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A mix of news and, well, gossip, to ease you through the a.m.:
You're my density. No, destiny.
Koreatown developer Christopher Pak brings Asian-style infill to LA, according to K. Connie Chang in today's Times.
Pak, a 45-year-old architect, developer and political insider, is turning Koreatown into a testing ground for a vision of a dense, taller L.A. -- pushing the boundaries of what residents will bear when it comes to high-rise construction.It's a style of building -- and living -- that he brings from projects he has designed in Asian cities such as Jakarta, Indonesia and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Looking for toys not made in China?
Good luck with that, says Barbara Correa in the Daily News.
Another departure from the LAT's sports staff:
Jason Reid follows J.A. Adande out the door at the LA Times' sports section. Reid's headed for greener pastures at the Washington Post, where he'll be the Redskins' beat writer. (That's football, right?) That makes two African American sports writers in two months to say adios to the LAT.
Around LA Observed
In Native Intelligence, Eric Estrin asks for your vote on what to call the LA Times. (Oh, be nice.)
David Davis writes about Wes Parker, "the lone Dodger (Brooklyn or L.A.) on the just-released all-time Gold Glove team."
Mark Lacter's on jury duty.
And in Here in Malibu, someone dressed a dog in a rain coat. Is that even legal?
More vacations
Turns out LAO's Big Kahuna isn't the only one taking an August break. Adrienne Crew's LA Brain Terrain says "See you in September" and hints at big changes to her LA blog when she returns.
Top 10? Par-tay!
LA-ist's Tony Pierce gives UCSB a reason to celebrate - the seaside school makes the top ten of party schools nationwide.
And a couple of items for you political junkies out there:
Seems that Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez and Sen. Gil Cedillo (D- Los Angeles) got into a lively round of name calling about a bit of legislation Cedillo wrote.
The scuffle between the two prominent Los Angeles Latino leaders was ignited by a candlelight vigil once scheduled for this afternoon, in which students planned to deliver "thousands" of letters to the speaker's L.A. office demanding he take action on legislation to make illegal immigrants eligible for state financial aid at California colleges.Cedillo introduced his so-called California Dream Act, Senate Bill 160, in the Senate earlier this year, but it stalled in committee. Cedillo amended the language of the stalled bill into new legislation, Senate Bill 65, which now sits in the Assembly, awaiting assignment to a committee.
Words like "misguided" and "disingenuous" got tossed around. Shane Goldmacher has the details behind the Sacramento Bee's Capitol Alert firewall. (This kind of political bickering is steep at $499 per year, but if you've just gotta have the details, you can pony up or sign up for a free two week trial.)
Closer to home:
Miguel Santana, chief of staff to county supe Gloria Molina, is headed for the private sector as a political strategist for Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal.