Become a Member of the ERNC Board

If you have a desire to understand how our City Government works, and to be a voice for your community, then the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council is the place for you.  The mission of the ERNC is to assure effective Stakeholder participation and interaction with our Council District and City Government on issues that affect our community. Applications are due on September 6 at 3pm. Link to applications is in this article.

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4 a.m. bar bill defeated; NELA’s Assemblymember Carrillo voted to pass the bill while NELA’s city councilmembers opposed it

By T.A. Hendrickson

The State Assembly has defeated a bill – SB 930 — to extend last call at bars in selected California cities from 2 a.m. currently to 4 a.m. The vote to kill the bill, on Aug. 24, was 31 to 25, with 24 Assemblymembers not voting.

The defeat in the Assembly means that the bill will not come before the State Senate.

Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo, a Democrat who represents Northeast Los Angeles, voted with the losing side to allow a later last call.

SB 930 was the fifth try since 2013 to extend last call in California

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Photo | Calmatters.org

L.A.’s eastside, including NELA, hit hard by monkeypox; at-risk people prioritized for vaccines

By T.A. Hendrickson Nearly half of the 1,105 monkeypox cases in Los Angeles County for which geographic information is available have been reported in the health-service area that includes Boyle Heights, Eagle Rock, Echo Park, Highland Park, Hollywood, downtown Los Angeles, Los Feliz, Silver Lake and West Hollywood, the Los Angeles Times has reported. About […]

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Miami Marlins relief pitcher, Andrew Nardi | Image: YouTube/Fishstripes Exclusives

Andrew Nardi, scion of Eagle Rock family, makes his major league pitching debut

By Mary Lynch

Andrew Nardi, a left-handed pitcher drafted by the Miami Marlins in 2019, was called up to the major leagues this week, debuting on Aug. 16 in a home game against the San Diego Padres.

But it was his second big-league appearance, on Aug. 20, that really sent shivers through Nardi’s family and friends. That’s when Nardi, 24, pitched in his first game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Dodger Stadium.

Nardi is the son of Tony and Liz Nardi, both of whom grew up in Eagle Rock. He is the nephew of Mike Nardi and Paul Nardi and the grandson of Barbara Nardi, a beloved longtime resident of Eagle Rock who passed away last year at age 88.

Nardi, a reliever, pitched the bottom of the sixth inning in the game against the Dodgers. To read how Nardi did on Aug 20, click here.

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City Councilmember Gil Cedillo (at podium, right) endorsed mayoral candidate Rick Caruso (left) at a rally in Pico-Union on Aug. 11. | Photo by T.A. Hendrickson/Boulevard Sentinel

Gil Cedillo endorses Rick Caruso as mayoral candidates compete for Latino vote

By T.A. Hendrickson Gil Cedillo, the Los Angeles city councilmember representing much of Northeast L.A., today endorsed Rick Caruso for Mayor of Los Angeles. Cedillo (Council District 1) announced his support at a rally/press event at La 27th Street Restaurante Nicaragüense in Pico Union. The theme of the event, emblazoned on placards held aloft by […]

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Bars would stay open until 4 a.m. in selected California cities under a bill now making its way through the state legislature. | Photo Daisy Barringer/Thrillist

NELA city councilmembers oppose Sacramento’s latest drive to keep bars open until 4 a.m.

By T.A. Hendrickson

For the fourth time since 2017, State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) is championing a “4 a.m. bar bill” that would let local governments in selected California cities participate in a five-year pilot program to extend last call from 2 a.m. currently to 4 a.m. 

As in years past, Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo, who represents Northeast Los Angeles, is a co-author of the bill – SB 930.

And once again, the L.A. City Council has voted to pass a resolution opposing Sacramento’s drive for extended bar hours. There’s more. Click here to continue on with our story.

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This Highland Park bungalow sold for $1,206 million in June, 10% above the asking price. It was off the market in 30 days.

House prices in NELA dip as borrowing costs rise

By Jeffery Marino

The housing market in Northeast Los Angeles began to slow in June, the latest month with comprehensive data, as higher interest rates took a bite out of what homebuyers were able and willing to pay.

The median price for a house in NELA in June was $1.218 million, $28,000 lower than in May (a 2% drop). It was the first decline in the monthly median since November 2020. There’s more. Click to read about it.

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Two restaurants on the L.A. Times’ new ‘best burrito’ list are in Highland Park. | Photo by Mariah Tauger / L.A. Times; illustration and animation by Martin Gee / For the Times)

For the best burritos in L.A., head to Highland Park

By T.A. Hendrickson Two restaurants in Highland Park have made it onto the Los Angeles Times’ new list of “Best Breakfast Burritos in L.A.,” by Times’ food critic, Bill Addison. Jugos Azteca offers a burrito “riddled with bacon and chorizo, scrambled egg, avocado slices and splotches of Monterey jack cheese disappearing into clouds of potato,” […]

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Diana Barnwell, 1938 – 2021 | Photo courtesy of Daniel Wright

Remembering: Diana Barnwell, 1938 – 2021

By Daniel Wright When Diana Barnwell of Mount Washington died on May 17, age 82, her family, friends and colleagues grieved their loss while celebrating her life of inspired and exemplary civic involvement. Barnwell was a pioneer in the historic preservation movement in Northeast Los Angeles, an activist in efforts to enhance the cultural life […]

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Northeast LA residents at Eagle Rock City Hall for the Public Hearing on CD-14 | Photo: Kevin de León Facebook page.

Redistricting and the future of NELA’s Council District 14

By Bill Hendrickson At a recent public meeting on the upcoming redistricting of Council District 14, most of the 105 commenters voiced the same sentiments: All communities in CD 14 wanted to stay in CD 14 and neighborhoods where representation is split between CD 14 and other council districts wanted to be redistricted into a […]

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Art created in 1976 and 1977 at the Mechicano Art Center in Highland Park by (from left) Carlos Almaraz, Guillermo Bejarano and Judithe Hernández | Photos from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, image courtesy of Highland Park Heritage Trust

Chicano history in Highland Park gains official recognition

By T.A. Hendrickson

The Los Angeles City Council has voted unanimously to grant Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM) status to two locations in Highland Park where Chicano art and culture flourished in the 1970s.

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Back to school in L. A. amid a rise in COVID-19 cases. | photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

Measuring COVID and vaccination in schools in Northeast L.A.

By T.A. Hendrickson In the two weeks before school started on Monday, more than 3,600 students and staff in the Los Angeles Unified School District tested positive for COVID-19, said LAUSD officials on Tuesday, August 17. The data are not broken out by school, but 502 of the 3,600 positive cases were in LAUSD’s “Local […]

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This design, part of the Housing Innovation Challenge, shows one possibility for fast, relatively inexpensive housing for the homeless. | Image: KCRW

L.A. City Council adopts goal, proposed by Kevin de León, for 25,000 housing units for the homeless by 2025

By T.A. Hendrickson

In a 13-0 vote today, the Los Angeles City Council approved a motion to set a Homeless Housing Goal of creating at least 25,000 new housing units by 2025.

The motion is a key feature of “A Way Home,” a multi-part plan by CD-14 Councilmember Kevin de León to tackle homelessness in L.A.

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The actor Carel Struycken, shown here at his home in Altadena, is a proponent of simpler living and permaculture. | Photo by Christopher Nyerges

The environmental odyssey of Carel Struycken

By Christopher Nyerges Moviegoers know Carel Struycken as “Lurch” in the Addams Family movies or for his roles in Men in Black, Witches of Eastwick, Star Trek: The Next Generation and many other movies and television shows. I know a different side of Struycken. He is a proponent of simpler living and permaculture, a set […]

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Leticia Maldonado, a neon artist who lives in Highland Park, bends glass in her studio. | Photo by Lauren Noble

Get to know: Leticia Maldonado, local neon artist

By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia In mid-July, as a one-woman show by neon artist Leticia Maldonado was set to open at Bermudez Projects gallery in Cypress Park, word went out that Maldonado’s next stop would be the Museum of Neon Art (MONA) in Glendale, where she will have her first ever museum solo exhibition in September 2022. […]

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The Franklin High School finalists and semi-finalists for the Tenner-Wright scholarships: Back row from left: Claire Lee, Martin Ledesma, Alejandra Casteneda; Front row from left: Leslie Rodriguez, Ryan Wong, Stefan Mykytyn. At far left, Robert Nishinaka, board president of the Franklin High School Educational Foundation; At far right, co-founder of the foundation, Jack Wright.

Valuable scholarships help pave the way to college for Franklin High’s top graduates

By Mary Lynch

Six top performing students from the Class of 2021 at Benjamin Franklin High School in Highland Park will head off to college this month with a strong tailwind to propel them on their way.

The six are the finalists and semi-finalists for the 2021 Tenner-Wright scholarships, the highest award from the Franklin High School Educational Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides college financial aid to Franklin graduates.
Click the photo for more.

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Sponsored Content: All Signs Point to an Eagle Rock Spanish with Guest House, Pool + Spa

5437 Dahlia Dr | Eagle Rock
2 Beds + Guest House | 3.5 Baths | $1,699,000
In prime Eagle Rock this rare and exquisite Spanish compound features a swimming pool and large detached guest house in a dreamy setting. The property was built in 1926 and feels sheltered from the city, even as dining and amenities are right down the street.  Check out the photo gallery here.

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Kevin de León, City Councilmember for CD-14, has become the target of a recall effort launched by five local residents. | Photo by David Butow / Redux Pictures

Keeping an eye on the effort to recall Kevin de León

By T.A. Hendrickson

In the nascent effort to recall Councilmember Kevin de León, the next move is his: De León has until August 9 to file a response with the City Clerk to the recall Notice of Intent that was served on July 19 and published on July 22 in The Daily News and La Opinion. To read what comes next and when and more, click the photo above.

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Image | Anbriy Onufriyenko via Getty Images

Vaccinations slow in Northeast L.A. as COVID-19 cases rise; elected officials take action

By T.A. Hendrickson Over the past three weeks, vaccination rates in Northeast Los Angeles have barely budged, despite increases in  COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths from the Delta variant. In a data update on July 29, the L.A. County Public Health Department reported that 72% of Eagle Rockers age 16 and up have had at […]

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This chart shows the rapid rise in home prices in Northeast Los Angeles, more than tripling over the last nine years to a median of $1.02 million in June, 2021. / Data source: Redfin

In NELA, the hot housing market just keeps getting hotter

By Jeffery Marino

Another month, another record: In June, the median sale price for a home in NELA hit a new high of $1.02 million — a 19% annual increase over June 2020 and the highest year-over-year price jump since September 2018.

Which is to say, the NELA residential real estate market is showing no signs of slowing down

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Carlos Almaraz (1941-1989) is one of many significant Chicano artists who worked in studios in Highland Park. Efforts to secure historic cultural monument status for those studios will be discussed at a national conference this month on historic preservation. | Still from Carlos Almaraz: Playing with Fire.

Six ways to enjoy art and culture in NELA this August

By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia  Art and culture offerings in NELA in August include historic preservation events, a street fair, a live-music jam and outdoor theater performances. Here are six picks, including a reminder to artists and art nonprofits that applications for grants are now being taken by the Eastside Arts Initiative. Historic preservation/Rockhaven  On Sunday, Aug. 8 at 2 […]

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On the verge of heading off to college, Lani Tunzi, shown here as a little girl, writes: “ “I find that the older I get, the more I don’t know.”

The Long and Winding Road

By Lani Tunzi The “Bildungsroman,” or coming-of-age novel, is one of the most popular genres studied in English class. Its roots are in 19th century Germany — roman is German for “novel” and bildung means “education/development” — but stories that explore a protagonist’s journey from childhood to adulthood are resurrected time and again throughout literature […]

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At Scoops ice cream on York Boulevard in Highland Park, owner Tai Kim says that his ailing business will suffer even more without an influx of students this fall from Occidental College | Photo by Matthew Reagan

Local Businesses Struggle to Hang On As Occidental College Closes for the Fall

By Matthew Reagan
Businesses in Northeast Los Angeles, already battered by the pandemic and recession, took another one-two punch in July. The blows have called their survival into question.  Matthew Reagan spoke with a few of the businesses on York and Eagle Rock Boulvards. He reports on the thoughts of those local storeowners in this edition of the Boulevard Sentinel.

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Your walk becomes a workout – and your reward is this beautiful view – when you ascend the 196 steps of the Eldred Street stairs in Highland Park. | Photo by T.A. Hendrickson

10 Ways to Turn a Walk into an Adventure

Picks from the people who bring you the Boulevard Sentinel If you have been taking walks to stay fit and alleviate boredom during the pandemic – or if you haven’t been walking but need to get moving – here are 10 ways in or near Northeast L.A. to turn a walk into an excursion or […]

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THE INITIAL SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE MEETING

MEETING LINKS for Tuesday, August 25

VIA ZOOM: Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device: Please click this URL to join: https://zoom.us/j/95364965067
VIA PHONE: Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 669 900 6833 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 929 205 6099 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or 833 548 0282 (Toll Free) or 877 853 5257 (Toll Free) or 888 475 4499 (Toll Free) or 833 548 0276 (Toll Free) Webinar ID: 953 6496 5067

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If found guilty as charged, José Huizar could spend the rest of his life in prison | Photo Los Angeles Downtown News

Mr. Huizar, How Do You Plead?

By T.A. Hendrickson    José Huizar is scheduled to enter his plea to federal corruption charges on Monday, August 3 at 11:30 a.m. at the Edward R. Roybal federal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. Huizar, the L.A.  City Councilmember for Council District 14, is expected to appear via videoconference.    Huizar, 51, stands accused of running a criminal enterprise from his perch at City Hall, enriching […]

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Artist Paula Lopez, seen here, is repainting the SW Museum mural | Photo by Jesus Sanchez for The Eastsider

The Mural on Marmion Way – Lost and Found

The prep work for re-painting of the 170′ mural on Marmion Way near the Southwest Museum has been completed and the re-painting has begun, Both the preparation work and the re-painting are creative adventures in their own right. See the work in process on the Boulevard Sentinel.

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Gov. Newsom presenting his state budget | Photo by Rich Pedroncelli / AP

Making It Easier to Attend and Finish Community College

Tuition and fees will be waived in the first two years of community college for first-time, full-time students, thanks to provisions in California’s new state budget. Want more? How’s this: Nearly half of students earning a bachelor’s degree from a UC in science, technology, engineering and mathematics transferred from a California community college. And, there’s more in this report by Matthew Reagan for the Boulevard Sentinel.

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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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Incoming seniors on the Eagle Rock volleyball team - (L-R) Charlotte Dillon, Isabelle Rabaya, Nicole Lee, Wendy Jurenec, Julia Orqueza, Anniston Smith, Angelique Calma, Sarah Carbonel, Jade Fuentes | Photo by Coach Tim Bergeron

Kids and Teens Play the Summer Away in NELA

Summer includes training and practice for high school athletes and younger kids (6 to 16) get to play and learn basketball skills, teamwork and competition in rec leagues put on by LA Parks and Rec.

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Business Openings in NELA

My Vegan When Jaeda Ng chose to locate her second My Vegan restaurant in Eagle Rock, the decision was easy. At her restaurant in Pasadena, she said, “many of my customers were from Eagle Rock.” My Vegan does just what a great vegan restaurant should do. It surprises with its creative, Asian-inspired offerings, using familiar […]

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Lani Says: Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime 

For 103 incoming juniors at Eagle Rock High School, myself included, the first day of school on Aug. 14 will be the start of a rigorous, two-year academic journey known as the “International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme,” or IBDP. Begun in 1968 in Switzerland, IBDP stresses intercultural understanding, inquiry and analysis through immersion in English language […]

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A Voice in the NELA Wilderness: Soil from Coffee Grounds, Water from the Air Conditioner

I recently noticed a new flower bed behind Antigua Bread, the coffeehouse/bakery at 5703 N. Figueroa St. Where there once had been weeds and trash was a beautiful wood-framed garden bed, approximately 6-by-6 feet, with colorful flowers, some vegetables – and a five-gallon plastic bucket strapped to a tall wooden pole and connected by a […]

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