“ALL THE KING'S MEN:
Flooded Topangans Wade in Red Tape”
by Noel Swann
Evening Outlook Staff Writer
Storm-lashed Rodeo Grounds residents at the mouth of Topanga Creek are fast developing a new appreciation of the kid called Cinderella.
But while the residents feel there’s a big run on Ugly Sisters and Wicked Stepmothers this year—Fairy Godmothers and Prince Charmings seem to be in short supply.
It’s now two weeks since the creek waters ran rabid in the low-lying areas washing out their road across the creek, a footbridge, an asphalt flood control wall and inundating a half-dozen homes with mud and silt.
The flood waters also washed away a number of cars, buried others and raised the ground level of the creek bank next to the homes by four or five feet.
And while most other storm-lashed areas appear to be seeing daylight in terms of aid or future prevention, the Cinderella residents of Rodeo Grounds are still locked in the cellar—with red tape masking the peepholes.
And apathy apparently barring the door.
Now residents like character actor Rusty Lane and others whose homes were filled with mud, weren’t expecting much in terms of personal help.
So the flood wasn’t covered by insurance. So you take a loan and dig out the mud. And you count yourself lucky if the King’s Men—the county building and safety inspector—allow you to live in it again.
Some others hire a bulldozer and cut themselves a makeshift road across the creek to the northern part of the property, so they can get their cars in.
(And makeshift is an understatement. Because the slight rains that fall in the next two weeks after the flood wash the road out again.)
But now comes your first big problem.
The residents have this wealthy Stepmother, see, who owns the land on which they have their houses. And Mrs. Los Angeles Athletic Club and the residents have never quite seen eye to eye.
There’s a question of a lease which says the residents must maintain an access road and which makes no provision for giving them a bridge to cross the creek.
And under normal circumstances no one expects anything will be done about this problem—especially since Prince (California Governor) Ronald Reagan’s men have shown an interest in buying the land for a park.
But because of the unprecedented devastation of the flood, they wonder if Stepma might just relent a teensy-weensy bit and help them replace the road and the bridge.
So an emissary from a neutral land called the Evening Outlook asks Mrs. Club if she is going to do anything.
A spokesman says they’re inspecting the area. And at the very least they will hire a bulldozer to cut a fork in the makeshift road across the creek to the south end of the property.
(Actually the work wasn’t done last week. And the fork would have been washed away again by the new rains along with the makeshift road. But the spokesman confirmed again Monday the fork still will be cut.)
Now spokesman points out Stepma also has a big problem.
Theoretically, one could spend “thousands” there, but what's the point if the King’s flood control men don’t do something to prevent a future flood?
So Stepma wants to talk to the flood control men before taking any action.
For a few days—like in all good stories—nothing happens.
Then the residents ask the emissary if he will speak to the flood control men.
So the emissary learns that the King’s flood control men can do NOTHING.
A spokesman there explains that Topanga Creek never did form part of the district’s system.
In 1931 the King’s men drew up a master plan of all the areas that needed flood control measures. This was based on potential danger and population density—and it seems the Cinderellaland of Rodeo Grounds didn’t qualify on either score.
So it’s not in the system. And therefore there are no funds or plans to do anything about it.
And even if the people wanted the King’s men to do something, they couldn’t because the land is privately owned and the King’s men have no right-of-way there or easements on which to build control measures.
And the only way the area can get on the flood control system is by having a delegation meet with the control officials and persuade them it is necessary to have Topanga Creek in their plans.
‘Prince’ Eyes Land
(But let’s not forget the chances of this are slim because of prospects of Prince Reagan’s men buying the land. And who wants to fool around with property that might be taken over by another kingdom?)
But at least the flood control man takes pity on Cinderella’s tattered rags and says he will send a man down to the area to inspect it and advise the residents what they can do about the mess.
Meanwhile, back at Stepma’s pad, a spokesman said they fired off a telegram to Duke (County Supervisor) Burton Chace last week calling his attention to the plight of the residents and urging immediate action. .
And they got immediate action.
Duke Chace immediately replied saying he had sent their request for urgent action to you know who.
That’s right. The King’s flood control men who—as you remember—can’t do anything because it’s not in the system and there’s no funds budgeted and they don’t own the land and they don’t have any easements and Prince Reagan’s men are going to buy the land anyway.
As the Sun Sinks
Meanwhile, as the sun sinks slowly in the West, we see one resident riding across the creek in a basket on a cable and another wading across the water in mud-clogged boots.
And the basket looks oddly like a pumpkin and the mud-clogged boots can hardly be mistaken for glass slippers.
And most residents get the feeling that someone slipped on her timing, because for them the last stroke of midnight tolled even before they heard there was gonna be a ball.
