It's another edition of Neighborhood Council Dispatch, wherein Curbed and its correspondents sit for hours at neighborhood council board meetings to bring back the first word of what changes are afoot in the area. Your reports from the field always encouraged to the tipline.
If only the herons could speak English and explain why they failed to return to Silver Lake reservoir this year. Perhaps all the bickering among locals drove them away. That is the take-away from last night's Silver Lake Neighborhood Council Meeting at the Micheltorena School. The highlight: Herons! The birds have failed to return to the reservoir this year, and some members want the city to take an active role in finding out why, but other locals are suspicious of motives of this heron group. (Meanwhile, it could be the herons haven't returned because of the drained reservoir.) Full explainer after the jump, but the quick hits: The new meadow and pathway around Silver Lake reservoir is not opening until at least September; the Silver Lake Kite Festival is being planned; there is a trend of people are getting their cars slashed in Los Feliz, and the music/street festival Sunset Junction will happen August 23th and 24th.
And coverage of the heron issue:
---A new subcommittee of the SLNC, called Friends of Silver Lake Animals, is trying to get the city to look at the health of the eucalyptus trees, the apparent nesting tree of the birds, and want city officials to observe the herons going forward.
---But many in the audience wondered if the heron issue is actually a non-issue, since it seems most of the people who are in the Friends of Silver Lake Animals group were against the opening of the meadow. As previously noted, some people were in opposition to the meadow's opening.
---Locals came up and spoke on each side of the debate about whether to monitor the trees/herons. Some sample quotes:
“There has never been monitoring of the herons [by the city] to begin with.” [IE, Why the interest now?]
“This is about trust...We don’t trust the motives of the people who are proposing this.”
“I am a second-generation Silver Lake resident?and I support this?and support the herons.” (big applause)
-- The SLNC decided to table the two motions (the two motions concerned monitoring the trees and herons) sending it back to the Friends of Animals group, and asking them to basically redraft the motions. Among other things, the SLNC said the motions weren't adequately presented to the public before last night's meeting.
--The mood among many after the meeting was that, yes, herons and trees are cared for, but the SLNC needs concrete reasons and facts to move forward to adequately address the tree/heron issue.
--Also, it was revealed a local artist made the signs placed around Silver Lake Reservoir. If she seemed staunchly pro-heron before the meeting, she spoke before the Neighborhood Council and admitted she was now confused after hearing the conflicting information and accusations. Yes, it's a bit confusing!
· Fake Heron Group Trying To Block Silver Lake Meadow Opening? [Curbed LA]
Loading comments...