Carbon Canyon Road Truck Ordinance Takes Effect 29 May

Chino Hills City Council member Peter Rogers posted on Facebook that the prohibition of trucks of a certain length (those with 4 or more axles) will take effect on Wednesday, 29 May.  This effort has been a long while in the making, with a great deal of the time spent waiting for approvals from CalTrans.  The initiative came from Carbon Canyon residents and others pressing for what has only been done once before in the Golden State's massive state highway system.

This image is from the CalTrans "State Route 142 (Carbon Canyon Road) Truck Restriction Study: Final Report"

Part of the process included meetings with CalTrans personnel, City officials and residents and those discussions were respectful and fruitful.  The reality is that these things take time and Council members Rogers and Ray Marquez are to be thanked for their role in making this happen, while cooperation also had to be obtained with the City of Brea, as well, so much appreciation to our neighbor to the west, as well as to CalTrans.

Obviously, there is the passing of an ordinance or law, then there is the actual enforcement.  Let's hope that there is an effective monitoring and citation system in place from the beginning, so that we can have, as much as possible, a state highway that is as safe as it can reasonably be.

Gold Spotted Oak Borer Spotted in Los Angeles County

This morning's e-edition of the "Inland Valley Daily Bulletin" has a lengthy article about the fact that the tiny Gold-Spotted Oak Borer, or GSOB, which has killed tens of thousands of oak trees in the American Southwest in the last two decades, is entering this region because of imported firewood.

Image from the American Public Gardens Association.

Yesterday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors declared a state of emergency and is hiring three foresters and will work with CalFire and other agencies. The potential for local devastation is enormous and we'll post any follow-ups that come our way.

Brush Drop Off A Force for Good in Carbon Canyon

Yesterday morning, the Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council, in conjunction with its partners, the City of Chino Hills and Waste Management, held its annual spring Brush Drop Off near Fire Station 64 on Canon Lane, as the Council continues its efforts, over nearly a quarter century, to mitigate wildfire risk in a variety of ways, including his important program.

It was a cool and damp morning, great, however, for residents on the Chino Hills side of the Canyon to cut down brush, trees and other plant material that provide ready fuel for wildfires and bring them to the site where a pair of roll-off bins were available.  A trio of Council volunteers assisted residents in placing the plant material in the bins, which the disposal company provided courtesy of the City.  This May the 4th was truly a force for good in the Canyon.

With all the rain producing all of the brush, it is vital that we do whatever we can to keep the level of material as low as possible, especially as warmer, drier weather will quickly dry it out and raise the risk of wildfire damage, though we, of course, hope that we will avoid this for another year!  Thanks to the City, Waste Management and the Council for their collaborative efforts on this critical endeavor and a second Brush Drop Off will likely be held this fall.

Paradise Ranch Property Sold

The 85-acre Paradise Ranch, tucked in between the Hillcrest and Oak Tree Estates/Downs communities off Canyon Hills Road north of Carbon Canyon Road in the Chino Hills portion of Carbon Canyon and which is slated for the development of 50 houses with 50 acres of open space, has been sold.

True Life Companies and its trio of subsidiaries, based in Denver and with a local office in Newport Beach, exists to invest in properties, including shepherding a project through the required permitting and approval process and then sell or assign them them when they are "shovel ready" to a homebuilder.

In this case, the buyer is Trumark Properties, which operates in California and Colorado, including several current projects in Riverside, Mission Viejo, Covina and other locales in our region.  No information was given as to the amount transacted, but the announcement states that construction is expected to begin in 2025.

La Vida Mineral Springs Presentation Redux in October

Last Thursday's talk for the Orange County Historical Society on the history of the La Vida Mineral Springs resort on the Brea side of Carbon Canyon near Olinda Village attracted about 80 persons, with many of them offering memories and recollections of their visits or having worked there.

With a PowerPoint slideshow and a display of dozens of La Vida artifacts, including postcards, photos, a brochure, mineral water bottles (and openers and caps), a hotel key and more, there was a lot to share and discuss.

There will be a repeat presentation given on Monday, 14 October for the Chino Hills Historical Society and we will definitely issue reminders as that date gets closer.  Keep an eye out here and on the Chronicle Facebook page for those updates.

La Vida Mineral Springs History Presentation for the Orange County Historical Society on the 14th

Some of the fascinating history of the La Vida Mineral Springs resort in Carbon Canyon near Olinda Village will be presented to the Orange County Historical Society during its next meeting on Thursday, 14 March at 7:30 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church at 2400 N. Canal St. in Orange.

The PowerPoint-illustrated talk will include a cache of photographs from original negatives, most of which have never been seen publicly as well as discuss the history of the facility, which sported a bath house, motel, cottages, café, swimming pools and more over much of the 20th century.

In addition to the negatives, a display will feature several bottles of mineral water produced from the springs, a crate used to pack bottles, real photo and other postcards, a motel room key, bottle openers and other artifacts from La Vida.  Though the resort has been gone for many years, these objects help keep the history of this remarkable Canyon locale alive.

So, if you're interested and available, come join us at this presentation!  If you can't make it, but want to, the talk will be repeated for the Chino Hills Historical Society on Monday, 14 October and we'll be sure to post about it just prior.

Carbon Canyon History at the Chino Hills Historical Society Presentation Next Monday the 12th

There will be a presentation for the Chino Hills Historical Society next Monday the 12th at 7 p.m. at the community center, 14250 Peyton Drive, across from Ayala High School, on some notable aspects of Carbon Canyon history.

Specifically, the talk will deal with the camp of The Workmen's Circle, a left-wing Jewish mutual aid society now known as the Worker's Circle, which was formed in New York City in 1900 by Yiddish-speaking immigrants from Eastern Europe.  For nearly 125 years, the organization has advocated for social and economic justice and civil liberties for all people.

For some years, the facility, which was opened in 1928, was known as the Workmen's Circle Camp/Resort and was open year-round to all ages, while, later, it was dubbed Camp Kinder Ring and focused on summer programs for children and youth ages 7-16 years.  After 30 years it closed and part of the site was ravaged by a major Canyon wildfire in 1958.

The clubhouse, some concrete-block cabins and other elements, survived the blaze and became a series of camps under such names as El Circulo and the Canyon Hills Swim and Saddle Club.  The discussion will cover these uses through the mid-1960s, with a follow-up in June on later operations at the site, including the short-lived and bizarre Ski Villa, with an all-year plastic needle slope.

We hope to see you there for this presentation on some little-known, but fascinating, Carbon Canyon history.