Payback time for park advocate

Seven years ago, when the fig ht was heating up to convert the old Taylor Rail Yard into open space, Melanie Winter quit her job to advocate full time for a park along the Los Angeles River. Kerry Cavanaugn in the Daily News.

She started The River Project nonprofit agency, and worked seven days a week organizing a coalition of 36 community groups, flying to Sacramento to lobby for funding and backing a lawsuit to block commercial development on the site.

She did it all without pay, charging her living expenses on her credit cards.

The work paid off.

In April, activists helped cut the ribbon on the Rio de Los Angeles State Park - a pristine 40-acre park with soccer fields, walking trails, picnic tables and natural habitat that marked the first major swath of green in a paved, crowded community.

Now a core group of activists say it's payback time.