Mark Kleiman
Thank you so much for your great coverage of the neighborhood, and for the time and attention you devote to making sure that everyone who wishes understands what LUPC is doing, and how it fits into upcoming City hearings. It’s a great resource…
Comment: Was out of town and did not cover the last meet and the special meet on a Wednesday. Even though LUPC is a “recommend” group, LUPC is so important to the community. It sets the pace and interprets the Venice Specific Plan and should do such in relation to all the projects brought before the organization. These are all volunteers who otherwise have full time jobs in the community. This is also a new board learning a new system.

Challis Macpherson
Ref: Hearing Thursday for appeal to DIRr-2014-2814-D1.
Our case scheduled last on agenda, we may be staying later than 4 pm.
Planning staffer, Michelle Levy, has a terrific staff report rebutting every
point made in the appeal document. Our job, as I see it now, is to 1)
support her document, and 2) firmly explain that our VCZSP was designed by
US, Venice residents, in workshops all over the area, because we feel
responsible for our community. Point being that we LIVE here as opposed to average developer that doesn’t live in our community, and we (the residents)
have to deal with the increased density, traffic and noise after developer
builds, sells and leaves.

Probably some carpooling Thursday. If you are driving, email car license
number and I will get you parking in city hall garage.

Who do you have that can be there also? We need to get butts in the seats
so that when I stand up at the end of our testimony I can show committee
that Venice people feel so strongly about this that they got themselves up
and downtown. I will ask everyone in the room that supports the planning
interpretation and doesn’t support the appeal to stand up. That is very
effective if we have a bunch of people in the room.

Anonymous
Ref: Rosie Westerman attack reported in Update 6 October.
My babysitter got threatened with a knife walking from Jefferson apts at 8 pm on a Sat night. She said it looked like a homeless guy she has seen before but she didn’t call the police. I was not around otherwise I would have insisted. My husband came to rescue her but he couldn’t find him. I feel very safe but that has me questioning walking alone at night. Make sure you have a phone on you at all times….
This was at Stanford and Berkeley.

Heather Kahler
Ref: Rosie Westerman attack reported in Update 6 October.
What a sad and pitiful state of affairs. I am so sorry for what Rosie Waterman had to endure. The potatoes at 911 should be trained to send someone out regardless. Send SOMEONE. A crime can begin on the street at one address and end at another entirely. Squabbling over territory when someone is threatening you with a gun? Mind boggling to say the least. Those dispatchers should be re educated and held accountable. There is so much riffraff around here that no circumstance should be taken lightly. The police may be overwhelmed with calls but we are overwhelmed with people doing harmful acts. Complacency and apathy are not an option for law enforcement. They need to be vigilant and take action regardless of jurisdiction. Would they have stopped at some magical white territory line if they came to the scene of Rosie’s incident? Likely not. If given the opportunity via dispatch they would help. At least if it didn’t take them 45 minutes to show up.

Regarding people with dogs off leash. What arrogance makes these people think they are entitled to flagrantly break the law as though it does not apply to them? What is worse is that this leash law is designed to protect the ANIMALS they apparently love. One cannot control a dog in either an offensive situation or a defensive situation. Walking your dog off leash leaves it vulnerable to many unforeseen circumstances.

There is an increasing lack of regard for ones fellow neighbor, ones fellow man/woman. We don’t protect each other the way we should. We as a people are often incredibly discourteous when driving, walking, skating, and biking. There are too few souls who give a crap. I am happy to know many but sad that I experience fewer every day.

On abbot Kinney someone in a small SUV decided the law didn’t apply to them. The normal northbound backup during school start time simply did not apply to this person. They drove right up the center turn median from the about Garfield forward at about 40 mph. Meanwhile the crossing guard was crossing children and their mother. They were in the crosswalk and obscured by large vehicles stopped lawfully at the crosswalk. The small SUV came careening up that median like a lane and very nearly could have killed four people.

Is this what our fellow neighbor has become? Every day please be that person who IS courteous and respectful of those around you. Wait at Washington and abbot Kinney for people to finish crossing. Allow someone to change lanes even if it seems like you’d rather not. Hold the door open. Help someone in some way. We have enough arrogant and careless people in this city. Let’s fight back with civility.

DeDe Audet
Ref: Rosie Westerman attack reported in Update 6 October.
One would think that police and sheriff dispatchers would know exactly where their boundaries are. One would also expect policing forces to understand that an attacker can find an advantage in moving a victim when near a political division line. So failure to respond because the caller is not sure of boundary lines is not a good reason for failure to respond. 911 and all dispatchers have a duty to respond to an active crime scene which may or may not be moving into the next jurisdiction.

Karen Petren
Karen suggests that a stop sign be at Oxford and Burrell.

Karen Moses
The Moses’ will be holding their annual Halloween Party 25 October for the Oxford Triangle community at 821 Dickson. There will be a costume contest, photo booth, psychic, food and drinks. Just about the spookiest yard in town. Go with you “fear control on.”