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Friday, February 16, 2018

Russians Indicted! Scofflaws charged!

What a day! 
Thirteen "Russian nationals" and three Russian 'entities' have been charged with meddling with the 2016 elections.  ABC News is careful to say that no collusion is being charged.  Working to destroy confidence in our most sacred system of democratic elections and the way the election went seems, to me.. to speak for itself! 

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Locally, the property owners who illegally demolished a classic Craftsman home at 1420 Valley View in Glendale, CA have been ordered to appear in court to face 'misdemeanor' charges associated with neglect and the demolition of this historic home.  
This from Tom Lorenz: Press Representative for the City of Glendale.

"Glendale, CA – 
Glendale City Attorney Michael Garcia announced that his office has filed a criminal complaint in the Superior Court for Los Angeles County charging the owners of a property with the failure to obtain permit for complete demolition of a potentially historic home in violation of both city and state codes.

The five-count misdemeanor complaint against the owners of 1420 Valley View, Glendale, CA includes the failure to obtain required permits for previous interior alterations and failure to provide adequate weather protection, as well as for the recent unpermitted demolition of the structure. 

The complaint filed by the Glendale City Attorneys names the defendants as Aroutin Behzad and Arpi Azarian Namagerdi with a court appearance scheduled for March 6, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. in the Glendale Courthouse located at 600 East Broadway, Glendale, CA.

Attachment:

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The property is also listed as ABITARE LLC which may distance the individuals from this prosecution?  
 

201706910003    ABITARE LLC


Registration Date:
02/28/2017
Jurisdiction:
CALIFORNIA
Entity Type:
DOMESTIC
Status:
ACTIVE
Agent for Service of Process:
AROUTIN PANOSIAN 
1717 N VERDUGO RD, APT 223
GLENDALE CA 91208
Entity Address:
1420 VALLEY VIEW RD
GLENDALE CA 91202
Entity Mailing Address:
1420 VALLEY VIEW RD
GLENDALE CA 91202
LLC Management
Member Managed
 
I found an "Aroutin Panosian" on Facebook and am waiting to see if he will respond and confirm that he is the same person managing this property. 
 
I hope that the Glendale Historical Society and all concerned residents will show up on Tuesday, March 6, 2018 at 8:30 AM to support the most severe penalties for these scofflaws who are responsible for the destruction of this now vanished residence. Let's see if we can find the demolition company and ask to see the  permit that authorized the demolition.  Will the Historical Society be able to assess the money damages not only to our history but in terms of rebuilding the home to the specifics of the original plan?  Of course, this loss is priceless: gone.  Perhaps setting an example with heavy fines or even jail time may be an idea? 
 
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Thursday, February 15, 2018

Bullets Seventeen dead. Coral Springs, Florida

Realizing that, as individuals, we have  this immediate power to speak out, what can we do.  It used to be a tree stump or a soap box in the town square where anyone could 'take stage' and have a say.  Thomas Paine used his broadsides and pamphlets to 'spread the word.' 

The saddest thing regarding this issue: guns, bullets, the second amendment, etc. etc. ... is that my short note that calls for the ATFE to move to track large sales of ammuntion, especially the ammo .. the bullets... may be read by a few sympathetic Facebook pals or others who stumble into this post..  and even though the ripple effect of the seventeen dead in Florida today will stay in the news for a little while, the issue of how all of us become inured to this type of thing will fade. 

I mentioned the date 10/1/17 to someone a while back and asked if they remembered that date.  The first day of October.  If you read this and do remember, you may be one of the few who may find a way to help promote changes in the way that large amounts of bullets, especially for automatic weapons, are sold.  Those members of 'well regulated militias' ..of course, are military and registered with their local and federal governments, so they would have no problem with providing information.  

Individuals rolling out of gun shows or local gun shops with thousands of rounds of ammunition simply have to make sure that their personal information is on file.  

Requiring manufacturers of bullets to mark each bullet with identification marks will allow investigators to track the movement of these bullets when they show up at another mass shooting.  Naive? Of course.  Nay sayers will make what seems to them about 'rights' and how this type of tracking is impossible. However, just making an effort to control the manufacture and sale of bullets (and, all guns, of course.. they are marked with serial numbers .. as they should be..) may be a step in the right direction.

A voice in the wilderness?  
October 1, 2017?  
December 14, 2012? 
Valentine's Day, 2018? 

Do we care?  Of course. What can we do? Tell a friend?  and mourn these needless deaths?  and with the way things are going.. stand by for the next one. 
Watching the president read a statement devoid of feeling: just words.  I am so ashamed of my country right now.  

Let's not use the shooter's name. Ever. 

February 15, 2018

 

Friday, February 2, 2018

Seven Million Dollars for Art in Glendale

The meeting last night (February 1, 2018) at the Glendale Central Library to 'discuss' the proposed administration of  seven million dollars dedicated to Public Art in Glendale, California was attended by about eighty folks including 'dignitaries' representing City Council, the state senate and the library/ arts and culture commission.  

The City of Glendale has commissioned an arts development organization:  CARS (Community Art Resources) to develop a plan that will include all aspects of public art for the city. Their $100,000.00 fee covers the research and a few 'gatherings' were held last year. Primarily ON LINE comments have been collected from locals and others who have ideas regarding how the millions coming to the city will be administered and allocated to actually pay for arts programs and installations in Glendale.  

The bureaucracy of how to figure this out is typical, beginning with the 'rules' that govern city meetings.  Though CARS did have a few exclusive small discussions with interested artists and others last year that were conducted more as open forums and one 'meeting' that allowed interested residents to contribute ideas, last night's gathering, catered by CARS via Porto's..our local bakery.. was an 'official' City Meeting that does not allow for colloquy or an open forum with attendees and the officials conducting the meeting. 
Question cards were made available and after a somewhat lackluster presentation by CARS' representative Barbara Goldstein, the question cards were read by her and whatever the cards asked and her responses were very difficult to discern.  I thought it might have just been my hearing at the back of the auditorium, but in asking others if they had a difficult time understanding, I was told that they agreed that Ms Goldstein's speaking talents were marginal at best and she seemed to be mumbling a bit especially during the reading of the question cards. 

In a brief chat with Ms Goldstein prior to the Power Point presentation, which appeared to be essentially the same as what had been shown before, she strongly disagreed with my assertion that more open forums or town hall type meetings would be a way to have lively discussions to guide the next steps for Public Art in Glendale.  Ms. Goldstein's credentials are highly praised and we tend to bend to 'authority.'  What was never discussed in this meeting is how a panel of arts advocates who would be involved in the actual vetting of arts proposals would be chosen, nor what the qualifications for those individuals might be.  Cynically, the answer is "it's all politics." As the members of the Arts and Culture Commission are all political appointees, they supposedly represent the agendas of the City Council person who appointed them.  In meetings of the A and C Commission, the same 'rules' apply that there 'may' be a brief dialogue, but only at the behest of the official on the dias. Ditto for City Council.

On the up side.. with the recent unveiling of Scott Froschauer's twenty public art signs (His fee: $18,500.. a bargain!)..
we are on the way to seeing the collected fees from new construction being allocated in ways that supposedly may enhance the community.  As Ms Goldstein pointed out in one part of her presentation that I did understand, it's important that the work presented in public be important enough to make residents and visitors stop and have an opinion.  I could not agree more.  That is why I want to have open forums or even town hall gatherings to discuss this further before the final decisions are made by political representatives: the final judges.  

As effective as comments on a web page might be, there is nothing that can substitute for the voices of human beings being heard. Nothing like seeing the person who is willing to stand up for an idea.   Our new age "communications" of tweets and texts; even emails! are so impersonal that it's hard to take even the president's short messages seriously.  (Seeing him speak shows the real person, thank goodness.)

When the rights of the citizens are compromised by 'rules' ... in this case.. no open forum in a 'public' meeting.. this denies an exchange.. it limits communication and the general population, for whom this art is supposed to be beneficial, simply becomes the loser.  

My comments will have little effect.  We have major issues going on here in Glendale that are curtailed by what I've call 'government by caveat!'  What can we do if the 'rules' curtail fair discussion on the time honored floor of a Town Meeting.. or an Open Forum?  

The tail is wagging the dog and it just makes me sad that with all the rules that forbid forum and the formality that dampens debate and essentially no one willing to stand up and have a real discussion, then we are doomed to the caveats of those in 'Power.'  

My patience with the way things are going is coming to an end.  My ability to play politics to garner support is pretty much nil.  I've been advised to 'make nice.'  Asking difficult and contrary questions is hard to cloak in ceremonial handshakes and small talk.

Seven million dollars to be administered by politicians and probably not by artists.  A hundred thousand dollars paid to an organization, CARS, to figure out what a panel of actual Glendale artists could have done, probably as volunteers... and here we are with so much more red tape to cloud the real issue:  How to get a variety of traditional art, performance, installations, temporary works, THE GAS STATION..  to benefit the public..  programmed in a way that puts cash into the pockets of the least of ours.. the artists.. is a challenge that politicians will decide and as with our current national administration in the United States, the tastes and foibles of local politicos may eventually reign by caveat after the rest of us have run out of gas! 

Unless, of course, there may be one other person who may agree?