When I wrote “Yay for LA County,” I meant "Yay" for LA County.
I did not mean “Yay” for Briggs Road.
Los Angeles County officials did accomplish something
difficult. I complimented and thanked them for it. Then I laid low for a while,
reluctant to spoil the moment.
The difficult thing that the County of Los Angeles pulled off
was to reverse an unjust policy that had stood for ten years, while saving face
and allowing it to look like that accomplishment was a win for the Briggs Road
community. Legitimizing the railroad crossing was not difficult. It was easy.
Friends write and ask, “Is it over at last?” No, my friends,
you must read very carefully. It is not over. We could well be just the butt of
a cruel joke. A month ago we were a railroad crossing, a private parcel, a
river, and a piece of state land away from the legal access that even Norm Hickling
says he believes is right.
Now we are a private parcel, a river, and a piece of state land away from that legal access.
We are just ten feet closer. Though legally permitted to
cross the next private parcel, we are physically barred from it by a barricade
we dare not touch. When we ask Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich’s
deputy, Norm Hickling, to enforce its proper removal, he changes the subject.
And the barricade is still there. What a token of good faith, of truth, it would
show us if that barricade were to be caused to be moved! It’s illegal, right
now! Norm talks of future adjustments of our easement, but right now, now, that barricade should not be there.
What is the message given by its continued existence?
We are just ten feet closer to Soledad Canyon Road. We still
have to cross the Santa Clara River. Los Angeles County officials can wring
their hands and plead that the river crossing is up to the State of California,
but all LA County has to do is say to the State of California, “Move your arm,
honey, and snuggle up closer.”
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| The Mighty Santa Clara River |
First of all, there is extreme variability in levels of
enforcement regarding disturbances of that delicate river. Stay in touch,
because we’ve got some doozies for you.
Second, the State of California and the County of Los Angeles
are intricately interconnected in this matter. Forgive me, but it reminds me of
two malignant cancers intertwining, with disastrous consequences for the host.
We have a lot for you about that, too. (If I were a conscientious office-holder
in either the state or the county, I would be very worried right now that the
two cancers will devastate one another. I’d ask a conscientious office-holder,
if I could be convinced I had found one. I’d love to be convinced that Norm
Hickling is one, but he has to prove himself. We’ve been here before, you see.)
Third, come on! Given
all of the above and all the facts about the magnitude of Los Angeles County and
the power of her supervisors, do any of us really believe that Los Angeles
County officials have no influence over the crossing of a tiny stream? Heck,
even disregarding all of the above, who in their right mind would believe that
the California Department of Fish and Wildlife would ignore recommendations
from a Los Angeles County Supervisor who represents two million people, in the
most populous county in the nation?
Yes, now we are only ten feet closer. And at the other end of
that torturous dirt track, we must pass through a parcel of land that was deeded
over from Los Angeles County to another state agency for—not even a song—a gesture!
More on that, too.
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| Beautiful, huh? Could you blame someone for wanting to steal it? |
This is going to get interesting. This current post is just the barest of outlines of things to come.
The railroad crossing is legitimized. Now for the private
parcel, the river, and the state parcel.
So tell your friends to tune in and read these next blog
posts. And, if you are new to this blog, please understand that this is a
running story. You need to read all of it from the beginning in order to
fully understand the history and the issues.
Thank you to all of you who are following: in the county, in
the nation, and around the world!
