If you watch an old episode of "Little House on the Prairie" or "The Andy Griffith Show" you'll see some of the lead characters serving on the town council, often making important (most of the time) decisions about their community.

In these communities or smaller cities in our area such as Burbank, Santa Clarita or Pasadena for example government is very close to the people and can be accountable and responsible in ways that a big city like Los Angeles can not.

Here in NoHo, we're part of the City of Los Angeles. Unfortunately our representative on the City Council doesn't live nor work here in our burg. Best intentions aside, not having feet on the ground it's difficult to respond and make the decisions that benefit our community as we see fit.

Helping to balance that out some is the City's system of elected Neighborhood Councils. Neighborhood Councils are made up of stakeholders from the community who serve, unpaid, to advise the City on important issues facing our community.

Wikipedia says that "The vision of a citywide system of independent and influential neighborhood councils, and the creation of a city department to guide that process, was the centerpiece of a new City Charter that was approved by the voters in June 1999 in the City of Los Angeles, California."

The Mid-Town North Hollywood Neighborhood Council meets the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. normally at Maurice Sendak Elementary School, 11414 West Tiara St. (near Lankershim and Oxnard), however this is subject to change so please check ahead of time. For more information about the Council please contact President Cary Adams at cavalleyboy@earthlink.net.