....to identify, discuss, and resolve problems and issues within our community... March 2015 Contact Information Mailing Address: July, 2001 Next Meeting is OGHRG PO Box 34055 Granada Hills, CA 91394 Board of Directors Bette Biers Secretary bjbiers@socal.rr.com Maria Fisk Co-Founder Zoning/Density mbfisk@verizon.net Bob Castle Treasurer bob@castletax.com John Seletos www.johnseletos.com Richard Fisk Editor rcfisk@verizon.net Bob Biava All Around salrbob25@verizon.net Committees Zoning / Density Newsletter Formed as Needed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Newsletter articles, pictures, comments, suggestions: rcfisk@verizon.net or mailing address above Vol. 15 No. 3 Thursday, March 19th, 2015 7:03 pm - 8:29 pm Granada Hills Charter High School - Rawley Hall April 3rd Dave Beauvais President davebeauvais@verizon.net 818-831-2318 Gayle Biava Guest Speakers gayle.biava @ csun.edu w w w . OGHRG. o r g A Monthly Publication 7:03 7:04 7:09 7:15 Introductions, Disclaimer Reading of Minutes, Agenda Review Community Announcements; News; Events OGHRG Committee Reports Financial; Zoning and Density; Newsletter 7:30 Guest Speaker: Art Peterson, Navy Veteran on connecting veterans with their medals 8:15 Updates and reports on current issues 8:26 New Business and Wrap-up Easter April 5th April meeting will be April,16th OGHRG President’s Message Thanks For Your Support I want to start with a huge thank you to everyone who has thus far submitted their dues for the year. As we roll out the dues call each year I am always gratified and amazed at your generosity and support. We have many members who donate well beyond the requested amount, and have done so for years. Our dues are completely voluntary, and along with newsletter sponsorships, provide the only revenue we receive. Granada Hills/Knollwood Community Plan We are still awaiting our Community Plan to be taken up by the Los Angeles City Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee. What we are being told is that the litigation arising from the Hollywood Community Plan has caused the City Attorney to re-review all the Community Plans at all stages of the review process. We have scheduled a meeting with our Councilmember to assess the situation and try to find a path forward that will get our plan through the final two hurdles (PLUM and City Council). Mansionization Ordinance Last week, several of us attended a City Planning and Land Use Management hearing at City Hall regarding amendments to the current “Mansionization” ordinance. Actually, the hearing was not about the merits of the amendments themselves, but whether certain areas of the city, including Old Granada Hills, should be protected by an interim control ordinance (ICO) while the City Planning Department studies the proposed amendments. Frankly, the Planning Department should be able to review the proposed amendments and act pretty quickly; all of the amendments are straight forward and unambiguous. They aim to close loopholes that have rendered the Mansionization ordinance toothless. The impacts are well understood. Once again, we are faced with a prolonged battle between developer interests and residents who want to preserve the character and history of their unique neighborhoods. Citrus Sunday (Continued page 2) Old Granada Hills Residents’Group March Meeting President’s Message - continued from cover page On March 19, 2015, Art Peterson will tell us about his efforts to get medals to those veterans that were awarded them but never received them. He is a very important member of our community because he lives at Aegis, a retirement home on Lindley just west of the Granada Village Shopping Center. You may have read about him in the LA Times in the January 9 publication. Sandy Banks wrote a long article about how he found veterans who had not received their medals and took them through the process of getting them. They were awarded to several vets at a special ceremony at Aegis which Sandy Banks attended and then wrote about. He will be at our meeting to tell you how he does this and to ask your assistance in finding other vets who are in this position - awarded medals but never actually receiving them. Mr. Peterson served in the Navy from 1943 to 1946. The 10th annual Citrus Sunday event is scheduled for Sunday, May 17, 2015. This is an event that we have sponsored and participated in since the beginning. You can participate by picking your fresh citrus fruit and bringing it to either Granada Hills Charter High School (front parking lot), Fire Station 87 (front parking area) or Knollwood Golf Course (just inside the parking lot). All of this fruit is donated to food banks around the San Fernando Valley, including the Valley Interfaith Council (VIC), MEND, and SILVA. We will be accepting donations from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. More details on this event next month. Dave Beauvais, President CicLAvia in the Valley Ciclavia first came to Los Angeles in 2010 and has had 10 events in Los Angeles. Sunday, March 22nd, will be the first Ciclavia event in the San Fernando Valley. Lankershim Blvd from Chandler Blvd in North Hollywood down to Universal City and from there Ventura Blvd to Coldwater Canyon will be closed to vehicle traffic. You can walk, ride a bike, skateboard on those streets from 9:00 in the morning until 4:00 in the afternoon. CicLAvia started as a grassroots initiative in 2008 as the outgrowth of discussions held by a number of individuals who recognized that open streets events could address active transportation, urban land use and public health needs in Los Angeles. Inspired by the ciclovía events that started 40 years ago in Bogotá, Colombia, the first CicLAvia was held in October of 2010. Four years and ten CicLAvias later, hundreds of thousands of people have explored more than 100 miles of open streets in Los Angeles. Momentum has rapidly propelled CicLAvia to become the largest event of its kind in the United States and a leader in the global open streets movement. CicLAvia allows Angelenos to envision an alternative future for Los Angeles – a bike and pedestrian friendly city, a healthy city with alternative transportation beyond the singlepassenger automobile. For more information and a downloadable map, visit the website: www.ciclavia.org Granada High Wins Granada Hills Charter High School won the Los Angeles Unified School District Academic Decathlon for the fourth time in five years with a competition record score of 59,167.1 points out of 65,400. This was the highest score for a team in the United States Academic Decathlon’s 47 year history surpassing the previous highest score set by Granada Hills Charter High in 2012. Irene Lee, who competed last year received the highest individual score this year with 9,461.4 points (out of 10,000 possible), tying the all time individual record set in 2009. The next step in the goal of winning the national title will be the state competition that will be held March 20 -21 in Sacramento. Only one school from each state will be eligible to compete in the National Academic Decathlon being held this year in Garden Grove, California, April 16-18. Granada Hills Charter High School has won the national title in 3 of the last 4 years. Go Granada!! Phone:(818) 368-8646 FAX (818) 368-9547 SavinBurskLaw.com L AW OFFICES OF S AVIN & B URSK BONNIE MARIE BURSK,ESQ. CERTIFIED SPECIALIST- PROBATE, ESTATE PLANNING & TRUST LAW CALIFORNIA STATE BAR BOARD OF LEGAL SPECIALIZATION Some people would never get any exercise at all if they didn’t have to walk to their cars BBursk@SavinBurskLaw.com 10663 Yarmouth Ave. Granada Hills, Ca 91344-5936 This issue was proofread by Sharon Klek March 2 2015 Old Granada Hills Residents’Group Very Special Meeting Coming Events Last month’s meeting came with a special surprise. Bob and Barbara Biers were formally recognized with a framed City of Los Angeles Certificate denoting their 73rd wedding anniversary. Family and friends came to witness the ceremony and hear their story. Several days later, Dennis McCarthy wrote an article about the Biers in the Daily News. In the article, Bette Biers, their oldest daughter and the secretary of the Old Granada Hills Residents’ Group is quoted in defining her parents’ state of mind, “They’re 100% in their noggins”. Bob and Barbara Biers still live in the house on Tulsa street they bought 65 years ago. Mar 16: Valley Vote at Galpin Ford: 6:45 Mar 17: St. Patrick’s Day, Tuesday Mar 19: Old Granada Hills Residents’ Group Meeting; 7:00; Mar 20: First day of Spring Mar 20,21: Book sale at the Library Mar 28: Egg Hunt at Petit Park - Granada Hills Rec Center; 12:00 noon; free Apr 1: April Fools Day - Wednesday Apr 2: Granada Hills South Neighborhood Council,6:30pm Granada High; www.GHSNC.org Apr 3: Passover Apr 5: Easter Sunday Apr 7: Granada Hills North Neighborhood Council, check www.GHNNC.org for location Apr 7: GH Chamber Gov’t Affairs Committee monthly meeting; Noon, Chamber office, 368-3235 Apr 15: Income Tax filing due Book Sale Von’s Name Change? The Friends of the Granada Hills Library will host a two-day used book sale on Friday, March 20, from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM; and Saturday, March 21, from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM. The sale will take be held in the library’s community room at 10640 Petit Ave. in Granada Hills. Their phone number is 818-368- 5687. Prices for most books will range from 25 cents to one dollar. All proceeds will benefit the library. Carol Mandelberg In the January newsletter, we reported from an LA Times article, that a small Bellingham, Washington grocery chain was buying over 140 Von’s, Safeway and Albertson’s stores. Late last month we received a media kit from the PR company representing the Haggen 18 store grocer. The media kit included a list of what stores would be acquired and when transformation would take place. Our local Von’s store on San Fernando Mission Blvd. was not on the list. The closest stores that are scheduled to become Haggen’s are: Simi Valley, Woodland Hills, or Santa Clarita. Has it Been That Long Ago It has been 4 years (April 16th) since Providence Holy Cross Hospital formally opened the 138 bed patient care wing. It was one of the first “green” hospital buildings in California. The four story $180 million expansion has 12 neonatal intensive care beds, a Women’s Pavilion, gastroenterology lab, operating rooms, and a 100 seat chapel. Now if they could only build a decent parking lot.... The Street Faire The Granada Hills Street Faire committee has been diligently working on the 2015 event since mid October and set March 1st as the time a go-nogo decision had to be made. A commitment for sufficient funds had to be received by that date to permit the committee to move forward with its planning operations. The initial funding goal has been reached, making the 2015 Granada Hills Street Faire a definite go. Mark your calendars for October 10th to roam downtown Granada Hills, visit the vendors, enjoy the entertainment, meet friends and neighbors, and check out the car show. Businesses should consider the advertising opportunities of 20,000 people. This year there will be early registration discounts for booth vendors. Check the website as it gets updated www. granadahillstreetfaire.com Free for the Kids Free Spring Egg Hunt at Granada Hills Recreation Center (Petit Park) on Saturday, March 28th, beginning at 12:00 noon. There will also be face painting, Moonbounce, Arts & Crafts, games, and egg dying. Don’t forget to bring an egg hunting basket. Status The 4 corners of White Oak and Chatsworth, as you might have noticed, have been under construction since December. The seating walls, donor bricks, artificial grass, decomposed granite, doggy station, and other amenities should be complete by early April. The Town Clock might be installed by May, pending the city permit process. Marriage is an investment that always pays dividends, but only if you pay interest March 3 2015 Old Granada Hills Residents’Group Crime; Devonshire LAPD New Sponsor On February 16th, there were 2 distraction thefts in Granada Hills. In both cases, the victims were shopping in retail stores, when they were approached by a female who engaged them in a few minutes of conversation. After suspect walked away victims noticed their wallets were missing from their purse. Please remind your friends and family to be aware of their surroundings and to keep all personal items on their person. Shoppers should avoid placing purses, backpacks, etc. in shopping carts. HIDE IT - LOCK IT- KEEP IT - Please continue to secure your vehicles and remove all valuables from plain sight. Thieves have broken into cars just for the loose change they see. from E-Police newsletter; LAPD Devon- Granada Hills Optometry Center has been serving the Granada Hills and surrounding areas for over 40 years. Dr. Carl Melnik and Dr. Judy Ichiuji have been joined by Dr. Eric Leser and Dr. Vicki Leung to provide all aspects of eye care. We prescribe glasses and contact lenses as well as treat eyes for allergies, infections, injuries and glaucoma. We monitor eye conditions such as cataracts, macular degeneration and diabetic eye disease. Dr. Leser is our resident expert in contact lenses and Dr. Leung takes care of our youngest patients from birth through adulthood. Her residency in pediatric optometry has given her the extra training to provide eye care to the growing pediatric population in Granada Hills. Most of you, I’m sure, know Dr. Melnik well as he has been in this community for over 40 years, serving on many of the boards of your local community service organizations. He has been recognized many times for his service to this community. Feel free to stop by and say “Hi!” He is cutting back his schedule just a bit to spend more time with his lovely wife Donna, and their extended family. If you are in Big Bear, you might just see them there! Dr. Judy (as she is fondly known as) has been with GHOC for almost 2 decades and has a loyal patient base. She has a quiet and calm way with patients so if you find yourself apprehensive about going to the eye doctor, she is the one you should see. Dr. Leser grew up in Granada Hills. He attended El Oro Way, Robert Frost Jr. High and Kennedy High School before heading off to UCLA and CSUN. Being a part of Granada Hills Optometry Center is “coming home” for Dr. Leser. His father is still a resident of Granada Hills. Dr. Leung is his wife. She grew up in the Bay Area, graduated from UC Berkeley before heading to Houston for optometry school. She is pleased to see so many infants and toddlers here in Granada Hills as young families flock to this great community. We are pleased to be able to serve our very youngest residents. Attracting young families is what keeps Granada Hills vibrant and current. Granada Hills is very similar to the area Dr. Leung grew up in so it feels like home to her. We look forward to seeing you again or meeting you for the first time as we continue to serve this great community of Granada Hills for many, many years to come. shire -SLO Del Core There have been several changes at LAPD Devonshire Division. Two Senior Lead Officers have promoted to sergeant! SLO Kate Luna and SLO Ignacio Murillo are leaving Devonshire to new divisions. Captain Kris Pitcher has been promoted to Commander at Operations Valley Bureau. Captain Robert Marino has taken Kris Pitcher position as Captain of Devonshire. Marino came to Devonshire in June of 2014 from the Mission Hills division where he was the Patrol Commanding Officer. He has been an LAPD officer since December 1989. Captain Beverly Lewis is the new Commanding Officer of Devonshire Patrol Division. She began as a police officer in 1991 and has continually moved up the ranks. Detective in 1997, Sergeant in 2000 and Lieutenant in October 2006 and is now a Captain-I. F R E E M U LC H 16600 Roscoe Pl. North Hills 7am - 6pm 7 days a week Load your own container and take as much as you want; courtesy of the City Of Los Angeles Gran ada Hills Optometry c en t er Devonshire Division Crime Stats 2/01 thru 2/28 Burglary ..... 75 Homicide ....0 GTA ........... 38 Rape ........... 3 BTFV ........ 142 Robbery ...... 10 Personal/ Aggravated Other theft.....123 Assault ...... 32 Arrests ........ 294 Shots fired .. 4 18 013 C hatsworth Stree t Gran ada Hills, CA 91344 818. 366. 2020 OptometryCenter.com Data from LAPD Compstat March 4 2015 Old Granada Hills Residents’Group Women’s History Month Irish Day National Women’s History Month’s roots go back to March 8, 1857, when women from New York City factories staged a protest over working conditions. International Women’s Day was first observed in 1909, but it wasn’t until 1981 that Congress established National Women’s History Week to be commemorated the second week of March. In 1987, Congress expanded the week to a month. Every year since, Congress has passed a resolution for Women’s History Month, and the President has issued a proclamation. A statistical survey in 2013 put the total female population in the United States at 161 million. Men account for 156.1 million of the population. U.S. Census Bureau News, Congress proclaimed March as Irish- American Heritage Month in 1991, and the President issues a proclamation commemorating the occasion each year. Originally, a religious holiday to honor St. Patrick, who introduced Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century, St. Patrick’s Day St. has evolved into a celebration for all things Pat Irish. The world’s first St. Patrick’s Day parade occurred on March 17, 1762, in New York City, featuring Irish soldiers serving in the English military. This parade became an annual event, with President Truman attending in 1948. From a 2013 survey there are 33.3 million United States residents who claimed Irish ancestry. This number was more than seven times the population of Ireland (4.6 million). Irish was the nation’s second - most frequently reported European ancestry, trailing German. U.S. Census Bureau News, Facts for Features, January 27, 2015 Facts for Features, February 26, 2015 Too Popular The Oakridge Estate tour has been so popular that the limited space available is filled before we can even get the information out. There is a tour on March 15th, which is full with the next one planned for June 28th. The June tour will most likely be filled by the time you get this newsletter. They are working on the getting the parking challenge permanently addressed, so that they can plan more in advance. By visiting the website, interested residents can be added to the contact list and receive early notification of future events and tours. www.theoakridgeestate.org or call Laura Gets the Title The Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce installation and awards dinner was held on February 27th at the Odyssey restaurant. Jerry Askew, the 2013 Chamber President, was the emcee of the event where Laine Caspi, officially began her second year as the President of Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce. Bonnie Marie Bursk, the 2013 Gil Benjamin Citizen of the year recipient, and Alison Robinson, a past president of the Chamber, introduced the nominees for the 2014 Citizen of the Year title early in the program. After dinner and with much anticipation, Jerry opened the envelop and announced the winner - Laura Andrews Clemens. Laura accepted the award with some thoughtful comments and was presented with recognition certificates from all levels of government. Jarrod Degonia, District Representative for LA County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, became the evening’s very enthusiastic auctioneer, providing the crowd with moments of entertainment and pointed humor. 818-739-0292 not to early to consider playing, sponsoring or attending the dinner at: Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce 36th Annual Golf Tournament Monday, May 4th Porter Valley Country Club Putting contest, Continental Breakfast Shotgun start, No host cocktails, Silent Auction, Awards Dinner and Prizes Save $10 by signing up before April 23rd Gentle Quality Care 818-368-3235 The secret of good golf is to hit the ball hard, straight, and not too often Recently Sold Homes 10554 Andasol $420,000 11244 Yarmouth $350,000 17418 Kingsbury $417,500 March 10657 Andasol 10911 Lindley 11326 Louise $385,000 $630,000 $607,500 5 2015 P.O. Box 34055 Granada HIlls, CA 91394 March 2015 Old Granada Hills Residents’ Group is a non profit organization of volunteers and concerned residents of our community. In our 14th year, we are a voice well known to our elected representatives with issues that affect us all please join us. Please Support Our Neighborhood Sponsors The businesses you have seen listed in this newsletter are dedicated to preserving our Old Granada Hills Neighborhood. If you would like to become an advertising sponsor please call us at 818-368-7454 or email; rcfisk@verizon.net Welcome a new sponsor. Despina Crassa Financial Advisor Morgan Stanley Also, a returning sponsor inside Wealth Management 444 South Flower Street 34th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90071 tel 213 486 8939 fax 213 486 8857 toll free 800 832 7648 60 MINUTE TUNE Complete Automotive Service 60 Minute Tune Dave Jackson 11920 Balboa Blvd. Granada Hills, CA 91344 (818) 360-2277 Fax (818) 831-6609 CA Insurance Lic. #0J12911 http://www.morganstanleyfa.com/despina.crassa despina.crassa@morganstanley.com Email: daveJackson@60minutetune.com JOHN SELETOS Broker Associate/DRE License 00890261 Commercial / Residential (818) 725-2500 BUSINESS (818) 366-4900 FAX (818) 832-8100 CELL johnseletos@gmail.com QUALITY PROPERTIES 17708 Chatsworth Street Granada Hills, CA 91344 11280 CORBIN AVENUE PORTER RANCH, CA 91326 (818) 363-1083 www.johnseletos.com Wednesday - Friday, 10am to 6pm Saturday, 10am to 3pm Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated Appointment Only