“Diverse technology businesses are being pioneered right here in Los Angeles County,” said Dr. Mark Lieberman, co-founder of Tech Week, in a press release about the event. “The Los Angeles technology sector is unarguably one of the strongest technology economies in the world and our 9th annual Tech Week reflects that vitality.”

We can't end the day without acknowledging the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, and we saw this story today.  It has a special significance for us, as we interviewed Nichelle Nichols about 30 years ago when she was the spokeswoman for a NASA program to get girls interested in science.  Turns out that Dr. King was a Trekkie as well!

• I drink your milkshake:  Alfred Lee at LA Business Journal runs a story about the Alta Dena Dairy‘s founding Stueve family suing their former attorney for pocketing millions. (The dairy was founded in Monrovia, but took its name from the location of its first delivery route).
• Floods or habitat?  Frank Girardot at PSN looks at the problem of silt and sediment removal vs. trees and habitat, which is why the Arcadia Woodlands were flattened and why Hahamongna is swirling with controversy. 

Some residents in Altadena are reporting the presence of squatters in homes that are for sale or have recently been sold but are in escrow.

The issue was also reported on the news, not for Altadena, but as a growing issue in vacant mansions on the west side of Los Angeles.  That story was also on the news in New Mexico.

In Altadena, residents have notice that houses that were empty have furniture in them,

California Highway Patrol will be on maximum alert this holiday weekend as they say in this release:

On Friday, Dec. 24 at 6 p.m., the CHP begins its Christmas Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP) which continues through Sunday, Dec. 26 at 11:59 p.m. During this holiday weekend, CHP offices throughout the state plan for increased visible presence by deploying special enforcement
teams,

Always appreciated: we have to share a shout-out to our humble website in today's Pasadena Star-News from Editor Frank Girardot, who also singles out John Crawford's Sierra Madre Tattler (one of our favorites) and Glimpses of South Pasadena by Laurie Allee as outstanding examples of dedicated local bloggers. (Hmm … all of these localities also have well-funded carpetbaggers from New York City moving in …

Our traditional Christmas picture is a Flemish painting by an unknown artist, c. 1515, “Adoration of the Christ Child,” which is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.  Several years ago, psychiatrist Andrew Levitas and geneticist Cheryl Reid made a discovery: the angel closest to Mary, and possibly one of the shepherds in the back,

• Don’t forget to take the Altadena business survey here: http://surveyaltadena.com/
• Edward Cansino, 63, Altadena composer/conductor who led the ensemble I Cantori, has died. He was 63.  The Kansas City Star (!) has an obit.
• Altadenan Connie Rice of the Advancement Project has a new job: she’s on the transition team for attorney general-elect Kamala Harris, says the LA Times.

The MOMS clubs of Pasadena and Pasadena North are hosting their second annual Preschool Fair and Fundraiser on Sat., Jan. 8, 2011.

Pasadena and surrounding communities offer a wealth of preschools, but few centralized resource exist to allow parents to compare and evaluate individual schools.  Representatives from over 40 preschools representing the Pasadena,

• Now that Christmas is over, it’s time for that Day of Enforced Joy, New Year’s Eve. If you’re going down the hill in the motorhome, Pasadena police volunteers will be reminding people about the Parade Watch, which is like neighborhood watch for parade campers: All vehicles parked within one block of the parade route may be subject to search.  People are asked not to leave vehicles parked unattended overnight within one block of the parade route.  Unattended vehicles may be subject to enforcement under the City’s parking limitation or prohibition ordinance which may include towing.

It doesn't look like it now at almost 2 PM, but the National Weather Service is saying there's a 100% chance of heavy rains late tonight and on into Thursday.  Precipitation is predicted to be less than a quarter inch during that time, and it's all supposed to be gone by tomorrow afternoon.  Cold winds are also threatening, and if you're traveling, rain will keep on thru Thursday on north-facing slopes (i.e.

… per the scanner, Altadena Mountain Rescue, along with team members from Sierra Madre, are getting ready to extract some hikers.  Unconfirmed reports from the scanner say two hikers are not ambulatory, and five others are involved.  Chopper is aloft, and they're going to enter by the Pinecrest gate, so we hope someone brought keys …

6:20 PM: Per scanner,

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works has released the following information about the coming storm through noon Wed., Dec. 29:

RAINFALL:They are predicting 0.5 inches of rain up to 1.25 inches of rain for areas south of Point Conception

WINDS: The mountain areas, on the north side of the San Gabriel Mountains and Antelope Valley are likely to experience cold, damaging winds.   Remember that in Altadena,

We'll be in a small stream flood advisory until 9:15 this morning, National Weather Service says.  As for this afternoon, expect high winds with the possibility of more trees coming down this afternoon and tomorrow.  Here's their latest shout:

..HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO NOON PST THURSDAY…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LOS ANGELES/OXNARD HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND WARNING…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO NOON PST THURSDAY.

The Altadena Mountain Rescue Team blog already has an entry on last night's adventure, as well as Sunday's rescue of five youths above El Prieto.

The LA County Sheriff's Dept. issued a press release on last night's rescue of the teenage hikers in Eaton Canyon, and it was more of an adventure than the initial reports suggested — but with no flashlights, no hiking supplies, and risking the lives of the chopper crew who had to fly below power lines to save them,

• Tony M. Moreland Stewart, 92, former president of the Altadena NAACP, passed away this week. Among her many honors was Altadena Chamber Citizen of the Year (2005), one of the Los Angeles County Commission of Women’s “Women of the Year,’ 2005, and many other recognition for her efforts in education and civl rights. The Pasadena Journal has her full obituary.
• The Journal also has a story on PUSD board candidate Gene Stevenson of Altadena.

New Year’s Eve, Fri., Dec. 31

Rancho Bar, 2485 N. Lake Ave: New Year’s Eve party featuring live music from Local Rock/Soul/Blues band Better Than Blue, starts at 9 PM.

Altadena Ale & Wine House, 2329 N. Fair Oaks, prides itself on its selection of champagne and sparkling wine, all of which are available by the glass and by the bottle for your New Year’s celebration. 

How are you going to remember the year we're leaving behind?  What strong memory or feeling is going to stay with you about the year 2010?  Comments are open!

by Gary Altadena

Found a new photographer friend hiking in the upper arroyo .  First thing that stands out is the huge piece of glass he packs (700 mm). Denis Callet, an import from France, can be found photographing wildlife right here above the Hahamongna dam up to five hours a day.

The thing that is cool about Denis is, as hikers pass, he will invite them to take a look in the camera and shares stories and the capture of the day.

Anyone with an opinion (for or against) the proposed monopine cell tower one block north of Loma Alta in the McNally neighborhood are urged to mail/email their views to the Department of Regional Planning to be received no later than Jan. 15.  The department has schedule a hearing on the conditional use permit for the tower on Feb. 9.

For those of us who live next to a police scanner tuned to the Pasadena police, the Rose Bowl parade and bowl game mean lots of opportunities to find out how it's going from the comfort of our own kitchen table — yesterday it was moving illegal parkers, today it's moving illegal squatters and directing traffic. 

Pasadena – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
announces the following closures for the 2011 Pasadena Rose Parade:

Friday, December 31 through Saturday, January 1
Glendale Freeway (SR-134)
·       8 p.m. to 11 a.m. – Eastbound Orange Grove Boulevard off-ramp.
·       2 a.m. to 12 p.m.  – Westbound Orange Grove Boulevard
on-ramp.

Water main break at that intersection about mid-afternoon, affecting homes in the neighborhood that are customers of Rubio Canyon Land & Water.  A repair crew was onsite, but haven't heard that water's been restored yet.

Now that you’ve processed the holiday presents, you’re thinking:  “Why do I have so much stuff — and what do I do with it?”

Why do we keep what we keep and how can we evaluate our possessions to see if they are really worth the shelf space?

Reyna, who is an editor, book reviewer, poet, and ghost-writer, also authors the successful blog American Latina/o Writers Today to give voice to both established and emerging Hispanic writers.

Joe Clay, aka "Rambro'," or at least his van, have been spotted in the Millard Canyon parking lot in recent days.  Clay is suspected of illegally bow-hunting deer and/or bear in burn areas, near residences, and in other restricted areas.  Lori Paul sent out the following message to the news groups:

If you see Clay in the closure area or hunting too close to residences and recreational areas (day use,

The Altadena Library Community Room for January features the art of Jan Wurm, “A Month of Sundays”:

These small and light works are emblematic of the abandon and freedom of unmarked time. The line moves quickly, barely leaving its mark. The color briefly touches down to almost fill space. Forms emerge and merge and submerge in the light of the unsealed surface.

Using charcoal and conté crayons,

Problems in the county jail system uncovered in a two-year study by the Los Angeles County League of Women Voters Board will be presented in a free public forum Thurs., Jan. 6,  9:30 a.m., at the Women’s City Club, 160 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena.

Panelists are Dr.