Mayor's Community Budget Survey
The Mayor's office and the Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates hope to get a good understanding of the budget priorities for our Stakeholders.  Please make sure to mark "Greater Griffith Park" during the survey.

BUDGET SURVEY

Neighborhood Council Elections: Coming Soon!

The 2012 neighborhood council elections are back "on" after debate by the L.A. City Council ruling out the possibility of "canceling" them.  Watch this space for more information on election dates, times and HOW TO BECOME A CANDIDATE to help make Los Feliz a better neighborhood.

Committee Chairperson Opportunities

We have openings for two Committee Chairs:

Culture & Events
Lead efforts to support, develop and promote more artistic and cultural activities in our neighborhood.  Whether it be street fairs, art fairs, museum events, concerts, theatre or even rock-n-roll, this is the position that can make more things happen.

Neighborhood Improvement
Lead efforts to beautify our neighborhood. Past efforts of the Neighborhood Improvement committee have included murals, tree plantings, and clean-up efforts. With the city cutting annual budgets for this type of work, this committee has become more vital to the health of the neighborhood than ever. 

If you are interested in taking on either of these important positions, please email Rafik Ghazarian.  This is a fantastic opportunity to help the community become even better than it is.

New People, New Roles

At our September meeting, a new District A Representative, Rafik Ghazarian, was appointed to GGPNC Governing Board and Business Interests Representative, Rob Menz, was voted onto our Executive Committee as Vice President, Communications.  Rafik joins Frank Masi and Linda Demmers representing District A, and Rob-- who served in the U.S. Army's Signal Corps-- steps into a new role as the council's go-to message guy.  Congratulations and thanks to both for stepping up to volunteer for the neighborhood.

The Official Vote Tallies

There are still great opportunities to get involved on our committees or volunteer some of your time to help the community (see below).

The Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council (GGPNC) is certified by the City of Los Angeles to work with stakeholders to improve the community and make our voice heard at City Hall.  And we can use your help.  We would love to hear from (and hopefully work with) you.  Send us an email at info@ggpnc.org.  Tell us who you are and what you'd like to work on.  Someone from the Council will write and give you all the details on who we are and what we're doing.  We come from diverse backgrounds and all walks of life, but we share an unabashed pride in our little piece of L.A. known as Los Feliz and "Greater Griffith Park."

 

On May 17th 2011, the GGPNC appointed 10 new Board Members. Click here to meet the new community representatives.

 

More News from the Neighborhood:

• GGPNC is a Proud Sponsor of the
  18th Annual Los Feliz Village Street Fair

• Sunday, July 24th.  11AM - 10PM
  

  Historic Hollywood Blvd. (Between Vermont Ave and Hillhurst Ave)

  Enjoy fabulous food from Village restaurants, wine and beer gardens, Live Music, dancing lessons, Artistic exhibits, Street Painting Display, 'Green Scene' Eco Showcase, Mind-Body-Spirit Pavilion and Fashion Festival with Runway Shows!  Full Carnival rides and more for kids.  Bring the whole family! http://www.losfelizstreetfair.com/
  
  
  

No More Used Car Lot on Los Feliz Blvd!
After years of advocacy on this parking and safety issue, the GGPNC Transportation Committee, the Los Feliz Improvement Association, Councilman Tom LaBonge's office, and other community advocates are celebrating a victory in the fight to keep for-sale used cars off Los Feliz Boulevard. More coverage and pictures on The City Maven.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The final Myra Mural is complete!
Since 2005, the GGPNC and the Franklin Hills Residents Association have sponsored three murals to grace the walls of the underpass that carries Sunset Blvd. over Myra Ave. For the fourth mural King Middle School students, inspired by teacher Kirk Palayan created 20 new designs. Click here to see all the 2010 designs.  At the FHRA Annual Meeting on June 19, 2010, student Michelle Kim's design "Soar" was announced as the winner.

 

• The Department of Water and Power is working on a new water line along Riverside Dr. between Los Feliz Blvd. and Glendale Blvd. For more information about the project and resulting street closures click here.
  
  
• The City is looking for community input on the budget crisis. Fill out an online survey here.
  
  
• The Big Blue M mosaic at Marshall High School on the corner of Griffith Park Boulevard and St. George Street is complete.  Heartfelt thanks and congratulations to all those who worked so hard to bring this project to our neighborhood, including Education Committee Chair Sarah Napier. 
  
  
  
• The Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council, has funded various "campus improvements" at our local Middle School. For example, these new trees planted at "Central Park", Thomas Starr King Middle School.

To volunteer in, or outside the classroom, contact Tomàs O’Grady at Tomasogrady@ggpnc.org

• On November 16, 2010 local band OK Go lead a music parade through the streets of Los Feliz and the surrounding neighborhoods. The result is this great music video. Enjoy!
  
  

• The L.A. City Council voted unanimously for a March Ballot Proposition to increase the Library Department's share of the general fund.
   
• Congratulations to the Faculty & Staff at Thomas King Middle School on their improved API test scores, up to 737 from 678.
   
• The Garden is Blooming at King Middle School thanks to financial support from the GGPNC and the tireless volunteers from Farm Feliz!
  
  

 

Former Public Safety Committee Chairman Dan Sandman
Honored by Tom LaBonge and the LA City Council

Huge Voter Turnout in GGPNC Elections

DISTRICT A Frank W. Masi=796 Mio Vukovic=782 Jeff Gardner=554 Laura S. Howe=551 Robert J.  Menz=109 DISTRICT B Christina Khanjian=851 John F. John Jr.=555 David Uebersax=516 Ron Ostrow=825 DISTRICT C Alex DeOcampo=914 Harpreet Malhi=821 Daniel Sandman=190 Andrea Iaderosa=158 Dominic Patten=89

DISTRICT D Tomas O'Grady=849 Leslie VanKeuren=795 Sarah Napier=537 Thomas  Wilson=516 John Q. Lee=105 DISTRICT E Jessica Kornberg=862 Mark F. Mauceri=798 Charley Mims=548 James McEwen=529

A BIG THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO VOTED

Over 1500 voters turned out on Saturday, March 20, 2010, to vote in the GGPNC Elections to choose 10 district representatives from among 23 candidates.  It is by far the largest turnout in GGPNC history and the largest poll turnout, citywide. The City Clerk released the official results on Friday, March 26, 2010.  The new board members were automatically seated on May 8th, 2010.

Even before the polls opened at 10am over 50 people were waiting in the morning sun, and the line to vote continued to grow during the day. At times almost 100 were in line and waiting over 20 minutes to get registered and get their ballot.

Once inside Durkee Hall at the Hollywood Lutheran Church, voters' registration forms were checked and then most joined a second line to receive their ballot. The City Clerk brought in extra help and extra voting booths.

Late in the afternoon the lines grew and when the polls closed at 4pm there were still about 70 people in line the last of whom cast their votes after 4:30 pm.

GGPNC Graduates First Community Emergency Response Team

About 90 GGPNC stakeholders (not all shown above) celebrate completion of Community Emergency Response Training (CERT). Their dedication during the 7 week course held early in 2010 makes all of us a bit safer. In the event of a major disaster their newly acquired skills in firefighting, medical triage, search and emergency co-ordination can help fill the void until other first responders arrive. For more  on CERT go to the GGPNC Public Safety Committee page.

A NEW Hollywood Community Plan
Coming to our Neighborhood

Very few of us have crystal balls that allow us to see into the future. But we can all see what our City Planners have in mind for our area in the latest draft version of the Hollywood Community Plan*. and your vision of what our neighborhoods should look like might, or might not include the proposed increases in density along streets like Vermont, Hillhurst and Hyperion or the reduced parking requirements in residential areas.

Luckily there is still time to make your views heard. The GGPNC Board has made comprehensive recommendations aimed at preserving the best of our area and improving areas in need. And in the coming months likely will weigh in again on the revised plan after studying the documents and hearing what you have to say. The city Planning Department is also planning public meetings on this latest City Hall vision of our area's future once all the documents are prepared, probably sometime this fall. We'll keep you adivised.

It is a complicated process that boils down to a simpler decision: is this going to help or hurt the quality of life in my neighborhood? We urge all stakeholders to look at the documents, come to the meetings, let your voices be the community's crystal ball to the future. Who knows better what we need, want and expect on our home turf.

*Please note this is a large file download of more than 13Mb

 

GGPNC Recommendations and info on Hollywood Community Plan Proposals

 THANKS for YOUR HELP AT BIG SUNDAY 2009

Landscaping at King Middle School

LA River Cleanup

click links below photos for more info.

Griffith Park Wins

Van Griffith, great grandson of Griffith Park's donor, along with Councilmember Tom LaBonge reach new photo-op heights as everyone celebrates the dedication of Griffith Park as City Historic-Cultural Monument # 942. The dedication ceremony speakers repeatedly noted  the overwhelming support from the community through hundreds of letters, e-mails and appearances at  commission and council meetings as an important element in making protection of Griffith Park a reality. As Van Griffith said, "this is not for us but for those who come after us...for a 1000 years." Click here for background on the battle to preserve Griffith Park as a city Historic-Cultural Monument.

To visit the discontinued website click here