by Timothy Rutt

We sing all the holiday songs, but have you ever HAD figgy pudding?  Sipped wassail?  Danced with a sugar plum?

This year, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1757 N. Lake Ave.,  will hold a Victorian-themed Advent Faire on Sun., Nov. 25, starting at 2 PM.

by Greg Apodaca

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a lover of big ideas: President John F. Kennedy’s idea for America to send a man to the moon, Ghandi’s idea that India could non-violently secede from the British Commonwealth, Martin Luther King’s idea that people should be judged by their character and not their skin color,

by Bill Kisliuk
Pasadena Sun

Pasadena resident Molly Munger's self-funded effort to boost public schools in California was taking a beating in early results, with just more than 27% of Californians supporting Proposition 38. Munger poured more than $40 million into the campaign for the measure, which would raise income taxes to revive classroom budgets.

The California State Organization of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is pleased to announce celebrations for the diamond jubilee of Pasadena's Omicron chapter. A event is planned for Thursday, November 8, from 5:30 – 9:00 p.m. at the Altadena Country Club, 2290 Country Club Drive in Altadena. In a nod to past initiation ceremonies,

• Lloyd Wright: Another historic Altadena house has gone on the market:  The Lloyd Wright-designed Dorland Home on Morada Place, which looks like a ship’s prow.  Pasadena Views has pictures.
• Jerry Brown: We have to give some props to the blog bikinginla, run by our compadre of some 40 years, Ted Rogers.  He coined the phrase “Jerry Browned” for when a passing vehicle gets too close to your bike (Brown has repeatedly vetoed bills asking for a three foot distance between vehicle and bicycle).  

Open to children ages 2-13, Legos and Duplos are provided — just bring your imgination.

Lego Club meets at the Altadena Main Library Community Room, 600 E. Mariposa St.  

Two men were shot Saturday night at the 100 block of east Altadena Drive, and sheriffs say they have “no workable suspect information.”

According to Sheriff Lt. Brian Fitch, someone in a black sedan fired five to seven rounds at two men leaving a party at about 10:35 PM.  One was struck in the neck and taken to Huntington Memorial Hospital where he was in stable condition.  

Altadenablog welcomes a sponsor, Southern California Edison.

Edison will be doing system upgrades throughout Altadena over the next few weeks — which usually involves living without power for a period of time — and wants to call attention to its system upgrade website to so you can know what to do if your home is affected.

The system upgrade site is right here. 

 Go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ATU_Glendale

The fast -paced “arts tune-up” format works like this: There will be several tables set up with an  arts expert/consultant addressing a specific subject located at each table.

from the Pasadena League of Women Voters

The League of Women Voters Pasadena Area is sponsoring a public forum Nov. 1 about women in elected office and why, if women hold up half the sky, only 25 percent hold elected offices nationwide.

The Altadena Library is starting a Graphic Novel Book Club, meeting once a month to read and chat about comics and graphic novels.

For teens ages 13-17, learn more beyond the movie and TV screens, and stop by the Youth Services Reference Desk to sign up.  It’s fun, free and easy, but space is lmited.

The first meeting will be Thurs.

Altadenablog sponsor The Arroyo Food Co-op says you can pre-order a free-range turkey from now through Oct. 31.

The antibiotic-free gobblers will be delivered fresh (not frozen) a few days before Thanksgiving in individual boxes.  Price is $2.85 per pound (you can order in two pound increments).

The turkeys come from Shelton’s Poultry, which operates out of Pomona and raises the birds in Fresno.  

The Christmas Tree Lane Association wil sponsor a “how-to” class on low-water-use planting and irrigation on Sat., Nov. 17, starting at 2 PM.

Andrea Hessing of Scrubjay Studios will offer instruction, which particularly emphasis plant selection for use around mature deodar and oak trees, such as a prevalent along Christmas Tree Lane..  It is open to the rest of the community as well as Lane residents.

A quarter of the funds raised by the Pasadena CROP Walk will support local projects in the San Gabriel Valley,

Alain Userau of the Society for American Baseball Research (www.sabr.org) emailed us to say he  is trying to contact Steven Wagner, originally from Altadena, who played for the Montreal Expos from 1969-1971.  If anyone can help him out, contact  althetiger@hotmail.com or call 514-524-3190

The Altadena Chamber of Commerce and the businesses around Lake Avenue and Mariposa Street will have a community “Halloweekend” Trick or Treat party on Saturday Oct. 27, from noon to 4 PM.

Meredith Miller of the Chamber says that each participating store will offer its own Halloween deal — a discount, a coupon,

John Edward White found that raising a guide dog changed everything

by Timothy Rutt

John Edward White wrote a memoir of his life training a guide dog puppy. Photo by Ibarionex Perello.

• Walmart: A couple of items we came across and share without comment: the right-leaning Washington Examiner and Washington Times look at how Walmart heir Sam Walton is a big donor to the President’s re-election campaign; and now the retail giant is moving away from “green” products and organic produce, because it’s losing money on them, and Walmart hates to lose money (PJ Media commentary on a Wall Street Journal article that is only available to subscribers).

We’ve launched a new Pet Lost/Found information form, so if your pet goes missing or you find a stray you can quickly impart the necessary information, which will make it easier for us to track and faster to put up on the website.

(Of course,

The plans for Altadena’s 125th Birthday Bash on Nov. 3 are coming along, now with an historical costume contest added.

The Marcell Inn in Altadena was a good place to get a drink when the rest of the nation was dry!

All that helicopter activity earlier this afternoon around Eaton Canyon was a hiker stuck on the falls … again.  According to the Altadena Sheriff Station, the hiker has been rescued uninjured and the volunteers have gone home as of 2:45 PM.

MonteCedro, a new planned Episcopal Communities and Services (ECS) Continuing Care Retirement Community in Altadena, promotes the importance of brain health during the month of November with two of America’s most renowned brain health experts. 

Starting on Thursday, November 8, Dr. David Gobble, Director of Masterpiece Living Academy and Director Emeritus of the Fischer Institute of Wellness and Gerontology, will tell attendees how to identify the 12 risk factors of aging and reduce the brain’s aging process. 

Please bring nonperishable food items to the park from 7-9 PM and prepare to be haunted!

On Halloween, the Haunted Mansion will be open again, with candy for trick-or-treaters, from 6:30-8:30 PM.  

Nursery care will be available, and the facility is handicapped accessible.  No charge, just a free will offering.  Directions?  Up the driveway at 943 E. Altadena Drive.  Enter Heicher Hall from the upper parking.  

by Timothy Rutt

Fair Oaks Avenue from Woodbury Road to Washington Boulevard has been shut down by the Pasadena Police Department due to a bomb threat and a related threat to harm officers, according to a Pasadena police spokesperson.

We know it seems pleasant out there now (4 PM), but the County of Los Angeles has just announced that it is opening its emergency operations center, preparing for continuing dry weather and expected high winds tonight.

We're presently on Red Flag fire conditions, and the National Weather Service has issued high wind warning for southern California.

Jerardo Cortez, 25, an Altadena resident, was jailed on criminal threat charges following today's bomb threat against the Pasadena Public Health Department.

According to a press release from the Pasadena Police Department, Cortez admitted making bomb threat calls against the health department today and against Washington Middle School on Wednesday.

The school was evacuated Wednesday afternoon following the bomb threat call.

by Timothy Rutt

Good morning!

Yes, the weather service promised violent winds last night … but at least around our neighborhood, it was unnaturally still.

Still, the weather service has the San Gabriel Valley on a wind advisory, which remains in effect until 6 PM tonight.