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THE VOICEAPRIL 2007

CALIFORNIAGOLD RUSHCOMES TO THE EASTSIDE!

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MEDICALMARIJUANA

DISPENSARIESBy Carlos Morales

The medical marijuana indus-try is the great new frontier thathas opened up in California inrecent years. Contrary to popu-lar belief, medical marijuana isnot only for AIDS and cancerpatients: The health statuteassociated with Prop 215, thegroundbreaking law passed tenyears ago, legitimizes weed forthose with any "illness forwhich marijuana providesrelief." There are a lot of peoplewho fall into this category, andbusiness is good for those whomake a living by serving them:compassionate caregivers, free-dom fighters, botanists in lovewith the art of growing, LongBeach homeys, Valley boys,Oakland thugs and now haseven hit our little oldHollenbeck area.

However as in any drug busi-ness, a criminal element per-sists. storage lockers of prod-uct, safes of cash, hustlers tryingto rob those lockers and safes,guns to protect one from the

hustlers, and the constant risk ofarrest. California was the firstof 12 states to allow the sale ofmarijuana for medicinal purpos-es, mainly pain control, and isregarded as having the loosestregulations. Oversight is laxand there are few specific guide-lines for buyers and sellers of adrug still illegal under federallaw.

Here are some questions thatare wide open to interpretation,Who can open a clinic? Whatconstitutes reasonable compen-sation? and Who can grow andsupply marijuana? These arefactors that have helped fuel asurge in new clinics, from hav-ing 4 total in CA in 2005 toabout 400 statewide. LosAngeles alone has just over 120at last count. THE VOICEinterviewed a LAPD NarcoticsDetective, CHP Sergeant JerryEspinoza, from the East LosAngeles Office and DEASpecial Agent Sarah Pullenlocated in Los Angeles. They allwere surprised to see how eachagency addresses eachencounter and the different poli-cies each agency has regardingthis issue. The main reason for

this is that basically this prob-lem is very new, only a coupleof years old - and the VOTERSmade this into LAW in 2004 inanother low voter turnout elec-tion a couple of voters whoexercised their right to VOTEhas made these MedicalMarijuana Clinics legal.

THE VOICE has interviewedvarious community memberswho support these Dispensaries- Its great! We do not have to goacross town or downtown toscore! A Medical Doctor fromKaiser Permanente who did notwant to be identified told mealthough there are medical rea-sons for HIV and CancerPatients who are in a lot of painor need to put on some weight tokeep them healthy, howevermost of these MarijuanaDispensaries are operating tomake a profit and really do notcare about any ones health! Hesaid there are just people whowant to get high, and nobodymakes better Marijuana than theGovernment as he smiled!Here are some sobering facts ofhow lax the regulations are: Wespoke with Enrique AguileraBarber to the "Rich and Famous

of El Sereno" he told us a hairstylist must take a 1,500 Hourcourse to learn to cut hair, andthen take a written exam and apractical exam. If you pass thetest you get a State IssuedCertificate allowing you to cuthair. We discussed the issuewith Margaret IbeawuchiRestaurant owner of Taste ofBrazil, employees and ownersthemselves must attend a foodhandling class, which takes anaverage of an eight-hour day.The State requires Certificationat least one certified food safetymanager by accredited examina-tion per food establishmentwhere unpackaged foods arehandled; and must be renewalevery 3 years. Ibeawuchi wascompletely devastated when wegave her the news about theMedical Marijuana Businessesthat are opening shop all overthe eastside. She could notbelieve it because she has beenwaiting for over a year to get herABC permit to sell beer andwine at her family restaurant forover a year.Continued on Page 2See MarijuanaDispensaries

CRA COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCYEASTSIDE ADELANTE PROJECT

TAKES $ 2.2 MILLION FROM EL SERENO AND BOYLE HEIGHTS TAXES

AND SPENDS IT IN EAGLE ROCKThe CRA/LA was established by resolutionof the Los Angeles City Council in 1948pursuant to Community RedevelopmentLaw of the State of California (Seq. of theHealth and Safety Code). The law specifically mandates that rede-velopment agencies act to retain andexpand the affordable housing stock. Thelaw requires 20% of the revenues accru-ing to a redevelopment agency be setaside for affordable housing. CRA/LA hasincreased its contribution to 25% in projectsadopted after January 1, 1994. CurrentlyCRA/LA manages 32 redevelopment projectareas and three revitalization projects inseven regions throughout Los Angeles:1.Eastside, 2.East Valley, 3.Downtown, 4.Hollywood & Central, 5.L.A. Harbor 6.South Los Angeles, and 7.West Valleyareas. The Community RedevelopmentAgency (CRA/LA) of the City of LosAngeles is a public agency established toattract private investment into economi-cally depressed communities, eliminateslums, abandoned or unsafe properties,and blight throughout Los Angeles.CRA/LA revenues come from "PROPER-

TY TAX INCREMENT," a portion of theproperty taxes collected in a redevelop-ment project following the date of projectadoption.The Adelante Eastside RedevelopmentProject, adopted on March 30, 1999, islocated approximately two miles east of thedowntown Central Business District. The approximately 2,200 acre industrial andcommercial redevelopment project containsthe areas south of Olympic Boulevard to thecity limits of Vernon from the Los AngelesRiver to Indiana Street; North Main Streeteast to Valley Boulevard and AlhambraAvenue to the city limits of Alhambra; andall east - west commercial streets in BoyleHeights such as Cesar Chavez Avenue,First Street, Fourth Street and WhittierBoulevard from the Los Angeles River toIndiana Street. The principal thrust of theproject is the preservation of industrialand commercial uses within the commu-nity to promote a

Continued on Page 2 See Editors Message

EDITORS MESSAGE APRIL 2007The VoicePage 22323.221.7400 - voicepub@gmail.com

stable industrial base to provide jobs forthe community, as well as enhancing theexisting shopping areas to provide alterna-tive commercial choices for residents.

HERES THE PROJECT IN EAGLE ROCK

Colorado Terrace Senior ApartmentsAddress: 2455 Colorado Blvd.Project Area: OUTSIDE PROJECTAREACouncil District: CD 14Neighborhood Council: Eagle RockDeveloper: LA Colorado Terrace, L.PProject Cost: $24 millionCRA/LA INVESTMENT: $2.2 MILFunding Source: Monterey Hills andBunker Hill Housing TrustDescription: Located in Eagle Rock,this 70-unit Mediterranean-style

Luxury Senior Housing Developmentincorporates design elements thataddress environmental and social con-cerns. Colorado Terrace includes a vari-ety of new public improvements, as wellas historic lighting and state-of-the artenergy saving technology, such as arooftop solar power plant and a rainwa-ter recapture system for home sanita-tion and outdoor irrigation needs.

PUBLISHER /EDITORCarlos Morales

SALESGeorge Cabrera Jr.

GENERAL MANAGERJoe Rivera

MARKETING DIRECTOR Carlos Morales

PHOTOGRAPHERSRichard Canales

George Cabrera Jr.Carlos Morales

CFO Sal Garcia

COMMUNITYCONTRIBUTORS

Erica CornejoGene Baca

Jaime UrbinaJanet PuentesJose FigueroaKristina HooperMark Overstreet

Ray RiosSantos Rodriguez

Editors Note - Carlos Morales

THE VOICEis a independent news media monthly publication based in El Sereno with a circula-tion of 20,000 impressions. It is delivered to residents in the El Sereno, LincolnHeights, Boyle Heights and parts of Alhambra. It is also distributed to various busi-nesses within these areas, as well as emailed to all interested parties.

Our growing network of community participation has made this publicationthe primary source for local information. We strive to make a positive impact on thecommunity by reporting news that is seldom found anywhere else in the media toinform, and educate this community on what is going on in their front yard! We wel-come community interest stories, and press releases. 95 % of all articles are writtenby community stakeholders The voice reserves the right to edit all materials due tospace constrictions.

The VOICE is not responsible nor liable for any claims or offerings, norresponsible for products availability that may be advertised. Opinions expressed inthese columns are those by the authors who wrote them. All rights reserved.Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the editor is prohibited.

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CONTINUED FROMFRONT PAGE

MARIJUANADISPENSARIESA Pharmacist must go to

school for four years thenpass a state test. A phar-macist Assistant must go toschool between a 12 to 18month course and pass aState certified Exam just topass out the prescriptionsthat were authorized by thePharmacist. The MedicalMarijuana Dispensaries orClinics do not require anytype of classes, training, orcertification. Just open upyour doors for business.

Councilman Ed Reyes ofDistrict 1 held a Town hallMeeting in LincolnHeights this past month, itwas well attended and theirwere approximately 100stakeholders in attendance.There were several Citydepartments answeringquestions and outreachingto the community of serv-ices available to them. Wecame across the Buildingand Safety Department andasked them why are theygiving so many permits toMarijuana Dispensaries,the gentleman looked atme like if I was crazy, hestated that he has been withthe department for overthirty years and in that timeBuilding and Safety hasnever issued permits forMarijuana Dispensaries.He got a bit angry becausehe thought I was teasing

him. He told me thosethings do not exist in theCity of Los Angeles! Hewas completely stunnedwhen I told him that theCity of Los Angeles hadover 120 of them alreadyin business.

West Hollywood is theclosest city to Los Angelesthat has imposed moratori-ums on new clinics amidconcerns owners and buy-ers are abusing the law.

THE VOICE has a copyof a Memo that was sent byLos Angeles Police ChiefWilliam Bratton to all CityCouncil members whichhas called for a similarmoratorium in LosAngeles. There are 41 rec-ommendations that chiefBratton strongly suggestthat get amended to anyone operating of these clin-ics. I have spoken withsupporters of these clinicsand they told me that if allof these points are mandat-ed that the Dispensarieswould not be able to oper-ate in a profitable fashion.

The DEA also has takennotice on these MarijuanaDispensaries and attractedthe DEA's interest embark-ing on a stepped-up efforttargeting clinics run bypeople who appear to floutthe reasonable compensa-tion provision. In October2006, Federal agentstrailed a MedicalMarijuana Clinic owner ashe drove a Porsche Carreraconvertible to his MedicalMarijuana Clinic. This owner was arrested in

October and accused ofillegal drug trafficking -charges he denies.According to court papers,an investigation turned uprecords showing $2.3 mil-lion was deposited in aNew Remedies bankaccount over eight monthsstarting in December 2005,and the owner wrote him-self weekly checks of$9,600. During that raidthe DEA seized almost 700pounds of pot, $242,000 incash and evidence of pluspay sheets ``reflectingenormous profits,'' accord-ing to court papers. Theowner of the dispensary,who is free on bail, did notreturn our call seeking aninterview. He defendshimself on his Web site,http://www.freesparky.org/- ``My dispensary was anon-profit and to paint meor my employees as profi-teers is simply appalling.''

Under California law,clinics are supposed to dis-pense marijuana just toseriously ill people andclinic owners are to getonly ``reasonable compen-sation.'' But to the U.S.(DEA) Drug EnforcementAdministration, the sportscar suggested that theowner might be pocketingbig money from his report-edly nonprofit clinic, NewRemedies Cooperative.

CONTINUED ONPAGE 3

SEE DEA

EAGLE ROCK GETS THIS

EL SERENO GETS THIS

Raelene Allard from the Hillside VillageProperty Owners Association and pastmember of the CRA-PAC corrected meat the NC-32 Neighborhood CouncilMeeting and alerted everyone that infact the CRA did do work in El Serenoas shown in the picture below. I standCorrected! Thank you for looking afterthe interest of your community - Whatwill we do without you on the PAC?.You should be proud of yourself! Thankyou for bringing this to our attention.

HEALTH APRIL 2007

The VoicePage 32

323.221.7400 - voicepub@gmail.com

EL SERENO STUDENTS TAKE ON THE LA MARATHON

COMMUNITYCALENDAR OF

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TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2007ADELANTE EASTSIDE PAC MEETINGBoyle Heights Senior Center2839 E. Third St.Boyle Heights 6pm 213.977.1685

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2007THE GREATER ELSERENO CHAMBERPOWER BREAKFAST MEETINGEl Palmar Banquet Hall4989 Huntington Drive, El Sereno8am- 10am 323.228.4068

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The Big Day Arrives for ElSereno Middle School Students

By Ray RiosAfter seven long months of rigorous

training, the big day arrives for El SerenoMiddle School students who participatein the Students Run Los Angeles (SRLA)program. For the last few days beforerunning the 2007 Los Angeles Marathon,they have been hydrating their bodies andloading up on foods such as pastas andbreads. These foods contain plenty ofcarbohydrates (energy) which their bod-ies will demand during the grueling 26.2mile race. They are as ready as they willever be this year and for most of the run-ners this will be their longest race yet, aswell as their first marathon.

As students began arriving in the frontof El Sereno Middle School at five inthe morning, darkness still filled thechilly air. There they joined other SRLAstudents who had already begun stretch-ing and going over last minute studentrendezvous information. Teacherspassed out fannie packs, bib numbers,and SRLA running caps while parentsand students anxiously awaited thearrival of the school bus that was to takethem to Universal Studios where the racewould begin later that morning. Justbefore the students and teachers boardedthe bus, one parent offered to say a prayerof encouragement. They would need thisinner strength especially since experi-enced marathon runners often agreed thatthe first twenty miles of the race wereaccomplished through physical training

and endurance but that the last six milesare all mental determination and heart. Their was also tremendous communitysupport and great excitement on thetwenty third mile point of the marathonin East Los Angeles.

The view from the 6th street bridge byrunners returning back toward downtownLos Angeles was never more inspiringand was reminiscent of the film "TheWizard of Oz" when Dorothy, the Tin-man, Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Liongot their first glimpse of the greatEmerald City. This was the first time inthe race's history that the course touchedthe Eastside of Los Angeles and the com-munity was out in full force to show theirexcitement and support for the runners.SRLA runners were well representedthroughout the race by a continuous flowof turquoise jerseys and caps while spec-tators cheered and waved signs ofencouragement for familiar runners.Others sat on the sidewalks inspiringthose runners who appeared to be run-ning out of gas, reminding them that theywere only a few miles away from thefinish line.

The Los Angeles Fire Departmenteven did their part to refresh the runnersby misting them with a fire hose asrunners ran bye.

Once El Sereno students and otherSRLA runners completed the marathon,they exhaustedly made their way to thenearby Marriot Hotel where they weretreated to a variety of delicious pastas,fruits, salads, lemonade and water. Thebus ride home for these gutsy and

fatigued runners was filled with whispersof completion times and then wearysilence. There will be shorter cool downruns in the near future for these young ElSereno adults but for the mean time theycan bask in the fact that they have alreadyachieved something that most will neverhave an opportunity to do, that is, run andfinish a marathon.

A deeply deserving congratulationsgoes out to all the Los Angeles marathonrunners but more locally, to all the fol-lowing El Sereno Middle School teach-ers and runners: Mr. Pena, Ms. Diaz, andMs. Siggins, Ms. Salazar, Mr. Bowker,Raymond Rios, Manuel Gonzalez, JoseSalgado, Stephanie Mireles, LeslieRobles, Mayra Gomez, Stanley Rodiles,Robert Rios, Ceasar Barela, andFrancisco Jimenez. Your inspiring dedi-cation and hard training are qualities thatour community smiles proudly upon.

EVERYONEREADS

THEVOICECONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

DEAFederal officials raided 11 LosAngeles-area dispensaries in one day inJanuary 2007, the largest such crack-down in the State. They returned toone of the clinics in West Hollywoodfor a second time, breaking down adoor and seizing additional records andcomputer equipment. DEA spokes-woman Sarah Pullen said authoritieschose clinics that were making bigmoney, and had become hot spots forcrime or were part of large franchises.The raided clinics on average raked in$20,000 in profits each day, she said.

Many clinics were buying pot whole-sale from street dealers and reselling itfor twice the roughly $100-an-ounceblack-market rate, Pullen said. ``It'sbecome something we can't ignore,''she said. That investigation is continu-ing and has yet to produce any arrestsor charges. Some clinics haveremained closed while othersreopened. West Hollywood CityCouncilman Jeff Prang said the federalgovernment should leave it to localgovernments to monitor and regulatemarijuana dispensaries that providerelief for those suffering from cancer,Parkinson's, AIDS and other debilitat-ing diseases.

Police, clinic owners, activists andlegislators - even the author of the law- can't say for sure how much moneyclinic owners can legally earn. ``Aprofit is in the eye of the beholder,''said Joseph David Elford, a lawyer forAmericans for Safe Access, a medici-nal marijuana advocacy group. Elfordsaid a hands-off government approachto the clinics should boost competition,keeping marijuana prices affordable forthose who need it and forcing ownersto limit profits. Pullen said that hasn'thappened.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 4SEE MARIJUANA FARMS

LINCOLN HEIGHTS NEWSAPRIL 2007The VoicePage 42323.221.7400 - voicepub@gmail.com

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The author of the 2003 law,then-state Sen. JohnVasconcellos, has no problemwith clinic owners earning heftysalaries as long as they providehelp for ill people. He said thefederal government should mel-low out. ``We're helping peoplewho are sick and they have thisfascist mentality against goodhealth and pleasure,''Vasconcellos said. The bill's co-author, states AssemblymanMark Leno, sees no need to clar-ify the law and says there is noserious effort by state politiciansto further regulate the industry.

More recently the southlandhas seen an unheard amount ofMarijuana operations exposed.In February and March 2007,their have been several large drugMarijuana Cultivating bust inhomes in Diamond Bar, Walnut,Pomona, Rowland Heights, andOntario where these homes arebasically gutted out and turnedinto Marijuana Farms. This takesan elaborate effort and money toestablish one of these farms.They must purchase these homes,secure them with gates, fences,install cameras, and drill the heckout of the walls, secure powerand water sources. One of thesebust happened down the streetfrom a Local Police Chief! Hehad no clue on what was going ondown the street.

A new era begins THC BreathStrips Scotch-tape thingies thatListermint makes and putting oilmade from marijuana trim inthem. They have figured out howto bind oil to pullulan, the samecarbohydrate gel that Listermintuses for its strips. Now there is abunch of people who are sellingthese things, in plastic baggies

with a sticker reading for medicaluse only for five or six dollars astrip. Most people recommendtaking only one, even thoughthey don't kick in for a long time,because two will keep you underthe influence for six to eighthours.

Today, the word "pot" is nolonger a punishable crime tohave…. Marijuana is "medicine."Schwag is "low-grade medicine,"and chronic is "high-grade medi-cine." Growers are "vendors."Drug Dealers are now "Medical-Marijuana Providers." InDecember, there was even a med-ical-marijuana "cannabis cup" (aweed-tasting competition) in aHollywood warehouse acrossfrom Amoeba Records. AsCypress Hill's B-Real performed(a well known Hip Hop artist),patients got stoned the healthyway, with 100 percent naturalcellulose rolling papers andherbal pipes filled with productslike bubble hash, made byextracting resin via ice. Therewere several vending booths setup at this event. At one booth, aNorthern California "vendor"sold eighths of Kush, at anotherbooth, pizza slices with a gram ofweed inside, Muffins with a gramand a half of hash and "medicat-ed BBQ chicken breast" for tendollars each, the line for thechicken was around the block."I've been astonished by the waymedical marijuana has become acommercial business," says DaleGieringer, director of CaliforniaNORML (National Organizationfor the Reform of MarijuanaLaws) and a Prop 215 author."The energy is in medical mari-juana for the younger generation,and there's an actual economy

from it."Several of these dispensaries

have opened up satellite or fran-chise locations because businessis so good. "Look at Ford, orevery company out there, "Justbecause there's a stigma attachedto pot doesn't mean that weshouldn't be able to run our busi-ness in an intelligent fashion.Stated a dispensary owner. Onereason that the community as awhole is not aware of these storesis that they keep it low key anddo not want to attract unwantedattention from the authorities.

The first step to securing med-ical pot is getting a doctor's rec-ommendation, which is usually aWord document printed out froma computer (because marijuana isa controlled substance, doctorsare hesitant to write scripts ontheir regular pads). There aremore than fifty pot-friendlyphysicians in California thatoften advertise their services onmyspace. There are several liber-al newspapers in the area thatadvertise full pages of MedicalMarijuana Dispensaries.

THE VOICE has discovered adoctor's visit costs about $150and is usually good for one year.Doctors prefer that patients pro-vide medical records for their ail-ments, but a lack of paperwork isnot a deal breaker (the state doesnot keep complete records on thenumber of medical-marijuanapatients, but advocates put thenumber around 250,000). Thesevisits are not covered by insur-ance, although some doctors havea money-back guarantee -- if theydon't approve you for medicalmarijuana, ITS FREEEEEEE!

Those who want to maximizetheir returns in medical marijua-

na often invest in doctors' offices,paying willing M.D.'s about fiftypercent of each patient's visit,which is only fair, since medicaladvisory boards have threatenedsome with suspending theirlicenses. These doctors see aboutthirty patients a day (around$4,500 a day in CASH!). TheseDoctors are so busy that theirphones are literally ringing offthe hook. Everyone is getting inon the action, even Chambers ofCommerce and the BetterBusiness Bureau are hoping tosign them up for their database.

THE VOICE has contactedseveral of these dispensaries andhave been given directions andinstructions on how to obtainMarijuana, in fact we were sur-prised to see how easy it is.

The process starts with a doc-tor's note, this will get you intopot clubs, which in the new lingofor "dispensaries." These storefronts remind me of the old-timeapothecaries, (Pharmacy's fromMayberry Days and before) withglass cases of prescription bottleswith twenty to thirty differentkinds of bud, nearly all of excep-tionally high quality, rangingfrom $35 an eighth to $100 forOG Kush.

THE VOICE has found outthat a good dispensary will sellhash, kief, jellies, infusions,cones, Pot Rice Krispies treats,Pot Brownies, Pot Lollipops("Hydropops"), Pot Candy Bars,Pot Peanut Butter, Pot Ice Creamand at least a half-dozen flavorsof pot sodas - Sometimes they areeven sold from a vendingmachine. The better high endstore will offer the best weedselection with dozens of strainswritten up on the dry-erase board

every day, a nice color-codedselection of indicas, sativas andhybrids, with lots of Purps andmany, Kushes, the spicy-sweet,lemony-diesel bud that is all therage in the L.A. scene.

There has been talk of busi-nesses already looking at LasVegas property to start in early assoon as Nevada OKs dispen-saries, they want to be known asthe best Marijuana Clubs in theWorld.

In California, the law is mumon wholesale marijuana distribu-tion (it is legal, however, forpatients to possess a half-poundof weed). More importantly, thefederal government still consid-ers the possession and sale ofmarijuana 100 percent illegal, whether it's sold from a dispensa-ry in East Los Angeles, or by asketchy guy in a junior-high-school, or downtown LA. "Wedon't differentiate between thosewho use state law to dispensemarijuana and those who trafficin marijuana on the street," saysSpecial Agent Sarah Pullen of theLos Angeles DEA. "Marijuana ismarijuana is marijuana." Only ahandful of DEA agents usuallyfocus on medical marijuana inLos Angeles, though, no matchfor the commercial instinct ofAmericans. San Francisco regu-lates their clubs, and San Diegoall but invited the feds to shutdown theirs, but L.A. has been afree-for-all.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 SEE

MARIJUANAFRANCHISES

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 MARIJUANA FARMS

Councilmember Ed Reyes Honors Shirley Fierro as“The Pioneer Woman of the Year”

For her efforts in making Lincoln Heights a bettercommunity at a City Council Meeting on

Friday, March 30, 2007

Volatile weather sweptthrough SouthernCalifornia on Tuesday,bringing down pours, hail,snow and fierce windsthat capsized boats anddowned power lines andtrees, cutting power tomore than 157,000 utilitycustomers. No majorinjuries were reported inthe area by, Fire Capt.Labarge from Fire Station47. He said fire crewswere busy responding acouple of traffic accidentsdue to power outage, andseveral calls of downtrees.

"It was pretty crazy out there. Iwas driving on the freeway andsaw many dust storms stated JoseAguilar a Boyle Heights resident.Winds were gusting up to 40 mph

Snow and flurries were reported indesert and mountain areas. Fourelectrical transmission towers blewdown and a fifth was damaged inthe eastern Los Angeles CountyCity of Commerce, and a dozenpower poles came down, too, said

Southern CaliforniaEdison spokesman,Gil Alexander.

The day dawnedclear and breezyacross SouthernCalifornia, but fast-moving clouds blot-ted out the sun attimes as down pourspelted parts ofGreater LosAngeles, then just asrapidly gave way toblue skies. Strongwinds accompaniedby sporadic showersand hail were driven

by a fast-moving cold front thatmoved from the Central Coastdown to Southern California, wasreported by meteorologist EricBoldt of the National WeatherService.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAGETS WIND, RAIN, HAIL

OTHER NEWSAPRIL 2007

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5387 Poplar Blvd, El Sereno, CA 90032

Member of The Greater El Sereno Chamber of CommerceMember of The Greater El Sereno Chamber of Commerce

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Suite A1El Sereno, CA 90032

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4952 1/2 Huntington Dr. SouthEl Sereno, CA 90032(323) 223-3422

SEE VIDEO OFBOYLE HEIGHTS CAR WASH

ROBBERYwww.lapdonline.org/video_library/video_view/35035

STEVE MORALES El Sereno-University Hills (4A9)Cell 213-793-07494A9@sprint.blackberry.net

OSCAR CASINIEastern Boyle Heights (4A59)

Cell 213-793-07524A59@sprint.blackberry.net

Reports 10 violent crimes and44 property crimes in the last 4weeks. This was the secondlowest basic car for violentcrime. Of the 10 violent crimesseven were on the HuntingtonDrive Business corridor andseven were robberies. Theseven robberies, Detectiveshave photos of three suspectswho have yet to be identified.Property crime remained high.There was a large cluster ofproperty crime in reportingdistrict (RD 428). This area iseast of Huntington Drive andsouth of Huntington Drive.There was about 20 propertycrimes in and around this areaof which 12 were GTA's(Grand Theft Autos).Be aware of the LotteryScam that's still occurring!Most victims are elderly.

Violent crime revealed thatthere are 9 violent crimesreported in a four-week period.The violent crime in our basiccar area has reduced greatlythis year. The current propertycrime reported that there were42 reported crimes. This is a 25percent increase from the pre-vious month. Two areas are being affectedby property crime andBurglary from Motor Vehicle.The first area falls within theboundaries of Medford Ave tothe north, Chelsea Street to thesouth, Indiana Ave to the eastand Soto Street to the west.The second area falls withinthe boundaries of Marengo Aveto the north, Wabash Ave to thesouth, Evergreen Ave to thewest and Indiana Ave to theeast.

If you witness a crime, contact the LosAngeles Police Department at 911 foremergency or (877) 275-5273 for non-

emergency. If you have any additionalinformation that could help solve or

prevent criminal activity, you are encouraged to call the

Hollenbeck Tip line 323-526-3817.

COMMUNITY ALERTThere has been an increase of thefts of I-pods, MP-3 Players and cellular phones.

Suspects are robbing students of their property to and fromschool and getting off buses. Please be

careful and be aware of your surroundings.

BATMAN ARRESTED WHEN HE CROSSED THEUNION PICKET LINE

Joining a list of Hollywood street performers including Elmo, Mr. Incredible and Chewbacca, Batman was arrestedat the corner of Hollywood Blvd. and Highland Ave. Batman reportedly insisted on using a portable toilet thatwas rented by local union workers who were picketing a local business on the boulevard. An argument betweenthe batman and a couple of the picketers escalated. Batman proceeded to remove his cape and assume an aggres-sive position. Batman began taunting the picketers and tried to pick a fight. The LAPD was called and arrived on the scene and arrested Batman!

El Sereno School advances it's goalto become a World School in EastLos Angeles by receiving a charterrenewal for the next five years.

LOS ANGELES - Over 1,000 par-ents, students, educators, communitymembers and supporters walkedfrom Plaza Olvera to LAUSD head-quarters to attend the history-makingboard meeting for the AcademiaSemillas del Pueblo.

"This victory for Academia, is avictory for all community-basededucational efforts seeking toimprove education in Los

Angeles…" Co-founder and Co-Principal Director Marcos Aguilarstated.

The 320 students at the school willcontinue their rigorous educationalcurriculum, which includes a four-language model and participation inthe acclaimed, InternationalBaccalaureate Organization (IBO)Primary and Middle Years program.Academia Semillas del Pueblo isseeking to become the first I.B.O.World School in East Los Angeles.

Academia has already implement-ed the I.B.O. curriculum with

notable success. Academia will nowfocus on building on the success ofits English Language Learner stu-dents by expanding the instruction ofthe multiple languages the schoolalready offers.Academia Semillas del PuebloXinaxcalmecac sprouted from avision of community members andeducators in 2001 to provide a qual-ity education based upon Indigenousculture, an International curriculumand multi-lingual enrichment forchildren in East Los Angeles.

ACADEMIA SEMILLAS DEL PUEBLO, RECEIVESRENEWAL FROM LAUSD SCHOOL BOARD Join Police Commissioner Anthony Pacheco, Police Chief

William J. Bratton and the Police Department Command Stafffor an Evening of Dialogue

Hispanic ForumThursday, April 19, 2007 @ Puente Learning Center501 S. Boyle Street6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

LAPD COMMUNITY MEETING

LAPD COMMUNITY CRIME REPORT

AUSTIN FERNALDLincoln Heights (4A15)Cell 213-793-07504A15@sprint.blackberry.net

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APRIL 2007The VoicePage 6323.221.7400 - voicepub@gmail.com

BOYLE HEIGHTS NEWS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 MARIJUANAFRANCHISES

Around 200 clubs have openedin L.A. County since a 2004State Senate bill gave some pro-tection to the clubs, up from lessthan a dozen in 2005.

Most dispensaries are openseven days a week. We haveeven heard that there are MedicalMarijuana dispensaries that wantto help sick people, and waivefees for those who cannot affordtheir "meds." Some stores evendeliver. Order it via fax, phone,or the Internet and it will be atyour doorstep. A lot of thesestore fronts have several levels ofsecurity, at the minimum theyhave deadbolts on their doors,some do not even have a doorhandle on the doors. Others havearmed guards, a mantrap and twoalarmed doors. The security's notfor the cops -- it's the robbers andgangs that worry these ownersthe most.

We have heard reports of"takeover robberies." That'swhen theives dress up as LAPDand pretend they're raiding thestore, and then hog tie the clien-tele and steal everything in sight(in the biz, they're called "Ocean420s"). Most dispensaries willnot even call the cops for the fearof being arrested themselves orbringing attention to their storefront.

Most of these locations havesix-foot-tall, 3,500-pound gunsafes, each with a digital keypad,like you see at jewelry stores or

check cashing store fronts. Thesafes are bolted to the ground,hold dozens of pounds of pot, afraction of the real inventory, theremainder of their stash is locat-ed at a secret location off-site.

Each store wants to be the nextMcDonald's or Starbucks -- theonly way to control franchises isto control the supply. The prob-lem most stores have is that theydo not want to keep detailedrecords due to the possibility offurther DEA raids. The SanFernando Valley, consideredmedical marijuana's Wild West,with dozens of stores beingopened up by kids who were justlast year selling pot out of theirmothers' basements.

How medical marijuana isturning L.A. pot dealers into

semi-legit businessmen On a February afternoon, 120

DEA agents, helicopters flyingoverhead, descend on eleven LosAngeles dispensaries, detainingnearly two dozen providers.According to Special AgentPullen, 5,000 pounds of pot, 163plants, $200,000 in cash, sevenhandguns and one shotgun wereseized.

There have been medical-mar-ijuana advocates organizing aprotest at West Hollywood's cityhall. Soon the feds would seizeone provider's Ferrari. "This is apolitical thing," he says."Someone is mad that marijuanais out in the open now. It's justnot even close to being hidden."most store owners take the risk,its too late now - this movement,is too big to stop.

In December 2006 aHollywood Judeo-ChristianCannabis Church Forced toClose; Arrested Reverend ClaimsCivil and Religious RightsViolated "Churches and Templesare no longer safe in America,"says Reverend Craig X Rubin ofTemple 420, who was arrestedNovember 8, 2006, at his reli-gious establishment by over onedozen heavily armed officers ofthe LAPD. "If they can do this tous, they can do it to any churchthat the government disagreeswith." The Reverend known forhis reoccurring role onShowtime's hit series "Weeds"said arresting officers did nottreat Temple clergymen asrequired by California PenalCodes 1524 and 1525.

The investigation of ReverendRubin began only days earlier.An undercover officer joinedTemple 420 on November 3,2006, and immediately pur-chased 3.5 grams of sacrament,"PurpleErkle." This was thebasis of the arrest warrant fordefendant Rubin; the seizure ofall sacrament and money fromthe church; and, the freezing ofall financial assets before convic-tion. As a result, Temple 420 maybe forced to close. "What if thiswas my church?" Rubin's lawyerasked. A key tenet of Temple 420is that members receive com-munion by burning a sacramentalherb, marijuana.

However, the plant containsthe hallucinogen, THC, regulatedunder the Controlled SubstancesAct by the Federal Government;

the sect is currently being barredfrom engaging in the practice ofits religion on the grounds that itviolates the California Health &Safety code. Temple 420 claimsthe Religious FreedomRestoration Act affirmed by theSupreme Court for protection.By law the Government is pro-hibited from substantially bur-dening a person's exercise of reli-gion, unless the Governmentdemonstrates that application ofthe burden to the person repre-sents the least restrictive meansof advancing a 'compelling inter-est.'

An investigation by THEVOICE has revealed that in CityCouncil District 14, (whereCouncilman Jose Huizar justwon re-lection this past month)has 16 Medical MarijuanaDispensaries in his district, andthere are 6 within a ¼ mile radiusat the intersection of Coloradoand Eagle Rock Blvd, 2 in ElSereno. In Council District 1 -Councilman Ed Reyes has threethat we found. MedicalMarijuana Dispensaries are oper-ating and flourishing, I believe

this is just the tip of an icebergstated CHP Sergeant Espinoza.This past March a CHP officerapproached a 24' Rental Truckpulled over on the 10 Fwy. Thetruck had its engine compartmentopened, apparently the truck hadoverheated. The occupants leftthe truck abandoned fearing whatthe police might discover. Wellthe CHP officer smelled a strongsmell of Marijuana as he waswalking back to his patrol car,this gave him the probable causeto open the rear door of the truck-He stumbled across 3 Tons ofMarijuana with a street value of20 Million dollars - if it was des-tined for a Marijuana Dispensarythe value would be 200 Million.This vehicle was one of manywho are transporting Marijuanaon our highways every day. TheCHP officer stated that someonewas in a lot of trouble, he was notreferring to the Law Enforcementaspect - He was talking about theDrug Lords who lost this ship-ment! Contact your Councilman let himknow how you feel.

THE KERNVILLA

APARTMENTSBoyle Heights Community

Corporation Invests Millions toPreserve the City's AffordableHousing Stock Rehabilitation ofKern Villa Apartments is Part ofOngoing Effort to StimulateEconomic Development in LosAngeles' Eastside Working ClassNeighborhoods

The Kern Villa Apartments, isan affordable housing develop-ment that represents a $6.6 mil-lion investment in the BoyleHeights community of LosAngeles. Most importantly,ELACC's acquisition and reha-bilitation of the property ensuresthe Section 8-based propertyremains accessible and affordableto low-income residents. "We arethrilled to see our vision ofresponsible and inclusive com-munity development in East LosAngeles realized," said MariaCabildo, President of ELACC.She continued, "Kern Villa is yet

another example of how we canwork to ensure families have toquality, affordable housingthrough a process that is partici-patory and empowering."

Before ELACC bought thisproperty, Kern Villa tenants wereon the verge of losing Housingand Urban Development (HUD)rent subsidies. This was due tothe expiration of the Section 8contract signed 30 years beforewhen the apartments were built.As a result, the rents at Kern Villawould have risen to the marketrate for the area. In order to stayin their apartments, tenantswould have to pay the new rentwith no subsidy - nearly threetimes what they had been paying.As the contract neared expiration,ELACC went into action and pur-chased the building in order toprevent this loss of affordablehousing. ELACC's $6.6 millionacquisition and rehabilitation ofKern Villa has guaranteed that itwill remain affordable for anoth-er 55 years.

Kern Villa includes 49 totalexisting units and one managerunit. It features 36 three-bedroom

"townhouse" apartments and amix of two bedroom flats apart-ments, and two bedroom "town-house" apartments. Over half ofthe two-bedroom flats are fullyaccessible for the disabled andthe development is pedestrian-friendly, located in close proxim-ity to several city bus lines and isnear schools, parks, medicalfacilities and a public library.Tenants will have the opportunityto attend ELACC's workshopsand programs in Wellness,Financial Literacy, andHomebuyer Education.

Currently in the CommunityRoom, middle school age chil-dren at Kern Villa attend a week-ly theater workshop led by mem-bers of Company of AngelsTheater. While the State contin-ues to ignore our housing crisis,we have learned to meet chal-lenges at the local level, and inmany ways, at the grassrootslevel, through organizations likeELACC.

Tenants in ELACC's servicearea face a critical lack of afford-able units. Los Angeles-arearents, already among the nation's

highest, jumped by 7% in 2005and in 2006 the average monthlyrent increased to more than$1,500. The 2007 State of theCounty Report by the UnitedWay of Greater Los Angelesreports that 53% of renters in LACounty spend more than 30% oftheir income on rent. This per-centage is higher than both thestate (47%), and the nation(41%). A minimum-wage workerearning $6.75 an hour wouldneed to work 55 hours a week forrent money alone.

These problems are even moreacute in East LA where 1,000units of affordable housing havebeen lost to development since1990. "I am a single mother and havelived in the Kern VillaApartments for 25 years, since Iwas 13 years old," said RamonaGutierrez, Kern Villa resident."ELACC's beautiful rehabilita-tion has made Kern Villa a muchbetter place to live and my chil-dren enjoy participating in thenew programs. I'd like to thankELACC for providing a safe andbeautiful home for me and my

children." ELACC is a non-profit organiza-tion founded in 1995. ELACC'smission is to advocate for eco-nomic and social justice in BoyleHeights and Unincorporated EastLos Angeles.

ELACC's efforts build grass-roots leadership, self sufficiencyand access to economic develop-ment opportunities for low andmoderate income families. Theorganization's developmentexpertise strengthens the existingcommunity infrastructure incommunities of color by devel-oping and preserving neighbor-hood assets. ELACC has a visionfor responsible and inclusivedevelopment throughout the cityand provides affordable housingfor almost 800 residents in 364rental units and homes.

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REAL ESTATE/HOME IMPROVEMENT APRIL 2007

The VoicePage 72

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By Santos Rodriguez & Gene Baca

As you hear and see the media reports these days, there'sno reason to buy real estate today because the "bottom'sfallen out," the balloon has burst," etc. With the real estatemarket down (number of sales and dollar volume), youmight as well put your money somewhere else, how aboutthe stock market or in bonds? Following this philosophy,then whenever any investment tool drops in value, dumpit!!! Stocks, bonds, real estate, mutual funds, it doesn'tmatter which vehicle, get out and hitch a ride on thefastest moving investment possible, right? Actually, realestate continues to be an excellent investment tool. Aslong as you do your research and homework, money canbe made in any market. You just have to decide on yourprofit methodology: cash flow or asset growth. Both areavailable in today's market, and the savvy investor mustbe sure to conduct due diligence on the bottom line. Forthose who want to get in on the ground floor, this is thebest market in which to buy to plan for future assetgrowth. Equity growth comes in more than just buy lowand sell high. In the last few years, short-term, playinvestors lucked out with the market and boughthouses/condos/pre-construction at high prices and wereable to sell at higher prices in just a few weeks or months.This buy now, profit later can still be experienced, it justtakes more patience. Most real estate assets grow consis-tently year after year. What the last few years created in

the short-term, however, is what it usually takes years tocreate, thousands of dollars in equity growth. The usualway this growth occurs is by using other people's money(OPM) to grow your equity along with the usual appreci-ation. OPM is one of the most powerful investment toolsout there. Most people use OPM to purchase real estate(the mortgage) with a little bit of their own money (downpayment). Each month after you buy a property, there'sthe monthly mortgage payment. Thus, your second use ofOPM is the rental payments you receive from your ten-ants. Now, you're growing that equity month by month,plus paying the interest fees, etc…, with funds provided toyou from the tenants. The second method of growingequity is through appreciation. This figure is not as con-trollable by you. What's really exciting about this part ofthe profit growth plan is that since you took control of thislarge asset with a little down payment, the cash on cashgrowth is substantial. Is it a good time to get in the mar-ket---absolutely. Just remember to research the market,analyze your cash flow and equity growth, then move for-ward.California Finance Group is a complete real estate solu-tions company and can be reached at:

California Finance Group / 6100 San Fernando Rd., Ste.#203 / Glendale / CA / 91201Office - (818) 242-4777Gene Baca Cell (818) 482-1069 Santos Rodriguez Cell (323) 630-6543

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APRIL 2007The Voice

Page 82323.221.7400 - voicepub@gmail.com

2 Unidades 1 Recamara y 1 bano Lote 4,500p 3929 Randolph Ave. L.A. CA 90032

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There are five familiesthat want to make the com-munity aware that they arebeing evicted from theirapartments located onEastern Avenue, in ElSereno. These families aredemanding accessibledwelling before the pro-posed demolition of theirhomes. These renters areworried about the possibleloss of their place theyknow as home, they havelived and raised their chil-dren there.

The renters were notifiedtwo weeks ago that theyshould vacate their apart-ments by July 1, 2007, bythe property owner MihnHang Thi Nguyen ofHuntington Beach, CA. Ina conversation with one ofthe renters they were toldby Nguyen that they wantedto demolished these apart-ments and make LuxuryCondos or apartments.

On July 12, 2006 the LosAngeles Housing Dept.visited the apartments andmade note of several viola-tions. A month later inAugust 25, 2006 the inspec-tor came back and notedthat none of the workordered had been in compli-ance. On February 1st,2007 the inspectors mailednotice to Nguyen that thereproperty had been referredto the REAP (Rent EscrowAccount Program), that canpunish the owners of thedwelling code violations.Renters at times pay rentdirectly to the municipalityand the owner does notreceive the money untilthey comply or make corre-

sponding arrangements.THE VOICE interviewedresidents Arlene and MartinChavez, Conrado andFelicitas Vargas, DavidChacon, which have livedin these apartments for sev-eral years and said it is atranquil. They also told usthat the landlord instructedthe tenants "Do not to paythe rent, don't worry aboutit". The residents gottogether and talked aboutthe strange behavior of thelandlord. They made plansto purchase money ordersevery month for their rent.Nguyen came to the apart-ments four months later andtold them that they mustleave for not paying rent forthree months, the rentersturned in three months renteach plus the current monthrent. The landlord wasupset and told them whydid they do that, Chavezresponded that no one getsrent for free. In the follow-ing months the landlordasked them if they alreadyfound another placebecause the bulldozerscould come in at anytimeand demolish their apart-ments.

On January 2007, thelandlord did not come overto collect the rent. Chavezand the rest of the rentershad their cashier's checksready as always, Februarycame by and they decidedto mail the cashiers checkto Nguyen via registeredmail. To their surprise thechecks were sent back tothem via registered mail.The renters sent it back viaregistered mail.

Renter Felícita andConrado Vargas which havelived at apartment with herhusband and three childrenfor over 16 years. "We tookthe news hard our kids go tothe local school here atFarmdale Elementary. Theschools are near and therent is affordable for us.One of the families is con-sidering to move out of LosAngeles because they canno longer afford rent any-where else in the area", saidVargas.

Attorney Sanford Ehrmanrepresenting Nguyen sent aletter to each renter, THEVOICE received a copy ofthe letter and it did not giveany reason of why the sud-den notice, they have notoffered them compensationto seek other housing.

THE VOICE has leftseveral messages for theattorney but has notreceived any returned callsas of today. The renters areasking Councilman JoséHuízar to get involved intheir fight to avoid the evic-tion from their dwellings. It is coincidence that theL.A. City Council votes onWednesday, April 3, 2007to vote on new renter relo-cation fees. The proposedplan will pay tenants tomove when their units areconverted to condos ortownhouses.

These fees are paid by thebuilding landlord. The cityhas seen a flurry of apart-ment-to-condominium con-versions in the past coupleof years, resulting in morethan 11,000 rent-controlunits being lost in the City.

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