During the brief interlude between storms yesterday, I went for a walk around Lincoln Heights and was thrilled to see all the water rushing down the Arroyo Seco. I’d seen the Arroyo full before but this was impressive. It’s usually just a small trickle running through a boring concrete channel. Notice too how dark and muddy the stream is, where did all that muck come from? Definitely not a time to check out the bike path.
photo courtesy of LAPL.org
Imagine what a beautiful stream it once was…
Lincoln Heights, circa 1935
I’ve been looking everywhere for this photo, a few weeks ago I posted a corresponding photo of my great-uncle. Perhaps it’s a coincidence but I came across it this morning. Two years ago today, my beautiful grandmother, Jessie Tellez Garcia passed away.
As for the location, it might be near Eva Terrace. When I asked my great-uncle where the photo was taken, he mentioned a street name I wasn’t familiar with that included the name “Terrace.” I’ve tried researching old Los Angeles maps but with no success.
It seems Johnny the cat was a lazy little fellow because he doesn’t move an inch from photo to photo.
The sexy doll-like characters Sand One paints have been popping up all over the Eastside with attitude and fresh charisma. This girl knows what she wants and is doing it by painting her Sand Chicks wherever she can. I caught up with Sand One at Primera Taza in Boyle Heights to see what this native Eastsider was all about.
Read the rest after the jump………
My good friend asked me to share her words about the Brooklyn Music Center, the new music space operated by Ollin’s front man, Scott Rodarte.
Brooklyn Avenue Roots, Alive and Rockin’
By Victoria Kraus
A new community music school will open its doors this January along Cesar Chavez Avenue (formerly Brooklyn Avenue) by East Los rockin’ roller, Scott Rodarte of local Chicano punk-rock band OllÃn.
The Brooklyn Music Center (BMC) will function primarily as a school offering children and adults alike in the community affordable group and private lessons on a variety of instruments. The space will also be equipped and available to bands for rehearsals and recording.
“Our vision is to help generate art in the neighborhood so folks don’t have to go outside of the community to create or be enriched, musically,†Rodarte says of his music center.
The Brooklyn Music Center was previously the Brooklyn Medical Clinic. The space, still reminiscent of its history with its vintage architecture and glass blocks along the storefront entrance, was a shared medical and optometry clinic owned and operated by Doctors Freidman and Kaplan. Scott and his brother, Randy, also of OllÃn, used to work at the clinic while in high school, where they made pairs of glasses among doing other administrative duties.
Rodarte remembers the variety of commerce that used to thrive on Brooklyn Avenue such as the Brooklyn Theatre directly across the street from his music school, Phillips Music a few doors down, and Kens, a sporting goods store. “You know, all the mom and pop stores that were around before the corporate entities like Guitar Center, AMC Theatres and Big 5 took hold of society,†Rodarte reminisces.
BMC might stir some friendly rivalry with Boyle Heights’ acclaimed Neighborhood Music School but friendly would be is as far is gets. Rodarte has more of a rocker’s intention with the music program he plans to build. Rodarte and fellow musicians from his band along with friends will be teaching everything from percussion to electric guitar, maybe even the washboard.
Remodeling of the Brooklyn Music Center is scheduled to complete in early January.
2515 E. Cesar Chavez Ave. (at Fickett) 90033
bmc90033@yahoo.com
This bill was found among my father’s old photos. He’s been involved with the Eastside music scene for most of his life. I’m not sure, but it’s possible either he or one of my uncles was playing in one of the bands advertised on the bill. I once asked my uncles to name all the bands they’ve played in and I ran out of space on the piece of paper I was writing on!
One more thing, I have no idea why Mexicans/Chicanos have such a hard time with the proper spelling of the endings “-ing” and “-ght.”
It’s no secret that the blog has managed to garner attention in the last year or so that it’s been around. I’m one of the many people covering BH events and that in itself has gotten me attention from others as well, case in point 14th District Council Member Jose Huizar. He reads the blog and through the help of my good friend WC connecting me with Rick Coca, who’s Director of Communication, I got some time in with the councilmen, who’s district also covers Downtown, Eagle Rock, El Sereno, Garvanza, Glassell Park, Hermon, Highland Park and Mount Washington, to talk about what’s going down in the hood. But since I don’t live in those parts of town, so I focused my questions more on BH because that is where I live and it’s where a lot of action is taking place. Continue reading
CORAZON DEL PUEBLO presents…
Flowers of Fire: Poesia de Lucha y Amor
Join Boyle Heights Bards:
BUS STOP PROPHET, KRISTY LOVICH & JOHN CARLOS DE LUNA
for a FREE Bi-Monthly Poetry, Performance, & Open Mic Event
January 13th
8:00pm-Midnight
Early Sign-Ups for Open Mic: 7:30pm-8:00pm
@ Corazon del Pueblo
2003 E. 1st St.
Los Angeles 90033
JANUARY 13th
Featured Poets:
Matt Sedillo
John Carlos de Luna
Luluminous
Featured Musician:
Calix Reneau
JANUARY 27th
Featured Poets:
Abel Salas
Christy Ramirez
Dora Magaña
Featured Musicians:
City Terrace’s own Original Rock Sons
I.A.M.U.
Willie Herron lll (Los Illegals)
Sid Medina (The Brat)
FLOWERS OF FIRE scheduled for January 13th & 27th
EVERY 2ND & 4TH WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH @ CORAZON DEL PUEBLO
Anti-cyclist motorist goes to jail.
In case you missed it, check out Los Angeles doctor gets 5 years for injuring cyclists in yesterday’s LA Times.
Cyclists and lovers of transportation justice had something to cheer about yesterday.  Of the thousands of motorists guilty of threatening the lives of pedestrians and cyclists every day, sometimes killing and injuring them with their reckless driving, one such driver is getting five years in the slammer. Continue reading
I had my communist meeting today, of all days Dia de los Reyes, a day that in the Latino/a community is spent with family to close the holiday celebrations and to enjoy some rosca and chocolate. I didn’t know what time I would get home from my meeting and I didn’t want to miss out on the rosca. Good thing my friend called me last night and suggested I take one to the meeting, we would go half’ers on it. So as I make my way toward the Pavo Bakery on Chavez and Soto I notice that there is a small pile of nothing but roscas sitting on the counter. I look with amazement at their size as the aroma of freshly baked roscas charms me into hunger. At $6.50, I knew a small one would suffice for our meeting considering there won’t be that many of use there. A medium one cost $20 and it’s WAY too big. Too much rosca.
I asked the lady for a small one and she ever so kindly went to the back to look for one. When she came back she told the other ladies at the register that there are only three small rosca left and the other two are reserved. “Should I make sure that the one rosca isn’t reserved for anyone” she exclaimed in spanish. “Si” replied one of the other women. She went to the back and looked again. She told them again that it was in fact the last one and that it didn’t have a name on it. She went to the back one more time and brought the rosca to the counter. A lady next to me quickly looks at the rosca and ask that woman at the counter if she had any more small roscas, “no. That’s the very last one” she said in spanish. We both had a little laugh about me having the last one, I paid and thanked the women at the register. I took the bus to my meeting, said hi to everyone and shared the rosca with them. They loved it.
We used my friends pocket knife, which she previously used to cut aguacate, and tore into that rosca. She was the one to get the baby and I told her it’s an omen. “So does that mean I have to host the party on Feb 2 ?” she asked. “No. I means you’re gonna have a baby” I said. She looks at me with contempt and annoyed and says, “Yeah, like that’ll happen.” True story.
Bad ass urban planner James Rojas, co founder of the Latino Urban Forum, guided angelinos on a tour of nacimiento altars located throughout East L.A. Apparently, from what Victoria D. told me, this is the 8th year he’s doing this and with the gold line up and running, he opted to guide us to adjacent nacimiento altars at various stops. She said that in previous years, the tour was given on bikes. I for one was excited to go on the tour out of curiosity of what the tour would involve, what we would see and expanding my mind to new ideas and concepts and guess what ? Since VD took some pics, you get to come along too. I’ll be your online tour guide of a tour I was part of. Isn’t that kick ass ? You bet your ass it is. I seem to be using the word ass a lot. Sorry 🙂 Continue reading
I hereby declare 2009 year of the Eastside!
It was in this past year that there was finally some awareness on both sides of the river that the name the Eastside had been misappropriated by a confused bunch of folks. Thanks to the Los Angeles Times article on the Eastside, the “This is Not the Eastside” stickers pasted by unknown propagandists all over Silver Lake, and to the efforts of Eastside artists, writers, bloggers and the countless others who have publicly reclaimed and reaffirmed Eastside culture and geography, I finally felt like we have turned a corner. Many battles were won and those who ignorantly used the Eastside to refer to those neighborhoods west of the river were put in check.
As promised, here’s a look back at some of the more popular posts of 2009. I used the number of comments as a way to gage popular posts only because this blog doesn’t have the software to definitively check for hits and links. There were so many great posts written this past year that didn’t get a huge amount of comments but were excellent and thought provoking nonetheless. I encourage readers to go back through the archives and check some of the posts you might have missed.
The Lincoln Heights Xmas Parade was as exciting as ever, probably way better than the HLP one since I’ve heard no reports back from that event. If somehow, for some strange reason, you managed to miss it, follow the link below to check it out. Yes, a bit late but whatever. You know you wanna.