Ending my year with Police, Paramedics-

and an Epiphany.
"Nevermind, just leave me alone, just go away, just get out of here..." was the last thing I remember saying before the paramedics were working on me. Because just as these words had come out of my mouth, it was 34 year old Patrick Gregory who allegedly slammed his fist into my right cheek, sending my glasses flying and me spiraling for the floor.
Witnesses allege he continued his assault, pounding me repeatedly on the face as I lay unconscious, fracturing my cheek in several places. I don't remember that part. But as I laid there, my face being pulverized, Colombo's bar patrons only watched, frozen on their barstools.
Thankfully, Oscar, a waiter at Colombo's, jumped into action and attempted to pull the assailant off of me. Seconds later, Officer Silva and Officer Martinez, who had been having a coffee in that restaurant only inches from where I laid helpless on the floor, reached the bar side of the partition. They stopped the beating and tumbled with my attacker trying to subdue him as he tried to escape. The officers both had fractured wrists as the six foot two, 190 lb Gregory allegedly resisted arrest.
As I started to regain my faculties, the paramedics arrived, and soon carted me off to the emergency room at Glendale Adventist.
"Do you know where you are?" "Do you know what day it is?" "Do you know what happened to you?" These questions were asked over and over as the various medical personnel checked for neurological damage. The doctor pried my eye open, now tightly swollen shut and thankfully, I could still see out of it.
A couple hours later, Officers Silva and Martinez came in to the emergency room to get a statement from me.
I told them I had just returned from the auto races, and my entertainment writer had asked me to stop by, as he was writing a review on the jazz quartet playing there that night. I saw my friends Tim and Vessie Maarup, and went to the end of the bar to say hello. They introduced me to Patrick Gregory as the editor of "our local paper" and Patrick responded that he knew the previous owners of the paper. I knew he meant the Eagle Rock Sentinel, so I added, yeah, Oran Asa and Jean Asa, I knew them, too.
"No that's not their name," he countered.
"Yes it is," I answered.
"I'll bet you $500 that wasn't their name," Gregory challenged.
"I'll bet you $1," I said.
"If you won't bet $500 you're a *&%$ #@* &%$#," he said, his voice raising in pitch and volume.
With that, I looked at him, and thought there must be something wrong with this guy. I said goodbye to my friends Tim and Vessie and went back to the other end of the bar.
I didn't think much about it, but when it occurred to me that the Eagle Rock Lions Club was having their Christmas party there in the dining room, and many of them who were long time Eagle Rockers had known the publishers of the previous newspaper very well.
I looked back down the bar and said, "Hey, if you don't believe me, ask these ladies from the Lions Club, they know."
Patrick started ranting again, so I said, "Nevermind, just leave me alone, just go away, just get out of here..., " which is right where you came in at start of this story.
At 5:00 am I was transferred to Kaiser in Woodland Hills for further evaluation, where I was given another CT scan, and was examined and evaluated by a Neurologist, Opthamologist and a plastic surgery specialist. My broken right cheekbone will heal and will be slightly less prominent than my left side cheekbone. My right cheek, right side of my nose, right upper lip and right upper teeth are still numb, and may never regain feeling as the nerves may be damaged permanently. I feel somewhat normal but my friends say, my thinking and talking has slowed noticeably.
Gregory is currently at the North County Correctional Facility, (formerly Wayside Honor Ranch) being held for probation violations as well as the incident in Colombo's and his bail is $125,000.
Two weeks have gone by, and I have had so many people call me to tell me of their experiences with this Patrick Gregory, who sometimes works as a plumber. I'm surprised I hadn't heard of him before. I'm surprised he was still walking around in public. I sure wish I had heard of him before I started talking to him that night. If I did, I would have stayed well away from him.
I want to think everyone who called with well-wishes and those who came to visit bringing food for me and my elderly mother. I called Oscar, my waiter, personally to thank him for jumping in when everyone else froze. But I can't thank officers Silva and Martinez enough- I'm sure they saved my life.
In this business, my job is to find the problem. I am trained to look for what it is that's wrong with our politicians, bureaucrats, schools and yes, sometimes law enforcement.
So I say this with more than a little embarrassment that it took my ass being saved by the L.A.P.D. to truly have an appreciation for the job that these folks do every day.
You are truly appreciated. Thank you.
-Tom Topping, Editor

Eagle Rock & Homelessness,

why should we care?

by Cathy Miller
Eagle Rock residents have expressed growing concern about homeless individuals loitering on street corners and sleeping on city sidewalks. Another group of Eagle Rock residents and church members are asking, "how can we as a community respond to the needs of the homeless among us?".
On November 19th, a 57 year old homeless woman named Media was found dead behind behind the Chevron Station on Figueroa and Colorado. Media was quiet, well liked by her friends on the streets and unique in her own special way. When friends contacted the LA City Morgue to try and find out what was going on, they were told to wait because there were three homeless women that had died in LA that night, each without identification. "I saw Media a few days before she died and gave her my flip-flops, since she was not wearing any shoes", shared Jamaica Abare. She and several other young adults from Christian Assembly church meet regularly at McDonalds to have coffee with Eagle Rock homeless friends. The group held an informal memorial service for Media, circling around the sidewalk near where she was found, singing a hymn and reading scripture.
Last July, 39 year old Kimi Mentell died on Eagle Rock Blvd in front of CitiBank. She was homeless, mentally ill and an alcoholic. No foul play was suspected. What many folks didn't know was that Kimi lived in Eagle Rock back in the 1980's and had attended ERHS. Kimi's mother wrote the group in a letter, "Although Kimi had been diagnosed with Schizophrenia in 2002 and had gotten medical help, she decided she didn't need medications any more. There wasn't a day that went by that I did not worry about where she was and if she was okay."
Back in May 2008 the group organized a meeting of Eagle Rock church pastors and lay leaders to discuss concerns of poverty and homelessness in the community. Church leaders felt a need to continue to meet to share resources and encourage one another. They decided to form a faith-based network called "Churches Assisting Neighbors" (CAN). One of CAN's first goals is to expand local Eagle Rock feeding programs for homeless, shut-ins and poor families. Currently free hot meals are served at the Eagle Rock St. Dominics Parish on Friday evenings, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church on Wednesday nights and the Central Filipino Seventh Day Adventist Church on Monday nights. St. Dominic Church volunteer coordinator, Cheryl Ybarra, states "the thing most rewarding for me as a Christian is to know that our hot meal ministry welcomes anyone to share a meal and fellowship, -we refuse no one".
Volunteer Alex Beltran shares, "I am often reminded of how much I have, yet all around me, even at home here in Eagle Rock, there are people who live with the challenge every day just to find a place to sleep or some food to eat." When asked about his motivation for volunteering at the St. Dominic feeding program, Alex replied: "I have learned to "re-gift" the good that I've been given, and when I stop and listen to the poor or homeless, I can hear their dreams and struggles and how much they are just like me".
For more information on homeless resources or to learn about volunteer opportunities in Eagle Rock, contact nelachurches@gmail.com.

The Eagle Rock Wiota Street Monument neared completion this month, when the fence rental company removed the fencing and fence poles that protected the site while under construction. Keep reading the Boulevard Sentinel for word on the final touches and upcoming dedication celebration. Dave and Helen Gustavson have worked their hearts out for about three years on this project, and their attention to every detail has been painstakingly thorough. Look for the soon to come built-in lighting as Eagle Rock's first community monument is now a reality.

Holiday Helpers- Above, the Northeast Police Explorers gather for a photo with the Councilman after volunteering for crowd control at the Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce’s Old Fashioned Christmas. Below, dancers from Delevan Drive Elementary perform at the Inaugural Glassell Park Tree Lighting.

VOICE IN THE EAGLE ROCK WILDERNESS
RICHARD TOYON:Ethnobotanist and Boy Scout leader
Teaches how the People lived in the Old Days
By Christopher Nyerges
[Nyerges is the author of "Guide to Wild Foods" and other books, the editor of Wilderness Way magazine, and a teacher of native plants. He can be reached at Box 41834, Eagle Rock, CA 90041, or www.ChristopherNyerges.com]
Richard Toyon is a 14th generation Californian, according to the official records of the Mission San Juan Capistrano. He is descended from the Parra clan of the Acjachemem nation (pronounced "A-HA-Sha-mem), formerly known as the Mission Band of the Juaneno Indians. His family originates in what is now the city of San Juan Capistrano. He is a descendant of Alejo Parra, and the area was once called Rancho de los Toyones. Richard Toyon's grandfather's name was Ortiz de los Toyones, and after him the family name was shortened to just "Toyon."
Toyon lives in La Crescenta – just over the hill from Eagle Rock -- and is active in Boy Scouts, local politics, and in representing the Tongva Tribe for various environmental and public issues. Of course, when we first spoke, I could not wait to ask him about the native toyon tree, the tree from which his family name comes.
"When I give my walks and lectures a few times a year, I talk about the native uses of plants," he explains. "The ethnobotanical uses of plants, not necessarily just the food uses."
Toyon, who works in the film industry as a production designer, then went on to tell me about the first real estate venture just south of Griffith Park. "These guys looked up in the hills and they saw all the toyon trees with their brilliant red fruit, and they called the place 'Hollywood Land.' They should have called it 'Toyonwood," he laughs.
The toyon tree produces its fruit in the winter, which made it a bit unique among the native plants, most of which produced their fruit in summer and fall. "And the toyon fruit played a significant role in the Acjachemem diet."
Though there are probably a dozen common ways of preparing the fruit – ground into meal, made into a drink, made into a dessert – Toyon says that in Acjachemem get-togethers today, the fruit is cooked in a wok, fried and lightly seasoned, and served 50/50 with rice.
He has also seen the toyon berries mashed up and served on top of potatoes, with butter.
"I also take dried toyon berries on my Scout trips and sometimes mix them into the regular trail mix to see if the Scouts even notice it. Toyon studied biology in college, and has been a forest fire fighter, a ranger, and now also is the leader of Boy Scout Troop 317 in Montrose. "I always try to educate the Scouts about the natural foods. For one of their merit badges, they need to know native plants, but most of them genuinely like the wild plants that I let them taste," he explains. "We had a Scout trip to Buckhorn in the Angeles National Forest when the native rose hips were fruiting. They were the bluest rose hips I've ever seen. We gathered a few cups of the fruit, mashed them up, and the boys put them on their pancakes like jam. They loved it! The boys were amazed that it tasted so good."
He often gets asked about acorns, which was perhaps the most widely used plant food among all Southern California Indians.
"The old-fashioned way of getting out the tannic acid, and then grinding them into a mush or flour is a lot of work," Toyon explains. "I tell people who want to try acorns to just go to a Korean store and buy some. Acorn flour is a common commodity at most Korean stores."
At home, Toyon makes a simple non-leavened bread from the acorn flour, which he compares to the nan bread from East Indian restaurants. "We cook it in a pan like tortillas," he explains.
"One elder once told me that the seedheads of the wild California buckwheat was one of the flours that the elder people ate because it didn't require grinding and the seed were very small. Since it required no grinding, there would not be tiny bits of stone in the meal that would hurt the elder people's teeth." California buckwheat seed heads are round and dark brown in color, and can be simply gathered, rubbed between the hands, and used in various recipes. It can be simply gathered, rubbed between the hands, and used in various recipes.
Before we were done, we spoke about many medicinal plants, and issues relating to native people today.
Toyon is often outspoken against various local real estate developments, and was named Crescenta Valley Volunteer of the year in 2007. He acts as a field representative for the Tongva Nation, and has spoken on their behalf on various environmental and cultural issues. Toyon also successfully lobbied to the U.S. Geological Survey to have a prominent peak in the Verdugo Mountains named Tongva Peak, in honor of the first people of the L.A. basin. (The other prominent peak in the Verdugos is called Verdugo Peak.) You can't see Tongva Peak from Eagle Rock, but if you go to the intersection of Briggs and Foothill in La Crescenta, you can look south right at the peak.
Readers who are interested in contacting Richard Toyon can do so via Christopher Nyerges, through this paper or through his web-site, www.ChristopherNyerges.com

Cruisin' with Mary

My sister, Maggie Ray, in an exact replica of the car my dad drove to victory in 1958.

Happy 2009 everyone! I hope everyone had a safe and sane New Years Eve! I don't have a lot of Eagle Rockin' Rodders news to report on this month because December is usually pretty slow for the club, and all this cold weather doesn't help, either.
Many of you know that my dad, Bullet Joe Garson, was a famous champion midget race driver. And no, these were not a bunch of short guys running around a track… One of the most enduring traditions of auto racing is the Turkey Night race held on Thanksgiving night. Dad won this race on Thanksgiving 1958 at the Old Gardena Stadium, which was the pre-Ascot Raceway track. He drove an unpainted Curtis Offenhauser which was owned by Ernie and Marie Casale. When I was younger, I used to watch my dad race at Ascot, and much later shot photos of both midget and motorcycle races there.
After dad died in 1984, I stopped going to races of any kind with the exception of the drag races at LACR in Palmdale, with the Burbank Road Kings. It was a conscious decision to stop going to most racing events because even though I am genetically programmed with "the need for speed," my heart wasn't in it. So I again made a conscious decision to accept the invitation to go, with my two sisters, to the Turkey Night races at Irwindale Raceway and honor the 50-year anniversary of my dad winning this race. The photo you see is of my sister Maggie Ray, sitting in an exact replica of the car my dad drove that night. Exact except for the paint!
Even though the remodeled Irwindale has been open for more than a few years, this was my very first trip there since the old drag strip and go-kart track closed. Oh yes, the go kart track where one of my first loves cut his teeth racing and winning numerous races there before going on to bigger cars…. Jimmy are you reading this? Excuse me if I sound like a novice, but I was happily surprised and impressed with how clean and well-run the whole facility is.
I forgot how much fun midget races can be. Even up in the grandstand there is an unmistakable excitement, starting with the smell of fuel, the roar of the engines, the dread and horror of pile-ups, and finally the thrill of the checkered flag. I think I had forgotten all of those things until the whole experience brought back so many memories of my dad. Despite the bitter wind and bone chilling temperatures I had an awesome time and would certainly do it again. In fact, it was so much fun I would like to organize a group activity to Irwindale and everyone can see just how much fun this can be! Yeah, ok, so I sound like Huell Howser…. Whatever.
Besides the midget races that night, there also were races of Ford Focuses! Now go figure… As a car guy, I know anything, no matter how soccer-momish, can be modified into a hot rod, race car, or just a piece of conversational art. This was just a surprise to me. There must have been close to fifty of them and they ran on the smaller inside track (what would be a short track inside the infield.) And yes, they were real race cars, real small race cars… The Focus Midgets had their own time trials, semi and main events. Some of these drivers, as well as a few hot shot midget drivers, are super young. As in, under 18, OK?
One other thing I heard that night was that Irwindale may be having a reduced racing season in 2009. I have no confirmation of this, but economic reasons were cited. I hope it doesn't happen because this is good family fun and entertainment. I heard on the radio about a month ago that Ford Motor Co. was pulling out of its sponsorships, starting with NASCAR. The poor economy was cited as a main factor, and that more sponsorships were also going to be canceled. It's a sad day when the auto makers cannot sponsor even their own sports. But I guess jobs are more important than entertainment these days. And they have to cut costs somewhere. It just doesn't seem fair.
Until next month, keep cruising and don't forget we will be at Oinkster on the last Saturday in January.
 

At the Highland Park "La Posada", CD 1 Councilman Ed Reyes donated two bicycles for a raffle, and poses with the winners, Gregory Moran and Sonali Kalutarage.

Night Out with Steven E.

Making the rounds possible for you. Felicitation's to all on the start of the new year and thanks to those of you who responded in kind and input in regards to the reviews in the past months. I'll be out and about in the chills of January picking the plums available that are near and dear to your thespian heart the likes of classical to punk to C/W to stage to the spoken word and all points in between. For contact use entertainment@boulevardsentinel.com at your convenience for an upcomming event in the arts. For this month, here we plow…
At Colombo's
Inevitably, for some groups, it helps to have an attentive and appreciative audience. Fortunately the Rio Fiumara Quartet doesn't necessarily have that obstacle. They arrive as unpretentious as you please. They just come out and play every Thursday evening at Colombo's. They bring a good following along for the ride. They've been performing in and around the San Gabriel Valley for the last ten years. From their version of smooth "dinner jazz" to toe-tapping be-bop, intermixed with a few well placed ballads, they keep the tempo going. At times people really stop eating, take a sip, and kick back. Rio Fiumara spreads his focus from alto/tenor sax (ala Paul Desmond, Cannonball Adderly and Stan Getz) and sways to flute nicely with a bit of a Herbie Mann twinge. He is a graduste from Shelly's Manhole Jazz Polytechnic. Piano and vocals are handled by Tom Armbruster who gives you a subtle quirky presentation to his songs (akin to Michael Franks/Mose Allison) which are highlighted on their latest CD " Jazz from the Arroyo ". The current rthym-section consists of bassist Bill von Ravensberg (gives some tasty solos) and a sparkling drummer in Lee Spath. These two, together, establish a strong avenue to allow the two front men to run free which culminates in a fine presentation which begins on January 8th and every Thursday there after. FYI. It's pronounced fee o' ma' ra. If you say it fast enough it does sound Italian. Contact: Rio @ 626/485-9869, Tom @ 626/201-6035.
Shenkflo
In a nut shell what you have here being presented is a wide, wide array of what one would say as performance art meets fledgling comedy with a pseudo lumberjack cowboy as master of ceremonies. All in all it's a nice hoot. You start off with the young Eliani Torres who provides us with Latina Puerto-Rican visions of cable humor sites. Next you have the bubbly Alessandra Rizzotti who bombards you with psychological symptoms and situations to which I'm sure she has some expertise in. Now we get to the artsy part. With guitar in hand Kirk Zipfel strums his way through a series of humorous tunes with inventive lyrics that would remind one of Martin Mull on a sex cable show in the 80's. Keyboardist Mac Davis gives us his version of Off, off Broadway tunes with sexually inverted themes (Chicago meets Cabaret with the battered child). Makes one sleep well at night. Bobby DeBuve'e gave a nice visual rendition of "The Love Guy" that had the women in the audience gigling through their garments. An exquisite performance of a Christmas mime theme by April Hava Shenkman, who showed how to perform when one knows the script and things go wrong. Good job. This guy is one rant after another. Will Maier gives you a look of what a Yiddish ying yang bashing would be like in the Catskills transported to La Canada. You'd need a referee. And the finale fits the evenings program, a shy modest Latina performing a romantic melody on the koto. Adam Shenkman puts this all together every Wednesday night at the All-Star Lanes at about 9:00 p.m. or so. You get my drift.
The bar prices are fair and admission is free so give your cable a break. Enjoy. Contact: shenkflo@gmail.com

The bubbly Alessandra Rizzotti who bombards you with psychological symptoms and situations.

by Joe Walker
25 years ago, January, 1984
Lee Higger, an electronics teacher for 10 years at Eagle Rock High School, was the pioneer in the community in bringing computers into local classrooms. With six Radio Shack computers, he used the computers to design a mechanical device that could run a drill press. He was urging school officials to buy 30 more computers to start a full fledged computer science course. He also was working to have it incorporated in the business and typing classes at the school. He said this would be difficult, as teaching word processing would force them to try things a whole new way. "Its very hard to get people out of the Stone Age," Higgers said, "they would rather sit in frustration in with their 18 bottles of White Out".
30 years ago, January, 1979
An arson fire at 5128 Baltimore, Highland Park, completely destroyed the structure on January 4,1979. Gasoline was poured into the residence's basement and it was set on fire. Several hours later, arsonists struck the same house and destroyed what was left of it.
Glendale Federal Bank offered one year Treasury bills with a whopping 9.80% percentage rate. The rate in January, 2009 is about 1%.
Rev Vahac Mardirosian, a longtime activist on the eastside, received the endorsement of the a large number of Latino political groups in his race for the Los Angeles City School Board. He filed to run against incumbent Richard Ferraro.
45 years ago, January, 1964
The local Boy Scout Troop announced the formation of a Junior Rifle Club of Eagle Rock. The club, for boys under the age of 19, was chartered by the National Rifle Association. The founding leaders were Howard Feay, Walt Matthews, Ron Rappier, and Elliot Macdonough.
On January 22, 1964, Frances Arnes, a 33 year old beautician who lived at 2734 Cunard, Glassell Park, (top of York Hill, near Delevan Drive) was reported missing. Investigators went to her home and found her three year old daughter in good condition living with Kenneth McDonald, a 31 year old singer. After questioning, he lead police to a large wooden packing crate in the backyard where he had hid Arnes body after, he claimed, she died of natural causes. He said he panicked after she died, kept her body around for a couple of days, and finally wrapped her body in plastic sheets, a quilt, and a bedspread. On November 6,1964, he was found guilty of second degree murder as evidence showed he had strangled Mrs. Arnes. A month later, he was sentenced to five years in prison.
60 years ago, Jan 1949.
Jay Abbott, 32, a mild mannered bookkeeper at the paint store located at 4140 Eagle Rock Blvd, had some explaining to do. $13,000 was missing from the company's accounts and the LAPD Bunko Squad was investigating. Abbott was polite and courteous when interviewed on November 1, 1948. When he left the detectives to go get himself a cup of coffee, he fled the premises and was on the run until Jan 12, 1949. After his arrest, he admitted to embezzling over $40,000. He went on a 39 state gambling spree, including spending time in the casinos in Cuba.
On January 9, 1949, several inches of snow fell on many parts of Los Angeles, including all of Northeast Los Angeles.

In this historic postcard from the Max Norris Collection, we see the famous Colorado Street bridge, with the Hotel Vista Del Arroyo behind. Nicknamed “Suicide Bridge” for obvious reasons, it plays a role in the current Jim Carey move “Yes Man”, in which he bungee jumps off of it. From the look of the automobiles, it is likely from the 1920’s.

DOLORES LYNN NYERGES--
WANBLIWIN (“Eagle Woman")
Dolores Nyerges (aka Wanbliwin "Eagle Woman" in honor of her mother's Lakota ancestry) passed away on December 9th, 2008. [born Oct. 2,1946]. A memorial was held at her home in Highland Park on December 20.
Dolores was an avid spiritual seeker who constantly sought out Universal Truth. She grew up in Temple City's Pacific Ackworth community (Quaker), resided awhile in Virginia Beach to study with the Edgar Cayce society, and resided in Germany, Colorado, and Hawaii.
When she moved back to California, she attended the est training, which she said changed her life. She began a business selling food storage supplies, concerned about her friends and family being prepared for earthquakes and other disasters.
She spent the last 28 years as a student, supporter, and member of WTI, a Highland Park-based non-profit dedicated to all aspects of survival, but most especially, survival of the Soul, and of our planet. It is through the activities of this organization where she met Christopher, and they married in 1986. Through WTI, Dolores conducted many classes, meetings, and workshops, and actively participated in printing and publishing a rewrite of "Thinking and Destiny" and many of the thousands of writings of her mentor Revve Q. Weisz (Richard E. White).
Along the way, she created several ingenious businesses, such as a natural "organic" landscaping, web-based sales, antique linens, twig pencils, stationery and cards with thoughtful slogans, "wild plant" sachets and potpourri, wild food salads at farmers markets, natural dog food, El Dorado Bakery, and others. She proactively supported her husband Christopher's business ventures, including his writing and classes. They both appeared on the popular Huell Howser show, demonstrating (in downtown L.A. vacant lots) how anyone can still find (and eat) native plants that were once used by local Native Americans.
Together, they shared their knowledge of Native American beliefs and skills through lectures they gave to the Southwest Museum, Philosophical Society, at the 150th Commemoration of the Cherokee Trail of Tears, and elsewhere. Dolores had earned a Cherokee literacy certificate in 1988. She authored "Why Eat Wild Foods?" which appeared as a chapter in Christopher's "Guide to Wild Foods" book. She co-authored numerous articles with Christopher in Whole Life Times, American Survival Guide, and Mother Earth News. They co-authored "Extreme Simplicity: Homesteading in the City" in 2002.
[Dolores is survived by her husband, Christopher, sister Anita, daughter Barbara, several grandchildren, and many friends.]
 

Bernie Krom
1917-2008
"He was a salesman, he wouldn't let you go away empty handed," could be the epitaph for Bernard Krom, the former proprietor of Robert's Men's Clothing Store in Eagle Rock. When he joined the Eagle Rock Kiwanis Club in 1947, he was 30 years old and had been working at Robert's fifteen years. He later became a partner in the store.
John Miller said, "Everybody, if they wanted something in clothing, they'd always go to Bernie, because he had very fine quality clothing; for that time."
Robert's Clothing was finally closed in the 1970's, after the freeway and the Eagle Rock Plaza had opened.
Bernie had once returned to speak at the Kiwanis, and told about the earlier days in Eagle Rock. "He knew everything about Eagle Rock, he knew every person," Mr. Miller added. He died last month at the age of 91

Coffee With Your Congressman
by Tom Topping
On Saturday, December 13, Congressman Becerra held one of his occasional Coffee meetings at Eagle Rock High School. The 31st congressional district that he represents consists of all of Northeast L.A. and much of Hollywood and Downtown L.A.
He had few words before opening the floor to questions that took up most of the one and a half hours he stayed. He fascinated the audience with his explanations of the reasons behind the Wall Street crisis and automakers crisis.
He said two million jobs were lost in 2008. That's 2,000,000 jobs. He lamented regarding the financial bailout that although the banks were supposed to start lending money after they got it, they were not doing so.

He was opposed to the autoworkers being scapegoated as the reason the auto companies were failing, when no mention of cuts to executive bonuses or parties or use of corporate jets was on the table as well. He said it did not make sense to blame autoworkers who only have to show up and do what they are told to do, and have no say about how the companies are otherwise run.
Becerra stressed that the 14 billion loan that was in the House bill prohibited executive bonuses, and required plans to make cars that Americans want to buy.
He likened Wall Street to Las Vegas, explaining that the middlemen had extracted so much money from transactions that were not much more than gambles.
On the subject of economic stimulus, he said he pushed for it all to be spent on projects that invest in the future of this country, to fix aging infrastructure and what not.
The meeting ended with a long line of people who showed up to have a scant few minutes of one on one with the Congressman. Some of the stories were truly heartbreaking, one woman seeking help to get the return her son back to this country after the father had unlawfully taken him to South America, and other equally heart-wrenching stories from people seeking help for families torn apart by the economy or immigration matters.

GLAD's 25th Annual Holiday Celebration
brought smiles to deaf and hard of hearing children
On Saturday, December 6th 2008 from Noon-4p the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness, Inc., more commonly known as GLAD, , hosted its 25th Annual Children's Holiday Celebration for deaf and hard of hearing children throughout the Southern California community. The event generously hosted at Thorne Hall at Occidental College provided hundreds of children with a unique holiday experience entirely in American Sign Language.
The GLAD holiday celebration enabled families with deaf and hard of hearing children and kids of deaf adults 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 Signing Santa & Mrs. Claus to provide the children the opportunity to "talk" to Santa in their own language, a variety of holiday performances covering stories of Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Chanukah, and participation by local organizations and friends for distribution of the toys to the children in attendance.
This holiday toy giveaway celebration is made possible by the generous donations by Sorenson Communications, Occidental College, Nestle, Deaf Community Center, United States Marine Corp, Los Angeles Fire Department, See's Candies, 99 Cent Store of Commerce and Eagle Rock community members, all helped enable this one-of-a-kind experience. 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.
For more information about GLAD call (323) 478-8000 or visit www.gladinc.org.

Las Angelitas Docent Training at El Pueblo Starts Feb. 3
New docent training classes for El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument will be held for nine Tuesdays from Feb. 3 through March 31. Classes are offered by Las Angelitas del Pueblo, the volunteer docent organization that conducts free walking tours of the "birthplace of Los Angeles."
Classes will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Las Angelitas office, 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 of sixty men and women who are history buffs with a passion for the history of Los Angeles, according to the organization's President Kate Probst. "This is a wonderful group of volunteers who embrace LA history and want to share their knowledge with others," says Frank Damon, past President, who leads the training classes.
The volunteer commitment is two weekday tours or one Saturday tour per month. The walking tours are fifty minutes long. Some tours are provided in Spanish and German. The historical timeline for the class begins prior to the founding of the city in 1781, when California was under Spanish rule. During the training sessions, everyone learns how to guide visitors around El Pueblo, which includes five museums, numerous historic buildings and the world-famous Olvera Street.
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," said Damon. More than ten thousand students, local residents and tourists are given free tours annually. 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.

Santa Cecilia Orchestra Presents
Chamber Music Up Close
"Preludes To Passion"
Saturday January 17, 2009, 8:00pm
Center For The Arts, 2225 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock
Program: The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind by Osvaldo Golijov and Fragmentos del pasado by Orlando Garcia.
Soloists: The Formalist Quartet, string quartet; Michael Kudirka, guitar; James Sullivan, clarinet
Description: This concert is devoted to two quintets - each in a very different style, united by making a very powerful statement in that style. Both composers are immigrants: Orlando Garcia is from Cuba and lives in Florida; and Osvaldo Golijov is from Argentina, of Jewish heritage and is now based on the US East Coast.
Orlando Garcia's music has been described as "time suspended - haunting sonic explorations" with "moments of supremely delicate magic." The restless and passionately-hewed explorations of Gilojov's "The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind" will create an arresting contrast. Featured soloists for the performance are Michael Kudirka (guitar), and James Sullivan (clarinet). The Formalist Quartet will be the string quartet.
Ticket Pricing: $19, $12 (youth 17 and under)
Ticket Information: Call (323) 259-3011 or log on to www.scorchestra.org <http://www. scorchestra.org>
Novelists Jerry Stahl and Gwen Freeman At Mt Washington Assn January 19 Meeting
Two authors who currently make their home on Mount Washington will read from their work at the Mount Washington Association's January 19 membership meeting. The meeting will be held at 7:30 pm at the Jack and Denny Smith Community Center in the Mount Washington Elementary School, 3981 San Rafael Avenue.
The two authors—Jerry Stahl and Gwen Freeman—offer two widely contrasting approaches to writing, but both have been greeted by critical acclaim and both actively moonlight in other businesses.
Jerry Stahl, has authored three novels—"Perv, A Love Story," "Plainclothes Naked" and "I, Fatty," since first achieving fame with his darkly comedic tale of addiction, Permanent Midnight .
Gwen Freeman's two novels, "Murder…Suicide…Whatever" and "Crazy Fool Kills Five" have introduced audiences to Fifi Cutter, an unemployed insurance investigator. Reviewing the former, one critic rhapsodized that "from its first page (wherein Fifi and Bosco get into an argument about whether they have an Uncle Ted) to its last, the book sparkles with offbeat wit and snappy dialogue… the writing feels light, effortless, entirely natural."
Attendance is open to everyone. Refreshments will be served.

 

Historical Society Presents:
SAVING YOUR WOODEN WINDOWS
How to Avoid Replacing your Stuck Leaky Windows
Window expert, Ed Sanchez, of Window Restoration and Repair, will speak and show examples on January 20th at the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, 2225 Colorado Blvd. at 7:00 PM. This event, presented by the Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society, is a must for anyone considering the replacement of windows, especially on older homes with original wood windows. This event is free and open to all.
Mr. Sanchez will show how to successfully preserve and repair wood windows. This approach is proven to help retain the value of a house, maintain its architectural features, and save money. Topics will include the following:
The benefits of keeping classic style windows over investing in fads
Keeping your home green, and your budget lean
How to decide if your window is worth keeping
The difference between a sash and a window
How to maintain your window
How to repair a damaged window
How to paint a window 4-5 times without affecting its operation
How to weather-strip a historic window
Do¹s and don¹ts of preserving historic wood windows
The point of diminishing returns when restoring old windows
How to replicate an original window
How to find old style replacement hardware
Ed Sanchez originally began working in the window replacement business in 1983, and opened his own window replacement company in 1986. He lost faith in replacement windows because they didn¹t last as long as the originals and he decided to follow his inclination toward historic preservation. Ed and his long time friend, Scott Goldfarb, started the new company Window Restoration and Repair in 2000. The unusual offering of this company has led to articles in many local papers such as the Glendale News Press, Pasadena Star News, Larchmont Chronicle, and Press Telegram and recommendations in Daily Variety and Cottages and Bungalows. Many of the articles can be read in their entirety in the press section of the company website: www.window-restoration-repair.com
Window Restoration and Repair has done restoration work for the Bembridge House, the Hotel Laguna, the historic building that houses the Cheesecake Factory in Pasadena on Fair Oaks and Colorado, the original country club for the Country Club Park district in Los Angeles and many other designated historic buildings.