SGV Connect 106 : El Monte Poet Steve Valenzuela and an Update on Puente Hills Landfill Park

Welcome to SGV Connect episode 106, the first episode of 2023. This episode is nearly an hour long with a pair of great, but very different, interviews.

First, Chris Greenspon interviews Steve Valenzuela, El Monte poet and writer in residence for the new Zamora Art House in El Monte. The interview touches on Valenzuela’s poetry, his work as a school teacher and how his life experiences influence his poetry, teaching and advocacy. The interview touches on his collaborations with the South El Monte Art Posse, who have been a fixture in our coverage going back to SGV Connect #4. For a written transcript of today’s interview, click here.

In our second interview, Damien interviews the team at Studio-MLA and L.A. County Parks that is working on the Puente Hills Landfill Park project. The team decided on an innovative outreach plan for the park that includes bike rides and hiking tours of the park area in addition to more traditional outreach. As one might expect, different outreach has led to some surprising conversations. Back in July, Chris interviewed Supervisor Hilda Solis after the L.A. County Board of Supervisors announced funding for the park in July. For a written transcript of today’s interview, click here.

SGV Connect is supported by Foothill Transit, offering car-free travel throughout the San Gabriel Valley with connections to the Gold Line Stations across the Foothills and Commuter Express lines traveling into the heart of Downtown L.A. To plan your trip, visit foothilltransit.org. “Foothill Transit. Going Good Places.”