Los Feliz Ledger [ ECHO PARK CORRESPONDENT ]
Confessions of an Urban Pedestrian By Sean Paul Mahoney Echo Park Correspondent
I don’t drive and I don’t own a car. Feel free to gasp or drop this very newspaper in shock. I’m used to that response. My little life in Echo Park is centralized and everything I need is either a walk or quick bus/train ride away, thank you very much. Still, for all of the convenience and peace of mind this lifestyle provides, it is certainly not free from unique perils and obstacles. Our fair city is internationally known for being a town where “the pedestrian has the right of way.” Having
pounded these pavements, however, I seriously question this policy. Daily, I risk being mowed down by a motorist who is simultaneously trying to change their shirt, drink coffee and IM their best on friend while driving. Hence the walker stare down was born. Somewhere between a snarl and a glare, the stare down involves making a stern eye contact with the multi-tasker in question. The stare basically says “Hey! I’m just trying to walk to the grocery store. Please don’t run me over!” If successful, the apologetic driver sheepishly
acknowledges your existence and no one gets hurt. This is just once of many defense mechanisms the L.A. walker has to develop in order to get from point A to point B in one piece. Others include the intimidating “shout like a crazy person,” the not recommended “full contact hood punch,” and the classic “run like hell.”
Mainly, I try to stay aware and courteous, reserving the extreme tactics for crisis situations only. On a serious note, last year a close friend told me one of her colleagues was killed crossing Hyperion. A few months later and just blocks from my apartment, a woman and her dog were hit in the intersection. Clearly, drivers and
walkers alike are not communicating. So consider this a confessional, a call for mutual respect. We’re here, we walk, get used to it. After all, we walkers don’t need a special pat on the back for doing something “green.” We simply want to get to our destinations safely. Just like you.
“Music Box” Steps Day Oct. 27th SILVER LAKE—If you saw the film, you can’t forget it. Two clumsy delivery men play Sisyphus with a piano they’re hired to haul up to a house at the top of an enormous stairway. The film is called The Music Box and stars the classic comedy team of Laurel & Hardy. Located between Vendome Street and Descanso Drive in Silver Lake, the famed film site has long been a mecca for movie buffs from around the world. And since 1995, it has played the lead role in an annual children’s film festival called Music Box Steps Day. Music Box Steps Day features free food, a raffle, live music, a magic show, Laurel & Hardy look-alikes, and the highlight: multiple screenings of the Oscar-winning film in a tent set up in the recently renamed Laurel & Hardy Park, directly across from the steps. The event, founded by Silver Lake resident Vincent Brook, has attracted visitors from near and far. The event is sponsored by the Silver Lake Improvement Association, the Silver Lake Chamber of Commerce and Los Angeles City Council District 13. This year’s 13th Annual Music Box Steps Day will be held Sat., Oct.27th, noon to 3 p.m., at Laurel & Hardy Park, 900 Vendome St. Admission is free. Info: vbrook@earthlink.net.
New Mural Will Beautify Myra Avenue Underpass by Michael Locke / Silver Lake Correspondent MYRA AVENUE—Led by the ongoing efforts of neighborhood activist, Peter Bedard, the Myra Avenue Underpass will soon be graced by a third mural. The new mural was designed by Brandon Tu, now a freshman at Marshall High School and will be painted by students from Thomas Starr King Middle School under the direction of Metro Gallery artist, Heng Leng. October 2007
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Working with King teacher Kirk Palayan, students came up with several preliminary designs which were then submitted to an online vote by members of the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council and the Franklin Hills Residents’ Association. Approximately 200 people cast ballots in the competition. The Myra Avenue Underpass has undergone significant transformation in recent
years, with upgraded lighting, maturing street trees and the completion of two new developments on the north side of the underpass, the art deco Laguna Apartments and the Sunset Silver Lake Lofts, with a third development being planned for the southeast side of the street. An opening reception at Metro Gallery honoring the young artists is being planned. COMMUNITY NEWS
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