Emily Lerman

Photo by S.C. Asher via the LAist Featured Photo Pool on Flickr. As mentioned last week, the procurement of clean and safe water is a big issue. This week, at restaurants all over the city, including El Cholo, Hugo's Il Piccolino, BLT Steak, Hamburger Mary's, AOC, Pasta Pomodoro and many more, you can add $1 or more and pay for the tap water you usually drink for free. This is all part of the...

Water. Big issue. Trailer from the new film FLOW (or For the Love Of Water). March for Water. So what does that mean exactly? It's a day to highlight the human right to clean water. Tomorrow, in over 27 countires, people will be observing World Water Day (India alone has seven different events taking place). So it's fitting that Los Angeles, with many of it's own water issues, will play host to a variety...

GOOD and Knight Rider's Community Leaders (Photo: Emily Lerman/LAist) Last Wednesday, GOOD and Knight Pulse partnered up to honor the five individuals they awarded for their involvement in various community projects addressing local and global issues. As a whole, the event tapped in to the power and potential of acting on and pursuing an idea; by the end, it was almost impossible to leave without feeling an invigorated sense of hope and inspiration to...

LAist recently met Elliot Darvick, the 'technical guru' behind the FreeConnie.com campaign launched by Adam Reich, a 25-year-old, second year law-student at USC. As the name implies, the fight is to free Connie Keel, a woman who has been imprisoned for 30 years for a crime she did not commit. In 1980 she stayed in a car paralyzed in fear while her abusive husband and his cousin made a spur of the moment decision...

Tonight's monthly Skid Row neighorhood watch walk will include a trip to the LAPD Central City Division Police Station for a look at just how the district is using these cameras to reduce crime and increase safety in the area. In 2006, the Central City East Association's Downtown Industrial Business Improvement District installed the cameras. The ten cameras have assisted police in reducing crime and in identifying criminal suspects. The system uses fully controlled...

'GOOD' is an understatement. Photo by Emily Lerman/LAist On the South side of Melrose, right after La Brea, a small office building displays the word GOOD in big block letters through the large windows. Fittingly, it is the home of GOOD, the magazine 'for people who give a damn'. Founded in 2006 by the then 26-year-old Ben Goldhirsh, GOOD seeks to 'inform' and 'inspire', covering issues from Van Jones and green-collar jobs to street...

Some LAist friends got together to form their own burrito project. The burrito project is an awesome DIY-way to give something extra back in these trying times...'because mom said share'. Props to the LAister who made it happen and El Cholo for donating 100 tortillas and 2 massive trays of beans and rice. While the burrito project won't end hunger or solve this recession people keep talking about, it does provide an answer to the...

Note: This could be you inspiring and engaging kids. Photo by Emily Lerman/LAist Did you know that Monday, March 2nd is Dr. Seuss's Birthday? Did you also know that in his honor the National Education Association hosts Read Across America every year? It's a nationwide reading celebration and schools throughout LA are participating and looking for volunteers to help. Reading to Kids has a run-down of the times and locations where volunteers are needed...

Get out to Watts tomorrow! Photo by feelsgoodlost via Flickr. The Watts House Project (video) goes way beyond your average neighborhood beautification projects. It is large-scale "collaborative artwork in the name of neighborhood redevelopment" that seeks to engage a variety of individuals, from the residents of 107th street, to artists, to educators and community members. The project, according to artist and director, will Edgar Arceneaux, transform and remodel all 20 residences on the street...

With one day left until tomorrow's Twestival, the event is continuing to grow. In addition to the LA Twestival at downtown's 740 Club, now Anaheim will host their own Twestival tomorrow night at the Sheraton Park. The event is happening in over 200 cities worldwide, and aims to bring people together to raise money for charity:water. 1.1 billion people don't have access to clean drinking water, and as charity:water's Scott Harrison explains, they want to...