The 2010 JPL Open House will take place on Saturday and Sunday, May 15 and 16, 2010, 9am-5pm both days. This popular event celebrates JPL’s accomplishments with exhibits and demonstrations about the Laboratory’s ongoing research and space exploration. Many of the Lab’s scientists and engineers are on hand to answer questions about how spacecraft are sent to other planets, how scientists utilize space technologies to explore Earth and how researchers are searching for planets beyond the solar system.

Altadenablog is looking for a locally-based freelance writer or two to help expand our coverage of Altadena events and handle some special projects as needed.   Skill set includes being able to conduct interviews, sit through sometimes-tedious public meetings, and the ability to produce short, snappy, finished copy in a short turnaround.  Proficiency in email, online research, and basic computer literacy is required. Being able to manage a point-and-shoot digital camera is a nice but not necessary skill.

• Field reports from readers say that the Audobon Society information signs at the Cobb Estate (which have been unreadable for years due to graffiti) have been removed.  Whether this is an organized effort or some guerilla action (not unknown on the Cobb Estate) has yet to be determined.
• Pasadena Weekly has two Altadena stories this week: Andre Coleman looks at the progress (or not) at the MonteCedro retirement home,

The Aveson charter school, presently located at the site of the old Noyes school, is looking to expand into northwest Altadena for their grade 6-12 academy.

According to the Aveson Compass, the school's email newsletter, they're looking at the site of the eternally-under-construction mall at the corner of Lincoln Ave. and Altadena Dr. for the Aveson Global Leadership Academy:

Aveson is in the process of working with the owners of the building on developing a long term lease agreement which would include building the 22,000 square feet interior space to perfectly suit our instructional model.

From Assemblyman Anthony Portantino's office:

The Eleventh Annual Women in Business Legislative Update & Awards Luncheon will take place at the Pasadena Hilton Hotel on July 16, 2010. The Women in Business Awards honor local women whose exceptional abilities have contributed to the economic vitality and diversity of the 21st Senate and 44th Assembly District. 

• Good news:  the Banana Museum has been purchased and will move to Palm Springs in 2011.
• The Finding the Famous blog looks at the showbiz career of the Altadena Town & Country Club.
• PSN's Walt Mancini shows us some cute kids at the Cesar Chavez celebration at Loma Alta Park (wonder if they tried to throw HIM out of the park like they did to us last summer?)
• Heather Firchow at the Altadena Library shows off the Young Adult area's rockin'


Come tour eight historic Arts & Crafts-era homes in Bungalow Heaven, Pasadena’s first Landmark District and a recent addition to the National Register of Historical Places.

From the Altadena office of the California Highway Patrol:

The primary objective of “Start Smart” is to provide teens and their parent/guardians with an interactive safe driving awareness class which will illustrate how poor choices behind the wheel of a car can affect the lives of numerous people.  The classes will also encompass the following: 

Altadenablog's first entry (which we think was "test") was in late September, 2007, as we were fiddling with formatting.  Our first actual news entry was in October.  It took us well over two months to get our first 1,000 pageviews.

Today, April 8, 2010, we have crossed a marker: half a million page views.  We wouldn't have made it that far unless we had you,

The LA County Sheriff Dept. played the Central Altadena Little League seniors and majors at CALL’s “Baseball Mania” fundraiser and picture day this afternoon.

And if you’re not as sports-oriented, the Altadena Library celebrated National Poetry Month with its annual “Poetry and Cookies” extravaganza.

Poet Richard Dutton demonstrates the many moods of the poetic muse.

Yeah, we've had several days of alarming forecasts followed by pleasant days for a couple of weeks now.  But by the look of things outside, it could be the real deal, especially overnight.  National Weather Service says:

A STRONG LATE SEASON STORM WILL MOVE OVER THE REGION THROUGH MONDAY BRINGING STRONG AND POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS TO THE MOUNTAINS AND PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW MAINLY ABOVE 5000 FEET.

It's PUSD spring break, so we'll have to blog lightly this week. But a few things for your perusal we found in Pasadena Star-News:

• Rep. Adam Schiff has named Altadenan Juanita West Tillman as "Woman of the Year" for her work with youth and children.  PSN has all the details.
• While we're at it,

Go explore, and take pictures with the idea in mind that each image you look at could be seen differently. Try different perspectives on everyday objects or scenes. Or try extreme close ups,

Priming the pump for the G.G. Green Carriage House tour,  Altadena Historical Society president Jane Brackman has lots to share:

Here at historical society, we’ve been focused on researching Col. G. G. Green for our upcoming tour of the carriage house on April 25.  We’ve accumulated loads of information and photographs from all over the country.  I’ll be presenting slides of our new Green family-related acquisitions next Monday night,

On Sun., May 2 between the 10 AM-4 PM,  the Altadena Guild of Huntington Memorial Hospital Research Institute (HMRI) will host the 59th Annual Home Tour featuring four majestic estates located on Boulder Road. 

Boulder Road remains one of Altadena’s most beloved theme streets, known for its boulder walls, lovely gardens and unique collection of English and Spanish revival homes… thus this year’s theme,

• Mighty Atladena blogging diva (Open Mouth … Cancer Banter, Orange Cat) Susan Carrier is quoted in this BusinessWeek story by about health care reform by another local blogger, Karen E. Klein.
• We can't believe that the uber-hip Gawker Media is paying attention to the Banana Museum!

(Photo by R.W. Dellinger from The Tidings.)

From Andrea Sweet, the American Cancer Society rep for the Altadena Relay for Life:

Things are getting busy, Relay is about a month away and preparations are well underway for the 2nd Annual Altadena Relay.  The 2010 Relay for Life of Altadena Event is May 15 – 16 at Loma Alta Park, 9 am to 9 am.

One Day, One Night; One Community, One Fight.

This is our second year in Altadena,