Recently in Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council Category

On the Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council's Web site is a link where residents can let Mayor Villaraigosa know their thoughts about the city's budget for the next fiscal year.

Villaraigosa must present his budget plan by April 20 to the L.A. City Council.

Visit www.lakebalboanc.org, click on the link and let the mayor know your budget priorities and your thoughts about the city's revenues and expenditures.

"This year, L.A. will be challenged by many issues, including the uncertain impact of the turbulent national economy, likely revenue shortfalls and increased service demands," Villaraigosa states on the first page of the survey.

Let him know how you think the city should face those challenges.

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.

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.

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 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 Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council will host a town hall meeting with L.A. Councilman Tony Cardenas, of the Sixth Council District, at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 26.

The meeting will be held at a private residence at 6455 Dempsey Ave., Lake Balboa.

For more information, call Cardenas' Van Nuys office at 818-778-4999.

The Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council will hold a special meeting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 21, to discuss proposed improvements to the interchange of the San Diego Freeway (I-405) and the Ventura Freeway (U.S. 101).

Caltrans has stated the purpose of the project is to improve safety, operation, capacity and traffic flow.

Plans call to replace the existing connector from the southbound I-405 to the westbound U.S. 101 with an upgraded connector consisting of a new two-lane, 50-mph bridge, spanning over the spillway of the Sepulveda Dam.

Four different proposals are being considered by Caltrans.

One of the proposals would result in traffic from Burbank Boulevard losing access to both directions of U.S. 101.

Two of the proposals would result in construction of a loop on-ramp from Burbank Boulevard that would encroach onto the Sepulveda Dam Basin Wildlife Refuge.

Caltrans is accepting written comments regarding this project from the public through May 28.

Public comments will be accepted at the June 21 meeting. Residents are asked to fill out a "speaker card" to address the Neighborhood Council Board.

For more information, visit www.lakebalboanc.org.

Elections for board seats on the Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council are coming up soon.

Residents can vote from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. April 12 at Lake Balboa Studios, 7412 Balboa Blvd., Lake Balboa.

Here's the break-down of candidates according to the council's Web site:

Ivan L. Tjoe, Ruth Ann Doxee, Sandy Paolmarez McGill, David Anthony Bernardoni and Teresa Pollock are vying for three residential seats.

Nancy Gwen Kane, Arthur Aslanian, Amber Dawn Savastio and Clayton W. McFarland are up for two business positions.

Sharon Brewer and Lisa Reveen are competing for one organization seat.

The only candidate for the youth seat on the council is Evan Michael Doxee.

There can be no write-in candidates in this election.

The Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council is sponsoring the Lake Balboa Beautiful Homes for Spring Contest, honoring local homes - and their owners - who show pride, care and taste.

There will be first- and second-place winners and a grand prize winner.

Photographs of the winners will be displayed on the neighborhood council's Web site and the grand prize winner will be in the community's local newspaper.

Each winner will receive a prize and will be honored at the May 7 meeting of the Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council.

To get an entry form, call 818-780-3920, ext. 4, or visit www.lakebalboanc.org and click on the link about the contest. Entry forms can be mailed to 15701 Sherman Way, P.O. Box 7720, Van Nuys, CA 91409.

There are seven vacancies on the newly named Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council.

Three of the spots are for residential stakeholders, two are for business stakeholders, one is for an organizational stakeholder and one is for a youth stakeholder between 14 and 17 years old at the time of the election.

Candidate forms may be filed through March 13, with the election on April 12.

For candidate forms and more information, go to www.lakebalboanc.org.