Wachs Seeks a Place to Name for Finn

Los Angeles City Councilman Joel Wachs, in his first official act as councilman for a newly drawn East San Fernando Valley district, proposed Tuesday that some public work be named after the late Councilman Howard Finn.

Wachs proposed that the city solicit suggestions from Finn’s old district, part of which Wachs inherited under the council’s recent redistricting, to determine what facility “would best honor the memory of Councilman Finn and his extraordinary commitment to serving the people of his district.”

Finn, who died Aug. 12 of a ruptured aorta, had represented the northeast Valley’s 1st District since 1981. Under a redistricting approved by the council Friday, the 1st District was removed from the Valley, and its territory was split between Wachs, who got Sunland-Tujunga and part of Sun Valley, and Councilman Ernani Bernardi, who received Lake View Terrace, Mission Hills, Pacoima, Sylmar and part of Sun Valley.

“Councilman Finn’s career was distinguished by his constant concern for preserving the unique quality of life in the 1st District,” Wachs said in a motion introduced in the council and seconded by Bernardi. “He loved his district. He was proud of it, and he showed he was a tenacious fighter for his many constituents.

“He showed particular care and concern for the recreation centers, parks, trails, open space, libraries and cultural facilities in his district. He wanted them to be the finest municipal facilities possible.

“It would be a fitting tribute to Howard Finn and his wonderful family that the city name an appropriate facility in his memory,” Wachs said. “The choice as to which facility would be most appropriate should be made by the council after consultation with the people in the communities which he so admirably served.”

Finn’s widow, Anne, said Tuesday that she will recommend that the council name a proposed multipurpose center in Tujunga after the late councilman. Finn worked hard to get financing for the center, which has yet to be built, she said.