Community Demands ERHS Principal be Removed

District 4 Leaders
& Board Member Flores say Community MUST Support Velasco
by Tom Topping
Velasco has done it again. Emboldened by the support he's received from sub-district 4 Superintendent Alonzo and District Superintendent David Brewer, speakers at the ERNC meeting on April 1st report he went on a witch hunt last month, sending administrators class to class to have the teachers point out the student protesters who were then removed from their classes. People who attended the latest Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council meeting spoke out publicly and reported that at least 20 students were suspended and at least two others were given citations by school police costing them about $200 each plus requiring community service.

Despite promises on March 7 from Sub-district 4 representative Dr. Rosa Hernandez that district policy prohibited any retribution or retaliation against students, parents or teachers who spoke out, Eagle Rock High School Principal Salvador Velasco stretched the envelope of retribution to the breaking point. He even showed up at one of the more outspoken parent's child custody hearings to testify against her in court, direct retaliation for the problems she had caused him.
What? Did you get that? Principal Velasco struck back against a parent who criticized him by showing up to testify against her in her child custody proceedings.
Although a carefully worded letter from Velasco went out to the community stressing that it was time, "for our students, staff and parents to put this issue behind us," it was clear that it would take much more than a letter from the Principal to do that.
On March 14th, there was yet another walkout by students, who were followed by over a dozen School District Police, 6 of them Motorcycle Officers, and district 4 personnel. I questioned one of them, asking how Eagle Rock parents and community members see they had any real access to the sub-district 4 that is located many miles away at Wilshire and Crenshaw. The man assured me that any contact from the people would be addressed.
I said, "They would have a hard time trusting that considering you did not even send a representative to the February 16 meeting that you were repeatedly asked to attend."
He said they did have a representative there. I pressed to find out who (no one spoke up when asked if a representative from the sub-district 4 was there) He said, "Mr. Velasco was there."
At the April 1 meeting of the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council, about fifty were in attendance to discuss the ongoing situation at Eagle Rock High School, and putting the issue behind them was the last thing on their minds.
The items listed on the agenda that night were "Eagle Rock High School Football Coach Update" and "Stakeholders' Request for Removal of Salvador Velasco as ERHS Principle."
The update was that none of the previous coaches would coach again, and that a new coach had been hired. He was identified as Johnny Lopez. Steve Early, ERNC president elect, and Eagle Rock High School Teacher informed that Mr. Lopez was not a teacher, had no teaching credential and could not hold a class. He went on to report that Lopez's coaching record, "was extensively looked at and it is, to be extremely polite, wanting. He has never been a successful head coach, and in the few instances he has been coaching at all, his record is abysmal."
An ERHS football player said that the new coach would not attend the customary 6th period football practice because he was still working at his other job at that time. He also expressed dissatisfaction at Lopez's style of coaching, or lack thereof. He was unmoved and unmotivated by the new coach.
Outgoing President Brian Heckmann reported on his trip he made downtown to speak in front of the school board. He said that board members neither responded not reacted to his 2 minute speech, and looked like they were ignoring it completely.
Rachel Morton, a Marshall High Teacher who lives in Eagle Rock expressed a lot of disappointment with what she had been hearing about Eagle Rock High. She said, "We are educators and we teach kids every single day to stand up for what they believe in and do what's right, and when (Principle Velasco retaliates against them for doing that) he has shut that down completely and he is public enemy number 1."
Boardmember Cheryl Weaver expressed concerns that community protests directed toward the High School Principle would make the community look bad. (She seemed to be worried about how it could affect home values) She talked about how her real estate clients' eyes lit up when hearing that Eagle Rock High made the top 500 list of top schools in the nation.
Rocco Miceli of the United Teachers Association responded that when you get rid of a bad Principle it does the opposite, it makes the community look good.
He then shined a ray of hope when he spoke about what could be done.
He said, "I think you should know that this would not be the first time a principle has been removed from Eagle Rock High School. There was an incident involving Gloria Sierra, she was run off from here by her misdeeds. There was a demonstration by the people in this community, (who) protested, saying she had to go and she did leave. And then you had Chris Zardenetta, I don't know what happened there, but I know she got demoted." He later mentioned a few different ways to get rid of a bad Principle, and after the meeting was surrounded by local education activists who wanted to know more.

At a crowded April 1 Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council Meeting, the community uproar caused by Principle Velasco is increasing. Here, UTLA director Rocco Miceli supports Coach MacKay and Coach Chou.

A motion by the Neighborhood Council to remove Velasco as Principle was supportive, but hollow, as the Neighborhood Councils are instituted to give the community a voice in L.A. City government, but have no direct connection to the governance of LAUSD. They passed a motion to remove Velasco, but resisted suggestions that they give support to local education activists to help them campaign for his removal.
Principle Velasco and Board member Yolie Flores Aguilar sent letters out to community members. The letters were cleverly crafted but full of misinformation, inappropriateness and out right propaganda.
The Velasco letter started by misstating the entire issue, ignoring the fact that the controversy is over his mismanagement of the School, and instead blaming it on personnel. He writes about his priority for academic achievement, completely ignoring how his actions have worked against that. He says he's grateful for the parent and community involvement, but mentions nothing about how he has retaliated against those who have gotten involved.
He asks the community for support, but leaves out what they'd be supporting- is his bad behavior. He misstates the reasons for the protests, and tries to justify breaking his promise to participate in mediation by quoting union rules. He ends up by quoting school successes that he has had nothing to do with and leaves out how his interference in the athletic department has dismantled many of the reasons that created those success in the first place.
Even Boardmember Yolie Flores Aguilar's letter identifies the problems as being the protesters who are standing up for what they believe in and ignores the inaptitude of Principle Velasco that caused all the problems in the first place.

Protectors or intimidators? The Eagle Rock High student walkout in March ended up at Councilman Huizar’s Office. There, the LAUSD motor officers had showed up in force. (Even Eagle Rock Senior Lead Officer Lenny Davis did not know LAUSD had motor officers)

Her letter misstates the reasons for the protests. She does admit that the administrators have not handled it well, but then accuses community members of bad behavior who dare to stand up against that injustice. She asks parents and community members to recommit to "modeling appropriate behavior" apparently articulating that those bad behaviors consist of standing up for what's right. She concludes by saying that Velasco will tell the community what conclusion "we all must accept," ignoring the fact that LAUSD works for the community, not the other way around, and they are here to do what the community wants, they are not here to dictate to the community what it "must" to accept.
All in all, the efforts to put an end to this controversy has done nothing but fan the flames of it. The community's call to remove Velasco and reinstate the coaches is getting louder and attracting more voices each month. A separate process to begin converting Eagle Rock High into a Charter School is just in the beginning stages which would put the school under local control. The Eagle Rock Alumni Association has decided to not take sides, not believing or realizing that there's a serious problem there, or who is to blame for it.

Highland Park’s Haunted Church

By Christopher Nyerges
Is there a haunted church in our community?
Numerous credible people have reported that the old brick Presbyterian church on N. Figueroa is haunted. Oscar Enriquez, who works for the North Figueroa Association, and who has an office in the church, reports that he has heard strange noises in the church at least twice a month for the last five years.
"The first time I heard walking sounds right outside my door. I was in the basement office all by myself around 5 a.m., and there was no chance that someone else was in there," reports Enriquez.
One time when in the office, Enriquez was doing paperwork and there were three loud knocks on the door. He quickly opened the door and no one was there. "That put me out a bit," he says. He closed the door, and there were three knocks right again. He immediately opened the door, and there was no one present. "There is no way that someone can knock and then immediately disappear," says Enriquez.
Enriquez and various volunteers and security personnel have been in the church when they knew it was empty, and have heard walking on the stairs, and the laughter of a young girl. Searching the building revealed no one else present.
Enriquez and others have ruled out echoes, sounds from Figueroa, and creaking walls as causing any of the sounds.
One particular area of interest is a stairway that leads up from the basement to the chapel. "That area has given me the creeps," said Enriquez. "I get goosebumps there."
Another individual, who chose not to be named, has reported that the church is haunted and that he has actually seen a little girl on the stairway, all dressed in white.
When the school was in the basement, school children have reported hearing a young girl's laughter in the bathroom when there was no one in the bathroom.
Enriquez reports that doors have suddenly slammed when there was no possibility of a breeze or wind causing the action. He also reports that certain parts of the church are always extremely cold, despite the fact that there is heating in the church. The cold areas seem to correspond to the haunted areas.
"Last week, an old man passing by told me that he had seen the ghost of a preacher in the church all dressed in black, back when he used to go to church there," reports Enriquez.
According to local historian, Charles Fisher, "The Highland Park Presbyterian Church, as it was originally named, was founded in the 1890s about the time Occidental College (originally a Presbyterian school) first came to Highland Park in 1897. The congregation built its first permanent sanctuary in 1903 on the present site. It was a Mission Revival structure designed by the architect, Thornton Fitzhugh. I have a photo of that building in my book. It was replaced by the present building in 1923, which was designed by Architect, George Lindsey.
"The Gothic Revival structure is a reinforced concrete structure with brick facing. Up until a few years ago, it contained an incredible pipe organ, but many of the pipes were sold to the First Congregational Church at 6th and Commonwealth, which was building one of the largest church organs in the United States. There are many Churches in Highland Park, but Faith United along with St Ignacious Catholic Church are the only ones with large Gothic sanctuaries.
"The name "Faith United" was the result of the merger of the congregations of Highland Park and Mt. Washington Presbyterian Churches in the 1970s. The Faith United Presbyterian Church building was nominated as a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument in 1989. The church became a contributor for the Highland Park Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, which was established in 1994," reports Fisher.
In order to seek some corroboration of a ghostly presence, I asked Fisher if he ever heard of a young girl dying or getting killed there, but he had no knowledge of any such occurrence. According to some reports, a monk used to live in the 3rd upper floor of the church in the little room there.
Enriquez explains that he believes in the existence of ghosts – the remaining spirit of a deceased person – due to a few experiences of his youth. "When you die, you don't really die, but you go somewhere else. Just your body is gone," says Enriquez.
Though several people who I interviewed told me of various "ghostly presences" in this church, only Oscar Enriquez was willing to have his name used. I would appreciate hearing other reports from anyone with a story to share. Write to me c/o Boulevard Sentinel.

Dear Chief Bratton:
We are writing to you on behalf of residents of the community of Highland Park to express our collective concern about the reported increase in homicides during the first two months of this year in Los Angeles, particularly in our northeastern portion of the City.
We commend your efforts in significantly reducing homicides and crime in general in Los Angeles over the last five years, and acknowledge your successes last year in cutting homicides to their lowest rates since 1970. However, we are also very concerned about the recent surge in crime and the need to do more to prevent, deter, apprehend and punish violent criminals – many of whom are gang members - in our neighborhood. We are particularly displeased by fairly consistent accounts from community members whose concerns have been dismissed when they have phoned the Los Angeles Police Department's (LAPD's) Northeast Division. Since Los Angeles has fewer police officers per capita compared to other large cities such as Chicago, it would seem beneficial respond to vigilant citizens.
If it is your position that homicides and overall crime can be reduced by hiring and deployment of more police, and are not the consequence of other factors, such as the economy, we must reemphasize our concern about why our participation in assisting the LAPD with identifying problem areas or individuals residing in the neighborhood is being treated with such little value. Shouldn't this be welcomed and appreciated, as it reduces policing required to identify criminals before they can strike?
We understand that several hundred new LAPD officers will be coming into the force in the coming months to help with crime-fighting efforts. How will you determine how these officers are apportioned throughout the city? We understand that priorities will need to be established, and submit to you that Highland Park is an area in greatest need of your attention.
As leaders who represent the voice of community members, we can not and will not be silent. Please instruct us as to what we can tell worried neighbors when they approach us with their concerns. Should we continue to refer them to call LAPD when their concerns have been dismissed due to a shortage of police officers or for other reasons?
The Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council greatly appreciates your time and attention in this matter. It is one of our overriding goals that our community should be a safer place to live. We look forward to your reply on what can be done to stem the rising tide of homicides, gang activity, and other crimes in our area. If you have questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at (323) 256-3157.
Sincerely,
Dr. Richard Dyke, President on behalf of
The Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council

Hi Tom,
I live now in Glassell Park and have for the last three years. Glassell Park still remains a largely undiscovered community, thanks in part to the Avenues. The shoot-out with the Drew Street Assassins proved that the Avenues is a very dangerous gang and this incident and many others involving the gang needs front and center attention and addressing. My neighbors are good, hard-working family people. We all deserve better, but the community sentiment of abandonment by the police is incorrect. The police department has been trying to whittle away at the gang in various ways for years. How do I know? I have regular communications with the department. Being grossly outmanned and out-gunned is why SWAT was called in. (the Ave's number in the 500 while our Northeast Department which is responsible for over 250 square miles of patrol only has 150 officers when fully staffed)
Let me tell you what the gang has done to Glassell Park: the gang makes their money from drug sales, a portion of which goes to the Mexican Mafia in prisons in California and elsewhere. They collect a portion of the sales or "taxes" from drug dealers and gang members in Highland Park, Glassell Park and Cypress Park, and even in Eagle Rock (yeah, all you yuppies go ahead and stay in denial while on your way to Trader Joe's). The "taxes" are then sent to the Mexican Mafia with a cut going to the collectors. No need to get a job, just make sure you shoot anyone who doesn't pay. 90% of
all gang-related shootings in the last 15 years in the Northeast area can be attributed to this set-up.
Homeless drug addicts set up home in various cars and motorhomes throughout the area. I don't have a problem with homeless people, but these people have nothing to do all day (they don't work) and they burglarize homes and cars so that they can buy drugs. Even though the gangs leave the majority of the community untouched, except for tagging (which most people do not understand the meaning of gang tagging) or so it seems, in actuality they are the cause of much of the ancillary crime that takes place. I can even show you a prostitute that works out of a motorhome on Verdugo Road.
So the next time all the football players and cheerleaders complain that one of their precious teachers/coaches is engaged in a tet-a-tet with the useless principal of Eagle Rock High remember that nearby communities are fighting for the right to walk down the street without getting caught in gang cross-fire, not be robbed or stolen from, not see their homes or businesses vandalized, not see public selling of drugs on the street, not see large groups of people gather for the sole purpose of committing crimes. We are engaged in survival and the chance to live in peace and raise our children in peace as well.
Maggie Garson-Ray

Grassroots UGLA Celebrates
25 Years
by Carl Johnson, Publications Chair
Uptown Gay and Lesbian Alliance (UGLA) will be celebrating it's 25th Anniversary on April 12 at the Glendale Hilton, a historic milestone for any organization. UGLA is a California non-profit corporation listed as a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization with the Internal Revenue Service, and originally encompassed the communities of Cypress Park, Eagle Rock, Glassell Park, Highland Park, Montecito Heights, Monterey Hills and Mt. Washington in Northeast Los Angeles.
UGLA began in 1983 as angry neighbors protested police inaction over the killing of a young gay man outside a Highland Park gay bar. Police were called. Witnesses reported that the police questioned whether or not the victim had come out of that "fag bar." The investigation went nowhere. Incensed, realtor Gus DiClairo, owner of Uptown Properties in Highland Park, called a meeting to protest LAPD inaction and attitude. From that meeting, Uptown Gay and Lesbian Alliance was born.
UGLA's mission statement reads in part: "UGLA is a charitable and educational non-profit service organization... primary goals are to provide a support system for lesbians and gay men and education for individuals and the community-at-large on the true nature of homosexuality."
Through its Matching Funds and Community Grants programs, UGLA has donated, in recent years, over $250,000. to other non-profit 501 (c) 3 organizations. It's annual fundraiser "Uptown Cabaret" raised money to supplement proceeds from the Bill Bailey Estate to fuel UGLA's charitable projects. UGLA is a respected and reliable member in area organizations such as the Highland Park and Eagle Rock Chambers of Commerce, the Glassell Park Improvement Association, TERA, the Mt. Washington Association and Homeowner's Alliance, Highland Park Heritage Trust and LAPD Historical Society. UGLA supports libraries at local grammar schools, local public libraries, art collectives, music festivals, community centers, beautification and graffiti removal groups, neighborhood councils, etc. In addition, for 12 years UGLA cleaned and maintained a two-mile northbound section of Interstate 5 as part of Cal-Trans Freeway Cleanup program. UGLA is a true grassroots organization.
For more information on the April 12 25th Anniversary Celebration, contact UGLA at:Â UptownGLA@aol.com or (323) 258-8842 or www.UGLA.org
 

Eagle Rock's Churches at Historical Society Meeting
From the very beginning of Eagle Rock as a farming community, the church has been central to its people. The Christian community has grown from the original Union Church, all that was possible with the tiny population at the time, to the large and diverse Christian community we see today. On Tuesday April 22nd at 7:00 the Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society will explore the history of this growth and diversification in its upcoming public meeting at the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, 2225 Colorado Blvd.. We invite representatives of Eagle Rock's churches to speak of their histories and share photographs and documents about them.
The Society will present a brief history of the early development of Christian worship in our valley and display some of the materials from its large collection of Union and United Church materials. We hope to gain from this a broader understanding of churches in Eagle Rock and balance our collection for our forthcoming book on the history of Eagle Rock.
Organized Christian worship began here when, in 1894, Mrs. P. W. Parker started a Sunday School in her home. By 1896 services were held in the new schoolhouse. The congregation being of all denominations, the church was named Union Church. Rev. Elijah Cash, who lived in Hollywood, became the first pastor. Roads were poor and buggy driving was slow so the time of Mr. Cash's arrival was uncertain. The congregation set up tables for a church dinner, the service started when the minister arrived. Mr. Parker was first Deacon and Sunday School Superintendent. The church was chartered in 1897 as the First Church of Christ, Congregational. By 1898 the congregation had outgrown the school building and plans were made to build a Mission style clapboard church.
With gifts of labor and money, the "Little Brown Church in the Vale" near Castle and Eagle Rock Road (now Caspar and Colorado Blvd.) was built. By 1909 the Congregation had outgrown the little church, and Rev. Alfred Hare and his congregation built the Church of the Good Shepherd, leaving their former building vacant.
Other denominations had begun to hold services. The Rev. J. M. Spangler returned from missionary work in South America, and moved to Eagle Rock, rented a hall and began divine services under the name "Eagle Rock Mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church." Rev. Spangler preached just five Sundays and was stricken with fever and rheumatism and could not continue. Rev. Mr. Todd carried on his work for the next year and a half. The Rev. Homer Scott, a student of Theology at USC carried on the work after Mr. Todd. Rev. Scott rode the Annandale car out Pasadena Avenue (now Figueroa) to Eagle Rock Park (below the Rock) and then walked the rest of the way to the church; the congregation stood watching up the County Road (Colorado Blvd.) as he came down the hill from the East. At conference time, in 1910, the District Superintendent Dr. F.D. Mather reassigned Rev. Scott to another church and Mr. Spangler was again sent to Eagle Rock. He purchased the vacant Congregational Church building for $1,300. It was remodeled in craftsman style for the Methodist Church congregation.
These two groups and, for a time the Presbyterians merged and formed the ancestor of today's Filipino American United Church of Christ.
By the 1920¹s, the population had grown and many other denominations had established themselves, among them the Eagle Rock Baptist Church, St. Dominic Catholic Church, St Barnabas Episcopal Church, Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church, Occidental United Presbyterian Church, Eagle Rock Lutheran Church, the 7th Day Adventist Church, the Eagle Rock Covenant Church, The First Church of Christ Scientist of Eagle Rock and the Christian Assembly (Foursquare) Church. The development and diversification of these and other churches continues today.

Local Museums to Celebrate Arroyo Culture on May 18, 2008
With Free Admission, Exhibits, Events, Crafts and Family Fun
Taking place on May 18, 2008 , MOTA Day features six museums located along the celebrated Arroyo Seco in Los Angeles and Pasadena that open their doors for a free day of music, storytelling, art, crafts and entertainment. With so much to do and see – and only a few hours to do it – visitors are encouraged to best plan their visits.
MOTA Day is from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Special events this year include:
* The Gamble House. In celebration of its centennial this year, the historical landmark will feature mannequins dressed in period clothes representing the Gamble family, friends and staff (courtesy of the Fashion Institute of Design in Los Angeles ). Visitors can enjoy performances by Grammy-awarding® winning musicologist Ian Whitcomb and his Bungalow Boys; children can do crafts in the backyard.
* Heritage Square Museum. Visitors can tour the current exhibition "Fashion on a Plate" which features more than 40 rare fashion images, vintage clothing and accessories form the 1880s through the 1930s. Guests can also observe a Spanish American War encampment, watch traditional woodcarving demonstrations and listen to historical storytellers as well as enjoy music. Children can play with Victorian toys and do crafts. Costumed docents will lead tours of the houses.
* The Los Angeles Police Historical Society Museum . Visitors can tour the facilities, which feature private collections and historical memorabilia dating back to the late 1800s. Kids can climb into a retired police helicopter, try on police gear and get "locked" in a real jail cell where adults can snap their own free police booking photos. Vintage police uniforms will be modeled throughout the museum.
* The Lummis Home and Garden. Tours of the Lummis home and gardens will be available. Local artists will display sculptures in the gardens and musicians and dancers will provide entertainment. Everyone can join in a workshop: "Cyanotypes (Sunprints) for all Ages."
* The Pasadena Museum of History. Guests can tour the museum's current exhibitions "Souvenirs From Mt. Lowe" and "Curators' Choice" as well as watching lace making demonstrations. Young and old can make their own "Souvenir of Pasadena" at the crafts area. Guests can visit the Museum's 100-year-old Fenyes Mansion for up-close encounters with specific art items. Costumes, such as Chinese gowns, will also be on display. The Finnish Folk Art Museum will also be open for visitors.
* The Southwest Museum. Visitors can enjoy Native American performers and storytellers. Guests can also take tours of the botanical gardens as well as director's tours of the construction and current renovation process of the museum. Historical films will be shown in the Braun Research Library.
For more information call the MOTA hotline (213) 740-TOUR (8687) or go to www.museumsofthearroyo.com.

Local Store, Big Ideas
For many, "That Yarn Store" in Eagle Rock is simply a community hang out spot where you can spend an hour or few with friends, learning a new skill, or working on a current project. For those that dig a little bit deeper, there are the Friday night events, throughout-the-week classes and of course, the infamous Sunday Knitting Circle.
But yarn enthusiasts of all stripes can really rejoice at the April line-up at That Yarn Store, which features exciting events throughout the month. Though live music is nothing new to TYS, they've really struck gold with the duet of Dottie Grossman and Michael Vlatkovich. They've been working as "Call and Response" for several years now, with Grossman reading her poetry and improvised trombone responses by Vlatkovich, covering every range of emotions-- and yes, that includes laugh-out-loud funny. But don't take anyone's word for it-- check out their internationally acclaimed CD on pfMentum records or ask anyone who has seen them perform. And rest assured that in spite of the beatnik associations of poetry and music, this is no bongos-and-beret affair. (Saturday, April 12th, 5-7pm, free)
One week later That Yarn Store will be hosting an exhibition of David B. Adams' needle and hook creations. A craftsman of the highest order, Mr. Adams has been using exotic woods to craft some of the finest needles and hooks you've ever seen-- and Saturday, April 19th is the day to see not only the latest creations, but the private stash as well. If you're looking for a totally unique gift for someone or wanting to treat yourself, you have to come! Sets of hooks and needles will be available (and custom orders will be taken), as will individual sizes, but beware: once you've used a David B. Adams, you will likely not want to use anything else!
Lastly, That Yarn Store is now selling loose-leaf tea by the ounce. The tea comes from the Tao of Tea in Portland, OR; those who know their tea know that this is some of the best you can get-- and with prices that range from $2-5 an ounce, you can't beat the price! There is a good selection of tea, and everyone is invited to stop by on Thursdays and Saturdays for free samples.
As always, be sure to check out the website www.thatyarnstore.com for more information, including new classes (Including a new Beginning Crochet class where you can make ipod cases, hats, bracelets and much more), events, and bits of whimsy, or just come into the store, where our motto is: "Family harassment without the family"!

Cruisin’ with Mary

Hello again Eagle Rock! Did you miss me last month? I missed you. More like I missed the February deadline for getting my article in. Whoops! Since the Eagle Rockin' Rodders got rained out the last two cruise-ins there was not that much to report on anyway.
But now I'm back. Half of our club participated in the Glendale Kiwanis Car Show Mar. 16 at Verdugo Park. What started out as a damp, cold, and windy morning ended up being a warm successful day. It was so cold early that despite my sweat pants and heavy jacket I had to bundle up in a blanket to protect myself against the very brisk wind.
President and first lady, Richard and Anita Gonzalez, entered two of their many beautiful cars. Secretary Terrye Munday and husband Kirk brought their almost-finished Nova, and Tom and I brought our Plymouth. Amy Peters brought her El Camino, which was almost finished until a wanna-be mechanic messed up her carburetor. Lucky she knows a 'real' mechanic, Kirk, who
fixed the problem…. Mike Rickman brought his '49 International truck. This was the first car show for members Linda and Louie DeLaRosa who brought their recently acquired '37 Ford.
The club took home two awards again this year. Kirk Munday was honored with the much-coveted "Ladies Choice" trophy and Hemi Tom took another 2nd place award for the "Under Construction" category for his '31 Plymouth coupe. Congratulations to all participants!
We FINALLY got to hold a cruise in for March. After two months of bad weather on cruise night, everyone was really ready for a cruise in, raffles, friends, and dinner. We had a good turn out, including some of the Trompers. At 6 p.m. I counted 25 hot rods, which was very good, and the best attendance we've had in months. I got to use my new digital camera and took pictures of nearly everything -- twice! The bad thing is that the parking lot lights never did come on, so once darkness hit, you had to be careful not to trip over anything. I was told all the lights are broken. This seems to be a safety issue.
We used to have a "No Burnouts" sign near the driveways. We haven't used them for a while but may need to start again. I observed hot rods doing both burn-outs leaving, and burn-ins coming into the parking area. I would like to remind everyone, that we are allowed to hold our cruise in, with the cooperation of the neighbors and LAPD. If people start complaining, like they did at Bob's Big Boy in Toluca Lake, we will have police cars for the whole cruise in. Think about it. This is a family event, complete with little kids and dogs on leash. You would feel horrible if you hurt someone, not to mention your ride. Until next time. Keep on Cruising!
(Author Mary Garson grew up in Eagle Rock, and plans on living here until she dies.)

Eagle Rock Canyon Trail Dedicated

At the Eagle Rock Hiking Trail, dedication volunteers who worked on the trail pose for a photo. From left, Bruce Lane, Diana Adney, Peter Schaller, Tom Topping, Harry Chamberlain, David Darling & son, Lorenzo Hidalgo, Terry Williams, Michael Roberts, Byron Melendy

The Eagle Rock Canyon hiking trail was declared officially complete last month as about 100 community members showed up to see the new sign unveiled. Volunteers were recognized for their help, especially acknowledging all of the trail builders and one local boy scout.
Lorenzo Hidalgo made it his Eagle Scout Project to help survey the trail, and install the mile markers and the warning signs along with the larger sign on the entryway to the trail. Special acknowledgment went to Harry Chamberlain, who received a brand new "McCloud" trail maintenance tool (a specialized hoe purpose designed for hiking trail work).
A nice lunch was paid for by Councilman Huizar's office, followed by a walk on the Eagle Rock Canyon trail for most of the attendees. I was able to accompany TERA President Maria Nazario on her initial walk. Like everyone who makes it the first time, she marveled at the available views as well as the ugly truck trailer storage on the opposite side of the canyon. A short discussion about the Los Angeles Streets being used to access the landfill that belongs to Glendale ensued. She believes the Councilman is working on it.

The Santa Cecilia

Orchestra Presents:
"A Musical Journey Concert"
Santa Cecilia Orchestra, under the baton of Music Director/Conductor Sonia Marie De Leon de Vega, will perform their closing concert of the Season. The Orchestra's principal wind players will be featured in concertos.
Occidental College, Thorne Hall, Sunday, April 20 at 4:00 p.m.
The program includes Handel: Concerto Grosso Op. 6 no. 12 in b minor; Vivaldi: Bassoon Concerto no. 5 in d minor, RV 481; Marcello: Oboe Concerto in c minor; Part: Festina Lente; Dvorak: Serenade.
Conductor Sonia Marie De Leon de Vega is one of the most commanding figures in music in the region – Her exhilarating vision for classical music is energizing the arts in our community in many ways. She has recently received international attention on Univision's "Orgullo Hispano" a profile that is reserved for the most accomplished Hispanic artists in the world. She was voted as one of the "100 most influential Hispanics in the United States" and voted one of the "80 Elite Hispanic Women" by Hispanic Business Magazine. Last September Ms. De Leon de Vega was named Local Hero by KCET which aired a profile on Ms. De Leon de Vega throughout Hispanic Heritage Month.
De Vega is also energizing the arts through the Orchestra's educational and outreach program "Discovering Music." The program introduces Latino children and families in underserved areas in Los Angeles to classical music and the instruments of the orchestra, and provides orchestra concerts in their own community. The program includes children's choirs and an extensive instrumental program that provides free violin lessons to over 200 children in the communities of Northeast Los Angeles.
Julie Feves, bassoon soloist, is a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music. She has performed extensively as a soloist, chamber performer and orchestra principal in music ranging from the baroque to the avant-garde. The New York Times has praised her "virtuosic flair" and The San Francisco Examiner admired "the sureness of her pitch and the tenderness of her phrasing." Ms. Feves has appeared with numerous orchestras throughout the United States, including the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the American Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Aspen Festival Orchestras.
Sarah Beck, oboe soloist, finished her Master of Fine Arts degree at the California Institute of the Arts in May of 1998. While attending Cal Arts she studied oboe with Allan Vogel. She is the principal oboist for the Santa Cecilia Orchestra. She is a very active freelance musician, participating in operas, chamber music concerts, and symphonic performances throughout the Los Angeles area with orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony and San Diego Symphony. Sarah is originally from Ohio, and received her Bachelor of Music degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
There will be one performance only of this program at 4:00pm, Sunday, April 20 at Thorne Hall, Occidental College. Tickets, priced at $24, $18 for adults and $5 for youth, are available by calling the Santa Cecilia Orchestra Office at (323) 259-3011 or logging onto www.scorchestra.org <http://www.scorchestra.Org> to purchase on-line.
For more information or to schedule an interview, please call 323-259-3011 or e-mail santaceciliao@aol.com

Highland Park and
Eagle Rock Music Scene

by Desiree Garcia
Summer, Spring, Winter and Fall - of all the seasons, I look forward to Spring the most. It's the perfect transition between Winter and Summer. The sound of rain as it gently hits the earth, the color of the sky after a stormy night and that warm feeling that Summer is soon to follow.
Local band, Seasons, are no different. All of it's members which range from 5 to 8 (depending on the night and conflicting shows), are each very different in their own way. Consisting of Nik, Erik, Jonathan, Adam, Ray, Bobby, Dante, and Dino collectively form Seasons. With songs like "India" and "Avalanche" containing witty, yet heartfelt lyricism to upbeat songs like "The Sea" and "666 Number of the Beat" -named so for having 666 beats per minute. Their range is sure to satisfy just about anyone. Looking back at my first Seasons show, I remember being mesmerized by their unique sound. That experience was 2 years ago and their sound has since matured from an indie rock medley to an electric psychedelic infused rock symphony. Including such instruments as glockenspiel and melodica along with tambourines , laptops and synthesizers. They will quench your thirst for something not a long the normalities of music played amongst the radio today and sure to leave you with a delicious feeling lasting throughout the night.
For a band that has only been performing for 3 years, they've already conquered such venues as Spaceland, the Echo and the Whisky A Go Go. "We are making great progress as a band",says drummer Erik. "I see the band going to the top at one point. Eventually we'll get there doing what we love." The future looks bright for these up-and-comers who frequently play shows with other local bands such as I Make This Sound, Teddy's Cheer Club, Bodies of Water, Bedroom Walls, The Monolators and Ghost Machinist - who's laptop orchestrator, Ray, is also in Seasons. "We like to incorporate other local bands into our shows when we can, it gives us the opportunity to show that Highland Park and Eagle Rock's Musical talent can really come together and put our best feet forward."says Ray.
The once non-existent Highland Park and Eagle Rock music scene is making waves in Hollywood. Playing shows in revered venues such as The Knitting Factory, The Rainbow Room and The Viper Room."We hope to one day have Highland Park and Eagle Rock's finest play at Coachella."explains Seasons front man Nik. "We played The Eagle Rock Music Festival last year and had a blast! It was our scaled down version of Coachella and we loved it!" Personally, I cant help but agree, the local music scene has really put me in touch with a town that I tried so hard to stray form in the past and has enticed me to visit places my parents had only ever told me of. Never did I think I would frequent Mr.Ts Bowl on Figueroa which my family as children had played when it was a working bowling alley.Some of my most memorable experiences have been with the local bands who play every weekend and I only hope that future generations can say the same.

Eagle Rock Music Scene- All Star Lanes, with the addition of the Eagle Rock Bowling and Drinking Club, is the place to be for young and young at heart music lovers.

Cowboys and Presidents
Cowboy Culture and Presidential Politics Intersect
at the Autry National Center
April 12, 2008, through September 7, 2008
Los Angeles (January 7, 2008) —
From Theodore Roosevelt to George W. Bush, United
States presidents have used the powerful iconographic symbol of the heroic American cowboy to define themselves and their administrations to the nation and the world. In this election year, the Autry National Center explores the fascinating and ongoing intersection of cowboy culture and presidential politics in Cowboys and Presidents, which opens on April 12, 2008.
This timely exhibition includes many historically important images and artifacts that are associated with a host of American presidents, such as Benjamin Harrison's longhorn chair; Theodore Roosevelt's personal photo album of his ranch; Calvin Coolidge's electric exercise horse and cowboy outfit; Lyndon B. Johnson's famous Stetson hat; Ronald Reagan's cowboy boots adorned with a map of Texas; Bill Clinton's childhood drawings based on the film High Noon; and the Saddle of Independence, given to George W. Bush in memory of the 9/11 attacks. Presidential connections to California and the West can be found throughout the exhibition, including highlights on Ronald Reagan, Hollywood, and Western trips by many of the featured presidents.
The presidency became intertwined with the cowboy image at the turn of the twentieth century and was used by the press, foreign governments, and domestic political opponents to praise or criticize presidential policy and leadership.
For much of the nineteenth century, cowboys enjoyed a generally sullied reputation as coarse, reckless, and violent. In the mid-1880s, the negative use of the term "cowboy" entered politics and began to be applied to politicians and political parties. By 1900, however, writers, artists, and entertainers transformed the cowboy's unsavory reputation into that of a youthful, energetic, and virtuous Anglo-Saxon hero. In the years that followed, Theodore Roosevelt introduced the cowboy hero to the presidential political arena. His experience, both as a rancher in Dakota Territory in the mid-1880s and as head of the famed Rough Riders, a regiment made up largely of Western cowboys, vaulted him first into the vice presidency in 1900 and then into the nation's highest office a year later. Roosevelt helped redefine the cowboy's character and carried both sides of the cowboy image into the White House, where it has remained for more than a century.
Over the past 100+ years, presidents have incorporated the cowboy image in their language, dress, manners, and actions, particularly in public, during campaigns, debates, speeches, nominating conventions, and inaugural activities. At a campaign stop in Oklahoma City in February 1988, George H. W. Bush, having learned some valuable lessons about the political usefulness of the cowboy image as vice president under Ronald Reagan, addressed a rally in Rodeo Hall at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. In his speech he compared the sport of rodeo with rough-and-tumble politics. "You learn that the rodeo is full of hard encounters with the ground," he observed. "And you learn to pick yourself up and dust yourself off."
On the eve of the 2008 election, the debate over cowboys and presidents continues. Some of the new crop of presidential candidates, including Barack Obama, Rudy Giuliani, and Fred Thompson, have already shown a willingness to identify with the cowboy by donning cowboy hats and/or boots on the campaign trail. Hillary Clinton seems to have, at least for now, rejected the heroic icon. On September 30, 2007, she told an audience in Oakland, California, that on her first day as president she would dispatch diplomats to countries around the world bearing the message that "the era of cowboy diplomacy is over." Few symbols communicate the ideas of good and evil, common sense, resolute action—and America—more clearly or succinctly. For that reason, if for no other, cowboys and presidents probably have not taken their last ride together.
The Museum of the American West and Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. From June 1 to August 31, Thursday hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Admission is free on the second Tuesday of every month and free for veterans year-round.
Admission is $9 for adults, $5 for students and seniors 60+, $3 for children 3–12, and free for Autry members, veterans, and children 2 and under.
 

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