Opposition to "Las Villas" mounts
Maybe CD 1 Councilman Ed Reyes should just read the sign in the picture.Regardless of his denial and the efforts of an "Ad Hoc Body" that calls themselves a "Neighborhood Council", the coalition against the "Las Villas" project continues to grow.
The following is a letter to Councilman Ed Reyes,
Dear Councilman Reyes,
Tonight I attended the HHPNC meeting at Franklin High School. A coalition of parents and community members from Lincoln Heights informed us that you are in support of Las Villas project. Furthermore, it was stated that you previously did not support similar proposals near this same area based on obvious reasons of negative impact to the Lincoln Heights community that is already struggling with gangs, graffiti, under performing schools, crime etc.....
My question? Why do you support this project? As an educator, I know that this particular project will in no way help the students and community directly effected by its close proximity to Lincoln High School, Gates St. School, Little Flower Missionary School, Kwan Ying Buddhist Temple and Carmelite Convent.
It is with my sincerest hope that you reconsider your position to this and vote against this particular project.
Respectfully,
Gemma Marquez
And this regarding the actions of the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council
As a Los Angeles citizen, I do believe I have thew right to comment on the agenda of a public entity. Any NC is a public entity, not a private club.My question is : What is the difference between a high sounding agenda talking about financial accountability and similar good things, and "NONC board meeting agenda at all",if, in both instances, there is no way to know (To read ) the minutes ofthe meetings of the NC's board and no public disclosure of accounting to show exacting what are spent, and whether any third person that is no related to the transaction has "verified" the expense item?If in both case, where there is agenda posting no agenda posting,stakeholders or members of the public cannot see the minutes and the verified accounting, then what good does the Posting of Agenda do?I think, the answer is that neither is of any good to the public.
Sincerely,Lewis Wong B.Sc CAAFormer NC director and officer 03-04
Las Villas is in trouble and rightfully so. More alarming is the role of government in not protecting the interest of community members in this process.Link to nolasvillas.com
Labels: David Galaviz, ed reyes, las villas, Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council
Posted by Red Spot in CD 14 @ 2/24/2008 06:19:00 PM
35 Comments:
Why do you fight progress?
Placement vs. Progress = Debate
Good point.
A liquor store in a challenged neighborhood three blocks from the school cannot be called progress.
Ed Reyes has his thoughts on placement. Hit the "You Tube" link for his thoughts.
Define Placement in this context?
Liquor establishment next to school sites = bad placement.
Define placement, my ass! Placement means, who are you trying to fool placing this project in such proximity to three schools? (Closer to than allowed.) Even a greedy councilman who is on the hook should be able to see the problem. Especially after you just called LAPD in to testify how a "off site" alcohol license should not be allowed in the area. Take off the kickback goggles and see things from a safety and common sense perspective. (Can you imagine what will happen to Reyes' career if one little incident occurs in that crosswalk?) Have fun sleeping, Ed.
A Home Depot less than a block from a school is not progress either, it's an accident waiting to happen.
Why not just put the liquor arcade on the school grounds...
that way, the kids won't have to run across the street in all that drunk driving traffic.
Si no fue Chuck, será Cri-Cri
La pizzería de franquicias no quiso entrar en el Este de Los Ángeles, y un par de amigas optó por abrir su propio restaurante temático utilizando al popular personaje creado por Francisco Gabilondo Soler
A lot of people simply look to the fact of alcoholic beverage sales on the site as being the complete deal-killer. From what I know of the ongoing story, beer and wine, not liquor will be sold, for drinking with food sales, no take-out or six-packs like a "liquor store", a distinguishing element.
I don't see that the alcohol part of this planned enterprise is real-life threat to the "students" that the opponents make it out to be.
Issue: The under-age drinking as a problem? The under-age-21 restriction on sales is one major limiting factor, otherwise know as the law. The imposition of loss of license for violation of this law is always a looming penalty.
Also, "sales" is the operative word- you won't be able to BYOB and then hang out there (at any age). Qualifying as "adults" alone still requires PAYING for the drinks. Opponents' treat the situation as if "free-flowing drinks" will abound. Nothing is free. Even restaurant drinks still are expensive compared to store-bought brew.
Most alcohol just costs too much in such places compared to stopping at the Sav-On or Thrifty's (now the CVS and Rite-Aid).
Drinking at any age costs money. Students tend not to have much at any time. Even if they COULD buy drinks, would they want to part with cash.
The whole picture is painted to make it look as if ALL the students will do their best to violate the laws ALL the time and will be at this location ALL the time. It just isn't so.
The main feature of completing this project will be to provide the Lincoln Heights area with an establishment suitable for meetings, with lunch and dinner to be available, at a level not available now locally.
Having local facilities as a choice that didn't exist before would be a step towards improving the business climate of Lincoln Heights. It might even cause others to locate businesses in the area.
Improving the business climate is one overal consideration.
Opponents don't give students any credit at all. From hearing all the slogans, you would think someone is going to be at the door to lure them in- Remember those guys in T.J. who stood outside bars, repeating their liveley mantra "Come on in, boys"?
There's more that could be discussed to rebut the "NoVillas" people, but it's too long already.
This is not and should not be a slam dunk for the opposition in terms of facts. There is so much emotion involved in the campaign against the project that any point-by-point examination of fears and solutions would not be entertained.
I think that if this enterprise is completed, the fears based on "health and safety" will not happen, but slogans, not facts, are the heavy influences on the outcome now. Too bad.
I want to know more about the PRINTER who made this all possible.
Ed Reyes - the "city planner" has never had an original thought with regard to his district. Everything in the district has always been someone else's idea - Taylor Yard, Cypress Park Library, MacArthur Park, etc.,.
But give him a wiff of some cleavage and out comes Las Villas. That's what happens when you elect a gutless councilman.
9:17 Don't forget Barrio Planner, Joe Corria
Why hasn't anyone from Las Villas stepped up and have a community meeting after all the media attention.
Their website has no mention of ALCOHOL - In fact it is very selective on what information is on the site.
Why does LAUSD School Board President MONICA GARCIA support this project, she gave a letter of support!.... WHY??? What does the LAUSD have to do with a PRIVATE BUSINESS? ....Was there Campaign contributions here as well????
Shouldn’t she be concentrating on LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS GRADES AND DROP OUT RATE! What do you think the arcade will bring these kids?
How does a Private Business get a 1.5 MILLION DOLLAR LOAN FROM THE CRA (COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY) and DOES NOT HAVE TO REPAY IT if they hire people from the community? Which business could not do this?
The Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council is giving a letter of support for this project. A community member asked Neighborhood Council member ERICA GALLO about the 1.5 Million Dollar loan. She replied she does not know!….. If you don’t know why are you voting to support this project? Are you one of DAVID GALIVIZ trained monkeys!
What about this Rick Kessor fellow, Former SBA Chief of Finance Officer
who just recently resigned.......Why did he resign???? Was he given a choice: Resign or GET FIRED for your CONFLICT OF INTEREST securing a bank loan for LAS VILLAS project- knowing very well he was offered "STOCK" in this company?
(as stated on findlaw.com) What about the other small business trying to get a loan at the same time as LAS VILLAS…..
Do you really think Kessor spent the SAME amount of time and energy pulling strings for the other businesses who applied for a bank loan at the same time as LAS VILLAS, knowing well that he WILL NOT have a stock option interest in the other businesses.
Look at this inquiry found on the internet;
rick kresser - 10:04pm Jan 14, 2007 (330. 506/522) "Stock Purchase Option"
I have recently resigned from a position with the federal government and my post employment activities are subject to certain ethics rules and regulations. One of the issues raised by the Agency I resigned from was a determination that I cannot have an ownership position in a company that I was involved with while I was a federal employee for two years from the date I resigned. I am allowed to be a paid consultant for this company and future ownership in the company after the two year restriction expires is being discussed. I would like to enter into an agreement with the company that specifies what percentage I could own after the restriction expires and how much that ownership interest will cost me. We have discussed signing a Stock Purchase Option Agreement that would specify the future ownership interest and the cost of that ownership. I believe that since I would not be an owner of the company until and if I chose to exercise the option and pay the agreed upon price for the stock that this arrangement would not violate the two year restriction on ownership in this company. Lastly, I would like to reference the Stock Purchase Option in the compensation section of the consulting agreement that the company and I are planning to sign. What are your thoughts? Can a Stock Purchase Option Agreement between the company that owns the stock and a consultant that receives the Stock Purchase Option as part of the compensation for consulting be considered as a legal ownership interest in the company granting the Stock Purchase Option? (Inquiry can be found at)
findlaw.com
What about parking for this project, why does this project get waived on parking ordinances, there is not enough parking for the amount of patrons they expect. ALL OF THESE PEOPLE WILL BE PARKING ON THE STREET.
WHY DOES LAS VILLAS NOT MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO THEIR ALCOHOL LICENSE STATING THEY WILL NOT SERVE ALCOHOL DURING SCHOOL HOURS OR SERVE IT AFTER 5PM.
If their business model will not operate without a Liquor License, then CHANGE YOU BUSINESS MODEL in order for it to work!! This is a very common practice in business!
WHY DOESN’T OUR OTHER PUBLIC OFFICIALS GET INVOLVED WITH THIS ISSUE DEFENDING OUR KIDS
LA County Supervisor GLORIA MOLINA GAVE A LETTER OF SUPPORT for the project
What about State Senator GLORIA ROMERO? She GAVE A LETTER OF SUPPORT for this project.
Even Councilman JOSE HUIZAR, GAVE A LETTER OF SUPPORT while he was LAUSD School Board President.
THIS IS A SWEETHEART DEAL!
LETS CONTACT THESE PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND LET THEM KNOW:
WE WILL NOT FORGET THEM WHEN A KID GETS HURT HERE…….
AND WILL REMEMBER THEM WHEN THEY COME TO ASK FOR COMMUNITY SUPPORT DURING THEIR NEXT POLITICAL ELECTION!
We know all about Joe Corria. The question is:
Who is the PRINTER??
Inquiring minds want to know.
You have all heard about black on black violence. In “Las Villas” you can see brown on brown greed.
It is debatable that Lincoln Heights might need a large banquet facility where all the so-called politicos and long-term absentee landlords can gather to meet and determine how else they can exploit the people of Lincoln Heights. We do have the San Antonio Winery and the Brewery as an option.
If these bunch of opportunists really cared they would have demanded that the true business corridor of Lincoln Heights from Daily and Broadway to Five Points would have been redeveloped. But no that would meant they would have to clean up their ghetto like buildings and provide a safe and sane business environment.
Instead they try their racist and economically disadvantage program that would not fly in any other part of the city.
No other community would have allowed this to happen, but because we live so very close to USC and their new found commitment to so-called urban renewal we will now be the test case for all those economically disadvantaged minority communities that cannot fight back.
There is no surprise here, for Ed Reyes educated at UCLA in urban planning could have opted to use his talents to help the community rather than trying to wipe it out with his gentrification model and intolerant attitude to defenseless people of his own kind. He must be the most self-loathing of all the Councilpersons.
How in the world could he turn on his own people, it’s easy when in early life you were taunted and teased by want to be gangsters.
But why take it out on the whole population of Latinos. He should have common sense enough to understand that the rest of the Latino population has had to suffer just like him. And now because of his hang-ups and irrational need for despotic power mongering he is willing to place our children in harms way.
Be a big man Ed Reyes, get you head out of the ostrich hole and do the right thing.
Tell who ever wants to take advantage of anybody in your district that you will not tolerate it.
Tell them that our families, our property, our religions and our kids are not for sale.
Become self-confident enough to fight for us. And not the likes of the kind of people you recently met at the urban renewal conference you addressed in England?
Ask yourselves this question why would a "family establishment" want to sell alchohol? We all know how Latinos act when they get drunk and yet Ed Reyes thinks its ok to allow that to happen where there are children. There are way too many liquor stores in low income miniority communities. These stupid Latino politicans don't give a crap about that. Huizar has more bars and liquor stores in his district yet panders to the owners. The community needs to fight this crap coming into neighborhoods.
Ask yourself? There is no question about it - alcohol provides the opportunity for a 500% mark-up - no other business is entitled to such a profit.
Gloria Molina, Ed Reyes, Monica Garcia, Jose Huizar, Antonio Villaraigosa? The common denominator here is FRANK VILLALOBOS from Barrio Planners, Inc.,
Frank has raised serious money for all these people and if Joe Coria is involved, Frank probably got the development contract for this project. Joe steered the multi million dollar White Memorial his way just like Gloria Molina steered the multi billion dollar light rail contract his way. Ron Martinez, Gloria's husband is under contract to Barrio Planners - so no wonder Gloria sent a letter of support. Watch for Ron getting the "coffee" contract for this project.
As a former student of Lincoln High and from the old neighborhood, family goes back to the 30's in LH's I am disgusted with this project and the people who are shoving it up the ass of the community.
Every school day thousands of students will walk right by the bar and video arcade, there will be unsavory characters hanging around the bar drinking beer waiting for school to get out.
Little Flower convent and orphanage, which has been a part of the community for decades is located right above on Thomas St. and will be impacted by the noise and swearing and fighting and car noise of all the drunks coming and going.
Speaking of parking, where's this going to happen? You know where, all over the surrounding streets!
Another poster was correct when stating that if a meeting place is needed for community affairs then go to the San Antonio Winery, or why not spend some money to fix up the Boys and Girls Club? It once was the pride of Lincoln Heights and salvaged many young lives but now it's been mismanaged by politicians and crony's and has turned into a welfare cheese distribution location and is falling apart at the seams.
No bar and video at the old Dupont/Rose Eye care location!
Think of the kids and the neighborhood, are you people nuts!?
dq
I SECOND THAT!!!
HELP US STOP ALCOHOL NEXT TO THREE SCHOOL'S.
SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN FIRST!
PLEASE ATTEND THE NEXT EAST LOS ANGELES AREA PLANNING COMMISSION HEARING.
WHEN: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2008
WHERE: RAMONA HALL 4580 N. FIGUEROA ST. LOS ANGELES CA. 90065
TIME:4:00p.m
PLEASE WEAR RED. 4 STOP
If Joyce Dillard, Hugo Pacheco and their friends are against this project, then it must be a good thing.
How do you spell hypocrisy - H-U-G-O P-A-C-H-E-C-0. He is against this project, which has more controls than any other establishment, but ok with his 20+ year career of providing liquor to liquor stores in our community. That makes no sense!!!
You Lincoln Heights folks are too funny - Steve Lanspon is against this project, because it can hurt the students - he cares about the students so much, that he married one when he was a teacher at Lincoln and she just graduated.
Can't we all just get along and protect the children because . . . I believe that children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way, show them all the bea-uty, they possess insiiiiiiiiiiiddeeee.
Except when it comes to Sacred Heard, because we still want to provide liqhor on our school grounds during our special events. Everything comes with a price, HOMIES
Hey do-gooders, how many liquor stores, cantinas, and illegal alcohol poolhalls are around Sacred Heart??? I have heard that there are more than 5 establishments. Wow, talk about not practicing what you all preach.
1029
1031
1034
1039
1041
ALL THE SAME PERSON CAN STAY ON TRACK IDIOT!!
IT IS AGAIST THE LAW TO BUILD AN ESTABLISMENT THAT WILL SELL LIQUOR IN OPERATION TIME, AROUND SCHOOLS
Forget about Hugo and all the other nuts you write about..
Let us hear from you and anyone else who support the selling of ALCOHOL right next to 3 Schools.
please convince us.
11:23 about "IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO BUILD AN ESTABLISMENT THAT WILL SELL LIQUOR IN OPERATION TIME, AROUND SCHOOLS", could you cite your sources for clarification?
Which do you say apply among the State, City, County AND Federal laws? Maybe a variance was approved, if we are talking about "city ordinances." Specifying the relevant source (without a complete re-post of the entire body of the text) would be enlightening.
And IS "liquor" actually included in the applications as opposed to "beer and wine"?
Interesting that a suggestion is made to divert meetings and the diners to the San Antonio Winery. It's like all the clientele expected by this business will have to be contained with "their own kind" as if it was a leper colony. Sounds as if people expect only seedy characters to abound if the project is built.
And that prediction that the area "will be impacted by the noise and swearing and fighting and car noise of all the drunks coming and going."
Is the Winery taken for the example of this image? At least the exaggeration is colorful one if not an unlikely one.
Get to actual facts, please.
You're missing the point. Again, why would a "family establishment" want to sell alcohol? Its the worst environment for kids to be in when you have dozens of drunk Latino men acting like they're in Mexico and flirting with little 10 year olds, making noises at all women and behaving like fools. Ed Reyes is a moron if he thinks its ok for alcohol (don't give a shit if its liquor or beer/wine) to be sold around kids. Reyes is known to flirt with little girls like the young staffers he has. Reyes is balding, short and ugly old man who thinks his position gives him the right to say rude things to women. WRONG!!!
I SECOND THAT!!!!
Does this person know anything about Lincoln Hts? I doubt it !
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
""Hey do-gooders, how many liquor stores, cantinas, and illegal alcohol poolhalls are around Sacred Heart??? I have heard that there are more than 5 establishments. Wow, talk about not practicing what you all preach.
February 25, 2008 10:41 AM""
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
If you are talking about a couple of little mom and pop stores or the bars on N. Broadway then your out of your mind, those are blocks away and have been there for a hundred years.
The area around Sacred Heart is made up of residences and have been there along with the church for over a hundred years foolio.
What we are talking about now is a place that would serve beer and wine (and a stupid arcade like something from Pinocchio's "Pleasure Island"), and is directly situated where thousands of students would be passing daily.
And if you knew anything about Lincoln Hts or the area you would know that the Little Flower Convent/Orphanage would be in the establishments back yard.
Hell the drunks could practically toss the beer bottles into the Little Flower yard.
And the San Antonio Winery is a nice place for meetings and luncheons cause it's in an industrial area by and large.
Keep Lincoln Hts drinking establishments concentrated near Griffin and down to Pasadena Ave on N. Broadway not near schools and churches!
Ed Reyes is "suppose" to be at Aragon Elementary School tomorrow night at 7:30PM to speak about the shootings in Cypress Park.
Anyone that wants to protest these villas, you might just want to show up with protest signs.
He only shows up when there is a shooting.
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