The Altadena Library’s suggestion is to spend plenty of time reading, as they kick off their Teen Summer Reading Program on Fri., June 24.  From 10-11 AM come sign up, have a donut, and find out all about what will be happening this summer for teens — they’ve got fun programs, awesome teen books and some pretty incredible raffle prizes (of course,

MDA volunteeer John Dionisio gets a contribution from a young donor on Lake Ave. below Mendocino.

Sheriff station volunteer Randii Wessen wraps up a pallet of electronics for the Altadena Sheriff’s station e-waste roundup at Eliot Middle School Saturday afternoon.

John Pings and Andrea Sweet, two of the driving forces behind the Relay, share a moment during the morning.  More pictures and video after the jump.

Tina Kardos votes at Farnsworth Park as Bruce Thompson and Clinton Nash explain the process. 

We don’t believe we’ve ever had as busy a day as we had Saturday.  If you didn’t think there was anything to do, you weren’t trying hard enough — and if you were doing ANYTHING, chances are you were missing SOMETHING ELSE.   Above, the peace of the Relay for Life’s luminaria walk at Farnsworth Park provided a contemplative moment in a day as busy as any.

Among the speakers and their topics are: Ed Begley, Jr., Living Like Ed; Paul Rippens on Mt. Lowe; Christopher Nyerges on Urban Self-Reliance;  and Joel Harper,

Sunday afternoon was a good time for baseball — in this case, the East Altadena Little League’s Challenger team, the Angels, playing at Donley Field behind Webster School.  The Challenger program lets special needs kids regardless of ability work with a personal coach (usually a teenage volunteer) on basic baseball skills, followed by a game where everyone gets a chance to hit and score.  More after the jump.

Mon., June 6 
Between 6:00 AM and 8:00 AM – A commercial burglary occurred at Focus Point Academy, 19 W. Palm Ave. Suspect(s) entered the school by shattering the west side classroom windows. Loss: plastic container with live turtle & three music cd’s. 

The bus will operate Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.  Cost is $3, and seniors (60+ with proper ID) and persons with disabilities $1.50.  Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

Pick-up times are:

9:15 AM SE corner Lincoln Ave. and Ventura Street

9:25 AM Loma Alta Drive in front of Loma Alta Park

9:35 AM  East Mariposa St.

• Latest wrinkles in the Kelvin McFarland aka “Sgt. Mac” case: at yesterday’s preliminary hearing: supporters were out with signs, while in the courtroom, his accuser failed to identify him in court.  (The 14-year-old accuser is dubbed “Lady M” by the court — apparently when you can’t use the real name, a rapper name will do. O tempora, o mores.).  PSN’s Brian Charles chronicles the crazy.
• Anita Martin of Altadena attended a fundraising reception in Pasadena Monday to meet with First Lady Michelle Obama. 

180 Hollywood-Glendale-Pasadena via Los Feliz Bl & Colorado Bl

New late night shuttle service on Lake Av between Colorado Bl and Altadena Dr, providing connections with Metro Gold Line Lake Station. Shuttle will operate daily.

485 Altadena-Downtown LA via Lake Av. & El Monte Busway

Operate Line 485 from Altadena Dr &

A last minute notice:  The Altadena NAACP Youth Council is sponsoring "Words I Never Said: A Conversation with Police" tonight at 5 PM at the Jackie Robinson Center, 1020 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, across the street from Robinson Park.

 Pasadena Police Chief Philip Sanchez will be the guest on topics including getting pulled over,

Robert Staehle of the Altadena Crest Trail Restoration Working Group (ACTRWG) lets reminds us they'll be meeting tonight at 7 PM at the Altadena Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Dr: 

All are welcome! Please come to express your support, concerns and ideas for "Getting our ACT (Altadena Crest Trail) together."

PUSD school staff explained the district’s  future plans for Burbank Elementary School in a sometimes-testy meeting at the school auditorium Tuesday night.

 Although the school will close at the end of the month, the district wants to move other programs into the facility, in part because if left vacant, a charter school can make a bid to use it, according to school district chief facilities officer David R. Azcarraga.

A few crime-fighting tips from Altadena sheriff Lt. Joseph Dempsey:

• Keep all doors and windows locked, even if you are just going out “for a minute.” If a window is left open a few inches for ventilation, pins or dowels should be inserted in the tracks to prevent someone from opening it more. 
• Lock gates,

• District Ranger Michael McIntyre from the National Forest Service is passing along a message about dogs going off-leash on the Cobb Estate:  “I would like to ask everyone to think about what we can do with the issue of dogs off leash there.  We are getting more and more near misses and complaints about encounters with unleashed dogs.  I just had a FS employee get bit by a dog off leash elsewhere on the forest and she had to have 30 stitches so it is a subject of concern.  

The structure has been undergoing renovations for over a year, and park staff is now ready to show the community the new Tiny Tot room, teen center, dance hall, and kitchen.

Click on the graphic for more information.

Sheriff Lt. Joseph Dempsey said that the two Altadena residents, ages 18 and 19, were shot at about 8:13 PM last night on the 500 block of Figueroa.  Dempsey said that one was shot in the arm and one in the back,

Just some sketchy information that sheriff's homicide detectives were looking into the death of adult white woman in the Angeles National Forest Wednesday afternoon.  The location was on Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road, Mile Marker 8.95.  The sheriffs had released no other information as of Wednesday night.

• Put your videographer skills to work:  the Arroyo Seco Foundation is holding video contest: “Why is Hahamongna so special?”  Develop a short video about any aspect of Hahamongna, The winning contestant will recieve a grand prize of $1,000, second place $500, third place $250, and there will be other prizes as well.  Deadline is June 30.  For more information:  http://www.arroyoseco.org/videocontest.htm
• It’s getting close to the deadline for Theatre Americana’s festival of the arts at Farnsworth Park.

Where do Altadenans shop?  What business would they like to see in town? 

Apparently, Trader Joe’s.

The Altadena Chamber of Commerce revealed a sampling of the results of its online survey Thursday night, and the survey says that, besides a TJ’s., people would like to see more restaurants, and at least some are interested in a big box store such as Home Depot or Costco.

Pictured: Chamber vice president Ed Meyers presents the survey results.

The Altadena Ale & Wine House, 2329 N. Fair Oaks, will open its doors early Saturday to host a viewing of the UEFA Championship Final between FC Barcelona and Manchester United.  The pub will open at 10 AM, and the match starts at 11 AM.  No word if David Beckham’s going to show up to watch …

“It’s settled,” said Mike McLellan.

McLellan said that a deputy county planner whom he would not name called him to say that the county had settled the matter, and told him “the less said, the better.”

“Too many emails,” McLellan said.

We’re seeking comment from county planning officials (but it’s Friday before a holiday!).

We will be enjoying family activities and some recreation this weekend, so posting will be light.

From the 1890s until the 1940s, there was usually a Memorial Day ceremony held at Mountain View cemetery, to honor veterans in general, but especially the Civil War veterans who were buried there. The last of those veterans died in 1946, and after that the tradition seems to have fallen away.

Entitled “Designing Your Life” this program will take place at Altadena Library on Monday, June 20 at 7 p.m.  

Although many Altadenans know him as a long time Town Council member, Allan also balances a number of professions along with his government duties,

Everyone in the community is welcome to enjoy food from local restaruants, kids’ activities, music, games, and much more for a free family day.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
      Between the crosses, row on row,
   That mark our place; and in the sky
   The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn,

We spent three days at our St. Mark Church's family camp (at Catalina Island Camps), and have come back refreshed and renewed.  Three days away from the computer, and instead hanging out with friends, looking for seaglass, reading, hiking, taking pictures and playing the guitar.  We had no idea how much we needed this!

Got caught in multiple projects yesterday, so we have a lot of catching up to do today! 

 
Little leaguers line up to get their bowling balls and play.  More pictures after the jump.

Time to start thinking about the town council elections coming up: pre-voting is June 7 (for those who can't vote on Saturday) and the election itself is June 11. 

Candidates Greg Middleton and Rebecca Haussling, who are both running for the seat in CT 4602, are both telling why you should vote for them on our town council election page,

Community correspondent Steve Gerow saw this rare visitor yesterday morning on the Sam Merill Trail: a gray fox, about 200 yards from Lake Ave.

Community correspondent Ken J Johnson took these pictures of the spectacular explosion and fire in his neighborhood Friday that knocked out the power and sent the fire department scrambling in.

Johnson tell us:

You will see how the connection overloaded and as it failed put more pressure on other connections, the wire breaks and lands in the oak tree causing the whole pole with crossbeam to rotate when the tension is released.

The event will be Sat., June 4, 10 AM-2 PM.

The troop is looking for donations of old towels and blankets, food, toys and treats for the dogs. 

The Pasadena Police Department is holding its annual Operations Section Open House at the Benedict Heliport (located at 2175 Yucca Lane, Altadena, just off the 210 Freeway at the Arroyo /Windsor offramp)  on Sat., June 4, 11 AM-2 PM.

Displays will include police helicopters,

Tickets are $20 — your donation includes a drink (draught beer, house wine, or soda), food, and a chance to win prizes, but you must  RSVP to Julie: sdsujulie@hotmail.com or call (626) 794-4577

The Altadena Ale &

• ACONA dates: Elliot Gold at the Altadena Coalition of Neighborhood Associations reminds us that they’ve yet to pick a date for the next meeting.  Potentials are; Tues., Aug. 9, Tues., Aug. 23, and Mon., Sept. 19.  He’s also looking for meeting topics.  If you’re involved in your neighborhood association, send him an email at elliot@telespan.com
• Summer camp: Two Dragons Martial Arts, 2490 N. Lake Ave., will hold a martial arts summer camp,

Altadena resident J. Morgan Kousser, professor of history and social science at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), has been awarded the Richard P. Feynman Prize for Excellence in Teaching—Caltech’s most prestigious teaching honor.

Kousser was selected for his “exceptional ability to draw science and engineering students to appreciate the intellectual rigors of legal thought.”

The Feynman Prize was established in 1993 “to honor annually a professor who demonstrates, in the broadest sense,