Incubator School would help keep children motivated
Re: Incubator School proposal
My son is currently a student of Grand View Elementary School teacher Sujata Bhatt. He has always been identified as gifted and therefore bored in class. I have countless books, artworks and activities he’s created over the years during class time because he wasn’t being challenged and was bored. I’ve always given him supplemental work.
However, this year is the first time he’s excited about school and what he’s learning. I’m a very hands-on parent who believes in volunteering and working in the classroom. This is the first time he has a teacher who encourages creative learning concepts and engages every child regardless of their level. Bhatt encompasses every facet of dynamic instruction and I support her endeavor as should the Los Angeles Unified School District and Board Member Steve Zimmer.
Children these days are deeply entrenched in technology so wouldn’t it make sense to implement it into learning? This is what engages children to yearn for more. We need more schools like this to help our children keep up with technology-based learning.
The school system we currently have in place is failing our children. This is an avenue for children to learn in a way that challenges and prepares them for the future and I whole heartedly support it. Hopefully the Incubator School can prove to be a model for a new way of teaching children who currently get lost in the system after elementary.
Children need innovation and enthusiasm within their schools and from their educators. I hope that the board recognizes the value the Incubator School would provide to the district and the community. By investing in programs that parents and students are choosing we can assure students will stay motivated and have better preparation for the future.
The Incubator School is an exciting concept and should have LAUSD’s support to start and grow. The city of Los Angeles will benefit from the entrepreneurs creating new local businesses and employment opportunities. The Incubator School is necessary for our children, beneficial to LAUSD and to our city.
Pilot schools are an alternative to charters and are supposed to attract and retain students who would otherwise leave the district. LAUSD needs to help pilots reach success by building awareness and outreach to potential students. Parents and students need to know there are alternatives. In order for this to happen they need to approve a site for the Incubator School immediately.
Alisha Pye-Dean

Community service fulfilled
Early on May 11, in the morning of “Big Sunday Weekend,” I performed a solo clean-up of the exterior of our local elementary school, which had not been designated as a community project.
I collected and disposed of all matter of litter.
I believed it to be a worthwhile expenditure of my time and encourage others to do likewise at any time of the year.
Walter Renzi
Palms

By Gary Walker
Loyola Marymount University and a group of nearby homeowners remain at loggerheads over the Jesuit institution’s decision last year to charge a fee for on-campus parking, which residents say has led to crowded streets and a dearth of parking spots for residents, their families and service personnel.
At a May 8 meeting in Westchester, days before the university’s 2013 commencement activities, approximately 75 people came to express their anger and frustration with LMU officials over what many in the room said was the university’s callous and cavalier attitude toward their situation in which faculty and students who do not live in the nearby residential neighborhoods use the streets for free parking.
Several members of the university’s faculty, as well as students, reside in the nearby neighborhoods.
They told stories of having their driveways blocked by student vehicles, being ridiculed by students who allegedly move residents’ refuse containers in order to find street parking and elderly homeowners being forced to walk several blocks after being unable to park in front of their residence.
LMU announced last year that beginning in January, the school would begin charging a fee for anyone who parks on the university’s property. School officials say the new system is being implemented in order to offset costs for LMU’s 20-year campus renovation, which was approved by the Los Angeles City Council in 2011.
The master plan states that the university will use the revenue from parking fees for debt service on a $35 million bond that was obtained to build a parking structure on campus that will feature 600 spaces.
A community relations board was created in the aftermath of the university’s master plan to facilitate conversations and solutions regarding matters of importance between the nearby homeowners and the university.
It is comprised of LMU representatives, the Neighborhood Council of Westchester-Playa, Councilman Bill Rosendahl’s office and the affected homeowners, and it holds meetings every three months.
Along some streets south of LMU, signs decrying the university as a “bad neighbor” were present on May 11, graduation day for LMU’s seniors. Another group of residents stood with a sign with similar messages outside the school’s south gate along Loyola Boulevard, which families and visitors to the campus often use.
The meeting, which lasted over two and a half hours, was peppered with accusations from angry neighbors who often referred to the university as a “bad neighbor” unwilling to work with them.
“It was a very spirited discussion because it’s a very challenging situation,” said LMU Vice President of Communications and Government Relations Kathleen Flanagan.
At a Feb.13 gathering, residents rejected a plan put forth by LMU to create a preferred parking district in their neighborhood as a method of restricting parking by the students. That proposal was met with the same level of hostility at the May meeting.
Nate Kaplan, Rosendahl’s Westchester field deputy, reiterated the requirements for residents who wished to explore the possibility of permit parking May 8, as he did at the February meeting.
Two-thirds of homeowners on a particular block must submit applications to the city Department of Transportation in order to begin the process of creating a preferred parking district. Asked how long it would take to obtain such a district in the outside chance that the LMU neighbors later agreed to it, Kaplan responded, “About a year.”
The university has offered to pay for two parking passes per home annually for those who wish to have preferred parking and the offer has been extended to “in perpetuity.” But the homeowners appear to remain steadfastly opposed to that option.
Many chastised LMU President David Burcham, who at a previous meeting with a small group of homeowners informed the residents that the university would not reconsider parking fees, which they say has led to a surge of vehicles of not just students and faculty into their neighborhoods but also contract workers.
LMU Community and Local Government Relations Director Clarence Griffin countered that while the number of LMU-related vehicles in the neighborhood might be problematic, most faculty and staff members remain on site.
“The majority of staff and students park on campus,” he said.
Erika Kemmerer, a homeowner on Fordham Road who lives approximately a block from the university’s entrance on Loyola Boulevard, suggested that the university could resolve the situation by folding the parking fees into students’ tuition.
She noted that as an academic institution that has social justice as part of its credo, LMU should also reconsider parking charges for contract employees who do not earn as high salaries as other workers, which makes them seek spaces in the residential neighborhood.
“This is imminently solvable,” said Kemmerer, who is a member of the advisory board.
Daniel Coyle, LMU alumnus, said when he was a student, the university charged for parking in the 1990s and it was included in his annual tuition.
Like all of those who spoke on permit parking, Coyle said he was opposed to the idea and pledged to do whatever is necessary to help his fellow homeowners.
“I will volunteer my time and money to defeat LMU,” he said.
Flanagan said the university has not had a fee-based system for parking on site for over a decade and it has never been part of a student’s tuition.
“We used to charge $200 for parking which we stopped in 1999 as a condition of the CUP (conditional use permit) when we acquired University Hall,” she explained.
University Hall, which houses many of the university’s administrative offices, library, cafeteria, auditoriums and some classrooms, was once the property of the Howard Hughes Corp. until it was obtained by LMU.
Another reason for not incorporating parking fees with tuition is one of fairness, LMU officials say. “A large percentage of our students are on financial aid and don’t have cars,” she noted. “As a fairness issue, we believe (charging parking for students who do not own cars) is not fair.”
Judyth Axline, who lives on One West Bluff, says students have been parking in her neighborhood across from LMU for several years. She says students often park there and jaywalk across the narrow street, and are ripe for accidents.
“We thought for a time that it would be nice to live across from LMU, but not anymore,” said Axline. “We did not move to the community to become the LMU parking annex.”
Flanagan said she has been told by a number of residents that they favor having preferred parking as a possible solution to keeping student vehicles out of the neighborhood. “It has worked well in other areas of the city where there are educational institutions,” she said.
Others argued that the university should revisit the issuance of the bond for the parking structure.
Flanagan said that was also out of the question at this point. “We essentially made an agreement in the master plan and we gave up quite a lot when we did it,” she noted. “But at this point, to change the terms of the agreement would be impossible.”
The prospect of litigation rose to the forefront publicly for the first time among some residents. Others suggested acts of civil disobedience and Axline encouraged them to involve print and television media more in their cause against the university.
Kemmerer said that she had contacted several of the university’s board of trustees members and provided those who wished to do so with a copy of the members’ address and contact information in order to get them to weigh in on the parking fees.
“I would urge the community to get involved,” she said.

NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL OF WESTCHESTER-PLAYA VICE PRESIDENT MARK REDICK (second from left) submitted a motion that created a change in the council’s bylaws regarding sanctions for
non-compliance with ethics training.

By Gary Walker
The Neighborhood Council of Westchester-Playa revamped what one high-ranking board member thought was an integral part of its bylaws May 9.
Vice President Mark Redick’s motion to amend the council’s bylaws that would allow the board president to remove a member who has not taken ethics training within three months after being sworn in passed unanimously.
“If we’re not compliant with the training, we shouldn’t be voting… period,” said board President Cyndi Hench.
The Los Angeles Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, as well as the City Council, mandates that all members of neighborhood councils pass conflict of interest training every two years.
The rules change is not retroactive.
In addition to the restructuring of the rules pertaining to ethics training, another board member spoke of additional changes to some of the seats on the council, which some feel were created specifically for certain local and business interests when the board was certified a dozen years ago.
Craig Eggers told the council that he believes some seats cater to businesses interests.
“I think that as an advisory council we have an obligation to periodically review our bylaws and standing rules,” Eggers told The Argonaut after the meeting. “I see advisory councils as a living organism and sometimes things change.”
Redick said few if any of these representatives bring any seat-specific interests to the board. “How many times have we seen an agenda item for the express benefit of senior citizens?” he asked.
Eggers said that as part of a continuing conversation, he would like to consider the possible elimination or renaming of all of the special interest seats.
The Westchester-Playa neighborhood council has several seats apportioned for what some on the council and in its local communities believe represent specific special interests, unlike other local boards in The Argonaut coverage area.
Venice, Mar Vista and Del Rey have similar officer positions on their councils but the remaining seats are at-large or residential seats that represent a certain neighborhood or area. Westchester-Playa has three seats for business directors, one income property seat, one position each representing senior citizens and religious organizations, a service club seat and one seat each for Los Angeles World Airports and Loyola Marymount University.
Ironically, Westchester residents are currently engaged in a fierce battle with the last two entities and have openly discussed litigation against the airport agency and LMU.
Redick thinks the special board seats should be eliminated in time for the 2014 neighborhood council elections. “To some people, (having special interest seats) looks exclusionary, not inclusionary,” he said.
Playa del Rey resident Marcia Hanscom is one such person. She thinks the positions were created with the express purpose of catering to local business interests.
“These seats were mostly used historically to help pad the board with people who were allies of Playa Vista, (the LAX) Coastal Area Chamber of Commerce and LAWA, while still ‘appearing’ to be showing some sort of diversity of interests,” asserted Hanscom, the executive director of the environmental group the Ballona Institute. “Most of us were not fooled.
“If I, for example, would have run for the seat for the community organization, I imagine some sort of challenge would have been made.”
Hanscom expressed a sentiment that many in “lower” Playa have for years: that the board is not representative of the interests of those who live and work on Culver Boulevard and the surrounding neighborhoods below Pershing Drive.
Terry Marcellus, a former member of the local council, thinks no harm can come from taking a look at how the board is configured.
“When we were first certified, my impression was that in our standard Westchester-Playa way of being inclusive, we brought in everyone,” said Marcellus, a former education committee chair. “But I certainly think it is an interesting and legitimate area to reexamine.”
Hench said it would be better to address any possible changes in board seats and their descriptions next year, in large part because almost all of the seats on the council are currently occupied.
“Changes of that magnitude would require a lot more discussion,” she said.
Redick disagrees. “We need to start fleshing out these ideas before next year,” he countered. “I think we should have another conversation about this within the next 30 days.”
Eggers agrees with Redick. “It’s a longer process than just a few meetings,” he said.
The change to the portion of the council bylaws on ethics received a unanimous vote.
Hench announced that she thought the entire board was now in compliance with ethics training. But that is a recent occurrence.
Several members have been voting after their conflict of interest certificates have long expired, including some who have been on the local council for two terms or more.
The Argonaut published an article before the Oct. 28 neighborhood council elections where it detailed how several officeholders at the time in Venice, Westchester-Playa, Del Rey and Mar Vista asked for their constituents to return them to office again but had not taken the city’s online conflict of interest course.
Four incumbents ran for reelection to the Westchester-Playa council last year who were not in compliance with city-mandated ethics training, according to DONE: Thomas Flintoft, David Voss, Geoff Maleman and Andrew Kamm. The certificates of all four expired in 2011 and they all passed the online course again late last year except Flintoft, who took the course again in March.
Hench, Sybil Buchanan and Nora MacLellan have been among the most consistent board members in complying with ethics training.
Redick, who took his ethics training upon being appointed to the council and prior to last year’s election, said there was no legitimate reason for allowing the training to lapse for more than a year.
“It’s inexcusable and unconscionable,” he said. “There’s no excuse for the failure to comply with this (city mandated) law.”
Councilman Bill Rosendahl, who represents Westchester-Playa, was dismayed upon learning that there were members seeking reelection who had not taken ethics training when he was told last October. “For me there’s no excuse (for not to take ethics training),” he said.
He offered voters in his district advice when they went to the polls last year.
“I urge my constituents not to vote for any (incumbent) who has not taken ethics training,” the councilman asserted.
Redick said he was “stunned” to learn that there were members of the board who were out of compliance and ran for reelection in October. “I would urge my friends and neighbors not to vote for someone who has not complied with ethics training,” he said, echoing Rosendahl.
The new bylaws also state that in the case of seated members, they can be removed if they are out of compliance with ethics training for three months.

SEVERAL RESIDENTS of Santa Monica have expressed opposition to the concept of “opportunity sites” under the proposed Downtown Specific Plan, which would allow for exceptions to height regulations in exchange for community benefits. One such site includes the Fairmont Miramar hotel, where a 261-foot-tall tower is being planned as part of a remodel.

By Vince Echavaria
With the subject of development in downtown Santa Monica at the forefront of a community meeting, several residents took the opportunity to denounce an identification for sites where height limits have not been set, arguing that size restrictions should be the same for all development projects throughout downtown.
Hundreds of community members filled the east wing of the Civic Auditorium May 6 for the meeting addressing the proposed Downtown Specific Plan, with many offering feedback, including concerns of overdevelopment and residents’ exclusion from the process.
City planners noted that the event was intended to receive input from the community on issues related to the downtown plan and the process, which launched in 2011, is still in its early stages.
“This is a work in progress; no decisions have been made for this project so far,” Francie Stefan, planning manager for the Downtown Specific Plan, told the audience.
The Downtown Specific Plan focuses on categories including preserving neighborhood character, circulation and parking, pedestrian orientation uses and the built environment. For the core of the downtown area, building height limits currently range from 76 to 84 feet and drop to 50 to 60 feet and lower heading east.
A key issue of concern for residents has been some recent project proposals along Ocean Avenue that would exceed existing height regulations.
One such project is the planned remodel of the Fairmont Miramar hotel site at Wilshire Boulevard and Ocean Avenue that would include a 21-story tower reaching 261 feet.
Two blocks south, at Santa Monica Boulevard and Ocean, developer Worthe Real Estate is proposing to construct a 244-foot-tall, 125-room hotel designed by renowned Santa Monica architect Frank Gehry that would also involve a 36,000-square foot museum campus. There have also been discussions of a tower reaching a height of 195 feet as one of three buildings proposed at the current Holiday Inn parcel at Ocean and Colorado Avenue.
Each of the projects have been floated on what are identified in the downtown plan as “opportunity sites,” eight locations in which applicants would be allowed to exceed height and density restrictions in exchange for providing significant community benefits such as affordable housing and open space.
Stefan explained that city staff selected the sites based on those that cover large lots, have efficient parking, are in close proximity to transit and provide public space opportunities. The city has not set standards in regards to height for those locations and is continuing to work with the community to determine such specifics, Stefan told the audience.
“We have not put forward any height or (floor area ratio) parameters for the opportunity sites,” she said.
The concept of opportunity sites was a focal point of the development debate for several speakers at the May 6 meeting. Some rejected the notion of enabling developers to surpass size regulations on select sites, while others said they would be willing to consider the exception if it meant receiving benefits for the community like the museum at the Gehry-designed parcel.
Speakers opposed to the concept said the opportunity sites would give developers “open-ended” options for their projects and they argued that all downtown developments should be held to the 84-foot height limit. Resident Eleanor Bloomenberg urged planners to ensure that the plan “deal with the totality of the area and not eliminate rules and regulations for the opportunity sites.”
While many residents expressed gratitude for the chance to live in a beach town like Santa Monica, some say the collection of large development projects will add to traffic and parking problems and change the character of the area. Lawrence Eubank, a member of a local neighborhood coalition, said the group believes that residents have not been considered stakeholders in the specific plan process and that the opportunity sites would lead to “unrestricted scale, height and density.”
Longtime Sunset Park resident and land use attorney John Murdock said that despite planners’ comments to the contrary, “the train has left the station,” in terms of having projects like the Gehry-designed hotel further along than perceived. He was not impressed at some of the features offered as community benefits for the “opportunity” projects.
“We’re not giving away the city in exchange for the things that the city is supposed to provide,” he said. “We’re not giving up a beautiful community in order to get back a few tokens from developers who are lining up to get these opportunity sites.”
Diana Gordon, co-chair of the Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City, also argued that the downtown plan is further along than city planners are indicating and called on residents to “take back our city.” She added that the approved Land Use and Circulation Element requires a downtown plan that sets heights and densities similar to projects located in the rest of the city.
Other speakers were not as quick to slam the opportunity site concept, saying buildings should have the option of going higher when they offer amenities that could be a resource for the overall community. Resident Jerry Rubin pointed to a proposed observation deck at the Gehry-designed hotel, noting that although the developer has suggested charging a fee to visit the deck, the funds would go toward Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District schools.
City Councilman Kevin McKeown, who was one of several elected officials in the audience, said he attended the meeting to hear directly from the community what they want or don’t want for the downtown skyline. He said the opportunity site projects will be handled separately from the Downtown Specific Plan through development agreements, each requiring Planning Commission hearings and City Council approval with public input.
“Height is not the sole determinant for any project, but like traffic generation, it generates genuine concern,” McKeown said of the topic that drew many residents to the meeting. “Santa Monica has managed over the years to retain a more human scale than some nearby areas. This restraint has been highly valued by many residents, who feel downtown discussions so far have not adequately weighed height.”

The 34th annual Venice Art Walk & Auctions, benefiting the Venice Family Clinic, will feature a silent art auction at Google’s Venice offices and tours of artists’ studios Sunday, May 19.

The 34th annual Venice Art Walk & Auctions, featuring artist studio tours and a silent art auction to benefit the Venice Family Clinic, will take place Sunday, May 19.
Through an expanded month-long calendar of events, the 2013 Venice Art Walk & Auctions will encompass exclusive artist studio and architecture tours where visitors can meet with the artists, and a silent art auction at Google’s offices in Venice. The art walk also featured architecture and biking tours last month.
Proceeds from the event will go to the Venice Family Clinic, the largest free clinic in the United States.
This year’s art walk celebrates the achievements of two signature artists, Larry Bell and John Van Hamersveld. Bell is a contemporary American artist and sculptor whose 40 years of work can be found in the collections of many art aficionados, public spaces, major museums and cultural institutions, while Van Hamersveld is a renowned graphic designer, illustrator and artist perhaps best known for creating the iconic image for “The Endless Summer,” the seminal 1966 surf movie.
The curatorial committee for the 2013 Venice Art Walk & Auctions is composed of some well-known names in the art, architecture and philanthropy communities including Robert Berman, Laddie John Dill, Andrea Fiuczynski, John Geresi, David Hertz, Constance Lawton, Sam Lubell, Leo Marmol, Laura Maslon, Eliza Osborne, Barbara Schwan, Ali Subotnick and Billie Milam Weisman.
The silent art auction at Google Los Angeles, 340 Main St. in Venice, will showcase hundreds of paintings, photographs and sculptures by renowned Southern California artists including Ed Ruscha, Andy Moses, Kelly Berg, Kenny Harris, Ned Evans and Gregg Chadwick.
A Family Fun Day will include games, music and family-friendly activities outside the Google headquarters in Venice. The community celebration features food trucks, music and live performances.
Also on May 19, visitors can tour studios of local artists east of Lincoln Boulevard and west of Abbot Kinney Boulevard, including a special exhibit with Jacob Kassay and visit the studios of Guy Webster, Pentti Monkkonen and Liz Kraft.
A $50 donation grants exclusive access to participating artists’ studios, gallery exhibits, live art performances and special food and beverage offers.
For tickets, event schedules, and information, www.theveniceartwalk.org.

By Richard Foss (Richard@RichardFoss.com)

I drove past the Melody Bar & Grill thousands of times without stopping in – I worked in Westchester for years, but often sped past the neighborhood of car rental offices and businesses on the highway. I did notice it a few years ago when the old-fashioned paint job was replaced with a whimsical retro sign, but still didn’t stop in. It wasn’t until a friend raved about a set of concerts called Guitarology that happened there that I visited, and I expected the food to be an afterthought.
It isn’t, but before I even talk about that I have to say something about the ambiance of the Melody. You travel back about 50 years as soon as you step inside and see knotty pine walls, tinplate-style roof and flocked wallpaper, and the long central bar with candles at the corners. It looks very much like a 1920s bar that was updated in the 1950s and preserved in amber, and it’s beautiful.
Alongside the main room are a pair of smaller spaces, one a tiki-themed room featuring pool tables and a coin-operated claw machine that allows you to select lobsters to be cooked as soon as you chase them down. (I suppose you could also take them home as pets, but I’m betting most don’t get that reprieve). I didn’t try the machine – my skills with those have been unimpressive even with a stationary target, though I have excellent success with getting food by ordering from menus.
The selection here strays outside the retro zone, though you can certainly get burgers, steaks and wings. Someone referred to the food here as “Gastrodive,” which is such a good term that I wish I had coined it.
We started old-school with grilled asparagus and deviled eggs. I often order deviled eggs because they’re too much work to make at home – it’s not the kind of thing you do for one or two people. When I do make them I like to add curry powder or Old Bay seasoning, and some restaurants take this simple item into outré territory with exotic spices, chopped chives and bacon. These eggs were traditional, with a dash of dry mustard, paprika, and gentle herbs, but that was all that was needed. As for the asparagus, it was a large pile of thin stalks fresh from the grill, with a light char-lending smoky flavor. Both went nicely with a high-octane mai tai from the bar, which put me in a benevolent mood as I considered the entrees.
Steaks and a few complex modern items are offered, but we decided to stay semi-traditional – a Melody burger on a pretzel roll, ahi tuna burger with wasabi mayo, and macaroni and cheese with bacon, cheddar and jalapenos. I was swayed to the burger because I like pretzel buns, but everything about this worked – it came from the kitchen in the medium-rare that was requested, which is by no means common at bars, and the toppings of caramelized bacon, gorgonzola, roasted tomato, avocado and spinach were an interesting balance indeed.
The tuna sandwich was a bit more conventional – fish patty, mayo with just a touch of wasabi, grilled onions and capers, and tomato on a wheat bun. The menu called the patty an ahi blend but didn’t say what it was blended with – a milder fish, certainly, because I found it a bit bland. My wife was the one who ordered it and she liked it very much, which was what mattered. The mac and cheese was unusual – fusilli instead of the usual elbow, which I approved of, and it used curiously mild jalapenos; the bacon was as least as strong a flavor. Even the self-proclaimed spice wimp at the table liked it.
For dessert, my companions were enchanted by the idea of the fried banana with caramel and chocolate sauces and whipped cream, which sounded too sweet for me so I invested in another adult beverage. It turned out too sweet even for them – we might have liked it with just the chocolate sauce, but it was over the edge.
The service was excellent, from a wisecracking waitress whose name I would include if I remembered it – she made us welcome and added to the joy of the evening. The irony of it all? The instrumental guitar series that I had come to see had been canceled, but not removed from their website, so I didn’t get the music I came for. I got something else – an enjoyable evening of very good food in a delightful atmosphere.

Melody Bar & Grill is at 9132 S. Sepulveda Blvd., just north of Los Angeles International Airport in Westchester. Street parking in front or lot in rear. Open midweek 11:30 a.m. – 2 a.m., weekends 9 a.m. – 2 a.m., full bar. Wheelchair access OK, live entertainment some nights. Karaoke on Mondays. Website barmelodylax.com. 310-670-1994.