Beachwood Newsletter September, 2014

Photos by TJ Escott

It was Tuesday, August 19th at around 10 a.m. We were coming home from Burbank, driving down Ledgewood when we came upon this scene. Officer Cordero and another West Traffic Officer were interviewing the driver. We didn't stick around to hear all the details (the obvious question: How did this guy get this far up into the Canyon?). We backed up, turned around thinking we would end up down Deronda at Five Points and bypass this mess. By the time we got down there we found ourselves in a line of cars waiting for the tail end of this monster to negotiate its way down Ledgewood.

Send your thank you notes to Officer Cordero: 27485@lapd.lacity.org

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FREE Concert Sept 6 at 7 p.m.

Click on image to go to Symphony in the Glen website:

ONE NIGHT ONLY - Old Zoo in Griffith Park

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Cheremoya UPDATE

Parker-Anderson Fall 2014 Enrichment Classes starting:

September 8, 2014

The first session of Parker-Anderson after-school enrichment classes are open for enrollment.

Enroll HERE

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BCNA/HHA Host Fire Safety Meeting!

Beachwood Canyon is dry, overgrown and there are many visitors every day on our hiking trails and on all our streets. Most don't know the rules of the road here - NO smoking in our hillside neighborhoods. We MUST be prepared.

L.A. Fire Battalion 5 and fire fighters from Fire Station 82 will be on hand to go over evacuation plans and fire safety for our neighborhood.

September 15, 2014 at 7 p.m.

Beachwood Cafe

Invite as many neighbors as you can to this vital and timely meeting.

Light refreshments will be served.

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Summer Meeting Report

The Summer meeting of the Beachwood Canyon Neighborhood Association (August 11th, 2014) was very well attended (approximately 50 people) with many participating in Q & A with the various City and LAPD reps.

We learned that the permit parking signs are scheduled to be installed in a month or so. Wheels of process are sometimes slow but it was clear that the efforts by the neighbors to gain this helpful solution will be rewarded. Thanks to the hard work of the CD4 Field Deputy, Tracy James for her leadership and guidance throughout this process. Send your thank you notes to Tracy.James@lacity.org

Our Senior Lead Officer, Maggie Dillard gave a report on extreme efforts that the Hollywood LAPD has been using to clear up a local neighborhood issue on Hollyridge. The neighbors around this problem property have coalesced into a strong and proactive neighborhood watch group. Reps from the BCNA were helpful in this regard and many neighbors from this new group were in attendance at this Summer meeting. Send your thank you notes to Police Captain Zarcone: 26271@lapd.lacity.org Senior Lead Officer Maggie Dillard: 32080@lapd.lacity.org and Detective Ramirez: 25992@lapd.lacity.org

When Officer Dillard shared about a telephone scam going on (Fake DWP calls asking for money and threatening the homeowner with service interruption), Justin Hager from Assemblymember Gatto's office shared that Gatto's office is offering workshops for seniors to help them better handle these scam calls. Send your thank you notes to Justin Hager: Justin.Hager@asm.ca.gov

Officer Redd from West Traffic shared about the over weight vehicle task force being conducted in our community. These vans and buses are not supposed to enter this area if they are over 6,000 pounds in weight. This task force has cited many of these offenders and the word is getting out amongst the van drivers that this is an area to stay away from. The number of vans has reduced dramatically since this operation has been in place. Send you thank you notes to Officer Redd: 25008@lapd.lacity.org

A neighbor complained that the huge signs that tell the public that the trailhead is closed and guide them to the Observatory was collecting all kinds of trash and garbage around their base. Tracy took note and Tom Labonge's Beautification Team guys went out and cleaned the place up. Send your thank you notes to

Tracy James: Tracy.James@lacity.org

Tom Labonge: Tom.Labonge@lacity.org

Manny Bonilla: Manuel.Bonilla@lacity.org and

Greg Gomez: Greg.Gomez.jr@lacity.org

HHA's president, Lucy Gonzales and neighbor Jon Davidson gave an overview of a Lighting Project for Beachwood Village. The idea is to add warm uplights to both the historic "gates" in the Village and to relocate power from the west side of the Village to the east side to aid in the annual holiday lighting for the trees on that side. T-shirts have been created to help spread the word about this project. If you would like more info or want to donate (or just want one of those amazing T-Shirts), send your email to Lucy at Lucy@newsomdesign.com Check out the slide show:

http://bit.ly/UIweRD

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Senior Advocacy in the Canyon

Gigi DeSouki, MHA

Founder/ CEO

Wellness On Wheels, Inc.

Senior Health Care Management

Do you know the advantages of having a Health Care Advocate on your side during a health crisis?

Are you familiar with the various levels of care related to senior care?

Do you know what questions to ask of your doctor when you are in the exam room with your Mom/ Dad/ Partner?

Are you aware of Medicare guidelines for re-hospitalization?
Do you know that Doctors make house calls?

Are you aware that a Dental Hygienist can clean your teeth at your bedside without a Doctor's order?

So much to know when it comes to caring for yourself or family. Most of us think it is something we can handle when the situation arises. I recently had to step in to help my best friend whose husband took a major fall at home and ended up being shuffled from one facility to another getting more and more disoriented. The fragmentation of his care and poor medical management speaks to how our health care system is poorly designed. Seniors are often over medicated and misdiagnosed. My friend's husband had the misfortune of being a Kaiser member who got transferred to seven different facilities in 6 weeks during his care and not once seeing his primary care physician. Each facility told his wife that he was medically stable and needed a lower level of care. By the time we got him to a stable state, he had lost feeling in his legs, he was experiencing severe deliriums and could not communicate.

To unravel this mess, we brought in an outside medical consultant and got a handle on understanding the concept of hospitalization psychosis. Its a reality that seniors are susceptible to during a health crisis in addition to the reason for their emergency or hospitalization. We should all be aware of this so we can be vigilant about our support and constant questioning of everything that takes place within any medical or health care facility. You must question and inform the medical and support team handling your loved one's care regarding the details of your loved ones history and medical progression. They don't know your family as they just encountered them for the first time. Its less likely they would misinterpret anything going on when you are there to fill in the gaps. Better yet, have a friend or a representative available to act on your behalf or assist you in the interpretation of the information or events.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to call me. I am in the neighborhood and would love to address your needs directly or through any one of my team members. We are all mobile and can come directly to your doorstep.

Stay well and prosper.

Gigi DeSouki, MHA
Founder/CEO
Wellness On Wheels, Inc.
www.wellnessonwheels.net
Testimonial

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Parking Violations Link

Report stolen or abandoned vehicles on your street. Click this link for several ways to make reports and get these vehicles cited/towed:

http://www.lacity-parking.org/laopm/1_800.htm

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Lights OUT? LA Has APPs for YOU!

Safety in our neighborhoods depend on well-lit streets. Many have noticed that there have been lights out in Beachwood Canyon. Just when we thought light was restored (LADWP had restored power to the lighting system), random lights went dark.

Five points (Deronda/Rodgerton/Ledgewood) lights went out at the beginning of August. Westshire lights went out right after that.

Have an iPhone or Android device? Here's what to do:

Go to http://bsl.lacity.org/residents.html

There are two free applications that you download on your device:

L
A Lights

MyLA311

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Water Conservation Fact Sheet

The DWP has provided this nice little 1 page sheet that has all of the water conservation information, including the email address where one can report potential water use violators.

FACT SHEET

Much more information can be found at www.ladwp.com/waterconservation

Tommy Newman, Esq.
Deputy

Office of Councilman Tom LaBonge

tommy.newman@lacity.org

main: 213-485-3337

direct: 213-473-2346

cell: 818-356-6507

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New Hours for LADWP Hotline

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Customer Contact Center (800-DIAL-DWP) hours of operation will be from 7 am to 7 pm, Mon through Fri, Sat from 7 am to 2 pm, and closed on Sundays.

As always, agents will remain available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for customers to report an emergency, including water or power outages.

Customers with questions about their bill are encouraged to visit any Los Angeles Dept of Water and Power customer service centers. Their hours on weedays are 9 to 5.

Online access: www.ladwp.com/ContactUs or call 800-342-5397.

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Beachwood Happy Hour

Hollywoodland Antiques is having a happy hour Every Friday from 5 - 7 p.m.!

Please come in and have a glass of wine, snacks, and get to know your neighbors.

Dr. Karen and Jeff Meyer

P.S. Stop in and ask to see some of Karen's hand painted creations. Some are wearing her shirts in the neighborhood. This is MUST SEE stuff.

P.S. & P.S. This is a total good vibe event - we have noticed neighbors walking down the street at around 5 pm on Friday, almost all headed for Happy Hour. What a perfect way build community! - editor

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Beachwood Cafe

Why not wander into into the Cafe and have a meal and conversation with any one of the many neighbors you will run into? This IS family!

In days gone by, most neighbors would meet spontaneously in the local cafe and visit about all manner of neighborhood issues. We can do it again.

2695 N. Beachwood Dr.
(323) 871-1717

Follow them on Twitter @BeachwoodCafe

Check out their Facebook Page

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Feel Good Moment

This one is really short but so heart-warming that you will want to watch it over and over again!