Eagle Rock High Beats Garfied at

L. A. Coliseum          

Division Champion Eagle Rock High School Varsity Football Team hoists their trophy high after beating Garfield High at the City Section Invitational Division Championship held December 8th at the L.A. Coliseum- They won 21-17.

Eagle Rock's Tournament of Roses History
New Priceless Items Just Donated!
Many people will recognize the name Fred Guapo, either because he is a long time resident of Eagle Rock, or from his activities as a real estate agent, with Caldwell Banker David Stevens Company, but most do not know about his interest and passion to help preserve and share the history of Eagle Rock as well. Fred only recently decided to get involved in the Eagle Rock Historical Society, and did not waste much time before really jumping in with both feet into the Society's efforts to preserve and archive the various and wonderful photos, artifacts, newspapers and history of the one time city, now just the community of Eagle Rock.

Eagle Rock's only Rose Queen- Carole Cota

He stepped right up and began showing up at the archives every Saturday morning to help in the identifying, cataloging and preserving of Eagle Rock history. He took out ads in the Boulevard Sentinel asking for donations of historical items and photographs to be included in the Society's collection. It didn't take long before some items that were very special caught his eye. He spotted the five trophies that the city of Eagle Rock had won for their participation in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses parade.
This is how Fred told it last month to some former Eagle Rockers, who were visiting, and at the time only considering donating some "Eagle Rock in the Rose Parade" memorabilia to the Eagle Rock Historical Society. Fred had put together an entire presentation to persuade them to donate these items to Eagle Rock rather than to Pasadena. He began:
"So one day I asked them, (Historical Society leaders) what do you know about these trophies? They said, 'Well, we don't.' 'You don't?' I said, 'well, why?' And they said, 'because no one really went that far with it.'
"He, (president Eric Warren) showed me a picture- back in 1972, they had (the five trophies) on display, and that was the last time anyone ever saw it.
"And so, I had a question, and I asked, 'Well if you don't know what's behind these, do you mind if I sort-of take a peek?' And from that moment on, I pulled out a big box of Eagle Rock Sentinel papers from 1910 to 1920, and I started going through every page, trying to see what I could discover.
"Then I caught on, I started looking for October, November, December, January and February issues. So by looking through each one of these newspapers and reading the stories, then I discovered these articles, then I discovered that 1913 was the (article) for the 1914 parade.
"I enlarged them so I could show people what was going on and why did they start this in the first place. (Fred has made up a presentation board to tell the story of Eagle Rock's participation in the famous Pasadena parade.)

"Now the very first float, they started discussing it at the Chamber of Commerce meeting in 1913, and I sensed a little bit of resentment about the float. "What for?" (they asked), I mean Eagle Rock became a city in 1911, and, (some of the chamber members said) that sounds like "gibberish" in their words, but they passed the hat around, I think there was some ladies involved, (ladies of influence) they passed that hat around and they collected $250 and they hired someone to do a float. Someone from Pasadena already had knowledge of how to make floats- but there's a very interesting article they had in here, (in the newspaper articles) asking the citizenry to donate pink flowers from their gardens.
"That's how 'home town' it was- Here is the 1914 float, the first one, and when they won a trophy, there was so much excitement."
Fred's presentation was a success, as the Historical Society now has some new items that directly related to an event that involved Eagle Rock and the Rose Parade of 1939. It was a near tragic event that was covered in Life Magazine and got national attention.
This is what happened.
In the parade of 1939, on the Colorado Boulevard hill, the brakes on a heavy calliope float suddenly failed and its four little Shetland ponies, unable to hold the weight behind them, broke into a gallop. Halfway down the hill, they overtook the Eagle Rock float. Life magazine cameras captured the moment, and printed a full page spread of the runaway just beginning to overtake the Eagle Rock float. Shown are the spectators running in many directions, as well as a woman who had stumbled, and was stopped by the camera's shutter right in the path of the on-coming runaways.
That's what happened, but the connection to today is a ten year old Eagle Rock kid, Lowell Paul, who happened to be riding on the Eagle Rock float that morning.
He watched as the runaway calliope passed the slow moving Eagle Rock float, and witnessed the woman pick herself up and jump to safety right onto the Eagle Rock float, just in the nick of time. The rest of the Parade proved otherwise uneventful aside from the fact that the Eagle Rock float won first prize in their class that year.
He is about eighty now, and had been cleaning out his home with his children when he ran across the memorabilia he had saved of that day. He donated his pictures of the 1939 float, and a copy of the Life magazine that covered the near tragic moment.
He also showed the bracelet he had earned by his participation in the parade. It was gold plated, engraved with "1939 Rose Parade", and still in remarkably good condition. The bracelet will not become part of the Eagle Rock collection, his children wanted to keep it.

He was accompanied by his wife Lea, his sisters, Dee Finney, Eileen Schultz and Eileen's husband Bob. They told the story of the day he got it:
Eileen said, "He said he got home from school one day and there was a letter for him that said there was something for him down at the (Eagle Rock) Sentinel.

Lowell Paul, his wife Lea, his sisters, Dee Finney, Eileen Schultz & husband Bob

You were what, ten years old?"
Lowell agreed, "Yeah, ten years old."
"So you went down there on your own?" Eileen asked.
Lowell continued, "I walked down there and the first thing I asked them- How much did it cost? They said five dollars, and I said, OH WOW! I wore it once I think, but I was always afraid to wear it."
Eileen continued, "We were living in the Hofsteder house, which is on Wiota Street, and the Eagle Rock Sentinel was way downtown (downtown Eagle Rock). You don't know whether you'd told mother you'd gone." Apparently, Lowell was so excited to find he had won a prize that he just took off, walking to the other end of town to pick it up, without permission to go or even telling his parents where he had gone. It probably took little more than an hour to make the trip, though, so he probably returned before anyone even knew he was gone.
But on this day, December 28, 2006, it all came together. A young boy's small town excitement, an old man's fond memories and a near tragic event, now turned into a priceless historical find. A moment in Eagle Rock Rose Parade history that will be preserved for many generations of Eagle Rockers yet to come.

This month in Eagle Rock History, 91 years ago.
Here is a newspaper report of the 1916 Tournament of Roses Parade and of the city of Eagle Rock's participation in it. Yes, Eagle Rock was once a city unto itself and was identified, as you'll read below, similarly with other Southern California cities of that time. (Reprinted from Eagle Rock Sentinel, Jan 6, 1916)

Northeast Los Angeles Natural Foods Co-op
Interested in purchasing healthy, affordable organic foods? Want to connect with other natural food minded neighbors? Don't want to spend your whole paycheck at Whole Foods? You can! NELA has a natural foods co-op. We've been operating for more than 2 years. Our primary source is the large health food distributor Azure Standard, based in Oregon. We also get fresh organic produce from Better Life, and raw milk products from Organic Pastures.
The co-op doesn't have a physical site (yet). It is organized like a buying club. Local families order direct from the sources on a monthly or weekly schedule. The Co-op organizes pickup/distribution sites and sharing via phone and email.
About Azure Standard:
Families can order in bulk or individual sizes. Go to: www.azurestandard.com and see what an extensive catalog of high quality products they have.
The prices are often less than at Trader Joes. The order deadline is around the 2nd Tuesday of each month. The goods get delivered, with no charge for shipping, by a giant refrigerated truck to the Rosebowl parking lot on the following Monday evening. Phone calls and emails go out with the estimated time of arrival and everyone shows up to get their boxes of apples, buckwheat flour, coconut milk etc. When the weather is nice, families sometimes picnic near KidsSpace while waiting for the truck.
About Better Life and Organic Pastures:
Better Life is a wholesale produce distributor, located downtown. They specialize in seasonal, organically-certified veggies from small growers. The Co-op orders from them once or twice a month. Members take turns picking up and distributing the order.
Organic Pastures (http://www.organicpastures.com/) is a family-owned, organic raw dairy farm and creamery. The Co-op coordinates pickups at their hub store once a week, where prices are much lower than at the health food stores.
Co-op members often share things like lemons from a backyard tree, favorite recipes, sourdough cultures, homemade soap, or information about food issues. They arrange to split large orders (10 gallons of honey, a case of peanut butter etc.). It is a growing community and is open to new ideas about accessing healthy affordable food for everyone. We have a Yahoo group for notices, questions and sharing.
If you would like to join the NELA Food Co-op, please contact Patti Wagonhurst at pwagonhurst@hotmail.com
- Jennifer Murphy
 

Garvanza Skate Park Breaks Ground

At the long awaited ground breaking of the Garvanza Skate Park, Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council director and skake park advocate Nancy Wyatt (at podium) acknowledges the help of volunteers Todd Taylor and Chris Devlin (at right), who helped in the design.

Franklin High School to Attend the Sacramento Legislative Seminar
For the past three years the Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council (HHPNC) has paid for 24 Franklin High School to attend the Sacramento Legislative Seminar (SLS), sponsored by the California Center for Education in Public Affairs, Inc. (CCEPA). This year the Seminar will be held February 25-27, 2007. It is very probable that the HHPNC will again send, for the fourth consecutive year, approximately 9 students from Highland Park. In previous years, Franklin High School AP Government teacher, Monica Whalen, has been the sponsoring teacher. This year, however, she is taking a M.A. in Education from U.C.L.A. Graduate School of Education and may not have the time to allot to this program. However, Luis Lopez, principal of Franklin, has assured this reporter that he will personally make sure that a teacher will again sponsor the program.
If you are a Franklin High School student (freshman to junior) and want to attend the Sacramento Legislative Seminar on a scholarship provided by the HHPNC, OR, you live in Highland Park but go to another high school (private or public), then you need to apply by February 12 to Dr. Stanley W. Moore (323) 256-1024. Dr. Moore taught at Pepperdine University for 33 years and for 20 years was president of this program of the CCEPA. Consequently the faculty from the participating 15-18 colleges/universities have permitted Dr. Moore to bring high school students from Highland Park to the SLS for the past three years, when it had previously been limited only to college students.
Applicants for this HHPNC scholarship are encouraged to call and speak with Dr. Moore. He wants each applicant to write an approximately 500 essay on how she or he would improve Highland Park if he or she had the power to bring about one or more changes. The HHPNC will take the ideas of the applicants and consider them for its own policies and expenditures. "What Would You Do to Improve Highland Park, If you had the Power to Do So," is the question. We think that it is a good, but, obviously, hard and challenging question with no easy answers. The HHPNC simply wants to hear your ideas.
The selected students will leave from Franklin H.S. around 9 a.m. Sunday morning. Each student should have about $30 spending money. Sunday night there will be an inexpensive dinner in Sacramento Old Town, followed by a Staff Panel in the Capitol. After this panel some of Dr. Moore's previous students who are working in Sacramento will meet with the students at the Clarion Hotel. Monday will begin with a lobbyist panel and end in the evening with a reception in the Capitol and a Press Panel. Tuesday morning will be a series of legislative and executive leaders who will respond to students' questions. Each day a lunch Dr. Moore will arrange for the students to meet with some key people in Sacramento.
Interested? Almost every previous participant has wanted to go back for a second year. Call Dr. Moore. Write an essay on how to improve Highland Park. And, hope that the HHPNC does fund this trip for the fourth year, and that YOU get selected.

Working for Eagle Rock

ER Historical Society Hosts Art Snyder

We are pleased to welcome Arthur K. Snyder, Eagle Rock¹s representative in the Los Angeles City Council from 1967 to 1985. Mr. Snyder is remembered here for his advocacy of our town and his commitment to constituent service.
Among his many accomplishments in our area are the preservation of our historic City Hall as a community center, the construction of the new Eagle Rock Branch Library, reconstruction of the WPA era swimming pool and provision of field lighting at Yosemite Park, and construction of tennis courts and provision of field lighting at Eagle Rock Recreation center.
Underground, and often unappreciated, was the installation of a storm drain system, which finally solved the perennial flooding of Yosemite Drive and other low-lying streets.
Senior citizen housing was provided in the complex now named "Arthur K. Snyder Villas".
Connection with Highland Park was improved by the rerouting and widening of the Townsend Avenue/ Avenue 51 Route over the hills.
Perhaps his most important achievement was the simultaneous preservation of our most important viewscape, the ridge over the then new 134 freeway and the blocking of the impending development of apartments in front of the Eagle Rock. This was accomplished in only four days, an example of his expertise in land use and City procedure gained over years of service. A combination of zoning for open space and restriction of houses to one per 4 acres has held back development in these vital areas to this day.
The promotion of activists with local knowledge was at the core of his approach to constituent service. His representatives could be counted on to know the issues important to constituents. He feels that the right to represent our community in the City as a whole was earned by the day to day work of easing citizens dealings with an often distant city bureaucracy.
Mr. Snyder will speak of his time representing us and will take questions from the audience.
Art Snyder was born on November 10, 1932 in the Los Angeles County General Hospital, the child of emigrant hill people from southern Ohio. He grew up in Lincoln Heights and Pacoima, and graduated from San Fernando High School at the age of 16.
He attended Los Angeles City College (A.A.-1950), Pepperdine College (B.A.-1952), and USC Law School (J.D.-1958).
He served in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War, and retired after 10 years on active duty and in the reserves, with the rank of Captain.
He served as Chief Deputy to Los Angeles City Councilman John C. Holland of the 14th District (Northeast Los Angeles, Atwater, Los Feliz, East Hollywood Hills) for eight years, and when Mr. Holland retired, with his blessing, Art ran for City Councilman himself.
He was elected in 1967 for his first term, winning in the primary election against 9 opponents (10, if you include the Los Angeles Times), still an all-time City record.
In 1973 the 14th District was re-districted in an effort to create an "Hispanic District" in Los Angeles. In 1973 and 1984 he faced recall elections, based on the feeling in some Los Angeles circles that the district that had been created for an Hispanic should be represented by an Hispanic. The voters, again and again disagreed. But Art felt that he had done what he started out to do, serving 18 years in the Council, and did not seek further election.
During his career, he pioneered the City¹s initiation of helicopter patrol, paramedic service, the CRASH (anti-gang) Program, the Comprehensive Noise Limitation Ordinance, the Tree Replacement Policy, the Department of Environmental Quality, City limitations on the sale of drug paraphernalia and the location of sex shops and video game shops. A compilation by the City Clerk showed that he had initiated more legislation with a higher level of success than any Member of Council in the recorded history of the City.
He re-opened his law office, and engaged in the practice of the law full time in Los Angeles, largely in the field of land use law (The Los Angeles Times recognized him as the best in his field), until 1999, when he reduced his practice and engaged in the development and operation of two restaurants in The Venetian Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. In 2006, he sold his interests in those restaurants, and is seeking new opportunities.
Art is married to the former Delia Wu, has three children and nine grandchildren, and still maintains his very limited law practice in what was his home in Eagle Rock, where he first lived in 1962. He is a Baptist, a Mason, a life member of the American Legion, a Member of the American, California, and Los Angeles Bar Associations, and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States of America.

Northeast Crime Report
Everett Sarabia
HELLO EVERYONE! Here are the latest Northeast crimes stats for the reporting period of 11/19/06 to 12/16/06 are: 4 homicides, 2 rape, 32 robberies, 55 aggravated assaults, which totals 93 reported violent crimes. The totals for violent & property crimes are 495 which include: 63 burglaries, 119 grand theft auto, 123 burglary thefts from auto, and 97 personal (other) theft. There were 54 Reported Child/spousal Abuse (Part I & II) 16 reported shots fired, 4 shooting victims and a total of 72 violent & property crime arrests in the Northeast Los Angeles area.
Crimes in Eagle Rock that occurred during Nov. 26th through Dec. 23rd:
1) 15 Burglary Thefts From Auto -On the 1800 block of Oak Tree Dr., on the 2100 block of Yosemite Dr., on the 2100 block of Yosemite Dr., on the 7300 block of North Fig. St., on the 2100 block of Neola Dr., on the 1800 block of Yosemite Dr., – near the intersection of Eagle Rock & Norwalk, on the 2200 block of Ridgeview Ave., on the 4500 block of Paulhan Ave., on the 5100 block of Rockland Ave., on the 2800 block of Colorado Blvd., on the 4400 block of Eagle Rock Blvd., on the 4100 block of Eagle Rock Blvd., on the 4100 block of Division St
2) 3 Burglaries – On the 2600 block of Colorado Blvd., on the 7200 block of North Fig. St., on the 1100 block of Neola Dr.
3) 22 Grand Theft Auto – on 2700 block of Colorado Blvd., on 2800 block of Colorado Blvd., on the 2600 block of Colorado Blvd., on the 2800 block of Colorado Blvd., on the 1800 block of Colorado Blvd., on the 5200 block of Windermere Ave.., on the 1400 block of Eagle Vista Dr.., on the 1500 block of Glen Aylsa Ave., on the 4900 block of Wawona St., on the 2700 block of Dicturn St., near the intersection of York & Eagle Rock, on the 4100 block of York Blvd., on the 4100 block of York Blvd., on the 1800 block of North Ave. 46, on the 4600 block of Toland Way, near the intersection of La Loma & Brixton, on the 7200 block of North Fig. St., on the 2300 block of Las Colinas Ave., on the 2200 block of Ridgeview Ave., on the 4600 block of Eagle Rock Blvd., on the 1600 block of Campus Road., on the 2700 block of Range Rd.
4) 4 Robberies – Near the corner of Colorado & Ellenwood, on the 5000 block of Argus Dr., on the 7300 block of North Fig. St., on the 1600 block of Campus Road.
5) 2 Sex crimes - on 2700 block of Colorado Blvd. , on the 2200 block of Merton Ave.
6) 2 Aggravated Assault – On Eagle Rock Blvd.,
on the 4700 block of Vincent Ave.
7) 1 Homicide - on the 1200 block of Neola St.
We are seeing a constant rash of Grand Theft Auto in our area and especially on Colorado Blvd. Please make sure you either use a steering wheel locking devise and/or motion alarm. Make sure not to leave any thing of value in your car because Burglary Thefts from Auto remain rampant in our area.
The Department of Transportation has a program called "Watch the Road." The program's main emphasis is to remind motorist to drive more responsibly and obey the traffic laws.
We are asking our neighbors to display Watch the Road lawn signs that echo that message.
If you would like to display these lawn signs or distribute promotion materials please call us at (323) 254-3512.
The important of this message was made quite clear when three young men, all 18, were killed, and two younger boys were seriously injured, when their speeding car collided with a tree in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles.
On December 20, 2006, around 1:00 A.M., five teenagers were riding in a 2000 Nissan Maxima, heading east at a high rate of speed on Los Feliz Boulevard. The driver lost control of the vehicle when he attempted a lane change to pass a slower car. The Maxima veered off the road and crash into a tree.
The driver, Matthew Nicolas Hernandez, and his front seat passenger, Matthew Merrill, both of Los Angeles, died at the scene. A third fatality, an 18-year-old man in the backseat, died after a passersby removed him from the wreckage. His identity has not been released pending notification of family.
Two boys, 14 and 15 years old, also seated in the backseat, were rushed by paramedics to local hospitals where they were treated for multiple fractures and burns.
Questions may be directed to Central Traffic Division Detective Josephine Mapson or Michael Kaden at 213-972-1825, or the Central Traffic Watch Commander at 213-972-1853.
Take care everyone, and a Happy and safe New Year!
Everett Sarabia
Eagle Rock Valley Association's Neighborhood Watch

Cruizin' with Mary

Hello Eagle Rock, and Happy New Year. I hope everyone had a safe and sane holiday, even those of you who got speeding tickets. You know who you are… December was another busy month for the Eagle Rockin' Rodders, and even though I love the season almost as much as Halloween, its nice to have things calm down a little.
Our club held our holiday party at Northwood's Inn in Monrovia, and a festive time was had by all. I don't know which is messier - the peanuts and shells at Northwood's or the sawdust at Philippe's…
We held an informal cruise in at Oinkster on Dec. 29, no raffles, just cars and dinner. We had a pretty good showing of cars considering the very cold weather and holiday weekend. I think everyone was ready to finish up with the holidays and play "cars" again.
This was evident New Year's eve morning when we met up with approximately two hundred hot rods in Monrovia to then cruise the Rose Parade route. What fun that was! There were some beautiful cars I had not seen before, including a candy apple red metal-flake T-bird and a lowered, very shiny purple Merc. As we cruised the parade route, I was able to practice my parade wave. The families who were setting up and guarding spaces along the parade route were treated to all sorts of hot rods, and I think more than a few were wakened by loud engines. Kids waved to us and lots of thumbs-up were seen. Yes, boys and girls, this Plymouth is my "float." It took almost as long to build as a real float, but it will last a lot longer, and it's a lot shinier!
Speaking of things that last long, 1973 was a good year to be born, if you were Ken's El Camino.You may have seen a royal blue metal-flake El Camino around Eagle Rock. It was Ken's car in high school, and was reborn, I mean completely rebuilt, this past year by him and his son Kenny, as a father-son project. I love this story since many of the high schools in Los Angeles cut out auto shop, machine shop, and auto body classes during budget cuts during the last twenty years. Unless you have a dad or brother who is a "car guy," it can be difficult to learn about engines, and especially what goes into to building a hot rod. The deal here is that they would rebuild the car together, young Kenny who is a junior at ERHS, has to drive another vehicle for six months with no incidents, and then the El Camino will be turned over to him. He also has to keep his grades up. Not the usual story of dad and mom just handing over the keys, or buying a car so that the kid will leave them alone, and drive himself to school.
Now about the car: it has a 350 engine, RV cam, Edlebrock manifold, Turbo 400 transmission, Hurst shift kit and custom gauges. Girls take note of the faux ostrich interior (looks and feels almost real), and a 1200 watt sound system. The Camino bed has Lexan panels with blue lights set in them that dance to the beat of the sub woofers. The look of the car is sleek, European, and slightly sinister with shaved door handles, no chrome trim, and center-line rims with a black baked epoxy finish.
This car reminds me of when I was just going into high school, and a local boy whom I had a serious crush on, had a shiny black El Camino. (Jimmy B., are you listening?) This is a job well done, and because of the great background story, my pick of the month. 'Til next month, stay warm, and keep on cruising!

VOICE IN THE EAGLE ROCK WILDERNESS

VOICE IN THE EAGLE ROCK WILDERNESS
Christopher Nyerges
[Nyerges is the author of numerous books, including How To Survive Anywhere, and Extreme Simplicity (co-authored with Dolores Nyerges). He has led survival classes since 1974. For information about his books and classes, contact him at www.ChristopherNyerges.com, or Box 41834, Eagle Rock, CA 90041]
ENVIRONMENTAL
SURVIVAL
HOW WE AFFECT OUR ENVIRONMENT
Our actions upon the environment -- even our Eagle Rock backyards -- have a profound effect upon our survival. You may not notice it right away, maybe not even for decades, but when we make our decisions and choices based upon "giving our shareholders the greatest return," and other strictly financial considerations, we often lose in the long run. Or our children "lose" as a result of poor air, water, and overcrowding.
When great "natural disasters" occur, we tend to call these "acts of God." Indeed, the earth moves and shakes and blows and chills and heats, and goes through all of its changes. Man does not control these changes. Earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, fires, droughts, ice ages, high winds, volcanic eruptions, etc., have been with us since the beginning of memory, and will continue to be with us.
While we cannot stop the forces of nature, we must begin to see how our actions (and inactions) absolutely exacerbate the effects of these natural forces, and definitely affect our ability to survive.
DROUGHT
Take drought, for example. Do our actions have any effect on drought conditions? Absolutely! Some have attempted to prove that the great drought of the 1930s, and the resultant Dust Bowl era, was the result of poor farming practices. In order to maximize farming areas, and to farm with the greatest of convenience, trees were cut down, and the soil was not properly fertilized.
Without the trees to do their soil-protecting, and with barren top soil due to the farming methods, the land had no life and the dry winds blew it away. Act of God? Hardly. It was the result of the ignorance of man on a large scale. We create desertification on a small scale, right here in Eagle Rock, when we follow the strict dictates of the fire department when they demand that we denude the soil down to the bare earth. Such patches of soil are hotter than planted soil, and lead to erosion.
RAIN
Heavy rains are common after the drought and fire cycle is played out. Such rains often do result in flooding and landslides. Though we can call heavy rain an "act of God," the effects can be lesser or greater, depending upon what we have done to the land. In some cases, houses should never have been built on steep hillsides, since the building of the houses requires cutting down the trees and reshaping the terrain. With the trees gone, and much of the land paved over, the water must go somewhere when it rains. The trees and the soil can process a fair amount of the water, but with trees gone, and no way for water to percolate into the soil, the water flows downhill, creating disasters for those who live in the mud's path.
And when we have removed all grass and brush cover due to the extreme dictates of the fire department's supposed "brush control" regulations, we set the stage for erosion, and eliminate the natural cover for animals – and these principles apply even here in Eagle Rock!
EARTHQUAKES
A major earthquake could occur at any time along any of the major faultlines throughout the world. While we cannot stop the shaking, we can realize that we live in such an area, and plan to minimize the impact upon our family's life in the aftermath, such as storing water, organizing friends, having knowledge of first aid, etc.
And some earthquakes may indeed have been caused by the hand of man. There are some scientists who believe that the Long Beach, California earthquake of 1930 was the direct result of over-pumping oil from the underground reservoirs there.
It would be difficult to plan for some disasters – like a large comet hitting your neighborhood. Assuming you survived, so much would be devastated that "waiting for help" would not be a viable option. If you valued life, you would have lived your life in accord with "higher principles," and you would have developed skills that now might actually be useful in the post-apocalyptic world. To read a possible scenario of a large comet hitting the earth, read Lucifer's Hammer (by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, 1977).
FOR MORE COMMENTARY, SEE THE BOOK "HOW TO SURVIVE ANYWHERE"

Historic Highland Park NC Honors Community Activists at Third Annual Holiday Party by Stan Moore

On THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14 at the EBELL CLUB the Third annual Holiday Party, cosponsored by the Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council (HHPNC), the Ebell Club, the HP Chamber of Commerce, the Greater HP Kiwanis Club, the Hathaway-Sycamores Family Resource Center, the HP Heritage Trust, the Southwest Museum Coalition, and the Yorkdale Neighborhood Group, honored 15 well deserved individuals for their contributions to Highland Park.
For the first time the HP Ministerial Association also was a sponsor of the celebration, and the first person honored by City Councilman Jose Huizar was the chair of the Ministerial Association—Rev. Randy Carrillo. Carrillo was honored for his tireless efforts on behalf of the youth of Highland Park and for his leadership this year in providing backpacks filled with school supplies for nearly 1000 children and for representing the Association weekly at the Tuesday Farmers Market at the Gold Line station.
The next person honored by City Councilman Huizar was Carmela Gomes for helping to found the HHPNC, chairing the election of 2005 and chairing the Economic Development Committee for several years and actively working for the protection of the mural of Highland Park. Ms. Gomes is also the incoming president of the HP Heritage Trust.
Two young men who worked very hard to build about the skate park that is being built behind Luther Burbank Intermediate School, Chris Devlin and Todd Taylor, were the next persons honored by our Councilman, Jose Huizar. Without their knowledge of skate parks, and the literature on them, the skate park that is presently being built (completion date this summer) would have been entirely different and totally inadequate—a flat slab of concrete with modular units placed on it. Now the skate park will be a top of the line park with concrete bowls and a pyramid, rails, etc., like the second one built in Glendale after the first flat slab/modular unit park was rejected by the skate boarders as unchallenging.
Parent Sonia Ledesma and teacher Betsy Savant of St. Ignatius School were honored for being the founders of the Kiwanis Builders' Club—which encourages the students to strive for justice and for service in this world. This year the Builders' Club has 53 members who are monthly helping to serve food to the hungry at St. Bartholomew Episcopal Church, for singing at retirement homes, working on HP local projects like the flag stone walk way at the Arroyo Seco Library, and sending money to helps the rebuilding on Indonesia after the tsunami.
Richard Ledesma, the grand marshal of the 2005 Holiday Parade, was honored by Huizar for being one of the three founders of the Police Museum on York, being an active officer in many veteran organizations, an advocate for the youth of HP through expanding opportunities for summer camp and for local youth to attend the Boy and Girl State programs through scholarships. Ledesma works at Hathaway-Sycamores Family Resource Center and is a board member of the Kiwanis Club and the HP Chamber of Commerce.
Another person honored for her work with youth was Rosa Maria Marquez. For many years she has made her art gallery, Rock Rose, in the 41 hundred block of Figueroa, a sanctuary and a place of learning for many young people of HP. She is a worthy recipient of the certificates handed out by City Councilman Huizar.
Keith Curdy was honored for his diligent work on community improvement projects of the Greater HP Kiwanis Club and for his outstanding service to the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars and AMVETS.
Finally, Jose Huizar honored five members of the HHPNC: Dr. Richard Dyke, Ms. Linda Phelps, Jesse Rosas, Ms. Nancy Wyatt and Ofelia Zuniga. Dr. Dyke was honored for his excellent work as first vice president of the HHPNC for the past four yearsd, his chairmanship of the Pacheco Fund and the Rules and By Laws committees, and for his willingness to draft every letter and document of the Council, as well as his work in getting the skate park grant from the Tony Kawk Foundation.
Mrs. Linda Phelps, a founder of the HHPNC, was honored by her tireless efforts to improve our community, for serving as second vice president for the past three years, and for serving on the boards of the Friends of the Library and the Heritage Trust. Mrs. Nancy Wyatt, also a founder of the HHPNC and a tireless worker for Highland Park, was honored for 20 years of service as a conscientious watch dog and advocate for our community. She served as co-chair of the skate park coalition, as a board member of the Kiwanis Club, and a board member of the Debs Park appointed by City Councilman Ed Reyes. Ms. Wyatt is known for her attendance at almost every city committee hearing for the past 20 years that might conceiveably affect the welfare of our community.
Mr. Jesse Rosas has served the HHPNC well for the past four years, but he was especially honord for his founding of the annual car show in June on Figueroa Blvd. Every year for twenty years Rosas has organizeda our annual car exposition and arranged through HP's successive City Councilmen for Figueroa to be blocked off from Ave. 52 through Ave. 57. The car show is held annually on the fourth Sunday of June and requires an amazing amount of organization skills to bring it off year after year.
Ofelia Zuniga was honored by the City Councilman for her four years of service on the HHPNc, for her unceasing efforts on behalf of Yorkdale Elementary School, the Yorkdale P.T.A. and the Yorkdale Neighborhood Association. This year she helped to get actor Kirk Douglas to provide a new play area for K-3 grades and annually she has been the leader of the La Posada held in Decemer just before Christmas.
Last year the HHPNC honored 17 individuals for their outstanding service to our community. Because Huizar had just become the City Councilman for the 14th. City Council District, his office was unable to provide city certificates to the 17. And, because of a mix up in Ed Reyes' City Council District 1 office, all of the 17 were honored for their work on the annual NELA Holiday Parade—not for what they were really being honored.
The 2005 Honorees were: Sister Georgette Coulombe, OP, principal of St. Ignatius School, for her ethical and educational leadership for decades in HP; Mrs. Betty Cruver, the wife of Rev. Bill Cruver of Pillar of Fire Church at 49th. and Figueroa, for her 50 years of service to the HP community; Omar Mario Del Cuesto, then principal of Luther Burbank, for his work in improving the academic performance of Luther Burbank; Charlie Fisher, president of HP Heritage Trust, for his long term commitment to saving our historic homes and buildings; Ms. Barbara Gibbs, then principal of Monte Vista Elementary School; Ms. Kelli Keenan, teacher at Franklin H.S. for annually raising the money and taking students from Franklin to Washington,
(continued next page)
D.C.; Ms. Peggy Soto Keifer, president-elect of the Greater HP Kiwanis Club, for her repeatedly laboring on community projects and the NELA Holiday Parade; Raul Macias, founder of the Ana Hauk Youth Soccer Association and especially for demanding that the participants have done their academic work before allowing them to play.
In addition, Yolanda Noguiera, of M.A.N. Insurance, was honored for her active work on behalf of the HP Chamber of Commerce and for permitting community groups to post their announcements on her office window; Barbara Ramsden for her founding work for the St. Ignatius Builders' Club; Suzette Torres, vice-principal, Luther Burbank, for her dedication to encouraging the students of Luther Burbank and her key role as advisor to the Kiwanis Builders' Club at the school; Yim Tam and Monica Whalen of Franklin High School, for their commitment to academic excellence, the Washington, D.C. program, and for Whalen's annually giving of her time to take Franklin students to the Sacramento Legislative Seminar; and Aries Santiago, Youth Program Coordinator, Hathaway-Sycamores Family Resource Center, for his dedication to the youth of HP.
Last, but certainly not least, Tom Topping, editor and publisher of the Boulevard Sentinel, was honored for his expanded local coverage and active participation in community organizations such as the Eagles and the Greater HP Kiwanis Club.
Next year the HHPNC hopes to again honor HP community members for their contributions to the well being, growth and development of Highland Park. If you have someone to nominate to the HHPNC, then please contact Dr. Stan Moore of the Council at (323) 256-1024. Dr. Moore would like to hear from you about worthy individuals who are actively working to improve our community.

2006- A Year in Review

There were plenty of things to cover in the Boulevard Sentinel in 2006. Let's take a look back.
January
Residents of Northeast L.A. showed an odd combination of support and rage over the Fire Department's new plan to institute "Red Flag Day" parking restrictions. Local fire chiefs were instructed to mark any street that might pose a hazard to fire evacuations, while the City ordinance only allowed identified streets within certain fire hazard zones to be considered for "Red Flag" restrictions. More work was needed to alert residents to alerts before they found out the hard way by their cars being ticketed or towed away.
The new NELAart gallery night was begun, a second Saturday of the month event when about a dozen galleries open their doors to the public. Now, many of the galleries time their openings to coincide with the ever more popular second Saturday event.
We learned where to get the best hamburgers in Northeast L.A.
February
The Los Angeles City Department of Transportation severely damaged dozens of York Boulevard Businesses when they removed over half the street parking in a five block area. It was due to a city-wide edict that said any street being re-paved must have left turn slots installed. This necessitated the parking removal. Business and community leaders met with City representatives to try and work it out, but by press-time had not come up with a solution.
Former Dahlia Heights teacher, and longtime community and Chamber of Commerce supporter Edna Shelton passed away at the age of 91. We all still miss her. We also paid tribute to the passing of Phil Spurgeon and Charles Fessler that month.
March
A troupe of Chinese Lion dancers visited Eagle Rock to bless local merchants for the Chinese New Year. The L.A. Fire Department was again in the news, as they descended on a local property where wilderness classes were held, to demand the clearing of living plants considered by the property owner to be more fire retarding than fire hazard. By pressuring local politicians with many calls and e-mails, the department backed off.
We tested tacos and liked the ones from Tacos Estrellas on York Boulevard.
The York Boulevard parking problem (that the D.O.T. created) was still not fixed and several meetings were held to try to come up with a solution.
April
Finally, York Boulevard was reconfigured to allow for both left turn lanes and the parking to be restored. To do this, traffic lanes were reduced to one in each direction, slowing traffic. The business areas immediately started showing improvement with long empty storefronts being rented and opened up.
A resident of the Alma Lodge (halfway house) blew the whistle on management, helping improve conditions there and informing the community of who their neighbor really was.
On Glen Iris Street, neighbors were up in arms about an apartment building that the property owner said was being converted into a drug rehab facility.
May
At a meeting held at the Twentieth Century Women's Club, hundreds showed up to protest the apartment into drug rehab conversion, and recently elected Jose Huizar promised "..to unequivocally oppose a drug rehab center in my district."
Northeast L.A. and especially patrons of Colombo's restaurant mourned the loss of Linda Lopez, who entertained us every Friday and Saturday night there for years.
Eagle Rock High School officials were criticized for their administering of "No Child Left Behind" funds, and instead of taking direction from the participation of local parents, they were directing parents to approve what they wanted instead. A very scrappy parent, Brandy Chavira, wouldn't go along and blew the whistle on them instead.
The L.A. Planning Commission postponed any decision on the Interim Hill Side ordinance, when council office planning deputies tried to avert the efforts of well organized protesters to be heard on the subject. The protesters were heard anyway, and council office officials were scolded by commission President Jane Usher.
June
About twenty local businesses were threatened with lawsuit, and one was sued, for alleged violations of the Federal handicap access laws. After the Boulevard Sentinel got the word out, businesses went over the laws with a fine tooth comb to assure they were in compliance. Pete's Blue Chip was ordered to pay $1000 because the supporting legs on their dining tables were too close to the end of table, limiting wheelchair access.
Most local officials tried to avoid helping, with the exception of State Senator Jack Scott's Deputy, Teresa Acosta, whose search for resources turned up the State Bar Association's program to address unauthorized practice of law. (they are still working on it)
A point-counterpoint exchange regarding the Eagle Rock High School/ No Child Left Behind Program further illuminated the problems and corrected various points of information regarding the funding and tutoring involved.
July
The Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council was thrown into conflict when a few board members tried to do a recall on board member Everett Sarabia.
The inaugural Lummis Day festival drew a good crowd. Organizers are planning to hold a second one this year.
A revised hillside ordinance passed the L.A. City Planning Commission that excepted Mt. Washington.
The City of L.A. held several meetings to collect opinions about the future of the Southwest Museum. Promises of Mayor Villaraigosa and CD14 Councilman Huizar to side with the community regarding the museum's future seemed to be slipping away.
The Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce got their yearly summer concert series off to a great start with six dates, the most yet for the summer series.
August
A plan to move a local charter school into the old Farley Brothers Moving and Storage warehouse was met with tough resistance from residents living on Mt. Royal Drive. Some said they were afraid bands of roving teenagers would invade their peaceful neighborhood, as well as the usual nimby concerns of traffic and noise.
The Glassell Park Neighborhood Council meeting was packed with supporters of a local church who wanted to erect a 28 foot tall pole sign at their location on Eagle Rock Boulevard. The council voted against the sign.
A plan to turn rent controlled apartments into condominiums was successfully appealed. Senior and disabled residents there won more money and more help to relocate when they are eventually evicted.
An Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council Member threatened to sue the Boulevard Sentinel over coverage of the Everett Sarabia recall.
September
A defamation lawsuit is filed by an Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council member against the Boulevard Sentinel seeking millions in damages.
David del Toro, an L.A. fire captain who lives in Eagle Rock was arrested for allegedly killing Jennifer Flores. Police found her body on Floristan and followed a trail of tire skidmarks and bloodstains six blocks that ended near the Vincent Avenue home of del Toro.
We went on the bicycle version of the NELAart Gallery night tour. We were exhausted but had a great time.
October
Elisa Garcia-Rodriguez from the Imix Bookstore is the local winner of a 2006 "Women in Business" award.
A Public records act lawsuit is filed by Mo Oxford against the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council for audio and video recordings of an ERNC public meeting that they did not release to her.
Boulevard Sentinel publisher Tom Topping receives a "facial" by a local skin care salon, leading many women and men in the community to try a facial for the very first time.
The Oinkster restaurant opens to the applause of the local car club that holds its monthly get-togethers there. Diners like it, too.
November
The Music festival is a huge success, as Colorado Boulevard is closed off for the first time, and dozens of bands perform.
The first of as many as four planned Eagle Rock community gateway monuments was set in cement this month, as a huge crane lifted the 16 ton marker into position on a hazy Saturday morning in October. The design was universally approved by community leaders five years before, but some new residents didn't like it, and still wanted a different layout.
The Griffith Observatory is reopened after a five year restoration.
A motorist on Colorado Boulevard suffers a seizure, hits another car and ends up plowing through the front door of SWORK coffee shop right at the corner of Eagle Rock and Colorado Boulevards. There were no serious injuries.
December
The first Eagle Rock Veterans day parade was held. It had about 50 participants, and a great turnout of spectators. The small town nature of Eagle Rock and neighboring communities was highlighted by the local cub scout's girl scouts and veteran's groups.
The Northeast Christmas parade was a success as well, with about 75 entries.
Alvin Parra, field staff member of Jose Huizar's CD14 council office, shocked the council office and community members by resigning from his position to run against his former boss. Huizar responded by telling reporters Parra had been demoted for "inattentive" work.
One of the final tours of the Southwest Museum was held before the last of its gallery spaces are closed. The Autry Center of the American West continued to move the priceless historic artifacts to their Griffith Park location.
Although the lawsuit against the Boulevard Sentinel was dismissed, a motion that would have made the Neighborhood Council elected official plaintiff pay for the Sentinel's legal fees was denied, leaving the newspaper with a legal debt in excess of $30,000.

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Brotherly Argument Turns Deadly
The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the murder of 37-year-old, Randy Duane Rogers.
On Friday, December 1, 2006, at approximately 8:40 P.M., officers responded to the 4800 block of Wiota Street in Eagle Rock. Officers found Randy Duane Rogers' lifeless body lying on the driveway. Responding paramedics made several attempts to resuscitate him, but he had already died from his injuries.
According to the investigation, a struggle escalated between the victim and his brother, 40-year-old, Darren Rogers. The struggle ended when Darren choked his brother to death.
Darren Rogers was arrested for the murder of his brother. He is being held at Jail Division on a $1,000,000 bail. The motive for this crime is unknown and will be investigated by Northeast Homicide detectives.
Anyone with information regarding this incident should contact Northeast Homicide Detectives, L. Rivera or H. Dicroce at 213-847-9447. After hours and on weekends, call the 24 hour toll free at 1-877-LAWFULL (1-877-5293855).

Man Killed by Metro Gold Line Train
Shortly before 6:30 PM on December 23, 2006, a man believed to be in his 40's sustained fatal injuries when he was struck by a Metro Gold Line train while illegally walking on the railroad bridge near North Figueroa Street and South Avenue 61 in the Highland Park area of Los Angeles.
According to witnesses, the man reportedly placed himself in the path of a Pasadena bound Metro Gold Line train, which was unable to stop before striking him. Despite the prompt response of Los Angeles Fire Department Paramedics, who were stationed nearby. The Paramedics said the man's injuries were sadly beyond their help, and he was declared dead at the scene.
No other injuries were reported.
The cause of this incident remains under active investigation by the Los Angeles Police and Sheriff's Department officials.
A positive identification of the deceased, as well as the exact cause, time and manner of his death will be determined by Coroner's officials.

FLETCHER SQUARE CDO PASSES CITY COUNCIL
By George Brauckman
On December 20th, the City Council unanimously approved a Community Design Overly and a zoning change to an area of Glassell Park at San Fernando Road and Fletcher Drive that has come to be known as Fletcher Square. The Mayor has also signed off on these documents.
The geographic boundaries for the CDO are Tyburn St. to the north, the Southern Pacific Railway to the west, the Glendale Freeway to the south, Delay Dr. to the east and parcels fronting the east side of San Fernando Road between Tyburn and Andrita Streets.
The zone changes would limit an individual retail sales facility to a maximum of 75,000 square feet of floor space and prohibit new auto dismantling yards, outdoor storage yards for junk and salvage items, drive-through facilities and free-standing wireless telecommunications facilities (cell phone, radio or TV towers). The CDO also requires new construction along Fletcher Dr. near the Van De Kamps structure to be set back from the street at the same distance as Van De Kamps, in order to maintain the prominence of this historic structure. Businesses may still apply for a variance to these zoning rules on the basis of hardship, but any such application would require public notification and a public hearing before a Planning Department Zoning Administrator.
The CDO, which was drafted by the City's Planning Department after numerous community input meetings, offers guidelines for signage, frontage set backs, landscaping, and parking configurations to help the area evolve into an attractive, pedestrian-friendly business corridor. GPIA will post a copy of the CDO on its web site.
This caps a year-long effort by the GPIA and other organizations that coalesced around the residential and small business community's opposition to yet another Home Depot in an area over-saturated with Big Box home improvement stores. And it promotes our vision for a pedestrian- friendly community that will offer residents a greater variety of retail offerings and services that are lacking in our area. Council President Eric Garcetti spoke at the Planning Commission hearing in favor of the CDO and zoning change as did his Planning Director, Alison Becker. The GPIA will continue to outreach to other developers to find an alternative, mixed-use development that is superior to another Home Depot and one that will complement the Los Angeles Community College across the Street

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church School is hosting an Open House

for the community on Saturday, January 27th, 2007 from 1:00 P.M. until 5:00 P.M. This school has been serving Highland Park, Eagle Rock, and surrounding communities since 1961, operating a Child Development Center for children ages 3 and 4, a school for kindergarten to sixth graders, and providing before and after school care. The public is invited to tour the school, meet the teachers, enjoy the outdoor play area, and join the staff for refreshments. Coupons for reduced registration and tuition will be distributed to attendees.
Located at 6338 North Figueroa in Highland Park, just 1 block North of York Boulevard, Good Shepherd School is convenient to the 110, 134, and 210 freeways. Call the office at 323 255 2786 for more information about the school, day care programs, or the Open House.

Hathaway-Sycamores Awarded Pfaffinger Grant
Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services got an early Christmas present this year. The agency just received a $10,000.00 grant from the Pfaffinger Foundation in support of their Highland Park - Family Resource Center. The Hathaway-Sycamores Family Resource Center opened in 1992 in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles and today is the hub of community activity for Northeast Los Angeles. Hathaway-Sycamores FRC was one of the nation's first Family Resource Centers and provides a spectrum of services and activities that are integrated, comprehensive, flexible and responsive to community identified needs.
Services are grouped in three interlinked areas: Adult Services, Youth Programs and Early Childhood Programs. Some of the key services offered at our Family Resource Center are: health and nutrition education, family support, community education, parent education, family activities, school and center-based mental health services, food and clothing banks, support groups, early childhood education, advocacy, computer-assisted learning, after-school programs and tutoring, high-risk youth programs such as mentoring and youth leadership council. All are offered for the purpose of helping parents and children achieve a healthy family life, self-empowerment and leadership in their community.

Eagle Vista Seniors
The Eagle Vista Seniors begin the New Year on Tuesday, January 2 with Board and Member meetings (9:00 & 10:00 a.m.) Honoring the January birthdays, after the celebratory cake, they will be entertained by the legendary Dr. Music.
Jan. 9 (Tues.) - BINGO Lou Agrati, caller.
Jan. 16 (Tues.) - Jim Trielof of Trieloff Travel will give a presentation of the upcoming trip to Washington, D.C. All the lucky members members who sign-up (This trip will take place in April.) have been looking forward to this information in order to plan their time (and, no dooubt, wardrobe) for this special jaunt to our national Capitol.
Jan. 23 (Tues.) BINGO! Alan Miller will be the caller for this repeat of a favorite senior's entertainment.
Jan. 30 (Tues.) A new group- young people from the Arts Academy - will give the seniors an entertaining insight into this new activity in the Eagle Rock community.

Eagle Rock Resident Honored by Sanitation Department
Eagle Rock resident Hiddo Neeto (center holding certificate) was honored by the City of Los Angeles Board of Public Works for his 31 years of service to the Bureau of Sanitation. Neeto started in 1975 as a lab assistant in sanitation and moved up to his current position as division head overseeing the Water Reclamation Division at the Donald Tillman and Los Angeles-Glendale Water Reclamation Plants.
Joining in the ceremony were (L-R): Sanitation Director Rita Robinson, Board Commissioner Yolanda Fuentes, daughters Raquel, Carissa and Marsinah, Board Commissioner David Sickler, Hiddo Neeto, wife Lurline, Board Commissioner Valerie Lynne Shaw, Assistant Sanitation Director Traci Minamide, Board Commissioner Paula Daniels and Board President Cynthia Ruiz.

Happy 100th!
Lucille Woolsey, a longtime Eagle Rock resident, turned 100 years old on Friday December 8th. She was born in Centralia, IL in 1906. Lucille is a member of the Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church and in the early 1950s taught math at Eagle Rock Jr. High.
A party, hosted by her daughters, Barbara Tanner, Houston, TX and Beverly Woolsey, Agoura Hills, CA. was held the following day. In attendance were son-in-law Bill Tanner, Houston, TX, grandsons Steve Tanner, Lake Stevens, W A and Doug Tanner, Katy, TX and great-grandson Benjamin Tanner, Katy, TX. Also helping to celebrate this happy milestone occasion were 30 other relatives and friends.
Lucille attributes her longevity to God's love.

Letter to the Editor:
During the recent publicity concerning the loss of former President Ford, much mention was made of him having come from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
As a one-time resident of that city I can assure you that it was not the little village the media seems to assume.
Granted, it did begin as an Indian Trading Post in 1826, and incorporated as a village in 1837, but it finally became a city in 1850. (The Grand River which runs through the city definitely has a rapids!"
When I lived there, Grand Rapids was the city next only in size to Detroit, as well as the furniture Capitol of America. With close to 200,000 residents at the present time it is hardly a village. I hope it is still the city that I pleasantly recall.

23rd Annual Holiday GLAD Celebration
The Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness, Inc., more commonly known as GLAD, hosted its 23rd Annual Children's Holiday Celebration for deaf and hard of hearing children throughout the Southern California community on Saturday, December 9th from 11a-3p. This special event provided hundreds of children with a unique holiday experience entirely in American Sign Language (with Interpreters in both English and Spanish).
The GLAD holiday celebration enabled families with deaf and hard of hearing children the opportunity to share the holidays with other families with similar communication needs, for many rely heavily on American Sign Language and cannot enjoy other mainstream events. This unique affair included: a variety of holiday performances covering stories of Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Chanukah, participation by local organizations, a Signing Santa & Mrs. Claus which provided the children the opportunity to "talk" to Santa in their own language, and Santa's Helpers who distributed toys to the children in attendance.
Program Line-Up: MC, Manny Johnson Twelve Days of Christmas, Richard Ray and Friends
Silent Night, Velia Foster and Joyce Gray Oh Chanukah! Rachel Braver and Maria Smith Santa Claus is Coming to Town, David Velasquez, Christine Firkins, and Angelido Pineda A Visit from the North Pole Santa and Mrs. Claus
This holiday toy giveaway celebration was made possible by the generous donations by: 99 Cent Store- City of Commerce, Deaf Community Center , Hostess- Mark Barquist, Los Angeles Fire Department, Nestle, See's Candies, Skye Partners, Sorenson VRS and Verizon IP-Relay.
The Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness, Inc. (GLAD) has been improving the lives of the deaf and hard of hearing since its establishment as a volunteer organization in 1969. Founded on the philosophy…"of, by, for and with the deaf and hard of hearing", GLAD's Deaf Community Center encompasses a wide array of specialized health and human service programs for the deaf and hard of hearing community.
Approximately 300 hundred deaf and hard of hearing children and family members attended the event, now in it 23rd year.

Incoming U.S. Congress Speaker Pelosi Names Assistant- Rep. Xavier Becerra
Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi (CA-8) today tapped Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31), a 14-year veteran of the House and the only congressional member from Southern California on the House Committee on Ways and Means, as her designee to serve as Assistant to the Speaker.
Under the rules that govern the House Democratic Caucus, the Assistant to the Speaker is nominated by the Speaker-elect and is ratified by a vote of the Caucus. The Democratic Caucus will meet in early January at which time it will confirm Rep. Becerra to serve in this senior leadership post.
Following today's formal announcement by the Speaker, Rep. Becerra issued the following statement:
"I want to thank the Speaker for her trust and confidence in me as we all begin this new, exciting journey. The New Direction is the right direction for America , and I look forward to helping Speaker Pelosi and my colleagues in the House implement this forward thinking policy agenda."
In a release announcing the appointment, Speaker-elect Pelosi had this to say about Rep. Becerra:
"Congressman Xavier Becerra's keen intellect and substantive policy expertise will be crucial in charting a new course for America 's working families. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, he has been a strong leader in mapping out a new direction on trade, Social Security, and federal taxes. As former Chair of the Hispanic Caucus, he has proven himself a national leader on issues of importance to the Latino community and his appointment to the new Democratic Leadership will strengthen the voices of Latinos across the country."

Carlotta's Passion- Jan. 13th
January 13th
to February 18th, 2007
Ranking amongst the top Latina visual artists, Irene Carranza has achieved iconic status in the art world. Robert Pincus, art critic for the San Diego Union- Tribune, says Carranza's work conveys "an emotional core" that is "not just about design and color – it is sophisticated and populist" at the same time. Irene creates her works in a variety of media, including oil, acrylic, charcoal, and pastel on canvas, paper and wood. Of her work, she says, "Each painting is an invention. I rarely work from life. My process is as intuitive as I can make it. I begin each work with no preconceived agenda, idea or philosophy. Each piece of art has its own life. During the course of its creation, the work often goes to unexpected places."
Since 1997, Irene has been developing a significant body of work that is connected by the notion of feminine mystique and the interpretation of what makes a human "feminine". They are tales with allegorical references to death, beauty, innocence, wisdom and strength. Of this opus, Irene says, "Inspiration comes from the great circle of women, past and present, of which I am a part. I am at once concerned with defining myself and on defining a style that is continually evolving."
"When I began painting I also began to better appreciate and enjoy my `female-ness' for the first time, to see how beautiful and mysterious all women truly are. My art is always about following my impulses as to what I believe is beautiful, interesting, and poetic. I want to present the beauty of life, what the Navajo call 'hozh q'. It has been a sacred task, and I have been known to make sacrifices for it. My creativity is fueled by my interactions with others who approach me and exclaim that a painting I've created moves them, pacifies them, heals them, or simply looks good over their fireplace."
Irene enjoys a large and loyal following of collectors, including Congressman Xavier Becerra, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, the legendary Carlos Santana, actors Matthew McConaughey and Salma Hayek, Dolores Huerta, Mexico's Jose Jose and Juan Gabriel, and Spain's Carlos Baute. The City of Los Angeles, the Museum at Watts Towers, Arizona State University, and the University of Texas also own her some of her works.
Some of public may not know Irene Carranza by name, but they have most likely seen her artwork on numerous occasions. It has been included in feature films, television shows.
Ms. Carranza's vibrant art has graced the pages of Latina Magazine, including an article written about her and her decision to switch careers from graphic designer to full-time visual artist and painter. People en Español magazine has used her paintings several times for their Christmas cards. Her story also appears in the two-volume coffee table set "Contemporary Chicana and Chicano Art." In this hallmark book, Irene is described as follows: "On the surface, Carranza's works are about women. Certainly that is their subject matter - and it would be easy to avoid further interpretation simply because the women and the artworks are so lovely to behold. Although the artist depicts women in different ways - mostly traditional, some contemporary- she recognizes the complexity of their lives and ultimately portrays them as strong."
About Carlotta's Passion Fine Art
Carlotta's Passion Fine Art is located at 2012 Colorado Blvd. in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles. The cross street is Maywood. Business hours are Wednesday through Sunday, from 12:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
For information, additional photos, or add to the list, call 323.259.1563 or email rs@carlottaspassion.com

7th Annual Nacimiento Tour
Sunday, January 7, 2007
The free tour will start at noon and wind its way through homes and public displays of East Los Angeles' rich folk art of nativity scenes. The tour is either self- guided by car or you can join the bike tour. The 15-20 mile bike tour covers the communities of Highland Park, Lincoln Heights, and Boyle Heights.
The bike tour starts at the Avenue 26 Goldline Station parking lot. The bike tour registration begins at 11:30 am. Ride starts at 12:00 pm. Helmets are required.
Self guided car tour - check out previous years' maps at www.theraretimes.com. Take the self guided tour any time between noon and 4:00 p.m. The homes will be available for viewing from 12 noon to 4 pm.
Bike RSVP: Email: lmvela@earthlink.net by Sunday, January 7, 2007
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition 213-629-2142
Sponsors include the Latino Urban Forum, The Rare Times, Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC), and of course, the residents.
For more information and or to RSVP email: lmvela@earthlink.net. Rain or threat of Rain Cancels!!!!

Distinguished Artist Convalescing in Highland Park's Amberwood.
by Kathy Gallegos
I would like to tell you about a well-known Chicano artist, Alfredo De Batuc, who has been stricken by a rare syndrome, Guillain-Barre Syndrome*. He was stricken late December 2005 and has been hospitalized ever since. Currently much recovered, Alfredo continues to require complete nursing care.
As far back as February of 2002, Alfredo had a one-person solo show entitled, "Interregnum", at the Avenue 50 Studio. Since then, he has shown at Carlotta's Passion, and the Center for Art Eagle Rock, and has donated to the yearly fundraisers at the Center.
It is interesting to note that De Batuc used to frequent this part of town for its art offerings as well as for its restaurants. He has enjoyed the culinary delights of the Coffee Table, Camillo's, Fatty's, Auntie Em's, and currently Cinnamon. Now because of his condition, he finds himself residing, albeit unplanned, in Highland Park at the Amberwood Convalescent Hospital on York Blvd.
Because of constantly rising medical costs, earlier this year, Avenue 50 Studio and Carlotta's Passion, two Northeast LA art galleries joined forces to organize a benefit art sale to help pay for Alfredo's medical treatment.
Currently, an image of his famously popular mural, "Dolores Del Rio", is being displayed on banners that adorn Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards (a project of the Hollywood Entertainment District). While his mural is reproduced on Boulevard banners, and his artwork is out in public view, Alfredo is indefinitely confined to the Amberwood.
You can see Alfredo De Batuc's artwork on his website at www.debatuc.com or at myspace.com/debatuc. Visit his website, or visit De Batuc. The artist would appreciate both.
*Guillain-Barré (Ghee-yan Bah-ray) Syndrome, also called acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and Landry's ascending paralysis, is an inflammatory disorder of the peripheral nerves - those outside the brain and spinal cord. It is characterized by the rapid onset of weakness and, often, paralysis of the legs, arms, breathing muscles and face. GBS is the most common cause of rapidly acquired paralysis in the United States today, affecting one to two people in every 100,000.
The disorder came to public attention briefly when it struck a number of people who received the 1976 Swine Flu vaccine. It continues to claim thousands of new victims each year, striking any person, at any age, regardless of gender or ethnic background. typically begins with weakness and/or abnormal sensations of the legs and arms. It can also affect muscles of the chest, face and eyes. Although many cases are mild, some patients are virtually paralyzed. Breathing muscles may be so weakened that a machine is required to keep the patient alive. Many patients require an intensive care unit during the early course of their illness, especially if support of breathing with a machine is required. Although most people recover, the length of the illness is unpredictable and often months of hospital care are required. The majority of patients eventually return to a normal or near normal lifestyle, but many endure a protracted recovery and some remain wheelchair-bound indefinitely.

The Work and Life of William Lees Judson
lecture at the Gamble House, January 25
Established in 1897, Judson Studios was - and still is - considered one of the top art glass studios in the world, having created countless pieces for churches, homes and other structures worldwide. Founding patriarch William Lees Judson's vision was to combine tradition and modern innovation which set the standard for art glass in the decades to follow.
Judson's Studios current managing director - and Williams' great-great-grandson - David Judson will present an evening delving into the artistry, craftsmanship and legacy of Judson who, in addition to his art glass studio work, depicted exquisite grace and beauty in his nature-inspired paintings of California scenery.
"William Lees Judson: Craftsman at Heart, Painter By Trade" is sponsored by The Friends of the Gamble House Annual Sidney D. Gamble Lecture series and takes place 7:30 p.m. on January 25 at the Neighborhood Church, 2 Westmoreland Place, Pasadena.
In addition, a tour of Judson Studios in Highland Park will take place January 27. Ticket prices are $25 for the general public, $20 for Friends of the Gamble House (FOGH) members, and $15 for students. Tickets for the tour are $25 general public and $20 for FOGH members and students.
Remaining series lectures include: Kimberli Meyer on Rudolph Schindler, February 20, 2007; Daniel Gregory on Cliff May, March 23, 2007; and Heather Lenkin on landscape architecture, April 28, 2007.
For more information and to order tickets, call (626) 793-3334, ext. 52 or visit www.gamblehouse.org. FOGH memberships start at $40 for individuals.
About William Lees Judson
One of the originators of the Arts and Crafts movement in Pasadena, Judson established Judson Studios with his three sons as a way to integrate craft traditions with cutting edge contemporary designs. An impressionist painter, Judson was the founding Dean of the USC College of Fine Arts and an important mentor to many local artists. Judson enjoyed fame as a plein air painter, capturing the light and color of various California landscapes.
About the Friends of the Gamble House (FOGH)
A support group of the University of Southern California, the FOGH is composed of individuals, corporations and organizations dedicated to the financial support of the Gamble House. Membership fees and Friends-sponsored events help fund the education and restoration programs of the Gamble House.
About the Gamble House
The Gamble House is an internationally recognized National Historic Landmark in the style of the American Arts and Crafts movement. Built in 1908, the Gamble House is the most complete and best preserved example of the work of renowned Pasadena architects Charles and Henry Greene. The official property of the City of Pasadena, the house is in a joint operating agreement and managed by the University of Southern California.
The Gamble House is open for public tours Thursday - Sunday, Noon-3 p.m., closed on national holidays. For more information, visit www.gamblehouse.org.

Las Angelitas Docent Training

at El Pueblo

Starts Feb. 13, 2007
New docent training classes for El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument will be held for eight Tuesdays from Feb. 13 to April 3, 2007. Classes are offered by Las Angelitas del Pueblo, the volunteer docent organization that leads the free walking tours of the "birthplace of Los Angeles."
Classes will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Las Angelitas offices, located at 130 Paseo de la Plaza next to the Old Firehouse and directly across from Union Station. The classes feature multi-media presentations of historic photos and lectures from El Pueblo curators and area history experts.
Las Angelitas consists for 70 men and women who are history buffs with a passion for the history of Los Angeles , according to the organization's president Frank Damon.
"This is a wonderful group of volunteers who embrace LA history and want to share their knowledge with others," says Damon, who also leads the training classes. .
The volunteer commitment is leading tours two weekday per month or one Saturday tour per month. The walking tours are 50 minutes long. Tours are provided in various languages, including Spanish.
The historical timeline for the class begins prior to the founding of the city in 1781, when California was still part of Spain and then Mexico. "During the training sessions, everyone learns how to guide visitors around El Pueblo, which includes five museums, 27 historic buildings and the world-famous Olvera Street ," says Damon.
Las Angelitas, founded in 1966, is the oldest walking tour nonprofit organization in Los Angeles . "Our purpose since the beginning has been to provide educational and historically accurate walking tours of El Pueblo," explains Damon. More than 12,000 students, local residents and tourists are given free tours annually.
For more information, including the class agenda and to sign up for Las Angelitas docent training classes, visit www.lasangelitas.org and click "BE A DOCENT" or call Jeanne Conklin at (310) 398-0269.