Heinsen, who is producing with Coffee Gallery owner Julie Sandoval, said that there will be two themed days of shows, with tickets ranging from $5 to $15, with proceeds going to military families.

Fri., Sept. 30 will be “Sketch and Improv Day,”

The Altadena Town Council’s Planning committee is scheduled to look at a conditional use permit for the Arroyo Pacific Academy, 183 E. Palm St.

The Academy runs a private school in Arcadia.  Academy president Philip Clarke purchased the Palm St. property in October 2010 for use as a second campus.  The property, the former Bienvenidos Children’s Center, later housed the Sahag Mesrob Armenian Christian School, which was closed by the county for operating without permits.

Pasadena Unified students return to school today, so please drive carefully.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year at our house, and that means the website will be getting out of summer mode and ramping up — which means a lot of catch-up over the next few days.  Stay tuned!

Come take over the kitchen of The Coffee Gallery. This is an exciting opportunity to take over the kitchen for a day or so , on a monthly basis. It’s open to catering companies, culinary school graduates and personal chefs. We feel this will be a win/win situation for everyone involved. Catering companies and chefs will have the opportunity to promote themselves and expand their client list,

Athens Waste will take over trash hauling in Altadena starting tomorrow, Thurs., Sept. 1.  If you have a Thursday pickup, roll your new trash carts out to the curb tonight or early tomorrow (bears permitting).  Don't forget to put out your old trash cans out with a "Please recycle" sticker this week on your pickup day.

Happy September, and here's out monthly shout-out and thank you to the Altadenablog sponsor team! 

Altadena Ale & Wine House
Altadena Schools
Baietti-Seyffert/Podley Properties
Curves Altadena
Energy Upgrade California
Friends of the Altadena Library
Mike Gibson Service Center
Home Shoot Home
Peace & Justice Academy
Rancho Bar
Judy Rubin/Coldwell Banker
Scissors Paper Rock Salon
Greg Stanton Real Estate/Teles Properties
Dhari Thein Real Estate
Webster's Community Pharmacy
 and Webster's Fine Stationers

Altadenablog wouldn't be here doing what we do without these fine local businesses and organizations supporting us. 

Light brown female tiger cat, medium hair, about one year old, found around the tennis courts of the Altadena Country Club on Wednesday night.   Beautiful, friendly cat who loves to purr.  If she belongs to you, please call 626-398-3120.

Thurs., Sept. 1

• Coffee Gallery, 2029 N. Lake: Backstage,  Theresa Tudury and Nancy & Phil (singer/songwriters).  $15, show starts at 8 PM. Reservations:  (626) 798-6236.

Sheriff Lee Baca and Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich have already confirmed their attendance, and other local dignitaries have been invited.  The station is at 780 E. Altadena Dr.

Edward Ssekandi, vice-president of Uganda, was to be the keynote speaker at a business luncheon held at the Altadena Community Center yesterday, but arrived after the meeting broke up.

However, according to Okorie Ezieme of Ngok Global Consultants, as well as an Altadena town councilman, Ssekandi showed up just as the luncheon meeting was breaking up,

C. Jake Truman gives us some follow-up on this weekend's house fire:

Virginia Lance, a native Altadena resident, suffered an unfortunate accident this past weekend.  First she fell and broke her arm, then the following night there was a tragic fire and her house on North Lake Avenue burned down. 

By Jason Wells
Pasadena Sun

Seismologists have upgraded the earthquake that hit near Santa Clarita today to a magnitude 4.3.

The temblor was logged five miles southeast of Santa Clarita at 1:47 p.m. today, according to the US Geological Survey.

Mild tremors were felt in downtown Glendale, and there were no immediate reports of damage.

More at the Pasadena Sun.

We're always rejiggering and refining the website.  We thought we would try a new referral widget on a trial basis (the "You might also like…" thing at the end of the stories).  Feel free to feedback on this in the comments.

Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) and Assembly Speaker John Pérez are facing off in a high-profile clash over legislative staff budgets, but the numbers behind the battle are complex, with multiple funding sources adding to the bottom line for many lawmakers.

Legislators get funds for their staff offices and their leadership roles,

The event, 5-9 PM in the Webster’s parking lot, features stalwarts Greenz on Wheelz and No Reservations, with Nom Nom Truck, Curb A Peel, Sweet Arleen’s, and the return of The Grilled Cheese Truck to Altadena.

The Webster’s stores are going to hold a drawing for 3 fantastic Back-To-School Gift Baskets,

For the eighth straight year, San Marino Unified School District remains the highest-achieving public school district in the state, according to rankings released Wednesday.

Pasadena and South Pasadena public schools also showed overall gains in the state’s annual Academic Performance Index, released by the California Department of Education.

Academic Performance Index, or API, scores are assigned based on aggregate state test results weighted by subject and the number of students taking each test.

Sun., Aug, 21

Between 10:00 PM and 12:00 PM, Monday – A vehicle burglary occurred in the 300 block of Vinehill Drive.  Suspect(s) entered the vehicle by shattering the rear passenger window.  Loss:  black Targos backpack containing personal documents. 

There will be a reception on Sept.11, from 4-6 PM at the Gallery.

Artist’s Bio:
Pasadena, CA girl moves to NYC, stays thirty years.  Teaches math and science really well, becomes tri-state area private tutor of choice.  In the middle of all that re-discovers yearning to make art and discovers the Art Students League. 

by Timothy Rutt

The public has until Sept. 30 to comment to the US Forest Service on a draft environmental assessment for two Lincoln Avenue Water Company projects in Millard Canyon.

The Lincoln Avenue Water Company (LAWC) is looking to renew U.S. Forest Service special use permits,

Thanks to engineering ingenuity and software updates done from across the universe, NASA’s Mars rover Opportunity has reached a new exploration site 7 1/2 years after it first landed on Mars.

Dave Lavery, program executive for NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers, said Opportunity’s unexpected durability gave the science team a whole new environment to investigate,

• 
  9/11 remembered: Pasadena is having a free concert and other activities to commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11.  The Pasadena Sun has details.
• You don’t have to bear it: Former town council member Alice Wessen has information on how Athens Services will provide you with a bear-resistant trash container, if you need it.  (Nothing is bear-proof!)  And that’s a good excuse to share this video again.

Our latest column for the Sunday Valley Sun is up.

If you are thirsty and like really exceptional red Bordeaux wines, come to the Altadena Ale House this Sunday at 5 PM for a fabulous wine tasting. The cost is $25 per person, it includes one ounce pours and fine cheese with baguette. See the attachment for the line-up.

Robert Luera walked away from a park located in Pasadena. Robert is developmentally disabled and suffers from seizures. He was last seen wearing a short sleeved gray T-shirt with the word “Life” written on the front and blue denim shorts. Robert is 22 years old, 5’8” tall,

The Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy has planned an ambitious schedule of weekly Saturday hikes this fall, looking into the history and features of many of the area’s hiking trails.

Docent-led hikes will cover a range of topics, including local history, railroad history, the workings of the Mt. Lowe railway, birds, geology, and local flora and fauna.

Dates, times, and locations are:
Sept. 17, 9 a.m.: Mt. Lowe Railway to Falls
Sept.

Six hikers who were lost along the Sunset Ridge trail were escorted out in the wee hours of the morning by the Altadena Mountain Rescue team, according to the sheriffs.

Sgt. Debra Herman at the Altadena Sheriff Station says that a 911 call came in from a hiker’s cell phone about 2:30 AM this morning (Saturday).  The rescue team and county fire were dispatched, along with a helicopter,

On my morning walk, I found a small white male dog tied purposely tied to the branch of a small tree on Maiden Lane (just north of Rubio Drive).

He has no tag, no ID and is wearing a collar that is a bit too big for him.

After checking with all the neighboring houses and finding no clues as to the dog’s owner, I untied the little guy from the tree and brought him home.

Shots are $25 per vaccine for children and ther families, age 2 years and older, which also gets admission to Kidspace.

Danny’s Farm will be there, with an assortment of barnyard animals, as well as a chance to meet some former Los Angeles Dodgers.

by Bill Westphal

A high pressure system over the four corners area combined with a low pressure system off the southern california coast steered subtropical moisture into Southern California this evening. This provided Altadena residents with rare summer showers and a thunderstorm this evening. 

We were sitting in the back yard enjoying an evening bar-b-que and were treated to a wonderful weather display.  I got my tripod and camera and captured several beautiful images. 

Last night’s moist air, with added rain and thunder, was a visual feast for some of our favorite Alta-photographers. Bill Westphal’s pictures appeared yesterday, but we’ve got more:

Steve Gerow’s picture of sunset.

Ibarionex Perello captured the arc of the double rainbow over Altadena (you can see the upper rainbow just a little in the left-hand corner).

Mary Spriestersbach sends us this followup about her mom, who was burned out of her house last week:

Virginia Lance (2919 N. Lake Ave., Altadena) who lost her home on Aug. 28 is doing well and living with her daughter, Mary Spriestersbach, up the street in Altadena.  The family has been very fortunate that the Insurance company is handling a place for her to live as well as staging the house.

Soprano Krystle Casey, baritone Cedric Berry and organist Edward Murray will be featured in the remembrance concert.

Jeffrey Bernstein will conduct the chorale in the following program:

JEFFREY BERNSTEIN (arr.)   America the Beautiful

TRADITIONAL                 By the Waters of Babylon

VIRGIL THOMSON          My Shepherd Will Supply My Need

ROSS LEE FINNEY        Words To Be Spoken

GABRIEL FAURÉ            Requiem (op.

Reader Suzanne found this guy in the Chaney Trail neighborhood — no collar, but obviously well cared-for.  If you can get him home, call 818 653 3865.

The Altadena Land Use committee voted to deny a conditional use permit to Arroyo Pacific Academy tonight.  The committee vote was unanimous.

Philip Clarke, director of the school, owns the property  at 183-205 E. Palm St. and is seeking to turn it into a campus for 250 students. 

The Beach Toys are a group of five talented musicians who love the music of The Beach Boys. They have studied extensively the history and sound of America’s #1 musical export and are now traveling around the world playing the music of The Beach Boys to sold out crowds.

At 11 AM, many local groups, citizens and civic and community leaders will come together to honor the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives on the attack on the World  Trade Center in New York City. 

At one point a sheriff lieutenant was called in to escort out a man who had left his seat and was advancing on the committee, calling them “fascist”:  “None of you live on Palm —

The school site on Palm Street has always been a contentious item.  Now that the Land Use Committee has turned thumbs down to Arroyo Pacific Academy, what do you think?  Good decision or bad? Let us know in the comments.