Westchester/Playa Hometown News April 2024 edition

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• Global demonstration site visited by more than 15 countries

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WISH Schools

WISH Academy

High School has been named a California Distinguished School for 2024

Rock by celebrating innovative teachers and an engaging education for all students WISH Middle Scholars participating in National History Day are now heading to state!

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THIS MONTH BRINGS YOU

THIS MONTH BRINGS YOU

A LOOK INSIDE THIS MONTH'S HTN HOMETOWN STAFF/CONTRIBUTORS

ABOUT THE HOMETOWN NEWS THIS MONTH BRINGS YOU

A LOOK INSIDE THIS MONTH'S HTN HOMETOWN STAFF/CONTRIBUTORS

HOMETOWN

ABOUT THE HOMETOWN NEWS

A LOOK INSIDE THIS MONTH'S HTN HOMETOWN STAFF/CONTRIBUTORS

The HomeTown News is a monthly community newspaper dedicated to providing information about the people, events and happenings of Westchester, Playa del Rey, Marina del Rey and Playa Vista. Look for the HomeTown News the first Thursday of the month at your home or at one of our drop-off locations, including The Book Jewel, Westchester Family YMCA, Playa Pharmacy, Loyola Village Library, Playa Vista Library, Truxton’s American Bistro and Cantalini’s Salerno Beach.

ABOUT THE HOMETOWN NEWS

CONNECT WITH THE HTN:

Mailing Address: 8939 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Ste. 110 #745 Westchester, CA 90045

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The Westchester Town Center BID creates a vibrant, clean, and safe business area, delivering services and improvements above and beyond the baseline services provided by the City of Los Angeles. From security ambassadors and twinkle lights during the holidays to sidewalk maintenance and more, the BID is working to make Westchester the best it can be.

Burglary crimes are up in Westchester and Playa del Rey and a group of concerned residents are doubling down on new efforts to ramp up local Neighborhood Watch programs. Through boots-on-theground observations, sharing info on social media, and good old neighborly check-ins, community leaders are encouraging their neighbors to stay aware and get connected. The Women on Watch.

When I called Westchester homeowner and Neighborhood Watch Captain, Alison White, on a Friday afternoon, there was an urgency in her voice.

“You’re catching me at a very interesting time. I’m chasing a burglar,” said White.

I suggested I call her back at a better time and hung up the phone.

When I finally spoke to White at length, she told me a neighbor in her area had posted on the Neighborhood Watch Whatsapp group that somebody knocked on her door

and was asking odd questions like who was at home and if they had a nanny. The man was wearing a blue telephone company shirt but there was no work truck nearby. To White, this was very suspicious behavior considering that in February of this year, she tracked 28 home burglaries in 29 days in Westchester and Playa del Rey.

After a call to the police, White, along with two other Westchester residents, all hopped in their cars and began driving up and down the neighborhood streets, looking for any unusual activity.

“I swear I’ve been up and down every street in North Kentwood and I can’t find him,” White said.

Though no suspect was found that day, the efforts seemed to pay off since there was no break-in reported. And that’s exactly what White and others are hoping for: to create and share any suspicious activity in the area and let the criminals know they are being watched before a crime is committed.

“By the time we hear about

At top: Public safety advocates including NCWP Public Safety Chair John Logsdon, Cyndi Hench, Alison White and George Aceves help promote the Neighborhood Watch program.

At left: SSS President George Aceves on patrol in Kentwood. Next page: A variety of deterrents for stopping crime.

burglaries, the guys are usually gone,” says White. “What happens is someone will report seeing three guys running away from a house. We love the LAPD, but the guys are long gone by the time the call comes in. We are like boots on the ground. We’re able to get there a lot faster to get descriptions, license plates, whatever. And that helps LAPD because what LAPD has said is that it’s very rare that they’re going to catch a burglary in progress.”

Most criminals know they have between seven to 10 minutes to get in and out of a home and steal valuables like cash and jewelry.

White has gotten creative when it comes to protecting her home and “hardening the target.”

Most burglars are hopping over fences and entering homes by breaking sliding glass doors, so White has added spikes on her gate and installed security film on the doors to make them harder to shatter.

Her best tips for protecting your home?

“Obviously, having cars parked in the driveway, keeping lights on–I mean, all the normal stuff of making it look like somebody’s home,” said White. “What we’ve seen is that they don’t want to break in when somebody’s home. Keep an eye on your surroundings, make sure no one’s watching you when you’re coming and going and essentially be in touch with your neighbors. I think we realized the single most important thing you can do is have an open line of communication with your neighbor, because they’re really the eyes and ears on the ground for what’s going on.”

She also adds, “If you make your house more difficult, [burglars will] move on to somewhere else where it’s easier.”

A Neighborhood Watch Geek.

Started by Westchester residents Cyndi Hench and Julie Zaller, the Westchester/PDR Neighborhood Watch Group on Whatsapp is now up to 450 members and growing. Since the group is private to maintain its integrity and to keep criminals off the text chain, you have to know someone who’s already a member and then be vetted to join.

“We all want to live in Mayberry, but we don’t,” she says.

While Hench shares that the community has a great relationship with the local LAPD Senior Lead Officers, the burden can’t rest only on understaffed law enforcement.

“I think that as a community we just need to stand a little tougher,” Hench adds.

Describing herself as a “Neighborhood Watch geek,” she says she got involved with the program about 20 years ago when her own home was burglarized. Over the last two decades, she’s seen the tactics used by criminals change and evolve.

“When I was burglarized, we had a crew that were called the ‘Liquid Bandits.’ What they would do is squirt shampoo on the alarms and disable them and then go about their business in your house. A few years later, we went through a series of ‘knock, knock burglars.’ These guys would knock on your front door and check to see if anybody was home, and then go around the back and break in. Now, we’ve got this crew of people who are getting in the back yard, jamming Wi-Fi and cameras and breaking in through back windows and doors,” says Hench.

Another thing that’s different this time around is social media, which can help to quickly spread the word about suspicious activity through the community, but can also cause everything to get unnecessarily magnified.

“You hear about one burglary or maybe even just an attempted burglary, but it can turn into a game of telephone. It gets exaggerated and then it gets repeated, maybe 10 times, on different social media platforms,” says Hench. “So, it seems way, way worse in our minds than in reality. It’s a double-edged sword.”

But she shares that one helpful tool in the prevention of break-ins is Security Service Systems (SSS), a private patrol company that anyone in the area can utilize for a fee.

“We don’t have HOAs to fund private security in this neighborhood. But George [Aceves, owner of SSS] has stepped up and is doing something unique,” she says. Protect, Observe & Report.

SSS has been providing private security in Westchester and Playa del Rey for more than 20 years, but has recently restructured its offerings to make its services more affordable.

“We’re making it up in volume and by adding more services,” says Aceves, who shares that after owning the company for 35 years, he’s now actually out in the field on patrol for the first time and loving it.

He says he remembers the “knock knock bandits” who used to break-in during the day, but now burglaries are occurring at all hours.

(continued on page 24)

Business & Nonpro t News

Battle of the Bands heads to the Westchester Family YMCA.

The community is invited to rock out at the Second Annual Battle of the Bands hosted by the Westchester Family YMCA on Saturday, April 13.

Ten bands will be vying for the top prize, which includes $500 cash, a studio session and interview at LMU’s college radio station, KXLU 88.9, and the opportunity to play at the citywide YMCA Healthy Kids’ Day event at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum on April 21.

The featured bands, which will play from noon to 4 p.m., feature middle and high school students from Venice High, WISH Academy, Hamilton High, Culver Park and beyond. Last year’s winners, Trueblood, will also be back to perform.

This year’s event is being produced entirely by members of the Y’s Teen Leadership Council, along with help from the Model UN and Youth & Government participants. Proceeds will benefit the Y’s Teen Health & Well-being program.

The event is free and open to the public. Guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and enjoy the music! The event will take place at the YMCA Annex located at 8020 Alverstone Ave. in Westchester. Major sponsors include the Drollinger Family Charitable Foundation and LAWA.

Senior housing development proposed for Staples property.

A new development project has been proposed for the Westchester business district in the site that currently houses Staples and a parking lot just west of the Westchester Triangle.

The Neighborhood Council of Westchester/Playa’s (NCWP)

Planning and Land Use Committee recently shared plans for the two-building senior housing development, comprised of assisted and independent living spaces, as well as amenities like a dining hall, lounges and fitness/wellness areas. At 8704 Sepulveda, an eight-story senior assisted and independent living facility with 120 units is

proposed; directly to the east at 8711 Sepulveda, a seven-story independent living facility with 146 units, ranging from 700 to 1,100 square-feet is planned.

The firm behind the project, SRM Development, has completed more than 2,000 senior housing units in the western United States. According to their presentation, some of the key factors in determining their ideal location for senior housing includes demand, not eliminating current housing stock and having surrounding neighborhood-serving uses.

The project also calls for two ground level retail spaces that are approximately 1,600 square-feet each and a pedestrian plaza located near The Book Jewel.

Stay up to date with upcoming development projects by visiting ncwpdr.org/planning-land-usedevelopment-committee.

Major upgrades coming to Westchester High School.

Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnets (WESM) will receive $9.2 million in upgrades to its athletic fields starting in 2025. LAUSD’s Board of Education approved Board Member Nick Melvoin’s allocation of the funds during a March 13 meeting. (continued on next page)

The Westchester Triangle is abuzz with new activity, thanks to the addition of businesses joining the ranks of community favorites that line the street like The Book Jewel, Ayara, Soundsations and Olive It. Trans Port Station, a full service bike shop, recently opened, and the much anticipated Triangle Wines is excepted to be ready to welcome shoppers in mid- to late-April. Brooklyn Projects, a skateboard shop with a flagship on Melrose, also recently put up signage, with their social media signaling a spring grand opening.

(continued from previous page)

Melvoin, who represents the Westchester/Playa area, says the funds will be used to upgrade the high school’s football field with natural turf and the construction of a new synthetic track. Other proposed improvements include the installation of irrigation and drainage, relocation of the batting cage, construction of fencing, a new scoreboard, upgraded goal posts. and more.

“All of our students deserve high-quality facilities, and we have heard from families throughout the community that our Westchester high school facility needs more support,” said Melvoin. “Along with other recent improvements, including painting and upgrades to accessibility for people with disabilities, I’m thrilled that we were able to fund this project to completely overhaul the football field. I look forward to continuing the work to revitalize this campus.”

The board hopes the improvements will promote increased opportunities for athletic achievement and school pride. Another goal is for the upgrades to enhance the high school’s ability to host athletic and communitybuilding events.

Construction is anticipated to be completed in 2027.

“Sounds of Summer” theme selected for 24th Annual Parade.

The LAX Coastal Chamber’s Fourth of July Parade Committee has selected “Sounds of Summer” as its 2024 theme. Applications are now open to nonprofits, community

groups, businesses and schools that are interested in participating. Floats and entries with a musical theme and entertainment are especially encouraged to apply!

The committee is also looking for a national Anthem singer to kick off the July 4th event.

Interested in supporting the 24th Annual Fourth Of July Parade and highlighting your business? Sponsorship opportunities are available.

For more info on sponsoring, auditioning or receiving a parade packet, please email Chad Maender at info@laxcoastal.com.

Support your favorite local businesses by nominating them for our 2024 Best Of list!

Championing local and small businesses is at the core of our publication’s mission, and we’re inviting the community to show its love for the area’s top shops, companies, restaurants, organizations and people by sending in their nominations for our 2024 Best Of Readers’ Poll! Readers are also invited to share what categories they’d like to see added to our 13th annual list.

Nominations can be sent to htn@ thehtn.com with the subject line “2024 Best Of” by April 30th to be considered. Voting will launch in late spring and more details will be shared in our May edition.

Have info to share about your business or nonprofit? Email us at westchesterhometown@yahoo.com for a chance to be featured in an upcoming edition.

2024 COMMUNITY BUILDERS

Chad Maender and the LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce President & CEO

JANE ST. JOHN & JULIE PORTER

Janie Guthrie Skjervem and Mark Skjervem

SILVER SPONSORS: AvAir Pros

Hometown News

Hudson Group & HMS Host

Law Office of Edgar Saenz

LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce

The Luboviski Family

PBS Engineers

Playa Venice Sunrise Rotary Club

Erika Puzik & Associates, Ameriprise Financial

BRONZE SPONSORS:

Birdi Systems, Inc.

Boingo Wireless, Inc.

BuildOut California

Burns & McDonnell

C & S Companies

DeLarme Wealth Management

International City Bank

Monica & Seymour Kahn

Los Angeles Marriott Business Council

LINXS Constructors

Loyola Marymount University

The Maender Family

Make Good Company

Jill & Terry Marcellus

Mott-MacDonald

Parsons Corporation

Quigley & Miron

The Rotary Club of Westchester

Denny Schneider

The Singh Family

TYLin

Westchester Pharmacy

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Hear from your co unity

New real estate ruling creates pivotal moment for agents, sellers and buyers

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) is the country’s largest trade association, representing more than 1.5 million members.

In response to several class action lawsuits, NAR recently reached a settlement that will likely reshape residential real estate transactions across the country. The original Sitzer-Burnett lawsuit was filed in Missouri by a small group of home sellers and challenged long-standing industry practices, particularly around listing and commission structures. The suit alleged that buyers’ agents were being paid too much and real estate agents conspired to inflate brokerage commissions paid by sellers.

Central to the lawsuit were the rules around multiple listing services, the sharing of commissions, and the lack of transparency in agent compensation. In California, real estate commissions are negotiable, with sellers typically paying five to six percent of the purchase price, and those commissions are normally split equally between the buyer’s agent and the seller’s agent. However, in Missouri, the plaintiffs argued there was not enough transparency, and that the buyer’s agent’s commission should not be the responsibility of the seller. Rather, it should be the buyer’s responsibility to compensate their agent.

Key elements of the proposed settlement include modifications to how commissions are disclosed and shared, and a requirement that buyers enter into buyer representation agreements with their agents. Buyer representation agreements typically

require the buyer to compensate their agent unless the seller chooses to do so. If the settlement is approved, sellers can continue to offer compensation to buyer’s agents, but that compensation cannot be advertised in the multiple listing service.

While some argue the proposed rules will lead to more sellers willing to put their homes on the market for a lower price due to increased savings, others argue the proposed rules will lower the buyer’s

purchasing power and therefore limit the number of buyers able to purchase a home. If it becomes incumbent upon buyers to pay their own agent’s commission, it will be more expensive for them to purchase a home, and they may opt to proceed without appropriate representation. The direct effects of the settlement on buyers and sellers in our area are multifaceted, with both agents and principals being forced to adapt to this new environment. With nearly two million single-family residential

sales occurring annually, Los Angeles is a high-stakes, complex market. Negotiations, bidding wars, home inspection issues and unforeseen legal problems are commonplace, and the need for balanced and independent representation will likely continue to be critical to the home sale process.

Nevertheless, the NAR settlement marks a pivotal moment for agents and consumers, transforming how properties are listed and marketed. Will sellers continue to compensate buyer’s agents? Will first-time homebuyers be able to afford independent representation out of pocket or go unrepresented? Will buyers seek out representation from seller’s agents? Will sellers reduce the asking price of their properties to pass along the commission savings to buyers? As these changes unfold, all parties will need to stay informed and agile, ready to navigate the evolving landscape.

Regardless of how agent commissions are paid, and recognizing the vast majority of services provided by seller’s agents and buyer’s agents cannot be automated, I expect local real estate professionals will continue to be integral to real estate transactions and serve as trusted resources in the home sale process.

Courtney Kohl Paulson is a Westchester resident, Rotary member and local realtor with The Kohl Team. With more than 30 years of experience on L.A.’s Westside, The Kohl Team offers both wide-ranging expertise and an elevated level of customer service to our clientele. Visit TheKohlTeam.com for more information.

The smaller class sizes, safe environment, and dedicated faculty have provided our boys with a unique and highly effective educational experience. They have been able to thrive academically and personally...

-The Favorite Family

My son transitioned to Visitation in 3rd grade. Instantly he felt a genuine connection with several of his peers. I am grateful for how genuine and authentic the teachers, staff, parents, and the children are at Visitation.

-The Morgan Family

At Visitation, we’ve found that all are truly welcome and accepted. Our family has a mix of personalities, of learning styles, and approaches to faith. We’ve each found Visitation to be a place where we can lean into what makes us different and thrive.

-The Valenzuela Family

City unveils new draft of Community Plan Update maps for Westchester and Playa del Rey

With the crucial need for more housing in Los Angeles, the Community Plan Update process is an important step in providing a long-range vision for land use in each community. Community Plans address a range of topics that shape the quality of life within a neighborhood, including housing and employment, as well as environmental and economic sustainability. Community Plans are guided by the Regional Housing Need Assessment (RHNA) process, which establishes a fair share distribution of affordable housing on a citywide basis. The document is owned and executed by the Los Angeles Planning Department. As stakeholders, we are invited to provide input during the process.

The Planning Department is employing several strategies to allow expansion where housing is permitted through zoning changes, implemented through both the Community Plans and the Housing Element. One of the strategies is to shift growth onto commercial corridors near transit lines to encourage higher-density mixed-use properties, in the hope of creating more walkable and pedestrian-friendly communities. City Planners are also using the plans to introduce elements of the city’s new zoning code, “re:code LA,” which

transitions from a traditional zoning system to one that is based on form and frontage districts.

The Westchester/Playa Community Plan process started back in 2019 and has experienced many delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last summer in June 2023, Westchester/ Playa residents were digesting new surprises in the release of the Draft 2 residential and commercial maps, which called for more intense upzoning than the maps previously released in 2020. These maps highlighted areas in Kentwood, Westport Heights, Emerson Manor and Osage that are currently singlefamily and duplex/triplex housing to propose higher density zoning, with up to four units and three stories allowable per R1 lot, and more density in R2 areas. The maps also proposed that all single-family and multi-family zoning along every Westchester corridor should shift to Commercial Zoning, meaning housing up to eight stories could be built in some areas. The community was largely opposed to these proposals, concerned about how this added density would contribute to more traffic, congestion and pollution. Stakeholders who spoke about the city’s proposal at packed neighborhood council meetings held last year, also shared that they were concerned about the detrimental effects on residents’ quality of life.

The Neighborhood Council of Westchester/Playa (NCWP), along with various stakeholder groups, argued that our community faces unique challenges as it serves as a gateway to LAX. Access points to LAX–Manchester, Lincoln, Sepulveda and La Tijera–all have unbearable traffic now at peak hours, which would potentially increase dramatically with intense upzoning. The NCWP also conveyed to city leaders that the Westchester/ Playa area already faces reduced air quality due to airport emissions, more noise nuisance and very low canopy coverage due to the hardscape impacts of LAX. With the ongoing modernization of the airport–new terminals, the upcoming Northside Development project and the upcoming addition of the automated people mover–LAX passengers and commuter traffic is only expected to increase. Given these unique challenges to residents, the zoning changes could have a devastating impact on the community, ultimately impeding egress and ingress to a world airport. Other concerns were expressed about the upzoning proposals, especially along the corridors, which could potentially displace hundreds of rent-stabilized residents, in favor of developers offering market-rate rents, an initiative that seems at odds with the

City’s goal of creating more affordable housing.

Following the release of the Draft 2 maps, Councilwoman Traci Park’s office provided the opportunity for stakeholders to hold listening sessions with CD 11 planning staff to share their opinions and ideas about the Community Plan. The councilwoman’s office was instrumental in advocating for our community as a liaison to City Planning. In November 2023, the NCWP facilitated a driving tour of Westchester/Playa with city planners, which was instrumental in educating them about the area’s unique challenges. Recently, L.A. City Planning made amendments to its housing incentive ordinance, which stated that the affordable housing and mixed income incentive programs will not apply to single-family housing, although it had initially proposed to include these properties. Over the last few months, city planners went back to the drawing board to revise the maps based on evolving ordinances and community feedback.

The Draft 3 maps were released last month on March 21, and clearly demonstrate that the voices of Westchester/Playa residents were heard. The majority of the residential upzoning proposals were removed from the maps, including the upzoning in Kentwood, Westport Heights, (continued on page 18)

SPRING Events

& Activities 2023 Save the date for these fun festivities

Earth Day at the Ballona Wetlands

April is Earth Month and the Friends of Ballona Wetlands are inviting the community to roll up their sleeves and volunteer to help restore this coastal wetland!

Bring the whole family (ages 7 and up recommended) and attend the nonprofit’s Earth Day Community Habitat Restoration on Saturday, April 27 from 9:30 a.m. to noon to make a difference, learn about this important ecological area and clear out invasive vegetation to make room for native plants to thrive. Registration is required at ballonafriends.org.

Can’t attend but want to give back? Consider sponsoring a native plant! For a donation of $25, $50 or $75, you can support the Friend’s efforts by purchasing a plant, Seacliff Buckwheat, an Arroyo Willow or Mule Fat, which will be planted by the PdR nonprofit. As a bonus, staff and volunteers will create a personalized sign to go with the seedlings and snap a photo for you to share on social media! Posting is a great way to encourage friends and followers to join you in celebrating this eco-friendly holiday.

Learn more at ballonafriends.org.

Mother’s Day Tea Party at Westchester Park

Celebrate Mother’s Day with an unforgettable experience at Westchester Park on Saturday, May 11 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The elegant afternoon will feature a French-themed tea party for moms and their kids ages 4 and up. Expect flavorful teas, mouth-watering pastries and fun activities. Dressing up is encouraged! The cost to attend is $5 per person and RSVPs are a must at laparks.org/reccenter/Westchester.

The event is hosted by the Rec Center in collaboration with the Senior Center, which is the site of the festivities at 8740 Lincoln Blvd. in Westchester.

Visual History of LAX at Flight Path

Curious about the history of LAX? Hear from Flight Path Museum President and airport historian, Jean-Christophe Dick, for a visual history of the world’s fifth busiest airport on April 17 at 6:30 p.m.

Guests will have the chance to see some of the museum’s photo archives, and learn about LAX’s start, its first commercial flight and more.

Tickets to this one-hour event are $10, and limited seating is available. RSVP at flightpathlax.com.

Kids’ Beach Cleanup at Dockweiler Beach

In honor of Earth Day, bring the family to Dockweiler for a Kids’ Beach Cleanup hosted by L.A. County Beaches & Harbors and Heal the Bay on Saturday, April 13 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Start the day by helping pick up trash and beautifying the surf and sand, and stay for an environmental music performance by 3rd Rock Hip Hop, an arts & craft station, traveling tide pool and more.

All attendees must RSVP and sign a waiver to participate. Trash pickers, gloves and buckets will be provided (while supplies last). Reserve your spot and learn more at beaches.lacounty.gov.

Spring Fest at the Farmers’ Market

Spring is the best time to visit the farmers’ market, thanks to the abundance of fresh produce and the beautiful weather!

Mark your calendar for Sunday, April 28 for the market’s annual Spring Festival featuring planting workshops, fitness demos, community booths, kids’ activities, live music, vintage car show and specials throughout the market!

The market runs Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 6200 W. 87th Street in the Westchester Triangle.

Book Sale in the 90045

Check off your summer reading list and stock your shelves at the Westchester Rotary Club’s 69th Annual Book Sale! This yearly sale takes place during Memorial Day weekend and features thousands of paperbacks and hardcovers from every genre imaginable–from horror and poetry to fiction and art. Prices start at $1.

Next month, more information will be announced including hours and drop-off locations for donations!

Learn more at rotary-westchester.com

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Community Plan Update maps (continued)

(continued from page 14)

Emerson Manor and Osage. Also deleted from the maps were most of the proposals to upzone the arterials in Westchester/Playa from what is now single-family zoning to commercial mixed-use. While the refined Draft 3 maps better reflect the feedback of Westchester/ Playa residents, the revised maps pose new concerns, particularly for residents in Ladera Heights: City Planning is proposing that the current commercial area of Ladera Center (at the corner of La Tijera and La Cienega) be upzoned from “Community Commercial” to “Regional Center” zoning for dense mixed-use, with no height restrictions.

At the March 27 NCWP Community Plan Update Ad Hoc committee meeting, more than 100 concerned Ladera Heights residents attended to voice their opposition to this zoning change. Upset that this would create more traffic in an already very congested area, many speakers shared that they feared this upzoning would allow developers to build more market-rate housing, while possibly removing existing affordable housing. Speakers also shared concerns about creating high-density housing right next to single-family and multi-family homes with no gentle transition;

the possible density adding more noise and environmental pollution, and eroding the neighborhood character of this family-oriented community. To complicate matters, this area of Ladera Heights falls into three geographic boundaries and jurisdictions–Los Angeles County, the City of Los Angeles, and Inglewood–making it more difficult for residents to voice concerns to their elected officials. During the meeting, a CD11 staff member told the crowd that the process is ongoing, assuring attendees that they still have time to communicate concerns. A representative from County Supervisor Holly Mitchell’s office was also present, and stated they had just found out about the updated maps and welcomed community feedback. New to the Draft 3 maps is the proposal to upzone a number of already commercial areas in Westchester, on Century Boulevard, along Sepulveda, La Tijera, and Lincoln, which would transform what is now “Community Commercial” zoning to “Community Center” or “Regional Center.” Another worry expressed by residents is the upzoning of Manchester in Playa del Rey from what is now “Low Medium Residential” with multi-family and small apartment buildings to “Community Center” zoning, for larger-scale mixed-use.

This could potentially reduce the number of rent-stabilized units in our geography. Other points expressed by stakeholders involve the possibly inappropriate upzoning on the west side of Pershing due to the coastal zone height restrictions. Further evaluation of these changes in Draft 3 maps must be conducted by the NCWP and the community to identify potential issues.

While it is clear that modifications have been made to the maps that reflect community feedback, there is still work to be done to adequately address the concerns of community stakeholders, particularly in Ladera Heights.

To stay engaged in the ongoing Community Plan process, be sure to attend the NCWP’s ad hoc committee meetings on the subject on the fourth Monday of each month. Visit ncwpdr. org to for more details.

Cory Birkett is a member of the Neighborhood Council of Westchester/Playa’s Community Plan Update Ad Hoc Committee and a Westchester resident.

The Westside Community Plan Advisory Group, which was formed in 2023, and is made up of community leaders, residents and local organizations, is poised to add new members this year. They will also be holding meetings and new opportunities to provide input to City Planning, which will help shape the Community Plan Updates for the Westside. The Planning Department hopes to begin the Environmental Impact Report process later this year. The process will last approximately one year to draft and make further amendments. During this period, they will continue to accept stakeholder feedback. The final Community Plan Update will most likely be adopted and implemented in 2025 or 2026.

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Random Notes/Opinion

Eight things to know about bone density and exercise

Opinion: Bone health is a concern for many people. Especially around middle age, this issue can shift from an abstract concern to a more pressing one. According to the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation, about 54 million Americans have low bone density or osteoporosis.

When we think of bone, we might think of a skeleton hanging in a doctor’s office or maybe even a Halloween costume, but bone is dynamic tissue, much like muscle. It can get stronger or weaker, depending on lifestyle, nutrition and other factors. Exercise can be a great strategy to maintain and even improve bone density. Exercise can lessen pain, help posture, elevate strength and improve balance. Consider the following in the attempt to maintain bone health:

1. Bone density is usually assessed by a DEXA scan performed by a medical professional. DEXA scans typically assess hip and spine bone density. The areas of most concern for bone density tend to be the top of the thigh (femur), hips, low back (lumbar spine) and wrists. Bone density is just one way to assess bone health. As different assessments such as bone strength can get complicated, I would encourage you to discuss any bone health

to increase strength. The basic idea is to put adequate, but not excessive, stress on your bones, muscles and tendons, which will make them stronger. Strength training should always be tailored to the individual’s ability and current strength level. Just because someone you know is performing a specific strength training program does not mean you should. Strength training should never be one size fits all. Proper form is also important. Seek out proper instruction before beginning a strength training program.

4. Research suggests bone density programs need adequate time to be effective. Two or three sessions per week for 30 to 60 minutes per session for a 10- to 12-month period are usually recommended.

5. Most research suggests a variety of weight-bearing aerobic activities should be used to benefit bone density. In addition to strength training, exercises like walking, hiking and even dancing may help bone density. Running is potentially a very good bone density exercise, but many people cannot run due to orthopedic issues like knee, hip or ankle challenges. Although swimming and cycling can have many health benefits, they are not generally recommended for bone density as they are not considered

before the age of 18. If you have kids or grandkids, lifetime bone health is a great reason to encourage them to stay active during their formative years.

8. In some cases, slowing the loss of bone density through exercise may be a more manageable goal than increasing bone density. This can depend on many different factors. Be sure to ask your doctor about your specific situation.

Some exercises and strategies discussed in this article may not be suitable for everyone. This is especially true if you have osteoporosis. Always check with your doctor before beginning any bone density program

experiences since opening in 2012. Reach him at jeff@socalsport.com for questions or comments.

Jeff Blair (MS, CSCS) is a Certified Personal Trainer, fitness author and founder of the SoCalSport Personal Training Studio. The studio has provided over 50,000 personal training

Check out SocalSport on IG @socalsport to get more tips on bone density and other fitness issues!

The power of imagination

Opinion: A home down the street from me has a front yard full of poppies. I love seeing the happy orange flower faces announcing the start of spring. Can you imagine a poppy sprout emerging from the ground? It knows from the start exactly what it is and enjoys the refreshing drops of rain and alternating warm rays of sun helping it to grow. As it starts to emerge from the dirt, I like to imagine it knows that soon it will have a bright bloom which will bring happiness to people who see it. I think it knows it is part of nature and that pollinators will soon buzz around to collect its pollen.

Imagination is a concept used when our minds form images or concepts. According to the Oxford Dictionary it is the “ability of the mind to be creative or resourceful.” It can appear as either a positive or a negative. As a positive, it can expand your life by opening your mind to rarely explored or new possibilities. As a negative, it can cause our thoughts to envision worst-case scenarios during difficult times. Whether it is positive or negative is the result of life experiences, habits, family dynamics and individual choices as to how mindful you are about the power of imagination.

As a child, I imagined shapes in clouds and made up stories about what I saw. I held caterpillars in my hand, imagining the butterflies they would become. I looked at flowers, enjoying their beauty. During that same time, I observed family dynamics which shaped my understanding of the world around me. My understanding became the container my subconscious imagination used about how people behaved. When looking at caterpillars and clouds my imagination was open and unlimited. When my imagination shifted into my subconscious it became limiting.

When imagination is trapped in a container, it can lead us to see what is happening around us as full of difficulties and frustrations. When this happens, we tend to focus on how events conspire to make life difficult. Stress increases, and happiness decreases. To change your life experience, it becomes necessary to open the container that is limiting how you view the world. This requires a willingness

to change and do the work to create a more satisfying life.

The first step is to simply ask yourself if you are frequently frustrated, angry or find it difficult to be in certain situations. Over the next few weeks, pay attention to how often this happens. Allow yourself to imagine how it would be if the situation was different. By imagining something different, you are starting to expand the limiting container holding your perceptions. Your goal is to activate your imagination so that you are open to new ideas. Next, consider how you can look at the frustrating situation from a different point of view. Take your time to observe what else could be occurring. While observing, you do not need to do anything. Simply monitor what is happening from as many perspectives as possible. Imagine your mind wiggling around while exploring something different from your immediate assumptions.

We all experience difficult situations. Many of them are completely out of any one person’s control. Ultimately, the question becomes, do you want to continue being unhappy when confronted with difficulties, or would you like to experience something different? Are you ready to let your imagination consider other ways to handle your troubles? Perhaps happiness is more about what we imagine during our difficulties than the difficulty itself.

Even during dry years, poppies and other wildflowers appear. The rainy weather does not keep them from growing. In fact, they do better when there are a few rain storms. Somehow, nature allows creativity and beauty to happen, no matter the situation. I like to think that people, too, can do well during adversity.

My wish is for you to have fluidity in your thinking to allow your imagination to guide you to positive ways of seeing the world around you. While looking at the world, hopefully you will see the beauty of the poppies and other wildflowers surrounding us.

Fay Craton, M.A. is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (mfc40011), which is the psychology license specializing in relationships (with ourselves or with others). She has an office located in Westchester. If you have any questions, please contact Fay at (310) 645-6762.

Neighborhood Watch (continued)

(continued from page 5)

“We’re staggering the patrol hours now for that, and it seems to be working out. A lot of our officers have actually been out there and seen some suspicious people in cars, so they ran them out,” he says.

To prevent home burglaries, Aceves recommends working with your neighbors, being observant, changing the pattern of when you leave the house, leaving a car in the driveway and making sure your home is well-lit at night.

“Right now, they’re coming by with scramblers and scrambling the internet signals. They’re ripping out alarm systems, so have an audible alarm with a strobe light,” he says, adding that everyone should have multiple layers of protection like cameras, window contacts and interior motion detectors.

Aceves says that these days there are many more unfamiliar people in residential areas, from food delivery drivers to Amazon deliveries, so spotting criminals can be tricky.

“One thing I’ve learned that makes a big difference is making eye contact when you’re driving. If somebody is up to no good, you can see it in their eyes, just in their expression on their face, they start getting nervous and that’s one thing that’s worth noting,” he says.

Dogs Help Deter.

Longtime Westchester resident

Julie Zaller has made it her mission to keep the community informed on the latest break-ins, connect with the LAPD, compile stats and keep track of suspicious activity in the neighborhood via the Whatsapp group and community Facebook pages.

She has a few tips for keeping your property safe.

“In terms of keeping your car safe, definitely don’t leave anything inside and make sure it’s locked every night. With your house, some people are putting a protective film on the windows to help keep the glass from breaking easily,” Julie shares. “Another idea is to replace your old, faded sign from your security company with a new one. But I think our biggest asset for hardening your house is your dogs. LAPD will tell you that is the biggest deterrent, probably because they’re loud, and it’s just something else they have to deal with.”

A Community Coming Together.

Though crime is never a good thing, there is perhaps one silver lining: The situation is bringing the community together for a singular purpose.

“Everybody being connected and aware has been the best thing!” says Zaller. “I’ve lived here 20 years and

I’ve never seen our neighborhood connected as it is now.”

Resources to Check Out.

• The NCWP holds a Public Safety Committee meeting every other month at the Airport Police Facility’s Community Room. During the meetings led by committee chair John Logsdon, crime stats are shared, police officers give updates and neighbors have a chance to discuss their concerns. Visit ncwpdr.org to get the details on the upcoming May meeting.

• Interested in starting a Neighborhood Watch Program? Contact your LAPD Senior Lead Officer!

-Westchester (east of Sepulveda), Senior Lead Officer Luis Pinell at (310) 622-3976 or via email at 35545@lapd. online.

-Westchester (west of Sepulveda and Playa del Rey), Senior Lead Officer Sophie Castaneda at (310) 622-3978 or email 35080@lapd.online

-Playa Vista, Senior Lead Officer Javier Ramirez at (213) 705-8967 or email 39174@lapd.online

Learn more at lapdonline.org and click on “Get Involved.” Burglary Prevention Strategies from the LAPD.

• Have a security system, including cameras, motion detectors and an audible alarm. Leave posted security

signs outside your home.

• Keep all doors and gates closed and locked.

• Keep lights on during darkness, both inside and outside the house.

• Houses with high fences or high vegetation provide concealment for burglars and are targeted at a higher rate.

• Establish a Neighborhood Watch. Keep in contact with neighbors and alert them when leaving for multiple days.

• Keep valuables locked up preferably in a hidden and breach-proof safe. Do not keep large amounts of cash hidden in the house.

• Keep vehicle keys out of sight and in a secure location.

• Dogs are a burglar’s worst nightmare.

• Be aware of your surroundings when leaving your residence and coming home. Keep an eye out for suspicious cars or for people who don’t live in the neighborhood sitting inside a vehicle.

• If you see something suspicious, call 9-1-1 and report it.

• If your house has been broken into, do not go inside, call 9-1-1.

Additional questions or concerns about burglaries? The Pacific Division Burglary Detectives can be reached at (310) 482-6313.

Congratulations Class of 2024!

LMU commencement ceremonies will celebrate the significant milestone of our students’ achievements as they go out to Ignite a Brighter World.

Fri., May 3 CoMMenCeMent Mass 5:30 p.M. sat., May 4 UndergradUate CereMony 10 a.M. sUn., May 5 gradUate CereMony 10 a.M. Loyola Law School’s Commencement Ceremony will be held on May 19 at L.A. Live, Peacock Theater.

There will be increased pedestrian and vehicle traffic in the neighborhood, particularly on May 4. community.lmu.edu

DRALL 70TH ANNIVERSARY

DRALL kicked off its 70th season with a spirited Opening Day on Saturday, March 8, at their renowned American Field, located behind Our Savior Lutheran Church in Westchester.

With hundreds of players and volunteers on the field, the league honored the achievements of

the 2023 District 37 Champions, welcoming back last year’s AllStar teams, including the 10U All-Star team, which finished third in the Southern California State Finals! The team also received blinged-out championship rings to commemorate their win.

This year marks yet another remarkable chapter for the league as it celebrates seven decades of little league baseball in Westchester

and Playa del Rey! DRALL is delighted to host more than 300 players, aged 4 to 12, across 26 teams in four divisions. With games scheduled practically every day, the excitement unfolds across their two dedicated fields.

Up next for DRALL is their highly anticipated annual Hit-A-Thon and Home Run Derby on Saturday, April 27, at American Field. All are invited to join and show support

as the players swing for the fences, and rally behind the league’s capital improvement projects, which include updated announcer’s booths and new netting for the batting cages.

Stay updated with DRALL on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, and find more information about the league at DRALL.org.

DEL REY, ALL THE WAY!