Just 10 years after the Ballona Wetlands were acquired and preserved (an endeavor that took decades), they are again under attack. The Annenberg Foundation, which has done impressive work elsewhere, plans to purchase the wetlands, develop part of it, and restore Area C. The latter proposal has been described as "a phony restoration" to "give crony engineering companies some business" and "way too aggressive" for the highly- sensitive habitat. Annenberg claims their plans have been misrepresented, but there was no elaboration.
On Thursday, October 17, a demonstration was held outside the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills during that facility's very extravagant grand opening. Protest signs supported Annenberg's various plans, that include a pet rescue center, but lambasted any construction on or restoration of Ballona, which is among the remaining five percent of L.A.'s wetlands that has not been destroyed.
(Photo courtesy of the Wetlands Defense Fund.)
Story and photos: Ballona Wetlands Again in Jeopardy by R. Plesset
Update: Marcia Hanscom of Wetlands Defense Fund and Ballona Institute discusses recent developments and who we can contact to express our concerns on KPFK's Connect the Dots (4-28-14). (Available for about 90 days.) The discussion begins about half-way through the show.
The best quality organic fruits, vegetables, prepared specialties, and non-factory farmed animal products were all found at the Rawesome Food Club in Venice. That is, before the Federal Government (FBI) raided it and eventually shut it down. Raw goat milk was the much publicized reason for the raids, but what appears to have been unsaid is that Rawesome was just a coffee shop and one small intersection away from Whole Foods Market, a giant corporation.
. . . Alex Jones, a controversial radio host, interviewed James Stewart just this year. James told the story of how the Rawesome Food Club was destroyed by the Federal Government to a sympathetic host that described James as a Raw Food Advocate. Too bad the local lefties didn't show the same sympathy. Venice lost a unique free enterprise that provided awesome quality food.In Venice the Constitution and Bill of Rights have been broken concerning the rights of the poor. James and Rawesome assisted poor and unhoused people by providing donations, including vegetables and fruits to the vegetarian Venice Food Not Bombs chapter. Harassment of the poor and unhoused population of Venice, surveillance by Government Agencies, an FBI bust of a raw food club and large corporations moving into Venice (such as Whole Foods and Google) have brought together the excesses of oppressive government policies.
The combinations of government, corporations and abusive community groups have altered the bohemian character of Venice Beach. By using local and federal law enforcement to abuse and control the unhoused population and people who choose the freedom to drink raw goat milk.
Full story: A Venice Rawesome Story by Calvin E. Moss