Competitors from throughout Southern California will compete to show who makes the best medium, hot, or sweet salsa, who grills up the best chicken wings, and who smokes the best pork roasts, pork ribs and beef brisket.

A joint agency task force made 15 arrests around the San Gabriel Valley this morning, including an Altadena man, as part of a crackdown on narcotics trafficking by gang members.

According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office, eight of those arrested face federal narcotics trafficking charges, while the rest face state charges. The release said that the investigation initially focused on drug sales by members and associates of the  Pasadena Denver Lane Bloods.

From the American Cancer Society/Altadena Relay for Life

Cancer survivors and caregivers are heading into the final days of preparation for the fourth annual Relay for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society. The 24-hour event starts Saturday morning, June 9 and ends on Sunday morning.

Family Dance Nights start next week at Sue B. Dance Studio, 2525 N. Lake Ave.

Learn and dance swing, salsa, line dances, square dances, cultural dances from Europe, Africa, and Asia, as well as popular dances like the “Cupid Shuffle.”

Family Dance Nights will be held on Fridays, June 8, July 13, Aug 17, and Sept. 14 from 6:15-7:15 PM.

Cost per night is $7 per person,

• Market: The LA Times Food blog takes at a look at the Altadena Farmers Market, focusing on its efforts to promote and certify urban, backyard farmers.
• Graduate: Richard Otero of Altadena has earned a degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.  Otero was among approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students who received degrees during Georgia Tech’s 242nd commencement exercises.
• Graduates: For those of you keeping track at home,

• Market: Lovely photos of the produce at the Altadena Farmers Market at Jessica Comingore’s blog (we would rather take pictures of people than things — it’s just a different approach!).  We get a laugh when people say the neighborhoods we live and work in are “off the beaten path” — whose path, Missy?
• Community: The FilmWorks website has a nice feature on local showbiz guy Russ Fega and the Altadena Community Chest,

by Bill Kisliuk
Pasadena Sun

Cutting-edge law enforcement tools, from helicopters and armored vehicles to specially-trained police dogs, were on display Saturday as the Pasadena police offered the public a rare peek at its most specialized gear during an open house at Benedict Heliport in Altadena.

Pasadena police have five choppers,

Our column in the Pasadena Sun is up, and what else could it be about than the farmers market?  OK, it's about Art on Millionaire's Row and other things, too …

A busy week ahead in Altadena and environs. Some highlights:

Monday: Author Lian Dolan (Helen of Pasadena) speaks at the Altadena Main Library, 600 E. Mariposa St. , starting at 7 PM.

Tuesday: Voting on the presidential primary and PUSD redistricting.  Go here to find your polling place.

Wednesday:  Farmer's Market at Loma Alta Park,

The East Altadena Little League Challenger team for children with special needs held its championship (and really, only) game of the season with the EALL’s league champion White Sox on Sunday afternoon.  Volunteer teenage coaches spent the season teaching team members about fielding, hitting, throwing, and the other basic skills, which culminated in Sunday’s game.  

The visiting White Sox did their best, but apparently were having a bad day in hitting, catching, and fielding, whereas every Challenger scored.  For some reason,

Updates will be a little erratic today — we're coping with a fraud issue on one of our credit cards, and these things take time …

• KCBS has story and video about another Eaton Canyon hiking incident — in this case, a 25-year-old woman plunged 100 feet down the canyon, but miraculously survived, all this happening Monday evening.
• There’s voting today for the primary, AND there’s voting Saturday, for the Altadena Town Council. The election committee is looking for a few more volunteers to staff the polling places, help the ballot count, and provide some transportation assistance.  

Neighbors and Friends,
Ever since the Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy purchased the Andrea  Wilson Triangle on Chaney Trail, we have used volunteers to help us comply with County-mandated brush clearance (aka fuel reduction). Many of you have helped out in the past and we need your help again.

The Rugby Festival will be held from 9 AM-11:30 AM at Area H of the Rose Bowl.  More information on the flyer.

Classes are $10, with multi-class discounts.  For more information, check the graphic or contact Heller at laurenheller@sbcglobal.net.

One of the summer’s main events, the Altadena Community Garden Annual PIcnic and Resource Fair, takes place Saturday, June 30, from 1-5 PM at the garden, corner of Palm Street and Lincoln Avenue in Loma Alta Park.

Besides excellent barbecue and homegrown food, there will be garden tours, raffle prizes, music, a grand prize, and  many resource booths.  Bring your own tableware and get a free pack of seeds.

Fancy Food Truck Friday is here for June, and it looks like a good mix of food and fun.

This month’s trucks are Nom Nom, Komodo, Auntie’s Fry Bread, Greenz on Wheels, Book BBQ, and Sweet E’s Bake Shop.

It’s family style dining you can eat right there or take home (but you’ll want to eat right there, because it’s a lot of fun).

Sponsored by Webster’s Community Pharmacy,

A shout-out and thank you to our sponsor team, local businesses and organizations who keep Altadenablog coming to your computer every day:

Altadena Ale & Wine House

Altadena Solar

Baietti-Seyffert/Podley Properties

Curves Altadena

Dhari Thein Real Estate

The Dog in the PIcture by Dr.

The Altadena Chamber of Commerce invites you to munch on food truck delights in a prime viewing zone during the annual fireworks display on July 2.

The Chamber, DC Golf, and Goliath Graffix is sponsoring a caravan of six to eight food trucks at the Altadena Golf Course parking lot from 6-10 PM on Monday, July 2.  The golf course is next door to the Altadena Town &

by Timothy Rutt

Tonight at 7 the people behind the Altadena Visioning Process will hold the third and final scheduled public meeting about that process, presenting a draft document that incorporates comments and ideas from the April meetings.

That final meeting will be at the Loma Alta Park gymnasium at Lincoln Avenue and Loma Alta Drive.

It is with great pleasure that the Sheriff’s Support Group of Altadena can announce a new addition to the 16th Annual Summer Concert Series, El Patron Mexican Restaurant will be cooking and serving in the Mt. Lowe Pavilion throughout the entire SCS!

The menu has not be finalized,

… which means posts will be erratic today … we have to watch grade promotions … there will no doubt be tears involved.  

After taking a look at the draft of the Altadena Community Visioning document (which we have here), or attending last night's meeting, what are your impressions?  Are we heading in the right direction?  Or is there something missing?  Comment away!

Since we're neighborhood-focused, we don't usually carry big stuff, like election news — that's why we rely on our media partner, the Pasadena Sun, to do that heavy lifting.  Here's their rundown of this week's election:

Holden, Lowe make Assembly runoff

Incumbents Schiff, Liu, Gatto finish first

Voters OK term limits, appear reluctant to raise tobacco tax

Voters show support for Measure A

• Community Garden tickets:  Looking for tickets to the community garden picnic on June 30?  They’ll be available at Fancy Food Truck Friday at Webster’s tomorrow, and at the Altadena Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays.
• Community Chest hits milestone:  The Altadena Community Chest has just hit a milestone: with its latest $500 donation to Altadena Elementary School’s LEARNS program, the Community Chest has hit the $10,000 mark in donations to local nonprofits and institutions.  The Altadena Community Chest, started by Russ Fega of Home Shoot Home,

The Altadena office of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will conduct a sobriety/driver license checkpoint on Friday, June 8, within the unincorporated area of east Altadena, according to a press release.

“The start of the summer season comes with increased traffic as motorists embark on vacations. We would like to remind everyone to designate a sober driver. Driving under the influence is inexcusable and has cost the lives of too many people,” said Captain Steve Strull,

On the first page below you can compare Altadena’s Part I crime rates against all other areas serviced by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.  You’ll note that our Part I crime rates are 15.5% lower than they were in 2007, but 13.4% higher than they were last year when we were still experiencing a month to month decrease in crimes, especially burglaries and thefts/burglaries from vehicles over 2009 and 2010 reported crimes.  

by Timothy Rutt

Audrey Graff, 6, Maggie Graff, 8 and Gracie Turner, 9, salute in triumph at their lemonade stand Saturday afternoon.  The lemonade stand was a project for Maggie’s GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) program, to earn money for the Altadena Churches Together Serving (ACTS) food pantry.  Mom Deborah Graff tells us that they earned $159.30 for the pantry by selling about 75 cups of lemonade (and no, they weren’t $2 per cup!).

“JB and Beyond: From Bach to James Brown” features the VYMA Longfellow String Orchestras, Choir, Kinder and Musicianship Class in a concert that includes music from Bach to James Brown, and from TV and the movies. 

There will also be a world premiere by composer-in-residence Ted Masur.

The Los Angeles County Fire Dept. is holding a CERT (Community Emergency Response) training in June at La Canada Flintridge on three consecutive Saturdays, June 16, 23, and 30.

Classes will be held at the La Canada Flintridge Unified School District building, 440 Cornishon Ave., from 9 AM-4 PM.

Space is limited, so you must register ahead of time.  To register, go to www.FIre.LACounty.gov and click on the CERT link.  

by Timothy Rutt

Mina Brown of RBF Consulting tells us that the notes from the second Altadena Visioning Workshop on April 25 are now up at the county website.

The third workshop — which will review a draft visioning document — is scheduled for Wed.,

Altadena Christian Children’s Center and the Children Youth  & Families Department of All Saints Church invite you to a wine and cheese reception for Dr. Nancy Pine, author of Educating Young Giants. This new book speaks to a critical arena of growth and change in education today,