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And the current face of Moneta Gardens is receiving decidedly mixed reviews in Hawthorne.
"The activity is a positive thing for the city," Marquez said. "New development there has stemmed deterioration and has made private redevelopment possible in that area. Small, old developments that have deteriorated have been sold for land value to developers, who have built rental housing for which there is a tremendously high demand."
But some Moneta Gardens residents, including a few who have never lived anywhere else, say development has saturated streets with cars and has brought in a transient population that they blame for a rise in crime--particularly residential burglaries. They also claim that speculative buying has caused rents to spiral.
"I want to look on the positive side, but I can't find much to be positive about because it's not a family area anymore," said Ken Robinson, who said 135th Street where he lives has become "the busiest street in Hawthorne." People speed and drop litter, beer and wine bottles, he said.
Another one of the Satow brothers, 62-year-old Tabo Satow, said he isn't happy about the last 10 years of building in Moneta Gardens. "It's just making it more congested," he said, "filling up the schools and increasing burglaries."
The Hawthorne School District, which has three schools in Moneta Gardens serving about 1,600 children in kindergarten through eighth grade, also is alarmed about continuing building.
Supt. Edward Hayduk said the schools have room for 200 more children but after that "we do have a problem. . . . It is beginning to cause us a great deal of anxiety."
Hayduk said continued growth in Moneta Gardens could led to double sessions and year-round schools. He said the district is contemplating asking the city to impose a fee of between $1,500 to $2,000 per unit on developers--something he admits "won't be well received." The money would be used for temporary classrooms.
"The city supports the building, but my concern is who supports education?" Hayduk said.
Police say Moneta Gardens residents have good reason to be concerned about crime. "It has the highest number of residential burglaries in the city, and they warrant attention," Police Capt. David Barnes said. There were 136 residential burglaries reported in Moneta Gardens during the first 11 months of 1984, according to police.
Barnes said the density of development is a factor in the burglary problem because units are away from the street and unoccupied during the day. He said transiency makes it difficult to develop stable Neighborhood Watch groups. Barnes said the area was saturated with patrol units in December to combat burglaries during the day, when many residents are at work.
One resident, hit five times by burglars last year, said he would like to sell his home and move.
There is no mystery as to why Moneta Gardens has boomed for builders--with some time out for real estate slumps--since annexation. One- and two-acre lots have been available at reasonable prices, and burgeoning South Bay industry, particularly aerospace and high technology, has created a demand for housing.
"Hawthorne offers a good density factor and land is still affordable to buy," said Ivano Stamegna, a partner in New World Developers, which has 114 apartment units under way in Moneta Gardens. "Rentals go fast because there is a lot of industry around. The people who rent are working families with young children."
Mayor Guy Hocker Jr., who also is a real estate broker and an active developer in an area just south of Moneta Gardens, said the standard large Moneta lot--a little under an acre--now sells for between $450,000 and $500,000. It will accommodate 49 units under current multiple-residential zoning and density standards.
He said builders in Hawthorne have the advantage of lower land prices--and lower rents--in comparison to neighboring cities, such as Torrance.
One man who benefited from lower costs was Joel Hobbs, an aircraft engineer from Seattle who bought a spacious, airy, three-bedroom condominium in Moneta Gardens for $112,000 in October. Hobbs said he priced units in other South Bay cities, including Torrance and Manhattan Beach, where he said a comparable condominium would have cost about $50,000 more.
Property owners in Moneta Gardens receive letters or telephone calls on a regular basis from people who want to buy land for development, according to residents.
"We get developers calling every month," said Georgia Williams, who with her husband, Gene, owns a two-bedroom home on a half-acre lot on Kornblum Avenue. "We're not interested in selling, but if the price were right, we would sell. She said the "best offer" so far has been $370,000.
Sally Johnson, who lives on Chadron Avenue, said she has been contacted by a Westminster developer. "My place is up for sale," she said. "I enjoyed my home, but not since these apartments came in."
Jun Watanabe, owner of a three-acre nursery at Rosecrans and Yukon Avenue, said, "Every developer has been here." But he is not interested in selling.
The Satow brothers, however, do want to close their 10-acre nursery and are in escrow to sell the property to West Los Angeles developer Leo Kringle for nearly $4 million, according to Henry T. Satow. He said he and his brothers are getting old--they range in age from 58 to 70--and want to retire.
A 96-unit low- and moderate-income housing project on the land was turned down by the city in November because of strong neighborhood opposition. Kringle declined to discuss future plans for the property.
The City Council in recent months has heard several appeals for rent control from Moneta Gardens residents. In December, a case involving an apartment complex of three-bedroom units in the 13600 block of Chadron went before the city rent mediation board, where residents said that after rents on the 10 units were increased by $200 a month, some promised repairs were improperly done.
The board did not find the rents out of line, but it concluded that plumbing work had been done without a permit and there were problems with water heater pressure release valves, according to Warner McGuyre, director of housing and community development. He said the owner was directed to correct deficiencies and the case has been kept open.
Eleanor Carlson, a spokeswoman for the tenants, contends that the apartment court and two adjoining properties have been purchased for future development. In the meantime, she charged, "people who have been here for years are being given notices to pay double rent or get out."
Zaffer Hassanally, who manages the Chadron property for owner V. T. Pappas, said two, not three, properties were purchased for "rental and investment," not redevelopment. He said rents at the Chadron court were $350 a month when Pappas purchased it in April and have been raised to $550 in two increments.
"The rents were way below market and the property was in disrepair," Hassanally said. "We're expending money right and left, replacing carpets, drapes and doing plumbing repairs, but the units are still below market."
McGuyre agrees that the Chadron rents are fair. He said the city follows monthly rental guidelines for federally subsidized housing in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area. Those rates currently range from $416 for single units to $741 for three bedrooms. "We think this is very comparable to what rentals are throughout the city, including Moneta Gardens," McGuyre said.
Hassanally, whose Torrance realty company manages several other Moneta Gardens complexes, said there are many poorly maintained older properties in the area where people have benefited from bargain rents for years. But this is changing, he said: "It's common practice now to buy, rehabilitate and raise rents."
One person doing just this is real estate agent Jessie Wright, who paid $355,000 for a rambling old seven-unit court on Kornblum near Rosecrans, where he is adding two units to increase the income. Rent increases, Wright said, have been modest.
"I saw the potential, and I moved in," said Wright, adding that he expects to sell the property for a $100,000 profit after he has completed the improvements.
City officials do not offer much comfort to critics of Moneta Gardens development.
Hocker, who is developing a 49-unit apartment on Cerise Avenue just south of Moneta Gardens, said Moneta always has been a multiple-residential area. "People are upset when they see 30-unit apartments going up, but I liken it to any apartment area," he said.
Because of his real estate activities, Hocker has become a favorite target of some critics, who assert he is more interested in the success of developers than the problems of people who have to live with development.
But Hocker sees it differently: "I'm happy about the building. The fact that I, an elected official, am putting my money into the city encourages others to do the same. They'll say if the mayor is developing in his own town, why shouldn't we?"
Though officials concede that traffic and parking congestion are genuine problems in Moneta Gardens, they do not believe they warrant a halt in building.
Marquez said there still is room for growth there, although he and other observers, including developer Stamegna, believe it is beginning to slow down.
"Land is getting expensive because all of the building has sent the values up," said Stamegna. He said that six months ago land costs were $10,000 a unit; now they are $13,000.
In the 1970s, the city increased parking requirements and lowered densities because of overbuilding, according to officials. Marquez said the city has used federal block grant funds for sidewalk improvements and has improved sewer systems. The density of developments controlled by the Planning Commission, such as condominiums, has been reduced, but the city has had little success in getting developers to reduce densities voluntarily on other projects, Marquez said.
The 1977 Moneta Gardens study concluded that there was a "serious need for reconsideration of traffic patterns and the installation of additional traffic controls." It called for such things as one-way streets and the creation of cul-de-sacs, but officials said there are no plans to implement the recommendations.
Iran has nearly halved the amount of oil it has been forced to hold in tankers at sea, thanks to the end of nuclear sanctions. Now it's capitalizing on the November OPEC deal to cut oil production by 1.2 million barrels a day.
Why this matters: Iran is OPEC's third biggest oil producer, and it got off easy during the OPEC deal so it can rebuild its economy. But if it floods the market with stored oil, it will dampen OPEC's aim to boost prices.
And they're already doing it: Industry sources said Iran had already been offering discounts to buyers, and convincing them to stock up for winter in anticipation of the OPEC cut.
Why Americans should care: U.S. shale gas producers will also benefit from OPEC cuts, as rising oil prices resulting from the cut will make more of their operations profitable.
A window marked with future rising sea levels in “Submerged” exhibit.
It’s hard to imagine, but one day in the not-so-distant future, Boston may be in a precarious position: under water.
Climate scientists predict that sea levels around the city could rise as much as 7 feet in the next century, and up to 12 feet by 2300 — a very real possibility that American Repertory Theater-goers can now picture thanks to an immersive exhibit by four local artists. Curated by photographer Grejen Helene and co-designed by Johnathan Carr, “Submerged: Boston Underwater” is on display in the Loeb Drama Center’s lobby, inspired by the theater’s staging of “The Last Two People an Earth: An Apocalyptic Vaudeville.” The show, which is nearing the end of its debut run, stars Mandy Patinkin and Taylor Mac as Earth’s sole remaining inhabitants, united by their common musical language.
Like the production itself, “Submerged” is whimsical but has serious undertones, envisioning how swelling seas will impact iconic locales.
To do that, Helene employed new-media artists Cindy Sherman Bishop and Martha Bourne to design the highlight of the exhibit, an installation that acts as a sort of futuristic photo booth. Called “PastPort Interactive,” it transports participants to the year 2315, placing their likenesses into images — taken by Helene — of popular Boston locations that have been digitally manipulated — by Carr, a videographer — to appear under water. Participants find themselves in locales such as Harvard Square, Faneuil Hall, and Copley Square; a futuristic soundscape by Bourne, complete with rushing water, rounds out the experience.
Bishop said that the interactive installation was particularly fitting for the ART’s thespian environment.
Helene, a freelancer who photographs many of the ART’s shows, said curating an exhibit for the theater presented challenges she wouldn’t face in a gallery or museum. Not only did she have to work within the confines of a small lobby, through which hundreds of people pass prior to performances, she had to make sure “Submerged” didn’t steal the limelight from “The Last Two People on Earth,” and that it fit with Patinkin and Mac’s vision for their show.
“Submerged” will be on display in the Loeb lobby through May 31.
Published May 15, 2018 at 9:28 a.m.
Updated May 15, 2018 at 10:55 a.m.
Jurors today in the capital murder trial of Lance Hundley in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court viewed crime scene photos of the charred remains of the woman he is accused of killing.
Hundley, 48, of Warren, could face the death penalty if convicted of the Nov. 6, 2015, aggravated murder of Erika Huff, 41, in her Cleveland Street home.
Hundley is also charged with attempted murder for beating Huff’s mother and aggravated arson for trying to set fire to Huff’s home and her body. Prosecutors said he beat and strangled Huff, who he was living with and also severely beat her mother.
Youngstown Police Patrolman Mark Crissman, a member of the department’s crime lab, testified about photos he took of the crime scene. Huff’s mother, Denise Johnson, managed to escape by attracting the attention of officers that morning by rattling a window air conditioner in the same room Huff’s body was in. The room was already on fire and when officers heard the air conditioner, they yanked the unit out of the window and pulled Johnson out of the home.
Jurors looked at several photos of the room, which showed char marks on the walls and a hospital style bed that was also badly burned. In some of those photos Huff’s body was visible on the floor.
When the first photo was shown, Johnson made the sign of the cross over herself and then left, followed by her husband and other family members. They returned to court a few moments later.
Testimony is resuming today in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court in the capital murder trial of Lance Hundley, 48, of Warren, before Judge Maureen Sweeney.
Hundley is charged with aggravated murder for the Nov. 5, 2016, beating death of Erika Huff, 41, who was wheelchair bound; attempted murder for beating her mother; and aggravated arson for trying to burn Huff’s body and her Cleveland Street home.
Testimony in the case began Monday.
Should jurors find Hundley guilty of aggravated murder with death penalty specifications, a second phase of the trial, the mitigation phase, will take place. There, attorneys for Hundley will present evidence to jurors explaining why they should spare Hundley’s life.
May 17, 2018 9:50 a.m.
May 14, 2018 12:07 p.m.
June 6, 2018 12:01 a.m.
Cupcakes continue to be a popular trend, and consignment stores continue to pop up all over Wichita.
Lori Chrisman plans both at her new Cupcakes and Pearls .
type of style," she says.
That might be black dresses, pearls or other elegant basics.
Chrisman will sell men's clothing as well in "kind of our Cary Grant corner."
She's also open to selling boutique items, such as jewelry, that area residents make.
"I'd love to have those consigned as well."
It was back in January that Have You Heard? first reported that Panera Bread franchisee Randy Simon was in negotiations to open a Panera in front of the Dillons Marketplace at Derby Marketplace at 71st and Rock Road.
Later this month, Simon says, he plans to finalize a deal in Sedalia, Mo., for another Panera with a drive-through. That's also where a Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers franchisee plans a Freddy's next door.
The Panera that opened earlier this year on Ridge Road next to the Freddy's that Simon co-owns had the highest volume opening of all of Simon's Wichita Paneras.
Back in Derby, there are a couple of other new restaurants that will open near the new Panera.
Papa Murphy's is moving its Derby store to 1,420 square feet in the multitenant building closest to 71st and Rock Road where Capitol Federal Savings is.
Troy Farha of Grubb & Ellis/Martens Commercial Group represented Papa Murphy's in the deal, and Mark McPherson of Kansas City-based Equity Ventures Commercial Development represented the landlord.
In a new freestanding building north of Capitol Federal, construction is about to begin on a new Olive Garden , which Have You Heard? first reported in January as well.
Also at Derby Marketplace, the clothing shop Christopher & Banks , which will be adjacent to Dressbarn , is opening in late summer.
McPherson says the development "looks a lot different than it used to."
"The other alternative was to close. Didn't want to do that."
Gov. Mark Sanford speaks Tuesday at Wilson's Nursery in Rock Hill to ask people what message they want him to bring back to lawmakers in Columbia.
Gov. Mark Sanford brought his reform-minded message to Rock Hill on Tuesday afternoon, holding what he called an "impromptu town hall meeting" in the parking lot of a plant nursery.
Sanford, whose quirky personality has earned him both admirers and critics, managed to uncork a number of off-the-cuff gems in the course of a 30-minute talk. He quoted former House Speaker Tip O'Neill and Thomas Jefferson, and later, talking about two young boys in the audience, said: "They're launching in this spaceship called life, and how far they're able to travel will in large part depend on education."
The purpose of Sanford's two-week, 30-city tour across South Carolina is to rally support for his priorities in the upcoming legislative session. The General Assembly will take up immigration, DUI reform and small business health care, among other issues.
"What we're doing is sort of bouncing around the quieter parts of South Carolina, picking up pearls of wisdom on what would help," he told two dozen listeners at Wilson's Nursery on West Main Street.
"We ain't cracking on anybody," he said. "It's just we believe we have a faulty government structure. Our question would be, 'How do you compete in a global world if you have an inwardly focused political system?'"
Sanford later fielded a question from The Herald about whether the state would commit money to extend Dave Lyle Boulevard 11 miles into Lancaster County. Supporters are hoping the State Infrastructure Bank will cover much of the estimated $120 million price tag. The problem is that the bank currently is broke.
"With larger projects, it takes a while to build the kitty up," Sanford said, adding that the larger issue is making sure money is directed where it's needed most, rather than on pet projects that let "some raccoon path to somebody's fishing hole get paved."
Later in the day, Sanford's tour was scheduled to take him to Chester and Lancaster.
Recognizing the loss of two professional hockey teams, a group of Lexingtonians will use a charitable foundation to secure the immediate future of the Kentucky Horsemen.
Previous owners Lennie and Vicki House turned over the team to the Horsemen Charitable Foundation, which will run the arenafootball2 franchise as a non-profit, community-based organization.
An executive committee and a board of directors operate the foundation. Ockerman said House is not on the board. It is unclear whether he would retain any involvement with the team's operations.
Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry and foundation board chairman Phil Harmon accepted the team at a news conference Thursday.
"In addition to winning on the field, I'm glad the Horsemen will be more involved in our community," Newberry said. "I appreciate what the House family has done, and I'm grateful for their generosity."
When the Houses decided not to continue as owners earlier this year, the foundation went into an "explore your options" mode.