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Message from Councilmember Huizar
 It is hard to believe that over 10 months have passed since being elected to my first 4-year term as your Councilmember. While these past several months went by very swiftly, they have nonetheless been extremely eventful for District 14. We have accomplished a lot. On a more personal level, these next few months will be quite eventful for me and my family – we are expecting our new son Simon sometime at the end of February!
I am very optimistic about the future of the 14th District. One need only drive down Colorado Boulevard in Eagle Rock, York Boulevard in Highland Park or 1st Street in Boyle Heights to see that the 14th District is undergoing a renaissance. For the past several months, my staff and I have spent hundreds of hours talking with community members to hear first hand about what things were of importance to them. Believe me - we listened.
In response to these discussions, I have been careful to make sure that we kept our promises to the community by focusing on the things that really matter to the residents of the 14th District. To that end, I have made it a priority for both my City Hall and Field staff to focus on the basics: trimming trees, fixing sidewalks and cleaning up graffiti throughout the District. This year we also managed to move forward a number of major projects and initiatives including, but not limited to, the new bridge over Valley Boulevard in El Sereno (Valley Grade Separation), a Council action requiring additional environmental review of the proposed Elephant Hill hillside development project and successfully intervening on the proposed 943 megawatt Vernon Power Plant to protect the environment for Boyle Heights residents.
I have been truly blessed this past year both personally and professionally and look forward with great eagerness to seeing what we can accomplish together in 2008. I hope you find the attached newsletter useful in keeping you apprised of what my staff and I are doing to improve the quality of life for those living and working in the 14th District. Please feel free to subscribe to this newsletter by visiting my website at http://www.lacity.org/council/cd14/.
Sincerely,
JOSE HUIZAR
Councilmember, Fourteenth District
Immigration: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Vision for America as a Land of Equal Opportunity
 Councilmember José Huizar, a Princeton University trustee and graduate alumnus who is the first Latino immigrant to serve as a member of the Los Angeles City Council, delivered the keynote address at Princeton's annual King Day ceremony on January 21. He reflected on how King's message of equality applies to the current political dispute over U.S. immigration laws, which shares many of the same issues at the center of the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
"Both journeys are really one," Huizar said. "They seek to expand the dignity of human rights. They are motivated by the desire for equal opportunity. They embrace justice. But most importantly, they fulfill the need to make a better life for oneself."
Keynote speaker Huizar was born in Zacatecas, Mexico, and raised in Los Angeles. Huizar noted that recent immigrant rights marches in the city were "directly inspired by Dr. King's call for nonviolent action."
Huizar urged the audience to be aware of the struggles of King and others who have fought for equality, and to continue their work.
"Let us take that awareness and use it to encourage reform and wipe out injustice," he said. "Let us make sure this land truly holds a promise that draws immigrants from around the world. Let us work hard to unite all of us, no matter what our background may be, and let us pursue that journey that Dr. King began to pave." ...more
Neighborhood Improvements Continue
 Councilmember Huizar is fully commited to improving the quality of life. As such, he has advocated for numerous repairs, enhancements, and new projects throughout the 14th District to clean and repair streets, sidewalks, and trees. During the previous fiscal year, the Department of Public Works repaired 180,000 potholes; applied 24 miles of slurry seal to damaged streets; and resurfaced 13.73 miles of streets. In addition, 3 million cubic feet of illegally dumped material was picked up; 23,000 illegal signs removed; 9,000 cubic yards of alleys and streets were cleaned; and over 3,000 trees were trimmed.
Further improvements are underway in the current fiscal year, which started just a few months ago. To date, 9,000 potholes have been repaired; 30 miles of slurry sealed; 7 miles of streets resurfaced; 1 million square feet of illegally dumped materials picked up; and 3,000 illegal signs removed. Councilmember Huizar will continue to support these important quality-of-life improvements.
Northeast Update
Eagle Rock Hosts the 9th Annual Music Festival
On October 6, Councilmember Huizar and the Center for the Arts Eagle Rock partnered to co-sponsor the 9th Annual Eagle Rock Music Festival. Los Angeles City departments, community organizations and event volunteers collaborated in conjunction to produce this safe and fun-filled event. ...more
Seniors Take Action To Protect Themselves
Councilmember Huizar, in collaboration with WISE Senior Services, LA County Department of Aging and other organizations, hosted the Senior Action Fair on October 2 at the Eagle Rock recreational center. ...more
 Councilmember Huizar Gives Yosemite Tennis Courts A Face Lift
On November 26, Councilmember Huizar broke ground on much-anticipated improvements to the Yosemite
Recreation Center Tennis Courts. ...more
Planning Today For A Better Tomorrow
During the months of August and September, Councilmember Huizar hosted a series of panel discussions regarding the processes of city planning with a focus on Northeast Los Angeles. ...more
Councilmember Huizar Co-sponsors Fire Preparedness Forum
Councilmember Huizar partnered with Councilmember Reyes to co-host the Mt. Washington Fire Preparedness Forum which aimed to educate hillside communities on how to respond to fire emergencies. ...more
Councilmember Huizar Opens Skate Park and Fights to Protect Historic Garvanza
On July 27, the long awaited Garvanza Skate Park finally opened. Hundreds of youth and adults alike participated in the opening, eager to test out the new recreational facilities. ...more
 2nd Annual Veterans Day Parade
On November 11, Eagle Rock held its 2nd Annual Veterans Day Parade. The ceremonies started in front of Eagle Rock City Hall where veterans were honored, and Councilmember Huizar laid a wreath of remembrance for all those who served. ...more
Councilmember Huizar supports the Eagle Rock High School Football Team
Councilmember Huizar recently awarded Eagle Rock High School with a $6,200 check in honor of its second City Championship in football. ...more
Councilmember Huizar Saves The Historic Southwest Museum And Announces Creation Of New Southwest Society
Councilmember Huizar recently announced the formation of the Southwest Society, which will raise funds to restore and revitalize the Southwest Museum of the American Indian and Casa de Adobe, two cultural cornerstones in the Mt. Washington community. ...more
El Sereno Update
 El Sereno Parking Grove Will Increase Needed Parking And Provide More Green Space
On October 19th, Councilmember Huizar, City staff, and residents broke ground on the El Sereno Parking Grove. ...more
El Sereno Stallions Homecoming Celebration
On October 28th, Councilmember Huizar joined the El Sereno Stallions to celebrate their 2007 Homecoming. ...more
Councilmember Huizar Supports Healthy Choices
Councilmember Huizar joined LAUSD Local District 5 and the Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollenbeck Division to co-sponsor the first annual Stop the Violence-Healthy Choices 5K Run on November 3rd. ...more
2nd Annual Legend Of Creepy Collis
On Halloween night, Councilmember Huizar hosted the 2nd Annual Legend of Creepy Collis Halloween Haunt. ...more
Wilson High School Unveils New Scoreboard
Wilson High School recently unveiled a new, state-of-the-art scoreboard during the halftime proceedings at its Community Night. ...more
 El Sereno Elementary School Dedicates New Playground To Anne And Kirk Douglas
On November 7th, Councilmember Huizar joined Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; Senator Gloria Romero; LAUSD School Board President Mónica Garcia; and El Sereno Elementary School Principal Alice Ballard-Treptow in thanking Anne and Kirk Douglas for replacing the aging school playground at El Sereno Elementary School. ...more
City Council Requires Developer of Elephant Hill to Conduct Additional Environmental Review
Councilmember Huizar was proud to announce that after a long struggle, the City Council recently denied a permit for the proposed Elephant Hill new home project until a Supplemental Environmental Impact Report has been completed. ...more
El Sereno Celebrates Thanksgiving With 2nd Annual Operation Gobble Gobble
Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for all that we have in our lives, particularly our friends and families, and to help those who are in need. ...more
Boyle Heights Update
 Councilmember Huizar Introduces School Safety Prosecutor To Boyle Heights
On October 15, 2007, Councilmember Huizar joined City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo to launch the School Safety Prosecutor Program at the Roosevelt family of schools in Boyle Heights. The School Safety Prosecutor Program, an offshoot of the highly successful Neighborhood Prosecutor Program, will dedicate a Deputy City Attorney, Ms. Veronica de Alba, to the prosecution of quality-of-life crimes committed in safe school zones (1,000 feet around school campuses). ...more
2nd Annual Nightmare on 1st Street Spooks Boyle Heights
Councilmember Huizar partnered with the Lucille Beserra Roybal Youth & Family Center and General Mills to sponsor Boyle Heights’ 2nd Annual Nightmare on 1st Street, the largest Halloween block party in Los Angeles. ...more
Councilmember Huizar Hosts Festival De La Gente
For the 8th consecutive year, Council District 14 and the Arte Calidad Cultural Institute sponsored the “Festival de la Gente,” the largest celebration of El Dia de Los Muertos in the United States, on October 27 and 28. ...more
Councilmember Huizar Honors Local Scholars at East LA Football Classic
On November 2, Councilmember Huizar awarded 5 students – three Roosevelt High School seniors and two Garfield High School seniors – with scholarships to assist them with their college tuitions during the annual Roosevelt-Garfield Football Classic, a long-standing community tradition in East Los Angeles. ...more
Industrial Plant Protest
Councilmember Huizar joined over 500 Boyle Heights residents and local advocates Terry Cano, Resurrection Neighborhood Watch and Father John Moretta, Resurrection Church and marched to protest a state-authorized permit to Industrial Service Oil Company (ISOCI). ...more
Councilmember Huizar Hosts 2nd Annual Operation Gobble Gobble
Councilmember Huizar and the Roybal Youth & Family Center hosted Boyle Heights’ 2nd Annual Operation Gobble Gobble Turkey Giveaway, which allowed many residents to experience a bountiful Thanksgiving holiday. ...more
 Councilmember Huizar Launches Walking School Bus Program
On November 5, Councilmember Huizar joined Mayor Villaraigosa, LAUSD Board President Mónica Garcia, and families from Ramona Gardens in launching the “Walking School Bus Program,” a new safety program that aims to create safe passages for children as they go to and from school. ...more
Boyle Heights Veterans Day Parade
Councilmember Huizar and the Boyle Heights community honored Veterans of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines during the annual Boyle Heights Veterans Day Parade. ...more
Ad Hoc Gang Committee Comes To Boyle Heights
Councilmember Huizar and the City Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Gang Violence & Youth Development hosted its very first off-site meeting at Our Lady of Talpa Catholic Church in Boyle Heights. ...more
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