Davey Jones, lead singer of "The Monkees" - heart attack at 66 years old.

Davey Jones died today, Wednesday, of a heart attack at 66 years old.  The online story from the Associated Press, http://my.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20120229/0db33b33-eecd-454d-a090-04640de922e3 gives more information on this and on the career of Jones.

The L.A. Times has a shorter announcement that adds the note that Jones was to be at a performance later this month in Cerritos performing songs that the and was known for.  http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2012/02/davy-jones-monkees-died-.html.

It looks like Jones was experiencing breathing problems and died by the time he arrived at the hospital.  Difficulty in breathing is one of the main symptoms of a heart attack. This happened in Florida where Jones lived and I don't have any idea of what level of emergency care or paramedic response is available there.  I have to wonder whether this could have been avoided by better services, but I don't think that this will ever be known.

Overall I am saddened as I see this loss of a personality who was part of a much younger time for me,  mostly high school years and later, and one who, with other artists of the day, brought us entertainment over the years.  When you heard songs then, it was hard to imagine that someday they would someday be called rock and roll "oldies."

We have had the loss of several persons in the last few months from the music scene, some better known than others, but all contributed in some part to the environment surrounding our younger days. 

It always is a reminder to me how we have inevitably grown older, like it or not, when we see there is another death of the artists of our days. It is also another reminder of our mortality, although we don't like to admiti it, when we see the ages are close to our own, or even more an item when it's someone younger than ourselves.

Davey Jones was sort of lost for a long time and then I noticed him again on television in commercials about oldies and he still seemed the same.  That presence was maintained by the commercials, maybe they were the Time-Life infomercials or some of the oldies shows televised on public television, but the death here seemed more like someone I knew about currently instead of just a name from the past. He always seemed as upbeat as he did on the episodes of the show back in the 60s, and that was something I liked about seeing him on t.v.

There should be another longer obituary coming in the L.A. Times published soon, and that will fill in more details for people who are too young to have a first-hand memory of the t.v. show and the craziness of the band that was very talented after all was said and done.   As with most artists, we still will hear the music and it will stay as their legacy in history of music- pop, rock and roll, or whatever label anyone feels like using.

President's Day today- replaces Washington and Lincoln but recognizes neither.

Do you remember when there was a Lincoln's Birthday Holiday on February 12th, and then a few days later, February 22nd, the Washington's Birthday Holiday rolled around?   It was a day off from school back then but now we seem to have too many holidays to separate these, and, besides, who wouldn't want another 3-day holiday weekend?

So now it's President's Day that includes ALL presidents and Lincoln and Washington among them but the recognition and honor really seems to me to go to no one by this all inclusive approach. Would your children feel more honored by having the birthday party for each one on the anniversary date of their birth, OR, would it be a better approach to celebrate the birthday of all your children on ONE day each year, with a big party, of course?

So, I think keeping it individual does the best job of recognizing anything, including presidents.  

LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL- named after "who'?
I have criticized the alma mater for not making use of the Lincoln's birthday in the past to promote knowledge and that's what scholl should be doing, right?   A "learning" experience here.  When I was there teaching at Lincoln not tht long ago, I was really dissppointed by how many students were unaware of the namesake of their school.    You have one person to learn about as a basic task, I would expect, but that holiday period passed without much special attention from the school.

I think a few times the Alumni Association made efforts to recongnize Lincoln as one of the display cases by the main office was given the Lincoln recognition treatment.

I think that the school has, in the transformations going on from a single school to small learning communities, has forgotten to give attention to simple things as they constantly face evaluation based on test scores used to determine student performance levels.

Well, that's just something I thought would be useful to change but I don't have a current picture of the state of Lincoln's day to day heppenings and maybe I am wrong now.  Since there's no "Brown Act" requirement for school operations like there is for public meetings in government, I have no convenient way to see what's new or what planned, other than the press releases or bulletins that the school or the LAUSD puts forth.

And the other part of the concern here is that learning about President Lincoln is very easy- there are lots of books about this and the times in which Lincoln lived are some of the most crucial years in the history of the United States, the Civil War period.  Combine that with the sadder aspect of Lincoln's term, the assasination in office, we have a very important area for examination.

If we had a different president as our namesake, the features might be less visible and more obscurity in history would still leave us with not much in the way of positive or distinctive elements to learn.  But that's not the case and still, more students might have some pride in the school if they knew a lttle more of what's out there.  It couldn't hurt.

Looking back, January 27 of past times- And Birthdays, from LARadio.com

There have been some good posts in  in Don Barrett's now-occasional  posted "L.A. Radio People" blog the last week of January that relate back to my high school days but all the work in putting this together was on Don's part, not mine.  And with that credit given, check the news of older times and consider where we were and where we are now.  And it seems that time really flies.
From the Friday LARP Rewind:
"January 27. On this day in 2002, Brian Wilson played the first of four sold-out shows at Royal Festival Hall in London. On this day in 1991, Whitney Houston sang the National Anthem at Super Bowl XXV at Tampa Stadium. The Giants beat the Bills, 20-19, in the only Super Bowl to be decided by a single point. On this day in 1984, sparks from pyrotechnics set Michael Jackson's hair on fire while he was filming a Pepsi commercial at the Shrine Auditorium. On this day in 1968, the Bee Gees made their US concert debut at Anaheim Convention Center. On this day in 1961, Mitch Miller's Sing Along With Mitch debuted on NBC/tv. On this day in 1948, the first magnetic tape recorder, the Wireway, went on sale for $149.50. On this day in 1927, New York talent agent Arthur Judson formed a 16-station radio network, United Independent Broadcasters. Near bankruptcy eight months later, the company was purchased by Columbia and renamed Columbia Phonograph Broadcasting Company. In 1928, a group of investors led by William S. Paley bought a controlling interest in the company and renamed it Columbia Broadcasting System. Today CBS owns 14 tv stations and 130 radio stations and operates many more.

Today, January 27, 2012, r&b/blues singer Bobby "Blue" Bland is 82, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason is 68, Ronettes vocalist Nedra Talley is 66, ballet dancer/choreographer Mikhail Baryshnikov is 64, Thin Lizzy drummer Brian Downey is 61, J. Geils Band lead singer/keyboardist Seth Justman is 61, actress Mimi Rogers is 56, actress Bridget Fonda is 48, country singer Tracy Lawrence is 44, Sister Hazel drummer Mike Trojanowski is 42, Take That keyboardist/guitarist Mark Owen is 40.

On January 27, 1967, 45 years ago today, the Monkees' I'm A Believer/Steppin' Stone was in its eighth week at number one on the KHJ Boss 30. The Rolling Stones' Ruby Tuesday climbed from #8 to #2 and would reach number one the following week. The Blues Magoos' We Ain't Got Nothin' Yet jumped from #26 to #6. Highest debut at #21 was a remake of the Troggs' Wild Thing by "Senator Bobby" (Robert Kennedy impersonator Bill Minkin). The survey touted KHJ's new Boss Jock, Humble Harve, who would start on February 1.

Soul Train's Don Cornelius dies at 75- apparent suicide.

The news this morning brings some sad news for fans of the long running "Soul Train" t.v. show- host Don Cornelius had died by an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound- stated bluntly, a suicide.  His health had deteriorated and was a likely connected motive in some part.

See the LA Times report on this.  http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/02/soul-train-creator-don-cornelius-dead-in-apparent-suicide.html

Sad to see another icon of my younger days leave us.  His show was, as most of you my age or thereabouts, a must-see for the latest artists and songs, not to mention the dancers.  It was much like Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" with, of course, "Soul"- and who can forget that dance line each show that showed individual's talents as they moved on down?  That's often been seen at other social dances like wedding receptions. And there was the Cornelius sign off for each show, "Peace, Love and Soouul."  Cornelius was such a know figure that there were many instances of satire of the icon on comedy shows. 

A more complete story and obitutary should be coming soon in the press and online.

Lincoln High's Alumni Association's first meeting for 2012 is Tomorrow.

The Lincoln High Alumni Association will be haaving a busy meeting tomorrow with a recap of the last years events and plans for upcoming events.   The meeting will be held in the "Cafe in the Heights"at 9:30 a.m.  located directly across the street from the school's electronic marquee.  Increased membership is sought and dues are payable by mail (see the LHAA details on the LHS official web site  LHS Website 


A Spring Dance is planned for April 14, 2012 at Maggie's Pub in Santa Fe Springs.

A Lincoln High Centennial Celebration in 2013 is among the long range plans that will be shaped up this year. An assortment of Angels Fund arts contests this spring will be discussed as well as Texas Hold "em poker tournament.

NEXT Month's meeting, Feb. 25, 2012: The membership attending the meeting will be included in the annual group photo that will be taken on that date.

Singer Etta James Dies

Singer Etta James died this morning in Riverside, California at the age of 73.  She's best known for singing "At Last" which is one of the songs that you will hear at about any wedding reception.  The L.A. Times has a news item on this at http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-etta-james-20120121,0,1608543.story .

The life of Etta James included the difficulties of drug use and addiction that was not unusual among many of the artists in music encoutered in their lives, sometimes cutting short those lives  She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has a star on the Hollywood Boulevard "Walk of Fame."  

I remember her songs as part of the sounds of the 60's but more with lively tunes, ubeat songs, if you will.  The rendition of "At Last" that James made all her own is nothing of that, but a very earthy, very sincere love ballad.  I think that the L.A. Times may have a longer obituary coming up for her aside from the announcement now online.

What's happened on this date, January 9th- in radio, music and entertainment- from LA Radio.com

Don Barrett's L.A. Radio.com provides a little something for our memories today. It is a little bit of flashback kind of energy that is what I want to share as a sampling of what was published every day until a few months agos http://www.laradio.com/   If you have some years on you, you might recall some of the items from experience.

The following is from is column today for January 9th- "on this date" -

"LARP Rewind: January 9. On this day in 2006, Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, who in 2005 had starred in a new version of the 1968 movie, The Producers, were honored with stars on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. On this day in 1992, Sting played himself on the "Radio Bart" episode of The Simpsons. On this day in 1979, Kmart pulled Steve Martin's Let's Get Small album for being in "bad taste." On this day in 1973, the Rolling Stones had to cancel a planned tour of the Orient when Japan refused to grant a Visa to Mick Jagger because of a 1969 drug bust. On this day in 1963, drummer Charlie Watts joined the Rolling Stones after leaving Blues Incorporated. On this day in 1922, 82AE in Pittsburgh changed call letters to KQV. (This was before a rule change that required stations east of the Mississippi River to have callsigns beginning with W.)


Today, January 9, 2012, sportscaster Dick Enberg is 77, Joan Baez is 71, Roy Head is 69, Yardbirds/Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page is 68, Buster Poindexter (David Johansen) is 62, Crystal Gayle is 61, Smash Mouth lead singer Steve Harwell is 45, singer/guitarist Dave Matthews is 45, Backstreet Boys vocalist A.J. McLean is 34.

On the KFWB Fabulous Forty Survey 50 years ago today, January 9, 1962, number one was The Twist by Chubby Checker, followed by the Tokens' The Lion Sleeps Tonight and Gene Chandler's Duke Of Earl. Biggest jumpers were Norman by Sue Thompson and Dear Lady Twist by Gary U.S. Bonds."


Roy Head sang "Treat Her Right" in the mid-60s, a one-hit wonder, popular and a lively tune.  Crystal Gayle had "We'll Sing in the Sunshine" as her principal 60s hit.  Sue Thompson's "Norman" was yet another one-hit wonder from the early 60s.   Hard to believe it, maybe, but all part of the pop music we heard in high school years way back.

Don's daily column appeared on the web since about 1997, first as a free site and than as a daily subscription website, now appears "occasionally" for subscribers as he's now spending more time on other things including family.  This break is not complete yet as he leave us with some once in a while postings to ease the radio information vacuum.  What I show here is just a small part of what we had as daily presentations.

A Return to Classes in LAUSD today.

The holiday break that we used to call "Christmas Vacation" is over now.  Lincoln students started the school year earlier than the rest of the District in August for the second year as a pilot program.  The rest of the district was to follow that change last August but there was so much commotion stirred up that that the change was postponed for another year to August 2012.


So be on the lookout for students on foot and more on bikes, as well as the increased traffic to deliver and pick up students by schools.    Does anyone remember way back when we used to walk to and from school from Jr. High and on?    Getting a ride to school was more like a treat but now it's more like the routine.  

It's a different time now but the mayor again is saying that crime is down and L.A. is as safe as it's been since the 1950's.  I disagree with that conclusion.  I think it's a less safer than the 50's but that's for a different discussion.

That's just one bit of exercise that has been cut back a lot.   I don' t know if there was any obesity trend like there is now, but when you have the technology advances, there's a lot more sitting around time happening than we had. 

We had it a little more different than now.   And that's all without having to add in hardships like walking in the snow to get to school- it would have been a real story if that happened even once for us in L.A.

But even with all that we didn't have then, I seem to recall that more came out of school with some better education than we see today.  I remember that we had drop outs but even then there was not what we see now.   And you have to think about all this happening in the pre-Walkout days.  This was what I saw generally, working with an "inferior" education still gave us a lot for our time in school.  But that's just my interpretation and the people with the statistics may be able to produce a different scenario.

Oh, and "Happy New Year" to all.

As the year ends, we see singer Etta James now terminally ill.

There's a December 18, 2011 news story from Reuters that Etta James, age 73, a singer from way back who I remember from at least high school days, is temrinally ill.  Her most memorable song for most who have heard her sing, is  "At Last." a real classic among ballads.  I happened to favor "Tell Mama," a more upbeat tune that let a lot of energy come through.  It was a time back in high school days that soul artists flourished and were inspirations to many of the newly arrived British Invasion artists of the 60's.

I think it was Beyonce who sang her own cover of "At Last" several years ago that provoked some anger in James.  Etta stated very clearly that "that's MY song...."  and was not pleased by the Beyonce version.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/17/us-ettajames-idUSTRE7BF20Q20111217

Sad to hear of the news but there's a difference of opinion among James' sons, according to the report in Reuters about the condition being terminal, although they agree the singer is in deteriorating health.

Tonight - The LHS Alumni Association Fall Dance in Santa Fe Springs

If you are an LHS alum and haven't heard about the Fall Dance, the LHS Alumni Association's fundraising event tonight at Maggie's Pub in Santa Fe Springs, then you are likely in the minority of active alumni still in the Southern California area.

The links in the sidebar LHS official website will let you know more about this.
OR
you can just call dance chair persons: Mike Ibarra - S’66 - (323) 683-6102 -or-  Luz Lopez - S’75 -- (310) 701-6846

At last check, the ticket prices were $35 per person.  Call one of the numbers above if you are interested in information about at-door ticket sales.

Lots of activity in at City Hall but Mayor still hooked on hitting the publicity circuit.

The mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa- who will be just Antonio Villar when he ends his term according to reports on the divorce settlement, is totally into publicity as long as it include the mayor.

He continues to exercise that personal choice that belies his claim to care about the city.  That commitment the city is simply overrulled by a terminal case of narcissism to make publicity opportunities a regular preference. 

It's a choice made by the mayor in the midst of all that's happening with the city that means a lot for how L.A. residents will enjoy or suffer (as the case may be) living in L.A. including steep hikes in DWP rates, Sewer fees almost doubling, the budget still short, OccupyLA creating costs for L.A. (aside from demands), and all the FBI subjects of investigation as fraud, waste and abuse happen to be more the rule than the exception.

Here's a selection from The City Maven blog "Pressers" section today http://www.thecitymaven.com/ to give you an idea of how the elected "leader" (by a slim majority of the approximately 18% of the city's registered voters who came out to cast votes- so that's roughly 10% of the registered voters choosing this mayor) ostensibly "works" for the city of L.A.

"10:15 a.m. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will participate in the Great California ShakeOut at Target in Northridge.
11:30 a.m. Mayor Villaraigosa will recognize Domestic Violence Awareness month at LAPD Headquarters
7:30 p.m. Mayor Villaraigosa will attend the Safe Passage Domestic Violence Awareness Month event at L.A. Live.
8 p.m. Mayor Villaraigosa will speak at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Great Futures Gala at L.A. Live"

The L.A. Weekly's editor, Jill Stewart referred to Villaraigosa as "The Partyboy Mayor" in a radio interview a few months ago, and he surely seems to be that, as well as the subject of the L.A Weekly's "11% Mayor" - a reference to the time spent on real city business based on his official calendar records..  http://www.laweekly.com/2008-09-11/news/the-all-about-me-mayor/ 

"The All-About-Me Mayor: Antonio Villaraigosa's Frenetic Self-Promotion-Hours of travel, fund-raising and PR leave little time for his job" By Patrick Range McDonald Wednesday, Sep 10 2008 
http://www.laweekly.com/2008-09-11/news/the-all-about-me-mayor/

Not much seems to have changed aside from the mayor continuing his mission to find a new office to hold and maybe get better publicity photos from it.  We might have been better served had Villaraigosa spent more time in his office, in the city and not be so busy involving himself in all that he manages to find that does not get the job done as mayor for L.A. residents and busineses.
There was a continuation of this L.A. Weekly story a few months later: "Villaraigosa, the All About Me Mayor, Is Still 11 Percent There,"  By Patrick Range McDonald,  Wednesday, Dec 31 2008
http://www.laweekly.com/2009-01-01/news/villaraigosa-the-all-about-me-mayor-is-still-11-percent-there/


Well, he's the mayor until July 1, 2013 when the March 2013 election results will produce another mayor, one who might do better, let's hope.

LHS Football (tonight) v. Eagle Rock HS- Kenny Washington Story in L.A. Times

The Lincoln Tigers will host the Eagle Rock Eagles Friday night.

The L.A. Times this week published a story this week about Kenny Washington and the ongoing work that's being done to honor the former Lincoln student athlete who broke the NFL color barrier. "Remembering forgotten hero Kenny Washington," by Bill Plaschke, October 12, 2011, http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-plaschke-20111012,0,2930677,full.column

A key part of the story tells much about the big picture for Washington,

Mark Shapiro has spent 35 years shouting out yards and numbers to Lincoln fans with a tiny microphone while standing in the seats in front of the marching band. In the most sadly perfect of ironies, on Friday night at a Kenny Washington memorial game designed to raise money to fix this field, he couldn't talk about the honored man because nobody could hear him.

"And believe me, somebody needs to talk about Kenny Washington," said the retired teacher and softball coach.
Welcome to Kenny Washington's house, the home of a man who fought for something that has not fought for him.
On March 21, 1946, Washington signed a contract with the new Los Angeles Rams, making him the first African American in an NFL that had been unofficially segregated the previous 12 seasons.

The former UCLA star, who signed when he was 28 years old and coming off five knee surgeries, lasted just three pro seasons. He retired young, and when he died at age 51 of heart and lung problems, his memory seemingly vanished with him.

"He wasn't in the NFL long enough, so he just faded out of sight," said Jim Tunney, former longtime referee and Lincoln High administrator whose father once coached Washington here. "And now nobody knows what to do with him."

Washington broke his sport's color barrier a year before his former UCLA football teammate Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier, yet pro football never retired Washington's No. 13, and his Los Angeles hometown has yet to put his name on any parks or fields.

Read the rest of the story for the current status of the effort to give due notice and honor a person from Lincoln's historic past.

LHS ALUMNI meets Saturday at 9:30 in LHS Cafeteria

The location of the October Meeting of the Alumni Association is back at LHS in the student cafeteria and NOT in the Cafe in the Heights.

LHS Alumni Association Meeting Saturday

This Saturday at the Cafe in the Heights is the place for the LHS Alumni Association's monthly meeting at 9:30 am.

One topic will be the Fall Dance that's planned for Saturday, October 22, 2011. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the event will continue until midnight at Maggie's Pub in Santa Fe Springs that has been the regular site for LHS Alumni dances.  This event includes a buffet dinner as with past dances there.
Get your tickets now.
Contact persons Mike Ibarra - S’66 - (323) 683-6102 -- Luz Lopez - S’75 -- (310) 701-6846

Dairy Demolition event on Albion St. happening Thursday- New Park Coming.

There's a bit of news since the last posting- well, lots, but here's a start, that's very specific to Lincoln Heights.

The Downey Recreation Center has that baseball diamond and newer gym on the south side Spring Street,  That's all changing now as the Carnation aka Foremost aka Swiss Dairy property was purchased by the city and is being cleared out for a park to come in. 

I received an email invitation to come to the event on Thursday, at 12:30 p.m. sent by Mike Fong, an aide to  mayor Villaraigosa.  There's a pdf flyer that goes with this but it's a very typical one.  The main news is here.  There should be a lot on hand with food and beverages to help make the most of this project.  The speeches probably will be the downside of the event, unless you happen to like speeches that generally are feel-good things to get your votes in the next election. 

Here's the message that you might consider answering if you are in the area that day:

"Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, Councilmember Ed P. Reyes, and officials from the Departments of Public Works and Recreation and Parks cordially invite you
to a Demolition Kick-off Ceremony for the Albion Dairy Acquisition Project,
A Future Los Angeles Riverfront Park

Thursday, September 29, 2011
12:30 pm
Downey Recreation Center
1739 Albion Street
Los Angeles, CA 900031

Please RSVP to mike.fong@lacity.org if you are interested in attending the event.

Thanks and have a great day,
Mike"

City business- making appearances? Is this what a Mayor should be doing? Being in

The mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, still does not find a purpose to staying in the Mayor's Office to get to city business, the real kind, and continues to tour city to keep his face before the cameras.

From The City Maven blog's "Morning Coffee" section,  http://www.thecitymaven.com/2011/08/10/mavens-morning-coffee-66/ today's listing of press items for city hall shows the mayor to be making four public appearnaces:

Pressers

10:30 a.m. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will help launch a bilingual Internet literacy program at Magnolia Place Family Center.
11:30 a.m. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will be at L.A. Live to announce the location of the 2012 Breeders’ Cup.
7 p.m. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will attend Summer Night Lights at Imperial Courts Recreation Center.
8 p.m. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will attend Summer Night Lights at Jordan Downs Recreation Center.

This doesn't seem to be the best use of a mayor's time when you consider what condition the city is in.  But then, why should he change his ways now as he travels the city with his security detail and assorted staffers, all paid for by tax dollars, too. 

Does anyone really want to see him out in the city instead seeing him stay in city hall, getting to know the place, and trying to get familiar with city work to be done.  The real priorities of this city don't match those of the mayor.

 Maybe there's a reason for the mayor to have over 200 staff members when the other mayor's had less than 100 to assist them.

L.A. City Public LIbraries are open on Mondays again.

The city's libraries are open again on Mondays. You may have noticed that annoucement in the news  where the city politicians are taking the credit, led by mayor villaraigosa, as usual, who pounce upon any opportunity to give an appearance of effectiveness. 

The money was the issue according to the city council and the March election gave voters Measure L to approve to move more money to the library's budget.  Yes, politicians brag that it did not raise taxes, but they don't tell you what it DID do.

The change that happened from Measure L is a simple one, it just makes the library's share of the pool of money guaranteed as a larger sum- AND THIS MEANS it will have to TAKE AWAY from another department the money to keep things in balance. That impact will be more clearly seen when that cuts for making up the balance happens.

Closting the libraries on Mondays was in my view a political stunt to get the public to later support restoring the day by approving another manipulation of the budget picture.  The city council COULD have left the libraries open on Mondays by their own power, but THEYwere the ones who decided WHAT department gets funded and what departments get CUTS.   They chose the libraries- had they chosen a less visible part of city operations, maybe the level of attention would not be enough to get voters swayed to the positions put forth as "solutions" as they would where it the libraries, a more essential service to the city.

So taking credit for what condition they CREATED is not the meritorious act they'd have you believe.  Taking credit for anything "good" is a practice you will find, most often displayed by mayor villaraigosa, always the narcissist.   You are not told of the "discretionary" funds of assorted amounts, that the city council members have, that they can apply for matters in their district.  You did not see any CMs volunteer ANY money to keep ANY libraries in their districts OPEN on Mondays by taking some discretionary funds from their own accounts. No, they use this for self promotion and splash lots of it around in the election years to get voters attention and buy loyalty, shown by the period ending with the March elections.

You don't have much mention that the libraries, by the terms of Measure L, will become a stand-alone entity, meaning "independent" for a shorthand description.   Much like children grow up and eventually, move out, with the parents no longer providing the food, housing and so on.   The city council sees its job made easier to push the library department out from under its umbrella and have it pay its own utilities and other costs of operation that were part of the benefit from being entirely under the city's system.

I think there's more to see in the future that's still putting the library in a bind and still having cuts to be made to other spending where the money is taken from- that is not highlighted ever.  City Council continue largely to do what IT wants, driven by personal agendas and special interests.

A lot of CM's time spent with lobbyists making their requests would be lots more than the skimpy 2 minutes any one person gets in public comment on a matter. Keep that picture in mind whenever you have a question about why things in City Hall are being decided in the ways that they are. 

The libraries being closed on Mondays was shameful in how a city considers the needs of its consitutuents, but poltical planning was a far more important consideration above all else.  It needs to change.

The next City elections will be in March 2013.  There will be some open coucil seats then.  One is in Lincoln Heights, as Ed Reyes' CD-1 current term is his last.  Look for him to keep looking for another political office to head for  He filed last year for an expected open seat in the state's office but, like musical chairs, sometimes there's a spot you find and sometimes it's not there.  It didn't open after all, so Ed stayed put in City Council..  Career Politicans manage to talk their way into more terms but lose touch with being a public servant and become used to "being" served instead.   A change through voting is what's needed.

LHS Alumni Association July Meeting This Saturday (afternoon)

There's a monthly meetng of the LHS Alumni Association that is set for Saturday, but the time is changed from the usual 9:30 a.m. hour to the afternoon, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., according to the LHSAA calendar on the LHS website.  I usually get an email that confirms the meeting date and time, but that has not happened as of this writing.

The location is The Cafe in the Heights across the street from the campus on North Broadway.

I did get an email reminder last week for the fundraiser Dodger game, ticket at $20, is on for Sunday, July 31, 2011, at 1 p.m.  See the website or sidebar link here for more information.

Fireworks Show Saturday Night at Lincoln Park- All day events from 2 p.m.- Eagle Rock on Sunday.

Well, Lincoln Park will be the site for the fireworks show on Saturday night, July 2, 2011.  Events, from politicians making appearances to actual entertainment will be happening from 2 p.m. onward until the fireworks begins at 9pm. 

Included is "Fault Line," a Latin jazz band, at 3:30 pm and 430 pm, for a couple of half hour sets. I heard this name before from many yearsback and they were a locally based band.  I recall that the version of that band that I heard was very good and I hope this version carries on that quality.

There are several other bands before and after Fault Line, and there should be something for most, if not everyone, to enjoy.
I am not able to show the flyer that's out now, but it's very basic and says it's presented by Council member Reyes, City of L.A. Dept. of Recreation and Parks, and the Lincoln Heights Chamber of Commerce, sharing the flyer space very equally in print.

The program has the listing of times for the day's events, with many bands. 

ALSO THIS WEEKEND- If you like fireworks shows, this is the weekend, with more fireworks on SUNDAY .
Fireworks at Eagle Rock Park, with the first of the Summer Concerts in the Park, Sunday, July3rd, 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., with the Fireworks Showtime at 8:45 p.m.; there will be 4 more Sunday at 6 p.m concerts there this summer at 2 week intervals.
"Ronnie and the Classics" will be the band for this Sunday's concert.

Different approaches to promotion in the Council Districts.
This flyer, by the way, is just a top notch, glossy, colored two-sided item that, as usual for Council Distric 14, has the name of  "COUNCILMEMBER JOSE HUIZAR" displayed in the largest, all caps letters.  Have to hand it to Jose that he never misses an opportunity to self-promote, especially as there is one more term available to him as council member. 

Ed Reyes in CD-1 may be less concerned as he's termed out and will be looking for another office to occupy in the same year as the mayor, 2013, and or maybe he's just becoming a bit more frugal in handling expenditures.  Who knows?  And the other part unknown is any sort of breakdown of how much that is spent for each event is from specific funds  from tax money collected and how much is from any donations from private sector sources.  Some annual events this 4th of July have been cancelled due to budgets being very tight.  Views differ on what deserves spending of public money, but the deal's are done in these cases, so enjoy it while it's available, as next year you may be different.

But the "functional" vs. the "High Gloss" style is very apparent for the events that, above all, are supposed to be about celebrating the birth of this nation.   As things go, I really don't think that's something anyone really gives much thought to. That is, much thought if they were aware of the fact in the first place.  All part of the decline of the educational system and the interest given to history overall.

The Mayor visits Lincoln Heights with Martin Sheen at Downey's Pool(s_

In another tour of photo ops today, mayor Vlllaraigosa has Lincoln Heights on the list, as reported by The City Maven in her Morning Coffee items:

"1:30 p.m. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa attend the kick off of Kaiser Permanente’s “Operation Splash” at Downey Recreation Center."

I don't know what this details of this are about, but then I don't think the mayor has much more information either, as long as there are cameras there to present himself.  He's a busy guy today with 3 other events to attend before this one.  Well, I suppose this is a lot more fun than dealing with the city's financial woes and seeing what the real job of mayor is about.

The Downey's pool was re-done a while back and I will still miss that No-diving shallow pool of a place where most of the neighborhood young people, at some time or another, went into the water during off-hours as the trains rumbled by on a regular basis, and back when there were just hoboes and not homeless living under bridges by the tracks. 

That was a long time ago when the city seemed to run well without all the daily scandals we are reading about these days. The mayor's had his share of those stories in the news, but he's termed out and auditioning for another job to occupy his time until July 2013 end of term.    I don't think he will be around much in the city with the new position of his, as if running the city was not a handful already.  If you haven't heard, keep reading.

Earlier this month, Mayor Villaraigosa spent the weekend on the East Coast to attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Baltimore, Maryland where he was selected as president.  Well, I suppose the real condition of the city here is not known to the ones who chose him, or maybe that is irrelevant.  A real case of moving on in the wake of disasters.  A role model for all who otherwise would have figured there's not any hope for them- just trying to see the silver lining here.