LA Dork

On Sept. 11, 1915 in L.A., Estelle Lawton Lindsey became the first female mayor of any large American city. Though it only lasted a day (Mayor Sebastian & the City Council prez were out of town), delegates from Mexico cancelled an LA meeting upon learning a woman was "in charge."

UNREMARKABLE POSTCARD SERIES, No. 106.
Torrance, Calif. 1960.
Looking down Sartori Ave. from Marcelina Ave.

Love this.

That tracks. I got kicked out of Disneyland in the early '80s for some harmless mischief!

No alcohol at Disneyland for decades (not counting Club 33)... didn't start serving it until Galaxy's Edge's bar/Star Wars.

Yeah, until a girl lost her finger from the shooting gallery guns! After that, it became virtual.

On this Valentine's, let us remember '70s sleaze along the 7700 block of Santa Monica Blvd. Near the Pussycat Theatre was the Academy of Satisfaction peep show.

Also, the Institute of Oral Love. Lured inside, gullible men found only "women talking dirty to them," no action.

Disney's Tom Sawyer Island & the changing of eras since debuting in '56:

-Cabin torched, settler dead with Indian-shot arrow
-'70s: Arrow removed. River pirates killed him
-'80s: Dead cuz he was a moonshiner
-'90s: No body, fire put out
-'16: Razed for Star Wars + Pirate's Lair

See my next post!

Fun follow-up: ABC originally called the show "The San Pedro Bums." Worried viewers might get the wrong idea, some suits said, "um..."

They then inserted the word "Beach" and changed the title backdrop from the Vincent Thomas Bridge to a beach (which looks not to be from Pedro).

After "Three's Company" was a smash, ABC and producer Aaron Spelling premiered a show of 20s singles living the high life in... San Pedro (?).

Despite Charlie's Angels showing up in the Dec. 1977 pilot & tons of promos, the series was a flop, pulled after 10 episodes.

Saw this post that nicely summarizes name origins in Greater LA.... although the verdict is still out on Hollywood from all my book research. There could be a whole documentary on its origin, with multiple theories that include the toyon ("hollyberry") bushes in the hills.

That's why I did these 5,000 step walks since 10,000 steps can sometimes present problems.

I have been thinking the same thing! Thanks for the tips. I want to explore Long Beach more.

I did Haze this guy and others who get too close.

That's pretty much where this healthy boy was!

Quite the contrary. Look at his coat and overall appearance. They do just fine near Griffith Park, where I live.

It's a nickname given to them.

Smart. We lost our small dog to a coyote when I was a kid.

Yes, but they're often colloquilly called little wolves, as they were by native peoples also.

We only perfected it!

100 years ago this month, a new word entered dictionaries: smog

A portmanteau between "smoke" and "fog," the Weather Bureau used it to describe conditions in the Midwest.

Smog wasn't invoked in LA much till the '40s. But even in the '20s "smoke & fog" was a common phrase here.

A gray wolf was spotted in LA County for the first time in 100 years yesterday. Clearly a big deal.

But on my morning walk thru Los Feliz, this "little wolf" (aka coyote) is giving off "hold my beer" vibes.

10,000 Steps too much for the day? Try these series of 5,000-step walks I wrote for LAist. They also cover Greater LA -- from Oxnard to San Bernardino, Burbank to Anaheim. Routes are flat, easy to walk, include lunch options, and are mostly dog-friendly.

laist.com/news/los-ang...

It's not just your imagination... much of California truly is a unique place. Our Mediterranean Climate represents only 3% of the world's land mass, yet contains 16% of plant species.

Also, note one common ground of Med climates -- all are conducive to producing wine. 🍷

UNREMARKABLE POSTCARD SERIES, No. 108. Lynwood, CA. 1960s.

Actually, remarkable. Building on the left (est. 1925) was cited by Ripley's as the "Narrowest Bldg in the World," only 5 feet wide due to a feud with a property owner.

It became a normal building by 1960, since razed.

Um, I post and write about LA history?

The elevated pedways (pedestrian walkways) in DTLA in the blocks around Figueroa & Flower were meant to be upgraded to moving sidewalks (a la LAX) as this 1959 photo awesomely shows. Still waiting.

Is that George Jetson's workplace in the background?

Yes! The 90 Fwy east.

The human "eye" examing me thru a microscope freaked me out! I thought I had actually shrunk when I first took the ride.