IS THE GLENDALE ARMENIAN MUSEUM PART OF A CULTURAL TAKE OVER?

We have a "Nextdoor" website where folks from my neighborhood 'discuss' current issues.  I've been taken to task  by a man with an Armenian name for my being in strong opposition to the destruction of Central Park here in Glendale, California.  The back and forth includes some mild criticisms and being summarily dismissed by this person who thinks that this idea to spend Eighty Million Dollars to revamp Central Park and the entire area around our recent twenty million dollar revamp of the Central Library with a large edifice, "The American Armenian Museum," is a good idea.  I'm very much in favor of a museum, but  strongly disagree regarding the location. To that point I've posted the following on Nextdoor: 

I am so happy to see a response that is not 'rude'.. of course, my confrontational 'style' may seem outre but it's for a purpose. It's time for folks to speak up.. and I am so very grateful for Phil James's thoughtful and respectful response.  Of course, the benefits return to our Armenian immigrants.  There will never be a positive return, except to them. Peripherally, long time residents of Glendale, tolerant of this impending take over may shrug and just take it. Financially? Parking for the Americana? More taxes from sales of expensive goods there?  Wow. I wonder.  Keeping the park out of the hands of Rick Caruso? Double Wow.. It's like a big Monopoly game with the rich folks just doing what they please. 

The dog and pony show that the City presented promoting this debacle is a sham.  The fact is that this huge museum is a monument to Armenia, not to Glendale.  I should point out that the museum is not, by itself, an Eighty Million Dollar project.  The entire destruction of Central Park and environs may cost that huge price tag. 

Many of us feel helpless in the face of elected officials ruling by 'caveat.'  "These are the times that try men's souls?"

The current plan does, I think, include an Environmental Impact Study/Report. So!  If Health and Happiness for Human Beings is important, it seems to me that destroying open space is not the way to achieve that.  By re-purposing any of the suggested alternative sites, we save Central Park and enliven now moldering real estate with the Mountains of Ararat.  Actually, in another space  like the available restaurant at Brand and Glenoaks?.. we achieve the goal of a monument to Armenia and fill a long languishing corner.  That the museum design is not to my particular more conservative tastes is personal. 

I draw attention to the Museum of Tolerance on Pico in Los Angeles.  It is modestly designed and located and serves a respectful community. The Armenian Museum could easily appear at Glenoaks and Brand, serving their community as the Museum of Tolerance does and not destroy Central Park.

http://www.museumoftolerance.com/site/c.tmL6KfNVLtH/b.9052747/k.BEE4/Home.htm

Let's not be hasty to forever remove a space that reminds us that we are Human Beings.  Ara Oshagan's huge installation on Central Park to remind us of the humanity of his ancestors is a good example of how important an open and lively space is. Chrome and glass and underground parking is not a good idea, to me, at the expense of open sky and.. when it rains.. a welcoming lawn where one can breathe and even lie down to enjoy the day. 

I won't apologize to anyone for strong feelings.  It's my prayer that government by caveat will not overwhelm common sense and that Glendale may share its values with our new immigrant neighbors without succumbing to what feels like a cultural takeover. 

Please.. Let's find a proper site for this museum and build it with private funds and, as with The Museum of Tolerance, support it with admission fees and donors who share the Armenian vision.  Please.. This is a sincere request. Please.

Russians Indicted! Scofflaws charged!

What a day! 
Thirteen "Russian nationals" and three Russian 'entities' have been charged with meddling with the 2016 elections.  ABC News is careful to say that no collusion is being charged.  Working to destroy confidence in our most sacred system of democratic elections and the way the election went seems, to me.. to speak for itself! 

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Locally, the property owners who illegally demolished a classic Craftsman home at 1420 Valley View in Glendale, CA have been ordered to appear in court to face 'misdemeanor' charges associated with neglect and the demolition of this historic home.  
This from Tom Lorenz: Press Representative for the City of Glendale.

"Glendale, CA – 

Glendale City Attorney Michael Garcia announced that his office has filed a criminal complaint in the Superior Court for Los Angeles County charging the owners of a property with the failure to obtain permit for complete demolition of a potentially historic home in violation of both city and state codes.

The five-count misdemeanor complaint against the owners of 1420 Valley View, Glendale, CA includes the failure to obtain required permits for previous interior alterations and failure to provide adequate weather protection, as well as for the recent unpermitted demolition of the structure. 

The complaint filed by the Glendale City Attorneys names the defendants as Aroutin Behzad and Arpi Azarian Namagerdi with a court appearance scheduled for March 6, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. in the Glendale Courthouse located at 600 East Broadway, Glendale, CA.

Attachment:

Complaint

#####

The property is also listed as ABITARE LLC which may distance the individuals from this prosecution?  

 

201706910003    ABITARE LLC

Registration Date:

02/28/2017

Jurisdiction:

CALIFORNIA

Entity Type:

DOMESTIC

Status:

ACTIVE

Agent for Service of Process:

AROUTIN PANOSIAN 
1717 N VERDUGO RD, APT 223
GLENDALE CA 91208

Entity Address:

1420 VALLEY VIEW RD
GLENDALE CA 91202

Entity Mailing Address:

1420 VALLEY VIEW RD
GLENDALE CA 91202

LLC Management

Member Managed

 

I found an "Aroutin Panosian" on Facebook and am waiting to see if he will respond and confirm that he is the same person managing this property. 

 

I hope that the Glendale Historical Society and all concerned residents will show up on Tuesday, March 6, 2018 at 8:30 AM to support the most severe penalties for these scofflaws who are responsible for the destruction of this now vanished residence. Let's see if we can find the demolition company and ask to see the  permit that authorized the demolition.  Will the Historical Society be able to assess the money damages not only to our history but in terms of rebuilding the home to the specifics of the original plan?  Of course, this loss is priceless: gone.  Perhaps setting an example with heavy fines or even jail time may be an idea? 

 

///////

 

 

Bullets Seventeen dead. Coral Springs, Florida

Realizing that, as individuals, we have  this immediate power to speak out, what can we do.  It used to be a tree stump or a soap box in the town square where anyone could 'take stage' and have a say.  Thomas Paine used his broadsides and pamphlets to 'spread the word.' 

The saddest thing regarding this issue: guns, bullets, the second amendment, etc. etc. ... is that my short note that calls for the ATFE to move to track large sales of ammuntion, especially the ammo .. the bullets... may be read by a few sympathetic Facebook pals or others who stumble into this post..  and even though the ripple effect of the seventeen dead in Florida today will stay in the news for a little while, the issue of how all of us become inured to this type of thing will fade. 

I mentioned the date 10/1/17 to someone a while back and asked if they remembered that date.  The first day of October.  If you read this and do remember, you may be one of the few who may find a way to help promote changes in the way that large amounts of bullets, especially for automatic weapons, are sold.  Those members of 'well regulated militias' ..of course, are military and registered with their local and federal governments, so they would have no problem with providing information.  

Individuals rolling out of gun shows or local gun shops with thousands of rounds of ammunition simply have to make sure that their personal information is on file.  

Requiring manufacturers of bullets to mark each bullet with identification marks will allow investigators to track the movement of these bullets when they show up at another mass shooting.  Naive? Of course.  Nay sayers will make what seems to them about 'rights' and how this type of tracking is impossible. However, just making an effort to control the manufacture and sale of bullets (and, all guns, of course.. they are marked with serial numbers .. as they should be..) may be a step in the right direction.

A voice in the wilderness?  

October 1, 2017?  

December 14, 2012? 

Valentine's Day, 2018? 

Do we care?  Of course. What can we do? Tell a friend?  and mourn these needless deaths?  and with the way things are going.. stand by for the next one. 

Watching the president read a statement devoid of feeling: just words.  I am so ashamed of my country right now.  

Let's not use the shooter's name. Ever. 

February 15, 2018

 

Seven Million Dollars for Art in Glendale

The meeting last night (February 1, 2018) at the Glendale Central Library to 'discuss' the proposed administration of  seven million dollars dedicated to Public Art in Glendale, California was attended by about eighty folks including 'dignitaries' representing City Council, the state senate and the library/ arts and culture commission.  

The City of Glendale has commissioned an arts development organization:  CARS (Community Art Resources) to develop a plan that will include all aspects of public art for the city. Their $100,000.00 fee covers the research and a few 'gatherings' were held last year. Primarily ON LINE comments have been collected from locals and others who have ideas regarding how the millions coming to the city will be administered and allocated to actually pay for arts programs and installations in Glendale.  

The bureaucracy of how to figure this out is typical, beginning with the 'rules' that govern city meetings.  Though CARS did have a few exclusive small discussions with interested artists and others last year that were conducted more as open forums and one 'meeting' that allowed interested residents to contribute ideas, last night's gathering, catered by CARS via Porto's..our local bakery.. was an 'official' City Meeting that does not allow for colloquy or an open forum with attendees and the officials conducting the meeting. 

Question cards were made available and after a somewhat lackluster presentation by CARS' representative Barbara Goldstein, the question cards were read by her and whatever the cards asked and her responses were very difficult to discern.  I thought it might have just been my hearing at the back of the auditorium, but in asking others if they had a difficult time understanding, I was told that they agreed that Ms Goldstein's speaking talents were marginal at best and she seemed to be mumbling a bit especially during the reading of the question cards. 

In a brief chat with Ms Goldstein prior to the Power Point presentation, which appeared to be essentially the same as what had been shown before, she strongly disagreed with my assertion that more open forums or town hall type meetings would be a way to have lively discussions to guide the next steps for Public Art in Glendale.  Ms. Goldstein's credentials are highly praised and we tend to bend to 'authority.'  What was never discussed in this meeting is how a panel of arts advocates who would be involved in the actual vetting of arts proposals would be chosen, nor what the qualifications for those individuals might be.  Cynically, the answer is "it's all politics." As the members of the Arts and Culture Commission are all political appointees, they supposedly represent the agendas of the City Council person who appointed them.  In meetings of the A and C Commission, the same 'rules' apply that there 'may' be a brief dialogue, but only at the behest of the official on the dias. Ditto for City Council.

On the up side.. with the recent unveiling of Scott Froschauer's twenty public art signs (His fee: $18,500.. a bargain!)..

we are on the way to seeing the collected fees from new construction being allocated in ways that supposedly may enhance the community.  As Ms Goldstein pointed out in one part of her presentation that I did understand, it's important that the work presented in public be important enough to make residents and visitors stop and have an opinion.  I could not agree more.  That is why I want to have open forums or even town hall gatherings to discuss this further before the final decisions are made by political representatives: the final judges.  

As effective as comments on a web page might be, there is nothing that can substitute for the voices of human beings being heard. Nothing like seeing the person who is willing to stand up for an idea.   Our new age "communications" of tweets and texts; even emails! are so impersonal that it's hard to take even the president's short messages seriously.  (Seeing him speak shows the real person, thank goodness.)

When the rights of the citizens are compromised by 'rules' ... in this case.. no open forum in a 'public' meeting.. this denies an exchange.. it limits communication and the general population, for whom this art is supposed to be beneficial, simply becomes the loser.  

My comments will have little effect.  We have major issues going on here in Glendale that are curtailed by what I've call 'government by caveat!'  What can we do if the 'rules' curtail fair discussion on the time honored floor of a Town Meeting.. or an Open Forum?  

The tail is wagging the dog and it just makes me sad that with all the rules that forbid forum and the formality that dampens debate and essentially no one willing to stand up and have a real discussion, then we are doomed to the caveats of those in 'Power.'  

My patience with the way things are going is coming to an end.  My ability to play politics to garner support is pretty much nil.  I've been advised to 'make nice.'  Asking difficult and contrary questions is hard to cloak in ceremonial handshakes and small talk.

Seven million dollars to be administered by politicians and probably not by artists.  A hundred thousand dollars paid to an organization, CARS, to figure out what a panel of actual Glendale artists could have done, probably as volunteers... and here we are with so much more red tape to cloud the real issue:  How to get a variety of traditional art, performance, installations, temporary works, THE GAS STATION..  to benefit the public..  programmed in a way that puts cash into the pockets of the least of ours.. the artists.. is a challenge that politicians will decide and as with our current national administration in the United States, the tastes and foibles of local politicos may eventually reign by caveat after the rest of us have run out of gas! 

Unless, of course, there may be one other person who may agree?

PUBLIC ART IN GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA

Public Art in Glendale is coming up for review and the meeting to discuss what the hired guns to figure things out have come up with has been changed from today to next week: Thursday, February 1, 2018.

With the recent expenditure of $18,500.00 paid to Scott Froschauer for his installation of twenty 'traffic' signs around town, it appears that the City of Glendale is serious about finding ways to direct income from new construction taxes here to be put to use.   The figure I heard was $5 Million! 

My goal has been to make sure that The Gas Station in Adams Square Mini-Park begins to be of more importance and that artists chosen to show there will be compensated appropriately.  In the past, the City required the artist him/her self to provide liability insurance and pay for all materials that were included in any installation, as well as any salaries they may have provided for helpers and, of course, their own compensation. 

A few years ago, with my last installation in The Gas Station, the City provided insurance, but there was no budget for the participating artists nor for the costs of installation.  Please copy and paste this link to see the results of that project.

 http://july4thgasstationproject.blogspot.com/

There is a prevailing attitude that artists do their work for the fun of it.. Which, for some may be true.  Currently, the 'installation' in The Gas Station is from a local school. It follows another school project coordinated by the Adams Hill Neighborhood Association.   

To attract professional artists, making the space a destination for even local world class artists like Kim Dingle and Kent Twitchell or even Richard Jackson, Nancy Rubins or Ed Ruscha to bring special installations, will require the respect of some kind of monetary compensation. 

As The Brand, under the aegis of Glendale Library / Arts and Culture, is also part of Glendale Parks and provides space and installation assistance, it seems logical to me that The Gas Station, also under the aegis of Glendale Library / Arts and Culture,  that commensurate attention should be considered.  

Funding is available.  Let's see what the study has to say and cross our fingers that there will be interest in The Gas Station and Adams Hill and South Glendale included in ideas to properly spend this windfall for public art.   

With the recent expansive installation commemorating Armenian heritage by Ara Oshagan on Central Park, I hope that a discussion about the impending changes to that park will be up for discussion at some point in the over all considerations for Public Art in Glendale.  Mr. Oshagan showed in no uncertain terms how this large open space is important for our city. 

Please attend the meeting next Thursday! 

Stay informed. Speak up!

WHEN: February 1st, 7:00-9:00 PM
Doors open at 6:30 PM

WHERE: Downtown Central Library Auditorium
Located at 222 E Harvard St, 2nd Floor

Free & open to all. Light refreshments & parking validation provided for the Marketplace Parking Structure (120 S Maryland Ave).

 

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

The issue of where to put the proposed museum to eliminate Central Park was not discussed Thursday night, nor will it be today, Saturday, 1/20/18 at 1PM in the Central Library in Glendale, California. There was no image of the proposed architecture on hand.  That seemed odd to me. (Addendum:  Today, Saturday, I brought a photo of the proposed museum and left it for attedees to see.)

After being strongly challenged by enthusiastic young women Thursday night over my opinions published recently here and, then, having had a very enlightening discussion with the leader of their group.. I went to a source that is often helpful to me.  This advice came up randomly and I'm taking it to heart. 
(Addendum:  I met the more vocal of the young  women mentioned above today and discussed that it's not nice to call people names, which I did in the heat of the moment on Thursday. It felt like we were basically okay and I asked her to deliver a gift that I'd made for the president of their group: a peace offering.)**

Chapter Twenty Two:

via Brian Browne Walker.. with thanks.

"Allow yourself to yield, and you can stay centered. 

Allow yourself to bend, and you will stay straight. 

Allow yourself to be empty, and you’ll get filled up. 

Allow yourself to be exhausted, and you’ll be renewed. 
Having little, you can receive much. 

Having much, you’ll just become confused.

Therefore the sage embraces the oneness 

and becomes a pattern for the whole world.

She doesn’t display herself, so she becomes illuminated. 

She doesn’t justify herself, so she becomes distinguished. 

She doesn’t boast, so she is recognized. 

She doesn’t claim credit, so she advances and endures.

She doesn’t contend, so no one can contend with her.

 'Yield and you can stay centered'

Is this saying meaningless? 

Stay whole, and all things return to you." 

Tao Te Ching / Laotzu

///

January 20, 2018 

**
The second meeting regarding the idea to build a museum on Central Park was a repeat of the 'sales pitch' that the planner who spoke on Thursday presented.  I brought along a photo of the proposed edifice and had time to ask a few people what they thought. The most interesting chat was with an attractive woman in her fifties. Her response to my showing her the rendering of the museum was borderline hostile.  She was the woman who spoke up on Thursday to compliment the planner who gave the pitch regarding the $80Million project to totally change the Central Park area to accommodate the museum.

The vibes emanating from this woman were unlike any that I've ever felt before. I did my best to just ask questions. However,  the feeling was that she'd quickly determined that I was totally wrong and as soon as she could excuse herself, she did.  

I've learned so much from 'tone.'  Tone of voice? Demeanor? Intelligence? Education? Charity? Love? The desire and ability to listen and engage in useful conversation?

The 'tone' that spews. and I use the term specifically.. spews.. from the president of the United States.. is so vile and off putting that I can't stand to hear his name and turn the radio and TV off when he is featured.  A similar feeling exuded from this woman, probably because I had been so very vocal and critical of the way the meeting was held on Thursday.  It made me sad.

We all have a specific persona that radiates from us, regardless of the situation. I'm sure my tone on Thursday was pretty hostile!  After reading and re-reading Chapter 22 of The Tao Te Ching (above) and making an effort to put that advice into practice..  I did my best to present the rendering neutrally. The meeting was salted with City employees and supporters and to a person, no one would give the rendering a total thumbs up.

One of the members of the planning team, a young woman who studied landscape architecture and planning (I think)  at Cal Poly Pomona, was totally engaging. Other than that she was enjoined from really having specific opinions, carried on a cogent and meaningful discussion with me. 

To reiterate: the second contact with the young  woman who was so upset by my former comments here, was cordial. She promised to deliver my gift to her friend.. whose name still escapes me.  Darn it.

If the community really doesn't care about this entire restructuring of this simple plot of grass, it's a shame that few others have risen to the battlements to question... (getting dramatic here!) and, at least made a comment in public. It is vital to involve the community in an open forum dedicated to a discussion. The meetings on Thursday and today were sales pitches that presumed that it's simply a very good idea to eliminate Central Park and spend tens of millions of dollars when our current situation serves our City in a simple and efficient way. 

Central Park is... simply...  just a meadow open to the sky.   
It is enough.

Let's find an alternative location for the museum project and Save Central Park's green grass and blue skies. An  enclosed space is walled in and open to the sun for a very limited time, as I noted driving up the burgeioning urban canyon of Brand Boulevard where the shadows of the afternoon fell over the street.   Construction on Central Avenue creates similar shadows with the new high rise apartments rising there.

The planner tried to sell this museum/"rennovation"  idea with examples of Pershing Square (in the canyons of Los Angeless) and Rockefeller Center in NYC! It's a shame.

 The view from the upper floor of the Library, to the south, across the Park. is a pastoral scene .. the attractive woman with silver hair pointed out Colorado Street and the parking lot for the Elks' Club!..  Of course, with the museum there might fulfill the idea currently being considered for Central Park.

Will the City of Glendale have truly open forums to provide for folks in South Glendale the opportunity to have a voice, as it did for the residents up in North Glendale where the idea was rejected?  I truly hope so.  

Has anyone approached the National Guard regarding their corner at Louise and Colorado? It's huge! (to coin a phrase..)
1/20/18