Photo by Martin Cox, July 8, 2007

Well, canceling the boats (NOT!) may have lifted the dowdy little pedal-powered craft high on a wave.

Martin Cox, who has worked hard to keep Chicken Corner informed where the lake is concerned, offered this pedal boats report. July 8:

Spoke to lifeguard today, last name Castro, been there six years, said ridership is at max, all boats rented all day. I waited in line with ten people for 30 minutes to get one!

Never was a wait in line so welcome.

Then, come this morning, Eric Garcetti gave a press conference in front of the boathouse. Garcetti's news was all good. (Not a word about sick lotus or ugly parking structures. To be fair, no one asked about those things, not even yours from Chicken Corner.) The boats were back, Eric said it in English and Spanish. As for next year, "As long as I'm a councilmember the boats won't go away."

Thomas DeBoe chairman of the Echo Park Advisory Board offered a few words as well, including the news that a photography club would be documenting the lake as a project.

Then it was time for Eric to ride a boat. Photo op. But his staff members had taken two boats -- which had been made available special for the occasion -- and had pedaled too far to get back right away. So everyone waited. "They're having too much fun," someone said. But they rushed back to shore, pedaling hard, and Eric got his brief turn, with cameras for company.