San Fernando Valley roundup: Joseph Gordon-Levitt shows love for the Valley, Tim Burton re-imagines his past

Good morning, readers. Today is Saturday, October 6. Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a native Angeleno and current Silver Lake resident, has roots in the Valley.

He was raised in Sherman Oaks and describes the region as a hybrid of the suburbs and a bustling metropolis. “In New York the suburbs are distinct from the city, whereas L.A. is one big sprawling mess, so there’s not as big a separation between the Valley and more cool urban pockets,” he told L.A. Magazine.

Two men were sentenced Friday to prison fro killing a teenager in a North Hollywood parking lot in 2009, reports the L.A. Times. They are accused of killing the teen over a text message.

Drivers in North Hollywood have apparently been complaining about construction at Magnolia and Cahuenga, reports Patch. The work is scheduled to be complete in two months.

Tim Burton grew up in Burbank and in the 1980s, he made a short about his childhood. Now that story has been turned into the 3-D “Frankenweenie,” out in theaters. “It was great to be able to go back to the original and expand on it,” said Burton. Read the full story at the Burbank Leader.

What did the average Valley family earn in 1963? $8,736 — a figure even a single person couldn’t live off of today. L.A. Times

-- Tiffany Kelly, Times Community News

Follow me on Google+ or on Twitter @LATiffanyKelly