There's a new twist in the story of the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes in downtown, which came under fire when workers discovered human bones during the construction process. According to the Los Angeles Weekly, at least part of the blame can be pinned on a faulty EIR which mistakenly studied the wrong cemetery. The newspaper explains: " A 2003 Environmental Impact Report (EIR) filed by Sapphos Environmental Inc. had assured that before 1844, "all human remains previously on-site were relocated" away from Old Cemetery.
Gabrieleno tribal chairman Andy Salas says remains were indeed removed in 1844, but not from Old Cemetery. According to Salas, the EIR was incorrectly describing events that unfolded 166 years ago at an entirely different cemetery two miles from downtown, near Elysian Park. That cemetery is known by two names — "Campo Santo" and "Old Calvary Cemetery."
"This is what confuses the issue," Salas says. "They took the bodies — most, not all of them — out of the cemetery by Elysian Park, called Old Calvary, not out of the one at LA Plaza" downtown, known as Old Cemetery.
Among the many confused bureaucrats in charge is Miguel Corzo, LA Plaza president-CEO, who has erroneously called the downtown cemetery "Campo Santo," Salas says." The Weekly says that Sapphos didn't return calls to respond to the charges. Billed as the "nation's premiere center of Mexican American culture," the center opened to media this week.
· Bone Bungling at Old Cemetery [LA Weekly]
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