Today, L.A.'s Griffith Park will be graced with the final blossoming cherry tree of a newly planted "Friendship Grove" in the park. A century after Japan gifted the U.S. with thousands of flowering cherry trees to be planted in our nation's capital in 1912, City Councilman Tom LaBonge will plant the last of ten freshly implanted cherry trees in the park. more ›

Redistricting is going on in the City of Los Angeles, and today, quite literally, the political landscape of local government has been rocked by the proposed boundary lines for our 15 Council Districts. more ›

On the heels of the recent four-day rash of 53 arson fires in Hollywood, West Hollywood, North Hollywood, Burbank and Sunland, councilmembers are calling on the Department of Building and Safety to expedite building permit reviews for victims. more ›

Authorities believe the same arsonist or arsonists responsible for multiple fires early Friday morning in the Hollywood and West Hollywood area struck again early Saturday morning, this time in the Fairfax district and the North Hollywood area. An estimated 11 car fires set in the early morning hours have been added to the disturbing and growing chain of fires set by an unknown suspect or suspects. more ›

It's almost Christmas, and that means presents, trees, (Chinese food for us Jews), and marathon viewings of "It's a Wonderful Life," the 1946 classic starring James Stewart as as building and loan operator George Bailey. To celebrate the 65th anniversary of this yuletide favorite, City News Service reports that a ceremony will be held on the Walk of Fame at 10:30 a.m. more ›

It's a well-known fact that tourists in L.A. are anxious to visit the Hollywood sign. But lately, with the aid of GPS devices and tour buses, an increasing number of out-of-towners have been finding their way to quiet residential streets in the Hollywood Hills.According to NBC Los Angeles, those who live in the area are split down the middle about the issue. more ›

If you've ever driven through the NoHo Arts District and noticed a curious barrel-shaped building and its run-down front and wondered what the heck it was, and, moreover, why no one was doing anything about it, wonder no more: This former restaurant is going to be restored and reopened soon. Hooray! more ›

Things are a-changin' over at 4401 Sunset Boulevard, the longtime home of newly-independent TV station KCET, and soon to be programming beaming base of the Church of Scientology. However, when a few bricks were removed from the site, City Councilman Tom LaBonge called for further investigation, to ensure all parties involved with the property were complying with the guidelines for alterations to a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument. more ›

The Los Angeles Zoo is struggling to meet its payroll, and with the current state of the city's budget, there isn't likely to be an influx of cash streaming in from the coffers any time soon. One solution on the table is to turn the Zoo over to a private operator who can afford to run the attraction, according to the Press-Telegram. more ›

After years of false starts and delays, finally some good news for NoHo Arts District residents: A 7-screen Laemmle movie theatre complex is going in at 5200 Lankershim Boulevard, according to NoHo Arts District.com. Ground breaking is scheduled for next week, and construction should be done by the end of the year. more ›

To prepare for the upcoming March 8, 2011 elections, LAist has contacted each candidate on the City of L.A.'s Official Candidate List to participate in a Q&A. In this edition of "Meet the Candidates," we hear from Council District 4 incumbent Councilmbember Tom LaBonge (Facebook). The district includes Atwater Village, Griffith Park, Hollywood, Los Feliz, Miracle Mile, North Hollywood, Silver Lake, Studio City and Toluca Lake. more ›

Councilmember Tom LaBonge has sought City Council approval for a $50,000 reward in the case of Jong Kim, a business man who was shot and killed outside his North Hollywood home late last year. Kim was gunned down on his way to his home on Chiquita Street near Lankershim Boulevard on November 18th, 2010. Troubling his family, associates, and detectives is the lack of motive for the crime. more ›

Smokers, and smoking supporters, put a big red circle on your calendar on March 8th, because that's the first day of enforcement for a ban on smoking on outdoor eating areas in the City of Los Angeles. The motion, first introduced in 2008 by Councilman Greig Smith, and seconded by Tom LaBonge, will see to it there will be no second hand smoke with your meal on outdoor patios of establishments where food is served. more ›

Arts Month was kicked into high gear last week with a rousing set of performances and an announcement of all the special events this January on the plaza at the Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles. In its third year, the annual month-long celebration aims to encourage locals and visitors to get out and see a play, take a look at some art, or soak up some culture at theatres, galleries, and museums all over town. more ›

Two years ago this month, a group of friends after a night of Hollywood clubbing had the munchies, but had no where to turn for some late-night eats, specifically Korean food. A month later, one of them took that inebriated desire and turned it into a business: Kogi BBQ, an agglomeration of the classic L.A. taco truck with Korean food. more ›

Tuesday's gubernatorial debate may be canceled, but that doesn't mean sparks will be flying during a different event. 89.3 FM KPCC will be hosting a their own debate about food trucks and L.A.'s driver to curb them. On one side of the table there will be Tom LaBonge, the L.A. City Councilmember who has introduced motions and held a public hearing about regulating trucks. On the other side, food trucks supporters and owners. Larry Mantle of Airtalk will moderate. more ›

There was 9/02/10 day last month and 10/10/10 this Sunday, but today is 10-4 day. more ›

Today's LA Times includes an opinion piece by the LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold in defense of food trucks. Specifically in defense of the trucks as they face potential political foes such as Councilmen Paul Koretz and Tom La Bonge, both who have made waves--and enemies--for calling for tougher regulations or, in some cases, getting rid of them altogether. Recently, La Bonge proposed creating specific zones for truck parking. more ›

John North at ABC7 this afternoon took a great look at the salaries of Los Angeles City Councilmembers. The question is, with a $179,000 salary and other compensation -- you'll often hear people say this makes them the highest paid councilmembers in the nation -- how can they justify furloughing city employees during this massive budget deficit? more ›

Yesterday, a video showed that things on the 5700 block of Wilshire Boulevard were getting ugly, or at least in one instance where a Museum Square employee lashed violently out at a pro-food truck office worker (for background on the issue, read this story). Now, posted under the same anonymous YouTube account, comes this video that shows LaBonge with Museum Square management. more ›

In an opinion piece published today in the Daily News, Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge (CD4) asserts the need to expand the region's rail transit lines in order to alleviate traffic. more ›

Los Angeles has over 100 outdoor public staircases. As any cyclist knows, carrying a bike up and down them is doable, but can be a major inconvenience and something that may stop new riders from taking a stab at the mode of transportation. more ›

It's been a year and half after debate began to officially (and finally) define the borders of Koreatown and to create a new community called Little Bangladesh. The process did not start off affably -- in fact, it was quite the opposite -- but at a city council committee meeting on Wednesday where the two communities were recommended for approval, only praise could be given by all parties involved. more ›

Food trucks are nothing new and have been part of the Southern Californian culture for decades. In fact, an estimated 6,000 roam the streets of Los Angeles County today. But with their recent rise in popularity, specifically due to new gourmet ones, there have been impacts. Some of those impacts are about the law, such as illegally parking, and others are ethical, like parking a food truck smack dab in front of a restaurant. more ›

L.A.'s city council transportation committee today will be focusing on food trucks, which , depending on where you stand, are either beloved or bothersome. Today, three motions aimed at possible regulations will be discussed, but the dialogue will likely end up diving into misconceptions about operating a truck and the purpose of parking. more ›

They can revitalize a desolate street corner with a tweet, but also potentially take business away from a restaurant when parked nearby. Food trucks have taken Los Angeles by storm over the last year and a half and politicians have taken notice. more ›

“I’m a supporter of the tourism industry of Los Angeles,” said Councilmember Tom LaBonge, who introduced a motion on Tuesday. “I want to do everything possible to make sure a Los Angeles tour is a great experience for all who visit our city. I also want to lessen the impact of those tours on the neighborhoods. This modest change will address the issues brought to me by residents in high-tour areas.” more ›