Author: Lena Smith Where there should be natural banks, the Los Angeles River is encased in unsightly concrete walls. There is little – aside from spotty jogging paths – to attract Angelenos to its banks. The Army Corps of Engineers recently…
Local Engagement Column
L.A.’s appetite for street food may finally be matched by policy
Author: Keegan McChesney Los Angeles is home to an assortment of eclectic street vendors, but sadly, these vendors are technically criminals under current city law. Last week, Council Members Curren Price (Ninth District, Downtown and South L.A.) and Jose Huizar (Fourteenth…
Safer sex porn laws must be upheld, regardless of profit loss
Author: Cordelia Kenney All it takes to bring the porn industry to its knees is a little bit of latex. Nearly a year after California passed the Safer Sex in the Adult Film Industry Act, also known as Measure B, reports…
Eagle Rock offers hidden gems, untapped resources
Author: Taylor Majewski Home to Occidental College, Eagle Rock is a neighborhood on the rise. The real-estate brokerage firm Redfin recently named Eagle-Rock the second “hottest” neighborhood in the U.S., a ranking that has given the community national recognition. Eagle Rock’s…
Pedestrians must take back Eagle Rock Boulevard
Author: Stephen Nemeth One of the advantages of living in a small neighborhood like Eagle Rock is how close together everything and everyone is. But one of the aspects of this area that does not prompt people to think “small community”…
Shift to Latino plurality calls for progressive policy changes
Author: Christian Morales This month, Latinos will become the largest ethnic group in California. Making up 39 percent of the population, they will overtake the non-Latino whites, who comprise 38.8 percent, according to the Pew Research Center. The fact that Latinos…
Local music festivals offer affordable Coachella alternatives
Author: Jeremy Childs It is a question every college student in Southern California hears: “Oh my god, are you going to Coachella this year? The lineup’s, like, super sick!” Unfortunately, no matter how “sick” the lineup is, those who want to…
Plastic bag ban serves corporate, not human interests
Author: Manna Selassie The California State Senate fell three votes short to enact Plastic Bag Bill SB405 on Sept. 3. The “bag ban” would have banned single-use plastic bags at retailer locations, including grocery stores and shopping malls. Senator Kevin de…
New minimum wage is step in the right direction
Author: Lucy Feickert The minimum wage in California is now the highest in the nation at $10 an hour. While many argue this increase will hurt jobs and the economy, raising the minimum wage will improve standards of living for many…
Street initiatives on Figueroa and Colorado must stem from community
Author: Keegan McChesney Colorado Boulevard and Figueroa Street, two of the main corridors through Eagle Rock and Highland Park, have recently become epicenters for community growth. The “Take Back the Boulevard” initiative on Colorado has demonstrated an emphasis on replacing transit…