Lincoln Park View Neighborhood Watch

Campaign for a Car-Free Lincoln Park

2009-02-03T01:21:00.000-08:00

A local blogger has kicked off an online campaign to make Lincoln Park Car-Free.

That local blogger is me!

Check out the first post in the series:

Campaign for a Car-Free Lincoln Park, Pt. 1

LHNC Meeting Update

2006-07-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

This is just a reminder on the the council meeting that will begin this Thursday, July 20th. The meeting will begin at 6p.m. and end at 8p.m., as it typically does. For a rather informative meeting agenda for this event, please click here.

LHNC July 6, 2006 Meeting Notes

2006-07-10T12:33:00.000-07:00

In case you couldn't attend the last Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council Meeting, the Neighborhood Watch had a furiously scribbling note-taker on hand to document the proceedings. Here are some of the major highlights of the evening, cut and pasted, and posted online:

The City of Los Angeles Recreations and Parks Department presented plans for the Lincoln Heights Youth Center, also formerly known by some as the Griffin/Altura Project. The building of this facility is funded by Propsition K, with plans to provide services and activities to youth under the age of ten. The four components of the facility will include the youth center, junior arts, boxing, and a roller hockey rink. As construction begins, some neighbors have concerns about the already limited parking in the blocks surrounding the center and the building of a sound barrier wall which may be seen as another canvas for graffiti. The Department of Recreation and Parks hopes children will be walking, cycling, or taking public transportation to the center, so that parking does not become an issue. It is also expected that vegetation will cover the sound barrier wall to prevent graffiti.

LHNC will be sponsoring a Movies Under the Stars Event at the Library on July 19, August 2,16, and 30. It will be just like going to the movie theater with popcorn and drinks being provided courtesy of the LHNC!

The Office of Community Beautification will be holding eighteen Community Beautification Grant Workshops covering the grant process in detail and offering tips on submitting a competitive proposal. The first workshop will be at the Arroyo Seco Branch Library, 6145 N. Figueroa Street in Highland Park on July 18, 2006 from 6-7:30 pm. For maps and more information on workshop dates visit www.laocb.org

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the Citizens Unit for Participation (CUP) and the Community Development Department (CDD) invite the public to and all community groups to participate in a series of community meetings for the purpose of assessing and identifying the needs of your community. The East Los Angeles Neighborhood Service Area meeting will be held on Monday, July 10, 2006 at 6 pm at the El Sereno Public Library, 5226 S. Huntington Drive.

Councilmember Reyes represents a large portion of North East Los Angeles.

Meet your Los Angeles City Council! Councilmember Ed Reyes is inviting you to a Los Angeles City Council Meeting at MacArthur Park on Park View Street (between 6th St. and Wilshire Blvd.) on Wednesday July 19 from 6-8 pm.
Shuttle transportation from Lincoln High School (3501 N. Broadway) is available beginning at 4 pm.

LHNC Meeting on Thursday, July 6, 2006

2006-06-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars! Scribble it onto your palm!

There will be a Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council meeting on Thursday, July 6th, in the Lincoln High School Cafeteria, located at 3501 N. Broadway in Los Angeles, CA 90031. The meeting will beging at 6 p.m. and will end at 8 p.m. (they are very efficient with their time). The executive committee will meet to develop the agenda for the next general board meeting.

Fight Homeland In-security, And Get Paid To Do It!

2006-06-28T15:17:00.000-07:00

At the last Neighborhood Watch meeting (on Sunday, June 25, 2006 at Casa Rafael on Parkside Ave.), a gentleman from a local CERT mentioned a program called "Citzen Corps". He said that this federally sponsored program might allow us to obtain funding from the government to help make our community safer.

The ever-nimble minds at the Department of Homeland Security created this program on orders from our commander-in-chief, Mr. George W. Bush. In the president's own words:

To capture the spirit of service that has emerged throughout our communities, we launched the USA Freedom Corps initiative earlier this year. As part of that initiative, we created Citizen Corps to help coordinate volunteer activities that will make our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to any emergency situation.

Our local mayors, council members, and county commissioners know best what risks their communities face. They also know how best to use the talents and the time of their citizens to prevent, prepare for, and respond to those risks. Because every community is different, we are asking cities and counties across the country to create Citizen Corps Councils of their own design, bringing together first responders, volunteer organizations, law enforcement agencies, and community-serving institutions, such as schools, hospitals, and houses of worship.

From what can be found on the official Citizen Corps website, we have to do a few things before the cash starts rolling in.

There are a couple of programs in place, but we'll probably want to stick with the Neighborhood Watch Program. This program consists of some sort of registry of neighborhood watches. After enrolling on the web-site for this program, things get a little hazy: no one mailed us a check yet.

If anyone out there want to read up on this stuff to find out how we can fund community safety efforts in the 'hood, be our guest! Visit the the official Citizen Corps website, or read the Citizen Corps Guide (a .pdf file that's about 600KB).

Email lincolnparkviewnw@yahoo.com when you find out how to make the cha-ching sound a reality for efforts to improve our area!

E-Waste Info

2006-06-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

The government of California has passed a law that makes improper dumping of e-waste illegal. What is e-waste? E-waste is discarded electronic items that contain toxic substances. Common examples of e-waste include T.V.s, computer monitors, computers, cell phones, PDAs, etc. For more information on e-waste, please refer to this link. There are many facilities that help take care of e-waste. This list provides examples of facilities that accept e-waste in the L.A. County .

Even More Pix Of Illegal Dumping, Now With Graffiti!

2006-06-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

Lincoln Park really has seen more than its fair share of illegal dumping and graffiti over the years. As mentioned before, please, please, PLEASE call 311 and request a bulky item pickup when you come across illegal dumping. Ditto for graffiti.

This past Saturday morning, some members from the LPVNW went for a stroll through the 'hood to try and document the amount of dumping and tagging in our neighborhood. All of this trash arrived on our streets over the course of one week. That sucks.

On with the parade of dumping! First up: this old wooden drawer-thing parked right in front of 2131 Lincoln Park Ave.

This can't be good on the laminate.

At 2201 Lincoln Park Ave., we see the ever popular discarded mattress in front of some multi-family housing.

Gasp - what is that?! Some sexy Neighborhood Watch volunteer? This ain't your papa's blight documentation.

Bedposts and some tires in front of 2203 Lincoln Park Ave.

Lawn Decorations by Goodyear.

This is not what most people want to see when strolling down a sidewalk ... not only is there a tagger walk-of-fame, but there is also a pile of trash that's been dumped on the northern border of Work Source's property on Baldwin St.

Take that Hollywood! The Tagger Walk of Fame rules!

On to a subject near and dear to all of us in Lincoln Heigts: tagging. This is a special variety of graffiti, wherein a young man typically takes on a silly three letter moniker or phoneticaly spelled nickname and proceeds to write it on any and all surfaces he comes across. Our neighborhood has recently been under the grotesque cloud of one "PBK" which stands for "Peanut Butter Killa" or "Punting Bunnies is Kool". In eithercase, this crap has got to stop.

Here are a couple of examples of tags by "PBK".

According to sources close to the LAPD, a catalogue of dates, times, locations, and photographs of one tagger's work will go a loooooong way with detectives when they finally catch a "PBK"-style tagger.

Red Curb Intersection Pictures

2006-06-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures on the red curb that I was talking about in the last post:

Side View

Front View

Closeup of the front view

These new red curbs will hopefully enhance the saftey of the intersection.

Update on the Baldwin and Keith Stop Sign

2006-06-26T17:51:00.000-07:00

Back in April, ubrayj02 had explained the need for four way stop signs and red paint on the curb ramps at the intersection of Keith and Baldwin. Some progress has been made upon this suggestion after sending a letter to the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. A traffic engineering study was supposedly completed by the LADOT that included traffic volumes, collision analysis, observation of traffic movements, and a field investigation of the intersection. Upon the completion of this invesigation, the request for the stop signs has been denied, however, the red curb zones has been extended at the intersection. Hopefully, this will improve the saftey of this intersection.

What A Difference A Good Neighbor Makes

2006-06-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

If you haven't had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Robert "Comanche" Burton yet, you can at least appreciate the hard work he put in to turn this run-down, early 20th century, house on Baldwin Street in Lincoln Heights into the prettiest building on the block.

Mr. Burton was born in Texas, and made his way to Los Angeles over 30 years ago. He has lived in Lincoln Heights for most of the time he's been in this fair city - and it shows. Dozens of times a day, neighbors drive by and wave, give a little honk, or yell, "Hey!" to Mr. Burton - who is typically seen out in front of his house sweeping and watching the sun make its great arc across the sky.

Though he's getting up there in years, Mr. Burton keeps in tip-top physical shape by a regular routine of weightlifting in a small gym he built for himself in a shed off to the side of his house. A polite inquiry might get you a tour of the gym, with "the Comanche" demonstrating his entire routine and describing how we designed and built many of the weight machines he uses on a daily basis.

Mr. Burton can have some pretty strong opinions about politics and the noise his neighbor's dogs make. He is also a great guy to have keeping an eye on our neighborhood. He sweeps the sidewalk and road in front of his house, he picks up trash, and he makes sure that his neighbors do their part too. What a difference a good neighbor makes!

Basura No!

2006-06-16T13:05:00.000-07:00

What is it with Lincoln Park Avenue? The amount of trash that gets dumped on the curbs in our neighborhood never ceases to amaze. Please - if you see someone dumping trash in front of your house, call the authorities, and try to get the dumper's license plate number. If you see things like this in your community, call 311 and request a bulky item pickup (make sure to note the address of the building the trash is in front of).

These photos were taken on Friday, June 16, 2006 at around 9 a.m.:

There is this lovely pile of cut tree branches and a handy wooden box in from of 2308 Lincoln Park Ave.

Then there is this auspiciously placed mattress in front of 2212 Lincoln Park Ave.

Not to be outdone, Baldwin Street has a wonderful sofa set (some delousing required), smack dab in front of the friendly walls of 3711 Baldwin St.

Gah! Someone call 311!

White Tablecloth Restaurant in Lincoln Heights?

2006-06-12T23:29:00.000-07:00

The Rose Eye Medical building, which has an attached parking lot, has sat vacant for some time now.

At the Town Hall meeting way back in May (on the 21st), a portly man with a video camera, named Calros Garcia, brought up an issue that at first blush shocked the crowd in attendance.

According to Mr. Garcia, the Rose Eye Medical Center (pictured above) is being eyed for "... a full blown liquor license." But it's not what you think.

Councilman Reyes asked us, "How many of us drive to Pasadena or San Gabriel to eat a sit-down meal?" Instead of yet another booze peddling corner store adjacent to a bunch of neighborhood schools, Councilman Reyes is trying to help a white tablecloth restaurant get started in Lincoln Heights. It was a pretty fun moment to hear this question turned into a very positive moment for the Reyes. The crowd, myu slef included, went so far as to give him a bit of applause.

Let's hope that Broadway, and all of Lincoln Heights, stay in the sights of our elected representatives, their staff, and enterprising businesses!

Neighborhood Watch Meeting- June 25, 2006

2006-06-09T13:50:00.000-07:00

The Neighborhood Watch meeting for the month of June is confirmed! It will take place on June 25, 2006 at Villa Rafael 2117 Parkside Avenue in Lincoln Heights. The meeting will begin at 5:00 p.m.

Crime In Your Neck Of The 'Hood

2006-06-08T01:20:00.000-07:00

A curious commentor recently asked if there was a site that provided crime updates for our neighborhood. As it so happens, the LAPD Crime Maps provides a site that allows you to see several days worth of documented criminal activity.

Not to be outdone, the Attorney General's Office (for the State) provides an online database of the sex offenders in sunny California:

The little blue dots on the map are sex offenders' residences. Creepy, huh?

Megan's Law Homepage provides a semi-accurate map service for people to find the home addresses of the sex offenders in their communities, as well as information about the number and types of tatoos they each have, and the general nature of their sex crimes. The site does double duty: creeping people out about sex offenders and showing how Big Brotherish our government has become.

Meet Your Employees

2006-05-24T15:58:00.000-07:00

Ed Reyes, doing his thing in a Town Hall meeting in 2004.

In a land where the people have the power, and our elected representatives have the power of the purse, it is a surprisingly rare occassion when you actually get to meet the people who get to dip into that purse and use that power.

Fortunately, Councilman Ed Reyes has directed his office to hold a "Town Hall" meeting on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - when we can meet the people who run big chunks of our local government.

There are going to be between 10 and 15 different city departments on hand. Bring a tote bag so you can take home as many ~~pieces of kindling~~, uh, brochures and flyers as you can hold. Some of the local government peeps on tap:

Department of Transportation (LADOT)
Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)
Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD)
Department of Public Works (DPW)
Department of Building and Safety (LADBS)
- Code Enforcement Division
Environmental Affairs Department
Office of Community Beautification
Department of Water and Power (DWP)

How cool is it that all of these government offices have fairly informative web-sites? For example, if there is graffitti that you'd like to see painted over, you can submit a request directly to the Office of Beautification by filling out this Graffiti Removal Request Form. Very cyber.

Here are the details:

Quality of Life Town Hall Meeting
Lincoln Heights Senior Center
Lincoln High School Cafeteria
3501 N. Broadway
6 - 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 25, 2006

For more information contact Field Deputy Mike Fong at (213) 485-0763.

Talk of Planters in the Air - Broadway Streetscape Forum

2006-05-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

It's Spring, and just as the plants are beginning to come to back to life in the hills around our neighborhood - so is word about putting in new planters, benches, and crosswalks along beloved, and bedraggled, Broadway.

This sprung up in the ol' inbox:

The Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council, Office of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, & Councilmember Ed Reyes

Cordially invite all members of the Lincoln Heights Community to attend a Community Forum on the North Broadway Streetscape Improvement Project (aka: TNI/Neighborhood Block Grant)

Tuesday, May 23, 2006
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Lincoln Heights Senior Center
2323 Workman Street
Los Angeles, CA 90031

Community members will be asked to provide feedback on the North Broadway Streetscape improvement plan developed by the North Broadway Task Force in conjunction with the Mayor's Office. Your attendance is highly encouraged!

Bring your suggestions, good or bad, and see how they fare under the watchful eye of your elected representative's Field Deputies. Just don't hog the mic!

Issues for Tonight's LHNC Meeting

2006-05-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

Tonight, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., in Lincoln High's cafeteria, the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council is going to hold it's second meeting for the month of May.

There are a couple of important issues that members of this fledgling neighborhood watch will bring up at the beginning of the meeting.

This pile of junk was spotted last night on Lincoln Park Ave.

First, illegal dumping along Lincoln Park Avenue, and in our neighborhood in general. We need some extra support from the City's large trash pick-up folks. Hopefully,the LHNC will have some support they can lend us on this matter.

Second, a letter has already been sent to the LADOT about getting an all-way stop sign at the intersection of Keith St. and Baldwin St.

Additionally, there has been a serious problem with tresspassers through the City View Terrace property at 3711 Baldwin Street. After speaking with the Senior Lead Officer for the area (Officer Austin Fernald), it has come to our attention that we need some coordinated efforts with the City Attorney's office, the LAPD, and neighbors to crack down on petty crime and tresspassing. The LHNC will hopefully support us as we try and coordinate with these stakeholders in the area.

45th District Assembly Candidates Forum!

2006-05-17T16:14:00.000-07:00

The 45th Assembly District spans an economically and culturally diverse population in Los Angeles.

The Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council will host a candidate's forum for the 45th California State Assembly candidates on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 at 6:30 p.m.

The forum will take place in the Abraham Lincoln High School Auditorium, 3501 North Broadway.

Participating candidates include: Samantha E. Allen-Newman, Republican;
Gabriel Buelna, Democrat; Christine Chavez, Democrat; Kevin de Leon, Democrat; Oscar A. Gutierrez, Democrat; and Elena Popp, Democrat. All candidates will have the opportunity for an introductory and closing statement. In addition, the candidates will be asked to tackle questions covering topics of immigration, education, the environment and open space, housing, 3 strike law and questions from the audience.

If you'd like to see more information about this election, check out AroundTheCapitol.com's site for the 45th AD race.

Upcoming LHNC Meeting!

2006-05-02T18:56:00.000-07:00

We all know about the NSA, CIA, FBI, BSA, WWF, and NASA. Well get ready, because here comnes another acronym you'll have to deal with: LHNC.

It stands for "Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council", and the Council is flush with cash, and getting ready to make some seriously positive changes in the community.

I would recommend you stop by one of their meetings and get a taste for good ol' Robert's-Rules-of-Order style democracy in action. If you've got a good idea, or a serious gripe, you'll get some time and attention from your fellow neighbors. Just don't hog the mic! There is a 2 minute time limit - so no long rants about secret government radio signals you receive through your toaster!

The next meeting is going to be held on Thursday, May 4, 2006 at 6 p.m.

I've posted a copy of the LHNC Agenda for Thursday, May 4, 2006 on Google Base if you'd like to take a look at it before showing up at:

Lincoln High School, Student Cafeteria
3501 N. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90031
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month.

The Council President, Mr. David Galaviz, works hard to end the meeting at 8 p.m. That means two things: if you're bored, wait 30 seconds for the next agenda item; and , you'll be home in time to chill with the family/your cat/the couch/etc.

Crime Update

2006-05-02T18:10:00.000-07:00

This is late to get posted, but on April 23, 2006 there was a shooting at a seedy motel on the corner of Mission and Parkside Ave. in our neck of Lincoln Heights. This motel shooting took place across the street from beautiful Lincoln Park.

If you'd like to see the latest (confusing) chart of crime in our area, here is a link to LAPD's Hollenbeck Division April 2006 Area Profile (that's bureacrat-ese for "Crime Report").

Apparently, aggravated assaults have dropped, as have homicides (at least compared to the same time last year) in the Hollenbeck Division's area. I suppose that should buoy our hopes for the future of this neighborhood. Hollenbeck Division covers Lincoln Heights, Boyle Heights, and El Sereno (among other areas nearby).

First Neighborhood Watch Meeting!

2006-04-24T14:35:00.000-07:00

Click on this image to download a .pdf version of the flyer.

Things have really been moving! This past week, after attending the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council meeting, our LAPD Senior Lead Officer, Officer Austin Fernald, agreed to join us for our first ever meeting. He is from the Hollenbeck Community Police Station on 1st Street in Boyle Hieghts that is going to be torn down and rebuilt soon. That is pretty cool - as we're going to need to coordinate with the LAPD when it comes to basic crime prevention in our area.

The LAPD has some great information on starting a neighborhood watch - hopefully we'll get some help from Officer Fernald as we come together as neighbors to keep our streets safe and clean.

The details for the first meeting:

Lincoln Park View Neighborhood Watch Meeting
Casa Rafael Apartments
2117 Parkside Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90031

Sunday, May 21, 2006
5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

There will be food, and some small craft activities for kids.

For more info call (310) 902-5439 or email lincolnparkviewnw@yahoo.com

Baldwin and Keith Street Stop Sign?

2006-04-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

The intersection of Keith and Baldwin Street needs four-way Stop Signs and some red paint on the curb ramps.

Have you ever seen cars zoom down Baldwin Street in front of City View Terrace, where it intersects Keith Street? There is a slight rise in the road that makes it difficult to see oncoming traffic rushing by. It is an unsafe place to drive a car. It is also unsafe to cross the street as a pedsedtrian on your way to school, a neighbors house, or the nearby park.

A near collsion on Baldwin Street on the morning of Wednesday, April 19, 2006.

I've seen vehicles of all types blasting down this quiet avenue, and I've wondered how such an unsafe condition has been allowed to exist for so long. Additionally, the curbside ramps in front of City View Terrace are often blocked by inconsiderate drivers. Mr. R. "Comanche" Burton, a resident who's lived near this intersection for over a decade talked to me about this situation a few weeks ago.

I think that a stop sign, and some red paint on the curbs, would make this a safer place to be a pedestrian and a driver. What do you think?

What's Up With All That Construction?

2006-04-18T18:40:00.000-07:00

A view from the north east corner of City View Terrace, Part Deux.

In the late 1980's and early 90's, The East Los Angeles Community Union (TELACU) began construction on a 106-unit townhome project on the site of vacant City View Terrace Hospital. City View Terrace Hospital, located at 3711 Baldwin Street in Lincoln Heights, used to serve a predominantly Japanese-American population throughout the 1960's and 70's.

Construction on the project proceeded until the framing stage (the wooden structures for the buildings were complete), when disaster struck not once - but three times. In the anonymously named "Building 8" (along the western border of the property) a flammable fluid was distributed throughout the building, and was subsequently lit. The Los Angeles Fire Department reports indicate that it was probably an arsonist that caused the three blazes - though no one was ever brought to justice.

As you can imagine, just about everything on the site was destroyed several times over. A portion of the project that had suffered the least amount of fire damage (from three fires!), was later completed as a smaller 49-unit townhome project. TELACU used money from the several sources to provide affordable units in the project, which still stands today.

A decade's worth of scribbles and pieces.

The lot to the rear of the new tonwhomes fell into disuse, and has served as a magnet for petty criminals, and graffiti artists, in the area. The property changed hands several times over the years, until recently being acquired (in late 2005).

Construction began in 2006, using updated plans from the original TELACU development. The remaining 57 units, of the original 106-unit project, are now in various stages of construction. In the coming week(s), cement trucks will begin delivering cement for concrete "decks" above the garages. These decks will provide solid footing for the buildings to be erected on top of them.

There is much more to come in the area around City View Terrace! I, ubrayj02, work for the company building this project - and we're trying to bring people in the neighborhood together to have better service from the city, and safer, more attractive, public spaces.

As the summer progresses, we'll be co-hosting small events and Neighborhood Watch meetings with community members and organizations to achieve those ends. When the first units are done, we want to have more than some new homes for sale: we want a community that is stronger and better served!

Bookmark this site, and come back to get news and information about your 'hood that you won't get anywhere else. See you soon!

2006-04-17T16:38:00.000-07:00

Looking east from a vacant lot on Parkside Ave.

This blog has been created to help organize and connect neighbors in the area located to the north of historic Lincoln Park in Lincoln Heights (a neighborhood in Los Angeles).

There are already numerous community organizations working towards this same goal - and it seems like some lasting, and mostly positive, changes are due in the coming months.

Lincoln Heights is an area with a history as storied and as rich as any neighborhood in Los Angeles. With some love, care, and community activism we can make all that is good in Lincoln Heights great!

Welcome to the blog!