For immediate release
March 22, 2010
The OGs, L.A.'s oldest bloggers tell Mayor Villaraigosa: Hands off L.A. Libraries
LINK - http://the-ogs.com/savelapl
LOS ANGELES- As City Hall's lights burn late into the night with city workers struggling to manage the worst budget crisis in decades, across the river in Boyle Heights the sassy Jewish grandparents known as The OGs (which stands for "original grandparents" and is a play on "original gangsters") have been thinking, too.
Videobloggers Barbara (93) and Harry (97) Cooper have lived through the Depression, multiple housing bubbles, inflation, stagflation, two world wars, gasoline and food rationing and have seen nine different men serve as L.A.'s mayor. They also raised two children and seven grandchildren in Los Angeles, and they know what city services a parent or grandparent can't live without—without going nuts.
That's why Barbara Cooper sat down with granddaughter Kim Cooper, co-creator with her husband Richard Schave of the SaveLAPL.org website, to give Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa the benefit of her nine decades of wisdom in a special video message reminding him that free public libraries are essential to the health of a community and families.
Listen up, Mr. Mayor: this grandma knows a thing or two about good government!
In her short 2:15 video message to Mayor Villaraigoisa, the eloquent and persuasive Barbara (with some input from Harry, her loving husband of 73 years) hits all the right notes, from pleading ("don't take it away, it is a very important part in the culture of this city and the culture of our future generations") to forceful ("there must be other places where they can cut the fat") to humorous ("if our kids wanted to run away from home, they'd run to the library"). Check out the OGs' video message to Mayor Villaraigosa at the link below - http://the-ogs.com/savelapl
ABOUT THE OGs: Barbara and Harry Cooper live at Hollenbeck Palms, the oldest retirement home in California, in historic Boyle Heights, just east of the L.A. River. By the time Barbara and Harry married in 1937, the Jewish community was fleeing the old neighborhood for points west, and they never expected to come back. But when their grandchildren were looking for the best place for them to live, nothing could compare to the not-for-profit Hollenbeck. And so these two 90-something west L.A. Jews came back to the old neighborhood—and grandma Barbara started her online career with husband Harry on The OGs blog, and her side career as one of Yelp.com's most popular food bloggers, with three coveted citywide Review of the Day honors.
ABOUT SAVELAPL: Launched in Spring 2008 in response to deep threatened budget cuts and a $1-per-book inter-branch loan fee, in just one month response to Kim Cooper and Richard Schave's SaveLAPL.org website convinced the L.A. City Council's Budget & Finance Committee to leave the Los Angeles Public Library alone. Now, with 11% cuts being proposed for an already under-funded department that serves hundreds of thousands of Angelenos, SaveLAPL is back online providing a 1-click email solution for sending messages of library support to Mayor Villaraigosa and all members of City Council. More than 600 people have used the site in the past two weeks.
For a feel-good family story with a an original twist, check out Barbara and Harry Cooper, the original grandparent bloggers, and a combined 190 years of wisdom that is at the disposal of L.A.'s Mayor if he'll just listen. They care about much more than just libraries, and Grandma Barbara loves to talk about how things would be different if she was in charge. Come visit and see for yourself.
LINKS
Barbara's Yelp reviews - http://barbaracooper.yelp.com/
The OGs' blog - http://www.the-ogs.com/
The OGs' message to Mayor Villaraigosa - http://the-ogs.com/savelapl
Granddaughter Kim Cooper's Save LAPL website - http://www.savelapl.org
The OGs, Barbara and Harry Cooper, are available for interviews, and journalists on assignment can get a tour of their retirement community Hollenbeck Palms. Contact their granddaughter/publicist/SaveLAPL founder Kim at amscrayATgmailDOTcom, 323-223-2767.
