Politics & Government

Englander E-news: Repeal of Mural Ban; Update on Santa Susana Field Laboratory and More

Mural Ordinance Update

On Wednesday, August 28, the City Council took the first steps toward adopting a Mural Ordinance for the City of Los Angeles.

The proposed ordinance would lift a decade-long ban on murals in the City in all but single-family zones. I have continuously fought on behalf of single family communities to have a voice in whether to allow murals in their respective areas by advocating for an "opt in" process.

The ordinance returns to the City Council next week for a second reading. Several amending motions, including one to develop a specific “opt in” process for single family communities, have been forwarded to City Council committees for further discussion and action.

Find out what's happening in Northridge-Chatsworthwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

I appreciate all of the wonderful murals throughout our city. They bring artistic value and a sense of community to our neighborhoods. I will continue to advocate for single-family communities and maintaining a balance between preserving our quality of life and encouraging artistic expression.

New Police Commissioners Appointed

Find out what's happening in Northridge-Chatsworthwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Today, as Chair of the Public Safety Committee, I am proud to announce the appointment of four new police commissioners to the Los Angeles Police Commission: Ms. Paula Madison, Mr. Steve Soboroff, Ms. Kathleen Kim, and Ms. Sandra Figueroa-Villa. They are all stellar candidates with a record of public service and commitment to the City of Los Angeles.

Councilmember Mitchell Englander's Mid-Term in Review

To see the Mid-Term in Review book, click here.

To have a printed copy of the book mailed to you, please send us an email with your name and address at Councilmember. Englander@lacity.org

CD 12 "Crazy Sock Day" Sock Drive

This Wednesday marked the conclusion of our “Crazy Sock Day” Sock Drive to benefit the MidnightMission. We are happy to announce that Council District 12 collected over 3100 pairs of socks!!

We would especially like to thank the North Valley Family YMCA, Target and Coldwell Banker Quality Properties in Porter Ranch who hosted the drive and donated hundreds of socks. We would also like to thank Gene Paleno and Steve Zipp for donating nearly 1000 socks!

August 14 was “Crazy Sock Day” for the Los Angeles City Councilmembers. The Los Angeles City Council launched a two-week competitive sock drive between the 15 Council Districts in hopes of generating thousands of pairs of new and gently used sock donations for homeless men, women and children in Los Angeles. The initiative was born out of a gag gift - “crazy socks” - given to all Councilmembers by Council President Herb Wesson on the first day of the new Council session.

The LA City Council collectively presented nearly 20,000 pairs of socks to the Midnight Mission. The socks were collected in the past two weeks thanks to many of your kind donations.

Santa Susana Field Laboratory Update

This week, two public meetings were held regarding NASA’s recently released Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) that evaluates potential environmental impacts of proposed demolition and environmental cleanup activities of property administered by NASA at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL). 
  
The DEIS is intended to inform regulating agencies and the public of the potential environmental consequences of the proposed environmental cleanup actions for groundwater and soil at the NASA-administered portion of the SSFL. 

The transportation proposal for removing contaminated soil involves 142 truck trips per day for a three-year period. These trucks are expected to have vehicle weights of up to 80,000 pounds and will traverse some of the most high-traffic arteries in the area, including Topanga Canyon Boulevard, Roscoe Boulevard, Valley Circle Boulevard and Plummer Street. The proposed routes are shared by many schools in proximity to the site, and therefore proposed additional vehicle emission exposure risk to children who walk or bike to school. 

The City of Los Angeles has proposed a $3 Billion infrastructure improvement project to repair 8,700 miles of failed streets within a ten-year period. Much of this damage to City streets has been caused by the very type of heavy vehicle traffic proposed for this clean-up. The wear and tear to City streets is expected to add to this deterioration and pushing the cost of that repair onto the City taxpayer is unacceptable.

While I have long advocated for the full clean-up of the site, I feel compelled to express my disappointment at the lack of consideration for other methods of soil and demolition debris removal from the site. I feel compelled to add that it is quite unbelievable that some other option for conveyance of the contaminated material from the site was not studied.

The traffic, environmental impacts and deterioration of City of Los Angeles infrastructure compel another look at alternatives – including some type of conveyance from the site directly to rail. I believe that most residents would prefer this option – even if it lengthens the time-period for the clean-up past the 2017 date.

Comment period on the NASA DEIS must be submitted on or beforeOctober 1, 2013, and may be submitted in writing to Allen Elliott, SSFL Program Director, NASA MSFC AS01, Building 4494, Huntsville, AL 35812 or via e-mail to msfc-ssfl-eis@mail.nasa.gov. 

My letter to the Program Director of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory at NASA on this matter can be found here.  

Oakridge Estate Neighborhood Oversight Committee Meeting

My office is pleased to announce first meeting of the Oakridge Estate Local Volunteer Neighborhood Oversight Committee (LVNOC). The committee will meet on Thursday, September 19 at 2:00 pm at the Northridge Recreation Center located at 18300 Lemarsh Street.

The role of the LVNOC is to provide feedback on a $1.3 million Proposition K grant secured to make improvements to the property and open it to the community as a park.

The Oakridge Estate was designed by noted architect Paul R. Williams and was built in 1937 for Barbara Stanwyck. It was later the home of actor Jack Oakie in an era when many stars lived in ranches in the San Fernando Valley.

I am committed to preserving this historic-cultural monument in Northridge. The grant funding that my office has secured is a major milestone in restoring this property and turning it into a haven of green open space and culture for the public to enjoy for generations. To learn more, visit www.theoakridgeestate.org.

If you are interested in attending this meeting or for more information please contact our District Director Megan Cottier at (818) 882-1212 orMegan.Cottier@lacity.org.

Diversity of Fundraising Luncheon

On Thursday, September 5, the Association of Fundraising Professionals will be having a panel discussion on diversity in fundraising. Diversity extends beyond finances, gender and race. Hear how our panelists use diversity positively.

Panelists include Semee Park, a Field Deputy from Councilmember Englander's office representing the communities of the northwest San Fernando Valley, and Patricia Garcia, founder of Power Media is well known in the community. Garcia was nominated by the LA Business Journal as one of the finalists amongst a group of extraordinary Latino honorees.

Thursday, September 5
11:30 am - 1:30 pm

Courtyard by Marriot Sherman Oaks
15433 Ventura Boulevard
Sherman Oaks

Register now through this link.

"What Ever Happened To Moby Dick?" at the Granada Hills Branch Library

This fall, the Library Foundation of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Public Library invite you to discover or rediscover the great literary masterpiece, Moby Dick, through the lens of the modern and equally mythical Southern California state of mind. The Granada Hills Branch Library is participating in this program with an informative and fun week of activities about whales. Events include guest speakers, story time for children, film screenings and more!

Monday, September 9
7:00 pm
Diane Alps of the Los Angeles Chapter of the
American Cetacean Society
Reservations Required

Tuesday, September 10
6:30 pm
Pajama Story time for Kids

Wednesday, September 11
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium Presents
“Thar She Blows – A Whale of a Lesson”
Reservations Required

Thursday, September 12
5:00 pm
Screening of “Moby Dick”

Friday, September 13
3:00 pm
Screening of a documentary nature film.

Saturday, September 14
3:00 pm
Alan Salazar, Chumash/Tataviam Storyteller &
Traditional Paddler of Tomols

Granada Hills Branch Library
10640 Petit Avenue
Granada Hills

Join the Granada Hills Branch Library for this whale of a week!

For more information call 818 368-5687.

2013 Los Angeles Sparks Career Fair

The Los Angeles Sparks Career Fair is on Thursday, September 12. Meet with representatives from various companies that are hiring for a variety of positions. It's only $20 to participate! The participation fee includes admittance into the career fair as well as the Sparks game immediately following against the Minnesota Lynx.

Thursday, September 12
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
$20.00 Admission

STAPLESCenter
City View Terrace
1111 S Figueroa Street
Los Angeles

For more information contact Gabe Alfred at (213) 929-1320 or emailgalfred@la-sparks.com.

2013 Texas Hold’em and Blackjack Tournament Fundraiser

Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce will be holding its Annual Fundraiser and is inviting our community members here in Council District 12. On Saturday, September 14 they will have the tournament fundraiser. All proceeds go to the Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce.


Saturday, September 14
5:30 pm – 10:00 pm

VFW Post 2323
17552 Chatsworth Street
Granada Hills

For more information call the Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce at(818)368-3235.

Neighborhood Computer Group Presents Disaster Preparedness

For Disaster Preparedness Month, The Users Group Network (TUGNET), a computer and technology users group for all levels of skill, will feature a presentation from the L.A. Fire Department on disaster preparedness and will focus on the Valley area. Included will be online resources and notifications.


Tuesday, September 17
7:00 pm

Granada Pavilion
11128 Balboa Blvd.
Granada Hills, CA

Although you hear a lot on this topic via the TV, newspaper and such, the evening's presentation will offer a far more personal approach and you will gain insight into this topic that may well prove to be very important.

For more information, visit http://tugnet.org or call (818) 249-1629.

Granada Hills Library Used Book Sale

The Friends of the Granada Hills Library will host a two-day used book sale onFriday, September 20, and Saturday, September 21, 2013. The sale will take place from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM both days, and will be held in the library's community room.

Lots of fiction, nonfiction, paperback and hardcover books will be sold at prices ranging from 25 cents to one dollar. A wide selection of children's books will be available Friday and Saturday. All proceeds will benefit the library.

Friday, September 20
Saturday, September 21
10:00 am - 5:00 pm

The Granada Hills Library
10640 Petit Avenue
Granada Hills

For more in formation please call 818-368-5687.

Devonshire PALS 40th Birthday Party

Come celebrate on September 28 at the Greig Smith LAPD Devonshire Youth Center. Join us for food,fun and live music as the friends of PALS past and present gather together for the birthday celebration of the year. LAPD Devonshire PALS is dedicated to developing character in youth, reducing juvenile crime and creating safer communities.


Saturday, September 28
6:30 pm – 10:00 pm

Devonshire PALS
8721 Wilbur Ave
Northridge, CA


Tickets will be sold at $60.00 per person and to purchase tickets please click this link.
Reports From Our Staff

Our Legislative Deputy, Brenton Tesler would like to report that Constitution Week is in September. The History of Constitution Week began with Miss Gertrude S. Carraway, President General of National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was responsible for the annual designation ofSeptember 17-23 as Constitution Week. The DAR made its own resolution for Constitution Week, which was adopted April 21, 1955.

Members of the United States Congress received the DAR resolution and on June 7, 1955, the resolution was discussed in the Senate. The first resolution to observe Constitution Week was made June 14, 1955, by Senator William F. Knowland of California. Following the passage of the resolution by both Houses of Congress, President Eisenhower issued his proclamation on August 19, 1955.

The first observance of Constitution Week was so successful that on January 5, 1956, Senator Knowland introduced a Senate Joint Resolution to have the President designate September 17-23 annually as Constitution Week. The resolution was adopted on July 23 1956, and signed into Public Law 915 on August 2, 1956.

For his patriotic aid and interest, Senator Knowland received an Award of Commendation from the Continental Congress, NSDAR, in April 1956.


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