Northeast Valley Pulse: August 2020
Development
The Importance of leaving a legacy
Legacy – noun.
Law. A gift of property, especially personal property, as money, by will; a bequest. anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor
What does it mean to leave a legacy? In simple terms, a legacy is passed from one generation to the next and often refers to gifts of money or property. However, leaving a personal legacy involves more than the financial assets you bestow on the younger generation. It is often a means in which you share your area of interest, show gratitude by investing into the future.
A lasting legacy is all about the actions you take during your life and the way those actions affect how people remember you. People learn how to leave a legacy to ensure their loved ones will be taken care of when they’re gone, and always remember them with love.
Finances are the most tangible part of a lasting legacy — it’s important to make sure you’re leaving your loved ones in a manageable situation when you’re gone. One of the first steps to ensure a solid financial legacy is to be clear about where all your assets will go. Creating a detailed will can help alleviate stress on loved ones by leaving nothing up to interpretation.
If you’re able, put your finances to good use and make a difference in the lives of others. If there is a particular charitable organization, project, or cause that deals with something near and dear to your heart, setting up a recurring donation or considering even a fraction of one’s overall estate as part of your planned giving can make a difference. You’ll see the positive results of your gift and know that you’ll continue to help others for years to come. Whether at work or at home, the way you act and what you pass down to others will shape your legacy. This includes not only the way you treat and inspire others, but the financial state in which you leave your loved ones.
Please consider Pacoima Beautiful in your planning. Questions? Please reach out to Lupe Ramos-Silva at (818) 590-2127 or email at lramos-silva@pacoimabeautiful.org.
Youth Organizing
Conservation Continues Through the Jr. Field Rangers Program
The Jr. Field Rangers program, now in its sixth year, is a collaboration program between Pacoima Beautiful, the National Forest Foundation and the US. Forest Service, aimed at preventing further degradation of the forest, increasing awareness of land use ethics on forest recreation areas, and providing youth with job skills and exposure to future careers in the outdoors. The group is made up of eight YUTEP students and two crew bosses who provide outreach and perform conservation work. Our participants also take part in a California Naturalist Course that strengthens their science and interpretation skills.
Traditionally the program consists of performing daily Rapid Trash Assessment (RTA) and keeping track of the individual items found in creeks and picnic areas. The crew then cleans up areas throughout the entire picnic sites and near the Big Tujunga Creek. In addition to conservation work, participants also survey visitors on their use.
This year youth are continuing the work of reaching out to the underrepresented urban youth of Los Angeles, getting them active in nature and connecting our community to the Angeles National Forest. Due to the Covid 19 pandemic the program has been modified to ensure the safety of our participants and the public. Youth will be leading a social media campaign focused on engaging the public on topics such as sustainable recreation practices, nature interpretation, and information on impacts of uses. In addition, the team will conduct online surveys to collect data and visitor input about their experience visiting the forest.
Community Organizing
PB Kids ushers in a new generation of Environmental Justice.
Born out of a need to have environmental justice programming available for young children in our community our “little sprouts” were germinated over the summer of 2019. PB kids has met regularly over the past few months using zoom and facebook live.
In recent sessions, the theme of wildlife animals and safety has been covered. PB Kids were joined by special visitor, JR Rangers Kyle and Nathan, who led a great workshop about the common animals that exist in our nearby mountains.
We look forward to restarting our in-person programming and visiting the outdoors with PB Kids soon.
Policy
Methane Leak at Valley Generating Station
During the August 25, 2020 LADWP Board of Commissioners meeting General Manager Martin Adams reported that a recent emissions study conducted by JPL found significant amount of methane (300 kg/hour) emitting from the Valley Generating Station. During the report LADWP staff admitted to previously knowing about a methane leak originating from faulty compressor equipment as early as September 2019. Staff believes the leak has been occurring at least a year prior to that. The plan originally presented by LADWP staff called for fixing the faulty compressor in November 2020.
Pacoima Beautiful was quick to organize a community response. Over 2,600 community members signed a petition calling for the immediate closure of the facility until all necessary repairs are made. PB was also able to garner support from US Congressman Tony Cardenas, CA assemblywoman Luz Rivas, and LA City Council President Nury Martinez. Congressman Cardenas and Council President Martinez both spoke at a rally organized by Pacoima Beautiful at the Valley Generating Station site on September 8, 2020.
As a result of massive community pressure, LADWP has been able to find a way to fix the compressor enough in order to lower the leak’s emission by 95%. However, that does not fix the lack of transparency and accountability from our utility with regards to the Valley facility.
Pacoima Beautiful and the LA Clean Energy Coalition have been engaging with LADWP regarding the future of Valley Generating Station and the need to close gas burning operations, in order to avoid accidents such as methane leaks, and transition to clean energy generation and storage. We will continue our push to shut down gas operation at LADWP. Pacoima Beautiful has called for a community meeting with LADWP to discuss in detail how the leak happened, how much emissions were released, and plans to close gas operations.