Los Feliz Library Lecture Feb. 17: “Ansel Adams in Los Angeles”

Local photographer expert Richard Stanley will give a presentation on “Ansel Adams in Los Angeles” at the Architecture & Beyond Lecture Series Thursday, Feb. 17, 6:45-7:45 p.m. at the Los Feliz Library, 1874 Hillhurst Ave.

This is one of four talks Stanley, a graduate of the Rochester (NY) Institute of Technology, has given on famous photographers of the 20th Century at the library. The images by the legendary landscape photographer are part of the Los Angeles Public Library’s Photo Collection.

Stanley is also a realtor specializing in architecture and historic properties.

Skylights Books will be on hand to sell photography-related books.

The free lecture series, now in its seventh year, is supported by the Friends of the Los Feliz Library and the Los Feliz Village BID.

For more information, call the Los Feliz Branch Library at (323) 913-4710.

[Contact: Lynne T. Jewell @ 323.244.6706]

Launch of Expansion Project at North Atwater Park

Front Row From Left: Barry Sanders (Commission President, Recreation and Parks), Council President Eric Garcetti, Councilmember Tom LaBonge, Deborah Weintraub (Chief Deputy City Engineer, Bureau of Engineering)

The much-anticipated revitalization of the Los Angeles River took a leap forward yesterday when Councilmember LaBonge broke ground on a park expansion and creek restoration project in North Atwater. The North Atwater Park Expansion and Creek Restoration Project is the first City of Los Angeles project in the re-greening of the Los Angeles River.
"I've been working for years to bring Los Angeles back to the L.A. River," Councilmember LaBonge said at the riverside ceremony. "It's where our City was founded. There's so much history and meaning right here and nobody has a bad day at a park."
Council President Eric Garcetti and Councilmember Ed Reyes joined other government officials and community members in celebrating the plans for improved parkland. When construction is complete, the new 3-acre park will include a picnic area, demonstration garden, outdoor classroom, concrete play tunnel and sand play area. The project will also restore a creek that connects to the Los Angeles River. Native plant landscaping will be planted on the creek banks and along the streambed to prevent erosion and natuarlly clean stormwater before going out to the river, drastically improving the water quality.
The park will open in the final months of 2011.

Baxter Bioscience Expands

Councilmember LaBonge joined Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa yesterday in announcing that biotechnology company Baxter Bioscience will invest $400 million in their Los Angeles Manufacturing Plant. The plant, which is located in the North Atwater section of the 4th Council District, provides 1,200 jobs with an average annual salary of $79,400.
The Baxter decision was largely due to a recent announcement regarding Los Angeles’ State Enterprise Zone (SEZ) approval.
"This is great news for the City of Los Angeles and the fourth district," said Councilmember LaBonge. "The City of Los Angeles is doing everything possible to retain companies with strong worldwide reputations like Baxter."
Baxter developed teh first commercially manufactured intravenous (IV) solutions and teh first portable kidney dialysis machine. For the fifth consecutive year, Baxter has been recognized as one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World by Innovest Strategic Value Advisors, an internationally recognized investment research and advisory firm.

Cleaning the Los Angeles River

Councilmember Ed Reyes (from left to right) and Friends of the Los Angeles River Founder Lewis McAdams with Councilmember LaBonge at FoLAR's 20th Annual River Clean-Up.

Councilmembers Tom LaBonge and Ed Reyes helped the Friends of the Los Angeles River (FoLAR) kick off its 20th Annual River CleanUp today. Eight hundred students, including those from Thomas Starr King and Bancroft middle schools in Council District 4, joined the effort to collect and sort trash, test water and identify river plants.
"The revitalization of the Los Angeles River will bring tremendous new vitality to our City," said Councilmember LaBonge. "Thank you for helping in this important effort."
To see more photos from this event, please click here.

North Atwater Creek Park

City officials presented plans for the proposed North Atwater Creek Park expansion to the public this week. (See the rendering to the left.)
About 1,800 feet of new biking and hiking trails will be landscaped with native plants and trees at this park. The design also includes picnic areas, scenic vista points and interpretive signage along the Los Angeles River.
This on approximately 1.3 acre parcel will link the existing park and restored creek with the adjacent LA River Greenway and surrounding community. Although state funding for the park portion of the project has been frozen in Sacramento, design plans are moving forward in the hope that the project will be ready for construction when funds become available.
Comments on this plan should be directed to: renee.ellis@lacity.org.
For more information, click here.

Reviving the Los Angeles River

Councilmember LaBonge pouring water from the Isar River from Munich, Germany into the Los Angeles River.

In the hope of achieving as much success revitalizing the Los Angeles River as Munich has experienced with the Isar River, Councilmember Tom LaBonge held a symbolic mingling of the waters of the two rivers today.
The Isar River, which flows through Munich, was once a concrete-lined flood control channel, much like the Los Angeles River. A major revitalization project turned the Isar into a river where children now swim and people actually surf! Click here for more info. A five-member delegation from Munich was in Los Angeles to meet with key players in the Los Angeles River revitalization and share expertise on the Isar project.
“We can learn a lot from those who revitalized the Isar River,” said Councilmember LaBonge. “Having been there and seen the river, I can still feel its mist on my face. That’s how impressive the transformation has been.”

Read More

Los Angeles River Revitalization

Are you interested in taking a tour of the Los Angeles River? Do you want to see how the City of Los Angeles plans to build parks and encourage private development along the river? Are you curious about where exactly the Los Angeles River winds through the city?
Visit the new Website for the Los Angeles River Revitalization at http://www.lacity.org/councilcmte/lariver/index.htm.
This website lists contacts in the many city departments and council offices, including CD4, that are engaged in transforming the natural feature that drew settlers to Los Angeles and still connects all areas of our city.

Griffith Park Bike Ride

Tom directs biking enthusiasts off the Los Angeles River Bike Path onto Riverside Drive at the halfway point of his second "Tour LaBonge" summer evening ride.

Councilmember Tom LaBonge continued “Tour LaBonge,” a series of summer evening bike rides by leading about 50 cyclists on a ten-mile route along the Los Angeles River Bike Path and through Griffith Park on July 30th. The Griffith Park Ride was the second in the Councilmember’s “Tour LaBonge,” a series of five Wednesday evening rides designed to instill strong personal health, promote non-polluting transportation and showcase some of his favorite spots in Los Angeles.

"We saw twelve herons and hundreds of ducks on the Los Angeles River," the councilmember marveled after the ride. "I encourage everyone to get out and see the city on a bike. You'll see so many wonderful things that you’ve never noticed before."

As part of his effort to promote biking, the councilmember also asked City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo for a legal opinion on including cyclists in a holiday light festival that had once been open only to automobile traffic. Last year, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Festival of Lights in Griffith Park allowed pedestrians and cyclist on specially designated evenings. The experiment was so successful, that the city is expanding the number of pedestrian evenings for the 2008 light display. In a letter dated July 28, 2008, the Councilmember said he wants to included cyclists on all evenings open to vehicles.

“I’d like to include bikes along with automobiles, but my first priority is to protect the safety of all who attend,” the councilmember’s letter said.

The councilmember’s next ride will tour downtown. It is another 10-mile ride that will leave City Hall on Wednesday, August 6 at 6:15p. It is open to the public and, like the others, will include a mid-way stop for ice cream.