Friday, August 29, 2008

Odds and Ends 80

Didn't sometime back, a supporter of Bob's plans admonish everyone to "play nice" concerning discussions and debates about Ponte Vista?

When a supporter and member of Bob's Senior Advisory Committee attacked this blog by claiming it is "some obscure blog" I find that is offensive to the good regular readers of this blog and it comes from a member of a group that want's everybody to "play nice".

I guess only opponents need to "play nice" and supporters get to attack, continue to deny truths and spell out "facts" they believe will occur even though nothing has been legally decided yet.

This "ranting elitist" who writes this "some obscure blog" knows quite well the tactics Ponte Vista supporters and some members of the Outreach Team will go in attempts to secure more support for a project that is just too large for OUR community.
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When members of the Outreach Team, includint the Vice President of the company offer dinners, meetings, trips and other things to members of a Board of an organization receiving direct funding from the city of Los Angeles, isn't that also called lobbying?

When a Vice President uses funds from the organization he or she represents to provide meals, local trips, and meetings to members of the quasi-L.A. government funded organization, shouldn't that person be a registered lobbyist with the City of Los Angeles?

Shouldn't members of an organization that uses that organization's funds to offer meals and other things to folks who receive who sit on a board that receives direct government funding be required to register as lobbyists and follow all the laws and regulations set out for registered lobbyists?

For the folks who received meals, local trips, and other incentives from an organization that attempts to have the group process and agree to resolutions favoring a developers' wishes, should those folks state that they received some incentives paid for by the group seeking support?

I do not know all the facts that members of the Ponte Vista Outreach Team know about their attempts over the summer to influence members of the Board of Governors of the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council, but perhaps the resolution passed at Central's last meeting was possibly created and passed by folks whose organization receives direct government funding, yet did not disclose what they received from the developer's agents, employees, or those that might just be considered "lobbyists".

Don't we all deserve to know the truth of how the resolution was influenced by the Ponte Vista Outreach Team?

I am looking for answers that will probably not be provided to this "obscure blog".

Maybe someone in local government or within the City Attorney's office will provide answers to whether some on the Outreach Team might be considered lobbyists and whether they should probably be registered with the city of L.A. as such.
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The blogger on this "obscure blog" may know more about things than what the blogger is willing to reveal. For Ponte Vista supporters it is great that they consider this blog as "obscure".

I might now be able to provide more truths and facts I have on file that I wouldn't normally publish..............NOT!
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There will be a public hearing conducted by the R.P.V. Planning Commission on the Marymount College Expansion Project.

Why, might you wonder, is this of any importance to the Ponte Vista debate?

Marymount College has as one of its Alternatives to its preferred plans for expansion, the addition of more dormitory rooms on Palos Verdes Drive North between Western and Five Points AND the relocation of the athletics department to the site in northwest San Pedro.

Traffic would be the major issue that supporters and opponents would come together on to oppose any expansion at the northwest San Pedro, Marymount-owned site.

Currently there are 86 duplexes housing students and faculty members at the site. That is actually two more duplexes than is currently allowed for a site similar to the site, but a variance was allowed from the City of L.A because the 86 duplexes were originally built as military housing and the military can ignore local zoning issues.

I'll probably announce the date, time, and location of the hearing on one of my more "obscure" blogs, the San Pedro Issues to Ponder blog.
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If you wish to know when there might be a reveal from the Planning Department, you are welcome to contact the Ponte Vista Outreach Team for their opinion.

The team may include information on their own blog which I can very well believe is more obscure than this blog.
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Did you read that the folks behind Think Cafe and Think Bistro are thinking of building a larger restaurant and bar at the site of the former Blue Crab restaurant.

It is said that we locals believe there is a curse on the site of the former Tasman Sea Restaurant.

So far, if you read the history of restaurants trying to make a go of business at the site on Western Avenue, you may also come to believe that the place is cursed.

Whether it is truly cursed or not, since the Tasman Sea Restaurant closed down more than a generation ago, just about every single restaurant failed within a short time or didn't even open in the first place.

We all waited and waited for a Russian restaurant to open on the site, but it never did.

We only had a very short chance to enjoy the Brazilian restaurant that lasted too short of a time at the site. The meat dishes at that venue were very enjoyable and extremely filling, in my opinion.

I think Think didn't do enough due diligence on studying the site and we will again view a failed restaurant in too short of a time.
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A temporary Halloween costume and supply store is going in at the former site of Big Town Liquor.

It is going to be fun watching the Katelynn and Mackensie learn more about Halloween from their brother Kyle, now tah the twins are approaching two-years old.
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What do you think about the possibility of finding a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf business goin into the spot where P'skettie is trying to make a go of it, in the future?

P'skettie is a drive-thru restaurant. How long it survives being so close to both Domenick's and Niccolo's is something we will just have to see.

I have enjoyed meals from P'skettie, but it is less expensive than both of the two other restaurants and it is equil distance for us to go there or Niccolo's.
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Please remember that the Alternative to building SRHS 15 at Ponte Vista rather than its preferred location on the Upper Reservation of Fort MacArthur is more of a joke than a real Alternative.

Nobody should have the slightest bit of worry or anxiety that an 810-seat public senior high school would ever be built at Ponte Vista if Bob and thousands and thousands of us have any say in the matter.
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And now for a truly obscure trivia question:

What was she wearing when she was afraid to come out of the locker and water?

(Answer will come in a comment to this post or next Friday within Odds and Ends 81.)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I completly disagree with you on the new "Think Prime" restaurant opening soon at the former Tasman Sea. The new restaurant is what this town no longer has, an upscale but casual steakhouse, with a full bar. The other "Think" restaurants are successful, the owner seems to know what he is doing. Most important he knows where he is doing business. The outside looks much different now, shaking some of that old Tasman Sea stigma. I look forward to their Grand Opening and plan on going there on a regular basis. I beleive they will do well

M Richards said...

Thanks Jim,

We have tried our best to eat at each restaurant that has opened at the location.

I do hope that the restaurant thrives, but historically that hasn't been the case for many, many years now when restaurants attempt to open or remain open at the site.

I don't really believe in curses, but I can't think of anyplace else that has had such unfortunate experiences of maintaining a successful restaurant than the site of the old Tasman Sea.

It would also be more that great to have a successful upscale restaurant on the eastern border of Rancho Palos Verdes.

We have to go to Admiral Risty's or "Ronald Frump's Ocean Fails Irrational Golf Course" to find more upscale eating places in R.P.V.

I hope folks do dine at the new "Think Prime" restaurant and have the opportunity to enjoy great meals and a good bar.
MW