Lincoln Place: TENT CITY REPORT
By C.V.
Beck
As of Wednesday, December 6th, 2006 at 4
pm, Tent City is on hiatus. We expect to resume after a bit...when it gets
warmer.
What goes on? (I know you want to know). Lincoln
Place tenants will be going to trial in Malibu beginning on January 17, 2007 at
8:30 am in the matter of the Ellis Act evictions which we hold to be not lawful.
This trial is being estimated as to be about two weeks long. We'll see. Our
other court cases will be forthcoming shortly as well. Hold your
breath.
In other parts of the Venetian
forest, two of my neighbors, both “Happy Campers” received from LAPD
a notice which I am reproducing here...just in time for Thanksgiving (on
right).
Out of curiosity, I called the
shelter number at the bottom of the form and was immediately referred to another
number. (If that had been my only quarter, and I was in a pay phone, I would
have been out of luck.) When I talked to the polite friendly female on the other
end of the line, I enquired if any of these shelters would take people with
their pets and was told they do not. This explains to me why there are so many
homeless people with pets about. Since so many apartments nowadays will not take
pets, or demand excessive pet security deposits, (I, myself, had to cough up
$500 pet security for my cats), it would seem a good idea if some of these
shelter places were to be more pet and companion animal friendly. Yes, I know
it's complicated but it could be done and it would be a good opportunity to
network with the animal shelters as well, wouldn't
it?
Brian Reynolds, a plein aire artist, has
been doing exceptional paintings of Lincoln Place, arriving in his vehicle with
his well behaved chocolate Lab on a leash and painting from the streets, alleys
and sidewalks all around the complex. (See www.bhreynolds.com)
On a much less pleasant note, some residents
continue experiencing very hostile dog walking around Lincoln Place. It is very
clear now that some near and not so near neighbors use Lincoln Place as a
convenient spot not to clean up after their pets and to exercise them at our
expense. Additionally, these very hostile, aggressive people are using their
dogs as instruments of their most hidden selves as they permit them to roam
through the buildings and pathways, chasing and mauling cats. Some of these
canine owners have been spoken to many times about letting their dogs off-leash
and letting or even abetting them running through the buildings and mauling the
felines. Last seen indulging themselves to our detriment is a dark haired woman
wearing jogging type clothes, walking a mixed medium sized chow-shepherd(?) and
a man with a German accent with a German shepherd off the leash. (This dog may
be attack trained...according to the person who encountered him in their
hallways.) Another off leash dog was reported as being larger than a great dane!
Any of these dogs could injure or kill a senior or a child instead of a cat at
any time. This is a major concern to us remaining residents. Even though the
security guards have been alerted regarding this practice, and the laws about
dog walking, they ignore it or secure themselves in their vehicles as they, too,
are afraid of these dogs.
David Busch stopped
by on Sunday, December 17 and we had a chat. He says he has been staying
downtown with that homeless group of people he says the police and security
guards down there are being very aggressive in the matter of homeless being
“somewhere else” from 6 am to 9 pm...in their zeal to obey the
letter of the law but not the spirit of the law. David says there are no cots
available downtown for any homeless person with the flu or diarrhea for bed rest
for a couple hours at any time although apparently there are hundreds of beds
being kept empty and unused in the missions. Seems like it wouldn't be a bad
idea to open up some beds to keep sick people from sitting up in fast food
restaurants and wandering around the streets in an infirm state in the day
time.
Happy New Year and a better one for all
of us human beings.
Posted: Mon - January 1, 2007 at 04:11 PM