Without a guide to the dozens of buildings in Whittier that Harrison designed, it’s hard for those of us living here today to understand how profoundly he shaped the built landscape that we take for granted.
Month: December 2019
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SCOTUS Says Cities Must Provide Housing
On Monday, the Supreme Court of the United States declined unanimously to hear an appeal by cities (including Whittier) of Martin v. Boise, a key part of the case law which says that removal of unhoused persons from public land without offering shelter is unconstitutional. This sets a mandate for cities like Whittier to provide housing.
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Top 10 Locavore Holiday Gifts in Whittier
Our 2019 top 10 list includes local art, wearables, toiletries, and other sustainable gifts you can find at locally-owned businesses, including antiques and books.
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Everybody Loves a Parade
Especially right here in good ole Whittier! Under grey slightly damp skies, the 66th Annual Uptown Whittier Christmas Parade kicked off to a predicted 18,000 gleeful attendees. Times may change but at the heart of this beloved event is the bringing together of children and the child that remains in all of us. From the...
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Open Letter to Whittier’s Mayor re: “Blight”
The real issue that I take with your mailer is your use of the word "blight" in describing what is going on.
Blight, as I'm sure you know, is a disease in plants. The Oxford English Dictionary calls blight "a thing that spoils or damages".
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Opinion Editorial: The Active Hope of Advent
My friend and I shared breakfast with people encamped in our city park. A local congregation and advocacy group rustled up burritos and coffee before the neighborhood protest began. We stood with campers, as a small group of disheartened citizens honked horns, waved humiliating signs, but mostly glared. I approached each group who had skin...
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Decolonize the Holidays: Indigenous Whittier
Tribal chairman of the Kizh Nation Andrew Salas spoke with Sustainable City News about the Indigenous experience of American holidays. “On Christmas, we celebrate traditionally with Santa Claus and Christmas lights and everything, but we celebrate the day after--Winter Solstice--with a Sunrise Ceremony. It’s the beginning of winter."
Indigenous Whittier College student Esai Cervantes has mixed feelings about the holidays: “I know people who are starting to reclaim their Indigenous side start to feel uncomfortable practicing Christianity. It’s still sort of difficult when you have family who are celebrating Christmas and believe in Christianity. In some way or form, Christianity has impacted our way of life.”
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Whittier Candidates Vie for Assembly
The first Millennial elected to the State Assembly, Majority Leader Ian Calderon, who lives in and serves Whittier, made a surprise announcement on Tuesday, November 26, that he would not seek re-election for AD 57 in 2020.
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Pitchforks, Torches & Peace at Parnell Park
Members of the encampment said they do not want to live in the park, but affordable housing is unavailable, and waiting lists for services are full. One man has a job at a popular local restaurant that doesn't pay enough to afford rent. Another man lost his job three months ago and has been in the park for two months. One woman has been on a Section 8 waiting list for 12 years.