As is our custom, entries will be light or nonexistent today, as we celebrate the nativity of the Lord with our family.  And we tell our Christmas story;

Almost 20 years ago, we were looking for a creche — we never had one growing up, and felt that it was time to have one.  Because we are also cheap, we finally found one in the after-Christmas sale at the Folk Tree Gallery in Pasadena for half off —

Officers from the Pasadena Police Department’s DUI Enforcement Team will be deploying this weekend to stop and arrest alcohol and drug-impaired drivers in the Department’s ongoing traffic safety campaign. DUI Saturation Patrols will deploy on Friday, December 27, 2013 between the hours of 8:00 PM and 3:00 A.M. in areas with high frequencies of DUI collisions and/or arrests. 

Over the course of the past three years,

Athens Services will start picking up your discarded Christmas trees on your regular collection day from today through the second week of January.  

Please remove stands, ornaments, lights, and tinsel — place the trees nex to your regular trash containters.  Trees with flocking or fire retardants are acceptable.  Trees over six feet in height must be cut in half.

If you miss the date for recycling,

Altadena’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and the Altadena Sheriff Station will hold the first in a bi-monthly series of presentations on disaster preparedness for the general community on Thurs., Jan. 9, 2014.

The topic this time will be gathering disaster preparedness kits for your home, office, automobile, and your pets.

The presentation will be from 7-8 PM at the Altadena Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Dr.

Search and rescue teams rescued two hikers spotted hanging on to branches to keep from falling down a cliff face Friday afternoon.

According to a spokesman from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the two hikers were spotted in Eaton Canyon and a 911 call went out at 11:31 AM Friday, Dec. 27.  The two were rescued by combined teams of the fire and sheriff’s department with the help of a helicopter,

Cost is $300 per team, not including umpire fees.  For more information, call 626-798-635.

Celebrating the New Year with gunfire will not be tolerated in the Community of Altadena.

Every year, a significant number of people throughout the County of Los Angeles engage in the extremely dangerous practice of discharging firearms into the air to celebrate the arrival of the New Year.

In an effort to educate and warn the public of the problem, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) have embarked upon an awareness campaign.

Every year, a significant number of people throughout the City and County of Los Angeles engages in the extremely dangerous practice of discharging firearms into the air to celebrate the arrival of the New Year. In an effort to educate and warn the public of the problem, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) have embarked upon an awareness campaign.

Just received notice that the US Air Force Thunderbirds squadron will be rehearsing for their Rose Parade appearance Tuesday morning at 8 AM.  According to a press release from the Pasadena Police Department, six F-16s will be flying in formation from west to east  along Colorado Boulevard tomorrow, warming up fo rtheir parade appearance.

For all you aviation fans.

Still have no idea about the Osprey,

The Altadena Ale & Wine House, 2329 N. Fair Oaks Avenue, has big plans tonight:  their annual New Year’s Eve Party starts at about 2:45 PM, as they welcome New Year’s around the globe.  Bring some potluck for the meal starting at 3:30 PM, and there will be toasts on the hour as midnight makes its way across the globe (European New Year at 4 PM: British New Year at 5 and so on).  

Neighbors Building a Better Altadena is recruiting volunteers for an Altadena “walkability audit” on Feb. 1.

NBBA is working with Justin Robertson, an M.A. candidate in urban planning at UCLA, to conduct a the study at the Lincoln Avenue and Lake Avenue business corridors. 

Robertson’s complete audit will gather information about options, existing conditions and best practices ” 

from gloriana casey

2013—–the year that was;
it had such lows and highs.
Some trivia to make us smile,
plus spy game’s big surprise!

A  JANUARY meteor!
The Ural Mountains rocked!
470 kilotons;
for Nature can’t be mocked!

The happiest discoverer,
 Huell Howser—- gone from Earth.
A man who found joy everywhere;
philosophy of mirth!

 Old Spock vs. New Spock in a round of golf at the Altadena Town & Country Club

by Timothy Rutt

The old year is over, and so long (and maybe good riddance) to it, but there was a lot going on in Altadena in 2013.  Here’s a look at some of the most significant happenings last year.

What do YOU want to see happen in 2014?  Or what are you AFRAID will happen in 2014?  Comment away!

by Timothy Rutt

The Altadena Sheriff Station will hold a "Coffee with the Captain" event at the Coffee Gallery, 2029 N. Lake Avenue, on Tuesday, Jan. 14, from 10-11:30 AM.

Sheriff Capt. John Benedict and members of his staff will be available to meet and address questions and concerns that anyone may have.

Fresh off an enthusiastic review in the LA Weekly, Pizza of Venice will be throwing a Grand Opening Party tonight, starting at 9 PM.

DJ T Lion will be spinning, there will be food, and fun in promised.  Pizza of Venice is at 2545 N. Fair Oaks Avenue.

Due to the high volume of content in the Devil’s Gate Reservoir Sediment Removal and Management Project Draft EIR and requests for additional time to review the document, we will now be accepting comments for an additional 15 days, 90 days in total, through Tuesday, January 21, 2014.

If you have not done so already, comments emailed to reservoircleanouts@dpw.lacounty.gov,

The LA Couny Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider a $1.8 million plan to replace and improve the potable water and wastewater treatment systems at Henninger Flats.

According to the Jan. 7 meeting agenda, the board is scheduled to approve replacing the aging potable water system at the site with an entirely new one to comply with curent codes and help meet the future needs of the fire district  In addition,

Elizabeth Butterfield is Altadena Main Library’s artist for January.

A mixed-media artist, Butterfield uses a variety of materials with handmade papers and her own personal photography.

The exhibit will be at the Community Room of the Altadena Main Library, 600 E. Mariposa Street .

Per the scanner at 7:30 PM, there will be a helicopter landing at Farnsworth Park soon — three hikers rescued from Eaton Canyon, not many more details yet.

UPDATE:  Lt. Brian Fitch of the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station said that it’s a familiar story: three teenage hikers who were stuck on Acrophobia Ridge with no way down, dialed 911.  No injuries apparent, Fitch said,

Catching up on news from other sources in the past few days:

• An Altadena teen was stabbed on the Pasadena side of Fair Oaks and Woodbury Jan. 2. Pasadena Star News has the details here.
• A 57-year-old Altadena man was struck and killed by the Gold Line train at Monterey and Pasadena in South Pasadena.

Two short-but-sweet important public safety meetings this week:

Tuesday night, Jan. 7, ACONA will look at traffic and parking issues in Altadena.  Speakers scheduled include Thomas Miller and Xavier Bejar of the California Highway Patrol and Tommy Muttaraid from the Traffic and Lighting Division of LA County, as well as deputies from the Altadena Sheriff Station.  ACONA will meet at from 7-8:30 PM at the Altadena Main Library,

The Baldwin Park Animal Care Center will hold low-cost Sunday clinics in January and February where pets can be vaccinated, microchipped and licensed.  The clinics will be held from 10 AM-3 PM on Jan. 12 and 16, and Feb. 9 and 23.

The Baldwin Park Animal Care Center is at 4275 North Elton Street, Baldwin Park.

The Pasadena Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority will hold a forum on the Affordable Care Act on Tuesday, Jan 19, at the Jackie Robinson Community Center.

Speakers include Pasadena Public Health Director Dr. Eric Walsh, Alice Benjamin from AARP, Whitney Harrison (Outreach Coordinator, Young and Healthy) and Debra Ward-Samad (senior consultant, DMW consulting).

Come with your questions and concerns.