Echo Park, California

In response to Tuesday’s L.A. Times article on one Delta Street family struggling to find affordable housing in Los Angeles, Hexod.us thoughtfully asks, “Is Rent Really a Racial Issue?”

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After reading the L.A. Observed post on friend and neighbor Dave Z, I ran out and grabbed a copy of the November issue of Los Angeles magazine. I laughed out loud when I turned to page 86 and saw Dave’s photo—just as I’d expected—looking like the quote to the left of his image, “David Zahniser, the city hall reporter for the L.A. Weekly, doesn’t look so happy most of the times I see him.”

Well, while the article focuses on Dave Z the City Hall reporter, and does note that he wants people to know that, “…politics is fun and that engaging themselves in the life of the city is fun”, people should know that Dave Z is one of those Echo Park icons that’s always exuding neighborhood pride and sharing his enthusiasm of its history.

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Finally, after years of trying, Echo Park is getting its very own certified Farmers’ Market! 

Join your neighbors for the Grand Opening Carrot Cutting Ceremony on Friday, October 13th, at 3pm.

Fresh fruits and vegetables direct from farmers can be found in city parking lot #663 at Logan 1/2 block south of Sunset Blvd. 3-7pm.

Artwork by Katrina Alexy with Holly Hampton

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Big fans of the New York Mets, the two Bubo virginianus behind our house in Elysian Park celebrated the teams win early this morning. Throughout the course of the baseball season only the deep calls of the male owl could be heard after dark and we had feared for the fate of his partner. That all changed this morning when his female mate returned his call with her own soft hoo-hoo hoooooo hoo-hoo. With her return it appears that order has been restored in Elysian Park…at least until next season.

In other Elysian Park bird news, the LA Weekly celebrates the mystery of the Bird Man of Elysian Park.

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The Right Site Coalition is encouraging the community to help stop the needless destruction of the historic homes on the proposed elementary school site known as Site 9A. The neighbors may have been run out of their homes with illegal threats and intimidation by real estate contractors working for LAUSD, but the historic fabric of this abandoned community still stands. The Right Site Coalition and the Echo Park Historical Society are in the midst of a CEQA lawsuit against LAUSD that will not be heard until December 18th so in the meantime the school district is attempting to demolition the evidence before the case goes to trial.

Council President Eric Garcetti has said that he would not allow the closure of streets necessary for the school to be built; now we need him to block the issuance of demolition permits for the project. For background on the Site 9A fight click here.

LAUSD will conduct a public hearing this Tuesday, October 10 at Rosemont Elementary School at 6PM. (See attached PDF).

Help support the preservation of part of the fabric of our community by acting today.
From the Right Site Coalition:

Hello everyone, 

Please take a moment of your time and fax, call or email CD 13 representative, Council President Eric Garcetti today!

He must request a stay of demolition.  The Right Sight Coalition has fought for over a year to stop the LAUSD from foolishly demolishing this essential part of Echo Park.  Directly in our Community Center, it is full of historic housing and commercial uses.  We need to show LAUSD that when you’re wrong you are wrong.

Enrollment numbers for 06/07 are about to be released and according to a Logan Street Elementary parent, the school was down to 742 students this year.  That would mean over 150 less students than last year! Imagine how the other schools have fared.

Please support the Right Sight Coalitions fight to save this part of our neighborhood while preventing LAUSD from putting a school in an area that doesn’t need it! We have a trial date of December 18 for the CEQA lawsuit.  Donations for the Right Sight Coalition may be mailed and made out to:
EPHS
PO Box 261022
Los Angeles, CA 90026 

Fax or send your letters to:
Councilmember Eric Garcetti
323-957-4500
fax#323-957-6841 

5500 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028

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