A Victory is Confirmed

I hope everyone who spoke at the last Harbor Area Planning Commission meeting received the same documentation I received today.

It is concerning the approval of the motion and action to place the [Q] Qualified Conditions on the three lots that were zoned C1-1XL on and near the corner of 20Th Street and Walker Avenue.

Vista del Oro Neighbors Against Condos (VDONAC) is the organization which found neighbors banding together to make sure the site of the former McCowan's Market didn't become a huge project site that would have been completely out of character with the surrounding areas.

VDONAC, with the incredibly great support from Councilwoman Janice Hahn and her office were successful in having the Harbor Area Planning Commission approve a motion brought to them by Councilwoman Hahn, to approve restrictions on development on the three lots.

It all seems to have come down to the following short sentences:

[Q] QUALIFIED CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL

Pursuant to Section 12.32.G of the Los Angeles Municipal Code, the following limitations are hereby imposed upon the use of the subject property, subject to the "Q" Qualified classification.

1. Minimum Lot Area. The residential use of the subject property shall be limited to 1-unit per 5,000 square feet of lot area for the development of these parcels as single family dwellings.

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The Planning Commission took action to approve the staff report and Adopt the attached Findings.

They also Approved and Recommended that the City Council Adopt a Zone Change from C1-1XL to [Q]C1-1XL.

They Approved and Recommended that the City Council Adopt Categorical Exemptio to No. ENV-2008-359-CE dated February 26, 2008.

They also Recommended that the applicant be advised that effectuation of a zone in the [Q] Qualified Classification is specified in Section 12.32.G of the LAMC

The Harbor Area Planning Commission approved the action by a vote of 3-0 with two members absent.

The applicant still has rights to appeal, with a Final Appeal Date of April 15, 2008.

Onward We Go With NOISE!

Neighborhoods Organized and Involved to Support Education is the acronym chosen by a majority of the members of the steering committee picked as the name of the group that supports education in San Pedro, but feels that building a large school at Angel's Gate is not the best way to provide the best education for high school students in the San Pedro area.

There will be lots and lots of work to do and the Steering Committee will be out there welcoming more members to its membership and in turn, be best able to assist other members of the group in helping San Pedro provide the best possibilities for educating OUR high school students.

San Pedro High School, according to some individuals has grown in student body count to an unmanageable number of students. It should be all of our wishes to find the best way to educate not only kids attending school regularly in San Pedro, but the thousands and thousands of other LAUSD students that will come to the Point Fermin Outdoor Education Center for a remarkable and strong program of studies and experiences that can be found nowhere else in the entire LAUSD system.

NOISE will have community meetings! I hope to be able to plaster the date, time, and location of the first meeting that everyone is invited to, sometime in the next two weeks.

Taking on the challenges we are all facing in our mutual quests to provide good educations to LAUSD students, takes time. I do believe however, that NOISE is moving forward with a good deal of preparation, knowledge, experiences, and guidance to provide the best associations possible to deal with the challenges.

We are going to need volunteers. We are going to need lots of volunteers. Please think about what you might be willing and able to volunteer to do to help NOISE find the best possible solutions to the problems faced with trying to educate the growing number of students that need our help.

I, along with so many others I have met in these past very few months, are trying to find alternatives to building a large school at Angel's Gate, NOT BECAUSE WE LIVE IN THE AREA.

Sure, many members of NOISE live near the proposed campus' site, but most of them also believe that just stating "no new school at Angel's Gate" is not enough! Many believe there are real, true, and viable alternatives to building such a large campus on that site.

Nobody is a bad person if they want or don't want a new high school campus built on the proposed site. Shouldn't we all take the best interests of all of the students into our plans, wishes, and opinions?

As I hope you know, the comment period for the Notice of Preparation and Initial Study for South Region High School has been extended to May 5, 2008. That should give all of us and groups we may belong to, time to draft our own set of comments to the documents.

I hope all the residents living in the Palisades Residents Association's area will attend their May 13 Annual Meeting at White Point Elementary School. Councilwoman Janice Hahn will be attending that meeting, and I think members of various LAUSD groups will attend.

This very important meeting will also include elections to the Board of the Association and possible the election of officers to serve on that Board. The Board can have as many as 17 members, so please think about helping out your own homeowners' group, if you live in their area. The group's Web site is: http://www.sanpedropalisades.org./

The Steering Committee of NOISE also has residents living in the Point Fermin Residents Association as members. The Point Fermin Residents Association will also be a very important group to help NOISE find alternatives to building such a big school on such a precious piece of property.

Further information will be coming out concerning committees, news, how you can help, and a host of other items. Please "stay tuned".

Odds and Ends 6

This edition begins with an article and some added comments dealing with Clean San Pedro and their current struggles.

The article was written by Ms. Donna Littlejohn for The Daily Breeze early last week, I believe.

My comments written for my www.pontevista.blogspot.com site, where the article and post appeared yesterday, have been edited, since yesterday to include a pledge of a contribution.

So, in essence, here are two posts, combined on this blog, dealing with Clean San Pedro.
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No Cash for This Trash

By Donna Littlejohn, Staff WriterArticle
Launched: 03/25/2008 10:55:36 PM PDT

It didn't take long for Steve Kleinjan's answering machine to fill up after sending out a notice early this week saying Clean San Pedro would have to suspend operations.

"My e-mail is just about filled, my phone has rung off the hook," Kleinjan said.Dedicated to combating litter and graffiti, the popular grass-roots effort he established six years ago is simply running too low on funds, Kleinjan said.

"Everyone means well and is very receptive, but it's just a matter of getting the check in the mail," Kleinjan said. "We're an independent group and normally we try to raise our own funds through fundraisers.

"Kleinjan said he hopes the suspension of activity will be temporary, noting the outpouring from community members this week since he made the announcement.

Among Clean San Pedro's staunch supporters is Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn, who singled the group out for citywide recognition in 2006.

"I can't imagine San Pedro without Clean San Pedro," she said. "We've really come to depend on them. They've put the pride back in San Pedro.

"Hahn is urging neighborhood councils to pitch in. She said she also is going to try to find resources within her office to help.More financial support is needed between major fundraisers, Kleinjan said, to cover ongoing expenses such as insurance and maintenance on vehicles, and buying tools and supplies.

The group also pays two part-time employees, retirees, who work 12 hours a week. They have been laid off, but Kleinjan hopes that's only temporary.

"They obviously have a serious cash flow problem," said Camilla Townsend, CEO of the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce. "They need a serious commitment that's going to be ongoing so they can really do what Clean San Pedro is all about.

The last major fundraiser for Clean San Pedro was Hot Pedro Nites, a two-day nostalgic car festival held last August. The event brought in about $20,000, but that fell far short of the group's goal of raising $80,000 to $100,000.

With the next Hot Pedro Nites not happening until July, the group has been struggling to maintain its cash flow from last summer's event.

"We're running out of those funds, so instead of doing another fundraiser in the spring, I was looking to go to neighborhood councils and things like that for funding," Kleinjan said.

Founded in 2002, Clean San Pedro Inc. uses volunteers to cruise the Pacific Avenue and Gaffey Street retail corridors throughout the week, picking up trash, painting out graffiti and making sure discarded furniture and other eyesores are hauled away.

Hometown pride fuels the endeavor."Most of the people who volunteer grew up here and have lived here their whole lives," said Kleinjan, a 1970 San Pedro High School graduate. "We have many successful business people who are now retired and donate a lot of time to this effort. It's kind of strange to see a former businessman sitting there, sweeping curbs.

"The group's annual budget is about $60,000, he said, but to do the job right, it should be closer to $150,000.

"I just couldn't continue going on as usual," he said. "These are difficult times."Townsend said her organization is exploring ways to help, including the possibility of taking over Hot Pedro Nites as a way to save Clean San Pedro administrative funds it spends to help plan and stage the event.

Help also might come from the proposed property owners' Business Improvement District, she said."This is a real grass-roots operation," Townsend said. "It's the best deal in town. The sad thing is, so often communities take programs like this for granted. They're very happy to have them, but they don't stop to think about where the funding comes from. I look at this as a wake-up call.

"HOW TO HELP
What: Clean San Pedro Inc., a six-year-old nonprofit group, is in need of more donations.
Donations: Checks can be made out and mailed to Clean San Pedro Inc., 3616 S. Walker St., San Pedro, CA 90731.
Information: www.cleansanpedro.org; 310-832-4932.
donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com
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O.K., let's read your excuses for not helping out this organization.

You could write that you spent the $440.00 you and your wife won at the Thunder Valley Casino on Saturday, but spent it all at another casino. We did and we didn't, so my check is ready for me to slip into the mailbox as I leave for yet another pre-surgery test.

You could write that you are on disability and can't afford the bucks. I am and you probably aren't. Next excuse.

You could write that you spend you contribution dollars on making buttons for causes you believe are important on OUR community. I do, but Clean San Pedro is a worthy cause that just might inspire me to create some new buttons that group can offer for donations.

You could write that you are a Bisno supporter and are saving to buy one of his "affordable" condos. I'm not, but I also don't think that $300,000.00 for 600 square feet in some of the worst climate in OUR community is worth it.

You could write that you have given so much to OUR community that you feel you should be compared to John Olguin. You certainly can't and neither can I, ever. But I have a real belief that John will be walking the few blocks from his house to the Walker Avenue address to drop off a donation.

You could write some excuse that we can all shed a tear at, but please don't. I don't have a reasonable, realistic, responsible, or respectful excuse for not contributing to Clean San Pedro until now, and you surely don't either, I firmly bet.

So let's just get to the mission at hand. Get out those checkbooks, make motions in your organizations to donate, have a rummage sale with proceeds going to this worthy group, and don't do anything that will cause Clean San Pedro to have to pick up after you!

Hey Bob, your blight is a nuisance we have to live with. How about thinking about the community you supposedly believe you know what is best for, and give a chunk of change to Clean San Pedro. They can't clean up your mess, unless you hire them, but they can help keep San Pedro cleaner than you patch of.......whatever.

Hey OUR community, let's make the next Hot Pedro Nites the best ever!
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Bob Bisno Pledges $25K

This is good.

Bob Bisno is reported in an article in the Thursday Daily Breeze, to be pledging to provide $25,000 to Clean San Pedro.

I hope other developers in San Pedro also help get this valuable group back on track to help clean up areas near their developments.

I for one, didn't pledge a dime. I simply wrote out my check, addressed my envelope, put a stamp on it, and dropped it into the mail.

There was no need to have an article in a newspaper written about my donation.

Let's hope to read or learn that organizations and groups all around OUR community come through with needed funds to get Clean San Pedro back up and running without worries of this type of thing happening again.
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As I am so very proud of the great San Pedrans being involved in helping their own neighborhoods and the neighborhoods of others, I am confident that OUR community will do what is just, what is correct, and what is long term, for Clean San Pedro and OUR community's benefit.
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On the Ponte Vista issue, silence may be golden or pyrite. At least some of us can claim that the L.A. Planning Department is finding ways to cover themselves no matter what they issue as to what can be built at Ponte Vista at San Pedro.

Mayor V. and his immediate followers are still trying to find ways to get developments on track quicker and with fewer City hindrances.

One issue that may be looming in the future is whether current Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky wants to run for Mayor of L.A.

Supervisor Yaroslavsky is an outspoken opponent to over development and someone who just may be a candidate voters in Los Angeles should support, for the sake of everyone who doesn't have the word "Developer" attached to their name.
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Some members of Vista del Oro Neighbors Against Condos may still be on pins and needles until the City Council votes to approve the Q Qualification Condition onto three lots, currently zoned C1-1XL at and near the corner of 20Th Street and Walker Avenue. I am not one of them.

I truly believe Councilwoman Janice Hahn will ask other members of the L.A. City Council to vote with her in keeping condos or apartments out of the neighborhood made up of so many single-family homes.
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Now to news concerning a proposed new high school campus in San Pedro.

The comment period to the Notice of Preparation and Initial Study has been extended to May 5, 2008. If you are dealing with comments, then this is important for you to know.

If you aren't, then it is not an issue.

I guess "N.O.I.S.E." has been proclaimed the acronym and name that the new committee fighting to keep South Region High School No. 15 (SRHS 15) out of the Angel's Gate area has adopted.

Neighbors Organized and Incorporated to Stop Encroachment seems to be what the acronym spells out. If anyone hates the name and acronym, I guess I'll take the heat.

I don't want a new campus to encroach on the programs and environment of the Point Fermin Outdoor Education Center, and the approximately 14,000 LAUSD students that will be able to use is over the next few years.

I am also guilty of not finding any real way, short of taking one or two homes on 30Th Street, to allow for any viable access to the Outdoor Education Center and a new campus.

The more I read "1,215" as the number of seats proposed for SRHS 15, the angrier I seem to get.

Even when the State of California low-balls the number of students who attended S.P.H.S. in the 2006-2007 school year, per classroom, that total is still more than the proposed number of seats each classroom at SRHS 15 would have.

Any real illusion that "only 810 or up to 1,215" students might attend classes at any new campus in San Pedro, is just that; an illusion.

For reasonable and effective planning, shouldn't LAUSD state the more likely number of students that would attend any new campus? Simply stating that "45 classrooms" will have "1,215 seats" means that the maximum number of seats per each and every classroom is 27.

Does anyone in their correct mind, anywhere in L.A.U.S.D. have the ability to look at folks with a straight face and state, for fact, that each class would only have 27 students?

Even with my L.A.U.S.D. education, I can spot a math problem when I see it!
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It seems we all may need to start a watch and make new lists of businesses going out of business in OUR community.

We may have to help our favorite businesses we enjoy having, stay afloat in the months and years to come, perhaps.

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On a happier note to many in OUR community, especially Terri, have you been by the corner of Capitol and Gaffey recently?

The walls of the new Target are standing tall, but not painted yet. It looks like the big store is taking real shape and can be imagined opening in San Pedro.

Yes, traffic will suck far more than what Ponte Vista could bring to us, but adding Ponte Vista's massive 1,950-units into a potion of commotion would make things that much worse.

Will Marshall's and Ross on Western stay in business after Target opens?

Will a new bus line take shoppers directly to the front door of the new Target?

Will San Pedrans get hired to work in a Target in San Pedro?

This is a "stay tuned" type of things.
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Signs of the (Hard) Times to Come?

Both businesses were open today, Wednesday March 26, 2008.

Actually, the owner of this Marie Calendar's is going to move the business to downtown San Pedro, most probably where Papadakis Taverna once enjoyed a loyal following.

The owner of Planet Kids is ready to "retire", according to a family member. The family may keep the building and use it for another business.

Back in the Real World and Another Blog

I'm back in the real world and ready, willing, able, and looking forward with my second date with my surgeon, this time to get a titanium hip.

Thunder Valley Casino, Lincoln, California. Route 65, north of I-80 towards Lake Tahoe from Sacramento. Please visit it. Terri and I went in with $30.00 and left, after buying lunch for the two of us and Terri's sister and Julie's husband, with $440.00!

After spending a wonderful evening wedding reception in the bustling metropolis of Loma Rica, California and a long weekend in the area surrounding the megalopolis of Soulsbyville, California, it's time to get back to the real world, which is very active in OUR community.

I was given advice to take a look at another blog. This blog, "The Under Dog For Kids" looks to be very well written and does take students and kids in OUR community as being very important.

I am going to place a recent post from that blog on this blog because I feel it is important to learn what others are thinking and how others feel quite strongly about OUR students.

The blog is: www.theunderdogforkids.blogspot.com

Weighing In On Angel’s Gate as A High School; The Question We Should Really Be Asking Ourselves is Not Why…We Should Be Asking Why Not? A Prominent Educational Facility Could Be Built Here; It Just Needs Wings To Fly & the Residents to Tell the School District How to Do It
By Diana L. Chapman

I watched four high school students bravely get up and talk about the torturous learning environment they are currently living in at San Pedro High School.

Despite the hoards of resident’s complaints against the proposed building of a new high school at Angel’s Gate, the students stepped forward asking desperately for the 800 to 1,200 seat high school to proceed on the 28 acre site.

“Yes, we need to save the foxes and work on the noise pollution,” one 12th grade girl told the crowd in regards to their complaints. “But we really need more room. It’s like we are playing football everyday. It’s so crowded, it’s hard to get to class on time.

”Classes are so overbooked at their current school, the students said, some kids stand during the entire class or are crammed right up to the teacher’s desk. Going into the hallways is like heading onto the freeway at 3 o’clock in the afternoon to face a gushing onslaught of traffic. And education is spiraling downward because the teachers can’t teach in classrooms that are jammed like sardine cans with students.

This explains right away to me why we have a 50 percent dropout rate in Los Angeles Unified. The kids begged for help, but some of the residents failed to use their ears. One man told the students to climb aboard and join the real world. Los Angeles, he said, is overcrowded “so get use to it.” Residents clapped at that. It seems nowhere in San Pedro will our community accept the building of a desperately needed new high school. That must speak loudly to our kids about how our community feels toward them. The students who spoke at the Los Angeles Unified School meeting held at Dana Middle School March 13 won’t stand to gain anything; the school won’t be built until 2012.

They are thinking about the future.

Perhaps we should too.

I would ask you now to take the time to pause, step out of your box and imagine the tremendous educational opportunities that could be at Angel’s Gate. For just a moment, stop worrying about the traffic, the den of foxes, the concern a high school would mar the tranquility of the site -- a location which overlooks the Pacific Ocean and is constantly beaten by pulsating winds. Think instead for a moment at what a remarkable educational facility Angels’ Gate could become – which will only happen if residents force the issue.

Currently, Angel’s Gate hosts a plethora of underused possibilities – all of which should absolutely be integrated into the proposed high school’s regime. If a high school becomes the inner-hub of the area, think of the potential. Students could study marine biology at the Mammal Marine Care Center and help feed fish to the rescued sea lions. They can learn firsthand about World War II and what it meant to California at the Fort MacArthur Museum and visit the underground bunkers that still exist there today. They can learn from a slew of amazing artists at the Cultural Arts Center. Students can learn how to save birds and study the impact oil has when its washed into the sea at the International Bird Rescue Center.Everyone of these facilities is located at the site.

In short, this could be one of the best, hands-on academic facilities in all of Los Angeles. An educator told me once that it was a shame we tried to do everything in a classroom; the real learning, he said, happens out in the field. Here is a place where all kinds of study and research could be adopted. Students also could volunteer at many of these remarkable resources and keep them alive and running for generations to come. We can complain about the den of foxes at Angel’s Gate being in danger because of the construction and the marine mammals ears popping due to jackhammers and the traffic that could pour into the campus. These are critical issues that need to be addressed.

Yes, the district needs to protect the foxes and might have to build a preserve for them on the site, which would provide students with yet another educational opportunity.The residents’ contend that vehicles should not be allowed to access the school using Alma Street -- an argument that should be adhered to due to the already existing number of accidents on the narrow residential street. The residents know them all. They've been counting.Community members want more than the proposed 113 parking spaces. That too makes sense, because the neighbors don’t want – and should not have to deal with -- an overflow of cars parking on their streets.

Another man feared juvenile destruction that can sometimes accompany neighborhoods set near schools. The district needs to find away to provide the security the neighbors seek.LAUSD School Board Member Richard Vladovic told the crowd that he would pull together a team of educators to design this school. I propose that he not just use educators, but include residents and community leaders who understand what Angel’s Gate can provide for students, but also buff down the severe impact a high school could have if its not built keeping the neighborhood in mind.

All I am asking right now is that residents think about it. Think about the potential and the much greater chance we – as a community will have – to churn out kids who will care about their environment, protect and rescue wildlife, understand the atrocities of World War II and the way it played out here in California and explore the arts with true artists working right next door.Here, we will be molding well-rounded, future citizens. If we do not do this, as Richard Vladovic has indicated, our high school – San Pedro High – will go year round.

Then think about this; This means 1,000 kids will be streaming through our streets – without adult guidance because many parents will be working -- all day long. They will receive a lesser education, according to the school board member, because studies have shown year round schooling is not nearly as successful as traditional year round.

And then think about this: What will all that mean for the future of all of San Pedro? Rather than send the kids packing with shoes to the streets, I'd much rather give the kids wings they need to learn to soar the sky at Angel's Gate. Then perhaps, we will truly be making good citizens.
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I can certainly agree with much of what Ms. Chapman writes. I do think however, that most folks in OUR community, including Ms. Chapman don't see what may actually become the jewel of educational experiences at the site.

If and when the Point Fermin Outdoor Education is redeveloped, and it could be as early as Summer, 2009, it and nothing else would become the largest, most popular, best used, and by far, the greatest educational experience that the most number of LAUSD students could attend.

Ms. Chapman is very correct in her observations about the great qualities the site has to offer. Having the Marine Mammal Rescue Center and the International Bird Rescue Center within a short stroll of the classrooms and dormitories of the Outdoor Educational Center can only enhance the experiences of the 5Th graders attending either the 3-night or 4-night programs of the Outdoor Education Center that are planned to give every 5Th grader in the LAUSD system a chance to learn, explore, create, gather, educate, share, and live a great outdoor experience on the hills overlooking their blue Pacific Ocean.

Friends, I am a fan of the Point Fermin Outdoor Education Center. I think we will all receive the biggest bang for our education dollars by allowing students from all over the district a chance to learn about what so many of us still take for granted.

I continue to strongly feel that placing a large new campus directly next to the Outdoor Education Center will cause environmental difficulties for the students, faculty, and staff at the Outdoor Education Center.

If it comes time, on a cloudless night, for 5Th graders to take a peek at the constellations, what might they truly see if lights from athletic fields offer glare over views?

When listening for the sounds made by peafowl or other birds, will attendees hear more tones and noises coming from a high school campus?

If an experience scouring an open field is sought, might it be blocked by a fence surrounding classrooms?

I contend that the "Big Elephant in the Room" is not nearby neighbors decrying having a large school in their backyards, it is a much more joyful giant education center that will bring so many students into the area and provide for them an experience that may last throughout their entire education process.

Sure, there are negative reasons I feel a new campus should not be built at "Angel's Gate". But it is the one overriding positive set of possibilities that also make me believe that South Region High School No.15 (SRHS 15) does not belong right next to the Point Fermin Education Center.
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So, let's think about alternatives to building SRHS 15 at Angel's Gate.

It's time to really think, "outside the box" on this one because so many people will consider only limited alternatives and not wish to expand their ideas past what "bureaucrats" think are only possible.

For your consideration: How about a new building at S.P.H.S.? O.K, O.K. I know you are going to squeal that the campus is already overcrowded. That MAY be true, but may not be true, either.

I have an idea to build more classrooms or multi-purpose rooms, or whatever can be used, in a multi-purpose, multi-story building that will not displace one single building at S.P.H.S., right now!
With this new building, seen above, new lockers can span hallways on several floors. There could be giant open areas on any floor, or classrooms of various sizes.

The new building would not be too close to the new gymnasium and could even support a covered bridge to the existing Administration Building. The new building takes up ZERO on-campus parking spaces and could be built for a fraction of the cost of building a whole entire new campus.

Students could use part of one floor as a large study-hall/lunchroom/meeting facility. There could be added storage on the lowest floor which would be partially placed within the hillside that is currently there.

The hallways could be large enough to allow many students to pass through. It would keep all classes, faculty, administration, nurses, and others on one campus, rather than having them travel to any satellite campus.

A new building in connection with changes in the daily schedules of students would allow for no year-round need and provide safety and shelter for more students.

This alternative is just one of many, members of OUR community can envision. We are a talented and intelligent community. We are creative and we can solve problems. We can be the heroes our students seek. All we have to do is dream.

Let's keep the discussions going. Let's openly share ideas. Let's question "authority" and come up with novel ways to support our students.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that the Planning Department comes up with a reasonable, realistic, responsible, and respectful plan for Ponte Vista.

Let's fun Clean San Pedro!

Odds and Ends 5

This was a very good week for forces opposed to weapons of mass development, no matter where it is being proposed.

Could it be an overall change in the nature of how elected officials and appointed individuals look at the continuing surge of over developments in the greater L.A. area?

Could it be that more folks have not only come to believe, but are now practicing the slogan; "Enough is enough"?

Big news was made in our area, and big news was made on a really humongous weapon of mass development, just at the top of the San Fernando Valley.

Los Lomas, the development calling for over 5,500 dwellings to be built on hillside property at the Interchange of the I5 and 14 Freeways, was stopped dead in its tracks actually during the study processes.

In a 10-5 decision, the Los Angeles City Council voted to have the Planning Department halt studies on the massive over development.

Councilwoman Janice Hahn was very much on the correct side of this issue and she deserves thanks from all of us and from others fearing over developments that would crush the quality of their lives.
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San Pedro and members of OUR community were handed a disive victory Tuesday, when the Harbor Area Planning voted to restrict three lots currently zoned C1-1XL, from becoming the site of a condominium or apartment complex.
In the photo above, we see the standing room only crowd opposed to having anything other than single-family, detached houses built on the corner of 20Th Street and Walker Avenue.

Councilwoman Janice Hahn is seen addressing Planning Commission members with her support for their adoption of a motion Ms. Hahn submitted to restrict the types of dwellings that could be built on the site of the former McCowan's Market.

Here is another photo of some of the crowd behind to very hard working women who both did an extraordinary set of feats to allow for a successful outcome from the members of the Planning Commission.

Barbara Dragich on the left, was our commanding leader of the Vista del Oro's fight against over development at 20Th and Walker. Next to her with one hand on the yard sign that is still seen at so many residences, is Councilwoman Janice Hahn's whose staff aided her immeasurably in finding the way to stop a weapon of mass development.
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On the South Region High School No. 15 issue, I wanted to publish names, addresses, Email addresses, and phone numbers of individuals who should be made quite aware of the feeling and comments San Pedrans have against having such a large high school placed where it simply doesn't belong.

The following are some of the folks who may need reminding that all students are important and that alternatives to placing such a large site at Angel's Gate, cannot be beneficial to the vast number of LAUSD students, their parents, faculties, and staffs.

Los Angeles Unified School District
BOARD OF EDUCATION
333 South Beaudry Avenue, 24th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90017 Telephone: 213-241-6389 General Fax Numbers for all Board Members: 213-241-8953 or 213-481-9023
DR. RICHARD VLADOVIC
Dist. 7
richard.vladovic@lausd.net
213-241-6385Fax: 213-241-8452
Carolyn Mau
Administrative Assistant
carolyn.mau@lausd.net
213-241-6385
David Kooper
Chief of Staff
david.kooper@lausd.net
213-241-6099
Cynthee Cortes
Director of Community and Parent Engagement
cynthee.cortes@lausd.net
213-241-4897
Lyle Tooks
South Area Director
lyle.tooks@lausd.net
213-241-5693
J. Maxie Hemmans
Special Assistant
mhemma1@lausd.net
213-241-6385
Geralyn Buscaino
Harbor Area Director
geralyn.buscaino@lausd.net
213-241-6010

Councilwoman Janice Hahn, 15Th District
200 N. Spring StreetRoom 435Los Angeles, CA 90012Phone: (213)-473-7015Fax: (213)-626-5431

councilmember.hahn@lacity.org

Facility Services Division
rod.hamilton@lausd.net
This division selects the sites for proposed schools, alternatives to the preferred sites and through this division, new schools are built.

You may also wish to contact the Palisades Residents Association, in whose area, the proposed new campus is located in. The Web site for the Association is:
http://www.sanpedropalisades.org./
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On the Ponte Vista issue, there is not much to report other than according to the L.A. Times article appearing beginning on Page 1, that Ponte Vista now becomes the largest proposed over development the City of L.A.'s Department of Planning is still dealing with.

Perhaps the Rudderless Steering Committee of R Neighborhoods Are 1 might wish to work with Councilwoman Janice Hahn's office to see if the Ponte Vista at San Pedro project can be shot dead in its tracks, like that which happened in the Las Lomas issue.

There is no reason to hold out hope that Bob will suddenly come to his senses and create a realistic, reasonable, responsible and respectful set of alternatives to building 1,950 condos._
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Many members of OUR community are either supportive of or opposed to having a new cruise ship terminal built at "Kaiser Point" in the outer L.A. Harbor.

The Port of L.A. is second only to LAUSD in their inability to listen to or deal with regular citizens, I feel. This is not to state that I oppose the new cruise ship terminal.

I need to see what mitigation folks who live, work, and/or travel in the areas between Berth 93, where the existing cruise ship terminal will remain, and the new proposed cruise ship terminal that will be able to handle the largest cruise ships or ocean liners, sometimes two at a time.

We need to make sure that the Port of L.A. crosses all their "i's" and dots all their "t's" and that they will help anyone and everyone who becomes hampered by such a massive terminal so far out in the harbor, at almost the end of the peninsula.
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Now I most willingly share with readers a letter to the editor in the Thursday March 20 edition of The Daily Breeze, form Ms. Rebecca Rannells:

School will impact traffic
As a former president of the San Pedro Palisades Homeowners Association and longtime resident active on traffic issues, I am deeply troubled by the Los Angeles Unified School District's cursory assessment of the traffic impact the proposed South Regional High School No. 15 will have on the surrounding community.

Specifically, in its study "Notice of Preparation and Initial Study, South Regional High School No. 15, March 2008," the district states on page 57, "Roadways in the Project area such as Alma Street are two-lane collector streets. These roadways would not pose a safety hazard to pedestrians."

Are they serious? Have they walked south down Alma Street from 25th to 37th Street and then to Paseo? If they had, they would have noted that there are no sidewalks down a large portion of their trip, causing them to walk in the street over portions that happen to be blind curves to oncoming, often speeding, drivers.

In addition, if they should be so foolhardy as to attempt to cross Paseo del Mar, a busy secondary highway, say on their way to catch the closest public transportation, they would do so without the benefit of crosswalk or any other safety device.

I have been battling for better safety along Paseo del Mar from Pacific Avenue to Western Avenue for nearly 20 years. The community has come up with a plan to improve safety along this dangerous roadway, but due to a lack of political will, it has never been implemented.

While I have been frustrated at this lack of progress, at least I know I have tried to improve the situation.

If the leadership of the LAUSD and our local politicians allow this high school to be built, they will knowingly make our dangerous traffic here critically worse. I trust they will be willing to bear the personal burden when the next traffic fatality occurs due to their negligence. I do not wish this to happen but I am afraid it will.

- REBECCA RANNELLS
San Pedro
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After attending a meeting with such a fantastic turnout, dealing with the SRHS 15 issue, reading this letter during my time with my Cheerios, put a great cap on a wonderful 18-hour period for me.
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I wish I could end this "Odds and Ends" on a good note, but I have just been made aware of a serious problem San Pedrans need to come together to fix....if it still can be.

Look for a distressing article in the Daily Breeze concerning Clean San Pedro.

If it is not too late, and I don't know if it is, please visit:
http://www.cleansanpedro.org/

I hope beyond hope it is not too late. I must admit, with some shame, that I have not donated to this worthy cause.

I am just waiting to read that I can partially redeem myself, in the very near future.

With the pride I have seen in San Pedrans dealing with issues like Ponte Vista, the McCowan's site redevelopment, the proposed new high school at Angel's Gate, the great works on the Angel's Gate Master Plan, the fine work by the volunteers of all three Neighborhood Councils, the Harbor Interfaith Shelter, and so many other groups, we have let slip out of our grasp one organization that deals with every other of the mentioned groups in one way or another by keeping San Pedro and the areas near the issues mentioned cleaner than if Clean San Pedro had not been there.

I have seen members of OUR community ready, willing, and able to step up when called upon. It is time all of us, in every group to step up to try and save this organization that make all of us better looking and easier to live with.

I just sincerely hope it is not too late.

An Amazing Turnout!

Neighbors turned out in a very spectacular number to learn more about the South Region High School #15 (SRHS 15) issue and how they could comment on the Initial Study.

Over 100 names were collected at the meeting that demonstrated to me that their are some pretty fantastic San Pedrans, just like the great members of Vista del Oro Neighbors Against Condos (VDONAC) demonstrated their strength and won a dramatic victory just one day earlier.

I was more than extremely impressed by the questions that came for a great number of folks very concerned about the proposed new campus at what we know as "Angel's Gate."

Every single question was dead on and every one could now be put as part of the comments to the Initial Study, that is going on.

I can't say whether I am more proud of the VDONAC folks or the group that met tonight. What I can freely admit with pride is, San Pedrans are very special and all of them deserve praise and honor for the issues they are tackling, AND the way they are tackling them!

The fight to keep SRHS 15 from being a too large campus at Angel's Gate is just beginning.

The group that met tonight learned what the history of the proposed project is, how they may be impacted by a new campus built at the site, how important it is that everyone create a set of comments to the Initial Study based on their own observations and their own experiences living where they do.

Some factors the group was more than very concerned about were:

Alma Street cannot support ANOTHER high school on it.

The importance of and the impact to the Point Fermin Outdoor Education Center.

The fact that the air quality at the proposed site has tested WORSE than the majority of the site of the existing high school.

The noise factor as it relates to the Alma canyon and the winds.

The glare from windows in 52 foot tall buildings.

The fact that the average student count per class, at the proposed campus is nowhere near the actual average student per classroom count now seen at San Pedro High School.

The attitude of bureaucrats at LAUSD, especially within the Facilities Services Division.

The fact that there is not one clear voice within LAUSD that explains all of the details in a way that isn't contradicted by others within LAUSD.

The fact that there may be money to build a new campus, but no money to maintain it.

The concept that any new campus would NOT lower class sizes at either campus.

I wish that tonight's meeting had been videotaped. had it been, more San Pedrans could have seen some of the best that is "San Pedro" and how the group thought about the students and thought and talked about alternatives to building a new large campus at Angel's Gate.

The folks who attended the meeting can now make even better comments to the Initial Study because they openly shared issues and experiences with others. They also shared with everyone their knowledge of the area, its history, is resources, and its beauty.

The good folks also know very well that they are starting a long, uphill battle.

Like the great folks living in Vista del Oro, the great neighbors and friends living in The Palisades know that they now have to fight to maintain the quality of life they have worked so hard to attain, and now have to work even harder, to keep.