Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Monday

When it comes to shared sacrifice for LA's Neighborhood Councils in the current budget climate, the Daily Breeze agrees that the 10% reduction proposed by the Mayor is fair.  So does Eric Garcetti. Yet Sleeping Greig Smith and Bitter Bernie Parks want to slash the panels' annual stipend to an amount equal to the the price of a two bedroom home in Van Nuys  - in 1958.  Smith is apparently so resentful of the Councils in his District that he's willing to play economic hardball.  However before that happens City Hall will be under siege from SLAP-happy Bastille stormers fresh off their historic victory on Measure B.  It's unlikely Sleepy and the Bitterman will be able to find more than a handful of CMs who will want to face pitchforks up their patoots.

Council President EricGarcetti is asking his constituents what should be done with all the new Obama era spendalus money targeted for his District.  Atwater Village Newbie has a good answer: "Do your job."  Rather than creating photo opp worthy new projects focus on fixing what's already broken.  Good advice.

The always on top and politically active Beckford School moms and dads in the San Fernando Valley are stepping up again.  They're joining with some neighboring schools to stage a protest rally against the LAUSD's nonsense.  Pretty impressive in that they've lined up both controversial school board member Tamar Galatzan as well as comedian Sandra Tsing-Loh.  Via the Beckford Parents Blog.

LAUSD couldn't entice big name educators from the East Coast to come and run the new multi-million dollar "arts" high school downtown so they've turned to Van Nuys instead. The Downtown News reports that Suzanne Blake of Vista Middle School will helm the new campus, which has been the target of criticism from within several camps in LA.

Speaking of the Downtown News apparently our friend and blogger Don Garza from Central City East has a problem with the paper.  Don feels that the News is spamming him with weekly news updates and can't seem to get off the list.  We think that both the News and Don Garza are excellent sources of information about our City's center however perhaps our other friend Jon Regardie, executive editor of the paper, can get Don off the list or at least take him out for a cup of coffee and patch things up.  We hope so.

We noted recently proposals in the State Legislature to sell the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, most likely to USC. Apparently County Supervisor and Coliseum Commission board member Zev Yaroslavsky is aghast at the idea.  The Coliseum Commission - a confusing joint powers arrangement of the City, County and State - has really done a poor job over the years managing the facility, probably botched any chance for pro-football in LA proper and has allowed the facility to forgo much needed improvements.  There is no doubt USC would do an excellent job of running the stadium.  Zev needs to think less about his season tickets and stop acting like a Bruin.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Tuesday

Tuesday the Los Angeles City Council will vote to ratify the Mayor's appointment of Cynthia Ibarra to the City's Board of Relocation Appeals.  Yet, the report to the Council indicates Ms Ibarra doesn't live in the City of Los Angeles.  How is this appointment possible?

How do Clowncil Members Herb Wesson and Tom "Lights on a Statue" LeBong want to spend nearly $5,000 of your money? By spending it to "celebrate" the 17th anniversary of the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. In the meantime merchants and residents are up in arms over massive parking meter rate increases in LeBong's and Wesson's districts because the City is "broke."  When do the people wake up to this insanity?

If all our schools had the level of parent participation and activism as seen by Debbie Lopez and all the moms and dads at Beckford Elementary in the San Fernando Valley the LAUSD might be better off.  And at least the teachers and staff at Beckford get that as they recently held an event to honor their volunteers.  Now if our school board didn't have useless hacks like Tamar Galatzan and Monica Garcia we might be even better off!

Two California state legislators are continuing to push a plan that could lead to the sale of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, perhaps to USC. The idea makes sense; State Senator Jeff Denham hopes to break the grip of the "three headed monster" - the Coliseum Commission - on the facility.  And no, as a reader at CurbedLA commented, that three headed monster at the Coliseum is not The Jonas Brothers.

If the latest pablum out of the mouth of former GOP Senator Arlen Specter is any sign; he's going to fit into the current Democratic Party just fine. Following the death of conservative icon Jack Kemp, Specter said in a television interview "If we had pursued what President Nixon declared in 1970 as the war on cancer, we would have cured many strains. I think Jack Kemp would be alive today." So, according to Specter, the GOP killed Jack Kemp.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Tuesday

Mayor Villaraigosa will deliver his "State of the City" speech at a time most folks won't watch, 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.  Theme of the address? Instead of "Dream with Me" it will now be "Sacrifice with Me."


Zuma Dogg, in his public comment addresses to the City Council, has been sounding a warning about the potential of a significant water shortage in Los Angeles, aggravated by over development and seemingly ignored by the Mayor and City Council. The Dogg had a one on one conversation with DWP General Manager H. David Nahai who told Zuma that those who do not waste water will not see raises in their rates. In calling for a new awareness on water conservation Zuma declares "that wasting water will have to be almost as socially unacceptable as wearing fur, or not using Facebook."


City Attorney candidate Jack Weiss has some trouble on his hands. The La Brea Willoughby Coalition has filed a Public Records Act request with Weiss’ office after learning that he has missed over one third of all Council meetings and 1,500 votes. The document requests immediate access to inspect Weiss’ calendar, correspondences and all other documents that may explain his whereabouts during those important votes.

More trouble for Jack Weiss.  An Asian American advocacy organization has endorsed Weiss' opponent, Carmen Trutanich.  The Asian American Action Fund credits their support to Trutanich's promises for electoral reform such as instant runoff voting and ending gerrymandering that has diluted Asian American voting strength in Los Angeles in recent years. 

Debbie Lopez and the always organized web 2.0 parents of Beckford Elementary School in the San Fernando Valley are making effective use of the internet to organize themselves for effective advocacy for their children and school and fighting the shady LAUSD. Lopez Twittered the play by play from a town hall meeting in Northridge featuring controversial School Board Member Tamar Galatzan. Among the gems, "Teacher from Darby talking; crying now," and "Kelly Mattinson just gave Tamar Galatzan what for. Girlfriend is on fire."

Over at WitnessLA a report on what LAUSD Superintendent Ray Cortines wants to do to teens who engage in "sexting" that is sending porno pictures of themselves via cell phone.  Cortines wants to arrest them.  While the prospect of young people participating in this type of behaivor is disturbing Cortines' response is typical of the heavy handed zero-tolerance approach to issues school administrators are apparently now incapable of using good judgment to handle.  The right step here is to first work with the parents before turning over the kids to the LAPD. 

Westside White Guy and other nanny-poos up in arms over another LA Times advetorial stunt, this time for a Paramount Pictures film.  I have two better questions, one from Eric Longabardi who asks what WWG will do when there is no more OLD GRAY HAG ON SPRING STREET; the other is shouldn't we be more up in arms about Roderick's Pulitzer Prize claims.

Saturday Morning Stuff

I had hoped to be up earlier this morning, but the PTA 31st District Awards dinner held last night at the beautiful Odyssey Restaurant just went on and on and on into the night. Those PTA ladies (and I'm happy to report... there were more than a few gents present, too!) know how to party. So, I'm up a little later than usual, and dealing with the effects of a multi-Cosmo-evening.

District 1 Superintendent Ms. Jean Brown, Julie Korenstein and Alex Padilla were there for a bit of speechifying and presentation of special awards. Congratulations to the following PTA's for winning the "Unit of the Year" Awards last night:

Elementary School PTA of the Year: Beckford Ave. Elementary - Kelly Mattinson, President

Middle School PTA of the Year: Nobel Middle School - Colleen Ross, President

High School PTA of the Year: Granada Hills Charter High School - Marylou Westmoreland, President

Thanks for all your hard work, ladies! Without you, our students, our teachers, staff and school family wouldn't be half as wonderful as they are because of all your efforts. Many times you've put in 40+ hour weeks for no pay, and we're all so grateful.

In other Hawt Lady News: Seems Ms. Condi has a secret KISS Army side.

Secretary of State Condi "Strutter" Rice parties with the boys from KISS

Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice was in Sweden for an international conference on Iraq the same time the rock band KISS was playing in town. The boys in the band invited her over for post-concert fun after her dinner with the Swedish foreign minister. Rice, a classically trained pianist, said she has eclectic musical tastes ranging from Beethoven to Bruce Springsteen. Who knew?

And Democrats will meet today to hash out the Florida and Michigan sitch. Dems are hoping it gets straightened out as soon as possible in order to get the party united by convention.

“We are strong enough to struggle and disagree and to even be angry and disappointed and still come together at the end of the day and be united,” said Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

A compromise decision is expected to be reach sometime by tonight, early on in the evening.

The "Best of the Best"

Press release from the California Department of Education:

SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced that 343 exemplary California public elementary schools from 189 districts in 39 counties have been selected as 2008 California Distinguished Schools.

The list of schools may be viewed at: California School Recognition Program.

"These outstanding elementary schools represent many different kinds of communities, organizational structures, and student populations," said O'Connell. "Sixty-four of these schools come from small, rural communities, 11 are charter schools, and nearly half or 156 schools have significant populations of students living in poverty and are supported by federal Title I funding."

This year, the selection criteria for the Distinguished School program were more stringent than ever. Schools wrote a substantive narrative application and then were subject to an extensive site validation.

"Most heartening, many of the schools we are recognizing today as the ' best of the best' have overcome significant educational challenges, showing that it is possible to provide opportunities for success to all students," O'Connell said.

This year, 300 (87.4 percent) of the award-winning schools serve populations high in minority student representation and 182 (53.1 percent) of them are educating students who are learning English.

Earlier in the week, O'Connell called each school principal to personally convey the good news.

"I was honored to be able to join in the excitement as these dedicated educators learned their schools earned this coveted title," he said. "From their stories, it became clear that they share a school-wide vision of excellence where every student can succeed and achieve at the very highest levels of performance."

O'Connell also applauded California's 34 nominees for the 2008 National No Child Left Behind – Blue Ribbon Schools Program that were announced in November. These schools will be honored along with the 2008 California Distinguished Schools during an awards ceremony and dinner at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim on May 16.

The California School Recognition Program is now in its 23rd year and identifies and honors the state's most exemplary and inspiring public schools with the California Distinguished School Award. Although participation is voluntary, the award is highly sought after by schools in all areas of the state. Elementary and secondary schools are recognized during alternate years.
For the current year, 839 elementary schools submitted applications and were identified for eligibility on the basis of their Academic Performance Index and Adequate Yearly Progress results.

All applicants underwent a rigorous selection process conducted by the California Department of Education, with the help of many local educators from across the state, and in partnership with the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association.

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Congratulations to all schools who have received the honor! And congratulations to the LAUSD exceptional schools who have been recognized as a California Distinguished School. Among them are: Balboa Gifted Elementary, Beckford Ave. Elementary, Beethoven St. Elementary, Calahan St. Elementary, Chatsworth Park Elementary, Coeur D’Alene Ave. Elementary, Danube Ave. Elementary, Dearborn St. Elementary, Fourth St. Elementary, Hancock Park Elementary, Haskell Elementary, Kester Ave. Elementary, Marquez Charter Elementary, One Hundred Fifty Six St. Elementary, Overland School for Advanced Studies Elementary, Parthenia St. Elementary, Stagg St. Elementary, Stonehurst Elementary, Superior St. Elementary, Synergy Charter Academy, Van Gogh St. Elementary, Welby Way Elementary, Wilbur Ave. Elementary, Woodland Hills Elementary.

Kudos to all the schools who manage to acheive excellence with no additional Title 1 monies! As a parent at one such school, it CAN be done thanks to the support of PTAs, booster clubs, parents, teachers, students, NC's (thanks to our wonderful Northridge West Neighborhood Council for their continued support and love for our little school), and our many Community Partners ... we can get the job done!

A Shout Out For The Mommies ...

Dennis McCarthy highlights Mom Extraordinaire, Lupe Lopez in today’s Daily News.

Her twin sons, Daniel and Rafael, both super-star athletes at Birmingham High School, will be heading off to college in the fall to some little schools you may have heard of: Princeton and Columbia.

"As little boys we always complained about how tough Mom was on us about our schoolwork, but now we are so thankful," said Daniel, headed for Princeton. Rafael, accepted at Columbia University, agrees. "As kids, you're young and ignorant," he said. "You don't see it. Now, we see it. We get a lot of credit for hard work in the classroom, but it all boils down to our mom."

Lupe and her husband have two more sons who are right behind the twins: Christian, 14, and Alejandro, 8, who attend schools in the Valley.

And of course … those two are just as scary-smart, super-athletically talented as their older brothers!

Congratulations Lupe!

::besos::

(pssst, Alejandro; Lina says “hi”!)

Special "No on S" Meeting Tonight at 7:30

Mayor Sam, Valley Doll, the Beckford PTA and Northridge West Neighborhood Council would like to invite all MayorSam readers to a special presentation tonight by Walter Moore in opposition of Measure S.

The community-at-large is welcome to join us, as well as anyone else interested in finding out the truth about Measure S.

Tonight, 7:30 p.m.

Beckford Auditorium
19130 Tulsa St.
Northridge, 91326

See you there!

xoxo