The Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council voted unanimously against the proposed construction of a toll tunnel from Mt. Washington to Glassell Park that would connect the 710 freeway to the 210 freeway and "decimate neighborhoods beyond recognition, dislocate many of our citizenry and disrupt life for those remaining for more than a decade."

In its monthly general board meeting at the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, last night, the ERNC said it was joining its counterparts across Northeast Los Angeles to oppose the so-called SR-710 tunnel (also called the 710 North Extension) "out of concern for our citizenry's health, safety, quality of life and the most certain destruction of the cohesive, historic neighborhoods of Northeast Los Angeles." An ERNC resolution on the issue will be presented to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Los Angeles City Council "so that it becomes public record," said ERNC President Michael Larsen.

The Dec. 7 vote, which is advisory, followed a public discussion at the meeting in which members of the "No 710 Action Coalition," an umbrella group opposed to any expansion of the 710 freeway in and around Northeast L.A., argued that the sole aim of the tunnel appeared to be the smooth passage of freight trucks from the ports of Long Beach to Los Angeles.

"We don't know what the project is, we don't know what the needs are," said Tom Williams, a member of the anti-710 Action Coalition. "We can't trust Caltrans, we can't trust MTA."

Another "No 710 Action Coalition" member, Janet Ervin, said the four-and-a-half-mile tunnel would be "an environmental disaster" because gas emissions inside the tunnel will be "100 times more than the pollution outside" and will be pumped into surrounding neighborhoods from vents as tall as multistoried buildings.

Opposition to the 710 freeway's expansion is nothing new of course—it has been brewing for decades. But there might be an urgency to the issue: According to the "No 710 Action Coalition," Caltrans and the MTA are currently undertaking so-called "scoping" exercises along the route of the proposed tunnel, said Larsen. "As I understand it from them [No 710 Action Coalition], once scoping is done, only 2 percent of projects don't go through," Larsen said, adding: "So this might be it."

ERNC Board member Nelson Grande, who proposed the motion to vote against the 710 tunnel, said he and his wife "walk quite a lot in Eagle Rock—and I don't think there's one person in Eagle Rock or Northeast Los Angeles who's for the 710." Added Grande: "It's our job as the council to vote against it."

In another significant action at the meeting, the ERNC board awarded $2,500 for the purchase of a pastry display case at the after-school, recreation and mentoring facility run by "Reach Our Community Kids" (R.O.C.K.), a nonprofit faith-based organization located at 4808 Townsend Ave. and Yosemite Drive.

The pastry display case would replace a coffee shop on the R.O.C.K. premises that went out of business and "we are seeking funding so we can resume the coffee shop operation after the [school] winter break on Jan. 10," said R.O.C.K. President Stephen Kia.

The ERNC board also heard the latest developments regarding the renovation and expansion plans for Swan Hall in Occidental College. Occidental College Director of Communications Jim Tranquada told the board that the college had met with the Los Angeles Conservancy, a preservation and advocacy organization that seeks to preserve and revitalize L.A.'s architectural heritage. Oxy has agreed to amend its environmental impact report for Swan Hall's renovation and expansion, which includes seismic safety measures that would be undertaken without removing most of the building's exterior hollow clay tile and plaster known for its fireproofing properties, Tranquada told the ERNC.

The first public hearing about the Swan Hall project is scheduled for Jan. 19 before the Los Angeles City Planning Commission, Tranquada said. Although no date has been set for a subsequent hearing, in which the commission is expected to release its report about the Swan Hall project, said Tranquada, the second hearing is expected in February or March.

In recent months, Occidental College has made several efforts to allay concerns in the Eagle Rock community about the environmental impact of construction activities revolving around the Samuelson Alumni Center project at the corner of Alumni Avenue and Campus Road, across the street from the main entrance to the campus. An old fraternity house on the site was demolished this fall, and "we hope to have all permits in hand and be able to begin construction in January," Tranquada said.

In a meeting dominated by environmental issues, ERNC Immediate Past President Stephan Early introduced something of a humanistic touch by introducing to the audience his 10-year-old Bernese Mountain dog, Nana. Early announced that he would begin training Eagle Rock combat veterans to work with what he called "veterans therapy dogs."

Eagle Rock and is surrounding areas have "a huge number of veterans and almost any veteran who has been in combat suffers from some degree of post-traumatic stress disorder," Early said, adding: "To admit to a disorder is to seem to admit to weakness."

A Vietnam War veteran who teaches English at Eagle Rock High School, Early said he was inspired to introduce dogs into the lives of veterans after his successful efforts with children who were victims of abuse. "They suffer from a great deal of mental disorder," Early said, and interacting with dogs "empowers them and makes them more nurturing."