Town Council Election Results

Keith "Sarge" Gibbs won the town council seat for our census tract. Alice Sarkissian will take the Alternate position.

At our neighborhood meeting, Keith talked about the need to mentor teens in Altadena and help them avoid gangs, crime, and drugs. He currently has several programs in place in the local schools.

Alice talked about wanting to update the Altadena General Plan which would include commerce, hillside oridinances, and other matters affecting growth in Altadena.

Congratulations to both. Here's the Star News article with complete results:

ALTADENA - Town Council veterans easily held on to their seats in Saturday’s elections, where eight of 16 seats were open. However, the results in one tract are being contested on the grounds of unfair campaigning.

Steve Lamb in Census Tract 4603.01 and Town Council Chair Ken Balder in Census Tract 4612 were returned by voters with significant margins over their opponents. Lamb defeated Matt Littell with 65 to 36 votes. Littell alleges that Lamb engaged in negative campaigning and is disputing the outcome. Lamb did not return calls for comment.

Balder beat out two challengers, Laura Graham and Peter Baumer. The three candidates received 102, 60 and 4 votes respectively, Election Chair Jamie Bissner said. Balder said he plans to continue his efforts to unify the community, get more residents in local processes and build a stronger relationship with the county Board of Supervisors.

"It just doesn't happen," Balder said. "All of this takes a lot of work."

It was a good day for incumbents, as all who ran were returned to their seats. Michele Zack had a comfortable victory over Jerry Rhoads, with 79 votes, versus Rhoads' 9. Justin Chapman won 4602 with 29 votes, which is 10 more than what challenger Sarah Fuller received. Incumbents Gene Campbell and Lorie Judson both ran unopposed, as did newcomer Timothy Kelly.

In Census Tract 4603.1, Keith Gibbs prevailed over Alice Wesson, with 68 votes. Wesson garnered 46 votes.

Election results will be certified at the next Town Council meeting on June 19.

Saturday's results may not be final. Littell is challenging the outcome in his tract on the grounds that Lamb may have broken an election rule forbidding negative campaigning. If Lamb is disqualified, Littell will take his seat.

"If I lose, I'm happy to lose fair and square," Littell said. "It's a strange sense that I've really been bullied here."

Littell said he had concerns about the tone of a flier Lamb sent out, and with a TV interview with Lamb on Crown City News. Littell said he brought both to the attention of Bissner before the election results were in. The handout compares and contrasts Lamb and Littell.

"Matt Littell claims to be a `preservationist.' He bought a $1,500,000 home someone else restored ... Steve Lamb restored his own 1906 Louis B. Easton house ... " it reads.

"The rules as they were given to me were absolutely succinct," Littell said. "You are to campaign on your merits and what you would bring to Altadena."

The election code calls for disputes to be settled on the day of the election by the election chair and the Town Council chair. However, because Balder's name is mentioned on the flier, the issue will be taken up at the next council meeting.

California Department of Insurance Contact

As per the Commissioner's press conference, here's a contact for any insurance related concerns:

"The California Department of Insurance is committed to providing consumers with assistance for all insurance-related issues and encourage you to call their statewide toll-free hotline, 800-927-HELP (4357) with any insurance-related questions or problems. Visit their website at www.insurance.ca.gov for more information"

Montain Rescue at Canyon Crest Hairpin

On Monday, the Mountain Rescue teams were seen at the lower hairpin turn of Canyon Crest. A resident later found out through the sheriff's that they were looking for a gun that was used in a shooting two weeks ago. On that same afternoon, a (former?) gang member was killed on Fair Oaks.

Community Garden Annual Picnic June 30

The Altadena Community Garden Picnic takes place Saturday, June 30 from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m.. The garden is located at Loma Alta Park at the corner of Lincoln and Palm.

This is a wonderful local event that celebrates the harvest of the gardeners. Several Meadows residents participate and it is right in our own backyard!

Come taste the vegetables and smell the flowers at this event. Get a garden tour, meet the friendly local group of gardeners, enjoy the sweet sounds of the Brown Mountain Jazz Band (one member is a Meadows resident), and eat great picnic food. (Last year drew a crowd of more than 200 people.)

An Altadena community fixture since 1974, a diverse group of dedicated gardeners tends 59 standard size and 4 handicapped-accessible garden plots. It is recognized as one of the leading community gardens in Southern California, opening its gates to school children, field trips and events.

The picnic is open to the public. Tickets are $8.00 for adults and $4.00 for children 6-12 years old. Children under 5 are free. There will be a silent auction and raffle.

Don't miss this event - it's known for great fun and great food.

Gopher, Gopher, Gone

The past gopher articles in the newsletter caused quite the reaction. Here's an update on two non-lethal treatments a resident is using to very good effect:

The resident's yard was being plowed up in several new places every day. He treated the yard with Molemax (available via the Internet). It is a granule solution that you spread on the yard using a spreader. After watering the lawn, it sinks into the yard and creates an odor that the gophers don't like. As of this writing, it's presumed to be safe for your lawn and the odor is not detectable other than to the gopher.

The gopher activity stopped almost entirely. In spreading the Molemax, he had the spreader set a little too high and ran out of the Molemax before finishing the yard. The treated side had no more mounds within a couple of days but the untreated side continued to be affected.

He has also tried a liquid Castor oil product, available at OSH, that you attach to a garden hose. He sprayed the untreated side of the yard heavily and slowed activity there almost, but not quite, to a stop.

He's finding that both of these products need to be applied in about twice the strength they suggest and notes that this may just be true for the initial application and later boosters can be applied more sparingly.

He sites that the Molemax granules will work better in the long run because they persist on the ground for a long time as they slowly get watered in. The only question now is how long the treatments last. The product is not cheap.

Another solution came to mind: Spreading raw Castor oil from a hose-end sprayer (mixed with a little detergent to create an emulsion) might be cheap and effective. After some quick research, he ran across several very enthusiastic posts. One man says he spreads 1 pint/2500 square feet and keeps his critters (moles in his case) away for 6 weeks per application. He found a bulk source for Castor oil at $22/gallon. So this may be the way to go in the future.

Meet the Candidates at Next Meeting

Altadena Town Council prospective representatives will be at the next neighborhood meeting on Tuesday, June 5 at 7:00. Location is still 4416 El Prieto Canyon.

Alice Wesson and Keith Gibbs are running for the open census tract seat. This is a good time to share your concerns or issues with them and to better acquaint them with The Meadows.

June Newsletter

The June Meadows Newsletter will be distributed this weekend. A dedicated team has been hand delivering the newsletter to all residents since its inception. For the most part, it has been the same volunteers. So, if you'd like to pitch in and help, please contact me at greg.stanton@dilbeck.com or 626-791-1011.

Crest Trail Improvements Next Meeting

Everyone should have received a notice from County about the next Altadena Crest Trail Improvement Community Outreach Meetings. This next meeting is to discuss the Rubio Canyon Gap:

June 20, 2007
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Altadena Community Center
730 Altadena Drive

Trashapathy

An article from the May 6 L.A. Times caught my eye as neighbors have sought means to get other neighbors to clean up:

In a survey of 900 respondents questioned by ServiceMagic.com, 63% said that they have had neighbors who failed to maintain their homes' exteriors, yet 41% said they had not reported the blighters to authorities. They "just put up with" the blemishes.

Urging neighbors in person to roll on some paint or crank up the weed whacker isn't a popular option either; 75% of respondents said they had not confronted messy neighbors face to face, and of those who did, 18% said the chat created tension and resulted in no work being done on the offending property.

Top irritants: overgrown weeds, 64%; unmown and underwatered lawns, 63%; garbage needing to be hauled away, 57%; exteriors in need of paint, 42%; junk cars, 42%; repair needed for visible house defect, 39%; and cars parked on the street, 24%.

New Condo Development in Altadena

On Tuesday, Town Council approved a proposed 49-unit condominium development in Altadena.

The 4.6 acre site is located on an L-shaped stretch of Fair Oaks Avenue between Kellogg Court and Ventura Street (across from Mountain View Cemetery).

The plan is to build 23 duplexes and three detached homes. Activity should begin in 2008 with vertical construction starting in 2009.

Hazardous , e-waste Collection Planned

The Household Hazardous and E-Waste Roundup will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 23 in Parking Lot K at the Rose Bowl.

This is a great way to dispose of hazardous waste and electronic waste conveniently and free of charge.

If you haven't done it before, here's how it goes: Gather all your hazardous waste materials like old paint and toxins, load them into your truck or car trunk, and drive through the service. Attendants will unload the materials from your car or truck without you ever having to leave the driver's seat.

They'll take old e-waste, like old PCs, cell phones, televisions, too.

This is a great way to do some eco-friendly spring cleaning.

The Meadows Sign Returns

Thanks to Eich Gravenburg for leading the effort in fixing The Meadows sign. It's now back in its rightful place.

Thanks Eich!

Edible Altadena

A Meadows resident reported on two new businesses in Altadena:

The very yummy, Bulgarini Gelato, which is open Wedneday through Friday from 12:00 – 8:00.. It’s located in the courtyard to the east of RiteAid on Altadena Drive.

Amy's Garden Café, at the southeast corner of Altadena and Lake, is serving breakfast and lunch. It has been packed with customers since opening.

Thanks To Dennis Bridwell

Dennis Bridwell, a Meadows resident and one of our current Altadena Town Council representatives, has decided not to run for another term after serving almost two years in the position. He stepped up to the challenge when the former representative and another Meadows resident, Bill Jones, moved out of the area.

Within the Town Council, he served on the Executive and Land Use Committees and was a member of the Sheriff's Advisory Committee. Dennis has been an excellent voice for the neighborhood and the entire census tract, assisting many of us in resolving issues and spearheading initiatives. Many thanks go to him for a job well done.

Town Council Candidates at Next Meeting

The Meadows has invited this year’s two Altadena Town Council candidates to join us at the next neighborhood meeting on June 5.

The candidates are Alice Sarkisian Wessen and Keith “Sarge” Gibbs. Issues that the Town Council has been working on include creating an Altadena school district separate from Pasadena, hillside development and Altadena business district development. All these issues affect Meadow's residents.

Let your voice be heard. Come to the meeting on June 5 to hear the candidates and be sure to vote June 9.

FireSafe Council Update

Assessments of individual properties have been completed with over two-thirds of Meadows residents participating. The Meadows FireSafe Council again reminds residents that these assessments are a separate effort from the brush clearance inspections conducted annually by the Forest Service or, as is the case on Canyon Dell, the LA County Fire Department.

The required environmental protection studies for the fire-safe project are continuing and must be completed before additional grant money will be released. Request for a three-month extension on the grant time limit is being considered.

Contractors will be contacted in June to obtain bids for mitigation of fire hazards in the Meadows area. While these contractors will be hired by the Fire-Safe Council for the fire safe project, they will probably be available to individual neighbors at reduced cost while they are in the area.

Anyone feeling they are wrongly penalized by their insurance provider because of differing standards regarding compliance with brush-clearing regulations can call the L.A. County Fire Department, who will inspect the property and issue a certificate of compliance if justified.

Anyone having complaints about brush clearance in vacant lots is invited to contact Debbie Humphreys, who is in charge of the County’s weed-abatement department. Telephone (626) 575-5732 or email to debbie@acwm.co.la.ca.us.

The proposed town hall meeting, at which residents can get detailed updating on the fire-safe project and voice their own concerns or questions, has been postponed to July.

Press Conference Update

On Tuesday, May 22, State Insurance Commissioner, Steve Poizner, came to The Meadows for a press conference. He highlighted the need for brush clearance and making an inventory of your possessions should you ever need to file a claim. He made his announcement then toured my house giving me pointers. We have extra copies of the house inventory manual if anyone wants one.

A couple of pointers:

• use a digital camera or video camera to record your possessions
• record make, model and serial numbers
• etch an identifier into the possession to report to the sheriff in the case of burglary
• store all information at an offsite location, like a safe deposit box or some other location.

I had the opportunity to talk to him about increasing CA Fairplan Insurance rates and the discrepancy of their requirements vs. the L.A. County Fire Dept and Forestry Department for clearance of land. Also talked about the fact that none of the major insurance companies will insure us for full coverage.

From a media perspective, it was a non-event. KABC, KMEX, and KFWB sent camera or voice-over crews. I think we were beat out by other news events happening that day.

At least Commissioner Poizner now knows about The Meadows.

Sign Status

Repairs to the "Welcome to The Meadows" sign are underway. Thanks to Eich and Darla who stepped forward to help coordinate the repair.

Press Conference Tuesday

The State Insurance Commissioner and L.A. County Fire Chief will be having a news conference at my house (4416 El Prieto Rd) tomorrow, Tuesday, at 10:00. They're going to be talking about fire safety, brush clearance, ways to inventory your property, and insurance claims. Please join me if you're around.

Lincoln Crossing Concerts

Lincoln Crossing in Altadena begins its inaugural Summer Series music program today, Saturday, from 4 to 7 p.m. with the Nolan Shaheed Quintet featuring Cheryl Conley.

It's the first of four concerts through the summer slated to take place the third Saturday of each month.

Food from Lincoln Crossing restaurants will be available for sale.

Try and support this local musical effort if you can.

Media in The Meadows

Check out our own J. Lopez of the L.A. County Fire Department on this AP news article regarding fire fighting.

Go J! Our star here in The Meadows.

Once on the site, enter “Fire” in the Search field, then click on the “High-Tech Camera Gives Fire Crews Eye in the Sky” in the list of stories that will appear.

http://video.ap.org/v/en-ap/v.htm?f

More of the Sign

A couple of pics of the sign from this morning. Seems the driver was headed up Canyon Crest, ran over the curb at the garden, hit the "arrow" sign" and then either the car hit the "Meadows" sign or the 'arrow" sign took it down.

The sign appears to be in good shape, just needs to be installed again.

I haven't heard who might have been the cause but am hoping they'll step forward to do the repairs.

Someone Hit the Sign!

Someone driving up Canyon Crest didn't make the turn at the top, drove over the curb and hit the "Welcome to The Meadows" sign!!!!! The sheriff was at the scene and a man was seated on the curb. Oye!

I've heard from several residents this evening about it. We'll take a look tomorrow morning and see what condition the sign is in.

I'm going to ask now for you or another resident to step forward to take on restoring the sign. Hopefully the driver has insurance to pay for its replacement. I have the name of the sign company. I'd really appreciate it if someone could take this project on.

Truck Spotted at Hairpin Turn

A watchful Aralia neighbor reported this incident this morning:

"At about 7:20 this morning (Friday) on my way to work I spotted a a white truck parked in the turnout on Canyon Crest. I drove slowly and the driver and I made eye contact. It appeared that there was only one person in the truck...the driver. He appeared to be a large man. There were no visible license plates on the truck. On the back of the truck was a lift for loading and unloading. The lift was still in place. It wasn't down. I've never seen this truck in the area. When I got to Canyon Crest and Lincoln I saw a sheriff so I pulled over. I explained the situation and he assured me that he would go up and check it out."

Kudos to the County

After calling the sheriffs on Wednesday night to notify them of the trash heap on Canyon Crest, they must have contacted Public Works (or maybe a neighbor did). The trash was cleaned up by 9:30 a.m. Thursday morning when I headed out of The Meadows.

Kudos to the County for such a fast response. I left a message with Antonivich's office to thank them for their quick response.

The Meadows - A Space Odyssey

Many thanks again to Meadows resident, Dr. Andrea Donnelan, for her fascinating presentation at this month's neighborhood meeting. Andrea talked to us about her work at NASA/JPL. She has been studying earthquake movement and predictive methods using InSAR.

InSAR stands for Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar. It's a remote sensing technique that uses radar satellite images to watch and measure the movement of the earth. The radar satellites shoot constant beams of radar waves towards the earth and record them after they bounced back off the Earth's surface.

Everyone was fascinated with the superb presentation.

Funding for the projects is always a need.
This may seem a bit cumbersome, but hang in there. The following is a request from John Rundle, California Hazards Institute of the University of California Director.

After his request, you'll find the sample letter verbiage to send to our Congressperson. This will only take a moment of your time and is critical in securing funding for the project.

Dear InSAR supporters:

As you may know, now is a critical period to contact members of Congress to ask for their support of the InSAR mission DESDynI. If this mission is to be funded, it is vital that our congressional representatives hear from you immediately. I would therefore like to ask you to send an email to members of your congressional delegations asking them to support this mission. It will take no more than 5-10 minutes of your time, but will be immensely valuable in helping to secure the funding for the mission.The following steps are all that are needed.

1. You must first know your 9 digit zip code. If you don't know yours, you can find it at:
http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp
Remember to use your home address.

2. Determine the members of your congressional delegation, by going to:
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

3. Click on the email links to your delegation. Fill in the appropriate information. Cut and paste the attached letter into the box provided, and remember to add the appropriate salutation, along with your name in the signature line. That's all there is to it. Exactly this type of email campaign played a major role in getting funding restored to NSF and DOE earlier this year. That campaign was orchestrated by the American Physical Society.

From:
John Rundle, Director, UC Davis Center for Computational Science and Engineering Professor of Physics, Engineering and Geology University of California, DavisDavis, CA 95616 USA

Verbiage for your letter:
Dear Senator (or Congressperson) *

I would like to call your attention to the recent National Academy of Sciences report "Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond" from the National Research Council (NRC) (http://books.nap.edu/catalog/11820.html), which represents the U.S. scientists’ consensus on critical earth observations from space that are required to address issues for climate change, water resources, ecosystem health, human health, solid-earth natural hazards, and weather.

The DESDynI mission, recommended by the Survey for near-term implementation has direct benefit for and impact on most states within the US. The mission would measure surface and ice sheet deformation for understanding natural hazards and climate, and would measure vegetation structure for understanding ecosystem health. DESDynI would help scientists understand the effects of changing climate and land use on species habitats and atmospheric carbon dioxide, the response of ice sheets to climate change and the impact on sea level, and would be used to improve forecasts of the likelihood of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and landslides. Much of the US is prone to earthquakes and subsidence, and volcanic eruptions occur from Yellowstone westward to Hawaii and Alaska.

The primary technology for DESDynI is Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), which can be used to very precisely measure change of the surface of the Earth. The US is heavily involved in the development of InSAR technologies and scientists across the country are very involved in studies of surface deformation using InSAR. In fact, InSAR is considered the fourth component of EarthScope a highly successful project to investigate the structure and evolution of the North American continent and the physical processes controlling earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

The recently released NASA budget is woefully inadequate to address the recommendations of the NRC report, commonly known as the "Earth Science Decadal Survey." Sadly, the NRC points out that the funding available for NASA Earth Science missions has decreased by 30% since 2000 after factoring inflation. In the current budget, there will be an additional 18% less available in 2012 for missions than we have today, assuming 3%/year inflation. The NRC states that NASA needs to restore Earth science funding levels to equivalent 2000 levels, in order to implement a "minimal, yet robust, observational component of an Earth information system that is capable of addressing a broad range of societal needs."

Support of the Earth Science Decadal Survey and specifically the DESDynI mission would benefit the US, both in terms of improving our understanding of natural hazards in order to mitigate damage from them, but also for supporting facilities and scientific endeavors located throughout the United States.


Thanks for your consideration and support of this critical NASA mission.

Yours Sincerely,

Canyon Crest Hairpin Trashed!

Someone has dumped a HUGE amount of rubbish at the bottom of Canyon Crest. If you haven't seen it yet, you won't believe it. I was coming home at 10 p.m. Wed. night when I saw it. I'm going to go tomorrow and see if I can find anything that might identify the persons responsible.

As I was coming through the canyon, I saw a very large U-Haul truck coming out. Not sure if it's related. I couldn't turn around, due to all the trash, to try and get a license plate. I called the sheriffs and asked them to take a look.

If anyone has any information, please contact the sheriffs.

Stop and Smell the Sherrifs

A Meadows neighbor reminds us about the stop sign at Loma Alta and Lincoln. Here's the recap:

"I made a very slightly rolling stop on Lincoln (southbound) at Loma Alta, and was instantly jumped on by a sheriff's car who was behind me with red light and siren at Altadena Drive. I pulled over in front of the mailbox a little further down the street. Then he waved over another car who was right behind me and had done the same thing.

He took my driver license, registration, and proof of insurance. I kept my mouth totally shut, which is uncharacteristic of me. After about 10 minutes in his car, he came back, gave me my documents, and short verbal chewing out. I asked him if i was getting a ticket. He said no. I said thanks, I appreciate that.

I've seen sheriff's cars parked at that intersection on Loma Alta before, and I suppose this is a happy hunting ground for people doing exactly what I did. I'm still in first gear from the stop at Canyon Crest, so if I give a quick glance to the left on Loma Alta and don't see anybody, I just slow it down to about 1 mph, then proceed on. It was raining this morning, and I guess I didn't see him.

So here's the point of all this. Can you get a notice in the Meadows newsletter advising neighbors that the deputies are watching that intersection pretty closely, and that rolling stops are NOT tolerated? It will save us lots of tickets in the future. "

More Mole/Gopher/Squirrel Links and Info

Here's a second article from a neighbor on Canyon Dell:

I read the item in the recent Meadows newsletter about the gopher infestation our neighborhood is undergoing. I certainly have a problem with them here and have had since last year around this time.

I've been researching control methods and have learned that pets and wild animals are sometimes poisoned to death after eating gophers that have taken poison grain. The problem is that even if you use the probe and place the bait in the burrows away from other animals the gophers have a habit of stuffing their cheek pouches with the poison grain--up to an ounce of it-- and often come to the surface when they start to feel the effects of the poison. Once there they're easy targets for our cats and dogs as well as the various predators that hunt in the neighborhood.

I read one account of an adult Borzoi that died after eating a poisoned gopher. You can read that here:
http://www.dogsadversereactions.com/warnings.html

The vet in that case said that the grain in the gopher's cheek pouches and the undigested grain still in it's stomach was plenty to kill a dog that size. I called the Vanderhoof Veterinary Hospital on Lake and spoke to a woman who talked to her colleagues there and confirmed that this does indeed happen.

My yard is patrolled day and night by 3 neighborhood cats, a bobcat and a fox not to mention the birds of prey, snakes, etc. As much as I'd like to poison the gophers I just don't feel that the risk to the other animals is justified. Add to that that, unlike most homeowners, we're at the edge of a wilderness where there's no shortage of live gophers to replace the dead ones no matter how many we kill and poisoning seems even less attractive.

My guess is that we're seeing more gophers here in the neighborhood as a result of the ongoing drought--the pickings are getting slimmer and slimmer in the wild but there are plenty of good things to eat in our well irrigated yards. Whatever the cause, though, I have no doubt that removing them from our yards either by killing or even by humane trapping and relocating is doomed to failure.

I'm pinning my hopes on a new repellent--basically a preparation of Castor oil--that seems to be getting good results for some. It works by making the ground and the things that gophers eat taste and smell bad to them so they simply leave. It's non toxic to plants and animals. I've ordered a product of this type called MoleMax. It comes in the form of granules that you spread like you would seed or fertilizer and then water in. I'll let you know how it works.

Here's another link. This one is to an article on ThisOldHouse.com.
They council against poison and for Castor oil:
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/tvprograms/asktoh/qaarticle/
0,16588,683002,00.html

Not Pocket Gophers

The recent article in the Meadows Newsletter about pocket gophers has brought in several responses and more information. Here's the first from a neighbor on El Prieto Rd:

"I believe that the so-called pocket gophers which are CA or Western ground squirrels, and the article about the "safe" poison is in error. These poisons, which are often called Bleeder poisons, cause the squirrel blood to be unable to coagulate and they slowly and painfully bleed internally, hemorrhage and die.

"The Catch 22 of "safe" poisons is they don't kill instantly leaving sick, SLOW ground squirrels around where cats, dogs and kids can catch them, play with them, ingest them. Cats and dogs being the more likely ingesters also ingest the poison and the more animals which are sickened and killed the more exposure to pets. The pets eat enough poison via the ground squirrels and "bleed out" i.e. DIE an awful death themselves.

"Now, I am NO CHAMPION of these little critters as they have decimated our back yard and hillside. And they carry diseases, most importantly in this area their fleas (often spread to other warm blooded animals, again cats, dogs, humans) may carry Sylvatic Plague. Most people have heard of Bubonic Plague and this is its dangerous cousin! So people do not want to be picking up dead squirrels or having the flea infestations in their homes.

"So far, here's been my success in the backyard. Red Pepper Flakes, bought in giant economy size and poured 1 or 2 Tablespoons at a time down the holes they make. Don't bother covering the holes with stones etc., just a bit of dirt so you don't step in the holes. It has been working for us, and only requires 5 to 10 minutes once a week. The ground squirrels are now vacating our yard and back to "nature".

Also they LOVE bird seed (which is how our yard became infested, we USED to have birdseed feeders. They climb, they jump, they go up poles that they are said not to be able to climb. They LOVE Pet Food of any kind and will eat just about any types of scraps!"

Real Estate in The Meadows

Thanks to support from the neighborhood, I have three new listings in The Meadows. Please come by one of the many open houses to view these great new properties.

Thanks,
Greg

Coming Soon in The Meadows

Welcome to The Meadows of Altadena.

4191 Canyon Crest is located high in the foothills of West Altadena in the much treasured neighborhood called The Meadows. This four bedroom home is ready for the customization of its new owners to make it a home of their own.

Four bedrooms, three baths.
Over 1900 sq. ft.
Hardwood floors
Pool and spa
2 car garage

Offered for $763,000

Greg Stanton, Realtor®
626-431-2205
http://www.gstanton.com/
greg.stanton@dilbeck.com

(Dilbeck Realtors is Independently Owned and Operated. Information provided by seller or third-party sources.)

Updated in The Meadows: 4219 Aralia Road

This home has been newly updated with plenty of amenities.

Four bedrooms with newly installed bamboo wood floors provide plenty of room.
1680 sq. ft.
Over 9000 sq. ft. lot professionally landscaped by YardArt – huge back yard.
Newly installed kitchen with all stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and cabinetry
The living room and family room boast newly installed bamboo wood floors, a fireplace and recessed lighting. Big picture windows in each room take in the views of the San Gabriel Mountains and all the nature The Meadows has to offer.
The full bath has newly installed granite countertops, ceramic tile and cabinetry.
Newly installed central air conditioning and heating.
Two car garage with newly poured concrete driveway.
The extra large backyard has views of both the mountains and hillsides.

Offered for $819,000

Greg Stanton, Realtor®
626-431-2205
http://www.gstanton.com/
greg.stanton@dilbeck.com

(Dilbeck Realtors is Independently Owned and Operated. Information provided by seller or third-party sources.)

Immaculate in The Meadows: 4031 Canyon Dell

Welcome to 4031 Canyon Dell, Altadena. This gracious home is one of the finest in The Meadows community which sits high in the foothills of Altadena. Set on a private, large landscaped lot, this private three bedroom, three bath home has a gourmet kitchen, gleaming Canadian Maple hardwood floors, and an oversized wrap-around deck offering sweeping views of the city, mountain and canyon below. It's a wonderful place to entertain your guests or relish in the solitude surrounded by nature. Escape the hustle of the city in this unique foothill enclave. Welcome to The Meadows.

Offered for $1,050,000

New Meadows Website!

Be sure and check out your new website launched this week at
http://www.meadowsnews.net.

The site features news from our great community, updates and even hiking information. Watch for the latest in postings of meetings, MFSC (Meadows Fire Safe Council) activities and more. Visit often to learn about the latest news and how you can help in the community. Feel free to email Linda at:editor@meadowsnews.net.

Residents of The Meadows Advertise for FREE on the site!
If you have a business and would like to list it for free on the Services page,
please email us and let us know at: ads@meadowsnews.net.

Next Neighborhood Meeting

The next meeting is May 1, 7:00 at 4416 El Prieto Rd.

Shake It Up at the Next Meeting

At our next meeting, our neighbor Andrea Donnelan, will talk about “Our Restless Planet: Using space technology to study earthquakes.”

GPS and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) methods coupled with computer models are improving our understanding of earthquake processes. Under NASA's QuakeSim project we are modeling earthquake fault systems using the latest data and high performance computers. This talk will focus on the applications of space technology and QuakeSim to understanding the faults in our neighborhood better.

CA Fair Plan Insurance Tip

Many residents in The Meadows have California FAIR Plan Fire Insurance. When reviewing a homeowner policy, FAIR Plan may decide to add a surcharge to your policy because of inadequate brush clearance or excessive distance from the nearest County Fire Station.
If you believe that your brush clearance is adequate and you have received a brush clearance surcharge in error, you may contact the L.A. County Fire Department, Forestry Division, Brush Clearance Unit at 626-969-2375. A brush clearance coordinator can meet you onsite to confirm code compliance and take photos. If your property is in compliance, the Forestry Chief can write a letter confirming compliance with the fire code for you to use in an appeal of the brush clearance surcharge. Please note that you are not required to clear more than 200 horizontal feet on your property, nor are you required to clear another owner's adjacent property within that 200 feet.

If FAIR Plan is adding a surcharge based on excessive distance from the nearest County Fire Station, please contact the L.A. County Fire Department's Division III office at 661-254-9668. It is sometimes possible to create a Memorandum of Understanding with contiguous first responders in other cities to mitigate this issue. For complete information go to the CA FAIR Plan Website http://www.cfpnet.com/.

Phone List Notification

More people are needed for the phone list that is used to alert and notify other neighbors of unusual activity. This is not about cruising the neighborhood at 2 a.m., carrying a gun or a walkie talkie. This is just about neighbors watching out for each other. There is nothing to join. By having the phone numbers of neighbors that are "in the line of sight" we can all be more pro-active for our own protection. Currently there are only two people each for only a few streets. If you're interested, call Eich (Ike) Gravenburg on El Prieto Rd. at 626-794-7879.

MFSC Update

After having received less than a 50% return of postcards regarding fire-hazard assessments, residents were contacted door-to-door to solicit a response. Residents need to realize that these assessments are not to be confused with inspections to be conducted soon by the Forest Service, but rather are a free service of the Fire Safe Council, and residents are free to act or not act upon any advice that is given.

The formerly planned project of bringing in goats to clear brush been abandoned for this year because, due to lack of rain, there is not enough freshly grown browse to maintain the goats without supplemental feed. Instead, part of the grant money this year will be used to hire ground crews to chop up heavy brush cut down in recent years. Letters are being sent to prospective vendors for bids to do the work.

Bids have been received for a biological environmental impact study. An archeological survey is being done at the present time. Both have to be completed as a condition for further release of grant money.

Anyone having recent digital photos of their property is asked to share them with the Fire Safe Council. They can be emailed to Margaret Bridwell at MargaretMeadowsFSC@yahoo.com.

Thanks to Assistant Fire Chief E. Matt Gil, who attended the March meeting, the MFSC is now recognizing that it can be of service to other communities that are in the initial stages of starting such a council.

It's a Gas!

Neighbors were questioning the "big dig" on upper Canyon Crest. Here's the scoop:

The Gas Company is replacing corroded gas lines on upper Canyon Crest. Turns out there was a leak mid-block. The old galvanized pipe is being replaced with flexible PVC-type lines.

That's the only planned work to be done in The Meadows.

Next Neighborhood Meeting

Our next neighborhood meeting will be Tuesday, April 3, 7:00 p.m. at 4416 El Prieto Rd.

An attendee asked if we should move the meeting to one of the new community rooms at Loma Alta Park.

Any thoughts?

MFSC Update (or Something Got our Goat!)

Assessments by the MFSC will continue. While progress has been slower this past month, it’s still the MFSC’s intention to complete the assessments this spring.

Residents have had these common questions about the project:

1) When will the brush clearance start? The use of goats to clear the brush is being revisited due to the lack of rain this year. Plans are being adjusted to hire more crews to clear the large amounts of dead brush around us. We hope to start this effort in the spring. Tree trimming and removal will occur in the fall.
2) How will I know the outcome of the assessment? Each homeowner will receive a letter outlining the findings of the assessment and the recommended approach once all assessments are completed. Homeowners will approve (or not) the plan of action.
3) What if I haven’t heard from MFSC regarding my scheduled assessment? If you allowed permission to access your property in your absence, the MFSC may have already assessed your property. The MFSC will be sending a second letter and/or team members will be going door-to-door to schedule the remaining assessments.

Owen Brown Trail Now Open

Submitted by a neighbor:

The Owen Brown Trail (let’s start calling it that, ok?), which connects El Prieto Road with Rising Hill Road and also leads to the gravesite of Owen Brown atop Little Round Top, is now legally open to the public for non-motorized recreational purposes. It had been closed off in 1999 by a wrought iron fence and gate.
The fence was physically removed over a year ago, and the “No Trespassing” signs at the top of El Prieto Road have now been removed as well. The general public has the right to hike or bike on the trail at any time, as the courts found that the route acquired an “implied-in-law public dedication” when Jason and Owen Brown first built it in the 1880s and the public used it as if it were a public road ever since.

Nocturnal Spring

A bit of indulgence goes a long way. Here are some pics I took the other evening of my garden. These cacti and succulents bloom every Spring. Captured in the moonlight brings an almost other-worldly quality to them.

Break-ins Decline After 7 Arrests

From the Star News today, by Mary Gurton.

ALTADENA - Following a surge of break-ins over the past several months, sheriff's officials in Altadena say the arrests of five adults and two juveniles since late last year have lead to a marked decrease in the number of burglaries.

About 77 residential burglaries, 46 commercial burglaries, and 66 vehicle burglaries were reported beginning in November last year through the present, according to Los Angeles County sheriff's Detective Coe Budge, who oversees Altadena station's burglary unit with his partner, Detective Robert Anderson.

"We were getting hit pretty hard through the holidays," Budge said, "but the arrests of these suspects does seem to have had a positive impact on the number of burglaries."
The first of the arrests were made Nov. 6 around 9:25 a.m. when deputies spotted two teenage boys, 13 and 17, from Altadena and Pasadena, leaving a residence near Lincoln Avenue and Ventura Street, he said.

The teens were eventually charged with suspicion of six burglaries and one attempted burglary, Budge said.

"They were using the `lost dog' ruse," Budge said, explaining that the pair went from door-to-door saying they were looking for their dog to find out whether the occupant was home. "So if someone was out, that was their opportunity."

Since the boys' arrests, there have been seven burglaries in the area, he said.

Five adults were also arrested throughout January and February, all apparently leading to the lull in such crimes, Budge said.

Boy Found in Las Vegas with Mother and Another Woman

From this evening's news:

ALTADENA, Calif. Authorities in Las Vegas Tuesday located a boy, 4, his mother and another woman, who are accused of abducting the child after killing the uncle who was caring for the boy in Altadena.Vanessa Ochoa, 22, her son, Manaen Miles, and Mesha Arshaz Dean, 25, were taken into custody about 12:40 p.m. in Las Vegas, according to Deputy Oscar Butao of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau.

The boy was unharmed, Butao said. The women are suspected in the fatal shooting of the boy's paternal uncle, identified as Monroe Miles, 32, around 1:25 p.m. Sunday at his home at 4020 Canyon Dell Drive.

L.A. Times Coverage of Canyon Dell Slaying

Kidnap, slaying suspect is sought
By Hector Becerra and Stuart Silverstein, Times Staff Writers March 19, 2007

Authorities were searching for a 22-year-old mother suspected of shooting to death a relative who had been watching her 4-year-old son in Altadena on Sunday, and then abducting the boy.
The suspect, Vanessa Ochoa, does not have legal custody of her son, said Sgt. Diane Hecht of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

An Amber Alert was issued Sunday for the boy, Manaen Miles, who was described as black, 3 feet tall, weighing 50 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and black shorts.

The shooting victim, whose name was not released, was the abducted boy's paternal uncle, authorities said.

He was described as being in his early 30s. The man was shot in the torso and pronounced dead at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, authorities said.

Sheriff's investigators said they believed that Ochoa drove off with her son after killing his uncle — the brother of the boy's father — about 1:15 p.m.

She was believed to be driving a silver Mitsubishi Diamante with paper Nevada license plates.
Ochoa was described only as Latina, 5 feet tall and 125 pounds, with long dark hair.
She drove off, heading south after leaving the scene of the incident at a house in the 4000 block of Canyon Dell Drive in Altadena, authorities said.

The house, in a hilly, rustic neighborhood of single-family homes with large lots, was the residence of the slain man and the boy's grandparents.

Authorities said the boy's father also recently moved into the house but that they had not reached him as of Sunday evening. They did not say who had legal custody of the child.
Another relative, whom authorities would not identify, was in the house at the time of the homicide and alleged abduction.

Sheriff's investigators headed to the site after receiving a report of a shooting.
The case is being investigated jointly by the Sheriff's Department's homicide and major crimes bureaus.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call homicide investigators at (323) 890-5500.

Tragic Occurance on Canyon Dell

You may be watching the news, but for those who may not be aware, here's the latest information we have on the shooting on Canyon Dell. Please know that this is a combination of news reports and information gathered from the neighbors.

• The mother of a boy whose father was the son of the neighbor on Canyon Dell came to Canyon Dell and abducted the four year old son. She did not have legal custody of the child.
• She abducted the boy and fatally shot the uncle of the boy (who would be the brother of the father of the child).
• An amber alert was issued for:
  VICTIM(S): MANAEN MILES, 4 years old, unknown DOB
  LOCATION: Altadena, last seen heading S/B Canyon Crest to Lincoln
  SUSPECT(S): Vanessa Ochoa, Female/Hispanic, 22 y/o, DOB 10/06/84, 5’0” 125 lbs., long dark hair, brown eyes, unknown clothing (on the news, described as Philipino)
  VEHICLE: 2004 Nissan, silver 4-door, NV261TEY
• IF YOU SEE THE VEHICLE OR HAVE ANY INFORMATION REGARDING THIS CHILD ABDUCTION PLEASE CALL THE LASD Altadena Station at 818 248-3464 OR LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AT 323-526-5541*)

With all due respect to the family, if you have any other information, please let me know.

Open House Saturday and Sunday

I'll be hosting an open house today and tomorrow from 2-5 at 4031 Canyon Dell Drive. This is one of the nicest homes in The Meadows. Custom built by the original owners and beautifully updated in the last ten years. With 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, hardwood floors, gourmet kitchen and sweeping views from the over-sized deck, it's a perfect place for entertaining or being reclusive and enjoying the views and nature.

Please stop by if you can.

The home is being offered for $1,050,000.

Car Sitting on El Prieto

A neighbor on El Prieto, mid-way up the street, reported again that another car was parked at the curb with someone sitting inside on Friday afternoon at bout 5:40 p.m. It was another sedan, gold/tan, with a different man sitting in it than before. The man was similar in description as before: African American, 30s?, mustache, parked with the window rolled down and loud rap music playing. The person drove away when he saw the resident and she was unable to get a license plate number.

This may all be just a case of hanging in the car, but better to discourage it if we don't know the person.

The Lights Are On....

Seems that the Edison technician fixed the problem of the power dimming at 9:04 p.m. I haven't experienced any power loss since he was here on Tuesday and removed a capacitor issue at a transformer on Cloverhill.

Another resident wasn't sure if it had fixed the problem at her Canyon Crest home, so please check it out. If you still have a problem, call Edison.

The technician, Doug Murray, was able to find the problem. And I really want the title that is on his business card - "Troubleman"! Isn't that an old Quincy Jones tune?

Deer Family

On the way home today, I saw a family of five deer grazing on lower Canyon Crest. Glad to see this new family joining our neighborhood.

4031 Canyon Dell

I have a new listing here in The Meadows. Please join me for the open houses Thursday, March 15 from 10-2 and Saturday and Sunday from 2-5 p.m. This is one of the finest homes in our neighborhood and I encourage you to see it.

Set on a private, large landscaped lot, this private three bedroom, three bath home has a gourmet kitchen, gleaming Canadian Maple hardwood floors, and an oversized wrap-around deck offering sweeping views of the city, mountain and canyon below. It's a wonderful place to entertain your guests or relish in the solitude surrounded by nature. Escape the hustle of the city in this unique foothill enclave. Welcome to The Meadows.

Offered for $1,050,000

Please call me if you would like to see the property.

Is It Fixed?

I had Southern California Edison come out today to check out our dimming at 8:04 p.m.. I thought it was interesting that the dimming changed to 9:04 p.m. with the time change!

A technician with the SCE came out today to check it out. He removed the capaciters(?) on a transformer on Cloverhill that were set for 20:00 hours that he thinks will fix the problem. As of this post, we'll know in about 24 minutes if that worked.

Power Drain

I and several, but not all, neighbors are experiencing the dimming of lights at exactly 8:04 p.m. every night. We had a good laugh about it at the last neighborhood meeting as, sure enough, the lights dimmed at 8:04. I also heard from a neighbor that the power doesn't surge back until well into morning.

I reported it to Southern California Edison and they're going to have a technician check it out.

They suggested that someone in the neighborhood may have some heavy equipment or service that turns on every night at the same time that could be causing the power loss. At first they suggested a pool pump, but that would be one massive pool!

They don't think its caused by any switching at the grid as that only happens during a power outage.

If anyone has an idea of what may be turning on at 8:04 p.m., please let me know.

Two Incidents in Two Days

Yesterday at around 1:00 p.m., a neighbor's painter on Aralia reported to the owner via phone that several sheriff's cars were headed up Aralia and had stopped at a house near Gravelia. I called another neighbor who lives near there. She did notice one sheriffs car headed up Aralia but was busy babysitting and didn't notice any others. When I emailed the sheriff's, they had no record of a call being placed to The Meadows. The homeowner verified with his painter that the sheriff's cars were up here. I'm awaiting on another email response from the sheriffs. If you know any additional info, please let me know.

Today, another neighbor reported seeing a beat up red car (small old import like a Passat) that let a 20-something, male, new hip hop clothing and bling, out of the car mid-way up the first section of Canyon Crest after the Meadows sign. They pulled over and watched this same person walk up the hill appearing to review the mailboxes on the canyon side. They turned around to see where the red car went. It parked behind the alley of the apartments and about 5 of the same type, make and female, were hanging out. The one they let out of the car had joined them. The car has no plates and that alone seems suspicious.It was reported to the Altadena Sheriffs. The neighbors did not see the sheriffs come up as of that time. I've forwarded this info to the sheriffs for a response.

Welcome to the new Sheriff in Town

As reported in the neighborhood meeting, we'll soon have a new sheriff in town.

As of April 1, 2007, Captain Roosevelt Blow will be in charge of the Altadena Sheriffs department.

El Prieto Trail Now Open

It was reported in the Neighborhood meeting that the trail at the top of El Prieto Rd. is now open. Appeals were not filed from the last decisions. The signs warning of private property have been taken down.

Time to go hiking!

Neighborhood Meeting 3/7

We had a great monthly, neighborhood meeting tonight. Sgt. Fenn from Altadena Sheriffs talked to us about the investigation of break-ins here in the neighborhood. Here are some highlights:

• Fingerprints were captured from the break-in on El Prieto in December.
• A 22 year old male is in custody as of three weeks ago. He was from the southeast area of Altadena. Once in custody, burglaries in all of Altadena dropped dramatically. (No mention was made if he was responsible for the break-ins in The Meadows. The investigation continues.)
• A male and female couple were apprehended in Pasadena. There is thought that they may be responsible for increased burglaries in the area.
• Sgt. Fenn made the suggestion that we all record the serial numbers of electronics and such that, in the event we're burglarized, we can provide this information t the sheriffs. Without that information, it's difficult to identify stolen goods. Serial numbers can be taken from the packaging. If kept on your computer, back it up on disk. Etching name, identifiers, etc. into the actual equipment is also recommended.
• If you are the victim of a burglary, within two weeks, start visiting pawn shops to identify your belongings.

Other highlights from the meeting:

• A reminder to read the Neighborhood Watch materials that were provided last month. If you need a copy, contact Greg.
• $16 was raised to support the maintenance of the garden.

Thanks for a great turnout!

Meadows Real Estate Update 3/7

Well, we're a bit all over the map here in The Meadows real estate market. Here's a quick update:

• 4501 Risinghill Rd. 3 bed, 2 bath, 1135 sq. ft. on 6180 sq. ft. lot. This home has great 1960's bones to it. Heard that the owners may be remodeling the kitchen. It's been on the market for 80 days at a value price of $549,990 - $599,990.
• 4219 Aralia Rd. 3 bed, 2 bath, 1649 sq. ft. on a 9250 sq. ft. lot. Listed for $659,000. Sold for $630,000. This was quite a fixer and is currently being "flipped". Not sure of the new price yet as work is still being completed.
• 4216 Aralia Rd. 3 bed, 2 bath, 1847 sq. ft. on 7200 sq. ft. lot. This listing has been withdrawn after 118 days on the market.
• 4455 Risinghill Rd. 3 bed, 2 bath, 1700 sq. ft. on an unknown size lot. Last sales price was $799,000. This home has been completely updated.
• 1086 Hollygrove was for lease. 3 bed, 1 bath. It was on the market for 5 days and then placed on hold.

If you're interested in any of these properties, please let me know. I'd be happy to show them to you.

(Dilbeck Realtors is Independently Owned and Operated. Information provided by seller or third-party sources.)

Watchful Neighbor

Wonderful Neighborhood Watching from a neighbor on El Prieto.

On Saturday morning, a car was parked across from the resident's driveway. The resident went down to look. The person in it looked up and drove away. This particular individual had a mustache and dark skin, possibly African American or Hispanic or mixed race, 30's with somewhat sharp features.

The resident's home is near one that was broken into at the end of last year.

Thanks for keeping an eye out!

Next Neighborhood Meeting

Tuesday, March 6 at 7:00 p.m. at 4416 El Prieto Rd. Altadena Sheriff's Sgt. Fenn, lead detective on burglaries, is scheduled to talk to the community.

If you have any suggestions for other speakers, please let me know.

Group Email Created

A group email notification has been set up for residents in The Meadows. It’s being used to notify residents of news in The Meadows. If you’d like to be included, please email Greg at greg.stanton@dilbeck.com.

MFSC Update, 100 Properties Assessed

To date some 100 properties have been assessed for ways to minimize the dangers associated with fire from whatever origin. In addition, approximately twenty property owners are awaiting an appointment.

Each homeowner who has not responded to the December mailing to schedule an appointment or allow access will be visited shortly by a member of the council to make sure that nobody is missed. Or, anyone who has not returned their card from the December mailing may still do so, or arrange for an appointment by calling Margaret Bridwell at (626) 798-0480.

It is important to note that these assessments do not obligate the property owner in any way. Property owners will be given the findings of the assessment (planned for April) and will approve any proposed work.

It is envisioned that goats will be brought in to graze in the eastern and northern perimeters of the Meadows in May. Later in the year, various vendors will be coming into the Meadows to trim or remove ornamental vegetation according to property-owners’ wishes. The grant monies will be used to accomplish as much clearing as possible. Additional clearing may be negotiated by the homeowner with the various vendors at anticipated discounts.

Sgt. Fenn at next Meadows Meeting

Altadena Sheriff Sgt. Fenn, lead detective regarding burglaries in Altadena, will attend the next Meadows neighborhood meeting on Tuesday, March 6 at 7:00 p.m.

Attendees of last month's meeting were disappointed that more specific information regarding the investigation was not shared with the community. Sgt. Fenn has been prompted with the various concerns heard in our neighborhood and has promised to address them.

The meeting is at 4416 El Prieto Rd.

Everything About Oak Tree Permits

Here's information regarding the trimming and removal of oak trees. It's a bit long, but paragraphs A and B provide the regulations.

AN OAK TREE PERMIT IS REQUIRED:

A. For any activity that may result in an impact to the oak resource. Impacts include cutting, destroying, removing, relocating, inflicting damage or encroaching into the protected zone of any tree of the oak genus that is 25 inches or more in circumference or eight (8") inches in diameter as measured four and one-half feet above mean natural grade, or in the case of multi trunks whose combined circumference of any two trunks is at least 12" in diameter.

B. For any activity that may impact any oak tree, regardless of size, which was provided as a replacement tree pursuant to the Los Angeles County Oak Tree Ordinance.

There are a few exemptions to the Oak Tree Permit process. Routine maintenance and pruning of an oak tree required to protect life and property while maintaining tree health is allowed and an Emergency Oak Tree Permit may be issued under certain situations. Live limbs up to 2" in diameter may be pruned and dead limbs removed. Removal of limbs within 10 feet of a chimney is allowed to maintain fire clearances. An Emergency Oak Tree Permit may be issued upon inspection and approval of a county forester when a tree poses an immediate threat to life or property. Proper filing procedures will be discussed during your appointment with the county zoning and permit counselor.


APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Your first step is to contact the Department of Regional Planning’s Land Development Coordinating Center to obtain the form for an oak tree permit. Their phone number is (213) 974-6411. A zoning and permit counselor is available between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday in Room 1360 in the Hall of Records, 320 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. There, you can discuss your plans and obtain pertinent facts about land use, zoning, and permits, that may affect your property and oak resource. You also may call the Environmental Review Unit of the County of Los Angeles Fire Department’s Forestry Division, for an assessment of your projects potential impact to the oak resource or emergency request. Their phone number is (818) 890-5719, Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.


APPLICATION PROCESSING: When you have completed the application forms and assembled all of the required materials including an oak tree report prepared by an approved expert, you should call for an appointment to file your application. A planner will review the materials to insure that all necessary items are submitted and the necessary fees paid. When the filing has been deemed complete, you may be set for public hearing before a Hearing Officer or the Regional Planning Commission depending on the circumstances of your case. A combined hearing will be held by the Regional Planning Commission or Hearing Officer for an Oak Tree Permit filed concurrently with other types of applications on the same property.

Before the public hearing, your Oak Tree Permit Application and Oak Tree Report, if required by the Director, will be reviewed by foresters of the County of Los Angeles Fire Department. They shall review the report for accuracy and make physical inspections of the project site. Such inspections shall determine the health of all oak trees and other factors as may be needed to complete their review. A copy of the forester's comments on the report will be submitted in writing to the Director or Commission within 15 days of receipt of the application from the Director. The foresters may at their option suggest mitigating conditions for use by the Hearing Officer, Director, or Commission. There are additional fees for the review, field inspection, and field monitoring for use of the permit. The fees are paid directly to the County of Los Angeles Fire Department and are based on the number of oaks involved and complexity of the project.

Notices of public hearing are sent to the applicant and surrounding property owners advising them of your application and the time and place of the public hearing. A legal advertisement is also placed in a local newspaper. A staff report is prepared containing an analysis of the impact and preliminary recommendations. This report is available for public review the day of the public hearing. Either a Hearing Officer or on more complex / controversial cases the Regional Planning Commission, will hear the Oak Tree Permit request.


PUBLIC HEARING: When concurrent consideration for other required permits ( ie. zone changes, land divisions, variances) requiring a public notice and a public hearing exists, the Oak Tree Permit shall be considered in the same public notice and public hearing. When no concurrent consideration is noted by the Hearing Officer, the Director shall conduct a public hearing subject to the public notice of an Oak Tree Permit filing. The public hearing will be within 30 to 45 days of the public notice. The public notice of an Oak Tree Permit filing shall be published once in a newspaper of general circulation within the County of Los Angeles and available in the community in which the Oak Tree Permit is proposed.

The applicant or his representative should attend the public hearing and be available to present and explain the request. You may bring all materials and other people you feel are necessary to assist you in presenting your request. Owners of adjacent property and other interested persons will also be allowed to testify. However, neither a public notice nor public hearing, is required when removal or relocation of only one tree is proposed in conjunction with a single-family residence listed as a permitted use in the zone.

New Mountain Lion Sighting

A friend of mine, on her way to my house today, saw a young, small mountain lion about midway on Canyon Crest between Lincoln and the hairpin turn.

Looks like we have the second generation moving into the neighborhood.

MFSC Out in Force Today

Today, Saturday, the Meadows FireSafe Council will continue the property assessments here in The Meadows. MFSC members will accompany J. Lopez from L.A. County Fire Department as we talk to homeowners about brush clearance and tree trimming and removal.

We'll be around the neighborhood all day from 9-5.

Mail Stolen from Mailbox

Mail was stolen from a mailbox Wednesday, February 14, from a home on Canyon Crest. Another resident a couple of blocks away brought it back to the owner and said he found it in his bushes. There was an opened envelope from which a 1099 tax document was stolen and a ripped open bank statement.

We had similar occurrences on El Prieto two holidays ago.

At that time, the USPS advised not to leave mail for sending in our mailboxes that included checks or personal identification.

Two Men Detained on Risinghill

Two men in their twenties were detained today by the Altadena Sheriffs at around noon after a neighbor reported seeing the men with weapons behind a home at the top of Risinghill on the West side of the street.

The sheriffs responded with three cars. They apprehended the men. They did have pellet guns. (The neighbor stated that one was a pistol, the other a rifle.) After talking to them, it was determined that they were residents of Risinghill.

In a follow-up conversation with Sgt. Williams of the Altadena Sheriffs, she stated that the men told the sheriffs that they were just going into the hills to practice with their pellet guns and that they lived on Risinghill. The guns were taken away from the two men and a sheriff’s car escorted them back to their house. They did have proper identification. No arrest or further questioning was done.

We are still following up on this incident as we’re still concerned about the actions the sheriffs did or did not make.

More to come.

February Meadows Meeting

Over 30 residents came for the Meadows neighborhood meeting last night. Thanks to everyone who attended. Highlights are as follows:

· Advertising in the newsletter was not generating any income and was, in fact, a cost to produce the second side of the page. Advertising has been discontinued.
· Attendees were encouraged to donate dollars to help fund the maintenance at The Meadows sign. Everyone chipped in and $104 was donated!!!!!! The resident who maintains the grounds is thrilled.
· Suggestions for guest speakers are encouraged. Just let Greg or Linda know.

Sheriff’s Presentation
Altadena Sheriff Sgt. Marsha Williams and Deputy Sam Estrada addressed the recent break-ins in the neighborhood and discussed reactivating our Neighborhood Watch program. Some points of discussion:

· The mode of operations in the Meadows' burglaries is typical of most burglaries; occurs during the day, jewelry, money, and quick sellable items are taken, entry is typically thru back doors/windows. This is typical in 80% of all burglaries.
· Since the Spring of 2006, burglaries have been the #1 crime in Altadena.
· Fingerprints and DNA are taken from crime scenes, although it was unclear if they have been obtained for the crimes here in Altadena.
· The detectives follow every possible lead and the deputies have taken every shred of evidence that may lead to suspects. This has worked well for them in the past, but it does take time.
· Everyone was encouraged to get to know their neighbors, know their typical schedules, and visitors to help dissuade thieves.
· Several residents volunteered to undergo training offered by the sheriffs to create watch patrols in which suspicious activity would be reported to the sheriffs.
· The sheriffs clarified that they can not stop all traffic at the bottom of Canyon Crest when a burglary is reported. They would have to have probable cause to do so.
· The sheriffs could not share any information in regards to the leads that are being pursued or the profile of the suspects.
· Neighborhood Watch manuals were given to all attendees and attendees were encouraged to hand them out to other neighbors not in attendance.

While there was frustration in not knowing more specifics about the investigation, all were encouraged by the turnout and the opportunity to meet neighbors.

Meadows Real Estate Update

Here's the latest real estate listings in The Meadows:

• 4501 Rising Hill Road offered for $549,990 to $599,990. 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1135 sq. ft. on a 6180 sq. ft. lot.
• 4219 Aralia Road offered for $659,000. 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1649 sq. ft. on a 9250 sq. ft. lot.
• 4216 Aralia Road offered for $799,000. 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1847 sq. ft. on a 7200 sq. ft. lot.
• 4455 Rising Hill Road offered for approximately $799,000. (This price may have changed. I'm not sure as it's not listed in the MLS, but I believe is still for sale.). 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1700 sq. ft. on an unknown lot size.

If you'd like to see any of these listings or know of someone who is interested, please call or email me:

Greg Stanton, Realtor

Dilbeck Realtors, GMAC

626-431-2205

greg.stanton@dilbeck.com

www.gstanton.com

(I am not the listing agent for the properties above. I would act as the buyer's agent. Dilbeck Realtors is Independently Owned and Operated. Information provided by seller or third-party sources.)

Seventh Break-In

A seventh break-in since December was reported to me last night. This time on Gravelia. Same pattern again: mid-day, the thief or thieves kicked in the door and began ransacking the drawers of a guest room. Fortunately, the neighbor had an alarm and when it sounded, the intruders fled without taking anything.

I've asked the sheriffs to be prepared to brief us on the investigation at our next neighborhood meeting, Tuesday at 7:00, at my house.

My Buddy Boo

You may have seen walking my dog, Boo, around the neighborhood. After a very happy, healthy life, Boo passed away this week. He had contracted cancer sometime around the holidays and it moved very quickly through his system. He was a great dog and an even better pal.

This picture is of him playing with his tennis balls - almost an obsession with him.

Here's to all our pets and the enjoyment they bring to us.

More Break-ins

Just heard from a neighbor on upper Canyon Crest that two adjoining houses were broken into last Wednesday. Same patter - the theives broke in through a back window or door in the middle of the day, they go through the entire house looking for money, credit cards, and in this case stole an iPod.

This now makes six break-ins in December and January. Supposedly the sheriffs are making additional patrols up here, but some of us who are home during the day haven't seen that much more sheriff activity.

Meadows FireSafe Assessment Update

The Meadows FireSafe Council sent letters with return postcards in December 2006 to schedule assessments of each homeowner's property. We're identifying fire-prone vegetation and trees that will be addressed with the grant money we received from CA FireSafe Council. Any trimming or removal of trees and vegetation will only be done with the homeowner's consent.

We've heard from a couple of neighbors that the postcard was returned undeliverable. Seems it may have been damaged in the post office machinery.

We also neglected to ask for contact information, a phone number or email, to be able to schedule the appointments or ask your consent to enter your property if no one was home.

If you haven't responded yet or did respond without providing contact information, please call either Margaret Bridwell (626-798-0480) or Greg Stanton (626-791-1011) to schedule an appointment.

Options to CA Fairplan Insurance

We’re still gathering information to share with The Meadows regarding insurance options other than CA Fairplan. If you have insurance other than the expensive and demanding Fairplan, please call Wendy VanDeWater at 626-798-2149 or send a comment to this article. We’ll compile and publish the list for all in The Meadows.

Neighborhood Watch at Meadows Meeting

Sgt. Marsha Williams and Deputy Sam Estrada will be at the next Meadows neighborhood meeting to discuss the Neighborhood Watch program. Please plan on attending February 6, 7:00 p.m. at 4416 El Prieto Rd.

Living in Mountain Lion Country

As mentioned in a previous post, a neighbor on Canyon Crest had two mountain lions lounging in his backyard. They eventually moved on into Millard Canyon.

Mountain lions generally exist where deer are found. They are solitary and elusive, and their nature is to avoid humans. Here are some tips for living in mountain lion country:

Don’t feed deer; it is illegal in California and it will attract mountain lions.
Don’t leave small children or pets outside unattended.
Mountain lions are most active at dawn, dusk and at night.
Bring pet food inside to avoid attracting raccoons, opossums and other potential mountain lion prey.

For more information, go to www.keepmewild.org

Another Break-In in The Meadows

Another break-in was reported today here in The Meadows. Same pattern as the previous ones that started just before the holidays.

The break-in occurred mid-day. The thieves broke through the back door, stole jewelry, money and a television.

The incident has been reported to the sheriffs.

Ironically, I had just confirmed that the sheriffs will be at our next neighborhood meeting, Tuesday, Feb 6, 7:00 p.m. at 4416 El Prieto Rd. They're coming to talk to us about Neighborhood Watch.

Please be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the sheriffs.

More CA Fair Plan Issues

Yet another neighbor in The Meadows received notice that their property needed to be cleared within 200 feet, not the standard 150 feet.

This information has been passed to L.A. County Fire Department, J. Lopez, who continues discussions with CA Fair Plan and County supervisors. CA Fair Plan is not being consistent with the established guidelines.

Please let me or J know about any additional occurrences.

Loma Alta Park Offers Activities

From the Star News:

Altadena - Loma Alta Park is open and offering various activities for youth and seniors.

Sign-ups are currently under way for youth and adult basketball leagues. Upcoming classes also include salsa cardio, salsa dancing and ballroom dancing.

Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 7:00 p.m. Sunday.

For information, call park supercvisors Penny Daniels, Michael Early or William Mercado 626-398-5451.

Do Your Lights Dim at 8:04 p.m.?

Do your lights dim at 8:04 p.m. or is it just me.

Almost every night at that time, my lights dim for a few minutes and then regain power. There's nothing changing electrically at my house so I'm thinking that it is occurring within the Edison power grid. I'm going to contact them but would like more information from others in the neighborhood.

Anyone else experiencing the same thing? If so, please comment to this post.

Now It's a Mall!

From the Pasadena Star News, January 4, 2007

Altadena - A mini-mall planned for the corner of Altadena Drive and Lincoln Avenue will not include a check-cashing business, as had been rumored in recent weeks.

This is a repeat of news shared in a previous post. Thought these additional were worth adding:

James Dowdy, one of the owners, stated, "We're going to put in a nice shopping center, we're doing a service to the community. It's going to have a variety of things that complement each other. It's going to be a nice little place."

From Ernest Brambilla, the mall's leasing agent, "- we have some very strong interest from national tenants. We're going to have as many qualified nationals tenants as we can get. We're talking to the wireless people, video rentals, any of those sandwich people, a variety of the convenience foods....If you can think of it, we're talking to them."

Other possible tenants included a small, regional market, coffee shop and local resident.

Brambilla expected the mall would be built by mid-summer, with the first tenant leases being signed within the next few months.

In a past conversation I had with Brambilla, he is open to ideas from the community and encourages individual parties to create their own businesses for the mini-mall. As mentioned in a previous post, Dennis Bridwell, Altadena Town Councilperson is meeting with the leasing agent to ensure quality tenants.

CA Fair Plan Out of Step

At the January neighborhood meeting, J. Lopez from L.A. County Fire Department, talked about meetings that are being help between L.A. County, L.A. Co. FD, and CA FairPlan Insurance.

FairPlan conducts five-year reviews of property. Reports from residents in towns East of The Meadows reported receiving supplemental assessments that significantly increased their insurance payments. Seems FairPlan was asking residents to clear up to 300 feet around their property. This is inconsistent with the Fire Department's requirement of 150 feet.

Sure enough, at least two residents in The Meadows, received similar supplemental assessments.

J. Lopez needs to know of any other instances of this occurring as he is meeting with the above mentioned groups to get FairPlan to be consistent with the fire department's requirements. If this affects you, please contact me or J. with specific information.

I can be reached via this blog, email to greg.stanton@dilbeck.com or 626-791-1011

Solicitor in The Meadows

This morning, a 20-something, Caucasian, blond-haired guy showed up at my front door soliciting me for a contest to send him to UCLA. He claimed to be the son of a renter on Hollygrove. When I asked him where he lived, he gave me bogus information about Hollygrove. (Little did he know that as a Realtor I pretty much know all the houses in our neighborhood!)

When I asked him to leave my property, he became indignant and called me rude!

I called the sheriffs who stated they had another call about him yesterday. They were going to head into the neighborhood as we spoke.

Soliciting is not allowed in Altadena and these UCLA contests are a scam to get money.

His description: approximately 5'9", 20-something, bleach-blonde longish hair, wearing a blue t-shirt and blue jeans, carrying a skateboard.

Owen Brown Gravesite Monument

Save the Altadena Trails (STAT) has acquired the right to create an appropriate monument to Owen Brown on the top of Little Round Top. A committee will be formed to consider the options and come up with a plan. Input and visions of a memorial are welcomed.

STAT has also been granted the right to create a safe trail up to the top of Little Round Top from the Fire Road. If you can volunteer as a trail builder, please let us know.

STAT can be contacted at:
P.O. Box 6322
Altadena, CA 91101-6322
savethetrails@sbcglobal.net

Hike to Little Round Top - January 14

The organization, Save the Altadena Trails (STAT), will again host a hike to Little Round Top to honor the memory of Martin Luther King and Owen Brown and celebrate their 2006 victories.

They will lead a hike to Little Round Top, the burial site of Owen Brown, Sunday, January 14, starting at 1:00 pm. Michele Zack and others will give brief talks about the history and significance of this site.

Cars may park at the trail head on El Prieto Road and on the paved portion on Risinghill Road. Please do not drive beyond the cul de sac of Risinghill as parking is not available at the top which is private property.

Last Night's Neighborhood Meeting

We had a nice turnout for our first 2007 Meadows neighborhood meeting that is now the first Tuesday of every month, 7:00 p.m., at 4416 El Prieto Rd.

Items of discussion:

• The sighting of the mountain lions in the backyard of a Canyon Crest home. (See previous post.)
• A discussion of the break-ins in the neighborhood in November and December. The meeting attendees felt it might be someone in or very familiar with our neighborhood. Everyone is encouraged to keep a close watch on any suspicious activity and to not hesitate calling the sheriffs.
• A neighbor on Aralia stated that his house had been "egged" as recently as last month.
• A reminder that upkeep of the Meadows sign costs money. (Please see previous post.)
• We'll discontinue advertising in The Meadows Newsletter as it is not generating any funds to help defray costs of the Meadows sign garden. All are encouraged to donate funds through Linda.
• Ann Dougherty, a Meadows neighbor on lower Canyon Crest and Boardmember for San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity, told everyone about the Habitat for Humanity used building materials store located at 770 N. Fair Oaks. It's a great place to purchase and donate unused or used building materials. Proceeds from the store help fund local projects. It's open Tuesday through Saturday from 9-5.
• An update on The Meadows Firesafe Council's progress in assessing trees and vegetation at each home in The Meadows. We've assessed approximately 70 so far.
• J. Lopex, from L.A. County Fire Department, talked about the efforts that are being made with CA FairPlan Insurance. Please see separate post for more information.
• Jane, from Save the Altadena Trails, told the group about the upcoming walk to Brown Mountain. Please see separate post.

Next meeting is Tuesday, February 6 at 7:00 p.m. See you there.

Current Real Estate in and Near The Meadows

The real estate market has been moving through its normal seasonal slowndown. It will be interesting to see if the market picks up as it normally does in mid-January. All indications are good that it will as employment, stock market, and CA economy are in good shape.

Also, Altadena continues to gain double-digit appreciation, year-over-year. The latest numbers were for November 2006. Compared to November 2005, Altadena saw a 14.6% appreciation with the average median home price at $703,000. That's up from $616,000 in January 2006. Amazing progress!

It's my belief that much of this appreciation is being driven by the affordability of West Altadena and that many folks are discovering the beauty of our community.

Here's a current list of available properties available in and near The Meadows. These are not listed by me or my broker. I offer this as information only.

If you or your friends or family are interested in seeing any of these homes, please contact me and I'd be happy to take them on a tour! (Greg Stanton, Dilbeck Realtors. 626-431-2205 or greg.stanton@dilbeck.com)

• 4455 Risinghill Road. Custom remodeled interior updated for the modern lifestyle. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, integrated interior/exterior audio system. 1640 sq. ft. (per flyer), 6300 sq. ft. lot (per flyer). Offered at $789,000.
• 4219 Aralia Road. A three bedroom, 2 bath, 1649 sq. ft. home on a 8250 sq. ft. lot. Offered at $659,000

And a little further down the road:

• 3369 Canyon Crest Road. Major improvements underway for this 4 bedroom, 3 bath home. 2653 sq. ft. (per assessor) on a 22,220 sq. ft. lot (per assessor). Offered at $975,000.
• 3181-3197 Lincoln Ave. Being sold for land value only and currently zoned as a triplex. 29,538 sq. ft. lot offered for $700,000.

This information was provided through the Itech Multiple Listing Service.
It has not been independently verified by the agent and does not guarantee the accuracy of square footage,
lot size or boundary lines provided by the seller or obtained from public records or other sources. Buyer is advised to independently
verify the accuracy of this information through personal inspection with appropriate professionals.
If your home is presently listed, this is not a solicitation of that listing.

Meadows Sign Garden Upkeep

The beautiful plants and flowers around the Welcome to the Meadows sign have been tended by a resident's gardener. (Anyone who wishes to volunteer on the upkeep is welcome and it would be greatly appreciated.)

The advertising dollars from the newsletter along with generous donations from neighbors has helped pay the water bills and maintenance. Our advertising revenues have been meager as of late and we owe money to the homeowner who has graciously kept the gardens in fine form.

So, if you'd like to make a donation to help with the upkeep or have any ideas about raising funds, we'd love to hear them.

First 2007 Neighborhood Meeting

As a reminder, our first neighborhood meeting of 2007 is Tuesday, January 2, 7:00 p.m. at 4416 El Prieto Road. Lots to talk about:

• Mountain lions
• Recent break-ins
• The Meadows Sign garden
• Advertising
• Meadows FireSafe Council Update
• and any other subjects

Lion in Winter

A resident in the 4300 block of Canyon Crest reported this morning that two mountain lions were sunning in his backyard! They spent approximately two hours there before heading back into the canyon.

Be sure to keep an eye on your pets!