FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Brian Lewis , Marathon Communications (323) 655-4660

JANUARY 2, 2014

Friends of the Hollywood Central Park Pay Tribute to Community Leaders

HOLLYWOOD—The Friends of the Hollywood Central Park (FHCP) will pay tribute to the real stars of Hollywood on Jan. 9, 2014 when it honors community leaders at its annual For the Love of Hollywood celebration.

A nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a 44-acre street-level park over the Hollywood Freeway in a densely populated and park-poor area of the city, FHCP will recognize the accomplishments of leaders whose dedication to the Hollywood Central Park is helping to transform this dream into a reality.

“There is no doubt the Hollywood Central Park will have a positive and profound impact on generations of Angelenos,” said 13th District City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, the honorary chair of this year’s event.  “The unique design of this wonderful public space will connect us as neighbors, inspire the dreamers, and establish an even greater sense of pride in our community.”

This year’s honorees are: 43rd District Assembly Member Mike Gatto; Maj. Gen. Anthony Jackson, California State Parks Director; Sharyn Romano of the Hollywood/Los Angeles Beautification Team; and the Southern California Association of Governments.

• Mike Gatto was first elected to the State Assembly in June 2010.  He is a lifelong resident of the 43rd District, born in Franklin Hills and attending schools in Glendale, Los Feliz, and Silver Lake.  Before joining the state Legislature, Gatto worked extensively in government and the private sector.  He is a graduate of UCLA and Loyola Law School.
• Major General Anthony L. Jackson was appointed Director of California State Parks in November 2012 following a 24-year career in the US. Marine Corps.  He is a graduate of San Jose State University, the Armed Forces Staff College and the U.S. Army War College.
• Created in 1992 by President and CEO Sharyn Romano, the Hollywood/Los Angeles Beautification Team’s mission is to enhance the quality of life by teaching and empowering people to change their environments through community capacity building, physical improvements and job creation.  Streetscape projects include installation of medians, brick sidewalks, street furniture, and trees in Encino, Granada Hills, Hollywood, Northridge, Sherman Oaks, and Van Nuys.  
• Founded in 1965, the Southern California Association of Governments is a joint powers authority established as an association of local governments and agencies that voluntarily convene as a forum to address regional issues. The SCAG region encompasses six counties (Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura) and 191 cities.  The agency develops long-range regional transportation plans, regional transportation improvement programs, regional housing needs allocations, and a portion of the South Coast Air Quality management plans.

Friends of the Hollywood Central Park was created in December 2008 to raise funds to create a park above the Hollywood Freeway between Santa Monica Boulevard and Hollywood Boulevard.  The Hollywood Central Park is a landmark infrastructure project that will reunite communities separated for 60 years by the freeway, create 40,000 jobs, provide economic stimulus and long-term economic security, build healthy communities, and provide children with open green space in which to grow and thrive.  The park will transform Hollywood’s disadvantaged communities into thriving economic engines and is an investment in our children, our community and our future.

The park began as an idea more than 30 years ago.  In 2006 it progressed from a Hollywood Chamber of Commerce initiative to a Hollywood community coalition, with support from then-LA City Council President Eric Garcetti and the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency.  Three years later, in 2009, saw the launch of Friends of the Hollywood Central Park.  

In 2012 a significant milestone toward building the park was achieved when, thanks to a $1.2 million donation from the Aileen Getty Foundation and $825,000 from the City of Los Angeles, work began on the environmental impact report.  This past year, Congressman Adam Schiff convened a meeting with the Federal Highway Administration, Caltrans, and the City of Los Angeles to outline an environmental impact report framework and timeline. The Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, EIR lead agency, anticipates the release of the Initial Study and Notice of Preparation in January 2014.  It is projected that the scoping session will be scheduled for the end of January with a Draft EIR circulated to the community by the third quarter of 2014.

This year’s event held at the Taglyan Complex and hosted by Richard Montoya of Culture Clash is made possible through the support of Gold Sponsors:  Aileen Getty Foundation and Millennium Hollywood; Silver Sponsors: Author Services, First Carbon Solutions, Kaiser Permanente, and Sheppard Mullin; and Bronze Sponsors: Alliance Residential, Beverly Hills/Greater Los Angeles Association of Realtors, Bowery Enterprises, Children’s Hospital, CIM, GO! Goldman Organization, Hollywood International Regional Center, Palladium Residences, Paramount Contractors, Psomas, Roschen Van Cleve Architects, Thaddeus Hunter Smith, Sunset Gower-Sunset Bronson Studios, TSA Housing, Taglyan Complex, and Tailwaggers.

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