altadenablog

Altadena Heritage's "Golden Poppy" awards June 7

Altadena Heritage will host a garden party and its fifth annual Golden Poppy Awards next Sat., June 7, 5-7:30 PM.   The party will be held at Ann & Chris David's home, 1077 Altadena Dr., built in 1923 and designed by Lawrence Stimson, who also designed the Wrigley Mansion in Pasadena.  Altadena Heritage will also present its Golden Poppy Awards to eight of Altadena's most creative gardeners.  Hors d'oeuvres and beverages will be served.  TIckets are $20, $15 for members, and reservations must be made by Monday, June 2 to Altadena Heritage, 797-0054, or altadenaheritage@earthlink.net.

Steven Cisar gets silver in world BMX championships

Steven Cisar of Altadena was barely nipped by a Latvian athlete to come in second at the world BMX championships in Taiyuan, China today. This helps his standing -- if he wins the BMX trials in Chula VIsta on June 14, he'll be one of three men representing the USA BMX team at the Olympics this summer.  Here's ESPN's story.

Town Council election page

New among the permanent pages on the right: a page about the June 21 Altadena town council elections.  Candidates, pollng locations, websites, even candidate statements (if they send us any!).  It'll be up until after the election.

Altadenan's robots to explore Antarctica

On the heels of the Altadena-resident scientists who are exploring space at JPL,  several Altadenans pointed out this story featuring Prof. Ayanna Howard, a local girl made good who has developed a new breed of robots that could explore Antarctica.

"Shake Out" registration today

Just got this in last night -- and note the registration is due today!  Thanks, guys!

From: Lee, Wilson T
Sent: Wed 5/28/2008 7:54 AM

To: Crime Prevention Partners-Other Agencies; Crime Prevention Staff; Volunteer Coordinators; Volunteer CERT Members; Volunteer CERT Instructors

Subject: The Great Southern California ShakeOut

You are invited to join elected officials, businessleaders, emergency managers and others for the kickoff press conferencefor "The Great Southern California ShakeOut" on June 4th from 10 a.m.to noon at Caltech.

Beckman Auditorium, Caltech
332 S. Michigan Ave, Pasadena, CA 91106

Please RSVP by May 30 by completing the online registration form at

http://www.shakeout.org/kickoff

Library reveals summer programs for kids, teens

Altadena Library District
2008 Summer Reading Club
Catch the Reading Bug!    

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, children of all ages and reading abilities are invited to join this year’s FREE Summer Reading Club. The purpose of this program is to encourage children to get in the habit of reading every day and to spark in them a life-long love of reading and learning.  Participation in this program can also help the children retain their reading skills through the summer. We’ll be offering special programs, give-a-ways, and contests all summer long. Visit www.altadenalibrary.org for more info.

The award winning Main Library is located at 600 E. Mariposa Street.  The address of the Bob Lucas Memorial Branch Library is 2659 North Lincoln Avenue. The libraries offer many services including programs for children, teens and adults, a book club, teen advisory board, literacy classes, online tutoring, internet tutoring, passports, public computers and wireless access.  To find out more call 626-798-0833 for the main, 626-798-8338 for the branch, or visit the library’s website at http://altadenalibrary.org.

Altadena sheriffs vs. young black males? A perception is there

Altadena town councilman Steve Lamb has a letter in today's PSN.  One of the dust-ups in the last town council meeting involved the perception that the deputies swoop down on individual African-American males with multiple squad cars, "making a public spectacle of such detention as possible, and ultimately having this detention result in nothing ...."

Lamb says both he and council chair George Lewis have witnessed many of these incidents over the years.  Lamb says that he's asked several of these young men to contact him to write out a complaint -- but citing reprisal, to date no one has done so.

Lamb closes with :

I urge all citizens who believe they have been unjustly detaiined to contact myself and Chairman Lewis so that we can go with them to file complaints against inappropriate detention.

Altadena porn king in the hands of a jury (stop it!)

ABC News has a story about one of Altadena's less-stellar citizens, Paul F. Little aka Max Hardcore.  The fruits of his cinematic endeavors have been handed to a jury in Tampa Bay, Fla., which is trying him on various obscenity charges.

Update:  The jury has a hard time watching this stuff.

Tennis, anyone? (age 8-17 only?)

The LA84 Foundation, along with the Southern California Tennis Association and the National Junior Tennis League, is offering a youth tennis program for children ages 8-17.

The six-week session is scheduled from July 7 to Aug. 15 at the following area locations: Farnsworth Park, 568 E. Mount Curve Drive; Loma Alta Park, 3330 N. Lincoln Ave.; and Monrovia High School, 845 W. Colorado Blvd., Monrovia.

Registration fee is $10. For information, call program director Arlene Barco at (310) 208-3838, Ext. 234.

Eggplants?

This is our weird post of the day -- something about eggplants and yoga.  We can't figure it out.

Schiff appoints Christian Kooshian to West Point

Christian Kooshian of Altadena, a student at John Muir High School (Pasadena), was appointed to the Military Academy at West Point by Congressman Adam Schiff this weekend. Kooshian will be in the West Point Class of 2012.

Other appointees from the district include Arthur Lin, a student at Alhambra High School,  and Dennis Lowe of Pasadena, a student at Fintridge Preparatory School, who were also appointed to West Point. David Raba of Glendale, a student at St. Francis High School (La Cañada Flintridge), was appointed to the Naval Academy in Annapolis.

According to Asbaraz.com, a website of news from the Armenian community:

Congressman Schiff met with Christian and his family this past weekend to congratulate him and thank him for his dedication to our country.
    “After reviewing Christian's application I was very impressed by his dedication to serve our country,” said Schiff. “After meeting him and his family this past weekend, I am confident he will be among the future leaders of our country.”
    Christian's patriotism and desire to serve in the military stems from his grandfather's story of survival in the Armenian Genocide and subsequent immigration to the U.S. Throughout his high school career at John Muir, Christian has proven to be a true leader. He was a member of his high school cross country team, serving as the captain his senior year. He also played the viola in the John Muir Symphony Orchestra, and he was a recipient of the 2007 Rotary Youth Leadership Award. Last summer he attended the Summer Leadership Seminar at West Point.
    “I see West Point as the best path for me to both enter the military service and to become an educated, patriotic citizen of good character,” Christian wrote in his application essay.

Aveson Charter School holds June Jubilee Sat., June 7

Aveson Charter School, 1919 Pinecrest Ave. (site of the old Noyes school) invites your family to its first annual June Jubilee next Sat., June 7, 10 AM-4 PM.

Events include a rummage sale (early birds get in at 8-9:30 AM for $10, free after 10 AM), games for the whole family, food and fun.  Entertainment is provided by local bands including Roadhouse Ron, Faithanne & Friends, Thelonius Dub, Horses on Astroturf, and Burning Brides. 

Admission is free. All proceeds benefit Aveson School. 

Last chance for AYSO registration Friday

Missed the in-person soccer registration deadlines for AYSO 13?  Last chance is this Friday, May 30, from 6:30-7:30 PM at AYSO 13 Clubhouse, 711 W. Woodbury #E, Altadena.  Bring ID and $125 in cash or check.

Town council election needs volunteers

This message came in about the upcoming town council elections

Altadena Town Council Elections June 21, 2008 Your Community Needs You

The Altadena Election Committee is requesting volunteers from the community to participate in this year's elections, either as a poll staffer or to assist with setting up and breaking down the polling locations. We need people to commit to a 4 hour shift as a poll worker:
8AM-12PM, 11AM-3PM, or 2PM-6PM.

Setup volunteers can rise early or sleep in and help us break down, and should allot 2 hours of service either way.

Contribution of this time is vital for a vibrant and accessible election, and I'm hoping it will be quite fun as well!

Farm Fresh Ranch Market staying put

Got a couple of messages regarding a rumor that the Farm Fresh Ranch Market at Lincoln Crossing was closing down.  According to Lety, the office manager there, it's not true -- they're staying put, despite Lincoln Crossing's troubles.

Mars-a-Dena landing

Congrats to our neighbors at Jet Propulsion Laboratory  who successfully bulls-eyed the Phoenix lander on the arctic plains of Mars Sunday.

The photo was captured by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. This is the first time that a spacecraft has imaged the final descent of another spacecraft onto a planetary body.  You can see the lander, its parachute, and the lines that attach the two on the brightened photo, with a background of the Martian surface.

(hat tip: Chris Considine)

Crown City Symphony at Senior Center Sat.

Armenian Music and Musicians is the theme of a free concert to be given by the Crown City Symphony at the Altadena Senior Center on Sat., May 31, at 2 PM. Svetlana Oganesian, violinist and Ophelia Nanagyulyan, violist, will be soloists in Konzertante Sinfonie by Mozart

The orchestra, conducted by Marvin Neumann, will also perform Prelude and Quadruple Fugue by Hovaness Masquerade Suite by Khachaturian King Stephan Overture by Beethoven.

The symphony will also hold free concerts at the Pasadena Central Library, 285 E. Walnut, Pasadena, at 7:#) PM Friday, May 30, and again at the First Baptist Church, 75 N. Marengo, Pasadena.

 For more information contact (626) 797-1994 or log onto www.crowncitysymphony.org.

Memorial Day at Mountain View Cemetery

PSN's  Janette Williams does a story on the local Memorial Day observance of Civil War vets.

Photo ops

Lot of pictures of Altadena this weekend in the blogosphere.

... somewhere in Altadena.  Anybody know where this is?

Petrea's Pasadena Daily Photo has a melancholy view of Mountain View Cemetery, and one for Memorial Day..

A cloudy view up Lake Ave.

Happy Memorial Day

Enjoy the holiday, remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.  The U.S. is a great country, in part because no other nation has spent so much of its blood and treasure to make other nations free.  Enjoy the holiday in that spirit.

Altadenablog will be out of pocket thru the weekend, and hope to return to blogging on Tuesday.

Barks and books this Sat.

Otterhop is a new-to-us blog with kids's events, and they've got a good reminder that tomorrow at 11 AM is Barks and Books at the Altadena Main Library (altho' whoever's writing the story doesn't seem to know the difference between Altadena and Pasadena).  The Pasadena Humane Society gives your child a chance to read to a loveable dog at Altadena's library.  Really, it's fun!

A Cinder-Dena Story

Lindsay Blake's fun Iamnotastalker blog looks at the house on Calavaras that served as Hillary Duff's Cinderalla Story home.  Since it's kinda-sorta near the campus of Altadenablog World Headquarters, we've seen it tricked out several times for shoots -- once covered with faux snow (snaux?) and a red sleigh parked out front.

The architecture buff in us once read about a style of structure called "storybook" -- this certainly qualifies!

Feynman & Zorthian: art meets science, science meets art

Arroyo Monthly is a high-end yet free magazine that you can find around Altadena and Pasadena.  (Judging by the advertising, it's apparently aimed at people who are obsessed with their bodies and their kitchens.)  Anyway, in the June issue (not yet online) there's a nice piece by Jenine Baines about two area originals:  Altadena artistic legend Jirayr Zorthian and Nobel Prize winner  Richard Feynman (who is buried in Mountain View Cermetery).

The two men shared a friendship and were mutual students of each other.  It's all part of a Zorthian retrospective at the Armoey Center for the Arts, which runs from June 29-Aug. 31.  It's the first major exhibition of Zorthian's paintings, drawings, and architectural designs in over 50 years.  Worth checking out.

Red Cross

We rarely go deep into Pasadena for news, since we're Altadena-focused, but we thought this press release from the American Red Cross Blood Donor Center was worth passing on:

In order to better serve its donors, the Pasadena American Red Cross Blood Donor Center now offers concurrent whole blood and platelet apheresis collections six days per week. The Red Cross invites you to enjoy food and festivities and help celebrate the “Grand Re-opening” of the center on Wednesday, May 28, 12 noon to 7 p.m. A ribbon cutting ceremony, hosted by the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, will be held at 5 p.m. The Red Cross donor center is located at 133 N. Altadena Drive, Suite 103. Pasadena, CA. Appointments to donate whole blood or platelets during the “Grand Re-opening” can be made by calling 1-800-GIVE LIFE (1-800-448-3543).

The Pasadena Donor Center, originally located on Lake Street in Pasadena, moved to the Altadena address in December 2005. While the donor center has been offering a choice of either whole blood or apheresis donations on select days, whole blood and apheresis operations will now run concurrently and under the same schedule:

Monday-Wednesday 12pm to 7pm
Thursday 10am to 5pm
Friday and Saturday 7am to 2pm; and
every other Sunday 6:30am to 12 noon (Apheresis donations only).

“With the training of all staff members in both apheresis and whole blood collections, donors will experience a shorter wait time,” states Armando Romero, manager of the American Red Cross Pasadena Donor Center. “We are confident that this integrated structure will improve communications, coordination, consistency, efficiency, and performance.”

Whole blood contains red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets suspended in a watery fluid called plasma. Blood may be transfused as whole blood or as one of its many components.

Apheresis is a process by which platelets or other individual blood components are collected from a donor. This process is accomplished by using a machine called a cell separator which collects the desired component and returns the remaining components of the blood to the donor by the automated instrument.

Any healthy person age 17 or older (age 16 with written parental consent) and weighing at least 110 pounds may be eligible to donate blood. All eligible donors are asked to schedule an appointment to donate blood by calling 1.800.GIVE.LIFE (1.800.448.3543) or by visiting www.GiveLife.org. To organize a blood drive, call 1.800.491.2113. For Spanish, please call 1.866-POR.VIDA (1.866.767.8432).

Flash flood warning for Altadena

From the National Weather Service:

FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OXNARD CA 216 PM PDT THU MAY 22 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OXNARD HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR... CENTRAL LOS ANGELES COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA...

* UNTIL 345 PM PDT

* AT 212 PM PDT...DOPPLER RADARS INDICATED INTENSE RAINFALL FROM A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN THE VICINITY OF THE CITIES OF AZUZA AND EL MONTE. RADAR RAINFALL RATES ARE IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH PER HOUR.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO AZUSA AND EL MONTE.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...URBAN AREAS...HIGHWAYS...STREETS AND UNDERPASSES AS WELL AS OTHER DRAINAGE AREAS AND LOW LYING SPOTS.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS SAFELY.

Altadena and Muir bottom out in API

This PSN story starts off with the nut:

John Muir High School and Altadena Elementary School received the lowest possible ranking on the Academic Performance Index, according to results released Wednesday for the state's main method of measuring how individual schools are performing.

Both Muir and Altadena Elementary received a ranking of 1 on the API, which scores school achievement on a scale of 1 to 10.

Muir actually dropped from 601 in 2006 to 569 in 2007.  Eliot Middle School scored among the bottom third in the state.  Read the whole sad story.

Covering both ends

We just noticed that one of our favorite blogs, Altadena Above It All, has started prefixing her topics with "Alta-" (as in Altaeducation, or Altacelebs).  Of course, since our inception, we've suffixed most of our topics with "-dena" (as in Edu-dena, or Celeb-a-dena). 

Obviously, you must read both blogs if you want total coverage!

Yard sale-a-rama Sat.

This message is hitting the local message boards and blogs:

Multiple Yard Sales!
Saturday May 24, 2008 8:00 a.m.
North of Mariposa between Marengo and Fair Oaks

My neighbors are organizing a giant, multi-family yard sale in our neighborhood. There are at least 10 families planning to participate on Saturday, May 24, starting at 8:00a.m. The general area includes streets just north of Mariposa between Marengo and Fair Oaks. Several neighbors on Highview Avenue and Scripps Place/Highlawn Avenue will have sales set up in their yards. There may be some neighbors just south of Mariposa between Marengo and Fair Oaks participating as well. Look for the signs!!!

Organic gardeners organize!

A new Yahoo newsgroup has formed:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/COFEAltadena/

We are a group of organic fruit and vegetable gardeners from Altadena, CA who wish to trade, sell, barter or give our produce away to local neighbors.

We started as neighbors (3 miles above Pasadena, in the foothills) who had too much fruit all at one time. We set up a Fruit Stand and sold Black Berries to passer byers, we traded Plums, Apricots, Lemons, Guavas, Figs, and then later Tomatoes, other Garden Produce, and organic free range chicken eggs with each other.

We started talking to other neighbors and decided that it would be a good idea to share our abundance.

We got together and decided to promote the growing and sharing of local, seasonal, organic food by trading, selling, or giving away our crops. Opportunities for buying in bulk may also happen if this idea appeals to group members, along with canning get togethers.

By sharing our abundance and resources, we strengthen community ties, to create a sustainable, cooperative future. Do you have fruit or vegetables that grow in your yard and you hate to see it all go to waste every year? Join our group and post what you have, and see what we have to offer you!

Honoring vets at Mountain View Cemetery Monday

Pasadena city librarian (and Civil War scholar) Nick Smith will share stories of some of the over 500 Civil War Union veterans who are buried in Mountain View Cemetery, 2400 N. Fair Oaks Ave., on Memorial Day at 2 PM. Margaret Alley of the United Daughters of the Confederacy will tell the stories of some of the 12 Confederate soldiers also buried there.  The public is invited -- bring a flower for the gravesite of a veteran.
 

ISS flyby tonight

Check the skies in the west southwest starting at 9:10 PM tonight -- supposed to be a superbright flyby of the International Space Station heading our way.  More info right here.

Hat tip: Chris Considine

Town council elections set for June 21

The Altadena Town Council set its members' election for Sat., June 21, and approved the list of candidates at last night's meeting. By census tract, the candidates are:

4601 Eugene Sund (incumbent, unopposed)
4602 Mabel Duncan (incumbent), Okorie Ezieme, Regina Grimes
4603.01 Walter Olszewski (incumbent), Alice Wessen
4603.02 Dr. Sandra Thomas (incumbent, unopposed)
4610 Bobby Thompson (incumbent), Tecumseh Shackleford, Rev. C.R. Tillman
4611 Allan Wasserman (incumbent, unopposed)
4612 George Lewis, (incumbent), Ruth Neilan Edwards
4613 Susan Goldman (incumbent, unopposed)

Polling will be from 8 AM to 6 PM.

The following polling places were confirmed, with more to be added later:   Altadena Library, Coffee Gallery, Gordy's Garage, Loma Alta Recreation Center, Altadena Golf Course, and Farm Fresh Market at Lincoln Crossing.  Residents can vote (once!) at any polling place.

The Town Council is also looking for volunteers to for put up, take down, and to work four hour shifts staffing the polls.

For more information, call the Community Center at 626-398-6174 or email: bev@phlogiston-inc.com

CANDIDATES: Altadenablog would like to publish candidate statements prior to the election.  Please call or email!

6/17 correction:  corrected Dr. Thomas' census tract number.

Assorted town council stuff

Also at last night's council meeting:

• The council voted to send a letter to the county, following the recommendations of the Land Use Committee, denying approval of a cell phone tower at St. Elizabeth's Church and School.
• Councilmember Michele Zack reported that the members of the West Altadena Project Area Committee were stunned to find that the developer of Lincoln Crossing had put all or part of the development on the market, apparently in violation of agreements.  The developer has also been trying to get refinancing on the project.  "More questions than answers" is how Zack characterized developments.
• Zack also reported that the pocket park on Marengo is now faced with arroyo stone, which greatly improved its appearance, but still needs work.  Anyone needing more information should contact her at michelezack@mac.com

Stay skeptical

In his blog, Michael Shermer, head honcho of the Altadena-based Skeptics Society, talks about his encounter with Ben Stein for  the film Expelled.  He rightly says that a Darwinist world view doesn't necessarily lead to fascism, but merrily trips over the fact that authoritatians and eugenicists have used Darwinism for their own ends anyway, using the same rhetoric Shermer does -- it's right because it's "scientific," don't you know and you NEVER argue with science!

Race, class, and Ponzi schemes

The Pasadena YWCA's blog looks at crime, prejudice, and the recent arrest and chage of an Altadena woman for real estate investment fraud.

Kenny Patton signs with Jets

Kenny Patton of Altadena just signed as cornerback with the NY (or is it NJ?) Jets, says scout.com:

Patton, (5-11, 193, Hawai’i/Altadena, CA) was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent with the Oakland Raiders on May 4, 2007 before being released May 15, 2007. At Hawai’i, Patton was a four-year starter at cornerback, totaling 139 tackles and three interceptions in 42 games.

Standefor enters not guilty plea

Jeanetta M. Standefor, 40, of Altadena pleaded not guilty in federal court this week, says PSN.  Standefor and her company, Accelerated Funding Group, are accused of bilking investors out of millions of dollars in a real estate investment Ponzi scheme.  She's out on bail with a new ankle bracelet courtesty of the feds.

Don't panic ...

... but we've got a bit of a redesign in progress.  Please note the new permanent page (on the right), the comprehensive list of Altadena links.  In the next few days, you'll find that we will be removing most of the links from the right and left columns and putting them on the permanent links page.  (We'll still keep some key links up, such as the cams, Town Council, and the library).  The new page will be easier for Altadenablog to upkeep, it will make a neater appearance, and we'll be clearing up some screen real estate for advertising.

Yes, advertising.  More on that soon.

In the meantime, the links will stay up until the new page is debugged over the next few days.

Sheriff's Forum June 12: ID theft & elder abuse

The Altadena Sheriff's Station will hold a presentation on identity theft and elder abuse: learn not to become a victim, and what to do if you are.  A question and answer session will follow.

The presentation will be held twice: 3:30-5:30 PM and 7-9 PM at the Altadena Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Dr.  For more information, call 296-2103 or 296-2104.

Meadows clearing brush now

The Meadows weblog updates the neighborhood on their brush-clearing efforts, which start this week.

Yes, we have no Banana Museum

This LA Times story looks at the demise of Altadena's Banana Museum.  Seems that, for proprietor Ken Bannister, the commute from his home in Apple Valley to Altadena lost its .... well, ap-peel.

Real estate firm profiled

Perhaps the timing is unfortunate (a day after another, unrelated Altadena real estate financing firm is charged with securities fraud), but there IS a nice story about ALB Commercial Capital in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. 

John Dean at the library June 9

Former White House Counsel John Dean will speak on Monday June 9 at 7:30 PM at the main branch of the Altadena Library, 600 East Mariposa St., Altadena. This Friends of the Library sponsored program will begin after the organization’s annual meeting which will start at 7 PM.  Dean will discuss his past experiences and his books, Broken Government, Conservatives without Conscience,  and Pure Goldwater, which will be available for purchase and signing that evening.This event is free. For more information please call 626-798-0833 or check the library’s website, http://www.altadenalibrary.org

John Wesley Dean is an author, columnist and commentator on contemporary politics.  Most famously Dean served as White House Counsel to President Richard Nixon from 1970 to 1973 and became the star witness of the Watergate prosecution.  Currently in demand as a successful author, lecturer, and columnist, Dean frequently appears on MNSBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann.

In 2004, Dean published Worse than Watergate, a critical indictment of the George W. Bush administration.  Worse than Watergate spent 10 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List.  Dean’s 2006 book, Conservatives without Conscience, links his work to that of Senator Barry Goldwater, whose classic political text, The Conscience of a Conservative, inspired Dean throughout his career.  Released in summer 2006, Dean’s book attests that American conservatism after Goldwater has faltered and been replaced with a dangerous breed of authoritarianism. The book spent six weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List.

Dean’s most recent works are Broken Government: How Republican Rule Destroyed the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches, released September 2007 and Pure Goldwater, a biography of Senator Barry Goldwater, written with the Senator’s son Barry Goldwater Jr. and published April 2008.

Thanks from the Mosley family and more on the fund

Altadenablog received this message from Mosley family friend Helga Kuhn in the comments, and we're moving it to the main page.

On behalf of the Mosley and Hamilton family they would like to express their sincere thanks to all of you that have supported the family during this time.

A memorial fund has been established as follows:

The Evelyn Mosley Memorial Fund
2230 N. Lincoln Avenue
PMB 300
Altadena, Ca  91001

or

The Evelyn Mosley Memorial Fund
c/o Wells Fargo
North Allen / Washington
1390 North Allen
Pasadena, Ca  91104

Crash on Altadena Drive

One vehicle vs. some parked cars on the 1800 block of N. Altadena Dr. at about 10:30 this morning.  According to officers on the scene, there was one person who was not seriously injured.

Shameless plug dept.

The Altadenablogmaster will be delivering the Trinity Sunday sermon at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 1014 E. Altadena Dr., at 7:45 and 10:30 AM on Sun., May 18.

Community Calendar feedback -- you talk, we listen!

After receiving some complaints about the size of the calendar (what, not everybody has a wide-screen MacBook Pro?) we've narrowed it.  As well, we've added holidays, moon phases, and Earth holidays (solstices and equinoces, to keep the neo-Pagans happy).  Thanks for your feedback!  Let us know if the new calendar format works for you!

Feds charge Altadenan in real estate scam

Now that the real estate bubble is bursting, the fraud schemes are coming out.  For example:  Jeanetta M. Standefor, 40, of Altadena, through a Pasadena company called Accelerated Funding Group, allegedly ran  a Ponzi scheme in 2005-2007 that promised returns of up to 50% within four to six weeks.  The LA Times says more than 600 people invested $18 million in the scheme, which was to reap rewards by  helping homeowners avoid foreclosure.  The Securities and Exchange Commission charges that Standefor spent $1.9 million on lavish spending for herself.

LA Times Real Estate Blog has details. 

Read the comments afterward:  apropos of nothing, one commenter has found out that she supports Republicans, and that the LA Times did a feature story on Standefor in 2004 as a successful house flipper.

The story is in USA Today as well.

10,000

Altadenablog records its 10,000th page view today (yipeee!)  We're also almost on our 400th entry.  Thank you for supporting Altadena's community news blog --now with community calendar,  Facebook page,  (and soon home-grown video)!

Antonovich meeting at community center May 28

LA County Supervisor Michael Antonovich will hold an Altadena Community Meeting on Wed., May 28, from 8-9 AM (yawn!) at the Altadena Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Dr.

On the agenda will be Marcia Mayeda, director of LA County Animal Control, as well as presentations from the Dept. of Public Works Traffic and LIghting Division and the summer parks program.   For more information please call (626) 356-5407.