On May 5, Councilmember Blumenfield helped honor local teachers at the 15th Annual Walk of Hearts event. This award ceremony celebrates teachers who have made a tremendous impact on their students by installing plaques in the sidewalk with their name, similar to how the Hollywood Walk of Fame recognizes celebrities.
“I love the Walk of Hearts because it reflects and recognizes the critical importance of our educators," said Blumenfield.
This year, teachers Edie Aitchison of Welby Way Elementary, Caryn Michaels of Canoga Park High School, Dan Sambo of O'Melveny Elementary, and Michelle Wydra of Birmingham Charter High were recognized for their extraordinary achievements inside and out of the classroom.
This event was the brainchild of civic leader Joe Andrews, an active business member and former President of the Canoga Park/West Hills Chamber of Commerce. He and his wife Katie, with the active support of the West Valley Chamber and other organizations, have grown this idea into an amazing tradition. More than 70 plaques have been installed to honor teachers over the past 15 years. Blumenfield recently honored Joe Andrews and his wife Katie Andrews in City Council to thank them for their amazing work and to encourage them in their vision to spread the idea throughout Los Angeles and throughout the country.
On May 7, Team Blumenfield hosted the latest community workshop for 'Reimagine Ventura,' an exciting improvement and beautification project to transform the section of the boulevard between Royer and Sale into a unique destination that benefits businesses and the community and is safer for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers.
“Reimagine Ventura started several years ago when several neighborhood council members approached me about improving this portion of Ventura Boulevard,” Blumenfield said. “As a result, my team and I have worked hard to foster community input and ideas as well as to identify grants to help make those ideas into a reality."
Blumenfield also enlisted the help of expert traffic consultants to conduct a year-long traffic study on Ventura to ensure that any proposal modifications to the road or traffic flow were fully analyzed. After concluding the study and meeting with many stakeholders in the community, Blumenfield announced Phase I of 'Reimagine Ventura,' which includes reverse-angled parking, a new traffic signal at Royer Avenue, and enhanced pedestrian crosswalks. As part of the City of Los Angeles’ Vision Zero initiative, these safety measures will help reduce traffic fatalities in the West Valley and make the community a safer place to live, work and play. They will help foster a better 'sense of place' as well.
Team Blumenfield hosted their most recent workshop to focus on Phase II of Reimagine Ventura, which includes beautification improvements such as street trees, landscaping, street furniture, and other elements to invite people to enjoy and shop on Ventura Boulevard. Councilmember Blumenfield partnered with the Department of City Planning to coordinate several community workshops over the past two years. It was a great collaborative effort to reach out to local businesses and neighbors.
To learn more about Reimagining Ventura, please click here.
In remembrance of people killed in recent terror attacks, Councilmember Blumenfield joined local leaders at Masjid e Ezzi in Woodland Hills to call for peace and release doves before an Iftar reception. Blumenfield and the congregation leaders shared remarks before he asked children from the Mosque to join him in releasing 53 doves to remember the victims of recent hate attacks, such as the killing of 51 innocent people at two mosques in New Zealand.
“Tolerance is too low a bar- we need to work towards understanding and loving each other,” said Blumenfield. “From Christchurch to Colombo, the recent senseless shootings and bombings in New Zealand and Sri Lanka were reprehensible. When one attacks a house of faith they are trying not just to kill individuals; they are trying to strike fear in the hearts of an entire group of people."
‘Iftar’ is the nightly meal with which Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset. This Mosque has been an active participant in the annual Interfaith Solidarity March and many other community events. Blumenfield not only had the honor of witnessing the congregants' prayer ceremony, but he was treated to a fabulous dinner and discussion about the community.
On May 11, Councilmember Blumenfield was recognized by the Valley Jewish Community Center for his work on Jewish and civic issues. He was given their prestigious community service award during their gala dinner.
Blumenfield was recognized alongside fellow honorees Brenda Schmidt and Judy Weber for their dedication to the West Valley. Schmidt is the CEO of Solera Health and received the VJCC’s Corporate Award for her integrated benefit network. Fellow honoree Judy Weber received the Pioneer Award for her work as a founding member of the North Valley JCC and for founding the inclusive Tobinworld School that has changed thousands of lives.
The Valley Jewish Community Center’s strong ties to the community are thanks in part to the leadership from Board President Ollie Haas and Executive Director Jerry Wayne. It is the only Jewish Community Center in the Valley and offers a wide variety of programs for all ages from book clubs, to classes, to diabetes prevention. They even have a preschool. to learn more about the VJCC, click here.
On May 11 every fire station held an open house for the public to see the stations and meet with firefighters. Blumenfield used the occasion to formally thank firefighters throughout the West Valley for their tireless dedication to keeping the community safe and responding to emergencies. Blumenfield met with firefighters at Stations 93, 84, 105, 72, 104, and 73 during the annual Fire Service Day. Blumenfield is a proud champion of emergency preparedness and has worked closely on a variety of efforts with the LAFD including implementing an emergency Resiliency Plan in the West Valley. He successfully pushed for a major increase in this year's LAFD budget.
“After last year’s Woolsey Fire, we saw the fire was right on the City’s doorstep and the only thing stopping it from destroying our homes was our brave firefighters,” Blumenfield said. “Fire Service Day is about recognizing the heroes who keep our city safe as well as opening doors so the community can come and meet some local heroes.”
The most recent crime report is in and I have good news for the West Valley. Like all of you, I am deeply concerned about our public safety and encourage you to report all crimes, just as I encourage the LAPD to enforce laws.
The data from the West Valley and Topanga Divisions indicated that while low last year, violent crime, property crime, and vehicle thefts have continued to decrease. Our officers have been hard at work responding to and investigating reported crimes. To help them keep the West Valley safe, I recently helped launch a volunteer patrol to increase police visibility and add additional tools to the LAPD crime-fighting toolbox. I will continue to advocate for more law enforcement resources to make the West Valley a safe place for all.
The info-graphs below shed light on crime for the West Valley and Topanga Divisions. This data was collected from a recent COMP-STAT meeting my staff attended with the LAPD.
To keep your vehicle safe from theft, I urge everyone to learn and practice the LAPD's Lock it, Hide it, Keep it model. The LAPD created a webpage to explain how following these simple steps can reduce instances of crime. To learn more about Lock it, Hide it, Keep it, please click here.
Councilmember Bob Blumenfield
Join Councilmember Blumenfield, Best Friends Center, LA Animal Services and many other local rescues for the NKLA Super Adoption Fair this weekend in the West Valley! Come and meet thousands of adoptable animals and check out booths from many nonprofits including Operation Blankets of Love.
This is the largest animal adoption event in Los Angeles so please come out and help save a life.
Barone's Pizzeria is a family-run restaurant based in Woodland Hills and Westlake Village that has served the San Fernando Valley since 1945. A long-time cultural and culinary staple, Barone's Pizzeria was the first restaurant in all of Southern California to sell pizza. The family owners' dedication to making delicious pizzas attracted some of Hollywood's biggest stars such as James Dean, Frank Sinatra, and John Wayne, who all became regulars and helped put pizza on the map as a popular cuisine.
Since its Hollywood days, Barone's Pizzeria has continued to grow its business and ten years ago opened a new restaurant in Woodland Hills off of Ventura Boulevard. Barone's Pizzeria is a local icon that has earned the respect and admiration of pizza-lovers throughout the West Valley and beyond. To learn more about Barone's Pizzeria for a meal, catering, or school sponsorships, visit their website at: http://baronespizzeria.com/
Barone's Pizzeria
22435 Ventura Blvd
Woodland Hills, CA 91364
Lucky- ID# A1848548- Lucky is 5 years old, already neutered and very nicely socialized and friendly. He comes right up to the front of his shelter cage to greet you, politely ask you to pet him, and very willingly demonstrate his soothing, joyful purrs for you. Lucky is a very sweet boy who will be a great companion and wonderful lap cat.
" Blackie"- ID# A1830489- Blackie is incredibly friendly and very playful. She loves going out for walks with you, meeting old friends and making new friends -- Blackie loves everyone! She is a beautiful dog and needs a forever home with someone who will love her so she can keep being the delightful girl she is.
Bring home forever love, smiles, purrs and wags -- come adopt a shelter pet today! Dogs, cats, puppies, kittens, bunnies, all sizes, types and fur lengths, from playful youngsters to gentle, loving seniors -- they are waiting for you at your local CD 3 Animal Shelter! Come fall in love at the West Valley (L.A. city) Animal Shelter at 20655 Plummer St., Chatsworth, (818) 756-9325. See all the L.A. City Shelter animals at http://www.laanimalservices.com/.
On May 4, Councilmember Blumenfield participated in and helped organize a Bridge to the Future Scholars community cleanup project in Canoga Park. Blumenfield helped launch the Bridge to the Future scholarship program for Canoga Park High School Students seeking entry to California State University of Northridge (CSUN). This scholarship continues to offer 25 graduating seniors tuition free college and a lifetime of opportunities. It is an amazing success story.
On May 11, Blumenfield once again attended the annual Rally in the Valley Robotics Competition to support Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) in the West Valley. This event is a fun way to learn about science and prepare for jobs and the challenges of the 21st century. This year West Valley students from Reseda Elementary School, Serrania Charter for Enriched Studies Elementary School, Hart Street Elementary School, and Stanley Mosk Elementary School competed. Blumenfield thanks California State University of Northridge (CSUN) and NASA JPL for hosting this great event every year.
On May 14th, Councilmember Blumenfield was a keynote speaker along with LAFD Chief Gikas, Chrisanta Gonzales from the Emergency Management Department, and Mark Toomey from the California Earthquake Authority at the recent meeting of the Tarzana Property Owners Association (TPOA). He discussed recent actions the City has taken to improve local safety, emergency preparedness, and emergency resilience. The TPOA hosted this town hall panel discussion which featured an informative Q&A session about fire and earthquake preparedness.