Smoke Over Atwater, Fire In the Sky

IT LOOMS ORANGE over us, the fire burning right now on the other side of Griffith Park. Sirens all over. Copters in the air. I am feverishly uploading photos to this new Flickr set. Stay tuned. UPDATE 2:45PM - Seven photos loaded 3:05PM - National news: "Fire threatens Hollywood sign" 3:10PM - Local TV: fire contained to north side of Hollywood Hills, away from sign; take THAT, red states 3:20PM - Cats sleeping through whole thing! 3:29PM - Thumbnails added below 3:33PM - CBS2: 150 acres burning, cause under investigation, origin behind Oakwood Apartments on Barham; 39 companies responding, six helicopters 3:43PM - Caren: new shots from 17th floor, Renaissance Hollywood 3:48PM - Great shots from other side of hills, hereinvannuys 3:52PM - And from roof of Capitol Records 4:04PM - CBS2: fire could be contained by sundown 6:30PM - Dramatic new photos (and some of mine) at nowpublic.com

Great Moments in Email Marketing

FROM THE PEOPLE WHO bring you the Los Angeles Film Festival.

Two Heartbeats Beat As One

EXPANSION NEWS FROM Atwater Village's biggest and best dance, exercise, yoga and ballet workshop, studio and family center and school: Heartbeat House 2 will be celebrating its official opening this Saturday night! Performances, drinks, and mingling will all be included in this festive affair celebrating the opening of not just Heartbeat House 2, but also various other photography, design, and art studios located in the same building... Open House: Saturday March 31, 6:00pm 3191 Casitas Ave., Atwater Village [map] Though the "mega" housing development was stalled in that neck of the Village, it looks like other neighborhood businesses are going ahead with their own Casitas Avenue projects.

Cop Tipping Nothing Like Cow Tipping

LOS ANGELES POLICE OFFICERS are in Atwater Village today putting the "serve" back in "to protect and to serve" with the Tip-a-Cop program. Come watch cops juggle buns and guns at Mimi's Cafe. All tips go to local Special Olympics programs. Tip-a-Cop Dinner Mimi's Cafe 2925 Los Feliz Boulevard March 29 11:00am to 3:00pm

LA Times Sports Site Goes to Highest Bidder?

IT LOOKS LIKE THE VALUE of re-directing this URL - sports.latimes.com - to The Sports Network is more valuable than retaining Los Angeles Times sports readers online. At least that's the theory put forth by Mark Cuban. But we here in LA just know it's just par for the course, excuse the pun, for latimes.com.

Five Thousand Views and Counting

EARLIER TODAY MY Atwater Village Newbie photostream earned its 5,000th view on Flickr. Sorry, viewer, no balloons or Disney trips. Maybe at 10,000. My most popular image - with more than 15% of total views - is that stunning shot of the old Pacific Electric red car on a steel bridge over Fletcher Drive, courtesy of the Metro Transportation Library. My newest, Path of Friends, is supposed to be more of a mystery. I added it to the Guess Where LA pool tonight. But I have a hunch it'll be guessed by morning. UPDATE! The location has been guessed. This is the Path of Friends at the entrance to Shane's Inspiration playground in Griffith Park. Again, no prizes. But thanks for playing.

Burbank IKEA Nickling Customers, Plans Diming Them Soon

I went to Ikea and all I got were these lousy bags of stuff, originally uploaded by RLarocque.

I HADN'T BEEN TO OUR closest IKEA store, the one in beautiful downtown Bubank, for a while. But it seems to me last time I went those handy, large plastic IKEA bags, the ones into which you stuff your own stuff, holding up the line whilst cashiers impatiently gossip amongst themselves, were free. No cost. Piled at the far end of the conveyor belt, awaiting your Swedish-themed doodads, for no additional charge. No more. Now the plastic bags are five cents. And they've been relocated. Now they're at the front end of the conveyor belt. And the cashier impatiently points you toward them and then rings them up, one nickel at a time. Help keep costs low, IKEA implore on signs throughout the store. OK, I'm game. But please assure me you're not trying to lower your reputation at the same time.

Where 'Soon' Means 'Come Back Next Year'

WHILE THE NEIGHBORHOOD waits and waits and waits more than seven months, so far, for the new Starbucks on Glendale Blvd., yummy things are going on up the block at Atwater Village fave Kaldi Coffee. From Chowhound: Kaldi (3147 Glendale Blvd.) is my regular place for coffee since it's so close to my house. I bypassed my usual (expensive and sweet) coconut mocha and tried their "cold press coffee" something they had been touting with a little info card on the counter. Apparently it's popular in the Midwest. Basically, you soak coffee grounds in cold water overnight, then when you filter out the coffee, you are left with a concentrated cold coffee. You dilute it with water to serve. To serve hot, they steam water and add it to the syrup. I have to say, it was a really great cup of coffee. There was very little bitterness and it's gentler on the stomach. It's also way cheaper than a mocha! Kaldi roasts all their own beans... and they pull a decent espresso too. A new Starbucks is opening a few doors down, but as long as Kaldi starts accepting credit cards, I think they'll survive.

Update on Cole Massie, Neighborhood Superkid

JUST BECAUSE HIS EPISODE of TLC's "My Life As a Child" has already aired doesn't mean we've seen the last of this cable-ready Atwater Village youngster. Here's an update: I thought I should let you know Cole was nominated (by me) and has been entered to Karate Angel's 2007 Karate Kids Hall of Fame. You can read the entry here. There has been much talk about him on fightingarts.com and judoforum.com. His entry by me to Karate Angels Kids Hall of Fame has granted me Sensei of the Month and Club of the Month on their site. Althought I think I was just doing my job pointing out a very inspiring kid to the world, I most humbly accept that award. I do hope news of his award reaches him some day, as I really don't know if they contact the winners or not. In any case it's a good update to add to your blog. He is a wonderful kid and an inspiration to all... I know he wants to be just another kid... But I hope he knows to so many he is so much more. - Richard Favinger Jr., Youth Instructor, Webmaster, Pottstown Judo Club TLC has also added a post-filming update from Cole here.

Neighborhood Signs A to Z

LA CITY NERD IS CALLING FOR photographs of all 178 Los Angeles neighborhood signs and has a Flickr group dedicated to the cause. I already submitted this photo of an Atwater Village sign on Glendale Blvd., and placed it on the Flickr map. The challenge is on.

Atwater Chatter - Spring Cleaning Edition

JUST A SAMPLE OF WHAT people on the Internets are saying about Atwater Village, also known as Baja Glendale, also known as the neighborhood formerly adjacent to Tropico. Next Atwater Village neighborhood cleanup is Saturday April 14, 8:00am Lee Wochner admits to being one of our district delegates to the California Democratic State Party Convention The new album from The Front, "Smiles and Handshakes," now available at Amoeba Records, was "personally made out of my apartment in Atwater Village" by using "silkscreen stamp, loads of yerba mate, and a whole lot of love" Getting fat on donuts and cornbeef hash and going to Best Buy New blog in the hood: East of the 5 Rent check! $900 $1,100 $1,800 $2,150