Note from Off-Ramp This week, we take you to the world's biggest train store in Culver City, which is closing soon... another casualty of the Internet. Looking forward, on April 28th we'll be doing a live show from the LA Times Festival of Books. We'll talk with columnist Steve Lopez, chef Nancy Silverton, novelist S.E. Hinton and others. In the meantime, go visit the train store (info below). There might never be anything like it again. -John and Queena
Graffiti Vandal
In 1988, a Chicano teenager, who goes by the nom-de-aerosal "Toomer" started a tagging crew called "T-K-O." KPCC's Adolfo Guzman-Lopez met up with Toomer and his crew as they painted a mural in South Central LA.
Graffiti Removal
Queena Kim spent a morning with the Boyle Heights graffiti removal crew. The crew removes over 250,000 square feet of graffiti every month.
Drawing the Thin Blue Line
Youth Justice Coalition is an organization that fights inequalities in LA County's juvenile justice system. YJC says that the police are increasingly stopping youths who simply look like taggers. In one case, the possession a Sharpie landed a YJC member in county jail.
The Beetle Is Big
To mark the Unique Little Car Show in West Covina, John goes for a ride in a Nash Metropolitan and discovers high M-P-G cars are nothing new.
The Train Shop that Couldn't
John goes to Culver City to visit the world's biggest train store in its final days. Rising rents and the Internet are leading Allied Model Trains to downsize.
The Thill is Gone
In 1945, Jerrie Thill jumped into her '38 Dodge Coupe and drove from Dubuque to the coast. Now, Jerry Thill is turning 90, and she's playing one last gig tomorrow at El Cid in Silverlake.
Imus gets Dressed Down
Off-Ramp commentator Antronette Yancey gives former CBS radio host Don Imus a dressing down.
New Kid on the Block
This week, 26-year old Gustavo Dudamel was named the new conductor of the LA Philharmonic. Adolfo Guzman Lopez met the Venezuelan prodigy
After Esa-Pekka
KPCC's program director and classical music aficionado Craig Curtis talks about other conductors who came into prominence in their 20s and early 30s, including Esa-Pekka himself.
Stage Right
John talks with Steven Leigh Morris about the LA Weekly's Theatre Awards and asks, what companies and actors should we look out for?
Stop Whining and Pay up
There's wine for meat, wine for fish and wines to do taxes. Randy at Silverlake Wine makes a few suggestions.
What's your story?
If you have any comments, corrections or just want to share a story, please email us at offramp@kpcc.org.