TRAGEDY ON THE BOULEVARD

Eagle Rock, Wednesday, August 27, 2008.
A late evening high speed accident on Colorado Blvd. in Eagle Rock, killed three people and an unborn baby instantly, and a fourth person two days later. The sound of screeching tires and exploding metal caused employees and patrons of Colombo's restaurant to leap from their spots and rush outside to see what had happened.
The first who reached the street to see the cloud of smoke and dust still billowing up, immediately returned and called out to the bartender, "Call 911!"
About a dozen who rushed to the scene to try and give aid were met with horrifying sights of carnage and gore. One man was laying in the street, the lower half of his body mostly severed and lying askew. A woman, who was pregnant, sat motionless, still held in the wreckage by the seat belt. Two others were also lying in the street, somehow tangled up in parts of the wreckage, moaning pitifully. Another victim was a young girl, still pinned between the tree and what was left of the car.
Within a few minutes, Station 42 was on the scene, doing what they could before the paramedics arrived a few minutes later. People who had rushed to the scene and tried to give aid were shooed away, and on returning to Colombo's could barely speak of the horrors they witnessed. First one Paramedic left the scene with lights and siren, then another did as well.
A late model black Nissan Maxima 3.5 was barely recognizable, wrapped 3/4 of the way around a tree in the center median of the Boulevard.
A witness who was driving westbound on Colorado saw three cars passing him at high speed, apparently in a race. He reported seeing two of the cars touch and go out of control, the black Maxima jumping the island before hitting the tree and a white Mitsubishi Eclipse crossing the opposing lanes of the boulevard, and stopping in the parking lot of the American Tire dealer.
As a result of the collision, the driver, 19-year old Cristyn Nicole Cordova, of Eagle Rock, was killed instantly, as was Tony Marie Cordova, the driver's 16-year old sister, who was riding in the left rear seat of the Maxima. Jason Timothy Gomez Hernandez, 19, a family friend, who was seated in the center rear of the Nissan, was ejected from the vehicle and killed instantly. Andrew Cordova, 15, who had been seated in the right rear of the vehicle, died of his injuries on Friday, August 29th.
Carlos Alberto Campos, Cristyn's 19-year old boyfriend, and the father of her unborn child, who was riding in the right front seat of the Maxima, was also ejected from the vehicle. He suffered multiple fractures and was in critical condition at Huntington Memorial Hospital, but is recovering.
A worker at the Valero gas station heard a noise and looked up to see the black Maxima hit the tree with parts flying everywhere and the front of the car in flames. Then the other two cars went by, a white one that turned out to be a Mitsubishi Eclipse and what looked like a dark green BMW. He grabbed his fire extinguisher and ran over to douse the flames. He put the fire out and looked to see if he could help anyone, but he had to look away when he saw the carnage. "I can't believe it, how fast she was going," he said.
The patrons sitting in Colombo's restaurant heard a short tire screech followed by a dull thud. Everyone at the bar jumped up and went outside. They saw something in the center divider of the road, amid a cloud of dust and smoke, that did not look like a car. Soon, they could make out the shiny aluminum wheel of the car next to the tree.
A crowd was gathering, and people were screaming, not at the wreckage wrapped around the tree, but at a piece of the wreckage that had landed about 75 feet past the tree. Two of the victims were alive in part of that wreckage, and people had gathered around trying to help them.
People were crying and screaming, as the Fire Truck from station 42 came up the street, from two blocks away. They moved slowly and deliberately, trying to assess exactly what they were seeing.
The paramedics from Station 55 arrived and shooed those away who had been trying to help.
The police were here now, and a young guy in a security guard uniform was talking to a policeman.
"I was hit from behind!" he said. It was 19-year old Rostislav Shnayder, of Eagle Rock, the driver of the white car, a Mitsubishi Eclipse, also seen speeding.
The cop asked, "Where is your car?"
"I don't know, I left it," he answered. "But I'm trying to explain to you what happened," he continued, obviously in a state of shock.
Passers by and neighbors were still arriving, all asking the same question, "what happened?"
The Parents of Rostislav Shnayder reached the western end of the shutdown boulevard, at Glen Iris. They, too, were asking what had happened. They pointed to the white Mitsubishi and said it was their son's car.
"Your son's in bad trouble," someone said.
"No he's not. He called me. He told me he was hit from behind!" the father said. "My son never drives fast."
Colorado Boulevard was shut down for about 9 hours as the investigation and cleanup continued.
The next day, the island in the middle of Colorado Boulevard in front of the 20th Century Women's Club was turned into a memorial, with candles and flowers over flowing. Day and night, mostly young people stood or sat in silent vigil, trying to make sense of the whole thing.
The Cordova family was part of the Eagle Rock community for years. All three of their children had lived their all too short lives in Eagle Rock, and attended Eagle Rock Schools. So many people knew at least one of them, and many knew them all.
The vigil has continued six days, so far. On Friday, Tony and Janice Cordova, the parents, returned from vacation in Hawaii, their overwhelming question "why?"
On Tuesday morning, the District Attorney filed four counts of Vehicular Manslaughter against 19 year old Shnayder. On Tuesday afternoon, relatives and friends of the Cordovas held a fundraiser Barbecue at Eagle Rock Recreation Center. It started at 2:00 p.m. and was so successful, they ran out of food four times and had to return to the market for more. At a little after six, they were still serving, and reported raising over $6000 to help with the expenses.
By all reports, Cristyn Cordova had driven the Maxima, her parent's car, to a speed of nearly 100 mile per hour. At that speed, the air bags cannot inflate quick enough to provide any protection.
The tree trunk is as sharp as a knife at that speed, shearing the car into two in a fraction of a second.
(BTW, I was there and saw and heard these things with my own eyes and ears. -Tom)

Cypress Park Shooting Kills Off-Duty Deputy
Drive-by held outside his home in gang-plagued Cypress Park area
An off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy was killed Saturday, August 2, in a drive-by shooting outside his home in the gang-plagued Cypress Park area, police said.
The deputy was not in uniform and was walking when shots rang out from a passing white car at about 5:40 a.m., Los Angeles Police Department Officer Jason Lee said.
Witness said they heard about five shots.
The deputy died at the scene. Police identified him as Juan Escalante, 27. Sheriff Lee Baca, who went to the scene, said he was a two-year veteran who worked at the downtown Men's Central Jail.
"We know that the public at large is grieving the loss," he said.
Lee said it was not immediately clear whether the killers knew the victim or were aware he was a law enforcement officer.
LAPD Chief William Bratton also when to the scene. He said it was too early to determine whether the shooting was gang-related.
Bratton also said the Police Department had staged a crackdown this year against violent gangs in the area and that crime there had "diminished significantly."
"This is the first homicide, now, in several months since the roundup up most of the gang leadership," he said.
Deputy Juan Abel Escalante

DNA

Leads to Eagle Rock Bus Stop Rapist

On Friday, August 29, 2008, Los Angeles Northeast Sex Crime Detectives arrested a sexual assault suspect believed to be responsible for an attack that had occurred a month ago.
On July 26, 2008, at around 5:30 a.m., a 23-year old woman was kidnapped from a bus stop at the intersection of Colorado and Eagle Rock Boulevards. The suspect forced the woman into his car and drove her to a secluded area. The suspect then sexually assaulted the victim, took her property, and drove off.
The suspect was described as a Hispanic, 18 to 22 years of age, with a mustache. He stands 5' 7" to 5' 8", and weighs approximately 140 lbs. The suspect's car was a dark blue, 4-door, 2006-2008 Honda Civic.
Detective Marta Ramos said, "It was just amazing to see the team in action. We were on the lookout that day (of the assault). This division mobilized and everyone was looking once we got the information."
Although Northeast Detectives disseminated a composite drawing of the suspect along with his description and the vehicle information on August 7, 2008, the alleged assailant was actually pulled over on August 6, and was arrested for warrants.
Two Northeast Area patrol officers had observed a vehicle, which matched the description of the vehicle used by the suspect on the day of the crime. The owner of the vehicle was identified and interviewed regarding this matter. During the interview, Northeast Detectives volunteered the suspect to provide a DNA sample, and a sample was collected.
The sample went to the lab and it took three weeks for the lab results to come back- a positive match.
"When the word reached the station of a positive match, the majority of the officers were overjoyed, the whole station was elated, even officers that hadn't started watch were elated," said Detective Marta Ramos.
She went on to describe her feelings about the arrest. "The investigation of a sexual assault where you have victim, that's still alive, she's traumatized for life, and you want to bring justice- you want to bring justice and closure to her." (the victim)
On Thursday, August 28, 2008, Northeast Detectives along with personnel from the Northeast Criminal Apprehension Team arrested the suspect at his work location. They knew exactly where he was at the time. The suspect's vehicle was also recovered and is being held as evidence.
Captain Bill Murphy added, "DNA is an outstanding tool for us. Unfortunately because of fiscal costs, we use it with violent crimes mostly, so it's like the murders, the rapes, the kidnappings, and so on. I'm hoping that someday, we could use it for property crimes and others, it's a great tool."
The suspect has been identified as 25-year old Sergio Hernandez Linares, a Los Angeles resident. He was booked Penal Code section 261, Rape. His bail was set at $1,100,000.

Journey to Redemption

Eagle Rock High Football's Journey to Redemption Takes Shaky Start Under Johnny Lopez
by Rajiv Mirchandani
Last season, the Eagle Rock Football team suffered a fall from grace at the hands of the Huntington High Spartans. The two- time defending champion Eagles lost their first round playoff game 16-14 to Huntington. The loss marked the end of a 22 game winning streak, and the hopes of a third consecutive championship.
Going into the game, the Eagles were the heavy favorite to win, just as they had been throughout their undefeated season. However, the injury bug paid a visit to Eagle Rock, and took out 10 of their first string players. The short handed Eagles hung in there throughout the entire game and had a late 4th quarter lead of 14-13. In the end, they just didn't have enough firepower to get the job done as the Spartans hit a field goal to win the game and end the Eagles' season.
Although the Eagles were 10-1 last season, they were faced with adversity and off-field distractions. Their Head Coach Jerry Chou was suspended for 1 game after a controversial dispute with Eagle Rock Principal Salvador Velasco. The team was also burdened with the aforementioned injuries to many key starters towards the end of the season.
This year's squad features new Head Coach Johnny Lopez, former coach of Marshall Fundamental High School in Pasadena.
However, Lopez's arrival has stirred up a bit of drama in this year's ERHS Football program. According to Maxpreps.com, Lopez led his team to an abysmal 0-10 record in 06'-07'. He was fired by Marshall Fundamental the next season, and it seems that Eagle Rock coaches, players, and fans are unimpressed with beginning of the Johnny Lopez era at ERHS.
According to last year's ERHS Offensive Coordinator Mike Mckay " I called the Marshall Athletic Director, and he told me Lopez was fired because he didn't communicate well, had no knowledge of the game of football, and his players refused to play for him." Mckay added "The Athletic Director said that if it was up to him, he wouldn't let Johnny Lopez coach again anywhere in the Pasadena School District."
This year's starting Running Back Andrew Trejo doesn't seem to be ready to welcome Lopez with open arms either. "Our summer practices have been a joke. Johnny has done nothing for us except promise us that we would have better practices." says Trejo. According to Trejo, one day, a few members of the team held a separate practice and refused to report to Lopez's practice. "After Johnny heard what we did, he told us we were no longer on the team and were no longer his responsibility if we got hurt. Then, the next day at practice, he acted like nothing happened and we just continued to practice with him. " states Trejo
The disappointment with the Lopez hiring has seemed to affect ERHS Football fans as well. Eagle Rock resident Vinnie Brascia,19, says " Coach Chou may have been hard on the athletes, but it proved to be what was best for them. Going from a championship caliber coach to a coach whose resume doesn't live up to ERHS Football standards just doesn't sit well with me. Hopefully the talent of our team can overcome the new coaching staff's losing record"
Another Eagles fan, who chose to remain anonymous, claims that "Eagle Rock Football has become quite a prestigious program. More importantly, the winning spirit has brought the Eagle Rock community together. When you see a guy that loses every game in his last season coaching, you can't help but question it. Hopefully this Lopez guy doesn't ruin football in Eagle Rock."
The 08'-09' season, and the journey to redemption begins on September 6th, when the Eagles take on the Dons of Verdugo Hills High School. Johnny Lopez, it looks like you are officially on the hot seat.

LAWNLESS LAWNS

IN EAGLE ROCK
A trend?
A movement?
It is more attractive and saves water
By Christopher Nyerges
[Nyerges is a manager at the Tuesday Highland Park farmers market, the author of "How To Survive Anywhere," and an environmental commentator. His web site is www.ChristopherNyerges.com. He can be reached via his web site or this newspaper.]
As I drive through the neighborhoods of Eagle Rock (and Highland Park), I have begun to note what I regard as a good sign. I don't yet know if it's a trend, or a movement, but it is definitely more noticeable than it was 15 to 20 years ago. People are choosing to forego the front yard for various sorts of gardens. Just start looking when you're on Figueroa, or Yosemite, or any of the myriad side streets.
It is a good trend because the lawn is one of those holdovers from another era that has outlived its usefulness, and I'm not sure what its "usefulness" ever was. In most cases, the lawn requires lots of work, water, fertilizer, and other herbicides and chemicals merely to "have a good lawn" or to impress our neighbors. Or we hire "gardeners," whose work often involves unnecessary watering (which flows into the gutter), and the use of the blower to blow all the dust and debris into the neighbor's yard.
True, the lawn isn't entirely useless, and it is certainly better than having Astroturf artificialness, because a real grass lawn is several degrees cooler than a phony lawn. But still, the pretty lawn, for most folks, is an exercise in waste, futility, and vanity.
In the cases where homeowners have chosen something else, we've seen quite a spectrum of alternatives. Some lawn spaces are like mini-deserts, full of cactus and agave and other plants that represent the true no-water "lawn."
In other cases, I have observed what once was a lawn now covered in nasturtiums, wild garlic, herbs, and a wild splash of useful plants and colorful flowers – a far more appealing use of that space than simply grass. Furthermore, such a lawn attracts bees, butterflies, ladybugs, insects – it supports the whole host of animals that is the ecosystem. It also produces a lovely fragrance, which is more than we can say for a typical lawn, with its occasional application of cow manure, and the fumes from the power mower.
Other lawn spaces were full of vines, rosemary, lavendar, prickly pear cactus, basil, fennel, etc., with wood chips as a mulch.
These are all good alternatives and it proves that we can all grow even just a little of our food while barely trying. It is unclear why this trend is here, but I assume that more and more of us are getting the message that an ordinary lawn makes no sense, and that the herbal, wild, fruity garden makes abundant practical sense.
It made me happy to see that gardening and home food production is becoming a normal mainstream idea, and that we do not need to have the pressures of a war or economic depression to stimulate us to garden.
Also, in some of the places I have lived, I have been able to divert drain water from the bathtub, kitchen sink, and laundry to the front lawn area or garden area. I used that water to irrigate my garden, rather than send all the water down the drain to elsewhere ("elsewhere" in our case means the Pacific Ocean). Once you realize that we live here in a coastal desert plain, you'll understand why it is good to keep as much water as possible on our local lawns and gardens, helping to keep our local ecology greener.
For those who absolutely must have a conventional lawn, there is a trend towards lawnish non-lawns where the area is covered with edible, fragrant, and herbal ground covers such as chamomille and pineapple weed, various thymes and mints, low-growing vines, New Zealand spinach, etc. Such lawns can be sorta mowed, and although they may look unkempt to some eyes, they do provide a lawn appearance that requires less water and maintenance, and still provide tea, food, medicine, and fragrance.

A message from Councilmember Huizar
I was deeply saddened to hear of the news last night that three people, including a 19 year-old pregnant woman and a 16-year-old girl, lost their lives in a car crash that occurred about 10:30 p.m. A 19-year-old man is being held on multiple murder charges. The crash occurred as a result of an apparent street race on Highland View Avenue and Colorado Boulevard in Eagle Rock. Two other people are in the hospital with significant injuries and are fighting to survive. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the families affected by this tragic crash.
These traffic fatalities were apparently the result of extremely dangerous driving. I would ask parents to remind the young drivers in their homes that one bad decision behind the wheel can lead to profound devastation - the kind that unfortunately we witnessed last night. Let's work together to ensure that this horrible tragedy doesn't repeat itself.
While the tragic aftermath of this crash cannot be undone and the circumstances surrounding it are still being investigated, I will continue doing everything in my power to put a stop to the reckless racing that puts each and everyone of us at risk.
My office has worked with the Department of Transportation to request traffic studies for Colorado Blvd., making adjustments on the duration of green lights on Colorado Boulevard and the freeway offramp leading to it. We are also working hard to get visual speed feedback signs installed on Colorado. These speed-sensitive signs, like the ones we put up on Figueroa, directly confront drivers with their current speed and remind them to slow down.
We have also worked with the LAPD and the Central Traffic Department on increased patrols to catch speeders and task forces that address street racing. These patrols have been active along Colorado Boulevard and Eagle Rock Boulevard and have contributed to a severe reduction in the number of street racing incidents. However, this is not something that goes away and stays away without constant vigilance. We will continue to work with the LAPD to ensure that this remains a priority and that they have the resources necessary to combat it.
The LAPD are looking for another vehicle involved in this incident. If you have any information on last night's incident, we ask that you please contact the LAPD Central Traffic Department at (213) 972-2445.
Also, if you witness street racing or know of a planned street race, we ask you to please notify LAPD's Northeast Division at (213) 485-2563. If you have any further questions, concerns, or ideas, please contact my Northeast Field Office at (323) 254-5295.
Sincerely,
Jose Huizar
Councilmember, 14th District

Cruisin’ with Mary

Hello again, Eagle Rock. Fall is almost upon us, my favorite time of year. The other day I was outside and I got a whiff of the season change (even though some people say there are no "seasons" in Los Angeles, I disagree.) The sun was hot but the breeze was cold, typical fall weather here.
The Eagle Rockin' Rodders had fair attendance for our August cruise in at Oinkster. It has become more and more of an issue with the parking lot there, as there are now no outdoor lights in either of the 2 parking lots. This makes it very difficult to share the beauty of our hot rods when it's almost pitch dark. It's also a safety issue because the pavement there is uneven in places and a person could trip and fall without proper lighting.
We were given an award from the California State Assembly for our participation in Concerts in the Park, this past July. The award was presented to club president Richard Gonzalez by our primary sponsor, Sir Michael's Limousine.
The Eagle Rockin' Rodders send our heartfelt sympathy to the families and friends of the recent tragic fatal accident on Colorado Blvd. This is sad beyond belief, and most of us can't really even imagine what these families are going through.
Amazingly and horribly, not 3 days after this accident, I witnessed two cars engaged in what appeared to be some sort of racing or game of tag on Colorado Blvd, going eastbound from Eagle Rock Blvd. This was Saturday morning at around 10 a.m. One of the cars, inappropriately enough, a blue-grey mini-van with a 40-something woman driving it, almost rear-ended me at a stop light. I then watched her and another car play what appeared to be a game of "chicken" straight up Colorado, right past the scene of the accident, towards Pasadena. By my guess they were doing at least 60mph. This is Eagle Rock, not a drag strip! You know who you are! Knock it off! Councilman Huizar has indicated that there are new measures being put into effect to slow down everyone on Colorado Blvd.
There are several fun events coming up that I will briefly mention: Sat. Oct. 4 is the Eagle Rock Music Festival on Colorado Blvd and Maywood Ave. This is a free, fun family event with a variety of music on stages at various businesses. Check out the winners of Eagle Rock High's 2007-2008 Battle of the Bands, Permanent Blue, as they headline on one of the many stages. I sincerely hope more security is in place this year to keep the skateboarding to a safe and sane level because last year the skateboarders were rude and out of control. I don't know why a temporary skate area could not be provided for this evening so they could have their fun without terrorizing everyone else, but then again, that's just me.
The Petersen Automotive Museum will co-sponsor a Concours d' Elegance on Oct. 12 on Brand Blvd in Glendale in front of the Americana. I emailed the Petersen for more details, but have not gotten a response…. Bad Petersen….
On Sun. Oct 19, the Burbank Road Kings hold their annual car show at Santa Anita Race Track. Call 818/842-KING for more info and entry forms, which are due by Oct. 13.
Until next time, keep on cruising, slow down a bit - and Don't Make Me Mad!

Heritage Square Museum presents:

A Golden Vision
As the new school year begins, Heritage Square Museum invites 3rd and 4th grade teachers to participate in our free educational program, A Golden Vision: The Growth of Southern California. Heritage Square was founded in 1969 and is a living history museum dedicated to telling the story of the development of Southern California. Eight historic structures at Heritage Square, saved from demolition and moved to the site, provide the perfect setting for telling this story.
A Golden Vision is an exciting opportunity for 3rd and 4th graders to learn Southern California history through an experiential, interactive approach. By utilizing museum resources and a specially-designed curriculum, history is brought to life and into the classroom. More than 900 students have already participated and we hope you will too!
A Golden Vision 12-15 day program and has six components:
· Specialized curriculum and lesson plans that integrate aspects of math, reading and writing.
· A classroom visit from a specially trained museum educator in period costume.
· A living history component that gives students an opportunity to participate in a period activity.
· A tour of the Museum's buildings designed to increase student understanding of the materials.
· An exhibit of post-visit student artwork displayed at the museum.
· Free passes for students and their families to return to the museum.
In the classroom, students learn about the history of Southern California through Mamie's Journal; a fun account of a real-life young lady's look at how the city changes around her. During classroom study, the students are visited by a costumed museum educator, who teaches a lesson from the McGuffy Reader, a commonly used teacher's aid at the turn of the century. Upon their visit to the museum, students take a tour of the grounds, perform a period-specific activity, learn games children played at the turn of the century and participate in a post-visit art project. The coursework used in A Golden Vision meets the standards set forth by the Department of Education.
The program is more than a boring field trip - it gives the children a chance to see these beautiful homes, to meet with costumed volunteers, to learn ideas about history and how the community came to be, and to try new and different things. Ultimately, we hope it will play a role in how the students see their communities, help to build their self esteem and take pride in the treasures they have in their own backyards.
The program is free and open to all public schools, with special emphasis given to title-1 schools operating within a 12 mile radius of Heritage Square Museum. In addition, if your classroom lacks transportation funding, we encourage you to contact Education Manager Jessica Rivas at (323) 225-2700 ext. 224 to see if you meet the criteria for transportation funding. For more information on the program, please visit http://www.heritagesquare.org/educational_opportunities.htm.
We thank our funders, including the Norris Foundation, the Bannerman Foundation, State Street Bank and Trust, Union Bank of California, and the Verizon Foundation for making this program possible.

Oxy’s - Good Neighbor Initiative?

by Maria Tomás
On July 15, 2008, Occidental College held a neighborhood relations meeting to discuss neighbors' concerns about students' off campus behaviors. For years, neighbors had complained about the large parties and disturbances held at some Oxy student residences. A group of more than a dozen neighbors met with Barbara Avery, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, and other key administrators including Associate Deans Jonathan O'Brien and Tamara Rice, Tiffannee Hopf, Student Life Coordinator, Jim Tranquada, Director of Communications, and Holly Nieto, Director of Campus Safety.
Neighbors related stories of student parties beginning at 10 pm or later, and lasting until 2 am or later, with the number of partiers ranging from 50 to well into the hundreds. Complaints included noise disturbances, property destruction by drunken partiers, drunk driving, trash and public urination. Neighbors told of being threatened when they asked student partiers to end the parties. Neighbors had some tough questions for the college administrators, including asking why the college did not hold students accountable for behaviors occurring off campus, and why the Campus Safety escort program brought already inebriated students to join in the out of control parties. Neighbors stated that some party hosts charged a fee to attendees, apparently to pay for the alcohol, and noted that the majority of students were underage and shouldn't be drinking to begin with. Several neighbors reported students being carted away by ambulance from parties as a result of alcohol poisoning. Neighbors told of many occasions of repeated calls to the Los Angeles Police Department in order to try to shut down an out of control party.
In the past, Oxy encouraged students to meet their neighbors and provide phone numbers for neighbors to call if parties got out of control, rather than calling the Los Angeles Police Department. Some student party hosts gave coupons for free ice cream to nearby neighbors as a way of making up for partying the night away and trashing their neighbors' yards. Neighbors made it clear, however, that they weren't being bought off with a double scoop cone. Several neighbors shared that the phone numbers students had provided were cell phone numbers for their home states, resulting in a long distance charges to any neighbor who tried calling them. One neighbor noted that the ice cream parlor closed long before the party ever began, and several stated that they had tried phone numbers provided without any success at getting an answer. Neighbors made it clear that they would continue calling LAPD.
Occidental College's follow-up report to the neighbor relations meeting shows that the college heard and is responding to the neighbors' concerns. The college has revised its Student Code of Conduct, and students will now be held to the same standards of behavior off campus that they are expected to adhere to on campus. Students violating the Student Code of Conduct, which includes a requirement that they adhere to all laws, will be dealt with through the college's judicial process and its Office of Community Rights and Responsibilities. The college is also creating an on-line system for neighbors to report student violations, including party disturbances, which will go directly to the Office of Community Rights and Responsibilities. The Campus Safety escort program has been modified so that drunk or belligerent students will no longer get a free ride.
Other components of Oxy's effort to improve town/gown relations include initiating a "Good Neighbor" program through OxyElements, a four year leadership program. Administrators will meet with each Greek chapter of the college to discuss neighbor relations and the new judicial procedures. The college will send a letter to all off campus student residents, informing them of the new reporting system and the consequences for violating the Student Code of Conduct. Orientation leaders will be encouraged to discuss concepts of being a good neighbor with incoming students, and a brochure on how to be a good neighbor is being developed for distribution to the student population.
Neighbors have responded well to the follow-up report by Occidental College, asking that planned initiatives be implemented quickly and that the college continue developing ways to educate its students on how to be good neighbors. Additional suggestions from the community as a whole have included establishing a joint committee with the college that includes neighbors and other community members, and provides an established forum to directly address issues with top administrators. Another idea brought forth was the creation of a student off-campus residents association that would require students living off campus to contribute to a "victims assistance" fund that could be used to off-set the cost of any damage caused by student parties or behaviors. Neighbors who clean up the broken bottles left behind by partiers, or replace a car window shattered by a drunken student could be reimbursed immediately through the fund.
Occidental College is currently in the process of getting its "Master Plan" approved by the City of Los Angeles. The plan includes the college's 20 year plan for expansion and construction, and requires community wide involvement and input. Oxy has addressed a number of concerns neighbors have raised in relation to its Master Plan. Neighbors are looking for guarantees that the college's expansion plans will include ensuring that parking for events and activities will be kept on campus, and that the college's offices will be kept on campus and not be allowed to encroach on the single family neighborhood surrounding Oxy. Oxy's new Good Neighbor initiatives and policy changes are a good start towards reassuring the surrounding community that Oxy intends to be not only its biggest neighbor, but also one of its best.

CERT Program
Earthquake! Do I have your attention? For those of us who choose to live in this area, we live with the ever present menace of a catastrophic seismic event, the dreaded "Big One" that fills us with horror as we wonder about every violent shake, tremor, and movement of the earth beneath our feet: "Is this It or is the worst yet to come?" And the question remains: What are we going to do when the dreadful "Big One" hits? There is only one thing that will help us overcome our feelings of helplessness and anxiety during the moment of disaster and that is training and preparation. The commitment of time that we make now could result in the difference between life and death for a loved one, friend or neighbor in the event of an emergency. So, if your first question is "what do I do to get involved?" make plans to join us at the Glassell Park Senior Center on Thursday, September the 11th at 6:30 PM. This first meeting will serve as an introduction to the CERT Program (Community Emergency Response Team). The following information is from the CERT website (www.cert-la.com):
The Los Angeles Fire Department's CERT Program (free of charge) was developed because of the need for a well-trained civilian emergency work force. The CERT Program provides for community self-sufficiency through the development of multifunctional response teams who act as an adjunct to the city's emergency services during major disasters. To become a CERT graduate, you must complete the 17½ hour course (Level 1). Level 1 training is taught by professional experienced firefighters and paramedics. The course is followed by continuing education programs, including biannual refreshers.
I need a total of 20 individuals who will agree to meet once a week for six weeks (Thursday evenings. The CERT classes would be held at the Glassell Park Senior Center ( 3700 Verdugo Road ) in Glassell Park .
Please feel free to contact me with questions:
Tony Valle (323) 627 3587 or rep2tango@yahoo.com

EAGLE ROCK NEWS