Comments on: My Councilman screamed at me.

By: Donna Barstow

Donna Barstow — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:10:56 +0000

Thanks, Rosemarie! We’re on the same page!

By: Rosemarie Valeriano

Rosemarie Valeriano — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 06:55:56 +0000

Yummmm! I’m so sad we can’t have a grill at our brand new place: (It was my husband’s pride and joy, not to mention my happiness when i didn’t have a million pans to completely clean after! Rosemarie Valeriano

By: BBQ king

BBQ king — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:03:42 +0000

If BBQ’s are permitted by King LaBonge, can I dig a hole and smoke a pig for 10 hrs? It seems Fern Dell is the only place I can think of where a local pol uses cultural differences as an excuse for stupid overbearing behavor.

Guess a small picnic with the family is out now, because the wind hit the BBQ and cover me with teriyaki smoke. Multiply the BBq’s by any number and I’ll smell like everyone’s dinner.

Thing is always talk to LaBonge after he exhales and befor he inhales. He’s stuck in that time warp without hot air to speak.

By: Smiley

Smiley — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 03:34:58 +0000

This is becoming hilarious. One day you and your insane cohorts make claims about Colonel Griffith’s requirement that Griffith Park remain a park for the “masses” that must be enjoyed by all Los Angeles residents from every socio-economic background. Then, you complain about those “immigrants” and “poor people” who you don’t care about making good use of Griffith’s gift. How can one npt read this blog, including our comments, and laugh?
Also, no matter what you think about LaBonge, not one of you loves, enjoys, hikes, and works in the park more than he has. You should be ashamed of the way you lie about him. I am glad I don’t have to deal with you crazies.

By: Browne

Browne — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 05:32:03 +0000

It’s insane that people are trying to claim that everyone has a right to bbq. The whole idea of cooking flesh is disgusting, but if you take away my veggie leanings, with the drought we have going on and all of the dead trees on Los Feliz the whole bbq thing is insane. Some idiot will burn down the park, Griffith Park isn’t like Central Park it’s almost like a reserve and the fact that we can’t discuss it like rational adults without our council man yelling at us is insane.

Browne

By: Bambi Defense League

Bambi Defense League — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:08:00 +0000

Revised 2008 Summer Fire Season Poster — Smokey the Bear, holding a fully-loaded Uzi, declares: “Open Season on offending HUMANS and sub-moronic L.A. city councilmen to help PREVENT FOREST FIRES!”

By: Kristin Sabo

Kristin Sabo — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:47:44 +0000

I need to point out that the 1995 BBQ fire in Griffith Park was caused by a man throwing his coals out of a public barbecue grill, not a private one. If anyone is interested, I’ll be glad to show you which one.

By: Kristin Sabo

Kristin Sabo — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:40:32 +0000

I’m the volunteer steward-caretaker of Amir’s Garden in Griffith Park, and I was present at the meeting when LaBonge lashed out at Donna.

Need an example of a GP fire caused by a BBQ? How about the 1995 fire that burned well over 100 acres including a large chunk of Amir’s Garden. The most common way this happens is when the BBQer decides to throw the coals into the brush or under a tree. I cannot count how many times I’ve seen piles of coals in these places in Griffith Park over the past four years since I ‘inherited’ the care of Amir’s; most of these piles are within feet of the Hot Coals box the City provides to avoid this exact thing! I actually live near Hansen Dam. At this particular regional park, the majority of fires are definitely caused by illegal BBQs. Within three days of getting the huge Griffith fire extinguished last year and with all the press and chatter about park fire danger out there in the public, Hansen Dam Recreational Area had been set on fire twice — once by BBQ.

If you had been at this meeting, you might have a not-so-nice view of the Councilmember. At the time, I pointed out that pocket/neighborhood parks do not suffer from the extensive dry brush typical of the urban wilderness identity that is part of all of our regioanl parks. BBQs/coals in pocket parks do not easily endanger people’s lives, park resources, wildlife, and facilities as they do in regional parks. Pocket parks and neighborhood parks could actually move to make this an advertised amenity with a little planning. Pocket parks are closer to people’s homes than a large regional park on average. (Yes, here we could talk about the severely park-poor areas of the City — this is another issue and it needs to be resolved.) People can have BBQs in City parks and we can increase safety in the regional parks. Win-win.

What did LaBonge do? Starts yelling at me to name all the pocket parks in CD 4(!!) (I live in CD 2 — he knows this all too well. I also know for fact that on the whole, most of CD 4 is not on the list of the park-poorest in this town.) At this point, LaBonge is pounding on a person’s right to BBQ as if someone’s fundamental civil rights were being violated. And I am sitting there watching the increasingly bombastic tirade, realizing that once again this is all his brand of diversion. LaBonge says “Let Them Have BBQs!” while in reality they need affordable health care. And secure jobs. And safe neighborhoods. And safe parks. Pretty damn pathetic.