National Niteout Against Crime

The Rampart Rangers, alone this year, had a major neighborhood watch turnout, march, and  feast. Some 200 plus residents participated in a candle lite march asserting their primacy in this historically troubled area.  Supported entirely by local businesses and churches.   Other vicinities, had only pro forma vestiges of past activity. Geoff Saldivar, head honcho, is to be congratulated. Geoff, remember, has had every personal reason to retire for a decade from civic endeavors.  That he is emerging  from the recent  loss of both parents, closest associates, is a tribute to  character over circumstance.

Personals:  Our Two Virginias:

Virginia Levy, longtime staff member of the Hollywood Independent, and irrepressible civic activist,  has been ‘housebound’. Infirmities consequent to age which she has so long blithely ignored, have had temporary success.

Virginia Charon, had a major hear attack and left side paralysis, in early August.  That she was out of Cedars-Sinai in 10 days & now walking up and down her block and gaining strength every day, is due to luck, friends, devoted neighbors, her indomitable disposition, and, a happy outcome of ‘what go’s around, comes around’.

Luck, & etc. she had been on the phone at the time, & quickly delivered to Cedars-Sinai. With a gravely critical condition, the prognosis was lousy. But, one person, very tangently acquainted, learned of her plight & undertook to visit her every day, to supervise, assist in early exercises, hallway walks, and paid for the remodeling of her home for optimal use....i.e. a shower/bath suited to an invalid, etc.

Those who know her and of her respect her straight forward stance, she calls ‘em as she see’s ‘em.   This is so rare.,particularly in public matters, that professionals esteem her, whether she’s for or against an issue.  In this instance, her benefactor, was no ‘professional’, simply one prominently involved in an issue of civic change...&.one she had not supported. But his character and his perception of hers was such that: virtue mattered, and needed succor. I won’t mention his name. He wouldn't want it.

Proposed new housing:   121 condominium units are proposed for the southwest corner of Highland Ave & Franklin Ave.  Set to the Southerly side and with a great garden @ the corner, it would seem to put desirable affordable new ‘homes’  in our vicinity.   Objections raised in neighborhood discussions have to do with the 12 story height and view imparments. 

Neighborhood Councils:

With a population of some 270,000 people in an extended area,, it was to be that our  Old Hollywood couldn’t  be represented by only one ‘neighborhood’ council.

After predictable major collisions, and, monstrous ‘collateral damage’ inherent in the naive concept, we are familiar with 2 of the 4+ emerging entities, the less so with others..so we will report only on those of whom we have some knowledge.

Hollywood Central Neighborhood Council:

Headed by DEBBY WEHBY,  Principal of ‘Hollywood’s Little Red School house’.  Hollywood Central  is organizng their turf.   Our JON JAY is actively involved in ‘outreach’  efforts to ensure that residents are timely advised of activities and issues.

Major problems, as ever, seem to be: public prostitution, sale of drugs, etc.

Happily, some long standing residential  parking problems have been resolved,  The De Longre Park, indeed, as are all mini-parks is beset with a multitude of problems...and a limited city budget and ‘effective purview’.

Hollywood Hills West Neighborhood Council:

In June elections were held for officers and committee chairs.  We urged a local concerned resident to stand for this area’s Chair.  Paul Woolsey, did so and won. Area #3 has since had effective local meetings dealing with local problems. 

In concert with our LAPD/Community Service Center’s weekly session “Coffee with a Cop”  severe local problems are heard by our local city attorney, our Senior Lead officer, and various invited specialists.  These have been resounding successes and the last  attended by our Supervisiing SLO. Sgt Harris & Commander Downing of our Hollywood Division. This concept: Coffee with a Cop’ was first thought of by our Supervising Volunteer ROBIN MORENO, and enthusiastically implemented by our SLO Maria Gholisadeh. We understand that it is to be adopted in other areas as well.

These are meetings ‘where the rubber meets the road’. Specific problems are voiced and work begun on their resolution....Bill Kysella, our 18th Div. city Att. has certainly been guaranteed full employment..

Hopefully, by this printing, a netsite HHWNC.ORG. will be operational and, all those  interested able to access pertinent meetings & agendas in  such a timely fashion as to allow their timely understanding.& effective opinion on matters; both extant and prospective, impacting their lives, i.e.:

• The absence of any coherent City Plan or rational concept, with respect to ‘redevelopment’ of our Old Hollywood’  In it’s absence,  speculators are encouraged to temporise, and thus we see a mass of ‘trendy’ applications vieing for any and every site applying for permits for late hour entertainments, liquor & other wise. The mindless CIM project Cherokee east has long deep sixed, and 2 applications are expected for that block, one now in process. The Vogue and the Fox theatres have been tailored to accomodate such.  The Las Palmas nite club,is in process of having it’s entertainment license revolked,  having failed to comply with the rudiments of conditions imposed to minimize disturbance to neighboring residents, according to testimony @ the Police Commission.   The same operator has reopened a Cahuenga site, and accordingto neighbors immediately adjacent, has been operating sans any permit at all.!!

Yours, still, for a nicer Old Hollywood.
 

 John Ehretz
co-Chair, Steering Committee
ph  323  465-3505
fax  323  465-3525
email  ehretz@pacbell.net
postal  1811 Wilcox Avenue
            Hollywood, CA 90028