Saturday, February 4, 2017

An Evening of ‘Artist Types’

A banquet room packed with business owners, neighbors, and what Altadena Chamber of Commerce President Billy Malone endearingly called “those artist types” celebrated home and community Friday at the 93rd Annual Altadena Chamber of Commerce Awards and Installation dinner.

The evening honored 2016 Citizen of the Year Elliot Gold, founder of the Altadena Coalition of Neighborhood Businesses (ACONA), and Business of the Year Open Studios Alta/Pasa/Dena owners Mary and Patrick Gothard, and featured a small squadron of government representatives, including Congresswoman Judy Chu, LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger and staffers from the offices of Assemblymember Chris Holden and State Senator Anthony Portantino, as well as Okorie Ezieme, of the Altadena Town Council, and Daniel Harlow of the Altadena Chamber.

Each office presented a certificate of recognition to Gold, as well as to the Gothards.

In addition to the honoring of Gold and the Gothards, the 2017 Chamber board was officially installed, with President Malone, now serving a second term; Vice President Meredith Miller;

Saturday, February 4, 2017

Altadena Town Council Land Use Committee Meeting Agenda for February 7, 2017

Diane Marcussen, Chair, Altadena Town Council, has issued the agenda for the Land Use Committee meeting for February 7, 2017 meeting to be conducted at the Altadena Community Center, 730 East Altadena Drive, starting at 7:00 p.m.

A pdf version is available by clicking here.

1. CALL TO ORDER: Diane Marcussen

2. Pledge of Allegiance: LUC Committee Member

3. Roll Call – Pat Sutherlen

4. Approve Meeting Agenda(s) – February 7, 2017

5. Approve Minutes – January 2017

6. Chairman Report – Diane Marcussen

7. Presentation Only – None

8. Action Items

8.1. CUP 2016-001849 – CUP to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages in each tenant space. Plans include the sale of alcohol for on-site consumption in the 6 restaurant spaces. The six restaurant spaces will have either Type-41 or Type-47 licenses. The applicant plans to include the sale of a full line of alcoholic beverages for off-site consumption (Type-21 ABC license) in the 1 small market tenant space.

Friday, February 3, 2017

Altadena Chamber Board February Meeting Cancelled

The Altadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association has cancelled its board meeting for February, the chamber announced Thursday.

The next board meeting will be on Tuesday, March 7, starting at 9 a.m., at the Altadena Community Center at 730 E. Altadena Drive, Altadena.

The meeting is open to all members of the chamber and the general public.

For more information, call (626) 794-3988 or send an email to office@altadenachamber.org or follow on Facebook, www.facebook.com/AltadenaChamber.

Thursday, February 2, 2017

Altadena’s Crime Blotter for the Week of Saturday, January 27th

Monday, January 23rd

10:30 PM – A petty theft from an unlocked vehicle occurred in the 2300 block of Tanoble Drive. Stolen: credit cards.

Tuesday, January 24th

12:33 AM – Hiram Cormier, 40 years old of Hawthorne was arrested in the 1200 block of N. Catalina Avenue for driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent.

Wednesday, January 25th

6:30 PM – Sergio Huezo, 39 years old of Altadena was arrested in the area of Fair Oaks Avenue and Calaveras Street for public intoxication.

Thursday, January 26th

12:00 PM – A package theft occurred in the 1400 block of Crest Drive. Stolen: iPhone.

Friday – Saturday no significant incidents.

Monday, January 30, 2017

One of Altadena’s Major Literary Events to Honor Six of Altadena Poetry Review: Anthology 2016’s 86 Poets

One of Altadena’s major literary events will be held on Friday, February 3, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Altadena Library Community Room, and the community is invited to join.

Sponsored by the local indie press, Golden Foothills Press, publisher of the national award-winning book, “Altadena Poetry Review: Anthololy 2016,” the event honors 6 of the book’s 86 distinguished poets. These 6 poets (shown below) were nominated by the book’s editor, Poet Laureate Emerita Thelma T. Reyna, to receive the prestigious national award, the Pushcart Prize. Simply to be a nominee for this award is considered by poets to be an honor. Here’s an unofficial program for the evening:

6:30 p.m. Welcome and introductions
6:35 p.m. Open Mic (for the first 10 sign-ups; 1 minute maximum per reader, which is about one medium poem)
6:45 p.m. Pauli Dutton: Background and history of the Pushcart Prize, one of the most iconic literary awards in the United States
6:50 p.m. Introduction of this year’s 6 nominees,

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Altadena Chamber of Commerce to Award Citizen and Business Of The Year at Annual Awards and Installation Dinner

On Friday, February 3, 2017, the Altadena Chamber will host the 93rd Annual Awards & Installation Dinner, honoring Citizen Of The Year – Elliot Gold and Business Of The Year – Open Studios Alta/Pasa/Dena, accepted by Patrick and Mary Gothard. The event will take place at the Altadena Town & Country Club and will include a live auction to benefit the Marion Lee Wullschlager Scholarship Fund. Open Studios will have artwork on display from local artists.

Tickets are on sale and can be purchased at http://www.altadenachamber.org/about-us/citizen-of-the-year/. To RSVP and for more information, contact (626) 794-3988 or email office@altadenachamber.org.

Altadena Town & Country Club is located at 2290 Country Club Drive, Altadena.

Friday, January 27, 2017

Noted Authors and Altadena Publisher Debate Whether Authors’ Race, Gender Limits What They Can Write About

A spirited talk between an Altadena publisher and three of her acclaimed authors will be presented at 7:00 p.m. Thursday Feb. 2 at the Altadena Community Center. The event is open to the public free of charge.

The panel discussion will be among Naomi Hirahara, an Altadena native who is author of a mystery series set in that foothill community; Rachel M. Harper, author of 2016’s notable novel, “This Side of Providence;” Joyce Gittlin, television writer and director and author of numerous movie scripts for Disney, Paramount and 20th Century; and Colleen Dunn Bates, founder and publisher of Altadena-based Prospect Park Books.

Their talk will focus on issues raised in the play “Bee-luther-hatchee” by Thomas Gibbons, being presented at the Sierra Madre Playhouse through Feb. 18. The discussion is sponsored and produced by the playhouse, and is hosted by the Altadena Historical Society.

The play follows a publisher, Shelita Burns, who seeks to meet a reclusive author whose “biography” of a 72-year-old black woman has won a major award.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Altadena’s Crime Blotter for the Week of Saturday, January 21st

Monday, January 16th

9:30 AM – A residential burglary occurred in the 300 block of E. Calaveras St. Suspect(s) entered the residence by shattering a window. Stolen: white iPad.

Tuesday, January 17th

10:00 PM – A vehicle was reported stolen from the 2100 block of Lincoln Avenue. Vehicle described as a green 1996 Honda Accord 4 door.

Wednesday, January 18th

9:00 AM – A package theft occurred in the 1700 block of N. Holliston Avenue. Stolen: snake plant pot, poly tarp and a bamboo tray.
6:00 PM – A residential burglary occurred in the 3200 Rubio Canyon Road. Suspect(s) entered the residence by shattering the sliding door. Stolen: gold bracelet.

Thursday, January 19th

12:30 AM – An assault with a deadly weapon occurred in the 50 block of W. Pine Street. Suspect has been identified as a friend of the victim.
11:50 AM – A vehicle burglary occurred in the 2100 block of Midlothian Drive.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Altadenans Tackle Homeless Count Tonight

Altadena residents and community leaders will deploy all over town after sunset Tuesday night to begin to document the homeless population that lives throughout Altadena, both in plain sight and hidden.

This effort is the time that hundreds of communities throughout L.A. County do the utmost possible to determine a realistic homeless count.

“It’s a massive count. We believe it’s the largest homeless count in the United States,” said Tom Waldman, Director of The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), of the overall county-wide effort.

A joint powers authority of the City and County of Los Angeles, LAHSA was created in 1993 to address the problems of homelessness in Los Angeles and has been spearheading the annual homeless count over the years — an issue that has plagued the county for decades.

Altadena’s participation in the 2017 count is a part of a larger effort that includes over 6,000 volunteers at 149 deployment sites and spans over 4,000 square miles of land.

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Altadena Library District to Launch Renovation in Celebration of Main Building’s 50th Anniversary

One of Altadena’s longest standing institutions, Altadena Library District, is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of its main building, originally designed by architect Boyd Georgi in the early 1960s. To honor this historic anniversary, the Altadena Library District Board has approved plans for the Library’s Phase I Renovations using grant funding from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and a generous donation from the Altadena Library Foundation.

Board President Ira Bershatsky says of the plans, “This is a much needed sprucing up of the interior of the library and we are very grateful to both HUD and the Altadena Library Foundation for their financial support of this project. This will be the catalyst to future funding to address the many additional needs of this facility.”

The first segment of a multi-phase remodel, the Phase I Renovations will address needed updates to shelving, flooring and carpets, electrical capacity, the library’s Community Room, and interior signage. Installation of new shelving will begin to bring the library into compliance with seismic safety code and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.