by katie | Jan 21, 2022 | Newspaper
You can’t shut it off completely, but the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District is warning its most egregious water wasters that they may turn their taps down if they don’t comply with new restrictions. Some of the “more wealthy” residents of the area, according to... Read more 
by katie | Jan 21, 2022 | Newspaper
Construction has continued non-stop during the pandemic on Westfield’s $250 million addition to their Topanga Center. Phase one of the project, which will include the 55,000 square-foot, 12-screen AMC Theatre, will open this summer. The dining, entertainment and... Read more 
by katie | Jan 14, 2022 | Newspaper
The post-holiday Omicron surge is pushing COVID numbers higher again, and as at-home tests are tough to find, people are lining up again at various sites to get a PCR test. CORE has once again opened a drive-thru test site at Pierce College. Operating hours are 10 am... Read more 
by katie | Jan 5, 2022 | Newspaper
California has been experiencing much needed rain and snow that is helping to combat the ongoing drought. No one can look past their windows and not see that it has been quite wet for a while. This is tremendous news for the state’s depleted reservoirs, arid soils,... Read more 
by katie | Dec 23, 2021 | Newspaper
With the recent surge in COVID cases – 6,500 new cases reported in the county on Wednesday – and the easy transmission of the Omicron variant, are our hospitals prepared? According to Dr. Donald David, Chief Medical Officer of West Hills Hospital, the... Read more 
by katie | Dec 9, 2021 | Newspaper
Tinkerbell is gone. Lucas and Sparky carry scars. Throughout the neighborhood, signs for missing cats are posted on telephone poles. All assumed to have been carried off by what are now called “urban coyotes.” A Ring camera video of a pack of five running through a... Read more 
by katie | Nov 26, 2021 | Newspaper
Police and paramedics responded to reports of a smash and grab robbery around 7 pm on Wednesday at Nordstrom at Westfield Topanga. Early reports state that a group of five individuals stormed the retail store, pepper spraying a security guard before fleeing with... Read more 
by katie | Nov 11, 2021 | Newspaper
After a nearly year-long process to hear comments from the public on their communities of interest and review census data, this week the City Council approved a final map that will define their districts for the next decade. Similar to the process at the federal and... Read more 
by katie | Oct 29, 2021 | Newspaper
It takes a workforce to make the engines run, but some 300,000 employees short across the country, we don’t know how to reignite the absentees to make the economy whole again. The absence comes as employers are struggling to fill consumer demand and economists say the... Read more 
by katie | Oct 22, 2021 | Newspaper
This week the LA City Council formally adopted my resolution to establish sensible, constitutional and much needed ‘no encampment’ buffer zones around certain sensitive sites. This will specifically make the areas within 500 feet from all 14 of the 101 freeway under... Read more 
by katie | Sep 24, 2021 | Newspaper
The Los Angeles City Council Redistricting Commission met Monday and Tuesday night and revealed what they decided would be the best answer(s) to the required redistricting map for all LA City Council Districts. After evaluating the submissions from individuals,... Read more 
by katie | Sep 17, 2021 | Newspaper
As of October 7, “getting carded” has a new meaning. The County of Los Angeles has mandated that all indoor bars, wineries, breweries, lounges and nightclubs ask for proof of vaccination as of that date. Proof of at least one dose of a COVID vaccine is required after... Read more 
by katie | Sep 9, 2021 | Newspaper
Valley News Group has reported on the growing homeless camp on Ventura Blvd. right in front of Target Woodland Hills. Recent complaints, however, have the homeless invading the store itself. Various reports have transients entering the store without shoes or masks to... Read more 
by katie | Aug 19, 2021 | Newspaper
In celebration of the unique place this community calls home, Valley residents congregated at Westfield Fashion Square yesterday to celebrate the San Fernando Valley at “818 Day.” A valley-wide celebration on August 18 has taken off in recent years to highlight the... Read more 
by katie | Aug 19, 2021 | Newspaper
The United Chambers of Commerce has named their 2021 Inspirational Women of the Year. The honor is bestowed on outstanding women who have made a significant contribution to life in the San Fernando Valley. Six women will be honored at the seventh annual event on... Read more 
by katie | Aug 13, 2021 | Newspaper
Over the past few months, I’ve heard from many constituents concerned about airplane noise over West Valley communities. Portions of the West Valley are under flight paths for Burbank arrivals, departures from LAX and Van Nuys Airports, and other flights... Read more 
by katie | Jul 29, 2021 | Newspaper
This week the LA City Council passed legislation, which I co-authored, that will establish constitutional, enforceable laws prohibiting encampments in certain sensitive areas. Areas that are to be designated will require notice and an offer of services and shelter... Read more 
by katie | Jul 27, 2021 | Newspaper
Aldi, the German discount grocer that already numbers 60-plus stores in California, is moving ahead with plans to open at the old OSH at Fallbrook and Victory. The company pulled permits on June 17 for a new facade remodel by architects RDC of Long Beach, a new... Read more 
by katie | Jul 1, 2021 | Newspaper
Valley Cultural Foundation will produce their 20th annual fireworks show in Warner Park this Sunday, July 4. Bob Blumenfield’s July 4 Fireworks Extravaganza, presented by Porsche Woodland Hills/Woodland Hills Honda brings tens of thousands of residents from across the... Read more 
by katie | Jun 14, 2021 | Newspaper
The tiny, 100-year-old house at Ventura Boulevard and Glade has withstood nearly a century of weather, various tenants, earthquakes and more, but is succumbing daily this year to the ravages of a homeless encampment. The house dates from the early 1920’s, and is,... Read more 
by katie | May 20, 2021 | Newspaper
Fire season in California was always defined as June to late December. This May has already seen two red-flag alerts – an anomaly which hasn’t happened in May for almost 10 years. A red-flag warning is a forecast issued by the National Weather Service that... Read more 
by katie | Apr 30, 2021 | Newspaper
It is a sad story, but it has a happy ending. Paul Gross was born and raised in New York in the 1960’s and 70’s. It’s his story now to tell, but it is actually his father’s story. One of survival, fighting back, keeping others safe, saving the life of a small... Read more 
by katie | Apr 22, 2021 | Newspaper
With Judge Carter’s ruling this week that the nearly 5,000 residents of Skid Row must be relocated from the area by October, tensions are running high among anti-homeless advocates who fear that they will flood their neighborhood, though the skid row clearance should... Read more 
by katie | Apr 16, 2021 | Newspaper
The Valley Cultural Foundation (VCF) will be returning this summer for the 46th concert season at Warner Ranch Park. Nora Ross, CEO, said, “After this last year we are all looking forward to returning to the park to enjoy music, friends, and the return to normalcy,... Read more 
by katie | Mar 25, 2021 | Newspaper
A woman driver in a Prius – last Friday. Two children in a cross walk – 2020. Truck driver killed by 17-year-old – 2019. Fatal crash, Ventura at Del Moreno – 2017. Three dead at Ventura and Desoto – 2016. Those are just the ones we’ve... Read more 
by katie | Mar 18, 2021 | Newspaper
It was Sparky’s nighttime constitutional. My friend Sandra Mariscal carried him out the front door to the walkway, being extra cautious as there had been coyote attacks on her other dog in the last few months. Just 10 feet from the front door of her Vista de Oro... Read more 
by katie | Mar 4, 2021 | Newspaper
Call it rationing. Call it money management. Call it food insecurity. I don’t know who put the fancy label on it, but trust me, when you’re hungry you don’t say you’re “food insecure.” You’re just hungry. How is it that in such a prosperous country, we have... Read more 
by katie | Feb 26, 2021 | Newspaper
The City of Los Angeles has opened its second-largest vaccination center at Pierce College. The center, located in Parking Lot 7 off Victory Boulevard, will actually offer both COVID testing and vaccinations in partnership with the Los Angeles Fire Department and... Read more 
by katie | Feb 18, 2021 | Newspaper
This week, the County of Los Angeles announced that schools that had TK to sixth grades could open back up once they passed a safety plan. It is all well and good that the county has decided it is safe enough for small children to return to school. But the children... Read more 
by katie | Feb 11, 2021 | Newspaper
A car chase that ended in Woodland Hills left the car and driver stuck on a fence just above Ventura Blvd. near Woodlake Bowl. The suspect, wanted for assault with a deadly weapon, took off on the wrong side of Ventura after exiting the freeway. He made a left onto... Read more 
by katie | Feb 4, 2021 | Newspaper
“It’s a tiny solution to a huge problem,” says Ken Craft. He can state that with authority. Craft, CEO of Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission, has made it his life’s work to feed, clothe and house the homeless. He is overseeing the installation of a row of cabins or... Read more 
by katie | Jan 29, 2021 | Newspaper
The State of California and the County of Los Angeles have given approval for restaurants to once again offer limited outdoor dining as of Friday, January 29. Good news? Maybe. Can local restaurants gear up for outdoor dining in just three days, especially with a... Read more 
by katie | Jan 15, 2021 | Newspaper
Congressman Brad Sherman started the day, January 6, as the guest speaker at a West Valley Warner Center Chamber Zoom meeting. He then left his office to check on the electoral vote counting. “It was a big day,” he recounted. “I needed to get to the House floor to see... Read more 
by katie | Jan 8, 2021 | Newspaper
The Los Angeles City Council last week unanimously approved Westfield’s Promenade 2035 Plan. The “mini city” will include a sports arena, two hotels, over 1,400 apartments and a 28-story office building, along with a grocery store and over 10 acres of green space. The... Read more 
by katie | Dec 30, 2020 | Newspaper
Front-line health care workers and essential workers putting their lives on the line to keep the economy and society going are now eligible to step up to the plate for their first vaccine injection. This will be followed by the second vaccine to be administered three... Read more 
by katie | Dec 30, 2020 | Newspaper
The highlight of January is the meteor shower named the “Quadrantids” that occurs on Saturday, January 2. Go out after 6 pm and see how many you can spot in an hour. The meteors will pop out anywhere in the whole night sky. If you get away from the city lights,... Read more 
by katie | Dec 24, 2020 | Newspaper
Joined by LA Family Housing at a small celebration under COVID-19 protocols, Councilmember Bob Blumenfield has announced that the City of Los Angeles has purchased two hotels for unhoused Angelenos in his district. These are the first two hotels in Los Angeles that... Read more 
by katie | Dec 18, 2020 | Newspaper
On Wednesday, Los Angeles marked the deadliest day of the pandemic, yet hope arrived as vaccines were delivered to local valley hospitals. With 22,422 new cases reported, and 138 deaths in just one day, the need for the vaccine was never more apparent. The mechanics... Read more 
by katie | Dec 10, 2020 | Newspaper
Woodland Hills Candy Cane Lane, located off Winnetka Avenue and Oxnard Street, has been a holiday favorite since 1948! 2020 has brought so many changes, and Candy Cane Lane definitely is part of that. Yes, there are fewer decorated houses than in previous years, but... Read more 
by katie | Dec 3, 2020 | Newspaper
The highlight of December is the “Great Conjunction” of Saturn and Jupiter on Monday, December 21. These two giant planets will be the closest to each other since 1623! Watch in the southwest as these two naked-eye planets move toward each other every night in... Read more 
by katie | Nov 25, 2020 | Newspaper
Both the City and County of Los Angeles have mandated that all restaurants eliminate outdoor dining for three weeks starting the day before Thanksgiving. They can offer delivery, take out and drive-thru pick up, but no in-person consumption of meals on site. This is... Read more 
by katie | Nov 20, 2020 | Newspaper
There is so much bad news in the world: COVID-19 numbers are up, big companies are laying off more people, there are runs again on supplies at the supermarkets. But there is also so much good news too. At least two companies are close to a vaccine, we are all still... Read more 
by katie | Nov 12, 2020 | Newspaper
This week Pfizer announced a vaccine candidate they found to be more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19. Pfizer and Biontech studied 43,538 participants, all of diverse backgrounds, and found no serious safety concerns from adminstration of BNT162b2. They have... Read more 
by katie | Nov 5, 2020 | Newspaper
How do you track a disease when so many of its carriers can be asymptomatic? How do you find out when someone was infected? Where? And by whom? The COVID-19 pandemic created an immediate need for a large number of contract tracers – those who would start with a sick... Read more 
by katie | Oct 29, 2020 | Newspaper
The second annual “Halloween Houses on Display” contest is underway in West Hills, judged by impartial professionals to find the scariest and the most comical Halloween decor in West Hills. This annual event is the brainchild of the Special Events Committee of the... Read more 
by katie | Oct 23, 2020 | Newspaper
Just in time for the start of the holiday shopping season, Westfield Topanga & The Village are hosting a “Shop Your Heart Out” charitable shopping event to be held October 23 through November 1. Participants will have the chance to donate to their favorite... Read more 
by katie | Oct 15, 2020 | Newspaper
A visitor to the San Fernando Valley in the early 20th century would have been treated to the sight of more than a dozen ranches dotting the plain. But there were few herds of cattle throwing up clouds of dust across the Valley floor; not many chuckwagons emitting... Read more 
by katie | Oct 8, 2020 | Newspaper
Vote. It sounds so simple. But not this year. How and when you vote has never been so complicated. In person on November 3rd, in person early at a specified location, mail in ballot sent through the Post Office, or mail in ballot dropped in a ballot box? In... Read more 
by katie | Sep 25, 2020 | Newspaper
Councilman Bob Blumenfield has set the date of November 16 to remove all homeless encampments from the Winnetka and Corbin underpasses of the freeway. LAHSA (Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority) has identified 33 people that live in these underpasses, and... Read more 
by katie | Sep 17, 2020 | Newspaper
Kim Kardashian brought in a private crew during the Woolsey Fire. Insurance companies pay for fire specialists for those homeowners on the Forbes 400 Rich List. The City of Hidden Hills has its own fire engine. But are private firefighters just for the rich? “Not at... Read more 