The Eastsider LA

Save the Date

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:10:00 +0000

Friday, July 10
* A nuclear melt down performed as modern dance in Silver Lake.
* Lincoln Heights salutes MJ with an outdoor Michael Jackson movie night.

Saturday, July 11
* The Lotus Festival is not happening this year but the Echo Park Community Festival is.
* Learn how to kill (pests) the organic way at Highland Park's Milagro Allegro community garden (pictured).

Sunday, July 12
* Be prepared to share: Echo Park Time Bank workshop & potluck.

Monday, July 13
* A night of Bach and poetry presented by the Mt. Washington Homeowners Alliance.
* It's Telescope Night at Highland Park's Arroyo Seco library

Wednesday, July 15
* La Charanga Cubana concert in MacArthur Park

Thursday, July 16
* Mariachi Divas kick off Heritage Square concert series.

You can find an updated version of the Save the Date calendar at Eastsider on the Go

Photo from 90042

Around The Eastsider

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:51:00 +0000

Stories and items from other parts of the blog:

Why a science fair at a Boyle Heights middle school scienc is important to national security. School Yard

Photo from StemUp.org

This will be your last weekend to ride the Echo Park Lake pedal boats

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:39:00 +0000

The pedal boats will join the lotus as the next thing to disappear from the waters of Echo Park Lake. The boats will be in operation this weekend for the Echo Park Community Festival. But after that the pedal boats will be put out of business it's not certain when they will come back, said officials with the city's Recreation and Parks Department.

Department spokeswoman Jane Kolb said budget cuts forced the closure of all boating operations. There is no plans to resume service, she said.

A sign on the door of the Echo Park Boathouse reads the "The Paddle Boat Concession Will be Closed Until Further Notice" while another sign below reads that the boats will return for this weekend in time for the Echo Park Community Festival (The Lotus Festival, which is normally held during the second weekend in July, was canceled by the city earlier this year in a cost-saving move).

Residents have boated on Echo Park Lake for more than a century since it was declared a public park in the early 1890s. The city has spent more than $500,000 in recent years repairing the docks of the Echo Park Lake Boathouse as well as installing a new red tile roof and other improvements. In 2007, the Recreation & Parks officials closed the money-losing pedal boat operations in Echo Park and MacArthur Park. However, Echo Park residents were able to convince the city to get the pedal boats back on weekends.

Echo Park photographer Martin Cox, who lives near the lake, was involved the previous effort to bring back the pedal boats. But Cox won't be launching another rescue effort since the city's budget and economic outlook is so bleak.

"I don't think there is enough sympathy to go around," Cox said. "It's sad. But at least I can go boating one more time."

Dear Eastsider: What's to keep my car from plunging into the Arroyo Seco?

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:45:00 +0000

Kevin from Angeleno Heights (yes, the same Kevin of Stealth Chopper fame) was driving north on the Pasadena 110 Freeway near Highland Park when he noticed a large hole in the chain-link fence between the freeway and the concrete channel of the Arroyo Seco. He recalls seeing other gaps like this over the years in places where some motorist had demolished and possibly driven through the fence and into the arroyo below. While there is a low concrete barrier in places, Kevin realized that the only thing separating speeding traffic from a tumble into the arroyo was only a flimsy fence. There is not even a guard-rail in many places. So, Kevin asks:

"With so many motorists apparently going into the arroyo,
why doesn't Caltrans put up a better barrier?"

Turns out that Caltrans is already working on that issue, said spokesman Patrick Chandler. Chandler didn't have accident statistics for the winding 110 Freeway between downtown and Pasadena. But Chandler said the agency plans to replace much of that chain-link fence between the freeway and the arroyo with a new concrete barrier. That barrier will be installed as part of a project that features a new median divider along five miles of Los Angeles' oldest freeway.

It's not certain when those new barriers will be built but Chandler said the agency is just about ready to seek bids on the project. He also said on Thursday that Caltrans crews were headed out to repair the holes in the fence pictured above and in other spots between freeway and the arroyo. Chandler advises motorists who spot other problems along the freeway, such as graffiti or broken sprinklers, to call the Caltrans Public Affairs office in Los Angeles at 213-897-3656.

So, until those barriers are built, keep your eyes on the road and your car out of the arroyo.

News & Notes from Boyle Heights, Echo Park, East LA, El Sereno & Glassell Park

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:13:00 +0000

Drive-by shooting leaves one man dead in El Sereno. CBS2

A photo exhibit in Glassell Park takes a look back at Gay L.A. after the Stonewall Riots. LA Times

Man gets shot trying to rob an off-duty cop in Boyle Heights. EGP News

The '60s are back in Echo Park. Echo Elysian Forum

What do East LA residents want from Third Street? LA Eastside

LAPD launches raid against Atwater's Toonerville gang

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:37:00 +0000

The LAPD is scheduled to hold a 6 pm community meeting about the arrest of 20 people as part of an early morning raid against members of the Toonerville gang in north Atwater.

"LAPD Officers and Detectives were able to arrest suspected gang members that were recently served with warrants since the Toonerville Gang Injunction was enacted into law in Los Angeles County," said Sgt.Danny Roman in an email distributed to residents this afternoon. More details in Eastside 911

It's not really the food that matters at El Mercado

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:39:00 +0000

LA Weekly restaurant critic Jonathan Gold sums up the chief attraction of eating on the third floor of the food hall and shopping center known as El Mercado in Boyle Heights.

"There are many, many better places to eat Mexican food in this part of town, but after a carnitas plate, a fistful of Modelo Especials and an hour of music from the two or three mariachi bands that often play at the same time, you are unlikely to care."

Photo by Scani via Flickr

Around The Eastsider

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:24:00 +0000

Stories and items from other parts of the blog:

* LAPD raids Toonerville Gang in Atwater. Eastside 911

* Is bio-med the future of the Eastside? Eastside Citizen

* LAPD online crime stats did not add up for Atwater residents. Eastside 911

* Anyone can join this parade. Eastsider on the Go

Photo from Grifols.com

The Silver Lake Walking Man takes a trip through old L.A.

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:25:00 +0000

Anyone who has lived in Silver Lake for a while has probably seen the eternally tanned and shirtless Dr. Marc Abrams walking briskly through the neighborhood, head down while reading a folded newspaper. But what is Abrams, aka The Silver Lake Walking Man, doing strolling by the Brown Derby restaurant or through a pack of Victorian-era policemen riding bikes downtown? You will have to ask Silver Lake resident Nicky Gagliarducci. His new Sunset Boulevard mural combines images of Abrams walking from west to east across the landscape and past the landmarks of historic Los Angeles.

The 37-year-old painter struggled to find inspiration after Jason Michaud, the owner of Local restaurant, commissioned Gagliarducci to create a mural featuring the Walking Man on the four-foot high, cinder-block wall next to the cafe on Sunset Boulevard near Silver Lake Boulevard (Michaud could not be reached for comment).

"On hearing his request I have to admit it did not set off any creative spark enabling me to quickly jump to any ideas," Gagliarducci said in an email "Initially I put him out of my head and said to myself that 'I'd throw him in there somewhere, somehow.'"

But adding The Walking Man, complete with green trunks and white socks, into the muted historic scenes helped ease a sense of sadness Gagliarducci said he experienced as he worked on images of a city that had disappeared. "A sense of abandonment came over me of how fast L.A. changes and how our city rarely stood by these historic sites and removed or demolished them."

Many people stopped by to share stories of The Walking Man during the month Gagliarducci spent painting the 25-foot long mural, which includes city scenes that start in the west along the coast and travel east to downtown. One person who walked by was, not surprisingly, Abrams himself. He even stopped walking to have Gagliarducci take a photo but it's not clear what The Walking Man thought of being immortalized in a mural.

"I would mention to him at times that I was going to add him in the work," Gagliarducci said. "He would just laugh and say, 'Oh come on, you don't want to ruin that beautiful piece of art by putting me in it.'"

Top photo by Kent Bassett (more images on his photo album); bottom photo from Eastside Eye

News & Notes from Boyle Heights, Echo Park & Silver Lake

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:39:00 +0000

One way to reduce crime: LAPD online crime maps show only about 60% of reported incidents. LA Times

The story of a Simi Valley nuclear melt down as told through a modern dance performance in Silver Lake. Daily News

A movie called Humpday and the Echo Park man who stars in it. LA Weekly

Oh, really: Beck and Tom Waits discuss the Echo Park Lake submarine. Los Anjealous

Boyle Heights as a mobile dining mecca. Squid Ink

Montecito Heights from dusk to dawn

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:25:00 +0000

That's the dusk in Debs Park. Go to Above the City to view the dawn.

Photo from Above the City

Eastside Crime Watch: Murder in Boyle Heights, assaults in Atwater and car crime everywhere else

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:20:00 +0000

A murder and rape in Boyle Heights were the most violent crimes reported during the week of June 29 through July 5. There was also a string of assaults in Atwater and a pair of violent robberies in Silver Lake as well as numerous reports of stolen vehicles across Echo Park, Highland Park and Lincoln Heights during the week. Read the details in Eastside 911.

Our new Echo Park neighbors have ruffled a few feathers

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:37:00 +0000

Echo Park is perhaps the noisiest neighborhood in town, with the roar of the Dash bus competing with the the whup-whup-whup of helicopters and the grunts and groans of trash trucks. This year, there is a new source of sound, at least on our block, that's hard to ignore: a Northern Mockingbird.

Here's a snippet of an Echo Park Mockingbird that I recorded on a recent walk near our home. It sounds similar to the same high-pitched chirp that has awakened us and some of our neighbors well before dawn. Some residents are charmed by this evening, as well as daytime, serenade. But, believe me, it sounds like a car alarm at about 5 a.m.

Discussions with neighbors made me wonder if there had been a baby bird boom that had left Echo Park's trees and telephone wires crowded with new and noisy wildlife. The neighborhood has always been a bit bird crazed, with residents showering the ducks at Echo Park Lake with bread crumbs and naming intersections and even stores after our feathered neighbors.

"There does seem to be more this year than in years previous," said Mary Ann, an Echo Park resident who lives on Morton Avenue, in an email. "I measure [the bird population] by how often I need to resort to earplugs. I knew that bird was a Mockingbird. It's way louder than the regular bird call. [It] mimics all the calls it hears during the day, then plays them for us around 3-5AM. Maddening!"

Jeff Chapman, director of the Audubon Center at Debs Park, said he had not heard of any increase in the Eastside bird population. But, he was able to identify our noisy avian neighbors as Northern Mockingbirds (not a Nightingale as I once assumed). Chapman, citing the Birders Handbook, said that "unmated" males sing at night.

The Northern Mockingbird is one of several noisy bird species to fly around the area, which is also home to flocks of squawking parrots and parakeets. "In the hills, there are also common ravens and American crows, which could be considered loud," Chapman said in an email. "Down near Everett Park (Victor Heights) there are peacocks that are pretty loud too."

So, how do we get some sleep, short of finding our Mockingbird a date? Chapman said it is illegal to physically move most native bird species or their nests. "I have heard that hanging pie tins in trees and having them move is one deterrent," he said. "There are also some web sites that market things to keep birds away. Don't know if any of these work."

"I would consider us lucky to live in places where nature still exists," he said. "They have survived in spite of the changes we have made to the city."

It looks like we will be in for a long and sleepless summer because Chapman said that Mockingbirds will hang out in the same the same territory. Anyone have some extra pie tins they can spare?

Echo Park has gone to the birds by The Eastsider LA

Top photo by Marj K via Flickr; bottom photo by Marctonysmith.

News & Notes from Atwater, Echo Park, El Sereno & Silver Lake

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:44:00 +0000

Are you ready for two days and 40 miles of walking Hollywood streets, climbing Silver Lake stairways and riding Echo Park Lake pedal boats? The Big Parade

Powered by Fritos: An Echo Park family is a finalist for a $20,000 "green" grant sponsored by a snack food company and National Geographic. Greentech Media

Drinking and dogs do mix. Welcome to the Echo Park Yappy Hour. CitySipLA

Is former Congressional candidate and El Sereno resident Emanuel Pleitez headed for City Hall? Mayor Sam

710 Tunnel gets a vote of support from the state committee. Curbed LA

Ooops! We forgot to celebrate El Sereno Day. Council District 14

Photo by Anna Majkowska via Flickr

Around The Eastsider

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:56:00 +0000

Stories and items from other parts of the blog:

* A poetic moment at the Echo Park pool and other new work by writer Steve Abee. Eastsider on the Go

* What not to wear at Highland Park's Franklin High. School Yard

Photo by Compartor via Flickr

Live from the Michael Jackson Memorial ...

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:59:00 +0000

It's East Los Angeles resident Justino Aguila, who is Twittering his fingers away as the MJ Memorial service unfolds at Staples Center. His most recent tweet:

"People shouting that Michael is going to heaven. Brooke Shields takes to the stage."

Photo by Justino Aguila via TwitPic

East LA College goes after the art crowd

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:40:00 +0000

Perhaps the biggest annual event at East Los Angeles College is the East Los Angeles Classic, which draws thousands to watch the Garfield and Roosevelt high school football teams face off in the campus stadium. But college leaders want to attract a new type of fan to campus, the art lover and culture vulture, and they are spending big to attract them. ELAC is building a new $65 million Fine Arts Complex that will include not only classrooms but a new 335-seat recital hall, a 167-seat drama theater and a new home for the Vincent Price Art Museum that features three levels of galleries and exhibit space. The hope is that this trio of buildings rising on the southeastern corner of the campus will emerge as a new cultural hub east of downtown Los Angeles.

But will people come to ELAC for fine arts as well as football? And how will the district's budget crunch affect the complex, conceived a decade ago, when it is scheduled to open in the fall of next year? It's not clear but college officials remain confident about the complex.

"It will serve as the arts center for the community," said Richard Anderson, assistant to the president. "It will be stunning." Read more

Images from East Los Angeles College

News & Notes from Atwater, Echo Park, Glassell Park & Silver Lake

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:27:00 +0000

Couldn't get a ticket? East LA resident Justino Aguila tweets from inside the Michael Jackson Memorial. WriterJam

On the MJ Beat: Photo by Echo Park resident Jason Redmond is selected as Gawker's Pic of night. Gawker

The new place for older gays in Silver Lake. LA Times

A contest you don't want to win: Glassell Park makes the Forbes list of neighborhoods with the largest drops in home prices. Forbes

You must be 21 to tag: City considers prohibiting sales of spray paint to people under age 21. LA Now

Fourth of July is over but things keeping popping in Atwater. AV Newbie

Solano Canyon celebrates the 6th of July

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:27:00 +0000

A pile of empty fireworks boxes awaits pick up on Solano Avenue.

Around The Eastsider

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:34:00 +0000

Stories and items from other parts of the blog:

* So, these are corbels. Home & History

* Dear Eastsider: Missing those mail boxes. Eastside 911

Streets closed only to Michael Jackson fans

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:32:00 +0000

Morning commuters cutting through Elysian Park today were confronted with a barricade on Stadium Way and Scott Avenue as Michael Jackson fans prepared to pick up their MJ memorial tickets at Dodger Stadium today. Only fans who showed their vouchers were able to get past this barricade and others near the stadium. Not even pedestrians were allowed to pass.

The other drivers, at least those who did not turn around in the middle of the block, were diverted west into Echo Park. There, they jammed up at Portia Street as they tried to make a left turn on Sunset Boulevard without the assistance of a traffic light or officers. Best to avoid the streets around the stadium for the rest of the day - unless you got one of those vouchers.

News & notes from Atwater, Echo Park, Lincoln Heights, Mt. Washington & Silver Lake

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:08:00 +0000

Police clear out 4th of July fireworks fans from around Echo Park Lake. Eastside 911

Atwater finally gets its humps. AV Newbie

The landlocked Allston Yacht Club in Echo Park serves up civilized drinks. LA Times

Lincoln Heights graffiti artists love to show off their work but not their faces. Lofty Thoughts

Will he be biking to Staples? Silver Lake blogger is an MJ lottery winner. [sic]

Public to get a peek into restoration of the Southwest Museum on Mt. Washington. LA Times

Dodger Stadium braces itself for Michael Jackson fans

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 03:05:00 +0000

The Michael Jackson Memorial service will be held on Tuesday at Staples Center downtown. But, on Monday morning, thousands of Jackson fans who were lucky enough to win the lottery to attend the service are expected to descend on Dodger Stadium to collect their pair of tickets. Police set up barricades late Sunday afternoon on some of the roads around Dodger Stadium and adjacent Elysian Park to prevent fans from lining up before the 8 a.m. pick up time.

It will be interesting to see how the morning commuters who cut through Elysian Park on Stadium Way will react when they hit the LAPD barricades at Scott Avenue. Barricades have also been set up on Elysian Park Avenue, the street leading to the main gate, near Sunset Boulevard. It's not not certain when those barricades will come down. LAPD spokeswoman Karen Rayner said she expects the barricades to remain up most of the day to keep the fans as well as a horde of media under control.

"You are going to have major inconvenience in that area tomorrow," she said.

Related story:
* Streets around the stadium closed off only to MJ fans. The Eastsider

Around The Eastsider

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:25:00 +0000

Stories and items from other parts of the blog:

Violence and fireworks flare up on the Eastside during the holiday weekend. Eastside 911

Photo by Alonzo D via Flickr

Brush fire breaks out in Elysian Park

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:27:00 +0000

A small fire broke out near the Los Angeles Police Academy at about noon. More details on Eastside 911.

Photo by Rick Morton