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A PSA on the Importance of Smoke Alarm Safety
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Watch the video above for more information about the critical importance of having functioning smoke alarms in the home.
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Internship opportunities are open to current college students who have an interest in government and are looking to work with Councilmember Krekorian's City Hall staff in assisting constituents and implementing community-based events and upcoming projects.
Deadline to apply is Friday, May 23.
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Valley Interfaith Council Seeks Volunteers for Meal on Wheels Program
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VIC Meals on Wheels program is seeking volunteer driver. For more information,
call (818) 998-5350.
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City Leaders Call on the Community to
Rescue the Mission
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 | | Councilmember Krekorian with one of youngest residents of the Rescue Mission affected by the devastating fire.| Photo: Adam VanGerpen |
NORTH HOLLYWOOD - Led by Councilmember Paul Krekorian, city and civic leaders gathered on May 7 to launch a new campaign to "Rescue the Mission." The campaign is an effort to raise funds for the San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission, which was destroyed by a massive fire days earlier.
In collaboration with City Councilmembers Mitch Englander, Nury Martinez, Bob Blumenfield, Felipe Fuentes, Paul Koretz, and Tom LaBonge, along with nearly a dozen community and business partners, Councilmember Krekorian announced that more than $100,000 has been raised so far, but it is still long way from the $2.5 million needed to restore the Rescue Mission.
During the news conference, city leaders urged the community to pledge their support for the mission and donate.
"The work of the SFV Rescue Mission suffered a terrible setback," said Councilmember Krekorian. "The families served by the Rescue Mission suffered a terrible setback. The fire destroyed so much. We've got a long way to go before the Rescue Mission gets back on its feet, but this is a start. The next step is getting everyone who can to donate."
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Scene of the fire and the aftermath.
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The May 3 fire started at a warehouse adjacent to the shelter on Saticoy Street. Within minutes, the fire spread and the Rescue Mission was engulfed in flames. More than 130 firefighters battled the blaze and evacuated the 28 residents of the Mission to a nearby church without injury.
The fire destroyed the Mission's emergency shelter, vehicle fleet, clothing warehouse and food pantry, decimating $250,000 worth of donated items meant for Valley families and the Mission's thrift stores.
Cash donations can be made online at rescuethemission.org. Fire stations in the San Fernando Valley will accept in-kind donations of items that are still in critical need, including clothes, shoes and small household items, like coffee makers, pots and pans, decorations and dishes, and personal hygiene items.
For more information on how to donate, please contact (888) 937-4448.
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LA City Budget Hearings Continue
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Members of the Budget and Finance Committee during the hearings. | Photo: CD2
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LOS ANGELES - The Budget and Finance Committee, led by Councilmember Krekorian, has held a series of hearings to work toward finalizing the Mayor's 2014-2015 proposed budget. The committee heard from all city departments and took public testimony on how Los Angeles can best implement a spending plan to ensure continued economic recovery and greater fiscal responsibility.
As the committee wraps up its final round of meetings before sending its recommendations to the City Council, Councilmember Krekorian shares his insight on the budget process thus far:
"As chair of the City Council's Budget and Finance Committee, I am just finishing up two weeks of marathon sessions covering every aspect of the city budget proposed by the mayor.
"At the hearings, the head of each city department comes before the committee to discuss their take on the budget and tell us what resources they need to keep department operations running. After the committee finishes its deliberations this week, the updated budget will go to the full City Council for approval.
"I'm happy to report that this year's budget is a step in the right direction. We've still got room for improvement, which will happen in years to come, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Our city's finances are getting better as we move farther away from the tough years of the recession.
"Our city has sacrificed over the past six years. But these sacrifices have put Los Angeles on better fiscal footing. I'm proud to say that the City Council has been able to reduce city costs and increase revenues, lowering the deficit by more than $800 million over the course of those years.
"At the same time, we have established the largest reserve fund that the city has had in a long time. This will protect us for years to come.
"Our work is not yet done. As the economy continues its recovery, I look forward to doing even more to restore services in the Valley and across the city."
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Studio City Welcomes LA's 50th
Universally Accessible Playground
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The newly renovated playground is now open at Studio City's Beeman Park. | Photo: JuanCarlos Chan, Los Angeles Dept of Recreation and Parks.
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STUDIO CITY - The Department of Recreation and Parks, in collaboration with the office of Councilmember Krekorian and Shane's Inspiration, celebrated the opening of the city's 50th universally accessible playground at Studio City's Beeman Park last month.
The newly renovated park playground promotes play for children of all abilities. It was designed by the nonprofit agency Shane's Inspiration, which specializes in serving children with developmental disabilities.
Nestled in an 8.46 acre park, the newly installed universally accessible play structure includes a toddler area for children ages 2 to 5, complete with slides, climbing features, rubberized surfacing and a separate swing area.
Beeman Park is located at 12621 Rye Street in Studio City.
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Living History
A Modern Look Back at Our San Fernando Valley
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5251 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood, then and now. | Left photo: LA Public Library Valley Times Collection, right photo courtesy of Bob Peppermuller
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This week's Living History post marks a historic moment in education for the North Hollywood community. On April 23, 1958, a commemorative plaque was placed at 5251 Lankershim Boulevard at the site of North Hollywood's first public school. Notable people in the left photo include Mrs. Frances Muir Pomeroy, president of the Valley Historical Society (third from right), and William McCann, representative of Mayor Norrish Poulson (far right).
Although the plaque has since been removed, the building still stands and is currently home to Bob's Espresso Bar, a small business in the NoHo Arts District where locals can stop in to enjoy an espresso, live music and open mic nights throughout the week.
Did you know? North Hollywood was once nicknamed the "Home of the Peach" due to the many peach groves in the area.
Do you have a piece of Valley history you would like to share? Send your photos and comments to [email protected].
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City Commemorates 99th Anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide
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Councilmember Krekorian leads the City Council presentation honoring the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. | Photo: CD2
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LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles City Council, led by Councilmember Krekorian, commemorated the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide last month with a special presentation at City Hall.
This year, the city paid special recognition to the organizations and individuals who contributed to the humanitarian efforts of Near East Relief, and the "America We Thank You: An Armenian Tribute to Near East Relief" campaign. The City Council honored the work of YMCA, Kiwanis International, and the late American actor Jackie Coogan, for their philanthropic efforts to bring funding, awareness and aid to the Armenian refugee population.
Near East Relief, originally known as American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief (ACASR), was established in 1915 by President Woodrow Wilson in response to Ambassador to Constantinople Henry Morgenthau's urgent plea for assistance to save victims of the Armenian Genocide and Assyrian Genocide. From 1915 to 1930, ACASR saved the lives of over a million refugees, including 130,000 orphans, and mobilized Americans to raise more than $100 million for emergency relief and services.
The City Council also gave special recognition to Hagop Manjikian, founder of the Armenian National Committee in Los Angeles. Manjikian's work has also helped expand the Armenian Genocide Library series with a six-part memoir collection of Genocide survivors.
To view photos from this year's commemoration, visit our Flickr page.
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Student Filmmakers Take Home
Top Media Festival Prizes
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Student filmmakers join Councilmember Krekorian on the red carpet for the 2014 media festival. | Photo: CD2
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LOS ANGELES - On May 3, Councilmember Krekorian, in partnership with NewFilmmakers Los Angeles, hosted the fourth annual Los Angeles Student Media Festival--the region's largest film festival featuring the work of high school filmmakers.
Students from cities across LA County--Beverly Hills, El Monte, Pasadena, Los Angeles and more--submitted more than 150 short films, which were reviewed by an expert panel of judges. The 37 finalists were screened during the festival at the AT&T Center in Downtown Los Angeles. The top films won awards. Here are the winners for the 2014 LA Student Media Festival:
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ANIMATION
Big Love
By Kendra Sazon
Burbank High School
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DOCUMENTARY
Swords Into Ploughshares
By Max Cho
Harvard-Westlake School
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COMMERCIAL
Seat Belt Monster
By Charles Schaefer
Providence High School
Super Fanny Pack
By Luis Bayardo
Gabrielino High School
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COMEDY
Butter
By Luca Joncich
El Camino Real Charter High School
Fear
By Parris Calkin, J.C.Castro, & Tino Dimperio
Providence High School
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PSA
Dear 13 Year Old Me
By Emma Bloom, Esther Julis, Rachel Kaye, and Olivia Knight
Milken Community High School
A Righteous Conversations Project
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DRAMA
Polishing Mrs. Wright
By Keaton Applebaum
CHAMPS Charter High School of the Arts
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BEST IN SHOW
Butter
By Luca Joncich
El Camino Real Charter High School
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AUDIENCE CHOICE
The Champion
By Ben Tan and Luka Joncich
El Camino Real Charter High School
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"This is the only film festival of its kind in Southern California. It's enriching for the students, their families and everyone who participates," said Councilmember Krekorian. "I'm proud to give young filmmakers a venue to tell the stories that matter to them and to their communities. They are the future of our heritage industry."
"Watching these talented students make art is truly inspiring. They are entertaining us now and, as the next generation of Hollywood filmmakers, will be in the years to come. That's what the Los Angeles Student Media Festival is all about. We're really happy to be a part of something that gets better and more exciting each year," said Larry Laboe, Executive Director of NewFilmmakers Los Angeles.
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Sun Valley slope clean up. | Photo: CD2
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SUN VALLEY - Volunteers from a local nonprofit recently worked to clean up debris and clear weeds from a slope in Sun Valley.
Sun Valley Graffiti Busters collected more than 47 bags of weeds over the weekend along Glenoaks Boulevard, between Lanark Street and Roscoe Boulevard. The organization also cleaned up an alley near Lankershim Boulevard and Oxnard Street, removing trash and debris.
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Lankershim alley | Photo/CD2
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Is there an area in your neighborhood in need of care? Want to host a clean up? Let us know by calling (818) 755-7676. You can also email us at [email protected].
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LADWP Issues Billing Scam Alert
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LOS ANGELES - The Department of Water and Power cautions customers to beware of impostors posing as utility personnel making service-related telephone calls.
LADWP recently reported accounts of impostors seeking to obtain money via a false unpaid balance. The impostors ask the customer to go to a nearby pharmacy and call a specific telephone number back with the customer's financial information, or by demanding that they pay their bill with a pre-paid cash card.
The Department is aware of this scheme and on security alert regarding this and other fraudulent practices. The LADWP personnel never call customers seeking personal banking information over the telephone and do not accept payment information verbally over the telephone.
If you get a call asking for a cash card or credit card number or other personal financial information, hang up and call LAPD. To report suspicious activity to the Department: call LADWP Security Services at (213) 367-3373 or (213) 367-9111.
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Upcoming Community Events
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Valley Glen Festival,
May 18
The Valley Glen Neighborhood Association will host its annual Valley Glen Festival on Sunday May 18, from 12 noon to 4 p.m. at the Valley Glen Community Park, located on 6150 Atoll Ave [map].
The festival is free to all attendees and features an outdoor barbecue, a raffle, games, music, crafts and activities for kids and the whole family.
The Valley Glen Neighborhood Association is also looking for event volunteers. For more information visit valleyglen.org.
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2014 Summer Sports Academy, June 10
The Department of Recreation and Parks, LA Kids, is offering a free Summer Sports Camp for children ages 7 to 14. The camp will be conducted at the Hansen Dam Sports Complex, located in Lake View Terrace. The program offers instruction in baseball, softball and soccer. Children will receive free transportation (from participating recreation centers), free uniforms and free lunch. In addition to the Summer Sports Camp, kids can also register for free year-round classes and receive free summer lunch at the listed recreation centers.
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CPR Block Party,
June 7
In honor of National CPR Awareness Week, from June 1 through June 7, EduLife Institute will offer FREE CPR training classes on Saturday, June 7 in North Hollywood.
All residents of Los Angeles County are welcome to attend. During June's CPR Block Party aims to train more than 11,840 people to administer CPR for free.
The CPR Block Party is a community event, open to all residents of Southern California. The event will begin at 10 a.m., located at 6426 Bellingham Ave. For more information about the event, visit edulifela.org.
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Councilmember Krekorian presented a donation to the Armenian Relief Society, during the celebration of their 30th anniversary, in support of the organization's important work to help communities in need. L-R: Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell, ARS Regional Executive Chairperson Lena Bozoyan and Councilmember Paul Krekorian.
| Photos: (right) CD2 and (left) Asbarez
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CD2 staff helping to remove bulky items and clean up the neighborhood. | Photo: CD2
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 | | Councilmember Krekorian stood with Mayors Garcetti and Johnson, Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, members of the City Council and other basketball greats to support the NBA's stand against racism. | Photo: CD2 |
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The offices of Councilmember Krekorian and Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian gave away 100 fruit trees and low-flow shower heads at a recent event at the Studio City Farmer's Market. | Photo: CD2
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Left: Councilmember Krekorian Metro CEO Art Leahy; Right: Members of the Metro Board of Directors celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Union Station.
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Republic Services awarded 16 college-bound high school seniors with scholarships for their winning essays on environmental stewardship. The office of Councilmember Krekorian recognized North Hollywood High School seniors, Adrian Garza and Eduardo Santoy, who were among the scholarship winners. | Photo: Edward Santizo
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Copyright � 2013. All Rights Reserved.
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