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Eagle Rock
22 Year Old-
"A Cut
Above the Rest"
Rides Rose
Parade Float
by Tom Topping
When Maria
Betania Alsina was a little girl in Paraguay, she loved to watch the
Rose
Parade on TV. She, her friends and family would marvel at the beautiful
floats,
and pick their favorite ones. She never imagined that one day she would
be
riding one.
But, after
growing up in California, (Eagle Rock since 2002) she will indeed be
riding
that float in the 2010 Rose Parade. She and her family are so excited
(as well
as dozens of her relatives back in Paraguay), and her mother and sister
will be
there to see
her on the first float of the parade with the 2010 Rose
Parade theme, "A Cut Above the Rest."
When Maria
(she goes by Betania) was attending Eagle Rock High School, her friends
and
family recognized her gift of physical beauty, and pushed and coaxed
her to
pursue modeling. Eventually her mother, Carmen, discovered the William
Adrian
Agency in Pasadena. Bill Adrian liked her, and her part-time modeling
career
got off to a good start. She appeared on some runways and designer
shows, and
modeled a gown for a magazine shoot among other work.
She still
kept up her classes at Eagle Rock High, and worked on the school
newspaper
there. After graduating High School, she took time off from her
modeling to
concentrate on college work, but soon returned to pursue her fledgling
modeling
career. She still continues her journalism studies at Pasadena City
College.
Bill Adrian thought she should try for a spot on the "A Cut Above
the Rest" float, so she
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John Potter, Retired
Dahlia
Heights Teacher
Succumbs
in Eagle Rock Fire
by Tom Topping
On Tuesday,
December 8, 2009 at 6:23 AM, 5 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 3
LAFD
Rescue Ambulances, 5 Arson Units, 1 EMS Battalion Captain, 1 Battalion
Chief
Officer Command Team and 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, under
the
direction of Battalion Chief Wade White, responded to a Structure Fire
at 4838
North Maywood Avenue in Eagle Rock.
While in
route to a structure fire, firefighters heard the dreadful radio
transmission,
"Possible victim trapped" and quickly ordered additional companies.
They arrived to a one-story, wood-sided single family dwelling engulfed
in
flames.
Neighbors
frantically tried to help with garden hoses while declaring that
someone was
inside, thus confirming the previous radio transmission. Firefighters
sprinted
into action, making an attack with hose-lines while simultaneously
cutting
holes in the roof for ventilation. An immediate search and rescue
operation
commenced in this 1200 square-foot non-sprinklered home. Firefighters
were
disheartened to find the lifeless body of a 77 year-old male in his
bathroom.
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Canine
Tragedy on Eucalyptus Lane
by Tom Topping
On
December
14, the Eucalyptus Street neighbor heard a ruckus and looked out to see
a mass
of growling, snarling, and howling teeth and flying fur. She realized
right
away that Larry and Wolfgang, the neighbor's pit bulls had gotten
through the
fence into the other neighbor's yard where they were attacking Merlyn,
her next
door neighbor's dog. She watched helplessly as the two bulls reverted
to
"pack" mentality, completely overwhelming the 17 year old Merlyn on
his own turf. As he breathed his last breath, the poor dog fell silent
and the
attack subsided.
The sole
witness was the only one to see, and called the authorities to
intervene.
By the time
help arrived, it was all over. L.A.P.D. and L.A. Animal Control were on
the
scene as Christopher Wall, Merlyn's owner, arrived home from work.
"I
lost my best friend," said Wall.
The pit's
owners were not bad people. They treated their dogs well, walking them
daily,
keeping them out of the cold at night. But they had known their dogs
had a
penchant for trying to burrow through and under the fence. They took
action
when and where they needed to, but alas, this time it turned out to be
a little
too little and a little too late.
On the surface, it seems
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Looking
Back by Joe Walker
100 years ago this month-January,1910
Complaints
about public transit are nothing new. On Jan 18, 1910, the Highland
Park
Protective League organized a visit to City Hall where they lodged a
complaint
about street car service. They asked that the Monte Vista Street Car
Line be
required to stop at Ave 28 so that passengers could transfer to the
Eagle Rock
line. Apparently there was no stop for quite a distance from where the
Eagle
Rock Street Car could be picked up.
90 years ago this month-January, 1920
The
Highland Park Presbyterian Church at Ave 53 and Figueroa St. was slated
to have
a "modern three story temple" to be built for $50,000 according to
the pastor of the church, Dr. Campbell Coyle. At a meeting held on
January 16,
1920, Pastor Coyle outlined that half of the building fund had already
been
raised and he expected the remaining funds to arrive shortly. Founded
in 1900,
the church was originally attached to nearby Occidental College.
The church
got its own building in 1908, which the 1920 remodeling added
considerably to.
70 years ago this month-January, 1940
Jan 2, 1940, Eagle Rock
Mrs Rae
Holland of 2228 1/2 Yosemite Drive did not heed the advice to use
caution with
portable heaters, or such warnings weren't issued way back then, but
she found
out the hard way when while attemping to light a gas heater an
explosion
occured, severely burning her and sending her to the hospital.
When Roger Warren Bell, 6, and his 78 year old grandmother, Mary
Bell, went for a walk on Jan 20, 1940 near their home at 2020 Hill Drive,
they crossed the street at 2970 Broadway, off Colorado Blvd, where they
both were hit ...
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