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This Saturday, the Los Angeles Urban Rangers are once again taking the intimidation factor out of exploring the Los Angeles River with the River Ramble, a free guided tour beneath the historic Sixth Street bridge and into the Los Angeles River itself. Tours might include sightings of native species such as black-necked stilts or black-clad film crew.
With the help of Play the L.A. River, the Los Angeles River Revitalization Corporation, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA), and the Association for Women in Architecture + Design (AWA+D), the L.A. Urban Rangers, who riff off the beloved park rangers, will similarly bring a nature feel to an often underappreciated urban wilderness.
"The idea is to bring home the message that cities aren't that different from nature and that they're our human habitats," says Kelly.
This River Ramble was inspired by a similar event in 2012 done in partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art. More than 700 people showed up during the event to walk from the museum to the Sixth Street bridge.
The rangers are hoping the same enthusiasm will also be evident this weekend, as the city starts to say its goodbyes to the historic bridge, which will be demolished in parts over the next four years.
Watch scenes from the last River Ramble event:
In homage to this soon-to-disappear icon, the Urban Rangers are planning trivia games related to the bridge, as well as usher residents beneath the bridge for last lingering looks. AWA+D will also have a station where people can design their own bridges.
In the process, the Urban Rangers will also highlight other issues on the river through fun, interactive activities such as a water bar, where residents can be water sommeliers.
"The L.A. River was the city's sole source of water for 130 something years. Now we import so much water from other places, hundreds of miles away, while as much as 10 billion gallons of water goes out to the Pacific Ocean," says Kelly.
At the water bar, Urban Rangers make water from different Department of Water and Power districts such as East Los Angeles (whose water comes partly from the Colorado River and the California Aqueduct) and West Los Angeles (whose water is sourced from the Los Angeles Aqueduct and the California Aqueduct) available for tasting.
To highlight the still prevalent problem of access to the Los Angeles River, the Urban Rangers have playfully created their own back country permit, acknowledging the river as a public space and a navigable water way. The back country permit will be signed on top of a mandated city permit. "Isn't it strange that the river is a public space but we still have to get permission to be in it?" Kelly asks.
Residents can also have a little fun with the city permit. A station will teach them how to make different river-related origami such as blue herons and steelhead trout, from a small piece of paper.
"There's a gazillion dollars going into river revitalization," says Urban Ranger and L.A. River guide Jenny Price. "Its revitalization will have consequences for the neighborhoods of Los Angeles when with it comes cleaner air, better water quality, but if you stop people on the street and ask, 'What's going on in the Los Angeles River?' They'll still ask, 'Where's the river?' The public imagination is still behind the policy folks despite all this activity."
L.A. River Ramble happens this Saturday, March 28, 4 p.m. to sunset at Santa Fe Avenue and Mesquit Street, under the 6th Street Viaduct. RSVP encouraged but not required.
Over two meetings, the city's Arts, Parks, Health, Aging and Recreation (APHAR) committee hashed out the issue of the restoration's increased costs. Initially estimated to cost at $1.03 billion, Alternative 20 will now reportedly cost a total of $1.36 billion. With that price tag increase also comes an increase in the city's cost share to at most $1.183 billion (or about 87 percent of total cost). Another option is being explored where the city's share is at $965 million (or 71 percent of total cost). KCET previously reported on this real possibility, which has unfortunately come true.
"This has taken a lot of twists and turns over the past few months," remarked Councilman Mitch O'Farrell during the latest APHAR meeting on the issue this week. "We want the best result here in the 11-mile stretch we've been focused on so diligently, but we also want it to be within reasonable cost, not at the expense of everything we do in the city."
O'Farrell's remarks precisely puts the city's predicament in question. How much support does the Los Angeles River revitalization warrant, especially considering the other issues plaguing the city? Notably, fixing its aging water pipe system is projected to cost another $1.3 billion.
According to City Engineer Gary Lee Moore, the cost increased because added costs on so-called LERRDS (lands, easements, rights-of-way, relocations, and dredged material disposal areas) in the Ferraro Fields area (from the 5 freeway to Brazil Street, including Verdugo Wash), which increased by $76 million; and the area from Main Street to 1st street including the Piggyback Yard, which increased by $220 million primarily because of relocation costs. The cost for the Arroyo Seco Confluence area, however, was reduced by $30 million.
The price tag became a larger issue when the United States Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) asked the city to sign two documents -- a letter of intent for the L.A. River Restoration project, which confirms the city's intention to participate in the project as a non-federal sponsor for the project, and a financial capability document, stating that the city has the financial means to fund the project as part of the process of approval. Both documents should be submitted by March 31, so it can be considered by the Civil Works Review Board and continue on to be authorized by the United States Congress.
Though the financial capability document is non-binding, Miguel Santana, the city's Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), still expressed concern. "We understand that the documents are not binding to the city in any way, but we continue to believe that a signature on behalf of the city has actually value and meaning. That's why the [Army Corps] is asking for it," said Patricia Huber of CAO.
In response, the CAO drafted a document outlining possible funding sources for the project, many of which are competitive in nature, such as Proposition 1 State Water Bonds, state cap and trade proceeds, and private sponsorship or philanthropy, which total to about $337 million. "It does not get us to the cost-sharing number," said Huber. Other potential funding sources would include the EIFD and other voter-approved fees, such as increasing the city's water quality fee or a general obligation bond similar to Proposition O.
The CAO's outlining of fund sources harshly brings to light the uphill battle the city will be facing as it continues to pursue a higher cost alternative. "We need to recognize that though this document isn't binding, we will eventually move to a binding document," said Huber. "We're going to have a heavy lift in terms of funding this project over the coming years."
Every council member did however emphasize that while the cost may seem daunting, it isn't a number that the city has settled on. Though the Army Corps estimates a 15-year timeline, a more realistic expectation would be somewhere within the 30 to 50-year horizon.
"There are many steps along the way that will get us that more equitable cost sharing," said Moore. "Working with the Army Corps in Washington D.C., the city council and the mayor, we'll come up with a positive resolution."
Matias Farfan, Assistant Chief Legislative Analyst (CLA), remarked that the costs presented in the report are present value. "In the 15-30 year lifespan of the project, the costs will gradually increase. Land won't cost the same as it does today."
Though the APHAR committee voted to move ahead with executing both requested documents, the discussion highlighted the amount of ambition and determination needed to get the Los Angeles River Revitalization off the ground. As yet, the city is still working to realize an Alternative 20 that doesn't put the city coffers at such a disadvantage. O'Farrell says, "We will figure out a way forward if the costs escalate or if the negotiations aren't successful."
In support, Lewis MacAdams, founder of the Friends of the Los Angeles River said, "We're supportive of signing this letter of intent. We know it's a big step for the city, for the river, and for all of us who care for the L.A. river. It's a major step forward into the future. I congratulate the city for its bravery."]]>
Last week Bloomberg Philantrophies, which runs former mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's charitable activities, announced the 12 cities out of 230 applicants who are in the running for up to $1 million in funding for public art projects. The finalists included a proposal to start a public art biennial along the Los Angeles River.
"At a time when imaginative ideas are redefining every industry, cities increasingly realize how important it is to embrace and encourage creativity," said Michael R. Bloomberg in a statement. "There was a great response to the challenge we issued, and we hope these projects spur new excitement about the ways public art can strengthen neighborhoods, inspire residents and fuel local economies."
Because Bloomberg Philanthropies invitation was originally directed to mayor's offices in cities with 30,000 residents or more, the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti partnered with the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) in drafting the letter of intent for consideration.
The shortlisted proposal, "CURRENT: LA River," would commission five large-scale art works (and smaller commissions and educational programs) that would focus on river topics such as water conservation, ecology and drought. "We felt the L.A. River is the perfect place to investigate these topics," says Felicia Filer, (DCA) Public Art Division Director. "Simultaneously, many Angelenos are unaware that the city has a river that runs through it. So the opportunity to bring awareness of the river to L.A. residents, and to discuss the subject matter of water and the drought through socially engaged art practices, is ideally situated along the River."
The art works would be curated by Marc Pally, an independent curator who helps put on Glow, Santa Monica's biannual dusk and beyond art event on the beach.
"Since Marc is an independent curator and not tied to a specific organization interested in the development along the river, we felt his objectivity to this project would be an additional strength," said Filer.
No specific plans are yet in place; "We are now in the planning phase," said Filer. Rebecca Carriero of Bloomberg Philantrophies says that the final three cities will be announced by May. Winning cities can expect site visits from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Cities should also be ready to execute their proposals within 24 months.
Funds from Bloomberg's Public Art Challenge grant might be significant, but DCA also points out that it would not be enough to cover 100 percent of the costs. It would only be a good start that will hopefully attract more funding.
Apart from the Bloomberg grant, the city is also looking to use the Arts Development Fee collected from commercial property owners in the affected districts. The development fee costs a maximum of $1.57 per gross square foot of the commercial property. Last December, City Council voted unanimously on a motion by councilmembers Jose Huizar and Mitch O'Farrell to update the guideline and expenditure plan for the Arts Development Fee, which had been languishing in fragmented city accounts for the past twenty years.
If selected, CURRENT: LA River will be the latest in a line of ambitious art projects that have found inspiration in its namesake waterway, and Filer says this isn't an issue. "We are aware of, and are excited about, the many different art projects focused on the L.A. River at this time. Our hope is that Current: LA River will join forces with, complement, and amplify the important work of these other projects."]]>
Apart from a full slate of activities, this version of CicLAvia will also introduce CiclaRIO, a series of events held along the San Fernando Valley side of the Los Angeles River. The event will allow Angelenos a glimpse of the waterway outside the hotbed of speculative excitement of the Glendale Narrows.
"We knew CicLAvia was coming near the Los Angeles River, so we knew we had to do something," says Carol Armstrong, Director of Los Angeles River Works at the Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti. Armstrong says there's a lot of common ground between CicLAvia and the Los Angeles River Revitalizations. "It's all about connecting face to face. Our streets are great civic gathering spaces and so is our river."
Planning the CiclaRIO events took about six weeks and the participants were very enthusiastic, according to organizers. At the Studio City Farmer's Market, events are planned from 10:00AM until about 4:00PM. Apart from taking in the Radford Art Walk at the intersection of Radford Avenue and Valleyheart Drive, people can also enjoy the following events.
A sound installation by artist and filmmaker Tuni Chatterji, who describes it as "a meditative installation comprised of collected and reconstructed ambient soundtracks reflecting on the L.A river," will set up between 1:00 to 4:00PM near Laurelgrove Avenue and the L.A. River. Visitors will be able to choose from several headphones and objects to sit with in the hopes of increasing their awareness of to this particular place along the river.
At 2:00PM participants will be able to experience a work by writers Harold Abramowitz and Amanda Ackerman. Both collaborated with fellow writers to produce a new and original work inspired by the flowing nature of the Los Angeles River and people moving through space at CicLAvia. The work was inspired by the work of other writers mediating on the question: "What would a piece of writing look like if the audience were the cyclist/river -- in other words, what work would suit a reader who is in motion (flowing, whirring through space) instead of static/sitting in place? What kind of writing could be written and then read to the moving river/moving body?"
At Universal City HUB, participants can also enjoy a tour of Friends of the Los Angeles River's River Rover and learn how to make their own seed bombs from native plants.
The Los Angeles River Works, will host a booth designed to collect participants input on the past, present, and future state of the river. The organization will also set up an interactive model of the river where individuals can use objects to layout their vision of how the river revitalization could be. CicLAvia participants can also share their intended uses for a completed L.A. River Greenway.
This year's Valley CicLAvia installment is the first time an L.A. River component has been added to the popular event. The organizers hope that Angeleno's fascination and enthusiasm with social media can be expressed through the following hashtags: #LARiverGo, #LARiverArts, #LARiverNature, #LARiverGreenway, and #Riverly.
To learn more about the events planned please visit CicLAvia: The Valley
Photo: Jory/Flickr/Creative Commons License]]>
The current Glendale Riverwalk (Phase One of the project) opened to the public in December 2012. The project sits opposite Griffith Park and extends from Bette Davis Park on the west to Flower Street on the east. It offers half a mile of native landscaping, walking and bicycling trails, public art inspired by Stop Motion, and even has Glendale's dedicated equestrian community in mind. A facility on Phase 1 allows horse-owners to exercise their steeds before heading out to Griffith Park.
Phase 2 of the project would complete the nearly one-mile Riverwalk and the remainder of the trail by building Flower Plaza on Flower Street and Fairmont Avenue, and Confluence Park by the Los Angeles River and Verdugo Wash further downstream. Flower Plaza would connect the bike path on either side of it and includes construction of a small bridge over the flood control box culvert. The resulting trail will be continuous from the Riverwalk Entry Park by Bette Davis Park, east past Dreamworks at the Flower and Fairmont intersection and then turning south to the Verdugo Wash by the 134 Freeway.
Both parks are set to be completed by 2016. "Phase 2 completes the development of the greenway from stem to stern," says Glendale city engineer, Kevin Carter.
Funds for Phase 2 are already available. Carter shares that $975,000 of Proposition 84 funds are available to build the two parks, and another $425,000 from Measure R is reserved for construction on the culvert. Marc Stirdivant, Glendale's Senior Administrative Analyst for Community Services & Parks adds, "Once we've completed Phase 2, Glendale will be the only city on the entire L.A. River to devote one hundred percent of its river frontage to recreation."
And what a vision the city has. Rather than become a throughway for Angelenos passing through, Glendale wants its Riverwalk to be a place to stop. "We want to make gathering spots so people can come and hang out," says Stirdivant.
Simple changes like changing out a six-foot high chain link fence with a lower 42-inch wrought iron version, putting in stadium seating at Flower Plaza, and adding Adirondack chairs at Confluence Park are being planned.
In addition to completing the parks of Glendale Riverwalk, the city has also approved conceptual designs for two bridges that would increase the Riverwalk's connectivity to Los Angeles--Phase 3 of its Riverwalk project. Los Angeles River Bridge will connect the Riverwalk bikeway to the Los Angeles River bike trail adjacent to Griffith Park. The Verdugo Wash Bridge will connect the Riverwalk to North Atwater. The exact location of the bridges has yet to be determined.
Phase 3 funding only covers design development, outreach, and project feasibility, however. The city still needs to find funds to actually build these bridges. "Much of the purpose of this effort is to detail the potential bridge enough to submit for grant funding," says Carter.
About 200 residents came out to a series of workshops held by the city to help choose a conceptual design for the bridges. "We're trying to improve connectivity of our trails with other trails," says Carter, "One of the biggest ways to do that is by going across the river and connecting to Griffith Park."
At the workshops, residents overwhelmingly chose the Garden Bridge design out of a total of eight different alternatives. Three other runner-ups were also identified. Because the project isn't yet funded for construction, Glendale is quick to make clear that what is agreed during the workshops are only signposts to future possibilities.
The winning Garden Bridge design is one that imagines a bridge as a destination, not just a means of getting from point A to point B. The bridge would have a winding S-shaped form, where its curves settle into shaded seating areas where residents can view the Los Angeles River and beyond. The seating would be a contemplative space separate from the fast-moving driving, walking and bicycle lanes. Construction costs are estimated to be between $10 and 15 million.
Other options, which may be considered, given the funding available, are a low-profiled arched bridge outfitted with solar panels, one that looks like it stands akimbo over the Los Angeles River in profile, and a simpler concrete truss. Designers say that the second, smaller Verdugo Wash bridge would be similar to Garden Bridge.
"Particularly in central and south Glendale, we have a large population living a park poor area, in many cases it's also an economically disadvantaged area. And yet they're in the shadow of Griffith Park, which is the largest park in an urban setting in the United States and they can't get there," says Glendale city councilwoman Laura Friedman, "Having a way for those people to easily bike or walk to Griffith park will change those people's lives."]]>
While men and women in suits pose behind gilded shovels on the foreground of the Sixth Street bridge a few Boyle Heights residents hung back, wondering what the next few months would bring.
Some like Jason Gallegos of the Boyle Heights Planning and Land Use committee emphasized the simple need to keep the Boyle Heights neighborhood informed. "We want the city and developers to keep us updated. We just need to know what's going to happen. How are they re-routing traffic, details like that," he says, implying that such a basic requirement wasn't being fulfilled consistently.
Others like Shmuel Gonzales were more outspoken. "Why are the amenities all on the Arts District side?" The Boyle Heights resident, tour guide and writer says the $1 million soccer field to be built below the bridge on the Boyle Heights side feels like a palliate designed to appease the locals. On the other bank, an amphitheater would be built that would gather the community together through arts programming.
"More than likely what you heard at the groundbreaking was just the collective frustration from folks that have felt it was just a continuation of the way development has been done in the Boyle Heights area," says Mynor Godoy, Planning and Land Use chair for the Boyle Heights neighborhood council.
Boyle Heights residents see the Sixth Street Bridge replacement project as a coil of complex issues taken physical form. The neighborhood has accepted there is a need to demolish the historic bridge, but it wonders why so much is invested on this infrastructure, but yet so many of Boyle Heights' needs seem to be continually overlooked.
"Boyle Heights residents never get any respect. We always get shitted on," says Carlos Montes, president of the neighborhood council. Montes says that though the neighborhood was informed of the Sixth Street Bridge project, not all projects were similarly conscientious. According to Montes, trash pick-up schedules and parking regulations change without proper notice and police brutality was an ongoing problem.
Montes relates that right now they're working to change parking duration back to a two-hour window instead of one-hour on 1st and Cesar Chavez. "They changed it and didn't tell anybody." Montes says the change has hurt small businesses nearby. The neighborhood was also vocal against car impounding, a policy that allowed police officers to confiscate vehicles for a month, if they stop an unlicensed driver.
The latest infraction comes courtesy of Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). "It's a real attack on Mariachi Plaza," says Godoy. Metro had planned to develop a $49-million development on 1st and Boyle streets. Six of the eight stories will be dedicated to parking with two floors of medical offices, restaurants, shops, and a gym. Despite grand plans, Metro neglected to inform the community. "If you wanted to promote rail riding. Why are you building six-story parking lot?" asked Godoy of Metro.
Though the community successfully got the agency to start over again with the concept, it soon found another threat looming. It turns out the southwest corner of the contested 1st and Boyle project would be breaking ground March 15--and there was nothing the neighborhood could do about it.
The Santa Cecilia Apartments, are a four-story mixed use development with affordable housing and retail uses. Because the city's planning department already approved the entitlements from 2009, Metro was not technically obligated to engage with the community. Despite checking all the regulatory requirements, here was Boyle Heights left out of the question of its community's future. "If this was happening in mid-city or further west, there would court cases, people would be going back and triple checking to make sure they had done their due diligence," says Godoy.
Residents say Metro's developer, McCormack Baron Salazar held only three meetings about the project since 2009. Businesses who are right on the vicinity didn't even know about the project. A letter by Un Solo Sol Kitchen owner Carlos Ortez, stated he wasn't informed about the project in 2008 or 2009.
1st street is on a steep grade, offering pedestrians a beautiful view of the downtown skyline. Godoy asks, why not put an amphitheater similar to the one planned for Sixth Street bridge's Art District side? "It's already a heavy slope. You already have downtown LA as background. Why not put an amphitheater there? Is it because working families don't care about the arts? Is it because we wouldn't want free public space?"
It's nothing against development, says Godoy, it just has to suit the needs of the community. In fact, the community is working with two other affordable housing mixed-used developments on Metro owned land.
Boyle Heights needs to be considered, rather than stereotyped and solutions prescribed out of hand. Its residents--like everyone who lives in Los Angeles--deserve a clean and healthy environment with access to fresh food and verdant space. Yet, they do not have that.
Every day, residents fight off pollution from its industrial neighbors, it has few options when it comes to groceries, and even its "parks" are mostly cemeteries.
"It easy to classify our neighborhood as gang-ridden and troubled, but folks in Boyle Heights aren't low income because they don't work hard," says Godoy, "We do everything to survive and keep our neighborhood alive."
"The Arroyo Seco has this great bikeway on it. It's the best piece of bike infrastructure in Northeast Los Angeles and it can really connect us to the city if we let it," says Moreau. "The funny thing about it is that chain link fences run all along the path; when you also realize that it's the same path that is also lined with parks, you begin to see how strange that is."
Moreau astutely points out that the bikeway allows cyclists to speed through one point to another, but doesn't allow them to really enjoy the amenities that are just over the chain link fence -- amenities such as Debs Park in Montecito Heights, the Hermon Dog Park in Highland Park, all the way to the Arroyo Seco stables in South Pasadena.
The path could even go beyond the neighborhood, says Moreau. Horse trails on the north side go from the Arroyo Seco through Pasadena and into the foothills, all the way up to the Angeles National Forest. On the south side, the bikeway could go all the way to Los Angeles' downtown -- an idea that's been around for more than a hundred years.
At the turn of the 20th century, Pasadena mayor Horace Dobbins envisioned the California Cycleway, a nine-mile elevated bicycle path with easy grades that would connect Pasadena's Hotel Green to Los Angeles Plaza. The project, which was projected to cost a hefty $200,000, would have been funded through 10-cent tolls from cyclists using the bikeway. The advent of the automobile, however, heralded the demise of such an ambitious project. Only 1.25 miles was ever built of the 9-mile path, and four decades later the Pasadena Freeway took over much of its right of way.
But such dreams of a bikeable neighborhood continues to be resurrected. After major floods had resulted in a cemented Arroyo Seco, the County of Los Angeles built a path on the riverbed in 1983, as an experiment in joint use of flood control facilities. But unlike the modern day bike path proposed for downtown, the Arroyo Seco path is just that -- a path with no six-inch elevation above the riverbed to allow for water flow. As a result the path can be slippery with algae on a particularly wet day, and dangerous during heavy rains; nonetheless, it continues to be a scenic place that holds a lot of promise.
That promise was glimpsed back in June of 2003 when the river-adjacent Pasadena Freeway was closed to car traffic and over 3,000 cyclists and several thousand pedestrians took over, for the much talked about ArroyoFest. The reclaiming of the Arroyo Seco for recreational use was a topic in many people's minds during the event.
"That's exactly what we want to aim for. There's so much room in the riverbed, you could have festivals right down there," says Moreau. "The goal is to inspire people with something like that, to see the potential. But the first step is just increasing access to it."
A transportation planner for Metro by day (he's currently arranging the festivities for this year's Bike Week), Moreau is used to seeing potential for non-motorized ways of getting around. "We're always looking at how we move around the city and trying to find alternatives to driving alone in the freeways," says Moreau. It isn't so strange that this Highland Park resident suddenly saw the opportunity right in his backyard.
Moreau sees a lot of wasted opportunities in this part of the neighborhood. He says that access points to the parks from the bikeways are few and far between, despite the community obviously wanting more. During his research he found many clandestine access points carved out by the community. "There are four or five legal access points that are so far apart," he says. "There are about ten to fifteen more holes just cut on the wall. Clearly people want access and we shouldn't have to go through these means to get it."
One of the aberrations of the path is also what he calls the "stairs that lead to nowhere" -- flights of stairs that go up to the parks from the bikeway, but again, blocked by chain link fence. "It wouldn't be that expensive to take these out," says Moreau.
The sight is also a poignant symbol of the city's history with water and how changing views have affected physical access to our waterways. The stairways were created at a time when this area was meant to offer grand, sweeping views of green landscape and the bustling city. The coming of the chain link fences heralded an era of protectionism, when flood protection was the highest priority, thus impeding access by the public to became the solution.
But times are changing once again. More and more people are clamoring for a change in the way we relate to our water. A recent momentous decision to revisit the city's vegetation clearing management practices on the Los Angeles River and the introduction of river-specific guidelines for nearby properties, not to mention the increased incidences of residents using the river as a place of gathering and community building all points to a dawning of a new river sensibility.
Moreau is simply raising the question, "Why not make simple changes along an already great amenity in Highland Park and be part of this change?" With his easy two-mile walking tour on Saturday, he hopes to start such a conversation. He says, "I just want people to be aware of what's happening and share some ideas of what can be."
The Dry River walking tour is on March 7, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. More information here.]]>
On a rare chilly, cloudy day in Los Angeles, the Bowtie parcel can become a daunting place to be. Stormy and cloudy, the unmarked paths are awash in green and a tinge of purple, thanks to the persistent purple needlegrass that has sprouted over the winter season. But in this wild land, where an occasional Metrolink train thunders past and the Los Angeles River rushes, a comforting glimpse of home can be found.
Built over the course of January and finished this February, Con/Safos or C/S is meant to be an oasis where artists and visitors can come and contemplate the intersections of art and life that exist in Los Angeles. The project is a part of an on-going collaboration between arts organization Clockshop and California State Parks turning the Bowtie parcel into a surprising location for a series of art installations and interventions.
As one walks toward the structure, it seems like the corner of a simple home, its rough hewn adobe brick layers towering just above ten feet at the highest and tapering to six feet at its lowest. Los Angeles artist Rafa Esparza, together with his father, four brothers and sister, helped build the structure together using handmade adobe bricks.
"My father made his home in his hometown of Ricardo Flores Magon in Durango, Mexico," explains Esparza of his inspiration. "It was important for me to honor this labor and to share it with my family by having my father teach us how to build."
Rafa Esparza at the site of The Unfinished from Clockshop on Vimeo.
Over the summer, Esparza and his family worked beneath the heat over a big mound of dirt, spreading their mixture of dirt from nearby construction sites, horse dung, straw, and water from the Los Angeles River, then eventually molding it into 1,500 bricks. At first, their production was used to cover the Michael Parker's 137-foot long obelisk for a performance, but those bricks were then reconfigured to build this intersecting wall that stands sentry over Bowtie.
Esparza's work is multi-layered, not only was this about the family dynamic and the value of labor -- "Working with my family showed the different relationships we all had to negotiate" -- it also points to how the Los Angeles River played a role in early L.A. history. "The river was first used by the people living on the land, in the same way we had used the river. It was a resource for them."
Eventually, this portion of an adobe home -- a symbol of the Esparza family's labor, of man's connection to the land -- would become a yearlong canvas for collaboration among Los Angeles artists.
Named Con/Safos, the Chicano street term meaning, "with safety," the C/S mark was typically used like a copyright mark, indicating that no other graffiti artist could come and rub off what was already done on the wall before him. Inspired by the respectful spirit, Los Angeles artist Esparza conceived of this space where, literally, two perspectives meet to create one whole. Every other month, two artists, painters, and sculptors will be selected to leave their mark on the adobe structure.
"We're not going to buff out any of the works that come before," says Esparza, clad in blue high top shoes and all black gear that cold day, "We're going to be building onto what they've left behind."
C/S inaugural artists are Sarah Dougherty and Iris Hu. Dougherty notes, "It was important for me to see that Rafa invited two female artists to start the series. You don't often seen female street art. Somehow, it feels different and looks different. It can be inviting a different way."
Future collaborations include Leo Limon, best known for his L.A. River Catz and street artist Roach; Timo Fahler and street artist Vyal and female street artist collective in San Fernando Valley HOOD sisters and Mariel Capanna.]]>
On her side of the wall, Dougherty creates a cosmological diagram of the people's relationship to the land of Los Angeles. Metastasized symbols abound. At the center of it, Dougherty appropriates the state parks seal and surrounds it with the words "Caliyagna," a mash-up of California [of State Parks origin] and Yagna [the Tongva word for Los Angeles, translated as "gathering place."]
Within the circle, a bear, the state symbol, gradually becomes a dolphin, a symbol of Tongva folklore and familiar landscape renderings pepper its perimeter, offset by beautiful hand paintings of animal tracks and greenery. "It represents landscape architecture's controlled approach to ecosystems and the natural growth of the land," explains Dougherty.
Dougherty's work then gives way to Hu's piece where a California fan palm frond is pasted at the intersection of the adobe wall. Like Esparza and Dougherty's work, Hu's piece once again emphasizes relationships and connections. "All our works engage with the land, the history of the land, and the memory of a place," says Hu.
Though disparate in execution, their themes nevertheless coincide.
Hu's wall is dominated by a beautiful blue fish, which came to Hu in a dream. The fish is kissing the goddess, Mazu, who protects the fishermen and the sea and, Hu notes, in many ways also protected those who traveled the oceans to new lands, such as the many migrants of Los Angeles. On the lower right, a small roofed home for the spirits sprouts on the corner, similar to those found in Asian home altars. "It was originally intended for the Earth God, who protects the spirits of the dead, the land, and the home," writes Hu, a nod to the cultural ancestors and historical ancestors on the land in Los Angeles.
At the center, a portrait of three maternal grandmothers -- Esparza's, Dougherty's, and Hu's -- is painted, another homage to the historical past and its repercussions in the present. Beneath them, Hu paints a sprouting of nopales and yucca, indigenous to California, and agave, thought to have sprouted at the Bowtie historically.
Overall, Hu's work, like Dougherty's is one that delves deep into connections, yet leaving conscientiously, it doesn't overwhelm its adobe canvas. Hu and Dougherty consciously left a little breathing room, not only for Esparza's work, but for future artist to intervene. Con/Safos, like Bowtie, is still in the process of being, to be created and re-created in the imagination by Angelenos today and the future.
Iris Hu and Sarah Dougherty's work at Con/Safos is on view at the Bowtie Parcel the whole month of March from sunrise to sunset
Further Reading on Rafa Esparza and Michael Parker's The Unfinished:
Rafa Esparza Transforms Audiences into Communities
Rafa Esparza's performance art is deeply intimate and political; it merges with his audience to form a community response to violence against people of color.
The War on Both Sides: Ostrich Skin
L.A. artist Rafa Esparza investigates ideas about memory, identity, kinship, and place through his performance art.
The Future of the Unfinished Obelisk
Artist Michael Parker will be engaging with the public over the next six months with a series of programs at "The Unfinished" site along the L.A. River.
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Top Image :Photo by Matt Rose]]>
"He was the number one driver of bicycling in the city, even prior to when the city had staff dedicated to bicycling," says Michelle Mowery, sometimes called Los Angeles's bike czar -- formally, the city's senior bicycling coordinator over at the Department of Transportation -- and Baum's longtime friend. "He was the voice [for cycling] when there wasn't a voice."
Last Sunday, surrounded by family, Baum, a champion of mobility in Los Angeles and beyond, passed away. He was 92.
Many would recognize his name because of a unique bridge that spans over Los Feliz Boulevard by the Los Angeles River and the 5 freeway, which ushers cyclists and pedestrians through two 24-foot diameter bicycle spoke and rim features, but those entrenched in cycling culture would know him to be more than that.
Born in Germany, raised in Vic-Sur-Seille, a commune Lorraine, the French Resistance fighter and Holocaust survivor, grew up a lover of an active life that is open to everyone. "He was European. He grew up in France," explains Mowery, "Cycling was in the fabric of his life."
Raised by his maternal grandparents and three uncles, Baum was an early witness to Tour de France processions, where his family would host athletes of color such as a Jessie Owens who weren't able to find other lodgings, while competing near their home. Inclusive mobility and activity would be a theme that would come up throughout his life.
As a member of the 1984 Olympic organizing committee, he was responsible for adding the women's road race to the palette of Olympic games. A feat compared to a "small conspiracy wherein a needle was added to the haystack of bid paperwork to establish women's cycling in the modern Olympics." By going through all the paperwork required and having it signed by authorities, the small cabal circumvented the parties that had previously barred the sport.
Later on, he would also help develop cycling programs and recreational facilities for inner city kids in Los Angeles. He helped secure the 7-11 sponsorship, which funded the development and construction of Olympic Velodromes in Carson, California and at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He also helped build the velodromes in Dominguez Hills and Encino, as well as pioneered the Amgen Tour of California bike race, one of the four cycling stage races in the world.
He was a prosperous caterer, but he was also an advisor to four Los Angeles mayors, helping them see Los Angeles not a city crisscrossed with freeways, but greenways that allowed residents to enjoy the beautiful California sunshine.
While serving under Mayor Tom Bradley, Baum helped form the Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee (LABAC) in 1973 with Baum as the chairman for more than 25 years. Under his watch, bicycle lanes began to appear throughout the county and even along the coast of Santa Monica bay, enabled by former Councilman Marvin Braude. Even semi-retired and enshrined as a Chairman Emeritus, Baum continued to attend LABAC meetings.
With his guidance, LABAC was involved with the first ordinance requiring bicycling parking in new developments across the city. He initiated the 1996 and 2010 bicycle plans and was responsible for hiring the first bicycle coordinator for the city.
Perhaps the most beautiful legacy Baum leaves behind is Los Angeles' increasingly bike-able city, especially along the Los Angeles River. "These bikeways along the Los Angeles River, none of it would have happened without him," says Mowery. The Jewish Journal says this is one of Baum's most treasured projects. At the thought of a 50-something mile path alongside the river from San Fernando Valley to Long Beach, he said to the paper, "You can stop anywhere through the city, enjoy the Sunday or the weekend without using the car; [you can] even ride at night. We have lights and rest stops, parks and a restaurant."
While the Los Angeles River bikeway has yet to be completed, projects are underway to help plug the holes in the system. But the city has already been changed. The 2013 bicycle and pedestrian count showed that over two years (between 2011 and 2013), L.A. has seen a 7.5 percent increase in cycling and that adding bicycling infrastructure has helped more than double cyclists in the city. (Adding a bike lane increases ridership by 103 percent while sharrows up the count by 132 percent).
It was Baum's unique personality that helped bring all this about, Mowery says. "It was that thing that allowed him to build relationships and introduce cycling to the community." A number of other memorials to him since his passing show that he did bring a personal touch to his work. Ted Rogers of Biking in L.A. recalls a man frail with age, yet still extending an open hand to him on his first day attending an LABAC meeting. LABAC remembers him as a man "who took the long view in all things," who "put the personal up front," and "embraced mentoring as an art form." Mowery says, "Everyone that met him felt completely within his embrace. I have no other way of explaining it."
Alex Baum's memorial is planned for Wednesday, March 4th at 1:30 PM at the Santa Monica Synagogue, 1448 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404. Please RSVP to Danielle Gardner, Alex's daughter, at firstname.lastname@example.com.]]>
O'Farrell's motion passed in today's City Council meeting by a unanimous vote of 12 to 0. The motion directed the Economic Workforce Development Department (EWDD) to draft a policy regarding creation of EIFDs. It authorized $75,000 for a consultant and noticing services to be hired to look into different financial models for a possible River Revitalization EIFD. It also instructed city departments to start working on specifics for what a Los Angeles River-specific EIFD would entail.
If the city agrees on the many parameters within a timely manner, this could be the state's first-ever EIFD. An EIFD is a new tool that was created by virtue of Senate Bill 628, which Governor Brown signed in to law September 29 last year and came to effect January 1 this year.
An EIFD allows cities to finance large projects easier. It lets cities get a portion of a tax property increase (which usually results from increased values of real estate) and allocate projects within a pre-identified district, instead of the money going to state or county. In effect, it's a recalibration of the percentage that each government entity takes into their coffers.
Right now of every $1 property tax that is contributed, a majority goes toward support for schools, 30 or 40 cents goes to the county, 20 to 30 cents goes to the city, and the rest goes toward smaller tax assessments such as mosquito abatement or flood control, estimates Jenny Scanlin, Assistant General Manager for EWDD. Should a River Revitalization EIFD and an increase in property taxes take effect, that increment would go toward river revitalization.
O'Farrell also cites that an EIFD's flexibility makes it ideal for a city with specific priorities. "The flexibility is very good," says O'Farrell. "It's also very different from how the former Community Redevelopment Agencies worked. It doesn't have a lot of poison pills such as eminent domain powers, or that you had to establish an area is blighted before you can start a CRA."
"An EIFD is really focused on public facilities like infrastructure -- streets, roads, sewers, flood control channels. It also expands to affordable housing, commercial development, and industrial development. You can look at using funds to move forward transit-oriented projects. It really expands the platform in which we could fund specific projects in a community," says Scanlin.
Applied to the Los Angeles River, this could mean money for more affordable housing, cleaning up polluted industrial land along the rivers, and more park space by the waterways. One possible application for funds would be that a portion of the city's share for the $1-billion dollar plan for river revitalization could be financed by a River Revitalization EIFD, "but it's completely separate from that project," says O'Farrell.
"This is a creative way for property owners to contribute right into their own neighborhoods," says O'Farrell.
With the approval outlining a way forward for creation of an EIFD, the city still has to undergo major steps before one is created. O'Farrell estimates that it would take up to two years for approval of all the details: where along the river this would be applicable to, what participation would be like for different entities, what projects this would go toward. A River Revitalization EIFD could encompass one of several options: all 51 miles of the river, only the 32-mile portion under the city of Los Angeles, or even a narrower area. It would depend on what the outcome of this research process indicates and what the city can agree to.
An EIFD is a major undertaking, reports Scalin. "The life of an EIFD district could be at least 45 years." It means that today's decision could possibly affect not just this generation, but the next generation of Angelenos as well.
Read more about EIFDs and the L.A. River here.]]>
Rumored to live for more than a century and very mobile, these endangered creatures are also quite enigmatic, posing more questions to researchers than they answer.
"We know some things about this species. They are circumglobal creatures. The ocean is their habitat," says Eric Zahn of Tidal Influence, which works with Los Cerritos Wetlands in the hopes of providing a conducive environment for these creatures in the future restored wetland, "Without putting a camera and swimming around and following them for years and years, we don't know what sea turtles do -- except when they go ashore. Trying to figure out what's happening with this anomalous population is a big challenge."
But every mystery has its Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.
In this case, Doctors Watson, in the form of about thirty regular volunteers to the San Gabriel River Sea Turtle Monitoring Project, a partnership between the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, and the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority.
Every first Saturday of the month, volunteers roll out of their warm beds into the foggy mouth of San Gabriel River in Long Beach. Meeting at 8:30 a.m., these dedicated volunteers are greeted with a fortifying cup of coffee and the familiar faces of other volunteers.
By 9 a.m. precisely, these volunteers are spread in pairs of threes across ten stations along the San Gabriel Bike trail between Pacific Coast Highway and 7th Street, their eyes trained toward the water in the hopes of sighting a precious green sea turtle.
"Sightings are very unpredictable," says Cassandra Davis-Ramon, who along with her partner, Barbara, have been helping run the citizen program for the past three years. "It can be slow and long, but it can also be short, instant and easy to miss. It all depends on what the turtle decides to do at one time." Volunteers really need to concentrate, counting how many turtles are actually present to the best of their ability. At 9:30 am, the exercise is over and no other sightings are counted, to retain consistency in the data.
It may seem like a simple counting exercise to the untrained, but the citizen science effort has been helping researchers figure out some answers to these mysterious questions by giving them "a 30-minute snapshot of what's going on," says Dan Lawson of NOAA Fisheries, who receives the citizen science reports. He also fields other efforts to monitor these anomalous green sea turtle population. He is the Sherlock of the equation.
Lawson says that these green sea turtles are quite baffling. "Prior to this, we thought green sea turtles only came as far north as San Diego Bay." To find a population in an urban river further north was a shock. Though data is still being collated to prove anything, researchers think the warmer waters generated by the power plants near the San Gabriel River have attracted the green sea turtle population here. The power plants use the waters of San Gabriel River to cool its operations, generating warmer water in the river. This creates an attractive Jacuzzi for these green sea turtles.
Eventually, however, those power plants are going to cease operations. "What are the turtles going to do in response? We don't know," says Lawson. "We're not expecting them to just pick up and leave, but there will be some changes in behavior." This is why research is crucial.
The green sea turtles are part of the local flavor of Long Beach. "Bikers, surfers and residents are all very protective of the turtles," says Kim Thompson of the Aquarium of the Pacific, co-principal on the San Gabriel River green sea turtle citizen science monitoring project. "When they see us on the river, they always ask what we're doing with the turtles."
In fact, it was through a local that NOAA discovered this population. Lawson says that NOAA had always been aware that there were occasional sea turtles (not necessarily green ones) that accidentally find themselves in the area. "We thought they were just occasional visitors, when the water was warm." But a when a couple of recreational fisherman reported that they kept seeing sea turtles every time they fished. Their report finally became the blip NOAA needed home into this population.
"Here we are at the regional office right in Long Beach and we weren't even aware of them. Sure enough when we crossed the bridge and walked down near the San Gabriel River, we saw a turtle pop its head up," recounts Lawson. "Every time we went to the river, we saw turtles. We pretty much have a year-round resident group. We just don't know if they're the same turtles every year."
This discovery also led the NOAA to launch a capture, tagging, and tracking program for sea turtles complementing the citizen science program. According to Lawson, researchers are trying to answer a number of questions by employing different methods. They want to know if these are the same turtles they see every year, what areas of the river they're using, why they're attracted to those spots, and if there are other nearby spots that they'd be attracted to.
So far, there have been a few answers, says Zahn. "We know they're here all-year round and they use a majority of the river until it turns into cement. We can confidently say they're all juveniles between 0 to 30 years old and that they're active anytime of day. We know where they're most active, but we don't know why there."
Answers will soon be even more valuable as the San Gabriel power plants cease operation and warm waters will cease to flow at San Gabriel River. Researchers and locals are hoping that with the data they're able to gather, future revitalization efforts, particularly at the nearby future site of the Los Cerritos Wetlands, will be able to entice these creatures to stay.
"Our best guess is that because they can sense the warm water from the power plants, they're attracted to go there. We think if we do it right, we could make a wetland habitat that will be safe for these turtles, that will offer shelter and food, so that when these power plants stop emitting warm water they could find another home here," says Zahn. "We don't want to lose these turtles, they're our mascot."]]>
The Regional Board acceded to a request by conservationists to revisit the decades-old practice of removing vegetation on soft-bottomed, concrete-sided reaches of many of the county's waterways -- including Reach 25 on the lower Los Angeles River between Willow Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach.
After an hour-long hearing, the Regional Board voted not to renew the county's five-year permit to remove vegetation along approximately 100 of the county's waterways, including the Los Angeles River reach. Instead, it opted for a one-year permit with the condition that workshops would be held to find an alternative, less intrusive means of maintenance that promotes habitat while not compromising the city's flood capacity.
"I'm absolutely thrilled by the decision," said Lewis MacAdams, founder of Friends of the Los Angeles River (FoLAR), one of the groups who petitioned the Regional Board. "For so long the lower Los Angeles River has been a redheaded stepchild of the Los Angeles River. It's gotten very little money, respect, and power. This opens doors for a broader definition of the river and gives downstream communities a chance at the opportunities that the upstream cities are beginning to enjoy."
MacAdams hopes this would only be a catalyst for more revitalization further down the Los Angeles River. He says that upper river neighborhoods have had the opportunity to enjoy a more natural river in part because of former Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, who helped curb any bulldozing on soft bottom rivers in his district. Unfortunately, Supervisor Don Knabe doesn't share Yaroslavsky's interest and thus vegetative clearing has gone unchallenged in this district. This decision would change that.
James Alamillo, Urban Programs Manager for Heal the Bay, was equally heartened by the Regional Board's decision, having given testimony three other instances over the past fifteen years that the permit has been up for renewal. "This one-year permit gives this ad hoc committee a chance to come together and figure out what's going to happen in these waterways."
Though it would be idealistic, Alamillo says he doesn't wish for every activity on the riverbed to cease all at once. Heal the Bay is simply looking for a set of metrics that outline what the county's goals are for these soft-bottom, concrete-sided reaches of the river. These could help future decision-making on these important reaches of the county's waterways.
"The County is committed to working with the Regional Water Quality Control Board and all interested stakeholders to develop a habitat management plan that continues to provide the required the level of flood protection to the public," said the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (Public Works) in a statement. The agency manages the day-to-day operations of the Los Angeles County Flood Control District (LACFCD).
It also reiterates that though the county has been dedicated to flood protection for the last century and that it would continue to do so because of predicted increased intensity of future storms predicted by UCLA, it also values habitat. The statement cites that the county has begun to enhance its flood protection facilities by using native and drought tolerant plants.
The Regional Board's decision now opens the doors to dialog between conservationists and the county on how best to handle these strange waterways, that are neither all natural, nor completely engineered. In the coming months, workshops and meetings will be scheduled between conservationists and agencies concerned with the river tackling any changes in maintenance.
The onus would fall on the Regional Board's staff to arrange these meetings within a short span of one year. "Our staff is looking at this as a great opportunity," says Samuel Unger, Executive Officer at the Regional Board. "The Board's decision was a clear message that they want habitat to be considered alongside flood protection. We're looking at this as an opportunity to meet with all the stakeholders simultaneously and to fashion an alternative plan the Board that can consider."
Keep up to date on the soft bottom waterways' maintenance schedule here
"This is an example of the type of infrastructure I'm committed to building in Los Angeles," says Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who was joined by Councilmember José Huizar, Congressmember Xavier Becerra, State Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De León, Assemblymember Miguel Santiago, and Gary Lee Moore from the Bureau of Engineering (BOE).
Though every public officer gathered at the event expressed dismay at the "concrete cancer" that necessitated the demolition of this iconic bridge, each one was as equally optimistic that the planned $440 million bridge designed by Michael Maltzan Architecture and HNTB would not only provide a "point A to point B, but a point C," says Huizar, in whose district the project falls into. "It will be a destination itself that people come to visit."
According to Huizar's planning director Tanner Blackman, the groundbreaking heralded the actual start of the construction phase for the project. Residents won't see a dramatic crashing of the bridge, but over the summer the city will be undergoing intersection improvements, adding traffic signals, and re-routing traffic to Fourth and Seventh street bridges.
Keen-eyed residents will also be seeing parts of the bridge come down bit by bit, a little like a "disappearing bridge" act. Over the next four-year project timeline, the city also plans to construct an Arts Plaza in the Arts District that officials hope would become an amphitheater space. In the Boyle Heights side, Huizar also secured $1 million to fund the construction of a soccer field below the bridge.
Despite the beautiful, unbelievably expansive model displayed during the groundbreaking, which gave residents a glimpse of the bridge's multi-modal ambitions, there seems to be a tale of two neighborhoods unfolding.
"If they're going to have to make a change based on the cost to repair the old bridge and the 'cancer' in it, then this is a fantastic project to have in its place," says Cindy Schwarzstein, an Arts District resident and a Los Angeles River Artists and Business Association (LARABA) board member. Schwarzstein was filled with optimism at the prospect of the bridge's construction.
Residents from Boyle Heights, however, weren't as enthused. Jason Gallegos of the Boyle Heights Planning and Land Use committee similarly understood the necessity of demolishing the Sixth Street Bridge, but says "We want the city and developers to keep us updated. We just need to know what's going to happen. How are they re-routing traffic, details like that."
Boyle Heights resident, tour guide, and writer Shmuel Gonzales takes an even more confrontational stance. As his friend holds up a sign that says "The new bridge sucks," Gonzales explains, "Every day people on the other side [Boyle Heights] are wondering what's going to happen. Businesses are anxious. We don't know what the future is and the city didn't give us any information."
Gonzales says that even today, residents of Boyle Heights still don't understand that the Sixth Street Bridge, a "symbol of the Golden Age of Boyle Heights," according to Gonzales, will eventually disappear. He adds that his neighborhood seems to be getting short shrift, receiving less that the amenities being planned for the Arts District side. He even notes that during the groundbreaking only about a dozen people from Boyle Heights were present. "We're hopeful," says Gonzeles, "but there has to be a dialog."
A bridge is always used to connect one place to another, but in the case of the future Sixth Street bridge, it seems that it's ironically becoming a divisive symbol that needs to be addressed.]]>
Developed by Terra River LLC, the Elysian Valley Riverfront Creative Campus looks to "create meaningful connections to the Los Angeles River" as its website prominently states.
The project will re-use two existing riverfront buildings and re-develop a vacant lot that was formerly used as an excavation equipment yard. It will also construct an approximately 40,000-square foot mixed-use building that consists of 40 live-work units arranged around a landscaped central courtyard; eight of the units will be reserved for low-income households. Approximately 15,500 square-foot of commercial space will be on the ground floor. Tax credits have enabled Terra River to offer discounted rents for non-profits, and river or community businesses.
Because of the Density Bonus incentives it received by reserving a portion for affordable housing, Terra River was able to increase its building height from 45 feet to 56 feet, which will be set back between 60 and 90 feet from the River. The development will have underground parking, three stories of studio units (about 700 square feet), and three-bedroom units (around 1,100 square feet) arranged in a U-shape. There will be 33 studios and seven three-bedroom units.
While taking attendees around the development renderings, Robert de Forest, co-founder of Terra River, points out that the company has taken pains to ensure this development is conducive to the neighborhood. "We're trying to build for the future but respect what's already here," he said.
Rather than build a more cost-effective ground level parking, Terra River invested in subterranean parking. It also designed the commercial space not to be an intimidating wall of retail, but porous blocks that open to the Allesandro Street and the River, peppered with greenery.
It also plans to eventually lower or remove the seven-foot concrete wall that separates the property from the Los Angeles river and open up the existing 1947 bow-truss building to the Los Angeles River bike path, so people can move freely from the path into the development. "This building is really just like a tent, supported by poles. We can open up this whole structure to allow the Los Angeles River through," explains de Forest.
Terra River is also working on a street-end park concept on Allesandro Street, which they hope would soften the transition between the development and the river. Landscaping also plays a large role in the project. In site plans, seating areas can be found alongside riparian landscaping. De Forest also says that a storm water recycling system with a giant cistern at the basement would be implemented at the project, which would help capture, treat and re-use the water instead of allowing urban runoff to flow through pipes and onto the river, which is what the current neighborhood infrastructure does.
Terra River also plans to welcome the community by involving local labor in its construction. It's aiming to have 25 percent of work hours on the project performed by Elysian Valley residents or from other low-income River-adjacent communities. It also plans to host community events around or near the Campus and making improvements to public spaces nearby.
Despite these locally focused initiatives, the neighborhood continues to be wary of what a development this size means for Elysian Valley. RAC Design Build principal Rick Cortez says, "The development has good ideas, but I think it might the right development at the wrong spot."
The architect questioned whether the picturesque renderings actually presented the scale of the project versus its surroundings to the public that morning. He notes, "This is the longest street that's on a dead end in the neighborhood and that's going to be a 56-foot development right next to the river."
Though Cortez is still reserving his opinions for further discussion, local resident Robert Leyland-Monefeldt firmly believes this development is not for the neighborhood. "This is a single-family dwelling in streets that end in the Los Angeles river. We cannot handle the additional activity that they're bent on bringing here." Monefeldt fears the development's planned 70 parking slots (which already represents an increase from the 57 required by the city) would be inadequate for the additional trips to the area.
Leyland-Monefeldt points out that there is so much more to address before adding a development such this to Elysian Valley. Only the 603 or 96 bus serves the area and it involves a lengthy walk to the bus stop. He also cites that even simple groceries are difficult to walk to from the neighborhood. Leyland-Monefeldt feels it would be better to relocate this project to another neighborhood that's more accessible by public transit.
The almost 20-year area resident believes the best use for the property is to turn it into a Los Angeles River Urban Wildlife refuge that would be protected from further development. It would instead become an interpretative center that would educate the public about the Los Angeles River.
The Campus is currently still undergoing permitting process, but work might begin in the "next couple of months" says de Forest. Terra River plans to hold additional open houses to get the community's feedback.]]>
On a recent festive night, the 104-year-old Palace Theatre, the oldest Orpheum theater in the country, presided over Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, sparkling like a grand dame from the last century miraculously rejuvenated.
Its polished marble finish gleamed; its ceiling murals glimmered; intricate detail abounded, leaving onlookers agape. Inside, a parade of red velvet seats unfolded amid multicolored terra cotta swags, flowers, and fairies. Depending on the hour, guests were treated to the soothing strums of the ukelele by the Honolulu Avenue Strummers or the buoyant folk style of Skylarks. For one night, the once lonely madam became a belle of the ball.
"Every person that walked in would pause with big eyes and jaws dropping. I wish you could have seen the look in people's faces," says 14th District City Councilman José Huizar.
It wasn't only the Palace that received its long delayed due, January 31st, seven historic theaters on Broadway opened to the public, eager to showcase their oft-forgotten beauty.
Close to fifty thousand people filled the streets that night, says Huizar. Historic theaters hosted free shows such as a rock and roll cabaret, sonic installations and immersive 3D black light murals. The party spilled onto the street -- vintage cars, mariachi players, burlesque dancers -- all illuminated by hypnotic neon signs of the theaters.
It was one heady night and Huizar thinks it shouldn't be the last one. For the past seven years, the councilman's office has been working to resuscitate Broadway Street, historically one of the city's most prominent thoroughfares.
"It was one of the most important streets in the city. The first city hall was on Broadway. Its where arts and entertainment first started, before they all moved to Hollywood," cites Huizar. Nowhere in the world can visitors walk by so many historic theaters and movie palaces. Block after block, stunning Beaux Arts, Art Deco, and revival-style buildings attract the eyes upward, teasing out its many intricate details. Famed acts such as the Marx Brothers, Houdini, and Duke Ellington once walked here, but it seems that time has dimmed the street's glamour.
With the decline of downtown also came Broadway's evolution. As demographic shifted, these movie palaces, the upscale shops and department stores on the street shuttered. By the 1970s and 1980s, the shopping options catered to immigrant communities that patronized cheap stores populating the bustling sidewalks.
This was the Broadway Huizar came to know. "I would go there as a kid to do back to school shopping," he says. "You could make a whole day of it on Broadway on two bucks and change. For 20 cents, you could take the bus from Boyle Heights to downtown Los Angeles; 99 cents gets your popcorn, and another 99 cents gets you three Bruce Lee movies."
Perhaps it was that precious childhood memory or the more logical eminence of the city street that first spurred Huizar to push for this revitalization, but Broadway is reaping the benefits of the council office's focus.
In the last few years, Broadway is slowly getting back its sheen. Trendy Ace Hotel opened at the Olympic corner, renovating the United Artist Theatre. The Rialto now houses an Urban Outfitters on 8th. Stylish Swedish retailer Acne Studios has even opened a flagship store within the Art Deco department store turned luxury condo, Eastern Columbia building. Eateries have also popped up along the street such as Alma, named Bon Appétit's best new restaurant in 2013 and Umami Burger even Grand Central Market and Clifton's have been experiencing upgrades.
Huizar says the idea for reviving Broadway wasn't new by any means, but it has been the most successful. In previous efforts, the city was willing to consider the idea, but property owners weren't on board, reasoning that their ground level rents still made enough money to offset the losses from vacant upper floors. In another effort, it was the other way around, with property owners ready, but the city busy with other priorities.
The councilman's office, it seems, came at just the right time. But it also didn't come without some planning. Two years was spent doing research, interviews, and brainstorming, trying to answer the question: "What prevents this revitalization from happening?"
The answer to that seemingly simple question wasn't so straightforward. Restoring the theaters is just one piece of the puzzle that makes up Bringing Back Broadway, a ten-year plan to revive the corridor between 2nd Street and Olympic Boulevard, which was initiated in 2008.
The team's planning yielded a multi-faceted plan that addressed all the regulatory hurdles the street faced. Bringing Back Broadway comprises efforts address lighting on the streets, maintain the characteristic signage of the area, and guide the future rehabilitation of the historic buildings on the street.
One of its most significant milestones is its streetscape plan. "That was the turning point," says Huizar, "When you change legislation, it's not really tangible, but when the streetscape plan came in, it signaled to people that something different was happening on Broadway."
The plan removed a traffic lane and piloted outdoor seating areas, pocket parks, and greenery. Because of the flexibility of these improvements, the team has the ability to road test iterations to see what works best for the neighborhood, before eventually making changes permanent.]]> One of the initiatives resolved the conflicting and confusing nature of historic codes of the state and city. "Building owners told us that was confusing to go to the city, but also deal with state historic building codes. It was easier to leave the building the way it was," says Huizar. His office helped reinterpret state building codes and adapted it to the city's standards, which made it easier and cheaper to reopen the historic buildings.
The most exciting proposal from the city is its move to bring back a four-mile streetcar system that would go through Bunker Hill, Music Center, historic Broadway, down to the Los Angeles Convention Center. "I think that's the shot in the arm we'll need," says Huizar. The project is finishing an environmental review and has already secured about $300 million in operating dollars for the next 30 years and $60 million for construction.
There are three years left to go on the initiative's timeline, but things are looking bright for Broadway. Diverse populations are returning to the historic street and, more importantly, they're lingering. Huizar predicts that despite its achievements Bringing Back Broadway would need a second phase. "We need to continue paying attention to Broadway and see how we can improve it."
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Top Image: The Los Angeles Theater | SoCal Connected


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Kanye West has left CAA and his longtime agent Cara Lewis to sign with UTA, which will represent the Grammy-winning artist in all areas.
RBC Bluesfest organizers have announced the lineup for the 2015 Ottawa Bluesfest, though the official announcement came little earlier than initially planned after some details were leaked.
Taylor Swift dealt a blow to Spotify last November after she pulled all of her music off the streaming service, now she's hitting them a second time after announcing her music will be available on Jay Z's new Tidal streaming service.
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa has announced the artist lineup or its upcoming concert series at the newly developed Borgata Festival Park in Atlantic City.
The Allocation for Music Producer Act (AMP) will be presented to Congress this week with bipartisan support. The bill aims to redistribute digital royalties in a way that fairly compensates producers, mixers, and engineers.
Agency, Management, Label, Tour Promoting Company & Public Relation Firm signings for the week ofMarch 26, 2015
ReverbNation was among the first online companies to attract and serve a large numbers of developing artists. They've continued to add new products and innovate, but are now testing the potential of their reach in a new way with the announcement of an a
Slipknot guitarist Mickael Thomson has been charged following a fight with his brother which left Thomson with a stab wound.
Comedian Chelsea Handler recently related her own "weird" experience with Bill Cosby in a recent interview with Esquire magazine, where Handler said he "tried to Cosby me."
New Jersey-based DIY rock band, Deaf Rhino, have partnered with Under The Gun Review to exclusively premiere their new song, "Hey You." More...
More than 125,000 people have signed a petition to cancel Kanye West's headlining slot at this year's Glastonbury Festival in favor of a rock act.
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subset: commoncrawl


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CSSE News
Upcoming Events/Meetings for CSSE students:
- ACM Weekly meetings: Thursday 7PM in Ullrich 111. On 3/26, a representative from Renaissance Learning will speak.
From the March 2015 issue of the Geode, Faculty Profile on Dr. Yan Shi. See page 7.
Read the Pioneer spotlight about Dr. Lily Chang.
From the December 2014 issue of the Geode, student spotlight on Joyce King. See page 5.


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Let's do what we can and should today. For when we lazily put off until tomorrow what we can do today, we steal tomorrow's joy.
Today's Devotional
Recent Devotionals
- Homes and Other Treasures 1/26/2015 - Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal (v.19).
- Chill or Kill?1/25/2015 - Don't sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent (v.4).
- The Restoration Promise1/24/2015 - God longs for us to turn away from our stubborn disobedience so we can know Him as our merciful and gracious Father
- What's in a Name?1/23/2015 - The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him
- Who We Are1/22/2015 - You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light
- Rolled Away...1/21/2015 - Today, God offers to roll away our shame through the work of Jesus, giving us a fresh start from even the worst and lowest moments of our lives.
- Serving Together1/20/2015 - How could you serve with others this week to bring glory to God as you help those in need?
- Big Shoulders1/19/2015 - The Bible is not propaganda. Unlike some governments that share only positive reviews, Scripture records the words of people who are frustrated with God.
- Vertical and Horizontal1/18/2015 - The apostle Paul insists that the gospel provides for reconciliation, where barriers are shattered and people are reunited.
- Do You Love God?1/17/2015 - Do you love God? Just think about it. How can a lowly person draw near, much less talk about being in a love relationship with such a high and exalted Being?
- IDK1/16/2015 - So much of life is lived in the "idk" ("I don't know")—those in-between times when our problems proliferate and threaten to obscure God's goodness. We wonder where He is.
- The Power of Beauty 1/15/2015 - Beauty speaks to our hearts like few things do. It not only draws us into itself, but it also has the power to take us to something beyond itself.
- Hard Paths1/14/2015 - No matter what we face, we know that Jesus will never leave us on the hard path alone
- Getting in Trouble1/13/2015 - Even if we get in trouble, sometimes we're compelled to go against traditions and preferences to help people in need.
- Sift Your Dreams1/12/2015 - As Paul says, our ultimate obligation is to love each other
- From a Distance1/11/2015 - "The LORD looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. From his throne he observes all who live on the earth"
No playlists found for this account.


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The Glynhill Hotel & Leisure Club
No availability found through our partners. Please contact the business directly or check some of our recommended alternatives.
How has this hotel rated in the past?
- Restaurant
- Free High-Speed Internet
- Room service
- Swimming pool
- Business Services
- Wheelchair accessibility
Photos of The Glynhill Hotel & Leisure Club
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TripAdvisor Reviews The Glynhill Hotel & Leisure Club Renfrew
Travel Blogs from Renfrew
Only 1 sleep to go!
... their Ruby Wedding anniversary– but only for a short time as we have a very early start in the morning.
All we have to do is put the toilet bags in the cases - and we're good to go. Rena has surprised me by having a case that only weighs in at 20kg - I can't imagine it will weigh that when we are heading home though!
We ...
Susanne and Hugh arrive
This morning I went by the Glasgow City Hall building, which was supposed to have a public tour of its fabulous interior. I got there a bit early so walked around the square for a bit - lots of statues of people who have been important in the history of Scotland. Loved the one of Queen Victoria sidesaddle on horseback. On the outside of City Hall was also a plaque with standard measures on it so that should anyone be in doubt they ...
... br> euros
passport photos for acquiring visas on borders
Names and addresses of People Who Make Be Contacted In An Emergency! (because I have a habit of being around when political turmoil kicks off.. and because it keeps the parents happy!)
As much underwear as I can squish into my smallest packing 'cube' thingy
4 skirts (is this excessive?)
1 pair of.. over the knee but not 3/4 length shorts things
1 pair ...
Gae Bar
... than anything so while I agreed they were good they weren�t that good. We had some food and went back to the Park Bar where we found the place a little more crowded - definitely locals - and everyone was really friendly; the music was supplied by two men (one guitar and one accordion) who did a mix of things and even took requests so at one point the whole bar broke into song - it was great. We had our beer and enjoyed friendly company and conversation then went back to ...
Scottish Adventures
... swans, and otters; and shivering in our fleece (on the odd occasion when we weren't burning 'neath the tropical sun). Actually we had brilliant weather at the beginning and even required sun cream!! Slept well and woke at 4 am to the lambs telling us that we had yet again closed the gate and they couldn't work the latch!! Visited the woolen mill where all the tweeds for 'Braveheart' were made; educated ourselves on the whisky distilling process; ...


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YOUR HOME FOR JUBILEE(8dic15/20nov16)
St. Peter and Historic Center, all within walking distance
Excellent connections Bus-Metro
Supermarket, pharmacy, restaurants pizzerias round the corner
WI-FI Free
Space where guests can cook their own meals
Towels, bed sheets, soap, and toilet paper
Space where guests can cook their own meals
Towels, bed sheets, soap, and toilet paper
Central heating or a heater in the listing
In the building, free or for a fee
In the building, free or for a fee
Continuous access in the listing
Breakfast is provided.
The listing can accommodate a gathering of 25 or more attendees
Easy access to the building and listing for guests in wheelchairs
Private or Shared
Free, in the building or nearby
Posted emergency information and resources
The Space
Mirabello Vacanze is a Home Holiday authorized by the Municipality of Rome (Aut. Roma Capitale S.C.I.A. Prot. 8957 del 25.10.2012).
Very peaceful and large apartment (85 sqm) and ideally located in a well connected area.
There are one queen size bed (main bedroom) and two sofas that convert to bed for a third and fourth person (2nd room). Upon request, Mirabello also provides up to 2 cots (for children up to 4 years) -free- and 1 folding (up to 12 years).
Discounts for families with 2 or more children.
The kitchen is fully equipped :dishwasher, microwave, stove, refrigerator, toaster, utensils, glasses, plates, pots/pans, kettle,coffee maker. There is also a laundry-area with window.
Bathroom: shower, bidet, hair dryer and towels supplied.
All linens free. Weekly change.
Children up to 4 years free.
Tourist Tax for Roma Capitale (not included in the rental price): € 3,50 (from 1th.Sept. 2014) per person per day up to the 10th day of stay (except for children under 10 years old) not included in the rental price.
On request transfer service from / to airport (€40 or € 75 round trip) by Car Rental Service with driver (NCC). In 25-30 minutes you get home.
Guest Access
The house is at your complete disposal.
Not shared.
The Neighborhood
It's a fifteen minut walk from Piazza San Pietro and Vatican Museum, close to bus terminus to go to Trastevere, Piazza Navona, Piazza Venezia,Colosseo; close to Metro A Ottaviano-San Pietro to go to Piazza del Popolo (only 2 stops) to Piazza di Spagna and Fontana di Trevi (3-4 stops).
With the number 32 bus you will get to San Pietro or to the Olympic Stadium.
Ideal accommodation for short periods of work or studies, the Prati-Vittorie is the seat of RAI Italian Radio-Television, and the headquarters of the Civil and Penal Courts of Rome and of the Supreme Court (Piazza Cavour).
The apartment is situated in a well served area with discount,local market, drugstore,shops.
In the neighborhood of Prati-SanPietro you'll find restaurants of local and regional cousine,pubs,cinemas and theaters.
The bicycle path runs just near home and leads to Castel Sant'Angelo and Lungotevere. You can easily rent bikes close to home.
Getting around
Excellent connections by metro and bus: Piazza del Popolo , Piazza di Spagna, Fontana di Trevi are 3 Metro stops from the Ottaviano-San Pietro (10 minutes walk).Piazzale Clodio (150 m) is a terminus of Bus leading to Piazza Navona, Piazza Venezia, Colosseo, Trastevere. N32 bus(1 min walk) leads to Ponte Milvio and the new Ponte della Musica.
Check-in: Tourist Tax for Municipality of Rome of € 3,50 per person per day up to the 10th day of stay (except for children up to 10 years) is not included in the price of the lease.
Our friends dogs are welcome by arrangement with the owner.
The apartment was fantastic. It was very clean, cozy. And it has all the amenities we need.
Also She is very welcoming,helpful and nice person. I really recommend her apartment
It was nice and simpel appartment with all complete necessities you need to stay, especially for longterm. Clean pantry, wash area, comfy livingroom and clean bathroom.
Ospite accogliente e disponibile. Appartamento molto pulito e curato ,silenzioso e comodo ai mezzi pubblici. Anche i ristoranti in zona sono di ottima qualità. Esperienza da ripetere!grazie mille a Gianna Maria
We spent 4 nights at Gianna's appartement, 2 adults and 2 teenagers. The (huge) place was large enough to accomodate us. It is tastefully decorated, with flashy color touches and nice furniture. It was also extremely clean. Since the windows are not on the street side, we couldn't hear any noise from the city. So, a VERY quiet place in general, except for when we could hear the people upstairs (which didn't happen often, and never at night). Perfect to relax after a busy day.
Gianna was there to welcome us and took her time to answer our questions. She was warm and smiling and really nice. She had a folder with lots of information about the area, the city, transportation, etc. She also recommended a local pizzeria that we checked and enjoyed very much (no tourists there, only locals!).
There's a tiny minimarket just next door - very practical to grab some food on your way home. A larger supermarket is 5mn away.
The subway station was about 10mn away, but there's a bus terminal just around the corner - very practical. Plus, walking to Vatican Museum took about 15/20 mn, St Peter's and Castel Sant'Angela are 10 mn further. So, Gianna's place is a good place if you want to walk to the city's attractions, rather than pay for public transportation.
Also, following Gianna's suggestion, we used a chauffeur service from and to the airport, and at 75 euros round trip, it was definitely a good deal for the four of us: 35mn from door to door, and the pleasure of being driven around. It obviously costs a bit more than train/bus, but not that much considering what you get for the price. We strongly recommend using this service in Rome, if you're a small group.
Altogether, a great appartment with a unique decoration, at a very good price, and well situated.
Signora Gianna Maria war super nett, zuvorkommend und immer für uns da.Sie hat unseren Transfer vom Flughafen und zurück zu einem fairen Preis organisiert. In der Wohnung war alles für eine schnelle Pasta und ein erstes Frühstück vorhanden. Toll! Die Wohnung ist wie im Internet beschrieben, aber aufgrund vieler Kleinigkeiten, die einfach da sind, eigentlich noch schöner und sehr sauber. Wir hatten sogar einen Weihnachtsbaum. Wir waren 2,5 Wochen dort und haben uns wie zuhause gefühlt. In der nächsten Umgebung kann man alles an Lebensmitteln einkaufen, was man braucht und das super frisch. Gute Restaurants gibt es auch mehrere. Busse und Metro sind absolut in der Nähe.Danke Signora Gianna Maria nochmals auf diesem Wege.
Ho prenotato L'appartamento di Gianna Maria per un soggiorno di lavoro, per un medico che ha partecipato ad un convegno organizzato dalla associazione per cui lavoro. Ho chiesto quindi di visitarlo di persona, ed é esattamente come viene descritto, anzi se possibile ancora meglio! Spazioso, pulito, arredato con gusto e originalità, ottimamente collegato (vicino alla metro e a diversi capolinea di bus), e a poche centinaia di metri dal Vaticano (3 fermate di autobus). Mi ha colpito la grande facilità di comunicazione e la disponibilità di Gianna Maria:ogni richiesta è stata soddisfatta con sollecitudine e precisione. Ottimo per coppie ma anche per famiglie con bambini, data la posizione centrale e i servizi a pochi passi (supermarket, bar, ristoranti). Sicuramente lo prenoteró in occasione di futuri congressi, è risultato essere molto più conveniente e comodo di una stanza d'albergo e il nostro ospite era davvero molto soddisfatto
We stayed for a week in Rom in Gianna Maria's apartment and we loved it.
The apartment is not in the center but still pretty close to town and has good access to public transport. The apartment was super clean and well-equipped and it had everything we needed.
We met Gianna Maria last day to return the keys, but we had everything we needed and was therefore not necessary to meet earlier. She is very friendly and helpful person and has constantly been in touch with us in case we should need anything.
Lieta di accogliervi a Mirabello Vacanze !
Welcome to Mirabello Vacanze !


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Color wheel won't turn on LED Christmas decoration
texasgal47December 7, 2012
I have 3 plastic LED Christmas structures which were sold by Avon about 5 to 6 years ago. The led lights work on the church and house, but the wheel which makes them change colors no longer rotates. Any thoughts as to what I might try for a repair? Also, the led lights on the gazebo don't come on, either by batteries or by plugging in. I suspect the lights are good but there is a problem with a connection. Thanks in advance for your assistance.


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Music on Meighan concert series begins Saturday
Published: Sunday, April 29, 2012 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, April 30, 2012 at 7:57 a.m.
The concert series "Music on Meighan" will kick off for the year at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Alabama City Gazebo.
The concerts, sponsored by the city of Gadsden, will be presented the first Saturday of each month through October.
Performing Saturday will be Coosa River Bob, Carol C, Richard Phillips and Charisma and Bobbie McCoy and the Hokes Bluff Huddle House Band.
There will be free food, and bringing lawn chairs is encouraged.
For more information, call 256-328-1860.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


text:
Teach for America trainees face tough Minnesota test
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Dozens of Teach for America members looking to get placed in Minnesota classrooms are facing tougher scrutiny from the state.
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1940 Ford DeLuxe Tudor Convertible. Arizona car since new. Restored less than 10 years ago. Ex Leo Gephart collection. Dual exhaust, 12V conversion. No... More
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Dearborn Award recipient and former AACA Grand National Winner (2001). An absolutely stunning 1940 Ford! Previously in the Jackie Jones Ford Collection. Multiple award... More
1940 Ford 2dr CoupeRam Jet fuel injected 350 cui. Automatic column shift transmission. Painted in Ivory & Silver with Purple / Turquoise striping. Light... More
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Don't miss out on this awesome everyday driver. Chevy 350, TH350, aluminum radiator, 9 inch Ford rear end w/ 4 link & coilovers, Mustang... More
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