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Controversial fence around Echo Park Lake to come down

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:11 GMT

A fence surrounding Echo Park Lake in Los Angeles, which triggered protests and demonstrations, is coming down two years after it was first installed.  Initially touted as a temporary barrier that would let the city clear out the park’s homeless encampments and conduct much-needed repairs, the fence quickly became a symbol of the city’s homelessness crisis.  Two years ago this week, hundreds of protesters clashed with police over the closure of a sprawling homeless encampment at the park. Since then, the city has spent $600,000 to remove tons of trash, repair lighting and bathrooms, and restrict entry points to the park.  Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez says the barrier will be completely removed by the end of the week. “He said that when the fence comes down, there’s going to be 24/7 security,” said Emily Lee, who lives nearby. “So, we just want to make sure he keeps his word and there’s security here once the fence is down ... the way it was when the fence was up.”  Lee...

Median home price in Southern California rises for 1st time since last May

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:11 GMT

Home prices edged higher in Southern California last month, marking the first increase since the spring of last year, according to new data from the California Association of Realtors.The median sale price of existing homes in the region was $745,000 in February, a month-over-month increase of 0.9%. The increase can largely be attributed to higher prices in San Diego, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties were down month-over-month, data showed.Southern California Median Home PricesCountyFebruary 2023January 2023February 2022Month-over-month price changeYear-over-year price changeLos Angeles$726,870$778,540$773,490-6.6%-6.0%Orange$1,159,000$1,194,500$1,260,000-3.0%-8.0%Riverside$595,000$585,000$605,0301.7%-1.7%San Bernardino$466,500$446,900$450,0004.4%3.7%San Diego$875,000$824,950$888,0006.1%-1.5%Ventura$805,000$815,000$887,500-1.2%-9.3%California Association of RealtorsHome prices in Southern California had been in a freefall for eight stra...

Baby Tate and Saweetie Cover Hey Mickey (Sort of)

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:11 GMT

Baby Tate and Saweetie Cover Hey Mickey: Rappers Baby Tate and Saweetie have released a stunning reworking of Toni Basil’s 1981 pop classic “Hey Mickey.” It’s practically unrecognizable, besides the refrain in the chorus. But that’s what makes it so fun and interesting.“It’s so crazy how much Hey, Mickey has blown up in the past few months,” said Tate in a statement. “I’m super proud to be able to give this song new life with a fire verse from Saweetie along with a super hot video that I can’t wait for people to see!”Tate originally released  a version of the song back in 2016 and it went viral on TikTok. It has already amassed more than 140 million global streams.“With the arrival of this remix, that number is expected to skyrocket,” reads a press release. “The collaboration comes on the heels of Tate’s 2022’s acclaimed 14-track project Mani/Pedi, an infectious statement of self-love boasting features from 2 Ch...

Wish You Were Here: A wintry wildlife hike in Japan

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:11 GMT

Our readers have been traveling far and wide — trekking through the Amazon, cycling Oregon bike trails, exploring Old Montreal — and sharing their travel adventures with us via photos, stories and practical tips. Here’s another tale, this time of a wintry wildlife hike in Japan.Wish You Were HereJAPAN: Boulder Creek residents Ken Zaremba and Susan Kamprath’s February trip to Japan included multiple wildlife photography opportunities, starting with their first stop at the Snow Monkey Park near Nagano. “The snow monkeys — Japanese macaques — are the northernmost resident primate,” Ken says. “The monkeys are very entertaining and used to people, so you can get very close to them. We then went on to the northern island of Hokkaido, where we photographed red-crowned cranes, whooper swans, Steller’s sea eagles, white-tailed eagles, deer, foxes and other wildlife.”Related ArticlesTravel | Wish You Were Here: Reade...

Bay Area storms: More messy wind and rain storms expected throughout Tuesday

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:11 GMT

A foreboding 3.5 earthquake with an epicenter near Pacifica jolted the Peninsula and other parts of the Bay Area just after 6 a.m. Tuesday, perhaps reminding the region that mother nature isn’t quite done with it yet as yet another wind and rain storm barreled closer to landfall in time for the morning commute.The Bay Area was placed under wind advisory as of 5 a.m. until 8 p.m. Tuesday as wind gusts as high as 45 miles per hour could grace the region. On the Marin coastline, winds could reach upwards of 50 mph. Those winds were predicted to occur sometime after 8 a.m., according to the National Weather Service, lasting into the early afternoon.Those winds paired with moderate-to-heavy rains could make for a messy morning commute. San Jose and Walnut Creek were forecast for between one-quarter and one-half of an inch of rain Tuesday, with much of it expected in the daytime hours. Oakland could receive around three-quarters of an inch while San Francisco was forecast for nearly...

Arthur Mac’s Little Snack opens with funky pizzas, hot wings at Emeryville’s Bay Street mall

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:11 GMT

Any American mall needs its staples: brand-name clothing stores, 3D-movie theater, a weirdly high number of makeup shops and at least one pizza joint.This January, Bay Street Emeryville came dangerously close to losing its identity when the California Pizza Kitchen suddenly closed. But never fear, folks who like to have pizza after trying on Victoria’s Secret: Things are back to normal with the April 1 grand opening of Arthur Mac’s Little Snack, an expansion of the East Bay’s Arthur Mac’s Tap and Snack known for brick-oven pies, hot wings and craft brews. (Soft openings are scheduled this week from Wednesday through Friday.)The original Arthur Mac’s is by the MacArthur BART station in Oakland – thus the name – and another, larger one will open in late 2023 or early 2024 in Hayward. (Fun fact: It’s going to have a decommissioned 1990s BART train car for seating and playing retro video games.) The Emeryville location earns its “Little” moniker by be...

In push for accountability, San Jose’s homelessness spending to be audited by the state

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:11 GMT

Following an 8% increase in homelessness in San Jose from 2019 to 2022, California is set to take a close look at how much the city is spending on addressing the issue.On Wednesday, the state’s Joint Legislative Audit Committee voted unanimously to approve an audit request made by Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) last year. The audit comes at a time when California has spent $15 billion on homelessness over the last several years.Cortese says he wants to make sure that money is being spent correctly—and he wants to do it now, while the state is still committed to making an “unprecedented investment” in combatting homelessness.“Our residents deserve to know how the dollars are getting there and how they’re being invested, what’s working and what’s not and I think we need to know that, as well,” he said. “Adding transparency will help both the state and local jurisdictions work together to best spend these dollars going forward.”Cort...

Marin resident gives 120-acre ranch to therapeutic horse-riding group

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:11 GMT

Kayla Andersen, left, works with Madison Carratturo in a therapeutic horse riding session at Halleck Creek Ranch on Thursday, March 16, 2023, in Nicasio, Calif. (Frankie Frost/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)Ariel Aycock, 7, rides Skippy in a therapeutic horse riding session at Halleck Creek Ranch on Thursday, March 16, 2023, in Nicasio, Calif. (Frankie Frost/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)Kayla Andersen works with Liam Aycock, 10,in a therapeutic horse riding session at Halleck Creek Ranch on Thursday, March 16, 2023, in Nicasio, Calif. (Frankie Frost/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)Ariel Aycock, 7, pets Skippy in a therapeutic horse riding session at Halleck Creek Ranch on Thursday, March 16, 2023, in Nicasio, Calif. (Frankie Frost/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)Ariel Aycock, 7, learns the correct way to hold the reigns in a therapeutic horse riding session at Halleck Creek Ranch on Thursday, March 16, 2023 in Nicasio, Calif. Atlantis Langowsk...

More support of permanent option for slain San Jose Safeway employee’s roadside memorial: Roadshow

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:11 GMT

Q: I would like to help contribute to a permanent memorial for Manny Huizar. When they create a fund for it, could you let us know the details? I’m sure I’m not the only reader you’re hearing from.Betsy Gebhart, San JoseA: You most certainly are not. I’ve continued to receive responses about roadside memorials, and, specifically, the one that had been set up to honor Manny Huizar, a young employee who was murdered when he tried to stop a late-night shoplifter who shot him in June, 2022 at the Safeway on Hamilton Avenue at Meridian.The discussion started when someone wrote to ask when the roadside memorial created outside the store would be taken down, as some neighbors felt it was not being well-maintained and were tired of it. Others responded that a permanent memorial would be appropriate here, and said they would help pay for it.Q: I reside in Mexico for six months of the year and have seen hundreds of roadside memorials, both temporary and permanent. They...

A proposed multi-billion regional bond signals a shift in how Bay Area affordable housing is funded

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:11 GMT

A renewed push to tackle the Bay Area’s housing crisis at a regional level is underway, and it could be the solution for cities and counties tapped out of local funds for affordable housing.The Bay Area Housing Finance Authority, or BAHFA, was created in 2019 to address the area’s housing shortage. It’s a first-of-its-kind financing authority in California that has coalesced as advocates and state leaders move to take a more regional approach to combat the state’s housing-affordability problems.A recent report from BAHFA and Enterprise Community Partners found that there’s a $7.6 billion gap in public financing that needs to be filled in order to unlock nearly 33,000 new homes in the Bay Area.The organization is currently helping oversee a potential housing bond for the November 2024 election that could bring in $10 billion to $20 billion for affordable housing in the Bay Area, depending on the amount key players decide to pursue.That could mean as much...