Barris Way

This is a big week for Toluca Lake from opposition to growth to free coffee (ok, that's in the Burbank side of Toluca Lake). Here's probably the biggest thing in a while for the small hamlet of Los Angeles...

What do Toluca Lake Mayor Fritz Coleman, Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge, Peter Fonda, Nancy Sinatra, John Schneider, Eric Estrada, and Las Vegas's "official" Elvis all have in common? They'll all be at a special event in Toluca Lake on Friday!

With no mention of it on their website, the Toluca Lake Chamber is hosting event on Friday that mixes City process and celebrity. From an email forwarded on to us, we learned that the Chamber is "honoring and saluting" George Barris & Barris Kustom Auto with his own "Place". Well, the City is giving him the "place"; the chamber is throwing the party.

Councilman LaBonge back in December (approved in January) put in a request to have another "city square" designated in honor of Barris's contributions:

"In recognition of George Barnes' achievements and service to the entertainment industry and the custom car industry, it is appropriate that the City honor his achievement by naming the intersection of Riverton Avenue and Riverside Drive as 'George Barris Place.'"

The new "George Barris Place" intersection is a "T-intersection," and Riverton is only a stub of a dead-end street that ends at a Baja Fresh. It's an honor not to be mocked only because it is right next to his Kustom auto shop where the original Batmobile, Grease Lightening, the General Lee, the Munster's Koach, and other cars were created, as well as the non-famous car color & paint "Candy Apple Red."

Supposedly, there will be refreshments and celebrities (as mentioned above), and rumor has it (unconfirmed in writing) that there will be the release of a special Barris Collection of Hotwheels cars.

Details:

Join the
Toluca Lake Chamber of Commerce
As we honor and salute
George Barris
and
Barris Kustom Auto

Join
Master of Ceremonies and Toluca Lake Mayor Fritz Coleman
and Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge
As we dedicate George Barris Place!

Please attend this fun family event. See some of the most famous movie
cars in the world including the original "Batmobile" and visit with many
celebrity guests.

March 23, 2007
1:00 p.m.
Barris Kustom Auto
10811 Riverside Drive
Toluca Lake, California