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Neighborhood Beautification Grant Program is Accepting Application!
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For full details on funding, the application process, proposal guidelines and deadlines, visit
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A PSA on the Importance of Smoke Alarm Safety
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The LAFD, in conjunction with MySafe:LA, the Los Angeles Unifed School District and the L.A. County Fire Dept., launched a campaign designed to educate the public about the critical importance of having functioning smoke alarms in the home.
Watch the video above for more information, and visit
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March 20: Neighborhood Council Elections 2014
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For details on polling information, candidate profiles and the election timeline, visit
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L.A. Bureau of Sanitation to Host
Free Used Tire Collection Event
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The Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation will host six used tire recycling collection events for city residents to properly dispose of used and old tires. For more information, visit www.lacitysan.org.
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Fire Station 89 to host Annual St. Baldrick's Event March 15
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LAFD and LAPD proudly present the 11th Annual St. Baldrick's "Shaving the Way to Conquer Kids' Cancer" fundraising event on Saturday, March 15, to raise funds for childhood cancer research. The event will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Fire Station 89, located on 7063 Laurel Canyon Blvd. in North Hollywood. The free family friendly event will also feature a raffle, face painting, a magician, prizes and more. For more information, visit
LAFD Facebook event. |
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Councilman Convenes Meeting
on the Plight of L.A.'s
Runaway Production
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Councilmembers Krekorian, Price and O'Farrell hear testimony during the Ad Hoc Committee's first meeting. | Photo/CD2
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LOS ANGELES - Location managers, lighting specialists, local set decorators, carpenters, camera operators, special effects workers and many more gathered recently, not on the set of movie but in the chambers of City Hall to discuss the effects of runaway production on jobs and the local economy.
During its first meeting, the Ad Hoc Committee on Film and Television Production Job, chaired by Councilmember Krekorian, heard testimony from local businesses and industry workers about the direct impact of declining production.
As California continues to compete with other states and countries in the fight for production, entertainment industry workers have felt the impact of film and television jobs loss. Many, despite decades of experience, are now struggling to find work in the industry or moving out of state for months at a time to keep jobs.
According to a recent report by the Milken Institute, California lost more than 16,000 film and television industry jobs from 2004 to 2012 - a 10% decrease - while New York saw its entertainment sector expand by 10,000 jobs, or 25%, as a result of its expansion of film and television tax credit programs.
"Absent more work from Sacramento and expanded credit, we see a continued decline in the number of jobs available and rapid decline in the available source of vendors and suppliers to this industry, which will weaken Los Angeles in the international marketplace," said FilmL.A. President Paul Audley.
Runaway production affects more than just entertainment workers, but people working in dissimilar industries such as vendors in food services, transportation, floral design, prop houses and construction.
Mark Goldman, Director of Sales for Advanced Liquidators Office Furniture, a local prop house in North Hollywood that supplies furnishings for television dramas, shared insight on the shifting trends in their business.
"The pivotal point [for us] was a few years ago when 15 new one-hour television dramas were picked up but only two were staying in town," Goldman said. "It's just simple math - the shows leave, it affects us all, we all make less money and it's harder for us to survive."
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Local businesses speaking to the committee.
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California currently competes with 40 states and 30 countries for production dollars, according to FilmL.A. With 44% of the state's creative economy workers in L.A., the entertainment industry is undoubtedly a pillar of the region's economy, says the Otis Report on the Creative Economy. In order for Los Angeles to remain the entertainment capital of the world, business owners and industry workers urged that the city and lawmakers create a level playing field to compete with other states.
"For the last decade, gradually this industry has been chipped away by runaway production to other states and other countries. Over 40 other states have lucrative tax incentives that are designed to specifically target our jobs and take our jobs away," Councilmember Krekorian said.
"The reason those states are enacting those incentives is because it make good economic sense to do that. The investment that they make in those incentives pays dividends for their economy in jobs and in tax revenues. Unfortunately throughout that time, as all that was happening and these jobs were slipping away, regrettably, California has been asleep at the switch and took for granted that Hollywood would always be here.
"This industry has guided the city's growth and identified us in the minds of people throughout the world. That is why it is so critically important that we come together... and act with great urgency to protect the industry that calls its home Los Angeles," said the Councilmember.
The Ad Hoc Committee on Film and Television Production Jobs is slated to hold its second meeting on Friday, March 21 at 2 p.m. in City Hall, as it continues to work on policy objectives to make Los Angeles more attractive for production.
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City to Restrict Use of E-Cigarettes
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LOS ANGELES - The City Council, in a 14-0 vote last week, approved a measure that would ban electronic cigarette use, also known as vaping, inside bars, nightclubs, restaurants and some public areas where smoking is also restricted.
Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, are reusable metal tubes that contain nicotine-laced liquid that releases vapor when smoked.
 According to the council measure, vaping will be prohibited at farmers' markets, parks, recreational areas, beaches, indoor workplaces including bars and nightclubs, outdoor dining areas and other places where tobacco smoking is banned. Vaping lounges and stores, however, will be exempted from the ban. E-cigarettes will also be permitted for theatrical purposes. The measure aims to treat e-cigarettes the same as conventional tobacco products. If approved by Mayor Eric Garcetti, the measure would take effect in 30 days and Los Angeles would join a list of cities, including New York and Chicago, that restrict the use of these devices. To read the city ordinance, click here.
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Living History
A Modern Look Back at Our San Fernando Valley
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 | The Studio City Theatre, then and now.
| Left photo via L.A. Public Library collection, right photo via Google |
In 1938, the Studio City Theatre opened its doors in the bustling new area of the San Fernando Valley. As Studio City's first theater, the 880-seat Art Deco era building was the design of architect Clifford A. Balch, whose worked on more than 20 classic Art Deco movie theaters around Southern California, including the El Rey Theater located on Wilshire.
Before closing in 1991, the theater was one of the last remaining single-screen theaters in the Valley. The building, located on 12136 Ventura Boulevard, was preserved and is currently home to a Bookstar and Barnes and Noble bookstore. Much of the theater, including the interior and the lobby, is intact and retains its Art Deco roots.
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Officials Promote New Efforts to Stop Fare Evasion
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Councilmember Krekorian on the Orange Line. | Photo/CD2
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LOS ANGELES - Metro officials, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept. along with Councilmember Paul Krekorian gathered to promote new efforts to reduce fare evasion on the Orange Line busway.
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Officers from the Sheriff's Dept. patrol the station, as part of the enforcement effort. | Photo/CD2
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According to a recent study by Metro, nearly 22% of passengers using the Orange Line either did not have a valid fare or had not paid correctly before boarding. The 18-mile San Fernando Valley bus line, which connects riders between North Hollywood, Woodland Hills and the Chatsworth Metrolink station, boards nearly 30,000 people each day.
As part of the solution to reduce evasion, Metro is increasing enforcement with citations and fines for those who violate the law and will be adding new signs to help educate and direct riders to the proper place to tap their cards.
"The Orange Line has been a tremendous success with nearly 30,000 riders a day, but too many have been avoiding paying the fare. That's bad for the system and unfair to the vast majority who do pay," said Councilmember Krekorian, who sits on the Metro Board of Directors
"Education works, enforcement work and we're doing both of those things [to reduce fare evasion]."
For more information on Metro programs that provide reduced fare plans for students, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities visit Metro.net.
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Library to Offer Online High School Degree Program
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A photo of the Central Library from 1945. | Photo via LAPL archives
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LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Public Library is set to launch a program which offers adults the opportunity to earn an accredited high school diploma and career certificate online.
The library's Career Online High School pilot program provides a limited number of free grants to qualified adult learners who are looking to advance their careers, prepare for workforce entry or continue their education. The Los Angeles Public Library is the first public library in the nation to offer this program.
According the library, the application process features an online self-assessment and pre-requisite course, followed by an in-person interview. Successful candidates are entered into a lottery where a limited number of applicants will be randomly selected each month for enrollment in the program. Once enrolled, students will be paired with an academic coach who provides the student with guidance, evaluates performance and connects the student with the resources needed to master the courses.
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Neighborhood Council Election 2014:
What You Need to Know
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 EAST VALLEY - On Thursday March 20, neighborhood councils of the Second District and beyond will conduct elections for 2014 to determine the next round of leaders.
Stakeholders in the neighborhoods of Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks, Valley Glen, Valley Village, Studio City and North Hollywood (in the North East, West and Mid-Town sections) can learn about the candidates, find information on voting by mail and polling locations by visiting Empowerla.org/south-east-valley.
The North Hollywood North East is slated to host a candidate forum on Wednesday, March 19. During the event, stakeholders and community members will have the opportunity to meet and hear from the candidates.
The neighborhood council network, part of the city's Dept. of Neighborhood Empowerment, is an integral part of increasing civic engagement. Members participate in community planning, neighborhood safety, park and street improvements while working to support local schools and emergency planning and organize community events.
The Dept. of Neighborhood Empowerment is also seeking volunteer poll workers to support the local electoral process. On Election Day, poll workers will assist in the administration of the Neighborhood Council Elections. To volunteer, you must be at least 16 years of age by Election Day, proficient in English and be able to provide your own transportation. If you would like to participate as a volunteer, you can fill out the online Volunteer Poll Worker Application by clicking here.
For more information about neighborhood council Elections, visit the EmpowerLA website, Empowerla.org/south-east-valley.
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LAUSD Superintendent Dr. John Deasy recently made a presentation to the members of the City Council on the state of LAUSD schools. LAUSD is the second largest district in United States. In Council District 2, the report showed positive increases in graduation rates, attendance, math proficiency and school safety.
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Councilmember Krekorian met the fifth grade students of Oxnard Elementary School in North Hollywood, who shared stories of their recent trip to Point Fermin in San Pedro. The office of Councilmember Krekorian helped arrange transportation for the field trip. | Photo/CD2
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Councilmember Krekorian, Chairman of the San Fernando Valley Council of Governments, spoke with Valley leaders in working to create a vision for the Valley's transit future during the 2014 Mobility Summit that was held on March 5. | Photo/CD2
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Councilmembers Krekorian and LaBonge joined the Studio City Neighborhood Council at its Green Living Fair in February, aimed to educate the community on how to live environmentally responsible lives.| Photo/CD2
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A picnic table and trashcan in De Garmo Park were scrubbed clean of graffiti, thanks to the Sun Valley Graffiti Busters. | Photo/CD2
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The North Hollywood West Neighborhood Council, Teesdale Neighborhood Watch, Strathern Neighborhood Watch along with many volunteer youth planted nearly 300 plants, in February, in their continued effort to beautify the Whitsett Slope.
| Photo via Teesdale Neighborhood Watch
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We received this photo of North Hollywood resident Lee Adrian, an accomplished carpenter and a member of the Strathern Neighborhood Watch group, from his trip to Alaska with Habitat for Humanity to volunteer his time to helping finish a home for a family in Anchorage. Lee also helped with the Whitsett Slope project, working on the team to install the slope's drip irrigation system.
Tell us about others who have been helping in the community and beyond by emailing us!| Photo via the North Hollywood North East Neighborhood Council
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Copyright � 2013. All Rights Reserved.
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