One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Should We Build a Fence Around the Echo Park Lake Playground?
Echo Park Playground (Photo via Change.org)
An Echo Park parents group has started a petition to build a fence around the playground near Echo Park Lake.As with the lake it’s by, the playground has undergone a stunning rehabilitation and is popular with local families. However, the group Echo Park Parents feels that the playground is dangerously close to the lake, citing incidents where children have allegedly almost fallen into the lake or where dogs have come in from the neighboring dog path, creating a hazard for toddlers.
The group says the fence will be cost-effective, preventing the surrounding grass from being eroded by directing people toward the entrances/exits, and can prevent a tragedy. A representative of the group cited a similar fence to separate children and dogs that was recently built at the new Spring St. Park Downtown.
The petition is addressed to Ari Bessendorf, president, Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council, and Mitch O'Farrell, Los Angeles City Council representing District 13. Bessendorf said that although the neighborhood council serves in an advisory role to the city council, who would ultimately make the decision about the fence, "we are open to people coming to us, and we will work the make sure the community's concerns are communicated to the city council."
You can check out the petition at Change.org.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
