A Tale of Two Trails
A Friend has alerted us that the on-line version of the Fullerton Observer posted a story by somebody named “Emerson Little” about a little known Fullerton trail called the Lucy Van Der Hoff Trail. The title? “Lucy Van Der Hoff Trail Needs Maintenance.” It seems that almost nobody knows about this .9 mile “asset” even though it is City-owned.
Unfortunately, the “trail” is overgrown, full of trash, and is yet another shining example of neglect by our top-notch Parks Department. Fortunately, the intrepid Emerson took the trail and generously provided images. But let’s let Emerson tell it in his own words: .
“It’s maintained by the Fullerton Parks and Recreation Department and is listed on the city’s website as a connector. However, when I walked on the trail, it was rather overgrown and poorly maintained. In certain spots, there were quite a few lost objects and pieces of garbage, possibly swept down the pathway by rainwater.”
So, the City has completely failed at maintaining the Lucy Van Der Hoff Trail – even as a simple mountain bike trail. They seem actually have completely ignored it – a facility that should cost almost nothing to maintain. It’s alleged “connector” value is almost useless.
More from Emerson: “I stepped around some discarded plastic bags, bottles, pillows that were torn open, unidentifiable articles of clothing, pieces of broken wood, old soccer nets, and cans, making my way forward.” When the overgrown vegetation became too thick our brave explorer had to ditch the “trail.”
Finally, here’s Emerson wrapping up the tale of his Big Adventure: “So, while my hike was interesting, I really wouldn’t recommend taking the Lucy Van Der Hoff trail.”
And now, Friends, here’s an observation that seems to have escaped the keen notice of the Observers. The advocates of the infamous Trail to Nowhere on the old Union Pacific right-of-way tacitly believe (or pretend to believe) it is going to be maintained – 170 trees, hundreds of shrubs, water lines, irrigation systems, benches, paths, signage, light fixtures – and let’s not forget graffiti removal, etc. – even though there is no budget to do this, and the money can’t be looted from the Park Dwelling Fund which can’t be used for maintenance.
We’ve already seen the maintenance fiasco of UP Trail Phase I – the plant denuded, trash filled, urine soaked predecessor of Phase II that nobody in City Hall has given a rat’s ass about. And Fullerton is also facing a fiscal cliff thanks to years of budgetary mismanagement.
Several months ago FFFF received a comment from former City Manager Chris Meyers, warning about the foolishness of building something that doesn’t have a plan for maintenance cost. But Ward 5 Councilman Ahmad Zahra believes even talking about maintenance issues south of the tracks is “offensive,” the idea being that it’s great to give the “underserved” barrio “something nice,” but who cares what happens to it later. It’s like giving somebody a car when they can’t afford to buy gas, or insurance, or keep it running. Looks like Zahra’s colleagues all agree – even though the very same people can’t figure out how to open Union Pacific Park – another embarrassing disaster.
Well, there would have to be a reckoning – divert money from existing facilities, or just ignore the Trail to Nowhere. Since nobody is going to use it, or use it legally, or miss it if it were gone, it’s bound to suffer the same fate as Phase I and the Poison Park.
And there you have it.
Hoogie uses this trail daily to commute to work. The two pairs of heels are his depending on what he wants to wear to the drag queen club meeting the LVDH Trail connects him to.
None of that is true. Lying and losing. I prefer winning.
True. You embarrass yourself and while you prefer winning, you are a perpetual loser. You can’t always get what you want!
Truth is my language and winning is all I do.
Dr. Zahra made the dream a reality! Thank you Ahmad!!!!!!!! Dr. Charles did it too! You racist lost and can’t handle two doctors that know health and good trails equals food health.
Yeah, that Dr. Charles is a real physical specimen. And Dr. Zahra, he’s all man.
Puzzling why so many buy into Ahmad. He has his share of haters here. His supporters may say more about him.
Egleth Nuncci (from South America and speaks English well because her daddy may have been a Nazi)
Endangered residents of Rancho La Paz (like the San Bernadino kangaroo)
Bernard (lives in Anaheim and lies about being a good skydiver)
Aruni Thaker (at least carpetbaggers have the balls to move into a district and not use daddy’s address to be a somebody)
Gin Flory (old widowed bird has no life and can’t stay away from city hall)
Gretchen Cocks (1955 called and wants her haircut back)
Adrian Meza (awful filmmaker like his idol Ahmad)
If you elect a matinee idol as mayor, you’re going to have a musical comedy administration. Look before you leap.
Isn’t Cox a Republican? What would Trump say? Traitor!
Donald you’re a con man. Zahra is a con man.
Why is opposing the stupid trail racist? Must be a white person. A Mexican wouldn’t be caught dead on that death trap.
There is a disconnect in this town. Reality vs. Wishful Thinking. And it doesn’t spilt along party lines.
EVERYONE KNOWS THE PARKS ARE A DISGRACE. LET’S BUILD MORE!
Fullerton regularly doubles down on failure and never wins! They are a perpetual Martingale System funded by taxpayers.
But the money to build it is coming from the State. It’s free money and we would be foolish not to waste it.
“the plant denuded, trash filled, urine soaked predecessor of Phase II that nobody in City Hall has given a rat’s ass about.”
A lot of things weren’t talked about, for some reason. And FFFF laid it all out for them, while their staff lied, deceived, cooked up Astroturf support among the rubes.
Duncelap too busy giving away the city by rubber stamping staff recommendations, snapping pics with jocks, and cozying up to business owners to give away sidewalks and streets.
Oh FFFF another invalid comparison leading to a dumb conclusion. Just stop punching yourselves in the face!
Lots of dirt recreation trails and maintenance varies, and they’re always worse after the rains. Not really the same thing as the new class 1 trails we will be getting for UP phase 2. That is more of a landscaped park which we have plenty examples of the city regularly and continuously maintaining to a proper standard.
No money, no maintenance. Even CSUF MBA should grasp that. No, wait.
I have no idea what you’re trying to say. There is no money? There will be no money? There is not enough money?
There is no trail yet so indeed there is no money budgeted to maintenance. Nor should there be. That happens after it is completed. So you’re making a prediction.
Let me guess, you thought the trail was dead but you were wrong. So why should I trust your predictions?
Hoogerbooger: “I know! Let’s go buy a new car.”
A Reasonable Person: “But we don’t have money for gas. Or for insurance. Or to get it fixed. In fact, we can’t afford to maintain the old beater we’re still making payments on.
Hoggerbooger: “I know! Let’s buy a new car.”
Yep. And ever notice Hoogerhouse NEVER talks about the Phase I Fiasco?
Phase I was landscaped park, too. Until they gave up on it. Oof. Hoogie say, slapping face as hard as weak manatee flippers will allow.
I challenge you to hike the Lucy Van der Hoff trail and tell me that it’s just like any other city trail after the rain. The last time I was on that trail it appeared to have been abandoned by the city.
I made no such claim so your challenge is denied.
It doesn’t seem to be clear to what extent it was ever adopted by the city or how so I’m not sure “abandoned” is the right word though.
But it certainly doesn’t stand as an comparable to what we should expect on the phase 2 trail. I expect it to managed like any other landscaped city park. Not a dirt trail.
It’s on the City’s website so you can’t say it wasn’t adopted by the City. The point is that maintaining would cost almost nothing and maintaining the Trail to Nowhere would cost a lot. It’s a matter of resources. But you go on with your magical thinking. It makes you feel good about stupid ideas.
“On the city’s website” doesn’t really tell me anything.
What’s the history of this trail? No one really seems to know. The author of the article seems to have tried and didn’t come up with much.
It’s not just that the city government has lost track of it. So far, it seems everyone has.
Why?
It tells you that the City owns it. Yeah why has “everyone” forgot it. Good question. Only one group has responsibility for it, and responsibility for no on knowing about it: the City, you buddies at City Hall.
Matthew do not waste your time engaging this person. You know what you’re talking about. He just blabs silly nonsense.
Our “landscaped parks” are a fucking disaster. Just look at the two crown jewels of the Trail to Nowhere – UP and half of IP. Fenced off.
Trees dying or dead in other parks; Hillcrest is a goddamn disgrace. And you have the balls to natter about “landscaped parks.”
Phase 1 was landscaped, too – at one point. Just go away.
The park near me, Acacia park is pretty nice.
As to IP park, I don’t know what the maintenance situation is, or why.
Are you suggesting UP park be reopened? Seems there was support for that as a way of undermining support for phase 2. Maybe ask Jung where he stands on it now.
Get a clue before you open your mouth. GO THERE YA DAMN IDIOT.
Why bother posting if you have nothing substantive to convey?
Mere empty invective.
Go there… Where? Why? To determine what? If you have a point just provide the info. That’s how discussion works.
The mayor is a punk. Kisses ass to Zahra. Both are fake. Sad for Fullerton.
Yep. For a guy who didn’t want anything to do with being Mayor, Nick seems to like all the ceremony crap.
I will say it is encouraging to see you thinking forward to trail maintenance. It shows you are finally starting to accept your loss on this issue even though it’s in your usual toxic, corrosively cynical manner.
Yes, worrying about the cost of things when you have limited resources (or just apathy, see Phase I) is toxic and corrosive.
Speaking of toxic and corrosive, let’s talk about remediation of the TCE contamination (without talking around it like it’s not there).
Indeed, resources are always limited. That’s a given.
In the public sphere, how we tax and how we spend should be in accord with our values. But a cynic knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.
Aha. An empty aphorism and promise to love a tax increase. You do you.
I made no such promise. Though our roads certainly tell the tale of anti tax ideology.
Cut your way to better services! That always works.
Boohoo. You can join Zahra’s Pro-tax Phalanx. Just like last time.
As to TCE contamination, if found, would have to be cleaned up.
My point is trail development might trigger detection for that theoretical contamination.
But the way I see it, the trail would in no way be the cause of either the contamination or the need to clean it up. The risk of such toxins is not some airborne gaseous cloud that will attack the trail users. The risk is to groundwater.
Do you have a different point of view?
Somewhere there’s a hole in the ground (TCE optional) for you to stick your head into.
Only a fool would waste a dime starting to build something not knowing if the soil was contaminated with a carcinogen.
Non responsive to my point. Tce contamination on the soil has no health impact on trail users except indirectly if it enters the ground water and they were somehow exposed to it.
Again my point is that risk and mitigation cost exists trail or not.
So it has no relationship to the project. Your argument doesn’t address that point.
What a profoundly ass-backwards thing to say.
Evasive.
I’ll help. The existing soil has to be excavated and graded, introducing the compound to the atmosphere. The law will not allow the contaminated soils to just be be “put back.” It will have to be exported or decontaminated on site. Similarly the existing 10 testing wells smack in the middle of the “trail” will have to be relocated or modified for the earthwork and finished grades. There is no budget in the plan for that.
Hogerhuis, mmm. Too full of himself he is!
Always believe in yourself.
Even if you got nothing?
I’m sorry if you feel that’s your situation. It’s not mine.
Um, yeah. Never heard of you, never seen you, never care to. You got nothing.
So you acknowledge you know nothing about me but you also claim I have nothing.
-> <-
Sorry dude, your nothingness is advertised in every comment you make. That’s all I need to know.
Vader. Believe in himself he did. Asshole was he still.