Several weeks ago, Walker’s Café in San Pedro suddenly closed its doors. Concerned about the future of this longtime San Pedro stronghold, I began investigating its history and whether there was any way to ensure its survival. While there is a way for the City Council to save it, without the support of the community and those who have enjoyed the café over the years, I suspect that Walker’s as we know it could be lost.
When I first heard the news, I was heartbroken. It didn’t take me long after first moving to San Pedro to recognize how special Walker’s is. It is a genuine, unpretentious, homey space where people from all walks of life—longshoremen and fishermen, hikers, bikers, e-cyclists, firemen, even soldiers stationed at Fort MacArthur—can come together. Walker’s is truly a place where strangers can talk as friends and neighbors—a rare thing these days.
I was amazed to find that Walker’s has been playing this role in the community for generations, with origins going back to the 1930s, making Walker’s Café one of the oldest restaurants in San Pedro. As I’ve come to learn, people of all ages remember going there as children and its founder, Bessie Mae Petersen, is a beloved figure. People have told me how she never let anyone go hungry and how that loving spirit lives on in the café. It’s in the murals inside, which were done by a homeless merchant marine who Bessie allowed to stay there for months so he could get back on his feet; it’s in the sense of community anyone can find there, and it’s in the warmth that has been kept alive by those who have served beers and ‘Bessie Burgers’ to customers throughout the many decades since it opened. Losing Walker’s now seems unimaginable to me.
The best way to protect the history, culture and spirit of Walker’s is for it to receive landmark status. This would pave the way for the business to continue to operate as it has been, serving the community and visitors for generations to come. For this to happen, Walker’s will need the support of the community and City Council. Councilman Buscaino has supported landmark status for other locations in the area, and I’ve reached out to his office to see if he can do so again.
For those in the community who want to help save Walker’s, please go to https://www.change.org/p/save-walker-s-cafe and sign the petition or contact Joe Buscaino at councilmember.buscaino@lacity.org. Finally, for anyone willing to share their precious memories or photos of Walker’s, please email: savewalkerscafe@gmail.com
Emma Rault , San Pedro
(Re: At Length Editorial, RLN Nov. 11-24, 2021)
It’s a waste of money for the signs, because they won’t enforce it anyway. Two million is a lot of money that could lease portable toilets on city owned/ port owned, county and state vacant land and lots. Instead of tiny homes, they could supply an army’s worth of big tents with bed cots in each tent that could legally meet a bed count in Judge Carter’s eyes for the homeless people who choose not to go into temporary housing.
James Campeau, San Pedro
The new Infrastructure and Jobs Act is a victory for the people of California’s 44th Congressional District because it devotes significant resources to our community, cleaning up Superfund sites, replacing lead pipes, improving mass transit, and expanding broadband access to close the digital divide in low-income and communities of color. It includes money to improve our ports by addressing supply chain issues that are causing backlogs of ships and trucks that add to the pollution plaguing our port communities. These long overdue investments will have a positive impact on the lives of people in my district and throughout Los Angeles County.
We have much more to do to fully meet our promise to the American people. Congress still must vote to pass President Biden’s Build Back Better Act, which makes generational investments in fighting the climate crisis, building affordable housing, expanding home care, and more. We cannot leave workers, seniors, women, communities of color, or the health of our planet behind.
Today we celebrate the historic investments that were signed into law by the President – the largest investments in our nation’s infrastructure since the 1950’s. This is a big deal. Tomorrow, we get right back to work on delivering for the people. I look forward to delivering on President Biden’s entire agenda and voting for the Build Back Better Act when it comes to the floor.
Rep. Nanette Barragán , 44th District, San Pedro
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