Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Prescription Medication Narcotic Take Back Day

At Altadena Community Center from 11am-3pm

On Wednesday, April 11th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. the Altadena Sheriff’s Station will give the community an opportunity to help prevent abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your pills for disposal to Altadena Community Center at 730 E. Altadena Dr., Altadena. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Any unwanted or used needles can be dropped off in the outside bin at Altadena Sheriff Station 24 hours a day. The sharps container for needles will remain outside on the west side of the station for everyone to use.

Future prescription medication drop off dates will be announced as they become available.

Monday, April 2, 2018

Celebration Launch of Transit-To-Trails Bus Service

Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek and Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger will celebrate the launch of a new route, this Saturday, April 7 at 9:00 a.m. at Memorial Park in Pasadena.

The Board of Supervisors approved a motion by Supervisor Kathryn Barger to partner with the City of Pasadena, the Trust for Public Land, Edison International and the Wilderness Society to implement a six-month pilot bus service in the unincorporated Altadena area.

The pilot service will connect the Metro Gold Line at Memorial Park Station with the Sam Merrill Trailhead in Altadena. Service would extend from April 7 to Sept. 30 on Saturdays and Sundays between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.

“This exciting partnership expands access to open space recreation and provides another option to improve regional transit connectivity for our residents in the Altadena community,” Supervisor Barger said.

Mayor Terry Tornek stated, “This new service will provide a convenient transportation option to access this wonderful open space for the local and regional community.

Monday, April 2, 2018

Altadena Town Council Land Use Committee Meeting Agenda for April 3, 2018

Diane Marcussen, Chair, Altadena Town Council Land Use Committee, has issued the agenda for the Land Use Committee meeting for April 3, 2018 meeting to be conducted at the Altadena Community Center, 730 East Altadena Drive, starting at 7:00 p.m.

1. CALL TO ORDER: Diane Marcussen

2. Pledge of Allegiance: LUC Committee Member

3. Roll Call – Pat Sutherlen

4. Approve Meeting Agenda(s) – April 3, 2018

5. Approve Minutes –December 5, 2017, February 6, 2018

6. Chairman Report – Diane Marcussen

6.1. Fences and Hedges Registration
6.2. New York Drive Project

7. Action Items – The Committee is expected to take action on the following item.

7.1. 2203 Garfias Drive – Existing construction with setback exception of approximately 9 inches – Sylvia Vega and Diane Marcussen
7.1.1. Public Comment

The committee may take action on the following item.

7.2. La Vina II Project – Amendment to CUP 2007-00114 – The La Vina Subcommittee will make a presentation of the proposed final condition for the project.

Monday, April 2, 2018

Actor Matt Lillard Presents 2nd 5JammaSlamma Event for Five Acres’ Foster Youth

Actor and child welfare advocate Matt Lillard (Twin Peaks, Good Girls, Scooby Doo) will present his second annual 5JammaSlamma spoken word event on April 21, 2018 at Werkartz in Los Angeles. In partnership with Five Acres, Engaging the Senses Foundation and Say Word, the night will celebrate a months-long artistic workshop with live performances from several foster youth in residence at Five Acres.

Launched as a pilot program at Five Acres in 2017, 5JammaSlamma manifested as Lillard’s vision to introduce the power of poetry to children living in foster care. That week-long program connected Five Acres’ foster youth with renowned recording artists, beatboxers and slam poets. This year, the program has expanded to six months, including a final workshop and performance co-led by Hawaii’s first official Poet Laureate, Kealoha.

“What started off as Engaging the Senses’ offer to pay for our 5JammaSlamma party has now turned into a year-round commitment to fund the teaching of poetry to the kids living on campus at Five Acres,” said Lillard.

Friday, March 30, 2018

BREAKING: Altadena Library Board President John McDonald Resigns

Altadena library board president John McDonald resigned Friday.

The library’s interim executive director Ryan Roy said McDonald’s resignation was effective immediately.

FULL BACKGROUND: Attorneys For Altadena Library District Executive Director Allege Harassment, Brown Act Violations

Friday, March 30, 2018

Found Safe! Missing Juvenile Returns Home

A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Altadena Station deputy reported Friday that a missing 12-year-old girl who was missing overnight has returned to her home and is safe.

She is thought to have run away from home after an argument with her mother, authorities said.

Friday, March 30, 2018

Attorneys For Altadena Library District Executive Director Allege Harassment, Brown Act Violations

By BRIAN DAY

Two attorneys representing the Altadena Library District’s Executive Director laid out allegations Thursday that the Board of Library Trustees president and two other members have engaged in a campaign to harass her, prompting her to take a medical leave due to stress, as well violating California’s open government statutes.

Lawyers Dale Gronemeier and Skip Hickambottom appeared on behalf of their client, Mindy Kittay, during a special board meeting on Thursday night. The attorneys distributed emails obtained via public information requests to back up their allegations of wrongdoing by the board’s three male members: President John McDonald, Trustee Armando Zambrano and Trustee Ira Bershatsky.

“I’m here to call out Board of Trustees President John McDonald and board members Ira Bershatsky and Armando Zambrano for their persistent violations of board by-laws and the Brown Act by their misconduct in preparing the board’s agendas and discussing in secret emails agenda items,” Gronemeier said.

McDonald was absent from Thursday’s meeting due to an “excused absence,” Zambrano said.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Altadena Guild of Huntington Hospital Announces 67th Annual Home Tour: Put Pep in Your Step on Pepper

The Altadena Guild of Huntington Hospital will hold it’s 67th annual Home Tour on Sunday May 6, 2018 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This year’s theme is “Put Pep in your step on Pepper”. A fiesta theme and vibe will be celebrated throughout the tour.

The tour includes five beautiful homes, complimentary drink and dessert in the “Hacienda Garden”. Enjoy sandwiches, small bites, festive snacks and a wide variety of beverages including beer, wine, and cocktails at “La Cantina”. You can sit and enjoy food, drinks and listen to live music while taking in the beautiful views of mountains. There will be homemade bakery treats sold at the “The Pan Dulce” booth and roaming carts.

Along the street will be local vendors selling fine art, jewelry, clothing, hats and purses. A vintage car club will have their cars on display as well as live music throughout the event. A special performance by a local LA Folklorico and Mariachi group begins at noon.

Monday, March 26, 2018

Local Woman Wins “Crown for a Purpose” Award at Ms. America Pageant 2018

Dr. Dawn Mooney Digrius of Altadena was awarded the “Crown for a Purpose” award at the MS. AMERICA® PAGEANT, held on March 10, 2018 at the Queen Mary, Long Beach, CA. She competed as Ms. Greater California America 2018.

Mooney Digrius, a resident of Altadena since 2016, works as Executive Director for STEM Advantage, a 501c3 based in Southern California.

The Special Award, “Crown for a Purpose” recognizes a contestant who uses her title for a purpose to “make a difference.” Dr. Mooney Digrius makes a difference by supporting educational equity through her platform, Educate to Elevate and made thirty (30) appearances as Ms. Greater California America 2018 in Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

About Ms. America® Pageant Inc.

The Ms. America® Pageant is a California Limited Liability Corporation that currently owns and runs the Ms. International™, Ms. America®, Ms. America® International, and Miss Pacific U.S. beauty contests. CEO of the Ms. America® Pageant Inc. is Susan Jeske from Orange County,

Monday, March 19, 2018

“Lost Trails of the Altadena Foothills” Unveiled by Historian Paul Ayers April 23 at Altadena Historical Society

Once-popular trails in the front range of the San Gabriel Mountains that have fallen into disrepair or disappeared will be rediscovered by historian Paul Ayers in a 7:30 p.m. Monday April 23 program at the Altadena Historical Society.

The program, which is free and open to the public, will be in the Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Drive. The Community Center is immediately west of the Sheriff’s Station and south of Rite-Aid.

Ayers, an attorney and San Gabriels historian, will illustrate his talk with some of the scores of vintage photographs and postcards he has collected over 25 years of researching and restoring Altadena trails.

He will share his research methods, which include using historic aerial photographs, old maps, trail artifacts, and personal exploration.

Altadena Historical Society has endorsed Ayers’s ongoing project of locating once-popular campsites that flourished across the front range of the San Gabriels, but have mostly reverted to a natural state.

The society,