Freelancer Nancy Rommelmann may be living in Portland these days, but she has the cover feature in today's LA Weekly on a hard-working L.A. gardening crew.

These are two of dozens of properties in the canyons below the Hollywood sign that Esteban cares for. Whatever is sawed, clipped, raked and scooped from around the homes, the 66-year-old drives at 4 a.m. to a dump in Simi Valley, in order to arrive at job sites by 7:30. For more than 40 years, Esteban has started work at 4 in the morning during his career as an irrigation specialist and now as a gardener, a position he did not seek and a title he does not claim. A courteous man, Esteban agrees to let me be on his crew for a week.

“You asked, so how can I say no?” he says, and again holds open his hand.

The Weekly's election endorsements are also in this issue. * Also: Robert Greene gets inside the DA's prosecution of attorney Pierce O'Donnell for allegedly laundering campaign contributions to Mayor Hahn.