Another Olympic welcome home

Some of the most heartfelt ceremonies of the Summer Olympics took place not on raised platforms before cheering crowds in Beijing, but in living rooms and backyards in hometowns across the United States. Here's one of them, shot by Eddy Hartenstein, our new photo intern publisher.   

That's U.S. Olympian Will Simpson, fresh from the airport, being welcomed home to Hidden Valley on Tuesday night by his sister, Kerry Simpson (in the red-striped shirt) and a bunch of friends and neighbors. Someone used a forklift to attach a banner to a telephone pole and hoisted it across the road. No word on what's in all those glasses.

Simpson won a gold medal in the equestrian team show jumping competition during the 2008 Olympics.

Next up for Hartenstein, who grabbed a camera when he saw this celebration in his neighborhood — a stint on the night cops beat. (Just kidding.) (I think.)

— Veronique de Turenne

Photo: Eddy Hartenstein / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Charles Reinken]

What I like about this is not just that it's a great photo, but it shows that Eddy's not afraid to roll up his sleeves and work.

Charley Reinken
Echo Park