Mike Newman will be spinning tunes and the first 150 guests who arrive will receive a gift bag courtesy of organic botanical fragrance line Strange Invisible Perfumes and Boiron homeopathic medicines.

Click here to RSVP on their Facebook page.

White Party to Benefit Heal the Bay
Friday, September 3rd, 2010 at 7pm-12am
Hotel Shangri-La
1301 Ocean Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90401-1019
(310) 394-2791

Just got an email from a Yo! Venice! pal that is a reporter:

I cannot confirm yet but my source says the Russian Billionaire with the ridiculous 300 million dollar yacht is buying an entire OFW block. Being familiar with the current properties for sale on OFW I checked with my title company and found that a title order had recently been opened on the multiple properties in the 500 to 600 block of OFW.

Wowza.

An icon of American music born in New Orleans, Dr. John is indelibly linked to the traditions and singularity of the city’s musical and cultural heritage. Mac Rebennack burst onto the rock & roll scene in the late 60s as Dr. John, the Night Tripper, merging the Rhythm and Blues, voodoo rhythms and chants of his native New Orleans to create a persona perfect for the psychedelic era. Over the years he’s thrown Jazz, Classic American Songbook, Zydeco, Boogie Woogie and Rock into the musical mix.

In 1972 he recorded “Dr. John’s Gumbo,” an album covering several standards with one original, considered a cornerstone in New Orleans music. “In 1972, I recorded Gumbo, an album that was both a tribute to and my interpretation of the music I had grown up with in New Orleans in the 1940s and 1950s. I tried to keep a lot of the little changes that were characteristic of New Orleans, while working my own funknology on piano and guitar.” The next year, with local legend Allen Toussaint producing and The Meters backing, Dr. John released the seminal New Orleans funk album “In the Right Place.” In the same way that “Gumbo” began his career-long reputation as an esteemed interpreter of New Orleans standards, “In the Right Place” established Dr. John as New Orleans’ preeminent ambassador.

Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Eddie Baytos can be said to be from N’Wahlins via Hollywood. A staple of the Southland’s music scene, Baytos is both musician – accordion, piano, keyboards, frottoir (washboard) – choreographer, composer and producer. Grounded in Zydeco, New Orleans Funk, Blues and Tex-Mex, the Nervis Brothers incorporate Cumbias, Cuban, Forro’ and Ska to “…bring the world closer through music and dance!” Eddie Baytos & the Nervis Brothers clearly play “World Mardi Gras Music” for your dining and dancing pleasure!

The 26th Annual Abbot Kinney Festival will be held on Sunday, September 26th, 2010 from 10am-6pm.

Abbot Kinney Festival Association
Electric Lodge: 7:30 pm Wednesday, September 1, 2010
1416 Electric Avenue
Venice Beach, 90291

If you have an SUV or truck and can lift boxes of books, civic duty says you should help the ladies out!

Venice Library Book Moving Party for the Ladies.
September 10th from 11a.m. to 2 p.m.
Please call 310-821-1769 to volunteer.

From Councilman Bill Rosendahl:

Friends,

I support efforts by the LAPD to enforce LAMC 85.02, which prohibits camping or living in a vehicle on city streets.

I am a staunch supporter of the LAPD and their efforts, and I have consistently urged that enforcement be a key element of a multi-pronged strategy to deal with the issue of cars and campers in Venice and CD11.

I have made this position clear to Police Chief Charlie Beck, Commander Andy Smith, several generations of local captains, senior lead officers, and the rank and file. I have supported expansion of the LAPD, secured additional officers for CD11, and continue to talk with police officials about a more focused strategy and additional dedicated resources to address this problem in our community.

We all share the same objective. No one wants people living in cars and campers on our streets. Reasonable people differ on how to accomplish that. I personally believe we need a box full of tools to deal with a multi-faceted problem. We need both enforcement and services.

I supported OPDs and fought hard for them. I support the Oversize Vehicle Ordinance and am moving to implement it as quickly as possible. At the same time, I am moving forward with the Streets to Homes program, and I am seeking to amend LAMC 85.02 so that we can find distinct and discrete safe places for the segment of the RV population who need help, who want help, and who are willing to abide by certain rules.

One single approach will not solve this problem. Enforcement is essential, but alone it is insufficient. We need a strategy that is balanced and measured, and both tough and humane.

Regards,

BILL

Benice
1715 Pacific Ave
Venice, CA 90291
Neighborhood: Venice
(310) 396-9938

Studio Seress
7-12pm
1219½ Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291
310-399-0878

There is existing law that prevents vehicle dwelling on the streets of Los Angeles, which include Venice Beach. It is LAMC Sec. 85.02.

When frustrated Venice residents ask the LAPD why this law is not being enforced, “beat cops” have informed multiple residents that they have been told not to enforce this law by “the powers that be”. Maybe the cops are shirking their responsibility, but we highly doubt that.

All speculation aside, this is a very easy thing for Antonio Villaraigosa, Bill Rosendahl and Carmen Trutanich to put to rest. These three can officially and publicly support the LAPD Pacific Division in their enforcement of the existent LAMC Sec. 85.02., or they can refuse to officially support the LAPD Pacific Division in their enforcement of LAMC Sec. 85.02.

Action groups may not want you to do this, but once again … the law is the law … and until you politicos change the laws, you either support the LAPD Pacific Division in their duty to enforce the law, or you don’t. So what is it going to be Villaraigosa, Rosendahl and Trutanich? Will you officially support the LAPD Pacific Division in their enforcement of the law, as written and applicable to all residents of Los Angeles no matter their race, religion or economic status? This is not an issue for the ACLU: The law, once again, is the law. The law applies to all: regardless of their race, religion or economic status.

Trust us, we will hear back if it is genuine support or grandstanding. Yo! Venice! officially supports the LAPD Pacific Division on this issue.

LAMC SEC. 85.02. USE OF STREETS AND PUBLIC PARKING LOTS FOR HABITATION.

No person shall use a vehicle parked or standing upon any City street.
or upon any parking lot owned by the City of Los Angeles and under the
control of the City of Los Angeles or under control of the Los Angeles
County Department of Beaches and Harbors. as living quarters either
overnight, day-by-day, or otherwise. (Title and Section Amended by Ord.
No. 158,219, Eff. 9/19/83.)

Yo! Venice! has had a long day of surfing, cycling, dining, shopping and enjoying Venice. Time for bed.

From Councilman Bill Rosendahl:

Rosendahl Issues Petitions for Venice Parking Restrictions

Residents Can Begin Canvassing for Block-by-Block Ban on Overnight Parking of Oversize Vehicles

LOS ANGELES — Councilman Bill Rosendahl is offering petitions to Venice residents who want street signs banning overnight parking of oversize vehicles.

The signs would restrict the parking of vehicles more than seven feet high or more than 22 feet long between the hours of 2:00 A.M.-6:00 A.M. Two-thirds of the residents or owners on a block must agree to the posted signs.

“For too long, residents of Venice have sought relief from the proliferation of RVs, campers and other oversize vehicles in front of their homes.” Rosendahl said. “The California Coastal Commission has wrongly denied Venice the same parking restrictions other communities have. This is one of the few tools we have at our disposal.”

Twice in the past year, the Coastal Commission has denied attempts by the City of Los Angeles to establish resident-only Overnight Parking Districts in Venice, even though most other coastal communities, and the rest of Los Angeles, are allowed such restrictions. In response, Rosendahl persuaded the City Council to toughen existing restrictions on oversized vehicles.Those restrictions do not need Coastal Commission approval.

A previous ordinance banned vehicles of a certain height and length. The revised ordinance is more wide-reaching, covering vehicles that are either too long or too tall.

Rosendahl said he will direct the Department of Transportation to install the signs on any block where 2/3 of the residents, businesses and property owners support the restrictions. Residents who own RVs will be allowed to get a non-transferable, $10 per day, three-day permit to load or unload their vehicle.

Petitions are available in any of Rosendahl’s council offices, or can be downloaded from his website, www.councilmanrosendahl.com. The form is located on the homepage under ‘Hot Topics.’

Before signs can be installed, the City Council still must approve a secondary “implementing ordinance” to flesh out further guidelines and details. Rosendahl will submit a motion next week, at the council’s next meeting, asking the City Attorney and DOT to expedite that process.

Residents can circulate and submit the petitions in the meantime. Once residents submit the completed petitions to Rosendahl’s office, City staff will verify the signatures and the councilman will direct DOT to complete the required analysis of the designated block.

To jumpstart the process, Rosendahl has secured funds so that the cash-strapped DOT can construct and install the signs.

Other parts of Rosendahl’s district are also eligible for the petitions and signage. Those areas also have the ability to implement parking restrictions not available in the section of Venice west of Lincoln, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Coastal Commission.

Click here to make the slide show full sized.

It is reported that the “A” burns up to 700 gallons per hour while cruising, and that a fill-up can run nearly half a million US dollars. It has three swimming pools, a helipad, and three 30′ speedboats. It also has 23,600 square feet of living space.

Heads up to the pirates down at the beach: the boat’s windows are made of bomb-proof glass and there are fingerprint scanners at every door. Forty-four security camera litter the boat’s interior and exterior, some equipped with night-vision infrared and motion-detection systems.

A group of passionate and frustrated Venice Beach residents took to the streets yesterday for a press conference they called “Don’t Dump on Venice”. Angered that the city is not enforcing existent laws which forbid sleeping in a vehicle of any sort on city streets, residents demanded that the city enforce these laws. The group also demanded immediate release of the City Council’s unanimously approved Oversized Vehicle sign petitions from Councilman Bill Rosendahl and also an immediate reexamination of this issue by the California Coastal Commission.

At issue is the fact that Venice has become a mecca for RV Dwellers that choose to “live off the grid” (known as boondocking), willingly choosing a lifestyle that endangers Venice residents safety and health. As seen on many sites online (like “Free Campgrouds“), these “boondockers” view Venice Beach as a place where “Police do not enforce city ordinance against lodging in your vehicle”

The proliferation of high quality cel-phone cameras has enabled Venice residents to begin documenting violations of health and safety issues by these RV dwelling Boondockers. One such incident of a resident documenting multiple instances of RV dweller toxic sewage dumping with a cel phone has made the RV problem in Venice and the complaints of Venice residents against City leaders national news in the last week.

The majority of Venice residents are in agreement that this illegal RV activity is commonplace and are frustrated that activists such as the social service industry friendly “Venice Action” group have seemingly tried to make this issue about class warfare and gentrification issues rather than what it is: a matter of public health and safety concerns.

“Venice Action” members include Venice Neighborhood Council President Linda Lucks, Christopher Plourde, Karen Wolfe and David Ewing.

Rather than ask for the enforcement of existing laws, VNC President and “Venice Action” member Linda Lucks has written that “Though not a perfect solution, sump trucks can provide a bridge until proper sanitation facilities can be put in place and can serve as a prevention safeguard, always preferable to pollution and spills.” If the city were to enable these “boondockers” by allotting city funds and creating a waste management group for law breaking RV dwellers is beyond doubt an issue that would end up in court. Enforcement of existing laws would solve the problem, and not require any such program of enablement.

As more and more residents document the illegal waste dumping and criminal activities of this “boondocking” transient RV community, it is expected that the California Coastal Commission, if acting purely in defense of the Ocean and not from the pressure of activist groups that would like this to appear as a “class” war, to reverse their decision for over night parking regulation in Venice Beach. Readers: please document illegal “boondocker” RV transient activity with your cel phones and submit them to the LAPD. You can also email them to us here at Yo! Venice! or post them in the forums yourself.

If you would like to print the “Don’t Dump on Venice” logo out as a bumper sticker, click here for the artwork.

From KTLA:

Click here to see the coverage from CBS news.

Click here to see the coverage on it from NBC News.

As part of this press conference by residents, The Venice Stakeholders Association released this press statement:

Venice Residents Demand Release of Oversize Vehicle Petitions from LA Councilman’s Office to Remove RVs and Campers from Venice

(August 25, 2010 –Venice Beach, CA) – In light of the recent documented sewage dumping incidences in Venice, the Venice Stakeholders Association today renewed its demand that Councilman Bill Rosendahl release to residents the petitions required to sign up blocks for the new signage banning oversize vehicles, including the types of RVs and campers involved in the dumping incidences at Pacific and Fleet and 3rd and Sunset.

“Bill Rosendahl has repeatedly told us that he’s going to put up the new signs and get these polluting vehicles out of our neighborhoods and away from the beach,” said Mark Ryavec, president of the VSA. “And then nothing happens.”

“This delay has been going on for months,” he said.

Ryavec conjectured that Rosendahl is delaying installation of the signs until his “park and snooze” program – on parking lots near residences in Venice – is operational.

“We were told by a high-ranking City official that Bill was delaying until the parking lots and a social service provided are secured, which in our estimation is many, many months away, considering there are over 250 vehicle dwellers in Venice.” Ryavec said. “Bill also continues to push the community to accept putting the RVs and campers on parking lots in residential areas, such as the median between North and South Venice Boulevards,” Ryavec said.

“Bill doesn’t get that we do not want to be an urban RV campground,” Ryavec said. “We want the RVs and campers out of areas near residences and away from the beach. We support a safe parking program, but at least 300 feet from homes and a good distance from the ocean to prevent the kind of pollution we recently saw on Pacific and 3rd from reaching the beach.”

Ryavec also noted that these vehicles would have been banned from Venice streets two years ago if the Coastal Commission had not rejected the City’s application for overnight restricted parking (OPDs).

“The Commission has a legal mandate to protect coastal waters” Ryavec said. “If there were 250 apartments in Venice without sewer hook-ups, the Commission would shut them down in a minute. We fail to see how the situation with all these RVs and campers is different. They belong in proper campgrounds.”

Ryavec said that residents have been complaining to City, County and Coastal Commission authorities for years about the dangers of the pollution from these vehicles, and have found that no one has taken the on-going contamination of streets, and ultimately the Santa Monica Bay, seriously.

Click here to make the picture real size. And click here for image #2!

Earlier today “Venice Action” posted a big nasty-gram on their website questioning the integrity of this website. I stay pretty neutral on issues on this site, and have always posted “Venice Action” information here with as much and equal respect as anything I post, including posts from the Venice Stakeholders Association. Look through the archives of this site, it is a point which can not be argued.

Lets start with this: “Venice Action”, the one thing that is not going to happen is my allowing you to question the integrity of this site. You can fling accusations against your “opponents”, but if you come after Yo! Venice! with your factually incorrect barbs, I am going to respond. The wonderful thing about blogs is that information takes place “in the open” and also has date and time stamps which make proving the drivel you have posted is exactly that.

From your website, posted today (August 28th, 2010) as can be seen by clicking here:

DUMPING IS REPREHENSIBLE

The recent incident of dumping sewage from an RV is reprehensible. Immediately upon learning of the incident, Venice Action called the Mayor’s office and Council District 11 office and received a quick and thorough response. The Bureau of Sanitation scheduled cleanup, enforcement activity and investigation of proper and permitted disposal facilities for RV’s.

The incident underscores the need for implementation of the Streets-to-Homes program, a comprehensive approach to vehicular homelessness, as well as for more urgent action on providing proper waste disposal.

It is commendable that a Venice resident reported the incident that led to the perpetrator’s alleged arrest. However, it is baffling that rather than calling appropriate City services to clean up the waste, the bloggers that originally reported the incident seem to have withheld the information from responsible officials and instead furthered a campaign to characterize all RV dwellers as criminals. One is left to wonder if the bloggers purposely sent readers on a wild goose chase by directing them to call the fire department. Their conspicuous omission of any mention of the CD 11 office as well as their vague instruction to “feel free to call the Mayor” may have been an attempt to purposely delay clean up and to cause embarrassment to city officials who have supported the Streets-to-Homes program.

Venice Action will continue to work with the Mayor’s office, Councilman Rosendahl, the LAPD, the Venice Neighborhood Council and our community partners to expedite real solutions to the problems associated with homeless people sleeping in vehicles on Venice Streets.

The very first mention of the issue of illegal RV toxic waste dumping was at 11:23 pm on August 18, 2010 when “Boston Dawna” posted in the forums that she saw illegal waste dumping and asked the community for assistance in catching them as such: “The licence of the camper is 4EQM810. If you see this camper please call the police and contact me. I will make a citizens arrest.” ALSO in this first post is the statement that “Boston Dawna” has already, BEFORE ever posting anything on the internet, contacted authorities: “I pick up the phone and call the cops.”

At 1:30 am on August 19, 2010, in the very next response to this thread, “Boston Dawna” posted: “OK, I just got back from identifying the bastards who dumped their in our streets. The husband was the look out walking around checking for people and traffic. He then got back in the camper. His girlfriend or wife jumped out the passenger door, pulled the plug and jumped back in and he drove away while it was still dumping sewage. The cops found them parked illegally on 3rd and Sunset, behind Gold’s Gym.”

For you to insinuate that the proper authorities had not been contacted at this point (“withheld the information from responsible officials”) is possibly an actionable statement if “Boston Dawna” decides to go after you in a court of law.

So at this point, the first and second posts about this matter on the internet have the information that the police were called before any “internet posting” was even done, and the posts contain the information that the LAPD has arrested these people and are fully aware of the situation. That right there, “Venice Action”, totally negates anything that you have tried to pass off as fact or innuendo. Let’s move on.

At this point, city representatives (LAPD) are aware of the situation. There is commentary on the forums that deal with the fact that the illegally dumped RV Toxic waste is still there. Arturo Pena has told me in the past that the Council office reads Yo! Venice! 3-4 times a day.

At 8:18:11 on August the 20th, “Boston Dawna” sends out an email to the list below. This list INCLUDES Councilman Bill Rosendahl and other City Council Members. The email contains the exact information as provided in her first two comments in the forums at Yo! Venice! The email includes, and I quote “Boston Dawna”‘s email: “He then runs on the west side of the camper and opens his septic tank and I hear it all being emptied onto the street.”

-Begin Email Quote-
From: BostonDawna
Date: 8/20/2010 8:18:11 PM
To: ARGONAUT; ARGONAUT 1; NBC Los Angeles; McDade Mary Beth; city attorney; city council labonge; city council alarcon; city council cardenas; city council garcetti; city council hahn; city council huizar; city council parks; city council perry; city council reyes; city council smith; city council wesson; city council zine; daily news; fvaraorta@gmail.com; Marla Fain fox 11; CBS2/KCAL9 Web Team; newsletter@citywatchla.com; bill rosendahl; LATIMES; Theresa Skinner; latimes.com L.A. Times Updates
-End Email Quote-

“Venice Action”, you write “conspicuous omission of any mention of the CD 11 office”. See the email list above? As of Date: 8/20/2010 8:18:11 PM CD 11 WAS notified. Get it? Got it? Good.

Three days after “Boston Dawna” sent this email to all of the people you are saying should have been contacted, Yo! Venice! posted a story which was published on Aug 23, 2010 at 16:06. The post was titled “Venice Beach Public Health Alert” and can be seen by clicking here. The proper authorities had ALL been notified of this sewage dumping for DAYS before Yo! Venice! broke this story. Those are FACTS, “Venice Action”.

“Venice Action” writes: “One is left to wonder if the bloggers purposely sent readers on a wild goose chase by directing them to call the fire department.”

The “Venice Beach Public Health Alert” includes this exact wording with link:

The number to contact for cleanup is the LA County FD Haz Mat (Health Hazardous Materials) department listed here. This link is the correct link to call, as posted by Brian Humphrey : Firefighter/Specialist, Public Service Officer/Los Angeles Fire Department. There was a slight change in wording on the original post due to Mr Humphrey clarifying departmental names, which was corrected on August 25, 2010 at 12:02 pm as such (and I am quoting myself):

Original post changed from:
The number to contact for cleanup is the LAFD Haz Mat (Health Hazardous Materials) department
To:
The number to contact for cleanup is the LA County FD Haz Mat (Health Hazardous Materials) department
The link provided was always to the LA County FD:

http://www.fire.lacounty.gov/HealthHazMat/HealthHazMat.asp

So while “Venice Action” writes “”One is left to wonder if the bloggers purposely sent readers on a wild goose chase by directing them to call the fire department.” the link is confirmed by Brian Humphrey of the LAFD as being the correct one. For you to insinuate that there was a direct attempt to circumvent public safety about this is possibly actionable by Yo! Venice! in a court of law. To question the “Yo! Venice! duty to public safety is pretty darn low of “Venice Action”, especially in a story telling the public of the issue and the correct number to call to report such issues.

Next, “Venice Action” writes “Their conspicuous omission of any mention of the CD 11 office as well as their vague instruction to “feel free to call the Mayor” may have been an attempt to purposely delay clean up and to cause embarrassment to city officials who have supported the Streets-to-Homes program.”

As seen above, CD 11 had been contacted three days before this story on Yo! Venice! Who is the one person that “Boston Dawna” left off of that email? Mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa. That is why the Mayor’s name was listed on the post.

Once again “Venice Action”, you have insinuated that Yo! Venice! was acting out of disregard for public safety while doing a story specifically about public safety. You write “may have been an attempt to purposely delay clean up and to cause embarrassment to city officials”. Once again, that is most likely an actionable accusation against this website as “Venice Action” as a collective infers that Yo! Venice! acted outside of public duty to warn the public of a health threat.

So that is your big ass statement questioning the motives and actions of Yo! Venice! I have already made copies, don’t bother taking your drivel down.

Next, lets get to asking about who “Venice Action” is. I have asked Yo! Venice! forum poster Chris (who identified himself as a Venice Action member) to enlighten people as to who this group is and what their aims are, but he did not do so. The only three people that I know are part of Venice Action are Karen Wolfe, Chris from the forums here at Yo! Venice! and Venice Neighborhood Council President Linda Lucks. Karen I know for fact as she sends out official emails from the site, Chris of his own admission, and Lucks from previous emails and also from the fact that her FaceBook profile as of August 28th at 8:59 p.m. when I took this “screen grab” says so.

Karen, if “Venice Action” wants to play pretend that they can get things done, why is it that two days after the Illegal RV dumping incident was posted on Yo! Venice! you were still trying to get things cleaned up, and with a shovel of all things? Your ineptitude for furthering the suggestion from David Ewing that a Toxic waste spill may “need a shovel” is mind boggling. Toxic waste cleanup requires a lot more than a shovel.

From: wolfepack
Date: Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 12:37 PM
Subject: Venice Clean-Up – Pacific Avenue & Fleet
To: aaron.gross@lacity.org

Hi, Aaron. Thank you for calling me back so quickly. As I said, there has been a report of illegal dumping of RV sewage in Venice. The location is Pacific Avenue & Fleet in the Marina Peninsula about 4 blocks south of Washington Blvd on the west side of the street.

David Ewing went to see if it had been cleaned up today (several days after the initial report) and it had not. Thank you for contacting Sanitation about it. David said it is liquid waste but may need a shovel.

Here is the post on the blog.

Best, Karen Wolfe
-end of email-

It is likely a bad thing for the residents of Venice that this is being looked at purely as “bad publicity” for the city rather than what it is: a public health hazard. Peep this one, yo (it is the response to Karen Wolfe’s last email):

From: Aaron Gross
To: Enrique Zaldivar
Cc: wolfepack@xxx.net ; Jennifer Badger
Sent: Tue Aug 24 17:06:15 2010
Subject: Fwd: Venice Clean-Up – Pacific Avenue & Fleet

Hey Enrique,

I hope all is well with you. Could you please take a look at the attached e-mail from one of our Venice constituents and see if this is something Sanitation might be able to help out on ASAP?

I am working on the mobile homeless issues in Venice with CD11 and with the local residents and this sort of visual/issue will not help find a productive solution to a growing community (and City) problem. It does not sound like a pretty job, but would be very much appreciate if you could help us our and/or direct me if there is a more appropriate person/department I should be asking.

Thank you very much.
Talk to you soon,
AG
-end of email-

So “Venice Action”, your attacking this site to discredit the information contained here seems like it only serves to squash “this sort of visual/issue” for your “homeless issues”.

Linda Lucks: you advise the social service industry and it is reported online that you make some serious profit from these non-profits.

Since these emails on a public safety issue reveal that it is a huge concern over how it looks, lets examine the “Safe Parking Program”. The “Safe Parking Program” will likely set up a program with no end that only stands to enable RV dwellers. Should city monies really be spent to provide RV dwellers a home? What is the time frame of this program? Do you really think that the neighbors that get one of these parking lots next to their homes which will devalue their property in a huge way aren’t going to sue the hell out of the city? Did you add another 1/2 million to the line item budget of this program for that?

Since “Venice Action” has decided to attack and question the integrity of Yo! Venice!, I now ask that the members of “Venice Action” officially identify themselves. Once this happens, I also ask that Linda Lucks, as a member of “Venice Action” and also the President of the Venice Neighborhood Council that is instrumental on shaping this “Overnight Parking” campaign fully disclose to the residents of Venice her financial records so that the residents of Venice can be aware of any conflict of interest that she may have in her role as VNC President.

I will be asking Councilman Rosendahl’s office for full disclosure of any documents that exist between “Venice Action” and its individual members with any city employees, including the Mayor.

As a wrap up, and this is not directed at any one party:

Homelessness in the United States is a tragedy, but to enable the homeless with city monies to keep them close to brick and mortar homeless service businesses in Venice is corrupt. Social service non-profits pay their directors and advisers.

Who is making what off of this deal to the point that they will attempt to undermine the credit of Yo! Venice!, the value of the properties of Venice residents, the safety of Venice residents, the safety of Venice business owners and their employees, the value of Venice business owners properties and businesses, and all of the millions of tourists who visit Venice Beach each year?

The Shul on the Beach
505 Ocean Front Walk
Venice, CA
Sunday, August 29th 4-6 pm

Click here to see the single photo below full size.

The store has gathered their very best antiques, furniture, sterling, Prada, marc Jacobs, Miu Miu, Gucci, jewelry, housewares, children’s goods, electronics, books, art work & so much more. Arrive early to find amazing treasures at bargain prices!

St. Joseph Center Thrift Store
1828 Lincoln Blvd. (between Pico and Michigan.)

Support your local library, it is a great asset to the community! Also check out their new website by clicking here. They have a whole bunch of new DVD’s in stock you can check out!

Venice – Abbot Kinney Library
Jon David Waldron Community Room
501 South Venice Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291
310-821-1769

Today I saw the Bureau of Sanitation by the Pacific & Fleet dump area. They flooded the spot where the RV waste was with 200 gallons of fresh water, in order to see how the water flowed and if it impacted Ballona Creek or the ocean via storm drains or just a natural drainage path.

The determination was that the water stood idle with no drainage path ( as the fecal waste did for 6 days ), and they were on to the next stop at Rose & 3rd. Because I knew the location exactly, Mr. Carlson and Mr. Dennis from Sanitation who were extremely nice and knowledgeable followed me to the BioHazard cleanup site.

As many have reported, and as was expected… the RV’s were back, and again there are gallons of urine and fecal waste in the street. The two gentlemen from the Sanitation dept. gave me some interesting pointers in identifying liquids and their origin. One RV was sitting in what was clear to see as waste dumped from it’s waste tank. Approximately 20 gallons.

We walked the length of the street, and identified where the storm drains were in the area. The trash, fecal waste, RV’s and homeless were strewn about again, as usual…. with the volumes of urine and feces right back in the street.

Only a misdemeanor… and after 2 days and 3 square in the pokey – you get to go back home to the beach… only if you are caught of course.

Join the existing thread on this in the forums by clicking here.

ROSENDAHL TO FORM WORKING GROUP TO COMBAT DUMPING OF HUMAN WASTE

Councilman wants better coordination of agencies, quicker response, community outreach

In response to three incidents of human waste dumping in Venice in the past week, Councilmember Bill Rosendahl is convening a working group of responsible agencies to prevent or better respond to such criminal threats to public health.

The group, including city and county health and law enforcement authorities, will be charged with developing a better, quicker and more transparent protocol for reporting, responding to, cleaning up, investigating and prosecuting such incidents.

“The dumping of human waste onto our streets is reprehensible and should never happen,” Rosendahl said. “But if it does, it must be cleaned up immediately. It should take one call to any agency to get action.”

The working group will include Rosendahl’s office, Los Angeles City Public Works, Los Angeles County health and sanitation officials, the Los Angeles Police Department the Los Angeles Fire Department, the offices of City Attorney Carmen Trutanich and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

“The fact that it took several days for the waste to be removed is upsetting,” Rosendahl said. “Even in times of budget crises and impaired government services, we need to do better.”

Rosendahl said when any agency gets a call regarding human waste dumping, a notification alert needs to be sent to a range of other responsible agencies to make sure the incident is met with coordinated action.

“A resident shouldn’t have to make multiple phone calls and navigate through red tape,” Rosendahl said.

(The RV on the right is the only place I have seen Venice Action before, as it is painted on the back of this RV.)

From the “are you super crazy or just dangerously unaware spin department” at Spirit of Venice:

Editorial: it’s interesting to note that, according to news reports on this issue, the offender was apprehended but not charged! However, according to eye witnesses at Rose and 3rd Ave. nobody was apprehended and the alleged “dump” mysteriously appeared out of nowhere. Some believe that the RV-haters are responsible for this “false flag” operation in order to aggravate the already tense situation on the streets of Venice. The so-called activist “Dawna” (see article below) is well-known for her vigilante tactics and it appears that Yo!Venice and KFI were willing participants. If it turns out that this was a set-up by the “vigilantes of Venice” then it will be exposed and the haters identified.

Report from the Daily Breeze:

Authorities removed at least a dozen recreation vehicles from a Venice neighborhood in response to someone dumping human waste on the street, activists said today.

A woman suspected of uncapping a holding tank on a RV on Pacific Avenue near Fleet Street as her partner drove the double-length rig north was arrested over the weekend, thanks to a longtime local crime fighter known as Boston Dawna who witnessed and reported the crime.

And outraged Venice activists complained to city officials over the past few days, until city crews cleaned up the mess Tuesday and, starting last night, made about a dozen RV owners move their rigs from the area around Rose and Third avenues.

Dawna said she and her fellow activists were outraged by the stench.

“We want answers why this city has been allowed to be turned into a cesspool,” she said.

It wasn’t until the news media got involved that city officials paid attention, she said.

Los Angeles police officers, with whom Dawna has worked with for years, threw her a going-away party over the weekend, since the crime fighter is returning to her native Boston, from which she derived her nom de guerre.

Then KFI radio and the website Yo! Venice! publicized the weekend sewage dumping and arrest.

It was unclear who ordered the streets around Third and Rose avenue cleaned and the RVs removed overnight. No one in City Councilman Bill Rosendahl’s office was immediately available for comment.

The RV owners were allowed to drive away, and apparently no one was cited, Dawna said. But by 10 a.m. this morning “they were right back in the same spot.”

Venice homeowner and president of the Venice Stakeholders Association Mark Ryavec said residents have complained about the problem for years.

“I think the important issue right now is that the council office is sitting on the petitions we need to circulate to get “no oversized vehicle parking” signs put up,” he said.

Ryavec’s group has sued over the California Coastal Commissions refusal to involve itself in the issue, calling it a social problem beyond its purview.

Big ups to Heal the Bay, LAist, KNX, The LA Weekly, The LA Times, KFI and Steve Gregory for their great coverage on this issue also.

Venice needs help, and the only way it seems we will get help is major media shining a light on our community. It makes no sense that Venice, the 2nd largest tourist destination in Southern California, is one of the least looked after by the city of Los Angeles.

Big ups to the LAPD for trying to enforce the existing laws. It is too bad that your “higher ups” in the political world don’t seem to have your backs around here.