Part of Sherman Oaks celebrates with Victory Picnic on Saturday, Sept. 12

Leslie Young of the Part of Sherman Oaks movement was kind enough to invite me to the group's celebratory picnic from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12 at Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Park (specifically at the corner of Tyrone Avenue and Huston Street).

I wrote back to Leslie that I wasn't so much opposed to Part of Sherman Oaks as not in favor of it. Since the area in question, bounded by Oxnard Street to the north, Burbank Boulevard to the south, Sepulveda Boulevard to the West and Hazeltine to the east, is so geographically well-definied (in fact, it's square, Daddy-o), it would've been cool to pick a totally new community name. My favorites remain Xanadu, Shady Acres, Flood Plain, West Los Feliz, Autotopia and Starbuckistan (the latter only if we were promised a dozen more Starbucks, which I welcome anyway).

For those who want to read the real press release about Saturday's picnic, I've included a link to the PDF.

Allow me to get all newspapery with that very material:

"This is a celebration that embraces the spirit of civic activism and inclusiveness," said Part of Sherman Oaks organizer Laurette Healey, an early candidate for the open Council District 2 seat who declined to pursue that candidacy.

"We have discovered along the way that we are a community that cares about the lives of everyone in the Valley."

Healey says the Part of Sherman Oaks movement will continue and will be working on projects that include solar-powered street lighting and neighborhood beautification.

Since the area in question (where I also happen to live) hasn't exactly been fawned over by the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council (which still is the NC that covers the area, despite its "Sherman Oaks-iness"), I welcome and encourage any effort to better the look and safety of the neighborhood.

Healey also said in the press release that "the neighborhood," meaning the area and not her group in specific, I imagine, will aim to become more involved in the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association, "the local chamber" (would that be the Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber of Commerce?) and the neighborhood councils.

Bet those NCs, particularly the VNNC, will be welcoming. (OK, not so much, if you didn't pick up on that).

Anyhow, the main event at the picnic will be the 5 p.m. speech by former CD2 Councilwoman (and now City Controller) Wendy Greuel, who's OK on Part of Sherman Oaks paved the way for the rest of the City Council to approve the change in neighborhood boundaries on July 14.

The picnic includes a catered barbecue (free food!), a raffle, music, and face-painting, games and a moonbounce for the kids.

I'm still coming to terms with the whole used-to-live-in-Van-Nuys-but-now-Sherman-Oaks nature of this whole thing, and while this has been done many times before in dozens of Los Angeles neighborhoods (and in many cases the "boundaries" of these real-estate-mandated communities are more than a little arbitrary), I still find the whole thing (the Sherman Oaks envy) a little unsettling.

But now that we're in the "what's done is done" phase of the operation, it seems to be time to look forward, not back (and grab the free grub).