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Fiesta History Repeats Itself

Notes From Your City Historian
by Julie Lugo Cerra

The Fiesta La Ballona, which began in 1951, will once again return to a week-long summer event. This year, it will begin on August 18th with a kick-off at the City Council meeting where our elected representatives will declare “Fiesta La Ballona Week.”

With longer daylight hours in August, the Society is working on having walking tours on one evening this year, plus a wonderful Western Barbeque on Friday, August 22nd. So, put on your calendars to celebrate from August 18-24, 2003!

People are just so special – take the Hahns for example. I received a call from a young woman in Alaska who was trying to find a photo of her natural father when he was young, but with no success. We were able to verify that her father had attended Venice High School, and with the help of the Hahns who found the yearbook from Venice that pictured him, this young woman now has the precious memory of being able to see her father as a young man. And, it was a family venture – the yearbook belonged to the Hahn’s daughter! Thank you, folks!

In January, the Cultural Affairs Commission took action on a Community Cultural Plan for our city, which includes historic preservation and art in public places. The two can often be naturally integrated and they are important to the vitality of our community. At the March 24th City Council meeting, the goals of the Cultural Plan were passed and the Cultural Affairs Commission will now flesh out the plan, with proposed action for the next five years. Good news!

LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS PLAN EVENTS
• Hami High Alumni will get together for the annual All Alumni Picnic at Alexander Hamilton High School grounds on May 17th. For more information, call Barbara Hyten Greenstein at (310) 474-8996. Our own Eloise Langley McNearney is known as the “Queen of Memorabilia” at this event. Tours of the school will begin at 11:30am that day.
• Culver High Grads, Classes 1961-65 your reunion is coming up, too. Mark your calendars for May 3, 2003.

In February, I joined Bob Lopez and Joe Barnes, fellow Los Pobladores members, to attend a seminar at Loyola Marymount University. The event, titled “Mapping Los Angeles,” was co-sponsored by the California Historical Society and the California Mapping Society. I was delighted to discover some interesting information on Ballona Creek as well as the Ballona partition map which was found and donated to LMY by Fred Machado. (Just a reminder: May is Historic Preservation Month!)

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