Group to Select 5 Valley City Names for Ballot

Hope and Camelot are still in the running, as are Valley of the Stars and Nuevo Fernando. But the proposed San Fernando Valley city will not be called Smogadena or Hellish Pit O’Despair, as some have suggested.

Valley VOTE, the group spearheading the secession drive, has narrowed the list of possible city names to 25 from the more than 400 suggested by the public, said Jeff Brain, the group’s president.

Tonight, Valley VOTE will hold a public meeting to choose the five options that will go on the November ballot, along with the question of whether the Valley should secede and form its own city.

After public testimony, the 45-member board of directors hopes to pick five names before the sun comes up.

“We think it’s an important step,” Brain said. “All in all, people took it very seriously.”

In winnowing the list, Brain said the group tried to pick the most popular suggestions, but stayed away from those that might be confusing or infringe on another city’s name, such as San Fernando.

Half of the finalists have the word “valley” in the name, including El Valle, Valley City, New Valley City, Valleywood and San Fernando Valley. Others allude to the climate and history of the place, such as Golden Valley, Mission Valley, Valley View and Sun Valley.

And then there are New Los Angeles, North Los Angeles and San Angeles.

Some come from street names, such as Lankershim and Mulholland City.

And then there are Camelot and Hope, which suggest the proposed city’s dreams for itself. Asphalt Prairie didn’t make the cut.

Members of the public can vote online (www.valleyvote.org) until noon. Only one vote per person will be counted.

Tonight’s meeting will be at 6:45 at Galpin Ford, 15555 Roscoe Blvd., North Hills, in the second-floor conference room.