September 2008 Archives

The Valley Glen Neighborhood Association's annual picnic and fundraiser, called the Valley Glen Family Fest, will be held from noon-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, at Valley Glen Community Park, located at Ethel Avenue and Delano Street.

There will be lots of family fun for all ages.

For more information, visit www.valleyglen.org.

The Chatsworth Neighborhood Council will hold a candidates' forum so local stakeholders can meet the people running to fill 10 seats on the council.

The forum will be held at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, at Lawrence Middle School, 10100 Variel Ave. It will follow the council's regular meeting at 7 p.m.

Candidates will speak at the beginning of the forum, followed by a question-and-answer session.

The election will be held from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Chatsworth Train Depot, 10038 Old Depot Plaza Road.

The council will accept write-in candidate applications until Oct. 25.

For more information, visit info@chatsworthcouncil.org or call 818-464-3511.

The Granada Hills South Neighborhood Council will have a booth at the eighth annual Granada Hills Street Faire on Saturday, Oct. 4, on Chatsworth Street, between Zelzah and Encino avenues.

Council representatives will be there to answer any questions and let residents know how they can get involved in their community.

More than 200 local businesses and nonprofit gouprs are expected to participate.

Parking and admission are free.

Also, the Granada Hills South Neighborhood Council's new phone number is 818-668-5969.

L.A. Councilman Dennis Zine and former California Assembly member Cindy Montañez spoke recently at a Valley VOTE meeting. The following is from a meeting report from Valley VOTE about their talks:

Zine plans to run for third and final term in 2009. He said will continue to represent the interests of the Third Council District which encompasses the communities of Canoga Park, Reseda, Tarzana, West Hills, Winnetka, and Woodland Hills with a population of nearly 300,000 residents.

In reiterating his views on a myriad of issues, Zine kept repeating his theme that overdevelopment is unacceptable and that we must "maintain our city as a livable place, create a business friendly environment where jobs and the environment are protected."

He noted the importance of a good economic environment. "More than a generation ago, a youngster would graduate high school and land a good-paying job at the General Motors assembly plant, eventually buy a home in a nearby community, and live comfortably," Zine said. "Today's generation, though, must have a college degree to have the same comfort level, and good jobs don't seem as plentiful, especially for those with only a high school education."

On various topics . . .

LAPD Deputy Michael Moore and a representative from the Anti-Defamation League will speak about the increase in the number of hate crimes in the San Fernando Valley at the next meeting of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association.

The meeting will be held at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, at Notre Dame High School, located at Riverside and Woodman in Sherman Oaks.

Moore will also talk about what is being done to reduce the number of hate crimes.

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

Two Chatsworth teens are organizing a candlight vigil to honor the victims, survivors and heroes of the Metrolink and Union Pacific train crash last Friday, according to the latest newsletter from the Chatsworth Neighborhood Council.

The vigil will be held at 6:45 p.m. Friday at the Chatsworth train station, 10046 Old Depot Plaza Road.

Haley Giz and Kristen Kiertzner met at Pepper Tree Ranch in Chatsworth as horseback-riding partners when they were in the fourth and sixth grades. Haley, now 15, is a sophomore at Chaminade College Preparatory and Kristen, 17, is a senior at Opportunities for Learning Independent Study.

After the Metrolink tragedy, Haley and Kristen were so devastated by the incident that they called each other and collaborated on organizing a candlelight vigil. They handmade more than 200 tea-light candles, but realized there was more they wanted to do.

They decided to get the community involved. Soon, friends and neighbors began donating their time and talents to make the vigil happen and local businesses were quick to support the teens by posting their fliers to inform the community of the event.

This year's Citywide Congress and Community Budget Day will be held on Saturday, Oct. 11, at City Hall.

Ths upcoming fiscal year will once again require difficult decisions to be made and Mayor Villaraigosa is looking for feedback from stakeholders and neighborhood councils.

Workshop topics will include "Cutting Through the Red Tape to Deliver for Your Neighborhood," "Forming Community Partnerships to Expand Your Neighborhood Council's Clout and Gain New Resources" and "Tools for Influencing City Government."

There will also be open forums with L.A. City Council members, DWP General Manager David Nahai and BongHwan Kim, the new general manager of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment.

This is your opportunity to get involved. To find out more, check in with your local neighborhood council or visit the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment's Web site by clicking here.

Members of the Granada Hills South Neighborhood Council will have a booth at the upcoming Granada Hills Street Faire, to be held from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, along Chatsworth Street, between Zelzah and Encino avenues.

They'll be available to answer questions and let people know how they can get involved in the community.

There will also be entertainment, pony rides, a petting zoo and health screenings.

If you have can't make it to the Street Faire, the council's next meeting, which is open to the public, will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, at First Baptist Church of Granada Hills, 11011 Hayvenhurst Ave., Granada Hills.

For more information, visit www.ghsnc.org.

At the next meeting of the Studio City Neighborhood Council at 7 p.m. Wednesday, the environmental and cultural affairs committee is recommending the council approve the following, according to the council's agenda:

* - The council support the ban on smoking at open-air farmers' markets. However, those amendments which do not carry a penalty or fine are not enforced by LAPD. Therefore, the committee recommends the City Council match the fines incurred for restaurant smoking violations in the amount of at least $50 for all farmers' market smoking violations.

* - The council support full enforcement of the city ordinance which prohibits the use of any gas-powered leaf blower within 500 feet of a residence at any time.

The Studio City Neighborhood Council's meeting will be held at the CBS Studio Center, Building 8, 4024 Radford Ave., Studio City.

On Sept. 5, the U.S. Postal Service finalized the official recognition of Valley Glen witih zip codes 91401, 91405 and 91606, according to the Valley Glen Neighborhood Association's Web site.

This means that Valley Glen will now have its own designation. No more Van Nuys or North Hollywood within its boundaries.

While it's supposed to be immediate, the Web site states it may take a few weeks for it to be fully realized.

For more information, visit www.valleyglen.org.

The Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council will present free Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays, Sept. 28 and Oct. 5, at Lake Balboa Studios, 7412 Balboa Blvd., Lake Balboa.

Sign-in will begin at 7:30 a.m.

A continental breakfast and light lunch will be served.

You must pre-register before Sept. 24. Call Linda Pruett at 818-345-9809 or e-mail LindaP@LakeBalboaNC.org.

For more information, such as a flier about the training and class syllabus, visit www.lakebalboanc.org.

Neighborhood Council Valley Village will celebrate the fifth anniversary of
its certification by the city of Los Angeles as a neighborhood council from 2-5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21, at The Country School, 5243 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Valley Village.

The event is free to the community, but guests need to RSVP by Sept. 12 by e-mail to info@myvalleyvillage.com.

Enjoy an afternoon of socializing, visiting with your neighbors and connecting with those you have been meaning to get to know better. The neighborhood council will be highlighting members of Valley Village's business community who will be on hand to showcase their businesses and launch a new business directory.

For more information, call 818-759-8204 or visit www.MyValleyVillage.com.

The Reseda Theater renovation project is moving ahead finally and the Reseda Neighborhood Council is pleased to see it, according to its latest newsletter.

The inside has been stripped to the bare walls, leaving the impression of a large swimming pool with a sloped floor, the newsletter states. Also, asbestos removal has been completed.

The projected time frame, according to the newsletter, is to remove the existing billboard in late September or early October, followed by removal of the roof and facade. Construction is expected to start in November.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2009 or early 2010.

Are you part of an organization in the western part of Northridge looking for some funding to do great things in the community?

The Northridge West Neighborhood Council's Web site now has a link where you can access and print out a form to request funding from the council, whose mission is to make the community a better place through support and money.

You'll need to provide information such as your organization's address, annual budget, year established, tax status (if applicable), purpose of funding and community benefit.

There's a fax number at the bottom of the form where you can send it once it's completed.

To download the form, go to www.northridgewest.org.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently reopened a section of a popular walking trail along Lake Balboa's western bank to the public, according to the Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council's Web site, www.lakebalboanc.org.

The section was closed briefly to allow work on the Bull Creek Ecosystem Restoration Project in the Sepulveda Basin.

The trail had been closed since June, according to the site, while Corps contractor C.W. Crosser completed work on a temporary diversion channel and 12-inch water line that will supply Bull Creek with water from Lake Balboa.

The temporary trail closure was needed to protect park-goers from the heavy construction at the site. C.W. Crosser and the Corps understood the importance of the trail to the public and expedited the work.

The Web site states that more work in the creek continues and is expected to be completed in the fall. Final construction, including pedestrian bridges and interpretive nodes, is scheduled to be completed next summer.

For more information, visit www.lakebalboanc.org.