Venice Neighborhood Council
Venice Neighborhood Council addresses Playa Vista
plan, conducts toy drive, and fills yet another position.
Venice Neighborhood Council addresses Playa Vista
plan, conducts toy drive, and fills yet another
position
A December 17 meeting of the
Grass Roots Venice Neighborhood Council (GRVNC) excoriated Playa Vista for its
weak attempt at an environmental impact report (EIR) on its second phase of
development. Or, at least stakeholders excoriated Playa Vista. GRVNC solicited
comments from stakeholders through an announcement in last month’s
Beachhead and other publications. The GRVNC reviewed the comments - all of which
were negative about Playa Vista Phase 2 - but did not take an official
position.
Meanwhile, Regional
Representative Alice Stek was elected by the Board to be the new 2nd Vice
President, replacing founding member Chris Wood, who had resigned last month
because of a year-long job relocation in Denver, Colorado. Stek had been elected
to represent the Canal and Peninsula area in June,
2002.
Toy
Drive
On Dec. 22-23, Neighborhood
Council Board members Lydia Poncé, Elena Popp, and Jim Smith distributed
hundreds of toys to two groups of children. A large number of toys went to
children of supermarket workers whose parents had either been locked-out of
their jobs or were on strike, in either case without their regular income.
Assisting with this distribution were Carol Easton, Eric Mitchell, as well as
Santa Monica union president (UFCW Local 1442) Mike Straeter. Bridgett Gonzalez
was instumental in buying toys from checks and cash
donations.
The next evening, toys were
distributed at the Vera Davis McClendon Community Center to the parents of more
than 100 children who live in the 15 Holiday Venice low-income apartment
buildings. Assisting in this distribution was Kendra Moore, president of the
tenants’ association.
New
Committees galore
Several new
committees, and sub-committees, were formed during the month. The Poverty and
Homeless Committee - which is open to all stakeholders - has already had three
meetings with more than 20 people in attendance at each one. The committee is
circulating a petition in favor of keeping the bathrooms on the beach open 24
hours a day. Currently, they are closed from dawn to dusk, leaving homeless
people with no place to go. The chairperson is Peggy Lee
Kennedy.
A new Children, Youth and
Families Committee will hold its first meeting Jan. 29 at the Vera Davis Center,
610 California. The committee will focus primarily on education. Contact Lydia
Poncé at 396-0649 for more
information.
Other committees include
Affordable Housing, Conservation, Santa Monica Airport, Parking, Outreach,
Budget, Land Use and Planning, Abbot Kinney Blvd., and Bylaws. See list at right
for known meetings.
Posted: Thu - January 1, 2004 at 06:58 PM