• The 110^th Anniversary of the opening of Echo Park & Lake as a public park
• The 40^th Anniversary of the founding of the Citizens Committee to Save Elysian Park
• The 10^th Anniversary of the formation of the Echo Park Historical Society

We look forward to celebrating all these milestones next year with a series of special events and programs and call on our members and supporters to help out in what will be a busy year.

But even as we prepare to celebrate, we are also  bracing ourselves to deal with the ongoing and new threats to our architectural and cultural heritage.  Despite the many compelling arguments and examples of the benefits of  preserving our history, many people and long time residents are still too quick to dismiss and destroy our heritage.

So, more than ever, we will redouble our efforts in the following areas:

Historic Research: We will encourage research into the past of Echo Park to help us identify the interesting stories, people and places that make our neighborhood significant and help us better answer the common question; “So, why is Echo Park historic?”

Promotion & Education:  Our website, walking tours, workshops and this newsletter are some of the tools we use to educate and build awareness of the value and importance of our heritage and history

Action: We are more committed than ever to take a pro-active approach to prevent the needless destruction of our architectural heritage; support and recognize those who restore their properties and engage in  research; and advocate for more protection and recognition of Echo Park’s historic character.

We hope our members and supporters will join us in these endeavors next year.

--Jesus Sanchez