It has been several months since i last wrote. Many things have happened over the past 4 months or so. The Gold Line is moving along nicely, Dia de los Muertos at Self Help Graphics just passed, as well as Samhain. Mostly it's been typical, aside from the fires that as i understand it a few are still going.

House Sitting

)))This is just a minor notification(((

For the next week (until sunday) i will be house sitting for my brother while they are at Sundance in Mexico. So my usual reporting location of Boyle Heights, is temporarily changed to Highland Park.

)))End Notification(((

Nil Apoc En Anac chronus chaínein

**Edited for emotional content.**

recently i have been looking at the homicide report map (http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/mqteclo5043/38003) from the L.A. Times. And it shows a very diffrent version of what is happening in L.A. And although there murder in east L.A., it doesn't seem to compare to south west L.A. and North west L.A. (the valley).

It shows a mysterious gap over East Los Angeles, and then continues in Rosemead. Southward, it kinda weakerns in Gardena and clusters in Long Beach.


This (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/homicidereport/ & the map) shows and paints a very different picture of Mexican neighborhoods. Or the stereotype of East L.A.

Today's entry

SO. This morning on the way to a job site, i notice that "they" where filming down the street from me in an empty parking lot. Though i don't know if it was the same people as the other day, it stands to reason. Also, there was filming being done at Lincoln Park, and upon the return journey from the job site, i noticed that they had golf carts there, near the lake. But i don't know if it was because they were filming a golf movie, or just lazy actors.

Later in the day, around 6pm, i left home for a walk and then went to the market. Upon returning there were approximately 5 cop cars stationed at the intersection of boyle ave and pleasant ave (across the street from mariachi plaza). I could not tell what was going on, but it looked like the cops where entering and exiting a home.

It did seem like what ever happened had passed, as the cops where lethargic and the helicopter made only a few passes. Strangely though, i found that this particular house is where nothing but bbqs happen. They bbq almost on a daily basis. it's usually the house that's a few homes down that gets the cop calls.

Other then that, it's been a typical day in Boyle Heights.

Local Movie News

So parking was blocked off for some three blocks, down the street from me. Apparently they were filming something around Mariachi Plaza here in Boyle Heights. I couldn't tell what it was, as i was bicycling past as they started closing shop for the day. It was Spanish as the fake police cars has"Policia" on them, and there was a "hooker" across the street.

So i don't know if it was for a movie or television but i would lean twoards television.

Community Activism (Boyle Heights)

Flyers adorned the wind shields of the cars at the market today. So i picked one up. I don't know the details of the issue but there is apparently a march being held by the East L.A. Community Corporation on Friday July 20th at 4.30 pm at Hollenbeck Park. On the corner of 4th and St. Louis.

From the flyer it's in regards to affordable housing, jobs, no evictions and culture. The phone number listed for more information is 323-269-4214 ext 248 (Lydia Avila).

The East L.A. Community Corporation (from my experiences) makes suggestions to the developers on behalf of the community, which are developed from asking the community.

So today all i saw was cops giving tickets.

A Year Later: An Understanding of Academia Semillas

It's hard to not stay objective on this subject. There is so much missinformation out there on this school, that most people post with out knowing any facts and interject their personal opinions in their analysis. I my self, who's been involved with this school since before it's creation, don't know all the details.

All i know is what I've seen. I've spoken to these people that are being accused of separatism and communism and racism. In fact I've grown up around them. I grew up in the area, I've practiced Danza, I even have some of the same blood as "them." I've gone through the public system, El Sereno junior high (now it's called middle school).

So here's the REAL origin and story of the school.

The idea behind the school was that children (the collective we) weren't getting a proper education. As we grew up and learnt more about the world and that information was actually being held from us for stupid reasons, we got pissed off. From little facts like Columbus never stepped foot in America, to that the founding fathers had their faults, to yeah, this was part of Mexico at one point.

And that's where the xenophobes start jumping up and down screaming "la Raza is coming." This is far from the facts and misleading. The intent was to better educate an under represented community.

So the people with the idea, who happened to also practice Danza in this community, got together to work this out. And in the end, THE COMMUNITY came up with this school. And it took a greater part of five years to get it started.

One of the contentions is that this school caters to ILLEGAL immigrants. There is no evidence of this at all. This again was a flash point by xenophobes and peoples wishing to push their political agendas. The status of the children and the parents that attend this school is not documentation available to people online.
There is also assumption that these kids don't speak English. So i will tell you two things. These kids are citizens of the united states and speak English. Plus other languages, languages that are not communist by nature, but those that are actually spoken in the area. Languages that they will encounter in daily life.

Oh, and on the side I'm pushing for greater sign language. Something i was taught at El Sereno, but not by teachers. Speaking of which, school safety. This wasn't an issue UNTIL the KABC "report."

Going to El Sereno, a few blocks away from the school, i had been shot at several times just waiting for the bus. Gang members inside the school tried to pick on me because i was a "geek." This kind of activity doesn't happen at the school. Even the gang members in the area respect the school and rarely if ever tag on the walls. And NO gang member attends the school.

And as for Sandy Welle's and his so called brutal assault. Well, he shouldn't have been trying to force his way in to a school he was denied access to. Onions on the school aside, if you ask to come and visit and are denied, it is not your right to start filming children under the guise of an interview. His ass whopping was not an action taken by Marcos. It was a direct result of his on air assault on the school.

Following this, there were several insults, bomb threats, physical threats, of the school, children, families and community members who cared about the children and loved the school.

Following this, there was documentation of the minute men and save our state personas coming in to the community performing illegal activities such as parking and traffic block (i.e. traffic violations), and trespassing.

Following this, those of us who felt a need to ensure the safety of the faculty and children of this school due to lack of security were labeled goons and illegal alien supporters and amnesty whatever, and so on and so on. Lumping us ALL up in to one polarized opinionated category. But like i said. Misleading.

This school isn't a "La Raza" school, it isn't a separatist school, it's just a school. Where the children are happy, and growing smarter and smarter everyday. They have two locations and are seeking a third, that location has not been decided yet and may not be. It all depends on a promise they made, and they better keep it.

Boredom

So i'm a bit sore from all the yard work recently. Not much has been going on in the area. The drunks are less drunk and more grumpy. I got a flyer that mta is going to start putting the tracks for the gold line this week (starting the 18th). But i have yet to see any. So traffic on first street from alameda to boyle may get a little more backed up.

R.I.P. Top video @ Chavez and state. They've been there for about 15 years, and may move over next to the food 4less out on first street.


Other then those two things, the kids with their fireworks started last night.

Monday.

aside from watching the new episode of Heroes and showing off some pictures, nothing really happened. aside from cooking a kick ass steak.

Sunday

So... here we go.

Well, first off. If you are ever in Boyle Heights, do not double park. This is the police department's number one pet peeve (i've been directly told this, as well as others), and mine as well. Having said that, i walked around today and nothing really happened. It was mostly the same. Mariachies at the plaza, the family on the corner was bbq-ing like always, and the neighborhood kids were playing soccer at the park, and a few people were working on their cars.

Food-4-less' parking lot was full, but the lines inside were small when i went. Shrimp's on sale there until Tuesday. All in all, it was a relativly hot day, with a nice breeze.

-T

Opening Post

well, i guess i should say something.

This blog is intended specificly for what i witness while walking around in L.A. Primarily, east of Los Angeles, since that's where i live. It's not really intended for an opnion column, but more of what i see and event flyers that i pick up off the pourly maintained streets.

-T