JACK’S RABBIT?: Quite a teaser for the upcoming Mid-Year Economic Forecast from the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. (LAEDC): “Home values continue to fall due to the on-going mortgage crisis. Retailing is dampened by the sluggish economy. The entertainment industry is still being affected by labor problems. Fuel prices are sky high. What else can we expect for our economy in the months to come?” We’ll let you know if LAEDC econo honcho Jack Kyser pulls a rabbit out of that hat—or at least finds a silver lining. The event is scheduled for July 16 at the Downtown Marriott for anyone who wants to hear for themselves. Call (213) 622-4300 for information…LATINOS & VINO: Promoters of the July 18 “East L.A. Meets Napa” wine-and-food fundraiser at Union Station point to Latino/Americans as a growth market for high-end wines. Nerissa Silao of PR firm Arevalo Sanchez says local Latinos accounted for $23.2 million in sales of the good stuff last year, about 10% of the total in L.A. That’s a 21% increase from the year prior among Latinos, compared to a 12% overall gain for the local marketplace (see Community Calendar, left)…NABISCO’S MEXICAN ACCENT: The growing influence of Latino tastes works both ways. Consider when big ice cream makers caught on to the dulce de leche caramel flavor a few years back and took it from a Latino niche to a mainstream standard. Now Nabisco is making a similar move with “Cakesters,” which are the company’s Nilla Wafers sandwiched around marshmallow filling. The Cakesters appeared recently at the Walgreen’s in Echo Park—they taste a lot like the marshmallow “galletas” that have long been popular at Latino markets around town…L.A. KOR/AMS’ SAMBA EXPRESS: It’s not just Latinos shifting the business landscape. Ask yourself why Korean Air would be the first commercial carrier to provide regular non-stop service between L.A. and Sao Paulo, Brazil. The answer: Many of the Korean/Americans in L.A. first stopped in Brazil in the 1960s, when the South American giant hoped they would settle lands in the country’s rugged interior. Legend has it that many of the Koreans took one look and headed to Sao Paulo, where they followed a familiar path for immigrants all over the world by going into the garment business. Brazil hit a tough economic run back in the 1970s, and a lot of Koreans pulled up stakes and moved to L.A. Seems many retained ties to Sao Paulo, though…KUDOS FOR BEAT COPS: Thanks to the LAPD officers who stopped by the Garment & Citizen’s newsrack at 2nd & Spring on the afternoon of the 4th of July to make sure the fellow with the tools wasn’t making mischief. The inquiry was appreciated—not everyone working on a newsrack Downtown is on the level. And, yes, that really was Jerry Sullivan, the Garment & Citizen’s editor and publisher. He says the working holiday was part regular maintenance and part penance for a recent misspelling (see Corrections & Clarifications, related story on Angelus Plaza, home page)…BEST BET FOR MUSIC FANS: Citizen Cope at the Orpheum on November 7.
garmentandcitizen.com
Next Question: - 11/14/2008
Will Council Races Challenge Anyone?
Los Angeles City Councilmembers who represent Downtown and surrounding ... [ Full Story ]
Rubbing Shoulders at the River - 11/14/2008
Clean-Up Connection: 13th District Los Angeles City Councilmember Eric Garcetti (back row, second from right) joined m ... [ Full Story ]
Commentary - 11/14/2008
The Purpose of Finger-Pointing on Financial Crisis
The presidential campaign is over and the global financia ... [ Full Story ]
Letters to the Editor - 11/14/2008
A Call on Homeless Kids
Los Angeles is being flooded with homeless children because of families losing their ... [ Full Story ]
Dot Dot Dish - 11/14/2008
BECERRA CABINET-BOUND?: Word on the street has 31st District Congressman Xavier Becerra under consideration for a ... [ Full Story ]
Community Calendar - 11/14/2008
Westlake Take on Wilshire Boulevard Buses
Public Planning: Representatives of the Metropolitan Transportation Au ... [ Full Story ]
For Sanity’s Sake by Taprina Milburn - 11/14/2008
The Wonders of an Ordinary Day
The washing machine hums, the cat meows, the wind chimes chime.
The Los Angeles Garment & Citizen is the community newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and surrounding neighborhoods, including the Arts District, Chinatown, Echo Park, Little Tokyo, Pico-Union, Silver Lake and Westlake.The Garment & Citizen reaches more than 20,000 readers weekly, an audience that spans the demographic makeup of the city and serves as the leading edge of statewide and national trends.
