Boulevard Sentinel - Northeast Los Angeles' Community News

July 20. 2002

Cypress Park Pushes for Youth, Picks on Police, Complains to Councilman

Everyone had something to say at a Cypress Park Community Dialogue. Overall, they have little trust for City officials.

Cypress Park Neighborhood Council Sponsors Community Dialogue on youth and violence.

by Tom Topping

In a meeting held on Thursday July 11 at the Aragon Elementary School, Cypress Park residents spoke out about their fears, frustrations, and possible future in the aftermath of a recent shooting that, "... deprived a family of a loving son and brother and our community of a future leader," according to Art Pulido, Cypress Park activist and President of the newly forming Cypress Park Neighborhood Council.

The victim of the shooting, Israel Martinez, a bible study class student, was less

than a minute's walk from his home when he was shot in an alley near Cypress Avenue and Pepper Street. This brought to a boil long held dissatisfaction with the city officials and the lack of services. "We need police patrolling our streets. We need better street lighting. What we really need is attention from the city," said Mr. Pulido. Also at issue was the future of the soon to be vacated old Cypress Library building, slated to become a senior center. Local activists would rather it became a youth center.

Cypress Park residents say they have been seeking help from the both city officials and the Police Department for some time, up to twenty years in some cases, but not having much luck at getting it. "When he (Ed Reyes) wanted to get elected, he wanted you now, not 4 or 5 weeks from now," said Pulido, commenting on the amount of time he was told he would have to wait for an appointment to meet with Councilperson Reyes. Pulido said he was told by the councilman that if he got 100 people to a meeting, then he would show up.

The Councilman and Pulido had apparently had some bad blood between them for some time. Reyes went on the defensive from the start as he spoke. "It's easier to communicate when you speak to each other civilly- when you have a dialogue- when you can communicate- exchange ideas. But when someone comes up to you with a menacing gesture and a tone of voice in which they're commanding you- being antagonistic- I gotta admit I reacted defensively- because it took me off guard."

Reyes talked a little bit about past problems in Cypress Park concerning government funding being abused after it got into the hands of "so-called leaders." "So I've learned a lot from those experiences- we need to be able to control and move our moneys effectively and to build up community input," he said, apparently inferring that the current leaders could not be trusted with government funds either. He did, however, try to steer the discussion in a positive direction. "Our goal is to look at the future, not the past, what we can do from here on," said Reyes.

Showing that he was there to support the community, and maybe showing off a bit of his influence and power as a City Council member, Reyes had invited to the dialogue the "Top Cops" of the city, Acting Chief of Police David Gascon and Assistant Chief Margaret York, both of whom are likely candidates for the new LA Police Chief. They were there and offered words of support for the Cypress Park community members.

Northeast Division Captain Kyle Jackson was there as well to meet with Cypress Park and hear their views. "Cypress Park," he said, "as it relates to actual incidents of crime, has very little crime. There's just too much violent crime," he said. Residents there questioned whether that was due to the unresponsive attitude of police that seemed to prevail whenever they call to report a crime.(As a northeast resident myself, I have often felt that officers have purposefully tried to dissuade me from reporting crimes that I call in, so this is the perception of local residents if not the fact.) Still, the Captain implored the attendees to "Work with us as a partner, share information with us, let us work with you."

The people there spoke passionately about, well, everything. Some had stories of blatant police misconduct. One man said, "There are cops selling their drugs, too. Why? We've seen it. We're getting busted- we're getting hit because we're bald? Because the way we're dressed? That ain't right."

Another was inquiring about a specific case where he made a formal complaint about police officers lying, and had been promised a follow up and response by the Police's Internal Affairs division, but had not heard a thing for months. Captain Jackson promised to hear those specifics after the meeting and to see that they were attended to.

Others had refreshingly intelligent and insightful comments. "Instead of concentrating on putting them in jail, why don't we concentrate on intervention? We're housing thousands and thousands of men in the prison system and it doesn't work. The only thing that does is make it worse. They get harder and harder each year they do. That (soon to be former library) would be a great site for a youth program. I know you have petitions there, (to make the site a senior center)- good intentions- good program, but I think the priority should be the youth instead of the seniors. The seniors have lived their lives, the kids still have a future in front of them, it could be a good one or it could be a bad one."

Tony Martinez, brother of the slain Israel, silent until now, was a surprisingly powerful voice at the meeting. "I've seen these community leaders grow up here and work with each other, and like the Chief said, this is a "home grown" political man that we have in office (referring to Councilman Reyes who is from Cypress Park). We should come together and put aside our differences- cause that's all that's been happening. SHAME ON ALL OF YOU politicians, who call yourself politicians, that say you want to help our kids. SHAME ON ALL OF YOU for pointing fingers. STOP IT! You guys took your eyes off the prize- the kids- that's your future- that's our future. This ain't a time to drill the cops. This ain't no time to drill him (Reyes). It's time to come together. Put our differences apart.

"When I hear Cypress Park Council's almost getting ripped apart by the Arroyo, that should stop. We should all come back together as ONE! YOU FORGOT WHERE YOU COME FROM!" There was a rousing applause from the audience at this point and then Tony continued.

"All we want is fairness and the best for the kids, and right now all I see is a bunch of kids that grew up together in this neighborhood; bickering again just like you did twenty years ago. Please stop it! I saw it when I was little... I saw you guys getting along; you could do it now.. Work together. Pull your resources together. Stop bickering. That's why we can't get nothin' done. That's why we can't get no money in here. Cause everybody's cryin' about this person and that. Stop it. What is our most important thing- the kids, the youth, that's our future. And that's all I have to say."

The meeting ended with no action taken except for the promise of Councilman Reyes to form a task force to look at the issue. Calls to the Councilman's office for comment were not returned. The Greater Cypress Park Neighborhood Council and the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council will have a dialogue on July 30 to see if they will unify for, or independently self determine their respective futures.

ERHS Teacher Competes on the Today Show

by Judy Esber

Everyday as students pile into the classroom they sit in front of a teacher of whom they really know nothing about. They only know what they see in the classroom and know nothing about the teachers outside life. It usually would never occur to a student that their teacher could have a bit of romance in their life. But for one Eagle Rock High School teacher love has struck its toll.

Matt Day is an English teacher at Eagle Rock High School and next year's advisor for the school's newspaper The Eagles' Scream. At the end of last semester a PA announcement went on during homeroom with Mr. Day announcing that he was on the today show and asking students to go online and vote for him and his fiancé for the 'Today Throws a Wedding' competition.

Mr. Day met his fiancé, Holly, who is also a high school English teacher, when they were both working at the same location. Now Holly teaches at Eagle Rock High School's rival school, Franklin High School. They have been engaged for about a year now and plan to have their wedding next July.

The Today Throws a Wedding contest is an annual contest in which the Today Show lets the viewers pick one lucky couple and help plan their entire wedding. Each week they let the audience vote on different subjects like, the site of the reception, the rings, the bridesmaids dresses, and the wedding gown. Matt and Holly found out about the contest online where they spent about an hour filling out a long form. "We entered because we thought it would be fun," commented Mr. Day. Soon after they were called in for pre-screening and before they knew it they were told they made it to the top four. Because they were one of the top four couples they received a free trip to New York.

On Wednesday June 26th they were brought on the show where they were interviewed live by Katie Couric. During the interview they shared about their relationship. One of the stories they shared was when Matt proposed to Holly. On that day Matt took Holly on a hike toward the Hollywood sign. At some point on the trail he had placed a sign that said "you marry me?" It was in just the right position so that when you were on the trail it looked like it said "Hollywood you marry me?" When Holly first saw the sign it took her a while to actually put the whole thing together.

When it comes to sharing their feelings on TV they felt completely comfortable. "It's not like we were on Temptation Island together," said Mr. Day.

While in New York they unfortunately found out that they were not voted in to have their wedding done by the Today show. Luckily they already had the reception site and catering company booked since they had never planned on making it as far as they did. Although they were disappointed that they lost, they feel that, "it was a real once in a lifetime experience and [they] had a lot of fun"

What is the Community-Police Advisory Board(C-PAB)?

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Advisory Boards were developed to promote and assist community-based policing. The Northeast Division Advisory Board meets regularly to discuss how the Northeast LAPD can more effectively police the communities within the area and how the citizens of the communities can work with the Northeast LAPD to positively affect the quality of life in the communities. The area Commanding Officer appoints the board members. Here are some of the latest programs and activities of the Northeast CPAB and the Northeast L.A.P.D.

Neighborhood Watch

The Northeast CPAB is rejuvenating the Neighborhood Watch Program. For the past two years, crimes against property (car thefts, burglaries, and thefts from autos) have risen. The Neighborhood Watch Program is very effective combating this type of neighborhood crime. Officers Cooper and Allen will hold monthly Neighborhood Watch Meetings at the Police Historical Museum at 6045 York Blvd. on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 pm. Everyone is welcome - you need not be a "formal" neighborhood watch captain to attend.

The Neighborhood Prosecutor Program

A new program by the City Attorney's office strengthens "the connection between the city government and the communities, cultures and neighborhoods it serves." This program works to improve the quality of life for a community. It has already helped to clean up many neighborhood problem areas throughout the city. Call 213/847-8045 to report a problem.

Northeast Station Community Partnership and Problem Solving Unit

The Northeast Station Community Partnership and Problem Solving Unit handles ongoing community problems (not one time problems). Call 213/847-3137 to contact this office - an answering machine is available to leave messages 24/7. In the Northeast Station, this unit works closely with the new Neighborhood Prosecutor Program to solve community quality of life problems.

Senior Lead Officers (SLOs) at the Community Police Service Centers

Please contact your SLO at the Northeast Station Community Relations Office 213/485-2563 if you are interested in helping or would like your SLO's phone number and service center information.

Narcotics Officers Increased Citywide.

This means the Northeast Station will be able to get their "squad" back at the station for better coverage of drug related problems in the northeast area. The new officers are currently in training and will be deployed soon.

The Volunteer Surveillance Team Needs Volunteers.

Another training class is being held at the end of July or first of August. This is a really rewarding "hands on" way to participate in solving the problems of your community. You will need to have a background check before participating. Contact the Northeast Station Community Relations Office 213/485-2563.

Community Police Academy

Another class is starting on July 23. This ten week in depth course covers policing and police policies for the City of Los Angeles. The class meets for two hours from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. You will be able to use the FAT simulator to see if you can judge when to shoot. A background check is required prior to attending this class. You must also be 18 years old. This is a great chance to get into this rarely offered course. Contact Officer Rita Vallejo at the Northeast Police Station Community Relations Office 213/485-2563.

Traffic Accidents & Crime Report - Year to Date

We have had a decrease in traffic accidents for the northeast area. The current statistics show a 42% drop in accidents and a 66% decrease in injuries. Still drive safely and always wear your seat belts. Generally crime is up about 6% from last year. Last year and previous year were historically very low years.

Save the Date - Northeast Police Station Annual Open House

This year there will be lots of interesting exhibits and tours with great food and fun for the whole family - October 12th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Getting Your City Services

The ERNC Tuesday July 9th meeting at Toland Way Elementary School opened with a greeting from Councilman Nick Pacheco and was a pioneering success in that there was a hefty panel of eight City officials and other representatives explaining city services and answering audience concerns. Commissioner Adriana Rubalcava helped close the meeting by summarizing the various programs available through the City.

The panelists and their associates represented the Los Angeles City Departments of:

1) Building & Safety - David Lara and Ed Sanchez - (888) LA 4 BUILD

2) Street Resurfacing - Tom Thomas- (800) 996-2489

3) Street Trees - Greg Monfette- (800) GREEN LA

4) Sanitation - Daniel Hackney- (800) 773-2489

5) Street Lighting - Michael Morton - (800) 342-5397

6) Clean Sweep - Sergio Samayoa- (800) 611 CITY

7) Animal Reg. - Officer Tranzow- (888) 4 LA PET

Additional subjects included City grants for community projects, new black

and larger green trash containers, cooling effect of trees, street lighting, waste water treatment plants, lighted safety cross walks and scheduling repairs.

Residents voiced their neighborhood concerns which covered sidewalks, street signs, speed bumps, barking dogs, step signs, parking problems, crosswalks and graffiti.

The Forum was chaired by ERNC Interim President, Dalila Sotelo, who acknowledged the ERNC Interim Board members in attendance and specifically thanked Everett Sarabia and the Outreach Committee for their successfully coordination of the event.

For any questions or to become involved, please contact:

The Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council

(323) 257-6381

PO Box 41005, Eagle Rock, CA 90041.

Catching up with Congressman Becerra

FASGI Event brings Lawmakers Together

The Filipino American Services Group (FASGI) sponsored an informal meeting bringing together for the first time Representative Becerra and Congressman James Gordon of the Philippines.

The two legislators met on July 3, and discussed a host of issues including Health Care for Filipino World War II Veterans Act, which gives parity to Filipino veterans who fought for the United States in World War II.

Legal Permanent Resident’s Benefit

The United States Senate passed its on version of a bill on June 26 that would reauthorize the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program. Congressman Becerra is the only local member to belong on the House Ways and Means Committee. This legislation also includes restoration of health care services for pregnant legal immigrant women and children.

ERNC Business Forum

The Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council (ERNC) announces its’ next Community Forum to discuss Business development in Eagle Rock and to welcome the new Target.

WHAT WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT OUR BUSINESSES WHAT OUR BUSINESSES CAN DO TO SUPPORT US

This Business Forum will be held at the Eagle Rock Westfield Mall (adjacent to the new Target store, at the lower level entrance) on:

TUESDAY, JULY 30TH

Mixer from 6:30 pm to 7 pm

Meeting from 7 pm to 9 pm

Laura Chick, LA City Controller, will be the featured guest speaker. We will also have a representative from the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development and the Office of Finance to discuss supporting businesses within Eagle Rock. We have also invited representatives from the various existing organizations in Eagle Rock that focus on businesses: The Chamber of Commerce; ERCPR; TERA and NEAT.

In order to get feedback from Eagle Rock stakeholders about What Businesses Can Do to Support Us, the Neighborhood Council’s plan is to canvas shoppers in the Mall to discuss: the kinds of businesses shoppers want in Eagle Rock, why people shop outside of Eagle Rock, general expectations of your Neighborhood Council, issues affecting youth and general community concerns. The Neighborhood Council will be available on the first floor of the Mall near the Target entrance on the following days:

Saturday, July 27- 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Sunday, July 28- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

We will provide charts in both English and Spanish for the public to write down their concerns. Speakers and participants will address some of these issues while other issues will be covered in future meetings. PLEASE JOIN US

Editorial:

The Law is the Law! But what is it when it’s a Bylaw?

I Love Bylaws. Boy do I love them. Those little booklets full of rules and procedures designed to govern the operations of an organization. Man are they fun. I'll tell you a secret. Bylaws are not for people like you and me. Yeah, you and me. I'm talking about us, the outsiders. Bylaws are only for the use of people who sit on the boards of those organizations. Oh, I know some bylaws state what rights we, the outsiders have. And I know the bylaws state what the duties and responsibilities of the directors are. But one of the many things I've had to learn the hard way is this: Bylaws are only used when they support the desires of the board. Bylaws are usually ignored when it is in the board's interest to do so. I discovered this when I was a board member of the Eagle Rock Community Preservation and Revitalization (ERCPR) group. I don't know if they, among the ranks of such boards were better, worse or about average. All I know is they constantly ignored their bylaws when it was inconvenient or too much work to abide by them.

Now we have certified Neighborhood Councils. Wonderful. Guess what outlines the rights of the "membership" (us outsiders)? Would you care to make a guess as to what describes the duties of the Board of Directors? You're right! Give that man a cigar. Yes, it is the bylaws. And do you remember who gets to decide whether or not a set of bylaws need to be followed? Right again, it's the board. In a call to L.A. City's Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE), there was no one who wanted to answer my question. It seemed simple enough. If the Neighborhood Council's bylaws are ignored, can they be enforced, and by whom?

Obviously, this question only came up after looking at the bylaws of the Eagle Rock NC. For one thing, I noticed that in the ERNC bylaws on page three it says, "ERNC shall encourage ERNC Community Stakeholders to sign-up to vote". Wow. I've been to between 6 and 8 of these meetings and no one has ever mentioned a thing about that. FYI, on page 6 it says these registered voting members "will be given the opportunity to vote on any issues that concern the community." I think I would have remembered that. It seems quite important.

I do remember a the ERNC Board having a discussion about who would be eligible to be elected as a Board Member though. Gosh, in the Bylaws on page 11 it says, "Any Community Stakeholder may be nominated to run for President or Treasurer". Interestingly, the discussions centered mainly around who would not be allowed to be a Director totally ignoring what the Bylaws say.

I wonder why the DONE people wouldn't call me back to answer my question. They said only their supervisors could answer questions from the press. Hmm... it must have been in their bylaws.

Letters:

Colorado and Loleta

Mr. Topping:

The intersection of Colorado Boulevard and Loleta Avenue is very dangerous to all the kids who attend the surrounding schools:

* Westminster Academy

* Dahlia Heights

* Eagle Rock Montessori, and

* Eagle Rock High School.

To give you a couple of examples:

*On Memorial Day a van traveling westbound on Colorado Boulevard ran a red light at Loleta Avenue and crashed against another vehicle, broke a tree and damaged the fenced entrance to the underground passage to Dahlia Height Elementary School. It was lucky that being a holiday that no children were present.

*On Friday June 14th, at 11:20 a.m. a west-bound car driving on Colorado Boulevard crashed while it ran a red light at the intersection of Loleta Avenue. The dangers of that intersection are:

*The signal lights are not visible when you are driving westbound on Colorado Boulevard

*The cars exiting off the 134 Freeway into Colorado Boulevard westbound are going faster than the 35 miles per hour speed limit and can not slow down on time to notice or respect the signal lights

*At least one car of every ten driving westbound don't stop when the signal changes from green to red.

*So many children use that intersection that it is totally irresponsible to continue ignoring this problem that has been reported to Nick Pacheco's office for a period of more than two years.

*The Principal of Dahlia Heights Elementary has complained that the pedestrians who want to cross Colorado Boulevard in that intersection do not have enough time to safely cross because the light changes so fast.

What I am suggesting to do are:

1 Lengthen the arms of the signal lights

2 Trim the trees that obscure the view of the signal lights

3 Increase the time allowed for people to cross Colorado Boulevard

4 Paint the "School Zone" signs fluorescent yellow

Sincerely,

Bill Markis, Loleta Ave

Eagle Rock 90041

No Arby’s?

July 16, 02

Dear Mr. Topping,

I just read in the recent issue that a new Savon is going up near MacDonalds. Is the old savon closing? If not, hey! we now have two. Why not another Rite Aid at the old auto paint shop?

I'm sure we also have room for another burger king closer to Jack in the Box. I guess we didn't want Walgreens as they would have the same stuff as Savon. There's one thing consumers don't have in Eagle Rock is choices. We have three burger stores and no Arby's. There are no restaurants like Shakers or Foxy's here and the city politicians don't want them.

I spend most of my money for eating in Glendale and not here as that's where the restaurants are. This is mostly a fast food city unless you go to Columbos. I hope they do something quick with the old in and out auto paint shop before a fire hits and really makes a mess of the area. Thank you

Yours truly, Tom Davison

Ellenwood Dr.

Eagle Rock, Ca. 90041

Jacarandas on San Fernando Road

The Glassell Park Improvement Association is organizing a "tree maintenance work project" for the beautiful Jacaranda Trees along San Fernando Road that run from where Ribet Academy is up to the Cypress/Eagle Rock Boulevard intersection. We are meeting at 7:00 AM on Saturday, July 20 in the Ralph's Supermarket parking lot (2716 San Fernando Road). We will focus on cleaning out the basins of the trees so they can be deep watered and will be removing the "suckers." We are also trying to arrange for mulching.

Day Camp Offered

The Summer Spectacular is a weeklong day camp for children who have completed Kindergarten or any grade through fifth grade. Children are involved in a variety of Bible learning activities. Space is limited so please contact the Eagle Rock Baptist Church at 255-0390 for registration or additional information.

R.O.C.K. Events

The centers extended hours are Monday through Thursday from 1 to 6 p.m. These hours will run from now until August 15. The R.O.C.K. is located at 1597 Yosemite Drive in Eagle Rock. For information on any R.O.C.K. activities, please call Donna Robey-Sullivan at 257-6102.

Parish Yard Sale

Saint Barnabas Episcopal Church will be having a HUGE yard sale in Friday, July 19 (5 to 8 pm) and Saturday, July 20 (8 am to 2 pm) at 2109 Chickasaw Avenue (next to the library).

Target

is coming!!

The wait is almost over! Target will open its doors to the public on Sunday, July 28th. Westfield Shoppingtown Eagle Rock will celebrate the occasion with festivities throughout the Shoppingtown, including entertainment, Gift With Purchase and lots more!

Cruisin’ with Conrad

Old days revisited- Dave Holtz’s 4 jug flathead, aluminum heads and a forklift alternator (it works)

Hello Eagle Rock!

Ever start cleaning out your garage, you know; to get rid of a collection of “Do I really need this stuff?” Well a few weeks ago, I started going through a pile of old car magazines, throwing out the ones that did not have a particular article or picture I needed for reference. Low and behold a long forgotten treasure popped up. I found my 1959 Bonneville souvenir program. I didn’t get to go that year, because there wasn’t enough room in the tow car pulling my friends roadster. This, the year that the late Mickey Thompson had his 4 Pontiac streamliner out.

Going through this souvenir program, I found a lot of ads for some of the early pioneers of the hot rodding sport. Names like Ed Iskenderian, Bell Auto Parts, Clay Smith, Crankshaft Co., Don’s Speed Shop, McGurk, Blair's, Reath, Halibrand, Moon, Jahn's, Wil-Cap, Harry Mann, Joe Hunt, Hilborn, Pinks, Offenhauser, Vic Hubbard, and Weiand. Any of those names bring back memories? Many still exist to this day and are going strong.

Here are a few names of competitors in 1959, Bob Brissette (of Eagle Rock), Bob Summers, John Vesco, Raul Palamides, Tom Beatty, Dr. Norm Thatcher, Joe Pisano, Craig Breedlove, Lou Bingham and an old friend, the late Les Berglund (162.45 mph).

In this pile of treasures, I found some programs for S.C.T.A. speed trials at El Mirage dry lake. The dates for these books are 1948, 49, and 50. I shared these at our last meeting, and thanks to Ron Jorgensen, he spotted a local name. The name is Merritt Tritch. Merritt belonged to the Trompers car club, and competed at El Mirage for several years. He got his flathead powered roadster up over 100 mph at several meets. I shared these books with Merritt and he got a kick out of them.

Cruise night went very well. There were lots of new cars, as the warm weather brings them out. Dave Holst had his just completed Model A coupe, with a flathead engine (aluminum heads, 4 carb manifold, 40 dash, a lot of borrowed stuff from his Dad’s stash of parts).

There was a green and gold 46 Packard 4 dr, not your typical hot rod, but tricked out to the max to go crusin’. Also a 53 Ford 2 dr sedan with a small block Ford and a neat set of rear spring sliders, made by Tom Topping.

Two of the cars of the late Roger Petty were there before the trip back to Detroit. They were his very fast 37 Chevy coupe and one of his mid-60’s Malibus, also fast. His nephew was out to get them ready for the trip back to his garage. Its neat they are staying in the family.

Fifties and Sixties music and old cars go together. That’s what happened at the first concert in the park, on July 7th. The Chamber of Commerce got a good band and we had about 40 cars. Turned out very well.

The next cruise night at Jim's Burgers is July 27th. Stop on by, or if you got a pre-73 piece of iron bring it on down.

Just crusin, Conrad

Preserving Family Pictures for Posterity

By Genine Sauer

Keep your most-prized photographs in a dark, dry, and temperature-consistent place (around 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit year-round, with a relative humidity of less than 50 percent). If you use a photo album for storage, make sure that it has acid-free paper and chemically safe plastic pockets, and that you affix the pictures to the pages using a safe adhesive. Other storage options include acid-free storage boxes and steel file cabinets. Avoid prolonged exposure of photos to direct sunlight and fluorescent lights. And, by all means, have negatives made of those rare family photos and store them in clearly marked, acid-free envelopes.

You can preserve photographs a couple of other ways. First, you can convert photographs of an earlier time to a newer and safer kind of film. A local photograph shop that specializes in preservation can do this for you. Because color photographs fade more quickly than their black-and-white counterparts, you may want to make black-and-white negatives of your color photographs. Also, as with documents, you can always preserve your photographs electronically by scanning them into your computer or by having a photo CD made by your photographic developer.

CTEC Computer Classes

Computer Networking/MCSA Preparation offered at CTEC for $100

The CTEC MCSA exam preparation class prepares students for the Microsoft Certified System Administrator (MCSA) exam. Students will learn the hands-on career skills necessary to administer a

Microsoft 2000-based computer network. Passing the MCSA automatically makes you a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) and starts you on the road to the Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MCSE) certification. Familiarity with a Windows-based operating system, basic keyboarding skills, and 8th grade reading and math skills are required.

Cost: $100 for six months training (books and

exams price are extra -- students may re-enroll for another 6 months if necessary). Days: Mon-Thurs. from: 8am - Noon.

CTEC is the Community Technology and Education Center, a project of the non-profit charity Community Partners. We are located in the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens at 570 West Avenue 26, Los Angeles, 90065. For registration and further information, please call 223-0604 ext 21.

Retirement and Travel

By Genine Sauer

If traveling abroad is part of your retirement plans, give some thought to purchasing time-shares in resort properties. You can enjoy the benefits of such plans on vacations during your working years and enjoy having prepaid for a substantial chunk of the cost of accommodations after retiring. Just make sure that any time-share program you're considering offers swapping privileges for accommodations around the world. All the better ones will have this feature.

Review all of your vacation travel for the past several years and calculate how much you have been spending on lodging. You may find that purchasing one or more time-shares can be a real saving for the future.

Warming Up to Summer Cautions

By Genine Sauer

Of the people who die each year from heat-related illnesses, most are over 50 years of age, says the National Institute on Aging. Seniors are more likely to suffer from poor circulation, inefficient sweat glands, lung and heart diseases, and high blood pressure, all of which increase the risk of heat-related illness. Some types of medications, such as salt pills, diuretics, and blood pressure drugs, also increase risk.

Older adults also tend to be reluctant to really make use of air conditioning, perhaps because they're so used to living without it, or because they're afraid of how the electric bill might balloon. With heat-related illness, seniors tend to go from feeling fine to sudden collapse, so when dealing with an older person who may be suffering from a heat-related illness, don't hesitate to seek medical attention.

ARROYO CROSSING

The railroad’s journey through what is now Northeast Los Angeles was hampered by a small obstacle... The Arroyo Seco. Railroad officials decided that a detour was not practical and voted instead to build a bridge along the guidelines drawnup by Jewett several years earlier.

The wooden Arroyo Seco bridge was completed on July 31, 1885 and track laying was taking place as fast as the ground was readied. The Valley Union reported that a large cargo of ties arrived on the construction site during the same week and would be used as fast as the grading could be completed.

The Valley Union wrote: “Wednesday September 16, 1885 will always be an epoch in the history of Pasadena. The Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad was formerly opened to public traffic between Los Angeles and Pasadena.

The History of Lincoln Heights

In the late 1800’s Lincoln Heights was one of Los Angeles’ first suburbs and was considered a chic residential area. Originally, the area was settled by Irish, English and German immigrants, followed by Italians, and then Mexicans. More recently, Asians, Chinese and Vietnamese have settled in the area.

The community of about 37,000 is surrounded by physical boundaries: the Los Angeles River to the west, Lincoln Park to the south and hills to the north and the east.

Lincoln Heights is a diverse community, offering recreation and athletic facilities to the area’s children, adults and retired citizens. Life in Lincoln Heights is very active. Over 25 churches and temples representing many denominations can be found in the Lincoln Heights area.

Entertainment ranges from tours of historic landmarks and buildings to winery visits, dance and music festivals, live theaters, art exhibits and plenty of shops and restaurants.

Chamber of Commerce Ho-down

The Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce is holding a fundraiser this summer to raise money to promote and assist Eagle Rock Businesses and maintain Chamber sponsored community events, such as the weekly, year-round Farmers Market, and the summer Concerts in the Park series. The event will be a family oriented, country "ho-down," featuring a country western band, pony rides, games, and plenty of hearty food.

It will take place at the home of Chamber President George Shapiro, located in horse stable area of South Pasadena. The address is 307 San Pascual Street and the event will be on Saturday July 27, from 3 to 8 p.m. Tickets are available from Chamber Board members or by calling Erica Grubert at 323 257 2497. Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Book Sale

The Friends of the Cypress Park Library are conducting two days of book sales to benefit the Tuesday Children's Program. Come to the library on Saturday July 27 and August 3 from 10am to 2pm to purchase good books cheap.

The library is located at 3320 Pepper St. just off Cypress. Come and browse, save some money, support the Children.

Gallery Ophelia

Gallery Ophelia presents a collaborative exhibit of new and selected works by Chicago artist Scott Theisen and Los Angeles Artist Rick O’Brien. The display will run through August with an opening reception set for August 2 at 7 p.m. The gallery is located at 2144 Colorado Boulevard. For information, please call 982-9945

Art Exhibit at the Rockrose Art Gallery

"Vertigos Romanticos", Painting and Sketches by Antonio Escalante, will be on display through August 11 at the Rockrose Art Gallery & Arroyo Books, 4108 N. Figueroa Street. The gallery is open on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 4-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 5-10 p.m. and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. For more information, please call us at 222-4740 or email: Rockroseart@yahoo.com

Southwest Museum Events

Saturday, July 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Museum Patio, GOURD DESIGN WORKSHOP: Nadiya Littlewarrior, Citizen Potawatomi/Cherokee Nadiya Littlewarrior's beautiful gourds are found in galleries and shops from China to Spain. Ms. Littlewarrior, owner of Spirit Vessels Studio, will lead the class in the creation of a personal gourd that represents each participant's individual designs and paintings. Join the class and create a memory. Members $20.00, Guests $30.00, all supplies are included with registration.

The Southwest Museum is located at 234 Museum Drive in Mount Washington.

Music at Eagle Rock Park

Every summer the Eagle Rock Recreation Center and the Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce sponsors a series of outdoor concert events at the Neutra Amphitheater in the Park. It's a wonderful event for the Northeast, it's free and lots of fun! On Sunday, July 21 there will be a 40’s Swing Music performed from 6:00 - 8:00 PM. On August 4, music of the 70’s will be offered, and on August 18, the summer series will finish with the Jack Lantz Big Band.