Friday, December 27, 2002:   Passed Christmas and heading for the New Year.  School's out for LHS until January 10, 2003.  Just checked Lincoln Park's website and saw some "new" photos of the Merry-Go-Round.  This may be a dividing line for various age groups.  If you are "young" you don't know what it looked like.  If you get a flashback or say, "Oh, yeah.  I remember that," then you are getting along in years.... which is not a bad thing, hey!   Lots of history of the Park and of Lincoln Heights.   Oh, yes, a belated "Merry Christmas," as limited time lately to post things very often.  But that doesn't mean there is nothing happening.
    Locally, RAIN.  Almost forgot about what it was like.  Coming up is the Rose Parade on Wednesday morning.  There are some events before then that you might be interested in besides the parade itself.  The Tournament of Roses website is a source of fresh information, especially the "special events" section.  The L.A. Unified All-District Honor Band, comprised of members from the many high schools in the District, will be in a music program Sunday at Pasadena City College (Stadium) on Sunday between 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.  No, this isn't free but check their website for more info.  See a pic of the 2002 version in the parade.  The Family Festival is free, though.  And that is on the grounds outside the Rose Bowl.  Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, from 12 Noon to 5:30 p.m. there will be live bands playing different types of music each day, hosted by local radio stations.  (See the website.)

    What else happened in L.A.?  A.M. Radio... The KLAC570 Talk Radio format changed back to the old standards.  Poor ratings was the stated reason.  Well no surprise.  No promotion of the station was really ever done by the parent company, Clear Channel, which owns lots and lots of stations (many of which sound the same from city to city, I hear).  Veteran talk show host Michael Jackson had people calling in and saying how they were glad they found him on the radio.  This was happening even after he had been on for over a year.  This was a symptom of the problem.   No publicity happened for him or others at the station.
    You might remember D.J., Bruce Vidal, a jock at KIIS from 1982 to 1996.  At age 54, he died from an apparent heart attack on Friday, December 19, 2002.  What a voice, and what a big guy.  The L.A. Times obituary gives a quick view of his career and some highlights.  Friends say he couldn't have been a nicer guy.  Diabetes was considered to be a factor affecting his health.  More on Vidal .

    Another year is ending in just a few days.  Lots of things happening to all of us.  Some of it good and some of it not so good.  Let's all hope that we can get the balance to shift to get more of the good things happening for us.  Share some of it.  That means you can also help others out to accomplish this... sometimes just a little adjustment in your own attitude can go a long way in improving someone else's day  (and if you doubt it, think about the way people act on the freeway, especially when the traffic gets bad.)  Courtesy doesn't hurt you, and if you want others to have it, you have to participate, too.  (making changes to any and all this behavior is free, by the way, so no excuses.)

    In Music: TheMusician's Friend Newsletter, reviewing news, birthdays and passings happening "This Week"  for the week of 12/26/02. That's all for now. /r.g.

    Lincoln has a new principal, which is news to you if you did not check out the LHS School webpage. Mr. James Molina is taking the position.   He first entered LHS as a student in 1959.

    The Lincoln Heights Christmas Tree lighting ceremony was held last Sunday in front of the Mirabal Mortuary where the residents gathered for an afternoon event that included awards made to the three best decorated homes in the area.  The Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council was responsible for this activity, lest you be fooled by the low profile the promotional flyer gave them.  By the way, the LHNC has been certified by the City of Los Angeles, while other areas are still tussling about turf and priorities, delaying certification for those other neighborhood councils.

More later,  /rg

    Lincoln Heights has its streets the cleanest they have been in months from the days of rain that came and went.    Some area photos are due for posting,  We had a Career Share Day combined with College Day last month at Lincoln.  Lots of odds and ends, but I do welcome any news of LHS events from any who may have involvement.   Football activity for the school has been ongoing and it looks like the end of the season is already here.   Some news here might be of interest to you, and to me.

Alumni Association Meeting Wed. 7 p.m. in Rm. 128, Admin. Bldg. LHS>  An open meeting and alumni and visitors welcome.

Among the ballot choices will be State Supreme Court Justice CARLOS MORENO, Class of '66, up for approval.  He deserves your vote.

The Governor's race - from all the people in this state, DAVIS and SIMON.  How did this happen when there are so many people in this state?   One of them (Davis) is a professional politician, doing "favors" in exchange for campaign contributions, running the State into long range debt that will be there for years after he leaves office, and the other (Simon) is a businessman who has nothing concrete in the nature of a good track record or even just proposing specific steps he will take as governor to address present problems, either of which might inspire some support.  With all the Davis flaws to discuss, Simon did not capitalize at all when he had the opportunities, and then he made one big charge about the "illegal" contribution in the State office which was not checked out beforehand.  And, of course, it turned out to be wrong.  Please, let that be a lesson to all on why doing your homework is so very important even after you leave school.

At Lincoln-  Not many in the student body will be able to vote yet, but it is hoped that school will somehow generally prepare them as they proceed in life.  How many of you think there was a lot missing as to this element when you exited the high school?    Well, I do believe that things have a ways to go in this area. What might be your suggestions?  e-mail comments.

Before more time passes, let me remind you that Ms. Sonnie retired in June as Principal after many years, and there is currently a search for another candidate for permanent Principal.  Hoping for the best here.   I get little direct word and that is another reason why sometimes there is not much to pass along.   Some word from those closer to the news might help here.

More later.   Vote if you registered.   It does matter.

The Class of 1976 Bicentennials.... had a good time at their reunion last month.  Congrats to Carlos for the determination to get this project off the ground, done and done well.
/rg.

  First, they cited obesity in young people, and the bad health consequences that an intake of so much sugar will have, and the incidence of non-insulin dependent diabetes.   One of the matters still not established, and there are studies that dispell the belief, is that taking in a lot of sugar creates  the "sugar high" with related behavior problems.

    Nevertheless, little if any homework was done by the Board.  The practice of having a healthy approach to eating will not be affected by this action.  Maybe more "education" on the subject would help, but that is not on the state tests, so that probably is a non-priority.  Can't be sure since not a lot of what does go on in the first place is told to the general population.

    The Board and supporters of this action cite obesity in teens, but taking in more calories that what is burned is what generates a weight gain.  The could have moved toward getting in some PHYSICAL ACTIVITY going on.  An hour more of sitting, of watching t.v. or playing computer games,  is an hour less of excercise.  But that approach is not adressed.  (Does anyone ever consider how much Lincoln's sports programs have shrunk from the time we were there?  For me it was the 60's--  Sports included then were Gymnastics, Tennis, Cross-Country, Track, Swimming, along with Basketball, Baseball and Football.  Trivia:  The Salas Brothers of Tierra celebrity were Varsity Tennis men for LHS  (see LHS 1966 Yearbook, Page 96 for large photo of the Tennis Team.) And LHS had Bee and Cee team for lots of the sports.

    Instead they have decided again that the parents and students need to have someone much wiser step in and make the decision for them.  Personal choice of students and parents is superseded by the Board in what really seems to be an "attention grabbing" action, trying to get some positive publicity by this bold step, which will possibly balance some of the negative publicity such as  all the budget problems and other glaring blunders (Belmont site)  with the way that the District has handled operations.

    The problem which is not subject to interpretation, but IS a real FACT is that the high schools each have income from the soft drink manufacturers somewhere reportedly between $30,000 and $80,000 a year generated by having the vending machines, going to fund various school activities.  These amounts will not be replaced by the District, which nevertheless decided on its mission without accepting the negative impact that the loss of funds will have on programs within the schools.

Some on the Board say the sales of replacement beverages will make up for some of the losses.  Really?   The students will buy what they want to, and if they want sodas, they can go to the nearby markets and convenience stores for that.  An example: The sale of juices is one replacement, but juices have sugar, and whether it is sucrose, fructose, or glucose, sugar is still sugar.

    I don't have information about DIET sodas and whether they will survive as not having any sugar content but painting with a broad brush often appears to be the practice of the Board.

    The changes will go into effect in January 2004, not that far away, just a little over a year from now.
 

    The opportunity to come early and picnic inside the venue, as well being able to bring along whatever you want to eat and drink is what separates this from most other concert spots.  This part of the evening seems to be so important to some people that I have seen lots of people still in the middle of eating in the picnic areas and patio seating even when there are already some performers opening up the show for the evening.  I have still not been able to see a show with a fireworks performance yet, but I have seen a few more shows since the last pitch I made to have you give it a try.  The most recent performances I saw were Tony Bennett, the L.A. Philharmonic Orchestra, and the JVC Jazz Festival, with George Benson and Larry Carlton as guitar frontmen for their respective bands.   All three were different types and all were good shows.

   Each time I visit is a little different than the other times, maybe because of the different audiences that each event draws and the different starting times.  I think that there are lots of people who go to the events and sit up high (in the seating area of the Bowl, that is) who would show up for any performance just to have a  relaxing evening with the food and drink of their choice.  It is practically free when you compare the ticket prices to the Greek Theatre, also an outdoor venue, or the Universal Amphitheatre.  (And, of course, you can always move down to closer seating, usually towards the sides, when there is not a sell-out show.  This is a big place and some people move AWAY from their seats to go UP for a while to have more room to stretch out.)

    But what clinches this choice overall is that I can avoid the parking  problem entirely which makes it even more relaxing.  Who needs more stress?  The Shuttle Bus is cheap from the L.A. Zoo parking lot where the parking is free.  It takes less than 10 minutes to reach this from home, for me, and there is always lots of parking.  The bus takes no more than 20 minutes, closer to 15, for the trip and drops you off right in front of the Bowl.  The fellow riders are pleasant and often friendly people  (a little different from the MTA )  Sometimes you can get ideas of what else to bring next time from them. See the "Park and Ride"  and "Shuttle Bus" information at "Getting to the Bowl".

    Oh yes, the seats there are very simple, just a wood bench style (but still softer than aluminum bleacher style seats).   Lots of help here are some big fat foam cushions for rent there, going for 75 cents each (worth it),  or you can bring your own, you know what's best for your own butt.  You gain a touch better altitude for your view, too.  If you have kids, a couple of these cushions can make an effective  booster seat if needed.

    Remember, all these things I bring up are for your consideration and depend entirely on your personal preferences, from the choice of concert, the ticket price, getting there and the food and so on.   I am just giving you a sort of check list or heads up.  If you have gone there before, maybe you can let me know if you have some suggestions of your own to pass along for us all.

    There still are lots of performances left before the season is over, and if you can get over to the Box Office during the day (Saturday is my choice) you can park free, check out the seating if you haven't been there before, see the rehearsals going on, if any, visit the Museum and buy tickets at face value, without the added fees Ticketron tacks on,  for whatever particular available locations remain, which the counter people are pretty good at finding to suit you, as you decide.  Take your kids.  Take your neighbor's kids, too, their parents will appreciate the break (and owe you a favor).   My next tickets are for B.B. King's Blues Festival on Sunday 9/22/02, starting early at 5:30 p.m. (At this time, still lots of ticket prices/locations to choose from) but I see more possibilities meanwhile, as Chick Corea & Friends will be there at 8 p.m. this Wednesday for the KLON-FM sponsored Jazz at the Bowl, and there are still lots of ticket choices.   Check the Calendar for more.

    Music History - Here's the Musician's Friend Newsletter, reviewing news, birthdays and passings happening  "This Week"  for the week of 8/21/02 (even though it still shows "Aug. 7, 2002").

    If you have any suggestions or comments on events that you could share with the web visitors, or any other comments or questions, please feel free to let me know by e-mail .  thanks, rg -     e-mail robert guevara, cl. of S'67(when every semester pushed out another graduating class [and each class reasonably literate, I might add], when every year had two competing senior classes at any time- that might explain why school spirit was a bigger deal than it seems to be now.).

    Spay and Neuter If you like animals, pets, that is, then you should be aware of the problem that is created by UNWANTED PETS, which is what you have when there are too many newly born to have matched up with homes.   Spaying and neutering is not only effective to control this, but is beneficial to the health and temperament of the animal.

    This weekend, the City of  Burbank had an adoption special at reduced rates of $15 instead of $45 which included the neutering procedure done for the pet.  Their shelter was getting too crowded with animals and they wanted to try to place pets before having to kill them, which is a  reality lots of people which many like to soften up by referring to it as "euthanasia" - ("killing to relieve suffering"-  which is NOT the case, since most of the animals are healthy and ready to go).

    Where to shelter animals come from?  There are some pets that have become too much work for the owners to handle, or the kids got tired of taking care of the pet (which should not be a kid's responsibility to begin with) and the parents don't want it, or, the owner is old and has died, and there is  no one who can, or who wants to, keep the animal.   Sometimes there are just too many in a litter to spread among the relatives.  A cat can have kittens in about 11 weeks, if I recall accurately,  as compared to a 9 month gestation period for humans, and there are usually 4 or more in a litter.  There are a lot of sad stories, but mostly it's just sad for the pet who cannot control what happens.

    Los Angeles City Animal Shelters require that all dogs and cats adopted out be neutered before you can take them home, and is part of the adoption/licensing fees.  A microchip implant for positive identification is also available now for $15 if done when you rescue a pet.   And believe me, it is a rescue.  Visit the North-Central Shelter on Lacy St., just off Avenue 26, right next to the Pasadena Freeway, and you can see how many animals need a home.  You can visit on Saturdays and Sundays, as well, just to see what a serious problem pet overpopulation is.  I have my dogs from that shelter and they probably each would have been killed if I did not adopt them.

    Free Spaying and Neutering Available to Area Residents:
Lincon Park Recreation Center will have a Spaymobile there on Saturday: August 17, Friday: August 23, and Thursday: August 29.  Location:  Lincoln Park RC 3501 Valley Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90031.    The services are performed by veterinarians and are free as part of a specially funded project.  See the "Frequently Asked Questions"  for eligibility, which is easily determined:  http://www.laanimalservices.org/spaymobile.htm
    This is part of the way to eliminate unwanted and uncontrolled breeding that generates the overpopulation of pets.  Also see "Why Spay or Neuter Your Pet" on the same website for some enlightenment.  There are other low cost sources for neutering if someone does not qualify for the Spaymobile services.

    We can get to the topic of stereotyping dogs by breeds as dangerous, etc., another time, but you should remember  that good owners make good dogs and lousy owners create bad dogs, regardless of the breed.

Coming next month, summer vacation over, and school starts again.... do you remember that time of the year way back in your high school years?  Summer school, where there is a summer school, is coming to an end.   I believe there is usually a mix of anticipation of the new school year, but a regret over the end of the vacation time.   For some reason, summer school was something just a bit more enjoyable than the classes held during the regular year.  Maybe because the time was a whole lot shorter.

    This summer brought more construction and de-construction at Lincoln.  The Administration ("100") building was being fitted with air-conditioning units a couple of years ago, which were occupying a window in each classroom.   The plan changed as part of the dispute over the damage to the overall integrity of the architecture, and also over the type of units to be installed in the first place.  Now the windows are back to their original see-through condition.

    Upcoming work is going to cost lots of parking spaces for teachers and staff since some bungalows will be placed in that area between the 100 and 200 buildings.  The upper field areas by the boys' gym already lost some basketball court space to bungalows last year.   The plan seems to be to have those in need of parking use the store lots on Mission Road and Broadway and get shuttled over the hill back and forth to LHS.

    REUNION PLANNING IS STILL UNDERWAY- Classes of 1982, 1992, and 1976 are each working on these activities.  HELP THEM OUT- Find people in those classes- if you know of any members of these classes, you could pass the word along to let them know about checking in with the appropriate class contact persons to be sure that they are being provided with more details.  The Reunion page will have some more changes in the next few days.

    The LHS Alumni Association is working on several items, including the Harvest Festival Parade and the annual Health Fair for this October.  One objective is to give support to the sports programs. There will be some new items for sale to generate some funds and help raise the morale at the same time.   At this time, leading the new merchandise will be Lincoln Tigers T-shirts which are on sale for $15, and available in different sizes.   Of course, the product line is just starting out. You can see from the able alumni that these are the Football versions.  Edward Rosas, Cl. of W'59 (and former track man for LHS) assists us in showing you one of the T-shirts.   Mrs. Esther Rosas, S'59 is in the accompanying photo with Erica Cuevas, a more recent grad, to show the choices.  For the moment, Benny Madera is the single contact person.

More information to come soon.  /rg.

Going back to the music of old, doo-wop, where the voices were the instruments. If you were young in the 50's and into the 60's, this was what you could hear on the radio then. Tomorrow night at 8 p.m. in Long Beach at the Petroleum Club, the Doo-Wop Society of Southern California is bringing you a concert featuring three "Girl Groups"  See their web site for more information, ticket prices and membership, DWS.

   Incidentally, if you were around before the 60's and then some,  there was a d.j. who was very popular and is still around, but a whole lot older now.  Do you remember Hunter Hancock?    The DWS has a separate page written by HH, which you might find interesting if you were from that era.  Read some of his memories in "Hunting with the Hunter."

   Since we are going back into the past with great local radio personalities, another favorite suffered personal misfortune.  In June of this year, radio personality of many years, most recently at KRTH, Dick "Huggie Boy" Hugg, was badly hurt in a fall, hospitalized required surgery to remove a blood clot, and is now recuperating.  On July 19th, LARP reported that Huggie Boy had been released from Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital and was "now recovering at the Western Convalescent Home. You can send him a get well card at 2190 West Adams, Los Angeles, CA 90018."

    LARadioPeople, www.laradio.com, reported this, as informed by Steve Propes, co-creator with Galen Gart, of another music-based site, L.A. Vocal Groups, http://www.lavocalgroups.com/  If you were into this music or want to know more about it, check this out.   A June 20, 2002 entry highlights a group, the "El Tones" which came out of Roosevelt High, our neighbor on the Eastside.

Check Events section for ongoing activities locally.   Another addition previewed, featuring free Downtown concerts.

r.g.

Saturday, July 27, 2002:   Entertainment notes: Tonight in Alhambra, TIERRA, led by LHS alum, Rudy Salas, is scheduled to be among the artists performing at the Summer Jubilee Saturday evening free events on Second and Main Streets.  There are five other artists scheduled in the 6pm to 10 pm period.

    Also tonight, if you prefer to head north a ways, in the City of San Fernando, LatinoLA.com events lists another popular group with local roots:
7/28 - 6:00PM to 8:00PM - Musica
El Chicano - Featuring Bobby Espinosa.
Venue: San Fernando Recreation Park
Address: 208 Park Ave. , San Fernando,91340
Ages: ALL AGES
Admission: FREE
For more information call: (818)361-7155
Or visit: http://www.ci.san-fernando.ca.us
Email: VDIEDIKER@CI.SAN-FERNANDO.CA.US

On Sunday, Alhambra Park is the place for the 7 p.m. free concerts in the Bandshell during the summer, "Summer Serenade" series.
/rg

Just Reported to this web page, Suilma Rodriguez Class of 2001 will have a substantial role in the TV Movie, “Gotta Kick It Up” premiering Friday July 26th on the Disney Channel at 8pm.  Suilma , the former LHS dance team captain will portray a high school dance team student in a movie about Latinas in high school.

As part of the promotion of this movie, Suilma had a film crew follow her around her Lincoln Heights neighborhood as part of a documentary short for the hit Latino newsmagazine VISTA LA.  Suilma’s short may be featured as early as this Sunday July 28th at 11:30am on KABC Channel 7.

The film crew followed Suilma on Tuesday July 23rd to the Lincoln campus, planning to film her there, along with the current dance team.  Although the film crew apparently earlier had obtained the principal’s permission, LHS will not be featured due to the lack of internal communication of this permission, possibly because it was obtained on short notice.  As a result, administration, unable to confirm the approval to film on campus, gave the word to the film crew that they had to leave the premises.  So, unfortunately, a rare opportunity to feature the spirit of LHS locally on the popular Sunday morning television show was thus missed.

Catch rising star and LHS alumnus Suilma Rodriguez, Cl of '01, in her television premiere at 8pm on the Disney Channel TONIGHT (check local listings for time zone changes which may affect airing time.).

    Ending now with the current section of the Musician's Friend Newsletter, reviewing news, birthdays and passings happening in Music history: "This Week"  for the week of 7/24/02.

            Thursday, July 18
                7/18 - Politics
                Una Tardeada Para Nuestra Amiga Nadia en la Plaza
                Please join Senator-elect Gil Cedillo & Assemblywoman-elect Cindy Montanez in support of the work & future of our friend  & advocate Nadia Maria Davis, Esq. Santa Ana Unified School District Board of Education. Sponsor Opportunities available: contact Sara at 213-712-9436
           Venue: Plaza De La Raza
                Address: Lincoln Park , Lincoln Heights
                For more information call: (714) 558-8181
                Email: bellam75@aol.com
(ED. NOTE:  Not sure if this is a political fundraiser, P.R. event, or what, but I am including it as a point of interest, since it's held at Plaza de la Raza in Lincoln Park.)
 

  [Also, Thanks to Javier over at Lincoln Park for the updated link http://www.plazadelaraza.org/ from which you can see what's going on, as they have very minimal promotion in the neighborhood of events for the "locals" to see what's going on there.   See their "EVENTS" section which has some interesting things coming up.]  They have a really good photo of the Boathouse on their site ( Nice in that it's shot so that it hides their boxy buildings from that angle.)

                7/18 - 5:00PM to 8:00PM - Music
           Banda Brothers Sextet
                Hot Latin jazz, art, microbrews, wine and barbecue.

                Venue: MOCA at the Geffen Contemporary
                Address: 152 N. Central Avenue , Little Tokyo in Downtown LA
                Admission: Free
                For more information call: 213 626-6222
                [This place is fairly easy to find, by 1st St. and lots of parking lots in the area.  And the entertainment listed is worthwhile.]

    At Lincoln Park,SUMMER CARNIVAL , an annual event
                     Date: July 18, 19, 20, 21, 2002 ,  Thursday to Sunday.
                                 Admission: FREE   [ I noticed yesterday that the carnival rides were starting to set up - all of that carnival environment's classic style that provides the thrill part of the ride comes when you wonder about the qualifications of the people bolting them together.... such nostalgia.  And the pool's open there, as with all the L.A. parks]

   On Saturday, July 20, 2002, in Glendale:  Brand Boulevard is the site for the 9th Annual Glendale Cruise Night Car Show & Street Party, from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.  Lots of live music on 2 stages and loads of hot rods, custom, classic and restored cars and trucks on display.  More info: Cruise Night

  On Sunday, July 21, 2002, LHS grad and comedian Rudy Moreno will be performing at "The Hop" located at 17647 Gale Ave. in Industry, (626) 810-8467.  Also scheduled will be Gabriel Iglesias, Debi Gutierrez, and Armando Cosio, and more.  The are calling it "Gordopalooza"-  in references to the performers, not the audience, but you can
never be sure.  [I don't know about the other two named on the bill with Rudy, but Gabriel Iglesias has been a consistently funny performer.  Also scheduled for the music part of the evening is "L.A. Faultlline" which includes some LHS alumni and they have a big sound, on the good side.]
 

Rudy Moreno has a website Welcome to Rudy Moreno's Official Web Site to find out more about his activities.
Right now, he's doing the Ice House Latino Comedy Showcase in Pasadena every Tuesday night.  See Ice House Schedule

    Finally, another current section of the Musician's Friend Newsletter, reviewing news, birthdays and passings happening in Music history: "This Week"  for the week of 7/17/02.

If there are anymore events that are local or interesting or free, let me know.  /r.g.

    Local entertainment news is more plentiful, although made available on short notice to me.   In the Latino L.A. e-mailed newsletter of 7-11-02, the following event was announced,
"7/14 - 1:00PM to 7:00PM - Music
"Highland Park Performing Arts Festival - A two -day celebration of local music and the performing arts. Local bands playing rock, salsa, jazz, you name it. Also, July 15.
Venue: Sycamore Grove Park
Address: 4900 N. Figueroa St. HP , Los Angeles,90042
Ages: All Ages
Admission: FREE
For more information call: 323-257-3654"

The regular Events web site listing did not have this listed, so it may not have been submitted in time for the web site deadline.   So check both sources in order to be complete in checking announced events.

Yesterday, Saturday, July 13, 2002, the Susie Hansen Latin Band played in Huntington Beach for a free concert, with a familiar name to Chicano music fans named as the opening act.  Willie G., formerly lead singer for the Thee Midniters, started off the concert.

As a sidelight, there is a lot of music at the Hollywood Bowl this season, which has a capacity of about 18,000.  The tickets are priced from around $90.00 for the boxes (some events bring this price up), but the price does not have to keep you away.  The farther away the seats are from the stage, the lower the prices are, down to a rock bottom $1.00-$3.00 bargain for the rearmost seats, and going up from there.  These cheap seats still have a clear view of the stage, and seem to sell out early.

But the sound is very good all the way up, which the important part.  The more subtle but important difference between the Hollywood Bowl (www.hollywoodbowl.com) and places like the Greek Theater and Universal Amphitheatre is that you can bring in food and drinks to have a picnic before the event or satisfy your palate during the performance.   Bags are searched by security, but I don't know what they are looking for.  This is only a slight intrusion, and they are a friendly bunch, getting you through very fast.

I had not been there for years, until attending the recent KBIG-FM Disco Nights concert where the Village People, Chic, and Kool & the Gang performed to a sold out house  (So I certainly was not the only one who still likes this often-scorned music).  [Ed. Note:  I was there the first time in 1966 with Oxy's Upward Bound program to see the Bolshoi Ballet, I think.  Maybe the other Lincoln High folks from that program remember exactly who we saw and can help me out-  Lorenzo, Julio, Celeste, Rosalinda, Norma, anyone?.  It might have been Harry Belafonte, but I am not sure.]  Something different this time than from my first visit to the Bowl  was this huge video screen above the stage for this event which was not there for the Wednesday night jazz event.

Had a great time there, so I showed up Wednesday for the Big Band Night with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy headlining the bill with the Glenn Miller Band, and another band which performed many Benny Goodman tunes.  Good time there, as well, and it looked like a full house.   Wednesday is the Jazz program events night.  There are other types, along with the yearly Mariachi USA weekend every June.

If you have never been to the Hollywood Bowl, you should try at least once to show up and see what it is all about.  Another feature almost as significant as the event is PARKING.   I hate that part, from the stress and confinement for limited spaces and tough traffic getting in to the same thing getting out.   INSTEAD, you have a choice of Shuttle buses or Park and Ride buses.   I found that you can park at the Zoo, price: Free and ride the Shuttle bus.  Just pay your $3 round trip ticket per person and get dropped off right in front of the Bowl entrance in roughly 15 minutes of travel time.  (Parking around the Bowl usually runs $12.00 and up.)  Getting back is the same, with a walk down the street of about a block to board the same line back.  The bus riders are generally a good group to chat with in line before boarding in each direction.  The Park and Ride Bus operation is run by the MTA, costs $5.00 round trip, but goes to parking locations farther from the Bowl.

By the way, the Bowl is open in the daytime, and you can get tickets there with some free parking in front, no service charges added, AND you can go inside to see the place in the daylight.  Some rehearsals are going on there which you might hear while you visit.    There is a "Hollywood Bowl Museum" open during the day, and also free, located down from the Box Office.  If you don't or can't visit to get tickets there, there is always Ticketron by phone or on-line.

Check the schedule -  Calendar- and make the visit there while you can.   You can share the whole thing with your kids (or parents, or grand kids, or brothers and sisters, as the case may be) to let them see something different during the summer.

Here's the weekly entry, the Musician's Friend Newsletter, reviewing news, birthdays and passings happening in Music history: "This Week"  for the week of 7/10/02.

Later, /r.g.

Coming up later this month in Alhambra: There is also a series of music and other entertainment programs going on in Alhambra during the summer on Friday and Saturday evenings, handled by the Chamber of Commerce.  See their calendar of events at http://www.alhambrachamber.org/calendar/index.html#Rudy Salas and Tierra are scheduled to appear on Saturday, July 27, 2002 for  “Latin Beats” night.  Place:  South Second St., Times:  6 p.m. to 10 p.m. .

    LatinoLA.com  has been sending e-mail newsletters weekly for events and activities, and is my source for these events.  Due to the receiving this late in the week, I did not post the event held yesterday in El Sereno, which I want to note since it involved LHS grad Rudy Moreno, and TIERRA, which I believe was the Steve Salas group this time.   You can check the entire events calendar for  www.latinola.com at http://www.latinola.com/calendar.php.
    The information appears below for those who want to see what is going on in the local community:
7/6 - 10:00AM to 7:00PM - Community Unity in the Community Car Show & Concert
- Featuring the explosive sounds of Tierra and Rize. MC Rudy Moreno, with special guests Khool Aid, Power 106; Jimmy Espinoza (formerly of Thee Midniters), Thump Records, The District, Frenz & Strangers, & Bastard Son.
Venue: El Sereno Recreation Center
Address: 4721 Klamath Place , El Sereno
Ages: All ages
Admission: $7 presale; $10 at the door
For more information call: 323 222-1052
Or visit: http://www.connectedcarclub.com  (This site described club activities with lots of graphics, but I was not able to find the event material in my quick visit there.)

    Last weekend's Corn Festival at the Arroyo Seco Park in Highland Park was an enjoyable event with the live entertainment on Sunday, which included singer-musician Lalo Guerrero appearing in the late afternoon.  For those of you who have not heard of him, there are a few places to fill you in about this musical pioneer,  still going strong at age 85 -  Article about Lalo's music collection donation in December 2000, with some bio data.
    A little more lengthy but thoroughly informative article is from the Cool and Strange Music Web Magazine, "Lalo, the Original Chicano Hepcat."
    And there's more, from the  Tucson Citizen, May 16, 2002 review of recently his published book "Lalo- My Life and Music"

    Finally, Before more time passes, here's another fresh section of the Musician's Friend Newsletter, reviewing news, birthdays and passings happening in Music history: "This Week"  for the week of 7/03/02.

Campus notes: The Alma Mater is been renovated to some extent during this summer vacation- the administration building and the 500 building are closed off for the work.
/rg. 

Friday, June 28, 2002:  Presenting the absolutely newest issue of the Musician's Friend Newsletter, reviewing news, birthdays and passings happening in Music history: "This Week"  for the week of 6/26/02.

    Still nothing to pass along regarding the LHS grads of 2002  You may be interested in where the graduations are held for the various area high schools.  The graduation for LHS was at Cal State L.A. on Thursday, June 20th.  Garfield had their graduation at East L.A. College Stadium on June 27th.  Eagle Rock continued with the Occidental College outdoor theater site, Franklin High was at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Belmont stayed at their own field, Roosevelt used the L.A. Sports Arena yesterday, and Wilson High used the Barthel Field/Stadium.

    Other notable locations:  Marshall was at the Greek Theatre, Manual Arts went to the Grand Olympic Auditorium,Hollywood High went to the Hollywood Bowl, and Bravo Medical Magnet used the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion.  Most of the L.A. high schools seemed to use their own fields or stadiums for graduation ceremonies.

    We had our graduation on the field way back when (1967) at about 5 p.m..  I don't know when the change away from the campus happened, but the bleachers were not usable for many years, which was one compelling reason to make a move.  But now, a few years after our bleachers have been entirely rebuilt, graduations could return home.  Even without lights, the graduations end before it gets dark in June.  By the way, lights are planned to be installed on the field after the upcoming football season is over, but better late than never.

HIGHLAND PARK MATA ORTIZ & CORN FESTIVAL WEEKEND, with Sunday, June 30th from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.,  featuring music and art in the park at Arroyo Seco Park at 5568 Via Marisol-  Lalo Guerrero, a legendary Chicano performer, will be there with live bands, art workshops, play area for kids, and food.  FREE ADMISSION (but not the food or it might really get crowded.).
    There is an Exhibition of pottery, "Legacy in Clay" on Friday 10 am to 5 pm. curated by Rose Figueroa,   Saturday, designated as "Mata Ortiz Day" will have art exhibition events from 10 am to 5 pm., with an Expert Lecture Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.,   (323) 259-0861, sponsored bythe Latino Museum of Art, History and Culture, Coucilmen Ed Reyes and Nick Pacheco and more.
/r.g.

Tuesday, June 25, 2002:  First off, here's the Musician's Friend Newsletter, reviewing news, birthdays and passings happening in Music history: "This Week"  for the week of 6/19/02.  (Sure it's a bit behind, but it's still posted before the next one is here.)

    Graduation for the Lincoln High Class of 2001 is over, and of course there is no direct information received by me from anyone at LHS on this, not even where it was held.  For that reason you see no news about it.  But I suspect there was still a grad night at Disneyland afterwards.  I did find out from the area newspaper, the Los Angeles Northeast Sun, that there were some scholarships awarded to two students from the Eastside high schools by the Eastside Association of Gifted Children.  Matthew Kwan, of Lincoln High and  Gerardo Carrillo of Garfield High were recipients of the scholarship awards.  Congratulations to each of them.

    If anyone has any news or comments about this year's graduation or news and would like to pass it along, e-mail is always available to send that to me.  Any scholarships, awards and achievements of the 2002 graduates could be posted so that the rest of us can get an idea of what going on at the alma mater.

   Coming up locally this weekend is the Corn Festival, to be held at Arroyo Seco Park in Highland Park.  This is a music and arts festival which is held annually, and best of all, it is free.   One special performer will be the incomparable LALO GUERRERO,  one of the pioneers of the satircal ballads, done Chicano style.  He has been honored over the years, and there have been many of them, both years and honors.  Locally, he has been featured at the Chicano Music Awards at Pasadena City College when Sancho was on the air.     There is a flyer with details that I must insert here later.

    On the political side what do we have?  The Governor's race has the incumbent, Gray Davis, getting upset at a police organization for endorsing his opponent, Bill Simon.
    Scandals abound in local politics- South Gate gets a new Police Chief, a Latino, who appears to be pre-selected rather that chosen from any competitive setting.  Among qualifications not there, it seems he has no college degree (but he's working on it now) although he supervises others with a bit more extensive education.  On top of all this, there is Mr. Robles, appointed to the city position that pays around $100,000.00 annually, if I recall the Times story correctly.   Oh yes, he's in the news because he's been accused of making threats of some serious bodily injury to several city figures and state politicians.
    Is it true?   We will wait for the trial.  It seems that there is some agreement that he has tended to be hot tempered on frequent occasions.  The one who appointed him to the city position said he is sure that this responsibility will help him in getting back on track.
    What?  Appoint someone to a position of trust and at a salary that is nothing to sneeze at, all just to rehabilitate him with the public's money?  Some whacky thinking going on in those parts.  I thought merit and GOOD behavior was tied in somehow with public service, not who your buddies are.   (Well, at least it SHOULD be that way.  Where are the positive role models).

    To end now, there is another tax proposed, with Gloria Molina, County Supervisor supporting it.  This is a plan to tax alcoholic beverages at another 5 cents each.   (They want to see how they can generate funds for government which has no money to spend anymore.)   So watch out, there will be a lot more charges, fees and taxes planned or increased before you know it, so be aware or else you shouldn't complain later when it's a done deal.

    All this is just to give you a taste of things that I don't believe school teaches us at all, real life.  And this is only the tip of the iceberg.   Sadly, the politicians, those who we send out to take care of our interests, instead, for the most part, think about one thing 24-7. and that is:  getting re-elected to office.  Everything else is connected to this objective.  As the elections in November approach, get ready for the mud to fly.
 

Reunions-  Help get the word out to the members of the Classes of 1992, 1976, and 1982 that reunions are being planned and classmates need to be found.
        To the present students (and their parents) Something to think about:   High School is the last time you will be able to go to school for free.   After that, someone has to actually come across with some cash to get further education... so don't waste the opportunity that's in your lap now.

Later, /r.g. 

    Some updates to post on the "Reunions" page next time.
Something to think about regarding having reunions-  It seems that the the reunion committee people of all years have faced some common problems:  (1.) Finding the classmates to get out the reunion information, (2.) Getting an affirmative response from members of THAT group to attend a reunion,  (3.) Getting complaints about the cost for tickets - [and this goes for WHATEVER the price is and WHATEVER the class year], and (4.) Collecting the ticket money by the time that expenses need to be covered and attendance figures need to be turned in by each committee.

    Please, classmates, start saving up now for your reunions so there won't be a problem with #3 and #4 above.

    You will find that there is a portion of each class that just does not want to attend and won't admit it, so they look for reasons to stay away.  There is another portion of classmates that simply has no desire to re-visit anything about high school or participate in any activities in that area, period.  How big are these portions?  I don't know, it varies as time goes on.  I just know this is so from encountering it with different people (even relatives .... what can I say?).

    For the rest of you spirited folks, even if your class is not having any reunion activity, pass along the word to help their efforts.  Whether you are aware of it or not, Lincoln people seem to have many continuing connections with other LHS people.  Think about how many of you have brothers, sisters, husbands and wives, parents and children, and more, who went to Lincoln over the years.  You are all connected to somebody else from Lincoln and you may not even be aware of how extensive this connection is.   In the next entry, I will share the information that has been passed on to me from the Alumni Association meeting this past week.

    I still am of the opinion that you can help OTHERS by your actions and participation in alumni events.  (It's not all just for you, you know.)  The ways that the current batch of students may be affected for the better  by the older LHS folks should be considered.  Do WE have any spirit or pride about the Lincoln?  Assuming there's a few "yes" answers, do we show this spirit or pride?  Students may not care much about these things if they don't see that anyone else cares either.   There's room to improve, a lot of room.

    Graduation is coming up this week.  Congratulations to this Class of 2002.  I hope you were able to leave Lincoln with some level of education that will enable each of you to provide some benefit, large or small, to the rest of the world in your lives.  The rest of the educational ladder doesn't get any easier, and it can be helpful, often essential, to accomplish what you want, but you can judge that for yourself.  (Ending for now since I feel another topic in the making along these lines.   Sparing you that for now.)
/r.g.

   I make it a special point to notice this day as important in the history of the U.S. since we older guys had parents that lived through this period in history, many serving in the military and others in the war effort during the 40's.  History as it is taught in schools today seems to be very weak when it comes to what it took to reach this time in history.  Much of this past era is totally unknown to younger people in today's time.   The older one's among us may know people who lived in this time but more and more are passing as each month goes by.

    The passing of people may be one of the things that we have to accept, but the history of it all is being lost with each passing.   Today we have many veterans of Vietnam era who served in the military at that time.   There were thousands serving in Vietnam whose recollections are being lost as we, too, are passing away.

    Each of you may do something for yourselves, your families and the future by making some efforts to record in writing, on video or audio tape, the stories of your relatives, be they parents, grandparents or aunts and uncles to learn more about their experiences.   Most people would be surprised if they took time to explore this source of history.  At the Thanksgiving Dinner table, you have wealth of information just sitting around and probably don't even know it.   This goes for all aspects of life, not just for the wars.

    Here is an example:  People now living were participating in the Civil Rights struggles of the 60's.  Lots of local people were there in East Los Angeles in August 1970 in the riots where reporter Ruben Salazar was killed by the Sheriff's deputy  while sitting in a bar on Whittier Boulevard on the day of the Chicano Moratorium.  How much of the personal viewpoints will be lost with the passing of each person who was there, and  who could have contributed his or her unique recollections of such times?

    By the way, that riot  has been referred to as, and I believe appropriately so, "The Police Riots," since the whole thing appeared to be a genuine overreaction by the LASD then.   (Does anyone remember that there was a big difference between the LAPD and the LA  Sheriff's Department in that the Sheriff's Deputies rode around with helmets all the time.  This always gave the appearance of hostility as I interpreted the intent of the practice.   But then, that was a long time ago.   Remember? )

    This is what I am saying, that the past is captured in the recollections of people who lived in the time.  The "recollections" ARE THE HISTORY of the times.  There are sources all around you that can tell you about many different things that you will not always find in books.  Think about the stories you are telling now at family gatherings and think of how much each person contributes to the stories of the past.   That story telling and family chatting is an example of things that don't usually get recorded to be passed on to others, and so become lost as the words are forgotten.

    I would like to know if there are any other ideas on this thing about making a record in writing or tape of such things for the sake of history, for a project, or for just being able to pass family history on to later generations so that they will know more about their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and so on.  The people are rich in history and you will do much for yourselves and others to not lose it.  This should be a source of pride for people who can compare how things have changed from what they were, and how much better off you are, hopefully, now.

    Now for some links to sites that will give you lots of what was recorded concerning D-Day.
    D-Day on the Web: http://www.isidore-of-seville.com/d-day/   offers a lot to explain and discuss this day, and the war, with lots of links to other related sites.

    The Invasion of Normandy, by the History Guy, at http://www.historyguy.com/normandy_links.html contains lots as well, with several personal accounts.

Wednesday, June 5, 2002:    Still collecting things to post, but meanwhile, refresh your memories and view This Week in Music for May 29, 2002 at-  Musician's Friend Newsletter, reviewing news, birthdays and passings happening in Music history:  "This Week"  for the week of 5/29/02,

    Graduations coming up, and Class of 1976 reunion planning still underway.  If you know of a grad from that year, please pass the word along to make contact.  Info on that class and a few others is on the Reunions page.

2002 Archived Pages, from January to May, 2002
 

August 2001 to December 2001  To "Last Half of 2001"
January to July, 2001- LincolnHigh90031 - Part B
Back to Main Page

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