VALLEY GLEN SPRING FESTIVAL KICKS OFFMAY 15TH WITH CONCERTS, FOOD TRUCKS AND FUN; FREE MINION DOLLS, BOOKS AND SUNGLASSES

There’s brand new excitement May 15th as the Valley Glen Spring

Festival debuts an all new event packed with three live music mini-concerts, games, pony rides, a petting zoo, food

trucks and free new books for children. Admission to the festival is free.

The annual Valley Glen Spring Festival will be held Sunday, May 15th from 1 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. under the trees at the Valley Glen Community Park at the corner of Ethel Avenue and Erwin Street in Valley Glen.

Among the bands to be showcased is the popular Los Angeles group – SpyderBlue - known for its versatile rock, swing, blues and country roots. Band members Bruce Gaims on guitar, David Fortin on electric bass and Todd Szabo on drums plan a show jumping with energy and fun. Also performing will be You-tube and concert sensation Maria Z - Maria Zou-roudis - known for her fusion of pop, R&B and acoustic soul and the very popular SuperTokes whose smooth sound and tight harmonies cover 50’s doo-wop to 90’s pop.

Food trucks are still being lined up but leading the way is one of Los Angeles’ top rated food trucks and a foodie favorite - The Lobos Truck - which serves American comfort food with a twist. Attendees can order everything from burgers and fries to decadent mac and cheese.

The festival-goers will not only enjoy free live music performances and but there will be a petting zoo complete with goats, pigs, a mini-cow,

VALLEY GLEN VOICEOfficial Newsletter of the Valley Glen Neighborhood Association www.valleyglen.org

Volume 16 Issue 1 Spring 2016 Circulation: 5,000

www.valleyglen.org For questions, comments and input, please email info@valleyglen.org

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IN THIS ISSUE Don’t Miss the

CD2, GVGC & VGNA Spring Festival!

VGNA MembersHave More Fun

GVGC Movie NightMay 14!

I Am Valley GlenInterview withSahag Yedelian

New VGNA WebsiteComing Soon

Our Yard SaleNeeds Your Stuff!

Valley GlenNeighborhood

Association13300 Victory Blvd.

Box 385 Valley Glen, CA 91401

Your VGNA Board:Dean AbstonPresident

Bruce GaimsVice President

Gerhard RunkenTreasurer

Waltona ManionSecretary

Richard RossiDirector of Communications

Grid Representatives: Area A - Alicia Bien, Judy Bernstein Area B - Dean Abston,Pat Lloyd, Amy Pederson,Gerhard Runken, Bruce Gaims Area C - Janne Bissett, Peer Ghent, Judy Price, Michael Rosenzweig

Grid 1 - Valli Aman Grid 2 - Helen Schorr, Todd Witham Grid 3 - Regla Vera, Linda Carreon Grid 4 - Asta Criss, CoLee Viedelle-Smith Grid 5 - Carlos Ferreyra Grid 6 - Vacant Grid 7 - Mirna Pajuelo Grid 8 - Vacant

sheep, ducks and bunnies. Right next door will be pony rides for children as well as a giant moon bounce and games.

Non-profit group, The Literacy Club will be giving away brand new, free Disney books and other publishers to kids pre-school to high school. There will be a raffle for a custom made mini-street-li-brary filled with new books to be installed on the winner’s street.

The event is hosted by the Valley Glen Neighborhood Associa-tion (VGNA), Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian and the Greater Valley Glen Neighbor-hood Council (GVGC). To RSVP, go to paulkrekorian.org/valley-glenspringfestival. Information on the event is also available at www.valleyglen.org. Those interested in volunteering can go to val-leyglen.org and click the con-tact page. Event volunteers will receive a free Valley Glen Festival t-shirt and lunch.

The first 50 families from Valley Glen who sign up for the VGNA will receive a free Minion doll.

“Families love to come because

it’s an affordable afternoon, great food and lots of activities and fun for their children,” said LA City Councilman Paul Krekorian.

Raffle prizes include Dodger tick-ets, a Casino Morongo getaway and a brand new $400.00 bicycle. Raffle tickets, six for $5.00 and 12 for $10.00, will be on sale. Free sunglasses will be available courtesy of State Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian’s office. City Plants/DWP will be providing free trees and plants on a first-come, first-served basis to attendees. Trees will be made available to city residents or property owners and verification of residence will be required.

LA Animal Services will have ready-to-go-home dogs and cats available for love and adoption. Also on hand will be kid favorites – a real police cruiser from the Los Angeles Police Department and a fire truck from the Valley Glen’s Fire Department.

Parking is free and walking distance at Los Angeles Valley College just three blocks south at Ethel and Oxnard. ■

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I am Sahag Yedelian I am Valley Glen!Sahag Yedalian is L.A. Councilman Paul Krekorian’s Field Deputy for Valley Glen. He is a true public servant who brings unusual intelligence, efficiency, and grace to his job. His efforts are allowing the VGNA to build a stronger relationship with the city and to be more effective in representing our neighborhoods. He was kind enough to share with us some of his life and dreams.

• Were you always interested in politics?

As far back as I could remember. I became interested in politics in the 10th grade when I decided to volunteer for a California State Assembly campaign. It was an eye-opening experience that I enjoyed greatly.

• What do your parents think about your political career?

My parents believe in community involvement and making a difference, so they’ve been very supportive of me. From a very early age, my dad always would encourage both my brother and me to be involved.

• How do you manage to maintain such a positive approach to community in the face of the many challeng-es (budget, crime, apathy, etc.)?

I look at challenges as opportunities. Each challenge is a learning opportunity and a problem to solve. I also look at them as a way to meet new people. I deeply believe when good people come together and put their minds together, great

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Interview by Bruce Gaims, Vice President

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things can happen. I’ve seen and experienced it many times in my life.

• You are involved in so many different community projects and activities and with so many people. How do you unwind?

Between my USC graduate studies and working for the City of Los Angeles, I don’t have that much down time. When I do, I like to try to out new restaurants with my girlfriend or have game nights at my house with friends. Monopoly, Risk and Settlers of Catan are some of my favorites.

• What do you think the most important issue is for Valley Glen residents?

I think the most important issue is continuing to come together and build strong community organizations. Valley Glen has so many great neighbors and resources. We just need other people to learn about them and we need to get as many people involved in making this community even better than it is today.

• Do you see yourself working in local/city politics for the foreseeable future or are you interested in working at the county, state, or federal level?

I would love to keep working for Councilmember Krekorian. He’s very community focused and allows me to help build bridges with his constituents. I really love what I do.

• Where did you grow up and go to school?

I grew up in Pasadena, attended Pasadena High School and then went on to Pasadena City College, followed by

Cal State University Los Angeles. I’m now in my first year of the Masters of Public Administration program at USC’s Sol Price School of Public Policy.

• If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

That’s a tough one. I’d like to go so many places, which makes the list long and very difficult to narrow down. I love people and experiencing new things, so I would love to take an around-the-world trip one day.

• What chain of events led to your job of working for Councilman Kerkorian?

I had worked on various local campaigns and was lucky enough to find a job in Councilmember Krekorian’s district office. I had always admired the Councilmember’s work and his focus on working with neighborhoods.

• What is one of your happiest memories as a child?

When I was about seven-years-old, my family took a trip to Lake Tahoe. We rented two large vans, filled up with my uncles and aunts, cousins, and grandparents, and went on our long weekend trip together. Quality family time is the most important thing to me.

• If you were “President” of Valley Glen, what executive orders would you issue?

I wouldn’t presume to know more than the real experts: the residents of Valley Glen. Working with Councilmem-ber Krekorian, you all have done great things over the past few years. You are the true leaders in the community. I would just keep doing what I’m trying to do now, building strong levels of communication and cooperation among various leaders and stakeholders. ■

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VGNA COMMUNITYMEETING

The VGNA’s regular bi-monthly meeting will be May 3rd with meet and greet at 6:30

p.m. and meeting to start at 7:00 p.m. Check the website at www.valleyglen.org to learn more about the location and agenda.

IT’S NOT TOO EARLY TO DONATE TO THE

Check your closets, basements, attics and garages! We need your gently used clothes, old furni-ture, books, art, toys and furnish-ings for the annual VGNA Yard Sale. Contact us at info@vgna.org if you have something to donate or have any questions.

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Whatever the chal-lenges of living in a neighborhood that is part of a big city, we Valley Glen residents have access to many recreational options. Biking is one of the most accessible, popu-lar, and rewarding ways to fill one’s leisure time. With the temperate climate and rarity of rain, you can get on your bicycle in any month on almost any day and have a refreshing spin in an urban or nearby rustic setting.

Southern California has it all when it comes to cycling. Whether you ride on the roads or in the mountains or on the many miles of different bike paths, our neck of the woods is justifiably renowned worldwide as a cycling mecca. As with any pastime, however, even local residents require a little infor-mation and inspiration to bring bike riding into the rhythms of daily life.

Have you been considering getting a new bike or getting on your unused bike? If so, maybe you will finally put pedals into action after hearing from some of your fellow Valley Glen residents who are avid cyclists. There are so many! We caught up with three: Jenny La Raia, Stan Motzkin, and Robert San-doval. They have among them decades of experience and lots of interesting tips and stories to share.

Cycling is a funny bug. Jenny remembers the exhil-aration of her first ride as a kid with monkey bars and banana seat. And yet, it wasn’t until she was in her forties that she started riding bicycles regularly again. But the bug bit hard…

“Valley Glen Lifestyle:Happy and Healthy on

Two Wheels”

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by Bruce Gaims, Vice President

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She now road bikes three days per week in Griffith Park and Malibu and rides her new mountain bike on Sundays in the Santa Monica Mountains. Most every weekend ride is usually the “best ride ever”, but she is particularly partial to the canyon climbs along the Pacific Coast Highway. With all of that passion, Jenny says that she, her spouse, and her bikes maintain a “peaceful coexistence”.

Robert is a sponsored bike racer who has been com-peting since the age of eighteen. Not surprisingly, his wife refers to his bikes as the “other women”. Robert is not limited, however, to competi-tion. He does errands on his bicycle and recently walked into a Neighborhood Coun-cil meeting with his bike (Red Beauty?) in hand. Yes, he names

his bikes.

Robert loves to use the Orange line bike path as a conduit to road biking rides out in Agoura. His favorite mountain bike riding areas are in the Las Virgenes open area at the end of Victory in the west Valley. In the course of his cycling escapades he has seen rattlesnakes, bobcats, coyotes, lots of cool birds, and even a mountain lion. He says that “when people ride a bike, they smile…it takes you back to a simpler time.”

Stan is a pure road bike man and an incredible endur-ance rider. Putting in one hundred miles on a Satur-day is fairly routine for him. Apparently, his cycling mojo is insatiable because he also commutes three to

four days per week to work.

Stan is a more social rider than Jenny or Robert and usually rides with the San Fernando Valley Bicycle Club. The Club (sfvbc.org) meets every Saturday and Sunday at CSUN and accommodates riders at all levels. In other words, you don’t have to ride with Stan to Santa Barbara and take the train back.

Jenny, Robert, and Stan are all very safety conscious. On the road, hel-mets, blinkers, and bright clothing are essential. Rob-ert adds a rear-facing camera and cat-ears to save his hearing from wind and other noise. On the mountain bike, Jenny uses a bell to let other riders and hikers know that she is rolling their way.

As far as bike shops go, Jenny and Stan like Universal Cycles in Studio City and Santa Monica Mountain Cyclery in Woodland Hills. These are smaller, cus-tomer-oriented stores that will pay attention to you no matter what your needs. If you want to tease your-self looking at the Cadillacs of bikes, Robert suggests going to Bicycle John’s in Burbank.

All set to get out and turn the pedals? You cannot go wrong using the Orange line or the bike loop at Bal-boa Park to get your legs, lungs, eyes, and balance in harmonic order. For information on everything bik-ing in the local area, contact the Los Angeles County Biking Coalition (http://www.la-bike.org). Who knows? With so many passionate riders in Valley Glen, maybe there will be a Tour de Valley Glen some day. Be a kid again – ride! ■

UPDATED SERVICES DIRECTORYNeed to know which number to call to remove graffitti? Want to get reach your local police? Need to speak to the mayor? A posse of hedgehogs invaded your backyard and you don’t know who to call? The VGNA publishes an annual services directory for residents with all the im-portant local and city phone numbers and email addresses. And the 2016 edition is now out. Just email us at info@vgna.org and we’ll email you one back! Or you can pick one up at the next

VGNA community meeting.

VGNA WEBSITE GETTING FACELIFT

Let’s face it. We all need a little work, right? Well for the past few months VGNA volunteers have been working behind the scenes on updating the VGNA website and making it even more helpful to Valley Glen residents. If there is anything you would like to see added to the site, let us know! It’s as simple as emailing us at info@vgna.org. So stay tuned for a new website that will bring you useful resources, information and developments on Valley Glen.

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Empowering Your NeighborhoodIf there was a way to have a more effective voice in promoting a better neighborhood, would you beinterested in hearing more?

The Greater Valley Glen Council (GVGC) is your City of Los Angeles certified Neighborhood Council (NC). Under the City of Los Angeles Charter, we act an advisory board to the Councilmember’s office and use our official city status to work towards enhancing the quality of life in our community. Each of the 96 NCs throughout the city receive finding to ensure that the mission set forth by the City Charter for NCs is met.

GVGC is made up of a 25 member Board that meets monthly each first Monday of the month. But the GVGC committees are where the real work of the Council begins. Committees include Public Safety, Parks & Improvements ( aka Beautification), Planning and Land Use, Community Outreach, Government Relations, and Arts & Education. The GVGC is always looking for community members to become active in our committees as stakeholder members. Find out more about joining a committee by going to our website; www.greatervalleyglencouncil.org.

Lastly, we hope you come and meet your new Board members, which are pictured below, on Saturday May 14th at 8:00 p.m. for Movie Night in the Park at Valley Glen Community Park where we will show the hilarious 2015 release of Minions. This is a popular family outing sponsored in cooperation with the Councilmember’s office. We also hope to see you on Sunday, May 15th, at Valley Glen Community Park, as we help kick off the Valley Glen Festival, in what we know will be a terrific event for the whole family. We do this in cooperation with the Valley Glen Neighborhood Association and the CD2 Councilmember Paul Krekorian’s office.

Sloan MyrickDistrict 5Vice President

Maria DennisDistrict 6

Alan AkleanYouth

Rich PisaniDistrict 4Treasurer

Makly KertisDistrict 4

RobertSandovalDistrict 3

Jo-anne D’AntonioDistrict 1

Linda WehrliCommercialProperty

DougBreidenbachDistrict 2

Walter HallCommunityOrganizations

Mickey JannolAt-Large

Stanley FriedmanReligiousInstitutions

Carlos FerreyraDistrict 2President

KendallMcCollumDistrict 2

NOT PICTUREDJean ChadwickAt-LargeKathleen Schwartz District 3Marki AlvarezAt-Large

GVGC Movie Night In The Park “Minions”

Saturday, May 14th at 8:00 PMCome Out and Have Some Fun!

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