The Walgreens Proposal – Joanne Turner
As
many of you have heard by way of the TERA e.letter, our webpage, or from other
local sources, Chicago-based pharmacy giant Walgreens proposes to demolish the
One-Day Paint and Body building at 2222 Colorado Boulevard (otherwise known as
the 1940s flagship store of the Shopping Bag market chain), as well as The
Bricks Restaurant in order to build a plain-box drug store (over 14,000 sq.
ft.). It also hopes to erect two smaller buildings on the huge parcel to house
other tenants, one possibly being Starbucks. This current plan, if realized,
would forever change our center of town for the worse.
The
plan calls for placing the main building approximately 200 feet away from
Colorado Boulevard and fronting it with a large parking lot; the total
asphalt-covered area would be 46,500 square feet. Add this to the large area of
asphalt already existing at the adjoining Shell gas station, the parking areas
behind two adjacent buildings to the south, as well as the parking lot of the
glaring yellow/red/green mini-mall next door (which replaced a historic
building), and you have an almost endless stretch of blank and flat ugliness
dotted disproportionately with a few trees. The two small buildings planned to
front the parking lot are aligned perpendicularly to the street, thereby
emphasizing the parking area rather than their façades. Ingress and egress to
the extensive parking lot would be on Colorado Boulevard, Eagle Rock Boulevard,
and from behind on Merton Avenue. A sizable increase in auto traffic at our
already busy main intersection would be guaranteed, with the change on Merton
Avenue being the most dramatic.
Community Input Ignored. When we heard about the Walgreens proposal way
back in the spring of 2001, we advised the Council office that a Walgreens most
likely would not fly. We said that Eagle Rock didn't need another pharmacy,
that there were other businesses that we really needed and could use on that
site instead, and that the Shopping Bag building should be restored and adaptively
reused if Walgreens or anyone else chose to locate there. Our City officials
should have listened because, as we knew would happen, these same things have
been adamantly expressed over and over again by a remarkable number of Eagle
Rockers who truly give a damn about our town's future.
Members
of the community rudely found out about the proposed project on October 30 at a
meeting that was announced as an opportunity for the developers to garner
community input at the beginning stages of the process. Everything seemed to be on track: TERA's
land-use representative had spoken directly with the developer many months
before and was promised that the community would be involved in the project. A
scheduled meeting between TERA and the developer was cancelled by him on the
advice of the Council office in favor of a community-wide meeting, which to us
was a fine idea — the more community members involved in the process, the
better. The Council office was to schedule the community meeting, and so we
waited patiently. A big surprise was in store. As the community meeting began on
October 30, the residents of Eagle Rock learned that initial plans for the
Walgreens project had already been submitted and APPROVED by the Planning
Department! Rather than being consulted, the community was being notified of a
"done deal."
Although
I did not attend the October "community" meeting, I got the real
scoop on what happened and, as accurately reflected by a survey we later
conducted, the vast majority of attendees were vehemently opposed to the
project. In fact, I was told it was a real screamfest. People were very angry,
and justifiably so because they found out the project had already been approved
by our City without community input. A poorly conceived project is a poorly
conceived project, period, and the majority of locals who care greatly about
Eagle Rock's future immediately and wisely recognized this.
TERA In Action. Because TERA knew there would be strong opinions about this project,
before a subsequent community meeting held on November 28 we conducted our
survey, which reached a wide swath of community (approximately 1,000) members
via our weekly e.letter. Our e.letter does not only reach TERA members (many of
whom are not online), but it also reaches other Eagle Rock and Northeast Los
Angeles residents and businesses. We received an overwhelming 26% of
respondents and presented our findings at the November 28 meeting (1% to 3% is
considered a successful and accurate response). Those findings clearly
demonstrate that the community feels that the addition of a Walgreens store would
only duplicate goods and services already available in our community when we
have so many other commercial needs.
At
the November 28 meeting, TERA gave a measured, well-conceived presentation that
not only disputed this project's compliance with local land-use laws, but also
presented our idea to making this project a good one for this community as well
as for Walgreens, a win-win solution that everyone could live with. In short,
we welcomed Walgreens into our neighborhood under the condition that the
company restore and adaptively reuse the existing historic Shopping Bag
building. This is something the company had done in at least four locations in
Miami, Florida, sites in the Chicago area, northern California cities, and even
one here currently in Los Angeles in our Miracle Mile district. It is a course of action many members of the
community would like to see the company repeat here in Eagle Rock if Walgreens
chooses to locate here.
Specific Plan Is the Key. In the discussions at the November 28 meeting, it
became clear that the Walgreens proposal violated key provisions of the
Colorado Boulevard Specific Plan. In particular, its 1980s strip-mall layout— a
huge parking lot in full view of passing pedestrians and drivers — is precisely
what the Plan was designed to prevent. In approving this project, the Planning
Department flagrantly disregarded the City's own laws governing new development
in Eagle Rock. How could this be? Also strange is the developer's claim that
TERA never contacted him about the project, and that we appeared uninterested.
As stated above, the opposite is true.
Following
the November 28 meeting, TERA wrote an extensive and detailed letter to the
Planning Department disputing its decision to approve this project. We were
able to change their decision on the basis of law and reason as evidenced by
the Planning Department's letter to the developer and Walgreens dated December
21, 2001. Both Walgreens and the developer wrote us letters in the meantime
stating that the Shopping Bag building cannot be restored and adaptively
reused, but we have seen no structural engineering analysis to prove this. We
tried for many weeks to meet with the developer regarding the issue of
restoring and adaptively reusing the building, but it took the publication of
an article about the Shopping Bag building in the LA Times (March 13, 2002) for
him to finally contact us. The developer has since admitted that the building
could be restored, and TERA is forging ahead on the preservation front.
Mini-mall
development overran our town the 1980s and now history may be repeating itself.
Will we ever learn? Adjacent cities are successfully improving their business
centers by leaps and bounds. They attract shoppers from all over, and greatly increase
their tax base. The strategy for success is not difficult to understand: be
creative; insist on good design; and give the people the businesses they want
and need.
It
is abundantly clear by example of the Walgreens proposal that Los Angeles has
learned absolutely nothing from its past mistakes. Does Eagle Rock really want
to look like the Valley, an aggregation of endless sprawl? We don't think so.
A
handful of others counter with, "let the free market decide" and
"this is the nature of competition," but a perfect example of
allowing the free market to operate with no oversight are those same and
numerous badly designed, parking-fronted mini-mall eyesores Eagle Rock is now
stuck with, thrown up by developers who had absolutely no stake in this
community beyond their own bottom line.
Another
question comes to mind — why, after almost 10 years as law, had a Design Review
Board (DRB) not been appointed by the Council office, as the Specific Plan
requires, until a week ago? Our former Council member never budged on this
important and basic requirement of the Plan. Why not? Our current Council
member, seemingly interested in achieving this goal early in his term, gathered
applications from those wanting to serve on such a committee more than two
years ago, and yet it took the fallout from this Walgreens issue to make the
DRB a reality. Why has this taken so long? Had the Design Review Board been in
place, our town would have been able to help fashion a quality project, rather
than be subjected to this current disaster. Other development debacles over the
years on our boulevard also could have been avoided.
What's Next? Preserving our architectural history; working to bring in businesses
Eagle Rock really wants and badly needs so that we don't have to go to Pasadena
or Glendale to shop; maintaining Eagle Rock's unique small-town environment;
protecting the investment we've made in our homes and small businesses;
balancing the needs of local commerce and residents; adding far more greenery
to our public areas; developing a pedestrian-friendly shopping district and
de-emphasizing a reliance on motor vehicles; applying aesthetics and good
architectural design — ALL THESE MATTER GREATLY TO THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE
WHO LIVE HERE.
TERA
strongly supports redevelopment of the Shopping Bag site. The current proposal,
however, is not the way to do it. This horrendous plan does nothing less than
betray the spirit, intent, and words of the Colorado Boulevard Specific Plan
and the Northeast Community Plan, two community-improvement efforts that took
many years of volunteer time to create and implement. It flies in the face of
all we volunteers have worked and struggled so hard for over the last 15 years.
The future of the people who live Eagle Rock — their quality of life — is on
the line.
We
further conducted a petition drive to strongly encourage restoration and
adaptive reuse of the Shopping Bag building, no matter which business might
occupy it. We have gathered upwards of 2,000 signatures supporting restoration
and adaptive reuse of the Shopping Bag building. It is more than clear that
saving the building is important to Eagle Rock.
To
let our Council member know what you think about this issue, contact him at
(213) 485-3335 or by e.mail at npacheco@council.lacity.org. You can also write
to him at City Hall, 200 N. Main Street, Los Angeles CA 90012. To let Walgreens
know how you feel, write to CEO L. Daniel Jorndt, Walgreen Co., 200 Wilmot
Road, MS #2200, Deerfield, IL 60015-4616, call the Consumer Relations
Department at (800) 289-2273, visit their Web site to register your comments at
www.walgreens.com/help/faq/email.jhtml. To let the developer know what you
think of this proposal, write to Michael Marino, FCD Realty and Development,
LLC, 523 West 6th Street, Suite 716, Los Angeles, CA 90014, call him at (213)
439-9802, or e.mail at tagtas@pacbell.net.
• TERA is very pleased and proud to announce
that the Los Angeles City Planning Department, contrary to its initial finding,
has issued a letter informing the developers of the Walgreens project that the
proposal is not in compliance with the Specific Plan, precisely as TERA has
asserted. This is great news, but it is only one step in the right direction.
We still have much work to do, so stay tuned, and stay involved! For the full
text of the Planning Department's letter to the developers and other
information regarding Walgreens, please visit our Web site at
www.TERA90041.org.
• TERA is joyous to announce that Eagle Rock
residents and catering business and
restaurant owners Amelia and Camilo Gonzalez are bringing their culinary
talents, Camilo's Cafe, to Eagle Rock's business district! Camilo's
(ca-MEE-loz) is currently located in Highland Park and is a favorite of the art
crowd. They will soon occupy the Harnsberger's site, at 2128 Colorado. They are
thrilled to be able to run their business in the town they live in! This
terrific location has the space needed to expand their very popular cafe. It will
become part of our burgeoning pedestrian-oriented business district. Their
presence will offer us foodies more choice in where to dine and spend our money
locally while enjoying high-quality cuisine. The Gonzalezes hope to open
Camilo's Cafe in April!
• Wondering what's happening with Fred Eric
and his Eagle Theatre/99-cent Store plans? We recently got the great news that
Fred has closed escrow on the property, so we'll soon have a working movie
theatre and, next door, what we believe will be called the Nighthawk Diner,
similar to the 24-hour (yeah!) Fred 62 in Loz Feliz. We also heard the good
news that Fred will be hosting jointly with the Council office a fundraiser to
benefit the Greater Los Angeles Council on Deafness (GLAD), whose offices are located
in the lovely restored Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) building on
Norwalk Avenue here in Eagle Rock. The fundraiser, we are told, will take place
in late May and will feature a showing at the theatre of the cult film Rocky
Horror Picture Show. There will also be a Rocky Horror costume contest! Details
will come in our e.letter. If you're not on TERA's e.letter list, please let us
know at artburn@earthlink.net.
A Really Brief Word
Joanne Turner
You
might have noticed we did not issue a fall 2001 or winter 2002 edition of our
newsletter. Well, something called "life" once in a while must come
first. Being a vigilant volunteer can be arduous. We do hope that those of you
on our weekly e.letter list felt you were well informed of local issues in the
meantime. Those of you who are not on our e.letter list and have Internet
access are encouraged to forward your e.mail address to us at
artburn@earthlink.net. Or, check the TERA website (www.tera90041.org) where the
e.letter is posted weekly. Both are easy ways for you to stay informed.
Architectural Heritage
Shopping Bag Building — Michael Southard
When
I learned that the One Day Auto Body and Paint building at 2222 Colorado Blvd.
was for sale, and would most likely demolished, I checked to see what options
were available to save it. Why? Because I happen to really like the building.
It was originally the flagship of the Shopping Bag Market chain. The owners
lived in Eagle Rock, and these markets, once numbering eleven stores, were a
unique feature of Northeast Los Angeles from the 1930's through the 1950's.
Built in 1948, this building originally had wrap-around floor-to-ceiling
windows (that have since been covered), stainless steel fixtures and custom
wooden shelving throughout. The exterior is brick, and the building boasts a
wooden barrel-vaulted ceiling. The signage is original, and is an
element
of the "Streamline Moderne" style in which it was done. It was, at
one time; a futuristic jewel nestled in the heart of Eagle Rock's downtown, and
is remembered fondly by many of our long-time citizens. Younger residents may
recognize it as the location of the 1970's movie "Car Wash". (Hey
Hey, get your car washed today...) Regardless, it was, and is, an interesting
building in a unique town!
One
idea for saving the Shopping Bag Building was to get it declared a Cultural
Heritage Monument for the City of LA. As a monument, a building is recognized
as architecturally and/or culturally significant and receives a certain amount
of protection. To obtain Monument status for a building, one must learn about
its architect, style, and history, and then present the case for the building
before the Cultural Heritage Commission. This group includes architectural and
historical professionals, as well as qualified concerned individuals. The
presentation to the Cultural Heritage Commission was quite an eye-opening —
even traumatic — experience for me. It was the first time I realized that not
everyone liked the Shopping Bag Building as much as I did, or even why I did! I
presented the case to the commission, along with various members from our
community. We came armed with a whopping 150 emails from TERA members and
supporters of the building! It was close, but the motion to continue the site's
consideration was narrowly passed, and a site-tour was subsequently scheduled.
(Thanks to TERA V.P. and land use committee chair Hilary Norton Orozco for her
eloquence under pressure, "The Shopping Bag Ladies" for their
presence and support, and local computer artist Henry Pan for his invaluable
help in turning the building into a Walgreen's at the last minute!)
The
site tour took place on September 19. If you were one of the attendees: Thank
You! I wasn't able to get us into the actual building, as the One-Day Auto Body
and Paint store has a strict policy of non-admittance due to the toxic paint
fumes and their insurance liability. Since we were only petitioning for the
façade and building exterior, the commission did a "walk-around"
which sufficed. The actual tour went well, but it became clear that the
commission continued to have misgivings about whether the building was
significant enough to warrant cultural monument status. Unfortunately, the
commission rejected the argument that the Shopping Bag Building should get
special consideration because Eagle Rock has so few significant buildings: (We
are, after all, one small neighborhood in a very large city with a lot of
buildings.).. For this and other reasons, the Cultural Heritage Commission
decided not to declare The Shopping Bag Building a cultural monument.
As
detailed elsewhere in this newsletter, the battle to save the Shopping Bag
building did not end with the negative decision by the Cultural Heritage
Commission. As this effort continues, it is important to remember that Eagle
Rock is not owed a cultural legacy. Rather, we create it by recognizing and
supporting the unique history of our town and its citizens. We build upon it by
valuing and restoring our remaining architecture. And we continue to support it
by patronizing local businesses. In a way, the Shopping Bag building is
emblematic of Eagle Rock itself: quirky, unassuming, energetic, traditional, a
bit out of date maybe, but very sure of itself and its significance! It may not
be your favorite building on Colorado Boulevard, it certainly has earned its
place there. Please join me in the fight to preserve the Shopping Bag building
for future generations that are fortunate enough to choose Eagle Rock as their
home.
Location, Location, Location
January Meeting and Real Estate Seminar
As
expected the topic of "Real Estate in and Around Eagle Rock" drew a
sizeable audience. Approximately 80 people attended the meeting and got
pointers from several real estate professionals regarding buying, selling, and
renting property in our community.
Joanne
Turner, President of TERA, opened the meeting with updates on the gym project
and the actions TERA has taken to ensure that the Walgreens project is
developed within established community development guidelines.
The
first topic of the evening, rentals, was presented by Ursula Brown of Brown
Property Management. She shared information that was helpful to both renters
and property owners. There are a low number of rentals in Eagle Rock. The best
way to find available rentals is to search the Internet rather than relying on
signs posted outside property. Of particular interest to income property owners
was Ursula's process of intuition and reference checking to identify desirable tenants.
Introducing
the discussion of buying and selling property, Bob Gotham pointed out that a
real estate transaction is one of the most significant financial transactions
in which we are involved. We should choose our broker carefully, considering
their personality, experience in our area, tenure in the business etc.
An
audio/visual presentation was given by Tracy King, Coldwell Banker. She
provided many examples of home remodels that had significantly improved the
value of the property as well as many that had been detrimental to the overall
value. The value of retaining the original architectural style of the home, and
remodeling with materials appropriate to the age and design of the home was
stressed. The importance of landscaping and street presence was also pointed
out.
Eric
Torro, Uptown Realty, discussed market trends and shared his observation
regarding the future values of homes. Based on the limited inventory of homes
for sale in Eagle Rock (approximately three months inventory) Eric feels
confident that housing prices will continue a gradual increase, even in this
somewhat depressed economy. The positive impact of landscaping and in
particular, the value of trees was stressed.
Joanne
closed the meeting inviting TERA members to attend the Member Appreciation
meeting to be held in March.
Click! Pop! Whirshz!
Snapshot Day 2002
Creativity
is only a camera click away as organizers plan for Eagle Rock Snapshot Day
2002, to take place April 20, 2002. On Snapshot Day, photographers from
throughout the Los Angeles area will descend on Eagle Rock to explore the
streets, stores, parks and churches to document 24 hours of everyday activities
in the 90-year-old community. Afterwards, photographers will be asked to submit
their three best works for a competition. Judges will award prizes in various
categories for all ages.
"For
some photographers, this will be their first experience in visiting and
documenting Eagle Rock," says Lori Pond, Eagle Rock Snapshot Day 2002
organizer. "We want to invite newcomers to Eagle Rock and encourage them
to want to come back. And for our local photographers, we see this as an
opportunity for them to feel even closer to their community as they
photographically explore it."
To
volunteer time, energy or materials for Snapshot Day, please call the Snapshot
Day hotline at (323) 258-3741 or e-mail committee chairperson Lori Pond at
lori@snapshotday.com. For more information on the event visit
www.snapshotday.com.
Entrepreneurial Opportunities
Eastside Entrepreneur Training Program
The Eastside Entrepreneur Training
Program is funded by the City of Los Angeles, Community Development Department.
Its eight-week class is designed to teach new current and future business
owners how to successfully establish and operate a business. The class is free
if the participant resides in the East/Northeast/Downtown Los Angeles area and
is a low-to-moderate income individual. The 8-week long Course meets once a
week and covers the following topics: business concept development; developing
a marketing plan; business setup; bookkeeping; developing a business plan;
basic computer operation; financial planning and money management; and
e-commerce. New training classes begin approximately every 10 weeks. For more
information about the Eastside Entrepreneur Training Program, please contact
Becky Jiang or Mauro Medina at (323) 726-7734.
We Want You !
TERA Outreach Committee Chair—Suzanne Prieur
My
husband and I often walk in the evening, getting a workout from our town's
gently rolling hills and enjoying the scents of spring. We meet many of our
neighbors, walking the dog, encouraging the young one, a determined face
peering out from the armor of her little helmet, to get off her scooter and
come in for her bath and bedtime tale.
For
those of you who are making a difference-keep up the good work! I personally
commend you! For those of you who are not participating — I invite your help.
You may not think you have anything to offer. Well, you go to work every day
and exercise your many skills, be they answering the phone or corporate
management. Those same skills are needed in the running of a community. You may
spend your days at home with your children. That's a real test of ability-being
a mom! A community needs love and nurturing too!
The
best thing about community activism is that you meet wonderful and talented
people like yourself (Not including myself. I'm a bit goofy.) and you have a
great time. Additionally, you take ownership of a greater sphere. You know how
you feel about those roses over which you've sweated many hours- how would you
like to feel that way about a whole town as it blossoms from your own efforts?
Factually,
there is only a tiny handful of Eagle Rock residents involved in the creation
of our town. They are well-known and broadly loved for their contributions.
They are no different from you except in one respect. They are willing. They
decided to do something to improve their environment and then did it. An inclusive group, their doors and hearts
are open to receive you and your talents and help-whatever they may be.
A
good start is to join TERA. Send in your membership application and your check
(Your money pays for the mailings that keep you informed of local activities
and interests.) and count yourself amongst those who care about Eagle Rock.
Attend our public meetings and meet your neighbors and find out what's going on
in your town. Love old houses? Be a part of our Historic Preservation Committee
and help ensure the survival of Eagle Rock's wonderful vintage buildings. Or,
be a part of the Home Tour committee and help put our town on the map. Love
people? Join me in my outreach activities. I visit all the newcomers to the
area and make them feel welcome.
There
is a place for you in TERA. Your membership and your contribution will make a
difference.
Call
me at 323 257-7042 and we'll talk about how you can get involved!
Three Ring Circus
Neighborhood Council Update
The Eagle
Rock Neighborhood Council Formation Committee has meet three times over the
last six months. Here is what they accomplished:
August
1, 2001 meeting:
A
Mission Statement was agreed upon:
"The
mission of the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council is to assure effective
stakeholder participation and interaction in all aspects of the decision making
and problem solving process of government in issues that are important in
building our community."
Those
attending voted on the boundaries for our community so that the boundaries best
reflect the natural flow of activities and interests within our community.
September
12, 2001 meeting:
We
joined the rest of our nation in a moment of silence, grieving for those lost
in the attacks on September 11th. We gave thanks as we exercised our freedoms
as Americans that night, by taking part in public discourse. We reviewed our
mission statement, received news on our boundaries and the progress on the
Glassell Park and Highland Park. Discussed at length, the proposed draft
by-laws that reflected an organizational structure of:
5 or 6 Executive Officers elected
at-large
4 to 9 Directors representing community
organizations and institutions; and,
8 Directors representing all geographic
areas of Eagle Rock.
Those present agreed that a voting age of
16 would allow for greater participation of our young
people, and that a Youth Representative
have a seat on the Board of Directors.
The by-laws were made available by e-mail
and placed at various public locations to allow for public review and comment
to be submitted by September 22, 2001.
November
13, 2001 meeting:
We
presented the content of the application for certification for status as a
Neighborhood Council. The application was to the Department of Neighborhood
Empowerment (DONE) and described the proposed boundaries, organizational
structure and demographic information about Eagle Rock. The contents of the
application were well received by those present and approved from a December
2001 submittal.
March
13, 2002 meeting:
The
committee provided a status report on Eagle Rock's application for Neighborhood
Council status. We also updated the community about outreach efforts in
preparation for the Election of the Board of Directors upon certification. We
are looking for interested parties to participate as members of the Board!
Everyone is encouraged to run for office.
April
2, 2002 meeting:
At
a very long and arduous meeting, the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council was at
last certified! Updates on activities will be posted in TERA's weekly e.letter.
Please send your e.mail address to artburn@earthlink.net if you are not already
on our e.letter list. Thanks!!
No Sexy Headline Here
TERA Meetings Overview
TERA meetings,
held six times a year at the Cultural Center, provide a unique opportunity for
Eagle Rock residents to hear first person reports from business and community
leaders regarding timely topics that relate to this community.
The
last four meetings provide an example of the variety and importance of the
topics covered. We had representatives from Target and Westfield mall discuss
the new Target Store and the possible re-design of the mall. Councilman Pacheco
gave his annual "State of the Town" address. Liliam Leis-Castillo, a
senior manager from LAUSD, spoke to the state of public education in Los
Angeles and particularly in Eagle Rock. And in January a panel of real estate
specialists shared information about buying a home, improvements that pay off,
and valuable information about the best rentals in our area (see more detailed
report elsewhere in this issue).
A
focus on Eagle Rock Businesses and the annual "State of the Town"
address are scheduled for two upcoming meetings. A new strategy in 2002 is to
schedule annual TERA Membership meetings. In March we held a meeting in honor
of our 900+ members. A membership survey was sent out and the results were
discussed at this first meeting. Immediately following up the survey discussion
was a "Thank You" reception for our members. This was a great chance
to meet the board and other TERA members. A second member meeting will be
scheduled later in the year with the focus on family participation.
We
hope you find the meetings valuable. If you would like to share any comments
regarding meeting formats, content, scheduling, etc. please send a note to
TERA, attention Bob Gotham (Meeting Coordinator) or email Bob at
Eaglerk@pacbell.net.
TERA
wishes to express its gratitude to the following members who joined or renewed
their memberships during the last quarter:
Sustaining
and Business
Associate
Members $35 to $49
Alpha
Structural, Inc.
Beauty
Doll
Zinka
Benton and Fran Rzeznik
Janet
Borrus and Chris Grove
David
Steven Realtors
Earworks
Fatty's
Deborah
Huntington and Associates
Karen
Klabin and Martin Schlageter
Esther
and Rich Monk
Marsha
and Allen Nikora
Ivette
Soler
Solheim
Lutheran Home
Jackie
and Bill Stutz
Toros
Pottery
¡
urquiza !
Sponsor
Members $50 to $99
Dori
Armstrong
Cathie
D. Bagwell, E.A.
Heather
and Derek Cunz
Ann
M. Geiger and Tari L. Hanneman
Shannon
Johnson and Octavio Pedroza
Agnes
and Keith Louie
Tableau
Studio
Patti
and Roger Renick
Eileen
Hatrick-Sadeh and Eitan Sadeh
Anita
Morales
Chris
Alcala and David Williams
Patron
Members $100 to $499
Beaujolais
Boulangerie
Karen
Manthey
Karen
and Eric Warren
focus
on
business
Toros
Pottery
is
located in a building constructed in the 1930s by Juanita A. Bell, the
grandmother of lifelong Eagle Rocker, artist, Eagle Rock Valley Historical
Society president, and former TERA Board member Eric Warren. He is pleased to
see his family's building occupied by another gifted artist. Owner Toros
Tngrian is a ceramist of great talent, working on site to produce numerous
works for beauty, as well as function. Toros has upgraded the building to help
enhance Eagle Rock's commercial corridor, adding unusual and attractive
signage, new doors, and displaying his fine works in the front windows to
appeal to passersby. All this helps Eagle Rock's objectives of becoming a more
pedestrian-oriented business district, and it further emphasizes the fact that
Eagle Rock and N.E. Los Angeles are brimming with creative talent. Last but not
least, Toros is one of the nicest guys you could ever meet.
Toros
Pottery, 4962 Eagle Rock Blvd
(323)
344-8330.