Operation Pothole

Retrieving a shovel from the trunk of his car, Councilmember LaBonge helped Council President Eric Garcetti pour and pack asphalt to announce "Operation Pothole" on January 8th and 9th.
The Councilmembers estimated as many as 100,000 potholes are creating driving hazards on city streets after the worst rain storms in history last week. The Bureau of Street Services needs residents to call 3-1-1 and identify the locations so that crews can fix as many as possible on January 8th and 9th.
"Call 3-1-1, one call to City Hall, and let us know where the potholes are," said Councilmember LaBonge. "We all have our eyes to the ground looking for potholes, but we can't expect to find every single one. We need the public's help." The Bureau is poised to deploy about 50 asphalt crews over the weekend of January 8th and 9th to patch as many potholes as possible.

Grey Skies are Gonna Clear-Up ... Put on a Happy Face

After the storms, a double-rainbow appeared in the skies above Los Angeles, letting us know the worst was over. Photo courtesy of Susan Mullins - President Upper Nichols Canyon Neighborhood Assn.

After a parade of "Pineapple Express" storms rolled through the region this week, southern California was left saturated, underwater, or covered in mud and debris. We fared relatively well in Council District 4, thanks to a lot of advance planning on the part of the city and residents. And a little luck. Since late last week, most parts of Los Angeles have received 7 or more inches of rain. As of 5 p.m. December 22nd, the L.A. Civic Center had received 7.96 inches and some areas in the San Gabriel Mountains received up to 24 inches, according to National Weather Service figures. To put it all in perspective, consider this: The downtown Los Angeles average for a FULL YEAR is 15 inches. As perhaps a signal that the worst was over, the sun came out and a double-rainbow appeared near the HOLLYWOOD sign on the afternoon of December 22nd.

Critical Information for weathering the storm

The "Pineapple Express" rolls into southern California, bringing a weeklong deluge.

The rainy-season is back -- with a vengeance. We've had almost as much rain in the past week as we get all season. Councilmember Tom LaBonge and the Los Angeles Fire Department encourage you to take the precautions necessary to protect yourself from injury and your property from storm damage.

When rainstorms impact the Los Angeles area, flood control channels, rivers, and arroyos can quickly fill with fast-moving water, creating a potentially life-threatening danger to anyone who gets caught or swept away. It is against the law to be inside a flood control channel in Los Angeles, regardless of the weather.

We urge you to visit the EDIS website and listen to NOAA Weather Radio or local radio and television stations for the latest weather or emergency information.

FLOOD PREVENTION AND PREPAREDNESS TIPS: Ensure that all drains, gutters and downspouts are functioning properly. This is especially important for flat-roofed buildings. Keep ground-level drains and drainage areas (ditches, swales, small channels) free of debris. Redirect water with sand-bags. You can get them at certain Los Angeles Fire Stations. click here for sand-bag pick-up locations

Move valuable or easily damaged items away from low-lying areas that may be prone to flooding. Identify and collect important documents that you may require in case of evacuation. Contact your insurance agent to assure that your flood and storm coverage is adequate and in effect. Review your Family Emergency Plan and prepare an Emergency Supply Kit that includes food, water, medications, flashlight, battery-powered radio, rain gear and first aid supplies. Plan for the needs of pets at home and if you are evacuated. Check your car's wipers, lights, tire inflation and tread wear to assure safe operation, and keep your vehicle fueled in case power is cutoff to local fueling stations. Identify the safe routes from your home or workplace to high ground. Establish out-of-state family contacts so that friends and relatives can determine your location and status.

How to Properly Recycle your Christmas Tree

It's easy, really. The City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation has three ways you can recycle your Christmas Tree, so that it can be ground into mulch. You can simply take it out to the curb on your designated trash day, and it will be picked up. You can saw it in half and place it in your green bin. Or you can take it to a drop-off location. You should know there are fewer drop-off spots this year, but there's really no need to go further than your curb. Just make sure you leave the tree out on YOUR trash pickup day. Call 3-1-1 for more information. As Councilmember LaBonge likes to say, "Falling trees return to Earth. One tree's death is another tree's birth."

Public Comment continues for the NBC Universal Evolution Plan

The time is NOW to be heard on the proposed expansion of Universal Studios. The Public Comment Period ends on February 4th. Take your opportunity to comment on the draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Everybody deserves an opportunity to be heard on this massive project, with more than two-million square feet of new development. All comments that are received before February 4th -- written or verbal -- must be responded to in the Final EIR. For many of us, the main issue is TRAFFIC. I certainly have concerns about the plan's impact on traffic in the area. I believe good development can occur and I would support NBC Universal's project, IF and only IF, the project mitigates traffic. There are opportunities to get a bikeway along the Los Angeles River. Pinch-points in the Cahuenga Pass must be resolved, and it's extremely important to get a Hollywood Freeway southbound on-ramp at Universal Studios Boulevard. And certainly, improvements to the Hollywood Freeway interchange should occur sooner rather than later. If you have any questions about how to submit your comment before February 4th, please contact our office at 213-485-3337.

Dedicating the "Big Blue M"

Los Angeles Councilmember Tom LaBonge helped dedicate the "Big Blue M" mosaic outside John Marshall High School in LA's Silver Lake area. The 36-foot wide by 8-foot tall mural wraps around the busy corner of St. George Street and Griffith Park Boulevard. It's made up of some five thousand glazed ceramic tiles in Marshall's midnight and sunlight blue colors and was designed by 2008 Marshall graduate Elaine Teo and executed by artist Yuriko. Nearly 100 individuals helped Yuriko place tiles, making it a genuine community effort. It shimmers by day and sparkles by night -- a symbol of academic excellence and a source of neighborhood pride.

See the Total Lunar Eclipse up-close-and-personal

Griffith Observatory will open to the public for a rare Monday evening under the stars on Monday, December 20, at 8:00 p.m. – 1:30 a.m., P.S.T., to celebrate the total lunar eclipse. This free public event includes building activities and a star party co-hosted by the Los Angeles Astronomical Society and the Los Angeles Sidewalk Astronomers. Telescopes will be set up to provide the public with free viewing opportunities of the Moon (and other objects) during the eclipse. Evening activities also will include shows in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium and free eclipse talks in the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon theater. Special presentations during key eclipse moments will be given by Councilmember Tom LaBonge and Griffith Observatory Director Dr. E.C. Krupp from the Observatory’s north steps. Specific times for all activities are listed on the Observatory’s website.

Winter Solstice - Griffith Observatory will observe the winter solstice with two free public events on Tuesday, December 21. Members of the news media are invited to cover the projection of the Sun’s image across the engraved meridian arc of the Gottlieb Transit Corridor at local noon at 11:51 a.m., P.S.T., on Tuesday, December 21, and the sunset, at 4:48 p.m., P.S.T., which will be aligned with the inlaid winter solstice line on the Observatory’s West Observation Terrace.

A lot to trumpet about at the Los Angeles Zoo -- a Pachyderm's Paradise

Billy, a 25-year old male Asian elephant, enjoys his first shower in his new home at the Los Angeles Zoo.

We congratulate the Los Angeles Zoo on the opening of its new "Elephants of Asia" exhibit. The nearly six acre habitat in the heart of the zoo is the largest single expansion in the zoo's history; and not only celebrates the elephants, but instructs us all on the challenges facing these magnificent mammals as they struggle to survive. It includes a waterfall and wading-pools and other features that allow the elephants to forage for food as they would in the wild. There's also a nearly 17,000 square-foot Elephant Barn that can house up to eleven elephants. "Elephants of Asia" puts the Los Angeles Zoo at the forefront of elephant exhibits worldwide and is one you'll want to visit time and time again.