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Meetings set in January for PUSD/City of Pasadena work plan

from the Pasadena Unified School District

A series of meetings are being held in January for interested stakeholders to help focus strategies being developed by the City of Pasadena and the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) as part of the 2013-15 School/City Work Plan. The first successful meeting was held today, with several more planned throughout the month. 

Feedback is needed to ensure the work of partnering agencies and educators is captured in the Plan’s strategies. The Work Plan will be presented at the Annual Joint Meeting of the PUSD Board of Education and City Council at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 19, in the Council Chambers at Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave. 

The Draft Work Plan and additional outreach information regarding the annual Joint Meeting is available at www.cityofpasadena.net/humanservices. Or, contact Lisa Fowler, Human Services and Recreation Dept., at lfowler@cityofpasadena.net. 

The Draft 2013-15 School/City Work Plan was developed to align PUSD, the City and available community resources around specific results to bring greater accountability in student achievement and quality of life outcomes while also addressing service gaps and avoiding duplication of services. The Work Plan builds on existing commonalities and shared values. Although no new PUSD or City funds are identified, the Work Plan’s success is seen in the positioning of resources towards key results and the partnerships created.

Back again ...

Thank you for all your good wishes -- Jake weathered surgery fine, and is taking a day off of school to sleep and rest at home.  Which means we're back to work ...

We're out today

Jake is having minor surgery at UC Davis Medical Center today, so we're out of the office. Have a wonderful Altadena day!

Fun & Games Friday at the Library

Start off the new year with your friends -- or make a few new ones -- at the Altadena Library's first Fund & Games Friday Jan. 11.

Teens/tweens (ages 11-17) can play a number of board games (or you can bring your own cards and board games) and hang out.  There'll also be Wii Rockband to play.

It starts at 4 PM at the Altadena Main Library, 600 E. Mariposa St. 

 

Young men casing the neighborhoods, witness says

We have a note from the ACONA newsgroup about two young men apparently trolling for booty:

I had an attempted break in at my house on Santa Anita, just above Athens on Wednesday (1-2-13) in the morning. They tried to break the glass in my side door but couldn't (safety glass installed) so left. Two other members of our Neighborhood Watch saw two young men in a white car driving around, walking up driveways, ringing doorbells--basically looking for a home that was unoccupied to hit. I notified the sheriff and they took a report, but I'd like you to get the word out to other Neighborhood Watch groups to be on the look out. Thanks for your help.

Altadena Junction: stories of the year, Part II

Our column is up at the Pasadena Sun, but you know all this already.

Coyotes nab pet cat near Charles White Park

Some correspondants from the area of Charles White Park told us that they found the mauled body of their cat in the front yard Saturday morning.  Suspect: coyotes.  Our Dr. Barkman tells us hat the coyotes are denning this time of year, so feeding Mama is a priority -- watch out for your pets.

 

Traveling mercies

Yes, we're in Sacramento for the second time this weekend -- Jake is having a surgical biopsy Monday as part of his drug trial, and we're back in Altadena that evening.  Today we're traveling.

Market matters: the Altadena Farmers' Market story

By Joseph Shuldiner
Market Manager, Altadena Farmers’ Market

We were thrilled to be included in last Tuesday’s post, Top Ten Altadena stories of 2012, by Timothy Rutt. In his remarks Tim offered the following observation, “…the high prices [at the Altadena Farmers’ Market] are prohibitive for people who actually live in the neighborhood.  This is an issue the market needs to solve.” The following is my response.

A Market is Born
As an original board member of the Arroyo Food Co-op as well as a co-organizer of the Altadena Urban Farmers' Market, I constantly heard pleas for a weekly farmers' market from Altadena's healthy food advocates, political "locavores," home cooks, and even the Town Council. When I accepted the invitation from the County Department of Parks and Recreation to establish a farmers’ market in Altadena, I spent a lot of time thinking about what kind of market it should be. I didn't feel there was any reason to simply replicate something that already existed nearby or to duplicate products already available at existing neighborhood markets. Altadena is not a food desert. We have Super King, Baja Ranch and Ralphs, in addition to many independent mom & pop stores. These markets all provide produce, meats, dairy and pantry staples. What they don't offer is a significant source of pesticide-free produce (whether certified organic or not), nor anything sourced from local farmers in our own neighborhood or the small farmers in our neighboring counties.

We now have our own weekly farmers' market in an idyllic, Altadena location. We also have what no other market in our community offers:

• Access to healthy food directly from the farmers who grow it

• Fruits and vegetables picked the same day of the market

• Food grown organically or with other types of sustainable practices (preventing pesticide exposure to farm workers or consumers)

• Farmers growing food in Altadena and start-up local business' incubated by the market

• Farms that practice biodiversity versus monoculture

• Farmers that are connected to feeding a local community (rather than large, distant, industrialized farms)

NBBA: "no irregularities" on Walmart filings is "a huge disappointment"

by TImothy Rutt

A group that wants to stop the Walmart Neighborhood Market at Lincoln Avenue and Figueroa Street said that their search for irregularities in the location's documentation came up empty.

"While uncovering some anomalies, we found no irregularities in the documents submitted by Walmart to the County that could slow down or halt construction of the Walmart [sic]... based on the current (1986) Altadena Community Standards District guidelines and County regulations," said an email announcement from Neighbors Building a Better Altadena (NBBA).  "While this is a huge disappointment, we shall continue to monitor this situation, and look for alternative pathways to slow or stop their development."

NBBA was raising $2.500 to hire  LAANE (Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy), a community organizing group,  to research Walmart's permit and other filings with the county.  Walmart is planning to construct a Neighborhood Market, its smaller-footprint grocery store, at the Altadena location.  The Neighborhood Market is to be a "site-to-store" location, where any item available at a Walmart can be ordered and delivered to the grocery store.

In the email, NBBA said that they are continuing to build connections with the "OUR Walmart" organization of Walmart employees and "to people who are working to improve job opportunities in the Altadena area." 

NBBA also said they support a temporary halt to new local development while the Community Standards District is being reviewed and updated by a town council committee. Citing the sale of the Blockbuster property, the in-process sale of the Webster complex, and the documents filed to develop the Lake/Calavaras vacant lot, "NBBA wants to support that visioning committee's research and community outreach, and think that their activities can best be conducted in an environment free of concerns about imminent development on Lake Avenue. We strongly support a temporary halt to development until the subcommittee completes its work and makes its report for new community standards to the County Board of Supervisors."

 

Alta-novelist Tervalon to read at Art Center exhibition Sunday

by Timothy Rutt

Altadena novelist Jervey Tervalon will be one of the readers at an event at the Art Center College of Design Sunday night.

LitFest Pasadena and the Art Center are sponsoring a reading by LA are writers as part of the "Pages" exhibition at the Alyce de Roulet Williamson Gallery on the Art Center main campus, 1700 Lida Street, Pasadena.  The reading starts at 6:15 PM.

"Pages" looks at the written and drawn-upon page as a space of working imagination for artists, writers, and scientists.  

Other readers include LA Reivew of Books editor Tom Lutz, mystery writer Gary Phillips, Slake Magazine editor Lauri Ochoa, and poet and young adult novels Ron Koertge.

Admission is free.

 

ACONA, League of Women Voters sponsor PUSD candidates forum Jan. 30

by Timothy Rutt

The two candidates vying for the new Pasadena Unified School District representative seat will meet each other in a candidate's forum at the Altadena Senior Center on Jan. 30.

The Altadena Coalition of Neighborhood Associations (ACONA) and the League of Women Voters Pasadena Area (LWV-PA)  will jointly present the forum for candidates Hermond Dean Cooper and incumbent Kim Kenne from 7-8:30 PM.

Marge Nichols of the League will moderate the forum and present questions to the candidates, who will be given equal time to respond.  The audience will also be invited to submit questions as well, which will be given to representatives of the LWV, who will select the questions to be asked.

In addition to the questions, each candidate will present a brief statement both at the start and the conclusion of the forum.

This will be the first election where PUSD board members run by district, rather than at large.  Altadena comprises 87% of the voters in District 1, who will vote on March 5.

 

Morning jolt

 

• In for a Penny: Penny University, who describe themselves as "a unique trivia story telling Instrumental group spanning jazz/ fusion / latin /rock /global" is appearing tonight at the Coffee Gallery Backstage, 2029 N. Lake Avenue   They've just released their first CD, and Altadena is the first stop on their Southern California tour.  We were asked to plug them.  Check them out.
• Emotional Freedom can be yours: Revvell Revati's Bodacious Living Center is holding the first of a series of Sunday evening events this weekend. EFT or, Emotional Freedom Technique is often called "acupuncture without needles" or, "tapping." Practitioners ~ that would be you ~ tap on various points of the body to eliminate sub and unconscious emotions which prevent them from being, doing and having the life they say they'd like to create. Easy to learn; can do it anywhere in a very short amount of time with no equipment, special clothing etc.  If you're looking to stop self-sabotage, eliminate excess weight, gain financial freedom, enhance relationships, you may want to check this out. Fee is $5 cash, place is a private residence, starts at 6 PM Sunday, Jan. 6.  Contact for exact address and reservations. Revvell@gmail.com or, 818-824-4422
  
  
  

Traveling mercies

We're on the road to Sacramento and back today, some minor tests at UC-Davis Medical Center for Jacob, and we're participating in an interview and video for a PR effort of theirs.  Be back this evening, but we have another trip later in the weekend, so keep it under control over there!

 

Survey: Neighborhood Market at Lake & Calavaras, or not?

by Timothy Rutt

Before we say anything else, remember that any talk of opening a second Walmart Neighborhood Market at the Calavaras Crater (Lake Avenue & Calavaras Street) are entirely speculative right now.

But knowing that, it doesn't stop the rumor mill, nor the other possibilities for the site.  Altadena Town Councilman Ed Meyers, who is also a member of the Altadena community standards committee, told us he wants to take a survey of residents, entirely for his own information and not in any official capacity.

"Please note that this is from Ed Meyers ONLY,' he writes. "It really is 'an inquiring mind wants to know' sort of thing. I may share results with the other groups I'm involved with but it's not something that's part of any of the groups."  Meyers said that the survey would be up about a month.

The survey asks a few simple questions about what people would like to see at the Lake/Calavaras site.

The survey is anonymous, and is designed to be taken only once per IP address (i.e. one per computer), but Meyers asks "PLEASE, in the spirit of being fair,  only take it once per person."

Link to the survey is here. 

"Coffee with the Captain" at Perry's Joint Jan. 22

by Timothy Rutt

Altadena Sheriff Capt. John S. Benedict will hold another "Coffee with the Captain" event on Tues., Jan. 22, at Perry's Joint, 2051 Lincoln Ave.  The event will be from 6-8 PM.

According to a press release from the station, "Perry's Joint is located just south of Woodbury Road on Lincoln Avenue and was selected again as a location following the great turnout at the prior event in July of this year"

Feel free to stop in and give your concerns to the captain and his deputies in this informal setting.

First look at 2013

Photo: Mason Sedlik

It's a good thing we didn't have the Mayan apocalypse, because 2013 is already turning out to be a good year for photography!

Community correspondant Mason Sedlik got some great shots of the B-2 bomber flying over Pasadena for the Rose Bowl game, taken from Devil's Gate Dam.

Photo: Mason Sedlik

And Camille Dudley's picture,  taken at Loma Alta Drive just east of Marengo Avenue, is self-explanatory.

Photo: Camille Dudley

Happy Gnome Year!

 

by Timothy Rutt

The Gnome Maker strikes again, for the gnew year (those are glasses and noisemakers, by the way).

... and a happy new year!

by Timothy Rutt

Here's wishing you a good New Year -- ours had a great start.  We along with other members of Down Syndrome in Arts and Media got some great seats at the Rose Parade as guests of Best Buddies and th ATT Pioneer Council (thanks to DSiAM's Gail Ford Williamson for inviting us).  Here, the DSiAM crew poses for a picture after the parade.

 

 

Top ten Altadena stories of 2012

 

Space Shuttle Endeavour's Altadena flyover was one of the memorable events of 2012. Photo by Chris Considine.

 

by Timothy Rutt

The year 2012 was a very busy year in Altadena: some endings, some new beginnings, and the promise of change to come.  Here’s our annual totally biased and opinionated look at the Top 10 Altadena Stories of 2012, in no particular order:

C Jake Truman admires Ken Sakamoto's metal sculpture as part of the 125th Birthday Bash Nov. 3.

1. Altadena’s 125th Birthday:  Somebody noticed that Altadena was 125 years old in 2012. A  small but mighty group of women -- current Citizen of the Year Michele Zack from Altadena Heritage; Jane Brackman of the Altadena Historical Society; Monica Hubbard of the Altadena Women's Network; Dolores Hickambottom, former Citizen of the Year; and Sussy Nemer, senior deputy for Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich --  along with token male Altadena Heritage president Mark Goldschmidt -- put together, in only six weeks, a party to be remembered.  Many Altadena businesses, groups, and individuals contributed to a Nov. 3 Birthday Bash at Farnsworth Park  that featured historical displays, music, entertainment, and great food from Altadena sources. Don’t want to wait another 125 years for the next one.

 

2. Altadena visioning process:  in the spring and summer, consultants hired by Los Angeles County set about to survey Altadena residents on what direction we needed to go:  what did we like about living here, what do we need, how can we make it better?  After several interviews with leading citizens and groups, online surveys, and three public “visioning meetings,”  the end result is a document that identifies some desirous characteristics of Altadena living (including “Diverse, eclectic, unique character” and “Community cohesion and strong institutions”) and suggests some directions to go.  The Altadena Town Council has already started that process by forming a committee to update the community standards, but volunteer organizations and individuals have an opportunity to contribute, too. 

3. West side shootings:  the west side of Altadena became a firing zone during the latter part of the year, with multiple drive-by and car-to-car shootings, culminating in an off-duty deputy and his brother becoming targets in December.  (Another sheriff’s department employee, Law Enforcement Technician Victor McClinton,  was killed in northwest Pasadena on Christmas Day, so the shooting zone wasn’t just restricted to Altadena).  Several people were wounded in the incidents -- and nobody in Altadena died from gunfire this year -- but gang activity has been blamed for much of it.  Local clergy and law enforcement leaders held a rally on Dec. 30 to decry the violence.

Residents gather in the Loma Alta Park gym for one of the Altadena visioning meetings.

4. Lower Millard Canyon:  this beautiful, undeveloped piece of secluded nature inside LA County was offered to the Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy, which mounted a public appeal for the $675,000 needed to buy it. Thanks to donations from many groups and individuals, ending with a push to close a $3,200 gap by Nov. 30, the funds were raised, and the 13 acres of lower Millard Canyon were preserved forever.

 

5. Food Culture:  Altadena’s burgeoning food culture really came into its own this year.  Key to this was the opening of the Altadena Farmers' Market in May, where organic, sustainable, small-scale farmers and foodcrafters have a place to ply their wares to an enthusiastic public every Wednesday.  It was a long haul through the county process for market manager Joseph Shudliner, a world class foodie and cookbook author who also founded the Institute of Domestic Technology.  People come from all over Los Angeles County to check out the market -- and that's one of our major criticisms of it.  While the market handles very interesting goods from interesting places and attracts buyers from far away, the high prices are prohibitive for people who actually live in the neighborhood.  This is an issue the market needs to solve.

First Presbyterian Church opens sanctuary to talk about Victor McClinton

On Wednesday, January 2 from 7-9 p.m. the sanctuary of the First Presbyterian Church- Altadena will be open, offering space for children, youth and families to talk and to share feelings around the tragic death of Victor McClinton.

The community is invited to drop in anytime during those two hours where there will be people to simply sit or pray with.  There will be time to talk or share with others, engage scripture, remember together, and/or create some art as a way of expressing our sorrow. The church is located at 2775 Lincoln Avenue, Altadena, CA 91001, at the corner of Lincoln and Harriet across from the fire station. The parking lot entrance is off Harriet.  For more information, contact Debra Williams at 626/791-4271 Ext. 302

Poetry corner: a look back at 2012

"The World in 2012"

from gloriana casey

JANUARY of twenty -twelve,
Quadrantid---in  the air!
 Meteor shower gifted us!
Space life shows off its flair.

Republicans, they start campaign;
numbers reach a gaggle.
Though many drop from race,you see;
onward goes the battle!

The ocean's on the front page news,
a tragedy at sea.
Costa Concordia, the ship
it sinks so horribly.