THE
EAGLE ROCK ASSOCIATION
The Best Investment You Can Make in Your Neighborhood
TERA
e.letter
July 1, 2004
Learn more about us
and how we are changing our community for the better.
What? You're not yet a member of TERA?
Join now! Here's how:
Go to
http://www.TERA90041.org/teraform.htm
Now more than ever, please support your residents association --
more than 1,000 members strong, and growing every day!
And don’t forget to encourage interested friends and neighbors to
join TERA
so that they, too, may enjoy the many benefits of membership, including
a complimentary subscription to the TERA e.letter.
This week:
Midyear is here! (item #1)
Independence day parade (item #2)
The largest private solar power system in
America is coming to Eagle Rock (item #12)
Table of Contents:
1. PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE — MIDWAY THROUGH 04
2. CELEBRATE INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH COUNCILMEMBER ANTONIO
VILLARAIGOSA -- JULY 3
3. VISIT ANOTHER WORLD WITHOUT LEAVING EAGLE ROCK— SATURDAY, JULY
3
4. JUST SAY YEAH TO THE OPERATION YES RUMMAGE SALE — SATURDAY, JULY 3
5. NEW OXY KID’S SHOW! DON’T WAIT FOR A FULL MOON TO CATCH
THIS WOLFMAN! — OPENS JULY 8
6. BIKE ON THE RIVER — JULY 10
7. ONE SCOOP OR TWO? GET SOCIABLE -- JULY 18
8. A SPAGHETTI DINNER FOR YOU NOW, A SAFE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
FOR OUR KIDS LATER — JULY 23
9. THE ROCK TEEN CENTER INVITES EAGLE ROCK’S YOUNG A CHANCE TO
BUILD SKILLS AND HAVE FUN THIS SUMMER
10. WOMEN’S TWENTIETH CENTURY CLUB RENOVATION: BIDS SOUGHT
11. THE ARROYO ARTS COLLECTIVE’S OCTOBER SURPRISE — PROPOSALS DUE
AUGUST 1
12. A FIRST LOOK AT COLORADO TERRACE
13. WE'VE GOT MAIL
14. THE LAST WORD — BEN FRANKLIN
1. PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE — MIDWAY THROUGH 04
I cannot believe that we are already half way through 2004! So
much to do for such a wonderful town...
Membership Appreciation Event
Thank you to all who came on Tuesday night to renew your membership, have
delicious food from Sicha Siam restaurant (on the corner of Eagle Rock
and York Boulevards) and Baskin Robbins ice cream, and sign up for TERA
projects. Those who renewed their membership at the meeting or had mailed
their checks in already received a temporary TERA membership card, which is
good for a 15% discount at swork and a 10% discount at the Coffee Table, both
of which are on Colorado Boulevard. Thank you to Patricia Neal of
swork and Michael Zamarripa of the Coffee Table for your generosity to
TERA! Temporary membership cards will be mailed to all who have
joined, even if you were not able to make the meeting.
Thank you to Joanne Turner, President Emeritus of TERA and TERA Home Tour
Co-Chair for her presentation on this year's tour, scheduled for October
24th. Thank you to Mary Tokita, for her presentation on the
Eagle Rockdale Community Garden and Art Park. And thank you to
Pamela Lansden for her presentation on TERA's upcoming awards event called
"The Gussy’s," for those people, places and policies that
are gussying up Eagle Rock.
Thank you to Keith Louie, TERA Public Meetings Chair for
putting together a wonderful event! We have received a number of
Lifetime memberships, and will be listing all of our members in our next
newsletter, so hurry up and get your renewal in! We know that due to bulk
mailing issues, many of you have received your information late, so disregard
any deadline. Your generosity fuels all of our efforts, and we thank you
for your support.
Joanne Turner, President Emeritus of TERA, turns 50!
Joanne turns half a century in July, and in order to mark this festive
occasion, has also asked that her party be a fundraiser for TERA. Please
join us on Saturday, July 24th for a party like you have never experienced
before! Details will come in subsequent e.letters, so stay tuned!
Call to Action! Reopen the theaters at the Westfield Mall!
I have confirmed with Michael Lushing, the Leasing Manager of the Westfield
Mall that the old movie theaters at the Westfield Mall are being
used as storage for Target, but can potentially be reused again. There
will need to be new theater seats and a new location for the items that Target
is currently storing, but wouldn’t it be amazing if those theaters could be
reactivated? I brought this up at the ERNC Land Use Committee, and
Andrew Hindes is going to inquire from some theatre chains what would be
necessary to show that Eagle Rock (with help from our sister towns throughout
Northeast LA) could support a movie theater here.
Many other TERA members and community leaders have expressed support for this
effort. I hope you will join us in our advocacy for this reuse! I
think it would really help bring more business to Eagle Rock! I look
forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas on this issue. Please write to
us to let us know what you would support.
Chuck E. Cheese at the Westfield Mall
And speaking of the Mall...You may have heard that Chuck E. Cheese is coming to
town. They propose to locate on the second floor of the mall, next to
Target. The TERA Land Use Committee and the ERNC Land Use Committees have
taken positions on the following request:
Case No. ZA 2004-1735(CUB) (ZV) – (Chuck E. Cheese) for beer and wine
for on-site consumption; 14,806 square-foot restaurant; occupancy 678; seating
441; hours 9:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. daily; Beer and wine sales 11:00 a.m. to 11:00
p.m. daily; 85 game machine arcade, 25 video components.
The TERA Land Use Committee, at its meeting on June 16th, voted to Support
conditional approval if the hours of operation are consistent with the hours of
operation of other stores within the Mall and on the condition that in no event
should the awnings or logo be backlit.
The ERNC Land Use Committee, which voted me in as a Co-Chair to Chairwoman
Jessica Wethington McLean, took the following position at its meeting of
June 24th:
ERNC Land Use Committee voted to support the request with the following
conditions:
· That the hours would be
changed to 10pm closing Sunday through Thursday (Chuck E. Cheese had already
stated that they would only be open until 10pm those evenings)
· That Chuck E. Cheese will
agree to have its Alcohol Policy Manual incorporated into the conditions of
alcohol sales. (One of the policies is to have “one drink, per
identification card (ID), per trip,” to ensure that alcohol is not being dispensed
to minors)
· That the awnings will not be
backlit, but will be lit with wall-mounted exterior lighting
· That the ERNC will work with
the Westfield Mall to pursue reopening the LAPD Substation which had been
created when Councilman Richard Alatorre was in office.
· That the temporary auto sales
at the Westfield Mall must cease.
· That the conditions will be
reviewed in six months.
The representatives from Chuck E. Cheese pointed out that there are 30,000
children within a 1.5 mile radius of the Mall. They are responding to
a demand in the community for kid-based entertainment. The hearing is on
July 6th.
Colorado Terrace Got its Loan!
I am very excited to announce that Colorado Terrace, a 70-unit
senior living and retail project to be built at the corner of Colorado
Boulevard and College View Avenue secured the funding necessary to complete the
project. Colorado Terrace has received the support of all the major
community groups in Eagle Rock, and we look forward to its completion.
For those of you who’re curious to learn more about this exciting new addition
to Eagle Rock, we’re prepared a special Colorado preview in item #12
below.
Have a very safe and happy 4th of July!
-- Hilary Norton Orozco, TERA President
2. CELEBRATE INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH COUNCILMEMBER ANTONIO
VILLARAIGOSA -- JULY 3
45th
Annual El Sereno 4th of July Parade
Ending at El Sereno Park on Eastern Ave.
Please join Grand Marshall Antonio Villaraigosa for this festive and fun
event! Thanks to parade co-sponsors: the El Sereno Bicentennial
Committee and with LA 32 Neighborhood Council.
3. VISIT ANOTHER WORLD WITHOUT LEAVING EAGLE ROCK— SATURDAY, JULY 3
Saturday, July 3rd, 10:00 a.m.to 6:00 p.m.
Drop by Another World, Eagle Rock’s premiere comic book shop, this
Saturday between 10 and 6 for Free Comic Book Day, a nationwide event designed
to expose youngsters to the joys and excitement of the comics. For
more information, call Another World at (323) 257-7757.
4. JUST SAY YEAH TO THE OPERATION YES RUMMAGE SALE — SATURDAY, JULY
3
Operation Youth Educational Services Inc. (YES) is a 501 (c)(3)
nonprofit organization established in 1975 to provide entrepreneurial training
to At Risk teens as a means of expanding their horizons and recalibrating their
attitudes toward more positive goals. The Center is staging a One Day
Rummage Sale this Saturday, July 3, to raise funds for their programs.
Items on offer include old records, cd's, computers and printers,
clothing and lots of other odds and ends.
No checks please. Cash only.
And don’t forget the 3rd Annual Boyle Heights Resource Fair, coming
Sunday, August 29, 2004 on Cesar Chavez Avenue between Evergreen and Mott
Streets. There are still 12 booths available for the event, but they
aren’t expected to last much longer. For more info, call us at (323)
263-6937.
5. NEW OXY KID’S SHOW! DON’T WAIT FOR A FULL MOON TO CATCH
THIS WOLFMAN! — OPENS JULY 8
The critically acclaimed Occidental
College Children's Theater will present "The Boy Who Cried
Wolfman," conceived and directed by Jamie Angell, for an
extended run starting July 8 and closing on August 21st. Performances
will be in the Remsen Bird Hillside Amphitheater outdoors on the
Occidental campus.
In about an hour, a cast of Occidental students, alumni and professional actors
will perform without props, sets, or costumes, relying only on their acting and
physical skills. "This dynamic company of talented actors ... is as fresh
and entertaining as ever," the Los Angeles Times says.
Tickets are $8.00 for adults and $5.00 for children 12 and under. Group
rates are available.
For ticket information, call the Occidental Box Office at (323) 259-2771.
As is the case every year, the script for "The Boy Who Cried Wolfman"
will be the result of cast improvisation, said Jamie Angell, the theater's
artistic director since its inception. "We work in the round,”
notes Angell, “so the audience is right on top of the action. The
unconventional material and the absence of props or costumes force both the
actors and the audience to rely on their imaginations. It's remarkably
different from most anything else you see in children's theater today."
Occidental College is located at 1600 Campus Road, in the Eagle Rock section of
Los Angeles. For a campus map and directions to the college, please visit
http://www.oxy.edu/oxy/welcome/directions.
The Occidental College Children's Theater is inviting applications for
its Summer Institute of Fun, weeklong workshops in July and August that
will teach children techniques in physical theater, group improvisation,
tumbling and movement. Participants must be between 7 and 12 years old.
Enrollment is extremely limited, so sign up as soon as possible.
Children's Theater actors will offer individual attention in a positive and fun
learning environment. All children will receive a T-shirt, and each week
concludes with an informal folktale performance.
For more information, or to have an enrollment form sent to you, call (323)
259-2771.
6. BIKE ON THE RIVER — JULY 10
“Biking the Arroyo Seco”
The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (www.labikecoalition.org)
invites you to join us as we tour the Arroyo Seco. The tour showcases
existing and missing connections for bicycle travel in the Arroyo Seco.
The casually paced tour is about 15 miles and will take between 1 1/2 and
2 hours to compete. Families are welcome. The route is relatively flat
with a fair amount of riding on streets. Please bring the proper bike and skill
level. A short safety and rules of the road refresher briefing will be held
just prior to departure.
Please plan to arrive at 9:45 a.m.and have your bike ready to go so we
can depart on time. Bring water, wear sunscreen and a bike helmet.
This event is offered free of charge. In case of rain, the event
will be cancelled.
For more information e-mail Chuck Arnold at: chuck.arnold@mrca.ca.gov
or call (323) 221-9944 x183---Look forward to seeing you!
7. ONE SCOOP
OR TWO? GET SOCIABLE -- JULY 18
Take a break from the heat and join your friends and neighbors at the 4th
Annual Eagle Rock Ice Cream Social, sponsored by the Eagle Rock Valley
Historical Society. This old-fashioned event is a community
favorite and fun for the whole family. Enjoy ice cream sundaes,
home-baked goods and lemonade while being entertained by Organ Grinder Peter
Breede.
There is no charge to attend. Tickets for ice cream and other treats can
be purchased on the spot. Raffle tickets will also be available with gift
certificates and prizes donated from local businesses. All proceeds
contribute to the preservation and education funds of the Society.
For more information on Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society membership, call
Pat Topping at 256-4258.
8. A SPAGHETTI DINNER FOR YOU NOW, A SAFE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR
OUR KIDS LATER — JULY 23
From our friends at the Eagle Rock Elementary Education Foundation comes
this mouth watering announcement:
presents
Friday, July 23, 2004
5:30 - 8:00 p.m.
American Legion Hall
2109 Merton Avenue
Eagle Rock
Cost: $5 (includes raffle entry)
The Eagle Rock Elementary Education Foundation (EREEF) is a new parent and community driven
organization that hopes to raise funds and develop other resources to obtain,
maintain, and strengthen needed and desired programs, services and improvements
at Eagle Rock Elementary. Our ultimate goal is the establishment of a
certified, supervised and safe After-School Program for the 1,100 students
on the Eagle Rock Elementary School campus. And you can help us
reach that goal by accepting our invitation to our Spaghetti dinner on the
23rd. See you there!
Tickets now being sold every Friday evening at the Eagle Rock Farmer's
Market.
For more information, please visit our website at www.ereef.org
9. THE ROCK TEEN CENTER INVITES EAGLE ROCK’S YOUNG A CHANCE TO
BUILD SKILLS AND HAVE FUN THIS SUMMER
From our friends at the ROCK Teen Center at 1597 Yosemite Drive
Yosemite comes word of a summer brimming with opportunity for Eagle Rock kids:
The ROCK (Reach Our Community Kids) Teen Center announced its summer
schedule and programming this week. Highlights of the summer program,
which is available July 7 through August 17th, from 12:45 PM to 5 PM, Monday
through Friday, include a ten-session academic skill-building and science
activity program for middle school students, a martial arts class, chess club,
computer challenges and Youth Leadership Council (YLC). Recreational activities
include weekly pool and foosball tournaments, fieldtrips, and a talent show.
Steps 2 Success is offered to students entering 7th, 8th, or 9th grade
and is limited to 10 students. This program meets Monday through Thursday at 2
PM and includes the “Advanced Skills for School Success” curriculum and ROCK’s
Science Mentor program, a summer must for younger teenagers. In addition,
the Homework Coaches are available to all students throughout the summer
session for tutoring. All students who participate in ROCK’s academic and
growth programming receive incentive points redeemable for prizes through the
ROCK Teen Bank.
At 3 PM on Mondays, pool tournaments will be held and on Wednesdays, there will
be a foosball tournaments, in addition to the academic programming.
Tuesday activities include weekly computer challenges, for building technology
skills, Chess Club, and a volunteer-led Martial Arts class. The YLC,
which is a service-learning initiative for teens, will continue to meet on
Thursdays at 5 PM. Newcomers are welcome. Also, on two Fridays, July 16 and 23,
youth who are interested in sound engineering and event production may join an
instructional class on running ROCK’s new sound equipment, purchased with grant
funds from the Kiwanis Club of Eagle Rock. The students will then
have an opportunity to try their new skills at the ROCK’s 1st Talent & Open
Mic Show at 2 PM on August 6th. Two fieldtrips are also planned this
summer.
ROCK, which was originally organized in 1999, is a volunteer organization born
out of the community’s need for teen services. We are a Christian
faith-based organization dedicated to improving the lives and character of
community youth, between the ages of 12 and 19, through the teen center
and its programs. The center, located at 1597 Yosemite Drive in Eagle
Rock, provides the only free, off-campus, learning and skills
development programs within the community, specifically for teens. To
register for Steps 2 Success, apply for YLC, sign-up for the classes and
activities, or obtain more information about the center and volunteer
opportunities, contact their office at (323) 257-6102 or through the website at
http://www.rockids.org.
-- Donna Robey-Sullivan, Executive
Director, Reach Our Community
10. WOMEN’S TWENTIETH CENTURY CLUB RENOVATION: BIDS SOUGHT
The Women’s Twentieth Century Club of Eagle Rock (WTCC) is
undertaking a renovation and restoration project of its historic
building, located at 5105 Hermosa Avenue. The WTCC would like to employ local
contractors to participate in the project. We are currently accepting bids
from carpenters, plumbers, masons, tree trimmers, glazers, roofers, drywallers,
painters, floor refinishers, and general contractors.
Please contact Roe Muzingo for details about the renovation
jobs that are open for bid and to be scheduled in August 2004 at (323)
478-1883 or ROEMUZ@webtv.net. All
bids must be presented in writing, addressed to the attention of the
Restoration Committee and mailed to PO Box 41-2218, Los Angeles, CA 90041.
11. THE ARROYO ARTS COLLECTIVE’S OCTOBER SURPRISE — PROPOSALS DUE
AUGUST 1
This is our city, let's live in it!
October Surprise is calling on all Artists, Activists, Social
Interventionists, Architects, Gardeners, Solar Engineers and others to
submit proposals for site-specific projects that celebrate the past, present
and possible futures of Northeast LA. Projects may be situated
throughout Northeast LA: along the boulevards and arroyos, as well as in other
public spaces and even private homes.
Projects will be on exhibit over the long weekend of October 8, 9, and 10,
2004. Documentation of the events will remain in the gallery through
October
into the first week of November and Election Day. (Ongoing projects
are encouraged.)
The Arroyo Arts Collective at 135 N. Ave. 50 in Highland Park will serve
as a meeting space where participants can present and discuss their work.
Please submit your proposal by August 1st. We’re not looking for a fancy
resume--just articulate your ideas and tell us how you connect to this place
called Northeast LA. Contact us with questions and proposals via
email at opencall@theoctobersurprise.org. Or you can call us at (323)
449-9019 (English,) or (323) 227-5861 (Espańol.) You may also mail
your proposal to:
October Surprise
c/o Flor y Canto
3706 N. Figueroa Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90065
This is a non-juried exhibition, but we would like to have a basic participants
list for organizational purposes (including fundraising, publicity, and a
possible catalogue.)
Questions? Stop by Flor Y Canto any Friday night and ask for Jennifer.
12. A FIRST LOOK AT COLORADO TERRACE
Big news for Eagle Rock: the long anticipated Colorado Terrace has
received official approval, with groundbreaking scheduled for later this year.
For those of you curious to hear more about this major mixed use housing
and commercial development, we present the following overview of this unique
development. (And a big thanks to TERA President Hilary Norton Orozco and TERA
Vice President Kathleen Turner for organizing this special report.)
Colorado Terrace, a mixed-use housing complex with 70 units of senior
citizen housing and 9,000 square feet of commercial space, will be built at the
intersection of Colorado Boulevard and College View in Eagle Rock.
The project will provide 28 market rate and 42 affordable One Bedroom
senior citizen units. The ground floor and second floor are designated for
commercial use and are expected to be occupied with market, restaurant, retail,
and medical office uses.
The project is the first of its kind to be built under the Colorado
Boulevard Specific Plan (CBSP), which is geared to encourage pedestrian
traffic by bringing more restaurant and retail business into the section of
Colorado Boulevard that runs through the City of Los Angeles between the
cities of Glendale and Pasadena.
Over a period of three years, the developer met with various community
organizations and obtained input to come up with a development that the
community desired to see in their neighborhood. More than fifty meetings
were held with various groups in the Community. The Eagle Rock Chamber of
Commerce and TERA were the first to support the project.
A major boon that the project will bring to our community is the upgrading of
the intersection at Colorado Boulevard and College View. As part
of the public works improvements, the City of Los Angeles Public Works
Department recently relocated a 400 foot portion of old sewer lines
to make way for the development. Furthermore, the developer, in
partnership with the Department of Water and Power, will undertake the
under-grounding of all aerial power and telephone lines within a one-block
radius, totaling 2,000 feet and 13 power poles. In addition, the
intersection at Colorado Boulevard and College View will be signalized, and
historic streetlamps and palm trees will line the streets. The combination
of these improvements is expected to change the face of this intersection, one
of the gateways to Eagle Rock.
Interestingly, the building will exceed the energy efficiency requirements
imposed by the government for new buildings by more than 35%. A 140 kilowatt
Solar Power Plant is integrated into the roof of the project that is
designed to provide all the project’s electricity, except for private lease
spaces. The Solar Power Plant will be built with substantial financial
assistance from the Department of Water and Power under their Solar Power
Program. This Solar power system will be the largest
ever installed on an urban infill residential project in America.
Another first for the project is the integration of a Rain Water
Recycling System which has been permitted for the first time by the City of
Los Angeles as a test case. This system collects roof rainwater into a
large cistern and pumps the water for toilet and irrigation use. It is
expected to reduce toilet water used from the City’s water supply by 50% or
more, technically bringing the amount of water used per flush down to 0.5
gallons, instead of the 1.5 usually needed. This system is expected to be
sponsored by the Department of Water and Power, although as of this date, an
agreement has not been finalized. A side benefit of this system is
preventing up to 500,000 gallons of rainwater annually from going into the
storm drain system of the City.
The facility will offer an 8,000 square foot vegetable garden with plots
designated for use by residents, as well as rose garden and orchard
with more than forty fruit trees. The project will also provide 8,500
square feet of indoor community spaces equipped with a computer room for
seniors to take classes, a library, TV room, and an arts and crafts
room.
The project will be a state-of-the-art development with a digital TV
security system that can be monitored by all residents, and computerized
common area operations where systems such as lighting, sound, fire alarm,
electric motor readings, the solar power plant and water recycling
facility will all be monitored by computer. Also, part of the project has
a 70 feet high corner tower designed as required by the Colorado Boulevard
Specific Plan. An internal truck loading dock facility (the first
in Eagle Rock) has been integrated into the design of the building to further
elevate the quality of the project. The developer, expecting the project
to be a big success, has provided 118 parking spaces, 13 more than the
required, and sufficient for even the most intense commercial demands, such as
a market or restaurant.
The total development cost is expected to be approximately $21 million dollars.
The development received financial assistance from the Community
Redevelopment Agency, Housing Department, Community Development Department,
Department of Public Works, and the Department of Water and Power of the
City of Los Angeles in the form of low-interest loans, grants, and
infrastructure assistance. It has also received assistance from The
State of California, Housing Tax Credits, as well as an allocation to issue
Tax Exempt Bonds. The mortgage is expected to be assisted by
the federal government, through the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, by providing FHA Insurance, which is hoped to reduce
the interest rate to 6% on a 40-year fixed rate loan.
The sponsor of the development is Kurken Alyanakian of DDCM
Incorporated. The sponsor has a 20 year record of providing quality
affordable housing developments within the City of Los Angeles and other
southern California communities. The designer is TERA member and ERNC
director Jeffrey Samudio, of Design Aid Architects, an
architect with substantial experience in historic building architecture.
The Executive Architect is Donald Jacobs of JBZ Architecture and
Planning in Newport Beach, California. The contractor is Mert Isaacman
of Southern Sun Construction Company in Irvine, California, which
specializes in affordable housing projects. The Solar Power Plant is
designed and will be built by Schott Applied Power Corporation, the largest
Solar Power Company in the Nation. The plumbing and electrical engineer
is Cliff Ishii, who also designed the rain water recycling system.
TERA congratulates all the planners, sponsors and public agencies who worked
together to move this project from the drawing board to its current state, as
well as to all the TERA and Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce members and other
community activists who contributed their vision and insights to the design of
this exciting addition to Eagle Rock’s eclectic landscape.
13. WE'VE GOT MAIL
“I have a quick question. Where is the Chuck E. Cheese that I
read about in last week’s e.letter supposed to be built?”
-- Chris Deacon, Eagle Rock resident and TERA member
Glad you asked, Chris. Here’s TERA President Hilary Norton Orozco
with an answer:
“Thanks so much for your
letter, Chris. We have received a large number of concerned inquiries
about this issue. The short answer is that Chuck E. Cheese is being
proposed for the second level of the Westfield Shoppingtown Eagle Rock.
Please see my President's message above for a more complete overview
of what Chuck E. Cheese intends, as well as a look at the motions made by both
TERA's Land Use Committee and the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council's Land Use
Committee on Chuck E. Cheese's beer and wine permit request.
“It should be noted that one benefit of the Chuck E. Cheese plan is that
the restaurant would be inside the mall, where there is already security,
rather than as a freestanding restaurant and parking lot.
Given the extensive nature of the restauranteur’s request, I
think this is an issue that our community should continue to pay attention to.
Attending public meetings of TERA's Land Use Committee (which meets
the third Wednesday of the month from 6:30 to 8 pm at the Eagle Rock Library)
and The Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council Land Use and Planning
Committee (which meets the 4th Thursday of the month at 7pm at the
Eagle Rock City Hall) are two excellent ways that concerned community members
can exchange information and have vital input into the progress of this
development. For more information on the ERNC Land Use committee,
go to the ERNC site at http://www.eaglerockcouncil.org/index.htm.”
-- Hilary Norton Orozco, TERA President
Speaking of Chuck E. Cheese, the following letter was written by TERA Board
member Pamela Lansden, for the benefit of a very young TERA member named
Elizabeth, age 4, who wondered how anyone could have even the slightest reservations
about a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant moving into the area.
“Yes, Elizabeth, there is a Chuck E. Cheese ... and he lives in our minds
everywhere! Unfortunately, this big ol' rat is one of your
generations fairy (re)tail characters who keeping unfolding all
over our once lovely land, like Ronald McDonald. Taco Bell,
Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Star Bucks, Rite Aide and Burger King. If Chuck E. comes
to your village, he will be part of your commercially
calculated, marketed, franchised, advertised and overwhelmingly
homoginized childhood. Chuck E. is capable of stealing the individual
freshness of the passage of time faster than you can say, ‘Franchise Me!’
“Meanwhile, the big ol' corporation that owns Chuck E. Cheese is so unsure
of the celebratory worthiness of its "gift" to young ones that it
sees the need to anethesize their parents.
“Elizabeth, in my day our icons and fairy tale
characters, albeit flawed, left a lot to the imagination and, more
importantly, they were very polite about being dismissed from ones senses.
None of them had a MBA.
“My wish for you, Elizabeth, is that you have a very merry 5th birthday that
takes the tiniest nibble out of your parents' wallet, and doesn't add to
the gross income of another gross franchise.”
-- Your Fairy Godmother, Eagle Rock resident, member of TERA
* * *
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.
14. THE LAST WORD —
BEN FRANKLIN
Asked of Ben Franklin, as he was leaving Independence Hall after final
deliberations at the Constitutional Convention: “Well,
Doctor [Franklin], what have we got—a Republic or a Monarchy?”
“A Republic,” replied Franklin, “if you can keep
it.”
-- Benjamin Franklin (1706 –1790)
Distributed weekly via
email and as a regular feature on various internet discussion groups, the TERA
e.letter is read by well over 2000 readers 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.
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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