The 818 Now

A portion of the proceeds generated by the Station fire charm bracelet will go toward re-planting efforts. (Photo/Raul Roa)

A contigent of La Cañada Flintridge residents are spearheading a grassroots effort to generate money and volunteers to assist in the re-forestation of Angeles National Forest.

The Foothill Communities Re-forestation Committee is trying to mobilize residents from all the Station fire-impacted communities to participate in an already existing volunteer program run by the U.S. Forest Service. The program trains individuals to plant seedlings and prune unwanted weeds.

In addition, La Cañada merchant Sue Stranger designed a Station fire bracelet, which is currently for sale in her store, Adobe Designs. The charm bracelets are $48, and $10 of the proceeds will go toward purchasing Big Cone Douglas Fir seedlings that will be used in the replanting.

“It doesn’t matter who started the fire, it matters who is going to get it done,” committee member Sheri Morton said. “Many hands make light work. We are always complaining about the government wanting out money, well now we are going to give them our hands.”

Helping families in need

For many, Christmas is a time of celebration and gift giving, but for families struggling to make ends meet, the time of Santa and presents under the tree can be daunting.

Fees not raising much

When the City Council in 2007 imposed development impact fees on new projects in Glendale, they were heralded as a way to bring in tens of millions of dollars to combat the city’s lack of park space and aging library facilities, but a protracted recession has kept that revenue to a trickle, officials said.

Checkpoints to eye DUIs

Drivers who take to the road after sipping a couple of alcoholic drinks at a holiday party stand a greater chance of landing in jail this weekend.

Water district targets independence

Foothill Municipal Water District officials have settled on a $63-million plan — to be presented to the public next month — for projects that a voter-approved bond would help fund.

Rewriting the record book and Hoover history

Unprecedented may be the best word to describe the 2009 season turned in by the Hoover High boys’ water polo team and its best player, Hakop Kaplanyan.

ALL-AREA FIRST TEAM

A list of student-athletes taking home big honors.

Education Matters: Christmas tidings from the hospital

I find it easier to focus on meaningful things at this time of year. Easier also to center my attention away from the vast and the noisy and the troublesome and more on the quiet, the unobtrusive, the inconspicuous, the vital.

(Photo via Flickr user Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the BPL)

A new mapping and database site tracks historical maps through Google Earth. Old maps are scanned in then laid over with current street names and landmarks. 

Basically, you get to see what’s changed and what’s stayed. 

The San Fernando map dates back to 1880 when a state engineer surveyed water routes. The topographer drew in city land divisions, mountains, rivers, railroads and roads.

Crescenta Valley High School (photo via Glendale Unified School District)

Nice work, Crescenta Valley.  

U.S. News and World Report placed Crescenta Valley High in the top 3% of schools in the country. The rankings rely on Advanced Placement scores and demographic information.  

Its ranking as 44th best in California puts it within the top 6% of schools in the state, which includes public, private, charter and competitive admission campuses.  

Even though California is close to being a failed state — especially when it comes to education funding — the state finished third (behind Massachusetts and Connecticut) in terms of the percent of schools that ranked highest in the magazine’s College Readiness Index.  

California and Massachusetts are considered to lead the nation in academic standards.

(Raul Roa/News-Press)

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch today due to a third and powerful storm, which is expected to dump up to three inches in the foothills tonight.

The watch, which starts at 3 p.m., indicates that a downpour will go on tonight until Sunday morning.

County officials are bracing themselves for the third storm and have been making their rounds of the foothills.

While county officials have not ordered foothill residents to evacuate, they did issue an advisory today, said Bob Spencer, Los Angeles County Public Works spokesman.

The advisory alerted residents to be prepared to evacuate if county officials determine that tonight’s storm is posing a serious risk to them, he said.

“It is purely an advisory,” Spencer said.

Heavy rains are expected to start at 4 p.m. and last until 4 a.m. Sunday, he said.

Foothill debris basins showed little signs of weakening Saturday afternoon.

“The system is working,” Spencer said. “So far so good.”

Rain didn’t stop a group of La Crescenta community members who gathered at Two Strike Park in La Crescenta for three hours on Saturday to fill up sandbags for homeowners.

They filled up about 200 sandbags, which remained at the park for residents who needed them, said Kim Mattersteig, who was recently elected to the Crescenta Valley Town Council.

Rain has been falling steadily on the foothills today. But tonight’s rain storm will present the biggest challenge for residents.

“It’s raining a lot,” Mattersteig said. “It’s been raining consistently and heavily for hours and hours.”

Credit: Creative Commons

DOWNTOWN — Hanukkah, the eight-day Festival of Lights celebrated by Israelis and Jews around the world, begins at sundown.

Families across the region will gather to light one candle of the menorah and recite blessings to God to commemorate an improbable victory over invaders who debased the temple in Jerusalem.

Hanukkah this year begins and ends on the Jewish Sabbath, requiring minor liturgical changes. Still, the holiday traditions of candles, gifts and jelly doughnuts will remain constants.

The following celebrations are planned across Burbank, Glendale and the Foothills:

Chabad Burbank Jewish Center: Hanukkah celebrations at 5:30 p.m. Monday at the Jewish Center and 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Burbank Town Center. For more information, visit www.chabadburbank.com.

Burbank Temple Emanu El: Hanukkah Shabbat evening service at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Hanukkah Shabbat morning at 9:30 a.m. Saturday and a Havdalah and potluck at 6:15 p.m. Saturday. Visit www.btee.org for more information.

Temple Beth Emet: Shabbat services begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday followed by the annual Hanukkah celebration at noon Saturday. E-mail the office at Office@TempleBethEmet.com or call (818) 843-4787 for more information.

Temple Sinai of Glendale: Shabbat Service followed by Oneg Shabbat at 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday. Tot Shabbat, a special service for pre-schoolers and their parents or grandparents, at 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Saturday. Chanukah Dinner from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday in the Social Hall. Visit www.temple-sinai.net for more information.

Chabad of Glendale and the Foothill Communities: Hanukkah festival at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Glendale Galleria outside Crown Books. The event includes the lighting of a 9-foot menorah. Visit www.chabadcenter.org for more information.

The Americana at Brand: The public is invited from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday to celebrate the tradition of Hanukkah. The afternoon will feature a musical performance by children’s group Parachute Express; an appearance by storyteller Rebecca Martin and arts and crafts sponsored by the Skirball Cultural Center.

From the La Cañada Valley Sun

Aggravated assaults were up in the foothills during the month of November, with five reported in La Cañada and La Crescenta, more than the total number of victims in all of 2009, according to a Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station crime analyst.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve had that many aggravated assaults,” said analyst Barbara Hazard, “but the stats count numbers of victims.”

Hazard said there were three incidents involving five victims in November, the most of any month in 2009. There were single counts of aggravated assault reported in February, March, August and September.

Hazard also noted the aggravated assault charges are, for the most part, not related to domestic abuse.

For more of this story, read here.

In a weather statement released early this morning, the National Weather Service warned significant rainfall could trigger mudslides in the hillside communities left barren by the Station Fire.

Residents and Glendale and Los Angeles County officials have been bracing for potential mudslides since last week when National Weather Service official first began predicting the storm.

The greatest threat of heavy participation will be  late Monday morning through early Monday evening, according to the National Weather Service. Rain rates are expected to be between one quarter and one third of an inch per hour, but there will be a potential for brief heavy showers.

To read the whole weather alert, click here.

Janella Rodriguez, right, rings up a purchase for Brian Buchanan at the Hallmark store on Black Friday.

Tempered predictions about the holiday shopping season didn’t stop determined bargain hunters from lining up outside of local retail stores for the ever popular consumer frenzy known as Black Friday.

In La Cañada, a dozen people waited ouside the city’s biggest retailer, Sport Chalet, for the doors to open at 5 a.m. Linda Ingraldi, a La Crescenta resident, was at the front of the line. She said it was the first time she had tried to take advantage of the Thanksgiving weekend sales. She planned  her purchase carefully, consulting with her sister about a GPS navigation system which she hoped to buy as a present for a her son. It was marked down $90.

“They say they have the GPS I want…Nowadays, saving anything makes me feel good,” Ingraldi said.

Saving is exactly what millions of Americans are looking to do today as they browse shelves of toys, books, clothing and electronics. The day after Thanksgiving, which has evolved into a national holiday in and of itself, is one of the biggest shopping days of the year.

Read the full story here.

La Cañada Flintridge residents donated $50,000 to benefit emergency personell and social services agencies in the wake of the Station fire, according to a statement released Tuesday by the city.

Kevin Chun, director of administrative services, said the community mobilized quickly to thank the firefighters and law enforcement personnel who worked to protect the city.

The donations are being forwarded to the Captain Ted Hall and Firefighter Specialist Arnie Quinones Memorial Fund, fire and Sheriff’s equipment funds, the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, the Sheriff’s Relief Fund and the Fire Chaplain’s Benevolence Fund. Donations will also be made to the American Red Cross, San Gabriel Pomona Valley Chapter, and the Pasadena Humane Society. The majority of the funds will be distributed by Thanksgiving, according to Chun.

“The generosity of donations from our residents is indicative of the heartfelt thanks for those that kept our community safe,” Mayor Laura Olhasso said.

From the La Cañada Valley Sun

A fiery collision between two vehicles on the westbound 210 (Foothill) Freeway in La Cañada Flintridge Sunday afternoon shut down traffic in both directions for nearly an hour.

A sigalert.com report said the crash took place at about 2:51 p.m. and that a fatality was “possible” but there has been no official statement confirming that.

According to Sgt. Scott Gibson of the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station, the crash took place in the tunnel near the transition from the 210 to the 2 (Glendale) Freeway South and the ensuing flames from both vehicles filled the tunnel with smoke.

For updates check here

From the La Cañada Valley Sun

Veterinarian Steve Sallen, founder of the Rosemont Pet Hospital in La Crescenta, has spent nearly three decades caring for animals in the Crescenta-Cañada community. After a recent motorcycle accident, however, it was his turn to be cared for.

On July 11, Sallen and his son Dustin, then 13, set out from the family’s vacation house in Gunnison, Colo. on Honda dirt bikes for a routine day of riding.

Steve’s bike was a recent purchase, and he had yet to adjust the frame to fit his height and build. He was struggling to keep his balance at sharp turns, but successfully ascended and descended a steep trail frequented by dirt bikers.

Back on a flat dirt road, Steve and Dustin were riding smoothly at approximately 35 mph. As Steve rounded a bend, however, he was thrown from his bike.

“The last thing I can remember, I am looking over the handlebars at this flat dirt road and the next thing I knew I was waking up in a ditch in extreme pain with breathing difficulty,” Steve said. “I tried to stand up and it hurt way too much, so I just laid down in the ditch. I never saw my bike again.”

For more of this story read here

Area residents, like Bill Friday of Tujunga, took a tour of Deukmejian Wilderness Park, the first time since the recent Station Fire, in Glendale on Saturday October 10, 2009. Friday has visited and hiked the park with his wife more than 300 times. Residents learned what the city is doing to curtail mud flows in the coming rainy season. (Raul Roa/News-Press)

Glendale city officials are currently accepting sign-ups for a guided tour of Deukmejian Wilderness Park, which remains closed to the public after the Station fire scorched much of the land.

During the tours, scheduled for Nov. 21 and 22, hikers can learn about the surviving native plants and animals, and get updates on park recovery efforts. The city sponsored a similar tour last month.

For more information, or to sign up using a digital form, click here.

The Los Angeles Times reported today that the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board has banned septic systems in central and eastern Malibu, ending years of debate over the city’s wastewater management system. Malibu and  La Cañada Flintridge are the only cities in Los Angeles County where septic systems are still widely used.

The vote in Malibu prohibits new spetic systems and requires homeowners to replace existing systems within a decade. Hundreds of people attended the 10-hour meeting, according to The Times.

In La Cañada, the controversy has been equally impassioned. A recent vote, however, indicates that septic sewers are likely to remain. On Oct. 5, voters rejected the formation of an assessment district which would have initiated a $40 million low-pressure sewer system project in the Flintridge area.

Read the full story here.

In the most competitive race in recent years, two incumbents lost their seats on the Crescenta Valley Water District Board of Directors Tuesday.

Creative Commons

Challengers Kerry Erickson and James Bodnar and incumbent director Richard Atwater won the three available seats on the district’s five person board.

The 11,725 registered voters living in the unincorporated areas of La Crescenta and Montrose were eligible to vote for three candidates.

According to the Los Angeles County Registrar, the vote counts were:

• Kerry Erickson, challenger: 888 votes

• James Bodnar, challenger: 697 votes

• Richard Atwater, incumbent: 695 votes

• Charles  Beatty, incumbent: 508 votes

• Wendy Alane Smith, incumbent: 404 votes

• Vasken Yardemian, incumbent board president: 343 votes

The board makes policy decisions for the district, voting on everything from water conservation efforts to customer rates and capital improvement projects.

The five directors serve four-year terms, with three directors elected in one group and two directors in another.

Check back later for updates.

I’m the first to admit when I make a mistake.

And unfortunately, in Monday’s print edition my article about the annual Foothill Clean-up Day stated that more than 20 volunteers took part, when there were actually more than 200 volunteers picking up trash, pulling weeds and filling sandbags.

We already ran a correction in Tuesday’s print edition, but Sandra Rodriguez, who helped organize the event just sent me some photos of volunteers hard at work, so I thought I would share them with you.

To read more about the event click here.

Courtesy of the City of Glendale

Courtesy of the City of Glendale

I was in the Foothills this morning and spotted a home with six concrete barriers to protect it from oncoming rain runoff, mud and rock debris that could come with heavy rains.

Authorities are concerned about possible mudslides after fires ripped through Deukmejian Wilderness Park and other areas above Foothill neighborhoods.

The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles already started renovations on the property of St. Luke’s of the Mountains Church — bulldozers are at work and a new sign is up.

The site was occupied by St. Luke’s Anglican Church until it’s court-mandated move-out date Monday.

Click here for a story about the legal battle.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich is calling for a $50,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the Station fire arsonist.

Los Angeles City Firefighter Thomas Rindge keeps watch over a back fire operation in Goss Canyon above La Crescenta Monday. (Scott Smeltzer/News-Press)

Authorities have determined that the now-160,357-acre blaze was deliberately ignited about a mile above the Angeles Crest Fire Station in La Cañada Flintridge.

The total cost of all firefighting operations for the blaze reached $57.6 million by Tuesday morning, up from estimates of $27 million on Friday, the U.S. Forest Service said.

It has so far caused two deaths and 10 injuries and has destroyed 78 homes, 86 non-residential “outbuildings” (barns, sheds, etc.) and two commercial properties, the Forest Service said.

Anotnovich’s motion will go before the county’s Board of Supervisors at its meeting tonight.