GNW October 2013 Newsletter

Sunday, October 13, 2013
Volume VII, Number 3

OCTOBER 2013 NEWSLETTER
Coldwater WEST & Ventura SOUTH, in Studio City, CA!
L.A.'s First "100% Web-Connected Neighborhood"

The South San Fernando Valley's Neighborhood Watch Groups Network.

Our collective eNewsletters South of Ventura Blvd. reach more than 3,000 households and businesses from Encino to Universal City.

What is Watch 2.0? Click Here.

May 2013 Newsletter Click-To-View Rate: 58%

Crime and Safety Update

LAPD Logo

BURGLARY SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN STUDIO CITY

Last week, Los Angeles Police Department's (LAPD) North Hollywood Division made a significant arrest in our area according to Senior Lead Officer for most of the Studio City area, Mike Lewis.

According to Lewis, on Wednesday, October 12 at 5:30a, LAPD received a call about 2 potential Burglary from Motor Vehicle (BFMV) suspects on Landale between Laurel Canyon and Carpenter. LAPD Officers arrived and observed 2 suspects at that location. One suspect allegedly ran from the police but was apprehended on Laurel Canyon just south of the freeway; the other suspect was found hiding in a backyard nearby.

LAPD made arrests and subsequently recovered more than 20 different stolen items. LAPD also located victims where this property had been stolen, including properties on the 12000 block of Landale, the 4500 block of Agnes and the 4400 block of Ben.

Officers also found stolen items linked to break-in's in Sherman Oaks and Van Nuys.

$25,000 REWARD OFFERED FOR STUDIO CITY POST OFFICE ROBBERY INFORMATION

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect who robbed the Studio City Post Office on Laurel Canyon at 3p on September 18, 2013.

The suspect is described as being a caucasian male in his late 40s or early 50s, 5'10" to 6', of medium build, 180 to 200 lbs with possibly a blonde mustache. Wearing a beige T-shirt, blue jeans, worn white tennis shoes, black sunglasses, and a green bandana.

Armed with a black semi-automatic handgun. Drives a dark-colored small SUV.

Reward information HERE.

MAIL THEFT CRIME ARRESTS IN STUDIO CITY

In the hills of Studio City, a citizen observed a vehicle pulled over to the side of the road and one of the occupants appeared to be closing a mailbox door that was adjacent to the street according to LAPD last week. The citizen believed the person looking into the mailbox was not the owner. The citizen quickly called 911 and gave a description of the suspect's vehicle.

When responding to the location, the officers spotted the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. LAPD recovered numerous items of stolen mail and the two criminals were booked for receiving stolen property.

Mail theft is a growing trend in the Studio City area. If you or your neighbors have a mailbox that is adjacent to the street, please protect yourself by getting a locking mailbox. Please keep your eyes and ears open and if you see something suspicious, please call the LAPD.

The non-emergency number is 1-877-ASK-LAPD and for a crime in progress, call 911 !!

SHERMAN OAKS BURGLARY THWARTED

A suspected burglar reportedly tried to gain entry to a house last Monday night on Benedict Canyon south of Valley Vista in Sherman Oaks.

A nanny was home with the homeowners' child and called 911 after she witnessed the suspect, described as African-American, in his 40's, medium build, 5'10 - 6' tall, jump a fence surrounding the home. By the time police arrived, the suspect had fled.

VALLEY VISTA BURGLARY

On Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at approximately 2:30pm along Valley Vista between Nagle and Fulton in Sherman Oaks, someone broke into a house through a locked "doggie" door.

Someone in the neighborhood reported seeing a silver Ford Mustang with a bald, white male sitting in the passenger seat parked outside the house at the time of the burglary.

PUPPY AND ME PEEPING TOM SENTENCED

Canyon News reports that Julio Mario Medal, 38, was sentenced to five years probation and 120 hours of community service after pleading to secretly videotaping for sexual gratification, attempted videotaping for sexual gratification and unlawful loitering.

During a March 15 incident, Medal was found attempting to photograph Brittanie Weaver, 24, while they were both in the pet store "Puppy and Me" in Sherman Oaks. It was after Medal bent down to pet her dog, the professional model noticed he was trying to use his iPad to take upskirt photos of her.

BFMV PLAGUES AREA AROUND GNW AND STUDIO CITY

Harvard-Westlake Parking Lot Development - UPDATE

HARVARD-WESTLAKE PARKING LOT DEVELOPMENT UPDATE

The Studio City Neighborhood Council (SONC) will hold a Special Meeting with a full presentation regarding the Harvard-Westlake (H-W) parking lot and athletic field project on Thursday, November 7, 2013 at CBS Studio Center starting at 6:30pm with a presentation to begin at 7p sharp.

Following the presentation, there will be a Q&A with an opportunity for the public to speak - although SCNC has advised that depending on the size of the attendance there could be a limit on the amount of time each person has to make public comments.

If you are attending on behalf of an organization, those individuals also attending will be able to offer their time to one individual speaker, with a maximum amount of 10 minutes for the group. Those individuals giving their time will not be afforded any other time to speak at the meeting.

This meeting will undoubtedly be well attended. GNW email blasts and newsletters reveal that more residents click on story links related to the H-W project than links to any other issue or story. Plan to arrive at the meeting no later then 6:45pm. A formal meeting agenda will be distributed 3 days prior to the meeting.

The meeting follows on the heels of the City's recently released Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). A 45-day public comment period officially has begun following the DEIR's release. You can read or download the Report in its entirety HERE.

If you are heading in the direction of opposing the development or are already firmly entrenched in that camp, navigate over to Save Coldwater Canyon; this community group founded by GNW neighbors, believes development at H-W will create negative quality of life issues for the GNW community; they believe the development will be a nuisance to the community, especially to those GNW neighbors living on Blairwood, Galewood, Longridge and Van Noord since the field on the top of the structure will create noise and light pollution.

To read yesterday's Daily News story about the community response, head here HERE.

You can check out what H-W has to say as well by checking out the development site HERE.

Garcetti Starts Strong

Garcetti Receives Strong Reviews for first 100 Days in Office.

Seeks to use Technology to Increase Quality of Life

by City News Service

LOS ANGELES: Mayor Eric Garcetti left a good impression on constituents in his first 100 days in office according to a poll released last week by the Pat Brown Institute and Cal State University, LA.

Based on responses from over 500 registered voters, Garcetti received a 56% approval rating while 35% of those polled said they did not know enough about the mayor to form any opinion.

The new mayor gets positive scores across a wide cross-section of ethnic communities, according to the poll's results. "Mayor Garcetti is getting good reviews from the voters as he introduces himself as the city's most visible public official," said Raphael Sonenshein, Executive Director of the Pat Brown Institute.

A key challenge faced by Garcetti during his first 100 days as the city's chief executive was labor negotiations with the DWP workers' union, but according to the poll, about 75% of registered voters said they did not know enough about the issue to decide if they approved of how he handled this specific issue.

Top issues for the voters polled were the economy and job creation, congestion and overcrowding and crime, violence and drugs.

GNW Founder Jeffrey Berk, a strong supporter and fundraiser for Garcetti's Mayoral campaign, says the results make sense. "The Mayor is off to a solid start. I can point to a number of several actions that speak to what he said he was going to focus on in office; it's clear he's spending a lot of time in and throwing strong support to technology to create positive 'disruptions'".

Berk cites Garcetti standing up recently to Tom Drischler, LA's Taxi Administrator, as an example of how Garcetti looks to technology to disrupt old ways of doing business. A big fan and user of the Uber car service, Berk recently applauded Garcetti's support of this company. (http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2013/09/drischler_the_case_for_regulat.php).

According to a recent article in the Los Angeles Business Journal, "Garcetti has been working... to become the crown prince of Silicon Beach (Southern California)... He has appeared on numerous industry panels, promised to increase the size and scope of Villaraigosa's Mayor's Council for Industry and Innovation, and sought donations [while running for Mayor] at ... places where local techies meet en masse."

Berk says that "Garcetti is betting on technology and the web; he's looking to develop a digital system to track LA City Department Head's and Departments and post those figures on the Web. It's about time we have public data to hold City workers and departments accountable - the City will be served well if it comes up with effective tools to understand how well they're performing; I love it that the City wants to get stakeholder input and feedback measurements.

Save the Date: 12/8/13 - The Shops at Woodman Annual Holiday Party

SONC - UPDATE

NEXT SONC MEETING
TO FEATURE STATE ASSEMBLYMAN
ADRIN NAZARIAN

The Sherman Oaks Neighborhood council will host its next Board Meeting on Monday, October 14, 2013 at 6:30pm at Sherman Oaks Elementary School in the auditorium. Light refreshments will be served.

The Guest Speaker for a program prior to the Board Meeting will be State Assembylperson Adrin Nazarian. The Assemblyperson will provide the audience with a brief recap of the recent Legislative Session in Sacramento and will also advise on what bills have recently passed the Assembly as well as which bills were signed into California law by Governor Jerry Brown.

Also, during the meeting there will be a Special Presentation by Jeff Kalban, SONC Land Use Committee Vice Chair, and President of Kalban Architects. Kalban will discuss: "A Plan for Sherman Oaks: A Study of Opportunities" that, according to the SONC website will "engage the aspirations of the Sherman Oaks community." The presentation seeks to discuss community ideas related to what will make Sherman Oaks "more walkable, more livable, and more inviting." Kalban is asking those attending the meeting to come prepared with the answer to: "What would you want to see in Sherman Oaks?"

Following the slide presentation, there will be a discussion with Mr. Kalban; Carolyn Ramsay, Chief of Staff for Councilmember Tom LaBonge CD4; Jonathan Brand, Planning Director for Tom LaBonge; and Kevin Tamaki, Director of External Affairs for AT&T.

Finally, GNW would like to congratulate SONC President Jill Banks Barad who was recently appointed by Mayor Garcetti to serve on the Board of Commissioners for DWP.

DWP New Meters

The following is from a neighbor of the Contour Drive - Sunnyslope Ave. Watch 2.0 group that caught our attention:

"I just got a DWP bill for over $1200! (& I was gone the majority of the time!) My water bill portion was $910! Although it was hot & the sprinklers were on a lot, that seemed extraordinarily high. It turns out the DWP estimated my water usage instead of actually

reading the meter! They had me go down & read my meter and the meter level was at 137 while they estimated a meter reading of 250.

I checked with my neighbor across the street and she received a bill for over $1300. They over-estimated her usage as well. Her water usage was also only half of what DWP billed her for.

What can you do? Check your DWP bill. Our bill shows that we used nearly double from the previous month.

If you don't have a copy of your bill, go online and get one."

Another neighbor looked further into the problem and wrote:

"This billing cycle coincided with the DWP transferring to a new system that gave everyone new 10-digit account numbers. If you look at the top of your bill it shows a new account number and a zero previous balance).

DWP has had a lot of problems with compatibility of this new system and even when meter readers are out in the field their readings are not being taken into the system properly.. hence the "estimate."

When I called DWP, the very helpful service person had me read the meter numbers manually and she instantly credited my account! They said that if you EVER have an estimate reading on your account you should call them...do NOT assume it will be corrected in the next bill as there is a strong chance they will be estimated again.

DWP provided the following number for their meter reading department: 818-771-2779.

If you're not a big fan of DWP, join the club. The American Customer Satisfaction Index ranked the DWP the 13th-worst firm when it comes to consumer satisfaction - a list that includes some of the nation's biggest airlines, banks, and power companies.

New Gelato Shop to Land on Studio City

New Gelato Shop(pe) to Land on Studio City

As if there wasn't enough evidence to support Studio City's having reached the tipping point to be called one of L.A.'s Top Destination spots for foodies, comes word that a high end gelato bar is joining the crowded club of restaurants, bars and cafes between Laurel Canyon and Tujunga on Ventura Blvd.

Wylder's Sweet Shop is, according to a recent Press Report, an ambitious new gelato bar looking to strike Studio City later this year.

Moving into the previous Body Wrap LA location on Ventura near Laurel Canyon, Wylder's facebook page's promises a sweet shop that will scoop "creamy Gelatos in over 600 flavors to Vegan Sorbettos.

Welcome to the hood.

Sherman Oaks Street Fair

SHERMAN OAKS STREET FAIR HITS STREET OCT. 20

The Sherman Oaks Chamber of Commerce Street Fair will be held on Sunday October 20, 2013 from 10a until 6p. The Fair is billed as the largest block party in the San Fernando Valley. The fair typically averages 75,000 visitors. During that time, sponsorship proceeds from this wonderful family event have raised over $400,000 in supplies, equipment, and cash support to our local public schools, while at the same time, improving the branding of the Street Fair Sponsors.

Coldwater DWP Pipeline Update

Coldwater Canyon Work "About 50%"' Done

Studio City and Sherman Oaks residents and commuters of the Coldwater Canyon Avenue corridor have spent most of the year navigating around a mess of construction as crews work to replace a nearly 100-year-old pipeline.

The Studio City Neighborhood Council learned September 11 that it's about 50 percent done. Geoffrey Yazzetta, field deputy for Councilman Paul Krekorian's office, told the council the work is still on schedule to be finished in January 2014.

Read more of the Studio City Patch article HERE.

The Bike Connection

BUYING A BIKE?
HUSTLE INTO TO THE VALLEY'S PREMIERE BIKE VENDOR:

THE BIKE CONNECTION

The colorful murals on the facade of The Bike Connection help it to stand out on the block.

Located near the intersection of Woodman Avenue, they carry bicycles of many styles and sizes. There are options for serious and casual riders and even a section for kids.

Bike accessories, like helmets and seats, are stocked as well along with apparel. At the rear of the shop, The Bike Connection provides bicycle service and repair.

Studio City Neighborhood Council meeting guest PAUL KREKORIAN

KREKORIAN TO BE GUEST AT SCNC MONTHLY BOARD MEETING

Studio City Neighborhood Counci's monthly Board meeting is Wednesday, October 16, 2013 at the CBS Studio Center Lot.

Wednesday, October 16 @ 7pm

CBS Studio Center, Building 8, MPR-3

4024 Radford Ave.

Studio City, CA 91604

A light buffet and cold drinks will be served before the meeting. at 6:30pm. It's a great time to meet others in the community and your SCNC Board on a more personal basis. The guest speaker will be GNW's City Councilman, Paul Krekorian. There will also be a special presentation from the Department of Recreation and Parks on the new equipment at Moorpark Park.

Meeting agenda HERE.

CBS Studio Center 50 Years of Strictly Television Production

Presentation and Reception:
"50 Years of TV at the CBS Studio Center"

The Cultural Affairs Committee of the Studio City Neighborhood Council and the Studio City Library will present this event Saturday, October 19, 2013 from 3-5pm at the Studio City Public Library, 12511 Moorpark St in Studio City.

The event will educate the public on the 50th Anniversary of strictly television production at the CBS Studio Center lot - formerly Mack Sennett Studio and Republic Pictures Studio.

Film historians Marc Wanamaker and Mary Mallory will talk about many of the stars and TV shows that have filmed in Studio City. A reception will follow the screening.

Universal to Host Earthquake Preparedness Event

EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS

NBCUniversal & NBC4 are hosting a Community Earthquake Preparedness Open House at Universal Studios on Saturday, October 19, 2013 from 9a to Noon. Bring your family and friends to learn more about the most effective ways to prepare their homes, families and pets for the "big one.

You will be able to experience an earthquake to get you in the mood by being able to ride the Universal Studios Hollywood's realistic Earthquake attraction from 9a to 10a.

An RSVP is required. To RSVP, click HERE. For questions, call 818-777-0376.

Robert Kovacik and Kathy Vara, anchors of NBC4 weekend news, will co-host the program and greet the community while Red Cross representative will give presentations throughout the morning.

Studio City Halloween Event

Mendocino Farms opens near GNW

MENDOCINO FARMS OPENS NEAR GNW IN SHERMAN OAKS
courtesy of Eater L.A.

Sherman Oaks is the next place to get Mendocino Farms, the farm-to-table sandwich shop that's expanded multiple times, most recently in Downtown LA.

Taking similar design cues from their other outlets, you'll see grassy knolls on the ceiling, wooden paneling throughout and farm-chic chairs.

To read the rest of the article from LA's Eater website, click HERE.

Missing Pet

Around the Watch 2.0 Network

WATCH 2.0 NETWORKED GROUPS IN:
SOUTHEAST SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

Addison: 13900 block of Addison North of Fashion Square and several adjoining streets. Email Paula at addisonnwatch@aol.com for information.

Beeman Ave.: This area is well organized thanks to Seraphine who can be reached at seraphine@longshadowstudio.com. Whitsett to Coldwater and Moorpark to 101. Seraphine is one of the most active and involved leaders whose group is in the Watch 2.0 network. Thanks to her, her area is strongly organized

Columbus: South of Ventura and East of the Sherman Oaks Galleria. Email Debra if you'd like to get involved at columbus@watch2.org or for further information.

Dixie Canyon: This group is organized and is composed of Dixie Canyon from Valley Vista South to Mulholland. Email Alex at dixiecanyon@watch2.org for information.

Footbridge Square: Watch 2.0's newest network member (in Studio City's footbridge area) can be reached by emailing David at footbridgesquare@watch2.org.

Galewood: This group is between Longridge and Dixie Canyon in Sherman Oaks. Contact Jayne at galewood@watch2.org. Jayne is amazing!

Goodland & Halkirk: This Studio City Group is led by Hilary at goodland@watch2.org. Please email her if you'd like to help out with community involvement.

Greenleaf: This group consists of 200+ households and businesses in Studio City. They are West of Coldwater and South of Venura. Email Jeffrey at greenleaf@watch2.org for further information. A meeting is expected this Spring. We hope!

Landale Square: This 200+ homeowner group has rough boundaries that are East of Laurel Canyon to Colfax and North of Moorpark to Sarah. They just had a HUGE block party in November 2012. Marcella is the Captain and can be reached at mbell@oia-kaiserarb.com.

Longridge: The group on Longridge is readying itself for a safe Halloween! Email Matt Epstein at somatt@aol.com if you'd like to get involved with this area's watch group.

M Street: Rough boundaries of thid 75 house area is Coldwater to Fulton and from the 101 Freeway to Moorpark. Email Alan at ataylor@watch2.org for more information. A meeting is going to be held in this area in March, 2013.

North River: This group is North of the L.A. River, and West of Coldwater. Email Alan at ataylor@watch2.org.

Fashion Square: Organized area North of Fashion Square Mall. Email Jessyca at fashionsquare@watch2.org if you'd like to get involved.

Royal Woods: This group between Sepulveda and the 405 and between Mulholland and Ventura in Sherman Oaks is active and takes the Watch 2.0 network lead for information related to 405 expansion. Their next meeting featuring Metro Rep Ayda Safaei, is scheduled for November 6 at 7p. Contact Billy at billyneighborhoodwatch@gmail.com for more info.

SoCha: This group is located from Magnolia to Chandler and from Fulton to Wortser in Sherman Oaks. Email Alan at socha@watch2.org for more information.

V5: This group runs from Vitellos on Woodman to Casa Vega on Fulton and from Ventura to Valley Vista (that's why they call it the 5 V's!) This group actively holds meetings and sends out newsletters. They just hosted a block party in October 2013 on Allot. Congratulations to leaders Randi and Mary at v5@watch2.org for putting out a successful event!

Valleyheart Glen: North of the LA River to 101 Ventura Freeway from Fulton to Woodman this group has 100+ households. Email Scott at valleyheartglen@watch2.org.

Ventura Canyon: This group in Sherman Oaks holds regular meetings. Email Amy at vcanyonwatch@gmail.com to get involved and if you'd like to help her with newsletter which is distributed regularly. Amy ROCKS! Yeah, Amy, you do.

Weslin: This group is sending out newsletters regularly and is looking to involve more neighbors! Email Sharon at weslinwatch2@gmail.com for more information.

Woodman Sherman Way: North of Sherman Way and East of Woodman in Van Nuys, you can email Susan at: woodmanshermanway@watch2.org to get involved.

Your feedback is appreciated; click HERE .

Issues of past GNW Newsletters are available; click HERE.

Jeffrey Berk
GNW Block Captain
818-822-6807 (cell)