Holmby News 2-12-21

HOLMBY NEWS
February 12, 2021

From the Holmby Westwood Property Owners Association, serving the Holmby Westwood community since 1960.

1.  LAPD Crime Report
2.  LADWP Project – Sunset Blvd. Lane Closures
3.  Holmby Westwood Green Team Update
4.  Westside Safety & Preparedness Fair
5.  Disaster Preparedness – Ready Your Neighborhood
6.  Westwood Village – Shop & Dine Local
7.  Activities & Things to Do
8.  HWPOA Communication and Ad Policy
9.  Resident Ads
10.  HWPOA Contact Information

1.  LAPD CRIME REPORT

THEFT FROM VEHICLE – GRAND ($950.01 & over)
Incident #: 210805354
400 BLOCK LORING AV  |  1/31/2021 @ 5:30 PM

LAPD SECURITY ADVICE
If you get some call or emails stating that you need to send money or gift cards, most likely it’s a scam. If they say they are from a reputable company, contact the company with a phone number that you acquire independently and check that way. Sometimes these suspects can be very convincing — but never just hand over money, gift cards or any personal information.

If you are going to sell an item on the internet and plan to meet the buyer in person, make sure you have someone else with you and schedule the transaction in a public location. Many people meet in front of the police station to make the transaction and advise the buyer of the location prior to meeting.

When you are shopping, please keep your purse on your person and not left in the shopping cart. Thieves will many times work in pairs to distract the victim while the other suspect takes the purse. If you feel it is necessary to keep your purse in the shopping cart, have it zipped up and place it in the bottom.

E-Policing: http://www.lapdonline.org/e_policing
EMERGENCY: 911
NON-EMERGENCY: 1-877-275-5273
All other City Services: 311
Pete Ojeda, Senior Lead Officer
West L.A. Community Police Station – 1663 Butler Ave.
Office: 310-444-0741
Email: 36393@lapd.online
Website: www.lapdonline.org

2.  LADWP PROJECT – SUNSET BLVD. LANE CLOSURES

LADWP will begin construction on the Sunset West Trunk Line project on February 20. This important water system infrastructure project will improve reliability in the west LA area by upgrading the trunk line that was installed more than 80 years ago.

Construction will take place along Sunset Blvd near Marymount High School. What to expect:

  • Pre-construction activities will be performed the week of February 15.
  • Traffic will be reduced to a single lane on Sunset Blvd. between Marymount High School to Stone Canyon/Royce Drive for the duration of construction.
  • Work hours will be Monday through Friday from 7:00am to 4:00pm.
  • Crews may work extended hours and on Saturdays as needed.
  • We anticipate that construction will be completed August 2021, weather permitting and pending unforeseen conditions.

Additional information:

If you have any questions, please contact me. Thank you.

Deborah Hong – LADWP Community Affairs
(213) 367-5204 – Deborah.Hong@ladwp.com

3.  HOLMBY WESTWOOD GREEN TEAM UPDATE

The Holmby Westwood Green Team is answering questions related to our parkway trees in the HWPOA newsletter.  In addition to focusing on our parkway trees, we will address the work of the Green Team, efforts by the City of Los Angeles related to urban trees as well as resources for tree care and maintenance.  Please send your questions to Marnie Bodek at mossbodek@msn.com or Allyson Bunting at Allyson.bunting@gmail.com

What is the history of the Holmby Westwood parkway trees?

The Janss Investment Company was the largest real estate developer in Southern California by 1911.  They developed Westwood in the 1920’s.

Janss Investment had both a vision and a plan for the Holmby Westwood residential neighborhood and the adjacent Westwood Village commercial area.  The third component of their development plan was to bring the University of California to Westwood.

The Janss Company desired a cohesive aesthetic for residential and commercial construction in Westwood which was compatible with the Italian and Romanesque architecture of the adjacent University campus.

The relationship between the Janss Company and the University was strong.  The developer engaged a University of California engineer to survey and map the area surrounding the campus.

The first consulting landscape architect for UCLA was John William Gregg.  In addition to starting the Landscape Architecture Program at UC Berkeley, he served as the landscape architect for the University of California system.  Mr. Gregg consulted with the Janss Company on the Holmby Westwood parkway trees.  The result was a cohesive and unified street tree concept for the neighborhood with one or two species on each street and 13 different tree species for the neighborhood’s 26 streets.  The vast majority of our 2100 existing parkway trees were planted over 90 years ago!

4.  WESTSIDE SAFETY & PREPAREDNESS FAIR

3rd Annual Westside Safety and Preparedness Fair
Sunday, March 7, 2021
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM

This is a FREE virtual event for West Los Angelenos to learn from local experts how to prepare for and survive a major disaster.

At the 3rd Annual Westside Safety and Preparedness Fair you will have the chance to:

  • Learn what to do before, during and after a major earthquake (or other disaster)
  • Learn potentially life-saving skills
  • Learn how you and your neighbors can work together and help each other recover from a disaster
  • Get answers to your questions about what you should be doing now to prepare.

For more information and to register, CLICK HERE

5.  DISASTER PREPAREDNESS – READY YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

From the LA Emergency Management Dept.:

We recently celebrated two major earthquake anniversaries in Los Angeles County, the 1994 Northridge Earthquake and the 1971 Sylmar Earthquake. We are reminded that being prepared can reduce fear, anxiety, and losses that accompany disasters.

LA City’s Emergency Management Department has created the Ready Your LA Neighborhood (RYLAN)  program that is geared towards individual, family and neighborhood preparedness.

During a major or catastrophic event, emergency responders may be overwhelmed and might take time to respond to you. As a matter of fact, your neighbors may be your closest source of help.

You might say “but I do not know my neighbors” and “I do not know if my neighborhood is ready.”

Don’t worry we are here to help! RYLAN gives you the steps to take immediately after a disaster to keep you and your family safe. RYLAN provides the tools to prepare and organize your neighborhood to respond together in that first hour after a disaster to reduce injuries, protect your property and environment, and most importantly, to save lives.

RYLAN is currently offered virtually. Please fill free to contact us to get more information about the program or, visit our website at https://emergency.lacity.org/rylan

6.  WESTWOOD VILLAGE – SHOP & DINE LOCAL

During this time of adjustments in social events, work schedules, and travel, we encourage you to remember our many small businesses in Westwood Village and to continue supporting them even if you cannot visit them physically. Remember, when you shop and dine local, even remotely, you invest locally.

Small businesses in Westwood Village are still open for in-store shopping, curbside pickups, takeout, and delivery.

Westwood Village Business Directory

7.  ACTIVITIES & THINGS TO DO

LOS ANGELES ZOO – REOPENING
The Zoo is reopening on Tuesday, February 16, with a modified experience and advance, timed-entry reservations required for all guests, including members.

Reservations will be available starting Saturday, February 13 at noon. The last reservation time available each day is 3 p.m, and the last entry at 3:45 p.m. Please be aware that we start putting animals in for the night at 4 p.m.  Click here for more information: https://www.lazoo.org/reopening/

UCLA Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden presents:
PLANT STORIES TRAPPED IN TAR: Paleobotany at the La Brea Tar Pits
Thursday February 25th 5-6pm PST • Free Virtual Event
Join scientists Dr. Regan Dunn, Assistant Curator at La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, and Jessie George, UCLA PhD Candidate, to learn about fossil plants preserved at the La Brea Tar Pits, including: seeds, wood, leaves, needles, cones, pollen and phytoliths. We will detail how these ancient floras reveal a rich history of climatic and environmental change in Los Angeles and Southern California over the last several millennia leading to the formation of our modern day ecosystems. This event is free. Register here.

UCLA Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden presents:
NATURAL HISTORY & CARE OF POPULAR HOUSEPLANTS
Saturday March 6th 10-11am PST • Virtual Event for Garden Members
Have you ever wondered what your Monstera deliciosa would be like in the wild? Join us to learn about the unique adaptations plants have to survive in their natural habitats, and how that impacts their care in your home. Led by Botanical Garden staff Terry Huang and Jules Cooch, this intimate conversation will cover a variety of popular houseplants and connect them to interesting specimens in the Garden. Though much of our programming is free, this special event is limited to Garden Members. Support the Garden and become a member today. All members will receive a direct email invitation and Zoom link at least 48 hours before the event starts.

8.  HWPOA COMMUNICATION AND AD POLICY

Please direct all comments, questions or issues regarding the Holmby News to hwpoa@aol.com.

Ads for plumbers, housekeepers, garage sales, etc. will be posted in the weekly News. Emergency situations such as lost and found pets, traffic alerts and similar situations will be published during the week as received.

When placing an ad, please send to hwpoa@aol.com for the Holmby News moderator to review.  Responses to ads should be directed to the ad placer, not to HWPOA.

9.  RESIDENT ADS

BEE HIVE REMOVAL RECOMMENDATION

Hello, I’m writing to highly recommend “A Bee Man” for humane bee removal. David responded to our call the same day and was at our house that afternoon. His removal of the hive and bees was meticulous and gentle, lasting several hours, and his rate is very reasonable. We were impressed by his patience — he clearly loves the bees.

David Saraf
310-207-1090
davidabeeman@yahoo.com
www.davidabeeman.com

10.  HWPOA CONTACT INFORMATION

HOLMBY WESTWOOD PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC.
P.O. Box 49180
Los Angeles, CA 90049
310-470-1785
Email: hwpoa@aol.com
Web site: www.holmbywestwoodpoa.org
Pay Membership Dues: https://squareup.com/store/hwpoa

You Are Invited . . .

  • To attend our monthly Board Meetings*
  • To let us know your concerns about our community and your ideas about how we might work to improve it
  • To become involved in our Association.

*Board Meetings are usually held the second Tuesday of each month.  Please confirm prior to attending.