Category Archives: City Hall

City May Cut Police Overtime

Posted on June 25, 2009 by lmharnisch

June 25, 1899: A City Council committee weighs the complicated issue of police salaries. Some officers complain that their duties require more than an eight-hour workday. Another issue is whether travel time to get to their beats should be included … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall, LAPD | Comments Off

Paul V. Coates — Confidential File, June 19, 1959

Posted on June 19, 2009 by lmharnisch

Confidential File A Quiet Man Made Noisy Headlines Herbert Greenwood, the quiet man, made loud headlines yesterday. He announced his resignation from the Los Angeles Police Commission, and in the same breath, accused this city's police department and its chief, … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall, Columnists, LAPD, Paul Coates | Comments Off

Council Debates Cow Ordinance

Posted on June 18, 2009 by lmharnisch

June 18, 1889: The City Council debates measures on keeping cows and chickens in downtown Los Angeles.

Posted in City Hall, Downtown, Food and Drink | Comments Off

Minstrels and the Salvation Army — Charles Ives Would Love It

Posted on June 7, 2009 by lmharnisch

June 7, 1889 Pairing a minstrel show and a Salvation Army band sounds like something Charles Ives might have liked. June 7, 1899: A jail inmate says a trusty beat him with a heavy set of keys.

Posted in #courts, City Hall, Downtown, LAPD, Music, Religion, Stage | Comments Off

Boxing Promoter Beaten; Dodgers Sign Chavez Ravine Deal

Posted on June 4, 2009 by lmharnisch

"R-R-R-ING!" Life on Mars! Boxing promoter Jackie Leonard had testified before the State Athletic Commission about mob influence in prizefighting. View this page American jazz? Nyet! Charles Hillinger interviews Nicaragua's Luis Somoza. Carole Baker … Jeffrey Hunter … Richard Nixon … Continue reading →

Posted in art and artists, City Hall, Comics, Dodgers, Downtown, Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, Science, Sports | Comments Off

‘Three Little Pigs’ Has Racial Meaning, Official Says!

Posted on June 2, 2009 by lmharnisch

"Did You Hear What I Said, June?" Southern California's aerospace industry! When I saw this headline, I thought it was a joke. It's not. Iraq drops a polite note to the American Embassy saying no thanks to U.S. aid because … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, art and artists, City Hall, Comics, Countdown to Watts, Environment, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, Nightclubs, Politics, Sports | 2 Comments

Monorail Planned for Downtown Los Angeles!

Posted on May 27, 2009 by lmharnisch

"She Was Gone … Real Gone!" Voters reject higher taxes. View this page Beatnik robbers tell victim to "play it cool." Woof, Daddy-o. Above, another mass-transit plan that never got off the drawing board. All right, you kids, no more … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, City Hall, Comics, Dodgers, Downtown, Film, Freeways, Front Pages, health, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD, Politics, Religion, Robberies, Rock 'n' Roll, Sports, Transportation | 1 Comment

Found on EBay — Angel City in Turmoil

Posted on May 25, 2009 by lmharnisch

A copy of Guy Finney's "Angel City in Turmoil" has been listed on EBay. (Note, the artwork at left is from my copy of the book, not the one listed for sale). "Angel City" is one of those self-published "tell-all" … Continue reading →

Posted in books, City Hall, LAPD | Comments Off

Chavez Ravine Circus

Posted on May 15, 2009 by lmharnisch

The coverage of the Chavez Ravine evictions introduced Times readers to a new villain: television. "The television pictures — wonderful action pictures — were the answer to a demagogue's prayer," The Times wrote in a May 15 editorial. "With such … Continue reading →

Posted in art and artists, City Hall, Dodgers, Politics | Comments Off

Protesters Leave Chavez Ravine, May 15, 1959

Posted on May 15, 2009 by lmharnisch

Gloves, a big hat and lots of dots. It's the look for 1959. Councilman Edward R. Roybal wins an agreement from the Arechiga family to leave Chavez Ravine during 90 minutes of negotiations conducted in the back seat of his … Continue reading →

Posted in #Jazz, City Hall, Fashion, Film, Hollywood, Politics | Comments Off

Paul V. Coates — Confidential File, May 14, 1959

Posted on May 14, 2009 by lmharnisch

Confidential File This Drama Involves Good and Bad Blood He's not the type of traveling man they tell those jokes about. In fact, he's the other cliche — a perfect husband: Faithful, loving, devoted to his kids and — … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall, Columnists, Dodgers, health, Paul Coates, Politics | Comments Off

Top Comedian Goes Crazy in San Francisco! May 14, 1959

Posted on May 14, 2009 by lmharnisch

Winters later used his hospitalization in some of his routines. The Arechiga family, featured in the news because members were forcibly removed from two homes in Chavez Ravine, own 11 homes, The Times says. Mayor Norris Poulson angrily says: "The … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, City Hall, Comics, Dodgers, Downtown, Film, Hollywood, Jack Smith, Politics, Sports | 2 Comments

End of Watch — Jack Horrall, 1926 – 2009

Posted on May 13, 2009 by lmharnisch

Oct. 17, 1930: Jack Horrall, 4, is the police mascot. Retired LAPD Officer Jack Horrall, the son of former Police Chief Clemence C.B. Horrall, died Monday at the age of 82. The family says: Jack had a truly illustrious life. … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall, LAPD, Obituaries | 1 Comment

Chavez Ravine Revisited

Posted on May 12, 2009 by lmharnisch

Photograph by George R. Fry Jr. / Los Angeles Times May 8, 1959: Councilman Edward R. Roybal meets with the Arechiga family at Curtis Street and Malvina Avenue, where they camped out in their fight against being evicted from Chavez … Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, City Hall, Dodgers, Downtown, Freeways, Politics | 6 Comments

May 9, 1959: Family Evicted From Chavez Ravine

Posted on May 9, 2009 by lmharnisch

The Times’ coverage of the Chavez Ravine evictions isn’t easy reading and clearly not the paper at its best. The construction of Dodger Stadium was something the paper campaigned for and those who opposed the plan were either ignored or … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall, Dodgers, Downtown, Environment | Comments Off

Court Upholds Deal on Chavez Ravine; Moratorium on Death Penalty Fails, April 22, 1959

Posted on April 22, 2009 by lmharnisch

Photograph by John Malmin / Los Angeles Times People cluster between homes on Malvina Avenue in Chavez Ravine for word on being evicted. The battle over Chavez Ravine reads like the same story after a while — a long court fight … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, City Hall, Comics, Dodgers, Downtown, Film, Hollywood | 1 Comment

City Hall Protest Over Chavez Ravine Evictions, April 14, 1959

Posted on April 14, 2009 by lmharnisch

Chavez Ravine residents threatened with eviction survived another day in their homes. The Times published a short story with a terrible lead on the planned evictions to allow construction of Dodger Stadium: "It was the last of the ninth inning … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall, Current Affairs, Dodgers, Downtown, LAPD, Politics, Sports | Comments Off

Mayor’s Aide Guilty of Selling Jobs, March 24, 1939

Posted on March 24, 2009 by lmharnisch

A line of Nazi tanks crosses into Czechoslovakia. Head of Federal Reserve calls for a balanced budget. Joseph Shaw, brother former Mayor Frank Shaw, is convicted on 63 counts of selling jobs and promotions in the Los Angeles police and … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, @news, Architecture, art and artists, City Hall, Comics, Current Affairs, Downtown, Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, LAPD, Nuestro Pueblo, Sports | 2 Comments

February 5, 2009: Burbank Time Capsule Revisited

Posted on March 17, 2009 by lmharnisch

Cinda Cates, Burbank public information specialist, passes along the images that were recovered from the 1959 time capsule placed in the Magnolia Boulevard Bridge. The anonymous photographer recorded the city’s civic buildings (City Hall, a fire station, etc.) and took … Continue reading →

Posted in @news, Architecture, City Hall, Education, Environment, Film, Freeways, Real Estate, San Fernando Valley, Science, Transportation | 3 Comments

Mystics Predict the ‘Big One’ Will Destroy California; Dodger Recalls Negro Leagues, March 12, 1969

Posted on March 12, 2009 by lmharnisch

L.A. is doomed! … Again! "The most knowledgeable scientists say not only inconceivable but ridiculous." Above, Mama Cass sings "California Earthquake," one of the tunes inspired by the notion that a huge quake was about to destroy the state. Another … Continue reading →

Posted in art and artists, City Hall, Dodgers, Downtown, Front Pages, Religion, Sports | Comments Off