Time really flies and a lot can happen in a year.

Is this where you thought you'd be
@ this time this year?

I guess for a lot of people this time of year brings about the thinking about the changes one would want to make in their lives to make this  a better world, not just for one, but for one another too! At least that's the way I've been thinking lately.

I wish EVERYONE much happiness and a
Very, Very Happy Thanksgiving!
...whatever you do and whoever you are with!

I know for one I am very thankful for my son and the many friends I have, who love and support me here on The World Famous Venice Beach Boardwalk
and Drumcircle too! They are my family! They are made of Love & I Love them!
(from one hippie to many other hippies)
Lot's of Love, Peace, Hugs, and Drums!
This Joyful Holiday Season!
xo Sondra xo
& Ho! Ho! Ho!

P.s. I think it's time to get out the Santa Hat!
Oh Joy!
;-)
I can almost hear the sleigh bells already?!
...are you ready???
 

Ta!

It was a spectacular sunset @ Santa Monica Beach Sat. 09/28/02
...see for yourself...

Always remember them...
the ones we lost just one year ago...

Ta! Sondra!

Hello Everyone,

It’s been a long while since I’ve made an entry into “What’s New” and for that I apologize. It’s not that I haven’t been doing something new every day like taking a sunset picture here at Venice Beach and up dating the Sunset’s Calendar page almost everyday. I have also been busy making other changes to the site that is obvious to some frequent visitors but not to others. Some changes are subtle and other changes like changing the look of the home page are more dramatic. I hope to be finding more time to completely reshape all the pages but there are too many pages to count after more than two years up and running. I first thought about doing this website April 2000 and was up and running by June 2000 with a few pages and a whole lot of help from many other people back then. It has been a labor of love ever since…enough about me!

I have some information I would like to bring to the attention of all those Drummers, Dancers and Visitors to the Drumcircle here at the World Famous Venice Beach...

I was contacted by:
Gita Isagholian
Office of the City Attorney
Deputy City Attorney
Neighborhood Prosecutor Program
Pacific Division

She wanted to meet with a few drummers from the Venice Beach Drum Circle along with our new Sergeant O’Neil, & senior Officer Peggy Thusing from the LAPD Pacific Division Beach Patrol. So in attendance were the fore mentioned and Marc Madow , Joseph Tiu, John Camerea, Ron Green, Lora Cain and myself.

The conversation was open and informative they wanted to know what our concerns are and wanted us to know what their concerns are.

First I must mention that the police admitted that this year’s incidents at the Drumcircle are less than at this time last year.  But none the less we still have a large number of arrests at the Drumcircle for drinking, smoking and various other incidences. Now, we all know how unruly people can become after consuming large amounts of alcohol.

Please note: Drinking is illegal on our
Very Beautiful Venice Beach.

This is a State Park for many to use and enjoy. Parents bring their children to our Drumcircle and should not be subject to that kind of behavior. We should make our Drumcircle safe and sound for everyone to enjoy so if we “Police” ourselves and let those we see know that
drinking at the Drumcircle is not allowed.
And if the veteran drummers who consider themselves leaders were to set a good example for everyone to follow we will have a safer Drumcircle and we will have fewer visits from the police to make those kinds of arrests.
By working together we can make the
Drumcircle a GREAT EXPERIENCE for everyone.
Everyone in attendance agreed to do their part.

Another request was to have the Drumcircle move even closer to the water. This will help keep the chronic complainers a little quieter.

I ask…Why in the world would anyone move to Venice Beach for peace and quiet? This is beyond me! Are they out of their minds…after all Abbot Kinney built Venice Beach with a carnival atmosphere in mind! Venice Beach is a State Park full of hippies, artists and performers the good, the bad and the ugly.  I like to quote a good friend of mine who says
"Venice Beach without the Drumcircle is like Disneyland
without Mickey Mouse!" We can all coexist in peace and
HELLO!    Drumming is not a crime!  
The healing powers of the Drumcircle are felt by many including me. Any way, it is not a hard thing to do to preserve our Drumcircle. The Venice Beach Drum Circle has a flavor of its own that can not be found anywhere else on earth!  Everyone is welcome to join in the fun at the
Venice Beach Drum Circle no matter what race, religion, age, size, expertise, or even instrument they choose to play.
OK…So by moving closer to the water we will be quieter for “them” the chronic complainers and it will be prettier and cooler for us.

Finally when the Beach Patrol calls it a night (roughly one hour past sunset) they will continue to ask for our cooperation in shutting down for the night and setting a good example for those who do not know that we are being shut down for our own safety. When the four wheel drive beach patrol vehicles go home for the night the regular police cruisers take over and they can not get to out to the sand fast enough in case of an emergency. So for our own safety let's continue to cooperate and call it a night when the lights from the SUV's are shining on us. You know I think secretly some of them like our music and energy when it is positive and safe (as it should be). You know some of them gotta' have rhythm in their souls just like us.

When the Police come roughly one hour past sunset and shine the lights on the Drumcircle it is time for us to set a good example for everyone there by stopping our drumming and dancing and spreading the word it is time to quit for the night until the next Saturday, Sunday, or Holiday afternoon that we gather again on the sand to drum and dance.

If we all work together to help preserve the Drumcircle it will be around for another 50 years for our children’s children to enjoy!
Don't ya know?

On behalf of the Venice Beach Drum Circle
I would like to Thank the LAPD Pacific Division Beach Patrol
for keeping our Very Beautiful Venice Beach
a safe and fun place to live, visit and drum!
This thanx also goes out to those who have left the Beach Patrol for one reason or another, you are missed.
Now I ask you...how could anyone ever leave this beach?  ;-)

Also Thank-you Gita Gita Isagholian
Deputy City Attorney
Neighborhood Prosecutor Program Pacific Division
(it was a pleasure meeting you) for calling the meeting and if you were to need any of us again please feel free to contact any one of us again.

Foot note: The police showed us a great deal of respect and in this case they should get respect back. Their spirit of cooperation is unusually high and we should not take it for granted. There are too many other situations where the police and the "policed" can't find grounds to get along. This is an exception and it should be preserved if possible.

So let's keep on Drumming!

Love, Peace, Hugs and Drums,

Sondra <--contact me ;-)

!!!  ??? WHAT'S  NEW???  in   "2002"  !!!

01/05/02

 
!!!WOW!!! 

!!! INCREDIBLE SUNSET!!!  

...once again at Venice Beach, California!!! 
Check out the Sunset Calendar for daily sunset pictures.

click here > Sunset Calendar & Events

you see...
...I can only do my level best to be here every day at sunset to bring you the...
 
...VERY BEST !!!
Sunsets @ Venice Beach!!! 

(... now again the  "9 to 5"  or the  "405"  gets in the way.  
I can only hope that you enjoy the sunsets at Venice Beach as much as I do!!! 
because...)

There is no place on Earth I'd rather be!!! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
TO EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU!!!

!!!  This is It   !!!
Always we hope
someone else has the answer
Some other place will be better,
Some other time
it will all turn out.

This is it.
No one else has the answer.
No other place will be better,
And it has already turned out.

At the center of your being you have the answer;
You know who you are and you know what you want.

There is no need
to run outside
for better seeing.

Nor peer from a window.

Rather abide at
the center of your being;
For the more you leave it
the less you learn.

Loa-Tzu
from the Tao Te Ching

Happy New Year!!! 
...to all of you!!!

(that would include anyone who ever attended or loved a 
Drumcircle 
in any way,  shape,  or form!!!) 

...YOU are the Best Ever!!!  

This IS the year to ROCK!!! 

I can't seem to end a sentence without anything but !!!!! 

I guess that's because I know this will be a GREAT and Prosperous year  
...full of positive experiences!!! 

I want to THANK- YOU 
...all my friends 

...for supporting me this past year 
and I look forward to a New Year 
full of good things for each and every one of us!!!

LOVE, PEACE, HUGS, AND DRUMS!!!  TO EVERYONE!!!

***SONDRA***