All in a Day’s Work!

This past Monday morning at 8:40 am, Battalion Chief Mark Jones of Station 84 took one look at the plume of smoke erupting from the fire at the five-story condominium construction site near the corner of Canoga and Erwin and said to the Firefighter Staff Assistant driving the Command Vehicle, “Oh my God, this is gonna be a big one!”

Chief Jones was first on site at the intense fire that threatened to destroy the entire development and as the Incident Commander, he immediately “depleted the entire valley” of fire fighting resources, placing 200 Firefighters on the scene within 45 minutes.

DWP Rate Hike Gets Air

This past Tuesday, Neighborhood Council Representatives from throughout the City gathered on the steps of City Hall to speak in unified opposition to the proposed DWP rate hikes. The City Council was to vote later in the day on the motion to approve the rate hikes.

WHWCNC Director Heath Kline was unable to attend because of business but he reports that “as fate would have it, that may have been for the best because I received a phone all at 11:45 from Patt Morrison’s producer wanting a DWP MOU committee member to participate in a 30 minute panel at 1:00 pm with Councilmember Tom LaBonge and DWP GM David Nahai.”
(Listen here)

The Visual Blight Fight

At first glance, it appears that WHWCNC Boardmember Sean McCarthy is engaged in a misguided attempt to sell the Board some Copper Pipe but he is actually declaring war on Ventura Boulevard’s Visual Blight!

Taking to the podium with an armload of signs that he pulled from the light poles in Area 5, Sean expressed his frustration with the proliferation of overnight and underground advertising that amounts to simple manufactured Graffiti.

“How do we expect kids to respect the law and our community when they are surrounded by illegal and ugly signs that clutter our streets?” he asks. “It sends a message that our public space is also a bulletin board! It’s no wonder then that we end up with graffiti.”

LA’s “Green Street” Brings Nature Back to the Neighborhood

LA’s “Green Street” standard provides communities with a funding opportunity, a watershed improvement opportunity, a traffic calming opportunity and a street beautification opportunity.

The first “Green Street” in Los Angeles came to a celebrated completion last summer along Oros Street in Elysian Valley. One of several projects of its type, the Oros Street overhaul marks the first time a Los Angeles neighborhood sub-watershed will contribute no pollutants to the L.A. River.

Citrus Sunday

Yes folks, there is free food in the Valley- thanks to our agricultural past.

In yards throughout the San Fernando Valley, you can see tree limbs full of oranges, grapefruit, tangerines and other citrus fruit looming over fences and rooftops. Often much of this fruit goes to waste because residents can’t eat it all themselves or even give it all away.

On Sunday, April 6, 2008, from 9am to 3pm, Citrus Sunday is a way to help solve this problem!

Platt Library hosts LA Opera Talks

WHWCNC Boardmember Nancy Eisenhart forwards the Friends of the Platt Library Newsletter along with a recommendation to check out the LA Opera Talks held on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7pm.

The LA Opera Talks are designed for the Opera buff as well as the novice and are presented by the LA Opera Speakers Bureau in a style that is both entertaining and educational.

Puccini’s Tosca will be presented on April 15th @ 7:00 pm in the Multipurpose Room.