Leimert Park Beat

LEIMERT PARK: THE SOUL OF LOS ANGELES

Blog Posts Across Leimert Park Beat

enhager Money, money, money - let us spend it in our neigborhood

Annual income in South and East Los Angeles - from Watts to Boyle Heights to Leimert Park and seven other neighborhoods is about $1.9 billion more than the U.S. census has estimated. And that 82,000 more people live there than the census has counted. Continue

Posted by enhager on August 13, 2008 at 2:00pm — No Comments

enhager The Fast Food Ban Is Music to My Ears

I just can't think of a reason another fast food place would make Leimert Park or South Los Angeles a better place. I've read blog post after rant and whine - in no particular order - that says creating zoning regulations to control land use in a city is unAmerican and part of some nanny state that white liberals are try push on the poor minorities.… Continue

Posted by enhager on August 12, 2008 at 9:56pm — No Comments

enhager Hundreds Protest Expo Line

Parents and students marched Jefferson Park Saturday to ask authorities to make the Expo Line safer as it passes through our crowded neighborhoods.

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Posted by enhager on August 11, 2008 at 6:30pm — No Comments

Rhonda Kuykendall-Jabari OFF MY BACK!

Critics are everywhere! In the bed next to us, at the family table, in the workplace and inside our own heads. They sit in judgment and watch what others do so they can find fault. They slice and dice away at your positive energy, and are happiest when you are inert, doing nothing an… Continue

Posted by Rhonda Kuykendall-Jabari on August 1, 2008 at 4:00pm — 4 Comments

enhager Gotham's mayor based on LA's Villaraigosa

I saw "Batman: The Dark Knight" this weekend (highly recom… Continue

Posted by enhager on July 22, 2008 at 6:00am — No Comments

enhager DISCOVERED: Bacaro LA Wine Bar

This is in our neighborhood - they took a chance and we should take a chance on them. You can get mo… Continue

Posted by enhager on July 3, 2008 at 10:00am — No Comments

enhager DISCOVERED: Sabor A Mexico

Still waiting for great Mexican food to finds its way to the Leimert Park area. But this is pretty good. They have a lot of things you don't find often - squash blossoms and epazotes and nopalitos - made in homemade CORN tortillas. Also queso fundido, chilequiles, several types o… Continue

Posted by enhager on July 1, 2008 at 5:00pm — No Comments

Mr Muggles Obama!!!!

NEW YORK - Barack Obama will fight for equal rights for gays just as he fought to help working-class families overcome poverty, the Democratic presidential hopeful's wife told a gay Democratic group Thursday. Any support Obama would have gotten from my friends or myself just "went out the window", I quess that's why I gave up on the Democratic Party. Continue

Posted by Mr Muggles on June 27, 2008 at 1:12am — 1 Comment

enhager First-Time Donator. First-Time Believer.

I was at a friend's house for dinner and we were complaining about the gas and the war and the gloomy futu… Continue

Posted by enhager on June 16, 2008 at 4:00pm — No Comments

enhager Comedy comes to Leimert

The Famous Comedy Act Theater - once a haunt for everyone from Eddie Murphy to Dave Chappelle to Jamie Foxx - is returning to Leimert. At least according to this YouTube video (also embedded in the LP Beat's video section). According to a Sept. 2000 NYT story: The seeds of the current comedy boom were planted… Continue

Posted by enhager on May 14, 2008 at 10:56am — 2 Comments

enhager Early Jonathan Gold on Leimert Park, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and '64 impalas.

I was doing some research on how to respond to this story about Leimert Park, when I came upon a 1993 Rolling Stone cover story where Pulitzer Prize winning food critic Jonathan Gold interviews Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg right after "The Chronic" hit the street.

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Posted by enhager on May 1, 2008 at 1:00pm — No Comments

enhager Santa Barbara Plaza - our blight - finally in the spotlight

Ted Rohrlich of the Los Angeles Times wrote a great story about a decades long problem - Marlton Square/Santa Barbara Plaza. "Los Angeles leaders gambled on a check-bouncing, politically connected developer to shepherd the project. And after $15 million in government subsidies and more than $30 million in private investment, taxpayers -- and the community -- have lost," Rohrlich writes. Let me take a s… Continue

Posted by enhager on April 28, 2008 at 10:19am — No Comments

Amaka Rap Sessions: Community Dialogues on Hip Hop

RAP SESSIONS: COMMUNITY DIALOGUES ON HIP-HOP HIP-HOP, POLITICS, & THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS Clinton? Obama? McCain? A third party? Activism? A movement? What issues are the most important? Come join renowned artists, scholars, activists, and personalities dialogue about voting, organizing, and the issues that matter to us most! FEATURING M-1, MC of the hip-hop group DEAD PREZ MEDUSA, MC of PROJECT BLOWED, FELINE SCIENCE JEFF JOHNSON, Executive director of Truth is Power and BET hos… Continue

Posted by Amaka on April 4, 2008 at 2:07pm — No Comments

enhager Stuff White People Like

Some days it doesn't seem like there's much to laugh about when it comes to race. But as Hawkeye Pierce once said - If I wasn't laughing I'd be crying. So I had to share a website that I found - Stuff White People Like. It'… Continue

Posted by enhager on March 21, 2008 at 11:15am — No Comments

enhager Earlez Grille - DISCOVERED AGAIN - updated w/ new address

Earlez Grille has moved to an even better location (as much as I hate to say it) about 2 miles north on Crenshaw to Jack's Chili Factory just south of the Expo Rail (coming soon). Dwayne Earle still runs the place like a tip top ship with quality and a quantity of products, but the menu expanded, the hours expanded and the space really…

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Posted by enhager on March 8, 2008 at 7:25pm — No Comments

enhager Crenshaw's Light Rail one step closer to a plan - next meeting on Saturday

MTA officials released a plan Wednesday night to run the Crenshaw line along existing track through an industrial area of Inglewood, avoiding the city's main commercial thoroughfares, according to a story in the Daily Breeze. The Crenshaw line, still years away, would connect the Expo Line to the Green Line, and pass within a mile of Los Angeles International Airport. Ridiculously the MTA also has shelved the idea of extending the Crenshaw Li… Continue

Posted by enhager on February 22, 2008 at 10:07am — No Comments

enhager The Big O in Leimert Park on Wednesday, Feb. 20

Oscar Robertson signs "The Big O: My Life, My Times, My Game" and "The Art of Basketball," Eso Won Books, 4331 Degnan Blvd., Leimert Park, 7 p.m. (323) 290-1048. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Robertson played the guard position, and was a twelve-time All-Star, eleven-time member of the All-NBA Team, and one-time winner of the MVP award in fourteen professional seasons. He is the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an ent… Continue

Posted by enhager on February 19, 2008 at 1:55pm — No Comments

enhager Leimert Park lives on the Web

Leimert Park Beat started less than a year ago but I come across interesting and sometimes crazy articles about our home all the time. So I'm gonna share some of them, even if they're old.

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Posted by enhager on January 24, 2008 at 5:20pm — No Comments

enhager Huck's Free PassWhy are the media ignoring Mike Huckabee's remarks about the Confederate flag?

An interesting article about presidential politics and the press
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Posted by enhager on January 21, 2008 at 3:12pm — 2 Comments

enhager King Day Celebration at Exposition Park

Celebrate Martin Luther King's birthday Sunday at CAAM, which has a special historical photo exhibit,… Continue

Posted by enhager on January 16, 2008 at 1:43pm — No Comments

enhager Our own heavyweight championship of the WORLD!

For Leimert Park, and one-third of Los Angeles County, Mark Ridley-Thomas vs. Bernard Parks, is just as important as Barack and Hillary.

… Continue

Posted by enhager on January 11, 2008 at 2:51pm — No Comments

enhager Crime: Up in the county, down in the city and WAY UP at my house


My head spins as Chief Bratton and Sheriff Baca argue about why people commit crimes. The number of murders is at historic lows in the city while violent crime is up in the county.

"Our economy is driving the property crimes -- burglary and larceny," the sheriff said in the… Continue

Posted by enhager on January 4, 2008 at 5:32pm — No Comments

Jordan Rustin Coalition It Starts Somewhere

With this new year I am blessed to have been invited to start JRC. It is a huge! This organization will be changing history.

The board is FANTASTIC!

So keep your eyes open for JRC!

Have a great night!

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Posted by Jordan Rustin Coalition on January 2, 2008 at 5:01pm — 1 Comment

enhager Visions for theaters

The Nate Holden Theater just north of us and the Vision Theater in the Leimert Park Village "serve as powerful symbols for what is possible in black neighborhoods, creatively and economically. Whether they will live up to this potential is an age-old question that many hope will be answered in the affirmative," Erin Aubrey Kaplan wrote in the Sept. 26, '07(als… Continue

Posted by enhager on December 28, 2007 at 12:50am — No Comments

enhager Shabazz - Discovered

The LAist is spending a lot of time in the 'hood lately - and singing its praises.

"Every Sunday, you can find their truck parked on 43rd and Crenshaw at Leimert Plaza Park. They sell not only the infamous bean pies, but blueberry cream pies, pineapple cream pies… Continue

Posted by enhager on December 20, 2007 at 2:33pm — No Comments

enhager "Save Leimert - I'm not sure what we're saving it from."

James Fugate, co-owner of Eso Won Bookstores in Leimert Park Village, is fighting to keep his business open and he's not mincing words.

On a KPCC interview with Jay Kugelman (I found the actual interview at Leimertparkvillage.org) Fugate said that about a… Continue

Posted by enhager on November 30, 2007 at 3:04pm — No Comments

enhager SHOP Leimert Park Village for the holidays

Jasmyne Cannick is in the holiday spirit and is also setting an example we should all follow - supporting our local businesses by making them part of our holiday shopping destinations.


She went to Eso-Won before it opened Friday to buy books.…
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Posted by enhager on November 26, 2007 at 10:44am — 1 Comment

enhager Johnny's Pastrami stars on LAist's Late Night Eats series

I've always been curious about this place, but I really have cut back on my pastrami intake. But the reviewer loves it. Check it out.


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Posted by enhager on November 20, 2007 at 4:37pm — No Comments

enhager Ralph's can make you want to ralf - Bring us a Trader Joe's!

Neighborhood Food Watch has launched a campaign to gather data on the quality of food and availability of fresh, healthy choices in South Los Angeles supermarkets,… Continue

Posted by enhager on November 20, 2007 at 4:06pm — No Comments

enhager Fear of the light rail divides transit advocates

The Expo light rail seems destined for delay and the effort is creating a rift among transit advocates.

After years of planning and already millions of dollars spent, it seemed like the environmentally sound, inexpensive and alternative to the single driver car might actually get built.

But wait - not only is the $640 million project already… Continue

Posted by enhager on November 7, 2007 at 10:08am — No Comments

enhager Fighting for a better Expo Line

Leimert Park's own Damien Goodmon is trying to make our neighborhood safe by making the light rail safe.

The LA Times covered a meeting where it was… Continue

Posted by enhager on October 22, 2007 at 10:12am — No Comments

enhager Leimert Park - How does your Japanese Garden grow?

You see the remnants of a past in Leimert Park everywhere - homes with Japanese gardens of bansai trees and exotic plants that are now being maintained by black and Latino gardeners. Where did th…

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Posted by enhager on October 15, 2007 at 2:49pm — No Comments

enhager Rally around Eso Won

As first reported in The Wave, another jewel of Leimert Park Village is in trouble. One year after relocating to The Soul o… Continue

Posted by enhager on October 8, 2007 at 5:10pm — No Comments

enhager HPOZ - Everybody's doing it

The Los Angeles Times (and here) reports "Among L.A.'s architecturally diverse communities seeking historic designation are Stonehurst in Sun Valley, a unique enclave of more than 60 n… Continue

Posted by enhager on September 30, 2007 at 10:55pm — No Comments

enhager Cemetery tour just in time for Halloween

Image West Adams Heritage Association is leading the a tour of the Angelus Rosedale Cemetery, where costumed actors portray graveside the life stories of some of the famous people buried there.

… Continue

Posted by enhager on September 25, 2007 at 3:16pm — No Comments

enhager Jena 6 find support in Leimert Park Village and the world

Great photo essay of the Leimerat Park rally against injustice and in support of the Jena 6.

Students from Crenshaw High School decided to hold a walkout after school - staying in school to show their support for the Jena 6.… Continue

Posted by enhager on September 21, 2007 at 11:28am — No Comments

enhager Attack on Fast Food nation

Looks like the mainstream media is very interested in Councilwoman Jan Perry's idea to stop building fast food restaurants in our neighborhood that we first covered in the spring.

"Thirty percent of adults in South L.A. are obese, compared with 20.9% in the county overall, according to a county Department of Public Heal… Continue

Posted by enhager on September 14, 2007 at 10:23am — 2 Comments

Mel T. 2nd Annual Crenshaw District Peace Walk

The 2nd Annual Crenshaw District Peace Walk details are as follows:

Location: Leimert Park - Crenshaw Blvd. & Vernon Ave.

Date: Saturday, September 15, 2006

Time: 9:00 A.M Registration – Walk Starts at 10 AM

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Posted by Mel T. on September 10, 2007 at 1:03pm — 1 Comment

enhager New feature allows you to know the latest LP news

Leimert Park - The Soul of Los Angeles - has just addeed an RSS feed that sends you a link to ny new content that is added to the site so you don't have to check all the time or subscribe to one feed.

I don't know how an RSS works or what it stands for, but all you have to do is go to the very bottom of the site and click on the orange RSS icon under Latest Activities. Then you won't miss any of the goings-on in your community.

Don't forget to post your OWN events, concerns, r…

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Posted by enhager on September 9, 2007 at 10:10am — No Comments

enhager Protesters may hold up revitalization of the Village

Nearly two years after the city unveiled its plan to create a more vibrant Leimert Park Village, a group of residents and business people are still calling for more time to review the proposal, according to a story in The Wave.

The city claims it wants to renovate the cultural enclave of Leimert Park Village while retaining its ethnic appeal. Art deco inspired drawings were presented last month by the Leimert Park Col… Continue

Posted by enhager on September 5, 2007 at 11:05pm — No Comments

enhager Senseless killing of star student on MLK

Heartbreaking story in the CSU-Northridge newspaper about Michael Lynn Presley II, shot while standing talking to a woman and her mother in front of an apartment building in the 4500 block of West Martin Luther King Boulevardat about 9 p.m. Sunday, July 15. …
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Posted by enhager on September 5, 2007 at 3:18pm — No Comments

enhager Are you ready for some football - some Crenshaw High football?


Our own Crenshaw High School football field got a $3 million makeover, complete with a new type of synthetic grass called FieldTurf, the same surface used by 11 of 32 NFL teams, and the ability to play at night.

The Los Angeles Unified School District is in the middle of a $20-billion renovation of many of its…
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Posted by enhager on September 1, 2007 at 11:48am — No Comments

enhager Crenshaw Light Rail of the Future

The Los Angeles Times reported (but you heard it first at the the LP Village visioning meeting earlier this month) that there are very preliminary plans to have a train coast down the boulevard all the way to LAX. How great would that be to have an easy way to get to the airport? I've taken a $30 cab, a $3 bus, bummed rides from friends and of course dr… Continue

Posted by enhager on August 31, 2007 at 3:33pm — No Comments

enhager The Over 40 Guide to Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Times asked "four randomly selected people in different parts of the city who are not quite juniors and not quite seniors" to describe their favorite weekend.

Of course, Leimert Park made the list. Lawrence Ross, a writer, talked about Rick Kingi's Kajukenbo Defense Institute, Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area, Coley's Caribbean Cuisine on Florence and La Brea, and The Worl… Continue

Posted by enhager on August 30, 2007 at 5:20pm — No Comments

enhager Lucy Florence tops list of places to see in LA

Conservative blogger and ornery pundit Cobb - strictly old school - compiled a list of places he'd put on a cultural tour of Los Angeles.

"Lucy Florence
Any trip to LA is really not complete without a stop by Leimert Park Village. So the first stop has got to be the Lucy Florence coffee shop and gallery. The way to get there is half the fu… Continue

Posted by enhager on August 23, 2007 at 5:44pm — No Comments

Capata Engine Company 18 -- Still Fighting!

Download Fire Station 18.ppt Continue

Posted by Capata on August 23, 2007 at 4:44pm — 1 Comment

enhager Leimert Park is the Soul of Los Angeles

What a great week for Leimert Park: More than 100 people attended the unveiling of the city's vision for Leimert Park Village on Thursday; Representatives from City Councilman Bernard Parks' office attended the Sutro Ave. Block Club summer BBQ; and THOUSANDS listened to world-class jazz at the World Stage Jazz Festival. Pictures will be posted soon.

So a little info about the neighborhood where we live:

Leimert Park is a thriving, historical neighborhood strategically…

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Posted by enhager on August 14, 2007 at 4:39pm — No Comments

Janice B. grafitti

Hello SABC members. i noticed grafitti on the LEIMERT PARK VILLAGE sign on Crenshaw Bl between 48th & Vernon Ave. i made a grafitti removal request today and will drive by the location later this week 2 c if it's been removed.

on a much lighter note - the BBQ was GR8T!! i had a fun time.

Janice B

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Posted by Janice B. on August 13, 2007 at 2:24pm — 2 Comments

enhager LA meet Leimert Park - Noon to 7 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 12

How can neighbors that have grown up so close to each other be such strangers. Of course that's the case between you and most of your neighbors. Perhaps it's as simple as that between the amazing neighborhood of Leimert Park and with most of the rest of the people of Los Angeles. We just need a proper introduction.

This weekend it's everyone's chance to exchange pleasantries with a place the people will really want to get to know. You can come here and listen to Jazz or blues or hip hop… Continue

Posted by enhager on August 10, 2007 at 4:10pm — No Comments

Yasmeen Superhead is coming to Leimert Park

Wow, I just learned that the famed Karrine Stefans will be appearing at Eso Wan bookstore on September 25th to promote her latest book. I am sickened at the moment..I hope you all share in my disgust. This is the problem that I have with this woman. I purchased the first tell-all book under the assumption that it contained a positive message for younger women: Don't make the same mistakes that I did!!!!. There was no such message in that book, instead it glorified her sexcapades and in my opi…

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Posted by Yasmeen on August 10, 2007 at 10:52am — No Comments

Nicole Aug. 19th 2007 / Women Music Fest

hey folks,

I have a gig onAug. 19th in West Hollywood fo the SeraFemme Women of color music festival. I'm playing drum set for a latin/pop artist. If you need more info email or go to Myspace.com/SerAfemme

~Nicole

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Posted by Nicole on August 6, 2007 at 1:11am — No Comments

Nicole Aug. 19th 2007 / Women Music Fest

hey folks,

I have a gig onAug. 19th in West Hollywood fo the SeraFemme Women of color music festival. I'm playing drum set for a latin/pop artist. If you need more info email or go to Myspace.com/Serefemme

~Nicole

…

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Posted by Nicole on August 6, 2007 at 1:10am — No Comments

enhager Curbed LA and LAist added to Leimert Park

Curbed LA says: Angelenos' sense of place, and the neighborhoods they call home, are more important than ever.

I'm beginning to believe it.

Hopefully they just need to hear from more diverse neighborhoods like ours.

They mentioned Leimert Park 3 times last year and 3 times the year before.

The LA Times actually had 42 stories mention Leimert Park in some way. That sounds like a lot until you see that West Hollywood was me… Continue

Posted by enhager on July 31, 2007 at 12:22pm — No Comments

enhager Block Sale back on! Sat. July 28 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

It's a great time to meet your neighbors and find treasures.

It's the third year and I always find a few things to buy - a chair and leaf blower among other items.

Multiple households participating!

Sutr… Continue

Posted by enhager on July 26, 2007 at 10:11pm — 1 Comment

Nicole Ola

Ola. Como vaivoce?

Check my post on UrbanTrailMix.blogspot. com

Nicole

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Posted by Nicole on July 26, 2007 at 6:27pm — No Comments

enhager Neighborhood council swings to the Save Liemert group

SAVE LEIMERT basically swept the Empowerment Congress West Area Neighborhood Council elections as a record high turn out of more than 350 area residents and stakeholders from Leimert Park, Baldwin Hills, Village Green and the surrounding area.

As Lark Galloway says on her Web site: "The neighborhood council is our pipeline to city hall. It can be an important conduit for addressing your issues and concerns. The co…

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Posted by enhager on July 26, 2007 at 5:05pm — No Comments

enhager Medusa slithering into the limelight

In May the LA Weekly featured one of the few women in rap, Medusa, who lives in Leimert Park and was part of Project Blowed.

Well Reuters features the up and comer in a recent article:

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Posted by enhager on July 24, 2007 at 4:01pm — No Comments

enhager From Little Armenia to the

Leimert Park will soon be a tourist destination if LA Commons plan is a success.

Karen Mack, executive director of LA Commons, believes - and I agree - that LA is one of the world's most interesting cities. But it's difficult to penetrate.

To that end, the LA Commons are organizing walking tours. The tours began in June with a trek through Highland Park. Next up is "Taste of Pomegranate" walking tour through Little Armenia… Continue

Posted by enhager on July 20, 2007 at 4:58pm — No Comments

enhager "Baldwin Hills" 90016

Props to our neighbors for getting on the BET. "Baldwin Hills," which first aired Tuesday and reruns all week, is a reality series documenting the lives of 12 black teens growing up in an upscale L.A. neighborhood.

But the LAist blog is sick and tired of the stereotypes.

"First, the Black Entertainment Television network embarrasses black college students across the country with College Hill, a show that pro… Continue

Posted by enhager on July 11, 2007 at 5:28pm — No Comments

enhager Starry, Starry Night

The fog rolled in just before the fireworks, but that didn't detract from the brilliant display.

A two-hour show of bombs bursting in air dazzled hundreds of people on the grass just east of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The launch pad wasn't in the coliseum, but just east, putting us very close to the action.

Many of the explosions took place right above us, allowing us to lay down and stare up at the night sky while reclining on our beach blanket. We only realiz… Continue

Posted by enhager on July 5, 2007 at 11:47am — No Comments

enhager Sutro Block Club Yard Sale Rescheduled for July 28


And the summer BBQ is Aug. 11 at Blanche Alston's home.

More details to come. Until then check out these tips from Frugal Village.



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Posted by enhager on June 25, 2007 at 3:01pm — No Comments

enhager Leimert Park - the neighborhood so nice they run the same story twice - 16 months apart

More than a year after the Washington Post visited our totally hip neighborhood, the Philadelphia Inquirer ran the exact same story. It's a great story - in the WaPo or the Inky.
…

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Posted by enhager on June 11, 2007 at 4:01pm — No Comments

enhager 5th Avenue Block Club Yard Sale

Second annual, which includes a bake sale, is this Saturday - June 2. Come out, show support, buy a cake and find a treasure.
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Posted by enhager on June 1, 2007 at 12:04pm — No Comments

enhager WW II soldier from Leimert finds the man who saved his life 60 years ago

Jim Garbett, who grew up in Leimert Park, reunites with the WWII soldier who saved him, Tiburcio Ordorica, who lives in Gardena.


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Posted by enhager on May 29, 2007 at 7:57pm — No Comments

enhager From Watts to Leimert Park ...

Found this amazing piece of poetry by Mike the Poet.
He's also the host on a tour of the neon signs in LA and while you see the glitz, he does his spoken word thing. He has three performances listed on his…
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Posted by enhager on May 25, 2007 at 6:21am — No Comments