Browsing Category: "Living in Northeast Los Angeles"
Equality Not Hate Rally In Lincoln Park
East Los Angeles Rally Sunday!!! 1pm Lincoln Park
PROTEST in the PARK: EQUALITY not H8TE Sponsored by the Latino/a LGBT Coalition latino.lgbt. coalition@ gmail.com
This Sun Nov 9th - 1 pm East LA : Lincoln Park
3501 Valley Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90031
A peaceful rally of the people. We rally then we march. In peace and with dignity… Everyone’s voice is needed. Everyone’s help is needed to spread the word… REPOST - SEND TO YOUR EMAIL LISTS & CONTACTS - SEND TEXT MESSAGES
BE THERE! Bring signs, banners, whistles and some friends…
This image was taken at the marriage ceremony of two dear friends. I have applied an “artistic filter” to the image to protect their identities.
I must comment that this joyous celebration was attended by elderly family members, and young children. I didn’t count noses, but my impression was that heterosexual couples outnumbered gay couples. Believe me, no one felt threatened.
Dia de los Muertos
In contrast to the more commercialized Halloween ghouls, goblins and celebrity costumes (although I just can’t wait to see all the crossdressers as Sarah Palin :-) ), Dia de los Muertos honors beloved ancestors, family and friends who have passed on.
Here is a collection of links to celebrations of Dia de Los Muertos in Los Angeles
UPDATE: I’m adding a link to the article in Occidental Weekly suggested by Mayabeth:
The Community of Hermon
Hermon is situated in a half square-mile valley with chaparral-covered hillsides, bordered by the Arroyo Seco and the historic 110 freeway to the west, Monterey Hills to the south, and South Pasadena to the north and east.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Hermon was cut off from nearby Los Angeles and Pasadena for much of the year. A wintertime trip from Hermon to downtown Los Angeles required fording the Arroyo Seco on foot.
In 1903 landowner, Ralph Rogers, donated the land of the Hermon tract to a group of Free Methodists, conservative Christians who cared little about the area’s isolation. They established a school on the land and named it after the biblical Mt. Hermon at the headwaters of the River Jordan.
The school evolved into Los Angeles Pacific College, and modest homes sprang up around it to house professors, students and other Free Methodists. Hermon merged with Los Angeles in 1912 and for decades remained a quiet, pious place.
Better links were established between Hermon and the rest of Los Angeles with the construction of a bridge across Arroyo Seco at Avenue 60 in 1926, the Monterey Road pass through Walnut Hill to the south in 1930, and the Hermon Avenue (renamed Via Marisol, over the objections of many community members, by Los Angeles City Council member Art Snyder in 1978 to honor his young daughter, Erin Marisol Snyder) bridge to the west in 1939.
With the beginning of the 21st century, Hermon is undergoing a renaissance. New businesses have moved in, and older homes are being restored.
Hermon has retained its own unique identity, and the things Hermon residents love about their community remain unchanged. Open space in the form of parks and undeveloped hillsides still surrounds the neighborhood of Hermon.
Above the Rainbow Jewelry
I finally got a few of my friend Lilian’s jewelry pieces set up in an Etsy shop. You can check it out at http://abovetherainbow.etsy.com
Over the last few days (my unplugged days) I got a few other pieces photographed. Now I just need to get those photos edited and uploaded. 
A Brief Summary of Southwest Museum/Autry National Center Issues
**Some readers of this blog live outside the Los Angeles city limits, and are probably not familiar with the issues surrounding the merger of the Southwest Museum and the Autry National Center. This post is intended to serve only as a very brief summary. **
Ground was broken for the Southwest Museum on November 16, 1912. The museum was the dream of Charles Lummis.
“Lummis had constructed a home for himself in Arroyo Seco, which he named El Alisal. It became a personal museum where Lummis began to accumulate his own collection of artifacts and research materials. When site selection [for the Southwest Museum] began in 1905, various locations were considered, some with great financial inducements, but Lummis was adamant that the only choice could be the hillside property visible from El Alisal, with a commanding view of Arroyo Seco and far beyond. The 38-acre site was located on a transportation line between Pasadena and Los Angeles; accessible by the yellow car line and also by auto along Pasadena Avenue (later renamed Figueroa Street).” (Text from Autry’s Southwest Museum Rehabilitation Study)
However, as the 20th century drew to a close, the Southwest Museum, the oldest museum in Los Angeles, had fallen on hard times. Damage from the 1994 Northridge eathquake had not yet been repaired. Roof leaks needed attention.
In 2003, The Autry National Center merged with the Southwest Museum. The Autry’s stated intent was to preserve the Southwest Museum buildings, and protect the collection. (The Autry National Center was originally founded as The Musuem of the American West, by Gene Autry, a legendary recording and movie star.)
Both sides in the controversy agree that the Southwest Musuem buildings are in need of repair and renovation. Reports estimate the repair and renovation costs at $40 million.
Both sides in the controversy agree that the Southwestern American artifacts originally collected by Charles Lummis are unique and priceless, and must be preserved for future generations.
But here is where the trails diverge:
The Autry Center wants to erect a new musuem building in Griffith Park, and move the priceless collection there. Reports estimate the cost of the new building at $100 million.
Northeast Los Angeles locals want the collection to remain in its original home, atop Mount Washington, and visible from the grounds of El Alisal, as Lummis envisioned it.
Further questions arose when it became evident that Autry’s funding for the Southwest Museum was coming, not from liquid assets, but from an inheritance pledge.
And then, this week, the Los Angeles Community College District quietly agreed to use money from its $3.5 billion bond issue on the Nov. 4 ballot to renovate the Southwest Museum and use it as a satellite campus. Note a “campus“. Not a “museum“.
More reading:
Los Angeles Times from 2006: http://articles.latimes.com/2006/jun/26/entertainment/et-southwesta26
Los Angeles Times from 2001: http://articles.latimes.com/2001/jun/02/entertainment/ca-5351
The Autry’s side: http://www.swmfuture.org/
From Ron Kaye, L.A., journalist and activist: http://ronkayela.com/2008/08/la-story-part-one-the-stench-o.html
From Mark Kenyon, community activist: http://blackhatblog.wordpress.com/
Arroyo Seco Journal breaks story on Community College funding: http://www.asjournal.net/localnews.html
Reminder: Peace in the Northeast March Aug 16
The Churches of NorthEast LA present:
PEACE in the NorthEast Community March and Resource Fair
Saturday, August 16 10a-5p
Gather: 10:00am Highland Park Senior Center,
6152 N Figueroa StMarch: 11:00am
York Blvdjust below
Figueroa StResource Fair: 12:00noon - 5:00pm Victory Outreach
4160 Eagle Rock Blvdhttp://www.myspace.com/peaceinthene
Lead by the Churches of NorthEast LA the community will meet to march against violence in the streets. The march is down
York Blvd to
Eagle Rock Blvdand then down
Eagle Rock Blvdto the Resource Fair. Snacks and bottled water will be served at the staging area. Bottled water will be available along the march route. Along with the Resource Fair there will be free food and Jarritos, live and DJ music and a Mini Car Show.
Continue reading “Reminder: PEACE in the NorthEast Community March and Resource Fair” »
The $100 Dollar Sale at Avenue 50 Studio
The 100 Dollar Sale
- A fundraiser for Avenue 50 Studio -
Frank Romero, 2008 silkscreen
One-of-a-kind small works by established and up-coming artists:
Abel Alejandre, Linda Arreola, Chaz Bojorquez, Kay Brown, Irene Carranza, Peter Carrillo, Mita Cuaron, Raoul De La Sota, Judith Duran, Margaret Garcia, Pat Gomez, CiCi Segura Gonzalez, Daniel Gonzalez,Yolanda Gonzalez, Emelda Gutierrez, Roberto Gutierrez, Cidne Hart, Kevin Hass, Peter Hess, Leo Limon, Jose Lozano, Don Newton, Poli Marichal, Kathy Mas-Gallegos, Stephanie Mercado, Andres Montoya, Howard Swerdloff, Frank Romero, Sonia Romero, Victor Rosas, Herbert Siguenza, Hector Silva, Richard Valdes, Linda Vallejo, J. Michael Walker, Barry Wolfred & many others
Opening event: Saturday, August 16, 2008 from 7-10 pm
*all proceeds will benefit the Avenue 50 Studio as it rebuilds its operations
Avenue 50 Studio, Inc.
a 501(c)(3) non-profit art gallery
131 North Avenue 50
Highland Park, CA 90042
323-258-1435
Also posted at http://www.Localism.com
August Events at Avenue 50 Studio
Saturday, August 16, 2008 starting at 7:00 pm
– A fundraiser for the Avenue 50 Studio featuring one-of-a-kind small works by established and up-coming artists:
Abel Alejandre, Linda Arreola, Chaz Bojorquez, Karen Bonfigli, Kay Brown, Irene Carranza, Peter Carrillo, Mita Cuaron, Raoul De la Sota, Judith Duran, Kathy Mas-Gallegos, Margaret Garcia, Cidne Hart, Kevin Hass, Salomon Huerta, Pat Gomez, CiCi Segura Gonzalez, Yolanda Gonzalez, Emelda Gutierrez, Roberto Gutierrez, Peter Hess, Leo Limon, Jose Lozano, Don Newton, Poli Marichal, Stephanie Mercado, Andres Montoya, Jose Orozco, Howard Swerdloff, Frank Romero, sonia romero, Victor Rosas, Herbert Siguenza, Hector Silva, Richard Valdes, Linda Vallejo, J. Michael Walker, Barry Wolfred & many others………………..
August 16 through September 6, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008 starting at 7:00 pm
The Black/Brown Dialogues: Inspiration House PoetryChoir Curated by Peter J. Harris, artistic director, Inspiration House
Featuring Music by: Maria Elena Gaitan, cello; Nailah, vocals; Curtis Robertson, Jr., guitar; & Spoken Word by: Peter J. Harris; Amalia Ortiz; Bryan Sanders
Saturday, August 23, 2008 starting at 7:00 pm
This event is the third of four Inspiration House PoetryChoir events and is free to the public
The Black/Brown Dialogues are supported in part by the Ford Foundation, JP Morgan Chase, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and Southwest Airlines through a grant from the NALAC Fund for the Arts.
Also posted at http://www.localism.com
A Very Brief History of Mount Washington
It is said that Mount Washington was named for Colonel Henry Washington, who came to Southern California in 1855 to survey the state’s base lines. He spent a great deal of time in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, and is credited with surveying the Los Angeles River.
Originally a part of the huge, sprawling Rancho San Rafael, the area was only sparcely settled owing to its initial lack of accessability. Panoramic views were not a consideration in those days, and often only the bases of the hillsides were dotted with residences. A school was built, however, in 1906, near the top of the hill, to accommodate students from a wide area of hillside territory. When the school first opened for instruction, the first through eighth grades were taught in the building of Mission style architecture. There were two teachers.
The turning point for Mt. Washington came in 1908, long after the land boom of the 1880’s, with the construction of The Mt. Washington Inn. Built near the 1,000 foot summit of the hill to take advantage of the panoramic vista, it flourished during the early years, and catered to the more affluent members of society. One of the greatest tennis matches played at the time occurred on the 4th of July, 1910, on the cement courts of the hotel. May Sutton, former tennis champion of the United States and England, defeated, in a thrilling sea- saw battle, Hazel Hotchkiss, the current champion of the United States. More than 3,000 spectators filled the grandstands to over-flowing, and completely surrounded the playing field. (The Self Realization Fellowship purchased the Inn and grounds in 1925, for use as its international headquarters.)
The hotel was easily reached by a Incline Railway, franchised by the Los Angeles & Mt. Washington Railway Company, which operated two cars named Florence and Virginia.
Land developers hoped that people would ride the trolley from downtown and get off at Avenue 43 and Marmion Way, then ride the Los Angeles & Mt. Washington Incline Railway to the summit of Mount Washington, where they would experience the breathtaking view, resulting in the purchase of a lot.
The ploy worked; Mt. Washington became an exclusive and highly desirable hilltop residential site for those who wished to experience the abundant array of vegetation and wildlife and the unsurpassed view in all directions. From the summit one an see the ocean, Catalina Island, and the beauty of the San Gabriel Mountains.
Los Angeles River Expedition
UPDATE: Mission Accomplished! The George Wolfe Expedition successfully navigated the Los Angeles River from its beginning to its end.
Here are the official LAist Photos of the Los Angeles River Expedition
On July 25, 2008, a group of hardy adventurers will embark on an extraordinary expedition of the Los Angeles River by kayak and canoe, to demonstrate to developers and the Army Corps of Engineers that the LA RIVER is indeed a navigable waterway that should be protected and owned by the people of Los Angeles.
A mighty river in previous centuries, Los Angeles River is now one of the most hydraulically modified urban rivers in the world. Nearly seventy-five percent of the fifty-two mile long river is enclosed in concrete. Channelization of the river was initiated in 1938 by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of a massive flood control project which continued until the late 1950s. Interest in returning the river to a more natural state has developed in the last few decades.
Here is the proposed timetable for the expedition:
DAY 1 (Fri., July 25th)
o 3:00 pm. Kick-off ceremony/”launch” at the LA River Headwaters on overpass @ Owensmouth; Canoga Park. Supporters welcome.
o 4:00-5:30 pm. Our group explores the Sepulveda Basin. Supporters can park at the parking lot at Balboa Park soccer fields and look for us on river. {6000 Balboa Blvd, Encino, CA 91316. Thomas Guide pg. 531, D1}
o 5:30-7 pm. Our boats travel from beginning of Sepulveda Basin to take-out @ Burbank Blvd. x LA River (100′ or so downriver). Supporters can try to find us along that route, or show support atop the banks @ that take-out. Woodley Ave. is the best place to park cars for take-out.
DAY 2 (Sat., July 26th)
o 9:00 am. Riverside talk with Dr. Jenny Price (cars @ Woodley Ave.; talk just downstream from river @ Burbank Ave.; east/Woodley side of river). Supporters welcome.
o 3:00 pm. Griffith Park / Bette Davis Picnic Area. Supporters welcome for riverside picnic @ park.
o 5:30 pm. Atwater Village / Yoga Park; Los Feliz Blvd. x LARiver (100′ downriver from there on east side of river @ Dover St.). A speaker will address the crew and anyone else who wants to show up as supporters.
o 7:30 pm. Marsh Park. (end of Marsh Street, off Riverside Drive). Supporters welcome to riverside chat at the park. {2961 Marsh St., LA, CA 90039. Thomas Guide pg. 5944, F3.}
DAY 3 (Sun., July 26th)
o 11 am - 1 pm. Greetings from downtown bridges for anyone who cares to locate us.
o 1:30 pm. Maywood riverside park. Casual bring-your-own-food picnic lunch at their new park. Supporters welcome.
o 3:30 pm. Compton Creek. Explore Dominguez Gap/Slough. Supporters welcome.
o 5:00 pm. Willow Street Estuary {2500 block of De Forest Ave @ 25th Place, Long Beach, CA 90806; Thomas Guide pg. 795, C3.}. Supporters welcome.
o 7 pm. Final take-out at Shoreline Park in Long Beach. Supporters welcome. Celebrate. Plant the flag. Mingle. Closure.
The official expedition press release: http://www.lalatimes.com/lariver/IR_BoatersPlanDescent07082008.pdf
FOLAR: Friends of L A River http://folar.org/
And What Were They Filming?
For anyone who wondered just what was being filmed last week on the corner of Avenue 56 and North Figueroa
It was a new TV series for TNT ….
More here
http://www.turnerinfo.com/newsitem.aspx?P=TNT&CID01=6ae1a382-b047-458b-8f12-8c3278b9e85b
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117980871.html?categoryid=14&cs=1
The Figueroa Street Business District could become a “Living Backlot” ® Read Robert Mendel’s proposal. Mendel proposes that creating a an organized, film-friendly corridor along North Figueroa would stimulate tourism to the area, create business for the local shop owners, and begin generating funds necessary to restore the building facades along the corridor.
