¡Hola Boyle Heights! It’s Alex, your community reporter and associate editor at the Beat, back to bring you the latest happening in and around our neighborhood.
Just as common as graffiti in Boyle Heights, streetlight outages are also well reported in the neighborhood according to MYLA311 service request data.
In 2024, Boyle Heights ranked No. 2 out of the city’s 114 neighborhoods for streetlight outage service requests with 1,907 reports. Downtown Los Angeles, another neighborhood in Council District 14, topped the chart with 2,206 requests. In 2020, reports of streetlight outages in Boyle Heights averaged around 42 a month. That number rose to an average of 50 in 2021, 85 in 2022 and continued climbing to 134 in 2023. The average reached 159 in 2024.
The issue can partly be traced back to the rising price of copper since the pandemic, which thieves tear out of streetlight fixtures to sell, according to an analysis by the newsroom Crosstown. Copper was just under $2 a pound when a state of emergency was declared in California in March 2020. It’s about $4.75 today.
Want to know how many outage complaints have been addressed? LAist has you covered. You can also learn more about what’s being done to address the issue on our website. If you ever need to report a streetlight outage, you can call 311 or file a report online.
Here’s what else you should know about this week:
- What began as sporadic school walkouts spreading on social media has evolved into an organized effort by students to protect their communities amid deportation threats.
- The City Council denied an appeal by Kristin Crowley to reinstate her as the city’s fire chief.
- Democratic Sen. Maria Elena Durazo has introduced a new bill aiming to protect the privacy of California street vendors from being handed over to immigration enforcement agencies.
- A 25% tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada is now in effect, and businesses and consumers are about to feel the impact. On the Eastside, you can expect price hikes on popular Mexican imports from avocados and tomatoes to leather goods and medicine.
- Over 100 people attended a Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission meeting to hear concerns about the Sheriff Department’s response to East L.A. celebrationsduring the World Series.
Happenings in the Heights
Friday, March 7
- Food Distribution: The Wall Las Memorias is hosting a food giveaway at its Boyle Heights hub. Available goods will be handed on a first-come, first-served basis, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
- AD 52 Office Hours: Is Jessica Caloza your representative? Come meet the assembly member and her staff at Alma Family Services for resources, assistance with casework and more. 12 to 4 p.m.
- Art Exhibit: Head to Distrito Catorce for an opening reception of Ximehua Mujer, an art exhibit celebrating women curated by Liliflor. 6 p.m. On display through June 1.
- Sonidero Night: Don Quixote is hosting a night of Sonidero music. Enjoy beats by Fantasma, Rumbadela, Zenteya, Yam Bore and more. $20 tickets. Doors open at 9 p.m.
Saturday, March 8
- Free Tax Help: Stevenson Library is hosting an income tax prep and filing workshop. Participants must make $67,000 or below. Call (323) 526-9301 to RSVP. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Goddess Mercado: Head to the East L.A. Civic Center for a folklórico festival. Enjoy music, performances, vendors and more alongside a weekly farmer’s market. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Democracy Haiku: Join Weird Wave Coffee Brewers for a morning of creative expression while sipping on your favorite caffeinated beverage. Haiku writing starts at 10 a.m.
- Know Your Rights Workshop: Lincoln Heights Senior Center is hosting an immigration rights workshop featuring Civil Rights Attorney Christian Contreras. 10 a.m. to noon.
- Collage Workshop: The Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory is hosting a workshop for you to connect with your inner child through art. RSVP to attend. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Family Workshop: Self Help Graphics is hosting an art workshop at the East Los Angeles County Library. Teaching Artist Oscar Rodriguez will help you design a unique stencil to create your own custom tote bag. Open to all ages. RSVP to attend. 1 to 2:30 p.m.
- Xingonx Fest: Head to LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes to celebrate the 28th anniversary of the woman-led organization Mujerez de Maíz. The free commemoration will include poetry, performance, conversation and more highlighting the group. 3 to 6 p.m.
- Art Exhibit Closing Reception: Join the Lincoln Heights Youth Center Complex for a closing reception of “Justice in Our Barrios, Paz al Mundo,” its first curated art gallery exhibition. Event includes a panel discussion and Q&A. 3 to 6 p.m.
- Burlesque Night: Enjoy a cabaret-themed night at Eastside Luv featuring Big Willie Burlesque. Free entry from 8 to 10 p.m. $15 from 10 to midnight.
Monday, March 10
- Mobile Mammogram: Weingart East Los Angeles YMCA is offering mammogram screenings. HMO and PPO insurances are accepted. Those 40 and up on a low income with no insurance qualify for free service. RSVP online. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
As always, please let us know what you think of this newsletter and send us your events to include in future editions. Hope you have an amazing weekend!
