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Los Feliz Ledger
Vol 3. No. 8
3 Million Black Balls Upstage Garcetti’s “Meadow” Plan By Kimberly Gomez Ledger Contributing Writer SILVER LAKE—After years of debate, Los Angeles city councilmember Eric Garcetti has unveiled a compromise plan to open about 70% of the so-called “Silver Lake Meadow”—an area on the east side of the Silver Lake Reservoir between Armstrong Avenue and Earl Street—while preserving the remaining area for wildlife and a demonstration garden. Garcetti made the announcement at a meeting Jan. 26th. Over 400 people attended the standing room only gathering held in the Micheltorena Street Elementary School auditorium. Garcetti’s proposal for the “Meadow” however, was upstaged by the announcement by Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power officials that Ivanhoe Reservoir—which adjoins the Silver Lake Reservoir—would need to be “shaded” from sun light with three million black balls for at least five years due to the discovery of high levels of the chemical bromate found in the Silver Lake and Elysian reservoirs last fall. High levels of bromate are known to be a carcinogen with long-term exposure. According to DWP officials, the discovery of bromate was an extremely unusual occurrence, never discovered in the water supply before. Bromate is created when chlorine interacts with sunlight and bromide, a naturally occurring mineral in the ground water supply. As a result, the Silver Lake Reservoir is currently being drained of the contaminated water and will be cleaned and refilled by June for aesthetic purposes only. Both the Silver Lake and Ivanhoe reservoirs provide water to communities in South Los Angeles. However, the Ivanhoe Reservoir currently is and will remain in use, and according to DWP officials will need the protective covering to block see Meadow page 5
Serving the Greater Los Feliz, Silver Lake & Hollywood Hills Area | Distribution 32,500
February 2008
Everything Old Becomes New Again Griffith Park Adult Community Center Opens In Former Observatory Satellite Offices By Allison B. Cohen GRIFFITH PARK—Every summer, the Silver Lake Senior Club suddenly found itself without room for its programs like yoga, craft workshops and a class on life story writing. That’s because during the summer the room and the gym the club used at the Silver Lake Recreation Center was used by children for summer camp. But now, thanks to an idea from Los Angeles City councilmember Tom LaBonge, the club will have its own home—5,700 square feet—for their once misplaced activities and more. “This was his inspiration,” said Stephanie Vendig, 71, president of the senior club. “This will be Tom LaBonge’s legacy.” LaBonge learned of the club’s space limitations about the time he was trying to figure out what to do when the temporary offices used for the observatory staff during the observatory’s renovation were no longer needed. Those offices—really moveable “modules”— had been
Stephanie Vendig, 71, celebrates the opening of the new adult community center.
placed in the Los Angeles Zoo’s parking lot during the four-year renovation. When the observatory re-opened in November of 2006, they were vacated. Seeing a match and a need, LaBonge, with the help of City Council President and area councilmember Eric Garcetti, secured having the offices moved to the parking lot of Friendship Auditorium on Riverside Drive and designated as space for the new senior center. The center will officially
Changing of the Guard for the BID By Allison B. Cohen LOS FELIZ—Il Capriccio’s Ermanno Neiviller and Coldwell Banker’s Chris Serrano have been voted by the Los Feliz Village Business Improvement Board as president co-chairs for 2008. Neiviller and Serrano will replace out-going fouryear president Dora Herrera. Additionally, Kerry Slattery, of Skylight Books on Vermont Avenue will join the nine-member BID board. As it does annually, the BID held an election in January for seats that were being vacated. Tony Fanano of Palermo Restaurant, Laura Springer of Springer Chiropractic, Inc., as well as Serrano and Neiviller retained their seats and were re-elected for two-year terms.
The BID is comprised of 271 businesses in the Los Feliz Village area—from Hillhurst Avenue, Los Feliz Boulevard, Vermont Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard. A total of 65 ballots were returned in the election—or 24%. Election results were as follows: Tony Fanano, 40 votes (62%); Ermanno Neiviller, 34 votes (52%); Kerry Slattery, 31 votes (48%); Chris Serrano, 30 votes (46%) and Laura Springer, 26 votes (40%). Brooke Eliza Dulien, of White Trash Charms and Vardui Petoyan of Home Restaurant—both of Hillhurst Avenue—were also on the ballot. For more information on the BID board, please contact losfelizvillageonline.com.
be called the Griffith Park Adult Community Center and will be operated and funded through the city’s Dept. of Recreation and Parks. It is the first such facility in the greater Griffith Park/Los Feliz area, joining 28 other senior centers throughout the city. Not only will the new center give the old Silver Lake Senior Club a permanent home for its 425 members, but an opportunity to draw more of the over 60 crowd from
places like Atwater Village, Echo Park and Los Feliz. The club’s name has also officially changed to the Griffith Park Adult Community Club. According to Vendig, who will work closely in daily operations with the new center’s director, Mark Wilson, the added space will allow for more classes, such as magic, art history and beginning guitar. The center will offer a daily nutrition lunch program for a small donation. see Senior Center page 5