By Nick Antonicello
The 21-member Venice Neighborhood Council is in jeopardy as of this writing with only eleven (11) candidates have filed for the March 26th contest with the current Vice-President, Daffodil Tyminski now seeking the office of president and Vicki Halliday running for VP.
More commonly known as the VNC, this local, grass roots, volunteer board serves as the eyes and ears of local community advocacy. It is not known as of this writing just how many incumbents will be seeking reelection, and I spoke with current President James Murez before the holidays and he was uncommitted to seeking a second, two-year term. Murez defeated former VNC member Brian Averill in June of 2021 in a close contest with no candidate receiving 50% of the vote. Murez made an unsuccessful run for LA City Council last June and endorsed Traci Park in the November runoff. Murez is the longtime manager of the Venice Farmer’s Market.
There are only Days left to submit your application to run for one of the twenty-one VNC Board Officers that comprise the Venice Neighborhood Council.
Raquel Beltran, who heads EMPOWER LA and the neighborhood council system also weighed-in on the lack of candidates to date and is asking that Venetians engage and take part in this community neighborhood election come March.
“Neighborhood Councils are the local voice of our communities at City Hall. I am inspired each day by the dedicated people who serve on the City of Los Angeles’s 99 Neighborhood Councils. There are many ways to GET INVOLVED. Information about elections is available at https://empowerla.org/elections.”
The VNC is hopeful “dedicated community leaders who aim to represent our diverse community, work with other community members to make a difference, voice neighborhood concerns, and connect with City Hall & CD-11 to have a say in the future of Venice from a community and advocacy perspective.
Nick Antonicello is a thirty-year resident of Venice and currently serves as a member of the Outreach & Oceanfront Walk Committees of the Venice Neighborhood Council. Have a take or a tip? Contact Antonicello at nantoni@mindspring.com
