A Politically Incorrect Blog About Living in Woodland Hills, California

Woodland Hills’ El Camino Real High School Wins National Academic Decathlon

Sorry for being a little late to the dance on this, but for those of you who didn’t already hear, El Camino Real High School won the National Academic Decathlon in Omaha, Nebraska last week.  Awesome, congratulations!

LA Times writes:

Powerhouse El Camino Real High School clinched the National Academic Decathlon title here Saturday, marking its record-setting sixth U.S. victory.

The Woodland Hills school’s triumph was no accident. The team had been preparing for eight intense months with a level of detail that was evident even in their luggage.

When they arrived at the championship in Omaha last week, the coaches’ suitcases were stuffed with supplies for every conceivable emergency — stain sticks, lint rollers, painkillers and pantyhose, three shades of nail polish and neckties in eight colors. No soiled shirts or runs in stockings would imperil their team’s chances.

They left Omaha lugging a different kind of load — trophies, medals and other spoils from their championship victory.

The win further bolsters California’s dominance in the competition. It was the state’s eighth consecutive national title and its 17th since the competition began in 1982.

Please see the rest of the LA Times article here.

Popularity: 2%

Mobile Billboard Legislation Passes State Assembly, Moves To Senate

Amusing that I just wrote about one of the trailer signs and this story popped up today.  Speak of the Devil, and the Devil appears. See text of the bill below the Daily News article reposted here.

The Daily News writes:

LEGISLATION: Bill to prohibit moving signs is passed by state Assembly.

The days of mobile billboards – those large advertisements sitting atop unhitched trailers that obstruct views and take up space on city streets – could be numbered.

Proposed state legislation to ban the advertisements was passed Monday in the Assembly and it now heads to the Senate.

Local lawmakers say the signs are among the biggest gripes among voters and have been working to get them off the streets.

The bill, AB 2756, authored by two Assembly Democrats – Bob Blumenfield of the San Fernando Valley and Mike Feuer of Los Angeles – would prohibit the parking of unhitched trailers with advertisements on any public street.

The legislation, which the Assembly approved on a vote of 46-14, would cut through legal red tape that has hampered efforts to outlaw mobile billboards. Opponents say they are a safety hazard and use up valuable parking spaces.

City Councilman Dennis Zine, who has spearheaded an effort to ban mobile billboards in Los Angeles, welcomed passage of the legislation by the Assembly of what he said is the No. 1 complaint he hears from Valley residents.

“It’s the biggest complaint not only in my district but throughout the city,” said Zine. “We are very pleased with the Assembly that they passed this and hope that the Senate concurs and the governor signs this into law.

“Then we can rid the community of this eyesore.”

In a city as big as Los Angeles, Blumenfield and Feuer said, such requirements are not financially or physically feasible.

But opponents of legislation outlawing mobile billboards said they are prepared to challenge any state law.

“Our sign trailers aren’t going anywhere,” said Bruce Boyer of Lone Star Security, whose mobile billboards can be spotted throughout the San Fernando Valley.

“The legislation in this Assembly bill is ambiguous, unenforceable and unconstitutional,” he said. “After reading (this) bill, my attorney and I both chuckled.”

Boyer also maintains that under the California Vehicle Code mobile billboards are allowed to park on any street like any other vehicle.

But the bill’s co-sponsors say they are confident their legislation will hold up.

“Since the day I took office, one of the most frequent complaints I have heard from people in the Valley is against mobile billboards,” Blumenfield said in an e-mail response to a question. “Hundreds of people have told me they are fed up with these eyesores, and want them banned from our community.”

Feuer said mobile billboards should be prohibited unless a city or county affirmatively wants to allow them.

“These signs are a distracting safety hazard for drivers, a source of blight in neighborhoods, and a drain on scarce parking spaces intended for business patrons,” Feuer said.

The joint sponsors of the bill said that for years the city of Los Angeles and other local governments have attempted to control the proliferation of mobile billboards locally. But their efforts have been hampered by such requirements that signs outlawing them be posted at every entrance to the city.

The bill (at least the most recent version that I could quickly find online):

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. The enactment of this act shall not
create any inference that the Legislature intends to occupy the field
of regulation of mobile billboard advertising displays, or preempt
any local ordinance that regulates mobile billboard advertising
displays.
SEC. 2. Chapter 33 (commencing with Section 7599)
is added to Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code, to read:

CHAPTER 33. MOBILE BILLBOARD ADVERTISING DISPLAYS

7599. (a) No person shall park a mobile billboard advertising
display in a public place within a city or county, other than a
parking lot or parking garage.
(b) For purposes of this chapter, “mobile billboard advertising
display” means any advertising display that is attached to a wheeled
conveyance, or is otherwise mobile, that carries, pulls, or
transports any sign or billboard for the primary purpose of
advertising.
(c) This section shall not preempt a city or county from adopting
or enforcing an ordinance regulating mobile billboard advertising
displays that is more or less restrictive than the prohibition
contained in subdivision (a).
(d) The prohibition contained in subdivision (a) shall not apply
to a vehicle that displays an advertisement or identifies the
business of its owner, so long as the vehicle to which the
advertising display is attached is engaged in the usual business or
regular work of the owner and is not parked for the primary purpose
of advertising.

Love him or hate him Boyer has a point.  By limiting the law to only trailer signs – instead of all trailers – the state is really opening itself up to having the law overturned on Constitutional grounds.  There really is a thing call the First Amendment, and limiting only trailers with signage could definitely be construed as an illegal restraint of speech.  At the end of the day, it will just depend on who wants the spend the most money pursuing the issue.

Popularity: 7%

Is KB Homes Already A Bad Neighbor For Woodland Hills?

Well, I found this quite amusing and interesting.  Anyone who is familiar with Woodland Hills and the west valley would know that quite a stink has been raised recently by trailer signs. (See list or trailer sign related stories here on HoW)  Personally, I’m relatively neutral on the issue.  However, many people hate them.  Councilman Dennis Zine has pretty much launched a personal war against him, so much so that if it ever comes before a city council vote again I think he should recuse himself on the issue.  I was at a Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council meeting yesterday where he mentioned the issue again.

This is why I was kind of stunned that KB Homes, in their widening advertising campaign for their Ascent project on Erwin Street, would be so ignorant as to place trailer signs in Woodland Hills.  Just not a very good idea, in my opinion, and not very neighborly.  Please feel free to comment.

Popularity: 3%

LAPD Looking For White 2000 Chevy Pickup Involved Hit And Run Accident

Felony Hit and Run Suspect Wanted! White 2000 Chevy Pickup 8G41149

LAPD Topanga Division and Valley Traffic Division need the public’s help in locating a vehicle involved in a hit and run with injuries.

On April 22, 2010, at approximately 6:30 p.m. a hit and run traffic collision occurred at Oso and Sherman Way. The driver of the hit and run vehicle did not stop and render aid, but instead fled the scene. The other driver has been hospitalized with injuries. The hit and run driver’s car is a white 2000 Chevy Pickup truck missing the front license plate, which was left at scene (8G41149), with major damage to the passenger door. If you see this vehicle, please call 911 or your local police. Do not contact the suspect or touch the vehicle! We might need to print it.

The vehicle is not registered locally.

Popularity: 2%

Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council Earth Day Town Hall Tonight

If you’re looking for some last minute plans for Earth Day, the Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council is hosting a town hall tonight with a guest speaker from Heal the Bay.  I will also be celebrating our oceans as I down some oysters at Morton’s tonight.

They write on Facebook:

Join Us for an Earth Day Town Hall – The Conditions of Our Oceans

Please Join us on Thursday, April 22nd at 7pm

EARTH DAY 2010 – Town Hall Meeting

The Conditions of Our Oceans
How San Fernando Valley Residents Can Help Protect our Rivers, Oceans and Watersheds

Featuring Guest Speaker Dave Weeshoff from Heal the Bay, a local environmental organization dedicated to improving water quality off the California coast. (http://www.healthebay.org/)

Presented by the Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council

*Light refreshments will be served*

Special thanks to the Woodland Hills-Tarzana Chamber of Commerce

LOCATION:  Woodland Hills Academy Multi-Purpose Room

20800 Burbank Blvd, Woodland Hills, CA 91367

* Overflow parking (if needed) is available across the street in the Kaiser parking lot.

Popularity: 3%

Morton’s Power Hour Is A Great Place To Get Oysters At A Great Price

I’ve been to Morton’s in Woodland Hills quite a few times in the past couple of months.  Recently, I got a craving for oysters and I remembered that Morton’s has fresh oysters on their Power Hour happy hour menu for only $1.75 apiece.  Can you say done deal?  I called up some friends and we agreed to meet up there yet again.

As you can see the oysters look great, taste great, and come with the full assortment of necessary accoutrements.  I’ve actually been back there a couple of times since for more.  I’ve recently been shunning carbs and well, as far as I can tell, oysters are all protein.  Excellent!

On  this particular night there was also a celebrity in the house, D.L. Hughley.  He was there checking out the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship.  He was among many disappointed bandwagon Butler fans in attendance in the bar area, including myself.  Hughley must live in the area, as I’ve seen him at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in the past as well.

I also had another one of Morton’s $15 Prime Burgers during the Power Hour, and it was great.  I avoided the bread and only had a tiny bit of the excellent mashed potatoes this time around.  Good stuff.  As always, I’m so impressed by the relaxed and cool vibe at Morton’s bar.  It’s a great place.

The Power Hour runs between 5pm to 6:30pm and 9pm to close daily.

Popularity: 3%

Lost Doggie Mazie Was Found, Owners Thank Community And Keyes Woodland Hills Buick, GMC, Cadillac

Today I was taking a walk in Warner Center and came across on old sign about the missing dog Mazie.  I decided to call the number and do a little follow up to see if she was eventually found.

I reached Kellie, who told me that they indeed did recover Mazie unharmed about 24 hours after she went missing.  Turns out the signs and canvasing of the area paid off as the family received a flood of calls about sightings of Mazie.  Mazie, while absolutely harmless, is both an aggressive barker and also a scaredy dog.  Which, is a bad combination for a lost dog because they end up hiding from, or barking at, people who are just trying to help.  Some of the callers had temporarily had custody of Mazie, but she fled.  Kellie explained that she believed someone, for an known reason, had probably let Mazie out of the family’s parked vehicle at the Topanga Promenade mall on Friday April 2nd.  She canvased the area with fliers on the next Saturday and later realized that Mazie would probably want to be where there are plenty of lights at night, so she made a special trip to the car dealerships on the western side of Topanga Canyon Blvd and passed out fliers to the personnel there.

This paid off as later that not long after the employees, and I’m told service technicians, spotted Mazie hiding under one of the cars that sits atop an elevated display platform.  Kellie and her husband rushed over and were able to be reunited with their no doubt hungry and scared doggie.

Kellie wanted me to let everyone know that she and her family are very thankful to the residents of Woodland Hills who called and offered so much information about their sightings of Mazie, who it seems had quite an adventure for the 24 hours or so that she was lost.

Mazie’s family is especially thankful to the folks at Keyes Woodland Hills Buick GMC Cadillac for their efforts.  A very happy ending indeed.

Popularity: 3%

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