It’s such a bummer that the City of LA is making it so very hard to get a ballot for this year’s Neighborhood Council election.
Especially in a year when so many of our local issues are so hotly contested.
When I (a pretty darned sophisticated techie) had an extremely difficult time requesting my ballot through the online portal, I vowed to help as many neighbors as possible get their ballots.
I’ve been posting on social media regularly. Heck, I even dusted off my outside clothes and sat with a friend in Kentwood to help neighbors in person.
Now, we’re at the end of the road on ballot requests.
Today is your last chance and 5 pm is your cut off. 😳
Here is the easiest way I’ve found to get a ballot:
Print everything super, duper clearly – there is no time left for clarifications later
You should indicate “Westchester/Playa” as the election you wish to vote in
Mark yourself as a “resident” only, even if you own property (trust me on this – you don’t get any special status as a property owner and they will require additional documentation to prove your ownership)
Sign the document and date it
Take a photo of your drivers license if it has your Westchester/Playa address on it, or something else with your address + your photo ID
Email the application and proof of residency or employment to clerk.electionvbm@lacity.org (make sure to include the “dot” after clerk)
Make sure you complete all of this well ahead of the 5 pm rush. 😁
Want to know who we’re voting for at my house? Message me privately.
I originally wrote this post in June of 2016. Over the years, I’ve continued to point people to this post as they continue to post on NextDoor that they can’t believe they left their car door unlocked….
Last week, I started keeping my car keys in the freezer, and I may be at the forefront of a new digital safety trend.
From Osage to Kentwood, our neighbors have been reporting that their cars are being broken into, even though there are no outward signs of the breakin.
Law enforcement’s response? “Surely you must have forgotten to lock your car.”
As usual, the bad guys are miles ahead of law enforcement.
Turns out that for less than $100, a creep on a bike can can pull your door handle and your car will obediently call out for its key. While generally your car will only call out for a couple of feet, there is a cheap device available that will amplify the call significantly further.
If you’re like me and your key is 50′ away on the kitchen counter, this is bad news for the expensive sneakers I keep in my trunk.
So, what to do? Apparently keeping your keys in the freezer is one answer. I bought one of these instead.
I eventually got tired of wrestling my fob in and out of that little bag and upgraded to a box I could slip my whole purse into.
Pitcher Harrison Simon Pitches The Win To Complete The Sweep
This week Team Living90045 welcomes a guest post from Catherine Galanti. Would you like to write for us? More info here.
To me, there’s truly no better way to spend a weekend than watching baseball. Others would argue that a day or two at the beach is the way to go. Here in Southern California, we’re pretty lucky that we can pick one or the other, or both, pretty much all year round.
This past weekend, I got to spend a couple of days watching LMU play rival Pepperdine. Though I’m undeniably biased when it comes to LMU and Pepperdine, spending the day in the Malibu hills is not a bad option. Sitting in the sun, watching the ocean over the left field fence, enjoying the endless expanse of green grass and blue sky, it seems idyllic. Almost too good to be true.
In addition to the beautiful weather and scenery, another bonus for the weekend was watching LMU win all three games against the Waves. The two teams, historic cross-town rivals, competed for points in this year’s PCH Cup. The Cup was formed as a way to keep track of the outcomes of LMU/Pepperdine matchups in their twelve sports. The Cup boosts the rivalry between the schools, while keeping track of the points accumulated throughout the year at each event. Because each sport has a distinct season of play, points are gained towards the PCH Cup throughout the entire school year. This series in baseball, and the West Coast Conference golf tournament this weekend, wrapped up the Cup for this year, with LMU winning 12 points to 9.5.
Aside from the importance of a series win over conference opponent and rival, the Waves sweep was especially sweet as it marked the Lions second sweep of the season, and continued their undefeated series streak. LMU hasn’t dropped a single series this season, posting a record of 9-0-1. LMU is now 27-13, and sits atop the WCC standings. Not bad for a team projected to finish the season 7th out of ten!
LMU’s pitching stayed strong throughout the weekend, much like they have all season. Even a rotation switch couldn’t stop them from dominating on the mound. Brenton Arriaga, starting a series opener for the first time in his career, pitched over 5 innings and allowed just three runs and five hits to move his record to 5-1 with the win. Codie Paiva came in for the final 3.2 scoreless frames, collecting a pair of strikeouts and his second save of the year along the way.
On Saturday, ace Cory Abbott took the hill, throwing six innings, with 1 run, 4 hits, 11 strikeouts and a single walk. Abbott’s record streak for innings pitched without an earned run came to an end, with the final count at 43 innings. He retired 14 straight Pepperdine batters between the first and sixth innings, and sat down nine of those 14 with strikeouts. Abbott is now 8-1 with the win, and has the best record on the team. Ted Boeke and Braydon Salzman contributed the last 3 innings, and didn’t allow a run, allowing the Lions to capture the series with Saturday’s score of 5-1.
Anyone who follows baseball regularly knows that circumstances change quickly, and that it really isn’t over until it’s over. LMU had been tied for first several weeks ago, but had fallen to third. Following Saturday’s win, the Lions once again found themselves topping the WCC standings, this time sharing the spot with the Gonzaga Bulldogs. In a surprise upset by Brigham Young, USD had fallen from first to fourth in a matter of two games. Heading into Sunday’s game, LMU looked to hold onto their spot, as those below them fought to move up.
Blake Redman, a senior pitcher whose usual spot is on Friday nights, got the start on Sunday. He was given a no decision, however, after allowing two runs on eight hits, striking out seven, and giving up one walk. The winning pitcher, Harrison Simon, threw 2 scoreless innings, while only giving up 2 hits. After the Lions broke a 2-2 tie with two runs in the ninth, Codie Paiva had the chance to shut the door on the Waves once again. He pitched a 1-2-3 inning for a quick victory, earning his third save of the year.
Though the series finished with an astounding 59 hits between the two teams, it was remarkably hard for either team to score. Not a show of power by any means, both the Waves and Lions sought to get on base with singles. Only four extra base hits were achieved throughout the whole weekend. Perhaps it was Pepperdine’s stadium itself, a pitcher’s park with much more foul territory than usual. Even with the extra room for the fielders to run down the balls, plenty went over the net into the stands or the surrounding hills. It was pretty funny to look up occasionally to see a Pepperdine bench player on the hill nearby, rooting through the shrubbery for a ball.
Rivalry aside, Pepperdine was a great place to watch a game. Though the stadium is open with very, very little shade, the atmosphere was incredible. From the games and giveaways hosted by the athletics department, to the views, to the plays being made on the field, I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend. For games and giveaways, I highly recommend the baseball bingo promotion. You check off boxes based on what happens in the game for the chance to win a prize. The scavenger hunt, where you look in your pockets and bags to find common objects like quarters, hats, sunscreen and bags of sunflower seeds was also a big hit.
LMU returns home to face the USD Toreros this coming weekend. USD has proven to be the most difficult team in the conference to beat this year, so a victory for the Lions would be exciting as well as important. Nearing the end of the season, a series like that could prove to be pivotal. See you there? Ticket information here.
This week Living90045 welcomes a guest post from Margie Hanson. Would you like to write for us? More info here.
I am part of an e-waste fundraiser being put on by the Pacific Boosters to raise money for the Pacific LAPD Cadet Program. You may already know about the program, but if not, it’s a leadership program for students ages 9 -21. It’s pretty cool and has turned many a kid’s life around. It’s free for kids to attend as long as they maintain a certain grade average. Read more about the program here.
Here’s how the fundraiser works: if you have any old cell phones, tablets, laptops, TVs, monitors, and the like that you don’t want and are around, bring them this Saturday to event. To make it super easy, we are offering a drive-through at the Pacific LAPD station from 7:30AM – 2PM.
If you can’t come to the station Saturday, we are collecting phones and tablets (only) at two locations (Covenant Presbyterian Church & Control Printing) Mondays – Fridays, until April 30th.
This week Living90045 welcomes a guest post from Catherine Galanti. Would you like to write for us? More info here.
LMU Lions Pitcher Codie Paiva
LMU just completed its 8th weekend series this season, against conference opponent Santa Clara. The Lions remain unbeaten in series play, putting their record at 7-0-1. The Lions looked to extend their historic win streak to nine games, but came up short with a 10-3 loss in the Friday night opener. However, they recovered, winning the last two games of the series.
Friday starter Blake Redman opened the series on a flat note, allowing 4 runs in the first, 3 unearned. Lions pitching came on strong on both Saturday and Sunday, though. On Saturday, Brenton Arriaga gave up only 2 runs and 4 hits in seven innings of work. He struck out six and issued zero walks. Harrison Simon sealed the win with 1 run, 2 hits, 1 walk and 2 strikeouts. Carrying a shutout into the ninth on Sunday, pitchers Cory Abbott and Codie Paiva allowed only 1 run and 8 hits. Abbott is now 6-1, with over 29 consecutive innings without an earned run. Paiva shut down the Broncos, allowing only 3 hits and one unearned run. Though he did not get the save, Codie Paiva’s record is 5-0. Paiva, a native of Pearl City, Hawaii, gave up one hit to former teammate Tyler Meditz. Both attended Kamehameha HS in Hawaii.
Lions offense impressed, scoring 21 runs over the four day stretch. Shortstop Spencer Erdman returned after breaking his hand during the series against Arizona State. He made his comeback by starting all three games against Santa Clara, and hitting two singles and two RBI doubles throughout the weekend. After taking the series against the Broncos, the Lions returned to action on Monday night to face the #30 ranked University of Washington Huskies. The game could have gone the Lions’ way, but after 10 innings, the Lions fell 8-7. While the game had some dramatic moments, it was also the longest of the season, clocking in at 4 hours and 29 minutes.
On Monday, the Lions got off to a rocky start, allowing 4 total runs in the first, 3 unearned, and committing three errors before even coming up to bat. LMU used six pitchers in the outing. Freshman Giuseppe Benedetti started the night, but was pulled after 4 innings. Harrison Simon threw scoreless eighth and ninth innings on only one day rest, but could not close the door on the Huskies. The loss goes to Niko Decolati, who drops to 1-1.
The lead traded back and forth for much of the game, but the damage was done in the fifth when Huskie batter MJ Hubbs crushed a two-run homer to tie the game at 6. Each team scored one more run, forcing extra innings at 7 runs apiece. In the bottom of the tenth, LMU had two runners on base with one out when a hard hit ball from catcher Cooper Uhl came close to providing the Lions’ 4th walk-off win. The ball dropped just inside the fence, however, for the second out. Billy Wilson grounded out to second base to end the game. Spencer Erdman finished the game 3-for-5 with two runs scored, two doubles, a triple and four RBI’s. Junior Jamey Smart also had three hits, going 3-for-5 with a double.
LMU’s record is now 21-12. They are currently behind the University of San Diego for third place in the WCC.
The Lions will head up to Moraga, CA, for another weekend of WCC play against St. Mary’s, before returning on Tuesday to face non-conference Cal State Northridge. Tuesday’s game had been rescheduled from March 21st because of a rainout. First pitch is at 6:00 PM. See you there?
This week Team Living90045 welcomes a guest post from Catherine Galanti. Would you like to write for us? More info here.
History was made on Saturday as LMU pitcher Cory Abbott retired 27 consecutive batters to record the first perfect game in school history.
In the final game versus conference rival Brigham Young University (BYU), the Lions looked to top the Cougars in a series for the first time in almost four years. Saturday was the rubber match between the two teams, and LMU certainly delivered.
The game was tied at zero for the first five and a half innings, with Phil Caulfield and Niko Decolati picking up two hits apiece. Though LMU’s hitting was able to score two runs, the focus of the game was on the pitchers.
Junior Cory Abbott threw the first perfect game in the history of LMU’s program, and only the third no-hitter. The last time the Lions no-hit an opponent, it was from current pitching coach Matt Florer in 2013. This was the 26th perfect game in NCAA history.
Abbott shut down BYU’s offense with 13 strikeouts and only 106 pitches. Of those 106 pitches, 79 were strikes. Only four batters drew three balls from Abbott.
This win was especially sweet after seeing the power and capability of BYU’s hitters. The Cougars picked up 10 hits on both the Thursday and Friday outings.
Cory Abbott was named collegiate baseball’s national player of the week. LMU also swept Rawlings’ pitcher and player of the week, with Abbott and Phil Caulfield snagging the honors.
Abbott’s record now improves to 4-1. The Lions now have a 13-10 overall record, and a 4-2 record in conference play.
The Lions take a break from WCC action as they face UC Irvine away this Tuesday. They return home to play conference opponent Pacific this weekend, with games on Friday and Saturday at 6:00 pm, and a game on Sunday with a 1:00 pm start.
This week Team Living90045 welcomes a guest post from Catherine Galanti. Would you like to write for us? More info here.
The Lions began conference play last weekend with a three game series against the University of San Francisco Dons. This marked the fifth series of the season, and the fourth the Lions have won.
LMU has taken almost every series so far, the exception being a split four game series against Washington State. Though the Lions have not swept an opponent, they have not yet dropped a weekend series.
The Lions put on a show before heading up to San Francisco, topping USC 4-3 with a walk-off homer from Billy Wilson in the bottom of the 10th. What a way to head into conference play.
LMU continued to impress, as a grand slam from Brandon Shearer on Friday gave the Lions an early lead over USF. However, the Dons retaliated with their own slam on Saturday, breaking up a scoreless game in the bottom of the ninth. The Lions recovered on Sunday afternoon, with a 3-2 victory. The Lions now have a winning record of 11-9 overall, and 2-1 record in West Coast Conference (WCC) play. The Lions currently stand third in the WCC.
Though LMU was slated to face the Cal State Northridge Matadors on Tuesday, the game was canceled due to rain. The two teams will make up that game on April 18th, but first the Lions will take on BYU Thursday-Saturday for three more games of WCC action. The first pitch on Thursday and Friday is at 6:00 pm, with a 1:00 pm start on Saturday. You can find ticket and schedule information here.
This week Team Living90045 welcomes a guest post from Catherine Galanti. Would you like to write for us? More info here.
LMU took its weekend series against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, with wins on Friday and Saturday nights. The series opened with a 4-0 shutout win, and senior pitcher Blake Redman recording 10 strikeouts in 7 innings.
The Lions gained another victory on Saturday, edging out the Mustangs 6-5 after 10 innings. This was the first extra innings game for the Lions this season.
Unfortunately, LMU was not able to complete the sweep, falling 16-1 on Sunday.
The Lions now stand at 8-8, but hope to improve their record this Tuesday, when they host the USC Trojans.
LMU will play one game at home before kicking off conference play against the University of San Francisco Dons this weekend.
Come out tomorrow (March 14th), to see LMU play the Trojans. The game starts at 6:00pm. Get ticket information here. Hope to see you there!
This week Team Living90045 welcomes a guest post from Catherine Galanti. Would you like to write for us? 
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