Homelessness in Downey

Looking at this picture, you might think it was of a camping trip in the middle of a beautiful field. It is actually one of the many homeless dwellings to be found in and around the Rio San Gabriel riverbed area of Downey.

In the second picture, you have to look more carefully to see the couple of tents sheltered by the trees.

Seeing these tents and the dozens of others in the area makes me wonder. How did people end up here and what should we be doing in response?

Space shuttle landing

Although I've read some weird rants about the space shuttle being housed at the Downey Landing a horrible idea (read last week's Patriot Letters to the Editor), I personally think this is a great idea. The space shuttle needs a home, we have unused land, the schools could use it as a teaching field trip, and the city gets something else to put itself on the map. Everybody wins. Even the people contracted out to build the tent for it. Allsite Structure Rentals is putting together this semi-permanent structure as I write. Greg Francis, sales manager, says they'll be here till Friday finishing up the details even after the ceremony tomorrow.

Farmers Market breakfast

This morning we went to the Farmer's Market on 2nd Street. It's such a fun place to find produce and snacks of all kinds.

One of my favorite places is the pupusa stand. They make them fresh while you wait—it takes about 5 minutes. A pupusa is a traditional Salvadoran dish made of thick corn tortilla (handmade using masa de maze) and filled with beans, cheese, and meat if you want. It's served with something similar to a cabbage slaw and salsa. It's one of my favorite breakfast snacks. This little girl seemed to be enjoying it too!