Los Feliz Ledger [greetings from tom]
Neighborhood Updates By Los Angeles City Councilmember Tom LaBonge February is one of the most beautiful months to enjoy Los Angeles. The trees start to bloom. Eve r y t h i n g ’s green from the winter rains. And there’s a freshness in the air. It’s a great time to visit Griffith Park to enjoy the spectacular views. There’s a lot going on in Council District 4, and a lot we’re doing to make the Los Feliz, Greater Griffith Park, Hollywood and Silver Lake areas even better places to live. For those who run the track at John Marshall High School and work out on the athletic field in the mornings, it’s open for your use around 6:00 a.m. Monday through Friday until 7:25 a.m. when the students start arriving for classes. Marshall High principal Daniel Harrison tells us to have patience. He says the school has had severe cutbacks in its custodial staff and sometimes they get a little behind on their schedule; but they do their best to get the field open on time. Harrison reminds anyone who wants to schedule an activity for a team or group on the field or track during nonschool hours can apply for a permit on the Los Angeles Unified School District website. And, if you live near or drive by Marshall High, I’m sure you’ve soon the “Big Blue M” at the corner of Griffith Park Boulevard and St. George Street. Ceramic muralist Yuriko did a beautiful job on the mosaic, with the help of a legion of volunteers and the support of the John Marshall High School Alumni and Staff and the Big Blue M Committee. I am proud of all of their hard work. I arranged for new traffic speed limit signs to be installed on Tracy Street. There are now four of the 25 mile per hour signs posted on Tracy, two northbound and two southbound. It’s a reminder to all of us that it’s a schoolzone; and comes in the wake of a serious rollover crash in November, caused by a speeding driver on Tracy Street. The Los Angeles Police Dept. also posted a flashing speed trailer on Tracy to let us know how fast we’re driving. Regarding the ongoing DWP work on Rowena Avenue, from Fletcher to West February 2011
Silver Lake: the River Supply Conduit Improvement Project, as you know if you have children attending Ivanhoe Elementary School or at Camelot Kids Day-Care, has reduced Rowena to one westbound lane and two eastbound lanes between Hyperion Avenue and Rokeby Street. This has created a lot of congestion, especially before and after school. It’s also created more traffic on Waverly Drive and surrounding streets. This critical infrastructure improvement will allow for better water distribution and is required to comply with federal regulations on waterquality. But the constructionzone will be here for a while, scheduled for completion in August 2012. So, please drive slowly through the construction-zone, allow yourself a little more time and be safe.
[eric garcetti]
Operation Pothole Makes 16,000+ Repairs By Eric Garcetti Los Angeles City Councilmember Operation Pothole hit the streets in January and the results are in. More than 16,000 potholes were repaired in a single weekend, thanks to more than 50 city crews as well as residents from across the city who reported pothole locations through the city’s 3-1-1 system. Operation Pothole was launched in the wake of December’s extremely heavy rains, which wreaked havoc on roads unable to dry out before water seeped under the asphalt, undermining the integrity of the street. Residents should know that although Operation Pothole is over, city crews are deployed every day to tackle potholes citywide, so residents should continue to report them before they damage cars, impede traffic, or grow bigger and require more serious and more expensive repair. Don’t assume the city magically knows about the pothole in your neighborhood or on your way to work. And when you call, please be prepared to provide the approximate address of the pothole. Don’t forget that you can also submit reports via the Garcetti 311 applications for iPhone, Blackberry and Android. Some damage to asphalt is not actually a “pothole.” Difwww.losfelizledger.com
ferent types of damage require different equipment and material to fix. If the damage that you reported didn’t get fixed, it’s possible that it actually requires a different process to repair. A few common types of street damage that are NOT potholes include: Cracking: Alligator cracking, edge cracking, and other types of cracks in the asphalt can be caused by poor drainage, an inadequate base, or heavy loads. In these cases, workers must determine the cause of the crack and repair it accordingly. Raveling: this is when particles of asphalt wear away, leaving behind a rough surface. This requires a different kind of “patch” than a pothole. Rutting: this is a permanent deformation of pavement due to repeated exposure to heavy loads. Often, rutting occurs along the wheel path. Rutting is typically addressed by resurfacing the street. These types of street damage can also be reported to 3-1-1, but will take longer to repair than a pothole. For the first time since World War II, the City of Los Angeles is actually addressing its backlog of needed street repair and we’re improving our roads at a rate that is greater than they are deteriorating. And despite the tough economic times, I am fighting against furloughs to the city workers who repair our streets. Every Angeleno uses our roads, and I will continue to make street repair a priority for our city.
[mike gatto]
Mike’s Committee Workload By Assemblymember Mike Gatto With a new year upon us, I remain honored to represent you in our state’s capitol, and mindful of the great task before us to repair our state’s finances. In 2011, I will continue in my efforts to reform our government institutions, to repair our struggling economy, and to be a vigilant guardian over our state coffers. My new position in the Assembly and my committee assignments put me in a position to do so. Recently, I was named the Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore of the Assembly. The Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore presides over meetings of the Assembly when the Speaker Pro Tempore cannot, and helps shape Assembly policy. I have also taken a strong workload of committee assignments, with which I believe I can help the people of the 43rd District and the state of California. Those committee assignments are: Appropriations Committee: This committee supervises expenditures of public funds. Arts, Entertainment, Tourism, Sports, and Internet Media Committee: It is my wish to use this committee to do everything possible to strengthen the entertainment industry, and other industries vital to the south-
land economy. Banking and Finance Committee: This committee considers laws governing financial institutions, including real property finance. It is my hope to use this committee to help shape policies that will revive our struggling real-estate market. Governmental Organization: This committee oversees public records, open-meeting laws, natural disasters, and tobacco and alcohol regulations. Water, Parks, and Wildlife: This committee regulates our water supply, our parks system, and wildlife throughout the state. As a longtime Silverlaker, and big fan of Griffith Park, these policies mean a great deal to me. I am ready to get to work, and optimistic that we can start to solve the challenges facing our state. As always, please feel free to send me your thoughts and ideas on any issue important to you. You can e-mail me at assemblymember. gatto@assembly.ca.gov. Assemblyman Gatto represents all or parts of Silver Lake, Franklin Hills, Los Feliz, Atwater Village, Glendale, Burbank, North Hollywood, Valley Village, and Van Nuys in the California State Assembly.
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