On June 7th dedicated West Tolucan residents gathered at Margaret Fusek's house for the quarterly West Toluca Lake Residents Association Neighborhood Watch meeting. They welcomed Richard Bogy of the Toluca Lake Chamber of Commerce, who brought us up to date on the plans at Universal that currently include another three thousand new homes on their backlot!!!! Our Assistant DA, Tim Saito, talked about the proliferation of neighborhood pot stores and also complimented the group on our successful Neighborhood Watch Program. Tim has a self-defense program that he teaches but its location is inconvenient for some of our neighborhoods.
Rob Benevidea, our stout-hearted senior lead officer spoke about the current crime stats (ours our still the best in this part of The Valley). Shelley Herman brought up her feelings about the legal issues of fireworks on the 4th of July and how the fireworks really effect the animals in the neighborhood. Rob and Tim both said the police force doesn't have enough man-power to deal with our neighborhood when others are more volatile. They both emphasized the need for each neighbor to be considerate of the other and stressed the legal risks and dangers of firecrackers. The meeting ended about 9 P.M. |
|
|
AROUND THE BLOCKS...
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
June 26th is the 30th annual West Toluca Lake block party!!!!!!!
The fun start at around 5 pm on Bellflower Street
Looking forward to seeing everyone!
|
|
|
|
|
BBQ, GAMES, MUSIC AND A FIRETRUCK, TOO
West Toluca Lake's 29th Annual Block Party
On June 27th the annual block party filled Bellflower Street with almost
a hundred joyful neighbors. Dave Chuchian of Hortense Street brought his band, which has expanded this year, to entertain. Our usual chef, Ed Roane (of E.Roane Construction Management) was out of town but John and Alex Chapman stepped in at the grill and provided hot dogs and hamburgers which elicited approbation from all diners.
Janet Madrigal put together gift baskets for a silent auction that drew great attention and monies went towards the association coffer. Katie Malloy from inner Vineland sang her Betty Hutton melodies which she has performed around the Southland. Gigi Downs from Blix Street sang as well and brought the crowd to its feet. Ron Santoyo did his usual nonpareil effort at stringing flags and banners and Karen and Kevin Collier, Emily and Jim Lechner, Roger and Gretchen Schreck, Pam and Sid Flynn, Amanda Haas and Mike and Kristin Madrigal and Janet and Mark Madrigal our hosts, put heavy efforts into making sure all had a grand time.
The pumper from fire station 86 on Vineland arrived with several of their stalwarts which, as always, delighted kids of all ages.
Our Senior lead, Rob Benevidea, lent an official air to the proceedings and Harry Flynn MC'd for the umpteenth year. Next year will be the 30th anniversary party. Tell everyone who may have moved away that we want to see them back here to celebrate!
|
Spotlight on Emily Lechner
|
A former cheerleader for the Baltimore Colts (1960-65) during the era of Johnny Unitas and Raymond Berry, Emily moved to North Hollywood 1965, then to what is now West Toluca Lake in May 1968. The mother of four sons, who grew up on Hortense Street, Emily has worked for the LAUSD for over 22 years. She retired in 2002 and for the past four years, she has worked part-time for one of the District board members in the Chatsworth Field Office, As the Vice President of the WTLRA Board Emily championed the Vineland beautification project, an on-going concern still close to her heart. She is an active member of St Charles Church where she volunteers at the church and school. Emily is a member of two senior travel groups and loves to country line dance and going to the gym. But the true loves of her life are her husband Jim and her family that now includes two wonderful grandsons
|
|
|
|
Singing star “Fergie” was immortalized in a new music video on April 14th here in West Toluca Lake. Thanks to location manager Barry Gremillion, who has worked with the neighborhood in the past, a large production company descended on Al Hansen’s empty house next door to his own on Sarah. The company was surrounded by interested neighbors, particularly youngsters to whom the star was generous with autographs and when she wasn’t shooting her video. The company set up catering trucks at Sid Flynn’s on Bellflower (where we vote) and a party atmosphere was evident all day. The video, “Big Girls Don’t Cry” can be found at: www.youtube.com.
|
WTL’s own Randall Carver was recently honored with the Medallion Award by TVLand for his work on the classic comedy series “Taxi.”
The Board is hopeful that we can create a committee to help in adding a more impressive look to the Inner Vineland median. The city is helping with watering three days a week and there is a clean-up crew periodically trimming and raking, as many have no doubt noticed. With help from the Neighborhood Council, we plan to beautify this entry to North Hollywood along Vineland… In late August, the WTL Board will host an outdoor family “Movie Night” where a surprise movie will be projected on the large North wall at our voting place, 4650 Bellflower. There will be plenty of popcorn… The new California Credit Union office and the much anticipated opening of the drive-in Starbucks at the corner of Tujunga and Camarillo will take place in early summer. People will be filling-up just like when there was a gas station on the property… … Keep your eyes on the new house built on Hortense Street. Word has it designer Christopher Lowell had a hand in the creation of the home. Currently for sale, camera crews followed the construction process from its inception.
|
|
Food for thought:
We are hoping to initiate a service to haul toxic waste from the neighborhood to the right toxic waste dumps. We’re still working this out but we’ll pass out information on it when we work out details.
We’re still working on a neighborhood outdoor movie night while the weather is still warm and comfortable. Any thoughts on aspecific titles, etc, will be appreciated. If you have an idea you’d like to share with us, call Harry or Pam Flynn.
Update
|
WTL President Harry Flynn: 769-3769 (24 hour availability)
Natalie Puga (To request 12 free Universal Parking passes per year): 777-1713
Councilman Tom LaBonge’s neighborhood office: 755-7630
Alice Roth – Councilman’s Deputy: 755-7894
Rob Benevidez LAPD Senior Lead for our neighborhood: 634- 0978
Brian Sottile Ass’t District Attorney for WTL area: 374-6837
LA Building & Maintenance: (213) 482-000
All purpose number for non-emergency city service: 311
|
|
ATTENTION KIDS AND PARENTS
Two of our local teens have recently been stopped and ticketed by the police for not wearing helmets while riding their bicycles. One teen went to court and had his ticket dismissed when he showed the Court he did indeed own a helmet. Otherwise, the ticket would have been $150.00 - $250.00. You have been warned!
BE SAFE!!! WEAR A HELMET IT IS THE LAW!
|
Heather Farquhar and Todd Riley, Realtors whose names
you’ve seen on signs in our neighborhood, have invested
a lot of time and energy into updating our West Toluca
Lake web site.
The site features news about WTL as well as helpful
resources you’ll find informative and entertaining.
The site is linked to the Multiple Listings Service
and there is additional information on homes for
sale as well as other home evaluation and loan tools.
But the best part of the site is the photo album
featuring many of our residents and their
homes (some decorated for Halloween.)
There is also an archive with information from our
past newsletters and a map you can share with
friends when they want to know
where the heck is West Toluca Lake?
See what we’re talking about at
|
|
|
March WTLRA Minutes:
At Monday March 9, 20009 about thirty neighbors gathered in Margaret Fusek's living room for the quarterly Neighborhood Watch meeting. Rob Benevidez, our Senior Lead Officer, couldn't make the meeting so he sent Dave Delgoado in his stead. Dave was excellent and gave a broad picture of Valley crime stats and efforts to limit it. Harry announced the new list of Block Captains. Tess Taylor discussed the Art Walk and every-body enjoyed the goodies.
|
|
|
Benjamin David Levinson (1/31/1969 - 8/14/2010) - After a long bout with cancer.Born in New York, Ben was brought to California when he was 18 months old. Ben has lived with John and Barbara for many years, making friends even while fighting his disease. Ben bravely chronicled his medical battle on a blog entitled "Bensmedicalprogram". With sad irony, Barbara and John had just welcomed a new family member on July 23rd when their son David welcomed his first son, Jack Maxwell LaSalle in San Francisco.
Peter Cimesa ( 1920 - 2009 ) of Sarah Street died March 5th. A trumpeter, he played with Woody Herman and later became a welder on the California Aqueduct. He and his wife, Eva, lived in West Toluca Lake for 36 years. Pete rode his bike through the neighborhood for years until he became too ill to continue. |
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE The financial crisis hits home everywhere. The curb improvements will be left up to us as homeowners, but we've come this far and we just have to struggle through this period. A number of neighbors are working on how to beautify the Vineland walk-way. If anyone wants to help I'm sure they would be welcomed. For those that walk or ride on Sarah Street, we know there people behind the fence on Caltrans' property from time to time. Neighbors have spotted homeless denizens in those new concrete freeway spill-offs. Caltrans suggests calling CHP dispatch, 1.323.982.4971 and they will know what to do. |
I love our neighborhood! I walk down the street, greet my friends, say hello to the dogs and call out to cars passing through, "Slow down, please!". My child is safe and we are fairly crime free. We all watch over each other and that makes me feel good. In this huge city, we live in a small town, the closest to Mayberry we'll ever get. This is a real neighborhood, not a planned or gated community where the color you paint your house or the statuary you place on your lawn is mandated and everything must look the same in that wonderful Stepford kind of way. We are free here to express ourselves in the way we want and I appreciate that freedom, castles and cottages living side by side, and I think that if someone is offended by that, then perhaps, this is not the place for them. I have a thought! What if you saw that someone might need a little help and you just pitched in and lent a hand? What if you were really great at gardening but needed help painting those shutters? What if we created a kind of bartering bank of things at which we're good and helped each other out. Some people just might not care about their dead flower bed and that's okay, but then someone else might be thrilled to get a little help fixing it up. You never know, it just might work. It seems every day the world becomes a little angrier, a little more critical and a lot more energy is spent putting people down than lifting them up. We can change that. Now get out there and have a great day!
A truly concerned citizen. |
|
|