LOS ANGELES — Second grader Kimberly Pedroza shivered outside the Los Angeles Zoo early Wednesday, her squeaky new rubber boots and thin plastic poncho barely shielding her from the sheets of chilly rain.
It was the second day of the massive three-day strike that shuttered L.A. public schools, and Kimberly was one of scores of Los Angeles Unified students who'd pounced at the offer of free admission, creating a sort of improvised, districtwide field trip.
Inside, squawking flamingos seemed to relish the sudden downpour. The elephant, not so much. Parents in plastic ponchos swarmed the gift shop, outfitting their children in umbrella hats printed to look like sharks and tigers, or ponying up for the full-sized number.
