Step into a taste of the middle east at Pita Kitchen

 
BY SYDNEY EMBER

 

The unassuming blue awning has writing in both Hebrew and Arabic, a perfect testament to the Middle East cuisine sizzling on the grill inside.  The rich aroma of lamb and cumin mingles with that of tender chicken and a hint of crackling French fries.  Outside the sliding door, wooden tables are set out on the sidewalk, ideal for people watching and soaking in San Fernando Valley sun.

 

It’s lunchtime, and Pita Kitchen is filled to the brim with people craving warm pita bread and lavash laden with creamy golden hummus.  For those who can’t bear the intense summer heat, the small interior of the restaurant is sufficiently air-conditioned — and equally packed — with the sounds of endless chatter blending with the lightly spitting grill in the visible kitchen behind the counter.  In the corner, there is a Hookah pipe, adding to the Middle East authenticity in the tiny space on Van Nuys Boulevard just north of Ventura. 

 

 

And though there isn’t much else in terms of décor — the restaurant sits innocuously next to an outdated newsstand — the atmosphere is one of gastronomic fulfillment, as enticing wafts of paprika infuse the entire restaurant and its environs.

 

The kitchen is slightly frenetic, with chefs deftly flipping pita on the grill and slicing fat hunks of beef and broiled lamp for their monstrous shawarmas that are packed with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers.  And though these shawarmas are arguably the best deal in the Valley — for $7, you get a wrap exploding with chicken or lamp and beef and Middle East spices and two heaping side dishes — the shish kebabs and falafel are equally as satisfying. And each dish is served on Styrofoam plates that often sag under the weight of the mounds of lightly charred meat. But take note: the restaurant only accepts cash for their enormous portions, but tax is included in the price.

 

Each main dish comes in three forms — stuffed into a warm pita ($6) , piled into wrap ($7) or fashioned onto plate $8-$10) over long grains of seasoned rice.  All the meat dishes, particularly the chicken plate, are delicious, with a hint of spiciness that is nothing a cool side of Greek salad ($5)— a mix of cucumbers and sprinkles of feta — can’t palliate. 

 

The falafel is superb, generous golden orbs that prickle with peppery spices.  The crispy outside hides a moist center of chickpea delight.  And though it’s excellent in a pita, with creamy yogurt sauce and strips of iceberg lettuce, it’s more fun to order a falafel plate and stuff them into a pita yourself.  Besides, it makes popping them into your mouth even easier.

 

The side dishes are equally as tasty — the babaganoush is served warm, with swirled eggplant cut with lemon, red pepper and a touch of paprika, the taboli is a fresh fusion of parsley, mint and lemon and the Mid-East salad gently soothes the spicy meat flavors.  Though not on the actual menu, order a side of pickled vegetables and marinated olives for a salty-sweet accompaniment.  Or just get a plate of thick fries to go with the zesty shish kebabs.  And for desert, there’s baklava, drizzled with honey and candied nuts, a delectably sweet end to balance the meal’s salty explosion.

 

And though might be nearing triple digits in the Valley, sit outside under one of the umbrellas and you might just be able to convince yourself you’re in the middle of Haifa overlooking a cerulean vista.  And if not, at least you’re getting a cheap meal infused with authentic Middle East flair.

Pita Kitchen is located at 14500 1/2 Van Nuys Blvd. Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 (just south of Ventura). Park in the small back lot. If no parking there or at meters, there is a parking garage one block west). www.thepitakitchen.com (818) 990-7006

Sydney Ember is a student at Brown University, where she is a senior staff writer for The Brown Daily Herald. She is studying cognitive neuroscience and maybe literary arts or philosophy. She is a graduate of Harvard-Westlake in Studio City. Check out her media blog www.ledeobserver.wordpress.com

Birmingham Community Charter High School Grand Opening

BY KAREN PACKER

The band played, cheerleaders cheered, and a stadium full of students and staff joined in the celebration under early morning gray skies as Birmingham High School began the 2009-2010 school year August 19 with its new charter status and a new name: Birmingham Community Charter High School (BCCHS).

From a podium on the fifty yard-line, Principal/CEO Marsha Coates welcomed the crowd, and student body president Melissa Alvarez introduced the roster of speakers. Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, Congressman Brad Sherman, Tamar Galatzan (who serves as both Los Angeles Deputy City Attorney and LAUSD school board member and is currently campaigning for City Council District 2), and keynote speaker Jack O’Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, each took turns presenting certificates, proclamations and other tokens of acknowledgement.

“This is a school that really does meet the new R’s in public education: rigor, relevance, and relationships,” commended O’Connell who was once a school teacher.

The crowd broke into applause when Congressman Sherman handed Coates and Alvarez an American flag flown over the capitol during the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

The speakers also expressed their anticipation of community collaboration and their expectations of high student achievement. Blue and gold balloons surrounded her and swirled overhead as Galatzan spoke of her involvement with the charter conversion process of her alma mater and issued a challenge to the students.

“There’s a part of me that’s a little sad to say goodbye to Birmingham High School, but there’s a bigger part of me that’s so excited about the undertaking that you guys are about to start on,” said Galatzan. “The process by which this [new charter] school started was not an easy one. I want you to promise me that you will prove all of those naysayers wrong.”

It was April 2008 when the original charter petition was filed, and July 2009 when it was approved by the LAUSD School Board. The five year charter improves flexibility in academic, professional and budgetary decisions and gives students, faculty, parents, and community members more control over school governance.

Some students are still uncertain of the changes coming their way.  Nataja Jennings, a junior, expressed her concern over the controversy surrounding the conversion process which caused a split between the new charter school and the Daniel Pearl journalism program that shares the same campus but opted out of the charter. “It’s really confusing to me. I don’t understand how the school will change,” she said.

One anticipated change has already taken place. The August 19 start date of the fall semester is three weeks earlier than usual and will allow students to finish the semester and finals before the December holidays.

Roslyn Riboh, a counselor in the Social Justice Academy is certain more positive changes are coming. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for the entire community to collaborate more effectively. Now we all have a voice.”

Karen Packer is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, but now calls the San Fernando Valley home. She has spent the last 15 years working as a freelance writer, teacher, and publicist.

Ten candidates vie for LA City Council District 2 seat

BY ANGELA FENTIMAN

A diverse group including elected officials, business leaders and community activists are competing for the opportunity to represent L.A.’s second council district, which oversees the communities of Lake View Terrace, La Tuna Canyon, North Hollywood, Shadow Hills, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Sunland, Sun Valley, Tujunga, Valley Village, Valley Glen and Van Nuys.

The ten candidates all share a strong desire to fix what they consider to be the city’s broken political machine, but their key issues and strategies are as different as the candidates themselves.

The second council district voters will head to the polls on Tuesday, September 22 to fill the seat that has been open since July 1, when former L.A. City Councilmember Wendy Greuel took office as City Controller.

Though the field of candidates is large, local political consultant Steve Afriat, owner of The Afriat Consulting Group, Inc., expects a three-person race.

“Chris [Essel] and Paul [Krekorian] are the frontrunners.” Afriat said.

Essel is a former film industry executive who spent more than 30 years at Paramount and Krekorian is currently the State Assemblymember for the 43rd district.

Afriat rounded out his list of the top-three candidates with Neighborhood Prosecutor and LAUSD School Board Member Tamar Galatzan, noting that a late start in the race could hurt her fundraising ability.

Low voter turnout is expected for the special election and, according to Afriat, “lower turnout tends to favor the better financed candidates.”

If one candidate does not receive the majority of the vote on September 22, there will be a runoff election on Tuesday,  December 8. This is likely to be the case, according to Afriat.

“Clearly there will be a run off,” Afriat said. With this many candidates it will be virtually impossible for that not to happen.”

The city’s chief legislative analyst Gerry Miller was given task of overseeing the second council district until a replacement is selected and Avak Keopahian has been named the district caretaker. Neither could be reached for comment.

THE CANDIDATES (in alphabetical order):

**Candidate Forum dates and times are listed at the end of this article.

Mary Benson (Sun Valley)

Mary Benson is the only candidate from the northern portion of Council District 2. A community activist for nearly 10 years, Benson became frustrated with the lack of engagement between the City Council and the community.

“I thought Neighborhood Councils would fix [the lack of cooperation], but it hasn’t,” Benson said. “We need a councilmember who will encourage that.”

The 62-year-old was involved in the creation of an environment justice zone in Sun Valley and helped establish the Valley’s second historic district, Stone Hurst.

Benson is particularly concerned about the city’s infrastructure. She says this includes road condition, water and electricity supply systems, and the city’s sewage system.

“The City of Los Angeles is like a homeowner who hasn’t put in any maintenance in the past several years,” Benson said.

Benson hopes to see a campaign that includes an honest dialogue about the issues, not just a “popularity contest,” and that the candidate who wins is committed to addressing the concerns important to the district.

Augusto Bisani (Valley Village)

Augusto Bisani wants to give back to a community he feels has given so much to him. The 67-year-old Italian immigrant wants to create change in the second council district by improving public safety and making the city better for business.

“This community needs a new voice, [it] needs somebody who is going to say something and get some action done and I think I can be that person,” Bisani said.

Bisani has done business in the City of L.A. for more than 29 years and has seen firsthand the city’s anti-business reputation at work. In his dealings with the city on business permit issues, he found city employees to be unfriendly and unaccommodating. He also faced huge delays that cost his business and others a lot of money.

“I would often have to involve attorneys sometimes to get projects done,” Bisani said.

Bisani feels that the city should be responsive to its constituents, just like he plans to be if elected to represent Council District 2.

Jozef “Joe” Thomas Essavi (Valley Glen)

Joe Essavi has served as a commissioner for the L.A. County Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Coalition, on his Neighborhood Council, the Congress of Neighborhood Councils and has run for a seat on the L.A. Community College District Board of Trustees.

“I want to improve the quality of life,” Essavi said. “I want to make a difference for this district.”

As a neighborhood council member, Essavi has been active with public safety issues impacting the district.

“We have graffiti problems that the city does not have the money to address,” Essavi said. “As a neighborhood council member, I have worked to have the neighborhood council pick up where the city has left off as far as graffiti and gang injunctions.”

If elected to City Council, the 35-year-old would prioritize taxpayer protection and accountability. He would work in particular to eliminate waste and abuse, and make city services run more efficiently.

Christine “Chris” Essel (Studio City)

Chris Essel is a 30-veteran of the film industry and a long-time community activist. During her tenure with the Paramount Corporation, Essel served 15 years on Film Commission (spending of nine those years as its chair) and was on the Film L.A. board since its inception.

“There is not a councilmember as qualified to speak on filming issues and bring production back home,” said Essel.

In addition to keeping the entertainment industry in L.A., Essel ’s main concerns include major budget reform, making the city more business-friendly and improving the quality of constituent services.

The 58-year-old would like to see the city enact zero-based budgeting so that all programs must prove their value and a two-year budget cycle. She would also like to see progress on the city’s 12-2 permit streamlining program to make the permitting process easier for businesses.

“Everything I’ve done in my career has led me to this point,” Essel said. “I will use all the tools in my tool box to give the district what it needs.”

Tamar Galatzan (Studio City)

Tamar Galatzan lives, works and raises her children in Council District 2. She is a Neighborhood Prosecutor in Van Nuys and represents Valley schools on the L.A. Unified School Board.

“I want to take my experience as a neighborhood prosecutor and board member and upset the status quo,” Galatzan said.

Galatzan, 39, says that her professional experience allows her to know the issues of the district “backwards and forwards.” With the majority of her school board district overlapping Council District 2, she says that she spent more than two years talking to parents and students about the issues impacting the district.

To her, the most pressing challenges facing the candidate elected to fill the Council District 2 seat are the budget deficit, the need to collect on unpaid debt to the city, land use and planning development, and public safety.

“I’m running because City Hall doesn’t work for those of us who live and work in the valley,” Galatzan said. “If you’re not a high-powered special interest there is a feeling that you don’t matter.”

Paul Krekorian (Valley Glen)

Assemblymember Paul Krekorian, 49, currently represents California’s 43rd Assembly District, which includes about one-third of Council District 2. He possesses experience in education, with the business community and as a public servant.

“I think I have a unique experiences and skills that will benefit the city as it tries to get through a difficult time,” Krekorian said.

He has helped constituents get city problems solved, including pot holes fixed and graffiti removed through his Government at Your Doorstep program.

Krekorian’s family has lived in the Valley since the 1930s, which he says helps him understand the history and specific needs of the Valley communities.

“We need leadership that is more concerned about what people in the Valley think,” Krekorian said.

His top priorities if elected to City Council are, ensuring public safety, creating and preserving good jobs, and preserving the character of our neighborhoods. To Krekorian, that means understanding the needs of the different communities and ensuring that development is meeting those needs.

Michael McCue (Studio City)

Michael McCue considers his first major political accomplishment to be successfully advocating for an increase to the renters relocation fund payments. McCue and other housing advocates were able to raise the payment from $3,300 to $9,200 for most renters forced to move due to condo conversions and over $17,000 for seniors and the handicapped.

“Council District 2 desperately needs a true citizen representative who knows what the community has faced with overdevelopment and an unresponsive City Council,” McCue said.

McCue feels that the city has a culture of corruption and wants to see a level playing field for all candidates created through clean-money elections.

“Clean-money elections enable grass roots candidates like myself to receive public funding that allow us to match the buying power of the big candidates,” McCue said.

In addition to clean-money elections, McCue wants to empower Neighborhood Councils so that they will one day be able to introduce legislation, and increase what he calls ecological wisdom. This means improving water and air quality in the city and taking other measures to improve the overall health of the environment.

David “Zuma Dogg” Saltsburg (no address given)

David Saltsburg (better known as Zuma Dogg) is a self-proclaimed gadfly. After a new city ordinance (that was later proven to be unconstitutional) shut down his street vendor business in Venice  three years ago, Zuma Dogg became a fixture at City Hall. Since then, he immersed himself in the Los Angeles City Council, attending every meeting for an entire year.

“If I’m out there pushing the envelope it may become fashionable,” Saltsburg said.

Zuma Dogg is concerned about the city’s finances, how lost pension funds will be recovered, water and water rates, traffic, land use, education and maintaining adequate public safety services.

A well-known face in city politics due to his frequent appearances at L.A. City Council meetings, Zuma Dogg has supporters all across the city who bring community problems to his attention.

“The great thing about my candidacy is that you have a guy that is very entertaining and the media loves to cover me,” Saltsburg said. “At the same time I’ve become very serious about the issues.”

Pete Sanchez (Valley Village)

Pete Sanchez, 46, helped form Neighborhood Council Valley Village and has served as the group’s president. He thinks this race for the open Council District 2 seat provides a perfect opportunity for a grass roots, community activist to try for the post.

“It’s time for someone a little different,” Sanchez said. “Time for someone more community-minded to run.”

The top three priorities that Sanchez would focus on if elected to City Council are, fixing the city’s financial issues (which includes managing the budget and unfunded pensions), ensuring responsible land use and development, and keeping the entertainment industry in Los Angeles.

“My goal as a city councilmember would be to find sound financial measures that would protect the character of our neighborhood and district,” Sanchez said.

He thinks that it is important to serve as the community’s voice rather than that of a politician.

“I think I’m bright enough, reasonable enough and logical enough to tackle a job like this,” Sanchez said.

Frank Sheftel (North Hollywood)

Frank Sheftel got involved in Los Angeles politics during the Valley’s secession movement by running in the secession election.

“The campaign brought a lot of awareness about the taxes we pay and the services we get,” Sheftel said.

The 48-year-old owner of The Candy Factory in Valley Village has experience with the city as a business owner, landlord of rental properties and neighborhood council member. He is also a product of the San Fernando Valley and the second council district in particular.

“What better PR could you have than a councilman who went to the schools he represents,” Sheftel said.

If elected to represent Council District 2, Sheftel would focus on improving public school education (especially managing what he calls a crisis with L.A. Unified School District), balancing the city’s budget and making sure that the communities can support proposed development.

Sheftel would also like to see the city do more to entice businesses to come to L.A. and keep them in the city.

“As a small businessman I have witnessed that we are not business-friendly at all in the city,” Sheftel said. ” We need to go beyond enterprise zones to attract businesses to the city.”

***********************************************************************************************************************

Council District 2 Candidate Forums

Tuesday, August 18: Valley Glen Neighborhood Association, Laurel Grove Neighborhood Association (North Hollywood), Valley Village Homeowners Association “Meet and Greet” will be at 6:30 p.m. Forum will start at 7:00 p.m. Laurel Hall School – Parish Hall, 11909 Oxnard St. North Hollywood. www.valleyglen.org

Wednesday, August 19: Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association at Notre Dame High School 13645 Riverside Dr. Sherman Oaks “Meet & Greet”  6:15pm, Forum 7 p.m.  www.soha.info

Friday, August 21: The Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA) 7:45-10am, at the Sportsmen’s Lodge, 10700 Ventura Blvd., Studio City. Free for VICA Circle of Influence Members, others pay $20. For more info or to RSVP call (818) 817-0545. www.vica.com

Wednesday, August 26:  Neighborhood Council Valley Village 7 p.m. at Colfax Charter Elementary 11724 Addison St North Hollywood www.myvalleyvillage.com

Monday, September 14: Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council at Sherman Oaks Elementary School, Auditorium at 6:30 p.m. Info:  jbbarad@roadrunner.com  www.shermanoaksnc.org

Wednesday, September 16: Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association Debate between the candidates starting at 7:15pm.  Notre Dame High School 13645 Riverside Dr. Sherman Oaks www.soha.info

Angela Fentiman is a freelance writer and public relations professional who has represented clients across all sectors—nonprofit, government and business. She has a master’s degree in public administration (MPA) and a B.A. in communication. Angela can be contacted at angela.fentiman@gmail.com.

Part of Van Nuys is now Sherman Oaks despite opposition

BY PAMELA TURSKI

One day before part of Van Nuys officially became Sherman Oaks, the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council (SONC) discussed the heated topic in its monthly board meeting July 13 at Sherman Oaks Elementary School.

 

However, despite tension and opposition, on July 14 the Los Angeles City Council voted 10-2 to officially declare the community of 1,855 homes (8 % of the the homes in Van Nuys) bounded by the San Diego (405) Freeway, Hazeltine Avenue, Oxnard Boulevard and Burbank Boulevard, part of Sherman Oaks. Councilmembers Tony Cardenas and Jose Huizar voted against the name change.

Both Neighborhood Councils, Sherman Oaks and Van Nuys,  opposed the name change, as have many residents of both communities. But just days before leaving her post, City Controller Wendy Greuel (then a Council Member) lent her support to the name change.

“This has been a vicious campaign.  It pits neighbor against neighbor,” said SONC President Jill Banks Barad. “Leaders of this effort have made statements that include they are of ‘common complexion and values’ as people in Sherman Oaks,” said Barad.

“SONC voted almost unanimously to oppose the annexation.  It’s a terrible slap in the face to neighborhood councils, who are not only being ignored, but defied.”

“Sherman Oaks does not want to annex this community, to take this community away from Van Nuys.  This is the first time a community is attaching itself to an existing community, not renaming itself, e.g., Valley Village.  If they so hate Van Nuys, let them break off and become something else, like East Lake Balboa or whatever,” said Neil Roden, Business Representative, Area 7.

The process to initiate a name change for a neighborhood in Los Angeles requires filing an application, collecting 500 signatures (or 20% of the community if less than 2500 residents), and approval by the City Council.

“The process needs to be changed.  It’s divisive, and it’s too easy,” said Tom Capps, Residential Area 2 Representative.

In other business, the Board welcomed special guest speaker Jeffrey Childers, LADWP Government Relations and Neighborhood Council Liaison, to discuss changes to expect with regard to the DWP’s new pricing structure and efforts to promote energy conservation during the high-demand summer months.  For 2009, energy conservation rates were put into effect July 1 and will remain in place through the end of September; for 2010 and each year thereafter, rates will be in effect for the entire summer billing period, from June 1 through September 30.  By reducing consumption during the peak hours of the day, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., customers can reduce energy use and potentially lower their electric bills.

For residential customers, the rates are based on consumption, with each customer allotted a set amount of energy at the lowest rate.  This amount, Tier 1, is the amount needed for basic services; Tier 2 and Tier 3 reflect higher usage and are billed at a higher rate.  Since hotter temperatures cause electrical appliances to run less efficiently, LADWP has divided the city into two temperature zones, with people in the hotter zone able to use more energy for the same price.  Also available to customers is Time-Of-Use (TOU) pricing, a separate rate schedule that allows customers to shift energy use to off-peak periods for a lower billing rate.  For complete pricing and zoning information, please visit www.ladwp.com.  Further, Childers said interested customers can request a water conservation specialist to come out and show residents how to minimize water usage.

The Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council meets the second Monday of each month; there will be no meeting held in August.  The next meeting will be a Candidates’ Forum held on September 14 at Sherman Oaks Elementary School, 14755 Greenleaf Street, Sherman Oaks 91403.  For more information:  SONC (818) 503-2399,  www.shermanoaksnc.org

Pamela Turski is a Sherman Oaks-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in the Sun Community newspapers.  She may be reached at PamelaTurski@gmail.com

CHAMPS takes top prize in Robotics World Championship

CHAMPS Charter High School’s Spur-Flys robotics team, under the direction of  teacher Nancy Aldrich, recently took home the first place prize at the Vex World Championship in Dallas, Texas. The LAUSD charter school, which is located in Van Nuys,  formed an alliance with Elco Robotics from El Camino Real High School and Crowther Home School  to win the coveted prize.

The students competed against nearly three hundred teams from countries such as Brazil, Colombia, China, Canada, Korea, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, and the USA.

According to competition materials, the tournament was”designed as a vehicle for students to develop critical life skills such as teamwork, leadership, and project management, honed through building robots and competing with like minded students from around the world in a fun, non-traditional environment.”

Robotics Academy president and senior Sebastian Saballett said, “Not only can we say that we together as a robotics academy have accomplished that, but we have exceeded that expectation and have gained so much more through our dedication, passion, and effort in the field of robotics.”

CHAMPS Charter School is an independent public high school which was founded in 2005 by Dr. Norman Isaacs and a group of parents. It is known for its small academic classes including honors and advanced placement, as well as comprehensive academies for dance, drama, film, music, new media and robotics. Students come from diverse backgrounds and a wide geographic area.was established four years ago.  Teacher Nancy Aldrich introduced the Robotics Academy during its second year.