Friday, December 20, 2013
Volume VII, Number 5
JANUARY 2014 NEWSLETTER
All of Studio City West of Coldwater, South of Ventura
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.
October 2013 Newsletter Click-To-View Rate: 56%
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Crime and Safety Update
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RISE IN AUTO BURGLARIES AND THEFT
LAPD Van Nuys Auto Detectives report a rise in vehicle burglaries and thefts in Van Nuys area south of Ventura Freeway to Valley Vista between Van Nuys Boulevard and Woodman Avenue. Suspects are targeting buildings with underground parking and removing unsecured property.
Last night, Thursday night, December 19, a car was broken into on Bellingham while another on Milbank next to Beeman Park was broken into.
STUDIO CITY SLO REPORTS BURGLARIES FROM HOUSES UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Senior Lead Officer for Studio City, Mike Lewis, reports: "In [December] I have seen that homes currently under construction are being targeted by burglars. If your building a house, renovating a house or if your a contractor working on a house please take the necessary precautions and protect your property. In most of these burglaries it's the construction equipment that is being targeted. However, I have had a safe stolen from one residence."
"If you live next door to a house under construction please pay special attention to property. It's likely these suspects are breaking in sometime in the middle of the night. Surveillance cameras and signs on the property warning that surveillance cameras are in use might be a wise investment."
ROYAL WOODS WATCH CRIME ALERT
Thanksgiving weekend several people were door-knocking the neighborhood asking for support in the guise of "magazine subscriptions" to pay for beauty school... this occurred Saturday night, November 30. They were checking to see if people were home so they could break in.
Earlier this week, we received word about an aggressive attempted break in on Royal Woods:
.... Our doorbell rang at 5am and we just ignored it until I heard the front door rattling. When I went toward the door I could see someone shaking the door trying to get it to open. When I yelled at him, he said he was with a security company and had received a call from two of his colleagues who were supposedly in my house and I needed to let him in.... I told him the police had been called....he then went to the side of the house to get into the backyard.
The man was African American male, six feet tall and 190 pounds. He was wearing a tan short sleeve t-shirt with black pants and black tennis shoes.
STUDIO CITY MARIJUANA DISPENSARY ROBBED
Two men, one possibly armed, put a dent in the inventory of a medical marijuana dispensary in Studio City Wednesday, an LAPD spokesman said.
The robbery in the 5500 block of Laurel Canyon Boulevard in Studio City was reported about 1 p.m. and the pair reportedly made off with about 40 pounds of pot. They were reportedly seen driving a black SUV. The suspects were described as big, heavily tattooed Latinos, one weighing about 220 pounds.
The wholesale price for a pound of pot is about $2,500.
BUFFALO AVE. ROBBERY.
Our Tundra pickup truck with a cab was broken into earlier this week on Buffalo Avenue. Damage was done to the lift gate and locked windows. It was alarmed so they grabbed what they could and fled.
Among the stolen items was a yellow tool box and duffle bags filled with surfing apparatus including fins, surfing hardware and tools and men's wet suits, water shoes, water use clothing, etc.
These are items useless to these thieves, but due to their specific use they are valuable and very costly to replace.
Please call Judy at either (818) 788-0172 home or cell (818) 400-9300 with any information.
COMMUNITY POLICE ACADEMY
A Community Police Academy is being held at the Davis Police Academy in Granada Hills. The program is eight weeks long and is held on eight consecutive Thursdays from 6:00pm to 9:00pm starting January 16.
In years past citizens have gone through a police simulator (the shoot / don't shoot video exercise) that all LAPD Officers go through.
Guest speakers include Deputy Chiefs, SWAT, Robbery/Homicide and different divisions within LAPD. It's really a phenomenal program.
If your curious about what the LAPD does, why they do it or interested in meeting those who run the LAPD Department, I highly suggest you attend.
If interested, email Sergeant Christopher Rowland at 34296@lapd.lacity.org.
CRIME MAP STUDIO CITY
HOLIDAY PACKAGE THEFT IN STUDIO CITY
On November 14 in the 3800 block of Vantage, Fed-Ex dropped off a package and left it on the victim's doorstep. A few minutes later it was gone. There is no doubt that there are individuals following delivery trucks throughout Studio City and watching them place packages on residential doorsteps.
In the case above a suspect was seen. He is described as a 20 year old Black male, 5'8" tall and 150 pounds.
After taking the package he was seen running and entering a 4-door black vehicle, unknown make and model. They know around the holidays people are buying high tech electronics, phones, gaming systems, etc.
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Car Dent Scam at Ralphs Coldwater
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Dent Scam Taking Place at RALPHS COLDWATER
by LAPD SLO Michael Lewis There is a parking lot dent repair scam going on.
I have been having problems with a group of individuals who would approach people in parking lots (usually supermarkets) and offer to remove their dents from their vehicles. They seem to target the elderly and frequent the Ralph's on Ventura and Coldwater. Last week I had a report in which they did some body work on the victim's car. There was a dispute as to whether or not the victim gave them permission. (I'm sure the victim did not give them permission) however, during the verbal dispute one of the suspect's lifted his shirt (displaying a knife in his waistband) and told the victim he did not want any problems.
Because of this the victim felt threatened and gave the suspect's money. Last Wednesday one of the suspect's came back to the area and we arrested him. I interviewed him along with the Robbery Detective and he admitted almost everything the victim did, except for any weapon or threat and of course he said the victim gave him permission to complete the work.
The District Attorney would file criminal charges (we expected this) but I want to make the community aware of these scammers
If you witness suspicious activity, call for immediate police assistance. Be prepared to provide the suspect(s) physical description: clothing, height, weight, as well as suspect(s) vehicle description: make/model, color, and license plate number.
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Next Watch Meeting
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GNW WATCH MEETING PLANNED FOR SPRING '14
AT BISTRO GARDEN!
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Restaurant Spotlight - La CAVA
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 LA CAVA CONTINUES TO PROVIDE
QUALITY... CONSISTENTLY
GNW's own and Florentine native Armando Pucci nightly presides over a proper Tuscan-style trattoria just a stone's throw sway. The menu items, including daily specials, are simple, traditional and subtle but very carefully prepared. Service is casual, professional yet not fussy. The prices are reasonable; the food consistently excellent. The holidays bring out twinkling lights, crowds and an energy that only makes the restaurant excite more.
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DWP Coldwater Construction
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DWP COLDWATER TRUNK LINE SOUTH UNIT 5 UPDATE
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) construction crews are continuing to work on Coldwater Canyon Avenue between Bloomfield Street and Valleyheart Drive.
Traffic impacts include one lane open in each direction with intermittent lane closures. Construction in this zone will continue through January, 2014.
Once completed, crews will restore the current work zone and implement a new work zone immediately north of the current work zone.
The construction project is currently 47.5 percent complete, and is on schedule to be completed in September 2015.
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GNW INITIATIVE FOR 2014 - REPAVE GNW AREA STREETS!
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 GNW TO TAKE MAYOR GARCETTI'S BSS' NEIGHBORHOOD BLITZ "TO TASK"
One of Eric Garcetti's first acts upon taking office as Los Angeles Mayor was to announce the Bureau of Streets Services (BSS) "Neighborhood Blitz" campaign.
The "Blitz" campaign has "tasked" a BSS team to work with local neighborhood councils to make road repairs on some of the most persistent and difficult fixes needed in Los Angeles' neighborhoods. Over the course of a year, the Neighborhood Blitz team will visit each Neighborhood Council District at least two times. On Thursday, December 19, for example, the Neighborhood Blitz team was making asphalt repairs on Vermont Ave. in East Hollywood.
In 2014, GNW, whose streets are some of the most difficult fixes in Los Angeles, according to Block Captain Jeffrey Berk, will endeavor to have Greenleaf Street, whose condition is undeniably "failing", along with the other GNW streets (Van Noord and Dickens included) re-paved.
Greenleaf was last repaved in 1990 and the street is in major need of assistance due to the heavy machinery and additional traffic impact created by the DWP's Trunk Line South construction project.
If you (and your child who could accompany you) would like to volunteer to walk door-to-door in the GNW neighborhood to ask neighbors to sign a petition to present to Garcetti next month to fix GNW's streets, please contact Jeffrey at greenleaf@watch2.org.
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Saturday Matinee at the Library
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 Saturday Matinee at the Studio City Library Presents
MAN OF STEEL
Saturday, December 21 @ 3PM
Studio City Public Library 12511 Moorpark St. Studio City, CA 91604 Show starts promptly at 3PM |
Sherman Oaks Light Party
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 Longview House Lights up Sherman Oaks and Studio Cityby Jeffrey Berk
Mike Ziemkowski is lighting up our South Valley's night sky with his astonishing Christmas holiday lights display that has been a Sherman Oaks tradition for 14 years. His house, located at 3901 Longview Valley Road, just off of Beverly Glen in Sherman Oaks, is a requisite local holiday lights tour stop for many who live in the South Valley.
The holiday light show is now back for 2013. Big, fluffy snowmen with sunglasses, reindeer prouncing through the air and long, massive, strings of lights can be seen from 5-10pm nightly through the 25th. Ziemkowski has been preparing for the show since September!
Ziemkowski has fond memories of growing up with "25 Christmases" in St. John, Indiana. He writes on the site, "My mom took care of the inside decorations, while my dad filled the yard with handmade items, fashioned from wood and whatever else he could find. He created motorized displays of the Little Drummer Boy drumming away at the manger, Santa playing a pipe organ and a workshop fully staffed by Santa and his elves."
Ziemkowski moved from Indiana to Chicago and eventually to Sherman Oaks. While his house and yard are smaller now, and the animated figures he created have been left behind with relatives in Indiana, the show still carries on filled with his pride. Ziemkowski jokes that decorating the light show in a jacket parka and winter gloves have been replaced with shorts and t-shirts.
"Currently I work as video editor, creating theatrical and TV commercials and presentations. The works of my creativity are displayed on a flat screen, and each Christmas, the display allows me to break out of the tube and put on a show in 3D!" Ziemkowski says.
The house has been featured on "Good Morning America", "Modern Marvels", The Travel Channel and elsewhere.
Ziemkowski says that this year's show will feature a few new songs. He says Frosty has been replaced with one of his new Season's Greeters animatronics joined by the cast of past year's characters.
To see a video of what the lights look like this year at night, check out the display HERE.
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Emergency Preparedness: Mapping Your Home for Natural Disasters
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 Effects of Liquefaction in the 1964 earthquake in Niigata, Japan
Mapping the Hazards to your Home Emergency Management Map Reveals Your Area's Natural Hazards There are trade-offs to living in the different areas of Los Angeles. Live in Marina Del Rey and you risk a tsunami on your doorstep but avoid the heat of Santa Ana wind-fueled wildfires. Live in the mountains of Studio City overlooking the Valley and you risk the impact of a dirty mudslide while avoiding the ground under your home "liquefying" in an earthquake. If you'd like to see how your area compares to other area of Los Angeles in terms of natural calamities (and a biblical plague risk or two), navigate over the the California Emergency Management Agency's (CEMA) Hazard Mitigation Map at http://myplan.calema.ca.gov. There you will see what the folks on Longridge have to contend with. There you will see what the people in Van Noord have to consider. And there you will see how the folks on Greenleaf Street seem to have avoided most of the trouble.
2. Consider "Landslides" by selecting the appropriate hazard mapping button. "Ouch" if you live in the Studio City Mountains. We all know that landslide dangers are relevant during rains and earthquakes to homes "in the hills". But, according to the map, Greenleaf Street's danger is lower than its Southern streeted neighbors because they sit a hairline off the slopes.
3. Want to see what happens to the ground under your house during a quake? Select the "Shaking / .2 sec" hazard button. The map will reflect in techni-colored degrees the amount of shaking your home will incur during a disturbance like an earthquake. According to the map, homes in the hillsides more than homes in the flats will be affected due to factors encompassing soil composition, terrain and fault lines. Greenleaf Street avoids the "red" zone here too.
What the map reveals more importantly than anything is that there is no home untouched by natural hazard in Southern California. Consider where you live and focus on the best bang-for-the-buck way to mitigate damage and danger to your home and family based on the most relevant hazards.
For more public safety information and ways to mitigate damage, visit the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services HERE.
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NextDoor Partners with Next Door
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LA Fire Dept. Partners with NextDoor
by LADF Chief James Featherstone
I am pleased to announce that starting December 17, 2013, the Los Angeles Fire Department will be using Nextdoor to share fire safety and emergency preparedness tips with over 700 Los Angeles neighborhoods on Nextdoor. The Los Angeles Fire Department is proud to serve the residents of this great city and we are excited to strengthen our online connections to our neighborhoods. Please take a moment to learn some facts about the sources of holiday fires.
Facts about home holiday fires:
* 1 of every 3 home Christmas tree fires are caused by electrical problems.
* 1 of every 40 reported home structure Christmas tree fires results in a death compared to an average of 1 death per 142 total reported home structure fires.
* A heat source too close to the tree causes roughly 1 in every 6 Christmas tree fires.
* 56% of home candle fires occur when something, close to the candle, catches fire.
* December is the peak time of year for home candle fires. In December, 11% of home candle fires began with decorations compared to 4% the rest of the year.
Source: National Fire Protection Association
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myfit FOODS
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myfit FOODS Lands on Studio City
my Fit Foods is the brainchild of fitness expert Mario Mendias who started cooking meals for his clients in Houston. This fitness food-to-go emporium's story tells that Mendia's clients were too busy to shop and prepare healthy meals for themselves so Mario started to prepare meals for them in his apartment kitchen. Mario's fitness program was doing well and his clients were happy but the food business was growing fast... very fast. In 2007, Mario outgrew his apartment kitchen and created the concept of My Fit Foods to expand his mission of providing fresh, gluten-free healthy meals at affordable prices. The menu expanded with additional meals and snacks all focused on lean protein, low glycemic carbohydrates and heart healthy fats.
Mario now has a stores in 5 states selling his to-go breakfast, lunch and dinner meals. There are 8 stores in Southern California with more coming soon. Locations include Hermosa Beach, Rolling Hills, West Hollywood, Wilshire & Bundy and Sherman Oaks. The Studio City Branch has just moved into the shop between the Bank of America and Mama's and Papa's Pizza across from Aaron Bros. on Ventura Blvd.
Natalie (pictured above on the right), the resident fitness expert at the Studio City branch welcomes GNW members to the store at 12616 Ventura Blvd on the Coldwater Curve. She advises that we can use the 2-for-1 coupon below to try their line of healthy foods. (One coupon per customer and first time customers only.) The foods are pre-cooked and just needed to be heated for a few minutes. Natalie mentions that anyone can also work with her to design a 21 day special makeover health, fitness and eating program which promises a weight loss in women of 6-10 pounds and men of 10-15 pounds. The program offers accountability, coaching and motivation.
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405 Freeway Widening Update - Mulholland Bridge Reopens
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 Supervisor Zev Yaroslovsky discusses the 405 Project on December 18, 2013 Photo Credit: L.A. Metro Mulholland Bridge over the 405 Reopens for Business
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SCRA - 2013 Close
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Dear Neighbors;
I would like to take this final opportunity of 2013 to first, thank you all for your support of the Studio City Neighborhood Council. Because of your support and advocacy we have been able to accomplish what heretofore has never happened! We have been able to fight for and be victorious in keeping Studio City a community that others, all across Los Angeles admire.
We have been able to retain the *suburban* neighborhoods that we enjoy.
We have been able to (negotiate) on a good-neighbor basis, a resolve to several major projects, not the least of which was the NBCUniversal Development. We came to a resolve at the table that brought something important to both Universal and our own community.
Just recently, we responded to another Draft Environmental Impact Report regarding the Harvard-Westlake project and represented fairness for all sides. That was accomplished through hard work, being receptive and hearing what everyone in the community was saying. The result of that work can be seen on our website: Dear Neighbors and Fellow Stakeholders; I would like to take this final opportunity of 2013 to first, thank you all for your support of the Studio City Neighborhood Council. Because of your support and advocacy we have been able to accomplish what heretofore has never happened! We have been able to fight for and be victorious in keeping Studio City a community that others, all across Los Angeles admire. We have been able to retain the *suburban* neighborhoods that we enjoy. We have been able to (negotiate) on a good-neighbor basis, a resolve to several major projects, not the least of which was the NBCUniversal Development. We came to a resolve at the table that brought something important to both Universal and our own community. Just recently, we responded to another Draft Environmental Impact Report regarding the Harvard-Westlake project and represented fairness for all sides. That was accomplished through hard work, being receptive and hearing what everyone in the community was saying. The result of that work can be seen on our website: www.studiocitync.org. In the coming year, you will be starting to read and see information about the Neighborhood Council elections that will be taking place in March, 2014. I urge you to stay involved and if you haven't yet thought about it, look at running for a Board seat! All categories are open and you can find more information now at: www.empowerla.org. I want to thank all of our Board members, our Committee Chairs, our Committee members and all the Stakeholders of Studio City for being available, for caring, and for standing up for a community that means something to us all. It is because we have that involvement and large support that your Neighborhood Council is effective. We also want to thank our own City Council-member, Paul Krekorian, for always being available. For always listening too, and hearing our concerns. For always being receptive to the important issues of Studio City. Wishing you all a very happy and safe holiday season, and looking forward to an even greater 2014. Sincerely, Dr. John T. Walker, PhD. President, SCNC |
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