‘Mount Washington is Not a Cell With a Gate Around it’

As a longtime resident of one of the toniest streets in Mount Washington and the first elected woman president of the Los Angeles County Chicano Employees’ Association, Carol Jacques effectively straddles two worlds. After all, life on Elyria Drive, a stone’s throw from the sprawling and impeccably landscaped Self Realization Center, is quite different from life on the lower reaches of Division, Cypress or El Paso. 

But Jacques, who was uprooted from Chavez Ravine as a young girl, has always been a powerful and inspiring community voice for the whole of Northeast Los Angeles. A retired Los Angeles County civil servant and past board member of the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council, she is the vice president of programs at the Mount Washington Association, where she was also president. 

Jacques recently sat down with Patch for an interview about how she views Mount Washington’s destiny in a diverse, mixed-income region prone to relentless change. Excerpts:

Patch: What do you think of Mount Washington?

Carol Jacques: We have wonderful parks surrounding us—it’s really a wonderful place and we’re very lucky to live there. But like the rest of the city, because of the budget shortages, of course we have problems with such things as sidewalks repairs and the resurfacing of some of the streets. But I think if the money were to come down, the priority places are Highland Park, Cypress Park and the surrounding communities in terms of issues that are there. As we pour money into those areas, Mount Washington becomes better. 

What are some of the key priorities in the communities that surround Mount Washington—and how do you think Mount Washington benefits from the realization of those priorities?

Jacques: We need affordable housing near public transportation corridors. That would be better for everybody—including the environment—because then we can take the Gold Line to wherever we’re going. But there’s not enough room in Mount Washington for affordable housing, so it will have to be built around us. 

At the same time we need to find solutions to the homeless problem—homeless people coming into Northeast Los Angeles in large percentages from downtown. It doesn’t affect Mount Washington as much because it’s harder to walk uphill. But as we correct the problems around us, it’s better for Mount Washington. 

What would be your advice to Mount Washington residents looking to get more involved in community issues?

Jacques: Mount Washington is not a cell with a gate around it. It’s part of a variety of communities that surround it, such as Cypress Park, Glassell Park, Highland Park, Eagle Rock. As all of these communities grow in terms of services, shopping and entertainment corridors, it makes Mount Washington much better. 

We don’t have to go to South Pasadena or Glendale and spend our money there. We can spend it in Los Angeles, and our taxes go to the city's coffers. So it’s important that we in Mount Washington support the development of those small businesses along York, Figueroa, Colorado. Bike paths—all of those things, although they’re not specifically related to Mount Washington, make Mount Washington a better place. 

And your advice to local politicians?

Jacques: Our elected leaders have to be very mindful about how they spend our money. If you plant a seed at the bottom of the hill and it grows a tree, Mount Washington will benefit from the shade. 

Isn’t there a section of Mount Washington that doesn’t want anything to do with the Glassell Parks and Highland Parks that surround them?

Jacques: Of course there are some people who would like to build a fence around Mount Washington. But I don’t believe it’s a majority of people. I think the majority of people really understand that if there’s money to be spent it needs to be spent evenly. Of course, we need our share—we need to have our streets paved, our sidewalks fixed. 

I live on Elyria—a very nice street, with a park nearby. In spite of the fact that my sidewalk’s crushed up, I’m very happy to be there. I’m not going to push to have my sidewalk fixed because there may be other areas that have more important problems.