🌱 Garcetti Lobbyist Hired + Illegal Romaine, Serrano Crosswalk Gone

Hey, people of Los Angeles; today is National Waitstaff Day, which was created by Gaylord Ward! It's me again, Sylvia, your host of the Los Angeles Daily.

The Mayor’s parents are doubling down on their son’s ambassadorship. Also, the DIY crosswalks painted by a vigilante group are being removed. Finally, Venice HS was on a brief lockdown.

First, today's weather:

Clouds, then sun. High: 72 Low: 57.

Where’s The Cheapest Gallon Of Regular Gasoline In Los Angeles?

• Speedway at 1205 S Alvarado St., $5.75
• Arco at 2106 W Temple St., $5.87
• Valero at 500 S Alameda St., $5.88
• We Got It at 1600 W Olympic Blvd., $6.09
• Mobil at 1940 S Hoover St., $6.19

Poll:
Who should be the next Los Angeles Mayor? Please share your thoughts! (As of today, Rick Caruso leads the pack with 47.8% of your votes, and Karen Bass is in second place with 28.4%. Kevin De Leon comes in third with 10.4%.)

Here are the top five stories in Los Angeles today:

1. In July, President Joe Biden nominated Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to be the next American ambassador to India. Since then, his name became connected to a scandal involving sexual assault and harassment by the mayor’s former senior adviser. Subsequently, the Senate’s confirmation process for the ambassadorship stalled. On Friday, Mayor Garcetti’s parents hired a lobbyist “for the mayor's ambassadorship nomination to make it through the U.S. Senate.” (Spectrum News 1)
2. City workers spent Friday on the removal of four illegal crosswalks that an activist group painted at the intersection of Romaine Street and North Serrano Avenue. The Crosswalk Collective LA said, “they were tired of waiting on the city to make what they said are much needed improvements for pedestrians.” However, the city said that it is "actually clearing the way for a better and safer intersection.” (KCRW)
3. Venice High School went on lockdown Friday at around 10 a.m. Located at 13000 Venice Blvd., police arrived “after reports of a weapon on campus” and conducted a search. They didn’t find a weapon and lifted the lockdown at 10:30 a.m. This lockdown followed on the heels of the “shelter in place” order Beverly Hills High School dealt with on Thursday. (Patch)
4. A lawsuit was filed on Thursday on behalf of several victims who were displaced by last year’s botched controlled denotation of fireworks. Occurring on East 27th Street, the explosion resulted in damaged property. “Many of the families displaced by the blast are still living in hotels, and they say the city isn’t doing enough to make things right.” (KTLA)
5. Mark your calendars! eBay will open a brick-and-mortar sneaker shop on Fairfax Avenue. Named Wear ‘Em Out, it should be open Memorial Day. “The Wear ‘Em Out store celebrates a love of sneakers, while acknowledging that sneakerheads are often balancing what they wear with what they keep in the box,” eBay’s GM of Sneakers explained. (Fast Company)

Today in Los Angeles:

• RoundGlass Living World Meditation Day Celebration Online Meditation Marathon (7 a.m.)
• Metro Bus Operator Hiring Event at the East Los Angeles City College (8 a.m.)
• My Green Building Conference & Expo at the Los Angeles Trade Technical College (9 a.m.)
• Westside Community Clean Up meets at West Hollywood Park (9 a.m.)
• Annual People’s Kite Festival at the Los Angeles State Historic Park (2 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The City of Los Angeles is now accepting applications for Security Officer! Salary: $43,680 - $72,432. Deadline to apply is May 23. (Instagram)
• The LAFD released photos of firefighters battling a blaze in medium brush burning uphill near Griffith Observatory. Firefighters stopped forward progress at approximately six acres, saving the iconic Los Angeles landmark. (Facebook)
• The Communications Olympic Council, EmpowerLA will meet May 26 to discuss bus lanes on La Brea. (Nextdoor)
• Our East Zanja neighbor is looking for moving boxes that you don’t need. (Nextdoor)
• The Garden School Foundation hosts a Composting 101 workshop! It's today from 9-1. (Nextdoor)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Saturday. I'll be 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 Daily? Contact me at losangeles@patch.com