🌱 Fire On South Main St + Echo Park Lake Fence + Montebello Tornado

Hello all! It's Sylvia, your host of the Los Angeles Patch newsletter. Let's get this Thursday started off right with a quick dive into everything you need to know that's happening in town, including news on...

• 🚘 Actor Dick Van Dyke
• 🏡 Laughlin Park residents
• 💧 Unusual weather in and around L.A.

On a personal note, I’m sad to inform you that this is my last newsletter for Los Angeles. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your morning routine all this time!

But first, today's weather:

A couple of showers. High: 62 Low: 48.

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😋 Fair Food Poll!
Fair food is the ultimate cheat meal. We asked which is your favorite. You answered! The top four vote-getters are funnel cake (25.7%), candy apples (24.3%), corndogs (17.2%), and guacamole (4.3%). Interestingly, nobody picked deep-fried Oreos. Thank you for participating!

Here are the top stories today in Los Angeles:

1. The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) responded to 3011 South Main Street in historic South Central on Wednesday. They found a commercial building on fire. It was difficult to reach the fire’s source, and the LAFD focused on a defensive operation. The building was a total loss, even though 106 firefighters spent 75 minutes battling the flames. (LAFD)
2. City Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez faces an uphill battle to keep his campaign promise of removing the fencing around Echo Park Lake. The fence was installed a couple of years ago after a large homeless encampment was removed. Fencing prevented the return of unhoused neighbors. However, Soto-Martinez wants to pull down the fence, promising “to keep the park free of homeless encampments once the barrier comes down.” Residents aren’t sure that they believe him. It didn’t help that community meetings required attendees to step around a homeless encampment on Lemoyne Street to get in. (The Eastsider LA)
3. Was that a tornado in Montebello? Tornadoes aren’t something you typically mention in the same breath as L.A. and nearby areas. However, on Wednesday, something that looked like a land spout picked up debris, tore off roofs and destroyed cars. In related news, Studio City residents were stunned to see hail showers on Tuesday. (Patch, ABC)
4. The weather also affected beloved actor Dick Van Dyke. The 97-year-old crashed his 2018 Lexus LS 500 into a gate after losing control of the vehicle in the Malibu area. He reportedly suffered a bloody nose and possibly a concussion. However, he declined the paramedics’ offer to go to the hospital. Officers “submitted paperwork to the DMV requesting a driving retest” for the actor, which is most likely related to his age. (TMZ)
5. Laughlin Park residents in Los Feliz have a new neighbor. Brie Larson of “Captain Marvel” fame bought a property with a $6.995 million price tag. Built in 1948, the home is built in the Mediterranean style and last changed hands a year ago for $3.825 million. (Mansion Global)

Today in Los Angeles:

• Bring the kids to STEAM Day Camp at Design Hive (9:30 AM)
• See Today’s Drummer Exhibit at the GRAMMY Museum L.A. Live (11 AM)
• Attend the Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre (6:30 PM)
• Be there when Excision does the Beyond Wonderland pre-party at ExchangeLA (10 PM)
• Feel the Disco Heat at the Songbird Cafe (10 PM)

From my notebook:

• "Thank you to our employees, partners and volunteers for stepping up on a rainy day to distribute meals and supervise students and keep them safe. To view resources available to families, visit https://achieve.lausd.net/scho...." (Los Angeles Unified via Instagram)
• "LA County Parks is extending the Every Body Plays program at 16 select parks and 2 Nature Centers from 8AM to 5:30PM, March 21 - 23 to for youth during the LAUSD strike. " (Los Angeles County Fire Dept. via Instagram)
• "We celebrated American Novelist Toni Morrison with a special US Postal Service stamp unveiling dedication ceremony at our Hyde Park Miriam Matthews Branch." (Los Angeles Public Library via Facebook)
• "Angie Chang opened China Depot at the Market in 1948, and it's been a staple ever since! The Changs have been serving their traditional Chinese, family recipes for four generations. Angie's favorites - the Orange Chicken & the Kung Pao Chicken." (Original Farmers Market, Los Angeles, via Facebook)
• "Our Traffic Officers braved the rain and wind to assist traffic control at meal grab n' go locations to ensure students impacted by the LAUSD strike had access to healthy meals. Just one of the many ways LADOT Traffic Officers assist in keeping LA moving." (LADOT)

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Featured events:

• Liddy Clark at The Peppermint Club (March 25)
• Sheep Shearing Festival (March 25)
• Estate Planning for Your Loved Ones - Webinar (March 25)
• Hop to It! Caring Bunny Returns to Del Amo Fashion Center for Easter (March 26)
• Torrance Antique Street Faire (March 26)
• Estate Planning Webinar on March 27th and 29th (March 27)
• Jazz Singer Rose Colella At Catalina Jazz Club, March 29 (March 29)
• Add your event

Alrighty, you're all good for today. I'll see you around!

— 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