January 2008 Archives

David DeVoss writes about the recent Valley VOTE meeting where L.A. Daily News Editor Ron Kaye was one of the guests speakers:

LA has the best government money can buy. OK, it's an old joke. But laconic Los Angeles Daily News editor Ron Kaye almost turns this unfortunate truth into a tale in which redemption is possible if honest people will stand up and get organized.

As the leader of the city's perennial No. 2 daily, Kaye's Tantalus-like pursuit of the Los Angeles Times affords him the freedom to speak truth to power. And speak he did earlier this week on the tenth anniversary of the founding of Valley VOTE.

There is a “system” to city government, Kaye concedes, but citizens must be organized, well financed and persistent to make it work for them. “The system doesn't work for the people,” Kaye sighs. “The Police Protective League matters more than any of you because it has money.”

L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky will speak about transportation, city development and neighborhood protection at the next meeting of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association at 7:15 p.m. tomorrow in the Sunkist Building, 14130 Riverside Drive, Sherman Oaks.

He was one of the main proponents of the highly successful Orange rapid transit system that finally brought a transit line to the Valley.

He also has been critical of the city's plans to encourage massive developments that will make existing traffic problems even worse.

For more information, call 818-377-4590 or visit www.shermanoaks914.com.

L.A. Daily News reporter Kerry Cavanaugh reports that the L.A. City Council will consider a proposal tomorrow that would allow neighborhood councils to formally introduce motions into city government.

Currently, neighborhood councils must rely on a city council member to propose policy for them.

With the proposed authority, community boards would be able to initiate a motion, open a council file and track it as departments and council committee review it.

To read Cavanaugh's story, go to dailynews.com.

The new board of directors for the Neighborhood Council Valley Village was sworn in a few weeks ago and board membes are inviting residents to let them know their concerns and opinions.

Mansionization in Valley Village was a hot-button issue in the election last October, which saw a record 1,000 stakeholders vote and a board that does not support mansionization was elected.

Last April, the previous neighborhood council board passed a motion to exempt the area west of Laurel Canyon Boulevard from an anti-mansionization ordinance that the Los Angeles Planning Commission later approved and the L.A. Council will consider soon.

Some residents in the Valley Village area have been constructing large, multi-story homes or expanding existing ones, often building right up to their property lines.

The Neighborhood Council Valley Village meets at 6:30 p.m. every fourth Wednesday at Colfax Elementary School, 11724 Addision St., North Hollywood.

For more information, visit www.myvalleyvillage.com.

I'ts now official and the West Van Nuys Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council's Web site displays it proudly.

The L.A. City Council in October adopted a corrective measure officially naming the southwestern part of Van Nuys as Lake Balboa. This follows the placement of street signs designating the area as Lake Balboa back in 2002, but the administrative procedure was never finalized - until now.

The neighborhood council's Web site proudly states "Welcome to the new home of the Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council."

In its approval, the City Council also OK'd changing the proposed boundaries so that they omit the industrial area north of Saticoy Street, east of Van Nuys Airport and the airport itself. It also omits the area south of Victory Boulevard and west of Balboa Boulevard, but includes the park area south of Victory to the L.A. River.

That means Lake Balboa is in the community of Lake Balboa.