altadenablog

Fertilizer salesmen making the rounds

Got a heads-up from one of the newsgroups that a group of men are making the rounds of neighborhoods on the east side.  They knock on doors, offer to fertilize your lawn, whereby a pack of guys will quickly cover the lawn with fertilizer and overcharge.  Be cautious!

No more pic-a-nic baskets for the Farnsworth bears

The county is replacing some of the picnic tables in Farnsworth Park this spring.  The new concrete tables, in a browny-buff color, look sturdy if undistinguished.

They don't quite have the charm of the older benches they replace, which have the grizzly bear and tree logo of the state parks dept. on the base.

Earthquake seminar June 18 at City of Hope

In light of the ramping-up of interest in earthquake safety (and the Shake-Out in November), Altadenablog's compadre Cmdr. Linsenmeyer lets us know that there will be an earthquake safety seminar on Wed., June 18, 6:30-9 PM at the Cooper Auditorium, City of Hope Cancer Center, 1500 Duarte Rd., Duarte.  The seminar will be presented by Earthquake Solutions (who sold Altadenablog the 50 gal. water barrel in the back yard, and yes, we need two more!) 

Reservations and info: 626-256-7900 or by earthquakesolutions@earthlink.net

 

Juneteenth Music Festival @ Farnsworth June 21

Los Angeles County Parks will be holding a Juneteenth Music Festival at the Farnsworth Park Amphitheater starting at 10 AM on June 21.  Jazz, blues, zydeco, and gospel music will be featured, along with lots of vendors.  Farnsworth Park is at the corner of Lake and Mt. Curve.

What's for dinner?

Via Alice Wessen and Facebook, Yelp! has real people reviews of Altadena eateries.

Altadena woman involved in fatal crash

A sad story about Kirk Dowling, a Fountain Valley man who was trying to help a driver who crashed on the 134 near Pacific in Glendale at about 1 AM on Tuesday.  As he was walking to the crash scene, CHP said he was struck by a vehicle driven by Sara Kacee of Altadena. 

Says the OC Register:

Dowling suffered major head trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers suspect Kacee was driving at a high rate of speed and failed to notice the vehicles. She suffered moderate injuries, a report said. Kacee was not arrested. Police are still investigating the crash.

PUSD and the integration struggle

PSN's Larry Wilson reports from a Tuesday conference at the Pasadena Musuem of History (co-presented by Altadena's own Michele Zack)  called "The Integration of PUSD: How it Happened by Many of the People who Made it Happen & Its Legacy Today."  It's a pretty checkered history whose ripple effects we still feel to this day.  High points of the story for us:

• Newport Beach was called "Altadena by the Sea" in 1975 because so many had fled there to avoid integration. (But why "Altadena," considering our town is 30-some percent black?)
• A reactionary school board during that era tried to make John Birch Society material required reading.

It's quite a tale.  Check it out!

PUSD to hold middle school community forums June 5-7

From PUSD:

Pasadena, CA - The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) will convene three community forums on June 5, 7 and 11 to obtain feedback on proposals to improve middle school student achievement.  The forums will bring parents, students, community members and staff together to discuss ways to improve the quality of instruction and enrichment for all PUSD middle school students.

PUSD Superintendent Edwin Diaz and the District’s Excellent Middle Schools Team will present a research-based and developmentally appropriate framework to build high quality, equitable instructional and enrichment programs for middle school students. The District will also present a proposal to restructure school facilities to promote middle school academic excellence and equity.  Forum participants can provide feedback before the proposals are presented for action by the Board of Education in late June.

Spanish translation, child care and light refreshments will be provided at each meeting.

Short takes

• eTTa design's weblog has a great piece about Leslie Aitkin's  LA General Store, which uses eco-friendly ideas (i.e. castoff furniture) for the interior of the fabric arts source.
• it's too early to think of Halloween for most of us -- but the pumpkins are growing in Altadena!
• Real estate news on the $7 million sale of the Bienvenidos Children's Center at 183-205 E. Palm to be the new home for the Sahag-Mesrob Armenian Christian School.
• Five Acres will be holding two fundraising events on Sunday:  a classic car show at Johnny Carson Park in Burbank, followed by its annual gala at One Colorado in Pasadena.  PSN has the deets.
• We think state Sen. Jack Scott may end up his legislative career making enemies of the balloon industry.

Don't forget to vote today!

Today's election day, when we make our decision on which proposition (98 or 99) has the worst campaign and slimiest supporters. Democracy at work!  Go to lavote.net to find your polling place.

American Humane offers animal emergency training July 17-18

Altadenablog is nowhere near prepared for an emergency -- we don't have enough water and food put away (we were planning on living on our extensive stock of emergency beer), and we look upon our pets as an alternate food source.  Fortunately, not everyone feels this way, and (courtesy Alice Wessen) American Humane is on the case:

Be Prepared When Disaster Strikes
Get American Humane²s Basic Animal Emergency Services Training

Training from American Humane -- a national leader in disaster response and animal rescue -- is coming toyour area. Gain the skills to respond to emergencies and care for animals when the unthinkable happens.

Basic Animal Emergency Services Training is ideal for anyone who loves animals and is interested in their welfare.

Come learn about animal first aid, shelter set up and response, incident command systems and more. This course trains you to be able to assist in your community, and it is the first step to becoming an American Humane Red Star Animal Emergency Services volunteer.

You can make a difference for animals that are all too often left behind when disasters strike. This class will get you ready!

Basic Animal Emergency Services Training

July 17-18, 2008

Pasadena Humane Society and SPCA
361 S. Raymond Ave.
Pasadena, CA

Tuition: $85 for American Humane members; $100 for non-members. Training materials provided. Certificate presented upon completion.

Register today!

http://www.americanhumane.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ev_professionals_aes_training

Download, fill out, and email or fax the registration form.

Ex-gangbanger carries tradition of compassion

PSN's Robert Hong has a heart-warming story about Jimmy Lewis, who overcame a troubled youth to help people out of the back of his Bronco at the Fair Oaks and Woodbury ARCO.  He's carrying on a tradition started by his grandfather, Isaac Walker.