New operator for Burbank Recycle Center

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Burbank Recycle Center 500 South Flower Street Burbank

After heated debate at its meeting Tuesday, December 6, the Burbank City Council voted to assign the operating agreement for the controversial  Burbank Recycle Center to Burrtec Waste Industries. The vote was 4-1 with Councilman, Dr. David Gordon, strongly opposing the arrangement.

The operation of the Burbank Recycle Center has been under scrutiny for some time and most recently when city officials decided to drop private contractor, Burbank  Recycling, Inc (BRI).  BRI is facing allegations from the state for allegedly cashing in out-of-state beverage containers under the California recycling plan. It was BRI that requested Burrtec take over it’s contract with the Burbank Recycle Center – that produced a lot of questions and suspicions among some Burbankers.

The council majority appeared to be swayed by the staff report, which suggested it would be cheaper to hook up with Burrtec rather than to go out for bids. Hopefully, the council’s decision will improve public confidence in the Burbank Recycle Center and not make a bad situation worse.

Anti-Walmart protesters plan new action

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Stop Walmart in Burbank protesters out front of the site of a planned Walmart at 1301 North victory Place in Burbank October 19, 2011

The “Stop Walmart in Burbank” group is gearing up for an appearance at the city council meeting next Tuesday, December 13.  Walmart moving into Burbank is pretty much a done deal. However, this group is still determined to make city officials “… feel the pressure…” from “… their constituents…” who are against the giant retailer opening a store in the Empire Center.

Wind storm clean-up: It’s a wrap

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- A pile of tree limbs on East Providencia Avenue in Burbank December 1, 2011

The clean-up following last week’s powerful wind storm was a huge effort. Cheers for residents, Burbank city crews, and Burbank PD.

What a difference a week makes. Today B-town is sizzling with the high expected to reach into the 90s.  At 11 a.m. here in Burbank it was already 82 degrees.  Last Thursday, we were getting dumped on by another cold rainstorm.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Magnolia Boulevard bridge over the 5 freeway in Burbank. For a while a section of the right eastbound lane had to be closed due to work by a repair crew. March 22, 2011

On Tuesday, March 22, Burbank city and Los Angeles County crews were scrambling to complete projects and repairs ahead of another approaching rainstorm. One of the repair jobs was on the Magnolia Boulevard bridge near the eastbound lanes.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Los Angeles County workers repaired damage on Magnolia Boulevard bridge March 22, 2011

The county crew did some cement work and painting on the railing. Burbank Public Works Director, Bonnie Teaford, says the county handles this type of repair: “… we contract with them for bridge inspections and repairs since we don’t have in-house capabilities for that.”

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Los Angeles County crew at work on a section of the Magnolia Boulevard bridge March 22, 2011

The weather watchers are predicting another sunny day tomorrow –with a high in the 80s. However, cloudy skies and  a 20 percent chance of rain are in the forecast for the weekend.

Tree talk in B-town

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- A tree lined street in the hillside area of Burbank

Burbank is one of only two communities in the state designated as a Tree City USA recipient by the National Arbor Day Foundation. The other is Sacramento. It’s the 34th consecutive year Burbank has received the honor. “This national recognition acknowledges Burbank’s commitment to its community forest,” according to a news release sent out last week by City Hall. 

The city has proclaimed March as Arbor Month. Last Wednesday, at the Arbor Day ceremony in Miller School park a symbolic tree was planted “.. as a living testimonial of everyone’s commitment to the beautification of the City of Burbank through the planting and maintenance of all trees throughout the City.” the release says.

A second Arbor Month ceremony was held on Thursday, March, 24 as part of the Plant-a Tree ceremony. The program reportedly has received $1,500 from donors and that money will go toward planting new trees in McCambridge Park.  This reforesting effort is necessary at the park because so many trees were lost in the recent rainstorms. This brings up a couple of issues.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Two aging stone pine trees on Bethany Road between Glenoaks Boulevard and Third Street in Burbank

Two giant stone pine trees remain in the center of a stretch of Bethany Road. On Sunday, March 20, in the middle of a vicious storm, a third old pine, in the same area, toppled into an apartment building.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Workmen survey the damage to an apartment balcony caused by a toppled tree on Bethany Road in Burbank March 22, 2011

A parked truck was damaged, along with a section of manager Ben Cantu’s balcony at the Bethany Towers Apartments. Cantu thinks at least one of the nearby giant pine trees is  on the brink of collapse. And he could be right. Officials should not wait until the older trees get knocked down in a storm to replace them. For safety and practical reasons, it makes more sense to gradually take out the old trees and replant new ones. Less change to the environment, while ensuring big shady trees will be here in Burbank for future generations to appreciate.

I’ve heard many of the city trees aren’t trimmed as often as they should be due to budget restrictions. Also, as reported in this blog  back on March 16, some of our healthy big trees  are in danger of being chopped down because of root problems in the sewer lines.

Maintenance is just as important as planting trees. Preserving the trees we have in the city should be a high priority permanent item in the budget.  

Spring has finally sprung

Bees and hummingbirds are buzzing the gardens, yards, and fields of the Media City. Spring is finally here. It’s beginning to feel like springtime as well. The high today around 75.  Tomorrow, the temperature will top out in the 80s.  Thursday’s  high could reach 90 in Burbank!!!

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Plants and flowers bloom on a hillside in Burbank March 2011

More rain overnight in Burbank and a 30 percent chance of shower activity today. March 2011 has turned out to be a pretty wet month for the Southland. The relentless storms have battered the roads and frayed the nerves of commuters — but left the local hillsides green and the flowers and plants blooming in Burbank. And that’s a lovely sight to see.

Photo: David Cantu/freelance photographer -- Last Sunday's storm was too much for a massive stone pine tree which fell onto an apartment building on Bethany Road in Burbank March 21, 2011

The first in yet another series of storms is rolling through Burbank this evening, increasing the concerns that more trees will topple. Several trees were knocked down by last weekend’s treacherous storm, one of the casualties, a graceful giant at Third Street and Bethany Road.

Photo: David Cantu/freelance photographer -- A downed tree on Bethany Road damaged an apartment building and a parked truck March 20,2011

The building manager, Ben Cantu, says the huge stone pine took the fall at about 4:45 p.m., last Sunday, March 20. Cantu believes the storm was only partly to blame: “… one of the most beautiful trees in Burbank fell victim to high winds and top heavy growth.”

Cantu, whose first floor balcony was damaged,  says that when the tree smashed into the Bethany Towers: “It shook the entire building so much that tenants believed that an earthquake had occurred.” One apartment dweller, Tammy Folkes, reportedly called a friend across town to see if “she had felt the quake.”

Photo: David Cantu/freelance photographer -- A section of that downed tree on Bethany Road in Burbank crushed a parked truck March 21, 2011

Tenant, Dean Benavidez, got whacked twice by the fallen tree. It crushed his truck. Benavidez reportedly was “mostly upset that he had just bought new tires for his work truck.” Also, the toppled tree cracked one of the windows in Benavidez’s apartment — that was the easiest repair job of several that needed to be done.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- On Monday forestry crews chopped the fallen pine tree into a ton of heavy logs, which were carted away leaving behind a huge stump and some smaller wood pieces March 22, 2011

On Monday, forestry crews removed most of that huge tree from the street. Tuesday, a construction crew began the clean-up and repair work on the  damaged  apartment balcony.  

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Construction workers demolished a section of an apartment balcony damaged by a fallen tree on Bethany Road March 22, 2011

Also, on Tuesday afternoon gas company workers came by to fix a leak — also, blamed on the collapsed tree. Cantu says the Burbank Fire Department turned off the gas to the line linked to the stoves in the apartment building on Sunday. So for two days, tenants were not able to cook in their units.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Worker for the gas company repaired a gas line damaged by a fallen tree on Bethany Road in Burbank March 22, 2011

Traffic is back to normal along that section of Bethany Road, between Glenoaks Boulevard and Third Street. There will most likely be some delays later on when the big tree stump is removed. Jan Bartolo of Park, Recreation and Community Services, says that will probably happen sometime in the next month.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- All that remains of a fallen giant stone pine tree is a big stump and a few scattered wood pieces on Bethany Road in Burbank March 22, 2011

Bartolo explained the stone pine that collapsed “… was an older tree, however the severity of the storm played an important role in its failure.” Should residents be concerned about the other giant trees in that section of Bethany Road? Bartolo says the city is keeping a close watch on those trees: ”While it is impossible to predict tree failures, we have taken every necessary precaution with our Certified Arborist inspections performed on the trees since the storm to assess their current condition.  At this time, our arborists feel that the trees are in stable condition with a good root structure and at this time no expectation of any other failures are anticipated.”

Burbank and the rest of the Southland is getting hammered by a major storm system this afternoon. The rain is coming down in sheets. Powerful winds are whipping through the area.

The National Weather Service says rain is falling at a quarter to a half an inch an hour and that could increase to an inch per hour by nightfall. The NWS has issued a flood advisory for small streams and roadways. Also, there is the chance of mud and rock slides on roadways as well.

A flash flood watch remains in effect for the nearby station fire burn areas, where the potential for flooding and debris flows are a serious concern.

A lot rain falling in Burbank this morning. Just before 9 a.m. lightning flashed across the sky, followed by rumbling thunder in B-town. The calendar says it’s the first day of spring. It still feels like winter. This Pacific storm is pounding the entire Southland and is expected to continue the assault through tonight.

This storm is packing winds 15-to-30 mph with some gusts reaching 45 mph. Also, it’s cold outside. The high in the Media City — only in the 50s.  The weather is pretty nasty out there, so drive with extra care.

As predicted, light rain began falling in Burbank early this morning. This late winter storm arrives with a full payload — some bouts of heavy rain, cold temps, and breezy conditions. Weather watchers are saying this storm will linger in the Southland – probably for several days. So get out the umbrellas, jackets, and boots again.

A brief period of sunshine gave way to more dark clouds, then rain, and just before noon, hail in Burbank!  The hard pebbles pounded the roof of my house and created white patches of quickly melting ice on the ground in the hillside area. The weather is freaky out there today. Don’t get faked out by a little sunshine –  keep that umbrella handy.

Surprise, we’re getting dumped on by another winter storm. The cloudy skies let loose with a prelude of thunder and drizzle, which soon erupted into a steady rain in Burbank shortly after 10 a.m. This is a cold rainstorm. The high might reach 60 in Media City, but I doubt it.

The rain is expected to hang around through tonight. The prediction is for cloudy skies and a 20 percent chance of rain tomorrow. Hopefully, it will not rain on Sunday’s Oscar festivities.

Photo: Anne Cusack/Los Angeles Times — a runaway mud flow sweeps away trees and rocks and races down a street in La Cañada Flintridge today. Check out the L.A. Times storm photo gallery here.

A vicious storm sucker punched the Southland early this morning, unleashing landslides, swift mud flows, causing power outages, damaging around 43 homes, and forcing evacuations. Some areas got as much as four inches of rain from this latest series of stormy weather.

Here in Burbank, I was awakened by loud, rumbling thunder followed by some intense pounding rain on the roof before dawn. By this morning’s light, the devastation was shockingly clear in the nearby fire scorched hills. At a news conference this afternoon, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich described a hard hit La Cañada Flintridge neighborhood as looking like a  ”… war zone area…” 

In La Cañada Flintridge 24 properties were damaged, including a dozen homes which were heavily damaged or destroyed. As mud flows careened down streets, as many as 25 vehicles were swept away along with trees, boulders, and debris. 540 homes in La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, and Acton have been evacuated; details on that on this Los Angeles County Public Works website.

Also, 300 more evacuations ordered in neighborhoods burned by fires two years ago in nearby Sierra Madre.

Throughout Los Angeles and Orange County, flooding, mudslides, weather-related accidents on streets and roads. Also, repair crews worked all day to restore power to more than 20 thousand users; some still in the dark this evening.    

Tonight, the forecast is for scattered showers and cloudy skies. Sunshine is on tap for Sunday, but by Tuesday and Wednesday, another storm is due to arrive and it could be just as much of a terror as the Saturday morning deluge.

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — A Burbank city crew on East Angeleno Avenue, between Glenoaks Boulevard and 3rd Street, fixing some of the potholes created by that brutal week of powerful storms. 

City of Burbank work crews were taking care of serious business during the past couple of weeks. They were on the job during and after the recent big storms cleaning up debris, removing downed trees, repairing streets, and solving other weather problems. One major repair job over on Victory Boulevard, between Magnola Boulevard and Olive Avenue, was apparently not really storm related.

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — A giant sinkhole developed at Victory Boulevard and Palm Avenue last weekend.

This past Monday, I drove over the bumpy temporary patch that Burbank city crews put down on top of that huge sinkhole, which split open on Saturday, January 23. The day after, Sunday, I talked with James Truong who is a cook at the Great Wok restaurant at the corner of Clark Avenue and Victory Boulevard. Truong saw a trickle of water turned quickly into a rushing stream along Victory Boulevard Saturday afternoon, when a 12-inch water main broke. Truong says “…the water came up to the back door” of the restaurant, prompting him to scramble outside and move his car to higher ground.

That section of Victory Boulevard, and some of the side streets like Orange Grove Avenue, Clark Avenue, and Palm Avenue were blocked off for a while. By Sunday afternoon, crews were finishing up the heavy duty street clean-up and preparing to restore full water service to the mostly business district.

Photo:  FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — A Burbank Water and Power crewman prepares to turn on the water.

BWP General Manager Ron Davis blamed the main break on “improper construction by an outside contractor,” according to a report on the Burbank Leader website Tuesday, January 26.

 Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — Clean-up underway at Florin’s Auto Repair & Systems Tire, 225 North Victory Boulevard near West Palm Avenue, on Sunday, January 24.

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — Clark Avenue, where it intersects with Victory Boulevard, was still blocked off with yellow tape last Sunday afternoon due to the flooding created by that water main break. By the end of the week, the clean-up was done and very few signs of the problem remained.

At the Burbank City Council meeting last Tuesday, January 26, city activist Mike Nolan, who can passionately and articulately dish out both criticism and praise, singled out the Burbank city crews for some well-deserved verbal high-fives. Later, city council members praised Burbank city crews for their hard work and dedication as well.