A clarification, concerning the lack of a mural -- replaced by graffiti -- on Echo Park Avenue. I heard from Greg, the artist who lives at one of the studios at EP and Duane St., and he was rightly concerned that it be understood he was not the one who whitewashed the unusual mural that so many people in the neighborhood loved. The photograph that he sent shows graffiti in place of the mural, which had been left alone by taggers who liked the old mural. As Greg said in his email, nature abhors a vacuum.

Hi Jenny, I just read your blog entry "Dueling paint-outs" I am a teant in one of the two storefronts, 1930 Echo Park Avenue, at the corner of Echo Park Ave and Duane Street.

The painting over of the mural has angered many long term residents as evidenced by the pouring of paint on the dinosaur and the large lettered graffitti found on the building this morning.

Your blog attributes the painting over of the mural as: "probably the tenant of the studio." Since there are two studios there and I inhabit one of them I want to make it crystal clear that I had nothing to do with painting over the mural.

The person responsible for painting out the mural is Richard Leigh who was renting the studio on the corner at 1932 Echo Park Ave. Gary Leonard, the owner of the building, told me that he was driving by and saw Richard out there rolling white paint over the last of the mural. He told him to stop, but it was too late. Gary also stated that he had previously told Richard not to paint on the exterior walls and especially not over the mural. Several nieghbors have also confirmed seeing Richard paint over the mural.There was a notice on the wall that the mural was pretected by S.P.A.R.C.

Richard was given notice to leave specifically because of his actions and should be off the premises in the next few days. Gary said that a yoga studio will be moving into that space.

The reason I want to clarify this is that I want people to know that neither I nor Gary Leonard had anything to do with painting over the mural and that the person responsible will no longer be residing at that address. Gary has been talking with S.P.A.R.C. about removing the paint and restoring the mural but each time this wall gets graffitti the city will add another layer of white paint to the wall and restoration becomes increasingly less possible.

The neighborhood was hit with quite a bit of gang graffiti over the weekend. Not the sharing kind.