UN4LA: 2022 in Pictures
The pandemic was still raging as 2022 began, and most Angelenos were avoiding public spaces. A quiet day in Downtown LA's Grand Park.
Lots of restaurants closed during the pandemic, and one of the saddest losses for Hollywood residents was the 101 Coffee Shop on Franklin. Fortunately, a new owner took the space over, renaming it the Clark St. Diner, but largely retaining the old vibe. It's proven to be very popular.
In February, the LA City Council voted unanimously to violate the City Charter by appointing former Councilmember Herb Wesson to fill the seat left vacant by Mark Ridley Thomas. The Charter states clearly that councilmembers can not serve more than three terms, and Wesson was termed out in 2020. The City was sued, and in August, after a long and pointless legal battle, the courts told the Council what everybody already knew: Wesson's appointment was illegal. He resigned and Heather Hutt was appointed as CD 10 Councilmember.
With rainfall again in short supply this year, LA's dry spell continued. The hillsides in the Cahuenga Pass, usually bright green in spring, were still parched due to the lack of rain.
While the number of COVID cases has continued to rise and fall, in 2022 more and more Angelenos have decided they want to return to some kind of normal. Crowds of people began showing up at favorite gathering places like the Farmers Market.
Lawyer, publisher, activist and judge Loren Miller was a key figure in the civil rights movement, challenging discriminatory practices in court and in the media. In June of this year the LA City Council voted to make Miller's home at 647 N. Micheltorena a Historic-Cultural Monument. This image from 1946 shows Miller, back center. Photo from UCLA, Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company Records.
In June the LA County Board of Supervisors approved the LA River Master Plan, in spite of the fact that a number of environmental groups had withdrawn their support, saying that their voices had not been heard. In July LA Waterkeeper and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn approval of the Plan.
For the first few weeks after its July opening, the Sixth Street Bridge drew thousands of Angelenos, many of whom wanted to race it, climb it, or paint it. But things calmed down in the following months, and this arresting structure offers amazing views of LA to to those walking, biking or driving its length.
LA's streetlights have been under siege, with thefts of copper wire and electrical power surging over ten fold from 378 in FY 2016/17 to 4,534 in FY 2021/22. The LA City Bureau of Street Lighting has come up with a plan to address the problem, including the addition of more crews and the use of solar panels to reduce the need for copper wire.
LA May be the movie capitol, but the number of movie theatres continues to shrink. In September fans of the Laemmle NoHo 7 were stunned to hear that the art house movie complex would be demolished to make way for a new mixed-use project with 128 residential units and 5,000 square feet of commercial space.
October saw the opening of the K Line, an 8.5 mile light rail line that runs between the Crenshaw District and Westchester. Work continues on adding two additional stops, which hopefully will connect the K Line with LA International Airport by 2024.
A bombshell rocked LA City Hall in October when a recording was released that featured three LA City Councilmembers talking about how they could use the redistricting process for their own political advantage. The recording sparked outrage because it included a string of racial slurs aimed at many of LA's communities. Councilmember Nury Martinez resigned within days; Councilmember Gil Cedillo was already on his way out after losing his bid for re-election; Councilmember Kevin de León has so far refused to resign, in spite of intense pressure to do so.
Another pandemic casualty was the Arclight theatre complex in Hollywood, which includes the historic Cinerama Dome. The Dome is still boarded up, but it's been reported that the entire complex is being refurbished and will re-open in 2023.
In December the County of Los Angeles held its annual service marking the burial of the unclaimed dead. The gathering was held to commemorate the passing of 1,624 persons who passed away in 2019 and whose remains have not been claimed. During the ceremony it was noted that the majority of the decedents were homeless persons who perished while living on the street. In this scene, Tina Calderon, of the Tongva people, performs a Native American Sage Blessing. The image was taken from video of the service streamed by the LA County Department of Health Services.
As 2022 draws to a close, the recent elections have brought a number of new elected officials into office throughout the LA area. We hope that these public servants will bring new ideas and new energy to confront the many serious challenges that Angelenos continue to face as the new year begins.
