Happy Independence Day

July 4th is one of the best days of summer. Whether you take your party to the beach or stick with a backyard barbecue, remember that fireworks are illegal in the City of Los Angeles! Fireworks are dangerous – they can cause serious injury and death to people, damage homes and property, and potentially start brush fires.

The Emergency Management Department wants us to remind you to celebrate safely. For more safety preparation please visit http://emergency.lacity.org.

Here are our tips for a safe celebration:

  • Leave the fireworks to the professionals
  • Closely monitor kids swimming in pools to prevent drowning
  • Keep grills away from exterior walls and other structures that may burn
  • Stay hydrated – drink plenty of water throughout the day

LA Animals Services would also like you to know that they are preparing for their busiest time of year! They need your help to make space in our crowded shelters for the influx of terrified lost pets by fostering a pet for four days or more. If you won’t be in town or can’t foster at this time, please help us spread the word!

The loud sounds of July 4th fireworks frighten dogs and cats. If they get out of the house or yard, they run in fear. Then these frightened pets can’t find their way home and end up at our City shelters.

There are hundreds of wonderful animals of all ages, breeds and sizes waiting to be your temporary companion. Fostering is a great way to see what it’s like to have a four-legged addition to your family. Go to LAAnimalServices.com/foster to learn more or go to the City Animal Shelter nearest you and ask for a Foster application. They’ll get you fostering a pet right away!

GHNNC Street Repair Blitz

The Neighborhood Council Initiative (known to us as the Street Blitz), run by the Bureau of Street Services (BSS), will be in Granada Hills North real soon.  Our area will be assigned a two-person crew on a hot asphalt truck for one day to patch street potholes, pop-outs, small eroded or cracked areas, and do minor curb and sidewalk patching.  The crew is not equipped to handle tree roots that have damaged the street, or are they able to do any major repair for uplifted sidewalks.

Up to 15 locations will be inspected, so we’re looking for the worst spots that can be patched.  Depending on the conditions and amount of asphalt required, not all identified locations will get fixed during the blitz.  Remember, you can always report troublesome locations via 3-1-1. We’re asking for your help in preparing that list for submission to BSS. Since this is based on Granada Hills North Neighborhood Council boundaries, the locations MUST be north of the 118 freeway, west of the 405 freeway, and east of Aliso Canyon, up to the County line.

Please make your submission no later than July 12. Include the type of repair (pothole, pop-out, depression, minor lifted sidewalk, etc.), the address (preferred) or intersection, and which side of the street (north bound, east side, etc.). The more info you can provide, the less time spent by BSS trying to find the location. Remember, potholes and minor repairs only. Tree root damage is out, as are streets and sidewalks that require more extensive repairs.

Send your request to [email protected].

City of Los Angeles Releases Much Anticipated Draft Cannabis Regulations

After more than a year of working directly with residents and stakeholders, City Councilmembers encourage an ongoing public dialogue of new rules in the months to come

Los Angeles City Council President Herb J. Wesson, Jr. was joined today by Councilmembers Bob Blumenfield, Paul Koretz and Nury Martinez in releasing the city’s draft regulations governing commercial cannabis activity. The City Council has been engaging in an open and public dialogue over the last year about how to best regulate all aspects of the cannabis industry citywide. Today marks another step forward in the transparent process with the beginning of a 60-day public comment period prior to any further action by the City Council.

After shepherding Measure M to a historic 80.5% passage rate, Wesson immediately began the process of gleaning best practices from neighboring cities and states who had already established responsible cannabis regulations. Wesson who chairs the Rules, Elections, Intergovernmental Relations, and Neighborhoods committee which has overseen the crafting of the draft regulations. Since beginning the process Wesson has held over a dozen meetings, including in the evenings, inviting members of the public, industry experts, and regulators from other states including Colorado, Oregon, and Washington to provide testimony.

“We will continue to have a robust dialogue about the regulatory framework and a healthy debate of Los Angeles’ growing cannabis industry prior to final recommendations being considered by the City Council, said Los Angeles City Council President Herb J. Wesson, Jr. “I’m calling on all residents and stakeholders to provide comments and feedback on the draft documents to ensure the pending regulations are inclusive of all communities.” Read more »

Rep. Cárdenas Hosting Town Hall

Wednesday, May 31, U.S. Representative Tony Cárdenas (CA-29) will host a Town Hall at the Los Angeles Mission College Campus Center in Sylmar, CA. This Town Hall will be an opportunity for constituents to ask questions and express their concerns.

“Hearing from our community is the best way for me to make sure I’m doing my job,” said Congressman Cárdenas.  “This Town Hall will give folks a safe place to share their thoughts with me and learn about what is happening in Washington D.C. I look forward to the opportunity to hear from my constituents on Wednesday. ”

Who: Rep. Tony Cárdenas

What: Town Hall

When: Wednesday, May 31, 6:30-8:00 P.M. PDT

Where: Los Angeles Mission College – Campus Center

13356 Eldridge Ave, Sylmar, CA 91342

Constituents should RSVP here.

Este miércoles, 31 de mayo, el Congresista Tony Cárdenas (CA-29) organizará un foro informativo en el Auditorio Principal de Los Angeles Mission College en Sylmar, CA. Este foro será una oportunidad para constituyentes para hacer preguntas y expresar sus preocupaciones.

“Escuchando a la comunidad es la mejor manera de asegurarme de que estoy cumpliendo mis deberes como su representante,” dijo el Congresista Cárdenas. “Este foro será un lugar seguro para que la gente pueda expresar sus ideas y recibir respuestas. Espero con gusto la oportunidad de escuchar a las comunidades de mi distrito este miércoles.”

Los constituyentes pueden registrarse aquí.

The 2017/18 City of Los Angeles Budget

From Councilmember Mitchell Englander:

On Thursday, the City Council unanimously passed the fiscal year 2017/18 Budget. As Chair of the Public Safety Committee and Vice Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, I am most pleased with the resources that were provided to our sworn police officers and fire fighters in order to increase the City’s ability to keep our residents safe and to protect our communities.

For LAPD, we increased the number of police officers on patrol through a civilianization process that added back necessary crime solving support services, including technicians to staff our DNA, latent fingerprint and firearm units – helping to increase the solve rate for property crimes in addition to homicides while returning officers to the streets. We also accelerated the final phase of detention officer hiring to return police officers working in the jails back to patrol functions. Technology and equipment needs were also funded – including a replacement of the non-emergency phone systems at four Valley stations. Perhaps most significantly, we were able to reduce the overtime and pension burden of the Metro Transit Contract.

In the Fire Department, we increased fire fighter hiring and added Read more »

A Guide to L.A.’s 2017 Outdoor Movie Screenings

There are few things better than watching a movie under the stars in Los Angeles. OK, maybe an all-you-can-eat taco bar under the stars is better, but barely. From an iconic cemetery to a rooftop in the heart of the entertainment capital of the world, L.A.’s spring and summer outdoor screenings are held at amazing venues that make them immersive rites of passage. Several lineups haven’t even been announced yet, but other series are about to kick off and you have to get tickets early or you’ll miss out — these things sell out. We’ll be updating this list throughout the spring and summer, so check back frequently for new stuff. (Continue at LA Weekly)

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