Clear early then increasing cloudiness after midnight. Low 68F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..
Clear early then increasing cloudiness after midnight. Low 68F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
Eastside Review
Happy/Sad Foot sign to leave Sunset; marathoner faces cheating charge; Silver Lake keeps 'road diet'
Edited by Barry Lank
A recap of some of the past week's scenes, sightings and stories from across the Eastside.
The foot clinic behind the Happy Foot/Sad Foot sign is leaving Silver Lake, and apparently taking its sign, which depicts a joyous, healthy foot on one side and a frowning, ailing foot on the other. They'll be setting up the business and the sign at a new location on Beverly Boulevard near Virgil Avenue in September. The foot clinic sign along Sunset has attracted fans, won mentions in books and music videos, and even inspired a neighborhood nickname. The Eastsider
A 70-year-old marathon runner who grew up in East L.A. is being accused of cheating, after setting an unofficial record for his age group at the 2019 L.A. Marathon. Frank Meza, a retired physician who has worked with Kaiser Permanente in East L.A., has denied the accusations by marathon watchers who have uncovered oddities in Meza's race times. That includes finishing sections of marathons in incongruously short amounts of time, and not crossing in front of an official video camera during an Arizona race. L.A. Times
A Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy shot and killed a man during a traffic stop Thursday night in East L.A. Deputies were conducting the traffic stop near the 300 block of S. Gerhart Avenue when the deputy shot a Latino male in the upper torso. The victim was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Another occupant of the vehicle was detained. What prompted the traffic stop or the shooting remains unclear. The Eastsider
The City Council voted to maintain a controversial "road diet" along Rowena Avenue in Silver Lake. The vote comes after Councilmember David Ryu sided with the city's Department of Transportation, which recommended leaving Rowena the way it is - one lane each way for motor vehicles, a center left-turn lane and bike lanes in both directions. "The Rowena road diet has undoubtedly made Silver Lake safer," Councilmember Ryu said. The Eastsider
Police are investigating a shooting death about three blocks from the Hollenbeck Community Police Station. The death of Enrique Becerra, 37, near East 1st and Matthews streets, is the 9th homicide so far this year in Boyle Heights. The Eastsider
As Virgil Village continues getting busier, a new pedestrian signal is planned right near one of the signature restaurants for the area. The City Council's latest budget includes $100,000 for a flashing beacon at the intersection of Marathon Street and Virgil Avenue in East Hollywood - near Sqirl restaurant, which has been credited with helping kick start new business in the area. The Eastsider
14th District Councilman Jose Huizar doesn't have to answer questions in one former employee lawsuit just yet - but he does in another. A Superior Court judge said Huizar would not have to face questions in a workplace harassment suit filed by his former aide until the FBI resolves a criminal investigation of his office. But this week, a different judge said Huizar can face questions under oath in a separate lawsuit brought by a different employee, who is alleging discrimination and wrongful termination. L.A. Times & L.A. Times
A second defendant involved in racially-motivated fire bombings in Boyle Heights was sentenced to more than seven years in prison. Edwin "Boogie" Felix, 27, pleaded guilty to four felonies connected to the May 2014 fire bombings that targeted African American residents of the Ramona Gardens public housing project. Felix is one of seven defendants who have pleaded guilty and are now being sentenced during separate hearings. NBC4
A former PETA event space will be bringing relief to a different sort of distressed animal in the near future: Working parents. The Sunset Boulevard building has been leased out to Big and Tiny, a Santa Monica-based firm that is part of a nascent trend by co-working spaces to offer professional workspaces and childcare facilities under the same roof. The Eastsider
Crews are working to complete a $1.74 million retaining wall to help stabilize one of the most troublesome slopes along Sunset Boulevard. The slope between Coronado Terrace and Waterloo Street on the border of Echo Park and Silver Lake has been the site of numerous slides, big and small, over the years. The crumbling slope is the legacy of a flawed public works project completed more than a century ago. The Eastsider
Dodgers execs said they are planning to extend the netting across the stadium in an effort to protect fans from errant balls. This came after a girl was taken to a hospital for tests after being hit in the head by a foul ball. Thirteen-year-old Kaitlyn Salazar suffered a concussion, said KTLA. Last summer, a 79-year-old died a few days after being struck by a foul ball at Dodger Stadium. The L.A. Times said two other teams this season have also announced they will extend the protective netting at their ballparks. The Eastsider
A man has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2001 rape and shooting death of a 13-year-old Whittier girl in Elysian Park. Jorge Palacios, who maintained his innocence during sentencing, was convicted in March 2018 of first-degree murder and kidnapping. A separate jury deadlocked in March 2018 on a murder charge against Palacios' co-defendants Santos Grimaldi, Melvin Sandoval and Rogelio Contreras. Prosecutors plan to retry all three. My News LA
Dodger Stadium will host two nights of fireworks this week when they play the San Diego Padres. In addition to a holiday show on July 4, the ballpark will hold a "McCartney" themed fireworks show on July 5, which we assume is in preparation for a Paul McCartney concert in mid July. What goes good with fireworks? They could start with "Maybe I'm Amazed." MLB
A man who was shot and killed by police earlier this month in Atwater Village was running in the direction of officers with a box cutter when they opened fire, the LAPD said. The man, identified as 59-year-old Jose Antonio de Santiago-Medina, had ignored officers' commands and had earlier threatened two people near the 3800 block of Edenhurst Avenue with the box cutter, according to additional details of the confrontation that took place on the afternoon of June 6. The Eastsider
A street party - complete with music and poetry - was held in Boyle Heights to celebrate the naming of the intersection of East 1st and Chicago streets in honor of Dolores Huerta, the 89-year-old civil rights and labor leader who co-founded the United Farm Workers union. The Eastsider
José Huizar
Dolores Huerta
Frank Meza