I1- I :1>17 MOTION

Frank del Olmo was a Times associate editor and columnist who became an icon to Latino journalists. Raised in a housing project in the N01theast San Fernando Valley community of Pacoima, del Olmo attended Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills, received his undergraduate degree from Cal State N01thridge and was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University in 1987-1988.

During his nearly 34 years at The , del Olmo was an intern, a staff writer specializing in Latino issues and Latin American affairs, an editorial writer, deputy editor of the editorial page, a Times-Mirror Foundation director and an assistant to the editor of The Times. The last position put him on the masthead - the first Latino to be listed among the paper's top editors. Del Olmo was named associate editor of the newspaper in 1998, continuing his eff01ts to advocate for Latinos and Latino journalists. In 1984 he shared a Pulitzer Prize for a Los Angeles Times series on Southern Latinos and was inducted in the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Hall of Fame in 2002.

Never forgetting his "movement media" roots, he founded the California Chicano News Media Association in 1972 and was chair of the first national meeting of Latino journalists in 1982, paving the way for the formation of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. He served on the board of the Committee to Protect Journalists and the California Chicano News Media Association.

According to Bob Baker of The Los Angeles Times, Frank Del Olmo was a "quiet, intellectual journalist who carried on the mantle of a more flamboyant crusader of an earlier era, Time columnist . But he had a greater impact because of the decades as a rep01ter, editor and columnist. ... His ability to bring historical and social perspectives to his writing made him one of the most insightful Latino journalists in the world."

As a columnist since 1980, Del Olmo wrote on a wide range of topics, from immigration to baseball. A private and kind man who was cowtly in his manner, Del Olmo was known especially for his principled stands on issues affecting Latinos. In the late 1990s the Los Angeles Times asked del Olmo to help lead a new Latino initiative to improve coverage of communities the newspaper had too long p01trayed as outsiders of their desired readership. In addition to bringing more Latinas and Latinos on staff, the highly-lauded initiative put the wide range of Latino interests and activities into sp01ts, business, entettaimnent, religion, food and other newspapers sections where ethnic communities are often ignored.

In 1994, when the newspaper endorsed Gov. Pete Wilson for a second term in office, Del Olmo threatened to resign, citing Wilson's suppott for Proposition 187. According to a Times spokesperson at the time, then-Editor Shelby Coffey III persuaded Del Olmo to take two weeks off and "think about it." Del Olmo did, and instead of quitting he wrote a strongly worded op-ed piece in dissent, excoriating Wilson and calling Proposition 187 "the mean-spirited and unconstitutional ballot initiative that would deprive 'apparent illegal aliens' of public health services and immigrant children of public education."

Frank del Olmo collapsed of a heatt attack in the Los Angeles Times newsroom on Feb. 19, 2004, and was pronounced dead at a local hospital not long after his collapse.

Because of Frank del Olmo's lasting impact on media and the p01trayal and coverage of Latinos, he is a role model for men and women, young and old in our communities. Residents of Los Angeles deserve to learn more about the life of Frank del Olmo and be inspired by his legacy.

I THEREFORE MOVE, that the newly constructed Pacoima Neighborhood City Hall at 13520 Van Nuys Boulevard in Pacoima, CA be re-named the "Frank del Olmo Neighborhood City Hall" and that the Depattment of Tcansportat;on ;nstall s;gnage to th;s effect at th;s locat;on. ~ --

PRESENTED RICHA AB RCON 1 Councilmember, 7 h District

JUL 2 6 2011 SECONDED BY f:.._(iz .---if-