| Notes |
- LAX plan would destroy homes - DB letter 2/3/04
From http://www.dailybreeze.com/content/opinion/1564226.html
Having watched for more than 50 years as Los Angeles International Airport gobbled up houses in Westchester and Playa del Rey, I am dismayed to learn that Los Angeles World Airports and Mayor James Hahn are once again racing to destroy housing near the airport as fast as possible (Daily Breeze, Jan. 26).
We are already suffering a severe housing shortage in California, and the housing that remains is now beyond the means of many people who work at the airport and in the surrounding communities. Yet here we are throwing people out of their homes in order to prepare for a foolish and misguided airport expansion plan that has yet to win a single approval. Not only that, we are paying a private consultant an exorbitant fee and bonuses to throw them out as quickly as possible.
LAWA and the mayor plan to replace the Manchester Square community with a giant airport terminal and new freeway-size roads to get there so that all passengers going to LAX (currently 65 million of them each year and growing) will be funneled through a single building miles from the airplanes before being transported to the actual airport.
The mayor's plan assumes the state will fund the roads, and the airlines will pay a huge part of the cost of the entire expansion. The airlines have already opposed the plan, and the last I heard the state of California was deleting transportation projects, not adding them. In addition to the airlines, those in opposition to this plan include the Los Angeles County Economic Development Commission, the county Board of Supervisors and the Westchester Neighborhood Council.
They are not alone. Here in Westchester we know that our residents are the backbone of a community; they are our merchants, our customers and our friends.
We know that losing housing means losing our merchants, our customers and our friends. We can only hope that our City Council will stop this expansion plan before it destroys us entirely.
-- HOWARD B. DROLLINGER
President, H.B. Drollinger Co. Westchester
Developer hopes to return LAX neighborhood to its glory days - Howard Drollinger of H.B. Drollinger Co.; Sepulveda Boulevard near Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles Business Journal, Feb 10, 1997 by Lisa Steen Proctor
WESTCHESTER - When veteran developer Howard Drollinger looks down Sepulveda Boulevard here in the shadow of Los Angeles International Airport, he sees something he hasn't seen in decades.
People are shopping, going to lunch, filling parking lots. Businesses are thriving. An area that was once dotted with old storefronts and tired office buildings now boasts a major supermarket and more than 20 retail chain stores, specialty stores and restaurants.
The change can be directly attributed to the development efforts of Drollinger, a mainstay in the Westchester business district.
Drollinger, whose mother developed the district's, first commercial building in the 1940s, is looking to restore the business district to its glory days.
"Our goal (is) to have the center redeveloped to the excellent retail standards that it had in the '50s and '60s - a time when there was a half million square feet of chain stores," said Drollinger.
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Ruth Galanter, whose district includes Westchester, believes that the new construction has made a dramatic step in the right direction.
"The area was really moribund," Galanter said. "It has brought a lot of people back to shopping in Westchester. It had exactly the effect I would have wanted."
The business district runs along Sepulveda from Lincoln Boulevard on the south to La Tijera Boulevard on the north.
The area began its decline in 1975 when LAX expanded and took with it 3,500 homes. At about the same time, Fox Hills Mall was developed in Culver City, providing nearby shopping for local residents.
"When you drove down that part of Westchester, it was like driving down an alley," said Richard Musella, executive director of the Westchester/LAX Chamber of Commerce. "A lot of stores had their front doors closed because they expected people to come in from the back through the parking lots."
The street had been developed in a post-World War II style with the buildings on the main boulevard and parking behind. So, says Drollinger, cars - potential consumers - traveling on Sepulveda couldn't see from the street that there was parking behind the buildings and wouldn't bother to stop.
Drollinger had a vested interest in fixing this problem. Through family trusts and partnerships, he controls all of the property on the west side of Sepulveda from Lincoln to La Tijera. Drollinger's company, H.B. Drollinger Co., acts as the agent of the various entities.
In 1994, Drollinger announced a development plan that would change the look of the west side of the street. He planned to tear down several buildings and center a large anchor store with parking in front as the centerpiece to a retail village.
In February of 1995, Drollinger's plan was put into action with a 46,000-square-foot Ralphs supermarket, replacing an older store down the street. Since that time, other retail stores and restaurants have followed.
Much of the business is coming from LAX, where about 50,000 people work. Jet noise from LAX forced many to leave the community in the '60s and '70s, but now the airport and its employees are seen as a boon for the business district.
A group of community boosters has even established the "Flight Path" along Sepulveda Boulevard. Akin to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Flight Path features plaques marking major events and figures in aviation history.
The Spanish-Mediterranean architectural style of most of the new buildings did raise the ire of some local residents, however, who complained that the development didn't fit with Westchester's traditional style and instead gave it an "Orange County" look.
Drollinger contends, however, that the development stays true to the area's historical roots, pointing to the Spanish style of the original hangar at LAX and nearby Loyola Marymount University.
Given the success of the project to date, Drollinger says he's not ready to stop. He is currently negotiating with a national drug store chain to put in a 20,000-square-foot store, along with roof parking for over 200 cars.
www.hbdrollinger.com
8929 South Sepulveda Blvd., Suite #130, Los Angeles, California 90045
TEL: (310) 417-8048 FAX (310) 417-8029
Founded in 1947, H.B. Drollinger Co. (H.B.D. Co.) serves as the oldest and largest property management and commercial real estate brokerage firm in Westchester's Central Business District, adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport, the nation's third-busiest airport.
The development of Westchester's Central Business District (W.C.B.D.)began a few years prior to the founding of H.B. Drollinger Co. when, in 1944, the late Ella L. Drollinger, the business district's original developer, built the first commercial building in the area, Jim Dandy Market.
Today, her son, Howard Drollinger, as President and Founder of H.B.D. Co., carries on the family's tradition of developing, remodeling and managing commercial properties in the W.C.B.D. Assisting in this mission is senior company executive William West, Vice President and General Manager, who holds a master's degree from the University of Southern California and has more than 25 years of real estate experience ranging from residential to commercial developments.
The seven-member Board of Directors is backed up by five outside board members who have a combined total of more than 90 years of experience in commercial real estate-David Robert, real estate attorney; Art Garcia, retired Vice President of Real Estate, Ralphs Supermarkets; Andy Natker, Vice President, Development, with Alexander Haagen Company; and Ken and Karen (Drollinger) Dial.
H.B.D. Co., located in the heart of the business district, is headquartered in the Airport Office Center, a five-story office building with street level retail that is owned by one of our partnerships and managed by the company. H.B.D. Co. manages more than 600,000 square feet of commercial space that ranges from office and retail to car rentals and airport parking lots. The company has 15 employees who oversee 400 tenants through in-house property management, sales and leasing, accounting and development departments. Recently, H.B.D. Co. completed development of a Mediterranean-style shopping center encompassing two square blocks on the west side of Sepulveda Boulevard south of La Tijera Boulevard. The center is named Westchester Village (W.V.) and is anchored by a 46,000-square-foot Ralphs, a 21,000-square-foot Longs Drug Store, and a series of proven, high-volume names including Blockbuster Video, Starbucks, Togos, Pizza Hut, Mail Boxes Etc., Boston Market, Radio Shack, PETCO, Tuesday Morning, Robek's Juice, and other retailers. In addition, H.B.D. Co.is examining the possibilities of renovating and reviving the Mervyn's "Superblock" north of Westchester Village including new tenant mixes, facade improvements and easier access to parking.
Howard B. Drollinger has served as President of H.B.D. Co. since its founding in 1947. Mr. Drollinger has been a member of the Rotary Club of Westchester since 1952 and served as the club's president in 1974-75. He has also served as president of the Westchester/LAX Chamber of Commerce and offers his service and financial support to many local organizations, including Loyola Marymount University, the Westchester Family YMCA, University of Southern California, Daniel Freeman Hospital and Union Rescue Mission. He has also served as a member of the Board of Zoning Appeals for the City of Los Angeles.
The father of two, Mr. Drollinger and his wife, Margaret, are residents of Westchester. He flew over 50 successful combat missions and was awarded the Purple Heart, four air medals and two Presidential Unit Citations while serving in the Army Air Force during World War II. He is a 1947 graduate of USC and a proud member of Sigma Chi Fraternity.
HOWARD DROLLINGER CHOSEN FOR FRITZ B. BURNS AWARD
Posted by The Argonaut | Jun 15, 2005
The Fritz B. Burns Foundation will present longtime Westchester real estate developer Howard B. Drollinger with the 2005 Fritz B. Burns Outstanding Community Service and Leadership Award as part of the Westchester/LAX-Marina del Rey Chamber of Commerce installation dinner Friday, June 17th.
Incoming chamber president Cedric Sutherland of CORT Business Services will host a Mardi Gras Ball as the chamber celebrates the passing of the torch from chamber president Diane Barretti to Sutherland.
The black-tie affair will begin at 6 p.m. and dinner will begin at 7 p.m. at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport, 5711 Century Blvd., Westchester. Tickets are $85.
The event will celebrate the more than 50 years of accomplishments for the chamber and will include Barretti's presentation of a variety of awards to chamber members, commemorating their service to the chamber during the 2004-2005 year.
New chamber officers will be installed and the community's new honorary mayor will be announced by the incoming president. Information and reservations, the chamber, (310) 645-5151.
HOWARD DROLLINGER - Like Fritz Burns before him, Drollinger has been a tireless supporter of our community, funding a wide array of projects in the areas of education, homelessness, veterans affairs, beautification and social services.
He has been involved in philanthropy since before his company, H.B. Drollinger Co., was formed in 1947. Even as a young businessman, Drollinger recognized the importance of giving back to his community.
In 1952, he joined the Rotary Club of Westchester and has since donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Rotary-related charities from teacher mini-grants for local schools to polio eradication, which helped millions around the globe.
His contributions have had an immeasurable effect on the community, from feeding the hungry and providing additional educational materials to local schools to providing services for mentally ill and recreational opportunities for adults and children.
He has been a longtime contributor and supporter of many organizations that form the crux of our community, including the Westchester Family YMCA, Westchester/LAX-Marina del Rey Chamber of Commerce, Loyola Marymount University, Airport Marina Counseling Service and scores of local youth sports teams and schools.
In addition, his generous donations through the Westchester Rotary Foundation have assisted in sending young scholars to other countries for educational purposes, clothing underprivileged children right here in Westchester, repairing the local fire station, teaching students to read and painting out graffiti.
His contributions to Rotary International have helped to promote international projects, including the organization's goal of eradicating polio from the entire globe by 2008 - a mission that is nearly complete.
Most recently, Drollinger stepped up to the plate when the Westchester Streetscape Improvement Association approached him to help pay for maintaining the new landscaping and planted medians scheduled to be installed along Sepulveda Boulevard.
Instead of simply writing a check, Howard took the reins and is now working with property owners on both sides of the street to form a Business Improvement District that will maintain area landscaping in perpetuity.
Without his help, the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation would have simply abandoned this portion of the project and Westchester would have missed out on a singular opportunity to beautify this important traffic corridor.
Similarly, Drollinger recently provided the leadership and funding necessary to restore and rescue the Veterans Memorial at the corner of Lincoln Boulevard and Manchester Avenue. The monument recognizing area Vietnam-era veterans has been damaged and is routinely graffitied by vandals.
Working with local veterans, Drollinger provided the seed money necessary to repair the monument and helped lobby Los Angeles City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski to approve the relocation of the monument to a site where it will be less of a target for vandals and more visible to local residents visiting the Westchester Library.
Drollinger has also been a contributor to the Union Rescue Mission of downtown Los Angeles.
Drollinger has been presented the Rotarian of the Year Award from Rotary, the Community Builder Award from the West-chester Family YMCA and the Helmsman leadership award from the chamber of commerce.
The Fritz B. Burns Award includes a $5,000 contribution to be made in Drollinger's name to his choice of charitable organizations.
Among the previous winners of the award are Shirley Pfeil, John Ruhlen, Jeanne Breunig, Curt Curtiss, Hugo Francis, Mary Ellen Cassman, Rowena Ake, Jim Bunch, Gwen Vuchsas, Lloyd Hild, Mary Lou Crockett and Lance Lipscomb.
Congratulations, Howard, on this long overdue award.
Howard now has a street named in his honor. It is known as 'Howard B. Drollinger Way' and there is a sign which bears his name and the message which states his birth and death dates and 'Developer, Philanthropist and Rotarian'.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/bottleneck/2008/06/new-street-name.html
L.A. has a new street name -- in the tradition of James Wood, Cesar Chavez, Martin Luther King Jr. and L. Ron Hubbard. This one is in Westchester. City News Service has details:
The late Howard Drollinger, who is credited with developing the Westchester area near Los Angeles International Airport, will have a street renamed in his honor today. Drollinger was president of the real estate firm H.B. Drollinger Co. from 1947 until he died in August 2006 at the age of 84. Drollinger's mother, Ella, built Westchester's first commercial building in 1944. Part of 89th Street between Sepulveda Westway and Sepulveda Eastway will be renamed Howard B. Drollinger Way during a morning ceremony attended by City Councilman Bill Rosendahl and Drollinger's children and grandchildren.
So that portion of 89th Street joins the ranks of Santa Barbara Avenue, Brooklyn Avenue and Hermon Avenue (now Via Marisol).
-- Shelby Grad
June 16, 2008
Comments
This was a ceremonial street renaming- 89th Street remains 89thStreet. New tan square signs have been installed with the following wording:
Howard B. Drollinger Way
June 16, 1922 - August 13, 2006
Developer, Philanthropist, Rotarian
Howard was a dear friend and I could not think of a better way to honor and remember "Mr. Westchester" for all of his contributions to the Westchester/Playa del Rey community and the City of Los Angeles.
It is difficult to summarize the life of a man into three words-Developer was his vocation, Philanthropist was his avocation and Rotarian tied the business and philanthropy together. Rotary is an international organization of business people united in community service. This week, the 99th International Rotary Convention is being held in Los Angeles.
Howard may be gone, but now he will never be forgotten.
Sincerely,
Robert Acherman
Board Member and HBD Way Project Chairman
Flight Path Learning Center of Southern California
Posted by: Robert Acherman | June 16, 2008 at 05:15 PM
http://www.clubrunner.ca/data/5280/html/12395/081806%20Newsletter.pdf
The Proclaimer
A Publication of
Rotary District 5280
Serving the Greater Los Angeles Area
VOLUME CLIFFORD, ISSUE 7 THE PROCLAIMER PAGE 4
LONG-TIME ROTARIAN
HOWARD DROLLINGER
PASSES AWAY
Howard Blaine Drollinger, a businessman who followed in his developer mother's footsteps and who helped create and expand downtown Westchester, has died. He was 84. Drollinger, who remained a major investor in the area's business district for almost 60 years, died of lung cancer Sunday, August 13 at his home in Playa del Rey, said Geoff Maleman, a consultant for his company. Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, reached by phone on his way to Drollinger's funeral Thursday, said he considered the developer one of the city's great citizens. "He put Westchester on the map" by investing millions of his own money in retail properties, Riordan said. In a statement, Los Angeles Councilman Bill Rosendahl said, "Howard always put his community first, whether it was by fighting LAX expansion, spearheading economic development, or lending his name, time and his resources to community beautification projects."
Westchester's first large commercial building was a Jim Dandy market built in 1944 by Drollinger's mother,
Ella, who was a "pioneering real estate developer when it wasn't a woman's domain," Maleman said. Her son joined the family business as a developer after graduating with a bachelor's degree in business from USC in 1947. Today, H.B. Drollinger Co. is the largest landowner and property manager in the Westchester business district along Sepulveda Boulevard, Maleman said. The Rotary District 5280 office is located in one of Drollinger's buildings, the Airport Office Center (he is standing on it below). In the mid-1950s, the area was featured in Life magazine as a flourishing commercial zone that helped the
surrounding residential area take root after World War II. The business district began its decline in 1975 when Los Angeles International Airport's expansion eliminated more than 3,500 homes, taking away an estimated 10,000 residents. About the same time, Fox Hills Mall opened in nearby Culver City, siphoning off more shoppers. The downturn lasted about 15 years, but Drollinger said in 2002 that he "never lost faith in Westchester." "Howard used to tell me, 'Everybody told me I should
leave. I knew the community would come back.' He was
one of the few who continued to buy property and reinvest,"Maleman said. The area had been developed in a post-World War II style, with the buildings on the main boulevard and parking behind. Potential customers driving by who didn't know where to park didn't bother to stop, Drollinger had theorized. To lure back shoppers, he built a retail village in 1995 anchored by a Ralphs supermarket with parking in front. Other retail stores and restaurants have followed. Drollinger was born June 16, 1922, in Los Angeles and grew up in South Pasadena. His father, Blaine, was an electrical engineer who died when the future developer was about 16. During World War II, Drollinger was an Army Air Forces navigator and flew in 50 combat missions over Italy. A dedicated philanthropist who preferred to donate anonymously, he would boast about one achievement: For more than 50 years, he had perfect attendance at the weekly meetings of the Rotary Club of Westchester. Drollinger is survived by his second wife, Margaret, whom he married in 1998; daughter Karen Dial of Missoula, Montana; son Jim of Westchester; brother Bob of Los Angeles; and two grandchildren. His first wife, Jewel, died in 1996 after 46 years of marriage. PDG I n g o Werk said today, he was a great guy and will really, really be missed! AND HOW!
Los Angeles Loyolan Online Edition
Current Issue: December 7, 2006
University benefactor put community first
Katie Slack
Issue date: 9/7/06 Section: News
Howard Blaine Drollinger, local business owner, community leader and benefactor to LMU, was a unique businessman. Drollinger, who died of lung cancer three weeks ago at age 84 was, "very compassionate with respect to people, especially young business owners," according to Miki Payne, Operations Manager for H.B. Drollinger Co.
One example of this compassion is his reputation for lowering rent for six months at a time in order to give a break to tenants who needed one.
Drollinger's contributions to LMU have not gone unnoticed. Most students know the premier parking lot for west side housing is named after him. But according to Dennis Slon, senior VP for university relations at LMU, Drollinger contributed over $3 million to the university.
In addition to physical plans, such as Drollinger Parking Plaza, Slon said Drollinger's financial support reaches to the Entrepreneurship Program, music department and business school as well as scholarship support.
Karen Dial, Drollinger's daughter, said he was "very approachable, with an office door that was always open." She described his life philosophy as on that was based on simple concepts of honesty and integrity, which she said sets Drollinger apart from other Los Angeles businessmen.
Members of his company, H.B. Drollinger Co., described him as hardworking and big-hearted. In return, most of his staff is made up of long-time employees and friends.
"Most of the people who work here have been here for a while. Everybody [at H.B. Drollinger Co.] is very loyal," said Payne who, having begun as a receptionist, has been an employee for 18 years.
In addition to his benevolence within the business world, Drollinger played a pivotal role in multiple community organizations. As a 54-year member and former president of the Rotary Club of Westchester, as well as former president of the Westchester/LAX Chamber of Commerce, Drollinger has had many leadership roles that have greatly influenced the growth of the Westchester area, most notably Sepulveda Blvd.
Dial will now run the company after training with her father for two-and-a-half years. She stressed the importance that LMU plays in her family, explaining that her brother, husband, cousin and son all have a personal connection with the university. Dial explained that H.B. Drollinger Co. plans on continuing a partnership, or "legacy," with LMU. "It's cool to have that community bridge," she said.
The idea of community seems to be central to Drollinger's life. Such authentic displays of altruism has been witnessed by his company's staff as well as the LMU community.
Payne added, "If you would have called him today to talk to him, he would have cleared his schedule for you. He really loved people."
Page 1 of 1
The Argonaught
Looking back at 2006
Last week, The Argonaut looked back at what happened in our local area during the first six months of 2006.
This week, we review the last six months of the year in our local area.
Howard Blaine Drollinger, a philanthropist and developer who helped turn Westchester into a thriving community, died August 13th, at the age of 84.
He was widely known as "Mr. Westchester" and had recently joined Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in his efforts to halt the expansion of Los Angeles International Airport.
The Invisibility of the Drollinger Legacy
Ari L. Noonan August 17, 2006
Mr. Drollinger was an exception to many rules because he was different from most of his peers. As a community-builder, he was a granite giant. True community-building is such an outdated, old-fashioned concept that it is like saying a man was an outstanding designer of buggy whips. First he was a visionary, and then with a boost from his religion, he matured into a philanthropist. The telephone directory is full of people with strong resumes. But they were less than Mr. Drollinger because none of them was the son of Ella Drollinger. Mr. Drollinger's most valued assets never would be found on a resume. Through both inheritance and environment, he grew up with an unquenchable spirit - that possibly more than any other quality distinguished him. On occasion, Mr. Drollinger would sit at a huge table off his office with his longtime Westchester/Fox Hills friend Art Garcia, himself a sharp businessman, and no stripling, either. Mr. Drollinger would entertain his small audience with fascinating tales of the pioneering, adventuring, fear-free spirit of his unusual mother. She was his hero all of his life, and he made no apologies. On the contrary. No one ever had the impression he was embellishing when he would recall the iron-minded Ella. Her indomitability foreshadowed the wide path her son would carve through the outer limits of the Westside. Perhaps Ella Drollinger was unmindful of her gender in the 1930s and 1940 - but how could she have been? - striding across the business landscape of Los Angeles as if, well, as if she were a man. Women in those days were supposed to be at home ironing, washing clothes, hanging them out on clotheslines with their ever-disappearing supply of wooden clothespins. Striking hardheaded business and property deals in Los Angeles and in the sleepy, still shapeless future community of Westchester, just to the north of LAX, was man's work, wasn't it? Gender goofiness aside, Ella Drollinger probably never left her son's side all of his days. And now, after 70 or more years of community building, both Drollingers have been gently, gratefully placed at their well-earned rest. It is scarcely hyperbolic to say that his death marks her passing.
Off to the Side
A few years ago, dear reader, we talked of my first meeting with the best known Los Angeles rabbi of the last century, Edgar Magnin of Wilshire Boulevard Temple. I was young and he was old. Philosophically, we had less in common than a liberal does with a serious person. Rabbi Magnin was, nonetheless, a civic figure of towering achievements and outsized will. He practically willed himself to become a great leader in the community. When you were in his presence, the texture of the air changed. You quickly realized you were sharing space with a generational giant. And so it was with Mr. Drollinger.
Drollinger vs. LAX
For the last great battle of his life, Mr. Drollinger decided to spend his precious, waning energy fighting his oldest living nemesis, the everloving expansion of LAX. Historically, the supposedly space-starved airport has been like a fat man who wakes up early and goes to bed late so he can squeeze in more fast-food meals. Although Mr. Drollinger lived a long and uncommonly productive life, I saw him more sadly, through the prism of a father who had lost a child before the youngster had a chance to blossom. The last previous expansion of LAX struck 35 years ago, and Westchester still shows the effects. To clear room for growth, the airport bought up thousands of private properties in Westchester, driving away at least 10,000 residents. The cumulative damage hurt the city for years. Mr. Drollinger probably recovered better than Westchester did. His spirit was break-proof.
Drollinger Made Sense of an Oxymoron
Ari L. Noonan August 18, 2006OP-ED
The Fritz Burns homes were prefabricated, the inexpensive style of the time, so that blue-collar workers could afford them. The motion picture director/aviator Howard Hughes built his infamous Spruce Goose airplane in Westchester. But it was the Drollinger family Ella, the mother, and Howard, her star son who took Westchester the rest of the way, to its maximum growth. She was an experienced property buyer, and he learned all he would need from his visionary mother. They knew how to buy and develop land. She was responsible for putting up Westchester's firs commercial structure in 1944, while her son was away at war. Mother and son learned community-building as they went. Since it wasn't written down anywhere, the commercially savvy mother and son showed how to build a suburban city in the midst of a land boom that was underpinned by explosions in both population and the still novel notion of aerospace. Mr. Drollinger was a young man but not necessarily green. As an Army Air Corps pilot in World War II, he flew 50 missions, and he won a Purple Heart. Joining the post-war generation's rush to college campuses, he graduated from USC.
The Drollinger Instincts
During the next 50 years, using his remarkable instincts for conceiving of the future, Mr. Drollinger fashioned a comfortable, livable city out of old farmland. Not many people so late into the 20th century had such an opportunity. Mr. Drollinger's investment helped sleepy Westchester burgeon into a thriving community featuring a busy shopping district with a full complement of retail stores. Many of the vendors were tenants of Westchester's best known business then and now, the H.B. Drollinger Co. LAX, Westchester's most prominent neighbor, monopolized Mr. Drollinger's career during its peak years and at the end. Airport expansion was the culprit both times, and Mr. Drollinger. In the late 1960s and early '70s, some 3,500 homes were bought up by expansion interests, leading inexorably to the departure of 10,000 of Westchester's 65,000, a blow that left the city reeling for years. I never lost faith in Westchester, Mr. Drollinger said four years ago. I knew this community would get through that double whammy. As it turned out, Mr. Drollinger's vigorous final years also were devoted to opposing expansion.
He Is Everywhere
State Sen. Debra Bowen may have pegged Mr. Drollinger better than others who paid tribute. You can't go anywhere in Westchester without seeing the work that Howard has done, Ms. Bowen said. He poured his heart and soul into the community he loved and into so many charitable organizations. Howard had true friends from all walks of life and across the political spectrum. We will all miss his lion's heart, his principled stands, and his generous spirit. Mr. Drollinger's commitment to the community was evident in every letter he wrote. For more than 50 years, he signed his personal correspondence, "Yours for a Greater Westchester." Here was proof that he meant his words: While other property owners sold, Mr. Drollinger continued to buy. By the early '90s, he owned a significant portion of the Central Business District, and he began redeveloping the area. Since then, he has overseen the development of the Ralphs Westchester Village Center, which includes Long's Drugs, Blockbuster Video and numerous smaller retailers. Three years ago, he built the $25 million The Parking Spot-Sepulveda parking structure to serve airport travelers. He continued to own and manage various office and commercial buildings throughout the Westchester area. "It makes no difference how many buildings you build or the individual success you might achieve," Mr. Drollinger said recently when he was honored as the Loyola Marymount University Entrepreneur of the Year. "What really matters, what people will remember, is how you treat your fellow man."
His Impact on the Community
A Westchester Rotarian for 54 years, Mr. Drollinger donated millions to local organizations. His contributions had a huge impact on the community, from helping to feed the hungry and provide additional educational materials to local schools to providing services for the mentally ill and recreational opportunities for adults and children. He was a longtime contributor and supporter of the organizations that formed the backbone of the community, including the Union Rescue Mission, Westchester Family YMCA, Westchester/LAX-Marina del Rey Chamber of Commerce, Loyola Marymount, Airport Marina Counseling Service and local youth sports teams and schools. "For decades, Howard Drollinger defined civic leadership in Westchester," said Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl. "Building on his mother's legacy, he helped give birth to downtown Westchester. Howard always put his community first, whether it was by fighting LAX expansion, spearheading economic development, or lending his name, his time and his resources to community beautification projects. Howard was a treasure. He left our world a better place. He was honored by dozens of organizations for his efforts and was the recipient of the 2005 Fritz B. Burns Outstanding Community Service and Leadership Award, the Rotary Club of Westchester's Lifetime Achievement Award, the Westchester Family YMCA's Community Builder Award and the Westchester/LAX-Marina del Rey Chamber of Commerce's Helmsman Leadership Award. "Howard was a Westchester institution who gave tirelessly for the benefit of the community he called 'home,'" said Kathleen Aikenhead, president of the William H. Hannon Foundation. "My uncle would tell me how he and Howard would 'challenge' each other on donations to various civic groups. My uncle would donate, if Howard donated, and vice versa. They had fun together as they were both Westchester pioneers. Howard will be missed by the Hannon family, and we know that he is in heaven today."
Postscript
Mr. Drollinger is survived by his brother, Bob Drollinger; second wife, Margaret Drollinger; daughter, Karen Dial; son, Jim Drollinger; daughter-in-law, Andrea Furtivo; son-in-law Ken Dial; and grandchildren Terry and Natalie Dial. He was preceded in death by his wife of 46 years, Jewel Drollinger, who died in 1996. In lieu of flowers, his family requests that donations be made to the Drollinger Family Charitable Foundation, a foundation created by Mr. Drollinger to continue his long-standing support of worthwhile community organizations. Donations can be mailed to the Foundation at 8929 S. Sepulveda Blvd., No. 130, Westchester, CA 90045.
Howard Blaine Drollinger
http://www.umt.edu/umf/recognition/individual/presidents.htm
The University of Montana Foundation
Presidentīs Club
Carillon Society $10,000 or more
Howard B. Drollinger
Official Publication of the Aero Club of So. California
Highlights of the July-August edition of the Aileron:
2002?
Aero Club Members in the News
Jerry Lederer, recipient of the Aero Club's first HB Drollinger Lifetime Achievement Award and known internationally as "Mr. Flight Safety," will celebrate his 100th birthday September 25, feted by hundreds of well-wishers. Lederer worked with Charles Lindbergh on the Spirit of St. Louis for the seminal 1927 flight.
Seeking Election to Business Seat
Bill West
Candidate Works and Owns Real Property in Westchester/ Playa del Rey
Candidate Qualification Statement:
I currently hold the Business Seat on the Neighborhood Council of Westchester Playa del Rey.
Since 1989, I have served as Vice President and General Manager of the H.B. Drollinger Co., the largest and oldest development and property management company in the Westchester area. In that capacity, I am responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company, which manages more than 400 commercial, retail and office tenants in 26 office and retail properties north of LAX.
I am a 14-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department and was trained in all aspects of active enforcement as well as specialized assignments such as CRASH, Narcotics and Vice. In 1982, I earned the LAPD Medal of Valor.
I am a Rotarian and I serve on the following boards: Westchester Streetscape Improvement Association, Westchester Vitalization Corporation, Westchester Association and the Business Advisory Council for the California State Department of Rehabilitation.
Candidate Vision Statement:
The more I review Mayor Hahn's plan for the expansion of LAX, the more I am opposed to it. I will make it a priority of the Neighborhood Council to fight against airport expansion.
Not only would relocating the "front door" of the airport to Manchester Square drastically reduce the number of retail customers who support businesses in the central business district, but it would result in increased traffic, noise and air pollution in our community.
Forget (if you can) the outrageous $9 billion price tag for this project - it simply does nothing to increase safety and security at the airport. In fact, studies have shown that it might actually have the opposite effect by concentrating all the airports passengers at Manchester Square.
A vote for me is a vote against airport expansion!
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1922 - 2006 (84 years)
