Audio Recording Problem Solved!

THIS IS IT!
OK, last gasp on this issue... It looks like I've solved the accessibility to the audio recording of my interview with Tom Johnson last Sunday on KOCI FM, 101.5.  I know.. you're thrilled, right?

ON YOUTUBE
Anyhow, I managed to massage and manipulate the audio and deposited it on my YouTube page for future listening for posterity - or whatever passes as posterity in this ethernet age.

BEFORE YOU PULL THE TRIGGER...
So, just click on this link and off you go.  Be forwarned, though - the audio begins IMMEDIATELY, so if you're in a quiet place - like at work, for example - be ready to turn your volumn down post haste lest you get caught.   Ready?  GO! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlRJ-ZO39j4

MUCHAS GRACIAS, AMIGOS
Thanks, again, to Tom Johnson and the good folks at KOCI for the opportunity to chat, and especially to Brent Kahlen for making the audio recording available.

Planning Commission - General Plan + Developments

FULL AGENDA
The Costa Mesa Planning Commission, led by Chairman Rob Dickson, meets again on Monday, March 28, 2016 beginning at 6:00 in City Council Chambers at City Hall and has a full agenda, including three developments which add 49 dwelling units to the city inventory.  You can read most of it HERE.

GENERAL PLAN AND DRAFT EIR
I said "most" because the first Public Hearing, the 2015-2035 General Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Report had no staff report available at press time.  I suppose it will become available sometime Thursday.  Anyhow, the staff recommendations are to 1) Receive presentation of General Plan and Draft EIR and public comments and, 2) Continue to the Planning Commission meeting of April 11, 2016.  Written comments on the Draft EIR must be submitted by 5:00 p.m., April 18, 2016.

6 UNITS ON HAMILTON 
Public Hearing #2, HERE, is for a 6-unit, two-story Small Lot Development at 592 Hamilton Street.  Minor deviations are being requested.  I have no doubt the commission will move this one forward.

10 UNITS ON BERNARD
Public Hearing #3, HERE, is a 10-unit detached Small Lot Development at 522 and 526 Bernard Street within the Mesa West Residential Ownership Urban Plan.  This one has several deviations, so it will be interesting to see if the commission just rolls over on this one and allows all, or any, of them.

33 UNITS AT HARBOR AND MERRIMAC
Public Hearing #4, HERE, is for a 33-unit, two-story detached residential common interest development at 2626 Harbor Blvd.  It requests only one deviation, a reduction in the space between main buildings from 10 feet to 6 feet.

Tom And Geoff Audio File Available - I Think

WITH FINGERS TIGHTLY CROSSED....
OK, pardners, I THINK I've figured a way for you to hear the 20 minute audio file of my visit with Tom Johnson last Sunday morning on the "Sunday Brunch With Tom And Lynn" show on KOCI FM, 101.5 on your dial.  Thanks to KOCI honcho Brent Khalen for making this possible.  I hope this works.

THIS SHOULD DOWNLOAD TO YOUR COMPUTER
I've copied and pasted what should be the link HERE. (WAIT!  Not yet!  Read the rest first, because once you download this it will automatically begin to play!) All you have to do is click there and a page will come up telling you this is ready for download.  If you click on the Download, just as you would an Adobe file or such, you should be able to find the file somewhere in your computer, depending on what your default settings are.  Mine defaults directly into ITunes, where this little ditty resides now for posterity.

DON'T DILLY DALLY
I'm told this file download will only be available for a week, so get cracking if you want to hear it.

BE KIND
I'd appreciate your thoughts once you've heard the whole thing.  Be kind.

READY ON THE LEFT?  READY ON THE RIGHT?
Ready?  OK.. hit that link and off you go.

Parks & Rec. Commission Meets Thursday

FULL AGENDA THURSDAY EVENING
The Costa Mesa Parks and Recreation Commission, under the leadership of new Chairman Brett Eckles,  meets again on Thursday, March 24, 2016 beginning at 6:00 in City Council Chambers and will tackle what looks like a full agenda, HERE.

FAIRVIEW ENVIRONMENTAL WORKSHOP
Right off the top Interim Recreation Manager Justin Martin (replacing the departed Travis Karlen, who decamped to an opportunity with the City of Irvine) will present a recommendation for a new instructional class proposal, HERE.  This is a four-week instructional class held at Fairview Park and focuses on the aspects of nature and human interrelationships.  It will be offered and facilitated by the Institute for Conservation, Research and Education (ICRE).  According to the proposal, that organization will cover all costs associated with this four consecutive Saturday morning programs, estimated at $3910.00.  The program will be available for 10-25 participants, with no cost to them.  I can't let this pass without observing that there is currently a signature-gathering exercise being conducted by residents hoping to qualify an initiative to protect Fairview Park from future development.

OUTDOOR MEETING SPACE
Next up, HERE,  is the consideration of the plant palette for the proposed City Hall Outdoor Meeting Space that has been approved as part of the re-purposing of the old Print Shop on the first floor of City Hall, behind the City Council Chambers.  This area is presently a walkway behind City Hall.  The plan is to include the area as an extension of the new conference/meeting room(s) that will fill the Print Shop space.  Read the staff report for details.  Click on the image to enlarge.

TREE REMOVAL REQUESTS
The commission will consider four separate tree removal requests.  Click on the addresses below to reach the individual staff reports for each.  The staff is recommending denial of the requests in each case.

3140 Jefferson Avenue

1881 Maui Circle

1883 Maui Circle

216 Flower Street

RECREATION MANAGER'S REPORT
These items will be followed by the Recreation Manager's Report, for which no staff report is available.  The commission meets next on April 28, 2016.

The Future Of The Daily Pilot

THE FUTURE OF LOCAL PRINT MEDIA
Among the many issues Tom Johnson - former publisher of the Daily Pilot and host of the "Sunday Brunch with Tom Johnson and Lynn Selich" program on radio station KOCI FM - discussed with me on Sunday was the future of the print media and, specifically, the future of the Daily Pilot in light of the turmoil swirling around the attempt by the Daily Pilot's parent, Tribune Publishing, to acquire Freedom Communications - parent of the Orange County Register and the Riverside Press Enterprise - out of bankruptcy.

WE NEED THE DAILY PILOT
During our conversation I told Johnson that I felt the Daily Pilot - our newspaper of record for more than a century - needs to find a way to survive.  Although no longer "daily", it provides an irreplaceable unbiased small-town feel in the delivery of local news - the stuff we really care about.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
Then, very late Sunday night, Kevin Roderick - who publishes the LA Observed blog - published an outstanding summary of the events of last week regarding the Tribune/Freedom Communications debacle, HERE.  His piece provides several views of the issue and is a must-read for those interested in this situation.

A PAY WALL?
Also, Johnson mentioned the rumor that the Daily Pilot will soon have a pay wall.  I've heard that rumor and had it verified by those who should know and it appears to be true.  In my opinion, that would be catastrophic for that newspaper!  The Register tried it and failed miserably.  I fear a pay wall for non-subscribers - we subscribers would be exempt from it from what I hear - would do significant damage to the Pilot page views, those magic numbers that attract advertisers.

NOBODY DOES IT BETTER - YET
I, personally, WANT the Daily Pilot to survive and thrive.  Although others have tried, so far nobody has found a way to provide local coverage better.

A "COMPETING BLOG"?
In a segue, Johnson asked about the impact of what he called a "competing blog" in town - which he described as having been generated to offset this blog.  It turns out he was really talking about the Costa Mesa Public Square Facebook page - not a blog, and far from it.  We briefly discussed that page - how it evolved from Bruce Krochman's original idea nearly two years ago for an open, carefully moderated site for the discussion of important issues - into a closed society where only those blessed may even view the content being discussed.  We discussed the fact that the operators of the blog not only toss folks who offer opposing viewpoints, but seek them out on other sites and expel them from the CMPS for comments made elsewhere.

HYPED BY OFFICIALS
We also discussed how elected and appointed city officials use the site as their own little venue for spreading their philosophy among the true believers who inhabit the site, and how they openly tout it from the dais of their respective meeting venues as "the place" to discuss issues - even though it's NOT an open site.  The hypocrisy is palpable!

NOT COMPETITION, JUST PROPAGANDA
The CMPS is not "competition" for this blog and can't even be considered as such until it's open to EVERYONE, just as we are here.  Yes, to post a comment here you must register, but nobody is banned or blocked.  And, in fact, since I cross-post every blog entry on my Facebook page, anybody can post comments there, too.  When those officials tell the populace that the CMPS is The Place To Go, they forget to mention that it's only open for true believers, or those willing to sit quietly in the corner and not make waves.

THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY
Anyhow, thanks again to Tom Johnson for the opportunity to chat with him on these and other issues.  If I can figure a way to embed the recording of the program I'll do so.  Unfortunately, it appears that no podcast link is available.  I'll try to figure it out...