Boulevard Sentinel
VOLUME X ISSUE 2
News and Views
for Northeast Los Angeles
June 2006
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"ADA Entrepreneurs"
by Tom Topping In the last few months, at least 19 local businesses have been threatened with legal action by a group of "ADA Entrepreneurs," and at least one has already been sued over their alleged noncompliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. The list of businesses affected includes Cindy's coffee shop, Panang, Colombo's Restaurant, Pete's Blue Chip, Dr. Music, American Tire Depot, Camilo's Bistro, Ernie Jr's Taco House, Troy's Burgers, York Motel, El Chapin Restaurant, Galco's Soda Pop Market, Highland Park Automotive, Villa Sombrero Restaurant and Carrow's, The businesses were threatened of possible lawsuit by a letter written on the letterhead of "J. Cohan & Associates, Disability Rights Advocates." In the letters, which are sort of a personalized form letter, Cohan writes "on behalf of" a person who is disabled, in most of these cases, Mr. Garry McClaurey. access violations alleged to exist at the targeted business. The violations listed either relate to problems with the rest room accommodations or the handicapped parking space signage or striping. They typically include things like improper door knob type or height, lack of rest room grab rails, lack of handicap toilet seat, paper towel or soap dispensers too high or rest rooms too small for a wheel chair to turn around in. The letter then goes on to state that the "Unruh Civil Rights Act" provides for civil damages in the amount of $4,000 for each violation. This is because problems with disabled access, know as "barriers", are considered a form of discrimination under California law. If a commercial or public accommodation is open to any member of the public, it must be open to all. Typically, when businesses call to respond to the letter, they must talk to Cohan, and although the letters received ask for a "peaceful, early resolution," business owners characterize the follow-up phone calls as threatening, aggressive and mean. Cohan tries to scare the business owners into settling, by paying large amounts ranging from 4 to 24 thousand dollars. In the Galco's case, owner John Nese was advised by his attorney to immediately address each one of the items listed, in this instance it was to repaint the faded striping of the handicap parking space. His lawyer called Mr. Cohan, listed the corrections and Cohan agreed to drop the matter. Local businesses who responded strongly to him, like Camilo's, who said "We're not paying you a f---ing cent, talk to our lawyer and our insurance company," were not bothered again. (In Camilo's case, though, there was only one violation, faded parking lot striping- so Cohan & Associates may have felt they couldn't get much anyway, and gave up) Other business owners, many of whom are immigrants, who may show fear or hesitation to engage the American legal system, are harassed mercilessly. The owners of restaurant Villa Sombrero, reported being called up and harassed as many as four times a day. As soon as they corrected all the listed violations, the "ADA Entrepreneurs" would come up with 4 more that needed fixing. Most businesses like Pete's, Colombo's and Troy's Burgers were advised by counsel to address each one of their alleged violations, hoping to avoid any further action. Pete's was still sued in small claims court. This is a State-wide problem that is growing bigger every year. California is the only State that allows a disabled person to be compensated even when there are no injuries or financial losses. A wheelchair bound attorney in Northern California filed more than 150 disability-access related lawsuits since Augusat of 2003. He was able to clear $500,000 per year by filing lawsuits and then getting business owners to settle out of court. Another man Jarek Molski, a disabled law school graduate, sued hundreds of businesses, finally labeled by a judge as a "Vexatious Litigant" and was legally barred from filing any more ADA cases unless a judge gave him permission. No one wants disabled people to be prevented from accessing public accommodations that the rest of us enjoy, but no one believes a law intended to provide that should be abused to allow persons to cash in. At Small Claims Court on May 30th, the case between Garry McClaurey and Pete' Blue Chip was called. At the hearing appeared a face that was new to this story, but very familiar to Effi, the owner of Pete's Blue Chip. It was not the disabled person, but someone who eats there on a regular basis. Before the Judge pro-tem, he said he was a friend of the plaintiff, Mr. McClaurey, and only identified himself after I complained to the Judge about it. He said his name was Don Cerrell, or was it Serrell? It was my first time at small claims court, and believe me, it was no "People's Court." After consenting to let the case be heard by a Judge Pro-tem (A mistake in retrospect, but the bailiff told plaintiffs that if they did not consent they would be sent to a courtroom "Down in the Dungeon"- what would you do?) All parties were then instructed to "disclose" to each other any papers or evidence that they would be showing the judge. "If you do not let the other party see the evidence, you cannot show it to the judge," the bailiff said. Right off the start it seemed kinda fishy that Cerrell was allowed to completely speak for Mr. McClaurey, who was unable to speak clearly. The Judge asked if it was OK with us if Cerrel was allowed to speak for him. We said. "No Way!" But the Judge let him speak for the man anyway. We asked for Cerrel identify himself then, which he did not, and the Judge let it go. As the judge started to hear the case, he stopped the plaintiff and questioned him. "So you do not have any injuries or financial loss?" the Judge asked. "No," was the reply. We held our breath as it seemed that the case would be thrown out any second. Quietly and quickly, the court clerk whisked her way up to the Judge and handed him a tiny slip of paper, containing some message. The Judge then agreed to hear the case. During "disclosure", Cerrell had seen that all the violations listed in the demand letter were corrected. But when he presented his case, we found he had held some violations in reserve, and the Judge allowed him to present those. He made a new claimed that the booths were not disabled accessible. Now it was our turn. Effi explained that her restaurant, Pete's was built before the ADA and was not required to do extreme modifications unless the business had undergone more than $100,000 in modifications. She showed all the photos of the smaller corrections she had done like door handles, faucets, restroom signage, etc., but had not thought about the booth access. She had had plenty of wheel chair bound people patronize her restaurant before without any problem. "But you haven't done anything about the booths?" the Judge asked. I presented 10 copies of the demand letters that other local businesses had received and said that two of those business owners were there to attest to that. I said that this was not about disabled access but clearly a money making scheme. I mentioned that the manner in which these letters were sent and the way they tried to negotiate settlements on behalf of the disabled persons amounted to "UNAUTHORIZED PRACTICE OF LAW." I then mentioned that since the suit was about a person's civil rights being violated, it was out of the jurisdiction of the small claims court. (I had someone helping me, too.) The judge seemed interested in that last point, as well as the fact that other targeted business owners were there as witnesses. He then took the case under advisement, and sent us home. Effi will receive the decision by mail. Only God knows what it will be. I have to ad that I learned you can practically get away with murder when it comes to small claims court. I found that there was funny business going on there. I found that the plaintiff had never signed the complaint at the courthouse. It was sent over the internet so it was not required. The complaint that was served on Pete's was signed, but not by the plaintiff Mr. McClaurey. The signature matched the one of J. Cohan exactly. We had the proof of that funny business right in our hands and showed it to the Judge. He seemed to simply ignored it. Guess what I learned? YOU CAN SUE IN SMALL CLAIMS IN THE NAME OF A FAKE PERSON, AND DO ALL THE TALKING FOR THAT FAKE PERSON WITHOUT EVER IDENTIFYING YOURSELF AND NO ONE WILL STOP YOU! IF YOU DO NOT SIGN THE COMPLAINT, OR IF A THIRD PARTY FILES THE COMPLAINT AND SIGNS IT NOTHING BAD WILL HAPPEN- NO ONE WILL STOP YOU! Anyway, back to our story for now. We searched civil and criminal court records of Cohan, Mr. Cerrell, and the disabled persons he advocates for. (Another disabled person, Mr. John Whitbread, has also worked with these ADA Entrepreneurs, and is the listed plaintiff in many of the letters.) Although many people are rumored to have settled with Whitbread, I found only two records of him actually suing anyone for disabled infractions. One time neither part showed up, the other time he did not win any money. The only court record of McClaurey is the current suit against Pete's Blue Chip. I could find nothing on Mr. Cerrell, but I don't believe that was his name anyway. He said he was not James Cohan, but a friend of Mr. Cohan. James F. Cohan is another story altogether. He has sued in L.A. small claims court over 70 times in the last 20 years. Criminal records show him being convicted of working as a private investigator without a license, and also four prosecutions and one conviction for soliciting a criminal act. (Penal Code 653F{a}) Other records show he has a good working knowledge of how to enforce a judgment, in one case he garnished the checking account of an elderly couple for $3000. The most disturbing information on Cohan was found by Googling his name. Website after website describes his activities working as an "organ broker." He admits to being in the practice of coordinating organ transplants in foreign countries. He is mentioned for his activity in an official U.S. Congressional Subcommittee report on "the Overseas Organ Trade." He has also has worked as an exorcist for another local publisher, who reported him successfully removing ghosts from his Monrovia home. All this he does using a rented back house on Eaton Street, right off Avenue 51, overlooking the soccer fields of Occidental College. I doubt he lives there at all, and is just using the address for mail. Cohan and Cerrell are teamed up in their entrepreneurial venture. Cerrell was the one who went into Pete's to inspect their facility. Cohan is the one who sent the letters. Both of these men could be operating under assumed identities to avoid ever being held accountable. Local politicians have been asked to help. District 14 Councilman José Huizar has received all information collected on this matter. His office has been in contact with us, but has done nothing yet. Teresa Acosta, the Eagle Rock deputy for Senator Jack Scott, has tried her best to help, spending hours on the telephone and seeking the help of the California State Attorney General's office. She said she's feels a little stonewalled as well. She was told by the State Attorney General's Office that what Cohan is doing is legal, but that the manner in which he writes the letters and tries to negotiate a settlement amounts to "unauthorized practice of law," a clearly illegal practice, which would be handled by the California Bar Association. Complaints have been made to them. She said that the State Attorney General's Office will accept complaints from the separate businesses on this matter. Thank you Teresa Acosta, from Senator Jack Scott's office, for providing these numbers: The Criminal Division of the State Attorney General 800-843-9053 District Attorney 213-974-3844 California State Bar Association 800-952-5225 If you are targeted do not wait- contact them now- this maybe your only chance. The L.A.P.D. and the L.A. City Attorney's office played a little game of run-around with Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce stalwart Michael Nogueira, before forwarding the information to the commercial crimes unit of the L.A.P.D. Neighborhood Prosecutor Donna Wong also received the information, but refused to discuss it and referred all press inquiries to the City Attorney's press office. I discovered that some politicians may be reluctant to help for two reasons. 1. Many of them are lawyers, and the laws that make this possible are good for the lawyer business. 2. There are many organizations that have sprung up to fight for the rights of disabled people- many are funded by the Christopher Reeve Foundation (remember- Superman?) and politicians are nervous when their actions might be portrayed as being "against" the disabled. The Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce, the Neighborhood Council and TERA have sent out information on their large e-mail lists to warn local business persons what to watch out for. So far, notifying local businesses about the ADA abusing get-rich-quick scheme is the one thing that has thwarted these ADA Entrepreneurs trying to make a buck. Ken, owner of Cycle Depot, was notified personally by this reporter on May 17th about what was going on in the community. That afternoon, he briefed his employees that from now on, the rest rooms were not to be used by any customer or member of the public. Period. The very next morning, a man walked in and asked to use the rest room. Tommy, who runs the shop couldn't help but do a double take as the unknown and somewhat unsavory looking character walked up. He responded, "Sorry, the rest rooms are for employee's only." He asked, "Can you make an exception just this one time?" "No. Sorry." As the man we think was Cohan started to walk away, he turned and said, "Why did you react the way you did when I asked to use your rest room?" Tommy just looked at him, and resisted the urge to say, "Because we were expecting you."
Using the ADA to abuse the legal system Senator Chuck Poochigian- Candidate for Attorney General Over the last 15 years, the Americans with Disabilities Act has opened doors, quite literally, for disabled people across our country. While this landmark legislation has improved the lives of countless disabled Americans, in recent years it also has spawned a new breed of opportunistic litigants who profit from exploiting this law. Hundreds of San Diego area small businesses have experienced abuse of this law first hand. Passed in 1990, the ADA helped ensure equal access to public and private facilities. In addition to calling for building standards to be user-friendly for disabled patrons, the federal law also allows individuals harmed by a violation to sue for monetary damages. Three states, California, Hawaii and Florida, also allow an injured party to recover extra monetary sums, including attorneys' fees, punitive and other damages. Some argue that the fear of paying thousands of dollars for an ADA violation gives property owners an economic incentive to comply with special access laws. Unfortunately, this laudable act's highly technical provisions and fear of lawsuits have created confusion and triggered unintended consequences. In order to meet standards established by ADA, property owners doing business in California must comply with thousands of requirements. Because of the complexity of the law, minor and inadvertent violations are inevitable, especially for small-business owners. San Diego has been a hot spot in the state for ADA abuse, with litigious predators targeting area small businesses as they exploit the law. Knowing that many small businesses without the financial resources to fight lawsuits will often settle out of court, ADA abusers have perfected the art of extracting settlements in exchange for dropping costly legal cases. Many of these lawsuits are not pursued with the primary intent of rectifying a wrong but are filed solely in pursuit of money. In the end, the business pays the lawyer, the lawyer drops the suit, and the "problem" goes unfixed. Late last year, a San Diego news crew chronicled the exploits of one attorney who was one of the most flagrant abusers of this law. Their investigation found that this attorney had filed 340 ADA lawsuits in San Diego alone for such offenses as having a flush handle on the wrong side of the toilet, a door knob not up to code or bathroom stalls with no hand rails. The language in the lawsuits filed on behalf of a handicapped plaintiff was always the same – claiming emotional and physical damage, pain and suffering, and, of course, attorney's fees. Local small businesses that were named as defendants in these lawsuits (used car lots, motels, family restaurants, etc.) said that some plaintiffs had never even visited their property. One plaintiff admitted to the news crew that he had not sustained physical injuries or even shopped at these establishments, though he did claim emotional injuries from allegedly using their bathrooms. In December 2004, a federal judge declared another Southern California plaintiff who had filed over 400 claims a "vexatious litigant," and required him to notify his court before filing any other ADA claims. The judge noted that none of these lawsuits were ever fully litigated in court and found that, as in so many ADA abuse cases, the claims were nearly identical in the facts alleged and the damages requested. Unfortunately, many businesses targeted by litigious predators like these agree to five-or six-figure settlements to avoid costly and uncertain legal battles. Last November, California voters approved a ballot measure to stop shakedown lawsuits while still protecting consumers. In that spirit, I have introduced legislation (SB 855) designed to curb vexatious ADA lawsuits in California. This legislation will require that property owners be notified of ADA violations and allow owners to fix them before a lawsuit is filed. The bill protects the right of an individual who suffers a physical injury to get medical bills paid, while limiting lawsuits for fees and punitive damages if property owners correct the problem. Businesses that choose not to fix ADA violations will remain vulnerable to lawsuits, while those who in good faith desire to correct the violation will be given the opportunity to do so. Accommodating Californians with special needs is vital, though abuse of the current system has resulted in great distress to many family businesses in San Diego and across the state. Ironically, this law that was originally designed to open doors for the disabled has forced some business to close their doors altogether. The Americans with Disabilities Act should be about providing access, not a payday for shakedown artists.
Re: Fighting Failure at Eagle Rock High (click on above to read last months article) point counter-point
Spitz- Home of the Döner Kebab
Spitz is OPEN! Here, owners Bryce Rademan and Robert Wicklund try to keep up.
When Bryce Rademan and Robert Wicklund met in their freshman year at Occidental College, they never imagined their friendship would grow into a business partnership, or that they would someday put down roots together, choosing Eagle Rock as their newly adopted home. But grown it has and they celebrated last month with the grand opening of their brainchild take out food establishment, "Spitz- Home of the Döner Kebab" (Döner Kebab means "rotating meat"). Living in the dormitory they got to know each other and became fast friends. Bryce majored in economics, diplomacy and world affairs while Robert majored in English. In the Spring of 2004, Bryce packed up and headed for Spain participating in the "Study abroad program." That's where he found out about the "Döner Kebab." "There was a place near school- I ate there everyday," he said. He fell in love with the spicy seasoned meat, which was shaved fresh from a rotating skewer, and served inside a sandwich or pita with fresh delicious sauces and vegetables. He soon found out that is was a craze in Europe and started looking into it further. The döner kebab is of Turkish origin, and it only got popular in Europe around 1980, when Turkish guest workers brought it into Germany. It was sold by street vendors, and then spread across the continent, each time being tailored to each individual country's tastes. "Each country has it's own variation," said Bryce, "There's a franchise in Australia; in Tokyo, it's huge." Bryce came back to Oxy and told his buddy Robert all about it. One conversation led to another and they both knew the craze would eventually come to America and they wanted to be part of it. Fresh out of College, they did their homework, created a business plan and got to work turning their common dream into a reality. Reality is what they really ran into, too, as they got their first lesson about city hall bureaucracy. As most business owners know, the system is tricky at best and sometimes down right capricious. But Robert and Bryce knuckled down, kept at and were making progress until... They had already leased the space on Colorado Blvd. next to the Sizzler and remodeling had started, when they found themselves in a dilemma. The L.A. City department of sanitation was requiring a "grease trap" for the sewer hook-up, it had to be installed underground, and the landlord would not allow it. The boys went to the community for help, and got it from the Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce. They shared their knowledge of the city bureaucracy, got the fledging businessmen in contact with the City Councilman's Office, who, at that time, was Antonio Villaraigosa. With the Councilman's help, they soon were able to get the city and the landlord to agree on a solution. A smaller grease trap would do, they said, and from then on out it was pretty smooth sailing. Ten months after they signed the lease, the new Spitz Döner Kebab opened. I finally got to try one. Mine was a light foccacia bread, toasted crisp on the outside, spread with Tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomato, and other vegetables, with my choice of döner meat, in this case beef and lamb, all seasoned and tasty. Well, the first bite told it all, as the mix of tastes and textures just provided a wonderful sensation. The sweet potato fries were great as well, and there's a great salad option to boot, with lots of tasty things like feta cheese, kalamata olives and a variuety of dressings you can get on it. Robert and Bryce are well on their way to achieving their goal of becoming a solid destination, bringing folks from around the region to Eagle Rock, now also known as, "Home of the Döner Kebab."
Roddin' with Mary
Greetings again, Eagle Rockers! I hope everyone is well, and had a wonderful Memorial Day Holiday. The Rockin' Rodders again held our monthly cruise-in at Auto Zone on Eagle Rock Bl. The hot rod participation was a bit smaller this month, which is typical for a holiday weekend. I again want to thank the friendly and generous staff of Auto Zone who have so kindly let us use the parking lot while the former Jim's Burger's, now Oinkster, is being remodeled. Several previously unseen hot rods made an appearance with owners indicating an interest in joining our club. So our membership is again on the rise. The club wants everyone to know that ALL hot rods, customs, and works-in-progress are welcome, so come on down!
Speaking of coming on down - I had the great pleasure last month to attend the inaugural Concours d' Elegance on the Brookside Golf Course at the Rose Bowl on May 21. I was keenly interested because most of these high-dollar car shows are typically held further away from little old Eagle Rock, and even with the $30 spectator fee, I could not pass up the chance to share air space with some of the most beautiful and rare cars I've ever seen. There were at least 40 Ferraris there, many years and models, but the thing I noticed was that almost all of them were red! There was one of those Ferraris like the notorious one the guy crashed in Malibu. That car drew the most attention of all of them. Another show-stopper was a 1955 Mercedes Gullwing (with the wings open). There were some beautiful old Jags, MG's, Porsches, and Aston Martins. I've never seen a James Bond Car close up, so this was a treat. There was also a fabulous selection of Rolls Royces, including a Silver Shadow, Silver Cloud, Silver Wraith, and a convertible called a Drop Head Coupe. My favorites were a 1952 Rolls Royce Silver Dawn, a 1941 Packard Limo, and a 1931 Bugatti. I like the big cars that just scream "rock star royalty." One thing I noticed about the Concours cars- while all of them had very pristine and beautiful paint jobs, there were very few flames or other paint customizing touches added. I have been told that this is frowned upon for this type of car show, and in fact can "de-value" this type of car. Oh well, to each his own. The show also had a very sparse selection of American and/or muscle cars. Again, because of the type of show. I was really thinking about my dad while I was at the show. He would have absolutely loved all the little British, Italian, and German cars. As a mechanic, foreign cars were his specialty, and I know he would have appreciated all the love and care that went into these cars. A couple of the cars exhibited
were owned by the Petersen and Nethercutt Museums. I really enjoyed
myself, and plan on attending this show again next year. It was an
excellent opportunity to see close-up cars which you only see in Beverly
Hills or Palm Springs. There are several car shows coming up locally in the next few months: The Pasadena Elks are hosting a car/motorcycle show on June 25 at the Elks parking lot in Pasadena (corner of Orange Grove Bl and Colorado Bl.) The Burbank Road Kings are holding their annual summer picnic/car show at Johnny Carson Park in Burbank on Sun. June 11. This is a fun show - they get as many as 700 or more cars participating. And last but not least, our very own Eagle Rockin' Rodders are co-hosting Concerts in the Park Sun. July 9 at Eagle Vista Park. Great 50's music will be presented by Ronnie and the Classics. If you haven't seen these guys before, come on up to the park as they put on a very good show. Until next time, keep on roddin'!!
Oxy Ensemble Wins $10,000 for Jazz Program Occidental College's OxyJazz student ensemble has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts (PSHA) to educate local schoolchildren about jazz via demonstrations and talks by undergraduate musicians and the ensemble's director, Timothy Emmons. The award was presented on April 25 during PSHA's 2006 gifts and grants reception, held at the Pasadena Showcase House of Design. This year, the organization awarded 36 gifts totaling more than $700,000 to nonprofit organizations and community schools for music programs. The OxyJazz Educational Community Outreach Program will target nearly 2,000 pupils at Mt. Washington, Garvanza and Eagle Rock elementary schools, starting with two performances in May at Mt. Washington Elementary School and continuing next fall at all three schools. The OxyJazz ensemble will present demonstrations and talks on various jazz styles, and will offer one-on-one or small-group mentoring sessions on how to play jazz. Ensemble members will showcase topics such as music improvisation techniques, different styles of jazz, world influences, and innovators, including Duke Ellington and Miles Davis. "Though jazz is uniquely American, jazz greats like Louis Armstrong are not part of today's culture," Emmons said. "For most of these students, their first connection to this cultural heritage will be participation in these jazz demonstrations and talks, and jazz lessons taught in mentoring sessions." PSHA has organized and presented the annual Pasadena Showcase House of Design since 1964. Today it is one of the largest home and garden tours in the United States, visited by about 40,000 people each year. Proceeds from the tours benefit PSHA youth music programs and its gifts and grants program. Established in 1887, Occidental College is consistently ranked in the top tier of national liberal arts colleges and is second in the nation in student diversity, according to US News & World Report. This year, more than 5,000 applicants vied for 445 freshman slots. Occidental students can choose from 30 interdisciplinary majors and can take part in joint programs with Caltech, Columbia University, and Keck Graduate Institute. More than half of all Occidental students participate in community-based projects such as the OxyJazz Educational Outreach Program during their academic careers.
Mother Earth June 2006 June is busting out all over. This is the wonderful month of those lovely cool, June gloom mornings, and some pretty toasty afternoons when our local beaches begin to beckon. It's also the time to celebrate all those Dads and Grads in our lives. So we are all looking for gift ideas for both the graduates and the fathers, grandfathers, and other significant males we love. So, how about this? You could give Dad just one more funny-looking tie or more dust-catching golf memorabilia, or you could give a donation in his name to an organization that helps protect and restore our environment, either local or national in scope. And how about for that altruistic new graduate? We can all hope that all newly-educated people in this country have a strong awareness of both the threats to the earth and also the possibilities for remedying what we have done. Does your graduate have a cause near and dear to the heart? Does Dad? I know my own Dad has a deep love of Yosemite; it's where he and my mother honeymooned in 1946. So for him, a donation to The Yosemite Fund is perfect. This group has been working for decades to mitigate the effects of millions of people journeying to see the incredible beauty of the landscape. My co-worker Manuel is graduating from CSULA—and he has a fondness for The Tree People, whose work inspires Los Angeles to grow and maintain an urban forest in our city. And I am pleased to donate to them, on his behalf. If you need some ideas to get you thinking, here are a few great groups, some local, some regional, some national, who would put your money to good use and make your Dad or Grad feel proud: Northeast Trees info@northeasttrees.org (323) 441-8634 Altadena Foothills Conservancy www.altadenafoothills.org (626) 798-3235 Arroyo Seco Foundation www.arroyoseco.org (626) 584-9902 Earthworks www.cbyost@charter.net (562) 968-1935 Friends of L.A. River www.folar.org (323) 223-0585 Heal the Bay www.healthebay.org (310) 451-1500 Los Angeles/San Gabriel River Watershed Council www.lasgrwc.org Theodore Payne Found. www.theodorepayne.org (818) 768-1802 Tree People www.treepeople.org (818) 753-4600 California League Conservation Voters www.ecovote.org (310) 441-4162 National Resources Defense Fund www.nrdc.org (310) 434-2300 Slow Food U.S.A. www.slowfoodusa.org (323) 461-8686 The Yosemite Fund www.yosemitefund.org (800) 469-7275 (**A note: The L.A. /San Gabriel Watershed Council does not accept donations, but please visit their website. They are celebrating their 10th year and would like to invite everyone to join their anniversary party on June 15th.) June is such a wonderful month to do more outdoor living and really soak up the beauty of the trees, the birds and bees and other wildlife. And even indoors, your heater is turned off, but you don't even think about the air conditioner yet. Life in Eagle Rock is just about perfect. Let us remember how kind the earth is to us, what bounty we have, in so many ways. Give a gift donation to a worthy charity and double the goodness. There are so many ways for each of us to repay the kindness by being a good mother to our Earth; don't forget, she gave us life.
MAKE YOUR OWN SOLAR COOKER
Eagle Rock Valley Association by Everett Sarabia There were a couple of meetings I attended this week. One was about Eagle High and the 3 years plan for student improvement and the other was the Land Use & Palnning Committee (LUPC) for ERNC. The draft student achievement plan is several pages long and is in the process of being finalized. I am recommending to the Principal that a copy be put into pdf form and placed on the school website along with the report from the Certification Committee. I suggested that at the beginning of next semester a parent leader be identified in each homeroom class and that person would be involved in getting the word out on important parent meetings to the parents of students in that homeroom. (eg. develop phone trees, parent mixers etc.) When Paul (Long Drugs Developer) shared with our group about the mixed use facility he was planning on Eagle Rock Blvd, he did not share about the twenty plus people this development would displace. Several seniors, blind and disabled folks and young families all low income will be made to move when the construction begins on this project. The property is rent controlled and these poor people will not find (in this area) rents that are equivalent to what they are paying now. Some of the units are apartments; some are small bungalows that were built at the turn on the century. If you get a chance please visit the site. It is just north of the famous "Bucket" burger restaurant. The LUPC passed a motion to approve this new development. The remaining opportunity to give input to the full Council is on Tuesday, June 2nd at 6:30 pm. IF you would like to give opinion on this matter please try to attend. We have received $190.00 in donations for neighborhood watch signs and are waiting on one more contribution so we can send for our signs. The speed humps have been approved by all parties involved and the DOT will be sending the final set of petitions for signature to Mrs. Soto to distribute. (on Avenue 46) I'll check with Leo to see how we are doing with the Toland Way petitions. Mary suggested that we meet at the Thairox Restaurant for our next meeting. If everyone agrees please let me know by either e-mail or phone. Take care everyone, see you soon! Everett Sarabia Lead Block Captain Eagle Rock Valley Association's Neighborhood Watch 1223 North Avenue 45 Los Angeles, California 90041 (323)254-3512 ervanwatch@adelphia.net
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Hathaway Center Serves on Mayor’s Big Sunday Day of Service with Cleaning, Murals, Volunteers In the spirit of community service and volunteerism, over a hundred Highland Park area community members participated in the San Pascual Stairs Alliance project on May 7 as part of "BIG SUNDAY '06: L.A.'s Annual Day of Service." The San Pascual Stairs project, organized by Hathaway-Sycamores' Family Resource Center with the assistance of many local residents and the Assistant Principal from San Pascual Elementary school Susan Grant, encompassed cleaning the tile, removing graffiti, picking up trash, planting trees and vines, and painting murals under the direction of local artist Leo Limón. L.A.'s Annual Day of Service underlines the City of Los Angeles' and BIG SUNDAY's commitment to community service with over 200 community service projects occurring throughout the City. Volunteers rolled up their sleeves and worked on projects such as tree planting, mural painting, area nuisance house clean–ups, landscaping, community gardens, graffiti removal, street cleaning, bulky item pick up, alley clean up, public education and arts activities to name a few. L.A.'s Annual Day of Service serves as a catalyst for continued community involvement as thousand's of residents in neighborhoods throughout the city volunteered their time to serve their communities.
Historic Highland Park Council Anniversary Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council celebrated the anniversary of their fourth certification last Sunday, May 28th, 2006. The gathering was held at the Goldline Station in between Avenues 57 and 58. President Heinrich Keifer was presented with a plaque of appreciation from the Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council. The council members expressed their appreciation for the hard work and dedication the president has put into the council and the community. Pictured in photo are: Rose Cortez, Heinrich Keifer, Linda Phelps, Manny Lozado, and Nancy Wyatt. (info and photo courtesy of Christina Puga)
St. Bernard School Wins Speech Competition St. Bernard School proudly represented the Highland Park Optimist Club at the Southwest District speech competition in Bakersfield on Sunday, May 7th. Two eighth grade students from St. Bernard School, Marc Gonzales and Tiffany Lao, began their quest by competing at the local Highland Park level. After placing first, they then competed at the Zone level. Winning again, they went on to compete at the Area level. Marc Gonzales placed first and went on to compete at the District level. While not being selected the ultimate winner, both Marc and Tiffany represented their school proudly. At the local level competition, Tiffany scored the highest among all the participants and her name, school, and date on inscribed on a perpetual trophy that will reside at St. Bernard School until next year's competition. The Highland Park Optimist Club has hosted this competition for 21 years. St. Bernard's is proud to be the local winner for 18 of the 21 years of competition. CONGRATULATIONS MARC AND TIFFANY. WE ARE PROUD OF YOU!
Southwest Museum -- Public Input Meetings Scheduled Southwest Museum Is Closed* .... Future Use Remains Uncertain RE-OPENING as a vibrant museum plus more.... DEPENDS ON ALL OF US! It is now time to be seen and heard on this issue. Please attend one of the upcoming meetings to voice your opinion and ask your questions. The fate of the Southwest Museum and Casa de Adobe will be shaped by the results of these meetings. Mayor Villaraigosa needs to hear from you. At the request of the Mayor's Office, the Human Relations Commission has scheduled and will host the following "Informational Gathering Public Meetings": Thurs. June 8, 2006 - 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at Eagle Rock Community Center (2225 Colorado Blvd, LA 90041) Wed. June 14, 2006 - 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at Braude Center (6262 Van Nuys Blvd in Van Nuys) Thurs. June 22, 2006 - 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at Plaza de la Raza (3540 NMission Rd, LA 90031) Sat. June 24, 2006 - time TBD at African-American Museum (600 State Dr LA 90037 in Expo Park) Thurs. June 29, 2006 - 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at Ramona Hall (4580 N. Figueroa St, LA 90042 in Highland Park) This is a City-sponsored Public Meeting process repeated at five different locations. The Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition is assisting in the outreach to our membership and all the concerned people across the nation who want this museum resource to continue and flourish in its original location. For more information, the Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition's website is: www.friendsofthesouthwestmuseum.com Please pass this information along and encourage people to attend. For each of the 75 organizations who comprise the Coalition, please ask all your individual members to attend. * All exhibition of artifacts from Southwest Museum collection will close to the public on June 30, 2006. No more tours for tens of thousands of area schoolchildren.
Lummis Day: The Festival of Northeast Los Angeles A kaleidoscope of painting, sculpture, ceramics and mixed media will be on display at Sycamore Grove Park as the art galleries of Northeast Los Angeles exhibit their work on Sunday, June 4 at Lummis Day: The Festival of Northeast Los Angeles. The artwork will be exhibited from noon to 4pm at Sycamore Grove Park, 4700 N. Figueroa Street. Galleries participating in the Festival will include Blue Chips, Cactus Gallery, Carlotta's Passion IMIX Bookstore, Rock Rose Gallery, The Space Ark Gallery and Toros Pottery. The nearby bandshell will feature musical performances by Quinto Sol, Severin Browne, Juan-Carlos Formell and Filipino folk ensemble Pamana Rondalla. Dance performances will include the Tongva-Gabrielino Native American Dancers, the St. Ignatius Filipino Folk Dance Troupe and the Danza Azteca Cuahtlethanitl ensemble. KPFK Radio 90.7 personality Tanya Torres Mayahuel will host the event. The Sycamore Grove Park events, to begin at noon, will be preceded by an opening poetry reading and reception at nearby Lummis Home (200 E. Ave. 43) featuring Suzanne Lummis, B.H. Harris, Kate Gale and William Archila. Free coffee will be served, beginning at 10:00 am, courtesy of Starbucks. "Lummis Day" is sponsored by the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council,the Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council, and the Glassell Park Neighborhood Council, public radio station KPFK 90.7 and the L.A. Alternative newspaper with the support of the Boulevard Sentinel, North Figueroa Association, Los Angeles City Council Districts 1 and 14, the MTA, the Department of Recreation and Parks, the Historical Society of Southern California, the Autry National Center, the Heritage Square Museum, the Highland Park Heritage Trust, the Mount Washington Association, the Arroyo Seco Foundation, the Arroyo Arts Collective, Occidental College, the Mount Washington Homeowners Alliance, the Northeast Democratic Club of Los Angeles and the L.A. Poetry Festival.
Eagle Vista Seniors The Eagle Vista Seniors will not have their usual board meeting and business meeting at the June 6 gathering, but Sue Kosta will be the speaker and her topic "Anti-aging" is of special interest. June 13, the meeting will aquaint the members with the unfortunate occurrences of "Drug Abuse" in our country. Elena Morales from Glendale Memorial Hospital will speak about this debilitating usage. June 20, our clever, hard-working Phyllis Mejia shares her information on the Copper Canyon trip- one of her many interesting excursions. June 27 is BINGO! Jan Burden will call. NOTE: The Eagle Vista Seniors meet every Tuesday morning (unless otherwise mentioned) at the Eagle Rock Recreation Center, 1100 Eagle Vista Drive, L.A. CA, 90041. All seniors are most welcome.
Native American Expert to Speak at Kiwanis Stan Moore BARBARA DRAKE, a Native American educator for more than 30 years, will speak at the Police Museum across from Carrows on York Blvd. at the Thursday, June 8, noon meeting of the Highland Park Kiwanis Club. The Kiwanis Club meets weekly at noon and seeks "to serve" the community and "serve the children of the world." Who first inhabited our beautiful area of Southern California, and specifically the San Gabriel Valley? Ms. Drake is an expert on the Gabrielino/ Tongva Indians who were the first inhabitants of our San Gabriel Valley, including the Highland Park and Eagle Rock area. EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO HEAR HER PRESENTATION! Simply call Dr. Stan Moore, (323) 256-1024, and tell him you are coming and he will order enough food for those present. Mr. Tom Topping of the Boulevard Sentinel first heard Drake's presentation and thought that she did a marvelous presentation. Sharing this at a weekly Kiwanis meeting stimulated Vice-President Peggy Soto Keifer to insist that the Club invite her to speak. Fortunately, more than two months ago Ms. Drake had an opening in her busy schedule and was able to fit in our local Kiwanis Club on Thursday, June 8. So, EVERYONE who wants to hear her presentation and learn about the Gabrielino/ Tongva Native Americans is WELCOME TO ATTEND. Drake has spoken at more than 10 museums in Southern California, more than two dozen K-12 schools, more than 30 community organizations and historical sites, and seven colleges and universities, from the University of La Verne and Chaffey College to the Universities of California at Irvine and Riverside. She has done workshops at more than a dozen Historical Societies and environmental camps, as well as four Native American reservations. Just writing this article for the newspaper makes this writer look forward to hearing her!! Finally, Ms. Drake is involved with the U.C. Riverside's Native American Extension programs— which is conducting a series for classroom teachers, focusing on third and fourth grade social studies standards. She is currently working with the Cooper Regional History Museum of Upland and the Museum of History and Art of Ontario. The Highland Park Kiwanis Club members are very active in our area. Recently the Club, along with the Kiwanis "Builders Club" at St. Ignatius School, with funding from the Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council (HHPNC) put in a flagstone walkway at the Arroyo Seco Library at on Figueroa and Ave. 61, including replanting the entrance to the Library. Its next project, under the leadership of its President, Heinrich Keifer, and its board members, is to put in a sprinkler system along the curving concrete wall of the Senior Citizen Center at Figueroa and York Blvd. and plant the area with a "butterfly garden" and rose bushes, etc. If YOU want to MAKE A DIFFERENCE in Highland Park, why not join the Kiwanis Club? Its members really care about Highland Park and they always welcome new members. The Kiwanis Clubs around the world have two mottos: "We Serve," and "Serving the Children of the World." CALL (323) 256-1024 to reserve YOUR place on JUNE 8 and to learn more about community service.
Pandora's Box: A jewelry & functional art trunk show Spiff up your Summer wardrobe with the latest one-of-a-kind creations at Pandora's Box, a treasure trove of jewelry and functional art at Avenue 50 Studio in Highland Park. Come see why Northeast Los Angeles is the new "it" destination for art and jewelry lovers! When: Saturday , June 10, from 6 - 10 p.m. Where: Avenue 50 Studio, 131 N. Avenue 50, Highland Park, 90042 Who: Tyn & Kari Atol, Emma Diaz, Renee Dominique and Jennifer Rowland What: distinct necklaces, earrings, bracelets, bags, and other functional art will be available for purchase in a lovely art gallery environment. Light refreshments will be served. Studio info: (323) 258-1435
Neighborhood Leaders in Highland Park, Now Trained and Powerful! Stan Moore What is "LANI?" In 1995 Joyce Perkins started the "Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative," or LANI. LANI attempts to train and empower local citizens of the many communities that make up Los Angeles to take the power to improve their many areas of the City. On May 18 the 4th city-wide conference was held— bringing together members of the City Council, Ed Reyes of CD 1 was a member of a panel on improving the L.A. River, staff from at least seven City Council Districts, members of Neighborhood Councils, City staff, and many community activists. Seven members of the Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council (HHPNC) attended, with three of those also members of Highland Park Kiwanis Club, as well as a fourth member of the Kiwanis Club. Five of the seven HHPNC attended the entire conference, from 8:45 a.m. to after 2 p.m. The five were: President Heinrich Keifer, Chair of Public Health and Safety, Gloria Demeter, Chair of Economic Development, Manuel "Manny" Lazado, Chair of City Services and Transportation, Dr. Stanley W. Moore, and member at large Nancy Wyatt. In addition, Jesse Rosas attended the breakfast and heard the two major addresses, and Chair of Housing, Enma Espinoza, came over from Bank of America during her lunch hour to hear one of the afternoon panels, "Community Advocacy and Participation," before having to return to her work at the B of A. Keifer, Moore, and Wyatt are members of the Highland Park Kiwanis Club, and they were joined by the Club's vice-president, Peggy Soto Keifer. The Conference was excellent and worth the time of the eight Highland Park representatives. From 8:45 to 10:15 a.m. the participants had a very exceptional breakfast and heard two prominent members of the City government: Ms. S. Gail Goldberg, Director, City of Los Angeles Department of Planning, and Ms. Gloria Jeff, General Manager, City of L.A.'s Department of Transportation. Both of these exceptional women are new to Los Angeles. Ms. Goldberg, formerly in the Planning Department for 17 years and who oversaw the updating of the General Plan of San Diego, joined L.A. in February, while Ms. Jeff, who previously served as Director of the Michigan Department of Transportation and before that as Deputy Administrator for Federal Highways at the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, came to Los Angeles in March. They pledged to work together, rather than as separate and isolated Departments of the City. Ms. Goldberg spent her first two months getting to know her Department, its personnel, needs, problems, etc., and now is committed to a three month interaction with the citizens and institutions of the City, including a promise to meet with many of the Neighborhood Councils. After this five months of listening to and hearing the needs of the City, she plans to go to the City Council with a series of proposals for the future direction of L.A. Standing side by side with Ms. Jeff she declared it made no sense to have a vision, a future plan for L.A., that did not include working with the Transportation Department and its issues and plans. And, Ms. Jeff responded that she wanted to work side by side with Ms. Goldberg— that isolated actions of the Departments of the City simply make no sense. WORKING TOGETHER, NOT SEPARATELY WAS THEIR THEME— and the citizens of Los Angeles can only hope that they deliver on their joint promise to communicate and work together on the problems of our great City. At 10:30 the first 90 minute workshops began. Participants could choose between the L.A. River's "Greening," with City Councilman Ed Reyes one of the three panelists, "Development: Friend or Foe?", "Let's Create Safe Communities," (which Gloria Demeter attended as HHPNC Chair of Public Health and Safety), and "Show Me the Money," which Dr. Moore, Chair of City Services, and Manny Lazado, Chair of Economic Development, attended. The three panelists on "Show Me the Money" were simply exceptional in their presentations. Julia Cooksey, representing State Farm Insurance, discussed the three major areas that State Farm "invests" its grants in. Dr. Moore asked the first question of the workshop, directing the question to Cooksey. State Farm makes grants in the area of education. Presently the HHPNC is attempting to fund a program at Monte Vista Elementary School, whose principal is Barbara Gibbs. Monte Vista has about 25-30 children dropped off at the school between 6:15 and 6:30 a.m.— an hour before school officially opens. The problem: a local gang, called "The Local" are terrorizing the children— whose parents must go to work, and whose children try to hide from gang members wherever possible. Monte Vista wanted the HHPNC to give $3,000 toward a school program from 6:30-7:30 a.m. to get the children inside the school in a safe learning environment. The HHPNC hopes the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) will approve this $3,000 grant, but the issue has been sent to the City Attorney's Office. Dr. Moore got good news from Ms. Cooksey, State Farm might well approve such a grant, that the problem did fall within the State Farm guidelines for its grants. Ms. Delphia Jones, an Occidental College graduate, is head of Human Services and Family Development of the Community Development Department of the City. She supervises grants of $16-18 millions annually. Finally, the third panelist was Michael Espinoza, also an Occidental graduate, who last year funded 100 of 194 funding requests for matching funds— matching with citizen labor at $15 an hour— to beautify local communities. This type of grant is what Heinrich Keifer got for the HP Kiwanis Club— to put in a sprinkler system at the Senior Citizen Center at Figueroa and York and plant the now bare area along the concrete wall curving from Figueroa to York Blvd. near "Veterans Square." There is more matching money out there if the community groups of Highland Park are creative in their proposals!! After lunch there were again four 90 minute workshops to choose between a very difficult task— and Keifer, Moore, and Enma Espinoza choose "Community Advocacy and Participation. Two members of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, Ben Beach and Malcolm Carson, gave a brief summary of their 2 night, 3 hours each night, workshop that is being offered on Tuesday, June 13, and Thursday, June 15 for $35. Highland Park has the Gold Line and Figueroa corridors—prime areas for additional development and density. Most citizens of HP don't want their quality of life to be hurt by unthinking development, but, we can't just say "NO." We have to be thoughtful in our responses to the needs of L.A. So, Dr. Moore plans to take the 6 hour, two night, course. Maybe you would like to join him? Call the Legal Aid Foundation and sign up!
Nominations Closing Soon for Women in
Business Awards 2006 Celsi Performance at SW Hill
SW Hill Country Western Store, 1412 Colorado Blvd, invites you to a very special performance featuring Anny Celsi on Saturday, June 10 at 7:00 p.m. Cost is $20 and includes BBQ. Call 256-2500 and make your reservations as seating is limited. Anny Celsi (pronounced "Chelsea") began her musical upbringing in the shadow of the Portland freeways, infusing its rain-soaked, caffeine-rock culture with the girl-pop sounds of Dusty Springfield and Ellie Greenwich. She spent her teenage years as a writer and vaudeville performer with the acclaimed avante-garde Storefront Theatre, after which, several inches short of the Las Vegas showgirl minimum, she turned her attention to songwriting. She was a founding member of the L.A. boy/girl pop-rock band The Tearjerkers, which released a 7" single back in the 1900's now highly prized by collectors. Anny's next band, Annyland, released an independent CD, "She Walks In," which garnered rave reviews, quickly achieving frequent rotation on over 200 college stations nationwide, while their video of the same song became a staple with indie video programmers. Her latest CD, Little Black Dress," expresses the spirit of the entire album: "No matter what life throws at you, you've got to put on your little black dress and keep going. The woman in these songs can change a tire in that dress if she has to. And she'll still look good, and she won't spill her martini, either."
From the Collection of....... June 10th, 2006 3pm-8pm The Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock is inviting collectors and artists who have previously donated or shown their work at the Center to donate pieces and share in the profits. This is a straight sale, not an auction. The sale begins promptly at 3pm and concludes at 8pm. First come, first serve, art will be sold off the walls! Proceeds from this sale will be used to support the summer programs in Eagle Rock, El Sereno and Boyle Heights. The Art Sale will feature the work from the the Collections of Jay Belloli, Al Nodel, Esperanza Valverde, Jeol Wachs, Weston de Walt, Luis Ituarte, Kathy Gallegos and Gerda Govine. The work of the following artists has already been donated: Alice Aycock, Bob & Bob, Luis Camejo, John Dominique, Dianne Gamboa, Sam Gillam, Los Animistas, Gilberr Lujan-Magu, Joan Myers, Ernesto Pina, Henry Leo Schnable, Lew Thomas. Artists' donation include: David McNutt, Camille Feinberg, Donna Kolb, Kevin Haas, Heather Hoggan, Haven Lin-Kirk, Connie Kramer, Pola Lopez, Dan McCleary, Katie Moriarty, Margaret Neilsen, Angela Ortiz, Tomas Owen, Wayne Shimabukuro, Mark Vallen, and many others. The Center for the Arts is located at 2225 Colorado Blvd, Eagle Rock, CA 90041. (323) 226-1617
June 10
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