Seeing a rise in influenza cases and outbreaks in Los Angeles County, the Department of Public Health is asking residents to heed caution. “During this summer, the recommendations for avoiding illness are the same as during the fall or winter months: wash your hands, cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, and stay home if you are sick,” said Jonathan E. Fielding, Director of Public Health and Health Officer, in a statement.
Thomas J. Barrack Jr. has lived near Neverland Ranch for decades and recently came into ownership of the property, via his private-equity firm, when Jackson defaulted on a loan. Although Jackson partially still had a stake in the land, he moved to a large Holmby Hills estate where he died last week. Now there is a chance a public viewing of Jackson later this week will occur at the ranch in Santa Barbara County, which has officials worried about traffic anywhere Jackson's body is taken. If that happens, the quiet countryside of Santa Ynez Valley could temporarily quintuple (or more!) it's population in a matter of hours, prompting Barrack to write a very poetic open letter to the community (posted below). Also under consideration for a ceremony is the Staples Center, says the LA Times.
Some resourcefulness and a little money has gone a long way this past week with the city's Bikeways Department. With parking meters being replaced by the new Park & Pay system kiosks, those meters, which often doubled as handy bicycle parking, were threatened to be taken off the street. Not so fast. In key areas around the city, crews spent four nights last week reconfiguring the meters into the new bicycle meter hitches.
Unless Sunset Junction Festival organizers address local resident concerns and businesses, the festival is unlikely to be permitted by the city. So far, the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council, who represents the area at a grassroots neighborhood level, has voted against the festival in its entirety. For their meeting tomorrow, the agenda (.pdf) lists has a motion for consideration that seeks to alleviate some of those concerns:
There hasn't been much rain these days, but that's not stopping the city from trying to maximize the usefulness of rain when it comes. A new rain water harvesting pilot project will start in Mar Vista and a nearby neighborhood in mid July, thanks to a $1 million grant. Gray water, as it's called, is one part of greening ones property and is often used for water gardens and lawns. The project's goal is to enlist 600 properties--whether they be residential or commercial--to take part in the program. Those who take part might receive a free rain barrel (usually costs $200) or have experts re-route gutter downspouts off impermeable surfaces like sidewalks and onto permeable ones like gardens. All the details are not set yet, but more are to come in next month.
Margaret Prescod, a KPFK radio host and founder of the Black Coalition Fighting Back Serial Murders, announced a new campaign last week to inform the community about the notorious Grim Sleeper, who has alluded police for over 20 years, killing at least 11 since 1985 and most recently in 2007. The Stop the Serial Murders Community Information Campaign will flyer the community with information about the murders in hopes that someone knows something or at least connects the dots and contacts police. "People don't know much about the murders," Prescod told the LA Weekly. "These murders have not been a priority of [Police Chief William] Bratton, the mayor and most of the media." Making it harder to spread the word, this campaign was announced as Michael Jackson's death took the world by storm. Christine Pelisek, who broke the serial killer's story, faithfully attended the press conference.
On Saturday night, Councilman Tom LaBonge showed off prototype neighborhood sign for the maybe-future Little Italy neighborhood in the downtown area. "The borders of what would make up a Little Italy would certainly take debate," noted Ed Fuentes of blogdowntown. "The Italian community in Los Angeles was originally centered in land that is today occupied by Chinatown." Last weekend's 1st Annual Taste of Italy was held at Italian Hall where in 2010, a museum is slated to open with exhibits intended to educate the public about Italian-American Angelenos. 
Photo: Ed Fuentes
CNN is reporting that Michael Jackson's body will be transported to Neverland Ranch on Thursday for a public viewing on Friday and a private memorial service on Sunday. However, the LA Times says things are not exactly confirmed: "A source knowledgeable about Neverland affairs said that no decision had been made. 'Nothing has been confirmed,' the source told The Times. 'The family is still trying to work it out.'" Jackson's will has been found and a service is scheduled for next week in Gary, Indiana, where he might be buried, is in the works, says CNN.
When Casey Schreiner graduated from Boston University, the Connecticut native moved to Los Angeles, like many, with a dream of landing an entertainment industry job. "I flew out here with a duffel bag and an air mattress, hoping to land some sort of writing job," he explained. And a job he got--a fun one, too. The 28-year-old West Hollywood resident (just moved from the Miracle Mile) has been writing for G4’s “Attack of the Show” since its beginning days. "It’s a great place to get my hands the latest gadgets, technology, and web sites--and has been a good outlet for all of the jokes about Mac OS X and Star Trek fan-fic that I can’t make in mixed company."
After years of lawsuits against the Bush Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency today granted California the permission it wanted to impose strict emissions regulations on cars sold in the state. By 2016, fuel economy in cars and trucks sold in the state will need to have an average of 35.5 miles per gallon, a reduction of 40%.
Now in its third drought year, Southern California could be facing another if a developing El Nino off the coast of South America comes August with not much force. "El Nino is El Wimpo," said Bill Patzert, climatologist for the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada Flintridge to the Daily News. "He's late. He's stunted. He's definitely not the great wet hope." For the last year, downtown LA has received 9.08 inches of rain, six inches below normal. Not good, but better than the 3.21 inches it saw the year previous. Because of that many cities have enacted water rationing ordinances. And this year could be no different as some climatologists are predicting another dry winter.
Superintendent Ramon Cortines is going apeshit over photos of Sacha Baron Cohen with Lake Balboa high school football players published as part of a GQ magazine cover story. Cohen's salacious poses with the stars of Birmingham High's football team appear in the middle of this GQ fashion spread.
With the new fiscal year looming on Wednesday and Democrats refusing to cut programs in their entirety, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday presented his budget Plan B. In it, he backed off from eliminating "welfare assistance, health care for poor children, and financial aid for college students," according to John Myers of KQED.
LA Dodgers defeat Colorado Rockies 4-2 (13 innings). The game just wouldn't end. All of the scoring in regulation came in the fifth with each team scoring twice. While both teams had their chances in the tenth inning to put it away, the lack of fundamental offensive baseball kept the game tied. Finally in the 13th inning with Casey Blake on board with a single, who else would knock the walk off homer other than Andre Ethier. To be honest Ethier's at bat looked horrendous until he popped that change up out to right field. So the Dodgers manage to avoid losing three consecutive games, the only team in baseball to do so. Also Randy Wolf gets his 11th no-decision of the season. The offensive star of the game was Juan Pierre who went 3-for-5 with a walk, three stolen bases and NO runs. Like I said, the Dodgers have not been playing fundamental baesball.
The two anonymous bloggers at the popular vegan blog, Quarrygirl, went all out and published a large investigative report today, finding that a handful of vegan restaurants, mostly Thai in nature, are in fact not vegan.
The Valleys will once again get the short end of the stick. The agency responsible for monitoring air quality in the Los Angeles region announced that tomorrow’s air quality will be unhealthy for sensitive individuals such as those who have heart disease, asthma or other respiratory disease. People with such conditions living or working in the Santa Clarita Valley, Pomona Valley, East San Gabriel Valley and West San Fernando Valley should minimize outdoor activities, says the South Coast Air Quality Management District and echoed by the LA County Department of Public Health, which also warned of today's and tomorrow's high heat.
Twice a year, Metro makes a slew of changes to their schedules and transit routes in an effort to improve service and efficiency. Sunday was one of those days. Usually, there is something new and flashy to show off like a new Rapid bus route, but this summer there's no such thing. In fact, one Rapid line was discontinued in the Valley and another lost its weekend service in South LA.
Earlier this year, Tustin's Dan Choi, a lieutenant in the Army National Guard, shared during a television interview that he is homosexual, which put him in violation of the military's Clinton-era "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding gay servicemen and women's need to keep their sexuality a secret.
Pulitzer Prize winner and 18-year LA Times veteran Drex Heikes will join LA Weekly as their Editor later this summer. Most recently, Heikes was at the Las Vegas Sun where he was honored with the Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal for Public Service for an investigation he assigned and edited. While at the LA Times, he served as editor of the Sunday magazine and as foreign affairs editor in the paper's Washington bureau. He will take the Weekly's reigns on August 17th. Earlier this month, Editor Laurie Ochoa parted ways with the paper.
This weekend's Fourth of July holiday and the many celebrations taking place all over Los Angeles means that it's time to remind the non-professional pyrotech-ies that fireworks are, in fact, not only illegal, but also dangerous. The Daily News quotes County Fire Captain Mike Brown, who says: "The use of fireworks not only can cause fires, but can result in severe injuries and burns if not used properly."
Last week Long Beach did something that, by all appearances, no other city has ever done: they painted sharrows--a common practice to educate motorists that bicyclists get to legally share the road--with a five-foot green lane--a new and inventive way to grab everyone's attention and help cyclists stay out of the door zone.
The hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries that cropped up all over town in the past few years are now facing uncertain futures, as City officials mull the next step in the process to close them down, reports the LA Times. They are working on a short list of pot shops "targeted for extinction by a City Council chagrined that it allowed hundreds to open in Los Angeles despite a 21-month-old moratorium."
Typical for the Los Angeles area, beaches are experiencing upper 60s to mid 70s while more inland, highs will reach the mid 80s, according to the National Weather Service. In the Hollywood Hills and Valley, expect the 90s. However, the LA County Public Health Office today released a warning for the Santa Clarita Valley: "High temperatures are forecasted for today and tomorrow in the Santa Clarita Valley, with the heat index forecast to reach 104 degrees today and 101 degrees tomorrow.... 'While people don’t need to be told it’s hot outside, they do need to be reminded how to take care of themselves, children, the elderly, and their pets when the weather gets hotter,' said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and Health Officer.'"
The Jackson kids in 2008
One frequent question that lingered on many people's mind following the sudden death of Michael Jackson last Thursday was the fate of his three children, Prince Michael (12), Paris Michael Katherine Jackson (11), and Prince Michael II aka "Blanket," (7). This morning a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge granted temporary guardianship of the Jackson children to Michael's mother Katherine, 79, reports LA Now. Mrs. Jackson filed the papers this morning, and a hearing is scheduled for July 6th. The two older children were borne to Jackson by his then-wife Debbie Rowe, but "attorneys for Katherine Jackson said in court papers that [she] does not have a relationship with them and that if she won custody, it would be 'detrimental' to the minors." The youngest child was born via surrogate, who could, in fact, claim custody, as could Rowe. "Some legal experts believe the [...] Rowe is most likely to receive final custody of the two elder children."
In a move that some feel is risky, Prop 8 will be tested in Federal Court Thursday when it will go before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Vaughn Walker in the Northern District of California, according to Karen Ocamb at The Bilerico Project.
Sex in jail is illegal, but if it's going to happen, it had better be safe. At least that's the wisdom behind the eight-year-old program that "makes condoms available once a week to 300 inmates within the segregated unit" at the Men's Central Jail in Downtown Los Angeles, explains the Daily News.
The city is looking into installing new parking meters that could potentially bring in $1 million in additional revenue to help fill the budget gap, but officials say they don’t have enough resources to do so. LADOT told councilmembers at last week’s Transit meeting the plan would not make any money in its first year because the meters would cost $1 million to install. Additionally, officials said the department is already 18 percent understaffed in maintenance technicians, making it harder to collect money and fix existing meters.
Finally, Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff was sentenced to 150 year this morning, reports Gothamist: "In the courtroom, Madoff told [U.S. District Judge Denny] Chin, federal prosecutors and his victims that he thought he could "work his way out" of fraud and that he lives in a "tormented state." He added that he lied to his brother and sons and that his wife Ruth Madoff cries herself to sleep each night. However, Madoff did not turn around to address his victims." Still he did hear from some of his victims. Donald Ambrosino, a retired NYC corrections officer who lost his life savings thanks to Madoff: "How could someone do this to us? We worked honestly and so hard. This can't be real. We did nothing wrong." Another: "I have lost all of my life’s hard-earned savings. I have lost the home my husband and I had owned for 25 years because of this theft. I have lost the ability to care for myself in this old age."
In a late Sunday night Session, the state's Assembly passed a budget with $2 billion in tax and fee increases that included a $15 annual vehicle registration fee that would pay for state parks, among other taxes and fees like a $1.50 tax on cigarettes. The Democratic budget solution is headed to the state Senate for consideration this morning.
The Dodgers continue to be mired in their offensive slump for the second consecutive day and lose the rubber game of their series against the Seattle Mariners 4-2. It was the final game of their interleague schedule where they went 9-9, their first non-losing interleague record since 2004 when they went 10-8.
Following the release of the body of the late icon Michael Jackson from the Los Angeles County Coroner's office, his family ordered a second autopsy which was completed by a private pathologist yesterday afternoon here in Los Angeles, reports LA Now. Although the County coroner had ruled there was no foul play or evidence of "exterior trauma," the full report remains incomplete as they await toxicology tests that will take weeks to process.
Known for his exuberant television pitches for household products like OxiClean and Orange Glow, Billy Mays, 50, has died, according to the LA Times. Police in his home city of Tampa say Mays "was pronounced dead this morning after being found by his wife at home. There were no signs of a break-in, and investigators do not suspect foul play. The coroner's office expects to have an autopsy done by Monday afternoon." The Pennsylvania-born pitchman provided his high-energy endorsement to dozens of products over the years on television after a successful career as a salesman on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, then traveling to places like state fairs and auto shows. Mays' wife Deborah is not expected to make any public comment, and has asked for privacy following the sudden death of her husband.
Actress Farrah Fawcett, who died Thursday morning after a lengthy battle with cancer, will be honored and mourned in a private funeral service on Tuesday, according to the Huffington Post. The Catholic service is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Downtown.
The Dodgers could not figure out Mariners starter Felix Hernandez going down 5-1.
Leave it to Sacha Baron Cohen to stir things up. The comic entertainer and his upcoming new feature film Bruno is the subject of a few raised eyebrows at the Los Angeles Unified School District when they realized he'd posed for pictures at the Valley's Birmingham High, according to KCOP. In the publicity photos, Cohen is reportedly "wearing not much more than a paper cup as a jockstrap and pretending to sexually abuse a prone football player."
Occidental College, the private liberal arts school with its campus on the hills above Eagle Rock, is experiencing a marvelous surge in enrollment for the upcoming school year, reports the LA Times. They are "expected to enroll a freshman class of about 560 this fall -- up 100 students, or 21% -- from last year," and this has many wondering if the campus' popularity is because President Barack Obama began his post-secondary journey there in 1979.
It's been less than 48 hours since news of Michael Jackson's death at the age of 50 broke, and the fan tributes from his many local fans continue to pour in at significant locations around Los Angeles, including the Jackson family home in Encino and Jackson's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The tributes include flowers, candles, notes, and mementos, and already commemorative T-Shirts are up for sale from enterprising capitalists. A woman showed off her brand new Michael Jackson tattoo (on her, err, rear end) for a photog--one of the few who have added their images of the fan tributes to our LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr.
Following the autopsy conducted amid massive media buzz yesterday, the LA County Coroner's office has turned the body of Michael Jackson to his family, who are working to finalize plans for the star's funeral, according to LA Now. "Los Angeles Police Department sources said officials have been talking to the Jackson family about plans for a memorial, which is likely to take place in the L.A. area. The LAPD is involved in the planning because it's likely to be mobbed by fans." The coroner has yet to determine and official cause of death, but were able to conclude and announce yesterday that there was no evidence of foul play or "exterior trauma." Toxicology reports will take several weeks; Jackson's body is currently being held at an undisclosed mortuary.
In light of Michael Jackson's death, a small and recently closed exhibit featuring some of the pop star's wardrobe selections made a return yesterday at the Grammy Museum in downtown LA. Fans, the media and even one impersonator flocked the museum Friday, increasing the usual attendance and drawing more interest for the weekend when even larger crowds are expected. Michael Jackson: HIStyle features the suit worn on the Thriller album cover, two gloves and more. In the same rotunda, an original Grammy documentary repeats throughout the day.
Four Los Angeles eateries received awards tonight at Dwell on Design honoring excellence in their design. The 4th annual 2009 Restaurant Design Awards presented by American Institute of Architects Los Angeles (AIA/LA) presented Bottega Louie and Chaya Downtown with top category jury prizes and The Conga Room with the lounge/nightclub award. The Lab Gastropub on USC's campus garnered the People's Choice award in the cafe/bar category.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget-saving threat to close 80% of state parks for two years has the federal government raising a red flag. Numerous parks, including a handful local to Los Angeles, are under stipulations to stay open to the public because the land was fully or partially federally funded or transferred to the state from federal ownership.
The LA County Coroner's office today announced the completion of Michael Jackson's autopsy, but a cause of death could not be determined until more tests are done. Toxicology and other tests could take four to six weeks, they said.
Dwell on Design officially started today with design, architecture and other industry folks visiting the convention center today. Come tomorrow and Sunday the public will be attending the large event full of booths, speaking events (read LAist's picks here) and a great mobile food event tomorrow evening at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA.
On Monday, crews will begin construction on the LA River bike path, extending it further south towards downtown. The 2.5 mile stretch will go from Fletcher Drive to Barclay Street over an asphalt easement previously owned by the Army Corps of Engineers. The current path, running from the northern end of Griffith Park to Fletcher Drive is about 4.25 miles. The project is expected to take 6 to 7 months based on preliminary reports.
As of yesterday, the State Senate had not moved on items except denying a budget package of three bills passed by the Assembly (before a bill can go to Schwarzenegger, it must pass both houses). That package would temporarily halt the use of IOUs in lieu of bill payments from the state. In regards to the threat of state parks, no action has been taken yet. The Democrats proposal goes like this: AB 180, the big budget revision bill (remember, the budget was already passed earlier this year), contains a one year cut of state parks (Schwarzenegger called for two years). Once that passes, effectively eliminating state parks, then another bill would be introduced to save state parks via a $15 annual fee on vehicle registrations. That's a risky move considering Schwarzenegger and Republicans vow to veto any taxes or fee increases. The Senate reconvened at 12:30 today and the Assembly will on Saturday.
TMZ got their hands on the audio from the 911 call yesterday from Michael Jackson's rental home in Holmby Hills. They never identify the 50-year-old man who is not breathing as Jackson, but do say that a doctor is there present with him:
A new nutritional information and menu labeling law will take effect next Wednesday, forcing many restaurants in the state to provide facts about the food they serve. Split into two phases, the first one next week states that restaurants with 20 or more locations in California must provide brochures at the point of purchase with number of calories, grams of saturated fat, grams of carbohydrates and milligrams of sodium for all standard menu items.
On Wednesday night, this is what Ed McMahon's Hollywood Walk of Fame star looked like just outside of the Roosevelt Hotel. There were no flowers or no notes, just newspaper stuck to the sidewalk with some black paint or tar over his name. Accident? Vandalism? Probably the latter--there are some crazy and mean spirited people out there. Luckily, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce cleaned it up that night and things are back to normal. Blogger TaraMetBlog also saw the star in ruin, noting her shock and dismay.
Overshadowed by Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcet's death yesterday, a shout out to Sky Saxon is also deserved. He was the co-founder of the local garage band, The Seeds, and made the Top 40 Charts with “Can’t Seem To Make You Mine” and “Pushin’ Too Hard” in 1967. The band broke up in 1970 and Saxon recently moved to Austin where he was publishing music DIY style and playing with his new band Shapes Have Fangs. He was in his 60s and no details have come to light about his death other that he was recently sick, but only briefly. RIP, Sly Saxon. Videos of the two hits are embedded below.
As promised by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, after equipment from the last night's Bruno premiere was moved, flowers would be placed on Michael Jackson's star in front of the Chinese Grauman's Theatre. Crowds are beginning to now gather there after spending yesterday at the star of radio personality Michael Jackson.
After one death and a shooting this week, some fans are wondering what happened to their sweet Orange County Disneyfied Angels baseball experience. The LA Times takes a look, finding some interesting comments made on the internet: "In a ballpark that once had a no-alcohol section for families and won over youngsters with Disney promotions, fans have taken notice, erupting on message boards and on Twitter. Several threatened to stop going to games. 'Not willing to risk family safety because of gangbangers & thugs in SF, LA Dodgers, and now Anaheim Angels,' one fan wrote. Many took shots at the 'Los Angeles' in the Angels name. 'When did Angel Stadium turn into Dodger Stadium?' one person asked. 'Guess it really HAS turned into an LA team,' another wrote."
For the second time this year, a California man has died at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Claude Finney, 48, jumped into the water to swim without a personal safety device, according to National Park Service officials, who say he was treading water for about a minute before he began to call for help. Friends tried to throw him life-rings, but he disappeared below water before they reached him. Search and Rescue teams have yet to find his body and are presuming this is a drowning. "The heat and the boat's motion can take a lot out of you. You just don't realize it until its too late. You jump in the water to cool off and fatigue hits you from no where and you can't keep yourself afloat." said Andrew Muñoz spokesman for Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Over Memorial Day weekend, a man from El Monte drowned when he jumped into the water without any safety floatation devices.
We mentioned this in an earlier post, but are breaking it out because of e-mails and questions thrown at us. In Hollywood, fans have gathered around the star of the other Michael Jackson, a radio personality, on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1541 Vine. St.
The Jackson family attorney, Brian Oxman, stepped outside UCLA Medical Center and spoke with KCAL9 for a live interview. "The family is just very sad. They are together, they are not saying anything, they aren't doing anythig, they are simply hugging one another," he said of the scene inside the hospital. "The music of Michael Jackson has been echoing off the walls here at UCLA; it has been one of the most surreal experienes of my life... The fans here are so extraordinaire. They love this man, I love this man, he was my friend." Oxman said he saw and hugged both Randy and Jermaine Jackson, who were both speechless.
"It doesn't feel like we're waiting for a press conference, it feels like we're waiting for a rock concert," an on scene KCAL9 reporter described as crowds gathered outside UCLA Medical Center.
Michael Jackson, reportedly suffering from a heart attack, was rushed to a local hospital from his Holmby Hills rental estate during the twelve noon hour today. When paramedics arrived around 12:26 p.m., the 50-year-old pop star was not breathing, reported the LA Times. "The call came in because a person was not breathing," said an LAFD official. "When the team arrived, they saw that CPR was already in progress by someone at the home. The person not breathing was transported to UCLA Medical Center and remains there." He was taken to UCLA Medical Center just a few minutes away from the home.
LA Weekly is tracking every murder within Los Angeles city limits and yesterday in Pacoima, the 137th for 2009 occurred. Yesterday, "30-year-old Gerardo Cruz was standing out in front of his girlfriend's house with her brother drinking beer when three alleged gang members jumped out of their blue compact car and 'shot up the place.'" Although gang related, police said Cruz was not affiliated with any gangs. This was the fourth homicide in the LAPD's Foothill Division this month. Citywide, homicides are significantly down--around 32%--compared to last year.
"If Bernie Madoff had committed his crime in California under the proposed statute, his … scam which has destroyed countless lives and fortunes, would have been a misdemeanor," wrote LA District Attorney Steve Cooley in a letter to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger obtained by the LA Times today. In trying to fix the $24 billion state budget deficit, Schwarzenegger proposed changing state sentencing guidelines so that some felonies would be prosecuted as misdemeanors. The theory behind that idea is saving $1 billion over three years since 23,000 criminals would be ousted from state prisons and into local ones and re-entry programs. 
Steve Cooley
Who knew our little freeway that could was the largest and most stimulated project in all of the state. Ripped from a White House press release about California meeting Recovery Act goals ahead of schedule: "As of today, California’s largest ARRA-funded project is the I-405 in Los Angeles County that will be widened and include several interchange upgrades along a 10-mile stretch of HOV lanes. This project is located in an economically distressed area and relies on $190 million in ARRA funding to go toward the total cost of $739 million for the project." The only 10-mile 405 freeway HOV widening project listed on Metro's website is located in the "economically distressed" areas between the 10 Freeway and Ventura Blvd... you know, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Brentwood, Westwood Village, etc. Still, once completed, it should be happier days for many.
Nothing really happened yesterday in the capitol other than the Democratic plan to fix the budget went nowhere (for those following the possible closure of most all state parks, this means more time to advocate). Now Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg is vowing to work everyday to pass the budget by July 1st. If that date is not met, the state will begin sending IOUs instead of payments to bills. Here's to another day of being $24 billion in the red.
Charlie's Angels darling, Farrah Fawcett, died this morning at 9:28 a.m. at St. John’s Heath Center in Santa Monica where she had returned "for treatment of complications from anal cancer, first diagnosed three years ago," according to People Magazine. She was 62 years old. Her spokesperson is saying the cause of death is the cancer. Ryan O'Neal and Alana Stewart were at her bedside as she passed away, reported TMZ. A multiple Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee, she had become pop culture figure and sex symbol after her role on Charlie's Angels when it began airing in 1976. You will be sorely missed, Farrah Fawcett, sorely missed. RIP.
Now that the U.S. is picking up steam in the soccer world (especially since a UCLA alumnus is the captain), this city might be getting a little more soccer crazy. Blogger, New York City transplant and soccer fan Max Lance is putting together a map of good places to catch a soccer game and is still updating it, looking for your suggestions. He's looking for places that will show soccer games with the sound on and the above map shows the places that do just that (have more? add them in the comments section below).
After being no-shows at last week’s Transportation Committee meeting, LAPD appeared before councilmembers and cyclists yesterday, only to be met by harsh criticism for their “distinct bias towards bicyclists” and their response to a hit-and-run accident in late April in which a Hummer sideswiped a rider in downtown L.A. At the meeting, cyclists were “deeply disappointed” and scoffed at the conflicting details police gave regarding the incident.
There have been some questions recently about all the helicopter activity in the Echo Park area. The Eastsider LA was trying to figure it out (and eventually did!) and even the LAPD's one media relations officer had no clue despite the information being published last week on their blog. The urban training missions began June 15 and will continue through Saturday. "The operations will be routine training exercises conducted by military personnel, designed to ensure the military’s ability to operate in urban environments, prepare forces for upcoming overseas deployments and meet mandatory training certification requirements," the LAPD wrote. "Training sites have been carefully selected so that activities do not interfere with the daily routines of the local populace."
More details are coming out from last night's shooting at the Angels-Colorado game. An off-duty officer from the Anaheim Police apparently shot two men after an altercation. One was shot in the head and the other in the chest. All three were sent to the hospital and the officer has been the only person released so far. TV news reports suggest that the officer identified himself as the two men were allegedly breaking into a car. When he approached, they attacked him and he used the gun in self defense. One witness who claimed she was one of the victim's sister-in-law told KTLA that the officer began the fight with the two men, one of whom is a marine.
After nearly 60 years of U.S. soccer history, the famous shot heard round the world from the 1950 World Cup in Brazil now has company. Former UCLA standout Carlos Bocanegra captained a U.S. Men's National Team that on Wednesday evening (South Africa time), defeated the number #1 ranked Spanish team by a score of 2 - 0. The victory earned the U.S. team its first ever finals berth in a FIFA sanctioned competition and also ended the impressive 35 game undefeated streak the Furia Roja had amassed over the last couple of years, which included last year's prestigious European Championship.
Chicago White Sox defeat LA Dodgers 10-7. Just as I write about how the Dodgers pitching has kept them on top, they decide to go into the tank. Dodger pitching gave up six homers to the White Sox: three off of starter Randy Wolf; two off of Cory Wade and one off of James McDonald. It's the most home runs given up by the Dodgers in eight years. But the Dodgers would fight back after being down 10-3 after six innings. The would score a run in the seventh and three in the eighth. Even though the seven-run deficit was too much to overcome, their fight is something that will help them out in the long run.
According to CBS2/KCAL9, two people were reported shot at Angels Stadium. The Anaheim Fire Department said a call of two people shot in the parking lot at Angels Stadium came in at 10:26 pm. Anaheim police are confirming reports of an assault but nothing else. According to ABC7 it was an officer-involved shooting. No officers were injured.
The circus is coming to Orange County soon, but not before a show of a whole other kind hits town, which is due to take place midday tomorrow in the heart of Anaheim. The show is actually a protest organized by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) who will express their displeasure about what they believe is the unethical treatment of circus animals by "having one of its members, 32-year-old Melissa Sehgal, pushed through downtown Anaheim in a cage, nearly nude except for tiger-stripe body paint," according to the OC Register.
Martin J. Gomez was confirmed today as the new City Librarian, charging him with the duty to oversee a $129 million budget, 6 million books and 1,100 employees throughout the 71 branches. The UCLA grad started his 30-year career as branch librarian in San Diego, moving on to head up Oakland's system, then to work in Brooklyn and most recently San Mateo.
We're number one! But if you're gearing up to start cheering, don't hold your breath. In fact, you might want to reconsider breathing in at all. Why? Because according to the Environmental Protection Agency, we have the most toxic air in the country, reports cbs2.
The location of the first See's Candy shop located at Western and 1st Street (see it in Street View), was designated as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument by City Council today. The 1921-built structure has character-defining features of Italian Renaissance Revival architecture, according to city documents, which continue to say "the See family developed their distinctive store design and aesthetic: white colored storefronts and interiors, black-on-white lettering and font, black and white tiled foor, as well as their advertising slogans." The shop isn't there any more, but since it was used as the prototype for all future shops and has surviving character-defining features, it was eligible for the local designation.
Both legislative houses met today to vote on the a budget revision aiming to fix a $24 billion deficit with no success. Out of 20 bills, only one was voted on and it failed. While Assembly Budget Chair Noreen Evans mentioned the State Parks fee idea, none of the two questions regarding them were addressed. Traci Verardo-Torres of the California State Parks Foundation's told LAist she wasn't sure "if state parks have lived another day or state parks have lived to be fought over for another day. As far as we're concerned, were still fighting to keep our parks open." State Controller John Chiang said today he will start issuing IOUs as payment for bills starting July 2nd if a solution is not quickly found.
Los Angeles' "photo-op" Mayor has spent the past few weeks with the word 'FAILURE' hanging over him, so to speak, thanks to Los Angeles Magazine's recent cover story on Villaraigosa's approaching second term in office. Now it seems that the bulk of his Partnership schools within the LAUSD have also given the Mayor an 'F' in the form of a "thumbs down from teachers," according to the LA Times, adding:
Eight out of 10 schools delivered a "no confidence" vote, and we're talking landslides (84 to 17 at Santee Education Complex, 96 to 13 at Stevenson Middle School, 70 to 13 at Gompers Middle School, 61 to 8 at Markham Middle School and 184 to 15 at Roosevelt High, which the mayor himself once attended).Teachers have shouldered a tremendous amount of dissatisfaction in local leadership lately, from elected officials like Villaraigosa, to the Board of Education members, of whom five out of seven voted yesterday to approve a radically reduced budget that will lead to layoffs, loss of programs, and increased class sizes.
Who wouldn't want to live in a Sonoma wine country house for six months getting paid $10,000 a month to eat, drink, schmooze, party and then blog all about it? In a stroke of viral marketing genius, Murphy-Goode Winery is holding a contest to win that job and the voting ends this Friday.
Out with the old meters, in with hand-me-down bicycle racks called meter hitches. When the city last year began replacing parking meters with the new pay station ones, that either left headless meters or no meters at all along stress, which meant less options for bicycle parking. Then last night, as part of a pilot project between the Department of Transportation and Council President Eric Garcetti's office, came 52 new bicycle meter hitches on Hollywood Boulevard between La Brea and Vine.
A visit to Channel Islands National Park means an hour or longer boat ride across the Santa Barbara Channel. Your travel takes you over the National Marine Sanctuary where without a doubt--unless the weather is treacherous--you're bound to see some amazing ocean wonders. In two recent trips, we've seen hundreds of dolphins, seals, birds, a whale, a sun fish and last weekend, something very unusual, a feeding frenzy.
Today, the Legislature is expected to vote to close the State's $24 billion budget deficit with measures that include taking $57 million in gas tax money from the City of Los Angeles. If that were to happen, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa says the city could lose 800 street maintenance positions through those revenues. Yes, street maintenance, one of the most complained about aspects of Los Angeles.
...and by nuts we mean pistachios. The FDA is warning consumers not to eat pistachios that are from California Prime Produce and Orange County Orchards, which are the brands repacked by Orca Distribution West Inc., an Anaheim company, reports the OC Register. These pistachios may in fact be tainted with salmonella; Orca's involvement stems from an earlier recall of Setton Pistachio, another California distributor, who sent their nuts to Anaheim for repacking. Because "Orca has not made a public announcement regarding these products. Therefore, the FDA is issuing this press release to alert consumers so that they can take appropriate action.” If you've got pistachios in your pantry, check your nuts. These were "distributed to retail locations in airports and hotels nationwide [and] packaged in clear 6 ounce flexible plastic Ziploc bags, UPC Number: 8 10826 01116 2 with Sell By Dates of 7/30/09 and 8/30/09."
Groundbreaking is scheduled to take place this morning on Metro's Orange Line extension, which will expand the dedicated busway that currently runs from North Hollywood to Warner Center. The $215.6 million extension "is the very first project to begin construction under the new voter approved Measure R half-cent transportation sales tax," reports abc7.
Now that the Lakers season is over it’s time to get caught up on all things Doyers. At just about the halfway point in the season the Dodgers have the best record in baseball at 47-24. They are 23 games over .500 and hold an 8 ½ lead in the NL West over the San Francisco Giants. What’s remarkable is that they’ve done this with their best slugger Manny Ramirez
LA Dodgers defeat Chicago White Sox 5-2. This was Hiroki Kuroda at his best. Kuroda gave up a solo shot to former Dodger prospect Paul Konerko in the second inning and an RBI single to Jermaine Dye in the ninth as the only blemishes in his 8 2/3 inning performance. After Dye's single Jonathan Broxton came in and Jim Thome to strike out to end the game. Meanwhile the offense was buoyed by James Loney's two-run dinger in the second and Casey Blake's two-run single in the eighth inning. The Dodgers are now 23 games over .500 the most since the end of 2004.
Every time we have a statewide election, there tend to be a few bond measures in there. Last November, one was the popular high speed rail bond that raised nearly $10 billion to whisk people from Los Angeles and San Fransisco in two hours, thirty-eight minutes. Most all agree, it's a good thing, but when it comes down to paying bonds back, it can run the state into fiscal problems such as we're facing today.
The threat of closing most all state parks and a proposal to save them will hit the Assembly floor tomorrow during the budget revision process. Around 20 bills are queued one, one of them asking legislators two park related questions.
The state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) this month released its health advisory and safe eating guidelines for fish caught from coastal areas from Ventura Harbor south to the Dana Point area. "The results do not bode well for those that regularly eat locally caught coastal fish," wrote Mark Gold, President of Heal the Bay.
A motion that is likely to pass in the City Council will take a chunk of Van Nuys and plop it within Sherman Oaks' boundaries. This will be the second time that Van Nuys has lost parts of its neighborhood--Valley Glen and Lake Balboa are also post-Van Nuys 'hoods.
Remember the classic Griffith Observatory show when "the audience sat in dentist-like chairs so they could watch whirling laser beams dance on the domed ceiling to the classic rock tunes of Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon,' Led Zeppelin and the Beatles"? Well, it's back, reports the Daily News in a feature today. But there are some changes, most notably with new technology and its new pedestrian friendly location at the Historic Vine Theater at Hollywood and Vine. And apparently, the popcorn glows in the dark.
A radar on the belly of a airplane flying above the Southern California region is taking in detailed data for scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab so they can study faults' shifting, straining in relation to seismic energy. "The data from this project could help scientists figure out where the risk of earthquake activity is highest, though the data will never be so specific as to predict a day, location and magnitude of a quake, explained the LA Times. “This will help us with the five- to 10-year time horizons,” Donnellan said. “We can see hot spot maps and ... figure out where to target our retrofitting,” said Andrea Donnellan, a JPL geophysicist. 
Via U. of Wisconsin
For the fourth time in recent months, the City Council's Transportation Committee tomorrow will take on a handful of bicycle issues continued on from last week's meeting. Consultants from Alta Planning are slated to speak about the bicycle plan, which has recently become an unpopular subject with many cyclists. The LAPD will also be present to talk about their relationship with the bicycling community. Also on the dock is the continuing look at reviving a version of the defunct bicycle licensing program, which many believe should be left to the private sector.
An asymptomatic blood donor in the Antelope Valley has tested positive for the West Nile Virus, marking the first case for the year, according to LA County health officials. As of June 19th in Los Angeles County, Public Health and the mosquito abatement districts have detected WNV in five dead birds, two mosquito pools, and three sentinel chickens. In past seasons, most of the infected birds and positive mosquitoes have been found in the San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley, and East Los Angeles County areas.
The man who we all remember with his "H-e-e-e-e-e-ere's Johnny!" line on the Tonight Show died early today shortly after midnight. Ed McMahon, 86, was at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center for a "multitude" of health problems, but no one cause of death has been announced. Post late-night career, McMahon held various roles, but most recently his Studio City home foreclosure and Cash-for-Gold commercials had made headlines. You'll be missed, Mr. McMahon. R.I.P.
Colorado Rockies defeat LA Angels 11-1. Angels starter Matt Palmer was 6-0 coming into Monday night's game. Then the red hot Rockies stopped by Angel Stadium and scorched Palmer to the tune of six runs in 4 2/3 innings. Brad Hawpe celebrating his 30th birthday gave himself a present knocking a three-run homer in the top of the fifth inning that all but cinched the win for the Rockies. Meanwhile Rockies starter Aaron Cook pitched seven innings of three-hit one-run ball thoroughly frustrating the Angels hitters. In fact the Kendry Morales hit a solo shot off of Cook in the fourth inning to make the only dent for the Angels. The Rockies have now won 17 games of their last 18 under new manager Jim Tracy. I wonder if he still interviews himself.
"It will be cool to be under people's feet," Cameron Diaz joked today about her star. "It really is the place where people can understand exactly that actors are not really stars - they exist on the ground just like everybody else."
Chicago in the 90s experienced something quite drastic one summer--thousands of dead fish were washed ashore as a result of the relatively new freshwater critters in town. Zebra and Quagga Mussels had been making there way through the Great Lakes system since the late 1980s and while the end results for a breach goer meant stunningly crystal clear water, the ecosystem was shifted. Come January 17th, 2007, the first of these mussels in California were found in Lake Havasu.
A couple hours before today's trial, R&B Singer Chris Brown entered into a plea agreement for pleading guilty to assault while the criminal threats charges were dropped. Under the agreement, Brown will do six months of "community labor" (that's 1400 hours of work), serve five years probation and take a year-long domestic violence prevention class, according to the LA Times. He will also have to stay at least 50 yards away from Rihanna except at industry events where it will be set to 10 yards.
Shortly after LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced that he will not run for Governor, candidate Gavin Newsom released a statement. Looking for an endorsement? Probably. Doing what any good candidate should do? Yes. "I look forward to continuing to work with him, sharing our experiences as mayors, and collaborating on innovative solutions that will take California in a new direction... As Mayor Villaraigosa has said so eloquently recently, state government needs to change and I believe we can work together to make that a reality." The full statement is below:
Students at Liechty Middle School engaged in a silent protest during their graduation ceremony last week and it wound up costing them their diplomas. "The students turned their backs on graduation speaker Monica Garcia, LAUSD Board President, to express their displeasure to teacher layoffs and cutbacks," press materials explain.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa told Wolf Blitzer this afternoon that he will not run for Governor. "The answer's no. I make that decision because like I've said many times, I love the city I was born and raised in, the city my grandpa came to 100 years ago," he told Blitzer. "Cities are on the frontlines of the challenges facing us in terms of the economic crisis," he continued. "Here in the City of LA, 12.5% unemployment rate, 21,000 people have lost their home over the last 2 years, we're facing an unprecedented and historical budget deficit of $530 million dollars.
Walking home from a party in April, Haik Oganyan and a friend became victims of a street robbery that turned deadly."Oganyan had left the party with a friend and began walking west on Gresham Street toward their car," explained the Daily News. "Three men described as Hispanics with shaved heads demanded their wallets and keys. The victims complied, but the suspects attacked Oganyan and their friend anyway. The friend suffered stab wounds but survived. The friend broke free and ran back to the Corbin address. The suspects, meanwhile, disappeared, leaving Oganyan on the grass, bleeding from the neck." A $50,000 reward has been offered by the city and police are asking that anyone with information, call Devonshire homicide detectives during business hours Monday through Friday at (818) 832-0609. After hours, call (877) 527-3247.
A vigil was held at a Torrance Church this morning in honor of Euna Lee and Laura Ling, according to MyFoxLA. The two American journalists were recently sentenced to twelve years of hard labor in North Korea on charges of being spies. The pair, who were working on a piece for San Francisco-based network Current TV, were captured on March 17th and put to trial earlier this month.
That whale that drew hundreds to Marina Del Rey left Friday, presumably headed to its summer home in Alaska. Accompanied by about 50 bottlenose dolphins, the young 25-foot gray whale headed out of the marina's shallow waters after spending three weeks there. The whale had become quite a spectacle for people, even some paddled out to touch it, which is against the law. LAist posted a video and photos of the whale earlier this month.
Appearing later today on CNN's Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, Villaraigosa is expected to announce his intentions in regards to governor, says CNN via LA Now. Will he or will he not? If he does announce something, we suspect a national setting like CNN could only mean one outcome: he's going to run for Governor. However, at this point it's anyone's guess. A recent LA Times poll found that Angelenos are pretty much split on whether he should or not--they at least would vote for him over San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. Situation Room airs at 1 p.m. PST. For the Record: The original headline indicated a choice was made, but his intent on running or not has yet to be seen.
The LAPD's high public ratings in an LA Times poll may partly be due to Mayor Villaraigosa, but he earned a 55% approval rating with the same poll takers. The upside? With LA voters, he could win the Democratic nomination for Governor's seat at 38%, beating out Jerry Brown (32%) and Gavin Newsom (13%). Goverornor Schwarzenegger's approval rating was 29%.
Bicyclists quickly shot down the city’s idea of possibly making it illegal to ride on sidewalks. During the Transportation Committee meeting last Wednesday, advocates said changing the vehicular code won’t ensure that all cyclists will be aware of the law. Instead, the city should develop safety education programs to inform casual or less experienced riders of the dangers posed by cycling on sidewalks.
Is it Griffith Park if it's not with the spastic Councilman Tom LaBonge? Tonight, as per usual with solstice time (it was officially yesterday), he organizes a community hike to Mount Hollywood. And because LaBonge is the President of the Sister Cities of Los Angeles, Inc., there will be a potluck of world cuisines to snack on, too. “This hike has become a tradition in Council District 4, for avid hikers and the international community as well,” he said. “There’s an unparalleled view of Los Angeles from the peak at sunset, which is really inspiring.” If you go, it starts at 6 p.m. Meet at the Griffith Observatory parking lot.
A bizarre standoff took place overnight at a home in Arcadia located in the 1700 block of Mayflower Ave. as local authorities responded to a 911 call regarding an armed suspect who had allegedly barricaded himself in the house with hostages. The caller identified himself as someone who had fled the home, according to cbs2. "Arcadia police Captain Gene Gioia said previously a police SWAT team and sheriff's negotiators have been trying for hours without success Monday to communicate with the man."
A motorist driving on the streets of North Hollywood at around 2:15 this morning saw a body "laying near the curb" close to "the intersection of Satsuma Avenue and Vanowen Street," and made the 911 report, according to the Daily News. The victim, a Hispanic male in his 20s or 30s whose identity is being withheld until his next-of-kin is notified, was apparently struck and killed by a driver who did not remain on scene. Los Angeles police Sgt. Ben Alonso, watch commander at North Hollywood Division notes: ``There were no witnesses. But there are cameras in the area, so we're hoping to get something from them on the driver who fled." Alonso adds: ``There was no marked crosswalk where the victim was hit. So we're not sure what happened yet.'' The corner removed the body about an hour ago, and Vanowen has since been re-opened in the area.
Galaxy and Chivas USA drop respective games by similar scoreline as the MLS season quickly approaches its halfway point and SuperLiga action got underway.
Tomorrow marks the first day of summer, though our overcast skies tell another much gloomier story. Today happens to mark the day when several public City-operated swimming pools open up for the season. It also marks the launch of Operation Splash, a free "learn-to-swim project for area youth," run in partnership by the City of Los Angeles and Kaiser Permanente, according to abc7.
The Department of Street Services doesn’t have the authority to remove abandoned bikes on the 3,000 city-owned bike racks in L.A., officials say. Many business owners complain about the eyesore of bicycle skeletons left on racks in front of their stores, but current laws don’t allow the city to touch them. During this week’s Transportation Committee meeting, cyclists suggested creating a system for bikes similar to car parking meters and time limit enforcements, and doing away with the ban on parking bikes on meters.
USC announced on their website that Kevin O'Neill was hired as their Men's Basketball Coach. An assistant coach and special assistant to the GM for the Memphis Grizzlies this past season, most people here in Pac-10 Land will know O'Neill from being the interim coach in 2008 for the Arizona Wildcats while head coach Lute Olsen took a leave of absence. And contrary to what CNBC's Darren Rovell said, USC football coach Pete Carroll did not break the news.
If you didn't know, Los Angeles is placed within quite a rare landscape, biologically speaking that is. There are only six Mediterranean Biomes in the world making up 2% of the world's land area and Southern California's coast and surrounding mountains are part of that. This is one of the reasons why congress in 1978 decided bring in the Santa Monica Mountains and the five northern Channel Islands into the Department of the Interior under the National Park Service. They were named the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and Channel Islands National Park.
Saturday, Jeff Weaver of the Los Angeles Dodgers is scheduled to start against his younger brother, Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in interleague play at Anaheim. "It's a chance to share the same mound on the same day and not many can say that," said Weaver. "It's a moment we won't forget. It's pretty special regardless of the outcome," Jeff told MLB.com. Weaver said his parents had planned to attend the wedding of a relative in Temecula, but those plans have changed.
The County of Los Angeles has gone ahead and busted themselves. "This is government at its worst," Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky was quoted saying in the LA Times. "We have a problem, no question about it. But we are going to move quickly to fix it." The county started auditing themselves after they found over 300 unused lines at the now-closed Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital. The $1.5 million number only totals what they've discovered so far and it could double when they finish with 16,000 useless lines. Any savings is good news, especially in this economy, but the County has a long way to go. The $22.8 billion budget has department heads trying to cut as much as 13%.
It happens every election, except when that Obama guy shows up: voting turnout is dismal and embarrassing. Now, three bills being considered within the state could make some interesting changes. They won't change things overnight, but two of them deal with those under 17. The most interesting is from Long Beach Assemblyman Warren Furutani. ACA 2 would allow 17-year-olds to vote in a primary if he or she will be 18 by the time of the general election. Another bill, AB 30, from LA State Senator Curren Price would allow 16 and 17-year-olds to pre-register, but they would not be able to vote until they are 18. Price also has AB 106 that would allow you to be registered to vote via your state income tax, drivers license and various other forms.
For the right buyer, a piece of $15 million Frank Lloyd Wright history could be theirs. The famous Ennis House, tucked up in the hills above Los Feliz, has sat quiet, unopened to the public as a non profit tried to bring it back. About $5 to $7 million is what they needed, but they never got and now it's for sale. "Our goal has always been to be a good steward of the house. We've made a lot of progress, but at this point a private owner with the right vision and sufficient resources can better preserve the house than we can as a small nonprofit," said Ennis House Foundation's president, James DeMeo. Just last week, LAist presented a feature history piece on the home.
"We've got a room full of people, all claiming to have been left out of the Bicycle Plan Update process. You can't call that the result of effective outreach!" That was Councilmember Wendy Greuel last Wednesday at the big bicycle transportation meeting chastising representatives from the Planning and Transportation Departments on not performing sufficient outreach for the now controversial bicycle plan. It looks like she has taken a cue from Laura Chick--that is, opining harshly, but telling it how it is--and is ready to become City Controller in July (let's keep that fire lit in her). .
Welcome to the big Save Our State Parks weekend. The California State Parks Foundation wants everyone to go out, enjoy a day at a state park and take a photo of you and your friends holding a sign (graphics downloadable from their website). There will be a few organized events (scroll down) at Will Rogers, Pio Pico, Rio de Los Angeles and the Baldwin Hills Overlook, which will not be closed because it is run by a local agency.
Protesters upset over recent elections in Iran waved flags, marched, shouted, and made a scene without fear of government reprisal.
Violating school bus laws brings in a hefty fine of $500. And it seems the city of South Pasadena held a big fundraiser on Wednesday when police handed out 160 tickets totaling $80,000 to drivers on the six-lane Huntington Drive at Milan Ave. It was quite an elaborate sting, involving no schoolchildren but lots of lights and sirens described one driver who was cited to the LA Times. “It was a circus of lights and chaos,” she said of the sting that also involved from Alhambra, Monterey Park, San Gabriel, San Marino and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Temple City station. “No one was speeding, I mean people were literally just trying to figure out what was going on and what to do to to keep away from whatever the activity was. I thought I was being directed along with other motorists away from whatever it was that was happening.” One commenter at LA Times noted that the tickets are bogus noting that "VC Section 22454 states that the bus must be 'stopped for the purpose of loading or unloading any schoolchildren'."
One of the crucial roles professional sports have is uniting a city in catharsis. In July 1967 the city of Detroit endured riots that claimed 43 lives and injured 467. In addition 7,231 people were arrested while damages estimated from $40 million to $80 million (not adjusted for inflation). In 1968 when the Detroit Tigers faced the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, the city came together to cheer them on to victory.
Starting next week and for four months after, Blue Line train service is going to be impacted as crews integrate the Expo Line, which will run between 7th/Metro station and Culver City, sharing two stations and track. Service will run every 30 minutes instead of the usual 20 on weekdays after 8 p.m. as crews work between the Washington and 7th/Metro stations. Weekend service will not be affected. The 8.5 mile line is expected to open in 2011 with the line extending to Santa Monica in the future.
Although City Council repealed the bicycle license law earlier this month, the issue continued to be a point of discussion between officials and bike advocates. At the Transportation Committee meeting earlier this week, some cyclists said they don’t completely oppose a licensing program, but they would like to see a more efficient and easier process that would be “voluntary.”
Nestlé voluntarily recalled Toll House chocolate chip cookie dough today after an outbreak of illnesses possibly linked to eating the raw delicacy. More than 60 people have fallen ill so far in 28 states.
Toll House cookie dough already comes with a warning to not eat the dough raw so in lieu of returning the product for a full refund, you might consider preheating your oven to 350° F and utilizing your nearest cookie sheet.
Photo by ginnerobot.
LA Dodgers defeat Oakland Athletics 3-2. Yet another one-run game in this series for the rubber match, and yet another start for Randy Wolf who came away without a decision. Wolf went six innings giving up only one run on five hits and four walks with three strike outs. However Rajai Davis would score in the top of the seventh thanks to Rafael Furcal instructing Juan Pierre to throw to second on a Kurt Suzuki single. Pinch hitter Mark Loretta hit an RBI single in the home half of the seventh for the Dodgers to come away with the win. Jonathan Broxton was unavailable again thanks to a sore toe so the job of the save was left to Ronald Belisario and Ramon Troncoso. The Dodgers head down the Golden State Freeway for a weekend series against the Angels.
Like Runyon Canyon, Temescal is one of the more popular hiking trails immediately accessible to Angelenos. Runyon is a city park so it is not under the threat of closing like 80% of states parks in Gov. Schwarzenegger's budget plan. Temescal, however, runs through two state properties. One is Temescal Canyon Gateway Park, which is under two conservation agencies not threatened with closures.
Remember these people at the Oscars? It's the infamous Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church and they are protesting various locations in Los Angeles tomorrow including Fairfax High School, a Jewish temple, a community center and the Anti-Defamation League's headquarters, according to the LA Times.
A teacher hunger strike protesting LAUSD budget cuts officially comes to an end today after 24 days. Nine participated with two making it to the end, according to LA Now. In an open letter on Day 6, Jose Lara, published an open letter to a few key board members about the strike.
It was the City Council and without their thinking caps, says the LA Weekly. The City owns the marathon and contracts it out to the McCourt Group (yes, the same McCourt who owns the Dodgers). "Everyone seemed happy — until the first 'pre-planning' meeting" at Councilman Tom LaBonge's office, wrote Tina Dupuy. "There, somebody thought to ask senior transportation engineer Aram Sahakian about the street logistics of holding the marathon on President’s Day, February 16. Incredibly, nobody on the vast staff of the 15-member Los Angeles City Council, which employs 320 personal assistants at an annual cost of about $20 million, had bothered to fully review that date with the transportation engineers before the council approved the deal. Instead, Sahakian tells L.A. Weekly, 'It was done verbally at a meeting.'" Good one, guys. Too many people work on President's Day, traffic would be severely impacted so it was moved to Memorial Day, which is traditionally hot. Luckily, this year runners got lucky with the weather. Next year, all signs point towards a colder Sunday date, but you never really know in LA.
I was driving back from the Costco in Burbank one afternoon when my boyfriend turned to me and asked "Why in God's name is there a custom hat store on Magnolia? Who wears hats anymore?" I thought a second, laughed, and said -- "Hollywood!" Movie-makers will always need milliners and other manufacturers of specialty props -- right??
Three people have been arrested for posing as undercover police officers in order to rob homes and police believe there are more victims out there. Late last month, three suspects posing as LAPD undercover narcotics officers knocked on an apartment door in the 400 block of N. Normandie Avenue.
At the Transportation Committee yesterday, the city presented its Bicycle Plan proposal, which maps potential fixes to L.A.’s streets to make riding easier and safer for cyclists. The verdict? “Flawed,” pretty embarrassing” and an “egregious waste of money” were among some of the comments from bike and community advocates, Sierra Club members and neighborhood councilmembers. “No matter what people tell you, we are not involved in the process,” said bike activist Stephen Box, who also commented on several other items discussed at the meeting. “I’m calling on you to…call it dead,” he told Transportation Committee Councilmembers Wendy Greuel and Bill Rosendahl.
As this week marked the bittersweet one-year anniversary of legal gay marriage in California, two political leaders made big moves in the advancement of gay rights. In California, Governor Schwarzenegger on Tuesday decided not to defend the constitutionality of Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage, in a federal court case. Disappointing traditional marriage advocates, he said it will be up to the courts to decide because the case "presents important constitutional questions that require and warrant judicial determination."
In a pretty shocking move last month, the Los Angeles Unified School District cut summer school for elementary and middle students along with some high school level classes in a move to save $34 million from its dwindling budget. Overall, this affects 225,000 students. So what are the kids to do, asks the Daily News? Are they at risk? Will they run amok throughout the city? How about getting a job? The latter is particularly a problem in this economy because unemployed adults are accepting work usually held by teens.
Lakers Victory Parade and Rally. And that was how a victory parade should be. With the exception of a few knuckleheads outside the Coliseum, everyone was filled with joy cheering the Lakers. For all the detractors who said Los Angeles didn't deserve a parade after the actions of certain shiteaters Sunday night, tell me the thousands of people along the 2.2 miles of Figueroa Street between the Staples Center and the Coliseum and the 80,000 in the Coliseum itself didn't want some diversion from everyday struggles. Everything about this celebration was done exquisitely and served as a great dress rehearsal for November's parade. One last thing. For all you shitheads complaining about the cost burden of the city, what is $1 million more to a $500 million shortfall?
Even before the parade got underway news agencies in Los Angeles reported that the Coliseum was at max capacity, and traffic from most parts of the city headed towards Downtown was backed up before and all through the a.m. commute. People bedecked in purple and gold lined the streets, shouting and waving as any reporter and camera crew passed by. After the players boarded the bus and greeted the adoring fans at the Staples Center, the parade made its way just over 2 miles southbound on Figueroa, where those assembled were first greeted to performances from the Lakers Girls and had lots of opportunities to shout their devotion to our winning team.
A $1.50 tax increase to packs of cigarettes sold in California was approved today by the state's Senate Health Committee. Yesterday, a legislative budget committee approved the increase, among various other deficit related moves, all supported by Democrats, which Schwarzenegger promises to veto. It's estimate that it would provide $1.2 billion in new revenues. "A statewide poll by David Binder Research in the wake of the May 19th Special Election demonstrates that a strong majority of voters, 74%, support increasing taxes on tobacco," said a release from the bills sponsor, Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima). "Sixty-two percent of those who voted no on the Prop 1A budget measure support." 1998 was the last time packs of cigarettes were increased--back upping it by fifty-cents to the current $0.87 tax. 31 other states have a higher tobacco tax.
Just like over the weekend, local Iranians and supporters of a fair voting process will gather outside the Federal Building tonight at 5 p.m. Another one will be held in Irvine. The world's attention has been focused on Iran for the past few days after an election scandal. On Friday, voters hit the booths to vote for a new President or keep the current one. The results were quickly announced--reform candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi lost to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Protesters are calling it voter fraud.
The Huntington's legendary Corpse Flower (because when it blooms, look out, it smells like rotting flesh!), which has been nicknamed "Stinky," is now closing in on 7 feet tall (he's 6ft 9.25 inches, according to the Huntington's Twitter feed). Jim Folson tells us what we can expect in this short video.
Here's an interesting scam we heard via Jeff Berk of Watch2.org in Studio City. Last week, a resident of his neighborhood watch was on her way home from the grocery store and became the victim of an alleged car damage claim scam. From an e-mail to neighbors: [She] was returning home from Ralph's on Coldwater & Ventura when she was waved over to the side of the road at Dickens and Van Noord by 2 men in a car who claimed she had hit their car at Ralph's.
Mr. Brainwash is at it again at his usual spot on La Brea at San Vicente. This time celebrating along with the rest of Los Angeles. "It might be an understatement to say Mr Brainwash polarizes opinion," wrote the unnamed blogger at unurth, a street art blog. "While some people love his work, and he sells prints and originals at blazing speed, others criticize him for lacking originality and being overly commercial. I like a lot of his work, but to me this piece doesn’t make it any easier to defend him."
There's going to be 6.8% fewer freshmen figuring out post-secondary life on the nine University of California campuses come fall, and that's precisely what the schools were hoping for, according to the LA Times.
Around 6 a.m. this morning, driving to the Coliseum was no big deal. The trouble for people, we're hearing, was when you arrived to the immediate area that traffic just was just a parking lot.
Fourth, fifth, and sixth graders at Rolling Ridge Elementary in Chino Hills and Dickson Elementary in Chino would probably issue their school district admins a great big ol' F for FAIL if they could. Those hundreds of students don't get to sing "no more pencils, no more books" for 34 more days, thanks to "a clerical error on a spreadsheet" at the Chino Unified School District that led to the miscalculation of mandatory time spent in the classroom, according to the LA Times.
Yesterday, First Lady Michelle Obama joined 5th graders from a DC-area school in harvesting some of the bounty from the White House's Kitchen Garden, a 1,100-square-foot, L-shaped plot on the South Lawn planted in April. Together they picked "harvested 73-pounds of lettuce and 12-pounds of peas," then worked together to create a meal they shared picnic-style right there at the White House. NPR broadcast a lovely story about the event, including the enthusiasm of the kids for working with the land and what it's taught them. The powerful partnership between learning and gardening has never been more evident than now.
Popular low-cost carrier JetBlue debuts their new service to LAX this morning, as they are scheduled to land their inaugural flight from New York's JFK at 10:45. It's been a bit of a wait, however, for the airline to begin service from our major airport; today's launch comes after "a yearlong delay," caused by a period of soaring fuel prices that made cross-country air travel costly, reports the Daily Breeze.
Get ready to splash! Come Saturday, 34 pools will open to the public for the summer season, including the new family Aquatic Center at Jackie Tatum (Harvard) Recreation Center in South LA. Additionally, 16 year-round pools will begin their summer schedule.
It's 6 a.m. and beginning right now, you can park at the Coliseum for the noon rally that will last until 1 p.m. The later it gets, the more street and freeway onramp closures you'll face. Gates open at 9:30 a.m. and space is limited to 95,000 (it could definitely fill up). When the parade begins, Coliseum attendees will be able to watch it on big screen TVs.
LA Dodgers defeat Oakland Athletics 5-4 (10 innings). A's starter Dallas Braden had a perfect game going for 4 2/3 innings when I decided I had to do something. At the game merely as a spectator I yelled out to my top deck brethren, "Braden's throwing a perfect game!" Matt Kemp then promptly hit a double to break up the perfect and no-hit game. In the bottom of the sixth inning I wondered if I could jinx a shutout.
Under pressure not to spend nearly a million dollars in city money for the Lakers parade tomorrow, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa raised $850,000 from private donors to offset costs. "If we hadn't had a parade, you've have had a whole bevy of other people criticizing," he said.
After years of gang-related activity around Fremont High School in South LA, the state and city filed an injunction last Friday, seeking to restrict four gangs from the area for the majority of the day. “These brutally violent street gangs have indiscriminately terrorized students who simply wanted to travel to and from school,” said Attorney General Brown, who filed the case with LA City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo. “This first-of-its-kind injunction would create a gang-free zone around Fremont High School that shields students from violence, intimidation and drug trafficking.”
If you've ever driven the 2.1 mile canyon-to-valley-floor stretch of Beverly Glen Boulevard, you probably have noticed that it changes throughout, telling you to go 25 mph, now 35, oh wait, now 30. The city's Department of Transportation now wants to change the sporadic nature by splitting the baby with a uniform 30 mph from Mulholland to Moorpark in Sherman Oaks. "It will be easier for motorists to monitor their speed as well as for the police to enforce using radar," said John Fisher, Assistant General Manager of LADOT. Once an ordinance is drafted, it will be submitted to the Transportation Commission for consideration.
Blue Line trains will run every 6 minutes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow to help move the hundreds of thousands of people expected at tomorrow's Lakers victory parade. Additionally, the Red and Purple Lines will carry extra train cars and Gold and Green Lines are prepared to add more trains to service if needed. "Metro Bus services will be significantly impacted in the event area, especially bus lines that either run on or cross Figueroa, Flower or Grand streets, between Olympic and Martin Luther King boulevards," the agency said in a statement. "Delays can be expected beginning about 10 a.m. and will continue until the end of the parade for all passengers riding in the Metro Bus lines: 28, 30, 31, 35, 37, 38, 40, 42, 55, 70, 71, 76, 78, 79, 81, 96, 102, 200, 204, 335, 355, 378, 439, 442, 444, 445, 446, 447, 450x, 460, 484, 485, 550, 714, 728, 730, 740, 754, 770."
KCRW today officially launched three iPhone apps connecting listeners with live streams, calendars, videos and archived shows. Each cost 99-cents, which "will help offset costs for future iterations of this app and future apps," says a station spokesperson.
About 500 employees were slashed from MySpace's company roll call, CNET reported today. "Simply put, our staffing levels were bloated and hindered our ability to be an efficient and nimble team-oriented company," Owen Van Natta, CEO of the News Corp.-owned social site, said in a release. "I understand that these changes are painful for many. They are also necessary for the long-term health and culture of MySpace. Our intent is to return to an environment of innovation that is centered on our user and our product." Van Natta was hired in April and used to be the Chief Operating Officer at Facebook. MySpace will continue to employ around 1,000 people in the U.S.
Phil Willion on the LA Times "LA Now" blog reports that the City of LA found enough private donors to cover their $1 million share of the Lakers parade Wednesday. Previously it was agreed between Staples Center owner Anschultz Entertainment Group would split the $2 million cost evenly with the city. There will be a news conference later this afternoon announcing this plan.
A Threefold 'Thank You' to Los Angeles
Dear Los Angeles: I'm Thankful For...
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A Photo Gallery of the Things I am Grateful for This Year
I LOVE L.A.! My Thanksgiving Thanks
10 Random Albums To Be Thankful For
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