The Last Tent City
By C.V.
Beck
On October 27, 2007, we residents
of Lincoln Place had our final (we hope) Tent City at the southwest corner of
California and Frederick Streets. The purpose of this assembly was to create a
sociable, open air free speech area where anyone could show up, sit down, chat
and have some snax and beverage. We generally did talk about the political
situation in Venice, in Los Angeles and worldwide. Sometimes, we just told
jokes.
Anyway, we had a goodly assortment of
residents, former residents and well-wishers, a boardwalk person, passersby and
dogs.Two women , Doris and Laura, both of whom I had gotten to know as
“Mo-Ho” residents around Lincoln Place, came to wish us well and
hang out with their charming small dogs on the leash, Snoopy and Puffy, a
Volpino and a Pomeranian, respectively.
We had a bottle of extra dry champagne
on hand, noisemakers, and some Tango Lime, chips and salsa, malted milk balls,
gummy candy and pop. Bill Rosendahl and Mark Antonio Grant arrived to help us
celebrate, as did Mindy Meyers of the Venice Neighborhood Council’s
Neighborhoods Committee. Bill and Mark recapped our latest victory and
emphasized that the City had decoupled itself from the appeal with AIMCO, that
this was the City Council taking back its power and what a good thing that was
going to be.
A man, walking two small
dogs, off the leash, came around my vicinity and we had a chat. He said
he’d grown up in Venice and Santa Monica, (I thought at first he’d
said he’d thrown up in Venice and Santa Monica). He talked about Lincoln
Place and what a great place it had always been, with the beautiful buildings
and the common areas. He said his dog liked to chase dirt clods. As he was
moving on with his significant other and her dog, he said Lincoln Place
“had been architected perfect”...I agreed with him and was so
pleased to hear this wisdom.
We are
anticipating that AIMCO will be appealing the Court of Appeals decision up to
the Supreme Court and await this news as we close up Tent City for the winter.
Hopefully, there will not be a need for us to resume in the spring but if need
be, we will be there again.
Thank you
all for your support, encouragement and donations.
Posted: Thu - November 1, 2007 at 02:03 PM