2:00 Discovery Prep
Met with Sheryl S. to tour the school spaces. We needed another, more thorough look as we plan the details of living there. I had a list of questions, many of which got answered.
Xanthia used a Flip Cam to really help us remember the spaces and it’s a good thing she did. I see things on film (well, you know..) that I didn’t in person.
3:00p Maclay Community Center
Esther V is really maybe our biggest advocate in Pacoima right now. And she is really helping us out herself as well as introducing us to others and giving us access to people who know people! It was great for Xanthia to meet Esther for the first time. (X has been in 3 Truths rehearsals more than Pacoima lately.) Esther is going to let us use the two empty bungalow classrooms for rehearsal space! She is going to work with us to make all our hours—including nights and weekends—happen! She also sounded prepared to host us as a venue if need be, too, though we didn’t discuss that too much. She is very enthusiastic about performing the play at the community garden which is great to hear. She recommended making an appointment with City Councilperson Richard Alarcon to tell him about the project in person and asking for his assistance. She also said that it takes at least 2 weeks to get onto his schedule.
5:30p Mesa Meeting at Community Garden
Juliette was able to join us for this meeting! The Mesa Meeting was less formal than I expected, even for a meeting in a garden! Roxana from YSC was there. Also Odelia who we met at the Parent Center Directors’ meeting hosted by Esther. [Odelia is fantastic. She is one of the founders of the garden. She’s ready to audition for the play. She told us about a play she was in not long ago—a benefit or other special event at one of the schools?) and how fun it was to wear a costume, to pretend to be someone else, even though she had to tell her legs to stop shaking. Odelia’s 15 yr old daughter Nubia is also apparently a powerhouse onstage, acting and singing.]
Also at the meeting Laura Robledo (another founder, maybe 20 yrs), Julio Alfaro, youth organizer for YSC at the garden, who we met 2 weeks ago. Carlos, a gardener. Juan, another gardener who was trying to resolve an increasing problem regarding keys and access for gardeners. Javier a young person who was extremely polite and friendly and shy. Another gardener and another boy. Later another couple gardeners stopped by.
We started off the meeting with Roxana introducing us. Everyone present seems to know about the play idea, everyone is supportive. We suggested they do share the idea with the individual family gardeners too.
They discussed the key/access issue and created a schedule for volunteers to take turns minding the gate and access a few designated hours each day.
I’ll go to the Youth Council Meeting at the garden on Friday afternoon. I’d like to talk with them about what their ideas are, how we can help facilitate some of their dreams (ie: performance stage), and maybe they can take advantage of audience coming in and sell water, or do something to represent as Project Youth Green.
6:30p Neighborhood Council Meeting
Juliette and I attended, arrived a bit late because of previous meeting. There was even more loud music and women dancing with their class in the courtyard! I find it pretty great rather than distracting. It’s fun to see, at any point in the meeting, EVERYONE slightly dancing in their chairs to the influential rhythms of Stevie Wonder, for example.
Started with 10 Council members present, 2 absent. 16 stakeholders in attendance. Ended with 13 Council members plus 3 absent and 4 stakeholders, and 3 of us were not really stakeholders.
Announcements included: a gentleman marking Malcolm X’s birthday and somewhat vaguely seeking the council’s condemnation of Arizona’s latest anti-immigration laws, Pacoima Beautiful (4 women, 3 of whom maybe were working w/P.B as volunteers on this project) sharing a report that supported a request to create “No Trucks” routes in specific neighborhood locations with proposed alternate truck routes, and “Chef Jeff” a new resident who has training (experience?) as a first responder with the Red Cross and is also a self-employed caterer, and john Hernandez, another new resident who is opening an insurance office in Pacoima also introduced himself.
A presentation was made by someone with (probably) city development office about some programming cuts (budget) and a lawnmower trade-in program (old mower for new environmentally friendlier one).
Similar to last month, some new council members were voted in on the spot including: Fanny Long (former board member and mother of current board member Rebecca Long), Mr. Jeeter (former board member who is retiring from CSUN-35 yrs-- in June) as well as Chef Jeff and John Hernandez.
Maggie Estrada, Pacoima Field Rep for Alarcon’s office, then presented the outgoing Councilmembers with certificates of thanks and acknowledgement – even though most of them rejoined the board immediately! Maggie looked gorgeous in a fuschia pink dress, btw.
Lots of mutual thanks and good will was formally expressed.
Then committee chairs and vice chairs need to be nominated and elected and committees formed.
Rosie invited all to join the chamber of commerce which meets on 3rd Thursdays and the Vice President of the Sylmar Neighborhood Council invited everyone to attend their meetings.
After the meeting, as the next meeting impatiently burst in (PNC went over 10 minutes), Juliette spoke with Council President Ed Johnson and with former president Ruben Garcia and GOT THEIR CONACT INFO! Ruben is very ready to audition—he wants to be the latino John Candy. I spoke with Maggie about how to get approval for park access after hours for 11 days of our project. She says budget cuts might make that difficult. (Ugh.)
It was a gorgeous evening as we left. And we were reminded about how very hot it will be in July.
No comments:
Post a Comment