Dec. 11, to request official City services or information, and please include your address.

Transcription

1 Page 1 of 8 Proudly Serving the Communities of: Canoga Park,, Encino, Granada Hills, Lake Balboa, North Hills, Northridge, Porter Ranch, Reseda, West Hills, West Van Nuys, Winnetka District 12 Map Committee Assignments Jobs, Business Growth & Tax Reform Chair Budget & Finance Member Public Safety Vice Chair Public Works Member Ad Hoc RENEW LA Chair Ad Hoc Stadium Member Learn about Councilman Greig Smith's RENEW LA plan to increase Dec. 11, Councilmember.Smith@lacity.org to request official City services or information, and please include your address. Update on Providence Holy Cross Hospital Expansion... I wanted to take this opportunity to give an update on the expansion of Providence Holy Cross Hospital. There have been many news stories about the expansion of Holy Cross in Mission Hills. While this hospital is not located directly inside of Council District 12, it is a critical hospital for our District and the entire region. In fact, during the recent Metrolink train disaster, 17 passengers were brought from and treated at Holy Cross. I remain committed to the expansion of the hospital. It is shameful that politics have played a major role in delaying the expansion of this desperately needed hospital. We have had 14 hospitals close down in the region since The Holy Cross expansion is needed now more than ever, particularly if we were to experience another major disaster. Newspapers have been stating that the City Council has caused the delay. The facts tell a different story. The truth is that, because of my efforts, the original Planning Commission decision to support the Holy Cross expansion was upheld by the City Council.

2 Page 2 of 8 recycling and lead Los Angeles out of landfills Upcoming Events Friday, Dec. 12 Mason Park Holiday Show This free holiday show offers childcare and senior activities. 11 am - 1 pm Mason Ave. (818) It was only after a lawsuit by a union involved in a fight with the hospital's corporate owner, that a Judge made the poor decision to stop the expansion. The Judge happened to be a former Councilmember from a small independent city who doesn't understand the processes of charter cities like Los Angeles. After that, I authored a motion urging our City Council to reaffirm its position in support of the hospital expansion. To see the motion, click here. Now, however, the hospital and the City Attorney have decided to appeal the Judge's decision and have taken the matter out of the Council's hands and put it back into the courts. This fight is not over! I will continue to support the expansion of this muchneeded, life-saving hospital. - Greig Smith COMMUNITY NEWS & UPCOMING EVENTS Saturday, Dec. 13 Holiday Show At this free holiday show for all ages, there will be performances from various Park Youth Programs. 10 am St. Dwayne Finley (818) Monday, Dec. 22 Recreation Center Winter Camp Winter Camp POTENTIAL FLOOD & MUDSLIDE WARNING FOR BURN AREAS We were very lucky that rains were much lighter than expected during the last storm, and there was no flooding or mudslides. However, rain is expected again for the Los Angeles area, so flooding and mudslides are possible in the areas burned in the recent wildfires. Winter rains could cause floods, landslides, mudslides and erosion in neighborhoods where the fires have burned away vegetation that normally holds runoff water and stabilizes hillsides. Sand bags are still ready at critical locations so that City crews can place them if necessary to address flooding. For ongoing flood and emergency updates visit LA Fire Department website

3 Page 3 of 8 Begins, and runs through Jan. 9, 2009, offering sports, field trips, games and activities. 9 am - 4 pm St. Cost: $140 Dwayne Finley (818) Monday, Dec. 22 Basketball Camp at Mason Park Kids can learn ball-handling skills, basketball game rules, teamwork and good sportsmanship at this fun winter basketball camp. 9 am - 3 pm Mason Park Mason Ave. SAND & BAGS AVAILABLE FOR FREE All City Fire Stations also have burlap bags and several have sand, that residents can pick up for free. To find the nearest Fire Station, visit The LAFD website lists all locations where free sand is available, as well as instructions on properly using sandbags at SAND IS AVAILABLE AT THESE FIRE STATIONS Fire Station Balboa Blvd., Fire Station Corbin Ave., Porter Ranch Fire Station Balboa Blvd., Fire Station Marilla St. (1 block south of Lassen, 1 block east of Topanga Cyn.), SAND IS AVAILABLE AT THESE LOCATIONS Knollwood Country Club Parking Lot Balboa Blvd., The bridge at O Melveny Park Sesnon Blvd., Brown s Canyon At De Soto Ave. and the 118 Freeway, (818) Monday, Dec. 22 Winter Camp at Winnetka Park Registration opens for Winter Camp, with lots of fun activities for kids, running through January, am Winnetka Recreation Center Join Us for "A Day Without a Bag" and Give the Environment a Holiday Gift! Join us, Heal the Bay, local retailers and thousands of shoppers in L.A. and use reusable bags instead of single-use shopping bags on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008! On Dec. 18 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at Northridge Fashion Center Mall we will kick off the Day Without a Bag by helping "Green

4 Page 4 of Winnetka Ave. Winnetka Cost: $110 per week Michelle Gross (818) Thursday, Dec. 24 Winter Holiday Celebration at Balboa Park Enjoy this free holiday celebration for all ages. Balboa Recreation Center at Encino Community Center 4935 Balboa Blvd. Encino Lee Marks (818) January 17, 2009 Youth Field Trip the Getty Center This youth field trip offers a chance to visit the Getty Center, one of the nation's great cultural centers, to see the world-class art exhibitions, architecture, spectacular views of the City and more. $15 fee includes round trip transporation. 10 am Departs from Northridge Lemarsh St. Northridge Call (818) for more information and reservations. Santa" and his elves give away free reusable shopping bags to shoppers at the mall. There are also free reusable bag giveaways at locations across L.A. For a list of all locations, visit Los Angeles County residents consume on average 6 billion single-use plastic bags every year. That is about 600 bags per person, per year. Plastic bags can now be recycled in the City of Los Angeles Blue Bins, which is a great step forward. However, only 5% of them are currently recycled nationally. The rest end up in landfills, the Los Angeles River, our City streets, and the ocean, where they kill marine life and pollute the environment. Single-use plastic bags also waste petroleum resources. Now that reusable bags are a common sight in grocery stores, we hope to spread their use to non-grocery retail stores as well. "Day Without a Bag" Thursday, Dec :00 am: Kickoff at the north end of the mall, outside of the movie theaters. 11:00 am - 1:00 pm: Bag give-away, inside the mall next to Santa. Northridge Fashion Center Mall 9301 Tampa Ave. (& Plummer St.) Northridge For more information, visit Heal the Bay's website at Make a Difference in the Community at the Times of Greatest Need... Some of the most inspiring acts of heroism during the recent train disaster and the wildfires that shook the San Fernando Valley were performed by the volunteers of the City's Crisis Response Team (CRT). The City is recruiting community members to volunteer for the CRT.

5 Page 5 of 8 Ongoing Through June 2009 After-School Programs at This bus pick-up program offers young students help with homework, and activities such as crafts and games after school. 2:30 pm - 6 pm St. Dwayne Finley (818) Donate DVDs to Benefit Veterans DVDs4Vets is a nonprofit organization that collects new and used DVDs and donates them to wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of these veterans have physical and economic hardships that make it difficult for them to obtain some of the basic entertainment that most civilians take for granted. At the request of Police and Fire Departments, CRT members provide immediate on-scene crisis intervention, attend to survival and comfort needs, act as liaisons between victims and emergency personnel, and give referrals to victims and their families affected by a death, a serious injury, a violent crime or other traumatic incidents. New member training will take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, Jan. 27 through March 12, 2009 at the L.A. Police Academy in Westchester. Bilingual volunteers who speak Spanish or Korean are especially needed. For more information or to register for the training, call (213) or LACRT@lacity.org. Make It a Green Holiday Season by Recycling Your Christmas Tree and Gift Packaging... As part of its environmental commitment, the City of Los Angeles offers residents the chance to recycle Christmas trees at Recreation & Parks sites and Fire Stations throughout the City on Saturday, Jan. 3 and Sunday, Jan. 4, 2009, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Recreation & Parks sites also accept bulky gift packaging for recycling. To see all drop-off locations and instructions on how to recycle your tree in your green bin at home, visit Recreation & Parks sites will give a free green gift to every person who drops off a tree! Last year we collected more than 80,000 Christmas trees that were turned into mulch and re-used, instead of going to the landfill where they release greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. In the last year, DVDs4Vets has delivered over 38,000 DVDs to various V.A.

6 Page 6 of 8 Hospitals, homes, centers and clinics for veterans. For more information on how to donate DVDs, visit Councilman Greig Smith Links Press Release Archive Monthly Column Archived Editions of Councilman Smith's Weekly Briefing Council District 12 Community Guide Request Information Contact Information Council District 12 Neighborhood Council Links Canoga Park Help Support Devonshire PALS' Toy Drive for At-Risk Children This Holiday Season... The current economic crisis makes it especially important to help those in need this holiday season. Every year we support Devonshire PALS (Police Activity League Supporters) with their toy drive to provide holiday gifts to the at-risk youth in our community that are served by PALS. PALS provides extremely valuable mentoring, sports, educational and other after-school activities in order to offer alternatives to gangs and crime for at-risk youth. Please drop off new unwrapped gifts at our Northridge office, Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm through Dec. 18. PALS Toy Drive Councilman Smith's Northridge Office Nordhoff St., #18 Northridge For more information call (818) For more information on Devonshire PALS, visit Encino North South Northridge East Northridge West Porter Ranch North Hills West Reseda West Hills Winnetka Save the Date for the Grand Opening of Topanga Police Station... Join us for the grand opening celebration of Topanga Police Station, Saturday, Jan. 3, in Canoga Park. This free, family-friendly event includes fun activities for kids and

7 Page 7 of 8 Lake Balboa Council District 12 Chambers of Commerce Links Canoga Park/West Hills Encino North Valley Regional tours of the new station. Come meet the police officers who will be protecting and serving our community at the new station. Saturday, Jan. 3 10:00 am Topanga Police Station Schoenborn St. (Schoenborn St. & Canoga Ave.) Canoga Park Topanga Station has energy and water-saving features and a community room for public use. It will improve Police response times because it reduces the geographic area patrolled by the Valley Police Divisions. For more information call (818) Flu Season is Here, So Take Advantage of Free Flu Shots... The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health offers free flu vaccine shots at various locations. Dial LA County's information line at 211 to find the nearest location to receive a free flu vaccination. You can also find locations online at Every year, between 5% and 20% of people in the U.S., and getting a flu vaccination shot is the best way to avoid getting it. For more information on influenza and flu vaccination, call the County Department of Public Health at (213) , or (213) on evenings and weekends. Don't Miss the Holiday Parade! Mark your calendar for the 25th Annual Holiday Parade, Sunday, Dec. 14 in.

8 Page 8 of 8 Bring your whole family to enjoy this free parade and community festival presented by the Kiwanis, featuring marching bands, floats, live music, dancer performances, entertainment, food, booths and more. Sunday, Dec :00 pm - 5:00 pm Devonshire St., between Lurline St. and Jordan Ave. For more information contact Lucian Monano at (818) or lucia@lostoros.com. This message was sent to by: Councilmember Greig Smith Nordhoff Street, Suite 18 Northridge, CA (818)