Evaluation is a term of art. It means in this case the day the city deposited several hundred thousand dollars in the state account. Had Mr. Vorceak chosen to withdraw the money, he could have done so. But he chose not to.
As Mr. Vorceak has been vowing ever since last year, at least figuratively, the only way he will leave his store, Metal Art, 8829 Exposition, is feet first.
Friday will test his mettle.
Meanwhile, late this afternoon, Mr. Gridley and Robert Silverstein, representing Mr. Vorceak, were scheduled to meet in Pasadena in a final attempt to scuttle Fridays closing.
Neighborly Case
Marc Chiat, an artistic type whose business is several doors north of Metal Art, is the most mysterious figure on the one- block street that bleeds into Venice Boulevard.
For months, the unanswered mystery question has been, where is Mr. Chiat?
By apparent design, his absence suggests it is either coincidental timing or he is lying low.
According to Mr. Gridley, Mr. Chiat, believed to be in Italy with his family, also is represented by Mr. Silverstein.
Mr. Chiat made a dramatic and eloquent appearance in Council Chambers last summer when his eminent domain case was heating up. Thereafter, he was difficult to find. Nonetheless, his case is proceeding.
Since no one who is talking seems to know the whereabouts of Mr. Chiat, he was served notice of the citys eminent domain intentions via published notice.
It came as a surprise to me, said Mr. Gridley, that although a responsive pleading to the publication notice was due on Feb. 5, no response was filed. I wrote to Mr. Silverstein, asking him when and if he was going to do that. By telephone, he told me he would. Mr. Silverstein made his response yesterday, formfully denying al of the citys allegations.