Breached! GGPNC using invalid bylaws

By John F John Jr

GGPNC STILL CAN’T FOLLOW THE RULES

The Los Angeles Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) has confirmed that the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council (GGPNC) has been conducting meeting, appointing board members and distributing public funds under the wrong set of bylaws.

It is a staggering violation of public trust. Tax payer funds available to the GGPNC are now being distributed by a board that was wrongly appointed.

This breach of established rules is sadly only one in a long line of nefarious conduct by the board under the helm of Los Feliz Forward for the past year. Whether they are violating their own rules or those mandated by the State of California makes little difference to those in charge. Once again neighborhood stakeholders have been hoodwinked by a small handful of angry men.

Los Feliz Forward was the brainchild of board members Tomas O’Grady and Mark Mauceri, both formerly from New Jersey. Shortly after relocating to Los Angeles they cleverly effected the hostile take over of the GGPNC. It could be argued that this was was achieved by exploiting vulnerable community groups. Disturbing messages of ethnic bias began to pop up in and around Los Feliz, a sort of double reverse hate speak. See [homophobe] and [ethnic].

They then spent the next year passing sweeping changes to bylaws that were once heralded as best practices by DONE. The process for pushing the bylaws to vote often involved cutting off public comment or posting agendas that didn’t meet minimum Brown Act requirements. It was the exact behavior the Brown Act was designed to protect against. Former board member and long term community activist Tom Wilson actually left the board because he was so frustrated with the lack of due diligence.

Ironically they had all the votes they needed to legally pass anything they wished. But it appears that they are so accustom to gaming the process that they are simply unable to play be the rules.

During the May meeting nine new board members were appointed to the GGPNC. They did this under the new set of rules that had been rushed through during the past year. However, the GGPNC neglected to wait for the bylaws to receive final approval from DONE. Nine senior members of the board who had spent decades donating their time to Los Feliz were not allowed to vote under a controversial provision of the new bylaws. This of course affected the potential vote count of every candidate running, some winning a seat by only one vote.

The new bylaws also affected who might have chosen to run for an appointed position. Senior board members had little hope of winning a seat with the” Los Feliz Forward only” voting block. It is safe to say that Tomas O’Grady’s and Mark Mauceri’s Los Feliz Forward has had an unfriendly history with the senior members of the GGPNC board. And in fact the average age of the GGPNC board has dropped about twenty years since the May appointments. The deep well of experience with the neighborhood, the park and with city and state government has been swept away. Now you will find the President allowing painfully long debates over which balloon to choose for a street fair.

GGPNC President Ron Ostrow who use to lecture his predecessors from the Robert Rules of Order as if he were a Parliamentary preacher now has to face the general board and try to wordsmith an excuse for what can be described as a major and unprecedented screw up. One can expect his delivery will be flawless. The only hope for a clean get away is that DONE some how forgives the breach of rules. The fact that to undo this arrogant mistake would be a gigantic mess might play in their favor. To make the invalid election valid would likely take more resources than DONE has to offer.

However it should not take DONE, or endless calls to the City Attorney, or the Code of Civility, or the State Brown Act, the GGPNC bylaws, or even Robert Rules of Order for the most casual observer to concluded that something is habitually wrong with the leadership of this neighborhood council.

The cure in whatever form may have to come from DONE. The leadership of GGPNC appear unable or unwilling to heal themselves.

25% of LA's kids are obese, yet City budget drains City recreation

Today - if nothing changes - the Los Angeles City Council will be voting a budget for Recreation and Parks that kills recreation and healthy activity for LA's most at-risk kids.  Cheers!

Bringing it back to the area around Griffith Park now, guess who didn't show at the City budget hearing for Recreation and Parks to support recreation in Los Angeles? The Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council's newly-selected Recreation Representative, Mark F. Mauceri. Or any of the rest of the GGPNC board or committee members, for that matter.

With their selection for Recreation Representative, the GGPNC completes a series of actions by which they have effectively marginalizing the once-thriving community forum on the whole from any truly meaningful existence. The rest of the community will need only to simply step around the very loud carcass. Most people already are.

'Los Feliz Forward' a major step backwards

Special to Griffith Park Wayist.

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The Disappointing Priorities of Los Feliz “Forward”

By John F. John Jr.

Maximize your assets
Minimize your liabilities

This is a business strategy so basic it seems silly to even mention it. However the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council governing board, led by the Los Feliz Forward slate, is sadly operating in exact reverse. It was never more apparent than in the back-to-back votes during the last month’s meeting of the Executive Committee.

First vote was to suspend all activities of the Parks River and Open Space committee providing they don’t offer a suggestion for a committee chair. Putting the procedural absurdity of this vote aside, this action would effectively kill the GGPNC’s greatest asset.

PROS provides oversight to one of the crown jewels of our city, Griffith Park. And not just a crown jewel, Griffith Park is a national treasure as the largest urban wilderness in our country. It is a destination for tourist from around the world. It is the location of truly iconic images such as the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory. It is the home to a delicate plant and wildlife ecosystem.

PROS played a major role in achieving cultural historic landmark status for the entire park. The PROS committee is comprised of more local volunteers, regional leaders, and community activist than any other GGPNC committee. PROS is also our council’s most stalwart watchdog over city bureaucracy.

There is no stronger advocate for preserving the spirit of Griffith J. Griffith’s open ended gift to our city than the PROS committee. That is why it is absolutely mind boggling to me that the GGPNC would vote to suspend all activities of this strategic group.

Admittedly it should have come as no surprise. I have been an observer or the GGPNC board meetings for nearly four years. I have witness the repeated attacks by a few angry men against the former chairman of the committee. I have watched senseless debates over every single dollar that gets appropriated to PROS projects while money handed to other committees have very little questioning or oversight.

In recent action I watched the executive committee orchestrate a backward trip through time in order to overturn a vote from the prior board. Last June, the Executive Committee agreed on a plan to freeze nearly $38,000 of public funds. They did this under the agenda heading Other Comments and Announcement, hardly the open and transparent meetings they claim to hold. Included in this were nearly $15,000 allocated to the park.

Image credit: civicintersection.com

Later in the general board meeting Mark Mauceri moved to take back the money appropriated for the PROS newsletter. This was after two members of PROS reported that the news letter was only ten days from completion.

The newsletter was, “something we take a great deal of pride in” said Dr. Napier a long time Los Feliz resident and board member, “it is one of our most valuable resources”. However, that little gem of outreach had been targeted for years by Mauceri and (CD 4 candidate Tomas) O’Grady.  At the meeting last June they finally succeeded in its repeal. They both laughed openly at the chair as she tried to save it.

The way those two meetings were agendized, and the ram it through arguments presented by Ron Ostrow and others should have given me clear warning where the priorities were for the new board. Anyone who has worked with budgets knows there are a multitude of paths to achieve desired goals. Unfortunately for the park, the new board’s choice has been to slash funding rather than to find creative solutions.

Read the painful minutes of this procedural shenanigan and note that only the Los Feliz Forward slate voted in favor.


The focused effort against PROS is as much personal as it is philosophical. The former chair, Bernadette Soter, is a quiet powerhouse and formidable opponent at a board meeting. Ms Soter knows how to elbow her way through a debate involving limited funds. The obsession with PROS, I believe, is driven by the need of a few angry men to finally win an argument, any argument over Soter. They are willing to weaken park oversight in order to finally get their way.

Make no mistake about it; suspending PROS does nothing good for the park, the neighborhood or the GGPNC. It is a procedural one up where winning is more important than outcome.

Second vote and only moments later was the appointment of Mark Mauceri as the chairman of the newly-formed Recreation committee. The process for vetting a proper chair seems to change from committee to committee. PROS was required to attend an outreach meeting where Mauceri only had to show up with form letters signed by a few of his friends.

Without getting into a long list that will just burn a hole in the lining of my stomach, I will say from my perspective that Mr. Mauceri has been the GGPNC’s greatest liability.

Mr. Mauceri has never been far from the controversies that have surrounded the GGPNC in recent years. He pretty much failed as Secretary, a mess that is still being sorted out. He has conveniently lost minutes, misrepresent board positions and engaged in repeated shouting matches. He is the author of truly hateful emails. Here are some examples. He has written emails that denigrate a person’s race and sexual orientation. Later he proudly admits to the fact and suggests that more - and worse - could come.

No single person has generated more animosity with the long time residents attending the meetings. His east coast brand of aggressiveness has driven away valuable volunteers. I can’t imagine what the Executive Committee was thinking when they unanimously appointed this controversial figure to chair a committee.

Demote PROS.

Promote Mauceri.

It is the reverse universe. It is the exact opposite of what should be happening. The above two votes moves Los Feliz backwards not forward. The Executive Committee’s inability to effectively navigate the political waters of our council is very troubling. Their willingness to ignore the inherent controversy in a figure like Mark Mauceri and instead focus disproportionate time on PROS is a detriment to the neighborhood.

I say all of this with the knowledge that most of the Los Feliz forward members are sincere and vital volunteers. It is unfortunate that they are being led by the misguided few. Their leadership will talk a good talk and their response to my opinion will be as confusing as it is long winded and disingenuous.

I urge all members of Los Feliz and beyond to show up for the public meetings and help me defend Griffith Park from the limited vision of a few angry men.

GGPNC election results are in

GGPNC election results are now available here.

The Los Feliz Forward slate was successful by approximately 300 votes in each district.

Now come the election challenges.

Morning tidbits

Tom LaBonge and his election friends?

Rumor has it that the Mayor's layoff list of an additional 3,000 City employees is due out this week. If the insanity caused by trying to lay off 1,000 employees is any indication, stay tuned for a complete and utter meltdown of City Hall leadership shortly after the list is released.


City councilmembers are making noise about reviewing the Mayor's bogus Carbon Reduction Surcharge to your DWP bill.  Expect lots of indignant smoke-blowing followed ultimately by a unanimous passage of the rate hike.... cause they need the cash. Bad.


Just a reminder - rattlesnake season is full-on in Griffith Park, and any other park where a self-respecting snake might have a food supply and enough territory to subsist. Rattlesnake bites are now being regularly reported by local veterinary offices. Keep your kids and dogs out of all long grass, and keep your eyes peeled everywhere else.


Speaking of snakes in the grass, eyewitnesses state that the CORBA-LaBonge backed slate "Los Feliz Forward" bussed in kids to vote in the GGPNC election this past Saturday in a school bus someone must have paid for. Wonder who?  Also according to eyewitnesses, Los Feliz Forward set up a confusing, if not outright fraudulent "Information Booth" just outside the no-electioneering perimeter, and funneled voters inside.

One voter confided to GPWist just how angry and misleading she found this action to be. She entered the faux general information booth assuming it was general information on the entire election and instead found herself on the receiving end of what she called "the hard sell" for Los Feliz Forward.


Move over Canada - we in the U.S. of A. have apparently achieved National Healthcare. Or so I'm told. Looking forward to seeing just how this works in practice, and what effect it has on the next national election. Like most everyone who is not a politician or in the medical field, I'm kinda tired of hearing all the verbal blah-blah-blah about it. Now DO somthing, so we can see what it is you are actually doing.


Ron Kaye has the ERIP midterm report up on his blog listing the employment class and retirement pension amount for the almost 1200 employees processed through the Early Retirement plan as of Feb 28th.  Average annual retirement pension payout is $52,000.  One item caught our park-sensitive eye:

SR PARK RANGER I, II
11/01/09
$2,680.39 monthly
$32,164.68 annual

Seriously - retiring Senior Park Rangers are making $20,000 less than the average? What is wrong with this picture?

Mountain bike lobby in bed with LaBonge in GGPNC election

Councilman Tom LaBonge has  sunk to an all-time new low in his effort to control the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council election.

LaBonge through his support of Los Feliz Forward is now in bed and spooning with CORBA - the mountain bike lobby who is trying to put mountain bikes on Griffith Park trails. 

CORBA is hustling to get out the vote for Los Feliz Forward, the LaBonge-backed slate running in tomorrow's election.

Remember CORBA and what they, along with IMBA, want to do on Griffith Park trails?

Here's a refresher:

Tom LaBonge has previously sworn up, down and sideways that he is against mountain bikes off-trail in Griffith Park. Quote: "...over my dead body" or similar. Until now, apparently.

When we didn't think he could go any lower, this really is an all-time new low in LaBonge's tenure as representative for CD 4.  If it is inadvertent, LaBonge needs to distance himself from CORBA and Los Feliz Forward right now. 

Assuming karma is real and the councilman fails to distance himself from Los Feliz Forward and CORBA, this screw-up should come back to haunt LaBonge every waking moment during his re-election attempt next March.

What's it gonna be, Tom?


Well, if it isn't obvious by now, anyone who truly cares about Griffith Park needs to get out the vote for the real pro-park candidates.

• DISTRICT A:  Laura Howe    and   Jeff Gardner
• DISTRICT B:  David Uebersax       and   John F. John 
• DISTRICT C:                     - no endorsements -  
• DISTRICT D:  Sara Latier Napier   and   Tom Wilson
• DISTRICT E:  Charley Mims           and   James McEwen

All users of Griffith Park are stakeholders in the GGPNC and are therefore eligible to vote.

Polls are open from 10 am until 4 pm

Hollywood Lutheran Church
1733 North New Hampshire  
(just North of Hollywood Blvd.)  
Los Angeles, CA 90027
--------------------------------------------------

From: CORBA eNews <corbanews@gmail.com>
Subject: Griffith Park Neighborhood Council Elections
Date: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 9:24 PM

This coming weekend, on March 20th the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council will be holding elections for their 10 available seats. The other nine seats are appointed by those elected (the highest proportion of appointed seats of any Neighborhood Council in Los Angeles, and one of the reasons change has been so difficult to make). Anyone who is a Griffith Park stakeholder is eligible to vote. That includes anyone at least 13 years old who lives or works near, or visits Griffith Park. You’ll be required to declare your eligibility by making a written affirmation that you are a stakeholder, i.e. somebody who uses or would use Griffith Park. You don’t have to be registered to vote.

As many CORBA members and other off-road cycling advocates know, all of our past dealings with GGPNC and other groups with an interest in Griffith Park have been met with a complete anti-mountain bike sentiment that verged on hostility. In many ways the management of Griffith Park, LA park system’s crown jewel, has affected the management of every other park in the City and bicycles remain banned in all LA City Parks.

The current GGPNC lacks transparency and is vehemently opposed to new ideas or any compromise. While it may not lead to any immediate gains or concessions for mountain bikers, change is good, and it starts with making your voice heard by voting. There is one group who, according to their candidate statements and web site, are also frustrated with the lack of forward thinking and openness to new ideas for Griffith Park. That group calls themselves Los Feliz Forward (http://www.losfelizforward.org). They are running as a ticket on a platform of openness, change, and moving forward, ideas which CORBA welcomes.

We encourages anyone who has an interest in Griffith Park to visit the GGPNC web site and the Los Feliz Forward web site to evaluate the candidates’ statements, and vote in the neighborhood council elections. Polling will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 20th, 2010, at Hollywood Lutheran Church, 1733 N. New Hampshire, just north of Hollywood Boulevard. Get out and vote!

GPWist endorses the real pro-park candidates in Saturday's GGPNC election

Griffith Park Wayist is proud to endorse the following real  pro-park candidates for tomorrow's Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council election.

• DISTRICT A:  Laura Howe    and   Jeff Gardner
(District A  contains Griffith Park)

• DISTRICT B:  David Uebersax       and   John F. John 
• DISTRICT C:                     - no endorsements -  
• DISTRICT D:  Sara Latier Napier   and   Tom Wilson
• DISTRICT E:  Charley Mims           and   James McEwen

To a person, these individuals have always fought the good fight on behalf of our park and our community. They're also terribly brave to step up in light of the ugliness brought forth by certain individuals.

PRO-PARK
VOTING INFORMATION

Vote pro-park! 
All users of Griffith Park are stakeholders in the GGPNC and are therefore eligible to vote.

Vote for two candidates per district.

Polls are open from 10 am until 4 pm
Saturday March 20th.

LOCATION
Hollywood Lutheran Church
1733 North New Hampshire (just North of Hollywood Blvd.)  

View Larger Map

Print out this article and take it with you when you go to vote tomorrow.
Bring your friends, too.

GGPNC candidates list is in

The official Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council candidates list has been published by the City Clerk's office, and what a surprise - the two nut cases are on the list.

This year, total whackjob Tomas O'Grady announced loudly that he has a running mate in fellow lightweight philanthropist Leslie Vankeuren. The two are running "as a team" in the same district. VanKeuren is an environmental consultant. She owns and runs Sustain LA, about which the web site says "Sustain LA, a consultancy providing plans of action for adopting sustainable practices, reducing waste and improving efficiency to Los Angeles area businesses... 

What is noteworthy with the candidates list are the names that are missing. It appears the nut jobs have succeeded in chasing out a lot of the familiar faces. That's bad news, because some of those individuals did a bunch of good, hard work for the community and for the park.

The demise of this neighborhood council seems to be well underway, then.  A number of others are already completely overrun with angry haters and power-seeking insiders. Can the entire neighborhood council system be far behind?


GGPNC board candidates

District A (Griffith Park)
Jeff Gardner
Laura Howe
Mio Vukovic
Frank W. Masi
Robert J. Menz

District B
Christina A. Khanjian
John F. Jon Jr.
David A. Ubersax
Ron Ostrow

District C
Alexander C. De Campo
Daniel S. Sandman
Andrea M. Iaderosa
Dominic Patten
Harpreet K. Malhi

District D
Sarah A. Latier Napier
John Q. Lee
Tomas P. Wilson
Leslie VanKeuren
Tomas O' Grady

District E
Jessica C Kornberg
James M. McEwen
Mark F. Mauceri
Charlie M. Mims

GGPNC election applications due today

Just a reminder that today is the last day to turn in your applications to run for the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council board. The GGPNC boundaries include Los Feliz and Griffith Park. Applications are due tonight at the GGPNC's regular board meeting. Should be a fun and ever-so-lively meeting, too. 

The welfare of the crown jewel of the City's parks system is potentially at stake here. Please consider running to represent your community in this election. There are 19 board seats - 10 are elected and 9 are appointed by the elected board members. The 10 elected members come from 5 different districts and Griffith Park is in District A.

Do it for the park. Run for the GGPNC Board.

GGPNC Board Meeting - 7pm January 19, 2010
The Los Feliz Community Police Center (2nd floor of Citibank)
1965 N. Hillhurst Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90027

More loonies in the Griffith Park NC hen-house

~Heads Up~ 
 Los Feliz locals and Griffith Park advocates:

Next Tuesday is the last day to apply to run for the governing board of the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council.

If this is your neighborhood council, you really should be concerned. Board members represent you. They spend your money in your name. Their conduct represents your community.

In this particular case, this board and its elected members are the de facto stewards of Griffith Park, so this election concerns us at the Wayist a heck of a lot.

The next GGPNC Board Meeting is Tuesday January 19th at 7pm. You may want to attend and see just who is representing you and, perhaps more importantly, how they are representing you.

Griffith Park Wayist encourages all people of good conscience to run in this election. We also encourage you to vote for anyone running except a current board member named Tomas O'Grady. We covered the why in detail earlier this week (click here to review).

During the course of the discussion on O'Grady, Wayist commenters kept linking O'Grady to another current board member and candidate, someone named Mark F. Mauceri. In checking around, it looks like this citizen is another someone who the park would likely do better without.

Mauceri seems to be the local politics soul mate of O'Grady, and information to this blog is that the two men are typically connected at the hip during orchestrated hit and run attacks on specific GGPNC Board members and issues at meetings. The vitriol in some of their antics is illustrated by one situation where they themselves phoned the employer of another GGPNC Board member and made libelous accusations to the employer about the board member. If 100% confirmed, this stuff is really nasty behavior even for local politics and goes way outside the boundaries of common decency.

Curiouser still is that something purporting to be an objective forum with paid advertising - the Los Feliz Liar - may have signed on to the two men's personal agenda. In documented cases, LFL reporters show up just before one of these hit sessions begin and leave as soon as Mauceri, O'Grady and operatives are finished, curiously showing no interest in the rest of the agenda items at the meeting in question.

It just makes ya go WTF??!? Doesn't it? 

Currently Mauceri seems to be some kind of television consultant in terms of day job. Wondering what's up, we Google'd Mauceri and found some .... interesting  for want of a better word .... publicly-available biographical data.

Truth is indeed stranger than fiction.
---

Mark F. Mauceri 
 
IMDb Filmography
"Naked Happy Girls" (special thanks) (3 episodes, 2007)
    - Look Ma, No Clothes (2007) TV episode (special thanks)
    - 3's a Crowd (2007) TV episode (special thanks)
    - Give Me Your Naked (2007) TV episode (special thanks)

----------


New Reality Dating Show FOURSOME Heads to Playboy TV
Playboy TV Presents the Next Generation of Dating Shows
Playboy TV ups the television ante on July 8 (9:30 p.m. ET / 10:30 p.m. PT) with the series premiere of FOURSOME, the most outrageous and uninhibited reality dating show ever conceived.
In each 30-minute episode, the devious minds at Playboy bring together four sexy singles to explore their wild sides. Two gorgeous girls and two hot guys are set up in an eye-popping Hollywood hilltop mansion and provided with lavish food, refreshments, toys and sexy scenarios as they live out the most unforgettable 24 hours of their lives and the sparks fly where they may. From demure women who suddenly find their inner divas to back-stabbing best friends, FOURSOME is always unexpected and always surprising. And since it′s produced by the leader in entertainment for adults, Playboy TV′s FOURSOME, unlike other dating shows, captures every passionate moment on tape. The viewer is along for the whole wild ride in the bedroom ... and the living room ... the kitchen ... the hot tub ... the limo ...
"FOURSOME ratchets up the dating show concept to Playboy′s level," stated Mark F. Mauceri, Playboy TV′s Vice President, Worldwide Programming. "It shows what can happen when Playboy acts as the matchmaker for the double date of a lifetime. It′s a highly entertaining, addictive, and a really guilty pleasure." 
--------------

Naked Happy Girls Coming to Playboy TV
Naked. Happy. Girls. What more do you need to know? On January 13 (9 p.m. ET / 10 p.m. PT), Playboy TV will premiere Naked Happy Girls, a 13-episode half-hour documentary series that follows erotic photojournalist Andrew Einhorn as he traverses New York City, meeting real-life women and convincing them to pose nude for him. Based on the popular hardcover coffee table book, Naked Happy Girls, the Playboy TV series offers viewers an authentic, un-glamorized, un-idealized look into the life of a working artist as he navigates the art world with its galleries and commercial demands while maintaining his creative output and managing his personal life. Interviews with his models reveal their varied reasons for agreeing to pose nude.
"Andrew has the kind of job most men would die for, except it's really not all babes all the time. Just 9-5," stated Mark F. Mauceri, Playboy TV's Vice President, Worldwide Programming. "In between, the reality of struggling in New York City, a demanding publisher, a judgmental mother, and girlfriends who can't get comfortable with his line of work turn an otherwise perfect life upside down."
Andrew Einhorn has developed a unique photographic style that is undeniably erotic and unabashedly fun. "I'm lucky that I can make women laugh," says Einhorn, "Laughter is happy and happy is sexy and sexy is nice. I like sexy pictures. I like happy sexy pictures. Most people do." Working with women he meets on the street, his Naked Happy Girls series is natural, playful and cheerful - capturing his subjects' inner beauty as much as their outer beauty. From Lower East Side Goth Girls to NYU Film Students to Upper East Side Debutantes, these are real women, with all their self-perceived "imperfections" celebrated. Employing his charm and sense of humor, Einhorn puts his models at ease, coaxing them to open up for the camera lens. 
-------------------------------
TV SERIES ON VIVID LAUNCHES ON PLAYBOY TV
Thursday, October 6th, 2005
The first episode of “Vivid Valley” premieres October 1st on Playboy TV. The 13-part weekly half-hour documentary series goes behind the doors of Vivid and the multibillion-dollar adult film industry. It was produced by World of Wonder’s award-winning producers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Party Monster, Inside Deep Throat). Playboy TV is promoting the series as “a fly-on-the-wall peek into the public passions and private lives of Vivid’s stars and their boss Steven Hirsch, the 42-year-old who created a hugely successful business using the tactics of the old Hollywood studio system – building a stable of bright young stars under exclusive contract.”  
Mark F. Mauceri, vice president of Playboy Worldwide Programming said, “’Vivid Valley’ is sure to entertain and fascinate the uninitiated with its intimate look at the company’s gritty inner workings.”
“Vivid Valley” follows the Vivid Girls through their professional and personal relationships on the set and at home, revealing their sometimes unexpected opinions on everything from plastic surgeries, drug abuse and recovery, child-rearing, romance and religion. “Vivid Valley” premiered Saturday, Oct. 1 (9:30pm ET / 10:30pm PT) and will air each Saturday for 13 episodes.

Of lunatics and the GGPNC election

Update 2011:

Recently, as Mr. Tomas O'Grady was campaigning for City Council District 4, hits on this particular article went drastically up. While investigating, we find that much of the information hard-linked here in January 2010 today now have 'not found' errors, or - as in the case of Mr. O'Grady's MySpace page - have changed/moved/been altered.) 

With blogs, external links always change over time, and Griffith Park Wayist has no control over external links. That said, the very pointed changes and edits to the external documents which were linked here in January 2010 are terribly interesting given O'Grady's  recent foray into the very public spotlight. 

Terribly. Terribly.  Interesting.
-------------

Applications to run for the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council board close January 19th, which is also the date of the next GGPNC board meeting. We at GPWayist care about the GGPNC perhaps more than other neighborhood councils because Griffith Park lies in their boundaries. As the impending election stands today, this neighborhood council is in big, big trouble.

There is little doubt crackpots and nutcases aplenty are running for the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council board this go-round. This is usually true of any local election, so this is hardly an earth shaking observation. In this case, however, the depth of the truth of this statement became crystal blue clear when a bunch of crazies popped up with shockingly paranoid fanaticism over a single 6-line tidbit we posted here on Griffith Park Wayist. Griffith Park Wayist is an evolving body of work with more than 300 articles and observations to its credit, written and gathered by five independent authors since it went live at the end of July 2009.  Yet one-small-item brought 'em screaming out of the psyc ward.

(As an aside, we'd like Unafraid to finally launch their first article, but they've been busy with their work.)

One borderline personality running for re-election is Tomas O'Grady, a Los Feliz local who seems to have some pretty serious personal issues. Griffith Park Wayist highly encourages everyone to vote for anyone but Tomas O'Grady. Why?

Where do we start? How about here: In response to the now infamous GPW tidbit, O'Grady himself  we're told sent us this cheery missive.

Dear “Wayist”:

These citizens you call “the crazies”, do you mean the ones who object to Griffith Park being used as an excuse for bullying? Do you mean the folk who object to the way Griffith Park scare tactics have been used as a fake political issue to hijack the NC? Do you mean those who are fed up with your smear campaigns and your phony emergencies? Do you mean the growing number of people who are tired of the toxic atmosphere created by the very GGPNC board member who is the “Wayist”?

This has never been about “protecting” Griffith Park. It’s always been about protecting the egos and the territory of a few self-aggrandizing Los Feliz elites who, over the years, have twisted the GGPNC into a nasty little playground run by a gang of neighborhood bullies.

Los Feliz is much more than Griffith Park. Both Griffith Park and Los Feliz deserve better than to be turned into a battleground for the sake of a tiny handful of petty Napoleons who imagine that the world will fall apart if they aren’t running things.

Vibrant, healthy democracy depends on free and open debate enriched by many voices and viewpoints. If the “Wayist” defines as a “crazy” anyone who disagrees with her, it says far more about the “Wayist” than it does about the “crazy”.

There’s a term for this mentality: it’s called ideological bigotry.

But, by all means, “Wayist”, keep blogging. I love it. I say, expose what lies beneath that self-righteous façade. Let as many voters as possible see how deeply malicious you really are.

January 7, 2010 7:52 AM

Not only does O'Grady show his deeply rooted paranoia with the claim that GGPNC board members write for Wayist - they don't - but his outright hate for other members of that board and for Griffith Park, of all things, can't help but spew out of the man and onto the paper. The 'bully' claim is interesting only in the fact that others subjected to his wrath state that abuse is actually O'Grady's own relentless tactic.

O'Grady's MySpace page shows him to be a self-proclaimed Dylan-esque musician and 'free spirit', fighting the widespread oppression wielded by The Man. O'Grady doesn't appear to be securely employed, claiming to have made a ton of money in real estate back east (selling for The Man?) One supposes that his lack of current formal employment leaves him more than enough time to prey on fellow local conspiracy theorists - including the local fishwrap in the area whose lack of objectivity has earned it the nickname among locals of the Los Feliz Liar.  O'Grady has founded or attached himself to a number of light-weight philanthropic activities in the area and is one of a small group of community people who generate fake publicity and public perception by creating web sites about causes that either don't exist or are being perverted for a purpose. He freely confuses his association with the GGPNC with his personal causes.

People report being afraid of O'Grady's hair-trigger temper and his potential for violence. He is reportedly more than disrespectful during neighborhood council board meetings when he doesn't get his way, to the point of becoming abusive. He's obsessed with filming each meeting, possibly fancying himself either Norma Rae or Michael Moore when in truth he's closer to Phil Jennerjahn in his lack of any functional political understanding. He behavior is reportedly that of a spoiled man-child, which is likely what brought the anonymous comparison to another very famous spoiled man-child, one Michael Jackson.

Last month, without board authorization O'Grady went to a Silverlake Neighborhood Council meeting stating he represented the GGPNC.  He then responded to a number of items in this capacity, and to one in particular with a voice described as "screaming" by one board member to that council's board  when they did not approve an expenditure of less than $200 for a clown or party entertainer to perform at a children's event within Silverlake's boundaries. O'Grady later tried to force the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council to pay for the same services by invoking the 24-hr special meeting and agenda process. When the GGPNC board declined to allocate funds for two reasons (1. you cannot "pay" anyone via the NC process, and 2. this takes place in another neighborhood council's boundaries and within another neighborhood council's purview), O'Grady reportedly threw another of his patented temper tantrums and yelled at the board saying that they hated children or some such blather.

O'Grady is chair of the GGPNC Green committee. Here is a sample of their work from the November 19th GGPNC Board Meeting. Note the nonsense of disallowing all uses of bottled water at GGPNC sponsored events - imagine this ban at popular GGPNC summertime eco events like the LA River cleanup -  and the shameless allocation of funds to a 501(c)3 non-profit that O'Grady himself founded  and another he is associated with.

12. Green Committee

A. Bottled Water/ MOTION # 1: The GGPNC recognizes the environmental problems associated with the use of bottled water. We encourage as an alternative, the use of tap water. We will strictly adhere to the policy of the City of Los Angeles which forbids the use of our public funds to purchase bottled water. The GGPNC calls on all City departments to adhere strictly to this rule. The GGPNC will not fund any community event or program that utilizes bottled water. The green committee is ordered to publish on the green page, practical and easily executable alternatives to the use of bottled water at these programs and events. The GGPNC calls on all City of Los Angeles Neighborhood Councils to adopt a similar resolution.
 
ALTERNATE MOTION # 2: The GGPNC recognizes the environmental problems associated with the use of bottled water. We encourage as an alternative, the use of tap water. We will strictly adhere to the policy of the City of Los Angeles which forbids the use of our public funds to purchase bottled water. The GGPNC strongly encourages the use of alternatives to bottled water and will give preference to funding community events or programs that do not utilize bottled water at these events or programs. This does not prohibit the funding of events that use bottled water. The green committee is ordered to publish on the green page, practical and easily executable alternatives to the use of bottled water at these programs and events. The GGPNC calls on all City of Los Angeles Neighborhood Councils to adopt a similar resolution.
 
B. Trees & Plant watering: MOTION The GGPNC agrees to approve up to $350 to purchase a small 45+ gallon water tank and accessories for watering trees in Los Feliz.
 
C. EASTSIDE ECOTOUR 2009 MOTION: The GGPNC agrees to contribute $300 towards expenses for the EASTSIDE ECOHOME TOUR 2009, organized by Farm Feliz, Eco-Home Network and the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council Green Committee. The GGPNC further agrees to post promotion material on the front page of its website and to email the GGPNC database so as to encourage participation.

Needless to say, Griffith Park Wayist highly encourages everyone with interest to run for the GGPNC Board, and to vote for anyone but Tomas O'Grady.

GGPNC-Local events calendar

To kick off the Holiday season the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council's www.GGPNC.org website's Coming Events Calendar has a rich mix of meetings and holiday events:

Sunday, November 29 - 5pm - Hollywood Remembers presents "Red Ribbon" a new musical about the early dark days of AIDS. Hollywood Lutheran Church, 1733 N. New Hampshire Ave. LA 90027.

Tuesday, December 1 - 7pm - GGPNC Transportation Committee meeting - Ranger House, 3201 Riverside Drive (across from Friendship Auditorium).

Wednesday, December 2 - 6:30pm - GGPNC Public Safety Committee meeting - Our Mother of Good Counsel Church, 2060 N. Vermont Ave. LA 90027.

Saturday, December 5 - 4-6pm - Los Feliz Branch Library free Open House to celebrate its 10^th Anniversary. On Sunday 12/6/09 from 2pm-4pm there is a fund raising Gala Event  also at the Library on the corner of Franklin and Hillhurst Avenues.

Saturday, December 5 - 6-10pm - Los Feliz Village Holiday Festival begins with a tree lighting at the Library and has various events along Hillhurst, Vermont and Hollywood Blvd. Free trolley between locations.

Monday, December 7 - 6:30pm - GGPNC Parks River & Open Space Committee celebrates 2009's accomplishments with refreshments followed by a Light Festival walk at 7:40pm.

Wednesday, December 9 - 7pm - GGPNC Planning Zoning/Historic Preservation Committee - Los Feliz Police Community Center, 1965 Hillhurst (Citibank 2^nd floor).

Tuesday, December 15 - 7pm - GGPNC Governing Board Meeting, preceded at 6pm by the GGPNC Executive Committee meeting. Both are at the Community Center above the Citibank at 1965 Hillhurst, LA 90027.

Agendas for GGPNC Meetings are posted about 3 days prior to meetings and everyone is encourage to attend and let us know how we can improve our community and the city.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE GGPNC

GGPNC meeting Tuesday - get involved!

GGPNC Board Meeting - 7pm October 20, 2009
Start: 10/20/2009 7:00 pm 

Board Meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday of each month at:
 
The Los Feliz Community Police Center (2nd floor of Citibank)
1965 N. Hillhurst Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90027


The Agenda for the Monthly Board meeting is posted about three day prior to the meeting and copied below.
 
1. Call to Order; Quorum Check
2. Public Comments on Non-Agenda Items; Public Announcements (2 mins. each)
3. Reports: Public Officials and City Staff
4. Treasurer’s Report (5 mins.)
A. Board Resolution authorizing new Treasurer for Funding requests.
Resolution: The Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council Board has elected David Uebersax as Treasurer on September 15, 2009, and with the appropriate training and funding forms completed, transfers authority to submit Demand Warrants and fulfill approved funding transactions as appropriate with the petty cash account, as well as the credit card issued to be administered on in accordance with the GGPNC bylawas and within the guidelines set forth by the City of Los Angeles and the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment.
B. Treasurer’s Report. Brief status report on current items, and discussion of follow up for 2009-2010 budget as approved, to include updated rollover fund total and other proposed budget items to be represented with further detail for approval.
5. Executive Committee Report (15 mins.)
A. Consideration of items for proposed action on grievance filed by Dana Cremin; discussion and action as appropriate.
B. Discussion of appropriate fees for copying ggpnc documents/materials as requested by interested stakeholders.
6. Approval of Minutes from May, June, July, August and September, 2009 Board Meetings


Committee Reports
7. Education Committee
A. Request for $5,000 for Big Blue M Project at Marshall High School as part of matching grant of $10,000 from LA Beautification Grant. Discussion and action.
B. Request for letter to be written to Mr. Cortines, LAUSD to keep fourth vice-principal at King Middle School. Mr Mark Jolley has been of great assistance to us and the school needs the consistency of a vp that has been there for 6 years, needs the continituity in the process of going from year-round to traditional school year and the perpetuation of good community relationships. Discussion and action. 

8. Parks River and Open Space Committee


A. Update on coyote killings controversy in Griffith Park. Discussion of circumstances leading to the euthanizations, and proposed remedies including possible action on a Community Impact Statement of support for LaBonge City Council Motion 09-2327 drafted in response to the euthanizations. 

B. Update on community and CD4 response to possible changes in duties and reassignments within the Recreation and Parks Department's Park Ranger Division. 

C. Update on final plan for the LADWP 2009 Light Festival in Griffith Park, including public comment and GGPNC opinion poll results. 

9. Outreach Committee
A. Request from LA City re: 2010 Census
B. Report on upcoming election timelines. Discussion and possible action.
10. Planning, Zoning and Historic Preservation Committee
A. 2223 Nottingham Ave. Request to retain recently constructed over-height walls and hedges in required front yard setback. Committee recommends opposition. 
B. Ruen Pair Thai Restaurant, 5257 Hollywood Blvd. Request to sell beer and wine at existing restaurant until 2 a.m. Committee recommends non-opposition provided service not extend beyond 11 p.m., permission cease upon change of ownership and other conditions accepted by applicant.  
C. 2208 Catalina (4821 Los Feliz Boulevard) request to build 345 foot, 7 ft. high wall set back 5 ft. from property lines on Catalina and Los Feliz with higher pedestrian and automobile gates. Committee recommends opposition. Applicant has indicated he may reconsider proposal and ask for subsequent review by committee.)
11. Cultural Committee
A. Request for support from Hollywood Remembers, Inc., for production expenses of its annual World AIDS Day observance on Sunday November 29: "Red Ribbon" by Joe Lawrence, directed by Jerry Craig. (see supporting information, page 3)
12. Other Comments and Announcements
13. Adjourn

2009 Holiday Light Festival goes half-green!

Dear Friend of Griffith Park,

Thank you for registering your opinion about changes you would like to see in the annual LADWP Light Festival in Griffith Park. The combined input of the 125 responses we received has had a powerful effect.

This year, for the first time, there will be more walking nights than driving nights.

1. Last year's festival was 1/3 people power, 2/3 engines. This year there will be 15 non-driving nights vs.13 driving nights.
2. Last year's festival deployed buses on walking nights to shuttle visitors from parking lots far from the walking route. This year the LADWP will discontinue the buses and direct visitors to the Zoo parking lot, saving $$$ and lowering pollution.
3. Last year's festival prohibited bicycles except for a single Bike Night. Although the LADWP did not accede to the request that bikes enjoy nightly access, this year it will make extra bike racks available at both ends of the light display.

Another significant change...this year's event will be ten days shorter, beginning on December 3 instead of Thanksgiving week.

Incremental progress is being made towards a combustion-engine free Light Festival. Whether you sent a letter or an e-mail, advocated in person or petitioned, we thank you. As we go forward, there are several ways to continue to promote reform...walk this year's fest and document it, send positive feedback to the LADWP for the changes it has made (contact info following), and please e-mail me or the GGPNC if you have other ideas.

The breakdown of the survey and the official LADWP announcement of 2009 Light Festival dates are copied below.

Thanks again for your advocacy,
Bernadette Soter
Parks, River and Open Space Committee (PROS)
Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council (GGPNC)  

The GGPNC received approximately 125 opinions. Here is the breakdown

- 105 respondents preferred an engine-free festival with all walking and bicycling nights
- 6 respondents preferred a festival with some walking and some driving nights
- 1 respondent preferred a festival with all driving nights
- 7 respondents felt that the festival should be moved from Griffith Park to another setting
- 7 respondents felt that the festival should be discontinued entirely

Should the Holiday Light Festival go green? Vote!

Should the 2009 Griffith Park Holiday Light Festival be:

1. a fully walking - bicycling - equestrian event,

2. or remain primarily a driving - vehicle event?



 Click the link to email your response:  LightFestival@ggpnc.org