Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council Newsletter Vol. 26 Issue 3 | | Welcome to the March 2026 edition of the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council's (SONC) newsletter, the Ziff Flyer. | | |
Spring is almost here, and with it comes renewal, growth, and community spirit. I invite you to join SONC at our annual “Hello to Spring” Tree Adoption event at Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Park on Saturday, March 14th from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This is a wonderful opportunity to bring home a shade tree to beautify your property and contribute to a greener, healthier Sherman Oaks. Together, we can enhance our neighborhood’s canopy and environmental sustainability—one tree at a time.
Our next SONC Board and Community Meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 9th at the Sherman Oaks Adult Center, 5056 Van Nuys Blvd. We are pleased to welcome Ron Galperin, former Los Angeles City Controller and current Budget & Finance Advisory Committee Chair, as our guest speaker. He will provide valuable insight into the City’s budget process and discuss how greater accountability can help create and maintain a balanced budget that delivers the city services Sherman Oaks stakeholders fund through their tax dollars. As I always say, “If you want to understand an organization, follow the money.”
Sherman Oaks faces ongoing challenges—from public safety and homelessness to infrastructure, development, and city services. As the grassroots entry point into city government, SONC exists to amplify your voice, help resolve issues and advocate for our community’s priorities. We are here to help—but we need your help as well.
Your participation is sought, welcomed, and vital as we strive for the greater good and the consistent betterment of Sherman Oaks. Please attend our meetings—either in person or virtually—engage in the conversation, and consider joining a committee where much of the important work takes place.
All SONC meetings, activities, and events are open to everyone. You are always welcome, and your voice, ideas, and thoughts truly matter. Together, we can continue building a stronger Sherman Oaks.
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SONC needs you! Please contact SONC with your interest to possibly serve on the Board in one of the vacant seats listed below. View the SONC area map to see the areas https://www.shermanoaksnc.org/page/map.
There are open seats in the following areas:
Area 2 Business Representative
Area 3 Business Representative
Area 5 Business Representative
Area 5 Community Representative
Area 5 Residential Representative
Contact SONC President to express your interest: hkatchen@shermanoaksnc.org
| | 📅 Upcoming SONC Meetings:
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How to Attend SONC Committee Meetings
Whereas in-person monthly Board meetings take place at the larger Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center (5056 Van Nuys Blvd), in-person SONC committee meetings are generally held at Sherman Oaks Martin Pollard Branch Library, 14245 Moorpark Street, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423. Note that virtual meetings are held via telephone or Zoom. The President and Committee Chairs are empowered to select a meeting format that works best for their group or committee. Meeting locations, formats (in-person vs virtual), dates, and times are listed on the applicable agenda published before the meeting.
For information on specific times and locations for each meeting please consult the SONC website calendar page:
https://www.shermanoaksnc.org/calendar
| | How to Receive Agendas When They Are Posted | | | | Subscribe to LA City's Early Notification System (ENS) to be notified via email of all upcoming Board & Committee Meetings and to receive meeting agendas. | | |
Sherman Oaks suffered immeasurable loss in the wee hours of Wednesday, January 28th, 2026. Andriy Korshunov succumbed to injuries sustained in a tragic hit-and-run on Woodman Avenue between Moorpark and Milbank. His loyal companion, a rottweiler named Berta, was by his side when they were both struck and killed. The vehicle involved was discovered not far from the scene, but the driver’s identity remains unknown. A $50,000 reward is offered for information that leads to their arrest.
In recent years more people have died in car collisions than homicides in Los Angeles. An upsetting reality as we’ve breached the deadline of “Vision Zero”, Former Mayor Eric Garcetti’s ambitious goal of eliminating traffic-related deaths by the year 2025.
Over the course of a lifetime, the odds of being killed in a vehicle collision are 1 in 101. Most drivers will be involved in an accident at some point, and many who survive sustain life-changing injuries.
For Sherman Oaks, safety is a major concern. Residents are reporting issues with cars speeding along narrow residential streets, many with blind corners, and lacking sidewalks.
Requests for speed-bumps, cross-walks, stop-signs, better enforcement of traffic laws, and more proactive infrastructure maintenance are increasingly frequent. Often, these requests, when presented to our elected officials, are met with excuses; namely lack of funding, and bureaucratic red-tape.
SONC’s Traffic & Transportation Committee, in collaboration with the Public Safety committee, is looking to host a Town Hall with the goal of connecting local representatives and relevant agencies to stakeholders who have serious concerns about the safety of our streets. If you share these concerns, we want to hear from you.
In Solidarity
Stacey Segarra-Bohlinger
Chair, SONC Traffic & Transportation Committee
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SONC will be conducting our annual Spring Tree Giveaway event on Saturday March 14, 2026 between 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM at the Van Nuys Sherman Oaks War Memorial Park, 14201 Huston St., Sherman Oaks. Come to celebrate Spring and adopt a tree. To be eligible to obtain any trees, you must provide your LA City ID or some proof of residency. For more information on the types of trees provided and the details of this adoption program, please visit Cityplants.org. These trees are for planting in your yard or elsewhere, but they are not houseplants. With proper watering and care, these trees will grow to provide shade for your home, and since some plants offered are also fruit bearing trees, they could yield some agricultural bonuses!
SONC Summer Movie Series
Want to help choose the movies for our upcoming 2026 Summer Movies in the Park Series? Now's your chance! The SONC Outreach Committee is currently developing the plans and the targeted dates are Saturday June 20, Saturday July 25 and Saturday August 22. The films are shown at the Sherman Oaks War Memorial Park, outdoors on the softball field in the evenings once the sun sets. The movies are family friendly and offer a great chance to get out and meet your neighbors, enjoy a picnic in the park, maybe blow some bubbles or get your face painted, and definitely catch a great flick. Hope to see you all there. Now what would you like to see?
You can let us know by emailing your suggestions to: sonc.newsletter@gmail.com or simply click on 'reply to' in your email system when reading this issue of the Ziff Flyer. We would love to hear from you!
The SONC Outreach Committee meets on the third Tuesday of each month. Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 17th. Please join us. For more information, to view meeting minutes and meeting agendas, and for details on where the monthly meetings will be conducted visit the Outreach Committee web page.
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This month, SONC will consider a motion to support the creation of an ordinance instructing City law enforcement to use body-worn cameras to record immigration enforcement incidents, as specified in Executive Directive 17, "Protecting Angelenos from Ongoing Dangerous Federal Immigration Operations."
Meanwhile, the Ad Hoc Bylaws Committee is finalizing the SONC Bylaws amendment process, which will be heard and voted upon by the full Council at the monthly Board meeting on Monday, March 9.
We look forward to continuing the work of Sherman Oaks in these challenging times.
With Pride and Determination,
Lindsay
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The PLUM Committee announces the Outstanding Project Award
The Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council Planning and Land Use Committee is proud to establish the Outstanding Project Award to recognize an individual, corporation, business, or other stakeholder responsible for an exemplary project within the boundaries of the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council.
This award honors a project in Sherman Oaks that demonstrates exceptional design, clear vision, and a meaningful positive impact on the community. It recognizes initiatives that uphold high standards of planning and execution while contributing to quality of life, promoting sustainability, and enhancing the local environment.
The recipient will exemplify excellence in planning, creativity in problem-solving, and a strong commitment to stakeholder engagement throughout the development process. The honored project should serve as a model for thoughtful development; balancing growth with responsibility, inspiring community pride, and setting a benchmark for future projects.
Projects that reflect or advance the Sherman Oaks Vision Guidelines are especially encouraged.
Award presentation(s) will take place at a time and location to be announced.
Nominations close March 28.
Please submit nominations to Jeff Kalban at jeff.kalban.sonc@gmail.com.
Please join us at the next Sherman Oaks Vision Committee meeting 6:30 Thursday, March 5 at the Sherman Oaks Library. We will be discussing the proposed Open Space Element, emergency evacuation capacity, community parking and community transit.
The next Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council PLUM Committee meeting is 6:30 Thursday March 19 at the Sherman Oaks Library. We will be discussing a proposed by-right 75 unit affordable housing project on Dickens just east of Beverly Glen.
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SONC’s Public Safety Committee meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month starting at 6:30pm. Our March 10th meeting will be virtual – see Agenda for Zoom link.
Do you like Coffee? Would you like to meet with your local LAPD Representatives in a fun and informal setting? If yes, we have several opportunities coming up – please join us!
1. Friday, March 6 from 12pm to 2pm - Coffee With A Cop at Target (5711 N. Sepulveda Blvd.)
2. Saturday, March 14 from 10am to 12pm – Coffee & Cookies With A Cop at ACE Hardware (5960 N. Sepulveda Blvd.)
3. Wednesday, March 25 from 12pm to 2pm – Tip-A-Cop at Maria’s Italian Kitchen (13353 Ventura Blvd.)
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Need help with potholes, street pavement issues, graffiti removal, or other city services? Try submitting a report via MyLA311.
MyLA311 connects residents, local businesses, and visitors to popular City services and information through its call center, website, & mobile app. The mission of MyLA311 is to connect people to City services and information, quickly and easily, via the communication channel of their choice. Click here to visit MyLA311.
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Subscribe to SONC's
Early Notification System via the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment to receive all agendas for council meetings and committee meetings.
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If you need additional assistance with City services, agencies, and departments (trash, abandoned properties, and more), you can contact the Office of District 4 Councilmember Nithya Raman here or via (213) 473-7004.
In addition to contacting the office, for any issues related to homelessness anywhere within Council District 4, you can contact Field Deputy Taleen Keuroghlian (taleen.keuroghlian@lacity.org).
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Volunteer with
The Valley of Change
Feed Our Friends In Need
Second Saturday of Month
Community Cleanup
Second Sundays
'Come to the Corner'
Email Contact:
info@thevalleyofchange.org
For more information please visit:
TheValleyofChange.org
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Volunteer with NHIFP
Take advantage of helping out your community.
North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry is looking for volunteers.
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LA Regional Food Bank
If you are interested in volunteering with the LA Regional Food Bank, please visit this link.
Questions, concerns, please email:
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L.A. Works
Join L.A. Works and learn about all the volunteer opportunities available here in our great City of Los Angeles!
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Get Involved In Your Community
If you are interested in becoming a Block Captain and starting a Neighborhood Watch Program in your neighborhood, please contact your Senior Lead Officer at the email addresses or phone numbers listed below to obtain further details. There are 4 senior lead officers assigned for all of Sherman Oaks:
Temporary: Michael Perez
email: 35569@lapd.online
(818) 731-2566
9SL19
Mariana Romo
email: 40229@lapd.online
(818) 731-2563
9SL63
Joel Gutierrez
email: 36816@lapd.online
(818) 731-2560
9SL41
Kristan DeLatori
email: 32914@lapd.online
(818) 731-2562
9SL37
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Get Involved!
What interests you?
If you live, work, own property, own a business, or belong to a non-profit organization, school, or religious institution in Sherman Oaks, you are a stakeholder in Sherman Oaks. We hold monthly Board of Directors and various committee meetings which you are invited to attend to learn about and participate in your community. Join SONC's Mailing List today.
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What is a Neighborhood Council?
The Neighborhood Council system enables meaningful civic participation for all Angelenos and serves as a voice for improving government responsiveness to local communities and their needs. We are an advisory body to the City of Los Angeles, comprised of stakeholder volunteers who are devoted to the mission of improving our communities.
Neighborhood Councils advise the Mayor, City Council and City Departments on the City budget and will give local residents greater say over the decisions that affect our lives. You can view a brief video explaining what Neighborhood Councils do and what it means to be a Neighborhood Council member here. |
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