SUNLAND-TUJUNGA : New Group Hopes to Make a Difference

Starting small but with big plans to make a difference in their neighborhood, the Community Action Network held its first formal meeting recently, with the goals of improving the Sunland-Tujunga community, helping seniors and creating programs for children.

“We were sitting around complaining and then it dawned on us, ‘Why curse the darkness, when you can light a candle?’ ” said the group’s president, Jacqui Merglewski. Merglewski and some friends started working toward setting up the network in October when they realized there was much in the community that was not getting done.

“Everyone has opinions, but no one likes to roll up their sleeves and do it,” Merglewski said. “There were a few of us that belonged to different organizations and sometimes we’d just brainstorm on what needs to be done and how we’re going to do it.”

The first formal meeting, at the Sunland-Tujunga Municipal Building, was attended by police, as well as representatives of Assemblyman William Hoge (R-Pasadena) and U.S. Rep. Carlos Moorhead (R-Glendale), Merglewski said.

Graffiti, potholes, overgrown weeds, rising prices of senior citizen bus passes, a lack of free youth activities, and a need to help senior citizens keep up their yards are a few of the issues the group wants to address.

“We usually tell someone, if they have ideas, would you join the Community Action Network and be the chair for that issue?” Merglewski said.

About 20 people attended.

The group also plans events such as a “Community Action Day” where members would help with projects such as fixing up a senior citizen’s property for free. They plan a survey of area senior citizens to determine their needs.

The group is also putting together a video to document some problems in the area, she said. Beautification awards and the naming of town, youth and senior heroes are other possibilities, she said.