GOOD OLD OPTIMISM IN THE AIR.Byline: Dennis McCarthy Dennis McCarthy may refer to:
Before we all hunker down Hun´ker down v. 1. to crouch or squat; to sit on one's haunches. 2. to settle in at a location for an extended period; - also (figuratively) to maintain a position and resist yielding to some pressure, as of public opinion. 3. in front of our TV sets tonight to hear Bill Clinton's State of the Union address “State of the Union” redirects here. For other uses, see State of the Union (disambiguation). The State of the Union is an annual address in which the President of the United States reports on the status of the country, normally to a joint session of Congress (the , let's take a moment to reflect on more pressing matters. What's the State of the Valley these days? Still too many people in your face? How's the job, still shaky? The marriage any better? Your kids still going through that phase that's driving you crazy? You get all that earthquake damage fixed yet? Still thinking about moving to Seattle or Arizona if you can find somebody to meet your price on your house? All in all, how's your life going? Things any better today than they were a few years ago? Granted, finding the real state of anything - let alone a nation, or the Valley - is not an exact science. There are no graphs or charts that mirror the feelings of the 1.5 million people living here - no seers Seers is the plural of Seer Seers may refer to:
But bless their hearts, people talk. Talk a lot. They talk in bars, barbershops, restaurants, coffee shops, hair salons A hair salon (also called 'Hairdresser' and 'Hair Parlour')is a place where one goes to get their hair cut, as well as styled, highlighted or coloured. There are many different types of hair salons that one can choose to go to. , nail parlors, rec REC - CONVERT centers - everywhere and anywhere people gather to let off some steam and come clean with each other. The truth hath hath v. Archaic Third person singular present tense of have. no better friend than the barber cutting your hair, the woman doing your nails, or the guy pouring your drink. So I bring you the State of the Valley - February 1997 - through the eyes of the working man and woman whose job, in part, is to listen to whatever the interest group walking through their door every day wants to get off its chest. We'll start down on Ventura Boulevard Ventura Boulevard is one of the primary east-west thouroughfares in the San Fernando Valley; as it was originally a part of the El Camino Real (the trail between Spanish missions), Ventura Boulevard is the oldest route in the San Fernando Valley. It was also U.S. in Encino at The Nail Works - a hotbed hotbed, low, glass-covered frame structure for starting tender plants. It differs from a cold frame only in that the soil is heated—either artificially as by underground electric wiring or steampipes, or naturally with partially fermented stable manure, which of juicy gossip, laughs and true confessions True Confessions was a magazine published by Fawcett Publications, beginning in 1922. With a cover price of 25 cents, the front cover of the October, 1922, issue heralded, "Our Thousand Dollar Prize Winner—'All Hell Broke Loose'. . Just a few years ago, women getting their nails done here were talking about fixing their earthquake damage, the manicurists say. Now, the main topic of conversation is fixing their husband damage. ``There's a definite 20- to 25-year itch going on in the Valley right now,'' says veteran manicurist Cissy cissy Noun pl -sies Adjective same as sissy Adj. 1. cissy - having unsuitable feminine qualities effeminate, emasculate, sissified, sissy, sissyish, epicene Schneider. ``I'm seeing a big turnover in husbands among my longtime clients.'' The turnover in the Valley's version of First Wives Club hasn't been bad for business, though. ``There's no doubt that we're doing much better today than three or four years ago,'' says owner Maria Sheppard. ``When the economy was bad, women were trying to save money by going to some of the cheaper nail shops. But they're back now because they realize quality is important, and they're willing to pay for it.'' Over at Pineapple Hill in Sherman Oaks, a local watering hole where some of the Valley's leading raconteurs hang out, the talk is about O.J., ebonics, and how much they lost on the Super Bowl when that bum missed the field goal. Only a couple of years ago, you could have fired a shot in the Hill at high noon High Noon western film in which time is of the essence. [Am. Cinema: Griffith, 396–397] See : Wild West , and probably not hit anything but an empty bar stool bar stool n → Barhocker m or the jukebox A storage device for multiple sets of CD-ROMs, DVDs, tape cartridges or disk modules. Using carousels, robot arms and other methods, a jukebox physically moves the storage medium from its assigned location to an optical or magnetic station for reading and writing. . But today the joint is jumpin'. ``Nobody's crying in their beers anymore about the rotten economy like they were two or three years ago,'' says bartender, nurse maid and confidant Perry Atkin. ``People are laughing again, having fun again. They're not down in the dumps like they were after the earthquake. It's good to see.'' It's also good to see that people have gotten a lot wiser and more socially responsible, he says. ``Customers are much more wary now. They leave earlier. Nobody stays until 2 a.m. anymore. Many more people call cabs or bring designated drivers designated driver Public health A person at a social function who volunteers, or is 'volunteered' to chauffeur inebriated revellers chez elles at festivity's end. Cf Squash it. with them.'' In Van Nuys, one of the Valley's largest interest groups - seniors - walk through Irv Gross' door at the Organization for the Needs of the Elderly for some honest conversation in the ``Straight Talk'' classes he runs at the center. Irv says he can't tell you much about the State of the Union or the State of the Valley, but he can speak volumes about the State of Mind of today's seniors in the Valley because he hears it all. ``They're worried, not about themselves because they know they're aged and their time is limited,'' he says. ``They're worried about their children and grandchildren GRANDCHILDREN, domestic relations. The children of one's children. Sometimes these may claim bequests given in a will to children, though in general they can make no such claim. 6 Co. 16. , what's going to happen to them. ``These are good citizens indebted to America. They've come from immigrant parents, and have become middle-class citizens living mostly comfortable lives in retirement. ``But they are concerned when they look into the future, concerned that government won't be able to solve all the problems facing it. Concerned that their children will not have the lives and opportunities they did, their grandchildren not the education they had. ``If you want to know the state of mind of today's seniors in the Valley, that's it,'' Irv Gross says. Up in the city of San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. and over in Canoga Park, the man who has his finger on the pulse of one of the major problems dogging the State of the Valley every year - gangs - thinks we're finally seeing major progress. ``The kids used to look at the cops as enemies, while the cops' attitude was just `book 'em' '' says Angel Perez, who runs the El Centro El Centro (ĕl sĕn`trō), city (1990 pop. 31,384), seat of Imperial co., SE Calif., near the Mexican border; inc. 1908. It is a processing and shipping center for a heavily irrigated agricultural region (vegetables, grain, cotton, De Amistad programs in both communities, and is deeply involved in gang intervention. ``Now, there's a lot more flexibility and talk between both groups. The police are listening to them more, even becoming mentors to some kids. The results are showing. The crime and violence is coming down. ``Ten years ago, these kids wouldn't even come close to a program like this, now they're out there in the West Valley helping repair sidewalks and clean graffiti off walls. Their mothers also have more hope now, and we're seeing much more parent participation in our programs. ``Just five years ago, all my time was spent dealing with confrontation resolutions between gang members; now it's dealing with cultural issues and education. ``It's beautiful how times are changing,'' Perez says. In Studio City, no one has slid more plates of ham and eggs Noun 1. ham and eggs - eggs (scrambled or fried) served with ham dish - a particular item of prepared food; "she prepared a special dish for dinner" across a restaurant table while kibitzing the customers than Shirley Cook, a waitress at the Sportsmen's Lodge The Sportsmen's Lodge in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles, California is something of a kitsch landmark but remains a popular spot for celebrations, dinners and public events. coffee shop for 30 years. ``My philosophy is `kill 'em with kindness.' You can always win somebody over if you're nice to them,'' Shirley says. ``And it ain't bad for tips, either.'' What Shirley's hearing over coffee every morning in her slice of the Valley these days is a little pessimism mixed in with a lot of hope, she says. ``We get a lot of movie people in, and they're usually upset about how the movie business is taxed in this city. And when Lockheed closed down, it left behind a lot of people lamenting the old military money drying up. ``But for all the griping and complaining, most people love the Valley. I get a lot of talk about how it's great that they're beautifying Reseda Boulevard, and how things are looking up again. ``The State of the Valley?'' asks Shirley Cook. ``Just say it's good and getting better.'' But over at Bobby's Coffee Shop in Woodland Hills, the take on the State of the Valley among his steady customers is, at best, mixed, says owner Mike Lee. ``I get a lot of construction people in for breakfast every morning, and they're still lamenting the lack of new construction projects and jobs, now that the earthquake work is mainly over,'' he said. ``Maybe nationally, the economy is getting better, but in the Valley, no, not for the construction people.'' And, finally, over at Joe's Barber Shop in Canoga Park - where Joe Mayer has been cutting hair for 57 years - the State of the Valley is looking up, Joe says. It's not that his business is better - because it isn't. Joe, like a lot of old-time barbers in this country, still holds a grudge grudge tr.v. grudged, grudg·ing, grudg·es 1. To be reluctant to give or admit: even grudged the tuition money. 2. against the Beatles, and the long-hair era the British rock British rock and roll, or British rock, was born out of the influence of rock and roll and rhythm and blues from the United States, but added a new drive and urgency, exporting the music back and widening the audience for black R & B in the U.S. group ushered in. ``Business is better now than in the '60s, but they still don't come in like they used to,'' he says. No, Joe's cause for optimism is what he sees and hears from his longtime customers who come in for a haircut Haircut 1. The difference between prices at which a market maker can buy and sell a security. 2. The percentage by which an asset's market value is reduced for the purpose of calculating capital requirement, margin, and collateral levels. Notes: 1. and shave, and stay just to shoot the breeze. They seem happier these days, Joe says - ``Not as worried about the economy and the future as they were, say, only a year ago. ``Things change, and time goes on, hopefully for the better,'' Joe Mayer says. So, that's it - the State of the Valley, February 1997 - through the eyes of the working man and woman. The truth hath no better friend than the barber cutting your hair, the woman doing your nails, or the guy pouring your drink. CAPTION(S): 4 Photos PHOTO (1 -- color) ``I get a lot of talk about how it's great that they're beautifying Reseda Boulevard, and how things are looking up again. `The State of the Valley?' Just say it's good and getting better. Shirley Cook, Waitress (2 -- color) ``Just five years ago, all my time was spent dealing with confrontation resolutions between gang members, now it's dealing with cultural issues and education. It's beautiful how times are changing. Angel Perez, runs the El Centro De Amistad program, involved in gang intervention (3) ``There's a definite 20- to 25-year itch going on in the Valley right now. I'm seeing a big turnover in husbands among my longtime clients. Cissy Schneider, Manicurist (4) ``People are laughing again, having fun again. They're not down in the dumps like they were after the earthquake. It's good to see.'' Perry Atkin, bartender |
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