Department of Neighborhood Empowerment
Newsletter

August 23, 2004

NEW NEIGHBORHOOD CAFÉ SHOWS TO AIR ON CHANNEL 35.

You’ve already seen the first three shows, but you ain’t seen nothing yet. Recently, we taped five additional shows. Each show is 30 minutes. Be sure and set your favorite recording device.

Graffiti Prevention - Show #4 airs:
September 6 at 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Joanne Valle, Vice-President of the Harbor City Neighborhood Council, explains how her Neighborhood Council has found a unique way to crack-down on graffiti. What's her secret? It’s graffiti consultant Timothy Kephart, and his innovative tracking system. Before the graffiti is eliminated, it’s photographed and put into a database. It’s helping the police catch the bad guys and reduce crime.

Neighborhood Improvement Projects - Show #5 airs:
September 13 at 10:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Ever wonder how your Neighborhood Council can get started on doing neighborhood improvement projects? This show will explain one method that uses utilizing the City’s Neighborhood Matching Fund Program. This program is explained by the Director of Operation Clean Sweep, Delphia Jones. Mary Rodriguez, President of the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council, provides examples of how she has used the program to paint murals in a local middle school, and what he Neighborhood Council is working on next.

Spring Street/Main Street Revitalization - Show #6 airs:
September 20 at 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Things are changing on the streets of downtown. Brady Westwater, the new President of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council, explains the history of downtown, and what’s being done along with private business to revitalize Spring Street and Main Street by steering it toward an art and creative business district called Gallery Row. Jose Caballer, a downtown resident, established a new co-operative workplace called "The Space" in Gallery Row. He owns a graphic design company, "The Groop," and he talks about the advantages of owning a small business downtown.

Crime Prevention, Part 2 - Show #7 airs:
September 27 at 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

You can never know enough about how to prevent crime. There simply aren’t enough police to do it all themselves. In the first segment, Senior Lead Officer Vince Aguirre describes a break-through program that the LAPD is promoting to alleviate home burglaries called Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED). In the second segment, Sergeant John Romero discusses the tactics that the LAPD is using to combat the war on terrorism. He provides useful tips that you use to assist and do your part against the war on terrorism.

Crenshaw Revitalization - Show #8 airs:
October 4 at 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Rick Conroy, from the Crenshaw Chamber of Commerce discusses the "Crenshaw Summit," what it was, and what the good things that happened. He also discusses how the West Adams Neighborhood Council, United Neighborhoods of the Historic Arlington Heights, West Adams, and Jefferson Park Communities, Empowerment Congress West Area Neighborhood Development Council, and the Park Mesa Heights Neighborhood Council were an intricate part of the "Crenshaw Summit," and how they will continue to be involved with all of the future projects proposed by the Summit. Dwayne Wyatt from the City Planning Department describes the new projects that are being built in the area, the projects that are opening soon, and the future projects.

To see the CityView 35 monthly guide, which features the Neighborhood Café programs, go to this link:

http://www.lacity.org/ITA/cityviewprogram/itacityviewprogram57719168_04272004.pdf

A special thanks to the two outstanding hosts who shared the duties during a hectic two days of taping these shows.

Lee Kanon Alpert is a distinguished San Fernando Valley attorney who served as the first president of the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners. He dropped everything and came to the studio with one day’s notice. We’re fairly certain that we didn’t do anything to tarnish that reputation.

Coby King, an attorney, has his own communications firm. He is also the President of the Van Nuys Airport Citizens Advisory Council, and serves on the California Council on Criminal Justice.

The City “renewed” us for a second “season,” so if you have program ideas, please let us know. Otherwise, we’ll have to dream up programs on our own. The ideal show is of interest to the entire Channel 35 audience, and inspires people to get involved in Neighborhood Councils, and has something visual that we can make part of the show. For budgetary reasons, the bulk of the show has to be done inside the studio.

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Greg Nelson
gnelson@mailbox.lacity.org

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