THE
EAGLE ROCK ASSOCIATION
The Best Investment You Can Make in Your Neighborhood
TERA
e.letter
May 20, 2004
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and how we are changing our community for the better.
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This week:
Power poles update (item #1)
Town hall meeting tonight! (item #2)
The rock is art (item #6)
Table of Contents:
1. PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE —
TERA PULLS TOGETHER A “POWER”-FUL COALITION
2. TELL OUR CITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL MEMBERS HOW YOU’D LIKE TO
SEE YOUR MONEY SPENT — TONIGHT , MAY 20
3. TAKE A DEEP BREATH FOR THIS MESSAGE FROM YOGA ESSENCE
4. EXPLORE HISTORIC ECHO PARK ON FOOT — MAY 22
5. CENTER FOR THE ARTS HOSTS PRIMO PRIMAVERA BENEFIT — MAY 23
6. THE ROCK IS ART: A CALL FOR PROPOSALS — ACT BY MAY 25
7. CALTRANS OFFERS OUR FREEWAY RAMP A FACELIFT: FIND OUT MORE NEXT
WEEK — MAY 27
8. TOUR PASADENA’S HISTORIC HIGHLANDS HOMES — MAY 30
9. CENTER FOR THE ARTS, EAGLE ROCK PRESENTS THE SECOND ANNUAL
BEAUX ARTS BALL — JUNE 5
10. WE'VE GOT MAIL
11. THE LAST WORD — SAMUEL BECKETT
1. PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE -- TERA PULLS TOGETHER A “POWER”-FUL
COALITION
DWP and our elected officials are hard at work for
Eagle Rock on the Caltrans power poles issue!
Since the last TERA e.letter, I have been hard at work with Teresa Acosta of
Senator Jack Scott's Office, Valerie Cuevas of Assemblywoman
Carol Liu's office, Michael Cathey of Councilmember Antonio
Villaraigosa's office and Dominick Rubalcava, Chair of the Department of
Water and Power (DWP) Board.
The following is an update I received from Ed Miller at DWP. After
being contacted by Dominick Rubalcava, Teresa Acosta and me, Ed Miller went to
the site of the power poles. Here's what he reported back to me:
So, if the state can get Caltrans to put their power underground,
it may open up an opportunity to get the other power poles undergrounded as
well! Even though we will have to watch the poles go up, we will know
that more work is being done to get all of the power lines placed
underground!
Thanks to Teresa, Valerie, and Michael for doing a lot of legwork on this, and
working with TERA to get DWP on top of it! And thanks to DWP for an
incredibly thorough response! Finally, thank you to all TERA members,
e.letter subscribers and others who wrote letters in support of TERA's efforts
to get to the bottom of this issue. This could be a very big win for the
community!
One week from today, The Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council will offer us a
further opportunity to learn more about Caltrans and its plans for beautifying
Eagle Rock in the coming year when the ERNC Land Use and Planning Committee
hosts Caltrans at a public meeting. You won’t want to miss this
one. See Item #7 below for all the details.
Tonight’s meeting regarding the City of Los Angeles
Budget
Don't miss tonight's special Town Meeting with Councilmember Antonio
Villaraigosa, which will be a special meeting to brief the Neighborhood
Council on the upcoming Los Angeles City Budget. Item #2 immediately
below lists all the details. TERA participated heavily in this
year's City of Los Angeles budget priority process. Now it’s your turn to
vote on this year’s ERNC budget!
The Walgreens hours of operation hearing set for next week
On Wednesday, May 26, 2004, after 4:30 p.m., the East Los Angeles Area
Planning Commission will consider the following:
“Pursuant to Section 6B2 of the Colorado Boulevard Specific Plan (Ordinance
No. 168,046), a miscellaneous plan approval to permit a business establishment
to operate between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. within Sub area I of
the Specific Plan, which requires approval by the Area Planning Commission.
“Proposed Project:
“Extended hours of operation from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily for a 1,460
square foot retail sales area, which is envisioned to be a coffee shop, and a
1,040 square-foot semi-enclosed seating area. These extended hours of
operation are proposed for Building ”C” only (2216 and 2228 Colorado
Boulevard), which is part of an 18,930 square foot retail development
previously approved under Case Nos. DIR 2001-3476-DRB-SPP-MOD2 and CF 02-2834.”
Last night, TERA's Land Use Committee considered this issue and will be
writing a letter and presenting its position at the hearing. We will send
out a special alert on this issue in advance of the hearing. On a
related matter, TERA’s Land Use Committee will also be preparing a letter in
response to the Walgreens sign permit request that went before the Colorado
Specific Plan Design Review Board last week. We will send copies of both
letters along with our special e.letter alert next week.
A Winning Moment for e.letter editor Vince Waldron
On Saturday night, Vince was awarded an Emmy for his work as a writer on
the final season of the Comedy Central series "Win Ben Stein's
Money." TERA could not be more proud of this tremendous accomplishment!
Congratulations, Vince!
Last, but certainly not least: It’s time
to Renew Your TERA Membership!
We are working hard for you every day, and are an all-volunteer organization,
highly dependent on member support. Your contribution helps continue our
efforts to provide this e.letter every week, as well as our efforts to fight
for good development, historic preservation and a more beautiful Eagle
Rock. Please check your mail for our upcoming membership letter, or
sign up online on our website! (http://www.tera90041.org/terajoin.htm.)
-- Hilary Norton Orozco, TERA President
2. TELL OUR CITY
AND NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL MEMBERS HOW YOU’D LIKE TO SEE YOUR MONEY SPENT — TONIGHT , MAY 20
The Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council’s Dalila Sotelo just sent us this
important announcement about a community meeting on the coming year’s city
budget to be held tonight:
Town Hall Meeting with Councilmember Villaraigosa
Councilmember Villaraigosa will convene a town hall meeting
tonight to discuss the city’s 2004/2005 budget. All Council District
14 Neighborhood Councilmembers and all area stakeholders are
invited. At this meeting, the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council will
hand out a questionnaire that asks how you would like us to allocate the
$50,000 we have been allotted for the fiscal year that begins on July,
2004. We would like to hear from you, so come and pick up a form and tell
what you think!
Thanks and we look forward to seeing you tonight!
-- Dalila Sotelo, Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council
3. TAKE A DEEP BREATH FOR THIS MESSAGE FROM YOGA ESSENCE
Local business owner Krista Neumann, proprietor of Yoga Essence, 1577
Colorado Boulevard (near Trader Joe’s), recently informed us that she was
planning to leave day to day operation of the studio soon, and is currently
looking for someone to purchase this vital Eagle Rock business. We wish
Krista all the best in her future endeavors, and urge any of our readers who
might have a lead to contact her directly at the number below.
It is with great difficulty and a heavy heart that I need to leave Yoga
Essence and the business is for sale. Due to some significant changes
in my life, I find it impossible to manage and run a business. The studio has
had such a positive impact on the community that it is my hope that someone
will be interested in acquiring it and continuing it’s growth.
Please call me, Krista, for more info: (323) 550-8182. Thanks!
-- Krista Neumann, Yoga Essence
4. EXPLORE HISTORIC ECHO PARK ON FOOT — MAY 22
The heart-pounding public stairways and scenic hillsides neighborhoods of Echo
Park and Elysian Heights will be featured on a morning walking
tour of the area on Saturday, May 22. The two-long hour tour
organized by the Echo Park Historical Society will include one of the
city’s tallest public stairways—the 240-step Baxter Stairs—and will provide
insights into a neighborhood rich in history and architecture.
Other tour highlights include Fellowship Park and the house designed by
modernist pioneer Harwell Harris (building interiors are not included).
The tour begins at 10 AM at the entrance of Elysian Heights
Elementary School, 1562 Baxter St. at Echo Park Avenue.
The tour group is limited to 20 people, and a $3.00 donation is requested for
adults. There is no charge for children under 12 or historical society
members. For tour information and reservations, please call (323) 860-8874.
Or visit http://www.HistoricEchoPark.org.
The tour is part of the Historic Echo Park Walking Tours program
organized by the Echo Park Historical Society. The tours are held on the
fourth Saturday of every month and rotate among three different routes: Elysian
Park, Echo Park stairways and the downtown Echo Park and the lake.
5. CENTER FOR THE ARTS HOSTS PRIMO PRIMAVERA BENEFIT — MAY 23
On Sunday, May 23, 2004, Project Amiga will honor community leaders at
its Annual Primavera Concert and Award Reception. All
proceeds will go to our Youth Reliance and Job Connection Program and Literacy
Program, benefiting at-risk youth and teen moms and dads. This program,
which includes computer training and parenting skills, is designed to provide our
young people with valuable entry-level job skills as they concurrently complete
their high school education. The cost is $50 per person. For more
information, please contact Project Amiga at (626) 401-1395.
The event will begin at 1:00 pm at the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock,
2225 Colorado, Eagle Rock, and will feature performances by the Boyle
Heights Youth Symphony, Mark Frankel and Kenton Youngstrom and
Orquesta Charangoa (Salsa) featuring a variety of music from composers such
as Heitor Villa-Lobos, Enrique Granados and more.
Project Amiga will be honoring the following community leaders for the loyalty,
dedication and commitment to our community: Assemblywoman Judy Chu, 49th
District, Dr. Daniel Sancho Castro, President, Los Angeles Trade Tech, and
Helen Romero Shaw, El Monte Manager, The Gas Company.
6. THE ROCK IS ART: A CALL FOR PROPOSALS — ACT BY MAY 25
The Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock is seeking artists or artist-teams
to submit proposals for temporary art installations on and around the actual
Eagle Rock. One proposal will be selected and funded. This project
is geared toward California artists who have experience with public art
installations. The use of lighting and projections is encouraged, but not
a prerequisite.
The Rock Is Art project was launched in 2003 with the purpose of funding
one artist or artist team every other year to create an installation at the
Eagle Rock. The Rock Is Art follows a tradition of providing alternative
exhibition opportunities for artists by locating temporary public art in
community spaces. The Eagle Rock towers monumentally over the 134
freeway, marking the gateway from Northeast Los Angeles to the San Gabriel
valley. Each day, more than 216,000 motorists pass this distinctive landmark.
By creating an installation on the site, The Center for the Arts seeks to
celebrate a spirit of innovation and delight that are unique to Los Angeles.
The artwork must be installed by the opening date of September 14th, 2004, and
will be removed (including complete site restoration,) between November 1st and
8th, 2004.
Artists wishing to participate in this competition must attend a briefing
session on May 25th at 5 PM at Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock. At
that presentation, the Center will provide guidelines and physical constraints
that must be adhered to in working in a City-owned space.
Eligibility
The Rock is Art is open to professional artists who live and/or work in
Los Angeles County.
For questions please call/email the Project Director:
Lui Sanchez
(323) 226-1617
7. CALTRANS OFFERS OUR FREEWAY RAMP A FACELIFT: FIND OUT MORE NEXT
WEEK — MAY 27
More latebreaking news from our friends at the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council.
Here’s their Land Use Planning co-chairperson, Jessica Wethington McLean,
with an important update on next week’s meeting of that committee:
CalTrans Unveils Plans for a 134 Freeway Entrance Redesign
It is with great pleasure that I invite you to attend the next meeting of the Eagle
Rock Neighborhood Council’s Land Use & Planning Committee, when the
State of California Department of Transportation, Caltrans, will unveil plans
for Eagle Rock in 2005, which include a major redesign and landscaping
improvement to the concrete freeway entrance/exit to the 134 from
Colorado Boulevard in the heart of Eagle Rock, as well as landscaping to the
elevated area on the north side of Eagle Rock Park, (near the new child care
center.)
The Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council and the Collaborative: Eagle Rock Beautiful
are partnering to provide median and parkway design and improvement throughout
Eagle Rock in the coming years. And, though rather out of our reach
alone, improving these areas was on the top of a beautification wish list,
which makes the plans being proposed by CalTrans -- and the news that the
projects are already funded and committed for 2005 completion -- quite welcome
indeed.
I saw a sneak peak of the plans at an informal meeting a couple of weeks back,
and I think you will be pleased with what you see when CalTrans officially
introduces them next week. If you have any questions, please contact me.
And, please, feel free to help us spread the word about this important
meeting. I hope to see you there.
-- Jessica Wethington McLean, Co-Chair, Land Use & Planning
Committee, Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council
8. TOUR PASADENA’S HISTORIC HIGHLANDS HOMES — MAY 30
Six character homes in a wide range of architectural styles - many of them
never before open to the public -- will be open for viewing during Pasadena
Historic Highland's Tenth Annual Home Tour on Sunday, May 30, from noon to
4 p.m.
Architectural styles featured on this year's Memorial Day Weekend tour will be
Spanish Colonial Revival, Craftsman, English Revival, Colonial Revival, and a
modern interpretation of the Craftsman style. All of the homes on the tour are
clustered on or near Topeka Avenue, one of Historic Highlands' loveliest
tree-lined streets.
Built on land originally owned by two prominent Pasadena pioneers, Historic
Highlands contains an eclectic mix of almost 120 years of residential building
styles. This unique blend has made it a favorite location for commercials,
television, and movies, including "Multiplicity," "Dr.
Doolittle," "The Wedding Singer" and "Tuesdays with
Morrie."
Advance tickets may be purchased for $12.50 online at www.historichighlands.com
<http://www.historichighlands.com>
or by sending a check payable to "Historic Highlands Neighborhood
Association" and a stamped, self-addressed envelope to HHNA, c/o Rex
Barry, 1436 N. Michigan Ave., Pasadena CA 91104. Tickets also are available at
Motif, 1389 East Washington Blvd., Pasadena, or may be purchased for $15 on the
day of the tour at the corner of Topeka and North Michigan avenues. For more
information, call (626) 797-1910.
Located on the Pasadena-Altadena border just five minutes north of the 210
Foothill Freeway, Historic Highlands is bounded by Washington Boulevard on the
south, New York Drive on the north, Lake Avenue on the west and Hill Avenue on
the east. The neighborhood includes the landholdings of David McPherson,
designer and engineer of the Mt. Lowe railroad, and Ezra Dane, an orchardist
who settled in Pasadena in 1883.
Tour proceeds benefit neighborhood street beautification and improvement funds
for Longfellow Elementary School, the local public school whose original
building (still extant) was designed in 1911 by famed architects Greene and
Greene.
9. CENTER FOR THE ARTS, EAGLE ROCK PRESENTS THE SECOND ANNUAL BEAUX ARTS
BALL — JUNE 5
On June 5th, 2004, The Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, will present “The
Big Red Ball: the Second Annual Beaux Arts Ball.”
The Party of the Year will begin at 8:30 p.m., and a memorable evening
of revelry will ensue. Featuring the fabulous chanteuse Morganne and the
rocking rhythms of the John Brown Band. There will also be a
silent auction, raffle and midnight buffet. Costumes and festive attire
are certainly encouraged, but not required. Admission is $20, and
proceeds will support the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock.
The Center is pleased to be working with local artists to transform this
Carnegie library into a vision in red. The décor will feature multiple
special effects and designer lighting. The Center will glitter and glow,
adding steam to this red-hot night.
Morganne, a globetrotting artist, most recently gave a dazzling inaugural gala
performance at L.A.’s landmark Walt Disney Concert Hall. The chanteuse
has also been heard at the House of Blues, Montreal Jazz Festival, and opened
for megastar Barbra Streisand at the Kodak Theater, as well as for The Los
Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl.
Following Morganne’s concert will be the John Brown Band. The John Brown
Band has been performing in and around Los Angeles, the Valley and the South
Bay for over 20 years, and has played just about every venue in the area.
Joining lead singer, John Brown are Korey Mall, Bob Gross, Bobby Mostol,
and John Thomas. Their lively concert covers an impressive array of rock
and roll classics, plus a sprinkling of standards, and will have the crowd
rocking the night away.
A scrumptious “midnight” buffet will be served. The Coffee Table
will host this magnificent spread, which will feature pastas and salads galore
plus a dessert of red devil cake. This event is sponsored by Adelphia
Communications, Capital Group Companies, Bank of America, Pagnone Realty and
Bob Taylors Properties. Come and join us to celebrate the arts!
As an added bonus you will be helping keep our Center open to serve the
northeast communities of Los Angeles.
The ERCCA is a non-profit organization, supported solely by grants and
donations, providing low-cost art, music, dance and computer classes to
children and adults of surrounding areas and communities. The ERCCA also
hosts two free festivals yearly and numerous concerts and exhibitions.
For more information call the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, 323.226.1617.
For reservations call 323.226.1230. The Center is located near the
corner of Eagle Rock Boulevard and Colorado Boulevard at 2225 Colorado Blvd.
10. WE'VE GOT MAIL
“We just received a notice from LA Zoning regarding a proposed wireless telecommunication
facility to be located at 1453 Colorado Blvd. (on top of the apartment
building.)
“AT&T is requesting a conditional use permit to install a roof mounted
unmanned wireless telecommunications facility including five equipment
cabinets on the roof, one GPS antenna and six panel antennas behind a screen
wall.
“We as well as many of our neighbors need TERA's help to fight this project..
“A public hearing is to be held at:
Los Angeles City Hall
200 North Spring Street , Room 1020
Tuesday , June 8 at 9:00 a.m.
-- Ute de Lara, Eagle Rock
Thanks for writing us with that news, Ute. We passed it along to
TERA’s Land Use Committee, who replied as follows:
TERA’s Land Use Planning Committee has agreed to
research this permit request. TERA is particularly concerned that
AT&T is seeking additional cellular phone antenna locations in Eagle Rock
after reneging on its pledge of $30,000 in association with the three cellular
flag poles by the 2 Freeway. Stay tuned for further updates in our next
e.letter.
* * *
“I may be mistaken, but I believe that there is a stipulation in the Colorado
Boulevard site specific plans (drawn up some years ago) – that requires that
power poles be put underground when any changes are made to them. I would
think that this stipulation would also apply to new construction. I have
always hated the poles along the boulevard and would be a strong advocate for
eliminating them and/or definitely not increasing the numbers for a new
building.”
-- Joan Early, Eagle Rock
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, Joan. We’re thankful that
there has been some movement on this front. See the President’s Message
above for more on this.
* * *
“Two weekends ago I was in San Francisco attending the California Preservation
Foundation Conference and noticed that two of the Walgreens stores that our bus
passed each day going from Fisherman's Wharf to the Presidio were housed in old
(though not necessarily historic) buildings located at the street property
line. After that I attended the ERNC meeting last week when the gentleman
from Rich Developers described all the concessions they’d had to make to
construct a building that was compatible with the Colorado Boulevard Specific
Plan and also met the programmatic requirements of his lessee, Walgreens.
Therefore, I hope that when the Board reviews the plans tonight for the
building signage request they keep in mind how ‘cooperative’ they have been
during the development process.
“Also I found it interesting that the street ‘building’ of the Walgreens
complex has massive windows with narrow pillars on its front and rear
elevation. This serves to provide an unobstructed view across the parking lot
to the Walgreens building. Whenever the community has asked other
developers to provide more window area on the street façade, the usual response
is that they can't provide the amount of store windows that match the character
of the older buildings and still comply with the City's strict energy
efficiency requirements. Doesn't the Rich Development ‘building’ have the
same energy efficiency requirements?”
-- Frank Parrello, Oak Grove, Eagle Rock
* * *
That’s it for this week’s
e.letter. Let’s meet back here in seven!
We welcome your comments, complaints
and/or compliments on the e.letter or any other 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.
11. THE LAST WORD —
SAMUEL BECKETT
“Mysterious affair, electricity.”
-- Samuel Beckett (1906–1989)
Distributed weekly via
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e.letter is read by well over 2000 readers with an interest in Eagle Rock and
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If you have a press release, letter of comment, question or other notice that
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Monday 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