Cowboys Eat Sushi -- What Happened To The Lodge?

Studio City is home to many oldtimers who worked in the film, television and music industry as well as Lockheed Corporation. I had a friend who worked on the stealth bomber and others who worked for NASA. Our neighboring Van Nuys General Aviation Airport was a giant hub of activity.

We are basically a working neighborhood, a very hard-working one – not by any means wealthy. Years ago we had much more community spirit. We often came together to put on a sidewalk sale or a terrific July Fourth parade. That was back in the days when we had a close-knit group of people who inspired us to participate in neighborhood events. The inspiration seems to be lacking these days. For one thing we had a Mayor – Tom Bradley – who was a people person. We’ve also had strong Chiefs of Police, Daryl Gates, who really enforced the law. If you threw a napkin out of your car window on the freeway, there was a CHP officer riding on your tail to ticket you. You learned your lesson the hard way.

We had a Congressman – Howard L. Berman – who actually lived here and cared about his constituents. We had a single-screen neighborhood movie theater where you could count of seeing your neighbors waiting in line to see “E.T.” or “Rocky”. In those days we didn’t have a Sunday Farmer’s Market but we all ate breakfast at Du Par’s. The whole town turned out for their delicious pancakes on a Saturday or Sunday morning. It was a ritual.

Ask anybody in town about Sportsmen’s Lodge. It was a beloved local hangout – the pool area, the coffee shop, the bar and restaurant were the most comfortable, homey place you could visit. I don’t know what happened to the place but it seems like a glaring white and gold nouveau mismatch now. Uncomfortable, harsh on the eyes, plasticy, semi-garish – anything but a lodge. We loved the idea of the “Golden Boot” Awards -- seeing all those cowboys at the Lodge reminded us of our rich heritage.  

Yes, the neighborhood is changing. With the influx of millennials, we have new energy. We’ve become Mecca for sushi and hamburgers. We’re on the verge of good nutrition and vegan cuisine. In with the new and out with the old. We still yearn for the sidewalk sale and the fun July Fourth Parade. We’ve lost touch of our roots – Abbott and Costello, Republic Studios, John Wayne, the Keystone Cops, Westerns and Comedies. Those who inspired us have either died or moved away.

Weddington Golf and Tennis – with its par-3 golf course and pitch and putt area – has been a fabulous neighbor for the past 65 years. The Weddington family who own it would like to build a 200-unit apartment complex for seniors on a portion of the property. Horace Heidt’s Estates in Sherman Oaks is an outstanding example of the type of complex that could be established. Horace Heidt includes 200-plus apartments and about 16 houses for rent on its 10 acres. They have talent shows and wonderful communal events which are very popular and help fund their future events. Seniors living in Burbank recently held a “Rock-a-Hula” event at Verdugo Pool which was a smash hit. They held a “Blue Hawaii” show, swimming events and dancing on a Thursday afternoon. The energy displayed by some 85-year-olds was amazing. Opposing the senior complex idea is another local group who would rather see a park created down near the Los Angeles River which would benefit the entire neighborhood. We spend lots of time at Beeman Park which has baseball diamonds, basketball hoops, a playground, tennis courts, hiking path and dog-training classes. I think expanding this area to include a community pool and larger clubhouse would be the best idea because it’s already established and well maintained.

We’d like to have our community spirit back again. Our new Congressman, Representative Brad Sherman, held a Townhall Meeting at Lake Balboa on Sunday. Among the items on his agenda was a discussion of H.R. 713 involving the independence of Scotland. I’m sorry but this just adds to our building frustration with Congress. We are counting on representation in our Constitutional Republic for the purpose of creating and defining laws for us as citizens.  We are asking you to listen to the needs of the American people – not those of Scotland.