The Chinese Theater - Hollywood Boulevard

. Here are a few photos of Hollywood Blvd. The Kodak Theater and the Chinese Theater were closed for some Steven Spielberg red carpet release and perhaps for the Oscars. Back in Minnesota, on the Sunday night of the Oscars, I was happy that my friend Dave Murphy another MKP guy suggested we see Hurt Locker as he heard the buzz that it might do well. Indeed watching from my sister Jane's place with Don in Inver Grove Heights, I watched a fellow MKP brother and son of my 2009 UK WEG roommate Bill Boal, Mark Boal, pick up the Oscar for Best Screen Play. Wow, interesting to actually know the family of a winner.

View of LA plains from Palo Rancho Verdes Area

This is an early morning view from the home of Dick and Ginny Granoff on the hill of Palo Rancho Verdes not far from Long Beach. Dick and I staffed the Los Angeles New Warrior Training Adventure in late February and he and Ginny were kind enough to house me for a couple of nights when I went into LA from Long Beach on the Blue Line to the Red line in Hollywood. I met Tom Bussler in Hollywood, West Hollywood in a building he mentioned folks like Lily Tomlin used to live in after having lunch at a local Hollywood Venue, The Griddle.

Feb 18th - 3 Birthdays Cooper's Irish Pub in St Louis Park West End

Here we are celebrating Feb 18 with three birthday folks. Zach Engler, me, Kathy and Gary Engler (the three of us share Feb 18th as our birthday, and Molly Engler. Thanks to Zach Engler for suggesting this venue who is a resident of St Louis Park as well. He and his sister Molly now have a growing business, Metro Pets and More, Molly started out walking dogs.
See www.metropetsandmore.com. Grateful for my growing family of choice and new beginnings here in St Louis Park. In the same complex is a big new theater where I saw Avitar in 3D on New Years Day, and Hurt Locker, the night before the Oscars. I was quite surprised when Mark Boal, son of Bill Boal with whom I attended the Mankind Project World Elder Gathering in London and roomed with at the Columbia, won the Oscar for his writing of the screen play for Hurt Locker. Quite moving for me, as the film names WAR as the ultimate addiction here on this planet. WAR "we are right" and the killing that the two leggeds keep on doing in the name of the right God and all of that. People who fly airplanes into buildings and all. Anyway, I am grateful for the beauty of today and each day. Peace, love, joy with the spring.

MacArthur Park Today - Westlake Park and the Chancellor Hotel

Here is MacArthur Lake Park today, known to my Grandfather Glessner and mom, Peg Glessner as West Lake Park. The tall white building in the back was known as the Elks Temple on the M Kashower Co Los Angeles Post Card that Len Glessner sent to his son, Harry C Glessner in 1929.

Here is the Hotel Chancellor at 7th and Berendo, not far from Wilshire and Vermont. I walked here from West Lake AKA MacArthur Park today on a bright and sunny day. Here is where my Grandfather Glessner stayed in 1929 when he wrote a card to his daughter Margaret who was then an 18 yr old freshman at Oberlin College in Ohio. Today it has been converted into a condo.

Genealogy Research at the Main Library Los Angeles

I left Woodland Hills around noon and then took the Red Line to Pershing Square in downtown LA. It was a short walk on a clear blue sky day up the hill on 5th to the Main LA Library. What I nice facility. Taking the escalator to the fourth floor basement in the Tom Bradley Wing, I was led to the City Directory and found the location of the Chappelear relatives and where they lived around West Lake Park which is now called MacArthur Park. Henry Chappelear,in 1916 was living at 2004 7th Ave in LA, Levi Ross at 628 S Westlake Ave and Ross Holmes, with brother Oliver Wendell with their mom, Matilda, aka "Tillie" at 450 Grand View. I went to all the locations and found that the homes have changed quite a bit. Very much a Latino neighborhood.

The Musica Store is at 2004 7th, listed as the address for the home of Henry S Chappelear who is listed as a watchman in the 1916 LA City Directory on p541.

Sunday Breakfast at Pat's Topanga Grill with Steve Basil

Here is Steve sitting at our table prior to ordering our breakfast. Fun being here and sharing stories and then Steve introduced me to the owner, Pat, who has a passion for fighting the local brush fires in a good way. He wants the bureaucrats (seemingly mostly dysfunctional with a lot of "meetings" that he think led to the 2 deaths of firefighers during the last local fire)




Here is Pat, with a photo of one of the "scooper" planes that in his view are more effecient and less dangerous that he hopes some local group will buy.

Visit with Steve Basil - Woodland Hills Topanga Canyon CA

Here is my friend Steve Basil, sharing the overlook to the Valley on the Topanga Canyon Road to Woodland Hills. We are on our way to breakfast, my first day here after my arrival last evening at LAX. Thinking about the air quality here since the "car dependency" era began. My Chappelear and Glessner relatives, reflected in the post cards of Peg's collection, reflect the times of train and tolley travel here, in the 1910's - 1930's,when the air was pure, the orchards were prevalent. I hope to find the places in LA where they lived during that time during my research at the LA Central Library tomorrow.

Here I am at the same overlook this morning. Thanks Steve for your kind companionship and welcoming to California.