Pico Neighborhood Association Holds 21st Annual Assembly 

Hannah Heineman
Mirror staff writer

   The Pico Neighborhood Association (PNA) held its 21st annual assembly on April 21 at Virginia Park.
   About 200 people attended a seminar titled “Renters Can Own” which was intended to inform them as to the benefits of home ownership to the individual as well as the community, explain the nuts and bolts of financing and highlight some of the financial and educational help that is available to assist with the purchase of a property. 
   Paul DeSantis, an attorney who wrote the Santa Monica Residents Protection and Homeownership (SMRPH) ballot initiative which would permit tenants to purchase their units, his associate, Dante Carpe, and Dante Venegas, a financial expert from the Real Estate Syndicate, presented the seminar.
   Also discussed were PNA’s accomplishments during the past year which included establishing a website, supporting a homeownership focus for City-assisted housing, filing a lawsuit against Santa Monica College requiring that impacts on PNA streets be included in any new College parking structure studies, initiating a neighborhood beautification program and being the first neighborhood group to support business participation in permit parking zones.
   PNA also recognized City of Santa Monica Graffiti Abatement Team members Kim Braun and Jaime Fiesco and the Beat 8 Santa Monica Police Officers for their work on behalf in the Pico Neighborhood over the past year.
   Six incumbents and Joe Weichman, a Santa Monica College student who is also on the Board of Directors of Northeast Neighbors were elected to PNA’s 13-member board. PNA’s Vice-Chair Peter Tigler told the Mirror that PNA is not concerned that Weichman is on the boards of two neighborhood organizations because he “meets the criteria” to be a PNA board member.
   Tigler, Don Gray, La Verne Ross, Clyde Smith and Cece Bradley were the incumbents who were reelected.
   Tigler said that the assembly was “a success and very positive” and that the “membership was happy with the type of voice and direction we’ve set.”
   Cece Bradley, PNA’s treasurer, said, She was “once again gratified that people rallied to come to a PNA assembly.”