Pasadena High School is at 2925 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Pasadena.  The roundup will be at the parking lot off of Washington Boulevard.

[Video Removed by Request]

by Timothy Rutt

Someone helped themselves to Bruce Wasson's fruit trees, and probably didn't know they were being caught on video.  Wasson writes:

No, that's not a decorative medallion on our garage wall …

Farnsworth Park’s Spring Day Camp (because spring break is coming!) is taking signups starting today, Feb. 1.

Camp will run from April 2 through 6, from 8 AM-6 PM for ages 6-13.  There will be activities, science experiments, mummies and pyramids, arts and crafts, movies and more.

Fee is $60, and children must bring their own lunch and snack.

Check the flyer for more details.

A First of February shout-out to our sponsors, who keep this whole thing going:

Altadena Solar

Altadena Ale & Wine House

Arroyo Pacific Academy

Baietti-Seyffert Podley Properties

Curves Altadena

Energy Upgrade California

Friends of the Altadena Library

Home Shoot Home

Mike Gibson Service Center

Rancho Bar

Judy Rubin Real Estate

Scissors Paper Rock Salon

Greg Stanton/ Teles Properties

Dhari Thein Real Estate

Webster's Community Pharmacy

Webster's Fine Stationers

by Timothy Rutt

The City of Pasadena is offering free ground-up tree mulch to non-commercial Pasadena residents, starting today.  (We don't think they'll check your address!)

The city has "millions of pounds of green debris collected from the December windstorm," according to a press release, ground up and available to go. 

The Christmas Tree Lane Association will hold its annual meeting Wed., Feb. 8, at the Altadena Main Library, 600 E. Mariposa St. , starting at 7 PM, and is looking for members for its board of directors.

Five individuals have been nominated to fill expired Board positions or vacancies for two-year terms:  Steve Elliot, Tracey Fortich, Lucinda Haagenson, Jae Townsend, Maureen Ward,

Thurs., Feb. 2

• Coffee Gallery, 2029 N. Lake: backstage, Mary Flower (guitar), 8 PM, $15. Reservations:  (626) 798-6236 or email: bstane@earthlink.net.

Fri., Feb. 3

• Happy Birthday Amadeus: A concert in celebration of the birthday of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart will be presented by members of The Tuesday Musicale and Opera Pasadena at 7:30 PM at Altadena Baptist Church,

by Jason Wells
Pasadena Sun

The public has until Feb. 15 to send in nominations for the annual "Woman of the Year" award through Rep. Adam Schiff's office.

The awards are dispersed each year during Woman's History Month in March in each of the communities in Schiff's district,

The City of Pasadena’s annual Black History Parade and Festival will be held Sat., Feb. 18, kicking off with a parade that starts at Charles White Park in Altadena at 10 AM.

The parade ends at Robinson Park in Pasadena at noon, when festivities kick off sponsored by Wells Fargo, Miller Busch, and the City of Pasadena.  There will be booths for food,

by Joe Piasecki
Pasadena Sun

Southern California Edison and telecommunications companies violated safety rules and are partially to blame for the lengthy power outages following the massive December windstorms, according to a preliminary report released Thursday by the California Public Utilities Commission.

The agency’s Consumer Protection and Safety Division found that at least 20 poles and 17 tension-support wires controlled by Edison and telecom companies did not meet state safety requirements,

The Bright Futures Scholars at the Jan. 17 Altadena Town Council meeting, where the council declared February “Scholars Month.”

by Timothy Rutt

February is Scholars Month in Altadena, paying honor to the Bright Futures Scholars.  It’s also the month of “Dollars for Scholars” — participating merchants will have a “Dollars for Scholars” jar by the cash register, where you can make a donation to this program that helps so many disadvantaged local youth excel in school and develop their own leadership qualities.

by Adolfo Flores
Pasadena Sun

The Rose Bowl should operate more like Yankee Stadium or the Heineken brewery, according to a report issued by a private urban planning group Thursday.

Experts from the Urban Land Institute, a research institute specializing in responsible land use, called for local officials to help preserve the nature of the Arroyo Seco and offset the costs of a current Rose Bowl renovation by offering stadium tours,

Photo: Sitting in the front row, Rep. Adam Schiff, NASA astronaut Gregory Errol Chamitoff, Saro Armenian, of Altadena, and his son Shant Armenian, 9, a student at Vahan & Anoush Chamlian Armenian School in Glendale on Friday, January 13, 2012. Credit: Tim Berger/Staff Photographer, Pasadena Sun.

by Tiffany Kelly
Pasadena Sun

Last year,

Congressman Adam Schiff, second from right, unveiled the plaque with Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard, right, and Tony Goodall, left, during the dedication of Pasadena’s main post office as First Lieutenant Oliver Goodall Post Office in Pasadena on Saturday, January 14, 2012. (Raul Roa/Pasadena Sun)

Ronald Goodall remembers the struggles his father, Tuskegee Airman Oliver Goodall, faced as a black man in the U.S.

A sonnet

 by gloriana casey

HOME SHOOT HOME, Altadena’s sonnet writ:
Hail here—this grace bound in community.
Only the generous heart seeks to gift,
Money’s True Worth rolls on substantially.
Even as now, with gifting rites less blessed,
 Someone starts then upon this untrod trail;
He walks now, this Russ Fega in his quest,

By Timothy Rutt

Our column for the Sunday Valley Sun is up, and it's some one paragraph quick hits of stories we've run in the last week, and a couple we'll be running in full next week, so get the scoop here.  Yes, the Sun's headline is lame.

Luigi the bulldog gets ready for his moment.  Photo: Skechers

by Timothy Rutt

Who says there are no second acts in American life?

Luigi Navarro, the French bulldog from Altadena, is enjoying his second act: he’s replacing Kim Kardashian in a Super Bowl ad.

If you remember last year, the athletic canine had tried out skimboarding on a lark and ended up on a Rose Parade float for the world to see. 

from gloriana casey

Navarro–is athlete’s last name,
Luigi is his first.
A canine Altadena star,
with talent—he does burst!

A charmer and a skimboarder,
last seen on Rose Bowl float.
And soon we’ll see on Super Bowl,
this dog—actor of note!

The big story will likely be Lincoln Avenue Water’s general manager Bob Hayward, who will speak about illegally occupied homes, subject of this recent story.

A great stone face on the chimney of an outdoor oven looks over the backyard of the Louis B. Easton-built house on 256 W. Mariposa St.

by Timothy Rutt

Louis B. Easton was an architect in the Arts & Crafts mode, who practiced in the Pasadena area from 1904 to 1914, building about 25 homes.  This weekend, an estate sale at an Easton-built house at 256 W.

Special guests will be composer Paul Lopez, vocalist Candi Sosa, Mariachi Alma de Mexico directed by Juan Gonzalez, and percussionists Robertito Melendez and Ricardo “Tiki” Pasillas. There will also be a dance number featuring dancers from Caltech’s own Salsa Club.

Ever since the demise of the Altadena Underground Farmer’s Market, local foodies have been waiting for another opportunity to enjoy home-baked and handmade goods and other items from their neighbors.

They’ll get that chance on Sun., Jan. 29, when the Eat Well Market opens up at Camp Mariposa (the Girl Scout camp at 615 E. Mariposa St., the corner of Mariposa and Santa Rosa Ave). 

Here’s a public domain version of his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”:

http://www.mlkonline.net/jail.html

And here’s text and audio of the Dream Speech:

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

Highlights from Tuesday night’s town council meeting:

• Chair Dr. Sandra Thomas announced that the Altadena Town Council and the town were invited to participate in the 2013 Tournament of Roses Parade, and there was a group that wanted to look into preparing a float.
• Girl Scout Clari Solliday, 11, presented a proposal to put a four-way stop sign at the intersection of Los Flores and Santa Anita. 

by Timothy Rutt

Assemblyman Anthony Portantino announced Wednesday that, due to family difficulties, he would not be running for a seat on the state senate as he had planned.  He sent out the following message Wednesday night:

Thank you for your patience and trust. After deep contemplation with Ellen, I have decided not to run for office during the 2012 election cycle.

by Jason Wells
Pasadena Sun

Citing family stresses brought on by his brother's untimely death in 2010 and his mother's ill health, Assemblyman Anthony Portantino announced Wednesday night that he will not seek election in 2012.

The surprise announcement comes at a time when the La Cañada Flintridge Democrat was faced with a possible challenge to state Sen.

by Mark Kellam
Pasadena Sun

Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) took the podium Tuesday night at Glendale City Hall and called on city officials to push their local lawmakers to fight for their power of redevelopment.

But this wasn’t Pasadena. It was in a city that lies outside his Assembly district — Glendale,

by Timothy Rutt

The Coffee Gallery is looking at a series of fundraising activities as it attempts to raise money to keep within county codes.

The Coffee Gallery at 2029 N. Lake Ave. is actually two businesses under one roof: the Coffee Gallery, which is the coffee house up front,

• Occasional Altadenan Johnny Otis (who performed “Willie and the Hand Jive”)  died Tuesday at age 90.  Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, Otis discovered Little Richard, Jackie Wilson,  Etta James, and others.  The LA Times has an appreciation.

Thurs., Jan. 19

Coffee Gallery, 2029 N. Lake;   backstage: Brittni Paiva (ukulele), 8 PM, $15. Reservations:  (626) 798-6236. 

Fri., Jan. 20

Estate sale, 256 W. Mariposa, 9 AM-4 PM today and Saturday.

Coffee Gallery, 2029 N. Lake;  front stage, open mic, 8 PM, free; backstage: Tracy Grammer (Americana), 8 PM, $18. Reservations:  (626) 798-6236.

Altadena sheriffs have little to go on following reports of gunshots on Wednesday afternoon at El Sereno and Woodbury Road.

According to Lt. Duane Allen, reports came in that multiple gunshots had been heard at about 4:30 PM, and deputies responded but found nothing.  However, Allen said, a resident returned home afterward and found a bullet had been fired through the window of their home.