"Eagle Rock: Where land use and
planning is a contact sport"
THE EAGLE ROCK ASSOCIATION
TERA
-- e.letter --
In this issue:
1. TERA PUBLIC MEETING -- EAGLE ROCK REAL
ESTATE -- JANUARY 22
2. MORE INFORMATION ON WALGREENS -- SURPRISING,
BUT MAYBE NOT
3. WALGREENS PETITION PROJECT MEETING --
JANUARY 19
4. VAN DE
KAMP'S UPDATE -- COMMUNITY MEETING -- JANUARY 30
5. CAFE BEAUJOLAIS MAKES THE LA TIMES!
6. COUNCIL DISTRICT 1 REDISTRICTING MEETING --
JANUARY 23
7. NEIGHBORHOOD EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS MEETINGS
OFFERED BY THE LAFD
8. . . . AND EVEN MORE COMMENTS FROM WALGREENS
PETITION SIGNERS
9. LETTERS AND E.MAILS
10. QUOTE OF THE WEEK
11. [NEW FEATURE!] COMING NEXT WEEK
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1. TERA PUBLIC MEETING -- EAGLE ROCK REAL
ESTATE -- JANUARY 22
Below is our meeting
notice for TERA's first public meeting of 2002. Please join us! All are
invited to attend.
Member Meeting - Public
Invited
Tuesday, January 22,
2002
7:oo p.m.
Eagle Rock Community
Cultural Center
2225 Colorado Boulevard
in Eagle Rock
"Owner or Renter:
How to Get the Greatest Housing Value in Eagle Rock"
How do you find the
best deals on buying a home in Eagle Rock?
Thinking about making improvements to your home? What things will increase the value of your
home and what renovations won't make much of a difference?
A wide variety of
rentals exist in Eagle Rock. How do you
find them? What does it cost to rent an
apartment or a home in Eagle Rock? What
are the pros and cons of renting with an option to buy?
A panel of Real Estate
Professionals will conduct a round table discussion of these and more topics
with a special focus on real estate in Eagle Rock.
Parking is available on
the street and at Bank of America.
To help defray the
Cultural Centers costs a contribution of $2.00 per attendee is encouraged.
BE INFORMED BE INVOLVED BE THERE
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2. MORE INFORMATION ON WALGREENS --
SURPRISING, BUT MAYBE NOT
It seems Walgreens does
actually think historic preservation is important, at least for its own
company. Check out the Web address
below, and then ask the question: Why isn't it just as important for Eagle
Rock??
http://www.walgreens.com. Click on "Our
Company" at the top right, then scroll down to "Preserving Walgreen
History" on the bottom right.
Our letter to Walgreens
in response to their declarations on their Web site regarding the importance of
preserving history is dated January 15, 2002, and reprinted below:
Mr. L. Daniel Jorndt
President and Chief
Executive Officer
Walgreen Co.
200 Wilmot Road, MS
#2200
Deerfield, IL
60015-4616
Re: Walgreens
Proposal in Eagle Rock (Los Angeles), California
Dear Mr. Jorndt:
Shortly before Christmas,
2001, I spoke with Michael Marino of FCD Realty regarding your company's
proposed project at 2222 Colorado Boulevard in Eagle Rock. The residents of our community are very
concerned about the planned destruction of the 1940s Streamline Moderne Shopping
Bag building currently occupying this site.
Robert Roscoe of your company and Mr. Marino sent my residents
organization, The Eagle Rock Association (TERA), letters dated December 18 and
December 21, 2001, respectively, stating that the building in question could
not be restored and adaptively reused.
I asked Mr. Marino to please meet with me to explain the exact reasons
for this opinion, from a structural engineering standpoint, which he agreed to
do.
After several
unreturned phone calls and e.mail messages to Mr. Marino since then, he picked
up my call today. He informed me that
he could not meet with me about the issue of restoration and adaptive reuse of
the building because of the December 20, 2001, letter from the Los Angeles
Department of City Planning determining that your proposal does not comply with
our land-use laws. I am saddened to
hear that he is unwilling to discuss restoration and adaptive reuse, as our
residents will also be.
Because you have
restored and adaptively reused buildings in various communities throughout the
nation -- San Jose, several in Miami, Los Altos (originally a grocery store,
just like our Shopping Bag building), Chicago, the Miracle Mile district of Los
Angeles (formerly a Zachary All, the restoration of which is now in progress),
just to name a few -- we are curious as to why Robert Roscoe told us that you
never restore and adaptively reuse buildings and why you would not consider
doing the same for our historic town.
Just as your Walgreens
Historical Foundation "exists to preserve the heritage of Walgreens for
present and future generations . . . ," we wish to preserve our heritage
as a town. As you wish "to educate
the public and current employees about the history of retail pharmacy," so
we wish to educate our children about our history. You have lovingly preserved "restaurant menus to playing
cards and from cigar boxes to discontinued product packaging." Your Historical Foundation "collects
artifacts donated by Walgreens aficionados from all over the country." In 1986, your Historical Foundation
"unveiled a reproduction of Walgreens first drugstore, a 1901 store
featuring turn-of-the-century products and packaging."
Our remaining historic
buildings are our treasured artifacts, and we don't wish to be building
a reproduction of how our town used to look because you do not value
Eagle Rock's heritage as you value your own.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Prieur, Board
Member
The Eagle Rock
Association
SP/jwt
cc: Robert P. Roscoe,
Walgreen Co.
Michael Marino, FCD
Realty
Council Member Nick
Pacheco
Eagle Rock Chamber of
Commerce
Eagle Rock Community
Preservation and Revitalization
TERA Board of Directors
A response from Mr.
Roscoe of Walgreens follows:
Ladies & Gentlemen:
Just as a point of
clarification concerning the attached letter from Suzanne Prieur, it is not
accurate to quote me as saying that Walgreens never reuses or restores existing
buildings. š
I did not make this
statement at any time, either verbally or in writing. šIn fact, my December 18,
2001 letter to TERA specifically states that Walgreens did in fact investigate
the feasibility of rehabbing the One Day Auto building.
Please try to be
accurate in the future. šThank you for your consideration.
And Ms. Prieur's
response to Mr. Roscoe's note:
Dear Mr. Roscoe,
I am sorry if you feel
that you were misquoted.
Please use this
opportunity to set the record straight.
What exactly is Walgreens' policy regarding adaptive reuse? I know for a fact that your company has
destroyed many historic buildings, some on the National Register of Historic
Places.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Prieur, Board
Member
The Eagle Rock
Association
We will post Mr.
Roscoe's response when we receive it.
----------
3. WALGREENS
PETITION PROJECT MEETING -- JANUARY 19
First, thanks to all of
you who have so generously given your time and energy to gather signatures for
our Walgreens petition! You have all
been terrific. Still, we would like to
have more of you involved in this effort.
This Saturday, January
19, TERA will be conducting another meeting for all of you who are interested
in gathering even petition signatures to encourage Walgreens to restore and
adaptively reuse the 1940s Streamline Moderne Shopping Bag building. The meeting will take place at 11:00 a.m. Call the TERA phone line at (323) 259-TERA
(8372) for meeting location.
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4. VAN DE KAMP'S UPDATE -- COMMUNITY MEETING
-- JANUARY 30
On Wednesday, January
30, a Community Meeting to discuss the Final Concept of the Master Plan for
LACC's Satellite Campus at Van De Kamp's will be held. The meeting time is 7- 9 pm. The location is
Irving Middle School at 3010 Estara Avenue.
The new Concept Plan to
transform Van De Kamp's Bakery into an urban oasis of learning in Northeast LA
will be presented. Architects and LACC
Administrators will show how much of the existing historic building will be
saved and the relationships of the new buildings. The community will get a chance to view landscaping plans that
include green space, interior gardens, and water elements. How parking will be accommodated is another
important issue that will be addressed.
Plans for the academic programs will also be discussed.
----------
5. CAFE BEAUJOLAIS MAKES THE LA TIMES!
On Friday, January 11,
the following fabulous review of Eagle Rock's own Cafe Beaujolais by staff
writer Charles Perry appeared in the Los Angeles Times. Elda told us that last Saturday they broke
their record of the number of customers.
They even had calls from people living in Santa Monica asking for
directions!
Congratulations, Eric
and Elda!!
1712 Colorado Blvd.,
Eagle Rock
323-255-5111
Cafe Beaujolais is the
sort of neighborhood French restaurant every neighborhood ought to have. It's
charming and unpretentious, with a grapevine pattern stenciled high on its pale
yellow walls, and boy, are the baguettes fresh. It has its very own bakery right
up the street, Beaujolais Boulangerie.
The cafe is very much a
neighborhood place. It features live music some nights, and the musicians
aren't names -- they're usually local Eagle Rockers.
For the most part, the
menu could be from a French restaurant 30 years ago: escargots, onion soup,
pork Vallee d'Auge. The onion soup has a slightly sweet beef broth and a lot of
cheese. The soup of the day will be based on pureed vegetables; one night it
was a subtle veloute flavored with zucchini and mushrooms.
As for the escargots,
they're quite tender and flavorful, with plenty of garlic butter. The tres
moderne pate (there's a turkey version as well as pork) is flavored with
parsley -- and it's served hot, like some kind of light, crumbly meatloaf, with
baby greens on the side.
The Caesar salad is a
middle-of-the-road version, although the dressing is rather thick with ground
Parmesan. The goat cheese salad is greens garnished with hot, nearly melting
goat cheese on baguette rounds: a real mouth-filler. The prettiest salad, and
the most refreshing, is crab meat with peeled red and pink grapefruit sections.
Entrees come with a
sort of potato gratin, a cake of zucchini bound with egg, a hash of sweet
peppers and half a baked tomato. They tend to be tasteful and low-key.
In fact, Cafe
Beaujolais ought to be the ideal restaurant for people who like to complain
about dishes being 'drowned' in sauce, because the quantity of sauce can
usually be measured in teaspoons. With the rack of lamb (four dainty grilled
chops), you get a little pool of meaty brown sauce espagnole. The pork
chop Vallee d'Auge comes in just a bit of apple-scented cream sauce. The supreme
de poulet au basilic is a chicken breast fried brown with mushrooms and
basil wedged under the first joint of a wing. It's served with a smidgen of
Port sauce and some chopped tomatoes.
There's no sauce on the
steak grille, but it makes a bold display: It's a round steak pounded
until it's as broad as a dinner plate but only about an eighth of an inch
thick. Tender and just medium rare, though with ostentatious grill marks, it
fans out like a giant butterfly on a plate piled high with French fries and a
few bits of diced tomato.
The most interesting
fish I've had was a special of escolar, which played off its rich flesh with a
fennel-scented cream sauce. The other fish dishes seemed to take this
simplicity thing a little too far.
Although the fish was always perfectly cooked, I didn't get much from
the cream sauce on the salmon, and there was scarcely any of the advertised
balsamic vinegar on the pave of rare albacore.
After this, it's
surprising to find so much chocolate sauce swirling around the pear tart, but
nobody ever seems to complain about drowning in chocolate sauce. In fact, the
desserts may be the best part of the meal -- a devastating dark chocolate
mousse, a tarte au citron that is really more like a squat cylinder of
luscious lemon curd on a cookie, occasional special pastries from the bakery.
You can also eat up the
street at the bakery, although the menu there is limited to soups, salads,
sandwiches and pastries. Apart from croque-monsieur, they're pretty much like
American sandwiches plus a little basil. Take the turkey breast: It has a
sweet, clean taste abetted by the freshness of the baguette bread.
You might consider two
reasons for choosing the bakery over the cafe: (1) It's open all day. (2)
Breads and pastries to go.
--CHARLES PERRY, Times
Staff Writer
Hours: Dinner, 5 to 10 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.
----------
6. COUNCIL DISTRICT 1 REDISTRICTING MEETING
-- JANUARY 23
A meeting to collect
public feedback on "Re-districting City Council 1" will be held
Wednesday, January 23 at 6 pm, at Placentia Elementary Schoolļin Echo Park,
1321 Cortez Street. Council District 1, led by Council member Ed Reyes, shares
boundaries with CD 13 and 14.ļ For more information, contact Reyes' Lincoln
Heights field office at (213) 485--0763, or his downtown office at (213)
485-3451.
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7. NEIGHBORHOOD EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS MEETINGS
OFFERED BY THE LAFD
This message was
forwarded to us by Tracy King, community activist and co-president, Eagle Rock
Junior/Senior High School PTSA (Parent, Teacher, Student Association):
Here is the list for
the Neighborhood Preparedness Meetings offered by the Fire Department. You are welcome to attend any meeting. I went last Tuesday and found it to be very
useful. If you are interested in
participating in a Community Emergency Response Team class (CERT) offered for
free by the Fire Department, let me know.
It is a 17 1/2 hour class offered over seven weeks. If we have 25 volunteers, they will hold the
class in a public location that we arrange.
Anyone interested please email me at tracyking5@cs.com. You can find out more about the class at http://www.cert-la.com.
Jan. 15, 2002 F.S. 39 818 756-7539
Van Nuys Area
Jan. 16, 2002 F.S. 98 818 756-7598
Pacoima Area
Jan. 17, 2002 F.S. 89 818 756-7589
North Hollywood Area
Jan. 22, 2002 F.S. 37 310 575-8537
West L.A. Area
Jan. 23, 2002 F.S. 29 213 485-6229
Mid-Wilshire Area
Jan. 24, 2002 F.S. 27 213 485-6227
Hollywood Area
Jan. 29, 2002 F.S. 38 310
548-7548 Wilmington Area
Jan. 30, 2002 F.S. 5 213 485-6205
Westchester Area
Jan. 31, 2002 F.S. 26 213 485-6226
Feb. 05, 2002 F.S. 94 213 485-6294 Crenshaw Area
Feb. 06, 2002 F.S. 72 818 756-7572 Canoga Park Area
PTSA will meet again
beginning in February on the 12th, and do we have a great meeting planned! Cardie Molina, our co-president, is
arranging a program all about summer school.
----------
8. . . . AND EVEN MORE COMMENTS FROM
WALGREENS PETITION SIGNERS
To Eagle Rock
Supporters:
We have lived in Eagle
Rock for forty five years. We love the
small community of which we are a part.
A huge corporation should not damage what the citizens of a community
have worked so hard to protect. Good
will is essential to the success of any business.
It is possible for
Walgreens to establish a store here, and do so with the support of the
community. By preserving a beautiful
old building, and placing parking behind the building, they can satisfy their
need to make money in Eagle Rock, and at the same time, satisfy the people who
make Eagle Rock their home. Sincerely
--
-- Bob and Lois
Douglass, Eagle Rock residents and TERA members
"Thank you for
what you are doing for our community."
-- Larry A. Stirl,
Eagle Rock resident
"Being a good
neighbor will mean doing what is good for both Walgreens and the
community."
-- Steven Hirsh, Eagle
Rock resident and TERA member
"Surprisingly, in
Eagle Rock we do live in small town America. To build on our strengths, we need
to preserve and restore the historical roots that are still here. While I've
not been here long enough to care about that particular building, I'm sure it
could be brought back into being a characterful building that adds to this
community. The idea of another pharmacy
and another coffee shop across the street from old and newly established
businesses seems destructive. Let
suburbia grow on the outskirts of town."
-- Anne R. Daniel,
Eagle Rock resident and TERA member
"We are completely
shocked that our councilman, who campaigned to listen to the people in his
community, is standing by and not supporting us. When does he come up for re-election?"
-- Irene and Robert
Mele, Eagle Rock residents and TERA members
"As an Eagle Rock
resident and TERA member, I support the effort to convince Walgreens to use the
existing Shopping Bag structure. It is
clear that there is strong community support for respecting the local and
historic architecture of our area.
I am also e-mailing
Councilman Pacheco is this regard. I am
puzzled by his stance -- isn't he listening to his constituents? Sincerely --"
-- Patti Laursen, Eagle
Rock resident and TERA member
"I wish Colorado
Blvd/Figueroa would stop being thought of as a dumping ground. We already have
greasy McDonalds. I would love a
drive-through coffee or combination coffee house and book shop where the Rite
Aid was supposed to go. I don't see why
ER needs another pharmacy. I'm sitting
on the fence about the old Shopping Bag building. I think it would be better to re-use it -- the historic
importance is marginal but I don't feel it is a significant building (I'm
sorry, I come from the East).
That mini mall next to
One Day paint is a good example of the traffic problems that would occur. A skate park with a mural (graffiti) wall
for positive art expression would be a great addition to Eagle Rock and cut
down on skater wear and tear of public spaces.
A good spot for a skate park would be behind Chevron on Colorado and
Figueroa.
I don't know what the
solution is, but I am glad to be part of a community that cares about its
development."
-- Marny Hackley, Eagle
Rock resident
"It was a pleasure
to finally meet you at the now infamous Walgreens meeting . . . you were
great! And our reaction to Mr. Pacheco
. . . shifty, shifty, and an arrogant politician. We are SO sorry we ever voted
for him, but trust me, never again!!!
Once again, we strongly
oppose a modern generic type building, but just as strongly support a building
structure that would easily blend and integrate with the older buildings'
architecture located nearby (the ones that the guy from Walgreens could not
find and/or see . . . )
-- Tamara and Alexis
Lobaco, Eagle Rock residents and TERA members
"We do not need a
Walgreens. We have Savon. It would put many of the smaller businesses
out of business. This is a 'small
town'. A corporate giant is not welcome
here."
-- Tatiana Urquiza,
Eagle Rock resident
"Keep me on your
list to stop this Walgreen's development plan!"
-- Nancy Oshima, Eagle
Rock resident
"Please add my
name and my husband's to the petition for restoring the original Shopping Bag
building. My husband and I purchased
our home a year and half ago in this fantastic community! The main thing I LOVE about Eagle Rock is
its small town feel . . . not turning
our main street into every other street in L.A. is part of maintaining
that wonderful warm and fuzzy small town atmosphere. Sincerely --
-- Marco and Keely
Gamboa, Eagle Rock residents and TERA members
"Walgreens: Please be responsive to the future customers
and you will gain their goodwill and support!"
-- Bill Markis, Eagle
Rock resident
"Councilman
Pacheco's reported comment that he won't take a position on the matter is
unacceptable. Leaders are elected to
lead. So please, Councilman, make your
views known. Even if I disagree with
it, I'll respect you for expressing it."
-- Chris Grove and
Janet Borrus, Eagle Rock residents and TERA members
"Like hundreds of
other Eagle Rock residents, I am signing this petition to prevent the
destruction of the historic Shopping Bag building for a Walgreen's in our
community. The Shopping Bag building is
a vital community asset on a Colorado Boulevard already deprived of so much of
its historic architecture. Signed
--"
-- Ed Leibowitz, Eagle
Rock resident and TERA member
"Eagle Rock is a
place known for its history and charm.
This is a time when the community is coming together even more than
ever. A decision like a Walgreens would
destroy the establishing communal environment."
-- Sarah May, Eagle
Rock resident
"My husband and I
moved to Eagle Rock in 1994 because we loved the neighborhood as-is. I believe
the character of a place lives within its citizens, but let's not kid ourselves
-- great design helps.
There is something very
problematic about a group of people deciding what kind of business is 'right'
for our community... the economic and cultural diversity of Eagle Rock seems to
allow for eclecticism above all. To want Colorado Blvd to be a pedestrian city
center and then to fight against a Starbucks on that street seems conflicted,
as Starbucks often anchor such pedestrian corridors in other communities.
Therefore, I tend to think that the problem with Starbucks is an issue of
personal taste... some people not wanting to see a ubiquitous chain-store in
our area even though it complies with the Colorado Blvd Specific Plan.
The situation with
Walgreens and the shopping bag building is much more straight forward. We have
a Specific Plan that the present design does not adhere to. What is our
councilman thinking? This matter
shouldn't even be up for debate -- If Walgreens wants to locate itself on what
is set aside as a pedestrian corridor, it needs to bring itself into
compliance. There are other places Walgreens can set up shop.
It would be such a
shame should the Shopping Bag Building be torn down. Thank you for bringing the
issue forward and giving us a chance to hopefully save a bit of architectural
history in our wonderful town."
-- Ivette Soler, Eagle
Rock resident, TERA member, and "Germinator"
"You may already
be aware of this but I thought I'd pass it along. As I was driving down Wilshire Blvd. this morning I couldn't help
but notice that Walgreens is in the middle of retrofitting a building (I think
the old Zachary All Store) at the corner of Wilshire and Dunsmuir. They seem to be bringing back the original
facade that's been covered up for several years. This building also fronts the sidewalk.
I guess in Walgreens'
eyes it's ok to have street frontage and a retrofitted building in the Miracle
Mile district but not in Eagle Rock.
Sincerely --"
-- Edmund Barr, Eagle
Rock resident and TERA member
"I welcome
Walgreens into our community, as long as Walgreens honors what we, the people,
want."
-- Patricia Neal,
owner, Swork; Eagle Rock resident; and TERA member
"As an
architectural historian, I am appalled that Walgreens proposes to destroy a
fine commercial building and construct in its place a bland structure that
could be found anywhere. This is
corporate planning and design at its most irresponsible and insensitive. I encourage Walgreens to adapt and re-use
the Shopping Bag Building."
-- Patricia Morton,
Associate Professor of Architectural History, UC Riverside, and resident of
Northeast LA
"I'd prefer that
Walgreens stay away altogether."
-- Ron Hansen, Eagle
Rock resident and TERA member
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9. LETTERS AND E.MAILS
The following is a
recently submitted response by e.letter reader Mike Cummings to our Walgreens
survey we distributed many weeks ago:
"1. Do you
believe that Eagle Rock needs the addition of a large drugstore at this
location?
No, I am currently
satisfied with the local owned pharmacy.
2. Do you have any
concerns about the addition of Walgreen's and other tenants to this area? To this block?
I would like to see
development, but not at the cost of giving up local businesses or destroying
the existing structures. Why cannot they incorporate these structures or at
least the facades into the plan?
3. Is there another tenant that you would like
to see instead of Walgreen's?
We do not have an
adequate supply of clothing stores, and no camping stores/outdoor
activities. Also could use access to a
shoe store. I do not find shopping at
the Eagle Rock Mall a part of my habits, perhaps once it is remodeled and
cornerstoned by Target my feelings will change. I do shop at Target and currently go to Pasadena and am looking
forward to having them here, for the additional income to the city, but also
the creation of new jobs in the area.
4. If you support the proposed project, what if
any changes would you like to suggest as improvements to the project such as
more extensive landscaping, pedestrian walkways, linkages with other businesses
or maintaining the historical facade?
I am not against the
addition of a national pharmacy chain, but would like it to be more user
friendly to the community with plantings to soften the impact and using the
existing facades in the new structure."
"I've forwarded
this TERA e.letter issue to our Pasadena 6th district (South Orange Grove and
the Arroyo) city councilman, Steve Madison.
We are dying on the vine with the Paseo Colorado -- a lot of loser
stores and very expensive parking, and Old Town is getting impossibly congested
and the east west traffic next to impossible -- the proposed Blue Line
train is not even interrupting the traffic flow yet, and the Legacy Project is
in limbo (Old Ambassador College site, the plans for which scare the meanest
among us!), and the threat of the extension of the 710 freeway through our
area, and the refusal to direct traffic from the Del Mar/California Boulevard
stump over to the Arroyo Parkway where it should be . . . dying, dying.
I think our area, the
'West Pasadena Residents' Association (WPRA), needs a weekly e.letter such as
yours. Yes, the question blares, 'Where
is our Joanne Turner who volunteers her family and her blood for the cause of
TERA?'
A voice crying in the
wilderness wants you to know that I read each issue of the TERA e.letter and
commend you and the Eagle Rock community for its stick-to-itiveness. Boo on
Walgreens, and double boo on the reps who turn a deaf ear to your struggle to
preserve the old Shopping Bag site.
I grew up in Glendale
(before the 134 freeway, for heaven's sake).
I vividly remember, being dressed in a plaid outfit, with Johnny Belinda
shoes, a huge, disgusting plaid bow in my hair, and gloves(!) to drive with my
mom, aunt, and sister across Eagle Rock on Colorado to lunch at the Tea Room in
Bullock's. I am so glad that so much of
your work in Eagle Rock has been successful. Take one look at Pasadena and
weep.
My best to you, and I'd
sign against Walgreens and Starbucks (there are about four Starbucks outlets
the length of Fair Oaks into South Pas.) were I a NE Los Angeles
resident."
-- Marilyn Lindquist,
Pasadena resident and TERA fan
"I rather not sign
your petition, since my contact at
walgreens in chicago, says it pretty much a done deal for walgreens to take
over the property."
-- R. Rodriguez, Eagle
Rock resident
"It is good to
read that many people are getting involved in the Shopping Bag/Walgreens
issue. Your clarion calls on behalf of
TERA and the entire Eagle Rock community are not unheeded. Let's just hope that the ears and minds and
hearts of the ultimate decision-making Powers That Be are not stopped up.
My concern is that
while people's attention is on this issue, someone will make an end run and
push through on the oversized Yosemite Gym development, sans parking. What is happening on that front?"
-- Ellen Rissman-Wong
(I may live in Orange County, but I can be concerned, can't I?), fellow
Scrippsie
"PLEASE stop
sending me 'sign the petition' requests.
I DO NOT AGREE WITH WALGREENS EVER coming into this
neighborhood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are saturated with
pharmacies. And whatever gave you and
your readers the idea that it would be a better suited site at the La
Loma/Colorado/Figueroa triangle is absolutely foolish!! I don't even care for the McDonalds
there. The traffic combined with the
MTA end of the line parking (not just one bus, frequently three) provides a
fertile ground for an accident. Next time research it."
-- Paula Di Sano, Eagle
Rock resident and TERA member
"I came across
your website quite by accident and was pleased that it exists. I grew up in
Eagle Rock (St Dominic's, ERHS S'66) on Norwalk Ave. We moved there in 1956 and
I left to join the Navy right after graduation. I don't get down to L.A. very
often but when I do, I always try to drive through the old neighborhood on the
way to Phillipe's.
My son was on the
Jeopardy Teen Challenge three years ago. After being eliminated (first round.
Bummer) we had a day to kill and spent most of it in Eagle Rock. I've always felt it was important that both
my children and my wife knew where I grew up as part of my personal
history. It was a lot of fun showing
him the high school, Yosemite Playground and other locations that were
important to me.
I'm glad to see so much
interest focused on ensuring Eagle Rock retains its history and
attraction. I always looked at the town
as a quiet, comfortable community that was located just far enough away from
downtown...
Colorado Bl and Eagle
Rock Bl deserve to be properly planned and upgraded. I'm a big fan of "downtowns" and appreciate what a good
one is like. San Luis Obispo and
Visalia are good examples you might be familiar with. I'm sure there are others.
Keep the money in town. You
shouldn't have to go to Glendale or Pasadena.
-- Steve Dunlap, Eagle
Rock native and fan
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10. QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Doing is the
great thing. For if, resolutely, people do what is right, in time they come to
like doing it."
-- John Ruskin
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11. COMING NEXT WEEK
Look for "Tobacco
Plus Pokemon Plus Walgreens Equals . . ."
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We welcome your
comments. Please include your name.
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Joanne Turner <artburn@earthlink.net>
President, The Eagle
Rock Association (TERA)