Los Angeles River: Fletcher Bridge

Print: Paul Landacre, "Three Kids and a Horse," 1943, features the Fletcher Bridge crossing the LA River.

While you're checking out the new LA River Bike Path under the Fletcher Bridge, take a moment to think about Paul Landacre's landscape of the river. Landacre was a Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract Resident until his death in 1963. His cabin is a historic landmark.

Los Angeles River: New Bike Path Under Fletcher Bridge

Photo: Diane Edwardson, 2002. LA River bike path used to start and stop at the Fletcher Bridge. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

It used to be risky to attempt to walk or ride under the Fletcher Bridge. The steep grade and slick concrete made going under the bridge difficult, if not dangerous. Joe Linton reviews the welcome improvements under the historic Fletcher Bridge on LA Creek Freak.

Corralitas Drive: Raptor Watch

Photo: Shawnda Thomas Faveau, October 31, 2009, 12:59 PM. Red Tail Hawk on Corralitas Drive. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Halloween brought an early Trick-or-Treater to Shawnda's house. While watching a football game on TV, Shawnda felt like someone was watching her. She glanced out the window and caught sight of a Red Tail Hawk on the telephone pole right outside. Shawnda quickly grabbed her camera and snapped a few frames.

It may be the same hawk that's been hanging around the top of Corraltias.


Photo: Shawnda Thomas Faveau, October 31, 2009, 12:58 PM. Red Tail Hawk on Corralitas Drive. The Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract is in the background.

If you have photos of neighborhood wildlife, please share them with us: redcarproperty@gmail.com.

2 Freeway Terminus Redesign

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 2, 2009, 9:42 AM. Typical southbound traffic on the 2 Freeway as seen from atop Corralitas Drive. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Last night, the MTA hosted a community meeting to say why they couldn't support the community's choice of Alternative D for the 2 Terminus Redesign. For a full recap and link to what had been community's choice: The Eastsider LA.

Corralitas Drive: Raptor Sightings

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 25, 2009, 9:53 AM. Red Tail Hawk in the treetop at 2600 Corralitas Drive.

A smallish Red Tail Hawk has been hanging around the treetops and telephone poles at 2600 Corralitas Drive. A Lake View Ave. neighbor, just on the opposite side of Red Car Canyon, reports a hawk has been hanging around the treetops in his pine trees too.

October 25, 2009, around midday, a neighbor and I witnessed a very large Golden Eagle flying low and slow over the Corralitas end of the Red Car Property. It came from a tree on the slope close to the 2 Freeway; dropped down to about 20' from the ground where the Red Car Property meets Corralitas Drive; then continued soaring slowly toward the trees on the Lake View side of Red Car Canyon. Golden Eagles are more commonly found in Griffith & Elysian Parks. It was an awesome site as it was much larger than the Red Tail Hawks. The head and beak are much larger too. Sadly, neither of us were able to get a photo with our cellphones.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 25, 2009, 9:53 AM. A moment later the hawk took off, exposing its red tail.

Photo: Todd H., week of October 19, 2009. Hawk on telephone wire at 2600 Corralitas Drive at dusk.

Neighbors report seeing a hawk regularly hanging around this part of Corralitas Drive late in the day too. It may be the same hawk in the above photos, as well as one of the hawks seen on Sept 29.

2 Freeway Terminus Redesign: Meeting Tonight

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 9, 2009, 9:24 AM. Back around 1994, CalTrans cut down all the trees between our part of Corralitas Drive and the 2 Freeway. It took 8 years to get some bushes planted. They refused to give us trees. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

2 Freeway Terminus Redesign

Community Open House

Wed., November 4, 2009

6-8 PM

Mayberry Elementary School

Multi Purpose Room

2414 Mayberry St.

Los Angeles, CA 90026

2 Freeway Terminus Redesign: Just Go To The Nov. 4th Meeting

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 2, 2009. 9:54 AM. Eleven homes on Corralitas Drive are less than 50' from the 2 Freeway. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

August 24, 2009, Metro held a "focus group" meeting at Mayberry Elementary School for the 2 Freeway Terminus Redesign. At the meeting, a representative from CalTrans admitted that traffic on the 2 Freeway over the next 20 years would increase 50% under the "No Build Alternative." All the other options presented would increase traffic from 100% to 300%.

I asked for a percentage of traffic increase under each plan at every meeting for the 12 years I've been attending meetings on the 2 Terminus. Because this new information was not readily apparent in the Environmental Review, I can only say to my neighbors, "Go to this meeting and ask a lot of questions."

Don't forget to ask how they will be mitigating for the increase in air pollution that comes with the increase in traffic all the way back to the 5 Freeway.

2 Freeway Terminus Redesign

Community Open House

Wed., November 4, 2009

6-8 PM

Mayberry Elementary School

Multi Purpose Room

2414 Mayberry St.

Los Angeles, CA 90026

Click here for the history of the 2 Freeway corridor in our neighborhood.

2 Frwy Terminus Redesign: Community Meeting, Wed., November 4, 2009

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 1, 2009. Southbound 2 Freeway from the Oak Glen overpass. The "Hybrid Alternative" involves moving the exit from the southbound 2 Frwy to northbound Glendale Blvd, to the opposite side it exits on now. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Despite a 17 year process redesigning the 2 Freeway Terminus at Glendale Blvd. leading to overwhelming support from the community for Alternative D (which maximized public park space), The Powers That Be created a bastardized version they'll present at a Community Open House on Nov. 4 (details below).

The bastardized version, or as Metro calls it, the "Hybrid Alternative," completely ignores one of the main purposes of the Terminus redesign: removing vehicle traffic from the southbound flyover ramp at the Terminus. Years ago, I remember then City Councilmember and later, Assemblymember Jackie Goldberg as well as County Supervisor Gloria Molina insisting this was a primary goal because the traffic coming off the flyover ramp was unsafe for vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians.

Term limits have led to a lack of institutional memory in all of our elected offices. A mind-numbing array of jurisdictions and funding sources (CalTrans, MTA also known as Metro, DOT, City, State, County, Federal) have kept all but a handful of dedicated volunteers from keeping track of what's going on or even what the original goals and promises were. Combined with 2 balkanized Neighborhood Councils and 3 or 4 very different neighborhoods near the Terminus that have completely different issues with the 2 Freeway, and guess who gets the short end of the stick? Could it be the community?

So, if you live near the 2 Freeway between the LA River and the Terminus at Glendale Blvd., or in one of the nearby neighborhoods which suffer cut-through traffic for the 2 Freeway, you should attend this meeting and ask a lot of questions.

2 Freeway Terminus Redesign

Community Open House

Wed., November 4, 2009

6-8 PM

Mayberry Elementary School

Multi Purpose Room

2414 Mayberry St.

Los Angeles, CA 90026

Click here for the last 2 Freeway Terminus Redesign post.

Corralitas Drive: Day of the Dead

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 23, 2009. Turn back that clock & get an extra hour of sleep to nurse that Halloween hangover. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

All Hallows' Eve: When Goblins Come Out

Photo: M. Gilvary, October 24, 2009. Rose Scharlin Co-op Preschool Halloween Hullaballoo was last Saturday. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Slow down while driving the local streets. There are many more small children in the 'hood now, than in the past 30 years.

Happy Halloween!

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 6, 2009. Don't OD on sugar! (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Countdown to Halloween: Ominous Crows

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 4, 2009. Crows simultaneously suck up light and, yet, are still so shiny. It seems pretty diabolical.

Countdown to Halloween: Devils' Night

Photo: M. Gilvary, October 24, 2009. Rose Scharlin Co-op Preschool's Halloween Hullaballoo was last Saturday. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Rose Scharlin Preschool has no connection whatsoever with Devils' Night, other than providing a really spooky photo op.

Devil's Night causes grave concern in Detroit, where the plentiful supply of vacant buildings inspires vandals to arson. Read more about Devils' Night in the Detroit Free Press.

Who Killed Death?

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 14, 2009. Even the Grim Reaper needs a lie-down sometimes. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

We Know What Scares You: Snakes

Photo: C. Weir, October 27, 2009. Underside of a San Bernardino Ring-necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus modestus) found dead on October 23. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Sometimes, the only way to learn if a species lives in the neighborhood, is to find a dead one. (We do not condone killing snakes, as they are a vital part of our ecosystem.) Weir found the already dead snake at the end of Riverside Place where the path leads to the Red Car Property. Weir said the snake had bite-mark puncture wounds (photo below). The snake is about a foot long and a half-inch in diameter.

Weir thinks it is a San Bernardino Ring-necked Snake. Cal Herps confirms it and continues, Ring-necked snakes are "mildly venomous, not considered dangerous to humans." When threatened, the snake coils its tail like a corkscrew; exposing the brightly colored underside; sending the message to predators, "Do not eat!"
Photo: C. Weir, October 27, 2009. The gray-green back of the San Bernardino Ring-necked Snake helps it camouflage in moist habitat, like Red Car Canyon. (Click on photo to enlarge for excellent detail in the scales.)

Ring-necked Snakes prey on worms, slugs and small reptiles, particularly Slender Salamanders, which are found both on the Red Car Property and in backyards on Riverside Place. They also eat tadpoles. In El Nino years, tadpoles appear in the vernal pools in Red Car Canyon. So be on the lookout for these small snakes on cloudy days, at dusk and after dark.

See photos of live San Bernardino Ring-necked Snakes on Cal Herps.

This week, we're counting down to Halloween with scary stuff from the 'hood. If you have photos of neighborhood reptiles, bugs, birds or mammals send them to us: redcarproperty@gmail.com.

Giant Spider Invasion Continues

Photo: Shawnda Thomas Faveau, October 17, 2009. Countdown to Halloween continues. Another day, another giant spider tried to capture Shawnda in its web.

Shawnda has all kinds of scary visitors to her yard including: devious spiders, creepy caterpillars, Mothra's cousin and even Black Witch Moths (known around here as MOTHRA!). Henceforth, Shawnda will affectionately be known as "The Bug Lady of Silver Lake."

If you have scary or even not so scary photos of neighborhood insects, birds, reptiles or wildlife, share them with us: redcarproperty@gmail.com.

Countdown to Halloween: Giant Spiders

Photo: Catherine F., September 26, 2009. Two & half inch (including legs) spiders have been seen close to doorways for the past month. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

At the top of Corralitas Drive, these spiders like to build webs between the log cabins and across driveways. Perhaps they're looking for human prey.

Death Stalks Corralitas Drive

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 4, 2009. Counting down to Halloween! (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Sign Of The Times

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 4, 2009. Considering all the half finished houses in the neighborhood, this realtor can pick up a few more listings easily. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

A Morgue Is Not Allowed Under R2 Zoning

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 17, 2009. A morgue is definitely a non-compliant land use in R2 zoning. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

This week we're counting down to Halloween with scary scenes from the 'hood.