Wendy Sherman: “today I join my 51 colleagues from the Great State of California to pay tribute to its 150th Statehood Anniversary and…”

“today I join my 51 colleagues from the Great State of California to pay tribute to its 150th Statehood Anniversary and to the 24th Congressional District, which I represent. From East to West, the 24th runs from Sherman Oaks, America's best-named city, to Thousand Oaks, through the Las Virgenes area to Malibu. It includes thriving business centers in the western San Fernando Valley and one of California's and the nation's most treasured natural and recreational resources, the Santa Monica Mountains. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is the most-often visited unit of our National Park System. Some 33 million American's visit her trails and beaches, some of the most beautiful in the world, every year. Most impressive is its location. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is just a few-minutes drive from the major population centers of Los Angeles--its is our nation's largest urban park. The residents of the Malibu and Las Virgenes areas are neighbors to this extraordinary resource. It is truly a special place to live. The San Fernando Valley, part of the City of Los Angeles, is itself a large-sized city, with 1.4 million residents. If it were a city of its own, the San Fernando Valley would be the 6th largest U.S. city. It is richly diverse and a great community to live and work in. Proudly, it would be by far the safest of America's 10 largest cities.”