seniors - attempt #2

we went back to Broadus Senior Center on April 23 to talk with folks during their lunch.
they also had kareoke during that lunch -- it seems like it happens a few scheduled days a week and most of the folks I spoke with had no use for the kareoke, it was mostly one guy doing the singing and it was his set-up!    anyway the sound system was not very good, but loud.  Xanthia and Juliette and Sigrid and I went to work after a quick announcement that we wanted to talk with folks about Pacoima.  Initially we worked in teams of two-- JC & Sig at a table and me & X at another table, after awhile though X & I split up.  Maybe J & S did too, I don't know.

Sigrid had some ideas of questions for folks before we went in.


It was a crazy and intense hour in how some folks wanted to talk a lot and others kept wanting to introduce a bunch of other folks who had knowledge so it was a bit awkward to try to listen well to people one at a time. 

Afterward, we had to just sit down outside in the shade and decompress.  Sigrid had gotten stuck spending too much time with one unpleasant (to say the least) man who dominated her time with racist opinions and "facts" and lots of generally bad energy.  But we also met some cool people and started to get a better sense of the history of the Black community in Pacoima.

Here are Sigrid's questions-- which, as is often the case, you don't get to much of-- and some summary notes about some of the conversations Xanthia & I had/people we met.

here are some questions for the seniors...
when & why did you come to pacoima?
three changes that you have experienced living here?
what is one landmark or place that is indicative of pacoima?
what are some of the characteristics, landmarks, things--good and bad that people say about following neighboring communities?
  (for example Silver Lake is known for having lots of artist.)
  Arleta
  Lakeview Terrace
  Sylmar
  San Fernando
  Panorama City
  Mission Hills
what do you want to see in a play about pacoima?
2 stereotypes. 2 truths. about pacoima

Table #1
African-American woman whose name I did not get
•    Moved from Berkley to Los Angeles then Lake View Terrace
•    Not much to say about anyplace but LVT and not much to say about LVT really
Salvador
•    Works in Sylmar, Lives in Burbank
•    Shared his opinion that boxing is always popular in low-income communities because athletes can make a living at it w/o a lot of resources
•    Also has the plan about being cremated and ashes
Linda
•    Landmarks:  Hansen Dam
•    Glenoaks wasn’t paved
•    Van Nuys Blvd as late as the 50s had strawberries and corn fields
•    Victory Outreach Pentecostal church on Bradford, works to end gangs
•    A lot of churches
•    Classic car show
•    Games—pool and cards

Table #2
Shirley Eddigs
•    Lived in Pacoima since 1958, on border with San Fernando
•    Hansen Dam park, police on horseback
•    Star of Bethlehem Parade
•    Garden of Angels
•    Calvary Baptist
•    Many churches and they would schedule their events on different days so each could support/participate in the others’
Louise Moten
•    Lived in Pacoima since 1963
•    Lots of orange and lemon trees
•    3rd black family in neighborhood
•    Guardian Angel Catholic Church on Leighigh, my kids went to Fenton Ave. School
•    No yard sales now or selling food
•    5 kids, 15 grandkids and great grandkids
•    South side of Van Nuys was white, North side was black
•    William Marshall-TV actor
•    John Amos, good times
•    Olive View=Olive Trees
•    Good neighborhood place, people look out for each other, neighbors watch out for her, invite her to quinsiñeras