7 COUNCIL HOPEFULS GET FORUM FOR DEBATE.Byline: Harrison Sheppard Staff Writer GRANADA HILLS - Seven candidates vying to succeed City Councilman Hal Bernson Hal Bernson served as Los Angeles City Councilman for the 12th district. He was chair of the Transportation Committee. Prior to being on the City Council, he served in the Navy. Preceded by Robert M. found more to agree about than disagree at their first public forum together Monday night. But the candidates did argue over a planned expansion of the Hillcrest School on Rinaldi Street. ``That project is out of line and out of sync with that neighborhood,'' said businessman and community activist Walter Prince. Agreeing with Prince's opposition to the school expansion were Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. board member Julie Korenstein, businessman Robert Vinson and businessman Norman Huberman. Supporting the school expansion were former state Assemblywoman Paula Boland, accountant Armineh Chelebian and Greig Smith Greig Smith is a Los Angeles City Councilman, representing the 12th District, which includes Granada Hills, Northridge and other parts of the Western San Fernando Valley. Smith is also a reserve officer for the Los Angeles Police Department. , chief of staff to Bernson. They all said that with proper steps to decrease the effect of traffic the project could work. ``They really care about the community and want to mitigate the traffic, and that was very heartening heart·en tr.v. heart·ened, heart·en·ing, heart·ens To give strength, courage, or hope to; encourage. See Synonyms at encourage. Adj. 1. ,'' Boland said. The candidates agreed on several issues including their opposition to the Sunshine Canyon landfill and to the Los Lomas development in the Newhall Pass Newhall Pass is a mountain pass in Los Angeles County, California, USA. Historically called San Fernando Pass and Fremont Pass, it separates the Santa Susana Mountains from the San Gabriel Mountains. area, as well as the need for reform of the city's business tax. The forum was sponsored by the Granada Hills North Neighborhood Council at Van Gogh Elementary School elementary school: see school. . The candidates are vying to succeed Bernson, who is retiring because of term limits, and whose district encompasses the Northwest Valley, including Granada Hills, Chatsworth and Northridge. Earlier on Monday, City Controller Laura Chick said she has decided to endorse Korenstein. Chick, a former councilwoman who used to represent the West Valley district that is just to the south of the 12th, said Korenstein will be a ``strong voice for the Valley.'' ``She is a leader who treats taxpayer dollars as if they were her own, fights to make our neighborhoods safer and works to ensure the timely delivery of important public services Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly (through the public sector) or by financing private provision of services. ,'' Chick said in a statement. |
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