Ballona Wetlands Starting To Be Cleared of Homeless RVs

Last September, while we were in L.A. for our Hawthorne High School 50ish Reunion in El Segundo, we took a drive around and at one point were in the Ballona Wetlands near Westchester.

We saw many RVs of "homeless" people parked along the roads in the wetlands. It was a disgusting mess.

Finally, the powers-that-be are doing something about it. The RVs and tent camps are starting to be cleared out.

Here's a news report by KCAL News in Los Angeles:

The Late, Great Centinela Drive-In Theatre

Wich Stand (named for a popular hang-out for teen cruisers from the 1940s to the 1960s) at Facebook posted some photos of the late, great Centinela Drive-In Theatre in Westchester (near Los Angeles International Airport). Those brought back some memories.

The drive-in was located next to the San Diego Freeway (Interstate 405) near La Tijera and La Cienega Boulevards. It opened in the 1950s and was a favorite movie theater of my family for many years when we lived in Hawthorne.

According to Wich Stand's post, it was first operated by Aladdin Theaters and was later taken over by the Pacific Theatres company. The Centinela Drive-In Theatre closed down in 1993 and was later demolished in 1998.

The only movies I can immediately recall seeing there was the double-feature of the 1966 Adam West-Burt Ward Batman movie and Our Man Flint, that starred James Coburn. We went there many times, along with the Vermont, Century, Studio, Torrance, Roadium and Olympic Drive-In Theatres. Those were the days!