"Eagle Rock: Where land use and planning is
a contact sport"
THE
EAGLE ROCK ASSOCIATION
TERA
--
e.letter --
August
16, 2001
Please encourage interested friends
to send their e.mail addresses to us at artburn@earthlink.net
so we can keep them informed, too.
In this issue:
1.
OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE IS ONE OF THE NATION'S HOTTEST!
2.
GYM ISSUE/HEARING -- LACK OF QUORUM -- CONTINUANCE AUGUST 22
3.
NEW COOL UPSTART EATERIE IN NORTHEAST LA
4.
"STROLL FOR LIFE" -- SATURDAY (NOT SUNDAY), AUGUST 18 --
CORRECTION
5.
LA TIMES WRITER REACTION TO LA TIMES MAGAZINE ARTICLE
6.
VAN DE KAMP'S LACC SATELLITE CAMPUS -- GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY -- AUGUST
29
7.
SLIDESHOW ON THE ARROYO SECO
8.
MORE NEWS ON THE ARROYO SECO
9.
ARTIST LOFT SPACE FOR RENT DOWNTOWN
10. CONCERTS IN THE PARK -- LAST ONE!
11. LETTERS AND E.MAILS
12. QUOTE OF THE WEEK
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1.
OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE IS ONE OF THE NATION'S HOTTEST!
Get a load of the following!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 14, 2001
Occidental College
Contact: Jim Tranquada
(323) 259-2990 or jtranq@oxy.edu
NEWSWEEK: OCCIDENTAL ONE OF
AMERICA'S HOTTEST COLLEGES; APPLICATIONS RISE 93 PERCENT IN FIVE YEARS
Occidental College is one of
America's hottest colleges, thanks to its strong liberal arts program and the
diversity of its student body, according to the 2002 edition of the
Kaplan/Newsweek "How to Get
Into College" guide released
today.
Among the other nine colleges and
universities featured in the sixth annual hot schools list (also featured on
the Newsweek website at http://www.msnbc.com/news/611721.asp)
are Oberlin, Wesleyan, Emory and the University of Michigan. Occidental is
the only western institution listed.
The list represents Newsweek's
attempt to identify schools other than such perennial favorites as Stanford, Harvard
and Yale that are currently enjoying a surge in popularity.
Since 1996, applications to
Occidental have risen 93 percent, setting new records for each of the past
three years. Some 3,635 students submitted applications this year, up 11
percent over last year's record tally. Of those who applied, 1,746, or 48
percent, were offered admission, what is believed to be the lowest admit rate
in the college's 114-year history.
Among this fall's freshmen is Nena
Castro of Lick Wilmerding School in San Francisco, who told Newsweek that she
chose Occidental over Middlebury College in Vermont because of Occidental's
academic strengths and its diversity.
Some 89 percent of the students
admitted to Occidental's Class of 2005, drawn from 45 states, the District of
Columbia, and 22 foreign countries, ranked in the top quarter of their high
school class. The median SAT score for these students was 1270.
During the past year alone,
Occidental students were awarded a Truman Scholarship, three Goldwater
Scholarships, a Watson Fellowship, two Boren Scholarships from the National
Security Education Program, and a Udall Scholarship. Two Fulbright and two Luce
fellowships also were awarded to recent Occidental graduates last year.
For the past four years, Occidental has been ranked
by U.S. News & World Report as the most diverse nationally ranked liberal
arts college in the country (a rating it currently shares with Whittier
College). Almost 40 percent of students are men and women of color.
Located in the Eagle Rock section of northeast Los
Angeles, Occidental is a private, co-educational college with an enrollment of
1,700 students and a faculty-student ratio of 11-to-1. It is one of the
nation's few leading liberal arts colleges in a major metropolitan area.
The Kaplan/Newsweek guide is
available at newsstands and bookstores nationwide.
[Hooray for Oxy (many thanks, Ted),
and for Eagle Rock!]
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2. GYM
ISSUE/HEARING -- LACK OF QUORUM -- CONTINUANCE AUGUST 22
The following is a report from neighbor-to-the-park
Saul Traiger regarding the Yosemite gym issue:
"The hearing on Wednesday,
August 8, of the Northeast Area Planning Commission brought about no action on
the Yosemite gymnasium proposal. The
case was deferred until the Commission's next meeting, which will be held on
August 22nd. The Commission will not
send out an official notice of this continuance. So it is up to those of us present to make sure that the word
gets out.
The reason the case was not heard
is that there wasn't a quorum of commissioners. There must be three voting
commissioners present to make a determination, and there were only two
available for this case. If there isn't a quorum on the 22nd the case will be
deferred until the September 12th meeting. If there isn't a quorum on the 12th
then the appeal fails by default, since the Commission loses its jurisdiction
in the case.
I urge anyone who has a view about
the case to attend the August 22nd meeting, at 4:30 in Ramona Hall at 4580 North
Figueroa Street in Highland Park. If we
don't have a quorum for that meeting, we will need to put pressure on the
Planning Commission to make sure the case is heard on September 12th WITH a
quorum."
Saul Traiger
saul@traiger.net
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3.
NEW COOL UPSTART EATERIE IN NORTHEAST LA
This in from TERA member and Germinator Ivette
Soler:
"By the way, in the spirit of
upstart businesses in the area, I thought you should be aware of a very unique
food establishment opened by three local girls (although two of them, being
identical twins, should count as one).
I'm sure you're aware that Mr. T.'s
Bowl on Figueroa in Highland Park isn't really a bowling alley, but a bar by
day and venue for local bands to play at night (they have a very eclectic
booking policy, from punk to rock to blues to performance ala L.A. Cacophony
Society). Anyway, there is an old lunch counter that has been opened for
business under the brilliant name of THE GUTTER. Personal Chef/Food Stylist
(and my dear friend and roommate from our Cal/Arts days) Lisa Barnet has
fashioned an great menu of diner classics made with updated ingredients, and
BRUNCH is especially awesome.
The Gutter is truly that amazing hole-in-the-wall
that everyone hopes to find, and every neighborhood should have -- you've got
to try it out! I think the hours are 10am-10pm weekdays and Saturday, and the
weekend brunch is 9am-3pm Sat and Sun. The Gutter is located on Figueroa
between Avenues 56 and 57, and their number is (323) 256-4850. I know they're going to send you a press
release, but I wanted to give you a heads up. Lisa and the twins, Katie and Leecy,
are only going to keep it open a few more months if it doesn't turn a profit,
so maybe you can help the area to rally around another upstart business!"
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4.
"STROLL FOR LIFE" -- SATURDAY, AUGUST 18 -- CORRECTION
The American Cancer Society's Hill
Drive "Stroll for Life" takes place this Saturday, August 18,
not Sunday. We hope to see you all
there at the corner of Eagle Rock Boulevard and Hill Drive at 8:30 a.m. on
SATURDAY. Should be fun, and it's for a
good cause! For more information,
please visit http://www.morusarecords.com.
Thanks much for your participation.
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5.
LA TIMES WRITER REACTION TO LA TIMES MAGAZINE ARTICLE
http://www.latimes.com/features/printedition/magazine/la-000065287aug12.story
METROPOLI / SOSOCAL
You Know Your Neighborhood Is 'In'
When . . . .
By MARK EHRMAN
August 12 2001
Venice. Melrose. Silver Lake. Echo
Park. Downtown. Mt. Washington. Eagle Rock. The march of "in" 'hoods
goes on and on, morphing L.A., it seems, into some Warholian cityscape where
every urban enclave will bask in the limelight for a mere 15 minutes. Whether
you're a landlord itching to jack up the rent or a pathetic square wondering if
geography has suddenly made you cool, knowing when and if the capricious
tornado of trendiness has touched down on the street where you live is crucial.
So rather than rely on guesswork, here are 12 time-tested indicators that say,
"Congratulations, your neighborhood has finally arrived."
1. The old greasy spoon opens a
wine bar.
2. There's at least one Dennis
Woodruff vehicle stationed on your block.
3. You get your own "adjacent"
designation in the real estate ads [please see Item No. 1 in "Letters and
E.mails" below].
4. Boutiques pop up catering
exclusively to shoppers from Japan.
5. Painted-over storefronts
reinvent themselves as "artist studios," while any ratty space above
street level is automatically dubbed a "loft."
6. You overhear people arguing over
who was hip to your old haunt first.
7. Businesses where you went for
useful services such as new keys and auto repair are replaced by those
purveying something precious and unnecessary--but still retain the old name.
8. A sitcom bearing your ZIP Code
is in development.
9. Your immigrants are transplants
from the Westside, the suburbs and the American Heartland.
10. Your police precinct records a
sharp spike in parking space-related assaults.
11. Local street characters show up
in Nike ads.
12. You escape to some far-flung
turf to find an uncrowded bar and discover that all your neighbors are already
there."
For information about reprinting
this article, go to http://www.lats.com/rights/register.htm
----------
6. VAN DE
KAMP'S LACC SATELLITE CAMPUS -- GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY -- AUGUST 29
This in from Andrew Garsten,
spokesperson for the Coalition to Save Van de Kamp's:
The Coalition to Save Van de Kamp's
is pleased to announce the ceremonial groundbreaking of the LACC Van de Kamp's
Satellite project on Wednesday, August 29 (see the invite from LACC below).
Coalition Group Representatives,
please see what you can do to let your community organizations know about this
event and invite your fellow community members to attend.
Although the details of the project
are still being worked on, this will be a ceremonial beginning, a time for us
all to bask in the glory of success after a long and daunting fight, and a
moment to give cheer to a terrific new resource coming to NE Los Angeles. This event will also generate
publicity. Join us in sending a final
message to the would be demolishers of historic buildings and also
encouragement to communities who face similar situations; 'If the community stands up and fights
against demolition and for adaptive reuse, the community WILL PREVAIL.'
You are all part of this success
story! Please, if you can get away,
come and enjoy the day with us.
If you can't make it to the groundbreaking (or even
if you can), there will be a separate Coalition to Save Van de Kamp's
celebration:
Friday August 31st, 6:30 pm till
8:30 pm
2041 Park Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90026
All of the past and present active
people in The Coalition (including everyone getting this e-mail) are invited to
come and meet us, each other, hug, cheer, and have a pretty darn good
time. Please bring something to
drink. We will provide some light food
and some bubbly for toasting.
Please forward this message to the
distribution lists and friends as you have done so in the past, so that
everyone involved can participate.
Looking forward to seeing you all!
Andrew Garsten
Spokesperson
The Coalition to Save Van de Kamp's
323 661 0150
SaveVandeKamps@ixpres.com
Please save the date for the
upcoming groundbreaking. You will
receive a formal invitation three weeks before the event. Note that the date and time for the
groundbreaking was scheduled to accommodate Senator Polanco's schedule.
-- Fred Piegonski, executive
assistant to the president, LACC
Los Angeles City College is pleased
to invite you to the Groundbreaking Ceremony for Los Angeles City College's New
Satellite at the historic Van de Kamp's Bakery site located at 3016 San Fernando
Road at Fletcher Drive in the Atwater Village area of Los Angeles at 10 a.m. on
Wednesday, August 29, 2001
Please join us to acknowledge
Senator Richard Polanco
for spearheading the drive to make
LACC's new satellite a reality!
And to acknowledge the many
individuals at LACC, the LA Community College District, and the Coalition to
Save Van de Kamp's who have helped to make this project happen.
[Editor's note: This has been a true community-activist
success story. Isn't it amazing what a
group of determined people can accomplish?
So, take your determination, and go for it -- as you can see, it can be
done (si se puede)!!]
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7.
SLIDESHOW ON THE ARROYO SECO
You can now view a fascinating
slide show about the Arroyo Seco online.
It's a report on the Arroyo Seco Watershed Restoration Feasibility Study
now being conducted by North East Trees and the Arroyo Seco Foundation. It contains interesting background, a quick
tour of the Arroyo Seco, and a description of the process and recommendations
of the Watershed Restoration Feasibility Study.
You can view the slide show by
pointing your browser to: http://www.arroyoseco.org/AugustSlides.htm.
We hope you enjoy it.
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8. MORE NEWS ON THE ARROYO SECO
Reporter Joe Mozingo presents a
thorough and thought-provoking review of Arroyo Seco watershed restoration in
today's (8/12/01) edition of the Los Angeles Times.
"Its identity overall is
sketchy, a composite of glimpses blurred in the haze. Few see the Arroyo Seco
as a whole--an ephemeral river system that plunges from a yawning pocket of the
San Gabriel Mountains, a creek that twists along deep shadows and oaks and
freeways and parking lots."
For the full story, please click
here: http://www.arroyoseco.org/LAT010812Gulch.htm
You can comment on the article or
discuss it here: http://www.arroyoseco.org/AS%20Comments/index.htm
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9.
ARTIST LOFT SPACE FOR RENT DOWNTOWN
Side Street Projects' Artist in
Residence Space has an opening in its schedule. The loft space is available for
rent. It is 800 sq. ft. and
approximately $1000 a month. It is
fully furnished with furniture, kitchen utensils etc. Month to month. This space
is perfect for anyone coming from out of town to teach for a semester or so. Available August 23rd. Please call Karen Atkinson at Side Street
Projects at 213-620-8895 for more information or to schedule an appointment to
see the space.
Side Street Projects
400 South Main Street
Los Angeles, CA å90013
213-620-8895
sidest@ix.netcom.com
http://www.sidestreet.org
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10. CONCERTS IN THE PARK -- LAST ONE!
Only one concert left:
This Sunday, August 19 -- Jack
Lantz Big Band, those wonderful sounds of swing. Sponsored by Glendale Adventist Medical Center.
The concert begins at 6:00 p.m. at
the Eagle Rock Park amphitheater, designed by the wonderful Richard Neutra. Bring a picnic dinner and enjoy!
This terrific yearly event is
brought to you by the Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce.
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11. LETTERS AND E.MAILS
"I love hearing about all the
great work TERA is doing in your community.
When I moved to Pasadena a decade ago, I never suspected that 'Eagle
Rock adjacent' would someday boost property values in my neighborhood.
Thanks!"
-- Paula Johnson, Pasadena resident
and Eagle Rock fan
"I would like to share a
little something about the reaction from children who have visited Swork and
Fatty's. My granddaughter, who is
seven, comes to visit her dad here in Eagle Rock three days a week from the
Malibu area. The first place she wants
to go is Swork for their princess drink or Fatty's for tea and sandwiches. It makes me very happy that she and her dad
have a place to go, and I have a place to go with my granddaughter and have
tea. And the best part of all, it's right
here in Eagle Rock. Thanks."
-- Roe Muzingo, respected community
member, 52-year resident of Eagle Rock, and TERA member
"TERA is doing a superb
service to all of us in Eagle Rock. I'm
sure all of us who receive TERA's e.letters feel the same way. It occurs to me that what you are
doing, probably single-handedly, has to
be an important factor in increasing everybody's property values. And this leads me to the question of whether
you are receiving any compensation for your work [no], or is this
entirely out of the goodness of your heart [yes, and raw determination to
seeing through a very worthy cause].
If the latter, I think we need to do something about it [s'okay with
me]."
-- Joe Birman, Eagle Rock resident
and TERA member
"Great picture in the LA Times
magazine. We need 10 of you for
downtown Anaheim."
-- John Koos, cellular/broadband
consultant/facilitator, friend, and Anaheim resident
"Congrats on all your hard work paying
off!!! I must admit sometimes it is
difficult to swallow being a trail-blazer in the gourmet coffee biz! But business is still very strong and with
all of the catering I can't imagine adding any additional anything to our
day! Again, Congrats!"
-- Teri Valentine, chef
extraordinaire and owner of fabulous TasteBuds Catering (formerly the
storefront, which unfortunately didn't make it -- but best potato salad ever,
bar none -- call (323) 255-1400 for that and other exceptionally grand eats)
" I just read the LA Times article on Eagle
Rock, which was really interesting. I
want to highly commend TERA for all the work it has done to keep Eagle Rock a
great place to live, and to improve it.
And I'd like to especially commend YOU for your e-mail letter, which has
done a terrific job of keeping us all informed so we can connect up with all
the good things that are happening.
Keep up the great work!! Love
--"
-- Lucy Cole, Eagle Rock resident
and loyal, enthusiastic TERA member
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11. QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Do or do not. There is no try."
-- Yoda
----------
We welcome your comments. Please include your name.
Please encourage interested friends
to send their e.mail addresses to us at artburn@earthlink.net so we can keep
them informed, too.
If you have changed your e.mail
address or would like to be removed from this list, please contact artburn@earthlink.net.
TERA
The Eagle Rock Association
YOUR COMMUNITY IN ACTION
P. O. Box 41453, Eagle Rock, CA
90041
(323) 259-TERA
a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public
benefit corporation
----------
Joanne Turner <artburn@earthlink.net>
President, The Eagle Rock
Association (TERA)