Thursday, April 30, 2009

Tamales de la Paz

For Immediate Release

Reyes, City and Community Leaders Unite for Tamales de la Paz (Peace)
Event to demonstrate solidarity at MacArthur Park the day before May Day marches

Sponsored by Councilmember Ed P. Reyes, the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA), The Boeing Company, and Mama’s Hot Tamales.

WHEN: Today, April 30, from 5 p.m. to dusk

WHERE: Along Seventh Street Between Alvarado and Lake Streets in front of Mama’s Hot Tamales Café - 2122 W. Seventh St.

WHAT: Community leaders will gather today for Tamales de la Paz in a show of solidarity on the day before the May 1, 2009 International Worker’s Rally and March. Tamales de la Paz aims to help bring peace and healing to the MacArthur Park neighborhood following the the May 1, 2007 confrontation between rally and march supporters, media, police, and others.

WHO: Los Angeles Councilmember Ed P. Reyes, City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, Los Angeles Police Department Chief William J. Bratton, and CA Assemblymember John A. Pérez - 46th District. Additional speakers include May Day march organizers
Angelica Salas, Executive Director of Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), and Bethany Leal, Network Director of the Multi-Ethnic Immigrant Worker Organizing Network (MIWON).

WHY: Tamales de la Paz (Peace) will further the existing Rediscover MacArthur Park Campaign which is dedicated to revitalizing the neighborhood and surrounding areas through community partnerships that provide local health, safety, business, festive, educational, recreational, and social service activities.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS: The event will highlight past and future community reinvestment activities to renew the MacArthur Park community. Approximately 30 agencies will be displaying their contributions to the revitalization effort on tables.

Councilmember Reyes will present Certificates of Appreciation to various organizations for helping reverse decades of disinvestment into neighborhood reinvestment within the MacArthur Park/Westlake District.


Also, Sandi “Mama” Romero of Mama’s Hot Tamales on behalf of the Rediscover MacArthur Park Alliance will present an award to the “10 Top Hot Tamales of Los Angeles” who are 10 community builders whose efforts have had a significant impact on the MacArthur Park neighborhood. Councilmember Reyes and Police Chief William J. Bratton will be two of the recipients of the award. The event will end with all participants dining on a unique 10 foot long “peace tamale” created by Mama’s Hot Tamales.

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