RIORDAN TAKING SHOW TO VALLEY; MAYOR TO MAKE STATE OF CITY SPEECH AT SCHOOL.Byline: Rick Orlov Daily News Staff Writer Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Mayor Richard Riordan Richard J. Riordan (born May 1, 1930) is a Republican politician from California, U.S. who served as the California Secretary of Education from 2003–2005 and as Mayor of Los Angeles from 1993–2001. Riordan ran for Governor of California unsuccessfully in 2002. ventures into the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. today for a State of the City address in which he is expected to tout his successes and goals for the future, including creating neighborhood councils Neighborhood councils are governmental or non-governmental bodies composed of local people who handle neighborhood problems. They can be found in many cities throughout the world. . Aides to Riordan refused to discuss specifics of his speech, but his decision to use the Valley as the backdrop for his address drew praise. ``I think it's a recognition of the importance of the Valley,'' said Richard Close of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association. ``This is part of his attempt to convince the Valley to remain part of Los Angeles. ``The problem, however, is not with Mayor Riordan. Our complaints are not with him. The problem is L.A. needs to be restructured, with real authority placed in the community.'' Planning Commissioner Bob Scott
``I see this as more than a token gesture because he is coming out here to make a major policy address,'' Scott said. ``That alone is pretty significant.'' The last time Riordan delivered his State of the City address outside City Hall was in 1995, at Wilson High School There are numerous Wilson High Schools in the United States, most named after the United States President Woodrow Wilson, including:
Today's 9 a.m. speech had been scheduled to take place outside in Warner Center Park but was moved inside to Taft High School in Woodland Hills because of the possibility of rain. Riordan aides said the mayor would touch on the need to give residents more say in the city's governance through the creation of neighborhood councils. The councils are seen as a way to quell the dissatisfaction citywide about the lack of local control on issues such as planning, police and parks. Aides would not say what form of neighborhood council the mayor would support or how much power he believes they should have over neighborhood and city affairs. Riordan also is expected to point out the improvements that have come under his administration, both the dramatic drop in crime and the booming economy. While Valley leaders praised the mayor for choosing the Valley for his address, some City Council members complained about the timing and location. ``I don't understand how he could do this on a council day,'' said Councilwoman Rita Walters Rita Walters (1930-) is currently the commissioner of the Los Angeles Public Library. Prior to this position, she served on the Los Angeles City Council representing the 9th district. During that time, she chaired the Arts, Health & Humanities Committee. . ``Even with him speaking at 9 a.m., by doing it in the Valley, we wouldn't be able to get back to City Hall until well after we're supposed to meet at 10 a.m. There should have been better planning.'' |
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