Now, Back To Your Regularly Scheduled Neighborhood

AT LAST, IT'S OVER. Barring any meddlers from Reseda, these are your Atwater Village Neighborhood Council election winners (with vote totals): Resident North Atwater - Fernando Dejo-Grundy (203), Leonora Gershman (258) Resident Central Atwater - Phillip Alexander (85), Jenn Hoffman (88) Resident South Atwater - Nancy Mejia (106), Ken Osborne (158) Business Rep. - Jeff Gardner (236), Diane Serafino (249) Religious Rep. - Bruce Fleenor (132), Lenore Solis (205) Community/Non-profit Rep. - Christine Anthony (227), Luis Lopez (188) School Rep. - Tim Warner (268) Park & Rec Rep. - Roberta Javier (190) As one of today's 398 voters, I'm pleased to see most of the people I chose on this list. But there are some I didn't choose who also made it. Term limits, anyone?

You Don't Even Have to Live Here

INTERESTING ELECTORAL TRIVIA: Los Angeles neighborhood council elections are open to all "stakeholders." Who exactly are these stakeholders? The list: Homeowners Renters Property owners Business owners Employees of neighborhood businesses Members of cultural institutions (theater group, art gallery, etc.) Members of religious institutions (churches) Members of service or community non-profit organizations (animal rescue organization, historical society, etc.) Students of neighborhood schools (16 years and older) Members of park and recreation centers (soccer teams, etc.) So basically if you spend more than a few hours in Atwater Village, you might be able to vote in tomorrow's AVNC election. The entire council could be controlled, for all we know, by Costco employees. The election is Saturday, Oct. 6, 9:00am to 4:00pm, Holy Trinity Church, 3716 Boyce Avenue. Candidate statements here.

Atwater Chatter: So Much Drama Edition

Other voices, same neighborhood. So much drama for such a small village - "Apparently, with the election coming up, someone made a posting that broke the forum's rules regarding etiquette and libel... Why the postings were not simply removed instead of the entire forum shut down, I don't understand.... Full disclosure: I am running for the AVNC." [Atwater Village is for Lovers] Zagat releases 2008 survey - "Zagat has released its So. California survey results for 2008. Pizzeria Mozza scored highest among newcomers, followed by Atwater Village's Canele." [The Knife] Hollywood PrivacyWatch - "Dinner at Canele in Atwater Village, saw John Cho or as my friend who spotted him first put it, 'the only Asian actor I recognize, you know, the dude from Harold & Kumar.'" [Defamer] Atwater Village Offers New Mural to Graffiti Gods - "This weekend we checked out Vince's Market (est. 1939) and the mural is coming along nicely, at least 60% done. Here's hoping $2.50 carnitas sandwiches scare away more bandana bandits than Oscar-nominated songs from Good Will Hunting." [Curbed LA] REMINDER: Atwater Village Neighborhood Council Election - "AVNC Election day, Saturday Oct. 6, 9:00am to 4:00pm, Holy Trinity Church, 3716 Boyce Avenue." [Friends of Atwater Village]

Will There Be Anyone Left To Vote?

THE GOOD NEWS about this attempt at an Atwater Village Neighborhood Council election is the record-qualifying candidate turnout: 34 candidates for 14 seats. (PDF here.) Signs for the Oct. 6 election, in English and Spanish, are unavoidable. And we have a candidate forum, Oct. 4, 6:00pm at Glenfeliz Elementary School Auditorium (3810 Hollypark). The bad news is the other forum, AVNC's online forum. Official word is it was "closed by the Independent Election Administrator because of 2 (extremely) inappropriate postings in the Election category." Sound familiar? This Administrator is getting good at shutting things down. Like the last election. In its entirety. In February Walt Sweeney trashed $12,000 of election prep over grammar corrections on the AVNC Web site. This time, grammar it ain't. It's the AV Enquirer, who comments sometimes on my Newbie blog, and may have penned the "inappropriate" posts at AVNC. I read those posts. (Didn't save them, sorry. Google cached an old July post.) They seemed no less appropriate than some of the other claptrap on the forum. (Starbucks didn't exactly shutter the site over anti-corporate coffee comments.) But if the posts were libelous or revealed personal information, let's say, why wouldn't the Administrator just ask for them to be deleted? Why shut down the entire forum? The forum is as much about nannies and pizza places and crime than this election anyway.

Artistic Self-Promotion Passed Along

A KIND NOTE from an excited neighbor: Dear Newbie, I am excited to present a new show at LittleBird that I have curated. This is my curatorial debut and would love it if you included something about the show in your blog! The opening reception will be Sat. Sept 22, 7-10pm. Thanks! Alicia Cheatham, LittleBird Gallery LittleBird Gallery is at 3195 Glendale Blvd., in the hipsterist strip of Atwater Village. More at littlebirdgallery.com.

Locked Out! AVNC Removes Forum

WHAT WAS AN OFTEN lively if sometimes petty and etiquette-free neighborhood forum has been "removed." The host site belonging to Atwater Village Neighborhood Council offers no explanation. Please say this isn't election related. It's one thing for candidates to fire potshots at each other. It's another thing to shut out all 8,000 voters. Do we have to cancel another election, or are we all gonna play nice this time?

New 76 Ball, and Red

New 76 Ball, and Red, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

PREVIOUSLY: Changing of the Balls

Gunfire Expected on Brunswick This Week

NOTES TAPED TO SOME doors and gates warn of impending shootings on a movie set in Atwater Village this week. The "single shot" gunfire is expected indoors and outdoors on Brunswick Ave. For anyone who didn't get the note from Film LA: duck!

A Campaign Cycle Even Obama Could Love

ONLY 30 DAYS TO hawk yourself to your neighbors. Just a month to convince fellow Atwater Villagers that you should represent them in Neighborhood Council. You can't miss the election signs on nearly every corner of the hood. What's your excuse? (Mine: here.) On your mark... Candidate Application: Due Thursday September 6, 5pm (PDF Form) Candidate Forum: Thursday October 4, 6pm, location to be determined AVNC Election: Saturday, October 6, 9am to 4pm, Holy Trinity Church, 3716 Boyce Ave. More: atwatervillage.org

The Summer of Upscale Invasion

HAS ANYONE ELSE noticed a new flavor to businesses opening in Atwater Village this summer? Call it Gentrification 2.0, but it seems big chains (like, um, Starbucks) have green-lighted more upscale mom-and-pops: Amelia Fitzwater - Moved its high-end gift shop from Santa Monica to Atwater Village, next to Via Romi Salon (3129 1/2 Glendale Blvd.) The Little Knittery - Moved from Los Feliz to Atwater Village, where Creative Grounds Cafe used to be (3042 Glendale Blvd.) Woof Dog Boutique - Moved from Burbank to Atwater Village (3172 Glendale Blvd.) The Griffin - Expanded from Fremont Street in Las Vegas to open a second location, this one in Atwater Village at the old La Strada restaurant site (3000 Los Feliz Blvd.) And what's that clothing shop moving into the old Mini Melt comics and toys location on the LFB?

Turns Out There Is Really Is Crazy Shit Going Down on Sunnynook

WE'D ALWAYS NOTICED strange goings-on around a particular house on Sunnynook Drive, but we did nothing. You'd think my LAPD community police training would have me reaching for the phone every time a shadow rustled, but I erred on the side of benefit of the doubt.

I didn't report the massive amounts of garbage. Or the grown men sitting on bicycles under trees. Or the Morse code whistling at night.

Let this be a lesson. In the last 24 hours, Sunnynook Drive has seen an unusual amount of police activity and neighbor interest. And today I get the scoop from Atwater Village's Director of Animal Welfare.

Sunnynook Meth House: Animal Update

"A notorious drug house in Atwater Village was recently raided by the LAPD. The owner and his partner were arrested; owner is in the hospital, partner is in jail. In addition to drugs and assorted mayhem, the house was of major concern to many neighbors because of the cats who lived there. The house is absolutely filthy (soon to be condemned by Building and Safety), the cats have been neglected and/or abused.

"So here's the situation right now: 6-7 cats, several doves, lizards, assorted reptiles and one small dog were confiscated by Animal Control this morning. They are being held as evidence and are not available for adoption by the public or rescue groups at this time.

"[Atwater Village DAWs] will be keeping tabs on them; when they become available, we will alert everybody.

"There are conflicting reports about kittens - possibly 5-6 kittens were taken by Animal Control yesterday. We do not know if they are being held as evidence or not.

"There are still approximately 6-7 cats left at the property.

"The property is still occupied so no one should go near it. While the owner and his partner may be gone, there are at least four 'tenants' and a constant parade of visitors. These people are all addicts and/or criminals.

"However, the immediate neighbors will assist in trapping the remaining cats. These cats will need foster/permanent homes ASAP!

"The Atwater Village DAWs can provide cages and other equipment for anyone who can foster. The cats all appear young, some maybe 6-7 months old, and friendly. They will not be too difficult to place. Please contact me or Jeannie if you can help."

Nothing brings out the Joneses like a half-dozen kitties in a meth lab.