The Arroyo Seco Journal October 2010

Volume 2, No. 5 | october 2010 $6.50

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It’s EaglE Rock MusIc FEstIval

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The Eccentrics, Get-Rich-Quicksters, Society Types, Real Estate Agents, Evangelists, Ranchers, Bamboo Farmer, Politicians, Playwright, Printer and Other AssortedCharacters Who Created a Community

Above the Cityby MaRgaREt aRnold

Montecito Heights:100 Already?

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Serving the communitieS of northeaSt LoS angeLeS and beyond

•PubLiSher/editoriaL director

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newS editor

Margaret Arnold

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Deborah Ray

art & deSign

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The arroyo Seco JournaL magazine is a proud member/supporter of The Highland Park Chamber

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Park Heritage Trust, The Lummis Day Community Foundation, NELA Art, The Arroyo Arts

Collective, the Eagle Rock Center for the Arts, and the Rock Rose Gallery.

4—Arroyo Seco Journal

deadLineAs I write this, the North-east section of Los Angeles is wilting in the midst of a fierce and record-wrecking heat wave. (115 in Mt. Washington!). By the time you read this, however, you should be cooler, if you know what I mean, and I think you do. This then, is the October 2010 issue of the arroyo Seco JournaL, later than you or us would have preferred, but still packed cover-to-cover with news and information and of course, way too much more. First and foremost, in a summer filled with anniversaries, our friends in Montecito Heights celebrated 100 years—or thereabouts—of their existence. Their history is the centerpiece of this issue. In the first of a two-part series, News Editor Margaret Arnold has fashioned what is perhaps the most definitive history we’ve ever seen. And we’ve been around. As someone who grew up in Montecito Heights, I found, as you will, a fascinating and illuminating story of a richly textured community. And then we went to Switzerland. Writer Karen Daly takes us to the land of cheese and chocolate and clocks. Her four-day whirlwind Swiss Cities tour begins on page 16. Elsewhere, we’ve got the latest on the solar panel controversy in Montecito Heights, boxing at the Northeast LAPD station, the Eagle Rock Music Festival and the latest developments on York Boulevard. There’s Wheel Life. Dear Prudence, there’s Gizmotics. and there’s you. Let’s begin, shall we?

Everything,

Edward RiveraEditorial DirectorArroyo Seco [email protected]

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Local NewsCreating the ‘New’ York Village

October 2010

Your ideas for making York Boulevard a friendlier place to walk, bike, eat and shop are requested. City Councilmember José Huizar and dozens of Highland Park community members gathered on the boulevard the morning of Saturday, September 25 for the kick-off of the “New York Vision Plan.” Huizar and community organizations are looking for creative, low-cost improvements for York Boulevard. There are two aspects to the plan. A long-term vision for the boule-vard, specifically the stretch from Av-enue 50 to Avenue 56, will be crafted. Such a document will greatly facilitate the City’s ability to go after federal, state and Metro funds for projects, a process Huizar’s staff is already en-gaged in. Meanwhile, four or five fairly small-scale projects will be imple-mented quickly. Huizar has committed $100,000 to the effort. What those projects end up being is a decision to be made by the community. The Green L.A. Coalition

will facilitate a community input and assessment process over the coming months. According to the Coun-cilmember, the goals of the plan are to make York Boulevard a place where people want to come and shop--and to make it a true center for a commu-nity. York has a history as a walk-able, commercial district. Through the 1960s, the boulevard featured shop-ping and entertainment venues. Hard times hit with the advent of shopping malls. Lately, however, the boulevard has clearly been on its way back up. There are places to eat, drink, shop and see art, and there is foot traffic both day and evening. “Our goal is to support the or-ganic process that is already going on here,” Huizar said at the kick-off event. “Our job is to help the com-munity get the most out of this proj-ect,” says the Green L.A. Coalition’s Ryan Lehman. “We have not made any specific design decisions.” Many local organizations are

participating in the process, includ-ing the Highland Park Chamber of Commerce, the Highland Park Heri-tage Trust, the Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council and Clean and Green. Occidental College President Jonathan Veitch has expressed serious interest in the proceedings. There is one previously exist-ing project that has already been in the pipeline for several months. A bicycle parking lot, the vision of Matt Schodorf of Café de Leche, is planned for York at Avenue 50. One parking space will be transformed into a bike corral for a dozen bicycles.As part of the kick-off event, Huizar honored several business owners who have recently opened establishments on the corridor—York Village Gifts ‘N Things, 5106 York Boulevard; Eloelia’s Boutique, 5110 York Boulevard; Urchin, Vintage and Recycled Clothing, 5006½ York Boulevard; Makara’s Antique Store, 5670 York Boulevard; The Glass Studio, glass art, classes and supplies, 5052 York Boulevard; Jet the Pilot, Make Your Own Tees, 5108 York Boule-vard; and Visions Hair Concepts, 5104 York Boulevard. Following the kick-off event, Graffiti Busters, the agency that holds the graffiti clean-up contract for the area, conducted a neighborhood clean-up assisted by members of Vic-tory Outreach. A public meeting to continue the “New York Vision Plan” process will be held Wednesday, October 13, 6-8 p.m. at Café de Leche, at the corner of York Boulevard and Avenue 50.

Parading

The Holiday Season is somehow nearly upon us, and preparations for the 66th Annual Northeast LA Holiday Parade are gearing up. A barbeque fundraiser for the parade, celebrating its presence on historic Route 66, will be held Sunday, October 17, from 2-5 p.m. at the Eagle Rock home of Michael and Eugenie Nogueira, 2154 Hill Drive. There will be a full bar, entertainment, raffle prizes, music and karaoke. The event is sponsored by the

October 2010 —5

Highland Park and Eagle Rock Chambers of Com-merce. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. They may be purchased at MAN Insurance, 1270 Av-enue 50, or Digicolor, 5144 York Boulevard.

Rockin’ the Boulevard Redux

The 2010 Eagle Rock Music Festival rocks Colorado Boulevard yet again on Saturday October 2, 2010, from 4pm - 11p.m. on five blocks of Colorado Blvd. in Eagle Rock.

There are three main stages this year: Global/World, Indie/Emerging, and a Kids’ stage.In all there are 12 musical venues and 50 musical acts of all types.

The 12th annual event has grown every year, and attracted 60,000 participants in 2009. The non-profit festival has featured a diversity of innovative, multicultural and local music annually each October since 1998. According to festival organizers, the festival “is designed to celebrate Eagle Rock, and support local business, community, and culture.”

The event is free to all, though a $5 donation is suggested. (No one will be turned away for lack of the admission price.)

The festival is produced by Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock and L.A. City Councilmember Jose Huizar, District 14.

A Solar-Powered Controversy

Residents of Montecito Heights, Mount Washington and Highland Park were taken by surprise recently when they saw a collection of bright metal poles being inserted into a widely visible hillside east of the Arroyo Seco. The poles turned out to be the beginning of an installation of solar arrays--with 1,441pannels in an area the size of a football field--belonging to Broadview Sanitorium. Local residents are not opposed to solar. Many have been most adamant about their support of alternative energy sources. But many have worked hard to protect their hillsides from over development and to have a say in the visual aspects of their community. They are alarmed that a project so large could be sprung on them so suddenly.

Others, however, look at solar as the direction of the future and support the installation.

At the heart of the issue is the fact that State law says that local governments may not impede the installation of solar power systems for reasons other than serious public health or safety concerns.

Broadview, a non-profit Christian Science nursing facility, which has been located on Griffin Avenue for 63 years, is hardly a villain in the situation. It’s going green and expects to generate 93% of its power via the installation. Director Michael Fisher points out that the project, coupled with the

October 2010 —7

N E L A a r t

G A L L E R YN I G H T

Audubon’s nearby off-the-grid campus, would put Montecito Heights on the map as a leader among neighborhoods in alternative energy sources.

The nursing facility did everything by the book in applying for permits. However, because of the state law, the permits were issued

over the counter, without triggering any public notification or hearing.

Work on the hillside complex has been suspended for two weeks, effective September 22, by a vote of the Los Angeles City Council, pending a review of the arrays’ impact on public safety. Councilmember Ed Reyes, who represents the area, wants time to examine issues of glare, which no city department calculates for before issuing a permit, and risks of putting a large project in a fire hazard zone, as well as impacts on water drainage, erosion and wildlife corridors.

Broadview’s

attorney from Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton pointed out to the Council that the nursing facility is seven months and over a million dollars into the process, risks losing rebates and tax credits if delayed and will have to incur costs of demobilizing and remobilizing crews.

But area activist

Tom Marble pointed out that part of being green is preserving open space. And he expressed the concern that the series of arrays is not scaled for a residential neighborhood.

“It falls to the City and State to bring new balance to what Broadview has put right before our eyes,” said Jack Fenn of Montecito Heights.

Fenn suggested that the City could institute an early warning triggered when an application is submitted for a permit that “threatens to blow a hole

Posts set on a Montecito Heights hillside await solar panels.

Please turn to page 20.


CHiPs and telenovela actor Erik Estrada cut the ribbon on a new boxing ring for youth at the LAPD’s Northeast Division Station August 28. The launch of the “Northeast Boxing Program” is a milestone in an 18-month effort to bring athletic programming to area at-risk youth.

Joining Estrada at ringside were LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, Northeast Captain Bill Murphy,

program founder Sgt. Danny Roman, ABC news reporter and local resident Alysha Del Valle, local boxer Frankie Gomez, City Councilmember Tom LaBonge and Children’s Hospital’s Aida Cerda. According to Murphy, the program is designed to teach discipline and to reach local at-risk youth. After Roman’s search for a program site proved futile, Officer Fernando Ochoa cleaned up seven

parking places behind the station, and, says Murphy, “We put it in the safest place of all.” At the program launch, several area youth—both male and female—demonstrated their boxing skills. They were assisted by pretty ring girls. Funding for the program has been provided by Children’s Hospital, and a number of LAPD officers are staffing it as volunteers.

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“A most fascinating location with an elevation of 440 feet and a view of such

magnificence as to charm everyone who looks over the situation.”

--M.E. Johnson and Co., 1906

In the earliest years of the

1900s, the young communities of Highland Park, Mount Washington, Garvanza and South Pasadena were blossoming. The area east of the Arroyo Seco now known as Montecito Heights was pastureland. It was known as Sawyer Mesa.

Edwin H. and Nathalie Sawyer lived in Montecito—the upscale suburb of Santa Barbara. They grew a large variety of rare bamboo and an exotic fruit, known as the “advocate” or “alligator pear,” on their land, Las Palmas Rancho. Edwin Sawyer was a prominent member of two water syndicates, as well as the owner of a Santa Barbara area hotel and hot springs resort.

The hill with the tall radio tower was originally known as Mount Gillig. The Gillig land tract ran the east from the hill across Sierra Street.

Harry Gillig was one of the more flamboyant figures in early 20th century society circles. He never lived on the Gillig tract, but owned substantial Southern California real estate as investment. In fact, Gillig apparently never owned a house in Los Angeles, but seemed to live in this

city, San Francisco, New York and Paris simultaneously.

It was common in the early 1900s for society pages to list attendees at concerts. Gillig, however, was likely as not to be listed as the performer of the concert. Harvard-educated and the heir to a silver fortune, he was famous for his skills as a yachtsman, as a classically trained baritone and as a magician--and for his marriage to a beautiful heiress and bulldog breeder whose paternity dispute over a child from her recent first marriage was being splashed at the time all over the newspapers. Gillig, his wife, Amy, and a male companion traveled the world together for three years, until Amy left Harry and their friend for a New York composer.

Gillig died in 1909 of a heart attack at the age of 50.

Besides the Sawyers and Gillig, there were several other property owners in the immediate vicinity.

The Kalorama Land Company owned a substantial amount of land, which it leased out for grazing.

Land speculators such as Thomas J. Moore, Jacob G. Whittaker and John S. Griffin had been buying and selling properties in the vicinity for years, but in terms of development, their names are much more closely associated with Lincoln Heights.

In 1906, the closest things to development on Sawyer Mesa were some abandoned roads. But

in that year, a real estate agent and businessman by the name of M.E. (Martin) Johnson, who had arrived just a few years before from Pennsylvania, accumulated about 280 acres from various owners for just under $200,000 (payable in stock in the new company and promised cash after stock and lot sales.) The newly created “Montecito Park Syndicate” divided part of the land into 1,200 residential lots and began marketing it through its agent, The M.E. Johnson Company. It also announced plan for a 200 acre park beyond the housing.

M.E. Johnson and Company had an office Downtown, but a field office was set up on the tract at 4300 N. Griffin Avenue, today the site of Rodriguez Market.

The new neighborhood was located immediately within what was then the northeastern corner of the City of Los Angeles. That meant city water—a commodity for which many other communities annexed themselves to the City.

The new community of Montecito was crafted around bicycles and public transportation. Space was allowed between Gordon Avenue (later Homer Street) and Griffin Avenue for an extension of the California Cycleway, a toll road for bicycles that was to have connected Pasadena and Downtown Los Angeles. (The Cycleway had its opening in Pasadena in 1900, but was

Montecito Heights: 100 (or so) Already?

Being a History of the Eccentrics, Get-Rich-Quicksters, Society Types, Real Estate Agents,

Evangelists, Ranchers, Bamboo Farmer, Politicians, Playwright, Printer and Other Assorted

Characters Who Created a Community Above the Cityby margaret arnoLd

April 2010 —11

never extended through Northeast Los Angeles due to the coming of car culture.)

An extension of the Griffin Avenue electric line from its previous terminus at Avenue 33 up a new segment of Griffin to Avenue 45 began regular service on November 26, 1906. So, although M.E. Johnson and Company had been selling lots for several months, the official grand-opening of the Montecito tract was scheduled for December 1. After two postponements due to rain, it was held on December 15.

By mid-1907, the first two houses were constructed and occupied. Both are still standing. One, at 4111 North Griffin Avenue, looks largely as it did then, with repair work done in keeping with the original character. The other, at 4320 North Griffin Avenue, is significantly altered.

By early 1908, building permits had been acquired for a number of houses to be located on Gordon Avenue, Mosher Avenue, Berenice Avenue, Avenue 43 and Avenue 39. Generally speaking, the larger houses were built on Griffin, close to the public transportation, with the smaller houses, described on building permits as cottages and bungalows, on the smaller side streets—a situation in marked contrast to preferences of later decades. But even residents of Mosher, Gordon and Berenice were well connected to transportation; almost hidden stairways took commuters from trolley stops to their homes.

Montecito Park was marketed as “well restricted to secure, desirable people.”

Socially and economically, the neighborhood became home to an eclectic mix of people. Addresses on Griffin Avenue in particular, but also on Berenice Avenue, regularly turned up on newspaper society pages along with descriptions of midnight suppers, elaborate floral arrangements, Japanese lanterns and birthday parties complete with orchestras and vaudeville performances.

The cottages and bungalows, meanwhile, were home to working class people and were popular among newlywed couples.

In 1910, M.E. and Berenice Johnson built their own home at 4323 N. Griffin Avenue. It was designed by F.M.

Tyler, the architect of many craftsman homes in Los Angeles. The house is somewhat altered, but still readily recognizable from early photos.

From its beginning in 1906, Montecito was marketed as on “the far-famed Arroyo Seco, chosen home of the artist colony.”

Plans for a second phase of development were already well underway. Montecito Drive had been

laid out, with a width designed to accommodate a planned double-track railway, and its beginning loop off of the north of Griffin Avenue was completed.

Phase one was being referred to as “Montecito Park.” Plans for phase two’s highlands included the first use of the name “Montecito Heights.”

Phase two officially began with the incorporation of the Mutual Home Building Corporation on May 28,1910. The Corporation published three booklets, two for potential investors and the widely distributed, 26-page “Montecito Above the City,” promoting Montecito. The “Montecito View” house depicted on the cover of “Montecito Above the City,” is still in existence, on Berenice Place, although it is very difficult to see. In 1991, the house was declared a City of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.

Montecito’s developers had three major selling points—the community’s convenient location near Downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena, its proximity to nature and scenic beauty and its potential for development as a tourist destination.

The new development was marketed as 20 minutes away from the business center via a 5-cent car trip.

Johnson and his friends touted the area’s elevation and its resultant “purity of air and freedom from smoke, dust and noise of the city.” True, The Mutual Home Building Corporation did brag that it was turning “mere green-clad hills” into “a residential master-piece.” But then, as now, the residents would be able to brag about the natural beauty and extensive views, described by the Corporation as “Sunshine—blissful California skies—

hundreds of miles of majestic mountain ranges, lifting their rugged peaks into the empyrean—a wide expanse of the old Pacific, with Catalina Island distinctly more…”

Phase two involved “splendid automobile boulevards” that would “gracefully encircle the heights by easy grade from bottom to top.” As envisioned in 1910, the plan was to build a grand hotel on ten acres at the top of the hill. There was to be a restaurant shaped like a Japanese pagoda. There was to be a rail line to ferry residents and tourists from the trolley on Griffin to the housing and attractions above.

All of this was to be financed through the sale of lots for houses and through the sale of stock in the Corporation. The booklet suggests that, with the City’s need for housing increasing rapidly, the stock would double in value almost immediately and would come to be worth multiple times an original investment within a few years.

The booklet went to great lengths to explain the safety of an investment in Mutual Home Building Corporation stock. This was probably for good reason. M.E. Johnson had a bit of personal history to overcome.

In 1901, Johnson and four others had incorporated the Tontine Investment Company. The Los Angeles Times sharply ridiculed the company in a series of articles on get-rich-quick schemes. The newspaper quoted from the investment company’s distributed booklet in which authors Johnson and Orlando K. Fitzsimmons used convoluted logic to suggest that money circulated somehow becomes more money and to explain how they were going to provide unbelievably high returns on investments.

Tontine investments were common across the country at the time. People would put money into a pot. Over time, participants would experience bad luck financially and have to drop out. Others would die. The last person remaining in would reap the benefits--as would, of course, the organizing investment company.

In 1903, M.E. Johnson, B.A. Johnson (probably M.E.’s wife, Berenice), Fitzsimmons and two others incorporated the Cumulative Credit Company with offices in both Los Angeles and San Francisco. The premise

Part one of a two-part series


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was that participants would make regular deposits into a “Mutual Benefit Credit Fund.” The Company would keep 25% as its share. Investors were promised huge returns. But there was a caveat in the fine print—“provided that there shall be sufficient money in said mutual benefit credit fund available for that purpose to pay said amount.” As the money in the fund was never invested, the only way

to pay old investors was by recruiting new investors.

Page 40 of Cumulative’s booklet read, “’I don’t understand it’ does not necessarily signify that others are likewise deficient. Some are ‘dull’ and some are ‘apt.’ If all were alike mentally, there would be no words coined to distinguish the different grades. Words are merely symbols for thought expression. See the point? Which grade are you in?”

Within a few months of its incorporation, the grand jury was investigating the Cumulative Credit Company. In 1904, Johnson and Fitzsimmons were accused of fraud and had their right to use the U.S. mail service terminated. In pre-internet days, such a move pretty much put any company out of business.

Fitzsimmons went

on to serve some jail time. Johnson had his right to use the mail service restored on the understanding that he had severed all connections with the Cumulative Credit Company.

Johnson had, in fact, severed his connections with Cumulative. And six months later, he founded the Provident Mutual Investment Company, Inc.

“Our five year Forty Coupon Bond pays twenty and eight tenths per cent per annum,” Johnson advertised.

This company’s booklet came bound with a silk cord. Johnson’s right to use the mail service was immediately suspended.

In 1905, Johnson was using what had been the Provident Mutual Investment Company office to sell real estate, both individual lots and large tracts, under the name M.E. Johnson and Company. It was in May of that year that he advertised for investors in a city subdivision that would come to be Montecito Heights.

Just what the financial situation of M.E. Johnson and Company was when the second Montecito Heights development company, Mutual Home Building Corporation, was launched in 1910 is not known. On the one hand, a large and attractive residential community was taking shape. On the other hand, this phase two, that had been planned from the beginning, was launched two years behind schedule, and The American Globe, a muckraking, early-twentieth century investors’ magazine, questioned why, if Johnson were making good on promises to phase one investors, the purchase of M.E. Johnson and Company’s assets by a second “almost twin” company was necessary to recruit more investors and

In 1905, Johnson was using what had been the Provident Mutual Investment Company

office to sell real estate, both individual lots

and large tracts, under the name M.E. Johnson and Company. It was in May of that year that he advertised for investors

in a city subdivision that would come to be

Montecito Heights.

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October 2010 —13

continue.In 1912, The American

Globe reported that The Mutual Home Building Corporation was in financial trouble. There were rumors that, after paying for the creation of new streets and sidewalks, the Corporation had no profits from lot sales left to pay stock dividends and was diverting money made from the further sale of stock to pay first round investors, a charge that Johnson denied. By 1914, shares of stock, originally offered at $1 apiece with the promise of a quick rise to $2, where going for 70¢ each.

A third company, The Montecito Railroad Company, was incorporated in 1914, with railroad engineer and investor W.D. Larrabee as president, Johnson as vice president and Johnson’s father-in-law as secretary, to create a means to ferry residents and tourists from the trolley on Griffin to the housing and attractions above. The Electric Railway Journal reported in that year that the new company was going to “acquire” the land at the top of Mount Gillig (apparently from the Mutual Home Building Company) to build an amusement park.

At the end of 1915, word surfaced of yet another project. The newly-organized Los Angeles Chautauqua

Association announced plans for a 10,000-seat amphitheater, fronting on Griffin Avenue at the south end of Montecito, for the staging of operas, dramas, symphony concerts and political conventions set in the midst of a highly landscaped park. M.E. Johnson’s name was out of the picture. The only public holdover among previous planners was Larrabee.

A few months later, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Chautauqua plan was to convert Montecito into a “colony of literary persons, artists and scientists” and that the park grounds were to include “a monster auditorium, a Greek theater and a complete Chautauqua institution of learning.”

There were actually two rival Chautauqua Societies with grand plans for Northeast Los Angeles. A compromise was reached in mid-1916, whereby the group planning to build on Griffin Avenue was folded into the other organization, which was making plans for a 50,000 seat amphitheater across the arroyo in Mount Washington.

In 1917, the plans morphed again. A theater with a capacity of 6,000 was to be

One of the first two Griffin Avenue bungalows built in Montecito Heights in the early 1900s.

Please turn to page 14.

constructed on Avenue 50 in Highland Park. The Montecito site was to house a collection of smaller buildings for educational purposes with the possibility of more development in the future.

In the summer of 1917, the Chautauqua Society launched its first season, featuring internationally acclaimed opera star Ernestine Schumann-Heink, in temporary quarters. Attendance bordered on nonexistent. Four days in, those board members who were in attendance went into an office and closed the door. They decided to pull the plug on the season and to put the whole operation on an indefinite hold.

There never was a luxury hotel, a pagoda restaurant, an amusement park or a massive theater complex. The Montecito Railroad Company never purchased anything more than one motorcar.

So, in a purely business sense, the creation of Montecito Heights was something of a bust. Today’s residents wouldn’t see it that way, however. They inherited a neighborhood of classic craftsman houses immediately adjacent to open space and wildlife habitat.

M.E. Johnson’s name quickly faded from society and real estate pages. M.E. Johnson and Company continued to sell real estate citywide. But the Johnson family had a new star.

For almost three decades, hardly a week went by without a mention of Mrs. M.E. Johnson in local newspapers. Society writers gushed over her, and her parties were referred to “the affairs of the season.”

Mrs. M.E. (Berenice) Johnson was born of a literate and artistic lineage in Pennsylvania, where her family had once held land grants from William Penn. Her grandfather, William T. Brown, had been an attorney and had owned a lumber mill and a fine carpet mill. He moved in literary circles and was friends with such noted figures as Walt Whitman and Robert Ingersoll. Johnson’s father, Charles P. Brown, was a pioneer in the printing industry. He supervised the first successful printing using colored inks and then started a business producing colored inks. The younger Brown was considered to be an expert on William Shakespeare and Scottish social commentator Thomas Carlyle.

About the turn of the century, Berenice Johnson, M.E. Johnson and

Charles Brown moved to California together, and for 29 years, Brown lived in the Johnson house Griffin Avenue. He was a major financial backer of his son-in-law’s creation of Montecito Heights and was listed in “Montecito Above the City” as the Mutual Home Building Corporation’s “Assistant Secretary.”

Berenice Johnson continued the literary tradition of the Brown family. She authored several plays, which were reported to be quite popular. The Los

Angeles Times called them “hilarious political burlesques.”

Mrs. Johnson’s occupation was generally listed as “lecturer and writer.” In the days before television news, social clubs commonly brought in knowledgeable speakers to present updates on current affairs. For decades, hardly a week went by that Bernice Johnson wasn’t speaking somewhere on city and state politics, taxation or economics.

Johnson public supported electing more women to office. She was an advocate for women’s jail reform. In 1912 the City Council appointed her to a special committee to investigate labor conditions. In the 1920s, she served as president of the Widow’s Protective League, and in 1925, she took up the issue of planting and preserving trees in the City. She fought for years against repeated ballot attempts at a single tax and was adamantly pro-prohibition and anti-communist. She said that any

immigrant in the U.S. longer than three years who did not apply for citizenship should be sent back. During World War I, she participated in the formation of a women’s auxiliary in support of the war effort, and she was active in the Republican Party, serving on the County Central Committee.

Although she had no children herself, Johnson was always interested in child welfare. In 1915, she was an unsuccessful candidate for the Board of Education. She supported Bible reading in public schools, believed that when children committed crimes, parents should be arrested rather than the children and advocated keeping runaway and lost children out of the filthy, disease infested adult women’s jail ward.

Johnson once reported to her women’s club on a recent trip to Sacramento, where she asked a legislator about the repeal of a law that kept children under 10 out of saloons. She quoted the lawmaker as saying that when men returned home from work tired, they wanted to be able to send their children to fetch a pint of suds.

“We need more mothers in the home and fewer teachers in the kindergarten,” Johnson said in 1933. “We can’t afford to pay for the latter in excess.”

After her husband’s death, Berenice Johnson fought to keep Montecito Heights what it was created to be—a residential area free from enterprises such as gravel mining, that she said were defacing the neighborhood. However, she also led the community in a fight against the local City Councilmember’s willingness to create an assessment district and to pay the gravel interests an exorbitantly high price for their land in exchange for getting out.

Although she was generally very popular among her fellow Montecito Heights residents, Johnson was once hissed by a crowd at City Hall when she was perceived at disrespecting another popular Arroyo resident, Charles Lummis. A writer, patron of the arts, preservationist and founder of the Southwest Museum, Lummis’ arroyo-rock home was located directly across the Avenue 43 Bridge from the Montecito Park neighborhood. In 1920, Johnson and Lummis represented opposite sides in contention over proposed improvements to Avenue 43—Johnson

There never was a luxury hotel, a pagoda restaurant, an amusement park or a massive

theater complex. The Montecito Railroad Company never

purchased anything more than one motorcar.

So, in a purely business sense, the creation of Montecito

Heights was something of a bust. Today’s residents wouldn’t

see it that way, however. They inherited a neighborhood

of classic craftsman houses immediately adjacent to open

space and wildlife habitat.

in support, Lummis in opposition. “…if it were not for you, we could get some improvements in that district,” Johnson is reported to have said to Lummis. Her side prevailed.

In 1935, according to the Los Angeles Times, 150 guests, “prominent in civic and business circles,” attended Berenice Johnson’s annual Christmas gathering at her Griffin Avenue house, where she had invited California Governor Frank Merriam to give an address. The Times did not report how that many people were fit into the house.

For generations, the Arroyo Seco was the beginning and end of everything in Montecito Heights. Its water meant life to successive waves of residents, first Tongva Indians, then Mexican ranchers, Basque shepherds and U.S. Midwestern and East Coast seekers of the Land of Sunshine.

Early Montecito Park residents quickly discovered another side to the Arroyo Seco, however. During rainstorms, it turned from a beautiful stream to an aggressive torrent.

In 1909, new homeowners watched in horror as a train passed the community on its way to a washed out bridge at Avenue 35. According to The Los Angeles Times, they screamed, waved umbrellas and handkerchiefs and threw their hats in an effort to warn the engineer. The fireman jumped off. But W.A. Baldwin, putting his experience as an engineer to the test, deftly graded the air and apparently hydroplaned an entire train full of passengers across the remnants of the broken bridge.

The storm caused the loss of a substantial chunk of embankment at Avenue 39 as well as the approaches to the Avenue 43 Bridge. The Times reported that Montecito residents were filling bathtubs and pots with water, fearful that the raging arroyo waters might sever the pipe that provided all of the neighborhood’s household water.

Five years later, the devastation was far worse. 12 Homer Street houses were swept away. A grocery store was picked up from the corner of Homer Street and Avenue 43 and moved two blocks downstream before being beaten apart by the waters. The City dynamited the Avenue 43 Bridge to free trapped debris that was causing water to back up and threaten more homes.

The 1914 flooding marked the beginning of efforts on the part of local residents to have a precise course for the arroyo determined and to have the waters channelized within that course.

The ornate Avenue 43

replacement bridge was a prototype for things to come in Los Angeles bridge design. That bridge, however, was wiped out in the floods of the 1930s.

In January of 1934, torrential rains washed out a section of concrete levee and carved the hillside out from under Homer Street south of Avenue 43. In October of that year, eight workers who were repairing the damage were injured when a scaffold collapsed under them. Another 50 workers had just left the scene. They were only a block away

when they heard the crash and rushed back to dig their co-workers out of debris that included heavy boulders and sacks of cement.

The longest-running struggle in Montecito Heights history was probably the effort to oust gravel miners from the Arroyo Seco.

At the time Johnson was buying up land, there were several firms at work in the arroyo, and gravel mining was being hailed as a good thing, because it deepened the arroyo channel, decreasing the danger of the arroyo spilling its banks. But as phase two of Montecito was going in, the Salt Lake Railway was constructing a makeshift damn to the south at Avenue 26, a move the City’s Department of Public Works feared would cause the arroyo channel to shift. The rock crushers were loud, and the pits of water the mining left were breeding grounds for mosquitoes. 32 children drowned in a space of eight years in various gravel pits downstream near Avenue 20.

October 2010 —15

In January of 1934, torrential rains washed out a section of

concrete levee and carved the hillside out from under Homer

Street south of Avenue 43. In October of that year, eight

workers who were repairing the damage were injured when a

scaffold collapsed under them. Another 50 workers had just

left the scene.

A quiet oasis in Debs Park in Montecito Heights.

In November:How did the concept of City Zoning have its roots in the Montecito Heights? What manner of people have used Flattop for what wild purposes? Next month in the

Arroyo Seco JournAl.

Travel

October 2010 —17

by Karen Daly

In my mind Switzerland evoked bucolic pastoral images, where people subsist only on cheese and chocolate, children run around in Lederhosen while the adults yodel in the mountains. What can I say, I have a vivid imagination. Of course, I could not have been more wrong. Switzerland is a relatively small country in the middle of the European continent. It’s an astonishingly beautiful landscape which varies widely from one region to another. Equally interesting is the differences in the characteristics of the population. Switzerland is composed of 26 cantons (states or provinces) with a total population of approximately 7.8 million people. Landlocked, it is bordered by Germany to the North, France to the West, Italy to the South and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. The influence of these countries bordering Switzerland is evident by the three main linguistic and cultural regions: German (spoken by 64 percent of the population), French (spoken by 18 percent of the population) and Italian (Spoken by 11 percent of the population). The canton of Lucerne is considered by most as the cultural and historical heart of the country, with Lake Lucerne being the epicenter. Lucerne occupies a very privileged site at one of the extremities of the lake. It’s where the Museum of Fine Arts (Culture and Congress Centre Lucerne (KKL)is located. Designed by Jean Nouvel, it impresses as much for its spectacular roof and glass walls, as much as its illusion that it is floating on

the water. The museum, inaugurated in 1938 by Arturo Toscanini, is also home to two of the best acoustic halls in all of Europe. Churches can be found all over the country and Lucerne is no exception. I visited the magnificent Jesuit church there, the largest

baroque church in Switzerland north of the Alps. Built from 1667 and 1673, it is a major tourist attraction. The Chapel Bridge and Water Tower were parts of the oldest medieval city ramparts in Lucerne. The ‘Rathaus’ or town hall is another must-see while in Lucerne. There are so many charming hotels and restaurants in Lucerne it is going to be difficult to decide where to lay your head. I had the opportunity to stay at the Cascada Swiss Quality Hotel (www.cascada.ch). Just a few minutes walk from the main train station; all 63 rooms are larger than standard European hotel rooms, clean, comfortable, modern and air-conditioned. Each room is

decorated with a hand painted mural of one of the various waterfalls that dot Switzerland. Wi-fi is offered free of charge in the rooms as well as access to a computer in the lounge on the main floor. There is a lovely restaurant-lounge called the Bolero on the main floor near the reception that serves Spanish as well as the typical Swiss fare, where I had one of the best meals during my entire stay. I chose a delicious meal that consisted of Rösti (a traditional Swiss dish consisting mainly of shredded potatoes, lightly fried in butter) topped with thin slices of smoked ham and tomatoes, covered with a melted raclette cheese. Cholesterol a go go. Speaking of go, getting around Switzerland is surprisingly simple. Switzerland’s rail system is as remarkable,as you can imagine the swiss might design. The Swiss,known for their timepieces and watch machinery, are very punctual to say the least. If a train is due at 9:18, that train is in the station at 9:18:00. Not 9:19, not 9:17, not even 9:18:31 but 9:18:00 on the nose. It makes traveling such a pleasure. The trains are spacious, quite comfortable and air conditioned. Traveling by train is an excellent means of transportation as you get to see more of the country in relaxed comfort, rather than driving. A Swiss pass is available at an affordable price, depending on your needs. There are several types, from your very basic pass that will get you around any one canton by bus, metro, tram and or lake ferry, up to the top of the line Swiss pass which covers every canton, and

My Swiss Cities Odyssey: No Cheese or Chocolate-covered

Children in Lederhosen, Just Extraordinary Beauty


Eddie Rivera

every mode of transportation in the country. The next stop on my tour of the country was the canton of Fribourg, which is part of the Swiss plateau. The plateau stretches from Lake Geneva in the south west to Lake Constance in the north east. It covers about 30 percent of the country’s surface and is home to two-thirds of the population. Fribourg is known for its gastronomy as well as its breathtaking beauty. A city built in the middle ages that is marked by its cultural diversity, its university and the bridges over the Sarine River that link the French speaking part of the canton, to the German speaking part. The canton offers a plethora of architectural delights. The Old Town, which is home to Switzerland’s best preserved fortifications, is preserved by law. There are more than 200 Gothic style houses, as well as aristocratic town houses, monuments, the St Nikolaus cathedral, and many other religious and national edifices. Fribourg also features its own Funicular— a cable railway that links the upper part of the city to

the lower part. It has been running since 1899 and is powered solely by the town’s waste water. The two cars counterbalance one another through their ascent and descent and as they make the journey along the steep slope they offer a clear view of the Old Town. It is an interesting means of getting from point A to point B but be forewarned, the mere fact that they are using waste water to power the rail car should give you an indication of what being downwind can do to one’s olfactory senses. Let’s leave it at that. While in Fribourg, I visited the Espace Jean Tinguely & Nikki de Saint Phalle (Rue de Morat 2 CH-1700 Fribourg). Housed in an old tram depot devoted to Jean Tinguely—the twentieth-century Fribourg kinetic artist—this new museum documents Tinguely’s whimsical but also trenchantly purposeful sculptural machines. Old rusty wheels, bits of iron and objects found in the garbage, yard sales or wherever else people discard items, are all recycled in extraordinary constructions which use a lot of energy and demonstrate great

skill and ingenuity – but which go absolutely nowhere. One of the most spectacular displays is the immense Retable de l’Abondance occidentale et du Mercantilisme totalitaire. Press the foot button to set things into eccentric and poetic motion. After a busy day it was off to the Hotel au Parc (www.auparchotel.ch) for some much needed rest. The staff that greeted us were friendly and welcoming. The rooms were spacious, clean and pleasant, though the hotel itself was a bit rundown with threadbare carpets in some areas. As in most hotels in Switzerland, the breakfast is included in the price of a night’s stay. The morning meal was quite basic; a selection of breads, cheeses and cold cuts, with eggs you could cook yourself. Bern, the capital of Switzerland, sits on the Banks of the Aare River. Its astonishing beauty, cultural and natural heritage was worthy of being named a UNESCO world heritage site in 1983. Founded in 1911, legend has it that its founder Berthold de Zähringen who loved to hunt, decided that he

The dramatic Swiss Alps provide their own skyline as they loom over the business district of Zurich.

October 2010 —19

would name the town after the first animal he killed in the vicinity. The word ‘Bern’ means bear. A bear figures on the flag and coat of arms and is a huge part of the town’s identity. The 6000 square meter bear park in the center of town which is home to a mother, father and two baby bears is a perennial tourist attraction. The real focus of interest in Bern is historic and architectural. It is a perfectly preserved late medieval and renaissance city. The early medieval city, made mainly of wood, burnt down in a disastrous fire in 1405. The subsequent rebuilding in sandstone has given the city a uniform urban outlook. It is one of the most picturesque cities of the German-speaking world. The choice of museums is also sure to impress. One of the museums visited was the Kindermuseum Creaviva (www.creatviva-zpk.org/en), where we were privileged to see the Klee meets Picasso exhibit. Another point of interest in Bern; Einstein House is a flat that is on the second floor of no. 49 Kamgrasse and was rented by Einstein from 1903 to 1905. It has been restored in the style of that period to reflect Einstein’s crucial years in Bern and is open to the public. By far though, Bern’s focal point is the Zytgloggeturm or clock tower found at the top of the Kramgasse, just yards away from Einstein House. Located at the old eastern gate of the city, its enormous decorative astronomical clock was installed in 1530. At exactly 4 minutes before the hour the chimes start pealing, followed by a very cute 4minute glockenspiel, played by a jester stroking bells, a crowing cock, a knight in armour and a parade of bear cubs, all under the watching eye of Father Time. At the end of the day the hotel of choice was the Holiday Inn Bern Westside (www.westside.ch/hotel). I have to admit to not expecting much, but was quite pleasantly surprised at the ultra modern, large, cool comfy rooms. The breakfast served in the morning was delicious with a wide variety of fresh fruits, bacon and

sausage, eggs prepared in various styles and fresh breads and croissants. On to Zürich, the final stop of this four-day tour of Switzerland. Exiting the main train station, I am greeted with the shimmering waters of Lake Limmat. The city of Zürich, with over 380,000 residents, is the largest city in Switzerland. For well over 20 years, Zürich has continuously been named one of the top 5 cities for quality of living, and in the top 2 for the last 10 years. The ranking is based on safety, cleanliness, cultural activities, cuisine and nearby recreation activities. The city of Zürich lies in the

heart of Europe and at the centre of Switzerland on the northern shores of Lake Zurich. Its multi-cultural flair and the variety of leisure activities on offer attract guest from all over the world. One of the first things that you notice is the magnificent view of the snow-capped Alps on the horizon as you look out over the Lake. Downtown Zürich offers a unique mixture of over 50 museums and more than 100 art galleries, a shopping paradise with international brands as well as chic urban Zürich labels. About 150 years ago, a portion of the city’s fortifications was transformed into what is now arguably the most famous “Station Road” in the world, the Bahnhofstrasse. Zürich’s shopping mile figures largely in the city’s reputation as an El Dorado for shoppers and is a top address for international fashion labels, jewelry and watches. However, it is just one of the places where you can find urban Zürich labels; whether in Zürich-West or in the Aussersihl quarter, you often come across local brands where

you least expect them. They inspire the fashion-conscious and cause a sensation far beyond Switzerland’s borders – as has, for example, the cult label Freitag (www.frieitag.ch), with its unique style of bags and accessories made mostly from recycled truck panels. Also found in this great city, is a popular and lively nightlife. Zürich offers the highest density of trendy nightclubs in Switzerland. The gastronomy sampled at several of the restaurants was top notch. A meal eaten at Restaurant Adlisberg (www.adlisberg.ch) was out of this world. We began with veal Cordon Bleu, a thin

veal cutlet, stuffed with Swiss cheese and lightly fried, served with mixed grilled veggies. A huge plate of juicy fresh strawberries sitting in a pool of English cream was a lovely finish to a lovely meal. There are about 250 hotels in Zürich to choose from with all types of accommodations offered from farm stays to deluxe hotels. Our choice was the Hotel Central Plaza (www.central.ch) which is a 3 minute walk from the main railway station. Guests can relax in the adjoining Café Central, piano bar, King’s Cave grill restaurant, lobby lounge or sidewalk café or terrace garden. As I sat in the train, for my 10-minute trip back to the airport, I reflected upon the four wonderful days spent in Switzerland and realized that I did not see one child in Lederhosen, anyone eating chocolate-covered cheese, nor did I hear one person yodeling. I really need to get out more.

One of the first things that you notice is the magnificent view of the snow-capped Alps on the horizon as you look out

over the Lake. Downtown Zürich offers a unique mixture of over 50 museums and more than 100 art galleries, a shopping

paradise with international brands as well as chic urban Zürich labels.


in our community plan.”“Without remedy,”

Fenn added, “this instance will become an oft repeated dilemma all over Los Angeles.”

Reyes has asked for a report from Building and Safety and from Planning regarding any other solar projects that may be in the pipeline. He also wants to look for ways to address visual impacts, effects on watersheds and public safety concerns.

“These variables should be part of our decision making, and the criteria do not exist,” said Reyes.

In July, Reyes and Council President Eric Garcetti asked for a Planning Department report on reconciling the state law and various local concerns, such as those in play in the Broadview situation, as well as impacts of solar structures on the nature of historic buildings. But the matter in Montecito Heights has brought immediacy to the situation.

Fisher and representatives of Reyes’ office have met with several community organizations. The Montecito Heights Improvement Association and the Mount Washington Homeowners’ Alliance did not take formal positions, but many stakeholders expressed serious concerns. The Mount Washington Association has taken a position supporting the project.

Broadview’s attorneys contend that the stop work order violates both state and city law and are threatening litigation.

The Race Begins Again

The 2011 Los Angeles City Council races are beginning to take shape. Contenders for the Council District 14 seat include, at this point, incumbent José Huizar and challengers Rudy Martinez, Tony Butka and Arnulfo Yanez. In CD 4, candidates, at this point, are incumbent Tom LaBonge and challengers Stephen Box and Phil Jennerjahn. A primary election will be held March 8. At that point, any candidate receiving 50% of the vote in a given race will be declared a winner. If no candidate receives 50%, a general election will be held on May 17 with the top two vote getters from each primary competing.

Not That Easy, Please

Northeast Los Angeles residents, clergy members and other social activists gathered outside the Eagle Rock Boulevard Fresh & Easy September 1 to protest the store’s sale of alcohol through self-checkout machines. Members of Clergy & Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE-LA) and The Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE) contend that self-checkouts make alcohol purchases by minors easy. They support Assembly Bill 1060 by Hector De La Torre, which would outlaw the use of such systems by stores that sell alcohol. The measure has passed the Assembly and

the Senate and is currently on the Governor’s desk. The Governor has until September 30 to sign or veto the measure. The use of self-checkouts has increased dramatically in the past few years, and, according to The Community Economic Development Clinic at UCLA and LAANE, 25% of all grocery store transactions are made now through such machines. The Fresh & Easy chain uses self-checkout exclusively. De La Torre’s measure would add alcohol to a list of products that may be sold only through face-to-face contact between a customer and a store employee. The list currently includes tobacco, spray paint and some cold and allergy medications. De La Torre calls self-checkouts “virtual vending machines.” A recent study by the Metro United Methodist Urban Ministry found that minors could circumvent self-checkouts and leave a store with alcohol 69% of

the time. It is common knowledge among young people that one simply scans an item that weighs the same as the alcohol and bags the alcohol—i.e. scan a six-pack of Pepsi, leave with a six-pack of Budweiser. 10% of the time, young study participants found that self-checkouts did not lock up when alcohol was scanned. Another 8.4% of the time, no clerk asked for identification. AB 1060 is supported by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, by California police and firefighter associations and by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. Several Northeast Los Angeles political representatives, including Los Angeles City Councilmember José Huizar, State Assemblymember Anthony Portantino and State Senator Carol Liu, sent representatives to the event outside the Eagle Rock Boulevard Fresh and Easy to indicate their support.

Welcoming the Class of 2014

Occidental College President Jonathan Veitch and Occidental Administration and Faculty applaud the arrival of 576 freshmen as they head to their matriculation as the newest members of the Oxy community.

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Gizmotics

Lighted Umbrellas, Excellent Sunglasses, MP3 Players and iPhone Stuff

Here’s what we like this month.


Let’s Get Lit—It’s wet, dark, cold and rainy. And don’t you worry, read-er person, it will be. Perhaps you’re in some dark, huge parking lot look-ing for your car, or trudging from your office through traffic to your car. Your visibility can be impared from underneath an umbrella. so make sure they see you first. And they will, when you’ve got your Stride-lite Lighted Umbrella. It features 3M reflective material and a “6V” Krypton bulb that casts a 6’ circle of light when illuminated to insure your visibil-ity on a rainy night. You’re a walking lighthouse, visible and dry.

Each umbrella is delivered with an extra bulb and can be illuminated for 3 hours on a single set of batteries. Why has no one thought of this before? $29.99 www.stridelite.com

Professional Cool—Sunglasses. Its a serious addic-tion around here. We buy cheap gas station sunglasses

a few at a time. But when a friend showed up last spring wearing a pair of Maui Jims, we seriously changed the

station on our inner radios, if you know what I mean. Okay, so these are not a pair of cheap Quik -E-Mart

shades. These are serious sunglasses, not for poseurs. High-quality construction, spectacular vision and clarity

and terrific eye protection. Not to mention how totally bitching we look in ‘em.

So imagine: we’re walking to the train, a little late, and they slipped out of hand, cracking on the concrete.

Summer was so over, man. But it was so cool while it lasted. $279. www.mauijim.com

Charge it—In this post-millenium, everygadget age that we live in, it seems that life has become the search for the perfect charger. We’ve seen a few this year. This one ranks way up there. KIWI U-Powered, is a Solar and USB-powered portable charger that’ll power your gadget KIWI U-Powered is the first in a fam-ily of innovative and environmentally-friendly products by KIWI Choice. KIWI U-Powered can be charged from a USB port, car charger, wall charger or even, the sun. You can use it as a backup power source for cell phones, Blackberries, iPods, iPhones, digital cameras, and all universal chargers for all these devices. Smart and convenient. A powerful combination, people. $49.99. www.ki-wichoice.com

October 2010 —23

Wet Wet Wet—Fall may have snuck up on us when we weren’t look-ing, but mentally, we are still in the pool. Which is why we loved the FINIS XtreaMP3 player. Waterproof! What more do we need to say? Frankly, listening to music underwater is a little strange, but we like this kind of thinking. The package includes the waterproof mp3 player, waterproof headphones and armband. Swim, surf. Skate in the rain. You’ll still be rocking. The MP3 player holds up to 240 songs and attaches to a neo-prene arm strap. The waterproof earbuds fit snugly, letting you enjoy the tunage, submerged or floating. Completely waterproof down to 15 feet (4.5m). Www.waterproofmusic.com $149.99

Skin to Skin—We live in a Mac world around these parts, and lately it’s been all about cases for IThings—iPads, iTouches, et cetera. Now, the iSkin company is all about cool covers for all your phone/ iPod toys. The iSkin solo, solo FX and solo FX SE really protect your iPhone while looking cool. You know you’re gonna drop that phone, and you can find cases for it at the Quik-E-Mart again. But get a grown-up case. And in the interest of biological protection, the solo FX SE is also made with Microban®* antimicrobial protection, which helps inhibit the growth of stain and odor causing bacteria on the product. Did you even think of that? Prices vary. www.iSkin.com

Kick it!—And speaking of protection, the peeps at Scosche make a whole line of covers, cases and accesories for almost every electronic gizmo. Pictured here is the Kickback, a case and stand for the iTouch or iPhone. This is the one we’ve been using.

It features:• co-molded rubber corners for shock protection • integrated kickstand for widescreen viewing • high impact polycarbonate material • includes laminate screen protector • rubber traction cleats that protect iPhone and case from scratches. It looks cool, it’s useful and it’s on sale now at the site!www.scosche.com.


You would think we would be used to it by now. Every Wednesday or so, a new car arrives for review at our downtown offices. Since there is nowhere to park, the delivery driver must maneuver and hover somewhere around First and Temple, waiting for a parking space and our arrival. This time we were early. Looking down the street to the light, we saw the Mercedes 300 SLK Roadster make the turn in our direction. Everything slowed to a slow-motion film. The car moved toward me, as if floating. Somewhere a cheesy chorus of

angels was humming loudly. It was really as if the heavens had suddenly opened and offered us just a quick peek. We could barely wait for the end of the day to hit the highway. Itinerary in hand, we headed west on the 10 towards the end of the Pacific Rim. Even on a cool and cloudy late afternoon, the powered convertible top on our 2010 Mercedes 30 SLK is begging to be dropped down. We’re north on the Pacific Coaast Highway out past Malibu, because, gentle readers, that is what one does with one of these vehicles. I think its in

the financing agreement, actually. Hugging the curves past Leo Carrillo Beach, the car is a tiny miracle of power and elegance. The power-folding hardtop surrounds one of the coolest interior spaces in its class, and of course, pushing my foot almost to the floor cre-ates a whoosh of quiet power and a lot of “Psst! Move over!” We last drove one of these babies in 2006, and at that time, the ex-perience was memorable, bordering on mind-bending. We couldn’t wait to drive it again. The ride and the feeling doesn’t come cheap, of course. The price begins at $48,000 and can easily reach $68,000, in direct competion with the Infiniti G37 Convertible, the BMW Z4, and the Porsche Boxster, other dream rides. This model reflects the changes made after 2005, with new even more dramatic front and rear ends, if you will. It’s movie-star rugged hand-some, and its floating wedge design gets way more than its fair share of second looks. Drive up to a self-service gas sta-tion, in one of these babies, and the guy will come out and serve you. The 2010 Mercedes-Benz

SLK-Class blends sports car and classic roadster in a two-seat body that’s part savage and part diplomat. Ease yourself down into its leather seats, adjust the mirrors, fire up the engine, and the world is a different place. Everything about the car whis-pers a dignified kind of quiet power that whispers to other cars, “I could rock you, but it’s such a lovely day.” Inside, all is sleek dark leather, with almost enough room to completely fit my long legs, but I wasn’t complain-ing. To be honest, other cars (The KIA Sportage!) do a far better job with the audio system and navigation. In fact, the 300’s navigation was vaguely cumber-some, at least more than it should have been, What cannot be assessed or priced out, however is the way a ride like this makes you feel. This is your lifetime, once in a dream car. It’s cared for lovingly, and supported like a first-born. You’ll see more than a few of these on the road in ten years, driven by people who love to drive, and who un-derstand the difference between driving and just going somewhere.

Wheel Life

It’s a Mercedes 300 SLKWhat do you think it was like to drive? Exactly.

Eddie Rivera

October 2010 —25

It’s movie-star rugged hand-some, and its floating wedge

design gets way more than its fair share of second looks.

Drive up to a self-service gas station in one of these babies, and the guy will come out and

serve you.

Starting at $47,650

228-hp 3.0L V6 engine6-speed manual transmission19/26 mpg (city/highway)**

0-60 mph in 6.1 sec.***Seats 2 adults

Retractable hardtop

Dear Prudence Karen Daly

Cougars, Abusers and Losers: The Struggle Continues


Your Foolish Heart

Dear Prudence,My son’s 19 year old friend Ricky appears to have a crush on me. He has made comments and acts in ways that it is pretty obvious. My son has caught on and told him in no uncertain terms that he had better smarten up or he’ll punch him out. Ricky says he’s crazy and imagining things. Well, yesterday I got a text from Ricky, professing his love to me and telling me that he wants to meet and talk about it. He is super nice and really good looking, but I know it would be a mistake. What am I supposed to say to this boy?

Rosa in Lincoln Heights

Dear Rosa,First of all, it disturbs me that you even see Ricky as being good looking, but we’ll put that aside. I can imagine it is flattering, but do not entertain thoughts of taking it any farther. It would be a huge mistake. Just think about what would happen when your son finds out and believe me, if you do anything, he will find out. Tell Ricky very clearly that you will never see him in any other capacity than as your son’s friend. If Ricky texts you again, tell him to stop, then ignore him. If he comes over to your home, make yourself scarce if possible. Remember you are the adult, he is the child.

Friends Don’t Let FriendsDate Losers

Dear Prudence,My best friend Helen is dating a real loser. I don’t know what she sees in

him, but he treats her like garbage. He continually lets her down, he uses her apartment like a hotel, coming and going when he pleases. He doesn’t contribute to the expenses and she is forever paying his way. I’m not sure, but I think he might be hitting her. She is so nice and deserves someone better than him. I’ve tried to tell her, but she seems to be in

denial. How can I get her to see him for what he really is?

Wendy in Eagle Rock

Dear Wendy,If you have tried to tell Helen and she will not listen for whatever reason, then you have done about as much as you can. If your suspicions regarding her being abused are confirmed, perhaps you can get a pamphlet or print out information from a women’s shelter and leave it somewhere that she can find it if need be (you can go to endabuse.org to find a shelter close by or to get more information on what to do in case of abuse). I suggest that you back off a bit in regards to the boyfriend, but be

there for her as a friend. I have a feeling that she is going to need you.

Dumb is as Dumb Does

Dear Prudence,I am seeing a married man. I know, it’s a dumb, dumb thing to do, and I should have known better but it’s too late. I thought I was smarter than this, but I’ve fallen in love with him and feel horrible. He’s told me he is going to leave his wife about 10 times already and I am so scared of being in this exact same boat 5 or 10 years down the road. Every time I get close to ending it he pulls me back in and tells me that he is going to tell her for real this time, and I get my hopes up. Of course, there are always excuses. I know it’s all a crock, but I seem to be frozen when it comes to cutting him off. How can I end this once and for all?

Anonymous in El Sereno

Dear Anonymous,You’ve made your own arguments; I can’t imagine anything I could say that you haven’t already thought about. Here’s something to think about: if he ever does leave his wife, which sound highly unlikely from what you’ve told me, and he ends up with you, what makes you think that he won’t do the same thing to you? And would you want to be in his wife’s shoes? The easiest way to make a moral decision is to always ask one question. How would I feel if it was happening to me? Good luck.

[email protected]

My best friend Helen is dating a real loser.

I don’t know what she sees in him, but he treats

her like garbage.He continually lets

her down, he uses her apartment like a hotel,

coming and going when he pleases.

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The Arroyo Seco Journal October 2010