altadenablog

Altadena Heritage hosts home orchard talk Sept. 15

Altadena Heritage is pleased to bring Tom Spellman of Dave Wilson Nursery to Altadena to talk about Backyard Orchard Culture. Just in time for ordering bare root fruit trees for planting in our Altadena back yards, Tom will teach us how to get the most from our backyard orchards by choosing successive ripening varieties, controlling tree size through aggressive summer pruning, and growing varieties we know we will use. The lecture is free and open to the public, and is at the Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Dr., starting at 7 PM.

This event will be followed with a backyard orchard tour on Saturday morning. Come and see a beautifully productive backyard orchard right here in Altadena, in a tour hosted by Steve Hofvendahl of Tree People. This impressive example includes over 150 varieties, demonstrating the incredible diversity of fruit we are lucky enough to be able to grow in our Mediterranean climate. There are only 25 spots for this exclusive tour. Make your reservation on the evening of the Spellman lecture by purchasing your ticket. Reservations are first-come, first-served, during check-in for the lecture.

Saturday September 18, 2010
9:00 AM
Directions provided at time of reservation
$5 for Altadena Heritage members, $10 for non-members

Both events are part of Altadena: Heritage of Abundance, a series of lectures and workshops organized by Altadena Heritage to celebrate the good life in Altadena and teach us how to preserve it. For more information please contact altadenaheritage@earthlink.net.

Over 200 lawmen in gang sweep this morning

LA Times is already reporting it, even tho' it's apparently still going on at about 9 AM per the scanner: about 250 officers from the LA Count Sheriff's Dept., LAPD, Pasadena PD, and Drug Enforcement Administration are conducting a sweep of parole violators, targeting members of the Pasadena Denver Lanes gang.  Says the Times:

One of the 22 law enforcement teams searched three homes in the Altadena area and found a shotgun, shotgun shells and a small amount of marijuana in one of the houses. The person on parole who lived there was arrested.

Locally, our readers reported police activity across from Muir High School, and officers using the Rose Bowl for staging.  More as we get it.

UPDATE 12:30 PM:  Altadena Det. Lt. Joseph Dempsey tells us that the sweep involved 71 locations, trying to find 16 felony probationers and 55 parolees, all members of the Pasadena Denver Lanes.  Officers contacted 16 locations in Altadena and one in La Crescenta.  A total of 15 arrests were made in the sweep, with three for firearms violations and the rest for parole violations, outstanding warrants, and narcotics possession.

The operation started at 4 AM this morning and took about seven hours, Dempsey said, "not counting countless hours putting it together -- Altadena detectives and the Safe Streets group spent weeks planning the operation."

The next step, Dempsey said, is to either file charges or go through parole hearings for violations.  For the parolees who were not at the locations -- sometimes they will give the address of a relative without actually living there, Dempsey said -- officers will seek parole violations charges.

"We're trying to let these gang members know othat Altadena is not a place to pursue gang activites," Dempsey said.  "We're trying to continue the pressure on them."

 

Morning jolt Thursday

• 
  PSN tells us that the General Accounting Office is now gearing up to investigate the Station Fire, after the prodding of Southern California lawmakers.  We particularly hope they find out why the Forest Service withheld dispatches in the early hours of the fire from federal investigators.
• California Chronicle has an article on the Pasadena Master Chorale's upcoming concert and their favorite venue, the Altadena Community Church.
• Altadena Crest Trail Restoration Working Group (ACTRWG) will have a presentation on the status of trails at the Cobb Estate, 7 PM Tues., Sept. 14, at the community center, 730 E. Altadena Dr.

A light day ...

We have some last-minutes-of-summer family activities going on, so entries will be light over the next few days, but we'll keep on the important stuff.

Jervey Tervalon free writing workshop this Sat. at the Library

 Best-selling novelist, award-winning poet, screenwriter, dramatist, journalist, commentator and creative writing professor at USC, Jervey Tervalon, will present a free workshop for writers of all ages and experience levels through the process of telling their story.

The workshop is ideal for participants looking to develop their skill at chronicling their life stories, assist others who hold valuable oral histories in preserving their written history, or who want to jumpstart a variety of writing in a supportive as well as inspiring environment.

Jervey Tervalon is the author of All the Trouble You Need, Understand This, and the Los Angeles Times bestseller Dead Above Ground, a bestseller based on a story about his aunt. 

The workshop will be held Sat., Sept. 11, at 2 PM at the Altadena Library, 600 E. Mariposa. Information:  626 798-0833:  www.altadenalibrary.org

 

More adventure than they were counting on

NBC4's site carries the story of a mother and two young sons who went hiking in Eaton Canyon yesterday, and wound up taking an unexpected flight aboard Air 5, the sheriff's copter (stuck on a ledge, called the sheriff from her cellphone).

Sen. Liu to plant trees in Altadena for 9/11 National Day of Service

From Sen. Carol Liu's office:

California State Senator Carol Liu, the Liu Crew of volunteers, and TreePeople will be planting trees on a residential street as a way of honoring the National Day of Service on Sept. 11, 2010. 

In September 2009, President Barack Obama declared September 11th as the National Day of Service and Remembrance of the terrorist attacks in 2001.  This day is marked by service projects in all 50 states with tens of thousands of volunteers turning out to paint and refurbish homes, run food drives, spruce up schools, reclaim neighborhoods, and support and honor veterans and first responders.

Liu, the Liu Crew, and TreePeople volunteers will plant Golden Trumpet trees along the residential street of Highland Avenue, nestled in the foothills of Altadena.  “Planting trees is a wonderful project for National Day of Service,” said Liu, D-La Canada Flintridge. “By the end of the day we will have made a living contribution to the beauty and environmental quality of Altadena,” she added.

The Liu Crew is a group of community volunteers who aid Senator Liu in various service activities throughout the year in the 21st District.  TreePeople is an environmental nonprofit that unites the power of trees, people and technology to grow a sustainable future for the greater Los Angeles community.  For more information or to join the Liu Crew in future activities, please contact the district office or visit www.senate.ca.gov/LIU.

Liu represents nearly 850,000 people in the 21st Senate District, which includes Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge, San Gabriel, Temple City, and several City of Los Angeles communities, including the NoHo District.

• WHAT: Senator Liu Plants Trees
• WHEN: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sat., Sept. 11, 2010
• WHERE: 2487 Highland Avenue Altadena CA 91001

Randy Caputo and the Legends Show Band wrap up summer concerts Sept. 11

Randy Caputo and the Legends Show Band wrap up another successful Sheriff Support Group summer concert season.

The festivities start at 6:45 at Farnsworth Park, and the smart money says to get there early, because it will be packed.

Among the events will be a remembrance of 9/11, and the auctioning of a tribute photo, with proceeds to go to the Sheriff's Support Group.

SSGA President Bob Klomburg also promises a healthy contingent of swing dancers to liven up the show.

Randy Caputo and Gina Harlan  reside in Banning, CA. They are both musical entertainers specializing in jazz and swing music.

Currently the Caputos volunteer and are working with the Banning Redevelopment Historical Committee to strategize on refurbishing downtown Banning and the San Gorgonio Inn. Their goal is to create a nightclub atmosphere featuring live jazz music and wholesome entertainment.

Randy Caputo has performed with several music legends and artists including: Lawrence Welk, Pearl Bailey, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Brown, Rosemary Clooney and many others. For years Randy has performed for Disneyland and Disney World, Florida. Randy is also known for his amazing tribute to that Legendary Drummer Man Gene Krupa. Randy was honored as he was voted into the ‘top 100 living drummers’ in the book called Sticks and Skins by Jules Follett.

In 2006 Randy was inducted to the Jazz Legends Hall of Fame society.

Gina Harlan-Caputo has been a professional singer performing with numerous celebrities including Tom Jones, BJ Thomas, and Gary Puckett.

Gina’s own group (Company B) performs in a tribute to The Andrews Sisters. Their performances include the famous ‘Legends in Concert’ series in Branson, Missouri and continually perform for our US military on The USS Midway in San Diego California.

One of Gina’s specialties is her tribute to singer Miss Connie Francis.

Jim Smith (Host/MC) has been the voice and actor for several radio and TV commercial spots in the Palm Springs area. With his quick wit and magnetic personality, Mr. Smith is a wonderful asset to our stage. Jim knows just how to keep the show running at an even pace and is king of the segues. Jim is also a wonderful auctioneer and has helped raise several thousand dollars for charities. Interaction with the crowd is a must for Jim and he makes any auction fun with guaranteed results.

Other band members include:

Piano: Ian Francisco, Bass: Bill Saitta, Drums: Jimmy Ford and Randy Caputo, Trumpet: Dr. Jack Poster, Sax: Colin Wenhardt, Trombone: Alisha Ard

Vocalist: Gina Harlan, Male Vocalist: Vince Pellegrini.  Company B: Carla Fiore, Dawn Shelden and Gina Harlan.

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Eaton Wash design review meetings this week

From the Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy President Nancy Steele:

Dear Friend of the AFC,
Please join us for the second round of meetings on the Eaton Wash to review the trail designs developed by our consultants. You have your choice of a Thursday evening meeting in Rosemead or a Saturday morning meeting in Altadena. We got a lot of really good input from the first round of workshops and I encourage you to attend one of these final two meetings to hear about the draft designs and provide your comments.

Workshop #3: Design Review
Thursday, Sept. 9, 7 p.m.-9 p.m.
Garvey Center
9108 Garvey Ave.
Rosemead, CA 91770

Workshop #4: Design Review
Saturday, Sept. 11, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Altadena Community Center
730 E. Altadena Drive
Altadena, CA 91001

If you missed the first set of workshops or want more information, please go to our website: http://www.arroyosfoothills.org/eaton-wash.html


See you there!

Nancy
President
Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy

"Music of India" at the Folly Bowl Sept. 19

The Folly Bowl, 1601 E. Loma Alta Drive, will hold a concert of the "Music of India" on Sun., Sept. 19, at 6 PM.

Admission is $15 donation, $5 only for students.

You may bring a picnic, pillow and blanket. Please take your trash with you. We have wildlife in the garden!

Performers are  Jagan Ramamoorthy ( violin) , Paul Livingstone (sitar), and Subhajyoti Guha (tabla).

Jagan Ramamoorthy is a senior disciple of the legendary gayaki-ang violinist, Padmabhushan N. Rajam and also of Gwalior Gharana vocalists, Pandit V U Rajurkar and Sushree Malini Rajurkar. He is a classical violin soloist & jugalbandi artist as well as a media producer for Hollywood and Bollywood industries. Jagan is based in Los Angeles and actively teaching Hindustani classical music in the special style of gayaki-ang on violin, cello and other string instruments as well as a vocal trainer. Jagan is also a Carnatic Music trained violinist, an MFA degree holder from CalArts and Durfee Foundation Master Musician Fellowship awardee for 2006-07. Visit online: www.spundana.org.


International performing artist Paul Livingstone is one of the few American disciples of the legendary Pt. Ravi Shankar and Dr. Rajeev Taranath. He is a dedicated sitarist since the age of 15, multi-instrumentalist and composer in the realm of world music synthesis. Paul is a committed community activist and an award winning educator with a vision for cross-cultural collaboration & education that reflects his innermost social, political & spiritual values through the transcendent joy of music. For more info: www.tanpura.com.


Subhajyoti Guha is already a known name in the field of tabla and Indian Classical Music both nationally and internationally. He is a disciple of Pandit Sankha Chatterjee and is a grade A artiste of All India Radio and Television. He regularly tours and accompanies several famous artistes like Ustad Shahid Parvez, Ustad Aashish Khan and many others from India in major venues in India, USA, Canada and Europe. He is also a very successful teacher, running his own institution of Tabla named Pushpak in Toronto, Canada. www.subhajyoti.com

Alta-geist

Not in season (altho' we're already getting Halloween catalogues!) but Irina Netchaev's Pasadena Views real estate website has a story about an Altadena haunted house today.  Mysterious noises, blinking lights, stuff moving around ... we wonder if "haunted" is one of the disclosures one has to make before a sale?

Talk turkey! Thanksgiving softball tournament registration open @ Farnsworth Park

The Los Angeles County Dept. of Parks and Recreation is accepting team registrations for a Thanksgiving Adult Co-ed Softball Tournament to be held on Sat., Nov. 20 at Farnsworth Park.

Tournament format will be a double elimination with winner-takes-all championship.  This will be an eight team tournament, so register early!

Entry fee is $160 per team,  and $13 per team per game (officials fee).

Entries will be open until the team quota is met.  Manager meeting will be Nov. 12 at Farnsworth Park, and roster deadline is Nov. 13.

For more information, call the park at 798-6335.

Land Use Committee Tues.

The Town Council Land Use Committee meets Tues. at 7 PM at the Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Dr.

 

Chickens need a new place to roost

Scott writes:

Our family is moving out of the area and we have to say goodbye to our five hens. I don't know their age -- about three years old, I think . Together the five of them lay 2-3 eggs/day. We live near the top of Lake Avenue. Respondents can contact me at the # below.

Included with the chickens:

small coop (will fit in pickup truck)

feed storage pail

feeder and waterer

Nest box (3 nests)short roll of chicken wire

Phone 626.665.2335

Altadena Chamber businesses offer discount coupon special

Members of the Altadena Chamber of Commerce have just started a coupon special to reward those who keep their purchasing local.

Chamber board member Ed Meyers said that the Chamber has been working on offering the coupon special for awhile.

Participating businesses include the Altadena Golf Course, Curves, Kat Scrap Studio, Amy's Patio Cafe, Webster's Fine Stationers, and Steve's Dog Laundry.

Click here to download a pdf of the coupons.

'Dena Weekend, Sept. 2-5

Keep checking back, as we're always replenishing the stock!

Thurs., Sept. 2

• Art Bender Weekend begins at the Gallery at the End of the World with the Artist's Reception, 6-9 PM. Music by Single Track.

Fri., Sept. 3

• Beach Bus to Santa Monica, pickup starts at 9 AM.
• Art Bender Weekend continues at the Gallery at the End of the World with the First Friday Art Club, 7 PM-1 AM.  Music by Wreck 'n' Sow.  Admission $5.

Sat., Sept. 4

• Beach Bus to Santa Monica, pickup starts at 9 AM.
• Art Bender Weekend continues at the Gallery at the End of the World, with a potluck BBQ.  Music by Chop Chop.
• Artwork by 5 Acres opening reception at the Library, 600 E. Mariposa. 4-6 PM.  The exhibit displays the work of students from 5 Acres, lead by Create Now volunteer Melissa Hogan. 5 Acres has served children and families since 1888 and works to prevent child abuse, and works with neglected children and families.
• Bulgarini Gelato's dinner and a movie night features Il Postino.  Dinner starts at 7:45 PM, and is $13 (reservations must be made by Friday at catering@bulgarinigelato.com or by calling (626) 791-6174).  Film is free, starts at 8:30, and gelato available throughout.
• Carol Kim and Jesse Gilbert feature video collaboration with various artists in performance at the Folly Bowl, 1601 E. Loma Alta Dr., 7:30 PM. Admission is $10, $5 for children. 
• The Sheriff Support Group Concert Series is going dark this week, but will return with a bang next Saturday.

Sun. Sept. 5

• Altadena Baptist Church, 791 E. Calavaras, will hold a Community Picnic on the Lawn with inspiration and friendship at 11 AM.  Free picnic lunch, games and prizes at noon.
• The Art Bender Weekend wraps up with potluck brunch at The Gallery at the End of the World. Music by HB3.
• The final night of Carol Kim and Jesse Gilbert featuring video collaboration with various artists in performance at the Folly Bowl, 1601 E. Loma Alta Dr., 7:30 PM. Admission is $10, $5 for children.

Assembly approves tax relief for Station Fire for homeowners

Received this from Assemblyman Anthony Portantino's office:

On this final day of the legislative session and a year after the Station Fire that prompted the legislation, Assemblymember Anthony Portantino’s (D-La Cañada Flintridge) bill to bring tax relief to residents who suffered losses in the Station Fire and natural disasters in 11 counties has passed the Legislature.  It now goes to the Governor for signature.

AB 1662 will provide state tax exemptions to homeowners and businesses that are forced to repair or rebuild because of a natural disaster. The Station Fire roared across the San Gabriel foothills last fall destroying 209 structures, 89 of which were houses.  The heavy mudslides and flash flooding that followed in January and February destroyed or damaged at least 86 homes.

“As we head into another fire season, I am hopeful that Governor Schwarzenegger will sign this bill and provide tax relief for these homeowners,” stated Assemblymember Portantino. “Because it is an urgency measure, it would go into effect immediately once it is signed into law.  For those who lost homes and property because of fires, mudslides and other natural disasters, this tax relief cannot come soon enough.”

Here's how it would work: if your home or other property was damaged due to wildfires or other natural disaster, you would be able to claim disaster losses on your state income taxes by filing an amended return for 2009. Homeowners could carry forward those losses for 15 years on their state tax returns.  AB 1662 also allows individuals whose homes were destroyed by the wildfires and mudslides to retain their homeowners’ exemption while they are in the process of rebuilding.

 When it became clear that Los Angeles wasn’t the only county affected by natural disaster, AB 1662 was amended to include the natural disasters in ten other counties including: Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Francisco, Calaveras, Monterey, Siskiyou, Imperial, Kern, and  Placer counties.

The bill was co-authored by Assemblymember Kevin Jeffries (R- Lake Elsinore) and received bi-partisan support.

Found pet: parakeet!

Here's a new one, from reader Suzanne:

Here is another lost/found animal.  A bird this time.  A fluffy looking parakeet.  No picture yet as found just before dark.  Not afraid of people - got close enough to me to allow me to slip a small bird cage over it to capture.  Was not very happy in the small cage and twisted into contortions trying to get out.  So, I put him/her in an enclosed patio for the night.  Will try to get a picture if I can.  As I said, bird is more "fluffy" looking that the parakeets I am used to (maybe young?).  Also much more yellow than green.  Found on Crescent Drive in Altadena.  Call (626) 797-2831. 

Summer concert finale features photo tribute auction

Even tho' they're taking a break this week, the Sheriff's Support Group of Altadena is gearing up for their summer concert finale on Sat., Sept. 11, at the Farnsworth Park amphitheater with Randy Caputo and the Legends Show Band. 

Among the events planned is an auction of this photo tribute to the New York City Fire Dept. Jim Smith, the MC for Randy Caputo's Legends Show Band has contributed this display photo, valued at $600,  to be auctioned during the break at the concert.  Smith is donating 100% of the proceeds to SSGA.

The piece is by the photo artist and former Army Airborne Ranger Thomas O. Nichols, who produced it in tribute to the 343 firefighters and emergency medical personnel who lost their lives on 9/11.

Wednesday morning jolt

• 
  In the Forbes blog, William Alexander, a pension advisor in Altadena, comes out swinging after the IRS filed a lawsuit against him.  "The lawsuit is a bunch of BS," he tells Forbes.
• Coffee Gallery art in September features the work of photographer Janos K. Lanyi and the watercolors of Dorothy Shepherd.  More in the Gallery Gallery.
• The family of centerfielder and Altadenan Curt Flood has started a grasssroots organization to help at-risk children in athletics and academics, called "Centerfield for Youth." PSN's Brian Charles  tells the story.
• The National Science Foundation has announced the
  award of a $1.48 million grant to the Mount Wilson Institute, which operates historic Mount Wilson Observatory.  “This is a major shot in the arm for us and reaffirms Mount Wilson’s ongoing role in contemporary astronomy,” said Dr. Hal McAlister, the Observatory director. “This grant will provide resources to renovate a significant portion of the aged infrastructure of the Observatory to ensure its continued viability as a site for astronomical research.” To the casual visitor, the most obvious result of this grant will be fresh paint, for the first time in decades, on the major historic telescope domes on the mountain.
• Altadena painter Lynne McDaniel is subject of a Mickie Mills profile in PSN, on the eve of headlining the Art Bender Weekend.