My Councilman screamed at me.
Okay, I think I can talk about it now.
This was soon after the Griffith Park fire in 2007. You might have heard about it: the one that burned 800 acres, 25% of the park, and almost burned many Los Feliz homes? Thousands of trees and animals and birds died.
Councilman Tom LaBonge was one of the guests at our PROS meeting, to discuss smoking rules in the park. He went around the room of about 30, asking our views about the Greek and the Golf Course. About half of us wanted to allow one designated space for smokers (he said they are stinking up bathrooms and other spaces when they sneak), and half of us wanted to continue the ban of No Smoking since the fire. (I said I wanted a designated area for the smokers, but a place that made them feel very uncomfortable, like outcasts.)
LaBonge is the man in blue.
Then he said that that weekend he had seen a Vietnamese family having a barbecue in Fern Dell, because it was a cultural tradition. (I understand your frustration, but I can’t translate what he says, just repeat it.) Apparently they didn’t read the huge No Smoking signs. Or get evacuated from their home. Or read the paper. Or listen to the news. Or notice the charred hills. Then he added that the park WILL now allow barbecues in picnic areas. Huge fireball barbecues.
I raised my shaking hand to say I was shocked that they (he) would allow this. Shaking because I was terrified of Councilman LaBonge, probably because I was so angry at him; I had seen the stupid things he had permitted and made happen in my neighborhood. (For instance, the Department of Transportation told me LaBonge has made more requests than any other Councilperson in the city, for stop signs, speed bumps, extra lights, etc. Think about that as you pay $5 a gallon at the pump. He closed off one end of a street I take every day, and we have to use a busy 4 lane street instead, scary. He put speed bumps on Commonwealth, a fast and pretty alternative to Hillhurst, because 9 people signed a petition asking for th bumps; more than 6500 cars take that street every day, and have to bump over them! No accidents had happened – he just likes helping people do what they feel like!) When I saw him at meetings before this I couldn’t even look at him. But emergencies are a good leveler.
I said, “We just had the driest year in decades. It’s still really dangerous to have any kind of fire in the park, and barbeques are one of the highest polluters out there.”
He replied, “Have you seen Crystal Springs Drive and the cars? Talk about pollution! And besides, there are many families where their only opportunity to barbecue is in the park. They can’t do it at home, or up tenement stairs. I want to give them a place to do that.”
“Well, I think a 4 day major fire in the park is more important than family barbecues. I don’t care about them.”
His voice boomed. If you have ever seen him speak, or on the news, he’s a boomer. “REPEAT THAT!”
“What? That I don’t care about them?” By this time I was beet red.
He pointed his finger at me. “YES, THAT’S IT. THAT’S THE REAL PROBLEM!”
I was mortified. I tried to speak again, but he cut me off, and turned to someone else. I wondered if the whole group would hate me. No one looked at me, or said a word in my behalf. Still, what moron would think fire was a solution to fire?
And I’m a volunteer, helping the city and the park! He gets PAID to be there, as do all of the city employees who speak at, or attend our meetings. So money isn’t everything…I’m joking, of course. It totally is.
So, just as he said, there was no ban on barbeques until Rec & Parks passed a No Smoking ordinance in all city parks 3 months later…EXCEPT for in the Golf Course, the Greek, the Autry and the Zoo. Those people have better quality cigarettes than the homeless man who actually STARTED the fire with his cigarette, I guess. Barbecues resumed on this Easter, even though we haven’t had any rain for months, because, one of the rangers told me, “Easter is a big barbecue day.” Hmm, there’s another tradition I never heard of. The Lord is risen, burn this hamburger.
I do know that LaBonge loves the park, if not me. Someone commented that he leads early morning hikes, and I’ve been told he has planted many (non-native, not good) trees. I believe he tries to make things better, anyway, and I’ve read that he likes to call himself the Mayor of Griffith Park.
I like titles, too; I often refer to myself, at least to myself, as She-ra of Griffith Park.
Donna Barstow
Griffith Park is the 2nd biggest park in the US, and I'm just the person to investigate it! I've lived here for over 25 years. I was part of the PROS Committee in Griffith Park Neighborhood Council and am on the Housing & Tenants Rights Committee in the Silver Lake NC. I'm in the LA Press Club, and you can find some of my articles in the LA Weekly and the Los Feliz Ledger. I'm a cartoonist for Parade Magazine, The New Yorker, LA Times, Slate, & most major media. Questions and contacts welcome.
38 Comments
more trees please
Hilarious! Don’t give up!
Mike
Your a moron. How many fires in the park have been started by BBQ’s? You don’t care about families who can’t BBQ? Nobody cares about you and your petty cause. Your NIMBY type of loser. Blog about real problems. Like keeping out the shady dudes out of fern dell.
Anonymous
Wow, you come off like a real a**hole. Go to hell you pompous queen.
Jon
you are an idiot and a moron. i live off ferndell and was really glad to see so many families out BBQ’ing. the park is for everyone
Brewster
I like the idea of BBQing in the park too, and I’m sick of looking at the grills wrapped in garbage bags and caution tape! I’d rather see Vietnamese families cooking out like they are known to do!
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db
Yea, it seems like LaBonge was a being a real jerk, and you should have called him out at that moment. Perhaps asking “Mmmm, WHAT is the problem? That I’m more concerned about the park than family barbecues?” That would have at least put him in the position to explain himself.
That said, Griffith Park belongs to neither Mr. LaBonge, nor to you. It belongs to all of us. Your “I don’t care about them” attitude betrays a snobbery which is likely to get you nowhere, ultimately defeating your quest.
Perhaps you *should* care about other people who use the park. Have you ever talked to the BBQ folk? Have you ever asked why they are (as you see it) endangering the park? Maybe you, or they, will gain some insight.
In any case you and your councilman should probably brush up on your communication skills.
Annika
I didn’t have anything to add until I saw the moronic, abusive comments.
Allowing fire in a fire zone during the dry season is reckless at BEST. And yelling at a voter and volunteer? Retarded. Shame on Councilman LaBonge.
Randall BusTard
To be sure, a better choice of words by Ms. Barstow might have helped—but only slightly. In any case, the rude comments by some of the above jerks are ones I doubt would be made in public because there would be no computer monitor behind which to hide. (I come from the olde punk fanzine days, when written letters and face-to-face kept wise-assed remarks to a minimum, so I have an idea what I mean.)
Anyhow, Tom LaBonge is certainly an asshole, and probably always has been. When I usta edit his garbage column for a newspaper that featured his monthly mumblings, I should have charged him. From that time I also collected olde photos of him hamming it up from many years ago: no matter what the occasion—be it on a cell phone while driving, or acting the fool “beat poet” in Griffith park—Tom was obviously full of himself. (And yes, I still have files of these photos and many more.)
Moreover, while at a benefit in Highland Park (hosted by a well-known river advocacy group for which I also contributed a fair amount of work), Tom made sure to be an asshole in person to anyone who dared to say “hello” to him during the dinner, that he did not know. And if anyone doubts his incorrigible incompetence, just remember that he was so daft as to state that the Hollywood sign is “our Eiffel Tower.” Imagine that: a bunch of plywood and planks thrown-up (yes, vomit does come to mind) to sell some land, compared to a revolutionary piece of architecture that was daring in more ways than merely its exposed frame.
Tom is indeed a moron and a schmuck.
Will Campbell
Donna could have rephrased or softened the statement she made that so “inflamed” the opportunistic Councilman LaBonge, but instead she just told it like it happened. That’s integrity. She also could delete the trolls who wipe the comments with their own fetid fecal matter, but she let’s those stand as well. No withering violet, she.
Certainly she’s outspoken. Certainly she’s dedicated to advocating for the protection of the park. My hat’s off to her.
Mikey Wally
Here are two more negative blog posts on Tom LaBonge:
One from the LAist – http://www.laist.com/2007/12/04/tom_labonge_the.php
One from IlluminateLA – http://illuminatela.com/tom-labonge-las-artful-dodger/
I have never met the Mr. LaBonge, but he seems like a smooth talker.
LKitsch
Tom has more than his share of boneheaded ideas, votes, actions, opinions, etc. And I am sure he could have handled this better than he did.
But you are wrong on stopping the use of the park for family barbeques. I’d bet you have your own yard and a nice place to BBQ. But there are thousands of poor immigrant families living in unbelievably overcrowded conditions across LA (many near the park in Hollywood), who have no place else to go to be together and enjoy a weekend afternoon.
Fires like the one that ocurred happen when people go off trail and light fires in heavily vegetated areas. BBQ’s in controlled picnic areas are OK, and make the parks accessible and useable for all of LA’s residents.
aidadinner
I like the idea of BBQ’s in the park – if done safely. My neighbors and I recently requested a stop sign be put in my neighborhood – after ten years and playing witness to the same violent accident occurring each month, several of which resulted in serious injury and even two deaths. Councilman LaBonge responded personally to our request and the issue is being resolved as we speak. Lastly, I work for a nonprofit in Echo Park and Councilman LaBonge has been an advocate for at-risk youth and struggling families living in the community. I know he’s a politician – let’s not sh*t ourselves – he schmoozes and does all that politician-stuff that grosses the rest of us out. But he gets things done. More than can be said for many people in our local govenment. Let’s give him some credit.
Randall BusTard
I am sure Tom gives himself quite a bit of credit, and so let us not sully these dark waters with the constant goodness any given politician perpetually grants itself. Discussions such as these seem too few and far even via this easy medium—the Internet—and should stick to the topic. It is not as if Tom will tell you of his idiotic outbursts.
That stated, I must state that I do not know the make-up of Ms. Barstow’s residence and gardens, but I can state that for the years I lived north of Los Feliz Blvd. (The night of the last fire, my editor drove me home in the news van through a storm of embers, and he nearly ended up getting pushed over a small cliff by the LAFD pumper trucks when, while taking photos, his van stalled just as the wind turned.) I stayed throughout the night despite the LAPD knocking on front and rear doors of the apartment, and I watched the fires roll up to the edge of the hill just about the building. Once the loudspeakers from the LAPD patrol cars had stopped announcing the mandatory evac, I went outside but quickly returned when I spied a few groups of coyotes moving down Richland toward me. (They were barking all over the place, but the sight of them brazenly advancing meant I was on the menu, so I made like a tree!) The heat was intense, even at 3 and 4 a.m. I do not wish to have such a huge fire come so close to my residence again, especially so some dimwitted councilmember can have his precious BBQs in teh park like the good olde days.
At my place, I had no such place to BBQ but I had the same attitude about BBQs then as I possess now: nix ’em. And above all, Tom needs to reign in his lousy, loud attitude. For all the pompous garbage he spews about being a public servant, one need but spend a few minutes in his presence when the cameras are not rolling (and like an ape in a cage, if he sees cameras he will do most anything to get them turned on and in his direction) that he is a self-centered jerk and not too bright, to boot. That he is pressing for BBQs to be allowed, and that there appears to be no BBQ-started fire in Griffith Park yet, does not mean that it will not happen in this burgeoning drought.
db
“…and that there appears to be no BBQ-started fire in Griffith Park yet, does not mean that it will not happen in this burgeoning drought.”
If the goal is to prevent any possible way of accidentally starting a fire, why not just ban everyone from Griffith Park?
ubrayj02
Tom LaBonge making requests to slow traffic, and close off streets to cars, is a signal that he understands this community better than you ever will.
He may be blustery, and full of crap, but the man lives, breathes, sweats, and bleeds L.A.
Randall BusTard
db, I see you like to make outrageous statements, so let us go the other way and hand out flamethrowers to everyone entering the park.
Ubrayj02, I see you continue to be a blowhard who wants to quarrel. As such, Tom’s your man. And he won’t be stopping my car anytime soon; I am sitting on the 180/181/780 in the traffic caused by angelinos who refuse to get out of their cars. Tom is only stopping traffic for himself; were he so dedicated to that cause he would do more to prompt Metro to stop being a fifth-rate conveyance for the working class.
Hiker and Real Park Lover
I think La Bonge was right. The real problem is that you and a lot of other people do not care about the real users of the park. I know many people like you. You don’t use the park on a daily basis but you somehow think you are the most qualified to make up the rules.
You may not like La Bonge but he can be regularly seen on the trails of the park talking to the people who really love and use the park. People who hike the trails every day. People who gather there with their families every weekend. People who pick up garbage and plant trees and maintain gardens and trails. You aren’t one of those people and you don’t really care about what those people need from the park.
If you can’t stand to keep your mouth shut you should spend your time addressing the real issues that cause fires in the park. Real issues include:
1. Smoking
2. Homeless Camps
3. Fireworks
4. Lack of enforcement of existing laws.
No one has ever caused a fire in Griffith Park by having a BBQ in a designated BBQ area. As has already been pointed out, many people in the city do not have back yards where they can have family gatherings and cookout. Griffith Park is their backyard. How can you justify taking it away from them when there is no actual fire danger caused by their BBQs?
Are you prepared to push for an Anti-BBQ law for people who own homes that are adjacent to Griffith Park? Many of those homes are closer to wilderness areas then the designated Griffith Park BBQ areas. Or do you just have something against the poor and working class?
Dtownla
Wow. People are actually defending Tom LaBonge, here? Talk about blame the victim.
If you’ve never met Mr. LaBonge, he is a pompous blowhard. There was no need for this kind of response from him, but it’s expected.
All those who have flcoked here to defend him, er … wow. All I can say is wow. Now I know why Fox News is so popular. Everyone loves a bully.
Hiker and Real Park Lover
Victim? The only victims I see are the poor and working class people who are in danger of being driven completely out of Griffith Park by people like Donna. She admits to not even visiting the park much but still believes she qualified to make the rules for everyone based on her own opinions rather then actual facts.
Native Lalalander
Donna, I like how the first guy to call you a moron (Mike, #2) doesn’t know the difference between “you’re” and “your,” among plenty of other obvious things.
So, WHO’S the moron? (I’m sorry but I didn’t read much further than that, because I have a pulled muscle and it hurts to laugh.)
Where ignorance is bliss….
Doug
Donna – finally found you over here. Cool!
I’m amazed by some of these comments. You know of course that the first handful of comments were all done by the same person. There’s a certain style similar to them all – you can’t fake that, even when putting different names up.
No – what amazes me is the collective willingness to bury logic in the grave of common sense all in favour of knee-jerk reactions to the poor and downtrodden. To be sure, they face problems that many of us don’t. But allowing them to threaten the environment to facilitate *barbeques* of all things smacks of the highest stupidity. Use our social safety net to assist them in obtaining food, clothing and housing. But don’t bend over backward to every request they make, when it puts the park in danger.
I mean does *no* one read the news? How many large out-of-control forest fires does it take before some of us get it in our damned heads that open flames during dry season is possibly not the most optimum of choices?
The whole debate on this is hilarious. Here – have a shovel. Let’s dig our graves now, shall we?
Randall BusTard
Someone above stated I should do something about making Griffith Park better. Unfortunately, I am again in downtown Los Angeles, so that area is merely one through which I pass. But I do have those shots of Tom up, as someone implied in an e-mail that I had no such things.
hiker and park lover
The only knee-jerk reaction I have seen is the attempt to ban BBQs from Griffith Park and the blind insistence that they are dangerous.
The Griffith Park BBQs are not dangerous. They have never started a fire and are extremely unlikely to ever do so. They are in safe grassy areas away from the the wilderness. The BBQs are not open flames.
I find it crazy that Donna wants to ban BBQs (which have never and will never cause a fire) but all low a smoking section (even though smoking in Griffith Park has caused fires). Where is the logic in that??
Mike
Donna,
You should blog about a park in the Westside. Preferably Brentwood. Your snobbish, out of touch, moronic and pathetic comments will be accepted there. No one is defending Tom Labonge here. I saw this clip through Curbed and I am appalled that someone like you thinks yo have the right to “claim” the park as your own. You should BBQ at your place, stay out of the park and shut the F**K UP!!!!
Sincerely,
Mike
Doug
hiker and park lover,
Thanks for your take on it. To be sure, I don’t agree with smoking in forested areas either. It’s a shame they allowed that. You’re right – there is no logic there.
You can bring in your own barbeque and set up in the park. And so what do you do with the coals? No danger of them ever going into the forested areas? None at all?
Open flames – and to be sure, any barbeque is going to have them at some point – are major league potential fire hazards for overly-dry wooded areas.
Mike – emotional much? PMSing are we?
Cheers!
Hiker and Real Park Lover
Doug,
I agree that people should not be allowed to bring their own charcoal grills to the park. As far as I know that has always been against the rules. But, if you spend any time in the park and you will see that the majority of the rules are poorly enforced.
The major issue I have is the closing of the public barbeque grills. The metal grills are paid for by the taxpayers and set up by the city in safe areas surrounded by grass and concrete. They have never caused a fire. It is a shame their use has been curtailed since the fire last May.
The closing of the public grills is what happens when the city feels like the have to “do something” in response to a real problem. They pick an easy scapegoat rather then address the actual problem. As I said before the actual problems in Griffith Park are smoking, homeless camps and lack of enforce of existing laws. If the city would concentrate on those three things the chance of fire would drastically decrease. But, enforcing laws and closing homeless camps is a lot of work. It will cause a lot of public scrutiny because of the groups affected. Closing the public grills doesn’t do a thing to make us safer or reduce fire risk. But it is easy to do. And the majority of the affected people are immigrants and working class and not likely to attend public meetings. Plus, when you drive through the park and see the bags over the grills it makes it look like the city is “doing something”.
digger
While you may disagree with having barbecues in the park, I don’t see a problem with having them in designated areas. A barbecue didn’t cause the fire. The park belongs to everyone, not just you. Besides, is there much left to burn in the areas that people barbecue?
As for him planting non-native trees, I will consider that unsubstantiated unless someone comes forward as a witness.
I don’t like that Tom yelled at you, that isn’t cool at all.
Hiker and Real Park Lover
There are many non-native trees in Griffith Park. Some of them were planted by Tom LaBonge or with his blessing. Some were planted before Tom LaBonge was born.
Some of the non-native trees should not be there and cause a problem to the environment. Other non-native trees are quite nice and a positive addition to the park.
Just because something isn’t native doesn’t mean it is evil. Griffith Park is not prestine wilderness. It is an urban park in the middle of the city and humans have made a lot of changes over the years.
Donna Barstow
I’ve read all the comments, and thanks, everyone.
One thing I’m not clear on: does everyone agree, then, that the park belongs to me?
Native Lalalander
Mike thinks the park belongs to him. That issue will be covered in his next therapy session.
Kristin Sabo
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.
Kristin Sabo
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.
Bambi Defense League
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!”
Browne
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
Smiley
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.
BBQ king
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.
Rosemarie Valeriano
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