"Eagle
Rock: Where land use and planning is a contact sport"
THE EAGLE ROCK ASSOCIATION
August 8,
2002
In this issue:
1.
HI -- WE'RE BACK!
2. ANNUAL "STATE OF THE TOWN" ADDRESS -- SEPTEMBER 17
3. EAGLE ROCKS ON THE RADIO -- AUGUST 9
4. CONGRESSMAN BECERRA TOWN HALL MEETING -- AUGUST 10
5. ARTICLE RE: UNSOLICITED DRUG MAILING INVOLVING WALGREENS
6. DEVELOPMENTS ON EAST SIDE OF EAGLE ROCK/TARGET IS OPEN
7. UPCOMING CONCERT AT YOSEMITE AMPHITHEATER -- SEPTEMBER 8
8. BICYCLISTS UNITE TO IMPROVE BIKEWAYS
9. ARROYO SECO FOUNDATION WEB SITE
10. BEWARE OF SCAMS
11. WOMEN'S WORK 2002
12. ART EXHIBIT -- THROUGH AUGUST 31
13. ARTISTS WANTED
14. CONTRACTOR SPECIALIZING IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION WANTED
15. PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ISSUE
16. HIGHLAND PARK STREETS TO BE CLOSED FOR GOLDLINE CONSTRUCTION
17. L.A. COMMUNITY POLICING CALENDAR
18. AMERICANS FOR NATIONAL PARKS COALITION SPONSORS PARKS SCRAPBOOK
PROJECT
19. LETTERS AND E.MAILS
20. QUOTE OF THE WEEK
1. HI -- WE'RE BACK!
Well, it's been a while. Thanks to all of you who wrote in while we were
away. We'll do our best to include as many of your announcements as we
can, but it will be difficult since we received so many. Still, this
issue is a lengthy one.
2. ANNUAL
"STATE OF THE TOWN" ADDRESS -- SEPTEMBER 17
Please join TERA at our next public meeting to hear Council member Pacheco give
his annual "State of the Town" address. It will take place on
Tuesday, September 17, at 7:00 p.m., at the Eagle Rock Community Cultural
Center, 2225 Colorado Boulevard in Eagle Rock.
3. EAGLE ROCKS ON
THE RADIO -- AUGUST 9
Tune into KPCC this Friday, August 9, 1:00 - 2:00 PM for Talk of the City
with Kitty Felde to hear about the explosion in Historic Districts and Sites
throughout Southern California and what impacts this will have on the future of
our Communities. Scheduled speakers will be:
(Eagle Rock's own) Jeffrey B. Samudio, Partner, Design Aid Architects,
Hollywood, Former Vice-chair of the California State Historical Commission and
co-author of the recent book, Los Angeles, California;Roberta A. Deering,
Executive Director, California Preservation Foundation, Oakland; Christy J.
McAvoy, Principal, Historic Resources Group, Hollywood; and Matthew Dillhoefer,
Mills Act Coordinator, City of Los Angeles, Cultural Affairs Department.
Don't miss it!
4. CONGRESSMAN
BECERRA TOWN HALL MEETING -- AUGUST 10
We would like to remind you of this upcoming event.
Becerra town hall meeting, Echo Park
Date: Saturday, August 10, 2002
Time: 11:00AM - 12:00PM PDT (GMT-07:00)
Elysian Hts. Elem. School.
1562 Baxter St LA 90026
5. ARTICLE RE:
UNSOLICITED DRUG MAILING INVOLVING WALGREENS
An article of interest called SUBPOENAS ISSUED TO DETERMINE WHETHER UNSOLICITED
PROZAC MAILING VIOLATED FLORIDA LAW, July 9, 2002, can be accessed by clicking
on the following site: http://prozacspotlight.org/news/action.html.
6. DEVELOPMENTS ON
EAST SIDE OF EAGLE ROCK/TARGET IS OPEN
You've probably noticed that two sites on our east side have a lot of
construction activity going on. A few people have written in asking about
them.
The building being constructed on what is commonly known as the "La Loma
Triangle" next to McDonald's is going to be a 24-hour Sav-On drug store
(not an Albertsons, as a few have thought -- Albertsons bought Sav-On).
The history of this project goes back over two years. It started
out as a Rite Aid, but Rite Aid expanded too quickly and got into financial
trouble. Sav-On then took over the project. TERA and other
community members met several times with the architect/developer,
McClellan/Hunter, to vastly improve the design and landscaping (the original
Rite Aid design was hideous -- a bland white box with ugly diamond windows).
Because the site is in a less restricted area, just about anything could
have been built. We're very lucky to have developers with a conscience
and who understand aesthetics, a rare breed.
The other project further to the west will be a senior housing project.
This project is also about two years in the making. TERA also worked
with these developers to mitigate design and landscaping problems. They
at first wanted to build multi-family housing, but we said we would not support
it because our infrastructure currently could not sustain it. Like the
above project, because it is located in a less restricted zone, they could have
gone ahead and built what they wanted. Lucky for us, they were very
agreeable and, again, like the other developers, were willing to work with the
community. Again, we are lucky to have found conscientious developers.
We could really use one of these conscientious developers at a site of great
concern further west on Colorado Boulevard. We're hoping the new
developer of the Walgreens proposal will be more cooperative and willing to
work with the community.
Speaking of further west, as far west as our mall, Westfield Shoppingtown Eagle
Rock, Target has opened its doors. No more running to Pasadena!
It's well worth visiting if just to watch the "cart escalator."
It's an amazing invention -- you don't have to wait for an elevator
anymore.
7. UPCOMING CONCERT
AT YOSEMITE AMPHITHEATER -- SEPTEMBER 8
A note from e.letter reader Steve Aranda:
I am writing letter to inform you of an upcoming event which I am in the
process of organizing along with the Yosemite Recreation Center. On
Sunday, September 8th, we will be presenting an outdoor concert at the long
silent amphitheater. The event will be free to the public, with guests
encouraged to bring along picnics. After years of dormancy, we felt it would
be a good idea to restore this local treasure into the delightful performing
arts venue it once was. The schedule of performers isn't set yet, but at
this point we have tentatively scheduled the Los Angeles Gregorian Schola, a
local flamenco dance ensemble, a folk/rock guitarist and vocalist, and a local
gallery owner interested in doing a live action mural throughout the event.
More information to come. You can contact Steve at (323) 258-6625 or
aranda2@earthlink.net.
8. BICYCLISTS UNITE
TO IMPROVE BIKEWAYS
The North/East/Central LA Bicyclists Council of the LA County Bicycle Coalition
has been meeting with council offices in the North/East/Central Los Angeles
area. Our intent is to introduce council staff to local bike issues and
local bicyclists, and to begin a discussion on what projects the City of LA
might be applying for MTA funding. MTA funding applications are due at
the beginning of 2003, so the time to figure out LA projects is this
summer/fall.
The North/East/Central LA Bicyclists Council is a local committee of the Los
Angeles County Bike Coalition focused on communities surrounding downtown Los
Angeles. The committee is a group of volunteers committed to improving
bicycling conditions in our part of the LA area. Communities we're
working in include Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Glassell Park, Cypress Park,
Garvanza, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Atwater Village, Pico-Union,
Lincoln Heights, Boyle Heights, Chinatown. Little Tokyo, Koreatown, and
Downtown LA. The N/E/CLABC has been responsible for a number of
campaigns: Bike Lanes on Griffith Park Boulevard, Latino Immigrant Bike Safety
Initiative, meeting with the LA City Council Planning Committee, pushing for LA
River Bikeway downtown connections, and we're working for bike lanes on Marmion
Way and Fletcher Drive. We are looking forward to potential future
campaigns regarding livable communities, bicycle boulevards, and additional
bike facilities in the area.
If you live, work, or bike in these parts of town, and can attend meetings, we
urge you to please join NECLABC and help make our communities more
bike-friendly! It's important that the council offices see that
there are plenty of bicyclists who are their constituents, so if you live, work
and/or ride in these areas and you're available, please attend. This is a
good chance for you, as a bicyclist, to let your councilperson know what you
would like to see done for cyclists in your community (and to hear what they
think). If you have questions (such as not being sure what council
district you are in), please call or email us if you have questions...
Joe Linton 213.380.3754 joelinton@earthlink.net
Lupe Vela 626.441.6621 Lmvela@earthlink.net for the
North/East/Central LA Bicyclists Council of the LACBC
Website for Los Angeles County Bike Coalition: http://www.labikecoalition.org
9. ARROYO SECO
FOUNDATION WEB SITE
Please click on the link to the Arroyo Seco Foundation web site for folks
interested in following and hopefully contributing to the public comments being
gathered on Pasadena's Arroyo Seco Master Plan. The direct link to the
ASF's info on the Master Plan is http://www.arroyoseco.org/ASMP.htm. This
site is THE hub for activism around the plan and is updated on a regular basis.
Check it out and become involved. It would be great for the City of
Pasadena to hear how important this portion of the Arroyo for people throughout
the region.
Marcus Renner
Education and Outreach Coordinator
Urban and Environmental Policy Institute
Occidental College
1600 Campus Road
Los Angeles, CA 90041
323-341-5093 ph.
323-258-2917 FAX
mvrenner@oxy.edu
10.
BEWARE OF SCAMS
The following was submitted by an Eagle Rock resident who was recently burgled
by scam artists. Stay alert!
"Friends,
I have lived on Argus Drive for 44 years and Friday, August 2, I was taken
advantage of by a scam team.
A woman came to my door (she had a heavy accent) claiming they would be doing
work on the wall in the back yard separating my property from the apartment
building below. She said her brother was looking at the area and needed
to talk to me. I locked my front door and went out the back.
Although I closed the back door I did not lock it. I met them both
at the front of the house and proceeded to the far back yard. The male
said his company had been hired by HUD (because the apartment building is
Section 8) to install a new fence/wall between the two properties because of
deterioration of the existing one, etc. While he was going into explicit
detail of what they would have to do, remove my bamboo, additional bushes/trees
and old wire fence their cell phone rang and during this time both the female
and male talked on the phone. (When they talked on the phone it was in
another language most of the time). Once it seemed as though he was
talking to workers down below at the apartment building and another time to his
father/boss. He talked about how they would have to bring in a team of
landscapers to remove everything noted above plus cement and fence workers
which would probably take approximately 3 days. He was very convincing as
he was rooting around in the bushes and the bamboo and got himself quite dirty.
He did not stand back and just talk.
Additionally, he even explained how the sections of the fence would be placed
from the telephone poll to my neighbors property line. At one point when
I turned around I noticed a third male on my back porch and said what is he
doing on my porch. He said he was looking for him and he was probably
knocking because he was talking to him on the phone, etc. He asked if I
had change for a $20 so he could give his workers below a tip. I told him
I did not have change. He said he would bring the waiver papers by for me
to review and sign because his company was fully insured, etc., and work would start
either Monday or Tuesday.
When I went back into the house I made myself some tea and resumed reading my
book. Several hours later I went into my bedroom and I stepped on
something. Turning the light on I discovered a very long screw driver and
immediately got the chills as I knew it was not mine. The 2nd male had
gone into my house while the other two kept me busy in the far back yard.
He went through my purse and took money. He went through my closets
and my jewelry drawers and took items.
I consider myself an alert person and do not easily fall for things but these
people were professionals. There may have even been more than 3 people
involved. I'm writing this notice so you will be well informed and
hopefully this will not happen to you or one of your family members.
Please pass the word along to your neighbors just in case so we can
keep our family members, homes and community as safe as possible."
11. WOMEN'S
WORK 2002
2nd Annual Juried Exhibit sponsored by Women in Design Los Angeles, The Eagle
Rock Community Cultural Center, and Gallery Ophelia
Introduction:
Women in Design Los Angeles is proud to present its second annual juried art
exhibition "Women's Work". This year, the event will be jointly
hosted by Gallery Ophelia & The Eagle Rock Community Cultural Center. Both
have beautiful exhibition spaces, within a block of each other, in Eagle
Rock.
This show was conceived as a forum for women working as artists and designers
in Los Angeles to show their works together, to generate a dialog about women
and work, and to give women an outlet to voice their creative passions. Through
painting, collage, assemblage, photography, installation and sculpture, Women's
Work is a show about the multi-dimensional lives women lead.
On the next page you will find the Show Prospectus information. Thank you for
your interest in "Women's Work", and we look forward to receiving
your submission.
Show Calendar:
Submission deadline.........Sept 12th, 2002
Artist notification........... Sept 17th, 2002
Art drop off.....................Sept 27th, 2002 5-8pm
Show dates.....................Oct 2nd - 31st
Reception date.................To be announced
(receptions at both the ERCCC & Gallery Ophelia - walking distance from one
another.)
Art pick up....................Nov 1st, 2002 6-8pm
The ERCCC and Gallery Ophelia receive a 35% commission on all artwork that is
sold.
Eligibility & Media:
Open artists of all ages working in painting, collage & assemblage,
photography, sculpture and installation. Sculpture must be accompanied by own
pedestal.
All artwork must be for sale. Art in private collections will not be accepted.
Entry Fee:(entry fee is non-refundable)
Please make checks payable to
"Women in Design Los Angeles".
Jurors:
To be announced in July 2002.
Submission Requirements:
Liability, Shipping & Handling:
All slides and entries will be handled with the utmost care.
- 2D work must arrive clearly labeled and ready
for hanging
- Transportation and delivery of the artwork is the
responsibility of the artist.
- Gallery Ophelia and ERCCC has limited
liability,
(but both have safe exhibition
environments, equipped with fire/alarm systems).
- Artist must pick up artwork from gallery at the
end of show on pick-up date or within
15 days of shows closing (or it
becomes property of the Gallery).
Submission Form:
Application deadline: Sept 12th, 2002
Entries must be postmarked by the above date.
Name.
Address.
tel.
fax.
email.
No. of slides
Amount enclosed$
SUBMISSIONS. Please zerox for more entries
1)Title
Medim
Size
Price
2)Title
Medim
Size
Price
3)Title
Medim
Size
Price
Please check one:
o Keep slides on file for future reference.
o Return slides in the SASE provided.
By submitting this application, artists, indicate that they have read the
application in its entirety, and agree to follow all instructions, rules and
regulations set forth herein.
SIGNATURE
DATE
For more info contact:
Gallery Ophelia, Candace Allen
2114 Colorado Boulevard
Eagle Rock, CA 90041
323.982.9945
www.galleryophelia.com
Gallery Ophelia Hours:
Weds - Saturday 12-6pm or by appointment
12. ART EXHIBIT --
THROUGH AUGUST 31
Gallery Ophelia presents
selected
works by
August 1st - 31st, 2002
Gallery Ophelia
2114 Colorado Blvd
Los Angeles CA 90041
http://www.galleryophelia.com
13. ARTISTS WANTED
The Cultural Affairs Department of the City of Los Angeles announces the
release of two Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Los Angeles World Airports.
To obtain a copy of the RFPs: visit the Cultural Affairs Department website
http://www.culturela.org or call the Public Arts Division at (213) 473-8570.
Los Angeles World Airports 9/11 Memorial Public Art Project
Submission Deadline: August 16, 2002
Los Angeles World Airports is seeking proposals from artists and artist teams
to create an original public art memorial in response to the tragic events of
September 11.
This RFP is open to any artist or artist team nationally, artists of all media
are encouraged to apply.
Questions? Please call:
Carrie Roche (213) 473-8570
Los Angeles World Airports Arts Exhibition Program
Submission Deadline: August 23, 2002
For the first time the Cultural Affairs Department and Los Angeles World
Airports are working together to showcase Southern California's artistic talent
in a series of exhibitions at Los Angeles and Ontario International Airports.
The Cultural Affairs Department seeks exhibition proposals for glass display
cases located in the terminals.
This RFP is limited to applicants residing in the Southern California area,
extending from Ventura to San Diego.
Questions? Please call:
Scott Canty, Municipal Arts Gallery (213) 473- 8432
Carrie Roche, Public Arts Division (213) 473-8570
14. CONTRACTOR
SPECIALIZING IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION WANTED
Eagle Rock community member Diane Drummond is looking for a contractor who is
sensitive to historic preservation. If you are or know of one, please
contact Diane at dianed@jbfilms.com. Thank you.
15. PEDESTRIAN
SAFETY ISSUE
The Dept. of Transportation is proposing to remove the crosswalk at Ave. 41 and
Figueroa as a traffic safety measure. However, as this junction is also a
bus stop on the south bound side of Figueroa, pedestrians would then only be
able to cross safely at either Marmion Way or Ave. 43, both two blocks away.
Removal of this crosswalk will give drivers even less notice of the
number of pedestrians who will continue to cross the street at this junction.
The Dept. of Transportation, welcomes your comments on this crosswalk. You may
communicate with them via letter at:
Dept. of Transportation, Central District
201 N. Figueroa St., Suite 600
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Or via phone at: (213) 580-3777
Or fax at: (213) 580-3749
Also contact Council member Ed Reyes at phone: (213) 485-3451
Or fax: (213) 485-8907
Or email: reyes@council.lacity.org
16. HIGHLAND PARK
STREETS TO BE CLOSED FOR GOLD LINE CONSTRUCTION
LOS ANGELES (July 26, 2002)"Seven streets in the Highland Park area will
be closed at various intervals to facilitate rail installation and street
improvements for construction of the Los Angeles to Pasadena Metro Blue Line.
The action is the result of an authorization by the City of Los Angeles Board
of Public Works.
The Los Angeles to Pasadena Metro Blue Line Construction Authority requested
the closure, which began on July 22 at Avenue 57 and will end on Nov. 11 at
Avenue 52.
The locations and length of closures are as follows:
Avenue 51 at Marmion Way, Aug. 26 to Sept. 23, four
weeks.
Avenue 52 at Marmion Way, Oct. 14 to Nov. 11, four
weeks.
Avenue 53 at Marmion Way, Aug. 19 to Sept. 16, four
weeks.
Avenue 54 at Marmion Way, Sept. 16 to Oct. 14, four
weeks.
Avenue 55 at Marmion Way, July 29 to Aug. 26, four
weeks.
Avenue 56 at Marmion Way, Sept. 23 to Oct. 21, four
weeks.
Avenue 57 at Marmion Way, July 22 to Aug. 19, four
weeks.
"The Board of Public Works also granted authority to extend any closure
for a period of no more than three days should unforeseen circumstances occur
that delay the completion of any of these projects," said William White,
director of the Department of Public Works Bureau of Street Services.
17. L.A. COMMUNITY
POLICING CALENDAR
We are pleased to announce the LA Community Policing Calendar, where you'll
find citywide community based policing events listed all in one place.
Anyone in the City, or the Department, or any community member can easily
add an appropriate event. We think this is a tool whose time has come,
and are delighted to present this service to Los Angeles.
By the way, Los Angeles Community Policing is now listed on and linked directly
to the City of Los Angeles website. Thank you LA! As promised,
there are also two new columns on the site, devoted to Youth and Seniors, and
an invite for you to correspond to each of the columnists. Alisa Smith
(Glassell Park) will write about Youth, and Anne Marie Lardeau (Hollywood)
about Seniors.
Lastly, Los Angeles Community Policing has officially become a nonprofit
organization, recognized by the state of California as a 501(c)3 ... now we
hope we'll eventually be able to do this work on your behalf full-time.
Thank you for your continued and enthusiastic support of the LACP.org
site, and the work of Los Angeles Community Policing.
Yours in service,
Bill Murray
Bobbie Logan
Mike Mason
Directors, LACP
323 / 225-6393
Website address: http://www.LACP.org
PS: Thank you for supporting your law enforcement officers.
18. AMERICANS FOR
NATIONAL PARKS COALITION SPONSORS PARKS SCRAPBOOK PROJECT
Summer is here and Americans are visiting our national parks in ever-increasing
numbers. Americans for National Parks, a coalition of over 200
conservation and preservation groups Ò including the National Trust for
Historic PreservationÒ want to capitalize on the popularity of the parks as
summer vacation destinations and, as a result, have launched a new tool called
the National Scrapbook. The National Scrapbook is a web-based, electronic tool
that gives people the opportunity to show their appreciation of our national
parks by recording their visits to these great national treasures. As
people travel over the summer and visit national parks, they can post photos
and written diaries on the scrapbook web site as a way to share experiences and
inspire all Americans to care for these majestic places. In September, these
posted entries in the scrapbook will be shared with Members of Congress and the
president as evidence of public concern and affection for our national parks
and support of Americans!
We encourage all preservation advocates to take a moment to visit the NEW
National Parks Scrapbook at http://www.americansfornationalparks.org/scrapbook
or send the new flash movie to your members/customers
http://www.npca.org/across_the_nation/americansfornationalparks/safari/.
19. LETTERS AND
E.MAILS
"We are both against the action, by any entity, that diminishes or
completely ignores the guidelines of the Colorado Boulevard Specific Plan.
The plan has only been enacted a handful of times since it was drafted
and if it's shown to be a useless document in this show-down then don't be
surprised by what may follow. The CBSP was conceived with great care,
thoughtfulness and dedication to preserve the residential aspects of this
community and to enhance the quality of life we have all invested in when we
decided to live, buy homes and raise families in Eagle Rock.
As you know, the residents of Caspar and Maywood Avenues, Neighborhood Watch
are very grateful that the CBSP came into play when it helped restrict and
close the Dance Expo, dance hall that opened and operated with impunity and
disregard for the CBSP and the residential nature of this community. Besides,
if the proposed building completely fronted on Colorado Blvd., with no
driveway, then the main entry/exit (with a right turn only because of the
median) lanes can be on ER Blvd.. The pedestrian friendly/old-town design
I envision would in the long run prove to be a much safer/saner design that
would not contribute to traffic gridlock and increase the likelihood of traffic
accidents, as does the original Walgreens design. Sincerely --"
-- Helen and David Gustavson, Eagle Rock residents and TERA members
"There's a documentary entitled 'Storewars' by Ken Schneider about what
happens when a large store like Walgreens or Wal-Mart enters a neighborhood,
i.e., all the small businesses collapse -- just the opposite of what we're
hoping for in our neighborhoods. I believe it was aired on KCET."
-- Robin DuRant, Scripps College'79
"I recently received an email from Target offering me a $10 gift
certificate if I would switch to their pharmacy. I am forwarding my
response, and hope that other Eagle Rock residents will continue to support our
local businesses:
'I'm sorry, but as much as I love shopping at Target, I just can't justify switching
my pharmacy. I currently have my prescriptions filled at a mom and
pop pharmacy that has been a part of the Eagle Rock community for a long time.
I will remain with them and support non-franchise, local
businesses.'"
-- Nancy King, Glassell Park resident
"This morning, in getting on the 2 Freeway from the Verdugo on-ramp at
Eagle Rock, I noticed an inordinate amount of garbage along the side of the
road. Not only did it bother me by its presence, but it helped bolster
one of my major concerns about having a McDonald's at that location.
Having worked on a neighborhood clean up at San Fernando and Fletcher (where
fast food restaurants abound), the majority of garbage I picked up consisted of
fast food wrappers and cups. By placing a McDonald's at Verdugo and Eagle
Rock, a similar situation will be created. We don't need another source
of garbage in the neighborhood - and it's one that can be easily avoided with
some common sense.
None of the neighbors I have spoken with want a McDonald's or more garbage in
this neighborhood. (and, if you think neighbors were mad about Public Storage,
wait 'til a McDonald's goes in)! Yet, this is being pushed through
without the concerns or wishes expressed by the neighborhood.
This is a very frustrating situation -- is there anything that can be done
before it's too late? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I thank you for your time. Sincerely --"
-- Tony Scudellari, Glassell Park resident
[Editor's note: Tony has already started work trying to halt this
project. He could use your help. Anyone interested in assisting
him, please contact him at tscud1@earthlink.net. Hey, it was done in
Eagle Rock, and it can be done in Glassell Park, too!]
20.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Municipalities need
financial resources if they are going to grow smart. Vacant, unused, and
underused historic buildings brought back to life are also brought back as
tax-generating assets for a community. That's smart growth."
--
Donovan Rypkema
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.
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
Joanne Turner <artburn@earthlink.net>
President, The Eagle Rock Association (TERA)