ABOUT MIKE COUNCIL STAFF NEWS ISSUES NEIGHBORHOODS MEDIA TAKE ACTION

HOME » NEWS

June Neighborhoods First

Newsletter Sign Up For Updates

Posted by David Graham-Caso 725.80sc on June 01, 2015 · Flag · Add your reaction
email address Subscribe

June 2015

Welcome to the June Issue of Mike Bonin's "Neighborhoods First Newsletter"!

IN THIS ISSUE: We profile Virginia Tokunaga - a very special neighborhood

leader, celebrate Bike Month in Los Angeles, look at some key neighborhood
improvement projects, highlight Mike’s legislative work on minimum wage, and
share some news about the City budget and upcoming sidewalk repairs. Contact Our Office

Also, in case you missed it, we released a Special Edition Newsletter

Connect with Facebook
focused exclusively on LA's homelessness crisis earlier this month. Make
sure to read more about it by clicking here.

Connect with Twitter

You can find out more about Mike , meet your CD11 staff and see the latest
videos and updates from the Westside on our website
at www.11thdistrict.com . And remember to like Mike's Facebook page and follow
Councilmember Mike…
him on Twitter to always see the latest news about your neighborhood. 5,229 likes

Liked

You and 371 other friends like this

Virginia Tokunaga: Looking Back at a Lifetime of Service to the Westside

For decades, Virginia Tokunaga has
been a driving force behind the
Tweets by ​@MikeBoninLA
delivery of daily services to seniors
Mike Bonin
on the Westside. An incredible @MikeBoninLA
woman, Viriginia has led a Proud to have worked with @givingspirit &
remarkable life marked by loyalty assembled winter kits for homeless residents. Sign
and devotion to LA's senior citizen up for the 2018 Homeless Count because every

community. As a child in World War resident, no matter where they live, matters
bit.ly/2mf7D6W
II, Virginia was forced to live in a
relocation camp near the Oregon
border (Tule Lake). When the war
ended, her family returned to find
their home destroyed. Undaunted,
Virginia became a teacher working
with children with autism,
schizophrenia and cerebral palsy.
They Count Will You?
Throughout her life, she has worked
The 2018 Greater Los Angeles Homeless …
with numerous organizations. She has served as an RSVP Volunteer for WISE theycountwillyou.org
Services, worked with Fraud Fighters to educate seniors to prevent economic fraud
crimes, volunteered 30+ hours per week at Felicia Mahood Senior Center in West 5h
LA, organized fundraising efforts and community action fairs, coordinated senior
field trips, created art collages for display and so much more. Virginia continues Embed View on Twitter
to be an example in our community and says that volunteering has "provided a
rare opportunity to serve, care for and enrich others."

We asked Virginia about some of her favorite memories and about her advice to
seniors. Read the interview below.

Q:What is your favorite memory from your time in Los Angeles?

Virginia: My favorite memory is going to see performances with the seniors
at Disney Concert Hall, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and the Shrine
Auditorium.

Q: What is your advice to seniors who could be the targets of scams?

Virginia: If you think someone could be scamming you, just say "No!" and hang
up the phone.

Q: How has WLA-Sawtelle changed over the years?

Virginia: The neighborhood has become much more diverse.

Q; What do you like most about WLA-Sawtelle?

Virginia: I love how the area is so conveniently located to everywhere and that
there are lots of good restaurants.

Access 11 "Pop Up Office Hours" Comes to Food Truck Friday in Westchester

On May 22, Mike hosted "Pop Up Office Hours" at Food Truck Friday at Visitation
School on Emerson Avenue. Mike met with neighbors at his tent and chatted
about public safety, development, local infrastructure and progress at LAX. The
pop-up event is part of Mike’s “Access 11” program to bring City Hall directly to
your neighborhood. Mike and his staff routinely visit Farmers Markets, shopping
center, high school sporting events, and other community gatherings to hear
directly from neighbors. If you have a suggestion for a location for Mike’s “Pop
Up Office Hours,” let us know .

Mike Celebrates Bike to School Day With Richland Avenue Elementary

Bike Week was held in LA from May 10 - May 17. The week was a great way for
neighbors to celebrate the increasing role bicycles play in getting us around Los
Angeles, and it was an opportunity for us to rededicate ourselves to making
biking in LA safer and more convenient.

Mike celebrated bike week by participating in events like a "Bike to School Day"
ride with Richland Avenue Elementary School students in West LA.

Rotary Club Renovates Westchester Senior Center

On May 18, Mike celebrated the opening of the newly renovated Westchester
Senior Center with neighbors from the area, the Rotary Club of Westchester and
the City Department of Recreation and Parks.

The Rotary Club, William H. Hannon Foundation and Drollinger Charitable

Foundation joined forces to donate more than $100,000 to give a much-needed
facelift to this great community facility. Our seniors have a new kitchen, a new
comfortable seating area, and more. Mike is incredibly grateful to the civic-
minded partners and neighborhood leaders who made this happen.

City's First "Green-Backed Sharrows" Installed in Venice

On May 29, a crew from the Los Angeles Department of Transportation installed
the first "Green-Backed Sharrows" in Venice. The bright and bike-friendly street
markings help improve safety for bicyclists notify drivers that the road is
intended to be shared by bikes. Thank you LADOT General Manager Seleta
Reynolds for letting the Westside lead the way toward bike-friendly
infrastructure!

Click here to watch the installation in a time-lapse video!

Brentwood 8th Grader Named Youngest Honorary Fire Chief in LAFD History
On May 9, 14-year old Brentwood resident Sky Rosenzweig became the youngest
LAFD honorary fire chief in the Department's history!

Sky is an 8th grade student who is passionate about technology and helping
others. It was a combination of these interests that inspired Sky to raise money
through lemonade stands, selling used books and going door to door in his
community so he could buy and donate the first iPad to the Los Angeles Fire
Department - Fire Station 19 in Brentwood last year.

Congratulations, Sky!

Taking Care of Mother (Earth)

Mike spent Mother's Day morning in Venice, helping a group of moms clean up
the beach. Thank you to Venice residents Kassia Meador and Amanda Marie
Cosindas for organizing the great neighborhood event!

Pacific Palisades Business Improvement District Approved

Great news from the Pacific Palisades! Thanks to the hard work of volunteers and
business owners, the Palisades Business Improvement District (BID) was
approved by the City Council on May 5 and is expected to begin operating by
January 2016. The BID allows property owners in the Palisades Village area
(including businesses on Sunset, La Cruz, Alma Real, Swarthmore and Via de la
Paz) to invest in enhanced community improvements and amenities to promote
and enrich the community's core business district. This could not have happened
without the work of many volunteers and community leaders, especially Laurie
Sale, Elliot Zorensky, Susan Carroll and the Pacific Palisades Chamber of
Commerce.

Playa del Rey Traffic Safety Meeting - Take the Survey Today

On May 27, Mike hosted a community meeting to discuss traffic safety in Playa
del Rey. Some tremendous grassroots leadership, spearheaded by Playa del Rey
residents Jackie Hesley and Julie Ross, is focusing on protecting streets from
speeding cars in the Playa del Rey area. Jackie and Julie formed a group on
Facebook, called "Slow Down! Playa del Rey neighbors for Safe Streets” ( check out
the group here ) and Mike hosted the community meeting to brainstorm ideas to
slow traffic, cut down on cut-through commuters, and make the neighborhood
safer for residents and pedestrians.

In addition to the community meeting, Mike has launched an online survey to

gather input from the community. Click here to take the survey.

Mystery Art Shows Up in Brentwood

On May 21, Mike's West LA field office received a call from a constituent who
reported that colorful umbrellas had been hung from the branches of
Brentwood's legendary and beloved coral trees on the San Vicente median.
Though the guerrilla art project looked great, the trees are fragile and protected,
so Mike's staff had to take the umbrellas down. Thankfully, some nearby
neighbors asked if they could hang the umbrellas on trees on their lawns, so a
small piece of the art project lived on.

If anyone knows the artist responsible for this project, please ask them to contact
Mike's office . We love public art and what it adds to neighborhoods and we would
be excited to partner with the artist to find a better way to enliven the
community without threatening precious coral trees.

Del Rey Artwalk Celebrates Local Artists

The Del Rey Artwalk started in 2010 to celebrate the significant and growing
artistic presence in a neighborhood that is still a well-kept secret to most
Angelenos. Now, every year this "mini arts district" holds a neighborhood-wide
open house, which allows the public to see where the diverse array of Del Rey
artists live and create. Paintings, sculptures, jewelry, crafts, music and more can
be found along the walk. This year's Del Rey Art Walk was held on Sunday, May 31
and featured music by the Del Rey Community Jazz Band. Check
out http://delreyart.blogspot.com to find out more.

Parents United! at Animo Venice Charter High School

Mike spent the morning with a group from Parents United at Animo Venice
Charter High School on May 23, focused on their agenda: our new citywide
minimum wage law, adding more bike lanes, cleaning our streets, and improving
neighborhood safety for their kids. The parent group has been organizing to
advocate for their families and partnering with local leaders like Mike to put
neighborhoods first.
Protecting Ballona from Mysterious Globs of Oil

With reports of mysterious globs of oil washing ashore on beaches in the South
Bay last week, Mike and his staff took quick action to ensure that protective
measures were being deployed to prevent any oil from reaching the estuary
habitat of Ballona Creek or the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve.

Thanks to the U.S. Coast Guard, a protective boom was put in place quickly and
the risk of oil threatening Ballona Creek was managed. The quick action was
made possible by CD11 constituent Marcia Hanscom and the Ballona Institute ,
who worked with Mike's staff Congressmember Ted Lieu to protect the precious
creek and coastal wetlands.

Make sure you are following the latest about the mysterious globs of oil that
started appearing on South Bay beaches on Heal the Bay's blog
here: http://www.healthebay.org/blogs-news/mysterious-blobs-oil-shut-down-
la-beaches

Highlight of the Week: LAUSD Community Adult School Graduation

In what Mike called "easily the highlight and most inspiring moment of my
week," he spoke at the graduation ceremony for the 2015 class of the Los Angeles
Unified School District's Community Adult School on May 28. Nearly 200
students, mostly 18-24, who attended adult school programs in Venice and
Westchester received their high school diplomas in a powerful and moving
ceremony at Venice High School.

"Many of these students did not have an easy or direct path to a high school
diploma, but they made it happen with determination, hard work, and lots of
smarts," Mike said. "It was moving to be there for the ceremony, and inspiring to
hear the student speakers Nia Huggins and Natalie Flores!"
Congratulations to all of the graduates!

Destination Dining in Playa Vista

With Playa Vista rapidly becoming one of the most sought-after locations for
businesses (especially tech-focused businesses) to locate in Los Angeles, some of
the top chefs and restaurateurs in the city are launching new establishments in
"the heart of Silicon Beach." Los Angeles Magazine recently published an article
about how Playa Vista and nearby communities are becoming the focus of an
exciting new restaurant scene on the Westside. Read the article
here: http://www.lamag.com/digestblog/silicon-beach-restaurants-catch-the-
wave/

Street Repaving on the Westside

City Bureau of Streets Services crews continued their work to repave streets on
the Westside in May. Earlier this month, Napoli Drive in the Pacific Palisades -
from Toulon to Almafi - was repaved. Thank you, Bureau of Street Services for
your continued work to put neighborhoods first!

Small Business Spotlights for May

Week of May 3: Star Toys, Brentwood

Week of May 10: Giant Robot, Sawtelle Japantown

Week of May 17: Cinco, Westchester

Week of May 24: Del Rey Deli Co., Playa Del Rey
Have a favorite business you want to nominate to be featured in Mike's Small
Business Spotlight? You can make a nomination for the “Small Business
Spotlight” at this link.

FREE Small Business Workshops to be Held June 9

June 9: Financial Calculations That Answer Key Business Questions

Business owners and managers struggle with business decisions that affect the
financial health of the company. Are we selling at the right price? Are we making
money? Can we afford to hire someone? Many times these decisions are made
without a thorough understanding of the financial implications. This does not
need to be the case. There are simple mathematical calculations that can be used
to answer key business questions.

Performance Measurements are simple mathematical calculations that can be

used to monitor sales, overhead and profitability. They can be applied to any
business, independent of size and scope. This seminar will teach you how to
calculate performance measurements for your company

RSVP for this FREE event sponsored by District 11 and SBDC

here: http://www.11thdistrict.com/small_business_workshop_financial_calculations

First Bike with Mike a Huge Success!

On May 2, Mike hosted his first "Bike With Mike" event, joining community
members for a ride around Del Rey and Mar Vista. Neighbors met at Fire Station
62 and enjoyed snacks, water and family friendly activities like bike helmet
decorating before going on the leisurely ride around Westside neighborhoods.
Thank you to the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC), Bikerowave and
all of the families and friends who made this event a success.

Look out for more Bike with Mike events in the future!

Project will Clean Water from LAX and Protect Santa Monica Bay

Mike joined Mayor Eric Garcetti and officials from Los Angeles World Airports
and the Bureau of Sanitation at a scenic media event on May 7 to sign an
agreement clearing the way for a stormwater treatment project that will clean
polluted LAX runoff before it is released into Santa Monica Bay.

Cleaning the water that ends up in our ocean is vitally important to the health
and safety of everyone who enjoys the beach. LAWA is continuing to demonstrate
that LAX can be both a world-class airport and a first-class neighbor. Once this
undergound project is complete, we hope we can add a dog park, fulfilling a long-
sought goal of neighbors.

Solution Found for Increased Demand for Taxis at LAX

An increase in taxi demand at LAX over the last few months led to an
overcrowding of public streets and business district parking lots in Westchester
and around the Century Corridor. This month, Mike and his staff worked with Los
Angeles World Airports and the LA Department of Transportation to free up curb
space to the west of Sepulveda, just outside the current taxi holding lot, to
accommodate the excess cabs that were taking needed parking spots in nearby
neighborhoods while waiting to be called to the airport.

Relief was evident nearly overnight, with LAWA establishing a queuing system
for taxis waiting to be called into the airport in this new space, thereby
preserving street space for shoppers, diners and residents.

Find Out More About the Legislation Mike is Authoring to Put

Neighborhoods First

Council Approves Bonin-Price-Martinez-Cedillo Minimum Wage Motion

On May 19, the Los Angeles City Council approved legislation Mike introduced
and co-sponsored, raising the minimum wage in Los Angeles to $15 by 2020. It is
a profound and significant action that will lift nearly 1 million people out of
poverty and give them more spending power to fuel our local economy. The New
York Times heralded the action as the “the most significant victory so far” in the
nationwide battle to raise the minimum wage. The minimum wage will begin to
increase next year, and will rise gradually to $15 and then be indexed to
inflation. Businesses with 25 or fewer employees will have an extra year to
comply.

Following the vote, Mike praised Mayor Eric Garcetti , whose powerful call for a
minimum wage increase last Labor Day rallied the imagination and set the stage
for action, paving the way for Mike, Nury Martinez , Curren D. Price,
Jr. , and Gilbert Cedillo and to introduce the proposed legislation. He also praised
Council President Herb Wesson, who shephearded the legislation, the Los Angeles
Raise the Wage Coalition, the thousands of residents and activists and workers
who mobilized – and all the small businesses citywide who supported the wage
increase and made it clear that giving employees more spending power was good
for the economy.

Click here to read what Mike had to say about the historic vote.

Common Sense in Crosswalk Tickets

Mike likes to look for common sense solutions to nagging problems, and tries to
fix them so government is on your side, and not on your back. Thanks to some
great coverage by the local press and by transportation bloggers, Mike found
another one recently – a surprising policy that calls for people to be ticketed
while walking in a crosswalk while the crosswalk clock is still ticking! Mike
introduced a motion with Jose Huizar earlier in May to take a serious look at
LAPD enforcement of this rule and try to change it.
"It defies common sense to ticket someone who is entering a crosswalk as the
countdown begins when they have still have time to cross the street safely
without disrupting traffic," Mike said. "We need to be and we will be a Vision Zero
city, and pedestrian safety is paramount. But if we are going to be doing
'crosswalk stings,' I want to be sure we are focusing on busting drivers who don't
yield to people in the crosswalk.

"Excessive and expensive tickets disincentive walking in Los Angeles. We want

people to be safe, but we do not want 'Do Not Walk' to be the message we send
Angelenos."

Read more about the motion here.

Council Approves Smart Budget with a lot of Heart

On May 21, the City Council gave final approval to a budget for the next fiscal
year that restores neighborhood services, takes care of some of the most
vulnerable residents of our City, and cuts the deficit.

The $8.6 billion budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 begins to restore many
key neighborhood services. The City will be hiring hundreds of new firefighters,
resurfacing 2,400 lane miles of streets, trimming twice as many trees, spending
millions on sidewalk repair, and adding thousands of new trash cans to keep our
streets clean. It helps implement the Mayor’s Great Streets program and
Sustainability Plan, preserves our graffiti abatement program, and adds more
crossing guards at our schools.

Significantly for Mike, this budget also shows heart and takes care of those in
need. The budget increases money for affordable housing, homeless, and
programs for at-risk youth. It spares several crucial programs that suffered
crushing cuts in their federal support — health programs for seniors, safe houses
for victims of domestic violence, day laborer programs, programs for people with
disabilities and AIDS.

This budget is also smart and prudent. It puts a record amount of money in our
reserve and budget stabilization funds, and continues slashing the City’s
structural deficit, which has been reduced 80% in just 4 years.

Mayor Eric Garcetti proposed a smart and responsible budget, and Mike's
colleagues on the council worked to make it even better.

Read Mike's full statement about the budget here.

City to Repair Sidewalks - Finally!

There are a few issues that unite Angelenos from all over the City – and the poor
condition of our sidewalks is sure one of them. At long last, that is about to
change!

Last month, the City announced a settlement agreement in a court case that will
allow the city to spend $31 million a year for the next 30 years to repair broken
sidewalks throughout Los Angeles. Now that the settlement has been reached, we
need to develop a plan to prioritize the sidewalks. On May 26, the City's Chief
Administrative Officer released a report outlining policy options for the City
Council to consider when establishing its sidewalk repair program. The report,
which has more than a dozen recommendations for the Council to consider, lays
out a path that will strategically prioritize repairs. You can read the CAO's report
here . You can also tune in to Channel 35 at 3:30pm today to see a special public
meeting where the report will be considered.

Helpful Links

Contact Us - Submit a comment, question or concern, using our helpful

website form.
Maps and Directions - Visit us in one of our two district offices, or downtown
at City Hall.
Request City Services - Have a pothole that needs to be filled or a tree that
needs to be trimmed? Submit a service request directly to the city.
Sign Up for Updates - You are already signed up if you received this email,
but are all of your friends? Forward this message, or share this link with your
neighbors so they can get the latest news about their neighborhood as well.

Community Calendar - Attend a Community Event!

Find out what's happening in your community!

LGBT Heritage Month Celebration

Tuesday, June 2, 10am
200 N. Spring St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

National Day of Civic Hacking Party

Friday, June 5; 6:30pm - 11pm
CTRL Collective
12575 Beatrice St
Los Angeles, CA 90066
RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/national-day-of-civic-hacking-
opening-ceremony-ctrl-collective-afterparty-tickets-17021991234

Summer Movie Series: Back to the Future

Saturday, June 6th; 7pm
Oakwood Community Center
767 California St.
Venice, CA 90291
RSVP: http://www.11thdistrict.com/movie_night_back_to_the_future

West LA/Sawtelle Neighborhood Council Community Cleanup

Saturday, June 6; 9am - 11am
Meet at 1645 Corinth Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
RSVP: http://www.westlasawtelle.org/new-events/

Mar Vista Neighborhood Association Block Party

 Sunday, June 7; 12:30pm
3600 Barry Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90066

Small Business Workshop: Financial Calculations That Answer Key Business

Questions
Tuesday, June 9; 10am-11:30am
7166 W. Manchester Blvd.
Westchester, CA 90045
RSVP: http://www.11thdistrict.com/small_business_workshop_financial_calculations

La Cienega Residents Meeting

Tuesday, June 16; 6:30pm
Yvonne B. Burke Senior and Community Center
4750 W. 62nd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90056
RSVP to fred.sutton@lacity.org

Council Presentation: Emerge CA

Friday, June 19, 10am
Council Chambers
200 N. Spring St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Find out more: http://www.emergeca.org/

Summer Movie Series: The Sandlot

Saturday, June 20th; 7pm
Mar Vista Recreation Center
11430 Woodbine Street
Mar Vista, CA 90066
RSVP: http://www.11thdistrict.com/movie_night_the_sandlot

Community Open House: Farewell Norman Kulla!

Friday, June 26; 2pm - 4pm
West LA District Office
1645 Corinth Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
RSVP to anna.kozma@lacity.org

Open Office Hours at Sanitation Open House

Saturday, June 27; 11am - 1pm
Sanitation Stoner Yard
2027 Stoner Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90025
RSVP to len.nguyen@lacity.org

Have an event you would like listed? Email updates@11thdistrict.com to

submit events.
 Thank you for reading the June issue of Mike Bonin's Neighborhoods
First Newsletter.

For more about Mike and Council District 11, please

v i s i t www.11thdistrict.com

Do you like this post?

Like Share 52 people like this. Be the first of your friends. Tweet

MIKE BONIN -
T AK E AC T I ON MEDIA NEIG HB ORH OODS ISS UES N EW S C OUN CIL STA FF A BOU T MIK E
COUNCIL DISTRICT 11

BRENTWOOD | DEL REY | MAR VISTA | PACIFIC PALISADES | PLAYA DEL REY | PLAYA VISTA | VENICE | WEST LA | WESTCHESTER

As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not
discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure
equal access to its programs, services and activities.
Sign in with Facebook , Twitter or email .
Created with NationBuilder