Congratulations to the Class of 2020

I wish to extend my sincerest appreciation and congratulations to all of our graduating high school seniors and college graduates and their families. There is no greater joy than to celebrate your achievements and accomplishments and salute you, even more so this year because you realized these successes in a year full of challenges and barriers. But you persevered and now we want nothing more for our class of 2020 than an abundance of success in all your future endeavors and whatever else you aspire to in the next chapter of your lives.

It is also my sincerest hope everyone had a fun, festive and safe July 4th American Independence Day responsibly surrounded by family and friends. This was a time to collectively celebrate the auspicious 244th birthday of our beloved nation, memorializing and celebrating the service and sacrifice of all of our heroes. They afforded us our freedoms and independence. I feel proud daily to be an American and pray that God continually and abundantly blesses you all and the United States of America.

I am also pleased to share that on June 9 our Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors adopted the Compact Lot Subdivision Ordinance to establish provisions for compact lot subdivisions in the multi-family residential zones in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County. A compact lot subdivision is a land division that creates fee-simple, single-family residential lots, known as compact lots, which are less than the typical minimum area of 5,000 square feet and minimum lot width of 50 feet. The Ordinance goes into effect today, Thursday, July 9. These compact lot subdivision ordinances promote affordable and attainable home ownership opportunities through the allowance of smaller, fee-simple lots that promote mixed income, intergenerational neighborhoods, and a diversity of housing types, and promotes smart growth by encouraging infill development in existing, established communities. The full Ordinance and design guidelines are available for review by visiting http://planning.lacounty.gov/compact.

“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members,” said the great Coretta Scott King. Our longtime community member and friend Harriet Hammons, who passed away earlier this week, was such a woman of distinction and action, a woman whose actions inspired others to do, learn and become more. She was characteristically strong but never rude, kind but not weak, and always willing to take you to the places she went, teach you the things that she learned and knew and offer you a seat at the table so that you could rightfully voice your thoughts, concerns and opinions on any given conversation.

Harriet, a former teacher, Scout leader, Kiwanis La Cañadan of the Year, and devoted United Methodist Church parishioner, actively volunteered throughout the community for over half a century and in so doing deservingly received countless awards and recognitions. She was a regular at CVHS performing arts events and was always on hand to support students and teachers alike. Most of all, Harriet loved her family, not just the ones blessed to be born into hers but all of the rest of us whom she genuinely loved, mentored and raised as her own. I am better because of you, Harriet. I am certain that your beautiful smile is now shining bright and lighting up the heavens!

Harry Leon, President

CV Town Council

  Harry LEON