East L.A. residents plan to confront Najarian over comment on aesthetics
When Councilman Ara Najarian last week roundly dissed the aesthetic of the large signs associated with fast food joints and strip malls as being so East L.A., East L.A. wasn’t amused.
A group of East Los Angeles community leaders and students today announced they plan to publicly call on Najarian to apologize for his comments, which came during a public meeting on eradicating large pole signs that violate Glendale codes.
At a City Council meeting last week, Najarian said dissatisfaction with the signs was “a matter of aesthetics,” and followed that up with: “These signs are something you see in East L.A.”
That didn’t sit well with the communities that make up East Los Angeles, prompting the blowback. Glendale’s crackdown on the large signs were also featured in an on-air segment on KPCC today.
Organizers said they plan to remind Najarian when his colleagues take up the sign issue tonight about the importance of being “responsible and respectful” public officials. They also plan to share copies of East L.A.’s regulations for signs.
The announcement came through Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina’s office, which has been fielding calls for days from constituents angry over Najarian’s comments, a spokeswoman said.
Molina’s district includes many of the Los Angeles communities that border Glendale to the south and east, including Glassell Park, Eagle Rock and Silver Lake.
Molina’s office had no immediate comment.
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-- Jason Wells, Times Community News
Twitter: @JasonBretWells