Grace E.

Simons, Chairman
;,o. 84 - October 1, 1980
Strategic Bluff to be Added to. Elysian Park
HE CAN ALL BE PROUD -- In the face of mounting assaults on the environment; it is
exhilarating to report a notable achievement in Elysian Park. The strategic 25-acre bluff
overlooking Stadium liay at Academy Road, pi:-ivately held since 1886, is to be integrated in-
to the surrounding park land: Its acquisition uas unanimously approved, ll-0, by the City
Council Sept. 25. Though the action is not final, since 12 votes are required for passage
on first reading, confirmation is expected uhen it comes .up again .Thursday, Oct. 2. Ten
votes are needed for passage.
THE SITE, in private has been a void in the center of the park, impair-
ing its integrity and posing an ever-presentthreat of alienation. Its acquisition ''as
made possible by money from the 1974 State Park Bond Fund, plus an exchange of land nego-
tiated by Peter O'Malley, for the Dodgers, and James Hadauay, general manager of the City's
Recreation and Parks Dep.irtment.
HE SEEK YOUR OPINION as to hou the neu land shall be used. Our Steering Committee
feels strongly that there should be no buildings'on it, other than restrooms, nor formal
play areas. Instead, it should be planted uith trees and shrubs and used exclusively for
picnics and hiking. lie can arrange a field trip for on-the-spot consultation. Let us hear
from you.
Tree Planting Saturday, October 25
YOU ARE INVITED to our third.tree plantingSaturday, Oct. 25, at 2 p.m. at the
Elysian Fields, formerly Bishop Plateau, the top of the park, opposite the ''ater tank.
E!-fr!ET liEMPLE, of the American Society of Landscape Architects, prominent landscape archi-
tect and professor of architecture at USC, uill be master of ceremonies. ROYCE NEUSCHATZ,
president of the Recreation and Parks Cotmnission, uill bring greetings. (Take park road
east from Stadium llay betueen Academy Road and Riverside Drive.)
BREAKING liiTH TR!\D ITION, the Citizens Committee plants trees both for the living
and for those uho are no longer uith us. Among those to be honored Oct. 25 is the very
much'alive Fay Rosenblatt. Also taking the spotlight uill be the Elysian Heights Elemen-
tary School, uhose principal, Beverly Mason, uill be there to dedicate a tree for her pu-
pils. Other trees ui 11 be planted,, in memoriam, by I sa Meksin, for her mother, Clara
Rabinier-Meksin; Freddie Paine, for her husband, and another tree for a friend,
Virginia Minot; I;>eborah Perrin, for her father, Jacob Perrin; and Paul Tucker, Jr., for
his father, Paul Tucker. (If you uish to make a donation touards the purchase of any of
these trees (prices range from to $200) please state the name and amount uhen
send.ing in. your check to .the Citize.ns Committee.)
'YES' on 1, Park Bonds; 'NO' on H, the SPOILS SYSTEM
PARK BONDS -- YESt Our only hope of getting the Old Lodge, burned do'm last year,
rebuilt is through passage of the State Park Bond Fund Nov. 4. 1111 of its $285,000,000 is
to be used for parks. This is one instance voting of bonds is justified. Tell
everyone to vote "YES" on PROP. 1.
'"NO' on BOSS RULE, PROP. H -- One thing ue don't need in Los Angeles is the SPOILS
SYSTEM, Prop. H, a set-up a politician hands out high-pay.ing ,jobs to his sup-
porters. Under the proposed Charter change, excessive pouer over', and bureau
heads, including those in Recreation and Parks, be given to the Mayor and the City
Council, Appointments be made by the Mayor and/or the Council from lists prepared
by the Personnel Dept. Applicants ''ould not be required to possess professional skill. In-
stead, they be tested solely for an undefined "X" factor, designated as "management
ability." They uould have neither tenure, security nor seniority rights, and could be fired
or demoted by the appointing authority, or shifted from one department to another. Execu-
tives fired by the mayor and/or City Council could appeal for reinstatement only to the same
Council that took auay their jobs in the first place.
PARK MANAGEMENT is a profession that requires education and experience. Parks should
be managed by experts -- not by an engineer, an accountant or a business man, uho happens to
possess "managerial ability" and is a friend of an incumbent or incoming mayor. Prop. H
is a move touard incompetence and favoritism. VOTE 'NO' ON PROP. HI
CITIZENS COMMITTEE TO SAVE ELYSIAN PARK
1672 Morton Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 90026/.MA5'8427
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Builders' Proposals should be Tossed into Rubbish-bin
THE \IRONG \lAY -- Tuo committees representing building interests -- one appointed by
Nayor Bradley, the other by Council Pres . .fohn ferraro' -- have unveiled some 50 proposals
for changing the City's master plan and building regulations, uithout pubiicity 'or public
discussion. Principal motivation advanced uas to provide "incentives" so the builders
uill construct "affordable" for and middle income residents. By "incentives"
is meant higher profits. The proposals include: sharply increased density; reduced park-
ing space-_; smaller lots; smaller and more cheaply built duelling units, especially for the
poor and 'i:he elderly; lmered air and noise standards; elimination of parks in neu subdivi-
sions (the Quimby Lau).
3'fl( DAY5 after the counnittees' report uas issued -- but not publicized -- a record
70 speakers turned up at a public hearing, only a handful supporting the builders.
The tuo self-serving committees should be disbanded and their proposals tossed into the
rubbish-bin. Any valid suggestions the Nayor or Council may have regarding sky-high hous-
ing costs should be publicly set forth and openly discussed.
Anti-Park Charter Revision Delayed
THE ANTI-PARK CH.ARTER CHANGE uill not appear on the November 'ballot, but may re-
surface in April. It uas dropped uhen the city attorney failed to come up uith uording
that uould combine in the same chapter the existing guarantee that all parks "shall forever
remain to the use of the public inviolate" and the contradicting park-alienation provisions
of the proposed Charter change. The contradiction Future sponsors of any. such re-
visionyill have to reconcile themselves to being branded andi-park.
DUES, MEMBERSHIP ($1) ............................. $----
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NANE
ADDRESS
ZIP PHONE
'YES' on Prop. 1, Park Bond Fund
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'NO' on Prop. H, the SPOILS SYSTEM
DATED MATERIAL
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