Dear Fellow Venetians,

CONGRATULATIONS on the resounding, unanimous defeat of OPD’s at the Coastal Commission! A proud moment in Venetian self-determination (as John Haag used to call it). It made my heart sing to see the group assembled for the photo as they made the journey to Long Beach – a trip I’ve made many times in my own history with the Coastal Commission since we helped create it in 1982. Venice – for all its upscale transitions and problems – remains a public community, and has not gone the way of Carmel or other places on the coast. Bravo to The Beachhead and others for demonstrating what community means. Abbot would be proud of all of you.

Sincerely,
Lance Diskan

Dear Beachhead,

AT&T wants to put a cell phone tower in this area that is understood. However they want it in a residential neighborhood and they want to put it on top of an apt that has 26 units in it. Many of the residents are not happy about living under radiation day and night (over 50% signed petition against it) and either are the majority of the rest of the immediate neighborhood. We collected 80 petitions in two days. The building and the Antennas are in some cases just next door on these small lots with the radiation 24-7. This is a residential neighborhood zoned R3.1and there are many location a block or two away where they are industrial or commercial zones. This area is three blocks together of industrial building from Main to Third street, and there are others in the neighborhood we feel that it is wrong to expose private homes and apartment to radiation just because it may is cheeper or more convenient for AT&T.

Thanks for caring about the neighborhood.
Joanne Faust

Dear Beachhead,

After spending some time in Santa Monica (getting more and more unpleasant), I have noticed on 11th street between Colorado and Olympic, two Portasans for the “casual labor pool” in this area, by Bourget Brothers and the Salvation Army Thrift Shop. This seems like an excellent idea to me and I can’t help but wonder why we haven’t yet been able to do the same thing in Venice (Venice Beach?)for easier access to the natural necessities???

Now that the “Old Mayor” is becoming a resident of Venice (Beach?), maybe he could become engaged finally in improving sanitation facilities for those who need it most?

Sincerely,
Carol Beck

Dear Beachhead,

Am I the only one at odds with the appearance of a very aggressive valet parking regime on A. K. Bl.? Our new neighbors, Feed and Kreation have contracted with ABC Parking, who announced their arrival last week with tall ugly signage that they insist on placing far into the street, and cones with which they awarded themselves several parking spaces on either side of the A. K. Bl. At noon. On a Thursday. Spaces that I’ve parked at for 30 years, I was told I could no longer use. Yeah, right. If you find this invasion of Staples Center signage in the street and on the sidewalk undesirable, please give a holler to our groovy neighbors and let ’em know: Abbot Kinney is not downtown LA. Yet.

Love your rag,
Gene Mendez

Dear Beachhead,

A sad prophecy: Someone will be killed or maimed on the Boardwalk this Summer by a speeding Segway or similar motorized vehicle rented to tourists.
Is profit so important that these vehicles are rented out with no safety instructions about speeding through crowds?
Where are the laws to protect pedestrians from speeding tourists out of control on these vehicles?
Where is the common sense that would outlaw vehicles such as Segway and its offshoots on the Boardwalk?

– Bruce Meade, 35 years Venice resident