The Impeach Dennis Zine Article From The Valley Vantage
From the August 26th issue of the Valley Vantage, with regards to the August 18th Woodland Hills Warner Center Neigbhorhood Council meeting:
Neighborhood Council Meeting Erupts Amid Cries of “Impeach Zine!”
A week ago, news stories and press releases proclaimed that Costco’s plan to move to Warner Center was a “done deal.” But it looks like residents and businesses in the West Valley have only just begun to fight that notion.
At a meeting of the Woodland Hills Neighborhood Council Board (NC) on August 18, there were no specific items on the Agenda concerning the proposal for a Costco in Warner Center. Using the Public Speaker card, however, several representatives stood and challenged the NC to take the lead on community outreach concerning the proposal. Two speakers specifically demanded the recall of Councilman Dennis P. Zine over of his role in moving Costco from its existing site on Roscoe Blvd in Canoga Park to the proposed Westfield Village project at Topanga Canyon and Victory Boulevards.
Jim Anderson, the Neighborhood Council’s at-large representative, was the first to stand and demand the recall of Councilman Zine, saying “his actions are contrary to the area’s best interests, and he has deceived and manipulated the public.” Anderson questioned if the Councilman’s actions were contrived to gain financial support for his purported run for City Controller when his term ends. Anderson pointed at the Councilman’s efforts in helping Westfield massively alter their plans for the supposedly “upscale” Village project without ever opening discussion of potential problems with the community at large.
Echoing Anderson’s plea for Zine’s recall was Neighborhood Council representative Marty Lipkin. He was even more emphatic about Zine’s recall. “He has lied to his constituents. He has betrayed our communities. He has conspired with Westfield, Costco and the Mayor to push a hastily conceived and ill-advised plan down the throats of people who deserve at least some say in the future of their neighborhoods. Am I calling for Zine’s head? Absolutely—except I’m not sure there’s anything in it,” he said.
On a slightly different note, Shirley Blessing, a well-respected Woodland Hills leader, said that she has received dozens of calls from apoplectic neighbors who are incensed at the Councilman’s “utter lack of respect for the communities he supposedly represents.” She urged all to stand tall, and state their case to their representative; “Just say no. This plan lacks foresight and vision.”
Joyce J. Pearson, currently the Community Based Organization Board Representative for Area 2, called for a series of three Town Hall meetings with residents and business owners, paid for from the Council District’s coffers, but hosted by an impartial entity who could prevent the meetings from turning into PR events. “I’m sure our Councilman is open to ‘full transparency’ on this issue—and to picking up the tab for these hearings on what many consider proposed changes to our community too important to ignore. It’s an idea that could only prove to be beneficial to all,” Pearson stated.
Pearson pointed out that when concepts for The Village were first presented several town halls and seminars were held by both Westfield and the Neighborhood Council to introduce the concept of a retail/entertainment/commercial destination to virtually the entire West Valley. “Sure, the economy has changed,” she said. “But to disregard the public’s involvement in the project now would be unfortunate.”
Gordon Murley of the Woodland Hills Home Owners Organization offered another insight. “There seems to be a lot of ‘City of Bell’ in the development – especially dumping Costco on the community. There were no meetings with the community to refine what was being proposed. All of the dealings have been behind closed doors and all the deals worked out between the various City entities, Westfield and Costco. Nowhere were there any invitations to have the
community sit in with Costco or those in the City to voice concerns since there is a Warner Center Specific Plan. We would hope that planning is more than telling a community what they are going to get. Woodland Hills and especially Warner Center deserves planning that will not lower the quality of the visual development that would bring a sense of a place people want to visit and invest. And, the fact that they have not yet revealed just how much they’ve given away to Costco in terms of tax breaks and subsidies from the City, creates concern.”
In a follow up interview, according to Pearson and Blessing, many of the residents and businesses that have contacted them keep asking why there isn’t an Ikea going in instead of a Costco? Ikea is also a big box store, but it is willing to have second or third stories. Anderson and Lipkin said that many of the people they’ve talked to have been calling for some sort of “impeachment” hearing that would force the
Mayor and the Councilman to bring all the details of the Costco deal into the spotlight.“People aren’t happy about this,” Anderson emphasized. “They know they’ve been kept in the dark and misrepresented by their so called representatives. They want someone they can trust, and they don’t seem to trust Councilman
Dennis Zine anymore.”
Popularity: 6%
Valley Vantage Editorial By Joyce Pearson Calls For Public Forum For Discussion of Costco, Village Project
From the August 26, 2010 issue of The Valley Vantage:
Editorial by Joyce Pearson
It’s Time for Councilman Zine to Provide a Forum to Discuss Costco!It’s time for the community to stand up for what’s right in Woodland Hills, and its time for Councilman Zine to provide a forum to discuss Costco!
LA’s Mayor says it’s a done deal. Westfield says it’s a done deal. Costco hasn’t even relocated yet, but it is already turning what Westfield once promised as an “upscale shop/dine/work destination” into a strip mall with a wholesale arm behind it, that is destined to hurt traffic, surrounding businesses and neighborhoods, not to mention leaving blight behind in Canoga Park, just blocks away.
With the threat of Los Angelinos voting with their feet as more Woodland Hills constituents vacate to Westlake Village or Thousand Oaks to maintain their quality of life, it’s time to reflect on what needs to be done to stem that tide.
What is being asked of Councilman Zine is that he commit to a series of three Town Hall meetings where the community can toss the hardball questions and voice legitimate concerns they have over this plan. Moreover, outreach for these open Town Halls must be paid for out of the Council District’s budget, along with a series of mailings to every address within 2 miles of the Topanga Canyon Blvd. and Victory Blvd. epicenter.
Calling the meetings will enable the Councilman to explain why he appears to be promoting Westside traffic congestion here in the West Valley; and to be scrapping pedestrian walkways, green belts, parking on the roof of Costco and many other key items that Westfield had proposed and promised the public in its original plans for The Village. The Councilman could even address disregarding the new Warner Center Specific Plan before it is even off the drafting table.
Most importantly, Councilman Zine can shed light on the “ proposed increases” in jobs and tax revenue; the traffic congestion that is destined to ensue; and any financial incentives that may have been advanced by relocating the Costco and its employees. In addition, it would be great to have Costco’s President at those meetings with him to tell us how the new Costco will bring value to our community.
What say you Woodland Hills, are you ready to meet your Councilman? If you want to know what is going on in your community and are interested in participating in Woodland Hills:
1. Sign one of the petitions (Just say NO) or (Here’s the way to go) on the Website at: www.CommunityRedevelopmentAdvocate.com;
2. Volunteer to walk your neighborhood to get petitions signed;
3. Volunteer to circulate information about the upcoming Town Hall meetings;
4. Write letters;
5. Ask for speakers to present information at your school or community organization;
6. Learn what you need to do to have your own impact when the EIR (Environmental Impact Report) is presented by Westfield;
7. Find out what the Warner Center Specific Plan is all about;
8. Review what the Woodland Hills Neighborhood Council says about the matter by going to their Website at: www.WHCouncil.org, as well as finding out about their upcoming meetings on this important topic.Look for the upcoming dates of the Town Hall meetings, and attend. You can send a clear message and help the Court of Public opinion weigh in on your community.
Joyce Pearson is Chair of the Greater West Valley Coalition and Chair Emeritus of the Woodland Hills-Warner Center Neighborhood Council She can be reached at 713-8600
Popularity: 9%
Mother Surrenders Newborn At Woodland Hills Hospital
I’m not exactly sure I get the all the high-fiving in this article. The child was delivered at the hospital. I think the law is more geared towards the teens who give birth at the prom then toss the baby into a dumpster instead of turning it in to the authorities. But, either way I suppose this is good.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe to announced Tuesday the County’s Safe Surrender Program “celebrated success for the fourth time this year with the report of another safely surrendered newborn.
“This most recent safe surrender occurred at a hospital in Woodland Hills.
“The mother delivered the baby girl at the hospital on Thursday, August 5 and told hospital staff that she would like to surrender the infant. The baby is reported to be in good health.
“As is standard practice, the baby girl is in protective custody and will be placed with a family approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.
“This case could have ended in tragedy, but because of the Safe Surrender program, this baby girl has a long life ahead of him,” said Supervisor Knabe. “I am happy this mother made the right choice for her baby.”
A news release issued from Knabe’s office noted “this is the fourth Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2010, and the 80th since the program began nine years ago. The program was initiated by Supervisor Knabe and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in 2001. It allows someone to surrender an infant that is no more than three days old, as long as the infant shows no signs of abuse.”
Popularity: 13%
Taft High Student Dies After Drug Overdose At Rave
Um, okay. I don’t know what to say about this other than how the Hell are they holding raves in public venues. Raves are all about drugs, people. There is so much stupidity and ignorance to go around in this incident, I don’t even know where to go with it.
A 15-year-old girl died Tuesday of a suspected drug overdose after attending a rave over the weekend at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum that had a minimum age requirement of 16.
The girl, identified by family members as Sasha Rodriguez, was one of two rave attendees who were in critical condition at California Hospital Medical Center after the 14th annual Electric Daisy Carnival.
As Sasha’s family decided whether to remove her from life support Tuesday, her mother, Grace Rodriguez, told the CBS Evening News: “I was supposed to be planning her Sweet Sixteen party. Now I have to plan her funeral.”
Visit the LA Times’ site to see the full article.
Popularity: 25%
Milwaukee Brewers Release Soup’s Owner Jeff Suppan
MILWAUKEE — The Brewers made the most costly cut in franchise history on Monday when they released increasingly ineffective right-hander Jeff Suppan with more than $10 million left on his contract.
Suppan, 0-2 with a 7.84 ERA this season in two starts and 13 relief outings, mostly in mop-up duty, was in the final season of a four-year, $42 million deal that was the richest in club history when he signed it on Christmas Eve 2006. Suppan’s 2010 salary was $12.5 million, and he’s also due a $2 million buyout of his $12.75 million club option for 2011.
“I think we all wanted to try to extend this as long as we could because of our respect for Jeff and what he’s done for the organization and the kind of person he is,” Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said. “He’s one of the classiest guys I’ve been associated with. In the end, it does come down to performance.”
Suppan, 35, is expected to seek a chance to start with another Major League team. He did not participate in interviews on Monday but did release a statement through the team.
“I want to thank [Brewers principal owner] Mark Attanasio and Doug Melvin for all they have done for my family and me, especially how they handled this situation,” it read. “I’ve played with a number of organizations and the Brewers are one of the classiest.
“When I signed in 2007, I was committed to winning and to this day I still am. Nobody is more disappointed with how things have turned out. I enjoyed my time here in Milwaukee, as both a player and a member of the community. As such, I will continue my involvement with the [Brewers Community Foundation] for the remainder of the 2010 season. My commitment to this cause and the people it serves is unwavering.”
As many of you know, Jeff Suppan is a west San Fernando Valley native and owns Soup’s Sports Grill on Ventura Blvd in Woodland Hills. I guess being fired sucks, but it sucks a whole lot less when you’ve been paid over $40 million. Check out the rest of the story on MLB.com.
Popularity: 13%
Unattended Bag At Bus Stop Turns Out To Be Nothing. Ya Think?
Who are the people that phone in this crap? I miss the good old days when if you found a lost bag at the bus stop you checked it for valuables then tossed it in the bushes. I guess I’m old fashioned.
The intersection of Burbank Boulevard and Owensmouth Avenue in Woodland Hills was reopened at about 11:30 a.m. Monday after LAPD’s bomb squad checked out a possible suspicious package near the corner, authorities said.
The incident closed down the intersection near the Warner Gateway corporate park, barring workers from reaching or leaving their offices for almost 2 hours. Eastbound Burbank Boulevard traffic was rerouted to Topanga Canyon Boulevard.
LAPD’s bomb squad examined an unattended bag that had been left near a bus stop at the intersection’s southeast corner, said LAPD spokesman Kevin Maiberger. Police got the call about the bag at 9:43 a.m. and reopened the intersection at 11:35 a.m., he said.
Popularity: 9%
Suspicious Package Shuts Down Parts Of Warner Center
Daily News (and not Nixle) writes:
Police were checking out what they called a possible ’suspicious package’ near the intersection of Burbank Boulevard and Owensmouth Avenue in Woodland Hills around 10 a.m. Monday, authorities said.
The incident closed down the intersection near the Warner Gateway corporate park, barring workers from reaching or leaving their offices. Eastbound Burbank Boulevard traffic is being rerouted to Topanga Canyon Boulevard.
LAPD’s bomb squad was on its way to the scene to examine an unattended bag left near a bus stop at the intersection’s southeast corner, said LAPD spokesman Officer Kevin Maiberger. Police got the call about the bag at 9:43 a.m., he said.
Popularity: 7%
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