Last month, local bloggers and TV newscasters carried the story of ALZA the sign painter, Los Paisanos Market, and the city's order to remove the painted signage on the market.  http://activerain.com/blogsview/645516/ALZA-Paisanos-Meet-City In the last few days, a new mural has appeared on the side of Los Paisano's building.  The "Wild Style" letters spell out RESPECT.   The previous mural that was painted over:   09/22/2008

Our early ancestors were deeply aware of changes in the seasons, and changes in the heavens above them.  As the days shortened, the harvest wound down. The fields were nearly empty, because the crops had been plucked and stored for the coming winter.  As the autumn equinox approached, the ancients celebrated the changing seasons and gave thanks for the harvest. Each equinox signals a balance between dark and light, an equal amount of day and night. While our ancestors celebrated the gifts of the earth, they also accepted that the time of light was ending.  They had stores of food to eat, but the crops were brown and going dormant. Warmth was behind them, and long days of cold ahead. During Medieval times, The Christian Church replaced earlier Pagan solstices and equinox celebrations  wi... 09/22/2008

It's Tuesday again! Join us at the Old L.A. Farmers Market in Highland Park. The market is open every Tuesday from 3 to 8, on Avenue 58 and Marmion Way. Note:  Old L.A. Farmer's Market accepts the EBT food stamp cards for food purchases. Every week there is a Neighborhood Council booth where you can learn about what's going on throughout your community.The Market also features numerous craft vendors, located on Marmion Way, and farmers, whose booths are on the east side of Avenue 58, north from Figueroa 09/15/2008

Announcement: Cypress Park Branch Library hosts a reading by two writers, one from the community. Contact: Conrad Romo, (323) 931-1200, www.tongueandgroovela.comBranch Librarian Patty Rostomian, (323) 224-0039 LOS ANGELES - Most of the attention the working-class, largely Latino community of Cypress Park northeast of downtown receives from major media comes from spasms of gang violence. The fatal shooting in August of a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy. The February shooting outside Aragon Elementary School. But the community is much more than that. The Cypress Park Branch Library, a hub of community activity at 1150 Cypress Ave., will showcase another side of the neighborhood with a free reading 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, featuring two local authors, one of whom grew up in Cypress P... 09/13/2008

Looking for something to do today? Here's just a partial list of events happening in Northeast Los Angeles on Saturday, September 13:                   8:30 - 10:30 am  - Audobon Center in Debs Park:  Family Bird Watching Walk en Español For families with children ages 4 and up. Join an Audubon naturalist in looking for birds in Debs Park. This walk will teach you how to identify birds that live here. Bring your own binoculars or borrow some of ours. Coffee and pan dulce will be served. This program will be presented in Spanish.  8:30-10:30 am -- Mount Washington Elementary School:  23rd ANNUAL PANCAKE BREAKFAST** Don't miss this Mt. Washington tradition! It's a great way to meet old and new friends. Breakfast includes pancakes, sausage, fruit, juice, and coffee. Adults $6, Kids $3. We'... 09/13/2008

The second Saturday of every month is Gallery Night in Northeast Los Angeles:  Your opportunity to explore the Galleries, Shops, Restaurants and Nightlife in the historic and eclectic neighborhoods of Northeast Los Angeles.  Maybe even purchase art for your home or office.   Tour participating galleries this Saturday, September 13, from 7PM - 10 PM.   Wrap up the evening with food and drinks at La Casa Blue or Mr. T's Bowl.  September  Highlights: José Vera Fine Art & Antiques Saturday, September 137:00pm - 900pm 2012 Colorado Boulevard, Eage Rock CA 90041 is pleased to present its Hispanic Heritage Month Exhibit, which features the artwork of Joe Bravo, Irene Carranza, Sergio Hernandez, and Xilomen Rios. Joe Bravo is a first generation American of Mexican heritage. Joe has been honing ... 09/12/2008

  Saturday, September 27, 2008 from 10 am to 12 midnight On September 27, poets from across Southern California will gather for a benefit poetry marathon for  Avenue 50 Studio in LA's Highland Park.  This non-stop poetry marathon features many top LA poets.  There will be a book give away each hour donated from publishers across the country.  This reading is about keeping the doors of the Avenue 50 Studio open after it's devastating robbery last June. Steve Abee, Gloria Alvarez, Theresa Antonia, Cat B., Laurel Ann Bogen, Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo, Amaranth Borsuk, Jack Brewer, Leo Victor Briones, Stephine Brown, Elena K. Bryne, Luis Campos, Brendan Constantine , Dennis Cruz,  James Cushing, Peggy Dobreer, Kate Durbin, Erica Erdman, Yvonne M. Estrada, Consuelo Flores, Michael C . Ford, Ses... 09/11/2008

HIGHLAND PARK COMMUNITY FESTIVAL AND FIREWORKS SHOWSEPTEMBER 13 AT FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL FIELD On Saturday, September 13, 2008, there will be a Community Festival and Fireworks Show at the Franklin High School football field, 820 North Avenue 54, from 3 o'clock in the afternoon to 9 o'clock in the evening. Admission will be FREE. There will be plenty of food and family fun, game booths and prizes, free live entertainment, an aerosol art contest, a 50/50 raffle, a dunking tank, face painting, and a mobile skate park including community resource and health booths and rock climbing. Children and youth are encouraged to bring their skate boards, helmets, and pads. Several thousand people are expected to attend the event, which will be capped by a nighttime fireworks show. Everyone i... 09/08/2008

Here you have it, one of my very first attempts to video the wild parrot flocks of Northeast Los Angeles. Yes, a tripod would help.  But, here's the problem,  I set up the tripod in my back yard, thinking the parrots would go to the persimmion tree in the back, so instead they go to the pine tree in the front.  Or I set up the tripod aiming at my neighbor Edem's tree to the east, so they go to my neighbor Jane's tree to the west instead. So, I think I'm stuck with hand held.  The video was shot with a Panasonic DMC-FZ18. Here's a still shot at the same time with the same camera: 09/07/2008

The 4th World Festival of Sacred Music - Los Angeles and The Arroyo Arts Collective present: The Music and Shadows of BaliSunday, September 14, 2008 2pmFREE Music & Puppet Performanceat Center for the Arts Eagle Rock2225 Colorado Boulevard, Eagle Rock , CA 90041The Arroyo Arts Collective and Center for the Arts Eagle Rock are proud to be part of the World Festival of Sacred Music in hosting Bali & Beyond's alluring afternoon of gamelan music and shadow puppetry.Bali and Beyond, a Los Angeles-based performing company inspired by the cultures of Indonesia, led by music director Cliff DeArment and dalang (shadow artist) Maria Bodmann, celebrates two of the most ancient performing arts traditions in the world: presenting the shimmering polyrhythms of gamelan music, performed on traditional ... 09/06/2008

  SAVE THE DATE: NOVEMBER 23, 2008THE ARROYO ARTS COLLECTIVE RE-DISCOVERY TOURYou've been wondering, you've been asking, "When is that artist tour in Northeast Los Angeles anyway? Shouldn't it be coming up?" Well, mark your calendar. Bigger and better than ever, with over 130 artists, 32 of them new to the Tour this year, The Arroyo Arts Collective Re-Discovery Tour will be Sunday, November 23, 2008, 9:30am to 5:00pm, beginning at the Lummis Home, 200 East Avenue 43 (at the Avenue 43 exit of the Pasadena Freeway), Los Angeles, California 90031.For more information visit our website at http://www.arroyoartscollective.orgWhat: The Arroyo Arts Collective Re-Discovery TourWhen: Sunday, November 23, 2008, 9:30am-5:00pmWhere: Begins at the Lummis Home, 200 East Avenue 43, Los Angeles, CA 900... 09/04/2008

The original Arroyo Seco Branch Library in Highland Park was built in 1913 with funding from the Carnegie Institute, it was designed by local Garvanza area architect Frederick M. Ashley. Note the classical architectural style with ionic columns. This building was demolished in 1959, and replaced in 1960 with a "State of the Art" modern building designed by architect John J. Langdon. The original design of this mid-century building provided rooftop parking.  However the constant movement of cars on the roof soon resulted in roof leaks, and that feature was eventually abandoned. In 2004, the mid-century building was demolished, and replaced with a larger library designed by the firm of M2A.  The new building echos the area's predominant turn-of-the-20th-century Mission and Craftsman style... 09/01/2008

There are two things that make Bradley Court stand out in Monterey Hills. First, it's the only PUD (Planned Unit Development) in Monterey Hills. It consists of 16 spacious homes with their own garages and their own individual style. Second, built in 2001, Bradley Court is the last property complex built on the hill, making it the newest. These beautiful PUD style homes offer majestic views and a lot of interior space. Most are 3 bedrooms and 3 baths with over 1,600 sq. ft. A little private yard, a gourmet kitchen, bathroom with a spa are just some of the amenities of Bradley Court. Bradley Court homes were selling originally in the $800,000 range. There was a recent sale, a short sale, that closed a few months ago for $655,000. Because there are only 16 units in this very small Monterey... 09/01/2008

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, in 2005, the animal rescue volunteers of Pasado's Safe Haven earned a reputation as a small, but tough and determined group. With the lessons learned from Katrina, Pasado's has opened an Animal Aid Station to prepare for the approach of Gustav. Here is Pasado's list of items of needed items as of 8/31/208.  Visit the Pasado website for updates. WHAT WE NEED NOW! 8/31/08 12:55 pm PST PLEASE CROSS-POST!Volunteer! Click here.Veterinarians, vet techs, vet assistants: Our vets arrive after the storm hits. But we will need fresh, energized veterinary medical teams. Are you a vet? Tech? Assistant? Click here - we need you!Drivers needed to drive 24-foot disaster relief animal aid truck from Seattle to New Orleans - leaving tomorrow! Click here to help.La... 08/31/2008

I had a conversation with a couple friends yesterday about John McCain and his selection of Sara Palin as a running mate. The conversation wound its way into the topic of a President's legacy being his (or her) Supreme Court appointments.   And the possibility that the next president may have at least one appointment to make in the next four years, given that Justice John Paul Stevens is now in his late eighties. I ended up making this list of the current Supreme Court Justices, sorted by each Justice's year of birth:  JUSTICE NAME YEAR OF BIRTH YEAR APPOINTED APPOINTED BY         John Paul Stevens 1920 1975 Gerald Ford Ruth Bader Ginsberg 1933 1993 Bill Clinton Anthony Kennedy 1936 1988 Ronald Regan Antonin Scalia 1936 1986 Ronald Regan Stephen Breyer 1938 1994 Bill Clinton David Hacke... 08/31/2008

Occasionally you will hear a local activist refer to the "Trilogy", meaning three historic architectural treasures located in Northeast Los Angeles:  The Southwest Museum, El Alisal (Charles Lummis' personal residence) and Casa de Adobe.   The Casa de Adobe is a reconstruction of a pre-1850s Spanish California hacienda.  It was built not a as home, but as a museum for the Hispanic Society; it was designed by the office of architect Theodore Eisen and completely hand-built by local adobe craftsman Jose Velazquez.  The Casa was completed in 1918.  It was deed to the Southwest Museum in 1922 when the Hispanic Society disbanded. This remarkable landmark is not generally open to the public. It is currently being used for special museum events only.  Visitors may, however, view the Casa throu... 08/28/2008

Andalucia in Los Angeles:  "9 Del Sur" Fatima Conesa · Paco Conti · Teresa Lafita · Irene Mala · Rocio Arregui ·Antonio Herman · Cristina Galeote · Cristina de Lorenzo · Aurora Perea Guest Curated by Gabriela B. Aeberhard, Murnau Art Gallery, Seville, Spain Opening Night Reception:  Saturday, September 6, 2008 from 7-10 pm The Avenue 50 Studio is proud to present an overseas exchange between Murnau Art Gallery (Seville, Spain) and the Avenue 50 Studio (Los Angeles):  "9 Del Sur," (9 From the South).  This exhibit introduces the work of nine emerging Andalusian artists whose boldness and vitality captures our imagination.  From the subtle yet striking landscapes by Fatima Conesa to Paco Conti's abstract "Naufragio" (Shipwreck) pieces, Murnau Art Gallery brings us paintings that show toda... 08/27/2008

The final concert of the free concert series at Heritage Square is Thursday, August 28, from 4:30 PM and 8:00 PM . The Sometimes in Tune Band begin the evening playing bluegrass and American folk music with a fun, energetic twist. Rounding out the series is Orquesta Salsumba, who combine the rhythms of Salsa, Rumba and Latin Jazz to create a contagious energy sure to bring you to your feet! Led by Eddie de la Fey, this 12 piece band is sure to please!  The last concert drew over 200 people, so be sure to get to the museum early to guarantee a good seat, see our historic architecture up close, to try local food and drink and shop in the museum store.  To see a few select photos of the first concert, please visit our blog athttp://heritagesquare.blogspot.com. Contributing and Heritage Squ... 08/26/2008

SAVE THE DATE:  September 13, 2008 Monterey Hills gets ready for the annual JAZZ FESTIVAL Stop by for all the FUN on September 13th 2008 For additional information, please visit www.MontereyHills.org. 08/26/2008

Some people like to photograph flowers.  I like to photograph street art.  (Well, I like flowers, too.) I especially like street art that is colorful, clever and creative.  And this mural on the side of Guerrero's Produce Market, Inc. on the corner of Avenue 54 and York Blvd. in Highland Park, mets that criteria.   08/25/2008