🌱 $20K Al Fresco Dining Price Tag + Two Eateries Come To Cypress Ave

Hello, neighbors! Today, we leave cable TV behind on National Cut the Cord Day. It's Thursday in Los Angeles, and I'm back in your inbox with everything that's fit to print about what's happening in town. Because community news matters! Today's issue includes news on:

• ⚠️ A deadly car crash on Balboa
• 🏬 Digital billboards coming to a site near you
• 🤝 Inside Safe program successes and challenges

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☀️ But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and very warm. High: 81 Low: 51.

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⛽ Three of the Cheapest Gas Stations in the City of Los Angeles

• 7-Eleven at 1302 E Slauson Ave., $4.09
• Sinclair at 1004 S La Cienega Blvd., $4.19
• Unico at 4072 Verdugo Rd., $4.21

⏰ Daylight Saving Time Poll! 🤔
Daylight saving time begins on March 12. According to history, we can thank entomologist George Hudson for coming up with the idea in 1895. Implementation took place in 1918 to save resources and extend the work day during wartime. In 1966, daylight saving time became the law of the land, but states could opt out. So far, only Hawaii and Arizona have done so. Now, dueling studies point to the successes and failures of the practice. Where do you stand on the issue? So far, 64.4% don’t like daylight saving time, while 34.8% do. Only 0.7% don’t care one way or the other.

📰 Here are the top stories in Los Angeles today:

1. A deadly car crash ended the lives of two drivers on Wednesday. A Corvette sped and ran a light in the 6400 block of North Balboa Boulevard. The car slammed into a Honda Accord that was obliterated by the impact. A lot of debris from the crash ended up in the nearby strip mall’s parking lot. (NBC)
2. Do you love the digital billboards that litter the Strip in Vegas? If the Metropolitan Transportation Authority gets its way, you might soon see 93 of them in L.A. At a width of 30 to 48 feet, the digital signage changes displays, and “seven out of every eight images on the signs would be advertising, with the revenue split between Metro and the City.” Last week’s program specified targeted installation areas that include Casitas Avenue near the Glendale Freeway, the Spring Street Bridge north of Aurora Street, and the San Fernando Road at the I-5. (The Eastsider)
3. If you run a restaurant with al fresco dining, you might be looking at a $20,000 price tag. Popular during the pandemic, these outdoor expansions placed seating spaces in parking lots, on sidewalks and in adjacent spaces. On Wednesday, we learned that the Los Angeles City Council is considering monetizing this practice as part of its Al Fresco Program proposal. The city argues that this program was always only supposed to be a temporary fix during the pandemic. Restaurant owners say that doing away with the seating results in a loss of income and potentially a need to lay off people. (California Globe)
4. When Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass took office, she faced a homelessness problem that had gotten out of hand. As of Wednesday, her “Inside Safe” program eliminated six encampments, housed 247 people in motels, and moved 40 of them into permanent housing. You may have driven by one of the encampments, at 87th Street and Western Avenue. Others were the tent cities at 99th and Flower streets and on Cahuenga Boulevard and the 101. In stark contrast, an estimated 41,000 people experiencing homelessness are still on the streets. (ABC)
5. A couple of new restaurants are coming to the area around 1215 Cypress Avenue. Barra Santos will be a Portuguese bar and restaurant offering “Iberian Peninsula wines, sherries, ports, and Madeira along with snacks and classic Portuguese dishes.” Next door, Shin’s Pizza plans to open a takeaway pizzeria with inexpensive slices as well as “seasonal sides and salads with pan-Asian flavors.” Insiders believe that early to mid-spring is the targeted opening date. (L.A. Eater)

📆 Today in Los Angeles:

• WeHo Artists Roundtable meets at the West Hollywood Library Community Meeting Room (10 AM)
• Online, Adult Storytelling Class with Megha from the Central Library (11 AM)
• The LA River Farmers’ Market at 1245 N. Spring Street (3 PM)
• LA Under the Stars Film Festival takes place at 4212 Sunset Blvd. (5:30 PM)
• Valentine's Comedy Show at the Woodland Hills Branch Library (6 PM)

🖊️ From my notebook:

• "WHEELS DOWN 🛬: Two flights carrying USAID - US Agency for International Development search and rescue experts from Virginia Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue & LACoFD arrived in Türkiye." (Los Angeles County Fire Department via Facebook)
• "Celebrate Black History Month with LA County Parks as they host a series of educational experiences, performances, arts & crafts, food tastings, and other enriching activities! For more info, visit: parks.lacounty.gov/bhm/" (County of Los Angeles via Instagram)
• "Julius Boyd Loving was the first black Deputy at Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (1899) and created many of the Sheriff’s Department jail programs— He was a pioneer for the custody environment and those communities he served." (Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department via Facebook)
• "Playground improvements are coming to South Gate MS. Today, the Board of Education approved a contract for the construction of new Futsal and Pickle Ball play courts, a new greening area and other school site improvements." (Los Angeles Unified via Instagram)
• "WORK WHERE YOU PLAY! This Spring, LA County Parks is looking to hire our local youth ages 14-24 to become part of our Youth @ Work program! Earn $16.04 an hour while working some of our premiere programs." (County of Los Angeles Department of Parks & Recreation via Facebook)

🏡 What are homes selling for these days in Los Angeles?

• Median Listing Home Price $1.1M
• Median Listing Home Price/Square Foot $658
• Median Sold Home Price $885K

Check out more Los Angeles real estate information!

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Events:

• The MBA Tour, Los Angeles - Meet Top MBA Programs (February 11)
• [Free Masterclass] Increase Your Website Sales & Leads Using SEO (February 11)
• Myron McKinley, "Sound Alchemist" Album Release w/ Special Guests Verdine White & LaVance Colley (February 11)
• Pizza and Beer Valentine's Kit - Pickup 2/9-2/11 - Over Town Brewing, Monrovia (February 11)
• Assets of Simple Feast Online Auction (February 14)
• Add your event

Alrighty, you're all caught up for today. I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow with another update!

— Sylvia Cochran

About me: Sylvia Cochran works out of sunny Southern California and has been freelance writing full-time since 2005. She loves dogs, cats, books, plays Best Fiends (don't judge), embraces social justice, and tries to live out Micah 6:8.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Los Angeles Patch newsletter? Contact me at losangeles@patch.com