Our bylaws establish four-year, staggered terms for our Board members, which means half of the Board seats would normally be up for election in May 2012. However, some years ago the City Council passed an ordinance giving the City Clerk sole authority to conduct NC elections--and then this year failed to fund those elections for 2012. 

At the City Council's request, the City Attorney has prepared a draft ordinance that would cancel the 2012 NC elections outright and automatically extend Board member terms to 2014. Many feel that this action would undermine the credibility of the NC system and subvert the rights of voters.

The Neighborhood Councils have one other option available: a selection process. It differs from an election in that it is not anonymous. For example, signed ballots or a town hall where people vote by show of hands would both qualify. At our October meeting, SORO NC voted to amend our bylaws to allow (but not mandate) a selection process if an election cannot be held. You can see that language here (scroll to the end of the PDF).

At this point, we do not know if we'll be having a City Clerk-conducted election in 2012, but we'll keep you up to date as events unfold. If you have an opinion on the proposed ordinance pro or con, we urge you to contact your City Council member immediately.

The Robertson Recreation Center has been a fixture of the community for years, but the building itself is decaying. Fortunately, Proposition K created substantial funding for park projects. Councilmember Koretz and his staff are working to use some of those funds to revamp our Rec Center. It's still very early in the process.

Since the project affects so many in our community, SORO NC will hold a Town Hall so that you can hear directly from City planners and engineers, ask questions, raise concerns, and voice support.


The event will be the first chance to the community to learn about the proposed scope of the project and see early concept sketches (SORO NC will continue to hold smaller public meetings throughout the process to keep everyone in the loop).

You can read more about it at our Town Hall page. Hope to see you there!

Update: we'll continue to have public meetings about the Rec Center, so be sure to sign up to be notified via email, Facebook, or Twitter. And if you have thoughts about what you'd like to see in a new Rec Center, email us at parkideas@soronc.org.

District 5 Councilmember Paul Koretz will be holding a public meeting to discuss the proposed expansion of the Pressman Academy. 


This is a great opportunity to discuss your views, concerns, and thoughts on the project. If you can't make it to the meeting, the Councilmember invites you to call, write, or email his office. More information in his meeting announcement.

More information about the project can be found here and here.

Beginning next month on October 13th, environmental experts from Sustainable Works will begin the first of three six-workshop series conducted at three different venues convenient to SORO residents: Westside Pavilion (Oct 2011), Fairfax High School (Oct 2011), and Temple Isaiah (April 2012).

These classes are being offered for FREE via a $45,000 grant secured by Council District 5 through LADWP and the US Department of Energy.

The six-week workshops meet once a week for 90 minutes. Over the course of the six evenings, you will learn how to reduce your impact on the earth by living more sustainable lives, as well as practical information for how to reduce your energy and water bills, reduce your waste and make better consumer choices regarding transportation and food. Each attendee will get lots of free goodies such as aerators, low-flow showerheads, CFL's, and tire pressure gauges. In addition, each evening, Sustainable Works will conduct a free raffle of compost bins, worm bins, rain barrels and many more items. Download the workshop flyer for more information.

For dates, times, and addresses and to pre-register for any series visit:

Council Member Paul Koretz of Council District 5 said:
"Every day, we make decisions that can have a positive or negative impact on the earth, with every one of us playing a vital role. I hope these programs can show all of us—our neighbors, friends and relatives, that we no longer need to feel overwhelmed by ballooning water and energy bills. Although we face diminishing resources, our communities must be empowered by the knowledge that our simple day-to-day choices can have a direct impact on our present and future lives."

Don’t pass up this wonderful opportunity to learn how you can reduce your impact on mother earth. Sign up for a class and share this information with your neighbors and community. We'll all be better off for it.

In case you haven't yet heard, the 405 will be closed the weekend of July 16 – 17. It is guaranteed to be a driving nightmare, and your best bet is to stay home—or even better, stay home and patronize local SORO businesses.

But you may not know that the Metro Transit Authority will start shutting down ramps as early as 7pm Friday the 15th, and won't have everything open until 6am Monday the 18th. Be sure to make alternate travel plans.

Update: Congratulations to the Metro team for reopening the I-405 17 hours early.

On Friday, July 1, Councilmember Wesson, his  staff, and SORO NC brings the family-friendly animated film Alpha and Omega to our own Reynier Park (2803 Reynier Ave.). Bring your family and friends for a beautiful night of movie-watching under the stars. 

Best part: it's free. All of it. Including the movie, hot dogs, candy, and popcorn. (We do recommend bringing a blanket for the ground.) Festivities begin at 7pm and we'll start the movie as soon as it's dark enough.