Glendale Boulevard

Reviving ages-old discussion of the "Glendale Corridor," residents voiced hope and fear about the future of Glendale Boulevard at community meetings sponsored last week by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Residents expressed their long-held frustration over the abrupt end of the Glendale Freeway in Echo Park and the subsequent traffic jams and hazards it causes on Glendale Boulevard.

Inside an industrial white building just west of downtown is a place where roosters serenade chickens, hats become ice skaters and cactuses dance toe to toe. Here at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, children sit enchanted by the world of puppets. "There's nothing else like it. I can't imagine what my life would be without it, nor what Los Angeles would be without it," said Alex Evans, a puppeteer and stage manager at the theater. The landmarkat 1st Street and Glendale Boulevard has been entertaining audiences for 52 years.

After more than a year of dispute, a compromise has been reached on some portions of a $14-million project to ease traffic on Glendale Boulevard, a major thoroughfare into downtown Los Angeles. Some residents in Echo Park objected to the proposed permanent closing of Berkeley Avenue at Glendale and street widening at Glendale and Temple Street, which would endanger some popular tennis courts on the northeastern corner of the intersection.

Several streets throughout the city will be shut down today for the third annual Los Angeles Half Marathon. The course for the event, set to begin at 7:30 a.m., will extend from the Los Angeles Zoo in Griffith Park to downtown. The following streets will be closed as early as 5 a.m. and will not reopen until 1 p.m.: Glendale Boulevard, Rowena Avenue, Silver Lake Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard up to Logan Street, Bellevue Avenue along Echo Park Lake, Temple Street, Figueroa Street, 2nd Street and Hill Street.

Regarding "The Gastro Economist: Glendale, the Kebab's Home Away From Home" [March 13]: One you didn't include is Elena's Greek Armenian Cuisine on Glendale Boulevard, which serves mouth-watering lamb kebab plates under 10 bucks. An added bonus is the taped Greek and Armenian music playing in the background. David Tulanian Los Angeles

Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials on Monday night will make a final review of residents' suggestions for revamping Glendale Boulevard before a traffic study is submitted to the MTA board. The community meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Center, 1891 Effie St.

Several streets throughout the city will be shut down today for the third annual Los Angeles Half Marathon. The course for the event, set to begin at 7:30 a.m., will extend from the Los Angeles Zoo in Griffith Park to downtown. The following streets will be closed as early as 5 a.m. and will not reopen until 1 p.m.: Glendale Boulevard, Rowena Avenue, Silver Lake Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard up to Logan Street, Bellevue Avenue along Echo Park Lake, Temple Street, Figueroa Street, 2nd Street and Hill Street.

I walk along the Los Angeles River every day from Glendale Boulevard to Los Feliz Boulevard; either early morning or at sunset. Over the last few years the river has become beautiful. There are all kinds of water fowl and birds living in this section of the river. It is so peaceful, and hard to believe it's so near the Golden State Freeway. Please spend that $100,000 to clean up the river where thoughtless people have thrown all kinds of trash, stuck in the middle of the river.

For the third time in a century, Los Angeles and state planners are trying to reshape Glendale Boulevard in Echo Park to meet Southern California's evolving transportation needs. And they are not finding it easy going. Before World War II, Glendale was a main thoroughfare for Red Car trolleys serving downtown, entering or leaving a tunnel at Beverly Boulevard.

Re "Glendale Blvd. Traffic Fix Back in Slow Lane," July 12: All of the solutions offered will do little to really solve the traffic problems on Glendale Boulevard. There is a de facto freeway running through Echo Park because the freeway proposed was never built. Although extending the freeway all the way to Beverly Hills is impractical, why not extend it just down to the Hollywood Freeway between Rampart and Alvarado? Blocking construction of a freeway just because you don't want it in your neighborhood doesn't stop the traffic.

Regarding "The Gastro Economist: Glendale, the Kebab's Home Away From Home" [March 13]: One you didn't include is Elena's Greek Armenian Cuisine on Glendale Boulevard, which serves mouth-watering lamb kebab plates under 10 bucks. An added bonus is the taped Greek and Armenian music playing in the background. David Tulanian Los Angeles

After more than a year of dispute, a compromise has been reached on some portions of a $14-million project to ease traffic on Glendale Boulevard, a major thoroughfare into downtown Los Angeles. Some residents in Echo Park objected to the proposed permanent closing of Berkeley Avenue at Glendale and street widening at Glendale and Temple Street, which would endanger some popular tennis courts on the northeastern corner of the intersection.

Re "Glendale Blvd. Traffic Fix Back in Slow Lane," July 12: All of the solutions offered will do little to really solve the traffic problems on Glendale Boulevard. There is a de facto freeway running through Echo Park because the freeway proposed was never built. Although extending the freeway all the way to Beverly Hills is impractical, why not extend it just down to the Hollywood Freeway between Rampart and Alvarado? Blocking construction of a freeway just because you don't want it in your neighborhood doesn't stop the traffic.

For the third time in a century, Los Angeles and state planners are trying to reshape Glendale Boulevard in Echo Park to meet Southern California's evolving transportation needs. And they are not finding it easy going. Before World War II, Glendale was a main thoroughfare for Red Car trolleys serving downtown, entering or leaving a tunnel at Beverly Boulevard.

By Allesandro Street, Glendale Boulevard is teeth-gnashing desperate to get onto the Glendale Freeway. At this last moment, with freedom just in sight, not a whole lot of traffic stops at the little corner mall. Of course, there's not much there. Just a market, a dentist, a video store and the blazing yellow Restaurant Spain.

A subterranean gas pipeline undergoing a pressure test exploded along 100 yards of Glendale Boulevard in the Echo Park area Friday, injuring at least six people and damaging several structures on the busy thoroughfare. The test did not involve natural gas--the line was being tested with relatively inert nitrogen--so there was no fire.

Glendale East Elk Avenue, 1100 block--A man reported that his fiancee, whom he recently began living with, stole about $2,500 cash, an assault rifle, a handgun, and jewelry and clothing of undetermined value while he was out of his apartment on June 14 between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. South Glendale Avenue, 800 block--A computer valued at $2,500 was stolen from Windsor Liquor on June 17.

Advertising company Lamar sued the city of Los Angeles two months ago, demanding the right to install new digital billboards in such neighborhoods as Sherman Oaks, Silver Lake, Glassell Park and the Fairfax district. Lamar's involvement in city politics did not stop there. Since it filed that lawsuit, the company has financed scores of billboards for candidates in the May 21 election - 100 for mayoral hopeful Wendy Greuel, 100 for city controller candidate Dennis Zine and 20 apiece for City Council candidates Curren Price, Nury Martinez and Gil Cedillo.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials on Monday night will make a final review of residents' suggestions for revamping Glendale Boulevard before a traffic study is submitted to the MTA board. The community meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Center, 1891 Effie St.

Reviving ages-old discussion of the "Glendale Corridor," residents voiced hope and fear about the future of Glendale Boulevard at community meetings sponsored last week by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Residents expressed their long-held frustration over the abrupt end of the Glendale Freeway in Echo Park and the subsequent traffic jams and hazards it causes on Glendale Boulevard.