Unlikely mariachi Mateo Stoneman takes SxSW by storm in new documentary; city archives show fight against smog and backyard trash burning; hair Angels fight head lice.
A story with bounce: Disney artist catches baby falling from window
It was something out of a cartoon, and it even has a Disney ending.
A Disney animation worker named Konrad Lightner was moving a few things out of his Burbank apartment Sunday, including a box spring. That box spring is key because Lightner and his wife Jenny then noticed a three-year-old boy trying to retrieve some toys thrown out of a third story window.
"We were on the way to the U-Haul," Konrad told us. "We were carrying our box spring from our bed, and when we saw that his leg was coming out and he was about to come down, I threw the box spring down."
The toddler followed soon after.
"He was pretty high so I didn't want to have my body against his and straight-up catch him, so I kinda grabbed him and kinda fell with him a little bit and went into the box spring. When he landed he cried a little bit."
But probably not as hard as the baby's father did when he came down and hugged Lightner, who had just given every parent's nightmare a Hollywood ending.
Lightner, 30, says this experience hasn't scared him and his wife from wanting to have kids in the future.
The baby is fine, and a firefighter who arrived on the scene gave Lightner a medal.
When he's not catching babies falling out of windows, Lightner is a look development artist for Disney. He worked on "Frozen," the hit animated feature, on which he helped make the ice look real. He knows ice ... he studied art at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
UPDATE: Mayor Garcetti won't back Figueroa Landbridge
UPDATE 3/14/14: In an editorial meeting with KPCC this week, Mayor Eric Garcetti said he likes the idea of the land bridge -- "I hate bringing down a bridge. It's a cool idea." -- but there isn't enough density in that neighborhood to make the land bridge project worthwhile. Listen to the audio at left for details.
After Mariano Rivera and any random snowplow driver, the High Line might be the most popular thing in New York City. It's the former elevated rail line that was turned into a park.
(The High Line in Manhattan. Image: Beyond My Ken/Wikipedia Commons)
And New York's High Line has a lot of fans here in LA, many of whom say the same thing could be done with the bridge that connects Figueroa Street with Riverside Drive, at the Confluence of the Arroyo Seco and the LA River.
"It's actually Monument 908," says Tomas O'Grady, who runs EnrichLA, part of the multi-group coalition calling for the old bridge to be repurposed. The coalition includes architect Kevin Mulcahy, Los Angeles Walks, and several neighborhood councils.
"The piece that's over the river is the last remaining steel truss bridge in the city of Los Angeles," O'Grady says, "So, we actually think it's worth saving. There's no reason to take out the old one because the new one is being built just north of the old one."
Here's a diagram from EnrichLA that shows what's being called The Landbridge:
The curving white bridge at the center of the image is the new Figueroa Bridge, currently under construction. The green bridge to the left of it is the old bridge, turned into a foot and bicycle bridge and park.
The LA Bureau of Engineering's Deborah Weintraub told the LA Times it's "very late" to change course, and that it could cost up to $5m over budget, not including the redesign. She told the paper, "We admire the passion of these preservationists. They've put their heart and soul into this campaign, but we're past the point of no return on this project." All in all, Weintraub told KPCC, the city's total investment could be $15m to $25m. "Anything's possible with money," she says, but so far policy hasn't been changed and the funding source hasn't been identified.
To counter the claim that it's too late, O'Grady points to the fact that the old bridge is still standing, is still being used, and he counters that activists like him have been lobbying the city for months but have been rebuffed. He also says he believes the redesign could be paid for out of savings realized by not demolishing the old bridge in April, as scheduled.
(The Figueroa Street Bridge in 1937. No Home Depot, no 5 Freeway, almost no cars!Image: LAPL/Herald-Examiner Collection.)
The new bridge, Weintraub explained to KPCC, is no slouch. There were many meetings with stakeholders in the nearby community, she says, and besides the lanes for cars, "it has very decent pedestrian and bicycle amenities," including a 12-foot wide bike lane, an 8-foot wide pedestrian sidewalk, and three big "Belvedere" bump-outs "to give views up and down the river."
For much more, listen to our Off-Ramp interviews with O'Grady and Weintraub.
SXSW: Off-Ramp discovery Mateo Stoneman, the Anglo mariachi, now a documentary
Close your eyes and listen to him, and you'd never believe the angelic tenor singing in Spanish belongs to a short 50-ish guy from the East Coast who looks like an accountant. I saw him perform at La Parilla restaurant in East L.A. back in 2008 and interviewed him for Off-Ramp. I was apparently the first Anglo journalist to do so, although he'd been a regular on Spanish-language TV.
Then, the L.A. Times picked up the story, did a criminal background check and found that Mateo didn't learn to sing in Spanish and play the guitar on Olvera Street, as he told me, but in prison. He'd been jailed for armed robbery.
Mateo sings a corrido he wrote in prison
Now, he's the star of a film documentary called "Mateo" screened at South By Southwest, picked as a "best of the fest" by Rolling Stone...
So how did a ... Caucausian redhead from New Hampshire end up becoming a minor Latino music sensation? And where can we get the soundtrack to this documentary?
By Vanity Fair ...
Aaron Naar, Mateo’s director, points out, Stoneman was never afraid of his honest portrayal in the film: “Once I discovered there were precarious sides to his story, I said, ‘Matthew, you know you’re not the most sympathetic character in all respects.’ He said, ‘There’s nothing off-limits, whatever you find appealing . . . ’ and that included women.”
With bright orange hair and skin so fair it runs the risk of spontaneously combusting beneath the Caribbean sun, Matthew Stoneman doesn't exactly blend in around the decaying streets of Cuba, the island he currently calls home. But when he whips out his guitar and starts singing, mouths start to drop.
"Mateo" reveals even more twists and turns, from a troubled childhood to a possible baby son in Cuba, where he recorded the album that's the focal point of the documentary. For the update, I reached Mateo and filmmaker Aaron Naar at their hotel room in Austin this week, where they were screening the film.
A telling detail: Mateo says he hasn't seen "Mateo." Maybe it peels back too many layers.
"Mateo" is directed by Aaron Naar, and produced by Benjamin Dohrmann and Aaron Naar. Executive producers: Andrew Lauren, Louis Venezia, & Adam Schlesinger. Cinematography by Seth Cuddeback. Edited by Nicole Vaskell & Aaron Naar. Stay tuned for screenings in Los Angeles.
Lice by selfie? Maybe. But Pasadena's Hair Angels can help
Everyone has a story about lice. The kids brought it home from school. Or maybe everyone in the family got it after that one camping trip.
When Michelle Aloisio's kindergartner got lice, she didn't know what her options were. "I knew that there were other mothers out there who were exactly like me, who were somewhat uneducated on the lice removal process," Aloisio says.
Aloisio and her partner, Hillary Scofield, found themselves in need of help and didn't know where to look. So, like any entrepreneurs presented with a problem that has no immediate solution, they opened a business, and The Hair Angels lice removal salon was born.
"Lice removal salon" might make you think of something sterile, with white walls and face masks — more like a doctor's office than a salon. But at Hair Angels, the walls are bright blue, and the salon chairs and even the hair dryers are bubblegum pink. Framed kid drawings adorn the walls with messages like "No more lice," "Lice makes me itch!" and "Squash!"
Scofield says the idea was to make their salon look exactly not like a lice removal salon. "When children come in here, they have an experience like when they're getting their hair done," Scofield says.
For Scofield and Aloisio, anything to take your mind off the pesky bugs is a good thing. According to Aloisio, even though lice have been bugging humans since pretty much forever, there are still plenty of misconceptions about the tiny scavengers.
"We talk to people and we educate them that anyone can get lice," Aloisio says, noting that there's still a stigma attached to having them. "It has nothing to do with hygiene whatsoever."
The way most people get lice, Aloisio says, is simple enough: head-to-head contact.
But if you have lice, how do you do to get rid of them? That's where the Hair Angels come in.
"We're the only two girls you know of that have actually gone to lice school," Aloisio says.
Yes, Lice School, there is such a thing. Hair Angels is one of the only local businesses certified by Florida's Shepherd Institute, a training and certification program that teaches strand-by-strand lice removal. Aloisio says they use all non-toxic products and a special combing technique.
"We basically comb out 85 to 90 percent of the lice activity," Aloisio says. "Whatever the comb is not able to remove we have to manually pick out with our fingers."
Scofield says, recently, you might have heard some interesting theories on how it spreads. Some experts have pointed to an increase in lice outbreaks due to selfies.
Scofield says, yes, lice by selfie is possible — but who knows? "It crawls from one person's head over to another's," she says, "and when you see children, or teenagers or whomever it is, and they're gathered around in front of a camera, the likelihood of transmitting lice is very high."
Aloisio and Scofield say it's their job to provide information in an area where there's a lot of myth and misconception. For them, it feels good to relieve customers of their lice-related stress.
"...I think they leave here exhaling, breathing, hugging the technician who's worked on their child," Scofield says.
Kristen Bell shoots 'Veronica Mars' parody video, and gives cameo SPOILER!
Last week, we talked with Kristen Bell about some of the nuts and bolts of making "Veronica Mars," the Kickstarter-funded movie based on the late-lamented TV series. This time, some of the fun stuff, like sloths and the supposed lost porn films of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Minor Spoilers follow for "Veronica Mars"! No plot points revealed.
If you've seen the trailer for "Veronica Mars," which opens March 14, you know that "This American Life" host Ira Glass appears as himself, in a scene shot here at KPCC's Mohn Broadcast Center (standing in for Glass' home studio at WBEZ in Chicago). (You can view the entire trailer at the end of this post.)
It's one of several cameos in the movie. (More SPOILERS!)
James Franco is one of them, and he is undoubtedly a bigger name in Hollywood. But "Veronica Mars" isn't typical Hollywood. And when I asked who was the bigger get for the movie, Bell said it wasn't Franco. It was Ira Glass, by "light years."
Why? Because, apparently, everyone who worked on the series and the movie are huge public radio fans, with an emphasis on "This American Life." But as you'll hear in our interview, the feeling was mutual.
Meantime, Kristen Bell was happy to reshoot the Ira Glass cameo, replacing Ira with a younger, taller actor. Me. That's KPCC's pop culture maestro Mike Roe as Veronica's boyfriend Piz. Radiolab fans, watch out for the shout-out!
Kristen Bell's Ira/Off-Ramp/Radiolab "Veronica Mars" parody
Then comes the Funny or Die shorts Bell has made, including "Lost Masterpieces of Pornography," directed by David Mamet. Set in 1938, a missing blouse button and an electric fan heat up the chambers of the Chief Justice. It's weird and very obscure, but Bell says when David Mamet calls, you answer.
Safe-ish for work: David Mamet's "Lost Masterpieces of Pornography" with Kristen Bell
We've also included exclusive web audio of Kristen Bell talking about her adventure with Ellen and the sloth, which became a viral video.
Kristen Bell's supposed "meltdown" when presented with a sloth
Why do sloths do it for Bell? Maybe it's the maternal instinct. Bell says sloths are so slow and such "dum-dums" that they are the only mammal that can be eaten alive by a colony of regular ants.
Inside Marfa, Texas: The weird town that's home to a growing SXSW community
This week, Austin, Texas has been overrun by musicians, startup founders and movie people trying to get their movies made.
They've come from all over the U.S. to attend South by Southwest. But Austin isn't the only weird place in Texas. Marfa, population 2000 is a small city in West Texas. Just this week, the music website Pitchfork did a profile of the city.
More and more bands and record labels take pit stops in Marfa on their way to South By South West. Actress Kristen Stewart is writing poems about Marfa in Marie Claire. Their beloved art-installation disguised as Prada store has been vandalized again.
Former Off-Ramp intern James Kim is lives there now and working for Marfa Public Radio. Off-Ramp Producer Kevin Ferguson talked with Kim about the tiny, artsy Texas town that's finally arrived.
Restaurant Find: The Golden Owl brings Burmese street food to La Puente
In Southern California, there are probably thousands of Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese and Thai restaurants. But if you want Burmese food, from the country now known as Myanmar, you only have five choices in L.A. County. At one of these, the owner uses her expertise as a scientist — in the kitchen. Off-Ramp contributor CJ Greenspon reports.
La Puente's Golden Owl restaurant adds a new layer to an already integrated cuisine. Owner Shwe Lynn Chin, who came to the United States in 1995 and settled in Silver Lake, says Burmese food is a fusion of Indian, Thai, Vietnamese and Cambodian food. Chin prides herself on providing light, healthy varieties of street food from her native Burma. And to the praise of many La Puente/West Covina residents, she offers a number of vegetarian and vegan dishes.
Shwe is a vegetarian herself and told us Golden Owl is one of the only places to find a vegetarian version of mohinga outside a Buddhist monastery. For the unfamiliar, mohinga is a catfish chowder, served with rice noodles, vegetables, fritters, seeds and sliced banana tree stems. This meal is so widely eaten in her homeland that it may be called the "National Dish of Myanmar."
Prior to opening the Golden Owl, Shwe Lynn Chin worked with a biological research team at City of Hope, but family issues kept her from going further and pursuing her education. However, Chin always had a passion for cooking her homeland's cuisine, and to a high standard.
The flavors of Burmese food are subtler that you might expect, compared to neighbor Thailand's vibrant tastes. Chin says it's important to her to keep seasoning simple, pairing minimal spices and sauces in balanced recipes to showcase the natural flavors and freshness of her ingredients.
And Chin stays true to her medical background by baking and braising rather than frying. She pointed out the danger of overheating refined cooking oil. The resulting spoiled oil is toxic, she says, and can stress human cells, which reduces their ability to fight free radicals and reactive intermediates.
So what exactly is the Golden Owl cooking up besides the beloved mohinga chowder? There are chicken, pork and tofu varieties of the savory garlic noodle bowl, along with the south Asian standard, coconut chicken noodle.
Perhaps the most visually striking offering is the rainbow salad. It's a noodle salad, topped with purple cabbage, cucumbers, caramelized and red onions, carrots, tofu and potatoes, dressed in zesty soy sauce. There are also sandwiches and rice bowls for those looking for something familiar.
Looking to the future, Shwe Lynn Chin admitted she is still solidifying her recipe for lahpet, a pickled tea leaf salad that is distinct to Burma. She says it’s almost there.
The Golden Owl is at 16423 Maplegrove St., La Puente, CA 91744, (626) 917-1135
City of Industry's Frank & Son is a year-round comic-con
In the City of Industry, you'll find a 65,000 square foot warehouse home to a geek’s version of Costco: Frank & Son. For 25 years, hundreds of vendors have offered the finest in comics, figurines, posters and more.
Stan Lee, the creator behind Spider-Man and other Marvel Comics heroes, has visited the show since 2007. Wander past the endless rows of booths and you'll meet Leo Millan, a vendor who's sold comics there for 10 years.
You'll find him in Aisle 900, selling comics dating anywhere between the 1950s and now. Newcomers may feel overwhelmed, but after a few more visits, Leo says you'll adjust. He first went there as a customer, but it's been his regular home every Wednesday and Saturday for the past 10 years.
So what keeps him coming back? "It's literally like a Comic-Con, but on a weekly basis," Leo says. "No cover charge, free parking."
And there's always something to see. "I used to carry here a life-size replica of the Han Solo in carbonite, and everyone would stop ... because it was a replica from the movie itself."
One of his favorite booths sits a row down from his own, run by his friend Jimmy Jay. Leo often directs people to Jay Co. when they're hunting for the latest comics. Jay started as a customer for Frank & Son, too.
On his Christmas breaks, he'd drive up to buy trading cards and comic books. It was on a college road trip that his brother convinced him they should become comics vendors. "It was a half-baked plan with a couple of 20-year-old kids, and we've been doing it for 20 years," Jimmy says.
For toy collectibles, Leo recommends his friend Robert Castro's booth. Best sell he's made in that time? That was off of a Star Trek figure. "It was a limited run of the Star Trek Enterprise 1701, so there was only a thousand seven hundred and one pieces," Robert says. "I sold it for $2000, and I bought it retail at a Wal-Mart store for six ninety-four. Collecting can get kind of risky sometimes, but it's fun."
It's that same attitude that's allowed Frank & Son to grow.
"The reason the place has survived for such a long time is because we roll with the punches," says Luis Love, one of Frank & Son's organizers. "Every time Stan Lee's been here it gets bigger every time."
Frank & Son hosts many signings, but Lee's always a big draw. "He just loves coming here because it's an easy gig for him," says Luis. "As a matter of fact, Stan charges less for autographs here than any other place." One weekend, there were autograph sessions for both Lee and Mike Tyson. "It was insane. Because Stan Lee creates characters, and Mike Tyson is one."
City archives show how LA banned incinerators to fight smog
Michael Holland is L.A. City Archivist and an Off-Ramp commentator. This is a version of a piece he wrote for the city employee newspaper Alive!
Our air is much cleaner now, but smog is still as much a part of L.A.’s DNA as the movies, freeways and beaches. In the 1500s, Juan Cabrillo, moored off San Pedro Bay, described watching the smoke from native fires rise into the sky and flatten out. He called the area “the bay of smokes.”
Peer over backyard walls and fences and you can still see one of the main air pollution culprits: the backyard incinerator. And you can trace their demise through the city archives. A 1950 L.A. County report described incinerators as a “firmly established, although somewhat unique, practice of long years standing. Unique in that backyard incinerators are virtually unknown elsewhere in the country."
Homeowners and landlords had been allowed to burn their rubbish since the turn of the century. There were incinerator dealers and repair shops. In 1940, the city passed an ordinance limiting burning to between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. The changed the rules in 1946, disallowing the use of barbecues to burn rubbish, requiring spark arrestors and letting trash be burned until 10AM.
L.A. County created the the Air Pollution Control District in 1948 and targeted smokestack industries like refineries, foundries and mills. The District also wanted to go after backyard incinerators but needed a big city partner to take the first step. In the fall of 1954, as you can read in Council File 65937, the city pushed the hours of rubbish burning to 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The idea was that, without sunlight, smog wouldn’t form and the evening breezes would carry away the smoke.
Before the council vote, the city clerk sent a letter to every city in the county, advising them of the upcoming vote and the text of the resolution. Santa Monica quickly approved changing its burning hours, and Rancho Palos Verdes, El Monte and El Segundo considered it.
The archive also holds the angry letters that started coming into Mayor Norris Poulson, complaining about twilight trash burning. “Is it not enough that we must suffer from gaseous smog all day, without adding insult to injury by night burning of trash?” “Those responsible for this new law have made no study of facts…are you MEN or politicians?”
(Retouched photo of a backyard incinerator, 1954. LAPL/Herald-Examiner collection.)
But the ordinance took effect as scheduled, while the debate over who was responsible for smog continued.
The file also holds a 1956 poll of 3,000 county residents. About two-thirds of the people surveyed believed smog had gotten worse in the last year and that health suffered because of smog. Half wanted to leave L.A. because of the air pollution; 40 percent blamed industry for smog, with cars at about 30 percent and home incinerators at 5 percent.
If you didn’t have incinerators, you needed to get rid of the rubbish somehow, so more than two-thirds favored a fee for trash pickup. About 10 percent called the proposed $1.50 monthly fee “excessive.”
In any case, by the summer of 1956, the city had started to phase in trash collection in areas where incinerator use was being phased out. A total ban on incinerators was in place by October 1, 1957.
(L.A. Mayor Norris Poulson and secretary Marian Webb with pro-Krushchev telegrams and gifts from the Soviet leader. 1959. LAPL/Herald-Examiner collection.)
Mayor Poulson was re-elected in 1957 even as the ban was taking effect, but four years later former Congressman Sam Yorty used the ban and the problems of separated waste collection in his effort to unseat Poulson.
Of course, it turns out that burning trash was only one of many source of air pollution, and many battles would follow to bring us the relatively clean air we enjoy today. But that is a story for another day.