Lake Balboa NC Election Information
** Election Day is May 27! **
 The Lake Balboa Neighborhod Council Election is coming up on May 27, 2010.
2:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Lake Balboa Studios
7412 Balboa Blvd.
Lake Balboa, CA 91406
Here is a list of the certified candidates for the Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council Election, and their respective statements (if available, click the candidates name to read the statement).
For the official City Clerk lists of candidates, click HERE and HERE (Write-In List).
Make a difference in Lake Balboa!
If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to contact the Lake Balboa NC President, David Bernardoni.
Take Action: The Census Forms are Here
A message from Los Angeles City Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Controller Greuel, along with Councilmembers Perry, Parks, and LaBonge joined Mayor Villaraigosa to fill out and send off their census forms.My fellow Angelenos,
I just took 10 minutes to fill out the 10 questions in my Census form, and I am encouraging all Angelenos to do the same. It critical to your community and your city that you make yourself count in this year's Census.
Your participation will help decide the future of our City for the next ten years. The census determines the number of representatives we can send to Washington, the amount of child-care and senior centers we can have, and the level of federal funding we will receive.
Yet, with each new decade, the census still manages to miss some of our most vulnerable residents: young children in low-income homes, large families living under one roof, minorities, renters, recent immigrants, and the homeless. In the 2000 census, it is estimated that 76,8000 Angelenos went uncounted. This was the second highest undercount in the nation.
What did the undercount mean for the City of Los Angeles? The loss of $206 million. In our dire economic climate, we simply cannot afford to leave that money on the table.
All of you should have already received your census forms in the mail this week, so if you have any questions or did not receive your form, please visit one the many Assistance Centers opening across the City tomorrow. To find out where the nearest one is located, call the City Hall info line, 3-1-1.
With only thirteen days left until National Census Day, we need your help to represent the interests of four million Angelenos. Because each census form represents about $2700 in federal funding for your community, we need you to not only turn in your own form, but bring up the census to your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors, and tell them what the census means to their city and their community.
Tell them it is safe, confidential, and easy. Tell them that it will make a real difference in the future of our City. And tell them that by standing up and being counted, they will assume their rightful place in America's story.
Thank you,
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
For more information on the Census visit http://www.lacounts2010.org
Worldfest 2010
Coming to Lake Balboa - Sunday, May 16, 2010
LA's Green, Compassionate Living, Music Festival
Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council is the top sponsor of this event!
WorldFest is a solar-powered celebration of music, the environment, animals and humanity. We’re helping people learn what they can do for the Earth and its inhabitants.
The WorldFest 2010 Earth Day Festival will be held at the beautiful outdoor setting of Woodley Park in Encino, CA. We welcome our attendees to a magnificent day filled with entertainment, education and enlightenment. The combination of great music, empowering speakers, environmental, humanitarian and animal welfare non-profits, kids' activities and a delicious food court make for an earth-friendly experience that is sure to be inspiring and enjoyable for all.
http://www.worldfestevents.com
Save the Date!
Local CPK supports Lake Balboa school
Learn More About Elections for the Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council
Free Flu Vaccinations Available in L.A. County
 Have you had your influenza vaccine yet? Flu season is here, and the L.A. County Department of Public Health is offering free vaccinations at parks, churches, schools, and community centers throughout the County for H1N1 (swine) flu and the regular seasonal flu between Oct. 23 and Nov. 8.
Both H1N1 FluMist nasal spray and vaccines will available for free on a first-come, first-served basis to those who have no health insurance or personal doctor.
City of L.A. Public H1N1 Vaccination Clinic Schedule:
Public H1N1 vaccination clinics are scheduled to be open from 9am until 5pm.
Vaccines are offered on a first come, first served basis.
Additional dates and locations will be available in November and December. New schedules are released every two to three weeks. To see the full schedule of H1N1 (swine) flu vaccination as well as regular seasonal flu vaccination clinics visit http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/ip/flu/index.htm or call 2-1-1 or 3-1-1. Dates, time, and locations are subject to change.
Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns the public not to attempt to purchase any H1N1 flu vaccines over the Internet. There are multiple fraudulent vaccines being offered for purchase online. For more information, visit the FDA.gov swine flu info webpage.
The Mayor's Office is launching the Fiscal Year 2010 -11 Budget Survey, the "LA Budget Challenge," an interactive online survey that allows Angelenos to provide direct input on real budget issues that the City is facing, by participating in a budget balancing simulation exercise. The LA Budget Challenge survey is also designed to educate users on the actual development of the City budget, which will be particularly challenging during Fiscal Year 2010/2011.
Please visit the survey site at http://labudgetchallenge.lacity.org and be among the first to take the survey!
As an important part of the annual budget development process, the City Charter requires that each Neighborhood Council have the opportunity to present the Mayor and the City Council with a list of priorities for the City budget. Over the past four years, Mayor Villaraigosa has implemented a structured process to ensure that all Neighborhood Councils and community members have the opportunity to become informed about the proposed City budget and have the ability to submit their ideas, comments, and budget priorities directly to his Office.
The Los Angeles Budget Challenge survey asks respondents to address next year's projected General Fund budget deficit of approximately $400 million by making decisions on reductions to programs and services, implementing Citywide cost-cutting measures, and by raising revenue through taxes or other initiatives.
While completing the Los Angeles Budget Challenge survey, participants will receive educational information about the City's finances and opportunities for community input, thereby making the City budget process more transparent and accessible for all Angelenos.
Responses to the Los Angeles Budget Challenge will be compiled, analyzed and presented to Neighborhood Council budget representatives and community members at a budget workshop meeting in early March 2010. Participants will be able to provide additional input on budget priorities, as well as take part in a valuable dialogue on City budget issues.
The Mayor's Office licensed the budget challenge software from Next 10, a non-partisan, non-profit organization that in 2005 released the "California Budget Challenge" survey to engage Californians in the State budget process. Next 10 can be visited at www.nextten.org.
In preparation for the 2010/2011 Budget, the Budget and Finance Committee will be holding four very informative community meetings throughout the city.
These meetings will provide residents the opportunity to hear the current fiscal challenges, as well as discuss their concerns and recommendations of the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
Councilmembers and department/bureau representatives will be in attendance to answer questions from the public.
Monday, January 25, 2010, 6:00 PM
Van Nuys City Hall (Council Chambers)
14410 Sylvan Street
Van Nuys, CA 91401
Click here for the official flyer.
*The Councilman will be in attendance.*
For more information, contact:
Jonathan Navarro
Field Deputy
Office of Councilman Tony Cardenas
9300 Laurel Canyon Blvd 2nd Floor
Sun Valley CA, 91331
(818) 771-0236
jonathan.navarro@lacity.org
www.lacity.org/cd6
Sandbag Distribution Available Across the Valley
 Preparing for the worst, the Los Angeles Fire Department and Bureau of Street Services are coordinating the distribution of sandbags and sand at key locations as the first major storm of the season bears down on the Southland.
The Los Angeles Basin is periodically subject to floods that can result in property damage.
Such damage is greatly intensified by soil and debris flows in areas near the recent Station wildfire.
Homeowners and residents across Los Angeles -- especially those in San Fernando Valley foothill communities -- are encouraged to prepare their properties in advance of coming rainstorms.
Properly filled and placed sandbags are best used to divert -- rather than dam -- water run-off, redirecting storm and debris flow away from property improvements.
While the city can provide homeowners with empty sandbags and sand to protect their property, the city does not fill, load, or place sandbags for individual homeowners.
Those needing additional sand, sandbags and supplies may wish to contact a home improvement store or building supply center in their community, many of which will deliver flood preparedness and debris control aids.
Sandbagging and flood control is a labor-intensive process that can lead to injury, and that residents should consider hiring a licensed contractor for any large or special needs.
Here's a list of free sandbag locations:
-- Mission Hills: Fire Station 75, 15345 San Fernando Mission Blvd.
-- Sylmar: Olive View Hospital, 14445 Olive View Drive, (at the old fire station), Oak Ridge Mobile Home Park, 15455 Glenoaks Blvd, and Fire Station 91, 14430 Polk St.
-- Arleta: Fire Station 7, 14123 Nordhoff St.
-- Pacoima: Fire Station 98, 13035 Van Nuys Blvd.
-- Sunland: Fire Station 24, 9411 Wentworth St., and Fire Station 77, 9224 Sunland Blvd.
Also, both sand and ready-to-fill sandbags are available at many Bureau of Street Services locations.More info: L.A. Daily News // L.A. Times
City Announces Prescription Savings Card
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has launched the LARx Prescription Savings Card Program. The purpose is to provide prescriptions at a lower price. The card will offer prescriptions at a 5% to 40% discount. There are no age, income, or other restrictions on the card - and no enrollment fees.
The card and discounts will be offered at http://forlarx.com
Public Libraries, Recreation & Parks facilities and Senior Centers including those operated by the Department of Aging will have the cards readily available.
For a list of participating locations in Lake Balboa, go to our LARx Info page.
"Los Angeles: Structure of a City Government" online download now available for free.
 Everything about L.A. city government‑‑from who fixes potholes to how people run for city Council‑‑can be found in the new edition of Los Angeles: Structure of a City Government, published by the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles. To commemorate the publication, the League donated a total of 6,800 copies to the city of Los Angeles during a presentation in City Hall council chambers on November 7, 2006. It has distributed the remaining 7,200 copies to civic groups and residents throughout Los Angeles.
Written by Dr. Raphael J. Sonenshein of California State University, Fullerton, and recently appointed Executive Director of the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Review commission, the publication is an entirely new and expanded version of a book first published by the League in 1964 and most recently updated in 1986. The John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation funded the book.
Dr. Sonenshein's edition adds a new chapter to the long and valued history of the League's published guides to the government of Los Angeles. with his invaluable experience as Executive Director of the City of Los Angeles Appointed Charter Reform commission, his book aptly serves as an introduction to this new governing document for the 21st century.
Los Angeles: Structure of a City Government includes sections on departments, commissions and agencies that did not exist prior to the passage of the 2000 charter. Other features of the 208‑page book include a newly revised city organizational chart, a recommended reading list, website resources, and an index, weaving the history of Los Angeles' civic infrastructure throughout, it serves as an invaluable educational resource for people of all ages.
Click here to download your copy of the book.
Congratulations to Linda Pruett
Congratulations to Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council Vice President and Emergency Preparedness Commitee Chair, Linda Pruett, for being voted and recognized as Public Safety Chair of the Year by the Valley Regional Congress of Neighborhood Councils.
 |
Public Safety Chair of the Year
Linda Pruett, Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council |
Thank you for all the hard work that you have done for our council as well as the work that you are currently doing to spread awareness of the importance of public safety.
Linda was honored at the Valley Regional Congress Event luncheon on Saturday, May 30th.
Lake Balboa Day Photos
Councilman Greig Smith, and Councilman Cardenas' Representative, Linda Leyvitan, unveil the new Lake Balboa sign. The city of Lake Balboa is now offically recognized by the city of Los Angeles.
To see more photos, click the Photo Gallery link in the menu on the right of the page.
Text-A-Tip
 In
the ongoing fight against crime, the LAPD has come up with
a new way to report criminal activity. You can now text
the information to "CRIMES" (2-7-4-6-3-7) to make an anonymous
report. Do your part to get the criminals off the street.
This tip as well as other information was passed along via
E-Police bulletin. Sign up to receive it by going to http://lapdcrimemaps.org/.
You can also check out the crime reports in your area while
you are there.
Get Involved:
The Dept. of Parks and Recreation
is Forming a New Committee and Seeks Your Participation
The City of Los Angeles Department of Parks
and Recreation invites you to join the "Make
A Difference Committee." We are planning
to create a hands-on group of responsible individuals to
solve Lake Balboa issues. If you are interested in volunteering,
please call Abel Perez: (818) 756-8190.
Van Nuys Holiday Tree and Menorah Lighting Celebration
Boy Scout & Cub Scout Open House
 September is Open House for our Cub Scout Packs and Boy Scout Troops!
For 100 years, Scouting has helped youth develop academic skills, self-confidence, ethics, citizenship skills and leadership skills that influence their adult lives.
Remember the fun and adventure you had being a Boy Scout? Open that door to your son, grandson, nephew, or cousin and join the thousands of boys enjoying the Scouting program right now in the San Fernando Valley.
Scouting provides youth with a sense that they are important as individuals. They find that those in the Scouting family care about what happens to them, regardless of whether a game is won or lost. While various activities and youth groups teach basic skills, Scouting goes beyond that and encourages youth to achieve a deeper appreciation for themselves, their family and their community.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Scouting promotes activities that lead to personal responsibility and high self-esteem. As a result, when hard decisions have to be made, peer pressure can be resisted and the right choices made.
The Scouting program offers fun and challenging experiences for boys through activities like camping, hiking, building projects and community service, to name a few. The program builds boys mentally, physically, socially and spiritually. The skills they learn in Scouting help them overcome obstacles and challenges with courage and character throughout their lives.
Give your son a valuable gift by encouraging him to join Boy Scouts today. The time you invest in him today will make a difference in the person he becomes tomorrow.
There are several units right here in your backyard. We invite you to drop in and check us out.
Go to www.balboaoaks.bsa-la.org and see the list of all the Units in your area. Simply drop in at any of our meetings, or call ahead for information.
Most Packs and Troops are slightly different in their program and approach, so we invite you to visit as many as you like to find one that is the best fit for your son and you.
Invite all your friends to come along and visit us too. Bring in the coupon from this flyer when you join (at participating Units) and your son will receive a free Scout Handbook!
Aviation Careers Education (ACE)  Academy
Los Angeles World Airports' Aviation Careers Education (ACE) Academy is a FREE week-long motivational program designed to provide students with the basic understanding of career opportunities within the aviation industry, as well as general knowledge about Van Nuys Airport (VNY).
The program is open to all San Fernando Valley middle and high school students. Applications from students in other Los Angeles communities will be accepted. However, priority will be given to students in the neighboring area of Van Nuys Airport.
DATES:
July 27 - July 31, 2009 (Middle School, 6th-8th grade)
August 10 - August 14, 2009 (High School, 9th-12th grade)
It's FREE!
Past activities included tours of North Valley Occupational Center (aircraft mechanics school), city helicopter center and aviation companies specializing in medical emergency and corporate flight operations. Field trips to Los Angeles International Airport, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the L.A. County Sheriff's Helicopter Unit and the Alteon Boeing Company in Long Beach were a few of the locations where students experienced both cabin and flight simulators.
Online Survey Now Available For New Chief of Police Qualities
The Los Angeles Personnel Department invites the public to take an online survey designed to obtain the most desired qualities to be considered in the Chief of Police selection process. To have your voice be heard, log on to: www.lacity.org/per
The survey may be taken by clicking on "LAPD Chief of Police Qualities Survey/Your Opinion Counts." The survey will be available until September 17, 2009. At that time, the Personnel Department will compile the results of the survey and present them to the Police Commission.
The Police Commission is also holding community meetings throughout the City to hear what the people of Los Angeles would like to see in their next Chief of Police. The remaining meetings are as follows:
September 3, 2009
Department of Water and Power, Community Auditorium
6:00 pm
4030 Crenshaw Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90008
September 9, 2009
Felicia Mahood Senior Center
6:30 pm
11338 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
September 10, 2009
One Generation
6:30 pm
18255 Victory Blvd
Reseda, CA 91335
September 17, 2009
Kedren Center
6:30 pm
710 East 111th Place
Los Angeles, CA 90059
The input from both the online survey and the community meetings will be used during the selection process of a new Chief of Police.
 Healthy Air Family Fair
South Coast Air Quality Management District,
in participation with the
Valley Interfaith Council, invite you to the free "Healthy Air - Healthy Communities Family Fair".
Sunday, July 12, 2009
12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA 91401
Click here for the official flyer with more information.
Conservation Measures for Lawn Watering in Effect June 1
 Starting June 1, DWP water conservation measures go into effect restricting lawn watering with automatic sprinklers to Mondays and Thursdays. Watering must be done before 9am or after 4pm. Rotator-type or gear-driven sprinklers may not be on for more that 15 minutes per day, or not more than 10 minutes for other (i.e., non-rotation type) sprinklers.
Violations are subject to fines.
Also, the "hand watering" exception mentioned does not override the 9am to 4pm restriction. If watering by hand, you still have to do it before 9am or after 4pm., and the hose has to have a self-closing nozzle.
Below are several links with detailed information on the water conservation measures:
Shortage Year Rates Fact Sheet
Frequently Asked Questions
Sprinkler Use Ordinance
Prohibited Uses of Water
Amended Water Conservation Ordinance
To report water waste call 1-800-Dial DWP or email waterconservationteam@ladwp.com.
DWP Info Phone Line and Web Site Now Active
 The DWP has activated its special phone line and website to allow residents to find out what their water usage allotment is. This will allow residents to determine if they need to conserve more water to avoid the higher rates under the DWP's water shortage measures.
DWP Phone Line: (800) Dial DWP
DWP Website: www.LADWP.com
Los Angeles is suffering a serious drought plus significant water supply shortages.
To boost conservation, DWP has implemented higher water-shortage rates and lawn watering restrictions. About 85% of single-family homes and 99% of apartment buildings in the 12th District will remain in the lowest water usage tier, so their rates won't go up.
Single-family households are allocated a certain amount of water at the lowest rate – Tier 1. This allotment is determined by three things: lot size, location and number of household members. The higher rate is for every additional gallon of water used above that. This means that you will not be penalized if you have already been conserving water, because the Tier is not set based on your own use.
City Council comes through for Neighborhood Councils
On Monday, May 18, 2009, the City Council finalized the budget and submitted it to the Mayor for approval.
This budget directly impacts our community as the funding for our Neighborhood Council and the LAPD has been cut down by 10%, thus reducing the Neighborhood Council funding to $45,000 for the 2009/2010 fiscal year, yet allowing for continued funding to build up the LAPD by 1,000 officers.
We thank all of the City Council members for voting unanimously to keep these funds in the budget.
 Photos from the Spring Egg Hunt are now online!
To see them, click on the Photo Gallery link above on the right side of the page.
City of Los Angeles Community
Budget Survey
The results of the Community Budget Survey are in and can be viewed on-line at: http://www.mayor.lacity.org/budget/mayfy0910.htm. The Lake Balboa NC area is a part of the South Valley report.
Friends of Lake Balboa
Meeting Thursday
To Friends of Lake Balboa and other interested persons:
As you may be aware, the next bi-monthly meeting of the
Friends of Lake Balboa will be held tomorrow Thursday, May
28, 6:30 p.m. Please
click here for the meeting agenda.
This meeting will focus on the operations of Lake Balboa
as it relates to the lifeguard staff and we are very pleased
that we will have in attendance the head of the Citywide
Aquatics Division, Mary Bingham, who will provide information
and answer any questions.
We hope to see you Thursday evening.
Glenn Bailey and Kerri Barton, Co-Chairs
Friends of Lake Balboa
Bull Creek Ecosystem Restoration
Project Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 8:30 a.m.
You are cordially invited to attend the ribbon cutting for the
Bull Creek Ecosystem Restoration Project. The ceremony will take
place at Beilenson Park in the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area.
The Bull Creek Ecosystem Restoration Project will provide nearly
28 acres of aquatic, riparian and native upland habitat along
the Bull Creek channel in the Sepulveda Flood Control Basin. It
will enhance and restore wildlife resources through additional
foraging, nesting, cover and resting opportunities for wildlife
indigenous to the region. The project will create additional recreational
assets and will minimize further degradation of the existing riparian
habitat.
Please enter via the Beilenson Park entrance road from Balboa
Blvd., about 3/10 of mile south of Victory Blvd. The ceremony
will be held adjacent to the parking area on the north side of
the access road.
For additional information, please contact Project Manager Ed
Louie with the Los Angeles District at 213-452-4002.
Come join us for LAKE BALBOA
DAY
Sponsored by the Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council
Where: The event will take place in the “Kite Field” which is located to the right of the road as you enter the park from Balboa Avenue.
The Event: The purpose of Lake Balboa Day is to celebrate the official renaming of our community from “Van Nuys” to “Lake Balboa.” There will be a presentation of a “Lake Balboa” sign by our city councilmen, Tony Cardenas and Greig Smith. The official renaming ceremony will take place at 1:00 and will be preceded by an introduction by the Birmingham High School Marching Band.
Live Entertainment: There will be live music and entertainment on a large stage set up in the park. There will also be bouncy castles and face painting for the kids, as well as other activities.
Parking: Parking is available along the sides of the streets as well as in the dirt parking lot across from the “Kite Field” where the event is being held.
Special arrangements have also been made for parking in the sod field on the west side of Balboa Blvd. Signs will be set up with directions to enter the sod field. You can then use the walk/bike path underpass to get across Balboa Blvd. The underpass will bring you directly to the event location.
Food: For the first 500 stakeholders who bring a coupon there will be a complementary lunch. However, you are also welcome to bring your own food or picnic and enjoy the day with us. If you did not receive our flyer with the coupon, you can view and print a copy here.
Informational Booths: There will be information booths set up for the Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council, the city councilmen, as other local vendors.
For more information about the event, you can view and print a copy of the event Newsletter here. (9 Mb)
Cherry blossom
season is underway at Lake Balboa!
Printing Error in our Newsletter
Our apologies for a printing error in our February Neighborhood
News flyer. The last line of the article on trash bins should
read: "If you have any questions, call 1-800-773-2489
or 311."
We also need to clarify the regulations about times the trash
bins should be curbside. The information in the flyer came
directly from the Bureau of Sanitation's flyer which you can read
at http://www.lacity.org/san/solid_resources/pdfs/2008/SR_EveryoneWins.pdf.
The "regulations state that containers must be placed at
the curb by 6:00 AM on the day of collection" is correct. If
you put it out later than 6:00 AM the truck may have already come
by and missed picking up your refuse. The key word here is
by. That doesn't mean you have to wait until 6:00 AM to put
it out at the curb.
The Bureau of Sanitation, in response for a request for the ordinance
about curbside residential pickup sent the following information:
The rules are found in a document which does not seem to be available
online. Rather than an ordinance, it is Board of Public Works
policy that was adopted by the City Council last on March 17,
1998. The Council File is #97-1716. The document is
titled Rules and Regulations for the Collection of Household Refuse
and Dead Animals in the City of Los Angeles, California. The
pertinent section is as follows:
"Section 9. TIME LIMITATIONS UPON PLACING AND REMOVING
OF CONTAINERS
No person occupying or in possession of any premises where refuse
is scheduled to be collected between the hours of 6:00 o'clock
A.M. and 6:00 o'clock P.M. shall place any container containing
refuse, or any refuse not in a container, at the proper place
of collection as specified in Section 8 hereof before 6:00 o'clock
P.M. of the day preceding the scheduled collection of said refuse,
nor leave any such container at such place of collection after
8:00 P.M. of the day of actual collection."
What we were trying to do with the article in the Neighborhood
News flyer was create awareness of the regulations because some
of our "neighbors" that think it is okay to just leave
the bins at the curb for days before collection or after collection.
We all want our neighborhoods to be beautiful. Let's try
to work together on this issue.
Survey L.A. - Your help
needed
Survey LA is a multi-year project with the goal of identifying
significant historic places throughout Los Angeles and the people
and events that formed our social and cultural history.
Beginning in 2009, professional survey teams will canvass the
City, neighborhood by neighborhood, to assess the potential historic
significance of properties. They need your help to identify
those places that may not be architecturally significant, but
are associated with an important person who contributed to the
development of the city, or with an event of social significance.
In order to find those places, you are invited to share your stories
with them.
Visit www.Surveyla.org
and click on the MyhistoricLA link where
you can tell them about what is important in your neighborhood.
The website is extremely interesting and packed with information
about the whole process of surveying Los Angeles.
Special Meeting: Thursday
Night, Apr. 9
We are having a Special Meeting on Thursday night at 7:00
p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to vote on ordering
some promotional items for Lake Balboa Day. We also need
approval relating to the printing of the newsletter. It
will be a very short meeting, no more than a half hour.
Lake
Balboa Studios
7412 Balboa Blvd.
Lake Balboa, CA 91406
Bring your family to Lake Balboa's FREE Spring Egg Hunt!
 Saturday, April 11, 2009
Begins @ 10:00 A.M.
Ages: 1-11 years
FREE ADMISSION, but don't forget to bring your own basket!
Please join us at Balboa Sports Complex for
crafts, balloon animals, special entertainment,
face painting, egg hunt, giveaways, pictures with
our very own Peter Cottontail, and more!
Balboa Sports Complex
17015 Burbank Blvd.
Encino, CA 91316
Click here for the official press release.
Call (818) 995-1690 for more information.
Emergency Preparedness Meeting
Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council is holding a community emergency preparedness meeting Saturday, March 14 in Van Nuys.
Skip Tribble of Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) and Emergency
Preparedness Coordinator for the Van Nuys Airport will be
the guest speaker. He will discuss some of the emergency
preparedness efforts and plans at Van Nuys Airport.
The meeting will cover ways to build relationships between
Neighborhood Councils, first responders and businesses in
the community. Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council will also
display samples of the emergency kits that they will stock
in their emergency preparedness bins for the community.
Saturday, March 14
9:00 am to 11:00 am
The
Flyaway Bus Terminal
Community Meeting Room, 2nd Floor
7610 Woodley Ave., Van Nuys
Free parking in the short-term lot closest to Woodley Ave.
For more information, email Linda
Pruett or call (818) 779-9026.
Lake Balboa NC Forming a Committee
to Organize an Event Celebrating the Renaming of our Community
Although it has gone unnoticed by many people who live
in Lake Balboa, on November 2, 2007, the Los Angeles City
Council officially renamed our community from Van Nuys to
Lake Balboa. Click
here for a link to the official motion passed by the City
Council. The Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council
is sponsoring an event to celebrate the official renaming
of our community to Lake Balboa. The event is tentatively
planned to be held in Woodley Park in early 2009.
It will be attended by representatives from the City Council.
A committee is being formed to organize and plan this
event. All stakeholders are encouraged to participate in
the committee as this will be an amazing opportunity to
bring our community together. The LBNC is soliciting
ideas and volunteers for this event and looks forward to
hearing from you.
West Valley Special Education
School Closure
Our community of Lake Balboa is the home of the best Special Education
Center, helping elementary school children with severe disabilities.
The West Valley School is located between Valley Alternative School
and the LAUSD District 1 Offices. Jean Brown, the District 1 Superintendent
and/or other LAUSD administrators are looking at the possibility
of closing the school as a budget reduction item. Besides the
impact on these "special" students, this would also affect students
at Birmingham High School and Valley Alternative School as they
currently have the opportunity to work in these Special Education
classes for school credit.
At a packed auditorium at the school, parents and teachers spoke
of the impact closure would have. The LAUSD Superintendent,
Ray Cortines and the District 1 Superintendent Jean Brown listened
but made no commitment to keep the school open in the fall.
A discussion and possible motion by the Lake Balboa Neighborhood
Council will be on our agenda at the March 4th meeting.
Capture
Lake Balboa
Photo and Image Contest
Photograph, paint, draw,
record, or capture the best of Lake Balboa!
All visual mediums are welcome.
Winning images will be featured on the limited edition Lake
Balboa 2009 Calendar, and will be proudly displayed on our
website and at community events! There will be a Grand
Winner, 1st and 2nd Place, and 9 other winners with
honors for all!!
For more info, visit our Contests page.
You are invited to attend the
"Dodger Dream Field" Proposal
Meeting
This proposal meeting is in regards to the installation of the first Universal Access Baseball Field in the City of Los Angeles. It will be located at Lake Balboa/Anthony C. Beilenson Park in the Sepulveda Basin.
December 10, 2008 at
6:30 pm
Sepulveda Garden Center
16633 Magnolia Blvd.
Encino, CA 91406
For more information, contact Senior Park Maintenance Supervisor, Abel Perez, at 818-756-8190.
Lake Balboa Leads Again in Emergency Preparedness
Photo by Bernard Falkin. Click photo above for a large, hi-res version.
Press Release – Lake Balboa, California – October 5, 2008
When the ‘Big One’ comes, Lake Balboa will be prepared. Almost one hundred fifty citizens made Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley safer this Sunday when LAFD CERT Commander Stacy Gerlich graduated the city’s largest class ever of Community Emergency Response Team Trainees. “Awesome! This is why I love my career! It's about the people! The passion and drive they have to be better prepared and more of a community,” said Capt. Gerlich.
The graduation was held at Lake Balboa Studios after over 17 hours of training in leadership, coordination, triage, disaster psychology, search & rescue, and emergency medical response. “Los Angeles fire, police, and medical agencies will be busy handling the largest problems associated with a wide scale disaster,” said event coordinator Linda Pruett. “We will be on our own in our neighborhoods for the first 72 hours, at least – probably longer – and we want to make a difference. Thank goodness we are preparing now.”
And the pull to protect our neighborhoods seems to be universal. Ages 13 to 70+ were represented, with a contingent of over sixty LAPD Explorer Scouts from Van Nuys, Foothill, Pacific and Hollenbeck divisions participating. Ms. Pruett related the excitement of the new graduates, “We really appreciate the opportunity to learn how to protect our own families and neighborhoods”, they told me. “Now we feel we can help our own community prepare, and to recover more quickly.”
Lake Balboa led Southern California in community preparedness when its Neighborhood Council supplied an entire year’s $50,000 budget to purchase two Emergency Response Command Centers with supplies, which should be delivered by the end of October. Pruett continued, “This council has made a huge commitment to train, equip, support, and activate its stakeholders when the next big temblor, and any other manmade or natural disaster strikes. And these CERT responders have just begun their journey with many other emergency preparedness trainings being offered throughout Los Angeles, including a refresher for all CERT graduates at LAFD Fire Station 88 in Sherman Oaks on November 16, 2008.”
Daily News
Thursday, June 5th, 2008
Front Page
Big drill will hit area before the 'Big One'
DISASTER: Up to 21 million Southland residents asked to take part in quake rehearsal.
By Dana Bartholomew
Staff Writer
PASADENA -- The magnitude 7.8 earthquake rips for three minutes across Southern California, sparking 1,600 fires, damaging 300,000 buildings and causing $213 billion in economic losses.
When the dust settles, 1,800 residents lie dead among the rubble while 50,000 more suffer serious injuries.
But the hypothetical temblor, slated to occur Nov. 13, is only a drill. Repeat: The Great Southern California ShakeOut will only be the largest earthquake drill in U.S. history.
"Nothing we've ever experienced will compare to what will happen in this great earthquake -- alarms sounding, dogs barking, people screaming, then all of a sudden the power goes out, cellular phones stop working, roads become inaccessible, then the fires start," Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa explained during the drill event launch Wednesday. "This all sounds like a scene from a movie, but it's not. It's real life. The effects can be devastating.
"We kick off The Great Southern California ShakeOut campaign ... to educate residents how to prevent disaster from becoming a catastrophe."
The ShakeOut campaign was rolled out before a hall of 500 government officials, emergency responders and community leaders at the California Institute of Technology.
'Drop, cover, hold on'
Up to 21 million residents in eight counties across the Southland are being asked to prepare for a likely jolt on the San Andreas Fault. The ShakeOut drill will begin at 10 a.m. Nov. 13 and invite residents to "drop, cover and hold on."
At the same time, thousands of firefighters, police and emergency responders from Ventura to Imperial counties will share in an unprecedented, weeklong Golden Guardian Emergency Response event. That week, Los Angeles will host an international Earthquake Conference.
Residents are asked to prepare by registering at www.ShakeOut.org. While homeowners might store extra water, business owners might compile disaster plans.
The point: Everyone should know what to do during the "Big One."
"An enormous earthquake is definitely in our future, said Lucy Jones, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological survey. "ShakeOut is a chance for all of us to practice together what we will do when the earthquake happens and to get ready now rather than waiting until the earthquake to act."
In April, the USGS predicted that the Golden State has a 46 percent chance of a magnitude 7.5 or greater quake in the next 30 years -- probably in Southern California.
Last month, the agency published a likely scenario if the Big One were to race at two miles per second from the Salton Sea in Imperial County to Lake Hughes near Palmdale.
"It is awesome. It has biblical proportions," said Keith Porter a structural engineer at the University of Colorado. "This is not a flight of fancy. An event like this will happen."
In the San Fernando Valley, many have already laid the groundwork for a shaker far worse than the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. While that lasted a terrifying seven seconds, the magnitude 7.8 temblor is expected to jostle the city of Los Angeles for an entire 55 seconds as it races across Southern California.
Chamber program
In a first for Los Angeles, the Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council is spending $50,000 -- its entire annual budget -- to equip two 20-foot cargo bins with emergency preparedness supplies.
At the same time, the Encino Chamber of Commerce has gone door to door asking businesses to join in a 10-point emergency-preparedness program.
On June 19, a McDonald's in Encino will host an earthquake drill for workers and school kids at its restaurant.
"We decided that we didn't need to be ready for two to three days, we needed to be ready for two to three weeks," said Melody LeBlanc, past president of the chamber, who had prepared earthquake kits as Christmas giveaways.
"It's important to be prepared, make a kit and to have a plan."
(818) 713-3730
- The City
Council approved the compromise plan of expanding Lake Balboa.
This compromise omits the industrial area north of Saticoy St.
east of the airport and Van Nuys Airport. It also omits the
area south of Victory Blvd. west of Balboa, but includes all
the park area south of Victory to the L.A. River east of Balboa.
That means that the Lake Balboa is in the community of Lake
Balboa.
- Community
Renaming - City Council File 06-2613 pertains to the application
to make official the community currently known as Lake Balboa
and extend this area to remainder of the Neighborhood Council
area. The Board voted to approve the report and impact statement
as developed and prepared by the ad-hoc committee. The report
and impact found statement can be here.
- Please
check back regularly for upcoming events:
Family Movie Night
Senior Event
Coming events can be found on our Calendar
page.
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