A Politically Incorrect Blog About Living in Woodland Hills, California

Sometimes People Don’t Think Through Their Personalized Plate Choices

Wow, I’m not sure it’s a great idea to have a license plate that advertises your alcoholism.  I saw this on Saturday while I was driving on Ventura Blvd near Something’s Fishy and just had to get a picture.  As you can also see from this picture I really need to get my car washed.  Anyone out there have a car wash business they need reviewed?

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Another $1 Oatmeal Wednesday At Jamba Juice – Apple Cinnamon

Just a reminder that today is another $1 oatmeal Wednesday at Jamba Juice.  I had apple cinnamon today, and it was delicious!

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A Few Taft Alumni Launch New Raiders Fight Song Video

A good friend of mine, who is apparently a very big Raiders fan launched a video today on YouTube for a new fight song they’ve written, recorded, produced, etc.  I told him I’d do him a favor and post it for him on the blog.  Their band is Killroy, and 3 of the four members all graduated from Taft High School here in Woodland Hills.  They are James Lane (’81), Thomas Spain (’82), and Eric Troop (’84).

Please feel free to leave a comment and let them know what you think.  I’m not sure how I feel about that rock and roll music.

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Neighborhood Council Rejects Zoning Variance For Collateral Lender (Last Wednesday) – New Meeting Today

I had intended to get this up a little sooner, but it’s been a little bit of a hectic last few days for me.  I did indeed attend last weeks Neighborhood Council meeting, specifically for the purpose of hearing the debate on the proposed zoning variance which would allow The Collateral Lender to relocate from it’s current location at 20930 Ventura Bvld to 21840-21844 Ventura Blvd  to (corner of Ventura Blvd & Don Pio).

I consider myself to be pro-business, so I went into the meeting with that mindset.  I generally believe that businesses should be allowed to operate unless they really infringe on the rights of community members.

This business requires a variance to operate because it does ‘collateral lending.’  As explained at the meeting, any business can buy merchandise.  But, once you issue a loan on merchandise and use that merchandise as collateral until the loan is repaid, it’s a whole other ballgame legally.  You have to submit to various requirements and demands from the city to operate.

At the current location The Collateral Lender is subject to various signage restrictions, limited operating hours, and other restrictions like that they may not buy any item valued at less than $1,000.

Numerous passionate residents of the neighborhood South of Ventura Blvd voiced strong opposition to the variance, and in reality to The Collateral Lender being able to open at the new location in general.  These residents have good reason to be concerned, although you can make a strong argument that some of their venom is unfairly directed toward this jewelery store/pawn business.

You see, as many people reading this blog know, the area surrounding Topanga Canyon Blvd and Ventura Blvd is completely infested will all manner of drug addicted degenerate homeless degenerates.  It’s really bad, and very unfortunate as we all know the homes in the area are very expensive and it’s a shame for these vagabonds to be ruining the lives and property value of so many good, hardworking people.

Whether or not The Collateral Lender moving to this new location would be a detriment to the community is unclear.  But, community members are right to be concerned about creating a prominent street corner with a motel, a liquor store, and a pawn shop all in one location.  It’s a property value disaster in the making.

You could tell that a great many members of the Neighborhood Council were initially fine with issuing the variance, but the strong opposition by the community members seemed to sway several of them.  In the end the measure failed by approximately 1 vote.

However, at the end of the day the NC really only provides variance to the Zoning Administrator.   And it’s up to them to make the final decision.  I spent a lot of time trying to figure out where and when the meeting for this was, and then finally realized that it was posted right on the building.  And, sadly it’s in 30 minutes, but hopefully those of you passionate about the issue are probably already well aware of the time and place, and have motivated your constituents to attend.

There is a meeting today at 9:30am with the Zoning Administrator at 6262 Van Nuys Blvd in the First Floor Conference Room of the Marvin Braude Building in Van Nuys.

Editorial Note: This story is a work in progress.  Please check back shortly. I will update this store this afternoon with more information from last week’s meeting and the fixing of I’m sure many typos.

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KTLA Footage From Yesterday’s “The Vampire Diaries” Cast Meet-and-Greet

KTLA video of fans at Topanga Plaza yesterday for the meet-and-greet of The Vampire Diaries cast members.

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Urban Outfitters Coming To Westfield Topanga, As Well As Others

While I was at Westfield Topanga today to check out “The Vampire Diaries” cast appearance at Hot Topic, I had the good fortune of meeting the mall’s marketing director Alexandra DeCicco.  She answered a few questions I had about new stores coming into the mall, and gave me the 411 on some others that I didn’t know about.

Urban Outfitters will be replacing Pottery Barn, which closed in January.  It is due to open in May.  Alexandra says they are hiring, and interested parties should check out UrbanOutfitters.com for details.

I’ve noticed many people coming to site looking for information about when Anthropologie will be open.  Alexandra informed me they are scheduled to open in April.

Chico’s, a womenswear company, will be moving to a new location just across from it’s current location.  They will be closed Monday for the move and reopen on Wednesday (Feb 17) in the new location.

Teavana should be opening in the next couple of months, and Alexandra says the very popular surf & skatewear retailer Tilly’s is also coming to Westfield Topanga at a date TBD.

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Huge Turnout For The Vampire Diaries Meet-and-Greet At Westfield Topanga

If you had trouble finding your tweenage daughter this afternoon, I have a pretty good idea where she was.  The cast from The Vampire Diaries on the CW network was making an appearance at Hot Topic in the Westfield Topanga mall, and I’m pretty sure every girl in Woodland Hills from the ages of 11 to 17 was there waiting in line for autographs.  There was also a big stage set up for a performance from A Fine Frenzy.  I’d also like to note, for those that care about such things, that “Plaza” has been dropped from name of the mall, and it is now officially simply “Westfield Topanga.”

It looked to me like everyone was pretty excited, and the people coming out of Hot Topic with autographs and such seemed very pleased.  I didn’t get to see any of the cast members myself, which is a bummer because I had hoped to get my copy of the recently released The Vampire Diaries: The Complete First Season DVD autographed.  What a bummer.  (Correction: As pointed out by Vampire-Diaries.net, there is not yet a DVD for The Vampire Diaries: The Complete First Season.  It is, however, available on VOD at Amazon.com.  I could have instead had Ian Somerhalder, who plays Boone on Lost, sign my Lost: The Complete First Season Blu-ray disc.  Again, still a bummer.)

I didn’t stick around for A Fine Frenzy’s performance, but hopefully it went well.  Here’s a few pictures of the crowd, line, stage, etc.

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