Yes, there were four television camera's present at last night's neighborhood council meeting in which the Dodgers barely even attempted to put a smiley face on their "pilot" program to open the dreaded fifth gate. More on that to follow.

But the Dodgers are not the only behemoth attempting to run unbridled in Echo Park. There's also the LAUSD. In what looks like a race to get 50 houses razed before board member David Tokofsky leaves office (as who knows what his successor will do when she replaces him in July) the LAUSD is pushing ahead with its 9A plan to build a school where no one of any race, class or age in the vicinity wants one -- at the expense of 50 houses. The District, which sought to avoid conducting an Environmental Impact Review, recently lost a court battle waged by grass-roots organizations in the neighborhood. The court ordered that the review take place if the LAUSD wished to pursue the project. Part of such a review involves public comment. The opportunity, possibly the only one, for such comment is being offered tonight:

Site 9A Public Hearing: Meeting Date & Time: Thursday, April 19 at 6 PM. Location: Rosemont Elementary School Auditorium, 421 N. Rosemont at Temple St.

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Also happening Thursday night, compliments of Machine Project:

Dear Friends, The Fallen Fruit Collective is leading a Nocturnal Fruit Forage this Thursday 4/19 at 6:30pm in Silver Lake at Triangle park (at Sunset and Griffith Park Blvd). The walking tour is expected to last about an hour to 90 minutes. We’ll be harvesting some lovely organic produce and identifying the best trees for summer harvest! Fallen Fruit will provide maps of the area, talk about Public Fruit, and fruitfully answer your questions. Everyone is welcome to bring fruit pickers and bags; walking shoes and flashlights are also good. Afterwards everyone will meet up at Machine for tea and fruit vivisection, accompanied by a cornucopia of song by singer Emily Lacy.

Other "suggested accessories" for the walk include "interdimensional navigation
systems, and moon boots. Re-entry diapers strongly discouraged."

Friday, Machine Project will present a reading of science fiction literature. If you haven't seen their site in a while it now shares a photo of an amazing, 21st-century machine: the Puppy Mover Monorail, complete with puppies.