In Public Spaces Larry Latimer, the Authority On
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Thursday, Aug. 1, 2019 Vol. 18 No. 17 NEWS SPORTS NEWS PHILANTHROPY Girls on Fire Boxing debut Sussman Kiwanis donation summer camp at age 49 groundbreaking to symphony SEE PAGES 3 SEE PAGE 4 SEE PAGE 9 SEE PAGE 8 Downey Larry Latimer, the authority on Downey restaurant grades Narai Thai Cuisine history, remembered after death 7611 Firestone Blvd. Date Inspected: 7/30/19 Friday Friends remember Larry Among those at the Grade: A Weekend91˚ celebration of Larry’s Life were Latimer as a “Reinaissance John and Suzy Lacey, Jack and Bob’s Bog Boy at a man” who literally wrote Judy Faust, Carol Kearns, Vicki 7447 Firestone Blvd. Glance Spearman, Virginia Yoshiyama, Date Inspected: 7/30/19 Saturday 89˚⁰ the book on Downey’s Dr. Bob Flynn, Bernie Lewis, Friday 68 history. Beth Gendreau from the Food Grade: A Bank, and Claudia Dailey from the Downey Library where Larry’s Time Out Burger He died suddenly July 23 mother Cleo devoted herself to the 11219 Old River School Rd. Sunday 88˚ ⁰ Friends of the Downey Library. 70 at age 61. Date Inspected: 7/30/19 Saturday A contingent from the Grade: A Aerospace Legacy Foundation By Lorine Parks that Larry helped create was led Royal Liquor Grocery Society Columnist by Gerald and Kathie Blackburn, 13103 Lakewood Blvd. THINGS TO DO friends since the 90’s. Jerry was Date Inspected: 7/29/19 DOWNEY - The pews were Project Manager with the Boeing filled at St. Raymond’s Church in Space and Communications Grade: A Downey, to celebrate the too- Corporation at the Downey site short life of Larry Latimer. for 35 years. KCET is currently Baskin Robbins running a series, Blue Sky 8510 Firestone Blvd. It almost seemed as though Metropolis, and segment 3 on Date Inspected: 7/26/19 Larry had just stepped around the Sunday night dealt with Rockwell Grade: A corner, or was glimpsed fleetingly, and Downey’s contributions. there was such a strong family Century American History. I but he thoughtfully gave each of La Michoacana Lab resemblance between Larry and At the reception following pointed out that the table was us a small brilliant flashlight. It “Taste of Ecuador” his brothers, who attended the the services I was privileged populated by experts in the 20th was for seeing in dark places but 7403 Florence Ave. Sunday - Placita Olvera in Downtown services. to sit at the Historian’s table Century. also to be used as an emergency Date Inspected: 7/26/19 LA with Frank Williams, who said a beacon. Grade: A Boyishly young-looking few words about his friendship As a Renaissance man, Larry Enjoy a full menu of Ecuadorean with a shock of hair over his with Larry. Ben Dickow from was first a scientist but also a His kindness in the darkness cuisine, plus Ecuadorean crafts, musical Denny’s forehead, Larry was a part of the Columbia Memorial Space writer, historian, photographer, of technological frustration was groups, folklore customs, carnival Downey history, and Downey Center Foundation, another of gardener, golfer and lover of the sort of light a civilized man 8350 Firestone Blvd. games, vendors, and more. Free admission. history was Larry’s passion. Many Larry’s major pursuits, stopped nature. He could also quote poetry shares with his fellow beings. Date Inspected: 7/25/19 friends like Bob Thompson and by. Present were Bob Thompson and loved the LA Angels. Grade: A Frank Williams were there from of the Historical Society, the “There will be a memorial the Downey Historical Society, But there was more to Larry. I service for Larry, probably in Blackburns and Arlene Busby, Barriles Restobar where Larry collaborated on his president of the Aerospace Legacy got to know him after I answered October,” said Jerry Blackburn. retro-looking sepia-covered book Foundation. his Computer 1 Solutions ad in the “We’ll pull together the Historical 14329 Lakewood Blvd. “Downey,” from the Images of Patriot’s Classified section, under Society along with the Aerospace Date Inspected: 7/25/19 America Series. As a bonus we were joined Services: “Senior computer help Legacy Foundation.” Grade: A by Aron Ramirez, the recent and printer setup.” “Larry was my kid brother,” Stanford graduate who is currently “And the Coordinating Godtti’s began his brother Rick’s eulogy, writing a 6-part series on the Larry devoted himself to Council,” added Kathy. “and family and friends were 7931 Firestone Blvd. demographic changes in Downey helping seniors over the geriatric Signal Hill Car Show important to him.” Larry is for the Downey Patriot. Aron is gap that the computer created. “We’ll have it at the Columbia Date Inspected: 7/25/19 Memorial Space Center.” said Sunday- Signal Hill Park, 8 am to 3 pm mourned by wife Rose and family going to Yale to pursue his studies He was not only expert, and Grade: B and by his many friends. and said his field is Twentieth patient when he offered advice, Jerry. “Watch for it on Facebook.” Show quality cars and trucks from 1975 The Palms Restaurant and older, plus music, 50-50 raffles, 8060 E Florence Ave. and barbecue. Put on by the Signal Hill Police Department and Sultans Car Date Inspected: 7/25/19 Club. Demographic Change: The Primacy Grade: A Joseph’s Bar and Grill 11032 Downey Ave. Date Inspected: 7/25/19 of “Americanness” in Public Spaces Grade: A Chinese Gourmet Express This is not to suggest, though, has always been, home to Part IV of VII 104 Stonewood St. that all Mexican Americans a profound array of diverse Millennium Age Silent Party expressed their “Americanness” communities. Diversity in Date Inspected: 7/24/19 Downey has maintained the same way. Mexican Americans metropolitan Los Angeles Grade: A Saturday - French Quarter Creole Bar & did not necessarily become goes beyond ethnic Grill in Bellflower, 9:30 pm its status as a step-up suburban by becoming pocho. diversity, too. Consider Tokyo Garden A nightclub with no speakers or amps; community, even as Rather, it required careful the economic diversity of 11946 S Paramount Blvd. instead, attendees dance while wearing attention to their public image. metropolitan Los Angeles: Date Inspected: 7/24/19 headphones. Simply remove your residents fled to Orange the bastion of wealth in headphones to chat with other people. County in the 1980s and As I briefly mentioned last Beverly Hills, the working- Grade: A week, some Mexican Americans class and working-poor ‘90s. retained ties to their Mexican communities of south- Cinnabon heritage by practicing the central Los Angeles, and 251 Stonewood St. culturally important language, By Aron Ramirez every shade in between. Date Inspected: 7/24/19 purchasing, and entrepreneurship Contributor practices in spaces outside of But these communities Grade: A The experiences of Downey’s Downey. I will analyze that exhibit remarkable first middle-class Mexican phenomenon, what I call levels of figurative and El Sushi Loco Express Americans were shaped by the “metropolitan Mexicanness,” in literal mobility. Some 102 Stonewood St. white demographic majority. this installment. families in working-class Date Inspected: 7/24/19 Masters of Motown Ethnic differences might communities find upward Through metropolitan Grade: A Sunday - Warner Center Park in Los have been irreconcilable in economic mobility and Mexicanness, some of Downey’s Angeles, 5:30 pm Downey if not for the Mexican move to middle-class Mexican Americans could express Americans’ public emphasis on neighborhoods; many of Teriyaki Plus A 90-minute celebration of the their ethnic identity without “Americanness” in language, the Mexicans Americans 7850 Imperial Hwy. legendary songs and performers that compromising their civic identity. business, and politics. It was this moving to Downey in the Date Inspected: 7/24/19 defined Motown and soul music. Free This continued throughout the way that Mexican Americans 1970s and 1980s did just admission, optional $15 VIP seating. beginnings of demographic Courtesy of the Downey Historical Society Grade: A secured their place in the middle- that. change in Downey, which I narrate class suburb—and the capital that at the end of this essay. Meanwhile, the freeway Alberto’s Mexican Food came with it. system (more so than public But working-class South 12620 Paramount Blvd. Gate shoppers were painfully The Los Angeles area is, and transportation) connects and Date Inspected: 7/24/19 enables connections between aware of their precarious hold Grade: the same exact communities; on homeownership and looked A an (admittedly congested) to economize in any way they Rives Mansion could be drive along the 405 freeway is could. This included travelling to La Michocana Republic all that separates a Long Beach other cities for groceries, clothes, 112 Stonewood St. or other goods if the prices were converted to office space family from spending a day of Date Inspected: 7/24/19 Midsummer Scream recreation in Santa Monica. Both cheaper. While this may have DOWNEY - A conversion plan for the Rives Mansion entered of these forms of mobility have upset South Gate merchants, the Grade: A All Weekend - Long Beach Convention the review stages this week, citing intent to add office space to the had significant implications shoppers took advantage of the Center diverse and eminently accessible historic property. for Los Angeles—and indeed, Norm’s A celebration of horror with dozens of American—history. These are the communities throughout 7955 E Firestone Blvd. haunted attractions, props, screening Upon conversion, the existing mansion would have 4,845 square factors that enabled metropolitan metropolitan Los Angeles to Date Inspected: 7/23/19 rooms, guest panels, and more. $33-$55 feet of executive offices, with nine individual offices, six restrooms, Mexicanness.