Board of Public Works Presents Living Treasure Awards to Two Residents of Council District 14

Patricia Griffith (Mount Washington) and Lou Santilla (El Sereno)

LOS ANGELES (March 24, 2006) The Board of Public Works recognized today the work of Patricia Griffith and Lou Santillan, residents of Council District 14, with Living Treasure Awards. The Living Treasure Award is given by the Board of Public Works to unsung heroes who have demonstrated a lifelong commitment to active participation in their communities. Living Treasures are individuals who have contributed selflessly of their time and energy to ensure the well being of their neighborhoods, ultimately contributing to the quality of life in the City of Los Angeles.

Patricia Griffith, a resident of the Mount Washington community, played an instrumental role in establishing the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council (ASNC). Through her leadership, the ASNC obtained its certification in October 2002. She served as the neighborhood council¹s first president and continues her involvement through her current office as treasurer and as editor of the neighborhood council¹s ASNCAlert, a nightly email listing of events and announcements covering Northeast Los Angeles. Griffith also serves as secretary for the Mount Washington Association, a non-profit organization that addresses improvement, beautification and preservation of the Mount Washington neighborhood.

Since 1989, she has been on the board of Mount Washington Preschool & Child Care Centers, Inc., a non-profit organization comprised of three centers providing early childhood education and child care to infant through kindergarten-age children. Through her work with this organization, where she currently serves as president, she combines her passions for giving back to her community and contributing to the well-being and development of children.

The other Living Treasure Award recipient, Lou Santillan, is a resident of the El Sereno community. In the 1970s, Santillan served as president of many El Sereno organizations including the El Sereno Action Committee, El Sereno Optimist, El Sereno Coordinating Council, and the El Sereno Chamber of Commerce. He was named Honorary Mayor of El Sereno by El Sereno¹s Bicentennial Committee for two consecutive years in 1974 and 1975.

Santillan served as a field deputy for the 14th Council District Office for former Councilmember Art K. Snyder from 1977 to 1978 and for former Councilmember Richard Alatorre in 1985 and again from 1995 to 1996. From 1979 to 1982, he was a field representative for former Senator Alex P. Garcia, whose district included the El Sereno community.

Born in 1935, in the Chavez Ravine community of Los Angeles, he is founder of the group, ³Los Desterrados,² (The Uprooted). Serving as president for 26 years, he brought together the former residents of the Chavez Ravine for an annual picnic in an effort to maintain the sense of community among those displaced in the 1950s as a result of the construction of Dodger Stadium.

The five-commissioner Board of Public Works manages the Department of Public Works, the City¹s third largest municipal division. The department oversees the construction, renovation, and operation of public projects such as municipal buildings, streets, bridges, street lights, water treatment plants, sewers and sidewalks, and provides essential public services like recycling and solid waste management.