Second of two parts
Re “Personally Assessing Ed Little’s Contributions to the City”
[img]2014|right|Steve Rose||no_popup[/img]Former City Councilman Steve Rose recalled that the late Councilman Ed Little, who died Saturday at 87, lost his re-election campaign in 1970 “because the firefighters went after him.
“They were against him, I guess, because of his opposition to a labor contract. They supported a gentleman named John Karl Brogden.
“I am not sure,” said Mr. Rose, “why the firefighters opposed Ed. But it was a nasty race.”
Sixty-four years ago, Mr. Little founded Ed Little Auto Service, and Mr. Rose remembered a quirk from earlier days.
“Ed would only work on American-made cars,” he said. “If a car had metric parts on it, he would not work on it.”
Why? The economic environment was different in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, Mr. Rose noted. “This was when Japanese cars were beginning to take over,” he said.
Was this a case of powerhouse loyalty to America? “I don’t know,” Mr. Rose said. “I would guess he didn’t want to buy a second set of tools.
“Ed also was known for his own style of advertising. A large wooden wall would feature what looked like a graffiti sign that read “Ed Little, the Lemon Lover.”
To this very morning, that signage is on the first sliding door at Ed Little Auto Service, operated by his son Bob, at the corner of Sepulveda and Wagner.
What does it mena?
“You know about the lemon law, don’t you?” asked Mr. Rose, which prohibits dealers from unloading a car they know to be defective. “Ed loved cars that broke down. He would fix it right for you.”
Mr. Rose said his image of Mr. Little is of a man widely involved – genuinely active – in civic organizations.
“Ed would support worthwhile organizations, especially the Y, and he was super involved in Rotary.”
