April 2023 Beachwood Newsletter

April 2023

This bobcat was spotted in a yard at the top of Glen Green.

Beachwood Spring Meeting!

Dozens of Beachwood neighbors gathered at the Besant Lodge last week for the BCNA's Spring Meeting. We shared pizza, home-baked cookies, and neighborhood news. Here are some highlights:

Outgoing Neighborhood Prosecutor Ethan Weaver introduced new Neighborhood Prosecutor Anthony King, who explained his office's role in helping us with neighborhood problems like party houses, excessive noise issues, etc.

CD-4 Staffers Jeremy Tramer and Claudi Nunn introduced the City's new kitchen composting program (OrganicsLA), which aims to cut down on landfill methane emission rates by diverting organic food scraps to composting sites via green recycling bins. At the end of their presentation, they distributed free kitchen composting pails (see photo above), noting that the program is just getting underway and that there will be more composting presentations to come. Beyond that, they announced plans to give public presentations on wildfire prevention (MySafeLA) as summer approaches.

Senior Lead Officer Heather Mata brought officers Chad Costello and Annabelle Eubank to the meeting to answer questions about our neighborhood crime situations and the challenges we face. The good news? Crime statistics in Beachwood are moving downward in almost every category.

Angela Gygi from Hollywood Orchard shared the latest progress on the Cheremoya Mural Project. BCNA is an enthusiastic supporter of the project and presented Angela with a donation check of $1000.

Our annual dues renewal and outreach happens in October but if you haven't joined, please do so now! Please take a look at the article at the bottom of this newsletter and follow the prompts for membership options. Your support means a lot to Beachwood.

BeachwoodCanyon.org ~ B eachwoodCanyon@ZohoMail.com

Griffith Park is 10-Acres Larger

(Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, City Department of Recreation and Parks General Manager Jimmy Kim, and representatives of the Los Angeles Parks Foundation and Friends of Griffith Park held a news conference and ribbon cutting to announce the purchase and donation of a parcel of land, once owned by Howard Hughes, in Griffith Park to the city on Thursday, March 9, 2023. The 10-acre parcel is just behind the Hollywood Sign on the San Fernando Valley side of the mountain. (Click the image above to read the LA Daily News Article.)

CD4 says, "The property was purchased for $175,000, according to a spokesperson for the foundation. Of that amount, $40,000 was donated by the office of L.A. City Councilmember Nithya Raman – whose district includes Griffith Park – with additional donations made by Friends of Griffith Park, West Valley Alliance for Optimal Living, The Sikand Foundation, and Robert and Joan Young."

Map of new acquisition provided by Gerry Hans, Friends of Griffith Park

This owlet fell 75 feet from its nest in a pine tree on the border of Griffith Park. It was returned to its nest by a crew from the Los Angeles Dept. of Animal Services with help from Gerry Hans, who was monitoring the nest as part of the Griffith Park Raptor Survey.

FoGP Presents - A Spring Hike

Our intrepid horticulturist Jorge Ochoa will lead a walk in the Park to discover what the recent rains have given us: an abundance of flowers, plants, leafy trees, bushes, and more.

This will be a relatively easy hike – about 3 miles round trip around Beacon Hill – and there will be plenty of stops along the way as Jorge points out and discusses the importance of Griffith Park plants in the ecosystem.

Questions are always encouraged!

Dress comfortably, bring a hat, and water, and slather on sunscreen.

Park and meet at the first Merry-Go-Round Parking lot off Crystal Springs Drive and look for our signs.

Trail Trash Patrol

Monday, April 10, from 5 - 7 p.m.

Location: Mineral Wells

(Click the graphic below for the navigation link)

FoGP provides trash buckets and trash tools. Please bring gloves and wear old clothes.

PLEASE NOTE: Because the days are longer (thanks to spring), we’re going back to a later in the day time. Believe us, the camaraderie alone makes for a whole lot of fun! We hope to catch you out there.

This is a Friends of Griffith Park effort!

What We Do

We gather throughout the year. We learn about earthly things, such as soil and compost and drought-resistant trees. We discover ways to responsibly water thirsty trees in the middle of a severe drought. We harvest fruit from our neighbors' yards and prepare the bounty in an open-air environment. We pass our knowledge on to the next generation. We learn. We plant. We teach. Together.

JOIN US!

Interested in joining the Hollywood Orchard? Donate a fruit tree, volunteer to host a new tree, attend the next Farmers' Circle, or volunteer for an upcoming field trip. Do as much or as little as you want. Sign up for emails and we'll keep you informed of our season's schedule. Click HERE and scroll down to sign up.

Mural Project Update!

Wall 2 is almost halfway complete. Please help by giving a donation to help complete this worthy project.

Hollywood Orchard is working with the local artist Elkpen to create a natural and cultural history of Los Angeles in the form of four murals covering three buildings on the campus of Cheremoya Elementary, a title 1 school at the base of Beachwood Canyon. The murals will beautify the school grounds and extend into educational programming that will give the children a deeper understanding of where they live and their connection to the natural world. Mural #1 is completed now, and #2 is 50% complete! As you can see above, this is coming along beautifully, and there's more to come! Please follow our Facebook Page for updates. Please donate below.

Generous grants from Hollywood United Neighborhood Council have funded the first wall of the Cheremoya mural project. Beachwood Canyon Neighborhood Association just donated again. This time they gave $1,000!

Other donors include The Oaks Neighborhood Association and many private donors. We are grateful for the community support. We are a 501 c 3, so your contributions are tax-deductible.

Please Donate Today!

Bee Season!

Bee Swarm in a peach tree.

With lots of recent rain followed by warm days, Beachwood's feral bee colonies are starting to swarm. There are said to be ten feral bee hives per square mile in Los Angeles, which means we'll see lots of bees looking for new homes in Beachwood Canyon in the coming weeks. A swarm on the move may look like a scene out of a horror movie but don't be alarmed...with no established hive to defend, bee swarms are harmless as they search for a cavity in which to build a new home.

If a swarm alights in your part of the neighborhood, please don’t call an exterminator. I’m a beekeeper and I'm happy to remove easily accessible swarms and give them a safe home where they can continue to pollinate the canyon's flora. Let me know if I can help: Chip Clements (wsclements@aol.com)

Meet Milo

Milo is absolutely the sweetest boy. How on earth did a dog like him ever make it to the euthanasia room in Riverside? Luckily, our fantastic Beachwood neighbor Amy Nichols saved him at the last minute.

Milo is a one-year-old Siberian Husky, very gentle and super dog friendly. He is a proper gentleman and does not resource-guard. He knows his sit and paw commands and is working on stay and come. He is house-trained and loves walking, hiking, and playing fetch.

Milo is currently available for adoption with Second Chance at Love. All Second Chance at Love dogs have been spayed or neutered, microchipped, heartworm tested, and fully vaccinated. Each dog receives a thorough veterinary exam and wellness blood panel. If you have any questions about Milo, please get in touch with Cheri Lucas at Email: Doggierehab@gmail.com Tel: (805) 434-3982

If you want to adopt Milo, please complete an Adoption Questionnaire at this link.

You can follow Milo’s and other dog stories on Instagram at secondchanceatlove_hs

DONATIONS CAN BE SENT TO SUPPORT

Second Chance at Love at this LINK

Band of Singers

Join the Spring Workshop!

10 Wednesday Sessions led by Maesa Pullman with two sessions co-led by special guest Lauren Traitz (eco-poet/psychotherapist)

5:00 – 6:30 p.m. at the BirdHouse

March 1 – May 10 and a culminating performance TBD

ALL LEVELS ARE WELCOME!

A collaborative group-singing and songwriting experience in harmony with the cycles of nature.

Sliding Scale Pricing:

$125 $150 $175 $200

Email MaesaPullman@gmail.com with any questions or to inquire about a work trade exchange

Activity Location:

The BirdHouse Community Garden

2460 N Gower St, Los Angeles, CA 90068

Springtime in Beachwood Canyon

We hope you like these newsletters. We are happy to hear your thoughts and suggestions. If you have an event or something that you would like to submit for publication, please send the information and graphics to the following:

FranReichenbach@gmail.com

Is it time to renew your membership?

If you haven't joined our neighborhood association, it's only $20 per year per household and you can do it online. We continue to work hard behind the scenes and offer virtual meetings when issues warrant them.

Click on the Logo to become a member.

Or go to the website to see other ways to join and be added to our newsletter distribution.

Missy Kelly

President

Beachwood Canyon Neighborhood Association

Or mail your donation check to:

BCNA, 1920 Cheremoya Ave #201, L.A., CA 90068