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Five SoCal Must-Reads: Healthiest City Gets a Fast Food Joint

By Zach Behrens
December 20, 2011
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Griffith Observatory

A big picture look at the region:

  • They are iconic, but they do come with problems. The Atlantic Cities examines issues surrounding palm trees in urban settings, including Los Angeles and Santa Monica (and make sure to read A Brief History of Palm Trees in Southern California by L.A. as Subject).
  • 42 state nurses have each made more than $1 million over the past six years, according to Bloomberg, which says "the extra pay that allows some nurses to triple their regular compensation underscores a broader trend in California." CalCoastNews says the top paid nurse works for California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo.
  • In the Inland Empire, ethnic and niche food stores are replacing traditional supermarkets or are opening at new shopping centers," says the San Bernardino Sun. For context on the diversity of the I.E., read Susan Straight's KCET commentary, The American Tableau at a Riverside City Park.
  • Loma Linda, the Inland Empire's vegetarian mecca due to its strong Seventh-day Adventist community, "has one of the highest rates of longevity in the world according to some estimates," but it is in a bit of a pickle right now -- the city council has approved a McDonalds. The New York Times takes a look at the issue and culture of the city, and the commenters sound off (Noted: "If opening a McDonald's is the worst thing that happens in this community, I want to move there!").
  • GOOD Magazine's education series with City Year Los Angeles, which sends tutors and mentors into classrooms, continues with Liz Warden's Going Back to Basics Is Key to Achievement.

Photo by Mark Luethi via KCET's Southern California Flickr Pool.

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