Trailer for the upcoming documentary, East LA Interchange

Did you enjoy your Valentine’s Day (“Valentimes” for you Eastsiders) and it’s artifice of love represented by cheap, corn-syrup chocolates, industrially grown, pesticide-laden flowers and eco-destroying mylar balloons? Many think the key to love is a mystery but the real mystery in my opinion is, how do they get those teddy bears in balloons?

Read below for info on awesome book readings, the cranky city attorney, lost casas, dedications (not the Art Laboe kind) and the requisite Eastside fundraiser.

:::::EVENTS:::::

Down and Delirious in Mexico City

Tuesday, February 15 · 7:30pm – 10:30pm
Daniel Hernandez Book Reading: Down and Delirious in Mexico City
Please join Daniel Hernandez at the first Los Angeles event for his just published book “Down and Delirious in Mexico City: The Aztec Metropolis in the Twenty-First Century.”

Stories: Stories Books & Cafe
1716 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
(213) 413-3733

Thursday, February 17 is a book release party at The Echo. See this site for more details.

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Gentefication: A benefit for Corazon Del Pueblo

Tuesday, February 15 7:00pm-12:00am
A fundraiser to help Corazon Del Pueblo keep our doors open. We are run by the commUNITY , for the commUNITY. Corazon del Pueblo is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit collective, and community cultural center, that promotes peace, social justice and cultural understanding through the arts, education and social action.
$5
Performances by:
L@s Cafeteras
700 Lb. Guerrilla
Orgullo Cafe
The Sirens
La Barricada
& DJ Libre spinning some resistant beats!!

The “M” Bar (The Metropolitan)
1846 E. First St.
Boyle Heights, CA

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Mommy, Can I Go Out and Read Tonight?

Weds., Feb. 16th 8:00 PM,
The “Mommy, Can I Go Out and Read Tonight” tour comes to Southern California. Mike Faloon reads from his new collection The Hanging Gardens of Split Rock (Gorsky Press). Todd Taylor (Shirley Wins, Razorcake magazine) and Matthew Hart (Gnarchives) read new stories. Good stories told well. Even if you don’t get the Misfits reference.

Public Address, 1268 N. Ave 50, Los Angeles, CA (Highland Park), with Matt Hart, http://publicaddresslosangeles.org/

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Gateway Dedication Ceremony

Gateway Entrance Dedication Ceremony on Thursday, February 17, 2011, 9:30am. Mission Road and Lincoln Park Ave, Lincoln Park.
The Lincoln Park Gateway is nearly completed and the public is invited to a dedication ceremony. I was skeptical the gateway would ever be redone. Thanks for proving me wrong Rec and Parks!

On February 26th, 12pm is Lincoln Park’s dedication ceremony for the new skate park. It seems our little Lincoln Park is getting some much needed attention and respect, finally!

:::::NEWS:::::

Friends of LA Eastside are facing a up to a year in jail for their public support and demonstration for social justice and human rights.
From the Los Angeles Times:

Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich is throwing the book at dozens of people arrested during recent political demonstrations — a major shift in city policy that has him pressing for jail time in types of cases that previous prosecutors had treated as infractions.

This heavy handed prosecution is taking a toll on those being prosecuted:

For now, however, the various protesters facing charges say their lives have been on hold. Garrick Ruiz, 34, is one of them. In May, he and 13 others locked their hands together outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in protest of Arizona’s SB 1070, a measure that requires police to investigate the immigration status of anyone they stop and subsequently suspect may be in the country illegally.

“We knew we were doing something against the law and that we would have to go through the court system,” Ruiz said. “That (Trutanich) has taken this path and sought this level of prosecution has been a shock.”

You can read the whole article here.
More editorials here and here.
Follow Todos Somos Arizona for the latest information.
Article about yesterday’s protests in support of those being charged here.
Perhaps the events in Egypt have left those in power here feeling a bit insecure?

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Casa del Mexicano

This grand old building is up for auction due to mismanagement and the economic difficulties. Finger pointing all around.

From the Los Angeles Times article by Esmeralda Bermudez:

The Casa del Mexicano went into foreclosure in October. On Friday, the building is set to be sold at a lender auction.

The nonprofit that runs the Casa fell behind on payments for a $175,000 loan it took out to do repairs. It also owed the county nearly $50,000 in unpaid property taxes.

The Casa’s saga has played out in the Spanish-language media for weeks as a group calling itself the Committee for the Rescue and Democracy of the Casa del Mexicano has pushed for an investigation of Martha Soriano, the nonprofit’s president, and her husband, Ruben, its secretary.

Read the whole sordid history here.

Personally, I think someone should be held responsible for the horrible remodel of the historic building. Sliding vinyl windows, really?

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Cold wave expected to hit soon, like now. Glad I got to spend a perfect sunny day at the beach today while the rest of you suckers were stuck at work. Tsk, I’ll be that sucker tomorrow.