Updates

LAPD proposes foot patrols on Colorado Boulevard in Eagle Rock. Read more here.

Burglers broke Penny Oven front door glass, repairs underway. Photo by Laura Brady-Allen for the Boulevard Sentinel

The Burglaries Go On – January 2020

01/08/2020 Laura Brady-Allen5213Leave a Comment

Break-ins occurred early Wednesday morning, January 8, 2020, at two restaurants on Colorado Boulevard in Eagle Rock.

Jose Huizar, shown in the L.A City Council | Photo by Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times

Politics: Huizar denies new retaliation claim, City Council takes slow road to reform in face of scandal

12/26/201912/28/2019 Bill Hendrickson8124Leave a Comment

City Council takes the slow road to reform in the face of scandal. Read the latest here.

Oxy Pool to Open….Soon?

12/26/201901/10/2020 Matthew Reagan7789Leave a Comment

Only technical and bureaucratic hurdles remain before the Oxy Pool can open. When will it open? Read here.

Crime Brief

12/26/201912/27/2019 Laura Brady-Allen8120Leave a Comment

The saga of Manny Espana continues.

The Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council Bungles the Metro BRT Issue

12/26/201912/27/2019 T.A. Hendrickson8168Leave a Comment

Flawed from the start, Metro’s proposed BRT process divides Eagle Rock. We update this story here.

Count the Homeless

12/25/201912/27/2019 admin8078Leave a Comment

The 2020 Homeless count in NELA will take place in January 2020. Details are here.

Yajaira Castillo (inset), a member of the Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council, addressing demonstrators at an anti-gentrification gathering in Highland Park on December 7.

On Gentrification: Activism in Highland Park Continues on Multiple Fronts

12/25/201912/27/2019 Claire Krelitz8643Leave a Comment

Gentrifying newcomers, residential and commercial meet Activism and Resistance in Highland Park. Here’s our update.

On Homelessness: New Training Helps You Help Others

12/25/201912/27/2019 Jane Demian8146Leave a Comment

Want to how you can help the homeless in your neighborhood? SELAH volunteers are doing this now providing weekly suppers, showers, clothing and more. Get started here.

Photo | Boulevard Sentinel

Crime Watch – December 2019

12/01/201901/08/2020 Laura Brady-Allen4632Leave a Comment

A bank robbery and more burglaries in Eagle Rock. Here’s your monthly crime update.

Pet Rescue Event Draws Thousands

12/01/2019 Bill Hendrickson8065Leave a Comment

Thousands took in the Eagle Rock Bark this year. They had fun and did good. A great combination. Read about it here.

Photo by T. A. Henrickson

Call for Volunteers to Count the Homeless

12/01/201912/11/2019 Mary Lynch8134Leave a Comment

It’s time once again to count the homeless. You can volunteer. Read about it here.

St. Barnabas Re-Opens

12/01/201912/01/2019 K. D. Dunleavy8077Leave a Comment

The property was going to house the homeless but City red tape took too long and reviving the congregation presented itself. There’s more. Read about it here.

Gang Convictions Have Made Northeast L.A. Safer, Says Justice Department

12/01/201912/01/2019 T.A. Hendrickson8119Leave a Comment

Two more defendants were sentenced to prison in November in a major federal case against three street gangs in Northeast Los Angeles. There’s more. Read it here.

Services for the homeless coming to ER Rec Center aux parking lot? Photo | Bill Hendrickson

City to Evaluate Parking Lot on Figueroa for Homeless Services

12/01/201912/14/2019 T.A. Hendrickson8510Leave a Comment

By T. A. Hendrickson An effort in Eagle Rock to create safer, more sanitary conditions for the homeless advanced on November 15, when the Los Angeles City Council told city agencies to study the use of the parking lot at 7541 Figueroa Street as a homeless-services staging area. Among the potential uses: Installing mobile showers […]

Sarah Marchain | Photo courtesy of Lisita Marchain

Living and Dying under the 2 Freeway – Sarah’s Story

11/30/201912/01/2019 Laura Brady-Allen1769510 Comments

Deceased’s sister speaks out. Read story here.

Metro facilitators guided design exercises at a workshop on the proposed bus rapid transit route in Eagle Rock | Photo by Matthew Reagan

Controversy Over Metro Route in Eagle Rock Continues

11/30/201912/01/2019 Matthew Reagan98651 Comment

Colorado Boulevard Is Focus of Metro Workshops – 134 Freeway Option is nowhere in sight. Read more here.

The Crime Report – November 2019

11/02/201911/02/2019 Laura Brady-Allen41181 Comment

Updates on Eagle Rock burgler, shooting death arrests, more burglaries in Eagle Rock.

Opening night at the Highland Park Independent Film Festival: From left, Mark Reitman, Alessandro Gentile and Marita De La Torre (Co-founders of the festival); Danny Trejo (Humanitarian Award winner); April Ibarra (Associate Producer), Kris Bicknell (Graphic Designer/Branding for the festival) - Photo by Tim Karau

Highland Park Filmfest Winners

11/02/2019 admin8172Leave a Comment

Winning an award in the 6th annual Highland Park Independent Film Festival was not easy.

Education on the Dangers of Vaping

11/02/201911/05/2019 Mary Lynch8178Leave a Comment

As of October 17, 27 cases of serious lung injury and one death have been linked to vaping in Los Angeles County,

Photo by LATimes

On the Road to Rent Control

11/02/2019 Bill Hendrickson8667Leave a Comment

“No fault” evictions are banned for the rest of 2019

Part of 45 acres burned in the NELA fire of August 25 | Photo by Bill Hendrickson

No Charges Filed in Fire Arrests, District Attorney Asks for Further Investigation

09/28/201909/28/2019 Julian Willnow4668Leave a Comment

The Los Angeles County District Attorney has not filed charges against either of the two men arrested on August 31 in connection with the hillside fire in Eagle Rock and Glendale on August 25.

L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, speaking with a constituent at a Metro meeting in August, wants more input before deciding on route options. - Photo courtesy of Supervisor Solis

Decision Looms on Route Options for Metro BRT in Eagle Rock

09/28/2019 T.A. Hendrickson42281 Comment

Know the next step in Metro’s plan for a BRT express bus service for Eagle Rock.

Andrew Nardi in his official Miami Marlins portrait.

NELA’s Andrew Nardi Joins the Miami Marlins

09/28/2019 Mary Lynch4482Leave a Comment

NELA man gets Derek Jeter for his “Boss”.

New Recognition, Opportunity for NELA Art Scene

09/28/201909/28/2019 T.A. Hendrickson3740Leave a Comment

L.A.’s eastside has always had a creative core. The wider art world is taking notice.

California Says “No” to Later Bar Hours

09/28/201909/28/2019 Bill Hendrickson3677Leave a Comment

See how our local NELA elected officials voted. You may be surprised.

Juan Jose Diaz in a photo released by the Los Angeles Police Department on July 27, 2019.

Update On Shooting of LAPD Officer

08/30/201909/01/2019 Laura Brady-Allen3903Leave a Comment

Shootings are plaguing NELA. We report in this edition on four of them, including the fatal shooting of LAPD Officer Juan Jose Diaz. For details continue with this September crime report by Laura Brady-Allen.

Eagle Rock Blvd on a sunny winter day | Photo by Bill Hendrickson

Still Trying to Rock the Eagle Rock Boulevard

08/30/201909/01/2019 K. D. Dunleavy3341Leave a Comment

CD-14 “remains optimistic” and “fully committed” improving Eagle Rock Blvd. Seems the Glassell Park Improvement Association is, too. Public meeting on ERB coming up soon. Details are here.

Aerial view of the Southwest Museum: The museum’s fate remains undecided as talks continue.

L.A. County Is Talking with the Autry About the Future of the Southwest Musuem

08/30/201909/01/2019 Mary Lynch3648Leave a Comment

The Southwest Museum is holding its breath. Good news. Much needed help may be on the way. Read all about it.

The School Canyon landfill in operation | Photo by LA Times

Methane Controversy Continues at Scholl Canyon

08/30/201909/01/2019 Bill Hendrickson41411 Comment

Glendale’s Moves Will Affect the quality of life in NELA. How to handle the methane at Scholl Canyon is a major point of contention. Read why here.

The new fountain was a refreshing backdrop to a day of service by community members who put finishing touches on the landscaping at the refurbished Veterans Memorial in Highland Park | Photo by Bill Hendrickson

Date Is Set for Re-dedication of the Highland Park Veterans Memorial

08/30/201909/01/2019 Bill Hendrickson36741 Comment

Dozens of volunteers, including many veterans, gathered on Saturday, August 24, to put finishing touches on the plaza and landscaping of the newly refurbished Veterans Memorial at the intersection of York Boulevard and Figueroa Street in Highland Park. The centerpiece of the Memorial is the fountain. There’s more to be done.

Artist Paula Lopez, seen here, is repainting the SW Museum mural | Photo by Jesus Sanchez for The Eastsider

The Mural on Marmion Way – Lost and Found

08/23/201908/23/2019 admin44401 Comment

The prep work for re-painting of the 170′ mural on Marmion Way near the Southwest Museum has been completed and the re-painting has begun, Both the preparation work and the re-painting are creative adventures in their own right. See the work in process on the Boulevard Sentinel.

Juan Jose Diaz in a photo released by the Los Angeles Police Department on July 27, 2019.

Update On Shooting of LAPD Officer

07/27/2019 Bill Hendrickson3641Leave a Comment

Juan Jose Diaz, a 24-year-old officer who served two years with LAPD, died in the gunfire that broke out around 1 a.m. near Avenue 26 and Humboldt Street, according to the Police Department.

Police secure the scene in front of 7-Eleven on Colorado Blvd in Eagle Rock after the shooting on Thursday, July 17 | Photo by Laura Brady-Allen

Crime and Punishment in Northeast L.A.

07/26/201907/26/2019 Laura Brady-Allen31652 Comments

This month we had a murder in Eagle Rock, a prowler apprehended and a man sentenced in mugging of a pregnant jogger. Up to date details on all this and more are here for you.

Gov. Newsom presenting his state budget | Photo by Rich Pedroncelli / AP

Making It Easier to Attend and Finish Community College

07/26/2019 Matthew Reagan48501 Comment

Tuition and fees will be waived in the first two years of community college for first-time, full-time students, thanks to provisions in California’s new state budget. Want more? How’s this: Nearly half of students earning a bachelor’s degree from a UC in science, technology, engineering and mathematics transferred from a California community college. And, there’s more in this report by Matthew Reagan for the Boulevard Sentinel.

Taco Bell - August 2019 | Photo by Bill Hendrickson

Eye on Real Estate Developments in NELA

07/26/201907/26/2019 Bill Hendrickson4361Leave a Comment

Here’s the latest on the Real Estate Developments we’ve been following in NELA.

A deal between youth sports advocates and the parks department may be shaping up for new and resurfaced playing fields at Rio de Los Angeles State Park in Cypress Park | Photo by Dara G.

The Push for Up-graded Playing Fields in Cypress Park

07/26/201907/26/2019 Dennis Freeman4285Leave a Comment

Burnt out fields of play may be becoming an thing of the past in NELA’s Rio de Los Angeles State Park. For more read more.

Homeless | Photo by Joel Sappell for the Boulevard Sentinel

Helping the Homeless: An Update

07/26/201907/26/2019 Matthew Reagan and Mary Lynch91751 Comment

Homelessness in NELA may be intractable but efforts are underway to make it less so. We update you on a few initiatives underway to address this catastrophic problem.

Ana Serrano inside her installation, Homegrown, which has been acquired by the L.A. County Musuem of Art | Photo by John S. Rabe

Artwork by Ana Serrano Acquired by L.A. County Museum of Art

07/26/201907/27/2019 T.A. Hendrickson84751 Comment

From the College of Art and Design to the LA County Museum, Ana Serrano evokes the look and feel of front-yard, window-ledge spaces in Latino neighborhoods. Read on for a view of the creative expression of what we pass by every day in NELA.

Dotted lines show where multiple route options are being considered

More Time for Public Comment on Metro Plan

07/26/201907/26/2019 Bill Hendrickson75141 Comment

Proposed route has roiled the town. Constituents to have a special opportunity to speak directly with Hilda Solis, Metro Director and L. A. County Supervisor. Read on for details about next meeting and recap of situation to date.

Police secure the scene in front of 7-Eleven Colorado Blvd in Eagle Rock after the shooting on Thursday, July 17 | Photo by Laura Brady-Allen

Update: Shooting on Colorado Boulevard in Eagle Rock

07/19/201907/19/2019 Laura Brady-Allen1290110 Comments

Shooting on Colorado Blvd. For details read on.

Overflow Crowd at the Eagle Rock Plaza Metro meeting | Photo Bill Hendrickson

Eagle Rockers Weigh In on Metro’s Bus Plan for Colorado Boulevard

07/13/2019 Bill Hendrickson69816 Comments

About 350 Eagle Rockers showed up at the Eagle Rock Plaza today to hear what Metro and their fellow residents had to say about Metro’s plan for Bus Rapid Transit on Colorado Boulevard. About 70 people spoke up. Here’s how things came out.

The proposed North Hollywood to Pasadena bus rapid transit line would run through Eagle Rock on Colorado Boulevard

Four Questions for Metro on Bus Rapid Transit in Eagle Rock

07/12/201907/12/2019 T.A. Hendrickson81787 Comments

Attention Eagle Rockers: Bring your comments and questions on Saturday, July 13, to a meeting with Metro about its Bus Rapid Transit plan for Eagle Rock. Here are four questions the Boulevard Sentinel is submitting for the record. The meeting will be at the Eagle Rock Plaza from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Glendale demonstration against fossil fuel power generation at Grayson facility in Glendale. | Photo by Bill Hendrickson

Protests in Glendale Over the Grayson Power Plant Hold Lessons for NELA on Scholl Canyon

07/10/201907/10/2019 Bill Hendrickson4794Leave a Comment

Protests in Glendale Over the Grayson Power Plant Hold Lessons for NELA on Scholl. Read here about the power of resident advocacy.

Huizar’s Legal Problems Persist

06/28/201906/29/2019 T.A. Hendrickson4011Leave a Comment

The hot water that José Huizar has been in for months is getting hotter. On June 24, a judge denied a request by Huizar to delay a lawsuit against him. More here. Read on.

Another Attempt to Keep Bars Open Until 4 a.m.

06/28/201906/29/2019 Matthew Reagan3964Leave a Comment

Bars open until 4am coming to NELA? Not so fast, legislation has cleared the state Senate before but didn’t get passed the Governor. And, the politicians who represent Northeast L.A in Sacramento – state Senator Maria Elena Durazo (D) and Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo (D) – are going different ways on the issue. There’s more here. Read on.

Class of 2019: Final Tally of NELA’s College-Bound Grads

06/28/201906/29/2019 T.A. Hendrickson3915Leave a Comment

Over 1,000 NELA high school grads are going on to college. Read here where they are coming from and where they are going.

Glassell Bark – Makes NELA a Better Place to Live

06/28/201906/29/2019 T.A. Hendrickson3942Leave a Comment

Dog kisses, a watermelon eating contest (against your dog) and a happy day for NELA. Glassell Bark brings out the best in NELA.

Enjoying a "Taste of Eagle Rock" are, from left, Dr. Ralph Boyd, Dottie Boyd, LaDell Stapp and Lani Stapp | Photo by Bill Hendrickson

Taste of Eagle Rock – A Fund Raising Success

06/28/201906/29/2019 T.A. Hendrickson4400Leave a Comment

The expansive lawn at the Hill Drive home of Michael and Eugenie Noguiera was the site of the 5th annual Taste of Eagle Rock on June 23 where some 300 visitors sampled specialties from 25 local restaurants.

Ramona Sierra (on left) and Suzanna Bermudez | Photo by Bill Hendrickson

Bungalow Ladies Hanging in

06/28/201906/29/2019 Bill Hendrickson3883Leave a Comment

To Evict or Not to Evict? Why Is That Even a Question?
The clock is ticking for Ramona Sierra, 90, and Suzanna Bermudez, 65, who are bracing for eviction from their rent-controlled, one-bedroom bungalows in a five-unit complex at 4542-4544 Eagle Rock Boulevard.

Grant for Rock the Boulevard Is Denied – Project on Hold

06/01/201906/22/2019 K. D. Dunleavy4053Leave a Comment

Rock the Boulevard, a public/private effort to transform Eagle Rock Boulevard into a safer, more beautiful thoroughfare, has been unable to secure the public grant money needed to move forward as originally planned.

There were high hopes for the project last year. Launch money was raised from City Council District 14 ($23,000), Occidental College ($13,500), the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council ($2,500) and The Eagle Rock Association improvement group (an unspecified amount)

Wildfires are getting scarier – NELA at “high risk.”

06/01/201906/12/2019 Mary Lynch3710Leave a Comment

Wildfires can occur anytime, not only in the typical wildfire season of mid-summer to early autumn. Northeast Los Angeles is at high risk: The Boulevard Sentinel recently reported on data showing that nearly half of the buildings in Eagle Rock are in a very severe hazard zone; in Highland Park, 40% of the buildings are in a very serve hazard zone. In Mount Washington, all of the buildings are in a very severe hazard zone.

Jack Goldberg addressing supporters

Jackie Goldberg Wins School Board Election. Voter Turnout Was Poor.

06/01/2019 T.A. Hendrickson3560Leave a Comment

Jackie Goldberg, a veteran local politician, won a decisive victory on May 14 over Heather Repenning, a former city commissioner, for the Board District 5 (BD 5) seat on the Los Angeles School Board, which includes Northeast Los Angeles. The task now before Goldberg, who was endorsed by the L.A. teachers union, is to find the money to deliver on her promise of smaller class sizes and more counselors, nurses and teachers aides.

Vielka McFarlane

Prison Time for Charter School Founder with Ties to NELA

06/01/2019 T.A. Hendrickson3729Leave a Comment

Vielka McFarlane, who founded the Celerity network of charter schools located in Eagle Rock and other parts of Los Angeles, was sentenced on May 20 to 30 months in prison for misspending public education money on luxuries for herself, including first-class plane travel, fine dining and high-end shopping.
McFarlane pleaded guilty in January to one count of conspiracy to misappropriate and embezzle public money. The plea followed an investigation, starting in 2012, by the inspector general of L.A. Unified School District and federal authorities.

Democratic Infighting, Resolved for Now

06/01/201906/01/2019 K. D. Dunleavy3298Leave a Comment

An intraparty feud among local Democratic groups has come to a can’t-please-everyone kind of resolution.

The dispute began in late January, when Democrats in State Assembly District 51, which includes Northeast Los Angeles, voted to select 14 delegates to the California Democratic Party convention in Sacramento from May 31 to June 2.

Crime and Punishment in Northeast L.A.

05/31/201905/31/2019 Laura Brady-Allen3512Leave a Comment

This month focuses on a conviction for burglary in Eagle Rock, a sexual preditor also in Eagle Rock, a hearing for a a person know for harassing and threatening women and the bomb threat at Franklin High School.

Crime and Punishment in Northeast L.A.

04/28/201904/28/2019 Laura Brady-Allen417810 Comments

This month focuses on a couple of scary adults that have plagued the neighborhoods and two juveniles arrested for armed robbery in Eagle Rock.

Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images

Neighborhood Councils: Watering the Grassroots

04/28/201906/22/2019 Mary Lynch3163Leave a Comment

The Grand Opening of the dog park at the Eagle Rock Recreation Center will take place on Saturday, May 11 at 10 a.m. This will be the first new dog park in Northeast Los Angeles in 13 years.

Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images

Grand Opening for the Eagle Rock Dog Park

04/28/201904/28/2019 Mary Lynch3445Leave a Comment

The Grand Opening of the dog park at the Eagle Rock Recreation Center will take place on Saturday, May 11 at 10 a.m. This will be the first new dog park in Northeast Los Angeles in 13 years.

LAPD investigating liquor store robbery in February on Eagle Rock Blvd. | Photo Bill Hendrickson

Crime and Punishment in Northeast L.A.

03/30/201903/30/2019 Laura Brady-Allen2970Leave a Comment

Here’s the follow up on some of the NELA’s recent crimes:

Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images

Electric Scooters All Over NELA? Not So Fast.

03/30/201904/01/2019 Mary Lynch2749Leave a Comment

Councilmember Gil Cedillo recently filed a motion to exclude CD 1 from a one-year pilot program to test widespread use of electric, dockless scooters in Los Angeles.

Safe Parking in Glassell Park Clears a Hurdle

03/30/201904/01/2019 Bill Hendrickson2892Leave a Comment

The academic decathletes from Franklin High School in Highland Park placed sixth among 68 schools in the recent California state finals of the Academic Decathlon.

Franklin High Competes with Distinction in State Academic Decathlon

03/30/201904/08/2019 Mary Lynch2801Leave a Comment

The academic decathletes from Franklin High School in Highland Park placed sixth among 68 schools in the recent California state finals of the Academic Decathlon.

Environmentalists Blast Glendale Water and Power over Scholl Canyon

03/30/201903/30/2019 Bill Hendrickson3888Leave a Comment

The Coalition for Scholl Landfill Alternatives (CSLA), a local group of environmental activists, has issued a press release saying it “strongly suspects” Glendale Water and Power of trying to manipulate an upcoming environmental review at the Scholl Canyon landfill . . . . . .

Southwest Museum Up for Grabs

03/30/201903/31/2019 Mary Lynch2971Leave a Comment

New Group Forms to Save the Southwest Museum and Lummis House

03/02/201903/03/2019 Mary Lynch37662 Comments

The Lummis Legacy League, a grassroots organization to preserve the legacy of Charles Fletcher Lummis, will hold a kick-off reception and presentation on March 17 at the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens in Cypress Park. Suzanne Lummis, the granddaughter of Charles Lummis, will be a guest of honor. The group hopes to draw more […]

L.A. Teachers Set a Strike Date

12/29/201801/01/2019 Laura Brady-Allen919Leave a Comment

Public school teachers in Los Angeles will go on strike starting Thursday, Jan. 10, unless an unforeseen breakthrough occurs before then. The teachers union – United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) – announced the strike date on Dec. 19. The announcement followed the release of a report by a fact-finding panel made up of a […]

Charter School Founder with Ties to Eagle Rock Pleads Guilty to a Felony

12/29/201806/01/2019 T.A. Hendrickson1432Leave a Comment

Vielka McFarlane, the founder and former chief executive of Celerity Educational Group, a Los Angeles charter school network, has pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to misappropriate and embezzle public funds. In her plea, reported by the L.A. Times on Dec. 21, Ms. McFarlane admitted that she had misspent $2.5 million in public funds intended for Celerity students.

Trash Haulers Win a Round in the Garbage Fight

02/05/201903/03/2019 Mary Lynch1094Leave a Comment

A lawsuit to lower the fees for commercial garbage collection in Los Angeles hit a roadblock last month when the judge said the case was too flawed to go forward. But the Apartment Owners Association of California – which filed the lawsuit – has not given up. The judge gave the group until Feb. 8 […]

Saying “No” to Yet Another Anti-Immigrant Proposal

02/04/201903/03/2019 T.A. Hendrickson846Leave a Comment

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has received 216,102 public comments on a Trump administration proposal that would make it harder for legal immigrants to obtain green cards or permanent residency if they use Medicaid, food stamps, housing subsidies or other common federal benefits. The comments were overwhelmingly against the proposal. It’s safe to say […]

Progress on the Mural at the Southwest Museum

02/04/201902/04/2019 Mary Lynch1224Leave a Comment

Work has finally begun to recreate the mural that once covered the wall along Marmion Way leading up to the Southwest Museum. The first step – creating detailed, life sized drawings of the original mural – got underway in January, when Pola Lopez, the renowned artist who will paint the new mural, received a first […]

Mike Kelly Memorial: Art that Unites Past and Present, Here and Elsewhere

02/04/201902/17/2019 T.A. Hendrickson1046Leave a Comment

Seven years ago, an abandoned carport at the end of Tipton Way in Highland Park became a community memorial to the artist Mike Kelley, who had his studio down the street and had died by suicide on Jan. 31, 2012. All through the month of February, 2012, visitors filled the space with farewell messages in […]

Smoke in the Huizar Investigation, but Still No Fire

02/04/201902/04/2019 T.A. Hendrickson987Leave a Comment

In the three months since the FBI raided the home and two offices of NELA City Councilmember José Huizar, no official explanation has been given for the raids and no related arrests or charges have been made. But the issue continues to generate a lot of smoke. The L.A. Times reported on Jan. 12 that […]

The Troubles of Mr. Huizar, Continued

12/29/201801/01/2019 T.A. Hendrickson1136Leave a Comment

As of press time for this issue of the Boulevard Sentinel on Dec. 27, there was no official word from the FBI as to why it raided two offices and the home of José Huizar last November. There have been no charges and no arrests in connection with the raids. Recent reporting from the L.A.Times, […]

L.A. Más: Help for Building Backyard Homes (ADUs)

12/29/201812/29/2018 Mary Lynch1002Leave a Comment

L.A. Más, a non-profit urban design firm in Elysian Valley, is now taking applications from homeowners for its Backyard Homes Project. The project will help low-to-moderate income homeowners finance, design and build Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) on their properties. In exchange, the homeowners will rent the ADUs, (often converted garages), for […]

Part of the 134 Freeway named President Barack H. Obama Highway.

12/29/201812/29/2018 Bill Hendrickson975Leave a Comment

Obama Drove Here Roughly five-miles of the 134 freeway, including the stretch in Eagle Rock between Pasadena and Glendale, is now officially the “President Barack H. Obama Highway.” Two large freeway signs announcing the new name were unveiled on Dec. 20, one on westbound 134 at Fair Oaks Ave. in Pasadena […]

L.A. Bars to stay open until 4am?

12/29/201812/29/2018 T.A. Hendrickson1063Leave a Comment

Not Taking “No” for an Answer State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) has re-introduced legislation to let bars in Los Angeles and eight other California cities stay open until 4 a.m., two hours later than the current closing time of 2 a.m. The latest bill (SB 58) is basically no different […]

NELA gets Higher Speed Limits, More Speeding Tickets

12/29/201812/29/2018 Mary Lynch896Leave a Comment

Higher Speed Limits, More Speeding Tickets New speed limits went into effect on many streets in Los Angeles on Dec 11. Most of the new limits are increases, some are decreases. One reason for the changes is to ensure that posted speed limits conform with what up-to-date speed surveys […]

NELA’s Year in Crime

12/01/2018 Laura Brady-Allen12291 Comment

As 2018 draws to a close, I asked the LAPD for updates on some of the higher profile crimes that occurred this year in Northeast L.A. Here’s a rundown as of Nov. 16: No suspects were identified in the attempted kidnapping on Jan. 22 at Campus Road and Escarpa Drive, near Eagle Rock High School. […]

Countdown to a Teacher Strike

12/01/2018 Laura Brady-Allen12781 Comment

On Nov. 14, the labor dispute between the L.A. school district and the L.A. teachers union entered the fact-finding stage. Over the next 30 days or so, the claims by each side will be analyzed and a report issued by a panel headed by the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), the state agency that oversees […]

Picking Up the Trash Is the Easy Part. Paying for Trash Pickup Is Hard.

11/30/2018 Bill Hendrickson985Leave a Comment

For the most part, businesses and landlords in Northeast Los Angeles and the rest of the city have had no choice but to accept the higher costs and new procedures imposed by RecycLA, the city’s commercial trash-hauling system in effect since July 2017. But at a recent meeting of the committee on Energy, Climate Change […]

Violet Rivers Sings On

11/30/2018 Mary Lynch1042Leave a Comment

Violet Rivers, a third grader at Eagle Rock Elementary, will sing next month at a student showcase in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the National Parent Teacher Association and the U.S. Department of Education. Violet will perform her original song, Transformation, which won a 2018 National Award of Excellence in Music Composition last May in an […]

Construction to Start at Pillarhenge

11/02/201811/02/2018 Bill Hendrickson1471Leave a Comment

Construction on the Pillarhenge site in Eagle Rock is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2019. The building is expected to have the same overall “Love Boat” size and shape as originally proposed (see rendering at upper right), but will be configured differently on the inside to have 31 units in total (versus […]

Back to Square One on the Southwest Museum

11/02/2018 Mary Lynch1515Leave a Comment

The latest effort to find a financial partner to refurbish the Southwest Museum building in Mount Washington has ended without success. A potential partner who had been evaluating the site since early 2018 has made “an internal business decision” not to invest, said Maren Daughtery, a spokesperson for the Autry Museum of the American West, […]

Parting Advice from Gov. Brown: Don’t Encourage More Drinking

11/02/2018 Mary Lynch860Leave a Comment

Gov. Jerry Brown defied the wishes of the California legislature recently, when he vetoed a bill that would have let bars in Los Angeles and eight other cities stay open until 4 a.m. Among the majority of lawmakers who voted in favor of a 4 a.m. closing time (versus 2 a.m. currently) were NELA’s representatives […]

Franklin High Bomb Threat Was a Hoax; Principal Says, “Safety Is Our Priority”

11/02/2018 Laura Brady-Allen856Leave a Comment

A bomb threat on Oct. 15 that prompted a lockdown and police sweep of Franklin High School in Highland Park was a hoax. The caller also said that an officer had been shot at the school. No evidence was found of any bomb or any shooting. The major crimes division of the Los Angeles Police […]

A Park Grows in NELA

10/06/201810/06/2018 T.A. Hendrickson890Leave a Comment

The results are in for a survey by the City of L.A. to find out what the public wants at the Taylor Yard G2 River Park, the swath of land along the L.A. River in Cypress Park that is being re-developed into a park. Nearly 60% of the 1,312 people who took the survey were […]

Rules May Be Coming Soon on Short-Term Rentals

10/06/201810/06/2018 T.A. Hendrickson8431 Comment

On any given day, about 500 rentals in Highland Park, Eagle Rock and Mount Washington are on offer through Airbnb and other short-term rental sites. New rules proposed in September by the City Planning Commission could affect many of them. The proposed rules, if approved by the City Council, would limit short term rentals […]

State of Play: Which Way Is Eagle Rock Going on the Proposal to Build a Big Storage Facility?

08/31/201809/01/2018 Bill Hendrickson11491 Comment

The proposal to build a huge StorQuest storage facility on the Ernie Jr.’s site in Eagle Rock is now on the agenda of the City Planning Commission for Thursday, Oct. 11 – a month later than previously planned. It was replaced on the agenda by another issue. The extra time provides the public a chance […]

Foes of L.A.’s Trash System Will Get Their Day in Court

09/01/201809/01/2018 Mary Lynch840Leave a Comment

The City Attorney of Los Angeles has tried and failed to block a class-action lawsuit to undo the City’s new trash-collection system for businesses. Both sides in the fight are now gearing up for more battle. Frank Mateljan, a spokesperson for the City Attorney, told the Boulevard Sentinel that the City will continue to vigorously […]

Glendale’s Energy Debate Will Force Decisions on Scholl Canyon

09/01/2018 Bill Hendrickson14911 Comment

August 3 was the deadline in Glendale for energy professionals to submit proposals on how Glendale could switch to renewable resources for generating electricity. In all, 34 proposals were received and are now under review, with a public presentation of the review findings expected around mid-October, according to Steven Zurn, the general manager for Glendale […]

Taco Bell in Eagle Rock to be Reborn

07/28/2018 Bill Hendrickson18711 Comment

The forlorn Taco Bell on Colorado Blvd. in Eagle Rock will soon see better and happier days, thanks to an agreement between Nader Ashoori, the owner of the Taco Bell, and The Eagle Rock Association (TERA), an improvement group. The agreement, which was reached with the help of staff from the office of Councilmember José […]

Meet the New Landlord

07/28/2018 Bill Hendrickson8291 Comment

The buyer of Frank’s Camera and two other buildings on Figueroa St. in Highland Park is a limited partnership named “AP Highland Park.” AP Highland Park is, in turn, part of a larger real estate investment portfolio run by Asana Partners Fund, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Boulevard Sentinel reported on the $23 million […]

Union Blues: A Victory for Local Labor, Then a Setback

07/28/2018 T.A. Hendrickson726Leave a Comment

When unionized service workers at public schools in Los Angeles won a hard-fought new contract in May, their leader, Max Arias, of El Sereno, told the Boulevard Sentinel that the union could not rest on its laurels. Union members had to remain united and active, he said, because anti-union forces were strong and getting stronger. Sure […]

Good News for Community College Students

07/28/201807/28/2018 T.A. Hendrickson688Leave a Comment

The University of California has offered admission this fall to 28,750 transfer students, a record number, UC officials said in July. Most of these students are California residents transferring from community colleges. That is an encouraging development for the large share of students who start college at the community level. In NELA, for example, 300 […]

Mural on Marmion Way to Be Restored

06/30/201806/30/2018 Mary Lynch802Leave a Comment

At long last, a contract has been signed to restore the mural that once covered the long wall on Marmion Way leading up to the Southwest Museum of the American Indian in Mount Washington. The signatories are the Autry Museum of the American West, which owns the Southwest Museum, Avenue 50 Studio in Highland Park, […]

On the College Front

06/30/2018 T.A. Hendrickson673Leave a Comment

Tally of NELA’s College-Bound Seniors Increases The Boulevard Sentinel’s tally in June of high-school graduates found that 654 out of 901 were college bound from four local high schools: Eagle Rock High in Eagle Rock, Franklin High in Highland Park, and Renaissance Arts Academy and Alliance Environmental Science and Technology, both in Glassell Park. Since […]

Gang Member Is Sentenced for Racist Attacks in Highland Park

06/30/2018 T.A. Hendrickson851Leave a Comment

Merced Cambero, Jr., a member of the Avenues gang, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for hate crimes committed against African Americans in Highland Park from 1997 to 2000. The gang’s crime spree included two murders. The sentencing, on June 4, was a long time coming. Mr. Cambero was charged in 2004, […]

Activists in NELA Continue to Take On the NRA

06/02/2018 T.A. Hendrickson7302 Comments

Drain the NRA, the anti-gun violence group co-founded by Laura Mannino of Highland Park, has notched another success: On May 9, the $225 billion California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) adopted a gun-control policy developed by John Chiang, the California state treasurer, and promoted by Drain the NRA. Under the new policy, CalSTRS will pressure […]