Services for retired Air Force Col. Donald Bagnard, will be held at Sunrise Chapel at Mountain View Cemetery on Thursday, March 7, at 12 PM. Bagnard died last week in age 90. He and his wife had recently relocated to Arroyo Grande after living for many years in Altadena.
Bagnard served in World War II as navigator to Chuck Yeager, as well as in the Korean and Vietnam wars. He was also involved in early rocketry at Vandenberg Air Force Base.
We have now officially retired our former office number (626-791-5327) and will be operating from 626-201-1023 as of today's date. Please take a note of it! We're still scrubbing the references to the old number from around the website ...
The Marshall Fundamental girls' soccer team celebrate its 2-0 championship victory over Arroyo in the CIF Southern Section Division VII championship match at Warren High. (Photo by Tim Berger, Pasadena Sun, March 1, 2013)
By Andrew J. Campa Pasadena Sun
For a school often overlooked and a girls’ soccer program lacking a ring, the first of March proved a historical day for Marshall Fundamental.
The Eagles scored two second-half goals before celebrating their first-ever championship after a 2-0 victory over El Monte Arroyo High in Friday afternoon’s CIF Southern Section Division VII championship match at Warren High’s Justice Stadium.
The title is also the first for the school since a boys’ track championship in 1996 and the first girls’ crown in any sport in exactly 30 years.
“I don’t think this feeling will fully set into us until like Tuesday when they’re in math class,” Eagles Coach Esteban Villanueva said. “For myself, I don’t think it will kick in until … I hope it never kicks in so I’m happy like this for the rest of my life.”
The Altadena Coalition of Neighborhood Associations (ACONA) looks at Neighborhood Watch, traffic issues, and those darn robot calls at its March 26 meeting.
1. Open communications with Neighborhood Watch groups.
Neighborhood Watch groups are more effective if they can freely communicate with the Sheriff's Department, and each other. Altadena Sheriff Capt John Benedict and Jeff Sedlik, who has mapped out al lthe Neighborhood Watches in Altadena, will be there to tell us how it can be done.
But how about communication BETWEEN neighborhood watch groups? Maye the sheriff can't share names and number of block captains, but there's no reason why the captains can't do it on their own. Facebook? A web page? The possibilities are there ...
2. Traffic, parking, speeding, etc.
Have an issue with parking, speeding, the need for street improvements in your Altadena neighborhood?- ACONA has surveyed its membership, and gotten nearly three dozen requests which the county and the Highway Patrol will address at the meeting. Paul Barbe of the LA County Department of Public Works, as well as a member of the California Highway Patrol's COPS team will present.
3. Do Not Call list
Tired of getting those robo-calls? Why doesn't the "Do Not Call" list seem to work? ACONA is working to get a speaker to address this.
ACONA meets on March 26 from 7-8:30 PM at the Altadena Main Library, 600 E. Mariposa St.
Residential burglaries, vehicle burglaries and vandalism, and the 24 Hour Fitness parking lot remains beyond shame with two vehicle burglaries on the same day. Crime blotter provided by the Altadena Sheriff's Station.
Monday, February 18 Between 10:00 PM and 12:30 AM (Tuesday) – A vehicle vandalism occurred in the 2900 block of N. El Nido Drive. *** Known suspect***
Tuesday, February 19th Between 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM – A residential burglary occurred in the 800 block of New York Drive. Loss: silver watch.
Between 6:30 PM and 11:00 PM – A vehicle vandalism occurred in the 500 block of W. Palm Street.
Between 7:15 PM and 10:00 PM –Two vehicle burglaries occurred at 24Hr. Fitness, 2180 N. Lincoln Avenue. Loss: misc. currency.
Between 7:30 PM and 5:30 AM (Wednesday) – A petty theft from an unlocked vehicle occurred in the 100 block of E. Pine Street. Loss: black backpack, green glasses, brown bifocals.
Thursday, February 21st Between 10:30 AM and 11:55 AM – A residential burglary occurred in the 3000 block of Doyne Rd. Pasadena. Loss: unknown.
Between 5:00 PM and 9:00 AM – A residential burglary occurred in the 700 block of W. Mariposa Street. Loss: cell phone, camera, earrings, vase, and misc. currency.
Friday, February 22nd Between 6:30 AM and 5:15 PM – A residential burglary occurred in the 1600 block of Grand Oaks Avenue. Loss: laptop.
The Aveson Charter School is holding two meetings mid-March to introduce residents to their plans for their new campus at Lincoln Avenue and Altadena Drive.
The first meeting will be held on Thursday, March 14 at 6:30 PM at the Jackie Robinson Center, 1020 North Fair Oaks Avenue in Pasadena. According to Aveson's website, the purpose of this meeting will be to "discuss our small, safe neighborhood school focused on personalized learning and college readiness."
The second meeting, on Tuesday, March 19, will be a meet-and-greet with the neighborhood, to be held at the Loma Alta Park Community Center, 3300 N. Lincoln Avenue in Altadena. At that meeting, "We will unveil the new building and discuss our future partnership with the neighborhood. Parents interested in their children attending AGLA will learn about our mastery and project-based learning model and how the building is designed specifically for our model."
For more information (and to see an artist's rendering of the building) go here.
Lee writes: "The film is the result of eight years of interviewing and editing. I made the film because a co-worker at Technicolor Studio whispered to me one day in 2004, 'Are you a feminist?' I realized I couldn't give her a pithy reason why I was a feminist because the stories of the women's movement weren't embedded in me. So, I decided to change that.
"I spent several years traveling the country (lots of red eye flights) and listened to these feminists tell me their stories. I interviewed famous feminists like Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan (I shot her last interview) and not-so-famous feminists like Fran Beal, Ivy Bottini, Aileen Hernandez, and Sonia Pressman Fuentes. My film covers the major events from 1963-1970. I completed most of the interviews before I became a parent. My daughter is eight years old now and absolutely knows what a feminist is."
Music for the film includes songs from Fanny, the female rock band from the 1970's, who reunited to record songs for the film.
Library website: The Altadena Library revamped its website last week, and it's packed full of information and resources, and looks very attractive. Check it out here.
Snow business: the always-busy (unfortunately!) Altadena Mountain Rescue Team completed the 2013 Mountain Rescue Association Snow & Ice Reaccreditation. AMRT joined more than 20 teams throughout California to complete reaccreditation in mountain rescue in the snow and ice. To see images from the exercise, click here.
Vote tomorrow: Westsiders will choose between incumbant Kim Kenne and challenger Dean Cooper for PUSD District 1 representative in the first election since the school district went to a district representative system. PEN has questions and and answers here.
GIfts of Paradise: Andre Coleman at the Pasadena Weekly, of whom we are a big fan, has a Kickstarter project for an independent SF film, "Gifts of Paradise." (Yes, we're backers!) Check out his page to learn more about it, and kick something in!
Did you know March is National Craft Month! (Now we're informed!)
Teens and tweens have a chance to be crafty with an informal hangout for knitters and crocheters and yarn artists off all kinds on Saturday, March 16, at the Altadena Main Library, 600 E. Mariposa St.
There will be great knitting and crochet books to check out, all levels of skills welcome (bring your own materials(, and you could win a gift card to Michael's or your local yarn store.
Alta-artist Patrick Gothard will have an open studio on St. Patrick's Day, Sunday, March 17. He says: "You are invited to a special event and if you dress in green and wear a hat you will recieve a gift. If weather permits I will be showing 300 painting or more...we will have food and some drinks and a lot of art, so please come." Gothard's studio is at 215 Laurel Drive, Altadena, California, USA
Entries will be light today -- we went to the Justin Carr memorial service this morning, and it's Rosie's 9th birthday today, and she owns us for the rest of the day ....
The Caltech Jazz Band, directed by William Bing, presents the First Annual Caltech Small Group Jazz Concert in Dabney Lounge.
This event takes place on Saturday, March 2 at 8 PM. It will be an informal gathering of jazz sounds featuring members of the Caltech Jazz Bands and the Caltech Jazz Improv Class with guest artist Glenn Hair on guitar as well as The Nick Broten - Chris Rolontz Ensemble.
There will also be a discussion about how musicians improvise, giving the audience a chance to ask the musicians how they do it.
Admission is free and no tickets are required. For more information, please visit bands.caltech.edu or call Caltech’s Performing and Visual Arts office at 626-395-3295.
Sport Chalet on Friday released a statement hours after two employees were injured in an explosion at the store in La Canada Flintridge, calling it a “tragic event” that was being investigated by outside agencies.
The two employees -- who remained unidentified Friday afternoon -- were asked to shut off a gas valve after someone reported smelling gas, according to Los Angeles County Fire spokesman Al Yanagisawa.
The employees suffered unspecified injuries, but a sheriff's department official said they were taken to Huntington Hospital in Pasadena to be treated for burns.
Melanie has found a "sweet playful dog - frolicking around in the street. i was able to lure him/her over and with some effort get him/her into the car."
Found at the intersection of Mariposa and Marengo Thursday morning, no collar.
A large crowd attended the opening of the Walmart Neighborhood Market at Lincoln Avenue and Figueroa Drive on March 1, 2013. Here, the first customers surge through the doors.
by Timothy Rutt
The Walmart Neighborhood Market opened its doors today to an enthusiasic crowd in an all-American way: color guard, national anthem, prayers, speeches by local dignitaries, and a ribbon-cutting -- followed by shopping.
The early morning Friday opening of the market was greeted by representatives of the Altadena Town Council, the Chamber of Commerce, and Rita Hadjimanoukian of County Supervisor Michael Antonovich's office.
At the opening, there was no sign of either of the local groups that have formed to oppose the market, who are now turning their attention to the vacant lot on Lake Avenue and Calavaras Street, which has the same owners as the Walmart property and have announced plans to develop it as a retail store, without specifying who will move in.
Altadena store manager Jennifer Gonzales pronounced herself "very excited," even after the long hours of work leading up to the opening and a workday that started at 4:45 AM.
The opening ceremony started off with a color guard from John Muir High School, the national anthem sung in harmony by three market employees (or 'associates" in Walmart parlance), and an opening prayer by Pastor Tyrone Skinner of Metropolitan Baptist Church.
It was followed with a welcome by Town Council Chair Bernardean Broadus, Chamber of Commerce President Ed Meyers, and a certificate from Antonovich presented by Hadjimanoukian.
Walmart also held a "big prop check" ceremony, where they distributed grants to community organizations: Jackson Elementary School received $1,500, with $1000 grants awarded to John Muir High School, Mentoring and Partnership for Youth Development, Metropolitan Baptist Church, Neighbors Acting Together Helping All, and the Altadena Senior Center.
Altadenablog is the best place to advertise your local business to your local audience, where we've been bringing the news to Altadenans for five years. We concentrate on the neighborhood level news that concerns Altadenans and that you can't find anywhere else. We're a local business (Patch isn't). We still cover town council meetings (Patch doesn't). We covered the Black History Parade (Patch didn't). We've been first with Walmart Neighborhood Market news throughout the whole process, from confirming that they're moving in to announcing their opening date (Patch lags behind).
And we promise something else: your ad, on every page, every time. Nobody else offers that.
And if advertising isn't in the cards for you, but you'd still like to support Altadena's only locally-owned and -operated news website, we've opened the The Altadena Wall of Awesome! Anybody who buys an entirely-voluntary 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.
Book sale: On Saturday, March 2, the Knights of Columbus Council 12452 at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church will conduct its annual Second-Hand Book Sale from 9 AM-3 PM. This will take place in the St. Elizabeth Parish Hall just across from the church at Lake and Woodbury. Proceeds will go to scholarships for children at the St. Elizabeth Elementary School. The book sale is open to the public. Stop by and take a look.
Scholars everywhere!: Joseph Gaule, from Altadena, Calif., was named to the Dean's List at Villanova University for the fall 2012 semester. Gaule is pursuing a bachelor's degree in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Villanova University Dean's List recipients are honored by their college's respective dean. To qualify, one must be a matriculated full-time student and earn a semester grade point average of at least 3.5.The College of Nursing requires students to earn at least a 3.5 for the academic year.
Robert Rajewski of Altadena earned a Bachelor of Science with a focus in Criminal Justice Management from Union Institute & University in January 2013. Union Institute & University is a non-profit, accredited, private university specializing in adult and distance education since 1964.
Monique Bartley of Altadena, CA, a member of the class of 2016 at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., has received Faculty Honors for the 2012 fall semester. To earn Faculty Honors, a student must achieve a semester grade point average of at least a 3.667 with no individual letter grade below B-minus.
The Pasadena Unified School District board voted to authorize "reduction in force' notices at its Feb. 26 meeting, as it looks at cutting more than 80 certificated positions, with more to come.
The board is facing an estimated deficit of between $7 million and $12 million for the 2013-2014 school year. By law, employees with a credential -- including teachers, nurses, counselors, and administrators -- must be notified by March 15 that their positions are being considered for elimination. The board voted 4-3 to authorize a reduction in force of 81.5 certificated positions.
“Voter approval of Proposition 30 cut our deficit in half, but PUSD is still facing the expiration of grants and declining enrollment,” said PUSD Superintendent Jon R. Gundry in a district press release. “There are still many variables to factor in this spring, including the effects of the federal sequestration, the fate of Governor Brown’s local control funding formula and the final makeup of the 2013-2014 state budget. Authorizing reduction in force notices means that PUSD has the flexibility to prepare for a worst-case scenario.”
According to the release, the school district could receive supplemental funding for English learners, foster youth, and students eligible for free or reduced-priced meals. Such additional funding could reduce the district deficit by $5.1 million.
The relase said that PUSD has had to make more than $26.2 million in cuts since 2010. While it has issued of a total of 365 reduction in force notices, the district has been able to restore all but 23 positions in that time. The district currently employs 1035 certificated employees, including 922 teachers.
The Business Technology Center, 2400 N. Lincoln Avenue, will hold an event with CoFoundersLab on Tues., March 5"
If you are a Los Angeles entrepreneurs! Looking for a co-founder? CoFoundersLab is coming for you!
Co-Founders Wanted is an opportunity to find a co-founder for your business, or to help you find a business to join. Brought to you by CoFoundersLab, come meet other aspiring entrepreneurs and build the team to make your business happen. Start networking now by creating a free profile a tCoFoundersLab.com!
The event starts at 6:30 PM, and cost is $10. Register here.
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.
