The Universal City / North Hollywood Jr. Chamber of Commerce is having their annual Operation Santa event. Operation Santa gives children from economically disadvantaged families the chance to have their "Christmas wish list" come true.

Steelo Vazquez has been a major part of the L.A. dance community for many years. He is a member of Killafornia, Footwork Fanatix, and The Groovaloos and was a lead character on The LXD web series. He regularly gives back to the community through dance at benefits and fundraisers and has enjoyed mentoring youth at weekly Groove Nights hosted by The Groovaloos. In addition to his contributions to the community, he has worked with some of the biggest names in entertainment including Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna and Gwen Stefani ( Click here to see Steelo in Early Winter ). It was actually during a show on Gwen's tour that Steelo proposed to his now wife, Penelope Vazquez.

KCET's four times a year screening series is back for Fall! Join the KCET family as they preview eight major new films prior to their first run local release. You'll enjoy EIGHT evenings of the best new films before their theatrical release. Each film screening is followed by a lively Q & A with the actors or filmmakers hosted by award-winning film critic Pete Hammond.

We in North Hollywood are animal lovers. Just take a walk through the North Hollywood Park, drop your pooch off at NoHo Farmer's Market Doggie Daycare, and adopt a fur baby at our Rockin' Food Truck Festivals. Yeah, the NoHo Arts District loves the poochies.

So dog, cat, lizard and all NoHo animal lovers, meet Operation Blankets of LOVE, anon-profit organziation providing comfort to homeless animals in shelters and rescue groups.  They are like the American Red Cross of the animal rescue world because everyday is a disaster for a homeless animal.

One of the problems is that the City animal shelters have no budget for something as simple and necessary as bedding.  So Operation Blankets of LOVE is coming to the rescue with a BLANKET DRIVE. Let's  help keep homeless dogs and cats warm and off the hard cement floor.  Arthritic dogs especially need that old blanket of yours. They urgently need clean, recycled and new blankets, comforters, large towels and pet beds.  Studies show that shelter animals given a blanket immediately relax, feel happy, safe and warm, which increases their chances of being adopted.  For the animals that are not adopted, they will be killed.  It's estimated that 56% of animals in shelters end up being killed.  Won't you give them comfort in their last days?

Come on North Hollywood, let's clean out our closets and donate our blankets.

Please drop off your donations to:

NoHo Farmer's Market
Bakman Ave. and Weddington St.
Ask for the fabulous Sabina 818/422-9595

Red Barn Pet Express
5160 Vineland Ave (Ralph's shopping center)
North Hollywood
818/763-1358

Dog House
5742 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood
818/753-4325

PETCO
3525 W. Victory Blvd.
Burbank
818/566-8528

Submissions are now being accepted for the 2nd annual Los Angeles Student Media Festival, the region's only film festival for high school students, set for March 10, 2012, in North Hollywood. When it premiered earlier this year, the LASMF received more than 100 submissions from high school students who lived or learned in the city of Los Angeles. Now, by popular demand, the LASMF is open to all students who live or attend school in the county of Los Angeles. The festival will take place at the historic El Portal Theatre in the NoHo Arts District.

Edward Asner
ISFFH Lifetime Achievement Award 2011 Recipient

Join us as we screen extraordinary cinema by emerging filmmakers from around the world! The International Student Film Festival Hollywood received entries from 14 countries around the world this year, 85 films were accepted into the 2011 competition. Films have come from the United Kingdom, Turkey, South Africa, Poland, Israel, India, Germany, France, Egypt, Czech Republic, Canada, Australia and the USA.

NoHo has its own ghosts....Happy Halloween

There is the ghost of the bridge that spans the LA River and Lankershim. He was a thief caught by Constable Weddington at the bridge and sent to San Quentin from that place and returns periodically to the scene.

The ghost of Leonis, who broke his neck falling drunk from a wagon after he had won a trial to convict him of murder, haunts the entrance of the Red Line at Universal Station. He was the first traffic fatality in the Cahuenga Pass.

The wife of Griffith Griffith haunts the Burbank entrance to Griffith Park.

A herd of spirit cattle haunt the intersection of Hartsook and Lankershim.

The whisp of a woman staggers along Tujunga from No Park to Ventura. She seeks to be united in death with a faithless husband.

The spirit of a Spanish-Mexican woman, seeking her children, haunts all of the Valley, but especially school yards late at night.

The specter of an elderly man runs across Laurel Canyon Blvd. Many a driver, late at night, swear they have encountered him.

Some claim to have seen an apparition of a man holding a bleeding arm in the areas around the former Palomino Club once operated.

Theaters are loaded with lost souls.

Editor's Note: For those of you old enough to remember the famous film star, Bela Lugosi...his home was in NoHo. Now we can say NoHo created the first and most famous Vampire. For any disbelievers, our source is Gerald Fecht, President of the Museum of San Fernando Valley and they have the history! For more information about San Fernando Valley's rich history visit http://museumsanfernandovalley.blogspot.com/ Gerald's blog is truly an adventure of the Valley's past and present.

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Gerald R. Fecht, Ph.D.
President
The Museum of the San Fernando Valley
21031 Ventura Blvd., Suite 419
Woodland Hills, CA 91364
818.347.9665
http://museumsanfernandovalley.blogspot.com/
www.TheMuseumSFV.org
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The Los Angeles Police Department's North Hollywood Division, in conjunction with the East Valley Police Activities League Supporters, will host a Tip-a-Cop event on Monday, November 7, 2011. The event will be held at Vitello's Restaurant which is located at 4349 Tujunga Avenue, Studio City. The hours of the event will be from 11:00 am until 9:00 pm. You just order off the menu and then give your "police officer" waiter a tip.

A local resident sent nohoartsdistrict.com a video of some kids rehearsing their audition routine in front of a new dance studio in NoHo, Liv'art Dance Studio. We decided to take a closer look.