For those of you who doubt that our Hill still boasts an abundance of wildlife, listen to this! On July 8, 2003, at 10:30 a.m., I happened to glance out our bedroom window in Stanford Terrace. There below me, nonchalantly strolling through the underbrush, was a small mule deer with horns and a white tail. I immediately called my husband, Danny, who ran to the window and also saw it. We called an Audubon Society naturalist who thought that the deer came from the Arroyo Seco, probably traveling down the river bed from one of the parks. The naturalist was particularly happy to hear of deer in the area. He remarked that in the old days, many deer frequented these hills.

Danny and I have been very happy here, ever since the brilliant spring day in 1986 when we first drove up the Hill. Our rented apartment in what is now Koreatown felt cramped, and we needed to escape the concrete and high crime and become homeowners. Unfortunately, then as now, affordable housing was almost nonexistent, and we were becoming discouraged.

We had spent a memorable afternoon with a real estate agent who tried to convince us that the 3rd Street condo we were touring was perfect for us; after all, a few judiciously placed ficus trees would completely muffle the noise from the 100-student school next door! Then we heard about Monterey Hills. Since our number one priority was a "million dollar" view, our spirits rose as we climbed the hill and saw the whole valley spread out before us. We were impressed by the natural setting of the area, so close and yet so far from downtown skyscrapers and urban sprawl.

The first time we walked into the kitchen of our condo, we were awed at the sight of the misty blue stretch of the San Gabriel range, crowned on this spring day by Mount Baldy, glittering in winter white. The foliage and grass, after a recent rain, displayed every shade of green. Orange wild flowers were in abundance on the slopes. We looked at each other and said, "There's our million dollar view!"

In the years since, we have never taken our room-with-a-view for granted. On July 4th, fireworks from three different cities light up the sky. On New Year's morning, the Stealth bomber streaks across the Rose Parade, and later, the Goodyear Blimp sails over us on its way home from the game. Winter storms sweep over us and after the storms pass the valley sparkles in the dark with a million lights.

In addition to our mule deer sighting, we have also watched redtail hawks test their strength on gusty days, hovering and then gliding down the wind. At dusk, crows flap across the valley in formation. Coyotes casually saunter across the meadow, their coats blending perfectly with the drying grass. We smile when we hear the cubs in the den screech and yelp at the sound of the occasional passing fire engines.

This has been our Monterey Hills experience. When our relatives from the east and midwest make disparaging comments about our life in the depths of the city, we smile complacently. In our search for the perfect place to live, we did indeed find a room with a view - with a view to the heart.

-Norma Guerrero

Hands clapping and feet tapping, Monterey Hills was swinging to an afternoon of jazz. The Monterey Hills Federation celebrated its 10^th Annual Jazz Festival with over 1000 people in attendance on Sunday, August 24, 2003. This popular community event, produced and coordinated by Ida E. Simms, thrilled jazz lovers from near and far. The Jazz Festival, sponsored by the Monterey Hills Federation, is partially funded by the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), the Los Angeles City Cultural Arts Department, and City Councilmember Antonio Villaraigosa. The "Iron Man" himself, James Janisse, from radio station KKJZ, was the Emcee for the afternoon’s festivities.

Noce and his band kicked off the afternoon playing jazz with a Middle Eastern flair. Swaying to the haunting sounds of his electric violin the audience was immediately spellbound. As he played, Noce moved from the stage to the floor and back to the stage drawing the audience into some of the most breath-taking jazz that this writer has heard.

Next, the incomparable Susie Hansen and her band brought the audience to its feet with her dynamic Latin Jazz beat. There was barely enough room on the dance floor for the many salsa dancers who wanted to dance. Susie belted out a brand of salsa music on her electric violin that made it impossible for folks to sit still, even though the temperature was hovering around 95+ degrees. This was a hard act to follow.

The L.A. Mambo Combo Latin Jazz Ensemble stepped up and met the challenge. The group’s leader, Martin Beijer, set the rhythm for the band members with his unique, grooving Latin beat of the conga drums. The audience took to the dance floor again, and did not leave until intermission.

To close out the Festival, Ilyana & the Cuban Flavored Band took center stage. Ilyana, dedicated her sets to the late, great Cecilia Cruz, bringing forth a distinct hot Cuban jazz sound that had the audience moving as if the afternoon had just begun.

The festival was attended by jazz enthusiasts from as near as Monterey Hills and from as far away as San Bernardino & Riverside Counties. Attendees enjoyed the music from the grassy area of the park, and from the umbrella tables that shaded them from the hot sun. Many danced throughout the afternoon on the dance floor. Shuttle buses transported guests to and from the parking lot at Monterey Plaza.

The 14^th District City Councilmember, Antonio Villaraigosa attended the festival, as well as Mr. Al Santillanes, Project Director of the Community Redevelopment Agency. Food from Smoothie Land, Thai Fantasy, Holly’s Bar-b-Que, Dukes Pies, and Carino’s Cajun Cuisine was tasty and plentiful.

Many persons were attracted to colorful vendor booths displaying unique selections of hats, jewelry, clothes, arts and crafts, and other products by entrepreneurs from throughout the Los Angeles area. There was also a Body Art booth, an Omnissage, and an Acupuncturist. Our neighbors from Hermon had a booth, and the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council (ASNC) had a booth and registered many stakeholders for the upcoming ASNC elections.

The Los Angeles Police Department (Hollenbeck Station) and LAPD Volunteers, Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles Traffic Control, and Post Alarm Systems also attended.

Many thanks to the Monterey Hills Federation committee members who worked long and hard at the festival; Don Tidwell, Douglas Solomon, Jeannie Alviz, Jo Fox, Silvio Vouk, John Kitzmiller, Barbara Madison, Leo Stanislaw, Lois Todd, Howard Obata, Kama and Mark Pfister, Mae Gaddis, Bertha Copeland, Patrick Botz-Forbes, Douglas Solomon, Siggy Freyss, Estelle Sandhu, and Ida Simms.

Huntington Terrace is currently undergoing improvements. With 108 units spread over three buildings, the condo complex is one of the larger properties on the Hill. Built in 1982, it is also one of the older developments and therefore in need of occasional nips and tucks as well as a few major surgeries. The latest construction visible from Via Mia involves soldier piles. They are columns driven into the ground to the bedrock and connected underground by steel cables to stabilize the 4040 building. After the completion of the engineering work in the near future, the internal road will be repaved and the side of the hill will be landscaped again.

We are not only planning to add vegetation, but also to take some out. When you drive down Via Mia, you may have noticed the grove of Ailanthus trees on the left-hand side. The Tree-of-Heaven is not so heavenly when it grows on your property, because it spreads from underground suckers like giant crab grass. It is therefore not enough to cut the trees down, but it is also necessary to pull out the roots. This is best done when the ground is soggy after a good rain, and we are waiting for the winter rains to start before we work on that project.

Not all of us are happy when the trees are pulled, because they provide shelter for some coyote dens and are part of a semi-wild ecosystem. Without the coyotes, I am sure the rabbit population would, well, multiply like rabbits in our backyard, where we keep the grass lush and green with our automated sprinkler system. Owls also add to the night sounds around our homes, and hawks circulate overhead during daytime. One came close the other day. It sat on a branch near my deck eyeing my sandwich that I had left unattended for a few minutes. Perhaps I was misinterpreting its intention -- perhaps the bird was guarding it and keeping it safe from squirrels and blue jays.

Sure, a property of this size causes the occasional headache, requiring periodically the removal of some wrinkles or more drastic measures. But overall the community at Huntington Terrace is committed to keeping this complex a great place to live and a desirable destination for people seeking a home on the Hill.

The Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council (ASNC) is holding their first election on Monday, November 24th. Residents, property owners, and people who work in the neighborhood are all stakeholders and may vote. Many people registered to vote early and already received their mail-in ballots. Everyone else is welcome to register and vote on election day.

The polling place is Ramona Hall, 4580 North Figueroa Street. It is open from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Be sure to bring identification with you that shows your qualifying address in Monterey Hills, Hermon, Sycamore Grove, Montecito Heights, or Mount Washington.

Two seats on the ASNC Board are reserved for Monterey Hills. Ida Simms and Patrick Botz-Forbes are declared candidates. Both of them have been endorsed by the Monterey Hills Federation because of their active involvement in the community and their use of good judgment. There are seven At Large positions. One of these declared candidates has already withdrawn. Write-in candidates must declare by November 23rd. The final list and candidate statements will be present at the polling place as well as on the ASNC web site: (http://www.asnc.us)

Each Neighborhood Council (NC) is an advisory board to the City of Los Angeles. There will be about 100 in the City; each acts as the lead group for their local area. Primarily NCs make recommendations to the City on issues such as land use and city services. Each NC facilitates communication between the City and the stakeholders, performs outreach and solicits feedback on issues.

Neighborhood councils are one of the reforms contained in the City Charter Amendment approved by voters. The idea is to give residents and small businesses a greater voice in government and to counteract the clout of big businesses and organizations. Making government more efficient is a huge job, which might prove impossible. Improving the delivery of City Services and steering development to be more responsive to local concerns are more readily achievable.

Other neighborhood councils have already become sidetracked from these basic goals. The candidates who are elected to the ASNC Board must be careful to spend their time on core issues, where there is unity and cohesion of thought. They should not get bogged down in matters where there is disagreement and have arguments which will polarize the group and reduce its effectiveness.

Advertising

For more information about advertising in the Monterey Hills Outlook, please contact us at outlook@montereyhills.org or give us a call at (323) 761-6494. Advertising is on a first-come-first serve basis, so reserve your spot today! $25 for a business card sized spot, $45 for a double sized slot.

Important Phone Numbers

Monterey Hills Federation (323) 761-6494

14^th District Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa (323) 254-5295

Animal Regulation (888) 452-7381

Dead Animal Pickup – (Call Sanitation Bureau) (800) 773-2489

Brush Clearance (213) 485-6247

Fire Station - No. 47 4575 S. Huntington Dr. (213) 485-6247

Graffiti Problems

Homeboys Industries (323) 526-1254

Post Patrol – Emergency Number (323) 258-3761

Post Patrol – Non Emergency Number (323) 258-8130

Police Department – Hollenbeck – Non Emergency (213) 485-4302

For Emergency Call 911

Shopping cart pickup (800) 773-2489

Street Lighting – Burned Out Light (800) 303-5267

Street Maintenance

Street Sweeping, Tree Trimming, Lot Cleaning (213) 473-8410

Sanitation

Bulky Item Drop Off – 2649 Washington Blvd. (800) 773-2489

Bulky Item Pickup (800) 773-2489

Bulky Item Pickup - Online form www.lacity.org/SAN/service_request

Upcoming Events and Calendar

Nov. 18, 2003, Tuesday, 7:30 PM. Monterey Hills Federation Meeting.

Marshall Villas Recreation Room, 4225 Via Arbolada.

Nov. 22, 2003, Saturday, 8:00 PM. Caltech-Occidental Symphony Orchestra, Ramo Auditorium (Caltech).

Dec. 4, 2003, Thursday, 7– 10 PM. Family Exploration –What’s in the Night Sky? Wells Fargo Theatre and South Lawn. Autry Museum of Western Heritage.

For information call (323) 667-2000.

Dec. 6, 2003, Saturday, 5 – 8 PM. Family Exploration – Las Posadas. Casa de Adabe at Southwest Museum of the American Indian in Mt. Washington.

For information and RSVP (323) 221-2164.

Dec. 16, 2003, Tuesday, 7:00 PM. Monterey Hills Federation Holiday Party.

Marshall Villas Recreation Room, 4225 Via Arbolada.

Dec. 28, 2003, Sunday, 1:00 and 2:30 PM. Sound of Native California. Heritage Court, Autry Museum of Western Heritage. For information call (323) 667-2000.

January 20, 2003, Tuesday, 7:30 PM. Monterey Hills Federation Meeting

Marshall Villas Recreation Room, 4225 Via Arbolada.

January 23, 2004, Friday, 8:00 PM. The Kingston Trio. Beckman Auditorium, Caltech.

For information, call (626) 393-4652.

February 7, 2004, Sunday, 2:00 PM. Family Event - Gross Me Out: Lisi aka Sally Snot. Beckman Auditorium, Caltech. For information, call (626) 393-4652.

February 17, 2004, Tuesday, 7:30 PM. Monterey Hills Federation Meeting.

Marshall Villas Recreation Room, 4225 Via Arbolada.

February 28, 2004, Saturday, 8:00 PM. David Crosby. Beckman Auditorium, Caltech.

For information, call (626) 393-4652.

March 14, 2004, Sunday, 3:30 PM. Juilliard String Quartet, Beckman Auditorium, Caltech.

For information call (626) 393-4652.

March 16, 2004, Tuesday, 7:30 PM. Monterey Hills Federation Meeting.

Marshall Villas Recreation Room, 4225 Via Arbolada.

Autry Museum of Western Heritage –Thursday free admission after 4 PM and open until 8:00 PM.

5902 Monterey Road #210, Monterey Hills, California 90042 -- (323) 761-6494 - http://www.montereyhills.org