THE EAGLE ROCK ASSOCIATION
The Best Investment You Can Make in Your Neighborhood
TERA
e.letter
January 19, 2005
Learn more about us and how we
are changing our community for the better.
What? You're not yet a member
of TERA?
Join now! Here's how:
Go to
http://www.TERA90041.org/teraform.htm
Now
more than ever, please support your residents association --
more than 1,000 members strong, and growing every day!
And don’t forget to encourage interested
friends and neighbors to join TERA so that they, too, may enjoy the many
benefits of membership, including a complimentary subscription to the TERA
e.letter.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE – INVESTING IN YOUR HOME – LET TERA TELL YOU WHAT MAKES SENSE!
2. TERA LAND USE COMMITTEE – TONIGHT!
3. TERA’S FIRST
COMMUNITY MEETING OF 2005 – JANUARY 25TH
4. OCCIDENTAL
COLLEGE HOSTS FREE FINANCIAL AID WORKSHOP -- JANUARY 22ND
5. THE HISTORIC ECHO
PARK WALKING TOUR EXPLORES THE LAKE AND BUSINESS DISTRICT – JANUARY 22ND
6. CENTER FOR THE
ARTS, EAGLE ROCK GETS “DRAWN AND QUARTERED” – JANUARY 23RD THROUGH
FEBRUARY 19TH
7. THE SOUTHWEST
MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN HOSTS KTLA MORNING NEWS LIVE BROADCAST –
JANUARY 31ST
8. WOMEN'S
20TH CENTURY CLUB AND ROCK TEEN CENTER PRESENT “LIFE THROUGH MY EYES” –
FEBRUARY 26TH
9. FREE ON SATURDAYS?
LEARN MORE ABOUT EAGLE ROCK!
10. ROUTE 66 CELEBRATIONS,
SEPTEMBER 2005! BE PART OF IT!
11. LETTERS FROM OUR READERS
12. THE FINAL WORD –
REVEREND MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR
* * *
1. PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE – INVESTING IN YOUR HOME – LET TERA
TELL YOU WHAT MAKES SENSE!
SPEND TIME WITH TERA TONIGHT AND TUESDAY EVENING
Please see the announcements below for the TERA Land Use Committee
meeting tonight and our first community meeting for 2005 – it is time very well
spent!
E.LETTER DELAYS – THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!
For those who are wondering where the e.letter has run off to, please know
that it has been stuck in a non-working DSL line. I am sending them out
in batches to TERA members. For non-members, I will strive to get
e.letters posted on our website, so if in doubt, please check the web. I
am hoping to get the e.letter back on track very soon. In the mean time,
thank you so much for your patience and support.
TERA NEWSLETTER COMING SOON!
Our first newsletter of 2005 will be sent to all TERA members and in places
around town. This issue is full of pictures of the 2004 Eclectic Eagle
Rock Home Tour and great stories of interest to our community. Make sure
to pick up your copy, and join TERA to have a copy sent to your home!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR
COMMUNITY!
Make a New Year’s Resolution to serve your local community in 2005!
TERA has many interesting volunteer
opportunities available from being a writer for our quarterly newsletter to
researching land use cases and surveying the area for a potential Historic
Preservation Overlay Zone. This is a great chance to learn more about Eagle
Rock, learn a new skill, and meet other great volunteers in our town. We can
place you in a volunteer position that fits the amount of time you can offer
and the kind of service you’re interested in doing.
Please contact Pauline Mauro, TERA’s Volunteer Coordinator, at pauline@mauro.com or (323) 550-1130 if
you’d like to volunteer.
INFORMATION ON LAST WEEK’S STREET CLOSURE AND
GAS LEAK
For those wondering why the Colorado exit of the 2 Freeway and a large
portion of Colorado Boulevard was closed last week, here is an update from
Eagle Rock Deputy to Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa, Michael Cathey:
Between 12:15 and 12:30 Wednesday, January 12th, the contracting
company installing the rapid bus underground lines on Colorado Blvd mistakenly
drilled into a 4" gas line near 2525 Colorado Blvd.
The Gas Company was unable to use the installed cut-off valves for
the gas line without affecting a tremendous swath of Eagle Rock. Instead they
decided to install new cut-off valves on either side of the damaged pipe about
a block apart. The Gas Company dug into the street and will be installing these
valves. Once the valves are installed, then they will be able to cut off the
gas to the damaged line, dig into the street and repair the line. Completion
time expected to be approximately 5 - 6 hours.
DOT has Colorado blocked off between Sierra Villa and Ellenwood and north up
to Las Flores. The road closures will stay in effect until the line is fully
repaired.
According to LAFD, approximately 100 people were evacuated. The great
majority of these folks were businesspeople and patrons in the vicinity. One
apartment building was ordered evacuated but nobody was there. When LAFD
responded, they reported that the gas plume was so heavy that a visible cloud
lay over a two block radius. They took immediate action to fan out buildings
and apply hoses near the gas leak to prevent static charges.
44 gas meters have been shut off during the repair. The 44 meters shut off
will affect the business in the 2 block radius of Oak View and Colorado and the
residents on Oak View between Colorado and Las Flores. When asked, the Gas
Company representative Robert Marvray said that he had staff walking door
to door to explain to those at home what was going on in the affected area. He
also assured me that when he had additional staff during the rush hour time he
would go back to the houses they missed to explain the situation. Gas will be
restored when the line is repaired.
The city departments that responded were Gas Company, Con Ad, DOT, LAPD
and LAFD Engine 42, light brigade 50 and HazMat.
One of the issues LAPD and LAFD had when I got on site was lack of traffic
control. DOT only sent out one TC officer. But by the time we made some
calls, 14 were out there making sure no one was driving through the area.
It’s the coordinated work of LAFD, LAPD, DOT, and the Gas Company that made
sure the neighborhood stayed safe and didn't explode.
Thanks, Michael, for your work to keep Eagle Rock safe!
A TREE GROWS AT A GAS STATION…
In keeping with some of Eagle Rock’s boasting the most lovely gas stations
and car washes in the Northeast, The Collaborative Eagle Rock Beautiful’s
John Stillion, Esther Monk, Ursula Brown, and Betty Tyndall sure gave the
Valero gas station on Colorado Boulevard a needed landscaping! Thanks
for the new trees and native plants – they’re lovely!
PLEASE FILL OUT YOUR VONS SURVEY!
Those who did not make it to the December presentation on the future of the
Vons site missed a very important evening. Nearly 60 community members
met at the Eagle Rock Library to dream of what the Vons site could be, and what
improvements Vons could make to its current store to keep us as loyal
customers.
Mott Smith, Jim Favaro and Steve Johnson of CEA-MDA-Johnson Favaro
did absolutely amazing work on behalf of our community in leading this meeting
and creating a vision that makes financial sense. It was so helpful that
the team explained the development process as a prelude to a possible plan for
Vons consideration – which included moving the Vons market to front Figueroa,
with a parking structure in back and retail and townhomes along La Loma.
Special thanks to the planning group who helped put together this
interesting event - Michael Tharp, Ursula Brown, Robert De Pietro, Tracy
King, Linda Allen, Dalila Sotelo, Eric Warren and John Stillion, and especially
Jessica Wethington-McLean who helmed the effort with me, as co-chairs of
the ERNC Land Use Committee.
Thanks to Gloria Garrettson and Tom Acevedo from Vons Real Estate for
listening to the goals of this effort, donating food and beverages for the
meeting, and to Gloria for attending the meeting itself.
Most of all, thank you to the ERNC, ERCPR and Occidental College for
agreeing to provide financial support for CEA – MDA – Johnson Favaro. It
was essential to communicate professionally to the Safeway Corporation with an
eye toward economic reality.
It is crucial to hear from you on your vision and desire for what needs to
happen at the site and what your suggestions are to upgrade the Vons market
itself. I have copies of the notes from the meeting and the survey to
send to those interested in sharing your opinions. Jessica has also sent
the survey and notes in PDF format to numerous stakeholders in Eagle Rock. To
get your copies if you don’t already have them, just reply to the e.letter and
I can send them to you, or print out the forms from TERA’s website: http://www.TERA90041.org/.
You can turn the forms in to the ERNC Land Use Committee at Eagle Rock City
Hall. Thank you for your time and participation!
-- Hilary Norton Orozco,
TERA President
* * *
2. TERA LAND USE COMMITTEE – TONIGHT!
TERA Land Use Committee
Wednesday, January 19TH
6 – 7 pm
Eagle Rock Library
Come join TERA Land Use Committee Chair Michael Tharp and Historic
Preservation Chair Frank Parrello for important discussions on the
following items: Boarding Houses in the R-1 Zone, Commercial Building
Survey Status Report, Combine Land Use and Historic Preservation Committee, and
Land Use and Preservation issues for 2005.
* * *
3. TERA’S FIRST COMMUNITY MEETING OF 2005 – JANUARY 25TH
"Feathering Your Nest
(Egg): Optimizing Your Home's Character & Value"
Tuesday, January 25, 7 p.m.
Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock
2225 Colorado Boulevard
Let Keith Louie of Sotheby's Realty and Christy Johnson McAvoy
of the Historic Resources Group help you preserve your home's character and
build wealth through home ownership.
Free Admission; $2 donations welcome.
Complimentary Refreshments provided by these fantastic Eagle Rock eateries:
Auntie Em's & Blue Hen.
* * *
4.
OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE HOSTS FREE FINANCIAL AID WORKSHOP -- JANUARY 22ND
Occidental College on Saturday, January 22nd will host “Cash for College,” a
free workshop that provides high school seniors step-by-step assistance in
completing state and federal financial aid forms. The workshop is scheduled
for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Johnson Hall, Room 200.
Occidental is located at 1600 Campus Road in Eagle Rock. For
directions and a campus map, please visit http://www.oxy.edu/MapsDirections.xml.
Parking is free.
“Many families just aren’t aware of the money that’s available to them,”
said Maureen McRae Levy, director of financial aid at Occidental. “This
outreach is designed to expose them to the opportunities they have. Students
are often very surprised to learn they can go to the UC or CSU systems without
paying any fees, or that they can get almost $9,000 to attend a private
school.”
California Cash for College workshops take place across the state in January
and February of each year. Sessions provide professional assistance to families
completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Cal Grant
GPA Verification Forms necessary for Cal Grants and other types of financial
aid.
Whether graduating seniors plan to attend a four-year college or university,
community college, or vocational or technical school, the FAFSA and Cal Grant
forms are required for financial aid applications and must be submitted by
March 2, 2005.
Families are encouraged to bring to the workshop federal income tax
returns from 2004 (if available), W-2 forms or a most recent pay stub, and bank
statements. For more information, contact Gina Becerril at (323) 259-2548 or gbecerril@oxy.edu.
* * *
5. THE HISTORIC ECHO PARK WALKING TOUR EXPLORES THE LAKE AND
BUSINESS DISTRICT – JANUARY 22ND
Echo Park’s most prominent historic landmarks will be featured during a
walking tour of the neighborhood business district and Echo Park Lake on
Saturday, January 22. The tour begins at 10 AM. A Spanish-language version of
the tour will be offered at 12 pm.
The 1-1/2 hour tour organized by the Echo Park Historical Society
will include the colorful histories of prominent neighborhood buildings and
institutions that have been recognized by local and national agencies as
historic and cultural treasures. The outdoor tour features Angelus Temple,
Jensen’s Recreation Center and the restored “Lady of the Lake” statue.
The tours leave from the southwest corner of Sunset Blvd. and Lemoyne St.
The tour group is limited to 20 people. A $3 donation is requested for adults.
There is no charge for children under 12 or historical society members.
For tour information and reservations please call (323) 860-8874 or visit
the historic society’s web site at www.HistoricEchoPark.org.
The business district and lake tour is part of the Historic Echo Park
Walking Tours program organized by the Echo Park Historical Society. The tours
are held on the fourth Saturday of every month and rotate among three different
routes: Elysian Park, Echo Park stairways and the business district.
* * *
6. CENTER FOR THE ARTS, EAGLE ROCK GETS “DRAWN AND QUARTERED”
– JANUARY 23RD THROUGH FEBRUARY 19TH
DRAWN AND QUARTERED: Works on paper by Duvier Del Dago, Richard Louderback,
Laurie Steelink, and Chris Wilder
January 2005, Eagle Rock--The Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock is pleased to
present “Drawn and Quartered,”* a group exhibition of works on paper ranging
the figurative to the conceptual. The show features pieces by Duvier Del
Dago, Richard Louderback, Laurie Steelink, and Chris Wilder. The exhibition
runs from January 23, 2005 through February 19, 2005, with an artist’s
reception on Sunday, January 23 from 1 - 4 pm
Duvier Del Dago presents working drawings for an installation project
yet to be completed. These works can be interpreted on many levels including
being read as distorted memories, or as structured realities that may, or may
not exist. Living and working in Havana, Cuba, he is currently preparing a
piece for the Salon of Contemporary Cuban Art in February, 2005. He also
teaches drawing and painting at ISA (Instituto Superior de Arte) in Havana, and
is a regular contributor to art magazine, Arte Cubano. His work has been
exhibited internationally; and in the U.S., his work will be included in an
exhibition curated by Sandra Levinson, Director, Center for Cuban Studies, New
York.
Inspired by circus sideshows freaks, the occult, extreme lighting, and goth
culture, Laurie Steelink creates for this exhibition a large-scale
drawing. Juxtaposing humor with horror, and dream with nightmare, her work
displays psychic disarray in its expression of fear, disgust, pain, and glory.
Not only are the spirits of the innocently evil children depicted in horror
flicks like The Omen, The Exorcist, and The Children of the Corn channeled
through this piece; it also evokes the lingering nightmare that invades our
collective psyche on a daily basis during times of war, and also serves as a
reminder of the violence and abuse experienced by young people world wide. Steelink
graduated with a BFA at San Francisco Art Institute, and with a MFA from the
Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. She has exhibited her
work both locally and internationally. She currently lives and works in Venice,
California.
Using source images from his recent island travels, Chris Wilder takes
drawing and photography to a conceptual level. Through altering his photographs
with drawing, Wilder¹s “Quartered” series invites the viewer to experience a
waking state of simulated hallucination. Wilder graduated with a BFA and MFA
from California Institute of Arts. Some of his work is currently traveling in
the museum exhibitions, “100 Artists See God,”(curated by John Baldessari and
Meg Cranston), and “Surf Culture,”(originated at the Laguna Beach Museum of
Art). His video collaboration with Richard Louderback, “Colour Flight/Music for
Len Lye,” an exhibition and performance curated by David Pestorius, opened at
the Sydney Opera House in 2004 in conjunction with the Sydney Biennale. It has
since been screened at Art Forum Berlin, Foundation Cartier in Paris, among
other venues, and is currently touring. Wilder lives and works in Santa Monica,
California.
Richard Louderback culls unauthorized historical documents to create
contemporary socio-political dialogue. Comical and at times shocking, his work
is a commentary on “history at present,” as it addresses power relationships.
Louderback recently exhibited his paintings in London provoking a press frenzy
with the style and content of his constructed realities. Louderback graduated
with a BFA in illustration from Pasadena Art Center College of Design. He
currently lives and works in Los Angeles, and has exhibited his work both
locally and internationally. He recently collaborated with Chris Wilder on the
video project, “Colour Flight/Music for Len Lye.”
*To be drawn and quartered was a torture reserved for heretics, traitors, and
deviants. It was also preceded by hanging. All art work described above is
stoner friendly. This exhibition was curated by Cindy Ojeda with love and
admiration for the artists.
The Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock is a non-profit organization, supported
solely by grants and donations, providing low cost art, music, dance, and
computer classes to children and adults of surrounding areas and communities.
The Center also sponsors concerts, exhibitions and festivals. The Center’s
federal tax identification number is 95-4689576.
For more information, call Jenny Krusoe or Lui Sanchez at the Center for
the Arts, Eagle Rock (323) 226-1617. The Center is located just west of the
corner of Eagle Rock Boulevard and Colorado Boulevard at 2225 Colorado
Boulevard.
* * *
7. THE SOUTHWEST MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN HOSTS
KTLA MORNING NEWS LIVE BROADCAST – JANUARY 31ST
Thank you to ASCAN alert for this exciting feature:
Los Angeles (January 10, 2005) – The public is invited to attend the live
broadcast of the "KTLA Morning News" celebration of Northeast
Los Angeles, 6:00–9:00 am. The broadcast takes place at the oldest museum
in Los Angeles, the Southwest Museum of the American Indian. The museum will be
open for this special engagement from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with free
admission for all visitors between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m.
From 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., Carlos Amezcua, Michaela Pereira, Mark
Kriski, and Sam Rubin will spotlight the history, people and places of
Northeast Los Angeles, including:
-A special look at the Southwest Museum of the American Indian
-An overview of many of the communities that make up Northeast Los Angeles,
as well as segments on Atwater Village, Cypress Park, Eagle Rock, Glassell
Park, Highland Park, and Mount Washington
-Invited special guests, including Mayor James Hahn and Los Angeles
City Council members representing the featured communities
Visitors will be able to view the newly rededicated galleries, People
of California and People of the Southwest: Changing Traditions, which include
never-before-seen artifacts from the vast Southwest Museum collection. Visitors
are encouraged to take the Metro Rail Gold Line to the event and exit at the
Southwest Museum stop. Parking will be available along Marmion Way.
Southwest Museum of the American Indian
The Southwest Museum holds one of the nation's most important museum,
library, and archive collections related to the American Indian. In addition,
it has extensive holdings of pre-Hispanic, Spanish colonial, Latino, and
Western American art and artifacts.
For nearly 100 years, it has supported research, publications, exhibitions,
and other educational activities to advance the public's understanding and
appreciation of the Americas, with particular emphasis on the western United
States and Mesoamerica.
The Southwest Museum is located at 234 Museum Drive in Mt. Washington and is
easily accessible via the Metro Rail Gold Line, which stops directly across
from the museum.
The Southwest Museum and Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free on the second Tuesday of every month.
* * *
8.
WOMEN'S 20TH CENTURY CLUB AND ROCK TEEN CENTER PRESENT “LIFE THROUGH MY EYES” –
FEBRUARY 26TH
The Women’s 20th Century Club and ROCK Teen Center will present “Life
Through My Eyes,” a tantalizing poetry and spicy spoken word extravaganza,
directed and hosted by two-time grant recipient and City of Los Angeles Artist
in Residence Lisa Marie Sandoval. “Life Through My Eyes” will feature Northeast
L.A. youth, ages 12-20, performing original works about life in today’s world,
side by side Sandoval as she presents her powerfully poignant slices of life
from “The Yowling & Other Sounds from Highland Park” on Saturday,
February 26 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Women’s 20th Century Club is located
at 5105 Hermosa in Eagle Rock, on the corner of Colorado Boulevard in
Council District 14, represented by Councilmember Antonio Villaraigosa, whose
council office will be in attendance.
For those interested in what the next generation has to say, this is the event
to attend. Sandoval began her search and development of young talent by
conducting poetry workshops tied to California state academic standards and
curriculum for almost 600 students at Eagle Rock and Franklin High Schools.
“For over 100 years the Women’s 20th Century Club has supported arts
in this community. We are excited to celebrate our founder’s month by hosting
such an innovative performance by young local talent,” says Donna
Robey-Sullivan, WTCC board member and ROCK Executive Director.
Sandoval selected only the cream of the crop youth poets to develop their
written technique and performance style more intensely at classes specifically
designed for them at ROCK Teen Center. Jenny Krusoe, former Poetry Editor of
the Santa Monica Review and Executive Director of Center for the Arts,
Eagle Rock—last year’s venue for “Life Through My Eyes”—says she and the Center
were “proud to be the host venue for such a talented and cutting-edge poet. Her
performance style is unique.” Last year’s event attracted over 120 people.
The event is also sponsored in part by a City of Los Angeles Cultural
Affairs grant awarded to Sandoval for 2004 -2005 purposed to bring art into
local communities. “My aim is to bring healing and hope and to show people,
youth in particular, that they can make beautiful art from the brokenness of
real life,” said the nationally published poet and Cultural Affairs grant
recipient. “My poetry is a song I wrote, because I heard it resonating from the
hearts of the people in my neighborhood.” Sandoval's unique style of
contemporary drama and dance in her poetic performance intimately brings to
life the immigrant experience, welfare mothers, homelessness, gangs, and
families with poverty-stricken dreams.
Sandoval’s work has been published in The Southern California Anthology,
The Christian Century, Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review, Blue Collar Review,
Brújula/Compass: Latino Poets in Los Angeles, among others. Most
recently, she performed at “The Time at the Rock” and was selected as
host/organizer/featured performer for the 2004 Sylvan Amphitheater Festival of
the Arts’ “Evening of Spoken Word,” sponsored by Councilman Antonio
Villaraigosa, Center for the Arts (Eagle Rock), the City of L.A.’s Department
of Recreation and Parks and Cultural Affairs Department, and The Eagle Rock
Neighborhood Council. Sandoval is a member of the Arroyo Arts Collective and
holds a master’s degree in Professional Writing from USC and a bachelor’s
degree from Occidental College.
Admission to the show is free. Music and refreshments will be served. For more
information, please call (323) 257-6102 or e-mail poetryarts@truevine.net.
* * *
9. FREE ON SATURDAYS? LEARN MORE ABOUT EAGLE ROCK!
Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society Archive is open! Come
research, rediscover, or add to Eagle Rock’s History! Visit us every Saturday
morning from 10 am to noon in the basement of the Center for the Arts, Eagle
Rock at 2225 Colorado Blvd.
* * *
10. ROUTE 66 CELEBRATION SEPTEMBER 2005! BE PART OF IT!
This just in from the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council and Scott
Piotrowski of Route 66 Productions:
In September 2005, the Stater Brothers Route 66 Rendezvous in San
Bernardino will also be hosting the National Historic Route 66 Federation's
annual Steinbeck Awards Ceremony. This will bring Route 66
Ambassadors from around the world to the event in San Bernardino.
The Steinbeck Awards are traditionally held in a different city every
year. The intent of the Federation is that the city hosting the event
holds a related International Route 66 Festival in conjunction with the Awards
in order to raise awareness of Route 66 in the local community and raise
awareness of the local community within Route 66 enthusiasts.
The dates for next year's event are officially September 15 – 18. However,
the various California Route 66 organizations and museums are coming together
to host a variety of events throughout the week leading up to and including the
Rendezvous. Those organizations include the California Historic Route
66 Association, the California
Route 66 Museum (Victorville), the California Route 66 Preservation
Foundation, the Route 66 "Mother Road" Museum (Barstow), and 66
Productions, of which I am the director.
The events being discussed include, but are not limited to, the following
ideas. There are definite plans for two Route 66 Bus Tours, one eastbound
and one westbound, both originating and ending in San Bernardino. The
westbound tour will make it as far as the original terminus of Route 66 at 7th
and Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles. (I am co-hosting both tours.)
There will be a preservation seminar hosted in part by the National Park
Service's Route 66 Corridor Management Program, based out of Santa Fe, NM.
This is currently scheduled for two days at the Aztec Hotel in Monrovia.
There are also plans afoot for a reception which will bring together Route 66
Ambassadors, local business owners, and local preservation enthusiasts.
The date and location for that are still TBA. I am currently the chairperson
of that committee, so if anyone has any suggestions, or is willing to assist on
that committee, please let me know!
Other events include the John Steinbeck Awards Luncheon (Friday, September
16), a Route 66 egroup breakfast (Sunday, September 18), a Route 66 Authors /
Artists exhibition (all weekend), and many other events, all in addition to the
usual Stater Brothers Route 66 Rendezvous events.
If anyone is interested in receiving more information about any of the
events, or perhaps is interesting in providing more ideas or serving on any of
the organizing committees, please contact me off-list at rt66prods@yahoo.com.
* * *
11. LETTERS FROM OUR READERS
During the recent rains, a sewage problem developed on the east end of York
Boulevard very near the Sparkletts Buildings. Since the onset of the
problem, ECI (Ecology Control Industries) has been pumping 24/7 at that
location. I estimate they are using at least 12 extra-long pumper trucks
to do the work.
Am I crazy? Or, should I, as a Sparkletts customer, and a resident
just off York Boulevard, be concerned that sewage could percolate down into the
acquifers that Sparkletts use to fill their bottles? Has anyone got the
skinny on this? Did anyone witness the original event? Did we have
sewage running in the streets?
I'd appreciate any info you may have.
-- Mary Ellen Canniff, Mt. Pleasant St.
Mary Ellen, you posed such a good question that I immediately checked
with Eagle Rock Deputy to Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa, Michael Cathey as to
the answer. Here’s what he said:
I spoke with Anthony Winston of the sewer division last week about
this. He said because of the heavy rain, the sewer at Lincoln overflowed.
I mentioned that it was my understanding a sewer line is a closed line. He said
yes, the legal lines are, but illegal hookups (which appears to be a somewhat
common occurrence) are not closed and that's what causes the overflow. The city
had the trucks out there pumping excess sewage into the trucks in order to
relieve the overflow line.
And regarding the sewage leak, Anthony Winston says that there's no
concern about the sewage seeping into the underground aquifer. The sewage was
coming through the manholes and onto the street, not onto green space.
Evidently this has been happening for years not only because of the illegal
lines, but because of the antiquated sewer system in ER. That's why the Eagle
Rock Interceptor Sewer is being built right now up Eagle Rock and along various
side streets, so these kinds of incidents won't happen anymore. So,
although the construction on Eagle Rock Boulevard is inconvenient, it will make
sure sewer overflows don't happen again (we hope!).
* * *
This helpful advice for future storms comes
from Marlene Schmidt, Public Safety Director, ERNC:
"Please call the FIRE DEPARTMENT immediately, if you have
experienced any earth movement in your hillside properties, sink holes in your
yards or any other imminently dangerous aftermath of the torrential
rains. Also call the Gas Co. for any gas leaks or the DWP for downed
power lines or power outages. Call 911 for life threatening
emergencies. Call 311 for all other assistance. Also, call your
Homeowner's Insurance, FEMA and other disaster relief agencies for damage
assistance.
If you have experienced some flooding, or any of the above, please
also let me know, so I can document our need for more LAFD attention
during these unexpected times. I have had a few phone calls regarding a lack
of available sand and/or sandbags and many leaky roofs. Remember, when
putting tarps and plastic covers over leaky roofs, to always cut a small hole
for or drape around all gas vents.
During power failure times, have at least four flashlights readily
accessible at your front door and all other entrances, one under each bed in
the house, and other key rooms in your home, including your garage, and your
automobile. Also remember to change batteries every year, about the same
time you change windshield wipers on your automobile. Don't rely on
candles in the dark, especially with animals in the house. Get an
inexpensive battery operated radio and a good emergency kit, including food,
water, winter jackets and medications.
Slow way down while driving during any rain, especially if you feel your
automobile hydroplaning. Avoid deep puddles and large areas of
water. If puddles are unavoidable, proceed with caution. Plan
alternate routes. Listen to the road news before traveling. Obey
all road signs. Avoid driving unless absolutely necessary and stay alert
for road hazards, fog, heavy downpour and the usual out-of-control drivers.
Many people are experiencing problems in the aftermath. Once your
home situation is under control, be willing to give a hand to your neighbors
during these dangerous times."
* * *
Thanks for this great restaurant review from Eliot Sekuler!
Opened just a few weeks now, House of Joy on Eagle Rock Boulevard offers
good Mandarin-style food at reasonable prices.
We've been there twice, loved the war wonton soup and the sliced barbecue
pork with snow peas. Unlike at many neighborhood Chinese places, the vegetables
are not overcooked and there doesn't seem to be excessive doses of msg.
House of Joy is a welcome newcomer and worthy of support. House of
Joy restaurant is located at 4326 Eagle Rock Blvd., just north of El Paso.
* * *
12. THE FINAL
WORD – REVEREND MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
“We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words
and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good
people.”
-- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929 –
1968), excerpted from “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” April 16, 1963.
* * *
Distributed weekly via email and as a regular
feature on various internet discussion groups, the TERA e.letter is read by
well over 2000 readers with an interest in Eagle Rock and Northeast Los
Angeles. Please encourage interested friends to send their full name and email
address to us at e.letter@TERA90041.org so we can keep them informed, too.
If you have changed your email address or would like to be removed from this
list, send us an email to
e.letter@TERA90041.org with the word(s)
"remove" or "address change" in the subject box, as
appropriate.
If you have a press release, letter of comment, question or other notice that
you feel might be of interest to the Eagle Rock community, send it to e.letter@TERA90041.org.
Your announcement -- in the form of an email text message, (no attachments,
please) -- must be in our hands by noon on Monday to be considered for
inclusion in that week's issue.
©2004 The Eagle Rock Association
* * *
TERA -- The Eagle Rock Association -- YOUR
COMMUNITY IN ACTION -- http://www.TERA90041.org -- P. O. Box 41453, Eagle Rock, CA 90041 -- (323) 259-TERA
-- a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit corporation
* * *
Got graffiti? Contact the City of LA’s Operation
Clean Sweep Graffiti Removal Hotline: (800) 611-2489.
* * *
The TERA e.letter
A publication of
The Eagle Rock Association (TERA)
Hilary Norton Orozco, editor
e.letter@TERA90041.org
_____________________________________________
From: Orozco, Hilary Norton
Sent:
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
9:05 AM
To:
Orozco, Hilary Norton; 'Frank
Parrello'; 'Joanne Turner'; 'Kathleen Long'; 'Mary Tokita'; 'Liz and John
Wagner'; 'Scott Bogue'; 'Hilary Norton Orozco'; 'Michael Tharp'; 'Jeanine
Colini'; 'Keith Louie'; 'Michael Zamarripa'; 'Pauline Mauro'
Cc:
'Hilary Norton Orozco'
Subject:
New TERA e.letter January 19
2004
TERA Board -- Thanks for reading this over yesterday. I did a
new version that will be sent out to all TERA members today. Scott --
Please also post on the website. Joanne -- Please send to nelalist and
the Home Tour Committee.
THE EAGLE ROCK ASSOCIATION
The Best Investment You Can Make in Your Neighborhood
TERA
e.letter
January 19, 2004
Learn more about us and how we
are changing our community for the better.
What? You're not yet a member
of TERA?
Join now! Here's how:
Go to
http://www.TERA90041.org/teraform.htm
Now
more than ever, please support your residents association --
more than 1,000 members strong, and growing every day!
And don’t forget to encourage interested
friends and neighbors to join TERA so that they, too, may enjoy the many
benefits of membership, including a complimentary subscription to the TERA
e.letter.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE – INVESTING IN YOUR HOME – LET TERA TELL YOU WHAT MAKES SENSE!
2. TERA LAND USE COMMITTEE – TONIGHT!
3. TERA’S FIRST
COMMUNITY MEETING OF 2005 – JANUARY 25TH
4. OCCIDENTAL
COLLEGE HOSTS FREE FINANCIAL AID WORKSHOP -- JANUARY 22ND
5. THE HISTORIC ECHO
PARK WALKING TOUR EXPLORES THE LAKE AND BUSINESS DISTRICT – JANUARY 22ND
6. CENTER FOR THE
ARTS, EAGLE ROCK GETS “DRAWN AND QUARTERED” – JANUARY 23RD THROUGH
FEBRUARY 19TH
7. THE SOUTHWEST
MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN HOSTS KTLA MORNING NEWS LIVE BROADCAST –
JANUARY 31ST
8. WOMEN'S
20TH CENTURY CLUB AND ROCK TEEN CENTER PRESENT “LIFE THROUGH MY EYES” –
FEBRUARY 26TH
9. FREE ON
SATURDAYS? LEARN MORE ABOUT EAGLE ROCK!
10. ROUTE 66 CELEBRATIONS,
SEPTEMBER 2005! BE PART OF IT!
11. LETTERS FROM OUR READERS
12. THE FINAL WORD –
REVEREND MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR
* * *
1. PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE – INVESTING IN YOUR HOME – LET TERA
TELL YOU WHAT MAKES SENSE!
SPEND TIME WITH TERA TONIGHT AND TUESDAY EVENING
Please see the announcements below for the TERA Land Use Committee
meeting tomorrow night and our first community meeting for 2005 – it is time
very well spent!
E.LETTER DELAYS – THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!
For those who are wondering where the e.letter has run off to, please know
that it has been stuck in a non-working DSL line. I am sending them out
in batches to TERA members. For non-members, I will strive to get
e.letters posted on our website, so if in doubt, please check the web. I
am hoping to get the e.letter back on track very soon. In the mean time,
thank you so much for your patience and support.
TERA NEWSLETTER COMING SOON!
Our first newsletter of 2005 will be sent to all TERA members and in places
around town. This issue is full of pictures of the 2004 Eclectic Eagle
Rock Home Tour and great stories of interest to our community. Make sure
to pick up your copy, and join TERA to have a copy sent to your home!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR
COMMUNITY!
Make a New Year’s Resolution to serve your local community in 2005!
TERA has many interesting volunteer
opportunities available from being a writer for our quarterly newsletter to
researching land use cases and surveying the area for a potential Historic
Preservation Overlay Zone. This is a great chance to learn more about Eagle
Rock, learn a new skill, and meet other great volunteers in our town. We can
place you in a volunteer position that fits the amount of time you can offer
and the kind of service you’re interested in doing.
Please contact Pauline Mauro, TERA’s Volunteer Coordinator, at pauline@mauro.com or (323) 550-1130 if
you’d like to volunteer.
INFORMATION ON LAST WEEK’S STREET CLOSURE AND
GAS LEAK
For those wondering why the Colorado exit of the 2 Freeway and a large
portion of Colorado Boulevard was closed last week, here is an update from Eagle
Rock Deputy to Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa, Michael Cathey:
Between 12:15 and 12:30 Wednesday, January 12th, the contracting
company installing the rapid bus underground lines on Colorado Blvd mistakenly
drilled into a 4" gas line near 2525 Colorado Blvd.
The Gas Company was unable to use the installed cut-off valves for
the gas line without affecting a tremendous swath of Eagle Rock. Instead they
decided to install new cut-off valves on either side of the damaged pipe about
a block apart. The Gas Company dug into the street and will be installing these
valves. Once the valves are installed, then they will be able to cut off the
gas to the damaged line, dig into the street and repair the line. Completion
time expected to be approximately 5 - 6 hours.
DOT has Colorado blocked off between Sierra Villa and Ellenwood and north up
to Las Flores. The road closures will stay in effect until the line is fully
repaired.
According to LAFD, approximately 100 people were evacuated. The great
majority of these folks were businesspeople and patrons in the vicinity. One
apartment building was ordered evacuated but nobody was there. When LAFD
responded, they reported that the gas plume was so heavy that a visible cloud
lay over a two block radius. They took immediate action to fan out buildings
and apply hoses near the gas leak to prevent static charges.
44 gas meters have been shut off during the repair. The 44 meters shut off
will affect the business in the 2 block radius of Oak View and Colorado and the
residents on Oak View between Colorado and Las Flores. When asked, the Gas
Company representative Robert Marvray said that he had staff walking door
to door to explain to those at home what was going on in the affected area. He
also assured me that when he had additional staff during the rush hour time he
would go back to the houses they missed to explain the situation. Gas will be
restored when the line is repaired.
The city departments that responded were Gas Company, Con Ad, DOT, LAPD
and LAFD Engine 42, light brigade 50 and HazMat.
One of the issues LAPD and LAFD had when I got on site was lack of traffic
control. DOT only sent out one TC officer. But by the time we made some
calls, 14 were out there making sure no one was driving through the area.
It’s the coordinated work of LAFD, LAPD, DOT, and the Gas Company that made
sure the neighborhood stayed safe and didn't explode.
Thanks, Michael, for your work to keep Eagle Rock safe!
A TREE GROWS AT A GAS STATION…
In keeping with some of Eagle Rock’s boasting the most lovely gas stations
and car washes in the Northeast, The Collaborative Eagle Rock Beautiful’s
John Stillion, Esther Monk, Ursula Brown, and Betty Tyndall sure gave the
Valero gas station on Colorado Boulevard a needed landscaping! Thanks
for the new trees and native plants – they’re lovely!
PLEASE FILL OUT YOUR VONS SURVEY!
Those who did not make it to the December presentation on the future of the
Vons site missed a very important evening. Nearly 60 community members
met at the Eagle Rock Library to dream of what the Vons site could be, and what
improvements Vons could make to its current store to keep us as loyal
customers.
Mott Smith, Jim Favaro and Steve Johnson of CEA-MDA-Johnson Favaro
did absolutely amazing work on behalf of our community in leading this meeting
and creating a vision that makes financial sense. It was so helpful that
the team explained the development process as a prelude to a possible plan for
Vons consideration – which included moving the Vons market to front Figueroa,
with a parking structure in back and retail and townhomes along La Loma.
Special thanks to the planning group who helped put together this
interesting event - Michael Tharp, Ursula Brown, Robert De Pietro, Tracy
King, Linda Allen, Dalila Sotelo, Eric Warren and John Stillion, and especially
Jessica Wethington-McLean who helmed the effort with me, as co-chairs of
the ERNC Land Use Committee.
Thanks to Gloria Garrettson and Tom Acevedo from Vons Real Estate for
listening to the goals of this effort, donating food and beverages for the
meeting, and to Gloria for attending the meeting itself.
Most of all, thank you to the ERNC, ERCPR and Occidental College for
agreeing to provide financial support for CEA – MDA – Johnson Favaro. It
was essential to communicate professionally to the Safeway Corporation with an
eye toward economic reality.
It is crucial to hear from you on your vision and desire for what needs to
happen at the site and what your suggestions are to upgrade the Vons market
itself. I have copies of the notes from the meeting and the survey to
send to those interested in sharing your opinions. Jessica has also sent
the survey and notes in PDF format to numerous stakeholders in Eagle Rock. To
get your copies if you don’t already have them, just reply to the e.letter and
I can send them to you, or print out the forms from TERA’s website: http://www.TERA90041.org/.
You can turn the forms in to the ERNC Land Use Committee at Eagle Rock City
Hall. Thank you for your time and participation!
-- Hilary Norton Orozco,
TERA President
* * *
2. TERA LAND USE COMMITTEE – TONIGHT!
TERA Land Use Committee
Wednesday, January 19TH
6 – 7 pm
Eagle Rock Library
Come join TERA Land Use Committee Chair Michael Tharp and Historic
Preservation Chair Frank Parrello for important discussions on the
following items: Boarding Houses in the R-1 Zone, Commercial Building
Survey Status Report, Combine Land Use and Historic Preservation Committee, and
Land Use and Preservation issues for 2005.
* * *
3. TERA’S FIRST COMMUNITY MEETING OF 2005 – JANUARY 25TH
"Feathering Your Nest
(Egg): Optimizing Your Home's Character & Value"
Tuesday, January 25, 7 p.m.
Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock
2225 Colorado Boulevard
Let Keith Louie of Sotheby's Realty and Christy Johnson McAvoy
of the Historic Resources Group help you preserve your home's character and
build wealth through home ownership.
Free Admission; $2 donations welcome.
Complimentary Refreshments provided by these fantastic Eagle Rock eateries:
Auntie Em's & Blue Hen.
* * *
4.
OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE HOSTS FREE FINANCIAL AID WORKSHOP -- JANUARY 22ND
Occidental College on Saturday, January 22nd will host “Cash for College,” a
free workshop that provides high school seniors step-by-step assistance in
completing state and federal financial aid forms. The workshop is scheduled
for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Johnson Hall, Room 200.
Occidental is located at 1600 Campus Road in Eagle Rock. For
directions and a campus map, please visit http://www.oxy.edu/MapsDirections.xml.
Parking is free.
“Many families just aren’t aware of the money that’s available to them,”
said Maureen McRae Levy, director of financial aid at Occidental. “This
outreach is designed to expose them to the opportunities they have. Students
are often very surprised to learn they can go to the UC or CSU systems without
paying any fees, or that they can get almost $9,000 to attend a private
school.”
California Cash for College workshops take place across the state in January
and February of each year. Sessions provide professional assistance to families
completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Cal Grant
GPA Verification Forms necessary for Cal Grants and other types of financial
aid.
Whether graduating seniors plan to attend a four-year college or university,
community college, or vocational or technical school, the FAFSA and Cal Grant
forms are required for financial aid applications and must be submitted by
March 2, 2005.
Families are encouraged to bring to the workshop federal income tax
returns from 2004 (if available), W-2 forms or a most recent pay stub, and bank
statements. For more information, contact Gina Becerril at (323) 259-2548 or gbecerril@oxy.edu.
* * *
5. THE HISTORIC ECHO PARK WALKING TOUR EXPLORES THE LAKE AND
BUSINESS DISTRICT – JANUARY 22ND
Echo Park’s most prominent historic landmarks will be featured during a
walking tour of the neighborhood business district and Echo Park Lake on
Saturday, January 22. The tour begins at 10 AM. A Spanish-language version of
the tour will be offered at 12 pm.
The 1-1/2 hour tour organized by the Echo Park Historical Society
will include the colorful histories of prominent neighborhood buildings and
institutions that have been recognized by local and national agencies as
historic and cultural treasures. The outdoor tour features Angelus Temple,
Jensen’s Recreation Center and the restored “Lady of the Lake” statue.
The tours leave from the southwest corner of Sunset Blvd. and Lemoyne St.
The tour group is limited to 20 people. A $3 donation is requested for adults.
There is no charge for children under 12 or historical society members.
For tour information and reservations please call (323) 860-8874 or visit
the historic society’s web site at www.HistoricEchoPark.org.
The business district and lake tour is part of the Historic Echo Park
Walking Tours program organized by the Echo Park Historical Society. The tours
are held on the fourth Saturday of every month and rotate among three different
routes: Elysian Park, Echo Park stairways and the business district.
* * *
6. CENTER FOR THE ARTS, EAGLE ROCK GETS “DRAWN AND QUARTERED”
– JANUARY 23RD THROUGH FEBRUARY 19TH
DRAWN AND QUARTERED: Works on paper by Duvier Del Dago, Richard Louderback,
Laurie Steelink, and Chris Wilder
January 2005, Eagle Rock--The Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock is pleased to
present “Drawn and Quartered,”* a group exhibition of works on paper ranging
the figurative to the conceptual. The show features pieces by Duvier Del
Dago, Richard Louderback, Laurie Steelink, and Chris Wilder. The exhibition
runs from January 23, 2005 through February 19, 2005, with an artist’s
reception on Sunday, January 23 from 1 - 4 pm
Duvier Del Dago presents working drawings for an installation project
yet to be completed. These works can be interpreted on many levels including
being read as distorted memories, or as structured realities that may, or may
not exist. Living and working in Havana, Cuba, he is currently preparing a
piece for the Salon of Contemporary Cuban Art in February, 2005. He also
teaches drawing and painting at ISA (Instituto Superior de Arte) in Havana, and
is a regular contributor to art magazine, Arte Cubano. His work has been
exhibited internationally; and in the U.S., his work will be included in an
exhibition curated by Sandra Levinson, Director, Center for Cuban Studies, New
York.
Inspired by circus sideshows freaks, the occult, extreme lighting, and goth
culture, Laurie Steelink creates for this exhibition a large-scale
drawing. Juxtaposing humor with horror, and dream with nightmare, her work
displays psychic disarray in its expression of fear, disgust, pain, and glory.
Not only are the spirits of the innocently evil children depicted in horror
flicks like The Omen, The Exorcist, and The Children of the Corn channeled
through this piece; it also evokes the lingering nightmare that invades our
collective psyche on a daily basis during times of war, and also serves as a
reminder of the violence and abuse experienced by young people world wide.
Steelink graduated with a BFA at San Francisco Art Institute, and with a MFA
from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. She has
exhibited her work both locally and internationally. She currently lives and
works in Venice, California.
Using source images from his recent island travels, Chris Wilder takes
drawing and photography to a conceptual level. Through altering his photographs
with drawing, Wilder¹s “Quartered” series invites the viewer to experience a
waking state of simulated hallucination. Wilder graduated with a BFA and MFA
from California Institute of Arts. Some of his work is currently traveling in
the museum exhibitions, “100 Artists See God,”(curated by John Baldessari and
Meg Cranston), and “Surf Culture,”(originated at the Laguna Beach Museum of
Art). His video collaboration with Richard Louderback, “Colour Flight/Music for
Len Lye,” an exhibition and performance curated by David Pestorius, opened at
the Sydney Opera House in 2004 in conjunction with the Sydney Biennale. It has
since been screened at Art Forum Berlin, Foundation Cartier in Paris, among
other venues, and is currently touring. Wilder lives and works in Santa Monica,
California.
Richard Louderback culls unauthorized historical documents to create
contemporary socio-political dialogue. Comical and at times shocking, his work
is a commentary on “history at present,” as it addresses power relationships.
Louderback recently exhibited his paintings in London provoking a press frenzy
with the style and content of his constructed realities. Louderback graduated
with a BFA in illustration from Pasadena Art Center College of Design. He
currently lives and works in Los Angeles, and has exhibited his work both
locally and internationally. He recently collaborated with Chris Wilder on the video
project, “Colour Flight/Music for Len Lye.”
*To be drawn and quartered was a torture reserved for heretics, traitors, and
deviants. It was also preceded by hanging. All art work described above is
stoner friendly. This exhibition was curated by Cindy Ojeda with love and
admiration for the artists.
The Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock is a non-profit organization, supported
solely by grants and donations, providing low cost art, music, dance, and
computer classes to children and adults of surrounding areas and communities.
The Center also sponsors concerts, exhibitions and festivals. The Center’s
federal tax identification number is 95-4689576.
For more information, call Jenny Krusoe or Lui Sanchez at the Center for
the Arts, Eagle Rock (323) 226-1617. The Center is located just west of the
corner of Eagle Rock Boulevard and Colorado Boulevard at 2225 Colorado
Boulevard.
* * *
7. THE SOUTHWEST MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN HOSTS
KTLA MORNING NEWS LIVE BROADCAST – JANUARY 31ST
Thank you to ASCAN alert for this exciting feature:
Los Angeles (January 10, 2005) – The public is invited to attend the live
broadcast of the "KTLA Morning News" celebration of Northeast
Los Angeles, 6:00–9:00 am. The broadcast takes place at the oldest museum
in Los Angeles, the Southwest Museum of the American Indian. The museum will be
open for this special engagement from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with free
admission for all visitors between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m.
From 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., Carlos Amezcua, Michaela Pereira, Mark
Kriski, and Sam Rubin will spotlight the history, people and places of
Northeast Los Angeles, including:
-A special look at the Southwest Museum of the American Indian
-An overview of many of the communities that make up Northeast Los Angeles,
as well as segments on Atwater Village, Cypress Park, Eagle Rock, Glassell
Park, Highland Park, and Mount Washington
-Invited special guests, including Mayor James Hahn and Los Angeles
City Council members representing the featured communities
Visitors will be able to view the newly rededicated galleries, People
of California and People of the Southwest: Changing Traditions, which include
never-before-seen artifacts from the vast Southwest Museum collection. Visitors
are encouraged to take the Metro Rail Gold Line to the event and exit at the
Southwest Museum stop. Parking will be available along Marmion Way.
Southwest Museum of the American Indian
The Southwest Museum holds one of the nation's most important museum,
library, and archive collections related to the American Indian. In addition,
it has extensive holdings of pre-Hispanic, Spanish colonial, Latino, and
Western American art and artifacts.
For nearly 100 years, it has supported research, publications, exhibitions,
and other educational activities to advance the public's understanding and
appreciation of the Americas, with particular emphasis on the western United
States and Mesoamerica.
The Southwest Museum is located at 234 Museum Drive in Mt. Washington and is
easily accessible via the Metro Rail Gold Line, which stops directly across
from the museum.
The Southwest Museum and Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free on the second Tuesday of every month.
* * *
8.
WOMEN'S 20TH CENTURY CLUB AND ROCK TEEN CENTER PRESENT “LIFE THROUGH MY EYES” –
FEBRUARY 26TH
The Women’s 20th Century Club and ROCK Teen Center will present “Life
Through My Eyes,” a tantalizing poetry and spicy spoken word extravaganza,
directed and hosted by two-time grant recipient and City of Los Angeles Artist
in Residence Lisa Marie Sandoval. “Life Through My Eyes” will feature Northeast
L.A. youth, ages 12-20, performing original works about life in today’s world,
side by side Sandoval as she presents her powerfully poignant slices of life
from “The Yowling & Other Sounds from Highland Park” on Saturday,
February 26 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Women’s 20th Century Club is located
at 5105 Hermosa in Eagle Rock, on the corner of Colorado Boulevard in
Council District 14, represented by Councilmember Antonio Villaraigosa, whose
council office will be in attendance.
For those interested in what the next generation has to say, this is the event
to attend. Sandoval began her search and development of young talent by
conducting poetry workshops tied to California state academic standards and
curriculum for almost 600 students at Eagle Rock and Franklin High Schools.
“For over 100 years the Women’s 20th Century Club has supported arts
in this community. We are excited to celebrate our founder’s month by hosting
such an innovative performance by young local talent,” says Donna
Robey-Sullivan, WTCC board member and ROCK Executive Director.
Sandoval selected only the cream of the crop youth poets to develop their
written technique and performance style more intensely at classes specifically
designed for them at ROCK Teen Center. Jenny Krusoe, former Poetry Editor of
the Santa Monica Review and Executive Director of Center for the Arts,
Eagle Rock—last year’s venue for “Life Through My Eyes”—says she and the Center
were “proud to be the host venue for such a talented and cutting-edge poet. Her
performance style is unique.” Last year’s event attracted over 120 people.
The event is also sponsored in part by a City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs
grant awarded to Sandoval for 2004 -2005 purposed to bring art into local
communities. “My aim is to bring healing and hope and to show people, youth in
particular, that they can make beautiful art from the brokenness of real life,”
said the nationally published poet and Cultural Affairs grant recipient. “My
poetry is a song I wrote, because I heard it resonating from the hearts of the
people in my neighborhood.” Sandoval's unique style of contemporary drama and
dance in her poetic performance intimately brings to life the immigrant
experience, welfare mothers, homelessness, gangs, and families with
poverty-stricken dreams.
Sandoval’s work has been published in The Southern California Anthology,
The Christian Century, Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review, Blue Collar Review,
Brújula/Compass: Latino Poets in Los Angeles, among others. Most
recently, she performed at “The Time at the Rock” and was selected as
host/organizer/featured performer for the 2004 Sylvan Amphitheater Festival of
the Arts’ “Evening of Spoken Word,” sponsored by Councilman Antonio
Villaraigosa, Center for the Arts (Eagle Rock), the City of L.A.’s Department
of Recreation and Parks and Cultural Affairs Department, and The Eagle Rock
Neighborhood Council. Sandoval is a member of the Arroyo Arts Collective and
holds a master’s degree in Professional Writing from USC and a bachelor’s
degree from Occidental College.
Admission to the show is free. Music and refreshments will be served. For more
information, please call (323) 257-6102 or e-mail poetryarts@truevine.net.
* * *
9. FREE ON SATURDAYS? LEARN MORE ABOUT EAGLE ROCK!
Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society Archive is open! Come
research, rediscover, or add to Eagle Rock’s History! Visit us every Saturday
morning from 10 am to noon in the basement of the Center for the Arts, Eagle
Rock at 2225 Colorado Blvd.
* * *
10. ROUTE 66 CELEBRATION SEPTEMBER 2005! BE PART OF IT!
This just in from the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council and Scott
Piotrowski of Route 66 Productions:
In September 2005, the Stater Brothers Route 66 Rendezvous in San
Bernardino will also be hosting the National Historic Route 66 Federation's
annual Steinbeck Awards Ceremony. This will bring Route 66
Ambassadors from around the world to the event in San Bernardino.
The Steinbeck Awards are traditionally held in a different city every
year. The intent of the Federation is that the city hosting the event
holds a related International Route 66 Festival in conjunction with the Awards
in order to raise awareness of Route 66 in the local community and raise
awareness of the local community within Route 66 enthusiasts.
The dates for next year's event are officially September 15 – 18. However,
the various California Route 66 organizations and museums are coming together
to host a variety of events throughout the week leading up to and including the
Rendezvous. Those organizations include the California Historic Route
66 Association, the California
Route 66 Museum (Victorville), the California Route 66 Preservation
Foundation, the Route 66 "Mother Road" Museum (Barstow), and 66
Productions, of which I am the director.
The events being discussed include, but are not limited to, the following
ideas. There are definite plans for two Route 66 Bus Tours, one eastbound
and one westbound, both originating and ending in San Bernardino. The
westbound tour will make it as far as the original terminus of Route 66 at 7th
and Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles. (I am co-hosting both tours.)
There will be a preservation seminar hosted in part by the National Park
Service's Route 66 Corridor Management Program, based out of Santa Fe, NM.
This is currently scheduled for two days at the Aztec Hotel in Monrovia.
There are also plans afoot for a reception which will bring together Route 66
Ambassadors, local business owners, and local preservation enthusiasts.
The date and location for that are still TBA. I am currently the
chairperson of that committee, so if anyone has any suggestions, or is willing
to assist on that committee, please let me know!
Other events include the John Steinbeck Awards Luncheon (Friday, September
16), a Route 66 egroup breakfast (Sunday, September 18), a Route 66 Authors /
Artists exhibition (all weekend), and many other events, all in addition to the
usual Stater Brothers Route 66 Rendezvous events.
If anyone is interested in receiving more information about any of the
events, or perhaps is interesting in providing more ideas or serving on any of
the organizing committees, please contact me off-list at rt66prods@yahoo.com.
* * *
11. LETTERS FROM OUR READERS
During the recent rains, a sewage problem developed on the east end of York
Boulevard very near the Sparkletts Buildings. Since the onset of the
problem, ECI (Ecology Control Industries) has been pumping 24/7 at that
location. I estimate they are using at least 12 extra-long pumper trucks
to do the work.
Am I crazy? Or, should I, as a Sparkletts customer, and a resident
just off York Boulevard, be concerned that sewage could percolate down into the
acquifers that Sparkletts use to fill their bottles? Has anyone got the
skinny on this? Did anyone witness the original event? Did we have
sewage running in the streets?
I'd appreciate any info you may have.
-- Mary Ellen Canniff, Mt. Pleasant St.
Mary Ellen, you posed such a good question that I immediately checked
with Eagle Rock Deputy to Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa, Michael Cathey as to
the answer. Here’s what he said:
I spoke with Anthony Winston of the sewer division last week about
this. He said because of the heavy rain, the sewer at Lincoln overflowed.
I mentioned that it was my understanding a sewer line is a closed line. He said
yes, the legal lines are, but illegal hookups (which appears to be a somewhat
common occurrence) are not closed and that's what causes the overflow. The city
had the trucks out there pumping excess sewage into the trucks in order to
relieve the overflow line.
And regarding the sewage leak, Anthony Winston says that there's no
concern about the sewage seeping into the underground aquifer. The sewage was
coming through the manholes and onto the street, not onto green space.
Evidently this has been happening for years not only because of the illegal
lines, but because of the antiquated sewer system in ER. That's why the Eagle
Rock Interceptor Sewer is being built right now up Eagle Rock and along various
side streets, so these kinds of incidents won't happen anymore. So,
although the construction on Eagle Rock Boulevard is inconvenient, it will make
sure sewer overflows don't happen again (we hope!).
* * *
This helpful advice for future storms comes from
Marlene Schmidt, Public Safety Director, ERNC:
"Please call the FIRE DEPARTMENT immediately, if you have
experienced any earth movement in your hillside properties, sink holes in your
yards or any other imminently dangerous aftermath of the torrential
rains. Also call the Gas Co. for any gas leaks or the DWP for downed
power lines or power outages. Call 911 for life threatening
emergencies. Call 311 for all other assistance. Also, call your
Homeowner's Insurance, FEMA and other disaster relief agencies for damage
assistance.
If you have experienced some flooding, or any of the above, please
also let me know, so I can document our need for more LAFD attention
during these unexpected times. I have had a few phone calls regarding a
lack of available sand and/or sandbags and many leaky roofs. Remember,
when putting tarps and plastic covers over leaky roofs, to always cut a small
hole for or drape around all gas vents.
During power failure times, have at least four flashlights readily
accessible at your front door and all other entrances, one under each bed in
the house, and other key rooms in your home, including your garage, and your
automobile. Also remember to change batteries every year, about the same
time you change windshield wipers on your automobile. Don't rely on
candles in the dark, especially with animals in the house. Get an
inexpensive battery operated radio and a good emergency kit, including food,
water, winter jackets and medications.
Slow way down while driving during any rain, especially if you feel your
automobile hydroplaning. Avoid deep puddles and large areas of
water. If puddles are unavoidable, proceed with caution. Plan
alternate routes. Listen to the road news before traveling. Obey
all road signs. Avoid driving unless absolutely necessary and stay alert
for road hazards, fog, heavy downpour and the usual out-of-control drivers.
Many people are experiencing problems in the aftermath. Once your
home situation is under control, be willing to give a hand to your neighbors
during these dangerous times."
* * *
Thanks for this great restaurant review from Eliot Sekuler!
Opened just a few weeks now, House of Joy on Eagle Rock Boulevard offers
good Mandarin-style food at reasonable prices.
We've been there twice, loved the war wonton soup and the sliced barbecue
pork with snow peas. Unlike at many neighborhood Chinese places, the vegetables
are not overcooked and there doesn't seem to be excessive doses of msg.
House of Joy is a welcome newcomer and worthy of support. House of
Joy restaurant is located at 4326 Eagle Rock Blvd., just north of El Paso.
* * *
12. THE FINAL
WORD – REVEREND MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
“We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words
and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good
people.”
-- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929 –
1968), excerpted from “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” April 16, 1963.
* * *
Distributed weekly via email and as a regular
feature on various internet discussion groups, the TERA e.letter is read by
well over 2000 readers with an interest in Eagle Rock and Northeast Los
Angeles. Please encourage interested friends to send their full name and email
address to us at e.letter@TERA90041.org so we can keep them informed, too.
If you have changed your email address or would like to be removed from this
list, send us an email to
e.letter@TERA90041.org with the word(s)
"remove" or "address change" in the subject box, as
appropriate.
If you have a press release, letter of comment, question or other notice that
you feel might be of interest to the Eagle Rock community, send it to e.letter@TERA90041.org.
Your announcement -- in the form of an email text message, (no attachments,
please) -- must be in our hands by noon on Monday to be considered for
inclusion in that week's issue.
©2004 The Eagle Rock Association
* * *
TERA -- The Eagle Rock Association -- YOUR
COMMUNITY IN ACTION -- http://www.TERA90041.org -- P. O. Box 41453, Eagle Rock, CA 90041 -- (323) 259-TERA
-- a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit corporation
* * *
Got graffiti? Contact the City of LA’s Operation
Clean Sweep Graffiti Removal Hotline: (800) 611-2489.
* * *
The TERA e.letter
A publication of
The Eagle Rock Association (TERA)
Hilary Norton Orozco, editor
e.letter@TERA90041.org