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On the Road Again
The last eLetter began with comments regarding our trip to the East Coast. Since we have just returned from another trip, I am afraid that once again you will hear a little about our travels. But it won't happen again for quite a while - the eLetter will not turn into a travelogue. Both our checkbooks and our bodies have little appetite for more travel at this time.
About two weeks ago seven Eagle Rockers (three couples and a son) left town and traveled to Anchorage, Alaska. The trip from here to Anchorage is much shorter than I imagined. Since we all took different flights we reconnected at the hotel bar in the evening for "hooray, we are on vacation" cocktails. A private van was to take us to Seward the next day to board our ship. We were very surprised when our private van ended up being a full size bus, capable of holding 40 - 50 passengers. The road trip from Anchorage to Seward gave us our first glance of the incredible beauty of Alaska. It was also our last glimpse of Alaska sunshine. For the next seven days we stopped at many ports, as we slowly cruised south to Vancouver. The visit to Hubbard Glacier was my favorite. Even though the days were overcast, often with low hanging clouds and drizzle, the beauty of this special place was impossible to miss. In case you're wondering, in spite of my best efforts, I was not able to see Russia.
This was our third Alaska cruise. A big change we noticed is that there were many younger passengers on the ship - which was wonderful. In the past an Alaska cruise was considered a "senior citizen" event, and the ships were largely populated by more mature passengers. It is great to see that younger folks have become aware of the beauty that exists in Alaska.
Our cruise ended in sunny Vancouver, a place we have visited many times and one of our very favorite cities. Surrounded by water, graced with an abundance of parks and green space, and a wonderful collection of traditional and contemporary structures, it is an extraordinarily beautiful place. I urge you to put it on your list of places to go. Very interesting to me was how Vancouver has embraced many of the goals of Take Back the Boulevard. Dedicated bike lanes are clearly marked, parklets are found and cross walks include "sharks teeth" a painted warning giving drivers more visible notice of a crosswalk. For the next few months we will stay close to home and Eagle Rock.
Marijuana Reader Feedback
Recently I asked eLetter readers to send emails regarding their feelings about the impending ban on dispensaries.
Given the strong feelings in the community regarding this issue, and the fact that the eLetter goes to approximately 1,800 addresses, I feel the response was quite modest. It is also notable that almost a third of the respondents support the dispensaries. All of the responses were shared with the Council Office. For those who support the dispensaries, I always reiterate that TERA's position is not against the availability of marijuana to those who have a medical need. We simply feel that because of the lack of control, our community is literally overrun with dispensaries and that is not in Eagle Rock's best interest. If there were a small number of dispensaries in Eagle Rock, it is likely there would be little community concern. See below for more information regarding the recently enacted ban.
Take Back the Boulevard - Financial Support
"There is no free lunch." We all know that. There is also no such thing as a "free meeting" - at least usually not. Without the generosity of our 2011 financial backers, Take Back the Boulevard could not have proceeded. For example, meeting expenses are usually not recognized. Public meetings usually involve expenses such as advertising, collateral - printed material distributed or displayed, rent for the meeting space, easel pads (really pricey), pens, bottled water, cookies, etc. This initiative could not have moved forward without financial support.
A year ago, when this initiative began, TERA pledged $5,000 to the effort. The Council Office pledged $5,000 and provided considerable administrative services (printing, etc.) on a pro-bono basis. The Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council pledged $2,000 to this effort. In addition to these financial pledges, Michael Nogueira (Sir Michael's Party Rentals) allowed us to use various rental equipment, including sound systems, for every meeting at no charge.
We are now ready to go into the next phase of the initiative that will continue to require funding, but now mostly related to preparing and submitting grant applications. I am pleased to report that our council representative, José Huizar, has provided a 2012 - $5,000 grant. TERA has pledged another $1,000. I will be requesting support from the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council in September. Many thanks to José for his continuing support. And thanks to the TERA members who make it possible for TERA to support Take Back the Boulevard. If anyone in the community would like to make a donation to the Take Back the Boulevard effort, please email me and I will send you the required material.
Volunteers - we need some
TERA's annual fund raiser will be held on Saturday, October 27 and we need help. The event, called "Cirque du Rock" will be a costume party calling on the spirits of circuses past; it should be great fun. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Please email me (president@TERA90041.org) if you would like more information or to volunteer.
Membership - Now is the Time
We are in the midst of our 2012-2013 membership campaign and want to thank everyone who has already responded. Their names are listed below. Your financial support allows TERA to continue its work for the community. Also, as result of your support and generosity TERA is often able to provide financial assistance other community organizations such as the Take Back the Boulevard, Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce, Collaborative Eagle Rock Beautiful, and others. You can renew your membership at our website http://www.tera90041.org/join_tera_or_renew_using_paypal0.aspx. Email me (president@TERA90041.org) if you would like to get a membership packet in the mail. Please support TERA with your membership.
 Bob Gotham, President
Support TERA - Become a Member
Join now at http://www.tera90041.org/join-paypal.htm . Memberships begin at only $15.
Membership has benefits!Discounts are available for TERA Members at the following participating merchants. Look for the TERA Membership Decals at merchant locations. Just show your active membership card. Click on http://www.tera90041.org/benefits.htm to see the member benefits offered by each merchant.
If you are a merchant and would like to participate in this program, which includes free advertising in the eLetter, please email president@tera90041.org.
As I am sure all readers know, the City of Los Angeles has imposed what is called a "Gentle Ban Marijuana Ordinance". Council Representative José Huizar was a leader in the implementation of the latest legislation. His response to the approval of ordinance was as follows:
"With the Mayor's signature, it is my hope that communities throughout the City of Los Angeles can now begin to reclaim their neighborhoods from the over-proliferation of illegal marijuana storefront dispensaries. We now need to focus on enforcement of the Gentle Ban ordinance, which goes into effect in 30 days as we await clarification from the State Supreme Court. In the interim, we would encourage legitimate medical marijuana patients to advocate their state legislature to fix the flawed state law so that only seriously ill patients with documented medical history have access to medical marijuana, which is what we all thought we were voting for when we supported the Compassionate Use Act."
I have hopes this will work. However, based on past efforts to bring the marijuana industry under some level of control, it is way too early to celebrate.
Litigation is always the first response of the dispensaries to any attempts to control the industry. The Patient Care Alliance has already taken action to sue the City. My understanding, based on explanations from the City Attorney's Office, is that this ordinance / ban is crafted in such a way that the opportunities for extended litigation are more limited than in prior legislation. Signatures are being gathered to cause a referendum overturning the ban to be included on the ballot next March. If the requisite signatures (27,400) are gathered city-wide in the next three weeks, the ban would be temporarily suspended pending the outcome of the vote next March.
Assuming litigation or a potential referendum do not prevent the enforcement of the ordinance, we then need to deal with limited enforcement resources and with LAPD city-wide acquiring a consistent understanding of what enforcement actions are allowable. The lack of clear and consistent guidance for the LAPD officers in the past has been a serious hurdle to more stringent enforcement in Eagle Rock. I don't think the LAPD has made any specific commitments regarding enforcing the new ordinance. I would be surprised if we see any change in the dispensary presence in Eagle Rock in the near future.
More than once I have been approached by an Eagle Rocker who has a valid need for medical marijuana. They have asked TERA to more fully consider the needs of those with a need. TERA has never been against the availability of marijuana. Our only opposition is to the inordinate number of dispensaries in our community. An important aspect of this latest ban is that it does allow for small groups to collectively grow their own. Dispensary supporters have stressed the difficulty of growing marijuana. Those admonitions may be overblown. Little attention has been paid to the fact that there are no guidelines or standards for the marijuana sold in dispensaries today. It could contain any type of pesticide or other chemical. Home-grown may be a safer solution. What you harvest may be less potent but at least you can ensure it does not contain unwanted elements.
Finally and most importantly, let's hope that the state and federal government will soon recognize the medical benefit of marijuana and put legislation in place that brings order and control to this industry. The reality is that if every dispensary in the state suddenly disappeared, there still would be a marijuana industry. It's not going to go away.
For the last year the primary goal of this initiative has been to engage the community in a dialog, discussing the alternative ways in which Colorado Boulevard could better serve the community of Eagle Rock. The voice of the community has been heard and we are now moving into the next phase of the initiative.
Based on the feedback from the community a Master Vision Plan is being developed. This document will describe the Eagle Rock - Main Street / downtown vision of the future. Linked to the vision statements, will be detail regarding the specific changes that have received the most support from the community. Our ability to deliver the changes defined in the Master Vision Plan will be largely guided by what is possible with the assistance of the Department of Transportation and funding that may be acquired by winning grants.
Discussion with the Department of Transportation to provide enhanced crosswalk markings at selected locations has begun. The City's master plan for bike lanes, which has already been budgeted, has the potential to support the most significant change in the character of the Boulevard. In addition to providing safe passage for bike riders, bike lanes will likely exert a traffic calming effect and enhanced pedestrian experience. Recently the Department of Transportation invited community feedback to the Bike Lane related EIR (Environmental Impact Report) process. You will find Take Back the Boulevard's response at http://www.takebacktheblvd.org/?p=215 The EIR process is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2012. Assuming that the process validates that Colorado Boulevard remains a viable candidate for bike lanes, the actual changes to the Boulevard would take place sometime after the completion of the EIR process.
Grants represent another source of financial support. Obviously, there are fewer discretionary dollars available today for city projects than in the past, but there are still grant opportunities. Once the Master Vision Plan is complete the TBTB Team will review available grants, searching for grants that relate most strongly to goals defined in the Master Vision Plan. Using professional assistance, we will begin the grant application process, submitting requests that we feel are especially credible and have the potential to win a grant. Applying for funds that target urban improvements in communities such as ours is a good example.
Our focus now shifts to beginning the multi-year process of delivering the changes that have been defined. While it is true that some community members have concerns regarding one or more aspects of the plan, the vast majority of Eagle Rockers agree that our downtown - Colorado Boulevard, could be and should be improved. Take Back the Boulevard has come a long way over the past year. Your voices and participation made it possible. Please keep your thoughts and insights coming as we move into this next phase.
Come one, come all! For the first time, anywhere in the world, Cirque du Rock will pitch its unique tent in Eagle Rock on Saturday, October 27, 2012. We hope you will be there.
Lion tamers, ghosts and goblins, ring masters, witches, mystics and bearded ladies are all invited to convene at the Twentieth Century Women's' Club. Cirque du Rock is a unique celebration honoring the spirit of Halloween and paying homage to the special feeling of the circus of our youth.
Music of today and yesterday will entice the spirits of this world and the other to dance the festive night away. Guests will enjoy a wide array of tasty treats ranging from exotic sausages to cotton candy. Visit the Three Ring Bar where a wide array of beverages will be available for purchase. Expect the unexpected as entertainers drift through the circus displaying their amazing skills. Win a prize for the best costume. Please support TERA and plan for a unique and fun evening by saving October 27, 2012 for Cirque Du Rock. Tickets will go on sale in September. TERA members will get preferred pricing. Please let me know if you would prefer to be a cast member as a volunteer under the big top.
For any further information, please email president@TERA90041.org or call 323.799.1190.
Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council - Elections Is it your turn? There are many opinions regarding Eagle Rock's Neighborhood Council and its effectiveness. I would agree that there have been times that ERNC seemed to struggle in being effective in influencing life in Eagle Rock. However, in recent years ERNC leadership has been strong and made a positive difference in the life of Eagle Rock.
This October many of the individuals who contributed to the success of ERNC will be stepping down and elections will be held for new council members. Consider this a call-out to all, including those who have been critical of the group. If you feel you got the right stuff, get involved, put your name up as a candidate, get elected and make a difference.
One of the best ways to be active in your community is by participating in your local Neighborhood Council. Neighborhood Councils are a vital part of the City and provide guidance and input to the City on important community issues.
Candidate filing deadline is Thursday, September 13. Go to http://www.eaglerockcouncil.org for candidate filing information.
Come join us at the Eagle Rock Recreation Center on August 26 at 6 PM for the final concert of the season. The Jack Lantz Big Band will play music from the 30's to today. In addition to the wonderful spirit of camaraderie at all of the concerts, the Big Band event inspires many Eagle Rockers to move to the "dance floor" and show they still have the moves. Be there - it's tons of fun. And thank you to the Chamber and especially Michael Nogueira for hosting these events for so many years.
TERA could not exist without the support of our membership. Many thanks are extended to the following individuals listed in the two items below who have recently become TERA members or renewed prior memberships. We couldn't do it without you!
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