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Car wash Saturday to benefit Echo Park family

Unfortunately this story is a sad one, but Echo Park neighbors are coming together out of love tomorrow to raise money for resident Rebecca Zamarripa, who lost her battle with cancer on July 1, just three days before her 39th birthday. Fellow Echo Parkian Becca Dorman wrote about her beloved neighbor in an Echo Park Patch article last week before Zamarripa passed away, calling on the neighborhood to help support the family on Saturday, July 9 at an all-day car wash.

The car wash is still on to help support the family and her children with the financial burden for her treatment. If you’re like me and have been neglecting your car for quite some time now, this is the perfect excuse and the perfect place to spend your dollars. They’ll also be selling an assortment of delicious homemade baked goods.

The car wash starts at 8:00 a.m. at El Centro del Pueblo, located at 1157 Lemoyne St. We haven’t confirmed if there is a suggested minimum donation or not, but there’s certainly no maximum! If you can’t make it tomorrow, there will be another car was at Elysian Heights Elementary School on Saturday, July 16, 2011.

You can also drop off some bills in the many donation jars around Echo Park, including Allston Yacht Club.

Checks can be made out to Ronald C. Tafoya and sent care of El Centro del Pueblo, 1157 Lemoyne St., Los Angeles, CA 90026.

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New to the ‘hood: deKor’s Swedish stylings

Echo Park resident Isabelle Dahlin opened up her new store, deKor, at the end of June just next door to the new restaurant Mohawk Bend on Sunset Boulevard. Promising a variety of candles, pottery, furniture, art, pillows and miscellaneous items, the theme is an eclectic array of Swedish stylings that will make you want to redecorate.

On her blog, Isabelle writes: “Ever since I was a child, I have always felt that your living environment greatly impacts how you feel about your life and how you treat those around you. This space is a reflection of my Scandinavian roots, my travels and my beautiful life in Los Angeles.”

Isabelle told us that not only does she live in Echo Park, but she’s in LOVE with Echo Park. “I wanted my store here because I love the people that live here and deKor is a very eclectic place so I think it fits with this amazing neighborhood,” she said in an email.

Prices range from $20 for the little stuff, and up to $4,000 for the larger furniture items (hey, it’s art!). Her favorite piece in the store? Reclaimed swings designed by deKor that can decorate your home on the inside or the outside.

By the way, LOVE those potted succulents outside the store!

Store Hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 am – 8:00 pm.

Owner: Isabelle Dahlin
Phone: 213.375.7627
www.dekorla.com

Related articles:

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Drop by the CCAC Rummage Sale today through Friday

The CCAC, photo from EPIAn Ways October 2000

Summer is a busy time for the Central City Action Committee teams as they raise funds for youth summer programs – beaches, museums, movies, camping, and all things that will keep kids off the streets. Three days of each week during the summer, the youth also actively participate in graffiti removal and community clean-up/beautification projects.

An easy way to support the CCAC is by stopping by their location this week at the old fire station for their rummage sale for some great items including a greenhouse.

The rummage sale takes place at 534 East Edgeware Road from 10:30 am – 7:00 pm through Friday, July 8, 2011.

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The 33rd Lotus Festival returns to Echo Park Lake next weekend

2006 Festival Photo via LA Taco

This is a re-published article I wrote for the latest EPIAn Ways, which you can view by clicking here.

The Echo Park Lotus Festival is an annual tradition that celebrates, for two days, the Asian and Pacific Islander communities in Los Angeles and the greater area. This is the 33rd Lotus Festival we’ve had – but we didn’t think it would return this year.

The Echo Park Lake rehabilitation project was initially planned to begin in Spring 2011, with construction fencing going up around April. However, the city pushed back the start date to later this summer, and so it was announced the Lotus Festival would indeed return.

Highlights of the festival include music, dance and food – all of which celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander culture and traditions. This year’s focus is on the culture of Thailand. There will be a Health Fair, community groups offering information, and boutiques for shopping. One thing that won’t be part of this annual tradition will be the dragon boat races – which have been absent since 2008 (the Lotus Festival was canceled in 2009, and there were no boat races in 2010).

The Lotus Festival website provides a reason for the cancelation: “…due to lack of participation and funds we are unable to host the Dragon Boat Race and will be cancelled. The Lotus Festival will still take place and we encourage you to still come and participate in the festivities.”

Opening ceremonies start on Saturday, July 9, 2011 at 12:00 pm. Festivities will go on until 9:00 pm (no word yet on whether or not there will be fireworks that night).

The Lotus Festival continues on Sunday, July 10, 2011 from 12:00 noon to 8:00 pm.

Please visit www.lotusfestival.org for more details.

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New website launched for the Echo Park Lake rehab project

The Department of Public Works just announced the launch of a new website, www.echoparklake.org, specifically for the upcoming Echo Park Lake rehabilitation project, scheduled to start later this summer. There’s a photo gallery (before and after shots), updated news, and contact information as well as resource links. The website purpose will hopefully serve the community by updating everyone on the project before, during and after. According to the website:

The City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works project team is committed to keeping the community updated on the latest information about the Echo Park Lake Rehabilitation project. We encourage you to bookmark this page, and tell your neighbors about it! It’s the easiest way to know what’s going on with the City’s plans to improve and beautify the lake. You can also submit your questions about the lake improvements to the project team at bpw.pao@lacity.org. We will do our best to respond to you as soon as possible.

The week after the Lotus Festival (July 9-10, 2011), the 18-24 month construction will begin. There wasn’t a whole lot of specific information being circulated about the final project details, but we knew a few Echo Park residents/Echo Park Improvement Association members (Echo Park Now is also a member) had been meeting with the Bureau of Engineering project managers and CD13 reps to hammer out those final details. The EPIA’s June-July 2011 newsletter, EPIAn Ways, actually just published a nice, comprehensive article about the rehabilitation project. Here’s an excerpt from that article with details about the project:

Read more

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Get your pets microchipped Sunday – for cheap!!

The North Central Animal Shelter is having a “Chip-A-Thon” on Sunday, June 26, where you can get your pet chipped for very, very cheap!

Bring your pet from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm on Sunday to the shelter and pay just $15 – includes the chipping and the registration (trust me, this is very inexpensive!).

Getting your pet chipped is very important – if they lose their collar or escape from the house, this is the best way to get your loved one home!

The North Central Shelter is located at 3201 Lacy Street.

The Chip-A-Thon is sponsored by Southern California Veterinary Medical Association (SCVMA), HomeAgain and Avid.

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Results of the latest Echo Park Lake bird count are in!

Last Sunday (June 19, 2011), area residents and bird-lovers met up bright and early at Echo Park Lake for the final bird count before the lake construction begins this summer. A total of 26 species were counted, all of which we’ve listed below.

Jenny Burman of the Chicken Corner noticed the number seemed a little low compared to last January’s count, which noted 42 species at Echo Park Lake. So she asked bird count leader Judy Raskin, why the large drop? Here’s her answer, from Jenny’s column:

Hi, Jenny. The number of species at any time will vary. For example, the winter migrations are over, mostly, except for the occasional bird here and there. Most of the birds at the lake now either are resident or find their food and shelter within a swath that includes the lake. I’m surprised by the number of Canada geese here now, but I bet they will move on within a few weeks, maybe to the river, maybe to another lake. Most of the wild mallards are gone, as are virtually all of the American coots — I noticed only two yesterday. On the other hand, there were loads of bushtits, a species that we didn’t see much of in recent years.

Now, if you’re not giggling at the word Bushtit – it’s not a typo but an actual bird species (thank you, Wikipedia) – this should answer that question about spring/summer migrations at Echo Park Lake.

Raskin is hoping to do a Christmas Bird Count in December or January, which is an annual tradition for not just Echo Park Lake bird-watchers but also the National Audubon Society. We’ll see how the construction goes!

Here’s the list of birds counted at the lake last Sunday:

Read more

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Summer programs at the Echo Park libraries

Echo Park, Edendale, and Silver Lake Libraries:

Free puppet shows, magic shows, music, storytimes, crafts, and lots of books to read!
When you join the free 2011 Summer Reading Club, you will receive a game board. See if you can “read around the world,” 30 minutes at a time! After you read 2 hours, you get a sticker and a chance to win a prize. After you read 8 hours, you get a free book to take home. If you read 15 hours, you might win a Grand Prize!

New this year – a special game board just for kids ages 0 to 4 and their parents! Young kids and parents do fun activities together, such as reading books, going to library storytime, and making animal noises. After you finish the game board, the child gets a free book to take home and is eligible for a Grand Prize.

In the Summer Reading Club, you get to read whatever you want – for fun! And the more you read, the better you get at it.

Flickr photo via Nickels_Photography

Echo Park Branch

  • Bilingual Baby & Toddler Storytime: Tuesdays at 12:30 pm
  • Game Days: Tuesdays, 3:30-5:30 pm
  • Len Levitt & the Levity Puppets: July 13, Stories Around the World
  • LACMA Family Art Class: Thursdays at 4:00 pm
  • Teen Summer Reading Club events:
    • Start of Teen Summer Reading Club: Celebrate Canada Day. July 1 at 2:00 pm
    • AFRICA: South African Beaded Bracelets. July 8 at 2:00 pm
    • THE UNIVERSE: Build a Bubble-Powered Rocket. July 15 at 2:00 pm
    • THE AMERICAS: Mexican Cooking Round Robin. July 22 at 2:00 pm
    • WITHIN YOURSELF: Juanderful Poetry Writing Workshop, Teen Summer Reading Club. July 29 at 2:00 pm
    • EURASIA: European Food & Games. August 5 at 2:00 pmEnd of Summer Party. August 12 at 2:00 pm.

Flickr photo via indigo imposter

Edendale Branch

ELFS Used Book Sale: Wednesdays at 2:00 pm. Join the Edendale Library Friends Society for their weekly used book sale. All sales support the library.

For Children
Infant & Toddler Storytime: Wednesdays at 10:00 am and 11:00 am. Children 1-3 and their special grown-ups join the children’s librarian for nursery rhymes, songs, finger plays, and books. Get ready to read and have fun in the library!
One World, Many Stories: June 25 at 10:00 am. Drop by the library anytime today for games and crafts from around the world and to sign up for the summer reading club: One World, Many Stories. Read great books this summer and get a free book to keep and a chance to win other prizes.

Puppet making & Storytelling: June 30 at 3:00 pm. Artist and puppeteer Leslie Gray leads a puppet-making and storytelling workshop, part of our Summer Reading Club, One World, Many Stories.

For Teens
Teen Summer Reading Kick-Off: June 30 at 5:00 pm. Let’s get together with Marcella Kroll, Mistress of the Tarot, to kick off this year’s Teen Summer Reading Program.

Click here to download the full PDF of summer events at the libraries (which contains both English and Spanish).

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    Middle and High School Summer Camps from 826LA

    Straight from 826LA volunteers, they’ve got some great activities for middle and high school kids for summer, located at the Time Travel Mart on Sunset. And they’re free!

    ’ZINE, DEFINED Ages 14–18

    ’Zine: a publication our high school students dream up, piece together, and publish. Join us as we collect writing, drawing, and everything else and compile it as a xeroxed, homemade ’zine. Each issue focuses on a different theme, and attendees act not only as contributors, but also as editors and designers.

    826LA East: Seven Wednesdays, June 22 through August 3 6:30 pm–8:00 pm

    PLAYWRITING CAMP Ages 10–16

    Students will write and revise with volunteers and fellow playwrights, as well as workshop with actors in Shine! LA’s Youth Theatre, to write intertwined works that explore the essence of the City of Los Angeles. The resulting plays will be staged near the end of summer.

    826LA West: Thursday, July 7, and six Tuesdays, July 12 through August 16 4:30 pm–8:00 pm

    ROCK OPERA CAMP Ages 10–16

    Working with writers, performers, and musicians, students will develop a basic three-act play, along with dialogue, music, and lyrics. Students will also have the chance to hone their performance skills and perform the play with volunteers at the end of the camp.

    826LA East: Six Thursdays, July 21 through August 25 6:30 pm–8:30 pm

    JOURNALISM WORKSHOPS Ages 6–18

    Students work with professional journalists to research, write, and produce their own newspapers—The Venice Wave at 826LA West and 826LA Good Times at 826LA East.

    826LA East: Monday Evenings, July 25 through August 27 (skipping 8/22) 7:00 pm–8:30 pm

    826LA West: Wednesday Evenings, July 27 through August 31 (skipping 8/24) 7:00 pm–8:30 pm

    WORDS, SPOKEN Ages 13–18

    In this intensive five-day workshop, high school students will have the opportunity to examine what makes words perform, what it means to speak and embody text, and what we can do to harness our personal histories, our identities, and voices. The workshop culminates in a spoken word event where everyone has their say!

    826LA East: Monday through Friday, August 22 through August 26 Time TBD

    826LA West: Monday through Friday, August 22 through August 26 5:00 pm–9:00 pm

    Visit workshops.826la.org for or information, or call (310) 305-8418

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    Former Echo Curio space remains empty

    It’s been a few months since the Echo Curio closed its doors, but the retail space at Sunset Blvd. and Laveta has yet to get new renters.

    It seems the space has been plagued by problems since the LAPD started cracking down on the entertainment venue last year for its unofficial BYOB problems, and then for permitting issues as a performance space (which ended up being the final death-blow). Other food and/or entertainment businesses interested in the space might run into the same issues – there’s no parking (the city has ridiculous parking rules) and it’s not permitted for pretty much anything (other than commercial/office space).

    For those brave enough to try and open up this great space in a great location in Echo Park can check out this Craiglist post leasing out the location:

    Up for lease is this wonderful store-front commercial space in the heart of Echo Park along Sunset Blvd. This is a very visible space with lots of pedestrian traffic.

    The space itself is divided between two rooms. The front room is just under 500 interior sf and the back room, which includes the bathroom is just over 300 interior sf.

    This is perfect for retail, commercial, office or studio. It is not currently suitable for food services.

    This space is being offered at $1750/month with a 2 year lease (with option to renew). Lease includes one off street parking spot.

    Call or email to schedule an appointment for viewing.

    Check out the Craigslist post here.

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    It wasn’t all fun and games during the World Naked Bicycle Ride

    This is one of those times you just have to ask: What is wrong with people?

    The World Naked Bike Ride (we wrote about the event last Friday) is a yearly event that promotes the use of bicycles as an alternative to cars. The naked part was meant to demonstrate “the vulnerability of cyclists on the road and is a protest against car culture.”

    Unfortunately, not everyone “got it.” A fight broke out on Saturday during the ride near the Echo Park/Silver Lake border along Sunset, during which a couple of men in a car in traffic got out of the car and started beating up two cyclists. The Eastsider LA has the scoop, sent to them by someone who was filming the cyclists when the fight suddenly broke out:

     

    And from the witnesses themselves, via The Eastsider LA:

    While driving down Sunset, we came upon on a nude bike ride that looked like a protest of some sort. People were having fun it seemed, we took a video to document the fun things that happen in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, some guys behind us in traffic, got out of their car to beat up the riders. I don’t know what provoked them to do such a thing. All I heard them yelling was “faggot” at the riders.  In the shaky video, its hard to see, but one of the guys picks up a bike and slams it into a rider.  It happened so quick, but we got the license plate info.

    The cyclists were okay and declined medical attention, but the perpetrators won’t get off easily as the beating is being investigated as a hate crime because they yelled the “f-a-g” word.

    Lt.Wes Buhrmester also provided a description of two male suspects:

    The first suspect is described as a male, 20 years old, black hair, brown eyes, 5-8, 180 pounds, wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans. The second suspect is a male, late 20s, black “buzz cut” hair, dark complexion, 5-10, 200-250 pounds, wearing a blue shirt with blue jeans. If anyone has information, you can either call or e-mail me at the addresses below (confidentiality will apply, other than me referring your information to detectives), or call Rampart Detective Division at (213) 484-3450. Refer to DR No. 11-0212143. There are some leads upon which detectives are acting.

    Let’s hope these guys get what they deserve!

    UPDATE:

    Suspects were arrested on Wednesday, June 22, according to an article published by The Eastsider LA.

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    The Eastsider LA gets a nod from the LA Weekly & fans

    LA Weekly’s Web Awards were published yesterday – celebrating the best of Los Angeles’ Twitterers, Flickr pools, business websites, activists websites and everything in between. Echo Park’s own community website, The Eastsider LA, picked up an award for the Best Neighborhood Blog! Here’s what the LA Weekly had to say:

    “The Eastsider LA” were the first words out of pretty much everyone’s mouth when we mentioned this category. Jesus Sanchez covers the northeast corner of Los Angeles like only someone born in Boyle Heights could. His take on news and events in Echo Park and beyond give one of the city’s most bustling areas a decidedly small-town feel.

    Congratulations to Jesus, and the entire team!

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    Dodgers’ Throwback Days to kick off with WWII flyover

    photo from the Dodgers website

    Next Wednesday’s game (June 15) vs. the Reds at Dodger Stadium will kick off the first day of Dodgers Throwback Days, where the team will sport a rendition of the 1940s Brooklyn uniform (we say rendition, because it’s not quite an exact replica of the originals). To tempt you further – the stadium is also offering half off all food and drink that do (and no, alcohol doesn’t count).

    Prior to the start of the game, which is 12:10 pm, will be a flyover by several World War II planes in conjunction with Throwback Days.

    As usual, there are a few tickets for neighbors in the Echo/Elysian Park and Solano Canyon communities. They are on a first-come, first-serve basis. You can email the Neighborhood Relations Manager Noel Pallais at noelp@ladodgers.comwith your name, the number of tickets you want, your address and phone number. If you want free tickets – make sure to send your request by noon on Friday, June 10th!

    If you have any issues with the Stadium, call the Neighborhood Focus Line at (323) 224-2636.

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    Man threatens suicide, surrenders safely

    According to The Eastsider LA, a man threatened suicide at the Citibank building on Sunset Blvd. in Echo Park earlier this morning. Reports of fire trucks under Sunset bridge began around 8:30 am. More from The Eastsider LA:

    Police units have converged on the Citibank office tower in Echo Park this morning and closed off nearby streets after a man reportedly threatened to commit suicide. Early reports from police and residents indicate the man is threatening to jump from a balcony on the property or the Sunset Boulevard bridge that crosses Glendale Boulevard.

    *Update: The man has surrendered to a firefighter, said Lt. Wes Buhrmester with the Rampart Division. Authorities are now reopening streets that had been blocked off during the incident.

    Glad everyone’s okay!

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    Community Arts Fest at Gabriella – happening now!

    We’re a little late on the announcement for this event, but happening right now, from noon to 4:00 pm, Gabriella Charter School is hosting a FREE Community Arts Festival!

    The event promises a lot of family-filled fun, including face painting, student performances, activities for toddlers, music, art and more.

    There’s also a Spanish version of the flyer, which you can view here.

    Gabriella Charter School is located at 1435 Logan Street. Entrance to the festival is on Lemoyne between Montana and Scott.

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