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When you give you get: Recently I had the opportunity to once again reflect on the reality that "when you give you get."
Hopefully it has changed, but 40 years ago when I lived in the deep South, there were many adults who had a high school diploma but could barely read or write. They were passed on from year to year just to get them out of the school system. The majority of the people who fit this criterion were African American employed in low level jobs, often as domestic help. This distinction in education and occupation also created an unfortunate caste system.
With no grand thoughts of "giving back", but simply with a lot of free time on my hands, I enrolled in a volunteer program to help these unfortunate Floridians acquire basic reading skills. As dictated by the Southern culture at that time, the relationship between the students, all African American and me was formal and often deferential on the part of the students. I taught a high school student who was a hero on the football field but could not read his accolades in the local newspaper. And I taught Janelle who gave me more than I ever gave her.
Janelle and I would meet in a small room at a local church. When I walked into the room for our lesson shed would immediately stand and greet me very formally; "Good afternoon Mr. Gotham." In the course of our lessons she slowly progressed to the point that we were moving from a 2nd grade reader to a 3rd grade. Clearly, she was studying beyond our classes. One afternoon when I entered the room she stood as always, gave me the usual formal greeting and then asked "could I give you a hug?" With no clue as to the reason for the unusual request, I said yes and received a huge hug (she was a huge woman). She explained to me that the prior day she had almost boarded the wrong bus. But she was able to read the destination of the bus and avoid a mistake. She was so very proud of her accomplishment and wanted to share the excitement with me. It didn't hit me at the moment. But later, on reflection, I realized that, with little effort on my part, I was able to help this lady in an important way. What an incredible feeling. Many years later, when many memories of 40 years ago are fuzzy, Janelle's great gift to me, the gift of understanding that in giving we get so much more back, remains crystal clear. .
Recently we hosted a joint birthday party at our home. The guest list topped 50 people and they were all people we know very well; people for whom we have the highest regard. As I mingled with our guests, at one point in the evening I stepped back and reflected on how fortunate we are to live in a community where we know so many great people and have so many wonderful friends. I further reflected on how we came to know these people and realized that a large number of our guests were people I have come to know through my work in the community. Their presence in my life is very much an example of the gifts that come back to us when we practice the act of giving and in this case community involvement.
I hope for all the readers who care about Eagle Rock and are not involved, you will consider getting involved. Contact me (president@tera90041.org) if you would like to get involved with community activism. If you are a dedicated gardener, the Collaborative Eagle Rock Beautiful would love to have your involvement. The Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society would welcome any history buffs. There are often opportunities on the Neighborhood Council to be involved. There are many other community opportunities. Whatever choice you make, I promise you will meet wonderful people, grow your circle of friends, and get much more back than you give.
Specific Plan Update / Business Hours
Working in collaboration with the Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce and the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council, progress has been made on the effort to revisit the section of the Colorado Boulevard Specific Plan that mandates that businesses cannot be open between the hours of 9PM and 7AM. As we all know, many businesses on the Boulevard operate outside those hours. A few businesses existed before the Specific Plan was adopted in August, 1992. They are "grandfathered" and not limited by the Specific Plan. A few other businesses have gone through the very expensive process ($15,000 - $25,000) of getting Waivers or Exceptions to the Plan. Several other businesses operate out of compliance with the Specific Plan limitations. It is TERA's position that the current limitations in the Specific Plan are unduly limiting. These limitations can be a deterrent to new businesses, especially locally owned businesses, which we prefer in Eagle Rock and are a goal of the Specific Plan. The change can also bring those businesses who rely on the later hours but do not have waivers into compliance with the Plan without huge and in some cases unsustainable fees for waivers.
Support from the Council Office has been strong. CD14 staff has determined that a narrowly focused simple change to the Plan is possible without opening up the entire plan for a protracted and costly review. Plans are underway to invite the community to come together and provide feedback on how the Plan should be changed in this specific area. In order to meet the criteria of "narrowly focused", the discussion will be limited to the business hours only. The community meeting is scheduled for August 6. Another announcement will be made closer to the date. The remainder of the Colorado Boulevard Specific Plan will be revisited at a later date.
You may view the Colorado Boulevard Specific Plan on TERA's website at www.tera90041.org. Membership Campaign Kicks-off
Every newsletter includes an appeal for non-member readers to support TERA's efforts by becoming a member. Each June, if you are a member, and your membership is expiring, we send a letter requesting that you renew your support for another year. It would be absolutely impossible for TERA to exist without membership support. Everyone on the board donates their time as a way of serving the community. But we still have expenses. The largest expenses are represented by grants we make to other initiatives, most recently $5,000 to support maintenance of new trees. There are many day to day unavoidable expenses such as Internet domain costs, TERA site support, community meetings, insurance, office supplies, and many more. Membership support makes it all possible.
If you are not a TERA member, and you appreciate TERA's presence in the community, then don't rely on someone who is a member for their financial support; step up and become a member now! A family membership is only $35. Email Marina, our membership coordinator, at membership@tera90041.org and she will send you a membership packet. Otherwise, go to http://www.tera90041.org and join using PayPal. Become a member now! To those who are members, thank you for your support, please respond to our mailing and renew your membership for another year.
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Bob Gotham, President
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