[South LA Vermont site last year, via The Adventures of Lyndsey]
SOUTH LA/SAN PEDRO: We covered this last fall with some nice photos and here's an update: "Upcoming community events will celebrate the completion of two new Habitat for Humanity neighborhoods in Greater Los Angeles – Vermont Village in South Los Angeles on June 7 and Harborside Terrace in San Pedro on June 21. Construction of the thirty total homes began during the 2007 Jimmy Carter Work Project with the help of over three-thousand volunteers from all over the world. Homeowners, city officials, community leaders, sponsors, volunteers and Habitat for Humanity staff are expected to attend." [Curbed InBox]
CULVER CITY: A reader has a question about some police action last night: "Last night, while lost in Culver City, I saw no less than 6 police cars in formation at the "Corporate Pointe" office park near the 90. One of the cops was blocking a separate intersection, out of his car with his shotgun in hand and at the ready. He wasn't cop pretty enough for this to be a movie set, what's up with that? Does anyone know what happened?" [Curbed InBox]
DOWNTOWN: Hmmm. People are getting punchy. The Mayor's office just issued a press release entitled: "Mayor Villaraigosa Wagers Professional Football Team On Outcome of Lakers-Celtics Series." What kind of bet is Caruso offering?
MAYOR ANTONIO R. VILLARAIGOSA
City of Los Angeles
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 5, 2008
Contact:
Matt Szabo
(213) 978-0741
MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA WAGERS PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM ON OUTCOME OF LAKERS-CELTICS SERIES
LOS ANGELES - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa sent the following letter
today to Boston Mayor Thomas Menino making a friendly wager on the
outcome of the Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals series:
Dear Mayor Menino:
Tonight is truly an historic night. It is hard to believe that it has
been twenty one - long - years since the last time the Lakers beat the
Celtics in the NBA Finals. Tonight we renew this great American
tradition.
The only thing harder to believe is that it's been more than two
decades since the great Boston Celtics have tasted the sweet victory of
an NBA Championship. The year was 1986. Hair was big. Shorts were
short. And Michael Dukakis was preparing his historic run for
president.
I truly expected our great rivalry of the 1980s to carry into the 1990s
- particularly as the Lakers and Celtics continued to assemble a
pantheon of NBA legends: Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Derek Fisher,
Phil Jackson, Pervis Ellison, Bryant Stith, Vitaly Potapenko and Rick
Pitino.
So to commemorate this historic event, I say we scrap the tired
tradition of wagering regional trinkets or cuisine - and go big.
Let’s really put it on the line: jobs, tradition, pride.
So here’s my proposal:
If the Celtics win, we’ll send you the best professional football
team L.A. has to offer: the Arena League’s Los Angeles Avengers.
If the Lakers win, we get the Patriots.
I know what you might be thinking: “Villaraigosa must be nuts!
Bostonians would make out like bandits in that deal! With an indoor
arena team, the fans would not have to risk frostbite to see a
mid-September game. And with the smaller field, our coaches wouldn’t
even need cameras to steal opponents’ signals.”
I'm sure my constituents might not be happy with this deal, but I am so
confident in the Lakers’ victory that I am willing to put it all on
the line.
Oh, and to sweeten the pot, in the event of a Lakers victory you can
keep the Patriots’ coach. We have a pretty good guy down the street
who might be interested in the job - and who probably still has the
gear.
I look forward to your response and a great finals series. My only
regret is that I will not be able to visit the Garden for a game. I was
hoping to experience first-hand the legendary Bostonian hospitality and
sportsmanship.
Good luck and Go Lakers!
Antonio R. Villaraigosa
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