"Eagle Rock: Where land
use planning is a contact sport"
THE EAGLE ROCK ASSOCIATION
May
22, 2003
"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. LA CONSERVANCY ACTION ALERT: LAUSD SEEKS PUBLIC COMMENT ON
CONTROVERSIAL CONSERVANCY PROPOSAL
2. SPEAK FIDO, SPEAK! PUBLIC MEETING ON PROPOSED NORTHEAST DOG PARK
-- MAY 22
3. "MASKS: EXPRESSIONS OF URBAN YOUTH" AT ERCC -- ARTIST'S RECEPTION:
MAY 23
4. PASADENA HISTORIC HIGHLANDS HOME TOUR -- MAY 25
5. MAYOR HAHN SPEAKS OUT ON CITY COUNCIL POLICE HIRING DECISION
6. DUDE! BREATHE DEEP! YOGA ESSENCE ANNOUNCES KID'S ART CAMP -- STARTS
JUNE 23
7. TERA SEEKS NOMINATIONS FOR BOARD
8. "FACING FACES" AT AVENUE 50 STUDIO
9. QUOTE OF THE WEEK
1. LA CONSERVANCY ACTION ALERT: LAUSD SEEKS PUBLIC COMMENT ON
CONTROVERSIAL CONSERVANCY PROPOSAL
From: Los Angeles Conservancy
Date: Wed May 14, 2003
ACTION ALERT
LAUSD Review of Historic Buildings
The Conservancy hopes that you will comment on a significant change in Los
Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) procedures that could undermine
thorough public review when the District proposes to demolish significant
historic buildings.
LAUSD has announced its intention to pursue a Program Environmental Impact
Report for Phase II of their new schools and school modernization plans. Under
a Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR), general, expected environmental
effects will be evaluated up-front, without knowing all of the specific sites
where schools or expansion plans will be carried out! The District's intentions
are to avoid, wherever possible, the preparation of individual Environmental
Impact Reports (EIRs) analyzing the potential impacts of specific school
projects. While such EIRs do not ensure that preservation will occur, the EIR
process often gives the public its only opportunity to comment on proposed
demolitions and to assess the feasibility of more sensitive alternatives.
LAUSD has a highly questionable track record with regard to historic
properties: the district has just demolished the Streamline Moderne KFI
building at Vermont Ave. and 1st St., is still considering demolition of the
historic Ambassador Hotel, is demolishing a number of historic buildings at
Vermont Ave. and Washington Blvd., and is currently considering even more
demolitions of historic structures and neighborhoods. The PEIR approach could
involve even less consideration of the historic built environment in the
District's planning processes. It is essential that supporters of historic
preservation weigh in on this PEIR process to ensure that historic properties
will be appropriately protected.
Beginning next week, LAUSD will be hosting seven public meetings later this
month to take public input on these issues. Please plan on attending at least
one of these meetings, and help us spread the word to interested individuals
and neighborhood groups.
Be sure to ask the District's representatives how they intend to make sure
historic buildings are protected in this new process, and why we cannot develop
a more collaborative approach to identify potentially threatened historic
buildings up-front, and then incorporate significant buildings into the
District's new campuses.
Tuesday, May 20, Sepulveda Middle School, 15330 Plummer Street
Wednesday, May 21, Park Avenue Elementary School, 5027 Live Oak Street
Thursday, May 22, Wilmington Middle School, 1700 Gulf Avenue
Tuesday, May 27, Virgil Middle School, 152 N. Vermont Avenue
Wednesday, May 28, Belvedere Middle School, 312 N. Record Avenue
Thursday, May 29, Monte Vista St. Elementary School, 5423 Monte Vista Street
Tuesday, June 3, Los Angeles Academy Middle School, 644 E. 56th Street
All meetings are from 6-8 pm.
For more information, or to comment, please call LAUSD at 213.633.7616,
or write a letter to:
Nicole Cobleigh
Los Angeles Unified Schools District
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
355 S. Grand Avenue, 15th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90071-1507
2. SPEAK FIDO, SPEAK! PUBLIC MEETING ON PROPOSED NORTHEAST
DOG PARK -- MAY 22
From the Arroyo Seco Dog Park volunteer committee comes this
notice of tonight's informational meeting:
Learn about how a leash-free dog park benefits all of us!
Monterey Adult Day Health Care Center
(Located @ the Monterey Plaza)
5926 Monterey Road
Los Angeles, California 90042
(323) 257-0800
Date:
May 22, 2003
Time:
7:00 p.m.
The Arroyo Seco Dog Park is a grass-roots effort by a group of North East Los
Angeles residents to establish an off-leash dog park in our area. The dog park
would serve the communities of Hermon, El Sereno, Montecito Heights, Highland
Park, Mt. Washington and Eagle Rock. No dog park proximal to these communities
currently exists.
We hope to create a beautiful off-leash dog park where we can go with our
beloved canine family members to socialize and exercise in a clean, safe
environment. We know that by keeping our community dogs happy and healthy, all
of our residents can benefit by enjoying reduced nuisance barking and similar
annoying behaviors exhibited by lonely, unexercised canines.
By means of a well-maintained space open to all dog lovers and friends
who are willing to uphold the park's rules and restrictions, we hope to reduce
gang and criminal activity currently occurring in this underused portion of the
park and add an attractive benefit to prospective new community members.
We view this park as a community project, created in partnership with
Councilmember Nick Pacheco and the Volunteers for the City of Los Angeles
Department of Animal Care &Control. Our goal is to satisfy the needs of
dog-owners and non-dog owners alike in a humane and caring way.
For more information, visit our website at: www.arroyosecodogpark.com
3. MASKS: EXPRESSIONS OF URBAN YOUTH AT ERCC -- ARTIST'S RECEPTION:
MAY 23
EAGLE ROCK COMMUNITY CULTURAL CENTER IS PROUD TO PRESENT:
Masks: Expressions of Urban Youth
An exhibit of masks and personal statements
Created by students from
Bushnell Way Elementary School
Exhibit closes May 29th, 2003
The Eagle Rock Community Cultural Center (ERCCC) is proud to present an exhibit
of clay and papier-mache masks and personal statements created by students from
Bushnell Way Elementary School of Los Angeles Unified School District.
Students participated in an after school program designed to creatively
assist them to explore their cultural heritages, express their connections with
natural resources in. an urban environment, and expand their mastery of English
language development standards.
This Artist In Residence Program, designed and facilitated by artist Judy
Leventhal is funded by the Cultural Affair Department, City of Los Angeles.
To stimulate their creative work, students were guided by an Audubon
California naturalist to explore the wild life and plant and soil resources of
Debs Park adjacent to their school. To develop their language arts
skills, students kept journals throughout their participation in the art
program, which was conducted in collaboration with their classroom teachers.
On May 23rd at 7PM, the ERCCC will host a reception featuring presentations by
the young artists. The public is invited. Refreshment will be
served.
And don't forget:
Portraits and Other Plants
An exhibition of new work by
Lui Michael Sanchez
Through May 29th, 2003
The Eagle Rock Community Cultural Center (ERCCC) is proud to present Portraits
and Other Plants, an exhibition of new work by Lui Michael Sanchez. These
portraits, both human and plant, are literal in their design but made fantastic
and metaphoric through Mr. Sanchez¹ use of color. The artist uses the
images that surround him, his friends and his habitat, and combines these
images with the textures of dreams. These paintings are those of a
maturing artist. This exhibit illustrates the stillness of deep passion.
The Eagle Rock Community Cultural Centeris located just west of the corner of
Eagle Rock Boulevard and Colorado Boulevard at 2225 Colorado Boulevard.
323-226-1617.
The ERCCC 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 ERCCC¹s
federal tax identification number is 95-4689576.
For more information, call Lui or Jenny at the Eagle Rock Community Cultural
Center,
(323) 226-1617. The Center is located just west of the corner of Eagle
Rock Boulevard and Colorado Boulevard at 2225 Colorado Boulevard.
4. PASADENA HISTORIC HIGHLANDS HOME TOUR -- MAY 25
Ninth Annual Home Tour to Feature a Variety of Period Homes
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 Ninth Annual Home Tour on Sunday, May 25, from noon to 4
p.m.
Among the homes featured on tour is the Gillan house at 1003 Atchison Street,
one of the first residential commissions of noted Pasadena architect Sylvanus
Marston. Built in 1908 for the Rev. David H. Gillan of Altadena Methodist
Episcopal Church, the two-story, brown-shingled craftsman boasts a wealth of
original details. Designed just months after Marston opened his own
architectural firm, the Gillan house was one of the first homes to be built in
what the Pasadena Star called the "high-class residential suburb" of
Pasadena Highlands.
Also on the tour are the Helfman house at 984 East Topeka Street, a beautifully
restored 1912 craftsman built by a local carpenter-contractor who built several
other homes in the neighborhood; two large, two-story
1920s-vintage Spanish revival homes at 1025 Atchison and 1025 Topeka; a
recently renovated craftsman bungalow at 1635 North Catalina Avenue; and a
pristine single-story Spanish revival bungalow at 1705 Catalina. All are
clustered on a three-block stretch of some of Historic Highlands' loveliest
tree-lined streets.
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. (Light refreshments are included in the ticket price.) 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 North Catalina Avenue and Woodbury Road. 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.
Contact: Jim Tranquada (323) 259-2990, jtranq@oxy.edu
5. MAYOR HAHN SPEAKS OUT AGAINST CITY COUNCIL POLICE HIRING
DECISION
From the Mayor's office:
Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 11:16:56 -0700
Subject: An important public safety message from Mayor Jim Hahn
The City Council's Budget and Finance Committee voted 4-1 on Wednesday to
oppose my proposed hiring plan for the LAPD, and to essentially tie the hands
of Police Chief Bill Bratton by taking the hiring decision out of his hands and
putting it with the City Council. This action is a direct attack on every
neighborhood in this City that we are trying to free from the grip of violence.
The Budget Committee has also delayed funding for counterterrorism and delayed
funding for Fire Department resources that can literally save lives.
Let me give you some facts:
· In the four years before I took office the LAPD shrank by more than 900
officers;
· Crime went up during that same period;
· This year the Department will grow by 325 officers, the first increase in 5
years.
· Every Police Academy hiring class is full;
· Homicides are down by 27% over last year, and Chief Bratton has set ambitious
goals to keep bringing it down;
· And this Proposed Budget adds 320 more officers to the force.
With this type of momentum, and with so many communities still burdened under
the weight of gangs and violent crime * we cannot walk away now.
But that is what the Budget Committee did on Wednesday. By taking this money
out of the Department's Budget and putting it in what they neatly call a
"joint checking account" they have tied the hands of the top law
enforcement official in the nation.
What kind of message are we sending to potential recruits if we cannot assure
them that we plan to hire police officers every month? We are
sending the wrong message.
In order to make this a safer city, I am asking the members of the City Council
to reject the Budget Committee's report and fund both the Police
Department and the Fire Department as I have proposed. The neighborhoods
of this City deserve nothing less. I urge you to call your councilmember
and tell them to support the LAPD and put more officers on the street.
6. DUDE! BREATHE DEEP! YOGA ESSENCE ANNOUNCES KID'S ART CAMP --
STARTS JUNE 23
Music, movement, visual arts, improv, creative writing, yoga, meditation, and
fun for kids 1st grade through 5th.
Starts June 23 for 4 weeks, 12:30 -5.
Call 323-550-8182 or visit our website at www.yogaessence.net.
And don't miss:
A weekend workshop, June 7, &8.
This workshop is for teachers, therapists, daycare workers, social workers,
yoga teachers, or parents who are interested in incorporating yoga into their
relationships with children.
Yoga Essence is at 1577 Colorado Boulevard (near Trader Joe's) in Eagle Rock.
Call 323-550-8182 for more information, or send e.mail to info@yogaessence.net
7. TERA SEEKS NOMINATIONS FOR BOARD
The TERA Board of Directors consists of at
least five but not more than 15 members, all of whom serve a renewable
three-year term. The TERA membership votes every year for one or more new
Board members, depending on the number of positions open. The annual
addition of new Directors promotes a fresh exchange of ideas, and it encourages
new and more creative solutions to problems. These conditions are vital
to the health, welfare, and advancement of a well-run civic organization.
Directors must pledge to uphold TERA's mission and purposes (stated below), and
they must have been TERA members for at least one (1) year prior to election.
Directors shall be residents and/or property owners in the Eagle Rock
community. No member may be elected Director who holds a federal, state,
county, city, or other public office representing Eagle Rock or be a salaried
appointee of an elected official representing Eagle Rock. No member may
be elected Director whose business consists primarily of land development, representation
of land developers, or activity in zoning or planning or land-use matters,
which would conflict with TERA's mission and purposes.
The broad mission of this organization is to work for improvement of the
quality of life in the Eagle Rock Community in Los Angeles, California, by
providing research and education about Eagle Rock, participating in land-use
and planning activities, and promoting positive community growth and
beautification.
The specific purposes of TERA are as follows:
1. CHARACTER. To work to retain the community character of the Eagle Rock
area, the Association's geographical focus, by participating in and initiating
activities suited to that end.
2. PRESERVATION. To encourage preservation of single-family low-density
residential land use, open space, ecologically important areas, cultural
resources, historical sites and landmarks, aesthetic integrity, safety, and the
high quality of life in the Community.
3. PROTECTION. To protect the entire Eagle Rock area from incompatible
land uses and encroachment upon its basic residential character and its best
qualities as a place to live.
4. DEVELOPMENT. To seek and abet harmonious development of land and
buildings within the Community that is consistent with the character and
history of the neighborhoods, and to foster harmonious relationships between
Community residents and developers pursuing those same ends.
5. COOPERATION. To promote cooperation among Community residents and
Community organizations concerning land-use, planning and zoning matters and
other matters affecting the quality of life in the Community, to disseminate
data and information on pertinent problems and issues, and to cultivate good
relationships with other communities in the Northeast Los Angeles District, the
surrounding cities of Glendale, Pasadena and La Canada Flintridge, as well as
all communities citywide.
6. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING. To promote comprehensive knowledge and
understanding of the Community and its heritage, and of the need to protect the
area's "small town" atmosphere and character.
7. GOVERNMENT. To work with the City and County of Los Angeles and the
State of California toward the implementation and enforcement of legislation
pertinent to the Association's objectives and welfare.
8. LOCAL SCHOOLS. To work with all parts of the community to improve
local schools within Eagle Rock.
9. EDUCATION. To promote public awareness and education of issues
affecting Eagle Rock.
The TERA Board generally meets the third Tuesday of each month except around
the holidays, and we hold public meetings at the Eagle Rock Community Cultural
Center approximately four times each year. Attendance at public meetings
is preferred but not mandatory. It is highly desirable for Board members
to be computer-savvy or at least be computer-acquainted. All nominees are
asked to submit a biographical statement of 150 words or less explaining their
qualifications, experience, and what they can offer to help TERA reach the goal
of high quality of life for all who live in Eagle Rock.
If you know a TERA member who meets the foregoing qualifications and who would
be willing to devote a certain amount of time and energy furthering
TERA's goals, any TERA member may submit that individual's name for nomination.
A final slate of nominees is determined by the Nominating Committee, consisting
of at least two but not more than five Board members, excluding the president.
Please call Kathleen Long at (323) 259-TERA, or Email her at KTLN@aol.com with your submissions.
Deadline for submission of nominees and their bios is June 15, 2003.
--Joanne Turner
President, The Eagle Rock Association (TERA)
8. "FACING FACES" AT AVENUE 50 STUDIO
FacingFaces - an international internet project
artists from around the world speak digitally to the issue of violence towards
women and children
a portion of the proceeds from the sale of prints goes to the l.a. based
Violence Intervention Program
Avenue 50 Studio, 131 No. Avenue 50, Los Angeles, CA 90042
(323) 258-1435
9. QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Conservation must come before
recreation."
--Charles,
Prince of Wales (1948- )
We welcome your comments!
Please include your full name along with your city (or neighborhood) in your
message.
The Eagle Rock Association (TERA)
e.letter@TERA90041.org