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LIGHTS OUT, LIGHTS ON!
January, 2012 brought the Overland Avenue Community its SECOND power outage in two months! The first, back in December, lasted a little over an hour. Our second outage occurred Tuesday, January 17th when a transformer blew behind one of our neighbors' home in the 2200 block, and set a palm tree partially on fire. The fire department was immediately summoned by one of the OAC teens who saw embers in the tree behind his house. The latest outage lasted close to three hours, and the OAC was out in force, checking on neighbors and making sure everyone was okay, and providing candles and flashlights to those in need. The DWP worked diligently in the 2200 block and finally, the lights were back on! Thanks to everyone who provided neighborly support and ensured the safety of us all!
PLANT PICO
Join in on "PLANT PICO"
Feb. 11th from 9am-noon Want to help your community? Have a child who wants some community service hours? Over 100 trees will be planted on Pico Boulevard and we need your help to plant 20 of them! We need 100 volunteers to form 20 Tree Teams! Please go to signmeup.com/80244 and register to help plant our new trees. Yummy food and beverages provided. Support from TreePeople for each Tree Team. No seriously painful work involved -- already have 1/2 dozen OAC residents signed up! Special Appearance by Councilman Paul Koretz Trees provided through Million Tree Program and contributions from JMB Realty. Have questions or want more info? Contact Lisa Morocco at wncbusiness@verizon.net MIND YOUR SPEED!
Please remember that approaching the green lights at Santa Monica, Olympic, and especially Pico (heading south), the speed on our street remains 25 MPH along Little Overland between Pico and Santa Monica. Lets KEEP it that way. We've noticed, especially on weekends, neighborhood cars speeding southbound towards Pico in the 2300 block to make the light at Pico. As a reminder, it is better to mind the speed limit and be a few minutes late to cross Pico than not make it across Pico at all!!
NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
NEXT WESTSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL MEETING Date: Thursday, February 9, 2011 (No Meeting December). Time: 7:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Place: Westside Pavillion, 3rd Floor, Community Room "A" (behind the food courts) - Reminder: Walk if you can -- we live so close! If walking isn't an option, Westside Pavillion offers 3 hours free parking (see below).
Have neighborhood concerns? Come to our meeting where we discuss issues affecting Westside Stakeholders, including concerns over local development, mobility, schools, parks, and local businesses.
JUST IN TIME FOR FALL SPRINKLES . . .
 Gimme Shelter!
Thanks to the Westside Neighborhood Council in conjunction with their Pico Beautification Project, Paul Koretz and CD5, and a great partnership with the City and Community, a new bus shelter was installed in front of the senior housing complex on Pico by Veteran Avenue.
Enjoy! Pictured: Lisa, Shannon, Arturo Terri, Dick, Michael, Steve, Francois
and Ann Join Councilmember Paul Koretz at Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
1st Annual Emergency Preparedness Event A Success!
Thanks to Council District 5, Paul Koretz, LAPD and Westside Neighborhood Council in making this first event a resounding success! It was held September 11, 2011 at the Century City Mall. Part of the WNC table included our own Overland Avenue Community Members, Shannon and Lisa -- seen below with our Councilmember Paul Koretz, and other fellow WNC tablers:
  And many thanks to Paul's tireless staff, who listened, laughed, and even sang during the event!
WELCOME SENATOR CURREN PRICE!
THE OVERLAND AVENUE COMMUNITY IS NOW DISTRICT 30!
On August 15, 2011, the redistricting maps were certified, and we are now officially in California State Senate District 30, which Seat is held by State Senator Curren Price. Senator Price previously held District 26 seat, and our area was partially covered by Senator Price's district, and partially covered by State Senator Ted Lieu. We were in Ted Lieu's district. Senator Lieu is now officially the seat for District 26, which covers the Los Angeles coastal area.
APRON & PARKWAY PARKING
In June, 2011, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation commenced cracking down on the City's prohibition on apron and parkway parking that has been on the books for years by issuing tickets. The "Parkway" is that strip of a residential neighborhood between the street and the sidewalk that usually has grass and trees, creating a line of visibility to the street, and marking the area as residential. The "Apron" is that strip of driveway along the parkway that flares onto the street, allowing cars to drive from the street to the driveway without hitting the curb.
Keeping this area open for safety, visibility, and emergency vehicles is necessary and mandated by the City. It is also aesthetically pleasing in our residential area. Please be aware that violators are being ticketed, particularly during street sweeping days, when the DOT traffic controllers are out in force.
Traffic Enforcement Continues on Little Overland
This August we have been fortunate to have WLA Traffic motorcycle police monitoring the intersection at Overland and Tennessee for stop sign violators and right turn only violators. The City revenue generated has been phenomenal! Thanks to Officers Reyes and Singhanate from downtown and our own Officer Rolson -- WLA traffic division -- we are starting to get help with ticketing those overweight vehicles that illegally drive down Little Overland between Pico and Santa Monica! On Wednesday, June 8, 2011, at around 9 a.m., our fabulous officers, with weight machines in tow, staked out Little Overland in search of overweight truck violations. They didn't have to wait too long. Within 10 minutes, more than 3 trucks were pulled over for weight violations, and 2 cars crossing Tennessee blindly ignoring the street signs. We're sure the City will be getting some nice revenue out of these tickets, and with any luck, make Little Overland a safer street on which to drive. See photo below of the officers checking the weights. The one in the photo pulled in at a hefty 16,000 lbs!
OVERLAND AVENUE NEIGHBOR LISA, ALONG WITH LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT 92 TAKE THE FOREFRONT IN L.A. TIMES' STEVE LOPEZ'S COLUMN 4/13/11!
Our own Overland Avenue Resident, Lisa Morocco, to the rescue in trying to help firefighters at Station 92 get a long-needed air compressor to inflate the station's firetruck tires. Click on the link below for the entire story! Thanks, Steve, for your in-depth report on neighborly good deeds slamming into the wall of bureaucracy -- and thanks to Lisa, Terri Tippitt, Mike Eveloff, Christopher Koontz, and, of course, our entire group of firefighters at Station 92 for their hard work!
Thank You Overland Residents & Rancho Park Community Members for Coming Out to the Haines Estate Sale!
As can be seen by the above photos, the Haines Family has owned the property at 2249 Overland Avenue since it was first built in 1930. Craig appreciates all the support of his community family in coming out to help him pave the way for his next journey. All contributions were very welcome. If you saw any of the antiques in his home please let us know -- some have sold but some have not. Please contact overland90064@gmail.com if you are interested in one or more of the beautiful pieces.
CONGRATULATIONS CAROLINE! DOUBLE MARATHON SUCCESS!
Congratulations to our long-distance runner, Caroline, who managed to COMPLETE the marathon last Sunday TWICE by running the marathon in the middle of the night from the end of the race to the beginning, then turning around and running the race with the regular marathon racers from the beginning to the end. In the pouring rain -- WOW!!!!
Welcome -- Steingarten LA!
Kay N Daves is no more -- in comes Steingarten LA, an upscale alehouse with appetite whetting gourmet sausage plates, delicious fries, and wonderful salads and tapas (small bites). It opened its doors to the public Tuesday, March 1st.
 Overland Avenue Community
residents welcome owner Abe Berookhim
  Steingarten LA gears up for its Rancho Park Debut. Cheers!
First You See It, Then You Don't. Then You See It. The Case of the Reappearing Lines.
No, you're not seeing an apparition from some past Google Earth Map life. Or are you?
In 2004, the Overland Avenue Community was appalled to wake up one morning to newly painted turn pocket lines on Pico Boulevard, creating the ultimately long left turn lane that started on Pico, just west of Selby at the Bank of America that allowed vehicles to continue in the middle turn lane past Selby all the way to Little Overland. The yellow painted barrier that separated the Selby turn pocket and the Little Overland turn pocket magically disappeared, creating a huge safety problem as vehicles made left turns into oncoming traffic to get into the Pico entrance to Chase Bank rather than turn left onto Selby, then right into the Chase parking lot.
The Overland residents expressed an outcry over this change, and it was promised that as soon as the road was repaved, the old lines would be redrawn to prevent this safety hazard. It took 6 years and the memory of one of our residents of this promise following the repaving of Pico at Overland late last year, but the old markings are back down!
   Welcome to the neighborhood -- Wellesbourne! At the corner of Pico & Kelton, in the old Anna's spot is newly opened upscale lounge, the Wellesbourne. Currently open from 5 p.m., yummy food from 6 to 9 p.m. -- delicious old time favorites for the adults, and Shirley Temples for the kids.
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PICO BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT UPDATE: PBP's grant submission to the Metro Call for Projects is in and we are waiting with fingers crossed whether PBP will be one of the lucky submissions to garner funding! The Overland Avenue Community is providing strong support and backing for this wonderful project. Thanks to our Overland Avenue Community member, Lisa, who Chairs the PBP for her hard work and efforts!
 WESTWOOD CHARTER TEACHING ASSISTANT HIT BY CAR CROSSING LITTLE OVERLAND.
A Westwood Charter T.A. was injured while crossing Little Overland by the school in May. Isn't it time for speed humps around Westwood Charter?
Demand action! Contact Councilmember Koretz at paul.koretz@lacity.org and jay.greenstein@lacity.org
 A NIGHT IN THE "CITY"
Thanks to our own Lisa M., and her personal sponsorship of our Community, some lucky Overland Avenue Community residents joined Landmark Theatres and Westside Pavillion for an evening of Charitable Giving, in conjunction with the opening evening festivities of "Sex & the City 2" at the Landmark.
 WLA Landmark Matteo's Remodeled
Welcome Back! Matteo's, whose owner is the parent of an Overland Avenue resident, hosted a very special gathering of friends in May with Guest of Honor, Councilmember Paul Koretz. Joining in the festivities were Councilmember Koretz's lovely wife, Gail, and his Deputy, Jay Greenstein. Also in attendance were a few lucky Overland Avenue residents, including the owner's son, Vance, and daughter-in-law, Caroline.
The restaurant has been beautifully restored, with gorgeous mood lighting, and the new menu is superb. There is a lovely banquet room and "al fresco" lounge upstairs.
Our Accomplishments & the "Not Yets" --
We have come far since we started our campaign in 2003 after our neighbor was killed walking across Little Overland Avenue on his way to his car. We have stayed committed notwithstanding many diversions and attempts to block our progress. We have new families with young children and we continue to seek the same safety measures and quality of life of our neighbors.
Please click on the following link to learn more about what we have and have not yet achieved: http://sites.google.com/site/overlandavecommunity/Home/our-accomplishments-the-not-yets
Thank you Kathy for hosting Overland Avenue Community Coffee!
EXPO LIGHT RAIL LINE PHASE 2 CERTIFIED -- WHAT THIS MEANS TO LITTLE OVERLAND AND OUR NEIGHBORS EAST AND WEST.
CROSSINGS AT OVERLAND, WESTWOOD, MILITARY, SEPULVEDA WILL CROSS THESE STREETS "AT GRADE" NO SEPARATION TO GO OVER OR UNDER THE STREETS. BACK UP AND SPILL OVERS FROM OVERLAND TO MANNING, PROSSER
Running 240 trains a day at street level (at-grade) through residential communities within 50 feet of schools and homes, blocking access to parks and businesses, and grid-locking north/south streets is unacceptable. Specific to our area is the traffic wall created when Expo trains close Overland, Westwood, and Sepulveda for 40-82 seconds every 2 ½ minutes, blocking Century City, Fox Studio, Beverly Hills and Westwood from access to the 10 FWY and the 405 FWY; safety risks to students at Overland; permanent loss of privacy for many homes; constant vibration and noise from at-grade rail blaring horns as they cross Overland, Westwood, Military and Sepulveda.
There has been movement to elevate the crossing at Sepulveda, but Overland, Westwood & Military remains at-grade, thereby halting (and backing up) north/southbound commuters. Since Little Overland is already at capacity, Century City commuters to the 10 Freeway will likely look for the path of least resistance -- the three streets at greatest risk (because of the stop lights at Pico) are: Patricia, Prosser & Manning. Manning is particularly vulnerable because it has direct access to the 10 freeway.
On Overland, by Overland Elementary, there will be a station. Since there are currently NO BUS SERVICE operating on Overland (other than Big Blue Bus #13 that runs through Cheviot Hills and travels down Overland between Ashby and Pico). Will bus service be expanded? Will it run down Little Overland?
PERMITS ISSUED TO MINI-MALL AT OVERLAND & SANTA MONICA
Permits have been issued to commence building the office building at Overland & Santa Monica, and construction has commenced. Neighbors directly to the South of the Project and the Overland Avenue Community have been in constant contact with the developer to ensure that all construction, timing, and noise regulations are being followed. Building and Safety has waived dedication of a portion of Little Overland for widening, meaning that the street next to the project will not be widened! Thanks to all who wrote letters to keep Little Overland from being widened at this spot! For those on the street who are early risers, the waning of October brought beautiful sunrises to our newly paved street:
 As you can see from the photo above, it would be even more beautiful if our neighborhood had its utility poles placed underground. For those of you who don't know, the poles that run along the West side of Overland are Edison power poles and do not provide service to our immediate area. LITTLE OVERLAND REPAVED!
Little Overland was finally repaved on 9/26/09 and 9/27/09. Not without problems, but the street crew was great! Saturday, September 26th, the trucks started work at approximately 7 a.m. and continued until about mid-day when a water pipe burst in the 2200 block of Little Overland. DWP was called in as water bubbled up and spilled out of a crack in one of the pipes, which was thought to have occurred from the surface vibration of the trucks. Work then continued around the cracked pipe and DWP workers, and by dusk, the first day of work was completed. Spontaneous resident gatherings took place up and down the street.
On Sunday, September 27th, work began at 6 a.m. (yes, no sleep for the weary Overland Avenue Community!) as asphalt and tar was brought in, and the smell of a new dawn and smell of tar permeated the street. Sadly, just as the 2200 block was completed, a water pipe burst in TWO places, and the new road in front of two homes had to be immediately dug up. Repairs and resurfacing of those areas are expected to take place in the next few weeks, along with the remarking and restriping. The Overland Avenue Community has already discovered certain errors that were made in the temporary markings that we are assured will be rectified and returned to the "pre-repavement" period.
Please make sure oversized trucks remain off the newly paved street -- they are simply too heavy for Little Overland.  Porkchops & Pylons -- Just Say No!
 From a safety standpoint, these structures are a disaster -- as seen above. They create a second lane for creative drivers and create a barrier that inhibit emergency vehicles from providing assistance to the neighborhood.
SPEED TABLES NEEDED ON OVERLAND BY WESTWOOD CHARTER
We have been advocating speed tables on Overland in the 1900, 2000, and 2100 block for years. Our children deserve to be safe. There are funds from the Santa Monica Blvd. Parkway project available. This is a particularly important issue now, with budget cuts across the City, and our children are at risk.
Update: At the regular Westside Neighborhood Council Monthly Meeting, through the advocacy and passion of the Overland Avenue Community, $10,000 was allocated from a special fund to be set aside for speed tables once Little Overland meets the rigorous criteria demanded by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. The fight continues, but we are getting closer to reaching this goal!
Speed tables are the lower, wider version of speed humps. Overland will always have traffic, and speed tables will simply make a safer street for our children.
Westwood Charter is in support of this request, and we ask for your support. Whether you have children currently or in the past attending Westwood Charter, or believe in the safety of our children, please send your support to overland90064@gmail.com and we will forward it on.
Little Overland Doctor Quoted in L.A. Times, 11/21/09
"Health" Section in the Article "When to Take A Sick Child to the ER?":
"Is there something really different about your child that's different from the seven or eight viral infections your kid gets every year? Those are the changes to look out for," said Dr. Mark Morocco, associate residency director for emergency medicine at UCLA.
For the entire article, please go to http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-me-flu-guidelines21-2009nov21,0,2717012.story
Crosswalks & Stop Ahead Lettering Return to Little Overland!
Just in time for Halloween, Saturday morning the Overland Avenue Community was greeted with roadway "Stop" and "Stop Ahead" lettering. On the first day of November, 2009, the OAC woke up to new painted crosswalks, further enhancing the safety measures demanded on Little Overland. free to contact us for more information: overland90064@gmail.com
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