THE EAGLE ROCK ASSOCIATION
The Best Investment You Can Make in Your Neighborhood

TERA

e.letter


January 8, 2004

Happy New Year!

 

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and how we are changing our community for the better.

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Please encourage interested friends and neighbors to send their email addresses
to us at e.letter@TERA90041.org so we can keep them informed, too.


This week:

A New Year's Greeting from TERA President  Hilary Norton Orozco
(item #1)

Mix it up at Eagle Rock's new bookstore
(item #3)

Autry name rides into the Sunset  (item #6)


Table of Contents:  


1.  PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE -- FOR AULD LANG SYNE

2.  MEET THE GARDENERS WHO KNOW ALL THE DIRT -- JANUARY 27

3.  READING EAGLE ROCK: THE IMIX BOOKSTORE COMES TO TOWN

4.  IMPROVE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WITH THE CITY'S HELP

5.  OXY ANNOUNCES A JOLLY GOOD PARTNERSHIP WITH CAMBRIDGE'S PEMBROKE COLLEGE

6.  THE AUTRY'S PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SOUTHWEST MUSEUM TRIGGERS A NAME CHANGE

7.  CENTER FOR THE ARTS, EAGLE ROCK, NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT

8.  BIKE THE GLENDALE NARROWS -- JANUARY 10

9.  AVENUE 50 STUDIO EXHIBIT EXAMINES ETHNIC LA -- RECEPTION, JANUARY 10

10.  GALLERY OPHELIA UNVEILS THE LATEST FROM JEFF AND REBECCA BUGHOUSE -- RECEPTION, JANUARY 1O

11.  EAGLE ROCK NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL CLEAN UP -- JANUARY 17

12.  LAKER A.C. GREEN AND THE POLICE CHIEF BRING US TOGETHER -- JANUARY 18

13.  A SONG OF NORWAY IN LA CRESCENTA -- JANUARY 24

14.  WE'VE GOT MAIL

15.  THE LAST WORD -- ALFRED TENNYSON



1.  PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE -- FOR AULD LANG SYNE

Happy 2004, Eagle Rock!

2003 ended with a bang!  TERA's Home Tour was another smashing success.  Councilmember Antonio Villaraigosa made sure that Eagle Rock was featured in the city's annual tree lighting ceremony, (and we were one of the very few neighborhoods to be so honored.)  Occidental President Ted Mitchell called many community leaders to discuss strengthening the relationship between Occidental and Eagle Rock, reminding us that, among many other things, our little hamlet is a college town.  Eagle Rock was featured in the Los Angeles Times as a great place to live (again!)   The Chamber's Eagle Rock map came out and it looks great.  The Eagle Rock Community Preservation and Revitalization Corporation completed its parking and traffic survey, and will be launching it in the next month.  The Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council asked our opinions about key goals for the future of our town and incorporated the goals into a plan for getting money from the City.

And at the very end of the year, TERA gave many locals a chuckle with our "Will the Walgrinch steal Christmas?" poem, which urged Walgreens to create a design we can all be proud of.

And in 2004...The Coffee Table will open!  TERA's first community meeting will challenge all of us to create a more beautiful Eagle Rock.  The Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock will create an exciting art installation on the Eagle rock itself.  And Tom Topping of the Boulevard Sentinel polled us all and found common ground on a future vision of Eagle Rock -- and ran TERA's poem about Walgreens! -- in the January issue.

I hope we all can commit to work together on a resolution for revolution.  No idea should limit us.  Whether it's creating an Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, repairing our broken sidewalks, making Eagle Rock Oxy's "college town," greening our town with California native plants, solving our parking problems, or supporting the businesses that support us, let's work together to realize dreams seemingly beyond our reach.  We are coming together in ways we have not done before.  Let's keep it up to realize our limitless possibilities.

-- Hilary Norton Orozco



2.  MEET THE GARDENERS WHO KNOW ALL THE DIRT -- JANUARY 27

TERA 's  first Public Meeting of 2004:
"How Does Your Garden Grow?: A Forum on Flora"
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 27
Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock
2225 Colorado Boulevard


TERA will kick off its 2004 public meeting schedule on Tuesday, January 27, with "How Does Your Garden Grow?: A Forum on Flora,"  at the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock.

The event will offer presentations and dialogue with experts from such horticultural treasures as North East Trees, the Theodore Payne Foundation, the Los Angeles Community Garden Council, and LA Common Ground/the Master Gardener Program.

The event, including refreshments and local cuisine, is free and open to all, whether your thumbs are green, black or blue!  Please bring your "growing" dilemmas and desires for our panel to ponder.

A $2.00 donation is requested of each attendee to defray insurance costs for this event.  For additional information, please contact Mary Tokita at mtokita@earthlink.net.



3.  READING EAGLE ROCK: THE IMIX BOOKSTORE COMES TO TOWN

Now Open
IMIX Bookstore
5052 Eagle Rock Boulevard
Eagle Rock
Store hours:
Monday through Saturday, 11:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m.

Eagle Rock's new IMIX Bookstore is an independent bookstore dedicated to promoting knowledge about indigenous cultures, respect for human rights, and appreciation of literature among people of all ages.   This month's featured titles are:

Living to Tell the Tale by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Loving Che by Ana Mendez
Frida by Jeanette Winters
Dude, Where's My Country? by Michael Moore

IMIX will also be hosting a poetry night and author signings in the coming months of the new year.  

TERA welcomes one of Eagle Rock's newest businesses to the neighborhood!



4.  IMPROVE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WITH THE CITY'S HELP

Council District 14 Field Deputy Michael Cathey sends us word that the 2004 Neighborhood Matching Fund Applications are now available through the 14th district field office at 2035 Colorado Boulevard in Eagle Rock, or online at  http://www.lacity.org/bpw/ocs/nmf.

The Neighborhood Matching Fund is a splendid City of Los Angeles program that offers neighborhood groups the opportunity to receive matching grants of between $250 and $10,000 to fund locally initiated improvement projects.  The awards may be matched by a community's contribution of cash, in-kind contributions, and/or volunteer labor.   If you or a group you work with has a neighborhood improvement project you've been trying to get off the ground, the Neighborhood Matching Fund might be a source of financial support.



5.  OXY ANNOUNCES A JOLLY GOOD PARTNERSHIP WITH CAMBRIDGE'S PEMBROKE COLLEGE

From our friends at Occidental College comes this announcement of the school's prestigious new partnership with a well regarded UK institution:

Occidental College has joined a small and prestigious group of American colleges and universities by signing an academic exchange agreement with Pembroke College, Cambridge. The program will kick off during the 2004-05 academic year.

"The exchange will allow one exceptional Occidental student to study at Pembroke for a full year, while a Pembroke student will come to Los Angeles or participate in Oxy's United Nations program," said Robin Craggs, director of the International Programs Office.  Areas of study open to Oxy students at Pembroke include a wide range of the humanities, arts, and sciences.  

Pembroke is currently the most academically successful of the Cambridge Colleges as measured by the rigorous exam scores of its graduates.  It is the third oldest college at Cambridge and hosts 400 undergraduates and 66 faculty members.  Other American institutions that exchange students with 650-year-old Pembroke include Harvard, Yale, Brown, Columbia, and the University of Chicago.  

Occidental currently has 59 off-campus study programs in 30 countries.  Some 139 students participated in those programs during the 2002-03 academic year.



6.  THE AUTRY'S PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SOUTHWEST MUSEUM TRIGGERS A NAME CHANGE

From the press office of the former Autry Museum of Western Heritage comes news of a name change for the venerable museum:

Exploring the interwoven histories and myths of the American West and its diverse peoples, the Autry Museum of Western Heritage solidifies its commitment to the study of the West by changing its name as of February 2004 to Museum of the American West.  As part of the newly established Los Angeles-based Autry National Center, the Museum of the American West, located in Griffith Park, joins forces with the Southwest Museum of the American Indian, located in Mt. Washington.  The two museums gave birth to another public entity when they combined the Autry's Library and Research Center and the Southwest's Braun Research Library to create the Institute for the Study of the American West.

The Autry National Center was established in March 2003 following the merger of the Southwest Museum of the American Indian, the web-based Women of the West Museum, and the Autry Museum of Western Heritage.  Leveraging the resources and talents of these three institutions, the Center's mission is to make history -- specifically, the history of the diverse peoples of the American West-- come alive for contemporary audiences so that they may better understand the world they live in and make informed decisions in the building of a shared future.

For more information, visit the Autry National Center at www.autrynationalcenter.org.



7.  CENTER FOR THE ARTS, EAGLE ROCK, NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT

The Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, sends us this announcement of their current fundraising needs:

"As you know, the Eagle Rock Community Cultural Association is now the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock.

"We remain an arts-learning and arts-producing organization, but more than our name is changing.  As of June 2003, the ERCCA is no longer under the financial wing of the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department (CAD).  Therefore, in this coming fiscal year, 2003-2004, the Center needs to focus on two areas:


"We must move from a state of dependence (having been under the care of the City for our first five years) to a state of independence.  This is an important, challenging time for us.

"Please help us continue to fulfill our mission of providing multi-cultural, low-cost art classes, free festivals, concerts, and contemporary art exhibitions to the communities of northeast Los Angeles.  During our last fiscal year, we offered four eight-week sessions offering 27 classes to adults and children, four art camps, 12 art exhibitions with over 60 artists shown, three free festivals, and one open house.  Last year the attendance doubled at both the Center's exhibitions and festivals.

"You can help the Center in two ways:


"There's still time to make a donation to our Holiday Campaign, 100% of which will go directly to support our programming.  All donations are welcomed and will make a difference.  An endorsement from our community will be a great help in future fundraising campaigns.  Please send your donations to ERCCA, 2225 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90041.  Our federal id number for tax purposes is 95-4689576.


"On March 13th, 2004, the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock is holding its second annual Route 66 Art Auction.  We need your support and your art.  100% of the funds raised from this auction will be used to support the exhibition of the work of both emerging and established artists, and also our arts learning programs (27 classes for children and adults).  Since the Center is a non-profit corporation, we, of course, will provide you with a receipt for your taxes.  Also, artists will have the option to receive a percentage of the proceeds.

"The Board and the staff thank you for any and all support you can give us.  Please call us if you have any questions regarding the auction or our programming:  (323) 226-1617.   Or visit us on our website, http://www.centerartseaglerock.org.  We look forward to the opportunity to speak to you about our Center."

-- Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock,  2225 Colorado Boulevard, Eagle Rock



8.  BIKE THE GLENDALE NARROWS -- JANUARY 10

Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, Northeast Trees and the Friends of the Los Angeles River have announced that their quarterly Watershed Bike Tour will glide  along the bikeway on the Los Angeles River through the scenic Glendale Narrows.  The tour departs from the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens, 570 West Avenue 26, Los Angeles, 90065, at 10:00 a.m. this Saturday, January 10.

For more information, e-mail Chuck Arnold at arnold@smmc.ca.gov.  Or contact the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition at http://www.labikecoalition.org, the Friends of the Los Angeles River at http://www.folar.org, or North East Trees at http://www.northeasttrees.org.



9.  AVENUE 50 STUDIO EXHIBIT EXAMINES ETHNIC LA -- RECEPTION, JANUARY 10

MEZCLA
An Exploration of Evolving Conditions
Opening Reception: 
Saturday, January 10, 7:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Avenue 50 Studio
131 N. Avenue 50
Highland Park



The Avenue 50 Studio's ³Mezcla: An Exploration of Evolving Conditions² presents six emerging artists who unite to creatively explore the ever-evolving ethnic-rich L.A. through drawings, paintings, photography and design.  The result is an installation-filled mix of blended icons and symbols.  Each of the six artists, John Paul Altamira, Thomas Lee Bakofsky, Eric Crandell, Gary Garay, Kevin Ramos, and Stephen Serrato will create his own installation.  These visual mixtures will then merge to create a larger installation, collectively hung, furthering the interactive play of icons and symbols through drawing, painting, photography and design.

³Mezcla² runs through February 1, 2004.  The gallery is open Tuesday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 1 p.m., and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. or by appointment.



10.  GALLERY OPHELIA UNVEILS THE LATEST FROM JEFF AND REBECCA BUGHOUSE -- RECEPTION, JANUARY 1O

Gallery Ophelia presents
Jeff and Rebecca Bughouse:  
MOD*I*FI:  I am not my IKEA furniture
Art and objects for the home
January 10th through February 5th, 2004
Artist Reception: Saturday January 10th, 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Gallery Ophelia
2114 Colorado Boulevard
Eagle Rock

The exhibit presents limited edition serigraphs and screenprinting done on objects such as tables, lamps, drapes, pillows and trash cans.  The artists reject the idea of a prepackaged lifestyle and say, "Make It Your Way!"   TERA members are no doubt familiar with Jeff and Rebecca's work as designers of the smashing Eclectic Eagle Rock Home Tour poster, the one that was displayed on bus shelters throughout Northeast Los Angeles this past autumn.  


Gallery Ophelia is open Wednesday through Saturday, from noon to 6:00 p.m.   For more information, please call Candace Metzger at (323) 982-9945.   Or visit the gallery's website at http;//www.galleryophelia.com.



11.  EAGLE ROCK NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL CLEAN UP -- JANUARY 17

From Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council District 6 Director Cheryl Leutjen comes news of the next Community Clean-Up Day:

"The Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council District 6 has announced plans to beautify the western entrance to Eagle Rock with a Community Clean-Up Day to spruce up the area around the 2 Freeway off ramp that leads into Eagle Rock. The project takes place on Saturday, January 17 from 9 a.m. to noon.  Volunteers will meet in the far northwest corner of the upper level parking lot of the Westfield Shoppingtown, which is located near the intersection of Colorado Boulevard and the 2 freeway off ramp.   (And we extend our thanks to the proprietors of Westfield Shoppingtown Eagle Rock for for making the space available to us.)  Clean-up supplies will be provided by City of Los Angeles Operation Clean Sweep.

"All are welcome; you do not need to be a stakeholder of District 6 to participate.  Hope to see you there!"

-- Cheryl Leutjen, District 6 Director, Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council


12.  LAKER A.C. GREEN AND THE POLICE CHIEF BRING US TOGETHER -- JANUARY 18

³Removing Walls / Building Bridges²
A reconciliation conference on Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend
Featuring Laker A.C. Green and Pasadena Police Chief Melekian
Sunday, January 18
3:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.
The Ambassador Auditorium
131 S. St. John
Pasadena
(Parking at 205 S. St. John Street)  
 

On Sunday, January 18th, former Los Angeles Laker A.C. Green will lead a multi-ethnic and multi-denominational audience of community, church and political leaders in a program aimed at racial reconciliation.  This conference is timed to honor the achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and his dream of racial equality and harmony.

 Mr. Green, prominent as a Christian athlete during his years as an All-Star player in the NBA, will be joined by Pasadena Police Chief Bernard Melekian and Pastor Curtis May, director of the office of reconciliation ministries of the Worldwide Church of God, which is sponsoring the event in the acclaimed Ambassador Auditorium.

The program, ³Removing Walls, Building Bridges,² will include a wide ranging discussion on what each of us can do to build permanent bridges across the racial divides in our society.  A centerpiece of the event will be a showing of the award-winning film, ³Final Solution,² which chronicles the astonishing true story of Gerrit Wolfaardt, a white South African paramilitary member whose life was transformed by God¹s intervention.  Mr. Wolfaardt is now an ordained minister living in the United States and devoting his life to racial reconciliation.

Of special note to the preservation-minded, this event will be one of the few times that Pasadena's historic Ambassador Auditorium is open to the public. 

For more information, please call (626) 304-6160.



13.  A SONG OF NORWAY IN LA CRESCENTA -- JANUARY 24

The Sons of Norway lodge has announced that they are opening their doors to a "Meet the Sons of Norway" event from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 24.  The meeting will be held at the American Legion Hall, 4011 La Crescenta Avenue in La Crescenta.   Please phone (818) 249-8102 or (626)  574-9550 for reservations for this free event by January 19th.    If you're of Norwegian or Scandinavian descent, or are merely interested in Scandinavian culture, the Edvard Grieg lodge members look forward to meeting you.



14.  WE'VE GOT MAIL

We received quite a few letters regarding the old Eagle Theater building at the corner of Yosemite and Eagle Rock Boulevard, which reopened as a church not long before Christmas.  Here's a sample of the community response that found its way to our mailbag:

"Anyone know what's going on at the Eagle Theater?   The marquee at the old theater now advertises "spiritual cleansing" services every Friday evening.   Sounds a little spooky to me.   And here I was only hoping for a 24-hour diner as originally envisioned by Fred Eric.

-- Bruce Froehlich, Eagle Rock


"Is there any information available on the group operating in the old Eagle Theatre site?  If you have any details, they would be appreciated."

-- Bob Fairman, Eagle Rock

At this point we know little about the Eagle Theater's current tenant, other than that they have indeed begun advertising the service(s) described on the theater's marquee.  The church is apparently renting the space from the building's new landlord, who lives on the West Side.  We'll keep you posted as we find out further details on the space and any long range plans for its future.   

* * *


The status of the long-awaited Coffee Table was another topic of interest in the closing weeks of 2003, as witness the following two missives:

"What is going on with the poor, unopened Coffee Table?  It seems like it's been 6 months of remodeling and planning and announcements--and still no Coffee Table. I'm a fan of the original Coffee Table in Silver Lake and am looking forward to supporting these great guys when they branch out in this new location.  I only hope they will be open on Sunday and Monday, unlike so many of our other local restaurants."

-- Tom Craig, Eagle Rock


"I may have missed it, but it's been a while since I've seen any news about The Coffee Table, on which construction seems to have been stopped for many months. What's happening?  Lack of funds, or impossible demands by the city?"

-- Peter Sutheim

We passed these queries along to Coffee Table co-proprietor (and TERA board member) Michael Zamarripa, who dispatched the following reply:

"It is not for lack of funds, but instead the red tape and demands of the City of Los Angeles.  Believe me, it is a wonder anything gets open here.  With the help of our local City Council office, we should see an opening very shortly -- January or February.   By the way, the work has not stopped.  We are ready for final inspections and the rest is cosmetic.

"Thanks for asking."

-- Mike Zamarripa, Eagle Rock resident, TERA board member

* * *


"As the New Year begins, we'd like to thank everyone at TERA for a successful year of achievements that have continued to keep Eagle Rock in the limelight.  The work you do is absolutely outstanding.  We also want to thank whoever was able to respond to our note regarding the sorry state of the Day Care Center located in Eagle Rock Park.  In no time at all, Recreation and Parks had the graffiti removed, the lawn mowed, and the windows cleaned. 

"Have a wonderful New Year, and we look forward to all the other activities in the area.  And remember our neighbors who are still on strike at Vons.  Patronize our small businesses and the large union stores that contribute to our community."

-- Gloria and Mike Buccat, Eagle Rock residents for 30 years.

* * *


"I seem to recall reading an issue of the TERA e.letter which mentioned a new dry cleaner in Eagle Rock who uses a non-toxic method of cleaning.  Can you give me any information on this?"

-- Sandi Vidan, Eagle Rock

Thanks for asking, Sandi.  Sunny Brite at 4927 Eagle Rock Boulevard is the local cleaner that recently announced the adoption of a new, environmentally improved wet clearing method.  Here's a link to the original press release that tells all about this groundbreaking new technique, as well the role Occidental College played it getting it implemented:

http://www.oxy.edu/news/articles/031103-wet-clean.html

By the way, did you know that back issues of the TERA e.letter are archived and accessible to all at TERA's website, http://www.tera90041.org?  It's just another benefit made possible through the tireless efforts of TERA's crack web maven, Scott Bogue.

* * *

We welcome your comments, complaints and/or compliments on the e.letter or any topic of interest to greater Eagle Rock.  Please address your message to e.letter@TERA90041.org, and include your full name, along with your city, neighborhood or professional affiliation.  Opinions expressed in the e.letter's "We've Got Mail" section do not necessarily reflect the views of The Eagle Rock Association (TERA), the e.letter editor, or The Eagle Rock Association Board of Directors, who reserve the right to publish letters or other materials submitted to the e.letter at their sole discretion.  Letters or other material chosen for publication may be edited for style, clarity and brevity.  Please let us know if you do not wish to have your comments appear in the e.letter.



15.  THE LAST WORD -- ALFRED TENNYSON

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
   Ring happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
   Ring out the false, ring in the true.

-- Alfred Tennyson (1809­1892)


The TERA e.letter is distributed weekly to well over 1500 subscribers 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 or other notice that you feel might be of interest to the Eagle Rock community, send it to
e.letter@TERA90041.org.  If possible, please send your announcement in the form of an email text message, (not as an attachment).   Submissions must be in our hands by 9:00 p.m. Tuesday to be considered for inclusion in that week's issue.

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



The TERA e.letter
A publication of The Eagle Rock Association
(TERA)
Vince Waldron, editor
e.letter@TERA90041.org