Photo: Echo Park Historical Society

The Lady of the Lake is a long story. The Deco statue symbolizes many things, not the least a renewed sense of dedication to restoration and revival for landmarks in Echo Park. The Echo Park Historical Society explains, "Sculpted in the Art Deco style by artist Ada Mae Sharpless, the statue’s official name is 'Nuestra Reina de Los Angeles' (Queen of the Angels). But most people refer to the statue as the 'Lady of the Lake.'"

In the 1980s, the city dumped her, graffiti marred and broken in places, into a box in a stockyard. But, in the '90s neighborhood activist Suzanne Kimbrough began an effort to bring her back. With the help of EPHS, among others, the Lady was repaired and returned to a pedestal at Echo Park Lake, where she has been appreciated ever since. As well as mistreated. Last year, she lost her hand, as Dakota reported in May on Curbed LA.

So, okay, our Lady lost her hand. She needs repairs. And it's up to us, the neighborhood, to see that done. Simple enough. Unless you have a neighborhood council at war with itself as well as with vocal groups in the neighbohood. Racial divisions, class conflict, historical perspective -- all of this had nothing to do with the Lady's hand, until very recently when her hand became a new item of contention over at the neighborhood council.

Chicken Corner will try to peck this out as briefly as possible: Before the recent neighborhood council elections, a vote was taken to allocate funds for repairs to our Lady. Bids from artisans were solicited and received. I think the lowest of them was about $2,000+ -- well within the realm of moving forward. But then (if Chicken Corner's chronology is correct) elections took place and new officers came in. The new president of the council wanted to study the matter of the Lady further before awarding a contract for the work. He kicked it back to a newly formed committee, where some fear it will languish. Chicken Corner noticed a fair amount of vitriol on a neighborhood list concerning the postponement of a decision in repairing the Lady of the Lake. At this point, I emailed Jose Sigala, the president of the neighborhood council, asking that he comment for the record. (He has complained to me in private that I quote too many of the usual suspects -- read "Tireless Workers slate members.") Sigala responded with a comment for the record, which he also posted to the neighborhood list in question:

Following is a sample of words flying around the head of the poor old Lady of the Lake:

Chicken Corner wrote:

Dear Jose, I have not yet done a blog post on Lady of the Lake repairs (I understand she's missing her hand). ... You complained earlier that I quote too much of the same people in Chicken Corner, so I'm asking for your comment before I do a post. I confess that I am not impartial. I would like repairs to be done to the statue. But I really would like to get your perspective on this issue, regardless of whether you're in agreement. If you could reply for the record I would greatly appreciate it.

Here's the paragraph in question, for your comment:

"Many of you who were seated on the Board as of January 2008 are familiar with the fact that, among other items, the Board as a whole, voted to support 2 Budget items out of the general fund. 1. The National Night Out- Kick Crime out of Echo Park Event for 800.00 and 2. The Lady of the Lake repairs, for no more than 7,000.00. This is the venerable Statue that lies within the confines of Historic Echo Park Lake. I submitted the requested 3 estimates to the Treasurer for approval. He in turn turned it in to the exec committee, who instead of agendizing for your approval has now "referred" back to a Banana Republic Committee to disect and further delay the much needed repairs this Historic Structure requires. One of the bids was by a much respected female sculptor who wished to hand sculpt the piec to maintain the original sculptors essence. She gave a much lower bid than the other 2 equally qualified sculptors, but they were going to do molds (more expensive), and she was willing to hand sculpt for much less for the honor of working on this Historic piece."

Jose Sigala responds:

Dear Jenny, Thank you for the opportunity to respond. First I would like to state that no one on the Executive Committee is opposed to the need to make repairs to the Lady of the Lake. The Lady of the Lake does not belong to one person, a group of people or just one organization it is an important piece of art that belongs to the entire community. We on the neighborhood council take our role of suppporting public art seriously.

The item was unanimously referred back to committee because we want to take a look at the three bids that were submitted more closely and get a better understanding of the impact the rehabilitation of Echo Park Lake may have on the project.This is the first time we have seen all three bids.Yes, I voted for the funding to restore the Lady of the Lake with the understaning that we would get the opportunity to review the bids before we selected a vendor and allocated the funds. It is also true that there are new board members who are interested in making sure they are as informed as possible before they make a decision on the best vendor. ... The Executive Committee unanimously voted to refer it to the Parks & Public Works Committee for discussion at their September meeting.

The arrogance of Ms. Peters to assume she is the only member of the neighborhood council that deserves the right to be heard on this matter speaks to the different leadership style the neighborhood council has embraced.

Change is hard to embrace, the sooner Ms. Peters stops referring to the neighborhood council she serves on as a puppet board or banana republic, the sooner she can acknowledge the fact there are other leaders in this community other than herself who can lead and care for the community.

I invite any of your readers to call me directly on my cell at 213-308-2826 to discuss any items related to the neighborhood council, to get to know me or to hear my point of view.

This of course was something of a Molotov on the neighborhood list.

Peters writes:

Jose, Just because you work for someone [Richard Alarcon] who behaves arrogantly and flippant in Public Meetings, does not mean you need to emulate him. You could always learn how NOT to behave as well. When i forwarded the bids they were with the understanding the TREASURER would submit to the BOARD NOT your PUPPET Exec Committee to delay and refer back to a PUPPET committee.

And we're off. So much colorful language (from other people whom I have not had the time to contact for permission to quote, or who did not cc me in their list serv communiques) and so little time. ... People, people, can't we all just...get the Lady her hand back?

Note: There is a neighborhood council this evening at 6:30 p.m. in the great hall of the Episcopal Church directly across the street from the Lady herself. Look for the big purple tower.