Anyone know what's going on with the Scientology building near the corner of Hollywood and Cherokee in LA? Just a gutted shell inside.

Didn't this used to be a big testing center? Don't they still need one?

Are you talking about the big building at the corner of Hollywood and McCadden about a block NW of Cherokee?

That used to be the test center, it has been undergoing "renovations" for a couple years at least.

Seems pretty stupid to keep it closed and ugly, I mean really, millions of tourists walk up and down Hollywood BLVD...what are they thinking????

HMmmm...could there be MORE to the story? Maybe some scientologists have CI (counter intention) to commiting more overts on the public? Nah..it' probably some sort of tax write off.

Anybody know WHY the test center on Hollywood Boulevard is still closed for so long?

Ladybird

Yes-- McCadden, that's right.

A tax write-off? Do they have to pay taxes as a religion?

I used to walk by that building every day when I worked on Las Palmas in the 80s. This very desperate-looking guy with light brown hair and a mustache used to stand out there trying to get people to come in. I had to walk by the building on my way to lunch and he asked me every single day for months to take a personality test. He finally, FINALLY realized I was the same guy saying no every day, but it took MONTHS. I don't think he could even see me as anything but a warm body passing by.

A few years after I'd left that job, I saw him still out there. He looked much worse-- much more desperate. I'd been annoyed by him before, but now I felt sad and afraid for him. The next time I went by a few months later, he was gone and there were young, pretty people out there talking to people about the test. There were lots of other young, pretty people talking to them, whom I suspected were shills.

I wonder what happened to the guy with the mustache?

Anyway, I'm curious why a church with the wealth Scientology is said to have would be allowing this building to sit empty like this when they could be using it to recruit.

It can't be a money thing, can it??

Interesting....last I heard, Ron Norton, the former Captain FSO (Flag Service Organization in Clearwater Florida) and his wife, Jan Norton, a former Class XII and INT executive, were busted to run the testing center on Hollywood Blvd.

Ron has light brown hair and a moustache. He would be late 40s, early 50s I think. I must have a pic around here somewhere....

Funny also is that despite all the multi millions the church has invested in fancy new buildings, they do most of their recruiting from ugly yellow tents in subways and parking lots.

I really wonder how they get away with having untrained Div 6 new recruits doing stress tests using e-meters which are required to be labeled as religious artifacts for use only by scientology ministers for religious counseling by the FDA (Federal Food and Drug Administration) orders. Next time you see one, ask them to turn it over and ask them what that little plaque MEANS.

Also, how can they sell Dianetics Books for a mandatory "donation" of 8 dollars? It is illegal!

I guess nobody wants to lift the tail of a skunk.

Ladybird

The guy with the mustache was most likely John Radich -- your description and time period fits. He became a marathon runner for Dianetics, and most likely is still "in."

Sorry, I can't find a picture right now, but I did find this from ars.

Ladybird
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
From an anonymous source in August 2005:

"Ron and Jan Norton are in PAC now.
I don't know what they are doing now.
Earlier this year around June they were
running the Test Center in Hollywood,
getting the free Book One sessions
going and such.


Mike Tomozevic He routed
out in 2003, unless he changedhis mind
last minute, I saw him going in session
for a leaving staff Sec Check in
PAC around 2003 early in the year..
Trish? Trish Sherriff? She went to
AOSH UK, Qual I think. At least that's
where I saw her in 1994 which is the
last time I visited UK.


David Ziff passed away of Cancer, sometime
around 1994 I THINK. So did
Janice Malm (she was a Dof P and other
exec posts in FSO like DCO for Call
in or somthing like that) and Miriam
Stave (the anemic Class 12 that went
from the Ls HGC to RTC) around about
the same time period, well maybe a year
later.


Barbara Tompkins got busted to PAC and
is now in AOLA working in Addresso.
Don't know if she got busted from the
Ranch or if there was something else
she did before that. Sterling Tompkins
I heard was out recently. Justin did
route out around mid 1995.


John Eastment was working in Motorpool
Gold. He was busted as an auditor
from Gold around 1996 and sent to motorpool.
Peggy Eastment was also busted
from I'm not sure where in 1997, off
tech lines and onto something else in
Gold.


I knew about the Nortons and about Barbara
Tompkins, because I saw them in PAC not too
long ago.


Also Eric Irgens is the folder page at
AOLA, and Dan Prybylski is the DofP
at AOLA. I saw Sandi Irgens working
in the PAC canteen but I don't know
what her regular post was. Lots of
X gold staff in PAC.


-ex Int Base staffer.

I'm sorry-- what is "PAC"? I haven't picked up all the terminology, but it sounds bad if you get "busted" to it. I know what the "RPF" is. Is PAC similar?

That would have been John Radich. He was not in the Sea Org. He later became a marathon runner, and is probably still "in."

"PAC" is Pacific Area Command.

It refers to the Sea Org headquarters for the Pacific Continent. (aka WUS, or West United States) and is located in Hollywood, CA.

INT is the top secret International Headquarters in Hemet, CA about 2 hours outside of LA in the desert.

It is very difficult to get "qualled" (qualified) for INT, and most scientologists have no idea where it is. Getting "busted" from INT is a really bad thing.

Usually, when a top exec or tech terminal gets busted from a post, they are sent to an RPF on a different "Cont" so the public and staff who knew them don't get "enturbulated" by seeing their former OL (opinion leader) running around in rags and not allowed to talk.

Sea Org is divided up into "Conts" (continents). EUS refers to the East US, headquarted in NYC. (Times Square). ANZO is Australia, New Zealand and the south Pacific. I am not sure if it still includes Africa. (especially SA). EU is Europe, including Scandinavia, England, France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Greece, ETC. Headquarters for EU are in Copenhagen.

Even within a specific "Cont" there are numerous complexities and chains of command and many different orgs.

Scientology is like a shell game, as soon as you think you have it figured out, they hide the baloney somewhere else.

Ladybird

It seems Scientology is good at having empty buildings.

How many of org are gone and nothing has replaced them.

Last time I checked I could not even find the sign for the Milwaukee Scientology location. No more advertisements in the free papers either.

Atheist

I forgot LATAM, (Latin America=Mexico and South America) and I think UK (United Kingdom) is it's own Cont, HQ St. Hill...Italy also was considered it's own cont at one time.

Somebody accused me of posting too much (or something like being obsessed) but let me assure you, I just know stuff and type it in as time allows.

I usually just leave OCMB running in the background, and am happy to answer any questions anybody might have if I can. I am also happy to share my opinions!

Just ask! Ladybird