As a reminder, Brentwood is in a fire zone. Dry canyons and brush fires can have devastating consequences. For those who live within or visit designated Red Flag Areas, please be prudent and observe Red Flag Days. Do not park where there is a fire hazard indicated by red flag codes.  Fire trucks often must navigate through winding, narrow road with automobiles parked in their path; loss of life and property is imminent if these emergency responders  cannot access the area because the streets are blocked by parked cars. Please check this website during questionable times to check for any Red Flag Warnings. For more information and to find out if there is a Red Flag Warning in your area visit

http://lafd.org/redflag/

LAPD Officer Philip Enbody is honored with a shadowbox of items from his career on the force. Senior Lead Officer Maria Gray (left) has taken his position. Photo credit: Matthew Sanderson/ Brentwood Patch

The following is a map of the “when and where” of street closures for the LA Marathon, taking place Sunday, March 17.  In addition, we have included a list of street closures in and around the entire marathon route. San Vicente is slated to be closed in Brentwood from 5AM to 5PM.

The LA Marathon route travels through the VA and spills out on to the north side of San Vicente.  It then zigs at Montana and continues on the south side of San Vicente. This allows for no crossing of San Vicente until San Vicente reopens. If you plan to go to the Farmer’s Market, it will not be possible to cross in the Brentwood area, so plan accordingly.

More information: www.lamarathon.com

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Many of you have asked for dates of other events during the year that will close San Vicente.

The known 2013 closures on San Vicente from Darlington to 26th are Sunday mornings (until 11am), June 15 and September 29.  There are other events planned (Art Festival and Gran Prix), but they do not involve a complete shut down of San Vicente.

These events  and any others, which request City permits to close San Vicente will be on the calendar on the homepage of www.Brentwoodcommunitycouncil.org.  As a note, the community cannot stop the City from issuing permits, so we are addressing the concerns and working with the groups and our CD11 council office to limit the burden on Brentwood as much as possible.

BCC has been meeting with organizers to make sure that they open streets as early as possible, put signs at Sunset to indicate the street is closed, indicate the market and gas station at Bundy are reachable, to keep noise levels down and to respect the median and Coral Trees with their equipment and participants.

Neighbors on San Vicente have asked for notice when the streets are shut down.  If you will sign up for Brentwood Events on the BCC website email blast

(www.brentwoodcommunitycouncil.org) notices will be sent directly to you.  Often you may reasonably surmise that an event is going to be held by the “No Parking” signs that are placed 24 hours ahead of time.

If you have other questions, please email info@brentwoodcommunitycouncil.org and you will receive an answer.  Please pass this information on to friends in other areas who would be interested in closures. The map is attached below.

Attendees at the February 26 event will:

-Learn how to take out your turf grass and what to plant in its place, including California natives;

-Learn about the LADWP Turf Removal Rebate and procedures.

Watering your lawn accounts for a large amount of your water bill. Removing your turf grass will save water and money. It can also create a more nurturing environment for wildlife.  According to Rick Silva from the LADWP,” it takes approximately 48 inches of water to irrigate cool season turf for one year in the WLA area. We estimate that these (turf removal) projects will save about 40 inches of water. That works out to about 25 gallons per square foot removed per year”.

This event co-sponsored by Palisades Cares and the Palisades-Malibu YMCA.

Event details:

Date:Tuesday, February 26, 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm

Location: 925 Haverford Avenue

RSVP: info@palisadescares.org/ 310-459-1614  Suggested donation of $5.00.

Six Thursday nights:  March 7, 14, 28 April 4, 11, 18 6:30PM-­‐9:30PM

What is CERT?

Local government prepares for everyday emergencies. However, during a disaster, the number and scope of incidents can overwhelm conventional emergency services. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is an all-risk, all-hazard training. This valuable course is designed to help you protect yourself, your family, your neighbors and your neighborhood in an emergency situation.

CERT is a positive and realistic approach to emergency and disaster situations where citizens may initially be on their own and their actions can make a difference. While people will respond to others in need without the training, one goal of the CERT program is to help them do so effectively and efficiently without placing themselves in unnecessary danger. In the CERT training, citizens learn to:

• manage utilities and put out small fires,
• treat the three medical killers by opening airways, controlling bleeding, and treating for shock,
• provide basic medical aid,
• search for and rescue victims safely,
• organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective, and collect disaster intelligence to support first responder efforts.

SIGN UP FOR THE CERT TRAINING CLASS: info@brentwoodcommunitycouncil.org

Send your name, email and/or phone (if you do not do email)

Questions? Phone 310-472-4733 (Jerry)

*The Los Angeles Fire Department is pleased to provide disaster preparedness training. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is a 17½ hour disaster preparedness course This program is the Nationally Accepted Federal Standard for community response team training.

We can all take small steps to wisely use energy, help not pollute our atmosphere and do our part to keep unnecessary waste of out of our landfills. Here are suggestions of what you can do on the road, at home and at work to preserve the quality of our air, land and water.

On the Road

The suggestions here all point to one objective: using less gasoline. Gas pumps billions of pollutants into the air every year, according to Global Carbon Project, an international collaboration of scientists tracking the number. To use less gas:

• Regularly avoid accelerating quickly
• Don’t overuse your brakes (don’t rest your foot on the brake, for example) and don’t use your trunk as a storage locker
• Maintain your vehicle with scheduled tune-ups and use the recommended grade of motor oil indicated in your vehicle’s owner’s manual.
• Keep your tires properly inflated so your tires don’t wear down faster.

When shopping for a new or used vehicle from sites like automotive.com, choose the cleanest, most fuel-efficient vehicle that meets your needs. With a wide range of clean, fuel-efficient vehicles available today, it’s easier than ever to go green. To help you decide whether a hybrid vehicle is right for you, compare hybrids with traditional vehicles on a U.S. Energy Department-sponsored interactive website epa.gov

At Home

To maximize energy efficiency in the home:

• Ensure your refrigerator is operating at peak performance by cleaning the coils every six months, keeping the inside temperature of the fridge between 38 and 40 degrees and the freezer between zero and five degrees.
• To reduce inadvertent water usage, install low-flow toilets, fix any slow leak in a faucet (which can waste up to 20 gallons of water a day), turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth and wait to run your dishwasher until it’s full.
• Running the dishwasher only when it’s full saves another 20 gallons per day.

The average American uses approximately the equivalent of a 100-foot tall Douglas fir tree in paper and wood products each year, according to CleanAir.org. To minimize the environmental impact of this, reuse and recycle. If your city has recycled trash pick-up, learn the rules for what should go into the recycled bin and diligently separate recyclable materials from those that can’t be reused.

At Work

To reduce heating and cooling demands at your office and use less electricity generally, check into the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Program. Some of the energy-saving steps suggested include:

• Turn off the lights when you leave your office or conference room
• Install a programmable thermostat that can automatically adjust the building’s temperature settings so energy isn’t wasted to cool or heat the air when the building is empty.
• Keep the blinds in a room open during the sunniest part of the day during cold weather, and close the blinds during the day in warm or hot weather.
• Install an EPA-qualified water cooler that uses about half as much energy as a standard unit

The Los Angeles Fire Department recommends prompt removal of Christmas trees to prevent fires.  Why not take advantage of Los Angeles City Bureau of Sanitation Curbside Recycling Program!

• Remove all ornaments, decorations, tinsel and any stand from the tree
• If possible, CUT the tree into pieces and place them in your GREEN BIN for regular pick up on the regular pick-up day

For Multi-Family Dwellings:

• Remove all ornaments, decorations, tinsel and any stand from the tree
• Place your Christmas trees curbside on collection day for pick up by the Bureau of Sanitation

Drop-Off Locations at Participating Fire Stations Near Brentwood 90049:

• Fire Station #18, 12520 Mulholland Dr., LA, CA 90210, 818-756-8608
• Fire Station #71 107 Beverly Glen Bl., LA, CA 90024, 310-575-8571

For more information please visit the Bureau of Sanitation Tree Recycling page

www.lacitysan.org/tree-recycle.htm

~What kind of tree do you want for Christmas?

By Victoria Talbot

The old dilemma strikes again; will it be a live tree, a cut tree or an artificial tree?

Actually there are a few metrics that may help you decide:

Appearance

Ambiance

Sustainability

Cost

Disposal

Ease and simplicity

On a superficial level, nothing can beat the magic of a fragrant cut tree. All of my fondest Christmas memories begin with the search through the lot for the perfect tree. For me, that is when Christmas begins… We all recognize the aesthetics of authenticity.

Environmentally, nothing beats a live tree that can be planted in the ground after Christmas. Of all the choices, this is the most sustainable. However, it is not necessarily the most practical. First, they are more expensive than a cut tree. Secondly, it is difficult to find one big enough to have the right affect and still get it through the door. And then moving it – that can be tough with the added weight.

I have my elderly mother with me. She is horrified at the memories of cleaning up pine needles. She has a fine little artificial tree that sports pre-fab lighting. It fits in her limited space and it works for her.  For me, it is a disappointment. I like the fresh-cut tree despite the hassles of dry needles and disposal.

In an urban environment where the closest we get to the source is the truck that got it to us, chopping down our own tree is an enigma. And let’s face it; there are not a lot of places in West Los Angeles to chop one down. Economically, this is perhaps your best deal. Cutting your own tree insures freshness and it’s an experience that builds family memories. You can find places on the Internet or you may want to try Thousand Oaks www.ChristmasRanchTreeFarms.com

And in case you didn’t notice, Christmas tree lots have sprung up like weeds throughout Brentwood. I’m delighted! One appeared across the street from me where I can blissfully smell the fragrant boughs as I walk past.

There are a lot of arguments on behalf of this option. Some of them I’ve already covered but many environmentalists argue that the cut option is environmentally much more sound. The dilemma continues, I’m afraid. It’s up to you.