Watts Happening
The news last week was that the City’s Cultural Affairs Department (CAD) was about to bangbang its budget hammer and lay waste to all guided tours of the Watts Towers, the eccentric L.A. landmark built by construction worker Simon Rodia in his spare time from 1921 to 1954 using broken bottles and dishes and tiles and other such discards that neighbors would bring him.
The L.A. Times’ Mike Boehm writes today that CAD has managed to come up with enough money to keep the tours going into late June, but then the city’s new fiscal year kicks in and another $2 million goes away ó as do the accompanied expeditions.
Guided tours occur every 30 minutes Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Sundays from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Cost is $5 for adults and $3 for seniors and kids 12-17. Enjoy Rodia’s wonderful creation with one before they’re gone.
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Let’s talk about how the City’s CAD department *itself* was almost eliminated.
The Watts Towers are a treasure.
Absolutely, Joz. I think Hahn’s budget hammer was way too close to bangbanging CAD out of existence. $2 million budget shortfall or not, at least it’s still there to fight another fiscal year.