Attention all cyclists: On Saturday, June 29, the Ballona Creek Bike Path will be used for the Walk ‘n Rollers, a summer ride along the path that leads to the Marvin Braude bike path in Marina del Rey. The event begins at 10:30 a.m. and will make stops at Overland and Centinela Avenues to learn about the Creek and the watershed. These stops will also serve as alternative starting points for participants who would like to shorten the 14-mile long ride, arriving at 11:20am and 11:45 a.m. respectively.
Participants will learn about points of interest to explore at the shore and will be given one hour to spend at the beach for lunch, a picnic, or to take a dip in the water. Cyclists are encouraged to pack a picnic lunch, sunscreen, beach gear and water. The ride is a family-friendly, leisurely paced event that is led by trained Ride Leaders and volunteers. For more information, click here.
Construction of the Crenshaw-to-LAX light rail line received a significant boost today with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority staff recommending a $1.27 billion contract to build the line.
On June 27, the full Metro board is scheduled to vote on the contract and whether to approve Walsh/Shea Corridor Constructors as the contractor. It comes on the heels of a vote by the Metro board last month to include a train station stop in Leimert Park Village and a Hindry station in Westchester.
The project, which is expected to break ground this year, will cover 8.5 miles and will serve as a major economic engine for the surrounding community. Expected to be completed by 2019, the new Crenshaw-to-LAX line will transport workers employed by restaurants, hotels, rental car fleets and other airport-related industries to their jobs. The entire budget for all costs related to the Crenshaw-to-LAX line is estimated at $2.05 billion.
“We honor the memory and vision of Mayor Tom Bradley and Congressman Julian Dixon, both of whom played a crucial role in seeing the importance of establishing a world class public transportation system in Los Angeles,” said Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chairman Mark Ridley-Thomas, who has championed the Crenshaw-to-LAX line for the past four years in his role as supervisor. “I look forward to the ground breaking later this year as well as the future impact this project will have in easing congestion, spurring economic development and contributing to a cleaner environment. This county deserves and needs a solid transportation system and it will be done right.”
Ask a student attending college about the cost of higher education and they will likely attest to the mounting debt and financial burden that comes along with attending a university.
But for some students attending Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, the financial weight is about to get a lot lighter thanks to a $1 million donation from Joe Adams, Ray Charles’ former manager and his wife Emma. The donation is equivalent to 100- $10,000 scholarships - the largest one-time individual gift in the school’s history.
Charles R. Drew President David Carlisle says he is grateful for the gift and recognizes the positive effect the scholarships will have on the students.
“The more scholarships we can give out, the less their educational debt and the less dependent they are for borrowing money on their education,” he said. “Thousands of lives will be impacted by this contribution- including students, patients, and members of the community that we serve.”
Angela Minniefield, Vice President of Strategic Advancement at the university agreed.
“This is a tremendous investment in our students,” she said, noting that approximately 78 percent of Charles Drew students qualify for financial aid. “These funds will help to retain our excellent students that experience financial obstacles and help them maintain their commitment to serving the underserved.”
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chairman Mark Ridley-Thomas, who represents the area where the university is located, said the gift will help scores of Charles Drew students contribute to the future Martin Luther King, Jr. Medical Campus. The campus, which will house a new hospital and comprehensive health center, will bring health and wellness to a community that has gone on too long without a large health service provider.
“The scholarships will help countless students achieve their dreams of becoming doctors, nurses and experts in the medical community,” said Supervisor Ridley-Thomas. “That’s something to celebrate.”
Read the Los Angeles Times story about the $1- million donation here…
If William T. Cartwright hadn’t gotten lost on his way to visit an aunt in 1959, the Watts Towers might not have been saved.
Cartwright was trying to find Lynwood, but soon realized he was near the famed folk art towers and took a detour to see them. Shocked by what he found, he quickly set about trying to rescue them.
The mosaic-encrusted spires, created by Italian immigrant Simon Rodia over more than three decades, had been abandoned since the artist moved away in 1954. Five years later, Rodia’s house had been lost to a fire, gates to the property stood open, and the area was littered with debris.
Read the full story courtesy of the Los Angeles Times here…
