“When you meet this guy, you can feel his energy and determination. I doubt if he ever sleeps”
Carlatto Seganti Parent Los Feliz
Tomas has never been paid for his community work. When he says he “built” something, he means “built with his own hands.”
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RECYCLING
FALL 2010, TOMAS O’GRADY INTRODUCED RECYCLING TO TWO REC AND PARKS CENTERS.
Most people don’t know this, but the department of Recreation and Parks does not have an integrated recycling program. That’s pretty surprising considering the rhetoric from the mayor and the City Council regarding greening our city. Tomas O’Grady worked with the Department of Sanitation to give two blue cans to the Silver Lake Rec Center and seven blue cans to the Griffith Park Adult Community Center. He explains, “My rationale was: the truck was driving down the street anyway, so why not have it pick up a few extra cans? Action.”
RECYCLING
FALL 2009, TOMAS O’GRADY INITIATED RECYCLING AT KING MIDDLE SCHOOL
Tomas, along with science teacher Annemarie Ralph, started a recycling program in the cafeteria at King Middle School, getting the students to separate their trash from their recycling after they eat. A school generates an enormous amount of trash every day. Now the students can be aware of their impact on the environment and what they can do about it. Students take out the cans every week.
RECYCLING
FALL 2008, TOMAS O’GRADY INTRODUCED RECYCLING TO FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY STUDENTS
Not one to think it is ever too young to love the planet, Tomas O’Grady kick-started recycling at Franklin Elementary School. Students there are also expected to learn what is trash and what can be reused. Tomas does a trash sorting presentation with principal Veronica Sasso every year to remind the students of their responsibilities. Our youngest children should grow up knowing that we must make an effort to help our environment.
CAMPUS GARDEN
SPRING 2009, TOMAS O’GRADY CREATED A CAMPUS GARDEN AT KING MIDDLE SCHOOL
Tomas O’Grady saw wall to wall concrete at King Middle School and created a vegetable garden. He secured funding, designed and built the garden, and organized community volunteers who help with the upkeep and work with students. The garden provides a connection between the students, the planet, and the food they eat. Tomas created a wonderful, green teaching tool in the middle of an urban campus. This garden was the inspiration for the new environmental studies magnet at the school.
READING GARDEN
SUMMER 2009, TOMAS O’GRADY BUILT A READING GARDEN AT KING MIDDLE SCHOOL
King Middle School now has a wide lawn lined with trees and benches for students to read and socialize. Tomas O’Grady designed and built (with his own hands) the project and walking path, eager to bring a softer touch to the school. He had a vision of a college campus-like environment where students can meet and work and relax outside, and he delivered it for King Middle School. He managed over 400 volunteers to get the project done.
COMPOSTING
SPRING 2009, TOMAS O’GRADY BEGAN COMPOSTING AT THE KING MIDDLE SCHOOL GARDEN
Tomas O’Grady keeps details in mind, and he made sure to set up composting for the garden at King. He believed that the garden should be truly green and that the students should get a chance to really learn about environmental gardening and how we can best work with the planet. So he built a composting container, taught the students how to use it, and has continued using composting as a tool in the garden. Says Tomas, “The LAUSD gardeners are even in on the act. NO GREEN material leaves campus.”
MAGNET SCHOOL
FALL 2010, TOMAS O’GRADY SPEARHEADED THE PUSH TO OPEN AN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES MAGNET AT KING MIDDLE SCHOOL
Tomas O’Grady worked with Dr. Kristen Murphy (principal) to lead the efforts to get an environmental studies magnet at King which will open in the fall of 2011. When LAUSD said there was no way it could be funded, Tomas and Dr. Murphy agreed to do it on a shoestring. When LAUSD said it still couldn’t be done, Tomas wrote a letter to the board of education saying ” we can raise the money in the community and I am personally guaranteeing it with my home equity line”
Beginning next fall, King will have another way to offer students a great education.
TREES
SPRING 2009, TOMAS O’GRADY WORKED WITH GREATER GRIFFITH PARK NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL TO COLLECT STREET TREE FORMS
Tomas and the GGPNC went door-to-door collecting forms to have street trees planted in front of residences. By filling out the forms, people agreed to water and care for their tree, which would be planted by the city for free. Where there was the opportunity for bettering the community and our environment, Tomas took advantage and got trees planted. “We don’t always need big plans. Sometimes we just need to let people know what’s out there and to give them a little push. People want to do these things, they often just don’t know where to start.”
WASTE REDUCTION
SPRING 2010, TOMAS O’GRADY REDUCED THE BOTTLED WATER USED AT BIG SUNDAY EVENTS
Tomas saw a great opportunity to cut waste and help the environment by reducing the bottled water given out at Big Sunday events. He considered the advantages and disadvantages of bottled water and developed other ways to get water to all the Big Sunday volunteers. He then proposed two alternatives to having bottled water and worked with Dave Cooper of Big Sunday to make the changes happen at 10 hub sites.
WASTE REDUCTION
2009, TOMAS O’GRADY HELPS ELIMINATE THE USE OF PLASTIC BOTTLES AT AYSO GAMES
Tomas produced and provided reusable aluminum water bottles to be used at soccer games rather than single-use plastic bottled water.
ECO-TOUR
WINTER 2009, TOMAS O’GRADY CREATED AND ORGANIZED THE ANNUAL EASTSIDE ECO-TOUR, A TOUR OF ECO-FRIENDLY HOMES AND GARDENS
Tomas, through Farm Feliz, created and put together the Eastside Eco-Tour, which is an annual tour of homes, gardens, and shops in the Los Feliz/Silver Lake area that feature sustainable elements and green spaces. Tomas gathered people in the area who live in homes like this, work in community gardens, and do great work with the environment. The first tour, free, was organized around ten locations, and tour goers got to see what their neighbors are doing when it comes to living sustainably and get ideas on how to bring green living into their own lives.
GAS BLOWERS
WINTER 2008, TOMAS O’GRADY HAS LED THE FIGHT AGAINST GAS BLOWERS AND DEVELOPED A WAY TO REPORT THEIR USE
Gas-powered leaf blowers have been a big issue for Farm Feliz, and Tomas has led a campaign against them. After talking to city officials about why enforcement is lax, Tomas took it upon himself to raise awareness of the fact that gas blowers are actually illegal. He decided that it is up to us, the members of the community to get rid of gas blowers. He created signs and fliers describing the ways in which gas blowers hurt our health and our planet, as well as alternatives to gas blowers. He also developed a form for anyone to use to report gas blowers online. That way neighbors could make it known to the city that they do not want illegal gas blowers in their neighborhoods, and the city would be able to send notices to offenders.
ENERGY SAVINGS
FALL 2010, TOMAS O’GRADY ENROLLED KING MIDDLE SCHOOL AND FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY IN THE LAUSD SHARED SAVINGS PROGRAM
LAUSD offers a program in which schools can agree to take energy saving steps and in return get to keep a portion of the savings. Tomas initiated this program at both King Middle School and Franklin Elementary. It is mostly the students who will be responsible for making sure the correct steps are taken, teaching them environmental responsibility as well as thrift. “This is another example of making more out of less. Our schools are strapped for cash. So LAUSD offers an incentive to cut energy costs, and we get an easy way to teach our kids how to be environmental stewards and money savers,” Tomas says.
CAMPUS GARDEN
FALL 2010, TOMAS O’GRADY IS CREATING A CAMPUS GARDEN AT ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL
Tomas has been working with principal Maura Crossin and architect Leonardo Chalupowicz to build a campus reading garden for Roosevelt High School’s special needs students. The plans call for removal of asphalt in order to make room for walking and planting areas. Tomas and Leonardo teamed up with Roosevelt High after working together on a campus garden at Micheltorena Elementary School. They and Principal Crossin felt that special needs students would benefit from having a nice, natural space to relax and work outside. This project is in the design phase. Tomas says, “We will build it on a shoestring.”
O’GRADY HOUSE
2001-2005, TOMAS O’GRADY DESIGNED AND BUILT AN ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY HOME FOR HIS FAMILY
When Tomas and Justine O’Grady arrived in Los Angeles in 2001, they knew they would live and raise their kids in the Los Feliz area. Tomas took the time to design and build the home of their dreams. It is an eco-friendly home complete with passive cooling, rainwater systems, and solar heating and solar electric. Tomas was determined to create a home that would suit his family and the planet, and achieved it by following his vision. Tomas and accomplished woodworker, framed the house himself, poured the concrete, installed the metal roof and did just about everything except the plumbing and electric. He took 3 years to build the family home.
SCHOOLS
SPRING 2010, TOMAS O’GRADY FOUNDED FRIENDS OF KING, A NON-PROFIT PTA SUPPORTING KING MIDDLE SCHOOL
Friends of King is the first PTA in California to have a sustainability clause written into its bylaws. Tomas founded the group and made sure to include the provision that any fundraising or activity would be sustainable and environmentally-conscious. Friends of King has overseen many improvements to the King campus, accompanied by a huge jump in test scores. Tomas says, ”We are going places at King, and we can do it anywhere. Let’s stop blaming the teachers and help them instead. And I mean real tangible help. Not talk or empty praise or accolades.”
BEAUTIFICATION
TOMAS O’GRADY WITH FARM FELIZ INSTALLED NATIVE PLANTS AT THE HOOVER STEPS
The Hoover Steps at Hoover and Prospect in Los Feliz have undergone a beautification, and after the politicians had left Tomas created a garden of native plants at the site. The plants are drought-resistant and include rosemary, mallow, and salvia. The garden has created a space of beauty in an urban environment.
SCHOOLS
FALL 2010, TOMAS O’GRADY CREATED THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM ENRICH KING
In working with King Middle School, Tomas realized what good an after school program could do. Through organizing volunteers and teachers, Tomas set up after school enrichment classes for all students to participate in. These include drama, art, and gardening and offer students a way to spend the afternoon learning about something they may not cover in school. He works with LACER. ”Tomas seems to be able to manage to work with people in way that others have failed. I guess that is the mark of a leader,” says Justine Tyler.
SOCIAL ISSUES
FALL 2008, TOMAS O’GRADY PASSES MOTION WITH GGPNC TO WRITE LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE
After the passage of Proposition 8 in the November 2008 election, Tomas introduced a motion for the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council to adopt a statement he had prepared supporting gay rights. This earned Tomas the approval of Pastor Dan Hooper of the Hollywood Lutheran Church. ”You have got to walk the walk on an issue like this. You can’t waffle. One friend of mine, a fellow GGPNC board member, said that she has considered refusing to marry her man until EVERYONE has the right to do so,” Tomas says.
LIBRARIES
FALL 2010, TOMAS O’GRADY PASSED MOTION CALLING ON CITY COUNCIL TO REOPEN LIBRARIES SEVEN DAYS A WEEK
After budget constraints led to libraries being closed on Mondays, Tomas worked with Librarians Guild president Roy Stone and LA City Chief Librarian Martin Gomez to find the money needed to keep the libraries open. Then Tomas presented the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council with a letter calling on City Council to cut their own salaries and budgets in order to keep the libraries open. The Neighborhood Council agreed and sent an amended letter off to City Council.
BEAUTIFICATION
FALL 2010, TOMAS O’GRADY IS WORKING WITH DWP TO INSTALL A POCKET PARK IN FRONT OF THE DWP BUILDING ON HILLHURST IN LOS FELIZ
Tomas has met with representatives of the DWP and architect Leonardo Chalupowicz to create plans to build a shoestring park on the open lawn at the DWP building on Hillhurst Avenue. They will be removing grass in order to install drought-resistant native plants and benches for sitting and meeting. Tomas believes that these open spaces can be used by the community without having to spend money creating new spaces.
SCHOOLS
TOMAS O’GRADY GOT AIR PURIFIERS FOR FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Los Angeles has one of the worst rates of childhood asthma in the country. Our air is polluted, and our kids pay the consequences. Tomas and fellow parent Tina Vukovic secured air purifiers for Franklin Elementary so that students could learn in the cleanest environment possible. He explains, “We had the purifiers donated. Action, not words.”
GARDENS
SUMMER 2010, TOMAS O’GRADY AND FELLOW FARM FELIZ MEMBER BRIANA RYAN ASSUMED THE ROLE OF COORDINATING LOS FELIZ COMMUNITY GARDEN
The community garden in Los Feliz at Hollywood Boulevard and New Hampshire need new members. Tomas worked with the existing gardeners and within two weeks ALL the spots (6) were taken by new gardeners.
TREES
TOMAS O’GRADY ORGANIZED TREE PLANTING WITH HBT
Going door to door with David Farmer, Tomas O’Grady worked with the Hollywood Beautification Team to plant 35 trees along Tracy Street.
TREES
WINTER 2010, TOMAS O’GRADY GOT FRUIT TREES PLANTED ON KING MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMPUS
Tomas has worked with the administration of King Middle School and Tree People to bring fruit trees to King’s campus. Open areas near the reading garden and parts of the perimeter around the school will soon feature trees that will bear edible fruit. Tomas believed that to go along with the vegetable garden, fruit trees would offer not only beauty for the campus but another way for students to connect with their environment. Tomas says, “No nonsense, no photo op, I just do things.”
NON-PROFIT
TOMAS O’GRADY IS THE FOUNDER OF VOLUNTEER GROUP FARM FELIZ
Farm Feliz is an environmental group founded by Tomas O’Grady with the purpose of improving the Los Feliz area and all of Los Angeles. With Farm Feliz volunteers, Tomas has taken on many projects supporting environment awareness, beautification, and social responsibility. Tomas sees Farm Feliz as an all-around enriching group that works to keep the area environmentally friendly and conscious. Tomas points out that this is an all-volunteer group, and no one gets paid.
SCHOOLS
2007, TOMAS O’GRADY BUILT A READING GARDEN AT FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY
After starting recycling at Franklin Elementary, Tomas realized that even elementary-aged children need somewhere to go to relax outside and study or socialize. After gathering the support of the staff and parents at the school, Tomas built a reading garden on the campus of Franklin Elementary for this purpose, complete with umbrellas, benches, flowers, and fruit trees.
