THE EAGLE ROCK ASSOCIATION
The Best Investment You Can Make in Your Neighborhood
November 20, 2003
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Please encourage interested friends and neighbors to send their
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can keep them informed, too.
In this issue:
Put a little bit of Eagle Rock on your wall (item
#1)
See your thanks up in lights (item
#2)
Shaken, not stirred on Colorado (item
#4)
Table of Contents:
1. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: TAKE THE HOME TOUR HOME
2. SUBMIT YOUR NOTE OF THANKS FOR NEXT WEEK'S THANKSGIVING E.LETTER -- SEND IT TO
US BY NOVEMBER 24
3. ECO-FRIENDLY DRYCLEANING COMES TO EAGLE ROCK
4. THE CHALET MARTINI BAR IS HERE!
5. CATFISH BITE MOVING SALE -- EVERYTHING MUST GO!
6. GALLERY OPHELIA WELCOMES THE CIRCUS TO TOWN -- NOVEMBER 20
7. THE GARDEN-ATORS WANT YOU! -- NOVEMBER 22
8. MT. FIJI CLEANUP THIS SATURDAY -- NOVEMBER 22
9. RUN, DON'T WALK TO THE FIRST ANNUAL ECHO PARK FUN RUN -- NOVEMBER
23
10. GET TO KNOW YOUR LOCAL ARTISTS ON THE ARROYO ARTS COLLECTIVE
DISCOVERY TOUR -- NOVEMBER 23
11. OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE THEATER DEPARTMENT TO STAGE
"LYSISTRATA" -- CLOSES NOVEMBER 23
12. FREE THANKSGIVING DINNER WITH THE EAGLES -- NOVEMBER 27
13. WE'VE GOT MAIL
14. THE LAST WORD -- RAY BRADBURY
1. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: TAKE
THE HOME TOUR HOME
One of the greatest features of TERA's Eclectic Eagle Rock Home Tour
this year was the beautiful 4' x 6' bus shelter poster designed for us by
Rebecca Johnson and Jeff Klarin of Eagle Rock's own Bughouse. And,
by special arrangement with the artists, we're pleased to be able to offer for
sale the large bus shelter poster as well as a smaller silk-screened version of
the poster that features a similar dynamic design. If you haven't seen
this magnificent work of art, it's proudly displayed on the home page of TERA's
website at http://www.tera90041.org.
The 4' x 6' bus shelter poster is available for $150.00, while the smaller
silkscreen posters are $35.00. Proceeds from the sale of the large bus
bench poster will go toward covering the cost of producing and mailing the
poster, with a percentage going to Bughouse, and the remainder going to offset
costs of the Home Tour. To purchase either poster, simply send an email
to e.letter@tera90041.org with the word "poster" in the subject line.
The poster artwork is available for viewing on TERA's website,
http://www.tera90041.org.
The silkscreen poster is available at the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, and
will also be available at various other locations in Eagle Rock in the future.
The proceeds from sales of the smaller silkscreen posters go to Bughouse,
to offset their design and printing costs, with a percentage going to TERA.
We thank Bughouse once again for creating a beautiful Eagle Rock asset.
Please consider taking one or both of these posters home to support TERA
and a fabulous Eagle Rock artist duo!
-- Hilary Norton Orozco
2. SUBMIT YOUR NOTE OF THANKS
FOR NEXT WEEK'S THANKSGIVING E.LETTER -- SEND IT TO US BY NOVEMBER 24
With turkey day right around the corner, we thought it might be fun to devote
next week's e.letter to a special Thanksgiving edition, and let our
readers tell us what they feel most thankful for at this time of year.
So, while you're thinking about it, why not take a moment to write us
a note describing the local person, place, business or institution
that you feel best embodies what makes Northeast Los Angeles or Eagle Rock such
a great place to live. We're pretty casual here, so be as creative as
you'd like: send a poem, submit an essay, or simply jot a quick message
expressing your thanks to the person, place or institution that you feel most
deserves it, and we'll print the best responses in next week's special
Thanksgiving e.letter.
To be a part of this special issue, just send your Note of Thanks --
by Monday night, if possible -- to e.letter@tera90041.org.
3. ECO-FRIENDLY DRYCLEANING COMES TO EAGLE ROCK
From the Pollution Prevention Education and Research Center (PPERC)
at Occidental College comes news that the future of eco-friendly drycleaning is
literally right around the corner.
Sunny Brite Natural Cleaners of Eagle Rock is the first dry cleaner in
northeast Los Angeles to trade traditional chemical solvents for water-based
wet-cleaning technology, an environmentally friendly alternative to
conventional dry cleaning. The conversion is part of the Professional Wet
Cleaning Commercialization Project conducted by the Pollution Prevention
Education & Research Center (PPERC) at Occidental College. Sunny Brite
Natural Cleaners, located at 4927 Eagle Rock Blvd., (323) 255-8981, is the
seventh wet clean demonstration site in Los Angeles area.
In January, Sunny Brite Natural Cleaners owner Sunny Kim converted her dry
cleaning operation to wet cleaning with a $12,500 grant from the Southern
California Air Quality Management District (AQMD), The California
Wellness Foundation, The Gas Company, and Southern California Edison.
The grant was one of 22 awards the agencies are making available to dry
cleaners willing to become a demonstration site. Professional wet
cleaning was introduced to the United States from Germany in 1991 and involves
the use of computer-controlled washing and drying machines that use
biodegradable soaps and sizing agents to clean wool, silk, rayon and other
delicate fibers often labeled "dry clean only."
Kim's decision to switch to wet cleaning marks an important step in helping the
AQMD meet its goal of removing the estimated eight tons of toxic
perchloroethylene, or "perc," released daily into the environment by
Southern California dry cleaners. The cleaning solvent, used by 85 percent of
all dry cleaners, has been classified as a probable carcinogen by the International
Association for Research on Cancer and a hazardous air pollutant by the
federal government and the state of California. In December 2002, the AQMD
adopted a regulation to phase out its use in the region by 2020.
"Wet cleaning works," said Kim, who has been a professional cleaner
for 14 years. "We continue to offer high-quality service and, because
operational costs are low, we didn't have to raise our prices. Also, by switching
to a non-toxic technology, I can protect my customers and employees from health
risks associated with perc exposure."
Recent case studies sponsored by the AQMD and other agencies showed that
professional wet cleaning drew compliments from customers who rated the
technology as equal to or better than dry cleaning. Cleaners reported
operating costs were reduced due to lower equipment, maintenance, and utility
costs, and the elimination of hazardous waste and regulatory fees. None of the
cleaners reported an increase in the number of hours worked by employees, and
all considered the switch a good business decision.
"By providing financial incentives, training and technical support, this
grant program is designed to help cleaners like Ms. Kim make a successful
transition to a proven pollution prevention technology and become a model for
others in the industry," said Peter Sinsheimer, PPERC's director and
principal investigator for the commercialization project.
A PPERC report, "Commercialization of Professional Wet Cleaning: An
Evaluation of the Opportunities and Factors Involved in Switching to a
Pollution Prevention Technology in the Garment Care Industry," can be
found online at http://departments.oxy.edu/uepi/pperc/resources/index.htm.
4. THE CHALET MARTINI BAR IS HERE!
The e.letter's resident investigative reporter, Joanne Turner, has once again
been out exploring new businesses in and around the neighborhood, and she
offers this timely dispatch on the opening of Eagle Rock's newest nightlife destination.
A few weeks ago, we issued a notice about the opening of a new local bar
called The Chateau (whoops, wrong name). And not only did we get the name
wrong (it's The Chalet), but we relied on what we now know was
unreliable information regarding the bar's opening date (an error that we
deeply regret, especially since it apparently resulted in a line of eager
would-be patrons waiting outside on the appointed night, with no one to let
them in). Whoops again.
Well, we can say for certain that The Chalet is indeed open now, from 7:00 p.m.
to 2:00 a.m. nightly. It's located on the south side of Colorado, just
east of Passionfruit Catering and across the street from Fatty's. The
interior is stunning, and quite different from the -- ahem -- atmosphere of the
former Topper's Tavern. Upon entering The Chalet, you feel as if you've
wandered into a beautifully cozy ski lodge! Amazing. Although
drinks of all kinds are featured, the Chalet's specialty is a wide variety of
martinis. We encourage you to pay a call on our newest business neighbor.
Another nighttime hang! Eagle Rock is really becoming a true destination.
-- Joanne Turner, TERA President Emeritus
5. CATFISH BITE MOVING SALE -- EVERYTHING MUST GO!
Our little linens and gift store, Catfish Bite, is moving (we don't
know where)! Get great deals on everything in the store from now
through Saturday, November 29, 2003. All gift and decorative
accessories are 30% off, and all bedding, decorative pillows, fabrics, and
chairpads are 50% off!
Catfish Bite is a great place for quality bed linens, terrific bath items,
darling baby clothes, picture frames, and a wide variety of other wonderful
items. It's the perfect place to consider for holiday shopping!
Hurry on in before the end of the month!
Catfish Bite is located across the street from Trader Joe's next to Daybreak
Health Foods at 1565 Colorado Boulevard in Eagle Rock. Questions?
Call (323) 255-5548.
6. GALLERY OPHELIA WELCOMES THE CIRCUS TO TOWN -- NOVEMBER 20
Sisters Candace J. and Miss Mindy present a series of
delightfully humorous and somewhat serious paintings and collages inspired by
the circus, girlhood memories, dreams, and all sorts of other things.
To see more of Candace and Mindy's work, visit them on the web at:
http://www.galleryophelia.com/pages/art_sale.html
The gallery will host a reception for the artists from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on
December 9.
For more information, dial (323) 982-9945. Or visit us on the web at http:// www.galleryophelia.com.
7. THE GARDEN-ATORS WANT YOU! -- NOVEMBER 22
Those seeking to create social change with their own bare hands should
attend the next meeting of the Eagle Rockdale Community Gardens, taking
place this Saturday at 3:00 p.m. at the Eagle Rock Council District Office on
Colorado Boulevard.
Council Member Antonio Villaraigosa, TERA, the Collaborative and the ER
Neighborhood Council invite all interested gardeners, designers, artists
and others to get involved. Together we're working to build an organic
community garden and art park, just off Figueroa Boulevard and Yosemite
Drive.
There are over 100 community gardens in Southern California -- help Eagle Rock
get ours!
Questions? Call Mary Tokita at (323) 257-5886.
8. MT. FIJI CLEANUP THIS SATURDAY -- NOVEMBER 22
The Environmental Club at Occidental College is sponsoring a cleanup of
Mt. Fiji on Saturday, November 22nd from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will
include the seeding of native wildflowers on the southern section of Mt. Fiji
adjacent to N. Avenue 50 and Eaton Street. Bags, gloves, tools, water and
juice will be provided. We encourage everyone to bring their own gloves
and tools (rakes, hoes, shears, etc.) if you have them so we don't run out.
We recommend long pants and sunscreen. Students will welcome any
community members who would like to participate at two locations:
1. The entrance to the Mt. Fiji property at the corner of N. Avenue 50 and
Eaton St.
Directions: Turn west onto Eaton St. from N. Avenue 51.
2. The parking lot between the Keck Theatre and the Campus Soccer Field off
Coons Road.
Directions: From N. Avenue 51 turn west on Range View. Go past Avenue 49
and take a right on Coons Road. Go past the soccer field and turn right
into the parking lot. Alternate route from north: Enter Campus from
Ridgeview Avenue, go straight and take the first left up the hill. Take a
right at the stop sign, go past Keck Theatre on your left and turn left into
the next parking lot.
For more information call Marcus Renner at (323) 341-5093, or email mvrenner@oxy.edu.
9. RUN, DON'T WALK TO THE FIRST ANNUAL ECHO PARK FUN RUN --
NOVEMBER 23
Bring your friends and family to Echo Park this weekend to enjoy the
neighborhood's first annual fun run and walk. The route loops around the
lake, through the streets of Echo Park and through scenic Elysian Park along
Stadium Way near Dodger Stadium.
The $20.00 registration fee will include entry in the run, a number bib, a
commemorative T-shirt, live entertainment and after-race refreshments.
The event is being sponsored by the 13th District Council Office of the
City of Los Angeles and The Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council.
All proceeds will benefit the community.
For a registration form please call (818) 932-3251, or email arobles@calendow.org.
10. GET TO KNOW YOUR LOCAL ARTISTS ON THE ARROYO ARTS
COLLECTIVE DISCOVERY TOUR -- NOVEMBER 23
Explore the artistic underpinnings of our diverse Northeast communities with
this self-guided tour of artists' studios in Highland Park, Eagle Rock
and Mount Washington. Over 100 artists and artisans will take part in the
tour, which begins at the Lummis Home in Highland Park. Tickets are
$10.00 in advance, or $15.00 on the day of the tour.
For more information, go to http://www.ArroyoArtsCollective.org or call (323)
850-8566.
11. OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE THEATER DEPARTMENT TO STAGE
"LYSISTRATA" -- CLOSES NOVEMBER 23
The Occidental Theater Department will present "Lysistrata,"
the pacifist comedy by Greek playwright and poet Aristophanes, at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday through Saturday, November 19-22, and at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, Nov.
23. The performances will be directed by Occidental theater Professor
Alan Freeman.
General admission tickets are $8.00. Student admission is $3.00, and
tickets are $6.00 for senior citizens and Occidental employees. To
purchase tickets, call the box office at (323) 259-2922. 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 http://www.oxy.edu/oxy/welcome/directions.
12. FREE FOR ALL THANKSGIVING DINNER WITH THE EAGLES -- NOVEMBER 27
Each Thanksgiving, the Eagle Rock chapter of the Fraternal Order of Eagles
invites the community to an old-fashioned, sit-down Thanksgiving dinner with
all the trimmings. A popular Eagle Rock tradition, the Eagles Club
Thanksgiving feast usually draws between 250 to 300 guests each year.
This year's full course menu includes turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet
potatoes, vegetables, salad and, of course, your choice of pie. The meal
starts at 1:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving day, and all are welcome.
The Eagles Club also sponsors two community breakfasts each month, with
the next one scheduled for the morning of November 16th. The Eagles Club
Hall, which is available for rental on days when the club isn't hosting a
community banquet, is at the corner of Townsend and Yosemite Drive. For
more information about the Eagles Club, the community banquets, or hall
rentals, call (323) 257-8869.
13. WE'VE GOT MAIL
"At last Wednesday night's long and dramatic hearing before the East
Los Angeles Area Planning Commission, the commission members voted 4 to 1
to deny a Conditional Use Permit for the drive-through and the hours of
operation for the proposed McDonald's at 3901 Eagle Rock Blvd. The
majority of the commissioners agreed with Zoning Administrator Al Landini (as
well as the comments made by numerous residents) regarding the horrendous
traffic as being the defining issue.
"McDonald's now has two options:
Or...
"This was a huge, time consuming effort, but the results speak for
themselves. Despite misrepresentations, misinformation and subterfuge by
McDonald's and their well-heeled hired guns, it was the voice of the of the
community that finally won out. Three big lessons came out of this
process: 1) working together and coalition-building can yield incredible
results, 2) we as a community must be pro-active when it comes to commercial
development, 3) we do not have to settle for the "any development is
better than no development" mentality - we can get - and deserve - good
development. Period.
"We won a big one, and I thank each and every one of you who had a hand in
the process."
-- Tony Scudellari, President, Glassell Park Improvement Association
* * *
"The East Los Angeles Area Planning
Commission convened a hearing on McDonald's appeal of the denial of
its application for a Conditional Use Permit. The Planning Commission
denied the appeal and upheld the denial, telling McDonald's to go back to the
drawing board.
"Had the permit been granted, McDonald's would have built an attractive,
Spanish California-style restaurant on the empty lot it owns at 3901 Eagle Rock
Blvd. in Glassell Park. A carwash/oil-change center (co-owned by this
writer) would have been built on the adjacent parcel of land with
architecturally-complementary design and visual elements so as to make a very
attractive and neighborhood-improving project.
"The opponents, made up of extremely uncivil and discourteous people who
booed, hissed and catcalled, and many of whom (based on their addresses) were
clearly not from the area, ventilated about the alleged traffic problems
associated with the project. The overwhelming majority of opponents latched
onto Zoning Administrator Albert Landini's 70-page Denial of McDonald's C.U.P.
Application, issued on July 18, 2003.
"This writer was one of a number who spoke in favor of the project---and I
was booed and treated in an unbelievably rude manner by people from the
Glassell Park "Improvement" Association. What I tried to say
was that Mr. Landini's factual descriptions of the road and traffic conditions
in the vicinity of the project were grossly erroneous, and I urged the
Planning Commission to really scrutinize this matter carefully, because if they
based their decision on clearly erroneous information, they would be doing a
great disservice to both the proponents and the opponents. (For example,
Mr. Landini described non-existent "No U-Turn" signs at Roderick
Road, when in fact a U-Turn there is perfectly legal.)
"It should have dawned on these good-for-nothing-good-guys that by
shooting down this project---in an area which has lost 27,000 jobs in the last
three months, according to Planning Commissioner Mary George---they were
condemning Glassell Park and the surrounding areas to another 10-20 years of
worsening urban blight. They were smoking opium if they felt that another
company other than McDonald's was going to "ride in to the rescue"
and develop the site with a sit-down restaurant. Had that been a viable
option, certainly one of the national or even regional restaurant chains would
have shown some interest by now.
"Cutting to the chase, these opponents from the GPIA should have taken up
a collection and bought the property if they were so vehemently opposed to a
McDonald's there. That would have been an impressive display of
integrity. Anything less was and is nothing more than gross hypocrisy
masquerading as civic virtue.
"If I sound bitterly disappointed, well....I am."
-- Steve Watkins, Project Manager, Joy's Wash 'N' Lube and long-time
Eagle Rock resident
* * *
"As we get ready for Thanksgiving, I
wanted to remind everyone about our rescheduled Day of Service on
Saturday, December 6. What better way to work off those extra Turkey Day
helpings than to come out on the 6th at 8:00 a.m. to join your community to
beautify York Boulevard! We are looking forward to a big crowd, good food
and a fun time for all! I look forward to seeing you on Saturday,
December 6! If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at
(323) 254-5295. Thanks!"
-- Michael Cathey, Eagle Rock Field Deputy, Los Angeles City Council
District 14
* * *
"Have you seen the new bookstore in Eagle Rock? It's called Imix
Bookstore, and it's at 5052 Eagle Rock Boulevard. We stumbled on it
while out on a Ruby Bakery/Twerp's/Swork run (the bookstore was right in the
middle there) and it's beautiful! There's art inside, and a great
selection of Latina/o and multicultural themed books for kids and adults.
We only hope they'll have more events like their grand opening, which
included spoken word performances, music and food."
-- MeHee Hyun, Eagle Rock resident and TERA member
* * *
"I just wanted to say thank you to the wonderful people who painted our
beloved Eagle Theater and got rid of that horrible blue. Bless you,
whoever is responsible. Also, Vince you are doing such a good job with
the E-letter. Thanks!"
-- Terrye Munday , Eagle Rock
You're welcome, Terrye. And while
we're on the subject of gratitude, don't forget to send us your Note of
Thanks in time to be included for next week's Thanksgiving e.letter.
(See item 2 above.) See you then!
* * *
As always, 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.
14. THE LAST WORD
"We leap from cliffs all the time, building wings on the way
down."
-- Ray Bradbury (b. 1920)
The TERA e.letter is
distributed weekly to more than 1600 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)
Edited by Vince Waldron
e.letter@TERA90041.org