TWO PANELS FORMED BY MAYOR HAHN HARBOR RESIDENTS VOICE COMPLAINTS.Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer WILMINGTON - 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. city officials, seeking to show they are responsive to local neighborhoods, entered a hotbed hotbed, low, glass-covered frame structure for starting tender plants. It differs from a cold frame only in that the soil is heated—either artificially as by underground electric wiring or steampipes, or naturally with partially fermented stable manure, which of civic discontent Wednesday and quickly learned it might take more than a visit to stop the Harbor secession movement. Mayor James Hahn For the Iowa politician, see . James Kenneth "Jim" Hahn (born July 3, 1950) is an American politician from the Democratic Party. He was the Deputy City Attorney (1975-1979), City Controller (1981-1985), City Attorney (1985-2001) and Mayor of Los Angeles, California and council members announced creation of the first two 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. and promised to resume a practice of holding meetings around the city. Showing Los Angeles officials that 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. is not the only seat of protest, Wilmington residents said they are burdened by decisions made outside their area, which they believe does not receive a fair share of services and facilities for their city tax dollars. Alex Muratalla, a Wilmington resident, complained that area residents have to live with the problems created by the Port of Los Angeles The Port of Los Angeles is located on San Pedro Bay in the San Pedro neighborhood of Los Angeles, approximately 20 miles (30 km) south of downtown. Also called Los Angeles Harbor and WORLDPORT LA while receiving none of the revenue benefits. His list of complaints ranged from truck traffic through residential streets to a broken promise for a youth center. ``You want to know why people are upset? It's because we have to fight so hard for our fair share,'' said the burly Muratalla, with his ponytail swaying as he talked to the council in its first meeting outside of City Hall in more than a year. He was not alone in his sentiments. Cathy Fleming, another longtime Wilmington resident, said she opposes secession but voiced frustration that council members had never previously met in Wilmington. ``I think it's important for them to come down here and see how we live and what we have to live with,'' Fleming said. ``Too often, I think they think the world ends at downtown and don't realize how their decisions affect us.'' Gertrude Schwab, a former harbor commissioner, noted Wilmington is closer to Catalina Island Catalina Island: see Santa Catalina. than to downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or , and she said a community trust fund should be created with port revenue to make local improvements. ``The words you said today could come from every one of our communities,'' said Councilman Eric Garcetti Eric Garcetti (born 1971) is the son of former Los Angeles county district attorney Gil Garcetti, and was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 2001. He was reelected in 2005. , whose Hollywood-based district is a hotbed of secession sentiments, too. ``We have to work throughout this city to make things better.'' Janice Hahn, the mayor's sister, is the councilwoman who represents Wilmington, and she said new members of the council are trying to redirect city services and hoping neighborhood councils will help. ``Today we created the first two neighborhood councils in Wilmington and San Pedro,'' she said. ``We need to use these to make government change and bring it closer to the people.'' Before the meeting, the mayor proclaimed it Wilmington Day and certified the two neighborhood councils at a ceremony with 40 department heads on hand. ``This brings city government to the people,'' Mayor Hahn said. ``This represents a new era in city government where you will send a clear message to City Hall telling us what you want.'' |
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