Ed Reyes, Eric Garcetti, John Mukri, November 29, 2007
By Martin Cox (c)

Official word was delivered lakeside from a portable city lectern this morning: paddle boats for the people, at Echo Park Lake and MacArthur Park. Council reps Eric Garcetti and Ed Reyes and Rec and Parks General Manager John Mukri and Maryanne Hayashi took turns telling a small crowd of watchers and camera operators about the value of the historic service. Mukri said Rec and Parks never intended to NOT revive the recreation...sometime: "From a sheer historical perspective, we knew we needed them back." Then he added that his department received more paddle boat emails "than anything." More emails, he said, than the Griffith Park fire of May generated. The people speak. Or type. Mukri said funds for the boats will come from R & P's internal operating budget.

If you're just tuning in, the service had been discontinued Sept. 9.