San Fernando Valley Issue by The Daily Sundial

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BREAKING UNIFORMITY THROUGH ART

RISKY BUSINESS: SELLING TACOS WITHOUT A PERMIT

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EXPERT EXPLAINS: GENTRIFICATION IN THE VALLEY

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LETTER EDITOR from the

Through the lens of ’80s pop culture, the San Fernando Valley has been given a cookie-cutter image of a suburban paradise for only the white middle-class. Growing up in the Valley, I was always aware of this stereotype that couldn’t be further from the truth. I am just one of the 1.8 million people who populate this place and was lucky enough to grow up surrounded by people of all backgrounds, giving me a look into the lives that are different from my own. This issue is an homage to the colorful place we call home dedicated to tearing down the stereotypes fabricated by Hollywood and taking a deep look into real Valley locals. We begin with our cover story of a hidden secret in the back of a Reseda uniform shop where owner Marie Schwarzer pursues her passion of painting (page 8). We have two interviews with CSUN alumni who represent the Valley in their own way, one who created her own clothing brand to smash the bimbo valley girl image (page 10) and two cousins who opened a local brewery in Canoga Park to represent the 818 area (page 12). We take a look into the gentrification of the Valley that has occurred in the last decade and how marginalized areas are suffering the most from it (page 13), and the risks of being a street vendor without a permit (page 14). The Sundial Team and I hope this issue will give the CSUN community a better perspective into where our campus is located and what the San Fernando Valley is outside of the movie screen.

SUNDIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief

Madison Parsley editor@csun.edu

Managing Visual Editor Joshua Pacheco photo@csun.edu News Editor Gillian Moran-Perez city@csun.edu Assistant News Editor Kimberly Silverio-Bautista city@csun.edu Chief Copy Editor Ivey Mellem copydesk@sundial.csun.edu Copy Editors Pradnya Kalgutkar Munina Lam copydesk@sundial.csun.edu A&E Editor Ivan Salinas ane@csun.edu Assistant A&E Editors Kayla Fernandez Deja Magee Moss ane@csun.edu Opinion Editor Raychel Stewart opinion@csun.edu Sports Editor Bryanna Winner sports_sundial@csun.edu Assistant Sports Editor Andres Soto sports_sundial@csun.edu Photo Editor Logan Bik photo@csun.edu Social Media Manager Natalie Fina sundialsocialmedia@sundial.csun.edu Graphic Designers Ewan McNeil Elaine Sanders Illustrator Joelena Despard Audio Editor Pejvauk Shahamat sundialpodcast@gmail.com Video Editors Andrea Esparza Elaine Sanders

Thank you,

Assistant Video Editor Brendan Reed-Crabb

Madison Parsley

Web Developer Rugved Saurabh Darwhekar online@csun.edu

Editor-in-Chief

Sales Representatives Pathik Patel Kelly Salvador Olivia Vakayil Estefano Vasquez Arlene Yeghiayan

CONTENTS “Identity & Film” Page 6

Deja Magee

“Sounds from the Valley” Page 7

Kayla Fernandez

A playlist of musicians throughout the years that have fostered a flourishing musical community in the Valley.

“8one8: Brewing Culture in the Valley” Page 12

Ivan Salinas

Bar-hopping around the Valley is now possible thanks to the pioneering scene of microbreweries opening in the area.

Breaking Uniformity Through Art by Logan Bik

Cover portrait of Marie Schwarzer by Logan Bik

A look at famous film locations in the San Fernando Valley.

Sales Support HaoWen Hsueh Distribution Lead Brendan Reed-Crabb Distribution Nicole Benda Emilio Bravo Publisher Arvli Ward arvli.ward@csun.edu General Manager Jody Holcomb jody.doyle@csun.edu Business Manager Sandra Tan sandra.tan@csun.edu

Published weekly by the Department of Journalism at California State University, Northridge Manzanita Hall 140 18111 Nordhoﬀ St., Northridge, CA 91330-8258 News - 818-677-2915 | Advertising - 818-677-2998

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CITY@CSUN.EDU

A Brief History

1200-1800

of the

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

1797 TOWNSHIP Senator Charles Maclay went to the County Recorder in Los Angeles and created the City of San Fernando (township) through a map of development plans.

LA ANNEXES THE VALLEY The city of Los Angeles annexed the San Fernando Valley, enabling the Valley to gain access to the water coming from Owens Valley from the Los Angeles Aqueduct (completed two years earlier by William Mulholland).

CSUN OPENS The San Fernando Valley Campus of the Los Angeles State College of Applied Arts and Sciences (CSUN) was opened, becoming the third institution of higher education founded in the Valley; in 1947 Pierce College is founded and in 1949 Valley College was opened.

“VALLEY GIRL” Frank and Moon Zappa recorded the song “Valley Girl.”

Fifty-seven people lost their lives in the wake of the 6.7 magnitude Northridge Earthquake. With $20 billion in damages, it was one of the costliest natural disasters in United States history. SUNDIAL

SEPTEMBER 4 - 10, 2019

Chumash peoples painted pictographs in the caves of Burro Flats. Forty tribes existed around the Valley, collectively called ‘Fernandeños,’ after the mission.

MISSION SAN FERNANDO Mission San Fernando Rey de España was created and housed on Rancho Encino. It was the 17th of the California missions established by Fray Fermin Francisco de Lasuen. The mission became one of the most prosperous in California, producing abundant harvests and goods.

1874 1883

FIRST NEWSPAPER The first newspaper in the Valley was established: the San Fernando Comet.

1915 1945 1956

STUDIO STRIKE Set designers from the Conference of Studio Unions went on strike against Warner Brothers film studio for six months. On Oct. 5, also known as “Hollywood Black Friday,” picketing workers were attacked by executives and studio police, inciting “the Battle of Warner Brothers” at their Burbank studios. Producers pelted metal nuts and bolts from the roof and police hosed workers and threw tear gas. Strikers overturned three cars in the melee. The strike ended and negotiations were never resolved.

1982 1991

NORTHRIDGE EARTHQUAKE

THE CHUMASH

1994

1992

RODNEY KING ATTACK Motorist Rodney King was pulled over on Foothill Boulevard in Lake View Terrace where 15 LAPD officers in patrol cars converged on him. A local resident videotaped the beating, which sparked a national discussion on police brutality.

RODNEY KING TRIAL The Rodney King trial took place in Simi Valley with a jury of 10 whites, one Latino and one Asian. The jury acquitted the officers. Upon hearing the verdict, hundreds of Angelenos began a protest that turned into a “live” televised six-day riot where 53 people died and the total cost of damages was over $1 billion. 3

2050: THE CRATER Illustration by Joelena Despard

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Film

IDENTITY

A look at famous film locations in the San Fernando Valley. By Deja Magee / Photography by Logan Bik Curving down Interstate 405, tucked away behind the Hollywood hills far from the beaches, lights, and the LA cityscape, lies the San Fernando Valley — a city of its own with a culture that consists entirely of a melting pot of orange groves, gritty locale and calming suburbs for Angelenos. Unlike the extravagant energy of the LA area, the mood of the SFV is much more relaxed. The energy resides in the heart of the people that live here, and that’s evident in the attention the Valley has gotten from Hollywood producers over the years. Because the Valley isn’t quite like its more glamorous counterparts, Hollywood executives have used its rurality to their advantage with old Western shows like “Bonanza,” “The Lone Ranger” and “The Outlaw.” However, movies from the ’80s up to today have been filmed in distinct locations in the Valley due to the eclectic styles that the SFV locales have to offer.

“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

“Boogie Nights” Miss Donuts

Casa Vega

8231 Sherman Way, Reseda

13301 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks The most recent movie to showcase what the Valley has to offer, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” utilizes the 62-year-old Mexican restaurant Casa Vega during a pivotal moment in the film where Leonardo DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton and Brad Pitt’s Cliff Booth are spending their last night together as brothers-in-arms after spending six months in Italy. With tiles on the outside of the establishment that show matadors fighting with bulls, it has a cool blend of a Mexican-American feel. Situated in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood along Ventura Boulevard, it blends the cosmopolitan aesthetic of Hollywood and the greater Los Angeles area while still preserving the cozy feeling of the Valley.

On the same stretch of road as the Reseda Theater and the building Anderson used as the Hot Traxx Disco in the movie “Boogie Nights,” the donut shop where Don Cheadle’s character was held at gunpoint is still standing and in operation today. Anderson wanted all of the locations that were shot in the movie to be close to each other to give a more cohesive and realistic point of view into Dirk Diggler’s narrative in the film.

“The Karate Kid (1984)” Cobra Kai Dojo 5223 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood

“Boogie Nights” Reseda Theater 18443 Sherman Way, Reseda Along a stretch of road on Sherman Way, the now-abandoned Reseda Theater was used in the opening shot sequence of director Paul Thomas Anderson’s film debut, “Boogie Nights.” The Hot Traxx Disco, as it was named in the film, showed the newly emerging nightlife in the Valley. Its complete 1977 rework of the theater took the audience back into the ’70s as they witnessed the early life of upcoming pornstar Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg).

A film set in Reseda, “The Karate Kid” tells the story of the new kid on the block, Daniel LaRusso, moving from New Jersey to California. This was John Avildsen’s second successful franchise after having directed the first “Rocky” film. What used to be the Cobra Kai Dojo (pictured above) is actually located in the NoHo Arts District. Daniel’s valley boy archnemesis in the film, Johnny Lawrence, was trained at the dojo (his team of thugs is referred to as the Cobra Kais by LaRusso’s love interest, Ali, who happens to be Johnny’s ex-girlfriend). What now resides in the place of the dojo is simply an abandoned building; a relic of what used to be on the busy street of Lankershim Boulevard.

“Back to the Future” The McFly Residence 9303 Roslyndale Ave., Arleta The Hollywood executives of “Back to the Future” used the quiet neighborhood of Arleta as the home of protagonist Marty McFly. In front of the Arleta DMV, Marty’s house is tucked away on serene Roslyndale Avenue. The power lines right behind the house invoke the image of Marty skating in the opening sequence while “The Power of Love” plays in the background.

SUNDIAL º SEPTEMBER 4- 10, 2019

Valley Girl

We Belong Together

Frank Zappa

This rock ‘n’ roll pioneer of the Chicano rock movement hails from the well known San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Pacoima. Valens’ short-lived musical career has left a tremendous impact on artists throughout the decades. The self-taught musician was known as the “Little Richard of San Fernando” because of his high energy during his performances. Valens has become so influential to Latinos as one of the first musicians with Mexican ancestry to gain success in white America.

Roger Hallaway Roger Hallaway is a talented multi-instrumentalist originally from Fresno, California. Previously a CSUN student, Hallaway writes easily relatable lyrics with funky dreamlike melodies. Listening closely to his music you might be thinking, “Wow this is exactly how I am feeling at the moment.” Hallaway brings exciting musical elements into the Los Angeles indie music scene, definitely an artist you do not want to miss out on.

Aside from the other classic rock artists in this list, Will Wiesenfeld created Baths, an electronic pop project. Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, he has gained a loyal fan base throughout LA. With influences like Björk, Wiesenfeld has created dreamy nostalgic synth gems. Perfect soft ambient music for nights you want to lay on your bedroom floor and ponder about life.

Free Fallin’ Tom Petty

HAIM One of the most famous bands coming out of the San Fernando Valley is the powerful sister trio, HAIM. The girls performed as a pop group called Valli Girls in the early 2000s. Their music videos have also featured the emblematic Ventura Boulevard, some of which were directed by Paul Thomas Anderson whose film work features the Valley too. Growing up in a musical household, the three sisters had everything at their disposal. Inspired by the late Lou Reed, HAIM gives the world a new single called “Summer Girl” that radiates mellow vibes to wind down the summer.

S OF T D N H U O VALLEY

Released in 1989, Tom Petty wrote a smashing hit that reflected on his frequent drives in the Valley. However, Petty isn’t a Los Angeles native; he grew up in Gainesville, Florida. Writing from a “bad boy’s” perspective, the lyrics tell the story of a girl living in the Valley. Petty mentions wellknown locations throughout the Valley, such as the neighborhood of Reseda, the 101 “Ventura” freeway, the iconic Ventura Boulevard and the traffic-jammed Mulholland Drive.

How Does It Feel?

Ritchie Valens

Summer Girl

Baths

The 1982 hit single by Frank Zappa pokes fun at the “valley girl” talk that reflected the spoiled teenage girls living in LA. With the help of his daughter, Moon Zappa, he was able to recreate past conversations Moon had with her friends. Listen to the song and you can hear familiar location references like the Sherman Oaks Galleria, Encino and Ventura Boulevard. This quirky kitsch tune is something to laugh at.

Aminals

By Kayla Fernandez The Valley has served as a muse and home to a myriad of musicians throughout the years and continues to foster a flourishing musical community. Since the 1950s the Valley has been home to pioneering musicians like Ritchie Valens, and its southern hills and streets have given inspiration to ’70s musicians like Frank Zappa and Tom Petty.

Check out the full playlist on Spotify THE SUNDIAL

STUDENT TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES

Wolves The Cozzmos

This emerging punk band has been gaining momentum since the release of their debut album in 2017. From backyard shows to local festivals in the Valley, The Cozzmos have been building a young and energetic audience. As active musicians in the local scene, the band keeps pushing to establish their name in the greater LA area and beyond. With influences of dreamy-pop vocals, fast-paced rhythms and catchy guitar melodies, “Wolves” will have you moshing next time you hear it live.

Canvas Check due dates and view course materials. csun.edu/it/canvas CSUN Mobile App View the 3-D campus map, enroll in classes, find parking, and more. csun.edu/it/csun-mobile-app LinkedIn Learning Learn business, creative and tech skills. csun.edu/it/linkedin-learning myCSUNbox Store your files in a collaborative space. csun.edu/it/mycsunbox Portfolium Create an ePortfolio to showcase your work. csun.edu/it/portfolium Software Resources Access software - Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office, MATLAB, and more from myCSUNsoftware. csun.edu/it/student-software Zoom Join or host a video conference. csun.edu/it/zoom

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BREAKING UNIFORMITY THROUGH ART Photography and story by Logan Bik

alking around the San Fernando Valley one will see a variety of small businesses, vacant buildings and rubbish in the gutter. Hidden among the regularity of the Valley is a businesswoman and artist, Marie Schwarzer. She is a painter, writer and owner of Uniform Depot, where she spends most of her days. In the front of the store she sells uniforms, and in the back she works on her art. Growing up in Poland, Schwarzer was surrounded by cultures from neighboring countries and used that to her advantage. She took her studies seriously as she pursued her education and received a master’s degree in Engineering. When she moved to the United States, Schwarzer attended Washington State University and received another master’s degree in Biophysics. Following graduation, she moved to California where she and her husband started a new life for themselves. The couple was always active in the real estate world, and when Uniform Depot went on the market, Schwarzer took up the opportunity to purchase the business and became the owner. From where it sits on the corner of Sherman Way and Reseda, the store has been around since the 1980s and has faced all the changes of the San Fernando Valley. From the outside you’ll notice orange and red paint, which brings back the retro feel of Reseda. As you step into the store, you are greeted by mannequins wearing everything

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from medical scrubs to construction gear. With a quick look around you will most likely hear a “Hello,” in a Polish accent, coming from Schwarzer sitting in the back of the store. Schwarzer has been the owner for 14 years and has managed to run a successful business and pursue her passion for art simultaneously. Between helping customers with their uniform needs, she sits in the back, near her easel, where she works on her paintings. She began painting in the store about 10 years ago as an outlet to relieve stress. As Schwarzer applies paint to the canvas, the colors pop as

she uses bright and metallic acrylic paints in her pieces. The paintings often feature a dynamic relationship between life, culture and science using abstraction and surrealism. Schwarzer, being educated in the sciences, often uses the DNA double helix in her paintings. She also works on her creative writing through her novels, which she self-publicizes through Amazon. She has written six books, with the first one being published in 2011. The novels range in topics such as art, philosophy and math. Schwarzer does not stop there as she also works on sewing.

She incorporates her paintings into her clothing as she gets her paintings printed onto silk, which she can then use to design clothing. In the end she would like to work in high fashion. “I love high-end fashion and design, I just do not have the connections,” Schwarzer said. Though her works of art have caught the attention of art collectors and galleries, Schwarzer struggles to take her art to the next level. “I have no time to go to these meetings, this store is how I pay my bills, and I can’t afford to close down for a day and potentially lose customers,” Schwarzer said. “I need help managing my art.” In the meantime, she uses fineartamerica.com to share her artwork with the world, where people can also purchase prints of her paintings on everything, from pillowcases to beach towels. Although Schwarzer does not get a large amount of sales, she mentioned that it is not always about the money when it comes to art. “Money is good, but for me, art is just something I enjoy, it relieves my stress,” Schwarzer said. Despite the struggles, she has stayed optimistic throughout the years, just waiting for the right opportunity. The Uniform Depot has been home to the San Fernando Valley for quite some time and has seen a lot of different people, but none quite like Schwarzer. “When you die, you should leave something behind for people to see and remember you,” she said.

smashing the

Valley girl

image

A CSUN alumna creates a clothing and accessory brand to redefine the valley girl on her own terms. By Madison Parsley / Photo courtesy of Alisa Damaso

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The Valley Girl as defined in ’80s pop culture is typically a ditzy white blonde that can be found in the local mall because OMG, it’s like, totally bitchin’. With a stereotype that is drowning in materialism and airheadedness, it is not only an insult to female intelligence but grossly under-represents the true demographics of the San Fernando Valley. With this in mind, a CSUN alumna took it into her own hands to redefine the bimbo image by creating the clothing and accessories brand VLY GRL, dedicated to showcasing real valley babes of all backgrounds. “I lived in Reseda, went to school in Van Nuys and Chatsworth, and studied at CSUN. I love that I grew up around such diverse groups of kids throughout my education,” said Alisa Damaso, creator of the accessory and clothing brand VLY GRL. “Not everyone gets to have that experience, and I’m so grateful for that. I’m still really close with friends I made in grade school, high school and college.” But like most of us valley locals, she never encountered the valley girl stereotype akin to Cher Horowitz from “Clueless” or Elle Woods from “Legally Blonde” until she lived somewhere other than the place she’d been raised in. “I didn’t experience the annoying stereotypes first-hand until I moved out of the Valley seven years ago,” she said. “People outside the SFV really don’t know what it’s like, and I get it, the Valley isn’t a destination city. But it doesn’t try to be! It’s full of all kinds of people, it’s got hard edges, and it’s unapologetically real — and that’s what I love about it. I just shut people down when they’re being ignorant.” Damaso saw a need for Valley flair that truly represented the women of her hometown. After a career change from writing to graphic design she was inspired to create VLY GRL, a brand that would allow her to redefine the valley girl in her own terms. “VLY GRL came from a combination of things. I had just switched my career from writing and communications to graphic design and I wanted to start a fun brand that showcased my skills and style so I could land a job,” said Damaso. “I was also sick of the dumb comments about how, like, omigawd, I’m, like, a Valley girl or whatever? The San Fernando Valley is made up of 1.77 million culturally diverse people. Valley girls aren’t just one way. So that outdated stereotype is just offensive. I saw a need for

Valley flare in the pin game and it was an opportunity to take back the designation and redefine it on my own terms.” The brand ranges from T-shirts to hoodies, pins and stickers, and even her own zines that showcase a collection of works from valley girls, nostalgic vibes of growing up in the SFV, and film photography of the community. “It feels great to be able to provide a way for others to express their love and pride for their home. The VLY GRL Zine is one of the biggest ways my brand shows the diversity of the Valley; it’s a compilation of creative works by women from or based in the SFV,” Damaso said. The use of blue, orange and pink in the logo is a reminder of how colorful the Valley is and what makes our community different than others. For Damaso, the brand has been founded in her personal baseline by employing with inclusivity and diversity which she expresses is something that needs to be a standard for everyone. “The more exposure marginalized communities get, the more we can understand each other better. So properly representing the San Fernando Valley, a place that’s been characterized by mainstream media for decades, is a progression of that,” she said. As a daughter of parents from the Philippines, Damaso has also noticed a misrepresentation of her identity in the media. “A lot of us, especially Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) kids, grew up ashamed of our roots and struggled with our identity because we are not considered ‘normal’ in mainstream society since the perceived default American is a white person. But if you live in any metropolitan area, your eyes tell you a different story,” said Damaso. “So that’s why I feel so strongly about representation in the media — even though kids of color grew up surrounded by people who looked like them, they struggled with where they fit in the broader world, because we can’t be what we can’t see. It’s getting a lot better these days though, which is so awesome.” Between her full-time job and playing shows with her band — Vincent Gargiulo National Park — Damaso will continue to expand her brand that represents her community. “For now, it’s important for me to keep the zine going and cultivate a sense of community and sisterhood among Valley girls,” she said.

ANE@CSUN.EDU

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SEPTEMBER 4 - 10, 2019

8 ONE 8: BREWING CULTURE IN THE VALLEY Bar-hopping around the Valley is now possible thanks to the pioneering scene of microbreweries opening in the area. By Ivan Salinas / Photography by Joshua Pacheco Out of all the beers on tap available at CSUN’s Pub Sports Grill, there is one popular option among students — a household name known as Matador Red. This Red Ale is a crafted drink locally brewed in the San Fernando Valley. Situated in the neighborhood of Canoga Park, founders Derrick and Bryan Olson discovered the perfect spot to open 8one8 Brewing. The Olson cousins found themselves in a pioneering scene during the early 2010s as local breweries began opening. “We went to a local craft beer bar in the Valley where we were introduced to European styles of beer,” Bryan explained. “We went to this bar that had a lot of stuff from Germany and Belgium. Stuff I had never tried before and it piqued my interest.” Aware of the spark igniting in the Valley, the Olson cousins saw the potential of opening their own brewery at home like other places they visited, including San Diego and Los Angeles, where they saw breweries all over the place. “There’s this bar in Winnetka that’s starting to get these people into craft beers but there were no breweries. We thought, let’s bring the culture of brewing to the Valley,” Bryan said. As the Olson cousins entered competitions sharing their product, they noticed a demand from locals which led them to export their first signature crafts, including Valley Girl (a Blonde Ale) and Matador Red. As a CSUN alumnus, Derrick’s background in manufacturing systems engineering prepared him to gather and maintain the proper equipment needed to make a typical batch (310 gallons worth of beer). Their team operates from a single room filled with fermenters where the brewing process occurs.

Compared to industry giants, their operating size is rather small. A 10-minute car ride away, the San Fernando Valley is home to a huge Budweiser brewery that runs along Roscoe Boulevard and Haskell Avenue next to Interstate 405. However, for a microbrewery like 8one8, this small operating size is an advantage. “Breweries function off of investment into equipment. On a normal brew day everyone is running measurements, turning valves, checking timers,” Derrick explained as he gave a tour of the brewing room adjacent to their tasting room, which opened in 2015. “We’re able to be more flexible and brew two kinds of beers at the same time. (Industry giants operate at a

larger scale) where everything is automated. The deck is more of a manufacturing setting. People are wearing rigging hardware, fixing the equipment and keeping the facility running. You go up on the room where the brewers are, they’re all looking at the computers overseeing the process.” This greatly differs from Derrick and Bryan’s brewing that involves a more traditional handson process and can then provide various tastes of beer for locals. One of those locals is Kate Rosen, who has been a regular for a year. A recent graduate from CSUN with a bachelor’s degree in art, Rosen found a job in her hometown and has opted to visit more local breweries like 8one8. While in the tasting room, she

was editing a few photographs she took during the brewery’s four year anniversary celebration, which was held at the brewery. “It’s a way for me to give back to them since they’ve been so good to me,” she said. “And I’m able to put my major into practice.” The Olson cousins are also for the idea of giving back to their community, recently pairing with 11:11, a creative collective, to include artwork on the walls of their tasting room, donated money to the McGroarty Arts Center in Sunland, worked with university campuses and farmers to properly dispose of waste, and even obtained materials made by businesses within the San Fernando Valley. This has a

positive impact by contributing to the local economy. Rosen was editing while enjoying a taster-sized glass of a Matador Red when she noticed a familiar face, Doug Lerma, sitting just a few feet away. “I see you’re rocking your CSUN gear,” she said, pointing out Lerma’s gray hat adorned with the university’s black and red logo. “I was visiting my daughter today,” Lerma replied, while laughing. “She just needed money for some books.” Lerma grew up in Canoga Park and his daughter recently began her first semester at CSUN. He works in the Hollywood area where he’s frequented a few bars. When he heard of 8one8, he was proud to visit a brewery within his hometown. Interactions between locals are something that both Derrick and Bryan knew would occur as it is typical of brewery spaces. To that, Derrick added, “The idea of there being a community hub is not new, it is in the Valley. Ours has an influence from European beer gardens. Every town has its four or five breweries with crafts you can only have in that place.” Breweries like MacLeod Ale Brewing Co. (Van Nuys), San Fernando Brewing Co. (San Fernando) and Tarantula Hill Brewing Co. (Thousand Oaks), among others, all create a unique experience for locals like Rosen and Lerma while driving nonlocals to the valley, too. While these breweries are in competition with each other, business-wise, they also support each other by brewing together and maintaining a friendship. “We feel the more of us small guys versus one Anheuser-Busch is better for everybody,” Bryan said. “We come out with different styles, and different environments, but the same people can enjoy them all.”

SUNDIAL º SEPTEMBER 4- 10, 2019

Expert Explains:

GENTRIFICATION

in the Valley

Researcher at the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge Doctoral candidate in urban planning and a member of the LA team for the UrbanDisplacement.org Project

Illustrations by Joelena Despard

ities are engines of concentrated economic growth, money and knowledge. But our cities are also full of contradictions — concentrated wealth and poverty, areas replete with natural resources or environmental problems, and neighborhoods with excellent schools and many more with limited resources. Gentrification is the most recent “buzzword” exemplifying these contradictions in disadvantaged, inner-city areas. Yet, the San Fernando Valley is often left out of the conversation on gentrification. Why? First, outdated notions of the Valley as a stereotypical white, middle-class suburb, have dismissed its socioeconomic diversity and history of segregation. Second, the lack of substantive public investment in its disadvantaged communities has limited gentrification from showing its “ugly nose.” But the reality is gentrification has occurred over the last decade and historically marginalized areas are bearing the brunt. By Silvia R. Gonzalez

WHAT IS GENTRIFICATION? Gentrification is often used to describe the influx of new higher income, more educated, and usually white residents, into a historically marginalized area due to concentrated public and private investments that suddenly make the area more attractive. Gentrification leads to rising property values and rising housing costs. This is where gentrification becomes a problem. Rising land values leads to the displacement of existing residents and businesses who can no longer afford to stay in their neighborhood. Neighborhoods are also closed off to others of similar socioeconomic backgrounds.

WHERE IS GENTRIFICATION HAPPENING? In Los Angeles, gentrification has occurred around large-scale public transit investments or transit-oriented districts (TODs) that promise improved access to jobs, education, services and regional transit. But skyrocketing rents and displacement of businesses and residents occurred in TOD neighborhoods. Prime examples are Chinatown, Boyle Heights and Highland Park. According to data from the Urban Displacement Project between 1990-2000, at least 69 neighborhoods (defined as census tracts) experienced gentrification. The number jumped to 80 in 2010.

IS GENTRIFICATION HAPPENING IN THE VALLEY? The short answer is yes. Of gentrified neighborhoods in 2010, at least eight are in the Valley. All but one is east of Interstate 405 — the imaginary line that divides the more affluent “suburbs” from the lower income. No neighborhoods show as gentrified between 1999-2000, indicating gentrification is a more recent change. But what is most concerning are upcoming large scale public investments coming in the form of TODs and to improve environmental sustainability. In recent years, Metro gave greenlight to create a new bus rapid transit project crisscrossing east to west. A new light rail is planned to connect northeast neighborhoods. The Sepulveda Pass Transit Corridor is the most recent project to deal with congestion on I-405. Parts of Pacoima and Sun Valley will also receive $23 million in investments as part of a statewide grant process known as Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) to fund development and infrastructure projects to achieve significant environmental, health and economic benefits in disadvantaged communities. TCC leverages an additional $40 million in local funds.

A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL The light at the end of the tunnel is that the TCC grant is part of a historic collaborative between community-based organizations, policymakers and academics to ensure equitable development in these neighborhoods. Central to this grant is to monitor gentrification and mitigate displacement with solutions proposed by local residents. Further, advocates, urban planners and policymakers in Los Angeles have made great strides to ensure citizens have a say in the planning process for transit projects. Now is the time to make gentrification and displacement front and center in the planning discussions for the Valley, and to ensure the Valley’s inclusion gentrification discourse. College students are in a distinct position to make this happen as they choose which topics to study and what professional fields to contribute their skills and knowledge to.

SUNDIAL

SEPTEMBER 4 - 10, 2019

Risky Business:

SELLING TACOS WITHOUT A PERMIT

By Kimberly Silverio-Bautista / Photography by John Hernandez and Elaine Sanders As the carne asada meat is scooped with two small, warm tortillas soaked in oil, Rafael Gonzalez, el taquero, believes opening up a taco stand up is worth the risk. Many taqueros in the San Fernando Valley like Gonzalez, who works at Tacos El Bebe, don’t have a legal permit to vend. According to Small Business Charon, vendors need to take a food-handling class, have a vending license and a health permit. Gonzalez says having a permit has its disadvantages. “It charges a lot of taxes and what type of oil you can or cannot use,” he said. He and the owner of the stand are aware public health inspectors can come at any moment and take away their goods. They can also fine each employee with a ticket ranging from $400-$1,000. He just started working in the stand about three weeks ago and feels that it’s an easy format to get employment. “The hirer doesn’t request any type of document to work,” Gonzalez said. “All they need to know is if you’re able to perform well in this job.” Many vendors don’t have the required documents like proof of citizenship or a social security number in order to apply to jobs like office employment or at stores. It’s also an alternative job for people to have because it’s a necessity to be financially stable and to survive. The majority of the taco stand employees are low-income, undocumented and have this job as their only or second source of income. It supports taqueros like Gonzalez to pay bills, help out their families and have some

extra cash on the side. Gonzalez, who is a father to a young boy, says it helps him out to support his child. According to an Economic Roundtable Study, vendors would make about “$204 a week or $10,098 a year in revenue” vending food such as tamales, ice cream, raspados and other types of food. They also generate $504 million annually. Gonzalez said the owner has two taco trucks and eight taco stands in the Los Angeles area, three of which are located in the San Fernando Valley. Gonzalez is aware of Senate Bill 946, or the Safe Sidewalk Vending Act, which allows vendors to vend in the street legally so long as they have a permit. However, Gonzalez’s taco stand doesn’t have a permit to legally vend yet. Of course, his isn’t the only stand in the Valley without a permit. Corima, 23, owns Tacos El Infierno along with her husband Oscar, who is 24. Corima explained that it’s easier to start a business having a taco stand than a restaurant. “It’s the chance to get your own business started without having to do all the process because any other way I don’t think many Latinos would survive in the economy,” she said. “It’s expensive to open a restaurant. It’s like almost impossible for many, but a taco stand seems more reachable and it works.” According to an article by Toast, a survey done by restaurantowner.com indicates that starting a small business costs $175,500 on average. Many of these stands don’t have the luxury to open a restaurant. That’s why many of

them start with a stand up. The young couple had a rocky start opening up a stand in the street on Reseda Boulevard and Nordhoff Street. Corima and her husband began vending four months ago and didn’t think they were going to have problems with anyone in general. It wasn’t until another taco stand claimed that the couple’s own taco stand was invading their property. “She came down to harass us to kick us out of here ’cause this was her area to sell, but we didn’t let it stop us because we knew we were doing nothing illegal,” Corima said. “(It happened) the second day we pop up. They actually set up a taco stand next to us trying to kick us out.” To this day Corima and Oscar continue to vend on the same street in front of the UFC Gym, Pieology Pizza and Subway restaurant. They serve about 150-200 customers during the night throughout the week. They sell tacos, burritos, mulitas, quesadillas, vampiros, keto tacos and ribs. There are more than 50,000 street vendors in Boyle Heights, Hollywood and other areas of Los Angeles County, according to the Southern California Public Radio. Corima believes a taco stand will always catch customer attention because they notice what’s going on. “Well right here you can exactly see what we are cooking, like the meats are fresh from the grill,” she said. “I think people like that, like seeing what they are going to eat. It’s friendly, you feel like you’re in Mexico, it makes you feel a little bit of home.”

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WHAT PEOPLE DON'T GET ABOUT THE VALLEY Liz Ohanesian Freelance journalist covering arts, culture and music. Her work has appeared in Los Angeles Times, Billboard, Playboy and other publications. She earned her M.A. at CSUN.

Illustration by Joelena Despard

s a kid, I liked the space that everyone knows as E.T. Park. I didn't know its actual name and I liked it because of the Spielberg blockbuster. Because I was so young when I first heard about it, that was my first realization that movies I saw were made in real places that surrounded me. As I got older, though, the view captivated me. I liked the way a sea of houses rolled down towards busy streets, the tall buildings in the distance, the way freeway gridlock cut through the expanse. From that park, I could imagine millions of lives existing in a bustling metropolis. And it was all the San Fernando Valley. It's been nearly seven years since I left the Valley and headed downtown. Before that, I spent the bulk of my life in Northridge. That's where I was raised, where I returned at the end of college, where I went to graduate school and spent my young adult years. I still head back to the homeland here and there, mostly to visit family, sometimes to hang with an old friend or work on a story. Every once in a while, I'll stop by E.T. Park and check out the view, not out of nostalgia, but because the vastness of the Valley still impresses me. Two years ago, I wrote an essay for LA

Weekly about why Angelenos so often misunderstand the Valley. Many would rather rely on decades-old stereotypes than explore this large, eclectic collection of neighborhoods for themselves. I can't say I chose to dig into the Valley, but there are things you see when you learn to drive on its streets, spend your teenage nights in its coffee houses and summer vacations working its malls. There's more to this place than can be explained in one story, or even many stories. When you're looking down on the Valley from the hills, its immensity is apparent. The Valley's history runs deep. You can catch glimpses of that at San Fernando Mission or Lopez Adobe or Los Encinos State Historic Park. Its presence is rich in diversity. A drive across Reseda Boulevard is bookended by nature — E.T. Park at one end, Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park on the other — and lined with houses, office buildings, momand-pop shops, foods from so many different cultures. You could spend a lifetime in the Valley and still be surprised at what you find. This isn't an easy place to understand, even when you've lived here. There's so much to ingest and not enough time to do it. Maybe for people who have never called the Valley home, never bothered to take in the majestic hilltop view, it's easier to rely on the stereotypes of malls and Valley girls than to consider the beauty that resides in it.

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