It's the last Lego Club at the Altadena Main Library before it goes on summer break, so time to get your brick on!
Lego Club runs from 11 AM-12:30 PM on Saturday, May 11, at the Altadena Main Library, 600 E. Mariposa St.
Legos are provided (just bring your imagination), and Duplo blocks will be available for children under four years of age.
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from the Pasadena Unified School District
Friday, May 10 is the deadline to submit an application to apply to fill the vacant seat on the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) Board of Education. In accordance with PUSD Board Policy 9223, the PUSD Board approved an appointment process to fill the vacant at large PUSD Board of Education seat at its regular meeting on April 9. Kimberly Kenne, who won the election for the new geographic subdistrict Seat 5 in March, vacated her Board of Education Seat 4 on May 6.
Applicants must be 18 years of age, be registered to vote in and reside anywhere within the boundaries of the Pasadena Unified School District. Visit gopusd.com/locator to determine if an address is within the district’s boundaries. Applications can be obtained from gopusd.com/boardvacancy or the PUSD Office of the Superintendent. Applications and a resume must be received either by mail or hand delivered by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 10, 2013 to:
Office of the Superintendent
Pasadena Unified School District
351 South Hudson Avenue, Room 222
Pasadena, CA 91109
To be considered for the position, applicants must submit the application and resume by the deadline and attend a special meeting of the school board tentatively scheduled for Saturday, June 1, 2013 at which time all prospective applicants will be interviewed. A provisional appointment could be announced as early as that evening. The term of service for the appointment to the PUSD Board Seat 4 is from the date of appointment to May 4, 2015.
PUSD’s at large board districts became geographic subdistricts encompassing Pasadena, Altadena, Sierra Madre and portions of unincorporated Los Angeles County after the passage of Measure A last June. Elections for geographic subdistricts 1, 3, 5 and 7 took place in spring 2013 and elections for geographic subdistricts 2, 4 and 6 will be in 2015.
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from MonteCedro
Did you know that Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in America? According to the Alzheimer’s Association, death from Alzheimer’s disease has risen 68 percent since the year 2000. While there is still no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, scientific studies have proven that specific foods can lower the risk of cognitive decline.
On May 23, MonteCedro, a new planned Episcopal Community and Services (ECS) Continuing Care Retirement Community in Altadena, will host Dr. Marwan Sabbagh, Research Professor of Neurology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and co-author of The Alzheimer’s Prevention Cookbook: Recipes to Boost Brain Health.
During the event, attendees will be educated on specific types of foods such as, cinnamon, fish and pomegranates, that can boost brain activity and help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Dr. Sabbagh will also introduce tasty recipes from his book that are both healthy and preventative.
The event will be Thursday, May 23, at 3 PM at the University Club of Pasadena, 175 N. Oakland Avenue. Space is limited for this event. To register, please visit www.montecedro.com/info or call 877-305-6013
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by Timothy Rutt
The Arroyo Food Co-op (Altadenablog sponsor) will have its annual meeting on Saturday, May 18, at its new store site at 494 N. Wilson Avenue in Pasadena, from 2-4 PM.
The new board of directors slate will be announced at the meeting, and it will double as an open house for those members who were unable to attend the April 25 open house event. A potluck dish is requested for the meeting, and it's BYOC (Bring Your Own Chair).
The first open house drew more than 100 co-op members, friends, and neighborhood residents to tour the building and receive information about the co-op's capital campaign.
"The beauty of opening our store in a neighborhood market is that we become part of the neighborhood itself. In fact, many of our neighbors came out to the Open House and are already supporting the Co-op,” said Board President Tricia Keane, one of five directors running for re-election, in a press release. “There's nothing quite like meeting the people next door and realizing that they are excited to see you move in."
Voting for the 2013 Arroyo Food Co-op Board of Directors is now taking place online through May 17, with results to be announced at the annual meeting. According to the bylaws, only members can attend the annual meeting; however, the co-op will continue to take memberships up to and during the annual meeting.
The Co-op is seeking approximately $320,000 in loans, primarily from its members, to refurbish the store and stock its shelves. So far, the project has taken in more than $100,000 in loans, donations, and membership fees, with nearly $10,000 raised just during the April 25 open house. The co-op is also encouraging members to reach their full membership investment. Memberships are $300, but it can be paid in installments as low as $30 per year. The co-op currently counts 590 fully and partially-vested members.
Continue reading "Arroyo Food Co-op holds annual meeting at the new place May 18" »
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by TImothy Rutt
On May 8, 2012, 50 film crews descended on 50 members of the Pasadena Unified School District -- everyone from students to Superintendent Jon Gundry and then-board member Ramon Miramontes -- to capture a day in the life of pubic school.
And exactly one year later, it was ready for its close-up.
The premiere of "Go Public: A Day in the Life of an American School District" sold out two theaters at the Arclight in Pasadena's Paseo Colorado Wednesday night. The film stitched together 50 short documentaries from the crews into almost a two-hour kaleidoscope of activity that shows public schools in action and what makes them tick.
Produced by Dawn and Jim O'Keeffe of Blue Field Productions, the film premiere brought together the fifty crews and their fifty subjects -- teachers, principals, volunteers, students, and staff of all kinds, including Felix Lopez, custodian at Washington Middle School and, to judge by his part in the final film, apparently the hardest-working man in PUSD.
Each crew finished a short documentary about their subject, which has been available for viewing on the Go Public website. The O'Keeffe's edited together all the raw footage to make the finished documentary.
We were invested in this, not only as public school parents, but because our daughter Rosie Rutt was the subject for Go Public's Team 13, led by director Gina Long.
Continue reading "Publisher's notebook: time to "Go Public" and celebrate" »
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by TImothy Rutt
Residents reported seeing two bears -- an adult and a cub -- rifling through the trash cans on the 2800 block of North Holliston Avenue this morning.
Community correspondent Bill Haren emailed us this morning at 9:48 AM:
Just had a brown bear walk across out front porch at 2800 N Holliston Ave. Alerted the Sheriff’s department.
According to Deputy Marc Mrakich at the Altadena Sheriff Station, they received two calls: one the report of the cub on the front porch, and another five minutes later of a full-size adult bear rifling through a trash can on the same block
Mrakich said that the bears were gone by the time units arrived.
"Fish & Game have been notified, and hopefully we won't be seeing them again," he said, "but I kind of doubt it."
UPDATED: Robert Klomburg emails to say he spotted mama and cub on Mt. Curve, between Palm and Poppyfields, at about 3:30 PM today.
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If you have any information regarding the identity of the above suspect, please contact Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Special Victims Bureau 24HR Tip Line (877) 710-LASD (5273).
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by Timothy Rutt
Tuesday night, the newsgroups around the President Street neighborhood, including Pepper and Midlothian, were buzzing about bears in the neighborhood.
Some cellphone pictures of the bruins at work (it may be a mother and two young) have been circulating among the newsgroups. SInce they must cross several streets to make it back to Eaton Canyon, it's best to exercise some caution when you're out and about.
The Altadena Sheriff's Station sent out the following message about living in bear country:
The smell of trash drives hungry bears further into towns and the prospect of cool pools and hot tubs brings them down the hill looking for relief from heat and a water source. In light of the growing number of bear sightings over the years, the California Department of Fish and Game has issued the following advice about living in bear country... and we do in Altadena:
Bears and other animals are attracted to anything edible or smelly.
• Store garbage in bear-proof containers, or store garbage in your garage until pick-up.
• Keep food indoors or in airtight and odor-free containers.
• Put away picnic leftovers; clean BBQ grills.
• Keep pet food inside, and bird feeders away.
• Pick up fallen tree fruit as soon as possible, or protect fruit trees with electric fencing.
• Remove cosmetic fragrances and other attractants, including bird feeders and compost piles.
• Install or request bear-proof trash containers.
Continue reading "Sheriff issues advice after bears spotted in President Streets neighborhood" »
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by Timothy Rutt
Some of his most noted title sequences included the Alfred Hitchcock films "North by Northwest," "Vertigo," and "Psycho." Other famous sequences included "Anatomy of a Murder," the original Rat Pack "Ocean's 11," and "West Side Story." His last title sequence was "Casino" in 1995. His influence can be seen to this day in film and television (for example, the opening of "Mad Men" is a tribute to Bass's style).
Google is honoring Bass with a "Google doodle" tribute to his work, which went live Tuesday night. Check it out if you can!
Here's a tribute site, Saul Bass on the Web.
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from the Pasadena Unified School District
On May 8, 2012, 50 film crews chronicled a single day in the lives of students, teachers, parents, volunteers and officials as they experienced the triumphs and struggles of a typical school day in the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD). One year later on May 8, 2013, a feature length version of Go Public: a Day in the Life of an American School Districtwill be screened during a community celebration in the Arclight Theaters at Pasadena’s Paseo Colorado. The feature length version of the film weaves together the 50 stories to provide an honest look at public education in Pasadena.
The celebration begins at 6 PM with pre-screening festivities in the Garfield Plaza at Paseo Colorado. There will be a meet and greet with the directors, camera crews and their subjects. Music will be provided by the John Muir High School Jazz Ensemble and vendors will sell food, drinks and desserts with 20 percent of the proceeds donated to the Pasadena Educational Foundation. At 7:15 PM the event moves upstairs to the Arclight Pasadena for the screening followed by a brief Q&A with the producers.
Learn about the project, see all 50 short films and order tickets at www.gopublicproject.org.
UPDATE: The event has sold out two theaters, but there is a waiting list for tickets. Go to the website for more information.
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by TImothy Rutt
POV makes “boutique pizzas that are locally sourced and seasonal as much as possible,” Woolner said. He takes pride in producing pizzas from homemade dough that use local, seasonal ingredients, no preservatives, and no additives.
Which sounds about right for the Altadena Farmers' Market, where POV will make its local debut today. And, just to really emphasize their local commitment, Woolner said that, if you buy cheese or other fresh ingredients at the market, bring them to POV and they’ll use them in a pizza they'll whip up on the spot.
“You buy, we bake” Woolner said.
Continue reading "New Farmer’s Market vendor is pizza with a Point of View" »
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Altadena's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is looking for all licensed HAM and General Mobile Radio Service operators to be part of an emergency communication network.
CERT-er Mala E. Arthur writes us that Altadena CERT is working to create an emergency communications plan for our area:
Activation of the plan will enable information to flow through Altadena and nearby areas, even when we have a serious emergency and normal types of communications are down.
Emergency responders need and want to know which neighborhoods are OK, which have serious problems and what kinds of problems or injuries there are.Can you help? We need your assistance.
(You do not have to have completed CERT training in addition to your radio license in order to help us.)
Please contact the Emergency Communications Committee of Altadena CERT at communications@altadenacert.org
For more information about Altadena CERT (which also includes other nearby areas), see http://www.altadenacert.org
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from the Altadena Public Library
Come share some of your personal experiences, play a brain “game” and receive copies of the lecture materials along with a chance to win some memory enhancement prizes. Refreshments will be served.
This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Altadena Library and will be presented by MonteCedro, a planned Episcopal Community Services Continuing Care Retirement Community located in Altadena, CA. All ages are welcome to this event which will take place at the Main Altadena Library in the Community Room. The Main Altadena Library is located at 600 East Mariposa Street. More information: 626-798-0833 orhttp://www.altadenalibrary.org or www.montecedro.com/info.
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Friends of the Altadena Library present: “Extreme Weather: Are You Ready for More?” presented by JPL Engineer, Robert Haw.
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We have a report of a missing cat before we call it a night:
Kiki, green eyes, grey with white chest and paws, ran out the front door Tuesday morning at Sonoma. She jumped on the neighbor's fence, frightened, and jumped on the other side when she disappeared. She has no collar, but is microchipped.
Please contact mike@siegelpartners.com or call Mimi at 626-808-5223
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by Timothy Rutt
Had to share this Audi ad we saw online: New Spock (Zachary Quinto) vs. Spock Classic (Leonard Nimoy), who are going golfing in Altadena (yeah, they're going to the Altadena Town & Country Club, and it's the county's golf course, but just let it roll). Nimoy particularly has lots of lines for the congnoscenti (we know the Bilbo Baggins song, that's how pathetic we are).
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Xiem Clay Center of Pasadena is hosting the 2013 Spring Ceramic Art Fair & Open Studio Sale, just in time for Mother’s Day, May 10 and 11. The show is Friday, 6- 9 PM. and Saturday, 10:30
AM- 4:30 PM.
Altadena ceramic artists Heather Morrow, Tom Glavich, Sharon Garrett, Pam Kisor and Daarina Abdus-Samad are among 50 ceramic artists participating in the semi-annual event.
At this show you will find one-of-a-kind, handcrafted items for purchase by the participating artists representing all of Southern California (you can’t get more American Made than this). Public awareness of the local crafts scene helps sustain jobs for artists and their businesses. There is a local return on that investment: in many towns, the arts help promote economic development and tourism.
Xiem Clay Center is located on the Wwest side of Lake Avenue just before Washington Boulevard. 1563 N. Lake Avenue, Pasadena.
www.xiemclaycenter.com. For more information about the Xiem Clay Center Spring Ceramic Art Fair Open Studio Sale, please contact Heather Morrow at (818) 257-0338.
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Cowboy & western artists Gary Allegretto and Ian Espinoza return to Altadena June 1 to celebrate the release of their new CD.
You are invited to join us for an intimate outdoor concert with Gary Allegretto and Ian Espinoza. Gary and Ian have recently spent a good deal of time in the studio producing their new CD, "Allegretto/Espinoza". This new collection of work provides a listening experience that only these two talented musicians/songwriters can deliver. We were very honored when Gary and Ian asked us to host their CD release concert. Gary and Ian always rock the house when they perform here.
Their two previous Big Hat Promotions concerts sold out, so don't miss a rare chance to be part of the "Allegretto/Espinoza" CD release concert - as they debut exciting new original material, present unique takes on beloved standards, and perform all of their audience favorites!
The concert will be Saturday, June 1, at the Mann's home in Altadena. Door opens at 6 PM, performance starts at 7 PM. $25 per person suggested cash donation at the door (no checks or credit cards, please). Advance reservations are required, as seating is limited.
For more information or to reserve seats, visit: www.bighatonline.com
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As the Altadena Relay for Life gets closer, the activities are picking up:
Team Captain Meeting: Wed., May 8, 7 PM. T-shirt order goes in, so get all of your team members registered.
Ads for the program are due by May 15: $100 to have a business card ad in the event program., which also goes toward team fundraising goals.
The Survivor/Caregiver Breakfast is Tuesday, May 14 from 10-11:30 AM at Amy's Patio Cafe. Must RSVP to Heather by May 10: hcmorrow@gmail.com
Team Roll Call:
Holly Jolly Walkers with Team Captain: Heather Morrow
Daring Divas with Team Captain: Lucy Molina
Altadena Community Church (ACC) with Team Captain: Virginia White
Isotonic Walkers with Team Captain: Wendy Schonhardt
The Ballers with Team Captain: Jerry Han
Curves Altadena with Team Captain: Rose West
Ralph's 630 with Team Captain: Bertha Banuelos
Team Trojan with Team Captain: John Pings
Rollin' For a Cure with Team Captain: Alan Kunihiro
St. Mark's Parish with Temp Team Captain: Diane Carey-Schmitz
Sprinkles With Love with Team Captain: Erica Musich
Please mark your calendar for these upcoming Team Captain/Committee meetings:
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If you have a little child who is full of energy, constantly looking for ways to fill his/her summer days, and likes to run around and play, then Camp Runamuk is the camp for you.
The Community Center of La Canada Flintridge is offering an action-packed half day summer camp that promotes plenty of physical activity and creativity through arts and crafts, cooking, fun-in-the-sun water activities, making new friends, and most importantly, having fun! Some days will also include scheduled entertainment. Camp Runamuk t-shirts will be distributed on the first day of camp.
Camp Runamuk Meets: Monday through Friday, 9 AM-1 PM for ages 5-8 on June 17-19, from 9-1 PM.
Fee: $180 per week, $150 for week 3. Sibling discount: Save $10 per camper/per week when you sign up your kids together.d Loyalty Discount: Save $50 when you sign up for all 6 weeks.
Questions? (818)790-4353.
The Community Center of La Canada Flintridge is located at 4469 Chevy Chase Drive, La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011.
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Altadenan Sue Redman, a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), will do a reading from her book with Pollyanna Redman, She Ain't Your Toy - She's My Sister at the West Hollywood Library on Saturday, May 18. The reading is in honor of National Foster Care Month. Click graphic for details.
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Michele Zack has settled into her place as a local independent historian, but then there’s an intersection she likes to explore: history and fiction.
“I’m kind of obsessed with this whole question of fiction and history and how all history is a bit of historical fiction and all fiction is historical,” Zack says.
She’s going to explore her obsession on Saturday along with writers who explore those boundaries -- and occasionally cross them -- at the second annual LitFest Pasadena, at Central Park.
About 40 years ago, Zack said, “E.L. Doctorow wrote Ragtime: it was a big ‘do that he took real historical characters and put them in a novel. But this is just so common now that nobody blinks. It’s happening more and more -- people consume their history through fiction.”
She cites Mary Coin by Marissa Silver, a novel that takes off from the classic Dorothea Lange dustbowl-era photo of migrant mother Florence Owens Thompson; and John Muir High School graduate Megan Marshall, with her historical novels of 19th century American feminists, The Peabody Sisters and Margaret Fuller.
Zack will lead a panel, “Are History and Fiction Converging?” with three authors who explore that penumbra: Daniel Walker Howe, 2009 Pulitzer Prize-winning historian; Mary Corey, a cultural historian teaching at UCLA who is working on a novel and assigns fiction to her history students; and Julius(Jay) Wachtel, a former federal agent-turned novelist.
Continue reading "Michele Zack's LitFest panel looks at the intersection of fiction and history" »
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This spring's round of Fancy Food Truck Friday just keeps getting better.
Hosts Webster's Community Pharmacy and Webster's Wine & Spirits have announced that there'll be music along with the food trucks: the fifth grade "McKinley Rock Stars" from McKinley Elementary School, led by teacher Raimer Rojas, will be performing. The entertainers are part of a program called "Little Kids Rock," a non-profit that provides instruments and music classes to schools where music programs were victims of budget cuts. Performances start at 6:45 PM.
They have also announced which food trucks will be at the event:
Fancy Food Truck Friday runs from 4-9 PM, and caps off a full day of fundraising for sponsor Danny's Farm, whose mobile petting farm will also be at the event. Fancy Food Truck Friday wll be held at the Webster's complex parking lot, 2450 N. Lake Avenue. Parking is available in the lot and on the street.
Here's the McKinley Rock Stars in action:
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by Timothy Rutt
Bill Bibbiani was a former member of the Pasadena Unified School Board and friend to many. He was also an avid motorcyclist and president of the Southern California Norton Owners Club for aficianados of that British brand of cycle.
When it became known that “Bib” had pancreatic cancer and had gone into home hospice care, his fellow riders cooked up a tribute that was sure to please him: on Sunday, May 6, 200 British cycle owners would gather at Lucky Baldwin’s pub in Pasadena. From there, they would ride to Bib’s home at 1168 North Hill Avenue and, at high noon, surprise him by revving their engines together for 30 seconds in his honor.
But Bibbiani died Saturday night, May 5, before the rally. The riders decided to hold the ride anyway, in tribute to Bib's memory, to say goodbye.
Some of it was captured on YouTube:
Here's the parade going up Hill Street, along with the roar:
And here's another view of the 30 seconds of open throttle in front of Bibbiani's home:
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Be nice to your Mommy this week, as the Bob Lucas Branch Library spends a crafty afternoon with paper flower bouquets.
Join the library for this special craft on Thursday, May 9, at 3:30 PM.
The Bob Lucas Branch Library is at 2659 N. Lincoln Ave.
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Join the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge for its annual Casino Night and Poker Tournament on Friday, May 24, 6:30-10:30 PM.
Details at www.CommunityCenterCasinoNight.eventbrite.com
$30 at the door/ $60 for Poker Tournament
Appetizer and dessert buffet and fabulous prizes.
The Community Center of La Canada Flintridge is at 4469 Chevy Chase Drive, La Canada Flintridge .
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"CINCO DE MAYO"
"Mexican David Defeats French Goliath"
from gloriana casey
A lesson now from history-----
BIG ARMY ---defeated!
This battle from past history,
often is repeated!
As back we look, we have to gasp,
for economic times,
can seem so current, my oh my
as deja vu rewinds !
For Mexico, with many wars,
its treasury gone bust!
Creditors: France, Britain, Spain,
then screamed," But PAY you must!"
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by Timothy Rutt
LA County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky may just be applying some pressure to quell the epidemic of rescues and deaths at Eaton Canyon's second waterfall.
Yaroslovsky's’s website has a well-done article on the problems of hikers going on the often-deadly hike to second waterfall and the multi-agency attempt to stop it, and turns up this interesting nugget:
One of the questions our Altadenablog commentors frequently ask is: why don’t they put up warning signs? Turns out most of the involved agencies (county sheriff, fire, parks, and supervisors, and Pasadena Fire Department) agree -- but not the U.S. Forest Service. According to the article, the Forest Service declines to put warning signs on their land -- because “attorneys representing injured hikers might argue that, if agency officials knew there was a risk of injury, then they had an obligation to make the area safer.”
Also this money quote:
By the second or third rescue of the day,” [Altadena Mountain Rescue Team captain Richard] De Leon says, he gets frustrated with the risk takers. “I start thinking, ‘Will you people just stop!’ ”
http://zev.lacounty.gov/news/fatal-attraction-at-the-falls
UPDATE: Eric Pierce sent this photo of a sign he found at the Amicalola Falls in North Georgia -- so some places do have them!
Do you think a sign would help? What other measures would you take? Let us know in the comments.
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May the 4th be with you!
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" Fascinating Fisherman"
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Community correspondents Todd and Jane Szabo in the Meadows took a picture of a heron who was frequenting their neighborhood. Apparently their koi fish pond was a temptation too great to bear, as the bird managed to snatch a a snack from their pond before these pictures were taken.
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by Timothy Rutt
Fancy Food Truck Friday at the Webster's complex is coming around next week, and Webster's Community Pharmacy and Webster's Fine Wines & Spirits will honor the event's sponsor, Danny's Farm.
The pharmacy and liquor store will donate 15 percent of their full day's sales (not including prescriptions) on Friday, May 10, to Danny's Farm, which provides programs and job opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. The food trucks will also donate a percentage of their sales that day.
“As hosts of Fancy Food Truck Friday, we want to honor and support our event sponsor, Danny’s Farm," said pharmacy co-owner Meredith Miller in a press release. "We invite folks to shop for Mother’s Day from our creative selection of gifts and greeting cards while supporting Danny’s Farm."
Danny’s Farm, which was formerly in Altadena, has relocated to Cal Poly Pomona, but takes its mobile petting farm to Fancy Food Truck Friday every month. New to the farm is Hagrid, the miniature horse. Children (and adults) are invited feed and play with the animals during the food truck event.
Fancy Food Truck Friday will be held Friday, May 10, from 5-9 PM at the Webster's parking lot, 2450 N. Lake Avenue.
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by Timothy Rutt
Masjid
Al-Taqwa Mosque invites the Altadena community to an
afternoon of food, family, music and friends at the Straight
P.A.T.H. (Positive Actions Through Harmony) Festival and Concert
on Sunday, May 19, from 12 - 5 PM. The festival takes place
in the Davies Building at Farnsworth Park, 568 E. Mt. Curve
Avenue.
This year is the sixth annual Invited Guest Series, featuring Joshua Salaam of the Muslim hip-hop group Native Deen.
Tickets are available through Brown Paper Tickets, but pre-sale tickets are now available at the discounted price of $20 each. To get your discounted tickets, email Kameelah Wilkerson atkamelina@yahoo.com. Free shipping is available, and supplies are limited.
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Come meet Valerie Jackson, Yolanda Allen, and Sylvia L. Walker as they talk about their book The Chocolate Princess in the Land of Plenty this Saturday, May 4, at 1 PM at .Webster's Fine Stationers, 2450 Lincoln Avenue.
Addressing the need for positive self-identification, this children's book has been called "a classically-styled, contemporary fairy take for readers of all ages". The authors will be discussing what prompted them to write this very special book, and of course, will be signing any book you buy.
Perry's Joint will be catering this event - bring the kids and have a great time! Did we tell you that The Chocolate Princess In The Land Of Plenty was published right here in Beautiful Altadena? It sure was, and we think that's just fabulous! Come meet Valerie Jackson, Yolanda Allen, and Sylvia L. Walker, this Saturday at 1:00 p.m., and tell them you think so, too!
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by Timothy Rutt
The Friends of the Altadena Library will be holding their annual book sale on Saturday, May 18, and Sunday, May 19 at the Altadena Main Library, 600 E. Mariposa St. .
Thousands of books, which have been donated to the library over the past year, will be available for purchase. Proceeds go to fund the Friends of the Library programs, including children's activities, concerts, guest speakers, and much more.
Members of the Friends of the Library can attend the special presale on Friday, May 17 from 3-7 PM.
The sale will take place on Saturday, May 18, from 10 AM to 4 PM, and Sunday, May 19, from one-4 PM.
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by Timothy Rutt
The American Cancer Society's Relay for Life of Altadena is only a month away (June 1-2), and the activities are already gearing up.
Amy's Patio Café is sponsoring a breakfast for survivors and caregivers on Tuesday, May 14, from 10-11:30 AM. Cancer survivors and caregivers can enjoy an egg or pancake breakfast with coffee or tea at the event.
Please RSVP by Friday, May 10, to Heather Morrow, Relay for Life of Altadena event chair, at (818) 257-0338 or hcmorrow@gmail.com.
Amy's Patio Café is at 900 E. Altadena Drive.
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by Timothy Rutt
Captain Bill Song, a 22-year veteran with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, will assume command of the Crescenta Valley Sheriff Station.
Song's first day as captain of Crescenta Valley will be Sunday, May 5. Song was previously assigned as the Executive Aide to Assistant Sheriff Cecil Rhambo.
“I am very excited to take command of the Crescenta Valley Station and to work alongside all the dedicated personnel at the station to provide quality service to the very supportive communities served by the Crescenta Valley Station,” Song said in a statement.
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The California Shakespeare ensemble begins its residency at Farnsworth Park on Mother's Day with the greatest hits of the Bard's writings about love.
"Shakespeare's LOVERS," will be performed Sunday, May 12, in the Fansworth Park Amphitheatre. The 70-minute performance starts at 6 PM, and admission is $10 at the door.
CSE's Brian Elerding writes: "The California Shakespeare Ensemble is digging out the greatest scenes from all of Shakespeare's work and performing them live as part of "Shakespeare's LOVERS." The show comes from its popular opening day at Descanso Gardens' Earth Day 2013 celebration in April. The show is fast-paced and fun, and will even have Shakespearean newbies understanding and enjoying. The show is a series of the ensemble members' favorite love scenes from throughout Shakespeare's catalog; from the popular to the obscure, the comic to the tragic, the epic to the trivial."
Some of Shakespeare's best writing about love rarely sees the light of day: it is buried in lesser-known plays that don't have as much box office draw. We all know Romeo and Juliet, but when was the last time you saw Henry the Sixth Part II, or Two Gentlemen of Verona? Shakespeare's lovers takes the best of all worlds.
The California Shakespeare ensemble began when three working actors had an idea one evening over dinner: what if they got the best Shakespearean actors they knew, then stripped their favorite plays down only the words and the people? No fairy costumes. No artificial inflection. Just dogged determination to tell the story at hand. By the end of the dinner, the California Shakespeare Ensemble was born.
The ensemble is based on the idea of a supergroup: it is a side project for currently working actors, and an incubator for up-and-coming actors. So the ensemble are stars of hit TV shows(Ken Baumann on "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," David Blue from "Stargate: Universe" and "Ugly Betty," Fred Cross from "The Joe Schmoe Show"), and some in the ensemble are fresh from training at NYU. RADA, and Shakespeare's Globe in London.
Due to some innuendo and double entendre, the ensemble recommends the show for adults and teens. There is no nudity or overt vulgarity, but the show is recommended for 12 years of age and older.
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The National Weather Service is predicting temperatures in the 90s, and gusty winds and low humidity at least through Friday night.
The weather service has said there is an “extreme” danger of a fire starting in counties from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara on Thursday and Friday, thanks to hot temperatures, very low humidity, dry fuels, and moderate to strong Santa Ana winds. Mountains and valleys in LA and Ventura counties are under a red flag warning through Friday night.
With the high temperatures and possibility of power outages in Altadena (we've had several already this week and the high temperatures haven't hit yet), we are recommending that you keep your cell phones plugged in and charged, just in case!
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The Aveson School for Leaders will present Dr. Louis Cozolino in a lecture on Wednesday, May 15 at the school auditorium, 1919 East Pinecrest Drive, at 6:30 PM.
Dr. Cozolino will discuss the topic of his latest book, The Social Neuroscience of Education, which explains how an understanding of social neuroscience – the ways in which our brains are hardwired to connect with each other – can inform, impact, and radically change our approach to education. By placing healthy and secure attachment at the center of learning, he argues, we can turn education around. He will also be available for questions and book signing.
Louis Cozolino, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at Pepperdine University and a private practitioner. He is the author of The Healthy Aging Brain, The Neuroscience of Human Relationships, The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy, and The Making of a Therapist.
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Actor Ken Baumann ("The Secret Life of the American Teenager") in white, poses with members of the John Muir High School Drama Club at the Pasadena Playhouse Theater Festival on April 27. Baumann and Brian Elarding, both members of the California Shakespeare Ensemble, worked with the Muir students and teacher Kathleen Parent at the festival. The California Shakespeare Ensemble will be performing this spring at the Farnsworth Park Amphitheater.
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Time for our monthly salute to Altadenablog's sponsor team:
Friends of the Altadena Library
Judy Rubin Architectural & Previews Specialist
Linda Seyffert & Associates/Podley Properties
Want to get the word on your business out to Altadena residents? Now we offer two ways:
1. Join the Altadenablog sponsor team! The best businessess in Altadena advertise here -- you should, too! Contact us at 626-201-1023 or email altadenablog@gmail.com.
2. We've just opened a new Facebook page, Shop Altadena, where any local business in Altadena/Pasadena/La Canada Flintridge can tell everyone what they're offering, at absolutely no charge!
Our promise: your ad, on every page, every day, every time. Nobody else offers that.
What if you're not a business and still want to support Altadena's only locally-owned, locally-resident news site? We' have the The Altadena Wall of Awesome! Anybody who buys an entirely-voluntary, NOT-tax-deductible subscription (which gets you nothing extra, by the way!) gets our eternal gratitude and your name on the Wall for a year! (You can be anonymous, too -- just tell us!) Your contributions will largely go to improving our coverage by providing improved rates to our freelancers and some planned upgrades in the website.
The contribution button is here, and the Wall of Awesome is here.
Please thank our local business sponsors by patronizing them!
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by Timothy Rutt
If you're a baby boomer, you know how important the music was to your life. Even if you were too young to participate in peace marches or Woodstock, you heard the music and were part of the time. Songs bring back memories, and frequently you remember where you were when you first heard it.
Webster's Fine Stationers, 2450 N. Lake Avenue, takes a look back on Friday, May 10, in conjunction with Fancy Food Truck Friday with author Elliot Michael Gold, starting at 5 PM..
“Nothing returns a memory as clearly as a song!” says Altadena writer Gold, who documented this in his book “Rememories - The Music and the Memories That Shaped Our Lives”, originally published in 2000.
Some of the interviews are funny, some are chilling, some are heartbreaking, but all of them remind the reader, and the listener, of how important music has been to our lives.
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It's the Altadena Farmer's Market today, 4-7 PM at Loma Alta Park, corner of Lincoln Avenue and Palm Street.
Since it's the first Wednesday of the month, The Claremont Forum & the Prison Library Project will be at the market today to pick up your book donations.
Also congratulations to two businesses that were incubated in the Altadena market: Sticky Rice who celebrate their official grand opening at Grand Central Market in Los Angeles this week; and Rice & Beans, who were just accepted into the Echo Park Farmers' Market and Hollywood Farmers' Market.
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Celebrate Cinco de Mayo a couple of days early as the Bob Lucas Branch Library, 2659 N. Lincoln Avenue, presents Rafael & Katia, "The Mariachi Magicians," on Friday, May 3 at 3:30 PM.
Rafael & Katia bring their bilingual magic show to Altadena. The duo has been featured on over 30 network TV shows, including America's Got Talent. Don't miss this exciting performance.
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by Timothy Rutt
Pasadena's Central Park will be the scene for the second annual Pasadena LitFest, Saturday, May 11, from 10 AM-5 PM.
"LitFest Pasadena 2.0" will feature more than 75 authors, storytellers, performers, and exhibitors for a day that will explore an eclectic mix of subjects such as Southern California surf culture, local history, children’s and young adult literature, and more.
Among the confirmed guests will be Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold; the Bob Baker Marionettes; and History Lit, a project of Unbound Productions, which puts on WIcked Lit at the Mountain View Mausoleum on Halloween.
Participating authors with an Altadena bent include Naomi Hirahara (whose detective, Mas Arai, is an Altadena gardener); novelists Michelle Huneven and Jervey Tervalon; and local historian Michele Zack.
Parking is available on the street or at various public lots. LitFest has something for the whole family, and admssion is free.
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from the Pasadena Unified School District
"No Boundaries 8," the annual exhibit of student art organized by the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD), opens Friday, May 3 with a reception at 6 PM. The exhibition features more than 400 drawings, paintings, sculptures and videos created by kindergarten-12th grade students from every school in PUSD. The title, "No Boundaries," refers to the exhibit’s objective of showcasing student artwork without limits to the size or media used and to the unlimited creative potential of the students in the district.
In partnership with Vornado Realty Trust, the Pasadena Educational Foundation and the South Lake Business Association, "No Boundaries" will once again be presented at The Shops on Lake at 345 S. Lake Ave. in Pasadena. The exhibit will be on display May 4-19 in retail space located next to Corner Bakery in the space previously occupied by Stein Mart. The gallery hours will be Monday-Friday 3 -6 PM and Saturdays and Sundays 1-4 PM.
The opening reception, which is free and open to the public, will feature live music, choral and dance performances by PUSD students and music from The Staff Lounge, a band comprised of PUSD music teachers. PUSD Board of Education President Renatta Cooper, Superintendent Jon R. Gundry and Congresswoman Judy Chu (32nd District) will deliver remarks at the reception.
Select student artists exhibiting in "No Boundaries 8" will receive scholarships to attend programs at the Armory Center for the Arts and the Art Center College of Design. 60 pieces from the exhibition will be selected by the Pasadena Arts Commission for display at Pasadena City Hall. For more information on "No Boundaries 8" and other PUSD arts initiatives visitwww.gopusd.com/arts.
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