December Newsbites

***Winter Lights Celebration***  On December 3rd, BAHA hosted our annual Winter Lights Celebration.  Tasty cookies, warm drinks, and friendly conversations seemed to take the chill from the autumn air.    Our little neighbors enjoyed the creative arts and crafts tables provided and monitored by BAHA member Laila Hussain.  The gathering was open to all local residents, and BAHA welcomed several new members who chose to sign up for membership during this time.  After a few technical difficulties, all the trees are now lit with new low voltage LED lights.  Even though the Winter Lights Party is over, BAHA hopes the beauty of the lights will continue to bring joy to the neighborhood during this lovely and festive time of year.

***BAHA At Work—Park Improvements***    BAHA’s Beautification Committee reports that last month, upon Board approval, the electrical system at our neighborhood park at the south end of Roscomare Road, was upgraded and expanded.  The new safe and convenient outlets will provide BAHA events with power at food and beverage tables, for winter celebration lights, and for other community needs.  

 **School Traffic***   During a recent visit to Roscomare Road Elementary School (RRES), a police officer from West L.A. Traffic Division, determined that using parent volunteers to direct traffic in front of RRES with the help of stop signs, was not legal and needed to be stopped immediately.  Until a safe, legal, alternate system can be instituted to provide safe passage for children and their guardians, drivers will need to be extra patient and aware of unmonitored pedestrian traffic near RRES.  In addition, the Principal at RRES has requested that parents dropping off their young scholars should avoid blocking driveways or otherwise obstructing access to people’s homes, and refrain from parking in zones with curbs painted red, as they are designated no-parking zones. 

***Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project***   Recently, Metro sent out a notice regarding their community meetings and requested community input by December 8.  Although the time to respond has passed, the information links contained in the notice will provide you with much information on the project which has all been updated.

                 “The recording of the virtual meeting held on Nov. 1 is available here. The presentation can be found here and the Station Location StoryMap has been updated to include travel times between stations for all six alternatives. In addition, the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) has also been updated. The Scoping Summary Report, Station Location Community Meeting Summary and project fact sheet referenced during the meetings are also available.”

***Package Thefts*** The increased convenience and use of online shopping, has also seen an increase of package thefts.   Holiday shopping season is here and so are the “porch pirates!”  This seems like a good time to remind you that reducing your chances of becoming another victim of package thieves, while also making our neighborhood less attractive to criminals, can be achieved by using these options:

1.  Have packages delivered to your work address, if possible.
2.  Establish a mailbox at the Mail Room, 2337 Roscomare Road, to receive your packages there.
3. Remember that Amazon, UPS, and Fedex have programs that let customers choose delivery dates and track packages. How convenient!

***Holiday Season’s Greetings***    The Board of Directors of Bel Air Hills Association wishes all our members and the entire community, a wonderful, safe and joyous holiday season, followed by a happy, healthy and prosperous 2024!