“Buy Local” sweepstakes winner Pete Jimenez (center) with $50 Barcade gift certificate, compliments of the Boulevard Sentinel. Local journalists Bill and T. A. Hendrickson celebrated with Jimenez.

Three Winners Chosen in Local Sweepstakes

By T. A. Hendrickson
Pete Jimenez, a lifelong resident of Highland Park, and two Eagle Rock residents – Jane Demian and Ethan Metcalfe – are the winners in the Boulevard Sentinel’s “Buy Local” sweepstakes.

The Sentinel awarded each winner a $50 gift certificate to the merchant of their choosing from among the 21 merchants who participated in the sweepstakes.

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Alexandra Noel, "Can you bring everything with you?", 2019 Oil and enamel on panel. 8 ¼ x 10 ¼ in. (21 x 26 cm). Courtesy of the artist and Bodega, New York

Major Exhibition Featuring NELA Artists to Open in the Fall

By T. A. Hendrickson Made in L.A. 2020 has been delayed but not waylaid. The high-profile exhibition of Los Angeles-based artists, originally scheduled for this summer, is now set to run from early September through January 3. This is great news for the 30 artists in the show, a group that includes five artists from […]

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Governor Newsom announcing renewed closures on July 1 | Photo courtesy of esq.com

The Coronavirus in NELA: An Update

By T. A. Hendrickson
It’s summer and Northeast Los Angeles – like the rest of the city, state and much of the nation – is in the grip of a worsening coronavirus pandemic.
On July 1, Governor Newsom announced a three-week halt to indoor visits to restaurants, wineries, entertainment centers, card rooms, museums, zoos and movie theaters. Bars were closed by an earlier order.
Elected and public health officials are also imploring residents to stay at home as much as possible, wear masks, keep distance and refrain from parties and private gatherings.
Here’s an overview of the local situation:

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Broken store window at LA Thrift on Eagle Rock Boulevard in Glassell Park | Photo by T. A. Hendrickson

Black Lives Matter Brings Brick Through Window in Glassell Park

By T. A. Hendrickson
A brick was hurled through the “Black Lives Matter” sign painted on the glass storefront of L.A. Road Thrift Store on Eagle Rock Boulevard in Glassell Park.
Surveillance footage shows the vandalism occurring at 12:30 a.m. by a person wearing a bandana mask and driving a blue Prius, said Matt Troyer, the store manager.

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Images by Bill Hendrickson, Graphic presentation by Boulevard Sentinel.

More Scrutiny for Nursing Homes Hit by Coronavirus

By T. A. Hendrickson and Emily Jo Wharry

Nursing homes, ground zero for coronavirus cases and deaths in Los Angeles County, will soon come under the scrutiny of an inspector general, a new position created recently by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.

The mandate of the inspector general – to determine what must change to improve nursing home conditions, oversight and enforcement – will extend to all skilled nursing facilities in the county. CLICK THE IMAGE TO READ MORE.

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Protesters raise their arms while chanting, “Hands up, don’t shoot!” at Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles on May 31.(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Letter from the Editor: Pandemic. Unrest. Community.

By T.A. Hendrickson In the 10th week of the coronavirus shutdown in Los Angeles, as this June issue of the Boulevard Sentinel was being finalized, the city, still struggling to escape the grip of the pandemic, was seized again – by peaceful protest turned violent in the wake of the shocking killing in Minneapolis of […]

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Chili's, like many other restaurants, is now offering alcohol to go.

Alcohol To-Go Raises Concerns

By T. A. Hendrickson Alcohol Justice, the coalition that has led the fight against later closing times for bars in California, has expressed alarm over new state rules that let restaurants sell beer, wine and mixed drinks for pickup and delivery. The new rules, in effect since March 20,  are intended to help the alcohol […]

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The Hammer Museum and the Huntington are collaborating on Made in L.A. 2020.

NELA Artists to Participate in Major Exhibition

Five artists who live or work in Northeast Los Angeles have been selected to participate in the fifth Made in L.A. biennial exhibition, which will take place at the Hammer Museum in Westwood and the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino from June 7 through August 30.

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Services for the homeless coming to ER Rec Center aux parking lot? Photo | Bill Hendrickson

City to Evaluate Parking Lot on Figueroa for Homeless Services

By T. A. Hendrickson An effort in Eagle Rock to create safer, more sanitary conditions for the homeless advanced on November 15, when the Los Angeles City Council told city agencies to study the use of the parking lot at 7541 Figueroa Street as a homeless-services staging area. Among the potential uses: Installing mobile showers […]

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Logo for the 6th Annual Highland Park Independent Film Festival - October 3 - October 5, 2019

Your Guide to the 6th Annual Highland Park Independent Film Festival

With 50 films over three days, this year’s Highland Park Independent Film Festival is the largest and most ambitious in the festival’s six-year history. The screenings, at the Highland Theater (5604 N. Figueroa St.) include six world premieres, four Los Angeles premieres and an Academy Award-nominated short. There are films in virtually every genre: animation, documentary, sci-fi, action/adventure, noir and foreign. Here’s a moviegoer’s guide to festival:

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Hilda Solis, L.A. county supervisor and Metro board member, spoke with attendees at a recent Metro meeting in Eagle Rock. Other top officials also attended. Photo of Hilda Solis provided by Supervisor Solis’ office.

Metro Debate In Eagle Rock Enters New Phase

As County Supervisor and Metro Director Hilda Solis and Metro leaders and staff come to Eagle Rock to hear what the community has to say about Metro’s proposed BRT route on Colorado Boulevard, political decisions on Metro’s plan take center stage.

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Ana Serrano inside her installation, Homegrown, which has been acquired by the L.A. County Musuem of Art | Photo by John S. Rabe

Artwork by Ana Serrano Acquired by L.A. County Museum of Art

From the College of Art and Design to the LA County Museum, Ana Serrano evokes the look and feel of front-yard, window-ledge spaces in Latino neighborhoods. Read on for a view of the creative expression of what we pass by every day in NELA.

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The proposed North Hollywood to Pasadena bus rapid transit line would run through Eagle Rock on Colorado Boulevard

Four Questions for Metro on Bus Rapid Transit in Eagle Rock

Attention Eagle Rockers: Bring your comments and questions on Saturday, July 13, to a meeting with Metro about its Bus Rapid Transit plan for Eagle Rock. Here are four questions the Boulevard Sentinel is submitting for the record. The meeting will be at the Eagle Rock Plaza from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

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Jack Goldberg addressing supporters

Jackie Goldberg Wins School Board Election. Voter Turnout Was Poor.

Jackie Goldberg, a veteran local politician, won a decisive victory on May 14 over Heather Repenning, a former city commissioner, for the Board District 5 (BD 5) seat on the Los Angeles School Board, which includes Northeast Los Angeles. The task now before Goldberg, who was endorsed by the L.A. teachers union, is to find the money to deliver on her promise of smaller class sizes and more counselors, nurses and teachers aides.

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Vielka McFarlane

Prison Time for Charter School Founder with Ties to NELA

Vielka McFarlane, who founded the Celerity network of charter schools located in Eagle Rock and other parts of Los Angeles, was sentenced on May 20 to 30 months in prison for misspending public education money on luxuries for herself, including first-class plane travel, fine dining and high-end shopping.
McFarlane pleaded guilty in January to one count of conspiracy to misappropriate and embezzle public money. The plea followed an investigation, starting in 2012, by the inspector general of L.A. Unified School District and federal authorities.

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Los Angeles County is the hardest-to-count county in the nation.

Countdown to the 2020 Census

By T. A. HendricksonAt a recent rally downtown in Los Angeles to urge everyone to be counted in the 2020 census, city and county officials did not mince words: The obstacles to participation in the census are high, they said. But failure to get a full and accurate count would be devastating, financially and politically.

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School News: Renaissance Arts Academy Is Honored. Another Area School Needs Improvement.

Renaissance Arts Academy, a K-12 charter school in Glassell Park, has been designated a “California Distinguished School” by the California Department of Education. The school is one of 162 middle and high schools in the state to receive the honor, which recognizes exceptional student performance or consistent progress in closing the achievement gap. It is […]

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Marcos Juarez, a realtor, and Alex Lozano, a broker associate, both with Compass Real Estate in Highland Park, showing a rendering of Frank Romero's next mural, 'Going to the Olympics Again.' -Photo by Bill Hendrickson

Frank Romero Mural Coming to Highland Park

By T. A. Hendrickson

When Frank Romero painted the mural “Going to the Olympics” for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, he was already famous as a founding member of Los Four, the artist collective that put Chicano art on the art-world map.

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L.A. County Supervisor for NELA, Hilda Solis, (center in colorful scarf) pictured at the rally for striking teachers today in Grand Park in downtown L.A. with Randi Weingarten, (in rain poncho), president of the American Federation of Teachers and other strike supporters.

Where NELA’s Elected Officials Stand on the Teacher Strike, Day One

The Boulevard Sentinel emailed NELA’s elected leaders – local, state and federal – asking whether they support the teachers, the LAUSD or are neutral. Here are the replies: L.A. City Councilmember Gil Cedillo, Council District 1: “Councilmember Cedillo is with teachers and hopes both parties can reach an agreement as soon as possible to minimize […]

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Charter School Founder with Ties to Eagle Rock Pleads Guilty to a Felony

Vielka McFarlane, the founder and former chief executive of Celerity Educational Group, a Los Angeles charter school network, has pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to misappropriate and embezzle public funds. In her plea, reported by the L.A. Times on Dec. 21, Ms. McFarlane admitted that she had misspent $2.5 million in public funds intended for Celerity students.

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More Problems for Councilmember Huizar

A former aide to NELA’s Councilmember José Huizar is suing the city of Los Angeles, alleging that she faced retaliation for speaking up about his “potential legal and ethical violations,” the Los Angeles Times has reported. The lawsuit, which names Mr. Huizar as a defendant, comes as a special investigatory panel is looking into a […]

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Rules May Be Coming Soon on Short-Term Rentals 

On any given day, about 500 rentals in Highland Park, Eagle Rock and Mount Washington are on offer through Airbnb and other short-term rental sites.   New rules proposed in September by the City Planning Commission could affect many of them.  The proposed rules, if approved by the City Council, would limit short term rentals […]

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NELA neighborhoods are in or surrounded by a "very severe hazard" fire zone

New Data Suggest Vast Devastation in a NELA Wildfire    

While it’s no secret that Northeast Los Angeles is vulnerable to wildfire, it’s hard to fathom the scale of possible destruction. New data released in December give a sense of just how devastating wildfire in NELA could be. Consider: Five NELA communities rank in the top 20 of L.A. neighborhoods with the most buildings in […]

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Shop Locally. Boost the Community. Have a Great Holiday. 

The small businesses of Eagle Rock will roll out a collective welcome mat on Saturday, Nov. 24, with retailers and service businesses up and down the boulevards offering some of their best deals of the year and sponsoring special events. The occasion is Shop Small Saturday, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, when small businesses nationwide showcase […]

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Panel to Investigate Councilmember Huizar for Discrimination, not Harassment or Retaliation

by T. A. Hendrickson On Oct. 2, the spokesperson for the City Personnel Department, Bruce Whidden, said he had erred in September when he stated that a complaint filed against Mr. Huizar dealt with allegations of harassment, discrimination and retaliation. Responding to questions from the Los Angeles Times, Mr. Whidden said that the personnel department’s […]

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Local Nonprofit Receives $200,000 to Help Refugees

Miry’s List, an organization founded by Miry Whitehill of Eagle Rock to help refugees resettle in Southern California, has received a $200,000 grant to expand its work. The money, in the form of an LA2050 “Connect” grant from the Goldhirsh Foundation, will be a game-changer for the organization – and for the refugees, asylum seekers […]

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Get to Know: Jan Lin

Jan Lin, a sociology professor at Occidental College, has written a book about Northeast Los Angeles. Released in December and entitled Taking Back the Boulevard: Art, Activism, and Gentrification in Los Angeles, it is the story of Highland Park and Eagle Rock, a biography of a place – and like all good biographies, it tells […]

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Las Chikas - Courtesy Photo

Art and Performance in Northeast L.A. – Gilbert Cedillo’s Latin Jazz and Music Festival

Picks from the people who bring you the Boulevard Sentinel By Mary Lynch Gilbert Cedillo’s  Latin Jazz and Music Festival, now in its 6th year at Sycamore Grove Park in Highland Park, is a two-day, day-and-night celebration. The music is nonstop: There are seven bands each day – basically a band an hour — starting […]

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Photo from MoMA PS1 retrospective -Mike Kelley/October 13, 2013–February 2, 2014 - This piece was one of over 200 works, from early pieces made during the 1970s through 2012. The exhibition occupied the entire museum.

Art and Performance in Northeast L.A. – Mike Kelley Foundation For The Arts

The Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts, headquartered in Highland Park, preserves and promotes the legacy of Mike Kelley (1954-2012). Kelley, regarded as one of the most influential American artists of the late 20th and early 21st century, had his studio on Tipton Way in Highland Park. Influential? Check some of his art here.

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Social Change: How You Can Make a Difference

Picks from the people who bring you the Boulevard Sentinel

The problems of the world are also local problems. Here are several ways in and near NELA to learn more about the issues and work toward solutions. We list ways for both children and adults. They include courses exhibits and programs by the Audubon Center, Eagle Rock Library, The Wall Las Memorias Project and the Museum of Social Justice.

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Editor’s Notebook: October 2019

The Editor’s Notebook contains a calendar of fun things to do, important things to know, ways to get involved and events to put on your calendar. Kudos Los Angeles City Councilmember Gil Cedillo and the L.A. Dodgers recently donated five ping pong tables to nonprofit agencies serving youth and seniors in Cedillo’s Council District 1 […]

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