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Year-End Special Edition: 2016 Neighborhood Heroes

Welcome to the Special Year-End Issue of Mike Bonin's "Neighborhoods First

Newsletter"!

IN THIS ISSUE: Mike focuses on some of the unsung heroes who have worked so
hard to make our neighborhoods great. We are spotlighting a series of "2016
Neighborhood Heroes" from various neighborhoods on the Westside. Find out Contact Our Office
more about them below!

You can find out more about Mike , meet your CD11 staff and see the latest Connect with Facebook
videos and updates from the Westside on our website
at www.11thdistrict.com . And remember to like Mike's Facebook page and follow
him on Twitter to always see the latest news about your neighborhood. Connect with Twitter

Councilmember Mike…
5,230 likes

Liked

As we look back on 2016, we thank the many unsung and under-appreciated You and 371 other friends like this
neighbors who work every day to make our neighborhoods a great place to live,
work and enjoy. In this special section, Mike has selected "neighborhood heroes"
from throughout the Westside. Find out who Mike decided to recognize as a "2016
Neighborhood Hero" and read a personal message about each honoree from Mike
below.

Judith Ciancimino, Westchester

 Tweets by ​@MikeBoninLA
Mike Bonin
@MikeBoninLA
Melissa Aczon of @DelReyNeighbor is one of my
CD11 Neighborhood Heroes. Working for
@ChildrensLA, volunteering for Summer Night
Lights, Del Rey Cup & Resource Fair, Del Rey
Health Day, organizing the Del Rey Spelling Bee,
& promoting STEAM education for young women
& girls.

Judith Ciancimino is the friendly face of Westchester.

In the twenty years I have been working with neighbors in Westchester, I have
been able to count on seeing Judith’s warm and engaging smile at seemingly
36m
every community event I attended.

Mike Bonin
Back when I worked with Councilwoman Ruth Galanter in the 1990s, Judith
@MikeBoninLA
helped produce multiple town hall meetings about airport expansion and public
safety issues. When voters approved a new charter in 1999, Judith was among Embed View on Twitter
those who organized the local neighborhood council, and served multiple terms as
its secretary. Judith is part of the core of people who founded the Annual
Westchester Fourth of July Parade and has worked on it every year since its
inception in 2000. Judith has also worked as a super volunteer with the Girl
Scouts, The Elks Club, Ladies of the Elks, the Rotary Club of Playa Venice Sunrise,
and the Lariats, the over 60 year-old dance troupe.

Judith is in now in her second career with the LAX Coastal Area Chamber of
Commerce serving as their Office Manager. Previously, she headed up and ran
their Transportation Management Association, which promoted cleaner air
through carpooling and the use of public transportation.

Judith is a 34 year resident of Westchester, where she lives with her husband of 31
years, Tony. They have a daughter, Lauren, who has maintained local roots and
works in Marina del Rey. Since Judith humbly declined this honor, and
recommending I acknowledge various other people in the community, it took the
surreptitious efforts of Tony and Lauren to help me compile this entry.

Laurie Sale, Pacific Palisades

Laurie Sale is a gem of a person, and Pacific Palisades is fortunate indeed to have
her as a longtime resident and a community activist working to make her
neighborhood better.

While Laurie is currently the force behind the new Business Improvement District
in Pacific Palisades, I first met her in 2004, during Bill Rosendahl’s first campaign
for office. Her infectious spirit and “can do” attitude led Bill to hire her as his
deputy for arts, education and culture -- and then as a “special projects deputy.”
It was one in a series of diverse career choices that have included: an early-
childhood teaching credential; owning and operating the first and largest
successful independent children's ONLY bookstore in the country; creating
educational software for children at Philips Media; working as VP of publishing at
the largest pop-up publishing company (Intervisual Books); serving as Editor in
Chief of an online site for parents, kids, grandparents and teachers, (Knowledge
Kids Network); marketing VP for the preeminent bilingual educator in the country,
José Luís Orozco, and more work with and for children.

Although she started to retire, Sale got involved in creating a Business

Improvement District in the Palisades. The BID is a nonprofit, made up of
commercial property owners within a defined area in the village. The monies from
assessments is pooled and administered by the BID to help provide the Pacific
Palisades Business District with effective maintenance programs, marketing, and
other services above and beyond those provided by the City. After a long journey,
the BID was formally formed in January, 2016, and Laurie became the Executive
Director. She's so proud of the BID in the Palisades, and says the Board of
Directors is the "best in the west". They have a website, www.palisadesbid.org ,
where all of their projects, photos and newsletters are posted. The BID recently
hosted a Thank You Luncheon for the West LAPD officers and firefighters from
Stations 23 and 69.

Perhaps Laurie’s proudest accomplishment is her children and four

grandchildren. She and her mother, June Solnit Sale, an acclaimed child care
expert, blog about the grandparenting and great-grandparenting
experience http://grandparentingplus.blogspot.com . The topics are important to
not only the "grands", but also to the parents and children's care-givers.
Children’s advocacy and education will always be one of Sale's greatest interests.
She comes from a family of activists and is always ready to get involved in
community and political issues.

This is what Laurie said about why she loves Palisades:

"The Palisades has been the most wonderful place to raise my two sons,
Aaron and Jorge, and to live in.” Laurie says. “I look forward to many more
years here, as we remodeled our home so that we can stay here when we
are much older. I love the neighbors, the shops and the community
willing to work together for the benefit of all of us.”

Julie Ross and Kathy Schwertfeger, Playa del Rey

When Julie Ross and Kathy Schwertfeger founded a nonprofit and named it Playa
del Rey Guardians, they chose the name well. For the past several years, they have
been the neighborhood’s hard-working guardian angels.

Julie is a lifelong resident of Playa del Rey, who remembers growing up barefoot
at the beach, part of a neighborhood that was one big family, where people left
their doors unlocked and let their kids play outside or at the beach. Kathy has
lived there for 20 years, raising her children in one of the last idyllic beach
communities in Los Angeles.

Julie and Kathy both sprang into activism and came to my attention as a result of
a proposed project that threatened lower Playa del Rey with an oversized, out-of-
scale development. It started, Julie says, as “a group of really rowdy community
activists down in the Jungle. One of them started a Facebook page aimed at
getting the word out about the pending developments and galvanizing the
community to take action. Somehow, we all found each other and thus began the
process which has led us to where we are today."

They formed the Guardians, and spent hundreds of hours in the City archives and
the Coastal Commission archives and speaking to experts to learn about land use
law, toxic plumes, visual impact studies, methane, subsidence and environmental
issues unique to the coastal community. They have been the best partners my
staff and I could possibly have, helping us build and inform a case to the
Department of City Planning about the appropriate and legal land uses in the
neighborhood.

For Julie, it was a mission to preserve the “village” she had grown up in. For
Kathy, it was an opportunity to save the community where she built memories of
raising her family.

Here's what Julie and Kathy say about Playa del Rey:

“Oddly, what started as a fight over development has bonded me to my

community and led me to understand what a treasure we have in Playa del
Rey,” says Kathy. “We are a small beach town where it still feels like
everyone knows everyone and can see everyone at the local coffee shops,
restaurants and, yes, bars. We don’t have chain anything. If you have
nothing to do on a Saturday—all you need to do is go to Yoga on the Beach
and the rest of the day will fill itself up with play and fun with your
neighbors. Playa del Rey is also a beautiful place, with panoramic views
from the Santa Monica Bay to the Hollywood sign and we are blessed with
environmental treasures like the Ballona Wetlands on our doorstep.”
Manny Clorbiel, Playa Vista

In just a few short years, Playa Vista has grown from an idea into a community
alive with families, children, small businesses and a whole lot more. Manny
Cloribel -- nicknamed “PV Manny” -- is one of the people who has made it his
mission to bond the neighborhood together and celebrate its adventures and
communal experiences. He founded the website MannyVista.com, which updates
residents on anything and everything there is to do in and around Playa Vista.

Manny is one of Playa Vista’s “pioneers” -- one of the first residents, having lived
there for more than 10 years. He currently serves as President of his Homeowners
Association. He is active with PVPAL, the Community Police Action Board, the
Westchester Neighborhood Council, and various other community organizations
where he represents Playa Vista’s concerns.

Crime prevention has always been on his radar and one of the reasons why he
started the Playa Vista Neighborhood Exchange, a resident-led group with close to
2000 members that exchange information beneficial for Playa Vista. He is
passionate about making the community safe and a place that everyone is proud
to call home.

Manny is also actively involved in many charitable endeavors. He has personally

fundraised more than $5000 for Outdoor Outreach, a local charity that gives at-
risk and underprivileged youth the opportunity to develop passion and joy for the
outdoors. He was also the team captain in fundraising for United Way's
Homewalk hoping to eradicate homelessness in Los Angeles County. He is always
there to lend a helping hand, whether it be supporting a fundraiser for Playa
Vista Elementary School or volunteering to man the blood drive donations hosted
by the Mom’s Group, he truly believes in giving back and always seeks out ways
that he can help others.

His ongoing volunteer work, his interest in crime prevention, and his continual
involvement with PVPAL is key to keeping Playa Vista the safe and beautiful place
that it is.

Here's what Manny says about why he loves Playa Vista:

“I love Playa Vista because it's where I started my family. I have a story
about every nook and corner of the neighborhood. Its sidewalks and
businesses here are like an extension of my home. Playa Vista has grown
with me, and I love seeing how this place continues to flourish and
thrive."

Jataun Valentine, Venice

Venice is a community that has seen a lot of changes over the past few decades --
but there is one constant -- Jataun Valentine. A Venice icon whose family has
been in the community for more than a century, Jataun provides a giving spirit, a
watchful eye, a forceful presence and a moral authority.

One of the few descendants of Irving Tabor (one of Venice’s co-founders) who still
lives in Venice, Jataun gives untold time making her community better. I first met
her in the 1990s in her capacity as an advocate for seniors, and as a volunteer
with the senior programs at the Oakwood Recreation Center. She has volunteered
with the senior lunch program, and has organized more than 100 trips for our
seniors. She also personally provides transportation for seniors to medical
appointments, grocery stores, and just about any place they need to go. She
spearheaded the Senior’s Club involvement in the murals now at the center —
“Oakwood’s Living Histories” in 2003 and “Unity in the Community” in 2005.

Jataun has spent over 13 years volunteering with the Prison Ministry, where she
brings holiday presents to children whose parents are incarcerated. She has also
worked with the Mildred Cursh Foundation, helping with its program that
distributes groceries to low-income seniors in Venice. She regularly volunteers to
read to the blind. She is famous for her special holiday celebrations -- dressing as
the Easter Bunny for an egg hunt, adorning her house with an elaborate
Christmas display, and hosting a remarkable Halloween trick-or-treat event at
her home.

Jataun is a passionate and outspoken voice in local politics. I’ve been lucky to
have her as an ally on some issues, and unfortunate indeed to have her as an
adversary on others. She is active with Venice Community Housing Corporation,
the Venice Historical Society, and POWER, and has served in the past on the
Oakwood Park Advisory Board, the Oakwood Beautification Committee, and the
Venice Neighborhood Action Coalition.

Here's what Jataun has to say about her community:

"You can't beat the Venice weather! I've volunteered with blind seniors,
delivered Thanksgiving dinners to seniors, called bingo for seniors at
Oakwood Park and I try to be involved with issues that keep Venice home
for all walks of life. I love Venice."

Marty Rubin and Joan Winters, Westdale

Long before there was a chorus of elected officials, community leaders, and
residents warning of the impacts of Santa Monica Airport and calling for its
closure, there were Marty Rubin and Joan Winters, doing the often lonely and
pioneering work for their neighborhood and the neighborhoods near the airport.

During the early days of the Mar Vista Community Council, Marty and Joan
warned of the health impacts of emissions from the airport, and sought to build a
coalition for their effort. They founded Concerned Residents Against Airport
Pollution in 2003; set up the website jetairpollution.com and began a list serve of
those in the community concerned about air pollution, noise pollution, and safety
impacts from Santa Monica Airport (SMO), and work with political
representatives, the media, environmental and community groups to educate and
advocate for necessary changes. I’ve seen them at work, educating and
persuading Mike Gordon, Bill Rosendahl, Ted Lieu, Karen Bass and others about
the significant health impacts of the airport. Their work has been foundational
and crucial in efforts to curtail and eventually close the airport and turn it into a
park.

In addition to his work on the airport, Marty represents North Westdale at the
LAX Community Noise Roundtable and is co-chair of the Mar Vista Community
Council's Airport committee. Since June, 2013 Marty has served as President of the
North Westdale Neighborhood Association and Joan as Secretary since 2012. They
also edit and publish a monthly four-page NWNA newsletter. Under Marty's
leadership, the NWNA has put on three Fall Block Parties that included a stage
show of local talent of all ages.

Marty and Joan discuss why they love Westdale:

"We like that the community of North Westdale, located immediately east
and downwind of Santa Monica Airport (SMO), is an evolving mix of older
longtime residents and new younger families. Our purpose for forming
Concerned Residents Against Airport Pollution, and for much of our
involvement with the North Westdale Neighborhood Association is to
awaken and inform neighbors about Santa Monica Airport's (SMO)
extreme toxic air pollution impacts from jet emissions and from lead
exposure due to piston aircraft 's use of leaded aviation gasoline. Noise
pollution and safety hazards on our community, are major concerns too.
We really like it when residents get fired up and involved."

Regina and Steve Weller, Venice

Regina and Steve Weller are Venice’s miracle workers, relentless, compassionate
missionaries of hope. Together, on a shoestring budget and with tons of
determination, they have helped house hundreds of homeless people or reunite
them with their families.

The Wellers conduct homeless outreach in Venice and help connect people forced
to live on the street with services, housing and often their families. This year
alone, the Wellers – LAPD Chaplains and pastors at Venice Foursquare Church --
have helped 118 homeless people get into rehab, get into housing or get reunited
with their families. Their work is an important part of the comprehensive efforts
we are making to reduce and prevent homelessness in Venice.

Steve describes himself as an Army Veteran and a former green beret, with an
expertise in ham radio operation. A recovering alcoholic, Steve says his life
turned around when he got sober. He facilitated recovery meetings in various
areas of Los Angeles including Venice, Skid Row, at a 500-bed shelter in Los
Angeles, and at the VA facility, and in 2003 became the Senior Pastor of Venice
Foursquare Church. In 2006, he was ordained and credentialed as a Police
Chaplain. He is the Director of the 501c3 public charity, the Homeless Task Force,
assisting the unhoused in the Venice community and adjacent with safe haven
options.

Regina, who met Steve in Venice in 20 years ago and married at Venice’s
Foursquare Church, is a native of the San Fernando Valley who has always had a
calling for helping others. While she worked as a paralegal, in engineering, and in
aerospace, she says she always “had a heart for disenfranchised women living on
the street,” and became an ordained credentialed Crisis Chaplain in 2007. Since
then, she has deployed on a voluntary basis with LAPD’s Venice Beach Detail,
assisting the homeless. She is currently the Executive Director of the public
charity, the “Homeless Task Force”, and has an abiding interest in the health and
well being of the Venice community where she has lived for 23 years.

"It is especially gratifying for me to see a person overcome great challenges,

become hopeful about their future, and become an asset, if even in the smallest
way, to others,” Regina says.

I am proud to help fund the Wellers work, and to have them as a key part of our
“Venice Forward” initiative to end homelessness in Venice. Thank you, Regina and
Steve Weller for doing inspiring work each and every day!

Kathleen Durbin, Brentwood

Mandeville Canyon, deep above Brentwood in the Santa Monica Mountains, can
seem like a world away from Los Angeles. For Kathleen Durbin, it is a special
place to be guarded, tended to and protected. As president of the Mandeville
Canyon Association, she has led a volunteer board of residents to do just that.

Kathleen became involved in MCA in 2007 with the encouragement of Bill

Rosendahl and became President in 2008. The association represents 525
homeowners who live in a community rich with flora and fauna. MCA was the
first HOA formed in the Canyon after the beginnings of an elaborate botanical
garden community designed by the Garden Land Company in the late 1920’s.

Kathleen retired briefly last year, but is back in the saddle once again,
spearheading her passion project -- the People’s Path. The project calls for the
installation of split rail fencing, 6 foot-wide decomposed walkways and paths up
and down the two-plus mile stretch of Mandeville Canyon Road. The goal is to
have a completed and unobstructed walking path for all residents and visitors
alike. Kathleen has led the way among her fellow association members and the
Council Office on the efforts to research the entire lower Mandeville Canyon
community in order to determine how to continue to build the People's Path. She
has identified each location that can be added to complete the path, and she and
her partners have reached out to those property owners where there are gaps in
order to encourage them to participate in the project.

In her role as president, Kathleen oversees an active and diverse community that
has an unwavering history of environmental support for its unique community.
The MCA organizes an annual Holiday Lights Program, manages 24-Hour
Surveillance Cameras in the Canyon, created the Mandeville Foundation, a 501c3
organization that supports public improvement projects within the Mandeville
community, and offers four family events each year.

Kathleen likes to walk the Canyon on Sundays to meet homeowners, often

knocking on doors to say hello or ask what homeowners think of the
neighborhood goings-on. Safety is the primary concern and there are always a
myriad of questions to be answered and issues of concern that MCA helps its
residents navigate through the City of Los Angeles. Kathleen commends the
dedicated work of her 13 member board as the real reason behind MCA’s success.

Kathleen and her husband Steve have lived in Mandeville for 36 years.

Treva Miller, Ladera

Treva Miller is the kind of person who sees a problem in her neighborhood and
gets right down to fixing it.

When Treva moved to Ladera in 2012, she felt her new neighborhood, a small part
of northeast Westchester oddly nestled between north Inglewood and
unincorporated Los Angeles County, was getting ignored by the City of Los
Angeles, and she joined with her neighbors to get things changed. She joined the
Ladera Heights Civic Association, invited me and other public officials to hear
their concerns at the first Resident Community Meeting in more than a decade,
and then in 2015 formed the 63rd & Acacia Street Neighborhood Watch Group,
spanning the blocks of City of Los Angeles homes. As Neighborhood Watch
Captain, she spearheaded initiatives to improve public safety on city streets
including getting curbs painted to alleviate blind spots, and getting a new four-
way stop sign installed at a dangerous intersection. With the support of the
Neighborhood Council of Westchester Playa, she and her neighbors were able to
secure what they consider their greatest achievement to date -- new street signs to
replace ones that were in badly in need of repair and more than 30 years old.

Currently, Treva is chair of the Ladera 90056 Committee, which is leading the
movement to get the City to approve officially naming the Los Angeles portion of
Ladera Heights – “Ladera.”

Treva is a native of Los Angeles who has spent more than 30 years working for
the City of Los Angeles and the State of California in the field of public and
community relations. She currently works for Los Angeles World Airports LAX
Community Relations Division.

“I love Ladera, because it’s a closely knit diverse community with a

hometown feel. I am proud to call this beautiful community my home and
I am prouder still that I have helped to enhance the lifestyle and safety of
our neighbors.”

Julie Zaller, Westchester/Playa del Rey

Julie Zaller is a one woman Kickstarter campaign. Name an issue, a cause or a
community concern. It gets attention and momentum when she jumps on board.

Julie is the founder of the 2,000-plus member strong Facebook group: Moms of
Westchester/Playa del Rey. The private group provides a safe way for mothers in
the neighborhood to network, share resources, help each other out, and improve
the local community. Whether rallying volunteers for various local efforts,
sharing parenting tips, encouraging involvement in the local Neighborhood
Council, or raising awareness about crime or community problems, the group
(now in its third year) continues to flourish and serve as a shining example of the
power of community.

I first met Julie in 2014 when she was organizing a GoFundMe campaign for the
heroic employee of a neighborhood taco stand who saved a local child from an
attempted kidnapping. Julie was fierce in her determination to rally the
community to thank Jesús for his efforts. Since then, she has been equally vigilant
in organizing Moms to support improvements in our local parks, or in alerting
City agencies to scofflaw companies usurping public parking in our
neighborhoods.

Julie is a mother of three boys, and is married to an LMU graduate. She actively
volunteers at her boys' school and enjoys working on community projects to help
Westchester maintain its small town feel. She has lived in Westchester since 2003,
and her husband has lived in the area since he attended LMU beginning in 1995.
She has a background in business management, and prior to becoming a stay at
home mom, she managed the business and marketing aspects of a medical
provider in Santa Monica. Julie is proud of the support network she kickstarted
and the collective commitment to making Westchester/Playa a better place to live.

Regan Kibbee, Venice

Regan Kibbee, a native Angeleno, has lived in Venice for over 35 years working to
create community through connecting people.

After years of event production and promotion for tech companies and non-profit
arts groups, she transitioned her focus when she became a mom. She helped
develop and moderates “Venice Moms,” an online network supporting Westside
families where members share experiences, resources, advice, and opportunities
to meet in person. The forum has grown to over 2000 subscribers.

As a teenager, her family joined an intentional community (commune). Her

positive experiences in this extended family environment fostered her deep
appreciation of community. She earned a degree in Art History from UCLA, then
spent a couple of years in Japan. On her return, she began working as an event
producer and promoter including the Japan America Society of Southern
California and later for SPARC, the Social and Public Art Resource Center (in the
historic old Venice Police Station).

Regan writes regularly for the Community Bulletin section of the Westside paper,
The Argonaut, covering schools, clubs, non-profits, and people who “give back” to
their local communities. She serves on the Steering Committee of the 60 year old,
non-profit cooperative Sholem Community, which offers non-religious Jewish
cultural programs, including a Sunday school, for secular Jews and multicultural
families.

Seeking to protect the unique character of Venice, she has collaborated with
fellow Venetians to successfully appeal some out-of-character development
projects.

“For me, the old saying, ‘Keep Venice Weird’ is about continuing to
embrace diversity, creativity and a range of experiences for a more
vibrant community in which to live,” she says.

Natividad Santiago, West LA

Natividad Santiago has helped bring her hometown of Oaxaca, Mexico into the
spotlight in her new home in West Los Angeles.

For several years, Natividad has been the lead organizer of the annual Festival of
Tejate at Stoner Park in West L.A. -- a tremendous celebration of Oaxacan culture
that has given the neighborhood’s large Oaxacan population an opportunity to
emerge from the shadows and assert themselves as a visible, vital and essential
part of the community.

The culture of Oaxaca, a state in southwestern Mexico, is often celebrated with

community festivals in each town, celebrating the local saint or tradition
important to the community. The Festival of Tejate at Stoner Park celebrates
family and the traditional town of Tlacolula through folk dance, stories, music,
food and drink. The festival celebrates Tejate, a traditional Oaxacan drink made of
maize, cacao and mamey pits. For nearly a decade, thousands of people visit
Stoner Park on Labor Day weekend for a competition awarding the best Tejate in
Los Angeles.

“The art of folkloric dance, which is part of our tradition, was a childhood
passion hence we decided to form a folkloric dance group named Guish-
Bac and together with the help of merchants and residents we decided to
establish a yearly event named Feria Del Tejate where we perform our
dances and share it with the community. I have been enriched by people
from different countries and cultures in the community and look forward
to sharing my experience with the next generation.”

Thank you to Natividad, Gabriel, Grupo Folklorico Guish-Bac, and all Oaxacan
Angelenos for making Oaxacan culture part of the vibrant cultural fabric of our
city.

Ron Kato, Del Rey

Ron is a native Angeleno whose humility belies his steadfast commitment to

improving the health and wellness of the people of Los Angeles. He has deep roots
in the 11th District and currently serves as L.A. City Health Commissioner for the
11th District. I first got to know Ron when the MOA Wellness Center (where he
serves as executive director) relocated to Del Rey from West Hollywood. MOA
Wellness Center provides integrative medical therapies to thousands throughout
the region. I witnessed firsthand Ron’s heart and compassion as he provided
comfort and palliative care to my friend and predecessor, the beloved former
Councilmember Bill Rosendahl.

Ron grew up in West L.A.-Sawtelle and attended Nora Sterry Elementary where he
served as class president and greeted then Councilmember Marvin Braude. Ron
graduated from University High School in 1975 and holds an MBA from
University of Hawaii and a BA in Sociology from UC San Diego. He was
instrumental in getting Del Rey Neighborhood Council to establish a first of its
kind Health and Wellness Committee. Ron serves on the Del Rey NC Outreach
Committee and helps plan the annual Del Rey Day which brings together
residents while building community spirit. Ron was also active with Let’s Move
West L.A. which supported First Lady Michelle Obama’s initiative to combat
childhood obesity while promoting healthier diets. He supported the City’s
adoption of the Health and Wellness chapter of the General Plan and is working
to support its implementation. Ron has worked to promote both wellness and art
in schools of the 11th District over the past five years with MOA Wellness Center
sponsorship of the annual art contest which sends the local winning entry to an
international contest held in Atami, Japan. Ron lives in Mar Vista with his wife
and best friend Virginia, a pediatrician practicing integrative medicine in Santa
Monica, and their three boys who are currently studying at Colgate University,
UCLA and Palisades Charter High School.

When Bill Rosendahl died, he had been serving as my appointee to the City of Los
Angeles Health Commission. Ron gladly accepted my offer to fill Bill’s shoes on
that important panel.

“I’m honored to continue Bill’s work on the L.A. City Health Commission
and I’m committed to fostering better health for all Angelenos in body,
mind and spirit.”

Thank you Ron for continuing Bill’s work on the Health Commission. It is a fitting
tribute to his legacy.

Doug Suisman, Santa Monica Canyon

Doug Suisman is so heavily engaged in making his Santa Monica Canyon

neighborhood a better and a safer place that it surprised me to find out he had so
much time for such an impressive professional career making neighborhoods
great everywhere.

I first got to know Doug as president of the BOCA Neighborhood Association in

Santa Monica Canyon for several years. In that role he led his community in
discussions with the City of Santa Monica and the City of Los Angeles’s
Department of Transportation, preparing for the closure of the California Incline
and working to mitigate and minimize any impacts diverted traffic could have on
this neighborhood. These discussions helped pave the way for traffic mitigations
to protect his neighbors, and included new signage and pavement striping. In
short, his work prevented what could have been a neighborhood disaster.

Since then, Doug also worked closely with the neighboring Santa Monica Canyon
Civic Association as it reviewed plans for a new sidewalk and bridge safety
feature across from Canyon Charter School. He advised the board on safety
measures, and suggested options for future improvements. In addition, Doug has
worked to design the Palisades Charter High School Gateway Project, which is a
long range project to address pedestrian safety issues and the school's desire for a
more prominent entrance to the campus.The design proposes a Senior Garden of
native landscaping in a space which was a previously underused blacktop covered
space behind a chain link fence. Since the 90s, he has worked on a range of
neighborhood issues, including pedestrian improvements, landscape
enhancements, upgrading the beach tunnel, improving the local schools, and a lot
more.

In his spare time, Doug is an internationally recognized, award-winning urban

designer and architect. He founded Suisman Urban Design in 1990 to create great
city places by integrating architecture, research, landscape, and environmental
graphics. His projects include transit systems, cultural districts, university
campuses, civic centers, plazas, parks, and streetscapes. He is currently the lead
designer on the Great Streets project for Burlington, Vermont. His iQuilt cultural
district plan for downtown Hartford has won an AIA Honor Award and two major
grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. He has recently completed
renovations of two Los Angeles landmarks: Santa Monica’s Third Street
Promenade and the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum. Mr. Suisman, in partnership
with RAND Corporation, designed The Arc, an acclaimed plan for a Palestinian
state which won the top master plan award and Future Project of the Year award
at the 2010 World Architecture Festival. His classic monograph, Los Angeles
Boulevard, was republished in 2014 in a 25th Anniversary edition.

Before You Go...

Thank you for reading the Special Year-End issue of Mike Bonin's
Neighborhoods First Newsletter.

For more about Mike and Council District 11, please

v i s i t www.11thdistrict.com
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MIKE BONIN -
T AK E AC T I ON MEDIA NEIG HB ORH OODS ISS UES N EW S C OUN CIL STA FF A BOU T MIK E
COUNCIL DISTRICT 11

BRENTWOOD | DEL REY | MAR VISTA | PACIFIC PALISADES | PLAYA DEL REY | PLAYA VISTA | VENICE | WEST LA | WESTCHESTER

As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not
discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure
equal access to its programs, services and activities.
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