Two trips to Los Angeles (Downtown)

Monday started Candidate Filing Week. So the first stop Monday was at the Office of the City Clerk-Election Division located within the Piper Technical Center on Ramirez Street (south of Union Station and Chinatown). There I filled out more forms and took an oath. Now the parking is free there but that is not the case at City Hall my next stop.

In front of the Los Angeles Times Building across from city hall I found a metered parking spot on the curb where I discovered the hourly rate was $3.00. With 75 cents in change that the meter would not accept I used my bank debt card which the meter enjoyed. Then I walked over to the citizen entrance, when through the metal detectors, showed my driver license, got a visitor's badge and went to the express elevator to the 22nd floor. Then another shuttle up to the 24th floor where the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission resides.

Earlier I had mailed forms to this office and had to complete two more forms. There I received an authorization that I would have to return to the Election Division where I would pick up my petitions.

Someone once told me you could see Catalina Island from the top of City Hall. Well, from the window on the 22nd floor you can see PV and san Pedro. As I walked back to my car I noticed that the city hall front lawn looked like a small camp ground for the homeless with maybe six or seven sleeping there. Kinda like the park area in front of San Pedro's Main Post Office.

The Globe Lobby of the LA Times was closed to vistors so I got back in my car and drove down Spring Street heading for a freeway back to Pedro. I used to work downtown in the past and the traffic still sucks. Some people complain about the dirty streets in parts of San Pedro. The dirty parts in Pedro are clean in comparison to some of the areas around the junction of the 10 and 110.

Each of the petitions forms are numbered and printed for each separate candidate so I made a return trip Tuesday to the City Clerk's office to pickup my bundle of petitions. The 15th District of the City of Los Angeles extends from the Pacific Ocean at Cabrillo Beach to Watts. Much of the distance between Wilmington and Watts is a narrow strip running along the 110 Freeway.

 I discovered the Watts Towers over fifty years ago before it became a park or a spot for foreign vistors to take pictures at. I was living in Santa Monica and working second shift in Downey at the Autonetics Division of North America Aviation. Each afternoon I drove through Watts and made a return trip after midnight. Since I drove surface streets (no freeways in the area then) I left early and one day spotted the tips of the towers from my 1967 VW bug. The railroad tracks cut through the area then and still does so it is kinda tricky to find the Towers.

It had been a couple of years since I had been in Watts but not a lot has changed in the last fifty years. The tennant buildings look the same. The small store fronts and aging churches are no different. The population around 107th Street is now part Hispanic which it wasn't earlier but the poverty is still the same.

Thursday Walk

Yesterday I rode my bicycle from our berth which is east of Fort MacArthur over to Hollywood Awards on Gaffey between Home Depot and Target to get some engraving done. Today (Thursday) the sun was still hiding so I took the car to pick up the finished badge and brought my camera too. I wanted to go over and check out the new Wilmington Waterfront Park that runs along C Street in Wilmington. When I got to the bank ATM on Pacific I realized my debit card was not in my wallet where it should be. Back to the boat where I found the card in the rear pocket of my bicycle jersey from yesterdays riding.

After picking up the badge I drove over to the park. The street between the harbor and the park is still torn up and is only one way but I was able to cross the construction stage without using my 4 wheel drive.

As per usual I took a lot of pictures but will only show of them a few here.

I have been riding and diving past the construction of this park for several years and at times it was difficult to figure out what they were doing with these large piles of dirt along the roadway. Now I see.

The Underdog for Kids

The Underdog for Kids

Saturday in Los Angeles

Earlier in the week I found out about a Candidate meeting in Los Angeles on FaceBook. Previously I had sent several candidate documents to the Election Division and the Ethics Committee. The City Ethics Commission is located in City Hall on Spring Street but the Office of the City Clerk is located in the Piper Technical Center close to Union Station. The City Clerk Election Division is on FaceBook and I contacted their office and RSVPed myself for the Saturday meeting.

The Candidate Briefing Presentation was held Saturday, August 6 at 10:00 a.m. Using Google Maps I located the Piper Technical Center at 555 Ramirez Street which is close to the freeway and Union Station. The drive from the harbor in San Pedro to Chinatown area I know well and Saturday morning traffic was light. Too bad it isn't that way all day long. The meeting started on time at ten and was finished after an hour.

I was impressed by the staff and the size of the facility that has many different functions. On the roof is a LAPD heliport and wouldn't one of those birds make your driving a lot easier.

Currently I have all my documents submitted and I am waiting for a return from the California Secretary of State for an I.D.  number so I can create a bank account for my Candidate Committee. The name of my committee is "STARK FOR CITY COUNCIL 2011"

I can be reached my e-mailing me at: d15candidate.dewayne@yahoo.com

Paper Work and Spending

Last week I spent 44 cents on a stamp to provide the voter registration folks my current address. Today I hiked up to Fort MacArthur to buy two more stamps (88 cents) and mail a letter to Office of the City Clerk in Los Angeles  Election Division. Enclosed in this mailing was a California Form 501 (Candidate Intention Statement) and a CEV Form 12 (Declaration of Intent to Solicit and Receive Contributions).

My laptop is a hand me down after my trusty HP was stolen off my boat. The marina office has a desk top and a printer which I can use and than is very helpful. My HP Color Ink jet/Scanner is gathering dust in my daughter's garage in South Pasadena and I may have to bring the printer to the boat for printing.

I noticed this morning while reading The Daily Breeze on-line that several candidates have already started the paper work for filing and this prompted me to do so also.

Have you seen the salary?

My first breath was in the air of Los Angeles before the smog came along following the death of the street cars on Vermont. My father moved form Los Angeles where my grandparents lived to build an apartment building in Santa Monica. Santa Monica was my home until college and work openings in rural Orange County. After staying there for several decades I came back to Los Angeles and the Port in San Pedro where I currently live.
Being retired gives one an opportunity to observe many thing missed in the rush to make ends meet. My monthly budget is at an extreme minimum but I still would like to be of some service. So I decided that the recent vacancy created in the Los Angeles City Council in my District 15 would be a very interesting enterprise.
My next step is to file a Declaration of Intention to Become Candidate and pick up Nominating Petitions and start gathering.
Please stay tuned: