Out of town: Council President Eric Garcetti blogged a few days ago that he was in Cambridge, Mass., at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, where he accepted the New Frontier Award. The award is for under-forties.

Garcetti told the Kennedy School's Institute for Politics:

In L.A., I live in the neighborhood of Echo Park, a beautiful corner of America, close to downtown Los Angeles. Spanish, mandarin, tagalog, and khmer all mix with english on our streets. My neighbors face the same challenges felt by too many Americans these days. Can they find an affordable and safe place to live, can their children receive a good public education, and can they find a job that rewards their hard work with decent pay, health care and time off with their families?

Catching up on my CD-13 reading, I came across Eric's entry on the city's million trees program, which makes me shiver with joy. More trees! Imagine Los Angeles united for shade and oxygen! Not to mention the visual pleasure of green.

In August, the mayor hugged Bill Clinton and promised Los Angeles would grow more trees and help save the planet.

Villaraigosa:

I realize that our city has historically been more synonymous with sprawl and smog, but we're committed to making LA the greenest big city in America and a model for sustainable practices.

Are you ready, DWP?!