Dennis Zine

Dennis Zine is trying to kill me. Or at least it seems that way. He's driving across the grass at Lanark Park in his city car, enthusing about how responsive he is to his City Council constituents here in the West San Fernando Valley, explaining to me that his staff back at City Hall and in his Reseda district office are trained to answer the phone on or before the third ring. And he's going to prove it. He's got his left hand on the wheel and his right on his cellphone and -- oh, my God, Dennis, watch the road -- now we're on Topanga and he's punching in numbers.

In their feisty final debate before election day, controller candidates Dennis Zine and Ron Galperin repeatedly hammered an insider-versus-outsider theme, seeking to convince voters they would be best prepared to be the city's next chief auditor and accountant. Zine, completing 12 years on the City Council and a 33-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, said he'll be ready to navigate City Hall on his first day. "I know how the system works. I don't need to be trained," Zine said at the Wednesday face-off before the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn.

Police union director Dennis Zine said Friday he will run for the west San Fernando Valley's 3rd District seat on the Los Angeles City Council, which is being vacated because incumbent Laura Chick is running for city controller. Zine, who filed papers Thursday with the city Ethics Commission to begin fund raising, joins a crowded race with six other candidates, including City Council aide Francine Oschin and former council aide Judith Hirshberg.

City controller hopeful Dennis Zine picked up an endorsement from Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina on Thursday and said the nod would be a "huge plus" in helping him win support among critical Latino voters. Molina, the sole Latina on the powerful board of supervisors, said Zine's three decades on the Los Angeles police force and 12 years as a city councilman show he's "dedicated to protecting and serving the public. " “I also admire Dennis' commitment to use the controller's office to promote civic transparency and accountability that will continue to instill pride and confidence in our city government," Molina said in a prepared statement.

In their feisty final debate before election day, controller candidates Dennis Zine and Ron Galperin repeatedly hammered an insider-versus-outsider theme, seeking to convince voters they would be best prepared to be the city's next chief auditor and accountant. Zine, completing 12 years on the City Council and a 33-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, said he'll be ready to navigate City Hall on his first day. "I know how the system works. I don't need to be trained," Zine said at the Wednesday face-off before the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn.

Your article on City Council candidate Dennis Zine's urging Valley secession from Los Angeles was very informative ("Zine Would Seek Valley's Secession From L.A.," Times Valley Edition, March 3). Perhaps a police officer on the council will finally give the Valley its proportionate share of police protection, will make it once again safe to walk our streets. KEITH ROSEN Sherman Oaks

An unidentified man died Thursday night after he was struck by a car on a Sylmar street and thrown into the path of another vehicle, Los Angeles police said. The accident occurred at 7:40 p.m. on San Fernando Road just south of Astoria Street when the man tried to cross in a poorly lighted area in the middle of the block, Sgt. Dennis Zine said. The man was taken to Holy Cross Hospital in Mission Hills, where he died of massive internal injuries about 9:15 p.m. while in surgery, Zine said.

A Reseda man walking his dog was killed Thursday in Northridge when he was struck by a car in a crosswalk, Los Angeles police said. The man, Dale M. Eldon, 57, was pronounced dead near the intersection of Parthenia Street and Zelzah Avenue at 5:30 p.m. He was thrown about 140 feet after being hit by the car, Sgt. Dennis Zine said. The motorist, Steve M.

An Arleta man was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old mentally retarded girl abducted from an elementary school in Panorama City, Los Angeles police said Wednesday. Claro Antonio Novoa, 40, was arrested about 10 p.m. Tuesday after the girl, whose name was not released because of her age, was spotted riding in the passenger seat of his car in Panorama City, Sgt. Dennis Zine said.

Dennis Zine, a bundle of frenetic energy from start to finish, wasn't in a mingling mood. Locked in the city's tightest contest on election night--a race he led by a precarious 132 votes Wednesday--Zine was barely a guest at his own victory party as he paced the hallways of the Warner Center Marriott and ducked outside to gulp fresh air from a 17th-floor balcony. "Talk about stress," he muttered. "I just can't keep still."

Former lawmaker Mike Feuer and Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich appeared headed for a May runoff election after a tempestuous campaign that pitted the wounded incumbent against two well-financed challengers. Trutanich, battling back from his poor showing in a race for county district attorney last year, trailed Feuer as returns in the city attorney race trickled in Tuesday but was running ahead of private attorney Greg Smith. Another private attorney, Noel Weiss, lagged far behind.

Attorney and businessman Ron Galperin and City Councilman Dennis Zine headed into the runoff for Los Angeles city controller in a virtual tie, with both on Wednesday claiming the advantage in the race ahead. With thousands of ballots remaining to be counted, Galperin led Zine in unofficial election-night returns by 239 votes, 37.12% to 37.03%. Four other candidates were far back in the field, with the third-place finisher taking only 9.7% of the vote. Noting that Zine had spent twice as much on his campaign, Galperin, 49, took his narrow first-place finish as a sign that "voters responded to what we had to say. " He said that Zine's spending just above $1 million to finish second "shows people are sick of the same politicians.

A previously low-profile race for Los Angeles city controller has begun to heat up as opponents of City Councilman Dennis Zine accuse him of "double dipping" the city's payroll and question why he is considering lucrative tax breaks for a Warner Center developer. Zine, who for 12 years has represented a district in the southeast San Fernando Valley, is the better known of the major candidates competing to replace outgoing Controller Wendy Greuel. The others are Cary Brazeman, a marketing executive, and lawyer Ron Galperin.

Dennis Zine is trying to kill me. Or at least it seems that way. He's driving across the grass at Lanark Park in his city car, enthusing about how responsive he is to his City Council constituents here in the West San Fernando Valley, explaining to me that his staff back at City Hall and in his Reseda district office are trained to answer the phone on or before the third ring. And he's going to prove it. He's got his left hand on the wheel and his right on his cellphone and -- oh, my God, Dennis, watch the road -- now we're on Topanga and he's punching in numbers.

Two City Council members on Wednesday demanded to know why the city's airport commission approved almost $4 million in contracts for a public relations campaign to highlight the ongoing modernization of Los Angeles International Airport. Dennis Zine, a candidate for city controller, and Bill Rosendahl, whose district includes LAX, called for a council review of the three contracts, which were awarded without discussion by the Board of Airport Commissioners last week to companies that are not based in Los Angeles.

When I wrote a few weeks ago that City Councilman Dennis Zine seemed an odd fit with the office of city controller, I was fairly sure I'd get an earful from him. He is, after all, running for controller. Boy, was I right. Zine and I met recently to talk about his race, and he good-naturedly unloaded on me with his qualifications and enthusiasm for the job. Talking so fast I could hardly keep up, Zine worked his way through a latte at a coffee shop near City Hall and raced through highlights of his life and career: Lebanese American, born in Los Angeles, LAPD officer for 33 years, twice named L.A.'s best public official, good relations with the Jewish community, something about his opposition to new sales taxes - and plans for his life as the city's chief auditor and a whole bunch about "waste, fraud and abuse.

Two days after an election left him 289 votes short of opponent Jack Weiss, Tom Hayden's quest to join the Los Angeles City Council was hanging by a thread Thursday after the city clerk said there are as many as 1,900 uncounted ballots in the 5th District race. In the west San Fernando Valley's 3rd Council District, where police union director Dennis Zine had 132 votes more than Judith Hirshberg in the election night tally, the clerk said there may be as many as 1,400 uncounted ballots.

Looking to thank their supporters without having to share the spotlight, three city councilmen staged swearing-in ceremonies Sunday in advance of today's official inauguration at City Hall. Compared with the six rookie council members taking office, two-year incumbent Alex Padilla, 28, is a City Hall veteran. Padilla celebrated the beginning of his first full, four-year term with more than 600 supporters at the San Fernando Mission.

When Police Officer Joe Buscaino is sworn onto the Los Angeles City Council in the coming weeks, he'll have plenty of cops for company. Four of the lawmakers on the 15-member council will either be former police officers or current reserve officers. The cop bloc includes onetime Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard C. Parks; former motorcycle officer Dennis Zine; and Reserve Officer Mitchell Englander. Buscaino, a 15-year veteran of the force who plans to become a reserve officer, won the seat vacated by Rep. Janice Hahn (D-San Pedro)

A Los Angeles city councilman is demanding answers about Google Inc.'s $7.2-million contract to provide 30,000 city employees with email — and why after two years nearly half of those employees still haven't moved to Google's system. Google and its contractors have "been unable to meet the security requirements of the city and LAPD for all data and information," according to a public motion by Councilman Dennis Zine. He has requested that the city attorney's office provide a status report on the contract, which has run into a long series of obstacles centered on whether Google can legally house sensitive city law enforcement information, such as criminal histories.