altadenablog

More on Blair

Pasadena Now says that everyone went home at 5, and PSN's Crime Scene 5:30 posting says some teachers and students were still being detained.  In any event, it seems to be over -- no shots fired, no gun found.

Friday feature (pharma)

Petrea Burchard's lovely Pasadena Daily Photo looks inside Webster's today.

Gunman reported at Blair HS

Crime Scene says that classrooms were evacuated and two people are being detained following a report of a person with a gun at Blair HIgh School.

Developing ...

They're checking out of the Pederast Hilton

Via Monica Hubbard:

Carolyn Seitz is chair of the Sheriff's Community Advisory Committee. She has just sent out this message.

"I have just heard from Captain Blow that State Parole has begun relocating the 6 paroled child molesters from Risinghill Road.

They should all be relocated by March 3rd.

Feel free to cross-post.

Carolyn Seitz"

And this fresh press release from Supv. Antonovich's office:

UNITED COMMUNITY EFFORT STOPS SEX OFFENDERS
Supervisor Calls for Tougher Local Restrictions on State Sex Offender Placement

ALTADENA – "Through a united community effort of citizens and local and state officials, the State of California’s Department of Corrections has indicated that 6 sex offenders placed in an Altadena neighborhood will be removed by Monday,” announced Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich.

“This victory demonstrates the vital need to place public safety above pseudo-rights of sex predators,” said Supervisor Antonovich.

In a motion before the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Antonovich will direct County Counsel to determine if Jessica’s Law – passed by 70% of State voters in 2006 -- will authorize local government to restrict the housing of sex offenders in neighborhoods. In 2002, Supervisor Antonovich initiated the County’s innovative on-line Sex Offender Locator Map to empower citizens to see if sex offenders are living in their communities.  The website’s success led to its use as the model for the State’s Megan’s Law website.

More on this as it develops.

P.S. Welcome to readers of Frank Girardot's PSN Crime Scene Blog!

 

WaMu snafu now up the flue -- boo-hoo

The relatively-new WaMu Bank on Lake is located next to Quiznos, whose slogan used to be "It's toasty." 

Now we can say that about the old, abandoned WaMu a block south.  It's toasty -- as in "caught on fire this morning."

As of 11 a.m. today, firefighters were still hosing down the fenced-in hulk that in recent years has been a parking lot for film crews, a refuge for homeless people, and an eyesore to the neighborhood.  This isn't the first fire -- there was one a couple of weeks ago that Altadenablog witnessed -- but by the look of the damage, this'll probably be the last.  PSN has sketchy details.

Canine distemper found in local foxes

People living in the Chaney Trail neighborhood report seeing local gray foxes who appear to be in the  last stages of canine distemper (muscle spasms, dehyradated, can't walk).  At least one has been euthenized at the Pasadena Humane Society.

An outbreak of distemper has affected gray foxes in Monrovia and Sierra Madre, so it's not surprising that it's made it this far west.  While it poses no danger to humans, it does pass thru coyotes and raccoons, and unvaccinated dogs are in danger.  Make sure your pet is up-to-date on his shots, and don't leave food and water out where foxes can get them and pass the virus.  If you do see a fox showing symptoms, keep them confined (if they're in the garage, tool shed, etc.) and call the Pasadena Humane Society's wildlife officer,  626-792-7151.

A palate cleanser

... after today's main news: the Chowhound website has a good review of Amy's Patio Cafe (at Lake & Altadena Dr.)

3500/200

Altadenablog celebrates its 200th post, and 3500th page view today (we think that item about The Meadows' new residents pushed us over the top).  Thank you!

Meadows residents protest perv palace

State law says that sex offenders must live at least 2,000 feet from parks and half a mile from schools.  That pretty much puts them ... in The Meadows.  At the 4400 block of Risinghill Road, to be exact.

Elise Kleeman of PSN tells us that at least 150 residents met at Loma Alta Park last night to protest the almost-overnight creation of a sex offender sober living house in their neighborhood. The nut  graf:

The six men living in a single-family home on Risinghill Road range in age from 28 to 56. Four of them were convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child younger than 14, including one man who used force and another who sodomized his victim. The others were found guilty of rape by force or fear, with one also convicted of sexual battery.

The Crime Scene Blog calls it a "sex offender clown house," probably a reference to those little circus cars that disgorge tons of clowns.  (Altadenablog thinks the proper metaphor is probably something about "a good place for fishing," with all the children in the neighborhood and a national forest nearby.)  Parents have removed children's drawings from their windows.  Officials say their hands are tied. Best venomous quotes are from Pasadena Now's coverage  (a local report -- apparently the Mumbai staff was busy).

The Meadows neighborhood blog it a little upset, too, needless to say. 

Stay tuned for this one.

ADDENDUM: Crime Scene blog has a list of the cast of characters who are living in the Pederast Hilton. 

Beth Andrews is never late to the ball

Whittier Daily News has a nice piece on Altadena resident Beth Andrews, one of Golf Digest's best golf instructors, who is introducing the game to women in business.  (And of course she has a website, too!)

(Girls are just different.  It's the Beth Andrews Golf COMMUNITY, whereas Arnold Palmer fans were Arnie's ARMY!)

(Correction:  We put one in the water -- Beth's husband, Jerome Andrews, is one of Golf Digest's best golf instructors!)

Native plant gardening talk tonight

Altadena Conservancy sends us this notice about a meeting tonight:

Native Plant Gardening Tips Talk *

Learn about gardening with native plants Wednesday, February 27, at 7:30
p.m. at the Altadena Community Center, 730 East Altadena Drive.

Barbara Eisenstein, horticultural outreach and education coordinator at
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, will give a lively illustrated
presentation of practical tips on gardening with California native
species. Increased use of native plants in residential and public spaces
saves water, saves money, create wildlife habitat, and helps create
beautiful "California Sublime" landscapes appropriate to Southern
California's climate. Eisenstein will demystify the difficulties and
share secrets of keeping California natives happy in your garden. The
talk is free. Note that although Altadena Drive is torn up, you can
safely drive to the Altadena Community Center.

Breakfast at Nuccio's rescheduled

Altadena Heritage's "Breakfast at Nuccio's," which was rained out last Sunday, has been rescheduled for this Sunday, March 1, at Nuccio's Nursery, 3555 Chaney Trail.  Breakfast and tea tasting begins at 9 a.m., and lectures at 10  a.m.(the history of Nuccio's by Julius Nuccio, and a talk on the nurseries of Altadena by Michele Zack). Cost is free to Altadena Heritage members, and $10 for the general public (memberships will be available).  For more info: (626) 798-8682.
 

Gang shooting in Duarte ... no, Altadena

Not too many details on a Tuesday night shooting that sheriff's thought first occurred in Duarte, and later relocated to Altadena.  It's feared gang related. 

Jeopardy champ Jennings hosts trivia at the library

Record-breaking Jeopardy $2.52 million winner Ken Jennings will MC and host a free program of Lunchtime Trivia and talk about his new best selling book, Ken Jennings Trivia Almanac: 8,888 Questions in 365 Days at the Altadena Library, 600 E. Mariposa St., on Wed., March 19 at 1 p.m.  The program will include a trivia competition with questions taken from his new book with prizes awarded to the winners. For more
information please call 626-798-0833 or check the library’s website.

His bio says:

Ken Jennings was born in Seattle but spent much of his childhood in Seoul, South   Korea. A graduate of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, he worked as a computer programmer until becoming an unlikely celebrity due to his unprecedented record-breaking streak on the television quiz show Jeopardy!

Much to his surprise, Ken's Jeopardy! appearance extended beyond a single game in June: He took advantage of a recent rule change allowing Jeopardy! champs to appear on the show indefinitely, and spent the next six months hogging America's TV screens. Before losing on the November 30 show because he didn't know enough trivia about H&R Block, Ken won 74 games and $2.52 million---both American game show records.

The streak made Ken Jennings a TV folk hero, and he appeared as a guest on shows including The Tonight Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, Good Morning America, Live with Regis and Kelly and Sesame Street.< Barbara Walters named him one of the ten most fascinating people of the year. The Christian Science Monitor called him "the king of Trivia Nation" and Slate magazine dubbed him "the Michael Jordan of trivia, the Seabiscuit of geekdom." ESPN: The Magazine called him "smarmy (and) punchable," with "personality of a hall monitor," thus continuing America's long national struggle between jocks and nerds.

Apologies

It's been the week from hell at Altadenablog World Headquarters, so we apologize for lack of posting.  Will be doing our best to catch up thru the weekend.

Lunar eclipse tonight

A rare total lunar eclipse will occur tonight (cloud cover willing).  Schedule is:

5:29pm - Approximate time of moonrise (look slightly north of east).
5:41pm - Approximate time of sunset.
5:43pm - Moon enters the Earth's dark shadow ... the visible eclipse begins!
7:01pm - Total eclipse begins (note the Moon's color and brightness).
7:25pm - Middle of the eclipse (Moon will be at its darkest).
7:51pm - Total eclipse ends.
9:09pm - Moon leaves the Earth's dark shadow ... the eclipse ends.

The next one won't be until 2010!

 

Altadena Katrina survivor is senior volunteer of the year

The LA Daily News has a feature today celebrating people who volunteer their time, everything from mentoring to fundraising to helping out the sheriff's office or county coroner.  Altadenan Ernestine Sala, 78, was named county senior volunteer of the year.  Sala, formerly of New Orleans, lost everything in Hurricane Katrina and was determined to do her part when she resettled here.  It's one of several inspiring stories in the article. 

A divine story ...

... from the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin on Altadena's Divine Diamondettes drill team.  The Diamondettes boast 45 girls on drill team and 11 boys on drum squad, ranging in age from four to 21.  And they (and coach LaToya Carr) are keepin' busy.  Check it out.

Celebrating Nuccio's

One of Altadena's treasures is Nuccio's Nursery, world-famous for their hybridization of azeleas and camellias.  (Nuccio's is the go-to place for advice on camellias, as this recent SacBee story attests).  Altadena Heritage will present "Breakfast at Nuccio's" on Sun., Feb. 24, from 9-11 a.m.  Altadena historian/town council member Michele Zack will talk about Altadena's "nursuried past," Julius Nuccio will tell the story of his family business, and Liz Handy will take us on a "Journey Through Tea"  -- and a small breakfast will be served. A donation of $10 from non-members is requested (memberships can be purchased at the door) Nuccio's is at 3555 Chaney Trail, and parking is limited (so hike, bike, or carpool if you can). 

Space spectacular tonight

Hope you managed to catch the overflight of the International Space Station and Atlantis a few minutes ago.  It was bright and spectacular -- Spawn 2 was very excited and is now drawing pictures.  Did any space fans get snaps to share?  Send 'em here!

People are talking ...

Trash talk: Many discussions going on around town and on the message boards about the relative merits of trash haulers Athens and Allied (former BFI).  Athens takes your trash as is, and sorts out the recyclables at their facility ... Allied sends three separate trucks down the street to pick up your sorted bins of trash/recyclables/green waste.  Allied has been honking off the people who live in the foothills on narrow streets, who don't want three big trucks tearing up their asphalt on garbage day.  Prices seem to go all over the board -- Allied seems to raise their rates at will (that's been our experience), while Athens goes a little cheaper -- some folks seem to have talked Allied down by threatening to switch to Athens.  Then there's the possibility of the county giving the haul contract to one firm, which will hopefully result in lower rates (counterintuitive, yes, but companies competing for everyone's service will bid low).  Will it happen?  Expect this discussion to go on awhile.

Snow Job?: on the corner of Altadena Drive and Fair Oaks on Valentine's Day?  People swear it's true.  Altadenablog was in Sierra Madre that morning and watched hail come down -- it was a crazy weather day, so anything's possible.

Ghosts:  A-blog is getting a lot of hits for spooky stuff: the "Haunted Forest" (we call it the Cobb Estate on top of Lake Ave., and it never seemed haunted to us) and "Gravity Hill" on Loma Alta Dr.  Expect to see a separate page in coming weeks devoted to  Gravity Hill -- it IS a spooky experience, even in broad daylight!

Space -- the final frontier

Altadenablog always wanted to grow up to be an astronaut, and back in his aerospace days was fortunate enough to actually meet some.  That's why we're so excited about Bill Westphal's latest missive:

The Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-122) is currently docked with the International Space Station (ISS). The position and timing of their orbits will provide two excellent viewing opportunities for us here in Altadena over the next few days.

Visible passes of the ISS happen when the timing of the orbit is just right and light from the setting (or rising) Sun is reflected off of the body and solar panels of the ISS. It appears like a star that is slowly moving across the sky until it disappears into the Earths Shadow. On really good passes, the ISS can be so bright, that it looks like an airplane with its landing lights on.

Saturday February 16

At approximately 6:41 pm (or shortly thereafter because of the hills) they will appear just above the horizon in the Northwest. They will be overhead at approximately 6:44 pm and will disappear into the Earths shadow around 6:46 pm in the Southeast.

Monday February 18

The ISS will appear at approximately 5:47 pm (or shortly thereafter because of the hills) It will appear just above the horizon in the Northwest. It will be directly overhead at approximately 5:50 pm and should be visible all the way to the Southeast horizon where it will disappear around 5:53 pm. This could be a very interesting pass because the Shuttle is scheduled (as of this writing) to undock from the ISS Sunday morning. Depending on its orbit and distance, we should be able to see it fly by near the ISS. More on this later. 

I hope the weather cooperates and we have clear skies.

A total eclipse of the heart

... a little late for Valentine's Day, but we've got a lunar eclipse to look forward to next Wednesday, Feb. 20.

Glenn Miller, telescope operator emeritus at Griffith Observatory, reports:

Dear Friends,

On Wednesday, Feb. 20th, there will be a TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE as the
full Moon is rising (shortly after sunset) in California. Here is a
short timeline of events:

5:29pm - Approximate time of moonrise (look slightly north of east).
5:41pm - Approximate time of sunset.
5:43pm - Moon enters the Earth's dark shadow ... the visible eclipse
begins!
7:01pm - Total eclipse begins (note the Moon's color and brightness).
7:25pm - Middle of the eclipse (Moon will be at its darkest).
7:51pm - Total eclipse ends.
9:09pm - Moon leaves the Earth's dark shadow ... the eclipse ends.

Binoculars will be helpful, but not required. Try not to miss this
event, because the next total lunar eclipse in California will not
occur until December 20th, 2010.

Astronomically Yours,
---Glenn

Skeeter season approaches: dump and sump!

Altadena's weather eye Bill Westphal reports:

We’ve had 21.81” of rain so far this season at my Weather Station.  And hopefully we’ll get a little more before the end of the season (June 30).  Not a bad year as far as rain goes.

I was in my back yard this past weekend and went to change the water in the little Kiddy Pool that we use for our dog’s water dish (Big Dog).  It was filled to the brim with rain water. But it was also filled with Mosquito Larvae.   I don’t recall ever seeing that many appear in such a short time.

The weather is going to start warming up as spring approaches. It’s time to start worrying about mosquitoes.  Check your yards for any standing water.  Buckets, wheelbarrows, watering cans, even plant saucers can become a breeding ground for Mosquito Larvae.

If you find some, simply dump the water out.  Without the water, the Mosquito Larvae cannot complete their Life Cycle.

To learn more about Mosquitoes, what steps you can take to eliminate Mosquitoes or to report a problem, visit the Los Angeles County Vector Control at:

http://www.glacvcd.org/

Mrs. Altadenablog (who is also DOCTOR Mrs. Altadenablog) reminds us of the continuing possibility of West Nile disease as the weather gets warmer.  So we guess we better dump out that wheelbarrow in the back yard!

Sketches of home

A new blog premiers:  Steph's Sketches, Stephane Kardos' sketchblog of people he knows and sights he's seen.  Altadenablog is definitely taking the feed on this one.  Altadenablog says check it out.

Catchup time!

Happy Valentine's Day (a Day of Enforced Joy tm)  We have been soooo wrapped around the axle this week that we have lots to catch up on -- expect updates throughout the day today.

Judge mulls dropping charges on SF 8 (or is it 7?)

A Superior Court judge in San Francisco is mulling over dropping conspiracy charges in the San Francisco Eight case (now down to seven defendants).  The SF 8, former members of the Black Liberation Army, are accused of killing San Francisco police officer John Young in 1971.  Altadenans Ray  Boudreaux, 65, and Henry Jones, 72, remain charged with murder in Young's death.

Altadena goes Obama

... or so says the Whittier Daily News: 

Obama nearly doubled Hillary Clinton's vote count in Altadena and beat the former first lady 56 percent to 43 percent in Pasadena, two Valley communities with large African-American populations.

Deps sweep the decks, vexed at wreck's Rx

PSN has a piece on that blighted, fenced-in wreck on Lake between Morada and Sacramento.  Seems that they found some psychotropic meds out loose there, remnant of its period as a board-and-care for the mentally disabled.  Sorry if you had  plans for the weeked -- sheriff's deputies cleaned it up.

3000!

Another big day in Altadenablog history -- we just crossed the 3,000 pageview threshhold! 

Altadena firm gets the Forbes treatment

It's coming ... another Day of Enforced Joy, where you're just supposed to be hap-hap-happy -- yes, it's Valentine's Day! (Other Days of Enforced Joy include St. Patrick's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and New Year's Eve).  Altadena firm Goldstar has been making its nut through events for singles who think you can have fun on that day, even by yourself.  Maybe ESPECIALLY by yourself.  And Forbes magazine is showin' em the love.

Judge says Lincoln Xng owes contractor

The latest news about our troubled shopping center says that a Superior Court judge has ordered Lincoln Crossing LLC (jointly owned by Dorn Platz and West Altadena Development Corp.) to pay its concrete contractor $311,000 owed on the project.  In addition, the judge upholds a lien against the property, meaning the owners may have to sell it to pay off GBC Concrete and Masonry Construction, the aggrieved contractor.  Star-News has the bullet (about halfway down the page).

Pipe bomb neutralized at Mt. Curve and Dolores

Monica Hubbard writes to Altadenablog today:

This morning I had an e-mail inquiry from a friend on Maiden Lane
regarding discovery of a pipe bomb on Saturday afternoon near the
intersection of Dolores and Mt. Curve streets.

Sheriff Blow responded to my e-mail and said that an Altadena resident
out walking found the explosive device in the street and called it
in.  The L.A. County Sheriff's Bomb Squad responded to the scene and
neutralized the device.

The Sheriff deputies do not know where the device came from or how it got
there.

I called the Sheriff's Station this afternoon to try to get a little bit
more information.  I was told that Sheriff Station personnel very rarely
find these kinds of devices in our area, but when they do, the devices
are usually close to the mountains, perhaps taken there by individuals
intending to set them off in more remote areas just to see what the
device will do.

Yesterday's discovery is under investigation.

Sincere thanks to Sheriff Blow and his deputies for their swift response
to the community inquiries.

Monica Hubbard
Member, Altadena Sheriff's Community Advisory Committee

Don't forget: primary vote Tuesday!

... and you can find out where your polling place is by going here.