Corralitas Drive: Rainfall Totals

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor, January 23, 2017.  Taylor Yard is still there.  City Council's Arts Parks and LA River Committee has Taylor Yard on its agenda tomorrow.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

We're tracking rainfall totals in the Corralitas Drive rain gauge:
(Storm #3 of 3 started late Saturday night and scattered showers are continuing as we post .)

January 21 - 23, 2017: 2.5"
Rain year to date: 17.85" 
3 storm total since Thursday: 5.2"
Since January 1, 2017: 10.25"

Downtown Los Angeles (USC) was at 14" for the rain year. 

Send us your Red Car Property neighborhood weather, mudwatch and wildlife related photos: redcarproperty@gmail.com

Follow us on Twitter for more timely photos and rain updates: @RedCarProperty

LA River: Socked In

Photo: Diane Edwardson, December 10, 2015.  Fog rolled up the LA River this morning. It only took about 15 minutes for Elysian Valley to disappear from view.   Above, the top of Glassell Park is barely visible above the fog.  The soccer fields at Taylor Yard are on the opposite side of the Metrolink train; Parcel G of Taylor Yard is on this side of the train; the river, Elysian Valley and the 5 Freeway are on this side of the of the power lines.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, December 10, 2015.  Radio Hill in Montecito Heights was barely visible above the fog.  Elysian Valley was quickly disappearing.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, December 10, 2015.  Going...

Photo: Diane Edwardson, December 10, 2015.  Gone.  I had to climb higher on the hill for this shot.  If you look very closely, you can see the tallest radio antenna poking out of the fog bank.  Elysian Valley warehouse rooftops are still somewhat visible on the lower left corner.

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor, December 10, 2015.  Did we sleep through the "The Big One" and Silver Lake became a suburb of the San Francisco Bay?  Seriously though, this photo illustrates the same atmospheric and topographic conditions that trap airborne pollutants close to the ground through the LA River corridor, which create particularly bad air quality conditions in Cypress Park and Elysian Valley. 

Taylor Yard: Dust Storm This Morning

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 16, 2015.  Before 8 AM, high winds caused a dust storm from Taylor Yard.  Worth noting: that bright green fence toward the lower right corner of the tree line is dust screening material.  It's not really helping those homes on the other side.    (Click on photos to enlarge.)

It appears the dust was blowing from the soccer fields, but it may have been the construction site.  It was too hard to see through the trees in those conditions.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 16, 2015.  Earlier, the dust was everywhere, obliterating the view of new homes built on the other side of the river on the lower portions of Taylor Yard and Cypress Park.  

This is not the first time we've seen Taylor Yard dust storms.  This just adds to the serious local air quality problems in the area where we have a natural topographic and atmospheric bowl that keeps the contaminants closer to the ground in the area around Cypress Park, Lincoln Heights and Elysian Valley.  

The Taylor Yard dust storms illustrate why we emphasize extreme dust control with any environmental mitigation proposed for the former rail yard.  Highly toxic dirt still needs to be removed from Parcel G before it can be developed as a park.

Corralitas Drive: Stuff You Missed This YearSupermoon

Photo: Diane Edwardson,August 10, 2014.  The full moon was a "Supermoon," where the moon is at its closest orbit to earth.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Stuff You Missed This Year is our annual wrap up of interesting photos and things we just didn't have a chance to run, because everything seems to always happen at the same time.

Elysian Valley: Bridge To Taylor Yard

Photo: Diane Edwardson, January 12, 2012.  Not only is the City looking to purchase the G2 Parcel of Taylor Yard, they're planning a bridge connecting Elysian Valley to Cypress Park.  Photo shot from Elysian Park.  Elysian Valley is to the left of the river, Cypress Park is on the right.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Read more on the Eastsider:
400' Long Orange Taylor Yard Bridge
 Taylor Yard Parcel G2

Of course, you'll still have to cross Metrolink tracks and property to get to any existing park, rec center or school on the east side of the river.  Word has it, the bridge is long ago agreed-to mitigation to be paid for by Metrolink for the City allowing their facility to be built so close to homes in Elysian Valley & Cypress Park.  Lesson: if neighbors don't hound developers, things agreed to are forgotten & never get built. 

India Street To Taylor Yard: Double Rainbow

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, December 19, 2013.  The north end of the rainbows seemed to end at India St & the Red Car Property.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)    

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, December 19, 2013.  The opposite end of the rainbows seem to lead to Taylor Yard.

Rainwatch Update:
We had a whole 0.15" in the Corralitas rain gauge December 19. 
Season to date: 1.35"

LA River: A Whole Lot of Stuff Going On

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 23, 2013.  North Broadway Street Bridge crossing the LA River with Elysian Park in the background.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

The Army Corps of Engineers released its feasibility study for ecological restoration of a good portion of the LA River between Griffith Park & Lincoln Heights (thus signaling real estate speculators where the next hot markets will be).

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 23, 2013.  Photo op.

Expect even more PR in the coming month about the river, as City, County, State agencies & all manner of organizations wanting a piece of the river pie, trying to get the public to say, "Yes, we want this to happen," so the Federal government will kick in a big chunk of money.  So far, I've seen about dozen announcements and press releases that say very little, other than, read a 500+ page report & comment by November 5, 2013 & go to some community meetings in October. 

I'm not for or against this, I just want simple information.  After 10 years of studying the river you'd think they could give us a 90 day window & some simple 1-page fact sheets. 

Word from Friends of the LA River (FoLAR): In the Study, the Army Corps discusses plans 10, 13, 16 & 20.  The Corps has tentatively chosen Alternative 13.  River advocates are pushing for Alternative 20.

Alternative 13, estimated cost, $453 million: The Eastsider

You can sort through it yourself:

City of Los Angeles, LA River Revitalization
Army Corps of Engineers DRAFT LA River Ecological Restoration Study

Taylor Yard: Day After Posting Dirt Storm Photos, Water Trucks In Use

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 9, 2013.  Tuesday, the winds were not as high, but suddenly there were water trucks in use (to help control fugitive dust) on the site of Taylor Yard where market rate condos and senior housing is being built on Metrolink property.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Monday's Santa Ana Winds sent a choking cloud of dirt into Elysian Valley.  We posted photos here and on The Eastsider.  Suddenly, Tuesday they were using water trucks.  (You can also see bulldozers, portapotties and piles of dirt covered in plastic: signs of grading for construction.) 

I apologize to my friends and neighbors in Elysian Valley for not getting the photos up sooner Monday and yesterday.    

Elysian Valley: Dirt Storm Today, Hope They Did The Soil Remediation Right On Taylor Yard

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 8, 10:25 AM.  Santa Ana Winds kicked up a dirt storm from Taylor Yard and carried it into nearby LA River and Elysian Valley this morning.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 8, 2013.  If you look really closely there appears to be drilling equipment on the site where Metrolink intends to build market rate family and senior housing.  It appears to me that they're doing pre-grading soils surveys. 

They are either not abiding by the City Standard conditions to not do earth moving in high-wind conditions or there is just so much loose earth on site being carried quite a ways off-site by the wind. 

Looks like Elysian Valley Neighborhood Council should insist on higher standards of mitigation for fugitive dust as the standard ones are either not being adhered to, or are insufficient to control potentially hazardous dust. 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 8, 2013.  The dirt storm seemed to originate right at the edge of the park at Taylor Yard.  

This level of dirt (particulate matter) can't be healthy for anyone to breathe. 

*Update 5:30 PM: AQMD issues air quality alerts (usually too little too late). Don't expect something this micro to show up. They say our air quality is "good" today, despite the amount of dust and pollen blowing in the wind.   They only issued an alert for the Coachella Valley today.  You can search their map for air quality.  

Corralitas Drive: Rainfall Totals

Photo: Diane Edwardson, January 26, 2013.  Clouds were dramatic over the Eastside this morning.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

 

Despite a day of rain yesterday, we had little to speak of in the Corralitas Drive rain gauge:

 

January 25-25, 2013: 0.25"

 

Season to date: 5.57"

Taylor Yard: Metrolink In The Mist

Photo: Diane Edwardson, December 3, 2012.  From Corralitas Drive.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Corralitas Drive: Ominous Sky

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 21, 2012.  Another dramatic morning over the Eastside.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Red Car Neighborhood: Space Shuttle Flyby, It Was A Lot Cooler Than I Thought It Would Be

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 21, 2012, 11:57AM.  To my surprise it flew right up the 5  Freeway, past my house, on it's first flyover heading to Griffith Park.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)



 

 Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, Jonathan got some awesome shots from Riverside Place.

Photo: Diane Edwardson.  Riverside Place neighbor, Gil, stayed home from work to watch the Shuttle fly by.

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer.  You could hear the excited shouts of neighbors as the shuttle flew by. 

 

Since I had a higher vantage point, I let the Riverside Place neighbors knew which way it was coming back over.  It was more fun than I thought it would be.

 

How close was it? 

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer.  Close enough to get this shot from his backyard rooftop!

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer.  Who needs Griffith Park?  We should have held a photo op on the Red Car Property.

Photo: Diane Edwardson.  Space Shuttle over Silver Ridge.

 

See more photos from other parts of the Eastside: The Eastsider

Corralitas Drive: Mushrooming Thunderheads

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 9, 2012, 2:14 PM.  Giant thunderheads blew up quickly over the San Gabriel Mountains yesterday.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Corralitas Drive: I Hate The 4th Of July

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 4th, 2012.  Illegal fireworks filled the sky over Elysian Valley & Glassell Park last night.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

When you live in the hills, once the sun goes down, the 4th of July is not a relaxing holiday.  For weeks, we've all been hearing the nightly explosions, increasing in frequency as the 4th approaches.  Even after 21 years here, you never get used to the war zone sounds of the 4th.  The really scary ones ones are  set off by the yahoos who think it's OK to set these types of airborne fireworks off in the hills.  My windows rattled and my backyard lit up when a neighbor's party-goers set some off directly over the big trees in my yard.  You could here the debris falling from the fireworks into the tree.  Holy crap, that's scary. 

One neighbor, originally from New York, asked me why Los Angeles hasn't made fireworks illegal.  I told her they are illegal.  Good times.

LA River: Public Forum, Thurs, Feb 23, 2012

(Click on images to enlarge.)  Meeting info: www.lariver.org 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, January 12, 2012.  Taylor Yard's Parcel G2 will likely be a big topic of discussion since a speculator developer wants to build it with industrial property.  Photo shot from Elysian Park.

2 & 5 Freeway Intersection: Hawkwatch

Photo: Diane Edwardson, January 26, 2011.  The Red Tailed Hawks have been refurbishing their nest at the corner of Rosebud & Allesandro, less than 100' from the newly deforested 3-acre parcel of the Semi-Tropic Spiritualists' Tract.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Send us your hawk photos shot near the 2 & 5 Freeway intersection (or the Red Car Property neighborhood): redcarproperty@gmail.com.  Be sure to note approximate time, date, what the hawks were doing at the time, and include a wide  shot, like this one, to show location.  (You don't have to annotate it.)

Click here for all our hawk related posts.

LA River: "No Shopping Cart Left Behind" Taylor Yard Clean Up Day, Sept. 17, 2011

Photo: Diane Edwardson, December 14, 2010.  Shopping carts are an under appreciated part of the LA River landscape.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Friends of the LA River (FoLAR), Heal the Bay and California Coastal Commission promise "No Cart Left Behind."

Taylor Yard LA River Clean Up Day 

Saturday September 17, 2011

9 AM - Noon

Taylor Yard

Info & Register to participate:

http://folar.org/ or (323)223-0585 

Taylor Yard: Grass Fire

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 27, 2011, 12:58 PM.  For about ten minutes, I could see the flames in the grass below the trees near the fence between Taylor Yard and the railroad tracks.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

A few minutes later the flames were extinguished and it's just smoldering now.  I never heard fire engines.  The site is just east of the Fed Ex facility off San Fernando & Division St.