Van de Kamps Coalition
The Van de Kamps (VdK) Coalition is dedicated to the preservation and adaptive reuse of the
historic Van de Kamps Bakery building as the promised Community College Satellite Campus.
The Van de Kamps (VdK) Coalition is composed of community groups and individuals who came together in 1999 to save the 1930 historic Van de Kamps Dutch revival building in Northeast Los Angeles. The Coalition succeeded in preserving the historic building and securing a commitment from Los Angeles Community College (LACC) to place a Satellite Campus there. Seed money was secured by Senator Richard Polanco, voters passed bonds to fund it. As this is written, construction nears completion, but a terrible wrong is being perpetuated on our community.
The promised Satellite Campus to bring higher education to our Northeast communities, is in danger of disappearing, a victim of Community College politics. LACC has transferred the project to the Community College District Administrative (LACCD) offices under the pretext of the budget crisis. The truth is that the College and the District have taken advantage of the budget crisis and chosen not to exercise options that could provide funding, instead serving political interests and try to make money off of the site. The District is an “administrative only” institution of downtown bureaucrats who do not provide education. The District plans to rent the site out and use our precious community treasure to raise funds for the District bureaucrats, not even for education at a Community College campus!
This web site is dedicated to fighting this taking of a community bond funded project, to restoring the Satellite Campus and to providing information, history and documentation about this project.
This is a complex issue. We will post documents showing that bonds which we taxpayers voted on that specify that funds are to be used to benefit students and only students are, we believe, being misused. We will document the political machinations that were used to put these actions into motion, we will post documents and videos that show contradictory information being disseminated by both LACC and LACCD and provide information on what you can do to help right this wrong.
Contact us at vdkcoalition@gmail.com
Visit us on Facebook
www.facebook.com/VandeKamps
July 7, 2010 - LACCD’s ACADEMIC SENATE PRESIDENT WANTS TO TELL NORTHEAST COMMUNITY TO “FUCK OFF” OVER LOSS OF NORTHEAST SATELLITE CAMPUS May 21, 2010 - Van de Kamps Coalition Uncovers LACCD "Gutter Talk" Disdain For Office of Assemblymember Kevin de Leon Questions (PDF file) - Fulbright & Jaworski report: Recommendations to Insure Compliance with Proposition 39 (PDF file) April 13, 2010 - Van DeKamps: URGENT! Send a letter to LACCD to Halt Illegal Lease of Van de Kamps (PDF file) April 7, 2010 - The Los Angeles Community College District Expended Over $7 Million of Restricted Bond Funds to the Benefit of Private Projects Politically Favored by Antonio Villaraigosa (PDF file)
July 5, 2010 - Los Angeles Community College District’s Citizens Bond Oversight Committee Meeting Scheduled Thursday July 8th Noon at Van de Kamps!
May 21, 2010 - LACCD Chancellor Dr. Mark Drummond "fuk em" email (PDF file)
May 18, 2010 - Coalition Obtains E-mail Showing LACCD Officials Knew They Were Misrepresenting the Facts About Van de Kamps (PDF file)
May 18, 2010 - Trustee Scott-Hayes' email response to Dr. Moore, copied to Mona Field (PDF file)
April 16, 2010 - Community College Trustees Pull Back Lease and Spending at Van de Kamps Building (PDF file)
April 16, 2010 - CA Assembly Member Kevin de Leon (45th District) letter to Mona Fields / LACCD (PDF file)
April 16, 2010 - Reports from bond legal counsel regarding LACCD illegal use of bond funds:
-Capstone Advisory Group report: Recommendations for Bond Construction Program (PDF file)
April 11, 2010 - VdK Fundraiser at Eagle Rock Brewery featuring appetizers from Netty's
April 11, 2010 - VdK Fundraiser flier (PDF file)
April 11, 2010 - LACCD Spent Over $1.3M on Additional Overhead at Van de Kamps pt.2 (PDF file)
March 12, 2010 - LACCD Board President Mona Field Admits To Misuse of Bond Funds As The Van de Kamps Coalition Demands Expedited Investigation Of Its Allegations Of Other Abuse Of Bond Funds (PDF file)
Feburary 22, 2010 - Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee Moves To Investigate Conversion of Van de Kamps Satellite Campus To
