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Earth Day Clean Up Project 4.22.12
We were proud to join Northridge South Neighborhood Council for their terrific Earth Day clean-up of Aliso Creek Wash in Northridge on Sunday, April 22. We joined community volunteers, neighbors, families with kids, and members of Northridge South Neighborhood Council for this project to beautify an empty lot that become run down and filled with graffiti, trash and weeds. It is crucial to not allow such places to become magnets for crime, especially one so close to Napa Elementary School. The project was a partnership project between our office, Northridge South Neighborhood Council, L.A. City Bureau of Public Works and L.A. Conservation Corps.
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CD 12 Non-Profit Summit. March 12, 2012
We were proud to host the second CD 12 Non-Profit Summit together with Valley Non-Profit Resources on March 12, 2012 at the Devonshire PALS Youth Center in Northridge. Representatives from more than 100 non-profit organizations from the Northwest San Fernando Valley attended. Guest speakers include Nancy Olson from Volunteer Los Angeles, Merri Whitelock from CSUN Community Service Learning, and Victoria Garcia from Directors of Volunteers in Agencies, SFV. The theme was "Strategies for Recruiting and Mobilizing Volunteers."
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Mobile Billboard Ban in City Council March 7, 2012
The City Council unanimously approved the City's prohibition on mobile billboard advertising displays in Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 7. The restriction applies whether they are standing alone or attached to a motor vehicle, on any Los Angeles City street. Once a 24-hour advance warning citation has been issued to a first-time offender, we will be able to impound the ad trailers that have blighted our streets. Councilmember worked for 9 years on this legislation, on the City Council and as Chief of Staff to the previous Councilmember. Mobile billboard advertising displays are a visual blight, pose significant safety hazards for motorists, reduce available on-street parking and impair the visibility of pedestrians and drivers. Mobile billboard operators constantly exploited loopholes in the law and attached billboards to sleds, bicycles and inoperable vehicles, and moved them a few inches at a time to avoid the 72-hour parking restriction.
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LAPD Shut Down the last storefront marijuana business in CD12 Mon. 1.30.12
As an LAPD Reserve Officer, Councilmember Mitchell Englander was on hand as the LAPD raided the last storefront marijuana business in Council District 12 on Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. At the Chatsworth shop, Police arrested three people, seized over 150 plants, large quantities of marijuana, equipment for the extensive growing operation, and thousands of dollars in cash.
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Honoring Girls Volleyball, Tennis and Golf Teams from Granada Hills Charter High School 1.27.12
We were proud to honor the Girls Volleyball, Tennis and Golf Teams of Granada Hills Charter High School in City Council for winning their 2011 City Championships!
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LAPD Police Commission Meeting 1.17.12
At the LAPD Police Commission Meeting on Jan. 17 at St. Nicholas Church in Northridge, over 400 people came to speak out against the LAPD's proposal to change the policy of impounding the cars of unlicensed drivers for 30 days. Councilmember Englander opposes this change, which will make our streets less safe by enabling unlicensed - and uninsured - drivers to be driving on our streets.
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Valley Green Team Forum on Green Buildings 1.12.12
Councilmember Mitchell Englander was guest speaker at the San Fernando Valley Green Team's Brokers and Bankers forum about green buildings, on Jan. 12, 2012 at Corporate Pointe in West Hills. He discussed the importance of supporting our L.A. based businesses so they can create jobs and economic growth, and the benefits of the State Enterprise Zone, which we have in our District in Chatsworth and Northridge.
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Motion to Get Full Accounting of Costs of Occupy L.A. Nov. 30, 2011
Councilmember Mitchell Englander introduced a motion on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011 calling for a full accounting of the City resources that were expended managing, and removing the Occupy L.A. protest encampment.
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YMCA & CD 12 Thanksgiving Dinner Donations
The CD 12 staff was proud to volunteer to help the North Valley YMCA's distribute Thanksgiving dinners to struggling families in the San Fernando Valley. We also donated $1,000 to the Thanksgiving dinner donations, plus $5 for every whole turkey donated by an individual. Each year, the North Valley Family YMCA distributes baskets with a turkey and all the fixings so that a family can have their own complete Thanksgiving dinner at home. This year, they doubled the number to 1,000.
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Unveiling of Street Sign Congratulating 2011 National Academic Decathlon Champions Granada Hills Charter High
On Nov. 17, 2011, Councilmember Mitchell Englander unveiled the street sign congratulating Granada Hills Charter High School for winning the 2011 National Academic Decathlon Championships. He was joined by GH Charter Executive Director Brian Bauer, the Decathlon Team, the team coach, and students and staff of the school.
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Movies Under the Stars & National Night Out
At the Movies Under the Stars & LAPD National Night Out event on Tuesday, Aug. 2, at Mason Park in Chatsworth, we launched the first of Councilmember Mitchell Englander's Community Excellence Awards! Over 25 people received Excellence Awards at the event in recognition of their contributions to the community. The purpose of the Community Excellence Awards is to recognize ordinary community members who do extraordinary things, and make volunteering and community service a way of life in CD 12. Hundreds of families attended the free outdoor movie night, which featured free food, popcorn, and public safety information booths.
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Presentation for Retiring CSUN President Dr. Jolene Koester
We honored Dr. Jolene Koester, President of California State University, Northridge, who recently announced her retirement. Under Dr. Koester's leadership, CSUN has blossomed into a world-class university with over 39,000 students and 4,000 faculty and staff, right in our backyard. Dr. Koester was appointed President in 2000. She has presided over the completion of CSUN's Valley Performing Arts Center, installation of solar energy systems that generate 18% of CSUN's power, the country's largest hydrogen fuel cell on a university campus, and countless other improvements to CSUN's academics, management, and aesthetics. We thank her for her contributions to CSUN and our community, and wish her success and happiness in her retirement!
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2012 Pioneer Women Presentation - Vickie Bourdas Martinez
Vickie Bourdas Martinez was our nominee Pioneer Woman of 2012. She is the Director of Finance for Skateland skating rink in Northridge where she has worked since 1988 and was raised in the San Fernando Valley. She is heavily involved in numerous community and charity activities in the San Fernando Valley, and currently serves as President of the Board of Directors of Devonshire PALS (Police Activity League Supporters). She is also a charter member of the San Fernando Valley Jaycees and serves as Chair of their Board of Directors.
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Business Roundtable at TIG/m Trolley Manufacturer in Chatsworth
Councilmember Mitchell Englander was proud to participate in a business roundtable at TIG/m in Chatsworth with the Mayor Villaraigosa's business team, and business and community leaders to discuss ways the City can help businesses grow in Los Angeles. Tig/m manufactures environmentally friendly hybrid electric trolleys, including the one at the Grove mall, and has benefited from the City’s economic development policies.
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"Movies Under the Stars" movie night, July 9, 2011
For our July Movies Under the Stars, we showed the great animated film "How to Train Your Dragon." We had over 500 people attending, and as always, served fresh popcorn, picnic dinners and had face painting for kids. Watch www.CD12.org for information on upcoming movie nights!
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Aliso Canyon Groundbreaking, June 2, 2011
On Thursday, June 2, we broke ground on new park facilities to serve hikers and equestrians at Aliso Canyon Park in Granada Hills. In 2010, we secured grant funding to make the improvements. They include an outdoor pavilion and picnic area, a pedestrian bridge over the small creek to protect the riparian habitat, a naturally landscaped meadow with native, drought-tolerant plants, an equestrian arena, equestrian parking and staging area, regular parking area, restrooms, and improved trailhead and trail markings for the trails through the canyon. The improvements will allow people to park in the canyon instead of on Rinaldi St., where car burglaries were common. It will also make the park easier for the Department of Recreation and Parks to monitor and maintain, which will help prevent graffiti, vandalism, illegal dumping, fires and other illegal activity.
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6th Annual Citrus Sunday
Our 6th Annual Citrus Sunday Yields a Record Harvest for Families at Valley Food Banks!
This year the volunteers and groups participating in our 6ht Annual Citrus Sunday collected over 40,000 lbs. of fresh citrus fruit, a record over the six years of the event! For Citrus Sunday, volunteers, community-based organizations, Neighborhood Councils and schools pick thousands of pounds of oranges and grapefruits which are distributed to struggling families at Valley food banks. Our sincere thanks and congratulations go out to all those who participated, including Valley Interfaith Council, Northridge East, Northridge West, Granada Hills North, Granada Hills South, West Hills, Porter Ranch, North Hills West and Chatsworth Neighborhood Councils, Old Granada Hills Residents Group, Temple Ahavat Shalom, Granada Hills Charter High School, Northridge Little League, Vons, L.A. Baptist High School and Darby Elementary School.
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Community Clean Up April 9, 2011
Over 150 volunteers came together to help keep our community clean and beautiful for the Earthday Community Clean Up of Limekiln Canyon on Saturday, April 9. This terrific volunteer beautification project was organized by middle-school student Sam Dobry and several of his friends. Wal-Mart of Porter Ranch supported this event by donating coffee and pastries for the morning kick-off, and 50 of their employees joined as volunteers as part of Wal-Mart's community involvement efforts. Outback Steakhouse donated a delicious free lunch for all the volunteers. The crews painted over graffiti, cleaned up trash, and removed weeds and debris, and maintained recently planted trees in Limekiln Canyon.
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Groundbreaking on New SAFE Center in Granada Hills, March 31, 2011
We broke ground on the new Nicole Bernson SAFE Center on Balboa Blvd. in Granada Hills, joined by Board of Public Works Vice President Andrea Alarcon, Bureau of Sanitation General Manager Enrique Zaldivar and City Engineer Gary Lee Moore. It is illegal to throw away such items in the regular trash. Once in landfills, they can leach pollutants into the air, soil and groundwater, posing a threat to the environment and public health. Last year, SAFE Centers collected and recycled, or safely disposed of nearly 7 million pounds of hazardous and household waste. The Balboa SAFE Center is on the former site of an L.A. Fire Station. When the Fire Station was moved across the street to expand and improve the facility, Councilman Greig Smith secured the old Fire Station property to build the new SAFE Center. It will offer Council District 12 residents a closer more convenient place to dispose of electronic, automotive and household hazardous waste than the nearest SAFE Center in Sunland.
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Dodgers Dream Field Opening at Northridge Park Feb. 15, 2011
Dodgers Dream Field Opening at Northridge Park Feb. 15, 2011. Current and former Dodgers stars and Devonshire PALS kids attended the opening and baseball clinic. We provided buses to bring out 25 PALS kids to participate. Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and Recreation and Parks General Manager Jon Kirk Mukri, and Anita DeFrantz of the LA84 Foundation and unveiled a sign dedicating the "The Councilman Greig Smith Dugout" in recognition of Councilman Smith's work to benefit parks in our District. We commend and thank the Dodgers and the LA84 Foundation for their community involvement!
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Press Conference & Signing Ceremony for Smith Motion to Get Cops Back on Patrol
We held a press conference and signing ceremony with Mayor Villaraigosa, LAPD Chief Beck, Councilmembers Perry and LaBonge for Councilman Greig Smith's motion. Councilman Smith loaned funds to get uniformed LAPD Officers off of jail duty and back on patrol, and to end the 9-month long furlough of detention officers at the new Metro Detention Center. Feb. 16, 2011
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Earthday 2009
Our annual Earthday environmental clean-up on April 25, 2009 at Chatsworth Park North. Hundreds of community members and groups came out to volunteer and help clean up trash and paint over graffiti. We gave away trees and re-usable shopping bags.
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Northridge West Neighborhood Council's Operation Clean Sweep
Northridge West Neighborhood Council's Operation Clean Sweep, Jan. 15, 2011. Northridge West has been doing volunteer clean-up activities twice a week since summer 2010, removing trash, weeds and graffiti from the streets of Northridge. For more information, visit www.northridgewest.org
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San Fernando Valley Council of Governments approved, July 2010
San Fernando Valley Council of Governments approved, July 2010
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Boy Scouts Stoney Point Clean Up Oct. 30, 2010
Boy Scouts Troop 921 held their 6th annual clean up of Stoney Point Park in Chatsworth. They removed trash, glass, and weeds, and cleaned and maintained the memorial plaque for the victims of the Chatsworth Metrolink Train Disaster. Our office, Chatsworth Neighborhood Council and REI Sporting Goods co sponsored the event.
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Northridge Pediatric Trauma Center Opening Oct. 1, 2010
Northridge Pediatric Trauma Center Opening Oct. 1, 2010
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Northridge West Neighborhood Council Clean Up Efforts, Summer 2010
Northridge West Neighborhood Council organized volunteer community clean ups every Saturday throughout the summer to clean up weeds and trash in Northridge.
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Oakridge Sneak Peek Tour Aug. 14, 2010
We hosted special tours of the Oakridge Estate, the cultural-historic landmark in Northridge that we purchased for the City. We are working to make it a publicly accessible open space and cultural historic asset that will one house a San Fernando Valley Film Museum. For information, call (818) 756-8501.
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Recognition of Granada Hills Historic Preservation Class in Council July 9, 2010
Recognition of Granada Hills Historic Preservation Class in Council July 9, 2010
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Navy Sea Cadets Honored in City Council, July 2, 2010
Navy Sea Cadets Honored in City Council, July 2, 2010
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Recognition of Jim Featherstone, Bill Robertson & Andre Birotte in Council, June 18, 2010
Recognition of Jim Featherstone, Bill Robertson & Andre Birotte in Council, June 18, 2010
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Enterprise Zone Expansion Press Conference June 15, 2010
Enterprise Zone Expansion Press Conference June 15, 2010
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Citrus Sunday volunteer fruit drive, June 13, 2010
Citrus Sunday volunteer fruit drive, June 13, 2010
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Presentation of Commendation to Mike Dobry. Nov. 1, 2007
Presentation of Commendation to Mike Dobry. Nov. 1, 2007
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Community Hike March 31, 2007
Councilman Greig Smith led a community hike with the Sierra Club at O'Maelveny Park March 31, 2001
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