By Mary O’KEEFE

For some reason people love to hate on LA – even people who live here– but after the fires I think we saw what true Angelenos are made of – even if they don’t technically live in LA. They are caring and supportive of each other. Yes, there are a few who try to take advantage and think this is an opportunity to burglarize homes and other locations, but they are being dealt with as quickly as law enforcement can deal with them. Residents are also stepping up and “when they see something are saying something.”

But long before the fires and winds there was a voice that brought LA to life, that gave people a sense of pride at times; at other times a harsh reality was brought to the varied history that is the LA area. Evan Lovett shared the history and culture of Los Angeles through his social media “LA in a Minute” and podcast “In a Minute.”  He starts every segment with first explaining where he is and the LA connection and then says, “Let’s get into it.” 

From there you are taken to a variety of places that highlight the different cultures and history that make up LA. 

There is so much of LA history that has just been wiped out. My husband, who was born here, would take me on long hikes to show me Hollywood ruins … places his parents had taken him and other places he found when working in the film industry. What I found was there are so many fascinating places here and so many incredible cultures that make LA … LA.  I love reading books of old LA and then going to the location where the story took place. Nine times out of 10 the building or house had been torn down but there were those few times when time stood still. 

Evan Lovett and his “LA in a Minute” is really a treasure of historical information providing information you really should know about this amazing City of Angels. For example, one of the most recent “minutes” was about historic South Central. 

“Historic South Central is a very special district and not the area the media erroneously refers to as South Central, which is a misnomer for basically all the black neighborhoods in South Central Los Angeles,” he said. 

He explained that historic South Central encompasses the area between the Harbor Freeway, Central Avenue, Washington Boulevard and Vernon Avenue. 

“By 1915 the California Eagle, which was the preeminent African American newspaper of Los Angeles, was calling the area the black belt of the City,” he stated. 

He spoke about how in the 1920s LA was still divided and racist and that is why historic South Central played such an important role in the area. At one point he stood in front of Second Baptist Church, a historic building that was designed by famed architect Paul Williams. 

This made me research Williams who in 1921 became a certified architect and had been appointed to the inaugural LA City Planning Commission. He was the first “African-American member of the American Institute of Architects.” He also designed homes for Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and Lon Chaney. 

And that is what is so great about “LA in a Minute.” It sparks research and interest in finding out more about LA. 

Another thing I like about this podcast/app are the people Lovett introduces us to like Bill Elwell who is the “oldest burger man” in LA. He owns Bill’s Burgers in Van Nuys. He is 96 years old and continues to flip burgers – something he has done since 1965. He served in WWII and when he came home he had other jobs but wanted to open a burger stand. And that is what he did. He still works there flipping burgers. He is using the same flattop grill since the 1930s believing that flattop is the secret to these amazing burgers, according to Lovett. 

He ends the segment telling his followers that they need to come out and “support” Bill’s Burgers. And yes I will be visiting this place soon. Bill’s Burgers is located at 14742 Oxnard St. in Sherman Oaks. It is a cash only burger stand and they don’t sell fries.

Search social media platforms like Instagram for “LA in a Minute.”

We will be seeing light rain today and tomorrow. It will dry up over the weekend but for next week there is another storm system NOAA is keeping an eye on. There is a lot of uncertainty about this storm at press time but it could bring moderate to heavy rain. 

Temperatures will be in the high to mid 50s through Friday, then up slightly to mid 60s over the weekend and through to Tuesday.