Relief for Local Disaster

by Tom Topping
The community meeting room of the Eagle Rock City Hall was filled to capacity last week, when owners and tenants of recently redtagged homes gathered to find out what assistance was available from public (government) sources. About fifty people from the 17 red-tagged and 8 yellow-tagged properties attended.
First to speak was L.A. Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) representative Ray Wooden. He outlined what owners of red-tagged properties would have to do to get the red tags removed. Finding a "Soils Engineering and Geology Firm" was the key and was the first step they would have to take to get back into their homes.
The engineering firms would have to be hired privately by the property owners and would take samples of the ground soil under or nearby the homes. They would then provide a report on their findings (on company letterhead) which would be forwarded back to LADBS. Building and Safety would then re-inspect and possibly change the designation of red to yellow or remove the notices completely, so the property could be reoccupied. This is, of course, assuming that the Soils and Engineering report says it is OK as well. On a positive note, however, Mr. Wooden explained that property owners in adjacent homes could pool together to hire the soils engineer together, and save money compared to doing each one separately.
One senior citizen exclaimed, "You mean it's our responsibility to pay to see if we can move back into our home?" Other questions followed in the same vein, focusing on who would be paying for their woes. Lisa Sarno, CD 14 staffer running the meeting, quelled the clamor by reminding the audience that other speakers were there to tell what kind of financial relief the city and county and Federal government would provide.
The General Manager of the Housing Department, Mercedes Marquez, was called up to tell what the city's end of financial relief was to be. An ordinance providing $500,000 was passed by the City Council providing a flex relief fund for affected property owners. A loan of $8000 will be available to those properties with owners who are 62 or older, or having children or a person with a disability living in the home, and a household income of less than $100,000 a year.
It would have to be re-paid only if the house is sold or if FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Administration) kicks in. Only homeowners were eligible for the $8000 in flex funds, but renters were eligible for a monthly amount that had yet to be determined.
The L.A. Fire Department was represented by Chief Turner. He offered that if any questions arose about the safety of a structure, hillside or property, citizens should not hesitate to call 911 and the Fire Department would respond to check it out. He warned, however, that if they find a hazard, then they might be forced to evacuate.
Eagle Rock/Glassell Park's Senior Lead Officer Joe Gallindo was there to explain what the Police Department was doing in the interim. He said the patrol officers were directed to provide increased patrols in the areas affected, which meant they would drive through 1 to 5 times per shift, depending how busy they were. One man asked, "If you catch me going into my red tagged home, what are you going to do?" He didn't respond, but one would assume that the L.A.P.D. has much more important things to do than arresting a homeowner trying to retrieve his possessions.
Margaret Siegel of the County Assessor's office brought good news that tax relief was available for those who lose the use of their homes. There are a couple of programs available where the property taxes would be suspended while the homes are unable to be occupied and another that can assess the value of the home at a lower amount while it is uninhabitable. Best was the program that would allow a transfer of Prop. 13 privileges to those who buy replacement properties, if still located within Los Angeles County.
The Red Cross was there to offer one week of lodging and groceries to displaced residents, and Haco Hoang, representing FEMA, told that they could only help if President George Bush declares it a "Federal" disaster.
Lisa Sarno ended the meeting by expressing, "How deeply saddened we are you had to endure this tragedy." Many people stayed to ask the various reps specific questions about their situations.

Eagle Rock, CA - February 21, 2005 - The big storm that hit in the early afternoon flooded sidewalks on Colorado Blvd. and piled up hail over a foot high in some areas. Here, local kids make the best of the snowlike substance by throwing it at each other.

Eagle Rock - February 22, 2005 - A tree that fell during the big storm took out the 4800 volt power lines along La Roda Street between Eagle Rock High School and Yosemite Park. Here, the power is restored but the tree still blocks the street.

ERCPR told:
Forget Angled Parking!
Sets View on Valets
by Tom Topping
The concept of angled parking was dropped for good and a new effort to institute a combination of valet parking and cooperative use of existing lots was started to continue addressing the commercial parking bottleneck along Colorado Boulevard in Eagle Rock.
The report, paid for by the Eagle Rock Community Preservation and Revitalization corporation (ERCPR inc) was presented by Jim Favarro and Mott Smith of Civic Enterprise Associates at a special meeting held on February 23, 2005.
Favarro and Smith, working with municipal representatives, had studied a new untried concept for angled parking in which all parking would have been eliminated from one side of the street, leaving room for the angled parking on the other. They determined that that concept would result in only a net gain of 31 parking spaces, not enough to warrant the expense to create it.
Failing that, the effort now is to use a hybrid of sorts, where communal use of existing lots is mixed with valet parking. The idea is to have two valet stations, each located within a two block radius of restaurant and shopping destinations, one near the town center of Eagle Rock and Colorado Boulevards, and the other near the intersection of Colorado Blvd. and Townsend Avenue.
They brought maps with them identifying all the private and public off street parking spaces in the area of Colorado and Eagle Rock Boulevards from Ellenwood to Hartwick Street on Colorado, and down to Yosemite Drive on Eagle Rock. That totals to a surprising 2200 spaces.
Their newest plan, not surprisingly, is incredibly similar to the one proposed by Revitalization Consultant Ed Henning in 1999.
The cooperative plan depends on... guess what? COOPERATION! The cooperation of business and property owners is essential. It will work like this:
Available parking spaces will have to be identified and secured through leases. The owners of the spaces will be compensated. The business owners who need parking will pay into the Community Valet Program. It could be voluntary but likely will be in the form of an assessment like a B.I.D. (business improvement district), where businesses vote to tax themselves. It also could be that the customers will have to pay a fee for the valet parking. Finally, a valet service provider would have to be hired and then the service could be launched.
Before any of this can take place, the cooperation of a historically uncooperative organization is required. I am referring to the Los Angeles City bureaucracy.
In between the time that the local councilperson's office is in election mode or completely consumed by some other state of emergency, (or damage control) they can create and get passed a City Council motion to allow such a parking system to be enacted. Then the city code as it relates to parking requirements will have to be amended to recognize "Community Parking" as a way a new business can satisfy those same requirements. After that, all that is needed is the not-so-simple task of developing consensus among the various city departments affected as to what the standards would be for such a project.
All in all, the parking situation in Eagle Rock still faces many long range hurdles which could take years to overcome. The most optimistic view is to look for a pilot program funded by the remaining ERCPR state grant funds, which, with a little luck, could be in operation by late summer or early fall of 2005.

Montecito Neighborhood Watch

by Tom Topping
At the February meeting of the Montecito Heights Neighborhood Watch, attendees were informed about the various crime going on in the area, and what actions to take to prevent becoming a victim. Senior Lead Officer Rich Rodriguez, who led the meeting, was still a little excited about an event earlier in the day when an assault with a vehicle turned into a foot pursuit through the streets and backyards of the Monticito Heights area. The suspect was lost after he passed through Heritage Square and went down into the Arroyo.
Some very interesting information was dispersed about how to handle the situation of groups of people drinking and loitering. It seems that if a property owner posts "no-trespassing" signs, and signs an authorization to arrest, the police can arrest the loiterers if they catch them doing that.
Officer Rodriguez also mentioned the regrettable murder of young man that happened right next to the Boys and Girls Club in Lincoln Heights. The young man and a counselor from the club were sitting in the car and talking about the young man leaving the gang he was in. Rival gang members pulled up and opened fire, killing the young man and seriously injuring the other.
As in all of Northeast L.A., the most prominent crime is BTFV, meaning burglary or theft from a motor vehicle. He mentioned one suspect in the Montecito/ Lincoln Heights area that likes to cut open convertible tops in order to get into the vehicles. Another group has taken to riding a bicycle around during the wee hours of the morning 3 to 4 a.m. They've been reported to be seen cruising down the street slowly, shining flashlights in vehicles as they ride by, looking for valuables left in the cars.
The officer also told of a man that has taken to giving his dogs (big ones, too) a walk by having them run, unleashed, alongside his vehicle as he drives. An older gentleman was confronted by one of those dogs as he was walking his dog on a leash. The man was intimidated by the large dog and swung at it with his cane to defend himself. This made the larger dog's owner very upset. They parted company threatening to call the police on each other. When the officer found the house that belonged to the two big dogs and their owner, he informed the man that he was in the wrong for not having the dog on a leash.
The meeting ended after community members used their chance to ask questions and pinpoint the latest problem areas for the police to pay attention to.

Grand Theft Auto
If you were wondering why so many of LA's finest and their whirly-bird visited our neighborhood last night, here is the skinny(as per an Officer on the scene): At approximately 7 PM on Tuesday, February 15 two Grand Theft Auto suspects entered our area and exited their commandeered vehicle while attempting to evade the Boys in Blue. Sections of Toland Way, Avenue 46, Hazelwood Avenue and surrounding streets were cordoned off, while the officers searched for these suspects. Police dogs were used in the search. By around 8:30 PM streets were reopened and residents were allowed to enter and leave the area. One suspect was arrested andthe second suspect was still at large.

What's Stirring In Hermon?
by Paul Thomas
Hermon Committee Commences
February marked the first meeting of the brand new "Hermon Safety Committee." Around 30 concerned neighbors, from all over Hermon joined together to hear LAPD Senior Lead Officer Rich Rodriguez explain how to be law enforcement's "eyes and ears" in this community and how to effectively report crimes. Marilyn Sanchez of Montecito Heights also came out to tell them how they set up their successful neighborhood watch organization.
Specific concerns in Hermon will continue to be discussed at the meeings. This night it ranged from abandoned shopping carts and reporting loud parties, to discussing the situation of having strangers rifling through neighbors' trash bins.
St. Valentine's Day Standoff
This Valentine's Day was awesome! I got my wish, and was surrounded by women on all sides. Let me explain.
These women were celebrated Hermonite Wendi Riser, Council District 14 Field Representative Monica Garcia, and Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council Hermon representative Maggie Barto.
These smart and savvy ladies had come out to support me and other neighbors in Hermon for a meeting with Cedar Properties and their construction crew. It was an attempt to bring some standards of peace to the neighborhood and some accountability on the parts of Cedar Properties and their crew at the Santa Fe Hill construction site (6221 Monterey Road).
Joining us along with affected neighbors were some gentlemen from Building & Safety, who, perhaps unintentionally helped act as mediators when things became testy between residents and construction supervisors. The meeting commenced at high noon, and when the smoke finally cleared an hour later, disgruntled neighbors had walked off, offers had been denied, some promises had been made, and I had been accused of racism.
There have been a number of articles in The Sentinel written about the destruction/ construction taking place on Monterey Road, so I won't rehash it. Suffice it to say that the giant condo project is going through legally,
whether we like it or not.
Cedar Properties apparently has the funds to keep all the wheels greased and their projects barrelling forward. They won't let minor irritations like existing neighborhoods or people's lives get in the way of a good high-rise condo. No siree.
Realizing that they (Cedar Properties) had all their legal bases covered, Hermon neighbors resorted to making requests, and then demands, for decency and respect.
It became clear that the message wasn't getting through: that we didn't want pre-dawn commotion on Monterey Road, we didn't want our driveways blocked, our properties dug into, our trash cans moved, or our parkways urinated on. Furthermore, we didn't like coming home to trash in front of our homes, bulldozers still operating with spotlights at 8:45 p.m., rocks crashing through our windshields.
Results were not forthcoming. In fact, in what I perceive as our "punishment" for complaining, employees and sub-contractors of Cedar Properties began extending their noise to 9:00 p.m. (an unfortunate, yet legal right in this part of L.A.).
Things had gone too far. It was time to pull some strings. I contacted some neighbors, made some suggestions, and we brainstormed a bit.
My neighbors also pulled some strings, as did Monica Garcia despite her ultra-busy schedule. Amazingly, we got a meeting set for February 14.
I was proud to see the turnout we got to assemble on such short notice. Things were not always pleasant, as might be expected, and not everybody was thrilled to be there. We were frequently refered to as "you people."
My roomate Robert made an excellent suggestion to Pat Irvine, the construction foreman: why not wait until after the Monterey Morning Rush Hour (6:30 - 8:00 a.m.) to begin their activity? It would be less chaotic for all parties involved (this is technically known as a Musician's Sleep Preservation Appeal).
It was a great, reasonable idea. Naturally, Pat Irvine was having none of it. "There is no less chaotic time," he chortled.
"Yes, there is, " I piped in. "What about right now?" The entire group paused momentarily. It was silent, save for a peaceful Hermon breeze. The point was made.
Irvine was increasingly put on the defensive when asked about start and end times, hauling procedures, and property destruction. Almost getting caught with his foot in his mouth, Irvine began to grasp at straws, hoping to deflect the heat. It was sad.
Based upon a previous Boulevard Sentinel editorial about their construction ("Christmas in Hell" December 2004), in which I mentioned the catering truck blaring "La Cucaracha," Irvine accused me of racism.
It was a pretty far stretch, and no one seemed to be buying it (probably due to it being ridiculous & false). I was shocked, though. To think this guy actually read my article.
The accusation made me realize that Irvine was getting desperate. He was almost making our case for us. I waited as others took their turns.
It finally ended in somewhat of a standoff, but here's what Cedar's crew has conceded to:
1) Have flagmen Monday-Friday during traffic, from 7 to 8 a.m., to facilitate neighbors safely exiting their properties, and children safely making their way to school past the construction site.
2) Developer and workers will not begin ANYTHING before 7 a.m.
3) Developer will ask their workers to work quietly in the early morning hours.
4) Developer will immediately fire any worker found urinating in public.
5) Developer will immediately fire any workers caught damaging neighbors' landscaping.
It's not as much as we might have hoped for, but as one neighbor ominously pointed out: "It was probably gonna get worse."
I'd like to extend my gratitude to all persons who attended the meeting to help with this important local concern. so far, they seem to be sticking to their word, and it's been an improvement here on Monterey Road.
Local Issues Committee Meeting
On the evening of February 16th, the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council held a Hermon Local Issues Committee Meeting. Hermon representative Maggie Barto hosted the meeting with the help of ASNC's John Acosta.
The subject was the sale of the century old Pacific Christian On The Hill School. About 45 people filled the room at Monterey Adult Day Care Center, including concerned residents and families whose kids had attended Pacific Christian School.
At a previous ASNC meeting in August Of 2004, the School Board Of Directors assured the ASNC, locals, and students past and present, that the last thing they wanted was an expensive housing development in its place.
So it came as a surprise to everyone when the property appeared on the market touting itself as an "opportunity to develop housing community." The area was described as "a quiet residential community."
Did they stop to think that it won't be so quiet if dozens of new houses fill in the space?
Time is running out.
As it stands there are offers from Academia Semillas Del Pueblo, a California Charter School. Their principal and Secretary of the Council of Trustees, Marcos Aguilar, spoke at the meeting.
He would like to move his unique K- 8 school to the space, or at least part of the space. "It's the ideal property...minus the price tag," he stated. The price tag probably won't be a issue for Syntex Homes, a main bidder. They also had a representative there who mainly pleaded innocence.
As a whole, the community would like to see a school remain at this location. Especially since as it stands, were it to be used for housing, the size and zoning of the land would probably dictate larger, expensive houses.

Highland Park Happenings
by Paul Thomas
On February 10, the last of three meetings regarding the design of the skatepark in the Garvanza district was held at Luther Burbank Middle School. There were noticeably less people there than had been at the first meeting.
Too bad, because they missed seeing the design plan which was available in a large poster size. I'm planning to frame mine and mount it on my bedroom wall. My girlfriends are going to love it!
That's beside the point. The important thing is a design has been drawn up and agreed to, for the 6,000 something square foot park. Whoa! Did I write 6,000? yes I did.
No error. The once 12,000 square foot park has been downsized to fit within the budget. Architect Steve Rose says it would cost about "$480,000 to build the 12,000 square foot (park)."
"Unfortunately, we had to take a few elements out of the last design," he continued. It isn't really as drastic as it might seem.
It involves trimming a bit of the North end off, and pushing the "bowl" elements and the "street" elements closer together. The entire skating area is in a more circular form now, as well.
Council 14 Field representative Monica Garcia has worked closely with engineer Robert Gutierrez to make this project a reality. When she said "It's taken a very long time to get here," it was no understatement.
The frustration of the community, skaters, newspaper reporters, and the like, with this project, is undeniable. The Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council Ad-Hoc Skate Park Coalition & Committee has been as irked as their name is long.
It's understandable, when something like adding a bathroom to the skatepark's guard shack turns into a $350,000 proposition. That idea got cut out relatively quickly.
"They can use my bathroom- for 5 cents a head," joked Joel Rosenberg, who lives across the street from the park. Despite the obstacles, people like Heinrich Kiefer, Nancy Wyatt, Stan Moore, and others hung in there like troopers since the very beginning.
The anger, ire, exasperation, red tape, phone calls, e-mails, documents, drafts, arguments, messages, meetings, reports, retorts, research, and field work has all paid off. The skate park will be a reality, and it will look great - eventually.
There will be a kidney-shaped bowl designed to give the feel of skating into a swimming pool. There will be stairs, handrails, brick, and other street elements designed to please the most discriminating of street skaters, as well. Credit is due Jeff Sporano, Todd Mooney, and Jeff Hirata, who were instrumental in translating the ideas into a workable design.
It's going to be one of the best things to happen for kids in Highland Park (and skaters of all ages) in many a moon. By some estimates this ongoing project may be four years in duration, though. We'll keep you posted here at the Boulevard Sentinel.
When the Rain Comes...
After last month's torrents, I never imagined that I'd be writing about rain again in Highland Park, but here I am. It got worse. Worse than anyone could have imagined.
February 20-23, we were pelted again. Already saturated land was bombarded with rain again, and Highland Park suffered severely. Flooding, leakage, mudslides, falling rocks, and treacherous driving conditions were commonplace.
The record rainfall made the national news, and Highland Park was included. Not necessarily the way we like to make the news though.
It was due to four houses being "red-tagged" in the 6700 block of Fortune Place, and the 1000 block of Aratina Way. These houses in this scenic part of Highland Park were declared uninhabitable in the wee morning hours of February 22.
Already in danger from the last storm, the cliffside properties began breaking and sliding down the hill overlooking the Arroyo Seco. One resident's new pool has slid off the hillside before he even had a chance to use it.
Telephone and electrical lines have been bent dangerously, requiring quick action from DWP and telephone companies. Our neighbors in nearby Glassel Park had it even worse, with 14 homes declared unsafe to enter. In all, 31 homes in L.A. county were red-tagged.
In closing I would like to mention that this issue marks the end of my first year at the Boulevard Sentinel. It's been an eye-opening, educational, and generally postive first year.
I'm overwhelmed by the amount of positive feedback, compliments, and pats on the back I have received for my articles. I am very proud that some of my work has done some good.
On a sad note, the writer who got me interested in journalism in the first place, Hunter S. Thompson, died on February 20 at age 67. Thompson was the first to make me realize that journalism could be fun.
His "gonzo" style, writing in the first person, etc. are concepts I have taken to heart, and continue to use. He will be missed.

Hunter S. Thompson

Eagle Rock, CA - February 8, 2005 - A traffic accident at the intersection of Colorado Blvd. and Mt. Royal Drive resulted in a new (albeit temporary) drive in at Pete's Blue Chip restaurant. The accident was between a car traveling west on Colorado and a red sportscar that was making a left or a U-turn heading the opposite way. Employees and diners were in shock and awe as the auto hit the building with a thundering BOOM, shattering glass and filling the eatery full of dust and smoke. Booths went flying, and people dove to safety. In the aftermath, plates of half-eaten food were all that remained on tables. Luckily, no-one was injured. After a thorough safety inspection by L.A. City firemen, the drive-through window was given the OK to re-open, protecting the flow of hamburgers for the rest of the day. The car narrowly missed one of the new light poles, installed about a year ago.

Rainstorm Takes Local Toll
Many in Glassell Park Evacuated

RED TAGGED - Glassell Park home at 3654 Mimosa on the verge of collapse. At left, the fence is buckled due to the slippage.
 

by Tom Topping
The record rainfall has finally taken its toll locally. In Glassell Park, six homes were red-tagged on Mimosa Drive. The homes affected are above Mimosa, at the bottom of the large green open hillside where area youths once played, rode dirt bikes and drove go-karts.
A section of the hill above the houses slid down approximately two to six feet, leaving a large visible muddy gash in the otherwise plush green hillside. Television news crews were on the scene to do a live report. Neighbors living across Mimosa from the damaged homes were advised to evacuate as well and were seen loading valuables into their vehicles.
Three homes, with addresses 3650, 3654(the worst) and 3658 Mimosa are sliding sideways and slightly forward. Retaining walls are buckling. The back of the houses have been undermined creating pressure and tears. Three homes down from them were also red tagged as the sliding homes could produce a domino effect.
The damaged side of street is in Antonio Villaraigosa's dictrict. He visited the site with staffers who were contacting and informing residents that the Red Cross was coming and assisting them in temporary relocation.
Residents across the street were advised to leave as well but this was voluntary. The other side of the street is in Eric Garcetti's district and Glassell Park deputy Mitch O Farrell was on site doing his best to assist.
Residents on Mimosa that are staying in homes have been asked to move cars off Mimosa as the street is closed.
Helen Jacobs, long time Glassell Park Senior's activist who lives across and uphill of red tagged homes, was dismayed that her neighbor's home of 35 years was in such jeopardy.

HELP END PET OVER-POPULATION

The City of Los Angeles declares March 2005 as Spay/Neuter month.
LA Animal Services is willing to deliver spay/neuter coupons to your door!! We have several types of coupons available please call for yours today.
LA Animal Services is also offering for the month of March free transportation for any owner's pet, (if they do not have transportation) to their veterinarian to be spayed or neutered and bring the animal back to them after surgery.
THANK YOU FOR CONTRIBUTING TO SAVING ANIMALS LIVES.
For more information please call 888-4LA-PET1 or check our website at: www.LAANIMALSERVICES.com

Sen. Jack Scott Feted by College Groups

SACRAMENTO - State Senator Jack Scott (D-Pasadena) has been honored by two higher education groups: one a student association and the other an administrative organization.
The Los Angeles Community College District today named Senator Scott Co-Legislator of the Year. The district is comprised of nine college campuses and estimates that over the past 77 years they have educated more than three million students.
"We chose to honor Senator Jack Scott because he deserves it. He understands the critical role that we play in transforming people's lives, providing opportunity to our students and building our communities. More importantly, Senator Scott has taken that understanding and transformed it into action," said Kelly Candaele, President of the Board of Trustees, Los Angeles Community College District.
"Senator Scott's passionate commitment to our students and their success has enabled him to become a leading spokesman for community colleges," stated LACCD Board member Mona Field. "Dr. Scott has rightfully earned the respect of his colleagues as he speaks out on funding, academic concerns and local governance."
Earlier this week, the California State Student Association named Senator Scott its "Legislator of the Year." CSSA represents more than 400,000 students on 23 campuses statewide.
"Senator Scott received A's on our Legislative Report Card for the session. However, that is just the beginning of his support for the California State Student Association," declared Jason Spencer, chair of the CSSA, Legislative Affairs Committee. "Not only has Senator Scott been a steward for higher education, he is a legislator who understands the meaning of the words public education."

Foster Parents Orientation
Optimist Foster Family & Adoption Services welcomes prospective foster parents to an orientation series starting Monday, March 21 (6 - 9 p.m.) at its main campus in the Highland Park area of Los Angeles (7003 N. Figueroa St., 2nd floor).
The meeting provides an overview of the process and requirements of becoming a foster parent and the importance of helping children and families in the community. The agency formally trains participants through a series of subsequent classes. Once certified, Optimist provides follow-up services and resources to foster parents, who will receive financial support for the child's food, clothing, medical care and other needs.
For additional information and to enroll in the orientation and classes, please call (800) 454-5561 and ask for a foster care coordinator or email certification@oyhfs.org.
Participants requiring childcare must make a reservation since space is limited.

February 27, 2005
Highland Park, CA
An auto appears to be motoring upstream in the storm swollen Arroyo Seco River, near the Gold Line trestle. The driver crashed through the fence and light pole on the Pasadena freeway sometime before 9:45 on Saturday night, February 26th. Local 911 switch boards have been overloaded with folks reporting the sight over and over again since the car cannot be towed until the river’s flow subsides.

What's for Lunch?
by Gillian Spangler-Bottrell
Is it just me, or are things piling up? Big question. Do I mean the deficit or discarded yard signs? I mean it literally. Some file. Others just pile. For lack of a better term, we can call it a piling system. Even if there were a useful two-or three drawer cabinet to use, what would actually get inside? A filing cabinet presents another problem. It gives those who pile one more surface to use.
I used to blame a lack of maturity. I was simply too young or inexperienced to know better. Unfortunately, I just had a milestone birthday. A husband, children, pets, a mortgage and now the mid thirties. The piles are still here. Some don't even sit in plain view. They have their own storage places. Piled together in haste to make things look clean, they sit in closets or cabinets, undisturbed. When we looked at the house, I thought, wow, look at all these nooks, now I can really organize.
Piles. They come in pieces. In the mail, home from school and from who knows where. Take the dinner table. There are days where clearing it off would require reheating the meal. Whatever has collected since the evening before gets moved to a new place. At least it is neatly stacked.
Old homework assignments, an operator's manual or two, political mailings and catalogues. Birthday cards. Party invitations. Hand written reminders. No specific order, each pile simply contains two or six of each. Sometimes they seem more bearable when organized by size or even type. Never smaller, just easier to sit a cup of coffee on. There are days when I go beyond reorganizing. Although I discard all those high interest offers and things addressed to 'resident', the piling system remains.
I know this has been featured on talk and news shows. But those guests kept things that even I know to get rid of. My piles may be a bit much, but I don't think they are in the compulsive range or anything. I may need that operator's manual, although the VCR is in the garage. My daughter may want this corrected homework from May of last year.
In a frenzy of autumn cleaning, I came up with a solution. Most of the piles, even some from the kitchen cabinets, were dealt with. Without going through them, they were placed into a box. Full to its rim and heavy, it now sits in a closet.
It joins the sewing machine I can't operate, interesting clothes no one wears and strange items like the broken disco light. There are two other boxes like it. I just know that the operator's manual for that sewing machine is in one of them.
Here's the solution. After three months of storage, all three boxes will be dumped into the recycling bin. Anything not searched for, not pulled out, will be gone. Maybe I will even get rid of the boxes in the garage, packed on moving day 2000. Problem is, because our neighborhood recycles just twice monthly, where would all the cardboard and milk bottles go? Just kidding, I'll think of something.

"The Eighth Wonder of the World"
Created by Adolphus Busch (1839 - 1913), the flamboyant industrialist co-founder of Anheuser-Busch Companies, this magnificent 30-acre public pleasure garden, referred to as "the eighth wonder of the world," was one of the major tourist attractions in Southern California for much of the first half of the 20th century.
Busch Gardens included 14 miles of pathways, 100,000 plants and shrubs, rare birds, and 100 vividly painted sculptures imported from Germany including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel and the Gingerbread House. Construction and maintenance required the services of 30 expert gardeners as well as additional laborers with an annual cost estimated at $60,000.
Over the course of its history, Busch Gardens was visited by more than 1,000,000 people. The Pacific Electric Railway added a Busch Gardens stop on its nearest line. The site hosted entertainments, benefits, dog shows and Easter egg parties. Hollywood used the Gardens as a film location throughout the 1920s and 1930s. Among the many movies filmed there were "Adventures of Robin Hood," Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," and "Gone With the Wind."
Busch Gardens was open to the public for the majority of years 1905 to 1937. Adolphus' wife Lily, who lived in their home in Pasadena until her death in 1928, maintained the Gardens after Adolphus died. On two separate occasions, the Gardens were offered to Pasadena as a city public park.
Busch Gardens was the brainchild of Adolphus Busch, who emigrated from Germany just before the Civil War, married a brewer's daughter, and by 1875 was co-partner in what would become the great brewing empire of Anheuser-Busch. Adolphus was a super-salesman and entrepreneur who used new ideas to become the King of Beer.
Busch was a grand figure with the ostentatious habits typical of wealthy 19th century industrialists. He owned lavish estates in St. Louis; Cooperstown, New York; Pasadena and Germany, all with extensive grounds often decorated with statuary of characters from Grimm's Fairy Tales. Pasadena was the winter home of the Busch family. "I selected Pasadena because I consider it a veritable paradise. It has no equal in the world regarding healthful climate, scenery, vegetation, flowers, shrubberies, fruit and general comfort of living" Adolphus Busch, 1911.

Center for the Arts Presents:
AN ENHANCED READING OF THE TREE
On Saturday March 5, 2005, at 6:00 p.m., come to the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock for an enhanced reading of "The Tree", a new opera libretto by Peter Wing Healy.
The spirit of a centuries-old oak tree on a ridge outside a small town falls in love with a poetic young man from the town. She comes out of her tree and marries him when his first marriage falls apart. They move to the big city where he will pursue his dream of becoming an architect. His ex-wife, taking custody of their son, marries again, this time to a local developer. When, years later, the developer decides to build a mall outside the now growing town it becomes clear that he plans to cut down the old tree. The town is instantly polarized and the son joins with a band of tree-sitters to protest the construction. The architect and the tree spirit watch helplessly as the situation deteriorates. When the tree is finally felled she dies but in the process he receives the gift of a vision that will enable him to transform the world.
An exciting, contemporary re-telling of an ancient Shinto myth combined with the story of today's struggle to save our old-growth forests and stop the sprawl. Tying together themes being addressed by a broad world movement chrystalising around such organizations as Smart Growth and Congress for a New Urbanism, The Tree attempts to sing about the unthinkable - is there life without cars?
The reading will be accompanied by music by Linda Dowdell and a video by Jon 9. Reception will follow, and there is a suggested donation of $10.

Rock Rose Gallery
Rock Rose Gallery in Northeast Los Angeles will celebrate Women's History Month with a world premiere art exhibit by Rosie Hamlin (of Rosie and the Originals, singer/songwriter of 60's hit "Angel Baby". Rosie is now persuing her second love, oil painting.
March 12, 7pm is a Tribute to Rosie and a benefit for Rock Rose kids art programs.
Sunday, March 13, 2-5 pm. Is Rosie's Community Opening Exhibiting through April 3rd, 2005
Friday, March 11, 8 pm HERMANAS MARTINEZ, Alicia, Kathy and Leticia will perform Canciones Tradicionales, Mexican Folksongs courtesy of Art In the Park.$5
Friday, March 18, 8 p.m. PJ LOVE, Australian born singer/songwriter performs rock, punk and country. $5
Saturday, March 19, 8 Pp.m. YVONNE REGALADO MARTIN. An Evening of Arias and other Classical Favorites. A terrific legitimate soprano. $5
Sunday, March 20, 3 p.m. THE SUN HAS HOT LIPS poetry by senior Virginia Vargas Williams, shares the joys of nature, friendship, love and other touchy subjects. Great mother-daughter day! Free
Friday, March 25th, 8 p.m, LIFE THROUGH MY EYES, for those interested in what the next generation has to say, features Northeast L.A. youth, ages 12-20, performing original works about life in today's world, hosted by poet, Lisa Marie Sandoval. Free
Saturday, March 26, 8 pm BLUES NIGHT! with drummer Kim Diaz and guitarist Roseann Alderete. Fantastic women instrumentalists, contributors to the history of music in general and blues in particular. Listen for yourself. $5
Monday, March 28, 7:30 p.m. Monday Film Screenings/Meet the Actorsseries begins with Feature Film LUMINARIAS(directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela) features: Evelina Fernandez, Marta DuBois, Angela Moya, Seidy Lopez, Lupe Ontiveros, Liz Torres, Robert Beltran, Sal Lopez, Cheech Marin, and Mike Gomez. written by Evelina Fernandez. Vibrant sets and costumes design of Patssi Valdez Adm $5
Wednesday, March 30, 8:30 p.m. Our Open Mic/Stray Dog Cafe features POET LISA MARIE SANDOVAL author of "The Yowling & Other Sounds from Highland Park" brings to life the immigrant experience, welfare mothers, homelessness, gangs, and families with poverty-stricken dreams in a Northeast Los Angeles neighborhood. Performance style: dance, drama and storytelling in an all-English or bilingual format. Free Thursday, March 31, 7 pm Book signing with writer SELMA HOLO, author of OAXACA AT THE CROSSROADS,
Managing Memory, Negotiating Change.
"A tribute to an extraordinary Mexican State and its capital city where culture sits firmly ensconced at the heart of identity." Selma is director the University of California's graduate museum studies program and director of the Fisher Gallery.
DRUM CIRCLE - every Sunday, 1:30 p.m.
JAZZ WORKSHOP - every Sunday, 3 p.m.
MUSICIANS JAM SESSIONS first Saturday, 8 p.m. with Nothing to Lose
Narcotics Anonymous every Wednesday, 6-8 p.m.
For more details go to:www.rockrosegallery.com.
Rock Rose Gallery & Arroyo Books in Historic Highland Park at 4108 N. Figueroa Street, Highland Park, CA 90065. All events require a reservation, please call (323) 222-4740 or email: rockrosegallery@sbcglobal.net

Route 66 Art Auction

On Saturday, March 12th, at 7:00 pm, the Third Annual Route 66 Art Auction, a benefit for the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, is the public’s opportunity to buy affordable art while people watching, enjoying eclectic music and gourmet food, and viewing art from some of the best contemporary artists in Los Angeles and beyond.
Festivities will be held at the center, an historic Carnegie Library, at 2225 Colorado Blvd., the former Route 66 Highway, in Los Angeles. Admission is $15.
More than 150 artists have contributed works to the benefit, which will support the center1s innovative and multicultural programming. A members preview and the famous multicolored martini bar begin at 6pm, and the public is invited to purchase memberships that evening. General admission begins at 7 pm with bidding on silent auction items. The live auction begins at 9:30 pm, and this year features works by Alice Fellows, Caio Fonseca, Salomon Huerta, Martin Kersels and Jim Shaw.
Among the artworks being contributed are paintings by Mika Cho, Roberto Gil de Montes, Patricia Gonzalez, Julie McManus, Miguel Angel Reyes, Liz Young and Alexandra Wiesenfeld. Prints, drawings, and photographs have been donated by such artists as Bill Beccio, Benjamin Weissman, Christopher Wilder and Michael Woodcock. The work of David Bunn, Ellen Cline, David Hatcher, Michael McCall, Tom Recchio, Wayne Shimabukuro, and many more will also be in the silent auction.
Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, presents innovative and multicultural arts programming to the communities of northeast Los Angeles, including classes, performances, festivals and outdoor public art. The center produces the annual Eagle Rock Music Festival, now in
its eighth year.
For more information on Center for the Arts or The Third Annual Route 66 Art Auction, call (323) 226-1617 or visit the center's website at www.centerartseaglerock.org. The Center is located near the corner of Eagle Rock and Colorado boulevards.

click on ads to enlarge

Doggie Park Debated-
Arroyo Seco or Hermon?
HHPNC Board Listens an Hour - Wouldn’t Vote
What's in a name?
That which we call
Hermon Dog Park...
By any other name
would smell as sweet.

by Tom Topping
On February 17, 2005, the Highland Park Neighborhood Council, after spending over an hour discussing the issue of what to name a new dog park, fell victim to an abuse of parliamentary procedure and was prevented from revisiting their previous vote advising the naming of a nearby proposed dog comfort area to "Arroyo Seco Dog Park."
After President Manny Hernandez and many other members of the Highland Park council had spoken in favor of the wishes of both the Hermon community, and the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council (in whose area the proposed dog park is located) it appeared likely that by calling a vote, the name recommendation would be at least withdrawn, if not reversed altogether.
Representatives of the Hermon community, and both Presidents of the Arroyo Seco and El Sereno Neighborhood Councils were all there asking
the Highland Park group to reverse their previous recommendation and side with them to vouch for the name "Hermon Dog Park."
After allowing an hour of public testimony and discussion, HHPNC members Dr. Stan Moore and Dr. Richard Dyke both forbade the council from voting on an issue that was voted on previously citing the council's bylaws and Robert's Rules of order. Secretary Robert Mendel, the sole voice of reason, said, "Shutting it (the vote) down on a technicality is horse sh_t," and, "maybe we were BAMBOOZLED," referring to the presentation they voted on four months ago that, in hindsight, was obviously one sided.
Although it may seem like a relatively simple thing to decide what name to use for a dog park, especially since it is much more difficult to actually create such a facility than to name it, people have made extraordinary efforts, and spent considerable amounts of time doing just that.
There is no dog park in Northeast L.A. Dog owners are prohibited by law from letting their dogs run off leash in city parks. The closest area where they can is the Silverlake dogpark. A few years ago, one Eagle Rock woman started trying to create one close by. Ursula Brown, working through a relatively new group, the Eagle Rock Beautification Collaborative, began a process with then councilman Nick Pacheco's office, to bring one to Eagle Rock.
They found a spot at Eagle Rock Park, right next to the freeway and North Figueroa Street, that they thought would work wonderfully.
Unfortunately, (for local dog owners) the group of citizens who made up the park advisory board poo-pooed the idea and the search for another location began.
In the meantime, a group of local activists in the community of Hermon, (located off Ave. 60, Monterey Rd. and Via Marisol) were working to get their community recognized. They successfully got the name of the Arroyo Seco Park in their area changed to "Hermon Park in the Arroyo Seco." They got a sign, long misspelled, at their local freeway exit replaced with the corrected name HermOn not HermAn. They also got a new artistic monument sign placed in the center median on Monterey Rd. that also identifies the Hermon community.
When they heard of the new dog park they jumped in to help. Wanting more recognition for their community, they assumed that naturally, it would be named the Hermon Dog Park to match the park, and the community, in which the doggy domain was being located.
Apparently, as councilman Pacheco's office worked on the dog park project, it was referred to as the Arroyo Seco Dog Park. Then, possibly after his office helped Hermon change the name of the entire park to Hermon Park, it was then called the Hermon Dog Park. After Nick Pacheco lost his council seat to Antonio Villaraigosa, all the paperwork and documentation of projects in progress was transferred over to the incoming councilman's staff (a great credit to the character of Mr. Pacheco I might add) and included the dog park project with the Hermon name attached.
It's now almost two years later, and the planning of the park is still progressing.
Enter Irene Ponce.
She is an animal lover and regular dog park visitor. She says she has been a volunteer for L.A. Animal Services for ten years. A native of Los Angeles, she had been living on the west-side of L.A., and regularly visited dog parks in
that area when she was living there. She said after considering a dog-park close property in Sierra Madre, she bought a property in the community of El Sereno and has been living there for the last three years. She recognized the lack of a dog park in the northeast area and disputes the claim that Eagle Rock started the effort to create one; in fact, claims that it was her that first took the idea to Councilman Pacheco's office (Former Pacheco Eagle Rock Field Deputy Linda Herbert in a later interview disputed that claim, and agrees it was Ms. Ursula Brown who started the effort).
She decided that it is worth her time, money and effort to lobby all the adjacent Neighborhood Councils to recommend keeping the name Arroyo Seco Dog Park, and a few months ago did just that. She went to Eagle Rock, El Sereno, Highland Park, Boyle Heights and Cypress Park, telling her side of the issue and persuading them, with some success, to recommend the Councilman's office use the name she prefers, the Arroyo Seco Dog Park.
Why did she do that? In a telephone interview, Ms. Ponce said that no one would know where "Hermon" Dog Park was. Naming it Arroyo Seco was much more identifiable. It would be more inclusive of other dog owners in the area to name it Arroyo Seco. She was assuming if it were named Hermon, only Hermon folks would feel comfortable going there. She mentioned twice that she wanted to "...show West Side people." She was very concerned about how the "West Side" (her friends and former neighbors) perceived Northeast L.A. She may have wanted to show them how Northeast L.A. had risen up to their standards of animal appreciation or something like that. Some observers noted that she's probably, just another "West Sider" who moves here because she likes it, and immediately tries to take over everything, including the folks who have been here for 50 years, who obviously need her help because the poor slobs just don't know any better.
At the meeting, there were six people who spoke in favor of going with the Hermon name. But one of those, LA 32 Council (El Sereno) President Richard Acosta said the issue "...did not go before our council..." as Ms. Ponce claimed, and said, "...I believe we are infringing on (the Hermon community's and Arroyo Seco Council's) rights..." It does seem that the wishes of the community and Neighborhood Council in which a project resides should have the most say about what happens within their boundaries.
All in all, Robert Mendell summed it up well when he said, "It's wonderful when a community comes together, even in acrimony!" Not so clear, was whether treasurer Heinrich Keiffer meant to be sarcastic or simply state how things should be when he said, "This is government at its best." With that, the meeting slowly emerged from a feeling of tension and disarray and gradually returned to its usual bureaucratic boredom. Both sides in the issue took their doggy debate outside, and continued argueing for at least an hour, despite a steady drizzle.

TROMPERLAND

by Richard Miazga
Hello again everyone! Welcome to our monthly update on the latest happenings of the Trompers Hot Rod club of Eagle Rock. Get your calendars ready, for we have a number of upcoming events that you should take note of. First though, as I write this, we have finally gotten a break from all the wet weather. Time to dry out the hotrod, check it out, and get ready to hit the road again. Did any of you get out to Pomona for the NHRA Winternationals? With the overcast, high humidity weather we had, it made for perfect drag racing conditions! A new national speed record of 334.34 MPH was recorded in Top Fuel Dragster class! Next time the light turns green and you move across the intersection, keep in mind that it probably took you about 5 seconds. A Top Fuel Dragster out at Pomona took 4.48 seconds, traveling at 334 MPH to go 1320 feet, a full quarter mile! Impressive? If you have never been to a drag race, mark your calendar for any Thursday night. Irwindale, just off the 605 Freeway has a 1/8 mile drag strip. It has been drawing huge crowds, and entertains everyone with very impressive runs by a large assortment of racecars. Also, make plans right now to attend the Hot Rod swap meet at Jim' Burgers on Saturday March 12th.
Great assortment of old car parts and related items, and some old cars too! Starts at 7 a.m. and runs till 1 p.m. If you have some old car parts, a sell space is just $5. It' a lot of fun hanging out with car folks, all day long! Jim' is located at 2005 Colorado Blvd. downtown Eagle Rock! As for the Trompers, we' eyeing March 20th., in Glendale, at the Verdugo park. The Kiwanis Club is hosting it' 12th annual Car Show. Last year, we had two Trompers come away with trophies. This year we' looking for more! Show starts at 10 a.m. and runs till 3. They' have over 300 great looking cars there, so bring a camera, look for the Tromper display, and let the fun begin! Speaking of pictures, we took some pictures of our Trompers recently that we' like to share with you. Ron Carr is the owner of this fully restored 1929 Ford Runabout. Ron did a great job on this restoration with the emphasis on perfect! A new member of the Trompers, Bob Bammes owns this super sharp 1933 Ford coupe. Powered by a chevy engine, it' picture perfect inside and out. Welcome to the Trompers Bob! Our last Tromper on display this month is Raulie Castillo with his powerful 4 cylinder 1930 Ford coupe. Raulie' coupe has won numerous awards for drag racing and hill climbing. Raulie' engineering skills really show, as this coupe is fast! Next month, we' have pictures of our winners from the Kiwanis show, I hope we' have enough room! OK, get that calendar ready! The Trompers are celebrating our 60th. Anniversary this year! We have decided to make October 14,15, and 16th. our Anniversary celebration weekend! So, mark that weekend for we intend to let everyone in on the fun. We' update you on our plans as we move closer. Also, to mark this great milestone, the Trompers are putting together a pictorial biography about the history and legacy of our club from 1945 to the present. Distribution is scheduled for around the first of September. This will tell the complete story about the "" Trompers from the 1940' and, we' showcase the present Trompers too! You will have the whole story with over 200 pictures about one of the greatest hot rod clubs.. Ever! We' let you know when it' ready! With Spring arriving on the 20th, warmer days and nights, and daylight getting longer, the hot rod scene will speed up a lot in the coming months, with more shows, cruise ins, and other car related events. I can' wait, and, we' keep you posted right here every month. Every Monday morning you are invited to join the Trompers at Jim' Burgers, 2005 Colorado Blvd. starting at 9 a.m. for our weekly get-together. We always have lots of hot rods on display, with lots of auto related conversation going on. Our clubhouse, (Jim' Burger' has a nice assortment of Tromper pictures on display, highlighting the "' Trompers and the present members too. We have kind of a photo gallery there to entertain you, so stop in at Jim' and take a look.. Well, that' about it for now, so we' say so long to everyone, and as always because it' so easy when you are a Tromper, Let The Fun Begin!

Girls Basketball- Eagles vs Belmont

Air Time - The Eagles played Belmont on February 9 at their last home game of the season. Here, Pricilla Payan (#33) goes for a shot as a Belmont player defends.

by Kevin Lewis
On Wednesday February 9, around 2:30 in the afternoon two very skilled junior varsity girl basketball teams played at Eagle Rock High School. It was the last home game for the Eagles so they wanted to make it memorable against Belmont High. The game was close throughout the first three quarters. Great talent from the Eagles, mainly from Pricilla Payan (#33) and Lisa Fukuzato(#21), helped put the Eagles in the lead.
With three minutes left in the game the score was 39-12, Eagles favor. The team was very organized with skilled passing and shooting. Sofia Tauitian (#44) getting most of the rebounds, consistently passed to teammates to keep their teams' score up. This was a major factor in winning this game. With this being the last home game put the Eagles in second place with Belmont in third.
Talking to some of the team members after the game, some players expressed that they could have done better. Sofia Tauitian felt, "it was a very physical game," possibly because at the end of the fourth quarter Hillary Tacadena endured, what seemed to be, a serious injury resulting in the paramedics rushing to her. Even though she ended up OK the other players were upset at the roughness of the other team.
Coach Lew said, "The Eagles thoroughly dominated Belmont High school," with the final score of Eagles-45 and Belmont-16. Because the Eagles lost three games in the season they do not qualify to be in the playoffs.
For the seniors who would be playing their last varsity basketball game at Eagle Rock High School, a small ceremony was held before the game. Coach Redford gave them a warm thank you for their best efforts during the season.
Belmont played a hard game in the first quarter to show the Eagles that they are going to be a tough team to beat. The captain of the team Natile Kolodinski, was proving to be a strong factor to win this game. She took the ball and gave the game her all to try and beat Belmont.
The Eagles were struggling to keep even with Belmont scoring back and forth. Belmont's best player, number 33 is a "monster" compared to the Eagles. She not only matches their speed, but even does better. At halftime the score was, Belmont 25, Eagles 17.
Coach Redford took the players into the locker room to have a "little" pep talk and try to boost the spirits of the team. During halftime the coach expressed her thoughts to me stating, "Each team we have played were extremely difficult and I expect to see each and every one of them involved in the playoffs." With a difficult season behind the Eagles, with only three wins and eight losses, it must have been hard for them. "I hope to see a better year next season, but it has been a good year," the coach said lastly. I sure hope to see a better year myself.
With the game almost over the other team captain, Kurra Frazier/Curtis just keeps on going, making the score as high as she can. It is too bad for the Eagles with a final score of Belmont 50, and Eagles 30. It was a good season for the Eagles and there is still next year where hopefully the Eagles will show their real pride.

Eagle Vista Seniors'
The Eagle Vista Seniors' Calendar begins March 1st with the 9:00 a.m. board meeting and the 10:00 a.m. business meeting. They will progress to reliving their fun trip to Branson, with the assistance of Doris Shoop's generous sharing of the tape she made.
On Tues., March 8 Alan Miller will speak about another distant place- Holland (the country, not the town in Michigan!)
March 15 (Tues.) a slightly early celebration of St. Patrick's Day, will be held with a luncheon catered by East Side Market. Cost for members is $8.00, non members $9.00. The World-Famous-Magician Johnny Ace Palmer (grand son-in-law of Earl Major) will entertain the crowd. Birthday cake will honor members born in March.
March 19 (Sat.) brings the promised trip to see the Pageant of Our Lord at Rolling Hills Covenant Church. Lunch is included (before the show) at the Home Town Buffet. The bus will leave at 10:00 a.m. returning home at 5:00 p.m.
March 22 (Tues.) B.I.N.G.O. Art Gibson will call.
March 29 (Tues.) Another festive occasion: The Tea Party and Easter Hat Parade. (Prizes for the best chapeaux) Bring a special tea cup. A tea pot for each table will be needed. (Donations are needed for the tea sandwiches- please, sign up with Anne Au) Your support and generosity are greatly appreciated.
All meetings are still temporarily held at Ramona Hall in Highland Park. Bus pick ups are usually from Eagle Vista Park, unless otherwise noted.

Rummage Sale at Oxy Pres. Church
April 1 and 2
The Women's Association of Occidental United Presbyterian Church at the corner of Eagle Rock and York Boulevards has been holding for 40 years a Christmas boutique in the Fall, and a rummage sale in the Spring. Every penny raised goes to local, national and international charities.
This year's RUMMAGE SALE is on FRIDAY, April 1, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., and SATURDAY, APRIL 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Saturday the women will be offering LUNCH for sale, with a variety of homemade soups and a piece of pie from 11 a.m. to about 1:30 p.m. IF YOU BRING THIS ARTICLE, THE AD IN THE MARCH BOULEVARD SENTINEL, YOU GET $1 OFF ONE ITEM OF RUMMAGE.
Local groups supported this past year included Glendale's YWCA Abuse Program, Children of the Night, a Shelter for Battered Women and Children, and in Pasadena for Elizabeth House on Villa, a home for young pregnant women. National charities included the American Bible Society, Samaritan's Purse, and America's Second Harvest (which distributes food to the poor nationally and internationally), and last year money went to the Presbyterian Churches of Iraq.
Between the boutique in the Fall and the April rummage sales annually about $3500 is raised for many good causes.

SVREP
The Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project has launched seven community based SVREP projects in Northeast Los Angeles to increase voter registration for the May 17th Mayoralty elections. Eagle Rock is one of those projects. Throughout the City, SVREP's goal is to register 30,000 new voters before the May 2nd registration deadline.
Since September, 2004, 7,500 new registrations have been gathered. Our goal in Eagle Rock is to register 1,000 new voters before the deadline.
SVREP is a national non-proft nonpartisan organization committed to the political empowerment of Latino communities through voter registration, voter education and voter participation.
To accomplish our goal, we are contacting local schools and churches to register students and their families. We are also doing on-site registrations. For info or to volunteer, contact Michael Lee, at (323) 258-7258.

February 17, 2005 - Highland Park , CA
BLOCKED - Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council members Dr. Stan Moore and Mauro Garcia (left); First Vice President Daniel Andalon (center) and Second Vice President Dr. Richard Dyke (right), after listening to both sides, would not let the Council Vote.

Miss Mindy's Music Review
by Mindy Jones
Let me start off by saying that I pride myself in the enjoyment of a wide spectrum of different musical genres, but sadly, I absolutely CANNOT bring myself to Country. What can I say, I just don't like it. Too whiney for me.
Having admittedly said this, you should understand why I had never before seen or even heard of a pedal steel guitar. If you haven't seen one of these insane musical contraptions, I can only describe it as what looks like the neck of a guitar (only a little wider), laid horizontally and hooked up to an array of complex foot pedals and knee levers. Playing this unusual instrument requires lots of skill, the use of both hands, both feet and both knees. Talk about cardiovascular!
From what I've read about the pedal steel guitar, the instrument has pretty much been confined to the purgatory of Country and Western music. Which seems unfair since it could absolutely be put to use in a variety of different musical acts and styles. The pedal steel guitar has this eerie, wavering tone that reminds me of a Theremin (an old electric instrument that uses two antennas to control the pitch and volume without the use of physical touch). How very Ed Wood! Now lets change paces, shall we?
When I was a young girl, I can remember watching West Side Story with utter amazement and wanting to be "Pretty" like Natalie Wood. All of the beautifully orchestrated music seemed to flow out of the speakers and seep right into me. It's now been more than ten years since I've seen the movie but the music will always be a part of me and a part of American culture.
West Side Story was composed by the late, great Leonard Bernstein in 1957 (to be performed on Broadway) and was later made into a film (in 1961). It has been described as not only his greatest work but is also regarded as one of the masterpieces of the 20th century.
Now, I know that you're all thinking, "What does the pedal steel guitar and West Side Story have to do with each other?" Well, a month or two ago I received a CD for review from a local reader/musician from Glassell Park, named Michael Perlowin and what he has done is nothing short of mind blowing!
Michael Perlowin has spent the last few years painstakingly transcribing the ENTIRE score of West Side Story to be played on pedal steel guitar. Michael also incorporates a small menagerie of stringed instruments such as the Hawaiian (non-pedal) steel guitar, electric six and twelve string guitars, acoustic steel and nylon string guitars, fretted and fretless electric basses, five and six string banjos, mandolin and autoharp. Perlowin's CD also showcases the talents of Dave Beyer on drums, Chris Stevens on xylophone/percussion, Bill Watkins on percussion, Jimmy Horowitz on piano and Leslie Baker on bowed bass. You really have to hear it to believe it.
The CD includes all the favorites from the show ("Maria", "I Feel Pretty," "America," etc.), as well as Bernstein's symphonic dances. All of these songs being recognizable, yet just a little out of the ordinary.
There are no vocals on this CD, only instrumentals, but singing along to the music is half the fun. This isn't your normal rehashed rendition of West Side Story. No matter how much you love the score or how many times you've seen the show, you've never heard it played quite like this.
Michael Perlowin definitely has a dream (and is quite possibly living that dream now). He has adopted the pedal steel guitar and is hell bent on delivering it from the mire of the Country Western scene. After listening to this album, I found myself wondering why an instrument should be exiled to a certain genre or barred from other genres? A question that Michael Perlowin found himself pondering, years and years ago. He then set out to break the mold surrounding the use of the pedal steel guitar. Bravo!
Michael Perlowin's West Side Story CD is available for purchase on his web site (www.mikeperlowin.com) , as well as his other critically acclaimed CD, "Firebird Suite" (which features works by Stravinsky, Debussy, Bartok, Shostakovich and others, all played on the pedal steel guitar). Michael Perlowin has also written a book entitled "Music Theory In The Real World, A Practical Guide For Today's Musicians" that is also available on his web site.
Give Michael Perlowin and his amazing pedal steel guitar a try, he may just win you over!

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