Officials Showed Post-Quake Concern

* The story “Some Feel Slighted by City Officials” (Jan. 29), quoting me as being angry about not hearing from some elected representatives after the earthquake, not only missed the point but also eliminated the fact that Rep. Howard Berman called the Thursday after the earthquake. This was from a temporary headquarters after his offices in Panorama City had been trashed. He sent his field deputy, Tom Waldman, to our area to assess the damage.

We walked around for more than two hours, surveying the damage and talking with residents. We realized that we in Valley Village were not as badly off as Sherman Oaks or Northridge, but most all the chimneys and block walls were down, and of course there was much damage to the insides of homes. Damage ranged from about $10,000 to upward of $20,000, a tidy sum for anybody, but especially for senior citizens and retirees.

Our North Hollywood police officers stopped by to ask about our welfare, and they asked us to distribute leaflets with important information.

As far as Councilmen Joel Wachs’ and John Ferraro’s offices were concerned, we did not expect much. A phone call would have been sufficient.

It seems logical to me that the homeowners association presidents, who are the eyes and ears of the community, should be contacted as soon as possible to establish a communication conduit.

Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky walked his district in Sherman Oaks, talking with our business people and residents. He represents a small area in our Valley Village community and wanted to know firsthand what damage we had suffered.

We are all in this together and may be in it together again. Our neighbors have been magnificent and we are proud of the way each and every one of them cared about and helped one another.

LORI DINKIN

Valley Village

Dinkin is president of the Valley Village Homeowners Assn.