The holiday season is about more than just material goods or 'stuff,' as the simplicity organization Seeds of Simplicity puts it. It is a time to express gratitude for the earth's bounty in fall and a time to express joy and hope in response to her evergreen promise of life's continuation in winter.
A few thousand feet below me, a vast table of pale rock touches the horizon without a speck of green anywhere. Above, steep rock juts out against the bright blue sky. I'm standing close to the Whitney Notch on the Mountaineers Route almost 14,000 feet up above it all, wondering how I managed to get here.
Six months ago I was on my back in bed recovering from quintuple heart bypass surgery.
Unexpected trouble
The Sierra Club has appealed the trial court judgment upholding the city of Malibu's approval of a 54-room hotel (27 luxury guest suites) within the 100-foot riparian buffer of year-round Solstice Creek, where the National Park Service is leading efforts to restore a spawning run of the endangered southern steelhead. The setback is required by the Malibu General Plan and the 2002 Malibu Local Coastal Program, which the Court of Appeal recently ordered a recalcitrant city council to enforce.
and Megan Garcia
Most environmentalists see the upcoming presidential ballot as an easy choice. It is expected that Kerry will carry on the Clintonian legacy of protecting the environment, as he has already touted 'green and clean communities.' Bush, on the other hand, offers Healthy Forests (a.k.a. Leave No Tree Left Behind) legislation and a well-documented history of favoring corporate interests over environmental protection.
In April, Los Angeles City Council members Ed Reyes and Eric Garcetti unveiled a proposal to require that a portion of all new homes and apartments built in the city be made affordable to working people. The proposal, known as inclusionary zoning, has spurred a debate about how, where, and whether new housing should be constructed in various neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Although the proposal is backed by a diverse coalition of 80 local groups, it has met with resistance from residents who oppose more density in their neighborhoods.
To grow or not to grow?
The total votes cast in a precinct may not seem like much: 350-800 people. But the cliché 'every vote counts' is true. In November 2003, a Culver City school board race ended in a tie. (The winner was chosen by drawing colored marbles from a bag.) In March 2004, Sierra Club member Lynne Plambeck won her election to the board of the Newhall County Water District by 127 votes. Another incumbent won by 11 votes.
Sierra Club Regional Representative
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Sierra Club volunteer bringing information to Reno voter. Photo by Eric Wesselman |
Urban Parks Committee Revived
ExComm Meeting
The Angeles Chapter Executive Committee will meet Sunday, Oct. 24, 1pm, in the Chapter office conference room.
Weekend Parking Corrected
Parking inside the Equitable Plaza Building on weekends and holidays is restricted to holders of keycards. If you come regularly for Saturday or Sunday Sierra Club meetings, you may arrange for a card with Bonnie Sharpe. Street parking is available. Observe time restrictions.
Thanks, Diane
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Easy hiking in Trabuco Canyon, Orange County . Photo by Mike Sappingfield |
Sierra Club Angeles Chapter
3250 Wilshire Blvd. #1106
Los Angeles, CA 90010
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