Sunland Tujunga's Beloved Bats



Beautiful Bat by Meg Benhase and Mostlyphotos 2009



One perfect eventide as the last rays of a late September sun were yielding to dusk; a splash of warm sunlight lit up the side of my home in Tujunga Canyon. It was too rich an invitation to resist and a young bat pup left his home in the nearby crevasse earlier than usual to land with a smack against the warm stucco and spread his wings to absorb the forbidden sun.

We studied each other and as he was reluctant to yield his post I was able to get within inches of him. He was the most perfect creature; his tiny fox face was no bigger than a nickel with black intelligent eyes like jet beads; his long graceful wings were a marvel of engineering. He swiveled his head deftly to keep an eye on my every move, and when I stretched out my hand to touch him he snarled the minutest warning. My mom (who endured all my naturalist's yearnings with good humor) said, “Don’t spoil it; this is his time in the sun.”

Seconds later his entire colony circled our heads and he was gone to join them in a heartbeat. He moved so fast I couldn’t see his departure. We watched as the colony swirled and dove and did acrobatics so fast it was hard to appreciate the precision of their performance. What we did appreciate however is the sudden and complete elimination of the cloud of mosquitoes that the bats consumed. My mom said “Well that sure beats 'Off' or 'Deet' spray!”

Recently I’ve read local alarmists’ warnings that rabid bats have been found in Ventura County and how we ought to wage war on bats. It’s hard not to read those people a list of their lineage. Two more dead rabid bats than normal (normal is 10 a year) have been found (out of gazillions) and suddenly there’s a rush to judgment by the uninformed. Rabies is a common disease. Vaccinate your domestic animals. Every mammal is susceptible except the wondrous Opossum who is immune. So how about a few words of praise for the bats among us?

The bat is the only mammal to conquer the miracle of flight and look what he can do! They fly 60 mph and up to 10,000 feet high with maneuverability mere birds will never possess: performing aeronautics we can’t appreciate except with slow motion photography. Baby bats ‘babble’ according to 2006 National Geographic and they do so to practice their eventual speech which is sonar. The only other baby mammals who practice speech pattern in this way prior to ‘conversation’ are whales, dolphins, and humans. 

The sonar called echolocation allows them to find airborne prey and consume 5000 insects (per bat) every night to satisfy their voracious insectivores’ appetite. That’s a ton of West Nile Virus carrying mosquitoes! When they swoop near humans they are actually saving you from mosquito bites as the bats deftly eat the very insects drawn to your body heat at night. I know it’s tempting to swat at them (though you don’t even come close!) but think of the illness they just saved you from. When the insects are gone so are the bats.

Bats are the only major predator of night-flying insects (mosquitoes, midges) and countries where mosquito vector disease is a problem have a shortage of bats and their habitat. I have created numerous bat habitats for homes near lakes, streambeds and marshes. Areas without waterways are equally prone to disease carrying insects especially in suburbia where standing water is overlooked everywhere and mosquito larvae abound. Bats need water desperately so the first thing you want to provide in your habitat is hanging water sources like hummingbird feeders with insect based water solutions (available at better pet and feed stores). If there is a call for it I will provide a follow up article here on creating your own bat habitat.

Bats also perform miracles you never hear about; they pollinate night blooming flowers most notably the Agave that produces Tequila and agave syrup. They ‘feel’ earthquakes coming; a colony flying in the day is a bad sign. They produce young in relation to ideal conditions; they never overpopulate, but respond to insect levels so more night-flying insects yield more bat births. They are good mothers, nurturing their young longer than necessary and carrying them clinging to their chests while they hunt. They make no nests and wrap their babies up tight in their wings to warm them while they sleep.

Bat Guano is worth its weight in gold; it’s naturally high in nitrogen and phosphorus and trace elements and contains no impurities. It is usually protected from rain in the bat's hiding places and therefore is not diluted. It began as plant life consumed by insects that were eaten by bats and is a rich concentration of plant nutrition. It is one of the finest fertilizers and soil amendments known.

All in all I cannot think of a single negative thing about the lovely bat. The bat is truly one of God’s perfections. And here is an astonishing website and photos on an Arizona study called Bat Night 2011 http://mostlyphotos.wordpress.com/2011/09/01/bat-night-2011/

"It may be fresh, but it won't be easy"

Cleanup in aisle 8--Fresh and Easy CEO sold $1.3 million worth of company stock in 2008.


Fresh and Easy is at the cutting edge--of a declining trend, according to Associated Press.

Market studies cited by the Arlington, Va.-based Food Marketing Institute found only 16 percent of supermarket transactions in 2010 were done at self-checkout lanes in stores that provided the option. That's down from a high of 22 percent three years ago.

Overall, people reported being much more satisfied with their supermarket experience when they used traditional cashier-staffed lanes.

Fresh & Easy experienced significant growth problems starting a year ago when it announced that it was closing 13 stores in the Southwest. The firm, a UK firm that branched into America five years ago with fast-growth plans, recently announced it would sell off its underperforming Japanese markets. Parent Tesco has yet to turn a profit in the United States, but hopes to be profitable within two years.

Its retail practices have also been called into question by industry watchdogs such as Jim Prevor, the Perishable Pundit, who writes this in an appraisal of the deep-discount grocer's coupon policy:

The Fresh & Easy tactic smells of bait-and-switch; convince the consumers that you offer beautiful large cherries in clamshells, attract the customers in with an ad for discount cherries, and then let them see they are not discounted, they are different cherries, lousy cherries, and hope the consumers will buy your full profit item.

Maybe people with lots of free time will tolerate this treatment. But good customers, the ones who spend more freely to get what they want, when they want it, will only be attracted to a store once with this kind of shenanigan.

Whether the UK company truly understands the highly competitive American supermarket business has yet to be demonstrated. Tesco's US adventure with Fresh & Easy in the US was termed a "disaster" and "an invasion that went wrong" by the UK press as recently as two years ago.

A Night at the Opera

I went to the opera last night with Kathleen Travers, a Sunland-Tujunga resident who has mostly devoted herself to preservation issues, now serving your community on the Samoa Committee. We saw Cosi fan Tutte, one of the three fabled Mozart-Da Ponte collaborations. I reviewed the opera here.

It's not unusual for Kathleen and I to go to the opera--we've been doing it since before LA Opera was founded, in fact. Back before LA Opera, to see opera in town, you had to wait until the New York City Opera came around in November. I think the first opera Kathleen and I saw together was Andrea Chenier circa 1981. It could have been even earlier--but I know it was well before she pulled her first advanced arts degree from USC.

Kathleen and I got a chance to take in the last sunset of summer together, from the second floor balcony of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. This is a goony tradition of mine that I've had going since 1979: I always make a point of it to watch the last sunset of the summer. Kathleen has known about it for all that time, but she hasn't shared a "last sunset of summer" with me since...1980!

I thought I would also step in here at this blog while my other longtime community friend (and lifelong area resident) Terre Ashmore deals with some administrative and business matters on the home front. I haven't quite known Terre as long as I have Kathleen, but I first became acquainted with her in 1994 when I had some good ties to the Natural History Museum. I knew Terre as a habitat botanist back then--she did talks to some groups about botany and also installed habitats for the LA Zoo. She was the person who introduced me to the Theodore Payne Foundation, back in 1994, which remains a tremendous resource for so many people today. She also started the first community garden to which I ever belonged.

This community, Sunland-Tujunga, has some incredibly amazing human resources, including lots of people who don't wear their past accomplishments on their sleeves. It's been my good fortune to be connected to some of them for a long time and others in more recent years. I'm honored to step in here for a little spell!

Fresh & Easy, New Biz @ The Coffee Stop: Agenda Items For TONIGHT!

We all walk that fine line between community involvement and attention to our own lives. Community involvement can be demanding, so can our own lives. Community involvement can be rewarding... it can also be demoralizing. The reason so many people stop participating in their community after an initial rousing interest is because equally enthusiastic people with opposing views take it too far and turn their opposition into something personal. Now that would be a good bill to support: The Keep It Clean In Town (KIC-IT) bill to prevent: personal attacks, Facebook insults, snide remarks on Forums and rages on hate sites…

Anyway, in case you’re game, a couple of important meetings are scheduled for this week. First is the Sunland Tujunga Neighborhood Council Land Use Committee (STNC LUC) meeting tonight at 7747 Foothill Boulevard in Tujunga at 7pm. A number of items are on the agenda including a report on the new business going in at the former Coffee Stop drive-thru.

This business was originally embraced by the STNC LUC and the STA but now the Sunland Tujunga Alliance (STA) has turned against it: reporting the business owners’ failure to pull permits. The STA previously reported the business was allowed to “clean up the site” without permits; the owners also met with STNC LUC Chair Tomi Lyn Bowling after an LUC meeting had adjourned, and were encouraged to proceed but return to 'meet the community' at a meeting beforehand. Their expressed desire to fence in the entire site to prevent theft of tables and chairs left outside and the plan to eliminate the drive-thru went unchallenged. They never returned and began work in the evenings… this has tongues wagging.

Another item of interest on the agenda is the report on the progress and hearings about the request of Fresh & Easy for a conditional use permit for liquor sales at their proposed new site in Tujunga. This is a site permit only, based on prior sales allowed at the previous store: a Ralphs Grocery with full service checkouts.

A good deal of strategy goes into this request as F&E has policy they will not consider a site without it. This argument is further made into a hot topic because AB183 (the Fresh & Easy Bill) is before the Governor to prevent liquor sales at Fresh & Easy Stores due to self serve check-out stations.

Finally, a very important hearing is scheduled for the public at 10 am tomorrow September 20, at Marvin Braude Center 6262 Van Nuys Boulevard Room 1B in Van Nuys 91401 to express their concerns to the City of LA on the Fresh & Easy controversy. Here is the link for that meeting

http://cityplanning.lacity.org/meetingsNhearings/dsp_viewFileDetail.cfm?filename=39390

I urge you to get involved… but be prepared, the opposition is out to win at any cost. Participate whenever you can, hear what all sides have to say and form your opinion. If you are an activist at heart that’s great but you may have to have thick skin…it is well to note that a movement initiated by the activists on 'this' side practices anti-hate, even dare-I-say-it? Peace. Give it a chance...

 http://brockbajer.blogspot.com/2011/08/questions-for-fresh-easy.html

Ad Hoc Samoa Subcommittee Meeting

Your community of Sunland Tujunga is being championed by a grassroots group of individuals who have created a working group of great skill in record time. The Ad Hoc Samoa Sub Committee met for only the third time last night to approve and present their letter created for the STNC LUC to confront the SB 1818 High Density Project slated for Samoa Avenue in Tujunga.

The meetings were ably chaired by Tomi Lyn Bowling, who slipped into the role of one chair after another with ease as the gathering relied on the presence of two committees meeting concurrently and she was the chair for both. [Correction, Bowling is the Chair for the Land Use committee and assisted Bill Skiles who is the Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee. Skiles does a great job and we are glad to have his calm direction.] The Sunland Tujunga Neighborhood Council Land Use Committee accepted the prepared letter (and the work that went into it) from the Samoa Ad Hoc Committee to proceed with the STNC’s hard stand against the SB 1818 High Density Apartment Project.

The letter addresses key issues uncovered during long hours of research done by the Ad Hoc Committee members. Bill Skiles combined all the ingredients of diverse findings from each member tasked with a particular subject, to fashion an articulate argument in the letter. The letter is addressed to Michael LoGrande, the Director of Planning for the City of Los Angeles. Further Skiles compiled an extensive draft Subcommittee Report in anticipation of the discussions to follow with the Planning Department and the developer. This document is a work in (rapid) progress as committee members hammer out the details that form legal grade arguments against the project.

The public will be updated on the project and the Ad Hoc Subcommittee’s progress by LUC Chair Tomi Lyn Bowling this Wednesday September 14 at the STNC General Meeting and potluck at 6:30pm at the North Valley City Hall in Tujunga at 7747 Foothill Boulevard.

Continued progress of AB183, The Fresh & Easy Bill

More from Scott Lay and his website Around The Capitol...

Yesterday's Actions (progress of AB 183)

In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending. (End location: Assembly Desk)

Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (End location: Assembly Engrossing and Enrolling)

It's the final stretch, with the legislative session scheduled to end Friday  Lots of people are asking about the bill process in this final stretch. As a reminder, bills that have been amended in the second house (i.e. AB 123 has been amended in the Senate) must be sent back to the house of origin for a "concurrence" vote in the second house's amendments. Only upon approval of the house of origin will the bill be sent to the governor. This is usually a formality, but it's an important step in the process.

When a bill status update says something like "To enrollment. (End location: Assembly Engrossing and Enrolling)," the bill has passed and is on the way to the governor. Before the governor gets it, the bill is proofread and all previous actions are formally confirmed by the legislative clerks. With so many bills at the end of the year, it will likely be several weeks before the governor takes action on most legislative bills passed in the final two weeks. For bills passed in the final 12 days of session, he will have until October 10 to act.

Following the progress of AB 183; the Fresh & Easy Bill

According to Scott Lay whose excellent website aroundthecapitol.com follows all the Senate Bills and Assembly Bills progress and reports to your email on them...

AB183 Alcoholic beverage licenses: self-service checkouts:
Sept 6 Actions:
*Read third time. Refused passage. (Ayes 17. Noes 16.) End location: Senate Desk.
*Motion to reconsider made by Senator Kehoe. End location: Senate Desk.
*Reconsideration granted. (Ayes 40. Noes 0.) End location: Senate Desk
The votes:
*Senate Floor: Assembly 3rd Reading AB183 Ma by Kehoe 17-16 (Fail)
*Senate Floor: Assembly 3rd Reading AB183 Ma by Kehoe Reconsider 40-0 (PASS)
(failed by 1; motion to reconsider passed unanimous, in the Senate for reconsideration...)

According to Scott "It's the final stretch, with the legislative session scheduled to end Friday. Lots of people are asking about the bill process in this final stretch." For more information and to sign up for Scott's reports on Bills you are watching, go to his website.

A Letter to Brock Ba'jer Readers: AB183 is before the Senate...

"If you are against the use of self checking, you will want to support the bill in the State Senate at this time which is AB183.  This is called the Fresh and Easy legislation, because Fresh and Easy only does self checkout, and we have a Fresh and Easy  slated to come to the Pet Smart building in Tujunga.  As to the issue of AB183, regarding the self checking sale of alcohol, I  believe as Mad Mothers does that this is a dangerous way to sell alcohol.  I only add this so that you will understand how and why I  feel as I do about this issue and why I am sending you this email.

"If you have an opinion about whether self-checking should be allowed in grocery stores which affects the sale of alcoholic beverages to minors, you might want to call your State Senator and opine. Most of us in this area are represented by Senator Sharon Runner. Her number is (661) 729-6232. Some people in our area are represented by Senator Huff. In order to be sure who your senator is, you can go to:   senate.ca.gov   click on  Find My Senator  and insert your full address and zip code and they will tell you who your senator is and how to reach him/her.

"There are also the other issues of automation replacing jobs as well as Fresh and Easy being a non-union employer.  This, of course, has nothing to do with the self checkout, but I personally am in support of union jobs as I think it is the difference between losing or not losing the middle class.  Also, for your information, Fresh and Easy is a United Kingdom based company.

Thanks for taking an interest.  Please feel free to pass this on."
  Elaine Brown

http://brockbajer.blogspot.com/2011/08/editorial-fresh-cheeky.html
http://brockbajer.blogspot.com/2011/08/questions-for-fresh-easy.html

The Samoa Project Ad Hoc Committee 'Rolls Up Their Sleeves'

Reporting briefly on the most recent meeting of the Samoa Ad Hoc Committee...

You may remember the genuine and valid concerns committee members have regarding SB 1818:  the Density Bonus ordinance. We must not hesitate to go right for the throat of this ordinance as it threatens our community with its exceptions to the rules; rules which govern our Foothill Boulevard Corridor Specific Plan (FBCSP) and have been legally dismissed by exceptions built into the Samoa High Density Affordable Housing Project by SB 1818.

At issue is an overly large apartment complex slated to be built on a narrow street in Tujunga with pre-existing problems with traffic, parking, housing density, crime, and proximity to our own historical treasure: Bolton Hall, and schools and churches in the immediate area.

Several people with expertise in different avenues of research volunteered or were asked to concentrate their efforts on subjects we may use to stop the project entirely or at least modify it. (Of note are a few expressions from the committee that “affordable housing” in manageable amounts would be acceptable.)

Lydia Grant was a welcome addition to the group and immediately set about addressing the issues concerning the project and nearby school crosswalks and school age pedestrian concerns, traffic and construction during school days and hours. Lydia is Sunland Tujunga’s School Rep on the Sunland Tujunga Neighborhood Council (STNC) and an expert in her field.

Nina Royal will approach those residents, church and neighboring property owners located in proximity to the construction site to discuss their perceptions of the project which will impact them the most. This group may be the key to halting the project by law as these stakeholders are entitled to file an appeal to the Planning Directors decision regarding the Samoa High Density SB 1818 Project.

Although Royal attempted to rally a group to appear with her and representatives on Friday at the site, the community that would likely hold banners was discouraged from attending this working committee meeting so was not present to respond to her appeal. If you would like to show support at this or future rallies please contact Royal at 818-563-1962

Kathleen Travers and Elaine Brown will continue to research the impact the project will have on Bolton Hall and potential for suit to halt the project based on a clause in SB 1818 that addresses nearby historical sites. The call went out to the community of Sunland Tujunga for a volunteer structural engineer to give the group an impact report of structural integrity and potential for damage by construction activity and increased traffic.

If you or someone you know can help the group with this or other areas of expertise please contact committee chair Bill Skiles at the new blogsite which has been created by the STNC for ready access to the information and documents concerning the project; you can access that site here:

http://samoaavetujungasb1818project.blogspot.com/

Terre Ashmore has determined Census Tract numbers for the site and surrounding neighborhoods and will compile economic data, income, population density or vacancy, veteran’s population, family size etc. The recent decennial census is only partially useful in this research as the data sets for income were discontinued in the decennial following the census of 2000. The American Community Survey is a Federal agency that continued that research which may be invaluable to this committee.

The prospect of hiring an attorney also was addressed and the costs associated with it. If a Sunland Tujunga stakeholder with legal expertise in this area of law can give a few hours of their time to the committee that also would be very welcome. Note this is a working committee deeply entrenched in the process of finding a solution to a community problem, The public is welcome to observe and those with expertise are especially needed as volunteers.

It isn’t so much that the “affordable housing” is at fault as that the condition (and accompanying Senate Bill 1818) is used to circumvent the normal and reasonable guidelines that make for a well planned community. A four story apartment complex is planned in a two story neighborhood. This will tower above existing design and alter the visual impact of the surrounding neighborhood… until the presence of one four story apartment complex invites another.

 http://brockbajer.blogspot.com/2011/08/sb1818-monolith-on-millimeter.html

http://brockbajer.blogspot.com/2011/08/sb-1818-vs-fbcsp.html