July 2008 Archives

The Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council is sponsoring a contest seeking the image that best captures the community.

All visual media are eligible. Photograph, draw, paint, sculpt or record an entry. Winning entries will be featured on the limited edition Lake Balboa 2009 calendar and will be displayed on the council's Web site and at community events.

For more information, including rules and release forms, visit www.lakebalboanc.org.

While you're there, check out the new photo gallery on the site!

The Northrdige West Nrighborhood Council recently unanimously approved purchasing three "command boards" for police officers in the Devonshire Division.

They fit on a fence or on top of a car and help officers when writing reports. The boards cost $1,000 each.

A member of the audience at the council's meeting suggested the use of less-expensive clip boards, but board member Beverly Adler, who introduced the motion, said that regular clip boards are not sufficient.

For more information, visit www.northridgewest.org.

The North Hills West Neighborhood Council is bringing back its widely acclaimed Evening Celebration of Art and Music from 5-9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16.

The free community event will again be held at the historic Rayen Street Resort, 15708 Rayen St., North Hills.

All North Hills West stakeholders may attend.

Musical entertainment will include the Dave Connor Trio. Wine, cheese and hors d'oeuvres will be served.

"We are pleased to once again be able to present such an elegant affair for the enjoyment of our neighbors," said NHWNC President Lewis Brown. "We are also grateful to the Church of the Living Word for donating such a beautiful setting. The magnificent estate, once owned by the Ameche family, has been meticulously restored and provides the perfect backdrop for such a gala evening. An occasion like this also offers a wonderful opportunity for neighbors to mingle and get to know each other, as well as those who represent them as board members on the Neighborhood Council."

Featured artists will include Charles Walker, who is also producer and key organizer of the event, and Edem Elesh.

For more information, visit www.nhwnc.org.

Avis Ridley-Thomas, director of the L.A. City Attorney's Dispute Resolution Program, recently sent letters to stakeholders in Sunland-Tujunga to ask who should attend meetings to resolve issues surrounding the controversial Home Depot project in the community.

The letter, which can be read through a link on the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council's Web site, states representation should come from the following groups:

Sunland-Tujunga Alliance-No Home Depot Campaign, Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council, Home Depot, small business owners, city of L.A., Sunlund-Tujunga Chamber of Commerce and any residents who have expressed support for Home Depot in the past.

No more than two people from each group should attend future sessions, at this time, the letter states.

For more information, visit www.stnc.org.

The Sylmar Neighborhood Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. tonight in the auditorium at Sylmar Elementary School, 13291 Phillippi Ave.

Please note this is a different location from the council's usual meeting place.

The agenda includes establishment of a task force that will work with L.A. city services to review and resolve local issues.

The council will also look at creating an ad-hoc committee that will study and present a long-range "Community Vision Plan."

For more information, visit www.sylmarneighborhoodcouncil.org.

At its July meeting, the Northridge East Neighborhood Council began dicussions about a proposed medium-density development on White Oak Avenue, between Lassen and Superior.

Currently, developer Ted Stein is proposing to convert four contiguous single-family homes on large lots into 32 small, single-family homes. That number was reduced from 36 to meet requirements from the L.A. Planning Department.

Stein has applied for zoning changes to make this possible, and there's potential the entire block could be redeveloped in this way, according to the neighborhood council's Web site.

In May, Don Dwiggins of the Northridge East Neighborhood Council voiced the council's opposition to the project, specifically reducing the setbacks, when the project was heard by the L.A. City Council's Planning and Land Use Management Committee.

For more information, visit www.northridgeeast.org.

This is the 25th anniversary of the National Night Out program and there is a large regional observance planned from 5-9 p.m. Aug. 5 in North Hollywood Park, according to the Neighborhood Council Valley Village's Web site.

The park is located at 11430 Chandler Blvd., North Hollywood.

Several neighborhood councils in the area will join with the North Hollywood Police Department for the event, which heightens awareness and strengthens participation in local anti-crime efforts.

To sign up for electronic crime updates, alerts and other public safety information, register at www.lapdepolicing.org.

The Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council will hold a workshop on the Clean Money Public Funding System from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, July 30, at Lake Balboa Studios, 7412 Balboa Blvd.

Other cities and states use Clean Money full public funding. In a Clean Money election system, candidates who agree to spending limits and agree to take no private contributions qualify for a set amount of money from a public election fund.

They are not be allowed to raise or spend additional money beyond what they receive from the fund.

The goals of full public funding of elections are higher participation by voters and candidates, truly competitive and fair campaigns on a level playing field, more women and minorities running for office and a limit on special interest money in campaigns.

For more information, visit www.lakebalboa.org.

The Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council elections were held June 28 at Shepherd of the Hills Church, with six positions open.

The four board members who ran were re-elected. They were Becky Leveque, Sue Hammarlund, Paula Cracium and Ali Dabirian.

The two new members who were elected were Irwin Cohen, actively involved in the Friends of Porter Ranch Library and regular PRNC meeting attendee, and Mandhatasinh (Mark) Chauhan, new to the PRNC scene.

PRNC members thanked Paul Drogichen and Pat Pope, who have served on the board as the treasurer and secretary, respectively. They are stepping down to make time for other commitments.

In late August, a retreat is planned to allow the board to begin working together and to develop a vision for the coming year.

For more information, visit www.prnc.org.

A ground-breaking ceremony was held recently for the new high school that will be built on the site of the former Granada Hills Community Hospital, according to the Granada Hills South Neighborhood Council Web site.

The new school will create more jobs in the community and relieve overcrowding at Kennedy, Granada Hills, Monroe and Northridge Academy high schools.

The project is set to begin this summer and expected to be completed in the summer of 2011.

Granada Hills Community Hospital closed in 2003 after going bankrupt. LAUSD paid $22.5 million for the 11-acre site at an auction in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, beating out a $21.5 million bid from a Pasadena real estate investment and financial firm that promised to reopen the hospital under a new operator.

For more information, including photos from the ground-breaking ceremony, visit www.ghsnc.org.

A $4.5 million project to rebuild a wild bird habitat is underway at Balboa Park's Bull Creek, according to the Encino Neighborhood Council's Web site.

The project includes reviving 28 acres within the Sepulveda Dam Flood Control basin to encourage 200 species of wild birds, including the American goldfinch, the ash-throated flycatcher and the Bullock's oeriole, to nest and thrive within the area.

Plans include building a C-shaped side channel to allow reclaimed water from Lake Balboa to flow around an island, as well as pedestrian bridges over key parts of the channel.

A private contractor hired by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is overseeing the project, has installed a fence around the site, deterring park-goers from using a portion of the pedestrian walkways.

The fence is expected to stay up for two to six months.

The Bull Creek Channel in the Sepulveda Basin is a federally-owned flood control region. The government leases about three quarters of the 2,097-acre site to the city of Los Angeles for a wildlife preserve, parks, tennis courts and golf courses.

For more information, visit www.encinocouncil.org.

The Canoga Park Improvement Association, the Canoga Park Neighborhood Council and the Department of Water and Power, along with the Boys and Girls Club of the West Valley, recently participated in a "Light Bulb Exchange."

During the exchange, area businesses were encouraged to replace their incandescent bulbs with flourescent ones.

It was not only the exchange that was important, though. There were teams that walked the business district and documented how much wattage was being used before and how much wattage is being used now with flourescent bulbs.

So far, this project has saved 40,000 watts of energy - and the businesses will save money.

The incandescent bulbs that were removed were not destroyed. Margaret Pontius, executive director of the Guadalupe Center, accepted them and distributed them to needy families in the neighborhood, along with food and clothing.

Taft High School in Woodland Hills is a bit more beautiful today, thanks to the efforts, in part, of the Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council.

Outside the school - on the corner of Ventura Boulevard and Winnetka Avenue - there are now rose bushes, benches, new sidewalk surfacing, a mounted trash can and, best of all, an "Econo-Green Syngrass" to cover the former dirt patch that wouldn't hold grass previously because of significant foot traffic.

The project was spearheaded by Marion Lovelace, a community beautification activist in Woodland Hills, and Heath Kline, director of community services for the Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council.

To read more about the project, visit www.whcouncil.org.

The Encino Neighborhood Council held its election on June 28 and nine people were elected to seats on the board.

Sherman Gamson is the apartment/condo representative with 205 votes.

Allan Sarver and Louis Krokover are business representatives with 45 and 36 votes, respectively.

Larry Shade is the volunteer/service representative with 164 votes.

Nareg Kitsinian is the planning and land-use representative with 357 votes.

Arshavir "Arch" Kitsinian is the religious organization/institution representative with 434 votes.

Rosemarie S. White is the park advocate/environment representative with 122 votes.

Harout Keosian is the education representative with 355 votes.

Tonya Barseghian is the public safety representative wiith 169 votes.

The annual Independence Day parade in Valley Village had thousands of people lining the streets to see their neighbors showing their patriotic spirit.

This year, the parade included 12 Arabian horses with their riders dressed in Revolutionary War attire.

The parade is sponsored by the Neighborhood Council Valley Village and Valley Village Homeowners Association.

To read more about it and see photos, go to a story posted by NCVV member Suzanne Lewis at valleynews.com.

This is a busy month for Club Red Square in Woodland Hills as the L.A. Police Commission, the zoning administration and the Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council all act to investigate and rule on the operations of the club and review the various permits and conditions that regulate Club Red Square, according to the neighborhood council's Web site.

The club is located at 20001 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills.

The Police Commission will discuss Club Red Square on Wednesday, July 9, at Parker Center.

The commission has authority over the club's dance permit and the club's ability to host special events and private parties. Community concerns include of inappropriate use of the patio, the criminal activities of the patrons on the surrounding streets and in the neighborhood, violations of their CUP regulating the sale of alcohol and other issues will be addressed and the Police Commission will determine if the Club Red Square is in compliance.

The Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council will discuss the club on Wednesday, July 9, at the Warner Center Park Bredlow Band Shell.

The council's board will vote on a planning, land use & mobility committee motion requesting "that the proper city agencies revoke the CUP for Club Red Square or impose and implement corrective conditions equating to the revocation of the sale of alcohol on said premises."

The Office of Zoning Administration will discuss the club on Friday, July 18, at the Marvin Baude Center in Van Nuys.

The administration will also review the community's concerns and charges that the club is a public nuisance. This meeting is a follow-up to a prior meeting where the LAPD testified, Councilmember Dennis Zine's office presented information, the Neighborhood Council went on record and residents spoke of their experiences with the club.

All in all, this meeting is a significant opportunity for residents to speak in support of severe restrictions on the operation of the club, including limiting the hours, the elements of the club such as music, dancing, arcade games and the service of liquor (bar service or table service or self service) as well as ratio of alcohol-to-food sales. (50-50 to 30-70)

Other restrictions include happy hour bans, free food bans and price reduction bans.

The Club Red Square journey through the system has been long and slow with the prior Police Commission hearing postponed and the prior Zoning Administration hearing scheduled for the end of May pushed to mid-July.

Adding to the complicated process, Club Red Square recently filed for Chapter 11 protection.

For more information, contact Jonathon Brand of Councilmember Zine's office at jonathan.brand@lacity.org or at 818-756-8848.

Doug McIntyre, morning talk show host on KABC Radio, will be the speaker at the next meeting of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20, in the Sunkist Building, 14130 Riverside Drive, Sherman Oaks.

He will give his personal perspective on "Life in Los Angeles."

Learn the views of this controversial commentator who is a frequent guest on CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight" and "Politically Incorrect With Bill Mahr."

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

The Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council's next community forum will feature a "Panel of Visionaries" offering perspectives and philosophies on what makes a great street.

The forum will be held from 8-11:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, in the auditorium at Kaiser Permanente, 5601 De Soto Ave., Woodland Hills.

Sustainability, mobility, accessability, walkability, ridability, enjoyability and profitability are all benefits of having a great street in a mixed-used development, according to the forum organizers.

Rick Cole, who has been city manager of Ventura since 2004, will be on the panel.

Called "one of Southern California's most visionary planning thinkers" by the L.A. Times, Cole is widely cited as an urban policy expert.

He previously served six years as city of manager of Azusa. Under Cole's leadership, Azusa was described as the "most improved city in the San Gabriel Valley" by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

For more information about the upcoming community forum, visit www.whcouncil.org.