2021 – BoulevardSentinel.com

On Aug. 12, the Sentinel reported on Kevin de León's blistering response to the effort to recall him. The lead recall proponent terminated the effort in November. | Photo Sacramento Bee

The Top 20 Stories in the Boulevard Sentinel in 2021

12/30/202101/05/2022 admin153448 Comments

By T.A. Hendrickson, Editor of the Boulevard Sentinel

Two things jumped out at me as I compiled the following list of the top 20 most-read stories in the Sentinel in 2021.

First, Northeast Los Angeles had its share of change, controversy and tragedy in 2021, punctuated by bright moments in art, food – and vaccines.

Second, the list reflects the Sentinel’s hard work in 2021 to bring you the local news.

(Click on the photo to see the top 20 stories for 2021, as measured by views.)

A deal to sell Pillarhenge is in the works; will the sale close?

12/21/202112/31/2021 Bill Hendrickson263311 Comments

By Bill Hendrickson Imad Boukai, the Orange County businessman who owns the Pillarhenge site in Eagle Rock, has entered into a contract to sell the property. Located at 1332 Colorado Boulevard, Pillarhenge had been on the market for 12 days before the contract was signed on Dec. 18. The asking price was $2.99 million, though […]

Ready for Recycling in Los Angeles | Photo Getty Images

Tips for recycling your Christmas tree

12/23/202101/04/2022 admin1613

SPONSORED CONTENT FROM THE EAGLE ROCK NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL TIPS for CHRISTMAS TREE RECYCLING As the holiday season winds down, the dreaded task of taking down all the festive decorations comes into view. You might be wondering what’s the best way to discard your Christmas tree. Look no further than your own LA City Sanitation Department! […]

Artwork by Boulevard Sentinel

Recent real estate sales in NELA

12/21/2021 Jeffery Marino14735

What have homes in your neighborhood been selling for? Here is the latest sales data for single family homes in NELA.

The year Christopher Nyerges landed on the naughty list turned out to be the one of his best Christimases ever.

I was naughty. There were no toys for Christmas. Here’s what I learned.

12/19/202112/21/2021 Christopher Nyerges19632 Comments

By Christopher Nyerges

When I was around 10, my four brothers and I were particularly bad, belligerent, and misbehaving one autumn.

My mother gave us several warning and threats and a few “beatings” in her ceaseless attempt to get us to obey – all to no avail.

So, my mother said, “Keep it up and there will be no Christmas this year.” Read what actually happened in the Nyerges home that year.

Swift, forceful advocacy by more than 50 residents of Eagle Rock led by East Area Progressive Democrats (EAPD) secured reunification of the neighborhood in one Congressional district.

Three NELA restaurants named best in L.A.

12/12/202112/21/2021 admin19591 Comment

If you haven’t yet been, what are you waiting for? Three restaurants in Northeast Los Angeles have made the L.A. Times list of best restaurants in L.A. in 2021: Chifa in Eagle Rock and Hippo and Joy in Highland Park. Here’s what the Times restaurant critic, Bill Addison, had to say: “Chifa Eagle Rock, Chinese/Peruvian $$ […]

Street Food Cinema presents outdoor screenings of classic holiday movies at Heritage Square Museum in Montecito Heights from Dec. 18 to Dec. 23. | Image by Street Food Cinema

Six fun things to do in NELA from now ’til New Year’s Day

12/17/202112/21/2021 Pablo Nukaya-Petralia1508

By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia The time between now and New Year’s Day doesn’t have to be a rush. Here are six ways to chill and have fun in Northeast L.A. in the days and weeks ahead. Holiday movie nights for the whole family In the run up to Christmas, Eagle Rock-based Street Food Cinema and the […]

Eagle Rock Boulevard is getting a makeover

12/07/202112/10/2021 Bill Hendrickson24169 Comments

By Bill Hendrickson StreetsLA held the first of two briefings on Sunday on the planned $16 million makeover of Eagle Rock Boulevard that is to take place from now to completion in 2025. About 40 Eagle Rockers attended the Zoom meeting on the project, dubbed “Rock the Blvd.” While many of the safety and beautification […]

Prelude & Dawn, a gift shop in Highland Park, has been named by the L.A. Times as one of the best places in L.A. to shop for holiday gifts. | Photo: Prelude & Dawn

The wider world takes notice of shopping in Northeast L.A.

12/02/202112/05/2021 Bill Hendrickson1466

By Mary Lynch The Los Angeles Times has given shout outs to several shops in Northeast Los Angeles this holiday season. Acorn and Folia Collective in Eagle Rock and Prelude & Dawn in Highland Park have made the Times’ list of shops in in L.A. where you can find the “perfect holiday gift.” The Juicy […]

4847 Genevieve Ave in Eagle Rock offers Two for the Price of One alchemy.

Two homes sell for the price of one in Eagle Rock

12/02/202112/12/2021 Jeffery Marino2579

By Jeffery Marino

Eagle Rock just got a little denser with the sale in October of 4847 Genevieve Ave.

Over the past year and a half, neighbors have watched as the lot was transformed from a single-family fixer with lots of potential into two brand new, self-contained homes.

The transformation was undertaken by ADU Homes, Inc. Read what they did and how they did it here.

Vaccination rates are trending up among middle and high school public school students in NELA. | Getty Images

NELA public schools make vaccine progress

12/02/202112/05/2021 T.A. Hendrickson17041 Comment

By T.A. Hendrickson As of Dec. 1, the Covid-19 vaccination rate among public school students ages 12 and up was 84% in Northeast Los Angeles, an encouraging sign that the vaccine requirement by L.A. Unified School District is working. The 84% vaccination rate in NELA schools works out to 9,033 students ages 12 and up […]

Gerrymandering, or drawing a contorted district by a politician for their own benefit, first came under scrutiny in Massachusetts in the early 1800s. The California state commission now redrawing district boundaries is prohibited from considering where incumbents live, or indulging their designs. But gerrymandering of a Northeast L.A. district in Congress may be happening right now in Eagle Rock.

Glendale approves biogas power plant at Scholl Canyon

12/01/202112/03/2021 Bill Hendrickson241510 Comments

By Bill Hendrickson

The Glendale City Council gave Glendale Water and Power the go-ahead on Tuesday to build a biogas power plant at the Scholl Canyon landfill in the hills above Eagle Rock. The plant will convert methane from decaying garbage into electricity for Glendale.

The vote on the five-member City Council was 3-2.

Phoebe Bridgers at the Greek Theatre, Oct. 21 | Michael Buckner for Variety

My first concert since the pandemic was an experience unlike any other I have had

11/29/202112/03/2021 Lizzie Watson1426

By Lizzy Watson Lizzy Watson, a student at Occidental College, is a participant in the NELA Neighborhood Reporting Partnership, a collaboration of the Boulevard Sentinel and The Occidental campus newspaper. Clad in her signature sparkling skeleton dress, singer/songwriter Phoebe Bridgers directed her gaze toward the audience. “Thank you for coming out tonight,” she said into the microphone. […]

The Sentinel’s 6th annual charitable giving guide to local nonprofits

11/29/202112/02/2021 admin7414

Picks from the people who bring you the Boulevard Sentinel Giving Tuesday, when nonprofits urge you to give to charity during the holiday season, falls on Tuesday, Nov. 30. There are many worthy causes. One way to choose is to give locally so that your donations support work taking place in your own community. Here, […]

Shop local this holiday season at Shop Small Eagle Rock

11/26/202111/29/2021 Mary Lynch20741 Comment

By Mary Lynch

It’s Shop Small Saturday, the official start of the local holiday shopping season, and for the 11th year in a row, small businesses in Eagle Rock are rolling out the collective welcome mat.

This year, the emphasis is on Eagle Rock’s women-owned retail shops. You will recognize them by the balloons (helium-free) adorning the shops.

Typical in every way: This Highland Park house sold in October in a mere six days for $1.1 million, fully $125,000 above the asking price.

As down payments rise, many buyers rely on gifts from family

11/29/202112/03/2021 Jeffery Marino1313

By Jeffery Marino

What’s a first-time homebuyer to do?

As home prices rise, so do down payments. The median sale price for a home in Northeast Los Angeles was $1.075 million in October. At that price, a buyer would need $215,000 to make a 20% down payment.

To make matters more difficult, buyers who need time to save up for a house are likely to find that home prices rise faster than their savings accounts. There’s more. Read on.

Severin Browne with his latest CD, Overdue, photographed at his home in Highland Park near the Arroyo Seco | Photo by Christopher Nyerges

Severin Browne’s latest CD “Overdue” is right on time

11/26/202111/26/2021 Christopher Nyerges2096

By Christopher Nyerges [www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com] Severin Browne has a secure spot on the list of prominent musician/songwriters from Highland Park, along with his brother, Jackson, Timothy Sellers, Tommy Trujillo and the phenom Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas. And now, Severin, who lives in the home built by his grandfather near the Arroyo Seco, has a […]

A scene from the New York premiere of “Seize the King.” The play is being performed at Occidental College this weekend. | Richard Termine/The New York Times

Five ways to have more fun this weekend

11/19/202111/22/2021 Pablo Nukaya-Petralia1544

By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia

For theatergoers, record buffs, art lovers, film fans, here’s what’s happening in and near Northeast Los Angeles this weekend.

Several of the events are free though may require advance tickets. All the events are taking place in person; masking protocols apply.

Three of about 65 residents who showed up on Tuesday, Nov 23 to urge Glendale City Council to reject GWP proposal to build a power plant atop the Scholl Canyon dump. | photo by Hans Johnson

Health of local environment hinges on upcoming vote on Scholl Canyon

11/26/202111/26/2021 Bill Hendrickson19933 Comments

By Bill Hendrickson

Some 65 residents of Glendale and Eagle Rock protested this week at Glendale City Hall against the plan by Glendale Water and Power to build a biogas power plant at Scholl Canyon in the hills above Eagle Rock.

The protest, on Nov. 23, came in advance of a crucial meeting on Nov. 30, when the Glendale City Council will decide on whether to give GWP a go-ahead to proceed with the plant, which would convert methane from decaying garbage into electrical power.

Jen Wilder (left) and Marcy Guevara-Prete (right), owners of The The Plus Bus Boutique on York Boulevard in Highland Park. | Photo by Lila Hempel-Edgers/The Occidental

The Plus Bus Boutique is a ‘dream closet’ for plus-size people

11/18/202111/26/2021 Angela Guglielmino and Lila Hempel-Edgers19031 Comment

By Angela Guglielmino,

For a while after moving to Los Angeles, Myjah Moon, the owner of Pressed By Jess nail care, said she just didn’t feel sexy. Then, in August, she went to The Plus Bus for the first time and found the blue-sequined outfit she wore for her birthday photoshoot. It brought her confidence back. At no extra charge. Want inspiration, Read on. It’s right here in Highland Park.

JOIN THESE ONLINE COMMUNITY MEETINGS about transforming Eagle Rock with Walkable, Bikeable, Safer and Greener Streets

11/23/202112/10/2021 admin1822

YOU ARE INVITED to ROCK THE BOULEVARD Sunday, December 5 at 3:00 PM & Thursday, December 9 at 5:30 PM JOIN THESE ONLINE COMMUNITY MEETINGS about transforming Eagle Rock with Walkable, Bikeable, Safer and Greener Streets. What is Rock the Boulevard? The Rock the Boulevard (RTB) project will improve and revitalize Eagle Rock Boulevard to […]

The Eagle Rock girls cross country team, with coach Richard Martinez, won the Division II city championship on Saturday and will compete at the state level this week. Top L-R Ixtlalli Chavez, Marielle Williamson, Coach Richard Martinez, Keely Miyamoto, Tory Yetter, Iliana Garcia-Lana. Bottom L-R: Elizabeth Corrigan, Celeste Corrigan, Kiana Andrada. | Photo by Dave Abbott/NELA Sports One

Sports Monday: In cross country, Eagle Rock girls team advances to state final and a Franklin runner wins individual city championship; in 8-man football, Sotomayor wins city title

11/22/202111/26/2021 Dave Abbott of NELA One Sports16792 Comments

By Dave Abbott of NELA Sports One Local teams thrived at the cross-country city championships on Saturday at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, while Sotomayor’s big victory in 8-man football has brought the school its first ever city championship. The Eagle Rock girls cross country team won the Division II city championship in the CIF-Los […]

City and state officials hold $4,750,000 check for improvements at Rio de Los Angeles State Park. From Left: Councilmember Gil Cedillo, Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo, an invited guest from the community, State Senator Maria Elena Durazo, and General Manager Michael Shull of the L. A. Department of Recreation and Parks. | Photo by T. A. Hendrickson/Boulevard Sentinel

Major improvements coming for soccer and football fields at Rio de Los Angeles State Park

11/18/202111/26/2021 Bill Hendrickson18541 Comment

By Bill Hendrickson

In an exemplary display of cooperation between community leaders and state and local officials, $7.5 million has been secured to upgrade three soccer fields and other facilities at Rio de Los Angeles State Park in Cypress Park. To know more about the improvements to the Park both to the playing fields and the related park facilities, read on.

The Throop House in Garvanza will be considered for historic cultural monument status. | Photo by Charles Fisher

Throop House in Garvanza clears first hurdle on way to historic cultural monument status

11/18/202111/18/2021 T.A. Hendrickson1539

By T.A. Hendrickson

The Cultural Heritage Commission (CHC) of the city of Los Angeles voted unanimously on Nov. 18 to consider the nomination of Throop House in Garvanza for Historic Cultural Monument status, the Highland Park Heritage Trust announced today.

The vote is an important hurdle to clear, but there are more hurdles to come. There’s more. Read on.

Councilmember Gil Cedillo in front of the Champions of Change mural in Lincoln Heights. "It is important to have murals that educate ourselves and others about our history," he said.

New mural honors the greats of Lincoln Heights

11/16/202111/18/2021 T.A. Hendrickson27198 Comments

By T. A. Hendrickson The newest mural in Los Angeles, by artist Sergio Daniel Robleto, is arguably the most inspiring. Located in Albion Riverside Park in Lincoln Heights and entitled “Champions of Change,” the mural depicts six people from Lincoln Heights who have changed the world for the better. “The Champions of Change mural is […]

LAPD responded Friday morning to a phone call reporting a shooter on campus at Franklin High School. There turned out to be no sign of a shooter or other threat. | Photo by the new York Blvd

Report of a shooter on Franklin High campus was a “crank call,” say police; lockdown lasted about 20 minutes as police responded

11/19/202111/22/2021 Bill Hendrickson1727

By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia and T.A. Hendrickson

Franklin High School in Highland Park is calm this afternoon after a call to the LAPD on Friday morning reported a shooter on campus.

Eagle Rock quarterback Tanner Erwin, a junior, in the city quarterfinal against Reseda on Nov. 12. | Photo by Dave Abbott/NELA Sports One

Sotomayor advances in 8-man football; for other NELA teams, playoff season ends in defeat

11/15/202111/19/2021 Dave Abbott of NELA One Sports19044 Comments

By Dave Abbott of NELA Sports One

The Sotomayor Wolves of Glassell Park advanced to the city finals in 8-man football last week by defeating the Jordan Bulldogs of Watts in the semifinals, 50-6. We’ve got more sports news from Dave Abbott / NELA Sports One.

Aerial view rendering of the homeless shelters planned for 7570 N. Figueroa St in Eagle Rock, across from the Eagle Rock Recreation Center.

Derek Steinorth is the new principal at Eagle Rock Junior/Senior High School

11/09/202111/15/2021 admin24831 Comment

Mr. Derek Steinorth has been selected as the Principal of Eagle Rock Junior/Senior High School. He will begin this assignment on December 1, 2021.

Mr. Steinorth brings over 30 years of educational experience as a middle and high school teacher and administrator. Read more about Mr. Steinorth here.

Ilka Perkins using a pottery wheel | Photo courtesy of People’s Pottery Project

At the People’s Pottery Project in Glassell Park, formerly incarcerated people find employment, acceptance, community

11/07/202111/15/2021 Angela Guglielmino1993

By Angela Guglielmino In 1993, when Ilka Perkins was 17, she woke up in a state prison lying on a cold slab of metal facing 15 years to life in prison. She was released 26 years later, in 2019, at age 43. Since then, Ilka and her wife, Domonique Perkins, whom she met in prison, and […]

The Eagle Rock High girls volleyball team commemorates its city championship in Division II of the CIF L.A. City Section. The team advances to the state playoffs, starting on Nov. 9. | Photo by Eric Owens

Eagle Rock High girls volleyball team advances to state playoffs; Eagle Rock football team advances in city playoffs

11/07/202111/18/2021 Dave Abbott of NELA One Sports2170

By Dave Abbott of NELA Sports One Fortune smiled on Eagle Rock last week with playoff victories in girls volleyball and football. The same can’t be said for the football teams at Franklin in Highland Park and Wilson in El Sereno, which ended the season with playoff losses. The Eagle Rock High girls volleyball team […]

Kevin de León, city councilmember for Council District 14, will head the Homelessness and Poverty committee. | Photo by David Butrow/L.A. Times

Kevin de León named to head Homelessness and Poverty committee; appointment is significant for policy and politics

11/02/202111/07/2021 T.A. Hendrickson1940

By T.A. Hendrickson

Councilmember Kevin de León has been appointed chair of the Los Angeles City Council’s Homelessness and Poverty Committee. He replaces Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas who was suspended from office after his recent indictment on federal corruption charges. Read what KDL had to say about his appointment here.

The Soul Bowl with shrimp at Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen on Eagle Rock Blvd.| Photo courtesy of Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen

Survive, then thrive: How three local restaurants that opened during the lockdown are doing today

11/02/202111/07/2021 Olivia Fishman21541 Comment

By Olivia Fishman

If launching a restaurant is a leap of faith, launching a restaurant during a pandemic is a gravity-defying vault.

And yet, the owners of the three restaurants profiled in this story pulled it off. Here’s how they did it and how they’re doing now.

Lincoln senior QB Ivan Plancarte picking up some of the 402 yards team rushing totals in the game against Franklin on Oct. 22. Lincoln won, becoming the Northern League champion for the second straight year.|Photo by Dave Abbott/NELA Sports One

Lincoln beats Franklin to win the Northern League football championship; playoffs begin in girls volleyball and girls tennis

10/24/202111/02/2021 Dave Abbott of NELA One Sports20091 Comment

By Dave Abbot of NELA Sports One

Lincoln beats Franklin to win the Northern League football championship. Eagle Rock is the dominant NELA team in girls volleyball as playoffs get underway this week in the CIF L.A. City Section. Upcoming matchups include Franklin v. Wilson in football’s “Battle for the Victory Bell” and the Eagle Rock girls tennis team in playoffs against SOCES in Sherman Oaks. For details on all this and more, read more now.

Eagle Rock senior Harrison Funk in the quarterfinals playoff match, in which the Eagles defeated the San Pedro Pirates. | Photo by Dave Abbott/NELA Sports One

Eagle Rock advances in boys water polo and girls volleyball; football playoffs start this week

11/02/202111/07/2021 Dave Abbott of NELA One Sports2049

By Dave Abbott of NELA Sports One Update (Nov. 3): This story was updated to reflect the Eagle Rock Eagles’ win in the semifinals of girls volleyball on Nov. 3. The finals are Nov. 6. Update (Nov. 5): This story was updated to reflect the Eagle Rock Eagles’ win in the quarterfinals of boys water […]

This house in Glassell Park sold recently for $1.225 million, a big premium over the seller's asking price.

The two fastest selling homes in NELA in September were priced to sell at just under $1M

11/01/202111/09/2021 Jeffery Marino2418

By Jeffery Marino

Ever since last May, when the median sale price for a home in Northeast Los Angeles hit the $1 million mark, sellers have been taking the “just under” pricing approach: Put the house on the market for just under $1 million and count on buyer competition to push the price into seven figures.

This strategy clearly has worked. See how it worked for the sellers of the two houses featured in this report.

Michelle Williams at the Highland Park Farmers Market holding a crystal that decorates her booth. (The market is open Tuesdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.) | Photo by Christopher Nyerges

The healing fairy of Highland Park

10/29/202110/29/2021 Christopher Nyerges2021

By Christopher Nyerges Highland Park resident Michelle Williams is a “healing fairy,” a term she came up with a few years ago. “A fairy,” says Williams, “is a spirit which takes care of the earth and everything that lives on the earth and protects it. A healing fairy also provides uplifting energy which makes people […]

Workers at El Super in Highland Park are in line to share in wages, damages and interest for COVID-related labor violations by the grocery store chain. | Photo by Yelp

El Super workers in Highland Park to receive back pay for employer’s COVID-19 violations

10/26/202110/27/2021 T.A. Hendrickson1990

By T.A. Hendrickson

Workers at the El Super grocery store on York Boulevard in Highland Park are in line to share in $412,000 in wages, damages and interest assessed today by the California Labor Commissioner against the El Super grocery store chain.

The York Boulevard location was one of 38 El Super stores where the employer failed to provide or delayed supplemental paid sick leave and other benefits. There’s more. Click photo above.

This 2-bed, 1-bath home on Cunard St. in Glassell Park sold recently for $1.07 million, fully 25% more than the asking price.

Faster pace, higher prices for recent NELA home sales

10/29/202111/09/2021 Jeffery Marino1943

By Jeffery Marino

Another month, another record. In September, the latest data available, the median sale price for a house in NELA continued its steep climb, rising 14% year-over-year, to $1.065 million. September was the eighth straight month of double-digit annual price growth.

Prices are up because inventory is low and falling.. The home sales market dynamically complex. Get the main point here.

A 16-year old high-school student receives a vaccine administered by a registered nurse from AltaMed Health services in Los Angeles. | Photo by Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images.

Some 4,000 eligible NELA students are not yet vaccinated

10/22/202111/02/2021 T.A. Hendrickson1482

By T.A.Hendrickson

It has been five weeks since the Los Angeles Unified School District required all students 12 and older to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Under the mandate, students need to have a first shot by Nov. 21 and a second one Dec. 19.

But so far, parents of unvaccinated students in Northeast L.A. aren’t exactly rushing to get shots for their kids.

Franklin v. Eagle Rock: A new record in an old rivalry

10/15/202110/15/2021 Dave Abbott of NELA One Sports1646

By Dave Abbott

As playoffs draw near in football, girls volleyball and girl tennis, regular-season competition is taking on a playoff intensity. Check all the scores and records here. And, don’t miss the story of the Franklyn wide-receiver who set a new CIF LA City Section record for pass receptions in a game! Click for more.

This $1.34 million home in Eagle Rock was under contract in eight days and sold for nearly $250,000 over asking.

The seller’s market in NELA real estate surges on

10/01/202110/18/2021 Jeffery Marino15681 Comment

By Jeffery Marino

The latest home-sales data for Northeast Los Angeles, covering the month of August, give an especially clear picture of the market for residential real estate.
So what do the data from August 2020 to August 2021 show?

WIN vs. Gas Plant at #SchollCanyon Dump

Biogas plant at Scholl Canyon rejected by key committee; residents of Glendale and Eagle Rock claim victory

10/07/202110/07/2021 Bill Hendrickson18432 Comments

By Bill Hendrickson The Glendale Planning Commission has voted unanimously to reject the proposal by Glendale Water and Power to build a biogas power plant at the Scholl Canyon landfill in the hills above Eagle Rock. The rejection of the proposal is a victory for residents of Glendale and Eagle Rock who have organized into […]

My long love affair with Galco’s

10/01/202110/05/2021 Christopher Nyerges3891

By Christopher Nyerges

Galco’s started in 1897 as an Italian grocery store near downtown Los Angeles. The store moved into Highland Park in 1955. It thrived for many years but with the advent of large, chain grocery stores, John Nese — who was still working for his father — felt that things needed to change. These days, Galco shoppers can choose from at least 600 different types of sodas. You can get a great sandwich here, but never a Pepsi or a Coke. Read why here.

Franklin running back Diego Munoz, a junior, had a stellar game in the Panthers’ victory over Marshall on Oct. 1 | Photo by Dave Abbott/NELA Sports One

NELA high school sports: Rivals meet this week in football; competition intensifies in girls volleyball and tennis

10/05/202111/02/2021 Dave Abbott of NELA One Sports1703

By Dave Abbott

The past week in high school football saw a commanding victory for Franklin against Marshall and a homecoming defeat for Eagle Rock by Lincoln. On Friday, Oct. 8, rivals Franklin and Eagle Rock will compete in the “Battle of the Principals Trophy” while rivals Lincoln and Wilson face off in the “Battle of the Belt.” For more NELA sports, click the photo above.

The Franklin cross country team at the Bellarmine/Sacred Heart Cross Country Invitational on Sept. 25 at Griffith Park. Francisco Rodriguez, a junior (second from right) and David Martinez, a senior (center) placed 1st and 2nd, respectively, in their race. | Photo by Monique Muniz

NELA high school sports: Bright moments amid tough competition

09/29/202109/29/2021 Dave Abbott of NELA One Sports1071

By Dave Abbott Franklin High School in Highland Park experienced the high of high school sports last week, including an 86-yard interception return for a touchdown in a game against Crenshaw and 1st and 2nd place individual wins for Franklin runners at the latest cross-country invitational. Meanwhile, competition is heating up in girls volleyball and […]

A rendering of the apartment building in Garvanza approved by City Planning and opposed by local organizations and individuals. | Source: City Planning determination letter

City approves reviled development in Garvanza, local coalition appeals the decision

10/05/202110/10/2021 Bill Hendrickson23661 Comment

By Bill Hendrickson

A coalition of organizations and individuals in Highland Park is appealing the city’s approval of a controversial apartment development at N. Avenue 64 near York Boulevard in Highland Park’s historic Garvanza district.

The development, approved by the City Planning Department on September 16, calls for a three-story building measuring nearly 60,000 square feet

Groundbreaking for Eagle Rock’s tiny homes village, Sept. 29, 2021. The project is one part of Kevin de León’s plan calling for 25,000 new homes for the unhoused by 2025 | Photo by Bill Hendrickson/BoulevardSentinel

The tiny homes village for the homeless in Eagle Rock breaks ground

09/29/202110/01/2021 Bill Hendrickson246515 Comments

By Bill Hendrickson

City Councilmember Kevin de León broke ground on Wednesday on a 48-unit pallet shelter community for the homeless in Eagle Rock. De Leon was joined by city agency officials, community leaders and advocates for the homeless, who took turns at the podium to talk about their aims for the site, namely, to provide the homeless in Eagle Rock with temporary shelter and social services to help them transition to permanent housing.

Kevin de León | Photo from the KDL Facebook page.

Kevin de León vows to give NELA full attention as he runs for mayor; his critics are skeptical

09/28/202110/03/2021 T.A. Hendrickson25927 Comments

By T.A. Hendrickson Since City Councilmember Kevin de León announced his candidacy last week for mayor of Los Angeles, many local commenters have said that the race will devour the time he might otherwise have spent on issues in Northeast L.A. The Boulevard Sentinel asked De León to respond to that, especially with regard to […]

Franklin High #74, Carlos Graciano, a senior, and #71, Sebastian Pascuzzo, a sophomore, line up against Norbonne. | Photo by Monique Muniz

High school sports: A week of strong performances in NELA

09/23/202109/24/2021 Dave Abbott of NELA One Sports1275

By Dave Abbott The past week saw a dominant performance by the Franklin football team, continued strength in girls volleyball and standout times in cross country. The Franklin Panthers of Highland Park defeated the Narbonne Gauchos of Harbor City, 63-6, in a home game on Sept. 17. The Panthers notched 283 total yards (185 yards […]

One of Metro's options would reduce much of Colorado Boulevard to one car lane each way. Another option would retain two car lanes each way | Image by Metro

Metro lays out options for Colorado Boulevard: Winners and losers come into focus

09/24/202110/03/2021 T.A. Hendrickson252618 Comments

By T.A. Hendrickson At a pair of Zoom meetings on Thursday, Metro staff presented two options now under consideration for a bus rapid transit (BRT) route on Colorado Boulevard in Eagle Rock. The Eagle Rock route is one segment of a proposed BRT line from North Hollywood to Pasadena (NoHo-Pas). Under both options for Eagle […]

Glendale residents Marla Nelson, Malcolm Johnson, and Joan Morris, respected community leaders and environmental activists, visit the dump site in October 2015 as city Council Members hear testimony from neighbors about pollution concerns. Source: East Area Progressive Democrats (EAPD)

Remembering: John Jude Snyder, 1963 – 2021

09/21/202109/21/2021 Bill Hendrickson1419

John Jude Snyder, the fourth of eight children in the loving family of Eldie and Elizabeth Snyder of Eagle Rock, a beloved teacher at St. Dominic’s School and an inspirational presence in his community, died on September 9. He was 58. John was blessed with a happy heart, remarkable intellect, and deeply contented spirit. Although […]

NELA gets assertive in the redistricting process

09/14/202110/03/2021 Bill Hendrickson1465

By Bill Hendrickson

Northeast Los Angeles is one small corner of L.A. But NELA residents, especially Eagle Rockers, dominated a citywide meeting on Sept. 13 of the L.A. City Council Redistricting Commission, the group that is charged with re-drawing L.A.’s city council maps in accordance with public testimony and new census data.

About half of some 40 commenters at the meeting were Eagle Rockers, all of whom made the same overarching points: Continue reading for details.

A Mathnasium/Eagle Rock student | Photo by Eric Benitez/Mathnasium Eagle Rock

Take part in art in NELA

09/12/202109/24/2021 Pablo Nukaya-Petralia1820

By Pablo-Nukaya Petralia Programs to honor National Hispanic Heritage Month and Los Angeles Textile Month, art that blurs the line between virtual and real, and live theater for a cause are just some of the art and culture offerings in NELA in the days and weeks ahead. Arroyo Seco Regional Library To celebrate Hispanic Heritage […]

Under the new mandate, L.A. Unified will require all eligible students ages 12 and up to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by year end. | Photo by AP

What the school vaccine mandate means for Northeast L.A.

09/09/202110/19/2021 T.A. Hendrickson18871 Comment

By T.A. Hendrickson

The new COVID-19 vaccine mandate by the Los Angeles Unified School District could be a tall order for Northeast Los Angeles.

The mandate requires all eligible LAUSD students ages 12 and up to get vaccinated by year end. But as of Thursday, September 9, when the mandate was issued, only 57% of NELA residents ages 12 to 17 had at least one shot.

Click the photo to read more.

The Scholl Canyon landfill, in the hills above Eagle Rock, is the site of a proposed biogas power plant. | Photo by Doc Searls/Flickr Creative Commons

Eagle Rock hangs in the balance as Glendale officials grapple with Scholl Canyon

09/08/202111/19/2021 T.A. Hendrickson368311 Comments

By T.A. Hendrickson The future of Glendale’s Scholl Canyon landfill, located in the hills above Eagle Rock, remains in question following a meeting last week in which Glendale officials split on the path forward. At the meeting, the Glendale Water and Power (GWP) Commission voted to proceed with a GWP plan to build a biogas […]

Recent real estate sales in NELA

09/13/202109/17/2021 Jeffery Marino14540

What have homes in your neighborhood been selling for? Here is the latest sales data for single family homes in NELA.

David Martinez, a senior at Franklin High School, ran the 3-mile Cool Breeze Evening Invitational in 15:38.6, the best individual time on the boys cross country team. | Photo by Monique Muniz

High school sports in NELA: Cross country begins as football continues, volleyball starts soon

09/09/202109/12/2021 Dave Abbott of NELA One Sports1767

By Dave Abbott of NELA Sports One

Cross country got underway with a big invitational on Sept. 3. Week two of high school football wrapped up on Sept. 4 with four of six local high schools notching victories.

Miry’s List featured in The New York Times

09/07/202109/08/2021 admin1298

Miry’s List, a nonprofit founded in Eagle Rock in 2016 to help refugees, has been featured in The New York Times for its exemplary efforts to help Afghan refugees. Here is the full New York Time’s story featuring Miry Whitehill, resident of Eagle Rock and founder of Miry’s List.

Ode to my family

09/12/202109/12/2021 Lani Tunzi16041 Comment

By Lani Tunzi The time has come! In just two weeks I’ll be living in Santa Barbara and the life I’ve known here in Eagle Rock will forever transform. I am emotional knowing that this is my last article as youth columnist for the Boulevard Sentinel. Writing this article has become another of the many […]

Hans Johnson, president of East Area Progressive Democrats, was joined at an August rally urging local voters to vote NO on the recall by (from left to right) Controller Betty Yee, City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, School Board Member Jackie Goldberg and Supervisor Hilda Solis | Photo EAPD

NELA home prices might be leveling off

09/01/202109/24/2021 Jeffery Marino18041 Comment

By Jeffery Marino

A small, really small, sliver in the most recent data for residential real estate sales in Northeast Los Angeles indicates, perhaps, that the leaps-and-bounds increases in NELA home prices may be slowing down.

Here are the clues:

Blocks apart in Cypress Park: A nearly million-dollar remodel and an affordable fixer-upper

09/03/202109/24/2021 Jeffery Marino12444

By Jeffery Marino

With the median sale price in NELA topping out at $1.025 million in July, it’s hard to imagine finding anything one might call “affordable.” Even fixer uppers are going for prices in the mid-six figures. We looked at Cypress Park for affordablily. Here is what we found.

Crossing Eagle Rock Boulevard just got safer

09/02/202109/09/2021 Bill Hendrickson16431 Comment

By Bill Hendrickson Councilmember Kevin de León led a small parade of schoolchildren from St. Dominic’s across and back at Eagle Rock Boulevard and Merton Avenue this morning, demonstrating Eagle Rock’s new, state-of-the-art HAWK pedestrian crossing system. The HAWK – which stands for High Intensity Activated Crosswalk – performed as advertised: When the pedestrian button […]

Lincoln senior running back Andre Watkins against the Roosevelt Roughriders on Friday, August 27 | Photo by Dave Abbott/NELA Sports One

High school sports resume with football victories in NELA

08/30/202108/30/2021 Dave Abbott of NELA One Sports1644

By Dave Abbott of NELA Sports One

High school football is back! During week one, which wrapped up on Aug. 28, four of five high schools in Northeast Los Angeles felled their opponents in preseason play.

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

Remembering: Diana Barnwell, 1938 – 2021

08/23/202108/30/2021 admin21071 Comment

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 […]

LA City Redistricting Commission ad hoc regional groups to present analysis

09/13/202109/13/2021 admin1136

MEETING TONIGHT LA […]

Redistricting and the future of NELA’s Council District 14

08/26/202109/22/2021 Bill Hendrickson2353

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 […]

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

08/24/202109/01/2021 T.A. Hendrickson3203

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.

Kevin de Leon has called the recall effort against him a misguided attack on the democratic process. | Photo Sacramento Bee

Kevin de León files a blistering official response to recall effort; recall proponents stand firm

08/12/202108/23/2021 T.A. Hendrickson337916 Comments

By T. A Hendrickson Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León has filed a blistering, official response to the recall Notice of Intent that was served on him last month by five local residents. “A handful of 5 individuals, most of them political extremists, are weaponizing the recall process against the voters of the Los […]

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.

08/17/202108/26/2021 T.A. Hendrickson2542

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 […]

Board District 5, shown in white on the map, stretches from Northeast L.A. to Southeast L.A. via a ribbon of communities on the eastern border of L.A. with Alhambra and Monterey Park. School Board district maps will be redrawn as part of the redistricting process.

Redistricting will affect NELA’s schools; the time to speak up is now

09/01/202109/01/2021 T.A. Hendrickson1517

By T.A. Hendrickson If you could design the ideal school district, what would it look like? In a nutshell, that is the question on the table on Sept. 1, at 6:30 p.m., when the redistricting commission of the Los Angeles Unified School District will hold a virtual meeting on how to redraw the boundaries of […]

Local Dems Rally to Vote NO on Recall | Photo EAPD

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

08/10/202108/12/2021 T.A. Hendrickson294410 Comments

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.

The Independent Shakespeare Company is performing "The Tempest" in Griffith Park through Sept. 8.

Art and Culture in NELA: Picks for rest of August

08/23/202108/23/2021 Pablo Nukaya-Petralia1849

By Pablo Nukaya-Petralia
Theater, exhibitions and music making are taking place throughout Northeast L.A. during the rest of August. Many of these art-and-culture events in Northeast Los Angeles are free.
Click on the image for details.

La Cuevita in Highland Park is one of at least eight bars in Northeast L.A. that are requiring proof of vaccination or proof of a recent negative COVID test. | Photo from totalhappyhour.com

Several local bars want proof of patrons’ COVID status

08/09/202108/17/2021 T.A. Hendrickson30075 Comments

By T.A. Hendrickson
The requirement to show vaccination- or negative-test status is becoming increasingly common as employers recognize the health threat to employees and customers from the Delta variant. Here’s a listing of several of them.

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

08/02/202109/22/2021 Christopher Nyerges13542 Comments

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 […]

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

08/12/202108/19/2021 Pablo Nukaya-Petralia32633 Comments

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. […]

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

08/01/202108/02/2021 Mary Lynch29212 Comments

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.

Here’s what a million bucks buys you in NELA

08/01/202109/24/2021 Jeffery Marino2927

By Jeffery Marino

In June, the median sale price for a home in Northeast Los Angeles edged above the $1 million mark, to $1.02 million.

So, what can you buy in NELA for that kind of money? Jeffery Marino will tell you here.

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

08/03/202108/03/2021 T.A. Hendrickson28344 Comments

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.

Image | Anbriy Onufriyenko via Getty Images

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

07/27/202108/02/2021 T.A. Hendrickson337717 Comments

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 […]

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

08/01/202109/24/2021 Jeffery Marino2786

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

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

08/02/202108/02/2021 Pablo Nukaya-Petralia30052 Comments

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 […]

Artwork by Boulevard Sentinel

Recent real estate sales in NELA

08/01/202108/01/2021 Jeffery Marino14197

What have homes in your neighborhood been selling for? Here is the latest sales data for single family homes in NELA.