THE EAGLE
ROCK ASSOCIATION
The Best
Investment You Can Make in Your Neighborhood
TERA
What?
You're not yet a member of TERA?
Now more than ever, please support your residents association --
more than 1,000 members strong, and growing every day!
And don’t forget to encourage interested friends and neighbors to join TERA
so that they, too, may enjoy the many benefits of membership, including a
complimentary subscription to the TERA e.letter.
This week:
An obituary for the Colorado
Boulevard Specific Plan… and a request to Councilman Villaraigosa (Item#1)
The Eclectic Eagle Rock Home
Tour is just around the corner (Item #2)
Don’t miss TERA’s State of the
Town event September 21st (Item #3)
Tonight! Come see the
Jewels of the Northeast! (Item #4) and Revisit the Red Car (Item #5)
Table
of Contents:
1. PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE -- WALGREENS CAN’T FLAUNT THE LAW AND THEN BUY US OFF!
2. ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM TERA’S HOME TOUR
COMMITTEE – HOME TOUR OCTOBER 24 TH
3. DON’T MISS TERA’S ANNUAL STATE OF THE
TOWN MEETING – SEPTEMBER 21ST
4. EXPLORE
THE JEWELS OF NORTHEAST LOS ANGELES – LOCAL JEWLERS OPEN PANDORA’S BOX
5. REVISITING THE RED CAR” WITH THE
FRIENDS OF ATWATER VILLAGE — SEPTEMBER 10
6. ERNC SUB-DISTRICT TWO STAKEHOLDER
MEETING
7. PUT YOUR TAX DOLLARS TO WORK IN EAGLE
ROCK! ERNC BUDGET FORUM SEPTEMBER 14
8.
MAYOR HAHN NEEDS YOUR BUDGET PRIORITIES!
9. COMMUNITY GARDEN WORKDAY – CREATING A
NEW RESOURCE FOR EAGLE ROCK!
10. OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE INSTITUTE CALLS FOR
HEALTHIER FOOD OPTIONS IN LOS ANGELES SCHOOLS
11. SUPPORT THE EAGLE ROCK MUSIC FESTIVAL!
12. CALL
FOR TALENT: UPTOWN GAY AND LESBIAN ALLIANCE CABARET 2004
13. LOS
ANGELES CONSERVANCY MODERN COMMITTEE CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY WITH
COUNTYWIDE MODERNISM TOUR SEPTEMBER 18-19, 2004
14. WOMEN’S
20TH CENTURY CLUB SEEKS VENDORS FOR HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR
15. WE’VE
GOT MAIL
16. THE LAST
WORD – DOUGLAS ADAMS
1. PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE – WALGREENS
CAN’T FLAUNT THE LAW AND THEN BUY US OFF!
WALGREENS
$20 CHECKS – RETURN TO SENDER
Many of us
have received $20 “checks” in the mail which, like everything else Walgreens
does, is a fake and ultimately costs us more in the end. This check is an
incentive to change your prescription services (which keep drugstores alive) to
Walgreens. Please join us in sending back you check, and keeping your
business at the drugstores in the neighborhood that really support our
community. Most of all, DEMAND, that their $20 instead go to truly
support our town, rather than ignoring our laws and papering it over with fake
window dressing.
WALGREENS
TEMPORARY CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY APPEAL – SEPTEMBER 21st
On Tuesday,
September 21st, The Board of Building and Safety Commissioners will
consider Rich Development’s appeal regarding their Temporary Certificate of
Occupancy (TC of O). The hearing will be at 9:30 am, 9th
floor, Room 900, 201 North Figueroa Street, LA, CA 90012. This hearing is
due to Councilman Villaraigosa pointing out the Building and Safety that they
issued the TC of O in error. Building and Safety withdrew the TC of O,
and Walgreens is appealing the withdrawal. We hope that this is the
incentive Rich Development needs to fully complete the buildings as they said
they would in time for this hearing. And we look forward to seeing the
City actually follow through on enforcing its own laws.
THE CBSP IS DEAD! LONG LIVE THE ERSP!!
I was asked to reprint this, as it is referenced in letters
below. The following statement is my opinion and mine alone. Read
on. Hilary
When my
husband, Gerard, and I moved here in 1993, we were told that the commercial
district we were nearly adjacent to was governed by the newly adopted Colorado
Boulevard Specific Plan (CBSP), which meant that we could be assured that new
development along this boulevard would be vastly improved and harmonize with
the residential community. 11 years later, the blocks on Colorado
adjacent to my house look almost exactly the same, with changes of paint,
lighting or planting. Some would say this proves the CBSP “worked.”
Rather than the rampant mini-malling (mauling, really) of many of Eagle Rock’s
commercial corners, the CBSP put the brakes on such sweeping development changes.
Eagle Rock is beginning to see a thriving commercial sector, resonating our
trolley car past with some clever and truly inspired adaptive reuse of historic
commercial buildings. To all of those who toiled for years to bring the
CBSP to fruition, I thank you, for preventing the over-commercialization of the
late 1980’s from ruining our town for good. And this is why TERA
continues our fight for proper enforcement of a plan that was intended to keep
out the hucksters, and regain Eagle Rock’s previous luster.
But now I am
convinced that the CBSP, as written, must be immediately replaced with a new
CBSP. Walgreens, Rantz, and other cases have shown that, while the CBSP as
currently written is punishing those who want to open a small business (but
cannot afford to get Specific Plan Exceptions for hours of operation or cannot
provide sufficient parking on site to meet City and CBSP standards) those
developers who couldn’t care less about Eagle Rock are given tremendous
opportunity to manipulate the words of the CBSP to their gain and our
loss. Coupled with opportunities for overly broad interpretations by the
Planning and Building and Safety Departments, the CBSP requires far too much
effort on behalf of our community, only to be left with so little.
I applaud
Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa for furiously working to enforce the provision
pertaining to Rich Development, adopted in January of 2003 by the full City
Council, that Walgreens should not receive a Certificate of Occupancy until the
buildings along Colorado and Eagle Rock Boulevards were completed to the
satisfaction of Building and Safety. Councilman Villaraigosa had put
Building and Safety on alert that he expected the other buildings to be fully
completed before Walgreen’s opened. And yet, without notifying the
Council office, Walgreens held a soft grand opening on Monday. Building
and Safety issued the Certificate of Occupancy without ever checking with the
Council office.
And so, if the
CBSP and related provisions can be undone this easily, I am done with the
CBSP.
Instead, I
request that Councilman Villaraigosa initiate two important efforts by Council
motion:
1.
Completely revise the
current CBSP and metamorphosize it into an Eagle Rock Specific Plan (ERSP)
which would::
a.
Remove the prohibition of
operating hours past 9 pm, and instead put more police patrols on the
Boulevards. This would help businesses thrive in the college-town,
night-owl world we live in. And more police patrols might actually
prevent the graffiti and burglaries that are poisoning our business district;
b.
Offer parking alternatives
that allow buildings to be built “to the street” to encourage more pedestrian
activity, while supporting off-site parking lots and safer crosswalks, so that
we can walk more at night and park a reasonable distance away;
c.
Encourage and reward
businesses of all types that revitalize their properties. I like the auto
uses on the Boulevards. But we need to streamline permits to encourage
better signage and screening. California Z Cars is a perfect example of
auto uses we can all be proud of;
d.
Strengthen the character
of Eagle Rock as a historic, college town. Recapture Route 66 though good
design of shops, diners, auto uses, gas stations and the like, so that we can
continue the small town feel of our wonderful community;
e.
Supports beautification of
the Boulevards;
f.
Encourage more residential
uses along the Boulevards. Colorado Terrace and other projects could
provide necessary housing while subsidizing truly local retail efforts; and
g.
Extend the boundaries of
the Specific Plan to include all of Colorado, Eagle Rock, York and Figueroa
Boulevards in Eagle Rock, so that our plan can be a unifying vision for all of
Eagle Rock.
2.
Initiate the study to
create Historic Preservation Overlay Zones (HPOZ’s) in Eagle Rock
TERA’s Land
Use Committee is mapping the commercial buildings that are suitable for
historic designation. Please streamline these efforts, so that more
adaptive reuse of historic structures can take place. And lets work
together to apply for grants that will fund more façade improvements,
plantings, and preservation efforts that will invest in the Northeast Los
Angeles we all deserve.
I believe that
these two major initiatives can be both good for the business and the
residential communities of Eagle Rock. I look forward to working long
hours on these new CBSP and HPOZ efforts. But I won’t work another minute
on the folly of our current CBSP. Thank you for fighting for us,
Councilman Villaraigosa, and for the numerous ways in which the CBSP helped
Eagle Rock retain its character. But its time for a new, more inclusive,
more visionary and definitely more enforceable Eagle Rock character to emerge
from the rubble of the Old Shopping Bag Building.
As
President of TERA I am going to urge my fellow Board members to join with me in
calling for a new and enforceable Eagle Rock Specific Plan that will have the
power to set the standards we all wanted the Colorado Boulevard Specific Plan
to enforce.
Long
live the EAGLE ROCK SPECIFIC PLAN!
-- Hilary
Norton Orozco, TERA President
2.
ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM
TERA’S HOME TOUR COMMITTEE – HOME TOUR OCTOBER
24, 2004
Join Us for TERA's Fifth Annual
Eclectic Eagle Rock Home Tour 2004
Sunday, October 24, 2004
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The tour begins at the historic GLAD
(Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness) Building
2235 Norwalk Avenue, Eagle Rock
Also -- Neutra's Clubhouse: 50 Years Modern Lecture -- Exhibit --
Auction Eagle Rock Playground Clubhouse 1100 Eagle Vista Drive at 4:00 p.m.
Marking 50 years of this fabulous Richard Neutra-designed building
Julius Shulman, famed architectural photographer (tentative) Dion
Neutra, architect and son of Richard Neutra Barbara Lamprecht, Neutra author
Home Tour Tickets Sold Throughout Eagle Rock!
Lecture tickets available online, by mail, or at the door
Tickets
$17 in advance
$15 for TERA members in advance
$20 at the door
$20 for lecture
Ticket sale locations:
Auntie Em's, 4616 Eagle Rock Boulevard, Eagle Rock
The Coffee Table, 1958 Colorado Boulevard
Eagle Rock Juice Exchange, 2152 Colorado Boulevard, Eagle Rock
Online at: www.TERA90041.org
By mail: TERA, P. O. Box 41453, Eagle Rock CA 90041
Wanted: A Beautiful Home and Garden
TERA's Home Tour Committee needs a site to host this year's Eclectic
Eagle Rock Home Tour After-Party, which has always been a welcome perk to
our volunteers and always a great success! Because of extenuating
circumstances, our previously planned location is no longer available. We
would love it if you Eagle Rockers, who have a space which could accommodate
our wonderful yearly event, would offer your home for the after
party. Please send your offer of home or garden to Joanne Turner,
President Emeritus, at artburn@earthlink.net.
Thanks!
And don't forget
the Home Tour's request for volunteers!
Would you like to….
· Meet active and interesting
people in your community?
· Perform your civic duties?
· Brag about your beautiful and
diverse neighborhood?
· Attend a great party with
your new friends?
Then be a volunteer for the Eclectic Eagle Rock Home Tour. Be a part of
one of the premier events of Eagle Rock. Volunteers are needed before the
event and the day of the event to set-up, sell tickets, and much more.
Please email Tacpa@pacbell.net, please write
“volunteer” in the subject area.
3. DON’T MISS TERA’S
ANNUAL STATE OF THE TOWN MEETING -- SEND
US YOUR QUESTIONS!
featuring
Councilmember and Candidate for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Come hear
Councilmember Antonio Villaraigosa discuss his accomplishments and goals for
Council District 14, as well as his vision to be Los Angeles’ next mayor!
Mark your calendars now! It should be a great evening!
It is our tradition to ask the community for questions to pose to the
Councilman in preparation for the State of the Town event. Please forward
suggested questions through this e.letter so that we can compile them for the
meeting. Of course, you are all welcome to come and ask your questions on
the spot!
4.
EXPLORE THE JEWELS OF NORTHEAST LOS ANGELES
Pandora's Box: A jewelry &
functional art trunk show
Spiff
up your fall wardrobe and support local artists at Pandora's Box, a treasure
trove of jewelry and functional art at Avenue 50 Studio in Highland Park. Come
see why Northeast Los Angeles is the new "it" destination for art and
jewelry lovers!
FRIDAY,
SEPTEMBER 10, from 6 - 10 p.m.
Avenue 50 Studio, 131 N. Avenue 50,
Highland Park, 90042
Light
refreshments will be served.
Studio
info: (323) 258-1435
Benito Campo uses the lost wax
technique to create detailed sterling silver rings, belt buckles, and other
items that feature bold Aztec symbols.
Susan Carson blends raw materials such
as turquoise with crystals and pearls to create strikingly original necklaces,
bracelets, and earrings.
Tai
Carson uses semiprecious stones, vintage glass, tribal silver, and antique
hand-painted pieces from India in her beautifully exotic jewelry. Tai's other
career is midwifery.
Renee
Dominique is inspired by the beauty of the earthy elements and the multitude of
arts. She specializes in creating custom pieces that match her clients' vision
and utilizes birth stones and stones with healing properties. Her clientele
includes artists, actors, playwrights, community leaders, and Yogis. View
samples of her work at www.reneedominique.com.
Noora
Elkoussy is a painter and accessories designer whose fashion accents have been
purchased by numerous actresses including Tea Leoni.Tracy Parker loves
"taking something old and otherwise useless and transforming it into
something cool." Her handbags, felt broaches, wristcuffs, and hair clips
reflect her passion for art, fashion, and creativity.
Stormie
uses her grandmother's Pueblo bead looming technique to create exquisite
jewelry. Her mix of traditional and contemporary have caught Hollywood's
eye" Madonna, George Clooney, Lenny Kravitz, and Kate Hudson are Stormie
fans.
Jennifer
Rowland breathes life into funky old "finds" by combining flea market
treasures with a rich palette of semi-precious stones. Her "recycled"
jewels are true one-of-a-kind pieces that are as unique as the women who wear
them.
5. ”REVISITING
THE RED CAR” WITH THE FRIENDS OF ATWATER VILLAGE — SEPTEMBER 10
The Friends of Atwater Village asked us to pass along word of an exciting event
they’ve got planned for the fall, a gala benefit that promises to transport you
back to the glory days of the Los Angeles red cars! The Friends were
formed in 2000 to battle the planned demolition of the historic Van Kamps
Bakery building, and since them they’ve been a dynamic force in the Northeast
community. Among their other good works, the Friends have provided vital
assistance to TERA on a number of occasions. We urge you to mark the date
of their fundraising gala in calendars, and to plan on attending what promises
to be a worthwhile event.
Join
us for an evening along with Sky City Productions as we take a ride back
in time with The Red Car. Whether you rode Southern California’s
legendary rail system in your past, or you simply would like to make a vibrant
connection with our city's colorful past, you will not want to miss this event.
Tickets are $45.00 per person which includes: admission to our screening of Sky
City Productions’ documentary, "This Was Pacific Electric,” as well
as light fare by Netty's, a no host bar, a silent auction, coffee and
conversation with the film makers and area rail historians.
Visit us online at http://www.friendsofatwatervillage.org to purchase
tickets. Or make your check payable to Friends of Atwater Village and
mail it to:
Friends of Atwater Village
3371 Glendale Blvd, Unit 110
Los Angeles, CA 90039
For more information, dial (323) 913-2999.
6. ERNC SUB-DISTRICT TWO STAKEHOLDER
MEETING
Monday Sept. 13th
7-9pm Eagle
Rock Library
Hosted by
Jessica Wethington McLean, ERNC Sub-District Two Director.
7-8pm,
Q&A session with Henry Ojeda, Los Angeles Building & Safety Inspector.
Get informed about how the Dept. of Building & Safety operates and
bring your questions about illegal occupancy, cars parked on lawns, junk sales,
over-height fences, homeless squatting, building codes, etc.
8-9pm Neighborhood Issues Forum
We
will discuss the issues facing ERNC Sub-District Two, including your ideas
about how to spend a $5,000 donation from Cingular Wireless for beautification
of the Figueroa corridor in our neighborhood; your concerns about crime &
safety; traffic & streets; city services and more. These are
always very productive sessions, so come and be a part of making our part of
Eagle Rock better, safer and stronger!
This meeting is arranged to discuss
matters in ERNC Sub-District Two and is open to stakeholders throughout the
community. See you there!
7.
PUT YOUR TAX DOLLARS TO WORK
IN EAGLE ROCK! ERNC BUDGET FORUM SEPTEMBER 14
How do YOU want
public funds spent for the good of Eagle Rock?
Do you have ideas for Eagle Rock improvement projects or community events?
Does your group or organization wish to make a presentation to request funds or
make suggestions for spending?
The Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council invites you to attend and participate as we
discuss priorities for our 2004-2005 budget.
This is your chance to tell your neighborhood council how you want public funds
spent in Eagle Rock, so give it some thought, mark your calendars and we'll see
you there! All stakeholders & groups are invited to bring ideas and
participate! To have your presentation put on the agenda, please submit your
summary / proposal by August 31 to Mark Ryan, ERNC Treasurer. Non-agenda
ideas & comments will be taken from the floor as time allows. Mark
Ryan, Treasurer@EagleRockCouncil.org or
323-217-4481.
8. MAYOR HAHN WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU! --
SUBMIT YOUR BUDGET PRIORITIES BY SEPTEMBER 24TH
The
Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council and Mayor James Hahn are seeking your budget
priorities for the next fiscal year. Printed budget priority forms are
available at any of the following 12 locations: Westfield Mall (second
floor Service Kiosk), Sizzler, Center for the Arts, Swork's, The Juice
Exchange, ER City Hall, the Eagle Rock Library, the Coffee Table, Elvira's, the
Donut Shop next to Trader Joes, the Capri Restaurant or the
ERNC table at the Friday's Farmers Market. These locations also have
additional survey blanks. And thanks to these gracious establishments for
taking up their limited counter space for this endeavor.
9.
COMMUNITY GARDEN WORKDAY – CREATING A NEW RESOURCE FOR EAGLE ROCK!
Presented by The Eagle Rock Association, LA
Conservation Corps, LA Community Garden Council, Fresh Food Access, LA City
Council District 14
Inaugural
Work Day
Saturday,
October 2
8a.m. – 5 p.m.
1103
Rockdale Avenue
Join
us as we transform Open Space into
Food for Our Families and a Community
Gathering Place!
Free Breakfast/Lunch for all
Volunteers;
Children Welcome
Bring gloves/tools w/your ID attached
Sign up for your own Garden Plot
(Location: Rockdale Ave. is one block east of
Figueroa, just across from Vons. Parking: available along La Loma, Lanark, or
at Lanark-Shelby Park.)
10. OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE INSTITUTE CALLS FOR
HEALTHIER FOOD OPTIONS IN LOS ANGELES SCHOOLS
[Editor’s
note: Occidental’s recommendation for fresh healthy food to combat
childhood obesity is yet another reason to support our Eagle Rockdale Community
Garden, and the many others we hope to create in Eagle Rock]
Having
banned all soft drink sales on its campuses, the Los Angeles Unified School
District needs to take further steps to effectively combat rising rates of
overweight among the hundreds of thousands of students it feeds daily,
according to a new report from the Occidental College Urban and Environmental
Policy Institute.
"The
crucial issue framing current efforts and debates about nutrition education and
food choice is the alarming increase in the prevalence of overweight among
American children," said report co-author Robert Gottlieb, Occidental
professor of urban and environmental policy and director of the UEPI. "The
number of overweight school-age children tripled from 5 percent in 1980 to 15
percent in 2000 and continues to increase."
Some
of the causes include changes in home eating habits (while meals prepared at
home accounted for slightly less than 20 hours a week in the 1950s, that number
decreased to less than 10 hours a week in 1998-99, according to the Annual
Review of Public Health) and school food programs that mimic or work in
conjunction with fast food and beverage providers. Research also ties family
income status to overweight. Almost 62 percent of school children in Los
Angeles County are eligible for free and reduced-price meals as determined by
federal poverty guidelines.
The
26-page report was funded by the John Randolph and Dora Haynes Foundation.
Titled "Fast Food And Healthy Food: Evaluating Programs and Policies For
Healthy Food Alternatives in Southern California Schools," the report
concludes that more needs to be done to encourage access to healthy foods on
school campuses. Among its key recommendations:
*
LAUSD should appoint a liaison to facilitate community participation in the
district's decision-making process, to increase buy-in and likelihood of
success of implementing healthy school food policies.
*
School sponsored taste tests of healthier food - such as those that occurred at
Venice High School and Monroe High School in the San Fernando Valley - should
be conducted for students at all LAUSD schools.
*
The LAUSD Child Nutrition Advisory Committee should be re-established to
monitor and evaluate obesity prevention and soda ban motions adopted by the
school board. The committee was formed in 2001, but is no longer functioning.
*
Student nutrition advisory councils should be developed at each high school to
help implement healthy school food approaches, including issues involved with
vending machines and student stores. The handful of councils that now exist at
LAUSD high schools are important advocates for healthy approaches, said report
co-author Margaret Haase, director of the Center for Food and Justice, a
division of UEPI.
Further,
the report calls on the district to build on its salad bar program, including a
"farm-to-school" approach in which local growers provide fresh fruit
and vegetables to area schools. UEPI successfully facilitated the development
of the farm-to-school approach, in which farmers supply fresh produce for
school lunch salad bars, to all 14 campuses in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified
School District and to several elementary schools in the Compton Unified School
District. In addition, the project encourages schools to plant their own
gardens as an integrated educational component.
Gottlieb
noted that LAUSD and other Southern California school districts have already
taken some of these steps in the past two years, but "it is imperative
from both a health and learning perspective that the report's recommendations
be effectively implemented, extended and sustained."
"Schools
can play an important role in preventing childhood overweight by providing
ready access to healthy meals with appropriate calories and nutrients,
providing nutrition education that encourages healthful food selections,
offering opportunities for physical activity and creating school environments
that model health-promoting behaviors and choices," Haase added.
11. SUPPORT THE EAGLE ROCK MUSIC
FESTIVAL!
The
Sixth Annual Eagle Rock Music Festival will be held on Saturday, October 2nd at
6pm to midnight. The festival continues on Sunday, October 3rd with
three FREE concerts at the Center. Sunday's festival opens with a
scrumptious, complimentary brunch at 11am which will be followed by a
performance programmed by Eagle Rock's own Renaissance Arts
Academy. CalArts will present a percussion ensemble at
3pm. The festival will conclude with an Open Gate jazz concert
beginning at 7pm. Hope that all members of the Chamber come and
enjoy!
The
Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock will be producing a gorgeous plaque thanking
all 2004 sponsors for the Music Festival. We began this tradition
last year and it was highly successful. If you know of any
individual or business that would like information on this opportunity, please
contact me or Roxanna by email or phone 323.226.1617. The
sponsorships are affordable, beginning at $50. All sponsors will be
included on the map/programs which will begin to be distributed on September
25th at the lighting on the Eagle Rock.
Best, Jenny Krusoe, Executive Director, Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock
12.
CALL FOR TALENT:
UPTOWN GAY AND LESBIAN ALLIANCE CABARET 2004
On Saturday, September 18, the Uptown Gay and Lesbian Alliance
(UGLA) will hold auditions for its 14th annual fund raiser, Cabaret 2004,
in Eagle Rock. Singers, dancers, comics, instrumentalists, illusionists,
groups, etc., are encouraged to try out. If interested, please call
Carl Matthes at (323) 254-2726 or Joan Potter at (323) 258-2555. Or
e-mail UGLA at UptownGLA@aol.com.
Cabaret 2004 will be held at the Womens 20th Century Club on October 16.
Funds raised by Cabaret 2004 will go to support UGLA's community charitable,
educational and visibility programs. For more information about UGLA,
visit http://www.ugla.org.
13. LOS ANGELES CONSERVANCY MODERN COMMITTEE
CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY WITH COUNTYWIDE MODERNISM TOUR SEPTEMBER 18-19,
2004
To celebrate two decades of helping to preserve Los Angeles'
extraordinary Modern architecture, the Los Angeles Conservancy Modern
Committee ("ModCom") is throwing a two-day birthday party all
over the county. The event, called "20/20/20" -- 20 years, 20 sites,
20 dollars (member price) -- will take place the weekend of September 18-19, 2004, with ten different sites
available for viewing each day. The self-driven tour features the
"greatest hits" of previous ModCom tours and preservation issues, a
true cross-section of mid-twentieth-century architecture.
Spanning from Pacific Palisades to Downey, the
20/20/20 tour includes such highlights as:
- The Charles and Ray Eames home and studio (Case
Study House #8)
- Richard Neutra's former residence, VDL Research
House II
- A 1930 Los Feliz home designed by R.M. Schindler
- Prime examples of postwar residential tracts,
including Gregory Ain's Mar Vista tract, the city's newest historic district
and the first composed solely of Modern homes
- The world's oldest McDonalds restaurant
- The 1958 former Union Oil headquarters (now Los
Angeles Center Studios)
- A book signing with legendary architectural
photographer Julius Shulman
Some sites will have docent-led tours, while others will feature special
promotions and involvement by neighborhood organizations. Participants
will create their own custom tours by choosing which sites to see and in which
order. To commemorate the event, celebrated artist Shag will produce a
special, limited-edition print, which will be offered first to 20/20/20 ticket
holders.
Along with the fun comes a reminder to Angelenos of the vulnerability of L.A.'s
authentic Modern architectural heritage. The Modern Committee was formed
in 1984 in response to the rapid destruction of post-World War II buildings in
Los Angeles -- particularly two iconic Googie coffee shops, Ships Westwood and
Tiny Naylors. This volunteer sub-committee of the Los Angeles Conservancy
has since grown into a powerful voice for Modern preservation.
Tickets are $20 for Los Angeles Conservancy members and $30 for the general
public. Tickets are good for all sites on both days. To order tickets,
visit the Modern Committee website at http://www.modcom.org or request an order
form by calling 213.430.4219.
The Los Angeles Conservancy is a nonprofit membership organization that works
through education and advocacy to recognize, preserve, and revitalize the
historic architectural and cultural resources of Los Angeles
County. What began as a volunteer group in 1978 has grown to more
than 8,500 members, making the Conservancy the largest organization of its kind
in the U.S. For more information, contact the Conservancy at http://www.laconservancy.org.
14.
WOMEN’S 20TH CENTURY CLUB SEEKS VENDORS FOR HOLIDAY CRAFT
FAIR
The Women's 20th Century Club
of Eagle Rock is in the planning stages of their upcoming Holiday Boutique
& Craft Fair, which will be held on November 6. If you are
interested in a vendor spot at the Club on that day, please contact Roe Muzingo
(323) 255-4438, or email her at Roemuz@webtv.net.
15. WE’VE GOT MAIL
*
* *
Dear Editor:
I don’t get it…I just don’t
get it…How could this have happened:
Councilman
Villaraigosa had put Building and Safety on alert that he expected the other
buildings to be fully completed before Walgreen’s opened. And yet,
without notifying the Council office, Walgreen’s held a soft grand opening on
Monday. Building and Safety issued the Certificate of Occupancy without
ever checking with the Council office.
If indeed, Villaraigosa has put Building & Safety on
alert—the B&S would not have HAD to check with anyone…this smells
fishy!! I myself would like to see the “alert” that the Councilmember
SAYS he gave B&S—he put it in writing, right? If indeed that is the case, I
am sure he won’t mind sharing that piece of information in writing with us…I
need to see it, because I am a voter, a tax payer and someone who cares about
this community—if he did put them on alert as he says and they ignored him,
then someone should answer to US---our tax dollars pays everyone’s salary---and
I would expect that whom so ever “ignored” the council person should be
publicly taken to task.
AND, can’t Walgreen’s be forced to close until they meet the
provisions of the CBSP??? I mean, a tax paying homeowner has to go thru more that that
to legally change a faucet in this city!! Hilary, I understand your frustration
with the CBSP, but really until we can get this plan to WORK, why invent
another paper tiger?
-- Sharon Miro, TERA Member
and Eagle Rock Homeowner since 1993
We share your frustration, Sharon. Councilman Villaraigosa
will answer your questions about process at the State of the Town on Tuesday,
September 21st. Walgreens CAN be
forced to close, if the Building and Safety Commission deny’s their appeal at
the hearing September 21st regarding their erroneously issued
temporary C of O (see my President’s message above). As for the Eagle
Rock Specific plan, the only way I would support its adoption is if our Council
member, the City Attorney, Planning and Building and Safety determined in
writing that its provisions would be enforced to the full extent of the
law.
* * *
Joanne,
I agree with your opinion regarding
Walgreens and the other development on Eagle Rock and Colorado.
But
why stop with just that Walgreens. I never shop, there or at Savon (or
Albertson's, Vons or Ralphs for that matter). I disagree with their
policies, corporate culture and pretty much against everything they represent.
I
vote with my wallet and have for years now. I thank you for your hard
work at keeping our area updated and aware of the good and the bad in our
neighborhoods.
Best regards,
-- Doug Nickel, Mt. Washington
* * *
Dear Editor:
In
the current issue (Sept. 3, 2004) of the TERA e.letter, President Hilary Orozco
requested that outgoing Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa initiate municipal
ordinances that would:
1. Change the
limited-scope Colorado Boulevard Specific Plan into an all-encompassing Eagle
Rock Specific Plan (ERSP)
2. Initiate a
study to create Historic Preservation Overlay Zones (HPOZ's) in Eagle Rock.
With
respect to the suggested ERSP, it appears that the emphasis would be on
creating a more "boutique/small business-friendly" atmosphere
in Eagle Rock which would (A) allow extended operating hours in recognition of
the presence of relatively large numbers of college students from Occidental
College who need places to go and (constructive) things to do in our town,
especially at night; (B) provide a beefed-up police presence vis-a-vis
more police patrols, which would probably have a strong deterrent effect on the
criminal element that "does its thing" (e.g., acid etching of windows
up and down ER Blvd. and York Blvd., "tagging," etc.) under cover of
darkness; and (C) provide a variety of parking alternatives that would
encourage walking/strolling in our town.
Regarding
the suggested HPOZs, they would obviously have to complement the ERSP because
the "big picture" intent of the Specific Plan would be to retain the
small-town/college town flavor of Eagle Rock.
Having
summarized it thusly (and hopefully without destroying the intent of the
well-presented suggestions), I would like to ask the following two questions:
1)
About a year or so ago, a so-called parking survey was conducted. I responded
to the questionnaire, as did many other people. I went one step further, and
presented a well thought-out and comprehensive proposal regarding the purchase
of the empty lot on ER Blvd. at Fair Park Ave. by the City; having a
multi-story parking structure erected on that site; and having shuttle bus
service running up and down ER Blvd. and Colorado Blvd., using that parking
structure as a terminus. No response was forthcoming from the people conducting
the survey, and I don't recall hearing or reading about the results of the
survey. I also passed on my suggestion repeatedly to Mr. Villaraigosa's office,
but they didn't feel it important enough to respond, I guess, since I heard
nothing from them, either, despite follow-through on my part.
So, Question No. 1 is: what ever
happened to the Parking Survey?
2)
Question No. 2 is: What ever happened to my idea of the Eagle Rock Chamber of
Commerce and the various merchants in Eagle Rock, who(presumably) want my (and
your, and everyone else's) business, creating an Eagle Rock Business
Improvement District (BID)? As numerous studies and real-world experience
confirms, BIDs provide the single-most important means of reversing urban
blight, renewing older declining neighborhoods, and generating much-needed
revenue to help improve services and necessary infrastructure?
Again, these suggestions apparently
went unheeded.
I
have attended numerous meetings of TERA to support the anti-Walgreen's and
"save-the-Shopping-Bag-building" activities of TERA President
Emeritus Joanne Turner, and campaigned vigorously for Antonio Villaraigosa to
help defeat Nick Pacheco. I paid my dues, so to speak, have followed through
repeatedly with the local field office in Eagle Rock's City Hall, have often
corresponded with the editor of the e.letter, and have tried to influence my
friends and neighbors here in Eagle Rock about the importance of citizen
participation to the maximum extent possible.
I
appreciated Pres. Orozco's comment: "But I won't work another minute on
the folly of our current CBSP. Thank you for fighting for us, Councilman
Villaraigosa, and for the numerous ways in which the CBSP helped Eagle Rock
retain its character. But its time for a new, more inclusive, more
visionary and definitely more enforceable Eagle Rock character to emerge from
the rubble of the Old Shopping Bag Building."
We
showed Nick Pacheco that politicians who didn't consistently fight for their
constituents got booted out of office. Antonio Villaraigosa snookered us by
overtly lying when he said---repeatedly, and explicitly---that he planned to
serve out his full term as councilman, no matter what, and that he would not
use the 14th CD seat as a steppingstone to further his personal political
ambitions. If we can't trust him to keep his word given to us to secure our
vote, how much less can we trust him when he runs for a city-wide office?
The
lesson is as simple as it is clear: we must institute ***structural reforms***
that do not depend on the integrity of individuals, but have built-in
enforcement mechanisms.
The
lack of a coherent strategy for structural reform, for political
accountability, and for greater citizen participation in local politics means
that it will be increasingly difficult to get anything significant
accomplished.
In
the real world of business (or government, for that matter), NOTHING gets done
without a program-plan, schedule and budget. Businesses that are serious
marshall the necessary resources of time AND money to accomplish their goals.
Volunteer citizen groups must do the same IF they are to have any chance of
successfully fighting "corporate Goliaths." The reason why Rich
Development, Walgreen's, et al. are able to trample over us is because we don't
have the necessary committments of time and money to mount effective campaigns,
including writs, lawsuits and injunctions---the only language these
mega-developers understand.
Please forgive the length of this
letter, but if you could get it to Pres. Orozco, I would appreciate it.
Thank you.
--
Stephen P. ("Steve") Watkins, J.D.Eagle Rock, California
Dear
Stephen, none of your suggestions went unheeded. The Eagle Rock Community
Preservation and Revitalization (ERCPR) is working on the next iteration of the
parking study, and we have also proposed the BID concept for years, and in
fact, have suggested that residents and businesses pay into the fund to support
the boulevards. The Eagle Rock Chamber has not supported the concept
yet.
*
* *
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16. THE LAST WORD – DOUGLAS ADAMS
“The answer to the great question…of life, the universe
and everything…is forty-two.”
-- Douglas
Adams (b.1952) from “The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”
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©2004 The Eagle Rock Association
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)
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The TERA e.letter
A publication of
The Eagle Rock Association (TERA)
Hilary Norton Orozco, editor
e.letter@TERA90041.org