by Timothy Rutt
Tuesday night’s short Altadena Town Council meeting was mostly a recitation of reports.
Chair Diane Marcussen said that the new council (all except Ron Adams took their seats in July; Adams was sworn in Tueday night) set some priorities for the 2013-1014 term, among them: finish the Community Standards District draft and submit it to the county; review and revise bylaws, election rules, ethical standards; and rework the council’s website.
Among the highlights:
- Public safety: Altadena Sheriff Station Capt. John Benedict said that violent crime in Altaena was at all-time lows, even below last year, which also set a record for low crime. Property crime, on the other hand, remains a problem; while is has gotten lower, vehicle burglaries continue to be a problem in Altadena. Benedict said that over 3,000 people in the area have signed up for Nixle, the online and mobile alert service. Benedict also announced that the sheriff’s station and Metropolitan Baptist Church will hold a resource and opportunity fair on Oct. 12, from 10 AM-2 PM.
- Library: Roberta Lauderdale Elam of the Lucas Branch Library said that the libraries will participate in the annual “Read for the Record” on Oct. 3. The libraries will host readings at the main library at 11 AM and branch library at 3:30 PM, and there will also be readings at Perry’s Joint (with free ice cream). This year’s books is “Otis” by Loren Long. Children will get a free copy of the book while they last as part of Jumpstartand the Pearson Foundation’s efforts to promote childhood reading by having the same book read on the same day.
- Aveson: Kate Bean, executive director of the Aveson Schools, said that they were working to open their new campus at the corner of Altadena Drive and Lincoln Avenue in early October. The school is looking for suggestions for fencing, as the chain link currently on the site will come down when construction is finished.
The sheriff's stations August crime report, broken down by census tract, is after the jump.
