Residents Rage Over Red Flag Parking

Fire Department Fouls-up Outreach- Implementation

by Tom Topping
A new L.A. City ordinance labeling certain streets as "Red Flag Parking Zones" alarmed and infuriated residents last month when they first learned about the zones by seeing the signs installed on their own streets. The brightly colored signs warning "NO PARKING RED FLAG DAYS" included a graphic of a car being towed away, and an instruction to call 3-1-1 for more information.
Residents, especially those living in Mt. Washington, are frustrated and angry over the new parking restrictions, and for good reason. They will not know whether a "Red Flag Day" has been designated unless they are attentive to media outlets, call 3-1-1 or happen to notice a red flag raised in front of one of the city's 103 fire stations that day. Then, assuming they do notice, they must move their cars elsewhere, which can be several steep blocks away because many of the houses in that area do not have any garages or off street parking to use.
The red flag days program was started as an initiative to protect the public and avert a situation like what happened in the Oakland Hills Fire in 1993 when reportedly 3,403 homes were lost, 780 of them in the first hour. This was partly due to a traffic bottle neck between fire trucks trying to get in and evacuees trying to get out on narrow, hillside streets. The city wanted to have the authority to ticket and tow away parked cars as a preventative measure when weather conditions such as high winds and low humidity combine to increase the fire danger.
The ordinance as it now stands has given the Fire Department and the City Department of Transportation the authority to designate and post signs on streets identifying them as red flag zones. Cars parked on these streets on red flag days may be ticketed and towed away, at considerable cost to the owners.
So far, the community in Mt. Washington is up in arms, with many worried that their automobiles will be taken from them without warning.
At a Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council Mount Washington Issues Committee meeting last month, city representatives such as Dalila Sotelo, president of the Fire Commission, (and acting Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council President) representatives of Council Districts 1 and 14, and representatives for the Department of Transportation and Fire Department were there being held accountable for the city's actions. They heard a lot from the residents, and they agreed that it was a "flawed" implementation process, and that there are problems that need fixing.
The Mt. Washington community plans to address the issue further at a meeting to be held on Wednesday, January 11, 7:00 p.m. at the Carlin G. Smith Recreation Center, 511 W. Avenue 46. All Northeast residents, and anyone else interested is welcome to attend. They will be questioning city officials about the "Red Flag" issue and whether their street's designation might be appealable.
I knew I had to investigate further this red flag issue, specifically regarding how the streets were selected and see if it was being implemented in a fair and sensible manner. I drove around to various streets in Eagle Rock and Mt. Washington with my tape measure, notepad and camera in hand. I measured and photographed and observed all around the area. I was looking for what I would consider streets in a high fire danger zone. I was also looking for red flag designated streets in no apparent fire danger zone. I also went to a city of L.A. website entitled NavigateLA. It was here I searched out various fire hazard and red flag zones. I carefully studied the various city council motions, and read numerous messages on e-mail lists and blog sites of people complaining and sharing their information on the subject. This is what I found.
The first thing I wanted to do is check if the width of the streets involved have anything to do with the red flag designation. In Eagle Rock, I checked some red flag streets as well as streets that were adjacent to historic fire areas. What I found was that some streets, designated as red flag, are nowhere near historic fire zones. They are, however, somewhat narrow.
One newly declared red flag street is a little dead end in Eagle Rock. Montiflora already has no parking on one side and restricted street sweeper parking on the other. It is a short street with less than 20 single family homes on it. The street is 23 feet 10 inches wide for its entire length. It is not adjacent to historic brush fire areas.
About a mile north, are a few narrow streets, also dead ends. Their widths are 18 feet on upper Townsend Ave., 21 feet 10 inches for upper Mount Royal and 23 feet 11 inches for Kincheloe. On these streets the parking is also prohibited on one side but they are not red flagged, however these are directly adjacent to historic brush fire areas, dead-ending right into the foothills.
I could already see some irregularities in the process, but I thought I better go into Mt. Washington to inspect the situation there as well. The main artery into and out of Mt. Washington is San Rafael Ave. Its width ranges from about 28 feet in some stretches to 22 feet in others. If anyone would have to evacuate from the top of Mt. Washington they would likely use this street. However, this is not a red flag street.
Other streets there are extremely narrow like Ave. 45 and Ave. 46. At 18 feet and less, a legally parked Honda mini van leaves only 10 feet of open road. These are red flagged, and it's probably a good thing.
Finally, I got on the computer to read the various city council motions and ordinances. They kept referring to something called a "MOUNTAIN FIRE ZONE". In fact, even the title of the Council File was "MOUNTAIN FIRE ZONE/NO PARKING ON RED FLAG DAYS." Immediately I observed that the description of "Mountain Fire Zone" was a bit of a stretch for the areas I had just looked at. Sure they're a bit hilly, but the areas I inspected were all just residential, and some could not even be considered mountain areas with the most liberal imagination. Also the areas that I would describe as being closest to mountain areas, were not red flagged at all.
Here is an excerpt from the motion: "As a preventive measure, the Los Angeles Fire Department and Department of Transportation have identified specific streets within the Mountain Fire Zone on which parking prohibitions and authority for vehicle removal would greatly improve access for fire and emergency personnel as well as assist evacuation for residents in the event of a fire. This authority would only be allowed for the departments on "red flag days."
It seemed clear enough. The streets identified were to be within the mountain fire zones. But where they?
An E-mail from Eliot Sekular of the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council referred to something called "NavigateL.A." (http://navigatela.lacity.org) available linked to the city's web site. It is a fascinating site, showing a map of L.A. City.
On the left side of the screen was a list of all kinds of different things from specific plans to roads and freeways to sewer lines, police and fire divisions, parks and libraries, almost any natural or city created area or boundary. I could spend hours exploring it.
I was looking for the Mountain Fire Zone and I found it. As it slowly filled the screen I sensed something was wrong. Not one of those streets I just investigated was within those fire zone boundaries. In fact, the only fire zone within the Northeast was the Eagle Rock foothills north of the 134 freeway. The same area that I have firsthand knowledge of burning every ten years or so. The same area where not one of the little, narrow, winding streets was red flagged.
Something was definitely wrong here. How could it be that a council action that says one thing could be put into practice as another? (You veteran activists out there know that this happens more often than not!)
As I navigated around NavigateLA I soon discovered that other fire related zones could be found. Here was a "Fire Buffer Zone." And here was a "Fire Brush clearance zone." Then a "Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone." It was kinda cool. As I clicked the check box next to the name of the zone, it would magically appear on the map. Some of them over lapped. Some, like the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone and the Fire Brush clearance zone, had the same borders.
On this map, almost all of Mt. Washington fell squarely within the Very High Fire Hazard zone. Then I found "Red Flag Restricted Areas." I expected that all the red flag areas would be within the fire hazard zone, but I was wrong.
About half of the red flag streets in Eagle Rock were not in any of the fire hazard zones. I called the city to ask why. I called Councilmember Huizar's office. I called the fire department. I called the D.O.T. I left a few messages and was surprised to receive some answers.
One lady I talked to, May in the DO.T. said that the streets did not have to be in any fire hazard zone- only streets that the fire department designates as creating a difficulty for getting a Fire Truck in and out. When I mentioned that the council motion that passed referred to streets within a fire hazard zone, she passed the ball and said, "Allan Willis is in charge of it. We took our direction from Allan Willis." His number is 213-972-8430. Mr. Willis was out this week and referred all callers to Alli Modavi.
Mr Modavi called me back and explained that basically the Fire Department sent the D.O.T. a letter asking that a street be restricted. He said they must comply, they don't have a choice. He also mentioned that the actual standards that the DOT goes by would create chaos in the entire city if they were strictly enforced (no one could park anywhere). He told me that Glenn Ogura was the guy responsible in my area. I called and left a message for him.
Alvin Parra, Field Director for 14th District Councilman Huizar, called me and explained that they are working on the issue. When constituents first called, he said, the council office did not know anything about the Red Flag issue. "It was news to us, we hadn't been briefed by the Fire Department." He said that it was also clear that the Fire Department and the DOT did not do adequate community outreach on the subject. When the motion came up before council on December 14, it was Huizar who pulled the motion from the consent calendar in order to question fire department officials according to Mr. Parra. He and other council members then chastised them for their lack of outreach on the matter.
The 14th District Council office is putting a meeting together with Council District 1 representatives and the Fire and Transportation Departments to create an outreach plan to notify and accept input from residents. They plan to include the Neighborhood Councils, and do community wide meetings as well.
They are looking for better methods of notifying affected residents when a red flag day exists, as well as taking their own look at designated streets to see if some of those streets really don't deserve the red flag designation. Mr. Parra vaunted the councilman's efforts at bringing the subject up to the Fire Chief in one city council meeting that 3-1-1 operators were not even briefed about the red flag program, as some had called the number printed right on the signs to find that operators had no knowledge what so ever about the plan. This was news to the Fire Chief as well. The Councilman has stated that no red flag violations will be enforced until these tasks have been accomplished.
Glenn Ogura, an engineer with the DOT in charge of this area of the city, confirmed other's statements that stated while the DOT was the agency to put up the signs and to enforce the Red Flag Days program, it was left to the Fire Department to identify which streets would be included in the program.
He said that originally, the Fire Department marked every hillside street in the city for red flag status. He says the DOT went back to them and told them it was too much, because nobody would have any area to move their cars to. "We asked them to go back and mark just the minimum they needed," he said.
Fire Chief Craig Fry called me back and explained the entire "Red Flag Days" program again. He added that the local fire captains at local fire stations were the ones who identified the streets they wanted marked for the Red Flag program. I asked him why the Fire Department designated many red flag streets that were outside of the Mountain Fire Zone, as stated in the various City Council motions. He told me they weren't. When I mentioned that the overlay map of the red flag streets and the mountain fire zone was in front of me on my screen right now and that many of the red flag streets were not even in brush fire clearance areas, let alone in the mountain fire zones, he said, "I disagree."
I asked, "Hypothetically, if streets were designated as red flag, that were out side the Mountain Fire Zone, was it a mistake?"
"They're not!" Chief Fry replied.
"But they are. I'm looking at them on the screen in front of me," I answered.
"I disagree," he said.
I asked him if he thought I was stupid or a liar. Was I not capable of understanding the markings on a simple map, or was I intentionally mis-stating what the map showed? (I suppose the multi-million dollar Navigate LA system could be wrong.)
Chief Fry got upset at this point and said, "Did I call you stupid or a liar? ... Well, if you already have your angle you're writing the story from, go ahead and write it," he charged. We were not getting anywhere now.
"I just want to know where is it defined in law that the Fire Department has the authority to designate red flag streets in any part of the city it wants," I stated. "The City Council motion specifically says 'streets in mountain fire zones,' and you have marked streets not even in these zones."
"I disagree. You're gonna write your story anyway you want."
I have found that when I get this much resistance from a city official, that must be where the fault is. He offered to drive with me to locations that I found had questionable red flag status. "Well I offered to drive with you, but you refused," he said. I reminded him that the information I was relaying to him was gathered over only a couple of days, so how could he not be aware of them if he'd been working on it for over a year?
After the conversation I went back to see that the actual term in the motion is "High Fire Severity Zone", in which most of Mt. Washington sits, but little of Eagle Rock is. There are still plenty of red flag streets in Eagle Rock outside of this High Fire Zone.
The call suggested that he was ignorant or apathetic of where the official Fire Zones and red flag streets were, never read the actual council motion, or was trying to conceal the fact that the fire department overstepped the authority granted to them by the city council on this matter. (you call him about your street at 213-485-6275)
There are questions remaining on Red Flag parking restrictions. For instance: Why did the Red Flag signs go up before the ordinance was voted on by the city council? It predated the council motion in Mt. Washington by 4 days. Why did the Fire Department designate streets at will, instead of only designating streets within the "High Fire Zones". Why was the requirement in the motion to require outreach ignored? If you have a question for city officials, the meeting on Wednesday, January 11, 7:00 p.m. at the Carlin G. Smith Recreation Center, 511 W. Avenue 46, is the place you want to be.
Long time Montiflora Street resident Roger said that there used to be parking allowed on both sides of his street. "The fire trucks, the trash trucks used to back up this street at 20 miles an hour. Then they made no parking on one side. Then they put street sweeping on the other. Now we got this red flag. It's ridiculous, if you go to work, you can't leave a car parked on the street!"

2005-

A Year in Review
by Tom Topping
Here is a short (as possible) synopsis of Northeast L.A. 2005.
January
Community member's interest was peaked when a very visible lot near Von's was graded and prepared for building. A meeting was held to envision what the community might want, but aside from secret plans to build a gas station there, no definite plans are admitted to by Von's.
Garvanza Skate Board Park advocates and protesters met with CD14 representative Lisa Sarno to iron out wrinkles in the plan.
Excessive noise at Gold Line crossings in Highland Park will be mitigated somewhat if the proposal for funding "sound proofed windows" and street level sound walls is adopted. Other measures such as reducing the use of the "Quacker" horn at crossings may incur liability to the MTA, according to officials.
February
The fight over the cross on the County Seal became local as local Christ's Church in the City organized to help retain the seal that displays the cross. Colorado Blvd. was closed at rush hour after workmen performing traffic signal upgrades punctured a line across from the Sizzler Restaurant near Live Oak View. It took days to get everyone's pilot light re-lit in the area.
The Northeast Democratic Club endorses CD 14 Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa as their pick for L.A. Mayor.
As part of a deal to allow a change of use of the Public Storage Company's building in Glassell Park, local seniors there celebrated the ground breaking of a new Senior Center to be built inside the Public Storage venue.
Three time Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce President Michael Nogueira Jr. is honored on the wall of fame in the Eagle Rock City Hall.
March
A huge rain and hail storm that hit in the early afternoon flooded sidewalks on Colorado Blvd. and piled up hail over a foot high in some areas. Local Kids make the best of the storm and throw snowballs at each other.
A report commissioned by The Eagle Rock Community Preservation and Revitalization group showed that angled parking would only add 31 spaces to the Boulevard between Eagle Rock Blvd. and Dahlia Drive, at great cost. It was shown to not be worth it.
April
Anita Hultman, President of the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council resigned due to a "Lack of responsibility and cooperation by many board members and stakeholders," she said.
A child wandered into the rain swollen Arroyo Seco River and was swept away. Fire Department rescuers spotted the child floating downstream in the L.A. river near Olympic, retrieved her from the water, but were unable to resuscitate her.
The beautification collaborative was welcomed into the Fraternal Order of Eagles Club, located at Townsend and Yosemite Avenues. They will meet there and help put on the monthly breakfasts, as well as hold their bi-yearly "Good Neighbor Award" ceremonies.
May
Celebrating eight years in business, the Boulevard Sentinel publishes their first full color issue, with a special full color shopping section entitled, "Hometown Originals" by Chockie Tom.
The Dog Park in Hermon breaks ground just as the mayoral race reaches a fever pitch. Councilman Villaraigosa was there mugging for the cameras as well as other local dog park activists.
Just after 11:00 p.m. on April 30, two masked gunmen entered Colombos Restaurant emptying cash registers and some of the bar's patrons. No one was injured.
June
Three blocks of Colorado Blvd. were rocked by gunfire as rival gang members started shooting at each other while in the drive thru of Tommy's Hamburgers. No one was hurt, but police had problems with residents who would not cooperate as a manhunt went from house to house and yard to yard. Tow suspects were found hiding in a garage.
Patrons of the Chalet, a local bar resembling a ski lodge inside, were stunned as they left the establishment when they found their cars had been towed away. The owner of the mini-mall at the corner of Townsend and Colorado defended the towing saying he constantly found his lot littered with fast food wrappers and empty bottles and cans, which the Chalet owners refused to help clean up.
The City of L.A. elected their first Latino Mayor in 133 years as Antonio Villaraigosa bested opponent James Hahn in the citywide election.
Nick Pacheco and José Huizar wasted no time in announcing their intentions to run to fill the vacant council seat vacated by the newly elected Mayor.
July
The Eagle Rock Flag is finally raised at the intersection of the 2 and 134 freeways. It was the long delayed culmination of an effort that lasted 9 years.
$500,000 of additional funding was granted to build the Garvanza Skatepark in Highland Park.
August
Tempers ran high as a meeting was held to push for a future of the Southwest Museum that local community members would be happy with. They were upset that the Autry Museum was removing "priceless" artifacts for display at a proposed new museum to be built near their location in Griffith Park. A tour of the Southwest museum showed the facility to be in poor shape for preserving the museum's collection.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa endorsed José Huizar for his former council seat.
An Oklahoma style land rush with dogs instead of people opened the newly completed Hermon Dog Park. It is split into two sections, one for larger and one for smaller dogs.
Businesses and residents continue to be impacted by the oh so slow progress of the sewer improvements, which make rush hour traffic a nightmare along Eagle Rock and York Boulevards. They hope to complete the work before the rainy season, which would delay completion of the work by months.
Glassell Park community leaders and city officials showed up for the opening ceremonies of the Senior Center inside the Public Storage building there. It will also house a field office for the 13th district council office, now held by Eric Garcetti.
September
Eight of the CD14 Council Candidates debated in Boyle Heights. Debate organizers attempted to keep candidate Ruby deVera from participating. She was politely persistent and finally prevailed in getting her seat after observers noted that as she was the only female and only Filipino candidate there, it appeared that organizers were either racist or misogynist to prevent her from participating.
The new mayor invited members of the press to ride with him on the Goldline as he tried to raise public awareness of the benefits of public transit. He had to drive from his home on the top of Mt. Washington to get down to the Goldline Station.
A meeting was held at Harnsberger Real Estate offices to keep the ball rolling toward a new skate park.
October
The Eagle Rock Music Festival was a hit again as local business venues became the sites for some fantastic bands and performances.
The Eagle Rock Highland Park Little League was in turmoil after many of the long time officials resigned due to an altercation between a coach and an umpire. Johnny Salazar, credited with bringing the league back to life was also blamed for the other officials quitting.
Heinrich Keiffer and his wife Peggy volunteered with the Red Cross to provide relief for Hurricane Katrina victims. While they were there, the area was hit by Hurricane Wilma and they themselves had to be evacuated as well. They returned home safe and had quite a story to tell. They got very attached to Hurricane evacuees during their stay there.
The city's Department of Transportation was busy attacking organizers of the Eagle Rock Farmer's Market. They were trying to raise fees, and even tried to have event promoter Michael Nogueira arrested.
November
For the election issue we interviewed candidates Rudy deVera & Brian Heckmann, and in the process learned a lot about how the city works, and just how much and how little a council person can do.
Five local women were awarded at the annual Women in Business Awards Banquet.
The community of Hermon held a well attended candidate forum, just weeks before the election.
A robber dubbed the "Polite Bandit" held up quite a few local businesses run by a lone women. He was caught a week later in a motel on York Boulevard.
Occidental College displayed their expansion plans for their Eagle Rock Campus. Concerns about traffic and storm water as well as excess sewage flow were addressed to minimal satisfaction. Possible problems with excess noise were addressed by non-opening windows on the residential adjacent side of the buildings.
December
José Huizar won the CD 14 race in a landslide victory with over twice as many votes as his nearest competitor Nick Pacheco. The district was alive with parties on election night with so many candidates running.
A con artist posing as a local business person was able to convince two local businesses to give him $150 in cash. He has not been caught.
A Halloween night party ended in the death of one youth and the hospitalization of another with a bullet wound. The owner of the house where the party was held sent his family out of the country after he received death threats.
Eagle Rock High School advanced to the playoffs for the first time in recent history. They played at the L.A. Coliseum on December 9 and won the game in the last few minutes.
The 61st annual Northeast Christmas Parade was successful and the weather turned out beautiful for it.
A session for design input for the new Glassell High School was held to a fairly low turnout of community members. It is based on a new "Learning Communities" structure, where it will operate like four smaller schools of about 450 students.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Hope it's a safe and fun one.

NELAart Gallery Night
in Northeast L.A.

by Tom Topping
I went on a little tour the other night to 8 local art galeries in Northeast L.A. It was a fun tour and I really got to see a variety and volume of stuff that was way beyond my expectations. The tour is the product of a newly formed art group called NELAart, for Northeast Los Angeles Art Association.
I got an early start as one of the venues was also having a Christmas sale that day. I should have gotten the artist's names at each spot, just to give them the acknowledgment if nothing else, but I was too busy observing the people and the artwork, as well as enjoying the free snacks.
The Cactus gallery, at 4534 Eagle Rock Blvd., had a variety of nice pieces, as well as jewelry and other artsy gifts for sale. They specialize in South American art and merchandise, everything stylish and colorful.
The next stop was the Rock Rose Cafe, 4108 N. Figueroa Street. No, they're not part of NELAart yet, but it was early still, and it's always a pleasure to stop by and visit my friend, gallery owner Rosamaria Marquez. I bought a book to give as a Christmas gift and had a little coffee, it would be a long night. --->>>
From there I popped down to the first street bridge lighting downtown. Also, not part of the tour, but the event is in its third year, and was note worthy due to the co-appearance of Mayor Villaraigosa and Councilman Huizar. As they worked the stage together, they sounded more like disk jockeys than the real disk jockeys did.
The Mayor was looking very paternal as he traded turns handleing the speaking duties with the new councilman. They had food and brought in truckloads of snow for the kids to play in as well as having a local motorcycle club display their very pretty and customized Harley Davidson bikes. Huizar later asked me if I rode a Harley. It's surprising what a new pair of black jeans and old pair of army boots did for me.
Anyway, finally I got back on the tour with a visit to Art Studio C, 5145 York Boulevard. There, four artists were there working away. I got my official map and advice to not miss the MorYork Gallery, 4959 York Boulevard where I headed next.
This turned out to be the most wonderful experience of the night. Located on the corner of York and Avenue 50, it is a building that has some quite interesting local history. Originally a Safeway store (1933), it has played host to a roller rink (1950's), slot car track (60's), and now private studio/art gallery. For years, like me, you've probably thought it was a church, but no, that's next door.
The owner is a theme park consultant with world-wide clients, but the items he has created there are nothing short of world class. I was fascinated because all the works were made from everyday objects. Yardsticks. Poptops. Soda cans. Mirrors. Airplane wings. Scrabble letters. Tin can ends. Scrabble boards. Folding rulers. Swizzle sticks.
And Buttons. Thousands of buttons. Boxes and boxes of them. Buttons strung on and into wire frames reaching 3, 5, 8, 10 feet off the floor. Some hanging from the ceiling. All ingeniously done. You won't believe your eyes. And that's in addition to the exhibit in the front part of the building. Oh, I'm sorry, all that stuff I was talking about? That was just the private backroom collection. Consider yourself blessed if you get to see it. I did, and I do.
Brian Mallman, one of the night's organizers suggested I should not miss the two galleries down on San Fernando Road, "Drkrm" and "Another Year in L.A." The locations were a bit hard to find as the heavily industrial area at the intersections of Eagle Rock Boulevard, San Fernando Road, Cypress Avenue and Division Street seems at first glance not the area for art venues.
The parking was surprisingly easy that night as I turned on Division St. after coming down Eagle Rock Bl. and went the very short block to San Fernando Road. As soon as I turned right (a death defying proposition actually) there were a couple of free spaces to choose from, as it turned out, both right in front.
The Drkrm had a showcase of Bob Marley photographs that night, and owner John Matkowsky couldn't have been a more informed and pleasant host. At Another Year in L.A. "Criminal Minded" was still on exhibit. According to their website, these sculptures and paintings "draw attention to the paradoxes inherent in our legal system and cause viewers to question the boundaries drawn between the law and free expression." I liked the bright red bong with bean bag chairs, but there was plenty to enjoy for being in a rather small space.
I headed for the Space Gallery on Ave. 58 and York in Highland Park. As I walked through the door, I was met met by a familiar scent I recognized from years past. Some sort of incense I'm sure. I was also met by some really well done hand carved wood sculptures. The space gallery is an artist loft inhabited by four young guys. The atmosphere and energy is young and laid back, but the attitude is professional and welcoming as well. I wanted to just hangout with these guys, and keep feeling twenty years younger again, but time remained for me to experience one more gallery on the list.
I headed back up to my own neck of the woods, and found myself back on Colorado Boulevard. The Cache Contemporary resides in the spot formerly housing the Townsend Gallery, on the corner of Colorado and Townsend. Interesting stuff there, with works on display from the Mor York collection.
Although it was a first time event, and the attendance rather sparse, it was really fun to drive around finding and exploring these different venues, all located right in our own back yard. All in all, the NELAart Second Saturday Gallery Night was a great way to spend a Saturday evening. If you like art, artists, northeast L.A. or local adventures, you won't be disappointed with Gallery Night. Organizers plan to continue the event, and it looks to be off to a great start.

1. The Acorn Gallery
135 No. Avenue 50
323.850.8655 (Voicemail)
info@ArroyoArtsCollective.org

2. Another Year in LA
2121 N. San Fernando Road, #13
323-223-4000
www.anotheryearinla.com

3. Art Studio C
5145 York Boulevard
323.256.6052
www.artstudioc.com

4. Avenue 50 Studio
131 No. Avenue 50,
(323) 258-1435
www.avenue50studio.com

5. Blue Chips
5505 N. Figueroa St
(between ave. 55 & 56)
open 12-8 mon-sat 12-6 sun
323.550.1400
www.bluechipshlp.com

6. Cache Contemporary
1581 W. Colorado
tue-fri 11-5, sat 11-3
and by appointment
www.cachecontemporary.com

7. Carlotta's Passion
2012 Colorado Blvd.,
www.carlottaspassion.com

8. Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock
2225 Colorado Blvd.
323.226.1617
www.centerartseaglerock.org/

9. The Drawing Club
3235 San Fernando Rd. #2C
626. 303. 2556
tdc.clients.webcorelabs.com

10. Drkrm
Photography gallery
2121 San Fernando Rd Suite 3
tuesday-saturday 11-5
monday by appointment
323-223-6867 www.drkrm.com

11. MorYork Gallery
4959 York Blvd.
Open by appointment
www.claregraham.com/MorYork.html

12. The Space Gallery
106 South Avenue 58
Open daily call for appointment
323.257.7969

13. Toros Pottery
4962 Eagle Rock Blvd.
323 344-8330
www.torospottery.com

ASNC Election Tally:
The final official election tally of the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council was published and here are the results:
Community Non-Profits:
Jeff Chapman;
Recreation, Culture, Arts:
Candace Johnson;
Retail, Wholesale, Service:
Jim Thompson;
Faith-based Organization:
Pastor AJ Mora(Hermon);
Health Care and Seniors:
Carol Jacques;
Environment:
Jerry Schneider;
Education and Youth:
Scott Folsom;
Hermon Representative:
Joseph Riser (who will join Maggie Barto -- now mid-way through her 2-year term - representing Hermon to the ASNC, beginning next month).
451 Units for Taylor Yard?
On Tuesday evening at Aragon Elementary School, McCormack, Baron and Salzar discussed their plans to develop 451 units in parcel C in Taylor Yard. The full, Recommended Joint Development Proposal can be found at:
http://www.mta.net/board/Items/2005/03_March/20050316Item11P&P.pdf
McCormack, Baron and Salzar will be hosting a Community Vision Workshop on Jan. 14 from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm at Aragon Elementary School 1118 Aragon Ave. Cypress Park
Antonio Bermudez
http://www.mccormack- baron.com (213) 236-2660

NATIVE PLANTS TOYON:
A unique winter-fruiting tree was used by Indians in the old days- It is also found throughout Eagle Rock!

by Christopher Nyerges
When you drive around Eagle Rock in the winter – especially around the hillsides – you'll notice the orange-red fruits on the toyon tree. Since it generally reaches its peak of fruit production around Christmas-time, the toyon fruits and green leaves are commonly used as holiday decorations in homes.
And though toyon is unrelated to holly, toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) is still commonly called California Holly. Hollywood hills were so named because they were once rich with the toyon trees.
Today, toyon is generally an ignored wild fruit. But in the old days, it was used by all the local Native Americans, even in post-contact days. Its greatest value was the fact that it fruited in winter. That may not seem like a big deal to the average city dweller who just drives to Von's or Trader Joe's for food. But for people who lived off the land, a plant which produced fruit in winter was nearly revered. The fresh fruits were used as a sugar source, for drinks, dried and ground into flour, and in various dessert dishes.
The berries are edible raw, but tend to be somewhat bitter, astringent, and "dry" tasting. For best results, the berries should be lightly baked, steamed, or soaked in water and cooked. Cooked berries add an excellent dessert to any wild food meal, the taste varying from sour-lemony to sweet. A tablespoon of honey greatly enhances the flavor of a pot of cooked toyon berries.
The berries can also be boiled and crushed, the pulp strained, then sweetened to produce a delectable cider.
Another way to use toyon berries is to dry and powder them, using them as you'd use flour. They are used alone, or mixed with wheat or other flours.
Fisherman John Linthurst from Altadena, California, uses toyon berries when fishing. "I pick the berries myself from the trees along the trail. When I spot a good-looking fish pond, I test it by throwing in some berries and watching for fish movement. Since the toyon berries sink slowly, they'll bring out the fish if there are any in the pool. This really saves on bait."
Researcher Edson Johnson from La Cañada, California, warns people not to make tea from the toyon leaves since, like some other members of the rose family, they contain enough cyanide to cause cyanide poisoning.
Generally in the wild, toyon grows in lower elevations in dry chaparral areas. It can be found along streets and in hillside areas all throughout Northeast Los Angeles and beyond.
Toyon is found as both a shrub and as a small tree. It grows from 15 to 30 feet tall. The leaves are oblong (approximately three times longer than broad, tapering at each end from the wider middle), leathery, and evenly toothed. They vary from two to three inches long, are dark green on the top and somewhat lighter green underneath.
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Nyerges is the author of Guide to Wild Foods and Urban Wilderness. He has led wild food outings since 1974. For a copy of Talking Leaves Newsletter, which includes his schedule of outings, contact School of Self-reliance, Box 41834, Eagle Rock, CA 90041, or check on-line at www.self-reliance.net.

Curves of Eagle Rock Contributes $1000
Eagle Rock, CA — December 18, 2005 — Curves, the world's largest franchisor of fitness clubs, today announced it has partnered with its franchisees and members to donate $3 million to Gulf Coast hurricane relief in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Curves of Eagle Rock contributed $1,000 toward the total. Recipients of the money are the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.
"It was heartbreaking to watch the devastation that occurred along the Gulf Coast, and we immediately knew that we wanted to help out in any way we could," said Lynda D'Angelo, Eagle Rock Curves owner. "We began collecting donations right away, and when we heard that the founders of Curves—Gary and Diane Heavin—offered to match up to $1,000 per franchise, we really got busy! This is what the Curves community is all about, and our members truly responded."
In a press conference at the Curves corporate headquarters in Waco, Texas, on Thursday, November 17, Gary and Diane Heavin presented checks for $1 million each to local representatives from the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. All funds collected by Curves franchisees were included in these gifts.
The additional million dollars, donated solely by the Heavins, will be used to benefit other local Gulf Coast non-profit agencies that are making a significant contribution to recovery efforts. The company's Gulf Coast Curves franchisees that were the hardest hit are being asked to submit a list of local agencies that they feel are worthy of receiving a donation. The Heavins and a Curves corporate hurricane task force will review their recommendations and make the final determination as to which agencies will receive a donation. All funds will be distributed by December 1.
About Curves of Eagle Rock
Located at 4870 Eagle Rock Blvd, Curves in Eagle Rock opened its doors in August of 2003. Owned and operated by mother daughter team, Joyce and Lynda D'Angelo. Together with their amazing staff they have helped women of this community acquire the habit of exercise and move away from disease, toward a healthier happier life.
About Curves International
Curves offers a 30-minute workout that combines strength training and sustained cardiovascular activity through safe and effective hydraulic resistance. Curves also offers a weight management program featuring a groundbreaking, scientifically proven method to raise metabolic rate and end the need for perpetual dieting. Gary Heavin, Curves' Founder and CEO, is the author of several books, including The New York Times Best-Sellers "Curves: Permanent Results Without Permanent Dieting" and "Curves On the Go." With thousands of locations and millions of members worldwide, Curves is the world's largest fitness center franchise and the fastest growing franchise in history. For more information, please visit: www.curves.com.

Arroyo Seco Parkway Poster Now Available
The Arroyo Seco Parkway (SR 110 aka the "Pasadena Freeway") was designated a National Scenic Byway in 2002. This poster was just printed under the sponsorship of the Highland Park Heritage Trust as a gesture of the group's long-standing support and advocacy for the Arroyo Seco corridor and the need to appropriately rehabilitate the historic Arroyo Seco Parkway.
The posters are now available for a suggested donation of $15.00 to Highland Park Heritage Trust. You can find them at Galco's Soda Pop Stop, 5702 York Blvd in Highland Park (along with a variety of old-fashioned and unique sodas). Cash or a check made payable to HPHT.
Montecito Heights artist Louis Quirarte, who was a passionate advocate for the Arroyo, developed the logo and this wonderful poster. At 2003's ArroyoFest, the community overwhelmingly voted for the image to become the official logo of the Arroyo Seco Parkway National Scenic Byway program. And it shall soon adorn some signage on the Parkway under the leadership of Caltrans.
If you're unfamiliar with the national program, please visit www.byways.org
Questions or any comments can be directed to Nicole Possert at aguild@pacbell.net, who is a board member of HPHT and the volunteer marketing representative for the Arroyo Seco Parkway National Scenic Byway program.



CENTER FOR ARTS SEEKS PROPOSALS
The Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock Exhibition Committee is currently accepting proposals from artists, curators, and art organizations for 3 exhibition slots in the second half of 2006. Slots are: June-July; August-September; and November-December. Proposals for exhibition must have a strong concept and fit within the Center's mission of providing innovative and multi-cultural arts programming. The Center is a historical landmark and multi-use space. All artwork must be made to be moved or placed on movable gallery walls.
The proposals must include:
- 150 word maximum description of the proposed exhibition.
- Bio/Resume/CV's of curator and/or a mission statement of the art organization/collective.
- Bio/Resume/CV's of proposed artists.
- Visual material of proposed artwork for exhibition. (jpegs, slides, sketches, etc.)
Deadline for submission is February lst, 2006. Please submit proposals to Lui Sanchez, Program Director, Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, 2225 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90041 or email to lui@centerartseaglerock.org Deadline for submissions for the 2007 season is June 30th 2006. For information please visit www.cent erartseaglerock.org

DON'T TALK ABOUT
RELIGION OR POLITICS

at Ave. 50
The Avenue 50 Studio invites the public to an art exhibit focusing on questions of religion and politics. Featured artists are Sergio Hernandez, Gwyneth Leech, Poli Marichal, John Paul Thorton, and Mark Vallen. Someone famous once said
"Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature,
the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions."
Those words certainly ring true in our own time, as countless individuals turn towards spiritualism for answers to life's great mysteries - their faith sheltering them from a pitilessly indifferent world. Yet at the same time societies everywhere are also being fractured by religious zealotry, bigotry and persecution - with religion itself seemingly a driving force behind war. The exhibition, Don't Talk About Religion or Politics, attempts a meaningful exploration of these contradictions and their political ramifications.
Don't Talk About Religion or Politics is also an age-old American axiom, an adage the participating artists of this exhibit clearly intend to ignore as they carefully examine the blurring between the sacred and profane. To celebrate the importance of spirituality in our lives and collective consciousness, the participating artists of this exhibition have come together to offer genuine visions of piety and devotion. But they are also unafraid to offer honest critiques of religion's darker side. It is to this duality of purpose that we dedicate the exhibition, Don't Talk About Religion or Politics.
When: Saturday, January 7, 2006. 7-10 pm
Where: Avenue 50 Studio, 131 No. Avenue 50, Los Angeles, CA. 90042
Duration: January 7 through February 6, 2006
Artists' Reception: Saturday, January 7, 2006. 7-10 pm