Category: Community News

August 2023 Board News

8/22/2023

Compiled by Patrick Comiskey, photo by Zig.

Thirty-two people attended the August 22 Board Meeting including nine board members and the management team. Topics discussed include rainwater catchment plans being developed for Baldwin Hills, an art show event in the Clubhouse, custom white board purchases, and committee personnel updates.

BALDWIN HILLS ELEMENTARY: 80 YEARS AND GOING STRONG

6/24/2023

By Marie Germaine, Court 12

Baldwin Hills Elementary School (BHES) is proud to be in its 80th year of successful public service to the Baldwin Village community.

Since 2016, the school has been obliged to share space as a Proposition 39 co-location (shared campus) with a charter school. In response, Village Green families and supportive neighbors formed Neighbors in Action for Baldwin Hills Elementary School and joined BHES teachers, parents, and other neighbors in advocating for BHES to become a charter-free campus. Supporters wrote letters, signed petitions, spoke at LAUSD board meetings, and met with LAUSD officials and local and state representatives.

Resident Appointed to City Cultural Affairs Department

5/20/2023

By Molly O’Brien, Court 14

Court 14 resident Asantewa Olatunji was sworn in on May 3rd as a commissioner for the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA). She had been nominated by Mayor Karen Bass.

The DCA promotes arts and culture as a way to ignite powerful dialogue and ensure that LA's varied cultures are recognized, acknowledged, and experienced. Olatunji has been an integral player in shaping the cultural landscape of Los Angeles for 30+ years as General Manager and Director of Programming for the Pan African Film + Arts Festival (PAFF). She originated PAFF’s annual fine arts show, which attracts an estimated 75,000 people annually.

Closer to home, in summer 2021 Olatunji facilitated the VG Cultural Affairs Committee's screening of To Sleep with Anger and subsequent conversation with the film's renowned director, Charles Burnett.

"I am thrilled and excited about this appointment,” she said.

Congratulations, Asantewa!

Tags: Community News, People of the Green, Online-only Stories

Resident Appointed to Mayor’s Task Force

4/22/2023

VG’s Safety Committee reported that longtime Court Council chair Nat Hutton has been appointed to Mayor Bass’ Homeless Task Force.

Years ago, Nat operated L.A. Family Housing, the largest homeless shelter in the San Fernando Valley. Here at the Green, he informally monitors the homeless situation on our perimeters and stays in touch with LAPD officers.

Tags: Community News, Court Council, People of the Green

fEBRUARY 2023 BOARD NEWS

2/28/2023

Compiled by P.J.C.

The February 28 Board meeting drew 38 people, including the nine Board members, staff, residents, and guests Gina Fields and Kathy Guyton from the Empowerment Congress West Area (ECWA).

Topics discussed include our new Facilities Engineer, serpentine wall repair, landscape restoration along Sycamore Ave., and more!

Black History Month Movie Screening Event

2/26/2023

By Lucy Fried, photo by Avelene Schodorf

A packed audience viewed resident Adisa Septuri’s latest film, “Ifine”, in the Fireside Room on February 26, with a lively question and comment period afterwards adeptly managed by moderator Carolynn (“Fruity”) Middleton.

January 2023 Management Report

1/23/2023

Compiled by Lucy Fried

Manager Sherri Giles’ updated the Board of Directors on topics including: laundry machine maintenance, the electrical upgrade project, AT&T land-line service, garage inspections, residential building maintenance, and updates on our grounds.

The Bowl at Kenneth Hahn Will Get an Upgrade

12/10/2022

Kenneth Hahn State Park, the green space just uphill from the Village Green, is planning a makeover for “the Bowl,” the vast bowl-shaped expanse at the center of the park (31 acres) that once was a Tongva dwelling. It was also home to an unnatural disaster in 1963, when the reservoir situated there sprang a leak, resulting in catastrophic and fatal floods, affecting many properties, including ours.

Dear Neighbor…

10/22/2022

An ongoing column from former HIGHLIGHTS editor Lucy Fried

Did you see the KABC-TV news piece about the recent rally in front of Baldwin Hills Elementary School (BHES)? No? It was a protest against LAUSD placing a charter school on their campus, and teachers, parents, kids, and neighbors were demanding that LAUSD return the eight classrooms and special education spaces they had given to the charter.

Baldwin teacher and UTLA board member Marie Germaine (Court 12) called on the LAUSD to support Baldwin Hills Elementary as a charter-free campus and return the classrooms and other areas Baldwin needs for their Pilot and Community School programs.

How will the Mills Act Program Assessment affect VG?

8/20/2022

It's The $658,000 Question

By Daniel Millner, Court 5

In June 2022, the City of Los Angeles released a comprehensive “Mills Act Program Assessment and Equity Analysis” containing 32 recommended changes. Chief among them is the possibility that existing Mills Act contracts, including our own, will not be renewed once they expire. If City Council approves this change, Village Green residents would lose over $658,000 per year in property tax savings.

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