ECHO PARK RESIDENT COURTS ATWATER VILLAGE VOTERS

Jose Sigala

Meet Jose Sigala: an Echo Park resident, a former aide to indicted City Councilman Richard Alarcon and now a L.A. City Council candidate for the 13^th District.

Atwater residents have recently spotted Sigala in and around the village introducing himself to local voters; many who may not know him at all or as well as their Echo Park counterparts. While not as well known in Atwater some could argue that Sigala has developed a notoriety of sorts in his community of Echo Park. A notoriety closely linked to his leadership style of Echo Park's neighborhood council. 

A popular east-side blog, The Eastsider L.A., notes that "Sigala’s six-year tenure as head of the Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council has often been marked by contentious meetings and feuding board members". In one such meeting the Eastsider reports that Sigala was given the unflattering nickname of “Mr. Fat, Bald-Headed, Mussolini” by a fellow board member and former ally. What ensued there after was a "junior high school-like" exchange between Sigala and the board member.

This so-called “junior high school-like” behavior could cause some voters to rethink wither or not Sigala is viable candidate and worth voting for. 

Who needs Jerry Springer when we got the Echo Park neighborhood council  [Eastsider LA]

Echo Park neighborhood council leader enters race for Council District 13 [Eastsider LA]

Jose Sigala for City Council [Official Website]

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Daily Briefing, 10/11/12

Good morning, and happy Thursday Lehigh Valley!

Today we will be hosting another debate as State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R) & John Reynard (D) debate for the 134th Legislative District seat. This debate will be moderated by Tony Iannelli, President & CEO of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, and will be filmed to air on WFMZ Ch. 69 Business Matters prior to the election. The cost to attend is $18 for Chamber Member ($22 walk-ins) and $36 Non-Members, which includes networking, lunch and the debate.

In local news, the Treasury said smaller Pennsylvania banks increased lending by $379.1 million over their baseline lending. Named in the report was a local Bethlehem bank, Team Capital Bank, which increased small business lending by 38 percent, or $49 million, due to the infusion of $22.4 million in Small Business Lending Fund money. Vice President Biden and Republican Paul Ryan will face off tonight in the VP debate from 9 - 10:30 p.m. on various news channels.

Don't miss these upcoming Chamber events!

Lehigh Valley Mayors’ and Municipal Officials’ Annual Reception - October 16
The Chamber's Annual Healthcare Summit - October 18

Become a fan of The Chamber on facebook to follow all upcoming Chamber events.
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CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE LOOSES NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL ELECTION BID

L.A. City Council (CD13) candidate Rueben Martinez lost an October 6^th election bid for the Atwater Village Neighborhood Council. Martinez, an incumbent on the neighborhood council board, garnered 31 votes of the total 127 ballots casted.

As a long time Atwater resident Martinez ran for one of the two available positions for “South Atwater Residential Rep”, along with 5 other candidates. Martinez lost to newcomer Courtney Morris and incumbent Ginger Damon. 

Click here for complete election results

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ATWATER’S NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL ELECTION WINNERS ARE…

127 ballots were cast for the October 6^th Atwater Village Neighborhood Council board election. The winners are: Bruce Fleenor (101 votes), Karen Knapp(92 votes), Luis Lopez (88 votes), John Ciulik (83 votes), Alex Ventura (79 votes), Lara Pranger (79 votes), Jerry Hoffman (77 votes), Thomas Moss (73 votes), Torin Dunnavant (62 votes), Courtney Morris (61 votes), Brad Balduff(52 votes) and Ginger Damon (38 votes).

Click here to download vote canvass (pdf file)

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ATWATER VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL ELECTION ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6th

The Atwater Village Neighborhood Council’s next election is on October 6th. The election will be held from 10am to 2pm. The election will take place at Christ’s Church of Griffith Park (3852 Edenhurst Ave.). All Atwater Village stakeholders are encouraged to vote.

Eight of the eighteen candidates that are running are not currently on the neighborhood council. The new candidates have a diversity of backgrounds, civil engineering, law enforcement, reality entertainment, law, local business, the arts, and more.

As an incentive to vote, local businesses are offering discounts and giveaways to voters. Participating businesses include: 55 Degree Wine, Bon Vivant, Individual Medley, Indochine, Sweets for the Soul, and Woof Dog Boutique.

The fourteen seats up for election are North Atwater(2), Central Atwater(2), South Atwater(2), Business(2), Community/Non-Profit(2), Religious(2), Schools(1), and Parks(1).

More information about the election can be found here: http://www.atwatervillage.org/node/711

The purpose of the Neighborhood Council system is to promote more public participation in government, making government more responsive to neighborhood needs. Atwater Village has been a part of the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council system since 2003.

More information available at www.atwatervillage.org or contact Elections Committee co-chairs John Ciulik john@atwatervillage.org 

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Daily Briefing, 9/27/12

Good morning and happy Thursday. In case you're not signed up to our eConnections weekly newsletter, click here to get caught up.

In local news, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs once again led the minor league in attendance this year, averaging 9,153 fans per game. The city of Allentown is celebrating its semiquincentennial, or 250th, Anniversary this weekend. There will be various events held today through Saturday to celebrate the occasion, including the Points of Pride parade and community festival on Saturday. Get the whole list of events here. Celtic Classic returns to Bethlehem this weekend, as more than 250,000 people are expected to attend the festival.

In national news, the NFL reached an agreement with the Referees Association, allowing the locked-out officials to return to the field this week. Voters in Iowa will begin voting in the presidential election starting today, marking the first battleground state to begin in-person early voting.

That's it for now, stay tuned to this afternoon's blog for local job postings.
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National Voter Registration Day

Today, September 25, is National Voter Registration Day. The need for a national awareness day followed the election year of 2008, when "6 million Americans didn't vote because they missed a registration deadline or didn't know how to register." The day is now held to create a greater public awareness of voter registration opportunities available to them.

There are volunteers all across the country helping citizens register to vote and also educating them on the importance of voting, not only in the presidential election but in your local elections as well.

If you're a Pennsylvania resident and you're not sure if you're registered to vote, or if you have a new address, visit VotesPA.com to search Pennsylvania's Voter Registration Database. If you're across the river in New Jersey, visit State.NJ.US to confirm or update your voter information.

No matter where you are in the country, make sure to register. Every vote counts!
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EL CONSEJO VECINAL DE ATWATER VILLAGE SIGUE BUSCANDO CANDIDATOS

click here for english version

El Consejo Vecinal de Atwater Village (AVNC) sigue aceptando formularios de candidatura para la elección de nuevo representantes para su junta directiva. Formularios deben ser recibidos el 06 de septiembre o antes para poder calificar como candidato para la elección del 6 de octubre.

Hay 14 puestos vacantes en esta elección que consisten en las siguientes categorías: residencial (6), de negocios (2), grupos comunitarios (2), instituciones religiosas (2), escuela (1) y parques (1).

Formularios de candidatura pueden presentarse en línea, haga clic aquí para más información

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El AVNC es una agencia cuasi-gubernamental fundada en 2003 como parte de la sistema de consejo vecinal en la ciudad de Los Ángeles. El AVNC fue creado con el propósito de "empoderar" a la comunidad de Atwater Village, promoviendo una mayor participación de su ciudadana en el Gobierno municipal para que la cuidad responda mejor a las necesidades locales.

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AHORA ACEPTANDO CANDIDATOS PARA LAS ELECCIONES DEL CONSEJO VECINAL DE ATWATER VILLAGE

click here for english version

El Consejo Vecinal de Atwater Village (AVNC) está aceptando formularios de candidatura para la elección de nuevo representantes para su junta directiva. Formularios deben ser recibidos el 06 de septiembre o antes para poder calificar como candidato para la elección del 6 de octubre.

Hay 14 puestos vacantes en esta elección que consisten en las siguientes categorías: residencial (6), de negocios (2), grupos comunitarios (2), instituciones religiosas (2), escuela (1) y parques (1).

Formularios de candidatura pueden presentarse en línea, haga clic aquí para más información

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El AVNC es una agencia cuasi-gubernamental fundada en 2003 como parte de la sistema de consejo vecinal en la ciudad de Los Ángeles. El AVNC fue creado con el propósito de "empoderar" a la comunidad de Atwater Village, promoviendo una mayor participación de su ciudadana en el Gobierno municipal para que la cuidad responda mejor a las necesidades locales.

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NOW ACCEPTING CANDIDATES FOR ATWATER’S NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL ELECTION

haga clic aquí para versión en español

The Atwater Village Neighborhood Council (AVNC) is now accepting candidate filing forms for their upcoming board election.  Filing forms need to be received by or before September 6^th to qualify as a candidate for the October 6^th election.

There are 14 open seats in this election consisting of the following stakeholder categories: resident (6), business (2), non-profit (2), church (2), school (1) and parks (1).

Candidate filings can be submitted online, click here formore information.

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The AVNC is quasi-governmental agency founded in 2003 as part of L.A.’s citywide neighborhood council system. The AVNC was commissioned to “empower” Atwater Village by promoting more citizen participation in City government and make it more responsive to local needs.

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EL CONSEJO VECINAL DE ATWATER VILLAGE (AVNC) TENDRÁ UNA ELECCIÓN EL 6 DE OCTUBRE DE 2012

click here for english version

El Consejo Vecinal de Atwater Village (AVNC) tendrá una elección para elegir nuevo representantes para su junta directiva el 6 de octubre de 2012. Hay 14 puestos vacantes en esta elección que consisten en las siguientes categorías: residencial (6), de negocios (2), grupos comunitarios (2), instituciones religiosas (2), escuela (1) y parques (1).

Formulario de candidatura serán aceptadas desde el 7 de agosto al 6 de septiembre.

Haz clic aquí para más información.

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El AVNC es una agencia cuasi-gubernamental fundada en 2003 como parte de la sistema de consejo vecinal en la ciudad de Los Ángeles. El AVNC fue creado con el propósito de "empoderar" a la comunidad de Atwater Village, promoviendo una mayor participación de su ciudadana en el Gobierno municipal para que la cuidad responda mejor a las necesidades locales.

La última elección fue en 2010 que fue marcado por un nivel excesivamente bajo de votantes y de candidatos. Sólo 102 electores participaron en esa elección, una cantidad significativamente inferior a los aproximados 15,000 votantes que son elegibles para votar. Además, la participación de los candidatos en esa elección fue la más baja desde el AVNC fue fundada en 2003. Con 14 puestos elegibles sólo 11 candidatos participaron y en casi cada caso se corrió sin oposición.

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ATWATER’S NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL TO HOLD BOARD ELECTION OCTOBER 6TH

The Atwater Village Neighborhood Council (AVNC) will hold their board election on October 6th, 2012. There are 14 open seats in this election consisting of the following stakeholder categories: resident (6), business (2), non-profit (2), church (2), school (1) and parks (1). 

Candidate filings will be accepted from August 7th to September 6th. 

Click here for more information. 

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The AVNC is quasi-governmental agency founded in 2003 as part of L.A.’s citywide neighborhood council system. The AVNC was commissioned to “empower” Atwater Village by promoting more citizen participation in City government and make it more responsive to local needs.

The last general board election was held in 2010 and was marred by low voter and candidate participation.  Only 102 voters partook in that election, significantly less then the approximate 15,000 Atwater Village stakeholders that are eligible to vote. In addition, candidate participation in that election was the lowest since the AVNC was founded in 2003. With 14 electable positions only 11 candidates participated and in almost every case candidates ran unopposed.

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JOSH POST ENTERS CD13 RACE

Josh Post has filed the initial paperwork at the City’s Ethic Commission to run as a candidate for Council District 13 in 2013. Post is an Echo Park resident and a Deputy Attorney General for the California Department of Justice.

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ATWATER’S RUEBEN MARTINEZ TAKES THE PLUNGE

Rueben Martinez has filed the initial paperwork at the City’s Ethic Commission to run as a candidate for Council District 13 in 2013. Martinez is longtime Atwater Village resident and community activist. He currently serves on the Atwater Village Neighborhood Council as South Atwater Representative.

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THE CANDIDATES THUS FAR….

In 2013 communities within City Council District 13 (CD13), which includes Atwater Village, will get a new representative for City Council. CD13’s current representative, Eric Garcetti, is being termed out and pretenders to replace him have already started to lineup.

Two contenders have already submitted the preliminary paperwork at the City’s Ethic Commission to run as candidates: Mitch O’Farrell (Glassell Park) and Scott Crawford (Silver Lake). Three other hopefuls are also expected to follow suit; these include Joshua Post (Echo Park), Jose Sigala (Echo Park) and Rueben Martinez (Atwater Village).

In addition, State Senator Kevin de Leon (22nd District) is also rumored to be running for CD13. De Leon does not live in CD13 but some sections of his senate district overlap it.

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ATWATER’S NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL TAKES INITIAL STEPS FOR A GENERAL BOARD ELECTION IN 2012

At their December 8^th board meeting the Atwater Village Neighborhood Council (AVNC) voted to form an Election Committee. The committee was tasked to organize and oversee a general board election for 2012.  

The current AVNC Board was elected in 2010 for a two year term. The last general board election was marred by low voter and candidate participation.  Only 102 voters partook in the 2010 election, significantly less then the approximate 15,000 stakeholders eligible to vote. In addition, candidate participation in that election was the lowest since the AVNC was founded in 2003. With 14 electable positions only 11 candidates participated and in almost every case candidates ran unopposed.

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For more information on the AVNC Election Committee contact Cindy Marie Jenkins: cindy@atwatervillage.org  

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MITCH O’FARRELL TAKES THE PLUNGE

Mitch O’Farrell has filed the initial paperwork at the City’s Ethic Commission to run as a candidate for Council District 13 in 2013. O’Farrell currently works as Senior Advisor at Council District 13 and is a Glassell Park resident.

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RUMOR MILL: TWO ATWATER VILLAGE CANDIDATES ARE EXPECTED TO RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL IN 2013

Two local “villagers” are rumored to be quietly organizing to run as City Council candidates for the 13th District in 2013. Both soon-to-be candidates are Atwater Village residents and are active in community affairs.

Council District 13th current office holder, Eric Garcetti, will be is termed out of office in 2013.

Another rumored 13th Council District candidate includes Jose Sigala from Echo Park.

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COUNCIL CANDIDATE BOX AND COMMUNITY LEADERS JOIN GOVERNOR BROWN IN ASSAILING LA'S CRA FINANCIAL SHELL GAME

In a light drizzle and speaking before news cameras and reporters, Stephen Box, candidate for City Council representing the 4th District, was joined by about 50 community advocates, neighborhood activists and community watch group members in assailing LA's Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) process, the stashing of nearly 1 billion dollars in public funds, and cited incumbent City Councilmember Tom LaBonge's special relationship with out-of-town developers and political cronies with deep ties to City Hall.

"LA is in a massive budget crisis, facing shortfalls for vital services - police, fire, street and road repair - while the CRA hides $930 million in redevelopment funds in plain view, money which could be used to meet these vital needs," Box said.

"We join Governor Brown in challenging the wisdom and judgment of the City Hall politicians, including the incumbent, Mr. LaBonge, who either don't recognize this fundamental absurdity in fiduciary responsibility," Box continued, "or simply don't care about the sacrifices and hardship the CRA imposes on the people of LA by hiding money during this budget crisis."

"The dozens of people here today represent thousands of fourth district residents and organizations citywide who join me in demanding an end to this financial shell game."

The press event was held at the corner of Garfield Place and Hollywood Boulevard, in front of a 1.8 acre vacant lot wrapped in chain link fencing. Local residents have fought for years to turn the site into a city park for so long that the land is commonly referred to as "Garfield Park." Council Member LaBonge, who has held his seat for a decade, has consistently sided with developers who wish to use the public's money to build commercial development instead of a community park there.

Box is running for LA's City Council, representing District 4, which includes North Hollywood, Toluca Lake, the Hollywood Hills, Mid-City, the Miracle Mile, Hancock Park, Larchmont Village, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, and North Atwater Village.

For more information,

Contact: Claudia Vazquez

Campaign Field Director

ClaudiaEVazquez@gmail.com

Office: (323) 739-4269

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Find your polling place and follow the US Election on the go

The United States midterm election is on Tuesday, November 2, and we encourage all eligible US citizens to get out and vote. We’ve made it easy to find your polling place and follow election news by visiting our Election Center mobile site at m.google.com/elections on your Android-powered phone or iPhone.

Enter the address where you’re registered to vote, and we’ll show you a Google Map of your polling place. The Election Center site also has information about candidates running for office in your area.

So come Tuesday, let your mobile phone guide you to your polling place, and let sanity guide your vote!

Posted by Ryan Pollock, Product Marketing Manager

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