Christmas in L.A.

Hollywood Blvd. had its usual displays up: the trees and lights atop the Pantages Theater, the Capitol Records tower brightly lit roof-top Christmas tree and even a tall crane with lights at a near by construction lights. Thankfully the Scientology "village" and dispays were less this year. I had other plans so I had to leave the blvd. before the Hollywood Christmas Parade started then I even missed it when it was televised on TV-doh!

I missed Christmas-themed events at the Grove and Beverly Center mall in Beverly Hills, too but caught some at the Burbank Mall and in Glendale at the Galleria and especially at the Americana where I saw characters dressed as gingerbread men, toy soldiers etc.

And I saw a very realistic-looking Santa at the monthly meeting of the Alameda Writers Group (AWG) at the Glendale Library on 12/5/12.

The usually Christmas light display at Griffith Park was cancelled due to water main work by the LA DWP. Many families came expecting to see the lights and were very disappointed. Funny, that night CBS showed an episode of the "Big Bang Theory" that mentioned them doing their annual drive to see the ligths at Griffith Park. This probably sent more people out to see the lights but the episode was funny- lol. They also shut down the William Mulhulland Fountain (my fav) for months of repairs (Booo-ooo!) .

There were also no Christmas Eve or Christmas Day service as many Ecclesians seem to be heading out of town to be with family. So, I did the same as my Mom and family were in town. We sang Christmas carols as we drove down to spend Christmas in Rialto with my cousin and her triplet girls. They had insisted that their mom bake and icing sugar cookies and ginger bread men so I was set in the sweets department. We also saw lots of Christmas lights on display to and 'fro while on the road so my light appetite was filled, too : )
What was my Christmas gift this year?  The blessings of being together as a family after as much as 30 years.

Then it was off to see more cousins at the Ice Kingdom's Winter Chill Exhibit at the Queen Mary in Long Beach. Long Beach was even colder than L.A. and breezy but we still donned the provided insular parkas and went into the near sub-zero temps of the Chill exhibit. Outside were ice skating rink and Victorian-era dressed professional singers caroling around the mock Christmas city or on various stages. Santa's workshop was closed and his sleigh empty but the places selling hot chocolate, candy and danish were packed.

Inside the exhibit was a large icy slide for sled and inner tube sliding and dolphin ice scluptures along with an ice sculpture miniture of the Queen Mary herself. The other halls were filled with ice sclupture of every variety including, snow princess and fairy tale castle, teddy bears, santa in a wreath, with a candy cane, wrapped gift boxes with bows...

And the piece the resistance, an ice sculpted wall and stained glass window of a church leads you into a life-sized Nativity scene complete with a sculpted crystal-looking donkey, cow, sheep, lamb, shepherd, angels, Joseph, Mary, straw and manger and of course ... Baby Jesus!

                                     

Not to be left out, there were ice sculptures of a Star of Davis and the menorrah for Hannukah and a red, black and yellow iced Kwanza scupture too.

The Hollywood Arson Fires

The rash of late night fires have increased in the Hollywood area marring the spanking 2012 new year. The fires have been set in cars, carports and neighboring apartment buildings and the fires locales vary from on or around Hollywood Blvd, to the Hollywood Hills and to as far as Studio City. The fires began in late late December 2012 and over 50 fires have been set so far.

Police suspect an arsonist with a beef against the police or the city authorities as the culprit. Some of my friends and fellow church members live in the area and they are on alert and praying. A few people suspect disgruntled or anarchist types from among the Occupy Movement protesters who had swarmed big in 2011 and even had a protest after the yearly Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena. I believe the fires are done by one singular person without a grand political motive. This is personal for this guy and he has done this kind of thing before because it looks like he likes fires.

Update: 1/2/12
Despite round-the-clock surveillance by police and fire officials, two more fires were reported in Hollywood (one near friends who live off Sycamore Ave). The police has released a video of a possible suspect, a portly white male in his 20s-30s with a ponytail leaving the Hollywood & Highland metro.

Update: 1/4/12
Police have caught the arsonist thanks to the alertness of a sheriff reservist who spotted his van off Sunset & Fairfax and to the follow through of some alert policemen who remembered the perp from an immigration hearing. The man is 24 year old, Harry Burkhart, a German national and he matched the suspect on the release police video. Burkhart was apparently very angry that his mother, who has a questionable visa status, has been detained by federal immigration officials here in the U.S. Reports state that his mother is wanted for charges back in Germany and the German authorities wants her extradited back.

Update: 1/5/12
Canadian police report that Burkhart is a suspect in some arson fires there and there are reports of possible mental illness. I remember Burkhart having a weird smirk-like look on his face when he was arrested that made me think that he is not well so I very much believe this. German officials report that his mother is wanted for fraud and fled the country because of it. News report shows very revealing photos of the mother and there are some reports that she may have been involved in online sex sites.


Keep praying for Hollywood!