Welcome to the Good Reads Edition of our Sunday Digest!

What makes you happy about living here on the Eastside? What people inspire you and make you proud to be in this community? What old building do you drive by often and wonder, 'What's the story behind this?'

I'd love to hear from you! Drop me a line at Brenda@theeastsiderla.com.

Thanks for reading - and Happy Sunday!

Brenda Rees, Editor

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LINCOLN HEIGHTS

A Pantry for Pets; A Lifeline for Families

By Michelle Madden

No one should have to choose between feeding Fifi or Fido or paying rent.

Born in 2020 during the pandemic, the L.A. Animal Services’ Pet Food Pantry helps residents in financial difficulty keep their animal companions at home – and out of overcrowded shelters.

“During COVID, we could see that people were struggling to keep their animals and identified the pantry as a resource we could provide,” explains Annette Ramirez, Interim General Manager of L.A. Animal Services.

The pantry  currently feeds about 750 cats and 650 dogs a week and is entirely donation-based and volunteer-driven.

“We are a machine every Sunday!” says Andy Corrigan, a lead volunteer who coordinates pantry operations at three city shelters, including Lincoln Heights' North Central. Pantry recipients apply weekly (online or via phone, with walk-ups served based on availability) to request food – mainly for dogs and cats, but also small mammals, reptiles and fish.

Food and supplies are distributed at the shelter on Sunday afternoons. Still, a mighty troop of volunteers does a lot of heavy lifting beforehand.  “I tell people, we don’t have forklifts, FYI!” Corrigan says with a laugh. “When that semi rolls in, it’s a bunch of volunteers and staff who unload that massive truck by hand.”

Next come what Corrigan calls the “Uber shifts,” where volunteers drive the food between shelters to stock each pantry. “You’d be amazed how much dog food we can fit in your Prius!” she says. “And once in a while somebody comes in a pick-up truck, and it’s like, hallelujah!”

But Corrigan says volunteers don’t need brawn to contribute. “There’s also a lot of sitting and bagging dry food,” she says, adding that high schoolers have been some of the pantry’s most valued human power. Older kids (accompanied by an adult) can also pitch in, and since pantry volunteers don’t handle animals, Corrigan was able to get the city to expedite the application process.

During Sunday distribution, recipients express gratitude, and some give back, like a woman who makes fabric catnip toys that she donates to other cat people in need. Volunteers offer information to recipients on low-cost spay/neuter, vaccination, vet care and, if asked, euthanasia.

In addition to receiving supplies from Greater Good Charities, which connects the pantry with large donors, community contributions truly help. Ramirez says people with unopened animal food or new or gently used supplies (crates, bedding, toys, etc.) can bring them directly to the shelter.

For monetary donations, Corrigan points to the pantry's Amazon Wish List, which she compiled to stretch donation dollars, as the best way to contribute.

Go here to register for food, volunteer or donate.

GLASSELL PARK

The Many Chapters of 2121 San Fernando Road

By Brenda Rees

The Sunday Digest was put to the history test by reader Christina P. who wanted help identifying a building on San Fernando Road east of Division Street that had been a mystery to her for decades.

“Whenever … sitting at the light on the corner I would look up to admire it and wonder what the building was first used for and the architect responsible for that beautiful facade/trim ... it looks like Art Deco.”

Well, Christina, you have good architectural sense.

Built in 1923 as a lumber shed, the building at 2121 N. San Fernando Road became the Hemphill Diesel Engineering School, a trade school for truck mechanics started by Ralph Hemphill in 1933. Hemphill hired architects Norstom & Anderson to expand the space in 1936, which included a streamlined two-story office, a central tower and an Art Deco frieze that depicts trains, airplanes, boats, trucks and tractors, all powered by the wonders of diesel.

The diesel school churned out mechanics until demand softened. The building took on new responsibilities from 1947 to 1960 as a Capitol Records vinyl pressing plant. Each pressing plant used a custom stamp; vinyl from the Glassell Park facility featured an asterisk stamp the size of a pencil eraser. Capitol eventually transferred its pressing to a newer facility at 3061 Fletcher Drive, which was in operation until 1982.

In 2005, the building took on another transformation, becoming the setting for art studios, galleries and shows that included “A Year in L.A.” and then “Another Year in LA” curated by Cathy and David E. Stone. In the early 2000s, the building served as artists' lofts until the city had them dismantled after the tragic Oakland Ghost Ship fire in 2016.

In 2016, the 15,000-square-foot space was taken over by Ravenhill Studio, which creates upscale lighting, furniture and product design. Ravenhill spent two years renovating and reorienting the workspace, which now includes a more formal entryway from quiet Cypress Street bypassing the bustling San Fernando Road.

Thanks, Christina, for that excellent question!

Do you want to know more about the history of a building in your neighborhood? Let us know! Write to: Brenda@theeastsiderla.com

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EAST LA & LOS FELIZ

Arty Billboard

You’re on the southbound 710 Freeway in East L.A., and the billboards all look the same. Car insurance, furniture stores, lawyers and … white winged cats?

Flying felines among colorful flowers and rainbows sport the message: “Freedom is Everything." This billboard display -- along with 19 others -- is the top prize for artists who recently entered a national contest sponsored by Fine Art America.

“I can’t believe how lucky I am,” says the Los Feliz artist Junko, a contest winner whose playful work is displayed on the freeway billboard near the Floral Drive exit. “They place everyone’s artwork in different locations randomly throughout America. Mine is displayed in LA.”

Junko says she rediscovered her love of art during the COVID lockdown. “I used to always draw as a kid," she says. "Everything came back to me, and today it makes me very happy to be creative and make others happy."

-- By Brenda Rees

HIGHLAND PARK

What's Up There?

Weather willing, amateur astronomers in front of the Arroyo Seco Library will invite walkers to stop and contemplate their place in the universe.

On Monday, Nov. 28, from 6 pm to 7:45 pm, the Sidewalk Astronomers will set up telescopes for a viewing of our biggest Milky Way neighbors – Jupiter, Saturn and Mars.

One of the oldest amateur astronomy clubs, the Sidewalk Astronomers has chapters all over the world and credits John Dobson as its inspiration. In the 1950s, Dobson invented his own simple-to-build “Dobsonian” telescope and would later bring it – and an enthusiasm for the cosmos – out to street corners, parks and other public places.

Dobson passed away in 2016 in Burbank.

GLASSELL PARK

A Catio Worthy of Mr. Cheese

In a recent issue of Sunday Digest, we asked to see photos of your catios, cat patios. We received a wonderful response from Nina Lesowitz, who writes:

"My husband, Martin Eggenberger, designed and built this [catio] off our bedroom back door. There is a cat door so that our cat [Cookie] can easily access her litter box and the watch the birds, squirrels, and other wildlife in Glassell Park."

You'll see another cat in the photos, explains Lesowitz. The visiting fluffy orange and white cat is her daughter's cat, Mr. Cheese, a feline influencer on Instagram.

-- By Brenda Rees

🙂 More Good Reads

• Los Feliz restaurant workers cook up a film festival

• Nikkei cuisine now serving in Silver Lake

• An East L.A. school with classic style

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That's It For This Sunday

The holidays remind me of all the Thanksgiving stories told and retold by family and friends.

There’s the infamous time at Sue and Phil's house when the power went off halfway through the cooking of the turkey. After moments of panic, we fired up the grill, and a new tradition was created.

But nothing tops my husband's tale of sitting at the Thanksgiving table as a kid and reaching for, what he thought, was a bowl of sweet cranberry sauce. After loading his plate, he scooped a big spoonful into his mouth – only to discover it was tomato aspic. I imagine a red waterfall coming from his mouth onto his plate while his family laughed so hard that their faces turned red as well.

Here's hoping for memories and laughter for everyone this holiday season.

-- Brenda Rees

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