Free Movie in Reynier Park on July 9

Friday, July 9
Screening Gay Purr-ee
Reynier Park, 2803 Reynier Ave.
Festivities begin at 7:00
Movie begins fifteen minutes after sundown (approx. 8:15pm)
Free popcorn, hot dogs, candy, drinks, prizes, music and fun for all ages

Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, friends and family. SORO NC and Councilmember Wesson's office are co-sponsoring a free family movie under the stars: "Gay Purr-ee," a classic animated film noted for its action, comedy, great songs (by the team that did the "Wizard of Oz"), celebrity voices (Judy Garland, Robert Goulet, and Red Buttons among others), beautiful impressionistic style, and depiction of Paris from a cat's-eye view.

This is the third year for Councilmember Wesson's Movies in the Park series, and we're proud to be able to help bring it to SORO. Our thanks to the Councilmember and his fantastic staff for their hard work in making it happen.

More information on CD 10's Movies in the Park series

SoRo Fest Music Lineup

Photo by Barry E. Levine

Sunday, June 6
11am – 4pm
South Robertson Boulevard, between Cattaraugus and Beverlywood St. (just north of Hamilton High School and the 10 Freeway)

We've just updated our SoRo Fest page with the complete main stage lineup. Come join us for performances by the Rock Nation School, World Garden Dance and Music Studio, the Hamilton High Jazz Vocal Ensemble, Ballet Folklorico, Westside Crew, and more.

Green Team at the SoRo Fest

Photo by Barry E. Levine

SORO NC's Green Team will be out in force at this year's SoRo Festival. They'll be giving away gift bags stuffed with things to help make your day a little more environmentally friendly—including the reusable grocery bags themselves.

There will also be a raffle for compost bins, a rain capture barrel and—yes—worm bins. And if you miss the raffle, we'll be taking orders for City of LA compost and worm bins, as well as for the worms themselves (CHECKS ONLY).

For more information, check out our full SoRo Festival 2010 page.

Save locally with the SOROCARD

As featured in LAIST, the free SOROCARD gives cardholders discounts at a wide variety of participanting local business—and offers local businesses the opportunity to promote themselves directly to the community. Launched in Summer 2008 by SORO NC, the program continues to expand with new merchants.

For a full list of participating merchants, click here.

If you are interested in learning more about the program, please email our outreachchair@soronc.org. All participants are required to sign up with SORO NC. Alternatively, we encourage you to attend any of the SORO NC meetings listed at right, which are always open to the public.

Seating of the New SORO NC Board

At our General Board meetiing on Thursday, May 20 (info at right), SORO NC will welcome its newest Board members: Ben Bellet, Martin Epstein, Ryan Gaines, Brian Kite, Rachel Lester, Michael Lynn, and Victor Mitry. Congratulations to them, and to all our re-elected members.

More information about the election—including the new 2010 Board list—can be found on our full 2010 Election page.

13th Annual SoRo Community Festival

Photo by Barry E. Levine

Sunday, June 6
11am – 4pm
South Robertson Boulevard, between Cattaraugus and Beverlywood St. (just north of Hamilton High School and the 10 Freeway)

Come have fun, meet your neighbors, and celebrate the cultural diversity of our community. The Festival will include activities for kids, ethnic food, a live music stage and lots of exciting artist and vendor booths. Plus this year, the Festival will feature as special section where you can obtain free information regarding Emergency Preparedness for you and your family.

For more information, check out our full SoRo Festival 2010 page, which includes a video about the event.

Emergency Community Meeting with the LAPD

Thursday, May 13
7pm – 9pm
Shenandoah Elementary School
2450 Shenandoah Street, Los Angeles 90034
(map)

Following the double homicide in the 1900 block of Corning Street on 5/5/10, SORO NC is organizing an emergency community meeting with West Los Angeles Police Department and Councilmember Herb Wesson from Los Angeles City Council District 10 to allow you, the immediately affected community, an opportunity to speak with Captain Evangelyn Nathan, LAPD and Councilmember Wesson about the incident and your concerns for public safety in the area.

Please attend this important community event so that you can hear directly from LAPD and we can hear directly from you.

There will be a Spanish language translator and help with childcare available at the meeting. Please join us so we can hear your voice.

Download the informational flyer in English and Spanish

Update on the May 5 homicide

Following the homicide in South Robertson on May 5, SORO NC is working closely with West LA Police Department and CD 10 to keep the community informed. Click to download an update from Captain Evangelyn Nathan of West LAPD from Friday, May 7 in both English and Spanish. The flyer is also being distributed throughout the immediate neighborhood.

SORO NC is currently organizing a community meeting for residents to speak directly with the LAPD. Further information will be posted here.

Help Pick Fruit for the Mayor's Day of Service

Do you regret that fruit on your fruit tree goes to waste? There are many who are hungry! The SORO NC Green Team, together with local school clubs, scout troops and other local organizations will be picking neighborhood fruit and avocado trees for the:

Mayor's Day of Service aka "Big Sunday"
Saturday (and Sunday, if you are Orthodox), May 1st and May 2nd, 2010
8:30am–12:30pm

We are looking for two things:

1. Fruit trees with fruit ready to be picked
2. Volunteers to help with harvesting

For appointments to have your fruit tree picked, or to volunteer for one of our crews (it's really fun!), call or email Paula Waxman at 310-559-2552 / paulawaxman@soronc.org

The Green Team drops off all fruit collected to our local food bank:
SOVA Food Bank
8846 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles

In February, we picked over 700 pounds of fruit in 2 days! So contact us today to schedule your tree...or yourself (to volunteer).

SORO NC Official Election Results

The votes have been cast, and the returns are in. Visit the City Clerk site to see the official results.

More information about the election can be found on our full 2010 Election page.

CERT: Emergency Response Team Training

Monday Evenings from 6:30-9:00 pm
May 3, 2010 through June 14, 2010

Location:
Simon Wiesenthal Center
Third Floor
1399 S. Roxbury Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90035

Once again, SORO NC's Emergency Preparedness sub-committee and C-PAB Neighborhood Watch are sponsoring a FREE emergency preparedness training course from the Los Angeles Fire Department.

CERT Training is vital for a large city like Los Angeles. Learn how to be prepared for earthquakes, acts of terror, civil unrest, fire and any natural disaster. In the event of a disaster you need to be prepared to be on your own for 72 hours or more. Los Angeles City First Responders (911) will be overburdened and may not be able to help.

You need to be prepared to help yourself, your family and your neighbors. This course will teach you how.

REGISTER NOW!

For more information, go to www.cert-la.com.

Save the Date: 13th Annual SoRo Community Festival

Photo by Barry E. Levine

The 13th Annual SoRo Community Festival will take place on Sunday, June 6, 2010 from 11 am to 4 pm. The Festival is located on South Robertson Boulevard, between Cattaraugus and Beverlywood St. (just north of Hamilton High School and the 10 Freeway).

For more information, check out our full SoRo Festival 2010 page, which includes a video about the event and resources for people interested in hosting a booth or becoming a sponsor. We'll continue to update it as we get closer to the date.

2010 SORO NC Elections

Vote for your neighborhood representatives!

Sunday, April 11
10am – 4pm
Robertson Recreation Center Commmunity Room (map)

Help shape the future of your community. The SORO NC election is open to anyone age 15 and above, who lives, works, goes to school, or is a member of an organization within the South Robertson Neighborhoods boundaries.

More information about the April 11 election—including a full list of candidates—can be found on our 2010 Election page.

LA City Council Community Budget Meeting
Monday, Feb 22 at Hamilton High

Monday, Feb 22 6pm
Hamilton High Cafeteria (map)

The LA City Council is holding four regional meetings of the Budget and Finance Committee in preparation for the final 2010-2011 budget. The Westside meeting will be at our own Hamilton High School.

The meeting will be open to the public, and provides you with the opportunity to hear about the City's current fiscal challenges and discuss your own budget priorities directly with Councilmembers and staff.

Download the full city-wide Community Budget Meeting schedule.

Join the SORO Neighborhoods Council!

The candidate filing deadline is
Wednesday, February 10, 2010.

On April 11, voters in the South Robertson Neighborhoods Council area will elect a new Board. If you are interested in running for a seat, the deadline for filing is fast approaching. Forms (including instructions in Spanish and Farsi) are available for download on our Election page.

The City's Department of Neighborhood Empowerment will be holding an open dialogue session on how to make an impact with your Neighborhood Council on Thursday, February 11 from 6:30–8:30pm (download DONE's flyer from their site).

More information about the election itself can be found on our full 2010 Election page.

Expo Line: Phase 2 Environmental Impact Report

The Expo Line—with a soon-to-be-built station at Venice and National—will trigger enormous and important changes in our southern area. As Phase 1 nears completion, the final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for Phase 2 has been released. (Download the shorter Executive Summary or the entire FEIR).

On Thursday, February 4 at 10am, the Exposition Construction Authority's Board of Directors will consider certifying the FEIR. If approved, the next phase (extending the line to Santa Monica) will continue with more detailed design and broader community outreach.

It's important that your voice be heard in this process. Whether you support the FEIR recommendations or have concerns, please consider attending the hearing at Kenneth Hahn Hall downtown and/or writing a letter to the Board Chair, our own District 10 Councilmember Herb Wesson:

The Honorable Herb Wesson, Chair
Exposition Construction Authority
707 Wilshire Boulevard, 34th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90017

(District 5 Councilmember Paul Koretz is on the Board, too, and can be reached at the same address.)

You can also email the Board of Directors directly. Now is the time to speak up.

More details on the hearing, including location address, can be found in the meeting flyer.

Electronic Waste and Battery Drive

On Saturday, Jan 23 from 10am to 2pm, students from S.A.F.E. (Students Assembled for Earth, a Hamilton High School Club) and SORO Green Teamers will be collecting electronic waste and used batteries at Hamilton (map) to ensure that our environment stays green and healthy.

What is "electronic waste"? Any no-longer-usable piece of equipment with a cord.

Download the flyer for details.

CERT: Emergency Response Team Training

Wednesday evenings, 7-9:30pm
January 13 through February 24th, 2010
DATE CORRECTION: PLEASE NOTE NEW DATE

Location:
Chabad SoLa
1627 S. La Cienega Blvd., LA, CA 90035
Free street parking on La Cienega from 7pm

A FREE emergency preparedness training course from the Los Angeles Fire Department, co-sponsored by SORO NC's Emergency Preparedness sub-committee and C-PAB Neighborhood Watch.

CERT Training is vital for a large city like Los Angeles. Learn how to be prepared for earthquakes, acts of terror, civil unrest, fire and any natural disaster. In the event of a disaster you need to be prepared to be on your own for 72 hours or more. Los Angeles City First Responders (911) will be overburdened and may not be able to help.

You need to be prepared to help yourself, your family and your neighbors. This course will teach you how.

THERE ARE STILL A FEW SPACES LEFT. REGISTER NOW!

For more information, go to www.cert-la.com.

Free Fruit Trees from Tree People

A give-away program sponsored by the SORO NC Green Team and S.A.F.E., "Students Assembled for Earth," a Hamilton High School Club.

The following trees are available for adoption:

HOW TO ORDER: Email your order before Monday, January 18th to Paula Waxman. Very limited supply, so first come, first served. Schools get priority. WE WILL CONFIRM YOUR ORDER BY RETURN EMAIL.

HOW TO PICK UP TREES: Trees distributed on Saturday, January 23 between 10 am and 2 pm at Hamilton High School (map) .

Halloween Carnival

On Saturday, October 31 between 12-4 pm, the Robertson and LACES Recreation Centers are holding an all-ages Halloween Carnival at the Robertson Recreation Center (map).

There will be tons of activities and prizes, including free creepy crafts, games (4 games for $1, or 25 for $5), face-painting, and contests like Apples on a String, Musical Chairs, and Hula Hooping. Or get a $2 unlimited Moonbounce wristband, and jump to your heart's content. Every kid gets a free bag of candy.

Then at 3:15, join us for the Grand Costume Parade (with divisions for ages 5 and under, 6-10, and 11-15).

Hope to see you there!

Click here to download the flyer.

Note: permanent changes to our meeting schedules

Starting in September 2009, the General Board meeting will shift to the third Thursday of the month.

Along with that change, the Green Team will meet the second Wednesday of the month, and the Executive Meeting will be on the second Thursday.

2009 Peace Picnic

Join us Sunday, September 13 between 1-4 pm at the Robertson Recreation Center (map) for the Fourth Annual Peace Picnic.

This free family event celebrates the United Nations' International Day of Peace. There will be a free buffet picnic lunch (until 2pm), live music, fun activities, arts and craft for the kids and more! (We recommend bringing a blanket to sit on.)

Click here to download the flyer.

2009 Susan Bursk Award winner: Susan Strick

The Susan Bursk Award is presented each year to an individual in recognition of his or her dedication and service to the South Robertson Neighborhoods Community. This year's winner was Susan Strick for her outstanding service as both a private citizen and as a Neighborhood Prosecutor in the City Attorney's office.

SORO NC will be publicly recognizing Susan and all the 2009 nominees at the August General Board meeting.

2nd Annual CommUnity Walk

Sunday, June 14th, 3 to 5pm
Meet at Warehouse Shoe Store parking lot 2045 S. La Cienega Blvd. LA 90034 (Corner of Cadillac and S. La Cienega Blvd.)

SORO NC is proud to co-sponsor this year's CommUnity Walk with the Community Police Advisory Board, the West Los Angeles Community Police Station, and the Westside Neighborhood Council.

Come join us as we walk together through our neighborhood and discuss ways to make it safer for all of us. Other participants include the Office of the LA City Attorney, LA Fire Department Station 58, the Community Emergency Response Team, Hatzolah Emergency Rescue Team, the Crestview Neighborhood Association, and Councilmembers Herb Wesson and Jack Weiss.

Download the flyer with more information in either English or Spanish versions

12th Annual SoRo Community Festival

Photo by Barry E. Levine

The 12th Annual SoRo Community Festival will take place on Sunday, June 7, 2009 from 12:00 noon to 5 pm. The Festival is located on South Robertson Boulevard, between Cattaraugus and Beverlywood St. (just north of Hamilton High School).

The goals of the SoRo Community Festival are to build bridges amongst our neighbors, local businesses and public service organizations and to celebrate the cultural diversity of our community. The Festival will include ethnic, vegetarian and kosher foods, a live music stage and lots of exciting artist and vendor booths. Plus, tons of activities for kids of all ages at Camp SoRo. There is no admission fee. Street parking is available.

Festival Music Line Up

• 12:00 - 12:45   |   Island Rhythms (Caribbean Steel Drum Band)
• 12:45 - 1:10   |   Rock Theatre (Live Dance & Vocal Performance)
• 1:15 - 1:30   |   Susan Bursk Founder's Award Presentation
• 1:30 - 2:00   |   Santa Monica Oceanaires (A Cappella Men's Chorus)
• 2:00 - 2:30   |   Pat Gorman (Country/Folk Singer/Songwriter)
• 2:30 - 3:15   |   Hamilton High School Jazz Ensemble (Directed by John Hamilton)
• 3:15 - 3:40   |   Rock Theatre (Live Dance & Vocal Performance)
• 3:45 - 5:00   |   Westside Crew (Top 40/Latin Soul)

Master of Ceremonies: Michael Cladis
Sound Master: John Lackner

Please check out the PSA on YouTube, which highlights the SoRo Festival in detail. You can also download a printable PDF of the Festival's music line up.

UPDATE: This year's festival was huge success. Thanks to everyone who worked hard to pull it all together, particularly our friends at SORO, Inc.

2009 Community Town Hall Meeting:
CD-5 Candidates Forum

7pm on February 5, 2009 at Hamilton High School Cafeteria (map)
Co-sponsored by Palms Neighborhood Council

Come listen to the candidates for Council District 5 discuss the issues facing our city and our neighborhood. Moderated by the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles.

Click here to learn more.

UPDATE: Thanks to the candidates, the moderator, the many volunteers, our partners at Palms NC—and especially to all who attended and made the Candidates Forum such a success.

Building an active, united community

Up and down Robertson, the first wave of SORO street banners is now up, showing our pride in our neighborhood—and building awareness for the new SORO Walks at 7 initiative.

Become part of making SORO a better place to live and work. Attend one of the SORO NC meetings and get involved.

Introducing SORO Walks at 7

Starting this summer, SORO NC invites you to join the neighborhood as we launch SORO Walks at 7.

This isn't a one-time event: every evening at 7pm, neighbors and residents are encouraged to get out and walk. Take advantage of the beautiful weather, meet new friends and spend time with old ones. SORO Walks at 7 is the perfect chance to get the exercise we all need, spend quality time with those you love and enjoy our beautiful neighborhood.

Together we can build a stronger, safer, healthier and more connected community. One walk at a time.

2008 Community Town Hall Meeting: Living Green

Each year, SORO NC hosts a Town Hall where our stakeholders have the opportunity to speak directly with city officials. With the recent election campaigns so focused on energy dependence, climate crisis and the economy, we decided it would be appropriate to focus our 2008 Town Hall on LIVING GREEN.

UPDATE: Although the Town Hall has already happened, we have compiled resources here on our website that hopefully will help you Live Green. Together, our communities can build a greener future.

Click here to learn more.