Her guests will be members of Altadena Heritage’s North Lake Working Group, which is putting together a survey of the commercial stretch of Lake Avenue.

According to Thomas Stahl, a member of the working group, the volunteer effort from Altadena Heritage–

Sponsored by Altadenablog, Altadena Above It All, AltadenaHiker, and Open Mouth Insert Fork, we’re asking all bloggers to spread the word and help make this the best gathering ever!

Thurs., March 10

• The Social Media Club of the San Gabriel Valley will have a brownbag lunch and panel discussion at the Business Technology Center, 2400 N. Lincoln Ave.  Brown bag lunch starts at 11:30, panel begins at noon.  Topic: “How to expand your business in 2011 using Facebook and Linkedin.”
• Coffee Gallery, 2029 N. Lake: front stage, long form storytelling open mic,

LA Times' food section celebrates Altadena's urban homesteads today.  (Note: URBAN HOMESTEAD! URBAN HOMESTEAD!  You either get it or you don't!)  A great article, featuring lots of names that frequently appear on this website.  And in the picture, it's hard to tell who's cuter — Gloria and Steve, or the goats!

ADDENDUM: we went to the Altadena Ale &

The Metropolitan Water District has shared the following consumer tips for coping with the shutdown:

THINGS TO DO NOW, BEFORE FRIDAY, MARCH 18

Beginning Monday, March 14

• Do not plant new landscaping,

From Carolyn Seitz, the Sheriff's Department has provided the following information as a reminder about how to prevent burglaries from your vehicles:

Help to prevent vehicle burglaries:

1. Don't leave valuables in your car.

2. If you must leave valuable items in your car while out and about,

Hodel, author of the Black Dahlia Avenger and Most Evil, is a former LAPD detective who collected evidence that the Black Dahlia murderer was also a serial killer — and his own father!  Come hear the dark tale in this free program at the Altadena Library,

 If you're just getting up, there has been a major earthquake in Japan — Fox News just said it was the biggest quake in Japanese history — and resulting tsunami. National Weather Service says that locally our coastal areas from are under a tsunami advisory, with the waves expected to hit our local coasts during the 8 AM hour.

• Altadenan Joe Barrie likes eggs, bacon, and a fully-loaded pancake for breakfast at Fox’s.  And golf.  Hey, he’s 100 years old, he can do whatever he wants.  Janette Williams tells the tale in PSN.
• The Pasadena Education Network is looking for board members for one or two-year terms.  PEN board candidates must have a child enrolled in PUSD.  If you’re a PEN member or would like to nominate a PEN member,

Pasadena City College faculty, staff, and administrators will be visiting local African-American churches this month as part of the “Super Education Sunday” outreach effort. The goal of the program is to connect with students and their families and to make them aware of the academic programs and support opportunities available at PCC.

Participants from the college will include members of the Pasadena Area Community College District Board of Trustees,

The free festival, sponsored by the Los Angeles County Dept. of Parks and Recreation along with Altadena artists and residents, includes music  and performances on the amphitheater stage and art on display at the Davies Building.

Angie Calleros, recreation supervisor at Farnsworth Park, says that vendors will be selling crafts, artwork, T-shirts, plants,

The first concert will feature The TJazz Quartet on Sat., April 2, at 7 PM.  Tickets are $20 donation.  For ticket information, call 626-818-3160.

At a cost of $50 for the week, children ages six through 14 will have a full day of activities from 8 AM-5 PM.  (Child must bring lunch and a snack).  Click on flyer for more information.

Registration is at the park office, M-F noon to 5, Sat-Sun. 12-4 PM.  For more information,

The Hungry Nomad truck offered something new: video screens on top of their truck, where they ran commercials for themselves!

 Also that night,

• The Altadena Urban Farmer's Market at the Zane Grey Estate is taking March off, according to their Facebook page, and will resume April 17, maybe with baby goats.
• Reader Sharon Carman pointed us to this video of last week's Hahamongna Watershed walkabout.

The classes enable you to become a University of California “Victory Gardener,” part of UC Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardener Program.  Cost is $50 for the series or $15 per class.  To register, call Jeri Huston at 323-344-6012.

• The National Women’s Caucus of Greater Pasadena will have a panel discussion on “Women and Wealth” on March 21 at the Altadena Main Library, 600 E. Mariposa St.  PSN has details.
• The Gardener’s Potluck for members of the Altadena Community Garden will be this Sat., March 19, starting at 1 PM at the garden next to Loma Alta Park.  Bring a dish or two, and you are encouraged to bring utensils, dishes, and cups from home.

The Detective Bureau at the Altadena Sheriff’s Station has a special request.

If you have or know someone who has a vacant house that the Deputies at Altadena Station can use for a few days for training, please let me know.

They need to do some specialized training and need a house to use.

They will not break down the doors or break the windows, unless you agree to allow them to do that.

• The Pasadena Education Network (PEN) is having a fundraiser wine tasting event to honor Assemblyman Anthony Portantino and PUSD parents Cushon Bell and Michelle Calva-Despard on Sun., April 3, from 5-8 PM.  Location is redwhite + bluezz on 70 S. Raymond St. in Old Pasadena.  Tickets are $75, and sponsorships are available.  Go here for more information.
• The  Altadena Town and Country Club will have an open house with tours on Sun.

Customers of Rubio Canyon Land & Water Co. are being asked to conserve during the March 18-27 water service reduction, even though the water company believes it has adequate resources  to weather the ten days.

The water company sent out a message to customers this month that  "We plan to use our wells during this period, however we will not have access to any supplemental water.

Entries will be light for the next few days as we handle some other issues (rhymes with "taxes").

According to an email sent out by canyon resident Lori Paul, today’s blast was cancelled, but the reasons behind the blast are still uncertain.

The story began with an email from Mike Alarid, superintendent of the Bear Divide Hotshots,

We received this email from local artist Kate Carvellas:

Hi everybody.  I've been feeling overwhelmed and deeply grieved by the devastation in Japan.  I've been trying to think of something I can do to help.  So…for the next 30 days I'm donating 50% of all sales of my artwork/prints to aid in disaster relief in Japan.  Below are links to my Etsy stores and an album of available original artwork. 

From Caroyn Seitz:

For those who are already CERT trained, there will be a CERT refresher Saturday, May 7th, in the Altadena/Pasadena area.  This refresher will be for those who have completed either CERT or PERT (Pasadena Emergency Response Team) training.

This refresher will be co-hosted by the Pasadena Fire Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Ann Erdman, Pasadena's public information officer, sent us this message about a new scam going around:

FRAUD ALERT: BEWARE OF ANYONE FALSELY CLAIMING TO BE CITY OF PASADENA INSPECTOR

A woman calling herself an environmental health inspector with the Pasadena Public Health Department has been approaching local restaurants, claiming to be there to inspect their premises for safety violations in exchange for cash payment.

Probably of greatest interest in  the agenda is the proposed farmer’s market at Loma Alta Park, where a decision will probably be made.

And the market manager will be the same one who started — and abruptly stopped — the short-lived market at Sacred Heart Church earlier this year.

At Tuesday night’s Altadena Town Council meeting, Al Evans of the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Dept. said that the market’s manager will be RIck Hernandez,

Join Curves and the Altadena Chamber of Commerce for the official ribbon cutting at 2:30 PM, which will also be a fundraiser for Altadena’s Relay for Life.

Last year, Curves raised more money for Relay for Life than any other Altadena team. The grand opening will also have food,

Don't forget that the Altadena Chamber of Commerce's monthly mixer will be Thurs., March 17 from 5:30-7 PM at The Beauty Room, 411 E. Woodbury Road.  Members are $5, guests $7.  Bring a raffle prize and receive commercial time to promote your business (or bring one just to be nice!).

The lead rider of a group of cyclists was hit by a car making a right turn at Woodbury and Garfield on Tuesday afternoon, according to Officer Ming Hsu of the California Highway Patrol.

Hsu said that the driver made a right turn in front of the group, injuring the lead rider,

"Recovering From the Station Fire: 2011 Update" will be the presentation at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center next Wed., March 23, at 7:30 PM.

How are the San Gabriel Mountains faring since the Station Fire of 2009? What lies ahead for Angeles National Forest this second spring after the huge fire that burned one-quarter of the forest?

The Altadena Ale & Wine House, 2329 N. Fair Oaks Ave., starts celebrating St. Patrick's Day tomorrow at noon with Guinness, Harp, or Black & Tan, along with corned beef and cabbage.

If that's not enough, there will be an IPA Beer Tasting on Mon.,

This month we are doing a little something different for our Fun and Games Friday…Why mess with FGAF, you ask? Well, it’s been a while since we have had a raffle…so we are raffling off some incredible full-sized movie posters. All you have to do is show up and participate! See you Friday, March 25,

4:25 PM: Thanks to readers who alerted us (we're in the field now, but we have wireless and a mobile scanner) unconfirmed reports of an aircraft down around the Cobb Estate.  Fire and Air 5 seems to be rolling.  We'll keep monitoring.

4:26 PM: Please remember scanner transmissions are raw information and subject to revision or just plain being wrong —

The Pasadena Police Department will be hosting a meeting regarding community safety to address the department’s response to recent incidents of violence in Pasadena and Altadena. 

The meeting will be held on Thurs., Feb. 17  at 6 PM in the gymnasium at Robinson Park located at 1081 N.

Fox News reports that there will be a Muir Booster Club fundaiser barbecue for Brandon Jackson's family on Sat. at Loma Alta Park, beginning at 10 AM.  Because of expected rain, the barbecue will be drive-up.

Also, Bank of America has set up a memorial fund for the family.

Thurs., Feb. 17

• Pasadena Police Chief Phillip Sanchez will speak at a meeting on community safety in light of recent shootings, 6 PM at Robinson Park gymnasium, Pasadena.

Fri., Feb. 18

• “You Again” is this month’s Friday Fun Flick at the Altadena Library, 600 E. Mariposa St.  When a young girl finds out that her brother is going to marry the girl who bullied her in school,

Wed., Feb. 9

Between 8:00 AM and; 5:00 PM – a residential burglary occurred in the 2200 block of Navarro Avenue.  Suspect(s) entered via the unlocked window.  Residence was ransacked and the following items  were stolen: black Samsung 42” TV, black “Samsung” Blu-ray, and; silver “Aeas” digital camera.  

Between 7:00 PM and; 7:00 AM – a grand theft occurred in the 600 block of Devirian Place.  Loss:  beige washing machine, green/yellow “John Deere” lawn mower,