Guy Weddington McCreary, North Hollywood Activist/Scion, Passes at 77

Guy Weddington McCreary, devoted husband, loving father, philanthropist, community leader and historian, left this earth on October 12th at the age of 77 years, after a brave battle with cancer. Guy leaves behind his loving wife Diane, his son Jon and many devoted friends.

Guy was the venerable patriarch of the historic Weddington family, who owned and developed much of North Hollywood, Toluca Lake and Studio City. Guy's family came to present day North Hollywood in 1886. In 1892 Wilson Weddington, Guy's Great Grandfather, was appointed the first Postmaster of the town of Toluca. He was also Constable of that same community.

Original Farm, Was North Hollywood Business District

The Weddington's original farm included most of today's North Hollywood business district. Their first family farm house remains today on Weddington Street. Throughout their 128 year history in the San Fernando Valley, the Weddington family provided the land or built the first area school (Lankershim school), the first jail, the first and then current North Hollywood fire stations, the Southern Pacific train depot, the North Hollywood Post Office, the El Portal Theater (which the family built in 1926), the Bank of Lankershim, the Weddington Brothers General Store (later Rathbun's Department Store and the Valley's first modern department store) and the North Hollywood Library.

North Hollywood Park Created
During the 1920's the family helped create and dedicate North Hollywood Park, and in later years Weddington Park on land previously farmed by the family. In 1895 the family sold The Southern Pacific land for a train depot (which remains today), and beginning in 1897 the family operated the Bonner Packing Company, which produced and shipped San Fernando Valley fruit across the Nation and around the world.

Pacific Red Car Comes to Valley
By 1907 Bonner Packing was the largest employer in the area with more than 250 employees. In 1910 the Weddington Investment Company was formed and, in partnership with Harry Chandler, Moses Sherman and H J Whitley, they were successful in bringing the Pacific Electric Red Car to the Valley. In the 1950's the family lead the fight to build the 101 freeway through the Cahuenga Pass and later, under Guy's leadership, they would fight to bring the MTA Red Line subway to the Valley. In the 1970's, as North Hollywood was in decline, Guy McCreary lead the fight to bring redevelopment to the community his family had built. Guy helped envision and bring about what is today the thriving "NoHo" community.

Accomplished Historian
Guy was a graduate of North Hollywood High School, Whittier College and he earned a post-graduate degree in Government from the Claremont Colleges. He served as President of the Weddington Investment Companies from 1984 to his death. Among his many accomplishments, he served as a Commissioner on the L A County Commission for Public Social Services and he was Executive Director of the Republican Central Committee of Los Angeles County. Guy's commitment to the community was demonstrated through his leadership and activities with the North Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, the Jaycee's, Toluca Little League, the Kiwanis Club of North Hollywood, the Key Club and his beloved Campo de Cahuenga; the birthplace of California. Guy was an accomplished historian and in 1974 his highly-acclaimed history of the Mexican revolution "From Glory to Oblivion" was published.

Donations to the Campo de Cahuenga Memorial are requested in Guy's honor.

(Information from the Universal City-North Hollywood Chamber of Commerce)

Mr. Krekorian: Fill Up This Hole!

Councilman Paul Krekorian has no problem filling up column inches with manufactured constituents in a local digital fishwrap; the City seems to not be able to address a dangerous sinkhole in North Hollywood.

Calls to the Councilman's office by locals have yet to be addressed, as the nearly foot deep hole, on Weddington Street in the NoHo Commons section, remains, well, sinking.

The best the City can seem to do is drop a couple rubber cones on it. In the meantime, the risk of someone driving into this remains, as well as the impact it has on traffic as cars pull over to allow passing vehicles to get around it (as well as the possibility of a head-on collision).

We notified the Council Member about this via his Facebook page a few days ago. Yet no response. But we did see what he has been up to.

City of LA Screws the Pooch in North Hollywood Again

There's nothing better than heading out to your day in your neighborhood and finding the streets ripped up without notice.

The main artery in our hood - where people need to go to get to work, shop, etc. is closed down (in an area where the streets are funky as it is and sometimes you have to go in big circles to get from one end of the block to the other). Businesses received no notice and tens of them are landlocked - customers who left their cars overnight at one auto repair place can't even get them out.

Who is the genius who planed this without notifying the community? Who is the Council Member for this area that needs to ream the folks in charge of this situation normal all fouled up?

Hint: He likes elephants and high schools.

Neighborhood Council Hosts Town Hall on NoHo Development

Here's an opportunity to have an input on the development going on in the greater North Hollywood area including the Valley Plaza shopping district, NoHo Arts District and the area around the North Hollywood Metro Station on Monday, November 17th from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The Mid Town North Hollywood Neighborhood Council presents: A Town Hall - Call to Action: "NoHo - the Vision for the Arts & Future Development."  The event will be held at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences at 5220 Lankershim Blvd (near Magnolia Blvd),North Hollywood, CA 91601.Parking will be provided in the Academy garage.

To RSVP to Gary Baratta, Chairman of the Mid Town North Hollywood Neighborhood Council Planning, Land-Use, Housing and Transportation committee, please click here or email netengineer2000us@yahoo.com.

The Valley Connection at the RNC Convention

Dear RNC '08 -- I am sad you are over. Thanks for teh lulz.

from Wonkette:

America laughed again last night as a terrible “green screen” once again appeared behind John McCain, during his big speech at the RNC.

Well, the “green” was actually the lawn of a school in North Hollywood, California. And the school is called “Walter Reed Middle School.” And the random idiot assigned the task of picking John McCain’s video background during the biggest speech of his career was apparently told to put a picture of Walter Reed Army Medical Center on the screen, and ineptly googled this utterly random California school picture, instead. And nobody knows what Walter Reed Hospital looks like, anyways, so everybody just assumed it was another one of his mansions. The school is about to release “a statement” damning McCain for inappropriately using the picture of this innocent school. All of this, as Josh Marshall notes, is exactly what happened in the movie Spinal Tap.

[Update -- Here's the statement from Donna Tobin, the principal of Walter Reed Middle School...]

"It has been brought to the school's attention that a picture of the front of our school, Walter Reed Middle School, was used as a backdrop at the Republican National Convention. Permission to use the front of our school for the Republican National Convention was not given by our school nor is the use of our school's picture an endorsement of any political party or view."

FM Station is Back!

Besides Ron Kaye's Bastille Day storming of City Hall, Monday is a big day in LA for another reason: Legendary North Hollywood rock joint FM Station returns. 



The once popular venue hosted numerous local bands as well as major acts spanning the era from "Rock and Roll" to "Grunge."



Then sometime in the 90s, the music stopped playing and the venue became a Latin music dance club. 

In an incredible turn of fate a legend has been re-born and starting tonight for at three nights a week Hacienda Corona Salon de Baile on Victory and Lankershim is once again FM Station.  Earlier in the year, the band Jones Street rented the venue for an FM Station reunion and the attendance was so overwhelming the current owner asked the band if they would bring back FM Station permanently.  It's really interesting to see live rock music make a comeback like this but I also think it's a sign that North Hollywood is undergoing yet another transformation.  It would be great to see the live clubs come back.

Now maybe we can bring back The Palomino and cruising Van Nuys Blvd. on Wednesday nights!

Valley Readies for Hot, Violent Summer

After a particularly violent night on Tuesday, police have stepped up their patrols in North Hollywood and the Northeast Valley, where a total of six shootings took place.

And how do our council memebers react to the escalation in violence? Why, by asking the mayor for more money to fund their gang intervention programs, that's how.

From the horse's mouth via the DN:

"We are anticipating a hot summer, and things happen when it gets above 100 degrees," said Councilman Richard Alarcon, whose district includes Pacoima, where two shootings Tuesday left three wounded. Alarcon said he is pushing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to speed up the funding of intervention programs in the area before summer. Both Alarcon and Councilwoman Wendy Greuel, who represents North Hollywood, are doubling efforts to build Neighborhood Watch programs.

The brazen gun attacks started in Northridge about 6 p.m Tuesday, when a gray SUV with four men inside pulled alongside a 16-year-old boy walking near Wilbur Avenue and Parthenia Street. The boy told police he struggled with one of the men, who stepped out of the car and pointed a pistol at him, while another person emerged from the car and shot him with a shotgun.

An hour later, a fight broke out among nearly a dozen Armenian men outside a restaurant at Whitsett Avenue and Oxnard Street. The men appeared to have been arguing, police said, when a number of them pulled out guns and fired off more than 20 shots. An Armenian male identified as Artak Karamyan, 28, died at the scene. Police said a car-to-car gunbattle ensued, and the body of Paylak Harutyunyan, 29, was dumped at Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Vanowen Street.

The DN has a map and a timeline of the violence that errupted Tuesday night in North Hollywood, Northridge, Sylmar and Arleta.

Live Blogging from The Neighborhood Council

Live in North Hollywood...

Public Comment
An artist who has started an artist group, mentions my name, says the Arts Festival has shrunk.
A longtime resident from North Hollywood celebrates various historic landmarks

Comment from Public Officials
Eric Mendevar - Wendy Greuel's office: Wants to give out free child car seats and have an event on how to report graffiti

President's Remarks - big joint NC town hall on development in North Hollywood went well

Board Member Remarks - The town hall showed how NCs can work together, Zero Waste event will be held April 3rd in NoHo, some guy says a website gives free parking passes? Big neighborhood council mixer at CBS Studios in Studio City

Planning Committee Report - Valley and Laurel Plaza was discussed but we have to talk about it later

Communications Committee - Web site delayed one month

Arts Committee - Lets put children's tiles in the park!

Beautification Committee - We want a Trader Joe's in North Hollywood!

Public safety report - Spike in violent crime in North Hollywood, five homicides so far this year, total of nine all of last year, need to seal tunnel under freeway at North Hollywood Park. Girls beating each other up at East Valley High.

The hosting school principal says hello. They're working on putting up a marquee, Board Member Julie Korenstein has matched $5000 contribution from NC.

Treasurer's Report - No bill from Wendy Greuel for her video cameras!

Weddington House - Council discusses placing this historic house in North Hollywood Park instead of moving it to East LA.

Discussion of putting chess tables in the park - well the chess tables are already there but they want $1200 to buy checkers and chess pieces and refreshments?

Lets plant trees with Tony Villar!

Discussion on the big time upcoming Neighborhood Council elections - the City Clerk is going to take over the elections!

New rule to be on the Neighborhood Council - you're a stakeholder if you say you are! Whether you live, work or have anything to do with the area or not.

Now, what day do we want to have the election on? Sunday, Monday, Happy Days, Tuesday, Wednesday, Happy Days, Thursday, Friday, Happy Days, Saturday, what a day!

Now we're on to picking board members for seats that haven't had people in them for months. But God bless them.

This is nonsense - I could be home watching TV. Should I resign? You vote!

Presentation of new big developments at Valley and Laurel Plazas - good ideas. But the NIMBYs want to redesign the project via the NC board. What a long list! But this are happy NIMBYs! They actually like the project overall!

Oh - Dale Thrush is here. Does he know Mayor Sam is 15 feet from him blogging? See you in Sunland-Tujunga Dale!

Alice Roth is here - can I get an autographed Tom LeBong calendar to send to Zuma Dogg?

Well everyone here is in favor of this development - so do we need to keep talking? :)

Dale Thursh: I've been working on this project for eight years, but we want to change a few things and get ready to go.

It's approved!

Meeting over!

Aftermath

JM

JM, Aftermath, 1.7.08 - click images to enlarge

Though it's NoHo, it ain't the movies, it's for real---that's an ABC camera in the top shot.

If memory serves, the Bank Heist is a 9 mm round from the MayorSam Getty Condo; certainly, it's the NoHo Mozza.

UPDATE: As Brian Humphries says in comments, good set of LAFD photos at this flickr page.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Wednesday

As we predicted Tuesday, the City Clowncil for now passed on a plan to raise electric and water rates in Los Angeles. Council members Eric Garcetti, Jan Perry and Bernard Parks introduced a motion to send the hikes back to the DWP to be taken back up by the Council on February 20th, a good two weeks after the Measure S Phone Tax scam will have been voted up or down.

You better cut back on your water usage or big bad Mayor V is going to impose mandatory cuts in water usage on you. Of course, he's one to talk right?

In New York you can hail a cab when you need one. In Los Angeles the law requires you to go to a designated cab stand, wherever that may be. Jan Perry is behind a move to change that law. Now that's a good thing Jan, focus on that instead of nanny state activities.

The Smart Car is a good way to commute and get around in a town like Los Angeles. The market is responding with a car that gets incredible gas mileage and can itself twice in the average parking place. Also, the car is affordable. If you want to buy one, dealerships are coming to Los Angeles, including North Hollywood.

Writer Matthew DeBord agrees with the MTA's plan to install turnstiles at subway and rail car stations.

Previously Andrew at Here In Van Nuys posted the terrifically blighted intersection at Vanowen and Sepulveda in Van Nuys. In contrast, Wellesley Island, New York where property owners know how to build and maintain attractive buildings.

If you wondering if there are some perks to being homeless, Godzilla Don has posted the day's menu at The Los Angeles Mission.

Be sure to vote for North Hollywood over at The Curbed Cup..

Photo of the Day: Tom LaBonge Gets A New Job

Not really. Here Zuma Dogg's favorite Clowncilman stages a photo op at the opening of the NoHo Business Improvement District's office.

NoHo Stakeholders Claim MTA/City Kept Them Out Of Discussion on Major Development

Last week MTA officials approved plans to negotiate with developer Lowe Enterprises to build a $1 billion real estate development at and around the North Hollywood Red Line and Orange Line Stations near Chandler Street and Lankershim Boulevard.

The proposed development - which Curbed LA calls "insanley huge"- would nearly two million square feet of commercial, retail and residential space. Most of the land involved is owned by the MTA.

However a number of local leaders are expressing concern that officials from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority - as well as local elected officials including area Councilman Tom LaBonge - discussed the project with little or no public input.

Community activist Ron Bitzer who lives northwest of the proposed project told the Los Angeles Times he would have preferred to see "a little more discussion" with the community about the project. Another activist privately told the Sister City that previous city administrations would have engaged in more "transparency" in a decision like this.

Neighborhood Council Denied Again

We reported Thursday on the plans of the Mid Town North Hollywood Neighborhood Council to split into two.

For some time, members of the Council felt that at nearly 70,000 residents, the Council's area was too large to effectively serve the community. Two councils could more aptly do outreach and engage the stakeholders.

The Council was instructed to appear before a meeting of the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners to plead their case. Though the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment felt there was no clear process for a boundary division, the recommendation of the department and its general manager, Dr. Carol Baker Tharp, was to allow North Hollywood to go ahead and then use that Council's experience as a template for additional council's citywide who wished to undertake a similar process.

However, at 3:25 p.m. the day of the meeting, Dr. Tharp informed the Council in an email that she was changing her recommendation to the BONC to deny the application, based on the advice of the City Attorney. Citing issues with the petition signatures as part of the application Tharp told the Council "The people who worked with you are no longer here, so this is no one's fault but my own. I was trying to help and I screwed up. Just as you are frustrated, so am I." Little solace to the members of the Council who showed up at 6:00 p.m., as instructed, to express solidarity and support for the proposal. Following Dr. Tharp's recommendation, the BONC removed the item from consideration.

During a period of open comment by the BONC members, Commissioner Diane Middleton told the crowd that they had been "misled." If they walk out of the meeting thinking the reason for the action was some technical error with the application, petition signatures, etc. they are mistaken. There is nothing the BONC can do as far as expediting the Council's request because nothing will happen until DONE, BONC, the City Attorney and City Council establish a complete policy. And of course the implication is this will be months later.

"The people who worked with you are no longer here, so this is no one's fault but my own. I was trying to help and I screwed up. Just as you are frustrated, so am I."
Dr. Carol Baker Tharp
General Manager, Department of Neighborhood Empowerment

No wonder people are alienated from their city. No wonder its hard to get good people involved in Neighborhood Councils. With bumbling bureaucrats at DONE and a lack of leadership by their oversight body, BONC, its unlikely anything will move forward.

And they wondered why the Valley wanted to succeed.

Full disclosure: I was recently appointed to the Mid Town North Hollywood Neighborhood Council and support the breakup.