A Sign of the Times?
by Art
Wellesley
Subliminal advertising is a
communication technique long banned for public use. It plants ideas in consumers
minds; motivating them to think a certain way without them realizing
it.
You may have noticed the two oversized
banners hanging over Channel One Video reading “FOR LEASE” and
“ORGANIC JUICE BAR COMING JANUARY
2003.”
Channel One Video is one
of the many family owned business located just off the Venice traffic circle. It
offers a variety of post-production digital and video services. Everything from
duplicating, standards conversions, film transfers and editing. Channel One has
occupied the premises at 1716 Main Street for 20 years. But recently this small
business has been under attack.
Brad
Neal, owner of Boardwalk Properties, a self-described “real estate
developer,” obtained a master lease from the owner. This gives Neal the
right to manage the property located at 1716, 1718 &1720 Main Street. Keep
in mind that Channel One is still under their previous lease from the owner,
Gura Properties of Santa Monica.
The
current signage seems to be yet another attempt to drive Channel One out and
replace it with an organic juice bar. While Neal's dream of a juice bar is well
within his rights, his tactics for achieving this may be
illegal.
For example, Neal took it upon
himself to enter a Channel One storage unit (without permission of the lessee),
empty it out, tear out the walls and add the space to the adjoining unit. He
neglected to give owner of Channel One, Bill Worthy, the 30-day notice required
by law. Imagine Worthy arriving at work on a Monday morning and finding his
property strewn outside his space along the
hallway.
To this day, Neal continues to
build out space in the building apparently without permits despite an ongoing
investigation from the L.A. City Department of Building and
Safety.
Neal was seen on two separate
occasions tampering with Channel One's vinyl window signs. He forbade Worthy to
replace the signs, which, he says, has been the cause of a considerable loss of
business. Worthy, a new father, says many of Channel One’s loyal customers
have commented that they believed he was no longer in
business.
In addition to his apparent
disregard for City code, Neal seems to have shown little respect for other
tenants or their human welfare due to inappropriate use of the commercial
building as a residence.
One of Neal's
newer tenants was a group of men who lived for more than six months in a very
small office space, sleeping on the floor and in the rafters above the unit.
Often, the smell of marijuana permeated the hallway. Due to the lack of
appropriate facilities and amenities, on vacating the building they left behind
a mound of garbage and several containers of
urine.
He has also neglected to remove
ground level toxic waste from a previous dry cleaning tenant before renting a
space at the south side of the building to a Yoga Studio. Maybe it should be
called”Toxic Yoga.”
Small
businesses are the backbone of the Venice community. Shops like Channel One and
others have lasted because of friendly service, quality work and fair prices.
They treat customers with respect which reflects on the community as a whole.
Channel One Digital is trying to take a stand against this oppression; to
maintain a friendly and clean
neighborhood.
Bill Worthy wants the
Venice community to know that Channel One is still here and open for business.
Posted: Tue - April 1, 2003 at 06:42 PM