I hope our newsletter finds you well.  September is now officially Civic Engagement Month in honor of the work of the Neighborhood Councils and of all the City’s public engagement efforts!  City Council President Herb Wesson presented Board of Neighborhood Commissioner President Joy Atkinson and I with the proclamation after honoring the 2016 EmpowerLA Award winners in City Council Chambers this morning: SORO Neighborhoods Council, Reseda Neighborhood Council, Mid City West Community Council, Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council, Echo Park Neighborhood Council, United Neighborhoods Neighborhood Council and Northridge West Neighborhood Council.  For more information on their accomplishments, click here.

Prior to the City Council ceremony, we gathered on the bridge between City Hall and City Hall East to view the new Neighborhood Council display, which is awesome!  Many thanks to the Bridge Display Planning Committee:  Arin Abedian, Ann-Marie Holman, Suzanne Lewis, Armando Ruiz, Stephen Box, Sevak Paramazian, Jose Galdamez and Kathleen Quinn and of course to our awesome Neighborhood Councils for their amazing work. Please be sure to check out the display when you come to the Congress of Neighborhoods next Saturday.  If you haven’t already registered, please do so now.  We want to make sure we have enough materials, food and beverages for everyone.

I was sorry to hear that CANNDU Neighborhood Council founder Horace Penman passed recently. Horace founded CANNDU in 2003 with the goal to continually improve the neighborhood and make it a better and safer place to live.  Horace was a community activist and worked for years to organize CANNDU’s certification.  He also served as a volunteer for the LA Fire Department’s Amateur Communication Service and CERT as well as the American Red Cross.  Horace will be missed!

North Valley Commissioner, Shooshig Avakian, and Harbor Commissioner, Ray Regalado, were confirmed by City Council as the newest members of the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners today, too.  We now have a full board again.  Their first meeting will be at the Commission meeting  on Tuesday, September 5th in the Central area.  For more information, check out the EmpowerLA Calendar.

The Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Coalition has cancelled their September meeting tomorrow, but will be back in October with City Attorney Mike Feuer and Council District 4 Councilmember David Ryu.  Please note that our offices will be closed on Monday, September 4th, in recognition of Labor Day.

Have a wonderful long weekend!