Boyle Heights News Round Up: Wallgreens opening up on June 4th, Mural Gets Buffed on 1st Street, Memorial Day Celebrations at Cinco Puntos, New Bike Lane on Lorena Street

Opening June 4^th: Wallgreens on Cesar Chavez Avenue

A Wallgreens will open on the corner of Cesar Chavez Avenue and Breed Street on June 4^th, making it the first big box store to open on the iconic street. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10:00 A.M., and activities will take place from 10:00 A.M.- 5:00 P.M., said Jennifer Martinez, area director for the City District 14 Boyle Heights field office.

In a post by Misneighbors.com in 2011, community members were sad to see Big Buy, the lot's former occupant, close after 45  years. Community members protested against construction of the Walgreens on Cesar Chavez Avenue, expressing that it will take money away from family-owned businesses.

1st Street Mural gets buffed - via MisNeighbors.com

A mural on the corner of 1st Street and Savannah Street was buffed recently after a community member complained to the  Los Angeles Police Department about the piece. The photos of the mural, taken by community blogger Erick Huerta,  showed Hugo Martinez Tecoatl's most recent developments in the work before it was removed, with painted portraits of Emiliano Zapata, an Olmec head and even a bicyclist riding at the top of the piece.

Even though it is still illegal to paint murals, Boyle Heights has seen more murals go up than taken down in recent months, with a mural  going up in September in front of Eastside Luv and another mural in December at Libros Schmibros old location. A proposed ordinance that would make it legal for artists to paint murals has languished in City Hall, and has made murals like the Tecoatl's vulnerable from getting buffed.

Memorial Day at Cinco Puntos

For it’s sixth year, veterans, their family members, and volunteers stood on 24-hour watch for a vigil at the Mexican American All Wars Memorial in Boyle Heights. Multiple news outlets were at the vigil, with Southern California Public Radio speaking to a World War II veteran that saved a fellow soldier that was Japaense, and Boyle Heights Beat highlighting the connection between war veterans and the connection to the neighborhood.

Community journalist Steve Saldivar made a 1-minute video of the 24-hour watch on his East Los Angeles Facebook page. Cinco Puntos, where the Mexican American All Wars Memorial is located, is also the site of a planned roundabout, but the project has been stalled for some time now.

Bike Lane on Lorena via LABIKAS

A bike lane was painted on Lorena Street two weeks ago, making it the first addition in Boyle Heights since the 1st Street bike lane was painted last year. The bike lane starts at the corner of Lorena and Cesar Chavez and goes south until it ends at 3rd Street. The Lorena Street bike lane runs adjacent to the Evergreen Cemetery, Mercado de Los Angeles, meets the east end of the 1st Street bike lane and ends right before the 4th Street bridge. This is the first bike lane that has been painted in Boyle Heights since the First Street bike lane, which was installed last September.