HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR L.A. WALKERS TRAVERSE THE TRAIL THAT LED TO OLVERA STREET.Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer About 400 people, including descendants of the original settlers of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , retraced a historic nine-mile trek Saturday in celebration of the city's 223rd birthday. The historic walk was a re-enactment of the 1781 journey of the original Spanish settlers, called ``Los Pobladores.'' Participants assembled shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday at the San Gabriel San Gabriel (săn gā`brēəl), city (1990 pop. 37,120), Los Angeles co., SW Calif.; inc. 1913. Fabric, furniture, paper products, tools, and aircraft parts are manufactured. Mission, 428. S. Mission Drive, in San Gabriel, and walked nine miles Nine Miles is a reggae "band" started by Yoshiaki Manabe (真鍋吉明) of The Pillows. The name Nine Miles comes from the name of the town in which Bob Marley grew up in Jamaica.
Those first settlers included people of African, Filipino, mestizo mestizo (māstē`sō) [Span.,=mixture], person of mixed race; particularly, in Mexico and Central and South America, a person of European (Spanish or Portuguese) and indigenous descent. and European descent, a diversity not unlike the citizens of Los Angeles today, said Los Angeles City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa, who hosted the birthday celebration at the end of the walk. ``This great city of ours is a city like no other,'' said Villaraigosa, who is running for Los Angeles mayor. ``My belief is, if you don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. your past, you can't understand your present, and you can't plan for the future,'' said Villaraigosa, who also spoke in Spanish. Also on hand were Bob Hertzberg, former speaker of the state Assembly, who is also running for mayor; Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LeBonge; Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich Michael Dennis Antonovich (born 1939 in Los Angeles, California) is a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors representing the Fifth District, which covers northern Los Angeles County, the Antelope, Santa Clarita, Pasadena, and parts of the San Fernando and San ; San Gabriel Mayor Harry Baldwin; and Assemblywoman Judy Chu, D-Monterey Park. Debra Rodarte, 49, of Chino Chino (chē`nō), city (1990 pop. 59,682), San Bernardino co., S Calif.; founded 1887, inc. 1910. It is the business and processing center of a diversified farming (notably dairying) area. , one of the descendants of the Pobladores, completed the walk for the 19th time with her husband, Daniel, 54, and daughter, Melissa, 13. ``We do it out of tradition, in memory,'' Rodarte said, smiling. ``You're walking, you're conversing, you get to meet all of these different people.'' Heather Marlowe, 22, of Santa Monica, participated in the walk for the first time Saturday, at the suggestion of a friend. ``It was cool to go through the historical markers,'' said Marlowe, an art history major at the University of California, Los Angeles UCLA comprises the College of Letters and Science (the primary undergraduate college), seven professional schools, and five professional Health Science schools. Since 2001, UCLA has enrolled over 33,000 total students, and that number is steadily rising. . ``It made me feel more connected to the city. It's totally different when you walk instead of when you're in your car. You experience it at a different level.'' Following the walk, which was organized by the city of San Gabriel, the walkers, including Los Pobladores 200, the settlers' descendants, were treated to a multicultural celebration that included birthday cake, food and performances from a variety of groups, including the Xipe Totec Aztec Indian Dancers, Mariachi Oro Angelino and Understanding Principals Gospel Choir. Lisa M. Sodders, (818) 713-3663 lisa.sodders(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) Walkers on Saturday take the final steps of their nine-mile journey from San Gabriel Mission to El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Park near Olvera Street. The trek was a re-enactment of a 1781 trip that resulted in the birth of Los Angeles. (2) A mariachi band performs during the 223rd birthday celebration for the city of Los Angeles
Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer |
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