By Pueblo y Salud
Various community sectors were well represented at the last Palmdale Planning Commission meeting held March 12 at the Palmdale Council Chambers. The more than 100 attendees included school officials, teacher unions, health service providers, pastors, civic leaders, business owners, parent and youth.
All were present to send this clear and urgent message: Certain areas in Palmdale have too many liquor stores and they are impacting negatively on our children.
Whether the planning commission and city staff heard anything that was said is yet to be determined. Comments made by planning commissioners at the end of the session left one wondering, but the organizers and community presenters stated that they still have hope that changes will be made.
“We are ready to continue this effort until they hear us, we cannot stop until our children are safe,” stated Bishop Henry Hearns, representing Living Stone Cathedral and the African American Leadership Council.
Approximately 33 letters of support were presented to the planning commission from various entities, including the AV Healthcare Board, which oversees Antelope Valley Hospital. Letters of support were also submitted from Palmdale School District, the Palmdale Elementary Teachers Association, AV Community Clinic, AV Partners for Health, NAACP, AV-LULAC, Saint Mary’s Catholic Church and more.
The overriding message planning commissioners heard many times was encapsulated in the letter written by Pastor Father Vaughn Winters. “Our church and school facility lie on Avenue R4 in the heart of 93550, and very near to several liquor stores… Reducing small liquor stores will help clean up the vibe and image of our neighborhoods and reduce the alcohol-related problems we face,” the letter stated.
Ms. Holly Shafer, lead researcher and policy analyst with Alcohol Justice, a nationally renowned alcohol policy institute from Marin County in Northern California, stated, “Palmdale is a community saturated in alcohol, resulting in excessive consumption and harm to public health and safety, particularly in zip code 93550 and 93552.”
When asked about the impact on youth, Ms. Shafer cited a recent survey conducted by the Substance Abuse Prevention and Control Department of the Los Angeles County Public Health Department. “Compared to youth in other areas of Los Angeles County, a typical youth in Antelope Valley is more likely to know of a store that sells alcohol to minors and to say that it’s easy for them to obtain alcohol,” Ms. Shafer stated. “It’s no surprise, then, that that they are also more likely to have consumed alcohol in the past 30 days and to have engaged in binge drinking than other youth in LA County,” she added.
As it relates to youth who attend schools in Palmdale, Ms Shafer stated, “At Palmdale middle schools in zip code 93550, Desert Willow and Juniper, 17% of students 11 to 13 years of age say they know a store that sells to underage youth; these students are more likely to report having consumed alcohol when compared to 7th graders in all Palmdale middle schools.”
As she continued to address the Planning Commission, she added, “As policy makers, limiting off-sale density is one of the most effective policies you can support to mitigate the harm endured by the community and to protect youth.”
This assertion is buttressed by findings expressed in a report titled “Reducing Alcohol-Related Harms in Los Angeles County -A Cities and Communities Health Report,” which was put out by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health in 2011. In the report, Jonathan Fielding, who was director of public health and health officer at the time, stated, “A density of alcohol outlets increases alcohol consumption, motor vehicle crashes, alcohol-related hospital admissions, injury deaths, assaults and violent crime, suicides, drinking and driving, child maltreatment, and neighborhood disturbances.”
Researchers like Dr. Robert Nash Parker of the Presley Center, UC Riverside, have found violent crime rates 6 to 12 times higher as compared to the average for the city in areas with alcohol outlet density within zip code 93550. Alcohol prevention advocates, Pueblo y Salud and the Palmdale Prevention Community Council, conducted two town hall meetings in the past two years to inform the residents of these findings.
Mrs. Waunette Cullors, Prevention Project Coordinator for Pueblo y Salud, stated “I am a MOM with capitals, and I am proud of being a nanny-type person. Only a NANNY-type person like me would be concerned about the health and safety of our children. But guess what; there are thousands of nanny-type moms and dads out there who won’t let their children get hurt like that. We won’t stop until our children get the environment and protection they deserve.”
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Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The AV Times.
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Maria paesano says
OMG. REALLY? What a great example of political grandstanding. Yes our children are being hurt!!!!! They are being hurt BY THESE SICK FRAUDULENT ORGANIZATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH MEDICAL CARE, EDUCATION PROGRAMS and FALSE RELIGION/ CHURCHES. THEY are the real culprits who will be caught / exposed VERY SOON
Ummm.... says
Interestingly, they all seem to be based in Lancaster… What a coincidence, huh?
Ricardo says
The issue is, Don’t allow NEW alcohol outlets or permits in ALLREADY over saturated areas! The city can permit new businesses in other areas. The concern is that a couple on the planning commission are torn between the potential sales tax income over the safety of the community. No one is asking for prohibition, that has been done and failed, MISERABLY! Why would any planning commissioner or city council member for that matter chose $ over their constituents? What part of the persons that attended and spoke about at the meeging did they not understand? Or do they just not care?! By the concern of the community members that attended, they presented themselves well and sent a clear message. Those that fail to GET THE MESSAGE may at some point in the future find them selves voted out of office and those on the commission removed by the persons that take their places. We will just have to wait with anticipation to see what happens next. What really impressed me was the diverse groups of people came together as one for such a noble cause, I applaude you all.
Greg says
Unless of course there are more constituents that want the liquor stores than constituents that want less liquor stores. Democracy, ain’t it grand?
moll fanders says
Another baby dies in the Antelope valley!
Frank Rizzo says
If I lived on the East Side of Palmdale I would live my life in an Alcoholic Haze also! Cheers!
AV Truth says
East Palmdale is ten steps up from East Lancaster. Between East Lancaster and the area around the BLVD there is no shortage of thuggery, dope dealing, violence and liquor stores.
joe says
Or maybe even 12 steps huh?
William says
At least Palmdale has been developing 47th Street East and attracting new retail, dining and other services such as the new InShape fitness center. More will be coming the future as the current businesses will produce more traffic and be more attractive to new business just as the Antelope Valley Mall has attracted business in a wide area around it.
Just to be clear, what defines ‘east Palmdale’? I consider most what is east Palmdale at around 30th Street East or even a little further east.
Central Palmdale is, of course, the oldest part of town. Are people combining central and east Palmdale and calling it all ‘east Palmdale’? Do they consider everything east of SR 14 to be ‘east’ Palmdale? That’s a bit much.
AV Truth says
This was the meeting with Mayor EMERITUS Henry Hearns of Lancastor attended. I wish turns and the rest of the Lancastor bunch would focus on the problems in our own city, rather than sticking their noses in Palmdale’s business. We have our own problems with alcohol. We have a bunch of bars and drunks on the BLV D. We have drinking at the go cart races, we have binge drinking at the fair, and now we have a beer drinking event at Jethawks Stadium. We should worry about our own business.
KayDee says
Okay, this makes absolutely no sense. Instead of calling for liquor stores in Palmdale to be shut down, why not call for parents to take responsibility?? The responsibility of actually parenting that includes teaching your children right from wrong. Teaching them the ramifications of alcohol and underage drinking. You can’t legislate those things! Jesus!!
Barney Gumble says
Your drunk!
Greg says
If the liquor stores are selling to minors then they are violating their license and should be closed down.
If students are getting alcohol from parents, very common situation, then yes the parents need a few lessons themselves.
It would also help, a lot, if there were more things for the youth to do. Used to be we had arcades, those went the way of the dodo thanks to low cost (everything being relative) consoles at home. Few schools have bowling programs, archery programs, activity clubs (beyond card games and chess). Perhaps more funding for useful programs would help.
yes! says
yes, the kids decision making to follow through on the availability of alcohol starts with their parents! Liquor stores sell more than just liquor and they have the responsibility to follow the law as well as the right to run their business. As for the kids…just because they can, doesn’t mean they should. And for parents, just because they CAN, means you SHOULD teach your kids right from wrong. Pay attention to what your kids are doing, where they are at and who they are with. Unfortunately, the parents that need this message probably aren’t reading this article and have no clue.
Barney Gumble says
Yeah, liquor stores also sell franks and beans, jimmies, and spice. These stores are just so great for the community! [removed]. The meeting/article is about “too many liquor store in certain areas of Palmdale”.