A third major food-bank contribution since September

Food banks facing record-breaking demand

Where the 2025 food support has gone

• September: The PG&E Foundation awarded $1.12 million to support local food banks, tribal food banks, and senior meal programs.
• November: The PG&E Foundation donated $250,000 to the California Association of Food Banks’ Emergency Response Fund.

Equity-focused grant distribution

About the PG&E Corporation Foundation and PG&E

Why this matters

• California Association of Food Banks
• PG&E (Official Website)
• PG&E Newsroom

High Demand Marks “Veggies for Veterans” Event Amid SNAP Delays

Artistic Image: R Washington and AI

In the early 1970s, Lynwood, California, dreamed big.

City leaders envisioned a new, modern downtown — a sprawling shopping and auto mall that would bring jobs, shoppers, and a sense of pride back to this small but growing city in the southeast corner of Los Angeles County. At the heart of the plan stood a gleaming new Montgomery Ward department store, which opened around 1973 and promised to anchor a larger commercial center that never fully came.

But for those of us who grew up in Lynwood during that time, the promise never quite materialized.

Instead, we remember acres of empty lots, chain-link fences, and faded “Coming Soon” signs that sat for decades — silent witnesses to a dream deferred.

The Vision That Stalled

In 1973, Lynwood’s Redevelopment Agency launched what it called Project Area A — an ambitious plan to clear and rebuild much of the city’s downtown core. Small businesses and homes were bought out, land was assembled, and the city floated bonds to support new construction.

For a brief moment, it looked as if the plan might work. Montgomery Ward opened its doors, serving as a retail beacon for the area. Yet the rest of the mall — the shops, restaurants, and auto dealerships — never came.

By the mid-1970s, much of downtown had been bulldozed, but little replaced it. And by the time Ward closed its Lynwood location in 1986, the vast lots surrounding it had become symbols of frustration and unfulfilled potential.

What Happened?

Some longtime residents whispered about corruption or backroom deals — the kind of speculation that grows when visible progress stalls.

But newspaper archives and redevelopment records tell a more complex story.

Lynwood’s plans collided with a series of hard realities:

The construction of the Century Freeway (I-105) disrupted neighborhoods and depressed land values. Environmental cleanup and ownership disputes slowed development. Economic shifts in retail — as malls in nearby Downey, South Gate, and Paramount attracted anchor stores — drained the local market. And later, political infighting among city officials made sustained redevelopment almost impossible.

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To this day, there’s no public record of proven corruption directly tied to the 1970s mall plan. What did exist was a tangle of bureaucracy, economic change, and missed opportunity — a perfect storm that left Lynwood’s heart half-built and half-forgotten.

Growing Up Among the Vacant Lots

For those of us who were kids in Lynwood during that era, the story is more personal.

We remember the sight of the Montgomery Ward building — modern and hopeful at first, then shuttered and fading by the mid-1980s.

We remember riding bikes past the empty dirt fields that were supposed to become shopping plazas. And we remember the quiet frustration of adults who had believed the city’s promises.

Those empty blocks became our playgrounds — but they also became symbols of the gap between what Lynwood was and what it wanted to be.

A New Chapter: Plaza México and Beyond

By the late 1990s and early 2000s, the dream finally resurfaced in a new form.

Developers transformed the long-idle site into Plaza México, a vibrant commercial and cultural hub that celebrates Mexican and Latin American heritage.

It took nearly 30 years for Lynwood’s downtown to come alive again.

The result is beautiful — but it’s also bittersweet for those who remember how long the land sat empty, and how many local businesses and residents were displaced in pursuit of a dream that took a generation to fulfill.

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Looking Back

The story of Lynwood’s lost mall isn’t just about urban planning.

It’s about hope, change, and resilience. It’s about how a community tried to reinvent itself — and how the children who grew up watching that effort still carry its memory.

Sometimes, when I drive through that stretch of Imperial Highway and Long Beach Boulevard, I still imagine what might have been: the bustling mall that never was, and the voices of a neighborhood caught between ambition and uncertainty.

📚 Further Reading

• Montgomery Ward will close its Lynwood store. (Jan 3 1986) — Los Angeles Times. 

  Read it here

• Montgomery Ward Won’t Confirm Deal: Lynwood Council Says Retailer to Stay Open. (Jan 16 1986) — Los Angeles Times. 

  Read it here

• “Las Plazas of South LA” — academic paper by J.N. Leal (2012), discussing retail and redevelopment challenges in the region including Lynwood. 

  Read the PDF

• Proposed Lynwood Development Draws Support and Criticism. (2007) — Los Angeles Sentinel. 

  Read it here

• Wikipedia page: Lynwood, California — overview of the city including mention of Plaza México redevelopment. 

  Read it here

Dive into “The Knowledge,” where curiosity meets clarity. This playlist, in collaboration with STMDailyNews.com, is designed for viewers who value historical accuracy and insightful learning. Our short videos, ranging from 30 seconds to a minute and a half, make complex subjects easy to grasp in no time. Covering everything from historical events to contemporary processes and entertainment, “The Knowledge” bridges the past with the present. In a world where information is abundant yet often misused, our series aims to guide you through the noise, preserving vital knowledge and truths that shape our lives today. Perfect for curious minds eager to discover the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of everything around us. Subscribe and join in as we explore the facts that matter.  https://stmdailynews.com/the-knowledge/

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Population Density: How Los Angeles Compares to New York and Chicago

When people think of crowded American cities, New York City usually comes to mind first. Los Angeles, by contrast, is often labeled as “sprawling,” while Chicago is seen as a middle ground. But population density tells a more nuanced story—especially when comparing city proper numbers versus metro-area density.

City Proper: How Dense Are the Cities Themselves?

Looking only at official city boundaries, the differences are stark:

• New York City averages about 27,000–28,000 people per square mile, making it by far the most densely populated major city in the United States.

• Chicago comes in at roughly 12,000 people per square mile, dense but far more spread out than New York.

• Los Angeles, despite being the nation’s second-largest city by population, averages just 8,400–8,500 people per square mile.

This gap reflects development patterns. New York grew upward with dense apartment buildings and extensive transit. Los Angeles expanded outward with single-family neighborhoods and car-oriented planning.

Metro Areas Tell a Different Story

When the lens widens to include surrounding suburbs and commuter communities, the rankings shift:

• Los Angeles Metro Area: ~7,000 people per square mile

• New York Metro Area: ~5,300 people per square mile

• Chicago Metro Area: ~3,500 people per square mile

This surprises many readers. While New York’s core is extremely dense, its metro region stretches across a vast, lower-density area spanning parts of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Los Angeles, on the other hand, has a metro region that is more consistently built-up, with fewer truly rural gaps.

Why Density Feels Different in Each City

Population density doesn’t always match perception:

• New York feels crowded because density is concentrated vertically and transit funnels millions into compact areas.

• Los Angeles feels congested not because of extreme density, but because people are spread out and heavily reliant on cars.

• Chicago balances both, with dense neighborhoods near the core and more traditional suburban sprawl outward.

Hollywood vs. Reality: How LA’s Wilshire Subway Was Really Built

Why This Matters

Density shapes:

• Transportation planning

• Housing affordability

• Infrastructure costs

• Environmental impact

For cities like Los Angeles—now reinvesting in rail, buses, and transit-oriented development—understanding density is critical. As coverage on LA Metro and urban revival continues, these numbers explain why transit challenges in Southern California differ so sharply from those in New York or Chicago.

The Big Picture

• Most dense city: New York City

• Most dense metro area: Los Angeles

• Most balanced: Chicago

Density isn’t just about how many people live in a place—it’s about how they live, move, and interact with the city around them.

Further Reading: Population Density & Urban Development

• U.S. Census Bureau – Urban vs. Rural and Urbanized Area Density
• U.S. Census Bureau – Population and Density Data for U.S. Cities
• New Geography – Density Rankings of Major U.S. Urban Areas
• Brookings Institution – Urban and Metropolitan Policy Research
• Planetizen – What Population Density Means in Urban Planning

Dive into “The Knowledge,” where curiosity meets clarity. This playlist, in collaboration with STMDailyNews.com, is designed for viewers who value historical accuracy and insightful learning. Our short videos, ranging from 30 seconds to a minute and a half, make complex subjects easy to grasp in no time. Covering everything from historical events to contemporary processes and entertainment, “The Knowledge” bridges the past with the present. In a world where information is abundant yet often misused, our series aims to guide you through the noise, preserving vital knowledge and truths that shape our lives today. Perfect for curious minds eager to discover the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of everything around us. Subscribe and join in as we explore the facts that matter.  https://stmdailynews.com/the-knowledge/