PUTTING VALLEY IN LIGHTS CANDIDATES VOW AID FOR PACOIMA, OTHER NEIGHBORS.

Byline: James Nash Staff Writer

PACOIMA - Nine city of San Fernando Valley council candidates denounced Los Angeles city government for failing to provide street lights and other basic services for Pacoima and promised on Monday to work hard to make poorer neighborhoods better.

Standing on Pinney Street in a neighborhood with no street lights for blocks around, they said bread-and-butter issues like street lights would be close to their hearts as candidates and as leaders of a new Valley city.

``My car goes over the same pothole that (a resident's) car goes over,'' said Christopher C. Trujillo of Panorama City, a candidate for the proposed Valley council's Sixth District seat. ``I see the same graffiti that they see.''

The issue of street lights surfaced last week with disclosure that the Los Angeles Department of Public Works was starting a five-year, $8 million effort to replace all 1,000 street lights along the entire 17-mile stretch of Ventura Boulevard from Woodland Hills to Studio City. The new lights would be identical all along the boulevard.

The nine candidates for Valley city offices stopped short of promising new street lights but said lighting, street paving and other services would have a higher priority than they do with the current city leadership.

``This is one of a lot of issues that highlight the need for us to take control of our community,'' said council candidate Frank Sheftel.

While the existing Ventura Boulevard street lights still function, large pockets of Los Angeles such as Pacoima are left without street lights and are vulnerable to crime, Sheftel said.

``The fact that they would even consider replacing street lights because they don't match is ridiculous,'' Sheftel said.

City Council President Alex Padilla, who represents the Northeast Valley including Pacoima, said he has helped bring 300 ``utility'' street lights - lights mounted to existing utility poles - during his three years in office.

``(Padilla) is basically trying to reverse years of neglect in getting street lights for this neighborhood,'' said Bill Mabie, director of Padilla's Pacoima field office. ``As for how these (secessionists) are going to cut taxes and improve services, that just defies logic.''

Deputy Mayor Matt Middlebrook said critics who raise the issue of the Ventura Boulevard street lights are being disingenuous because boulevard property owners are paying an assessment for the street lights; the money can't be diverted to other areas or projects. Middlebrook said Pacoima residents aren't contacting City Hall to clamor for street lights.

``We would be happy to work with community leaders in Pacoima to evaluate their interest,'' Middlebrook said.

Besides Trujillo and Sheftel, the San Fernando Valley Independence Committee event brought out mayoral candidate David Hernandez and council candidates Victor Viereck, Carlos Ferreyra, Terry Stone, Michael N. Cohen, Irwin Silon and Benny Bernal.

The candidates said if city voters approve a new Valley city in the Nov. 5 election, the smaller city government would do more to address the concerns of residents, whether on street lights, police protection or land-use issues.

Viereck said the solution is to cut waste and eliminate the pet projects of downtown interests.

The candidates said City Hall leaders have been unveiling projects in the Valley to gain media attention and deflect the secessionists' arguments, not because City Hall cares about the Valley.

``They don't walk these streets,'' Cohen said. ``We walk these streets.''

Xavier Flores, co-chairman of the Latino Coalition for a United L.A., attended the news conference and said a new Valley city wouldn't take heed of the needs of low-income areas such as Pacoima.

``The people who are leading the charge have a history of fighting against Latino interests,'' Flores said. ``There is absolutely no reason to believe that they would be more responsive to our communities.''

Hernandez said the secession movement includes people of varied backgrounds, among them many Latinos. He said he would work to ensure that the interests of Latinos and low-income neighborhoods figure prominently in the workings of a new Valley city.

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

Valley council candidates and secession advocates hold a news conference in Pacoima.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer