Pictures of Site 9A

LAUSD punches a Black-Eye to Echo Park District

It is much worst then a black-eye to our community of

Echo Park District

The pictures say it all. How can the Los Angeles Unified School District take the back seat and not be responsible of their actions and properties they have taken away forcefully from so many families. The families that had lived there for decades, just to build an elementary school that is not needed on this side of our town.

The injustice at this present moment is the aftermath that is left behind when the LAUSD decides not to respond and take actions to calls from concerned neighbors and our City Council.

What is the LAUSD thinking when gang tagging is all over the black tarps that which the LAUSD has placed in our community to cover up the mess they have created.

The once rolls of nice homes, many with lovely gardens are destroyed by trash, graffiti; the evidence is everywhere and sadly the houses are being targeted by criminals.

Marathon St, N. Alvarado St, Santa Ynez, Sunset Blvd and many other small to large streets have been plagued by trash, crime and tagging, coming from the properties that the LAUSD have taken possession.

Yet the LAUSD has not taken the initiative of cleaning up their mess and to top it off, bruising the wounds of our community by endangering our streets, residents and businesses.

The spill-over -(graffiti)- is overwhelming and it insane not to think that a gang related shooting won't occur, or a fire in one of the homes won't happen, brought about by the criminals and homeless that have taken charge of the homes that once belonged to families.

Shame on the LAUSD for not cleaning up immediately. Months and months have passed and the homes seem to be purposely being given the okay to be destroyed by crime, or is there another reason or excuse that the LAUSD has on their agenda for this kind of lay-back attitude?

The Day I went to take the photos, I saw a group from the Dream Center -young folks- picking up the trash from the sidewalks of the streets effecting our community. It was a beautiful gesture from the Dream Center to care about our town. We Positive Energy Group- thank you for that.

To Lisa Olbrych and her mother, adjacent neighbor's next to the homes owned by the LAUSD, we thank you as well for coming out and getting involved in your neighborhood. Your leadership of protecting your homes and streets is exactly what Echo Park hugs with warmth.

Here are the simple solutions LAUSD can take:

1. Take down the black tarps from the chain link fence, the tarps are only a canvas for taggers and gangs to claim territory. We already had a few deaths due to gang related in our community, don't you think it is time you (LAUSD) stop continuing the promotion on gang tagging.

2. Secure the homes and lock them correctly. Board them up appropriately.

3. Paint out the graffiti within 24 hours, there is no need to take away the safety and peacefulness that our communities deserves.

4. Secure those weak link-chain fences and ensure that no one is able to enter the premises .

5. Last, be responsible and sell it back to the families that care about their streets, their homes and their neighbors.

What can we do:

As team we can write or fax to Yolie Flores Aguilar our representative of the site in question: Voice your concern and let them know your solution regarding Site 9A.

Attention: Yolie Flores Aguilar (District 5 of the LAUSD)

Los Angeles Unified School District BOARD OF EDUCATION

333 South Beaudry Avenue, 24th Floor

Los AngelesCA 90017

Fax: 213-241-8467 Telephone: 213-241-6389

Brought to you by Rosie Betanzos

Edendale Public Library attacked by tagging vandalism

It is a horror to see how much time the vandals took to destroy the front of the library (by the ramp) by carving into the windows, tile, and doors. People must of seen them as the vandals were in action, where are the witnesses? Was the police called or did the people who saw them thought it was part of a phase in Echo Park.

With our system where money resources are hard to come by and the costly price of replacing the damage that these cowards created, it sad that instead of utilizing the money to buy more books now it might have to be used for cleaning the aftermath of the vandalism.

The newspaper inside the library repeatedly tagged by the same kids, the boys and girls restrooms tagged as well, the tables and table counters same carved in tagging and many of this items cannot be replaced.

If you want to make a difference and have a skill volunteer yourself and your talent. Teach a child, a teenager a teen there is more to life then just tagging and destroying public and private property.

Know a tagger or person who constantly is graffiting let them know about Artstorm program, where the tagging/graffiti goes on canvas not walls.

Christine Peters and Positive Energy Group/crime prevention will commence a scholarship devoted for our youth. Don't miss next meeting on Wednesday, September 26, 2007 or the Echo Park Improvement Association on the first Thursday of the month.

Darin Williams will be heading a Young Men's Forum club specifically gear to boys/young men. It will mirror the Young Ladies of the Lake purpose to give our youth choices and a better and healthy present and future.

If you need more info. or would like to share your talents/skills please e-mail us at

PositiveEnergyGroup@yahoo.com

Best,

Rosie Betanzos