SCLARC Opens New Headquarters + L.A. Extends Shelter Program for Homeless



ribbon-cutting

South Central Los Angeles Regional Center Opens New Headquarters:  South Central Los Angeles Regional Center (SCLARC), celebrated the grand opening of Legacy Plaza— the agency’s new headquarters — with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 14. (Compton Herald)

L.A. to Extend Shelter Program for Homeless:  With winter setting in and an El Nino weather pattern eyeing California, officials extended a campaign to help nearly 26,000 homeless people by opening public buildings as temporary shelters. (Fox News)

An Architectural Walking Tour of South L.A.’s Stately and Historic West Adams Boulevard:
South L.A.’s West Adams neighborhood is home to an array of architectural styles and several Historic-Cultural Monuments that have stood the test of time. Curbed LA mapped 13 of the neighborhood’s must-see spots that can be knocked out in a 2-mile stroll. (Curbed LA)

Cecil Murray, South LA’s civic leader and spiritual guide



The respected pastor who helped put out fires of the 1992 riots now fosters religious dialogue at USC.

Cecil Murray

Cecil Murray gets settled in his USC office. | Jordyn Holman

Since late November, residents from South Los Angeles have been peacefully protesting courthouse decisions to not indict police officers in Missouri and New York who killed two young unarmed Black men in the line of duty.

For Rev. Dr. Cecil Murray, the former pastor of South L.A.’s First African Methodist Episcopal Church, the demonstrations in memory of Michael Brown and Eric Garner bring to mind L.A. protests of days gone by in that they aimed to shed light on the disconnect between police officers and the people they serve.

[Read more…]

South Seas House: Abandoned home turned community center



The fully-restored South Seas House | www.laparks.org

The fully-restored South Seas House | www.laparks.org

On the corner of Arlington and 24th Street in West Adams stands a house adorned with Tiki-style window gables whose 112-year history is even more colorful than its quirky exterior.

When its original owner died in 1922, the South Seas House began to deteriorate. Soon it was was abandoned, then occupied by vandals and squatters, and eventually taken over by the City of Los Angeles. At its bleakest point, as overgrown trees and bushes swallowed an uninhabitable interior cluttered with debris, the community stepped in and adopted the home as its own.

Today, the South Seas House – so named for its Polynesian architectural flourishes – is a city-run community center offering afterschool programs, senior classes and a summer camp, among other activities.

[Read more…]

West Adams neighbors seek to oust oil production



Jefferson-Budlong

Freeport McMoRan facility at 1371 Jefferson Blvd. | Stephanie Monte

Residents in the historic West Adams neighborhood are taking a stand against an unwanted new neighbor, Freeport McMoRan Oil and Gas, which set up drilling operations there last year.

More than 100 residents have mobilized in an effort to halt FMOG operations–to keep their community safe and their air and water unpolluted, they say.

Residents and environmental organizers, united under the banner CoWatching Oil LA, are pushing for more transparency and healthier practices in L.A.’s natural gas and oil industries. They met last Thursday at the LA84 Foundation, directly across the street from the Murphy site, to strategize and formally file complaints with the Air Quality and Management Division, which regulates all oil drilling activities.

Eventually, they hope to force the suspension of all urban oil drilling in Los Angeles. [Read more…]

Not your typical office building



articleimageOn the corner of Adams Boulevard and Gramercy Place sits a three-story, red brick Colonial Revival style building. Its six, strong, white columns and perfectly manicured lawn separate it from many of the other apartment buildings surrounding the area.

To an unknowing passer-by, the building may not seem to belong in the neighborhood. However, most residents know it as a historical and cultural monument and the current workplace of the LA84 Foundation, a nonprofit organization that funds youth sports programs in Southern California as the legacy of the 1984 Olympic Games. [Read more…]

West Adams church fire aftermath



Firefighters follow up at the Church fire.

Firefighters follow up at the Church fire.

Burnt fragments of wood and stained glass are all that remain after the fire destroyed Crouch Memorial Church of God in Christ in West Adams. Today, construction workers sawed off what was left of the roofless structure. The Los Angeles Fire Department continued its evaluation of Tuesday’s fire that injured three firefighters. Chief Flegal of the Battalion 1 unit revisited the scene today.

To hear observations from Flegal and other onlookers, listen to an audio story from Annenberg Radio News:

[Read more…]

What do you think of West Adams?



Edroy Flowers is a junior at Cal State Northridge studying political science. He talks about the effect of the Benny H. Potter West Adams Avenues Memorial Park on the community. Click here to listen to the story.

south seas house