The documentary Split Estate, will be screened at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1, at St. Matthias Episcopal Church in Whittier.
The film "maps a tragedy in the making, as citizens in the path of a new drilling boom in the Rocky Mountain West struggle against the erosion of their civil liberties, their communities and their health."
A preview is available on YouTube.
The free screening will be followed by a discussion of oil drilling in Montebello and Whittier, facilitated by the Sierra Club's Save the Montebello Hills Task Force.
The task force and the Whittier Area Peace and Justice Coalition are co-sponsoring the event.
St. Matthias is at 7056 Washington Ave. in Whittier.
For more information, please call (562) 587-6270 or (562) 233-8579.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Community turns up heat on Central Basin MWD
A recent story in the Eastern Group Publications family of newspapers shows that Central Basin Municipal Water District is taking growing criticism for its decision to more than double a surcharge on water to its customers.
The water district is one of four agencies and water districts that is spending millions in taxpayer and ratepayer money on the controversial San Gabriel River Discovery Center project.
The story was originally reported in the Whittier Daily News, which seemed to pooh-pooh the expressions of anger of officials whose cities and agencies buy water from Central Basin.
But then the story was reported by the Los Angeles Times--which also mentioned the district's spending on the Discovery Center in 2008.
From there, the story seemed to grow some legs and traveled out into the blogosphere. And then it appeared in Eastern Group's newspapers and on its website.
Central Basin's rate increase now is attracting the attention not only of ratepayers, city officials and officials at water agencies that buy from Central Basin, but also of the state legislature.
EGP reported that cities that are part of the Southeast Water Coalition have asked for an audit of the water district's recycled water line project and "the district’s justifications for its rate increase."
What I'd like to know is how Central Basin's justifies its financial support of the Discovery Center.
According to EGP, the water district's executive director, Art Aguilar, issued a statement "explaining the rate increase is the result of budgetary difficulties and infrastructure project needs: 'This action reflects our best effort to balance the budget by reducing our agency’s spending coupled with a necessary rate increase to ensure essential services and needed infrastructure projects will continue.'"
Funny how Central Basin tries to defend its rate increase as coming on top of budget cuts and being necessary to provide essential services and to build needed infrastructure projects even as it throws its customers' money at the Discovery Center.
How much has Central Basin spent on the project rejected by the community during hearings on its draft environmental impact report?
Nearly a million dollars--and counting.
The water district is one of four agencies and water districts that is spending millions in taxpayer and ratepayer money on the controversial San Gabriel River Discovery Center project.
The story was originally reported in the Whittier Daily News, which seemed to pooh-pooh the expressions of anger of officials whose cities and agencies buy water from Central Basin.
But then the story was reported by the Los Angeles Times--which also mentioned the district's spending on the Discovery Center in 2008.
From there, the story seemed to grow some legs and traveled out into the blogosphere. And then it appeared in Eastern Group's newspapers and on its website.
Central Basin's rate increase now is attracting the attention not only of ratepayers, city officials and officials at water agencies that buy from Central Basin, but also of the state legislature.
EGP reported that cities that are part of the Southeast Water Coalition have asked for an audit of the water district's recycled water line project and "the district’s justifications for its rate increase."
What I'd like to know is how Central Basin's justifies its financial support of the Discovery Center.
According to EGP, the water district's executive director, Art Aguilar, issued a statement "explaining the rate increase is the result of budgetary difficulties and infrastructure project needs: 'This action reflects our best effort to balance the budget by reducing our agency’s spending coupled with a necessary rate increase to ensure essential services and needed infrastructure projects will continue.'"
Funny how Central Basin tries to defend its rate increase as coming on top of budget cuts and being necessary to provide essential services and to build needed infrastructure projects even as it throws its customers' money at the Discovery Center.
How much has Central Basin spent on the project rejected by the community during hearings on its draft environmental impact report?
Nearly a million dollars--and counting.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Lots of activities still ahead this month
The Friends calendar of activities has been updated, and there's lots of good stuff still ahead of us this month.This Sunday is the Friends monthly working meeting. Now that the comment periods have closed on the Discovery Center Authority's draft EIR and the Army Corps of Engineers' environmental assessment, we'll probably be discussing next steps in the campaign.
The meeting is at 1 p.m. in the Whittier Narrows Nature Center picnic area.
Also Sunday is a barbecue hosted by the East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice. EYCEJ is a nonprofit organization "working towards a safe and healthy environment for communities that are disproportionately suffering the negative impacts of industrial pollution."
The barbecue is 3 - 5 p.m. at Bristow Park in Commerce. For more info, visit the EYCEJ website.
And don't forget to visit the Natural Area for community events there. This month there are two nature walks (one morning, one evening) and a trail clean up. More info on these activities can be found on the Friends calendar or by calling the Whittier Narrows Nature Center at (626) 575-5523.
See you at the Natural Area!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Montebello Hills super yard sale this weekend
The Sierra Club's Save the Montebello Hills Task Force is having a giant yard sale Friday, Sept. 4, through Sunday, Sept. 6.
The sale is a great opportunity to clear out some clutter or pick up a gently used item--all while supporting the cause of saving the Montebello Hills, the city's last remaining open space.
Items may be brought on the days of the sale at the corner of Avenida de la Merced Ave and Hibiscus Street in Montebello. (Map)
The task force states the remaining 500 undeveloped acres of the hills "are a unique natural area, which support numerous native plants and animals including the now rare coastal sage scrub habitat, the endangered California gnatcatcher, and red tailed hawks, which can sometimes be seen soaring over the nearby Pomona (60) Freeway."
Much of the remaining acreage is under threat of development for residential and commercial use. The Sierra Club and task force propose preserving the hills as a natural park that would provide "recreation, relaxation, ecotourism, and an opportunity to exercise and experience nature for residents of Montebello, numerous nearby cities and developed county areas."
Volunteers are also welcome to help with the yard sale, and any help in promoting the event would be much appreciated.
The sale is a great opportunity to clear out some clutter or pick up a gently used item--all while supporting the cause of saving the Montebello Hills, the city's last remaining open space.
Items may be brought on the days of the sale at the corner of Avenida de la Merced Ave and Hibiscus Street in Montebello. (Map)
The task force states the remaining 500 undeveloped acres of the hills "are a unique natural area, which support numerous native plants and animals including the now rare coastal sage scrub habitat, the endangered California gnatcatcher, and red tailed hawks, which can sometimes be seen soaring over the nearby Pomona (60) Freeway."
Much of the remaining acreage is under threat of development for residential and commercial use. The Sierra Club and task force propose preserving the hills as a natural park that would provide "recreation, relaxation, ecotourism, and an opportunity to exercise and experience nature for residents of Montebello, numerous nearby cities and developed county areas."
Volunteers are also welcome to help with the yard sale, and any help in promoting the event would be much appreciated.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
A visit to Placerita Canyon
Yesterday, The chair of the Friends of the Whittier Narrows Natural Area, Jim Odling, and I visited the Placerita Canyon Natural Area and Nature Center in Newhall, Calif.For me, the visit was a chance to see firsthand the results of a recently completed $2.1 million "eco-friendly" renovation of the nature center that I learned of through a story in The Signal.
My impression of the renovated nature center was that it was neat and clean. I also found it a bit sterile, but that's probably only due to the fact that the staff and volunteers have only been back in the buildings for a couple of months. Give them some time to grow into the place, and I have no doubt it'll soon reflect the character and dedication of everyone there.
The renovation at Placerita Canyon could provide the model for a similar renovation of the Whittier Narrows Nature Center.Rather than waste tens of millions of tax dollars to give government bureaucrats and water agency officials a conference center--the San Gabriel River Discovery Center--on a wildlife sanctuary, the authority and its supporters could take a truly community-focused approach.
People such as Supervisor Gloria Molina could take the money they've already committed to the project and direct it instead to a renovation of Whittier Narrows facilities, thereby saving the taxpayer and rate payer millions.
An eco-friendly renovation would be the fiscally and environmentally responsible approach. It would also keep the focus at Whittier Narrows where it belongs: on the needs and desires of our diverse community.
The Discovery Center, on the other hand, is a massive gamble with our tax dollars and our parkland--a gamble that, even if it succeeds, would deliver the vast majority of benefits to government agencies and water districts.
Please note: More photos from Placerita Canyon are available on Flickr.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Thanks for comments on environmental assessment
I just want to say thank you to everyone who was able to submit comments to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on its San Gabriel River Discovery Center environmental assessment.
It felt like a chore to me to find the energy to comment on the EA after we put so much energy into commenting on the draft environmental impact report. But it had to get done, and it got done.
So again thanks for taking the time to review the EA and submit comments.
It looks like some of the next important steps are to be taken by the San Gabriel River Discovery Center Authority and the Army Corps of Engineers.
The authority, I believe, will review and address the comments and then decide whether it is ready to issue a final EIR, which would include the alternative the agency had decided to pursue.
Similarly, the corps will review and address the comments on its EA and then decide whether a full environmental impact statement is required.
Please don't treat the above as gospel. I'm new to this environmental review business, so please consider these comments as the work of a a novice.
It felt like a chore to me to find the energy to comment on the EA after we put so much energy into commenting on the draft environmental impact report. But it had to get done, and it got done.
So again thanks for taking the time to review the EA and submit comments.
It looks like some of the next important steps are to be taken by the San Gabriel River Discovery Center Authority and the Army Corps of Engineers.
The authority, I believe, will review and address the comments and then decide whether it is ready to issue a final EIR, which would include the alternative the agency had decided to pursue.
Similarly, the corps will review and address the comments on its EA and then decide whether a full environmental impact statement is required.
Please don't treat the above as gospel. I'm new to this environmental review business, so please consider these comments as the work of a a novice.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Tying it all together: the Narrows, the watershed and even Eaton Canyon in the news recently
There seems to be much activity these days regarding the Whittier Narrows, a possible national recreation area designation for the San Gabriel Mountains and River, and a possible trail linking Eaton Canyon to the Rio Hondo.
The Whittier Daily News reported on this month's Visioning Whittier Narrows event. The Friends were at the event, providing information on the campaign to save the Natural Area, meeting other people from the community, doing a little face painting. We and other members of the community were able to share their concerns about the proposed San Gabriel River Discovery Center.
The Discovery Center is only one part of the larger recreation area, but it's an expensive part. And controversial. So its understandable that it should get more attention.
I find the whole "Visioning" thing very confusing. If it really is about a revision to the Whittier Narrows Master Plan, then I'd expect something vastly more structured and formal that the sort of festival we participated in on Aug. 1. (That's not to say I didn't enjoy it.)
Also in the news this month is a story about a study being conducted by the National Park Service to see if the San Gabriel Mountains and the San Gabriel River might be good candidates for a new national recreation area. The NPS has scheduled five meetings for public input. More information can be found at the NPS study website.
And finally, the Pasadena Star-News is reporting that a local conservancy will be studying the possibility of building a trail along Eaton Wash that would link Eaton Canyon with the Rio Hondo. It's an interesting possibility--but I'd be glad never to see the phrase "Emerald Necklace" again.
Can't we just have the trails and do without the marketing gimmicks?
The Whittier Daily News reported on this month's Visioning Whittier Narrows event. The Friends were at the event, providing information on the campaign to save the Natural Area, meeting other people from the community, doing a little face painting. We and other members of the community were able to share their concerns about the proposed San Gabriel River Discovery Center.
The Discovery Center is only one part of the larger recreation area, but it's an expensive part. And controversial. So its understandable that it should get more attention.
I find the whole "Visioning" thing very confusing. If it really is about a revision to the Whittier Narrows Master Plan, then I'd expect something vastly more structured and formal that the sort of festival we participated in on Aug. 1. (That's not to say I didn't enjoy it.)
Also in the news this month is a story about a study being conducted by the National Park Service to see if the San Gabriel Mountains and the San Gabriel River might be good candidates for a new national recreation area. The NPS has scheduled five meetings for public input. More information can be found at the NPS study website.
And finally, the Pasadena Star-News is reporting that a local conservancy will be studying the possibility of building a trail along Eaton Wash that would link Eaton Canyon with the Rio Hondo. It's an interesting possibility--but I'd be glad never to see the phrase "Emerald Necklace" again.
Can't we just have the trails and do without the marketing gimmicks?
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