Chamber Represents Hollywood
in Berlin
Hollywood Chamber representatives
Michael-Jon Smith,
former Chamber Chairman, and
Todd Lindgren,
Senior Vice President, returned this week from
Berlin, Germany, where they participated in
events celebrating the 40th anniversary of the
Los Angeles-Berlin Sister City relationship.
Approximately 20 people comprised the L.A.
delegation, led by City Councilman Tom LaBonge,
who serves as the President of Los Angeles
Sister Cities, and former Governor Gray Davis,
who participated on behalf of Mayor Antonio
Villaraigosa. According to Lindgren, “One of
the highlights of the five-day trip was the
chance to present the Governing Mayor of Berlin,
Klaus Wowereit, with a Hollywood Walk of Fame
star plaque on behalf of the Chamber.” The
group’s itinerary included trips to the Berlin
Olympic Stadium, a visit to the Kennedy Museum
adjacent to the Brandenburger Gate, a private
tour of the Film and Television Museum, a boat
tour of the city, and official receptions at the
Berlin City Hall and U.S. Embassy.
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Annual Tooth Fairy Rewards
at Famous Hollywood Dental Care.
Stemming
Runaway Production to Take Center Stage at Annual
Entertainment Industry Luncheon
 The
Hollywood Chamber will tackle an issue that
impacts all businesses in Hollywood at the 2007
Entertainment Industry Luncheon – runaway
production. The luncheon will take place on
Wednesday, Sept. 26, at the Roosevelt Hotel. In
addition, Honorary Mayor Johnny Grant will be
honored with a special presentation for his
contribution to the Entertainment industry. The
runaway production problem has grown to crisis
proportions. While other states and nations
work to recruit Hollywood productions, the State
of California has done little to support the
local industry. At the luncheon, a panel of
experts representing the industry and public
officials will discuss what it will take to
secure action in Sacramento. Steve MacDonald of
FilmL.A., Inc. will act as moderator. The
Chamber urges members to attend this luncheon to
show their support for getting the State
Legislature to address the issue. Additional
information concerning the panel and
registration is
attached.
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Reserve Here
KBKG reduces
taxes with Enterprise Zone Tax Credits
Chamber
Discusses Inclusionary Zoning with L.A. Voice
Chamber
representative Don Scott of First Financial
Bancorp. and Marty Shelton of NAI Capital
Commercial Real Estate met last week with a
delegation from L.A. Voice to discuss a
mixed-income housing strategy for Los Angeles.
L.A. Voice is an umbrella organization
representing 25 faith groups and congregations
in Los Angeles. The organization is
particularly interested in increasing the
housing stock of affordable and workforce
housing in the City. This was the second
meeting between the Chamber and L.A. Voice. The
Chamber representatives explained the
complexities involved in building housing in Los
Angeles and why mandatory inclusionary zoning
would be counterproductive in trying to increase
the housing stock. They offered suggestions on
the types of steps that might help developers in
bringing more affordable housing online. All
present found the meeting productive. The
Chamber will continue its dialogue with L.A.
Voice to try and address the important issues
they have raised.
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Members Take 15-20% Off with I&A Dry Cleaners:
Call 323-953-9988
Foundation Awards $13,000 in Grants
The Hollywood
Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation met
this week and awarded more than $13,000 in
grants to worthy Hollywood organizations.
Grants will go to the Los Angeles City College
Foundation for book scholarships to students, to
the Assistance League for their counseling
program to fight domestic violence, to the
Police Activities League for their youth Karate
program; to Hollywood Heritage for their tour of
sites associated with writer Raymond Chandler;
to the L.A. Fire Department to assist its
Hollywood museum; and to American Cinematheque
for a holiday movie event for the community.
The Hollywood Chamber’s foundation is unique in
the chamber world for the amount of money that
is given out annually to assist local community
organizations.
 The
Previous Grant Recipients
Three local organizations were granted three checks of
$2,500 each during the Chamber's monthly mixer at Jillian's:
PAWS/LA to fund the Hollywood Animal Center;
Hollywood Community Housing Corporation to fund a Nutrition
& Cooking Program for disabled and seniors as well as people
with HIV/AIDS; and Aviva Family & Children Services in
support of a Workforce Education & Prep Program for Foster
Care Youth.
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Universal Studios
Master Plan Task Force Meets
A special
Chamber task force held its first meeting this
week to begin gathering information in order to
recommend a Chamber position on the proposed
$3-billion, 25-year master plan for Universal
Studios and the related Thomas Properties Group
development of the area surrounding the
Universal City Metrorail Station. Because of
the size of the proposed projects and the
potential impacts, the Chamber Board of
Directors took the unusual step of asking the
Economic Development Committee to set up a
special task force to study the proposals in
depth before making recommendations for the
Chamber Board to consider. The task force is
co-chaired by Laurie Goldman of GO! Goldman
Organization and Frank DeFoe of Ramsey-Shilling
Commercial Real Estate.
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Automated
Parking Proposal Gains Chamber Support
A letter was
sent this week to Hollywood’s City Council
representatives advising them of the Chamber’s
support of a proposal that will come before the
City Council next week to allow developers to
utilize mechanical lifts and robotic garages for
vehicle storage. The Economic Development
Committee was impressed at a recent meeting with
a presentation on how quickly technology has
advanced to make automated parking a viable
solution for dense urban areas such as
Hollywood. Automated parking allows for a
better usage of space and would help developers
to meet the City’s code requirements for parking
in their developments.
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Free
business counseling at the Hollywood Chamber
Offered by the Service Corps of Retired
Executives (SCORE)
Richard Krelstein, a retired business
turn-around specialist
Consulting services will be available most
Fridays 9:30 - 11:30 am
To schedule an
appointment, call Vivian at (323)469-8311.
Hollywood & Highland Center
Shuttle Service for WICKED
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