altadenablog

Altadena Trails to discuss La Vina, gates, bike plan, and horse falling tonight

The Altadena Crest Trail Restoration Working Group meeting tonight sounds ambitious and serious.

Among the topics scheduled to be discussed;

• LA Vina litigation update
• Update on locked Pinecrest Gate
• Hahamangna EIR scoping meetings: what effect will proposed sediment removal options have on trail access and wildlife?
• Proposal being floated to construct a gate at the Cobb Estate, with possible closure at night
• County master bike plan
• Safety issues around the current detour that connects the Altadena Crest Trail to Hahamongna Watershed Park (it's where the horse fell into the hole last week).

The working group meets at 7 PM at the Altadena Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Drive.

Layton Vista street lighting improvements discussion Thursday at Community Center

Residents of the Layton Vista area are invited to a rescheduled meeting to discuss the street light improvement project planned by the county Department of Public Works.

The previous meeting, scheduled for Dec. 7, was cancelled due to the windstorm.  The new meeting will be this coming Thurs., Jan. 12, at the Altadena Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Dr., at 7 PM.

For further information, questions or comments, contact Arnel Dulay of the Street Lighting Section at 626-300-4754.

Morning jolt: bike plan, honoring Oliver Goodall

• Bikeways up for approval:  the county Regional Planning Commission will be asked to approve a county Bicycle Master Plan, which includes a five mile "bike boulevard" for Altadena as well as a new bike path that will start at Eaton Canyon and follow the Eaton Wash. The meeting will be Wed., Jan. 11, at the Department of Regional Planning, 320 W. Temple St., Los Angeles.  More information is here: http://planning.lacounty.gov/view/regional_planning_commission_meeting_2012-01-11/
• Post office honors Goodall: Rep. Adam Schiff will officially rename the Pasadena Post Office after an Altadena resident on Saturday.  The post office at 281 E. Colorado Blvd. wil lbe renamed the "First Lt. Oliver Goodall Post Office," after the former postal worker and Tuskegee Airman who helped end racial segregation in the U.S. military.  The event takes place at 11:30 AM Saturday, and bill Kisliuk at the Pasadena Sun has more. 

 

The early history of the Altadena Sheriff's Station on Jan. 23

by Timothy Rutt

Altadena has always been patrolled by the county sheriff, with the first Altadena station established in 1927.  The Altadena Historical Society presents a look at the station's early years on Mon., Jan 23, at the Altadena Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Dr., at 7:30 PM.

The speaker is Altadena Sheriff Sgt. John Stanley, who is also a published historian with a master's degree in history from Cal State Fullerton.  Stanley's lecture will look at the history of the station through 1950, with lots of anecdotes and colorful stories, and numerous rare photos.

The program is free and open to the public.

 

Federal windstorm loan center reopens in Pasadena

from the City of Pasadena

The federal government has reopened a windstorm loan outreach center in the Pasadena Fire Department administration offices at 199 S. Los Robles Ave., Suite 550 (northwest corner of Los Robles Avenue and Cordova Street). 

Closed for the holidays, the center is open again from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. through Jan. 20. 

Homeowners can apply for up to $200,000 to repair or replace damaged primary residences. Homeowners and renters can apply for up to $40,000 to replace damaged personal property, including vehicles. 

Businesses and non-profits can apply for up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged real estate, machinery, equipment, inventory and other assets. 

You can also call (800) 659-2955 or visit https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.  

 

 

Altadena Rotary offers prize for high school senior musicians

The Rotary Club of Altadena is offering a grand prize of up to $5,000 to the winner of the Dan Stover Memorial Music Contest, a high school senior who displays outstanding musical ability.

The contest is open to all high school seniors who either live or attend school (including home school) within the Rotary District 5300 area (essentially the San Gabriel Valley to southern Nevada).  Contestants can play virtually any musical instrument, can perform in any style, and may have one accompaniest of their choosing, although most perform without accompaniment.

The contest honors Stover, a member of the Alhambra Rotary Club, a secondary school teacher whose classroom skills and respect for students transformed the lives of countless young people.

Full rules and application forms are available from our member Theo Clarke, chair of the contest committee, at tcclarke@earthlink.net.

 

Schiff hosts panel to discuss windstorm aftermath Thursday

by Bill Kisliuk
Pasadena Sun

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) will bring together local, state and federal officials to discuss the windstorms that cut off power and damaged homes and businesses on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.

The meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday in Courtroom 3 in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals building, 125 S. Grand Ave, Pasadena.

Panelists include Schiff, Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard, South Pasadena Mayor Michael Cacciotti, and representatives from Southern California Edison, Glendale, the Crescenta Valley, San Gabriel, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies.

More at the Pasadena Sun.

Meeting Tuesday night to discuss closure of Pasadena postal center

by Timothy Rutt

A document is circulating among the news groups about a public meeting Tuesday evening to discuss the closure of the Pasadena mail processing center at Lincoln Avenue and Orange Grove Boulevard.

The meeting, for postal service employees and the general public, will be at the multi-purpose room at Robinson Park, 1081 N. Fair Oaks, Pasadena, from 6-8 PM Tues., Jan. 10.  An employee at Robinson Park confirmed that the meeting is scheduled for that time.

The mail processing facility, as well as the Altadena post office on Lake Avenue, have been targeted for closure as the postal service looks to control costs. 

The three page document includes:

• a notice to postal employees about the meeting (which was rescheduled from December),
• a summary of the proposed cost savings (about $6.6 million annually),
• and what is an apparently an example letter urging the local postmaster to retain a facility.

Among other things, the example letter contains attacks on Charles and David Koch of Koch Industries and the Cato Institute, a conservative think-tank, as well as two unnamed "Tea Party congressmen" and others who support postal service privatization.

See the document after the jump.

Bright Futures Scholars learn about leadership

The Bright Futures Scholars heard from State Senator Carol Liu and Assemblyman Anthony Portantino in their first meeting of the year at the Altadena Community Center.  Here, the Scholars pose with Liu (in gray, right in the center).

PUSD redistricting task force schedules Altadena area meetings

by Timothy Rutt

The task force that is drawing new districts for the Pasadena Unified School District will be holding a series of meetings in the next month, including two forums to seek public comment.

A regular meeting for the task force will be held Jan. 17 at Mountain View Cemetery, 2400 N. Fair Oaks Ave. at 6 PM.

The Saturday forums will be held on Jan. 28 from 1-3 PM at the Altadena Library, 600 E. Mariposa St., and on Feb. 4 from 10 AM-noon at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1757 N. Lake Ave.

The next regular meeting of the task force will be on Feb. 7 at 6 PM at the Western Justice Center, 55 S. Grand Ave. in Pasadena.

 

"What's Under the Clutter?" at the Library Jan. 21

Friends of the Altadena Library present: “What’s Under the Clutter?” with Tracy McCubbin of LA based business dClutterfly 

Why do we keep what we keep and how can we evaluate our possessions to see if they are really worth the shelf space? Tracy McCubbin will talk about the practical and emotional sides of clutter and why we keep it around. She will also offer some very concrete steps to help you deal with and ultimately reduce clutter. Wherever you are stuck, Tracy has a solution!

When:  Saturday, January 21, 2-4 pm
Where: Altadena Library Community Room, 600 East Mariposa St.

Information:  (626) 798-0833; www.altadenalibrary.org

 

Dog attack on Florecita Saturday [UPDATED]

Received an email from a reader who said that two female friends -- both moms-to-be -- were attacked by two pitbulls while walking on Florecita Drive on Saturday.  One had to be taken to the emergency room for stitches.  No other information available.

Not the first dog attack story we've received in the past month.

UPDATE, 8:30 PM: we received the following email, and are respecting their wish for privacy:

My wife was one of the women that were attacked, and ended up in the Huntington Emergency room getting 45+ stitches in the back of her leg.  The attack was unprovoked, and the two dogs ended up biting her at least 5 times before the owner got them to back off.  The good news is that she is fine, the baby is fine, and our friend and her baby are ok as well.  The two dogs have been quarantined by animal control for 10 days, and the owner does not look like he will protest the dogs being put down after that.

 

Wind advisory tonight

The National Weather Service has put a wind advisory in effect until 3 PM Sunday:

* winds and timing... northeast winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph will develop this evening and persist through most of
Sunday. The winds will be strongest below passes and canyons and in the foothills.

* Impacts... gusty cross winds will create hazards for motorists  on area roadways... especially those driving high-profile
vehicles. Highways likely impacted by gusty Santa Ana winds  will be interstates 10 and 210... and Highway 39.

Precautionary/preparedness actions...

A Wind Advisory means that winds of 35 mph or greater are expected. Winds this strong can make driving difficult...  especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution.

A red flag warning is also in effect for the forest, due to the possibility of dry wind, so be careful!

County Public Works announces improvement projects on Holliston, Woodbury

by Timothy Rutt

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works has announced two road improvement projects which will take place this summer.

The "Holliston Ave., et al." project consists of reconstructing roadway pavement, repairing curb and gutter, and replacing guardrails on Holliston Avenue and Maiden Lane between Mendocino St. and Altadena Drive.  There will also be work along the Calavaras St. to Hill Avenue curve and down to New York Drive.  Work will also take place along Lexington Avenue between Holliston and Michigan Avenues.  A stretch of Atchison Street west of Mar Vista is also slated for work.

Two ash trees at the intersection of Calaveras and Hill and another ash at Lexington Avenue and Holliston will be removed to improve motorist line-of-site.  A yucca tree will also be removed on Lexington to accommodate the new curb and gutter.

According to a release from Public Works, construction is scheduled to start in summer, 2012, and will take approximately four months.  Project manager is Christopher Hudson, 626-458-3988.

The second project is landscape improvement along Woodbury Road, from Windsor Avenue to Santa Anita Avenue.   The county will install flowering trees and plants, groundcover, new irrigation systems, and decorative pavers within existing roadway medians.  Median curb and gutter will be reconstructed to meet curent standards, and the intersection of Woodbury and Casitas avenue will be reconstructed.  The median width between Windsor Avenue and Glenrose Avenue will be reduced by four feet to accomodate bike lanes.

Traffic on Casitas will not be able to cross Woodbury for about two weeks, and work fronting Jackson Elementary will be completed during summer recess. 

Construction on this project is also scheduled to start in the summer 2012.  Project manager is Maria Sim, 626-458-5956.

Project announcements and maps are after the jump.

Institute of Domestic Technology has an a-peeling citrus workshop Feb. 19

from the Institute for Domestic Technology

February marks citrus season, and the Institute has Saving the Season author Kevin West as  your tour guide to discovering how to preserve, transform and enjoy the bounty of Southern California citrus.

This full-day, hands-on workshop held at the Institute headquarters on the grounds of the historic Zane Grey Estate in Altadena, will prepare you to start making your own artisanal jam, sorbet, candied citrus peel and infused liqueurs from scratch. Joining Kevin will be  some of the city’s finest d.i.y ambassadors rolling up their sleeves to share their citrus knowledge with us. Plus, as an added bonus, we are proud to have David Karp, Los Angeles Times farmers’ market writer, who will lead a brief discussion about Southern California’s abundant citrus culture.

Each participant will be sent home with their very own swag bag filled with the creations they’ve made throughout the day and a custom instruction manual with recipes and a resource guide.

The workshop will be Sun. Feb. 19, from 10 AM-4 PM.  Cost is $195. Go here for more information or to enroll.

 

New district plans could change school district elections

by Joe Piasecki
Pasadena Sun

Plans to elect school board members from separate geographic districts might force several incumbents to battle each other at the polls and could open at least two seats to newcomers.

Four preliminary district maps, each slicing the Pasadena Unified School District into seven distinct zones, are now up for public debate.

Under one scenario, four of the seven current board members — Ed Honowitz, Elizabeth Pomeroy, Tom Selinske and Kim Kenne — would find themselves boxed into a single district that stretches from Altadena to the Foothill (210) Freeway.

In another, board allies Scott Phelps and Ramon Miramontes would have to battle for the same seat in the 2013 elections in a district bordering La Cañada Flintridge.

Either map would force voters to choose between Selinske and Kenne when their terms end in 2015, assuming both choose to run again. The two most current maps under consideration can be viewed at www.pasadenasun.com.

More at the Pasadena Sun.

 

Altadena Junction: the library's cookin' in year's first half

It's up a day early: our column in the Sunday Valley Sun -- what the Altadena Library has in store for the first half of the year.

State commission to take public testimony on SoCal Edison power outages

by Bill Kisliuk
Pasadena Sun

The California Public Utilities Commission has scheduled a public hearing in Temple City as it investigates Southern California Edison's response to widespread and prolonged power outages caused by the overnight windstorm on Nov. 30.

Gusts of 80 mph or more downed trees and caused severe power outages around the San Gabriel Valley on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, with more than 440,000 customers losing power, some for more than a week

The commission, which regulates investor-owned utilities, will take testimony from the public on how they were affected by the outages at the meeting from 4 to 9 p.m. on Jan. 26 at the Temple City High School auditorium, 9501 Lemon Ave., Temple City.

More at the Pasadena Sun.

 

Missing mountain bikers found safely Thursday night

by Timothy Rutt

Two missing mountain bikers were found safely and airlifted out Thursday night when their campfire was spotted by a helicopter.

Sgt. Debra Herman at the Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station said that he two young men were reported missing by the girlfriend of one after they failed to return from a mountain biking excursion Thursday afternoon.

According to Herman,  the bikers had gotten disoriented, but were actually prepared and planned to spend the night if they were lost and hike or bike out in daylight.  The bikers were found between Red Box and Rincon, Herman said.

The edited Trio at Beckett Hall house concert Saturday, Feb. 4

Their name is edited Trio (that's how they spell it) and they'll be appearing in a house concert at Beckett Hall, 1051 E. Altadena Dr., on Sat., Feb. 4, at 8 PM. 

Doors open at 7:30 PM.  $15 minimum donation suggested.  Please bring light fare or your favorite drink to share at the break. 

The contemporary Folk/Americana trio of veteran performing songwriters Mark Davis, Brett Perkins and David Zink present songs collectively written by the three California born troubadours from ongoing discussions on life, spirit and passion, with interwoven harmonies, guitars and percussion - and a sound which has drawn early comparisons to Crosby, Stills & Nash, Counting Crows, Crowded House and The Beatles.

RSVP to 626-791-7953, or sharon@beckettstudio.com.

RIPE Altadena herbal workshop this Sunday

Rescheduled from the windstorm, it's now on for RIPE Altadena's "Herbal Remedies to Grow or Forage" workshop on Sun., Jan. 8

Marcia Coppess of HomeBody Botanicals will talk about the simple medicinal uses for a variety of easily-acquired herbs, with some hands-on touching, tasting, and smelling.

The workshop costs $5, and will be at 3 PM at the Pasadena Seventh Day Adventist Church, 1280 E. Washington Blvd.

 

 

Saddle up -- it's poetry corner!

"A Horse in a Hole."

from gloriana casey

COWBOY, he is a "Wonder Horse"
in picture of despair.
Though in the photo shown of him
the hole's not round---but square!

Now manhole covers are cast iron,
not squared--but circular.
For those square corners, they can crash,
while roundness does demur.

Or possibly a rectangle
 and metal cover then?
But how much weight did COWBOY have
to crash the structure in?

Morning jolt

• Cowboy is the new Paco: Cowboy, the horse who fell into the manhole cover on Lincoln Avenue Wednesday, is the subject of  stories in the hipster LAist and a site called Horsetalk from New Zealand.
• The latest code-bombing:  Dan Abendschein at Huffington-AOL catches the latest: Schaefer Ambulance, which is parked on Lake Avenue, doesn't have the right permits and will need to give the county a pot o' gold (i.e. apply for a conditional use permit) to continue to operate, and there are complaints about parking -- the Complaining Neighbor, of course.
• Gorilla my dreams: Alta-artist Marla Frazee will be autographing her new book (with author Sara Pennypacker), "Clementine and the Famiy Meeting" this Saturday at Vroman's.  Mom and Dad want to announce the family will have a new member -- Clementine's hoping for a gorilla.  Should be fun!  Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blv, 11 AM.
• Truck du Soliel: the latest truck -- The Cirque du Soliel Truck, which will be making an appearance at the Rose Bowl Flea market on Sun., Jan 8, from 7 AM-3 PM.  You can visit the truck for free gifts, purchase tickets, and take pictures.  Don't know what kind of tacos they would make, tho'.

 

Found dog, Marengo & Mt. Curve

Reader fjohn has been taking care of this dog for a couple of days, and if she doesn't go home, she'll have to go to a shelter soon.  Call 626-797-9615.

Little League tryouts and assessments start this weekend

by Timothy Rutt

Who knew it was this close to spring?

Central Altadena Little League (CALL) will have tryouts this Sat., Jan. 7, and the following Sat., Jan. 14.  Details on CALL's website.

East Altadena Little League will also have its assessment this Sat.  at Donley Field (behind Longfellow Elementary).  Details here.

 

Crime blotter: Dec. 22-31: vehicle burglaries and tool thefts

The loss of tools as well as the usual electronics mark's this week's crime blotter provided by Lt. Duane D. Allen of the Altadena Sheriff's Station.

Thurs., Dec. 22

Between 5:00 AM and 1:00 PM, Saturday – A residential burglary occurred in the 2500 block of N. Altadena Drive. Suspect(s) entered the residence by removing the rear bedroom window screen. Loss: white MacBook, misc. jewelry.

Between 8:30 AM and  9:30 AM – A residential burglary occurred in the 2000 block of Lake Avenue. Suspect(s) entered the residence via the front door by using bodily force. Loss: silver Toshiba DVD player, silver Samsung CD portable player.

12:00 PM – A petty theft occurred at Focus Point Academy, 119 W. Palm St. Loss: misc. currency.

Between 4:00 PM and 5:50 PM – A residential burglary occurred in the 600 block of Sacramento Street. Suspect(s) entered the residence via the unlocked bedroom window. Loss: black HP laptop, black Sony PlayStation.

Fri., Dec. 23

10:00 AM – A residential burglary occurred in the 1300 block of Westlyn Place. Suspect(s) entered the residence by prying the living room door. Loss: black Apple iPad.

Between 5:00 PM and 10:00, Saturday – A residential burglary occurred in the 500 block of W. Palm Street. Suspect(s) entered the vacant residence via unknown means. Loss: copper pipe.

Sat., Dec. 24

Between 8:00 PM and 10:30 AM, Sunday – A vehicle burglary occurred in the 2400 block of Washington Boulevard. Suspect(s) entered the vehicle via unknown means. Loss: blue Bosch jigsaw, blue Makita drill, blue Makita saw, SuperSeven edger, misc. construction tools.

Mon., Dec. 26

Between 10:00 PM and 8:30 AM – A burglary from a garage occurred in the 2300 block of Washington Boulevard. Suspect(s) entered the garage by cutting the padlock. Loss: red Milwaukee saw, yellow/purple Dewalt saw, green Hitachi grinder, blue Ryobi grinder, red SkillSaw saw, blue Bosch skillsaw, black air compressor, multi-color Persian rug.

Tues., Dec. 27

Between 6:00 PM and 6:00 AM – A theft of vehicle part(s) occurred in the 600 block of Barry Place. Loss: tailgate of a ’04 Chevrolet Silverado.

Fri. Dec. 30

Between 8:00 PM and 3:20 PM, Monday – A vehicle burglary occurred in the 2200 block of Glenrose Avenue. Suspect(s) entered the vehicle by ‘picking’ the driver’s side door lock. Loss: misc. currency.

Sat., Dec. 31

6:01 AM – A vehicle burglary occurred at the 24Hr. Fitness, 2180 N. Lincoln Ave. Suspect described as a male, Hispanic, mid 20’s, 510-600, athletic build, black hair. The suspect was startled by the victim upon being observed leaning into the victim’s vehicle. The suspect entered the vehicle by shattering the driver’s side window. Suspect was last seen entering a silver Chevrolet HHR 4-door and exiting the parking the structure. Loss: black Garmin GPS, misc. currency.

Frank Hartley is January's Coffee Gallery artist

Frank Thomas Hartley is the January featured artist at the Gallery at the Coffee Gallery.

With world-renowned artist Tommaso Durante, Hartley co-produced a commissioned art book titled Chaos and Cosmos, where art and science meld “the order of beauty and the perfection of symmetries” through interaction and conflict.

Through further study and his own explorations in oil on canvas, Hartley has applied his artistic bent to interpreting images from our orbiting “time machines,” deep-space telescopes. His portfolio of cosmic art interprets an inspirational, gigantic, magnificent universe, seemingly floating benignly in space belying the tumultuous alchemy of matter. Hartley then takes his original paintings and creates variations by applying secondary techniques and treatments in a variety of other media.

A reception for Hartley will be held this Sun., Jan. 8, from 4-6 PM at the Coffee Gallery, 2029 N. Lake Ave.

Horse rescued after fall into manhole

A horse was rescued after it apparently collapsed a metal manhole cover near Lincoln Avenue and Altadena Drive Wednesday afternoon.  Brian Charles at PSN has the details.

 

On the eleventh day of Christmas ...

... we're still on a half-vacation while PUSD is out of school (which means it isn't really a vacation at all!)  We're still going to be on half-speed for a few days.

It's over already ...

Reader Deb Halberstadt took this photo on the west side of town Jan. 1, and she calls it "'Tis the end of the Season"

 

You made the resolutions: "Over 40 Fitness Fun" is back

The "Over 40 Fitness Fun" ladies are back! If you are over 40 years of age and have 25 or more pounds to eliminate; want more flexibility, coordination, strength and balance and want to play out with other women at 7 AM (Mon., Wed., and Fri.) contact Revvell@gmail.com for more information or call  818-824-4422.

Half-speed this week

Pasadena Unified School District remains off this week, so we're working at about half-speed and spending time with the kids -- and counting the days until Monday ....

Day after New Year's in Altadena

Mason Sedlik provided these views of the B2 bomber, which flew over the Rose Parade and the Rose Bowl Monday.

by Bill Westphal

The second day of the new year was full of activities.  The Rose Parade, complete with low level flyby of a B2 Stealth Bomber.  The Rose Bowl Game , along with another flyby of a B2 Stealth Bomber.  And, another flyby of the International Space Station (ISS). 

While it wasn't the most exceptional pass of the ISS, it was a good pass for photography.  The ISS passed from Northwest to North-Northeast at only 58 degrees above the horizon but it was very bright at -3.4 Magnitude of Brightness.  Because of the trajectory it was low along the the beautiful San Gabriel Mountains.

The First Quarter Moon provided just enough light to illuminate the mountains and trees.  It was a beautiful Winter evening with a temperature of 65.8 degrees and calm winds.

This image of the International Space Station was a 2 minute exposure at f6.3, ISO 100.  The North Star is just right of center and is a precise dot while the other stars near the edge of the frame are streaked because of the Earth's rotation.  The clouds are blurred because of their movement in the wind. 

Millions of people watched the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game with our beautiful San Gabriel Mountains as the backdrop.  Millions of people wished that they could be here.  Here in the beautiful San Gabriel Valley with the weather and sights that we so often take for granted.

Wishing you all a wonderful New Year. 

-----

Bill Westphal is a frequent contributor to Altadenablog and is the Altadena Chamber of Commerce's 2011 Citizen of the Year.

CERT classes at Farnsworth Park start this month

The Los Angeles County Fire Department will hold free Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) classes this month at the Davies Building in Farnsworth Park, in three all-day Saturday classes on Jan. 21, Jan. 28, and Feb. 4.

The classes are free, but you must attend all three for CERT certification.  To register, go to http://fire.lacounty.gov/ProgramsEvents/Cert_schedule.asp

 

 

Morning jolt

• Four who rose up: Juliette Funes at the San Gabriel Valley Tribune writes about four Five Acres orphans who rode in yesterday's Rose Parade. 
• We were thinking a Chihuahua in heat: LA Mayor Anthonion Villaraigosa likens himself to a Chihuahua -- probably not just any Chihuahua, but Altadena's Chihuahua, Paco.
• Volunteers needed: Anyone who is fluent in English and can volunteer 2-10 hours a week are needed to become a caring mentor to a small group of non-English speaking adults who want to communicate more effectively.  Tutor training for San Gabriel Valley Literacy Council ESL classes is on Saturdays, Jan. 14 and Jan. 28, from 9 AM until 3 PM.  You must attend both sessions to receive our certificate. $25 covers training expenses and council membership. For more information contact San Gabriel Valley Literacy Council ESL at 626-795-7987 or 626-298-4731 or www.sgvlc.org

 

Preparing for the parade? Here's the rules ...

Rose Princess Kimberly Ostiller of Altadena answers the phone at the opening of the Visitor Hotline Dec. 30.   Photo by Laura Monteros.

by Timothy Rutt

If you're going to brave the crowds tonight and the parade tomorrow, the Pasadena Police Department has issued the rules for parade spectators:

 

It in unauthorized to be sitting, camping or blocking the sidewalk or parkways areas along the parade route until noon, January 1st. People will be asked to leave and all items including chairs, tables and ropes will be removed by Police.

No public areas (sidewalks, curbs, gutters, streets) may be cordoned or roped off. Unoccupied or abandoned property will be removed by Police.

Spectators will not be allowed to move to the Blue Line until 11 p.m., January 1st.

Do not bring upholstered chairs, couches, boxes, scaffolds, tents, horns, ladders or freestanding umbrellas; they will be confiscated. Folding chairs are acceptable.

Do not throw items of any kind, including marshmallows and tortillas. Silly string, whipped cream and shaving cream are not allowed. Throwing of any of these items is against the law.

No alcohol of any kind is allowed on the parade route. The legal drinking age in California is 21. Minors in possession of alcoholic beverages are subject to arrest along with the person who supplied it.

Small, professionally manufactured barbecues elevated at least one foot off the ground are allowed.

Bonfires are strictly prohibited.

Propane tanks are allowed but have to be less than 5 gallons.

For more information visit www.VisitPasadena.com or call the Visitor Hotline at 877-793-9911.

Altadena’s Top 10 (plus 1) stories of 2011

 

Santa Rosa Avenue south of Woodbury, covered in branches after the Windstorm of 2011.

 by Timothy Rutt

This was a busy year in Altadena -- some may say we were going to the dogs (or at least the hero dogs, lost dogs, and the coyotes, of which there were plenty!)

Here’s our totally non-objective and biased look at the Altadena’s Top Ten Plus One Stories of 2011, in no particular order, after the jump:

Open thread: resolutions 2012

What are your resolutions for the new year?  The thread is open ....

Altadena Junction: 11 for 2011

Our column in the Valley Sun is up, but you've read it already (above).