"Eagle
Rock: Where land use and planning is a contact sport"
THE EAGLE ROCK ASSOCIATION
October
10, 2002
"Thanks
for the TERA weekly update. I am continually amazed by the level of
professionalism and technical detail your group is able to provide to your
ever-increasing constituency. What an asset to a community buried in the
LA bureaucratic shuffle. I've only seen such vigor and intelligence in
Larchmont and Brentwood in LA, and even they don't compare. Keep up the
fine work -- while frustrating -- very rewarding for the betterment of the
community."
-- Tom Eidem, noted economic development advisor, San Clemente
In
this issue:
1. ALL STAR LANES/EXTRA SPACE STORAGE PROPOSAL HEARING -- OCTOBER 21
2. TERA'S LAND USE COMMITTEE MEETS THURSDAY -- OCTOBER 10 --
SPECIFIC PLAN DISCUSSED
3. THE EAGLE ROCK MUSIC FESTIVAL!! -- THIS WEEKEND!! -- OCTOBER 12
4. COMMUNITY MEETING ON PILLER'S DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL -- OCTOBER 16
5. ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) SCHOLAR AWARDS AT EAGLE ROCK HIGH SCHOOL
6. HEARING ON GLASSELL PARK McDONALD'S CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT --
OCTOBER 15
7. AVENUE 57 SPECIFIC PLAN TOD PUBLIC HEARING -- NOVEMBER 14
8. MEETING TO ORGANIZE ART PARK/COMMUNITY GARDEN IN EAGLE ROCK --
NOVEMBER 16
9. CAMILO'S AND TOWNSEND GALLERY CELEBRATE LOS DIAS DE LOS MUERTOS
10. EAGLE ROCK NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL'S (ERNC) 10/1/02 MEETING
11. EVER WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO TASTEBUDS?
12. EAGLE ROCK HIGH SCHOOL BOYS' TENNIS TEAM CHRISTMAS TREE
SALE/FUNDRAISER
13. WHO IS YOUR LOCAL HERO? NOMINATE HER OR HIM -- DEADLINE
OCTOBER 18
14. LETTERS AND E.MAILS
15. QUOTE OF THE WEEK
1. ALL-STAR LANES/EXTRA SPACE STORAGE PROPOSAL HEARING -- OCTOBER
21
We know all of you have been wanting to know what the TERA Board's vote is on
this issue. We voted to disapprove the project because, although the
design was one of the best we'd seen for this kind of use, there is already an
over-saturation of this type of business in our area.
Many in our community would like to see the bowling alley preserved and
continue to serve as a neighborhood entertainment venue. If the bowling
alley cannot be saved, we are hoping to see the site developed in a far more
community-enhancing way than that of the current proposal.
The hearing on the developer's request for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP)
required to build a storage facility is Monday, October 21, 2002, at 1 p.m.
It will take place at Los Angeles City Hall, 200 North Spring Street,
Room 1020, Los Angeles CA 90012. Anyone interested in this issue is
encouraged to attend. The case number for the CUP is ZA-2002-3576
(CU-ZAA). Be sure to note the case number if you correspond with the
Zoning Administrator. Send letters to the Office of Zoning
Administration, 200 N. Spring Street, 7th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
Speaking of storage facilities, e.letter reader Helga Thomsen sent us the
following story from MSNBC:
YOU SEE, IN ADDITION to all the
closets, the basements, the garages and the parents spare bedrooms in America,
there's now a massive industry devoted to storage. And its starting to make me
crazy.
Everywhere you go, there seems to be yet another self-storage facility. First,
they started appearing near highway exits in industrial areas, but in recent
years theyve started sprouting like mushrooms in malls and suburban
neighborhoods. The number of facilities has grown to 35,000 nationwide from
about 22,000 a decade ago, according to the Self Storage Association. (That
there even is such an association worries me.)
Given that the average size of a storage facility is about 43,000 square feet,
that makes about 1.5 BILLION square feet of extra storage space available in
this country. And this year, the industry is going to add another 300
facilities, or about 12.9 million square feet.
This expansion is especially puzzling because it's not as if Americans lack
space at home. The size of the average house has grown by 53% in the last 30
years, from about 1,500 square feet to 2,300 square feet. Now, don't get me
wrong. I have nothing against storage. I just want to know why Americans seem
to need more and more (and more) of it.
MANAGING OUR "CYCLICAL POSSESSIONS"
In order to get a firm grasp on the storage issue -- since Mid East politics
are beyond me -- I spent a little time delving into the history of storage in
America ... which I'll spare you.
The short version is that 30 years ago, nobody knew from storage. If a relative
died or your kid didn't have a place to live after college, you put all their
stuff in a dank locker somewhere on the seedy side of town until you could figure
out what to do with it.
Then came the economic boom of the 80s and the 90s, and suddenly everybody
wanted not just a place to live but a lifestyle. People who once simply cooked
started using words like "braise" and "lemongrass" and
buying enameled French cookware and cappuccino makers.
And whether it was cooking, biking, gardening or yacht-building, the modern
lifestyle demanded a certain amount of equipment. And the stuff needed a place
to go. Thats when storage became linked with what SSA President Michael Kidd
calls "lifestyle management."
Suddenly storage wasn't a luxury, it was a necessity. "It's a way of
managing your cyclical possessions," he says. "You have to realize
how prosperous this country is. A lot of people have acquired personal wealth,
and they have the personal property and goods that accompany that wealth ...
and they have to put it somewhere."
"Remember that Steven Wright line: 'You can't have everything.'
Where would you put it? We're there for the people who have some of
everything and need a place to put it."
STORAGE GETS SEXY
Wall Street got into the act in 1994 with the creation of real estate
investment trusts (also known as REITs) that invest big money exclusively in
self-storage facilities. Kidd describes this as a defining moment in the
history of storage.
"Self-storage was legitimized in a tremendous way in 1994," he says.
"Very quickly we went from being a largely misunderstood property to being
the belle at the ball."
Storage purveyors began to push for zoning changes that would let them
establish businesses in better parts of town, moving them up and out of the
light-industrial ghetto. Suddenly storage wasn't just more attractive and more
accessible; it was downright trendy.
Cris Burnam, president of StorageMart in Columbia, Mo., calls this the
"quantum leap" in the storage biz, moving the business from the
warehouse model to the retail model. Or, at least, making that move possible.
When Burnam founded StorageMart three years ago, he designed his 35 facilities
(12 more to be built this year) to be "superstores." Like Kidd, he
believes the future of storage will be snuggled against the bosom of your local
shopping mall.
Here's Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond. Here's your storage facility. Pretty
soon you won't need to bring anything home. You can spend all day at the mall
and dump all your new stuff straight into storage, leaving your home in a state
of Zen-like emptiness. Finally, consumption without consequences!
HOME, SWEET STORAGE UNIT
Storage companies have figured out that consumers increasingly see storage as
an extension of their homes. Playing right along with that, they are trying to
make self-storage units (forget the dank, seedy lockers of yore) as comfy and
accommodating as possible.
Now you can rent space in storage facilities that were built to look like a
Southern plantation mansion. Others boast computer terminals, music studios,
basketball courts, snack lounges, marble lobbies, landscaped grounds and
uniformed employees. It's only a matter of time before they install kitchens and
bathrooms so we can park unwanted relatives there.
I can't predict where this trend is going, but it might not be a bad idea to
stop and question this whole storage thing, why we're doing it, what it means.
As self-storage becomes an increasingly indispensable part of consumer culture,
there will be less and less incentive for people to examine their acquisition
habits.
LEFTOVERS FROM A LIFE
Peggy Gamache is a secretary in an architectural firm in Bellevue, Wash. A few
years ago, she heard there was some money to be made buying the contents of
abandoned storage units at auction.
When someone stops paying for their storage unit, some companies hold a public
auction of the goods. Bidders are allowed to peek into the unit, but they can't
go through the boxes. And they have to agree to buy the contents of the entire
thing.
Gamache bought six units over the course of a year, often paying as little as
five or ten bucks for someone's leftover life. She'd then hold a garage sale
with the items worth selling and take the rest to the dump or to Salvation
Army. Although it was fun, she says, it was a revelation to see the kinds of
junk other people hold onto.
"It affected me big-time," she says. "I find myself throwing
things out now, or giving them to charity. I don't want to become one of those
people who keeps all this weird stuff. Clutter controls you. It keeps you busy,
moving stuff from one place to the next place, making room for more stuff. So
I"m downsizing and de-cluttering."
The next time you feel like you ought to rent a storage unit, take five bucks
and buy an abandoned locker. Meditate on all the meaningless crap someone once
paid good money to hold onto, then, for whatever reason, walked away from.
Now that's a thought.
© 2002 Microsoft Corp.
2. TERA'S LAND USE COMMITTEE MEETS THURSDAY -- OCTOBER 10 --
SPECIFIC PLAN DISCUSSED
TERA's Land Use Committee meets tonight, Thursday, October 10, with Council
member Nick Pacheco, to discuss how the Colorado Boulevard Specific Plan
works or how it might be revised to better serve our community. The
meeting will take place from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., at the Eagle Rock
Community Cultural Center, 2225 Colorado Boulevard, in Eagle Rock.
Land Use Committee meetings are open to the public.
Thursday, October 10, 6:00 p.m.
Eagle Rock Community Cultural Center
2225 Colorado Boulevard, Eagle Rock
3. THE EAGLE ROCK MUSIC FESTIVAL!! -- THIS WEEKEND!! -- OCTOBER 12
The Eagle Rock Music Festival features 29 free public concerts Saturday
evening, October 12! This is one of the very best events (aside from
TERA's Home Tour) that our community offers each year -- don't miss it!
This event truly reflects Eagle Rock's unique quirkiness and appealing
diversity, all under the umbrella of art and culture. Our commercial
corridor will be filled with hoards of people, and you're guaranteed to run
into someone you know!
VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED TO HELP WITH THIS GREAT
EVENT. CALL JENNY KRUSOE AT (323) 226-1617.
The Eagle Rock Community Cultural Center (ERCCC) hosts the 4th annual Eagle
Rock Music Festival
Saturday, October 12
6:00 p.m. to12:30 a.m. in the Eagle Rock community of northeast Los Angeles
The free public event will present 29 live musical performances in 24 local
venues, including restaurants, a floral shop, a beauty salon, an auto garage, a
real estate office, a gas station, and several other storefronts along Colorado
Boulevard. A free shuttle service will be provided to festival venues.
"Angelenos will be delighted to discover what Eagle Rock has to offer --
it's a small town with big ideas," said Jenny Krusoe, ERCCC director and
festival co-organizer. "Our festival is a journey of discovery, an
opportunity to go places you've never been before -- both musically and
physically. Whether it's Taiko drumming on the lawn of the City Council field
office, an Armenian band in a mini-mall, or a "rave" in an empty
storefront, we're encouraging people to stroll around town and have fun exploring
musical genres."
The Eagle Rock Music Festival program will also include classical, reggae,
Cajun, Latin jazz, Tex-Mex, Pre-Columbian, folk, blues, country western,
Afro-Cuban, cabaret and contemporary original music.
Scheduled performers include: Swing Inc., Neon Venus, Go Betty Go, V.R Smith
and the Beaujolais Jazz Band, Ann Likes Red, Elliott Caine, composer Jon
Rumford, and Liz Cusuco. The winners of the Southwestern Youth Music Festival
will perform at Eagle Rock Flowers. Camilo's Restaurant will host
"The Best of the UGLA Cabaret 2002," and the Glendale Branch Music
Teachers' Association will host the 20th Century Women's Club. Fatty's, a
local coffee house, is closing a side street to host a swing concert, including
a dance contest between children and senior citizens.
The Eagle Rock Music Festival begins at 6:00 p.m. at the Eagle Rock
Community Cultural Center, located at 2225 Colorado Blvd., just west of Eagle
Rock Blvd. Festivalgoers will enjoy the first concert of the
evening, obtain a festival program, then walk eastward down Colorado Blvd. or
take the shuttle from 7:00-10:00 p.m. to hear a variety of musical
performances. The Cultural Center will close the festival with the Bobby Haynes
Blues Band, scheduled to perform at the ERCCC's historic building, a former
Carnegie library, until 12:30 a.m.
The Eagle Rock Music Festival is free and open to the public, presented with
the support of L.A. Council Member Nick Pacheco, the L.A. Department of
Cultural Affairs, L.A. County Arts Commission and the Recording Industries'
Music Performance Trust Funds through the Professional Musicians Union 47, Bank
of America, Vons, the Westfield Shoppingtown Eagle Rock, and the fantastic
community of Eagle Rock.
For more information, call the Eagle Rock Community Cultural Center at (323)
226-1617.
4. COMMUNITY MEETING ON PILLER'S DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL -- OCTOBER 16
A community meeting regarding the proposed development of the Piller's clothing
store on Colorado Boulevard into artist lofts is scheduled for Wednesday,
October 16, 2002, 6:00 p.m. to 7:50p.m., at the Eagle Rock Library on
Caspar Avenue. The public is invited.
5. ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) SCHOLAR AWARDS AT EAGLE ROCK HIGH SCHOOL
Eagle Rock High School
1750 Yosemite Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90041
swilli01@lausd.k12.ca.us
Fifteen students at Eagle Rock High School have earned the designation of AP
Scholar by the College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on
the college-level AP Exams.
The College Board's Advanced Placement Program offers students the opportunity
to take challenging college-level courses while still in high school, and to
receive college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance
on the end-of-course AP Exams. Almost 14 percent of the more than 900,000 high
school students in 14,000 secondary schools worldwide who took AP Exams
performed at a sufficiently high level to merit the recognition of AP Scholar.
Students took AP Exams in May 2002 after completing challenging college-level
courses at their high schools. The College Board recognizes several levels of
achievement based on the number of year-long courses and exams (or their
equivalent semester-long courses and exams). At Eagle Rock High School:
One student qualified for the National AP Scholar Award by earning an average
grade of 4 or higher on a 5-point scale on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 4
or higher on eight or more of these exams. This student is Lea Hildebrandt.
Lea also qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an
average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher
on five or more of these exams.
Two students qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning an
average grade of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher
on four or more of these exams. These students are Cynthia Pineda and Steven
Whitacre.
Eleven students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more
AP Examinations, with grades of 3 or higher. The AP Scholars are: Canek
Aguirre, Amber Cole, Vicki Gonzalez, Peter Jang, Juliet Markis, Roberto Nuno,
Salinda Phanitsiri, Narciso Rodriguez, Violeta Ruiz, Kathrina Sicam, and Edgar
Zepeda.
Of this year's award recipients, five were juniors: Canek Aguirre,
Juliet Markis, Roberto Nuno, Salinda Phanitsiri, and Violeta Ruiz. These
students have at least one more year in which to complete college-level work
and possibly earn another AP Scholar Award.
Most of the nation's colleges and universities award credit, advanced
placement, or both based on successful performance on the AP Exams. More than
1,400 institutions award a full year's credit (sophomore standing) to students
presenting a sufficient number of qualifying grades. Thirty-four AP Exams are
offered in a wide variety of subject areas, each consisting of multiple-choice
and free-response (essay or problem-solving) questions (except for the Studio
Art exam which evaluates students' original artwork).
The College Board is a national nonprofit membership association whose mission
is to prepare, inspire, and connect students to college and opportunity.
Founded in 1900, the association is composed of more than 4,200 schools,
colleges, universities, and other educational organizations. Each year, the
College Board serves over three million students and their parents, 22,000 high
schools, and 3,500 colleges through major programs and services in college
admission, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and
learning. Among its best-known programs are the SAT, the PSAT/NMSQT and the
Advanced Placement Program(AP). . The College Board is committed to the
principles of equity and excellence, and that commitment is embodied in all of
its programs, services, activities, and concerns.
_____________________________________
Stephen Williams
College Counselor
Eagle Rock High School
1750 Yosemite Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90041
323/254-6891 ex 159
323/255-3398 fax
http://the-rock.lausd.k12.ca.us/offices/college/
6. HEARING ON GLASSELL PARK McDONALD'S CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT --
OCTOBER 15
The following was submitted to us by Glassell Park resident Tony Scudellari --
Dear Friends & Neighbors:
The Planning Commission has set a hearing on the Conditional Use Permit (CUP)
for the proposed McDonald's on the old Masonry Builder's parcel, between the
Triangle Motel and the 2 Freeway ramp at Eagle Rock Blvd. & Verdugo Road.
Of course, the hearing is scheduled for a weekday during business hours (October
15th at 10:30 am at City Hall, Room 1020).
Now is the time to mobilize against this project which will be a source of
garbage and blight for our neighborhood. We must work to oppose this and
get businesses in our community that enhance and not detract. Here is
what you can do:
1) If you can attend the hearing, it is strongly
encouraged. If there is enough community opposition, we can stop the
Conditional Use Permit from being issued and McDonald's will have to sell the
property or allow other uses for its development.
2) If you can't attend the hearing, I am
organizing a petition to be signed by neighbors opposed to this. The
petition will be presented at the hearing.
Contact me about what you would like to do -- please spread the word to your
friends and neighbors. Our strength comes in our numbers and we need as
many people involved as possible.
The more I find out about this, the stronger my opposition to this proposed
McDonald's at 3901 Eagle Rock Blvd. Let me just say that I don't oppose
development per se, but I do oppose development that will have a negative
impact on our community. Another McDonald's will be a blight (both
economically and environmentally) to our area. We need community-building
businesses -- sit-down restaurants, galleries, coffeehouses, theatres, bookstores,
etc. I would happily support any of those businesses coming into the
area. Here are the reasons I and many other area residents oppose the
McDonald's proposal:
a) The area is over-saturated with fast food
restaurants. We have at least 25 fast food restaurants within a 3 mile
radius of the proposed location, including 5 McDonald's [with further
research, that total has reached 44!].
b) Another McDonald's is counter to the Northeast
Community Plan, which calls for diversity in commercial development.
c) Fast food restaurants generate garbage in our
communities.
d) A fast food restaurant with a drive-through window
(which is proposed by McDonald's) will adversely impact traffic flow on Eagle
Rock Blvd., a busy thoroughfare in our community. And, with the potential
for having cars lined up and merging onto Eagle Rock Blvd., access to the
northbound on-ramp to the 2 (Glendale) Freeway will be blocked.
e) McDonald's is proposing that the hours of operation
for this location include closing at 1:00am on the weekends. This will
create a noise and traffic nuisance for the residents in the immediate
neighborhood, including the apartment complex across the street. It will
also be a magnet for gang members and other people who frequent the nearby drug
house at Verdugo and Avenue 33.
f) McDonald's produces low-wage, non-union, dead-end
jobs for a few people with a frequent turnover. These positions do
nothing to uplift those they employ, nor does it truly enrich their lives.
And, the food McDonald's serves does anything but nourish our kids.
After all the efforts LAUSD has done to try and get junk food out
of schools, it would be a travesty for our community to allow a McDonald's
practically across the street from a charter school. (And, may I suggest
you read "Fast Food Nation" -- it's an eye-opener about the fast food
business and its harmful effects.)
Here are some effective ways you can help in this fight. Any and all
you can do will be greatly appreciated. And remember, the more
neighborhood opposition, the better our chances for success:
1) Attend the Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday,
15 October at 10:30am. The meeting will be held at City Hall in Room
1020. The more people we have, the better our chances.
2) Sign the petition opposing the McDonald's and get
your friends, family and neighbors to sign (I can send a copy as an attachment
on Word or AppleWorks, depending on which program you use).
3) Contact these city officials and let them know you
oppose the McDonald's at 3901 Eagle Rock Blvd. and give any and all reasons for
your opposition:
a)
e.mail Councilman Eric Garcetti at garcetti@council.lacity.org
and register your opposition.
b) Call Con Howe,
Director of Planning of the City's Planning Commission, at (213) 978-1271, or
e.mail him at chowe@planning.lacity.org,
and let his office know you oppose the McDonald's at 3901 Eagle Rock Blvd. in
Glassell Park. (If you email Councilman Garcetti or call Con Howe,
please either cc me or let me know.)
So, please help. And,
spread the word to your friends, neighbors and family. We have a very
good chance for success, but it depends on YOU.
If we stop McDonald's and strive to attract a better business for the site, it
will be a positive step in a business renaissance for our community -- one
which our friends and neighbors in Eagle Rock started and Glassell Park can be
a part of.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at any time.
Sincerely, Tony Scudellari tscud1@earthlink.net
7. AVENUE 57 SPECIFIC PLAN TOD PUBLIC
HEARING -- NOVEMBER 14
The following was submitted by Andrew Garsten, concerned Northeast Los Angeles
citizen and activist:
Sorry for not having sent you all a
conclusion to the last report. I was a bit heart broken by the turn of events,
as you will see in my recap below .
But now we have a chance to send the fraudulent Ave. 57 TOD (Transit Oriented
District) plan back. LA City Planning Department will hold a public hearing
where the public can reject variances to municipal code that the plan calls
for. Please mark the date and plan on attending. If you can not
attend, please write a letter to the City Planning Department.
Hearing:
Thursday, November 14th, after 9:30am
LA City Hall, 200 N. Spring St.
10th Floor Hearing Room
Los Angeles City Planning Department
Community Planning Bureau
Case No. CPC-2002-2774 (HD) (PPR)
Written Correspondence:
Case No. CPC-2002-2774 (HD) (PPR)
Los Angeles City Planning Department
Community Planning Bureau, Room 667
City Hall
200 N. Spring St.
LA CA 90012
E.mail:
Also, you can e.mail the City Council members whose districts this
ludicrous plan would affect if upheld:
Nick Pacheco, District 14 npacheco@council.lacity.org
Ed Reyes, District 1 reyes@council.lacity.org
Community Support
If you recall, Councilmember Reyes said he was seeking community support
from Highland Park Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ), Highland Park
Heritage Trust, and Northeast Community Plan Advisory Committee (NE CPAC),
before he would take the altered plan before council. An officer from the
HPOZ explained to us that they made a "quid pro quo" agreement to
support the Reyes doctored document in exchange for the inclusion of some
historic structures with altered facades in their historic building survey.
This was something Reyes should have supported as a matter of policy, and
instead used as an opportunity to twist the arm and the mission of the HPOZ.
Highland Park Heritage Trust could not weigh in because they had
insufficient time to convene their board, and NE CPAC rejected the changes and
supported the original plan which they had participated in putting together.
With that single bird in hand, Reyes went forward to City Council for a
vote.
The Vote
The Specific Plan TOD was presented before the Council on June 11th.
Interestingly, the Plan was ceremoniously introduced and wholeheartedly
supported by Councilmember Garcettti (what's up with that, Eric?). June
11th happened to be the same day as the Council was holding public hearings on
secession, and only one community person was able to get into chambers to
comment on the plan, and that was of course, after the vote was taken. Several
community members were waiting in the lobby to get in and make comments, but it
was impossible. So much for City Council being a "public
process," as previously claimed by Reyes staff. Councilmember
Pacheco, true to his word, was the one dissenting vote.
The Avenue 57 Specific Plan TOD
calls for increased height limits beyond those specified by current zoning.
Since these height variances are tied to the (Reyes) amended densities,
community members need to attend the hearing and tell the Planning Department
officials that the height change requested should be denied since this is not
the same plan that the community worked on for two years. The following
is the specific wording of the request:
"In order for the Avenue 57 TOD to be consistent with the Northeast Los
Angeles Community Plan and zoning, the Department of City Planning is
processing this Plan Amendment and Height District Change. The Plan
Amendment to the Northeast Community Plan pursuant to Section 11.5.6 of the Los
Angeles Municipal Code will permit Height District 2D on the subject properties
and a Height District Change from Height Districts 1 and 1VL to Height District
2D will permit Floor Area Ratio Bonuses up to a maximum of a 3:1 Floor Area
Ratio (FAR) in accordance with the Avenue 57 TOD, pursuant to Section 12.32 G 4
of the municipal code for specified mix use, commercial and public facility
projects. Individual projects proposing to use these floor area bonuses
will require a separate approval from the Planning Department based on the
Avenue 57 Transit Oriented District Ordinance and Section 11.5.7 C of the
Municipal Code."
Please:
·
Mark your calendars and plan to attend this hearing
·
Write to the Planning Department if you cannot
attend
·
Forward this e-mail to your appropriate lists, and
anyone who you think might be interested.
Thanks and see you at the hearing:
--
andrew garsten
Spokesperson
The Coalition to Save Van de Kamp's
savevandekamps@ixpres.com
323 661 0150
p.s. If this is the first you have learned about the Ave. 57 Specific Plan TOD,
and you would like to see the preceding reports, please send me a note and I
will be happy to forward them to you -- Andrew
8. MEETING TO ORGANIZE ART PARK/COMMUNITY GARDEN
IN EAGLE ROCK -- NOVEMBER 16
Fresh Food Access and the LA Community Garden Council are providing funding and
support for 10 new urban gardens in LA this year.
One will be a community garden and art park in Eagle Rock, to be located on old
trolley right-of-way land near Figueroa Street and Lanark Avenue An
organizational meeting for all interested parties (gardeners, artists, public
agencies, neighbors and community stakeholders) will be held at 9:00 a.m.,
Saturday, Nov. 16, at a location to be announced soon.
As announced in the Sept. meeting of the Collaborative, a second Eagle Rock
community garden/pocket park is planned for the NE intersection of Toland Way
and Armadale. This project will begin development in early next year.
Fresh Food and the Garden Council are currently planning gardens in Elysian
Park, Glassell Park, Highland Park, North Hollywood, the Dunbar Hotel in
South-Central (the historical home to African-American jazz in LA), SilverLake,
the Pico-Union area, and Sylmar.
For additional information, please contact Mary Tokita at mtokita@earthlink.net or call 323/257-5886.
9. CAMILO'S AND TOWNSEND GALLERY CELEBRATE LOS DIAS DE LOS MUERTOS
Two Eagle Rock businesses, Camilo's California Bistro and Townsend
Gallery, are presenting an installation exhibition recognizing the traditional
Mexican holiday known as Day of the Dead. Honoring the dead, the
celebration is held every year at the same time as Halloween and the Christian
holy days of All Saints Day and All Souls Day (November 1 & 2). It is
a happy celebration of remembering and rejoicing!
In Mexican homes, families arrange ofrendas or "altars" with flowers,
bread, fruit, candy and photos of deceased family members and friends.
Special all night burning candles are lit as well.
The installation inside the Bistro contains an ofrenda display that is in
homage to Frida Kahlo who is one of Mexico's most important artists of the
twentieth century. The altar is adorned with a collection of Frida Kahlo
photos and memorabilia as well as Day of the Dead folk art from a private
collection. Highlights include sugar skulls with flowers of icing, paper
skeletons, and lacy cut-out tissue paper banners in bright colors.
The group show exhibition surrounding the ofrenda is photographic images and
paintings, all in homage to Frida Kahlo. Salvadore Salazar paints his
lyrical vision of Kahlo surrounded by bright pink iguanas in a mystical forest.
Photo collages by Nancy Webber juxtapose costumed real-life models with
their counterparts in paintings by Kahlo. Photographer Ann Murdy presents
four dreamlike documentary photographs of actual ofrendas in Patsquaro, Mexico.
The installation was composed by Debra Boudreau and Tim Yalda from Townsend
Gallery, an art gallery that represents Latin American painters and specializes
in ethnographic folk art, jewelry, and antiques from around the world.
The Gallery is located at 1581 Colorado Boulevard in Eagle Rock, (323)
478-9485.
Camilo's California Bistro is owned and operated by Camilo and Amelia Gonzalez,
whose fine cuisine is well known in the Pasadena and Northeast Los Angeles
areas. Menus range from amazing Mexican breakfasts such as Chilaquiles
and French Toast made with bread pudding, to divine fresh pastas and
sandwiches. The Bistro is located at 2126 Colorado Boulevard in Eagle
Rock, (323) 478-2644.
10. EAGLE ROCK NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL'S (ERNC) 10/1/02 MEETING
This was the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council's (ERNC) best attended meeting,
thanks to the many telephone calls made by the ERNC Board and committee
members. There were many new faces and some of the more recent attendees.
Of special interest were three young Occidental students, Linda Vu, the
"Occidental (College) Weekly News" editor and two other collaborating
student journalists, eager to interview Elizabeth Macias, ERNC Project
Coordinator from L.A. City Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE).
Miss Macias explained that even though the ERNC Interim Board has no real
recognition as far as DONE is concerned--DONE only officially recognizes the
five original signers of the April 2, 2002 certified By Laws--the Board should
proceed with obtaining resignation signatures from those inactive signers and
reinstate at least three with whom DONE can officially communicate. She
further suggested the Interim Board should focus on elections. Only after
elections will DONE officially recognize Board members and only then will the
Board will become an official advisory body to the LA City Council, and only
then, can the all-volunteer Board receive operational city funding.
However, the ERNC, through its various events, especially the Building and
Safety Forum held this summer at Toland Way Elementary School, was able to
initiate street and sidewalk repair and other specific clean ups.
Residents and business surveys were collected before, during and
subsequent to the ERNC's Business Summit, held at the Eagle Rock Westfield
Shoppingtown, So, none of the presently active members have been napping
on the job.
Since the Brown Act doesn't apply to the ERNC Interim Board, the five vacant
seats do not need to be filled, Miss Macias added. However, there would
be more ERNC participation in filling the seats. The Parliamentarian
seat, on the meeting agenda, can be filled informally.
The elections committee meeting results were discussed. At that meeting,
Miss Macias had handed out numerous printed elections guidelines booklets for
each elections committee member to study and make recommendations at the next
elections meeting.
The regular ERNC meeting ended early so all could attend the TERA community
meeting at the Eagle Rock Community Cultural Center. This meeting was
held so that residents could voice their position on the demolition of the All
Star Lanes, on Eagle Rock Blvd., just north of York Blvd., in favor of building
a new three-story storage facility.
HELP WANTED!
The Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council (ERNC) needs your help! Volunteers of
all ages (16 and over), all sizes, shapes, colors, backgrounds, personalities,
from the painfully shy to the blatantly verbal, are most graciously invited to
become involved in the controversial meetings and interesting events, to which
we, the all-volunteer ERNC Interim Board, doggedly devote our energies.
Qualified stakeholders (Eagle Rock residents, business and property
owners/managers) are especially welcome to join in the serious business of
expediting city services to our community, among the many other issues that the
Board may be able to resolve. Although qualified stakeholders are a major
target, other curious folks are also cordially invited. We need
individuals to run for office as an ERNC board member, so come to our meetings
and get to know your neighbors.
We don't bite or bark too loudly. We want to help you get that
corner "Stop" sign installed that you need to get "Bowser"
or your children safely across the street, or the sidewalk repair that
"Granny's" wobbly ankles could sure use, or the ruts filled in your
streets, but we can't do anything about it, unless we know about it. And
then, we need the volunteers to help us contact our neighbors and our city
services.
Elections are looming in the horizon, tentatively scheduled for February of
2003. Why not couch potato your way into our ERNC? We meet at 6
p.m. on the first and third Tuesday of every month at the Eagle Rock Library at
Caspar and Merton Streets. Of course, if 6 p.m. is too early for you,
come when you can. Late arrivals are just as welcome. But remember,
the library closes promptly at 8 p.m. We can promise that you won't get
bored.
See you there!
Marlene Schmidt, ERNC Outreach Committee
ERNC Message Center: (323) 257-6381
Email Address: eaglerocknc@hotmail.com
11. EVER WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO TASTEBUDS?
We e.mailed TasteBuds owner Teri Valentine, telling her we missed her and her
business and asking where her business moved to. The following was her
response:
It is so nice to be missed. We
moved to a restaurant space inside the Toluca Lake Tennis Club at 6711 Forest
Lawn Drive. We have a 100-seat restaurant and a banquet room to seat 150 -- so
think of us for your events!
The restaurant is open from 10:30 to 3 PM for lunch and dinner 6-9 PM both on
weekdays only.
FYI we offer roasted potato salad [the editor's personal favorite] with
our sandwiches daily!
Thanks for the interest.
Teri Valentine
323.874.4006
12. EAGLE ROCK HIGH SCHOOL BOYS' TENNIS TEAM
CHRISTMAS TREE SALE/FUNDRAISER
Please
help support the Eagle Rock High School Tennis Team by ordering a Christmas
tree, wreath, or 10-foot-long garland. The team is raising funds for the
two overnight trips it takes (to see professional tennis at Indian Wells and to
train for the playoffs at the Big Bear Tennis Ranch). Each team member
needs to raise about $200 to pay for those two activities, along with his
uniform, the banquet and trophies.
So, we
are selling Christmas trees of three sizes (5-6 foot, 6-7 foot, and 7-8 foot)
and of three varieties (Douglas Fir, Grand Fir, and Noble Fir). Prices
for trees range from $33 and up and the quality of the trees is guaranteed or
your money back! Small wreaths are $22, large wreaths, $27,
and a
garland is $21. Christmas tree stands are extra.
All
trees are cut only TWO days before shipment to the school on December 13.
Also, we offer free delivery if you live in Eagle Rock. All trees
will be delivered (or need to be picked up at the tennis courts on campus) on
Saturday, December 14, between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM.
Please,
if you were planning to buy a beautiful, live tree, buy through us and get a
tree of the highest quality. Sales are from October 1 through October 21
only, and a deposit of $20 per tree is due when ordering. You can order your
tree or get more information by contacting ERHS alum and Tennis Coach ERIC
JACOBSON '89 at ERHS during the day at (323) 254-6891 (ask for the Counseling
Office) or in the evening and on weekends at (323) 550-1902.
Help
the highest-ranked tennis team in ERHS history with this generous, helpful act.
Tell your friends and neighbors too!
12. OCCIDENTAL TO STAGE DARIO FO'S "WE WONT PAY! WE
WONT PAY! "-- OCTOBER 30 THROUGH NOVEMBER 3
The Occidental College Theater Department will present "We Wont Pay! We
Wont Pay!" the madcap political farce by Italian playwright and Nobel
Prize winner Dario Fo, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, Oct. 30-Nov. 2,
and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3 in the colleges Keck Theater. The performances
will be directed by Occidental theater instructor Jamie Angell.
General admission tickets are $8. Student admission is $3, and tickets are $6
for senior citizens and Occidental faculty and staff. To buy tickets, please
call the box office at (323) 259-2922. Group rates are available. For other
information, call the theater department at (323) 259-2771. Occidental College
is located at 1600 Campus Road in Eagle Rock. Directions can be found online at
www.oxy.edu/oxy/welcome/directions.
First staged in Italy in 1974, We Wont Pay! We Wont Pay! follows in the Italian
tradition of commedia dellarte, which challenges cultural taboos in outrageous
situations. In the play, Fo's characters shoplift to revolt against the rising
price of groceries. Their defiance goes further as men get pregnant and women
give birth to cabbages. Fo applies farce to trigger liberation, and slapstick
to derive new ways of looking at the world.
Fo is considered one of Europe's leading political satirists of the past three
decades. His work, which frequently targets imperialism and government
corruption, has drawn denunciations from the Vatican. In the 1970s and 1980s,
the United States refused Fo a visa because his writings were considered too
anarchic and anti-American. Fo, who won the 1997 Nobel Prize for Literature,
also has earned acclaim as an actor and director.
13. WHO IS YOUR LOCAL HERO? NOMINATE HER OR HIM -- DEADLINE
OCTOBER 18
LA County Human Relations Commission and LA City Library Dept sponsor --
The Power of One. People who make a difference. 300 words to
describe a person's story and why they make a difference. Winners get
honored at a special event in November and their stories get displayed at LA
libraries next spring.
Deadline: Oct. 18, 2002. http://www.facinghistory.org
for examples of entries. For more information, call 626 744-1177.
14. LETTERS AND E.MAILS
"Congratulations on a very successful and informative meeting [regarding
All Star Lanes]. I think it really helped to galvanize and unite the
community further. You did a great job!"
-- Tony Scudellari, Glassell Park resident and TERA member
"Those guys at Planning -- boy, do they hate having to deal with Eagle
Rock. They know that if they make one wrong move they'll get their butts
nailed to the wall. And that's a good reputation for Eagle Rock to
have."
-- a TERA member who regularly deals with the City's Planning Department and
who asked to remain nameless
"Dear Councilman Pacheco:
As Eagle Rock residents and homeowners, we are writing to urge you to support
the preservation of the All Star Lanes bowling alley at 4459 Eagle Rock
Boulevard. We were saddened to learn that this wonderful and unique
neighborhood landmark and meeting place is at risk of being replaced by yet
another storage facility. It is clear that based on the research of many
concerned community members, the storage facility slated to possibly replace
the lanes will be of little if any benefit to the 14th District.
We are enthusiastic patrons of the All Star Lanes, one of the few entertainment
venues in this otherwise wonderful district. We may not have a movie theater
(yet!) or a book store, but we have All Star Lanes, a destination for both
locals and residents of surrounding communities. That and the many unique cafes
and restaurants on Colorado and Eagle Rock Blvds. have made Eagle Rock
something of a destination. There's nothing we enjoy more than to eat and be
entertained in our own immediate neighborhood, and to introduce friends and
family members to the attractions of Eagle Rock. Please do your best to
ensure that we do not lose this key ingredient to the public life of our
district. If we don't make the effort now to curtail unsightly, generic, and
unnecessary developments, we will surely regret the loss in the future.
We hope that you will make preserving the All Star Lanes an important part of
your agenda, and we plan to urge The Eagle Rock Association to do the same.
Thank you very much for your efforts! Sincerely --"
-- Roberto M. and Joan B. Jereza, Eagle Rock residents and TERA members
"Again, thanks for sending me the email newsletter. As I drive
around Eagle Rock I wonder about the status of various projects. I'm on
the fringe of the community and I'd really never know what was going on
otherwise."
-- Julie Wiant, Northeast Los Angeles resident
"Hon. Councilmember Pacheco -- The development my friend speaks of is the
Moon Canyon Development, which I heard about last week and is apparently
getting a lot of attention in your area. Since I do not live in your
area, I am unfamiliar with that property, but I am enclosing the email I
received, and hopefully you will know much more after your meeting with the
developers today.
While I'm at it, I may as well express my frustration with the
Walgreens/Shopping Bag issue. I consider your inaction in that matter a
slap in the face to your constituents who worked and still work tirelessly to
enact and enforce the Colorado Boulevard Specific Plan. Although I don't
live in that neighborhood, I personally circulated petitions in that area
against the Walgreens proposal because I feel very strongly about SMART
DEVELOPMENT.
First and foremost, a new Walgreens on that corner is COMPLETELY unnecessary.
There are other chain pharmacies within walking distance and a
mom-and-pop drug store across the street that will surely disappear if
Walgreens moves in. Secondly, if they do move in, they should ADAPT
THE EXISTING BUILDING AND RESTRUCTURE THEIR PLANS TO ACCOMODATE THE COLORADO
BLVD SPECIFIC PLAN. You should not allow this foreign corporate entity to
overrule the will of the people in your district, PERIOD !!!
The other day I had a chance to visit the Walgreens on Wilshire, which was
adapted to the original structure and had parking in the back. It would
have adversely changed the historic face of Wilshire Blvd and it will similarly
change Eagle Rock if they remove that building and replace it with a parking
lot. I hope you will join the community you claim to serve and say no to
Walgreens. We can do better. Sincerely --"
-- Carol Cetrone, Silver Lake resident
"Fred Eric should be given the chance to purchase All-Star Lanes. We
need more serotonin in the neighborhood!"
-- Carla Fallberg, proud and very happy consumer of 80 mgs. of Prozac
"Best and thanks once again for all you do."
-- Stephen Williams, Eagle Rock High School College Counselor
"In the 1977 book 'A Guide to Architecture in Los Angeles & Southern
California' by D. Gebhard and R. Winter, Eagle Rock Blvd was described as one
of the 'ugliest streets' in the world. Eagle Rock Blvd like Colorado Blvd
should have its own specific plan to prevent further deterioration."
-- Ben Gaetos, Eagle Rock resident and TERA member
"We do not need another storage facility in our neighborhood. We
already have one that has ruined our view as we exit the 2 freeway, not to
mention all the other unattractive ones that fill our streets all around us.
I have lived in the Eagle Rock/Glassell Park area all of my adult life
and love it here for many reasons. All Star Lanes has been a great place
for my friends and family to get together and just hang out. We need more
place like All Star Lanes in our neighborhood. Eagle Rock just cannot do
without a place like All Star Lanes."
-- Nichelle Minutti, Glassell Park resident
"I read #11 re: the Eagle Theater with great interest only to become
heartsick at the prospect of 'little living rooms' taking the place of a
restored theater. If people want the intimate setting of a living room in
which to watch a movie, they can stay home! This 'idea' is abhorrent to
anyone anticipating the re-opening of this theater. It sounds like [Fred]
Eric's had his head origamied. Sincerely --"
-- Kathy Thomas, Eagle Rock resident
15. QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Reinvigorating historic
neighborhoods reinforces existing schools and allows them to recapture their
important educational, social and cultural role on a neighborhood level."
-- Donovan Rypkema
Join
TERA now! Here's how:
Click on http://www.TERA90041.org/teraform.htm
We welcome your comments.
Please include your name.
Joanne Turner <artburn@earthlink.net>
President, The Eagle Rock Association (TERA)