For Irwindale, a Novel Way to Fill a Big Hole

I ask Eddie Diaz, proprietor of the Diaz Liquor Store, a mile south of the Raiders’ glory hole, what the city usually does with the Grand Canyon-sized rock quarries when they have been de-rocked and abandoned.

“Some of them have been filled with refuse,” Diaz said. “But this is much more exciting, to have the Raiders fill it up.”

Exciting? The Raiders filling up one of Irwindale’s famed rock pits with a football team will be the most exciting thing to happen here since the turn of the century, when Irwin himself cranked up the area’s first gas-powered water pump and brought in a flood of irrigation water.

His legacy remains. To this day, you can get a drink of water almost anywhere in Irwindale. However, somewhere along the line, Irwin’s plans of turning the city into a citrus farm went awry. Instead, Irwindale became a vast rock quarry. Today, the landscape of the city makes the moon look like Maui.

Nevertheless, the citizens of Irwindale are proud of their pits, which supply rocks and gravel to a hungry world. When one pit runs out of rocks, they dig another.

“You could dig forever in Irwindale,” said Dennis Chico, a longtime resident.

Somehow, that wasn’t enough to satisfy the city’s ambitions. The Irwindalers wanted a football team, and they’re thrilled that the Raiders have chosen their city. They figure it will be good for the Irwindale image. Put the city on the map.

“It’s not just a bunch of holes anymore,” Chico said.

He was referring to Irwindale, not to the Raiders’ offensive line, which is another story. The big story here is that the tiniest, ugliest city in Greater Los Angeles, maybe in the world, has landed the mighty Raiders.

This is a small town, folks. How small? Population 1,040. In order to fill the new stadium, each man, woman and child in Irwindale will have to buy about 1,000 season tickets. The city is so small that several years ago, a candidate for City Council lost an election by two votes. Worse, he found out that his brother and his brother’s wife forgot to vote.

This is a town off the beaten tourist path. How do you get to Irwindale? Look for an empty gravel truck and stick out your thumb. Going to a Raider game will be a thrill. Who says there are no true wilderness adventures left in California?

This is a town giving way to progress. Pudgy’s Burgers & Tacos on Arrow Highway, for years a landmark, and Irwindale’s only real citizen hangout--there is no barber shop or bar--has been bulldozed to make room for a Wendy’s.

This is a town eager to grow. The Miller Brewing Co. built a huge plant here after the city sold Miller the land for $1. Not to be slickered on the deal, the city insisted on being paid the full amount up front.

This is a town aware of its sudden emergence into Los Angeles society. The locals will probably hire a public relations firm, which will suggest a spiffy new city motto to replace Jardin de Roca , Garden of Rock. They’ll come up with something like “We will rock you!” or “Irwindale--I can dig it!”

Maybe the Raiders will honor their new home by renaming the team the Pet Rocks.

I just hope the Raiders’ invasion won’t spoil the natural beauty of Irwindale. The locals don’t seem worried. The overall attitude is positive. Nobody I talked to said, “There goes the neighborhood.”

But they have to know their town will never be the same. The abandoned pits, for instance, will become overrun with out-of-town fishermen and scuba divers, once word gets out. Maybe I shouldn’t even mention this, but did you know Irwindale is the secret sportfishing capital of Los Angeles?

Several of the abandoned pits are partially filled with water. (The Raider pit, however is bone dry, which should help the team’s running game.) In the pits that have mini-lakes, I’m told, the water is clean and clear and teeming with fish. The rock-and-gravel companies planted the fish--bass, carp, bluegill, catfish--to help contain the local bug population and to keep the water clean.

There’s no trespassing, but . . .

“I’ve gone snorkeling down there,” Dennis Chico said, pointing to an abandoned pit near his home. “The water is very clear, a beautiful greenish-blue. You can see for 20, 30 feet. It’s like Catalina.”

In other words, the water is clearer than the air. Irwindale is where the dust meets the smog. The Raider offense will be a 50-yard pass and a cloud of dust.

By the way, this may be the first time in history that Catalina and Irwindale have been mentioned in the same story. You snorkelers and scuba divers will be able to tell the difference. The ocean floor off Catalina isn’t covered with abandoned rock-crushing equipment. Chico described the local fishing.

“There’s a lot of bass down there, real good-sized,” he said. “I’ve caught 10-, 11-pound bass. I’ve heard rumors of extremely big catfish down there. I won’t say where the best pit is, but the fish are down there. Some guys chum with bait, then shoot the fish with a bow and arrow.”

On the counter of Eddie Diaz’s liquor store, under glass, is a snapshot of Irwindale’s unofficial record catch. A fisherman is holding a 25-pound 39-inch mackerel. Photo inscription: “King of the hill, 3/8/86, Jim Teal, from his secret hole.”

Jim Teal’s record is in danger. The citizens of Irwindale have a bigger fish on the line, a 6,000-pound Raider, and they’re reeling like crazy.