By Zach Gale

The short-staffed Los Angeles Department of City Planning faces such a backlog of proposed historic residential zones that some communities will wait years for a chance to qualify for the program, which helps preserve historic neighborhoods and offers considerable property tax reductions.

by Newly Paul

"Everything must go, all items 50 percent off," says a banner outside Kumasi Gift Shop in Leimert Park Village. But instead of crowds scrambling to get the best deals on the authentic African artifacts the store is known for, it's strangely quiet. A lone attendant sits surfing the Internet in a small room at the back. The richly embroidered caps, handcrafted drums, spears and statutes sit patiently on the shelves, awaiting buyers.

"The recession has taken a toll on everybody in this area. People don't come here the way they used to. At times I make just $10 the whole week. I might soon have to close this shop down if I can't make the rent," said owner Kwame Sarpong.

LOS ANGELES - A dozen students from a network of 13 public charter schools in South Los Angeles were awarded full-paid scholarships to England to play rugby against another high school team. 

The one-year ban on any new fast food chains in South Los Angeles enacted by the City Council to address health problems, is not working as intended, according to area residents.

By Adrianna Weingold

Of the 60 day laborers gathered in the parking lot of The Home Depot in Inglewood on Monday hoping to find work, 50 went home jobless.

Carlos Joiel, Santo Guzman Flores and Humberto Jauregui were among the men still waiting at the end of the day.  

"We never know when we will work and when we will just wait," Jauregui said. "Sometimes there are 50 people waiting and only four will get work.  You stay here all day long and you don't find anything."

By Stephanie Wenger

            In the basement of the First AME Church on Harvard Boulevard in South Los Angeles, more than 30 women have gathered to learn the Gangster Slide to exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

            "I love to get the exercise on Friday night. I can get as sweaty as I want because I get my hair done tomorrow," said Cynthia Roberts, a banker in Gardena.

            The class is designed to allow women to set healthy goals for themselves. Jackie Rice, a co-creator of J & J Soulful Steps dance classes and a nurse practitioner, begins class by discussing target heart rates depending on age and weight.

            "We want African American women to be healthy. These classes are a fun way to get exercise without having to make tireless treks to the gym," said Jackie Rice.

By Guillermo Vázquez

As recently as two years ago, the numerous quinceañera boutiques lining Whittier Boulevard in East Los Angeles were bustling centers of party planning and big business.

By Newly Paul

Every February, communities across south Los Angeles gear up to celebrate Black History Month. But this year is different. With a black man as president, community organizers say the celebrations will hold more meaning and young blacks will show a renewed interest in their history.
"Black is in now, black is in vogue and that hasn't happened since the 1960s when there was enormous interest in African history. I am hopeful that Obama's presence will flow over, particularly to young people, and that they will take pride in their magnificent history," said historian Kwaku Person-Lynn, who teaches a course in Afrikan World Civilizations at Kaos Network, a cultural center in Leimert Park.

By Zach Gale

Seven South Los Angeles commercial redevelopment areas might soon merge into one in a consolidation effort that has some residents concerned about the city's lack of communication with the community, according to Councilman Bernard Parks.

 By Lisa Holmes

     A multicultural crowd in downtown Los Angeles clapped and cheered as President Barack Obama finished his inauguration speech Tuesday morning. 

     More than 1,000 people gathered at the Nokia Plaza for the L.A. Live even hosted by City Councilwoman Jan Perry to watch Obama take the oath of office.   People stood silently watching the giant screens, cheering only occasionally in unison with the crowd in Washington and waving flags with pride, as the new president spoke.