So, Where Is The Truth?

Today, Marymount College is having a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Athletic Field. That is true.


What is also true is that the plan check for the new parking spaces and upgrades in the electrical utility system has been going on for a few days.


What is true is that zero permits have been approved to begin turning over one shovel for any piece of work dealing with parking spaces, electrical utilities or a new Athletic Field.
It is as if Marymount is going to build the field first and then PERHAPS deal with the new parking spaces and electrical grid, after they turn shovels on the field.


I really can't write what the truth is because no permits have been issued and the plan check process is still ongoing.


It should make for good press, though.


According to a press release, Dr. Michael Brophy is going to be at least one of the Professors teaching post graduates of the school's Bachelors' degrees in graduate classes and offering up to 12 credits of graduate course work for FREE.


That is something, isn't it? Well, since the college has been afforded no accreditation to offer, teach or allow post graduate courses on its campus, I continue to wonder how many students will take up the offer that the academic community has not granted Marymount College.


Perhaps the lure of FREE credits for courses not authorized to be offered will make them look like other 'colleges' who state in thier advertisements that course credits may not be transferable.


So, if Marymount does begin offering 'post-graduate' courses, how long will it be before they change their name to Marymount University? 


Might it be a marketing tool to change the name to Marymount University to try and syphon off students...and their parents' money from going to Loyola Marymount University?


So, I think the truth lies wherever you feel it does, whether factual or not.


I would love to see a wonderful Athletic Field built. I think it would be far more and better utilized if it were built at the college's Palos Verdes North facility, where so many students live.
I also will love to see all 463 parking spaces built at Marymount College. I will have to wait unti sometime in the future, if at all. Please don't expect them to all be in by this September...or even September, 2013.


I think if you are waiting for the new Athletic Building to get built, don't hold your breath. Also, don't have your children or grandchildren hold their breaths.


What to look for in the future are two things:


Marymount's administration and supporters are going to ask for an extension on the Conditional Use Permits for Phase One of The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project.


Marymount's administration and supporters will ask for the student capacity at Marymount's Palos Verdes Drive East campus to be increased.


What I fully expect you won't see is the total of 463 parking spaces being constructed before Marymount seeks to have its student capacity enlarged.

The jury is still out on the new William Hannon Library. I am a fan of libraries, even digital and online varieties. I think Marymount could work with Loyola Marymount's William Hannon Library to create a multi-faceted brick and motar (Westchester) and digital library system to rival any super top rated educational library systems.

Bits and Pieces 58

First, some welcome news, I hope, to all.

In place of the now gone Asahi Express Grill, a new Broiler Express from the good folks who own and operate Fantastic Cafe, in several locations, is coming to Western Avenue, near the corner of Trudie Drive.

The location is between Marie Callender's and Denny's our very own Eastview area.

Signs are posted on the windows and work is ongoing day and night.

After less than six months into the term of the current Rancho Palos Verdes City Council, I can honestly state that I am more than amazed with what I have seen and heard.

I was expecting to find that the very conservative majority on the council would work as a team in public to make a whole lot of changes and start implementing their conservative goals in our city.

What I have witnessed, heard, read, and have been offered comments to is that his particular council is not  doing what so many voters voted them into office to do.

Of course, restating that I am NOT a conservative and that I expected things to change, should not be anything new for my regular readers.

What I could not have dreamed of though, is that there appears to be a whole lot more displeasure among so many in our city, with what is going on, with this particular council makeup.

I know of another progressive fellow who happened to be in my view during a recent meeting where it seemed to me that he was constantly covering his mouth to avoid having other sees is almost constant grin or subtle laughter at what was going on and what he was hearing.

I had a difficult time not laughing out loud at some of the comments made by at least one member of our council, the other night.

There seems to be some frustrated members of this council in my opinion, and it no longer seems all that frustrations remains invisible to some audience members at meetings.

Here is one scenario I witnessed and participated in.

Audience member Y was sitting quietly while council members were talking. Council member X started talking and audience member Y blurted out under their breath that they thought council member X did need to interject their opinion on a matter by talking about it.

I turned to audience member Y and stated that I didn't vote for council member X and Y responded back that they had voted for council member X but now regrets that decision.

"We all make mistakes." was then stated to me by audience member Y.

Audience member Y is one of the most conservative persons I have met on The Hill and to hear that person state regrets for voting for council member X brought out a chuckle in me.

But that was not the most interesting thing I have heard recently.

"Recall". That was a word coming out of the mouth of another very conservative person in our city, while talking to me about a member of our current city council.

It didn't come from me! It was astonishing to me that I heard that word coming from a conservative I know and against another conservative, a member of this current council.

I am not for a recall of any member of this council. I think it would be a waste of money and it now appears that there may be enough unity among others on this council to quell the more outrageous (my word) actions and activities of the certain member that the "recall" was used for.


If anyone cares, my opinion on the Rules of Procedure are now pretty much complete and I am comfortable with what many folks have commented about, regarding some changes that may be necessary to the current Rules of Procedures that was adopted by this council on March 20.

I was basically not uncomfortable with what was passed on March 20. It still seems ridiculous to me that the council is STILL dealing with this after being in office for this long.

It has seemed to me that the reason this council is taking on a reinvention of the wheel is not so much that they felt the wheel was all that broken, but the majority on this council are so frustrated with the previous council that they appear to want to change things in major ways, just as a matter of spite, I feel.

So it all continues to roll on.

What does need to end and end sooner than later, is the attempts to bring a new set of protocols and/or a Code of Conduct to our volunteers who serve on the council or on commissions and committees in Rancho Palos Verdes.

I seem to have much more regard for those volunteers that I feel some members of our council have and I know from experience that we have the best volunteers in our city and I would watch them beat out all others if there was some sort of competition between other cities in terms of trust, intelligence, care, volunteerism, ethics and compassion.

Our volunteers know what is right and our council, who in fact, appoint those who serve, had better understand all this during the interview and selection processes or they probably should resign from office and let others make the decisions.

If this council feels they need some sort of Code of Conduct for OUR volunteers, then they probably don't respect the decisions made by former council members who made previous appointments or are they lacking in the ability to make the best decisions for the residents of our city, themselves?

Work continues on replacing/lengthening power poles along Western. It looks like more high voltage power cables are being placed on poles and traffic is more of a nightmare (daymare) along Western than is usual. Thank goodness there aren't any sinkholes opening up.

"I like to wet my whistle" is the comment you should make when purchasing popcorn during the month of May at our very own Starlight multiplex at the Terraces Cinema.

With the purchase of popcorn and a mention of the the code words, you will be rewarded with a free fountain drink of equivalent size for free.

With a purchase of a small popcorn, you get a small drink. The size of the popcorn determines the size of the free drink.

This promotion goes on all day, every day. It includes Tuesdays and Thursdays when every admission to a non-3D movie is just $4.00 and also on Wednesdays, Senior Day (55+) when $4.00 is also the admission price.

If you also have their promotion card, you get free goodies from time to time, including a free movie admission.

I had a free ticket when Terri and I went to see The Avengers yesterday. It was a Tuesday and I bought a large popcorn.

One ticket-FREE. One ticket-$4.00. Large Popcorn-$6.00. Large Diet Coke-FREE.

Large popcorn and large drinks are also refillable one time.

Out total cost for the first run movie, large popcorn and Diet Coke-$10.00

All the staff members at the Starlight Terrace Cinemas are friendly and helpful and I encourage everyone to visit our very own Eastview multiplex.

Of course I would also encourage everyone to shop in Eastview repeatedly. We've got two of the four large grocery stores in the city. We have lots of restaurants and retail outlets. We have a Goodwill Industries store. We have an L.A. Fitness and if you haven't saved your pennies and dimes to visit Think Prime, you are missing something.

The 'Semi-nude' house that has been under remodel conditions for years and years is nearing completion. I will have photos of the during and after in an upcoming post.