THE
EAGLE ROCK ASSOCIATION
The Best
Investment You Can Make in Your Neighborhood
July 10, 2004
TERA e.letter update
1. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE -- THE EAGLE
ROCK FLAG IS COMING SOON (AND A FIRST PEEK AT THE COFFEE TABLE)
2. PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENT EMERITUS MESSAGE --
REBUTTAL TO CHAMBER NEWSLETTER
3. NORTHEAST LOS ANGELES OPEN SPACE MEETING --
SUNDAY, JULY 11
4. SPEAK YOUR MIND AT ERNC’S TOWN HALL MEETING
ON SAFETY — MONDAY, JULY 12
5. TELL THE STATE HOW TO SPEND YOUR HISTORIC
PRESERVATION FUNDS -- MONDAY , JULY 12 AND TUESDAY, JULY 13
6. FINALLY, DON’T MISS THE SUMMER’S FIRST CONCERT
IN THE PARK! -- SUNDAY, JULY 11
1. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE -- THE EAGLE ROCK FLAG IS COMING SOON (IN
THE MEAN TIME, CELEBRATE EAGLE ROCK'S PAST AND ITS FUTURE AT THE COFFEE TABLE)!
The Eagle Rock Flag
As you may have read in previous e.letters and the TERA newsletter, the Eagle
Rock flag will soon fly proudly, next to the California and United States
flags, on the three-flagpole cellular antennas near the intersection of the 134
and 2 freeways. The Eagle Rock flag was designed by John Urquiza,
the designer of the TERA newsletter and Home Tour programs, in collaboration
with the boards of Eagle Rock Community Preservation and Revitalization
(ERCPR), The Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce and numerous other community
members.
TERA, the ERCPR and the Chamber will split evenly the costs of the new flag, a
replacement flag, and smaller flags to support a separate endowment
account. Today, Linda Allen. President of ERCPR, Michael Noguiera,
President of the Chamber and I have agreed to purchase two 15' x 25' flags,
one to put on the pole at a dedication ceremony at the end of this summer, and
the other as a replacement flag, as one will likely be required within the next
three years. As there is significant wear and tear on the flags at this
location due to high winds, we have agreed that there needs to be a further
endowment for flag maintenance and replacement. To fund this
endowment, the three organizations are also purchasing 1,000 small flags and
100 limited edition house or business flags for sale to the
community. We have agreed to sell the small flags for $5, and the
banner flag kits (which include a canvas flag and a 6' aluminum pole) for
$50. All of these flags will be purchased with funds from our respective
shares of the $30,000 in cellular funds from Nextel that TERA has held in a
separate account (more details on these funds are available under Item #2 in
our e.letter). As we have put the order in today, the flags will likely
be ready for sale toward the end of August or beginning of September. We
will post copies of the flag design in our newsletters and web sites, so that
community members can place reservations for flags and flag
kits.
It is really exciting that our three groups can come together on something as
uplifting as a community flag. We will raise the flag together at a
community-wide dedication ceremony at the cellular flagpoles at the end of
summer. We will have more details when we know precisely when the flags
will arrive, and can coordinate with the dignitaries who will be joining us at
the dedication for this momentous occasion.
Thank you to John Urquiza, Linda Allen, Michael Noguiera and the
board members of TERA, the Chamber, and ERCPR for working diligently
on the flag design. And an extremely important thank you goes to TERA
Vice President Kathleen Long for doing the tremendous work of getting the
flag order completed! Stay tuned for the dedication!
The Coffee Table
All of the time Michael Zamarripa (TERA Board member) spent responding
to our impassioned pleas of "when will the Coffee Table open?" has
been well spent! I was there for breakfast and lunch Friday (and, as Michael
Noguiera will tell you from our lunch today, I can EAT!) and for breakfast his
morning as well. What a gorgeous place, and the food is terrific,
too! The menu offers an Eagle Rock Burrito and an Eagle Rock
Salad, and both are delicious. I also highly recommend the spicy
breakfasts ("from Hell") which will really kick off your
morning. Especially interesting are the pictures of historic Eagle Rock
that line the walls. What a treat to see how our community has grown, but
has still kept so much of its character, thanks to creative and responsible
business owners like Michael Zamarripa. Congratulations on a beautiful
design and delicious menu!
When I was at The Coffee Table bright and early Friday morning, I ran into
ERNC President Anita Hultman and other ERNC board members, Eagle Rock
Deputy to Councilmember Antonio Villaraigosa, Michael Cathey, and TERA
member Michael Schleuter of the Center for the Arts and the
Eagle Rock board. And at lunch, I ran into the D'Angelos of
Curves on Eagle Rock Boulevard, TERA Board member Liz Wagner,
TERA member Cristi Lyon, as well as Areen Ibranossian of
Antonio's staff! I was also told that TERA board members
Joanne Turner, Pamela Lansden, Keith Louie, and TERA Vice President Kathleen
Long and her husband, John Le Blanc, were there at dinner, as well
as Roe Muzingo and her husband, Bob, and Jeff Samudio, who helped
shepherd the historic designation of the building and was there to see the
opening to the public. I’m sure I’ve missed others who were there to
"put their feet on the Coffee Table," so to speak. Please make
sure you write in and tell us what your favorite dish is! And thank you
for supporting new businesses in Eagle Rock!
My lunch with Michael Noguiera at the Coffee Table was a particularly
nice example of a new day in Eagle Rock. Though you could have knocked
some people over with a feather to see a President of TERA and a President of
the Chamber dine at the same table (though it has been done many times before
in the six years that Joanne Turner was President of TERA!), out of it came
both the final agreement for the Eagle Rock flag, and, hopefully, some other
projects we can work on together with ERCPR and the ERNC, such as getting movie
theatres at the Westfield Mall and a stronger overall police presence in Eagle
Rock. And though the next item in this e.letter indicates that Joanne and
were annoyed at statements made in Michael’s President’s message in the
Chamber's latest newsletter, that disagreement pales in comparison to the
really astounding things we can all accomplish for the benefit of our amazing
town when we work (and eat!) together.
Have a wonderful weekend!
-- Hilary Norton Orozco, TERA President
2. PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENT EMERITUS MESSAGE -- REBUTTAL TO
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE IN CHAMBER NEWSLETTER
An Open Letter to Michael Noguiera, Chamber President, and the
entire Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce
In
the May/June issue of the Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce's newsletter,
you wrote the following:
"I would also like to report that our Eagle Rock flag should be ready to
hang on our dedicated flag pole very soon. Several months ago, I had
lunch with JoAnn [sic] Turner, past president of TERA, and she told me that
only two of the three cell sites paid their share of the $60,000, each cell
site contributing $20,000. According to the current TERA president,
Hillary [sic] Orosco [sic], only $30,000 was paid! Originally $60,000 was
pledged and 3 organizations; TERA, ERCPR, and The Eagle Rock Chamber Commerce
were to split with $20,000 each. A little confusing to say the least,
just how much money was received we really don't know."
We are extremely disappointed that you never called us to check your facts
before you printed this President's message, in which you not so subtly suggest
that The Eagle Rock Association (TERA) could be concealing some of the
cellular/Eagle Rock flag grant funds. While we do not usually espouse the
idea of dignifying such accusations with a public response, we felt it is important
for everyone in the community to know the truth as soon as possible.
Today, Hilary presented to you a copy of the check TERA
received from Nextel for $30,000, and a copy of TERA's bank statement showing
that this money has been kept in a separate account, gaining over $500 worth of
interest since it was deposited.
Please allow us to remind you of the other facts regarding this money:
1. A corporate grant of $60,000 was originally pledged to the community by Verizon
Wireless (then AirTouch Cellular), Nextel, and AT&T,
which were the three companies occupying the site in question.
2. At the time, the three companies chose TERA to administer the funds because
we had a proven record of community service and improvement and because we were
the leaders in the several-year struggle to get the cellular flag poles
approved and installed. We have also been the leaders in developing our
community's overall policy regarding how to approach any cellular issue that
affects our town.
3. It was decided by all three companies that, because Verizon had higher
up-front costs, the $60,000 corporate grant would be split evenly between
Nextel and AT&T, or $30,000 each.
4. Nextel issued its check soon thereafter, and TERA deposited the $30,000 in a
savings account that has been untouched and is drawing interest to further
benefit our community.
5. AT&T has been doing its best to back out of its promise, and we're still
working on getting the company to fulfill its pledge to Eagle Rock.
6. Contrary to what you claim in your president's message, it was never decided
that the money would be split evenly between the Chamber, the ERCPR, and TERA.
TERA, having done most of the work involving this issue, decided to
allocate $10,000 to the ERCPR and $10,000 to the Chamber. Sometime later,
without consulting either TERA or the ERCPR, you, as Chamber president,
announced in another newsletter message that you were of the opinion that the
money should be split evenly between our three organizations.
7. The ERCPR accomplished probably 20% of the work on this particular cellular
issue, while TERA accomplished at least 80% of the research, letter and
proposal writing, meeting attendance, rallying of neighbors, testimony at
hearings, and so on, regarding this particular cellular issue and the
years-long cellular issue as a whole. Former TERA president Tim Sanders
was the one who instigated and followed through with this overall cellular
effort beginning some nine or 10 years ago.
8. The Chamber became involved only toward the very end of this particular
cellular issue when the grant money was being discussed, and the Chamber
contributed nothing to this or any other cellular endeavor.
9. TERA offered an allocation of $10,000 of the $60,000 to the Chamber for the
purpose of reaching out to a group historically hostile to TERA. We did
this because we wanted to promote harmony and to move beyond the unnecessary
and counterproductive rivalry that has existed between our organizations for
over 18 years.
Please let us remind you that this rivalry was initiated by the Eagle Rock
Chamber of Commerce. At this point, it is very unfortunate that the
Chamber has chosen not to move forward, but instead has chosen to continue its
hostility and disrespect toward TERA, and that this attitude on the Chamber's
part is divisive and detrimental to our community and its future.
We appreciate that you told Hilary that you would print
a retraction to tour statement once you were shown the copy of the check, and
we look forward to seeing the retraction in your next newsletter.
Michael, in the time you have been the Chamber’s President, our the
relationship between our groups has otherwise been very strong, and we respect
you for the tremendous work you do in this community. We hope that you
will show TERA the respect of finding out the truth before you print something
about TERA or about us personally in your newsletter again.
We remain committed to collaboration and cooperation with the Chamber and your
contributions to the community, including this Sunday’s kickoff to the
Chamber’s annual Summer in the Park series, which is described in the final
item of this special alert. We look forward to seeing you there Sunday!
-- Hilary Norton Orozco, President, TERA
-- Joanne Turner, President Emeritus, TERA
3. NORTHEAST LOS
ANGELES OPEN SPACE MEETING — SUNDAY, JULY 11
Promote, protect and enhance the remaining open space in North East Los Angeles
by attending this meeting!
For more information call James (626) 437-4446.
4. SPEAK YOUR MIND AT
ERNC’S TOWN HALL MEETING ON SAFETY — MONDAY, JULY 12
The ERNC’s Jessica Wethington McLean asked us to share the following invitation
to attend Monday’s public meeting on safety in Eagle Rock, a topic that
certainly speaks to all of us:
I'm writing to personally let you know you of an important community meeting
this Monday July 12 at 7:30pm at Yosemite Recreation Center. As an
active community member in Eagle Rock, I sincerely hope you can attend.
As you may know, the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council recently set aside 15%
of its annual budget ($7,500) for a public safety project.
As the ERNC embarks on its largest single expenditure ever, the current
proposal is to use these funds to install surveillance cameras at Yosemite
Recreation Center. How do you feel about this plan? Do you support
or oppose this idea, have other ideas, or need more information? How do you
feel 15% of the ERNC budget would best serve public safety in our community?
This meeting on Monday evening is your chance to be heard and included in this
process. Decisions will be made based on what the community has to say at
this meeting, so I urge you to seriously consider public safety
in Eagle Rock, attend this meeting, and bring your ideas, concerns and
questions to the table.
No doubt public safety is a big concern for us all, and I am proud that the
ERNC has decided to put a significant portion of its annual budget toward
public safety.
I also feel it is critically important that we seek input and participation
from stakeholders, community groups and community leaders such as yourself, so
the community is heard and included in this major decision --
that way whatever is decided for these funds, it will be based on what the
community says it wants. After all, that's what it's all about! Now
is your chance!
The meeting will be held this Monday, July 12, at 7:30 p.m. at Yosemite
Recreation Center.
I look forward to seeing you there.
-- Jessica Wethington McLean, Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council
5. TELL THE STATE HOW TO
SPEND YOUR HISTORICAL PRESERVATION FUNDS -- MONDAY , JULY 12 , TUESDAY,JULY 13
From our friends at the Los Angeles Conservancy word of an important set of
meetings next of the state agency that’s charged with setting the guidelines
for allocating California’s Prop 40 historic preservation money. Here’s
the scoop:
The Los Angeles Conservancy
urges anyone with an interest in historic preservation to let their voice be
heard at this vital public exchange with the State agency that’s charged with
allocating the Proposition 40 funds that are earmarked for preserving
historic and cultural resources.
This Monday at 3:00 p.m. in LA’s downtown library, The California Cultural
and Historical Endowment will take public comments on a draft
"concept paper" meant to shape the new agency's program guidelines.
The next day, on Tuesday the 13th, the Endowment Board will convene for a
day-long meeting to discuss the guidelines that are to be set. This
public meeting will take place this Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. To 4:00 p.m. at
L.A. City Hall, Room 350.
All of the Endowment’s agendas for next week and current information on the
Endowment's programs may be found on-line at: http://www.library.ca.gov/cche/
The Conservancy believes that the Endowment’s position paper contains a very
appropriate emphasis on recognizing the stories of California's diverse
communities. However, it is important that the preservation community be
present and vocal because the Endowment Board is under pressure to broaden the
types of projects that will be eligible, in a manner that may jeopardize the
original intent of Prop. 40 and the authorizing legislation for the Endowment.
Numerous other constituencies -- including large museums seeking funding
for new facilities construction and arts organizations offering interpretive
cultural programming -- have their eye on these Prop. 40 dollars. Though
these are also worthy endeavors, this funding was meant to help preserve our
cultural and historic resources around the state, while reaching deeper than
previous funding initiatives have done to incorporate the cultures and
histories of diverse California communities. We'd welcome your thoughts
on how the Endowment may structure the program so that it that creates partnerships
-- not competition -- among historic and cultural groups with shared goals.
We hope that you'll attend these meetings next week (Monday's meeting offers
the best opportunity for public comment). Also, please share with us your
own thoughts on the concept paper, as well as your ideas for local preservation
projects that would qualify for Prop. 40 funding, with a special emphasis on
projects that protect and reflect the "threads of California's story that
have been absent or underrepresented."
We look forward to seeing you next week.
-- Ken Bernstein, Director of Preservation Issues, Los Angeles
Conservancy, kbernstein@laconservancy.org
6. FINALLY, DON’T MISS
THE FIRST EAGLE ROCK SUMMER CONCERT IN THE PARK! -- SUNDAY, JULY 11
It's
summertime in Eagle Rock, time to gather the family, pack a picnic basket full
of goodies, and head down to the Eagle Rock Recreation Center for the
first of the season's open air Concerts in the Park, a collaborative
program of the Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce, the Office of City
Council District 14 and other local businesses and civic organizations.
All are invited. The music is always sizzlin', and the company
couldn't be better.
This Sunday, July 11, join Eagle Rock's Rockin' Rodders, who are teaming
with The Trompers car club to present a dazzling Classic Car Show
that starts at 3:00 p.m. Then, at 6:00 p.m., a classic ‘50’s band gets
your fingers snapping and your feet dancing for a two hour concert of classic
‘50’s music. Great tunes, fun people and maybe even a special surprise
guest or two. What better way to celebrate another Eagle Rock summer?
We'll see you Sunday!
The TERA e.letter is
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.
If you have changed your email address or would like to be removed from this
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with the word(s) "remove" or "address change" in the
subject box, as appropriate.
If you have a press release, letter of comment, question or other notice that
you feel might be of interest to the Eagle Rock community, send it to e.letter@TERA90041.org. Your announcement -- in the form of an
email text message, (no attachments, please) -- must be in our hands by noon on
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
Special Alert
A publication of
The Eagle Rock Association (TERA)
Vince Waldron, editor
e.letter@TERA90041.org