"Eagle Rock: Where land use and planning
is a contact sport"
THE EAGLE ROCK ASSOCIATION
In this issue:
1. MANY THANKS TO WALGREENS PETITION VOLUNTEERS
2. COUNCIL REDISTRICTING MEETING -- TODAY, MARCH 7 -- FINAL PUBLIC
COMMENT MARCH 11
3. EAGLE ROCK ELEMENTARY BEAUTIFICATION EVENT -- MARCH 9
4. EAGLE ROCK NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL -- MEETINGS MARCH 13 AND APRIL 2
5. CAREERS IN EDUCATION NIGHT AT GLENDALE COLLEGE -- TONIGHT, MARCH 7
6. NEW BUSINESS COMING TO TOWN -- APRIL 1
7. ECLECTIC EAGLE ROCK HOME TOUR -- VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! -- MAY 19
8. UCLA EXTENSION SPRINGS INTO ACTION AT OCCIDENTAL
9. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LIBRARIES' AIDES THREATENED BY BUDGET CUTS
10. QUOTE OF THE WEEK
1. MANY
THANKS TO WALGREENS PETITION VOLUNTEERS
TERA is very pleased and proud to acknowledge the efforts of the many
volunteers who gathered signatures for our Walgreens/Shopping Bag building
petition. We estimate we gathered between 1,800 and 2,000 signatures, and
that does not count the approximately 200 to 300 petitions that were sadly
stolen from various venues by opponents of our efforts who claimed to be TERA
representatives. Also, many petitions contain two signatures, not one, so
we can add even more signers to our list. Even after our cut-off date of
a couple of weeks ago, petitions were still coming in, because people care
greatly about Eagle Rock's history and its architecture.
Those dedicated volunteers are Mary Ellen Caniff, Antonio Castillo, Mary
Cervantez, Carol Cetrone, Cynthia Flores, Juliana L. Krejer, Pamela Lansden,
Keith Louie, Cristi Lyon, Jean Musmacher, Rebecca Niederlander, Suzanne Prieur,
David Shumate, Michael Southard, Mary Tokita, Jennifer Trochez, and John J. Uribe.
You all have been terrific!! A big thank-you also to the many
hundreds of caring individuals who signed our petition!
It is more than obvious that people in the Eagle Rock community are very
supportive of restoring the Shopping Bag building rather than seeing it
demolished, as so many other historic buildings regrettably have been in our
town. It has been said by some that because the Cultural Heritage
Commission did not designate the building as a city landmark, the building
could somehow be dismissed as unimportant. It seems very clear to us that
if a building, any building, is considered important and significant by the
people who live in that community, then it is indeed to them meaningful enough
and important enough to restore. The opinions of the Eagle Rock
community, after all, matter much more than those of a small city-appointed
entity, the majority of whose members do not know or live in Eagle Rock.
Although Walgreens has over the years demolished many architecturally
significant structures around the nation, including nationally-designated
historic landmarks (therefore historic-landmark designation or lack thereof is
a moot point), it has also more recently under tremendous public pressure
restored and occupied many historic buildings. (Three cheers for such
public pressure -- it's what makes positive change.) At times this has
been because a particular city has in place a Director of Preservation in its
planning department, and this is clearly what Los Angeles badly needs.
Compared to other major U.S. cities, Los Angeles has been very slow to
recognize the many benefits of historic preservation. We are grateful
that this attitude is finally changing, but it still needs to change more,
especially in Council District 14.
Walgreens is currently restoring a Streamline Moderne building in the
Mid-Wilshire area, in Council District 6, of Los Angeles (formerly Zachary
All), so we know it can be done right here in our own city. This is due
to that Council District's representative's support for development that he
obviously recognizes makes aesthetic as well as economic sense. There is
no reason that Walgreens cannot do it here, too, if it chooses to locate in
Eagle Rock. Our own Council representative needs to get with the program
and understand the long-term importance of restoring our town's history, from
an economic, aesthetic, as well as a quality-of-life point of view. We
are depending on him to represent his constituents and his neighbors, those who
elected him, and not developers and big business.
Donovan Rypkema, featured in the "Quote of the Week" below, has given
many speeches on smart development and growth, the core ideal of which is
historic preservation. Two of his wonderful speeches, well worth a read,
can be accessed at the following sites:
http://www.greatnorthwoods.org/mainstreet/smartgrowth.htm and
http://www.historicmass.org/speech.html. We encourage all our readers to
delight in his common sense.
2. COUNCIL REDISTRICTING MEETING -- TODAY, MARCH 7 -- FINAL PUBLIC
COMMENT MARCH 11
Deadline for public comment on Council Redistricting is Monday, March 11, at
midnight. Until that point, we encourage submissions of written
testimony via email (redistricting@laccrc.lacity.org), fax (213/473-6425), or
US mail (Los Angeles City Council Redistricting Commission, 250 E 1st
St., Suite 1005, Los Angeles, CA 90012).
SPECIAL MEETING THURSDAY, MARCH 7
The Commission will hold a Special Meeting this Thursday as a precursor to a
final vote this month on its proposed Council District map.
Special Commission Meeting
Thursday, March 7 at 2 PM
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power - Auditorium
John Ferraro Building
111 N. Hope St., between Temple and First St. in Downtown LA
This is the first full Commission meeting following a series of four public
hearings in February that featured testimony by hundreds of City residents.
This testimony will be an integral part of the Commission agenda
Thursday, when the draft map will be displayed for review and discussion.
A vote on the final map is not occurring Thursday but will take place later
this month (meeting date and location to be determined). The City Council
voted last month to extend the Commission's deadline, so our final proposal is
now due on March 29.
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD TO CLOSE MONDAY
The deadline for public comment on the draft map is Monday, March 11, 2002 at
midnight Pacific Time. Until then, you are encouraged to submit
testimony:
** Via email, to redistricting@laccrc.lacity.org
** Via fax, to (213) 473-6425
** Via US mail, to Los Angeles City Council Redistricting Commission, 250 E 1st
St., Suite 1005, Los Angeles, CA 90012
The draft map of proposed Council District boundaries can be viewed at
www.lacitydistricts.org
CONNECT WITH US
Los Angeles City Council Redistricting Commission
250 E 1st St., Suite 1005
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Office of Media & Community Relations: 213/473-4690
Main number and hotline: 473-4595
Fax: 473-6425
Email list requests: ShapingOurCity@laccrc.lacity.org
General inquiries and official testimony: redistricting@laccrc.lacity.org
Website: http://www.lacitydistricts.org
Regards,
Andrea Adleman
Director of Media and Community Relations
Los Angeles City Council Redistricting Commission
(213) 473-4690
aadleman@laccrc.lacity.org
3. EAGLE ROCK ELEMENTARY BEAUTIFICATION EVENT -- MARCH 9
We are having our clean-up, gardening, painting, general sprucing up day at
Eagle Rock Elementary on March 9 from 8:30 until 12:30. Lunch will be
provided. We again have an LA Neighborhood Matching Grant to paint a
mural on the campus and install benches near some trees. Everyone from
the community is invited to come on March 9 -- this is the matching part of the
grant. Children are welcome.
Please bring gloves, shovels, rakes, paint brushes, wheelbarrows, clippers,
etc. This is a fun event that really makes our school and the community
sparkle. For further information please call 323 258-5342 and ask for
Susan Sides or Martha Morgan. Thanks, Susan Sides
4. EAGLE ROCK NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL -- MEETINGS MARCH 13 AND APRIL 2
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Carol Baker Tharp, (323) 257-0354
(Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council Certification Hearing Set for April 2.
Nominations Open for Interim Board. Election March 13.)
The Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council Formation effort is moving into high
gear now that the City of Los Angeles Department of Neighborhood Empowerment
(DONE) has announced that the communityıs application for certification will be
reviewed by the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners on April 2. The
Certification Application for the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council was submitted
to the City December 10, 2001.
"We hope to have a big turn-out for the hearing April 2," said
Formation Committee Chair Dalila Sotelo. "Hundreds of hours of volunteer
time from all parts of the community have gone into preparing the application
and preparing to launch a new organization, but now we need to let the Board of
Neighborhood Commissioners know the community is solidly behind the
effort."
Eagle Rock has a wealth of community organizations dealing with everything from
business and residentsı interests to voluntary groups working on public safety,
arts and culture, historic preservation, and youth activities.
Representatives from many of these groups came together in 2001 to plan
how the community could best take advantage of the opportunity offered by the
City of Los Angeles to have a Neighborhood Council recognized in the
neighborhood. "The Neighborhood Council is an excellent way both for
community residents to learn about and have a say about City activities that
will affect our neighborhood, and also to coordinate and communicate among the
many existing groups within Eagle Rock," Sotelo said.
Residents who would like a copy of the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council (ERNC)
Application Packet are invited to attend a community-wide meeting on March 13,
7 9 p.m. at the Eagle Rock High School Auditorium. This is a
particularly important meeting because an interim Board will be elected for the
ERNC to lead the organization through the certification process and start-up
activities that will follow.
Anyone who would like to serve on the Board should call Nominating Committee
Member Wanda Kuenzli at (323) 256-7297. There are still a few positions
available on the nominations roster for the interim board to be presented on
March 13, and all Board positions will be up for election once the neighborhood
council is certified.
5. CAREERS IN EDUCATION NIGHT AT GLENDALE COLLEGE -- TONIGHT, MARCH
7
Glendale Community College will host Careers in Education night. All
persons interested in careers in teaching should come hear about the special
programs for teacher training.
Thurs. March 7 from 6 to 8 pm
Refreshments will be served
JW Smith Student Center room 212A
Please call for parking information. 818 240-1000 ext 5534 (Tracy).
6. NEW BUSINESS COMING TO TOWN -- APRIL 1
Yoga Essence will soon occupy the storefront at 1577 Colorado Boulevard. Owners
Phillip and Krista have submitted the following for your information.
Feel free to contact them at the e.mail address below to give them your
feedback:
We have been teaching classes at the Women's 20th Century Club for
the past two months and have decided to take our yoga business to the next
level and open our own place at 1577 Colorado Blvd (across from Trader Joe's)
on April 1st .
We invite you and your friends to come out and enjoy an introductory class for
free.
Also, we would like feedback from Eagle Rock on just what type of Yoga they are
looking for i.e.: power yoga, kundalinmi, restorative, gentle, iyengar,
bickram, pre-natal, kid's yoga, etc...
Plus, we would like input on the days and times people are looking for.
Thanks in advance,
Phillip & Krista
Directors
Yoga Essence, LLC
krista@yogaessence.net
phillip@yogaessence.net
7. ECLECTIC
EAGLE ROCK HOME TOUR -- VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! -- MAY 19
Mark your calendars for TERA's annual Eclectic Eagle Rock Home Tour, to take
place Sunday, May 19, 2002! The event will begin at 10:00 a.m. and
continue throughout the day until 4:00 p.m.
This is a fantastic and very fun event. We have a WONDERFUL AND ECLECTIC
array of fines homes this year -- from a lovely Asian-inspired Craftsman to a
Richard Neutra-designed home built for plein-air artist Conrad Buff in 1927 to
a terrific mid-century modern to an Irving Gill-influenced home built only five
years ago, and more!
Volunteers are needed. There are openings for docents, ticket/brochure
handlers, table monitors, etc. All volunteers receive a complimentary
ticket to our Home Tour and an invitation to our post-tour party, which is
always great fun! Please call Wanda Kuenzli at (323) 256-7297 or by
e.mail at wmkuenzli@earthlink.net.
8. UCLA EXTENSION SPRINGS INTO ACTION AT OCCIDENTAL
This March, UCLA Extension launches its second quarter of courses on the
beautiful Occidental College campus in Eagle Rock. This unique collaboration
links adult learners in northeast Los Angeles and adjacent communities with
UCLA Extension professional development and personal enrichment opportunities.
Based on its ongoing survey of neighborhood interests, UCLA Extension will
offer nine courses at Occidental in a broad range of subjects: Basic Drawing,
Beginning Photography, Principles of Accounting, Developing a Business Plan,
Personal Financial Planning, Development in Early Childhood, Teaching
Exceptional Learners in the Regular Classroom, Pronunciation Improvement for
Professionals, and English for Professional Advancement.
UCLA Extension is one of the nation's largest and most comprehensive continuing
higher education providers. Founded in 1891, Extension currently offers 4,500
courses a year, linking 65,000 adults to new opportunities through lifelong
learning. UCLA Extension began its partnership with Occidental College last
quarter as a way of reaching out to neighboring communities.
Nationally ranked for its academic excellence and diversity, Occidental College
is a private, coeducational institution with 1,800 students from around the
world. Founded in 1887, it is one of the country's few liberal arts colleges in
a major city.
UCLA Extension's Spring Quarter begins on March 30. Complete enrollment
information is available online at http://www.uclaextension.org, or call (800)
554-UCLA for a free catalog.
9. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LIBRARIES' AIDES THREATENED BY BUDGET CUTS
The elementary school libraries in our community and all of those in Los
Angeles Unified School District could be adversely impacted by board budget
decisions. Please inform the people of our community, so they can express
their feelings to school board members.
The library aide position in elementary schools is on the district's list to be
considered for elimination or reduction to three hours. This is to help
reduce the district's budget deficit.
In the 1999-2000 school year the library aide position was created as a
three-hour district-funded position. Before this elementary schools
either did not have libraries, or funded a library position through the local
school budget or a parent organization. Most had no library.
Five months ago the position was expanded to six hours. This was
invaluable especially to larger schools such as Eagle Rock Elementary with 51
classes.
In the past two years many schools have automated their libraries using
money allocated by the state legislature in AB862. The bill specifically
designated money be used for automating public school libraries and
increasing book collections. If staffing is eliminated from the budget,
there could be a large investment in computers and software in limbo.
The money remaining after automation is allocated for purchasing library books
to increase collections size, support literacy, and the new math and reading
curriculums. Currently, the remaining funds are frozen in some of
the community schools . The district has requested a waiver from
Sacramento to reallocated these book funds for other uses to help reduce the
deficit.
Our elementary school students face the possibility of again not having the
advantage of a library at their school.
Cathy Ellingford
Library Aide
Eagle Rock Elementary
10. QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"There is a broad movement away from what is one's 'right' to combine the
discussion of 'rights' with the obligations of 'responsibilities.' There
are two notable exceptions to this, however -- pornographers and the so-called
'property rights' movement -- both of whom only want to talk about their rights
and deny any responsibilities."
-- Donovan Rypkema, in his speech, "Place Economics," at the Historic
Massachusetts Annual Meeting, January 2000. Read it at
http://www.historicmass.org/speech.html.
We welcome your comments. Please include your name.
Joanne Turner
<artburn@earthlink.net>
President, The Eagle Rock Association (TERA)