Everyday Living

Dancing in the Streets as Jewish Community Center Celebrates Its Torah

By Eric Richardson — September 03, 2009
1 Comment

Community Torah Celebration

|Photo Gallery| Music and dancing filled the streets around 7th and Broadway this afternoon as members and friends of the Jewish Community Center - Chabad of Downtown Los Angeles celebrated the completion of the synagogue's first Sefer Torah.


Bonaventure Awarded Green Seal's Silver Certification for Its Eco-Efforts

By Eric Richardson — August 28, 2009

Bonaventure Green Seal Eric Richardson

Councilman Richard Alarcon has been trying to build green business programs since his days in the state senate. In March of 2007 he first introduced a motion at City Council asking for the creation of a certified Green Business program.

Today he got a win, as he joined Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in honoring the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites for its work to obtain a Silver Certification from Green Seal.

"The program will be expanded very quickly in the next couple of weeks to include other kinds of businesses," said Alarcon, "but the Bonaventure is the first. And what do they say? You never forget your first." — Continued Inside...


Mares a Solid Winner at Fight Night Club

By Eric Richardson — August 27, 2009 — 1 Comment

Fight Night Club at Club Nokia Eric Richardson

|Photo Gallery| Bantamweight Abner Mares was a solid winner in the main event of Thursday night's Fight Night Club at Club Nokia.

The event, put on by AEG and Golden Boy Promotions, offered boxing fans seven fights, four of which were televised in a two-hour live broadcast on cable sports network Versus. — Continued Inside...


Bike Film Fest Rides Into Town

By Ed Fuentes — August 27, 2009
1 Comment

Bicycle Film Fest 2009

An informal demographic review of comments shows that our readership includes a number of cyclists. They should be glad to know that the Bicycle Film Festival kicked off last night, and comes Downtown for screenings on Friday and Saturday. This "celebration of the art and culture" of people-powered wheels runs until August 30th.


No Mas: Casa de Sousa Eviction Upheld

By Ed Fuentes — August 26, 2009
8 Comments

Coffee House

The eviction of an Olvera Street coffee house is proving that action from the City to make El Pueblo Historical Monument sustainable will be swift. It also made clear that sentiment is no longer a comfort zone for long-time merchants behind on rent; even if they have the dreaded 55-year lease, as did Conchita Sousa, who inherited the retail space left by her...


Agencies Look to Teamwork in Fight Against Illegal Animal Sales

By Ed Fuentes — August 26, 2009 — 7 Comments

Rabbits_A Ed Fuentes

Vendors illegally selling animals on Downtown streets rely on coordinated responses to avoid arrests. Now a herd of departments are countering with an organized strategy of their own.

On Monday, the city's Animal Services Commission approved a proposal that relies on signage, training and coordinated enforcement to combat illegal sales. — Continued Inside...


Fashion District's Other Illegal Inventory: Animals

By Ed Fuentes — August 21, 2009 — 38 Comments

Rabbits_A Ed Fuentes

|Photo Gallery| At the corner of 12th and Maple, two stacks of cages sit in the mid-afternoon August sun. Inside are baby rabbits with underdeveloped legs –– barely supporting their body weight –– shaking on top of wilted lettuce leaves.

On top are plastic aquariums occupied by young turtles. When a buyer asks to see a turtle, they are handled with jarring hands that cause the animal to panic, making them seem healthy and active to a potential pet owner.

While crackdowns on counterfeit designer wares and pirated DVD sales bring media attention and large fines, the Fashion District's illegal animal trade continues unabated. — Continued Inside...


Lakers 3 on 3 Takes Over L.A. Live

By Eric Richardson — August 15, 2009 — 2 Comments

Lakers 3 on 3 Eric Richardson

|Photo Gallery| Several thousand players, families and fans made their way to L.A. Live this morning for the inaugural Lakers 3 on 3 tournament. Nearly 500 teams signed up, with games taking place on more than 30 courts set up on Nokia Plaza, Chick Hearn Court and the L.A. Live Event Deck. — Continued Inside...


Dribble-a-Thon to Lead Midnight Mission Team to 3 on 3 Tourney

By Eric Richardson — August 12, 2009

Lakers 3 on 3 Logo

A team from the Midnight Mission will take advantage of geographic proximity when it makes its way over to this weekend's Lakers 3 on 3 tournament. The three players and their supporters will dribble their way from the mission to L.A. Live.


Chevy Draws Chalk Ads Downtown in Support of Volt Campaign

By Eric Richardson — August 11, 2009

What is 230

Automaker General Motors announced a 230 MPG rating for its upcoming extended-range electric Chevy Volt this morning, but Downtowners may have seem the news today in a much less straight-forward fashion via chalk sidewalk ads promoting the 230 number.