Carbon Canyon Historical Artifact #63: Olinda School, ca. 1910s

Can't let the year end without at least one more post sharing a historical object connected to Carbon Canyon history, so here's a great real photo postcard, probably from the 1910s, of Olinda School, which was built, as clearly displayed on the structure, in 1909 and was the second iteration of the institution.  The location is at the east end of Olinda Regional Park, south of Carbon Canyon Road and next to Carbon Creek, not far from where the state historic landmark plaque is near the old park entrance.

The opening was a dozen years after Edward Doheny, working on a lease with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, which was converting its motive power to oil, brought in Orange County's first oil well a short distance away where the Olinda Oil Museum is now situated in the Olinda Ranch subdivision.  The name Olinda came from William H. Bailey's ownership starting the 1880s and came from his missionary family's ranch on the slopes of Mount Haleakala on the Hawaiian island of Mau'i.  In turn, the name "Olinda" has Brazilian origins.

Los Angeles Times, 9 April 1899

The Olinda School District was established in the spring of 1899 as the Los Angeles Times reported in its 9 April edition that "the country in the northeastern portion of the county has become so thickly settled the past year" that a new school district was required and "will be known as the Olinda school district."

There was reference in the 19 July 1901 issue of the Los Angeles Times to a $2,000 school house being built in Olinda.  On 4 October, the paper noted that the structure, paid for with bonds approved by residents within the district, was to be on the Charles Victor Hall lease, but the Fullerton Consolidated Oil Company refused to sell or lease an acre centrally located within the community.  The firm of Graham and Loftus and the Olinda Oil Company offered to donate the land and the latter's site was selected so that "the building will be erected near the Hall oil wells at once."  On 2 March 1902, the paper reported that the building was recently finished.

Times, 2 March 1902.

As for the second schoolhouse, the 2 September 1908 edition of the Santa Ana Register reported that $5,000 in bonds were sold to the Los Angeles Trust Company.  In May 1909, the Times noted that it was nearly unanimous to vote for building a new school house, because, whereas a few years before, only one teacher was needed, the upcoming 1909-1910 year required four instructors. the Times of 20 June 1909 reported that the four-room frame structure was designed by A.C. Smith of Los Angeles, who seems to have specialized in school architecture.

The photo shows the main building with its central bell tower surmounted by an American flag and the name and founding date on different sections of the tower.  About ten children and an adult stand or sit on the entrance steps or near it. To the left, or east, is a smaller building with a projecting covered entrance and what may be a completion date of 1910 on the front.  About a half-dozen young trees are planted in front of both structures.  The view is looking southeast with a tall hill looming behind the campus.

Times, 20 June 1909.

The substantial output of crude from Olinda, soon followed by that of Brea Canyon to the west, and both considered part of what was termed the Fullerton Oil Field, meant that there was a growing population of oil workers and their families residing on the various leases, almost always in company-owned rental units.  So, in the 1900 census, 123 persons were counted at Olinda, but, a decade later, the population shot up to well over 1,400—ample reason for the much larger and more impressive school to have been completed the year prior to the 1910 count!

Not only that, but, because school districts were allotted funds based on the assessed value of property within the district, those in oil regions were particularly loaded with dollars and this was especially noteworthy because, per student, the amounts were astronomical compare to bigger nearby towns and cities, like Fullerton or Anaheim.  There is no surprise, then, that the Olinda School was much more handsome and well-equipped than those in adjacent communities.

In subsequent years, with mobility increasing because of the car and with oil workers and their families living away from the field, the student population at Olinda School declined, even if the district's funding continued to be ample because of those property values.  In 1920, there were 950 residents (though a $15,000 auditorium, doubling as a community center, was added to the structure in 1924); a decade later the number plummeted to less than half, at 460; in 1940, another drop of about 50% took place, so that were just above 230 people living at Olinda.  In 2022, the 1950 census will be publicly avilable (the info is released 72 years after the enumeration) and we'll see how much lower the total was.

In its issue of 11 June 1959, the Times ran a feature noting that Olinda School was readying to close at the end of the week as it only had 29 students between the first and eighth grades, and, notably, the article referred to the fact that the structure was two rooms.  The completion of Carbon Canyon Dam that year was also a prime factor in the school's closure.  A photo appears to show the smaller of the two buildings in the featured image here, so the larger must've been torn down as the student body diminished.  The school then operated in space rented from the El Rodeo Riding Club, then located south off Imperial Highway but now across Carbon Canyon Road from the park and original school site.

Times, 11 June 1959.

The remaining building was saved and moved to Brea for community purposes, such as a senior center, until it was demolished.  In 1964, a new Olinda School opened in the recently developed Olinda Village tract east of the old school site, and operated there until 2011 when it was closed and a new school (version 4.0) completed on Birch Street next to the city's just-opened sports park.

Best wishes for the new year and we'll try to offer a few more posts in 2022!

Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council Trunk or Treat Tomorrow!

Tomorrow from 4 to 7 p.m. in the parking lot of Western Hills Country Club at Carbon Canyon Road and Fairway Drive, the Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council is holding its Trunk or Treat event.  This not only allows us to finally have an in-person event after the long restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, but is an opportunity for the Council to spread the word about the increasing urgency of mitigating wildfire risk in the Canyon, especially as the fire season is now continuous.

There will be games, prizes for best costume and decorated car, food and, of course, treats for those who come out to pay a visit and those attending are also encouraged to not just come in costume, but to decorate your car.  An extra special element is a rare appearance of The Headless Horseman, as well.  So, be sure to join us tomorrow to help celebrate Halloween and to bring further awareness to what the Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council does to help combat wildfires.

Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council Fall Brush Drop Off Recap

A few volunteers from the Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council were on hand this past weekend on a warm Saturday morning and very early afternoon next to Chino Valley Fire District's Station 4 from about 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. assisting Canyon residents with the dropping off of brush and other yard debris.  

This effort is part of the organization's continuing efforts to reduce the risk of wildfire damage and destruction, especially as this time of year brings the nasty Santa Ana wind condition and hot, dry weather that can really spur on fires especially if fuel content is high.

Usually, the fall dropoff involves fewer residents with less material than in the spring, but we still managed to fill more than half of a 40-foot long roll-off bin, so a few thousand pounds of brush and other items means that much less flammable content out there should a conflagration break out (and we all know we have and have had way too much of this lately!)

So, many thanks to Council members for coming out and lending a helping hand and to those residents who dropped off their brush and other material, along with the City of Chino Hills for continuing to provide funding for the bins provided by Republic Services.  

Meanwhile, those who couldn't make it this last weekend are encouraged to continue removing dry and dead brush and other plant material and use their specified bins for Republic to haul away as part of its regular trash service.

Lena Sekine Artwork at Carbon Canyon Coffee Company in Olinda Village!

For those thinking of going to tomorrow's official grand opening, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., of the Carbon Canyon Coffee Company in the Olinda Village shopping center or will drop in on another day after that, please take a moment to enjoy and appreciate the artistry of my neighbor Lena Sekine.

Lena, who does design work for Japanese restaurants as her main job, has graced our Sleepy Hollow neighborhood in several locations with amazing murals and other works, including her own house and that of some of our residents.

She has been spending a good deal of time creating beautiful works at the CCCC, but has included her customized cushions for seating, in addition to murals and other decorative touches.  Obviously, these have to be seen in person and up close to truly be appreciated, but the photos here given at least some idea and, hopefully, spur some interest in checking them out personally.

As to the CCCC, let's hope there's a good turnout for tomorrow's grand opening and that it will gain more regular patrons and customers.  The friendly staff, excellent coffee and other offerings, Lena's artistic touches and a relaxing location in the Canyon bode well!

Carbon Canyon Coffee Company Official Grand Opening on the 25th

Though I'm not a coffee drinker, my wife, who is, and I paid our first visit to the recently opened Carbon Canyon Coffee Company in Olinda Village on Saturday and she enjoyed an iced coffee while I had a strawberry smoothee.  

After talking for a few minutes with the owner, who is really excited about the area and the potential for his busines, and taking in the cool motocycle theme of the interior (the space housed Mexican and Italian restaurants, along with a briefly operating roadhouse, for many years), we sat out in front, enjoying the cool evening, and talking to Lena Sekine, a neighbor and an amazing artist who is finishing decorative work the shop (more on that in an upcoming post.)

While there, we learned that next Saturday, the 25th, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. is the official grand opening for the business and there'll be local vendors, live music and other elements, with part of the parking lot set aside for the event.  

Attached to this post is the promotional card for the opening, so, if you like coffee and want to check out this new local business, that might be a good time to go.  Otherwise, Carbon Canyon Coffee Company is open from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. weekdays, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Carbon Canyon Historical Artifact #62: A Real Photo Postcard of Tidwell Oaks, Sleepy Hollow, ca. 1940

It's humbling when information put out on this blog is wrong, but at least catching the mistake and correcting it can always be done in this format, which is the case with today's featured artifact from Carbon Canyon history.  Unfortunately, articles in the Chino Valley Champion from March and October 2019 relied on the false info from this source.  Hopefully, anyone reading those will come across this post and see this plea for historical redemption!

In this case, there were a number of posts that stated that Tidwell Oaks, the store, tavern and service station operated in the early years of Sleepy Hollow by David and Velma Tidwell, was situated at the east end of the community, south of Carbon Canyon Road, where some apartments, shuttered now for a couple of years, are located now.

Actually, the couple purchased their two large lots at the center of the neighborhood where Carbon Canyon Road and Rosemary Lane meet not long after the community was developed in the 1920s and built their compound.  This was recently verified by finding reference to their ownership of lots 2 and 3 in Block 5 of the tract and then noting that on copies of the original subdivision map obtained years ago from the county archives.

The last entry in this "Carbon Canyon Historical Artifact" series, from June 2020, featured a real photo postcard of folks sitting in a large patio, bordered with brick and rock walls, with large oak trees for shade—this presumably in the back or side of the structures, as well as some of the history of the Tidwell family.  Today's post takes us out to Carbon Canyon Road and a view of the main building, a log cabin-like structure, with a gas pump out front and other buildings off to the west, or right.

Rosemary Lane is at the lower left between the caption of "Tidwell Oaks / Carbon Canyon" and the light-colored car parked next to the "cabin."  A couple of other vehicles are off to the far right and some of the houses on the hillside in view—the one at the top center with the three windows at the lower portion and the span of windows going from one side to the other is still standing.

As for dating this unused card, the cars definitely look to be from the late 30s or early 40s, but the AGFA/ANSCO stamp box also was used in the Thirties and Forties, so we're just going to go with circa 1940 on this one.  Today, there are a few little remnants, including remains of concrete steps, from Tidwell Oaks and there is a parking area for the Sleepy Hollow Community Center and the bus stop that mark the location, as well. 

Carbon Canyon Creek Cleanup Coming

There is some good news, thanks to the City of Chino Hills, regarding the cleanup of trees in Carbon Canyon Creek that could contribute significantly to the spread of wildfires in the Canyon.

The City's Public Works Department has budgeted just north of $45,000 during the 2021-2022 fiscal year to hire the Santa Ana Watershed Authority, or SAWA, to kill palm trees that, when set afire, literally explode spreading sparks and embers to surrounding areas and spreading flames that make these wildfires considerably worse.  This is along the creek from Chino Hills Parkway west along Carbon Canyon Road to the Summit Ranch community.

What SAWA will do is drill holes in the trunks, inject an herbicide that spreads systemically in the tree and leads to wilting and death.  After that, the city's commercial tree maintenance contractor, West Coast Arborists, will go in and remove the trees.  This latter part of the plan has to take place after mid-September when bird nesting season ends.

A separate project is the hiring of SAWA and a team from the California Conservation Corps to go in on 20 September and remove the remains of a massive eucalyptus tree that, earlier this year, fell from its location next to the creek in Sleepy Hollow.  Obviously, this will be welcome as these trees are very intensive due to shedding of bark, piles of leaves, and the oils from the gum found inside. 

The work from the City on this is much appreciated as efforts continue to be taken to mitigate wildfire risk, especially during this extended drought and the dangerous conditions that have resulted as climate change continues to make its devastating effects known.

    

 The Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council was honored at this evening's Chino Hills City Council meeting with presentations by Mayor Brian Johsz and council members of certificates from Supervisor Curt Hagman and the City for the CCFSC's being awarded a 2021 California Nonprofit of the Year by Assembly member Phillip Chen.

The Mayor said very kind words about our 20-year track record of service in working to mitigate wildfire risk in the Canyon and Council member Ray Marquez, a long-time liaison between the CCFSC and the City with important involvement in our work, lauded some of the organization's key initiatives.

The recognition is greatly appreciated, though we have much work to do, especially as the City of Chino Hills is now readying to deal with the removal of palm and eucalyptus trees in the creeks in the Canyon and our persistent drought and bone-dry conditions mean greater vigilance is required during the increasing threat of wildfires.

Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council Named a California Nonprofit of the Year for 2021!

Today is California Nonprofits Day and it is a pleasure to note that Assembly member Phillip Chen has selected the Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council as a 2021 California Nonprofit of the Year, a program administered by the California Association of Nonprofits. 

This organization has, for twenty years, worked diligently and achieved much to mitigate the risk of wildfire in the Canyon, especially as the threats have magnified due to climate change and other factors.  The Council started as and fundamentally remains a grassroots organization working from the community level in its mission, though always looking to partner with government, fire agencies and others to carry out its purpose.

  

In recent years, there has been an increased focus on developing membership and establishing stronger connections on both the San Bernardino County and Orange County sides of the Canyon.  The Council has worked harder with the cities of Brea and Chino Hills on coordination, project planning and securing grant funding.  

It has further developed closer ties and relationships with the Chino Valley Fire District and the Brea Fire Department.  Moreover, the group has continued to work directly with Canyon residents through such crucial activities and programs like the Brush Drop-Off days and the recently distributed evacuation maps, among others.

Even during the pandemic shutdown, the Council continued its important work and this announcement is recognition of the value it provides to the Canyon and the cities in which it is located.  Congratulations to the officers and members of the organization for this honor and for residents and others who care about the Canyon, please support the work that it does.

Allen McCombs: A Champion for the Chino Valley

In 1956, a young man from northern California, steeped in a journalistic background because of his father's long newspaper experience, came to the rural town of Chino to take over the operations on its paper, the Champion.  Though he had a MBA from Harvard and was viewed by some as an outsider, Allen McCombs overcame some local skepticism and became not just a stellar journalist and newspaper owner, but a pillar of the community, serving in many leadership roles, including the planning commission, school board, and a committee working with CalTrans on the routing of the 60 Freeway through the city.

Even though he was head of a small town paper, McCombs was president of the state newspaper publishers association and was widely known for his dogged defense of a free press and the First Amendment.  His ownership of the paper lasted a staggering 60 years until he sold the Champion in 2017, though he retained the title of publisher emeritus and continued his management of the editorial pages and the writing of his always-informative and entertaining "Rolltop Roundup."

As Chino Hills began to emerge as a growing unincorporated community, McCombs recognized the importance it would take in coming years and formed the Chino Hills News in the late Eighties.  He later created an edition of the Champion for the city, after it was incorporated in 1991, and he did a stellar job in reporting on news and events in the new community as he did for Chino.

Launched by Chino's founder Richard Gird in 1887, the Champion is the second oldest continuously operating newspaper in the greater Los Angeles region, being a half-dozen years younger than the Los Angeles Times and it is hard to overstate how much of an accomplishment it was for McCombs and partners like Bruce Wood to keep the local weekly viable as print media shrunk dramatically in recent years.  It is a testament to his vision, faith, keen understanding of community and sheer hard work that McCombs was able to not just keep the paper afloat, but of top-notch quality all of those years.

McCombs was also a keen student of history, generally and locally, and was a veritable storehouse of knowledge about Chino Valley's rich past, including that of Carbon Canyon.  He always wrote incisively about aspects of our area's history and, in person, could retrieve long-stored facts from his prodigious memory that was astounding even as he got into his nineties.  It was an honor to be asked by him to submit monthly columns, starting in 2018, in the "History of the Hills" series, sharing aspects of the history of Chino Hills as a complement to Kerry Cisneroz' excellent columns on Chino.

Though I did not know him for long or that well, I always enjoyed speaking with or corresponding with Al about the history of the Chino Valley, including at meetings of the Chino Hills Historical Society, where he gave a great presentation about local history.  He lived a long and eminently useful life and his achievements in community building and the operation of a newspaper for six decades, especially during the lean years that have shuttered so many papers, are truly impressive and inspiring.

Thank you, Al, for all that you have done and given to the Chino Valley for 65 amazing years!

Proposed Legislation to Require State to Add to Chino Hills State Park

Lying just to the south of Carbon Canyon on the other side of Soquel Canyon and also a small portion north adjacent to Olinda Village, Chino Hills State Park is a crown jewel of passive recreational space in an increasingly urbanized area. While it has been ravaged by huge wildfires twice in the last dozen years, the park remains vital for our region and it is great news that legislation by Senator Josh Newman, recently returned to the legislature after a recall, to require the state park system to rescind its policy of not accepting purchased or donated land to any given park.

Working with Hills for Everyone, the amazing grassroots group that led the effort to create the park some forty years ago, Senator Newman crafted and introduced the bill, which is advancing through committees and, hopefully, will soon be passed and sent to the governor for his signature.  At issue for the CHSP are 1,600 acres, mostly at the eastern and southern sections, that will further insulate it from any future development, a problem that became most manifest in the Yorba Linda side where homes were built directly up against the park and, in the most egregious example, on view lots visible from large swaths of the park.

Hopefully, there'll be good news soon about this legislation and additions of a little more than 10% of the park's current size (it is now over 14,000 acres), so we'll stay tuned for future developments—oops, wrong word; let's use "future news."

Read more about Sen. Newman's legislation here.

A Bit Part for Local History in a Los Angeles Times Article on the Ball Family

I was surprised to get an email last week from Los Angeles Times reporter Andrew Greif, saying he'd seen the blog and other references with my involvement in local history and wanted to talk to me about Chino Hills history as context for his article on the return of LaMelo Ball to this area tonight as his Charlotte Hornets play the Lakers.

I spoke to Andrew for a while, sharing my recollections, as mentioned in a post here, of LaMelo's father telling me at their house almost twenty years ago that his older sons, Lonzo (who is, for now, with the New Orleans Pelicans) and LiAngelo (still looking for an opportunity to get to the pros) were going to be in the NBA.  I don't think the boys were older than maybe 6 and 5, though the post probably says they were younger, but I sure was struck by LaVar's confidence as he told me that while showing me his back-yard set up for training his kids.

I was further surprised when Andrew asked if I would agree to have my photo included in the article, but I met Gina Ferazzi out on English Road, which still retains the rural equestrian feel of days gone by, for a quick session, which included the published photo, in which I had to stare in the sun and had a bit of trouble keeping my sensitive eyes fully open.  There's that and my pandemic hairdo, but Gina is a very good photographer and I like her images of LaVar.

In any case, Andrew got in a fair amount of the area's history, as well as interviews with a number of residents and officials, and wrote a really good article, which you can check out here.

Carbon Canyon Road Closed Due to Motorcycle Accident

It happened several hours ago, but a motorcycle accident on Carbon Canyon Road (State Highway 142) on the Orange County side west of Sleepy Hollow and east of Olinda Village has led to a full closure of the highway.

There are no details at this time, but a full closure and of this length sadly suggests a fatality.  More info will be provided as it becomes available.

The Ghost of Carbon Canyon: A True Story

Mark Kautz got in contact recently and wanted to share a true story about "The Ghost of Carbon Canyon," which comprises two chapters of his book Fishing, Ghosts, and My Mother's Gray Hair.  So, enjoy and thanks to Mark for sharing!

Chapter 10: The Ghost of Carbon Canyon

The time is the late summer of the 1960s. This is a true story.

There were six of us who used to hang out together. Three of us were roommates; the other three were girlfriends. The three decided we wanted to put a little scare into the girls by taking them to see the Ghost of Carbon Canyon.

Carbon Canyon is southeast of Los Angeles in the rolling hills that are common to the Chino, California area. As the story goes, a couple was parked at the local make-out place at Carbon Canyon, doing things that couples do when parked, and somebody killed them. The ghost comes into the picture this way: He waits—at least we think it’s a he—on the hill top for couples to park below. He or she then comes down the hill to see if anyone is related to the person that killed the couple. If they are not, the ghost disappears. If they are, the ghost floats over the gate and approaches the car with the intention to kill that person. The ghost wants revenge for its own death.

The six of us piled into my 1959 Chevrolet and headed out. We wandered through a few canyons, telling ghost stories and generally being the butt heads that young men can be. Oh, this was going to be fun! Oddly enough, one of the places we went through was a little town called Sleepy Hollow. That was enough to put up the hair on the back of your neck.

We got to the “parking” spot, and I backed in the car. Wanted to be sure we could get out in a hurry if need be. It was just another show of being macho. We sat there, we talked, and we listened to the radio and generally had a good time.

Suddenly on the top of the hill, in front of us, a light appeared. In that light, an apparition of some sort also appeared. The six people in the car almost had heart attacks; well, the girls anyway. Then it got worse. The apparition started down the hill toward the gate. By then, I was trying to get the car started. You know how that is: when you are in a panic, you can’t even get the key into the ignition. Half way down the hill, the apparition and the light disappeared. Some calm returned to the car.

Seconds later, the light and the apparition reappeared and proceeded to the bottom of the hill and approached the gate. At the instant, it stopped at the gate, and there was a huge ringing sound. The sound of a gong of some type is the best way I can explain it. By then I had gotten the key into the ignition and panic had returned to the car.

In the split second it took to start the car, we noticed the apparition crossing the gate and starting toward the car. Flying dirt and squealing tires on pavement, we were out of there. We never went back, ever.

 Chapter 11: The Ghost of Carbon Canyon (The Rest of the Story)

The time is the late summer of the 1960s. This is a true story.

There were six of us who used to hang out together. Three of us were roommates (actually there were four roommates); the other three were girlfriends. The three guys (all four were involved) decided we wanted to put a little scare into the girls by taking them to see the Ghost of Carbon Canyon.

Carbon Canyon is Southeast of Los Angeles in the rolling hills that are common to the Chino, California area. As the story goes, a couple was parked at the local make out place at Carbon Canyon, doing things that couples do when parked, and somebody killed them. The ghost comes into the picture this way: He waits—at least we think it’s a he—on the hill top for couples to park below. He or she then comes down the hill to see if anyone is related to the person that killed the couple. If they are not, the ghost disappears. If they are, the ghost floats over the gate and approaches the car with the intention to kill that person. The ghost wants revenge for its own death.

The six of us piled into my 1959 Chevrolet and headed out. We wandered through a few canyons, telling ghost stories and generally being the butt heads that young men can be. Oh, this was going to be fun! Oddly enough, one of the places we went through was a little town called Sleepy Hollow. That was enough to put up the hair on the back of your neck.

We got to the “parking” spot, and I backed in the car. Wanted to be sure we could get out in a hurry, if need be. It was just another show of being macho. We sat there; we talked, and we listened to the radio and generally had a good time.

Suddenly on the top of the hill, in front of us, a light appeared (headlights from a car coming over a rise on the hillside behind us). In that light, an apparition of some sort (roommate number 4 in white T-shirt, white Levi’s, and white sneakers) also appeared. The six people in the car almost had heart attacks; well, the girls anyway. Then it got worse. The apparition started down the hill toward the gate. By then, I was trying to get the car started. You know how that is: when you are in a panic, you can’t even get the key into the ignition. Half way down the hill, the apparition (roommate number 4 tripped on a rock and fell down) and the light disappeared (The car went into a dip, and the headlights didn’t show any longer). Some calm returned to the car.

Seconds later, the light (car came over the next rise) and the apparition reappeared (roommate number 4 got up and started back down the hill) and proceeded to the bottom of the hill and approached the gate. At the instant, it stopped at the gate; there was a huge ringing sound (when he fell down, he picked up a big stick). The sound of a gong (he hit a hollow metal post with the stick) of some type is the best way I can explain it. By then, I had gotten the key into the ignition and panic had returned to the car.

In the split second it took to start the car, we noticed the apparition crossing the gate and starting toward the car. Flying dirt and squealing tires on pavement, we were out of there. We never went back, ever.

It was years before any of the girls found out the truth of what actually happened that night. I was fortunate enough to be out of the initial firing line since I was no longer with that girlfriend, but the other two couples had married by that time, and since we were still friends, I did get some of the fireworks; in fact, what I got was a pot bounced off my head. I kept that pot for a long time just to remind me of that night. It was always good for a laugh.

State-Mandated Housing for Chino Hills and Carbon Canyon, Version 2.0

A third public housing workshop was held last Tuesday by the Chino Hills Planning Commission, the main result of which was that 30 identified sites for the over 3,700 housing units the state is mandating be built in the city have been whittled down to a baker's dozen.

Of these 13, however, two are in the canyon and, even though Marianne Napoles of the Chino Valey Champion reported that the others were struck off the list for several reasons, including "without proper access," the canyon properties, like any other proposed housing projects within it, are accessed by a two-lane state highway that already ranks D or F, the lowest possible ratings, for traffic congestion and which cannot be widened because of the physical constraints of the canyon.

The two parcels include 10 acres of the Western Hills Golf Course, the owners of which have been working with major developer Randall Lewis on a housing plan, and the Leonard Grenier property, comprised of stables and structures (many dating back to the Workmen's Circle's Camp Kinder Ring, which was there from 1928 to 1958) on 16.5 acres on Canyon Hills Road just north of Carbon Canyon Road.

Commissioner Patrick Hamamoto rightly asked if the state was taking future water supply into consideration when imposing these mandates and was told by Community Development Director Joann Lombardo that this was not the case.  Presumably, this is true for other critical elements of infrastructure (roads, schools, sewers, etc.)  And, again, the traffic impacts would be very significant.

Napoles wrote that projected numbers of units for the 13 properties are expected to be announced at the next workshop, which is to be held virtually on the 16th at 7 p.m.  More information is available on the city's housing element webpage.

State-Mandated Housing for Chino Hills and Carbon Canyon

Thanks is due to a friend and fellow Canyonite from Olinda Village for the reminder to post about the issue of the impacts of state-mandated housing in Carbon Canyon as the City of Chino Hills grapples with the thorny problem of providing for nearly 4,000 units as required under the mandate.

Coverage in the Chino Hills Champion in its issue from 6 February lays out the scenario in terms of identified some twenty parcels in the city, including lower performing shopping centers, undeveloped land between Soquel Canyon Parkway and Woodview Road, the space between City Hall and The Shoppes, and, in Carbon Canyon, Western Hills Country Club.

Western Hills, which was opened in the mid-1960s on part of what was the ranch of industrialist Shelly Stoody, has been slated for closure and sale, with housing already a targeted use for the site.  The problem is that, unlike all of the other identified locations for mandated housing in the city, the traffic situation is simply untenable now and won't get any better down the road.

Carbon Canyon Road is a two-line state highway and it is physically impossible to widen it, given its proximity to Carbon [Canyon] Creek, steep canyon walls, and developed property.  Adding what easily could be hundreds of housing units on the Western Hills sites, in addition to other developable tracts like the proposed 28-unit property just to the east across Fairway Drive and the recently abandoned Hidden Oaks parcel to the west across from Circle K, takes us back to what has been raised frequently in this blog and elsewhere—building hundreds of housing units on the Chino Hills side of Carbon Canyon will not improve, but worsen, the quality of life for its residents and those who commute through it.

The state's rush to meet demand for an enormous number of housing units leads to released plans like the mandated housing element and the automatic approval of ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) without enough consideration of local concerns.  Moreover, what is appearently not being discussed nearly enough in conjunction with this is the projected availability and supply of water, power, means of transportation, schools, and other core and crucial components of infrastructure.  

Obviously, available and affordale housing in California is a vital issue, but the sheer level of pushback from cities of all kinds, from working-class to upscale, over the imposition of formulas by fiat rather than working with the particular conditions of communities, shows how contentious the matter is becoming.  Is it an iron-clad rule that, just because there is demand supply has to be met no matter the at-large cost?

This Tuesday the 16th @ 7 p.m., the Planning Commission will conduct another workshop on this issue and, at the end of the Champion article, Planning Commission Chair Jerry Blum encouraged residents to be involved and participate in the public input process.

Children Sickened Eating Plants at Carbon Canyon Regional Park

This is a strange story concerning Carbon Canyon Regional Park.  It's puzzling to say the least that a passerby had to point out to the parents that their children shouldn't be eating plants on the trail, whether hemlock, the alkaloids of which are very poisonous even in small amounts, or any other for that matter.  Fortunately, the little ones came out of it okay, according to the news report.

Carbon Canyon Residents in the News

In the last two editions of the Chino Valley Champion, a trio of Carbon Canyon residents have been highlighted for their varied activities and contributions to our area.

In the issue of the 15th, the paper ran an article reporting that the 2020 winners of the Fred L. Burns Community Service Award for their work in furthering the aims of the Chino Valley Fire District in community service and public safety are Charles Blank and Peter Pirritano.

Blank, who has been the chairperson of the Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council for ten years, "has been instrumental in preventing and minimizing the devastating effects of wildland fires through the bi-annual brush removal program that eradicates up to three tons of dead brush per session."  He coordinates these important activities with the City of Chino Hills and Republic Services/Chino Hills Disposal and oversees Fire Safe Council volunteers for the sessions.

The mural by artist Lena Sekine on the Sleepy Hollow residence of Jeff and Rosemary Kilby.  Photos by Lena.

The article added that Blank oversees the organization of Wildfire Awareness Fairs held by the Council, as well as the removal of invasive plants in Carbon [Canyon] Creek and the creek running eastward through the Summit Ranch neighborhood where he lives and he was critical in getting Carbon Canyon designated as a FireWise community.

Pirritano was heralded for giving "his time to attend donation and training events, where he speaks with community members and the business community about his dedication to help fund public access medical equipment," specifically AED (Automated External Defibrillators) and trauma kits.  These important life-saving materials have been installed for free, thanks to Pirritano's support, at schools and businesses and with community groups in Chino and Chino Hills.

Not mentioned is that Pirritano, who lives in the Carriage Hills community where he is very active with the homeowners' association, is also a member of the Fire Safe Council, and has contributed much of his time and given financial contributions so that it can continue its important work.

Past winners of the award, given out since 1993, include Sarah Evinger, longtime fire board and Fire Safe Council member, who was recognized in 2005 and Ron Nadeau, a fixture of decades in Sleepy Hollow and also a longtime Fire Safe Council member, who was honored in 2015.

Finally, yesterday's Champion ran a feature about my amazingly talented next-door neighbor, artist Lena Sekine, and her mural for the home of fellow Sleepy Hollow residents Jeff and Rosemary Kilby.  Lena, who has painted murals at her house and a few others in the community and whose job is interior decoration specializing in restaurant decor, painted a mandala with a peace sign at its center (the latter being the Kilbys' only requirement—otherwise Lena used her considerable imaginative abilities for the rest.)  The artwork involves many overt and covert symbols and meanings reflective of the family and broader concepts.

Jeff Kilby told Marianne Napoles of the Champion that the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially hard because they work in the health-care industry and witness much of the devastation first-hand, have severely limited contact with their neighbors and community, which they value so much.  So, afterreaching out to Lena and getting approval from their neighbors and having the mural painted on the side of their house, he and Rosemary now have something beautiful and healing for them during this particularly problematic period and beyond.

One of the very best attributes of Sleepy Hollow is the strong sense of community built here thanks to people like Jeff, Rosemary and Lena.  Similarly, one of the most important elements of community in Carbon Canyon broadly is embodied in the volunteer work and financial support provided to the Fire Safe Council and Chino Valley Fire District by Charlie and Peter.

In these troubled times, with so many trials and tribulations, it is not often enough pointed out just how much goodness there is out there and this trio of amazing Canyon residents embody that in their varied contributions.