February 28, 2011
Dear neighbor,
We are writing to tell you about our friend Tomas O’Grady, who is running for city council in our district. Tomas has been a tireless advocate for public schools, the environment, and fiscal common sense. Wherever he has seen a problem in our community, he has fixed it. In working with him in several different areas, we have all seen his dedication and sincere desire to make Los Angeles a better place.
When it was time for Tomas’s children to attend Franklin Avenue Elementary, he came to the school and wanted to get involved. He built a reading garden at Franklin and implemented recycling and composting programs for the students. He also worked with Friends of Franklin to keep music and arts at the school. Franklin was named a distinguished school in 2010.
At King Middle School, Tomas took a look at a school that was deemed by many to be out of control. He took concrete and turned it into a vegetable garden complete with composting. He founded Friends of King Middle School, the first non-profit PTA to have sustainability written into its bylaws. Through Friends of King, Tomas started an afterschool program to teach drama, cooking, and drawing. The school has seen massive improvements in its test scores.
Tomas is a family man. He and his wife Justine have four children, three of whom are school aged and attend public schools in Los Feliz. Tomas is a person of integrity and is no stranger to hard work. We have never written a letter like this for a candidate for any political office before, but we know that Tomas is the right person for the job at this difficult time for our city. Please visit his website at www.tomasogrady.com to read more about the wonderful things he has accomplished to date as well as the future goals he has for our community. And please consider voting for Tomas O’Grady for City Council on March 8th.
Sincerely,
Dr. Harpreet Malhi, mother of two, elected board member of the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council*
Judy Murray, Franklin Avenue Elementary School teacher*, Los Feliz
Annemarie Ralph, Thomas Starr King Middle School science teacher*, Los Feliz
Leslie Weinstein, mother of one, Friends of Franklin board member*
*For informational purposes only.