Former City Council Candidates Galatzan and Benson Endorse Krekorian in City Council run-off

BY MY DAILY FIND STAFF

Former City Council Candidates Tamar Galatzan and Mary Benson have announced their respective endorsements of Paul Krekorian for the city’s Second District Council seat. Galatzan  is a  current LAUSD Board Member  and  Benson is one of the most respected neighborhood advocates in Sunland-Tujunga.

As a well-respected community leader and city prosecutor, Galatzan’s endorsement provides a significant boost to the Krekorian campaign.

“Tamar Galatzan is a tremendous advocate for the people of the San Fernando Valley,” Krekorian said. “She is a reformer who continues to push for an innovative agenda of positive change and accountability for our schools, even when she has had to stand up to politically powerful interests. She has been on the front lines of fighting against crime and for a better quality of life for Valley families and has a deep understanding of our public safety needs. I am thrilled that Tamar has joined our Valley-oriented campaign for change in City Hall, and I look forward to working shoulder to shoulder with her to make CD 2 streets and schools safer.”

Galatzan, a Valley neighborhood prosecutor and LAUSD School Board member, finished a very strong third place in the CD2 primary election, garnering 2,128 votes (12.99% of the total votes cast). Throughout the campaign, she consistently impressed voters with her depth of understanding of the issues facing the Valley and her innovative ideas for solving the City’s problems.

“Paul Krekorian shares my values and my concerns about Valley neighborhoods,” said Galatzan. “I admire his results-oriented leadership in the State Assembly on runaway film production, as well as his vote against the release of thousands of state inmates who would end up in our communities. CD2 voters should know that Paul has been consistent in his support for neighborhood councils and his opposition to overdevelopment. Paul is a proven advocate for Valley homeowners and jobs, and he has the skills and familiarity with CD2 to be an effective councilmember for us. I look forward to voting for him on December 8.”

The announcement of Benson’s support is a very significant development in the race for CD2 that further exemplifies Krekorian’s widespread grassroots community support.

“Paul Krekorian has the courage of conviction, the experience and the independence to make an immediate impact for us in City Hall,” Benson said. “Paul has provided extraordinary service to constituents in his Assembly District. Paul will be an advocate for our valley interests. Paul will be the most effective in preserving public assets like the Verdugo Hills Golf Course and keeping the integrity of our specific and community plans. Paul Krekorian will be an independent voice in the Council who will fight for us, instead of Downtown interests and big developers. Paul Krekorian is the kind of leader that our district and our city need during these challenging times.”

Benson was one of the top candidates in the first part of the Council race, coming in a very strong fourth place with 1,198 votes (8.29% of the electorate) on September 22. She continually garnered rave reviews at candidate forums when she displayed an impressive mastery of issues, especially with regard to development, open space and the environment.

“Mary Benson is among the most effective advocates for community empowerment in the entire city, and I am thrilled she is now a part of our grassroots movement for change,” Krekorian said. “The issues that Mary has fought for -– open space preservation, limiting overdevelopment and protecting our neighborhoods -– are important parts of my mission in running for City Council, and I am confident of succeeding in that mission with Mary Benson by my side.”

In addition to being endorsed by nearly 100 neighborhood leaders and advocates from throughout CD2, Krekorian has also earned recent endorsements from the Daily News, VICA Chairman Greg Lippe, and Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn. President Richard Close.

The Second Council District seat, which represents the communities of Lake View Terrace, La Tuna Canyon, North Hollywood, Shadow Hills, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Sunland, Sun Valley, Tujunga, Valley Village, Valley Glen and Van Nuys; has been vacant since July 1, when former L.A. City Councilmember Wendy Greuel took office as City Controller.

Nobel Middle School student on D.C. leadership conference

BY MY DAILY FIND STAFF

Kayla S. Hamburg, an 11-year old from Nobel Middle School in Northridge, is currently in Washington D.C. taking part in a six-day leadership conference called Voices of Leadership:  Reflecting on the Past to create the Future” (JrNYLC). She  was chosen for her leadership qualities and contributions to the community. As a member of a Girl Scout troop, she raised money to make items such as scarves for U.S. troops and sent them abroad.

Kayla is  one of only 250 outstanding middle school students from across the United States to take part in the conference which introduces young people to the rich tradition of leadership throughout American history, while helping them develop their own leadership skills.

“Doing this is an honor and I am looking forward to what I will learn at the conference to make me a better leader,” said Kayla.

“I am so proud of Kayla and her tremendous accomplishment,” said LAUSD Board Member Tamar Galatzan, whose District includes Nobel.  “Her extraordinary leadership skills and commitment to public service inspire us all.”

“The aim of the Junior National Young Leaders Conference is to inspire students to recognize their own leadership skills, measure their skills against those of current and former leaders, and return home with new confidence in their ability to exercise positive influence within their communities,” said Marguerite Regan, Dean of Academic Affairs for the Congressional Youth Leadership Council (CYLC), the organization that sponsors JrNYLC.  “Young people are not only welcome in Washington, D.C., they actually keep this city and our country running.”

During the six-day program which began September 19, the scholars take part in educational activities and presentations, and visit relevant sites, such as the monuments and memorial in Washington, D.C. and the surrounding areas. In addition to examining notable U.S. leaders and historic figures, students study the impact of leadership throughout critical periods of American history including the Civil War and Reconstruction, World War II, the Great Depression and the Civil Rights Movement.  Upon completion of JrNYLC, students gain a greater sense of understanding the role of individuals in American democracy, as well as the responsibilities of being a leader.

City Council District 2 debates intensify as September 22 election approaches

BY ANGELA FENTIMAN

Community members from L.A.’s Sherman Oaks neighborhood filled the auditorium at Sherman Oaks Elementary School Monday to hear from the candidates hoping to represent them (and the rest of the Second Council District).

Prior to the start of the forum, hosted by the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council, President Jill Banks Barad hoped that attendees would, “hear what the candidates have to say and learn the differences between them.”

The field of ten candidates is full of diversity, but solidly divided between what have been called the big three (Chris Essel, Tamar Galatzan and Paul Krekorian) and the remaining seven known as the grassroots candidates.

Grassroots candidate Frank Sheftel made the distinction clear in his opening comments, calling himself the “community candidate.” Other grassroots candidates Mary Benson, Augusto Bisani, Joe Essavi, Michael McCue, David “Zuma Dogg” Saltsburg and Pete Sanchez also deliberately distinguished themselves as citizens and not politicians.

Candidates Essavi and Saltsburg in particular drew loud cheers from the audience with direct jabs at the candidates currently holding office.

“I will ask candidates who want to run for another office while in office to pay for the special election [to fill their open seat],” Essavi said.

The comment was directed at current officeholders Galatzan (who serves on the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education) and Krekorian (who is a State Assemblymember).

Krekorian and Galatzan focused on their experience as public servants and the fact that they both represent portions of CD 2 in their current positions.

“Now is not the time to have someone learn on the job,” Krekorian said.

Despite some heated monologues and blatant criticisms of fellow candidates, the overall atmosphere of the forum was informative and focused on the pressing issues facing the City of Los Angeles, and Council District 2 specifically.

Galatzan told attendees that it is important for the city to start collecting taxes and other debts it is owed, but that it was also time to examine how the city spends its money.

“We cannot afford to be all things for all people,” Galatzan said.

Being a neighborhood council event and with the majority of candidates active in the groups, the topic of the powers and role of the councils was a recurring theme. All candidates stressed their desire and willingness to working closely with the neighborhood councils.

“Neighborhood councils should be the eyes and ears for the council office,” said Essel

McCue (a member of the Studio City neighborhood council) received rousing applause and cheers when he told guests that, “the city will not respect neighborhood councils until we elect one of our own to City Council.”

When asked about the term smart growth many candidates were skeptical of what one called a “buzz word,” but most agreed that the key to effective development in the district included an understanding of the infrastructure’s limitations.

“I’m for responsible development,” said Sanchez. “You have to ask the question, can the infrastructure handle the proposed development?”

Benson echoed Sanchez’s comments, saying that she supports what she calls sustainable development or “building to the capacity of infrastructure.”

The candidates also discussed how to better incorporate neighborhood councils in emergency response plans and what qualities the candidates would like to see in the next LAPD chief, with nearly all candidates calling for a hire from within the force.

Former Assemblymember Richard Katz served as the moderator for the event, strictly holding candidates to time limits. He tried to get the candidates to answer as specifically as possible, something candidates typically do not like to do.

“The candidates don’t like to get too specific because that’s when you get people angry,” Katz said.

The special election to fill the open Council District 2 seat will take place on Sept. 22. If one candidate does not receive enough votes to win outright, there will be a runoff election on Tues., Dec. 8.

The Second Council District seat which represents the communities of Lake View Terrace, La Tuna Canyon, North Hollywood, Shadow Hills, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Sunland, Sun Valley, Tujunga, Valley Village, Valley Glen and Van Nuys has been vacant since July 1, when former L.A. City Councilmember Wendy Greuel took office as city controller.

To learn more about the  ten candidates, read the My Daily Find candidate profile here.

Angela Fentiman is a freelance writer and public relations professional who has represented clients across all sectors—nonprofit, government and business. She has a master’s degree in public administration (MPA) and a B.A. in communication. Angela can be contacted at angela.fentiman@gmail.com.

Galatzan speaks out about DWP at Studio City sinkhole

Los Angeles City Council candidate and Studio City resident Tamar Galatzan held a press conference September 10 to call on the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to create a ratepayer advocate position and ombudsperson.

Standing alongside her on Coldwater Canyon in Studio City, near the huge sinkhole which caused flooding earlier this week, was former DWP Commission President Nick Patsaourus, who announced that the DWP should have an independent audit of the City’s aging water mains.

Patsaourus said that he is supporting Galatzan for city council because he believes that she will stand up to DWP to protect the interests of Valley residents.

Galatzan has criticized DWP in the past, having said that the DWP must address its infrastructure and justify the pending rate increase.

“How can it be that I am conserving energy and my DWP bill keeps going up?”

Community leaders Joe Vitti (Valley Vote), and Candido Marez were also in attendance. Galatzan is currently an LAUSD School Board Member and a criminal prosecutor.

Birmingham Community Charter High School Grand Opening

BY KAREN PACKER

The band played, cheerleaders cheered, and a stadium full of students and staff joined in the celebration under early morning gray skies as Birmingham High School began the 2009-2010 school year August 19 with its new charter status and a new name: Birmingham Community Charter High School (BCCHS).

From a podium on the fifty yard-line, Principal/CEO Marsha Coates welcomed the crowd, and student body president Melissa Alvarez introduced the roster of speakers. Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, Congressman Brad Sherman, Tamar Galatzan (who serves as both Los Angeles Deputy City Attorney and LAUSD school board member and is currently campaigning for City Council District 2), and keynote speaker Jack O’Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, each took turns presenting certificates, proclamations and other tokens of acknowledgement.

“This is a school that really does meet the new R’s in public education: rigor, relevance, and relationships,” commended O’Connell who was once a school teacher.

The crowd broke into applause when Congressman Sherman handed Coates and Alvarez an American flag flown over the capitol during the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

The speakers also expressed their anticipation of community collaboration and their expectations of high student achievement. Blue and gold balloons surrounded her and swirled overhead as Galatzan spoke of her involvement with the charter conversion process of her alma mater and issued a challenge to the students.

“There’s a part of me that’s a little sad to say goodbye to Birmingham High School, but there’s a bigger part of me that’s so excited about the undertaking that you guys are about to start on,” said Galatzan. “The process by which this [new charter] school started was not an easy one. I want you to promise me that you will prove all of those naysayers wrong.”

It was April 2008 when the original charter petition was filed, and July 2009 when it was approved by the LAUSD School Board. The five year charter improves flexibility in academic, professional and budgetary decisions and gives students, faculty, parents, and community members more control over school governance.

Some students are still uncertain of the changes coming their way.  Nataja Jennings, a junior, expressed her concern over the controversy surrounding the conversion process which caused a split between the new charter school and the Daniel Pearl journalism program that shares the same campus but opted out of the charter. “It’s really confusing to me. I don’t understand how the school will change,” she said.

One anticipated change has already taken place. The August 19 start date of the fall semester is three weeks earlier than usual and will allow students to finish the semester and finals before the December holidays.

Roslyn Riboh, a counselor in the Social Justice Academy is certain more positive changes are coming. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for the entire community to collaborate more effectively. Now we all have a voice.”

Karen Packer is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, but now calls the San Fernando Valley home. She has spent the last 15 years working as a freelance writer, teacher, and publicist.

Ten candidates vie for LA City Council District 2 seat

BY ANGELA FENTIMAN

A diverse group including elected officials, business leaders and community activists are competing for the opportunity to represent L.A.’s second council district, which oversees the communities of Lake View Terrace, La Tuna Canyon, North Hollywood, Shadow Hills, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Sunland, Sun Valley, Tujunga, Valley Village, Valley Glen and Van Nuys.

The ten candidates all share a strong desire to fix what they consider to be the city’s broken political machine, but their key issues and strategies are as different as the candidates themselves.

The second council district voters will head to the polls on Tuesday, September 22 to fill the seat that has been open since July 1, when former L.A. City Councilmember Wendy Greuel took office as City Controller.

Though the field of candidates is large, local political consultant Steve Afriat, owner of The Afriat Consulting Group, Inc., expects a three-person race.

“Chris [Essel] and Paul [Krekorian] are the frontrunners.” Afriat said.

Essel is a former film industry executive who spent more than 30 years at Paramount and Krekorian is currently the State Assemblymember for the 43rd district.

Afriat rounded out his list of the top-three candidates with Neighborhood Prosecutor and LAUSD School Board Member Tamar Galatzan, noting that a late start in the race could hurt her fundraising ability.

Low voter turnout is expected for the special election and, according to Afriat, “lower turnout tends to favor the better financed candidates.”

If one candidate does not receive the majority of the vote on September 22, there will be a runoff election on Tuesday,  December 8. This is likely to be the case, according to Afriat.

“Clearly there will be a run off,” Afriat said. With this many candidates it will be virtually impossible for that not to happen.”

The city’s chief legislative analyst Gerry Miller was given task of overseeing the second council district until a replacement is selected and Avak Keopahian has been named the district caretaker. Neither could be reached for comment.

THE CANDIDATES (in alphabetical order):

**Candidate Forum dates and times are listed at the end of this article.

Mary Benson (Sun Valley)

Mary Benson is the only candidate from the northern portion of Council District 2. A community activist for nearly 10 years, Benson became frustrated with the lack of engagement between the City Council and the community.

“I thought Neighborhood Councils would fix [the lack of cooperation], but it hasn’t,” Benson said. “We need a councilmember who will encourage that.”

The 62-year-old was involved in the creation of an environment justice zone in Sun Valley and helped establish the Valley’s second historic district, Stone Hurst.

Benson is particularly concerned about the city’s infrastructure. She says this includes road condition, water and electricity supply systems, and the city’s sewage system.

“The City of Los Angeles is like a homeowner who hasn’t put in any maintenance in the past several years,” Benson said.

Benson hopes to see a campaign that includes an honest dialogue about the issues, not just a “popularity contest,” and that the candidate who wins is committed to addressing the concerns important to the district.

Augusto Bisani (Valley Village)

Augusto Bisani wants to give back to a community he feels has given so much to him. The 67-year-old Italian immigrant wants to create change in the second council district by improving public safety and making the city better for business.

“This community needs a new voice, [it] needs somebody who is going to say something and get some action done and I think I can be that person,” Bisani said.

Bisani has done business in the City of L.A. for more than 29 years and has seen firsthand the city’s anti-business reputation at work. In his dealings with the city on business permit issues, he found city employees to be unfriendly and unaccommodating. He also faced huge delays that cost his business and others a lot of money.

“I would often have to involve attorneys sometimes to get projects done,” Bisani said.

Bisani feels that the city should be responsive to its constituents, just like he plans to be if elected to represent Council District 2.

Jozef “Joe” Thomas Essavi (Valley Glen)

Joe Essavi has served as a commissioner for the L.A. County Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Coalition, on his Neighborhood Council, the Congress of Neighborhood Councils and has run for a seat on the L.A. Community College District Board of Trustees.

“I want to improve the quality of life,” Essavi said. “I want to make a difference for this district.”

As a neighborhood council member, Essavi has been active with public safety issues impacting the district.

“We have graffiti problems that the city does not have the money to address,” Essavi said. “As a neighborhood council member, I have worked to have the neighborhood council pick up where the city has left off as far as graffiti and gang injunctions.”

If elected to City Council, the 35-year-old would prioritize taxpayer protection and accountability. He would work in particular to eliminate waste and abuse, and make city services run more efficiently.

Christine “Chris” Essel (Studio City)

Chris Essel is a 30-veteran of the film industry and a long-time community activist. During her tenure with the Paramount Corporation, Essel served 15 years on Film Commission (spending of nine those years as its chair) and was on the Film L.A. board since its inception.

“There is not a councilmember as qualified to speak on filming issues and bring production back home,” said Essel.

In addition to keeping the entertainment industry in L.A., Essel ’s main concerns include major budget reform, making the city more business-friendly and improving the quality of constituent services.

The 58-year-old would like to see the city enact zero-based budgeting so that all programs must prove their value and a two-year budget cycle. She would also like to see progress on the city’s 12-2 permit streamlining program to make the permitting process easier for businesses.

“Everything I’ve done in my career has led me to this point,” Essel said. “I will use all the tools in my tool box to give the district what it needs.”

Tamar Galatzan (Studio City)

Tamar Galatzan lives, works and raises her children in Council District 2. She is a Neighborhood Prosecutor in Van Nuys and represents Valley schools on the L.A. Unified School Board.

“I want to take my experience as a neighborhood prosecutor and board member and upset the status quo,” Galatzan said.

Galatzan, 39, says that her professional experience allows her to know the issues of the district “backwards and forwards.” With the majority of her school board district overlapping Council District 2, she says that she spent more than two years talking to parents and students about the issues impacting the district.

To her, the most pressing challenges facing the candidate elected to fill the Council District 2 seat are the budget deficit, the need to collect on unpaid debt to the city, land use and planning development, and public safety.

“I’m running because City Hall doesn’t work for those of us who live and work in the valley,” Galatzan said. “If you’re not a high-powered special interest there is a feeling that you don’t matter.”

Paul Krekorian (Valley Glen)

Assemblymember Paul Krekorian, 49, currently represents California’s 43rd Assembly District, which includes about one-third of Council District 2. He possesses experience in education, with the business community and as a public servant.

“I think I have a unique experiences and skills that will benefit the city as it tries to get through a difficult time,” Krekorian said.

He has helped constituents get city problems solved, including pot holes fixed and graffiti removed through his Government at Your Doorstep program.

Krekorian’s family has lived in the Valley since the 1930s, which he says helps him understand the history and specific needs of the Valley communities.

“We need leadership that is more concerned about what people in the Valley think,” Krekorian said.

His top priorities if elected to City Council are, ensuring public safety, creating and preserving good jobs, and preserving the character of our neighborhoods. To Krekorian, that means understanding the needs of the different communities and ensuring that development is meeting those needs.

Michael McCue (Studio City)

Michael McCue considers his first major political accomplishment to be successfully advocating for an increase to the renters relocation fund payments. McCue and other housing advocates were able to raise the payment from $3,300 to $9,200 for most renters forced to move due to condo conversions and over $17,000 for seniors and the handicapped.

“Council District 2 desperately needs a true citizen representative who knows what the community has faced with overdevelopment and an unresponsive City Council,” McCue said.

McCue feels that the city has a culture of corruption and wants to see a level playing field for all candidates created through clean-money elections.

“Clean-money elections enable grass roots candidates like myself to receive public funding that allow us to match the buying power of the big candidates,” McCue said.

In addition to clean-money elections, McCue wants to empower Neighborhood Councils so that they will one day be able to introduce legislation, and increase what he calls ecological wisdom. This means improving water and air quality in the city and taking other measures to improve the overall health of the environment.

David “Zuma Dogg” Saltsburg (no address given)

David Saltsburg (better known as Zuma Dogg) is a self-proclaimed gadfly. After a new city ordinance (that was later proven to be unconstitutional) shut down his street vendor business in Venice  three years ago, Zuma Dogg became a fixture at City Hall. Since then, he immersed himself in the Los Angeles City Council, attending every meeting for an entire year.

“If I’m out there pushing the envelope it may become fashionable,” Saltsburg said.

Zuma Dogg is concerned about the city’s finances, how lost pension funds will be recovered, water and water rates, traffic, land use, education and maintaining adequate public safety services.

A well-known face in city politics due to his frequent appearances at L.A. City Council meetings, Zuma Dogg has supporters all across the city who bring community problems to his attention.

“The great thing about my candidacy is that you have a guy that is very entertaining and the media loves to cover me,” Saltsburg said. “At the same time I’ve become very serious about the issues.”

Pete Sanchez (Valley Village)

Pete Sanchez, 46, helped form Neighborhood Council Valley Village and has served as the group’s president. He thinks this race for the open Council District 2 seat provides a perfect opportunity for a grass roots, community activist to try for the post.

“It’s time for someone a little different,” Sanchez said. “Time for someone more community-minded to run.”

The top three priorities that Sanchez would focus on if elected to City Council are, fixing the city’s financial issues (which includes managing the budget and unfunded pensions), ensuring responsible land use and development, and keeping the entertainment industry in Los Angeles.

“My goal as a city councilmember would be to find sound financial measures that would protect the character of our neighborhood and district,” Sanchez said.

He thinks that it is important to serve as the community’s voice rather than that of a politician.

“I think I’m bright enough, reasonable enough and logical enough to tackle a job like this,” Sanchez said.

Frank Sheftel (North Hollywood)

Frank Sheftel got involved in Los Angeles politics during the Valley’s secession movement by running in the secession election.

“The campaign brought a lot of awareness about the taxes we pay and the services we get,” Sheftel said.

The 48-year-old owner of The Candy Factory in Valley Village has experience with the city as a business owner, landlord of rental properties and neighborhood council member. He is also a product of the San Fernando Valley and the second council district in particular.

“What better PR could you have than a councilman who went to the schools he represents,” Sheftel said.

If elected to represent Council District 2, Sheftel would focus on improving public school education (especially managing what he calls a crisis with L.A. Unified School District), balancing the city’s budget and making sure that the communities can support proposed development.

Sheftel would also like to see the city do more to entice businesses to come to L.A. and keep them in the city.

“As a small businessman I have witnessed that we are not business-friendly at all in the city,” Sheftel said. ” We need to go beyond enterprise zones to attract businesses to the city.”

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Council District 2 Candidate Forums

Tuesday, August 18: Valley Glen Neighborhood Association, Laurel Grove Neighborhood Association (North Hollywood), Valley Village Homeowners Association “Meet and Greet” will be at 6:30 p.m. Forum will start at 7:00 p.m. Laurel Hall School – Parish Hall, 11909 Oxnard St. North Hollywood. www.valleyglen.org

Wednesday, August 19: Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association at Notre Dame High School 13645 Riverside Dr. Sherman Oaks “Meet & Greet”  6:15pm, Forum 7 p.m.  www.soha.info

Friday, August 21: The Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA) 7:45-10am, at the Sportsmen’s Lodge, 10700 Ventura Blvd., Studio City. Free for VICA Circle of Influence Members, others pay $20. For more info or to RSVP call (818) 817-0545. www.vica.com

Wednesday, August 26:  Neighborhood Council Valley Village 7 p.m. at Colfax Charter Elementary 11724 Addison St North Hollywood www.myvalleyvillage.com

Monday, September 14: Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council at Sherman Oaks Elementary School, Auditorium at 6:30 p.m. Info:  jbbarad@roadrunner.com  www.shermanoaksnc.org

Wednesday, September 16: Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association Debate between the candidates starting at 7:15pm.  Notre Dame High School 13645 Riverside Dr. Sherman Oaks www.soha.info

Angela Fentiman is a freelance writer and public relations professional who has represented clients across all sectors—nonprofit, government and business. She has a master’s degree in public administration (MPA) and a B.A. in communication. Angela can be contacted at angela.fentiman@gmail.com.

Galatzan’s Task Force meeting on LAUSD budget woes

BY ERIKA OBLEA

With the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) facing uncertain funds from state and the federal stimulus package, transportation cuts, and increasing class sizes, San Fernando Valley parents, teachers, and principals gathered June 27 at the West Valley Special Education Center in Van Nuys for a Valley Schools Task Force meeting in order to strategize for solutions.

According to Tamar Galatzan, LAUSD board member who represents San Fernando Valley schools and who organized the meeting, the gathering was meant to discuss with her constituents about LAUSD’s cuts to certain programs. She also designed the meeting to help her constituents lobby for education solutions from their national and state elected officials.

“I’ve found a lot more helpful is if you can come up with other ideas to solve the problem,” Galtzan said.

Attendees at the morning meeting did just that. Sitting in a circle with Galatzan leading the discussion, those frustrated with LAUSD confronted each other and their district representative about possible solutions to the financial decisions that were made to alleviate the projected $143.3 million budget deficit for 2009-2010.

Among many of the cuts that were made for 2009-2010 that many felt needed to be solved included the increasing class sizes and the limited transportation means for students.

Galatzan admitted that only providing busing for students who live more than three miles away from school rather than the previous two mile requirement has affected student and parent schedules.

A more difficult issue she mentioned was the increased student to teacher ratio of 24:1. Galatzan recalled a time she visited a Millikan Middle School classroom and witnessed students having to get out of their seats in order to simply open and close the door.

Nobel Middle school parent Lori Yalem, also voiced her concern that the high student to teacher ratio not only affects her children’s comfort but also the quality of her children’s education.

“If they group just four more kids in a class, it makes a difference from having 25 minutes for reading to having 15 minutes for reading,” Yalem said. “That’s a lot.”

Some solutions Galatzan suggested was for the state to implement a parcel tax, money from which will go towards keeping class sizes smaller.

Parents also discussed the possibility of the state giving the school district more flexibility on how it manages the categorical grants it receives from the state. With flexibility, the parents hope that local school districts will not have to cut programs in order to meet the state’s requirements to receive funds.

“We’re trying to figure out a way the keep budget cuts from school sites,” said Suzanne Snowden whose children attend Nobel Middle School and Castlebay Lane Elementary School.

With this goal in mind, Yalam volunteered to set up an appointment with Congressman Brad Sherman who represents the San Fernando Valley to discuss such solutions with the representative.

Nevertheless, all those at the meeting realized that it was the students’ voices that would be the most important when persuading the government.

After holding a contest that asked students to create a one minute video that explained how budget cuts have affected their education, Galatzan said she plans to send the winning video entries to state officials.

“Maybe hearing the message from the kids directly – it will sink in,” she said.

Screened at the meeting, the grand prize winning video from El Camino Real High School seems to have made that message clear.

While the camera from the winning video slowly scans across an overcrowded classroom, these words gradually fill the screen: “It’s about growing class sizes…It’s about priorities. It’s about time.”

Erika  Oblea is a rising sophomore at the University of California, Berkeley where she is studying Political Science and Statistics. When she’s not cramming for exams at the library, she’s reporting on businesses in Berkeley for The Daily Californian. She is a graduate of Chaminade and has lived in the Valley ever since she  could remember –and could probably recite the exits off the 101 backwards and forwards.

North Hollywood’s East Valley High graduates first class

The first-ever graduating class from North Hollywood’s East Valley High School, with 190 students, matriculated on June 18 in a two-hour ceremony which included speeches from  Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board Member Tamar Galatzan and LAUSD Local District 2 Superintendent Alma Pena-Sanchez, Councilmember Tom LaBonge (District 4) and Senior Class President April Molina, who worked with Galatzan’s office to coordinate the event.

East Valley High School opened in 2006 as part of the largest school building program in the district’s history. More than 132 new schools are being built to accommodate explosive growth in the city’s school-age population. The primary goal of new construction is to provide every student the opportunity to attend a two-semester neighborhood school.

The school’s new athletic field was installed this year and a new swimming pool will open soon.

El Camino Real student wins online video contest

A video submitted by Loren Simons, a sophomore at El Camino Real High School, received the grand prize in a contest sponsored by Los Angeles Unified Board of Education Member Tamar Galatzan.

Galatzan presented Simons with a $5000 check for El Camino at a mid-morning ceremony on June 10 at the Canoga Park campus.  The prize for the winning video also includes tickets for every El Camino student to attend a Chivas USA professional soccer game.  Chivas USA professional soccer player, Bobby Burling, will joined Galatzan to congratulate the winner.

The contest, which was open to students from elementary, middle, and high schools in Galatzan’s district, involved submitting videos of no more than one-minute depicting how the LAUSD’s budget crisis has affected our schools.  Galatzan’s office received a total of 27 entries.  Over 250,000 votes were cast in total. Simons won with 130,901 votes.

“I was astounded by the originality, creativity, and sophistication of these student filmmakers,” said Galatzan.  “The videos conveyed more powerfully than words the impact of the budget crisis on students.”

Along with the on-line voting, a panel of five judges selected the winning entries in each category.  Bassett was selected as the best elementary school video; Millikan won in the middle school category; and Monroe was picked as the top high school entry.  An upcoming special KLCS program will showcase all of the student videos.

All the videos will be screened at an upcoming event.  Videos can be viewed at http://galatzan.laschoolboard.org