Grant to give American Legion post a face-lift

Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Silver Lake) and the Home Depot Foundation have secured a $20,000 grant to give the American Legion Verdugo Hills Post 288 in La Crescenta a face-lift.

Located at 4011 La Crescenta Ave., the veterans center will have two of its restrooms remodeled by Home Depot’s volunteer force May 1 to 3. They will also be repainting the interior of the building, installing new ceiling tiles and replacing kitchen counters and cabinets.

“I have always considered philanthropy a duty of those who are able, especially when it comes to honoring our veterans,” Gatto said in a statement.

Gatto also introduced legislation this week aimed at assisting animal shelters in buying more time for cats and dogs before they have to be euthanized.

AB 2343 looks to secure $10 million in block grants to help fund provisions of the Hayden Act, which was adopted by the state government in 1998 and extended the minimum amount of time an animal could be kept by a shelter from 72 hours to four to six business days.

Although it was adopted more than 15 years ago, funding for the Hayden Act has often been suspended during state budget crises.

Arin Mikailian