Schindler's List producer Steven Spielberg, poses with featured students (l-r): USC Hybrid High School freshman Elizabeth Romero, Chandler School 7th grader Corah Forrester of Altadena, and Camino Nuevo High School senior Steven Colin at Chandler School in Pasadena. Photo: Raul Roa, Pasadena Sun
by Joe Piasecki, Pasadena Sun and Timothy Rutt
Chandler School seventh grader Corah Forrester of Altadena got a chance to hobnob with Hollywood royalty Wednesday, as Steven Spielberg paid an unannounced visit to her school.
Forrester is in a class called "I Witness" at Chandler, which discusses the Holocaust and uses an online tool to link students to recorded survivor's testimonies from the USC Shoah Foundation. The foundation has recorded nearly 52,000 interviews with Holocaust survivors and recently posted much of that content online for use by classroom teachers. Chandler is one of three Los Angeles area schools currently using the tool.
The USC Shoah Foundation was created in 1994 by producer/director Steven Spielberg, who directed "Schindler's List." Marking the 20th anniversary of the film and its release on Blu-Ray, Spielberg visited Chandler to launch the the online initiative internationally, using video and internet technology to teach about the Holocaust.
The foundation’s IWitness Video Challenge provides tools for middle and high school students to create their own short films about Holocaust survivors and how that testimony inspires them to work for positive social change. Videos by Forrester, 12, and two students at Los Angeles schools were screened during the event.
The assignment was to choose one of the testimonies and create a poem using words from it and create a short (2 minute) video. Corah said her project, about a woman who was carried out of Auschwitz by a crying soldier when the Red Army liberated prisoners of the Nazi death camp, emphasized “the importance of caring and helping people out when they’re in a struggle and when they need help.”
Corah's mom, Lisa Sylvester, emailed Altadenablog: "As you can imagine, it was kept pretty hush-hush about his appearance and NO parents were there!!!"
The Central Altadena Little League celebrates its 60th anniversary on opening day, Saturday, March 2, with the annual pancake breakfast and opening ceremony.
Breakfast will run from 8:45- 11 AM at Farnsworth Park's Mt. Curve pavilion. The opening ceremony follows promptly at 11:15 AM in the amphitheater.
Adam Bell at CALL writes: "As we kick off the 2013 Little League season, we are asking all pet owners who enjoy Farnsworth park as we do, to please pick up after your pets. Our children would greatly appreciate it."
Community correspondent Hugo Arteaga shared these pictures of the sign going up at the Walmart Neighborhood Market Wednesday morning.
by TImothy Rutt
The newest Walmart Neighborhood Market, the mammoth retail chain's grocery store format, will open in Altadena on Friday, March 1, with a weekend of giveaways and events.
According to a Walmart press release, opening ceremonies will start at 7:30 AM Friday, with a ceremonial ribbon cutting. The doors will open to the general public at 8 AM. The store is located at 2408 Lincoln Avenue, at the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Figueroa Drive.
“I’m excited to see this new Walmart Neighborhood Market open and occupy a building that has been vacant for nearly a decade,” said Altadena Town Council chair Bernardean Broadous,who was quoted in the press release. “I believe this Neighborhood Market will offer a positive impact to the Altadena community as it has already created much needed good local jobs and contributed to local charitable organizations.”
The store will employ 65 full- and part-time workers, or "associates' in Walmart parlance, according to the press release. The store will also give $6,500 in grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation to local organizations, including John Muir High School, Andrew Jackson Elementary School, Mentoring and Partnership for Youth Development (MPYD) and Neighbors Acting Together Helping All (NATHA).
“This store will be a great fit for this community,” said Jennifer Gonzales, Altadena market manager, in the press release. “The smaller Walmart Neighborhood Market format will fill a need for shoppers seeking lower prices and quality merchandise, with a full selection of groceries and health and beauty items.”
Gonzales expects the store to draw customers from Altadena, Pasadena and La Cañada, according to the press release.
Walmart says the grand-opening day celebrations will include product samplings and giveaways from companies including Wonderful Pistachios, Pepsi, Bimbo Bakeries, Monster, 7UP, Frito-Lay, Kellogg’s, Nabisco and more. Other activities scheduled include face painting and a character appearance by the Bimbo Bear. The grand-opening activities will continue through Sunday, March 3, including more character appearances, vendor samples and events. All events are family-friendly, free and open to the public, according to Walmart.
The market promises to offer a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, fresh cakes and bread, as well as meats, cheeses and prepared foods. The deli will feature a Grab-and-Go section with rotisserie chicken, fresh-baked pizza and standard deli sides. In addition to the fresh produce, bakery and deli items, the store will carry a full line of groceries, including frozen foods, meat and dairy products and organic items. Customers can also print their own digital photos at the store. The approximately 28,000-square-foot store will be open from 6 AM. to 10PM., seven days a week. The store will also offer Site-to-Store, a free service that allows customers to ship online orders from Walmart's website free to the market for pickup.
Walmart says that the store also features a pharmacy, paper goods, pet products and hardware items -- all things which have been a concern to Altadena businesses that already trade in these items, and are worried about Walmart's reputation as a local small business killer. Since the announcement that Walmart was going to move into the location, two local anti-Walmart groups have sprung up.
Gary Altadena's shots from today: from left, the LIincoln Avenue letters on the PUBLIC SIDEWALK; the sign going up over the main entrance, visible from Figueroa Drive, which was still a public street last we looked.
UPDATE: Gary Altadena sent us this interesting encounter today, along with his own pictures:
Driving by the Lincoln/Figoura Walmart site and found workers installing the new signage. After taking a few snaps a middle-aged man named Daniel from atop the scissor lift , barks out "No pictures of the sign going up" Why? "Against corporate rules and it's also against the law."
I inform Daniel that I'm standing on the sidewalk witch is public property and of the concept of public domain. "If you don't stop talking photos I'll call the police" says Daniel. Alright then.
I walk to the east side of the store to find a second sign going up and Daniel is right behind me. "Someone from Wall Mart is coming out." Yep, Her badge says Walmart, Karen Keyes, 20 years. "Corporate meeting going on inside, no pictures of the sign going up." OK, don't need any trouble. Not very neighborly.
For future reference, everybody: if you're standing on the sidewalk or another public right-of-way, you can take pictures of anything you see.
A free night at the theater! A free date night! With youth middle school and above it’s a free family night! A great way to Celebrate Women’s History Month! Whatever you call it, just be sure to see Kres Mersky’s new one-woman-play "Isadora Duncan: a Unique Recital" coming soon to Altadena Library.
Some of you may remember the actress/playwright for her superb one woman show, "A. Einstein" hosted by the library a few years ago. Suffice it to say she was terrific! Much in demand throughout the West Coast and Canada, tickets to her performances generally run $20 but you can see her new show for free on Friday, March 15 at 7 PM. in the Altadena Library Community Room.
This production, celebrating the life of one of the most flamboyant and creative women of the 20th century, is adapted from Isadora’s own writings and provides a multi-dimensional portrait of a woman whose views on the arts, education, and women’s rights continue to inspire many today. A review in the Los Angeles Times called Mersky’s portrayal “Pure poetry…an excellent performance.” Another review called her portrayal “absolutely memorable…nuanced, touching, humorous and engaging.”
Kres says she is “thrilled to return to my wonderful home town of Altadena and to Altadena Library, that special place I will always love and revere.” An actress and writer of enormous range, humor and sensitivity, her full-length plays have had productions in New York and Los Angeles. She has appeared regularly on the stage and in numerous films and television shows and has been nominated by The Mark Taper Forum for The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize in playwriting.
This free approximately one-hour performance is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Altadena Library and Poets & Writers, Inc. and directed by Paul Gersten. Following the event there will be a question & answer session with the star and author. Seating for this program is on a first come, first served basis. The main Altadena Library is located at 600 East Mariposa Street, Altadena, CA 91001. For more information please call 626-798-0833 or visit the library on the web at http://www.altadenalibrary.org.
The Altadena Sheriff's Station has got big plans for a weekend in April: a car show, art walk, and classic rock at Farnsworth Park.
The first annual Altadena Car Show and Art Walk on Saturday, April 27 will be fundraiser for Sheriff’s Explorer Post #7 and the local station's Youth Activities League
Classic and custom cars, trucks, and motorcycles will be on display on Mount Curve Avenue, along with food, vendors, local artists and craftspeople, and much more. "The Best of the Best" will be awarded, and the classic rock band "The Answer' will perform.
There will also be an inflatable jumper, coloring, games, and other children's activities. The Sheriff’s mounted posse, and mountain rescue team will also have demonstrations.
If you are interested in showing your vehicle or displaying a booth, please contact Deputy Gregory Gabriel at the Altadena Sheriff’s Station at 626 296-2107 or at gjgabrie@lasd.org. Cost is $25 for pre-registration by April 12, $30 thereafter.
There will be a roundup of household hazardous waste and e-waste on Saturday, March 16, at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Fleet Maintenance Yard at 242 West Mountain View Avenue.
Household hazardous waste includes used oil, unused non-controlled medicines, auto fluids, sharps waste/medical needles, beauty products, mercury thermostats, paint and paint-related products, auto and household batteries, lawn and garden products, compact fluorescent light bulbs.
Electronic waste includes microwave ovens, CD players, computers and computer monitors, small household appliances, cell phones, televisions, stereos, printers, DVD/DVR players and VCRs. For a complete listing of what you can and cannot bring, please check www.cleanLA.com or call 1(888) 253-2652.
Pasadena Master Chorale presents Rachmaninoff’s great a cappella work, "The All-Night Vigil," in two performances: Saturday, March 23 at 7:30 PM, and Sunday, March 24, at 4 PM.
The performances will be at Altadena Community Church, 943 East Altadena Drive, and will be especially significant for the chorale:
“One of the editors of the definitive edition of the All-Night Vigil, Alexander Ruggieri, sang with and supported PMC for many years,” explains the Chorale’s founder and artistic director, Jeffrey Bernstein. “Alex loved this piece dearly and was its ardent champion. It seemed the perfect way to honor his memory, to dedicate these two performances of the All-Night Vigil to him.”
Bernstein has also asked Ruggieri’s longtime partner – and PMC Board member – Jamie Martin to sing the alto solo.
Tickets for “All-Night Vigil” are available for $25 general admission, $20 for seniors, and $15 for students. Additionally, admission is FREE at the door to students at Pasadena Unified School District and their parents. Tickets may be purchased by visiting the Pasadena Master Chorale website,www.pasadenamasterchorale.org, through any Chorale member, or at the door.
Intermediate Victory Garden classes are starting up soon at the Altadena Community Garden.
Part of the University of California's Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program, you can become a certified UC Victory Gardener through this four week program.
Classes cost $55 for the series or $15 per class, and meet at the Altadena Community Garden, 3333 N. Lincoln Avenue, on four consecutive Saturdays, April 13, 20, 27, and May 4. Classes meet from 9:30 AM-12:30 PM.
Newcomers and Friends of the San Gabriel Valley is having a Meet and Greet Coffee on Wednesday, March 6, 10 AM to noon, at a member's home in Arcadia. Looking to meet new friends, have some fun, and become more familiar with the area?
All women that are new to this area, or have had changes in their lives, or are looking for fun and interesting daytime activities and making new friends are cordially invited to stop by for socializing and refreshments (no charge to attend), and to learn about the other exciting events available during the upcoming month. Newcomers and Friends of SGV is a friendly, warm, welcoming group.
The Crown City Symphony will hold two free concerts in March featuring cellist Maggie Hummel Strong.
Marvin Neumann conducts the orchestra in a program of Rossini's “The Silken Ladder”; Haydn's Cello Concerto #1 in C; and Beethoven's Symphony #7 in A.
The concerts will be held at 2 PM Saturday, March 16, at the Altadena Senior Center, 560 E. Mariposa, Altadena; and at 2 PM Sunday, March 17, at the First ;Baptist Church of Pasadena75 N. Marengo, Pasadena (validated parking in the stacked parking on Holly).
We are phasing out the business number (626-791-5327) in favor of our cellphone number for all calls (626-201-1023). The switchover will occur over the next few days, and we'll try to change all references to the old number on the website. Thank you for your patience!
From his Facebook page: Justin Carr, left, with Arielle Winfield and actor Samuel L. Jackson earlier this month during the Black History Month assembly at Harvard Westlake School.
Justin Carr, 16, an Altadena resident and a junior at Harvard Westlake School, died unexpectedly Feb. 22.
The LA TImes is reporting that Carr collapsed during swim practice at the Studio City private school Friday afternoon. A preliminary autopsy has identified cardiomyopathy, a weaking of the heart muscle, as the cause of death.
Shortly after his parents, Susan & Darryl Carr, were informed of the death, Darryl Carr suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized at Huntington Hospital, according to friends of the family.
Carr's Facebook page has become a memorial to the young man, who was an athlete, actor, and student leader.
A cellphone picture of Rev. Victor Wright (center) at his ordination, with Muir classmates (l to r) Mark Zea, Frank Carrino and David Rutherford.
by Timothy Rutt
Victor Wright of Altadena was ordained to the ministry Sunday by Association of Fundamental Ministers and Churches in a ceremony at Fuller Theological Seminary.
It was a long road to the ministry for Wright, whom we've written about previously. Wright, who played football for John Muir High School, was rendered quadriplegic after suffering a spinal cord injury 37 years ago. Still, he graduated with his class in 1979, and went on to become one of the first quadriplegics to earn a college degree through a special education program at Los Angeles City College. The two year associate's degree took him ten years to earn. Wright was inducted into the John Muir Alumni Association Hall of Fame in 2007.
After college, Wright met John Dhanaraj, then a Fuller student, and the two co-founded the nonprofit charity Family of Friends International, which provides educational and relief supplies to orphaned children around the world who survived natural disasters but lost their parents in the process.
"This is yet another chapter in the remarkable life of an amazing human being," said David Rutherford, a classmate and member of John Muir High School Alumni Association's Board of Directors. "Rev. Wright has inspired generations of Muir alumni, friends, and teammates through his courage, faith, and unwavering determination to overcome adversity.'
According to Rutherford, "The most poignant moment of the afternoon came at the end of the ceremony, when Gloria Lavelle, a nurse working in the ICU when Victor was admitted to Huntington Memorial, said she told him how unfair she thought it was that a patient next to him being treated for wound sustained during the commission of a crime, checked out in good health, while he might never walk again. She said she would never forget the 15-year-old's response was: 'whatever path God has chosen for me, that's the path I'm willing to take.'"
Scholar: Emerson College student Robert Fraser of Altadena, a Film Production major, has been named to the Dean's List for the Fall 2012 semester. The criterion to make Emerson's Dean's List is a grade point average of 3.7 or higher.
Heart health for seniors; In celebration of Heart Health Month, MonteCedro will host Morrison Senior Dining dietician Tracy Blazer and executive chef Brian Johnston who will demonstrate and provide San Gabriel Valley seniors with heart healthy recipes on February 26 (that's tomorrow!). To RSVP or receive additional information about MonteCedro, please visit www.montecedro.com/info or call 877-282-1584.
Steelcraft building hearing: Over in Borderdena, please join Pasadena Councilwoman Jacque Robinson andcCity staff to hear a presentation from a local development team that has recently purchased the Steelcraft property on the east side of the street between Wyoming and Montana adjacent to Kettles Nursery. They will discuss changes to the building façade and potential uses for the building. They would like to hear your opinion. Please feel free to invite your neighbors and others who may be interested in hearing what is proposed for this site. The meeting starts at 6:30 PM Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 2011 North Lincoln Avenue (NATHA’s temporary offices). Parking is at the rear of the building.
The NY Times Sunday edition has a survivor's story from Natalie Lindman, a senior at Pasadena's Waverly High School who, like too many, fell off a cliff in Eaton Canyon enroute to the second waterfall -- but unlike most who take that plunge, she lived to tell the tale. There's a love story, too.
The Altadena Library's artist of the month for March is Henia Flynn.
The Altadena Library Community Room Presents: “Impressions”, Paintings by Henia Flynn
Henia’s work focuses on expressive figurative and architectural content; finding her outlet in color and light, conveying moods and capturing the essence of the world around her.
Artwork will be on display in the Community Room for the month of March 2013.
The Altadena Main Library is at 600 E. Mariposa St.
[Sunday] morning a dead chihuahua (golden-tan, male ) was in my front yard. There was barking on the street from a neighbor's dog around 5:30 AM Sunday, and at 6:15 AM. someone rang my front door bell. When I went to pick up the paper at 7:30 AM, I discovered the dog.
Dead by misadventure (perhaps a coyote), but not severe (yes, there is damage to the body). I would guess the family is concerned, and I can give them consolation. Found in the Calaveras/Almadea area. My neighbor and I wrapped in up in several layers of bags and it is presently in the neighbor's trash, which will be picked up on Wednesday.
Community correspondant Kate Wilkenson shared this picture of the activity at Fair Oaks and Woodbury Road where two adults and a child were injured in a collision with a sheriff's vehicle.
Two adults and a child were injured and hospitalized Saturday after a sheriff vehicle hit their Toyota Camrey at the intersection of Fair Oaks and Woodbury, according to the California Highway Patrol. Brian Day has the story at PSN.
At the Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich presents “Sweet Brown,” a 6-year-old Yorkie Mix – one of many pets available for adoption now. For more information about adopting a pet, please call the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control at 562-728-4610.
Our male brown tabby "Linus" went missing last night after escaping from the house. We are on the east side at the corner of East Loma Alta and Pinecrest. I can be reached at home (626) 794-7797 or on my cell (626) 808-8585. We're hoping folks might call if they see any sign of him.
UPDATE: Whatever he was doing, he's done now -- Susan tells us that Linus sauntered out of a hiding place in the house. Cats!
Saturday is the opening day for Little League, and area leagues met for ceremonies and early games today.
It was particularly poignant for the players at East Altadena Little League, who are dedicating the season to Tim Borquez. Borquez, 12, was a six year member of EALL's Challengers team for special needs children, who died of heart failure last spring.
From top, his mom Monica Borquez addresses the players and parents; John C. Reilly sings the national anthem as players salute the flag to open the season; and the dedication plaque of the batting cages. East Altadena Little League plays at Donley Field at Longfellow School in Pasadena.
From left, Rhonda Stone (field representative for Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard), Elizabeth Claire Lambert, and Eliot MIddle School Principal Lorena Martinez cut the ribbon for the school's new Opportunity Room on Feb. 22, 2013. Lambert pulled together a vast array of donors to convert a little-used storage room into an attractive, private location for students and counselors to meet. The project not only meets a need for students, but helps Lambert toward earning a Gold award, the highest rank in GIrl Scouting. The signatures on the wall came from every student at Eliot. An earlier story about Lambert and her project is here.
The group Cowboy and Indian perform at the New LA Folk Festival at the Zorthian Ranch, Aug. 12, 2012. PHoto by Erick McCarden.
Alan Zorthian sends us this request:
Call for volunteers on Saturday, February 23rd. We are doing a clean up on the Lower Ranch and Upper Ranch. We are cleaning up for the Institute of Urban Ecology event next weekend. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Work begins at 9:00 AM. Meet and network with creative artists and organic horticulture experts. Call Alan for more information at (213)509-5266. Free jar of Zor Honey for all volunteers.
Reader Caitlin sends us this BOLO (Be On the Look Out):
This isn't really news, but more of a plea. I am hoping that the Altadenablog community can help us out. Our house, near the Pasadena/Altadena border at Lake and Woodbury, was broken into yesterday, and one of the things taken was a jewelry box that my great grandfather made for my great grandmother. I doubt it has much monetary value, but has huge sentimental value for me. I worry that once the thieves realize that the box and its contents are not valuable, they will just dump them, and I am hoping that people can keep an eye out for it.
The box is dark wood, approximately 6"x4"x4", with a flower carved into the top, and moulding along the corners. The inside is lined with silk and has a mirror in the lid. Inside the box were a carved stone turtle, about three inches long, a head carved out of white stone, about an inch high, rosary beads, and several other heirlooms. Also missing are my great grandmother's charm bracelets, with the names of her grandchildren engraved on charms shaped like boys' and girls' heads.
If anyone has seen items like these, or sees them posted for sale somewhere, please contact me at GreatGrandmasBox@gmail.com. I am happy to offer a reward for their return, no questions asked.
Just a reminder that the Altadena Main Library, 600 E. Mariposa St., is having its monthly Friday Fun Flick this afternoon: "Hotel Transylvania," rated PG, at the Main Library Community Room. Free popcorn and drinks and spooky fun! Starts at 3:30 PM.
The Altadena branch of the NAACP will honor slain youth worker Victor McClinton as part of its annual Tony Stewart Freedom Fund Luncheon on Sunday, March 10.
Other honorees include Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, Dr. Gwendolyn Bishop, Dr. George McKenna, and William Syms.
Former assemblyman Anthony Portantino will be the master of ceremonies at the luncheon, which starts at noon at Castaway Restaurant, 1250 Harvard Road in Burbank. Cost is $100 per person. For more information: naacpaltadena@gmail.com or (818) 517-2099
The Institude of Domestic Technology will devote a day to the fine art of coffeemaking Sunday, Feb. 24, with local master micro-roaster Daniel Kent at the Zane Grey Estate.
The all-day package includes a morning spent learning how to roast your coffee beans, followed by an afternoon workshop in coffee extraction. All day package is $190, afternoon workshop alone is $95.
Instructor Kent is the proprietor of Plow & Gun Coffee, a seasonal micro-roastery from Altadena. The afternoon workshop, which is new, includes:
THE GRIND:
Explore the importance of the grind with an Institute favorite: a hands-on coffee cupping focused on the necessity of grind size uniformity.
COLD-BREW IS THE NEW ICED COFFEE:
Iced coffee is so 5 minutes ago. Hot coffee poured over stale freezer ice is gross. Assemble a cold-brew coffee kit to take home and enjoy the sweet benefits of cold-water coffee brewing.
PAGING DR. SCHLUMBOHM:
In 1941 Dr. Peter Schlumbohm invented the iconic and unsurpassed Chemex Brewer. Learn the pour-over method to brew the simplest and best coffee using his device which is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art as well as in use in coffee shops around the world.
KAHLUA-DOMESTICA:
We at the Institute decided it was time to upscale the White Russian. We've deconstructed that infamous coffee liqueur we all used to sneak from our parents liqueur cabinet, only now we will be using better ingredients. Start a batch of your own Kahlua-Domestica to take home and toast your hard work with a cocktail. Cheers!
The all-day option includes the Home Coffee Roasting morning workshop, a catered coffee-inspired lunch, and the afternoon Coffee Extraction Lab workshop.
Reader Cate says she's got some free dirt for you -- about 25 cubic yards, in fact:
I'm re-landscaping my front yard. With the water shortage this week, my plans are delayed, so I can afford the time it takes for people to haul bits away at a time.
I'm at McNally Ave near Fair Oaks and Mariposa. However, I don't want people shoveling without first arranging with me. I'm a t818-425-9085 or cate2@heneghan.org. They can take the dirt between 6:00 AM and 9:00 PM while I'm around between now and Tuesday.
I will have extra dirt hauled off on Wednesday and mulch hauled in on Thursday/Friday.
Westsiders: let us know if you see them installing the signs on the Walmart Neighborhood Market -- it will happen soon, and we want pictures when it does! Call/text 626-201-1023!
Altadena deputies arrested a 33-year-old Norwalk man Tuesday who was driving a stolen vehicle, according to a press release.
The Sheriff's Department reported that Cesar Antonio Soto, a parolee, was found driving a 1995 Honda Civic that was reported stolen. According to the press release, a deputy noticed that the vehicle Soto was driving had an inoperable tail light. According to the press release, "As the deputy drove toward the suspect’s vehicle, the suspect suddenly pulled over on his own. When contacted, the suspect told the deputy that he was on parole for burglary. When the deputy ran the vehicle’s license plate, the vehicle returned as stolen out of the city of Whittier. Suspect Soto was arrested without incident and booked for driving a stolen vehicle and for a violation of parole."
Soto has previous convictions for burglary, narcotics, and robbery, according to the sheriff's department. The case will be presented to the district attorney today.
Between 10:00 AM and 4:30 AM (Monday) – A vehicle burglary occurred in the 3300 block of Laurice Avenue. Loss: credit cards, currency.
Monday, February 11
Between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM – A grand theft from an unlocked vehicle occurred at Waldorf School, 209 E. Mariposa Street. Loss: laptop.
Tuesday, February 12
Between 10:00 PM and 8:00 AM (Wednesday) – A petty theft from an unlocked vehicle occurred in the 600 block of Deodara Drive. Loss: wallet, keys.
Wednesday, February 13
Between 7:30 AM and 10:30 PM – A residential burglary occurred in the 900 block of Athens Street. Loss: laptop.
3:50 PM – A commercial burglary (shoplift) occurred at Rite Aid, 735 E. Altadena Drive. Suspect was taken into custody.
Between 4:00 PM and 11:00 PM – A residential burglary occurred in the 900 block of Athens Street. Loss: checkbook.
Between 5:40 PM and 5:50 PM – A petty theft from an unlocked vehicle occurred in the 700 block of W. Mountain View Street. Suspects described as (2) male, Hispanics, 18-20 yrs, 5’08-5’11, 140-150, short dark hair, wearing dark stripe uniform, driving a white mid-size truck. Loss: purse, and two cellphones.
5:45 PM – A vehicle burglary occurred in the 700 block of W. Mountain View Street. Loss: purse.
Incoming! Richard Meyer conducts the "Giving Bach" orchestra as they perform at Five Acres Wednesday. Photo by Alice Park.
by Timothy Rutt
Richard Meyer, orchestra teacher at Temple City's Oak Avenue Intermediate School, had been teaching almost three decades when he thought, "I've done all the other stuff -- it's time to do this, it's very important."
A GIving Bach cellist demonstrates her instrument at the concert at FIve Acres Wednesday. Photo by Alice Park.
"This" is his "Giving Bach" orchestra, where his advanced students give interactive, educational concerts, usually to special needs students or others in special circumstances. The first Giving Bach concert was held at Five Acres in 2009, and this Wednesday, Feb. 21, they returned to the place where they began.
Giving Bach started because Meyer said that he "just got to the point where I wanted to build character in my students using music." For his student performers, "especially in middle school, they're socially learning -- many of these kids are shy and quet, and it's a little confidence booster."
For their audience, it's often a revelation: the concerts are interactive, meaning at different points the audience can mingle with the musicians as they play, even try out an instrument themselves.
"It's informative, we explain different kinds of instruments," Meyer said. "They get to play percussion, and ultimately thye sit in -- they sit right next to our kids -- and they'll let them hold (the instrument)."
The audience also gets a chance to form an orchestra of its own, putting on hard hats and playing "boomwhackers" against their heads.
Five Acres students with hard hats turn into a living marimba at Giving Bach concert. Photo by Alice Park.
The Altadena Farmer's Market is today, 3-7 PM at lower Loma Alta Park on Lincoln Avenue and Palm Street. Among the new delights:
Our list of delicious dinner options expands with Mama Musubi! Mama Musubi specializes in musubi - Japanese rice balls stuffed with vegetables, meat, or fish. They will also offer miso soup with fresh farmers' market vegetables. We are Mama Musubi's first and only farmers' market for now, so don't be shy about showing them the love of the farmer's market community.
The Claremont Forum & the Prison Library Project will be at the market again today. Their bookstore and children's corner are open to all and book donations (especially cookbooks!) are encouraged.
Altadena-based filmmaker Laura Kraning will screen her film, "Devil's Gate," as part of an international program of experimental film and video work, presented by MIA at the Armory.
DEVIL’S GATE explores the metaphysical undercurrents of a Southern California landscape scarred by fire. The film lyrically depicts the physical and mythological terrain of Devil’s Gate Dam, located at the nexus of Pasadena’s historical relationship with technology and the occult, and intertwining with its central figure, Jack Parsons, who some believe to have opened a dark portal in this place. The film merges an observational portrait of a landscape transformed by fire, ash and water with a fragmentary textual narrative, providing a view into man’s obsession with controlling and transcending the forces of nature and spirit. It can be seen as unearthing a subconscious of the landscape, as the echoes of the past reverberate in the present and infect our perception and experience of place. (2011, 20 min, HD)
"Using Parson’s notes as an enticing Ariadne’s thread, Laura Kraning returns to Devil’s Gate. From the inextricable union between the exuberance of the environment and the equally massive anthropic intervention, she seeks to grasp the spirit of the place. Earth, water, air and fire are the major actors in an expanse in which the time allotted to man seems prescribed. Geometric figures drawn by the highways, stains on the concrete and the noise of the river in the background create a symphony in which one can easily get lost. Filmed in sharp black and white to the rhythm of Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2, Devil’s Gate emerges as a sample of esoteric archeology." – Carlo Chatrian, Visions du Réel
Laura Kraning’s experimental documentaries are portraits of secret worlds hidden beneath the surface of the everyday that traverse the border between the objective and the subjective, the real and the imaginary. Her early work as an abstract painter infused her filmmaking process in which she makes visible the textural and symbolic layers inherent in landscapes filmed over time. Her work has screened widely at international festivals and venues including the New York Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Visions du Réel, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Ann Arbor Film Festival, Rencontres Internationales, and the National Gallery of Art. She is a recipient of the 2010 Princess Grace Foundation John H. Johnson Film Award, The City is Cinema Jury Award at the 2010 Ann Arbor Film Festival, and was nominated for a New Visions Golden Gate Award at the 2012 San Francisco International Film Festival. Laura currently resides in Altadena, CA.
Link for the program is here: http://miascreen.com. The program will be at the Armory Center for the Arts, 145 N Raymond Ave in Pasadena, beginning at 8 PM.
Free County workshop on composting and smart gardening techniques, such as water conservation. No reservation needed. Beginners workshop teaches you backyard/worm composting, and water-wise gardening. Advanced workshops teaches organic gardening and pest control and landscaping. www.smartgardening.com
Beginners Workshops:
March 9, 2013 9:30 am—11:00 am Eaton Canyon Nature Center 1750 N. Altadena Dr, Pasadena
May 11, 2013 9:30 am—11:00 am Crescenta Valley Water District 3730 Glenwood Ave, La Crescenta
Advanced Workshops:
May 18, 2013 9:30 am—11:00 am Garvey Ranch Park 781 S Orange Ave, Monterey Park
April 13, 2013 9:30 am—11:00 am Arboretum ($8 entrance fee) 301 N Baldwin Ave, Arcadia
Caltech President Jean-Lou Chameau will leave his position at the end of the school year to head up a science and tech-focused university in Saudi Arabia, the institute announced Tuesday.
Chameau, who will be leading King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, said in a statement that he was proud of the students and faculty he will leave behind in Pasadena.
"The discoveries, recognition, and impact of the Caltechfaculty in a typical year are the envy of our peers," he said. "The opportunity to interact with such a special group, and to support their endeavors, is a reward in itself."
The Altadena Town Council said “no” to a six month moratorium on development on Lake Avenue, or anywhere else, at Tuesday night’s town council meeting.
Following about a total hour and a half of public comments and discussion, where the council members sometimes exchanged tart words among themselves, the council turned down a motion by councilman Jamie Bissner to impose a six month, townwide moratorium on commercial development while new community standards are being drawn up. Despite Bissner adding the proviso that the moratorium could be superceded by the Land Use Committee or Town Council as they desire, the measure went down to defeat.
The council then passed a follow-up motion by councilmember Diane Marcussen to specifically NOT request a moratorium from the county Board of Supervisors.
Councilmembers opposed to the moratorium pointed out that it would be ineffective, anyway -- community standards are currently being updated by a town council committee, and are probably two years away from being put into action. Any development until then would have to be governed by the current community standards.
They also pointed out that, in practical fact, the moratorium would only be imposed on development of the empty lot at Lake Avenue and Calaveras Street. That lot is owned by the same company that owns the Walmart Neighborhood Market lot on Lincoln Avenue. Local anti-Walmart activistis have been pushing for the moratorium, fearing that the lot will be developed into another Neighborhood Market.
Altadena's Walmart Neighborhood Market will open for business on Friday, March 1, according to a Walmart spokeswoman.
Rachel Wall, Walmart's senior manager of community affairs, said that it would be a "celebration weekend, opening the store to the Altadena community," with product giveaways and sample for customers.
Wall said the store will host a grand-opening celebration at 7:30 AM on Friday, March 1. Store associates and local dignitaries will participate in a brief ceremony, followed by a ribbon cutting where the doors to the new store will be opened to the public at 8 AM, Wall said in a press release. Local representatives including those from the Altadena Town Council and the Altadena Chamber of Commerce have been invited to attend.
According to the press release:
The grand-opening day celebrations will include product samplings and giveaways from companies including Wonderful Pistachios, Pepsi, Bimbo Bakeries, Monster, 7UP, Frito-Lay, Kellogg’s, Nabisco and more. Other activities scheduled include face painting and a character appearance by the Bimbo Bear. The grand-opening activities will continue through Sunday, March 3, including more character appearances, vendor samples and events. All events are family-friendly, free and open to the public.
As part of Walmart’s commitment to the communities in which it operates, $6,500 in grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation will be presented to local organizations, including John Muir High School, Andrew Jackson Elementary School, Mentoring and Partnership for Youth Development (MPYD) and Neighbors Acting Together Helping All (NATHA).
The new Walmart Neighborhood Market is tailored for the Altadena community, featuring a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, fresh cakes and bread, as well as meats, cheeses and prepared foods. The deli will feature a Grab-and-Go section with rotisserie chicken, fresh-baked pizza and standard deli sides. In addition to the fresh produce, bakery and deli items, the store will carry a full line of groceries, including frozen foods, meat and dairy products and organic items.
The approximately 28,000-square-foot store will be open from 6 AM to 10 PM, seven days a week. The store will offer Site-to-Store, a free service that allows customers to ship online orders from www.walmart.com free to any Walmart store for pickup.
Wall said that the store will also offer Site-to-Store, where cusomers can order items from Walmart's website and they will be shipped for free to the Neighborhood Market. It is located at the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Figueroa Drive.
One of the "good works" group we're in contact with wants to acquire iPads for educational programs for the children it serves. If any of our readers would have some connections on (1) funding sources, and/or (2) acquiring iPads at a price below standard retail, we'd like to get something hooked up. (This can even be a service group project). Email us at altadenablog@gmail.com or call us at 626-201-1023 and we can give you details.
Parents and interested others are invited to attend the February Pasadena Unified School District/SELPA Special Education Dept. Community Advisory Committee general meeting in Altadena on Monday, Feb. 25.
Join us for a cup of coffee and some conversation with candidates in the 2013 Election for PUSD’s Board of Education.
Muir Ranch, the working farm behind John Muir High School, is hosting a work party Saturday, Feb. 23. They will be transplanting summer vegetables, building rose beds, completing a hoop-house, turning compost, and more!
The work party is from 8 AM-noon; snacks will be served. If you are a member of the Arroyo TimeBank, you will earn time dollars for your work. If you aren't a member of the TimeBank, you will earn a sense of satisfaction and probably make some new friends. So come on out and get your hands dirty and help to build something beautiful!
Poems by the sea: Douglas Kearney, a poet who grew up in Altadena, will be reading from his work at the Annenberg Community Beach House on February 25at 6:30 PM along with Amy Gerstler and Brynn Saito. It's all part of the poetry series by Pasadena's Red Hen Press. More details here.
Scholar: Jessica Webster, a native of Altadena, CA is among the 217 high achieving students from Whittier College who made the Fall 2012 Dean's List. Undergraduate students are awarded Dean's List honors if he or she earns a 3.70 grade point average (GPA) while completing a full-time course load (12 units) in the fall and spring terms.
“An Evening with Van Dyke Parks” will be presented on the Library Community Room “Carnegie Stage” on Wednesday, February 27 at 7 PM. The concert, part of the City of South Pasadena’s 125th Birthday Celebration, will be presented by the South Pasadena Public Library, the Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library, and the Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts, an organization launched by the world famous artist who passed away at his home in South Pasadena last year.
The Community Room, the original 1907 main reading room of South Pasadena’s original Carnegie Library, retains its historic hand-painted beam ceilings, leaded glass windows, and wrought iron and glass main doors. It is now ADA compliant as well, with a new wheelchair ramp. The concert will be a fundraiser for the Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library who will also provide refreshments.
As so many know, Van Dyke Parks is a legendary composer, arranger, producer, musician, singer, author and actor who is probably best known for his collaborations with Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys, including the famed SMiLE album, finally released in 2012 to critical and popular raves. Van Dyke Parks is also an established solo act and during his extraordinary 40+ year career, he has collaborated with such artists as Phil Ochs, The Byrds, U2, Rufus Wainwright, Harry Nilsson, Ry Cooder, Bonnie Raitt, Randy Newman, Fleet Foxes, Keith Moon, Frank Zappa, and Ringo Starr. He has also released six acclaimed studio albums, as well as a distinguished live album. For the concert Van Dyke will be singing and playing the piano and accompanied by his stellar band comprised of harpist Amy Shulman Kent, cellist Cameron Stone, Dave Stone on standup bass, and percussionist Don Heffington. They will be joined by very special guest artists, Inara George, Joe Henry, and David Plenn.
Tickets can be purchased for $20 each at http://vandykeparks.eventbrite.com. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. At the conclusion of the concert, autographed Van Dyke Parks CDs, 45s, and LPs will be available for purchase. Ample free parking for concertgoers will be available across the street from the Community Room at 1020 El Centro Street, thanks to generous support of the South Pasadena Unified School District. Audience members are asked to enter the parking lot on the west side of Fairview Avenue, just north of El Centro. It is not known at press time if any tickets will still be available at the door on the night of the event. Special thanks are due to Bob McClain and S & B Sound, Scott Gandell and Anneline De Croos/South Pasadena Mercantile, Bob Stane/Coffee Gallery Backstage, and the Restoration Concert Committee of the Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library.
Pasadena City Clerk Mark Jomsky reminds the public that Tuesday, February 19 is the deadline to register to vote in the March 5, 2013 City Council and Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) Primary Nominating Election.
Eligible individuals wishing to participate in the March 5 election for City Council Districts 3, 5 and 7 and PUSD Board of Education Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7 must complete a voter registration application and mail it by the Feb. 19 registration deadline to the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters.
Registration forms are available at the City’s public counters, community centers and U.S. Post Offices. Individuals needing registration assistance can visit City Hall, the Jackie Robinson and Villa-Parke Community Centers, La Pintoresca and Santa Catalina Branch Libraries and the Public Health Building during regular business hours where City staff is also available to assist in completing registration materials.
The Altadena Sheriff's Station is reporting that there is a rescue currently underway before 9 PM) in Eaton Canyon.
Rescuers from the Altadena Mountain Rescue Team, assisted by Sierra Madre Search & Rescue, made voice contact with a mother and son stranded in the dark near the first waterfall of Eaton Canyon. According to the station, search and rescue deputies reached the victims around 8:15 PM -- they are not injured, but the rescue team is determining if it is safe to perform a technical rescue or spend the night and helicopter everyone out in the morning. The predicted onset of rain probably won't help anything.
Angeles National Forest roads will be closed about 3 AM tomorrow as the National Weather Service predicts rain, snow, possible thunder for the next few days.
NWS is predicting a 20 percent chance of showers after 10 PM tonight, with a low of around 42. By Tuesday, 80 percent chance of precipitation is predicted. Snow is predicted as low as 3,900 foot elevation. Tuesday night, more rain and snow showers are predicted, with some thunder possible and low around 34. Chance of preciptation is 100 percent, with new snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches in the mountains.
With a storm on the way, the LA County public works department is planning to close the following roads early Tuesday morning:
-- Angeles Forest Highway from Aliso Canyon Road to Angeles Crest Highway
-- Big Tujunga Canyon Road from Angeles Forest Highway to Vogel Flats
-- Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road from Angeles Forest Highway to Angeles Crest Highway
Altadena customers of Las Flores Water Company are being asked cut back on water use from Feb. 18 through March 1. Altadena residents who are supplied by the City of Pasadena are being asked to restrict water use from Feb. 21 through Feb. 28.
The Foothill Municipal Water District, which supplies Las Flores, is beginning upgrades that are scheduled to end March 1. The Metropolitan Water District, which supplies Pasadena and FMWD, will refurbish an older pipeline during ithe February dates.
Customers of Rubio Canyon Land and Water Assn. and Lincoln Avenue Water, which are also supplied by FMWD, are not on such restrictions, as their water companies say they will have adequate supply through the repair period.
The City of Pasadena has already declared a Level 4 water shortage during the duration, which bans outdoor watering and requires other water use restrictions throughout the city.
Businesses are being asked to do their part to ensure adequate wage levels. Such water conservation steps include no outdoor watering, hand-washing vehicles, filling swimming pools or spas, or hosing down driveways and sidewalks.
Gardeners are being asked to delay new landscaping -- which typically requires continual watering to establish plants, shrubs, and trees -- until after the shut down. If the weather warms prior to the shutdown, residents may want to deep-root water plants to keep them healthy. Deep-root watering should be done before the shutdown begins Feb. 21.
Residents can visit www. mwdh2o.com and www.bewaterwise.com for the latest information on the planned shutdown,as well as wearer-saving tips. During the shutdown, regular updates on upgrade work will be posted.
