On the Skids in Carbon Canyon #3871 + A Bonus

This one seems to have occurred since Christmas and is 1/8 to 1/4 mile from the county line on the Brea side on Carbon Canyon Road (SR 142.)

From what can be discerned, the vehicle, heading eastbound, brushed the hillside and then skidded across the westbound lane. No one seems to be have been coming the other direction, fortunately, and it can be assumed that this driver recovered nicely and went along his (most likely) merry way.

As an extra bonus, the poor "snail" utility cover that has been hit at least twice in 2009 near the old La Vida Mineral Springs property in Brea received a nice sendoff to a rough year by being tagged during the same period as the above incident.

Despite this sour post to end the year, the Chronicle would like to extend New Year's wishes for a great 2010 and let's hope that the Canyon has a good one, as well.

Olinda Village Traffic Signal Work Resumes

After an extended lull, obviously while awaiting the arrival of the poles, lights, signage and other components, the traffic signal project on Carbon Canyon Road in Olinda Village resumed this week.

As has been mentioned before, there will be two sets of signals, the first at Olinda Drive corresponding with the main entrance to Hollydale Mobile Home Estates and another signal at Ruby Drive, the secondary entrance to Hollydale.

The only delays might come from potential rain; otherwise the announced February completion date seems on-track.

Expect to see the signals operational within several weeks and then we'll see what impacts there will be on traffic, especially in morning and afternoon commuting hours.

Another Part of Historic La Vida Mineral Springs Lost

Now, they may have been killed off by the devastating fire that roared through Carbon Canyon in November 2008 or perhaps property owner Leo Hayashi wanted them gone for some other reason, but it was a shame to see the historic eucalyptus trees (or what remained of them) at the old La Vida Mineral Springs property on the Brea side of the Canyon cut down this morning (see photo) as I was heading to work.

Based on the 1930s era real photo postcards of La Vida that have posted on this site, those trees would appear to have been planted in at least the 1920s and survived some eight decades before their removal today.

This leaves only the remnants of the water tank at the base of the hills as the remaining above-ground feature of the springs.

Carbon Canyon Historical Artifact #22

This post features another La Vida Mineral Springs soda bottle. The "Lime 'N Lemon" brand bottle appears to be from the 1930s or 1940s and, while not in great shape, does have enough of the label to be almost completely readable.

The text below the product name reads "NATURALLY ALKALINE LA VIDA MINERAL WATER / MINERAL CONTENT REDUCED. INGREDIENTS OF LIME / LEMON AND SUGAR. SULFATED AND CARBONATED BY / LA VIDA PRODUCTS, INC. PLACENTIA, CALIF."

Incidentally, the reference to sulfates, or salts of sulphuric acid, refers to the naturally-occurring material in the mineral water used to make the drink.

The last photo shows the stamping of the La Vida Mineral Springs Company name and the Placentia location.

The item is 2009.11.1.1 from the Carbon Canyon Collection.

Carbon Canyon Night Patrol!

It was strange to see, although it is a Saturday night near a major holiday, but coming home a half-hour ago through the beginning of Carbon Canyon on the Brea side, I saw a Brea PD motorcycle officer pulling over a car at the entrance to Carbon Canyon Regional Park.

I've driven along the road plenty of times at this time of night and have rarely, if ever, seen a police presence on either the Brea or Chino Hills sides of the Canyon, unless there was a response to an accident.

Again, maybe it was that special circumstance mentioned above, but it goes to demonstrate that it is possible to patrol the Canyon at night, when many of our worst incidences of driving behavior occur.

It would be nice to see something like this down towards Sleepy Hollow once in a while!

Chino Hills State Park Visitor Center Restarted

It appears that the bond monies dedicated towards the building of the new Chino Hills State Park Visitor Center in the Brea portion of Carbon Canyon adjacent to Carbon Canyon Regional Park and which were frozen by order of the governor are now released. Consequently, construction activity is once again in evidence as noted in the photographs here, which were taken yesterday morning.

Very little information has been located about the visitor center, although it may be out there somewhere, as to size, amenities, expected completion dates, and so on. Given the state of the economy, this may be by design.

At any rate, we'll see how this project develops even if the low profile continues.

Late Fall Views from Carbon Canyon

It's not technically winter yet (another week), but the recent storms brought a nice dusting to the San Gabriel Mountains, so here are some views taken this morning and yesterday morning of Mount San Antonio (aka Baldy) and its neighbors, including Ontario and Cucamonga peaks from the S-curve in Chino Hills.

Monday's views, at the bottom, show the mountains "floating" above some low-hanging clouds and the valley has some leftover fog, though the skies are clear. This morning's shots, however, show a nearly crystal clear view but there are some interesting cloud patterns by contrast.

On the Skids in Carbon Canyon #3732

This one was over the weekend with the vehicle heading eastbound on Carbon Canyon Road down the end of the S-curve just past Old Carbon Canyon Road in Chino Hills and going over the asphalt curb to ambush the speed limit sign. Photos were taken this morning.

La Vida Mineral Springs History: Destruction of the Hotel

On 4 December 1988, a rapidly-moving fire at the remote La Vida Mineral Springs hotel destroyed the 1930s structure. According to an article by Mark Landsbaum and Jean Davidson in the Los Angeles Times, the blaze caused well over $1 million in damage and sent a half-dozen guests and as many staff, including owner Leo Hayashi and family, living in the structure fleeing with towels, sheets and blankets and forced to leave their clothes and other possessions behind. The cause was not then known, although Hayashi guessed that an appliance motor may have initiated the fire.

With Brea Fire Department Battalion Chief Joel Shennum stating that nearly all of the interior of the structure was involved and that flames shot through the roof, the buildings was uninhabitable. Firefighting for the twelve responding engine companies were not only hampered by the isolation of the site, but by the narrow one-lane access bridge from Carbon Canyon Road and the heavy timber used for supporting the building. In fact, while smaller vehicles could cross the bridge, larger vehicles had to park on the highway and used extension hoses to reach the hotel some 100 yards (a football field length) away.

As to the future of the site, despite Hayashi's comment that "we will try to do the best we can, as quickly as possible," when asked whether he would repair or rebuild the hotel, its demise was assured. Not only was the fire devastating, but there is probably every reason to believe that the recession that began with the 1987 stock market crash and which persisted well into the 1990s put any thought to the redevelopment of the building and the resort generally to rest. The final blow would come thirteen years later, which is a story to be told next month.

On the Skids in Carbon Canyon #3617

This one appears to have happened last night or at least within the last few days and is westbound on Carbon Canyon Road just a short distance (1/4 mile, maybe) down the hill west of Olinda Village. The photos were taken this morning.

La Vida Mineral Springs History: "Orange Coast" Magazine Feature, 1986

In the January 1986 of the monthly Orange Coast magazine, an article titled "Wellsprings of Health" by John W. Sammon profiled three hot springs in and around the county. These included Glen Ivy Hot Springs between Corona and Lake Elsinore; San Juan Hot Springs, east of San Juan Capistrano and west of Lake Elsinore; and Carbon Canyon's own La Vida Mineral Springs in Brea.

The article mentioned the oft-told story that an oil well drilled on the spot in the 1890s led to the discovery of the springs. That, however, was all the history included in the article, which focused on the operations of the facility, owned by Leo and June Hayashi since about 1973 or 1974. For example, it was noted that there were some 25 to 30,000 gallons of 112-degree water supplied to the resort from the underground springs. As explained by Leo Hayashi, whose native Japan is filled with volcanic hot springs, "every springs has its own characteristics. This particular spring is alkaline and contains calcium, magnesium and sodium bicarbonates." Because of these minerals, Hayashi explained, "it's good for soothing your nerves and to help your muscles relax." Moreover, he added that the water was drinkable and that he and his wife were considering bottling the water in the future, something that was done for years from the 1920s to probably the 1960s, but not mentioned in the article.

The piece did explain that, in the spa area, men and women had their own soaking areas, where sunken tubs were filled with the hot mineral water that was propelled by jacuzzi-style jets. After a half-hour or so of soaking in the tubs, guests were then led to a sauna and then a blanket wrap, at which time cold towels and ice water were provided. A particular specialty was a shiatsu massage targeting pressure points for pain relief and the loosening of tightened muscles. The site also had two swimming pools and a children's wading pool, all filled with the local spring water.

Notably, the spa remained in the 1920s building (described in the article as an Art Deco 1930s structure) but the Hayashis were considering a remodeling. There was also the separately-operated restaurant and 15-room motel (more on those in subsequent posts.)

Despite talk about upgrading the resort, the Hayashis continued to operate La Vida much as it was until disaster struck just a couple of years after this article and the further history of the resort was degradation, closure, and destruction. In 1986, however, it appeared (much as was the case in a 1985 Los Angeles Times article that was the subject of a previous post here) that the resort was a viable business for the Hayashis. Indeed, Leo Hayashi hopefully ticked off some of his clientele, including "young doctors, lawyers and CPAs," instead of the seniors said to have constituted most of their customers back in the 1970s. Moreover, Hayashi stated that "the whole country is more health conscious than it once was," although, if that was true then, it is hardly so now.

Driving by the La Vida site now, it is virtually impossible to imagine what the place once was, with its two-story spa, restaurant, two-story motel, foot bridges, landscaping and grass, picnic area, pools, playground, cottages and other components. Now, all that remains is some of the hardscape (paving, sidewalks, etc.) and the old 1920s water tank on the hill behind where the spa once sat.

Check back for posts covering other events in the later history of La Vida!

On the Skids in Carbon Canyon #3558

This is westbound on Carbon Canyon Road on the S-curve in Chino Hills, just a little distance from where two other CalTrans signs have been dislodged in the last month or so. This flattening happened over the weekend. The photo was taken yesterday when it had been raining. There was no precipitation when this occurred, however.

Sleepy Hollow Recollections: Paul Nolan Hyde--Canyon Boy, 1948-1959: #3

Back in late September I received three vignettes from Paul Nolan Hyde, now a resident of Utah, but, for over a decade a denizen of Sleepy Hollow in the 1940s and 1950s. Having shared his recollections about glow worms and snakes, here is the third:

Stingweed

Stingweed plants, or nettles, were plentiful in the watercourse of the Creek. They were painful when brushed up against and I tried to avoid them whenever I could. My impression is that even when I was wearing heavy blue jeans, I would not venture very far into a patch of stingweed. There were wonderful myths the Creek boys told about stingweed; I think that they were designed for the gullible. One such myth was that stingweed would not hurt you if you grabbed a handful with a hard grip. I could not imagine anything much more stupid than that. Barely touching the plant inflicted great and lasting welts; I found it difficult to believe that an outright attack on the plant would bring some other result. Additionally, I could not perceive any reason why anyone would ever have an overwhelming desire to mess with stingweed sufficient to resort to grabbing fistfuls of it. I never tested the validity of the assertion made by my fellows.

Another claim made about stingweed suggested that if one were stung, that all that was needed to relieve the pain was to rub mud from the Creek on the welt. I learned for myself that that procedure actually worked if it were done quickly enough. I am not sure that there was any medicinal benefit from the sand and water; my guess is that the mud was abrasive enough to remove most of the needles. The best protection against stingweed, however, was to go near them not at all.

I sure hope Mr. Hyde will share more of his remembrances of life in Carbon Canyon from fifty to sixty years ago, so stay tuned!

On the Skids in Carbon Canyon #3443

With apologies to "Anonymous," who commented on my "On the Skids" post from the 19th that I need to "get over it" concerning what he or she determines is only a "complain, complain, complain" function of the series, here is the latest in the ongoing battle between driver and sign on Carbon Canyon Road.

This incident, on the eastbound side of the S-curve in Chino Hills, seems to have occurred sometime in the last four or five days, and is at least the third time this particular directional indicator has been dislodged from its post in the last couple of years.



The plain fact of the matter is that I would love to report more on the natural beauty and other positive features of the Canyon (and, of course, will; I promise), but posts that struck "Anonymous" as nothing more than useless complaining (and I fully acknowledge that what I consider to be the documentation of events like this might be useless in terms of official reponse) involve incidents that actually impact and degrade that natural beauty.



As do the housing projects that continue to be approved and built there . . . as did last November's wildfire which burned the entirety of the Brea side . . . as does the graffiti that appears from time to time. . .

If I don't cover (that is, complain about) these events, which have direct and important negative consequences to the natural features of the Canyon and, if all I do is deal with the natural and historical aspects of the Canyon, then I'm only looking at a narrowed aspect of the place that I've come to love in my short time of living here.

The truth is that I would be more than happy to not have to post incidents like this if I thought that all they were were isolated incidents that only affected those drivers and those signs. But, they don't. They are part of a problem of real significance that should concern those who live in and drive through the Canyon, and those responsible for its governance.

I agree with "Anonymous" that people will not slow down on their own, but only to the extent that this condition will continue in the absence of some meaningful enforcement. It is reasonable to hope that officials in Brea and Chino Hills use due diligence in making driving on Carbon Canyon Road as safe as is within their power. The problem is that they are not making that effort.

As to complaining, I, like "Anonymous" have tried raising the matter with officialdom, though it has been quite a while because I felt like the responses were crystal clear that there was no need or desire to change what was being done (or not) from an enforcement perspective. Maybe it's time to try again, if for no other reason than making some effort to do something about a problem, as opposed to just "complaining" about it.

So, believe me "Anonymous," I'd much rather not spend the little free time I actually have complaining about traffic problems in the Canyon (or housing issues, or fires, or graffiti), but I only do it because I care about where I live. That's the whole reason for this blog, the vast majority of which is, after all, about the beauty and history of the place.

But, I do want to thank you, because your comment motivates me to make sure that tomorrow I make some calls and send some e-mails and try to do something beyond complaining (or, as I would prefer to phrase it, "documenting" or "reporting".)

Next post: no complaints.

Postscript (1 a.m., Monday morning the 30th.) As a first step in "doing something", here is the text of an e-mail sent just now to the Chino Hills City Council:

Dear Council Members,
I wanted to bring attention to an issue that will be all-too-familiar with all of you: dangerous driving and traffic accidents on Carbon Canyon Road.

Within the last few weeks alone, there have been a half-dozen incidents involving cars that have gone off the highway and crashed into public and private property or overturned onto the road. Four of these events have occurred in Chino Hills, including an overturned vehicle in Sleepy Hollow a few evenings ago, two damaged CalTrans directional signs on the S-curve between Carriage Hills and Summit Ranch, and a car that crossed the highway and left the road east of Summit Ranch.

While, thankfully, there have been no serious injuries and no fatalities, the concern here is that any one of these incidents could easily lead to those results. I might add that, within that same period, I was nearly rear ended trying to make a left turn into my Sleepy Hollow neighborhood--this is the fifth time I've had to accelerate to avoid being hit in five and a half years of living in the Canyon. In that same time, though it has been quite a while since the last one, there have been at least eight or nine fatalities that I know of in the Canyon.

When I last contacted the Council by e-mail, about three years ago, I was referred to then-Community Services Director Michael Fleager. At that time, Mr. Fleager, who was professional and courteous, indicated that the morning and afternoon patrols for speeders were all that could be expected. Since that time, the economy has gone into recession, so I imagine that the explanation would likely be the same now and that financial considerations are even more restrictive of a change in policy.

Yet, these incidents and the many others that have happened since are about fundamental life-and-safety issues which form the primary reason for the government of our city. Surely, there is enough money in policing appropriations for a modicum of effort to patrol the Canyon periodically beyond the standard morning and afternoon scheduled times? Shouldn't there be ways for the city, Sheriff's Department and CalTrans to address what is obviously a recurring and potentially significant threat to those of us who live in and drive through Carbon Canyon? Will it take the serious injury or death of an innocent person, much less a reckless driver, to bring about even the most modest of changes in policy concerning the patrolling of Carbon Canyon Road? Doesn't it stand to reason that, as more development occurs in and around the Canyon, and more drivers use the highway, that incidents like the ones I've described will increase and thereby warrant a greater police presence?

When I was nearly rear-ended two weeks ago, my first thought was for my five and seven-year old sons who would have been most at risk in the event of a collision. Please give due consideration (and I'm sure the vast majority of Canyon residents would agree) for all of us who are potential victims of dangerous driving on Carbon Canyon Road.

Why wait until something terrible happens before acting?

Let's see what happens.

On the Skids in Carbon Canyon #3319

Here we go again!

About an hour ago, the sound of sirens rang through Sleepy Hollow as another accident occurred at that prime location where Carbon Canyon Road meets Rosemary Lane in front of the Sleepy Hollow Community Center.

At first, a few of us looky-loos who tramped down the hill to take a look-see saw a motorcyclist stopped next to a fire truck and Sheriff's Department vehicles and thought maybe the rider had taken a tumble on the tight curve. A little closer inspection, however, revealed that there was a red truck turned onto one side after having ridden up a short embankment just east of the Rosemary Lane intersection.



We couldn't see if there were any other vehicles involved further down the road, although as a tow truck pulled closer there was a blue car on the flatbed, so maybe it was a multi-vehicle incident.



The driver of, presumably, the red truck was standing on the side of the road, shivering in the chilly night until a Good Samaritan from the neighborhood brought a blanket and a hot beverage. In the last few moments, traffic has started moving freely again as the truck was removed from the road.

As one of the neighbors here said as we watched the proceedings, an accident like this probably won't even merit a mention in our local paper unless there was a fatality. This echoes what has been said here more broadly about whether our local officials even see a problem worth patrolling for when the accidents wind up being little more than an irritant and an annoyance. I have to say, though, three consecutive posts in this little ol' blog about cars leaving the highway and leaving some form of damage ought to mean something, eh? And, we haven't even reached the rainy season yet, if there'll be much of one this winter.

As far as when to act if the problem intensifies, why wait? As the old saying goes, "An ounce of prevention . . ." Then again, our society is more geared to treating the problem when it is already occurred (there's far more money to be made that way), rather than in preventive measures. Even in this poor economy, there were enough patrol cars out in Chino Hills this evening for three of them to be sent out in response to this accident.

Is it too much to ask that one of them come out to patrol the Canyon once in a while and try and let drivers know there is an enforcement presence, rather than continuing to allow what is essentially free rein?

Wait, wasn't that a rhetorical question?

On the Skids in Carbon Canyon #3268

Here is what appears to be another very recent example of someone who somehow just couldn't manage to stay within the lines on Carbon Canyon Road and took a little off-road excursion onto the shoulder.




This is westbound at Olinda Village, right below the shopping center between Olinda Drive and Olinda Lane. The vehicle left an array of its body parts, ranging from portions of a fender to plastic headlight segments and shards of shattered glass. A reflector sign up on the slope was also pitifully pretzelized courtesy of our wayward wanderer.



Before this incident, which I hadn't noticed last week, and the one in Chino Hills that was the subject of a post a couple of days ago and which also seems to have happened last week, it had been a little quiet as of late.

Alas, we'll continue to document these little diversions and hope that nothing major occurs that leads to an innocent person's injury or death, at which time we can assume local officialdom will take notice.

On the Skids in Carbon Canyon #3172

It is really astounding that, given all of the incidents were cars have crossed lanes and gone off the road in Carbon Canyon over the last year or so, there has not been more than a fatality or two in that time (at least not that I'm aware of.) Here is another example of a driver drifting across Carbon Canyon Road and leaving the roadway, evidently without major injury or damage.



This one appears to have taken place as late as last night, since I noticed it this morning but not any of the preceding three mornings as I drove eastbound on SR-142.



It actually appears as if there might have been two cars involved here, because there looks to be two distinct sets of skid marks.



Moreover, when looking at these images of the dirt area off the shoulder of the highway, it looks as if there were two different terminus points: one on the dirt area and another further back toward the trees.



So, we'll see if there is any mention of this latest incident in the local paper, but, more than likely, there will be nothing said, given that it is apparent that little else occurred than some burned rubber, displaced dirt, and a crushed leaf or two on a tree, perhaps.

Yet, here's another incident to add to the catalog of dangerous driving that happens on Carbon Canyon Road on a very regular basis, incidents that evidently raise no concerns among officialdom and won't, most likely, until an innocent victim is claimed.

May I also add, as a postscript, that, yesterday, for at least the sixth time in the five-and-a-half years I've lived in the Canyon, I almost had someone literally rear end me as I was waiting to turn from westbound Carbon Canyon Road onto Rosemary Lane in Sleepy Hollow near the community center.

When I say "almost," I mean that, as in the other five or so incidents, I had to do a quick acceleration to avoid being hit. I long ago learned to turn on my turn signal before the sign indicating the Rosemary Lane intersection and to start braking by pumping my breaks to flash the brake lights. Yet, there are some people who just want to think (or aren't thinking at all, perhaps more likely) that no one ever turns off the roadway.

Vigilance is the only safeguard those of us have who have the audacity to make turns off Carbon Canyon Road where there is no turn lane, especially when there are two little kids in the car!

Carbon Canyon Historical Artifact #21

Here is another very cool image of La Vida Mineral Springs Resort from about the early 1930s.

The view is from the west, just about directly south of the existing water tank that was in back of the main bathhouse at the property. To the right is Carbon Canyon Road and it is notable that on the south side of the highway, there is a graded area above the road with a sign and what appears to be fence poles and there is a picnic bench, as well as sign simply reading "EAT."

Directly ahead in the line of sight of the photographer is a picnic area with perhaps ten or twelve picnic benches laid out beneath the shade of some towering eucalyptus trees. some of which are still standing (albeit charred from the fires that broke out exactly a year ago last weekend.)

It appears that something was added to the base of the trees up to about six feet high, possibly to keep critters from climbing the trees? Back behind the trees is a parked car Finally at the far left there is a portion of what appears to be one of the several small cabins that were placed next to Carbon [Canyon] Creek.

This card is labeled at the bottom, "La Vida Mineral Hot Springs, Calif." and the number (probably a series number) "7" is at the bottom right.

Postally unused, the item has space on the reverse for correspondence, an address and a stamp box.

Other cards from the same period that make for interesting comparisons and contrasts are found in posts from 15 June 2009 (Carbon Canyon Historical Artifact #16) and 18 December 2008 (CCHA #10.) As always, clicking on the image will zoom it in so that you can see greater detail.

This is item 2009.10.1.1 from the Carbon Canyon Collection.

Chino Hills State Park Visitor Center Work Restarted?

Last Thursday and today some workers were observed on the site of the stalled Chino Hills State Park Visitor Center next to Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Brea.

A bond-funded project, the visitor center had some initial concrete and steel structural work completed before the economic meltdown shuttered the project months ago. Meantime, the work fence was largely toppled and weeds grew back on the property.

So, whether the workers were there to clean the place up a little or if they are back to resume substantial work on the center remains to be seen. It was only a matter of weeks ago when it seemed quite possible that the Governor was going to shut down most of the state parks, although that terrible scenario has been forestalled for the short term.

An eye will be kept out to see what further work might be done with the Visitor Center.

Carbon Canyon Landslide Mitigation Measures

Among the work recently conducted by CalTrans and/or its contractors along Carbon Canyon Road (State Route 142) has been the shoring up of a very steep hillside cut (made years ago when the highway was moved from the canyon bottom along Carbon [Canyon] Creek) on the north side of the highway, just west of Olinda Village in Brea.

The project consisted of attaching netting (what appears to be steel and some fibrous materials) to the hillside to prevent rocks and dirt/mud from sliding down onto the roadway. This is in anticipation of what could be a heavy rain year due to El Niño conditions expected in the Pacific Ocean this winter.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA):

Expected El Niño impacts during November 2009-January 2010 include enhanced precipitation over the central tropical Pacific Ocean and a continuation of drier-than-average conditions over Indonesia. For the contiguous United States, potential impacts include above-average precipitation for Florida, central and eastern Texas, and California, with below-average precipitation for parts of the Pacific Northwest.

Obviously, the crucial wording here is "potential", but should heavier than average precipitation occur, there is the factor of last fall's Freeway Complex fire, which burned a considerable portion of the Brea side of the Canyon. With only a limited amount of plant regrowth thus far, it is possible that a major drenching in upcoming months could cause substantial sliding.

Whether the measures taken in this project will work or not, of course, remains to be seen.

On the Skids in Carbon Canyon #3058

Just minutes ago, as I finished the "Olinda Village Signal Update" post, I heard the familiar squeal of tires and the churning of dirt. Sure enough, a car heading westbound on Carbon Canyon Road took the sharp curve too fast here in "downtown" Sleepy Hollow and decamped from the roadway, although only onto the shoulder and atop the asphalt berm put up by CalTrans last year after a couple of vehicles veered off the roadway and down the steep embankment toward Carbon [Canyon] Creek. Because of the berm, tonight's stray traveler was able, after a few false attempts to reverse out, to hit the gas hard enough to extricate themselves from the spot and head off on their merry way.

It is probably more than relevant to mention that we have had a few drops of light rain this evening and, predictably, there are always those drivers who see absolutely no compelling reason to change their behavior, even when common sense dictates that roads become "slippery when wet," as those inconvenient traffic signs often announce.

By Carbon Canyon standards, this was just about a non-event, but it is a reminder that, if heavy rain does occur this winter as some are forecasting, we might well have a significant spate of accidents to contend with.

It could get interesting!

Olinda Village Signal Update

As the accompanying photograph shows, it appears the below-ground and surface-level portions of the Olinda Village traffic signal project are completed. The eletrical wiring seems to be all in, cement sidewalks and access ramps poured, and the cement bases for the signals and advance warning signs placed.

At the moment there is a lull in the work, likely because the signal fixtures are on their way. Sometime early in 2010 the project should be completed and then we'll see what kind of impacts the signals will have on Carbon Canyon Road traffic.

For the residents of Olinda Village and the Hollydale Mobile Home Estates, there will be infinitely easier access to entering the highway. The crux will be the effects manifested in the busiest times as the flow of traffic is slowed and stopped by the signals allowing the ingress of vehicles from sidestreets.

It may well be that the presence of this first signal in the 95-year history of Carbon Canyon Road will not be that dramatic. As Chino Hills, however, plans on adding signals at two locations (Canon Lane and Canyon Hills Road), the prospects for significantly lengthening the commute along the highway are certainly much greater.

It will be interesting to see what changes occur when the signal is up and running.