Yo! Venice November 27, 2020

YO!

VENICE www.yovenice.com

November 27 – December 25, 2020

Coroner Rules Homicide in Death of Venice Senior Robbing Victim 71-year-old Jesus Valdiva Jimenez death a homicide, Los Angeles Coroner rules B y S am C atanzaro A man faces potential homicide charges after killing a senior in a Venicearea attempted bicycle robbery.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) on Wednesday, October 28 around 1:45 p.m. the victim was standing at the corner of Beethoven Street and Victoria Avenue when a man attempted to steal his bicycle. In the ensuing struggle, the victim hit his head on the pavement.

The victim, 71-year-old Jesus Valdiva Jimenez of Venice–died at a local hospital

on October 31 from injuries sustained in the attack.

A suspect, 31-year-old Dylan Brumley–a homeless individual according to reports–was arrested for felony robbery and released on November 2.

Since Brumley’s release, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner has ruled the cause of death a homicide. According to the LAPD, the suspect is not in custody at the time of publishing.

Records from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department show that Brumley has been arrested (and released shortly thereafter) three previous times, the most recent being for a misdemeanor in June of this year.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the agency who would bring charges against Brumley, could not immediately be reached for comment

Photo: Citizen App

The scene of an attempted bicycle theft that led to the death of a senior victim October 31.

regarding any legal action taken against

the suspect.

Venice Pier Expected to Reopen Next Spring $4 million repair project continues

the (CCC) approved an amendment that requires construction to be completed by

Memorial Day weekend 2021 (May 29,

B y S am C atanzaro

2021). The Pier is expected to remain

The Venice Fishing Pier, currently closed for repairs, is set to reopen this spring, according to city officials.

The Venice Fishing Pier has been closed to the public since March 2020. On August 20, the City of Los Angeles Board of Recreation and Park Commissioners gave the green light for a $4,239,871 project to repair the Pier.

The Pier is a 1,310-feet-long, 16-feetwide, supported by 157 battered 24” diameter concrete piles.

In April 2019, the California Coastal Commission (CCC) approved a permit for these repairs. On January 29, 2020,

repairs.

closed to the public for the duration of The repairs consist of the refurbishment

of the Pier, which has been damaged

over time, as well as repairs to be done to the Pier’s ramp structure, which was damaged by a 2018 fire.

Due to limited funding, the project

will be completed in phases, the first of which now underway includes the ramp repair and well as repairing deck soffits

and battered piles. The second phase would see further soffits and pile repair in addition to other above deck repairs.

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The Venice Fishing Pier in July 2018 after a fire damaged the ramp.

Photo: Sam Catanzaro

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November 27 – December 25, 2020

Police Chase Ends in Venice Another Tent Fire Breaks

Car stolen from El Segundo Thursday morning, suspect apprehended in Venice

By Sam Catanzaro

After stealing a car in El Segundo, a suspect led police on a chase that ended near Venice High School Thursday, November 12.

Law enforcement officials say that the incident

was reported in El Segundo around 6:30 a.m.

Thursday morning when the victim reported a black Honda Accord stolen.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Deputies and chase the suspect north towards Venice.

The suspect surrendered and was apprehended a little before 7 a.m. in the area of Venice Boulevard and Walgrove Avenue, near Venice High School.

Fox 11 reported the suspect was a homeless individual. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department could not immediately be reached to confirm this.

No injuries were reported.

A police chase turns onto Venice Boulearvd Thursday morning, moments before the suspect surrounded.

November 27 – December 25, 2020

Photo: Citizen

Out in Venice Fire breaks out on Ocean Front Walk

By Sam Catanzaro A tent recently caught fire on Ocean Front Walk in Venice According to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), the fire was reported around 2:20 p.m. on Friday, November 6 in the area of Sunset Avenue and Ocean Front Walk.

Before LAFD firefighters arrived, however, a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer put the fire out with a bucket of water.

An LAFD spokesperson said the department said it is unclear how the fire was started. There is currently no arson investigation.

The fire is the latest fire to break out in a Westside homeless encampment, including on Wednesday, October 28 when a fire was put out on Venice Boulevard under the 405 underpass.

In Venice alone, six such fires were reported in less than a month between September and October.

In the wake of these fires, some of which are believed to be arson, Los Angeles

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City Council passed a motion calling for a $25,000 reward for information leading to the identification, apprehension and conviction of the person or persons responsible for any acts of arson in Venice starting in September 2020.

According to the motion, reports indicate that the September 14 Rose-Penmar fire, and the September 15 Sunset-Hampton fire were set deliberately. There was also an attempt by someone to light a tent on fire near the Rose-Penmar encampment on September 21, the motion states. Additionally, residents of an encampment on Third Avenue report that some of their tents were doused by gasoline in the early morning hours of September 10.

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David Myers Burger Pop up Comes to Venice Restaurant expected to last through 2020

Serving Area since 1996

By toI CrEEL Chef David Myers, who previously worked at Comme Ça and Hinoki + the Bird, has brought a burger experience to Venice.

On November 11, Myers has opened Adrift Burger Bar, a pop-up restaurant at 1025 Abbot Kinney Boulevard.

According to his website, the Gypsy chef, the restaurant is “serving David’s signature burgers and classics with all the fixings alongside grown-up shakes and fries. ADRIFT Burger Bar embraces David’s Californian roots with hints of his global sojourns etched across the menu.”

On the menu will also be Myer’s famous Comme Ça burger, under the name DM Burger, which gained him accolades in the LA-area more than 5 years ago.

Locally Owned Business

Diners will also be able to enjoy several other types of burgers with completely customizable options including more patties, adding vegetables like fried mushrooms. In addition, there’s also a “charitable topping” option on the menu, where diners add a financial donation that goes directly to the St. Joseph Center in Venice.

As far as how long diners can expect the burger joint to be there, Myers expects at least through the end of 2020.

A burger at Adrift Burger Bar.

Photo: Gypsychef.com

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November 27 – December 25, 2020

OPINION

Column: Housing Likely to Highlight the 2022 Ballot TOM ELIAS Yo! Venice Columnist

One thing has been inevitable ever since extreme liberals in the California Legislature led by Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco began a concerted assault three years ago on single family housing all over this state, intending to eliminate what they love to denigrate as “urban sprawl.”

Their thinking – really a prejudice against all but the most dense of housing situations – is that people shouldn’t have space around them and that all neighborhoods should be open to anybody, even those who lack the funds to buy or rent there.

Wiener and cohorts like Democratic state Senate President Toni Atkins of San Diego and longtime Democratic Assemblyman Richard Bloom of Santa Monica are near to winning in the Legislature. They never came closer than in the dying minutes of the 2020 legislative session.

That’s when their latest bill, known as SB 1120, died – but only for the most technical of reasons. The bill would have authorized up to four units on every single-family zoned lot in California whether or not local people or governments liked it. This lost only because time expired on the session before the state Senate managed to conform language in its version of the bill to what had already passed the Assembly.

So it’s certain this measure will be back

with a different number in the legislative session starting in early December. Almost as sure is a rerun of SB 902, also with a different number. This one would have allowed buildings up to eight stories almost everywhere in single-family zoned areas.

Odds are good both measures will pass next year because they are backed by developers, building trade unions and socalled progressives who believe without evidence that dense housing is “greener” than spacious living areas.

The same folks persist in believing new high-rise residential buildings should be approved without parking spaces previously required because almost everyone living in them will ride mass transit. Because these folks apparently have not examined bus and light rail ridership numbers both before and during the coronavirus pandemic, they are about to inflict constant horn-honking contests for parking spaces on many currently quiet areas.

What the extremists ignore is that the issue will ultimately be taken out of the hands of the Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom, who usually supports anything to make more of the state look like ultra-dense San Francisco, where he once was mayor.

This will happen immediately if legislators pass something like SB 902 or SB 1120 and Newsom then signs off. Any similar measure will instantly be subjected to a referendum campaign to overturn it, and the moment a referendum petition drive gathers enough

Elias, see page 7

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“Their thinking – really a prejudice against all but the most dense of housing situations – is that people shouldn’t have space around them and that all neighborhoods should be open to anybody, even those who lack the funds to buy or rent there,” writes Tom Elias in his latest column.

November 27 – December 25, 2020

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Santa Monica Scores Two Legal Victories in Effort to Close Airport Federal courts dismisses challenges to airport closure

By Sam Catanzaro Santa Monica recently scored two legal victories in city officials’ efforts to close the Santa Monica Airport after December 31, 2028.

On October 9 in the case National Business Aviation Association, Inc., et al. v. Federal Aviation Administration, et al. a federal court granted a motion by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to dismiss an effort by the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the Santa Monica Airport Association, Inc. challenging the validity of the FAA’s Consent Decree with the City.

The Consent Decree was entered by a federal district court in Los Angeles on February 1, 2017 to implement a settlement between the City and the FAA in litigation brought by the City. The Consent Decree requires the City to continue to operate the airport through December 31, 2028, but authorized the immediate shortening of the runway (which has been completed) and permits the City to

close the airport permanently after December 31, 2028.

The district court said that because the plaintiffs had the opportunity to intervene to challenge the decree in the action in federal court in Los Angeles, they had no jurisdiction to grant the challenge.

The ruling was “disappointing, in that it shielded FAA action from judicial review,” said Alex Gertsen, NBAA director of airports and ground infrastructure. “Despite not successfully overturning the settlement agreement, NBAA remains committed to supporting the Santa Monica Airport Association (SMAA) and engaging with city officials and community representatives to ensure a viable future for their local airport.”

Gertsen further noted that the airport not only serves as an important node in the national air transportation system; it is also a source for jobs and has a significant economic impact. The airfield plays an important role in aeromedical transport, and it stands ready to support disaster-relief efforts.

“It would be irresponsible governance for the Santa Monica City Council to exercise the option to close the airport, which greatly benefits the majority of Santa Monica’s population, based on pressure from a small but vocal cluster,” he added.

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The D.C. district court’s decision follows an August 24 order by the United States Supreme Court denying a petition for review filed by Barry Rosen, a pilot and aircraft owner who used the Santa Monica airport.

In fall 2017, Rosen filed in federal court in Los Angeles an action against the FAA and the City seeking to invalidate the Consent Decree. In 2018, the district court dismissed the complaint for lack of standing because Rosen had failed to allege any concrete injury he had suffered flowing from the actions of the FAA and City.

In early 2019, the Ninth Circuit Court

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of Appeals affirmed the dismissal. Rosen filed a petition seeking review by the Supreme Court, who denied that petition on August 24, 2020.

“These decisions reaffirm the continuing validity of the Consent Decree, which provides clear legal authority for Santa Monica to close the airport after December 31, 2028,” said Santa Monica Interim City Attorney George S. Cardona. “We are pleased with the courts’ rejections of these challenges to the Consent Decree, and we will continue to defend against any similar challenges,”

Last month, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has approved a motion by Supervisor Janice Hahn exploring whether local schools should be used for possible vaccination sites when a COVID-19 vaccine is available.

“Communities know and trust their local schools and they would be an ideal partner in this effort,” said Supervisor Hahn. “This isn’t a new idea. I remember getting the polio vaccine on a sugar cube at my elementary school in Inglewood when I was a child.”

Supervisor Hahn recently met with LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner who stated a willingness to use LAUSD schools to vaccinate LA County residents.

“I am hopeful that a vaccine will be approved and available soon, and when that happens it is going to be a huge undertaking

for LA County,” continued Supervisor Hahn.

“People’s lives and livelihoods will depend on us getting it right and that means preparing now.”

The motion passed Tuesday directs the Department of Public Health to work with LA County school districts, city partners, and relevant community partners to explore the feasibility of partnering with schools for use as vaccination sites, and report back to the Board in 30 days.

The County Department of Public Health has released a report on Supervisor Hahn’s request that the department develop a COVID-19 vaccination plan. That initial report can be found here: http://file.lacounty. gov/SDSInter/bos/supdocs/148877.pdf

10/21/20 8:26 AM

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November 27 – December 25, 2020

$120M Mixed-Use Project in Marina del Rey Completed G8 development finished By toI CrEEL The G8 development is officially done.

The California Landmark Group recently completed the $120 million mixed-use project which will contain rental units as well as office space.

The building is located less than five blocks from the beach at 4040 Del Rey Avenue near the intersection of Washington and Lincoln boulevards. It’s also near Culver City located just steps away from the City’s western border and also east of Venice.

Overall, the property has 228 rental units and 25,000 square feet of creative office

space. 21 of the units will be set aside for low-income and affordable housing and 68 of the units will be used as co-living spaces.

The apartments will range in space from 550 to 1,500 square feet. There will also be a combination of single, one-, two- and threebedroom units.

The three acre property was acquired

by CLG back in 2018 at the price of $5.1 million according to records. Even though the building has just been completed, according to CLG founder Ken Kahan, it’s already 80% leased.

In addition to the living space, amenities will include a private theater room, game facility, fitness center, yoga studio and rooftop deck all designed by RIOS and PK Architecture.

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The G8 project in Marina del Rey.

Elias, from page 5 signatures to make the next general election ballot – 2022 – whatever the new law or laws may say will be suspended.

Then it will be up to the people, who have made most of the important political decisions in this state for the last 50 years, since Los Angeles lawyer Roger Diamond revived the once-moribund initiative process by winning a lawsuit allowing petition carriers to operate at shopping centers and big box stores.

Two such referenda were to be voted on in this fall’s election: Propositions 22 and 25, one aiming to overturn AB5, a law forcing so-called gig economy companies to make regular employees with full benefits out of their contract workers, the other to nix a 2019 law banning cash bail and replacing it with judges making flight- and harm-risk evaluations of every person accused of a crime.

Two years ago, an effort to overturn a state gas tax increase lost on a 53-47 percent vote, while four years ago voters approved a ban on single-use plastic grocery bags by rejecting a referendum against it.

Referenda can be confusing because it often takes a yes vote to nix a targeted law.

But the results indicate that by the time they cast ballots, most voters understand this.

So it will be in two years also, if voters at last get to express themselves on some of the insensitive, nonsensical housing laws that ideologues in the Legislature want to employ to change the lifestyle most embodied in the California Dream.

Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com.

His book, “The Burzynski Breakthrough: The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Government’s Campaign to Squelch It,” is now available in a soft cover fourth edition. For more Elias columns, visit www.californiafocus.net.

November 27 – December 25, 2020

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November 27 – December 25, 2020