The Brief

Tucked away amid houses and a block away from coffee shops, yoga studios, and vintage stores of Highland Park, there's a little sanctuary dotted with native plants and soft light that filters through a canopy of leaves. It’s a tiny art park called La Tierra de la Culebra.

There is an annual Dia de los Muertos celebration put on by the Chicana-owned Avenue 50 Studio gallery, recurring jazz performances put on by the record label Leaving Records and regular clothes swaps and art shows. But just below this idyllic surface, there is a battle between the past and present.

Tierra de la Culebra park in Highland Park.

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

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LAist

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How the heightened racial tensions of the 90s birthed a tiny park 

La Tierra de la Culebra was founded in the early 1990s as a response to the uprising that was spurred by the beating of Rodney Kidney by L.A. police. Artist Tricia Ward received a grant by Los Angeles’s Department of Cultural Affairs to create a healing space. She wanted to create a park where she would not only showcase her sculptural work, but give the community a place to experience nature.

At the time, Highland Park was a mostly Latino neighborhood. And there was some initial skepticism of what Ward was doing in the park.

Aztec dancers at Tierra de la Culebra Park in the 1990s.

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Courtesy Tricia Ward

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Aztec dancers and drummers surround the oak tree at Tierra de la Culebra Park in the 1990s.

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Courtesy Tricia Ward

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“Who is this lady?” Erik Barazza, who lived down the street from the park and was a teenager at the time, remembers asking himself. “ I was always taught like, ‘Oh, white people don't like you. So what are you trying to do in this community?'”

But Barazza started changing his tune once he got involved in programming in the park, which included indigenous drumming and folkloric dance. He credits Ward with helping him establish his drumming career and says he’s played with acts like Carlos Santana and Los Caifanes.

Erik Barraza (far right) drums at Tierra de la Culebra Park in the 1990s.

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Courtesy Tricia Ward

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In 2000, Ward decided to sell the land the park occupied to the city of Los Angeles. Ward says she thought that if the city owned the park, it wouldn’t be developed into housing and could stay as a public good in perpetuity even after Ward was no longer around to care for it.

The city became the park’s official owner, but leased the land to Ward’s nonprofit, ArtsCorpsLA, so she would continue to maintain it.

Erik Barraza found indigneous drumming at Tierra de la Culebra in the 90s. Up until recently, he would still host Mexica drum and dance practice around the central oak tree of the park.

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

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LAist

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Tierra de la Culebra park is full of texture and quirky plants.

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

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LAist

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But in 2007, Ward lost control over the park. She dealt with a series of personal losses. Her husband, who handled a lot of the logistics, died. Then, her nonprofit, through which she hired people to operate the park, went bankrupt and closed.

After two decades of taking care of the park, Ward’s stewardship started to wither and the park entered a period of neglect.

Tricia Ward founded Tierra de la Culebra park in the 1990s as a way to provide a healing space in Highland Park, which at the time was a predominantly working class Latino neighborhood.

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

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LAist

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New stewards enter La Tierra de La Culebra

In 2020, the world went into lockdown due to COVID. But once things started opening up again, Ward went to see how the park was doing — and realized that someone else had stepped in to program and maintain the park.

It turns out a ragtag group of neighbors had started to do basic maintenance tasks like take out trash, program events and tend to the plants. Most of these neighbors had moved in during the “gentrification wave” — a period that began in the aughts after the addition of a Metro line stop in Highland Park led to a revitalization plan that saw the influx of high-end coffee shops, bars and restaurants that popped up on the main drags of the neighborhood — Figueroa Street and York Avenue.

When Tierra de la Culebra went into a period of neglect, David Lasky, a local resident of Highland Park joined a group of neighbors in maintaing the park.

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

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LAist

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When Ward saw the park and how it was being maintained, instead of feeling relief that it hadn't been abandoned, everywhere she looked, she saw something she felt was wrong. She didn’t like the landscaping; there were parts of the park she had designed that were dismantled, and she thought the programming wasn’t inclusive to the community for which she had initially built it.

Ward discovered there was a website called www.latierradelaculebra.com dedicated to the park and its programming that didn’t include the park’s history, run by a group that was calling themselves “La Culebra Action League.” She hired a trademark lawyer and sent them a cease and desist to stop using “la culebra” in their materials. Some legal threats were swapped, but ultimately, no actual legal action was taken.

Tricia Ward founded Tierra de la Culebra park in the 1990s as a way to provide a healing space in Highland Park, which at the time was a predominantly working class Latino neighborhood.

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

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LAist

)

Tierra de la Culebra park is full of texture and quirky plants.

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

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LAist

)

The park today

Today if you go to the park there’s a high likelihood you will see David Lasky, an enthusiastic neighbor who has taken it upon himself to be the park’s gardener. He will sometimes stay up until 3 a.m. pruning and planting. The La Culebra Action League already has a calendar of events through September 2025 up on its website, including a music show, a clothing swap and Day of the Dead celebration.

When Tierra de la Culebra went into a period of neglect, David Lasky, a local resident of Highland Park joined a group of neighbors in maintaing the park.

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

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LAist

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The district La Culebra is in is overseen by Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez. Her office stated that the department that could most accurately characterize how the park’s stewardship is managed is the Department of Parks and Recreation, which did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Tierra de la Culebra park in Highland Park.

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

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LAist

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Ward is still committed to fighting against what she sees as the erasure of her work and the original intent of the park. Meanwhile, it seems the informal governance of the park will continue. The park, despite any disputes, continues to be a haven for local residents.

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Tucked away in Highland Park - a neighborhood that’s been dubbed “ground zero” for gentrification - sits a small park dotted with native plants and spiraling mosaic sculptures. La Tierra de la Culebra Park was established in the early 90s by guerilla artist Tricia Ward. In the decades since, the neighborhood has transformed massively and a battle has emerged between the founder and the new stewards of the park over who the park is for and how the park should be preserved. 

Highland Park: Land of the snake

Tucked away in Highland Park - a neighborhood that’s been dubbed “ground zero” for gentrification - sits a small park dotted with native plants and spiraling mosaic sculptures. La Tierra de la Culebra Park was established in the early 90s by guerilla artist Tricia Ward. In the decades since, the neighborhood has transformed massively and a battle has emerged between the founder and the new stewards of the park over who the park is for and how the park should be preserved. 

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This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.