HomeMy Public PortalAboutA 1987-12-14 COMMUNITY ACCESS BOARD0 0
COMMUNITY ACCESS ADVISORY BOARD
December 14,
City Hall Council
5:30 p.m.
1987
Chambers
R CE IV ED
CITY OF LYNWOOD
CITY CLERKS OFFICE
DEC 111987
AM PM
AGENDA
I. ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS
A. CALL TO ORDER
B. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
C. ROLL CALL
D. MINUTES - November 16, 1987
II. SCHEDULED MATTERS
A. UPDATE ON HISTORY OF LYNWOOD
Comments:
PROJECT
Attached is a draft script for the history of Lynwood
Tape. This draft contains only ideas and possible
narration. As Barbara from Hintz & Balvin interviews
guest speakers, the script will change and be completed.
B. COLLECTION OF HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS /INFORMATION
Comments:
Once Hintz & Balvin has completed their research on the
History of Lynwood, many photographs will have been
collected and information gathered. These should be
organized into a display for citizens to enjoy and to
promote our videotape. Staff suggests sharing this duty
with the Community Affairs Commission.
C. FUTURE PROJECTS
Comments:
Discussion of future projects.
III. PUBLIC ORALS
IV. ADJOURNMENT
COMMUNITY ACCESS ADVISORY BOARD
Minutes for the Meeting of
November 16, 1987
The regular meeting of the Community Access Advisory Board of the
City of Lynwood, California was held on November 16, 1987 in the
Council Chambers of the City Hall. (The agenda was duly posted
as prescribed by the Brown Act)
Chairperson Mary Wright called the meeting to order at 5:40 p.m.
Members in attendance were Mary Wright, Rev. C.C. Coleman, Ann
Fields and Bill Cunningham. Absent was Randy Williams. Staff
present were Don Fraser and Carol de Jesus.
Chairperson Mary Wright indicated a minor error on the minutes
of October 19. Date for the next meeting should read November
16 instead of November 17. It was moved, seconded and carried to
approve the minutes with the above noted correction.
MATTERS
A. American Cablesystems
Mr. Vic Pastorelli, General Manager for American Cablesystems
and his representative introduced themselves to the Board and
outlined the functions and goals of the company.
The American Cablesystems is a 9 yr old company. It went
public in 1977 and merged with Continental Cablevision , the
3rd largest cablesystem (parent company) a year ago. It took
over Rogers two months ago. The goal of the company is to
create some excitement from community cable t.v, through
workshops and outreach programs. Currently they have just
finished the shooting of the entire football session; did a
Liberty Day video production for City of Bellflower; they are
talking with the school district regarding teaching a video
class that eventually will lead into the development of high
school talk show.
Future plans of the company is to be able to actually bring
political issues to people. They plan to touch on important
issues such as programs featuring political persons
(councilpersons, financial officer, etc) debate; set up of
local programming featuring city meetings or city election,
etc.
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The studio (which will remain in Lynwood) will be doing public
access and they will pick up the schedule where Rogers left
off. They plan to have a training program for Lynwood
residents who would be interested in local programming so that
after training, the local resident can be a resource person to
do access.
Mr. Pastorelli indicated that the company's role is to act as
a liaison between the city and the public and to educate the
public of what is available through the development of a
community channel that people will be conditioned to use.
Basically, they will do things as a company but if there are
good programs for example in Compton, they will try to involve
Lynwood since they run operations at three different
locations.
According to the rep from American Cablesystems, Publicity is
a great means of getting the public involved. the City of
Bellflower prints up flyers which indicate where programs will
be aired, and these flyers are left in stack at the City
Hall. Mr. Pastorelli added that advertising can be through
tailored pages on guides. Channel 36 of Bellflower shows what
programs are coming up through means of a scroll.
Mr. Pastorelli summed up their approach to customer services
as ff:
1. Having the operation local, the company feels it can serve
people better.
2. Upgrade system to single cable with 53 channels - this
will replace the present dual cablesystem of A & B with 42
channels on each side (B being almost empty and character
degenerated). with the expansion to 53 channels in a
single channel system, service will be more effective.
3. Change converter boxes that are currently generating big
problems.
4. Creative communicating with customer ( use of pre - calling
and post - calling as an evaluation tool after new
installation) prevents phone traffic.
B. Update of History of Lynwood Project
Mr. Fraser expressed disappointment on
by Hintz & Balvin. There was a lack of
concepts and time line for shooting.
suggested that when Hintz & Balvin send
board would like to take a look at it
Fraser.
the script submitted
specific programming
Chairperson Wright
their report, the
and discuss with Mr.
C. Future Projects:
0
Chairperson Wright broached the possibility of getting the
Compton College involved in local programming. She mentioned
that Compton College has a department that is doing video
production and it would be a great opportunity for Lynwood to
be involved with the College since some Lynwood residents
attend Compton College.
COMMISSION ORALS
Chairperson Wright asked the American Cablesystems to help
in promoting the Lynwood school by contacting Dr. Clark.
Commissioner Cunningham mentioned that Santa Barbara has a good
advertising system of giving out tourist information. On a
continous tape shown on a local channel, the program features
different businesses such as eateries, hotels, etc. that tourists
can go to.
Commissioner Coleman asked that the cablesystem do a location
shooting of their December 5th Prayer Breakfast Meeting at St.
Francis. He further said that Lynwood school has an expensive
video equipment which is not being used. There is a fellow who
can use it but the school hesitates to lend the equipment. He
plans to call the school and find out this status.
Commissioner Field asked what procedure to follow when someone
wants an individual program done by the cablesystems.
Chairperson Wright explained that normally, the programs of
things that come up through the year are preauthorized; all
requests should be coursed through Mr. Fraser. If request is.
done on a timely basis, it can be presented to the board. If two
requestsCome in, the first one will be given priority unless the
other deals with the city government. Commissioner Wright further
suggested that an annual calendar of upcoming events be
established.
Due to the upcoming holidays, the board approved the meeting of
the access board be held on December 14 instead of the regular
third monday of the month.
The meeting adjourned at 6:40 p.m.
•
A History of Lynwood
Draft Script
VIDEO
AUDIO
NARRATOR
Lynwood, California a community of
bustling boulevards, tree lined
streets and parks
Where neighborhoods and industry
meet and find a home
Those who live here today
are a very real part of a
of a chain of people and events
that reach back in time
For long ago in the beginning
all of this was marshland
Grass trees and the Gabrielano
Indians who hunted and fished
It wasn't until 1542 that the
explorer Juan Cabrillo
claimed the area for Spain
And not until two hundred
years later that the Franciscans
founded their missions
It was at one of these,
near Monteray, that Don Antonio
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Maria Lugo was born in 1775
He's important to Lynwood because
he received several
land grants awarded by
the Spanish Crown
It's on part of this land that Lyn-
wood now stands
He turned his land, which totaled
some 29,000 acres, into a thriving
cattle ranch
Though Don Antonio and his family
lived in the Pueblo de Los Angeles,
ten miles away, he also had a home
on the rancho
When this land was ceded to the
United States in 1848 as a result of
the Mexican American War, Don
Antonio retained ownership
Two years later, California joined
the Union
When Don Lugo died in 1860, the
year the Civil War began, his land
was divided among his five children
The part that was to become Lynwood
was deeded to his daughter
Guadelupe
COLEMAN (Long Reach & Sanborn)
L
0
Where I'm standing was part of that
original area
Guadelupe Lugo, of course,
ultimately sold the land and
it eventually came into the hands
of Charles Sessions, who ran a dairy
just about where I am standing here
at Sanborn and Long Beach Blvd
He called the dairy Lynwood,after
his wife's maiden name, Lynne Wood
NARRATOR
Most of the early buildings in the
area are long gone now, but one
still remains here in Hamm Park
The Abbott House was built in 1889
by John Abbott for whom Abbott Rd
was named
It has seen many lifestyles and many
changes over the years
ELLEN WEBB (Interview with her
about her childhood memories of
Lynwood in the early days )
(BACK UP SCRIPT WITH OFF CAMERA
NARRATOR)
Like many of his neighbors, Sessions
was a farmer who raised
alfalfa, grain and sugar beets which
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he hauled to the beet dump on the
railroad siding in a huge wagon
drawn by a team of horses
They used to compete to see who
could bring in the biggest load
NARRATOR
Of course, when the Abbott house
was built these streets were just
country lanes
Long Beach Blvd was finished just
in time for the first Model A Ford
in 1910
People used to drive down to the
beach on Sundays
COLEMAN (In front of old depot)
Yes, people have always traveled
to or through Lynwood
At one time it was known as
Half Way City because it sits just
between so many other major areas
People used to be able to take the
Big Red Cars of the
Pacific Electric Railway all the way
from Los Angeles to Santa Ana and
stop in Lynwood along the way
This old depot is a lasting
reminder of that era
0
Eventually the railway closed and
the depot became a restaurant then
a bus depot then a taxi stand
Now it awaits a new home
just as people were thinking of
new homes back in its hayday.
1913
AMELIO MGRGA (At Constitution Park)
It was right around here in
Consitution Park in 1913, that two
enterprising real estate developers
pruchased 800 acres of what is now
the main part of town
This was an up- and - coming area
They had an eye to subdivision
The location was good, the climate
was great and there was free water
Before long, the Lynwood Company was
born
They called their first tract the
Modjeska Tract
Lots sold for $400 to 800 dollars
Business lots for $600
Promotors offered free
transportation and lunches to all
comers
NARRATOR
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The venture was mildly successful
but.in 1918,the company closed up
and donated their offices for use
as a city hall for the citizens
who were just becoming interested
in forming their own city
COLEMAN (In front of old city hall)
Lynwood was officially incorporated
as a city in July of 1921
Our first city hall doesn't exist
any more
e
This bulding was our second city'` ; ` R
hall now it houses the Board) r °'
of Educatio
In those early days we had an all
voluntary city council of eager
citizens who set to work building
their new city
With police, fire department and, of
course, schools
EVELYN WELLS (At Woodrow Wilson)
(Talks about history of education)
(BACK OP NARATION)
The first school house, built in the
1880s, had just one room and all the
grades were together
Then the Lugo School, a two room
structure. was built in 1895
Later, in 1917, it was replaced
W
by Woodrow Wilson School
Today, Lynwood has 26 public and
private schools
COLEMAN (In front of church)
(Talks about religion in Lynwood)
Religion has played an important
role in Lynwood's life from the
early times to today
In the early times much of the
social life revolved around
church activities . . and today,
there are no less than 38 churches
In a city of under 5 square miles
NARRATOR
Along with cityhood, the 20s brought
much growth to Lynwood
The News Tribune, a new Chamber of
Commerce, and shops began to crop up
along Long Beach Blvd
Lynwood could even boast of having
the narrowest building in the
world, according to Ripley's
Believe It or Not! It was
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5 feet wide and 135 feet long
Located on Long Beach Blvd , it
long since made way for other
buildings
Of course, the era of the 20s
ended with a event felt in Lynwood
as well as round the world
RUBEN ANDERSON
(Talks about his memories of the
Depression and the 30s )
(Alternate script)
( The year 1929 began the depression
years The city did what it could
to help the most badly hit by pro-
viding work such as cutting weeds at
40 cents an hour
By 1933, Lynwood was beginning to
shake off the effects of the Depres-
sion but another shock was in
store!)
RUBEN ANDERSON (Continues with
memories of the quake of 33 )
(NARRATOR ALTERNATIVE SCRIPT)
At 5 45 on Fri evening, March 10,
1933, when most residents were just
sitting down to their evening meal,
an ominous rumbling could be heard
It was followed by the
heart - stopping
sounds of falling bricks and timber
as the most disastrous quake of the
area hit with vicious force
It left in its wake a city covered
in debris and without gas,
electricity or water
Lynwood was placed under Marshall
Law and the Auxiliary of the
American Legion set up a relief
station and fed hundreds
COLEMAN (On Norton Street)
After the depression and quake
things began to look up and one
of the interesting tales told
about the 30s is that Amelia
Earhart kept her plane in a large
red barn here on Norton Ave
She'd take off from a dirt runway
nearby
And if she had looked down on
Lynwood, she would have seen a lot
of growth
EMELIO MORGA (In front of 7th Day
Adventist building)
By 1938 growth in Lynwood was at
a pitch
New homes for nearly 400 families
stores school improvements,
a Masonic Temple and a brand new
$40,000 Post Office
And right here, on Imperial Highway,
the Seventh -Day Adventists completed
this 36 acre project
The Adventists have also held camp
meetings in Lynwood since the 30s
NARRATOR
Just as things seemed to be getting
back on track World War II came
along
In a way. the war brought out some
of the best in Lynwood
DAVID LITSINGER: (By the cannon)
(Talks about WW II memories )
(BACK UP NARRATION)
Citizens rallied around the war
effort
Air raid sirens were installed
and civil defense became a daily
fact of life
9 i
People planted Victory Gardens in
their back yards
Lynwood had been in the Rose Parade
since 1936 but in '43 the float
carried a message urging people to
buy War Bonds
NARRATOR
In 1945, Lynwood paid tribute to
to the young warriors who would not
return and welcomed those who did
Many of them would make Lynwood
their home
COLEMAN (In front of Jerginsons)
Lynwood's motto in those days was
The Best Place to Live Best
And those boys must have believed
it!
Population more than doubled
between 1940 & 50
And Lynwood attracted industries
such as Western Gear, Kargil.
Manchester Tank and Helen Grace
Candies
The St Francis Medical Center
opened its doors in 1945
Today it is still the largest
private hospital in California
and helps patients with the
most up -to -date equipment and
treatments
As well as being the largest
single employer in Lynwood, it
is also nationally famous for
its Nun Rim to raise funds for
the hospital
NARRATOR
Yes, the 40s and 50s found Lynwood a
City on the move
A new Civic Center. Community
Center. the Natatorium. where
thousands of youngsters have enjoyed
themselves
As well as new schools, better
roads and police and fire
protection.
DAVID LITSINGF.R ( )
(Talking about the 50s)
(Back up narration)
Lynwood in the 50s was a family
place A good place to grow up
A Saturday night would find you
going to the movies at the Arden
Theatre followed by a visit to
Hamms Ice Cream Parlour. or
The Clock
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There was the Christmas parade,
still a part of our life here,
Just like the Fourth of July
ceremonies
Lynwood didn't go unnoticed by
the rest of the country, either!
COLEMAN (By All American City sign)
(Or possibly John Bjork )
In 1961 came the jewel in
Lynwood's crown
She received the coveted title
"All American City" as a city
which typified the" American
Way of Life "
Governor Fdmund G Brown
spoke at the celebration
banquet and President John F
Kennedy wired his congratula-
ions to Lynwood
NARRATOR
The 1960s brought new challenges
for the city
Along with the death of Pres
Kennedy-and the war in Vietnam,
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the new proposed Century Freeway
was being discussed pro and con!
JOHN BJORK (At Frw construction
site ) (Talks about the Century
Freeway issues)
(Backup narration)
The freeway path created a corridor
of condemned houses right through
the center of town
The buildings continued deteriorat-
ing for the 7 years of court liti-
gation from environmentalists and
later delays by the State
It became a dangerous eyesore in
the minds of many
In 1979, the court order delaying
the Century Freeway was lifted
Though construction has been slow
in coming, it is now well under way
NARRATOR
In the sixties, the freeway and
other issues became part
of a complex situation
that led to many changes in
Lynwood's makeup
Ann Field remembers
ANN FIELD (In front of her home)
(Talks about the problems and
changes during the 60s Including
decline in property values, blacks
having difficulty buying homes,
change in population makeup, etc
(NARRATOR BACK UP SCRIPT)
Actually, several events
happened simultaniously
The Freeway left a corrator of
unsightly, condemned buildings
right through the town
Due to the freeway's delay,
a proposed shopping center
development fell through and
left a large cleared area
And a long overdue change in
the law made it so that people
couldn't refuse to sell to a
minority
Because Lynwood is a nice place
to live, since then, many
minorities have chosen to live
here
COLEMAN
Today's Lynwood is a thriving home
to business, industry and a diverse
blend of citizens
Each of whom brings something
wonderful to this city
And new, wonderful things ready to
happen every day
MAYOR PAUL RICHARDS: (At City Hall)
(Gives inspiring wrap -up)
(Bank up narration)
We are an industrious, fun loving
hard working city
A multi - racial, multi - lingual
truly All American City of the
next century
And one that intends to remain
A City Meeting Challenges