Celebrating the New Echo Park Solar "BigBelly"

Today we installed a solar-powered “BigBelly” trash can on the corner of Echo Park and Sunset Boulevard. Because it has a built in compactor, the BigBelly unit can hold four times as much trash as the average trash can making it more cost-effective and more environmentally- friendly than traditional trash disposal options.

The BigBelly unit, which was funded through city grants, will help prevent overflow trash from ending up in storm drains and in places like Echo Park.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the BigBelly installation possible, including the Trash Abatement Project.

Echo Park California Coastal Clean-Up Day

Please join the Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council on Saturday, September 17, for the Echo Park California Coastal Clean-Up Day.

Volunteers are needed from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the following locations:

• Vista Hermosa Natural Park (100 N. Toluca Street at First Street)

• GEPENC Office and Community Center (1572 Sunset Boulevard at Echo Park Avenue)

The Neighborhood Council will provide lunch to event participants at these locations.

To register for the event, please visit www.healthebay.org/ccd

National Night Out - August 2

Please join the CD13 neighborhoods and the Los Angeles Police Department in celebrating National Night Out. Events will take place around the city on Tuesday, August 2, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Bring your family and friends to enjoy free food, music, entertainment, games, and a community resource fair.

In CD13, events will be held at:

Walgreen's parking lot
1625 W. Sunset Blvd.
Echo Park

Church of Scientology Los Angeles
4810 Sunset Blvd.
East Hollywood

Town Hall Meeting on the Echo Park Lake Rehabilitation Project

Please join us at a Town Hall Meeting to discuss the Echo Park Lake Rehabilitation Project underway on July 20 at 6:00 p.m. at St. Paul's Cathedral (840 Echo Park Ave). The project team will be there to answer questions.

For more information, please click here.

826LA’s Everything You Know is Ping Pong Tournament

Come compete or support Everything You Know is Ping Pong, a ping pong tournament of champions fundraiser to benefit 826LA on July 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the Echoplex (1154 Glendale Blvd.).

826LA is a non-profit organization that works with local students to help them improve their writing skills and works with teachers to help them inspire students to write.

Anyone can participate in the tournament, either by competing, raising funds, or coming to watch the action.

To sign up to compete, buy tickets, or learn more, please click here.

Lotus Festival this weekend

Celebrate summer at the 33rd Lotus Festival at Echo Park Lake!

This free community event will be held Saturday, July 9, from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, July 10, from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Echo Park Lake (between Glendale and Echo Park Ave, just north of the 101 freeway).

The Lotus Festival presents an opportunity to learn more about our city's Asian and Pacific Islander American communities' cultures -- art, music and dance performances, and food will be featured throughout the park.

For more information, please click here.

Maria meets the press

Echo Park's beloved goose, Maria, met the press and showed off his new digs at the L.A. Zoo today. He (yes, Maria is male) was joined by his best human friend Dominic, an Echo Park resident with whom he developed a deep friendship.

Earlier this year, Maria moved to the zoo in advance of the start of a major rehabilitation project at Echo Park (you can read more about the project here). In addition, the media attention around his potential homelessness led to threats to his safety.

Now Maria has a private lawn and pool in the Winnick Family Children's Zoo. Dominic visits him nearly every day and is happy that he's in a safe environment where he'll make thousands of new friends.

Survey LA coming to Echo Park

The Office of Historic Resources will be hosting a SurveyLA Community Workshop on Thursday, June 23, at the Edendale Branch Library (2011 Sunset Blvd) from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

SurveyLA is the city's first-ever comprehensive effort to identify places with important social, historic, or cultural associations in Los Angeles. This workshop will inform participants of how they can provide information about locations to include in this survey.

To RSVP or for more information, please contact Bryan Fahrbach or Robby Aranguren at 626-793-2400 or myhistoricla@gmail.com.

Sign up now for 826LA workshops

Middle and high school students can have fun and show off their creativity while boosting their literacy skills at one of 826LA East's summer camps. Workshops include playwriting, journalism, and even rock opera.

All classes are free. Some classes are available for students as young as 6 years old.

For more information about summer camps, please click on the flier at right.

Echo Park Lake Birdwalk this Sunday

Join your neighbors in the Echo Park Lake Birdwalk this Sunday, June 19. The fun begins at 8 a.m. when participants will gather at the Echo Park Lake Boathouse to begin the walk, which will end at 11 a.m

According to event organizers, summer birds at the lake include Mallards, great-tailed grackles, robins, American coots, sparrows, finches, great egrets, black-crowned night herons, green herons, blackbirds, hawks, and various gulls and doves.

Beginning birders as well as children accompanied by their parents are encouraged to participate.

The walk is free. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars, a bird guide, water, and a hat.

For more information, please contact judycalifornia@yahoo.com or 323-663-6767.

Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council Honoring First Responders - June 16

The Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council will host a community reception honoring Echo Park's first responders from LAPD's Northeast and Rampart Stations, LAFD Station #20 and the General Services Office of Public Safety.

The reception will be held on Thursday, June 16, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the St. Paul Cathedral Center (840 Echo Park Avenue). It is free and open to the public.

My office is proud to support this event. Other organizations involved are the Echo Park Security Association and the Positive Energy Group as well as other elected leaders.

RSVP by Tuesday, June 14 to Lisa Baca-Sigala at (323) 660-7234 or via email at bacasigala@earthlink.net

Upcoming Echo Park Time Bank events

Come learn about time banking at a free public workshop hosted by the Echo Park Time Bank on Saturday, June 11, from 5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Micheltorena School Community Garden (1511 Micheltorena Street). The event will be followed by bring-your-own- utensils member potluck.

Later in the month, the Echo Park Time Bank will also be hosting the June Saturday Social on June 25 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Echo Park Lake.

Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council townhall meeting - May 28

The Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council will hold a townhall meeting on Saturday, May 28, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Edendale Library (2011 W. Sunset Blvd.). Neighborhood stakeholders are invited to provide their input on 2011-2012 neighborhood council budget priorities.

For more information, please contact Jose Sigala at 213/308-2826 or jose_sigala@yahoo.com.

Check out the Echo Park Community Art Project

This weekend the Echo Park Community Art Project (EPCAP) will host a celebration of local artists and free art workshops. The organization will also be distributing Art Survival Kits.

The gallery (Sancho, 1549 W. Sunset Blvd.) will be open from noon to 7 p.m. through May 15.

Click here for a schedule of events.

Taste of the Eastside - May 15 at Barnsdall Art Park

On Sunday, May 15, get a "Taste of the Eastside" at an afternoon event being held at Barnsdall Art Park (4800 Hollywood Blvd.) from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. to benefit SEE-LA, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Rose Scharlin Cooperative Nursery School, and the Barnsdall Art Park Foundation.

The festivities will include food and drinks from restaurants from neighborhoods including Silver Lake, Echo Park, Atwater Village, Highland Park, Los Feliz, Eagle Rock, and more. KCRW's Garth Trinidad will provide music.

General admission is $25 for adults and $5 for children ages 2 to 12 years old (children under 2 are free). VIP tickets are also available for $65, and entitle holders to enjoy cocktails by mixologist Talmadge Lowe of Heirloom LA and Pharmacie.

For more information about participating restaurants or to purchase tickets, please visit www.tasteoftheeastside.com.

Echo Park Stories and Enchiladas fundraiser to benefit Elysian Heights Elementary School

On Saturday, May 7, the Friends of Elysian Heights and the Echo Park Improvement Association will host "Echo Park Stories and Enchiladas," a fundraiser to benefit Elysian Heights Elementary School. The event will be held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Elysian Heights Elementary (1562 Baxter Street).

Admission is free and enchilada plates will be sold for $5. There will also be live music and a silent auction.

This fundraiser will directly support the Elysian Heights School and Community Garden, which provides an opportunity to enhance students' outdoor education and promote healthy lifestyles.

Community volunteers are welcome. Please contact friendsofelysian@yahoo.com if you are interested in helping the day of the event or have something to donate to the silent auction, have an interesting Echo Park story you would like to share, or if you have any questions about the event.

Elysian Park Expansion Grand Opening

Yesterday, I joined Elysian Valley and Echo Park community members in announcing the grand opening of the Elysian Park Expansion located on the border of the two communities off of Riverside Drive.

Elysian Park is a gem in our community and now it’s getting bigger and better with the expansion of five additional acres of open space, including two game courts, a children’s playground, lawn areas, picnic tables, a walking path, an outdoor classroom area, and parking spaces.

Go check it out today!

Big Sunday Weekend - May 14 and 15

This year's Big Sunday Weekend is just around the corner, so mark your calendars for May 14 and 15, and then check out the Big Sunday website to find a volunteer opportunity near you. All ages are welcome and volunteers can commit as little as one hour or up to two full days.

There are hundreds of projects that need your time, help, and skills -- including the Echo Park community clean-up that starts at El Centro del Pueblo (1157 Lemoyne Street).

Last year, more than 50,000 volunteers lent their time, energy, and labor to a worthy project through Big Sunday's annual weekend event. Help make this year's event even bigger and better!

Join us for the grand opening of the Elsyian Park expansion

Join me in celebrating to opening of the Elysian Park expansion on Thursday, April 28. The new addition to this beautiful park includes new benches, disabled access, nature trails, an outdoor classroom, and new sustainable filtration technology. The festivities begin at 4 p.m. at 1800 Riverside Drive.

For more information, please contact my District Office at 323-957-4500.

Hope to see you there!

Zumba to support youth scholarships for Echo Park Rec Center programs

Get fit, have fun, and support the Echo Park youth by enrolling in Zumba for Scholarships classes at the new Echo Park Rec Center gym (303 Patton Street).

Designed for beginners, classes will be held on Wednesday nights from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Registration is $40 for a 10-week session, but there is a 2-for-1 special available for the session beginning on April 20.

Zumba for Scholarships is supported by the Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council and underwritten by the Silver Lake Medical Center. One hundred percent of the proceeds will support youth athletic scholarships at the Echo Park Rec Center. The first session has already raised $500!

Here are the dates of the upcoming sessions:

• Session 2: April 20 - June 29, 2011
• Session 3: July 13 - September 14, 2011
• Session 4: September 28 - November 30, 2011

To register for classes, please email bacasigala@earthlink.net.