GIGA GRANADA HILLS

Maria used to be in Northridge, at Tampa and Rinaldi. Then she moved to Devonshire and Reseda. Then she moved to Granada Hills. And I have followed her each time, like a dog at her heels. That's because Maria understands me, and she understands my hair. I'd like to think that my psychic waves of need drew her closer and closer to Granada Hills, but I know I'm not the only person who can't bear to imagine a world without her. Just a few weeks ago, a woman came up to me at the gym and said, "I love your hair -- who cuts it for you?" "Maria Milanes," I said, and a third woman who'd overheard us exclaimed, "Maria does my hair too!" "Wow!" I said. And then, the three of us just stood together silently, in a moment of quiet reverence. "Did you just get your hair cut?" a friend of mine asked at a party. "Um, four months ago," I answered. "This is that same haircut!?" she replied in awe. ...

All six City Council District 12 candidates will appear at a reception tonight at 6pm the Senior Activities Center, 10100 Balboa Blvd., Granada Hills, with a forum to follow at 7pm. Can't make it out tonight? Interviews with all candidates are online at the GigaGranadaHills YouTube channel: click here .

VOTE on who will run the new Granada Hills high school - Tomorrow, JANUARY 29! The LAUSD is holding an advisory vote on who will run the new high school located at 10445 Balboa Blvd., Granada Hills, 91344 (Balboa near Devonshire): VRHS#4 (Valley Regional High School #4). The new school falls under the LAUSD Board Resolution for Public School Choice (PSC). Under this provision, an application process has been developed for LAUSD educators, charter school operators, partnerships, non-profits and other independent groups to submit plans aimed at improving student achievement. From the Daily News: " Nine applicants have submitted proposals to run all or portions of these two schools. Among those applications is a proposal by district officials to launch a performing arts high school on the Granada Hills campus. The high-performing Granada Hills charter high school is also b...

I'm sure I'm not the only person who's been wondering why Brad Smith pulled the quizzical move of pulling out of the City Council race and then getting back in again just a week later. So I quizzicaled him, and here's what he had to say. GGH : Why did you drop out of the race, and then get back in again? Smith : Because like everyone else in this economy, I had to weigh very real family obligations -- I’m the sole income earner in my family, and for the first couple of months, I could work during the day and campaign at night and on the weekend. But when I got the endorsements from the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley and the L.A. County Democratic Party, it made it a very different type of campaign. My employer had been very supportive, but it came to a point where I had to make a very, very tough decision. I want to serve our community, but simply put, Maria and I are not millionaires. We have only one income. We have kids. We need health insurance....

Brad Smith is back in the race for City Council. Smith, who withdrew on January 13, on January 19 sent a letter to supporters that said, "One week ago, we had to put this campaign on hold because of very real issues that anyone working in today's economy can identify with; today, those issues have been resolved." Related posts: Brad Smith Withdraws From Campaign Candidate Interview Series: Brad Smith