Silver Lake Resident's Take Control of Their Neighborhood's

Neighbors in Silver Lake are working hard to find ways to make and keep Silver Lake a safer community. We've seen an increase in child safety issues, crime, tagging, drugs. Neighborhood Walks with local officials are giving resident's the tools they need to get more involved in keeping their community and families safe.

Joseph Bernardo, CD 13, Lisa Dinkins, CD 4, Rosie from Select Patrol and several of our neighbors, joined together to walk and talk about the various issues and changing face of one Silver Lake neighborhood. The Neighborhood Walk looks for ways to make changes that would benefit everyone living in the area. It could be an increase in lighting, parking, curb and street repairs. By walking, you get a better understanding of what's needed, what's going and who lives on your block. Neighbors also get the information they need on how to be proactive and get more involved.

There's no easy cure for getting drugs off the street, tagging and other tough issues, but the city has tools in place to help. Neighbors need to get to know one another, work together, join community committee's, speak out and be part of the solution.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Hosts Series of Town Hall Meetings to Discuss Plans to Improve Schools

This summer, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will be hosting a series
of town halls with parents to discuss his plan to improve our
schools, cut the bureaucracy, and provide real accountability at
LAUSD.

These town halls will provide an opportunity for members of the
community to learn more about AB 1381 -- the Mayor's bill to
reform LAUSD -- and get involved in the fight to fix our
schools.

South Los Angeles
Wednesday, July 19, 5:00 - 7:00 PM
Victory Baptist Church
4802 S. McKinley Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90011

West Los Angeles
Thursday, July 20, 5:00 - 7:00 PM
Westwood United Methodist Church
10497 Wilshire Blvd. (Wilshire at Warner)
Los Angeles, CA 90024

San Fernando Valley
Thursday, August 3, 4:30 - 7:00 PM
Los Angeles Valley College
Monarch Hall
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA 91401

East Los Angeles
Tuesday, August 8, 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Sacred Heart High School Auditorium
2201 Griffin Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 9003

Since space may be limited, please RSVP to:
townhall@excellenceinlaschools.com
Simply include your name and the number of people in your party,
and we'll be able to make sure we can accomodate everyone
interested in finding out more about the Mayor's plan.

Visit ExcellenceInLASchools.com: www.excellenceinlaschools.com

GET READY TO RUN........VOTE......PARTICIPATE

It's getting close to the time for Silver Lake residents to elect some new members of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council Governing Board. If you're thinking of finally putting those ideas into motion, want to keep the face of Silver Lake recognizable or just want to have a voice in what happens to your community - run for the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council.

There's information on the SLNC website - www.SilverLakeNC.org
or contact Genelle Levin directly at genelle.levin@silverlakenc.org.

It's your community - get involved.

SILVER LAKE SPEAKS OUT

On Saturday, July 15, the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council hosted SPEAK OUT, SILVER LAKE! - A TOWN HALL MEETING. Parents, Teachers, Neighbor's and other's gave their impassioned thoughts about the Mayor taking over LA schools, the condition of our neighborhood schools and how to improve them.

For those of you who weren't able to attend, the SLNC would still like to know your thoughts. Email me at addie.daddio@silverlakenc.org.

The next SPEAK OUT, SILVER LAKE! and TOWN HALL MEETING will be held in September - we hope more of our community members will take time to be part of the solution to what's going on in Silver Lake.

I'll keep you posted.

You're invited to the first CD13 District Office art opening!

You're invited to our first CD13 District Office art opening!
7:00 pm, Thursday, July 13
5500 Hollywood Boulevard, Fourth Floor

Photographs from Project Njabulo of Clowns Without Borders

Led by former Silver Lake resident Jamie McLaren, Project Njabulo of Clowns without Borders brings laughter to children throughout Southern Africa who have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS. Join Jamie at this reception for the work of photographer Ellen van den Bouwhuysen documenting Project Njabulo's expedition last year in KwaZulu-Natal. RSVP to Kabira Stokes at (323) 957-4500 or via email.

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HAPPY JULY 4TH WEEKEND!!!!!

Happy Independence Day to all....the action always begins weeks before with the sound of all those illegal fire works going off everywhere.......our pets run and hide, the bird's fly from their nest's, people get their finger's, hand's and other body parts blown off. I'm always surprised it still goes on. You know how badly a child can be burned from an "innocent" sparkler? I know, I'm no fun....but it's true, not on July 4th and not with all that noise and yes, danger.

What a great time to stop and think about what it really means. Independence Day.....I think of all the lives that have been lost so that America can be a country of freedom. I also wonder about how much of that freedom we have lost. How individual freedoms are constantly in jeopardy. The freedom to choose, the freedom to live, the freedom to love. So much to still fight for.

A friend sent me this link http://sagebrushpatriot.com/america.htm
I sent it on to family and friends who have sent me back many wonderful comments......take a look....tell me what you think - addie.daddio@silverlakenc.org

Enjoy the BBQ's this weekend. Keep your pets inside, the ear plugs handy.....and look around town for some of those great firework display's handled by the professionals!