Health & Fitness
Patch Blog: What a Functioning Neighborhood Council can do for You
What would you like to do for Highland Park, and are you willing to work for it?
To be clear, I am a Director at Large for the Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council. It is election season, and I am running again to give it another try. Also running is a group, which arose with Cathi Milligan as President. This group is filled with people I know, and have worked with, some on the NC, and some on projects outside of the Council, some for a long time, some new: Hector Huezo, Ruben Del Portillo, Linda Caban, Gloria Castro-Trejo, Trisha Gossett, Gretchen Knudsen, Ramiro Motta, Aaron Salcido, Elyse Schwartz, Harvey Slater.
Vote on Saturday Oct 13., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the HP Recreation Center next to the Arroyo Seco Library.
While there are problems in Highland Park which a Neighborhood Council cannot address, here are some we can:
Find out what's happening in Highland Park-Mount Washingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
• LAFD Station 12 on Figueroa complains they see near misses in the crosswalk at N. Ave 60 and Figueroa every day. LA Dept of Transportation tells us that to put in flashing lights would cost over $150,000.
• Where there is less reporting to the City of graffiti and dumping on the street, there is less clean-up.
Find out what's happening in Highland Park-Mount Washingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
• Businesses always report a rise in customers wherever bicycles have access. How about another bike corral on Figueroa, and more bike lanes?
• Why are there frequent power outages on Monte Vista?
• What can be done about the endless finger-pointing about sidewalk repair and tree trimming?
• How can we get some of the animal agencies to come to Highland Park for free spay and neuter clinics?
• Some very dark streets could use more light.
• How do we encourage business development without damage to our historic core?
• How do we support and encourage homeownership without losing affordable and low-income housing?
• How can we support the thriving art community here, and get more art in our schools and our lives?
• How do we maintain our small town character, and still be noisy and organized enough to get the attention we need from the City?
A streamlined, engaged Neighborhood Council, in cahoots with our neighbors who want the same things, can help. Other neighborhoods do exactly this, juntos. Wrangling with City bureaucratic obstacles is messy, requires stamina, direct contact with our neighbors, relentless devotion, an education plan, follow-through, and absolutely can be done. I have seen it. Is that you?
The headline should really read "What a Functioning Neighborhood Council can do With Your Help."
Vote!
