Notes from our first sign posting
Last Sunday (12/2) we started posting signs in Glassell Park after our inaugural ILA Maintenance Crew meeting. The first National Park sign went up on a large island where we had the activity. The traffic island landscape was plush with green grass, different kinds of trees and now the Nat’l Park sign.
The maintenance crew posted on 3 islands in the area including the one at the bottom of this email. We continued to Echo Park where we found another large island. This one with forest like trees was near Dodger Stadium. There where also some residents on the island; we went to post signs and talk to them.
Larry, a rawboned, waif LA native and his dog Bailey are on this Island every weekend. “These islands are a sanctuary. I began working on the islands as a beggar a couple years ago because I had no work.”
“Since then, this Sheriff gave me 4 tickets for being in the street but I was never in the street, just on this island. $113/ea. I couldn’t pay the tickets so they impounded my motor home. Warrant too, probably.”
“Would you like a job?” we asked. “Yeah. I’m a skilled VHS technician but can’t find work. The immigrants are taking the jobs. But I can do pretty well here, especially, in Christmas. And some people are nice.”
“1 lady gives me food and sometimes a ride to my camp on the edge of a park. I can’t go to the shelter because they don’t let dogs. Bailey, a light-haired, languid dog lays in the shade of a tall tree.
“Bailey’s been with me for 13 years and I don’t have the heart to leave him.” A white sock covers an infection on his right, hind paw. His nose “sunburnt. I didn’t know that could happen. The vet gave me cream but he just licks it off.” We continue listening to his soft eyes sharing his insights.
“What do you think of the trees on this island?”
“Used to be all grass. 2 years ago they re-did it. They tore out the grass and put low maintenance plants.”
We said our farewells to Larry and went to meet the other residents, their coolers a few feet away from where Baily lay. We saw the two outlaw entrepreneurs grab white coconuts with straws sticking out and bags of sliced mango, a lime cut in half at the top. We spoke with Miguel, who wished to remain faceless. He is here from Guatemala for a few years to save money for his family. “I get the fruit from El Patron. I make $40-50 but only now because there is no work.” Miguel used to work in construction but says others are paying off their bill to the Coyote’s for coming into the country. Efrain cautiously asks, “What are you doing?” We explain that we are artists creating inquisitive interchanges on traffic islands. “Ok.” Miguel gave us his number and said he would come to an event on an island.
We then swooped down to Temple and over to downtown, up Alameda and installed a sign…can you guess where? Check out the post on the first ILA maintenance crew meeting.
