Dear Angels Flight Friends and Neighbors, Thank you for your continued support of Angels Flight Railway. Angels Flight is on a lot of minds right now. The musical film “La La Land,” featuring a romantic scene on the funicular in its trailer, is a big hit and has introduced many new fans to this Los Angeles landmark. In today’s Los Angeles Times, columnist Steve Lopez includes “a green light for Angels Flight” as his top hope for 2017: “If I were to draw up a wish list of things I’d like to see in 2017, a fix for Angels Flight would be near the top. Come on, already. This is a 298-foot funicular with just two cars, Olivet and Sinai. How hard can it be to satisfy state regulators, who insist on an escape route in the event of a derailment or accident, of which there have been a few over the years? The last time I wrote about this two years ago, the trolley — which began running in 1901 between Bunker Hill and the flats and now is operated by the Angels Flight Railway Foundation — had been idle for nearly a year and a half.  Let’s get City Hall on the case, or the MTA, or a philanthropist, or the makers of ‘La La Land.’ The Downtown News reported that the state Public Utilities Commission had notified Angels Flight that using the funicular in the movie was a no-no. What’s really unacceptable is that we can’t use it. Here’s hoping that before 2018 rolls around, Olivet and Sinai can get back to work rather than rust on the tracks, twin examples of municipal ineptitude.” Angels Flight also has a featured spot on Esotouric’s Los Angeles Historic Preservation 2016 year-end list: “Fallen Angels: One especially romantic scene in the new film ‘La La Land’ pours salt in the civic wound that is the stalled Angels Flight funicular railway, rubbed in when a local rag called the regulators for a quote that killed the non-profit’s major source of funding. In the 1211 days since the public was permitted to ride, the lovely little landmark has suffered grave humiliation, yet it remains fully functional and eager to serve. If only the Mayor would help!” See the whole list at http://esotouric.com/27for2016/ What's next for Angels Flight? We hope more civic involvement, which could get things moving at long last! Meanwhile, the non-profit board continues its efforts to produce a design for a track-side walkway as required by the state regulators. We'll let you know when there's more news to share. Viva Angels Flight! Kim Cooper & Richard Schave Esotouric / Angels Flight Friends and Neighbors Society