Retro Friday: The 1960s-Era Proposed LAX/Santa Monica Island

It seems like quite a leap to imagine L.A. actually pulling something this ambitious off. But even back in the 1960s, the folks behind the Los Angeles International Airport knew that LAX needed to expand to accommodate the huge increase in air passengers. That's where this idea came from: A new man-made island off the coast, connected by bridge and subway, that would continue LAX plus house a full community.

Someone at Reddit L.A. found these images the other day while looking through the Los Angeles Public Library's amazing photo archive collection.

Here are the details, direct from the photo caption:

Drawing of a combined Los Angeles International Airport. Drawing shows a new Santa Monica Island with a subway connecting to the aiports (bottom) and a causeway, bridges and subway at the top of drawing. The island will have provisions for the SST, with 2-15,000 ft. runways. The island will also have its own commercial area, hotels, art center, trade center and office building, apartments, parks and beaches, an aerospace university and a sports center. Drawn by architect R. Donald Jaye. Photo dated: March 12, 1968.

And here's an architectural rendering:



Others have found these drawings as well; here are takes on the Santa Monica Island That Wasn't via Skyscraper City; Examiner and the LA Weekly.

I can never get enough of these depictions of proposed redesigned L.A. city plans that never got off the ground. Past posts:

What Could Have Been (and Thankfully Wasn't): The Doomed Ambassador International Project

Failed Civic Center Plans Through the Years

What Could Have Been: L.A. Civic Center, Circa 1933

GO: Eagle Rock Music Festival Returns This Saturday

One of our favorite festivals of the year, the annual Eagle Rock Music Festival, is back this Saturday, Oct. 1. The event is extremely pedestrian, kid and family friendly (a plus in our book) as Colorado Blvd. is blocked off and easy to stroll up and down.

Kids under 12 are free; they're asking for a $5 donation for adults. A bargain in my opinion. If you can't find street parking,there's Free parking and shuttle service from Eagle Rock Plaza (2828 Colorado Blvd.) -- and a Bike Valet courtesy of LA Bike Coalition at Blue Hen (1743 Colorado Blvd).

The real draw is the community vibe, as musicians and bands play up and down the boulevard -- in front of businesses, on street corners, on stages and in shops. For the grownups, the Colorado Wine Co. is hopping -- and for the kids, both Peekaboo Playland and Swork Coffee are alive.

Last year, we showed up right at 4 p.m., when the festival starts, and were rewarded with a parking spot and plenty of hours of sunlight. Here's what we wrote last year:

What we got to see: An eclectic mix of bands and DJs; street art; booths featuring local businesses; and plenty of people watching. And even though we missed the headlining bands by coming early, we actually got to see some pretty good music. From Spanish rock to indie pop to DJ sets to moody, catchy shoegaze tunes, we caught a lot in a little amount of time. And even cooler, we got to expose the Blogger Kid and the Blogger Baby 2.0 to some live music.

Here are this year's set times:

Set Times

Razorcake/Zocaloc Stage
4:30pm - Wreck of the Zephyr
5:30pm - French Exit
6:30pm - Cheeto Champ
7:30pm - Summer Vacation
8:30pm - The Fuxedos
9:30pm - Barrio Tiger

Family Stage
4:00pm - Pio Pico
5:00pm - Magic Show with Micah Cover
6:00pm - Ellen and Matt
7:00pm - NINE
8:00pm - The Ukulele Orchestra of the Western Hemisphere
9:00pm - Hot August Nights: A Neil Diamond Tribute Band

Camilo's
J. Vega & Friends
Kotolan

Dublab "Future Roots" Stage
4:00pm - Carlos Nino
4:45pm - Arohi Ensemble
5:30pm - Village Archives
6:15pm - Mia Doi Todd
7:00pm - Hymnal
7:45pm - Pharaohs
8:25pm - Biggest Crush (Sunny Levine + Turquoise Wisdom)
9:10pm - El Haru-Kuroi
9:50pm - Killsonic
10:15pm - Yellow Alex & the Feelings

Emerging Stage
Presented by Ford Gimme the Gig II
co-curated by FYF Fest, KOXY, LA Record
4:00pm - Kenan Bell
5:00pm - Red Shark
6:00pm - Joyce Manor
7:00pm - Allah Las
8:00pm - Boom Bip
9:00pm - Health
10:00pm - The Feeding People

Rantz
6:00pm - E.R.H.S. Latin Jazz Ensemble
8:00pm - Cambalache
9:00pm - Umbalaye

Low End Theory
4:00pm - Gaslamp Killer
4:20pm - Nobody
4:40pm - Daddy Kev
5:00pm - D-Styles
5:20pm - JonWayne
6:00pm - Nocando
6:20pm - Teebs
7:00pm - D-Styles
7:20pm - Dibiase
8:00pm - Daddy Kev
8:20pm - Tokimonsta
9:00pm - Nobody
9:20pm - Nosaj Thing
10:00pm - Gaslamp Killer
10:20pm - Flying Lotus

Welcome Inn
7:00pm - Bonne Musique Zydeco

Women's 20th Century Club
6:00pm - Eric Ekstrand Ensemble

Colombo's
5:00pm - Ampersand
6:00pm - Border Radio
7:00pm - Saucy Monky
8:00pm - The Vagabondz
9:00pm - Duniven
10:00pm - Special Guest

Kingsize Stage
4:30pm - Beatnik Jr.
5:30pm - Gangi
6:30pm - Buffalo Electric
7:30pm - Miracle Parade
8:30pm - Dorian Taj
9:30pm - Adventure Galley
10:30pm - Rooney

The Ship Stage
4:00pm - Dirty Bandits
5:00pm - All Spots to Black
6:00pm - Little Red Lung
7:00pm - Molino
8:00pm Phaxanation & The Dust Kickers
9:00pm - Blonde Summer
10:00pm - Shadow Shadow Shade

Eagle Rock Music Festival
Saturday, October 1, 2011
4:00-11:00pm
On Colorado Blvd. between Argus & Eagle Rock Blvd.

KCET's SoCal Connected Launches New Season Tonight

KCET's "SoCal Connected" returns tonight at 8:30 p.m. for its fourth season with stories on the city's dilapidated sidewalks, and the 40-year debate on who's responsible: property owners or the city. The episode will also visit the Carl’s Jr. experimental test kitchen.

Nobody Puts Santa in The Corner!

Spotted on my morning walk with the Blogger Toddler 2.0. I'm not sure what's going on here, but it looks like someone felt the need to put Santa, Frosty and the others in "time out."

Thursday Night at 'The Soup'

Thanks to my pal Diane of popular TV blog The Surf Report, who invited me along last Thursday as she attended another taping of E!'s "The Soup." The show continues to impress and amuse as it takes down some of the silliest stuff televised on reality, local TV, talk shows and newscasts. And then there's the gift of Joel McHale.

McHale, of course, is busy these days as the star of NBC's "Community," but manages to somehow still juggle a busy standup schedule, movies, and his other, weekly job as host of "The Soup." McHale's in contact with the show all week, giving notes on the script that he'll eventually perform.



Then, on Thursdays he heads to the Wilshire Courtyard HQ of E! after shooting "Community" all day. McHale glances at a script, then stands in front of the large green screen and pretty much hits his comedic marks. Three segments and a few surprise guests later, the taping is done. McHale even sticks around to sign autographs and pose for pics with the small (100 or so) audience -- which on our night included the owner of the new Chick-fil-A franchise in Hollywood.

We chatted for a bit after with Joel -- I couldn't tell if he remembered me from moderating the "Community" panel at Comic-Con or not, but I let it slide. Nice also finally meeting executive producer K.P. Anderson, who also oversees the other "Soup" spinoffs (such as G4's "Web Soup"). They make the show look easy, but it's clearly a well-organized, well-produced enterprise.

What's With the Nude Paparazzo in the L.A. Times?

Here's a cache of the L.A. Times Ministry of Gossip blog post (since taken down) featuring Jennifer Aniston... and a naked photographer in the background. And here's what it looks like now, with replacement photo.

WHAT. My pals over at Newsweek/The Daily Beast -- Kate Aurthur, Jace Lacob and Maria Elena Fernandez -- had a field day with this pic this afternoon, and their litany of tweets were likely what led to the Ministry of Gossip taking the pic down. (Read Jace's take here.)

Turns out it's not a new occurrence. The New York Post identifies the photographer as Holly Van Voast, who frequently does this naked-photographer-on-the-street thing as a bit of performance art. But clearly someone at Getty Images, which took this photo, didn't examine it closely before sending it out... and sites like the LAT didn't notice Van Voast either. Strange stuff.

Along the Newly Expanded L.A. River Bike Path

We wrote a while back about the Franklin Avenue Quartet's weekend family bike rides up and down the L.A. River Bike Path. But that was along the older bike path -- the one that sits alongside the 5 freeway for much of its run.

But last weekend, the Blogger Kid and I decided to explore the newly opened L.A. River Bike Path extension, which travels south from Fletcher to Figueroa. And unlike the original stretch, this portion of the path is away from the freeway -- which means for a calmer, more peaceful and scenic ride.

As a matter of fact, I think this will be our new bike ride. The 2.5 mile extension includes a handful of pocket parks and travels past the back of homes, industrial buildings and more next to the Elysian Valley neighborhood nicknamed "Frogtown."

Our mysterious pal the Militant Angeleno also recently biked along the path and had this to say:

After passing the 2 Freeway overpass, the harsh white-noise roar of cars rushing above soon transitioned into the soothing rush of water and the intermittent quacking of ducks. Ducks? Yes, ducks! Lest you forget, the entire section of Los Angeles River, from Griffith Park to Elysian Valley, lies close to the underground water table, and was therefore never fully paved. The result is a glimpse of the what the River used to be -- and what many hope it will once again become -- replete with islands boasting California Bay Laurel trees protruding from the riverbed, and both native and migratory fauna walking, swimming or flying throughout. There are even mini-rapids where water rushes through rocks in the riverbed, forming calming sounds which soothe the senses. Aromatherapy, anyone?

It is in this section you can witness the Los Angeles River in pure serenity, with only the occasional whoosh and horn blare of a passing Metrolink train across the river interrupting the unexpectedly pastoral setting in the middle of this bustling metropolis.

We're lucky enough to live close by, allowing us to bike through Atwater Village to the bike path. For any of you in the area, it's worth a ride.

A handful of pics from our bike ride:



At the Marsh Park off the L.A. River bike path



Blogger Kid tries out exercise equipment off the L.A. River bike path



Ducks!

Admit It, You Want One of Those 'House of David' Statues

(Flickr pic by Donielle.)

And now one can be yours. Sad news from Curbed LA, which reports that "House of Davids" owner Norwood Young is looking to sell off the home's infamous statues in order to finally unload the house. (He's been looking to sell the house since May, but with no takers so far.)

Writes Curbed:

On two weekends in October, Young will sell off the giant Alice in Wonderland-style chairs, the hanging dining room table, the big Michael Jackson glove hand in the dining room, all of the Davids, and possibly even some of the tiny Santa and MJ clothes that the Davids have worn on special occasions (*but that last one isn't definite yet).

Several of the pieces up for sale were specially made from Young's designs, according to what he told us a few months ago. Winter tells us that Young has an amazing wardrobe (hung on electric racks) and that "almost everything" will be up for sale. Young will hold onto some sentimental and valuable pieces.

The sure-to-be-jam-packed estate sale will be held on October 15, 16, 22, and 23. It'll run 9 am to 3 pm on Saturdays and 12 to 4 pm on Sundays. The new brokers are holding also-sure-to-be-jam-packed open houses starting this Sunday.

And get a peek at the House of Davids in its full glory while you still can!

Something Nasty This Way, at The Bottom of Echo Park Lake

(Photo via Flickr by Echo Park Now.)

Things are getting pretty gross over in Echo Park, as the lake is drained and the yucky stuff you always expected was at the bottom of the lake is unearthed. The L.A. Times' Bob Pool reports that the brownish/greenish sludge at the bottom, 5 feet deep in some spots, will be hauled to landfills. It's all a part of the lake's two-year, $64.7 million makeover.

Pool writes:

The lake was emptied in two stages, with water lowered just enough in the first phase to allow biologists to capture fish and relocate them to MacArthur Park Lake, while about 95 turtles were turned over to the California Turtle and Tortoise Club and put up for adoption...

Originally constructed in 1868 for drinking water storage by the Los Angeles Canal and Reservoir Co., Echo Park Lake has more recently functioned as a storm drain detention basin as well as a park site and wildlife habitat.

Although the lake was drained in 1984, the Regional Water Quality Control Board labeled it "an impaired water body" in 2006. Algae, ammonia, copper, lead, PCBs, low oxygen levels and trash in the tepid water were killing off the lake's signature lotus plants.

At noon, a coyote could be seen loping across the empty lake bed, eyeing the ducks and searching for dead fish. George Magallanes, an aide to Los Angeles City Councilman Ed Reyes, said the coyote killed two domestic geese over the weekend, apparently after slipping through a fence knocked down in a Saturday traffic accident on Echo Park Avenue.

Workers, meanwhile, began spreading lime on the lake bed to deodorize sediment fouled by decades of waterfowl droppings.

Read it all here.

A "Drive" Tour of Los Angeles

The recent exploration of real, gritty Los Angeles in film and TV -- as popularized by everything from "Collateral" and "Southland" to "(500) Days of Summer" -- expands again in the new Ryan Gosling feature "Drive." Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne calls the movie "one of the most perceptive recent attempts to understand the peculiarly standoffish personality of L.A.'s built environment."

More:

Don't expect glamour shots of Walt Disney Concert Hall, Griffith Observatory and other postcard landmarks; what you see through the windshield of the cars in "Drive" is largely the drab, closed-off and forgettable cityscape of the Southern California commercial strip.

Whenever any building in the movie shimmers or gleams, it is because it is being seen from an impossible distance, shot from a helicopter gliding over Bunker Hill at night or hovering Oz-like way off on the horizon. Otherwise, the characters in "Drive" spend most of their time in elevators, cheap apartments, greasy spoons and parking garages, grimly navigating a downmarket version of the anonymous urban interiors that the architect Rem Koolhaas once dubbed "junkspace."

The L.A. Times film blog 24 Frames takes us on a tour of "Drive" locations here. Some highlights:

MacArthur Park
Real place: corner of W. 6th Street and S. Park View Street, Los Angeles

Echo Park market
Real place: Big 6 Market, 500 block of S. Rampart Boulevard, Los Angeles

Shannon’s Garage
Real place: Picture Car Warehouse, 8400 block of Reseda Boulevard, Northridge

L.A. River
Real place: L.A. River near Reseda and Victory boulevards, Reseda

Ninos Pizzeria
Real place: Vincenzo’s Pizza, 11000 block of Balboa Boulevard, Granada Hills

Pawn Shop
Real Place: Santa Clarita Elks Lodge, 17700 block of Sierra Highway, Santa Clarita

Point Mugu
Real Place: Point Mugu State Park and beaches

Free L.A. Alert: 7-Eleven Coffee This Thursday

I suppose I can look past the horrible pun for the free coffee. 7-Eleven is celebrating National Coffee Day – Thursday, Sept. 29 – with "National CofFREE Day."

Yeah, "National CofFREE Day." We'll have to get over it. Between 7 and 11 a.m. 7-Eleven stores will offer a free medium-size cup of hot coffee, cappuccino or latte.

Downtown's Cliftons Cafeteria Closes For Remodel

The new owner of downtown's kitschy Cliftons Cafeteria is shutting the restaurant down from three to six months to make some major changes, reports the L.A. Times:

The kitschy forest-themed restaurant at Broadway and 7th Street that has served millions of Angelenos will get several upgrades, including a new kitchen, said developer and nightclub impresario Andrew Meieran, who bought control of the business a year ago.

"The newest equipment was from 1949," said Meieran, who will keep some of the old pieces such as giant mixers and boiling pots around as decoration. Some of the oldest gear dates from about 1915, when the building was home to a Boos Brothers cafeteria.

The linear cafeteria that served up pot roast, mashed potatoes, Jell-O and other comfort food will be reconfigured into "pod stations" to smooth the flow of tray-wielding customers, he said. The focus on familiar fare will remain, as will the woodsy dining room with multiple mezzanine decks, a 20-foot waterfall and fake redwood trees.

In addition to upgrading such infrastructure as the plumbing and electrical systems, Meieran will tear off the metal facade obscuring the front of the brick building that was attached in 1960 as part of a modernization effort.

I'm sure preservationists will be keeping a close eye -- but so far this sounds like a good thing. Read our past posts about Clifton's here.

Give This Parking Enforcement Vehicle A Ticket

Is this legal? Sure doesn't seem like it. And if it is, it shouldn't be. Where's Parking Enforcement when you need it? Oh.

Thanks to L. Paul Strait for passing along these pics. He writes: "Do you know if this is legal? Either way I thought readers of your blog might be interested in seeing these pictures."

If any of you know, please let us know!

Fox 11 Gives Local News an Unconventional Twist

There's a strange trend going on in local TV: After the last few years of tremendous budget cuts and massive layoffs, stations are expanding their news footprint, adding new newscasts, particularly in the early evening.

Two reasons: With a dearth of primetime comedy hits in recent years, there are fewer half-hour sitcoms hitting the off-network syndication market these days. But even more likely, stations are eagerly looking at the 2012 political campaigns and the record amounts of cash that candidates are expected to spend on local ads.

But while they add more newscasts, they're doing so with their same reduced, stretched-to-the-limit staffs. How can they add more newscasts when their bare-bones teams are barely able to pull off the ones they already have?

That's a good question, and one that I thought about as I read L.A. Times columnist James Rainey's take on KTTV/Fox 11's new 5 p.m. newscast, "Studio 11 LA." Rainey says the show "vibrates with nervous energy, social-media feeds, pop culture stories, stilted newsroom vérité and heaps and heaps of opinion-making by the anchor-reporter hosts." More:

The conceit of "Studio 11 LA" seems to be that the news itself might not grab you but that people making a news show and gabbing about the news might. In its first two weeks, the hourlong "Studio" has offered up "War Room" shots of news planning meetings, lots of loosey-goosey on-set chatter, news "personalities" talking with off-camera producers and admonitions that we, the audience, should join the party via Twitter and Facebook.

Rainey doesn't have a problem with adding some flash to the news, but he is a big concerned about all of the off-the-cuff editorializing that comes with it. For example:

Did I really hear histrionic field reporter Ed Laskos compare the incident involving Fullerton cops and a homeless man to a "gang beating," one that was extra "arrogant" because they did it while wearing microphones that recorded the action?

I'm all for more local programming, and I gotta give credit to KTTV for doing something different with its 5 p.m. newscast (and, not actually calling it a "newscast"). But I also think the news department needs the manpower and resources to pull off such a grand idea.

And can someone please switch Ed Laskos to decaf?

Is There a Better Friday Night Food Than Casa Bianca?

Extra large sausage and mushroom from Casa Bianca. Nope, there's nothing better.

Meet KNBC Channel 4's New General Manager

KNBC/4 has a new president and general manager: Orange County native Steve Carlston will take over Channel 4, replacing Craig Robinson -- who now oversees NBCUniversal's diversity efforts.

I know Steve from his tenure as UPN's head of affiliate relations in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when the netlet was battling it out with the WB for distribution (oh, those were the days!) But more recently, Steve headed up the CBS and MyNetworkTV affiliates in Salt Lake City -- and made good friends with NBC when he agreed to air "The Playboy Club" after that market's NBC affiliate, KSL (owned by the Mormon church) refused to clear it.

I don't know if it's a coincidence or not, but Carlston gets a nice "thank you" in the KNBC job, as he already resides here in Agoura Hills, along with his family. (His wife Loni Coombs is a former prosecutor for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office.)

“Between his 30 years of television industry experience, dynamic leadership skills and proven track record of making stations stronger, Steve Carlston is uniquely qualified to take NBC4 to the next level,” said NBC-Owned TV Stations president Valari Staab, to whom he'll report. “Steve is from Southern California and truly understands the importance of a television station serving the local community. I look forward to working with him and welcome him to the team.”

According to NBC's press release, "A native of Orange County, Carlston counts as one of his greatest childhood thrills being interviewed by Ross Porter and Tommy Hawkins from the NBC4 sports department as a high school basketball player during the station’s “High School Game of the Week” coverage."

Said Carlston: "I grew up watching NBC4 and am honored to join the rich tradition of the station and to work alongside such high quality journalists and news professionals. I'm excited to build upon the recent investments in the station to make it even stronger and help NBC4 become the leading local news organization in the market."

Carlston had been Vice President and General Manager of sister stations KUTV-TV (CBS) and KMYU-TV (MyNetworkTV) in Salt Lake City since 2009.

Jimmy Kimmel's San Gennaro Festival, Held This Weekend, Turns 10

Ten years ago, talk show host Jimmy Kimmel decided to create an event that emulated the Italian-themed San Gennaro festivals he enjoyed as a kid in New York. The L.A. version of the San Gennaro Festival quickly grew -- and is now a major, annual event held outdoors in Hollywood, near Kimmel's ABC "Jimmy Kimmel Live" studio.

The 10th Annual Feast of San Gennaro Los Angeles kicks off tonight with the invite-only “Prima Notte 2011,” which will pay tribute to Italian American actors in Hollywood and Frank Mancuso Sr., former CEO of Paramount and MGM Studios.

After that, the festival is open all weekend to the public. Here are some more highlights, from the San Gennaro P.R.:

In honor of the Feast’s 10th Anniversary there will be special events going on throughout the weekend to raise funds for their various charities, including an attempt to break the Guinness World Record of Longest Marathon of Television Watching (the current record is 86 hours, 6 minutes and 41 seconds of continuous television watching), by watching 100 hours of Italian-themed films and television shows, a “Gravy – Sauce” competition hosted by The Meatballs of Comedy and on Sunday afternoon and many others.

Hopefully KROQ's Dave "the King of Mexico" Sanchez is participating in the TV Watching contest, and will finally gain the crown that he should have won in 2005 before being disqualified by Guinness.

Here are the details for this weekend's events:

Friday, September 23 - Sunday 25, 2011
11am - 11pm
1651 N. Highland Ave. (south of Hollywood Blvd).

$5 Admission - Kids under 12 free
info@feastofla.org
(818) 508-0082

Countdown to Hollywood's New Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A opens its long-awaited Hollywood location tomorrow, but fans of the Southern fried chicken chain (but hopefully not its stance against gay marriage) are already lined up for a shot at a year's worth of free sandwiches.

From Chick-fil-A PR:

Dozens of people are converging on the new Hollywood Chick-fil-A hoping to win free Chick-fil-A for a year when the restaurant at Sunset and Highland opens Thursday around 6 a.m. Registration for the promotion will open at 6 a.m. today. If there are more than 100 in line when registration opens, the 100 spots will be awarded by raffle. People have come from throughout the area and region as well from Florida to be part of this long-anticipated opening.

LA Weekly has more details:

This afternoon's line-waiters took part in a raffle, in which 100 people as well as 10 alternates were selected to wait out the night for the highly coveted "First 100" prize. Winners receive one chicken sandwich, one order of waffle fries and one drink (equating to 52 meals) every week for a year.

Equipped with mattresses, tents, chairs, tables, umbrellas and computers, the Chick-fil-A faithful have settled in for a long night. The restaurant is providing security, restrooms, a DJ, ice cream sundaes and free chicken sandwiches to help while away the hours.

For those who don't want to wait on the Hollywood pavement for a chicken sandwich, the restaurant opens tomorrow at 6 a.m. -- with protests by gay activists expected.

Chick-fil-A brought sandwiches by our offices the other day, and they are indeed delicious. (You may recall they also fed us at my previous job back in December.)

Read my past posts about Chick-fil-A here.

Free Museum Day This Saturday

Several L.A.-area museums are taking part in Smithsonian Magazine's Museum Day this Saturday, Sept. 24.

The catch: You have to print out a museum pass at the website above -- and it's only good for you and a guest, one per household. (So if you're coming with the whole family, I guess you'll have to go through the extra step of typing in a fake address and then entering separately and pretend you don't know each other.)

Local museums participating include:

Autry National Center

California Science Center

Chinese American Museum

Fowler Museum at UCLA

Hammer Museum

Laguna Art Museum

Los Angeles Art Association

Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust

Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA)

Palos Verdes Art Center

Santa Monica Museum of Art

The GRAMMY Museum at L.A. LIVE

The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles

Read more here.

In Appreciation of the Trader Joes Shopping Experience

I couldn't have put it better. Richard Rushfield accurately describes the joy of shopping at Trader Joe's. He calls it the "Trader Joe's Miracle":

The remarkable thing about it wasn’t the overall price tag. It wasn’t even the fact that when I looked at the receipt there wasn’t single item that had cost more than four dollars. The miracle was that I had achieved this without even trying; that I hadn’t even really been paying attention to the prices and still walked away unscathed. When I awoke from the haze which comes over me when I enter a supermarket, I was stunned to discover this.

Why has this become so rare? The idea of going into a store that will give you decent quality goods for reasonable prices is practically unheard of outside of Trader Joes. Every other nook and cranny of our culture has been occupied people and companies lying in wait to reach their hand into your wallet and ring every last cent out of you the moment you let your guard down just a tiny bit..

To have one last refuge in the world where you can go shop and they are not trying to rob you blind with every decision really is nothing short of a miracle these days.

Hey, we're true Trader Joe's believers here at Franklin Avenue HQ! Meanwhile, read this chronicle of Trader Joe's successful strategy from this month's Los Angeles magazine.

Saving Glendale's Mid-Century Courthouse

The state is threatening to tear down Glendale's mid-century courthouse, and as Friend of Franklin Avenue Chris Nichols notes, it's time for some action:

Have you ever seen the great 1958 Glendale courthouse on Broadway across from City Hall? It is a very special midcentury modern building that is completely original and really beautiful. See attached photo. There is a plan to replace it with a new courthouse and retain just the facade and I'm hoping you can join me in writing a letter asking the state to include the historic courthouse in their plans. There are photos and background here.

It will only take a minute to shoot off an email and it will help a lot. Here's a sample.

Here's the contact person:

Laura Sainz
Environmental Program Manager
Office of Court Construction & Management Judicial Council of California
Administrative Office of the Courts

laura.sainz@jud.ca.gov

Do the right thing, people!

Walmart Makes It Official: Burbank, Here They Come

Much to the chagrin of a grassroots No Walmart in Burbank group, firm plans are now in place to turn the vacated The Great Indoors space at Burbank's Empire Center into a new Walmart.

Burbank residents began mobilizing against the store several months ago. Now, they're hoping to make one last-ditch push to stop the store, starting with a 5 p.m. rally tonight at the Burbank City Council meeting (275 E. Olive Burbank). Details:

This is it! Tomorrow's rally before the City Council meeting is our best chance to get our voices heard. The rally starts at 5pm. We have at least 2 confirmed news stations covering the event. It's really important for us to make a huge statement and that means we need you, your energy, your commitment and your voices to be there. We'll only be taken seriously if we show strength in numbers! See you there!

Here is info from the Glendale News Press on the new store:

Walmart spokesman Steven Restivo said he expects the company will use all of the 120,000-square-foot building, but added that “leasing opportunities within the store are to be determined.”

Sometimes the mega-retailer leases space to other retailers, such as a small restaurant or nail salon, if it is putting a store in a large building, he said.

Restivo said the company will hold public forums so that residents can share their concerns and give input on what amenities they would like in the store, such as a grocery store or home-improvement section.

They will also discuss whether the store should be open 24 hours a day.

“We want to come into Burbank the right way,” Restivo said.

The dates and locations of the meeting had yet to be determined.

The Empire Center tenants include Best Buy, Target and Lowe's. I'm sort of indifferent about the arrival of this Walmart store. Walmart is a horrible, unpleasant shopping experience. But it's looking to enter a shopping center that is already filled with big box stores, and it's at least replacing a bankrupt big box store (which otherwise would sit vacant), so it's not going to have much of a negative impact, I would think. If you want to shop at Walmart, you're already shopping at the Target next door, so I would think the only business impacted would be that one.

Glendale to San Diego, On Bike, In A Day

Via Tropico Station's Scott: Avid cyclist Bill Cordero biked from his home in Glendale, all the way to San Diego, in just 8 hours and 25 minutes. And he took this video of his journey. He writes on the YouTube post: "I finally got to do this ride. Now I never have to do it again. ouch."

Disturbing Image of the Day: California's Longest Tongue

Move over, Gene Simmons. The L.A. Times gives us a rundown of California entries in this year's Guinness Book of World Records. Among the winners: Los Angeles resident Chanel Tapper, who boasts the state's longest tongue (3.8 inches from tip to top lip).

Retro Friday: Billboard's Top Ten, 20 Years Ago

The idea that 1991 was TWENTY years ago continues to frighten me. Where did the time go? Check out this montage of Billboard's top ten songs, from the week of September 14, 1991. For those of you complaining about modern top 40 music, check out the top ten back then: Marky Mark, Michael Bolton, C&C Music Factory, Bryan Adams, Color Me Badd... WOW. Enjoy this journey back in time to the bad.

As we know now, however, this was the end of that era of music. A week later, Nirvana's "Nevermind" was released -- and with it, music went in a whole new direction -- thankfully.

License Plate of the Day: Big and Sexy Edition

Big and sexy? I guess it speaks for itself. Thanks to Nanette for this one, and good luck to her and her family as they make a big move to Oregon! We'll be looking forward to LPOTD submissions from the Pacific Northwest!

Rate-A-Restaurant #258: Scoops Westside

Restaurant: Scoops Westside

Location: 3400 Overland Ave. (Palms)

Type of restaurant: Ice Cream

We stipulated: We've been enjoying the wonders of Scoops' original location, in East Hollywood, for years. But a few weekends ago, we found ourselves on the Westside with my parents -- and I thought it might be a good time to check out Scoops' Westside digs.

They stipulated: Scoops, of course, is famous for their always-changing selection of unique and unusual flavor combinations. And the small still comes with two scoops, which means the ability to get more than one flavor in even the smallest size. And as always, samples are free.

Flavors available the day we visited: Pistachio Tangerine, Chocolate Almond Butter, Black Sesame, Cream Cheese Oreo, Strawberry Balsamic Honey, ND Coconut Jasmine, ND Chocolate Peanut butter



What we ordered: I tried the Cream Cheese Oreo and Black Sesame (always a fave), while Maria got the Strawberry Balsamic Honey and the Black Sesame. ($3.50 for a small, which comes with two flavors.)


(Pic via Scoops Westside's Twitter feed.)

High point: Scoops' Brown Bread flavor, its signature selection, was also on tap, and my mom got it. I took a taste and remembered how much I like it. Next time. Also, it was less crowded than East Hollywood.

Low point: Sadly, the flavor selection is smaller than the original East Hollywood location, which has two freezer displays.

Overall impression: Scoops has still got it.

Chance we'll go back:  We'll be returning to the East Hollywood location, which is much closer to Franklin Avenue HQ.

For a complete list of our more than 250 restaurant reviews, check out Franklin Avenue's companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.

Visiting the Van Nuys Airport's Public Observation Area

There are few places you can get closer to a live, fully operational runway than the Van Nuys Airport's Public Observation Area. Built with kids in mind, the area includes picnic tables as well cut outs of a control tower, police car and fire truck -- in front of a mini-runway. A speaker also plays air traffic control information on the planes taking off and landing.

I first wrote about the Van Nuys public observation area in 2009:

Open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset, the observation area is located off of Woodley Avenue at the end of Waterman Drive, adjacent to the east side of the airfield.

The VNY observation area hit the Blogger Preschooler's sweet spot -- we watched as airplanes and helicopters constantly took off and landed.

This time, I came with both the Blogger Kid and the Blogger Toddler 2.0, along with their grandpa. And I smartly brought along Blogger Kid's bike. He drove up and down the mini-runway, pretending to be a plane, while the Blogger Toddler kept an eye on the take offs and landings. The L.A. County fire department's helicopters are stationed there, and we watched as helicopters took off to battle a nearby brush fire.

If you've got young kids, the Van Nuys Airport public observation deck is a good way to entertain. And Balboa Park is nearby as well.

Some pics:

Laura Diaz Exits KCBS After Nearly 10 Years

KCBS anchor Laura Diaz, who's been anchoring KCBS' 6 p.m. newscast since April 2010 (and before that, was the station's 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. anchor alongside Paul Magers), is leaving the station.

She'll be replaced by KCAL anchor Rick Garcia, who will now anchor KCBS' 6 p.m. newscast.

Diaz, who had spent years at KABC before moving to KCBS in 2002, will now focus on her own production company.

"It has been an amazing run at CBS 2, and I’ll miss the many colleagues who have become close friends," Diaz said in a statement. "Getting a chance to serve Southern Californians with news that matters is something I will always treasure and it’s something I look forward to continuing to do. I feel now is the perfect time to branch out and begin producing my own shows and other content. I look forward to being back on the air shortly, and continuing to keep our city and our people informed."

Diaz, who has won 14 Emmy Awards, was named lead 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. anchor at KABC in 1997, making her the first Latino to hold the lead anchor role at an L.A. English-language station.

As for Garcia, the anchor will continue his duties on KCAL's 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts. The anchor first joined KCBS sister KCAL in April 2009 after 22 years at KTTV.

"As he approaches his 25th anniversary on Los Angeles television next year, it is clear that Rick Garcia has played a major role in the growth and success of KCAL’s primetime newscasts," said KCBS/KCAL president/GM Steve Mauldin. "In addition, he has been a regular contributor and substitute anchor on CBS 2’s evening newscasts, which makes him a familiar and well-liked presence on both of our stations. We are extremely pleased to recognize Rick’s importance to our stations and the communities we serve by expanding his responsibilities to include anchoring CBS 2’s 6 p.m. newscast."

Retro Friday: Los Angeles, 1917

Via both LAist and Metro's The Source blog, here's an amazing silent film taken of Los Angeles circa 1917. Apparently Ford did a number of these films as educational travelogues. As LAist notes:

Check out the hustle and bustle of L.A.'s "575,000 souls" in the retail district, shopping for curious wares from the Orient, chugging up Bunker Hill on Angels Flight, and riding their horseless carriages through Downtown's tunnels.

I love this film simply for the ability to see the old buildings of Downtown Los Angeles (such as Clune's Auditorium) as living, breathing buildings and not just old black and white photos.

August Arbitron Ratings: AMP Radio Pulls Closer to KIIS-FM

No surprise here: Top 40 KIIS-FM (102.7) continues to maintain its dominance of the Los Angeles radio market. The Clear Channel-owned radio station pulled an average 5.3% of the listeners 6+ during the month of August, according to the latest Arbitron ratings.

That was good enough for first place again. But the top 40 battle in L.A. continues to heat up, as CBS Radio-owned rival KAMP-FM "Amp Radio" (97.1) rose to a 4.4 share, winding up in third place. Talk radio KFI was second (4.9).

It was also a good book for Spanish Contemporary KLVE-FM, which jumped to fourth place with a 4.1 share.

In the market's other competitive battle, the adult contemporary game, KOST-FM (which just dropped longtime afternoon host Bryan Simmons) fell to a 4.0 share, trying it with rival classic hits KRTH "K-Earth," which also posted a 4.0 share.

KPCC was once again the market-leading public radio station, with a 2.2 share. KCRW continues its slide, to a 0.6.

Gas Prices Jump Again, But Why?

Where's the outrage? That's what I frequently wonder as I once again pay $4 for a gallon of gas. It wasn't that long ago that gas cost $2 or less per gallon. And if it hit $2, we'd all complain. (Remember those useless gas station boycotts?)

And yet, the oil companies managed to fairly quickly get us all used to the idea of paying nearly $4 a gallon for gas, using the same old tired excuses. And then posting record profits. You gotta hand it to them, it was completely brazen -- and it worked. Mark Lacter over at LA Biz Observed asks the same questions:

Forget about oil prices tumbling - the gasoline market marches to its own, often-mysterious drummers, which is almost always bad news for consumers. It's certainly been that way over the past week: An average gallon of regular in the L.A. area is $3.971, up almost 13 cents, according to the government's survey. Predictably, there are explanations: refinery problems, demand during Labor Day weekend, the storms back east. In the immortal words of Roseanne Roseannadanna, it's always something. The problem with these explanations is that the price of oil has been plummeting for some time (crude futures rose today). Last I checked, you get gas from oil. If oil goes down, you'd expect gasoline to follow. At least you wouldn't expect it to go up 13 cents, right?

Will we ever learn the true secret of gas prices? The world may never know...

For Sale, Slightly Used: Wilshire Church

Got $10 million? Then the Wilshire Christian Church, at Normandie and Wilshire, could be yours.



Yes, a real estate company has erected oversized, obnoxious signs outside the landmark historic church. Here's the listing:

Price:$10,000,000
Building Size:42,950 SF
Price/SF:$232.83
Property Type:Special Purpose
Property Sub-type:Religious Facility
Property Use Type:Vacant/Owner-User
Occupancy:100%
Year Built:1926
Lot Size:0.71 AC

"Historic Landmark Designation (since 1/17/1979) Built in 1926 42,950 SF of Improvements 0.71 Acre Parcel Size Sanctuary Seating Capacity of 800 Balcony Seating Capacity of 500 Fellowship Hall Seating Capacity of 300 to 500 Education Building includes:Fifteen ClassroomsFive Offi cesStaff LoungePrivate Chapel Commercial Kitchen Outdoor Playground

Time to start my own religion!

Rate-A-Restaurant #257: House of Dole Whip

Restaurant: House of Dole Whip

Location: 7901 Santa Monica Blvd Suite 106 (West Hollywood)

Type of restaurant: Dessert



We stipulated: Back in Hawaii, my family would frequently play tourist and walk around lively Waikiki on a Sunday afternoon. While there, we'd usually end up getting a Dole Whip at a stand at the Royal Hawaiian shopping center. More recently, a Dole Whip is required eating while passing by the Tiki house at Disneyland. So when something called the "House of Dole Whip" popped up in West Hollywood, featuring a discounted coupon on Groupon, I bought one. This Labor Day, with my parents in town, it was time to relive those childhood Dole Whip memories.

They stipulated: House of Dole Whip is located inside a former yogurt shop, complete with the serve-yourself machines. But the store won't let you serve your own, they'll do it for you. That's partly because they don't sell the cups and cones by weight.

What we ordered: Pineapple Dole Whip, Mango Dole Whip, Raspberry Dole Whip in a waffle cone.



High point: The flavor selection -- at most places, including Disneyland, you can only get Pineapple.

Low point: The House of Dole Whip doesn't really specify what's Dole Whip and what's not among their flavors. I had to ask, and discovered that one side of offerings is still traditional yogurt (including Red Velvet).



Overall impression: So yes, the vagueness of this enterprise concerns me a bit. There's no signage anywhere, and you get the strong vibe that Dole has not sanctioned this store in any way. Contrary to what the House of Dole Whip says, the Dole Whip can be found in other locations besides Disneyland and the Dole Plantation in Wahiawa. But nonetheless, they're not easy to find -- and that's what makes the House of Dole Whip a unique idea. Rather than open another yogurt shop, I gotta give these guys credit for finding a niche.



Chance we'll go back:  Yes -- especially since I've got another Groupon.

For a complete list of our more than 250 restaurant reviews, check out Franklin Avenue's companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.