Do you have a haunted Halloween house?  Share your own picture, or let us know the address and we’ll snap it.

A hat tip to our counterpart in Sierra Madre, John Crawford, proprietor of the Sierra Madre Tattler blog, who has an op-ed in the Pasadena Star News about the unholy marriage of pols and developers who want to pack us tighter together in Borg-cube condos in order to save the planet and serve "social justice."

Brian McDonald became the Pasadena Unified School District’s chief academic officer earlier this month. He previously worked as an administrator and principal in Houston, Texas, where in the early 1990s he taught English language learners alongside Jon Gundry, who is now superintendent of Pasadena schools. McDonald sat down for a question-and-answer session with the Pasadena Sun.

Pasadena Sun: What was it like teaching with Gundry?

Gloriana Casey does it again with this tribute to the JPL bear:

"FUZZY WUZZY"
from gloriana casey

A bear arrives at JPL,
200 pounds of fur.
BEAR  thinks he found a NASA rock.
From moon? Well, he's  not sure.

Of Einstein's work, the whole world knows,
of RELATIVITY.

by Timothy Rutt

Pasadena Star-News has obtained two disturbing videos of children being hectored and verbally abused in youth boot camp settings.

The videos, taken at least two years ago, involve Kelvin "Sgt. Mac" McFarland, the operator of Family First Growth Camp in Pasadena.  McFarland was arrested on May 27 on charges of kidnapping,

With Halloween only a few days away, The Narcotics Bureau of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department would like to remind the citizens of Los Angeles County of a health hazard that was discovered last year. 

Parents, teachers, and physicians are warned to closely inspect children’s candy, soda, and snack items to ensure children do not accidentally ingest a concentrated drug. 

In recent months,

• Eliot Middle School Tour: Principal Peter Pannell will lead a tour of Eliot Middle School on Wed., Nov. 2, starting at 8:30 AM. Call the school (396-5680) to confirm your interest, or RSVP via the Pasadena Education Network calendar: http://penfamilies.org/news-events/calendar
• Sharps disposal available: The Altadena Sheriff’s Station now has a sharps disposal container, right next to the drop-off boxes for legal and illegal drugs.  The sheriff’s staiton is at 780 E.

By Daniel Siegal
Pasadena Sun 

Members of the family of the father and daughter killed in a 2009 runaway big-rig crash in La Cañada Flintridge will receive $3.15 million from the truck driver and state transportation officials to settle civil lawsuits.

The settlements were reached Thursday during a conference in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Glendale.

There will also be a preview party on November 12, 7 PM-10 PM at Future Studio, 5558 N. Figueroa, Highland Park.

The tour begins at the Lummis Home, 200 E.

Our column is up at the Sunday Valley Sun website (and at kiosks throughout Pasadena/South Pasadena/San Marino/and LCF, but not in Altadena!).  This week, we look at Halloween in the upper 'Dena.

Jerri Heffernan on the 1600 block of Woodglen Lane sent us this tonight: 

We live in the 1600 block of Woodglen Lane in Altadena. My sister in-law came over for dinner tonight and drove up the driveway. We have our garbage cans at the top of the driveway. On her way up she saw a very big brown bear tearing apart our garbage cans.

• Just say no to raw goat milk: for our Altadena foodies: the LA Times has a story by Stuart Pfeifer on the situation at Rawsome foods in Venice, an operation more worthy of a major drug bust than a bunch of raw goat milk drinkers.  Your government at work.
• ACONA tomorrow:  the Altadena Coalition of Neighborhood Associations meets Tues. Nov. 1, starting at 7 PM at the Altadena Main Library, 600 E. Mariposa St. Starting a neighborhood watch and an update on Athens Waste’s trash hauling service are the topics.  

The JPL Green Club and Earth Science Public Engagement will host the 3rd annual JPL Climate Change Symposium, “Empowering Action Through Climate Science Knowledge.”  This free event is open to the public and there is no need to register, but seating is limited.  The event will also be streamed live on the web.

Experts from JPL, UCLA, and the Union of Concerned Scientists will discuss climate change science and climate change policy.  

Mark Rober, a mechanical engineer for JPL, shares via YouTube his Halloween costume: using two iPads and wifi, you put a gaping hole in your torso.  Freaky, yes.

Enjoy tonight, but be safe!

Jonathan Josephson at Wicked Lit tells us that tonight's performance is 2 for 1 tickets: Get 2-for-1 tickets to either Production (A or B) TONIGHT ONLY (10/31 at 8pm) with code 2FOR1… can there be a better place to spend Halloween? Visit www.wickedlit.org for details.

Pictured: Reader Salina Curtis shares this picture from Braeburn Road’s “Haunted Yard” last night.

A safe and sane Halloween in Altadena, at least according to the latest reports.

Elliot Gold at the Upside-Down T neighborhood has already put up a video slide show of the scene over there.

And now, on to Thanksgiving!

Relay for Life online chair Heather Morrow (left) and chair Rose West (really, this is just for Halloween) sent out a reminder that the American Cancer Society’s annual Altadena relay starts Sat., June 9, and ends 24 hours later on Sun. June 10.

In addition, team registration is FREE until Jan. 1, 2012, so the earlier you sign up the better.  Click here to sign up your team.

There will be live music by Wreck ‘N’ So, as well as food, entertainment, games and prizes, and a raffle.

Since it’s at Henninger Flats, it means going up the Mt. Wilson Fire Road.  Biking or running will take about 30-45 minutes, hiking about an hour.  

Laura Milfinger tells us about Marshall High's need:

The Altadena Ale & Wine House, 2329 N. Fair Oaks Ave. (Altadenablog sponsor), will hold its second annual Limerick Festival next Fri., Nov. 11, from 6:30 PM-10 PM. 

Celebrities expected will be MC Mimi Chen, Tess Vigeland from NPR, with many guest poets and an open mic.

They’ve also included these helpful coasters (above) to write your limericks on,

Our beloved 13 year old cat went missing on Sunday night, 10/30.  His collar and ID was found in a jar at the Headstart preschool on Mendocino this morning. Can you please post something on your blog about him being lost? He’s a very sweet, big (18 pounds or so) black cat who answers to the name Norman.  

• Portantino tonight: Altadena Town Council meets tonight, 7 PM at Altadena Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Dr.  Assemblyman Anthony Portantino will deliver his annual “state of the state” address, and according to spokesperson Wendy Gordon, will discuss the financial state of the state, legislation and his on-going fight for transparency and open government.
• Snortland’s “director’s cut': Ellen Snortland is presenting two performances of her fresh-from-Edinburgh Fringe Festival “director’s cut”

The National Parks Service (NPS) will host a series of public meetings in October and November to present a draft study report to determine whether the San Gabriel Watershed and Mountains should be a member of the national park system.

Through the special resource study process, the NPS made the following determinations about the study area:

• The San Gabriel Mountains and Puente Hills are nationally significant,

by Timothy Rutt

If you go to the house of fine ale,
Let a spirit of rhyming prevail
It's for a good cause
(which would give one pause)
So the City of Hope will prevail!

It's time to get a little rhyme-y and maybe naughty as (Altadenablog sponsor) the Altadena Ale &

That’s what’s in store at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1757 N. Lake Ave., on Halloween night.

Treats included and nice safe neighborhood trick or treating nearby –that’s what! Start your evening at this family friendly concert where even little ones will recognize the Halloween themed classics from movies & TV. Plenty of parking behind the church.

A couple of housekeeping items:

• We've opened up our Holi-dena page, which covers local activities from Halloween through New Year's.  If you, your church, civic group, or other organization or business is planning special activities for the holidays, let us know and we'll feature it on the page.

The Pasadena Mental Health Center will have its third annual rummage sale and open house this Sat., Oct. 22, from 8 AM-1PM at the Center, 1495 N. Lake, Pasadena.

There will also be free wellness workshops from 10 AM-noon.  All proceeds benefit the clients of PMHC.  For more information, call 626-798-0907 or go to www.pmhc.org.