The commission will seek additional community input at the following public meetings:

Community Meeting for Districts 2, 5, and 7
February 20
1 p.m.
Hollenbeck Middle School Auditorium
2510 E. 6th Street

Community Meeting for Districts 1 and 4
February 21
6 p.m.
Hamilton High School Auditorium
2955 S. Robertson Blvd.

Community Meeting for Districts 3 and 6
February 21
6 p.m.
Sepulveda Middle School
15330 Plummer St.

Special Meeting – Presentation and Adoption of Final Map
February 23
6 p.m.
LAUSD Headquarters Board Room
333 S. Beaudry Ave.

Special Meeting – Presentation and Adoption of Report for Final Map
February 29, 6 p.m.
LAUSD Headquarters Board Room
333 S. Beaudry Ave.

The public is invited to submit draft maps to the commission through the LAUSD redistricting website or through the Redraw LA website.

The draft map circulation, public comment period, map drafting and
submission of a final map must be completed by March 1.

The Office of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, in collaboration with the Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates, is inviting the community to take the 2012 Mayor’s Community Budget Survey at www.budgetsurveyla.com

The Sotomayor Learning Academies (2050 San Fernando Rd) is will hold its annual Open House for prospective students and families on Saturday, February 25, from 10 a.m. to noon .

The Open House will feature campus tours, presentations about the campus’s five schools, and detailed information on the application process.

Interested students will have the opportunity to see the auditorium, gymnasium, library,
and the state-of-the-art classrooms.

For more detailed information, please call 323-276-5400.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) centers are partnering with the Youth Policy Institute and the Hollywood FamilySource Center to offer free tax preparation to residents of the City of Los Angeles.

The classes will be offered Tuesday- Thursday from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and every first and third Saturday of the month from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. until April 12 at 1075 North Western Ave #110.

To make an appointment, please call 323-836-0055.

The center is also offering free spay surgeries for female cats of low-income cat guardians.

To make an appointment and for more information regarding the promotion, please call 323-730-5303.

The offer is only good while funding lasts, so bring your feline friend in today!

Unidad Park  (1644 Beverly Blvd) now has a new garden featuring 20 raised beds, a nopal garden, and a pollinator garden to entice bees and butterflies!

The new garden was made possible by a grant from Kaiser Permanente.  The Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust is providing workshops to educate the community about gardening.  Unidad Garden Partners include Clinica Romero, HIFI, People’s CORE, SIPA, and the Children’s Institute.

For additional information about Unidad Garden, contact Benita Duran, community organizer, at bduran@lanlt.org or 213-572-0188 ext 219.

All are invited to attend the City of Los Angeles ‘s Mobility Plan “Think Lab” workshops.

“Think Labs” are a part of LA/2B, a campaign to update the City’s Mobility Plan and envision a new way of moving around the city.   Help shape the future of transportation in LA by sharing your ideas for solving the city’s transportation challenges.

“Think Lab” schedule:

Saturday, February 25
9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Van Nuys City Hall
14410 Sylvan St

1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
LACMA West
6067 W Wilshire Blvd

Saturday, March 3
9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
La Plaza de Cultura y Artes
501 N Main St

1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Pacoima Neighborhood Constituent Services Center
13500 W Van Nuys Blvd

For more information, please visit la2b.org or contact Jane Choi at jane.choi@lacity.org.

Julian and Carol Pearce of Soledad Goat Farms are producers of world award-winning goat’s cheese and participants will have the opportunity to tour the farm, meet the goats, and see cheese-making from the milking to the final product.  Participants will take home cheese … it doesn’t get any fresher!

In addition to the tour, participants will enjoy a goat-milk-themed picnic lunch provided by the Farmer’s Kitchen and stop at the famous Vasquez Rocks County Park for a snack on the way back.

Register online at www.hollywoodfarmerskitchen.org by March 16.

Angelenos can now recycle CDs and DVDs via their blue recycling bins.

Although they are a computer-related item, they are no longer considered electronic waste.  Like most recyclables, the disk, case, and liner should be separated before being put in the recycling bin.  If there is confidential or sensitive information on the disk, make sure the disk is unreadable before recycling.

Broken disks should be placed in the black bin.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the celebrated The Heart Truth® campaign – a national awareness effort to educate women about heart disease. Sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), The Heart Truth® has been embraced by millions of people who share the goal of better heart health for women.

My Coke Rewards participants can also donate their  points to the cause during the month of February.