By Brandon HENSLEY

Crescenta Valley residents were able to get a look at what public officials are doing to prepare for possible debris and mud flow this rainy season during the Nov. 18 Town Council meeting. Despite the forecast for a “La Niña” season, which calls for drier weather, L.A. County officials presented steps in what they are doing to prepare and warned residents to be careful.

“I would like to caution you … you shouldn’t let your guard down,” said Steve Sheridan, assistant division engineer for county water resources. Sheridan told the audience of the improvements made to several debris basins, including Pickens, Pinelawn and Starfall.

Pickens debris basin has been expanded from 125,000 cubic yards to 156,000, he said. The Pinelawn basin’s capacity was expanded from 3,200 cubic yards to 4,800, and the Starfall basin from 15,000 cubic yards to 28,000.

Sheridan also spoke of construction on a Canyonside drain, which is located on property of the Crescenta Valley Water District, will begin at the end of the month and be completed by the end of December.

Sheridan said Canyonside Drive has been damaged as well due to erosion and falling rocks. “We’ve assessed all those damages, we’ve created some design plans to go in there and fix it,” Sheridan said.

After Sheridan spoke, L.A. County Sheriff Capt. David Silversparre handed out an outline of evacuation protocols for debris flow events, including a four-color coded system – green, yellow, orange and red — to make things easier for residents.

Silversparre said L.A. County is “totally committed to the safety of
everybody in this community, and I live here. I’m concerned as well.” He mentioned last rainy season’s event down Ocean View Blvd., where mudflow carried several automobiles down the hill. “It was truly devastating, and there’s nothing you can do to stop that,” he said, while adding that he hoped nothing like that happens this season.

Before the presentation, the CV Armenian Community Center (Arick Gevorkian) and The Armenian Parent Club at Crescenta Valley High School presented certificates of appreciation for the Council’s work during the Station Fire and last year’s rainy season.

“You all went beyond the call of duty and volunteerism and today, as a faction of your neighborhood, the 25,000-plus strong Armenian-American community of the Foothills wishes to say simply, thank you,” said Arick Gevorkian, chair of the Armenian Culture Foundation.

The community center also presented certificates to councilmembers Robbyn Battles & Kim Mattersteig for their work on the CV Drug and Alcohol Coalition and gave each councilmember a gold medal from its last Olympic games.

The Armenian Parent Club also presented a certificate to Lisa Yeghiayan for her work with Prom Plus.

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