Southwest

Museum

Plundered

Mt. Washington Natives on Warpath

by Tom Topping

Hundreds of thousands of priceless artifacts are being removed from the Southwest Museum, probably never to return. The collection, compiled over about a hundred years, was the culmination of the life's work of Charles Fletcher Lummis, a traveler, journalist, educator, historical preservationist, presidential advisor and a champion of civil rights for Native Americans, Hispanics and other minority groups.
The artifacts of the collection are mostly Native American. They include pottery, baskets, religious figures, ceremonial and other garments, textiles and carpets, along with items uncovered from archaeological digs throughout the southwest, including human remains. The collection is so huge that it had filled practically every inch of storage space at the museum, until recently (2003), when it merged with the Autry Museum of Western Heritage, now called the Autry National Center and Museum of the American West.
The story of the museum and the merger and the latest response from community activists could easily fill a book. It would be a book without an ending, however, as the story is not over.
The Southwest Museum building and its contents are wonderful, perhaps stunning, in each of their own rights. The building itself sits magnificently on a hill overlooking the Arroyo Seco. Even if you have never actually been there, you have seen it and no doubt appreciate the landmark. Up close, it is just as majestic, with the towers and arched windows and doorways, built in the Spanish Colonial style. But, unlike the Missions, it is not made of adobe. Lummis, having seen the deterioration of historical wood and adobe structures in his life, built the museum of reinforced concrete to last forever. It has withstood the test of wind, rain, earthquakes and time, still standing firm, albeit a few cracks here and there.
The collection, even to the occasional visitor's eye, is interesting and informative. The pieces on display give a sense of what life was like for Native Americans in the southwest. Many of the items are distinctively beautiful and illustrate an extraordinarily high level of artistic creativity and skill for people often described as primitive. But the items on display are just the tip of the iceberg, behind doors closed and locked to all but the privileged few, resides a collection so huge, it would take Dodger Stadium and much of its parking lot to simply lay it all out, let alone display it.
Yet, I was one of the privileged few to get the back room tour. I was stupefied to see the sheer volume of the artifacts. To the untrained eye (me), however, I wondered, for instance, how many hand-woven baskets does it take to tell the story about a past civilization. 30? 50? 150? Do we really need to preserve (just a wild guess) 5000?
My guide, Autry Conservator Richard Moll, explained that the collection is, "...not just extremely deep, but incredibly broad." He meant that examples of items like the baskets are not only categorized by which tribes they came from, but also from different eras of each of those tribes. More sub-groups of those tribes like geographic areas may be represented as well.
I began to see that it may be of value to keep each of these examples, although seemingly repetitious, which actually are quite unique. He said it would be possible for descendants of these tribes doing research to follow the history of their ancestors through the progression of baskets, or pottery or perhaps other items like clothing, etc. Most everyone agrees, it should all be preserved.
For years, the Southwest Museum had struggled along. Originally, Lummis himself was the greatest booster of the Museum. He got together enough support to build it in the first place.
Over the years, it has managed to survive. To the various managers of the place it was a labor of love. It was well maintained, and with the varied support they did have, were able to renovate the museum in the fifties (approx), and complete the Braun research library in 1979.
In the eighties, however, things started to decline. The details remain sketchy at this point, but the museum was faced with continuos financial trouble. So much so that board members considered merging with the County Museum of Natural History. That was stopped when an investigation, initiated by then CD14 Councilman Richard Alatorre, revealed conflicts of interest among the board members pushing for that merger.
Somewhere along the way, one of the directors was convicted of stealing from the collection (though supposedly to keep the institution afloat). In the nineties, the community group "SOS" for Save Our Southwest Museum was started. The community members worked to help the Museum with outreach and funding.
When the Blue Line was proposed (now the Gold Line) community members pushed hard to get a station, originally intended for Highland Park, moved to support the Southwest Museum. They hoped to provide a conduit for more visitors to attend. Another proposal to have a Southwest Museum satellite at the old May Company building on the Miracle Mile in 2001 never materialized. The Autry Museum of Western Heritage was in full swing by then, and they considered a merge with the Southwest Museum.
All of us know something about museums. We've all visited one kind or another in our lives. We all know that we go there to look at stuff. Whether it's art, or history or science or television or classic automobiles, we sometimes will go to a place that has stuff on display for us to look at. But what we don't know is that we are not really the museum's customers. Well, in a way we are, but the real clients are the people or entities that pay the bills there. We are talking donors, benefactors, trustees, grant foundations and the like. They are the ones who keep museums going. Although museums may want to please the public, they have to please the benefactors.
It is all about pleasing those benefactors that drove the merger for the Autry. Autry leadership studied the benefits of creating an institution that would rank nationally instead of just regionally. According to Autry President John Gray, it would allow Museum fundraisers to reach out all over the country to help keep the museum afloat with grants, endowments and the like.
The merger was final in 2003. They acquired the land, the museum building, and collection for free. (Of course, they also acquired the financial obligations, and the considerable responsibility to care for the vast collection.) Now called the Autry National Center, they say it is a multicultural history center formed from the merger of three museums: the Southwest Museum of the American Indian, the Autry Museum of Western Heritage, and the Women of the West Museum.
Local Mt. Washington and Highland Park activists wasted no time in expressing their concerns over the future of the Southwest Museum. The Autry responded.
In a 2003 letter sent by CEO John Gray to local activist Nicole Possert and the Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition, he spelled out his intentions and commitments to the Northeast L.A. community about the museum, the collection and the site. He wrote: "... the Southwest Museum and the Casa Adobe... will be preserved and conserved and that both sites will continue to be public destinations."
This, along with other commitments such as listing the Southwest Museum building on the National Register of historic places and creating public facilities like parking that will enhance the site, gave local activists hope that everything was going to be all right.
They did think everything would be all right until they got hold of a press release last March that said, "The Southwest's cramped buildings in Mt. Washington, dating to 1914, have deteriorated to a point that threatens the museum's holdings. Relocating to Griffith Park will result in more than five times the current gallery space to showcase a collection of Native American art and artifacts that is considered one of the largest and most significant in the world." Thus, the one thing that Mt. Washington Community members had feared most, that the museum would be moved, was now printed in black and white.
"RELOCATE" That one word started the Southwest Museum advocates on the war path. Suddenly, trust was replaced with suspicion as the Coalition got the news out to all its members. They had one meeting with the Autry Board to see what the promised public process would be. One thing the members of the Coalition are good at is participating in "public process." Petition gathering, letter writing and speaking at public hearings has been refined to practically a science where they come from. None of that is any good, however, if the public process doesn't exist, and the Autry folks never
created one.
Unwilling to give up, the coalition is reaching out to get as much support as they can. Even new L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa, also a Mt. Washington resident, took an oath of support for the Southwest Museum, saying that he would make sure the Autry would have a tough time expanding their Griffith Park facility (on land owned by the City of L.A.) if they would not make legally binding commitments to keep the Southwest Museum open.
Which brings us to the most recent meeting to save the Southwest Museum, held last month at Ramona Hall. I missed part of it, but needless to say, coalition members were rallying the troops. They're mad as hornets and they're talking about using whatever means necessary to stop the move.
"I mean economic boycotts, I mean picketing, I mean calling, I mean bothering them so much... a lawyer alone is not gonna get it for us," said coalition member Carol Jaques. "We need a lawyer, but what we really need is you!" she added as she made her plea for help.
Emotions were running high when surprise guest, Autry Conservator Richard Moll stood up and said, "I get really upset. If you want to put a public face on who actually moved the collection out of Casa de Adobe, you're lookin' at him." He was answered with boos and jeers when he said, "I don't think anyone here cares more about this collection than I do." He tried to make his point that the best way to help the Mt. Washington site was to go along with the Autry's plans, but that was not received well by the audience, who already believed they had been mislead. They then proceeded to impolitely shout him right out of the room.
"Maintained, preserved and available for everybody for the future, for future generations," was how Mr. Moll described his personal intentions for the collection. Personally, I believe him. After spending about two hours on a personal tour, I saw the creativity, education and technology that was at work to do just that. Unfortunately, he isn't the person that makes the decisions, and that's really not a point of contention anyway.
Not generally known is the condition and suitability of the museum's buildings to house such a collection. From what I saw, it's not very good. I know from my own experience how easily water will come in an older concrete building during a heavy storm. I saw where it had there. I saw where part of the ceiling had fallen down. Richard showed me the many shelves that were sheeted with plastic to protect them from leaky roofs and walls. It's not pretty.
I was fascinated to learn about the freezer that preservation workers use to kill pests that have made their homes in some of the artifacts. All items, before being shipped to the Autry are catalogued, cleaned, photographed, and frozen for 10 days at 27 degrees below zero. This kills all the bugs and their eggs. One thing for sure is that, if left there unprotected in the 90 year old buildings, the collection will continue to deteriorate. These issues are not in dispute.
But the two sides apparently disagree about something.
All the coalition really wants is for the Southwest Museum to remain as the Southwest Museum. But the Autry wants to build an impressive center of the American West where all facets of the region's history can be displayed, protected and available for study. But do they really disagree?
To me, it seems the desires of the two do not have to be mutually exclusive of each other, yet the Autry leadership will not consider entering into any kind of legally binding agreement that would make it so. Why?
I sure don't envy the president of the Autry. John Gray is doing a tough job pretty well and it would be difficult to replace him. He worries that the controversy may scare away museum benefactors that are few and far between. But why not come to terms with the activists? What is holding him back? He was gracious enough to return my call, but I was left feeling very unsatisfied with the answers I received.
Instead of answering the main question, "why?" he said that the Southwest Museum had failed. He said the only other option for them was to give the collection to Washington D.C. and pay for the transfer with the sale of the property. He said the Autry has spent a fortune repairing the building and doing the preservation work on the collection.
Well, I guess it could be true. Then he said a pipe had just burst in the Braun Library, a statement that I knew wasn’t true, creating a fog of doubt over everything he had just told me. (In reality, the drain pipe for the A/C condenser had plugged up, causing condensed water to leak into the library. A nuisance, yes, but not so dramatic as a burst pipe!)
I am still unsure of Mr. Gray's motivations and leery of his promises. Remember the letter to Mrs. Possert? It was carefully worded like a lawyer had written it. It seemed to suggest one thing while not actually committing to it. A little too slick for me.
It may be that from a former banker's point of view, (he is) it is financially unfeasible to upgrade a 90 year old building to match contemporary museum needs and standards. If he had said that, I would've respected him. But he didn't.
Through it all I weighed the propaganda and spin coming from both sides of this issue, and wondered, "What would Lummis do if he were here?" I think he would just do what he believed was the best to further his original dream for the Museum.
But whether it would be moving the collection to a new state of the art facility where people can enjoy and study it, or revitalizing the old building that was the culmination of a life time of work, I don't know. Why can't it be both?

Obituary, New York Times,
November, 1928-
"Charles Lummis was one of the first 'discoverers' of the southwest. Many a person had traveled through Arizona and New Mexico before he did. A few had written of it glowingly. But Mr. Lummis combined the skill and instinct of a journalist with a deep love of the country."

CD14...

Anyone at the Wheel?

by Tom Topping

Since our Councilman became Mayor, many northeast residents are concerned that the 14th district will suffer in the months before an election can be held to replace him. Others may think it won't matter much, but they may not be aware of all the things the council office does for the various communities in the district.
Just last week, in one instance, it became crystal clear how much we have come to depend on the hardworking folks who work in the offices of CD14.
On Friday, July 8, I noticed the "no-parking" signs along the north side of Colorado Blvd. in Eagle Rock. "Oh no, more filming," I thought. A closer look at the signs did not identify any purpose for the parking restriction. It just said "8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mon-Fri."
As many of you may know, Eagle Rock has quite a parking problem as it is, and banning street parking, even for a day can have a huge impact on the local businesses.
On Monday, the signs were still up, but there was nothing happening anywhere on the street that explained the necessity of closing them. As it happens, the day before, at the Concerts in the Park, I had chatted with Michael Cathey, former Eagle Rock Field Deputy for Councilman Villaraigosa. With him was
Efram, whom he introduced to me as the new Eagle Rock Field Deputy for CD14. (Michael was moved up to field director as that office was changed to CD14.) Monday afternoon, I stopped by the pay Efram a visit.
Efram was very polite and seemed willing to help as I explained my concern over the parking situation. I thought it was strange that he was completely unaware that the no-parking signs were up, but he wrote down the information I gave him and promised to call me back to tell me what it was all about.
Tuesday, the next day, I awoke to the sound of trucks and chain saws. The purpose of the signs were no longer a mystery. A city tree trimming crew was hard at work, cutting and trimming and picking up the downed foliage. As they worked their way down the street, I thought, "Good! They will be finished today and the parking will be back to normal for the rest of the week. Too bad they took Monday's parking unnecessarily though."
The next morning, Wednesday, my phone rang at 9:00 a.m. I let it go to message, and when I listened to the recording it was Efram informing me that the city was doing tree trimming and that the parking would be restricted from the 11th to the 15th.
Hmm... that's nice. I already knew about the tree trimming for the last 24 hours. I also knew it was finished. When I left my apartment, the no-parking signs were still clearly in view. At that point, I was decidedly less than satisfied with my new friend Efram. While I am sure he did what he thought was required of him, he did nothing about protecting the local economy from being damaged by the thoughtless actions of a city department. It seemed that he did not even understand that it was a problem. Maybe he didn't know he could do something to help, being new and all (My suspicion is that the D.O.T. intentionally left those signs up so they could write more parking tickets, but maybe that's just me being paranoid).
Wednesday afternoon I visited the Eagle Rock Field office again. I was so thankful to come face to face with Mr. Michael Cathey. As I explained the situation to him, I could tell he knew immediately that it was something to be concerned about and that there was something he could do about it.
The next day, there was no sign of the offending signs, and business on the boulevard was back to normal.
From my observations, I have determined that big organizations like city governments do things in a way that is most convenient for them, and not for the folks they are supposed to be serving. It is much easier to block street parking for a whole week and let street services show up to trim the trees when it suits them (and maybe write a few more $50 parking tickets in the meantime to help pay for it).
It is almost useless to try and communicate directly with these bureaucrats. The only help you will ever get is from the staff of your elected representative, in this case, the crew at CD14.
From dealing with mindless bureaucracies to getting assistance with community events, having good people in your council office makes all the difference.

LAPD Officer on Towing
Denise,
This is in reference to your article on illegal towing in the Boulevard Sentinel.
I agree in that we have many incidents of private property towing abuses in Los Angeles City; Many I have witnessed. I know the tow truck drivers will do anything they can to get away with an illegal or legal tow.
As pointed out in the California Vehicle Code the tow companies have a strict protocol they are "supposed" to follow prior to a private property tow.
1) The property must be properly posted.
2) There must be a contract between the property owner/manager and the tow truck company and the tow operator must have a copy of it with him/her.
3) The vehicle must have been parked on the property for at least one hour.
4) There must be an owner, manager or AGENT of the property present reporting the illegal parking. An agent can be ANYONE the property owner or manager designates.
In your article you did not indicate if an agent was present, which you probably don't know.
If an agent was present, and the other rules were followed, the tow was legal. The private tow companies are allowed to charge up to but no more than the Official Police Garage rate.
Also, what gives your brother the right to park on private property without the owners consent or being a customer? Would you mind if a stranger parked in your driveway? Who cleans the cans, bottles and cigarette butts off this property the next morning?
Please don't encourage people make a police report for the incident you described. It does not qualify for a report and one will not be taken.
Thank you, Ken Henkle

More Street Marking Madness
Dear Tom Topping:
Before Figueroa St. (Highland Park) was re-paved between Ave. 50 and 54, there was an arrow painted in the center divider that would give the motorist turning north the right of way.
After the street was re-paved some 4 or 5 years ago, the arrow was left out. Who has the right of way when 2 cars enter the center divider coming face to face in the opposite direction?
I contacted Martha Stephenson aud she sent some green horn from her office to check it out and she concluded that Northeast Police station has no record of any accident happening at the intersection of Ave. 53.
I live next door to the United Faith Presbyterian church and have had my share of close calls. I can only wonder how these people get these $75,000 a year jobs.
They seem to forget that we live in the area and we are more aware of the danger than they are. I took the time to go down to Martha Stephenson's office and spoke to her personally and I really came home feeling as if painting an arrow in the center divider is coming out of her pocket.
Sincerely, Charles L. Garcia
Highland Park

New Device Eases Backpain
Local Doctor Uses Painless, Non-Evasive, Non-Surgical FDA Approved Device To Treat Herniated And Bulging Discs, Sciatica, And Serious Low Back Pain With No Documented Side Effects And An 86% Success Rate.
Surgeons perform an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 back surgeries every year. Annually, neurosurgeons perform at least 100,000 operations for lumbar disc disease alone, and orthopedic surgeons perform a similar number. It is estimated that between 20% and 40% of these operations are unsuccessful.
That is why doctors from all over the country are racing to acquire and get trained to operate the DRX9000™… an FDA approved device that is saving thousands of Americans suffering from chronic back pain from going under the knife.
Dr. Travis Huteson, who treats serious back pain without surgery explains how the DRX9000™ works… "Over 10 years ago, NASA began to notice an unexpected result of space travel – Astronauts that left with back pain would come back without it. After investigating this new phenomenon, here's what they found: During the anti-gravity state of the mission there were decompressive forces on the intervertebral discs and back pain was relieved. How? When you travel through space, the effects of gravity are removed and you are in a weightless state. All the pressure is taken off your spine and discs. Even better – and this is the key -- a negative pressure is created. This negative pressure actually sucks the herniated material back into the disc and allows it to heal. Thanks to the DRX9000™ , disc herniation sufferers finally have a non-surgical solution."
The main conditions the DRX 9000 has documented success with are back pain, sciatica, herniated and/or bulging discs (single or multiple), degenerative disc disease, facet syndromes and a relapse or failure following back surgery.
For more information on this incredible new treatment, Dr. Huteson has made a Free Report available entitled, "How An Accidental Discovery By NASA In Outer Space Quickly And Easily Solves 86% of Back Pain And The Breakthrough Medical Technology That's Bringing It To You!" To request a copy of this Free Report, simply call his toll-free recorded message at 1-888-705-4095 or you can request a copy online by going to the following website: www.lowbackpainrelief.info

Eagle Vista Seniors
The August calendar for the Eagle Vista Seniors begins on Tuesday '02 with the usual Business and Board meetings. The members meeting at 10: am will have as its speaker Bill Fisher. He will discuss "Living Trusts," an especially pertinent subject for seniors and their families. Birthday cake will be served to honor August celebrators.
LAST MINUTE GOOD NEWS! The August 9th meeting will take place in the long-awaited and newly-restored Eagle Rock Recreation Center. That address (if you have forgotten) is 1100 Eagle Vista Drive.
Aug. 09 (Tues) Another interesting speaker, Destree Rideaux, a Park Ranger, will define what colleagues have to offer to seniors.
Aug. 16 (Tues) Tim Dietlin will share his knowledge of the History of Glendale Center Theatre, a favorite entertainment venue of the Seniors.
Aug. 23 (Tues) B I N G O Carloz Cruz, caller.
Aug. 27 (Sat.) All aboard for the Lobster-Clam Bake! A trip to Oxnard will include a visit to the Maritime Museum Collection, as well as their special feast. (A few openings and/or waiting list is available) The bus departs at 10:30 am from Glassell Park and will return at 6:00 pm. Price for the entire day is $22.
Aug. 30 (Tues.) Direct from Las Vegas! Clint Young with his music and comedy for a cheery conclusion of our summer season.

New ROCK Leadership

The announcement of new R.O.C.K. leadership comes with fond farewells to Donna Robey-Sullivan as she and her family move to North Carolina. Donna served as director, leader, champion, cheerleader and all-around beacon for the R.O.C.K. Teen Center for years, providing patience, creativity, dedication and expertise to Eagle Rock's next generation of leaders. In addition to her work at the R.O.C.K., Donna was an active member of her church, a board member and tireless volunteer for the Women¹s Twentieth Century Club of Eagle Rock, a supporter of the Collaborative: Eagle Rock Beautiful, the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council and so many other causes and activities in the community. Thank you, Donna, for everything. Your indelible mark has been left on Eagle Rock and your bright smile will be missed. Best of luck to you and yours as you start the next chapter of your life's journey.

Cruisin' With Mary

Hello again, Eagle Rock. I hope everyone had a safe 4th of July. July was a busy month for the Eagle Rockin' Rodders starting with our car show July 10th at Concerts in the Park.
The Eagle Rockin' Rodders have participated in this community event for many years and every year we have more custom cars show up for an afternoon of rock and roll and picnicking. Over 40 hot rods, vintage and classic cars made an appearance, with club participation from the Glendale Golden Oldies Club, the Eagle Rock Trompers, as well as our local old-school Chevy and rat-rod guys. Bob Bean, original founder of the Eagle Rockin' Rodders brought his ride and graciously helped direct parking for our guests. Thanks again, Bob!
The afternoon turned out to be quite lovely after an initially upsetting start: keep in mind that our club has consistently been involved in this free, goodwill event for the community for years, and we were surprised that our usual car show spaces had been sold to the craft vendors. We had not been included in the planning stages and were not told ahead of time that our car show area, as well as access to it, would be limited. As a result we turned away invited car show guests. Tempers flared as club members tried to safely direct traffic around craft vendors who were reluctant to move chairs, trash containers and people in order to get the cars in and parked. All was well once the cars were parked. We want to apologize if we ruffled anyone's feathers, however our mission was to provide a free car show for Eagle Rock.
The band Ronnie and the Classics played a lot of oldies from the 50's, 60's, and 70's and were excellent. They came on-stage wearing colorful zoot suits which went perfectly with the old-school Chevys. We held two 50/50 raffles with cash prizes going out to picnic guests in the amounts of $112 and $100. Tickets were sold by club daughters Maddie and Lacey who really worked the crowd. The profits from the raffle will be included in our community donations to be made at Christmas. Thanks to the girls who sold raffle tickets and to everyone who so generously participated.
Our July Cruise at Jim's Burgers had a good turn out of cars despite the hot, muggy weather. The car that stands out most in my mind this month is a 1955 MG convertible, white with burgundy leather interior. The car is in very good shape, still mostly original and is owned by a local resident. We want to again thank Jim's Burgers for letting us have our cruise each month, as well as Tritch Hardware, One Stop Tire and Wheel, Power Ford, Sir Michael's, Kaganville, and Verdugo Hardware, just a few of our generous sponsors. We would also like to thank Tom Topping for his continued support and good will.
In closing I would like to ask my readers to keep one of our members in your thoughts: Longtime member Mary Dawson has been ill for a while. She and her husband Jack have been members of the Eagle Rockin' Rodders for years and were very active in cruises and club events. They are good, down-home Eagle Rockers! It was so great to see them at the July cruise. Mary, you are in our hearts, and our prayers. Until August, stay kool, and keep on rockin' !

Collaborative Eagle Rock Beautiful
The Collaborative Eagle Rock Beautiful has received a Neighborhood Matching Fund Grant from the City of Los Angeles to beautify the cul-de-sac where Wiota street ends at Colorado Blvd. This is the spot where the 134 freeway off ramp spills out on to Colorado Blvd. The plans include an Eagle Rock Monument Sign, the same design that Bill Stutz did a few years ago for the SavOn property at the corner of Colorado and Figueroa. (The SavOn one should be going in soon.) There will of course be flowering plants and trees.
This is a process, and we will be lucky to have a ground breaking in August or September. Even though the grant has been approved, a permit must still be obtained from the city, and the estimate is 3 months.
The process may also be iterative. The City may require changes to the plans in order to approve the permit. I am very grateful to Michael Cathy and Paul Racs in helping with the permit process.
The cul-de-sac is the starting point of a multi-phase plan. Cal Trans has told community leaders of their plans to landscape the on and off ramp, hopefully this year. After the cul-de-sac, the crosswalk median in the on-ramp is next, followed by the median in Colorado Blvd. It will probably be a few years before the entire area is completed.
Please visit the website:
www.geocities.com/wiotaplanting
The website shows the plans for the first phase of the project, including the plant choices. I welcome your comments and suggestions.
Please email them to me at wiotaplanting@yahoo.com.


GCPNC Members Installed.
The Greater Cypress Park Neighborhood Council held their first meeting as an elected board last week. First District Councilman Ed Reyes was there to officially install the new members into their seats.
The creation and certification of the council in Cypress Park had been marked by delays and infighting, and was almost decertified by the City's Department of Neighborhoods, before an election was ever held. Finally, they got it together, holding their election last month.
After the installation, they got right down to business by electing the board's officers from among themselves. At stake, were the positions of chair, vice chair and treasurer.
When nominations opened, Friends of Cypress Park member Alexia Teran was pitted against the always controversial Art Pulido. Mr. Pulido got the required 8 votes and is now the chair. Roberta Trotman accepted the nomination for treasurer and was also elected. The position of secretary, responsible for taking minutes and other administrative tasks, will be appointed by the board.
Although one candidate was there and willing to take it, Gus Lizarde motioned to table that task until the next meeting, when more candidates could be sought. The motion passed.
After a few comments from the public were heard, Art Pulido reminded everyone that Neighborhood Councils are all about giving the community a voice, and asked for their help to make it so. With that, the first Greater Cypress Park Neighborhood Council meeting was in the books and adjourned.

Miss Mindy’s Reviews:

Weirdo/Begeirdo

Hey Eagle Rockers! I hope you're ready for something completely different this month… maybe even something a little weird.
Presenting Weirdo/Begeirdo, a home-grown band straight out of Eagle Rock with their own brand of "sloppily destroyed and bored insider pun-pop". An unexpected, audibly artistic treat for any music enthusiast.
The band consists of founding members Britt Brown ("guitar, death metal pedals, vox, feedback") and Amanda Holzer ("drums, vox, keys, hats, misc."), who recently joined with Meagan Yellott ("bass, drums, vox, rhythm"), Molly Rodgveller ("Yamaha synth, vox, tambo, bells, wood blocks, xylophone") and Claire Evans ("Casio SK-1, tambo, vox, bass, guitar"). Together they form one of the most original bands I've heard in a while.
Weirdo/Begeirdo is on indie record label, Not Not Fun, which just so happens to be another one of Amanda and Britt's illustrious projects. The two of them (as well as friend/musician Joel Black) head up the label (which also houses many other great, local bands, such as My Sexual Dad, Hello Astronaut Goodbye Television and Foot Village) and make all the tapes, records and CD's themselves. This is a D.I.Y. dream come true! The album I received came in a glittery black, hand-glued sequin and sparkly sticker encrusted case that held a disc that was dusted with hot pink spray paint and stamped with a unicorn. To top it all off, inside was a bunch of laminated fun-stuff and a piece of flower printed ribbon. The packaging alone is more than enough to pique anyone's interest, but now for the music.
Weirdo/Begeirdo's first full-length album, "So I'm Dude In This Equation", is mostly a collaboration of Amanda (on "keyboards, organ, shakey things, baby drum kit, microphone, and heartstrings") and Britt (with "good guitar, bad guitar, fx, talking, toys, tin cans, diplomacy") with a little help from Not Not Fun label mate and fellow musician Jacob Smigel.
Starting off the album is "Sike", a funny and clever song with great lyrics, detached melody and gritty vocals over simple guitar chords and a hypnotizing flute. "Put it on, Look so hot…NOT".
"Currin and Joel Used To Live Downtown" is a fascinating and musically textured instrumental that starts out sounding like a disco video game and ends up morphing into a beautifully sparse, clink-clanking crescendo.
Next is "Total Genius", a song with Munster-esque organs and strum-y guitar. The vocal distortion on this track makes it sound as if they're singing to you over the phone. "You'll never get me, Not if you got me, You never thought I'd be, A total genius".
"Scrutin' Eyes" is a mellow, acoustic guitar driven tune with a distant harmonica/kazoo and hazy vocals. A Weirdo/Begeirdo take on folk. "Caught in the gaze of your scrutin' eyes, Lost in the maze of your scrutin' eyes".
One of my favorites, "Saint, Saint Marks" sounds like something from a renaissance fair with a menagerie of flutes, a marching drum beat and banging tin. Britt's vocals are robotically monotone, like a mechanic Pied Piper leading us all along to the beat. "Parking lots full of beamers, Look at the losers in the bleachers, Dr. Pepper after school, Sniffin' glue makes us cool".
The album comes to an end with "Put A Hat On Yr Love", a "sing-along" type song with a chorus of voices, simplistic piano melody and a chiming bell. "Put a hat on your love… hate".
Weirdo/Begeirdo's album, "So I'm Dude In This Equation", as well as shirts, buttons and fanny packs (!) are available at the band's website (www.notnotfun.com) and their tunes can also be heard at www.myspace.com /weirdobegeirdo. So everyone, it's time for something different… and this is i
Unusual Suspects Theatre Company
We are The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company. We are a non-profit that brings theatre arts to LA's most at risk teens. We have an event we'd like to add to the event calander Is that possible? We'd like to have our information posted on the event calander by Aug 15th if possible. The information is below:
Title of the Play: "F-Words"- Written and Performed By The Unusual Suspects Youth and Alumni at the Sylvan Amphitheatre in Yosemite Park, Eagle Rock-Part of the Sylvan Amphitheatre Fest 2005
1840 Yosemite Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90041 (next to Eagle Rock High School. The outdoor theatre is north of the pool area)
When: Saturday August 27th & Sunday August 28th at 7:00pm- Performance is free of charge. Thanks in advance for your time!

WANTED
Shirt Logo for El Pueblo
The City of Los Angeles, Department of El Pueblo is looking for a t-shirt logo design for its 224th birthday celebration on September 4th. Please submit designs immediately but no later than August 15th.
Designs should incorporate:
*The original multi-ethnic/multi-racial 44 "founders" of Los Angeles (Los Pobladores) in their historic walk from San Gabriel to Los Angeles.
Geographic features that denote Los Angeles, such as Mt Baldy and San Gabriel Mission
Designs might conceptualize:
*Pobladores walking along route looking toward "vision" of what is Los Angeles today
*Historical transition (1781-2005) from a Mexican pueblo to present-day Los Angeles.
For more information and details, please call 213.485.8372 or 213.485.9769
 

Laura Chick in Eagle Rock - August 9
Be sure to hold the evening of August 9 and plan to attend the Eagle Rock Association's public meeting. Laura Chick, Los Angeles City Controller, will be in attendance and will speak at the meeting.
Laura Chick is the 17th Controller of the City of Los Angeles, having been re-elected on March 8, 2005, with 82% of the vote. Laura has lived in Los Angeles since 1952 and is the first and only woman in the history of Los Angeles to hold citywide office.
As Controller, she is the chief auditor and accountant for the City of Los Angeles. Her responsibilities include conducting financial and performance audits of all aspects of City operations, supervising expenditures, including payroll and accounts payable, and issuing various financial reports. A recent Los Angeles Business Journal feature said, "Los Angeles City Controller Laura Chick has emerged as a central voice in the ongoing debate over how the city handles its contracts." As the May 2004 Los Angeles Magazine states, "Where others couch and evade, she is Ms. Blunt." It should be an entertaining and informative evening.
Ms. Chick will speak for about 20 minutes and then will take questions from the audience.

Rainbow for Girls, Assembly #44
The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls (called IORG, or Rainbow) is a non-profit, fraternal youth service organization for girls between the ages of 11-20. Rainbow Girls dedicate their time to service. The primary goal of a Rainbow Girl is to serve others and humanity. Giving unselfishly of one's self to assist others in need can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life.
Rainbow provides an opportunity for its members to build a strong base from which to launch their future and prepare for the responsibilities of adulthood through leadership and participation in local charity and community projects.
Rainbow is family oriented. There are many activities that parents and family members are invited and encouraged to participate in. Many parents, grandparents and legal guardians find that Rainbow provides a unique opportunity to build an even stronger relationship with their daughters and her friends.
Rainbow is open to all girls, regardless of race or religious beliefs. Upcoming Events for August:
8/06/05 Hepner Avenue's 7th Annual Yard Sale
8/19-21 Rainbow Camp in Lake Arrowhead
Come out and meet some of the girls and find out more about our group at the yard sale.
We meet the 2nd and 4th Mondays, at 7PM at the Glendale Masonic Center. If you are interested in joining or want more information about our group, contact Angie Eckart, Mother Advisor 323-255-0285

click on ads to enlarge

Villaraigosa

Endorses José Huizar

for CD 14

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was joined by City Controller Laura Chick, former Mayor Richard Riordan and Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard today to announce their support for Jose Huizar, L.A. School Board Member and candidate for the 14th City Council District.
"Jose Huizar is the candidate I trust roll up his sleeves and work on serious solutions to gang crime, traffic and affordable housing," Villaraigosa said. "Jose and I worked together to fight to reform our schools, reduce class sizes, and stand up for our children's fair share of school resources."
Huizar is running for the 14th City Council district, which was represented by Villaraigosa before he was sworn in as Mayor on July 1. The district includes Eagle Rock, Boyle Heights, El Sereno, Mt. Washington, Glassell Park, Hermon, Highland Park and part of Downtown.
The announcement took place at Pueblo del Sol, a project that includes quality affordable housing, parks and a community center, and a future school. Huizar led the effort to expedite the completion date of the school by nearly three years, to relieve overcrowding at local campuses. Villaraigosa continued: "Perhaps most important, Jose Huizar and I are working with me to hold the L.A. Unified School District accountable. As we begin a new era with greater City involvement in reforming the school district, Jose Huizar's expertise on school reform and governance will be a great asset to the City Council – and the children and families of the 14th Council District."
"I'm supporting Jose Huizar for City Council because moving Los Angeles forward requires teamwork and leadership, and Jose Huizar has proven he has what it takes," Villaraigosa concluded.
Huizar is also supported by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez and State Senator Gloria Romero, who both represent large portions of the 14th Council District.

Sewer Work Continues
by Tom Topping
Crews engaged in sewer construction will be in and around Eagle Rock for up to ten more months, according to city public works representatives speaking at the July board meeting of the Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce.
Local residents are well aware of the construction, which has been causing traffic backups for over two years now. The completion of construction, although not soon, is in sight.
The addition of the new sewer lines became a necessity due to continual sewage spills and overflows during the rainy season. They are required by a consent agreement through the courts, the settlement of a lawsuit.
Low lying areas in the vicinity of Eagle Rock and York Boulevards, as well as El Paso and Verdugo Roads are where these spills occur whenever there is a heavy downpour. Residents in those areas are accustomed to seeing the large pumper tank trucks, who arrive to suck-out the extra volume of sewage before it can flood onto the city streets.
Adrian Barrera, resident inspector on the project, explained that sewer construction usually goes in an "upstream" direction, and mainly has, as the new sewer was started at the beach, and then brought up through downtown, Cypress Park, and now the northeast. However, crews working on the segment between El Paso and York Bl. ran into soil contaminated with petrochemicals, and had to stop.
A high ground water table also slowed construction during the winter in the York and Eagle Rock area, forcing crews to move north so they could continue to work. That's why lately, the majority of construction has been along Eagle Rock Boulevard from Westdale north to Fair Park. The good news is that the work in this area is almost complete, and Mr. Barrera claims that even the repaving should be done in a few weeks, perhaps by the end of August.
Since it is summer, and the water table is sinking as low as it will get, the city has asked the contractor to accelerate the work by bringing in more men and equipment. On York Boulevard, an area affected worst by sewer overflows and high ground water, they want the sewer work completed by November. The good news is that with the extra resources, work should be done quicker. The bad news is that the community will be impacted much greater during that time.
Mr. Barrera spoke about the efforts they are taking to minimize the impacts when he said, "If there is any issue, anything that's really causing a problem, contact outreach coordinator Olga or myself and we'll be happy to meet you at your location in the field." He promised that they would do their best to mitigate the complaints, and would be informing everyone in the areas affected. The toll-free number for those having such complaints is 1-866-711-1115.
Construction, though originally scheduled to be finished by September, will now continue through January and could stretch until the end May of next year.
This just in:
On Monday August 1st, the Los Angeles Board of Public Works will consider a motion to, "temporarily close north and south bound Verdugo Road traffic at Verdugo Road and Cypress Avenue intersection for an extended duration thru August 30, 2005." They meet at 1:pm, room 350 at the L.A. City Hall.
Another interesting item is Cynthia Ruiz, long time Antonio Villaraigosa supporter and campaigner was just appointed by the L.A. City Council to the Board of Public Works. She will serve as the president of that body, and will preside over this item of the Verdugo Road closure to come before the board on Monday.

The California Cowboy Concert
August 28, 2005, 2 - 4 pm
Location: Museum of the American West, Griffith Park
The Southern California Chapter of the Western Music Association presents a musical salute to the California cowboy, starring Dave Stamey, Justus and the Montanas, and others. Admission: $20; $15 for WMA and Autry members. For reservations, call 818. 725.2996.

Hermon Dog Park Opens

by Tom Topping
Community members showed up in force last Month, for the long awaited opening of the Hermon Dog Park in the Arroyo Seco Park. Dog owners in Northeast L.A. now have a place to let their dogs run free without the confines of a leash.
There were some very pleased pooches along with some very proud community members who helped turn the dream of a local dog park into a reality. The dog park project, started under Councilman Nick Pacheco, was completed just as Mayor Villaraigosa was taking office.
Ursula Brown from Eagle Rock, Wendi Riser from Hermon and Irene Ponce from El Sereno, never gave up on their dream of a local dog park, and were each presented awards at the opening ceremony from Lisa Sarno, the newly appointed caretaker of Counci1 District 14.
The dog park is now open daytime hours 7-days a week! A special area for smaller or more timid dogs is available in addition to the large, shady and beautiful main park. The dog park is located at 5568 Via Marisol, Los Angeles, 90042, just North of Avenue 60. Entry to the parking lot can be accessed off of the 5500 block of Via Marisol.

Ron Ferrara
June 1943- July 2005
On July 6, 2005, twenty year resident of Eagle Rock Ronald Bruce Ferrara, known as Ron, passed away at Glendale Adventist Medical Center, after a sixteen year battle with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a cancer of the blood. The cause of death was an infection, due to lowered immunity, caused by Ron's cancer treatments.
Ron was born in New Jersey and spent his teenage years studying in Italy where his father was assigned a post as an engineer. He developed an interest in foreign affairs and earned a B.A. in political science from Rutgers. Although Ron's main career path was as an administration assistant, most recently at Baxter Bioscience in Glendale, he would always take an interest in world culture and politics, often having lively discussions about current affairs with his friends and family. He loved history and literature, often helping his children with their school homework, or working on family genealogy projects.
Throughout his illness, Ron kept a very positive attitude, holding down a full time job and amazing his doctors with his remission periods. In the 1990s Ron was happy to be a pioneer recipient of medicine's new generation of genetically engineered Mono-Clonal Antibody therapies, and also followed a holistic a diet at home, which included organic foods and herbal teas. His death is a shock to family and friends, who always believed that he would pull through yet again.
A memorial service was held at the hospital chapel on July 14, and was well attended by family, neighbors and friends. Ron is survived by his wife Barbara, children Michael and Katie, his mother Marie and sister Diane.

From Mayor Villaraigosa's Office:
CD 14 Reorganization News
Dear Neighbors:
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Lisa Sarno as Caretaker for the 14th Council District. She will remain in this position until a new Councilmember is selected to represent the 14th Council District.
As my Deputy Chief of Staff over the past two years Lisa has the experience and institutional knowledge to ensure there is continuity in constituent services and capital improvement projects. I will continue to work closely with Lisa on all District issues.
Thank you for the opportunity you have given me to serve this City. I look forward to continuing my service to the 14th District as Mayor of the City of Los Angeles.
Very Truly Yours,
ANTONIO R. VILLARAIGOSA
MAYOR, CITY OF LOS ANGELES

Eagle Rock Business gets Award from State Fund
Senator Jack Scott presents the award
State Senator Jack Scott (D-Pasadena) was on hand today in Eagle Rock when local business owners were presented with a check from the California Loan Guarantee Fund.
The $50,000 loan and a line of credit were made possible through the San Fernando Valley Financial Development Corporation's California Loan Guarantee Fund.
The check was presented to Lisa McDaniel and Natasha Walsh, owners of The Rockin' Baby Shop on Eagle Rock Boulevard. The pair opened the shop after running a successful Internet business selling their trademark baby sling.
"The revitalization of the Eagle Rock business district has been a concern of mine for several years," stated Senator Scott. " In 2000 I was able to secure much-needed state funding for several projects involving the renewal of the downtown area. And today's award continues the effort to support small businesses while reviving the downtown core."
The Small Business Development Center provided the technical assistance to the business while the FDC provided the financing. Both operate under the Valley Economic Development Council and provide assistance for local business.

CD 14
CANDIDATES DEBATE
On Monday, August 15th, the Mount Washington Homeowners Alliance will sponsor a face to face dialogue featuring Nick Pacheco and Jose Huizar, the two front runners seeking the City Council seat left vacant by the election of Antonio Villaraigosa as Mayor of Los Angeles. The meeting will take place at Ramona Hall, located at 4580 North Figueroa St. in Highland Park, at 7:00 PM. In addition to taking the opportunity to present their positions and qualifications, the candidates will answer questions submitted from the audience. Don't miss this opportunity to meet the candidates and get the information you need to make an informed choice – the winner of the special election will represent your interests before City government. For further information, contact Denise Weinstock at 213-598-6626

Glassell Park Center Opens Doors
Nearly 100 Glassell Park seniors, community leaders, city officials and employees of Public Storage, Inc., celebrated the dedication Monday, Aug. 29, of the newly built, Glassell Park Community/Senior Center.
"This is really going to be a beacon for the entire city," said 13th District Councilman Eric Garcetti, who spoke at the event.
"Public Storage took down part of their building, created 40 parking spaces, donated 16 additional trees and made the center [handicapped] accessible," Garcetti added. "I really respect what Public Storage did. They did it with heart."
Garcetti was one of a number of speakers at the event in the new center, still empty of furniture and filled with the smell of fresh paint and newly laid carpet. Other speakers included Jim Fitzpatrick, Senior Vice President with Public Storage, and Joan Lundy, membership chair of the Glassell Park Improvement Association. Two musicians from the Santa Cecilia Orchestra, founded by conductor Sonia Marie De Leon de Vega, performed.
The Glassell Park Community/Senior Center is a one-of-kind public/private partnership that exists nowhere else in Los Angeles. At a cost of more than $1 million, Public Storage modified one of its company-owned, self-storage buildings to provide a badly needed community and senior center for the hilly northeast Los Angeles neighborhood.
In effect, the company created public space at its own expense and donated it to the community at a significantly subsidized rate of $1 per year. Public Storage also provided $30,000 to the Glassell Park Improvement Association (GPIA) to help furnish and equip the center, which is scheduled to begin daily operations in September.
"This is an innovative arrangement because, typically, community centers are located on city-owned land or created in large, privately-owned housing developments as a community benefit from the developer," said Fitzpatrick of Public Storage.
"As far as we know, this is the first time that a community center has been located within a commercial structure that is also occupied by an ongoing business," he added.
The 7,400-square-foot center at 3700 Verdugo Road provides the senior center, kitchen, a large community meeting room, a field office for the 13th Council District and offices for various community groups. Forty parking spaces are also provided.
The center was created after Public Storage sought to convert a portion of its existing storage facility into temperature-controlled individual spaces. Having been in the Glassell Park location for 25 years and sensitive to neighborhood concerns, Public Storage sought the changes in cooperation with community groups. They included the Seniors Club, the GPIA and the Glassell Park Neighbor- hood Council, along with the 13th Council District, whose staff facilitated the effort..
The center is located on the ground floor of Public Storage's three-story self-storage space and has large windows facing the Rec Center pool. The two floors above contain Public Storage's commercial space. The arrangement will continue on a 30-year-lease.
But in truth, the arrangement could continue even longer, perhaps as long as the company remains in business at the site. Since the Glendale-based company was founded in 1971 and has self-storage properties in 37 states – totaling 1,471 storage facilities with approximately 90 million net rentable square feet – the Glassell Park Community/Senior Center could likely remain for many years to come.

Success at Arts Festival, Concert Kickoff
Although just two weeks before, when event organizers were still scrambling to iron out many last minute details, the July 10, 2005 Eagle Rock Arts Festival and Concerts in the Park Kickoff turned out to be quite a success.
New this year, besides the change of venue to Eagle Rock Recreation Center, was the addition of local bands comprised of school age children. The Eagle Rockin' Rodders, after voicing some concern over the encroachment of craft vendors into their allotted area, provided a car show that had a little bit of everything in it, from new to old, rough and ratty to pristine and perfect.
It was pretty hot out, but by the time Ronnie and the Classics took the stage, the weather took on the same tone as the music, just plain cool. Don't forget, there are still four more concerts to go this year;
AUGUST 7 – A Tribute to the Beatles
AUGUST 21 – Latin Top 40's
AUGUST 28 – Jack Lantz Big Band

Eagle Rock Sylvan
Amphitheater Fest
At the other public park in Eagle Rock is a free 9-week performing arts festival running through August 28th, at the beautiful outdoor amphitheater in Yosemite Park in Eagle Rock. The festival features music, dance and theater groups ranging in various styles and tastes. All performances are family- friendly and FREE. Performances start at 7:00 pm and are FREE! Sylvan Amphitheater in Yosemite Park located at 1840 Yosemite Dr. Still to come are:
AUGUST. 18: Modern Dance presented by Anita Pace
AUGUST. 19 – 21: Pinnochio, a contemporary telling of the famous story by Open Gate Theatre
AUGUST. 27 & 28: The Unusual Suspects- original plays written and performed by area youth

 

HOME

CALENDAR