AIRPORT EJECTS PETITION DRIVE.Byline: Brooke Olson Daily News Staff Writer For members of Valley VOTE, Aviation Expo '98 seemed like a perfect opportunity to garner signatures for their San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. secession secession, in art secession, in art, any of several associations of progressive artists, especially those in Munich, Berlin, and Vienna, who withdrew from the established academic societies or exhibitions. petition. But volunteers for Valley Voters Organized Toward Empowerment em·pow·er tr.v. em·pow·ered, em·pow·er·ing, em·pow·ers 1. To invest with power, especially legal power or official authority. See Synonyms at authorize. 2. said Sunday that Van Nuys Airport Van Nuys Airport (IATA: VNY, ICAO: KVNY, FAA LID: VNY) is a public airport located in Van Nuys, California in the San Fernando Valley, within the Los Angeles city limits. police denied the petitioners access to the public property during the weekend air show, forcing the organization to forgo thousands of potential signatures from city voters. ``The security guards stopped me at the gate Sunday and said that I could not come into the airport with the petitions,'' said Steve Pearl, a member of the legal committee for Valley VOTE. Airport officials deny that Valley VOTE volunteers were asked to leave the premises because they were petitioning for a study of cityhood for the San Fernando Valley. Administrators noted, however, that the group was not allowed to set up a booth on the tarmac because it did not seek permission far enough in advance. ``They can circulate cir·cu·late v. cir·cu·lat·ed, cir·cu·lat·ing, cir·cu·lates v.intr. 1. To move in or flow through a circle or circuit: blood circulating through the body. 2. the petition if they want to,'' Ronald Kochevar, manager of Van Nuys Airport, said Sunday. But Valley VOTE representatives said they were ordered off the property because airport administrators did not agree with the petition. ``When I was being escorted out of the airport premises on Saturday, the police kept telling me that the airport's position on this issue was different than ours and that we could not bring our clipboards into the Aviation Expo,'' said Sun Valley resident Larry Lyerla. Airport officials stressed that the annual air show is nonpartisan non·par·ti·san adj. Based on, influenced by, affiliated with, or supporting the interests or policies of no single political party: a nonpartisan commission; nonpartisan opinions. and that the facility holds no position on Valley secession. Instead, officials said the controversy began Saturday when Valley VOTE attempted to set up on the Van Nuys tarmac. ``We had planned this event for two months, and we could not allow this group to set up a booth without having cleared it with us first,'' said Stacy Geere, event coordinator. Valley VOTE members said they contacted event officials two days before the event. Both airport officials and Valley VOTE members agree that the petitioners were told it was too late to host a booth at the event. However, Lyerla said he brought signs and a sandwich-board display to the event on Saturday morning but left after police ordered him off the property. ``We were not trying to make any waves here - we didn't want any trouble. We just wanted to inform people about our petition,'' said Carolyn Ostic, a Valley VOTE member. Ted Goldstein, a spokesman for the City Attorney's Office, said the Valley VOTE member had a right to be on the airport grounds gathering signatures. Erwin Chemerinsky Erwin Chemerinsky (born 1953) is a well-known professor of Constitutional law and federal civil procedure, has recently accepted a position at the University of California, Irvine, in the new Donald Bren School of Law, beginning in 2009. , a professor of constitutional law at the University of Southern California The U.S. News & World Report ranked USC 27th among all universities in the United States in its 2008 ranking of "America's Best Colleges", also designating it as one of the "most selective universities" for admitting 8,634 of the almost 34,000 who applied for freshman admission , agreed. ``If indeed these people were being escorted off the premises, then that is a clear violation of both U.S. constitutional law and California state law,'' said Chemerinsky, who stressed he was commenting as a law professor, not in connection with his role as chairman of the elected Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. City Charter Reform Commission, which is trying to head off secession. Once off the property, Valley VOTE members continued their signature drive on the sidewalk A Microsoft service that was launched in 1997 to provide online arts and entertainment guides on the Web for major cities worldwide. In 1999, Microsoft sold Sidewalk to Ticketmaster, which continued to provide guides, ticketing and other information to the MSN network. just outside the airport entrance, but interest in the petition waned as aviation enthusiasts hurried hur·ried adj. 1. a. Moving or acting rapidly. b. Required to move or act more rapidly; rushed. 2. Done in great haste: a hurried tour. past to get to the air show. ``It's really difficult to get people out here - everyone's in a rush to get inside,'' Lyerla said. On Saturday, Lyerla spent less than an hour inside the airport and came away with 80 signatures. More than an hour into his petition drive outside the airport's chain-link fence Sunday afternoon, Lyerla had gathered less than 10 signatures. ``We're losing a big opportunity to get this petition ready for the ballot,'' Lyerla said, estimating that an additional 70,000 signatures are needed to complete the petition drive. Valley VOTE members said they faced continuous harassment Ask a Lawyer Question Country: United States of America State: Nevada I recently moved to nev.from abut have been going back to ca. every 2 to 3 weeks for med. from the airport police during the weekend controversy. Ostic said she tried several times to enter the property to use the restrooms or buy food but was routinely told by police to leave. ``At one point, I had five police officers around me, threatening to arrest me, and I wasn't even trying to petition,'' she said. ``I just wanted to get something to drink.'' Airport police officers refused to comment on the situation and airport officials said they were not aware of any problems between Valley VOTE members and police. ``I have not heard of any incidents, and I know I would have heard of them because I am in radio contact with everyone throughout the day,'' Geere said. Airport officials added that Valley VOTE members did not create any disturbances and did not disobey dis·o·bey v. dis·o·beyed, dis·o·bey·ing, dis·o·beys v.intr. To refuse or fail to follow an order or rule. v.tr. To refuse or fail to obey (an order or rule). police orders. ``There would be no reason for the police to harass harass (either harris or huh-rass) v. systematic and/or continual unwanted and annoying pestering, which often includes threats and demands. This can include lewd or offensive remarks, sexual advances, threatening telephone calls from collection agencies, hassling by them,'' Geere said. Despite their compliance, Valley VOTE members contend they were victims of harassment by airport security. ``Every time I got near the entrance, police would gather around me and say I was not welcome here,'' Pearl said. Valley VOTE members said they were threatened with arrest by the police. ``The police were very rude and extremely aggressive about getting me off the property,'' Ostic said. ``They would come in groups of five and huddle around me and threaten to call the (Los Angeles police) if I didn't move right away.'' Daily News Staff Writer Eric Leach contributed to this story. |
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