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We just received this over Facebook from Lance Anderson and Marisol Martinez of Altadena Junction:
Hello Everybody
As some of you already know, this morning a bus ran into the Altadena Hardware Store that is the anchor of our building. Our studios are undamaged and fortunately nobody was hurt,
« This weekend’s Altadena Junction opening has been thrown under the bus | Main | Everything has changed for Saturday: trees down, protest on, festival off »
Jannette Williams at PSN has a story in tomorrow's paper (it's appearing in the Contra Costa Times branch of the chain first, per the usual pattern) about the ousting of BJR Postal/Copy Center, the last of the original tenants of Lincoln Crossing. The story says that BJR owner Bobby Thompson admits that his business income was never enough to pay full freight on the rent,
« Lincoln Crossing ousts BJR Postal/Copy Center | Main | Read to Pearl for Barks and Books at the Library Feb. 28 »
Okay, everything we said would happen this weekend? Circumstances have conspired against them:
First, In a story posted on their website this afternoon, PSN reports that the city of Pasadena has already chopped down the trees in front of Vroman’s Bookstore, starting in the dead of night yesterday (yes, doing something in the dead of night is always a sign of openness and transparency).
« Everything has changed for Saturday: trees down, protest on, festival off | Main | Sheriffs detonate homemade bomb this morning »
Children ages 5-12 are invited to visit the Altadena Library at 11 AM next Saturday to read to Pearl. Pearl is a sweet, loveable standard poodle from the Pasadena Humane Society’s Home Companion Program. This reading enrichment program makes reading fun, boosts confidence and encourages respectful, humane treatment for all animals. The Barks & Books program runs the 4th Saturday of each month at 11 AM at the library,
« Read to Pearl for Barks and Books at the Library Feb. 28 | Main | Family Storytime @ the Library Feb. 28 »
Thanks to one of our readers, a resident of the area who alerted us to this, the Altadena sheriffs and county arson sqaud safely detonated a small homemade bomb sometime after midnight this morning near the sheriff's station. According to the sheriff's watch commander, a resident found the device in his grandparent's garage —
« Sheriffs detonate homemade bomb this morning | Main | Graffiti wave on eastside »
Come to the Altadena Main Library, 600 E. Mariposa, for Saturday Family Storytime. Join us for stories, songs, and fingerplays followed by a Scholastic film adaptation of an award-winning, classic children’s picture book. Film screen times range from 5-15 minutes. Appropriate for children ages 2-8 years and their families. This program will run the 4th Saturday of the month at 10:00 am.
« Family Storytime @ the Library Feb. 28 | Main | An Altadenablog thank you … »
Neighbors on the east side of Altadena have notice an uptick in graffiti in the usually quiet area. The first was a 20 ft. monster on a wall on Porter at Gaywood, first noticed Saturday morning (picture: Gino Sund):

That was followed by a tagged street sign noticed on Sunday at Sunny Oaks Circle and Loma Alta Dr. (photo: Steve Gerow):

If you spot graffiti, it’s important to notify the sheriff first (798-1131) —
« Graffiti wave on eastside | Main | Family fun with Rusty O’Flattery at the Library March 10 »
To Ruth Nielan Edwards, who has donated an extra camera to us (a Fuji digital), so we don't have to rely solely on the Altadenablog CrappyCam anymore. We're still working our way through the manual.
Now, we're still open if someone would like to donate a higher-end Nikon or Canon with some great lenses and a flash kit.
« An Altadenablog thank you … | Main | Snelgro is WAC Player of the Week »
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uesday, March 10th at 7 PM in the Altadena Main Library Community Room, 600 E. Mariposa St., meet Rusty O’Flattery.
That Celtic comical broth of a boy. Family fun with an Irish flavor featuring outrageous juggling, silly magic, devilish tales, audience involvements and more. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll wonder if his hair is real, or at least why he goes out in public like that. All ages welcome.
« Family fun with Rusty O’Flattery at the Library March 10 | Main | Pasadena meeting scheduled for urgent care facility March 5 »

Altadenan Danyelle Snelgro, a guard for Utah State, was named the Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for Feb. 16-22. This is the second WAC Player of the Week honor of the season for Snelgro. The
official WAC website has the details.
« Snelgro is WAC Player of the Week | Main | Crime log: Jan.29 – Feb. 16 »
Got this note from the City of Pasadena. This urgent care facility will serve us too, so listen up:
The City of Pasadena invites you to an up-date on the planning and design for the
URGENT CARE FACILITY
To be located on the site of the former San Gabriel Valley Learning Center @ 3160 East Del Mar Boulevard on:
Thursday,
« Pasadena meeting scheduled for urgent care facility March 5 | Main | Central Altadena Little League pancake breakfast set for March 7 »

A whole world of crime this period, after the jump:
Jan. 29: A man and woman were arrested in the Chaney Trail and Angeles National Forest area for possession of marijuana and meth for sale.
Jan. 28: Two men attempted a carjacking on Catherine Rd. and Mariposa St.
Jan. 31: Man arrested for possession of a dangerous weapon on the corner of Woodbury Rd.
« Crime log: Jan.29 – Feb. 16 | Main | Fat Tuesday »
Central Altadena Little League (CALL) will be holding a Pancake Breakfast on Sat., March 7, 2009 from 9-11 AM. at the upper picnic area of Farnsworth Park in Altadena. This annual fundraiser will kick off the 2009 Baseball season and is open to the public. The CALL Opening Ceremonies will be held immediately following the Breakfast, which are also open to the public.
« Central Altadena Little League pancake breakfast set for March 7 | Main | Farnsworth Park concert series finalized »

PSST! We’re putting in a personal plug: if you’re looking for a low-stress dinner option tonight — St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 1014 E. Altadena Dr., is having its annual Shrove Tuesday pancake supper tonight — 5-7 PM, $5 a head or $15 a family. It’s the annual fundraiser for the Men’s Fellowship — of which we are the treasurer, so a good turnout would make Altadenablog very happy!
« Fat Tuesday | Main | Muir teacher’s wife arrested … »
A

And here (click on graphic to enlarge) is the finalized roster for the summer concert series at Farnsworth Park! We can hardly wait!
« Farnsworth Park concert series finalized | Main | Rubio Basin gets graffiti’d »
… in a sordid domestic situation. Leta Carruthers, 29, of Altadena, was arrested for confronting a female teacher at Muir High School during a class re: her husband, also a teacher at Muir. Caroline An of PSN has the story right here.
« Muir teacher’s wife arrested … | Main | Workin’ for the weekend: stars and PUSD candidates »
Courtesy
Jeremiah Small, looks like “Hoes” has been on the move. (Maybe it’s an overenthusiastic gardener — it’s either the plural of “hoe” or he can’t spell “hose”– but probably not).

« Rubio Basin gets graffiti’d | Main | The mutant kumquats from Altadena »
Here's what it's going to look like:
Fri., Feb. 27: Another stargazing party at Farnsworth Park, hosted by JPL and starting at 6 PM near the Davies Building on Mt. Curve.
Sat., Feb. 28: The PUSD will have school board elections March 10 and the Altadena Town Council and NAACP are sponsoring a "Meet the Candidates"
« Workin’ for the weekend: stars and PUSD candidates | Main | RIP Philip Jose Farmer – a gratitude »

Headline writing is an art, isn’t it?
Just noticed in the LAme Times Food section — in an article about varieties of kumquats and their like — the following paragraph about one variety that originated here:
* Variegated calamondin. Natural mutation of calamondin, originated with Paul Peters in Altadena, circa 1954. Attractive ornamental tree, foliage variegated dark green, light green, yellow. Fruit smaller, lighter in color when mature than calamondin,
« The mutant kumquats from Altadena | Main | MonteCedro retirement community is the economy’s latest victim »
(Warning: Altadenablog is indulging his geek side, in which he explains, kind of, why he has a picture of a rock in his office. Deal with it or skip it!)
In the past year, three men have died whose works I encountered in my youth and whose ideas and enthusiasms still occupy a large amount of my head-space: Forrest J Ackerman (so influential to me from age 7 on) died a few months ago,
« RIP Philip Jose Farmer – a gratitude | Main | Relay for Life kickoff March 11 @ Farnsworth Park »
MonteCedro, the $200 million retirement community complex that was to occupy the site of the former Scripps Home, has been put on hold indefinitely, according to the owners, the Episcopal Home Communities.
Last week, this letter went out to potential residents of the complex:
February 12, 2009
Dear Friends of MonteCedro,
« MonteCedro retirement community is the economy’s latest victim | Main | Vamp up your Friday next month »
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he American Cancer Society’s first Altadena Relay for Life will have a kickoff meeting on Wed., March 11, 6:30-7:30 PM at the Davies Building at Farnsworth Park, Lake & Mount Curve. Find out how you can join the fight against cancer. Food, Drinks. Purchase Luminaria for Relay For
Life.
Visit Relay For Life Altadena on the web: www.relayforlife.org/altadenaca
For more information about Relay For Life please contact: Sarah Eagle 626 372 9456 Sarah.eagle@cancer.org or Paula Walker Paula.Walker@SothebysInternationalRealty.com
The Relay for Life will start on Sat.,
« Relay for Life kickoff March 11 @ Farnsworth Park | Main | Taking some time off »

… and that squeal you hear is every teenage girl in Altadena screaming “EDWARD!”
Yes, fangs to the Friends of the Altadena Library, TWILIGHT will be the teen flick next month on Fri., March 27. Being the dad of a teenage girl, I can add nothing else.
« Vamp up your Friday next month | Main | It’s the 21st century — where’s my robot? Where’s my jetpack? »
We're going to be on a mini-vacation over the long weekend, but will resume on Tuesday, March 3. See you then!
« Taking some time off | Main | Living with wildlife presentation »
We may be in the middle of a national park, surrounded by snow, with only two phones in the whole facility — but you can't get low-wage teenagers to work for you these days unless you give 'em wifi. So we have satellite internet hookup along with sequoias.
As we get the chance, we'll be doing updates,
« It’s the 21st century — where’s my robot? Where’s my jetpack? | Main | Two free writer’s workshops at the Library this week »
Got this note from MaryEllen Schoeman, who wants to get something going:
Hello there, my name is MaryEllen and I'm a wildlife rehabilitator living in the Meadows area of Altadena. Several people have approached me lately about the possibility of me giving a presentation on living successfully with our native wildlife,
« Living with wildlife presentation | Main | Mt. Wilson toll road re-opening work begins »
The Friends of the Altadena Library and Sisters in Crime presents award winning author Darrell James, who will be speaking on “Creating Believable Characters” on Sat., March 7, at 2:00 pm. James is the author of Body Count: a Killer Collection, an anthology of fifteen mystery short stories. His work has appeared in numerous magazines and his book anthology Landmarked for Murder.
« Two free writer’s workshops at the Library this week | Main | Danny’s Farm hosts photo shoot to encourage adoption »
Thanks to many alert neighbors (notably Steve Gerow and
Stonehill News’ Jeremiah Small) for letting us know that work has begun on re-opening the Mt. Wilson Toll Road, which closed due to a major slide after the heavy rains of 2005. Crews have started work carving a new trail, and Jeremiah has sent us some wonderful pictures (below). We’ve got some calls in to check on the construction schedule and when the trail will be re-opened —
« Mt. Wilson toll road re-opening work begins | Main | Co-op social, Wed. March 4, 7:30 at the Rancho »

Cathy Gott of
Danny’s Farm sends us this notice that the county Dept. of Children & Family Services hosted a photo shoot for children in need of adoptive homes. Click on the graphic for the full story.
« Danny’s Farm hosts photo shoot to encourage adoption | Main | A summer full of wonder at Altadena Christian Children’s Center »
The food co-op folks sure know how to have a good time! We got this message while we were gone:
Hello friends of 'Altadena Wants A Co-op'!
We're making progress! Hopefully you've seen the new information that has
been posted at our website –
« County offers crisis management services | Main | Antonovich extends $10K reward in Lofton murder »
We received this request as a member of the Library's Strategic Advisory Planning Committee, and think it needs to get wide exposure. From Barbara Pearson, Library District Director:
We need you to write letters of support for the Altadena Library District Main Library Renovation and Expansion Project.
We have met with the Deputy Director of Congressman Schiff's Office and we are requesting $1.2 million in funding for our construction documents,
« Altadena Library needs letters of support | Main | The Undiscovered Country: the Sam Merrill Trail »
Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich has extended the $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the death of Floyd Anthony Lofton, a 24-year old man.
On January 13, 2004, Mr. Lofton was fatally shot while at Jim’s Burgers located on Lincoln Avenue near Woodbury Drive in Altadena.
« Antonovich extends $10K reward in Lofton murder | Main | “The Voice of Martin Luther King” at Lucas Library Feb. 10 »

We have this friend of over 30 years duration, and have had several experiences where his car caved in when we were far from home. On one of these occasions, he was visiting me in Monrovia, and we were driving somewhere, and his car kicked the bucket somewhere around Downey. He called on a friend, a fellow Westsider, to come over and give us a ride back to Monrovia.
On the way back,
« The Undiscovered Country: the Sam Merrill Trail | Main | And we thought WE were late taking down the Christmas decorating … »

Celebrate Black History Month with speeches and songs from Dr. Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement with Rev. Dennis Brown. Rev. Brown has performed at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, The Rosa Parks Museum, and the Tuskegee Institute.
The event starts at 4 PM at the Bob Lucas Branch Library, 2659 N. Lincoln Ave.
« "The Voice of Martin Luther King" at Lucas Library Feb. 10 | Main | New "Altadena Connection" released »
Courtesy "The Singing Realtor" Linda Lane White, we have word that the Feb 21 and 22 from 9 AM-noon, the Christmas Tree Lane Assn. is looking for volunteers to help take down the lights for another year. For more information, call 403-1123.
« And we thought WE were late taking down the Christmas decorating … | Main | Hillside ordinance hearing Feb. 18, 7 PM @ Community Center »
LA County has just published and distributed its 2009 edition of the Altadena Connection (link goes to a pdf document). The ubiquitous Bill Westphal contributed many photographs to this year's edition, which details important phone numbers, addresses, programs, and other services that the county provides to our community,
« New “Altadena Connection” released | Main | Sahag Mesrob files in federal court »
LA County Dept. of Regional Planning will hold a hearing on the draft Altadena Hillside ordinance on Wed., Feb. 18, 7 PM at the Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Dr.
According to a flyer that made it around the neighborhoods (click to enlarge), the county and the Altadena Hillsides Ordinance Committee have developed a series of zoning regulations “intended to protect the hillsides and unique views in Altadena.”
The most important changes suggested by the draft:
- Nearly all types of future development will require a conditional use permit to be built on hillside areas.
« Hillside ordinance hearing Feb. 18, 7 PM @ Community Center | Main | Whopper weather on the way »
Thanks to a correspondent, and not for the faint of heart, we have linked to a PDF of Sahag Mesrob Armenian Christian School's cross complaint, filed in federal district court. As we've noted earlier, LA County has filed suit against the school because it is operating without a valid permit; the school is responding with the cross-complaint by claiming,
« Sahag Mesrob files in federal court | Main | Altadena man convicted of murder in hit-and-run »
Hard to believe with the 80 degree temps and almost-cloudless sky today — but the National Weather Service says expect a big 'un tomorrow afternoon:
A BROAD UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC WILL APPROACH THE WEST COAST THROUGH THURSDAY. RAIN IS EXPECTED TO PUSH INTO THE CENTRAL COAST EARLY THURSDAY MORNING…WITH RAIN REACHING LOS ANGELES COUNTY LATE THURSDAY MORNING OR THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
« Whopper weather on the way | Main | Short story workshop and black music at the Library »
The ever-reliable Contra Costa Times tells us that Hal Lee Moore, 54, was convicted of second-degree murder and six other counts stemming from a 2006 traffic accident at Hill and Washington. Moore ran a red light and fled a three-car accident, causing the death of Bertha Vasquez Arias, 30, of Rosemead.
« Altadena man convicted of murder in hit-and-run | Main | Altadena Chamber mixer Feb. 25 »

Big doin’s at the Altadena Main Library, 600 E. Mariposa, over the next couple of days:
Mystery/SF writer Kate Thornton will lead a 2 PM Saturday workshop on short stories — where to find ideas, how to structure, and where and how to market them. Kate Thornton, who has published over 100 mystery and science fiction stories, is an active member of Sisters in Crime, an international organization dedicated to supporting authors (both men and women) in their writing pursuits in the mystery and crime genres.
« Short story workshop and black music at the Library | Main | PUSD candidate Nelson profiled »
This month's chamber mixer is hosted by Photography by Walt and Quiznos Altadena, to be held at Walt's on 2455 N. Lake Ave. The mixer is on Wed., Feb. 25, 5:30-7 PM, $5 members and $7 guests. Bring a raffle prize and promote your business — we'll be on kid duty and won't be able to attend,
« Altadena Chamber mixer Feb. 25 | Main | Fire and rain »
The Razor has a PWeekly feature on Charles Nelson, who is running for school board to replace Steve Lizardo. Nelson has garnered endorsements from some Altadena luminaries, is posing in front of the photogenic Eliot Middle School, and thinks sheriff's deputies need to patrol the schools in Altadena. Check it out.
(We notice that the Weekly's tab on our FIrefox calls itself "Part of the Answer."
« PUSD candidate Nelson profiled | Main | Flash flood warning »

Workers try to shore up a fire-damaged house on the south side of Altadena Dr. near Maiden Lane. The home was extensively damaged in the mid-afternoon fire, and here we see workers applying plastic sheeting to the house to minimize rain damage.
(hat tip: Tom R.)
Update, 9:30 PM: A witness writes:
Kudos to the L.A. County Fire Dept., including a battalion chief, who responded very quickly and in great force from quite a number of stations.
« Fire and rain | Main | How sweet it is! »
My, how the weather's changed in just a day: National Weather Service warns of roadway flooding:
FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OXNARD CA 725 PM PST THU FEB 5 2009
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OXNARD HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR… EASTERN SAN GABRIEL VALLEY IN EAST CENTRAL LOS ANGELES COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA.
* UNTIL 845 PM PST
* AT 715 PM PST…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG AND NEARLY STATIONARY STORMS ACROSS THE EASTERN SAN GABRIEL VALLEY.
« Flash flood warning | Main | Underground Arts extends its open call »
Read what happened when JPL archivist and Altadenan Charlene Nichols went before an LA city commission to tell them that history is like a box of chocolates …
« How sweet it is! | Main | Over two and a half inches … »
Just got this message from Underground Arts Society, but we don't know why they're shouting:
UNDERGROUND ARTS SOCIETY IS EXTENDING ITS OPEN CALL FOR THE GALLERY AT THE END OF THE WORLDS MARCH EXHIBIT!
THE UAS AND ITS GALLERY ARE A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION CREATED TO HELP LA AND AREA BASED ARTISTS.