Englander E-News: Recycling, CERT, Neighborhood Watch and More ...

COUNCILMEMBER ENGLANDER'S E-NEWS
Jan. 4, 2013

Please Recycle Your Christmas Tree...

The City Bureau of Sanitation offers recycling of Christmas trees this winter for both residential and multi-family residential properties. The collected Christmas trees will be recycled into compost and mulch.

If your tree is too big to cut and place inside your green waste bin, simply place the tree next to your green waste bin on collection day. Please remove all ornaments, decorations, tinsel, and the stand first.

The City also offers a special ONE DAY ONLY collection of Christmas trees at several locations, on Sunday, Jan. 6. 

Sunday, Jan. 6
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Balboa Sports Center
17015 Burbank Blvd., Encino

Fire Station #28
11641 Corbin Ave., Northridge

Fire Station #106
23004 Roscoe Blvd., West Hills

For more information on recycling your Christmas tree, visithttp://www.lacitysan.org/tree-recycle.htm. 

Northridge West Neighborhood Council's Operation Clean Sweep's First Clean-Up of 2013...

Join Northridge West Neighborhood Council and fellow community volunteers for the first Operation Clean Sweep community beautification event of 2013, on Thursday, Jan. 10 in Northridge.

Thursday, Jan. 10
8:00 am
North side of Plummer St. 
(between Vanalden Ave. & Tampa Ave.) 

Park on Vanalden Ave. and join the Operation Clean Sweep crew at 8:00 am to go over the plan for the clean-up  while enjoying coffee and pastries generously provided by Northridge West Neighborhood Council. Bring gloves if you have them, sunscreen, a sunhat and appropriate shoes for outdoor work. 

Operation Clean Sweep has been volunteering every Thursday to keep the sidewalks and parkways of Northridge clean and beautiful for more than two years! Their current project will beautify the street corner by repairing block walls, installing sprinklers, preparing the soil, planting flowers and plants, installing neighborhood signs and installing lighting. 

If you can't volunteer, you can still help support this effort by making a donation. To make a donation, call Chris Williams at (818) 694-9000 or email acwilliams@aol.com. 

To sign up to volunteer, or for more information, call Glen Wilson at (818) 886-3534 or email glenw@dslextreme.com. 

Learn Ballroom Dance and Other Styles at St. Euphrasia...

Looking for a fun way to burn off those holiday calories and fulfill your New Year's resolution? St. Euphrasia Church in Granada Hills is offering ballroom, swing and fox trot dance lessons every Friday evening through Feb. 8. 

Every Friday
Jan. 4 to Feb. 8
7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
St. Euphrasia Church
Parish Hall
17637 Mayerling St.
Granada Hills

Registration is at 6:30 pm, and the classes start at 7:00 pm sharp. Single classes cost $10, and a six-week series costs $50. 

For more information, call Susie Sempelsz at (818) 360-4611 or emailsusie@sarshop.com. 

Free CERT Training...

There is a great opportunity coming up for families to learn how to get prepared for earthquakes, wildfires, floods or other disasters at the free Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) course in Chatsworth.

These courses could make all the difference for you and your family before, during and after a disaster. We applaud Chatsworth Neighborhood Council for sponsoring this important public safety resource for the community.

Thursdays
Jan. 10 to Feb. 21
9:30 am to 12:00 pm
Chatsworth Library Meeting Room
21052 Devonshire St., Chatsworth

CERT trains community members in basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations. You will learn how to prepare for emergencies, what supplies, food and water you should have in your home or office, and most importantly, how to protect your family and your neighbors.

For more information email cert@chatsworthcouncil.org or call Clara at(818) 773-9655 . 

Granada Hills Charter High School's Highlander Fest...

Save the date for Highlander Fest, an annual community event to welcome families, alumni, neighbors and friends to celebrate Granada Hills Charter High School, Saturday, Jan. 12. This fun community event is completely organized and executed by the students.

Saturday, Jan. 12
11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Granada Hills Charter 
High School
10535 Zelzah Ave.
Granada Hills

The event includes bungee jumping, a petting zoo, obstacle courses, a free throw contest, pony rides, a geography game, skee ball, human hamster balls, Sumo wrestling, rock climbing and other games. The food and treats at the event will include cotton candy, In N' Out Burger truck, Numero Uno Pizza, cupcakes, Thai food, pupusas and more. 

For more information, click here. 

Call for Volunteers to Help Prune Park Roses...

The Southern California Garden Club in partnership with the San Fernando Valley Rose Society and the West Valley Garden Club will be organizing two volunteer rose pruning events in our local parks in January. 

Saturday, Jan. 12
9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Orcutt Ranch Park
23600 Roscoe Blvd., Canoga Park
(Additional volunteer opportunities available 
Jan. 9, 10 & 11 after 1:00 pm)

Saturday, Jan. 26
9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Homestead Acre
Chatsworth Park South
10835 Shadow Oak Dr., Chatsworth 

There are nearly 600 rose bushes at Orcutt Ranch and over 300 rose bushes at Homestead Acre in Chatsworth Park South that need pruning. You can volunteer in this fun event and help mainain these beautiful gardens. A short pruning tutorial will be provided and refreshments will be served. Bring clippers and gloves if you have them. The flowers harvested during the rose pruning events will be donated to the Los Angeles Zoo for their primate and reptile program. 

For more information, call Albert Change at (818) 363-5925 or emailafchangusa@gmail.com. 

Granada Hills Library Used Book Sale...

The Friends of the Granada Hills Library will host a two-day used book sale on Jan. 18 and Jan. 19.  

Friday, Jan. 18
10:00 am to 5:00 pm 
Saturday, Jan. 19
10:00 am to 2:00 pm 
Granada Hills Library 
10640 Petit Ave., Granada Hills

There will be a wide range of fiction, nonfiction, hardcover and paperback books in good conditions for excellent prices!  Bags of books may be filled for $5 each.  All proceeds will help provide materials and programs for the library. 

For more information, call (818) 368-5687.

Martin Luther King Day of Service…

HOPE Worldwide and the Foundation for the Preservation of the Santa Susana Mountains invite all community members to help clean up the Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park for their Martin Luther King Day of Service on Saturday, Jan. 19.  

Volunteers will help remove invasive plants, maintain trails, install posts for park signs, and paint over graffiti. You can also help clean up the historic Old Stagecoach Trail. Special activities are planned for kids younger than 12. 

Every year volunteers and community-based organizations across the nation undertake efforts to improve the community in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s contributions. HOPE Worldwide is an international non-profit organization dedicated to serving the poor and needy through sustainable, community-based services, including healthcare, nutrition, housing and education. 

Saturday, Jan. 19
8:00 am to 12:00 pm
Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park
Andora Ave. at Andora Place
Chatsworth 
Click here for a map.
 
All adult volunteers will meet at 8:00 am at the Andora Ave. entrance to the Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park, next to the Oakwood Cemetery in Chatsworth. Volunteers with children will meet at 8:00 am at the entrance to the park on Lilac Lane at Santa Susana Pass Rd. Park in the dirt parking lot west of the park kiosk. Please wear sturdy close-toed shoes, long pants, and long sleeves for working around brush. Light breakfast will be provided for all volunteers. 

For more information, please call Susan Knudsen at (818) 357-0161
or email knudsenpurdy@aol.com. 

Learn About Ham Radio...

Join the Valley Public Response for Emergency Team (VREP) for a great Ham radio class starting on Saturday, Jan. 19 in Woodland Hills. Our office is proud to support this event, together with Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield, the California Highway Patrol, and community-based emergency preparedness organizations. 

Saturday, Jan. 19
California Highway Patrol West Valley Station
5825 De Soto Ave. 
Woodland Hills
(Between Burbank Blvd. & Oxnard St.)

In times of disaster, when regular communication channels fail, amateur Ham radio operators can play an important role in assisting emergency communication efforts and working with public service agencies and the community. At this event, you can learn more about the Ham radio system, and how you can become a Ham radio operator. 

There will be an Amateur Radio Entry Level FCC-License Test at 8:00 am. RSVPs are required because space is limited, and applicants need to receive exam study materials in advance. There is a $5 administrative fee for the exam. At 11:00 am there is an informational presentation on Ham radio. 

Please RSVP to Erik Rodriguez at (818) 904-3840 or email Erik.Rodriguez@asm.ca.gov.

A Year of Emergency Preparedness...

On January 17, the 18th anniversary of the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, we kicked off our Year of Emergency Preparedness in Los Angeles.

Throughout 2012, we worked on legislation, programs and public awareness efforts to help the residents of Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley be prepared for natural or man-made disasters.

Every week, our newsletter will feature a new item in an Emergency Preparedness Checklist. These are simple steps that everyone in Los Angeles should take in order to be prepared for any disaster. If you follow each item on this checklist, you will be highly prepared at the end of the year.

Week 48: Make Emergency Preparedness Your New Year's Resolution...
Tired of resolving to eat healthier or get more exercise? Why not make your New Year's resolution getting prepared for earthquakes and other emergencies? Before the year is over, resolve to make a family emergency plan, get emergency kits for all your cars and your home, including a "grab & go" kit in case you need to evacuate, and learn first aid and CPR. To learn how,click here. 

To see our updated, printable Emergency Preparedness Checklist, with every week's entry, visit our website at www.CD12.org and click "Year of Preparedness."

Get Neighborhood Watch Signs to Help Make Your Neighborhood Safer...

Our Public Safety Deputy Jim Dellinger is a former LAPD Officer with over 26 years on the force and serves as our liaison to the Police Department. He reports this week on how you can order Neighborhood Watch signs to post in your neighborhood. 

The Department of Transportation (LADOT) and the Police Department have been working together to help Neighborhood Watch groups get Neighborhood Watch signs installed. Neighborhood Watch groups are responsible for all costs associated with fabrication and installation of the signs, but the work is performed by authorized contractors. The application process takes four to six weeks, and should be completed and final approval given by LADOT before the Neighborhood Watch signs are purchased.

Neighborhood Watches are one of the most effective and least costly ways to prevent crime and reduce fear in your neighborhood. Neighborhood Watches offer community members a way to help make their own community safer and reduce crime. They fight the isolation and separation that crime creates and feeds upon. They build bonds among neighbors and local businesses in the community, help reduce burglaries and robberies, and improve relations between the Police and the communities they serve. 

To see the online application for Neighborhood Watch signs, click here.  

To learn how to join an existing Neighborhood Watch group or start a new one, call your LAPD Division and ask for the Community Relations Office. LAPD Devonshire Division: (818) 832-0633. LAPD Topanga Division: (818)  756-4800.