City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation & Parks & Good Chevrolet

City and business leaders are mourning the loss of Good Chevrolet on Park Street, which announced recently that it will close its doors after 58 years. Fifty-three people will lose their jobs as a result of the closure. While the loss of the downtown dealership comes at a time when the nation is reeling from its worst economic crisis in decades, employees insisted the decision to close was not financial.

The Los Angeles city parks department plans to lay off nearly 140 temporary workers and reduce hours for hundreds more, cutbacks that union officials argued recently will lead to dirtier restrooms, unkempt playgrounds and reduced security at Griffith Observatory. Some temporary security workers at the observatory and staff members at preschool and after-school programs will also be let go or have their hours reduced, officials said. The general manager of the city Recreation and Parks Department said he postponed the cutbacks, which were included in the budget approved in May, until after the department's busy summer season. But with $3 million cut from funds for temporary workers, he said the layoffs were unavoidable. The effect will be felt immediately, he said. Restrooms at many city parks will be cleaned only once day, instead of twice a day. Some programs at recreation centers probably will be eliminated, and maintenance and trash pickup will be reduced at ball fields and other athletic facilities, he said.