THE EAGLE ROCK ASSOCIATION
The Best Investment You Can Make in Your Neighborhood
August 28, 2003
In this issue:
Eagle Rock teens have a place to ROCK this fall (item
#5)
You're invited to a 222nd birthday party (item
#8)
Another busy weekend for Eagle Rock gallery hoppers
(items #9, 10 and 11)
Table of Contents:
1. A MESSAGE FROM TERA PRESIDENT HILARY NORTON OROZCO
2. ANNUAL "STATE OF THE TOWN" ADDRESS BY COUNCILMEMBER
ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA -- TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
3. ECLECTIC HOME TOUR
ON THE HORIZON -- OCTOBER 19
4. CALLING ALL ARTISTS -- A BREATH OF PLEIN AIR --DEADLINE
FOR SUBMISSIONS OCTOBER 3
5. ROCK TEEN CENTER ANNOUNCES FALL SCHEDULE
6. THE LA TIMES TAKES ANOTHER LOOK AT EAGLE ROCK
7. TALK TO THE HAHN -- FRIDAY, AUGUST 29
8. ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA INVITES YOU TO A BIRTHDAY BASH FOR THE
CITY OF LA -- SEPTEMBER 4
9. AVENUE 50 STUDIO PRESENTS "MEMORIES NOT YET
WRITTEN" -- ARTISTS' RECEPTION, SEPTEMBER 6
10. PAINTINGS BY EVA ARMISEN AT GALLERY OPHELIA -- OPENS SEPTEMBER 6
11. CENTER FOR THE ARTS ART LUCK EXHIBITION -- OPENS SEPTEMBER 7
12. VISIT THE NEW ARROYO SECO LIBRARY AND TALK TO THE ARCHITECT WHO
DESIGNED IT -- MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
13. BE THERE AND BE SQUARE -- SEPTEMBER 24
14. FIFTH ANNUAL EAGLE ROCK MUSIC FESTIVAL -- OCTOBER 4
15. EAGLE ROCK'S OWN JOHNNY APPLESEED IN THE LA TIMES
16. WE'VE GOT MAIL
17. QUOTE OF THE WEEK -- ABRAHAM LINCOLN
1. A MESSAGE FROM TERA PRESIDENT HILARY NORTON OROZCO
Last Sunday was great day for Eagle Rock! I hope you all saw the great
article on Eagle Rock in the Sunday Los Angeles Times Real Estate section (see
item #6 below.)
Thanks to Michael Noguiera and the Eagle Rock Chamber for a terrific Concert in
the Park this past Sunday, too! Glendale Adventist and Kaye Beckham
sponsored the concert, and allowed TERA to participate as a contributor.
TERA members Keith Louie, Mary Tokita, Dennis and Suzanne Prieur and I gave out
information on the "State of the Town" event on September 23rd, and
our Eclectic Eagle Rock Home Tour on October 19th. We also gave out
packets of seeds provided by Mary Tokita.
Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa and City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo joined in
the celebration.
What a wonderful family event, and a tremendous way to end the summer.
Yet another reason to love Eagle Rock!
Have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend.
--Hilary Norton Orozco
2. ANNUAL "STATE OF THE TOWN" ADDRESS BY
COUNCILMEMBER ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA -- TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
7:00 pm
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock
2225 Colorado Boulevard
Eagle Rock
Los Angeles City Councilmember Antonio Villaraigosa, District 14, will
deliver his ³State of the Town² address to constituents of Eagle Rock at 7
p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 23. The free public meeting, to be held at the
Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, has been an annual September event of The
Eagle Rock Association (TERA) for several years. The meeting is co-sponsored
by Keith Louie of DBL Realtors.
³With his vast experience as the former Speaker of the State Assembly, Antonio
promises to be one of our most effective City Council members yet. His
innovative and collaborative approach to community issues complements our own
passion for Eagle Rock and northeast LA,² said Hilary Norton Orozco, TERA
president. ³He is fully capable of making District 14 a model for all of Los
Angeles. We intend to join him in realizing his vision and helping him
communicate with all stakeholders as often as possible.²
Community members may submit questions in advance by emailing them to
TERA at e.letter@TERA90041.org.
Please be sure to include the phrase, "Question for September
Meeting" in your email's subject. If time permits,
additional questions may be taken from the audience floor during the meeting.
The meeting will also recognize the accomplishments of Joanne Turner, a
past TERA president who recently completed six years of public service to the
community.
The Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock is located at 2225 Colorado Boulevard, just
west of Eagle Rock Boulevard. Parking is available on the street and at the
nearby Bank of America. Complimentary food will be provided by The Coffee Table
and other local restaurants. Childcare will be provided free of charge.
To help defray the cost of the event, a contribution of $2.00 per
attendee is encouraged.
Additional information about the ³State of the Town² address or other TERA
activities is available by calling (323) 259-TERA or visiting http://www.TERA90041.org.
3. ECLECTIC HOME TOUR ON THE HORIZON -- OCTOBER 19
The 4th Annual
Sunday, October
19, 2003
10:00 am4:00 pm
Tour some of the most lovely and interesting homes and gardens in our
historic community, starting with The Women's 20th Century Club Craftsman
building, constructed in 1913. The club, now celebrating its 100 year
anniversary, was formed by the progressive women of Eagle Rock, which, at that
time, was a small agricultural village. Their purpose was
"self-improvement along social and intellectual lines."
TERA will also be hosting an exhibit of plein air painting, an art form
which celebrates the natural beauty of the outdoors and has historic roots in
the community.
Tour goers will also have the opportunity to visit homes built over the course
of the last century in the variety of styles which make Eagle Rock,
"L.A.'s Hometown," so unique.
To purchase advance tickets for the Eclectic Eagle Rock Home Tour on TERA's
website, go to:
http://www.tera90041.org/httickets-03.htm
Volunteers and docents are needed
to help organize this event, as well as to help out on the weekend of the tour.
Your participation earns you an invitation to the Eclectic Eagle Rock
Home Tour wrap party, a highlight of Eagle Rock's social calendar.
If you'd like to volunteer to
help make this event a success, send an email reply to this e.letter with the
subject heading, "Home tour volunteer." Don't forget to
include your name and phone number.
4. CALLING ALL ARTISTS -- A BREATH OF PLEIN AIR --DEADLINE
FOR SUBMISSIONS OCTOBER 3
Artists from throughout southern California are invited to paint on
location in Eagle Rock, before TERA's annual Eclectic Eagle Rock Home Tour on
October 19, 2003. The artworks will be displayed in the historic Women's
20th Century Club (the Women's Club, 5105 Hermosa Avenue, northwest corner of
Colorado Boulevard), with an opening date and reception on Friday, October 17,
and closing on Friday, October 24, from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.
The Plein Air exhibit will be a delightful part of the Eagle Rock Eclectic Home
Tour, which will begin at the Women's Club. Contributing artists are also
invited to paint in front of the homes featured on the tour the day of the tour
and bring their paintings to the traditional after-tour party for all tour
volunteers to see.
The artworks featured in the exhibit are to be painted of scenes anywhere in
the community of Eagle Rock. Works will be limited to oil paintings,
acrylic paintings, watercolors, and pastels. Maximum size is 40 x 60
inches. All participants will receive a complimentary ticket to the
Eclectic Eagle Rock Home Tour and the post-tour celebration.
To be considered for this Plein Air exhibit, please submit one slide of each
completed work clearly marked with your name, the title of the piece, medium,
and size. A self-addressed, stamped envelope is required for return of
the slide(s).
Entries must be received by Friday, October 3. Artists will
receive 85% of any sales made through the exhibit. Prizes will be awarded
-- first place $750, second place $500, and third place $250.
We hope you can join us in this important event. Please print out and
fill in the application below and mail it, along with a $20 entry fee (payable
to TERA,) to Beth Parker, 2419 Ridgeview Avenue, Eagle Rock, CA 90041.
For further information, please call Beth Parker at (323) 256-5701.
Name ___________________________________________
Address __________________________________________
City _____________________________________________
State _________ Zip Code ______ Email _________________
Daytime Phone _____________________________________
Evening Phone _____________________________________
Enclosed is $20 in Cash ______ Check _____ Money Order ______
5. ROCK TEEN CENTER ANNOUNCES FALL SCHEDULE
Donna Robey-Sullivan, Executive Director of the ROCK Teen Center,
just sent us this update on the Center's busy fall schedule:
Highlights of The ROCK (Reach Our Community Kids) Teen Center's fall
program -- which is available from 3 PM to 6 PM, Monday through Friday --
include middle school and high school homework coaching, youth
leadership council, computer-based math tutoring, weekly chess club, science
activities, yoga classes, and daily computer challenge activities.
Open computer lab time is also being offered to the community Monday
mornings from 10 AM to Noon.
New programming this fall includes the Science Mentor program on Mondays
at 4:30 PM, Yoga Rocks, a yoga exercise activity especially designed for
teens, on Tuesdays at 5 PM, Chess Club on Wednesdays at 4:30 PM,
and Musical Computers, a fun, creative writing game, on Thursdays at
4:30 PM.
Steps 2Success is offered to students entering 7th or 8th grade and is
limited to a total of 24 students, (12 on Monday and Wednesday and 12 on
Tuesday and Thursday.) The parent-enrolled youth, who will receive an
after-school snack, will be matched with a ³Coach,² and placed on the ³Advanced
Skills for School Success² curriculum. This free program, conducted from
3:15 to 4:30 PM, provides skill building, homework coaching and tutoring, and
individualized monitoring of students¹ progress. Enrollment is on a
first-come, first-served basis for the session beginning Monday, September
22nd. Homework coaches also remain available to all students from 4:30 to 5:30
PM daily. Also, the computer lab at the ROCK is equipped with a variety
software designed to build job and academic skills, including an
excellent computer-based math tutoring application.
For the past several years ROCK has sponsored a Youth Leadership Council
(YLC), which is a service-learning initiative for teens. Through YLC,
youth are challenged to assume leadership roles in our community, in order to
address social and community development issues. Space is limited to 12
to 15 students. An application and student contract are mandatory for
participation in this program. Applications are due by Friday, October
4th. YLC sessions begin October 16th.
Continuing from the summer session is True Life, a counselor-led, group
therapy session for teens dealing with life¹s struggles and addictions.
These sessions meet weekly on Fridays at 6 PM. All students who
participate in ROCK¹s academic and growth programming receive incentive points
redeemable for przes through the ROCK Teen Bank.
Originally organized in 1999, ROCK is 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 2Success, apply for YLC, sign-up for the
classes and activities, or obtain more information about the center and
volunteer opportunities, contact the ROCK office at (323) 257-6102.
ROCK (Reach Our Community Kids) is a faith-based nonprofit organization.
Find out more about ROCK by logging on to http://www.rockids.org
or by calling (323) 257-6102.
6. THE LA TIMES TAKES ANOTHER LOOK AT EAGLE ROCK
For those who might have missed it, here's a piece on Eagle Rock that
ran in the real state section of last Sunday's Los Angeles Times:
NEIGHBORLY ADVICE
By Pete Metzger, Times Staff
Writer
©2003 The Los Angeles Times
Eagle Rock is a multicultural community centered on a budding main strip
complete with upscale restaurants, coffee shops and art galleries. A small town
in the big city, it is part of Los Angeles and eight miles from downtown.
The basics
Founded as a city in 1911, then annexed to Los Angeles in 1923, Eagle Rock
takes its name from the sandstone formation shaped like an eagle in flight in
the northeast part of town. At the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, the
community offers spectacular views from downtown to the South Bay.
Drawing card
Los Feliz hipness without the price tag is one of the primary reasons for
Eagle Rock's recent growth. The community is rich with organizations that
sponsor such events as arts festivals and concerts at the Eagle Rock Recreation
Center. A year-round farmers market awaits shoppers every Friday evening on
Caspar Avenue. A diverse community, Eagle Rock is home to a large Filipino
population. And the 134 Freeway looms high in the hills, offering easy escape
to neighboring Glendale to the west and Pasadena to the east.
Insider's view
Many of the businesses in the area have been around since the 1950s, and
the community seems reluctant to change. Instead of huge, homogenized warehouse
stores, there are small-town mom-and-pop establishments, among them a
lumberyard, a hardware store and a comic book shop.
Hot spots
Family-owned Casa Bianca, which opened in 1955, is one of the best pizza
places in the city, but there are long waits for tables thanks to its
popularity. Relative newcomers Café Beaujolais and Camilo's offer upscale
dining and draw patrons from miles around. There are also two popular offbeat
coffeehouses, Swork and Fatty's, with more opening soon.
Good news, bad news
A low-profile part of Los Angeles, Eagle Rock has police patrols that are
fewer and farther between than in other parts of the city. Nonviolent crime
rates are slightly above the citywide average. However, rates for violent
crimes are lower in the Eagle Rock area than in other areas of Los Angeles.
Report card
Eagle Rock schools are in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Eagle
Rock High School scored 660 on the 2002 Academic Performance Index, on a scale
of 1,000. Eagle Rock Middle School scored 660, and Dahlia Heights Elementary
School scored 760. Eagle Rock is also home to Occidental College.
In stock
Eagle Rock has 677 single-family residences and 176 multiple-family
residences.
On the market
With comparatively low prices, Eagle Rock has become a popular home-buying
destination for those priced out of nearby Los Feliz, Silver Lake and Echo
Park, as well as the Westside. In mid-August there were about 30 homes on the
market, with prices ranging from $295,000 to more than $1 million. As recently
as 18 months ago, 75 to 100 homes would typically have been on the market at
any given time.
Historical values
Single-family detached resales:
Year...Median Price
1990...$210,000
1995...$166,250
2000...$218,250
2002...$299,500
2003*...$350,000
*year to date
Sources: DataQuick Information Systems; http://www.liontwins.com/eaglerock.shtml ; Tracy King of Coldwell Banker, Pasadena;
Bob Taylor and Cheryl Johnson of Bob Taylor Properties, Eagle Rock; Boyd Smith
of Coldwell Banker, Pasadena.
The full text of this article will be on The Los Angeles Times website
for at least a few more days. To read it there, visit the Times website
at:
http://www.latimes.com/classified/realestate/printedition/la-re-guide24aug24,1,7891115.story
7. TALK TO THE HAHN -- FRIDAY, AUGUST 29
From our friends at the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council comes this:
The Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council is pleased to announce that a
representative from Mayor James Hahn's Office will be joining us at the ERNC
Outreach Booth at the Farmer's Market on Friday, August 29th from 5 pm -
9pm. Information about City Services will be available. Come
meet the Mayor's staff and share your vision for Eagle Rock with your ERNC
representatives. If you would like more information, please contact
Anita Hultman at District3@EagleRockCouncil.org or (323) 257-6381.
Hope to see you there!
8. ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA INVITES YOU TO A BIRTHDAY BASH FOR
THE CITY OF LA -- SEPTEMBER 4
From Michael Cathey, field director of Councilmember Antonio Villaraigosa's
Eagle Rock office, comes this invitation to our city's 222nd birthday bash:
Los Angeles Councilmember Antonio Villaraigosa invites you (and everyone you
know) to join him in celebrating the 222nd birthday of the City of Los Angeles
at a gala party at Olvera Street on September 4th.
Our office will be providing free transportation from the Eagle Rock City Hall
to Olvera Street and back via bus for the first 50 respondents. The bus
will leave Eagle Rock at 4:30 pm and will depart Olvera Street to return to
Eagle Rock at 7:30. Food and entertainment at the party are all free!
Please contact folks you know and help get out the word. This will be a great
event and I hope you'll take advantage of our free transportation. Thanks
and please let me know who will be joining the Birthday Bash Bus.
--Michael Cathey
City Council District 14 Office
Tel. (323) 254-5295
Fax (213) 485-8788
9. AVENUE 50 STUDIO PRESENTS "MEMORIES NOT YET WRITTEN"
-- ARTISTS' RECEPTION, SEPTEMBER 6
Maria Castro, Val Echavarria
and Miguel Angel Murillo
Artist Reception: Saturday, September 6, 2003
7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
The Avenue 50 Studio
131 No. Avenue 50
Highland Park
The Avenue 50 Studio, the premiere gallery of emerging artists in Northeast Los
Angeles, will host an art exhibit of ³outsider art² by Los Angeles artist Maria
Castro, and Pasadena artists Val Echavarria and Miguel Angel Murillo.
Maria Castro, Val Echavarria and Miguel Angel Murillo
reshape their passions for longstanding Latino and Chicano symbols as they
collide with iconographical remnants from an American consumer
society. This new context documents the challenge of fixing meaning in a
society that quickly adopts and incorporates powerful symbols of ³outsider²
cultures and then moves on.
Castro¹s assembled sculptures draw from satire and humor reflected
through personal interpretation. Often surreal and humorous, they are
nonetheless, accurate accounts of her surroundings.
Echavarria¹s work combines both processes of assembled sculpture and
painting, but in a more sobering direction. Echavarria uses the body
politic from a personal and intuitive standpoint. Torsos wrapped in
chains, covered with bees wax and body piercing make you wonder if it is a
self-imposed martyrdom or imposed by society.
Murillo¹s paintings resurrect the works of 20th century Mexican artists
like Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, but bring them into the new L.A.
millennium. Murillo surgically carves into each painting (like Rivera,
with trowel in hand,) creating dimensions within a two dimensional surface.
Although unique in their own style, these three artists participate in a
dialogue between their own visions and the form and content of Southern
California Chicano art.
This exhibition runs from September 2 through October 5, 2003 and is
free to the public.
Avenue 50 Studio hours: Tuesday through Thursday 10-12 noon; Saturday
and Sunday 10-4 p.m. For more information, dial (323) 258-1435.
10. PAINTINGS BY EVA ARMISEN AT GALLERY OPHELIA -- OPENS SEPTEMBER
6
Gallery Ophelia presents
Opening Reception:
6:00 -10:00 pm
Saturday, September 6th
2114 Colorado Boulevard
Eagle Rock
Gallery Ophelia is proud to announce it will host an exhibition of new
paintings by internationally acclaimed Barcelona artist Eva Armisén.
Having an extensive exhibition record abroad in Barcelona, Spain,
Portugal, and throughout Europe, Eva's work has crossed the oceans and has
recently been shown at the Spanish Consolate in Los Angeles, and now at Gallery
Ophelia in Eagle Rock. Her work is highly collectible and has been purchased by
celebrities and featured most recently in In Touch magazine.
Eva Armisén's paintings and drawings are figurative, whimsical and expressive
glimpses into the every day lives of her subjects. Her works create a visual
language that captures the pleasures of every day life. Armisén's work explores
life and love, and its sincerity is refreshing.
To view Eva's work, please visit http://www.galleryophelia.com
or http://www.evaarmisen.com.
GALLERY HOURS:
Wednesday-Saturday, 12:00-6:00pm, or by appointment.
Gallery Ophelia is located at 2114 Colorado Boulevard, in Eagle Rock (one block
east of Eagle Rock Boulevard)
For more information:
http://www.galleryophelia.com
or call (323) 982-9945
11. CENTER FOR THE ARTS ART LUCK EXHIBITION -- OPENS SEPTEMBER 7
Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock is proud to announce its 3rd Annual ART
LUCK Exhibition featuring contemporary artworks of over 100 artist Honoring
Hispanic Heritage month. A special selection of monosilkscreens featuring
"Latin Golden Age" suite by Miguel Angel Reyes will also be presented.
A special presentation honoring Congressman Xavier Becerra will be held
at 2:30 pm during the opening reception.
ART LUCK Exhibition runs from September 7th through October 5th, 2003, with a
Closing Reception from 1:00-4:00 pm on Saturday, October 4th.
Both receptions are open to the public and will take place at the Center for
the Arts, Eagle Rock, located at 2225 Colorado Boulevard. Refreshments
and entertainment will be provided. Many of the artists will be present at both
receptions and the majority of artworks will be available for purchase.
Gallery Hours Monday thru Friday 1:00 - 6:00 pm
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 communities. The ERCCA also hosts two free
festivals yearly and numerous concerts and exhibitions.
For more information please contact Ms. Alex Carrillo at (323) 226-1617, or at erccc@hotmail.com.
12. VISIT THE NEW ARROYO SECO LIBRARY AND TALK TO THE
ARCHITECT WHO DESIGNED IT -- MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
talks about designing the new
Arroyo Seco Regional Library
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Monday, September 8, 2003
Arroyo Seco Library Community Room
6145 North Figueroa Street
Highland Park
Highland Park Heritage Trust (HPHT) will host architect Tom Michali
of M2A in Hollywood, the designer of the Highland Park's newly opened
Arroyo Seco Regional Branch Library. Come learn how the Mr. Michali
and his colleagues created this new gateway project in Highland Park with input
from the community and local preservationists. The historic Arroyo
Seco Regional Library began serving the community in 1894, when 22 local women
created a subscription library in a rented store at the corner of Avenue 64 and
Eagle Rock Avenue in Garvanza. The library moved to its present
site in 1914.
13. BE THERE AND BE SQUARE -- SEPTEMBER 24
The Spellbinders Square Dance Club of South Pasadena sends us this
announcement of their upcoming classes:
Spellbinders Square Dance Club of South Pasadena is sponsoring beginning square
dance classes on Wednesday evenings at 7:30 p.m. at the War Memorial Building,,
435 Fair Oaks Boulevard, South Pasadena (across the street from Kinko's.)
At one time square dancing was limited to a few patterns which could be easily
memorized during one evening of dancing. Contemporary square dancing
utilizes a number of basic movements. The caller uses these movements in
a variety of patterns and the dancer follows the commands moving to the beat of
country and/or pop music. Once taught the basic terms of square dancing a
person is able to dance anywhere in the world following the standard movements
called in different arrangements. Square dancing is good exercise,
a chance to make new friends, and most of all -- fun. Give it a try.
Classes start on September 24 and continue for three weeks. $4.00 per
person. For more information, call 323 255-2410.
14. FIFTH ANNUAL EAGLE ROCK MUSIC FESTIVAL -- OCTOBER 4
Saturday, October 4th
6:00 pm 12:30 am.
Sunday, October 5th
11:00 am-9:00 pm
At the ER Cultural Center and
various other locations throughout Eagle Rock
The Eagle Rock Community Cultural Association (ERCCA) will host the Fifth
Annual Eagle Rock Music Festival, Saturday, October 4th at 6:00 12:30 am.
and then continue on Sunday, October 5th, 11 am. 9m. The festival on
Saturday is free with the first concert beginning at the Center for the Arts,
Eagle Rock, located at 2225 Colorado Blvd. Festival goers will then walk
eastward down Colorado Boulevard to hear a variety of musical
performances.
What makes this Saturday night music festival so unique are the 24 local
venues, including restaurants, coffee houses, a floral shop, beauty salon, auto
garage, real estate office, gas station and several other storefronts along
Colorado Boulevard hosting performances. A free shuttle service will be
available throughout the evening until 10:00 pm. The evening will
conclude with a final concert in an outdoor parking lot at Caspar and Merton,
ending at 12:30 am.
Scheduled to appear on October 4th are Juan Oliva (Cuban Drumming), Bonne
Musique Zydeco, Sam Robles Tango Band, Eldad Tarmu Jazz
Ensemble, Arohi Ensemble, and Randy Kovitz with Lies Like Truth.
On October 5th, beginning at 11 am, the Center for the Arts will host a
brunch followed by a concert of classical music, directed by Carl Matthes.
At 3 pm, the North Indian Classical Music with Rajeeb Taranath of
Cal Arts will perform at the Center. The festival will close with the Open
Gate Eclectic Jazz concert at 7:30 pm.
The Eagle Rock Community Cultural Association 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 Lui or Jenny at the Center
for the Arts, Eagle Rock, (323) 226-1617. The Center is located near the
corner of Eagle Rock Boulevard and Colorado Boulevard at 2225 Colorado Blvd.
15. EAGLE ROCK'S OWN JOHNNY APPLESEED IN THE LA TIMES
For those who might have missed it, here's an excerpt from the recent LA
Times story on Eagle Rock's own Scott Wilson of Northeast Trees:
From the Sunday, August 24, 2003 edition of The Los Angeles Times
©2003 Los Angeles Times
Landscape architect vows to
continue beautifying local areas through plantings.
By Hector Becerra, Times Staff Writer
The trees chopped down and dragged off the hill at Occidental College last week
meant more to 81-year-old Scott Wilson than the nicely framed sunsets or
shaded strolls they provided.
The 65 oaks and sycamores were among hundreds planted on the Eagle Rock campus
13 years ago as the first effort by North East Trees, which the landscape
architect founded to beautify diverse pockets of northeast Los Angeles.
Since then the nonprofit group has created miniature parks along the Los
Angeles River's concrete channel and, under Wilson's supervision, taught gang
members how to green up open spaces along the highly urbanized Red Line transit
route, among other projects.
This month Occidental College cleared a scenic three-acre grove on a
hill that locals call Mt. Fiji to make way for eventual development of the
land, spokesman Jim Tranquada said. "It's one of the last
developable flat areas on campus," he said, adding that most of the trees
planted by Wilson's group remain on another 32 acres.
"Cutting trees is always difficult," he said. "It's something
everyone prefers not to see."
Wilson said he was saddened about the tree removal, but not angry. He
said that, from the time the trees were planted, his organization had an
understanding with college officials that they might one day be removed if
Occidental wanted to develop the property. "We made a deal," he said.
"I had made a moral commitment that all the trees were vulnerable."
He could have caused trouble, he said, "but that wouldn't have been an
honorable thing to do."
Beyond their environmental and aesthetic value, the trees harbored a strong
symbolism for Wilson ‹ seedlings of environmental efforts throughout the
county. Wilson, who holds master's degrees in agricultural education and
landscape architecture, taught for three decades at Eagle Rock, Crenshaw and
North Hollywood high schools before retiring in 1982. He has lived
a half-century in Eagle Rock, where the high school dedicated a plaque in his
honor before a sprawling oak. For most of that time, Mt. Fiji loomed as a
promising, but mostly fallow, hill.
In December 1989, Wilson attended a lecture at the campus held by TreePeople, a
conservation and tree-planting organization that was there to recruit students
to help with urban forestry. The meeting inspired Wilson to propose doing
something about the barren hill. Occidental officials agreed, and the L.A.
County forestry division donated hundreds of saplings. Wilson formed
North East Trees and recruited help to green up the hill. Over the years,
he thought the trees might serve as their own best defense.
"With such beautiful trees up there," he said, "their beauty
would defend them better than anybody could. Why would anybody want to cut
them?" Still, he said, he was grateful that the college had allowed him to
plant the trees at all. "They gave us a lot of support," he
said.
The planting of trees on Mt. Fiji inspired the World War II veteran to expand
his efforts. North East Trees built so-called pocket parks along the L.A.
River and was one of the organizations that successfully pushed for the
creation of a 20-acre expanse of soccer and baseball fields at downtown Los
Angeles' Taylor rail yard. The group helped residents in Watts landscape a park
and worked with the city of Pasadena to write the manual that will be used to
plant trees there.
Last summer, the organization presented a feasibility study at Caltech to a
variety of public agencies and environmentalists on ways of making places along
the Arroyo Seco River system more natural-looking. Among other things,
the study, funded by the Coastal Conservancy and the Mountains Recreation and
Conservation Authority, proposed ways to bring environmental justice to
working-class neighborhoods in Los Angeles in need of green spaces.
"It's a quality-of-life issue," said Claire Robinson, North East
Trees' executive director. The group's next project will be for the
city of Azusa in which North East Trees will landscape the foothills of the
Angeles National Forest with native plants.
To read the complete text of the article, visit the LA Times website at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-wilson24aug24,1,2491467.story
And for more on Oxy's Mount Fiji trees, read on...
16. WE'VE GOT MAIL
Last week's email on the felling of trees on the Occidental College
campus continues to stir interest, including this response from Jeff Pott of
the "Save Mount Fiji Trees" group:
"Occidental College has just committed a serious environmental crime
against rare open space and a park [used by the] poor, inner city community in
the Highland park/Eagle Rock area. Without warning, and with no reason,
Occidental officials ordered the felling of dozens of California sycamores and
oak trees on the eastern edge of their campus. This wanton destruction
included the clear cutting of a remnant riparian area along a gully that Oxy
had filled in many years ago. This area, an undeveloped open space, has
served members of the largely immigrant Highland Park community as a de facto
park for years. Occidental began their destruction of this area with no
warning to community members, despite having made numerous public pledges to
carry on open and regular communications with neighbors.
"This is particularly cynical and hypocritical, coming from an institution
that likes to present itself as environmentally concerned and community oriented.
In fact, Occidental engaged in the destruction of this wooded open space and
valuable community resource, despite having no plans to develop it at present
(according to a letter from Occidental Director of Communications Jim
Tranquada.) Since Occidental has not been communicating with
neighbors about their plans, we don't even know if they are yet finished with
their desecration of this beautiful and rare open space."
-- Jeff Pott,
http://www.savemountfigitrees@pacbell.net
We also heard from Occidental College's director of Communications, James
Tranquada, who weighed in with this statement on behalf of the College:
"Thank you for the opportunity to respond. For some reason, the
College's initial response [intended for last week's e.letter] did not reach
TERA last Tuesday.
"It's true that the College has removed some trees on the southern end of
campus - specifically, on three undeveloped acres on Avenue 50, below the
summit of Mt. Fiji. Unfortunately, Mr. Martin's original email to the community
gave some people the erroneous impression that the College was cutting every
tree on the 35 undeveloped acres above campus. That is not true. All of the
trees above Hillside Theater, Keck Theater, and the soccer field are still there,
as well as others scattered over the ridges to the east.
"Having planted hundreds of trees across its 120-acre campus over the past
90 years, the College routinely removes trees for a variety of reasons:
disease, safety and liability reasons, wind damage, and new development among
them. The College also has a long history of planting many more trees than it
removes each year. For example, during the past year the College removed 78
trees, including those taken down along Avenue 50 last week; during the same
period, it planted 169 trees. The trees removed last week were a mixture of
native and non-native species, some of which were drought-stressed or dying,
and none of which were more than 15 years old. Before removing the trees,
Occidental hired a certified arborist who identified and tagged 22 oaks as
being large enough to potentially fall under the provisions of the City of Los
Angeles' oak tree ordinance. These trees were left undisturbed.
"The three-acre site from which the trees were removed is the last
relatively flat piece of undeveloped land on Occidental's hillside campus.
Although no specific project has yet been identified, the changing needs of the
College will inevitably lead to its development over the next few years. Over
the past decade, the site has been the subject of various development
proposals, ranging from faculty housing to a softball field. Given these facts,
the College decided to remove the trees. As our academic needs for the site
become clearer we will, of course, engage the Oxy community and our neighbors
in the process.
"The removal of trees is always a difficult decision, and we appreciate
our neighbors' concern. Occidental is currently working on a strategic planning
process for its academic program that has already generated several ideas that
might require additional space. When that academic planning is completed, the
College intends to develop a specific plan for submittal to the city that, once
approved, will serve as a guide to future development on campus. As Occidental
has done in the past, it will engage the broader community as its development
plans begin to take shape. President Mitchell has made it clear that he wants
to make the specific plan a guide not only to for the built environment but for
the natural environment that helps make Occidental the special place it
is."
--James Tranquada,
Director of Communications, Occidental College, Eagle Rock
* * *
"Just wanted to thank you for letting me know about the new music
store on Colorado in the old Piller's building, Dr. Music. I spent a
wonderful afternoon there, made a great deal on a beautiful guitar, and plan to
send my daughter there for lessons. It's a great addition to our
business community!"
-- Nancy King, Glassell Park
* * *
Our final missive this week is from Helen Goodwill Gustavson and Betty
Tyndall of Eagle Rock's Neighborhood watch, co-sponsors of the recent National
Night Out gathering at Eagle Rock City Hall:
"First we want to thank the entire TERA organization and the TERA
Board Members for donating the dessert portion of the meal to help us -- the
Eagle Rock Neighborhood Watch (NW) and the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council
(ERNC) -- put on the National Night Out (NNO) celebration on August 5,
2003. This collaboration of NW, the ERNC -- with special assistance
from Occidental College and support from our council member, Antonio
Villaraigosa and his CD-14 Field Office -- certainly put the National
Night Out on the map as a gathering of relevance to this community.
"Betty Tyndall and I wanted to convey our heartfelt and warm appreciation
of the efforts of individuals who were able to provide the one dozen
sweet and satisfying watermelons as the dessert for our National Night Out
summer meal. TERA members Kathleen Long, Pamela Lansden and John Stillion
all showed up at the National Night Out event and helped with food service,
[monitored] the sign-in tables and did whatever else was needed. We thank
everyone who worked, sponsored, attended or participated in the event.
"We're hoping that celebrating our community's long standing collaboration
with Los Angeles Police and Fire Departments in crime prevention, safety
and community building will draw more of Eagle Rock's great civic, service and
business organizations together with us, Neighborhood Watch, to sponsor next
year's National Night Out event."
-- Helen Goodwill Gustavson and Betty Tyndall,
for the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Watch
17. QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Labor is prior to, and independent
of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed
if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and
deserves much the higher consideration."
--
Abraham Lincoln (18091865)
We welcome your comments. Please include your first and last name,
along with your city, street or neighborhood.
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.
The TERA e.letter
A publication of The Eagle Rock Association (TERA)
Edited by Vince Waldron
e.letter@TERA90041.org