Category Archives: Uncategorized

Community partners of the SLATE-Z Promise Zone application signed an MOU on Feb. 19. (photo by Jonathan Van Dyke)

And with a ceremonial swipe of the pen, dozens of community leaders made a promise to lift up South Los Angeles for the next generation.

UCLA is among more than 140 organizations that will have signed onto the South Los Angeles Transit Empowerment Zone’s (SLATE-Z) Promise Zone application, which if the federal government adopts, could be transformative to an area in need.

Two years ago, South Los Angeles came up short on its application, Los Angeles Eighth District Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson said, and instead, an area encompassing parts of Hollywood, Koreatown, Pico-Union, and Westlake won the designation. Leaders vowed to push forward on a new and even more inclusive application.

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The new 8-Clap Stack was served during a special Pancakes and Politics event with Mrs. Carol Block and Councilman Felipe Fuentes. (photo by Jonathan Van Dyke)

A group of UCLA alumni gathered Feb. 25 at Myke’s Cafe in Pacoima to enjoy good conversation and the company of Mrs. Carol Block and Seventh District Councilman Felipe Fuentes for a special Politics and Pancakes event.

The restaurant, with the help of Mrs. Block, introduced the 8-Clap Stack. The new menu item consists of two massive blueberry buttermilk pancakes with lemon curd to emphasize UCLA’s blue and gold colors.

Fuentes also engaged the audience about various local issues that his council district and the city are dealing with now and into the future.

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Former Democratic U.S. Representative Henry Waxman spoke about his years on Capitol Hill and the changes that have occurred in Congress over his four decades in Washington, D.C. (photo by Jonathan Van Dyke)

Former U.S. Congressman and current UC Regents Professor Henry Waxman is not ready to pull the plug on government, regardless of how negative the political climate and election season have become.

“I think Congress is capable of actually getting things done,” said Waxman, former Democratic U.S. representative representing Los Angeles, on Tuesday before a capacity crowd at the UCLA Faculty Center.

The Department of Political Science and Government and Community Relations at UCLA hosted the former congressman and UCLA alumnus at a public event where he talked with moderator Jeffrey B. Lewis, professor and department chair, about his 40-year career in the U.S. House of Representatives and how American politics have evolved during that time. He has two degrees from UCLA, a B.A. in political science (1961) and a law degree (1964). He retired from Congress in 2015,

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UCLA Chancellor Gene Block and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald today (Jan. 28) announced a stronger academic affiliation to benefit our nation’s veterans as UCLA commits to annually providing $1.15 million in support of new programs and services, approximately $200,000 of in-kind contributions and $300,000 a year in fair-market rent for continued use of Jackie Robinson Stadium. New and expanded services will include mental health, family support, legal advocacy and recreation services.

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Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald speaks with veteran James Stewart after a special program on housing solutions for veterans. (photo by Jonathan Van Dyke)

Los Angeles service providers and the city and county housing authorities have been coming together to reach the White House and Veterans Administration’s goal to end veterans homelessness by 2015, successfully housing over 300 veterans every month.

Unfortunately, for this region, there is still a long way to go.

“What Los Angeles has to do in a month to work toward ending veterans homelessness, other cities need to do in a year, or had to do to complete their entire program,” said VA Secretary Robert McDonald, who was on the UCLA campus Thursday encouraging landlords to rent to veterans through the HUD-VASH voucher program, which pays fair market rates for rental units. He opened by thanking UCLA for hosting the meeting and acknowledged the decades long partnership between UCLA and the VA.

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