Millard Canyon Conservation Project Needs Volunteers

Here's information about a conservation effort that is being led by our neighbors on lower Canyon Crest. They're in need of volunteers to help with the effort:

"We are doing more than picking up trash; at this point we are removing infestations of several weeds that are choking the stream and completely covering the terrain in the lower canyon. We remove trash in the project area also, but the weeds are the primary objective as they severely alter the habitat opportunities for wildlife and crowd out the native plant growth.

Our intention is to restore the project area to a healthy native ecosystem and maintain it as such. Our hope is to eventually restore the entire area from the hairpin turn to the Arroyo Seco, which will require coordination with both city and county agencies, so at this time we are concentrating on an area about 1000 feet in length midway between those points where we hope to set an example for others to follow.

We supply gloves and tools, snacks and water. The work is difficult but rewarding, and you couldn't ask for a more beautiful place to be.

We meet at my driveway at 9am and take a short (but steep) hike into the canyon and work for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Volunteers should contact me prior to a work day so I can be sure we have enough gloves and equipment for all.

Long pants and hiking boots are a must. I recommend bringing a long sleeve shirt also.

Mike Hickman

vht@att.net, or by phone at
626.398.6471

More Caution Regarding the Hunters

From a neighbor:

"[Two hikers], who are not Meadows residents but are here 6 days a week, usually between 6 and 6:30 AM with their 2 dogs and who walk the trail up towards the saddle, came across a fresh batch (shopping bag full) of dog food that was purposely placed next to where the bear comes down onto the trail and where many deer reside.

[These folks] are usually the first to spot something new/out of place/wrong and always let [The Meadows neighbor] know.

Considering the method in which the food was placed, it appears that this food was being used to lure the bear and/or deer. This is not only highly illegal (using food to entrap AND on the trail) but extremely dangerous. I have not seen the hunters since the ugly incident last week with the police, and suspect that hunters are now coming in through Millard.

As I have the license plates of the hunters, I am going to speak to the camp host at Millard and make them and the residents aware. I believe that we owe the residents of the Meadows a word of warning. I fear for their safety should they run across these hunters. [Another neighbor] was spot-on when she said that these aren't 'hunters' in the true sense of the word. These are dangerous men with guns who have no respect for the sport of hunting, and even less for hikers or anyone that they may encounter on the trail. We need to be extra aware and vigilant when on the trails until something can be done."

Internet Connection Door-to-Door

Several of us have had a person cme to our door to solicit Internet upgrades and we're trying to determine if this is a legitimate AT&T employee or a scam.

In my case, the man appeared to be a legit AT&T employee who told me that the recent upgrades in the neighborhood would require me to change from my AT&T DLS service to fiber optic. He had been walking door-to-door on El Prieto prior to coming to my house.

In another case, a person came to a neighbor's house three times this week. She wasn't sure of the purpose of the solicitation as someone else at the house was home at the time. This neighbor did contact the Sheriff who did not think that AT&T was here in the neighborhood soliciting. The Sheriff said he would send additional patrol cars to our neighborhood.

Looking for any other insight from others who have had a similar experience. The Sheriff asked that we call them if the person(s) are in the neighborhood again so that they can question him/her.

Only $1 Left

The garden at The Meadows sign is maintained by one of our neighbors who pays for water and general clean-up. We've reimbursed her for the costs out of money that was collected at our monthly meetings. Since we've not had those meetings, we haven't collected any additional money. After reimbursing her the other day, we have one dollar left.

Please consider donating some money to this fund. We don't have a "Meadows" account, so you'll need to trust that I'll be responsible with the money. Anyone interested can write a check to me (Greg Stanton) and drop it off at my house or mail it to me. I'm at 4416 El Prieto Rd., Altadena, CA 91001.

Thanks,
Greg

Hunting Increases

Reported from our neighbors on Risinghill:

"Meadows residents on Risinghill have noticed the rapidly increasing presence of hunters in the area, especially up towards the end and on the private property of our neighbor at the very end of Risinghill.

These hunters have a documented history of animosity (and in one instance, physical threats) towards hikers and dog walkers they encounter. "

AT&T Box Quieted

Thanks to a neighbor who is in management at AT&T, the terminal at the Welcome to the Meadows garden was retro-fitted and quieted. The neighbor escalated the issue in AT&T and got it resolved! The affected neighbors are quite pleased with the improvement.

Thanks for great networking!

Key Found on Canyon Crest

This key was found on Canyon Crest. If it's yours, please email me and I'll connect you with the neighbor who found it.

The Cubs are Playing (not the baseball team)

Looks like our neighborhood is growing!

A guest of a Meadows resident recently saw two cougar cubs run across the street in front of his car at the hairpin turn on Canyon Crest. It happened at 10:30 pm.

Keys Found

A neighbor found a set of keys laying in the street on Canyon Crest near the noisy AT&T box. It is 2 rings. One has what looks like a house key and another smaller key. The other ring has a Chrysler key and car remote control. If you know who these belong to or they are yours, call Patrick Coleman at 626-354-1601.

Deer Blind in El Prieto Canyon

A neighbor in The Meadows reported this weekend that he dismantled, for the second time, a deer blind built in an Oak Tree in El Prieto.

For those unfamiliar, a deer blind is a perch that is built up in the trees so that a hunter with bow and arrow can stalk the deer for an easier kill. The neighbor reported that the deer blind is just above an area where the deer rest.

The deer blind was found in the Oak Tree that is to the south of the trail that leads to El Prieto Canyon. The best way I can describe the location is to say that when you're walking down the path from El Prieto Road, it is not the first big Oak Tree in the clearing. Instead of turning into the narrow path that leads to El Prieto trail on the right, go to the left through the brush to the second large Oak Tree.

Please use caution, but be on the lookout for these blinds and any evidence of hunters.

And thanks to the efforts of our neighbor in protecting the wildlife around us.

Noisy AT&T Boxes

A note from a neighbor at the corner of Canyon Crest, near the "Welcome to The Meadows" sign.

"As you have probably noticed there were 2 AT&T boxes installed in the Meadows garden near the sign. While I think they are ugly, they appeared harmless. About 2 weeks ago, one of those boxes was activated and our property and home is now plagued by an incessant fan and noise. (The other neighbors around us have expressed concern as well.)

We have contacted the Altadena Towncouncilman, Sarge Gibbs, but the resolution is not very quick. We would appreciate any suggestions on how to battle a corporate giant from others in the neighborhood.

I also want you to know that we are placing our trash cans (just leaves / grass) in front of the box to calm the noise. I don't want the neighborhood to think these were left by accident - it is intentional to help us get some peace at night. I am also hoping that by informing the neighborhood that these are our trash cans we can avoid them being stolen as well."

Missing Tennessee Walker Hound

This was posted as a comment to one of the blog articles. Not sure who sent it, but if you see this dog, please contact me and I'll post to the blog.

"Has anyone seen a Tennessee Walker Hound named Ziggy wandering around? He is 12 years old and has gray fur on his muzzle an looks like a large Beagle. He has a chip, so the owner is looking for him at the local shelters, but I thought that someone might have seen him wandering around Loma Alta park in the last couple of days. "

Quick Mountain Lion Update

From a neighbor driving out of The Meadows:

"I saw the mountain lion this morning on the way to work. As I came out of the hairpin turn by the creek, he ran across the road, right in front of me. By the time I grabbed the camera, he was up the side of the hill out of sight. I'll catch a picture of him sooner or later."

Activity in The Canyon

I heard from a neighbor a few months ago that they were concerned about Santaria activity in Millard Canyon below the hairpin turn on Canyon Crest. They had found evidence of candles being lit in a canyon very vulnerable for fire. Here is an email I received from a neighbor on lower Canyon Crest:

"I'm writing to let you know of some disturbing activities in Millard Canyon just below the hairpin turn. Someone has apparently been conducting Santaria rituals in the woods and along the stream in this area. This has involved slaughtering chickens, smoking cigars and burning candles in dry brushy areas (apparently at night).

Some of the other materials used are coconuts, rum, piles of cinnamon bark and many spent matchbooks and other ritual debris. Over the past two years my friends and I have noted the carcasses of several chickens, ritual sites, and recently, a large joint of rotting meat and bone hanging from a tree in a plastic bag. The frequency of the activities seems to have increased lately.

My neighbor ran an online search regarding Santaria, and it seems all the materials I've mentioned are used in rituals. A person with the San Gabriel Mountains Regional Conservancy said this type of activity goes on in several of the foothill canyons along the San Gabriels.

Now, I consider myself a religiously tolerant person, but I draw the line at people killing chickens and playing with matches in the woods around here. I think this would be a concern for many Meadows residents since a wildfire originating from this area would likely block the only way out of the Meadows and wreak havoc."

One of our Towncouncilpersons has contacted the sheriff. Capt. Blow is sending a deputy to investigate.

Environmentalist's Rendezvous Picnic

Environmentalist's Rendezvous Picnic

Saturday, September 13th

Join leaders of Pasadena-area environmental groups in an informal setting and learn about their activities and programs. Gather at 4:30 pm, informal presentations at 5:00 pm, potluck picnic at 6 pm, under the oaks at Eaton Canyon Park Outdoor Classroom.

The Classroom is south of the Nature Center located at 1750 North Altadena Drive, Pasadena. From the 210 Freeway in Pasadena, take Altadena Drive north about 1.5 miles; about 500 feet after crossing New York Drive, turn right into the park.

All are welcome. Bring a dish serving 6-8 people. Beverages, plates and utensils will be provided. For information and to RSVP, contact coordinator Ginny Heringer at 626-793-4727 or ginnyh@ix.netcom.com.

Environmental groups confirmed and presenting at the picnic:
Altadena Watershed Committee
Altadena Foothills Conservancy
Arroyo Seco Foundation
California Native Plant Society
Collaborative Eagle Rock Beautiful
Eaton Canyon Nature Center Associates
Hahamongna Watershed Committee
Pasadena Audubon Society
Save the Altadena Trails
Sierra Club Forest Committee
Waste Less Living

Hit and Run on Canyon Crest

From a neighbor in the 4100 block of Canyon Crest: "Last night (Sunday night) we had company over until about midnight. Two of our guests cars and our daughters car, 3 total, were hit by a hit and run driver. Two of the vehicles were on the East side of the street and the 3rd was parked on the West side across from our driveway. It happened sometime between 8:30pm and midnight. There are pieces of brake lights and mirrors we believe to belong to the hit and run driver. We did not hear anything unusual and noticed the damage this morning. When we phoned the guest that left at midnight, he checked his car and noticed damage."

From Greg - I know there were a few parties here in The Meadows last night. Any chance this is a guest of one of our neighbors? Please ask your family and friends if they have any information.

Thanks.

Food Co-op Now Forming in Altadena

An item of interest from one of our Meadows neighbors:

A group has been meeting to explore the possibility of forming a food co-op in Altadena. If you'd like to learn more or perhaps get involved, please come to this informative session on Sept. 3:

"Why and How to Start A Cooperative Grocery Store in Our Area"An Informative Presentation by Patrick Reagan, Chairman, AAFCSC September 3, 2008, at 7:30 p.m.
The Coffee Gallery, 2029 N. Lake Avenue

Greetings All,

Thanks for your previous interest in the Altadena Area Food Co-op Steering Committee. Here's just a quick note to keep everyone updated on what's been happening with the effort to bring a consumer cooperative food store to Altadena and to invite you to join us for an upcoming organizer presentation.

We've been holding monthly meetings since March and weekly meetings all this month. Three of us have been doing most of the work so far. Fifteen others have joined our Yahoo group - they've been attending/helping as they can. We've had a field trip to Co-opportunity in Santa Monica (the only consumer co-op in LA county) where the manager was very helpful in answering questions about their operations. We've also had a fun potluck dinner with tasty local/organic food to try and lots of great people to get to know.I've been making the most of my normally quiet summer schedule by learning as much as I can about co-ops and meeting as many "co-op people" as possible.

Highlights include... - attending the Consumer Cooperative Manager's Association convention in Portland, OR, last June, - attending the Co-opportunity board of director's meeting in July, - visiting the Natural Foods Co-op in San Luis Obispo and the Isla Vista Food Co-op outside of Santa Barbara, - finding many useful books and websites that relate to co-op formation.We've found a lot of interest in our area and a lot of resources available for our effort.

Our next task is to start writing bylaws as a precursor to incorporating. In the bylaws will be details on how our co-op will operate - how memberships will be handled, how many board members will be needed, etc. We can handle this with our existing group but it would be nice to hear from more Altadena voices during this process. To help bring in these newcomers, and to better inform our existing group about co-ops, we're going to hold a presentation on Sept. 3rd

A happy coincidence is that the leading cooperative consulting group, Cooperative Development Services, is starting a free webinar series the following week. This series covers topics important to getting one of these wonderful stores started. It looks like our presentation will act as a nice orientation "springboard" into their more detailed weekly series of webinars. More information can be found at: http://cdsfood.centraldesktop.com/fc500registration/So please attend if you can. Feel free to cross-post this announcement to other blogs or message boards in our area.

We'll probably continue to meet weekly to dig into the details of co-op formation. If you're interested in joining our effort, please check out our Yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aafcsc/

Thanks for your interest!Patrick Reagan

Important Community Meeting

The County has been trying to improve emergency response systems and planning. We have identified priority areas that are of particular concern. Both Chaney Trail and the Meadows have been identified as priority areas. We would like to meet with residents to obtain feed back as part of the planning process.

The first meeting with be on September 10th at 6:00pm at the Loma Alta Park Gym. All interested neighbors are invited.

Purpose:
The purpose of this meeting is to explain to the community the county emergency response system and planning as well as obtain feed back from the community on emergency planning issues. This interchange will help to identify community emergency planning needs and next steps need to meet the Board assignment.

Participation:
These meetings will involve representatives from lead county agencies, Supervisor Antonovich's office and representatives from the appropriate community group/neighborhood emergency preparedness group(s)

Format:
The meeting will be a panel presentation. The County will facilitate a structured discussion where we will discuss one or more emergency scenarios and each agency will explain its role and plans. Community representative/members may raise issues and ask questions and we will record any outstanding issues that need to be addressed by further discussion and or planning.

More pics

Second, pics of a deer that took time to relax in a Cheney Trail neighbor's backyard.

Great Pics

Here's some great pics from our neighbors on Cheney Trail. First is a bear that romped through a neighbor's back yard.