Where grassy knolls were filled with homeless not too many months ago, empty grassy knolls were found, albeit the grass was dying but most of the knolls were empty of encampments.

All photos in this story were taken Friday, 24 April, early afternoon. It is true that the beach is cleaned every last Friday of the month since Councilman Mike Bonin took office. This was the last Friday of month but it has never seemed to make that much difference before.

On one grassy knoll there were actually children at play. They had been doing summersaults down the hill until they saw the camera. What a refreshing scene.

One of the pergolas actually had a vacationing couple relaxing and enjoying the scene.

One could even see the wavy tile park displaying the murals of old in Venice at Rose.

Two encampments remained, one at Park Place and one at Westminster and a couple of the pergolas still were occupied.

There was a definite police presence. Update watched as one policeman stopped a skateboarder racing down the OFW to slow him down. Too bad he hadn’t stopped the guy who later ran into a sightseer before she got hit. She is shown rubbing her ankle as skateboarder in shorts talks to friend.

All in all, there seemed to be a different atmosphere prevalent. It appeared to be one of transition-from encampment to public park.

Even the vendors on west side seemed to be fewer. Many of the vendors had been selling things that were not authorized according to the LAMC 42.15.

Claudia Martin, neighborhood prosecutor for the City Attorney’s office obtained a conviction last year that showed vendors were selling unauthorized products. Since last May, the police have been culling out the unauthorized vendors.

Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 42.15 allocates 205 spaces on west side of boardwalk and further defines their usage to:

1) Persons who engage in traditional expressive speech and petitioning activities, such as newspapers, leaflets, pamphlets, bumper stickers, patches and/or buttons.

2) Persons can vend the following items which have been created, written or composed, such as books, audio, video, or other recordings of their performances, paintings, photographs, prints, sculptures, or any other item that is inherently communicative and is of nominal value or utility apart from its communication.

3) Although an item may have some expressive purpose, it will be deemed to have more than nominal utility apart from its communication if it has a common and dominant non-expressive purpose. Examples of items that have more than nominal utility apart from their communication and thus are subject to the Vending ban under the provision of the Section 42.15, include but are not limited to, the following: housewares, appliances, articles of clothing, sunglasses, auto parts, oils, incense, perfume, crystals, lotions, candles, jewelry, toys and stuffed animals.

4) Performers can perform.