downtown – Page 2 – Journo James's Journal

Subway Robbery – Crime Story

Post author:journojames
Post published:January 14, 2012
Post category:News

Originally published Sept. 25, 2010

Subway Crime Scene, Photo by JournoJames

Employees at the downtown Subway sandwich shop that was robbed last Tuesday by a lone gunman are fearful and still dealing with the traumatic experience.

The manager of the shop and the employee who were the ones robbed at gunpoint are scheduled to be back to work this week.

“He was so scared. He thought he was going to die,” said a 33-year-old Subway employee when talking about his co-worker who was confronted by the gunman. He asked to be unidentified, fearful of giving out his name. “He’s okay. I talk to him. But, I think it’s the first time he’s ever been through something scary like that.”

Last week, a 23-year-old employee and the manager were working around 6:30 AM when a large black man entered the store and made a sandwich order. While the employee was making the sandwich, the suspect jumped over the counter brandishing a gun. (more…)

Candlelight Vigil, 9/11 Memorial

Post author:journojames
Post published:January 13, 2012
Post category:Feature Interview News

Originally published Sept. 13, 2010

Los Angeles Japanese-American community groups held a candlelight vigil last night to observe the 9th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks and to express support for Muslim Americans who have come under attack.

Members from the Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress (NCRR), the Japanese-American Citizens League, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, among others, gathered in downtown’s Little Tokyo, to hold candles and banners in remembrance of the victims of the 9/11 attacks and to bring attention and to oppose the current anti-Muslim sentiments in the U.S. (more…)

L.A. Field Trip

Post author:journojames
Post published:January 10, 2012
Post category:Entertainment & Culture Feature

Originally published Aug. 20, 2010

It was a provocative and memorable afternoon filled with gruesome racist public hangings, a wonderfully kitschy eatery glorifying the sporting life of the untamed west, and a glimpse of that ridiculously beautiful building from the charming movie “500 Days of Summer.” It turns out that that pervading notion that downtown Los Angeles is irrelevant is a myth as big as the metropolis itself.

I started my city trek with my fellow journalists under the warm August sun with one question: why should I care about downtown L.A.? I have lived in Los Angeles for over 15 years, and for most of that time, I have considered the downtown area to be nothing more than a destination of bland necessities rather than interesting possibilities. I was wrong. From Chinatown to the garment district and all stops in between, I realized that, with a little curiosity and the spirit of exploration, the city possessed things, people, places, ideas and stories that made a connection with me. (more…)