The Fight For the Neighborhood Council in Studio City

Yesterday on doorsteps of homes in Studio City came flyers telling people to vote in today's Studio City Neighborhood Council (SCNC) election.

Yesterday in the e-mail boxes of many Valley residents was an e-mail telling them to vote tomorrow.

If you know anything about Neighborhood Councils... Actually, let's rephrase that. If you don't know anything about Neighborhood Councils and these elections, there is a good reason to that: outreach is hard.

So one would think the print collateral and unsolicited e-mails were some great steps in marketing by the Neighborhood Council. But look closely and you will see the Neighborhood Council was not behind these. The flyers are from the Concerned Stakeholders of Studio City (CSSC) and the e-mail is by a group named Quality of Life Studio City, which includes a few incumbents. One candidate is listed on both solicitations.

If this slightly organized political action is a sign of the times, it points to Neighborhood Councils becoming a much more powerful force to reckon within the future. The city is changing, much of it by the seeds of grassroots.

If you do live in Studio City, you really should vote. Voting is from 2:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Walter Reed Middle School at 4525 Irvine Avenue. Short candidate statements and other information can be found on their webpage.