Snapshot of a South L.A. mural | Photo Credit: Stephanie Monte
A roundup of news stories about South L.A:
South Vermont Avenue: L.A. County’s ‘death alley’ (Los Angeles Times)
LA police pursuit ends with head-on crash at school campus (ABC)
Compton family sickened by carbon monoxide poisoning (CBS Los Angeles)
West Adams neighbors come together to oppose the drillers next door (StreetsBlog LA)
Photo Credit: Subrina Hudson
A roundup of news stories about South L.A:
The Inglewood Forum’s food offerings (Huffington Post)
View Park farmer signs with Cal State L.A. women’s program (LA Wave)
South L.A Zoned Out of Promise Funding (LA Sentinel)
How the Colby Fire is affecting air quality in South L.A. (Los Angeles Daily News)
Snapshot from the Crenshaw Mural | Photo Credit: Stephanie Monte
A roundup of news stories about South L.A:
Former inmate to run for California state assembly (Corrections)
Testimonial of a retail worker: ‘This system doesn’t work for us’ (Liberation)
Man barricaded in South L.A. SWAT standoff shot dead (Los Angeles Times)
Some officials dismayed that ‘Promise Zone’ excludes South L.A. (Los Angeles Times)
Jen Nowell, a student in Annenberg’s community journalism class, discusses with Foshay high schoolers how to write stories about education. | Keny Contreras
A group of student editors and web designers at the journalism club of Foshay Learning Center were plotting something big: Publishing the second issue of their school newspaper. The Foshay Chronicle will be printed in the beginning of the new year.
As the semester drew to a close in December, members of the journalism club were busy finalizing stories written by middle and high school students in journalism classes. Their “beats” ranged from sports to education and from food to technology – even the homecoming dance.
“Now it’s becoming real,” said Casey Cortes, a senior and editor at the journalism club. “I can’t wait for the students of Foshay Learning Center to read their school’s paper.” [Read more…]
APCH members run in the 2014 Jive Live New Year’s Race. | APCH Facebook
Intersection’s Nonprofit Spotlight series profiles South L.A. organizations that are propelling positive change in South L.A.
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A Place Called Home provides children in South L.A. educational programs, counseling and mentorship. By promoting creative expression and providing specialized tutoring programs, APCH helps builds a bridge towards success for many South L.A. youth. Charyn Harris, who leads APCH’s music programs, answered a survey for us telling us more about the organization’s work.
What is APCH’s purpose? APCH is a community partner that offers a safe haven to youth daily as well as resources to families.
When was APCH founded? The organization was founded in 1993 by Debrah Constance. It started with 12 youth members in a local church. Many of the youth were trying to escape involvement in the rampant gang activity that existed during that time. Debrah was extremely successful in working with them and many of the original members are now thriving.
Snapshot from APCH Garden Program sponsored by Chipotle | Photo Courtesy of APCH
Which areas does APCH serve? The community of South Los Angeles. It is located in Council District 9. [Read more…]
Rally Hosted by SAJE | Photo Courtesy of SAJE Flickr
Intersection’s Nonprofit Spotlight series profiles South L.A. organizations that are propelling positive change in South L.A.
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Patricia Cormack’s residence in South L.A.’s Hyde Park. | Google Maps
A 55-year-old woman described by neighbors as a friendly church-goer who had taken care of foster children pleaded not guilty Friday to the attempted murder of her boyfriend and his brother at her home in South L.A.’s Hyde Park.
Patricia Cormack is being held on $4 million bail, said a district attorney spokeswoman, and will appear next in court on Jan. 24.
The pre-dawn shooting on Dec. 30 left Derek Everett and Darryl Ward hospitalized with multiple wounds, police said. The criminal complaint filed by the DA describes the weapon as a handgun.
Officers found the men, both in their fifties, asking for help shortly after 5:30 a.m., said Detective Ernie Mendoza. Police detained Cormack the same morning and searched her home before arresting her on $500,000 bail. Detectives haven’t revealed the suspected motive for the shooting.
Neighbors on a quiet block of 74th St. with well-kept single-family homes said they were surprised to find police cars, ambulances and helicopters rushing to their block that morning.
Megan Faux, who has lived across the street from where the shooting occurred since 2000, said Cormack regularly attended services on Sundays and bible study on Wednesdays at the City of Refuge church in Gardena. Faux also said Cormack had taken care of girls in foster care.
One neighbor on the block said Cormack was a “pleasant lady” who would greet her on the street. Another said she often saw Cormack walking a small, fluffy white dog.
Cormack’s next-door neighbor awoke Monday morning to the barking of his Rottweiler-German shepherd and saw police arrive to assist the wounded men.
“The first guy came out, put his hands up, saying, ‘She shot me,’” he recalled. The second followed, then Cormack emerged without resisting arrest, he said.
The brothers lived at the residence and had helped take care of Cormack’s mother before she died a couple of months ago, said the neighbor, who requested anonymity. The family owned the house for at least 30 years, he said, as long as his own family had lived on the block. Lately, Cormack had talked about wanting to move out.
Cormack’s two-bedroom white stucco house with a Mediterranean red tile roof showed no sign of a scuffle on Monday afternoon, at least from outside. A green watering hose was curled on the trimmed lawn. A silver Mercedes with a crucifix hanging from the rearview mirror was parked in the driveway behind what appeared to be an old, rust-colored Dodge bearing a blue-and-yellow California license plate. Children’s playthings, including a Disney-themed toy car in hot pink, were scattered near the arched entryway.
In 1994 Cormack pleaded guilty to drug possession with intent to sell, according to county records. The charges were dismissed four years later after she completed a court-ordered program and probation. If convicted for attempted murder, Cormack could face a prison sentence of 25 years to life.
Reach the author at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at @dainabethcita.
It’s our first full week of January 2014 — but before leaping forward, let’s take a look back. In 2013, Intersections covered community development, visual and performing arts, health, education, poverty, politics, crime, history and more… What were the highlights? Here are one editor’s top 10 picks.
April 7, 2013 By Leah Bailly | Reporter“On a chilly night in South L.A., over a hundred young people have packed into a small theatre for an open-mic poetry reading. Seventeen-year-old Kenzie Givens is an African American poet and tonight is her first time performing at the venue. On stage, Givens looks tough. She’s dressed in a leather jacket, mini-skirt and combat boots and her hair is done up in dreads. Despite her apparent confidence, Givens doesn’t always fit in with her peers. She writes poetry because she often can’t connect with students her age.”
April 30, 2013 By Katherine Davis “There’s not a lot of merchandise on the shelves at Oak’s Jr. Market these days. The refrigerators along the wall keep some beers and sodas cool. A shelf stores canned chili and Aunt Jemima syrup. But the shelves below the sign that reads “Fresh Produce” sit vacant, waiting to be filled with fruits and vegetables.”
May 29, 2013 By Melissah Yang
“For months, Marissa had kept her small baby bump hidden. She practiced soccer drills with her dad, wore loose clothes and pretended she was still a normal teenager. She hadn’t told anyone she was pregnant because she was too scared. … South L.A.’s teen birth rate remains stubbornly high at nearly double the national average, according to the L.A. County Department of Public Health. And it continues to be the highest in the county, nearly 10 times the rate for the more affluent Westside, which includes Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Malibu.”
May 29, 2013 By Matt Hamilton
“What makes [Celes] King different from others is that he’s neither a lobbyist nor a gadfly, neither elected nor appointed. He’s the master community advocate. The son of legendary civil rights bail bondsman Celes King III is now engrossed in a fight to save his family’s livelihood – the bail industry – and continue advocating for marginalized communities.”
July 5, 2013 By Subrina Hudson
“Awash with bright, spray-painted colors, the brick wall enclosing a portion of Arcelia Gante’s house is becoming a piece of public art. Five years ago, her family moved into the house located on the corner of La Salle Avenue in South Los Angeles, and since then graffiti artists have used the side of her house to create intricate murals and portraits.”
October 14, 2013 By Anna-Catherine Brigida“I felt that with my poetry I could express the humanity of my community,” [Hiram] Sims said. … This does not mean Sims paints an overly idealistic image of the community. Sims challenges ideas of race, violence and religion in the community in poems such as “The Wrong Red Shirt,” “god Hates Me,” and “I Feel the Love (Ode to the LAPD).” Balancing these tensions in his work was not always easy. Sims knew at the outset that he did not want to portray the same image of South L.A. often portrayed in movies.”
November 8, 2013 By Sinduja Rangarajan
“Brenda Ramirez and her husband had finished work and were driving home when they saw police and a crowd gathered around a South Los Angeles discount store a block away from their upholstery shop. Enrique Espino, a high school student, was sitting on his couch watching TV when he heard his neighbors run out of their homes. Eva Alvarez, who was working in her bail bond store, saw an ambulance on her store’s surveillance camera and sprinted towards the shop across the street. Their neighbor, Martha Sanchez, had been shot.”
November 27, 2013 By Shanice Joseph
“As our family ate tacos and cupcakes on the occasion of my grandmother’s 65th birthday last week, my four-year-old brother Bryce—the youngest of the seven of us, four of whom were present—asked her, “Nana, what are we doing for Thanksgiving?””
This historic South L.A. neighborhood had a year of ups and downs, but is still vibrant. Community members are optimistic that the new Metro station and long-standing art centers and small businesses can coexist.
Leimert Park plays to its own beat
May 23, 2013 By Ashley Riegle
In 2013 Intersections inaugurated its first Reporter Corps class, a group of college-age students from South L.A. who spent the summer learning to report on their communities. Here are three of their stories that have been published — with more to come in 2014.
Crenshaw High’s magnet conversion and Baldwin Hills families
October 7, 2013 By Ryan Johnson
Growing up queer in Watts: What happens when school is still not a safe place
October 13, 2013 By Xochil Frausto
‘College Isn’t For Us?’
October 21, 2013 By Skylar Endsley Myers
In 2013, policy makers and community members alike took a stand on a variety of issues affecting daily life in South Los Angeles. Here are five of them that will continue to develop during the next year.
Lining up to find out about Obamacare at Powerfest South L.A. | Katherine Davis
In 2013 healthcare was a major concern for many South L.A. residents. With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act residents rushed to the front of the lines to enroll. Prior to the act’s approval one could find health clinics and health care workshops popping up all over the city. Though there were some complications with enrollments in the beginning, the Affordable Health Care Act is shaping up to be beneficial for the community.
Crenshaw/LAX business summit | L.A. Wave Newspaper
Back in June the Crenshaw/LAX rail line was approved for construction after years of dispute. The light-rail line will run though South L.A. and promises to create hundreds of jobs. Local businesses came together to host a summit for those interested in working for the rail line in October. Though the production of this railway may bring transportation benefits, some worry about the effect it will have on Leimert Park’s historic role as a hub for African American arts and culture.
Gang injunction protest. | Daily Breeze
This past year there has been a new gang injunction plan for Inglewood, Echo Park and the San Fernando Valley. Gang injunctions seek to make communities safer by drastically restricting the activities of known gang members. Some people believe this new policy will help while others feel it merely promotes the schools to prison pipeline.
Oil Fields in Baldwin Hills | The City Project
One of the main issues concerning the people of South L.A. this year was oil fracking at the oil fields of Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area. Many complained of the damage the fields were having on their homes while others were more concerned with the health risk they face living next to an oil field. Despite the community’s pleas to cease oil fracking in the area it seems federal funds are still being pumped into production.
The Forum | WikiCommons
This past year the Forum in the “City of Champions,” Inglewood, was taken over by entertainment power house Madison Square Garden and renovated from the inside out creating hundreds of jobs for people in the community. The Forum will kick off it’s grand opening with a series of shows performed by the iconic band the Eagles in January 2014.
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