Many Southern California cities are re-writing their residential parkway ordinances to be more in alignment with the environmental need for drought tolerance while creating a framework for aesthetics and ease of use. Now Culver City governance has Parkways on the agenda and you – yes you! – can be part of the conversation.

photo by Denise Ginger from her website, A Growing Obsession

If you live locally and are reading this website, it is most likely you’ve already converted your parkway to something more environmentally friendly. And perhaps you’re growing a patch of veggies there, or have installed a permanent park bench to help build community in your neighborhood like City Repair has encouraged throughout Portland, Oregon. Or even installed a Little Free Library to promote literacy & solidarity in your neighborhood!

Although Culver City’s new proposed ordinance isn’t available for public viewing yet (expect the staff report to be posted on the City’s website on or before May 24), we think it will most likely resemble parkway guidelines recently established by other cities such as Mar Vista (2010), Los Angeles (2010), West Hollywood (2010) and Corona (2013).

Here’s an excerpt from Culver City’s Official Public Notice of Meeting :

On Tuesday, May 28, 2013, the City Council is scheduled to consider the 1) Introduction of an ordinance related to the process for tree removals and the requirements for making modifications to parkways; and (2) Adoption of a resolution establishing Residential Parkway Standards. All members of the public are welcome to attend and participate in the discussion.

Come deliver your 3 minutes in person to the council, or if you can’t attend but wish to express your views, write an email to the council. Please familiarize yourself with the actual agenda item report once its posted so you’ll be up to date with the facts.

When you come to City Hall chambers, fill out a speaker’s card—ask for assistance if it’s your first time.

CULVER CITY PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS
ADOPTION of a RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING
RESIDENTIAL PARKWAY STANDARDS
When:
TUESDAY, May 28th, 2013, 7pm

Where:
Culver City Council Chambers
9770 Culver Blvd., Culver City, 90232

As a head’s up for the discussion: other areas’ recently established guidelines include features such as:

     • an 18-inch height limit for all parkway plantings

     • permits must be pulled  (with a fee) if resident wishes to grow edibles or any other vegetation not on the list of recommended plants.

    • Benches for community gathering or even rose bushes with thorns may be considered a safety hazard

Can Culver City create customized regulations to suit the needs of our residents? Can we plan ahead as an entire community to become more resilient and food-growing-friendly in the face of challenging times? Come let Culver City governance know your opinion!

More about this issue from a local perspective:

“Taking Back the Streets through Urban Agriculture” from Roots of Change >>

An opinion about the L.A. Parkway Planting Rules from our friends the urban D.I.Y. homestead folks at Root Simple >>

Support Growing Edibles on the Parkway in L.A. >>

The inspirational story of LA’s Urban Garden Guerrilla Ron Hayes on TED TALKS, Long Beach, Feb 2013:

(over a million views!)

If embedded video not visible above, click here to view:
 http://on.ted.com/Finley

See you at City Hall on Tuesday, May 28th!

Bike/Train Field Trip to Downtown Los Angeles

WHEN: Saturday, June 1, 2013  9 am – 3 pm

WHERE:  Meet-up at  Culver City Hall 

9770 Culver Blvd.  Culver City  90230

Come spend an exciting day touring downtown LA with the friendly alternative transportation commuters of TCC and CC Bike Coalition who will teach you the ins & outs of bike-train travel.

Learn how to take your bike on the train with the group or join us sans bike—since we won’t be riding very far, this trip is suitable for walkers and bicyclists.

Things to bring:

• Water
• Picnic lunch
• Bike helmet (if on bike)
• Bike lock (if on bike)
• Metro pass or money to purchase a pass ($5 for all day pass)

We’ll rendezvous at Culver City City Hall plaza to receive some basic bike safety instruction from Meghan Sahli-Wells, one of the founders of Culver City Bicycle Coalition and now Vice Mayor of Culver City. Some points covered will be where to ride, the importance of “being predictable” on your bike, how to make safe turns and how to let drivers know your intentions.

Then we’ll board the Expo Line train at the downtown Culver City station, go to the end of the line and change trains at the 7th Street Station to get to the L.A. Civic Center Station. Then we’ll pedal and/or walk to the new Grand Park for our al fresco picnic lunch.  We’ll have a chance to try out the famous lime green bike lanes of Spring Street adjacent to the park and explore the public sculpture art of the park.

THE LAST BOOKSTORE‘s upstairs Labyrinth: a porthole into an alternate universe. (Photo courtesy of Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times / February 28, 2013 )

One more stop before we catch the train home: The Last Book Store, a former bank building that’s been converted into a fascinating bookstore/art gallery/performance space. In addition to being an amazing placed to buy used books for a great price, the Last Book Store also hosts special events and has become a communal canvas for local artists. There are many nooks and hidden passageways to discover (including an authentic bank vault). You might want to bring some cash for the labyrinthine $1-per-book room!

Then we’ll board the train for the return trip to Culver City.

WHEN:  Monday, May 13th, 2013, 7 pm

WHERE:  Culver City Hall , Council Chambers 9770 Culver Blvd.  Culver City  90230

Let your voice be heard with our local governance!
This coming Monday night May 13th, staff will introduce the proposed Plastic Bag Ordinance to the Culver City Council to discuss and vote on. (READ THE ORDINANCE DETAILS HERE)

Overview:
1) Introduction of an Ordinance banning single-use plastic carryout bags and requiring a minimum $0.10 per bag charge for single-use paper carryout bags; and 2) Adoption of Resolutions adopting an Addendum to the Los Angeles County Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR), Mitigation Monitoring Program, and Statement of Overriding Considerations in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

If you live, work, play or shop in Culver City, please help us communicate the importance of reducing plastic bag use in our city by delivering your 3 minutes in person to the council, or by writing an email to the council to be read aloud in the chambers. When you come to City Hall chambers, fill out a speaker’s card—ask for assistance if its your first time.

THE PROPOSED PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE >>

Read the article FIRST VOTE ON PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE TO HAPPEN ON MAY 13

by Gary Walker in the 05/09/13 Culver City News >>

Here are some helpful talking points
From Heal the Bay >>

From Surfrider >>

What our community had to say about this issue back in 2010 >>

TCC’s Plastic Bag Think Tank Video >>
Council member Meghan Sahli-Wells’ Plastic Bag Report on 350.org >>
http://www.350.org/en/node/26349

Where do many of those bags end up? Swirling around in one of the FIVE GYRES! >>

Get Ready for MISINFORMATION TACTICS from the Plastic Bag Industry >>
http://5gyres.org/posts/2012/01/03/a_convenient_misconception_industry_tactics_for_misinformation 

In Defense of Plastic Bag Bans (on GreenBiz blog) >>
http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2011/12/28/defense-plastic-bag-bans 

“PLASTIC BAG WARS” article in Rolling Stone >>
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-plastic-bag-wars-20110725

Don’t think there’s a problem? THINK AGAIN. 
TCC recently co-hosted a screening of a riveting documentary called TRASHED starring Jeremy Irons as the beleaguered narrator traveling around the world seeing how humanity has been dealing with its refuse. ONE OF THE BIG OFFENDERS is the seemingly innocuous single use plastic grocery bag… because plastic never really ever goes “away.” When it breaks down, the miniscule pieces of bag are mistaken for plankton and consumed by the bottom of the food chain, which then is consumed on up the food chain until it reaches us! Watch Jeremy age before your very eyes as the facts & stats unfold:  TRAILER >>

We have a chance to make a difference here in Culver City if we can convince our council members that banning single use plastic bags by larger grocery store chains is a change mandated by the people. Will you stand up and speak out next Monday?

Arborist Pieter Severynan at a recent fruit tree pruning seminar in Culver City. He has generously offered to speak at the upcoming Green Garden Showcase

Saturday, April 20, 2013
Showcase hours: 10 am – 4 pm

TREE TALKS with PIETER SEVERYNEN:
10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

WHERE:
House #5F
11375 Matteson Ave, LA 90066

Transition Culver City is proud to announce that popular westside arborist and landscape architect Pieter Severynen will be offering three short presentations at the upcoming Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase!

The author of the LA Times’ popular “Tree of the Week” series, Pieter will be sharing his wisdom with Showcase visitors as well as providing helpful hand-outs. Anyone who pops by during this window of time is in for a treat! Here’s the schedule:

10:30 – 10:45 am
Care of Southern California Fruit Trees:
Selection, Planting, Pruning and Maintenance

11:00 – 11:15 am
Recommended Low Chill Fruit Trees for Southern California

11:30 – 11:45 am
A Silent Jungle:
The Soil Under Our Feet

Come learn from an authentic master tree whisperer! Pieter has 35+ years experience as a Licensed California Landscape Architect and 20 years as a certified arborist. He speaks to civic groups on a variety of environment-related subjects including water in the world & global warming. His independent LA consulting firm is known for creating integrated, low resource consuming, emotionally appealing, environmentally sensitive, ecologically sustainable green space designs that emphasize character revealing trees and shrubs, low maintenance and long term viability.

This showcase garden, one of 100 gardens open to self-guided tours on the Showcase day, is also the Guest Booth for our local Transition Towns movement. Read more on TCC>>

Go to MAR VISTA GREEN GARDEN SHOWCASE website homepage >>

www.ciclavia.org

CicLAvia!
Sunday, April 21, 2013
10 am – 3 pm
From Downtown L.A. to Venice Beach

With the downtown Culver City restaurant districtas an official hub!
Includes FREE Bike Valet!

15 miles of open road — right in the middle of Los Angeles!

Here’s a plug for a wonderful day out with family and friends: It’s your chance to pedal down the middle of Venice Blvd unencumbered by those pesky fossil fuel mobiles with a sea of other bicycle enthusiasts! Or walk, or scooter/skate, or play catch, picnic, play tag, or dance with your hula-hoop… This Earth Day weekend the CicLAvia route goes right through our neighborhood, starting in downtown L.A., and ending at Venice Beach, with an official rest stop in downtown Culver City. Our friends at the Culver City Bike Coalition are hosting the Bike Valet across from the Culver Hotel.

The CCBC departs from Media Park heading downtown for CicLAvia 2012. Credit: Dino Parks

(To the uninitiated, Bike Valet means you can check-in your 2 wheeler and have it watched by a responsible crew while you and your family and/or friends dine and explore downtown Culver City—No muss, no fuss. Then reclaim your bike and off you go, westward down Venice Blvd to the sea!)

The CCBC is Culver City’s local chapter of the LA County Bike Coalition, Founded in 1998, LACBC works to build a better, more bike-able Los Angeles County and is the only membership-based nonprofit organization working exclusively for the millions of people who ride bikes in Los Angeles County. Through advocacy, education and outreach, Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition brings together the diverse bicycling community in a united mission to make the entire L.A. region a safe and enjoyable place to ride. The Culver City chapter is an all-volunteer, member-supported organization that encourages cycling, educates cyclists and motorists for safer streets, advocates to make Culver City more bike-friendly, and supports the successful implementation of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (unanimously approved by the City Council in November 2010).

CicLAvia has no “start” or “finish”—the streets operate as a platform allowing participants to enjoy the space as they see fit. So join in on the route wherever you’re at, travel as far as you wish, enjoy the official hub stops, all of which include portable toilets and hydration stations. There will be activities along the route, and shop owners and restaurants are encouraged to open their doors to people along the route… celebrate a day without cars!

Here’s the route:

Or get the enlargeable PDF online >>

See you on the Blvd!

11375 Matteson Ave. — Showcase Garden #5F — Transition Town Guest Booth

Saturday, April 20, 2013
10 am – 4 pm
SELF-GUIDED TOUR of 100 RESIDENTIAL GARDENS
Throughout our Community!

Tour Maps available at:
Showcase Central — House #4H >>
-or-
Transition Town Guest Booth — House #5F >>
11375 Matteson Avenue, L.A. 90066 

This annual Earth Day event in Mar Vista offers self-guided tours of 100 home gardens that exemplify environmentally friendly alternatives to the classic lawn. These local homeowners, renters, schools and churches have all taken the leap and converted their thirsty green expanses into drought-tolerant landscapes and edible gardens. The tour covers the spectrum from homespun do-it-yourself projects to professionally landscaped environments—including urban farms, sleek architectural hardscapes, composting & vermiculture, rain harvesting, aquaponics, chicken coops, sculpture gardens, hummingbird gardens… you name it! This year’s tour places special emphasis on the critical need for ocean friendly gardens and California native gardens that support much needed pollinators such as honey bees and monarch butterflies. It’s a great day to gather ideas and inspiration for your own future lawn conversion!

The International TRANSITION TOWNS movement will be represented at the special guest booth at house #5F, 11375 Matteson Ave., Los Angeles CA 90066. It’s a collaboration between two local chapters: TCC (of course) and our neighbors, Transition Mar Vista/Venice. So if you’re not in a hurry to see the other 99 showcase gardens, there’s plenty of al fresco patio areas here to sit down, pour a lemonade, and hang out to chat with like-minded people about community resilience, food security solutions, permaculture, alternative building, water harvesting, food forests, and much more.

Learn about Transition Mar Vista/Venice’s pay-it-forward Good Karma Gardens work parties—they’re a great way to get started if you want to learn how to grow your own food! And if you need even more motivation to drop by, come by to meet seedling master Matt Van Diepen (of Mar Vista Farmers’ Market fame!) who will be on hand with FREE veggie seedling giveaways and advice on how to include more home-grown edibles in your life.  Owner of Home Grown Gardens L.A., Matt is one of GKG’s skilled project coordinators.

This year, House #5F features dwarf fruit trees and berry bushes, a brilliant display of spring wildflowers, stealth veggies interspersed with drought tolerant natives, meandering flagstone pathways and do-it-yourself bistro-style hardscaping all done under strict budgetary parameters—everything cheap, recycled, scavenged and free!  For helpful Do-It-Yourself tips, read the event report and access the resource links from last year’s Showcase workshop D.I.Y.: Yes You Can!: Creative Lawn Conversions on a Budget.

Rainwater Capture

RAINWATER CAPTURE
(SEE VIDEO!)
Another feature at this location is an unusual “hybrid” active and passive urban rainwater harvesting system.  Last winter the homeowners hosted a barn-raising-style Work Party to install the system. (SEE VIDEO HERE!) The volunteer crew, wrangled by Transition-friendly landscape architect John Tikotsky, created a passive diversion “reservoir” to help recharge the aquifer, helped install unique vertical tanks (an alternative to conventional rain barrels) for active catchment, and positioned a subsurface diverter pipe to feed the percolation area. The reservoir berms were planted with California native currants (ribes family) and shade happy leafy greens as the beginnings of an edible food forest understory. All this, in one day—a true demonstration of the power of community!

PEDAL-POWER! FREE BICYCLE PARKING
In efforts to support our community’s shift to a fossil-free future, TCC and our friends at the Culver City Bicycle Coalition are co-hosting a “pop-up” bike corral at House # 5F. Celebrate Earth Day in style: Visitors are invited to lower their carbon footprint by cruising the garden tour by bike!

Showcase maps are available at the Transition Guest Booth or Showcase Central at House #4F at 3635 Grandview Blvd.

2012 Showcase Bike Corral

Transition Culver City is combining forces with other local democracy & environmental activists and West Los Angeles College to present an action-oriented seminar about fracking and the democratic process.

WHEN:
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Registration:  9:30 am
Seminar: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

WHERE:
West Los Angeles College
9000 Overland Ave., Culver City 90230
Fine Arts Auditorium (FA 100)

PARKING:
FREE parking—South Parking Structure only
Enter on Albert Vera Drive [map]

SEMINAR COST:
FREE—Includes Coffee

Seeking ways to squeeze a yield from depleted oil fields, producers of natural gas and oil across the nation are using a controversial extraction method called hydraulic fracturing (aka “FRACKING”) which forces a mixture of water and various chemicals underground under very high pressure to access hidden pockets of oil and gas. Despite sketchy regulations, ambiguous safety reports and public outrage, corporate interests continue to drive the current fracking and drilling boom.

What does this have to do with Southern California?

The Inglewood Oil Fields which hunker on the hills above WLA College is the largest contiguous urban oil field in America and is bi-sected by the active Newport-Inglewood fault line. Despite protests from concerned citizens about various health and safety issues—from air quality & noise pollution to cracks in their foundations—the 2012 Baldwin Hills Fracking Study reveals that the field has already been fracked, and that the sentous shale deep underground is a good candidate for more of the same unless the people unite to find their voice. The LA Times ran this article about the study >>

Come learn about your community rights and how to successfully mobilize.

• Fracking & Democratic Process: Risks, Costs, Benefits
• • Learn about local oil/gas extraction and fracking (hydraulic fracturing) and who benefits.
• • Understand the health impacts and risks associated with fracking: are you at risk or paying the costs?
• • Understand your options and how to ­exercise your democratic muscle…use it or lose it! How to take effective action on important issues.
• • Create an action plan: sign up for direct action that will make a difference

Speakers & Agenda:

9:30 am — Coffee & Registration

10:00 am — Introductory Remarks
President Abu-Ghazaleh, plus WLAC ­faculty and student body representatives

10:15 am
The History and Terminology of Hydraulic Fracturing
C. Tom Williams, Ph.D., oil field specialist, Sierra Club CalFrac representative

10:30 am
— Urban Hazards of Oil Production in the L.A. Basin
Paul Ferrazzi, Executive Director, Citizens Coalition for a Safe Community

10:45 am
California: Don’t Be Pennsylvania!
Lance Simmens, Former Special Assistant for Intergovernmental Affairs to Ed Rendell, ­Former Governor of Pennsylvania

(Q&A follows) 

11:15 am
The Health Hazards of Fracking Chemicals
James Dahlgren, M.D., Envirotoxocology and Internal Medicine, UCLA Dept of ­Medicine
(Q&A follows) 

11:45 am
Culver City: Fracking City
Culver City Council Member Meghan ­Sahili-Wells

NOON
Proposal for a Ballot Initiative and Charter Amendment
Culver City Mayor Emeritus Gary Silbiger

12:15 pm — Q & A, Legislative Options
Stephen Murray, Baldwin Hills Oil Watch

12:30 pm — Closing Remarks
Prof. Olga Shewfelt, WLAC Professor of ­International Relations

12:45 pm — Adjourn for Action Planning ­Information

Transition Culver City teams up with Citizens Coalition for a Safe Community, Baldwin Hills Oil Watch, Make Culver City Safe, and our hosts at WLA College and their Work Environment Committee for this important awareness-raising forum and opportunity to learn about the democratic process.

Here’s the schedule with speakers all in one place:

]]> http://transitionculvercity.org/2013/03/fracking-the-la-story-sat-march-23-930-am-1-pm/feed/ 0 http://transitionculvercity.org/2013/03/movie-night-alternative-building-sat-march-16-645-pm/ http://transitionculvercity.org/2013/03/movie-night-alternative-building-sat-march-16-645-pm/#comments Mon, 04 Mar 2013 03:50:46 +0000 ginnyb http://transitionculvercity.org/?p=2399 Continue reading →]]> Quick on the heels of our inspiring fieldtrip to Nader Khalili’s earth-building paradise Cal-Earth, TCC has decided to add an extra movie night to our March events:

TCC Eco-Movie Night:
GARBAGE WARRIOR
Saturday, March 16, 2013  •  6:45 pm – 9:30 pm
WHERE: The Little Blue House
(RSVP TCC for location)
FREE EVENT
BYO drinks, FREE Popcorn!
Stay after for lively discussion.

Garbage Warrior is a feature-length documentary film telling the epic story of maverick US architect Michael Reynolds and his fight to introduce radically sustainable housing to the public. An extraordinary tale of triumph over bureaucracy, Garbage Warrior is above all an intimate portrait of an extraordinary individual and his dream of changing the world.

Imagine a home that heats itself, provides its own water, and grows its own food. Imagine that it needs no expensive technology, that it recycles its own waste, and has its own power source. And now imagine that it can be built anywhere, by anyone, out of the things society throws away…

Thirty years ago, architect Michael Reynolds imagined just such a home—then set out to build it. A visionary in the classic American mode, Reynolds has been fighting ever since to bring his concept to the public. He believes that in an age of ecological instability and impending natural disaster, his buildings can—and will—change the way we live. Shot over three years in the USA, India and Mexico, Garbage Warrior is a snapshot of contemporary geo-politics and an inspirational tale of triumph over bureaucracy, as well as an intimate portrait of an extraordinary individual and his dream of changing the world. (from IMDb)

Michael Reynolds: another innovative architect offering solutions for a more resilient future. Image courtesy of: http://earthship.net/

This month’s eco-movie is the groundbreaking docu-feature Trashed starring Jeremy Irons who goes on a journey of discovery, disbelief, and hope as he witnesses the extent and effects of the global waste problem around the world and seeks out solutions. We buy it, we bury it, we burn it and then we ignore it. What happens to all the trash we produce? Each year, we now throw away fifty-eight billion disposable cups, billions of plastic bags, 200 billion litres of water bottles, billions of tons of household waste, toxic waste, and e-waste. But there are people and movements making a difference.

This meticulous, brave investigative film takes the viewer on a ride with Irons from skepticism to sorrow and from horror to hope. Official film website & trailer: www.trashedfilm.com Music by Vangelis.

We’re co-hosting this event with our neighbors Transition Mar Vista/Venice at   The reDiscover Center.What better place to screen a movie about trash than our local community art center/re-use warehouse/event space? An excerpt of their mission statement:

reDiscover promotes resource conservation, creativity, and community engagement through material reuse. Our Vision is for all Angelenos to have an outlet for acquiring and donating reusable material. As reDiscover meets this need, we move closer to a community where all waste materials can be rediscovered for their educational and creative value.

reDiscover is a nexus for environmental sustainability and crea using recycled materials. We achieve our mission and vision through strategic initiatives at our center with the reuse warehouse, gallery and event space, at schools and in the community. More about reDISCOVER >>

EVENT DATE: Saturday, March 9, 7:00pm
Doors open at 6:30 pm for networking and snacks.  Join in a brainstorming session after the screening!

VENUE: reDiscover Center, 12958 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles 90066   MAP >> 

FREE admission, donations welcome.

RSVP: Facebook users RSVP via reDiscover Center’s event page or email TCC.

WHAT:

WHEN:
Sunday, February 24, 2013
1 pm – 5 pm

COST: FREE

WHERE:
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center
13325 Beach Avenue
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
(in the rear parking lot)
310-822-9642

Become a catalyst for a free neighborhood book exchange! Help build, paint, and install a Little Free Library Box to place in front of your own house or office or someone else’s.  We’ll have some tools and experts on hand to help you with carpentry.  We’ll be using recycled materials – bring some if you have them.

This event is a re-purposing and re-skilling workshop all-in-one! And its fun!

What is a Little Free Library?   ”Take a Book, Leave a Book.”  It’s a box the size of a small cabinet that you can fill with books you are willing to share. Little Free Libraries create a welcoming space for friends and neighbors.  When you place a Little Free Library at a community center, church, temple or even in the yard of your own home, it becomes a hub for sharing books and ideas…it can become a fun place to take tea with friends and have nourishing discussions.

Personalize your Library Box to fit your style and message.