“Best of…” and “Got It!” Awards Presented to 13 NCs, Controller Galperin
Thirteen Neighborhood Councils were recognized with three “Best of…” awards and City Controller Ron Galperin was the recipient of the “Got It!” award at last night’s Valley Alliance of NCs 11th Anniversary Mixer event held at CBS Studios in Studio City.
Over 200 Neighborhood Council Board members representing 33 of the Valley’s 34 NCs, City Commissioners, and Department heads and representatives were in attendance at the annual event, which was held one month later than usual to include all of the newly elected Board members from the four Regions in the Valley. Also staffing tables were representatives of Film L.A. and the Department of Water and Power, who provided information and answered questions how they could assist NCs.
The Mixer also included a Candidate Forum featuring four of the leading candidates for the County’s Third Supervisorial District, which includes two million constituents, half of whom are in the Valley. Candidates John Duran, Sheila Kuehl, Bobby Shriver, and Pamela Conley Ulich answered questions which including housing and homelessness and transportation issues. The panel was moderated by Jill Banks Barad, founder and chair of VANC (and a DWP Commissioner), who stressed that the County Board of Supervisors has a “great impact on the County and on the Valley.”
VANC’s “Best of…” and “Got It!” awards are given annually to NCs, individuals, and public officials who have shown outstanding accomplishment and leadership in the Valley and Los Angeles. The 2014 awardees are:
“Best of …” Partnering with City, State and Community for Community Improvement
North Hollywood North East Neighborhood Council and North Hollywood West Neighborhood Council joined together to eliminate an eyesore at the corner of Whitsett and South Saticoy Street. The Department of Transportation building sits on that corner, the property slopes off onto Whitsett and at one time this area was irrigated and planted.
Over time, the irrigation pipes broke and the plants died and weeds sprang up and the dumping of trash became the order of the day. The City claimed a lack of funds prevented them from making the repairs and cleanup.
The council members from both Neighborhood Councils said, “enough already” and they set about to change this eyesore back to what it used to be.
With the help of Strathern Neighborhood Watch, Graffiti Busters, New Directions for Youth, USC Alumni “Day of Giving Back to the Valley,” Honda Motors, River Project, Payne Institute, High School students earning their Community Service points, and Councilmember Krekorian and his staff, and Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra and his staff, everyone set about to remove the trash, do the weeding, and put nutrients back in the soil.
With funds from both Neighborhood Councils and matching funds from the Neighborhood Beautification Grant from Councilmember Krekorian, they were able to irrigate and plant. Now there are 23 trees from the TreePeople, along with all kinds of bushes and plants that are drought tolerant.
These two Neighborhood Councils have taken back their neighborhood! They have turned an eyesore into a lovely garden. And as an extra benefit, are the friendships that have formed by the two councils working together along with their stakeholders.
For Partnering with City, State and Community for Community Improvement, the VANC “Best of …Award” is presented to North Hollywood North East and North Hollywood West Neighborhood Councils.
“Best of…” Neighborhood Council Improvements through Community Outreach
This year has seen great improvements in the Canoga Park Neighborhood Council. The leadership has reinvigorated the Council and by actively recruiting talented people with a desire to serve, this Board has accomplished much in the last year. Here are some examples:
The Council organized a very successful Job Fair that attracted over 500 attendees. The Fair provided hope and opportunity for all of the participants.
The Council co-organized a Mass Drill at the Madrid Theatre in Canoga Park. The Drill simulated how the community would be impacted after a 7.2 earthquake. The attendees saw first-hand how CERT responds to such a catastrophe. The event was well attended and garnered many new people wanting to enroll in CERT training programs. It also served as a training opportunity for CERT personnel.
Canoga Park Neighborhood Council also was part of the coalition that organized the District 3 Public Safety Fair on Emergency Preparedness.
The Board has made it standard operating procedure to post all Council notices both in English and Spanish.
Canoga Park has shown consistent participation in the Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils.
And because of the Council’s Outreach and persistent attention to the community, the voter participation in this election cycle increased by 400% over the last election!
Canoga Park is fortunate to have hard working and dedicated Board members. A big thank you to James Sweet for his diligence in organizing the Job Fair and Bill Ratner for his fine work with the Sea Cadets and CERT.
As we know with any organization, the leadership is what makes the difference. VANC wants to especially recognize Corinne Ho, the president of Canoga Park Neighborhood Council. She is an outstanding example of such leadership. She made it her goal to reinvigorate the Council and she has distinguished herself by inspiring her Board and her community with her fortitude, her work ethic and her achievements.
We are proud to award the “Best of…” Neighborhood Council Improvements through Community Outreach to the Canoga Park Neighborhood Council.
“Best of…”Ongoing Collaboration: Valley 7th Annual Disaster Preparedness Fair
About eight years ago, a small group of Neighborhood Council members, passionate about emergency preparedness, formed the North Valley Disaster Preparedness Team for the sole purpose of managing and presenting a Valley Disaster Preparedness Fair.
Their success has been phenomenal. Now in its seventh year, the group dropped the “North” from its name because there had been so much interest in expanding the Fair’s reach to encompass much more of the Valley. Some of the original founders are still involved and many of the same NCs have been contributing and participating from the beginning.
In its early years, the Disaster Fair was held at different locations, including as part of the Granada Hills Street Fair, but soon grew into a regional event with a day of its own. It was moved to the newly rebuilt Fire Station 87 in Granada Hills a few years ago, allowing not only more space but also an opportunity to showcase the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The Fair emphasizes individual as well as neighborhood preparedness and awareness. In addition to free food, a highlight is the distribution of free Emergency Preparedness starter kits to families that register. Last year, the Fair gave away 500 kits.
The Fair has grown steadily. Last year over 1,200 attended and in addition, nearly 300 vendors, NC representatives, Scouts, police and fire cadets and other support personnel.
Sponsors and contributors share the cost of the starter kits, food and incidental expenses to produce the Fair. No selling is permitted but hundreds of products are displayed, and there are many demonstrations and activities for adults and children. Free food is prepared and served “post-disaster” style. Additional funding, donations, and resources are provided by Councilmember Mitch Englander, public-private partnerships, and local businesses.
The schedule has included the Red Cross children’s safety puppet show as well as presentations on use of a fire extinguisher, electrical safety, sidewalk CPR, Jaws of Life, and CERT. The Yogi Bear Shakey-Quakey School House is there to give visitors a hefty shake. Other participants include the LAPD, CHP, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Civil Air Patrol, Red Cross, Southern California Gas Company, LADWP and Ham radio operators. There are also safety products and free child ID kits, courtesy of Granada Hills Masonic Lodge 378.
In 2013, ten area Neighborhood Councils participated: Granada Hills North, Granada Hills South, Lake Balboa, Northridge East, Northridge South, Northridge West, Mission Hills, North Hills West, Chatsworth, and Porter Ranch. Each NC also has an Outreach booth at the Fair.
The Valley Disaster Preparedness Team has held meetings year round for eight years to make these events happen. Among the team leaders are Steve Patel (Northridge East), Bill Hopkins (GH North), Linda Pruett (Lake Balboa), Tom Johnson (Northridge West), Dave Beauvais (GH South), Glen Wilson (Northridge West), and Nathan Wolfstein (Be More Prepared ).
This year’s Fair will be held on September 27, 2014.
For the “Best of…” ongoing excellence and collaboration in working together as a group to educate stakeholders, VANC recognizes the Valley Disaster Preparedness Fair and the ten Neighborhood Councils that sponsor this annual event.
Ron Galperin is an elected official who Gets It !
It has only been nine and half months since he took office as City Controller, but since Day One, Ron Galperin has made an impact!
He is a man who is giving Los Angeles the ability to increase transparency and accountability by using innovation and technology.
He understands what computer technology can do towards bringing the City into the 21st century. He has made giant strides in computerizing all the City Finance records in the Controller’s office.
- He has recently revealed his Control Panel LA providing the public with unprecedented user-friendly one-stop access to LA’s financial data.
- The data will help the public identify problems and issues, raise questions, and most importantly, take advantage of opportunities to do things differently.
- He has released the most comprehensive picture to date of the total cost to taxpayers— providing further detail on TRUE costs, including payroll and healthcare, of the City’s over 57,000 full time and part-time employees.
- He tenaciously continues to get the IBEW union leader to account for $40 million in ratepayer dollars spent on two trust funds created years ago and not yet accounted for.
For making City government more transparent and accountable to the public, we are proud to give the VANC Got It! Award to City Controller Ron Galperin.
The Valley Alliance meets on the second Thursday of every month at 6:30 at the Sherman Oaks Hospital Doctors Conference Room. To receive the meeting agendas, email [email protected]