THE EAGLE ROCK ASSOCIATION
The Best Investment You Can Make in Your Neighborhood
September 11, 2003
In this issue:
Nine lives, no waiting (item #7)
Scared in the stacks (item #9)
Talk to the trees (item #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 EAGLE ROCK HOME TOUR ON THE HORIZON -- OCTOBER 19
4. THERE'S STILL TIME TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE ECLECTIC HOME TOUR
5. CALLING ALL ARTISTS: A BREATH OF PLEIN AIR -- DEADLINE FOR
SUBMISSIONS, OCTOBER 3
6. FOCUS ON BUSINESS -- JUICE EXCHANGE
7. CALLING ALL KITTEN LOVERS: ANGEL PUSS CAT RESCUE HAS A LITTLE
BUDDY FOR YOU
8. COLLAGE WORKS BY KATHI OSHIMA AT LE PETIT BEAUJOLAIS -- SEPTEMBER
12 -- OCTOBER 31
9. EAGLE ROCK LIBRARY HOSTS A REALLY SCARY EVENT -- SEPTEMBER 18
10. MEET EAGLE ROCK POLICE OFFICER JOE GALINDO AT THIS MONTH'S
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH MEETING -- SEPTEMBER 18
11. NORTHEAST TREES HOSTS ARROYO SECO ORAL HISTORY NIGHT --
SEPTEMBER 18
12. BE THERE AND BE SQUARE -- SEPTEMBER 24
13. FIFTH ANNUAL EAGLE ROCK MUSIC FESTIVAL -- OCTOBER 4
14. GARDENER'S CORNER: FIND NATIVE PLANTS AT THE THEODORE PAYNE
FOUNDATION -- OCTOBER 10-12
15. THE ANNUAL DO-GOODERS BALL: A CELEBRATION OF LOCAL ACTIVISM --
OCTOBER 10
16. INCA: THE PERUVIAN ENSEMBLE AT EAGLE ROCK LIBRARY -- OCTOBER
11
17. SOUTHWEST MUSEUM OFFERS FOUR CENTURIES OF PUEBLO POTTERY --
THROUGH OCTOBER 12
18. WE'VE GOT MAIL
19. QUOTE OF THE WEEK -- TOM JONES
1. A MESSAGE FROM TERA PRESIDENT HILARY NORTON OROZCO
Let me first take a moment to recognize the lives lost due to the
terrorism of September 11, 2001, including Eagle Rock resident Ruben Ornedo.
TERA salutes the heroism of those who lost their lives and those who
risked their lives to save others that day and in the aftermath of September
11th.
A nonprofit One Day's Pay is seeking to make September 11th an annual day of
volunteer service and good deeds.
Let this be a day we all reflect upon community, unity, peace, and
rejuvenation. Let's build each other up and ensure that our physical and
psychological "community" cannot be destroyed.!
On another note, TERA recognizes the Christian Assembly Foursquare Church and
California Z Cars for their tremendous work to beautify their properties on
Colorado Boulevard. Thank you for making such wonderful investments in our
town!
Please come join us on Tuesday, September 23rd at TERA's annual "State of
the Town" event to hear and discuss additional ways we can strengthen
Eagle Rock together.
Peace be with you today!
2. ANNUAL "STATE OF THE TOWN" ADDRESS BY
COUNCILMEMBER ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA -- TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
7:00 p.m.
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. Donations will be gladly accepted to offset
the cost of the insurance for the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, for this
event.
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 EAGLE ROCK HOME TOUR ON THE HORIZON -- OCTOBER
19
The 4th Annual
Sunday, October 19, 2003
10:00 a.m.4:00 p.m.
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
4. THERE'S STILL TIME TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE ECLECTIC EAGLE ROCK HOME
TOUR
The Eclectic Eagle Rock Home Tour planners are still looking for a few
more volunteers and docents to help organize this year's Home Tour as well as
to help out on the weekend of the event. Play an integral role in
bringing one of our community's best-loved annual events to life. As an
added bonus, tour volunteers earnhighly-sought invitations to the Eclectic
Eagle Rock Home Tour Wrap Party, a highlight of Eagle Rock's social
calendar.
If you'd like to help us make this year's Home Tour another smashing
success, call Juliann at (323) 256-6767 or email her at Julilanser@aol.com.
5. 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 ______
6. FOCUS ON BUSINESS -- JUICE EXCHANGE
One of Eagle Rock's newest businesses is Juice Exchange, located
a few doors east of Swork on Colorado Boulevard. Juice Exchange's
friendly owners Sally and Ernesto offer you the healthier meal alternative,
including freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juices, fruit salad, baked
goods, gourmet pretzels of various unique flavors, create-your-own sandwiches
from a fresh selection of nutritious ingredients, quality brewed coffees, and
Boba and Chai tea, among other things.
Located in a simple but colorfully appealing storefront, Juice Exchange is open
Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00
p.m., and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Why not give them a try?
Juice Exchange
2152 Colorado Boulevard
Eagle Rock, CA 90041
(323) 256-2820
7. CALLING ALL KITTEN LOVERS: ANGEL PUSS CAT RESCUE HAS A
LITTLE BUDDY FOR YOU
From TERA board member Mary Tokita comes this tip for local pet lovers of
all stripes:
If you've ever thought of adopting a kitten, do it this weekend!
Cats are enchanting and engaging creatures, and Angel Puss Rescue,
a non-profit organization dedicated to saving homeless and abandoned felines,
is overflowing with kittens and adult cats right now. Every
one of them is sweet, friendly, and well-cared for by the devoted staff. And
any of them would make a great addition to your happy home. You'll have a
hard time picking just one! The adoption fee includes all shots and
spay/neutering.
Angel Puss Rescue is at 1578 Colorado Boulevard (in the mini-mall between
Tritch's Hardware and Trader Joe's.) Their phone number is (626)
442-4477.
-- Mary Tokita
8. COLLAGE WORKS BY KATHI OSHIMA AT LE PETIT BEAUJOLAIS --
SEPTEMBER 12 -- OCTOBER 31
Le Petit Beaujolais will be showcasing a series of new collage compositions
by Southern California artist Kathi Oshima from Friday, September 12, through
Friday, October
31.
The exhibition, "Natural Impressions," features the
artist's richly textured collage assemblages, which combine surprising combinations
of leaves and petals, richly printed papers, old photographs, found objects,
and finished drawings and paintings.
Le Petit Beaujolais, Eagle Rock's Little French Bistro, is located at 1661
Colorado Boulevard in Eagle Rock. The exhibition is offered during hours
of operation, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday and
Sunday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information, dial (323)
255-5133.
9. EAGLE ROCK LIBRARY HOSTS A REALLY SCARY EVENT -- SEPTEMBER 18
A Super Scary Storytime
with author Q.L. Pierce
Eagle Rock Library
5027 Caspar Avenue
Thursday, September 18
3:30 p.m.
Thrill seekers of all ages will want to be on hand when children's book
author Q.L. Pierce (Scary Stories for Stormy Nights) arrives
to scare the socks off us at the Eagle Rock Library's special Scary Tales
Workshop, 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 18. For more
information, dial (323) 258-8078.
10. MEET EAGLE ROCK POLICE OFFICER JOE GALINDO AT THIS MONTH'S
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH MEETING -- SEPTEMBER 18
Eagle Rock Neighborhood Watch meetings are held from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
on the third Thursday of each month (except August and December) at the Eagle
Rock City Hall building, 2035 Colorado Boulevard, at the corner of North
Maywood Avenue. (This scheduled meeting dates remaining in this
calendar year are September 18, October 16 and November 20.)
Eagle Rock's Senior Lead Police Officer Joe Galindo presides
at all meetings, which are open to all. The Neighborhood Watch goal
is to have every block in Eagle Rock participating, so if your street isn't yet
chartered, these meetings represent a great way to find out more about this
vital community-building program.
11. NORTHEAST TREES HOSTS ARROYO SECO ORAL HISTORY NIGHT --
SEPTEMBER 18
Our friends at Northeast Trees invite you to an upcoming discussion:
Arroyo Seco Oral History Night
6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
September 18, 2003
Northeast Trees
570 West Avenue 26, Suite 200
Los Angeles
Join Jessica Hall, Design Associate, for a moderated discussion that focuses on
oral histories of the Arroyo Seco watershed. Learn about what was, and
participate in a discussion of what will be again!
No registration is required for this special Workshop.
For more information, contact Clair Robinson, executive director of Northeast
Trees, at (323) 441-8634. Or visit us online at http://www.northeasttrees.org.
And while we're on the subject of Northeast Trees, the group has put out
the call for volunteers to help with upcoming planting projects and also to
fill a few open positions:
1. Capital Improvements Manager, Ongoing, Los Angeles, CA
Description: Facilities improvement and eco-renovation for our office and
nursery.
2. Environmental Reports Manager, Ongoing, Los Angeles, CA
Description: Produce key environmental reports for bikeway, watershed and
riparian habitat restoration projects to include: organizing, producing,
binding/disseminating.
3. Environmental Restoration Mapping Coordinator, Ongoing, Los
Angeles, CA
Description: Working with a designer to map restoration efforts in the
Arroyo Seco watershed.
4. Supporter Base Manager, Ongoing, Los Angeles, CA
Description: Mailing production, database support, calling potential supporters
5. Park and Greenway Care and Tree Planting, September 20,
2003, from 12:00 p.m., Los Angeles, CA
Description: Help plant and maintain trees along the Los Angeles River and
Arroyo Seco. Be sure to wear sturdy shoes, sunscreen and a hat.
Bring gloves if you have them.
6. Park and Greenway Care and Tree Planting, October 25, 2003, 9:00 p.m.
to 12:00 p.m., Los Angeles, CA
Description: Help plant and maintain trees along the Los Angeles River
and Arroyo Seco. Be sure to wear sturdy shoes, sunscreen and a hat. Bring
gloves if you have them.
7. Park and Greenway Care and Tree Planting, December 13, 2003, 9:00 a.m.
to 12:00 p.m., Los Angeles, CA
Description: Help plant and maintain trees along the Los Angeles River
and Arroyo Seco. Be sure to wear sturdy shoes, sunscreen and a hat. Bring
gloves if you have them.
8. Park and Greenway Care and Tree Planting, January 24, 2004, 9:00 a.m.
to 12:00 p.m., Los Angeles, CA
Description: Help plant and maintain trees along the Los Angeles River
and Arroyo Seco. Be sure to wear sturdy shoes, sunscreen and a hat. Bring
gloves if you have them.
For more information on volunteer opportunities with Northeast Trees, dial
(323) 441-8634.
12. 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.
13. FIFTH ANNUAL EAGLE ROCK MUSIC FESTIVAL -- OCTOBER 4
Saturday, October 4th
6:00 p.m. 12:30 a.m.
Sunday, October 5th
11:00 am-9:00 pm
At the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, (formerly the Eagle Rock Community
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.
Tickets for TERA's Eclectic Eagle Rock Home Tour will
be available at the festival. Look for our table at the Center Saturday night,
and buy your tickets at the reduced advance prices ($10.00 for TERA members
& $12.00 for non-members).
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.
14. GARDENER'S CORNER: FIND NATIVE PLANTS AT THE THEODORE PAYNE
FOUNDATION -- OCTOBER 10-12
If you're cultivating a native plant garden, or just thinking about it,
here's an article from the September 7 issue of The Los Angeles Times that may
be of interest. Sharp-eyed readers will recognize the name of
Highland Park Neighborhood activist Clare Marton Kenyon, who makes a cameo
appearance in the final paragraph.
Practicing a Bit of Botanical
Philanthropy
Volunteers from a Sun Valley group hunt down seeds
to help propagate California native plants
By Patricia Ward Biederman, Times Staff Writer
©2003 Los Angeles Times
In the foothills of the San Gabriels, with paper bag in hand, John Cox gives
the soaring yucca a practiced shake. "This is a good one because the seeds
are low," Cox explains as dozens of tiny seeds fall into the bag.
In the summer, Cox and fellow volunteer Holliday Wagner go out almost every
weekend to collect the seeds of native plants. Although they insist they
are doing nothing especially admirable, the pair are practicing a form of
botanical philanthropy. They find and collect seeds for the Theodore Payne
Foundation, a nonprofit group that promotes the preservation and use of plants
indigenous to California.
Some of the seeds they gather end up in one of more than a dozen seed mixes
sold at the foundation's Sun Valley headquarters, including a blend that
produces vegetation to please the palate of the desert tortoise. Other seeds
will be grown into plants, which will then be sold or planted in gardens that
demonstrate the virtues of non-thirsty native flora. For the seed gatherers,
every plant on the dun-colored hillside presents its challenges. The seeds of
the Yucca whipplei ‹ commonly called Our Lord's Candle because of its
taper-like clusters of white flowers ‹ are often beyond the reach of all but
the tallest collectors. But this particular specimen is low-slung and
accessible. Cox and Wagner won't have to spread a bedsheet under it and shake
the entire plant to get its seeds. So far this season, the foundation's handful
of volunteers have gathered the seeds of more than 50 species, from Achillea millefolium,
or the common yarrow, to Viola purpurea to the handsome yellow goosefoot
violet. They are still looking for at least 50 more.
Wagner spots one of their target species. "I see some golden eardrops,
which we don't have!" she shouts triumphantly to Cox. Theirs is a
decidedly low-tech operation. They avoid fancy tools and prefer to transport
their tiny prizes in brown paper bags. "If you put the seeds in a plastic
bag, the whole thing becomes a damp, soggy mess," explains Wagner, an
administrator at East Los Angeles College who has a doctorate in plant ecology.
What they lack in pricey equipment, the volunteers make up for in hard-won
expertise.
There is no manual offering advice on where to find the elusive seeds.
Collectors learn in the field, guided, if they're fortunate, by a veteran seed
gatherer. Theodore Payne, the British horticulturalist who made Southern
Californians aware of their botanical heritage at the turn of the last century,
was mentored by local Native Americans. Smitten by the California poppy and
other natives, Payne eventually made more than 400 species available to home
gardeners, selling seeds and plants out of a Los Angeles nursery founded 100
years ago. He died in 1963 at the age of 91.
Carrying on Payne's work, Wagner, Cox and a third volunteer collector, Clare
Marter Kenyon, were initiated into the green science by Ed Peterson, now
98, who started the seed collection program in 1962.
To read the full text of this article online, visit the Los Angeles Times
website:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-gdturns7sep07,1,900271.story?coll==la-headlines-california
And speaking of the Theodore Payne Foundation, mark your
calendars for the weekend of October 10-12, when the Foundation hosts their
annual Fall Festival, which features a Botanic Art Show, Special Exhibits and
big discounts on all house and yard plants. The Theodore Payne Foundation
is at 10459 Tuxford Street in Sun Valley. For more information,
dial (818) 768-1802.
15. THE ANNUAL DO-GOODERS BALL: A CELEBRATION OF LOCAL ACTIVISM --
OCTOBER 10
starring Carlos Guitarlos,
Marcy Levy and Friends,
Ann Likes Red and others
7: 30 p.m.
Friday, October 10
Los Angeles River Center and Gardens
Cypress Park
LA blues legend and guitar slinger Carlos Guitarlos returns to his old
neighborhood October 10, 2003, when he headlines the first annual Do-Gooders
Ball at the River Center in Cypress Park. The event is a salute to the
wealth of local community activists and the unheralded work they perform
throughout Northeast Los Angeles, from Cypress Park to Eagle Rock and beyond.
Guitarlos grew up in Cypress Park, a hardworking low-income section of LA set
hard against the Southern Pacific rail yards and the LA River. In the late 70s
and 80s, he was a fixture in the LA rock scene with the band, Top Jimmy and the
Rhythm Pigs, who held down the fort every Monday night at Hollywood's Cathay De
Grande. It was a boozy mix of blues, rock and soul, heavy on the booze.
In fact, it was the drinking life that finally took Top Jimmy, and found
Guitarlos on the streets of San Francisco for the last 5 years, playing for
change in the Mission District.
Newly clean and sober, Guitarlos has recorded a new CD with the help of some
friends, and teamed up with former Eric Clapton partner/singer Marcy Levy for a
new band and hopefully, a new tour. Guitarlos will be performing tunes from the
new CD, "Straight from the Heart," and should be joined on stage by a
few of his special musical friends. Also on the bill are local rockers
Ann Likes Red, "Highland Park¹s House Band" and a long time fixture
at LA community events. They have played everywhere from the LA Marathon
to the ArroyoFest to the Bay to Breakers 10K in San Francisco.
Proceeds from the Do Gooders Ball will be awarded to one local community group
in a drawing at the close of the evening. Producers of the event are
expecting anywhere from 500 to 1,000 people at the event, so the proceeds could
bring a healthy award to one local group. The evening is sponsored by The
Observer, serving Downtown and Northeast LA.
Tickets are $15.00 at the door and may be reserved by emailing Gene Evans at Gene@northeastobserver.com.
For more information on the event, call (323) 243-0005.
16. INCA: THE PERUVIAN ENSEMBLE AT EAGLE ROCK LIBRARY -- OCTOBER 11
2:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 11
Eagle Rock Library
5027 Caspar Avenue
Inca, the popular Los Angeles-based band of musicologists and
music makers, makes a rare appearance in Eagle Rock for a matinee performance
of enchanting Peruvian music in the Eagle Rock Library's public meeting
room, 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 11. For more
information, dial (323) 258-8078.
17. SOUTHWEST MUSEUM OFFERS FOUR CENTURIES OF PUEBLO POTTERY -- THROUGH
OCTOBER 12
Ongoing exhibits at the Southwest Museum include:
Four Centuries of Pueblo Pottery
In the Sprague Auditorium through October 12
Southwest Museum
234 Museum Drive
Mt. Washington/Highland Park
More than 100 of the Southwest Museum's nearly 4,000 historic and pre-contact
Pueblo ceramics will be featured in this exhibition. The Pueblos occupy nearly
thirty villages in New Mexico and Arizona, where they have preserved their
ancient traditions through centuries of contact with other cultures.
Female Tradition in Hopi Culture
In the Lower Lobby Gallery through October 12
Southwest Museum
234 Museum Drive
Mt. Washington/Highland Park
This exhibit includes 28 photographs featuring traditional tasks performed by
Hopi women. These photos were taken by Charles F. Lummis, George Wharton James,
Adam Clark Vroman and Charles Francis Saunders. Some of the photos show the
Hopi women making and using baskets. Also on view are Hopi basket plaques,
wicker baskets and yucca baskets similar to the ones shown in the photographs.
Copies of the photos on display can be ordered from the Museum Store.
The Southwest Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
(Closed Mondays and major holidays.) Admission is $6.00 for
adults, $4.00 for seniors and students, and $3.00 for Children 7-18.
Southwest Museum and Autry Museum members and children under 6 are
admitted free of charge. Special admission discounts are available
for members of AAA, AARP, KCET, KCRW, KUSC, CEELA, LA Arts, L.A. Philharmonic
and the L.A. Master Chorale.
For more information, dial (323) 221-2164.
18. WE'VE GOT MAIL
Our mailbag is once again brimming with reader commentary on the recent
felling of trees on Occidental College's Mount Fiji., so let's dig in:
"I would like to respond to some of the comments made by
Occidental College Director of Communications Jim Tranquada in the TERA
e-letter of August 28. Mr. Tranquada entertainingly and evasively tries
to deflect attention from what Occidental has done in cutting over 50 trees on
Mt. Fiji by claiming "during the past year the College removed 78 trees,
including those taken down along Ave. 50 last week; during the same period, it
planted 169 trees." However, the issue is not the number of trees that
Occidental plants or removes in the developed portion of its campus.
"The issues are:
"Mr. Tranquada goes on to say that some 10% of the many dozen trees
removed were diseased or drought stressed. This is a new, ex post facto
rationalization, which was not presented to the community prior to a meeting of
the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council Land Use and Planning Committee last
week. I guess all the sharp minds at Oxy got together and decided that
their previous "we removed the trees for no reason other than we
could" line wasn't playing too well with members of the community.
Of course, the reality is, Occidental removed the trees because it makes the
process of development easier; and because legally, they could. The
health of the trees never entered into the discussion, as is evidenced by the
90% of the cleared trees that were, by Oxy's admission, completely healthy.
"For those who might argue that the property is Occidental's, and they can
do whatever they like with it, I'd like to point out that nobody has that
absolute right any longer. We have zoning, land use, and environmental
regulations which place limits on development. TERA knows this very
well. That is why they led the fight to preserve the Shopping Bag
building. That building, after all, was the property of Walgreens, and,
using Oxy's argument, Walgreens could do with it whatever they chose. As
TERA pointed out during that controversy, the needs of the community must be
taken into account when development is proposed. This is no less true of
open space than it is of the built up parts on our community.
"Mt. Fiji is a widely used asset in the Eagle Rock/Highland Park
community. Like it or not, it has for generations been used by a
municipally underserved area as a de facto park. Its value is apparent to
its steady stream of regular visitors. Community action can see to it
that the hill is preserved for its own intrinsic values.
"For those who might like to see Before and After photos
of the area in question, or to learn more, please visit our website at
http://www.fijihill.org.
-- Jeff Pott, Eagle Rock
***
"As my name was mentioned by Jim Tranquada
of Occidental College in his letter in the TERA e.letter issue of August 28, I
feel compelled to write a reply.
"On August 9, 2001, a little over 2 years ago, Oxy president Ted Mitchell
held a meeting at Oxy to tell community members that he planned to build a ball
park on the south slope of Fiji Hill. The required leveling of the area
would have raised the south end by almost 14 feet and on the north end would
have graded into the hill to a depth of 12 feet. In addition, his plans
called for installing just short of 100,000 watts of lights on six 60 foot towers
around the field, high up on Fiji, and also adding 500,000 watts of lights on
the other Oxy playing fields. Plans were to use these lights until 10:00
pm, most nights of the year.
"People from the area formed a grass roots neighborhood group called CANAL
(Community Against Noise and Lights,) to oppose these plans. We gathered
over 750 signatures on a petition against the project and, through our analysis
of the serious flaws in environmental harm section of Oxy's Conditional Use
Permit (CUP) application to the City of Los Angeles, we were instrumental in
bringing about the City's requirement for a full Environmental Impact Report
(EIR) before they would grant the college building permits for Fiji Hill.
"Oxy, in danger of losing important funding if their CUP was not approved
right away, dropped their plans for the ball field and lights on Fiji. They
also dropped the plans for the other lights as well. However, they did
not say they would refrain from trying to construct those projects in the
future.
"Fast forward in time almost exactly two years to the day, to early August
2003, when a [worker] was seen marking trees on Fiji Hill. She would not
say why, other than that she was working for Oxy. Emails and phone
calls placed on or around August 11 by Oxy neighbors to Jim Tranquada, the
public communications contact at Oxy, went unanswered. However, we
later found out that on Wednesday, the 12th, Jim Tranquada did tell the
Councilman's office that they planned on cutting some trees on Fiji, starting
on the 14th. Despite Ted Mitchell and Jim Tranquada's public and private
assurances that they would always announce any planned work on Fiji Hill to
Oxy's neighbors well in advance, neither [of them] told the neighbors what was
going to happen.
"Two days later, on Friday the 14th, the neighbors along Avenue 50 awoke
to the sound of the Sycamore Grove on Fiji Hill being cut down. By noon,
all but three of those mighty trees, over 30 feet tall and over 20 years old,
by our count, were gone.
"Why? Jim Tranquada told me on the phone that morning that they had
some tree trimmers on campus with free time so they decided to cut the trees on
Fiji. He did not say the trees on the south slope of Fiji, but
rather "the trees on Fiji." As I was talking with Jim Tranquada
on the phone, my neighbor was speaking with one of the tree cutting crew, who
told her that they were going to cut all the unprotected trees on Fiji Hill.
"Our frantic calls to the City Councilman's office were not well received
by that office, but they did cause a temporary cessation of the cutting at
around 1:00 p.m., until the Councilman's office staff could meet with Oxy on
the following Monday. Our City Councilman, when running for office,
had sat in our living room, looking over Fiji Hill, and promised to work to
preserve it just as it was. We had high hopes that he would attend the
meeting his staff had with Oxy on Monday, and persuade them to delay cutting
any trees until they had decided what, if anything, they wanted to build on
Fiji Hill, and had been granted a CUP for the project. We were
specifically excluded from that meeting by his staff person, Michael Cathey.
"[So] we were very surprised the next morning when the cutting started up
again! Apparently our councilman had been ineffective! Jim
Tranquada personally delivered a letter to each neighbor that morning,
informing them of Oxy's plan to remove the trees. This letter said
that Oxy was not planning on any immediate development of the site, had no
known plans for the site, and offered no reason why the trees had to be removed
at that moment.
"Within the next two days Oxy had cut all unprotected trees below the
firebreak on the south side of Fiji Hill.
"What is the real reason Oxy cut the trees? Was it because 10%
were diseased and drought stressed, as Jim Tranquada said last week, (although
he made no mention of that excuse in his letter to the neighbors dated Aug. 19,
and offered no evidence to support this claim at the meeting of the Eagle Rock
Neighborhood Council Land Use and Planning Committee, where it was initially
made). Even if 10% were diseased and had to go, how about the other 90%?
There was clearly no pressing need of any kind to get rid of them.
"We suspect that the answer can be found in a standard bag of tricks used
by unscrupulous developers.
"When you know you are likely to be required to do an EIR before you can
get a CUP, it is best to get rid of as many environmental inconveniences as
possible before applying for that CUP. That's because, by law, if it
is determined that your project will produce significant environmental harm,
you must demonstrate how you propose to mitigate that harm [as a condition of
receiving your CUP.] Too much environmental harm can actually prevent the
granting of a building permit.
"From the developer's standpoint, if you have a Sycamore Grove and dozens
of other trees that might [have to] be displaced some day, it is better to get
rid of them now, with no permit application needed or in place, and hence, no
requirement to mitigate. In other words, chop 'em down now, so you
don't have to worry about them standing in your way later. It's all
about timing, and the attempt to circumvent appropriate land use and planning
regulations.
"The same holds true for the general appearance of the area. If you dump
tons of garbage-strewn OEmulch¹ over the area, as Oxy has done on several acres
at the base of Fiji Hill, then you make it a less desirable, less attractive
community resource than it was. We believe their cynical view is that the
community will begin to think of the area as a dump and feel that anything Oxy
might do on Fiji Hill would be better than a dump.
"Trash the area...Cut the trees...THEN apply for the CUP.
"We invite you to judge Oxy by its deeds on Fiji Hill, not by its words.
"We invite you to judge Oxy for cutting down the Sycamore Grove and dozens
of other trees--not by their planting of sticks and new, immature trees at the
same time on the developed part of the campus.
"We invite you to remember that Oxy did all this without conversation and
discussion with their neighbors, local civic groups--or, for that matter, with
their own faculty, students, and alumni. The students and faculty were
all on holiday and were not informed. Alumni certainly were not told, based on
the hundreds of letters of protest that were generated by Oxy's actions.
"Until recent times, Oxy has been a good neighbor and reasonably
responsible member of the community. But in recent years that reputation
has been severely tarnished by the cynical treatment of their neighbors, their
destructive behavior toward rare and valuable open space, and their unethical
shirking of responsible planning. Those of us who have been here far
longer than Ted Mitchell look forward to a time when Oxy is once again a
neighbor that we can all be proud of.
"Members of the community who are interested in learning more can visit
our web site at http://www.fijihill.org
"Thank you for your time and interest!
--B. Morgan Martin, Eagle Rock Resident
***
"I am enjoying the community events
listings and the other new content in the e.letter. Your work is
appreciated."
-- Bill Fishman, Eagle Rock
Thanks for the kind words, Bill.
As always, we welcome your comments, complaints and/or compliments on the e.letter
or any topic of interest to greater Eagle Rock. Please address your
message to e.letter@TERA90041.org,
and include your full name , along with your city , neighborhood or
professional affiliation. We reserve the right to edit all
submissions for style, clarity and brevity. Please let us know if you
don't wish to have your comments appear in the e.letter.
19. QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Try to remember the
kind of September when life was slow and oh, so mellow..."
-- Tom Jones (b.
1928) from the musical, The Fantasticks, music by Harvey Schmidt
(b. 1929)
The TERA e.letter
A publication of The Eagle Rock Association (TERA)
Edited by Vince Waldron
e.letter@TERA90041.org