Just this morning learned of distress at the heart of Chicken Corner -- and, no, it does not involve condos. The situation is a threat to El Batey, the grocery-general store that has been around for four decades and once occupied the space that is now Chango coffeehouse, but gave over half its floorspace to the cafe and now resides next door.

A neighbor named Charon wrote:

Hey peeps...there is a little market called "El Batey" next door to the Chango coffee shop on Echo Park Ave. that has been there for 41 YEARS....things have grown and changed around it, it's geared for Latin needs not the Trader Joe type of shopper. If you are a regular you have extended credit...I know people who have held a balance of almost a thousand dollars at one point, which reflects just how much of a family oriented establishment this really is. As of January the warm and wonderful woman named Evailia and her family who has kept us in milk, cat food and breath mints for almost a half century will be priced out. The lease will expire as of January 1st, the rent will be tripled, so now the $1,000 that Evailia barely clears as it stands will become $3,000.

I spoke with Evailia...this morning [with] my friend Arturo the cat guardian of Echo Park...she is devastated and at a total loss...she seemed open to my idea [for a fund-raiser]...I for one would gladly lend a hand in helping to renovate the place...Evailia's smile and warm greeting every morning as I pass her and her dog on the way to my son Jude's school makes my day. We HAVE to help her...there are many places [and people] within two miles of my home on Echo Park Ave./Scott that are being evicted and demolished in the next month.

Charon wrote to me that a variety of strategies to help "El Batey" stay in place andn stay in business are being considered by shop owners that share the Del Mor Apartments storefronts with the grocery.