Villaraigosa prevents event from back-firing
The swimmers were on the starting blocks at Miguel Contreras Learning Center swimming pool, waiting for the crack of a pistol, but Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had other plans.
At a news conference this morning, the mayor announced a new agreement between the city and the Los Angeles Unified School District to open up 15 LAUSD pools to the public during the hot summer months.To commemorate the deal, Villaraigosa was supposed to shoot a starter pistol and send about a dozen high school kids into the gleaming, Olympic-sized pool.
But Villaraigosa, his political radar finely tuned, didn’t want anything to do with holding a gun, "even a fake one," especially with television news cameras and photographers recording his every move.
Instead, he picked up the microphone and counted to three.
-- Phil Willon
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The Miguel Contreras Olympic pool is open for the children and their families and friends in the most park starved area in the state of California — more than one year after Evan George broke the story in the Downtown News; after more than 24 newspaper, television, radio, and blog pieces; and after community protests spearheaded by ACORN and The City Project.
The City Project applauds the tenacity of the journalists and community organizers who made this dream come true, despite the claims by public officials that there were no lifeguards, there was no money to pay lifeguards, the class rooms could not be secured, there were no showers, there were no lockers, yadda, yadda, yadda.
Si se puede!
Thank you:
Miguel Contreras School Pool a Squandered Opportunity Downtown News Editorial June 30, 2008
KTLA TV Jaime Chambers Open the Miguel Contreras Pool June 11, 2008
KTLA TV Jaime Chambers Open the Miguel Contreras Pool on the web June 11, 2008
Contreras Pool to Remain Off Limits To Public This Summer
Ryan Vaillancourt Downtown News June 7, 2008
Miguel Contreras would not like this
Kevin Roderick LA Observed April 24, 2008
A Year of Firsts
Evan George, Downtown News, December 31, 2007
Pool ‘Solution’ Is Hardly Worth Cheering
Downtown News Editorial August 13, 2007
La Opinion: Inician transporte a piscinas/Swim Shuttles Begin
Jazman Ortega La Opinion 10 de agosto 2007
Persiste la lucha por piscina/The struggle for the pool goes on
Por Andrea Carrion Diario HOY 8 de agosto, 2007
Mayor takes steps to cool off pool dispute
L.A. Times August 4, 2007 From Times Staff and Wire Reports
School pool or people’s plunge? Residents living near the downtown-area Miguel Contreras Learning Complex would like to take a dip in the campus’ gleaming waters. By Bob Pool, Los Angeles Times, August 1, 2007
Se esfuma la posibilidad de abrir piscina al publico
Por Andrea Carrion Diario HOY, 1 de agosto, 2007
Budget Problems Keep New Downtown Public Pool Unused
Community Group ACORN Protests Lack of Access to Pool
By Subha Ravindhran, ABC7, July 31, 2007
Failure To Open New Pool Makes Waves Among Residents
By KNBC.com and KNBC (NBC4 Los Angeles). July 31, 2007
The Mayor, the Kids, and the Absurd Politics of City Pools
Celeste Fremon, WitnessLA, July 31st, 2007
Funds for Pool, But no General Public Use
News Brief, Los Angeles Downtown News, July 23, 2007
Concejal busca fondos para abrir piscina al publico/Councilman Seeks Funds To Open Miguel Contreras Pool Andrea Carrion Diario HOY, 19 de julio, 2007
Vecinos presionan para que se abra piscina
Andrea Carrion Diario HOY, 17 de julio, 2007
Gran alberca al servicio de nadie/Great Pool Serves No One/ La comunidad pide que abran al publico piscina en Miguel Contreras
Agustin Duran, La Opinion and MSNBC 13 de julio de 2007
Mr. Mayor, tear down that fence
Kevin Roderick LA Observed July 13, 2007
Open the Pool
KABC TV 7 Eyewitness News July 5, 6:00 pm
The Pool’s Full of Water but the Kids Can’t Swim/ Summertime Blues: LA Kids Locked Out of LA School Pools/ Which Way, L.A.? with City Controller Laura Chick, The City Project’s Executive Director Robert Garcia, and LAUSD Facilities Chief Guy Mehula
Warren Olney Which Way, L.A.? July 2, 2007
Open the Miguel Contreras Pool
Editorial Downtown News July 2, 2007
Summer Bummer
Cost of Lifeguards at Miguel Contreras School Keeps Olympic-Sized Pool Off Limits to the Community
Evan George, Staff Writer Los Angeles Downtown News June 25, 2007
Posted by: Robert Garcia | July 08, 2008 at 10:38 AM