castelar elementary - Imprint Lab

Sep 05, 2017 Save Music in Chinatown 13 with Channel Three, The Neptunas, and 16 Again

by Martin Wong

This may sound like a broken record, but it's a really good one--a scratchy slab of vinyl that you scored at a thrift shop with that killer song that was on a lost mix tape or perhaps last heard on Rodney on the Roq decades ago when you were a kid. Anyway, for the thirteenth...

Editorial

May 24, 2017 School’s out for summer and public education is not dead yet

by Martin Wong

Summer is almost here and most teachers and kids are counting the school days that remain. Me, too. It's the end of my first school year as the president of Castelar Elementary's booster club and I could use a vacation. I had never thought about leading or even joining a PTA-type group, but Wendy and I...

Editorial

Feb 07, 2017 Chinatown Year of the Rooster Parade at the crossroads of public education

by Martin Wong

The other day, one of my daughter's teachers remarked that she was already sad about Eloise moving on to middle school in just a couple of years. Already a third grader, she is more than halfway through Castelar Elementary's K-5 span. My response was that my wife and I would be sad as well. We feel...

Editorial

May 10, 2016 Save Music in Chinatown 9 with California, Saccharine Trust, Zander Schloss, Spokenest, and Mike Watt & The Secondmen

by Martin Wong

When my wife and I came up with the idea of organizing all-ages DIY punk matinees to raise money for the music program at Castelar Elementary, we had no idea what we were doing. We just went for it and--with help from so many friends in bands, with venues, on radio shows, and with cool...

Editorial

Apr 19, 2016 Chinatown Stories

by Martin Wong

Over time, the art of storytelling has come a long way--from teaching lessons to building religions to selling products--and I can understand why. It's more fun and effective to tell stories than philosophize or tell people what to do. And so on Sunday, community s p a c e s will be presenting Chinatown Storytelling Workshop. The...

Editorial

Apr 05, 2016 Announcing Save Music in Chinatown 9: California, Zander Schloss, Spokenest, Mike Watt & The Secondmen

by Martin Wong

Since Eloise started attending kindergarten, Wendy and I have joked about her school taking over our lives. These days, we volunteer with valet duties practically every morning, help in the classroom all morning once a week, and make the school yearbook. I also serve on the school site council and, for the last few months,...

Editorial

Jun 02, 2015 Save Music in Chinatown 6 recap with Dengue Fever, Birdstriking, Chui Wan, and Deadly Cradle Death

by Martin Wong

On Sunday, my wife and I threw our sixth DIY benefit matinee to raise money for music education at the public elementary school our daughter Eloise attends, and I think it's cool that everyone I've talked to seems to have a different favorite band at the show. Cyrano and Lotus from KXLU's Molotov Cocktail Hour...

Editorial

Feb 24, 2015 Happy Chinese New Year from Chinatown

by Martin Wong

I didn't even plan on attending Saturday's Chinese New Year parade in Chinatown until our daughter's elementary school coordinator asked my wife Wendy and me if we were going. It was the next day, and he said that Eloise could hold the school's banner. How could we say no, and it would be convenient to...

Editorial

May 13, 2014 Save Music in Chinatown 3: Chuck Dukowski Sextet, California, Bitter Party, The Bear and Little Nun

by Martin Wong

On Sunday, my wife and I will be putting on our third Save Music in Chinatown benefit. You'd think we'd be experts at this by now. Or that we had some experience with concerts before attempting to raise money for music education at our daughter's elementary school. Sadly, neither is true. But we don't pretend...

castelar elementary Tag

Sep 05, 2017 Save Music in Chinatown 13 with Channel Three, The Neptunas, and 16 Again

May 24, 2017 School’s out for summer and public education is not dead yet

Feb 07, 2017 Chinatown Year of the Rooster Parade at the crossroads of public education

May 10, 2016 Save Music in Chinatown 9 with California, Saccharine Trust, Zander Schloss, Spokenest, and Mike Watt & The Secondmen

Apr 19, 2016 Chinatown Stories

Apr 05, 2016 Announcing Save Music in Chinatown 9: California, Zander Schloss, Spokenest, Mike Watt & The Secondmen

Jun 02, 2015 Save Music in Chinatown 6 recap with Dengue Fever, Birdstriking, Chui Wan, and Deadly Cradle Death

Feb 24, 2015 Happy Chinese New Year from Chinatown

May 13, 2014 Save Music in Chinatown 3: Chuck Dukowski Sextet, California, Bitter Party, The Bear and Little Nun