Lost dog: New pup escapes in Echo Park

Our neighbor just down the street lost their doggy over the weekend the moment they brought him home after adoption:

We lost one of our dogs to old age a couple weeks ago.

Adopted a new one from the pound, brought him home, before we even got into the house he slipped out of his harness, got under the fence and ran away. I live at Scott and Portia.

Dog has no collar is about 20lbs, brownish red short hair, cross between beagle and labador. Has white and blue bandages on his back feet.

We are worried sick, has microchip.

You can call the number on the flyers (pictured about) or send us an email at info@echoparknow.com and we’ll get you connected if you find the pup.

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Echo Park house fire caught on tape

We woke up early Friday morning, January 21, to the sounds of a very low-lying helicopter nearby. Turns out, there were news helicopters capturing a house fire at nearby 1324 Sutherland St, and we read about the fire later on The Eastsider LA. The narrow street and limited access to the house made it difficult for firefighters (access to the house were a set of wooden stairs), but other than a poor house cat that perished, no one was injured. It took a total of 32 Los Angeles Firefighters and just 17 minutes to bring the flames under control.

The fire department posted some additional information on their blog along with the video of the fire captured by a neighbor:

Navigating through a slim curbside gate and trio of narrow outside staircases to gain access, firefighters muscled hoselines and later ground ladders to battle intense flames that had taken hold of the front portion of a 106-year-old wood frame structure.

As the aggressive fire attack ensued, firefighters were pleased to learn that the home’s five occupants had exited the building with minimal injury, prior to the Fire Department’s arrival.

One of the residents however, had foolishly reentered the building in an attempt to reclaim possessions, sustaining smoke inhalation as well as first-degree burns to his neck and arms. In good condition following treatment by LAFD Paramedics, the man declined ambulance transport before being released at the scene.

Despite the diligent efforts of 32 Los Angeles Firefighters, one pet cat perished in the blaze. The well-coordinated assault on the flames held direct fire damage to a large front patio, adjacent bedroom, attic and dormer, with firefighters bringing flames under full control in just 17 minutes.

No other injuries were reported.

The three men and two women who lived separately within the home escaped only with their night clothes. They were assisted with temporary housing and human needs by volunteers from the American Red Cross.

There was no immediate evidence of functional smoke alarms within the home, as required by law. Firefighters later determined that the home’s occupants owed their survival solely to the happenstance that one resident was awakened by the sound of fire, and was able to alert others.

Loss to the non-fire sprinklered home is estimated at $95,000 ($75,000 structure & $20,000 contents). The cause of this early morning blaze is categorized as accidental, and attributed to the careless discarding of smoking materials on the patio that ignited combustible furnishings.

Check those batteries in your smoke alarms and be safe!

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City keeps graffiti abatement funding

An email forwarded to the Echo Elysian Neighborhood Council Yahoo! Forum the other day announced some good news about the city’s graffiti abatement programs.

Pat Gomez, the city’s murals manager, writes, “This is to update you that the graffiti abatement cut was removed from the budget reduction recommendations approved by Council and forwarded to the Mayor.”

Success!

The city addressed a recommendation by the mayor’s office to cut graffiti abatement program funding just a couple of weeks ago on Wednesday, January 12. They had recommended a drastic 50% cut to meet the city’s current budget constraints, worrying many here in Echo Park about keeping our streets clean and safe.

We were especially worried about the future of the Central City Action Committee (CCAC) located here in Echo Park. An important organization to many communities in Los Angeles, the CCAC removed 3.5 million square feet of graffiti in CD1 and one million from CD13.

We are happy the city did the responsible thing even if we don’t know where the next budget cut will be. In the meantime, keep telling the city about graffiti as soon as you see it by calling 311, reporting it on the anti-graffiti website at http://anti-graffiti.lacity.org, or using a 311 ap if you have an iPhone or Android phone.

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New restaurant Red Hill in Echo Park making headway

We got the heads up about this new restaurant back in November when we spoke to Echo Park resident Jason Michaud (owner of Local in Silver Lake) about newly opened vintage store Tosen in Echo Park. But the details hadn’t been quite set in stone yet as he had been negotiating with property owner Walgreens for quite some time on opening up in that space. Now, they are still working on the details for the menu and specific ideas, but construction is moving forward on the old Phoenix Bakery at Echo Park Avenue and Montana (across from AYC) for the much-anticipated new restaurant they are calling Red Hill.

For those who aren’t familiar with Echo Park/Elysian Height history, the older parts of Echo Park like Elysian Heights was where artists, radicals, socialists and free-thinkers of all sorts found safety and seclusion. Communists joined them in the 1920s during the first Red Scare (a lot came from Boyle Heights), earning Echo Park the nickname of Red Hill (also “Red Gulch”). This is where the new restaurant’s name comes from.

Mario Orellana, formerly Lazy Ox Canteen sous chef, has teamed up with Jason to open up Red Hill. They are keeping very, very busy with another restaurant opening in downtown near Grand Central Market call Chimu – slated to open mid-February, it’s a Peruvian takeout restaurant. Red Hill my open as soon as this summer, and will focus on American cuisine.

Red Hill will be open for brunch, lunch and dinner, with a primary focus on dinner. They are also “looking forward to making a great lunch spot for the locals,” said Mario, and hope to serve beer and wine.

The Phoenix Bakery building has been collecting dust for quite some time (probably because Walgreens has always wanted to have a drive-through put in), so it’s a welcoming sight to see it getting fixed up. One thing that also needs to be worked out: Neighboring restaurant Allston Yacht Club uses valet and parks patron cars in that parking lot.

We are looking forward to trying out Red Hill when it opens this summer!

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Another Echo Park business bites the dust

Flickr photo via Citilista

There are a lot of shops opening and closing these days in Echo Park, and especially a lot of vintage stores coming in to take advantage of the hipster spotlight. This time, however, one is closing its doors for good.

2Bad Vintage is located at 1651 W. Temple St. on the border of Echo Park and Historic Filipinotown. While the reasons for the closure aren’t verified, the owners posted a Craigslist ad a couple of days ago looking for investors, a buy-out, or someone to take over the lease. “Want to invest? Buy out? Take over lease? or looking for Wholesale deals? Or looking for cool fixtures? Please contact us. Comes with parking and back patio rooftop views.”

h/t Echo Park Online

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Fix Coffee wants to start serving beer and wine

Fix Coffee is gearing up to apply for a wine and beer license for its location all the way up Echo Park Avenue in Elysian Valley. A quiet neighborhood, it will definitely be a different place to grab a beer than the other jam-packed locations along Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park.

No official applications have been submitted, and the owners aren’t quite ready to go on record about anything, but it’s possible the coffee shop will be open as late as 11:00 pm. For the neighbors living amongst the narrow streets, fight for parking as it is, and who enjoy the quiet area, this might not be a welcoming change. There’s a part of me that welcomes a more “chill” place to grab a drink, especially since there are few locations in Echo Park to enjoy a beer outside in the warm Los Angeles air. But I also feel compassion for the neighbors who really value quiet evenings at home.

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Dear Echo Park Now

We received an email from one of our readers yesterday, asking the question on many local’s minds:

I live on Belmont ave. above the lake. How much is the upcoming rehabilitation expected to impact quality of life for nearby residents?

The answer is unfortunate but simple: It’s not going to be pleasant.

While the Prop O funded project is meant to clean up the ridiculous amount of pollution and debris, the next two years of the rehabilitation are going to be a little smelly, noisy, and not very enjoyable. Better enjoy it while it lasts, because in just three months things will get a little messy.

First, they’ll have to drain the lake in order to clear out around 50,000 feet of icky soil. But before they can haul that out, they’ll have to let the dirt dry out, and you can expect some pretty nasty smells (think rotten eggs) in the contaminated dirt. As the trucks roll in and out, there’s a strong fear that the contaminants (including ammonia, copper, and possibly some carcinogens) will disperse into the air, but there’s no solid proof of if and how it will affect nearby residents (besides the smell) as of yet.

If you’ve ever lived next door to a major construction zone, the noise from 2,500 trips to haul out the dirt, interruptions in street tracking, and an overall lengthy process over two full years will definitely be disruptive to residents. Let’s hope they’ll at least take a day or two off on the weekends to give everyone a break.

Nearby property for sale will also be affected – it might take a little longer to sell. But in the end, those properties will have a great view. And we’re all hoping the end result will be a cleaner, safer, and more enjoyable public space in Echo Park.

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Dodger Stadium preps for a couple of unusual shows

On Tuesday, the trucks will start rolling in with hundreds of tons of dirt to cover the usually green baseball field for a couple of events new to the Stadium – Motocross and Monster Trucks.

On Saturday, January 22, Dodger Stadium will host the first of two off-road shows, starting with the Monster Energy Supercross.

A total of 550 truckloads of dirt will replace the baseball greens. Eric Hansen, Assistant Director of Turf and Grounds at Dodger Stadium said in a press release, “All we have to worry about is replacing the actual grass once the dirt is removed and from what I’ve been told, (Feld) is the best in the world at what they do so my anxiety level is extremely low.”

Saturday’s event will start at 12:30 pm and end around 10:00 pm. They expect the event to sell out, and all parking gates will open for inbound and outbound traffic. Dodger Community Relations manager Noel Pallais released the following information:

As such, will be handled like all other major games/events at the Stadium, therefore, to minimize the impact on the community a complete complement of LAPD/LADOT officers will be deployed in the community

Finally, as has been our standing offer, we have a limited number of tickets available for members of the Echo/Elysian Park and Solano Canyon residents who are interested in attending the event. Therefore, if you are a resident of either community and are interested in attending as our guest, please contact me at noelp@ladodgers.com with interest, your address and telephone number (additionally, since these tickets will be left under your name they are not-transferrable). Note that tickets will be available for pick-up from our front desk starting from noon on Wednesday to noon on Friday (the day before the event). Will-Call will not be available on the day of the event. Our Club-Level offices are located in parking lot D. Additionally, your request must be received by 9:00AM on Wednesday, January 19th. Please understand that these tickets are on a first-come, first served basis.

Should you have any questions, require additional information on this event, you may contact our Neighborhood Focus line at 323.224.2636.

While our local Community Advisory Board (made up of residents surrounding Dodger Stadium) flat-out rejected the proposal to bring these events to Dodger Stadium earlier in 2010, it doesn’t seem like anyone is expecting an issue. Because noone knows for sure what to expect in terms of noise and traffic, we’ll play it by ear for now and hope for the best.

The Monster Energy Supercross at Dodger Stadium will take place on January 22, 2011, and prices range from $40 all the way to $230.

The Monster Jam event takes place on February 19, 2011, prices range from $32-75.

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Rumor mill: Echo Park Cycles closing?

A Facebook update Saturday on the Echo Park Cycles page is hinting at the possible closure of the bicycle repair and sales shop on Echo Park Avenue. “closeout sale 50% off everything must gooo” reads the update, but no specific information has been given as of yet. We’re hoping it’s not true – we’ve gotten a few bike repairs there and would like to keep it local.

We have called the shop and will hopefully hear back soon on the fate of Echo Park Cycles!

UPDATE:

It’s true – EP Cycles is closing its doors. They’ve got a clearance sale going on, open every day except Tuesdays. February 10 will be the final day, and it’s unclear whether or not they’ll relocate or close permanently.

There are rumors of another restaurant being planned for this stretch of Echo Park Avenue – could the closure of Echo Park Cycles be an indication of where it might be located?

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City wants to drastically cut graffiti removal budgets

We choose not to glorify gang graffiti, so here's the kind of artwork we prefer. Flickr photo via KellyLA.

Once upon a time, there was little to no city-funded programs to help clean up graffiti in Echo Park. Residents and activists involved in the Echo Park Improvement Association (EPIA) would drive around with paint in the trunk of their cars to paint over any new graffiti on the spot. Other residents could join a $10 per month program that would help Central City Action Committee (CCAC) pay for graffiti removal on the weekends.

It’s been a while since those days, but a recent proposal from the Mayor’s office to cut funding to graffiti abatement program has a few people worried. How will crime, safety, and the quality of life be affected if the streets are covered in graffiti?

According to an LA Times article, the budget cut would save the city $1.5 million per year (out of a total of $7 million spent on eradicating graffiti city-wide). For Echo Park and the CCAC (which is one of 14 contractors in the city with the same directive), the cut would actually reduce our anti-graffiti forces by 50%. Right now the non-profit has six teams out there for around 20 Los Angeles neighborhoods from Highland Park to Venice. A 50% reduction would be drastic.

Opposition to the budget cut isn’t without reason – everyone is fully aware of the budget issues on our communities and our city. It’s about prioritizing, as we all know, and for most of us our safety and the overall quality of life is affected by graffiti. When those gang names are crossed out and written over by a competing group, it’s concerning. And if it stays up, the crime could worsen. It’s not a risk we’re willing to take.

“What happens once the graffiti starts going up,” said CCAC director MaryAnne Hayashi, “you would never catch up…. I really think it’s a quality of life issue. People really deserve to have a clean neighborhood.”

The good news is, the everyone seems to be rallying against the graffiti budget cuts, even Eric Garcetti of CD 13. Spokesperson Yusef Robb told us, to our relief, that Garcetti’s office was fighting the graffiti cutbacks. “When it comes to graffiti,” he said, “the return that we get in terms of quality of life as well as financially makes it a worthy investment.

And what an investment – CCAC removed 3.5 million square feet of graffiti in CD1 and one million from CD13.

Over the past five or six years, Garcetti’s anti-graffiti program UNTAG (Uniting Neighborhoods to Abolish Graffiti) has seen a 70% decrease in graffiti district-wide. The program recruits block captains to oversee and organize neighborhoods to report graffiti for city crews to then clean up. If the city cuts the anti-graffiti budget, the simple fact is there will be less money for painting over graffiti and revitalizing neighborhoods.

The best part about non-profits like the CCAC is that they don’t just paint a white block over the graffiti, they make it look good and maintain the beauty of the neighborhood. They also follow certain safety procedures for when they might feel threatened by removing gang graffiti.

While the programs may indeed see some cuts, we’re hoping far less that what’s being proposed. And hopefully we won’t have to drive around with paint in the trunk of the car.

You can help by writing to your Council District representative along with making sure graffiti is reported as soon as you see it. If you see graffiti, call 311, visit the anti-graffiti website at http://anti-graffiti.lacity.org, or use a 311 ap if you have an iPhone or Android phone.

If you’re available during the day to help support the graffiti abatement work, there’s a City Council meeting on the subject on Wednesday, January 12 at 10:00 am.

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Tell the City about those pesky potholes

Rainy days definitely help out road damage

I don’t know about you, but swerving around that pothole (that’s been there for probably over a year now) day after day gets a little tedious. Since the rainocolypse, those potholes have gotten bigger and have increased in numbers. Well now’s your chance to tell the city about it, and hopefully the city will fix it this weekend during the “Operation Pothole.”

From January 8-9, City Council President Garcetti along with the Board of Public Works and the Bureau of Street Services have dedicated about 50 crews to plug up those potholes, cracks, and other damages caused by recent storms. This more than doubles the usual number of crews to repair the estimated 10-15,000 potholes.

Garcetti’s office is asking anyone who experiences these rascals should notify the city before the weekend. Call 311 with the location, email bss.boss@lacity.org, or tell Garcetti on his Facebook page.

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Blue Collar accepting donations for animals in need

Blue Collar Dog Supplies here in Echo Park is asking for your help – LA Animal Services is in desperate need of supplies for its shelters. Blue Collar is accepting donations through January 9th, and is asking you to donate. Here’s what they need:

old blankets
old towels
old yet intact toys
laundry detergent (hypo-allergenic
fabric softener
dry food
dog/cat shampoo

We’ll be headed there tomorrow with some old blankets and towels, you should to!

Also, Blue Collar offers a lot of dog obedience classes locally if you’re in search for some help with your dog, including some new classes starting this month. Classes in Tracking (teaching your dog to follow a scent trail), and Training with Tugs (training for dogs who is crazy for toys) start soon, so check out the website for more info.

This website and the franchise sales information on this site do not constitute an offer to sell a franchise. The offer of a franchise can only be made through the delivery of a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).  Certain states require that we register the FDD in those states. The communications on this web site are not directed by us to residents of any of those states. Moreover, we will not offer or sell franchises in those states until we have registered the franchise (or obtained an applicable exemption from registration) and delivered the FDD to the prospective franchisee in compliance with applicable law.

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In case you missed it

We took a much needed break from work and writing to travel and spend time with the family this holiday season, so you may have noticed things have been a little quiet here on Echo Park Now (make sure you follow us on Twitter for the more timely news). Here’s what you may have missed while sipping egg nog over the holiday:

Echo Park students in downtown “flash mob”

Gabriella Charter School (located near Sunset and Logan) dance students participated in a flash mob at downtown’s LA Live on Monday, December 20. The rain didn’t stop these kids from a good time!

ABC7 thinks our potholes are big

Today’s coverage of the post-rain apocalypse brought ABC7 to the corner of Sunset Blvd. and Alvarado, one of the most congested intersection in Los Angeles. The gaping holes in shown in the video have been there for as long as I can remember…

Christmas Day shootings

And of course, I would be surprised if you didn’t hear about the Christmas Day shooting in Echo Park that left one dead and three people wounded. And this event was followed by the LAPD announcement that the number of homicides in LA for 2010 are the fewest in over 40 years.

Read more

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Your holiday parking tips for Los Angeles

Parking regulations are a little different this week due to the holiday, so make sure you avoid getting a ticket from evil Santa. Street cleaning restrictions and other regulations on Christmas Eve (Friday) will remain as posted, but Saturday will get a little more relaxed as the city takes off Christmas Day.

Here’s the low-down from the LA City Department of Transportation, click the image below for the full PDF:

Bottom line: Park longer than that 1-2 hour time limit and don’t feed the meter (at most meters – look out for the “holidays excluded” signage).

Happy holidays!

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Roundup: Restaurant and Business News in Echo Park

Lots of new businesses opening and reopening in Echo Park the past couple of months. Here’s what you’ve missed:

New restaurants and businesses:

  • Tony Yanow’s new restaurant at the old Ramona Theater has changed names a couple of times (from El Camino to Mohawk Brasserie), but it seems they have settled on Mohawk Bend. Click here for the new Facebook page.
  • Haitian cuisine restaurant Ti George’s on Glendale Blvd. opened its doors again on December 9 after February 2010 fire.
  • Chinese food is back in Echo Park: Chinatown Express, also closed after a fire broke out in the mini-mall, held a grand reopening December 4.
  • Pop-up shop Blood is the New Black will remain open down at 1825 Sunset Blvd. through December 30 for your holiday shopping needs.
  • Vintage store TИSEN opened up in the former Millenium Thrift Shop at 2118 Berkeley Avenue in late November. The owners have a great eye for vintage picks from clothes, antiques, jewelry, vinyl, and furniture.

Other news:

  • The Echo Curio will close its doors for the last time on Sunday, December 19 after its final Echo Obscura Movie Night.
  • AOL’s hyper-local news website Echo Park Patch launched December 16.

Ongoing/Weekly Specials

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