sepulveda – Page 8 – Here in Van Nuys

River of Plastic/ Rio de Plastico

February 23, 2010February 24, 2010Posted in EnvironmentTagged "Friends of the LA River", Balboa, birds, Catastrophe, death, Encino, Environment, LA River, plastic, sepulveda, trash11 Comments

Riding my bike around the Sepulveda Basin today, I was startled and sickened to see a river lined with trash.

Plastic bags literally covered every branch, every limb, and every single tree along both sides of the banks; devouring, like some gruesome movie monster, nature.

The amount of garbage is so extreme, so massive, so overpowering, that the camera’s lens is unable to completely capture the visual tragedy. Like Haiti after its quake, a photographer must decide whether to shoot wide angle, thus diminishing the particular atrocity, or to go close-up, possibly denying the vast destruction all around. I shot these images both far and close to record the appalling filth and criminal neglect of the river.

There are other sections of the LA River, formerly encased in concrete, now undergoing naturalization. This area of the river, which meanders gently through the San Fernando Valley acts as a flood basin and wildlife preserve.

The City of Los Angeles has abrogated its moral and legal responsibility by allowing and ignoring this environmental catastrophe.

One weekend of box office receipts, from the theaters showing AVATAR in the nation of Moldavia, would probably be enough to pay for a LA River clean-up. Two weeks of Ellen DeGeneres’ paychecks might finance the annual salary of 20 city workers assigned to protect the river. 1/44th of suspected comedian Conan O’Brien’s $44 million dollar pay out might save the lives of thousands of birds.

The pictures on this page were shot around Balboa Boulevard in Encino.

Fire Near the Getty Center.

July 8, 2009July 8, 2009Posted in Van Nuys and the ValleyTagged Brush, fire, getty, sepulveda, WestwoodLeave a comment

A burning brush fire, in the Sepulveda Pass, near the Getty Center, began today around 1pm.

Photo was taken in Westwood by Andy Hurvitz

Breaking Up the Mass.

March 29, 2007December 9, 2014Posted in ArchitectureTagged sepulveda, Van Nuys and the Valley, victory, Wells Fargo4 Comments

Far be it from me to complain when our neighborhood actually gets a building that marches up to the sidewalk instead of presenting a parking lot as a facade.

The new Wells Fargo branch bank at the SE corner of Sepulveda and Victory, is almost complete. It has a streamline smooth stucco shape, with angled corner windows inset to protect against the harsh Western sun. There is a discreet parking lot in back, and new high tech security cameras. This intersection is also home to a new camera for catching red-light runners.

But the color of the new building is ugly. At first, it looked like it was going to be all white. Great choice, especially for an art-deco like style. Then I saw orange caulk between the stucco. That seemed interesting to me: an all white building with discreet orange lines. But then the spray guns came out.

Now the little building is two tones: refried bean red and orange soda. It’s as if they were trying to appeal to the local people’s taste in food. It is tacky and only ten years out of date. This is what edgy Santa Monica architects built in 1997.

Wells Fargo is one of those enormous companies which earns obscene amounts of money from high interest credit cards and all those little fees on checking accounts. It is a conglomerate that swallowed and spit out many smaller banks that it bought up in the last decade. Isn’t it funny how it is trying to fool the public with this incredibly soft and shrinking branch bank that looks like a homely girl’s second hand closet of colors? Big and mean with a mask of cheap mascara.

I Support the Surge of 20,000.

January 11, 2007December 9, 2014Posted in PoliticsTagged "Here in Van Nuys", business, sepulveda, Shopping Cart, trash3 Comments

Shopping Cart on Sepulveda January 10, 2007 — Shopping Cart on Sepulveda
January 10, 2007

I fully support the idea of adding an additional 20,000 cops to the streets of LA to combat the surge of violence caused by insurgents here. Just yesterday, there was a shooting at Grant High School, and last year in Los Angeles, there were 402 murders.

I think it would be an absolutely splendid idea to have an additional 20,000 LAPD cops on the streets of Los Angeles. Some of them could investigate and possibly prevent murders, while others could walk the streets to insure quality of life. They would ticket people who dump baskets, sofas, mattresses and trash along the road. They would stop taggers, drug dealers, and gang bangers from fouling up neighborhoods.

Since we all pay taxes, and the government by the people, for the people and of the people is our government…shouldn’t we ask of it to spend billions right here in Los Angeles to bring police protection, law and order and a better quality of life to the City of Angels?

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: