Dear Friends:Please read below for important updates in Council District 14, including Ascot Hills Grand Opening; Summer Night Lights Kickoff; plans for a pocket park in Highland Park; a Southwest Museum update and much more.
* Ascot Hills Nature Park Grand Opening
* Summer Youth Anti-Gang Program Underway
* Grant Submitted for Park on York Blvd.
* Self Help Graphics Honors Councilmember
* 100 Years on Broadway Celebration
* Southwest Museum Working Group
* Highlights from CD 14 Concert and Fireworks Shows
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Ascot Hills Nature Park Grand Opening
Councilmember Huizar joined Mayor Villaraigosa and community members for the Grand Opening of Ascot Hills Nature Park, which is now the largest open-space park on the Eastside, serving El Sereno, Hillside Village and the surrounding communities.
The 93-acre park features trails, a restored stream and bridge, an amphitheatre, 300 newly planted trees and recently installed restrooms. Councilmember Huizar thanked the community for never giving up on the project, as well as his staff and Recreation and Parks for getting creative to finish the park when the state froze funds in 2009. Along with 19 acres on Elephant Hill that Councilmember Huizar helped secure, El Sereno now has well over 100 acres of open-space land to enjoy.
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Summer Night Lights 2011 Now in Session!
Councilmember Huizar is proud to announce that the City’s highly successful anti-gang youth program, Summer Night Lights (SNL), has returned to Council District 14, with six parks offering programs to CD 14 youth, including, for the first time, El Sereno Recreation Center. Councilmember Huizar has been an ardent supporter of SNL as a member of the Budget & Finance Committee and on the City Council.
SNL – which provides sports, arts, and cultural programming during the evening summer hours when youth are the most vulnerable to violence – has significantly reduced gang violence in and around participating neighborhoods and will be available at 32 parks this year.
Summer Night Lights will run through September 3, 2011, Wednesdays through Saturdays, 7 p.m. to 12 Midnight.
For more information, please contact the recreation centers directly or your local CD 14 District office.
See NBC News story on SNL Kickoff here.
El Sereno Recreation Center
(323) 225-3517
4721 Klamath St.
Los Angeles, 90032
Lou Costello Recreation Center
(213) 485-9111
3141 E. Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90023
Ramona Gardens Recreation Center
(323) 265-4755
2830 Lancaster Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90033
Ramon Garcia Recreation Center
(213) 847-2961
1016 S. Fresno St.
Los Angeles, CA 90023
Highland Park Recreation Center
(213) 847-4876
6150 Piedmont Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90042
Glassell Park Recreation Center
(323) 257-1863
3650 Verdugo Road
Los Angeles, CA 90065
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New York Vision Plan Seeks Grant for Park space on York
At two standing-room only community meetings, Highland Park stakeholders came together for a pair of workshops in June to design a potential park on a lot located on the corner of York Boulevard and Avenue 50. The park proposal was the top choice of a number of ideas discussed at the workshops as part of a community-driven corridor vision plan for York Boulevard Councilmember Huizar is sponsoring in Highland Park.
The Councilmember is also working with community members on a similar improvement project along Huntington Drive in El Sereno.
In Highland Park, after discussions with Council District 14 representatives, the lot’s private owners agreed to work with the community and provided a “willing seller” letter, which allowed Councilmember Huizar and City staff to submit a request for up to $5 million in Proposition 84 funds for the purchase and development of the property before the grant’s July 1, 2011 deadline. Recipients will be notified by January 2012. Meanwhile, workshops will continue on the new York Vision plan.
Read Highland Park Patch.com story here.
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Self Help Graphics Arts Center Honors Councilmember Huizar
Self Help Graphics Arts Center, which recently moved to Boyle Heights, honored Councilmember Huizar for his support of the arts, including his efforts to support Self Help Graphics move to Boyle Heights and his work on the Boyle Heights Arts District.
As a new tenant on First Street, the highly respected Self Help Graphics gives a boost to the burgeoning Arts District and Councilmember Huizar looks forward to collaborating with them and others to highlight and support the exciting arts movement along First Street.
Councilmember Huizar helped secure $12 million in Metro funds to bring improvements along First Street, which will improve foot traffic for the Metro Gold Line and the Arts District.
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Bringing Back Broadway Presents ‘100 Years on Broadway’
There was a large turnout for a free tour held at the beautiful Palace Theatre on the eve of the theater’s 100th anniversary. “100 Years On Broadway: The History of One of L.A.’s Most Iconic Streets” provided visitors with a historical and visual retrospective of Broadway as the birthplace of entertainment in Los Angeles.The Delijani Family’s Broadway Theater Group portfolio of historic theaters includes the Palace, Los Angeles, State, and Tower Theatres on Broadway.
The Palace Theatre tour was part of the ongoing BROADWAY 100 celebration, a multi-event festival of films, art, theater productions and tours throughout the year.
BROADWAY 100 is affiliated with Councilmember Huizar’s Bringing Back Broadway initiative, which aims to revitalize Broadway, including restoring its dozen theaters and returning the beloved streetcar downtown.
See NBC story on Palace here. Please visit Bringing Back Broadway for more information.
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Southwest Museum Update
Councilmember Huizar remains committed to re-opening the Southwest Museum and introduced a motion to establish a working group, which will include Councilmembers Ed Reyes and Tom LaBonge, the City Administrative Office, City Legislative Office, City Attorney, Department of Recreation and Parks and various community members to engage with the Autry National Center on developing a long-range plan for the site in Griffith Park and the Southwest Museum/Casa De Adobe sites in Mt. Washington.
The working group will also review lease requirements with the City and the Southwest Museum Merger Agreement and the implementation of its mandates. Finally, they will seek to identity funding sources for the renovation and operation of the Southwest Museum.
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CD 14 Fourth of July Celebrations Attract Thousands
Tens of thousands of area residents and visitors enjoyed three distinct Concert and Fireworks shows sponsored by Councilmember Huizar in El Sereno, Boyle Heights and Eagle Rock during the Fourth of July Holiday weekend. Special thanks to CD 14 staff and the many community organizations and sponsors who collaborated and volunteered their time and energy to put on these fantastic events, as well as the El Sereno Fourth of July Parade, a carnival in Boyle Heights and the Concert in the Park series in Eagle Rock. Thank you all!
Enjoy slide show here.
