Here’s a quick recap of what’s happening in the Seventh Council District this week:
Back to Basics 101: Keeping Our Neighborhoods Clean
This week, we teamed up with a number of community organizations and volunteers to keep our neighborhoods clean and green. We celebrated Earth Day in Pacoima with a huge clean up along Osborne Place and Glenoaks Boulevard. On Wednesday, we beautified North Hills along Columbus Street and Rayen Street, picking up bulky items, removing trash, and clearing our streets. In addition, my CD 7 Strike Team is on the move to proactively remove illegal dumping throughout the 7th District. To date, my Strike Team has collected over 150,000 lbs of trash. Everyone can play a role in keeping our neighborhoods clean — report illegal dumping and request graffiti removal by simply calling 3-1-1 or visit MyLA311 online.
Recovering After the Creek Fire
Last December, the Creek Fire burned over 6,500 acres of the Sylmar community, including parts of the Lopez Canyon Environmental Center (LCEC). The damages sustained at the LCEC impacted the water line that supplies the power plant for maintenance of the landfill. Importantly, the water line serves as a water fill station used by the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) helicopter for battling fires in the 7th Council District. This week, I introduced legislation to immediately repair the water line to ensure that LAFD has a reliable water source for its helicopter operations during the wild fire season. For more information, read my motion.
Commemorating the Armenian Genocide
WATCH: (Click on the image to watch the march)
This week, I joined the Armenian community to remember one of the most tragic events in human history — the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians 103 years ago. We marched in solidarity to ensure that the next generation of humans get to live a life of peace. It is our duty to remember and make sure that these atrocities never happen again.
Standing With Survivors
On Wednesday, we wore jeans to stand in solidarity with survivors of sexual assault. The Denim Day campaign was created in recognition of a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court in the 1990s. In this case, a rape conviction was overturned because the justices believed since the victim was wearing tight jeans, she must have helped her rapist remove them, implying consent. The following day, the women in the Parliament came to work wearing jeans in support of the victim. There is no excuse and never an invitation for abuse or harassment. To learn more about the campaign, visit: www.denimdayinfo.org.
Photo of the Week
WATCH: (Click on the image to watch us cook)
I joined Emily Chavez at Fire Station 81 to cook a meal for the firefighters who work hard every day to keep our communities safe. Emily is a 9-year old Sylmar resident and former contestant on Master Chef Jr. Season 6 — a competitive cooking show on Fox where 40 home cooks aged 8 to 13 compete for a grand prize. Emily landed in the Top 14 of the competition. We’re all very proud of this Sylmar native.