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Including Inglewood Airport Area • Baldwin Hills • Crenshaw/LA • Ladera Heights VOL. 24, No. 23
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June 4, 2015
Grandstand Demolished at Former Racetrack Site
he grandstand canopy at the former Hollywood Park Racetrack imploded in the early morning of May 31 to make way for the new mixed-use community being built there. The future site will include more than 4 million square feet of retail, office, hotel, and entertainment space, along with parks and public open space. The activity was designed to cause minimal disruption for neighbors, though there were brief periods of noise and vibration. The controlled demolition was con-
T ducted in close coordination with the City of Inglewood, the Inglewood Police Department, and other authorities to ensure a safe event. Horse racing at Holly-
Photos courtesy of Hollywood Park Land Company
On The Inside: • News • Community • Entertainment • Health • Real Estate • Business
L.A. Approves $15 Minimum Wage
wood Park was an Inglewood tradition which lasted almost 75 years until the race track closed in 2013. The horse racing industry began to decline in recent years. The New York Times reported: “Thoroughbred racing declined nationally in handle by 7.3% in 2008, by 9.8% in 2009, and by 8.4% in the first four months of 2010.” Slots, casinos and online betting began to replace old-fashioned horse racing due to their convenience and simplicity. Now, with the possibility of an NFL team relocating to the L.A. area, and an already approved, privately-funded
stadium planned adjacent to the Hollywood Park site, Inglewood is on its way to reclaiming its reputation as a leading sports city. If approved by NFL owners, this will be the first time in over 20 years that L.A. will have a home team. Inglewood Mayor James Butts, public and safety officials, representatives from Hollywood Park, and about 75 Rams fans gathered around 6am to watch the demolition. The group cheered after the low-level explosives brought down the concrete grandstand L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti prosperity in our city, bewithin 30 seconds. (Continued on page 2) cause the minimum wage should not be a poverty wage in Los Angeles.” Prior to the vote, Garcetti campaigned vigorously for the hike, promoting the hashtag #RaisetheWageLA. After the mayor signs the bill, wages in L.A. will begin to increase incrementally over the next 5 years. A bill that passed the state Senate Monday. which would hike the minimum wage in California to $11 per hour in 2016 and then to $13 per hour by 2017, still needs approval from the Assembly. Jose Cervantes (right) (Continued on page 12)
Inglewood High Senior Wins Prestigious Gates Millenium Scholarship
J
ose Cervantes spent his senior year at Inglewood High School exploring colleges around the country before narrowing his choices to UC Berkeley, UCLA and USC. Not knowing which of the three top-tier schools to attend was a good problem to have—and his acceptance into the prestigious Gates (Continued on page 11)
he long anticipated minimum wage hike was finally approved on Wednesday by the Los Angeles City Council. Council members voted 13-1 to hike the city’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2020. The current minimum wage in Los Angeles is $9 an hour. Mayor Eric Garcetti, who has long been a supporter of wage increases, said in May, “I started this campaign to raise the minimum wage to create broader economic
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