Tag Archive for: Dodger Stadium

Dodger Stadium preps for a couple of unusual shows

On Tuesday, the trucks will start rolling in with hundreds of tons of dirt to cover the usually green baseball field for a couple of events new to the Stadium – Motocross and Monster Trucks.

On Saturday, January 22, Dodger Stadium will host the first of two off-road shows, starting with the Monster Energy Supercross.

A total of 550 truckloads of dirt will replace the baseball greens. Eric Hansen, Assistant Director of Turf and Grounds at Dodger Stadium said in a press release, “All we have to worry about is replacing the actual grass once the dirt is removed and from what I’ve been told, (Feld) is the best in the world at what they do so my anxiety level is extremely low.”

Saturday’s event will start at 12:30 pm and end around 10:00 pm. They expect the event to sell out, and all parking gates will open for inbound and outbound traffic. Dodger Community Relations manager Noel Pallais released the following information:

As such, will be handled like all other major games/events at the Stadium, therefore, to minimize the impact on the community a complete complement of LAPD/LADOT officers will be deployed in the community

Finally, as has been our standing offer, we have a limited number of tickets available for members of the Echo/Elysian Park and Solano Canyon residents who are interested in attending the event. Therefore, if you are a resident of either community and are interested in attending as our guest, please contact me at noelp@ladodgers.com with interest, your address and telephone number (additionally, since these tickets will be left under your name they are not-transferrable). Note that tickets will be available for pick-up from our front desk starting from noon on Wednesday to noon on Friday (the day before the event). Will-Call will not be available on the day of the event. Our Club-Level offices are located in parking lot D. Additionally, your request must be received by 9:00AM on Wednesday, January 19th. Please understand that these tickets are on a first-come, first served basis.

Should you have any questions, require additional information on this event, you may contact our Neighborhood Focus line at 323.224.2636.

While our local Community Advisory Board (made up of residents surrounding Dodger Stadium) flat-out rejected the proposal to bring these events to Dodger Stadium earlier in 2010, it doesn’t seem like anyone is expecting an issue. Because noone knows for sure what to expect in terms of noise and traffic, we’ll play it by ear for now and hope for the best.

The Monster Energy Supercross at Dodger Stadium will take place on January 22, 2011, and prices range from $40 all the way to $230.

The Monster Jam event takes place on February 19, 2011, prices range from $32-75.

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Changes for the Flea Market at Dodger Stadium

It looks like the short-lived LA Flea Market at Dodger Stadium is no longer – after just a few Sunday flea markets, the LA Flea Market partners split. In its place is the newly-named Flea Market at Dodger Stadium, a similar concept as the prior market now on Saturdays and featuring live bands, food trucks, a kids area, up to 600 sellers, and more.

The Flea Market was set to debut tomorrow (Saturday, November 20), but with rain on the forecast it looks like the event will be rescheduled for next month on December 18. We were sort-of looking forward to the opening tomorrow – they have teamed up with Homeboy Industries for the Flea Market on a regular basis, but had also planned for a charity drive with the non-profit organization for tomorrow. “Not Another Toy” drive, as it’s being called, is just that – instead of gifting toys, they’ll help anyone who has fallen on hard economic times and help with getting food, clothes for job interviews, and other everyday needs. We expect that the December debut will also feature the holiday charity drive.

When it does happen, parking is $5, you can enter through Downtown Gate (adjacent to the 110 south exit/Stadium Way) or the Sunset Gate (Stadium Way /Elysian Park Avenue). Click here for info about tickets, times and vendors.

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The Stadium gets dirty: Motocross and Monster Car shows coming soon

Noel E. Pallais of the Dodgers announced a couple of days ago that Dodger Stadium would be host two brand new (and frankly, a little unexpected) events early next year – Motocross and Monster Car shows. The Stadium has never before hosted such an event, and with a seating capacity of 56,000 people, it’s going to be big.

According to a Supercross press release, they will cart in 550 truckloads of dirt onto the actual Stadium floor. Eric Hansen, Assistant Director of Turf and Grounds at Dodger Stadium, talked about the challenges of replacing a beautiful major league field with all that dirt: “All we have to worry about is replacing the actual grass once the dirt is removed and from what I’ve been told, (Feld) is the best in the world at what they do so my anxiety level is extremely low.” Here’s a little preview of what the course map will look like on the field at Dodger Stadium:

Supercross Course Map

The Motocross press release mentions a site visit to Dodger Stadium one year ago, and we are aware that the Community Advisory Board (made up of residents surrounding Dodger Stadium) flat-out rejected the proposal to bring these events to Dodger Stadium earlier this year. There was talk, however, of the event being held in the parking lot at that time, but the Board was concerned with noise levels.

If you’ve ever been to a Moster Jam or Motocross event, you’ll know how incredibly loud it can be (youngsters have to wear those big sound-deadening head phones). Mr. Pallais of the Dodgers doesn’t expect the noise levels to be any more than a baseball game, and for traffic LAPD and LADOT officers will be present like they would be at any other game or event. No word on how many patrons they expect to attend. Because we’ve never had an event like this at Dodger Stadium, it’s difficult to determine what noise levels will be like for nearby residents – though thankfully the event ends early in the evening.

The Monster Energy Supercross at Dodger Stadium will take place on January 22, 2011, and prices range from $40 all the way to $230.

The Monster Jam event takes place on February 19, 2011, prices range from $32-75.

It’s a pretty big deal to bring these events to the Stadium, and, I’ll say it because we’re all thinking it (you know you are), we’re sure the team needs to bring in some extra cash with McCourt’s messy divorce and a disappointing season.

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Final Dodger Stadium fireworks of the season

Our last fireworks show at Dodger Stadium (which used to happen every Friday home game last season) is coming up on Friday, October 1. Get your tickets and show up early – these special events are usually packed!

Also, if you’re an Echo Park resident, make sure you get your free tickets soon! They always run out within hours.

Here’s the details from Community Relations Manager Noel Pallias:

As we advised and discussed with members of the Solano Community and the Community Advisory Group, we have added for our fans and neighbors a final fireworks show for the season.  As you are hopefully aware, the Friday fireworks show creates a wonderful family environment and we know our fans appreciate this late season gesture.

On Friday, October 1st, a 10-15 minute fireworks show will take place after the conclusion of that evening’s game against the Arizona Diamondback, which is scheduled to start at 7:10PM.

As always, the safety of those attending the event, our neighbors, the surrounding community and the firefighters themselves is of paramount concern to us. Therefore, as has been our policy, should the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) request that we cancel the fireworks due to weather concerns, or any other concern for that matter, we will comply. Decisions on this will be made right up until the time of the show.

LAFD personnel (including a water truck as is required by the fire safety code) and, as an added precaution, we will wet down the hillside closest to the demonstration area. Stadium management will be on site to manage the event.

Additionally, as has been our standing offer to closest neighbors, we have tickets available for our members of the Echo/Elysian Park and Solano Canyon residents who are interested in attending the game. Therefore, if you are a resident of either community and are interested in attending the game as our guest, please contact me at noelp@ladodgers.com with your interest, your address and telephone number (*additionally, since these tickets will be left under the name of the person making the request – THEY ARE NOT TRANSFERRABLE*). Your request must be received by Wednesday, September 29th.  Please understand that these tickets are on a first-come, first-served basis and that this offer is only for game tickets.

A confirmation email will be sent by noon on Thursday (9/30) indicating the time, as well as the location where the tickets will be available for pick-up on Friday.

Should you have any concerns relative to this event, please call our Neighborhood Focus Line at (323) 224-2636.

Can’t make it Friday? Make sure you support the Echo Park Improvement Association and the Echo Park Chamber of Commerce and purchase tickets for Echo Park Night at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, October 2. There won’t be fireworks, but you get to watch a game some cool Echo Park people! Click here for more info on how to buy tickets for Saturday.

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La Gran Fiesta Viva Los Dodgers on Sunday

This Sunday, September 19, at Dodger Stadium is the annual Viva Los Dodgers “La Gran Fiesta.” Throughout the season, every Sunday, the Stadium has hosted a smaller version, but this weekend is the big fest. The Dodgers are playing the Colorado Rockies.

From 10:00 am-2:00 pm (with a sound check starting at 9:00 am) in Lot 6 of the Stadium parking lot, you can expect some booths by sponsors Hyundai, Coca Cola, and Time Warner Cable, along with a beer garden and other fun activities for families. There will also be some live musical events, and last year there were even some former players signing autographs.

Viva Los Dodgers started in 1998 to “help more Hispanic fans come to Dodger Stadium.” Last year about 10,000 fans attended the festival, so get your tickets soon!

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Dodgers Lose Series to Giants, 2-1

It was a rough holiday weekend for the Dodgers, who blew a lead in Saturday’s game against the Giants and then were shutout in Sunday night’s series finale.

On Saturday, the Dodgers capitalized on a strong start by Ted Lilly and entered the ninth with a 4-3 lead over the Giants. All-Star closer Jonathan Broxton, who has been struggling since the break, was given the opportunity for the save. He promptly gave up a two-run homer, and the Dodgers were defeated 5-4. The loss was the final straw for Torre, who is officially pulling Broxton from save positions.

Kuroda pitched over seven innings in Sunday’s game, striking out eight, and giving up one in the second off a sacrifice fly by Pablo Sandoval then two more off a homer in the seventh. Despite a relatively solid start by Kuroda, Dodgers’ offense was once again nonexistent. Andre Ethier, currently on a one-for-19 streak, struck out three times, as did Matt Kemp, who is supposedly hitting clean up. Dodgers lost the game 3-0.

A look ahead

Tonight the Dodgers move south, with a three-game away series against the Padres. The Padres, who have been the division leader for the majority of the season, are on a 10-game losing streak. The Dodgers must put in a strong showing against the Padres if they are to keep their wildcard hopes alive.

Monday 9/6 at 7:05 pm – TV: KCAL, Radio: KABC 790
Dodgers v. Padres @ PETCO Park
Tuesday 9/7 at 7:05 pm – TV: KCAL, Radio: KABC 790
Dodgers v. Padres @ PETCO Park
Wednesday 9/8 at 7:05 pm – TV: PRIME TICKET/ESPN, Radio: KABC 790
Dodgers v. Padres @ PETCO Park

The buzz

What’s Next for Torre? The Dodgers’ manager, whose contract ends this season, had originally planned on announcing whether he’d return by Labor Day. But the holiday is here and still no word from Torre. Check out Helene Elliott’s column on the LA Times.

Dodgers Call up Five from Triple-A Albuquerque, including 16-year minors veteran. It took 16 long years, but first-basemen John Lindsey will finally make his major league debut. Lindsey, who’s played 1,570 games in the minors, earned his Dodger blues by leading the Pacific Coast League in hitting (.356) and slugging (.663) percentage.  No current player has spent more time in the minors without receiving a call-up.

Pitcher John Ely, who started for the Dodgers in several games this season, is also back. Joining him is relief pitcher Jon Link, who has been called up three times so far this season, shortstop Chin-Lung Hu and infielder Russell Mitchell, making his major-league debut.

  • Read more about John Lindsey’s call to the Big Leagues from Eric Stephen on True Blue LA
  • Steve Dildeck’s take on why Lindsey’s call up is noteable on  the LA Times Dodgers Blog
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Flashback Fridays: A Brief History of Chavez Ravine and Dodgers Stadium in Photos

I sure hope you guys like photo posts, because I can not get enough of the photos of Echo Park in the USC Digital Library. The collection is full of awesome old photos, and I highly suggest you check it out.

Today, we are going to take a little photographic tour of Chavez Ravine and the early years of Dodger Stadium.

"They're playing ball in Chavez Ravine, 1957"

The text that goes with this photo reads, “Some day the Los Angeles Dodgers hope to be playing ball where Mrs. Barden Scott is playing with her three children, Richmond, 5; Matthew, 3, and Valerie, 18 months. She figures that when the Dodgers build their fancy new ball park in Chavez Ravine home plate will be just about where her home is. But first the Dodgers will have to buy up her place and a few others scattered through the area. Mrs. Scott is willing to sell, but some other owners aren’t.”

"Aerial shot of Chavez Ravine and surrounding area, 1959"

An aerial view of Chavez Ravine just before construction began on Dodgers Stadium.

“Dodger stadium (Chavez Ravine), 1961”

“Chavez Ravine Dodgers ball park, 1961”

Photos of Dodgers Stadium being built.

“Dodgers plant first tree in Chavez Ravine, 1961”

The text that goes with this photo reads: “The Dodgers will plant the first tree in the Chavez Ravine ball-park landscaping on Thursday morning March 9 at 9:30 am. The tree will be an ash — baseball bats are made from ash. Present will be Dick Walsh, Dodger Vice President, a bat boy in a Dodger uniform with a ball bat and Mrs. Carolyn Patterson, Chairman of Plant a Tree Week.” I want to know where this tree is!

“Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine at night, June 1, 1962”

A night game at Dodgers Stadium less than two months after it opened on April 10, 1962.

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L.A. Flea Market gets a mixed review

LA Flea Market debuted on Sunday, July 18, 2010

Hey, Pasadena, we have a stadium too! And anything you can do we can do… sort of.

Sunday was the first ever Dodgers Stadium flea market, which will be held, barring a Dodgers home game, on the third Sunday of every month. However, if they hope to draw crowds of flea marketers to the parking lot, the organizers need to put a lot more effort into finding decent vendors a month from now. Or they could scrap the flea market and be a food truck party, in which case they would already be winning.

Parking was a breeze, I arrived at about 10:00 am hoping to beat the heat a little bit. The heat won regardless, but such is life when you’re hanging out in a Los Angeles parking lot in the throes of summer. There was a short walk to the ticket booth where I paid my $5 and received my ticket. You could pay with a card and there were the only two ATM machines at the ready, no sign noting these as your last chance for green as these were the last machines I spotted all day.

Not exactly on my list of quality Flea Market finds

Perhaps I have an East Coast bias when it comes to the age of vintage items, or maybe I was spoiled by the Pasadena City College flea market a few weeks ago. When I first walked into the LA Flea Market, I already felt this event was planned around food trucks, Rick Dees, and small business owners. Every fiber of my being routes for the small business to succeed, but today I also had hoped for a true flea market experience.

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LA Flea Market: Grand Opening at Dodger Stadium

LA Flea Marketing Rendering

As we wrote about last May, the LA Flea Market will debut this weekend, on Sunday, July 18 in the Dodger Stadium parking lot, and will take place every third Sunday of the month when there’s not a home Dodger game.

This Sunday is the grand opening and will feature radio personality Rick Dees, who will be holding a Hollywood Yard Sale to benefit the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center. He will be auctioning off celebrity items, one auction at 10:00 am and another at 1:00 pm. Throughout the day, you can expect approximately 400 vendors including live bands, food trucks, and sellers with items like vintage goods, antiques and collectibles, sustainable goods, and other new merchandise.

The LA Times published on Tuesday an interview with organizer Phillip Dane, some notable mentions from the interview include:

  • Food and music: The goal is to have a more upscale version of the Rose Bowl Flea Market by offering some extra amenities to the mix. “Bands aren’t just meant to be background music. Our food court will be unsurpassed with 18 of the most tweeted gourmet food trucks,” he told the LA Times. Committed food truck participants include: Ahn-Joo, Cool Haus, Fishlips, Slice Truck, The Munchie Machine, Mandoline Grill, India Jones, Border Grill, Tropical Shave Ice, Del’s Lemonade, Canter’s Deli, Fresh Fries, Willoughby Road, Komodo, Dosa Truck, Crepe’n Around, Gourmet Genie. See below for the band schedule.
  • Arts and crafts will have a presence: “Quite a few vendors came to us through Etsy. They will have a team block of eight spaces with 22 members.”
  • Homeboy Industries will staff the event: “I put together an application for Homeboys on our website, and we had 50 applications in one day. All I did was ask for their name, phone number and for them to tell us about themselves. Some of the stories were so moving. People wrote, ‘I’ve been out of prison but no one will hire me because I have a record or too many tattoos.’ We went down there last Wednesday for interviews and it was fantastic. These are men and women who really want to work. We are going to hire around 40 people to start. They’ll be trained in the logistics of the event, handle parking, directions and greeting the vendors when they arrive early in the morning. I’m also donating booth space to them so they can exhibit their artworks. There will be a whole Homeboy section where they can sell their merchandise and help keep Homeboy going.”

General Information:

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Dodger Stadium’s Tourist Photos Mapped

Photo by Eric Fischer via Flickr

You may or may not know that when you upload your photo(s) on Flickr, you can “geo-tag” them, providing a location for each photograph. Photographer Eric Fischer has taken the geo-tagged information and turned it into maps that indicate tourists that have posted photos (the red lines and dots) versus the locals (the blue lines and dots). The resident photos are determined by those who posted photos in the city “dated over a range of a month or more,” while the tourists are “people who seem to be a local of a different city and who took pictures in this city for less than a month.” The yellow dots and lines are those who can be either tourist or a resident, and it couldn’t be determined which was which.

The map above shows a zoomed-in view of the “Los Angeles and Pasadena” map. Quite a few tourist shots going on there! Click on the map to view the full map and more of Eric Fisher’s geo-tag maps for other parts of Los Angeles.

Also – shoutout to LAist for its article today on the maps!

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L.A. Flea Market at Dodger Stadium

LA Flea Market rendering at Dodger Stadium

The L.A. Flea Market is coming to Dodger Stadium on July 18, 2010, and will take place every third Sunday of the month when there’s not a Dodger game.

A few community members had expressed concern over yet more street traffic throughout the neighborhood. Noel Pallais sent out a community-wide notification at the end of April, and wrote about how the flea market is to be handled:

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Joel Osteen Event at Dodger Stadium on Saturday

On Saturday, April 24 started at 7:00 pm, Dodger Stadium is hosting the Joel Osteen Ministries event called the “Night of Hope.” Noel Pallais, Neighborhood Relations Manager for Dodger Stadium, sent out some details on how the Stadium will handle the traffic and timeline:

  • Set-up will commence on Wednesday, April 21st in the parking lots immediately adjacent to the Stadium – during the set-up stadium lights will be on;
  • A sound check for the event will commence at approximately 3:00 pm on Saturday;
  • Parking gates will open at 5:00 pm, event will start at 7:00 pm and the will conclude at approximately 10:00 pm;
  • The event is expected to be a sell-out and all parking gates will be used for inbound traffic. However, to minimize the impact on the community please note that the Scott Avenue gate will not be utilized for outbound traffic and the City will not close any streets but the “Local Access Only” barricades will be placed at the previously agreed upon locations;
  • Event breakdown will commence on Sunday, April 25th and will be completed on Monday, April 26th – as will be the case for the set-up the stadium lights will be on.
  • Finally, you may contact our Neighborhood Focus line at 323.224.2636, should you have any questions, require additional information or to report any security concerns.

As it turns out, the Scott Avenue gate will in fact be open for outgoing traffic, and while Noel’s announcement indicates there will be Local Access Only barricades, it hasn’t been confirmed whether or not there will be traffic officers around to help the flow of traffic at the intersections.

Jenny Burman of the Chicken Corner might be saying a prayer herself about the potential traffic issues: “…here’s to the hope that for Osteen’s nighttime service the traffic and crowd flow through the surrounding neighborhood is managed more effectively than we’ve seen at the ballgames. Or maybe say a prayer to that effect.”

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Prepare Yourself for Opening Day in Echo Park

Noel Pallais, the Dodgers Neighborhood Relations Manager, sent out an email earlier today (Friday) about what the neighborhood can expect for Opening Day on Tuesday, April 13.

The night before Opening Day, maintenance lights will be on for the duration of the night in preparation for Opening Day Events.  We will make every effort to minimize the impact on our neighbors.

The pregame ceremony, which is scheduled to start at approx 12:35pm, will include a small fireworks display on the field and a military flyover approximately 10 minutes before the start of the game.

In an effort to minimize the impact on our neighbors due to the starting time being earlier than our regularly scheduled games we are working very closely with the Los Angeles Police Department, as well as the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation; additionally, as is our policy on special event games, all of our parking gates will open earlier than our normal 2 hour period prior to the start of the game.

Since safety is of paramount importance, security and lighting will be provided to the areas around the Stadium to safeguard all vehicles and all necessary traffic controls will be in place. Additionally, you may report any security concerns to our Neighborhood Focus line at 323.224.2636.

Finally, with regards to special events at the Stadium for the upcoming season, note that postgame firework shows are only scheduled for the following dates: Monday, July 5th (start of game will be 6:10 pm) and Friday, September 3rd (start of game is scheduled for 7:10 pm). Additionally, prior to the start of every Sunday game scheduled at the Stadium, there will be a small Viva Los Dodgers musical event in our outfield parking lot (Lot G) starting approximately 2 hours prior to the scheduled start of that game and ending right at game time.

As in previous years, please keep in mind that the City of Los Angeles will close the following streets on April 13th, from 2:00 am to 8:00 pm for staging purposes and game preparations.  These closures will also serve to accommodate employee parking, minimize the inconvenience to neighbors and facilitate traffic flow. Note that local and emergency access will be maintained at all times:

Scott Avenue between Stadium Way and North Boylston Street
North Boylston between Academy and Stadium Way
Lilac Terrace between Stadium Way and Lookout to Stadium

Hopefully this year’s Opening Day will run a little smoother – last year concerns were raised about tailgate parties outside of the stadium after the parking rates increased to $15.00. Parking rates stay the same, but hopefully the newly reinstated shuttle buses between the Stadium and Union Station will help alleviate some of the parking woes. The Eastsider also points out that “a spokeswoman for Councilman Eric Garcetti said there will be ‘additional deployment to address neighborhood concerns’ about tail gate parties and traffic but did could not provide details.”

Many residents have yet to receive the usual Resident placards from Dodger Stadium to help them get through the “local access only” street barricades. Noel Pallais said we should be expecting them on or before Opening Day.

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Los Angeles Marathon to Start at Dodgers Stadium

Don’t expect to go anywhere this Sunday morning, as Echo Park is going to be the starting point for the Los Angeles Marathon. Aside from the actual marathon on Sunday, Dodger’s Stadium will be hosting the Los Angeles Marathon Expo on Friday, March 19th (from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm) which all of those thousands of marathon runners will have to visit in order to pick up their numbers and swag. Saturday, March 20th is the second day of the expo as well as the Los Angeles 5K.

The Los Angeles Marathon will begin at 7:24 am on Sunday, March 21st. Road closures will begin at 5:00 am and go until 10:00 am. It looks like the route goes down Elysian Park then heads east on Sunset before curving around and going back up Temple and Bellevue to Glendale. The route then runs up Glendale and past the lake before hitting Sunset again and going west.
View 2010 LA Marathon Course in a larger map

Regarding parking for the event, the Manager of Neighborhood Relations for the Dodgers says that “all-day parking is not allowed on the Stadium and all participants are being discouraged from parking in the immediate community. Additionally, the Department of Transportation will be posting signs prohibiting event parking around the Stadium.” Let’s just hope the runners take advantage of the shuttle bringing them to Dodger’s Stadium from Santa Monica.

It sounds like I’m complaining about this, doesn’t it? As if I’m ever out of bed before 10:00 am on a Sunday anyway. But honestly, good luck to all the runners! It’s gonna be painful, but you can do it! As for the rest of us? If you’re willing to wade through a sea of people, you could totally walk into the expo on Friday and Saturday and score some free PowerBars, water bottles, t-shirts and bananas.

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Job Fair At Dodger Stadium Tomorrow

Jobs! Jobs! And more Jobs! The Los Angeles Dodgers and our area elected officials together with the Employment Department are hosting a Job Fair at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, March 6, 2010 located at 1000 Elysian Park Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012. The event is free of charge and open to the public from 10 AM till 1:00 PM. There will be many, many employers on hand who are hiring. Bring your resume! Come dressed for success. If you are looking for your first job or a new job this is a great place to begin!

– From KTLA

It’s going to be crowded tomorrow at Dodger Stadium. Don’t forget your umbrella.

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