2010 Eagle Rock Park's

Baseball Champion "Yankees"

by Christine Tofte
    The Eagle Rock Park "NY Yankees" baseball team not only are the 2010 Champions of the Majors division but also went undefeated with a perfect 17-0 record. People in this picture (taken after the Championship game - left 2 right) 1st row: Justin, Jason, Jonah, David, Cameron, Jack, Corey; 2nd row: Victor, Eric, Raul, Sean; 3rd row: Coach Mando, Coach Jim, Coach Meg; Back row: Dennis (scorekeeper); not pictured: Ben.
    The Yankees were lead by three amazing and dedicated coaches, Head Coach, Jim Kutsch and assistant coaches "Mando" Alegria and Meg Takarabe. The Yankees coaches worked together and set an example for the team, which lead them to their perfect season and Championship. The team worked very hard practicing twice a week as well as going to the batting cages. As the playoff games got closer, the team practiced every chance they could. This was a baseball team that truly had a good time playing baseball together.
    In addition to the Yankees becoming champions, four of the Yankees players: Eric, Jason, Raul, & Victor, were chosen to play on the Eagle Rock Park's All-Star team and Coach Jim was chosen to be the head coach of the All-Star team.
    The Coaches and Parents of our Yankees team could not be any prouder of how they played and supported one another just as a baseball team should. Many of the players as well as our coaches are friends on & off the baseball diamond and will keep in touch during the year and look forward to playing together next season.
Congratulations Yankees!!!

Glassell Park Joins Call to Upgrade Cell Tower Rules

by Kiku Lani Iwata
    Residents across Los Angeles want change. Now. Many are opposed the growing numbers of cell towers next to their homes and schools. So they're organizing, reaching out to residents in other communities, and calling for reform.
    Glassell Park Improvement Association has joined 43 other neighborhood councils and homeowner associations across the city – representing 79 resident organizations and more than 1 million Los Angelenos – calling for city officials to improve regulations concerning cell towers. Many are also asking for a new comprehensive ordinance, like other cities are adopting.
    Other concerned resident groups have formed REACT, which opposes cell towers near their homes and schools, and wants to support each others' local efforts. They are hosting a free event on September 2 with environmental health experts, Dr. Magda Havas, and Elizabeth Kelley, to share the latest science and research about the harmful effects of wireless technologies, and what actions the public can take.
    Residents are so concerned about the massive deployment of wireless technologies that they're pushing their local officials to respond appropriately.
    Pasadena adopted a new wireless facility ordinance last year. Glendale adopted a new ordinance earlier this year, considered one of the strongest in the state. Oceanside, Burbank, Agoura Hills, Murrieta, and San Francisco are also updating their regulations and ordinances.
    However, as the Boulevard Sentinel pointed out in its May 2010 edition, Los Angeles city regulations have a major loophole that allows a cell tower to be installed in a public right of way (PROW, which includes our public sidewalks, alleys and utility poles) without resident notification. There's also no public hearing for residents to voice their concerns and opposition before the facility is installed. To protect their homes and schools, L.A. residents are forced to resort to other lines of defense.
    San Pedro residents last year held public protests upon finding a T-Mobile cell tower installed overnight across the street from Taper Elementary.
    "What they are doing to our children is unconscionable," said LAUSD Board Member Richard Vladovic, whose district includes San Pedro. "We should not allow it!"
    So Vladovic and his fellow board members, including Yolie Flores, who represents the Eagle Rock area, fought back the best way they could. They unanimously approved his resolution in December 2009 condemning T-Mobile for its action. The resolution also asks the Los Angeles City Council to work to restrict the placement of cell towers and to require advance notification.
    Vladovic and residents across the nation want to protect their schools due to environmental health concerns. They're supported by environmental health experts and growing research that relate wireless radiation to second-hand smoke, and pose the question: are cell phones the next cigarettes?
    As a result of such public concerns, San Francisco recently passed a consumer right-to-know ordinance that requires retailers provide information about cell phone specific absorption rates, and U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich is presenting similar cell phone labeling legislation in Congress.
    However, local officials are restricted from denying a cell tower based on health concerns due to limitations imposed by the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Critics argue the law is in serious need of reform and some local officials, including the city of Glendale, the LAUSD and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, which recently passed resolutions asking Congress to revise the Act.
    In the meantime, the arsenal of arguments and concerns, both legal and legitimate, that residents can raise when opposing cell towers include: aesthetics, existing coverage, zoning violations if applicable, and the need for wireless applicants to find other available locations that will meet their coverage needs.
    Residents also remind local officials that cell towers are commercial facilities that pose fire and public safety hazards, have a negative affect on residential property values, contribute to blight and aesthetic degradation of neighborhoods, attract crime, present noise and nuisance problems, and raise health concerns.
    Residents across the city that have had to wage David versus Goliath battles to fight off proposed cell towers include Northridge, Lake Balboa, Sherman Oaks, Granada Hills, Westchester, Hancock Park/Mid-Wilshire, Hollywood Hills, West Los Angeles, Bel Air, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, and Sunland-Tujunga, and Toluca Lake, to name a few.
    The wireless cell tower issue is becoming so pervasive and heated that, just last week, Congresswoman Maxine Waters got involved when Westchester residents Candace and Jeffrey Yip organized area residents to oppose a T-Mobile cell tower proposed next to their home. Congresswoman Waters sided with the residents. T-Mobile backed off. 
    City wide concerns have now escalated to the boiling point where two of the lead residents behind the city-wide resident movement for reform, Pacific Palisades Community Council members Christina Spitz and Barbara Kohn, issued an open letter to the City Attorney in the Aug. 6, 2010 edition of Citywatch.

    In response, the City Attorney's office has scheduled a Sept. 22 meeting with Spitz and Kohn and other residents joining their call for reform.
Wireless regulatory reform for the city of Los Angeles was attempted in 2006 but died when city officials failed to follow-
up on a request from the city council asking the city attorney to investigate issues involving right of way installations and possible reform of the city's regulations. 
    Spitz and Kohn are hoping that history will not repeat itself and that city officials will take the higher road by following what other cities are doing now to protect their cherished neighborhoods before they turn into ugly antennae farms.
    To join their city-wide effort for reform, please contact Barbara Kohn or Christina Spitz of Pacific Palisades Residents Association at info@pprainc.org
    Kiku Lani Iwata is a contributing writer. She is a journalist and TV documentary producer of "Stolen Lives," a documentary about the U.S. internment of Japanese taken from their homes in Latin America during World War II. She is also a resident of neighboring Burbank, CA, and is a member of the resident group, Burbank ACTION (Against Cell Towers In Our Neighborhood), which is submitting recommendations to its city officials as they adopt new wireless facility regulations and update their comprehensive ordinance. Burbank ACTION's website is: www.nocelltowerinourneighborhood.com. Burbank ACTION is also a member of the SoCal chapter of REACT (Residents Engaged Against Cell Towers).

Glassell Park Improvement Association's Position on Telecommunication Towers:

We…suggest that telecommunication companies:
* Be required to supply a book of their creative designs that would enable the towers to be more adaptive to their environment.
* Provide maps of their current and proposed locations within a one-mile radius and that all information regarding current cellular tower locations and all proposed new locations be collected in a grid map and made readily and easily available to the community through the pre-established communications with District Council offices and Neighborhood Councils.
* Prove their inability to co-locate on a pre-existing structure.
* Be refused to locate atop or directly alongside a residential building.
We further suggest that the Department of Planning create a master plan to coordinate all locations of telecommunication towers and to minimize their visual impact as suggested in the Northeast Community Plan. Cell tower placement should be considered in a revenue enhancing relationship with locations on city, county, and state properties to be evaluated in a standardized contract.

New LACCD Chancellor

Flunks Test on Van de Kamps

Laura Gutierrez and Miki Jackson, Van de Kamps Coalition
    Early August marked the arrival of the new chancellor for the Los Angeles Community College District ("LACCD"): Dr. Daniel LaVista. Hope within the Northeast communities that a change of guard in the top administrative position might bring the Board of Trustees to its senses ended when La Vista, signed off on an ill-advised offer to indemnify Portola Ventures, the owner of the land at the corner of San Fernando Road and Fletcher Drive. La Vista's report will offer up to $500,000 of taxpayer bond funds to Portola, if the Van de Kamps Coalition's ("VDK Coalition") existing environmental lawsuit overturns LACCD's attempt to buy the land where El Pollo Loco, Denny's, and Auto Zone sits – Portola's land.
    On January 11, 2010, the VDK Coalition filed suit against LACCD for failure to adhere to requirements of the 2007 EIR for the Northeast Satellite Campus at Van de Kamps and violating the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA"). The lawsuit alleged that the LACCD violated CEQA when Facilities Director Larry Eisenberg refused to review potential environmental impacts of a change of use of the Northeast Campus of LA City College to a charter high school and other non-community college land uses.
    As part of a continuing pattern of alleged unlawful actions, on December 16, 2009, the Board voted to spend $5 million of voter-approved bond funds to purchase Portola's land. In that action, the Board, upon the advice of Mr. Eisenberg and General
tried to exempt the purchase from environmental review by claiming the LACCD "had no current plans" for the Portola parcel.
    The VDK Coalition objected to the purchase because just six weeks before then, the Board of Trustees adopted a contract amendment for the Van de Kamps site architect that obligated it to prepare a revised Master Plan for the Northeast Satellite Campus that included "the Denny's property" (Portola's land). Despite claims of Mona Field and Sylvia Scott-Hayes that 2007 conceptual drawings to put more than 200 apartments and retail stores on this parcel of land had been "abandoned," there is no dispute that they had just approved a scope of work requiring the architect to prepare plans for the land. E-mail records show LACCD ordered the architect to start working on the revision of the Northeast Campus Master Plan in July 2009 – before the architect's contract was amended to officially include the work. The VDK Coalition claims Field and Scott-Hayes have a plan for the Portola property and that they are not being truthful when they claim otherwise.
    Since the filing of the environmental lawsuit against LACCD and various parties who benefited from the District's unlawful actions, Portola Ventures appears to have refused to go through with the sale, probably because the evidence is piling up that the VDK Coalition is likely to prevail. Should that happen and the sale transaction is overturned, Portola Ventures would be required to return the $5 million sales price and the District would have to re-deed the land to Portola. Portola thus is facing nothing but transaction costs and a real risk the sale would be overturned.
    Apparently to put Portola at ease, the LACCD put an item on the August 25, 2010 Board of Trustees agenda to spend up to $500,000 to reimburse Portola for all of its costs in the event that VDK Coalition's environmental lawsuit is successful. The new Chancellor, Dr. La Vista, flunked his first test on a controversial issue by ignoring the community alarms being rung and signing the staff report in support of using $500,000 in bond funds to buy the silence and cooperation of Portola Ventures.
    Over further objections entered by the VDK Coalition and taxpayers of the Northeast, Trustees Mona Field, Sylvia Scott-Hayes, Georgia Mercer, Nancy Pearlman, and Kelly Candaele voted to approve the indemnification resolution for Portola. New trustees, Tina Park and Miguel Santiago showed their disdain for the proposed action by abstaining. The VDK Coalition will now seek to invalidate this additional action in the environmental lawsuit.
    Additionally, taxpayers of Northeast Los Angeles gave notice of their intent to sue to the LACCD for waste of bond funds and that the indemnity of Portola was a contract against public policy because its purpose was an illegal use of taxpayer bond funds and to "buy" the cooperation of Portola as part of an unconstitutional scheme to purchase the Portola property with school bond funds. When filed, this taxpayer lawsuit will be the second case filed against the District over misuse of bond funds at Van de Kamps.
    In late July, a group of taxpayers from Northeast filed the first lawsuit over the Board's approval of a no-bid lease of the historic Van de Kamps Building to the City of Los Angeles. The lawsuit seeks to invalidate an alleged deceptive effort of certain LACCD Board members and administrators to use the state budget crisis as a pretense to avoid finishing the decade-long plan to build and open a Satellite Campus for Los Angeles City College at Van de Kamps.
    LACCD officials have tried to hand off the $72 million taxpayer-financed campus to private corporations eager to rent the brand new buildings. The scheme would deny community college academic educational opportunity to young adults living in Northeast Los Angeles and substitute programs for the unemployed from all over the City.
    "Under Proposition 39 and Proposition 13, LACCD has no authority to use precious school bond funds to re-design and re-construct a school building into an office space for unemployment bureaucrats – and yet, that is what LACCD did," said Paul Heidenreich, the lead attorney representing the taxpayers.
    "The Board of Trustees could have decided on May 26, 2010 to return to a lawful course to use the building for community college classes," says Miki Jackson, "but instead it conferred the benefit of millions of dollars taxpayer-financed campus buildings on private corporations who are targeted to sublease from the City: Community Career Development, Inc., Worker Education and Resource Center, Inc., Archdiocesan Youth Employment (a program of Catholic Charities), and the Atwater Park Center, Inc.
    In addition to the taxpayer claims, the lawsuit also seeks to invalidate the lease to the City of Los Angeles because Education Code rules on no-bid leasing were alleged to be violated. On April 14, 2010, the Board tried to lease this same space to private corporation Community Career Development using an Education Code provision that allows no-bid leases to 'private educational institutions', but when the community established that the proposed lessee did not qualify, the Board hastily canceled the proposal.
    "Six weeks later, the Board returned with a new proposal to lease the same space to the City of Los Angeles but allow the City to sublease 100% of the space to anyone. LACCD is using the City as a 'municipal entity front' to hand a no-bid lease to a bunch of private corporations," said Daniel Wright, another attorney representing the taxpayers. "The lease arrangement is a sham to circumvent the requirement for competitive bidding in the Education Code."
    With two suits pending and a third on the way over its actions at Van de Kamps, LACCD officials persist in spending taxpayers' money illegally, and refuse to sit down with the VDK Coalition and community leaders to negotiate a settlement.
    Stay tuned for a Van de Kamps Coalition litigation fundraiser event at a local seafood spot. Supporting documents and an opportunity to contribute to the legal fund can be found at www.VanDeKamps.org. If LACCD officials continue to defraud the taxpayers, the community of taxpayers must take charge -- just like in the City of Bell.

CCUWC Calls for ERNC Boycott

Guest Op-Ed by Tim Ryder
    My grass-roots organization, Cannabis Clubs "United with the Community", is calling for a Boycott of the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council. The reason I have called this boycott is because the ERNC has denied my California Public Records request to review the complaints that have supposedly been filed against the Medical Marijuana Collectives in our community.
    These complaints were used by ERNC President Michael Larsen during a publicly noticed ERNC meeting to support his position of prohibition, as the newly enacted L.A. City medical marijuana ordinance was still in its formative stages. By ERNC bylaws, state law, L.A. City practice, and by virtually all the best reasoning of good government practices, those records should be available for inspection by any stakeholder, yet the request was denied.
    This denial by the ERNC confirms my original suspicions that there may be something a little shady about the neighborhood complaints file that the ERNC has been using to persecute and discriminate against the local Collectives and their patients. My public records request did not ask for specific names and addresses of the complainants, although they legally must be released, because I respect the privacy of my fellow neighbors here in Eagle Rock. I only asked for a copy of the file on how many complaints were made, what the complaints were, which collectives were complained about, and at what times of the day. This blatant stonewalling, refusing to release public records by the ERNC and its prohibitionist president, has not surprised me one bit because I smelled a rat when this prohibition crusade by President Larsen started over a year ago.
    Since then, I have searched for any evidence, records or proof that the local Medical Marijuana Collectives have been a nuisance or threat in any way to this community. I found none. I now believe that most of the "complaints" were made up by a few prohibitionist crusaders and this is why the ERNC is afraid to release these public records. They either never existed, or will prove my suspicions correct that they were created to support the prohibitionist desires of President Michael Larsen. Therefore, as a stakeholder and 40 year resident of Eagle Rock, I have no choice but to call for a Boycott of the ERNC's meetings, members and activities. Here are the criteria for those in the community who wish to join me in sending a message to the Council that the citizens in this community will not stand for secret back-room shenanigans by our local public servants and, in light of the Bell fiasco, demand a transparent government that doesn't hide its activities:
1) Refuse to attend the ERNC monthly meetings
2) Refuse to vote in the ERNC elections
3) Refuse to participate in the ERNC agenda discussions
    Please visit the CCUWC website if you'd like to join the boycott and for updates on its progress: www. ccuwc.org

 LA City - San Fernando Rd. Widening Project

    The San Fernando Road Improvements Project of LADOT is scheduled to run from January 2011 to January 2013, and will have a major impact on stakeholders, including FedEx, KIA, the LAUSD, the LACCD, and local businesses along the corridor, such as the Media Center, Super King and others. It will also have a significant impact on bicycle routes, transportation flow in and out of the community and the surrounding areas around the transition from San Fernando Road to Eagle Rock Boulevard.
    Project will widen and enhance San Fernando Road between Elm Street and Eagle Rock Boulevard / Verdugo Road, as well as improve the area near the San Fernando Road / Glendale freeway intersection. San Fernando Road will be widened by approximately 10.5 feet on the west side and existing sidewalks will be widened to 10 feet. Improvements will include an additional northbound through lane, left-turn channelization, landscaped medians, wider sidewalks, and upgraded street and pedestrian lighting. These improvements will provide safe and convenient access to the new Taylor Yard State Park for the communities located on the east of San Fernando Road and improve traffic flow along the corridor.
    The Major Objectives are to Improve traffic flow and reduce traffic congestion Improve access to the Taylor Yard State Park Enhance existing streetscape along corridor Increase pedestrian safety and create a pedestrian friendly environment
Project Location/Limits:
    San Fernando Road between Elm St and Eagle Rock Blvd / Verdugo Road, as well as the San Fernando Road/State Route 2 intersection.
    Improvements to San Fernando Roadat the busy intersections of Eagle Rock Blvd/Verdugo Road and the San Fernando Road/State Route 2 intersection. Where appropriate improvements will consist of left-turn channelization, left-turn prohibitions and stamped decorative crosswalks.
    Widen San Fernando Road between Elm St and Eagle Rock Blvd/Verdugo Road by approximately 10.5 feet on the west northbound traffic lane. Widen sidewalks by approximately 5 feet on east side of San Fernando Road across from Taylor Yard State Park and install a new 10 foot sidewalk on west side.
    Upgrade street and pedestrian lighting. Landscaping improvements.
Project Cost:
$8,441,000
Complete Construction- January 2013

NORTHEAST LA VETERANS DAY PARADE

    The Northeast Los Angeles Veterans Day Parade is scheduled for Sunday, November 7, 2010. The Solemn Ceremony at the Eagle Rock City Hall beginning at 11:00 a.m. will kick off the parade which will begin at 1:00 p.m. from York Boulevard to Eagle Rock Boulevard and culminate with live entertainment on stage at the corner of Merton & Caspar.
    Because of the shortage of funds this year, the Committee is looking for major sponsors who can help get the parade going. In the past, the majority of the support came from the City but because of the economic situation, the City will not be in a position to waive fees for the parade. If you know of corporations in the area who can be a gold ($5,000), silver ($3,000) or bronze ($1,000) sponsor, please let us know right away
    Neighborhood schools and organizations are encouraged to enter a float at the parade and the best float will receive an award.
    The Northeast Los Angeles Veterans Day Parade is on its 5th Year and the committee is anxious to keep it going. A commemorative book will also be published to help defray the cost of the parade.
    If you are veteran and would like to participate, please contact Heinrich Kiefer (323) 385-4935. If you have a convertible which you would like to drive during the parade for the use of veterans who can no longer march, please contact David Solis at (818)) 653-5867. If you are an entertainer and would like to perform, please contact Brandy Chavira at (323) 254-0233.
    For more information to participate, volunteer or advertise in the program, contact Ruby de Vera (323) 491-5383 or email to rbdevera@sbcglobal.net.

Atwater Gas Blower Activist Attacked by Gardeners

    Farm Feliz founder and Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council Green Committee chairman TOMAS O'GRADY says he is shocked and saddened by a physical attack on a community volunteer in Los Feliz.
    The male volunteer was assaulted by a man wielding a weed cutter on the corner of Vermont and Aberdeen last Wednesday morning at 10:30, apparently angry at being ordered by both his employer and the city of Los Angeles to cease using a gas blower. The volunteer had just taken down the license plate number of two gardeners who were operating an unlawful gasoline-powered blower despite having been cited previously.
In his statement to police, the shaken 46-year-old says he was confronted by the two extremely aggressive gardeners, who threatened and swore at him before clubbing him with the four-foot long metal weed cutter.
    "I raised my arm and deflected the blow, otherwise it would have hit me in the head. The men continued screaming insults and terrible threats against me and my family, and one spat on me," reports the Los Feliz resident. "LAPD responded quickly, but narrowly missed the men at the scene. The police have identified the men and are pursuing them."
    O'Grady, who recently hosted a National Night Out event where neighbors and strangers alike were invited to break bread and get to know each other, is stunned that the gardeners reacted in such a way.
    "Los Feliz and Silver Lake are tight-knit and caring communities, and we as a community are determined to rid ourselves of these illegal machines to improve the air and sound quality for our children and our wildlife," he said. "We've reached out to gardeners and are even encouraging homeowners to pay them just a little more to use a rake and broom or an electric blower."
    O'Grady says that although he's warning all volunteers to act cautiously, the attack has strengthened their resolve to make Los Feliz and Silver Lake the first Gas Leaf Blower Free Zones. Since the attack he says the gas blower hotline has actually been busier than ever.
"As a result of this ongoing campaign against illegal gasoline leaf blowers there has been this grassroots creation of a network of volunteers in Los Feliz and Silver Lake who collect license plate numbers of offenders and send them to The City of Los Angeles Department of Street Services' Investigation Bureau.
    The gardeners and homeowners are then sent a polite letter from the city informing them that gasoline leaf blowers are illegal. Most then switch to electric or rake and broom," he said.
As for the attack victim, O'Grady says the volunteer is shocked but unbowed.
    "This particular volunteer is a parent who just wants a healthy and peaceful environment for his kids to grow up in and in no way deserved this violent over-reaction from these bullies."
    LAPD is continuing its investigation into the battery.

Occidental Named One of Country's Best

    Occidental College has been named one of the country's best colleges in the latest editions of several major college guides, including U.S. News & World Report, Princeton Review's The Best 373 Colleges, the Fiske Guide to Colleges, The Insider's Guide to the Colleges, Peterson's 440 Great Colleges for Top Students, Forbes' "America's Best Colleges," and Washington Monthly's 2010 rankings.
    High school counselors polled by U.S. News ranked Occidental No. 20 among national liberal arts colleges, and a similar poll of counselors placed Occidental's on Parade Magazine's "College A-List." Oxy was again was recognized by the Insider's Guide as one of a handful of colleges and universities with the strongest undergraduate focus, and was ranked No. 17 by Washington Monthly for its service orientation. Fiske bestowed four-star academic and quality-of-life ratings on Oxy, and Princeton Review gave Oxy's Financial Aid Office a score of 97 out of 100.
    Occidental was ranked No. 36 overall by U.S. News among the country's best liberal arts colleges. Once again, Occidental was ranked third in diversity among nationally ranked liberal arts colleges, behind Swarthmore and Wellesley. Occidental's diversity is multifaceted, the Insider's Guide points out: "Oxy provides diversity not only in the student body, but also in the breadth of academic options, the expansive extracurricular opportunities, and the great resources of Los Angeles that make the school unique."
    Fiske listed Occidental among "Small Colleges and Universities Strong in Film/Television," "Small Colleges and Universities Strong in Drama," and "Strong in International Studies." Students polled by Princeton Review ranked the food at Oxy as among the best in the country - it was ranked No. 20 on its "Best Campus Food" list.
    Many of the guides draw heavily on the comments of current students and recent graduates. Here's a small sampling of what they had to say, "Combine sunny weather with big-city opportunities, amazing professors, a gorgeous campus, and an emphasis on diversity, and you get Oxy!" -- Princeton Review
    "The Oxy community is really open and friendly. It's a small enough community that even with total strangers you're almost guaranteed to have mutual friends, and there's a lot of overlapping in social circles." -- Insider's Guide

"WE GO" Rock!

A new twist on an old theme to bring back the business and excitement to Colorado and Eagle Rock Boulevards.
by Rodney Mello
    The idea to do something to shake the Eagle Rock recession-time status quo came to me while helping my wife Leda start her own business, AmazonDrops, which sells organic skin creams and oils from the Amazon. The store was open the first week of June, just two months ago.
    It was a very sobering experience and a crash course in depressing economics to stay there at the store and see so few people. For three days in a row nobody came in not even for curiosity. Again and again I heard similar complaints of empty stores from other businesses, some of them established for more than a decade. Ron from the Stained Glass Supplies store, for example, told me that he has run his shop for 33 years and things have never been this bad.
    Early in July, I heard about a movement to engage the community with businesses called Eagle Rock Block Party that happened between September and November of last year. They had some starred lanterns that merchants were supposed to hang outside their places on the second Saturday of the month.
    I found them on FaceBook and tried to become part of it but wasn't able to contact anyone who participated in the Block Party. Then at the end of July I saw an announcement in the Boulevard Sentinel for the Block Party and called publisher-editor Tom Topping to know how could I join the movement. I found out that Tom was publishing the recurring event without knowing that it was dead.
    He suggested I talked to Jennifer and John from the Colorado Wine Company. Since they are just two doors from our own store I went there immediately. John seemed enthusiastic about the idea of resurrecting the movement that according to him died after its creator, Stina, left for New York in December 2009.
    I found her email and telephone online and sent her a message plus an email. After a couple of days waiting for an answer that never came it dawned on me that I should start something from scratch and fast. I talked to a few of my neighbors and they seemed interested. They agreed that would be a good idea to use Friday when there is already some excitement in the community with the traditional Eagle Rock's Farmers Market to build something around.
    The idea didn't pop. There were no reunions. It seemed to me that it would make more sense to start something and then perfect it than to try to make it "too right" the first time. In order not to scare people I decided there would be nothing to pay. Any advertising or poster that needed money I would pay myself. Reasoning that I would spend this money anyway to spread the word about our company, I printed 100 color posters and placed a dozen of them in the area where Eagle Rock and Colorado Blvd. meet.
    In brief, I'm open to all kinds of suggestions as long as something gets done. Among the people involved, besides ourselves (AmazonDrops) are the Four Café, Corner Pizzeria, Old Focals, Daddy's Gym, Double O Hair Salon, Twerp, ReMax, Stained Glass Supplies and José Vera Fine Art and Antiques. Dave from Chillin' & Grillin' says he will help.
    All is being asked from merchants is for them to contribute with a small gift certificate. Not even that is obligatory though. About 80% of the people I talked to showed interest in participating. I also want to approach entertainers and art galleries interested in being part of the excitement. This way we would make the event less commercial and keep it tasty with a pinch of culture.
    If you're interested in helping or just want to talk to me you can call 323-255-8062. The Amazon Drops store phone is 323-551-5861 and the  webpage is www.amazondrops.com. Or just drop by the store at 2120 Colorado Bl., unit 3, and say hello.
All the best, Rodney.

"Still Cruisin" with The Eagle Rockin' Rodders"

    Greetings friends and neighbors. The Rockin' Rodders have undergone some changes this month. This segment will now be a group effort and dedicated to the classic cars of Eagle Rock and their owners. The clubs intent is to have a good time with our cars and friends while continuing with our charity work.
    The August 28th cruise-in was a huge success. Thank you so much to all of you who came out to showyour support. It was great to see the "Trompers" and "Gear Heads" that were there. Also, we are pleased to welcome three new families to our club. You guys rock!
    We have decided that there will be a "pick of the month" car that we will showcase from each cruise-in. This month's pick belongs to Hector and Lorena Isiordia. They are the owners of Arco Iris muffler shop, here in Eagle Rock. The car is a 1967 Ford Mustang that is just beautiful. Hector says he bought it for 2,400 and has gone through it bumper to bumper. The 289 cubic inch engine is original but completely rebuilt. He did add an automatic C4 transmission. The interior is flawless including the trunk which is fully carpeted and wired for speakers if Lorena wants them. "It's her car" says Hector, "it was a lot of work but well worth it". The paint job is a gorgeous blue and he recently had the consol fully chromed (not cheap). This car really is something to see and we thank you both for bringing it out to share with us.
    We would like to thank our wonderful sponsors The Boulevard Sentinel, La Abeja Resturant, Sir Michaels Party Rentals, Tritch Hardware, and last but not least Pale Fire. These local businesses make our fundraising efforts possible.
    To you all stay safe and healthy and we will see you at the next cruise-in on Saturday September 25th. Happy Cruising!

Tim Alexander, Bill Renison, and Rick Carey  2010

ER Sports Hall of Fame Inductees

    Tim Alexander S'57, Bill Renison W'60, and Rick Carey S'63 will be inducted into the Eagle Rock Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 23 at 10:30 am. In football, Tim was named Northern League player of the year and first string All - City end in 1956. He was also a participant in California's North-South All Star game the following year. Coach Roy Jae called him the best defensive end in Los Angeles. He was also a first string All - City baseball player as a left fielder. During his senior year, he batted over 500. He later attended Stanford University.
    Bill was the Northern League football player of the year in the late 1950's while setting records as a great running back. He was also selected to the All-City football team. After graduation he attended Glendale College where he was an All-American and named to their Sports Hall of Fame in 2009. He then attended USC where he played on some of the greatest Trojan teams of the 1960's. In Track and Field, Bill was a super sprinter, and long jumper - league champion, and city placer.
    Rick participated in four varsity sports - track and field, football, baseball, and basketball. In football, he was a first string All-League end in 1962, but the 1963 Track and Field Season proved to be the highlight of his accomplishments. He placed 2nd in the high jump and tied for 2nd in the pole vault in the City Championships. At the state meet, he placed 5th in the high jump and 9th in the pole vault. Finally, at the National Invitational Track Meet he won the high jump competition.
    As mentioned the ER Sports Hall of Fame Program starts at 10:30 am on October 23 and in addition to induction of the three athletes, there will be lunch, Music. and a Tour of the School. The Homecoming Varsity game against Lincoln will take place at 2:00 pm.
    Alumni and community members interested in attending should contact Mary DeNardo at (323) 256-1943 or email girlfriwp@aol.com regarding details

Northeast Newspapers- The Missing Years

    As you will remember from previous articles, the Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society is always on the lookout for historic items. Curiously the hardest items to find are those from recent times. Folks often don't think of yesterday or twenty years ago as history. Then time goes by and we find ourselves looking for information about what happened. Typically, no one collected the Northeast News- papers (Eagle Rock Sentinel, Highland Park News Herald and Journal, etc) from 1980, when microfilming stopped, to 1989 when Highland Park Heritage members began collecting again. If you have any of these or other historic items, old or recent, please contact us at eaglerockhistory.org or phone Eric Warren at 323-257-1357
    This deficit came to light as the Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society, Highland Park Heritage Trust and Occidental College have embarked on a collaboration to work together to preserve our regional history. Our initial project is to make our collections of historic newspapers more available to researchers.
    Looking back, the eighties were an important decade for historic preservation as the Highland Park Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, The Eagle Rock Association (TERA) and the Colorado Boulevard Specific Plan all were created to respond to the increasing threats to our traditional neighborhoods.
    The microfilm of the newspapers from 1909 to 1980 will be transferred to the Oxy library where a reader, scanner is available so that anyone can access the material through the Special Collections Department. The bound volumes have been moved from storage areas, where they were endangered, to a secure rented space paid for jointly by the three partners.
    We are seeking grant support so that these irreplaceable resources can be digitized and made easily available to the public. We appreciate the help of Occidental College in these efforts, as the support of this prestigious institution lends credibility to our local organizations in this vital effort.

Celebrate Labor Day in 'Boddy's Big Backyard'

Annual picnic celebrates Descanso Gardens' historic roots

    Publisher, would-be politician and bon vivant E. Manchester Boddy was famous for the lavish parties he threw for friends at Rancho del Descanso in the 1930s and '40s. Today, that rancho is better known as Descanso Gardens. On Labor Day, Sept. 6, the Gardens will offer a tip o' the hat to its founder with "Boddy's Big Backyard." The daylong shindig will include activities to appeal to all ages. Bring a picnic (normally not allowed in the Gardens) and blanket, or purchase barbecue from Patina Catering from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. At 10 a.m., take a guided walk of the California Natives Garden with Horticulturist Rachel Young. She will showcase improved access to this favorite garden, designed by legendary native plant proponent Theodore Payne. The walk begins at the Center Circle.
    Gather the youngsters in the Under the Oaks Theater for a reading of "Teddy Bears' Picnic" at 12:30 p.m. Take a ride on the Enchanted Railroad and feel like a kid again. The railroad will be running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $3 each. The Mobile Homeboys will get the joint jumping with their tuneful blend of country, rock, roots and traditional music. The band performs from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Under the Oaks Theater.
Descanso will be open Labor Day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 adults, $6 seniors and students, $3 children 5 to 12, free for children 4 and younger. Unless noted, activities are free with admission. Descanso Gardens is located at 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge, near the interchange of the 2 and 210 freeways. For information, phone (818) 949-4200 or visit www.descansogardens.org.
Brushes of Fire and Free Form Art Exhibitions
Kathy Gallegos
The Dead Need To Be Fed -- Sonya Fe
Woman in Red
-- Margaret Garcia
    The Avenue 50 Studio is proud to present Sonya Fe and Margaret Garcia in an exhibition of recent paintings. We are honored to host two powerful artists as our participation in Latino Heritage Month for the City of Los Angeles and in Northeast LA's Second Saturday Art Night.
Sonya Fe: Sonya's large scale works in oil, wax and copal are composed of earth tones, soothing to the eye, yet whose content shakes you out of your normal comfort zone. Fe is an exuberant person with a large personality.
Margaret Garcia: A painter with fiery brush strokes and colors just as aggressive, Garcia's images are as potent as the artist herself.
    Each artist delves into personal struggles matched by tremendous strength of will. This is an exhibition you will not want to miss.
Opening night reception: Saturday, September 11, 7-10 pm
September 11 through October 3, 2010

And The Annex Presents: Free Form

A new series of paintings from Pat Gomez

    Pat Gomez has created a new series of light and lyrical free form abstract paintings that are playful and unfettered. Please join us as we imaginatively explore Pat's poetic ruminations.
    Opening night reception: Saturday, September 11, 7-10 pm, September 11 through October 3, 2010
Avenue 50 Studio, Inc.
a 501(c)(3) non-profit art gallery
131 North Avenue 50
Highland Park, CA 90042
323-258-1435
avenue50studio.com

Median Update

Dear Friends:
    I write to inform you of our ongoing efforts to restore permanent median maintenance in our district and the entire City of Los Angeles.
    As you may know, City median maintenance was cut during the budget reductions that took effect July 1. Certain sections of the City were affected while others were not.
    I have been working to implement both an immediate short-term solution and, working with my colleagues on the City Council, to identify funding to restore permanent service to all areas of the City.
    In July, I introduced a motion to address the immediate short-term problem of cleaning and weeding medians in Council District 14. The motion provided funding for the cleaning and removal of overgrowth.
    This month, Council identified and approved federal stimulus funding to restore median maintenance citywide for six months. This contract proposal should be approved by the Board of Public Works in the next few weeks and approved by the City Council in September.
    Since maintenance is only part of the problem, in early August I requested an inspection of the irrigation system in all Council District 14 medians. We have recently received the cost estimate and will soon commence the repair of the irrigation systems to ensure proper watering of our medians.
    Finally, my office will soon create a median advisory committee to work with my office and City departments for the eventual re-landscaping of portions of the medians to drought-resistant plants and vegetation.
    As always, I will continue to keep you informed on this issue. Please feel free to contact Zenay Loera of my Northeast office at (323) 254-5294 or Paul Habib at (213) 473-7014 if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
JOSE HUIZAR
Councilmember, 14th Dist

ARTBOTS

    Future Studio Gallery welcomes Liz Mamorsky back for her third solo show (ARTBOTS) at the Highland Park gallery. Liz Mamorsky's ARTBOTS are culled from the detritus of technology, a never-ending stream of electronic waste. The speed of technological redundancy is astounding. No sooner is a new product created than it is rendered obsolete, and Liz is the recipient of a small portion of that waste, using it to create her sculptural wall pieces.
    Large motherboards from the Cobb Mountain and Geysers power plants, emblazoned with gaudy resistors and capacitors, flesh out and clothe these Bots. Liz finds PC boards and keyboards in scrap yards and dismantles computers and other machines to retrieve a vast array of electronic goodies. Hard drives, the old ones, had marvelous innards: copper coil step-motors, stroboscopic timing wheels, platters and their separators. New drives are more compact but still contain jewel-like mini-parts. Cell phones too house beautiful components.
    She said, "I cannot make Sense of Waste but I can make Art of Waste and am driven to do so. I like to think that my anthropomorphic Artbots and other creatures are helping to make the world just a little bit cleaner... and certainly a lot more fun!"
    Since graduation from Bennington College, Liz Mamorsky has exhibited her unique recycled-materials sculpture, studio furniture, and visionary paintings and drawings nationally and internationally, starting with The International Young Artists Exhibition in Osaka, Japan. Her work resides in numerous public and private collections including: The Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco; The Spertus Museum, Chicago; The Oakland Museum of California, Sony Corporation, Nektar Therapeutics, First National Bank of Arizona, Santa Clara Medical Center and Paramount Pictures for the set of Star Trek:Voyager. She lives and works in San Francisco. See more of Liz's work at lizland.com
    Future Studio Gallery is also the home of Chicken Boy, the Statue of Liberty of Los Angeles, a permanent art installation atop the roof of the gallery. Chickenboy.com
    NELAart.com hosts Second Saturday Gallery Nights in North East Los Angeles (Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Cypress Park, Mount Washington).
Sculptures by Liz Mamorsky
Opening Second Saturday, September 11 • 7 to 10 pm
Open by appointment until Sept.28
Future Studio Gallery
5558 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles (Highland Park) CA 90042
323 254-4565 • futurestudio@sbcglobal.net
futurestudiogallery.com

Pigeon Politburo with Photographer Gil Garcetti

Photographer Gil Garcetti has captured the everyday grace and beauty of citizen cyclists in modern day Paris.

by josef
    At Flying Pigeon LA, we're big believers in "Bicycle Culture 2.0", the idea of people riding their bikes as they do normal, day-to-day things. It is funny to some that this type of activity even needs a special name, but in our experience (born and raised in Los Angeles), it helps to explain what our shop is all about.
    Words, however, can only go so far.
    Pictures can do a much better job, and that's where photographer Gil Garcetti and his wonderful book, "Paris: Women and Bicycles", come into the story. We've snagged a small share of time in Garcetti's busy, globe-trotting, schedule and he's agreed to do a talk and Q&A at our shop on Thursday, September 9, 2010 at 7:30 p.m.
From the book jacket of "Paris: Women and Bicycles":
    "For nearly three years, Gil Garcetti, has been photographing women riding bicycles in Paris. Women of all ages, smartly dressed, use bicycles to get to work, to visit friends, to go shopping, go to the movies or the opera, and even to funerals. The weather is never an impediment these women ride in the snow, the rain and the heat. With evocative urban imagery and lush color, this book will inspire readers to leave their cars for their bikes wherever they may need to go with Parisian flair. This book is one component of a community bicycling initiative in Southern California."
    Los Angeles is in the throes of it's own full-tilt bicycle renaissance, with Mayor Villaraigosa holding his own "Bike Summit" recently and a major update to the city's long neglected bike infrastructure in the works. Yet, in the midst of this culture change, we are often starved for images of what a bike friendly city really looks like.
    Garcetti's work provides the imagery so many of us long to see. His work provides a lens with which to view our own streets, our own lives, as commuters, parents, and community members. "Paris: Women and Bicycles" opens up the fun and the pageantry of masses of people using bikes to get around town in their daily lives.
    Admission is free, refreshments will be served.
Getting to Flying Pigeon LA bike shop:
* By car, 110 Freeway, exit Avenue 43, left on Figueroa St., park at Avenue 37 and N. Figueroa St.
    Flying Pigeon LA is a specialty bike retailer located at 3714 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90065. Our phone number is 213-909-8986 but you're better off trying to contact us at info@flyingpigeon-la.com

Monterey Hills Jazz Festival

Admission - Free!

    The 15th Annual Monterey Hills Jazz Festival will be held on Saturday, September 11, 2010 at Budd Wiener Park in Monterey Hills 90042. There'll be music, food, art and fun for the whole family. It will be an all-day event beginning at 10:00 AM and going until 8:00 in the evening. Artisans will display their wares; Chefs will prepare their food to tickle your palate; Frozen Juices will be melting in your mouth and the music will soothe your soul. They'll even be a Farmers Market in the morning so you can do your produce shopping right here.
    Best of all, admission is free, thanks to the generous support of the Monterey Hills Federation, the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council, Councilmember Jose Huizar, the CRA and POST Security.
    The Jazz Festival Planning Committee is still looking for volunteers from the "Hill" to become members of this committee. If you are interested, please send an email to MHFederation @gmail.com.
    Performers, artisan and food vendors, spaces are going fast. We appreciate those that are returning to be part of this event:
Advanced Audio Pros providing sound engineering and lighting for this event.
California Redevelopment Agency/LA (CRA)
Dennis Mealey and POST Patrol (POST Alarm).
Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council (ASNC)

EAGLE ROCK NEWS

Rita Gallindo

Rest in Peace

The community was saddened to learn of the passing of Rita Gallindo, wife of retired Eagle Rock Senior lead officier Joe Gallindo. Always the life of the party, Rita brightened the day for everyone that knew her. We’ll always remember you and miss you Rita. Our thoughts and prayers go out to husband Joe and the entire family.

Topping it Off

A rambling report

by Tom Topping
    While people are asking me about a few different issues around town, Medical Marijuana Dispensaries and the unfinished Colorado Blvd. lofts are still the most asked about issues.
    I, as most of you, have followed the progress of the city, who is trying to enforce the new ordinance restricting medical marijuana dispensaries. At least two raids have occurred on Colorado Boulevard, one apparently by mistake, as it remains open. They can continue because they were in business before the moratorium took effect. CQCD, who operated in the old Another World Comic book location, was raided last month, then it was reopened the very next day as the "Another World Collective".
    The House of Kush, (actually "The Kush House, Inc.") had closed for awhile, but now the friendly security guards are back at work, protecting their "patients" as they take their plain brown bags of "medication" out, and keeping them from parking in areas where they shouldn't.
    I was curious why they seemed to so blatantly violate the new law. I suspected the House of Kush might be staying open as a result of legal action, so I searched the Superior court website. Sure enough, I found a lawsuit where House of Kush is one of 10 marijuana collective plaintiffs on one lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles. The suit (BC436240) alleges that the city ordinance violates California Law, violates the due process guarantees of the California Constitution as well as the guarantees of equal protection.
    One argument in the suit is interesting, as it spotlights the L.A. City Clerk's practice of issuing business licenses without hesitation to any applicant, even those who specify that they are a business that is not allowed to operate in the City of L.A. They specifically told the clerk they were medical marijuana collectives, not allowed in L.A., but the clerk issued them a license anyway.
    They also make an 'equal protection' argument, which is notable, because it says the city ordinance "allows similarly situated collectives to register," and that, "This discriminatory treatment lacks a rational basis or compelling state interest, and is not reasonably tailored to any legitimate ends." The lawsuit is not standing alone, as dozens of collectives have filed similar suits against the City of L.A.
    The City, which lost a similar suit in 2009, prevailed in getting all these lawsuits combined into one. Although, the City Attorney's office expresses confidence they will ultimately prevail, it was the subject of a closed session of the L.A. City Council meeting last month.
    This may or may not be a complete list of all the suits that were ordered joined together.
BC436239 BS126927 BC438596 BC436240 BC438589 BC438497 BC438584 BC438585 BC438586 BC438587 BC438588 BC438593 BC438594 BC438671 BC438772 BC438915 BC439023 BC439107 BC439123 EC053150 LC089912 PC048354
    The 10 plaintiffs in the suit, including the Eagle Rock located House of Kush and American Eagle Collective, all claim to be California non-profit corporations. They are indeed California corporations, but according to Guidestar.org, a internet service that verifies charities and non-profit corporations, the two Eagle Rock located collectives could not be verified as non-profits.
    Another hearing will be held this month in the case that I expect will drag on for maybe another year or two.

Colorado Lofts -

A not-so lofty problem
    The original developer, Paul Pagnone, envisioned the lofts, and acquired community and city approval. He got all the necessary permits and then sold the property with the plans and permits to an LLC made of up of investors (the price was said to be $1,000,000). The new owner started construction but his timing was very bad, as the hillside was cut away just as the winter storm season hit, which led to parts of it falling away soon thereafter. The neighbors started talking lawsuits, and the city ordered the construction stopped. The investors lost their money when the project went bankrupt, and the property was sold in foreclosure for a paltry sum. (Zimas, the city automated zoning information system says the last sale price was $9)
    Currently, it is for sale again, and most residents consider it to be quite a nuisance. They have been calling me and sending me photos of the squatters living there. One parent had fears that one of "those" people might drag a child in there to molest them, and complained about the smell of urine and feces when she would walk by. Another neighbor, who walks by with his partner every morning reported that the smell is due to a sewer line leaking, which bubbles up, spilling all over the ground. Fortunately, workmen have been seen digging and moving pipes around. Hopefully, they will get it handled before the "Water Main Train" arrives. -->>>>

Water Main Train

    Last month, at the meeting to inform Eagle Rock residents and businesses about the new Eagle Rock water main and the steps being taken to minimize disruptions, DWP officials bragged about how quick the can install that new main, with one saying, "One day we'll be in front of your place and a day later we'll already have moved up the street." He wasn't kidding.
    On August 23, 2010, DWP crews showed up and opened up a trench.  Just as soon as the trench was dug up, the new ductile iron main was laid down. then, sand fills the trench back in followed by a layer of concrete, then two layers of asphalt. In a week, almost two blocks of new water main is interred. The "Water main Train" crew moves up the street a section at a time, and not a movement is wasted. The traffic backs up a little in the morning rush, but as the crews cover the trenches by 3:30 pm, the lanes are reopened, so traffic flows almost as good as normal. Look for this work to be completed ahead of schedule.

City Ride Won't?

    A program that is well known to low-income seniors and disabled is the "City Ride" program, run by the L.A. City Department of Transportation. This program allows participants to purchase $42 worth of taxi ride each quarter for as low as $9 for qualified individuals. It is a computerized system that works like a pre-paid credit card.
    One local user tried to ride in the "dial-a-ride" van, but was told her account was empty. She knew she had a little more than $100 in her account, but the driver would not let her ride unless she came up with the cash. She declined to pay, and later, with the help of a Jose Huizar's staffer, confirmed that her balance was indeed what she thought it was. City-ride operators explained that the dial-a-ride driver is supposed to call a hotline if this situation arises. He can then get a confirmation number showing that indeed the rider does have money on her card, and that he will be paid. Could unscrupulous dial-a-ride drivers be trying to extract cash money out of City Ride users and putting it straight into their pockets?
    If a taxi or dial-a-ride driver won't accept your prepaid card, tell them to call the hotline. If they still won't, try to get the company name, driver name, and any license or vehicle numbers that you see. If it happens to you call City Councilman's office and this paper. If someone is trying to target the most vulnerable members of our community, let's work together to stop it.

Medians

    In another article that should be in this issue, (sorry if it's not, Jose) Councilman Huizar mentions his latest success in bringing in the money to maintain the Colorado Boulevard medians that were looking a little shabby for a few weeks. They are all looking cut and trim today, but maybe a little too trimmed for everyone's taste, as the three trees that grew in the median between Argus drive and Hermosa street were completely cut down last month. Don't worry, everyone. There is not an outlaw tree murderer running amok. The trees in question were all dead and the branches were causing a safety hazard should they break off and hit a car or pedestrian.
    The good news is that Councilman Huizar, with the participation of the Collaborative Eagle Rock Beautiful, will formulate a master plan to re-design the medians in a  uniform, attractive and water saving manner. I doubt they will be able to act very quickly, but with anything that Collaborative founder John Stillion involves himself with, it will probably happen sooner than we think.

CD14 Election Coming Right Up.

    As soon as the election for Governor is over in November, you can bet the campaigns for City Councilman in CD14 will shift into high gear. Incumbent Jose Huizar has made a practice out of pissing off as few people as possible, and will enjoy the enormous financial support that only incumbent candidates can.
    Rudy Martinez of Mia Sushi and Marty's bar fame likely has a solid financial foundation, though whether he can afford to spend the money necessary to compete (approximately $400,000 by most estimates) remains to be seen. I like that he has shed his swaggering "flip this house" image and instead has transformed into the "kindlier-gentlier" nice guy Rudy Martinez that everyone is getting to know lately. He has hired my good friend Jerry Sullivan, former Editor and Publisher of the Los Angeles Garment and Citizen newspaper to work on his campaign.
    The final deadline to file for candidacy is in early December, so it remains to be seen if any political heavyweights will step into the fray.

Editor:

In regard to your August issue:

    Thanks for the update on the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power's project on Colorado Boulevard ["Eagle Rock Businesses Prepare for Water Main Construction," page 1]. I appreciate the Boulevard Sentinel's efforts to track this very important matter, and I'm thankful to have had the chance to take a lead in helping the community organize for ongoing efforts to find solutions to the problems posed to local businesses.
In regard to the colorful report about the launch of the Clean Sweep L.A. organization ["A Clean Sweep of CD 14?" on page 4], also in your August issue:
    My campaign for the 14th District seat on the Los Angeles City Council will focus intently on good-government principles, including public transparency, fiscal responsibility, personal accountability, and real access for everyone to their elected representative in the 14th District.
    Clean Sweep L.A. has similar stated goals, among others, as part of its platform for the city elections in March, 2011.
    It's important to note, however, that I attended the kick-off event for L.A. Clean Sweep, along with a number of other voters from the 14th Council District, in order to learn more about the organization's efforts. It's also notable that Clean Sweep L.A. has not, as yet, made endorsements of any candidates for next year's city elections.
Sincerely, Rudy Martinez, Candidate for City Council, 14th District
Edior's note: However, Rudy did tell me about his being interview by clean sweep leader Ron Kaye, who introduced him at the event as one of the Clean Sweep candidates.

Hi Tom-

    I just want to thank you again for the opportunities you gave me over the years, writing for you & the BS with Cruisin' With Mary. Most of the time it was great fun to be able to stretch my creativity - and humor- to write about a subject that is beloved to us both. I love writing (and don't plan to stop) and you took a big chance letting me write this column from a female perspective.
    I sincerely appreciate the fact that you never censored or edited me.... well except that one time with the guy I caught writing graffitti. Over the years I have gotten many, many more compliments on the article than I have negative criticism. I have to keep this is mind as I say goodbye to something that was very important to me for a long time.
    Unfortunately, my feelings of burnout (which have been going on since before my mom died), coupled with recent negative feedback have forced this decision which I do not take lightly.
    Again, I thank you for all your kindnesses and support & wish you and the paper all the best,
Sincerely,
Mary Garson Amrhein

Highland Park Boys Treated to Wilderness Experience

Hathaway-Sycamores coordinates Sequoia stay for youths seeking self-improvement
    A group of 23 boys, ages 12 to 15, recently traded their Highland Park surroundings for the tranquility of the High Sierras and Sequoia National Park during a nearly two-week stay at the R.M. Pyles Boys Camp. Hathaway-Sycamores' Highland Park Family Resource Center, which is a division of Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services -the largest provider of children's mental-health services in Los Angeles County - coordinated the trip by selecting deserving youngsters from local schools and the community for this wilderness experience.
    Designed to build on the leadership lessons taught at the Hathaway-Sycamores' Family Resource Center, the camp stay featured fun outdoor activities - from horseback riding to archery and fishing - that brought with them the additional benefits of strengthening self-confidence and instilling an appreciation for nature and the environment. The boys' experience was financially made possible by the R.M. Pyles Capital Campaign.
    "Among our goals is to expose these boys to life-expanding and life-affirming experiences, and this camping trip certainly provides that and much more," says Hathaway-Sycamores' Richard Ledesma Sr., coordinator of the Mentoring Program at agency's Highland Park Family Resource Center. Eight years ago, under the direction of then-president Ledesma, the Highland Park Kiwanis Club began sponsoring camp stays for local boys. This Kiwanis connection established a long-term relationship for Highland Park youth to be among the selection pool for this annual experience. Ledesma accompanied the boys on their recent trip and shared with them his life experiences. "Who would have thought that someone like me - a teen from East Los Angeles - would grow up to become a police officer and a co-founder of the Los Angeles Historical Society and Museum. You can become more than you think you can," Ledesma added, "if you take good advice from others."
    Hathaway Sycamores' Highland Park Family Resource center, which is located at 840 N. Avenue 66, provides community based services that include early childhood programs, after-school youth enrichment activities, individual and family counseling, computer learning center, adult education classes, and preventative programs that are designed to enrich and empower families and their communities.
    Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services, the largest provider of children's mental-health services in Los Angeles County, provides a comprehensive continuum of services to more than 11,500 children and families annually through a network of facilities stretching across the greater Los Angeles area including the San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley, and the Antelope Valley. Services include: a residential-treatment center for youth ages 6 through 18; foster care and adoption services; a nonpublic school; school-based and outpatient-mental- health services; wraparound and in-home counseling services; a transitional-living program for teens; a family resource center; and a grief and loss center for children. The agency is licensed by the California Department of Social Services, certified by the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health, and accredited through The Joint Commission. To learn more about the organization go to www.hathaway-sycamores.org.

Voice in the Eagle Rock Wilderness

CONSIDER RUNNING: A solution to your problems

Christopher Nyerges
[Nyerges IS the director of the School of Self-reliance, and the author of several books including "How to Survive Anywhere." He can be reached at Box 41834, Eagle Rock, CA 90041, or www.ChristopherNyerges.com]
    I awoke from a light sleep, having worried about everything, financial worries, relationship stresses, the end of the world, major earthquakes, tidal waves, comets hitting the earth, 2012, and a car that had begun to stall when I came to stop signs. I fretted when I woke up at various times during the night, and even found myself sweating with pointless worry, unable to get back to sleep.
    Finally I awoke, turned on some music, and began to plan the sequence of events that would comprise my day. All these events necessitated a running car to transport me from this place to that place to the next place. I briefly pondered the double-edged sword of the car: all that it enables us to do, vs. the many costs of its care and feeding. Some days I felt like the master of this auto, and – on days like this – like the slave.
    My mind raced over the necessary activities of the day. I trusted that the events would unfold properly for me, and I stepped outside into the thick 5 a.m. fog. It was cool and wonderful, and I felt as if in a dream.
    I managed to get my car to my next stop, in fits and starts, but I made it. I pondered my connection to my car. Not this car, in particular, but any car. If I take care of the car, it takes care of me. And I recalled that I have always experienced some emotional imbalance when the car was not running properly. It was as if the car were my familiar, and whatever was happening to the car was also happening to me, in some way. I felt its pain.
    Only slightly scathed by my morning's first encounters, I was now off to my mechanic, a man whose work I have always trusted, who is inexpensive but quick, Old World. A mean dog barks from the corner of the yard, and another worker sweeps the disheveled yard as I talk with the mechanic. I am hoping he can turn a screw on my carburetor and everything will be ok. He asks me to leave the car and come back later. Maybe at noon, or perhaps when I get off work.
    Thus began my three mile trek to my work place, a relatively short distance but a journey I never took on foot. I thought it might take 45 minutes to walk to my place of employment. I ran at a steady trot, hoping to not be later than necessary. It felt good. The air was cool, and the fog gave the landscape a surreal appearance. I was dressed for work, not as a jogger, and I didn't want to arrive in a heavy sweat.
Though I walked fast and jogged, I began to realize how much I have always enjoyed running. I was no longer worrying about the car – I felt confident that the mechanic would do a good job and get it back to running condition. And I felt alive, one with nature, sensing the odors and taking in the views of the canyon and the homes which I'd passed by so many times but never really seen.
    Was the oxygenation enlightening me? Was it the fresh morning air? My body-machine was waking up, and it felt good. None of my problems had gone away, or evaporated – I was just not focusing upon them in a pointless flurry of worry. I knew I would just handle and deal with them in their time. Now was the running time. I'd arrived at my destination in about 30 minutes, quicker than I'd estimated.
    Though I'd not intended to walk or run this morning, my "problem" forced me to run to stay on schedule. Thus, my problem became my solution. My running and walking and breathing affected my physiology. My worry was gone, my stress was lessened, and I felt mentally renewed to take on the day with a fresh perspective.
    Such methods of "healing ourselves" (mentally and physically) often seem simplistic – and perhaps they are. Running and walking simply require our choice to do so. No expensive doctor appointments, no pills, no Deepak Chopra mumbo-jumbo. But it seems we've grown accustomed to believing that real answers must be complex and obscure and thus all too often, just beyond our reach. While the simple may not always be the easiest, it is very often the best solution of all.

Paranormal Investigation of Heritage Square Museum

Results to be unveiled October 24th

    For 40 years, people have claimed to hear, see and feel all manner of mysterious happenings at Heritage Square Museum. Whether it is the nature of the Victorian architecture, the historic furnishings and paintings on display or something all-together different, "ghost sightings" have occurred at the museum since its inception. On October 24th, those "sightings" will be denied… or confirmed!
    In partnership with the International Community for Paranormal Investigation and Research (ICPIR), the results of the first paranormal investigation of the historic structures at Heritage Square will be released. Led by David Berck, the local ICPIR researchers followed strict guidelines and rules during its investigation, attempting to rule out all things explainable that have a human or environmental influence. Using the scientific processes and deductive reasoning, the team used Digital and Film Cameras, Camcorders, EMF Detectors, Digital and Cassette Recorders, IR Thermometers and Motion Detectors to collect the data it will release on October 24th.
    The findings are being release in conjunction with the 7th Annual Halloween and Mourning Tours program, a popular yearly event that puts you in the middle of Victorian-era rituals around death and mourning. Halloween Mourning Tours are on October 24th and 25th. From spiritualism to spirit photography, from death to daguerreotypes, this living history event gives participants an opportunity to experience the very different way Angelinos dealt with and experienced that loss of a loved one at the turn of the 20th Century.
    On Sunday, October 24, the Halloween and Mourning Tours includes children's activities that are fun for the whole family, such as making 19th century harvest crafts, choosing a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch, and listening to spooky stories in the Ford House told by the San Gabriel Valley Storytellers.
    The program runs from 12 to 4 p.m. each day. Museum admission is free for members, $10.00 for Adults, $8.00 for Seniors over 65, $5.00 for Children 6 to 12 years, and free for Children under 6. For more information about Halloween and Mourning Tours, call the museum offices from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at (323) 225-2700.
    Celebrating 41 Years of Preservation and Interpretation of the History of Southern California, Heritage Square is a living history museum dedicated to telling the story of the development of Los Angeles during its first 100 years of statehood. Eight rescued historic structures at the museum tell this story like no place else.
    In addition to events like Halloween and Mourning tours, Heritage Square is open for tours Friday through Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m. Regular admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, and $5 for children ages 6-12. The Museum is located at 3800 Homer Street, off the 110 Arroyo Seco Parkway at Avenue 43, just north of downtown Los Angeles. For further information, visit our website at www.heritagesquare.org.
    For more information on the International Community for Paranormal Investigation and Research (ICPIR), visit www.icpir.com