Phenom

People have seen icy puddles before. I grew up in northern Illinois, where icy puddles were the norm in late autumn. In fact, an icy puddle in January is the usual in many parts of the world. So forgive me for showing you this picture of something you've seen a million times.

But an icy puddle at Hahamongna Watershed Park in Pasadena, California on January 13th, 2013 at 1:27:08 pm is momentous. A record should be kept. A notation must be made. This should be posted, publicly, for future generations to see in some archive somewhere.

You will not be surprised that upon our return an hour later, the ice was gone.

Global Colding

The guy on the radio said we might have frost on our windshields tomorrow morning. 32 degrees is our predicted overnight low. That's considered freezing on the Fahrenheit scale.

Frost. Pasadena.

For yesterday's dog walk, John wore a woolen scarf around his neck. He also wore shorts, but still, something's not right.

These old houses--okay, this old house--is porous. I've never been crazy about dusting (warn me if you're coming over) but the cool breeze floating in around the window frames is even more disconcerting than the particles it brings with it.

Our heater works, so we'll have ourselves some winter and I'll cozy up indoors at the window. The skies are inordinately clear. The mountains rise, sharply, to meet the blue. The clouds are so towering as to inspire religion.

But doesn't it seem unusually cold for Pasadena?

Bad Photos of the B2 Bomber

Here's what my iPhone's zoom lens made of the B2 when it was circling with its buddy over the mountains. (Yes, there were 2 B2's.)

It headed our way. I waited.

It was a lot faster than these pictures.

Couldn't hear it 'til it was almost on me.

I knew it was going to fly over the eucalyptus tree but I didn't have time to move to a better spot.

Then it was over me.

Then it was gone.

A lot of people waited on the bridge. In other words, it's likely that much better photos are available.

Rarin' to Go

I went out to get a picture of snow on the mountains. I was too late for the best of the stuff, and I got rain instead. It was cold out, though, so maybe that rain will be snow tomorrow. Always look on the bright side!

Down here in the flatlands there'll be sun, a parade, and a football game to kick off the new year. From my house I'll be able to see the Goodyear blimp floating over the Rose Bowl Stadium. (We saw a low-flying plane pulling a banner ad above the Arroyo Seco yesterday--some folks start early.)

2012 was a good year, yet I'm ready for 2013. Rarin' to go, actually, with my big fat plans. What are yours?

The Other Other Pasadena

Snow topped the mountains yesterday, but I didn't get that picture.

Post-Prandial Perambulation

Our Christmas day walk on the upper path, east side of Hahamongna Watershed Park.

I did not saturate the colors in this photo. When we get rain, we get green.

Considering how we've been eating, it's going to take a lot more walking.

'Bye

Seeing as the world is ending today, I thought I'd say goodbye, and thanks. It's been fun. As I write this (I pre-post) I figure Australia's already gone, though I haven't heard anything on the news. Asia, India, Russia and Europe, too. Bummer.

Or maybe everybody just gets raptured and the land masses themselves are still there? I'm not sure how this works. Does anybody know what time it's supposed to happen? John, Boz and I are going to wait in the car. We would like very much to go as a family unit.

Anyway, it's not like it's the end of the world. Well, it is, but at least Boz won't have to go to the vet this afternoon, and I can leave the dust bunnies under the bed where they so desperately want to be. And maybe we can finally save some frickin' money, for god's sake, because we won't have to pay the mortgage in January.

Just trying to look on the bright side.

I'm kind of disappointed because John was going to start teaching screenwriting in January, and now that's not going to happen, unless maybe we end up on a friendly planet where they have movies. And I've been excited about my book launch but I guess I didn't time it very well.

It's been nice sharing the internet with you all, and...oh geez...I'm going to miss the internet! C'est la vie. Or, I guess, c'est la mort.

Thanksgiving

I think it's a good idea to have a day set aside for thanksgiving. I'm a positive person and I count my blessings more than once a year, but it's good to be reminded. What a great holiday. A whole day set aside for being thankful.

I thought of listing the things I'm thankful for, but you know what happens--the list gets too long. Of course that's why we do it--to remind ourselves how long our list is. My husband, my dog, my home, my friends, my life...how fortunate I am.

Blessings on you!

Theme Day: Water's Edge

 sometimes the watershed is wet

Conveniently timed with City Daily Photo's theme day, Pasadena's Department of Water and Power**, in collaboration with the Pasadena Museum of History, is launching a free exhibit at the Central Library entitled, Celebrating Pasadena's Water Centennial.

We live at the "water's edge" in Pasadena and that edge is receding, so I'm grateful for this extended opportunity to learn about where we stand.

  sometimes the watershed is dry

City Daily Photo has a new website! I used to give you a count of our worldwide members, but when we lost our previous site we lost our main way of staying in contact. And apparently many of those blogs were not active. Right now, Julie from Sydney, Australia is working with Peter from Sunshine Coast Daily Photo (also in Oz, thanks for the corrections, folks) to put it all back together. As of today's count, they had re-recruited 211* active blogs.


*see Julie's comments
**see Ann's comment

Calendar

Madison School

(There is a very cool project going on at Madison school right now)

I hope you came by to vote for your favorite of the past week's Camelot Where You are photo contest entries. The poll is at the upper left of the blog.

We've been wasting spending so much time on contest frivolity that we almost missed some important events. So today, as a community service, here's a partial list:

Today!
September 29
Put the Fork in Hunger
I hope you're reading this early, because the free pancake breakfast at Farnsworth Park at Lake and Mount Curve in Altadena is today, 7:30 to 11:00 a.m. It's sort of not free because you should bring non-perishable food items or financial donations, all of which will go directly to Union Station Homeless Services in Pasadena. And you'll get pancakes!

Also Today!
September 29
Muir Ranch

Tomorrow!
September 30
Wiggle Waggle Walk
Pasadena Humane Society's super annual fundraiser where the canine chic meet, greet and even compete. Sweet!

October 2
NFL at the Rose Bowl?
Personally, I think it would be a disaster for the Arroyo. What do you think? The Recreation and Parks Commission will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, October 2nd at 6:30 PM at the Rose Bowl Media Center, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive in Pasadena. Park in Lot F and enter through the auto gate to the left of Gate A. The draft EIR is available here. Public comment ends at close of business on October 8th.

October 7
Bike the Arroyo Seco!
Starting at Hahamongna Watershed Park at 8am (I'll be there a bit earlier), ride the Arroyo to downtown with fellow riders in support of an Arroyo Seco bikeway and healthy transportation alternatives.

Building a Better Altadena
"Studies show that Walmart hurts jobs because other businesses close when Walmart comes to town." Is this what we want just yards from Pasadena's city limits? Click the Building a Better Altadena link and find out what you can do.

The No 710 Freeway Extension and related No on Measure J issues are gaining support from state and local politicians. Definitely worth learning about, as these issues strongly affect our quality of life in Pasadena.

Be sure to vote! (Now, on the Camelot Where You Are contest, and in November, on all the other stuff.)

Beating a Live Horse

August 23rd marks the end of the period for public comment on the scope of the Environmental Impact Report on the Initial Study for the Multi-Benefit/Multi-Use Project at Hahamongna Watershed Park.

That's doublespeak for:

Pasadena proposes to build an athletic field at Hahamongna, which is currently mostly open space. The name of the proposed field is the Sycamore Grove athletic field. I'm not sure why, maybe because sycamore trees will be razed to build it, along with cottonwoods and willows.

The city also proposes "creek restoration" and "trail restoration." Some bad stuff and some potentially good stuff. They've bundled these things into one project with a confusing name.

It's easy to register your comments, and you don't have to be from Pasadena to do so. Here's the City's link to get you started. Also, the Arroyo Seco Foundation has provided you with a toolkit. At the most recent Hahamongna Watershed Park Advisory Committee meeting, Loren Pluth of the city staff said comments will be accepted until the close of business on thae 23rd.

Please send your comments regarding the scope of the EIR to:
Rosa Laveaga, City of Pasadena, Department of Public Works,
Phone: (626) 744-4321
E-mail: mbmuproject@cityofpasadena.net,
Mailing Address: City of Pasadena, Department of Public Works, Attn: Engineering Division, 100 N. Garfield Avenue, Pasadena, CA, 91101

Check out YouTube sensation Tim Martinez and his tour of the proposed site for the athletic field (shot by Jonathan of the Arroyo Seco Foundation).

To help get you started, here are the comments I submitted yesterday:

Dear Ms. Laveaga,

Herein are my comments on the Initial Study of the Multi-Benefit Multi-Use project for Hahamongna Watershed Park.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The description of the project is vague. Under the circumstances, it's difficult to make direct comments.

ATHLETIC FIELD

As a frequent Hahamongna user, I notice the athletic field that is already there is rarely used.

Why are we building a second field there when the first one gets so little use?

Are there records on the use of the first field?

If so, where can I see the records?

If not, how do we justify a second field at that location?

FLOODING

Because the athletic field is to be built in a flood plain, sooner or later all or part of the field will be affected by heavy rains. One possible result is that the field will be flooded and/or washed into the dam.

Does Pasadena have the funds to repair the field during flood years?

Does Pasadena have the funds to clean the remains of the field from the dam during flood years?

Another possibility is that the field will withstand heavy rains, and flood waters will back up north of the raised field. In a low rainfall year, this wouldn't be a problem. In a high rainfall year, this could affect Tom Sawyer Camp, Rose Bowl Riders, and NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab.

Is Pasadena prepared to repair those potential damages and/or respond to potential lawsuits?

Has the regularity and severity of flooding in Hahamongna been studied? Over how many years?

Where can I see the results of that study?

HABITAT RESTORATION

It seems we are destroying habitat only to "restore" it.

How are you defining "habitat?"

How are you defining "restore?"

WATER

Water shortages continue around the United States. The Colorado River is no longer a source for the Metropolitan Water District. Pasadena's watershed feeds the Raymond Basin. Building anything at all in our watershed, at this time in history, is, at best, idiocy, especially something that pollutes with pesticides, oils, gasoline runoff, asphalt, etc.

Can you guarantee 0% pollution of the Raymond Basin, a San Gabriel Valley water resource?

California's governor is proposing a $23.7 billion pipeline to transport water in California, while Pasadena proposes to destroy its own potentially lucrative water resource. Once we've done that, we will have to spend taxpayer money on water we would have already had if we hadn't ruined the watershed with construction, pesticides, gasoline runoff, trash, etc.

Is Pasadena prepared to pay more for water?

What water resources will Pasadena have when the Raymond Basin becomes polluted?

Now that the Colorado River is no longer a source, where will Pasadena get its water?

Can the Metropolitan Water District guarantee enough water to Pasadena in future decades, when we won't have use of our own watershed and/or the Raymond Basin?

Have the above questions been studied?

Where can I see the results of the study?

WILDLIFE

The Initial Study says there will be no impact on wildlife. I have seen a mountain lion within yards of where the proposed athletic field is to be built, not to mention rabbits, deer, squirrels, snakes, and toads.

How have the project's effects on each of these particular creatures been studied?

How are you defining "wildlife?"

How are you defining "impact?"

Have these potential effects been documented, per creature? Where can I see the documents?

Additional auto and foot traffic can't help but impact wildlife. Not to mention lights, which the city says it will not include but which the grant requires.

How does the city reconcile the fact that it does not allow lights in Hahamongna but the grant requires the field be lit until 7pm?

Rare black willow and cottonwood are rebounding in the Hahamongna basin.

How many of these rare trees will be impacted?

Will they be part of the restoration?

The federally listed endangered bird, the Bell's Vireo, has now been documented in the exact area where the athletic field is planned.

What are Pasadena's plans to protect this federally listed endangered bird?

Has this been studied?

Where can I see the study results?

Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

Sincerely,

Petrea Burchard Sandel

The Pasadena Olympic Team

It was a lot of fun watching the JPL team Sunday night as they anticipated the landing of the Mars rover Curiosity. They maintained outward calm as Curiosity approached the planet's surface, but one could watch their cheekbones get tighter and breaths grow more shallow as the anticipation built.

When the cheering broke out I took pictures of the computer screen, but those didn't turn out so well. So I thought I'd show you a picture of where it all happened. No, this is not Mars, this is NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, scooched up between the feet of the foothills at the north end of Hahamongna Watershed Park, where it takes up space in La Canada Flintridge with a Pasadena address. Go figure.

It's amazing what these scientists have done. They've landed a craft on Mars, with precision, and they've done it basically with tin cans, rubber-bands and string. Imagine what they could do with an actual budget--a budget, say, half the size of the Pentagon's. Or even a quarter of that. We'd have had resort hotels and spaceports on Pluto by now and Pluto is only a plutoid.

The people who landed the rover Sunday night are not the only folks who work at JPL. The geniuses and support staff working there, some of whom I'm privileged to call friends and neighbors, study everything from the earth's oceans and atmosphere to the planets in our solar system to background radiation in deep space. Every time we walk at Hahamongna I think of them. What a privilege. What a team.

Zen Monday: #206

I'm so afraid to say anything. I don't want to influence what you say.

It's Zen Monday. Tell us what you think.

*******************************************************

This is not about Zen Monday. Just information for those interested in Hahamongna. The deadline for public comment on the current EIR process is August 23rd. (I'd get mine in by the 22nd, if I were you.)

Please send your responses and comments regarding the scope of the EIR to:
Rosa Laveaga
City of Pasadena
Department of Public Works
Phone: (626) 744-4321
E-mail: mbmuproject@cityofpasadena.net,
Mailing Address:
City of Pasadena
Department of Public Works
Attn: Engineering Division
100 N. Garfield Avenue
Pasadena, CA, 91101


Tomorrow night is the bi-monthly meeting of the Hahamongna Watershed Park Advisory Committee. Here's the info:

The next meeting of the Hahamongna Watershed Park Advisory Committee (HWPAC) will be on Tuesday, July 24th at 6pm.

Meeting location is the
Pasadena City Yards
233 W. Mountain Street, 2nd floor Training Room
Pasadena, CA 91103

I.     Call to Order

II.    Roll Call

III.   Public Comment on Matters not on the Agenda and Items over which the Committee has Advisory Authority. (Please limit comments to three (3) minutes each)

IV.   APPROVAL OF MINUTES
-       Regular Meeting of March 27, 2012

V.    WORKSHOP: HWP Projects (Introduced by PW Staff)
A.    Procedure for presentation and public participation for Item V - ‘WORKSHOP: HWP Projects’ (Chair)
B.    Overview of HWP Master Plan (PW Staff)
C.    HWP Related Environmental Documents (PW Staff)
D.    Active Projects of the HWP Master Plan (PW Staff)

VI.   Old Business
E.    Update on LACDPW Post Station Fire Sediment Removal Project (Information item - PW Staff)
F.     Update on the Hahamongna Multi-Benefit Project and the Hahamongna Basin Multi-Use Project (Information item – PW Staff)

VII.  New Business
A.    General Announcements (From commissioners and/or staff)

VIII. Items from the Chair
A.    Next Meeting – September 25, 2012


Thank you!
Rosa Laveaga
Arroyo Seco Project Supervisor/HWPAC Liaison
Department of Public Works - Parks & Natural Resources Division
City of Pasadena
office: 626.744.3883
fax: 626.744.3932

And don’t forget to go to these City webpages to access all documents
and the most recent information about Hahamongna!

http://www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/PublicWorks/Arroyo_Seco/
http://www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/PublicWorks/arroyo_plans_and_projects/
http://www.hahamongna.com/mbmu
A report by Hugh Bowles that describes the grant requirements for Sycamore Grove Athletic Field at Hahamongna, and how it appears the City of Pasadena may have falsified information on its grant application: http://www.savehahamongna.org/documents/SycamoreFieldGrantAnalysis062512.pdf

Denis Callet's 201 Birds

The great horned owls who live at Hahamongna Watershed park seem comfortable with Denis Callet. He has spent so much time there with his camouflage-covered camera that they're used to him. Even the babies pose with confidence.

Check out those toes.

At last Saturday's Hahamongna "Multi-Benefit/Multi-Use Project" Environmental Impact Report scoping meeting, members of the local Audubon Society reported that they have catalogued 201 different species of birds living at Hahamongna. I think Denis has photographed most of them. "It was an awakening meeting," says Denis. "I will attend all those meetings from now on, the wildlife need us more than we need a soccer field."

"Multi-Benefit/Multi-Use" can be considered a misnomer, depending upon how you define "benefit." At a time of drought, when the Colorado River (a source we've long depended on) is at historic lows and the Metropolitan Water District no longer guarantees enough water to fill local groundwater basins, building pollutants into our watershed makes no sense. Nor does disrupting the habitat of squirrels, rabbits, snakes, lizards, bobcats, mountain lions and 201 species of birds.

Denis says four Cooper's Hawk babies were born this year "and I was lucky enough to see them grow up and fledged." He says lucky, I say patient.

I think we can all agree that there's nothing wrong with athletic fields. But some of us--a majority of us, I'll bet--think there's something wrong with athletic fields at Hahamongna. Let's put them somewhere else.

A couple of links you might find useful:
The City of Pasadena's website for the MBMU Project, including the Initial Study prepared by Willdan, the company that will do the Environmental Impact Report (the city will be updating this site as the project moves forward;
Sycamore Grove Field Grant Analysis, a concise report by Hugh Bowles that delineates how the City of Pasadena possibly falsified information on its grant application for state funding for the Hahamongna athletic field, which is part of the MBMU Project;

Zen Monday: #205

It's Zen Monday. Tell us how the photo makes you feel.

Flood them With Comments

photo taken 1/23/10

Coupla meetings you might like to go to: they're called "EIR scoping meetings." I believe that means the city is getting its chance to scope out whether or not the people want development at Hahamongna Watershed Park.

I know, I know. We've already told them over and over again that athletic fields belong somewhere else. But we have to tell them again.

There will be two meetings (you're welcome to attend both):

Thursday, July 12th 6:30 pm
Saturday, July 14th, 10am
Salvation Army Fellowship Hall, 960 East Walnut, Pasadena, 91106 (enter parking lot from Mentor, south of Walnut)

The idea is for citizens to come and hear about the plans for Hahamongna and to let their feelings be known. This time it's especially important because our comments will be made part of the public record. Apparently that's not always the case.

If you'd like to read up:
The city's initial study for the "multi-benefit multi-use" project;
A report by Hugh Bowles that questions the validity of Pasadena's grant application for the project (very interesting);
the EIR Toolkit from SaveHahamongna.org.

If you can't attend the meetings there is a 45-day public comment period. I'll provide the mailing address as soon as I can.

If you'd like to know why I don't think we should build an athletic field in a watershed during a drought, let me know and I'll go into detail. But I think most folks can figure this one out.

O Beautiful for Open Space

Hahamongna Watershed Park

Go vote for something. Stand up for a right or two. Or a left, or something in between, whatever suits you. Fortunately we have a choice and we'll keep it as long as we're as vigilant as our foreparents were. 

I wish you an independent Independence Day.

Those Details the Devil Is In

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works has completed its draft 20-year Sediment Management Strategic Plan for 2012-2032. The public comment period ends Wednesday, May 30th--which is vague, as they don't say if they mean 8am or 6pm or what--so I'd comment no later than the 29th if I were you at the first email address on this page. I understand the main document is over 500 pages, but a condensed version entitled "Community Meeting Boards" (second-to-last link at the right of the main Strategic Plan page) is said to give a good overview. 

Let's speak up. I understand the Devil's Gate Dam needs to be protected. I want to make sure Hahamongna is protected, too.  

A separate issue, but also important:

The Hahamongna Watershed Park Advisory Committee meets the fourth Tuesday of odd-numbered months--except this month, due to lack of a quorum. So the committee didn't get to talk about the upcoming community meetings to discuss the Environmental Impact Report schedule for the Hahamongna Multi-Benefit Project and the Hahamongna Basin Multi-Use Project.

But hey! We can talk about them here, regardless of the unfortunate mouthful of misleading names.

Because I want to get this right I'm going to quote Mary Barrie of Friends of Hahamongna, who has long been a tireless advocate for open space at Hahamongna Watershed Park. Mary's one of those heroes who reads the fine print, calls a lawyer, compares last year's map to this year's and helps the rest of us attempt to keep the city honest when it comes to Hahamongna:

"One of the important items on the agenda of last night's cancelled Hahamongna Advisory meeting was information concerning the Environmental Impact Report schedule for the Hahamongna Multi-Benefit Project and the Hahamongna Basin Multi-Use Project. Among the projects included within the Multi-Benefit Project are the much contested Sycamore Grove Sports Field and the expanded parking lot so please mark your calendars for these important meetings and pass this information on. The following information is from the city website.

Mary B"

Multi-Benefit - Multi-Use Project

EIR Schedule – the following has been scheduled:

Wednesday, June 27th, 6:30pm – Community Meeting
Pasadena City Yards, 2nd floor Large Conference Room
This meeting WILL NOT kick off the CEQA process. The purpose of the meeting is to provide information only.

Thursday, July 12th, 6:30pm – EIR Scoping Meeting #1
Salvation Army Fellowship Hall, 960 East Walnut, Pasadena, CA 91106
(Parking lot is entered from Mentor, south of Walnut)

Saturday, July 14th, 10:00am – EIR Scoping Meeting #2
Salvation Army Fellowship Hall, 960 East Walnut, Pasadena, CA 91106
(Parking lot is entered from Mentor, south of Walnut)

The Sycamore Grove Field is the same soccer field so many citizens have protested for so long. A couple of years ago we even organized a local blog day, where 23 bloggers posted their arguments for saving Hahamongna. At the ensuing city council meeting, hundreds of Pasadenish spoke out against athletic fields at Hahamongna. Not one person spoke in favor of them. Yet Sycamore Grove Field is still planned, even as the city cuts the budget in other areas.

The meetings listed above will cover other things too, some of which may be good for Hahamongna. It's always complicated, never easy, but it's ours and we do have a say.

Update 5/29: Altadena Hiker Karin Bugge writes about the planned Sycamore Grove Field in today's Patch.

You Can Call It JPL

I haven't taken you to Hahamongna Watershed Park in a while. I suppose I've mentioned this before: nobody I know actually calls it that. We call it "JPL." For some reason we don't confuse the park with the aerospace research center. When someone asks if I want to walk dogs together at JPL I am not confused. I know they don't expect to wander among research labs and allow the dogs to pee on the telescopes. They mean Hahamongna Watershed Park.

Can you blame us? JPL is so much easier to say.

The reason for the nickname is obvious if you look at a map. The real JPL (NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab) sits perched sideways atop Hahamongna rather like a jaunty beret. And calling the park JPL isn't wrong; some of the earliest rocket experiments were launched there and even later ones have been tried on its sandy acres.

This view is closer to the Devil's Gate Dam than to NASA's JPL. The dam is close to the bottom of your map view, near the 210 freeway. (You can see it if you use the zoom in satellite view.) You can't see where I took this photo; it's off to the right, under cover of trees. But the Google shot of the dam looks relatively recent.

Zen Monday: #192

Zen Monday is the day you tell us what the photo is about, rather than me telling you. I'm sure there's a logical explanation for this one, I just don't know what it is.

Here you go. This one's for context: