Park Cleanup Report (11/19/2011)

Saturday's cleanup started with the appearance of a large, beige-colored praying mantis on the park sign holder on Pasadena Avenue. Walking down into the park, a blue dragon fly lit onto my finger. Neither insect was moving very fast in the cool, early morning weather.

With such a nice welcome, it turned into a very productive day. At this time of the year the weeds are just getting going. The ground is moist and the young weeds are easy to remove. We concentrated on castor bean, mustard and horehound in the central mound area and near the steep wooden steps. Removing them now is extremely efficient since not only are they small and easy to pull, but they have not flowered and spread seeds.

In addition to weed removal, some picked up litter, others worked on removing chain link in a drainage area on the southwest side of the park (below Pasadena Ave.), and others chopped away at some large, weedy trees (shamel ash and Chinese elm).

The park is improving and with plans to lay paths and plant in the bare central mound area, I foresee good things to come. And none of this would be possible without the help of community volunteers, including scouts, college students, landscape professionals, and just regular people who care about the park. 

The next cleanup is Saturday, December 10th. On January 28th, students from Occidental College and South Pasadena girl scouts will be laying paths and planting in the center of the park.

If you have a few minutes on one of our weekend cleanups, stop by to say hello, enjoy the park, or get down and dirty pulling weeds and picking up litter.

Volunteer removes graffiti from sign. (10/15/2011)

Oak tree in park

Path leading to sign in center of park. Plants include red willow (Salix laevigata), deer grass (Muhlenbergia rigens), coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis).

Large boulders surround infiltration basin that collects rain water and runoff from Pasadena Avenue.

Beautiful cloudy day is perfect for working,walking or just sitting in the park.

Red toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) berries add color during the holiday season.

Monkeyflowers (Mimulus aurantiacus) have been blooming for months.

Meet Rick Schneider, Candidate for City Council

As you can guess by now, I am a big fan of city council member Rick Schneider. Rick has been a true friend of the nature park, involved since the days before it was even created. Since then he continues to work for it, removing trash and weeds in the park, and supporting it in city government.

If you have not met Rick and would like to talk to him, there are several upcoming opportunities. He has been going door-to-door, shaking hands, saying hello, and asking for support. Rick will also be at the nature park tomorrow, so if you'd like to see him wrestling with oversized trash and behemoth weeds, join us from 9 am to noon.

There will be a Sierra Club walk through the historic residential neighborhood in the northern part of South Pas (Buena Vista and Oaklawn Streets). This is a lovely part of town, worth walking or biking through. I will post new events as I get more information. Feel free to email me for information on ways to support Rick's candidacy - lawn signs, endorsements, donations, volunteer work.

OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET AND LEARN ABOUT  RICK SCHNEIDER:

• OCTOBER 15, 2011, 9 am - noon. South Pas Nature Park Cleanup
• OCTOBER 22, 2011, 9 am - 11 am, Sierra Club Walk with Candidate Schneider

• Website: Re-elect Dr. Richard Schneider for South Pasadena City Council
• Facebook page: Re-elect Rick Schneider for South Pasadena City Council
• Follow on Twitter: @reelectdrrick
• SouthPasadenaPatch
• South Pasadena Review 

Sierra Club Walk with Candidate Rick Schneider

Saturday, October 22, 9 am - 11 am
Meet at northeast corner of Meridian and Buena Vista, South Pasadena

Lovely Craftsman home in Oaklawn/Buena Vista historic neighborhood of South Pas

The Pasadena Group of Sierra Club will sponsor a 2-hour walk through historic Buena Vista and Oaklawn residential neighborhoods in South Pasadena on Saturday, October 22. South Pasadena City Council candidate Dr. Richard Schneider, whom the Sierra Club has endorsed for re-election, will join in the walk and provide information about historic homes in these neighborhoods and discuss how they would be impacted if the proposed 710 Freeway Extension is built through the city. Interested participants should meet at 9 am at the NE corner of Meridian and Buena Vista in South Pasadena. The walk is open to the public. Those who would like to meet and talk with Dr. Schneider are especially invited.

For further information contact David Czamanske at (626) 458-8646

PARK CLEANUP - Saturday, October 15, 2011

The park looked good last month. We did some heavy-duty weed removal in the central area in preparation for a large planting in January. Let's make this part of the park prettier and friendlier to birds, butterflies, lizards and other critters. Hope to see you on Saturday.


View Larger Map

Meet at the park info sign on Pasadena Ave and then head down into the park. The group will pull weeds, pick up litter, and enjoy the park. Come for the whole time, for an hour, or just stop by to say hello.

Nature Park entrance on Pasadena Ave., east of the York St. Bridge

Remember to:
- wear sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
- bring water
- bring gardening gloves and tools (weeders, trowels, whatever you use in your own garden)
- comfortable work clothes, including work shoes (sneakers or boots)
- binoculars for bird watching (optional)

Children must be under adult supervision at all times. There is poison oak in the park, which we will point out before we start.

Please pass this info along to anyone else you think might be interested in the park. If you know of anyone who doesn't use the internet, let me know so we can be sure they are kept in the loop.

Re-elect Rick Schneider - Champion of the Nature Park

Rick (officially, Dr. Richard Schneider) has been there for the park from the very beginning: working to get the park built, consistently attending community cleanups, donating discretionary money for additional plants, and supporting the expansion into the land adjacent to the golf course driving range.

Posing for a rare picture, while stopping by the park to chat with community volunteers. Usually Rick is dressed to work, as he pulls weeds, unearths and removes trash and litter, and enjoys the birds and critters who also use the park. 

Check my other blog for more information on Rick's campaign for re-election to the South Pasadena City Council.  Rick's re-election website contains indepth information on his positions and actions on many city issues. Follow Rick on twitter and facebook.

PARK CLEANUP - Saturday, September 10, 9 am - noon

Can't believe summer is over! I have not been to the park for a while but hope to make a visit this weekend. Looking forward to resuming the war on the weeds. Well, really I am looking forward to meeting up with friends and enjoying the park. Hope more of you can join us this year.


View Larger Map

Meet at the park info sign on Pasadena Ave and then head down into the park. The group will pull weeds, pick up litter, and enjoy the park. Come for the whole time, for an hour, or just stop by to say hello.

Nature Park entrance on Pasadena Ave., east of the York St. Bridge

Remember to:
- wear sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
- bring water
- bring gardening gloves and tools (weeders, trowels, whatever you use in your own garden)
- comfortable work clothes, including work shoes (sneakers or boots)
- binoculars for bird watching (optional)

Children must be under adult supervision at all times. There is poison oak in the park, which we will point out before we start.

Please pass this info along to anyone else you think might be interested in the park. If you know of anyone who doesn't use the internet, let me know so we can be sure they are kept in the loop.

Golf Course status report

During the upcoming city council meeting, Wednesday, August 17, there will be a status report (Item 19, the last agenda item on the agenda) on the transition of the golf course operation to Donovan Brothers Golf, LLC. The agenda item is as follows:

Reports
19. Arroyo Seco Golf Course's status report on operations and finances during the transitional period (no staff report)

As a reminder, the lease with Lohmann Golf expired at the end of June 2011. Negotiations for a new long-term lease with Donovan Bros. Golf were held up over a proposed extension of the driving range. In the original instructions from City Council (5-0 vote), a small piece of property located between the existing driving range and Nature Park (but within the original footprint of the golf course property) was to be added to the park and landscaped by North East Trees, an urban forestry non-profit. In spite of this directive, the property became part of the negotiations with Donovan Bros. The golf management company wanted to extend the golf course into this previously unused land. Upfront cost for the extension was to be paid by Donovan Bros. but fully reimbursed by the city through rent credits.

Citizen objection to the golf course extension and the city's failure to file CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) documents resulted in a temporary agreement with Donovan Brothers. Since the expiration of the lease with Lohmann Golf, Donovan has been paid by the city to manage the facility. It is my understanding that they will be reporting to City Council on Wednesday on "the operations and finances" during this period.

As a reminder, under the long-term lease agreement being negotiated by the city and Donovan Brothers, the golf course management company would provide upfront capital for facility improvements to be reimbursed by the city through rent credits. The company would pay the city rent to manage and run the facility, and would cover operating expenses. Profits generated by the facility would go to the management company. In this arrangement, if capital improvements do not result in increased revenue the city is still fully responsible for the outlay of funds via these ongoing rent credits.

Under the temporary agreement, the city pays Donovan Bros. a fixed amount to run the facility, but keeps the profits. It is my understanding that capital improvements are paid by the city in this temporary arrangement, but resulting increases in generated revenue are kept by the city. In contrast to the long-term agreement, the outlay of capital for improvements is linked with an expected increase in revenue.

Through this long process I have written blog posts, newspaper editorials, and spoken at city council meetings explaining my position on the driving range extension issue. I have tried hard to be accurate in describing what I believed was being negotiated. If now, or in the past, I made any erroneous statements, I welcome corrections.

Previous blog posts:

WildSuburbia Blog

April 20, 2011: City Council to Review Driving Range Extension in Closed Session
April 6: City Council Action Item 19: Driving Range Extension
April 1, 2011: Driving Range Extension on City Council Agenda
March 19, 2011: Golf Course vs Habitat
March 6, 2011: City Council considers extending golf course

Native By Design Blog (Nature Park blog)

April 20, 2011: City Council to Review Driving Range Extension in Closed Session
April 15, 2011: 4/17/11 (Sunday) Cleanup & 4/20 (Wed) City Council Meeting 4/17/11 (Sunday) Cleanup & 4/20 (Wed) City Council Meeting