Neighborhood Improvement Projects (View transcript)
 VideoEver wonder how your Neighborhood Council can get started on doing neighborhood improvement projects? This show will explain one method that utilizes the city?s Neighborhood Matching Fund Program. This program is explained by the Director of Operation Clean Sweep, Delphia Jones. Mary Rodriguez, President of the Greater Griffith Park NC, provides examples of how she has used the program to paint murals at a local middle school, and what he Neighborhood Council is working on next. (September 2004) |
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A Great Neighborhood Improvement Project: Grand Ave.
?We?re trying to make Downtown Los Angeles the living room of the city!? said Brady Westwater (Downtown Los Angeles NC) explaining the concept of the Grand Avenue Project. Along with Bill Witte of the Related Companies of California, they describe the extensive outreach that all parties are taking at making this project a true community effort. (April 2005) |
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Spring St./Main St. Revitalization (View transcript)
Video Things are changing on the streets of downtown. Brady Westwater, the new President of the Downtown Los Angeles NC, explains the history of downtown, and what?s being done along with private business to revitalize Spring Street and Main Street by steering it toward an art and creative business district called Gallery Row. Jose Caballer, a downtown resident, established a new co-operative workplace called "The Space" in Gallery Row. He owns a graphic design company, "The Groop," and he talks about the advantages of owning a small business downtown. (September 2004) |
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Two Great Neighborhood Improvement Projects: Vincent Thomas Bridge Lighting and Wilmington Gateways
Wilmington is revitalizing itself in many different. Dennis McCarbery (Wilmington NC) talks about the Vincent Thomas Bridge Lighting project, which was a 17-year collaborative effort by many organizations including the Wilmington NC. Jack Babbitt (Wilmington NC) is working on improving Wilmington in a different way. Together with the Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative (LANI), the Neighborhood Council is working hard on creating 10 gateways around Wilmington. (June 2005)
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A Great Neighborhood Improvement Project: Broadway-Manchester Streetscape
A top priority of the community was to create a landscaped median down Manchester Avenue, and to create other improvements as part of a million dollar project. Elizabeth McClelland (Empowerment Congress Southeast Area Neighborhood Development Council) and representatives from the city?s Bureau of Street Services explain how this was done, and how other Neighborhood Councils can do the same thing. (December 2004) |
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A Great Neighborhood Improvement Project: Bee Canyon Park (View transcript)
Mary Ellen Crosby (Granada Hills North NC) is the kind of energetic and devoted person that any Neighborhood Council would be proud to have promoting it parks projects and programs. The Neighborhood Council matched a contribution from Councilman Greig Smith with a significant amount of its money to re-open a playground in Bee Canyon Park. The Department of Recreation and Parks helps explains how it call came together. (December 2004) |
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Crenshaw Revitalization (View transcript)
Video Rick Conroy (Crenshaw Chamber of Commerce) discusses the "Crenshaw Summit," what it was, and the good things that happened. He also discusses how the West Adams NC, United Neighborhoods of the Historic Arlington Heights, West Adams, and Jefferson Park Communities, Empowerment Congress West Area Neighborhood Development Council, and the Park Mesa Heights CC were an intricate part of the "Crenshaw Summit," and how they will continue to be involved with all of the future projects proposed by the Summit. Dwayne Wyatt from the City Planning Department describes the new projects that are being built in the area, the projects that are opening soon, and the future projects. (October 2004) |
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An Outsider's View
Raphe Sonenshein, former Executive Director of the Los Angeles Charter Reform Commission and Craig Summers from Coro recall their original expectations of the new Neighborhood Council system, describe their current observations, and talk about the potential of the Neighborhood Councils. It?s a refreshing viewpoint from two people who aren?t associated with any Neighborhood Council, but who are able to analyze the system objectively from the outside. (March 2005) |
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Creative Ways to Involve People and Youth Outreach
Outreach is one of those things that is on all the Neighborhood Council?s ?to do? list. The Greater Griffith Park and Atwater Village Neighborhood Councils are no exception. Charley Mims (Greater Griffith Park NC) describes their outreach while preparing to be certified. Perla Miranda (Atwater Village NC) illustrates the various outreach activities and methods that all Neighborhood Councils are currently adopting to reach out to stakeholders. How is the youth involved? Maribel Ramirez, a youth specialist and Johnny Godinez (Boyle Heights NC) convey the importance of involving youth in a meaningful way. Joe Gatlin (Central San Pedro NC) explains his grass-roots approach at informing housing project residents of issues in their community. (April 2005) |
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The Making of the Los Angeles Mayoral Debates
The evolution of the Neighborhood Council system took another big step forward when leaders organized themselves to sponsor two debates involving the five major candidates for mayor. Working through the Los Angles Citywide Alliance of Neighborhoods and CityWatch, an online newsletter for Neighborhood Councils, these leaders designed the debates working with KCBS Channel 2 and KCAL Channel 9, which agreed to televise two commercial-free 90-minute forums. It wasn?t easy, but it was an unforgettable experience. Bill Christopher from the Alliance, and Ken Draper, CityWatch editor, explain how it all came together and the value that it had for the Neighborhood Council movement. (April 2005)
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Tree Planting With The TreePeople
Planting trees is good for people, neighborhoods, the environment, and birds, so what?s holding you back? Diann Corral (Mid-Town North Hollywood NC) and Terri Davis (Greater Toluca Lake NC) describe their tree planting projects, and how they got city grants to leverage their money. Jim Summers (TreePeople) explains how they train Neighborhood Council leaders to become ?Citizen Foresters.? (March 2005)
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Trees and the Greening of Neighborhoods
Kermit the Frog claims that it?s not easy being green. But it is easy to green. Detrich Allen, General Manager of the Department of Environmental Affairs, and Frank Prater (President Empowerment Congress Central Area Neighborhood Development Council) discuss the various methods that they?re using to green their neighborhood. (November 2004) |
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Why We Love Our Senior Lead Officers
When the Neighborhood Councils in the Harbor Area and their senior lead officers started talking about how to do a better job of preventing crime in the 60-acre Peck Park, they decided that the Neighborhood Councils would share in the cost of buying three ATVs so the police could patrol the park more easily. It was a major investment in public safety. Officer Steven Muirhead (Harbor Division), Ralph Galante (Coastal San Pedro NC), and Howard Uller (Central San Pedro NC) explain this exciting partnership. Officer Amanda Serrano (Rampart Division) tells viewers what senior lead officers do and why they are so popular. (April 2005)
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L.A. SHARES and Equipping Neighborhood Council Offices
Neighborhood Councils are beginning to find and occupy office spaces a place to hang their shingle. The City of Los Angeles has streamlined its system especially for the Neighborhood Councils. Bert Ball from L.A. SHARES explains how his nonprofit helps provide free supplies and equipment for the offices. Nicholas Krall (Sylmar NC) talks about his experience in getting their office set up, and Jackie Mendez from the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment describes how the City helps cut the red tape. (April 2005) |
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A Candid Discussion with the General Manager
Brad Pomerance hosts this special program and interviews Greg Nelson, the General Manager of Department of Neighborhood Empowerment. Greg talks about the past, present, and future of the Neighborhood Council system. (April 2005) |
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Crime Prevention
Video Three senior lead officers and Bill Murray (Arroyo Seco NC) explain things that Neighborhood Councils can do to reduce crime. Viewers are taken on a ride-along as an officer looks for potential crime scenes. (May 2004) |
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Crime Prevention, Part II
Video You can never know enough about how to prevent crime. There simply aren?t enough police to do it all themselves. In the first segment, Senior Lead Officer Vince Aguirre describes a break-through program that the LAPD is promoting to alleviate home burglaries called Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). Sergeant John Romero discusses the tactics that the LAPD is using to combat the war on terrorism. He provides useful tips that you use to assist and do your part. (September 2004) |
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Emergency Preparedness (View transcript)
Video Horace Penman, President of CANNDU (Community and Neighbors for Ninth District Unity) and Carol Parks from the Emergency Preparedness Department talk about going beyond preparing individuals for the ?big one? as they explain how entire neighborhoods can prepare themselves. Viewers are taken into the home of Grace Bradbury (Harbor Gateway South NC). (May 2004) |
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Emergency Preparedness, Part II (View transcript)
The ?big one? is coming. Nobody knows when. Few people are prepared. And almost no neighborhoods are prepared. Horace Penman (CANNDU) shows us how he?s been leading the way in preparing plans and storing supplies for the entire neighborhood around Fremont High School. Nina Royal (Sunland-Tujunga NC) and Michael Fenton (American Red Cross) explain the training that?s available, and the importance of each neighborhood being able sustain itself for 2-3 days until help arrives. Hopefully, we?ll see more Neighborhood Councils assigning someone to coordinate their effort, and setting aside funds for the supplies and a place to store them. (November 2004) |
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Graffiti Prevention (View transcript)
Video Joeann Valle, vice-president of the Harbor City NC, explains how her Neighborhood Council has found a unique way to crack-down on graffiti. What's her secret? It?s graffiti consultant Timothy Kephart and his innovative tracking system. Before the graffiti is eliminated, it?s photographed and put into a database. It?s helping the police catch the bad guys and reduce crime. (September 2004) |
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Graffiti Prevention, Part II
Graffiti consultant Tim Kephart goes into details about his innovative tracking system. Before the graffiti is eliminated, it?s photographed and put into a database. Captain Pat Gannon (Harbor Division) explains how this process helps the police catch the bad guys and reduce crime. The Harbor City NC and other cities have contracted with Tim to deal with this problem. (November 2004) |
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Fight Blight (View transcript)
Broken windows, dilapidated houses, and junk on the front yard sends a message that the residents of the area have given up on their neighborhood. That?s not acceptable to the Mayor?s office or to Neighborhood Council leaders like Leslie Evans (Empowerment Congress North Area Neighborhood Development Council). An inspector from the Department of Building Safety joins Leslie on a tour of his neighborhood as he explains how much more effective the fight against blight has been since the Neighborhood Council got started. (December 2004) |
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The People Sound Off (View transcript)
The official Neighborhood Café cam caught up with several Neighborhood Council leaders at the Congress of Neighborhoods and recorded their thoughts and suggestions about the future. Among those who had an opinion and gave it were: Dan Bernstein (Hollywood Hills West NC), Ken Wyrick and Candy Tanamachi (Boyle Heights), and Daniel Andalon (Historic Highland Park NC). Greg Nelson, General Manager of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, comments on the comments. (November 2004) |
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The Trauma Centers Crisis (View transcript)
The closing of the King/Drew trauma center has not only created a crisis in South Los Angeles, but its domino effect is creating problems throughout the entire country. Dr. Richard Baker, and Robert Cole, President of the Empowerment Congress West Area Neighborhood Development Council, explain the situation and what can be done. (December 2004) |
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Neighborhood Councils 101
Video This is the introductory show for those who aren?t familiar with Neighborhood Councils. It features Doane Liu, Deputy Mayor for Operations and Greg Nelson. Bill Robertson (Department of Public Works) explains the new written agreement that the department signed with four Neighborhood Councils that defines how they exchange information and deal with each other. Bradley, (Glassell Park NC) discusses the matter from a Neighborhood Council perspective. (May 2004) |