Congress of Neighborhoods
May 22, 2003 - at the Los Angeles Convention Center
Invitation

May 19 , 2004

Re: Congress of Neighborhoods – MORE!

As if you needed a reminder, the next Congress of Neighborhoods will be on May 22 at the L.A. Convention Center.

PROGRAM

REGISTRATION

We had to close registration in order to get things together. But feel free to walk in and enjoy the event.

FREE PARKING

Parking will be free. Use the Pico entrance. There will be parking passes available at te gate.

PRIZES

At the end of the event, we’ll have a drawing for some very special “prizes.” There are 10 prizes. You will be given 10 tickets when you register, and you can dump them all into one prize box, or spread them out. So won’t have to worry about winning something you don’t care about. You must be present to win.

Root, Root, Root for our home team, “the Los Angeles Dodgers”, and win four tickets to a Los Angeles Dodger baseball game at beautiful Dodger Stadium along with a free parking pass. (Date to be announced by the team.) (There will be one winner.)

Get ready to take-off and go behind-the-scenes at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) as you get security clearance to see LAX in action. Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is inviting two people to each bring a guest with them as they visit the intricate workings of the Control Tower and take an airfield tour. These are very special arrangements that have been made for the Neighborhood Councils despite stricter security concerns. (Winners must be 15 years of age or older, and at least one member of your party must be a responsible guardian of 18 years or older. Winners and their guests will take the tour together. There will be two winners.)

See Los Angeles’ famous Central Library from the bookworm’s point of view as you enjoy an exclusive behind-the-scenes to marvel at the beauty of the 1926 historic Goodhue Building as you are led through a maze of art and architecture on this rare two-hour weekend tour for yourself and one guest. If it’s true that knowledge is power, you’ll meet some of the most powerful people in the city. (Five winners will get an opportunity to bring a guest each. A mutually agreeable time will be arranged for all 10 guests to tour the building together.)

At times it may seem like nobody is doing anything about street traffic, so you’ll be amazed at what you will see when you and a guest visit the City Department of Transportation’s tour of the Automated Traffic Surveillance and Control Center (ATSAC). (There will be seven winners, and each may bring one guest.)

We’ve got red-hot smoldering dinner reservations for you and a guest at a fire station. We will pick one fire station in each of the seven areas of the city (North Valley, South Valley, Central, West, East, South and Harbor Area), and two winners from each area who may each bring one guest. These 28 lucky people will have their meals prepared for them by our city’s own explosive team of firefighters. No foolin’! (14 winning tickets will be selected.)

Join the crew of the Department of Public Works’ La Mer monitoring boat for a three hour tour of Santa Monica Bay. You and a guest will see the great lengths and depths that Public Works takes to ensure the quality of the ocean water. You will witness the care and nurturing of the sea life that is measured and accounted for at the outfall of the Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant. (There will be two winners. Each may bring one guest.)

The life of a full-time commissioner isn’t all about public hearings and motions. Join Board of Public Works Commissioner Cynthia M. Ruiz (also of the LA-32 Neighborhood Council) as she leads you on a tour of a brand new sewer that travels under the Los Angeles River. The new sewer is designed to meet the needs of a growing population in Los Angeles. It’s a close up and personal look at the latest addition to the city’s 6,500 miles of sewer. How many other people do you know who have done this? Don’t forget, once it’s built, tours become much less convenient. (There will be one winner.)

Los Angeles Chief of Police William J. Bratton invites you to be part of the upcoming Los Angeles Police Academy graduation ceremony … from the inside. You will join the department’s command staff at the VIP breakfast reception, and then sit on stage, as the new recruits become officers. (There will be one winner)

It won't be a "Three Hour Tour," and you won't end up stranded on an island with your own hit television show — this will be better. You and a guest will be taken around the Port of Los Angeles on the Fire Department's newest fire boat." (There will be two winners, each may bring one guest.)

Be the guest of the Los Angeles Zoo as a Curator takes you on a very special behind-the-scenes tour. If the animals like you, be prepared to feed carrots to Gita the Asian elephant, apples to hippos, and who knows what else. (There will be two winners, and each may bring one guest.)

One certified Neighborhood Council will be selected to win a digital camera donated by Office Depot, the city’s official supplier of office supplies. One of the Neighborhood Council board members must be present for the Neighborhood Council to win.

THE SESSIONS

Here are some highlights:

HOW TO INVOLVE MORE BUSINESSES IN NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS (ROUNDTABLE)
We hope that someone from the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council attends this so they can tell you what they’ve been doing to clean up Spring Street and Main Street. Talk about involving businesses!

SOLVING OUR OWN GRIEVANCES (ROUNDTABLE)
The other Neighborhood Councils would like to hear your ideas and experiences. Can Neighborhood Councils take care of this themselves, or do they need someone else to do it for them?

NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS (ROUNDTABLE)
Seven Neighborhood Councils were just awarded Neighborhood Matching Grants to do beautification projects. We hope that they will attend to inspire others to do the same when the new round of funding starts in July.

ASK DONE
Don’t forget that our funding program staff will be here too.

OUTREACH/COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT (ROUNDTABLE)
Karen Mack will facilitate this event. If you plan to attend and share your successful outreach techniques and events with the other Neighborhood Councils, let us know and we’ll make sure that Karen knows to expect you.

CITY AND STATE BUDGET ISSUES
This will not only include the mayor’s “Sacramento expert,” but the mayor’s budget director as well. The budget for 2004-05 was just adopted by the City Council. It becomes effective on July 1, and almost immediately it’s time to begin work on the 2005-06 budget.

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Greg Nelson

866 / LA HELPS
213 / 485-1360
213 / 485-4608 fax
done@mailbox.lacity.org email
www.lacityneighborhoods.com website