Lummis Day 2010

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From the Lummis Day website:

“The fifth annual Lummis Day Festival will move its main stages to a new location, Heritage Square Museum (3801 Homer Street) this year, where the best of home-grown Northeast L.A. music, dance, food and community resources will be presented amid the historic buildings that are preserved on the Heritage Square site.

Before shifting to Heritage Square, the two-part Festival will stage its opening event at Lummis Home (200 East Avenue 43), beginning at 10:30 am with readings by some of L.A.’s most critically acclaimed poets along with music, art exhibits and refreshments.

Nearly 100 performers and artists from 17 bands and dance troupes, plus dozens of artists, craftspeople, and community groups are participating at this year’s event. In the tradition of the Lummis Day Festival, performers on the three stages at Heritage Square Museum will represent an eclectic mix of cultural traditions and artistic styles.

Admission to all events is FREE !!!”

The Eastside of Town

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Melinda Marx-The Eastside of Town

Hold up, I am here to right a wrong, inform you of a great historical overlook – this is a song about the Eastside and yet, has never been heard on any Chicano Oldies compilation. How did this happen? Please don’t tell me it’s cause the song is no good, that the chick can’t sing (or dance) or that the lyrics are insipid. This is a song about the Eastside! Thankfully, a random Youtube click lead me to uncover this early example of Eastside oldies. True, it has no soul but it’s catchy in it’s own way. Someone please inform Art Laboe…

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Love on the Goldline

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This past Saturday May 29, LaEastside’s Pachuco 3000, many Eastside artists, art administrators, and familia from LA, Juarez & Texas attended the wedding of our dear friends & curators Pilar Tompkins and Adrian Rivas.  I don’t think Harry Gamboa, Jr. will mind that I’m sharing his photo showing the procession accompanied by mariachis and guests leaving the ceremony at Nuestra Señora Reina de los Angeles [Placita Olvera] to the Mariachi Plaza on the Metro Goldline.  Strolling from the church through Olvera Street, the joyous couple’s first dance was to “Volver, Volver, Volver” played by one of the Placita’s scheduled bands.  Tourists and locals joined in the glee of the whistle blowing guests en route to the Union Station.  The perfect day included a unique 1930’s reception at the beautiful Plaza Salon, formerly a speakeasy that is within walking distance from Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights.  Pilar & Adrian’s love of Los Angeles history, art and architecture [which was featured on Saturday] was a blessing to all that attended.  Que vivan los novios!

Look Cool Pooping Your Pants

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What do you get the modern hipster baby that still poops his pants? Why, fancy designer diapers to distract you from the wafting aromas! By the time you’ve snapped out of the temporary yet recurring horror that humanity is being flushed into oblivion by the same gaggle of fools that control most of the production of our necessities, the squishy bottomed baby has been removed from your work counter, with maybe a few unseen specimens left behind. But the baby looked cool.

Yup, the tagline really is “the coolest you’ll look pooping your pants” and the jean label reads “little bowel movers” or something like that. Oh haha, let’s all laugh at the cuteness that is yet another reason why our society doesn’t work. Giggle, Giggle!

If you’re a parent, you better not buy these. Don’t make me have to mock your baby.

A few yards from this fine example of Modern American Living…

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LamPosts

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These old lamposts being devoured by creeping nasturtium vines were spotted outside the back gate of Heritage Square Museum in Lincoln Heights/Montecito Heights (the neighborhood designation is variable). The nasturtium has been growing wild there for at least twenty years and it’s amazing to me how large and prolific the vines grow.
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Note to Self: Boycott Arizona’s Racist Laws

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Many ELA Artists, Community Members, Activists and Students have left their 3 day weekend barbecue plans behind to join others working to end the border militarization and racist, colonial laws  that have been adopted by Arizona through a Senate Bill called SB1070.  Many states and cities in the US have joined in boycotting this unconstitutional law, through public criticism in the press and by ceasing all their state and city business with  Arizona. Many local artists speak out publicly through music and exhibit. (More to come, of course.)

This racist law attacks not only the migrant, indigenous and humans of hue, but also the principles of freedom and democracy which this country was founded on.  In the face of Arizona’s police state oppression towards the marginalize and poor people there, the victim Arizona community is asking for  support through peaceful protests and boycotts of these unjust laws which legalize business and home raids; detain citizens based on physical appearance; expel those who cannot immediately produce or refuse to carry documents regarding their citizenship; sanctify sweeps and patrolling of sacred Native American lands near the border without permission; and disregard the American constitutional right to pursuit of happiness (through a peaceful and safe environment) .  Denial of these rights affect us all.

Memorial Day

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Evergreen Cemetery, Boyle Heights

Evergreen Cemetery, Boyle Heights

The official and American observance of Memorial Day is to honor people who died while in the military service. In the Japanese American community, Memorial Day was adapted to be a way to honor the ancestors. Those who know some Japanese call it “haka mairi” which means “visiting graves”.

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Day Trippin’: El Golfito aka Golfland!

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I mean really, who has money to go anywhere these days? The fake ass economists keep talking up the fact that stocks rich people own are doing slightly better, like it has any bearing on our miserable lives. Woohoo, GM turned a profit after they were showered with tax dollars! Fucking Yay! The surge of employment due to the temporary I’ll-take-anything-now Census jobs  is suddenly a harbinger of good times ahead! Reading the news is inspiring.

Yet at my job there’s talk that they will close up shop, or at least get rid of some of the expendables. (And we are all expendable.) It’s all worries and rumors about the impending doom. Better start saving my nickels. And so my weekends are reduced to finding amusing things to do a bit closer to home, things that will keep me distracted from the precarious nature of our current means of survival. Hmm, now I understand why my parents brought me to this place all those years ago.

I present to you this cheap distraction, an institution that doubles as an old friend: Golfland!

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Golden Gate Theater now showing…

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Photo by Al Desmadre

Perhaps you’ve all heard the bad news by now – instead of East Los getting a new theater or cultural arts center, we can now say with pride, we are home to a new CVS drugstore. Start the celebration! According to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, this CVS will bring jobs to the area. Yay, minimum wage part-time jobs! What more could we ask for?

Here’s more from the Los Angeles Times article:

Los Angeles County supervisors unanimously voiced support Tuesday for the conversion of the long-abandoned Golden Gate Theater in East Los Angeles into a 24-hour drugstore despite passionate last-minute appeals by some residents to block the project.

“This is not just a building. It is a theater … a monument, the last one in East L.A.,” Sam Barraza told the supervisors. “This is not just a geographic or development battle … the spirit of East L.A. is at stake.”

and from the business side:

“The addition of a national pharmacy chain will be a tremendous benefit,” said Jesse Torres, chief executive of East L.A.-based Pan American Bank.

“We have to have those stores and retailers,” said Al Rivera, who supports the plan. “CVS will be looked at by other corporations. We want to make sure other corporations and investors look at East L.A. as a business-friendly community.”

In my opinion, “business-friendly community” means “hey, we are willing to do whatever you want, come exploit us!” Is that what might happen if East Los Angeles is able to incorporate itself as an independent city? No thanks!

About a year ago, LA Eastside posted a story about efforts to save the theater from commercial development. You can read the piece here.

Bus Riders Union Hunger Strike for Justice

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As of May 20, members from the Bus Riders Union began a hunger fast on the grass area of Placita Olvera to stop MTA from increasing fares from $1.25 to $1.50 for regular fare, a day pass will be $6, weekly passes will be $20, and a monthly pass will be $75. These fare increases are scheduled to take place during the summer.  MTA released their budget for the next fiscal year to the public breaking down where they would be making cuts, who much money is allotted to what and the increase in bus fares. Esperanza Martinez, one of the lead organizers for the union says that the increased fares are being passed down and targeting minorities, who are the majority of people that rely on the bus. All the poor people who depend on the bus for their livelihoods. People who commute everyday to work, school or just to get to doctor appointments and everyday commuting.

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