This from the LA Conservancy website:

"L.A. Planning Commission Continues Vote on Cultural Heritage Ordinance Revisions
L.A. City Hall; photo by Mel Weinstein

On June 11, the City of Los Angeles Planning Commission postponed a decision on proposed changes to the city's historic preservation ordinance, requesting clarification on some specific issues. The commission is slated to vote on the new ordinance at its next meeting on July 9.

Many thanks to everyone who took the time to attend the hearing or write to the Planning Commission. Your support made a clear difference and is greatly appreciated! More"

There's a lot of preservation news in Los Angeles today. It's all the same news, but there's a lot of it.

As "The City Project Blog" states, "A proposed overhaul of the city’s historic preservation ordinance would grant the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission the authority to bar demolition of designated monuments, a power it now lacks."

The brief LA Times article mentioned at City Project Blog can be found here.

More information can be found a the Corralitas Red Car Property blog.

The news of this hearing has been hitting the waves of preservationists, local activists, and neighborhood councils for awhile now. Hopefully LA City Council has enough brains to enact this legislation that would prevent more of LA's Historical and Cultural Monuments from being destroyed.

Great history here on the Colorado Street "Suicide" Bridge in Pasadena. One piece of the puzzle, though, that they left out is that the bridge was not part of Route 66 until 1934. Oh, and I guess not everyone views things through "Rose" coloured glasses in Pasadena, huh?

nice article on the Yellowstone Trail can be found here

Press Release
March 5, 2009
For Immediate Release

On Sunday, March 8, noted Route 66 author and photographer Scott Piotrowski of Glassell Park will be guiding participants in an 9.6 mile long walking tour of Route 66 from the Metro Gold Line Mission Street Station in South Pasadena to the Santa Anita Park Race Track.

Route 66, immortalized as "The Main Street of America" in John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath," was one of the first major commercial highways in America. Traversing over 2400 miles from Chicago to (eventually) Santa Monica, it has become an international symbol of Americana which draws thousands of visitors from around the world. The highway is so internationally acclaimed that there are Route 66 Associations promoting its virtues not only throughout the eight states that it passes through, but also in Canada, Belgium, France, Japan, the Czech Republic and countless other nations internationally.

Join author Scott Piotrowski in exploring on foot what so many travel from around the globe to explore behind the wheel of an automobile or motorcycle. This FREE walking tour will depart from the northeast corner of Mission and Meridian Streets in the heart of South Pasadena promptly at 8am on Sunday, March 8. Participants will be given materials to follow the highway and see the sights as they walk at their own pace to a conclusion in Arcadia.

Participants are asked to bring their own water and food, and to wear comfortable shoes and clothes. No food or beverage will be provided by the host. Mr. Piotrowski nor 66 Productions are responsible for the safe passage of any participants.

For more information contact Mr. Piotrowski via email at rt66prods@yahoo.com or by phone at (818) 207-0358.

*****

This more than anything I have ever read about it makes me want to take a trip to New England solely to travel on the Merritt Parkway!

I've been quiet here of late, but not for a lack of activity. One thing that was kept very under the radar was a tour that I gave a little while back. I was not really sure how it would go and what the press would be afterward, so I just kept it quiet and waited for the result.

Today the result came, and I was completely amazed and overwhelmed reading it. If you have ever doubted Route 66's merits in Southern California before, I think that reading this article will start to change your mind!

Good article here on the Driftwood Dairy and the Los Angeles Conservancy's nomination of it as a State Historical Landmark.

Hopefully the Conservancy and fans of the Driftwood can come together to convince the owners of its value historically, and perhaps more importantly convince the members of the El Monte City Council to enact appropriate historic preservation legislation.

The Paso Robles City Council OK'd the Historic Highway designation for Spring Street, formerly US-101 in Paso Robles (that's an AWFUL-looking main page!).

Happy 100th Birthday to Los Angeles landmark Philippe's, just off of original Route 66 near Downtown Los Angeles.

Also on Sunday, 10/12, is a home tour sponsored by Claremont Heritage.

The Highland Park Heritage Trust is having its 25th Birthday Party next Sunday at the Heritage Square Museum. Any local 66'ers and tourists in the area at that time are encouraged to attend. More information can be found here.

Good article here on the Merritt Parkway's naming. Note how Mr. Merritt himself called the Parkway a "highway." I find that interesting in today's debates about freeways and parkways and tollways and preservation.

Happy 95th birthday, Lincoln Highway.

Interesting article here on the north-south Jefferson Highway.

Article here about Tulsa's art deco history.

Happy 70th Birthday to the Merritt Parkway.

Article and information can be found here on the upcoming Lincoln Highway Conference.

If only every event on Route 66 was as colorful and historically significant as this one.

Route 66 has now even made the news in the Gulf state of Qatar! Pretty cool how word continues to spread!

Article here on the Route 66 "Mother Road" Museum in Barstow, including props to Debra Hodkin for her hard work and a list of the museums accomplishments in their history. This is a prelude to their 8th anniversary celebration.

Great read here about a first-hand account of the Rock Cafe's influence growing up in Stroud in the 1950's. For those that do not know already, the Rock burnt in a fire recently. But owner Dawn Welch (the influence for Sally Porsche in the movie "Cars") says she will most definitely rebuild the Rock.

Well, now that ConnDOT and the Merritt Parkway Conservancy have finally reached an agreement on the Route 7 / Merritt interchange, and a long time after the initial public comment period that led the Conservancy to sue ConnDOT over the original interchange plan, and after a second public comment period with little feedback, local residents in the Norwalk and Silvermine areas are finally arguing against the agreed-upon plan. The local residents are being urged by some activists to fight the interchange proposal agreed upon by ConnDOT and the Conservancy. Maybe - just maybe - there should be NO interchange built. At least then there will not be any complaining about its design, and the National Scenic Byway Merritt Parkway will not have its scenic nature altered again.

Commentary here on the increased awareness and application for historic preservation districts in the San Diego area.

There is an article here about the preservation efforts along one of America's first heritage trails, which dates to 1927. Pretty nice effort and a trip I would love to take some day, too!

Could it be that ConnDOT finally got off their asses and reached an agreement with the Merritt Parkway Conservancy regarding the Route 7 interchange? That would be nice!

This article was interesting. But I have to ask, if "The mission of the Los Angeles Conservancy, the nation's largest historic preservation organization, and as many as 300 other organizations in Southern California is saving what is so easily discarded" then why is the Conservancy NOT advocating for the saving of the Southwest Museum? Have they "sold out" on the issue? That is the only explanation, as the Autry clearly has no plan for turning it into a museum (see page 12 here where the EIR states, "the Autry National Center does not have a specific proposal related to the Arroyo Campus"

This turned up in a google search today. Obviously Griswold's is very much a part of Route 66 in Los Angeles County. Another shot of the restaurant can be seen here, and some blogging about its ghosts is here.

There is an article (here) in the Mohave Daily News about a proposed new organization "to preserve, restore significant buildings."

I believe that this is from Arlington, VA, but the original article in the "Arlington Connection" does not really state the location very clearly. The article I read, though, is a blog entry asking if the Lee Gardens Shopping Center is worth saving. Having never been there, I won't say one way or another, but clearly the reasoning of the blogger seems skewed. I suspect that the preservationists are being extreme as well, however. Is there room here for a middle ground of adaptive reuse?

Preservation classes are being offered at the Los Angeles Trade Technical College. More information can be found at Preserve LA

I unfortunately could not find the class listed on the LATTC website.

The Los Angeles City Office of Historic Resources is holding an open meeting on Thursday, February 7 at 10am seeking input on a revised historic preservation ordinance. More information can be found here at the Friends of Atwater Village blog.

After reading yesterday's article in the Los Angeles Times, I emailed Daniela Perdomo (the author) and mentioned that I enjoyed the article but was disappointed that I saw nothing on what and where the eleven bridges actually were. She emailed back stating that it was an oversight in the online edition, and that it had been rectified. So heading back to that same article now shows a map of the 11 bridges as well as a photo gallery. And sure enough, the Broadway Bridge / Buena Vista Viaduct is one of the 11, making the earliest alignment and oldest in-use bridge of Route 66 part of the group. I did not think about it at the time, but was surprised to also see the inclusion of Route 66's Figueroa Street Bridge, which is now the southern terminus of Riverside Drive at Figueroa at a place I fondly call "the nest" but which is also called "the confluence."

Found this article in the Los Angeles Times about the preservation of the Los Angeles River bridges. I BELIEVE that the 11 includes the Buena Vista Viaduct, or Broadway Bridge, which was part of Route 66 from 1926-1936. Surprisingly, though, the article never lists what the 11 bridges are!

As has been mentioned previously in various places on my website and in my blog, my photographs are all available for sale as prints. However, until now, I have not published actual prices for those prints. I have just determined pricing for non-framed / non-matted prints. The below pricing does not include shipping and handling, when applicable.

4x6 - $15
5x7- $20
8x10 or 8x12 (sizing at my discretion based on the photo but usually 8x12) - $30
11x17 - $40
13x19 - $50

Of course, prices are subject to change without notice. For more details, please contact 66 Productions.

Found this link about the most endangered historic places of 2007 and ways to help, and realized how nicely, quickly, and easily it ties it to Route 66. Well worth the read, including its provided links.

And found this article in the Philly Burbs Intelligencer regarding the preservation of stone arch bridges in the area.

Found this article in the Stamford Advocate today with an update on the standoff regarding the Merritt / Route 7 interchange.

I've had two of my photos from Flickr selected for the short-list of "Schmap" for Los Angeles. I'd never heard of it before. I'm wondering if anyone out there has had any experience with them.

Unfortunately, both photos selected are ones that also appear in my book, so I'm hesitant to release them, especially without compensation. If anyone has any feedback on this, I would greatly appreciate it. Contact me via Email or through my website.

Great article here on historic hotels, including a wonderful closing quote from the National Park Service's Kaisa Barthuli.

The City of Los Angeles has finally been named a Certified Local Government! See what that means here. (Thanks, Ken Bernstein, for making this a priority and making it happen!)

Not sure about most of the museums during yesterday's Museums of the Arroyo Day, but I can certainly say that the Heritage Square Museum was packed for most of the day, and their gift shop was humming with activity from open until close.

For my book signing yesterday, I was set up in the gift shop at Heritage Square, which is located in an old train station from the Pacific Electric line. A pretty good setting, I'd say, with my view out the window being of the cars passing by (too quickly, I might add) on the National Scenic Byway Arroyo Seco Parkway.

I sold a total of nine books and a couple of prints, making my goal for the day in terms of sales. Definitely a good outing. And the word from the gift shop personnel is that they more than made their day compared to last year. It was rare that anyone working in the gift shop had a moment of relaxation, so I'm not surprised by the numbers. Anxious to hear a count in terms of visitors yesterday.

Many who stopped by and saw my photography were interested in more of my work. Any of you reading this today by any chance should check out my photography blog in addition to the photography link on my website.

My initial post on the US-20 group generated one response right away, and it made me think. I'd like to compile a list of all the roadside attractions / landmarks that have been replaced by a Walgreens. Here's the start, and I'll continue to update this item as more are added:


LOCATION / TYPE BUSINESS, CITY STATE (HIGHWAY)
Shopping Bag Grocery Store, Eagle Rock CA (US-66)
Flying Saucer Gas Station, Ashtabula OH (US-20)
Chiodo's Tavern, Pittsburgh PA
Mt. Vernon Inn, Uniontown PA
Cozy Dog (original), Springfield IL (US-66)
Abe Lincoln Motel, Springfield IL (US-66)
Parkmoore Restaurant, St. Louis MO (US-66)
Historic homes and hotel, North Vernon IN
Trolley barn, Kingston NY
South Congregational Church, Brockton MA
Masonic Temple and two historic homes, Randolph MA
National Liquor Bar, Milwaukee WI
Mercury Coffee Shop, Dearborn MI
Red Bird Lanes, St. Louis MO
car dealership, McHenry IL (IL-31 & IL-120)
hotdog stand, Round Lake Beach IL
old structure, Dekalb IL (Lincoln Highway)
Derby East, Glendora CA (US-66)


In fairness, I would like to add any locations that Walgreens has NOT razed that it has shown interest in. To date, I know of:

Boots Motel, Carthage MO (US-66)
First National Bank & Trust Co., Chicago IN
Rockland Historic District, Rockland MA (after a "Today Show" appearance)

Canoe Travel - from Canada - has an article about traveling historic roads, in which it mentions Route 66, the Lincoln Highway, and the National Road.

Found a couple of interesting articles online this morning. The first, entitled "Conserving our local history," deals with preservation of open space at the Brandywine Battlefield. This was a revolutionary war battle led by George Washington against British General William Howe.

The second article discusses the decision by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to ask for a Section 213 study on the proposed Highwood Generating Station's potential effects on a Lewis and Clark landmark sight.

According to the Belleville News Democrat, the city of Hamel, Illinois has a new website geared toward Route 66. When I call it up, though, it's only one page that says "Hamel, Illinois - the best little town on Route 66." That's it. Nothing more. If this is a new and improved website, I would have hated to see the old one! Hopefully the full site will be coming online soon, as I'm sure this has to be a technical glitch of some kind.

In addition to Chowhound's comments on Irv's Burgers, I've also found more online today about West Hollywood, with a more detailed list of reasons why it has been chosen as a Distinctive Destination by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Irv's Burgers - named a West Hollywood Cultural and Historic Landmark in September 2005 - is back in Chowhound's web-spotlight again today. Apparently they have won over another soul to the wonders that mom-and-pop places can contain, including good food and personalized service.

Although they have a lot of good articles on the Journey Through Hallowed Ground and the Second Battle of Gettysburg, their email a link NEVER works. Oh well. At least I can link to articles like this one from the Evening Sun about the beginning stages of the Journey Through Hallowed Ground finally beginning!

More signs of development threatening another aspect of American history. Why is it that we just don't want to keep symbols of our past? Can we not see past the Tahoe, Suburban, or Navigator in front of us?

Apparently this person is unaware that this is not the first scorched-earth policy enforcement in Los Angeles County. Unfortunately it probably won't be the last, either. But one can hope that this law will eventually be recognized by developers as harmful, and maybe will even deter some from illegal demolition of historically significant structures without proper permits.

It's hard not to like this.

If you've been living under a rock for the last several years, or perhaps have absolutely no idea that the Grand Canyon extends beyond the boundaries of the Grand Canyon National Park, you might not know that the Hualapai Indians have been constructing a skywalk that extends out over the canyon. The walkway, made of heavy-duty plexiglass for a complete view of the Grand Canyon and Colorado River 4000 feet below, is about to officially open to the public.

There has been a lot of debate (I love that a critic is named "Suckling"!) about its economic benefits versus the disruption of a pristine area of the Grand Canyon. And despite my tree-hugging, environmentally-friendly beliefs, I have to say, this is a good idea in my opinion. Too bad that there is misadvertisement that says getting onto the skywalk is $25 when the reality is a minimum of $75 and a forced meal that you might not like. But hey, we'll see what happens. In the meantime, anyone want to join my wife looking down into the Canyon? I'm afraid of heights!

For those not in the know, WeHo is West Hollywood. This area is a separate city from Los Angeles, nestled between Hollywood and Beverly Hills. And it has a portion of Historic US-Route 66 runnning through it. It also has Irv's Burgers, a classic walk-up burger joint. And a West Hollywood Historical and Cultural Landmark that the Route 66 community in California helped achieved that landmark status for. And it has been named a 2007 Distinctive Destination by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Congratulations Irv's Burgers and the rest of West Hollywood!

Everyone knows what I think of Walgreen's. If you don't, look at my news item from April 16, 2006 and you will find out. Lately, I've started hating Home Depot almost as much. They are not necessarily tearing down old buildings like Walgreen's does, but they are overpopulating the Los Angeles area (NELA at least) with their stores. Another one has the Sunland - Tujunga area up in arms, it seems. This on top of the 4 or so along San Fernando Road (old US-99) in a several mile stretch. Now, it's not like I ever go to Home Depot anyway, but just like I've promised myself never to set foot in a Walgreen's again (I tried it once because I needed a prescription filled, and they were absolutely horrible!) I vow to never go to Home Depot, either!

Found this link yesterday to an article dated February 19. It's about renovations to the Million Dollar Theater in Downtown Los Angeles, in the heart of the Theater District, near the original western terminus of Route 66.

You'll note in the article that the Million Dollar was originated by Sid Grauman, who later was the founder of both the Egyptian and Chinese Theaters on what was then US-101 in Hollywood.

This past weekend I released the first edition of the 66 Productions Quarterly E-Update. It is an email-only update of newsworthy events along the historic highways of America that I have been involved with in some way, shape, or form, or find extraordinarily interesting.

This update is only available via email. It will be released the first weekend in March, June, September, and December from now on. To get on the mailing list, contact me via email.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Renee Dominique
Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock
323.226.1617
renee@centerartseaglerock.org

CENTER FOR THE ARTS, EAGLE ROCK IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE FIFTH ANNUAL “ROUTE 66” ART AUCTION, MARCH 3, 2007

Celebrate & Support One of the Last Remaining Non-Profit Arts and Cultural Programming Centers in Northeast Los Angeles at a Gala Showcase Evening (February 6, 2007)- The Board of Directors and Staff of Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock cordially invite you to attend the Fifth Annual Route 66 Art Auction. The auction opens to the public at 7p.m., with a members’ preview reception beginning at 6p.m.

The Route 66 Auction is a yearly fundraiser, and this year’s anniversary event will be one to remember. The fundraiser highlights the best that Northeast Los Angeles has to offer, while supporting Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, a vital non-profit arts organization to the city of Los Angeles.

The auction will feature established, gallery-represented artists actively sought by collectors, all generously donated by artists who support the mission of the Center.
200 pieces of artwork are donated to the Center, and a wide variety of work
insured that there was a piece to suit every attendees’ taste, desire, and budget.

The silent auction will begin at 7p.m., the live auction begins at 9:30p.m.

While bidding, enjoy appetizers courtesy of Minx, and a no-host wine and
martini bar, provided by Columbo’s.

Raffles will take place over the course of the evening. Admission to the event is $20, but is free to members both new and renewing. Memberships are available $35 annually, and will be available on the evening of the event. All proceeds from both admission and the auction support festivals, arts programming, & exhibitions of Center for the Arts, Eagle
Rock.

Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to provide multicultural and innovative arts programming to the communities of Northeast Los Angeles. Programs include art exhibitions, public arts projects, free community festivals such as the Eagle Rock Music Festival, after school classes, a Summer Arts Camp, and more.

The Center is located at 2225 Colorado Blvd. in the Los Angeles community of
Eagle Rock, close to the intersection of Eagle Rock and Colorado Boulevards.

For more information on the Center for the Arts, and its creative
community programs, visit: www.centerartseaglerock.org.

Beginning in March (hopefully 3/1, if all goes well!) I plan on sending my first e-update. This will be done initially via plain-text email. What goes into those updates will depend mostly on what is currently happening regarding historic roads in Los Angeles County, my works, and anything else that is deemed worthy. However, feedback from those getting the updates would be greatly appreciated. To be included in my mailing list, simply email me at rt66prods@yahoo.com and I will take care of the rest.

The goal is that eventually I will provide these email updates via a special account designed for this purpose. And I hope to eventually turn them into HTML or more and have them much more involved. But for now, I need to start doing them and this was the most efficent way to do it.

Article here from the Norwalk Advocate (and also here from the Greenwich Time) discusses an option for more proactive involvement from the Merritt Parkway Conservancy.

I've seen quite a few people bicycling Route 66 recently, so I thought it was time that I get back to doing what I do best in terms of Route 66, and writing a little bit about it.

For starters, there is a big "National Trails Day 2007" event planned for this summer, and Illinois is celebrating its Route 66 heritage on that day.

Michelle Thompson also completed her trip along 66 recently, just making it to her brother's home on Christmas Day, the goal that she set out for herself.

Another Route 66 enthusiast will be bicycling toward Chicago from his home in San Diego, and I hope to be able to join him on part of his California leg.

In the meantime, all this bicycling frenzy - and my wife's thoughts about participating in the AIDS LifeCycle ride in June - have made me start thinking about what it would be like to ride all of 66 myself.

So I am wondering if those that have ridden the length of the road from Santa Monica to Chicago (or the wrong way!) could be so kind as to share their thoughts and feelings about how difficult it might have been, and how much they may have trained for it.

That would be me, in the news! Check out the article here http://www.lacanadaonline.com/articles/2006/11/16/news/lnws-route661116.txt about the bus tour that I narrated on 11/4 for the Crescenta Valley Historical Society.

Friends of Southwest Museum - Dia de Los Muertos at Art in the Park,
Posted by: "nelalist" nelalist@yahoogroups.com christo90065
Thu Oct 26, 2006 8:55 pm (PST)
Friends of Southwest Museum Coalition will join in the observance of
El Dia de Los Muertos

at Art in the Park, 5568 Via Marisol
Avenue 57, Via Marisol and Arroyo Seco Parkway (110)

Sunday October 29th from 5-9pm.

Our alter ("ofrenda") will memorialize Southwest Museum elements we represent: respect, intercultural diversity, homage to Charles Lummis and integrity.

Our "STOP AUTRY" yard signs will be available.

Info: 323 222 8327

###

Friends of Southwest Museum Coalition

HARVEST FESTIVAL AND HAUNTED HARVEST ANNOUNCED BY OLD L.A. CERTIFIED FARMERS MARKET
Old L.A. Certified Farmers Market has announced two exciting Halloween events for family fun. Harvest Festival 2006 will be held Saturday, October 28, 11 am-4 pm at Good Shepherd Lutheran School, 6338 N. Figueroa St. (Corner of N. Figueroa and Garvanza), Los Angeles, (323) 255-2786. The Harvest Festival will feature games and prizes, a haunted house, food, pumpkin painting, face painting, SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR, and many more surprises. Costumes welcome, Admission is $5. Tickets will be sold at the door. Haunted Harvest at the Old L.A. Certified Farmers Market Tuesday, October 31 from 3-8 pm. ( Corner of Ave. 57 and Marmion Way. 1 block North of Ave. 57 and N. Figueroa St. Next to Metro Goldline Highland Park Station). The Haunted Harvest features a Haunted House, games, face painting, farm fresh produce, artists and crafters, great food, costume contest, trick or treating and much more. Everyone welcome and fun for all. Admission is free. Don't miss this inaugural event of a lifetime. For information: Misty Iwatsu, Executive Director, North Figueroa Association, 115 N. Ave 53, (323) 255-5030.



(The Old LA Certified Farmers Market takes place weekly just off of Route 66's Alternate Alignment in Highland Park, CA, near the Highland Theater, in the heart of Los Angeles' largest Historic Preservation Overlay Zone.)

FIRST ANNUAL LOS ANGELES ARCHIVES BAZAAR, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4
If you are researching any imaginable subject concerning Los Angeles, you cannot afford to miss the “First Annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar” at the Huntington Library from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 4. Co-sponsored by the LA as Subject Archives Forum, the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West, and the Los Angeles History Research Group, this major event will feature booths representing Occidental College Special Collections and more than 40 other regional archives specializing in materials relating to Los Angeles. Researchers will be able to browse a wide array of subject matter, talk to archivists about their holdings, and make appointments to visit and research in the many archives represented. Information also will be available to introduce researchers to more than 200 archives that are members of the LA as Subject Archives Forum. Throughout the event, a series of speakers will also discuss the holdings of their archives, which range from the very large to less-visible community-based archives scattered throughout the metropolis. Parking and admission to the Bazaar is free; no registration is required (Admission to the Huntington Gardens is not included). Light lunch and refreshments also will be provided free of charge. For more information, visit http://www.usc.edu/libraries/archives/arc/lasubject/forum.html

The meeting for the Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition will take
place tomorrow, Tuesday beginning at 7 p.m. at Ramona Hall in Highland
Park. There will be a brief update on the public process and then talk
about what's important to do next (we have some ideas but need your
input).

Also, for those who may have missed the Sept. 19 City-hosted public
meeting and Autry's latest proposal, it is now available for your review
online at Autry's website: www.swmfuture.org (under the news &
information)

We encourage all of our member organization representatives to attend
and have an active voice in this next set of decisions. All those 75 +
organizations are listed at:
http://www.friendsofthesouthwestmuseum.com/about.html

This Weekend at the Southwest Museum

Saturday, October 7
Noon–5 p.m.
Show and Sale: Navajo Artist Ronald Chee
Ronald Chee had a successful one-man exhibition at the Southwest
Museum in 2005. Now he returns with his new series of monoprints and
original artwork. Free.

Sunday, October 8
11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Dig It, Family-Style
Who lived here before us? What did they leave behind? Discover the
answers to these questions and more on your "archaeology" dig. Free.

Sunday, October 8
1–4 p.m., 4605 North Figueroa Street, Los Angeles
Casa de Adobe Open House
Spend a lovely fall afternoon with light refreshments, a strolling
guitarist, and a rare behind-the-scenes look at the Autry's historic
Casa de Adobe. Reservations recommended. Call 323.667.2000, ext.
353. Free.

Sunday, October 8
1:30–2 p.m.
StoryTime
Two bilingual stories will be read in English: The Gullywasher, El
chaparron torrencial by Joyce Rossi, and the traditional tale El
Cucuy: A Bogeyman Cuento in English and Spanish by Joe Hayes. Free.

Discussions between the Merritt Parkway Conservancy and the Connecticut Department of Transportation finally began under court order to resolve the differences on the Parkway / Route 7 interchange. The article is here:
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-nor.merritt4sep29,0,6059493.story?coll=stam-news-local-headlines
OR
http://tinyurl.com/o7zm8


(If unable to open it, email me and I will copy / paste it for you.)

The City of Los Angeles appears to have placed the
future of the Southwest Museum back into the hands of
the Autry National Center, abdicating an activist role
that included moderating five recent "public input"
meetings and mediating a half-dozen City Hall
sit-downs between community representatives and Autry
lawyers and executives.

The City's Human Relations Commission has announced
that Autry executives will discuss their vision for
Mount Washington's Southwest Museum at a public
meeting scheduled for 7:00 PM, Tuesday, September 19
at the Franklin High School Auditorium, 820 N. Avenue
54. The Commission's executive director, Rabbi Allen
Freehling, will serve as moderator for the meeting.

No representatives of the community, the Southwest
Museum Coalition, or other parties to the ongoing
discussions regarding the Museum have been invited to
take a formal role in the discussion.

For additional information regarding the meeting, or
to express your thoughts on the city's role in the
Autry's "public process," the City has directed
callers to Gary De La Rosa or Patricia Villasenor at
213-978-1660.

(Unfortunately, due to a gallery opening, I will not likely be able to attend.)

FREE Southwest Museum Tour
for People Concerned About the Southwest Museum’s Future

Saturday, September 16, 2006
at Noon

Meet at Marmion Way/Museum Drive Near Museum Entrance,
234 Museum Drive, Mt Washington

Join long time Southwest Museum volunteer and teacher Ann Walnum and
Highland Park community activist Jonnie Summers on a guided tour of
the Southwest Museum. Ms. Walnum will provide facts, statistics and
information about the operation of the Southwest Museum and the
history of the Mount Washington museum site. A portion of the
Southwest Museum has been converted to a warehouse to store the
Southwest Museum Collection. See the result on this tour. There will
be a discussion of the importance of the Southwest Museum to
Northeast Los Angeles and the current effort of the Autry National
Center to take the Southwest Museum name, collection and exhibits all
over to the Autry’s Griffith Park location.

This tour is offered just prior to the meeting where the Autry
National Center will unveil some plan to change the use of the Mount
Washington site from a museum to some “new cultural use.” That
meeting will be the following week. Watch of separate announcements
of the date, time and place.

This tour is supported by the Southwest Museum Coalition.

The Southwest Museum merged with the Autry National Center about three years ago. At the time of the merger, there was concern that the Autry management might attempt to move all of the Southwest Museum’s vast collection out of its hillside home on Mount Washington to the Autry’s home in Griffith Park. The Autry home is located on a flat area in the park, just off of I-5, and sharing a parking lot with the Los Angeles Zoo.

The Southwest Museum opened in its current location in 1913, making it the oldest museum in Los Angeles. One of its key founders, Charles Fletcher Lummis, lived at El Alisal, a stone structure just down the hill from the Southwest Museum on Avenue 43, two blocks from Figueroa Street and immediately adjacent to the 1940’s era Historic Arroyo Seco Parkway. Both Figueroa Street (1932-1934 and 1936-1940) and the Arroyo Seco Parkway (1940-1964) were a part of Route 66.

An additional property that belongs to the Southwest Museum that the Autry acquired in the merger is the Casa de Adobe. The Casa was built by several families of former California Rancheros in the 1920’s and donated to the Southwest Museum as an example of former California Ranchero lifestyle. This structure sits immediately on Figueroa Street, across from Sycamore Grove Park. In 2005, the National Park Service’s Route 66 Corridor Management Program appropriated some of its annual grant money to the Autry National Center to perform an historic structures report on the Casa de Adobe. The Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition, in conjunction with the California Historic Route 66 Association, the Route 66 Preservation Foundation, and 66 Productions were all instrumental in helping support this grant.

The Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition was formed three years ago to be a proactive group to aid the Autry National Center in what was believed to be its efforts in making the Southwest a viable destination. Since this time, the Autry has persisted with its non-committal stance about preserving Los Angeles' first museum as a museum. Professional, peer-reviewed studies have shown clearly that the museum is viable and the reports (by architect Bonnie Levin) outline the steps that can be taken to make it so, all very feasible with a budget like the Autry's. Autry, in representing this idea to the public, casts negative light on the idea, making it seem unfeasible. Both Levin’s report and the report of the Coalition’s Thomas Martin can be viewed on the Coalition’s website, http://www.friendsofthesouthwestmuseum.com/

In the early stages of the struggle, some of the current members of the Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition were involved in securing a stop on the Gold Line light rail for the Southwest Museum. The decision to add the stop was to help maintain and promote the viability of the Southwest Museum as a destination.
After three years of discussions between the Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition and the Autry National Center, the issue has finally and recently been sent to the Human Relations Commission within the City of Los Angeles. The Autry and the Coalition both agreed to an open and honest discussion of the future of the Southwest Museum, with the goal of the Coalition being the continued operation of the Southwest Museum in its current location as a museum. This discussion has led to the open public comment period on the Southwest Museum, which I am currently asking that each of you participate in by sending in your letters of support for the Southwest Museum. (The comment period officially closes on July 15.)

It is important to note, also, that current Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had stated prior to his election as mayor that he supported maintaining the Southwest Museum in its current location. Recently, however, he has maintained his silence regarding the issue. Furthermore, in 2003, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed a resolution supporting the maintaining of the Southwest Museum.

Another interesting note is that the Autry National Center has made it public knowledge recently that it wishes to expand its facilities in Griffith Park. This expansion presumably includes the moving of the Southwest Museum’s collection – over 250,000 items, one of the largest such collections in the world – from its Southwest Museum home to the Autry campus in Griffith Park. Expansion in Griffith Park, however, would need to be approved by the Los Angeles City Council. That approval has not come as of yet since the plans are still “in development” by the Autry. The Autry National Center has stated (but not formalized) an interest in maintaining the structure of the Southwest Museum, but has not determined what its use will be. The Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition strongly believe that its primary use should be that of a museum, and that any additional uses (i.e. cultural center, meeting location, restaurant, etc.) should be secondary.

I encourage each and every one of you to send your letters of support to the following members of the Los Angeles City Council and to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, as well as to send copies to the Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition. All the addresses are listed below, as is a sample letter that you can use as your guide, and bullet-points with key information if you choose to compose your own letter. Note that the Southwest Museum is in Councilmember Huizar’s district, the Casa de Adobe is in Councilmember’s Reyes’ district, and the Autry National Center’s Griffith Park home is in Councilmember LaBonge’s district, so all of these Councilmen are affected.

Councilmember Jose Huizar – councilmember.huizar@lacity.org
200 N. Spring St., Room 425 LA, CA 90012
Councilmember Ed Reyes -- councilmember.reyes@lacity.org
200 N. Spring St., Room 410, LA, CA 90012
Councilmember Tom LaBonge -- labonge@lacity.org
200 N. Spring St., Room 480, LA, CA 90012
Human Relations Commission, Gary de la Rosa -- gary.delarosa@lacity.org
200 N. Spring St., Room 1625, LA, CA 90012
Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition -- swmcoalition@pacbell.net or 755 Crane Blvd., LA 90065

You can also sign an online comment form for the City of Los Angeles at:
http://www.friendsofthesouthwestmuseum.com/Public%20Input%20Form%20All-1.htm
And if you have not already done so, please sign the online petition located at:
http://www.friendsofthesouthwestmuseum.com/petition.html

Here are the promises made by our elected officials:
1. April 2005 - Just prior to his election as Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa appeared at a meeting of the Southwest Museum Coalition and hundreds of people heard him say that the Southwest Museum needs to stay in Mount Washington. He also said that in a few months he thought he would become mayor and that if so, he asserted: "Then I will have greater leverage and I am prepared to jerk Autry's chain."
2. April 2005 - Councilmember Ed Reyes came to the meeting of the Southwest Museum Coalition and objected to the Autry's press release declaring that the Southwest Museum would be moved from Mount Washington to Griffith Park. In speaking, Councilmember told the hundreds of people there and was widely quoted as saying: "This community will not tolerate Cultural Piracy!"
3. July 2005 - Mayor Villaraigosa reconfirmed before the Mount Washington Association's Ice Cream Social that the Southwest Museum should stay on Mount Washington.
4. November 2005 - Just prior to his election, Councilmember Jose Huizar sent a special mailing to Mount Washington voters. In that mailer, he cemented his lead over opponents by being the only candidate to promise that the Southwest Museum should remain on Mount Washington and open as a museum.


ARTICLE FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES ABOUT THE SOUTHWEST MUSEUM

Gene Autry's Legacy and an Indian Museum Merge (and Collide)
New York Times
By EDWARD WYATT
Published: June 28, 2006
LOS ANGELES, June 22 — When one of the country's premier collections of American Indian artifacts joined forces three years ago with the collectibles of the Singing Cowboy, Gene Autry, the move was officially billed as a merger of equals.
This being Hollywood, however, the storyline was reduced to something simpler: the cowboys were once again battling the Indians. Guess which side won.
Instead of celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding next year, the Southwest Museum of the American Indian will lock its doors here on June 30. Over the next three years, the 240,000 objects in its collection, many of which have not been out of storage for decades, will be cleaned, cataloged and prepared for a move to a proposed new building next to Autry's Museum of the American West, in Griffith Park.
That is where the Autry National Center, as the merged museum complexes are now known, will celebrate another 100th anniversary next year: the Gene Autry Centennial, a birthday exhibition that, according to the museum, will explore "the Singing Cowboy's influence on myth and history in the American West."
For many residents of the neighborhoods surrounding the Southwest Museum, the museum's plans to move its collection smack of a bait-and-switch. From the time the merger was first discussed in 2001, both sides stressed that the Southwest Museum — whose identity is embedded in the landmark white adobe building that towers over the Arroyo Seco northeast of downtown — would remain separate and apart from the Autry.
"I grew up visiting the museum," said Ed P. Reyes, a Los Angeles city councilman whose district contains part of the Southwest Museum's grounds. "I don't want us to lose a cultural landmark that has had a tremendous impact on our community in terms of education and culture. I was always under the impression that they were not going to close it down."
Autry officials say there is no alternative. "We looked for a way to resurrect this campus as a museum," John L. Gray, the president and chief executive of the Autry National Center, said of the Southwest's location. "We couldn't figure out a way to make it work."
The dispute illustrates a continuing issue in the museum world. When cash-poor but collection-rich institutions are forced into partnerships with their opposites, often no one is left happy.
The Autry museum, opened in 1988 by the Autry family, was backed by a large fortune but had a collection that tended toward movie memorabilia and less distinguished Western paintings.
The Southwest, by contrast, suffered from a small endowment and declines in membership and visitors. But since its founding by Charles Lummis, an explorer and collector, it had built an extensive collection of Indian artifacts, including 13,500 Indian baskets, perhaps the largest such holding in existence, as well as thousands of objects, ranging from the sacred — including human remains — to the mundane.
Most of that collection is now being put into storage as the Southwest strives to deal with long-festering problems. Severe damage from the 1994 Northridge earthquake, which caused the partial separation of the Southwest's tower from the main building, has never been repaired. Heavy rains last year resulted in extensive leaks, with water pouring into some of the museum's cramped storage spaces and damaging some displays. Insect infestations have threatened some artifacts, Southwest curators say.
To remedy the problems, all of the building's exhibition space must be given over to storage and restoration work, Autry officials say. They expect the work to take three years.
Mr. Gray stressed that the historic Southwest site, built by Mr. Lummis in 1914, was not being abandoned. A small, rotating exhibition featuring artifacts from the museum's collection is likely to be put in place once the conservation work is finished. But he said that the location must add other uses, both educational and commercial, to remain viable.
During the restoration, the building's gift shop and a lobby display about the project will be open on weekends. No artifacts from the collection will be on display, although tours of the conservation work will be available to museum members, and the museum's scholarly library will remain open by appointment.
Some neighborhood leaders say that plans to transfer the collection are unacceptable. "It needs some work, but everything is in place for the museum to be successful where it is," said Nicole Possert, co-chairwoman of the Friends of the Southwest Museum coalition, which characterizes itself as an IMBY group — one that wants new development "in my back yard."
"Look at the Disney Concert Hall," Ms. Possert said. "It changed how people viewed downtown and the communities near it. We're open to expansion of the Southwest Museum, as long as it is creatively done and looks good. We would trade that off in return for being able to have a real destination here."
Not everyone is opposed to the Autry's plans to move. Kathleen Whitaker, a former chief curator at the Southwest Museum who is now director of the Indian Arts Research Center at the School of American Research in Santa Fe, N.M., applauds the Autry's efforts.
"For those of us who grew up in Los Angeles, it's very disappointing that this very historic institution has suffered so much," Dr. Whitaker said. "But the Autry has in essence rescued a collection of national importance. The people in the neighborhood and the city of Los Angeles haven't offered any real viable support for keeping the museum open."
To build the new museum that it hopes will house the Southwest collection, the Autry National Center must get city approval to expand.
Councilman José Huizar, whose district includes the Southwest's main building, noted that the city had made accommodations to serve the Southwest Museum at its current site. For example, the city built a stop on the Gold Line light-rail service at the museum, partly because the hilltop site lacks enough parking.
"You don't abandon a site like this just because of parking issues," Mr. Huizar said.
The city has organized a series of public hearings on the museum's future. While Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa said during his election campaign last year that he wanted the Southwest to stay where it is, more recently he has not sided either way. The mayor's press office did not return four phone calls seeking comment on the issue.
Mr. Gray, a former banker who, with his cropped hair, rimless glasses and white shirt, could have played an Old West banker in one of Autry's cowboy films, admits that while he is a museum executive, he is not a curator or an expert on American Indian cultures.
"I'm a total dilettante," he said. "But when we came in, the museum didn't have enough money to pay its bills. It didn't have security guards. It didn't have conservators. It never had the public support that the collection warranted."

The first annual Lummis Day celebration was held yesterday at Sycamore Grove Park in Highland Park, Los Angeles. I have not heard numbers yet, but I was there from noon until 4 at the Highland Park Heritage Trust's booth, helping promote that organization and signing copies of my book, and there was a steady flow of people all day long. The day was sunny and hot, but absolutely beautiful.

Live music was performed throughout the day by multiple acts at the Sousa-Hiner Bandshell, providing a festive atmosphere. Food was on-hand by (among others) Mom's Tamales, and even the Antigua Coffee House was on-hand. John Nese at Galco's Soda Pop Stop supported the Highland Park Heritage Trust by providing sodas for them to sell as a fundraiser, too.

I've started a new blog that I can, well, pretty much use however I want. It's mostly going to be about 66 and Los Angeles County, but I might stray at times away from those topics. Depends on how I feel. Anyway, the link to it is
http://www.blogger.com/posts.g?blogID=28454612

Contrary to my earlier report, it appears as though the destruction of Rod's Grill in Arcadia is not a completely done deal yet. The rumour is that the Arcadia City Council is scheduled to discuss on Tuesday filing eminent domain proceedings against Rod's Grill and several other businesses in the immediate vicinity. Stay tuned for more information in the next 48 hours.

I've recently been largely unavailable due to a couple of trips that I needed to take. That put me about 10 days behind in keeping up with (and posting) roads-related happenings. Of course, that second trip was to Boston for the Preserving Historic Roads Conference, so at least I was still being productive.

I've spent the last couple of hours doing the first round of catching up on stuff. Most of the news stories have already posted into the Yahoo!group that I moderate, Historic Roads Preservation. I will slowly try to transfer the listings over to here, too. But in the meantime, if you want to join, head here:
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/historicroadspreservation/?tab=s

The initiative to create a "Journey Through Hallowed Ground" National Heritage Area continues to grow, and now has Congressional support. The press release from Representative Frank R. Wolf's (R-10, Virginia) office can be found online here:
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060410/dcm012.html?.v=50

If for some reason when you look for this article you cannot find it, please email me, as I have saved the text of it for such a purpose.

I strongly encourage anyone who reads this to email their Congressional representatives to ask that they support this measure. The "Journey Through Hallowed Ground" is an extremely historic area, as the article states. Supporting such a measure is a voice in support of preserving the historic of our country, and a precedent that such preservation will be important as long as our country survives.

The Stamford Advocate this morning provided me with a great piece of wake-up news, with word that U.S. District Court Judge Mark Kravitz has ruled in favor of the Merritt Parkway Conservancy, forcing the Federal Highway Administration and the Connecticut Department of Transportation to halt destruction (er, I mean, construction) on the Merritt Parkway.

The full article can be viewed here:
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-parkway2apr04,0,5701786.story?coll=stam-news-local-headlines
or
http://tinyurl.com/j6spu

Although not an historic roads item, I'm fond enough of Civil War era history that I felt that this was worth adding to my site. This press release appeared on Yahoo today.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060329/nyw059.html?.v=52

This article in the Springfield News-Sun discusses the National Road's upcoming 200th Bicentennial.

http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/03/26/sns0326nationalrd1b.html
or
http://tinyurl.com/hdy8t

This from the Courier-Journal in Louisville, KY:

"Without firing a shot, Mother Nature, Father Time and relentless development are taking a toll on battlefields that Union and Confederate armies died defending.
The Washington-based Civil War Preservation Trust has placed two Kentucky sites -- in Cynthiana and Columbus -- on a list of the nation's 20 most endangered historic battlefields. "

The full article can be found here:
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060322/COLUMNISTS04/603220493/1008/NEWS01
or
http://tinyurl.com/ptvtz

The Southwest Museum of the American Indian is the oldest museum in Los Angeles (over 100 years old) and is considered to have one of the largest collections of Native American artifacts in the country. Yet, the Autry Museum of Western Heritage is still threatening to close the Southwest Museum, which it acquired through a merger a few years ago.

The next Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition meeting is coming up soon. Any preservationists in Southern California who can attend, your support would be greatly appreciated. Here are the details:

The next meeting of the Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition is coming up soon. Anyone in Southern California that can attend, please be there. This meeting is EXTREMELY important. Here are the details:

Subject: Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition mtg., 3/29

Please attend this important Coalition update meeting to discuss:
* Negotiation process through the Mayor's office
* Impacts of the SWM Rehabilitation Project commencing in June
* Casa de Adobe's needs assessment study
* Mural and entryway landscaping (volunteers needed)
* Options for future actions by the Coalition

Wednesday, March 29, 2006
7:00 - 9:00 pm at Ramona Hall
4580 N. Figueroa Street, Highland Park.
For infomation or questions, call (323) 222-8327


Mark your calendars:
Museums of the Arroyo Day is May 7th.
Lummis Day is June 4th.

This from the Stamford (CT) Advocate online edition, March 9:

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-nor.trans2mar09,0,5997314.story?coll=stam-news-local-headlines

I've added a google news alert for myself specifically for the Merritt Parkway to be kept up to date on more of the goings-on regarding this highway. The first alert sent to me including quite a few links of interest, so I felt that I would post them so that more people had more background knowledge of the parkway.

The Merritt Parkway Conservancy:
http://www.merrittparkway.org/

National Scenic Byway:
http://www.byways.org/browse/byways/2452/

A history of the Merritt:
http://www.trumbullhistory.org/merrittpkwy/

Photos of the bridges:
http://www.roadfan.com/merrittpage1.html

"Connecticut's Historic Merritt Parkway Bridges"
http://www.past-inc.org/historic-bridges/merrittpkwybridges.html

Overview of the Merritt from nycroads.com:
http://www.nycroads.com/roads/merritt/

Kurumi's Merritt Parkway page:
http://www.kurumi.com/roads/ct/merrittpkwy.html

Discussion about service area renovations on the Merritt and I-95 on "Westport Now"
http://www.westportnow.com/index.php?/v2/comments/12842/

This from the Delmarva (MD?) Daily Times:



The Cape Charles Historic Society presents a series of lectures and workshops on the Historic Preservation of Buildings, the Building Materials and Building Techniques. Tickets are $5 for lectures and $10 for workshops. Tickets are available at the door and through www.historicpreservationweekends.com Free admission to Contractors, Building Tradesmen with business cards and students of the building trades. The featured speaker will be Jeff Price. Price's previous projects have included James Madison's Montpelier and the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Va. The lecture, brick masonry and mortars, will be held 9:30-11 a.. at the Eastville Inn, Eastville. The workshop will be to take a walkabout of the historic courthouse buildings of Eastville looking at brick masonry, identifying masonry trouble spots on the exterior.

The Cape Charles Historic Society presents a series of lectures and workshops on the Historic Preservation of Buildings, the Building Materials and Building Techniques. Tickets are $5 for lectures and $10 for workshops. Tickets are available at the door and through www.historicpreservationweekends.com Free admission to Contractors, Building Tradesmen with business cards and students of the building trades. The featured speaker will be Richard O Byrne, Architectural Conservationist. The lecture, Restoration and Insulation of Double Hung Windows, will be held 9:30-11 a.m. at the Barrier Islands Center, Machipongo. The workshop, Restoration and Insulation of Double Hung Windows, will be held from 1-4 p.m. at the Barrier Islands Center, Machipongo. Byrne will demonstrate elements of a Double Hung Sash, Paint and Putty removal techniques, Glass types and cutting, Glazing points, Weather stripping, Re-re-roping window weights, Needed and Useful tools, Resource materials.

An article about the bridges in Montana appeared in the Great FallsTribune today.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060312/LIFESTYLE/603120334/1024

or

http://tinyurl.com/nsegn

The city of Thurmont, Maryland is pursuing tourism dollars through heritage travel. An article in the Gazette discusses the Journey Through Hallowed Ground's relationship with the city and can be found here:

http://www.gazette.net/stories/030906/walknew190951_31941.shtml

United States District Court Judge Mark Kravitz has ordered the CTDOT and the Merritt Parkway Conservancy to attend mediation hearings later this month in an attempt to find a settlement to the pending lawsuit. While this legally ensures that no more work will proceed for the time being on the Merritt / Route 7 interchange in Norwalk, it is definitely not the last word on the issue. Let's all keep our fingers crossed for a positive future for the Merritt.

An article in the Stamford Advocate can be found here:
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-parkway5mar07,0,7078045.story?coll=stam-news-local-headlines

I regret that I've been slack lately in keeping up with all the news, but I'm catching up now, so here's a long list of links and updates:

The Daily Times from Farmington, NM had an article on 2/27 about upcoming hearings on the Old Spanish Trail that are being held jointly by the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service. The full article is here:
http://www.daily-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006602270301


Charles Paolino wrote in the Home News Tribune (Central New Jersey) that "Ideals just as important as icons when preserving the nation's past." The article, among other things, discusses the proposed Gettysburg Casino. The full article can be found here:
http://www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006603030410
To support the fight against the casino in Gettysburg, read my other news items previously posted, and go to www.nocasinogettysburg.com


Legislators in New York are seeking state scenic byway status for a proposed Shawangunk Mountains Scenic Byway. See an article in the Daily Freeman here:
http://www.dailyfreeman.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16251204&BRD=1769&PAG=461&dept_id=74969&rfi=6


The Kennebec Joural ("Maine's Oldest Newspaper") had an article entitled "Early Road Trips Recalled" on Monday, 3/6/06. It discusses a bit of the history of US-1. It can be found online here:
http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/2499602.shtml


The Danvers Herald had an article on Thursday (March 9) regarding pending work at the Danvers State Hospital National Register of Historic Places Landmark. The full article can be found here:
http://www.townonline.com/danvers/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=446678

Lots to report from 66 in Los Angeles County today from yesterday's drive.

First off, the screen at the Azusa Foothill Drive-In Theater has been torn down. The projection booth / concession stand, entry booth, and marquee are all still standing. (I do have pictures of the "before," but there was nothing worthy of shooting of the "after.")

Unfortunately, no one in the Route 66 community was made aware of another battle. Rod's Grill (just down the street from the "Van De Kamp's" Denny's (the one with the windmill) in Arcadia is being removed through eminent domain proceedings. I do not believe that the last of this battle has taken place yet, but the word from the people I spoke to yesterday indicated that the City of Arcadia has already voted in favor of eminent domain. I'll be looking into that more today, as I have time.

Finally, through a conversation with Michael Taylor at the National Park Service, I have learned that one of the trailer parks in Glendora is in danger of being sold (for the property value). In my drive through that area yesterday, I saw a good number of such parks, all on the south side of 66. I'll be attempting to look into these parks more over the next couple of weeks.

On a good note, Irv's Burgers continues to not only stand but also to thrive! It feels good when you can ocassionally point to a victory!

Second Battle of Gettysburg

I’ve been following the “Second Battle of Gettysburg” with great interest lately. It seems that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has determined that adding casinos into the state on a limited basis would be good for its economy, as people would not travel to New Jersey or other nearby states to gamble. It has also been determined that the casinos would actually draw people into the state, too. For some reason, some people even believe that a casino near the Gettysburg Battlefield would not affect visitation to the park, but might even create an increase in tourism dollars to the Gettysburg area. While I agree that it could create an increase in tourism overall to the area (tourism being down during the winter months currently), I do not feel that adding a casino not only so near to the Hallowed Ground of Gettysburg but also to the area of the Lincoln Highway is a wise move.

Now, as an avid beer and wine drinker, I’m not exactly one to talk about the “ills of society” and what is right and wrong. But this is a discussion about whether or not a casino is appropriate in GETTYSBURG! If the area around the battlefield is not worthy of preservation, then I do not feel anything in this country should be considered hallowed or sacred any longer. It does not get much more clear-cut than this!

For more information on the struggle, see the links below.

1. http://www.courant.com/hc-a1nerefer0122.artjan22,0,7840024.story
2. http://www.courant.com/news/local/northeast/hc-gettysburg0122.artjan22,0,6665446.story
3. http://www.dailyitem.com/archive/2006/0115/biz/stories/01biz.htm
4. http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?c=MGArticle&cid=1128768448401&pag\ename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle
5. http://www.nocasinogettysburg.com/

OK, I'm not sure exactly WHY I decided to read this article. Sure, I know that there are plans afoot to try to build a casino on part of the Gettysburg Civil War Battlefield area. And I know that doing so would affect a portion of the Lincoln Highway as well. But this particular potential Pennsylvania casino being discussed is not the Gettysburg one. But I think it provided some insight into the struggle underway in Pennsylvania, so I thought it would be an appropriate link to include in my "news" section:
http://www.gamblingmagazine.com/managearticle.asp?C=280&A=16619

The Stamford (CT) Advocate reports that the CT DOT continues its self-imposed restraining order until the end of the month, by which time it hopes U.S. District Court Judge Mark Kravitz will have reached a decision as to whether or not the FHA and CT DOT violated federal preservation law in determining plans for the Parkway / Route 7 interchange. The full article can be found at http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-merritt3jan09,0,1240741.story?coll=stam-news-local-headlines (or http://tinyurl.com/d9zdu in case the first link breaks).

The following is from the Lebanon (PA) Daily News. I'll leave this up until it gets archived somewhere other than the LDN website (I'm afraid it won't stay up there, because I was having problems sending the link from their website).


********

Report: Area spans no better than Pa.’s
By JOHN LATIMERStaff WriterLebanon Daily NewsLebanon Daily News
When it comes to bridge conditions, Lebanon County fares no better than the rest of the state or surrounding counties, according to local transportation officials.
Of the 225 county spans maintained by PennDOT, 77 of them — or 34 percent — are either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, according to PennDOT District 8 spokesman Greg Penny.
The percentages are similar statewide for the 21,662 bridges over 20 feet in length maintained by PennDOT, he said, including the 3,444 bridges in District 8, an eight-county region in central Pennsylvania that includes Lebanon County.
While unsettling, the numbers do not mean motorists are at risk every time they travel across the spans, Penny said. When a bridge is too dangerous to cross, it is closed.
Currently, the Coon Creek Road bridge, damaged by the remnants of Hurricane Ivan in 2004, is the only bridge closed in Lebanon County. Two years ago, the Monroe Valley Bridge, which crosses the Swatara Creek at the border of Union and Swatara townships, was also closed before being replaced.
Most of the problem bridges in the state are categorized using the engineering terms “structurally deficient” or “functionally obsolete,” Penny said. Often, these bridges are posted with weight-limit signs.
A structurally deficient bridge is one that has one or more of its major structural components in poor condition, he explained, such as deterioration to the deck or the support structure above it. Such a span may need repairs, though not necessarily replacement.
Functionally obsolete bridges, on the other hand, can still be in good repair, Penny said. But because they are typically old and built under different standards, they are hazardous, failing to meet the current specifications for engineering aspects such as width, approach alignment (the angle at which the road meets the bridge) or overhead clearance.
Headed off the highways
Devoting more attention and money to bridges has been on PennDOT’s to-do list for the past decade, but it took a back seat to highway projects, Penny said.
With many major road projects coming to completion, it is the bridges’ turn, he said. PennDOT’s goal in the next 20 years is to reduce the number of structurally deficient bridges from 22 percent to 10 percent statewide.
“We are ramping up our work with bridges,” he said. “For several years we’ve been working on the interstate system. The work being done on I-81 is the last of the big interstate projects in our district. We are shifting gears, and you will be seeing more and more bridge work in the coming years.”
But repairing and replacing bridges is an expensive undertaking. Statewide, PennDOT estimates it will cost $11.8 billion to address all of its current bridge problems. About $400 million is budgeted statewide this year, Penny said. That is just about enough to stabilize deteriorating bridges this year, but much more will be needed in coming years to improve overall bridge conditions.
In Lebanon County’s portion of District 8, PennDOT estimates it will cost about $1 billion in the next two decades to reach its goal of 10 percent or less listed as structurally deficient, Penny said. Based on the percentage of District 8 bridges in Lebanon County, about $65 million will be needed to bring its 225 state-maintained bridges in line in the next 20 years.
Spanning the ages
The declining condition of the state’s bridges can be attributed to their increasing age, Penny said. Many of the county’s bridges were built as part of economic-renewal and transportation-improvement projects in the 1930s and 1960s.
“The real issue we see going on out there is we are getting a growing inventory of older bridges,” he said. “We’ve been able to defer work on some of these older bridges because they are lightly traveled and on secondary roads. But sooner or later you have to pay the piper.”
About 45 percent of Pennsylvania’s bridges are more than 50 years old, Penny explained. That figure is mirrored in Lebanon County, where 103 of the state-maintained bridges — or 46 percent — were built before 1950. Twenty-four of the county spans are more than 75 years old.
This year, PennDOT will replace two bridges on Greble Road east of Jonestown. Preservation work is planned for other bridges, including several on I-78 “to buy some time” while plans are made for their replacement, Penny said. Designing a new bridge is a process that can take from two to four years, depending on environmental concerns, he said.
The county’s collection
Not all of the bridges in the county are inspected and maintained by the state. Eighty are the responsibility of the county and/or its municipalities.
Engineer Mark Wilson, the county’s bridge inspector for the past five years, inspects each of these bridges every other year. But those that are older or give some reason for concern are monitored on a regular basis, he said.
One of the county’s oldest bridges is the Inwood Iron Bridge that crosses Swatara Creek, just south of the junction of Route 72 and I-81 in Union Township. The narrow, 160-foot steel-truss bridge was built in 1899, Wilson said. It is functionally obsolete in design. More significantly, though, its deck supports have deteriorated, and abutments are cracking to the point that it is structurally deficient. For the past several years, it has been posted with a sign limiting crossing to vehicles weighing 5 tons or less.
Replacement planning for Inwood Iron Bridge began last year, said county transportation coordinator Jon Fitzkee. Preliminary work will continue during the next two years, and construction is scheduled to begin in 2008 at a projected cost of about $1.5 million.
The Inwood Iron Bridge is one of several county-maintained bridges scheduled for replacement on the Lebanon County Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Transportation Improvement Plan, Fitzkee said. The TIP, as it is commonly known, is a planning document that is updated every two years listing transportation projects, their construction phases and funding streams.
In the next three years, the county expects to receive about $11.5 million for bridge replacement and repair, he said. About $7 million would come from the federal government, with most of the rest being provided by the state.
Being on the TIP does not mean the work will be done right away, Fitzkee cautioned. Often, it just means that preliminary engineering and design work will be done. But that’s important in the world of transportation funding, he said, because it is advantageous to have preliminary design plans completed when construction money is available.
“You don’t want projects on your TIP that aren’t going anywhere,” he said. “You need projects on them that are ready to move so you can beat out other (transportation districts). All the districts are vying for the same dollars.”
Other locally maintained bridges slated for replacement in the next few years include one on Clear Spring Road over the Quittapahilla Creek in North Annville Township, the South Spruce Street bridge over the Quittie in Annville, and the Chestnut Street and Dairy Road bridges that span the Quittie in North Cornwall Township.
Waiting for funding, Fitzkee said, are six more locally maintained bridges rated as secondary priorities. They will be moved to the TIP as other bridge projects are completed.
They include the Coon Creek Road bridge, which may be repaired faster than the others because it was damaged by a hurricane and is eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency funding, Wilson said.

We should all (begrudgingly, in a way) send our birthday wishes to the Arroyo Seco Parkway today. The Parkway officially opened on December 30, 1940, just in time for the Tournament of Roses Parade of 1941. Yes, that makes my beloved Parkway 65 now.

For those that do not know, the Arroyo Seco Parkway was the first portion of Route 66 to become freeway. It was the first freeway west of the Mississippi River. And it is the only National Scenic Byway in a metropolitan area ANYWHERE in the country (not just on 66).

For more information about the Parkway, please visit http://www.byways.org/browse/byways/10246/

In addition to my "news" section here at 66.productions.com, I also moderate a group on Yahoo! called Historic Roads Preservation. The group gets frequent link postings to news articles from me, as well as some additional posts from other group members. To check it out, visit
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/historicroadspreservation/

For now, the El Vado Motel in Albuquerque (New Mexico) has been saved. Many Route 66 fanatics (and fellow "family" members!) from around the world wrote their letters of support to the City of Albuquerque, and as reported at http://tinyurl.com/dtuo3 you'll see that those letters (mine included) helped to save the El Vado, at least for now.

The link above takes you to Ron Warnick's "Route 66 News" website, directly to today's El Vado update. Thanks, Ron, for the continued support of 66.

I know that it's been awhile since I've added to my website, and it's not entirely for a lack of news, but more a lack of time. That time is still lacking, but I've had a couple of newsworthy items to add today. First, a link to a news story about long-time Chicago / Route 66 icon Berghoff Restaurant:

http://tinyurl.com/apvgh

The link takes you to a Reuters / US News article. Thanks to Lynn "Lulu" Bagdon and David Clark, 66'ers from the "end" of the road, for providing the news flash.

This email just came into my inbox. I've previously written about Soda Pop Stop in the Federation News, the quarterly newsletter of the National Historic Route 66 Federation.

** begin email **
Cheers to each of you and to another year of pleasing palettes around the world!
For a short time we have the Jones Limited Edition Holiday Gift Packs available. This isn't last years gift pack that you'll find at all of the big stores. This is the 2005 Gift pack which includes the following five sodas: Turkey & Gravy, Smoked Salmon Pate, Corn on the Cob, Broccoli Casserole, Pecan Pie. It comes with its very own serving set. Just like mom used to make!
Please note that all orders must be placed by Tuesday, December 13, 2005 to ensure that they reach their destination in time for the holidays. We cannot guarantee that regular ground transit orders placed after this date will reach their destination in time. If you are interested in shipping an order other than regular ground service, please call our retail store for prices and transit times. Many of you have asked about gift certificates. If you are interested in purchasing a gift certificate, you may do so by calling our retail store at (323) 255-7115.
On December 20th we will be appearing on the History Channel at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on More Snack Food Tech. Please check your local listings as some satellite service airtimes may differ.
Have a joyous and peaceful holiday season!
Best,
The Galco's Soda Pop Stop Crew

** end email **

Although I've informally begun collecting data already for the extended version of "Finding the End of the Mother Road," the official process has begun. Due to my presentation in February in Santa Monica as part of the series of events for the Grand Opening of the new library, my research has begun at the western-most city that United States Highway 66 passed through.

If anyone has any detailed information regarding business that occupied the Route 66 roadside in Santa Monica between 1936 and 1964, and you are interested in sharing that information, please feel free to contact me via the "contact" page. Specifically what I am looking for are old photographs (including postcards) of these businesses, or any first-hand information regarding them (letters, newspaper articles, oral history interviews). Ideally, I would like to find owners of these businesses to conduct my own oral history interview.

I'd like to wish a happy 79th birthday to the United States Highway System, which was officially created on 11/11/1926. It's not just Route 66's birthday, but also the birthday of US-99, US-6, and countless other US highways.

Yesterday's on-air, live interview with myself and Glen Duncan of the California Route 66 Preservation Foundation was fairly succesful, at least in my opinion. I think it went pretty darn well. You can listen to an archived version online by going to http://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/index.shtml and looking for the show from 11/10/2005. We were on for the last 30 minutes of the show.

I would like to thank Larry Mantle, Linda Othenin-Girard, Jackie Oclaray and the rest of the "Air Talk" crew for a wonderful experience, and for making my first live radio experience in about 12 years to be very painless!

I just received word this morning that I will be on "Air Talk with Larry Mantle" this coming Thursday, 11/10/2005 at 11:30am Pacific Time. The conversation will be, of course, about Route 66, and I will obviously be concentrating on the great portions of the "Mother Road" within the boundaries of Los Angeles County in particular and California in general. For more information about the program, go to:
http://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/index.shtml

The below has been taken from the Route-40 group that I belong to. It was originally posted by Charles Clayton in response to a post that I had made about Walgreens. It is reprinted here with the permission of the author.

***
For what it's worth, I've long boycotted Walgreens for such actions, and will continue to do so. I find it hard to believe that someone with an interest in old highways and the classic slice of Americana and American history they represent could shop at such a mammoth chain store to begin with. I'll bet that most of us are drawn to Highway 40 (route 66, Main Street U.S.A. etc.) largely because it is a link to a time and place and SLOWER PACE of life that is disappearing every time a new Walgreens or Walmart goes up. These big name stores do not create jobs, they destroy small businesses of all kinds. 3 separate studies concluded that for every 2 jobs a Wal Mart "brings" to town, it destroys 3. Think about that, for Walgreens is just the pharmacy version of a culture killing big box discount store. Shop at one of the remaining locally owned businesses that still exist, before they too become the subject of just another nostalgic website. I'll get off my soapbox now. Thanks. Charles Clayton

For those of you who have followed my actions and involvements closely over the last couple of years, this post will not be a surprise, other than its formal request. For those of you who do not know much of what I have been involved in, please read on.

Lately, I have seen Walgreen's drugstores move in and open in the worst of places. For starters, they have moved in and torn down two structures of historical significance (the Shopping Bag in Eagle Rock, CA along Route 66 and the Flying Saucer Gas Station in Ashtabula, OH along US-20). I know there has been several more, but I can't place them all at the moment. In addition to the destruction of historically significant structures, they have also moved in to places where already established pharmacies (some mom and pop, some chain) have already existed, applying fierce competition to the other businesses in hopes of pushing them out of business.

Now, we all know that I don't like chains to begin with, but will shop at them out of necessity at times. But I am starting a formal request of all roadies out there to officially follow my lead and boycott Walgreen's in reaction to their destruction of historically significant roadside landmarks. Please spread the word and help out, and even let Walgreen's know how you feel!

This appeared in the LA Times today.

http://tinyurl.com/7lyzf

This past Saturday I took part in the 3rd Annual Duarte Festival of Authors. Foot traffic was pretty good, and the event itself seemed successful. I'm certain that this annual event will continue to grow and become a wonderful event for all others in the area. In fact, the beauty of the venue (Westminster Gardens in Duarte) alone was worth the time spent that day!

The keynote speaker for the festival was Ray Bradbury, and he also spent a couple of hours signing books. The authors were set up around a path in the gardens, and I was fortunate enough to not only be close to Mr. Bradbury, but also close to the front entrance to the Festival.

I'm looking forward to being back again next year, and maybe bringing some other local historic roads authors in as well. (I know of at least two that live in Southern California that should attend!)

The Merritt Parkway is getting its day in court today. I wish all the Merritt supporters best of luck.
http://www.thehour.com/290738182444083.bsp

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15259825&BRD=2703&PAG=461&dept_id=555107&rfi=6

http://lablogs.com/index.php/weblog/communitycomment/1032/

My first two van tours of Route 66 in Southern California seemed to be a resounding success. All participants seemed to have a good time, and we managed to get through the entire trip both days without incident. A special thank you goes out to the Soda Pop Stop (http://www.sodapopstop.com/) for donating sodas to the tours and to the California Historic Route 66 Association (http://www.wemweb.com/chr66a/) and Mike Ward for donating water to the tours. Another special thanks to Kathie Reece for allowing our groups to tour the National Register of Historic Places Landmark Aztec Hotel (http://www.aztechotel.com/)

With the sucess of these two tours, I am going to be actively pursuing more tours in the near future. If you or your organization might be interested in scheduling a tour of 66 in Los Angeles County with me, please see my "tours" page for more information then contact me through my "contact" page.

The Stater Brothers Route 66 Rendezvous and related activities are well underway. Thursday was the first of my two van tours, and this report from Denny Gibson about his day is worth a read: http://www.dennygibson.com/rt66fest05/day06/index.htm

Congratulations go out to Shellee Graham, winner of the 2005 Steinbeck Award, and to the Patel family, owners of the Wigwam Motel in San Bernardino, for winning the 2005 Avery Award for Preservation. (A special thank-you to Kevin Hansel of the California Historic Route 66 Association for nominating the Patels.)

The San Bernardino County Library has on their website information about the upcoming "Booking Down Route 66" book signings. The signings are coming up this weekend in San Bernardino in conjunction with the Stater Brothers Route 66 Rendezvous and John Steinbeck Awards Banquet. Take a look at their website at http://www.sbcounty.gov/library/homepage/default.htm and click on the "Booking Down Route 66" icon in the upper left for more information. Come support these authors and San Bernardino County Library!

I received a phone call from "Air Talk" yesterday regarding a possible appearance on the show. Well, not really an "appearance" I guess, since this is radio. But it looks like I will be on air the week of the Stater Brothers Route 66 Rendezvous. More information will be forthcoming as the details are worked out and confirmed.

***
September 13 Update: The segment on Route 66 is being postponed for now, due to the Roberts confirmation hearings for Supreme Court. I've suggested waiting until early November, just prior to the 79th Birthday of Route 66 (11/11), and that seems a likely schedule.
***

This just in from Dennis Karlsted at www.route66today.tv, which streams interviews with various Route 66 ambassadors from along the route and around the world. (I'm included as one of those with a streaming interview, done in Tulsa, OK in 2004.)

***
The free live webcast of the 2005 Steinbeck Awards Luncheon is a go, thanks to the encouragement and support of David Knudson, Pete Scott, KenTurmel, David Willman, Croc Lile, Swa Frantzen, Helen Baker and others. Thank You! It will begin between 11am and 1pm Pacific time Friday, Sept. 16th. In a couple of days the link to watch will be on the home page of www.route66today.com (Anyone is free to put a link on their site to the webcast) The stream will be for the Quicktime 6 player and a free download is available if you don't have it. Anyone with a 256k connection and above can see it. I will try to minimize glitches but be aware that if my connection from the hotel is interrupted and I have to re-start, you will have to re-connect to continue watching. I hope the webcast brings some of the history, excitement and feeling of the event to those who can not attend.

Dennis
***

The Merritt Parkway Conservancy has been locked in a struggle to prevent a new interchange from being constructed along the famed Parkway. The struggle is heading to U.S.District Court soon. See the link below:

http://www.thehour.com/371390536538725.bsp

Best of luck to my follow Highway Preservationists with the Conservancy.

In 2002, I went to my first Historic Roads Conference, held near the Lincoln Highway in Omaha, NE. It was a very enlightening time for me, and a big expansion of my understanding of historic roads. It also occurred at a time of great change for me, so it ended up being an even-more-meaningful trip for other reasons.

In April, 2004, I went to my second Conference. This one was held in Portland, OR, and allowed me the opportunity to drive up the Pacific Coast Highway. I also got to spend several great days traveling with my now-wife Julie.

The next conference is being held in Boston, MA in the spring of 2006. It is being held April 27, 30, 2006. For more information, see http://www.historicroads.org/sub7_1.htm

The National Park Service is holding a Preservation Seminar in September during the Route 66 Rendezvous and the accompanying Steinbeck Awards Weekend. The seminar is being held at the National Register of Historic Places landmark Aztec Hotel in Monrovia, CA. Yours truly is slated to be one of the hosts on the field trip the second afternoon. For more information, go to http://www.cr.nps.gov/rt66/conf/index.htm

Interested in spreading the word about a preservation issue relevant to a historic road near you? Want to know what is happening on that historic road on the opposite side of the country. Interested in preservation battles along 66 or the Lincoln Highway? Then this group is for you.

I'm moderating an eGroup on Yahoo! Groups called Historic Roads Preservation. It is SOLELY for discussing preservation issues along America's two-lane highways. To join, go to http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/historicroadspreservation/ and log in.

Irv's Burgers, one of the last remaining examples of the walk-up burger joint that once abounded in Southern California, has been in danger of the wrecking ball for nearly a year now. Yet, its existence continues.

After having initially warded off a potential Peet's Coffee invasion*, Irv's most recently was granted reprieve by the West Hollywood Historic Preservation Commission. In June, they voted 5-2 in favour of granted Historic Cultural Landmark status to Irv's. The vote will go in front of West Hollywood City Council later this year.

For more information on Irv's, go to http://www.irvsburgers.com/


* A sincere thank-you goes out to the Peet's Coffee Corporation. In meetings with the developers and the "Burger Brigade," they realized the negative publicity that they would receive, and the negative feelings that would be had toward them within the community, and decided to back out of the deal. This took great courage on their part, and I salute them and appreciate their concern for Mom and Pop establishments. To thank them (or partake in good coffee!), go to http://www.peets.com/

The National Park Service's Route 66 Corridor Management Program Announced its grant recipients for 2005. Included is the Casa de Adobe at the Southwest Museum of the American Indian, on Mount Washington in Los Angeles, overlooking the Transitional, Alternate, and Bypass Alignments of Route 66.

http://f3.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/oCkCQ-pPYOA6bp-5zVWSg8zR35VoEEQXOsFPIMB19LXTUpU2L29pD8pj2wcHFf9jjOAcwwbpYW5syE7Sr0W7-Q/NPS%20GrantAnnouncement%20Jul05.doc