Friday, May 18, 2012
David Walgren helped prosecute Dr. Conrad Murray for the 2009 wrongful death of singer Michael Jackson.
Eight people, including the deputy district attorney who led the prosecution of the late singer Michael Jackson's personal physician, were appointed by the governor Friday as Los Angeles Superior Court judges. All of Gov. Jerry Brown's appointees are Democrats. Among the appointees is 43-year-old Deputy District Attorney David Walgren, who was on the team that prosecuted Dr. Conrad Murray for administering what turned out to be a fatal cocktail of drugs -- most notably the powerful anesthetic propofol -- to Jackson in 2009. Walgren, a Calabasas resident, has been with the District Attorney's Office since 1996. The other appointees are: -- Debra A. Cole, 50, of Long Beach, who has been with the Los Angeles County Alternative Public Defender…
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Sixteen changes have been made to the document that helps govern the placement of cellphone towers in Calabasas.
The city released the latest draft of its updated wireless telecommunications ordinance Wednesday after implementing 16 revisions, though a key exemption allowing cellphone service providers to install coverage-improving facilities in residential areas and open space remains unchanged. The Calabasas City Council is scheduled to vote on the ordinance at its May 23 meeting and if adopted, it would bring an end to a drafting process that began last spring. One of the key sections of the proposed code prohibits wireless service providers from being granted permits to install wireless facilities in residential areas, parks and open space, unless a significant gap in coverage can be proven. The Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 preempts …
Saturday, May 12, 2012
The appointee is stepping down due to work obligations.
Michael Karagosian has resigned from the city's Environmental Commission because of professional commitments. Karagosian was appointed to the commission spring 2011. During Karagosian's term, the Environmental Commission recommended a draft of a coyote management plan that was adopted by the council earlier this year. He runs MKPE, a consulting firm that specializes in business development for new technologies in cinema. He is currently working in Brazil. As a result of the resignation, there is an immediate opening on the Environmental Commission. Applications can be submitted to the city clerk's office. The council will make an appointment at a future meeting. Applicants must be a resident of Calabasas. The Environmental Commission is an…
Friday, May 11, 2012
The community is invited to learn about prposed landscaping changes and safety enhancements.
An informational workshop on proposed improvements for the Mulholland Highway Scenic Corridor is being held Tuesday at Founders Hall inside the Calabasas Library. From 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., city staff will give a presentation about upcoming changes on Mulholland Highway between Paul Revere Drive and Mulholland Drive including: Safety enhancements; roadway beautification; pedestrian and bicycle facility development; landscaping elements; median design and improvements of the intersection at Mulholland Hwy and Freedom Drive. "Mulholland Highway is one of the city of Calabasas' arterials which handles significant traffic volume and provides access to schools and rural City's areas," read a statement from the city. "This project will ensure …
Friday, May 4, 2012
Senate Bill 1472 will provide local governments with the tools to fight neighborhood blight caused by foreclosed properties.
The California State Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 1472, authored by Sen. Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) on Thursday. SB 1472 is a bill that will provide local governments additional tools to fight blight caused by foreclosed properties primarily owned by banks and financial institutions. “Bank and financial institution’s foreclosed homes can create a nuisance for neighboring residents,." said Pavley. "Properties not being cared for lowers the value of surrounding homes, and abandoned properties attract gangs, drug users, and squatters. Untended properties also create mosquito abatement problems and increased fire risks.” SB 1472 extends the use of enforcement tools for local agencies to combat blight, including fines of up to $1,…
Sunday, April 29, 2012
L.A. County Health officials launch crackdown on fish mislabeling violations.
Sparked by findings that more than half of all fish is wrongly labeled at restaurants and markets in Los Angeles County, a swift crackdown has been launched to ensure consumers are protected and get what they are paying for. Moving quickly to address the public's alarm about the false labeling, County Supervisors Tuesday voted to direct the Department of Public Health to work with federal and state agencies to address the issue of seafood mislabeling in Los Angeles County. “Consumers must have confidence that the fish they are buying at restaurants and grocery stores is safe and labeled correctly,” said Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich in a statement. The Board of Supervisors approved studying the possible use of the Food and Drug …
Saturday, April 28, 2012
What would you like Patch to ask the candidates running for the 33rd Congressional District seat, which includes Santa Monica, Venice, the Beach Cities, Beverly Hills, Palos Verdes, Brentwood, Westwood and the Pacific Palisades.
Patch will be querying the candidates vying for the 33rd Congressional District as the June 5 primary election campaigns shift into high gear. Rep. Henry Waxman, a staunchly Democratic candidate who has served in Congress since 1975, is the front-runner and earlier this month reported having more than six times as much cash to spend then his next opponent ahead of the primary. We'll be gathering biographical information and presenting the candidates with a questionnaire to help voters understand where they stand on the issues. The 33rd Congressional District was redrawn to reflect population changes reported in the 2010 U.S. Census and now includes Beverly Hills, cuts east to Malibu and then stretches south down the coast and includes …
Thursday, April 26, 2012
The boys basketball team won its first CIF regional title in March.
The Calabasas High boys basketball team was commended by the City Council Wednesday night for delivering the best season in the school's history. The Coyotes finished with a record of 28-4, won their first ever CIF Div. 3AA championship and made it to the quaterfinal round of the CIF state tournament. "I think this is the greatest sports team in the history of Calabasas," said Mayor Pro Tem Fred Gaines, adding: "This was a team, really, without stars, everyone played a role." Each team member was presented with a written commendation. Head Coach Jon Palarz shared a few words, saying that the season was dedicated to Assistant Coach Joseph Frazier, who remains in a coma following a hit-and-run accident last August. "Coach Frazier's accident …
One board member said she wants to remain sensitive to the area's visual aesthetics.
A plan for solar carports to be installed at the faculty parking lot at Agoura High School and the western end of Calabasas High will never see the light of day. The Las Virgenes Unified School District Board voted unanimously in opposition to the plan Tuesday, which would have committed the school district to a 20-year agreement with Borrego Solar Systems Inc. A handful of Old Agoura residents took to the podium in opposition to the plan, citing mostly aesthetic concerns. “We were told we would own this equipment in 20 years, but we all know it will be obsolete in half that time,” said Larry Brown, longtime Agoura Hills resident, to the board. “… The real people who have bothered to educate themselves on this project I think want you to …
Thursday, April 19, 2012
The Calabasas City Council will vote on the document designed to regulate the placement of cellphone towers in the community at an April 25 meeting.
The Calabasas City Council will vote on this item at its 6 p.m. inside City Hall. What do you think about this issue? Share your opinion in the comments section below. --- The final draft of an updated ordinance aimed at establishing stricter regulations for the approval of cellphone towers in Calabasas was released by the city on Wednesday, but some residents are saying there's a loophole in the document that needs to be amended. The wireless telecommunications ordinance, which the City Council will vote on at its April 25 meeting, establishes certain guidelines for wireless providers such as limiting wireless facilities to at least 1,000 feet from residential areas, schools and parks. But wireless providers could be exempt from that …
Sam
7:03 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
Congrats to Mr Walgren, who conducted the case against the quack Murray egregiously (thank you Mr Walgren very much). He will be a fair judge also. more ›