Results tagged “thevalley”

If you get the sense a war between L.A. and SF is brewing over the weekend, here what's actually happening: "On November 8 and 9, 2009, military flight training exercises will occur in and around the greater Los Angeles area," the LAPD said a statement today. "The military operation will be routine proficiency flight training exercises. Training sites have been carefully selected so that activities will not interfere with the daily routines of the community. Training will occur after 5 p.m. each day and will be generally in Central and West Valley Areas."

It may be November, but in Woodland Hills, you can still celebrate Halloween for one more day. The annual Halloween Harvest Festival and Frightfair at Pierce College continues through tonight.

       

After 16 years as a raw and vegan chef, producing meals in containers found in places like Whole Foods, catering and traveling, Chef Rawsheed launched his very own storefront last May. Ultra vegan bloggers tried it out early and gave their thumbs up. It left Quarrygirl dying to go back and Foodeater is glad the Valley is "no longer the dreaded no-mans land that it used to be" because SunPower does raw food the way it's supposed to be done.

If you were in the Los Angeles area, and you need your memory jolted... Enough of a hint? Mayor Sam reminds us that today marks the 15-year anniversary of the Northridge earthquake, when "a 6.7 magnitude quake with an epicenter near the intersection of Saticoy and Reseda Boulevard in Reseda struck." It was a Monday morning, and MLK day, which meant most folks were snug in their beds hoping to sleep in on the holiday. Instead, the quake was, to say the least, a rude awakening, and a reminder of how precarious life can be when you build your city on top of fault lines. "Seventy-two people died as a result of the earthquake with more than 9,000 injured. In addition, the earthquake caused an estimated $20 billion in damage, making it one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history." For more about Northridge and the '94 quake, check out LAist's Neighborhood Project.

The Los Angeles Police Department opened up their brand new Topanga Station in Canoga Park yesterday with a public dedication ceremony attended by 1,200 people, including Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Located on Schoenborn Street near Roscoe and Canoga, the station cost $36 million to build, and is "the 21st station opened by the Los Angeles Police Department in its 140-year history." The station's officers "will patrol 32 square miles covering West Hills, Canoga Park, Winnetka and Woodland Hills."

Smoke from the Sesnon and Marek fires continue to affect the San Fernando, Simi and Santa Clarita Valleys, including the immediate areas around fire scorched San Gabriel Mountains. However, the South Coast Air Quality Management District adds a new warning today with the changing winds: "As the winds diminish and shift, additional areas may experience smoke and ash, causing air quality to be Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or higher." Basically, continue to keep those windows shut and avoid vigorous outdoor or indoor exertion, they say. LA County's Dept. of Public Health recommends that "all individuals wanting to pursue any outdoor activities in areas where smoke, soot, or ash can be seen or there is an odor of smoke" should be avoided.

Depending where you are in the San Fernando Valley, it's super windy or not at all. The National Weather Service sent out an alert at 12:31 a.m. announcing a wind advisory through 9:00 a.m.: "Northerly winds 20 to 30 MPH with gusts to 45 MPH will continue overnight mainly affecting the Western portion of the San Fernando Valley including but not limited to Porter Ranch, Chatsworth and Van Nuys." ALSO: The weather is predicted to cool over the weekend with temps in the high 60s and low 70s.

"The tragic case of the Rajaram family is at the bleakest edge of the economic turmoil that is rattling Americans' emotional well-being. Worries about home foreclosures, job losses and plunging stock prices have sparked a surge in mental health problems," says the LA Times in a report about the economy and a national surge in mental health problems. "Rates of depression and suicide tend to rise during hard economic times. A study that looked at economic shifts between 1972 and 1991 found suicides rose an average of 2% when the economy faltered."

Following an LAPD press conference on the six deaths from a presumed murder-suicide in Porter Ranch, a northwestern San Fernando Valley community, police disclosed that the father left behind three letters indicating that he was behind the slaying of his mother, wife and three children because of "financial difficulties." The man had worked for Price Waterhouse and Sony Pictures and had a MBA in business. More info on the killings can be found here.

Around 7:15 a.m. this morning, six people were found dead inside a gated community home in Porter Ranch, a neighborhood in the Northwest San Fernando Valley between Chatsworth and Granada Hills. LAPD detectives suspect that the incident at the 20600 block of Como Lane to be a murder-suicide with initial reports saying all victims were from one family.

Sciencedude says it could be a hot one again in Orange County, which only means the same pattern will hit LA County. "Orange County will experience a second straight day of unusually hot weather today, with temperatures reaching into the 90s or higher as high pressure lingers over the West Coast, the National Weather Service says. Inland areas will suffer the worst heat, with temperatures running 10-15 degrees above normal." The Valley is looking to break double-digits again and that probably means the power consumption is going to once again spike.

The Los Angeles Fire Department is reporting a pedestrian fatality after a collision with the train at Hubbard St. and San Fernando Rd. in the Pacoima neighborhood of Northeast Vallely. Further details are coming.

It didn't take long for Harold Ghaemmaghami, 45, the suspected Garden Glove bandit, to be caught by police. It was earlier this month that police asked the public's help in identifying the robber that targeted at least 17 Valley stores while wearing gardening gloves.

During a live press conference around 11:08 p.m. tonight, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa updated the injury count saying some 135 people were injured at this afternoon's Metrolink/Freight Train crash in Chatsworth. An estimated 222 people were on board with around 20 fatalities suspected. Update, 12:50 a.m.: 45 people were critically injured, according to KNBC.

The LAPD is asking the public's help in identifying this man.

A report about San Fernando Valley air quality released yesterday states that overall air quality has improved but the West Valley's ozone levels have risen while some East Valley neighborhoods have seen an increase in particulate matter, according to the Daily News.

Adding to the hundreds of official "blue sign" Los Angeles neighborhoods (we estimate it to be around 185), Reseda Ranch in the Valley became the latest to celebrate its individuality.

The birth of a new parking structure that will serve the future redone Reseda Theater began yesterday near the intersection of Sherman Way and Reseda Blvd. "The 8,500-square-foot theater will be gutted and reconfigured into an 11,000- square-foot, state-of- the-art, live-performance and special-event venue," reports the Daily News. It will get a $7.7 million makeover and is being rehabilitated by the CIM Group, who runs Hollywood & Highland, among many other redevelopment properties in the Los Angeles area.

       

You walk in and it's like the end of result of a time machine. It's the San Fernando Valley, 1960s, 1970s, maybe. Families and friends are gathered around tables while the three main staff--two mainstay waitresses and the cook, Rudy--rush around serving everyone's bellies to a greasy satisfaction. It's breakfast. It's America's suburb.

Yesterday afternoon, LAPD SWAT stormed a house in Reseda believed to be where a 24-year-old man was being held for ransom. The man was rescued with non life-threatening injuries and seven men and one woman were arrested at the home on 18300 block of Schoolcraft Street near Etiwanda Avenue.

The recent heatwave was expected to transition to cooler temperatures beginning last Saturday, but there was no such luck, forcing weather forecasters to say today would be that day as the Valley would get a much needed marine layer (as of 8:30 a.m., skies are blue here in the Valley). If correct, instead of triple digits that became the norm the past four days, parts of the Valley would start to feel a lot cooler. Woodland Hills is expected to have a high of 92 degrees while just a few miles east in Sherman Oaks, the high should be 83.

He went to a clinic in the San Fernando Valley of the city and the only medical condition he could think of was how he gets anxious.

There is a damn good line up of bands happening this Friday night over in Glendale at The Scene at 9:00 p.m. And despite the Valley club's interesting change in direction with membership, this Friday is still the spirit of the old scene as it is the second-to-last show booked under old management. Friday's line up includes Death to Anders, Fol Chen, Solar Powered People and Layer with the Squaregirls will be DJing between sets.

Hear that sound? That's not a jetliner landing at Van Nuys Airport. Those are moans and groans about the impending new area code overlay in the San Fernando Valley.

       

Yesterday, hundreds of Valley residents headed towards their front and backyard lawns, picking orange and grapefruit trees, lemon bushes and other juicy fruits in name of one of the largest single-day community food donation drives in the city. Around 20,000 pounds of citrus was gathered at Citrus Sunday, a project run by Councilman Greig Smith who represents the 12th district. Residents drop off the fruit to various Valley fire stations and it all ends up with the Valley Interfaith Council (VIC), who serve 80,000 people (not just meals, but individuals) a month. The amazing thing is, without Citrus Sunday, all the fruit may have just gone to waste. If you have fruit ready to be picked off your tree, VIC has food pantries around the Valley where you can drop it off (we recommend you call first). As for the fruit, all of it is being distributed to low-income families this week starting today.

Two female bank employees, ages 41 and 39, were transported to Northridge Hospital in stable condition after they were exposed to a $100 bill at San Fernando Valley Washington Mutual this afternoon. The incident, which took place at 10370 Mason Ave. in Chatsworth, happened around 1:00 p.m. The Los Angeles Fire Department's Hazardous Materials Squad were deployed after one teller complained that her hand was burning after touching the bill.

An alert coming out of the Los Angeles Fire Department states that Canoga Park Senior High School has been "actively evacuated." It is unknown at this time if it is a partial or full evacuation, but the Haz Mat Team was deployed to the campus.

Pinkberry, CeFiore, Red Mango, Lime Light, etc., etc., etc., have nothing on Menchie's Frozen Yogurt in Valley Village off Laurel Canyon between Magnolia and Chandler. At Menchie's, there's not just two flavors, there's ten. At Menchie's, you don't get served, you serve yourself. At Menchie's, there's not just a handful of toppings, there's more than thirty-five.