13 Great Outdoor Places to Run in L.A.

(From left: Reed Saxon / Associated Press; Los Angeles Times; Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Running and moderate exercise is not only good for your body, but also good for your mood!

A study conducted by Dr. Jeremy Sibold of The University of Vermont, Burlington, concluded that, "Moderate intensity aerobic exercise improves mood immediately and those improvements can last up to 12 hours."(Doheny, Kathleen. Health.US News.com).

Thankfully, The L.A. Times Newspaper posted an article in which they name thirteen of the best running and hiking places in Los Angeles. Not only will you enjoy a calorie-burning jog, but you'll do it surrounded by natural beauty. Best of all...it's free!

Click the following link for information on the various beach, mountain, and park trails: LA Times

Happy running!

Wilmington's Museums Affected by City Deficit

The LA Times and Daily Breeze reported that the LA city deficit will affect the future of the Drum Barracks and/or the Bannning Residence Museum. With the budget cuts, the city has created a "potential layoff" list. A curator from one of the following sites will be let go: the Drum Barracks, the Banning Residence Museum and Fort MacArthur in San Pedro.   

The Wilmington Drum Barracks is the last remaining Civil War-era military facility in Southern California. Susan Ogle, the museum's curator, is the only full-time employee. 

From the LA Times:

Kathy Ralston, president of the Drum Barracks support group, said that since Ogle took over as director in 2000, attendance has jumped from 1,800 to 12,000 a year. In a letter to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and other elected officials, Ralston wrote, "With the removal of a full-time employee supervising the day-to-day operations of the museum, the Drum Barracks Garrison and Society is concerned with the safety of the artifacts on display in the museum."

The article focuses on the Drum Barracks because, from the three sites, it is probably the one that will have to figure out how to survive without a curator. The museum may stay open with the help of volunteers, but there will be no one to work on special exhibits, archiving and maintenance.

If you would like to help the Drum Barracks stay open, write a letter to Mayor Villaraigosa or give a donation.    

Hot Dog!

Wienerschnitzel is a fast food chain founded in 1961 by John Galardi. The first Wienerschnitzel, in our very own Wilmington, is still open and operating. The LA times mentioned Wienerschnitzel, Pinks, Cupids, and others as examples of L.A.'s love for hot dogs. But they failed to mention my favorite hot dog: The Costco Hot Dog! Don't get me wrong, having this historic hot dog stand in the neighborhood is great. And it has a pretty awesome review on Yelp. But one can't really beat the price of a Costco hot dog. I mean $1.50 for a hot dog and soda! There's even a facebook group.

Hojas Premium Tea House

Hojas Premium Tea House is a new business in Wilmington. The Tea House has become a very popular place for locals to meet and chat. I am really glad to see that people are encouraged to start new businesses, here, in our community.

The owners, Nacho and Alma, are the first people to open a tea house in Wilmington. Growing up, my family always had te de yerba buena(spearmint tea), te de jamaica(hibiscus tea), and te de manzanilla (chamomile tea) available in our house. So, I see this new business as a way of keeping that tradition alive.

The LA times recently had a story about Hojas, along with other projects happening in the neighborhood. Personally, I found the imagery problematic. I felt that the idea of moving forward was starting to sound like gentrification, but I am hoping that will not be the case.

Either way I hope that the future Wilmington can be a place where we see progress while maintaining a respect for tradition. Spending a lot of time in the Mission of San Francisco only gives me more hope that this can be realized.

Island Elementary School will be renamed after George De La Torre Jr.

I recently read a story in the LA times and the Daily Breeze about one of the local elementary schools paying tribute to the owner of Juanita's Foods by renaming their school. Island Elementary School has been renamed after George De La Torre Jr., who died in February 2009. De La Torre has had a big impact on the community and will always be part of Wilmington's history.

The Juanita's Food Website contains the following information:

George De La Torre Jr., owner of Juanita’s Foods, was born in Wilmington, California in 1935. Under his leadership and guidance, Juanita’s Foods became the world’s largest producer of Menudo. His vision, passion and business acumen led him to recognize the increasing popularity of Mexican food in the US, while becoming the leader in the Mexican Food category.

George was passionate about supporting the Wilmington community and youth, and over his lifetime established and nurtured friendships that will succeed him. His family and friends will miss his wise counsel and unspoken leadership dearly.

Keeping the of legacy of his philanthropy alive, the family also asks for donations to be made to the Wilmington Boys and Girls Club.