Congrats to Eagle Rock Eagle Irene Maddox who was named the 2027 Rose Queen today. The senior is the captain of the school's water polo team as well as the girl's swim team. Maddox will be the 108th Rose Queen. "Irene leads with confidence and creativity, serving as editor-in-chief of broadcast journalism for the Eagle's Scream, founding and presiding over the Korean Culture Club, serving as secretary of Model United Nations and leading a youth group at Christian Assembly Church," LAUSD wrote in its congratulations on Instagram. "She's also captain of both the Varsity Swim Team and Varsity Girls Water Polo Team, bringing her leadership skills to the classroom, the pool and her community."

The San Fernando Valley is 260 square miles or 11x that of Manhattan. South Los Angeles is more than twice the size of Manhattan. Of the 101 "Best" Restaurants hear in LA, the LA Times today could only find four in South LA (Komal and Holbox in Historic South-Central, and Lugya’h and Alta Adams in West Adams) and five in the Val (Lum-Ka-Naad in Northridge, Saqartvelo in Van Nuys, Tainos L.A. in Woodland Hills, Barbacoa Ramirez in Arleta, and Anajak Thai in Sherman Oaks)? Hear's a challenge for @latimesfood: that center cut of LA you love so much: from the hollywood hills to the 10 from the beach to DTLA: that well worn path you've covered for decades, loyally... give it a rest for 1 year. explore the vast San Fernando Valley, and bonus points if you start north of Ventura Blvd. likewise dig deep into South Los Angeles. Make next years' 101 Best Restaurant list exclusively in those gigantic areas. Mirror the spirit of Jonathan Gold who enjoyed every nook of LA. Respectfully, branch out, just for one year do the thing no other major paper or magazine would do: get out of your comfort zone and celebrate the road untraveled within the city limits of this incredible place we are lucky to live in.