Meadows Resident at Art on Palm Oct. 10

Meadows resident, Katherine Nakazono, will be exhibiting her art work on Saturday, October 10, 2009 at Art on Palm in Altadena from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm. The address is 1419 E. Palm Street.

http://www.nakazonoglassart.com/

Burglary Suspects Caught

From the Sherriff's Community Advisory Council regarding an attempted burglary:

"I just heard from Captain Blow at the Altadena Sheriff Station that 2 men have been arrested within the last hour attempting to break into a home on New York Drive.

They knocked on a door with a flyer of a lost cat saying they were looking for their cat. Luckily the homeowners were: (1) at home (2) knew the owners of the cat and knew these guys had nothing to do with the cat owners (3) called the station immediately (4) had a security camera showing the 2nd guy trying to pry open a window. This makes a good case!

Again, the Captain wants everyone to know - if there is anyone suspicious knocking on the door or in your neighborhood, CALL THE STATION @ 626-798-1131 and report it. Best if you ask for the watch commander to get immediate action.
We have the station number programmed into our phone and a sticker on each phone with the number, suggest you consider the same."

BBQs Needed for First Responder Event

There has been a huge response to the upcoming First Responder event on Oct. 1.
The Parks Department is in need of a (some) decent sized BBQs for the event. If you can help out, please call or email Wes directly. Contact info is below.

Volunteers needed to honor first responders at Oct. 1 barbecue
LA County Department of Parks and Recreation is looking for volunteers to help them hold a barbecue for firefighters and sheriff's deputies to honor them for their work on the Station Fire.The barbecue will be Thurs. Oct. 1 at Farnsworth Park, from 11 AM- 3PM. Wes Kawano, recreation services leader of the Altadena/Foothill District of county parks and rec says: "If at all possible, we would like to get as many community volunteers as possible to assist us in setting up, serving or delivering food to the event." If you have any questions or can help out, Wes Kawano says he can be emailed at wkawano@parks.lacounty.gov or reached on his cell at 323.273.7090.

Deer on Canyon Crest - Please Slow Down

From a neighbor in The Meadows:

"I have been passing quite a few deer - sometimes as many as 5, crossing the road on Canyon Crest heading to The Meadows area just before the Smokey sign as you are coming in.
There is a fruit tree dropping fruit into the street and they are often stopped on the road eating.

I am so worried someone is going to hit them. Please, SLOW FOR BAMBI! And please tell your friends and visitors also."

Emergency Preparedness Seminar

Carpool Needed

From Krista on Gravelia. Please contact her at kristaware@gmail.com if you can help:

"My car recently broke down and I've been walking down/up from the bus stop at Lincoln/Altadena Drive for the past week. It will be another month or so before my car will be fully fixed; while the walk is great exercise (and quite nice in the cool mornings) it is not ideal."

Krista is looking for carpooling down the hill and possibly points further - for example, a Metro Station or even as far as Downtown LA which is where she works. She is looking for a steady ride in place for which she would gratefully chip in for fuel.

Volunteers Needed for Firefighter/Sheriff BBQ

From AltadenaBlog.com and others:

Volunteers needed to honor first responders at Oct. 1 barbecue
LA County Department of Parks and Recreation is looking for volunteers to help them hold a barbecue for firefighters and sheriff's deputies to honor them for their work on the Station Fire.

The barbecue will be Thurs. Oct. 1 at Farnsworth Park, from 11 AM- 3PM. Wes Kawano, recreation services leader of the Altadena/Foothill District of county parks and rec says: "If at all possible, we would like to get as many community volunteers as possible to assist us in setting up, serving or delivering food to the event." If you have any questions or can help out, Kawano says he can be emailed at wkawano@parks.lacounty.gov or reached on his cell at 323.273.7090.

Free Yard Clean-Up and Handyman Services

From AltadenaBlog.com. This could be good for our seniors in The Meadows. Please mention it to them as they may not have Internet access to read this post:

"I posted a few days ago that I was referred to Alta/Pasa Community Improvement Center, a non-profit that provides free yard clean up and handyman services for senior citizens and low-to-mid income people, while providing employment to local folks.
The crew came today and did a bang-up job of cleaning debris and dry brush from both the front and back. They showed up first thing in the morning and put in a full day, trimming, removing dead plants, raking, and sweeping. They had all the equipment and hauled away all the trash.
It was awesome to come home from work to a clean, manicured yard. I have been very discouraged about my yard, so this was a wonderful gift."

Pics of Hills and Canyons

From a neighbor on Sunmore:

"I took a bunch of saddening photos on my ride the other day if you want to show any to others who are hikers or riders."

http://web.mac.com/andreadamian/iWeb/Site/Photos.html

Altadena Burglary Forum

The details for the forum to address the spike in residential burglaries have been firmed up.

This is your opportunity to find out what the Sheriff's Department has been doing about burglaries, what they are currently doing and what is planned. It is also your opportunity to find out what you can do to HELP the Sheriff's Department and your neighborhood, including ways to better protect your homes without jeopardizing your safety.

Altadena Sheriff's Community Forum on Burglary
Wednesday, October 7
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Daniel Webster Elementary School Auditorium
2101 East Washington Boulevard, Pasadena

This forum will start promptly at 7 pm. The doors will open no later than 6:30 pm.
Please make plans to attend.

Edison Power Outage Revised End Time

Expected to come home to restored power. This is from the Edison website:

Scheduled Start: Monday,September 14, 2009 8:00 AM
Estimated Power Restoration: Has been revised to Monday, September 14, 2009 9:30 PM

Update on Criminal Activity and

From our Sherrif Community Liaison:

Last week on Wednesday night, on the east side of Altadena, a resident called the Sheriff's Station to report a burglary in process, and indicated that two men rang his front door bell and when the resident didn't answer, they shook the door. Then, one of the men went back to the sidewalk and stood, the other disappeared from sight. The resident thought perhaps he should go look at the rear of his home. Sure enough, the other man was trying to gain entry.

The Sheriff's deputies arrived too quickly (depending on your point of view) and the man attempting to gain entry hadn't yet succeeded. Both men were arrested, but could only be arrested on attempted burglary. We don't know yet what the outcome of that will be.

At the beginning of this week, the Detectives who have been working on all of the burglaries asked Captain Blow if they could set up a community meeting on the subject of burglary. That community meeting is tentatively scheduled for early October. We are waiting for confirmation from the school at which it will be held.

Many things are frustrating the process of capturing burglars and prosecuting them successfully. To the Detectives and Deputies, it doesn't help if you email each other when you see suspicious activity in your neighborhood, but you don't call the Sheriff's Station.

If you won't call the Sheriff's Station, the deputies cannot just stop someone from driving or parking in your area. They have to have a cause to stop and question someone.

They have asked many times for all of us to call when you see strangers in your neighborhood. These people may have a legitimate reason for being there, and if they do, the deputies will sort that out.

It also isn't so helpful if you call to report an attempted burglary or that someone broke into your car two weeks after the event occurred. Nothing works better than catching burglars in the progress.

The Detectives and Deputies need your help. Last Wednesday night before the resident called to advise that someone was attempting to break in to his home, two men knocked on someone else's door. That happened earlier in the evening, but I don't know how much earlier. In this instance, the resident answered the door, and the stranger asked if he could come in. The resident said, "no", and shut the door.

While at my residence in New Mexico, I received 2 emails from my homeowner's association advising of 3 daytime burglaries here - all described in exactly the same way - knock on the front door, no answer, they head to the back of the house and find a way to make entry, or in one incident, they forced entry at the front door. Just like we are experiencing in Altadena, the burglars are also very bold and will enter a home through the front door if it is unlocked, even if someone is in the house. They walk in, take the TV and any handy computer and out they go before anyone even realizes someones been inside their home.

You can be part of the solution. Don't leave your doors and windows unlocked. Don't make it any easier that it already seems to be for people to break in.

More importantly - CALL THE SHERIFF'S STATION 626 798 1131

I'll have confirmation of the date for the community meeting by Monday.As always, if you have questions, please feel free to let me know.

Thanks very much,
Carolyn

Guards at Top of Risinghill

Just received this info. Not sure how it will effect hiking for Meadows residents:

The County has hired private security guards to assist local law enforcement in areas surrounding Angeles National Forest.

A number of these guards are now posted at the end of Risinghill Road. Only residents that live beyond that point, and their guests along with emergency responders, will be allowed through.

The guards began last night and will be there 24/7 for at least the next week, with possible extensions while the forest remains closed.

Firefighter Presence Still in Meadows

A report from the top of Risinghill this morning:

"We continue to see constant daily presence of either Fire engines and/or Forest Service Fire. They continue to monitor and spend a significant amount of time up here. Still no sign of the bears. So so sad."

Injured or Ill Wildlife Info

From MaryEllen - her contact info is in the right margin of this blog:

"Just a reminder, if you spot any injured small mammals (bobcat size or smaller) you can call me - my number is listed on this blog. For larger mammals, you will need to contact Fish and Game. Sometimes we do not see signs of burn injuries, especially those to paws and bellies, until several weeks after the fire, when infection sets in and the animals become ill, so remember to keep an eye out in the coming weeks for animals who may appear ill rather than injured. And remember - do not approach an injured animal unless you have the training and equipment! Even an animal that appears very lethargic or severely injured will fight furiously to defend itself.

"If you cannot reach me, or are trying to help an injured bird, the California Council for Wildlife Rehabilitators (www.ccwr.org) has a listing of contact information for local rehabbers, as well as contact information for Fish and Game."

-- MaryEllen SchoemanWriter/Consultant
http://www.naturetoothandclaw.com

Control Burn

I don't think this impacts The Meadows, but may explain all the helicopter activity this afternoon.

STATION FIRE UPDATE
LOS ANGELES (Tuesday, September 8, 2009 – 2:30 p.m.) –
**There is a Control Burn taking place at the Foothill area which will go on throughout the afternoon or as weather permits. ** Fire breaks will be improved from Bear Creek toward Mt. Waterman, the San Gabriel drainage, and at strategic locations along Forest Highway 2. Crews will construct additional fireline from Chileno Canyon north to Twin Peaks drainage. Crews and equipment have begun repairing fireline along the west side of the fire.
The main focus will be to construct and improve fireline along the eastern perimeter of the fire.

MFSC Tree Status

The Meadows FireSafe Council is proceeding with the next stage of tree removal in the neighborhood. We have identified over 60 trees for removal. Next step will be getting bids of tree services in the next several weeks.

Mountain Lion Sighting

On Saturday evening, from a Meadows neighbor:

"We just saw a beautiful little lion this evening near the Meadows sign on canyon crest. I guess they don't have many nice places to hangout.
It was not afraid of the car lights."

Fun Addition to Our Sign

Thanks to the anonymous neighbor who added this balloon to our sign!

Forest Closed

Forest is closed until further notice. Sheriffs have put cones on our road leading up to the top of Risinghill Road. NO ONE is allowed up except residents and emergency personnel. Hot Shots were up this morning doing their checking; they continue to monitor.

More Wildlife Assistance Information

From the top of Risinghill:

A great place for an assortment of seeds is Red Barn Feed; their price on wild bird and nyjer seeds beats Petco. Also, Walmart has really good prices on birdseed.

I have seen several deer up here, grey squirrels, chipmunks, a rabbit, quail, blue and scrub jays, some woodpeckers, and assorted birds. I have food out and will continue to do so. I also set the 'shower' sprinkler on in the mornings and evenings as the birds love to run through it. I've got several bowls of water set out which the deer are definitely taking advantage of. As a former Audubon Society employee, I'm contacting them this week to see if there is any way they can send bird food our way. I will keep you posted.

Ways to Help Wildlife

Useful information from an Altadena resident regarding ways to aid wildlife impacted by the fire.

Dear Friends, Neighbors & Trail Users,
I am seeing species of birds at my mixed seed and nyger feeders that I either don't usually see until late autumn (juncos, mountain chickadees, nuthatches) or that I never see at all (mountain blue birds, downey woodpeckers, and even a cactus wren). Someone told me they noticed a mountain quail mixed in with the California quail covey under their feeder! Large flocks of band-tailed forest pigeons have been seen flying away from burning oak woodland. Those large birds depend upon acorns.

Many birds have survived the massive Station / Angeles National Forest Fire by flying from the flames; however, they now find themselves without food, shelter, and nest sites. Birds may arrive disoriented, exhausted and frightened in our trees and gardens. Local birds may attempt to chase the "intruding refugees" from their territory.

I've been in contact with colleagues at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology in upstate N.Y. I was told, "If there is any hope of saving small birds with bird feeders, seed needs to be put out immediately, because small birds can’t survive very long without food." Small birds have fast metabolisms that burn energy quickly with little fat reserve.

Local residents can immediately assist birds displaced by the wildfire. Fill conventional bird feeders with seed. Nothing fancy, just any brand of basic wildbird seed mix. Scatter seed on the ground for birds that prefer to feed there and to reduce competition at feeder perches. Also put out finch feeders and seed-socks filled with black nyger seed. Suet cakes, preferred by some species such as acorn woodpeckers (many of whom have lost their granary trees) and supplemental sugar water for hummingbirds would also be of great benefit.

Seed and feeders are available at many local pet shops, PetCo, Pet Smart and OSH. The best price for costly black nyger seed is at the Pet Smart on Foothill Blvd. and Sierra Madre Villa (in the Hastings Village shopping area that includes Ross, Best Buy, and Bed, Bath & Beyond).
Providing short term food, temporary shelter and fresh water will enable birds who have lost their homes to recover from exhaustion, smoke and stress. From bird feeders they can obtain enough energy to look for replacement habitat elsewhere in the region. Every little bit of supplemental food will help the birds.

Next spring, putting up nest boxes to replace the loss of trees and other nest sites will be helpful. There is a long recovery ahead for the Angeles Forest and wildlife habitat that has burned around us.

Thanks to those of you who can feed the birds along with the Merriam's chipmunks, western grey squirrels and other wildlife who also benefit from seed on the ground.

As deer, rabbits, raccoons and other wildlife move through the burn area and our yards, please try to be forgiving when your roses, fruit trees, shrubs and vegetables get browsed. These animals are bewildered, some are injured, and all will be hungry. Give displaced wildlife respect and room to move east and west through our neighborhoods to new homes in unburned canyons. We may even see an increase in bear, bobcat, cougar and snake incursions. Foxes and coyotes have been seeing moving across Hahamongna Watershed Park. Be alert and take reasonable precautions to store food waste properly and avoid surprise encounters.

Thank you,
Lori L. Paul, RVT

Altadena Arts Coalition Saturday

From the hosts: "After all the anxiety over the Station Fire, Altadena could surely use a party. Come join us Saturday, Sept. 5th at 5:00 p.m. and let's celebrate Altadena!"

Altadena Arts Coalition's North Lake Business District Open House
PROJECT: ALTADENA!
Host: Webster's Fine Stationers
Type: Music/Arts - Exhibit
Price: Free
Date: Saturday, September 5, 2009
Time: 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: Various locations along No. Lake Ave.
Street: Lake Avenue
City/Town: Altadena, CA

Remember how great the last North Lake Business District's open house was? The Altadena Arts Coalition is about to do it again on Saturday, September 5th! Starting at 5:00 p.m.

Altadena! photo exhibit will be unveiled in Galloway Alley, right behind Altadena Hardware & Steve's Bike Shop. There will be food booths highlighting selections from O'Happy Days, The Coffee Gallery and Park Bench Deli, plus there will be a taco booth, too!

Altadena's own band, Wreck & Sow, will be playing for your enjoyment....brothers Pierre and Andre Dupuy along with band members Mike Stave, Randy Cochran and Dan Leahy are all set to tear it up. This night is going to be huge, people!

Various merchants on North Lake will be open late and offering their own entertainment and goodies....Webster's Fine Stationers will host a book signing with Altadena authors Andre Coleman, Revvell Ravati, Michele Zack, Michelle Huneven and Jervey Tervalon. We'll also have Bo Astrup's LA Photobooth outside the store so you can record your memories of this fabulous evening forever!

We urge you to come check it out. Project: Altadena! will be the largest photo-exhibit of its kind in Altadena history. Over 2,000 photos, all taken with disposable cameras by Altadena residents of what they love about "their" Altadena! One photo from each entrant will be enlarged to 8X10 and will be on display (and for sale) at Altadena Junction on El Molino Ave.

More Pics and Time Lapse

With his kind permission, Dan Finnerty shares some amazing time lapse photos of the Station Fire's progress burning down the Arroyo Seco towards JPL and homes along Starlight Mesa in La Canada, plus a time lapse of the fire that got picked up by local TV stations.

Check out: http://danfinnerty.smugmug.com/Forest-Fires/Station-Fire

And several time lapses here (see eruption of flames around 40 seconds in): http://vimeo.com/6325431
Give them a little time to load.

More Info on Station Fire Meeting

From Town Council:

Regarding the community meeting at the Church of the Nazarene to be held Sept 3rd, it is my understanding from the Supervisor's office that the focus of the info is for communities facing the fire currently, or in the path of the fire, hence those more to the east of Altadena.

This will not be a lessons learned. There is time for that later for Altadena and the county, and it is my understanding that will happen later. So Altadena is welcome to attend, but not sure we will hear information relevant to Altadena at this time.

Fire Capt flew over Altadena yesterday. We are scorched, we are burned, but looks like we are still standing and at least for now, fire has passed us.

Memorial Funds for Fallen Firefighters

For those interested in thanking the fireman, donations are being accepted. The following information is from http://fire.lacounty.gov/FFMemorial.asp

We had thought of combining all donations from The Meadows, but feel that's one more step not needed. If you'd like, email the amount of your donation to me and I'll keep track of a Meadows total.

From L.A. County Fire:

It is with our deepest regret to inform you the media of the Line Of Duty Deaths for Fire Captain Tedmund "Ted" Hall and Firefighter Specialist Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones. These two members tragically lost their lives when they were overrun by a fast moving fire which approached Fire Camp 16 on the "Station Fire".

Donations are being accepted in their memory at:
F&A Federal Credit Union
"Memorial Fund"
P.O.Box 30831
Los Angeles 90030-9972

There have been three accounts opened to benefit the families of Captain Tedmund "Ted" Hall and Fire Fighter Specialist Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones. Their untimely death on August 30, 2009 has been a shock for our Department.

Following are the accounts:
Combined Pool Contribution: Account/Member Number 617170
Tedmund "Ted" Hall: Account/Member Number 617171
Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones: Account/Member Number 617172

Station Fire Community Meeting Tonight

Station Fire Media Release
September 2, 2009, 9 p.m.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Community Meeting

Station Fire Unified Command will be hosting a community meeting in the town of Pasadena tonight, Thursday, September 3, for the purpose of updating the public on the current fire situation and expected actions. (Altadena residents are welcome.)

First Church of the Nazarene
3700 E. Sierra Madre Blvd.
Pasadena, California 91107

7:00 PM

# # #

LA Co Fire: /s/ Dep IC Luke Claus for IC Michael Bryant

USFS: Dep IC (t) Carlton Joseph for IC Mike Dietrich

Glendale Fire: IC Greg Godfrey

Pasadena Fire: IC Martin Johnson

Los Angeles City Fire: IC Greg West

LA Co Sheriff: /s/ Christy Guyovich for IC David Fender

Altadena Art Show This Thursday through Saturday

From Jane Szabo:

As of now, the show is still on.
This card shows times for Thursday, Friday, Sat and Sunday events. I am commited to being there Thursday and Friday nights - and will try to stop in Sat and Sunday....but not sure I can handle being there all the time all four days.

Please come! And sooner may be better. I would love you all to see my new work. :)
Jane

More SCE Info and Wildfire Safety Tips

First, status update on from Town Council regarding power outages in Altadena. Second, tips from SCE regarding power outages in wildfire areas. Please read as it points out we should not be using candles during a power outage given the threat of wildfires.

From Town Council:

- The transmission lines are still in danger

- Edison has a major power outage unrelated to the fire occurred this morning in Montebello, affecting eight thousand residents.

- There may be some sporadic outages in Altadena. We need to get information of where they are. If anyone is experiencing or has knowledge of someone with an outage, please contact Gino Sund at 794-9609.


Wildfire Safety Tips
· With nightfall approaching the threat of electric service interruption could occur at any time in the wildfire areas, SCE reminds its customers to keep flashlights handy in the event of a service interruption.
· Do not rely on candles for lighting during a power outage because they could pose a fire hazard; please use flashlights.
· Do not rely on candles for lighting during a power outage because they could pose a fire hazard; please use flashlights.
· Check on the safety of family members and neighbors, especially those dependent on power for medical equipment.
· If you see downed lines, please call SCE and report it to the police and fire departments immediately. Never touch or try to move a downed power line.
· If possible, stay away from areas severely impacted by the fire damage. Traffic signals could be inoperative, poles and power lines could be blocking streets and utility crews could be in the area making repairs.
· If you are without electrical service in your home or business, leave one light switch in the “on” position to serve as a signal when electrical service has been restored. This will help limit stress on the electrical system when SCE restores service.
· Do not cook indoors with charcoal or other fossil fuels not meant for indoor use. They could create deadly fumes if used indoors.
· Turn off and unplug any unnecessary electrical equipment, especially sensitive electronic equipment.

Edison Power Outage

The power outage scheduled for tomorrow, September 2. has been rescheduled for September 14. You should have received a postcard a few weeks ago with the original outage date. For updates, go to www.sce.com/outage and enter 358489 as the outage number.

Trails Still Evacuated

Not that anyone will want to hike with our current air quality, but please know from the Station Fire Command Center that El Prieto Fire Rd (above the cul-de-sac) and Millard Canyon north of Risinghill Rd remain under mandatory evacuation orders. Chaney Trail and Alzada Dr north of Jaxine Dr also remain under mandatory evacuation orders.

Aerial pics

Sent to me by the La Vina FireSafe Council:

Millard Canyon:
The lower left of the picture shows Chapman Ct, Church Canyon and our water tanks. The fire breaks under the power lines and along the ridges were newly cut or expanded. It appears that some of the upper reaches of Millard Canyon burned, but that otherwise, Millard Canyon seems to have been spared.

Overview:
JPL is at the lower left. The JPL east parking lot is lower middle. La Vina is to the upper right. The Meadows is just above the middle of the picture. Millard Canyon runs between the Meadows and La Vina. El Prieto Canyon runs to the west (left) of the Meadows.

El Prieto Canyon:
The lower right is part of the Meadows. The pink line of trees and shrubs I think is El Prieto Canyon and the coloration is from Phos-Chek. The road, running left to right near the bottom is Gravelia St. I believe the trail you can see to the left of the picture is the popular fire road leading towards Brown Mountain