Carolyn Sylvia embarrasses herself at Council Meeting

May 21, 2013 in City Council Meetings, Cypress, Decency

Council 3 28 prologis spec mtg(Los Alamitos, 5/21/2013)  Wow!

I finally got around to watching the tape, and was I ever shocked at Carolyn Sylvia’s remarks.

Frankly, she embarrassed herself.

And our community as well.

I’ve enjoyed pleasant conversations with both Sylvias, and worked with them both on various occasions.  They do have a good side.  Sadly, it did not seem to be on display Monday night.

First, she accused our Mayor of lying in saying that he advised Cypress Councilman Bailey that he was recording him. Based on her assumption that he wouldn’t have left if he was telling the truth. That’s random at best and libelous on it’s face.

So, because Bailey threw a hissy fit about Read the rest of this entry →

Sylvias booed: Your reporting/comments on Monday’s 2 Los Al Council Meetings

May 20, 2013 in Decency, Your reporting and comments

bigrigs(5/20/2013, Los Alamitos) Updated 11:30 pm:  The regular meeting was over in about 2 hours, but not before a very interesting Oral Communication time with several twists.  See the first comment below for details. 

Then add your comments, or your report on the regular agenda items of either of the two meetings.

(Click here for agenda of the 5 pm Budget Workshop, followed by agenda item detailed reports and attachments.)

Click here for agenda of the 6pm regular meeting, followed by agenda item detailed reports and attachments.

Click here for  the despicable hit pieces passed out in some Los Al neighborhoods,the subject of much discussion, as you’ll see in the comments below.  Please, be  Read the rest of this entry →

Anti-Kusumoto hit piece hits Los Al

May 19, 2013 in City Council, Decency, LART ("Los Al Race Track" property), Weekend Wisdom

(Los Alamitos, 5/19/2013)  They’re at it again.  An anonymous group of “concerned Los Alamitos residents” is smearing one of Los Alamitos’ finest elected officials with an expensive hit piece filled with half truths and distortions.

It’s time to set the record straight.

Then to figure out who’s behind this effort, which started a week ago at Cypress’ Read the rest of this entry →

Straight to the top

May 9, 2013 in Cypress, Decency, Highlands Guy's Thursday Columns, LART ("Los Al Race Track" property)

(Los Alamitos, 5/9/2013) Dave E here.  I’m posting this late because I just returned from a fairly lengthy, hastily called meeting by a group of mainly Cypress residents concerned about ProLogis proposed facility.  There’s some interesting controversy developing within the opposition, but more on that later.

I think one thing all “sides” of the opposition can probably agree on is our Thursday columnist’s unique idea for a “top down” approach: 

 by Highlands Guy:  The more I read about how the area communities have come together for the common good, the better I feel. There are a lot of good folks around who have taken the time to get informed, talk to their neighbors, and speak up at city council meetings. And I must note that my vote for the current Los Alamitos mayor is already paying dividends.

He’s a good guy, but more importantly for his position, he is intelligent and renders decisions based on accumulated facts and the Read the rest of this entry →

HG: ProLogis by the numbers, briefly

April 18, 2013 in Decency, Highlands Guy's Thursday Columns, LART ("Los Al Race Track" property)

(Los Alamitos, 4/18/2014)  Dave E here.  More startling facts from our “Highlands Guy.”  Short but well worth a complete read, and possibly e-mailing the link to your friends in Cypress, whose City  Council meets at 6 pm this coming Monday, with a very short agenda .  

by “Highlands Guy:”   Please note: Today’s piece is short, on purpose. I do not want to interfere with folks still processing their feelings about the terrorist attacks in Boston and the events in West, Texas.

Our local folks are not only at odds with the Cypress City Council, but they must also contend with a San Francisco based real estate giant that is “as close to world domination as few ever get,” according to Blanca Torres in a February 1, 2013 article in the San Francisco Business Times.

Seems they have $45 billion, yes with a “b”, in assets and are becoming the world’s largest industrial real estate investment trust.

This is who we are up against guys. This will either make you shrink away, or get Read the rest of this entry →

David vs. Goliath: Goliath Wins!

April 12, 2013 in Cypress, David Lara, shooting from the hip", Decency, LART ("Los Al Race Track" property)

morebigrigsmoke(Rossmoor/Los Alamitos/Cypress, 4/12/2013)  Dave E here.  Wait until you read this amazing and extremely tale from our “Shooting from the Hip” columnist.  It couldn’t be more timely, as I’ll explain in italics at the end. 

by David Lara:  This article is dedicated to the residents of our community that are fighting the proposed truck terminal in the City of Cypress.

The following story is true but the names have been changed to protect myself from being sued.

It was a warm afternoon in the City of Los Angeles and I was assigned to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Read the rest of this entry →

Please send a brief e-mail today to save our quality of life!

April 9, 2013 in Cypress, Decency, LART ("Los Al Race Track" property), Safety, Traffic

Coming soon to a neighborhood near you!

(Cypress/Los Alamitos, 4/9/2013)  4/10  update:  Deadline’s tonight!  An International Logistics Monolith wants to build a 33 acre trucking, traffic, and pollution hub in the middle of four West Orange County bedroom communities, and it looks like it’s up to you & me 5to stop it!

The next 24 hours are critical.  You can scroll down for the heading on  ”Your easy steps” for what to do, but first, let me review a few key facts about the proposed project:

  • ProLogis wants to break ground this year on a 33 acre project that includes enough building space to house 12 pro football fields plus between 129 – 300- big rigs!
  • The site also requires almost 1,000 parking spaces for employees and visitors.  A simple reconfiguring  of the buildings would double the amount of employees and parking spaces to almost  2,000!
  • ProLogis claims to not know who they will lease the buildings too, but they are configured for multiple tenants.
  • The location near the Harbor suggests trucking of cargo containers for breaking down & reshipping.  Click here for a detailed comment from one port worker on what that means. 
  • Diesel fumes are the greatest source of airborne carcinogens, and Read the rest of this entry →

The Stink on the Base

April 4, 2013 in 2013 Issues, Decency, Highlands Guy's Thursday Columns, Joint Forces Training Base, LART ("Los Al Race Track" property), Planning & Community Development, Seal Beach, Traffic

(Los Alamitos, 4/4/2013)  Like the gophers in Little Cottonwood Park, just when we think we’ve got the “recycling” problem solved at the Base, it pops up again, as a “mulching” and transportation problem.  Less garbage smell, same nasty trucks speeding by Los Al backyards on dusty dirt roads.  

Trucks to the North of  Carrier Row, trucks to the East of  the Highlands!  

Highlands’ Guy’s research focuses in on one more Los Al quality of life issue that, as he points out, actually affects us all:

By Highlands Guy: I am a staunch supporter of our JFTB. Always have been, probably always will.

The short time I was based there in the olden days, it was a positive experience.  For as long as I have been a Los Al resident, they have been a good neighbor.

To be honest, I sure hope they avoid the fall out from any future BRAC actions.  I much prefer the open space it sits on, rather than another inevitable mall or housing project.

Just as an aside, if they ever do close up shop, the responsibility for the clean-up of the subterranean toxic waste will be in the courts for the next 25 years.

But I digress. The focus today is the much misunderstood mulching project that is being supported by the JFTB.  Recently I heard about the an entire street in the Highlands neighborhood that is constantly bombarded with noise, a nasty Read the rest of this entry →

Scores jam Scoping meeting, Cypress extends EIR public comment deadline

April 3, 2013 in City Council, Cypress, Decency, LART ("Los Al Race Track" property), Our Future, Safety, Traffic, Your reporting and comments

4 3 Cypress Prologis EIR meeting(Cypress, 4/3/2013) Mid day Thursday update:  I’m hearing reports of some come confusion resulting from the signs posted at last night’s meeting indicating the deadline for public comments was extended to next Wednesday, 4/10.  I’m told some residents thought that another meeting would be held then at the Clubhouse, but that is not the case.  Input must be delivered or mailed Douglas Hawkins, 5275 Orange, Cypress 90630 or e-mailed to 33AcreProject@ci.cypress.ca.us. No second meeting is planned, although the Cypress City Council will meet this Monday at 7 pm.

Scores of concerned Cypress, Rossmoor, and Los Alamitos residents and Los Al officials crowded both sides of the former Cypress Golf Course Clubhouse to express their concerns about the proposed 33 acre ProLogis Logistics hub.

It was designed as an interactive event, which worked well.   It provided an excellent opportunity to interact with staff of the Environmental Impact Firm, public officials from Los Alamitos, and Cypress’ Planning Director.

prologis plans4cyp (2)The good news is that Cypress has wisely extended the time for the public to comment on potential environmental issues/impacts that should be addressed in the EIR to a week from today, Wednesday, 4/10/2013.

I left convinced that a primary focus needs to be   Read the rest of this entry →

“The worst place in Orange County for this project?” My EIR letter

April 2, 2013 in 2013 Issues, About Dave Emerson, Cypress, Decency, LART ("Los Al Race Track" property), News you can use, Our Future, Safety, Traffic

(Los Alamitos, 4/2/2012)  Today is the last day for the public and local agencies to submit their Environmental Impact Report concerns for the draft EIR report on the proposed ProLogis trucking/industrial site on the Old Cypress Golf Course’s southern portion.

I wrote mine last night.  I could have kept writing, but ran out of time. . . not concerns.  I live to the southwest of the project.  Those living to the north, northwest, east, and south of the project probably have equal concerns.

The bottom line is, all the communities surrounding the complex are already gridlocked.  The last thing we need is 12 NFL Football fields of interior cubicles filled with office workers, or 250 truck bays with hundreds of trucks large and small arriving 24/7, or any combination of the two.

Read on for my perspective.  Feel free to cut & paste to make it easier for you to get yours e-mailed before today’s deadline, although it’s Read the rest of this entry →