OK, let's review:

In the the past few months, county code enforcers have:

• Told Lake Ave. businesses to remove sidewalk signs (the kind that are common in upscale areas).
• Tried to close down Food Truck Fridays at the Webster's complex.
• Tried to remove the signs and children's paintings from the MonteCedro property.

As the situation in Japan deteriorates, many people have been worried about possible increased radiation levels locally.  The South Coast Air Quality Management District has established a web page to give daily reports on recorded levels, which is right here.  As of today (Friday), levels are not above standard background.

UPDATE:  Mickey Kaus weighs in about this in The Daily Caller.

Rain is here, National Weather Service says it'll get worse, and has issued this:

.FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE RECENT BURN AREAS FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT… 

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LOS ANGELES/OXNARD HAS ISSUED A 

* FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE STATION…MORRIS…BRIGGS AND CROWN BURN AREAS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY. 

Forewarned is forearmed, and public safety maven Carolyn Seitz has condensed information from several sources for the following:

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works has released the following information and forecast for rainfall, mud & debris flows and flooding potential for the foothill areas through Monday, March 21.

The bloggers of the San Gabriel Valley (and some beyond) met in their third annual “Primavera in Altadena” potluck at Farnsworth Park Saturday afternoon.  Considering the cold and threat of rain, we counted some 40 souls at its peak, which was pretty good attendence.  Co-sponsored by Altadenablog, Altadena Above It All, Altadenahiker, and Open Mouth Insert Fork, it was a dessert-heavy feast this year, but what’s wrong with that?

Got the following from the LA County Dept. of Public works:

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works has announced that based on the forecast of heavy rain, it will close public access to all County roads within the Station Fire burn area at 11:59 PM Saturday, March 19, 2011. 

As a result, the following roads will be closed to all traffic with the exception of emergency vehicles,

• Meadows resident and defender of the big cats Mary Ellen Schoeman alerts us to the Wild Wonders/Zoofari golf tournament in Escondido, to reach money for wildlife conservation and rescue, and partners with her favorite cause Cheetah Outreach.  More details on the tournament here.
•  The Altadena Mountain Rescue Team passed its technical rock certification this month.  Search and rescue teams from all over California met for testing and recertification near Lone Pine on their technical rock rescue skills.  They’ve got a picture and a story on their website.

Even if you don’t play golf, consider being a tee sign sponsor, donate a raffle prize, or just come for the dinner and raffle.  All details are on the flyer.

 This is March 21, or 3/21, which is Down Syndrome Awareness Day (because Down Syndrome people have an extra 21st chomosome), and we like to shout out to two local organizations that have been helpful to many families dealing with the problems/blessings this brings:

The Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles

Club 21 

… and we like to include this essay by David Falcone (reprinted in the Momologist),

Walt Trepashko has been a photographer for 25 years – the last 17 of them in his family portrait studio on Lake and Mariposa right here in Altadena. 

This native of New York City and Long Island got his early professional experience at the New York Daily News. He worked in Washington, D.C., with ABC television news for four years and then worked as a photographer in television production for seven years.

… at 4 PM at the Altadena Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Dr.

Thurs., March 10  

Between 9:00 AM & 5:00 PM, Tuesday – A petty theft occurred in the 2800 block of Highview Avenue. Loss: garden hose.

The American Cancer Society is extending a special invitation to cancer patients or survivors and their caregivers to join them for a special lunch at Brookside Golf course this Friday, March 25, from noon to 2 PM.  Complimentary tea, coffee, scones, and sandwiches and more will be served.

Team Triumph (a bunch of bikers, obviously) is having a BBQ bash to raise money for "Rip's B.A.D. Ride 2011" (Bikers Against Diabetes), to benefit the American Diabetes Association.  

The barbecue will be held Sat., April 16, from 3-7 PM at 75 South Oak St., in Pasadena. 

The VYMA Music Project @ Longfellow Elementary School, Pasadena, in partnership with PasadenaLEARNS, invites you to its Spring Open House and Concert this Friday.

The young musicians have prepared a musical feast and invite you to visit behind the scenes. Meet the teachers, the students and listen to each orchestra section in an intimate setting.

It's been awhile since we're heard from Gloriana Casey, whose poetic muse seems to strike when something gores her ox.  Here's the latest:

Dear County Princes : Cinderella City Wants Her Glass Slipper Back

   from gloriana casey

There is a Cinderella town
against the Angeles.

The free event is scheduled Saturday, April 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Memorial Park, Armory Center for the Arts and along Raymond Avenue between Walnut and Holly streets.

This year’s festival promises more exhibitors and eco-friendly vendors.

The National Park Service has sent us this information about the upcoming Watershed and Mountains Special Resource Study:

The Draft San Gabriel Watershed and Mountains Special Resource Study will soon be available for public review. We expect to publish it in summer 2011. A link to the full report on the website will be sent to everyone on this email list.

Ed note: this was supposed to go up Thursday, but went up today, so we had to fix it!

Altadena resident Amanda Klotzsche, who is also Assistant Planner for the City of Burbank, has forwarded to us this map of projected bikeways in Altadena as part of Los Angeles County’s bicycle master plan.

She tells us: 

I think it’s interesting that the county would like to plan to have a bicycle boulevard (basically a route on which they will put a ton of traffic calming measures to make it safer for bicyclists) run through Altadena.

Altadena Sheriff  Lt. Joseph Dempsey has sent the following message around:

We are still experiencing residential burglaries, vehicle burglaries, and thefts from unlocked vehicles in the Altadena area. The Sheriff’s Department believes strongly in community partnerships to prevent and solve crimes. We want to remind everyone to be vigilant in protecting our homes,

Daniel Webster School will bring a long-running music education program to its students for the third year in a row, as they welcome the Young Americans to their campus on March 31-April 2.  

The Young Americans is a company of 46 singers and dancers, ages 18-24,

———

People are discovering improvisation is a fun way to express themselves, build powerful team dynamics, enhance presentation skills, and develop not only new material, but new ways of thinking, all in a stimulating environment.

Dane Stauffer of Playzone Productions is offering a six week improv workshop on Saturdays at the Coffee Gallery Backstage,

Entries will be slow today — taxes and dentistry, a deadly combination.

Only a few more days are left until the April 15 deadline for application and photo submission to the Foothill Municipal Water District (FMWD) California Friendly Garden Contest.

Three sets of prizes will be given: one in the Crescenta Valley area, one in the La Canada area and one in the combined Altadena and Kinneloa areas.

The Parent Council of the Pasadena Waldorf School presents “Simplicity Parenting” with  Kim John Payne on Fri., March 25, at 6:30 PM at the Vosloh Forum at Pasadena City College.

This crazy world just spins faster and faster. There’s too much of everything: too much stuff, too much information, too many choices, too many distractions.

Want to be a better parent? Want a happier kid? Want a better,

The lecture is at the museum, 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena. Free to members, $10 for non-members, and there is a cash bar.

Rohde is an Imagineer – which means he designs attractions,

The featured orange crate labels, one Alta brand, the other Dena brand, were printed by the Pasadena Orange Growers Association sometime after 1913.  They are not original lithographs but are good quality facsimiles of the originals.   

For a donation of $20 plus $4 shipping and handling you’ll receive high resolution photographs (9” x 9.5”)  of both labels.  

• Mickie Mills looks at Vise Versa, one of the bands that’ll be performing at the Altadena Music & Arts Community Festival tomorrow.
• Pasadena Weekly’s Andre Coleman looks at the closure of the Coffee Gallery front stage performance space.
• Millard Chaney’s cartoon is missing in action this week (somebody probably called code enforcement, and there’s an artistic license somewhere we haven’t paid …)

SBTS will perform “King Lear” on Sun. July 24, and “Much Ado About Nothing” on Aug. 7 at the park amphitheater.  Both performances start at 7 PM.

“Shakespeare by the Sea creates magical experiences with bewitching performances in idyllic park settings throughout the Greater Los Angeles Area,” says founding member and Producing Artistic Director Lisa Coffi,

Fri., March 25

• Farnsworth Park and the Boss Dog Film Project will be presenting free classic and recent-run movies on the last Friday of the month at the Davies Auditorium.  On March 25, the fun starts with Elvis in Fun in Acapulco, 1-3 PM.  Kung-Fu Panda follows at 3:30-5:45, followed by “urban illusionist” Greg Riley along with snacks,

A Film LA staffer says that a permit was filed for a feature film called “Desert Road,” directed by Don Fauntleroy, which is wrapping up this weekend on the  2300 block of Highland Ave

However,

Tues., March 1

Between 2:00 AM & 2:00 PM, Wednesday – A petty theft occurred in the 2300 block of Windsor Avenue.  Suspect(s) removed a car cover from a vehicle parked in a driveway. Loss: beige CoverCraft cover.

1:00 PM – A petty theft from a vehicle occurred in the 2200 block of Mar Vista Avenue.  Suspect described as a male, Hispanic,

 AFC board members will be in the store between noon and 5 PM.

The YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism,

The Social Media Club of the San Gabriel Valley will have a lunch and panel discussion on Thurs., March 10, at the Business Technology Center, 2400 N. Lincoln Ave.  Brown bag lunch starts at 11:30, panel begins at noon.

"How to expand your business in 2011 using Facebook and Linkedin" is the topic of the panel discussion.

• Pasadena Now has words and pictures (and Altadenans!) on Sunday’s celebratory bash for the Pasadena League of Women Voters at Caltech’s Athenaeum.  Here’s the link.
• Armenian poet (and Pasadena resident)  Jacque S. Hagopian introduced his new novel, In Love with Liloush, on Sun., Feb. 19 at the Tekeyan Cultural Association’s Beshgeturian Center (Allen and New York Drive). The Armenian Mirror-Spectator has a story on the event.

For Seat 2, incumbent Renatta Cooper is running unopposed, altho’ Altadenan Cushon Bell has filed papers as an official write-in candidate for that seat.

For Seat 4,  incumbent Bob Harrison will be stepping down and there are two challengers, both Altadena residents:  Kim Kenne, and Gene Stevenson.

For Seat 6, incumbent Tom Selinske is running against challengers Sean Baggett and Gaylaird Christopher.

We are grateful to the businesses and organizations that support this work in the most direct way — with their funds.  Our sponsor team keeps Altadenablog going, and they are assured in the knowledge that this is not only the best way to reach an established Altadena audience, but that their support of Altadenablog means the money stays right here in the community.