From Phyllis Hayashibara of the Venice Japanese American Memorial Marker committee:
What’s happening with the Venice Japanese American Memorial Marker? Why isn’t it built already? The VJAMM Committee has been carefully complying with every step of the city and state processes, patiently awaiting the next steps from city and state advisors. Most recently, on Wednesday, March 25, 2015, the Los Angeles City Board of Public Works approved the recommendation from the City’s Office of Community Beautification, that “the board authorize the OCB to grant the VJAMM Committee revocable permission to encroach within the public right-of-way to install a black granite obelisk at the northwest corner of Venice Boulevard and Lincoln Boulevard in Council District 11.”
Read the complete article by JK Yamamoto of the Rafu Shimpo, posted online on March 28, 2015.
Once the City issues the requested no-fee revocable permit and the no-fee A-permit, the VJAMM Committee will be able to actually order the VJAMM obelisk, which will take from four to six months to arrive from a quarry in India, and then another four to six weeks to engrave in California.
But first, the VJAMM Committee awaits approval of their application for an Encroachment Permit from the California Department of Transportation, because Lincoln Boulevard belongs to the State as Highway One. The VJAMM Committee continues to work on a Maintenance Agreement with the City of Los Angeles as required by CalTrans.
On Thursday, August 21, 2014, members of the VJAMM Committee with Len Nguyen, Senior Field Deputy for Los Angeles City Councilmember Mike Bonin, District 11, presented the VJAMM to the City’s Cultural Affairs Commission, which granted both conceptual and final approval for the VJAMM obelisk.
And on Thursday, April 23, 2015, the VJAMM will host its fourth annual fundraiser at Hama Sushi in Venice, California. Deep appreciation goes to proprietor Esther Chaing for her continuing support and generosity, whose contributions to the VJAMM Committee over the past three years total more than $7,600.00. The VJAMM Committee anticipates increases in the costs of fuel and materials, transportation and installation, and for future maintenance, and hope you will join us for bento box lunch or for dinner to help raise those funds.
To pre-order your $20 bento box lunch, please contact Phyllis Hayashibara at 310-390-1576 or phyllishayashibara@gmail.com. Mail your check payable to Hama Sushi to Phyllis at 3361 McLaughlin Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90066. Program begins at 11 am. Director Steve Nagano will screen his Six Weddings and a Dress, a documentary short about Chiyomi Ogawa’s Manzanar wedding dress. From 12 pm to 2 pm, call Phyllis’ cell at 310-717-3393 when you arrive at Hama Sushi if you would like to pick up curbside without having to leave your car! For dinner reservations, call Hama Sushi at 310-396-8783.
For details, please see the attached flyers (safe!) Thank you again for your support of the Venice Japanese American Memorial Marker. For more information on the VJAMM, visit venicejamm.org.