October 31, 2013
Local News & Culture. Marina del Rey
Westchester
Free S a n ta M o n i c a
P l aya d e l R e y
P l aya V i s t a
M a r V i s ta
Del Rey
VenicE Photos by Ted Soqui
Venice balks at boardwalk blockades Locals come out against traffic barriers and police surveillance cameras planned in response to Ocean Front Walk tragedy By Gary Walker Traffic barriers and other safety measures planned for Venice Beach after a driver plowed through boardwalk crowds in August got an icy reception from seaside residents during a Tuesday community forum on public safety. Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin proposed installing short, vertical posts known as bollards to block vehicles from entering Ocean Front Walk immediately following the tragedy. On Aug. 6, 38-year-old Nathan Louis Campbell of Colorado allegedly drove onto the boardwalk and, according to witnesses, intentionally targeted pedestrians, killing 32-year-old Italian tourist Alice Gruppioni and injuring 16 others. In addition to traffic bollards, city officials have also proposed lighting upgrades as well as a network of Los Angeles Police Dept.-monitored surveillance cameras and public address speakers along the boardwalk. A few of the more than 100 people who gathered for the town hall at Westminster Avenue Elementary School spoke in favor of better lighting or a stronger in-person police presence, but a vast majority of speakers railed against setting up barriers and installing police cameras. Surveillance, roadblocks — “this is not what Venice is about,” said Lisa Acock, a Venice artist. Ira Koslow, a public school teacher and member of the Venice Neighborhood Council, was skeptical traffic bollards would be an effective deterrent. Witnesses claim Campbell drove around barriers off Dudley Avenue to enter the boardwalk, according to reports. (Continued on page 12)
Players practice Sunday at the Clippers’ Playa Vista headquarters
Clippers star Blake Griffin
Hoop Dreams
Will the Clippers become L.A.’s team in 2014? By Gary Walker The temperament of the Clippers wasn’t easy to read during a brief encounter with the press on Sunday inside the team’s 42,000 square-foot practice fortress in Playa Vista. Players, mostly second-team reserves, ran routine shooting drills. Backup Center Ryan Hollins practiced post-up moved in the lane while guarded by a much smaller defender. Coaches called out instructions and encouragement while stars Blake Griffin and Chris Paul took it easy on the sidelines. But the Clippers, for years relegated to second-tier status in the hierarchy of Los Angeles pro basketball, stand poised this season to wrestle top-dog status from the storied Los Angeles Lakers. Where the aging Lakers struggled to find their tempo last year, the Clippers emerged younger, more athletic and deeper on the bench, beating the Lakers each time they met on the court. Could the 2013-14 season be the year the Clippers takeover Laker-town? “We’re still working on a lot of stuff,” answered new Head Coach Glenn “Doc” Rivers, who won an NBA championship (Continued on page 10)
New Head Coach Doc Rivers
Parking upgrades ahead for Abbot Kinney Busy lots near the boulevard may get pay meters and a long-awaited paving
By Joe Piasecki Unpaved lots that offer free public parking near bustling Abbot Kinney Boulevard are slated for new concrete surfaces and fee-collecting parking meters. Pending approval by the California Coastal Commission, Los Angeles city
workers would start construction at the lots on the 1300 block of Electric Avenue and 1600 block of Irving Tabor Court in March, according to Dept. of Public Works documents. The meters are intended to increase turnover at the lots and free up increasing-
ly precious parking spaces for beachgoers and patrons of local businesses. Current users can park all day for free. After the upgrades, parking would cost $1 per hour within yet to be specified time limits. “That’ll be the big change. It won’t be (Continued on page 10)