• Body identified: The body found on Angeles Crest Highway on Thursday has been identified as Noe Vasquez, 35, according to the Los Angeles County coroner.  While no autopsy has been completed, officials say he may have died of a gunshot wound.  Pasadena Sun has more.
• Scholarship luncheon: Gamma Zeta Boulé Foundation (GZBF) announced that they will hold their annual Gamma Zeta Boulé Foundation Scholarship Luncheon, on Sun., June 3,

Miller and Hawkins’ association with Five Acres began in 2006 when they moved their events company from downtown Los Angeles to Altadena. One of their goals was to find a nonprofit organization to support and give back to their community.

by Timothy Rutt

The Coffee Gallery Backstage's impresario and Forkmeister Bob Stane has been named the Music Legend Award winner for the 2012 Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest.

Stane has been presenting folk and acoustic acts for over 50 years, including at Pasadena's legendary Ice House,

Pasadena’s Central Park was the scene for the first LitFest Pasadena, where authors, publishers, dealers, and fans could gather to celebrate the written word.  A phalanx of booths, above, held many delights for the reader’s eye.

Pasadena Star News Public Editor Larry Wilson, left, interviews novelists Alta-author Michelle Huneven (Blame) and Janet Fitch (White Oleander).

Officers spotted the driver at Glen Avenue and Howard Street in Altadena, said Sgt. Debra Herman of the Crescenta Valley Sherriff’s Department.

They attempted to pull him over, but he refused. After a three-minute pursuit, he stopped the car,

May’s Friday Fun Flick at the Altadena Main Library is Steve Spielberg’s “The Adventures of Tintin.”

Join intrepid reporter Tintin, Snowy, and Capt. Haddock in a computer-animated adventure for all ages, sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

The film starts at 3:30 PM on Fri., May 25, at the Altadena Main Library, 600 E. Mariposa St.  Admission is free.

A look at what's behind us and what's ahead of us in our weekly column for the Pasadena Sun.

Oh MOM, your name’s a palindrome;
it’s letters— they form that.
It reads MOM going to the right.
From left? It reads MOM back!

Dependable, this MOM word is,
in quality so true.
The YOU we always do count on.
Today—you get your due!

Three hundred sixty-five the days,
just one we celebrate.

The other evening my husband and I were at a party (the birthday cake and ice cream kind) but one of those affairs that grownups attend where you’re expected to come up with more than one syllable words after cooing to an infant and conversing with a toddler all day. 

“So,” someone asked my husband, “How did you get into your line of work?” My husband had no trouble with this question,

by Timothy Rutt

It looks to be a busy day for rescue crews in the Angeles National Forest today.

A dead hiker was found this morning around the Mt. Wilson Toll Road near Henninger Flats.  Officials are giving few details, but some reports say it is a man who appears to be in his 50's and it appears to be from natural causes.

The La Canada Flintridge Community Center will hold its second annual bridge tournament for seniors on Fri., May 25. A $20 registration fee includes dinner.  For more information or to register, call (818) 790-4353.

by Timothy Rutt

There will be a hazardous waste and e-waste roundup at the county fleet maintenance yard on Sat., May 26, from 9 AM-3 PM.

What you can bring includes brake fluid, paint, paint thinner, cleanders with acid or lye, pesticides or herbicides, household and car batteries,

by Timothy Rutt

That chopper traffic and police activity about now (6:30 PM) is the deputies looking for a suspect in a stolen motorcycle case.  According to the Crescenta Valley Station watch commander, a motorcycle was stolen and crashed after a pursuit.  The deputies with chopper are looking for the suspect,

The Peace & Justice Academy is inviting its neighbors to stop in and say hello next weekend in kind of a house-warming party at its new home.

The private 6th-10th grade school follows the principals of the Mennonites, one of the historic Christian peace churches, and admits students of all faiths.  They recently moved into the Arches complex at St. James United Methodist Church, 2033 E. Washington Blvd. along the border (i.e.

• Go Public: Pasadena Sun’s Joe Piasecki has a piece on PUSD’s “Go Public” filming last week (we did the micro, he’s doing the macro).  An answer to your next question, we’ve heard the finished shorts will start to appear in July.
• New school site in Altadena? Also at the Pasadena Sun, San Rafael Elementary School will close down, perhaps as early as 2013.  Because it is above four earthquake fault lines under and around the school state law says they cannot modernize it,

With two seats going vacant and only one candidate running in each of the other six census tracts, this year’s Altadena Town Council election will be a scaled-down affair, with three polling stations open for only four hours on June 9 and the pre-election voting cancelled entirely, election committee chair Eric Pierce told the council tonight.

Despite the inevitability of the outcome, the town council bylaws say that an election must still go on,

The Pasadena Unified School District Special Education Dept. Community Advisory Committee will hold its final meeting of the school year on Mon., May 21, at the Edison Professional Development Complex, 119 W. Palm Avenue, Altadena from 6:15-8:30 PM.  Free childcare and translation is available.

This meeting’s topic will include the CAC executive board elections and revision to the bylaws.  There will also be a special education update by Dr.

by Adolfo Flores
Pasadena Sun

The Pasadena Police Department, which earlier this year blocked public access to its radio communications, hopes by the end of the month to roll out two ways for residents to track law enforcement activity.

Authorities will post basic information about all calls for service —

The annual Peace Officers Memorial Torch Run starts Friday at the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department headquarters in Monterey Park, and winds its way through all sheriff stations, with the last leg from Crescenta Valley to Altadena on Sun., May 20.  

Arrival of the runners is expected at around 2:30 PM at Altadena Sheriff Station,

At Tuesday’s Altadena Town Council meeting:

• Lt. Duane Allen, who has moved from detective lieutenant to operations lieutenant at the Altadena Sheriff Station, introduced Lt. Michael White, who will take over the detective bureau and community relations.  White was recently transferred from the Temple City station.

We are ending up having a day of unexpected self- and home-maintenance — but we promise there'll be stuff coming up!

The Altadena Arts Council  and the Altadena Community Arts Center are presenting  the “Sixth Annual Altadena ARTBreak”, opening on Friday, May 25, with an opening night reception, and continuing through the following Friday, June 1.  The  weeklong  event will  feature an exhibition of the visual arts talent of Altadena and Pasadena area children and youth. 

For the second year, ARTBreak will be held at The Temporary Gallery @ Webster’s,

by Timothy Rutt

Young entrepreneur Maggie Graff, 8, needs your help to help others.

As an act of community service as part of her GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) program, Maggie will open a lemonade stand this Saturday, May 19, on Mendocino Street between Maiden Lane and Ganesha Avenue between 3:30 and 5:30 PM.

“All the money I earn will be donated to the ACTS Food Pantry,”

Reader Ketty shares this picture — somebody decided to knit a flower body for the stop sign at Santa Anita and Calavaras.

And if you, too,  have too much time on your hands, we have a busy weekend ahead:

• Friends of the Library annual book sale: pre-sale to members of the Friends is from 3-7 PM today, book sale opens 10-4 Saturday and 1-4 PM Sunday.

by Adolfo Flores
Pasadena Sun

The U.S. Postal Service  has decided to close Pasadena’s Mack Robinson Processing and Distribution Center, prompting criticism from Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) and Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park).

The center is one of nearly 250 facilities to be shuttered as the postal service seeks to contain costs and reduce a ballooning operating deficit.

I saw a comment on one of the local blogs from a resident complaining that his residence was burglarized and that the deputies never responded until 15 minutes after he called the Sheriff’s Station to report that his house had been broken into.  The burglars were still in the residence when he arrived home, about 30 minutes after the alarm company notified him that his alarm had been breached.

We are very pleased and proud to announce the newest members of Altadenablog’s sponsor team:  Altadena Heritage, sponsors of the Altadena Farmers Market.  

And don’t forget to check out the market itself, which will premiere Wed., May 30, from 3-7 PM at Loma Alta Park near the Altadena Community Garden!

Current list of farmers is:

Shu and Debby Takikawa (Garden of…..) farm
Kenter Canyon Farms
Suncoast Farms
Elsers Country Farm
Farquhar Farms
John Muir High School Farm
Drake Family Farm
Jubilee Farms

Current List of vendors Include:

Big Mista’

• Click it or ticket:  The Los Angeles County Sheriff and other enforcement agencies are starting up their Click It or TIcket seat belt enforcement drive to encourage you to wear that belt.  This year’s mobilization runs May 21 through June 3, altho’ it’s enforced throughout the year.  Caught without a seat belt?  Expect fines and costs of at least $142.  Be safe and keep your money.
• Scholar: Samuel Nemati of Altadena was recognized for outstanding academic accomplishments by being named to the LeTourneau University Dean’s List for the Spring 2012 semester. 

by Timothy Rutt

Our weekly column at the Pasadena Sun is up: Pasadena's got a marathon today, but we have our own run this afternoon worth going to — all that and more.

Some out-of-town events worth noting today:

Pasadena Marathon: This will be bollixing up traffic from about midnight Saturday until 5 PM this afternoon with rolling closures of several major streets.  Particular intersections to look out for are Altadena Drive, Allen Avenue, and Hill Avenue at Mountain Street; and Lake Avenue and Los Robles Avenue at Washington Boulevard. There’s a map of the route available here and the Pasadena Sun has a good rundown of what to expect.

In five years of doing this website, one of our favorite pictures is this one:  Tim Borquez, crowing in triumph at his haul at the Club 21 Easter Egg hunt on the grounds of the Col. Green Carriage House in 2011. Tim was always a ham, anyway, but he also personified the indominitable spirit of kids with Down Syndrome.  We just love the joy and pride and “bring it ON” attitude at play in this picture.

Application packets are available at the Altadena Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Dr., or as a download on our election page.

Candidates must fill out the proper forms and submit a check or money order for $35 by close of business (5 PM) on May 8.

by Timothy Rutt

The Altadena Sheriff’s Station holds an annual appreciation of the many volunteers who devote hours of service to the station.  Last Sat., April 28, deputies cooked breakfast for the volunteer staff (eggs to order, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, etc.) and were presented with an appreciation certificate by Capt. John Benedict.  Here, Capt. Benedict gives a certificate to longtime station voluneer Ralph Vila. 

by Adolfo Flores
Pasadena Sun

Pasadena police arrsted a John Muir High School student who was caught on campus with what appeared to be a weapon Tuesday morning, according to Pasadena police.

The school went on lockdown, with students and campus workers ordered to "shelter in place,"