Highland Theatre Re-Lit

The 502 light bulb sign above the Highland Theatre building was re-lit today. The lighting was part of a project to help preserve signage along Route 66. Hundreds of HLP residents watched along Highland Park's Figueroa Ave., and joined in on a impromtu countdown as the sign was lit by city officials.
The local high school band from Franklin High provided their musical talents during the ceremonies, and a local baker gave away samples of his red velvet cake.

Photos and footage by Ted Soqui © 2011

The Highland Theatre sign re-lit.

Franklin H.S. Band.

HLP Color Guard.

Long time HLP resident enjoying some red velvet cake.

Welcome To The Wild East

This sign on the 110NB Arroyo Parkway always warms me up coming home to the HLP (Highland Park).

Of all the signs on the 110NB, this one has the most bullet holes in it with approximately 13.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2010

Robbery Suspect Caught By North East LAPD Units

A mask wearing robbery suspect was spotted running from a bottle/can recycling business that he just robbed by LAPD unit that just happened to be driving by. The suspect pistol whipped and robbed an employee of the recycling business on 6152 Myosotis Ave in Highland Park, and ran off right past the LAPD unit. The suspect hid under a camper truck on Ruby Place, not far from the crime scene. A LAPD air unit circled over the general area of where the robber was spotted, calling out on their bullhorn for him to give up. More North East units showed up with a police dog and shotguns. The dog quickly found the suspect, and the officers retrieved the belligerent and spitting suspect from under the camper. The suspect was transported by ambulance from the scene.

Photos by Ted Soqui c 2009

Make Up and Alcohol

Just got an email about presidential hopeful John McCain dissing his wife in public in response to her playful remark about his thinning hair in 1992 saying 'At least I don't plaster on make up like a trollop, you cunt!' Yikes! Cindy McCain is the Chairman of a huge beer distribution concern, the largest in the US. If elected, John McCain's wife would be the first Chairman of a company to sit in the White House. Her company, Hensley & Company, has fought tooth and nail against the non-profit MADD on issues like posting the alcohol content of the beverages Hensley distributes.Hensley also distributes highly sweetened caffeinated alcoholic beverages, also referred to as liquid crack for it's cheap prices and high alcohol content that mask the effects of one's intoxication. This last Saturday in the Highland Park/Eagle Rock area a Longs Drugs opened up on the corner of Eagle Rock Blvd. and York Ave. The Grand opening featured a huge spinning wheel in which people with a receipt from Longs could win an item on the table located next to the wheel. Most of the prizes were junk, in which the store looks to be peddleing. The prizes were stuff that probably fell on the floor and marked for the bin. The pharmacy, now the 6th major one in the area (how many do we need?), looked understocked unlike the alcohol sales area which took up over twice the area of the pharmacy. Hensley beverages were featured on sale along with other liquid crack. Not one bottle of Opus One in the place. This big-box-pharma is just another defacto liquor store that is plaguing the Highland Park/Eagle Rock area. On every major corner of the Highland Park/Eagle Rock district there is a monsterous big-box pharma store. These homogeneous cookie cutter box stores are the first thing one sees when entering the once beautiful Highland Park/Eagle Rock district. The district is now fully awash in Hensley products thanks to the lack of leadership in the 14th. Come to think of it, maybe Cindy is wearing too much make-up.

Photos by Ted Soqui c 2008

Signs Of Our Times 6-10-08

Record high gas prices on the corner of Beverly Blvd. and La Cienega Blvd. Gang tagging on the corner of York Ave. and Aldama St. one week after the murder of Cynthia Perez. These are the signs our times.

Photos by Ted Soqui c 2008

Another Senseless Shooting In The HLP

A 14 year old girl sitting in her families car was struck in the head by a stray bullet when two gang members got into an argument near a Rite Aid parking lot at York Blvd. at Ave 64 in Highland Park. One gangster produced a gun and shot the other twice in the arms, one bullet strayed and hit the girl. She was pronounced brain dead and will probably not make it according to LAPD authorities (she has now died). Several people in the area were arrested. The area where the shooting occurred has a red hot gang problem. Gang graffiti goes up faster than it is taken down and LAPD are overwhelmed by the gang plague. The local city councilman, Jose Huizar 14 District, is oblivious to the gang plague and has done nothing effective to slow the tide. Sadly there is another big box-pharma store opening on the corner of York Blvd. at Eagle Rock Blvd. There are now four within 6 miles of each other, the third is at Figueroa St. at Colorado Blvd, and the fourth is at Colorado Blvd at Eagle Rock Blvd. I went into the Rite Aid at York Blvd. and Ave 64. The biggest selling item was 12 packs of cheap beer. Theses big-box-pharmas are just gloried liquor stores. The city councilman should produce legislation, too late now, that would limit the amount of these big-box-pharmas and not allow them to flood the Highland Park area with cheap hooch. They homogenize a wonderful historic neighborhood .