Silver Lake: Traffic Safety Meeting, Monday April 30, 2012, 4:30 PM *Updated

Photo: Jerome Courshon, April 19, 2012.  DWP construction makes driving and walking in the Glendale Blvd/Rowena corridor more dangerous.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

*UPDATE, May 1, 2012 Reviews of the meeting:

The Eastsider

Echo Park Patch

City Councilmember Tom LaBonge (CD4) will hold a traffic safety meeting, Monday at 4:30 PM. (Really Tom?  4:30PM?  Don't want too many people showing up?)  There have been several pedestrian vs car accidents (with fatalities) in recent weeks in Silver Lake and Echo Park (CD13).

Details directly from the CD4 newsletter below:

Silver Lake Traffic Safety Community Meeting
Monday April 30, 2012
4:30pm-6:00pm
Ivanhoe Elementary School - Auditorium
2828 Herkimer Avenue
Silver Lake, CA 90039

Presentations from
LAPD Traffic
LA Dept. of Transportation
Dept. of Water and Power
Contract Administration
City Planning
and Sliver Lake Neighborhood Council
for more information, contact Mary Rodriguez at mary.d.rodriguez@lacity.org
or tracy.james@lacity.org
or call 818.766.7187

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: Definitely 3 Baby Red Tailed Hawks

Video: Gary Vlahakis, April 28, 2012.  This morning's video shows one of the adults definitely feeding 3 fluffy white chicks.  (Best viewed full screen.)

Just over a year ago, we began documenting the same nesting pair of Red Tailed Hawks.  They may be the same pair that nested on Corralitas Drive in 2005. 

With the recent (nearly 4-acre) deforestation of the controversial 16-lot subdivision in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract, we hope we're not documenting the demise of this family over the next few months.  The nest is less than 100' from the development site, where grading and hauling begin next week.

Links: 
All our hawk related posts
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
 

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: Red Tail Hawk Feeding Possibly 3 Chicks

Video: Gary Vlahakis, April 27, 2012.  We're cautiously optimistic there are now 3 babies in the nest.  Best viewed in full screen option.

Thanks to Gary for getting much better video of one of the adults feeding the baby Red Tailed Hawks this morning. He stabilized the tripod, but is still limited by the home video camera.   We both think we've seen 3 little fluffy white babies in the nest. 

We've had a few neighborhood professional photographers and filmmakers offer to shoot a few frames, so hopefully we'll have higher quality images soon. 

We're following the Red Tailed Hawk nest at the corner of Allesandro & Rosebud, 100' from the controversial 16-lot subdivision in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. 

Send us your Red Car Neighborhood wildlife photos with details on date, time, location, behavior etc: redcarproperty@gmail.com.

LA River: Scenic Sites For The Great LA River Clean- Up, Tomorrow

Photo: Diane Edwardson, December 4, 2010.  Hyperion Bridge and Griffith Park are a dramatic backdrop for the Los Feliz site.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Tomorrow's Friends of The LA River (FoLAR) Clean-Up features 8 sites within walking or biking distance from the Red Car Property Neighborhood.  If you still haven't explored the LA River, here are a few photos to help you choose a site to participate in Saturday's clean-up.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, January 20, 2010.  Marsh Street Park has a skateboard park in addition to a fanciful playground and natural stormwater recharge (the marsh). 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 23, 2011.  The Sunnynook Footbridge is scheduled for an addition of park space on the west side of the LA River.  

Photo: Diane Ewardson, January 3, 2003.  Steelhead Park is marked by the Steelhead Salmon gate at the end of Oros Street in Elysian Valley. 

LA Gran Limpieza

The 23rd Annual LA River Clean Up

Saturday, April 28, 2012

9 AM - Noon

Info, maps & more: FoLAR

Click here for all our LA River posts

Corralitas Drive: Rain Brings Another Stinkhorn Fungus, Rainfall Totals

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 26, 2012.  An entirely new Stinkhorn Fungus popped up with last night's rain.  I had never seen this 1.25" species in my yard.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

It seems non-native tropical plants can bring Stinkhorns to your yard.  Could it be the unholy love of bamboo the previous owner of this house had?  Learn more about the mushrooms of California on Mykoweb.

We're tracking rainfall totals captured on Corralitas Drive...

April 25-26, 2012: 1.25"

Season to date: 16.25"

Disclaimer: The Corralitas Red Car Property Blog prefers to quote reliable sources, such as Calflora and California Poison Control, on the issue of toxicity. We often get email suggesting some plants are edible. If you are eating your way through the Red Car Property, we DO NOT recommend you eat any plant you find in the Red Car Property neighborhood without first doing your own research.

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: First Video Proof Shot Today. Red Tailed Hawks Have At Least 2 Babies In Nest

Video: Gary Vlahakis, April 25, 2012, around 8:15 AM.  At 31 seconds, you can clearly see 2 white fluffy baby Red Tailed Hawks fussing in the nest at the feet of the adult. Best viewed in full screen.

Thanks to Gary Vlahakis for capturing the first video proof (this morning) of the baby hawks in the nest.  The video is shaky since Gary only had a monopod and knew it was important to get the footage. 

The developers of the controversial 16-lot subdivision in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract will start grading and hauling operations next week.  They should have to make mitigations for working within 500' of an active raptor nest.  However they refused to share their mitigation plan with the "City Family" at a meeting in February.

For the past couple days both Gary & I had noticed the adults were spending more time on the sides of the nest at the corner of Allesandro & Rosebud.  Gary noticed the adult was shielding the babies with its wings when some light rain fell this morning.  He also noticed that the larger of the 2 chicks seems to be more aggressive than the smaller one.  

Highlights in the video shot from Corralitas Drive:
0:09 - 0:20  Adult shielding babies from light rain
0:31 Two chicks squabbling, possibly over food
0:43 - 0:51 Adult walking around edge of nest
1:07 Possibly feeding
1:52 - 2:19 Babies very active
3:45 Zoom out for location - 16 lot subdivision in background

Learn more about Red Tailed Hawks:
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Cornell's Live Hawkcam
All our hawk posts

LA River: 23rd Annual Gran Limpieza, The Great LA River Clean Up, Sat. April 28, 2012

Photo: Diane Edwardson, December 22, 2010.  There's nothing more iconic than the LA River/Egret/plastic bag/shopping cart photo.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Friends of the LA River (FoLAR) will host their 23rd Annual Clean Up at 15 locations on the river, including 8 within walking/biking distance from the Red Car Property Neighborhood.

LA Gran Limpieza

Saturday, April 28, 2012

9 AM - Noon

Info, maps & more: FoLAR

Click here for all our LA River posts 

Sunset Junction: 300 Units Coming Soon If You Don't Speak Up Right Away*

Image: LA City Planning,  July 15, 2009.  General Land Use Map Silver Lake - Echo Park - Elysian Valley.  (Clicking image won't improve the quality - look it up on the City Planning Website.)

There's a glut of apartment and condo units being built in the Silver Lake - Echo Park Area. (Expect all those apartment units to go condo conversion with the next real estate boom.)  Our already overburdened hillside streets can't take much more.  We strongly suggest you pay attention to development beyond the immediate Red Car Property neighborhood.  

The deadline for comments on the Environmental Review is April 26, 2012.

Silver Lake Community Meeting Tonight:

Tuesday April 24, 2012

7PM

Silver Lake Independent Jewish Community Center

1100 Bates Ave

Read more: Silver Lake to weigh in on Sunset Junction Development, The Eastsider

*UPDATE 4-25-12: Standing-room only crowd pushes back on the scale and potential character-destruction of the neighborhood.  read meeting highlights on The Eastsider.

Silver Lake Reservoir: Too Bad Most Of The DWP Property Is Off Limits To The Public

Photo: Shawnda Thomas Faveau, March 2, 2008.  Neighbors are looking for new ways to use the Silver Lake Reservoir once it's taken off-line.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Read one idea: The Eastsider

See also: Silver Lake Reservoirs Conservancy

Glendale Blvd: DWP's Piles Of Dirt*

Photo: Jerome Courshon, April 19, 2012.  It seems like everything on the northeast end of Silver Lake is under construction these days.  The DWP has moved their LA River Bypass tunneling onto another part of Glendale Blvd this week.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The DWP has failed to keep their contractors covering piles of loose dirt as prescribed by the EIR for the control of particulate matter or "fugitive dust."  I drove by earlier this week; saw traffic cops in face masks, looking miserable, while they directed traffic in the middle of sandblasting and contractors cutting the asphalt without any water at all. 

Read Courshon's take on the DWP's project: Echo Park Patch

Neighbors in the Waverly, Locksley, Rowena, Glendale Blvd corridor are organizing to coordinate efforts to deal with DWP and various construction sites (Monte Sano, the Coffee Table site, etc). **

*UPDATE 4-26-12: Read more on the detours and disruption on The Eastsider. 

** 2015: Contact info removed by request.

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: Grading Hell

Photo: Russell Bates, April 18, 2012. Grading began this week for 2400 Allesandro.  The permits are listed under "2055 Elmoran."  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The grading permit (available on the Building & Safety website, see: "Property Activity Report" under "Online Services") outlines the extent of the earth moving for the controversial 16-lot subdivision:

Remove & Recompact : 30,000 cubic yards (of earth) 
Cut: 13,306 cubic yards 
Fill: 2,789 cubic yards
Export: 7,500 cubic yards

For perspective, Menlo Property developers estimate exporting 63,500 cubic yards of earth.  In other words, almost the entire slope between the giant retaining wall north of Riverside & Fletcher to the Riverglen Apartments on Riverside Drive. 

Semi Tropic developers will be removing and recompacting almost half that amount of earth to stabilize the slope over the next 8 months.

So far, it looks like they're just removing the tree stumps of the 3 acres worth of urban forest they chopped down last month. 

The earth has been pretty wet this week due to the high water table on the slope and all the recent rain.  We hope they will employ more than twice a day wetting to control Particulate Matter and "fugitive dust." 

Riverside Place: Day Of The Locust

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, April 16, 2012.  A gigantic 5-6" long and 1-2" tall, grasshopper visited Vaniveer's yard.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

According to Vandiveer, it was "HUGE! It totally freaked out and simultaneously intrigued my son. It had wings and could fly but really badly, they just prolonged the jump rather than 'flew.'"

Learn more about grasshoppers on BugGuide.

Semi Tropic Not-So-Spiritualists' Tract: Earth Moving Started At 7AM Wednesday

Photo: Jonthan Vandiveer, April 18, 2012.  It's legal for them to operate the bulldozer before 8AM, M-F, because we failed to scrutinize the conditions on the haul route closely. 

Nor did we pay close attention to the language used in the haul route permits - which should cover all vehicle traffic to and from the site.  However, the language used in the permit only included hauling earth to and from the site between 9AM -4PM, M-F.  We were too busy with land use, grading, native trees, ADA accessibility, trail access and wildlife to scrutinize final language of short term construction impacts to the extent we should have. 

If you're not getting paid to fight these things, it takes a stronger core of community involvement to address ALL the issues adequately with each project.  (We did a damn good job, it's not our fault we have a City then bends over for developers. Start paying attention now - we're electing a new City Councilmember and Mayor next year.) 

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract suffered from its isolation and went largely unnoticed because it had a mature urban forest on it.  No one realized how large the site was until they cut down all the trees.   Suddenly, neighbors who couldn't be bothered to send an email during the appeal process in 2009, wanted to know what they could do to stop the rape of the land.   Answer - pay attention when we sound the alarm next time. 

There's always a next time.  See: Legacy of Failed Development

Corralitas Public Staircase: Coyote Alert

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, April 17, 2012.  A big healthy looking female coyote (who appears to have puppies somewhere) was spotted on the Corralitas Public Staircase early yesterday morning.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The Big Parade, the 2 day, 100+ public staircase hike is coming May 19-20, 2012.  Start training now and join the Parade for a few staircases, a couple miles or both days.  Info: www.bigparadela.com/ 

Semi Tropic Hell Spiritualists' Tract: Earth Moving Started Today*

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, April 17, 2012.  A huge bulldozer started digging into the hillside in the controversial 16-lot subdivision in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract today.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Last week, developer David French told City's Community Forest Advisory Committee (CFAC), they expect to be grading through November.  Get ready for at least 8 months of Semi Tropic Grading Hell.  They started bulldozing at 8AM.  The conditions for approval clearly state grading  *Haul Route includes activity between 9 AM and 4PM.  Good times ahead.

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, April 17, 2012.  Grading commenced despite the active Red Tailed Hawk nest on the corner of Allesandro & Rosebud, right across the street from the construction site.  In February, the developer told the Board of Public Works president Andrea Alarcon there would be a biologist on site through April.  The hawks use the nest through at least July.

Photos shot from Corralitas Drive.

*UPDATE 4-18-12: Correction, apparently we failed to pay careful attention to the various versions of approvals and confusing versions of the conditions for approval, despite what was discussed at the East Area Planning Commission during the appeal process.  If it doesn't get written into the decision, it doesn't count.  However there is a noise ordinance that limits construction noise in residential zones before 8AM on Saturdays, 7AM on weekdays.  My house was rumbling when they started grading at 7AM today. 

Red Car Property: California Harvester Ants

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 5, 2012.  California Harvester Ants are NOT Red Imported Fire Ants.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

April seems to bring the California Harvester Ants out from under the Red Car Property near Adelbert.  California Harvester Ants are a native species and should not be confused with aggressive Red Imported Fire Ants. Harvester Ants are NOT aggressive.

I've read Environmental Impact Reports citing the presence of Harvester Ants as an "indicator species." In other words, their presence is a sign of good biodiversity of the land.

LA River: Fletcher Bridge

Photo: Diane Edwardson April 23, 2011.  The LA River roared to life with Friday's rain, see photos on The Eastsider.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Corralitas Drive: Rainfall Totals

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 11, 2012.  Cypress Park as seen from Corralitas Drive.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

We're keeping track of rainfall totals collected on Corralitas Drive this rainy season:

April 13, 2012: 0.9"

Season to date: 14.9"

I'm not buying our rainfall totals this year.  Will Campbell, on the other end of Silver Lake, is also keeping track, he had 1.5" Friday. 

Mudwatch:

Due to my previously mentioned camera mishap, I've got no new mud photos.  The Red Car Canyon is passable, the stretch of Red Car Property between Rose Scharlin Nursery School and India Street is mudtastic.  Only the sure-footed should attempt a walk there. 

Red Car Property: When Dumping Migrates

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, April 10, 2012.  I swear that blue plastic wading pool started out north of India a few years ago and migrated south to the pile trash growing behind a Riverside Place house, near Rose Scharlin Nursery School.  Some of the junk seems to be a part of a makeshift fence.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)



Red Car Property: Just How Small Are Those (Probably) Native Wildflowers? *UPDATED

Photo:  Diane Edwardson, April 3, 2012.  We still have no ID on these tiny and likely native wildflowers found above the historic viaduct footings.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 3, 2012.  The flowers are really small; my dog is a Shepherd mix.  Arrow is pointing to the same flower from above photo.

If you can ID this flower, send us an email: redcarproperty@gmail.com.

*UPDATE April 15, 2012: For years, we'd hoped this was a native wildflower.  It's not.  It appears to be a Windmill Pink, also know as Common Catchfly (Silene gallica).  

A longtime regular reader suggested it might be Silene noctiflora.  Since the petals didn't look quite right to me, I looked up the genus, Silene, on Calflora.  The native Silene species are far more interesting than the non-native variety.  Thanks again to our readers for making suggestions.

Corralitas Drive: Dark Skies Over The Eastside, Rainfall Totals

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 11, 2012, 8:14AM.  Shooting east from Corralitas Drive this morning, sent my trusty point & shoot camera flying into the pavement.  Now I need a new one.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

We're keeping track of rainfall totals measured on Corralitas Drive this year:

April 11, 2012: 1.8"

Season to date: 14.0"*

*I've been questioning my rain gauge this year, especially since Will Campbell who lives on the other side of Silver Lake has had over 26" this rainy season.    Next rainy season, I'll find a new location for the rain gauge.

Corralitas Drive: Stinkhorn Fungus

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 10, 2012.  Investigating the smell of dead animal near my back door, I knew to search for a Stinkhorn Fungus.  Sure enough, one had just popped out of its "egg" (the white casing at the tip).  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Learn more about Stinkhorn Fungus on Mykoweb.   

Disclaimer: The Corralitas Red Car Property Blog prefers to quote reliable sources, such as Calflora and California Poison Control, on the issue of toxicity. We often get email suggesting some plants are edible. If you are eating your way through the Red Car Property, we DO NOT recommend you eat any plant you find in the Red Car Property neighborhood without first doing your own research.

Dodger Stadium: Mother Of All Grading Projects

Photo: Antonio Futterer, Holyland Exhibition Collection, 1960. With all the talk about large grading projects in the neighborhood lately,  I thought it was time to run this Dodger Stadium grading photo.  Thanks to Scott Fajack of the Citizen's Committee to Save Elysian Park for identifying the streets in this Elysian Park photo.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

It's hard to imagine that this was only the beginning of grading for Dodger Stadium.  Paducah Street was one of the streets completely filled in with 8 million cubic yards of earth for Dodger Stadium (Wiki).  At the end of Paducah Street was Palo Verde Elementary, reportedly buried in place. 

The bottom corner of the (above) dirt mound would be the corner of Lilac Terrace & Stadium Way today.  In some places, the fill dirt was 100 feet deep.

There were likely no air quality restrictions or dust control measures on the site.  California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) was not signed into law until 1970. 

It's unlikely any project substantially altering canyons to this extent would get approved today, without years of litigation.  Although, with the current political climate in the City & State, it is good to remember just how important public review of development proposals really is.

Photo: Scott Fajack, March 13, 2012.  It's hard to match the 1960 photo, but houses on Boylston are in the far left, beyond the parking lot.  (The corner of Paducah & Chavez Ravine Road would be over the edge, in the foreground, where the shadow drops off.) 

Both photos were shot from White Knoll Drive above Figueroa Terrace looking north - northeast.

Recommended reading (with a historic map of the area overlayed on a current satellite photo): The Ravine, SolanoCanyon.net

History of Chavez Ravine, Independent Lens on pbs.org 

Chavez Ravine Revisited, LA Times, May 12, 2009 (includes a great Harry Chase 1959 bulldozing photo) 

Opening Day at Dodger Stadium is today.  Gates open at 10 AM, expect traffic everywhere around the Stadium including the 2 Freeway, Riverside Drive & Allesandro most of the day.  Game starts at 1:10 PM, expect a military flyover at 1 PM. 

Check The Eastsider for important news and community impacts of Opening Day.

Follow Citizen's Committee to Save Elysian Park (CCESP) on Facebook.

Special thanks to Scott Fajack for research on this post.  It's not easy to fill in the canyons in the photos and understand what you're looking at.

Red Car Canyon: More Fungus

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 1, 2012.  Last week's rains started fungus growing on one of the logs in the mouth of Red Car Canyon.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

It looks a bit like "Chicken of the Woods" fungus, but is far too small, see MykoWeb under "Polypores."

Learn more about mushrooms: MykoWeb 

Disclaimer: The Corralitas Red Car Property Blog prefers to quote reliable sources, such as Calflora and California Poison Control, on the issue of toxicity. We often get email suggesting some plants are edible. If you are eating your way through the Red Car Property, we DO NOT recommend you eat any plant you find in the Red Car Property neighborhood without first doing your own research.

Red Car Property: Not Easter Eggs, "Puffball" Mushrooms

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 4, 2012.  I have no idea which species of "Puffball" mushroom are growing on the Red Car Property between India St and the Silver Lake Ave Public Staircase.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The larger one (foreground) is similar in size and appearance of a cantaloupe. 

Learn more about mushrooms: MykoWeb 

Disclaimer: The Corralitas Red Car Property Blog prefers to quote reliable sources, such as Calflora and California Poison Control, on the issue of toxicity. We often get email suggesting some plants are edible. If you are eating your way through the Red Car Property, we DO NOT recommend you eat any plant you find in the Red Car Property neighborhood without first doing your own research.

2 Freeway Terminus: Redesign Update

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 1, 2009.  Say good-bye to those trees on the sides of the 2 Freeway if the sound walls ever get put in on Allesandro Way.  CalTrans would NOT replant trees if sound walls get built on most of the 2 Freeway through our neighborhood.  They would only plant the walls with ivy - this was never addressed in the Environmental Impact Report.  (Click on photos to enlarge.) 

Echo Park Improvement Association hosted a meeting for the MTA to update the community on the progress of the 2 Terminus Redesign.  There were no new drawings and a lot of excuses.  However, new project manager Benkin Jong explained the project would be split into 2 phases since there was no money for phase 2.

Phase 1:

1. Replace/upgrade/install flashing beacon lights in the southbound lanes to improve traffic safety.  (Jong had no information on location or type of shielding to keep the flashing lights out of adjacent homes.)

2. Retrofit Soffit Lights under the bridge on Glendale Blvd at the Terminus

3. Install Speed Feedback Sign on the flyover ramp at the Terminus

4. Refresh striping on Glendale Blvd

5. Improve/replace/install signage within project limits.

Wow.  That should cost about 3 million dollars.

Phase 2 (for which there is no money):

1. Metering of the existing flyover ramp at the Terminus

2. Landscaping the median on Glendale Blvd

3. Sound walls

Maryann Kuk, Silver Lake Reservoirs Conservancy, suggested before CalTrans & MTA get too far into the design phase that they consult with neighbors regarding the design and placement of things like sound walls and flashing lights before they get locked into an unchangeable plan.

Judy Raskin, Echo Park Community Action Committee, chair, suggested the MTA put an update on their website (by the end of next week) with the meager information shared with the community.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 1, 2009.  The MTA had no idea residents on Allesandro Way or the surrounding streets on the west side of the 2 Freeway, object to sound walls, because they would lose their views, walls would attract graffiti and crime and reduce property values.  But then the MTA did a poor job at outreach when they snuck the sound walls into the 2 Freeway Terminus Project in 2010.

Read our analysis of the sound walls from 2010:

Part 1: Corralitas Drive, *Update

Part 2: Allesandro Way

Part 3: South of Oak Glen

Part 4: Allesandro Street (includes existing retaining walls)

Part 5: Allesandro Street

Related:  MTA's spin on the State Route 2 Terminus Redesign

Silver Lake Ave Public Staircase: New Book, "The Gentle Art Of Wandering"

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 30, 2012.  The Silver Lake Ave Public Staircase connects Allesandro Elementary School, Riverside Terrace, Riverside Place, Silver Lake Ave, Lake View Ave and Silver Ridge with the Red Car Property.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

"The Gentle Art of Wandering" is a new book out by David Ryan.  Rather than another guide book, like Charles Flemming's "Secret Stairs: A Walking Guide to the Historic Staircases of Los Angeles," Ryan's book promotes taking whatever path catches your eye, in both cities and on hiking trails.  Ryan also promotes doing some homework before you set out, but not tying yourself to a map.    (I've always advocated just getting out and walking a neighborhood to learn more about it.)

Every weekend I see people walking our neighborhood in pairs or small groups, Flemming's book in hand.  They seem a bit panicked when they lose the trail.  Ryan advocates taking the path less travelled and training your eye to see things you might not notice if you're using a guide book.  You might just discover some new animal, plant, building or work of art that you might otherwise have missed.

A couple years ago, Ryan (from New Mexico) contacted me regarding the Red Car Property.  He'd found this blog and was fascinated by the public staircases and paths through the hills of Los Angeles.  He said he was writing a book about "wandering" and wanted to visit the Red Car Property as part of his walk in Los Angeles.

I warned Ryan, the Red Car Property was private property that people have trespassed on for more than 50 years, and if he was still interested, I gave him the address.

In addition to Flemming's book, Ryan cites (as inspiration for his Los Angeles tour) the Corralitas Red Car Property Blog; Bob Inman, author of "A Guide to the Public Staircases of Los Angeles;" Dan Koeppel, creator and leader of the 2-day, 100+ public staircase hike, "The Big Parade."   (This year's Big Parade is May 19 & 20, 2012.)

Read more: The Gentle Art of Wandering

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: Red Tailed Hawks Have Been Sitting In Nest A Lot

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, April 4, 2012, 10:05 AM.  Red Tailed Hawks appear to be incubating eggs in their nest at the corner of Rosebud & Allesandro.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The Red Tails have been taking turns sitting on the nest for the past few weeks.   Yesterday, Gary thought it looked like there had been 3 adults in the nest.  One of last year's babies has been hanging around quite a bit lately, so it is entirely possible.

After weeks of inactivity on the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract 16-lot subdivision, there were a bunch of contractor trucks parked on site, on Allesandro, today.  At a meeting of the "City Family" in February, the developers refused to share their mitigation plan for not disturbing the hawks. They should be giving the nesting raptors a 500' quiet zone, but there is no City enforcement of the City rule on nesting raptors (in the City Standard mitigations for development approvals).