Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Kuykendall Says Late Nite Robocall Is A Fake

When the phone rings at 11:30 at night, you figure it's an emergency...someone is sick, someone died. No one calls at 11:30 p.m. to chat.

So when our phone rang last night at 11:30, my husband and I both jumped. He grabbed the phone, said "hello" and then nothing more. He listened for a minute or so and then hung up. 

"Who was it?" I asked.

"One of those calls to vote no on Prop. P."

"From who?"

"Steve Kuykendall."

I looked at the clock. It said 11:20. I was so mad, I hopped out of bed and on to the computer, looked up Steve Kuykendall's email address and fired off an angry letter.( I debated about calling him, but decided I didn't want to get down to the same level.)

This morning I received this email from Steve Kuykendall:

Hello everyone...
The recorded call you received last night was from an imposter.  I did not record the call nor did I give permission for my name to be used. In fact the caller couldn't even pronounce my name correctly. I have been an ardent supporter of the Marymount Plan and Measure P from the beginning.  These dirty campaign tactics have become all too common place in campaigns and this type of action by the No on Measure P folks is just another example of campaigns run amuck.  The opponents of Measure P owe an apology to the entire community.  Unfortunately, they know they must obscure the truth because the facts are on the side of Measure P.”
Steve Kuykendall
PS  Please forward to any others you think may have been disturbed by this call.  Thanks!
Steven T. Kuykendall
Steven T. Kuykendall & Associates
400 West Ocean Blvd, Suite 2403
Long Beach, CA 90802

Phone 562.432.8252
Mobile 310.968.9388
The best thing about the election being over is that my mailbox will not be filled with junk mail every day and my telephone will not be ringing on the hour with robocallers telling me how to vote on every candidate and proposition.

The flyers are worthless. 

The calls are annoying. 

The TV spots are ridiculous. 

None of them provide me with what I need before I go into the voting booth today: factual information, relevant background, and well-mannered, thoughtful discussion about the candidates and the issues.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Ride To Fly Kids, And Their Horses, Will Be Wearing Costumes This Thursday

Members of Ride To Fly, the therapeutic riding program that trains in the corral at 50 Narcissa Drive, will be celebrating Halloween this Thursday, October 28, from 2 to 4 p.m. 

The kids and their horses will be in costume and they will be trick or treating in the neighborhood. Please give them a friendly wave, and perhaps even a treat, if you see them.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Mr. Long, You're Wrong

I received one of those annoying robocalls from RPV Councilman Tom Long the other day. You know what a robocall is, right? It's a recorded message from someone with a political ax to grind and they're too busy to talk to you but they want you to drop whatever you're doing and listen to them because whatever they have to say is SO important. But because it's a one-sided flood of information, you can't ask questions or say anything back.

So I thought I'd have my say here.

According to Mr. Long, I should vote "no" on Prop. P because Marymount College can build everything in its plan just the way it wants to, right now.

Unfortunately, the devil is in the details, Mr. Long. But I would not have known that if I had not gone to the PBCA Board Meeting a couple of weeks ago and heard Marymount President Dr. Michael Brophy and Planning Commissioner Jim Wright discuss the pros and cons of Proposition P in a friendly, well-mannered and detailed way. 

What I learned that night is that on the last go-round of the Marymount plan, when the college received its final approval from the city council, the council had made two minor changes to the plan, which no one seems to be discussing.

First: the council lowered the height of the gymnasium 10 feet.  This seemed, to Dr. Brophy, to be a somewhat arbitrary change because the issue of view obstruction had been discussed at length during the previous years of negotiation about the plan.  The question was, would the height of the gym, as planned, obstruct the view of any neighbors who lived above the site?  According to Brophy, the college had agreed that when the time came to build the gym, they would put up flags to mark the intended roof line, and if it impacted any views, they would lower the roof of the gym. But the council, in its wisdom, made the change in the final plan anyway and never explained why.

Second: the council changed the location of two of the four planned tennis courts, making that part of the plan, in Marymount's eyes, unworkable. Here's why: The planned soccer field is adjacent to Palos Verdes Drive East, a curvy, heavily-traveled road that runs right by the campus. Although the field will be 10 feet below the level of the road, and is topped by a five foot wall, leaving 15 feet between road and field, there were concerns on the part of some council members that a wayward soccer ball might fly up on to the road and cause an accident. To mitigate the problem, Marymount agreed that during games and practices, they would raise a net to make the barrier between ball and road even higher. Up until the last meeting, everyone on both sides had agreed to that solution.

Now comes the bothersome detail that no one is discussing:

The original Marymount plan called for construction of four tennis courts to be located between the soccer field and the rest of the campus.  When Marymount got the final approval for its plan, it discovered that the city council had split the courts, putting two between the edge of campus and the soccer field, and two in the original location, on the other side of the soccer field. The purpose of this was to move the soccer field farther from the adjacent road, further decreasing the likelihood that a soccer ball would fly up on the road and cause an accident. 

But, this change meant that the four tennis courts would be split by the width of the soccer field. Brophy said that this situation is completely unworkable for both instruction and competitive use of the courts. And if you look at the plan, you have to agree. 

None of this had anything to do with dorms, libraries or any of the other land-use issues associated with the plan and Prop. P. And admittedly, these two things might be considered minor points. But Mr. Long, if you want me to listen to your calls, please get all your details right.

As for the other, perhaps bigger, issues surrounding Measure P, more on that later.

But I hope the person who invented the robocall rots in hell.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Let's All Go See What the Artists See This Saturday At Zask's Gallery; Saturday's a Big Day for Portuguese Bend

Some people call it "old junk." 

But artists see with different eyes...(which is why they are artists)...so they see "interesting,"" beautiful," "opportunity for creativity" and even "fun."

You can see the result of all this Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m. at the grand opening of the new show at the PS Zask Gallery, in the gallery's new location, 31246 Palos Verdes Drive West, upstairs, across from the entrance to the Admiral Risty restaurant.

The show, Lost But Profound, will feature works by a group of artists whose primary medium is the found object. These include M.C. Armstrong, Charity Capili, Pat  Cox, Peg Grady, Jen Grey, Beanie Kaman, Geoffrey Kieran, Dorothy Magallon, Kelly O, Stan Resnicoff, Marian Seiders, Silvia Simmons, Mark Tanner, Patrick M. Tierney, Susan Levin, Joyce Weiss, Michael Wood and last, but certainly not least, Ben Zask.

Also on the agenda for the evening: live jazz by the Mark Fitchett Trio, and if you come early, you can watch the sunset.

With its  new location, the Gallery also has new hours: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 5 to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from noon to 9:30 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. The gallery is closed Monday. 

Coming soon: arts and crafts for sale on the patio on weekends. Also some classes. 

This all sounds like lots of fun. Why not make Saturday a Portuguese Bend day? We've got the community garage sale in the morning, college football on tv in the afternoon, and the opening of a new show in the Zask's new gallery in the evening. Saturday's a big day for Portuguese Bend. 

See you at the show?

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Flyers and Letters to the Editor Don't Do It For Me; I Hope Monday's Board Meeting Clears Up My Confusion

I am really looking forward to Monday's PBCA Board meeting, particularly the part where neighbor and Planning Commissioner Jim Knight and a representative from Marymount College discuss Proposition P. 

I gather, from the proliferation of Pro and Anti Prop P signs in our neighborhood, that many neighbors have made up their minds on this issue. However, I'm still confused and I'm hoping to get enlightened Monday.

In general, I tend to be pro-education and I think that a college is a great addition to the community. I've read the news stories and letters to the editor in the PV News, and I've read all the mailers that have arrived in our mailbox, but I still don't feel as if I really understand the issue. 

A recent telephone call from a Marymount booster did not clarify things at all. 

"Ring, ring."

"Hello."

"Hi. I'm calling about Proposition P. Are you familiar with it?" a cheerful woman's voice asked.

"As a matter of fact, I've just been reading about it in the paper, so I sort of know what it's about but I do have a few questions," I replied.

"Well, then you know that voting for Prop P will give the community a library, a gymnasium and all sorts of other facilities that will be open to the public," she enthused.

"But I thought that the city had already approved that," I replied. "I thought that the major issue here was dorms."

Silence.

"Isn't that right?" I asked. More silence. 

I continued: "I think your approach isn't quite honest. You're telling me all about the things we're going to get  if I vote for Prop P, but I thought that those things had already been approved by the city. Isn't that right?"

The next thing I heard was "click." She hung up.

The pro-Prop P flyers are equally unhelpful.  The latest one features a local father  and five-year soccer coach telling me that if I vote for Prop P my kids will get new playing fields, at no cost to the taxpayer. But none of the changes approved by the city called for any tax money in the first place.

So I'm still confused. I thought the issue was dorms.

I could use some explanation pro and con, in words of one syllable, from both sides so that I can understand the issue and make an educated decision when it comes time to vote. I'm hoping to get that Monday. 

See you there? Ladera Linda. 7 p.m. 
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Monday, September 27, 2010

Residents Turn Out In Force to Discuss Problems and Solutions; Main Concerns: Appearance, Safety

It was really exciting to see so many people at the September PBCA Board Meeting. The room was so full that latecomers had to set up extra chairs! Hopefully this community involvement will continue at the next meeting, October 4.

Applause greeted the board announcement that Suzanne Black Griffith will fill the board position left empty by the resignation of Board President Casey Porter. Suzanne, who grew up in Portuguese Bend, is now an attorney, and she and her husband, Mike, live in what used to be her parents' home. The board announced that Suzanne's first task will be to review the revised CC&Rs and the By-laws and make sure that all comments submitted by residents are either included or give reasons why they were excluded.

The remainder of the meeting was filled with a good deal of discussion about the general appearance of the Bend, kicked off by Jeanne Smolley's question as to whether there were different enforcement policies for the East and West Sides of the area. Tim Kelly, who appears to be serving as the new Board president, said that it was his understanding that the rules were enforced more loosely on the East Side because of the unique problems of land movement faced by residents living there. 

Continued discussion of related issues throughout the evening seemed to reveal that many residents, including those on the East side, would like to see the regulations enforced  equally throughout the Bend. 

Long time resident Betty Strauss said,  "We're not here to be critical but there are issues" and she asked how residents could work together with the board to solve them. That eventually led to formation of a Safety and Security Committee, which Mike Griffith volunteered to chair. Primary concerns at this point seem to be gate maintenance, possible remodeling of the Narcissa gate, and fire prevention. Residents who are interested in serving on this committee should contact Mike.

Several questions were raised about specific properties on the East Side. Board members reported that one owner has purchased a chipper and is at work removing a large amount of accumulated foliage on his properties. Additionally, it was reported that the eight containers stored at the end of Peppertree would be gone by the end of the week. (As of two days ago, three remained.)

Board member Mike Cooper said that the piles of dirt and ground up asphalt stored at the end of Peppertree, and at Pony Club, will be gone when the road work, including work on Limetree, is finished. He noted that the large equipment stored at Pony Club belongs to the contractor doing the road work throughout Portuguese Bend.  A discussion between board members and a Limetree property owner about how to widen the end of the street did not reach a mutually agreeable conclusion.

In response to concerns about a coming onslaught of tumbleweed, Pat Burt reminded everyone that property owners are responsible for maintaining  their own property, including pulling out tumbleweed, keep trees trimmed and property looking attractive.

As to enforcement of architectural standards throughout the community, it was suggested that two people be added to the architectural committee to deal specifically with this issue. No one volunteered for that job. Anyone interested in taking on that task probably should contact a Board member. Betty Strauss asked just what enforcement capabilities were available to the Board.  The response: the Board can send letters asking for compliance with architectural standards within a certain time frame. Failure to comply can result in a fine. Finally, the Board can put a lien on the house for the amount of the fine,  which would be paid upon sale of the house.

A property owner who bought an East Side lot 15 years ago said that he wants to grow plants on his property and has discovered that a driveway that formerly existed has vanished and access is now blocked by a water line. He was advised to contact the water  company. He also said he wanted to put a small building on his lot to store his gardening equipment. He was informed that this was a violation of the architectural code.

Bob Halderman asked about a community garage sale and the Board agreed to schedule it for October 23. No chairman was named.



Monday, September 13, 2010

A Local Artist Talks About the Beauty of Our Special Area

When you set up a Google alert, you never know what you're going to find in your email. Today, I found this lovely video by Dan Pinkham, in which he extolls the virtues of our special area and the efforts of the Portuguese Bend Artist Colony to capture its unique beauty and quality of life. He also talks about the group's relationship to Terranea.

Try it. I think you'll like it.


And thanks, Dan, for speaking so eloquently about our wonderful area.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Don't Forget: PBCA Board Meeting Monday Night

What's on the agenda for tomorrow at 7 p.m at Ladera Linda?

Only the Shadow knows!

Well, not quite. We DO know that they're going to announce the name of the new board member.

Other than that, it's anyone's guess, 'cuz there's no agenda.

If you elect not to go to the meeting tomorrow, then if something happens there that you disapprove of, don't bitch. You made your choice.

Of course, you can read the minutes of the meeting if you go to the board meeting to get a copy. But they will be the minutes from TWO months ago (i.e. July), not the minutes from last month (August). If you want to read those minutes, you have to wait until NEXT month (October).  The Board will approve the minutes from last month, tomorrow night. They don't read them aloud, however. The board members just read them to themselves and either amend or approve as is. Those minutes won't be available for any community members to read until NEXT month.

Under the circumstances, it's a little hard to stay current but that's the way the system works, folks.

And that's why it pays to attend the meetings if you want to know what's going on in your community.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

New PBCA Board Member To Be Named Monday, September 13

According to a notice posted on the bulletin boards at both the Narcissa and Peppertree gates, the board will be filling the vacancy created by the resignation of Casey Porter, at its meeting Monday, September 13 at 7 p.m. at Ladera Linda.

There is no indication as to what else is on the agenda, although the California Civil Code, SECTION 1363 (e), (regarding Homeowner Associations), states that: "Notice of Meetings (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, notice of meetings of the members shall specify those matters the board intends to present for action by the members, but, except as otherwise provided by law, any proper matter may be presented at the meeting for action." (Italics are mine.)

In any event, you might want to mark your calendars and come and see who will be selected to join the Board for the balance of the two year term.

And, there's always the chance that some other interesting stuff will occur. Or, if you have any questions or comments about what's going on in the Bend, the monthly meeting always provides a convenient and public forum.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Is Anybody There? Does Anybody Care?

If the RPV City Council judges public interest in an issue by the number of warm bodies that occupy seats at the council meetings, then they must feel that absolutely no one in the community cares about item 16 on last night's agenda: "Potential Impact Resulting from Proposed Class C Airspace Designation Surrounding the Long Beach Airport."

Not one person from Portuguese Bend was at the meeting. Except me.

And when the mayor asked if anyone had signed up for public comments, the response from the clerk was "no."

Maybe you were watching the council meeting on tv at home. If so, you saw and heard the presentation about how this will impact our area, increasing air traffic (and resulting noise) over Torrance and RPV four fold, increasing air pollution, and raising issues of safety for both pilots and residents.

If you didn't watch it on tv, you can watch the re-run of the meeting on the RPV website. 

And if you simply don't care about this issue, then in a couple of years, when noise and air pollution around here increase, and your kids get asthma, and you can't hear yourself think, don't moan to your neighbor that nobody ever tells you what's going on.

All I can think of is that famous quote, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." The exact words, and even the source of the quote, are a subject of dispute, but the thought still works for me.
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Tuesday, September 7, 2010

If You Care About Quality of Life in Portuguese Bend, Attend Tonight's City Council Meeting. Listen. Learn. Speak.

If you care about our environment, including:
  • the air we breathe
  • the noise we hear
  • the general quality of life in our semi-rural area
then PLEASE attend the RPV city council meeting tonight at 7 p.m. at Hesse Park. The council will be discussing the change in airspace designation at Long Beach airport and how it impacts our city. This is of particular concern to residents of Portuguese Bend, because we live right on the edge of the impacted area. 
I blogged about this issue twice before: here and here

For even more detailed information, the city website now has a complete rundown on all the details, with links to various maps and staff reports, a presentation by the Southern California Airspace Users Workshop, comments by the Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association, and even a template for a letter to the FAA for those who wish to express their ideas on this topic. 

Finally, yesterday's Daily Breeze featured a roundup of information and maps on its front page. The interactive maps in the online version of the story are particularly helpful.

This issue concerns all of us.

I do not know if our Community will have official representation at the City Council meeting tonight. My inquiry about this matter has gone unanswered. The next PBCA Board meeting is next Monday. Our board did not deal with the airport issue at the last Board meeting  in August, electing instead to devote the entire meeting to the revised CC&Rs.

So, it appears that we in Portuguese Bend are on our own in terms of telling the city council how we feel about this issue.

To hear what your neighbors think about this, and to tell the city council what you think, shut off your tv tonight, and put down that book you're reading, and come to the city council meeting.


Thursday, August 19, 2010

Move Lloyd Wright House To Abalone Cove? Some Think It Would Solve Two Problems At Once


The folks at city hall are kicking around an idea that at least some of them think might kill two birds with one stone, combining "public usefulness with historic significance" in the words of RPV Senior Administrative Analyst Sara Singer.

Basically, the idea is to move the Lloyd Wright house at 504 Paseo Del Mar, (at left), which the present owner wants to tear down but some local preservationists want to keep, to Abalone Cove, where the city has applied for a $5,500,000 state grant to build a Nature Education Center in the parking lot.

"Age, construction material and split-level design would present some challenges for moving," according to Singer. Additionally, she said in an email, "The transition from private home to public space brings significant accessibility, seismic and other building code issues."

She noted that this concept had not been included in the original grant application. But, she said, if the city is awarded this grant, the staff will present this concept to the City Council. If the city does not get the grant, "there is no other funding currently budgeted for these improvements," Singer said, adding that,   "If the City Council directs staff to continue exploring this option and allocates funding for it, then we would continue looking into the viability of this project. "

Asked about the timing of the entire project, Singer said, "The grant awards will be announced in December, and if the grant were awarded we would go through the entitlement process and the public would be invited to participate.  Please note that in the grant application the architectural design of the proposed building was to be influenced by the architectural style of Wayfarer’s Chapel."
The Chapel, a local landmark designed by Lloyd Wright, is across Palos Verdes Drive South from the proposed Abalone Cove project.

"I think it’s good for public and non-profit groups to be aware of these significant buildings that are threatened for destruction in case the right opportunity arises to preserve them in a community where authentic architectural significance is rare" Singer said.

For much more background on the proposed Nature Education Center at Abalone Cove,  please check this earlier post on my blog.

If you have any thoughts about this concept that you want to share with our City Council, their email addresses and telephone numbers are here.
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Monday, August 16, 2010

Someone Thinks We're Nice

Talking about his experience setting up today's day of filming part of a commercial at a Portuguese Bend home, Location Manager Dave Fertig commented on how friendly and cooperative everyone has been during the process. "I'll recommend this area again," he said.

It's always nice to get a good review. We hope he feels the same by the end of the day.
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Tuesday, August 10, 2010

New Show Opens Saturday at Zask Gallery

Zask Gallery invites everyone to its opening reception Saturday, August 14 from 6 to 9 p.m. for its new show, A Fine Line,  in which the common element among the artists is Line.

Sculptural works by Nick Agid and Michael Freitas Wood play with optical illusions using color, layering and light.
Hyunsook Cho shows the idiosyncrasies of language in a line of Korean/English text and explores her responses to her trip to China.

John Kantu's paintings express his deep obsession with Japanese culture, and then he lightens things up with some very small canvases with humorous images and text.

Heide Ulbrich's ceramic sculpture is based on combining impressions of architecture from her world travels.

The ps Zask Gallery, which is dedicated to showing contemporary fine art of established and emerging LA, national and international artists, is located at 31252 Palos Verdes Drive West, on the street level of the Golden Cove Shopping Center. The gallery is open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Portuguese Bend neighbors and artists Peggy and Ben Zask invite everyone to stop in and have a look around.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Portuguese Bend Artists Pitch In To Save Our Shoreline

The Portuguese Bend Artist Colony, which has already lent its financial and artistic support to the  Peninsula Land Conservancy, is continuing its support for preservation of the area by backing efforts to Save Our Shoreline. 

To that end, they are selling a limited edition of 20 giclee prints of Rick Humphrey's "Above the Cove on a Spring Day," for $100 each. (See image to the left.) Early shoppers have snapped up the first 15. Five are left. Anyone interested in purchasing one of these 16 by 20 inch prints should contact pinkhamd@aol.com.

Money raised from the sale of the prints will fund two half page ads in the Peninsula News on August 12 and 26. The ads will detail the campaign to oppose the city's plan to construct a 6,000 square foot building  designed to house educational exhibits, classrooms, a Ranger station and other things at Abalone Cove.

The city of Rancho Palos Verdes has applied for a $7 million dollar grant to carry out this project. The growing number of people who are opposed to it believe that the city already has a plan for improving the trails and general appearance of the area, and that the educational aspects of the plan could be carried out with bulletin boards and outdoor display cases. They are opposed to construction of a building on the last undeveloped coastal bluff top in the city and believe and that the so-called Nature Education Center should be constructed elsewhere, possibly neart the Interpretive Center, which already houses educational exhibits.

A more detailed account of this issue can be found in my blog here and here.

Other background on the issue is located on the RPV website here.

A petition opposing the development is here.  To contact Save Our Shoreline, email SaveOurShoreline2@gmail.com








Sunday, August 8, 2010

Board Seeks Replacement Member; Dialogue on Revised CC&Rs Continues

Board Member Tim Kelly opened the July board meeting by announcing that Casey Porter has resigned as Board President. No reason was given. Kelly said that the board will discuss a replacement board member next month, but in the meantime he suggested that anyone interested in filling the position should email a half page of information explaining why he or she would like to be on the board to tkellyrpv@aol.com.

Mike Cooper said that patching of cracks in the roads will continue and when completed, all roads will be slurried. 

This is a high fire season in our high fire area and board members indicated that lot owners are responsible for clearing weeds on their lots. Ditto for home owners.

Tim Kelly indicated that damage to the Narcissa gate would be repaired Tuesday or Wednesday.

The major portion of the meeting was given over to the latest revision of the CC&Rs. Board Attorney Kelly Richardson was on hand to answer questions. He explained that revision of the PBCA CC&Rs was particularly difficult because he was working from multiple sets of very old documents; additiionally, we have a unique situation here because many homes in the community are moving from their original (and legal) location. He said this situation is unique; he is not aware of any other homeowner association in the country with the same issues. 

He also said that in the work he has done so far, he is trying to look ahead to the future and anticipate problems and write a document that will make it unnecessary for residents to go to court to solve problems.

Asked why there was no mention of requirements for board members in the CC&Rs, ( an issue that was raised after Casey Porter moved out of the area but wanted to remain on the board), Richardson said that that subject is covered in the revised By-Laws, which he hopes the board will deal with soon. 

Specific sections of the revised CC&Rs that came up for discussion were:

Section 2.06 which Richardson described as an easement on all lots which would be recorded legally. He agreed to remove sections (i) and (ii) under Section 2.06.

Section 2.10: If the six owners of annexable lots agree to annexation, this section will be removed.

Questions were raised regarding Section 3.04 (b) (suspension of voting rights), but Richardson did not indicate he would make a change.

Objections were raised regarding Section 6.02, (number of legal occupants of a home), but Richardson said this is standard language for such documents. 

Section 6.04 will be changed to make all livestock exempt.

Section 6.14 will be reworded from "View Protection" to "Height Limitation."

If you do not have, or are unable to find, your current copy of the CC&Rs, to which this refers, email tkellyrpv@aol.com and ask for a duplicate copy.

Richardson will revise the current CC&Rs in line with comments received at the meeting and residents should receive a copy of that revision by email prior to the next board meeting September 6. Richardson hopes to set a voting date for approval of the final version soon. 

All the above information is fact.  Now comes the opinion.

1. It is my personal feeling that it would be nice if people who want to serve on the board could demonstrate some special skill that might be useful to the entire community.

2. It is hard for me to understand why so few people are interested in the revision of our CC&Rs. This is rather like a chance to vote on a revision of the Constitution of the United States. These are the rules that govern  our community and will govern it well after our children and their children inherit our homes and sell them, or we move away. These are major, long term changes to the rules that govern our community and it looks as if fewer than 35 people care. I know everyone is busy, but PLEASE, be concerned neighbors. I hate to see us be like the city of Bell. (If you didn't read that blog topic, it's here.)

Read the CC&Rs. Check the revisions. Talk to your neighbors. Come to the meetings where this is being discussed. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Last: I ran across this column by an attorney, regarding conflicts between Homeowners Associations and Green building laws. Has anyone thought about incorporating any Green Building regulations into any of our official documents? This attorney's column involves CC&Rs. We are also talking about changes to our Architectural Standards. But no one in Portuguese Bend has mentioned the word "Green" anywhere. Just a thought.

Monday, August 2, 2010

It's Come To Meetin' Night In Portuguese Bend

Gather up your new and old versions of the CC&Rs and bring all your paper work to the Monday, August 2, 2010, PBCA  Board Meeting at Ladera Linda.

Tim Kelly says the Board attorney will be there to answer questions about the CC&Rs. At least one resident thinks the board should explain  why we need the changes to the CC&Rs. I hope he shows up at the meeting and asks his question. It's basic and it never has been answered. An exercise in education might clear the air for a lot of us.

That is all that is on the agenda, but a few other questions may arise at the meeting.

Some residents received a mailing from the board outlining the procedure for collection of assessments, along with suggested amendments to the Architectural Standards. It appears that not everyone got the letter...but if you did, it may not be clear WHY you received it, because there was no accompanying explanatory information. I'm not sure, and my query on the subject has gone unanswered, but this MAY be the reason for the mailing: In order to amend the architectural standards, the proposed changes must be discussed at three board meetings and then the final version must be mailed to residents for final input. Tim Vaughan is in charge of this, so if you have any questions or comments you can call him at 310 265 2599 or email tim.vaughan@cox.net  It's possible that there will be discussion or a vote on these items Monday,  although it is not on the agenda.

Another possible topic of discussion is the entire fuss about the proposed change in air space designation for Long Beach airport and its impact on our coastline. If you're not familiar with this  issue, please read two earlier blog posts on it here and here.  The city is preparing to discuss this issue at the September 7 meeting, and  Terranea and Trump National Golf Club report that they "are dealing with it, " as are numerous citizens. My repeated inquiries to Board members about what, if any, plans they have to address this issue have gone unanswered. But perhaps it will come up at Monday's meeting.

By the way, the city has obtained a delayed date for input on this issue until September 21. However, do not write to the FAA to voice your opinion. The FAA has agreed to hear from the city of Rancho Palos Verdes. So, if you want to be heard, you can speak at the September 7  City Council meeting, and/or email  the council here.

You can read the city's information on this issue and sign up to receive updates on their listserv here 

The Architectural Committee meets at 7 p.m. Monday at Ladera Linda and the Board Meeting begins immediately afterward. PLEASE BE THERE. Your opinion counts and so does your vote.

Monday, July 26, 2010

More About The FAA's Plan For Our Beaches and Surf

There is no word yet from the city of RPV officials as to what they plan to do about the FAA's proposal to shove hundreds of student pilots up the coast from Long Beach to our strip of coastline in Rancho Palos Verdes to practice turns, banks, stalls, ascents and descents over our sand and surf.

The FAA says it is doing this to cut down on near-accidents at Long Beach airport. But what the organization apparently does not realize is that its proposed solution simply shoves the problem a few miles up the coast into a residential/recreational area half the size of the existing industrial area. (see yesterday's blog for details.)

No word from the PBCA board either.

However, RPV Mayor Wolowicz suggested that senators and congressmen may have more clout than the RPV City Council. He recommends that interested citizens write to our elected officials in Washington about this problem. You can do it via email. Here's how:

Email Senator Diane Feinstein here: 

Email Senator Barbara Boxer here: 
Email Congressman Dana Rohrbacher here:

His web form asks for your nine digit zip code. If you are in RPV, it's 90275-5914.

You might try writing to Supervisor Don Knabe, here:
http://www.knabe.com/askdon/index.html

Remember: the FAA wants all comments on this yucky plan in hand by Saturday, July 31, 2010. In case you missed it yesterday, the reference number is FR Doc. 2010-7652 

Send your comments, in triplicate to:

Clark Desing, Operations Support Group, AJV-W2
Western Service Area, Air Traffic Organization
Federal Aviation Administration
1601 Lind Avenue, SW
Renton, WA 98057



Write NOW!

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Our Health and Safety Are At Risk Thanks to Jet Blue; Write To The FAA And RPV City Officials ASAP

JetBlue Tail (N556JB; "Betty Blue")Image via Wikipedia
Jet Blue's latest lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C. could have a major impact on our health and safety in Portuguese Bend. 

It's all like a bad game of dominos. If we don't act quickly, the residents of Portuguese Bend lose, bigtime.

Jet Blue has lobbied successfully to change the Long Beach Airport airspace from Class Delta to Class Charlie. One of the results of this change is that general aviation planes (read: private aircraft), will not be able to enter this airspace. 

The first problem that this creates for our area is safety. Here's why: According to RPV resident and private pilot Don Stewart, for the past 30 years, "the main designated student pilot practice area has been over the Los Angeles and Long Beach outer harbor area. The boundaries of this flight training and practice area are Point Fermin to the west, Terminal Island and Long Beach coastlines to the north, Huntington Beach to the east and about mile or so south of the Long Beach breakwater ."

Flight schools based at the Hawthorne, Torrance, Compton, Long Beach, Fullerton and John Wayne airports all use this flight training area on a daily basis, according to Stewart. He says that because this area is situated mainly over industrial facilities and the outer Long Beach and L.A. harbors, there have been very few complaints from the general public. 


However, the new FAA airspace proposal will reduce most of this flight training area, forcing  "flight instructors and student pilots to relocate to the lightly used flight training airspace over the Rancho Palos Verdes coastline," said Stewart. The approximate boundaries of the Palos Verdes practice area are Point Vicente to the west, Palos Verdes Drive South to the north, Point Fermin to the east, and two to three miles off the coast for the Eastern boundary. Stewart notes that this area is approximately half the size of Long Beach- L.A. Harbor training area.  (The map above shows the old training area and the proposed new area.)

"This will cause heavy aircraft congestion in a very small area, or what aviators and air traffic controllers call airspace compression and will raise the possibility of mid air collisions over the RPV coastline," said Stewart.  

To put it into words of one syllable: the same number of student pilots as always will be practicing turns, descents, ascents, stalls and other beginning pilot skills, in a much smaller area, right off our coast. Because these pilots will be shoved into a much smaller area than they are used to, the risk of problems is greatly increased. 

The old training area provided many possible locations for emergency landings, according to Stewart, while the only place for emergency landings in the new area is Trump National Golf Course and "that's not particularly good."

In addition to issues of safety, the second problem for RPV residents is air pollution from the high amount of lead particles that will foul the air in RPV as a result of the increased number of aircraft flying overhead. "Unlike modern automobile engines, piston powered aircraft engines are required to use 100 high octane fuel with lead additives," Stewart explained.  

"A single gallon of aviation fuel contains two cubic centimeters of lead. A typical training aircraft engine burns 10 gallons of fuel per hour. This equates to approximately 20 cubic centimeters of lead particles falling from the sky for every flight hour flown. Every week, many hundreds of flight hours are currently flown by the dozens of flight schools over the existing Long Beach-LA Harbor practice area. A high percentage of these flights will now be forced to operate over the Rancho Palos Verdes coastline," he said, adding that the normal prevailing wind flow between Point Fermin and Point Vicente will blow the lead onshore and on to RPV neighborhoods. 

Finally, all this additional air traffic will dramatically increase noise in our area. 

This change was proposed at a public FAA hearing in Long Beach on June 21 and 22. It appears that the city of RPV was not notified about the meeting, even though the change would have a major impact on this area. Note also that the FAA is exempt from CEQA (California Evironmental Quality Act) review and other governmental review.

Stewart has written to the RPV Mayor, City Council and City Manager about his concerns. The city has referred the matter to Dennis McLean, who was out of town this week but will be back Monday. McLean is the RPV Director of Finance and Information Technology and serves as staff liaison to the LAX Roundtable. E-mail addresses and telephone numbers for city council members and McLean are here.

A copy of Stewart's letter has been forwarded to Tim Kelly, to alert the PBCA Board, which, unfortunately, does not meet again until August 2.

Here's the big problem: Anyone who wants to have any input on this matter needs to contact the FAA on or BEFORE July 31, 2010.  Any comments must be submitted in TRIPLICATE to:

Reference FR Doc. 2010-7652

Glark Desing, Operations Support Group, AJV-W2
Western Service Area, Air Traffic Organization
Federal Aviation Administration
1601 Lind Avenue, SW
Renton, WA 98057


Stewart believes that once the FAA makes the decision to change the airspace, there will be no opportunity for any changes to the ruling, but it probably will be 18 months to three years before it takes effect.


If you care about our safety and health in Portuguese Bend, let your public officials know NOW! 
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Saturday, July 24, 2010

The Story of Bell, CA: What Happens When No One Pays Attention

There has been much in the news in the last few days about the city of Bell, CA regarding the salaries of some of its officials and its status as a charter city. Bell is different than Rancho Palos Verdes in many ways, but similar in the number of residents and one other local issue, and for that reason, I think it's worth a closer look at what happened there.

Bell's population in July 2008 was 36,657. At the same time, the RPV population was 41,106.

On November 29, 2005, during a special election with just one item on the ballot, Bell passed a measure to convert its status to a charter city. Prior to the election, all five city council members signed a ballot measure in favor of the move, as did the city manager, saying that it would give the city more local control. No one filed an argument against the measure.

According to a story in the Los Angeles Times, hardly any Bell residents voted in that election. To be exact, only 400 people cast ballots, 239 of which were absentee. Of the total votes,  336 were in favor of the proposition, and 54 were opposed. That means that fewer than one per cent of the voters made a very costly decision for the other 36,159 residents of Bell.

It was costly because that measure enabled the council to by-pass state rules that set limits on salaries of council members and the city manager. That change allowed some of those officials to take home far more than their counterparts in other cities. The city manager, who has resigned following the flap, was earning almost twice as much as the president of the United States. And, the Times estimates that he will get the highest pension in the state.

The residents of Bell were outraged when they found out just how much money was going into the pockets of city officials. And by the way, they found it out thanks to investigative work by reporters from the  Los Angeles Times.

Political philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville said, years ago, that in a democracy, we get the government we deserve. Did the citizens of Bell get what they deserve? They weren't paying attention to what their elected officials were up to, so maybe they did.

Can we in Rancho Palos Verdes learn anything from all this, particularly now that RPV is considering a move to convert its status to a charter city? Reasons given for the suggested change are that it will give our city more local control. Perhaps it's time to ask our council members: "Local control over exactly WHAT?" I'm not suggesting that our council has any ulterior motives for the status change. I'm merely saying that I think that no matter what issue is on what ballot, voters everywhere, at every level, need to ask more questions and get more answers and stay informed about the activities of their local officials.

If we don't, we can wind up like Bell.

These days, when it sometimes seems as if everything is so huge and so complicated, it's easy to feel that your one vote doesn't make any difference...but it's worth noting that in Bell, 336 votes made a huge difference. It's clear that your one vote CAN make a difference at the local level, in your city, or your community.

As an added note: It's also easy to take pot shots at journalists for asking lots of questions, sometimes unfriendly questions,  and nosing around where some people don't want them to look. It's worth remembering that in this case, none of us would be aware of what was going on in Bell if it were not for some nosy reporters at the Los Angeles Times.
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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

FREE Stuff! What A Nice Idea!

I drove through the Narcissa gate this overcast afternoon around 2 p.m. on my way home, and right after the first turn, I slowed down, stopped and then backed up to get a better look at what was going on right side of the road beside the hillside lot that has been cleared, gently landscaped and turned into something of a quiet retreat in the last couple of years.

What caught my eye first was a lovely bassinet, just sitting there, along with a giant hassock, some wicker furniture, an upright vacuum cleaner and a bunch of boxes that appeared to be full of unknown goodies.

The next thing I saw was Ronnie Schnel, carrying another box and she said no, they weren't moving. They're just "moving some stuff," and they decided that they would offer it free to anyone who wanted it.  "I did this once before" she said. "I put up a sign and went up to the house for lunch and when I came back, it was all gone."

She says that she hopes that will happen again but if it doesn't, she'll give what's left over to Goodwill. "But I'd rather have Portuguese Bend residents have it if they want it." she said.

 I told her I might write about it in this blog and she warned that "it might all be gone by the time you do."  That's a possibility. But I still think that it's worth writing about. Good neighbors make good stories.

Friday, July 9, 2010

News Doesn't Always Make You Feel Good. Is That Bad?

It has never been my intent to offend anyone in this community, board members or residents, by cramming unwelcome information into their eyes and ears. As a journalist by education and experience, it has always been my intent to get and give accurate information about anything with which I’ve ever been concerned.

I think that this is important because I believe that knowledge of facts results in an informed citizenry, and hopefully, informed voters; additionally, knowledge of facts reduces rumors and gossip. Reports of fact do not always make everyone “feel good” but it is the only way that I know to be honest. I do not feel very good after I read the daily newspapers, either, but that’s not the fault of the newspapers. That’s life.

If I want to feel good, I read fiction.

Another approach to “feel good reporting” is called public relations or advertising. A current example of that is BP’s $50 million ad campaign in which we learn about all the nice BP employees who have moved to the Gulf coast to help with the cleanup of one of the worst man-made environmental disasters of all time. The ads neglect to mention that BP created the disaster in the first place. And that’s a fact.

Getting back to local issues, these are the facts about Monday’s Board Meeting:
  1. Board President Casey Porter said that there is nothing in the PBCA Articles of Incorporation, by-laws or CC&Rs that state that a board member must be a property owner.
  2. Porter said he would like to stay on the Board until projects that he has worked on for four years are completed. Specifically, he is concerned about passage of the revised CC&Rs.
  3. Tim Kelly moved to delay any decision on Porter’s status for a month. The motion passed unanimously.
  4. The Board agreed to continue discussion of the revised CC&Rs at next month’s meeting.
  5. Board members said that the revised CC&Rs do set up ownership requirements for board members.
  6. Casey Porter said he was upset by rumors and insinuations about his position on the board. He said that anyone who wants to know what is going on with board members should ask the board members directly. Confronted with the fact that he had not responded to my pre-meeting email asking about his status in the community and on the board, he stated publicly that he would not answer any emails from me.
  7. The Board voted unanimously to raise the assessment five per cent for next year.
  8. Marianne Hunter circulated a petition asking the city to withdraw its grant application to build a 5900 square foot building to house educational exhibits and other facilities at Abalone Cove Shoreline Park. She also issued a plea for more understanding and friendliness in our community.
  9. Board members agreed to develop a list of guidelines for the community bulletin boards for the next Board meeting. This action followed an extended discussion about who could post what on the boards. The discussion started with Betty Strauss’ comment that she did not think that the removal of a local teenager’s flyer advertising her babysitting service was a friendly thing to do. Casey Porter said that no one in the community is in charge of the bulletin boards.
  10. Architectural Committee Member Kim Nelson said she would like to see formation of an equestrian sub-committee to explore the possibility of additional horse trails in the community, because owners of the lots under development have agreed to allow a two and a half foot easement adjacent to their properties for horse and hiking trails.
  11. Jeremy Davies reminded residents that July 13 is the deadline for comments on the building silhouettes that are appearing around the community. You can see building plans and leave comments at the RPV Planning Department. This followed queries and comments about the impact of compacting dirt on these sites and its effects on existing residents.
  12. Mike Cooper said that the piles of asphalt and road materials around the community are for the work that is being done on the roads, including the widening of Sweetbay opposite the bean field, and the remaining part of Tangerine. He expects that all work, including a final seal coat, will be completed by the end of summer.
This is my opinion about the Monday Board meeting:
  1. In view of the fact that Board members emphasized at the meeting that the revised CC&Rs do set up a residency requirement for Board members, it is clear that they are aware of a loophole in the existing CC&Rs and have elected to take advantage of it to keep Porter, who has sold his Portuguese Bend property and no longer lives here, on the Board for what is being characterized as a “brief period of time.”
  2. More people need to attend Board meetings and get involved in the activities of the community.
If you have questions or comments about any of the above, feel free to post them below. No anonymous posts, please.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Casey Porter Will Be At Tonight's Board Meeting! Come And Hear What He Has To Say

PBCA Board President Casey Porter will be at tonight's PBCA Board Meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. at Ladera Linda. According to an email from Tim Kelly,received this afternoon, "He will explain his situation and settle any rumours that are floating around."

Porter listed his home at 8 Roseapple for sale soon after the February election, in which he was re-elected to the board for another two year term. The house sold and escrow closed June 21, which means he is no longer a legal resident of Portuguese Bend. 
Residents who are interested in the future membership of the PBCA Board should be sure to attend tonight's meeting.

The board also is slated to review and approve the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, (which means they're going to explain how they plan to spend your assessment dollars.)

Turn off your TV!
Get up off the couch!
Hire a sitter!
Pat the dog/cat bye-bye and tell them you aren't going far and you'll be back soon...
 AND COME TO TONIGHT'S BOARD MEETING!


Saturday, July 3, 2010

Where Is PBCA President Casey Porter? Will We Find Out at Monday's Board Meeting?

Board President Casey Porter listed his house for sale a month or so ago. It sold and escrow closed June 21. His telephone is not working. It appears that he has moved out of Portuguese Bend. Because Porter is no longer a property owner in Portuguese Bend, he can no longer vote in our elections. So, what is his status?

It would seem logical that a person who cannot vote for an office, cannot hold that office either, although our official documents are somewhat vague on that point. When queried about this via email, three board members said they had not seen Porter since the last board meeting, knew nothing about the status of his real estate and they said he had not resigned his post. A fourth member did not respond to my query, and neither did Porter. 

It is interesting to recall that  Porter ran for re-election to the Board in February, and was elected to another two-year term. Of course, it's possible that at that time, he did not know that he was going to put his house on the market a few months later. You can be the judge of that. He's not around to ask.

So, what happens now? Will someone new fill his post? How will that person be chosen? Has someone already been chosen? Has anyone been asked? No one is talking, although rumors are flying. But I don't print rumors. Just the facts, ma'am.

The only things on Monday's agenda for the monthly board meeting are an email from a local resident, approval of the budget for the new fiscal year and approval of policies and procedures for the new fiscal year. 

There is nothing on the agenda about resignation or replacement of the Board president...but one cannot help but assume that it will be a subject for discussion. If you care, be there! 7 p.m. Ladera Linda.

I will continue to look for more factual information about this issue until the Board meeting Monday and will post a report about the meeting afterward. 

Please feel free to post any comments, corrections or additional information about this topic to this blog.  Note: If you list yourself as "anonymous," your post will not be printed.













We Didn't Stop Posting. We Were On A Trip! What Did We Miss?

We're back from six days in Arizona. First, Flagstaff, where we helped a cousin celebrate an 80th birthday, then sightseeing in two of the most spectacular places in the country...Sedona and the Grand Canyon

Birthdays for kids are fun, but birthdays for older folks have an added dimension: history. 

In this case, the history came as George's cousin Hal remembered his days as a newsboy in Eugene, Oregon. He recalled one extra special day when he delivered a memorable "Extra."  Explanatory note for younger readers: there was a time when newsboys did more than deliver the daily paper. When a particularly big news event occurred, newsboys stood on street corners and hollered "EXTRA! EXTRA!" and sold copies of a special edition of the newspaper, printed because of a particularly important story. 

In this case, the phone call at Hal's home, asking him to come down and pick up "extra" editions to hawk, came on a  December day in 1941. When the newsboys gathered for their assignments, they learned about the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the start of World War II. Hal recalled that he earned $3.50 selling "extras" that day.  Economic background note: He bought the newspapers for a penny and sold them for two cents. But, most people paid with a nickle and said, "keep the change."

If you're thinking  that $3.50 isn't very much, remember that those were the days when a kid paid 10 cents to get into the movies...and that included a double feature, coming attractions, a newsreel and sometimes a cartoon or comedy short. A dime bought a full Saturday afternoon at the movies.

An awful lot has changed since 1941.

Anyway, we're back with tons of photos to sort through, and a great deal of backed up email. Some of the emails contain rumors and speculation about events in The Bend. We don't like to print rumors, so we're trying to establish facts for our readers.

However, please mark your calendars for Monday's board meeting at Ladera Linda. It promises to be especially interesting, even though there is no agenda posted.

By the way: If you're planning a vacation and wondering what to do with your pets, call Susie Eastman, (310) 377-1317. She is the most fantastic house and pet sitter in the world. Our dogs and cat love her and our house is always neat and tidy when we get home.  We never worry when she's in charge.
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