Lot C: Beware. Haunted Houses In The Hood

Photo: Diane Edwardson.  Lot C can be a scarier place to walk.  (Click on photo to enlarge.) 

Happy Halloween!  There are more young children in the neighborhood than ever before.  SO SLOW DOWN & PAY ATTENTION WHILE DRIVINNG !!

Corralitas Drive: Neighbors Taking Advantage Of Mayor's "Creative Zoning Solution"

Photo: Diane Edwardson, 2013.  Neighbors are making the most of what small amount of open space they have under Mayor Garcetti's new plan* to rezone R2 residential areas for mixed use with cemeteries if they want to downzone to R1.  Sounds like a great way to retain open space in your own backyard!  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

*This is NOT a real initiative, but you never know what new radical way to abuse residential neighborhoods Garcetti will come up with next. 

2 & 5 Freeway: 1961 From Rosebud Ave

Photo: Smith, 1961.  The 2 & 5 Freeways were built at breakneck speed through our neighborhood in 1960-1962.  Shot from Rosebud Ave in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. (Click on photos to enlarge.)  

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 13, 2013.  Trees matter.  They help fight air pollution, in addition to blight caused by the freeways. 

Note: The vacant lots in the foreground (on Rosebud Ave) are up for a public hearing Tuesday for setback variances.  They want to build closer to the street on this insanely steep hill.  However they also sit on a very steep, tight hairpin turn on the only access road on a notoriously difficult hill to build. 

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: Who Or What Is Killing Oak Trees At Cultural Historic Landmark, Paul Landacre Cabin?

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 13, 2013.  The Coast Live Oaks were protected from developers by not only the City's Protected Native Tree Ordinance 177404, but also by the City of Los Angeles Cultural Historic Landmark Status for the Paul Landacre Cabin & Grounds, landmark #839 (which specified landscape & oak tree protections).  

Something or someone has killed off at least 7 Coast Live Oaks adjacent to the controversial 16-lot subdivision in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract.  Yet, all the other Coast Live Oaks on the hill that did not fall victim to the 4-acre deforestation are seemingly healthy.  So it's not just the drought killing them.  Two years ago, the trees were in good shape & seemingly healthy.  Hmmm.  We'll be digging through the archives for older photos. 

Lot C: Don't Treat It Like A Slum

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 13, 2013.  Just because you treat Lot C of the Red Car Property like a parking lot is no reason to assume the families who live there want to look at the graffiti on your truck every day.  Please clean it up.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Corralitas Drive: Zoning For Zombies

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 8, 2013.  No, a graveyard is not an allowable use under residential zoning.  Perhaps it's one of those "creative zoning solutions" for open space our former City Councilmember, now Mayor, Eric Garcetti is exploring.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Red Car Canyon: Dead Tree, Fire Hazard Since 2010, Finally Removed

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, October 19, 2013.  One month after neighbors toured the property with CD13 deputy Adam Bass, the dead Eucalyptus tree, that fell in January 2010, was finally cleared.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, October 19, 2013.  Years of dead & dry trees, branches & build up of fire hazard were cleared form the canyon area.  Sadly it also seemed to claim a raccoon (lower right corner).

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, October 19, 2013.  Yep, it's really dead; not a zombie raccoon. 

Riverside Place: ALIEN! *UPDATED **Again, This Is Turning Into A Scary Halloween Post

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, October 19, 2013.  The subject line of the email said "Funky bug."  Indeed, it is perhaps the funkiest bug I've seen in the Red Car Property Neighborhood.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

It looks like a cross between a Walking Stick and a Mantis.  A quick look at both What's That Bug? & Bug Guide did not bring me new insight.  So I'm submitting it to the Bug Man of Mt Washington's What's That Bug? hoping for an ID.
   
Vandiveer's kid found the creature on the front walk of his house.  It's a generally more shaded part of the neighborhood with lots of trees, in Red Car Canyon.

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, October 19, 2013.  For scale, Vandiveer used a key.

UPDATE: We got a speedy response from Daniel Marlos, The Bugman of Mt Washington, who initially thought this might be an exotic species of Fulgorid Planthopper commonly known as a Lanternfly.    

Marlos requested confirmation from BugGuide contributing editor, Eric Eaton, who provided a correction, "Headless Mantis.  This is actually a headless Chinese Mantis, probably a male ;-).  It is also missing its front pair of legs." 

Read more: What's That Bug?  (You should check out the Planthopper links on What's That Bug post.  They are really wild!)  Thanks Daniel.  Sorry for the trouble.

My enthusiasm to ID the unusual bug clouded my usual skepticism.  I failed to ask a really important question, "Was the bug alive when you found it?"** 

If you're submitting photos of unusual bugs or other wildlife found in the Red Car Property Neighborhood, please  include as much information as possible, including approximate time, date, location, surrounding habitat, if it was dead or alive & what it was doing when you found it: redcarproperty@gmail.com

**UPDATE 2:30 PM: Vandiveer, who photographed the bug yesterday, just emailed: 

"This guy seemed very much alive when we found/photographed it. Although it was also extremely photogenic, so now the headless part makes sense. I just went out to see if he was still where I had put him (he crawled onto a piece of paper so I could move him) and he hadn't gone far. Amazingly he is still able to move, even 6 hours later, however he is now clearly looking deceased." 

I suggested he capture the bug, just in case, Vandiveer responded, furthering the headless mystery:
"Got him. Although like I said he's not as lively as he was six hours ago. Now if you touch him his legs move a bit but that's it. 6+ hours ago he was walking around."

Stay tuned...

Marlos adds, "We have heard that headless Mantids remain ambulatory many hours after decapitation. Perhaps this is to ensure that the mating act continues if the female bites off the head of her paramour."

Thanks again What's That Bug?
 

LA River: Ecosystem Feasibility Resoration Study Community Meeting TONIGHT!

Photo: Diane Edwardson, January 22, 2013.  Just north of the Confluence, there's a lovely piece of publicly owned open space, that no one can access, sandwiched between the Metrolink rail yard and the LA River.  Seen from the northeast edge of Elysian Park, looking down on the 5 Freeway & Home Depot.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Community Meeting/Public Hearing

LA River Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study*

 

TONIGHT
Thursday, October 17, 2013

5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

LA River Center & Gardens

570 W. Ave 26

Los Angeles, CA 90065

(213) 452-3925

Sponsored by the Army Corps of Engineers & City of Los Angeles

 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, December 24, 2009. Great Blue Heron.

We have not taken a position on Alternative 20, the plan river advocates & politicians are heavily promoting, yet seem short on details.  The Army Corps tentatively selected Alternative 13.  We strongly advise people to attend tonight's meeting and ask a lot of questions.   

*Read the Army Corps' study here.

Corralitas Drive: Death Spiral

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 12, 2013.  When you hear tap, tap, tapping of woodpeckers up high in your dry trees, it's a sign the tree may be in a death spiral.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Red Car Canyon: Dead Tree, Progress!

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 13, 2013.  Friday, a big Eucalyptus that went down in January 2010, was finally chopped up, a month after neighbors walked deputy Adam Bass from CD13 City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell's staff through the property.  Trees in this immediate canyon area were trimmed up from the ground, including the big palm tree, at the top of the slope.  We are awaiting reports from neighbors if the debris & tree trunks have been hauled away yet. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Semi Tropic Hell: Ficus Tree, Why Bother?

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 13, 2013.  You may remember last week's almost total take down of the giant ficus tree at the "corner" of El Moran & Alvarado, one of the few remaining shade trees on the developer's controversial subdivision in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract.  Now the tree branch seems precariously balanced to eventually break & fall into the power lines leading up to the top of the exceptionally steep hill. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 13, 2013.   If it does spark a fire, let's hope the LAFD can find the fire hydrant under all the debris that's eroded down the hillside, a few dozen fee from the ficus tree.  It looks like the LAFD hasn't tested this hydrant in years.  Maybe they can't find it.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 13, 2013.  But then, Orange County developers aren't exactly known for their urban forest values.  

Red Car Property: Another Dead Eucalyptus Tree Near Adelbert

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 13, 2013.  A few weeks ago, the Eucalyptus was only partially dead, now it's a major fire hazard.  (Click on photo to enlarge.) 

It is directly downslope from the 2 Eucalyptus threatening to fall on a house on Adelbert, as well as a 3rd tree in a death spiral.  Now all the upslope homes are at risk of fire.  Eucalyptus is an oily tree & is highly combustible under any circumstances, not just when they're dead.  At least the dry grass got trimmed back last week. 

It is odd so many Eucalyptus are dying in this location.  This slope has more shade and is moist longer due to the limited sun, year round.  It looks more like someone wanted to open up the view & poisoned the non-native trees.

Allesandro St. Near Oak Glen: Coyote Sighting

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, October 10, 2013.  Just after 8:30 AM Thursday, a good sized coyote walked right past Vandiveer's car, in the middle of Allesandro St. between Cove & Oak Glen, and through a gap in the 2 Freeway fence at this location.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Keep your dogs on a leash and don't leave your small animals outside, unattended. 

With the drought, natural prey animals (rats & gophers) are more scarce, so expect more daytime coyote sightings.  But then it's not unusual to see coyotes in the daytime in our neighborhood.  I also think the proliferation of urban chicken farming in our area draws coyotes into more backyards. 

Hey Silver Lake Neighborhood Council: maybe you should declare the 2 Freeway parkways a coyote reserve so CalTrans won't tear out all the trees to build a giant sound wall between Oak Glen & Rosebud on Allesandro St.  (That's why we don't have a bigger meadow at the Silver Lake Reservoir.) 

Click here for all our coyote related posts. 

Red Car Property: Rainfall Totals

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 10, 2013.  Non-native, invasive, toxic Tree Tobacco (Nicotiana glauca .  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

It barely rained yesterday, just enough to make the cars really dirty and the streets really slick.

The last measurable rain in the Corralitas rain gauge was July 11, 2013. 

October 10, 2013: 0.1"
Season to Date: 0.2"

*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. 

Corralitas Public Staircase: The Secret To Hiking Public Staircases?

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 5, 2013.  Don't ever look up.  Once you do, it's all over.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Corralitas Drive: Teeny Tiny Dried Lizard

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 30, 2013.  The tiniest dead lizard appeared on a neighbor's stairs last week;  that's a standard key in the foreground for scale.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Semi Tropic Hell: Living Up To Its Name

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 5, 2013, 3:50 PM.  The heat island effect surrounding the Artis development just grew more intense this weekend, with the taking down of 90% of a 60' tall, non-native Ficus tree at the "corner" of El Moran & Alvarado.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

This was one of about 5 large trees remaining of the nearly 4-acre hillside urban forest, clear cut by the developer in 2012 to make way for the controversial 16-lot subdivision (15 single family homes; 1 "open space" lot). 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 5, 2013, 3:51 PM.  The 10% tree that remains is balancing precariously against the power lines leading to the top of the hill.  It seemed a bit dangerous and there was no DWP or Fire truck standing by in a Red Flag Warning day. No work occurred on Sunday.

It's incredibly hot on this slope since we lost the nearly 4 acres of trees here, next to the 2 & 5 Freeway heat islands.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 22, 2013.  It looks like the tree had been the victim of some bad tree trimming on the El Moran Street side.  But that's no reason to take down the entire tree.  Now it's so dangerous they have to take it down. 

The developer's tree report submitted to the Board of Public Works in 2011, as a part of the permit process for removing the protected native trees, identified this tree as a "high quality tree" (but somehow only stated it to be 24" diameter trunk - clearly it is much more looking at the first photo).  But in the big scheme of things - non native, non-protected trees don't count.  Since they are still under construction, they may only have to replace this tree with a tree that won't reach this size in our lifetime.

Most people moved to Silver Lake, Echo Park, Elysian Heights because they didn't want live in cookie cutter homes without trees.  Large trees add value to property, provide shade & reduce cooling costs.   

Note: "Semi Tropic Hell" is my file name for Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract development battles, which date back to the late 1970s.  The Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract was cut in 1905.

Silver Ridge Ave & India St: Coyote Sighting

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, October 6, 2013.  Vlahakis often encounters coyotes while walking his dog in the early morning, as he did around 8:30 today.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)
 
Keep your dogs on leash.  We have totally urban adapted coyotes, who use the cars as cover to hunt in packs. 

Keep your trashcans closed at all times.  The smell not only attracts coyotes, but also their prey (rats, which in turn attract cats that fall prey to coyotes too). 

Feed your pets indoors, or pick up the outdoor food bowls as soon as they are finished.  Do not leave food in the bowls for pets to graze at will, or all the local wildlife will beat a path to your pet's food bowl. 
 
If you are having a problem with coyotes, or are aware that a neighbor is (illegally) feeding them, contact the City's North Central Animal Services & ask for Wildlife Officer Greg Randall.  DO NOT attempt to trap, feed or poison coyotes.  You could end up seriously injuring or killing a family dog, cat or child. 

CD13 City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell proposed a ban on snares (LA Times) after the July 30, Silver Lake incident, reported in The Eastsider.

Learn more about coexisting with urban wildlife: LA City Animal Services

Red Car Property: Graffiti Vandals Claiming The Most Highly Used Portion Of The Property

Neighbors, if your property backs up into the Red Car Property you need to take a walk this weekend and see if your rear fence was hit by graffiti vandals.  We've talked to many of the neighbors who were hit.  They have either already painted it over or have promised to do so immediately.

If you know your neighbor's fence was tagged, please ask them to paint it over.  They may not know.  We all have to work together.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 3, 2013.  Vandals also hit lots of trees and stumps in the Red Car Canyon.  If you paint out graffiti on a living tree, please use water based paint sparingly.

Oddly, all the recent tagging occurred in the most highly used portion of the Red Car Property.  Usually when this section gets hit, it's part of a larger action including the Menlo Property, Riverside Drive, Allesandro Corralitas & Rosebud.  Not this time. 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 3, 2013.  Property owners (which would include the Lake View homeowner using this bin on the Red Car Property) are responsible for painting over graffiti within 24 hours of its  appearance. 

Graffiti is a way to create fear in the community.  We have to fight back by painting it out immediately.  LAPD WARNS, DO NOT CONFRONT TAGGERS.  You just don't know if they have a weapon.  Call the police immediately, give a detailed description of the suspects & location.

We are talking to LAPD Silver Lake Senior Lead Officer Lenny Davis about the problem as well as some other "broken window" issues too.   

We suspect this is not gang graffiti, but the work of a tagging crew.  However, we have documented this week's batch & are submitting to LAPD Officers Molly Beale & Evan Martinez, who track gang tags in the Northeast Division for their input.  

Recently, City Council District 13 Deputy Adam Bass toured the property & is working on a way to get the tree stumps & dead trees out of the canyon & Adelbert areas.  Since the Red Car Property is neglected private property & considering the City's current budget crisis, it's a complex issue.

If graffiti is on either City property (like the public staircases) or abuts a City street or sidewalk (like the freeway retaining walls on Riverside Drive) report it to 311.  Neighbors who use the City's My 311 app or the City's 311 website have gotten the quickest results for City services.  If it's a notoriously hard to find location - be sure to include a photo.  You can also dial 311, but their operators only work 9-5, M-F, & frankly, you'll be waiting on hold forever. 

Corralitas Drive: Big Fat Skunk

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 3, 11:02 PM.  A big fat skunk was foraging for Rubber Tree fruit, which lately has been more irresistible than usual to all the wild creatures who come through the yard, as well as the dogs  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 3, 2013, 11:03 PM.  Yesterday, a neighbor just happened to mention, she'd seen a big fat skunk on her front path as she'd come home after 9 PM Tuesday. 

I think this skunk's found a good supply of cat food somewhere.  If you feed your animal outside, be sure to bring in the bowls as soon as they finish.  The skunks are the first to learn where the feeding stations are in the hood, and they'll return night after night at the same time looking for a free meal. 

Red Car Property: Body Parts Found

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 10, 2013.  September was pretty busy; we'll be playing catch-up with a plethora of photos for quite some time.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: 2 Years Later, Not So Spiritual Anymore

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 28, 2011.  The Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract's former almost-4-acre garden lots lived up to their tract's name with a thriving urban forest. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 28, 2012.  The neighborhood endured 9 months of grading on the denuded slopes. 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 29, 2013.  The controversial development of 15 stucco boxes will soon be completed.  It will take another 50 years for the trees to reach become an urban forest again, if they grow on the compacted slopes.  

Allesandro Street between Rosebud & El Moran is a heat island now.  The developer chose to plant no trees in the parkway between the street and the sidewalk, despite neighbors asking for trees there from the beginning of the discretionary approval process for the subdivision.  There are trees appropriate for planting beneath power lines. 

There are, however, additional concrete light poles now, so we have additional clutter, but no trees.  They couldn't just put a few more arms on the existing wood power poles? 

Note: The mature trees remaining on the hill above the new homes are NOT on the 4-acre development site.  Only 5 mature tree remained in the plans after deforestation, most of those; Eucalyptus. 

2 Freeway: Traffic Back To Normal

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 30, 2013, 8:50 AM.  The 5 Freeway southbound transition road to the 2 Freeway southbound appears to travel across the rooftops at India Street when seen from the Red Car Property.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Suddenly, after months of almost no traffic on either the 2 or 5 Freeways, since the tanker fire in mid-July, morning commute traffic returned to both the 2 & 5 Freeways in the past 2 weeks.  Yesterday, it started at 7:30 AM and continued until 9:30 AM. 

Either the economy is getting better & people are working again, or the City has screwed up the timing on the signals on Glendale Blvd again to make us beg for better public transportation (which won't work if it runs at grade, in traffic) or more housing closer to work.  Here's a thought - build more on the West Side - that's where the jobs are.