2018 spring 1voice

1Voice L I F E I N L . A . C I T Y COU NC I L DI ST R IC T ON E • S P R I NG 2 018

ON OUR COVER

Margaret Garcia “I

define Chicano art by creating it,” Margaret Garcia said. “My work is personal and also embraces the cultural common ground of my community and the history of Los Angeles.”

Garcia first drew attention as a muralist for work during the 1984 Olympics, and now thousands of commuters daily see her tile mural in the Universal City Metro station of Mexico ceding California to the U.S. in 1847.

“An artist’s job is to put life in perspective.”

Garcia works in different mediums and is passionate about many issues. One long-standing concern is immigration. She is reviving “Border Game,” a 1993 performance piece mocking board games and politics, where “migrants” cross the border and compete to climb the social ladder to legal status. Housing and homelessness are more recent hot-button issues.

Scattered around Garcia’s Highland Park studio are a collection of about 500 cookbooks – from Italian and Mexican to vegan and Peruvian – she is donating to the Weird Wave café.

“A cookbook library in a community with such a rich cultural heritage as Boyle Heights seems right on target.”

Garcia left the Master’s program in Fine Arts at USC to produce the Metro station mural. Her paintings are in the LACMA collection and the personal collection of Cheech Marin. For more about her, visit margaretgarciastudio.com

On the cover: Selena, 2016

Chloe Sleeping, 2003

Photography by Martha Benedict

Silent World, 1984

Woman in the Shadows, 1996

De Colores, 1992

1Voice is published quarterly by the Office of Councilmember Gilbert Cedillo.

Written, designed and produced by Steve Weingarten. All photos by Steve Weingarten unless otherwise noted.

Layout and additional design by David Okihiro. Spanish translation by Paulina Herrera. Send story ideas to BigNews77@aol.com

City Hall Office

200 N. Spring St., Room 460 Los Angeles 90012 Phone (213) 473-7001 GilCedillo.com

Highland Park Office 5577 N. Figueroa St. Los Angeles 90042 Phone (323) 550-1538

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Glassell Park Office 3750 Verdugo Rd. Los Angeles 90065 Phone (323) 341-5671

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A Year to Remember and a Big Year Ahead Fundamental changes are reshaping every facet of our lives faster than we ever imagined.

By City Councilmember Gil Cedillo

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hese are exciting times. Hour by hour, That’s the power the Resistance will I feel are whipsawed by good and bad need to protect Dreamers and immigrant news. Everyday it seems that someone or workers like Romulo Avelica. And that’s something has solved a problem or created what it will take to defeat Trump’s attacks on a new headache. And the stakes get higher job safety, environmental protection and a with every policy decision, from City Hall and dozen other fronts.

Sacramento to Washington and the United During last year’s re-election campaign, Nations. constituents from every corner of CD1 told During his first year in office, Donald me why Team Cedillo’s work matters to Trump showed an ugly side of America that them, and where we need to do better. We I hoped the country had outgrown. Trump invested more resources in parks and open made a bad world with too many wars and spaces, from the tiny Hoover Triangle to refugees even the 42-acre worse. He also riverfront G2 favored tyrants Parcel. And and turned we staged live his back on concerts from democracies MacArthur abroad, just as Park to Sycahe encouraged more Grove racists and atfor people to tacked immienjoy those grants here at green spaces. home.

Team On the Cedillo other hand remains 2017 was also committed to the first year of addressing the Resistance long-standing During last year’s re-election campaign, constituents to Trump. problems. from every corner of CD1 told me why Team Cedillo’s Progressive Today, CD1 work matters to them.

Photo by Hector Cruz Sandoval social moveresidents ments were born or skyrocketed with lightare paying an unsustainable social price ning speed, including #Metoo, Black Lives because of past failures to build more Matter and the Dreamers. The fights for housing. Everyone deserves decent women’s rights, against police brutality, and housing, from emergency shelters for the for real immigration reform demand leaders homeless and wraparound services for committed to public service. veterans to affordable, middle-income and Political activists on all fronts have made market price units. a conscious decision to respond to Trump’s I am proud that California is leading the attacks positively. We are working to elect national Resistance to Trump, and that Los new leaders and retake the U.S. Congress.

Angeles is the tip of the progressive spear.

Fortunately, the poorest of the poor remain We worked hard to get where we are, and optimistic about the future and engaged in we will fight hard to defend our freedoms the political process. and our families’ and communities’ future.

1Voice P ublic Safety In 2017, L.A. led national resistance to Trump attacks on immigrants; a video showing ICE agents arresting a father who dropped his daughters at school stirred world outrage; and the DMV has issued nearly a million “AB60” licenses.

2 Page Arroyo Vista Health Center has named its state-of-art mammogram clinic after Ruby Cedillo; CD1 neighbors marched for an end to violence; Fire officials used a federal grant for new crews; and more resources went to traffic safety.

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E nvironment The Dept. on Disability moved closer to making L.A. the most accessible city in the country, and Alfonso Palacios knows what a difference that makes in his life; and the City moved to close inactive oil districts.

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A rts and Culture Mosaic panels in North Figueroa sidewalks will illustrate NELA history, from Tongva life in the Arroyo to the Chicano political surge of the 1970s; and CD1 continued to attract TV and movie crews.

5 Page Entertainment flowered on local bandstands and stages; artists took a stand against Trump budget cuts; the Council tapped developers for a public arts fund; and California’s “creative economy” is rebounding.

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C lean Communities CD1 communities gained 52 acres of open space when the City acquired Flat Top Mesa and the G2 Parcel; ribbons were cut on pocket-parks serving commuters; and Team Cedillo helped stage more than 70 cleanups.

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E conomic Development Hundreds of housing units went online, but rising rents forced many CD1 residents into homelessness; the Council strengthened laws protecting renters; and developers will pay a linkage fee to fund affordable housing.

8 Page The LA Conservation Corps trains inner-city youth for environmentally friendly jobs with a future; and the Lincoln Heights Farmers Market moved to the very visible intersection of North Broadway and Sichel Street.

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On the Centerspread

Craig Taubman restored the first Jewish synagogue in Los Angeles, opened its doors to other faiths, reached out to his neighbors, and launched community service projects in the spirit of “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

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Herb Wesson proposed a resoithin days of the 2016 lution declaring L.A. “a City of election, local and state Sanctuary.” leaders began preparing for a showdown with the incoming Schey outlined a defensive strategy that includes a citywide Trump Administration on a range “Know Your Rights” campaign; of issues. Immigration was – and penalties for landlords, employremains – at the top of the list. ers and others who exploit imThe City Council created the Immigrant Affairs, Civil Rights, migrants based on legal status; and limits on sensitive info LAPD and Equity Committee. In April, can share with ICE. Chair Gil Cedillo introduced In November, the L.A. attorney Peter Schey as the City’s first Immigration AdvoJustice Fund awarded nearly $7.5 million to 17 local nonprofcate. Schey has been one of the its to represent immigrants. country’s pre-eminent voices on Recipients include the Central reform for 40 years.

Labor solidarity on display in American Resource Center (CAIn May, the committee Grand Park on May Day. RECEN), Coalition for Humane proposed that bidders on City Photo by Lisa Weingarten Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), contracts must disclose if they Asian Americans Advancing are also working on President Trump’s border wall. In August, the Council voted Justice and Public Counsel.

Detainees with lawyers are five times more 13-0 to approve the proposal, and the City Attorlikely to succeed in challenges to their deportaney drafted an ordinance with strict penalties for tion, but more than two-thirds of defendants are companies that fail to disclose ties. unrepresented. The Justice Fund is a partnership In September, Trump repealed DACA, the between the City and County of L.A., the WeinDeferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, gart Foundation, and the California Community throwing nearly 800,000 Dreamers into legal Foundation. limbo. Days later, Cedillo and Council President

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The Dept. of Motor Vehicles has issued about 980,000 licenses to Californians who can demonstrate driving skill, but not legal immigration status, during the first three years Assembly Bill 60 has been in effect.

Councilmember Cedillo first proposed AB60 soon after being elected to the Assembly in 1998. The bill was finally signed by Gov. Brown in 2013 and went into effect in 2015.

602,000

“There are many issues where compromise is necessary. Human rights is not one of them.” – Council President Herb Wesson.

Milestone in Sight for AB60 Licenses

414,000

L.A. Leads National Resistance to Trump’s Anti-Immigrant Attacks

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At A Glance: Dreamers • • • • • • • •

787,580 DACA recipients since 2012 More than 600,000 are from Mexico 222,795 Dreamers live in California Resided here continuously since 2007 None have felonies or misdemeanors 8,800 are school teachers 1,000 serve in the U.S. military Paid $11.9 billion in taxes in 2017

YEAR FOUR IN REVIEW

Viral Video Stops Father’s Deportation R omulo and Norma Avelica left Mexico in 1991 in search of a better life for the family they hoped to build. The couple settled in Lincoln Heights and raised four U.S.born daughters.

In February, the Avelicas’ world was turned upside down. They had dropped off a daughter at school when immigration agents blocked them, hauled Romulo from their car, and handcuffed him.

Things looked grave. Once in custody, the great majority of de-

tainees are on an ICE bus or plane to their home country within 24 hours.

This time was different.

Another daughter, 14-year old Fatima, recorded a 2-minute video of the arrest that 650,000 viewers have since watched. Reporters and TV crews from around the world beat a path to the Avelicas’ door.

A top-drawer legal team was soon representing him, but Romulo’s morale sagged after three months, when his lawyer said it could another three months to release him.

“My diabetes spiked and I wasn’t sure I could take the pain. I got desperate and fell into a depression.”

Avelica was released on Aug. 30. He goes before an Immigration Court judge in October, and his attorney expects to wrap up the case by the end of 2018.

“This is a moment of calm, but our lives will never be the same.

We still work and the girls still go to school, but each day we’re a little more focused. Each day we love each other a little more.”

Screening Saves Lives Arroyo Vista dedicates its state-of-art mammogram clinic in NELA. Early detection is key for surviving breast cancer.

Neighbors Call for an End to Violence Rising crime rates spark community actions for safer communities.

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n June, Team Cedillo joined local clergy and more than 125 people in a march for peace through Lincoln Heights. The group walked from the Recreation Center to Plaza de La Raza, stopping along the way for a moment of silence at the site of a recent murder.

In August, thousands of CD1 residents participated in rallies, candlelight vigils and familyoriented festivals from Pico Union to Glassell Park to promote safer neighborhoods. Community activists and local police agencies across the country have organized National Night Out events for 33 years.

Homicides, shootings and rapes declined in 2017, according to LAPD crime statistics, but violent and property crimes both increased overall for the second year.

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early 30,000 Californian women will develop breast cancer this year, but early screening and treatment will cut deaths significantly to 4,500 during 2018, according to the American Cancer Society.

As a state senator, Councilmember Gil Cedillo co-sponsored a program to fund community clinics that are often the frontline of medical services for low-income women. The Arroyo Vista Family Health Center received a $284,000 grant to become the first NELA clinic offering mammograms.

In October, Arroyo Vista dedicated its

clinic to Cedillo’s late wife, Ruby, who died of breast cancer.

“Ruby didn’t have access to these medical resources, but thousands of future patients will see her name and know she was their voice,” Cedillo said.

Olga Hernandez de Lemus skipped her mammogram for a year and doctors found a lump when she had her next medical exam.

After a mastectomy, chemo and radiation Continued on page 5

Cancer survivor Olga Hernandez thanked Cedillo for funding the clinic.

Tech Teresa Hoang and Dr. Jessica Wong screen up to 30 women daily.

YEAR FOUR IN REVIEW

New Resources for Safer Streets I n June, Central City Neighborhood Partners (CCNP), the City’s Department of Transportation (LADOT), Team Cedillo and community activists ramped up a traffic safety campaign.

Among the speakers in MacArthur Park was resident Hector Chavez, whose mother was killed by a driver as she crossed a Westlake street.

Chavez’s mother, Delfina Mendez, was a victim of the worst national spike in vehicle-related deaths on U.S. streets and roads in 50 years.

Most crashes in L.A. occur on only 6% of city streets, known as the High Injury Network.

Team Cedillo also focused LADOT resources on other critical zones in 2017. The councilmember

activated a traffic signal at Figueroa Street and Avenue 51, and other Highland Park intersections received crosswalk beacons and longer crossing times for pedestrians.

Hector Chavez speaks in MacArthur Park.

PUBLIC SAFETY 3

FEMA Helps Fund New Firefighters

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n August, the LAFD received a $15.5-million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to staff additional fire engines in Lincoln Heights, Echo Park and two other stations.

The FEMA grant – plus $9.6 million the LAFD has budgeted over three years – will go to 48 new firefighters in an extra recruit class in early 2018. The new crews will be ready to roll this summer.

The LAFD currently operates 106 neighborhood fire stations, as well as stations at the Port of L.A. and local airports.

This is How We Roll The Department on Disability is helping City agencies remove barriers to handicapped employees and residents and make Los Angeles the country’s most accessible city.

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lfonso Palacios loves speed. In school, he installed pegs on his wheelchair frame so friends could race with him down hilly streets. “I was a ‘hill bomber’ as a kid.”

Palacios, now 31, was born in Ensenada with spinal bifida. His mother brought him to L.A. when he was three months old. The Dreamer knows how much daily life in a wheelchair has improved.

Thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Palacios no longer sees buses without boarding ramps or designated spots onboard for wheelchairs. Street corner ‘curb cuts’ have made a big difference in his ability to navigate sidewalks, he added.

Public bathrooms still aren’t sure things. He said doorways and stalls are often too thin and sinks are too high. “I can always count on McDonalds to be ADA-compliant, but mom and pop places are another thing.”

Also, thanks to the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Palacios and his mother

now live in a 2-bedroom, ADA-compliant apartment.

They were in a 1-bedroom apartment up a flight of stairs, which meant he had to get on the ground when he came home and pull himself and his wheelchair up step by step, and reverse the effort when he went out.

Palacios earned degrees online in psychology from El Camino College, and in business from the private Allied Schools. Today, he takes two buses from his home in Cypress Park to Highland Park, where he manages the District 1 field office.

Executive Director Stephen Simon of the City’s Department on Disability said his goal is to make L.A. America’s most accessible city.

“We have a long way to go.”

4 ENVIRONMENT

Daily life in a wheelchair has improved for Team Cedillo’s Alfonso Palacios. Stephen Simon works with other City agencies to expand access.

Photos by Lisa Weingarten

City efforts to expand access date back to 1975, when Tom Bradley created the Mayor’s Office on Disability. The ADA became law in 1990 and was updated in 2010. In 2016, the City launched Safe Sidewalks L.A., a $1.4-billion campaign to repair and upgrade sidewalks over 30 years.

The DoD helps City departments make their programs, services and facilities accessible, and links clients to accessible transportation such as Cityride. “If you’re disabled,”

Simon said, “you should be able to get anyplace that someone else can on public transit.”

The DoD has created highly effective health programs to raise AIDS Awareness. Last year, the AIDS Coordinators Office removed more than a million dirty syringes from circulation.

The DoD Community Outreach, Referrals and Education (CORE) team connected more than 1,200 people with agencies and providers during 2017. CORE also co-sponsors the annual Abilities Expo and an array of Disability Awareness Month events in October, including an art festival. For more, visit disability. lacity.org

YEAR FOUR IN REVIEW

City to Shut Inactive Oil Wells In 1892, Edward Doheny drilled L.A.’s first major oil well in what is today Echo Park.

Since then, local fields have produced more than 9 billion barrels.

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oday, about 70 major oil fields across the Los Angeles basin pump 12% of California’s “Black Gold.” Where are all the pumps sucking up all that oil? The work often goes on behind tall gates, surrounded by homes, schools and stores.

In November, Councilmember Gil Cedillo called on Petroleum Administrator Uduak-Joe Ntuk to identify and evaluate oil districts in CD1, and determine how to properly terminate inactive districts.

The days of L.A. hillsides blanketed with bobbing oil pumps are gone. The City Council’s job now, Cedillo said, is to align land use with the current needs of our community.

“Times have changed,” he said, “and the primary concern of the residents I represent is to live in a healthy neighborhood. This includes communities free of potentially harmful oil emissions or leaks. We are fighting to ensure that all CD1 residents enjoy the same quality of life.”

Most Angelenos aren’t aware if they live near an oil field until something goes wrong. In 2009, AllenCo took over a modest field at 23rd Street and Saint James Place. Mount Saint Mary’s Uni-

The AllenCo pumping plant — next to Mount Saint Mary’s University and Lanterman High School — is one of about 70 oil fields in L.A.

versity and Lanterman High school are next door, with hundreds of homes and apartment buildings Continued on page 8

Sidewalk Mosaics to Tell NELA History I f streets could talk, imagine the stories North Figueroa could tell.

NELA sidewalks will sing this spring, when City crews install mosaics illustrating Highland Park’s rich history.

The 15 panels portray Tongva life along the Arroyo, Charles Lummis’ cultural imprint, and the Chicano political surge of the Vietnam Era, as well as bygone general stores, trolleys and an incline railway to a hotel atop Mount Washington.

Executive Director Misty Iwatsu of the North Figueroa Association said the mosaics “are a leisurely, educational walking tour, a subtle yet powerful message of the history of Highland Park.”

Illustrations were based on community input and graphics from the L.A. Public Library, USC Digital Library, Autry National Center and other sources. Panels were designed by the SWA Group and

YEAR FOUR IN REVIEW

CD1 Ready for Its Close-Up

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ilm crews were busy from Westlake to Highland Park during 2017. The City issued 1,320 permits for filming in District 1.

The District continues to be the fourth most popular area for TV dramas, rising from 172 to 179 permits. CD1 also recovered fourth place for feature movies with 130 projects, according to data compiled by Film L.A.

A R T S & C U LT U R E 5

At A Glance: Filming Permits CD

Feature Films

14 223 4 182 13 157 1 130 2 91 5 87 11 84 3 83 6 77 10 75 12 63 9 46 7 37 15 30 8 25 50 100 150 200

CD

250

crafted by artists Wick Alexander and Robin Brailsford.

The mosaics are part of LADOT’s Highland Park Streetscape Project. A grant to the L.A. Neighborhood Initiative paid for 14 panels.

Additional funding from the Highland Park Ebell Club, Historic Neighborhood Council, North Figueroa Association, Team Cedillo and others paid for a final mosaic.

TV Dramas

4 329 14 294 13 245 1 179 5 144 2 140 10 106 11 97 6 82 12 70 3 68 9 56 15 54 7 43 8 21 50 100 150 200 250 300

Cancer…

Continued from page 3 treatments, Hernandez is now “visualizing a new life with new possibilities.”

“It’s important that women care for ourselves. We’re the center of our families,” Hernandez said at the dedication before turning to Cedillo. “Without a leader like you, we wouldn’t be able to get our mammograms and treatment.”

For more, visit arroyovista.org/ services_women.php

Artists Say No to Trump Cuts I The Oaxacan community’s Guelaguetza Festival rocked Lincoln Park in August.

David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas closed the Latin Music Festival in Sycamore Grove in September.

Hundreds of bikes for kids at the Miracle in MacArthur Park in December.

Bangladeshi culture was honored at the Lotus Festival in Echo Park in July.

Spectacular!

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ive entertainment took root across District 1.

Festivals celebrating a broad range of cultures packed local parks, and thousands of CD1 students and families enjoyed live performances of Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, whose cast and crew are seen to the left. Producer Conrado Terrazas said the shows “are all about diversity on the stage, behind the scenes and in the audience.”

6 A R T S & C U LT U R E

Countdown to 2028 Olympics Organizers anticipate $160 million over five years for local youth sports programs.

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n September, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed an agreement with the mayors of Paris and Los Angeles that France would host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic games, followed by the U.S. four years later.

Several host cities have run into debt preparing for the world’s athletes, but Mayor Eric Garcetti and the City Council strongly supported the private organizing committee’s vision for

n March, the Trump White House proposed a first budget that would ‘zero out’ funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). The cuts would have been felt from Sesame Street to North Figueroa. In 2016, the NEA awarded $8.6 million in direct grants to California, including $1.1 million directly to the California Arts Council.

Within weeks, hundreds of CD1 painters, poets, musicians, actors, educators and art lovers signed Team Cedillo petitions opposing the cuts.

Congress eventually restored full funding, but now Trump tax cuts may result in a $13-billion loss to nonprofits in 2018. Donations account for about 25% of nonprofit arts groups’ budgets.

California’s “creative sector” generated $406.5 billion yearly, as well as 747,600 jobs, including 445,500 in the entertainment, publishing, and fashion industries. The sector paid $16.7 billion is state taxes. See more below.

In December, the City Council invested boldly in the creative sector by approving an Arts Development Fund. The ADF is expected to generate nearly $150,000 for CD1 projects this year.

Developers of commercial and industrial buildings will pay a fee based on the value of construction work of $500,000 or more. The Department of Building & Safety will calculate the fee based on a formula ranging from 39¢ per square-foot for warehouses to $1.57 per square-foot for an office or research facility.

YEAR FOUR IN REVIEW

LA 2028, which draws on existing housing and sports venues.

“You can tell me that other cities haven’t been successful,” Councilmember Gil Cedillo said, “but that’s not us. We’re the only city that has held two successful Olympics. That’s what I look forward to.”

Council President Herb Wesson said the 1932 and 1984 Olympiads transformed Los Angeles through new opportunities for communities to watch, play and benefit from sport.

“Over the next 11 years and beyond,” Wesson said, “we want to bring those benefits to young people across this city on an unprecedented scale.”

The IOC agreed to increase its 2028 contribution from $1.7 billion to $2 billion, including an estimated $160 million over five years for youth sports programs.

At A Glance: The Creative Economy • Total creative output: $406.5 billion • Share of State GDP: 10.9% • Total tax revenue: $16.7 billion • Wages and salaries: $136 billion • Jobs created overall: 1.6 million • Direct employment: 747,600 jobs • Self-employed 340,500 All data from the 2017 Otis College of Art and Design report on California’s Creative Economy.

Stepping Into Green Space Future generations will look back on 2017 as a watershed year for new and refurbished parks and open space.

CD1 Owns the “Jewel of the L.A. River” In March, Cedillo joined Mayor Eric Garcetti to announce the closing of escrow for the G2 Parcel, 42 acres the City bought from Union Pacific Railroad that will give CD1 residents direct access to the eventually restored river.

Roy Payan walks along Flat Top Mesa, which the Parks Commission gave final approval to acquire in February.

The Civic Center made a towering backdrop for the April dedication of State Historical Park near Chinatown.

The City closed escrow in March on the riverfront G2 Parcel, rendered above as open green space.

Garcetti, Cedillo and Lincoln Heights residents broke ground on Albion Riverside Park in May.

in square-feet, not acres, but commuters waiting for buses at both stops appreciate the good lighting, seating, security and shelter from the elements daily. Both sites also have bike racks, ADA-compliant features, and drought-tolerant landscaping.

Park Rangers Are Back in the Saddle Park Rangers were once common in L.A.’s larger parks, providing medical aid, law enforcement and other emergency services. Years of budget cuts took a heavy toll on the program, but Continued on page 9

Synthetic Sports Field in MacArthur Park In April, soccer players initiated a certified sports field on the north side of MacArthur Park.

City crews removed 42,700 square-feet of “meadow” quality fabric and replaced it with a higher quality synthetic playing surface. The project was funded with $400,000 in Quimby funds.

Breaking Ground Down by the River In May, Cedillo and Mayor Garcetti helped break ground on Albion Riverside Park. The triangle-shaped, six-acre parcel in Lincoln Heights will divert storm water and feature a new generation of water quality techniques. Albion Riverside will adjoin Downey Park, which is upgrading its baseball diamond and outdoor basketball court.

Green Spaces Come in All Sizes In September, two tiny parks opened with big public support. The Hoover Triangle Transit Center and the Glassell Park Transit Pavilion are measured

YEAR FOUR IN REVIEW

CLEAN COMMUNITIES 7

Keep CD1 Clean T

In May, Principal Rafael Gaeta hosted a cleanup at Nightingale Middle School in Cypress Park.

eam Cedillo helped local activists organize more than 70 cleanups, beginning the first weekend of January in Cypress Park, when volunteers and the L.A. Conservation Corps filled two dumpsters with bulky items and collected 65 tires and 70 pieces of electronic waste for recycling.

Two District 1 neighborhood councils received special awards in the citywide Clean Streets Challenge for 2017. The Westlake North Neighborhood Council took home the Monster Cleanup Award, and the Glassell Park Improvement Assn. received the Longevity Award.

Last year the City installed 1,250 new trashcans, including 95 Automated Litter Bins (ALBs) in CD1. Mayor Eric Garcetti committed to deploying 5,000 new receptacles over five years when he announced the Clean Streets program in 2015.

Margarita Alvarez, left, and Karina Rodriguez of the Westlake North Neighborhood Council.

Smart Growth More than 2,000 units of affordable housing have opened in CD1 since 2013.

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mployment and household income rose, and hundreds of welcome mats were rolled out in front of new housing from MacArthur Park to Highland Park.

Other residents, however, were unable to keep up with outsized rent increases and the growing pool of homeless Angelenos spiked.

Councilmember Gil Cedillo, who chairs the Housing Committee, continued to encourage public, private and nonprofit stakeholders to work together to solve the housing crisis.

“There is no single solution,” Cedillo told the committee in August.

“We have to attack it on multiple fronts and on parallel tracks. We must provide housing for all income levels, for those who are homeless, and to prevent our most vulnerable from becoming homeless.”

In 2017, low-income families moved into affordable housing in Westlake’s El Paseo at the Califor-

Plans for The Lake on Wilshire would convert a 14-story office building into a hotel and cultural center, flanked by a 41-story tower with 478 apartments. The developer set aside more than 90 units for very low-income tenants, and contributed $2 million to a 60-unit shelter in Westlake serving single women and their children. The PLUM Committee approved the project unanimously and recommended setting aside 10 units for middle-income earners.

nian, and homeless veterans found permanent shelter and vital support services at Marmion Way in Cypress Park.

Community interest was also high in the renovation of the long-shuttered Lincoln Heights Jail building. Team Cedillo created a spot for public feedback in the decision-making process.

Cedillo also moved to strengthen the Rent Stabilization Ordinance and Ellis Act protections; reduce barriers to creating “granny flats” and other accessory dwelling units”; open City facilities and nonprofits to shelter the homeless; and levy a linkage fee for developers to subsidize low-income housing.

Ellis Act Amendments Strengthen Rent Control

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n October, the City Council gave tenants further protection against being relocated for condo conversions with a package of Ellis Act amendments to the City’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO).

“These amendments make it harder to displace tenants using the Ellis Act, and guarantees the rights of those tenants under the law,” Cedillo said.

Legislators adopted the Ellis Act in 1985 to give landlords a legal avenue to remove units from the rental market. The provisions clarify that:

8 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

City Fee on Developers to Fund Affordable Housing Council also endorses Cedillo motion to protect middleincome housing from new Linkage Fee.

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n December, the City Council created an Affordable Housing Linkage Fee expected to raise $100 million annually when it goes fully into effect in 2019.

Housing Committee Chair Gil Cedillo called the vote “a historic

move for the permanent development and preservation of affordable housing in Los Angeles.”

Under the plan, developers would pay from $1 to $15 a square foot, depending on the area and type of project being built. For example, luxury units in toney neighborhoods would pay the most, while affordable housing in less affluent zip codes would pay less.

The original Linkage Fee ordi-

• A tenant may raise the owner’s failure to comply with the Ellis Act and/or the RSO as an affirmative defense against eviction.

• Owners who re-rent property shall give a right of first refusal to previous tenants who requested it..

• All tenants are entitled to relocation assistance when a property owner begins to convert a building.

Visit the Coalition for Economic Survival at cesinaction.org

YEAR FOUR IN REVIEW

nance only exempted projects with at least 40% of their units aimed at moderate-income households (making between 80% and 120% of the Area Median Income).

Some cities also exempt nonprofits and housing projects that are entirely priced as affordable.

The Council approved a Cedillo motion that goes a step further and exempts housing priced for middleincome households (between 120% and 150% of the AMI).

“We must attack the housing crisis at every level,” Cedillo said.

“Our goal is to build 100,000 units by 2021.”

Oil Wells…

Continued from page 4 within a few blocks.

AllenCo began “fracking” with hydrochloric and phosphoric acid.

Oil production was up fivefold, but neighbors began to report respiratory problems and nosebleeds.

AllenCo suspended drilling after it was cited for 18 violations, and symptoms quickly disappeared. In 2016, a judge ruled the company cannot resume drilling until it proves it complies with all federal and local regulations.

The Color of Conservation Thousands of at-risk youth set their sights on green jobs.

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here’s still a chill in the air as Team Cedillo’s Luis Gonzalez fires up the troops for a Saturday morning cleanup. Ten volunteers from the Catalina and Walton Neighborhood Association soon fan out with shovels, rakes and garbage bags.

Backing them up are four members of the LA Conservation Corps. For 32 years, the LACC has given thousands of young at-risk Angelenos job skills, academic help and work experience with an emphasis on conservation.

In return, Corpsmembers give back to their communities on a variety of service projects, from planting trees, refurbishing hiking trails and building parks, to toy deliveries and turkey giveaways during the holidays.

“We are not a job,” said LACC Chief Executive Officer Wendy Butts. “We are a job-training program. Our goal is to get participants a job. That means getting

them in the field for experience and to meet people with interesting jobs that they could do.”

The Conservation Corps was created in 1986 for 18- to 24-year-olds.

Two years later, Mayor Tom Bradley added the Clean and Green program for 14- to 17-year-olds. Participants attend three months of high school with a $15 daily incentive, then work for three months at minimum wage. Up to 500 young people pass through the Corps annually, with about 200 serving at any given moment.

Butts became interested in the environment’s impact on communities as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador in the 1990s.

She began teaching at the Conservation Corps in 1998, rose through the LACC ranks, and has served as CEO since 2014.

The Corps’ Career Pathways program provides industry-recognized credentials in environmental and construction fields that will lead

“We are not a job. We are a jobtraining program.”

YEAR FOUR IN REVIEW

to post-secondary education or living wage jobs.

LACC funding includes federal, state LACC head Wendy Butts and Corpsmembers Bernardino Cortez, Bryan Monge, Kenneth and local government Green and Guillermo Najera. grants and contracts.

Photos by Lisa Weingarten This year CD1 is supporting the Corps’ NELA site renovation and clean up work in the District.

Butts earned her undergraduate • Population................. 251,600 degree in journalism and MBA in in Under 18.................... 23.6% ternational finance. She has worked HS Diploma............... 57% since she was 13 years old, which Bachelors................... 18.9% drives her passion for the Corps’ • Household Income: mission to ensure that local youth < $25K....................... 37.5% receive job training and experiences $25-50K..................... 30.3% that lead to a successful career path. $50-100K................... 20.3% “We try to teach a strong work > $100K..................... 11.9% ethic to Corpsmembers because • Employed.................. 120,900 that’s the key to success in their next Avg. wage.................. $43,600 steps. We see our job as guiding Unemployed.............. 7.7% and helping them on their journey.

Theirs is taking advantage of all the Data from 2017 Beacon Economics Report opportunities the Corps offers.”

At A Glance: CD1

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 9

Green Space…

Continued from page 7 now the Rangers are back. Patrols began in September in MacArthur Park, and a Ranger station and service are planned for Elysian Park.

Sinking New Roots The Lincoln Heights Certified Farmers Market’s Bea Felix (seated) and Vera Padilla are hawking produce, prepared foods and crafts at the busy corner of North Broadway and Sichel Street every Wednesday from 3 to 8 p.m.

Elysian Park’s $12.5-Million Upgrade The Dodgers weren’t the only homerun-hitters in Elysian Park last year. Fans also cheered for a $12.5-million upgrade including new playing fields, ADA-compliant restrooms, and added security.

Priorities also include $3.5 million for universal access playgrounds, a synthetic playing field and new drinking fountains, and $2.5 million for a Park Ranger station and service.

Crews remade Elysian Park’s Bishop Canyon Field in time for a new Little League season.