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A controversial life-size statue of a former president placed in a Newport Beach park suffered damage after a botched attempt by a thief to remove it from the site, according to Newport Beach Patch . The statue of Ronald Reagan, approved in January , was unveiled last month. more › Continue reading here: Controversial Ronald Reagan Statue Damaged in Attempted Theft
Saturday’s fatal bicycle accident in Malibu may spark concern about the effectiveness of bicycle helmets. Despite wearing a helmet, a man suffered head injuries after being thrown from his bicycle and died shortly after the incident. more › View post: Bicyclist Dies After Crashing into Guardrail in Malibu
Thanks to Our Fairy Godmother in Beverly Hills Your Mama recently learned that Grammy-winning pop music sensation Rihanna (née Robyn Fenty) has somewhat quietly floated her water-logged Beverly Hills, CA mansion on the market with an asking price of $4,500,000. The children may recall that the Barbados-born international superstar snatched up the very contemporary crib high in the hills above Beverly back in September 2009 when she paid $6,900,000 for the then newly constructed 8 bedroom and 10 bathroom celebrity-size mansion. Just over a two years later, in late August (2011), it was revealed and widely reported by all the celebrity and real estate gossips that Riri was mad as a wet cat and had filed a lawsuit against the property developer (and a slew of others) that claims design and construction defects repeatedly allowed (rain) water to infiltrate and cause significant damage to various parts of the house after even the most moderate of rain storms. The gist and heart of the legal matter is that Rihanna (and her team of legal eagles and business managers) alleges the house was poorly constructed and leaks like a sieve when it rains. The suit goes on to claim the seller–named in property records and legal documents as Heather Rudomin–was or should have known about and disclosed the defects. In California, as in many states, sellers of real property must disclose any known defects or issues that might affect the value, use or enjoyment of the property. Not to disclose known faults constitutes fraud. A document provided to Your Mama by Our Fairy Godmother in Beverly Hills makes no bones about the current condition of the hill topping city view property–pictured in the document looking abandoned with paper and debris strewn over the front motor court–as having “significant water intrusion & moisture issues throughout” as well as “encroachment issues.” Furthermore, the listing states the property may be “subject to short sale” and that the seller “will consider all offers.” We don’t know the status of Miss Riri’s lawsuit against the property developer or any of the other many folks named in the suit, but it’s clear she’s ready to put this real estate episode behind her even if it means a multi-million dollar gut punch to her pocketbook. Note: listing photos above show the house as it appeared when Rihanna purchased the property and may or may not reflect the current condition and/or day-core of the home. aerial photo: Google listing photos: Coldwell Banker Previews International More here: Monday Morning Morsel: Rihanna
An hour-long police pursuit of a stolen car ended with the arrest of four suspects Sunday night. Photo Credit: The rest is here: Police Arrest Four After Stolen Car Pursuit
A new report finds that the frustrating California economy is forcing Californians to radically change how their cities and counties are governed from now on. A political and economic earthquake is shocking the Golden State into a very different kind of future. Golden Governance The new “Golden Governance” report highlights seven California communities that are not just sitting on their hands complaining about the state economy, they are completely restructuring governance and their approach to citizen engagement. The report finds that the state’s current economic situation is actually driving innovation, with local leaders fundamentally changing their approach to governance to meet the demands of America’s most-informed citizens. Many Californians say it’s about time. The state of California is now leading the nation with innovative approaches that have government and citizens co-creating workable solutions for the the financial and service needs of communities. A couple of the seven communities showcased in the “Golden Governance” report include: Salinas, CA , where a participatory budgeting process had taxpayers directly prioritizing public services to meet city budget limitations. Redwood City, CA , where an unpopular $72 million waste water recycling plan caused taxpayers to propose alternatives that respected the city’s budget. The “Golden Governance” report is something by which every Californian can become inspired toward active engagement and participation. The extensively researched report was sponsored by some outstanding nonprofit, nonpartisan and multipartisan organizations that care about the economic future of California: California Forward (Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles) Center for Individual and Institutional Renewal (San Francisco) Davenport Institute for Public Engagement at Pepperdine University (Malibu) National Conference on Citizenship (Washington) The “Golden Governance” report was released from Stanford University’s Bill Lane Center for the American West , which studies how technology and hands-on engagement can work together to improve how California communities are governed. Leaders representing the report’s sponsoring organizations are excited about where the California economy is headed in 2012 and beyond, as citizens become aggressively involved in community issues. Pete Peterson , Executive Director of the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement, praised the progress enjoyed by some California communities, which he hopes to see happen statewide. “Redwood City is just one example of how citizens and government officials can come together to identify innovate policy solutions.
Andy Williams announced that he has cancer to shocked fans, but the singer makes it clear that he’s not dying and doesn’t plan on letting cancer take him down. “I do have cancer of the bladder, but that is no longer a death sentence. People with cancer are getting through this thing,” said superstar Andy Williams, who is determined to be cancer-free. Williams, who will turn 84 on December 3rd, is undergoing chemotherapy and moving with his wife, Debbie, to Malibu for treatment by top cancer specialists in Los Angeles. Andy and Debbie Williams own a home in La Quinta, California, but the drive to and from L.A. is a strain during his personal war against cancer. Andy Williams hosted the ‘Andy Williams San Diego Open’ PGA Tour golf tournament at Torrey Pines for 21 years but, today, the avid golfer is devoting his time and energy to fighting cancer off the golf course. A beloved singer, songwriter, performer, actor, music producer, TV star and art collector for decades, Andy Williams has a fan base in 75 nations that is praying for the star and cheering him on during the fight of his life. Among those supporting Williams in his cancer battle are The Osmonds , who were first introduced to the world as a regular singing act on The Andy Williams Show in the 1960s. Encouraging the legendary singer onward is Yoko Ono , who remembers that the loudest voice of objection to President Nixon ‘s attempt to deport John Lennon in the 1970s was Andy Williams, a lifelong conservative Republican. Of the countless hits recorded by Andy Williams, which song should be featured here as a theme song for the legendary vocalist’s aggressive fight to live? “Moon River” or “Love Story” or “Can’t Get Used to Losing You” or “Days of Wine and Roses” ?
First thing’s first—it’s saving, not savings. Sunday morning marks the end of daylight saving time, when we set our clocks back one hour to revert to Pacific Standard Time. While the official time to fall back is 2 a.m., many people won’t have to do anything—their computers and cell phones will adjust automatically. Having to physically change clocks and watches may eventually become a thing of the past, like picking up the morning paper. Having an extra hour of evening sunlight in the summer seems to be a popular concept, except in Arizona and Hawaii, where daylight saving time is not observed. We keep tinkering with how we set our clocks. In 2007 the United States adopted the current schedule, with daylight saving time beginning the second Sunday in March and ending the first Sunday in November, lengthening it by four weeks. Saving energy during World War I was the goal when the United States first tried daylight saving time. It was repealed once the war was over, then brought back on an all-year basis during World War II only to be dropped again when peace broke out. Daylight saving time was finally standardized by Congress in 1966 and has changed several times since, with a winter version experimented with during the 1970s oil embargo. The rolling blackouts that hit California in 2001 brought up the idea of expanding daylight saving time, prompting the California Energy Commission to release a 37-page report. The proposal was to scrap standard time altogether, with the winter months observing daylight saving time and the summer months saddled with something called “double daylight saving time.” Thankfully, the commission concluded that the plan would only save marginal amounts of energy and it was never enacted. Turns out the blackouts had more to do with Enron than not enough electricity. Be sure to follow Beverly Hills Patch on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook . Read more here: Daylight Saving Ends Sunday, Time to Fall Back
UCLA is now warning 16,000 patients that a burglar made off with their personal medical records two months ago, according to the Associated Press . When the doctor’s home was burglarized, the thief swiped the hard drive with the medical records — and the scrap of paper right next to it with the password. Whoops. more › Link: Burglar Makes Off With Records for 16,000 Patients in the UCLA Health System
Get out so you can geek out over pop art design, listen to classical music or take in some boozy musical improv. more › Read more here: Get Out: Designer Con, Boozy Musical Improv & Brandenburg
Mobile phone technology has evolved a lot in the last five years, with apps virtually for everything. But some of these apps contain hidden risks. Photo Credit: Mekahlo Medina, Julie Brayton Originally posted here: App Addict Alert
