, truly local biweekly, Random Lengths.

All three papers have their flaws, but the Torrance and Long Beach rags feel like interlopers. Random Lengths is half-mad, radical and conspiratorial, and there is something comforting about the way it flies in the face of many of those on the West side of Western Avenue, offending their sensibilities and driving them to take desperate measures such as getting its distribution locations shut down in businesses along Western.

Any community worth it's salt should appreciate a good rabble rouser. Out of town corporo-pap and ads masquerading as news are just more noise.

POLA Biological Mitigation Meeting tonight

If there's one meeting you attend all year in San Pedro, let it be this one. Apparently this is the meeting where we get to beg/cajole/plead for Port of Los Angeles related environmental mitigation projects to take place in the community that actually is affected by the Port, rather than in other parts of the state. Full text of the POLA PR for the event is below. I've been sick as a dog, so I might not make it to the meeting tonight, anyone who would like to consider me amongst their own personal "silent majority" please do so, preferably in any position that advocates additional wetlands restoration/expansion in San Pedro.

Port of Los Angeles
Biological Mitigation Program

PUBLIC MEETING
to receive input on potential biological mitigation opportunities in the Los Angeles Harbor area

Tuesday, January 31, 2006
6:00 p.m.
Banning’s Landing Community Center
100 E. Water Street, Wilmington

Please join us! The Port of Los Angeles is seeking public input to identify potential biological mitigation sites “close to home.” On October 25, 2005, the Board of Harbor Commissioners adopted Resolution No. 6391, which established a Port policy of pursuing biological mitigation opportunities in the Harbor District and Ballona Wetlands. The purpose of this meeting is to obtain input from the community on potential mitigation opportunities in the Harbor area.

The meeting will start with a brief presentation by the Port’s Environmental Management Division to outline the criteria the Port must follow to accomplish biological mitigation and receive credits towards future Port development. In addition, we have compiled a list of several potential sites in the area and will have those identified on a map for discussion at this meeting.

We welcome your input and look forward to seeing you at the meeting.

Punk at Harold's tonight!

I just got this missive in ye olde electronic mail. I know it's late notice, direct all "I already made plans" complaints to the guys at Slack Mafia.

The Leeches (san pedro)
Top Ten (san francisco)
Lipstick Pickups (anaheim)
Thee Makeout Party (anaheim)
Talk Show Dropouts (anaheim)

@ HAROLD'S PLACE (It's a bar! Leave the kids at home)
1908 S. Pacific Ave. ( 19th & Pacific )
310.832.5503 / FREE / 9 pm

Buffalo Boy at the Warner Grand Saturday night

Let me take a brief moment to pimp the Los Angeles premiere for Ocsar nominated film Buffalo Boy at the Warner Grand this weekend. It's being shown as a fundraiser for the Angels Gate Cultural Center, Nghiem-Minh Nguyen-Vô, the writer/director is a former board member of the Center, and a long time supporter of both the Center and the Warner Grand Theatre.

I haven't seen the film yet, so I'll let my good friend Manohla Dargis from the New York Times pimp the film itself:

Buffalo Boy "centers on a teenager whose journey from innocence to knowledge is also a meditation on both the natural and very unnatural state of things... The filmmaker certainly knows the power of his chosen medium... The world in Buffalo Boy is filled with wonder, but it is a world also filled with real desire, real death, not abstractions."

Buffalo Boy

January 28, 2006 at 7:30 pm
@ the Warner Grand Theater

438 West Sixth St., San Pedro
Tickets: $10 (film only) - $20 (film and reception)

Discussion will be held in the Warner Grand after the screening. Champagne reception with Vietnamese food will be held across the street at the new Warschaw Gallery in the Pacific Warner Buildng at 601 S. Pacific Ave.

Neighborhood Council Committee on Port Safety & Security meeting tonight

Just a quick FYI for those interested in this issue.

Tonight, 6-7:30 PM
@ the Boys and Girls Club
100 W. 5th Street, San Pedro

Here's the committee's webpage for more info.

PCT tower in the Times

The Times is running a short piece on the PCT condo tower today for those interested.

Ponte Vista continues...

According to todays Breeze, Councilwoman Hahn is now advocating a year long study of the proposed Bisno development. From where I'm sitting this seems more like a delaying/obfuscating tactic meant to derail planning of the high school than a necessary process. If a hold gets put on anything, it should be Bisno's plans, which should come after the high school site is planned.

Who is on Trump's payroll at The Breeze?

The third article this week on the opening of the Trump National Golf Course. Why is a "public" golf course, getting so much ink from The Breeze? This isn't a place that 99% of us will ever have any use for, or even see the inside of, it's a massive waste of what could have been protected coastal lands, and a poke in the eyes to all of us who have treasured the remaining open spaces on our peninsula. Maybe tomorrow, they'll start posting the happy yuppies' scores in the sports section, and we can follow the action from afar (where we no doubt belong) every day.

Breeze coverage of the Pacific Corridor Downtown Waterfront Steering Committee

This morning, The Breeze came out with their coverage of Wednesday's meeting. I'm not going to re-hash the whole damn thing, but here are two sections I wanted to highlight.

"I understand the nostalgia for old Pedro," said Doug Epperhart, president of the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council. "But the biggest mistake a community makes is trying to re-create the past. We can't re-create" what's gone.

I couldn't agree with Doug more on this one. Although I think we should preserve those buildings and areas that really define our town, I don't want to see development projects that ape San Pedro's past in a Disneyland fashion.

"We're trying to find out if the community desires more moderately priced (about $250,000 to $350,000) homes" to be included with higher-end units priced in the $600,000 range, said architect Arthur Ashai.

You have to try to find that out? How out of touch are you? From the article it appears that this braniac is the architect for the 255 West 8th Street project, the fake Mediterranean villa in the middle of the Vinegar Hill Historic District. That's how out of touch he is

Tony vs. "The Terrorists"

Now, I'm not the sort of blogger who desperately tries to link my posts to anything of national interest, but I wanted to maybe chat about the local implications to Bin Ladin's latest EP. This morning, Mayor Villaraigosa issued a statement that in effect said "We're ramping up security on mass transit, LAX and the Port of Los Angeles." Since San Pedro has no real mass transit hubs or facilities to speak of, and LAX is not in our immediate area, I'm really only interested in what happens at the Port.

Since 9-11, there's been a number of times when the Port has been supposedly "more secured" in response to general threats. Anyone who works at the Port, or who pays any attention to how it operates is aware that it's a security nightmare, given both the amount of traffic, and the nature of that traffic. So I'd like to ask our readers about their personal experiences and observations of the Port's attempts to increase security. In my experience, all I've seen them do is establish a mobile LAPD command center on Palos Verdes Street, and surround their offices with concrete barricades (because "the terrorists" main targets are tiny office buildings that no-one has ever heard of). What really gets done to secure the Port itself under these circumstances?

Irwin Watch - day whatever?

Let's not forget that international animal jag off, Steve Irwin continues to threaten to terrorise Harbor Lake, as soon as Reggie stops hibernating. Is there anything we can do to stop Steve from bringing his reign of terror to our town? Do they make traps in his size? If we could get a trap in his size, maybe we could bait it with a Marmite sandwich...

Let's all get together for some golf!

Hey guys, it looks like the Trump National may open by this weekend! I know we've all been waiting for this, so let's use this as an opportunity to get together, have a meet and greet, in person over 18 beautiful holes. My clubs have been in storage all winter, but I'm ready for some golf! Maybe afterwards we can have a nice lunch at the restaurant where we can pretend to fight over who gets to use their platinum card to pay for our massive bill!

Oh Joy Update! - It looks like it IS opening today! At only $300 dollars a pop, who won't be strutting around in their sweater vest at the newest public attraction in the Harbor Area!

Meet the New Boss...

Knatz is coming over boys & girls - will she change the sour corporate culture at the Port of Los Angeles?

The Breeze is running a story on her stated five year plan - will she get to carry it out?

The Press Telegram covers her departure from Long Beach - who will her replacement there be?

January 18th Redevelopment Meeting

I was there. There were presentations of 4 very diverse projects to the PCA board and audience, leading to very diverse opinions, as usual. There were the new-fangled-folks who appreciate modern architecture, and the just-plain-folks who hate it; those who see downtown density as an unmitigated blessing (just keep it out of their neighborhood), and those who appreciate the scale of existing neighborhoods; business-minded persons who uncritically sympathize with developer's lamentations regarding the difficulty of making a "decent" profit, and those who say "wait a minute... "

First, the latest vision for the Pacific Trade Center site at 255 W Fifth Street - 318 condo units. After 13+ years as a boarded-up eyesore in central downtown, the old highrise is to be demolished, asbestos and all. The PCA board and audience all said get on with it (now!). If there is any site that can accept high-rise residential, this is it. Some said too much glass, too modern. But look south at the ultra-fine Northrup building, and north to the industrial-style POLA home. What do we want here, Art Deco? (Yep, that's what some board members want). My biggest complaint is that it presses up and over Palos Verdes Ave instead of befriending it. How about giving something back to the street, some real pedestrian interest, and set that 166-foot high tower back a little on this 2.4 acre site?

Second, a new proposal for 366 W. 8th Street. Next to the Bank Lofts project, an unobstrusive design provides 20 high-quality condos of 810 to 1290 sq ft with modestly shielded parking. Balconies, big glass, brick and stucco - what's not to like? Maybe a little more front landscaping, please.

Third, a revisit of the project proposed for 281 W. 8th Street. Developer proposes to convert a residential site with a 2-story height limit and a maximum density of 25 units to commercial zoning with unlimited height and a maximum density of 94 units in our Vinegar Hill Historic District. He only wants 72 units now (want to bet that he comes back for more volume later?), and this requires a super-building 7 stories above sidewalk level. This project should be taking its style cues from the new construction along Mesa between 8th and 9th - instead, it looks like an Italian hill city dropped into the site by malevolent forces. Kiss our little historic district hasta la bye bye. And the style? Pure kitsch if you ask me.

Last, a publicly-funded facade improvement at 800 S. Pacific Avenue. All agreed that it's turning out well, but James Allen and a few other PCA board members would have liked to have seen it before the City spent the money. Well, that's LA City SOP.

Development Meeting Tonight

I probably won't be able to make this one, but there's a Pacific Corridor Downtown Waterfront Steering Committe meeting tonight where 4 projects will give presentations. After the presentations there will be a period of public comment.

The projects being presented are:

255 W. 5th Street - 318 condominiums - This is the old Pacific Trade Center building, I'm all for high density housing on the site of this already tall building. It's about time that the tallest building in town doesn't stand empty, with broken windows and a giant fading phone number for interested parties. From my understanding the existing building is an asbestos nightmare, and I'll be glad to see something better in it's place. Anybody know the current height of the building, the proposed replacement is 16 stories (170 feet)? At 725 proposed parking spaces this building would have 2.27 per residence, presuming that each residence has 2 spaces that's only 89 for guests on this building. I'd like to see more parking on this project.

366 W. 8th Street - 20 condominiums - This is the a church that was formerly a roller rink. As a closet rollerblader, I'd love to see it return to it's roller rink glory, or better yet, have a second coming as a punk club or indoor skate park. This is directly adjacent to part of the Bank Lofts development, FYI. I'd be curious to see how much parking they're going to put on or under this piece of property, it's not that big of a lot, or that big of a project, so I bet they are going to seek variances to reduce their parking commitment. They are currently proposing that the 20 unit building be built with 45 spaces. Two cars for each resident, and 5 leftover for guests? Not enough in my book.

281 W. 8th Street - proposed increase from 30 to 72 condominiums on this project - The perpetual lot/halfway finished construction site on the corner of 8th & Mesa. That's a lot of Condos for what is a pretty low density neighborhood. Also, this development is on a hill, and the visual impact of the development could be pretty severe, depending on the design. I'd like to know a lot more about the proposed increase in this development. I'd also like to see something happen on this eyesore of a site, it's been attracting vandalism and generally contributing to the decline of the surrounding neighborhood for some time. I'm wondering if the proposed density/gentrification on Mesa 8th will have any impact on the embarrasment that is 9th street. Update - There's an article in today's Breeze about another development by this developer, the Grand Avenue bungalow fiasco.

800 S. Pacific - commercial facade rennovation - no big deal, IMHO.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006, at 6:00 pm
601 South Palos Verdes Street (LA Harbor Hotel)

My roving eye missed this article in the Times when it came out on the 15th, but it was pointed out to me by a co-worker, and I thought it should be required reading for Port watchers. It's a profile on S. David Freeman, the octogenarian Port Commission President who many of us hope can drive some change in that institution. As I've said before, I'm reserving my judgement on the new commissioners until I start seeing some changes on the ground, but I'm still hopeful that we've begun a period of forward movement here.

Port of Los Angeles High School Robbed!

I just got the word on this in my office, so details are sketchy right now. No doubt The Breeze will have many more details in the morning, but I wanted to put this out here now.

Apparently over the weekend, a mountain of classroom materials were stolen from the school. All of the computers were stolen, art materials from Angels Gate's in-school arts program, and everything else. The word is that it looks like an inside job, as the vandalism associated with the theft supposedly looks contrived to cover up the crime and the theives appeared to have key access to the building. It's also rumored that someone in the Projects was selling Dell's (computers, that is) over the weekend, either on the street or out of their home.

So keep an eye out for stolen goods, suspicious swap meets, and other post-theft assholery going down, give a call to Harbor Division @ 310-513-7017.

And furthermore, for the sake of pure anger - What kind of thick skulled, inbred, scumbag, moron robs a school? I hope they find the guys who did this and put them in the stocks. I've got a woodshop, I could work up a decent, functional stock in by this weeked... Damn the arrival of the penitentary system and it's unnatural focus on procedure & rehabilitation.

Update

Today's Breeze story on the break-in.

Arrgh!

We are currently being visited by the Lady Washington, a fine vessel seen in the film version of Pirates of the Carribean, possibly the greatest film ever made based upon a pirate themed Disneyland ride. It's a replica of a ship used to explore the Pacific Northwest back in headier days. I snapped it this morning on my ride, and it's leaving town today, so if you're crusing around in yer land ship, it's docked at the Maritime Museum.

Breeze article on the visit 'ere.

Vincent Thomas Bridge in the Times

Glad to see the span get some care, suppose those lights are going to match anytime soon?

La Piazza on the Fisherman's Slip

"More San Pedro" ran an article on Dec 17th (page 3) promoting the La Piazza project that the Italian-American community proposes to build on the San Pedro waterfront.
Their concept includes a convention center/theater/restaurant complex centered on an open town square plaza. It would be a cultural center for "the entire community to gather, exchange ideas and talk..." However, the site that they covet is immediately adjacent to (south of) the Fisherman's Slip, and the article quoted a project leader stating "Right now, this area is scary. You have no reason to go there unless you are a fisherman." The writer further explains that the 140,000 square-foot building would be "wedged" into this site, with a pedestrian bridge connecting it to Ports O'Call. I do not hear much respect for the site in this description.

Many San Pedroids recognize the Fisherman's Slip as one of the most interesting, historically significant remnants of our waterfront, and want to see it preserved in it's authentic function. Can the old-world Italian-American community be made to understand and embrace new-world preservation goals? I say the Fisherman's Slip isn't scary, it's home.

Big Crash on Pacific

At about 5 this afternoon, everyone in the house had their curiosity aroused by the hovering of two LAPD choppers overhead. I went out into the neighborhood to find out what had happened, and discovered that many of the streets were blocked, but the LAPD seemed really low key. I eventually made my way down to Pacific Avenue where I saw the remains of a massive accident, with at least one fatality.

I don't have 100% of the details yet, but I'm sure they'll be in the Breeze tomorrow, as I saw one of their shutterbugs on the scene. Here's what I gathered from the crowds of neighbors.

There was a high speed chase down Pacific, and the chasee managed to plow into at least one car directly, although multiple cars were involved in the accident. At least 3 LAFD paramedic vans left the scene with injured persons, a fourth left the scene as I was arriving, with no passengers. There was at least one fatality, the fellow in the body bag in the photograph, and I got conflicting reports as to whether the guy in the bag was the person being chased by the LAPD or if they were one of the victims of the accident. The other cars involved in the accident were all pulled off Pacific onto O'Farrell Street when I arrived.

Pacific is totally blocked from Sepulveda to Oliver right now, as well, so you if you're reading this tonight, you might want to steer clear of that area. As I was leaving the unmarkeds LAPD were arriving, and if there was a high speed chase involved, I'm sure they will keep the area blocked for a while as they catalog the scene.

UPDATE!

Today's Breeze does have the details. It was a chase, down O'Farrell, and the person who died at the scene was the driver of a stolen car in the act of evading police, his accomplice is in critical condition. Although one of the bystanders requires hospitalisation, looks like the thieves managed to confine most of the human damage to themselves.

Further Update!

More details from the Breeze. Looks like the other passenger in the stolen car is near death. Both of the passengers were known gang members and the people they injured in the crash will recover.

Catching up in the New Year

Well, everything newswise slows down as we all slack off for the last 2 weeks of December, and most of the first week of January, but there's been some happenings going on locally that deserve mention.

Before we get started, let's all take the time to remember Eleen Stern Harris, one of the great Californians who had the foresight and will to make the California Coastal Conservation Act of 1972 happen. Here's a great quote from her obituary:

Disillusioned by what she believed was the commission's failure to carry out its mandate, Harris told CBS-TV News in 2002: "I've long thought with all the overdevelopment on our coast that we're going to have to wait for a tsunami to sweep it all fresh and clear and start again."

In other nature news, whale watching season is officially under way. Get your photographic harpoons ready, boys & girls.

And let's not forget our bestest saurian friend, Reggie the Gator, who is currently keeping a low profile over at Harbor Lake. Looks like his former roommates are going to be spending time behind bars before he does, as they face 20 seperate counts in the dumping case.

The Polar Bears braved some very cold water on New Year's day.

And of course we had the big wind, here's some Breeze coverage on the damage. Trees are torn up all over town, one of the big trees at Cabrillo Beach was damn near torn in half.

Welcome to 2006 - Love the weather!

After the mystical spasm of Chanukkah and Christmas, welcome to 2006, year of the dog, as the Chinese say.

I cruised out on my bike today after the storm cleared, man was it windy out there, tons of storm damage all over town. If you're capable of getting your ass to the beach or a cliff, I suggest you do so ASAP, as the waves are amazing. The white stuff was exploding halfway up the cliff to Point Fermin today, and I saw a windsurfer getting pretty close to time travel speed (88 MPH) in the inner harbor today.