Altadena Census Tracts Map

If you want to email a direct link to this map, you can use http://tinyurl.com/altadena-census-tracts


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Recycling those difficult items

Neighbor Dan Westphal forwarded some great info about recycling household hazardous waste. He included a link to this blog and this pdf from Los Angeles-Glendale
S.A.F.E. Collection Center. Here are the details from the S.A.F.E. Collection Center flier:

Los Angeles-Glendale S.A.F.E. COLLECTION CENTER

For the Residents of the City of Los Angeles and the County of Los Angeles

For security purposes, participants will be required to check-in with guard at front gate and show a valid California I.D.

Residential Special Materials and Electronic Waste

WE ACCEPT:
paint and solvents;used motor oil and filters,anti-freeze,and other automotive fluids;cleaning products;pool and garden chemicals; aerosol cans; all medicine; auto batteries; household (alkaline) batteries;fluorescent tubes and bulbs,thermostats,and other mercury-containing lamps.

WE ALSO ACCEPT:
computers, monitors, printers, network equipment, cables, telephones, televisions, microwaves, video games,cell phones, radios, stereos, VCRs, and electronic toys.

RESIDENTS ARE LIMITED TO A TOTAL OF SIX PIECES PER VISIT TO A S.A.F.E. CENTER

WE DO NOT ACCEPT:
business waste, ammunition, explosives, radioactive material, biological waste or tires. Bulky Items: furniture, refrigerators, washing machines/dryers, conventional ovens, paper, computer software.

TRANSPORTATION LIMIT FOR CHEMICAL RELATED ITEMS:
It is against the law to transport more than 15 gallons or 125 pounds of hazardous wasteto collection sites.Please pack your waste properly to prevent tipping or spilling of the waste during transportation. No business and/or commercial waste drop-offs

Hours of Operation
Saturday and Sunday
9:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.

4600 Colorado Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA90039

Google directions from Lake and the 210:


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Gino Sund's Treatise on Trash

From: Gino Sund
To: Stonehill News <neighbors@stonehillnews.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2008 3:58 PM
Subject: [neighbors] Treatise on Trash

Treatise on Trash

Sorry, I have not been able to comment on the trash hauling thread but I have been out of town for the past week. So, please let me offer my perspective on the issue and perhaps clear up some questions that have been raised.

The current situation in Altadena

Currently, Altadena operates under an open market system. That means there is no County control or oversight over who offers hauling services, what those services are, how they operate or how they are priced. Thus anyone who wants to be in the business can collect your trash. This can range from the major haulers like Allied and Athens to some guy with a pickup truck. Currently there are around seven haulers in Altadena, including a guy with a pickup truck. These haulers offer a variety of services and charge what the market will bear. There is not adequate control of such things as collection days, services offered, billing practices or recycling performance.

How things have changed

In September of 2004, the County Board of Supervisors passed a law changing the unincorporated portion of the County to a franchise trash hauling system. With this new law, in order to collect residential trash, a hauler must now be franchised by the County and all non franchise haulers will be barred from this business. To date, the County has franchised haulers in thirteen different communities in LA County and is about to do so in Altadena. When a franchise is established, a detailed contract is awarded, a hauler is selected by the County through a bidding process and the County oversees the performance of that hauler. Typically the contract period is seven years.

Why Town Council is involved

About two years ago, the County sent out a questionnaire to residents of Altadena asking such things as how many trash cans they used, what kind of trash is offered for collection, and how many haulers the residents wanted. This questionnaire was a small yellow post card. Do you remember getting it? Most people don’t. It could easily have been mistaken for junk mail and it gave little explanation of what the issues really were. Then, about two months ago, the County was about to request bids on the contract for Altadena that would define our trash hauling for the next seven years. Several of us on Council were concerned that the community input on this was inadequate, so we stopped the process to allow us to review the contract and to gather more input from the residents. Thus, we are now asking for your input on the two important issues that we can affect at this point; what should be in the service provisions of the contract and should we have a single hauler or two haulers.

The conditions of the contract

Whoever is the franchise hauler or haulers will operate under a single contract that is offered by the County. That contract will spell out such things as the scope of services i.e. the number, type and amount of pick ups, the type of containers, the provisions for price increases, the recycling requirements, and the conditions under which the contract can be terminated.

While many of the contract provisions are fairly standard for all communities, it is important that the scope of services of our contract meet the needs of Altadena. This is the area of the contract that will most influence our weekly interface with the hauler.

[Below] is a schedule of the service provisions of the contract. Council has worked with the Department of Public Works to beef up several areas, especially the collection of green waste since we have large, leafy lots in Altadena. However, we are still looking for input from you to help us decide on what is best for most residents.

A single hauler or two haulers

This may be the most controversial and confusing issue. When the County sent out its post card survey, it asked if residents wanted an exclusive, semi exclusive or multi hauler program. The majority or respondents requested semi exclusive or two haulers. However, there was no explanation of what this really meant. Most of us thought that having two haulers would, through the mechanism of competition, give us more options, better service and lower prices. However, this may not be the case. The contract will be the same for a single hauler or two haulers so there will be no differences in the services provided. And as for price, the competition will come at the front end of the process when the haulers bid for the contract. In fact, experience has indicated that a lower price is attained when the provider has a larger customer guarantee, since among other factors, there is a capital outlay required to service the area. As for the weekly performance by the providers, the County will oversee the compliance with the contract for one or two haulers.

Of the thirteen contracts already awarded by the County, all have been exclusive contracts. The average price for service has been around 10% less that the previous price of the open market, with generally more services provided. The County reports that the customer satisfaction has been high with few resident complaints to date.

Arguments for the single hauler are:

More bidders for the contract thus lower prices.
Fewer trucks on the streets,
Fewer pickup dates. (this is big issue in many neighborhoods especially those who border Pasadena who collects trash on shared streets adding yet another day)
Reduced pollution and road wear.
More community involvement by the provider. (in other communities the provider is a regular at the Town Council meetings to hear from the residents)

Arguments for two haulers are:

Two haulers may compete by being more helpful to the residents
Two haulers may compete by adding services not covered by the contract. (however, this has happened in the bidding process by providers who wish to enhance their chance of getting the contract, again the competition up front)

What happens now

We need your input on the scope of services provided in the contract, in particular green waste pick up. We would also like your thoughts on the single provider approach.

Town Council will debate and recommend contract conditions at the December 16th meeting. The County will then make a request for bids to the industry, select the winner based on a formula that includes price, financial capacity, past history etc. Depending on the winner, as determined by the County, implementation could be from 3 to 6 months.

Who will get the bid

Of course we don’t know. It is expected that both allied and Athens will bid for the Altadena franchise. However, I find it most interesting that of the thirteen franchises awarded so far, those two large haulers were only awarded three. Most of the franchises were awarded to medium sized haulers. The feedback from those managing the bidding process is that those medium sized haulers are more likely to bid on an exclusive franchise than if a semi exclusive franchise is offered.

What you need to do

If you have input to give Town Council please contact you Census Tract Representative. The contact information is on the Town Council web site. As an alternative you may want to come to our next meeting at the Community Center starting at 7:00 p.m. on December 16th.

Thank you for your time and interest.

Gino Sund

Altadena Town Council


PROPOSED TRASH COLLECTION SERVICE FEATURES

Regular pick up service	Weekly between 6:00a.m.and 6:00p.m.
Typesof Containers	One 96 gal Refuse cart
	Two 96 gal Green Waste carts
	Two 96 gal Recycling carts
Additional Trash carts	$5 /month surcharge
Additional Recycling and Green Waste carts	Additional carts $5/mo each
Different size cart	No charge
Bins and dumpsters	Permitted but not covered by the contract
Container replacement	No charge
BearProof containers	$143 for a 32 gal container
	$1329 for a 2 cubic yd container
	$1519 for a 3 cubic yd container
	$1736 for a 4 cubic yd container
Additional Refuse collection	Fourpickups per year
(curbside in bags)
Additional Green Waste collection(curbside in bags)	Eight pickups per year
Holiday tree collection	No charge
Curb side bulky item collection(unlimited)	Two pick ups per year including e-waste
Additional bulky item collection	$25 per collection
Annual Cleanup	Once a year curb side collection of bulky itemsincluding e-waste and green waste
Special Clean up Events	Hauler will provide bins or containers for discardsof solid waste four times a year for community clean up projects or publicevents
Senior and Low Income Discounts	Seniors 62 or older who are head of the householdand qualify for a utility discount based on financial need receive a 25%discount
Reduced rate for seniors with smallercapacity carts	Seniors 62 or older who are head of the householdand choose three 32 gal containers receive a 25% discount
Rollout service	Basic service rate plus a 25% surcharge
	No charge for Seniors or the disabled whoare the head of the household .
Scooter Service ( small vehicle)	Basic service rate plus a 50% surcharge

Old Wamu on Lake Burns: Time to Renovate Ralphs?

Please click on the links under each question to cast your vote, then click View the results to see what others are saying.

Would you be in favor of Ralphs renovating their Altadena branch?

Yes

No

Not Sure

View the results

Would you support Ralphs if they wanted to expand onto the old Washington Mutual property which burned down on 2/28/2008?

Yes

No

Not Sure

View the results

Notice of Intent (to cancel Allied Waste Services)

For shame!

A little background. As many in this area will recall, about two or three years ago, BFI was bought out by Allied Waste Services. When it was still BFI, Athens Services came to town , offering a cheaper alternative, but rather than switch, I called up BFI and told them I had a lower offer. BFI promptly matched Athens' rate without argument. Ever since Allied Waste took over, they have been trying to sneak up my rate, but each time I have called and told them that Athens is cheaper, and they have (now grudgingly) acquiesced and matched Athens rate.

Allied Waste bills quarterly, and I being the techno-dweeb that I am, have them on automatic bill-pay service. As it seems, last quarter (the bill due in October) they raised my rate by $5.06. Upon receiving payment for the normal amount, they decided to threaten me with a $25 penalty if I did not square up with them.

I received that notice in December, but being a busy month with work and being December holiday season, I didn't open it until last weekend. By then I already had a second notice along side the first one informing me that I was now delinquent and that I now owed them the penalty. I resolved to call them this week and take issue with the charges, but before I got around to calling, I received the above threatening letter in today's mail.

Not only is this an issue of a mere $5.06, it is also transpiring before they have even waited for a complete billing cycle to elapse. Most other companies I've dealt with simply put any balance due on the next bill, as long as you don't abuse the situation. In this case, I've paid like clockwork (almost literally, given that it is paid automatically by a service).

They inform me in the letter, "This is your final opportunity to settle this matter quickly and amicably. Be assured that should you fail to comply with this request, we will take whatever steps are necessary to protect our interests. Should it be necessary to file suit, we will request prejudgment and postjudgement interest, court costs, and all additional attorney's fees incurred in the prosecution of such an action, as allowable by law."

And then in a brilliantly ironic closing, "Respectfully, Collections Department"

I don't know whether to laugh or go ballistic. Maybe it's some kind of prank being played on me for Candid Camera.

Already I was on the fence because of their repeated attempt to raise the price. The primary thing that was holding me back from switching was an assumption that Allied must do a better job of separating waste because they start out with it separated by making us do it and sending three trucks up the street. Athens only sends one truck, making a total of four huge garbage trucks on Stonehill every week. Some of the neighbors have already been casually lobbying me to switch to Athens to limit the number of big trucks on Stonehill. After a quick Google search for an Athens website, I found out that my reservations about post collection sorting seem to be unfounded. http://www.athensservices.com/materialrecovery.htm

I am now bound and determined to lobby everyone on Stonehill (and anyone who will listen for that matter) to dump Allied Waste.

Let's see. More expensive, more trucks, more cans to bang around the yard, and terrible (non-existent) customer service for the same end result. Seems like a no-brainer to dump Allied Waste Services.

One reservation I have heard from some other Allied Waste customers on Stonehill was about price. I currently pay $62/quarter and they evidently are trying to raise me to $67/quarter, which is still about $20 less than what Athens quoted me when I called them for rate information. They don't have any promotions to offer, even when I suggested that we might bring a group of people to the table.

Here is what Athens told me on the phone:

$29.25/month (bills quarterly for $87.75/quarter)

With Athens you provide your own cans and they allow up to six 35 gal. barrels. They ask you to put your garbage in separate cans from green waste and recycling.

Anyone 55 years or more gets a senior discount of 10% or $78.49/quarter


Allied Waste quoted me the following:

10 containers for trash (you provide) except select routes which have the large cans (Allied provides)

Separate containers for recycle and yard waste (Allied provides)

Three separate trucks for each type of material.

Standard rate is $24.50/month + taxes & fees = "About $90-$100/quarter". The customer service rep could not tell me how that was calculated or give me a precise quarterly cost.

Senior rate is $19.12/month + taxes & fees. The customer service rep could not give me an estimate of what this would amount to on a quarterly basis.

Extra charges for bulky items (anything that doesn't fit in trash can):
$27 for first two items and $11 each additional

Jack Scott at ATC meeting tonight

from http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/search/ci_6921705

State of the State address in Altadena

ALTADENA - State Sen. Jack Scott, D-Pasadena, will give a State of the State address at tonight's Altadena Town Council meeting, which begins at 7 at the Altadena Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Drive.

Scott will speak at 7:30 p.m.

For more information, call (626) 398-6174.

Altadena Crest Trail Google Map

I have started a Google Maps version of the Altadena Crest Trail. I am transcribing it from the map published in a flier that was snail-mailed out by LA County several months ago (map is dated 2-1-05). So far my Google version only has the trail heads and the proposed Rubio Canyon Gap segments.

I'll work on the proposed Skylane Gap and LaVina sections next (the proposed sections are more time consuming because there is no existing trail to trace). After I get my best shot at those in, I'll trace the exiting trails and access paths as well.

This is really fun, because with the Google satellite and hybrid views, you can inspect the route in tons more detail than you can with the printed maps that I have seen.

On a related note (in case you hadn't noticed), the satellite images of our area have been recently updated (looks like maybe this past winter). While we already had hi-res imagery of the populated areas, it was a bit long in the tooth (recent construction changes were not reflected). More to the point, the new images include the mountains as well. Perfect for mapping the hiking trails!

Enjoy =)

---

Update:
posted by Jeremiah 7/11/2007 11:44:00 PM

I updated the map with the two of the three Skylane Gap options that were
published. I'll be adding the third as well as the La Vina ones over the
next few days, as I have some time on my hands (had hernia surgery this
morning, so on bed rest...thank god for laptops and wireless internet).

FYI I have marked the ones "proposed" based on the documents I could access.
By whom they are "proposed" is not indicated. I guess it implies that the
people who did the surveys are proposing them as their favorite ones?

I am copying off a glossy pamphlet I was mailed several months ago (also posted as a pdf), and pdfs I found here:

http://losangelescounty.externaldocuments.com/documents/

(the defualt apache index can be viewed too)
http://losangelescounty.externaldocuments.com/downloads/

These two are my main references:
ACT Trail Pamphlet.pdf

ACT Initial Study - Part 2.pdf

Note the pdf maps above were posted almost a year ago, but that's
all I have to go on, as I haven't attended any of the meetings. Any updates
appreciated.

Weather

The graphs and data on this page are updated every five minutes.
The raw data is also submitted to Weather Underground every five minutes.

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Running 5-day Temperature:

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Running 5-day Pressure:

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Running 5-day Rain:

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Running 1-day Wind Speed and Gusts:

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Running 5-day Wind Direction, Speed and Gusts:

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See photos of the weather station components.

Weather Station

The hardware is the discontinued WM918 kit from Oregon Scientific. These are the Tech Specs.

The software is Virtual Weather Station from Ambient Weather

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Anyone may link to our weather images. A fresh version of each one is automatically uploaded every 5 minutes (assuming everything is working right, which is most of the time). If you use an image on a public site, I'd be grateful for a link-back.

Rain wrap-up 2007

The rain season of July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007 ended with 6.15 inches recorded on the Stonehill News weather station. This is the third complete year that I have been accurately logging precipitation, but my neighbor at the top of Stonehill has been keeping records since 1999. Here are the available seasonal totals from both stations:

Season    PacRad     SHN
1999-2000  19.76"    --
2000-2001  21.22"    --
2001-2002   8.27"    --
2002-2003  24.47"    --
2003-2004  15.47"    --
2004-2005  62.56"   61.61"
2005-2006  24.06"   23.35"
2006-2007   6.81"    6.15"

I find it interesting that he consistently logs a small percentage higher rainfall. The PacRad rain guage is 750 feet due North and 100 feet greater elevation. (see map)

Here is last year's wrap-up post:
Rain wrap-up 2006

Altadenans for Action takes shape

Steve Escovar, Isaac Garcia, and I represented the newly formed Altadenans for Action (AFA) at the Pasadena Education Foundation (PEF) meeting yesterday which (I think) was originally scheduled as a fundraising and general community outreach event.

According to the host, Jeanne Register, the turn out was much larger than predicted, most likely due to the heightened community concern about the proposed use for Noyes.

In attendance were, PUSD Superintendent, Percy Clark, President of the PUSD BOE, Ed Honowitz, the PEF supporters (somewhat bemused), the usual cohort of angry parents and rabble rousers that seem drawn to controversy, and neighbors of Noyes with an agenda.

I'm not sure where Isaac, Steve and I fall in that spectrum, but probably somewhere between angry parents, rabble rousers and neighbors with an agenda. The difference is, we are organizing the community and making a concerted effort to structure the discussion in a positive way rather than simply going negative.

AFA's primary tack is to address the issue on its merits (or lack there of), and work with the 7-11 committee and the district to find a more appropriate solution for the Continuation School. We also are committed to engaging in the process and helping to identify an appropriate use for the Noyes property. We see this crisis optimistically, and are hopeful that we can not only help resolve in constructively, but that the net result will be the organization and uniting of a new generation in our community.

If things don't go as we expect them to, judging from the response that was rallied on two day's notice at the first neighborhood meeting (last Saturday at the Escovars), I am confident that the resources and resolve are available in the neighborhood to bring a phalanx of much more aggressive tactics online if it comes to that.

Anyone who is interested in staying informed and participating in this effort can find information and resources at http://pasadenaschools.info

Coordinating opposition to Noyes proposal

Isaac Garcia set up a "Central Desktop" for collaborating and coordinating opposition to the proposed use of Noyes.

I contributed pasadenaschools.info as a shortcut in case anyone finds it an easier name to remember than the direct url.

Please forward any factual information you may discover (with complete provenance please) to Isaac or me if you don't see it on the site already and can't figure out how to contribute directly.

We would like to make a special point of avoiding all speculative, unsubstantiated, un-attributed, mean-spirited, or generally useless information.

Let's stick to the facts and play nice. Many of us feel strongly about this issue, but it is still early, and I am optimistic that the practical problems are so obvious that this plan will founder under it's own weight. This is not to say we shouldn't speak out strongly and quickly, but again, let our voice be constructive and solution oriented.

Convert Noyes for 700 Troubled Teens?

An article in yesterday's Pasadena Star News reports that PUSD "officials want to turn the Noyes Elementary School campus into a continuation school for struggling high school students."

This is a major problem as far as I am concerned, and yes, I admit I am exhibiting NIMBY syndrome here, but an influx of "600 to 700 students in grades 10 to 12" into this neighborhood is not to my liking. Even if they can somehow find enough parking for that may high school students and support staff, it will still mean huge neighborhood parking overflow. This is not to mention the incoming commute-time crush of vehicles converging on Allen and Altadena. The thought of 700 teenage drivers flowing out and around this neighborhood does not make me happy.

Then I worry about collateral damage (graffiti, vandalism, petty crimes?) which has been on the rise around here as it is. 700 high school students of any sort are bound to come with the associated adolescent behavior and mis-behavior. This bunch is characterized as "struggling." It may be an unfair stereotype, but at least when I was in high school that was a euphemism for "bad." Before anyone jumps on me for this, I am not saying they are all bad kids. I am just pointing out that introducing 700 struggling high school students to a quiet residential neighborhood raises the probability that there will be problems.

Finally, it seems a shame to convert Noyes to accommodate teens rather than children. All the bathrooms and playground equipment will have to be torn out in favor of appropriately scaled replacements.

If any or all of these issues concern you, please contact your Town Council Member and let them know your opinion.

Neighborhood Watch: Update (sort of)

Well a busier than usual week got by me, and I didn't get a summary posted of what happened at last Wednesday's Neighborhood Watch meeting until now.

Very briefly, it seems there has been a "rash" of minor burglaries in the last six to eight weeks. There are at least two other incidents in addition to the ones previously reported here, bringing the total to at least four burglaries, one stolen car (and of course the break-in at Everest).

One of the people who was burglarized has developed his own pattern MO. He says that based on the facts he has unofficially compiled, they are all in the day-time, involve a minor break-in (screen latch, etc.) and result in, at most, losses of about what one person could carry in one trip (example, a flat screen TV and some jewelry). He also added that some unwanted items are often (or always?) discarded in the front lawn.

I was hoping that one of the people who had more facts at the meeting would compile a better summary which I could post, but my third hand report is all we have so far.

Deputy Estrada indicated that not every incident gets an official report, so the official crime stats available at the Altadena station (I'll go get them when I have a chance) do not include the whole picture.

He gave some pointers on how to organize and be more effective when communicating with the sheriff dispatcher.

He handed out a couple dozen thick Neighborhood Watch "manuals" (maybe 50 pages drilled for a 3-ring binder). As far as I know, there is no PDF available for posting. If anyone finds out otherwise, please let me know.

Finally, he said the best thing we can do is stay in touch with each other. The traditional method is to create a phone tree, but that is a bit analog for me, so I created a self-serve Email Loop at neighbors@stonehillnews.com. One of the organizers last week compiled a list of names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses. As soon as that is updated and made available to me, I'll manually add all those email addresses to the loop. Anyone else who wants to get in the loop may use the new subscription link in the "Quick Links" section available in the upper right corner of the website.

Neighborhood Watch Meeting

We just got a flyer delivered to our front door by one of the neighbors:

"Deputy Estrada with the Altadena Sheriff's will be at the home of Rick and Theo Engen's house on 1602 Woodglen Lane from 7 - 7:30 pm this Wednesday, March 1st for a Neighborhood Watch Meeting. I'm sure there will be discussion afterward, but this is when the deputy is available."

See you there :)

Renovation Boom

If you live in the greater LA region (or maybe anywhere in the country for that matter), you would have to be particularly un-observant to have missed the hot real estate market. A look at the LA County Assessor web site can be quite astounding. I created the composite image at right by overlaying one of their maps on a satellite image of our neighborhood. The tinted tracts are ones that recently sold.

All this activity seems to be fueling an equally hot home renovation boom, no doubt spurred by the ironic fact that homes are "worth" so much, people who already own can't afford to trade up. Home equity loans, on the other hand, are a fairly painless way for home owners to tap into the real estate bonanza, without having to move out of state. Surely home equity is behind this flurry of additions and remodels. In our little part of the world, it is particularly obvious. I snapped these pics this morning in less than a one block radius.

"1 wall standing" remodel. Almost a new house.

Gutting interior. Enclosing back porch.

Nice addition on the front (living in rest of house).

But the big news is about the new construction that I heard about yesterday. In our neighborhood, the 900 pound gorilla has been the vacant "lot" on the west side of the street. Long time residents have seen for-sale signs go up and come down many times on this overgrown mud cliff. No-one ever thought someone would build there. When we saw a soil testing crew come and dig four deep sample wells a few months ago, we thought that would finally put an end to the discussion, and the unfortunate owner would finally realize that the lot was unbuildable and donate it to the County or a conservancy or whatnot.

Much to our surprise, the soil test came back "buildable". Look again at the image at the upper right corner of this post. See the tract with the little star in it? That's right. Freshly sold. So fresh in fact that it is not on the assessor map yet. This news according to the new owner, whom I met yesterday while she was inspecting the land. I am happy to say that she seems very friendly, she is an artist, and part of her mission yesterday was to spread poppy seeds on the lot :)

She says she does not have a building permit yet, and is still working on funding, but is planning on using straw bale construction.

I did these little connect-the-dots exercises on the survey stakes in case you are wondering exactly where the property is.

Also, for my own jollies, I made this hi-res composite image from terraserver. I'ts under 1MB if you want to check it out.

Stolen car and burgled house?

A couple worrisome things our neighbor Isaac heard recently:

1. Right before Christmas a house was broken into on Windfall. It happened during the day. Not sure of what was taken or what happened.

2. Another neighbor on Loma Alta (between Noyes and the Rubio Basin) had their Cadillac Escalade stolen right out of their drive way. The thief must have had a key since the alarm didn't go off and there was no sign of entry (no glass etc). My wife's parents live down on La Paz Road (a mile south of here) and their neighbor also had their Escalade stolen out of their drive way the same way. The cops say that 4 were stolen in the area within a few days. They were found stripped out in San Bernadino somewhere. Cops think it might be an inside job with a dealership or a body shop.

Thanks for the heads up, Isaac. If anyone knows more details (without posting private details please) about these stories, we'd love to know. Stay vigilant, everyone. Sometimes it's hard to remember to treat security like we live in a major metro area, even up here in our little town.

Quiet Dog :)

I had a very productive conversation with the owner of the dog who's barking has been at issue recently. His name is Mohan Chhabra, and he was extremely understanding about the issue. He was also extremely frustrated and annoyed that the issue had been allowed to get out of hand, with leaflets being distributed and Animal Control being contacted, before he was given a chance to do anything about it. From my phone call with him, I can attest to the fact that Mohan is a rational and level headed individual. Mohan told me that a missive in his mailbox on May 9th was the first contact that had been made with him or his family on the subject, and that the leaflets went out around the neighborhood on May 11th, hardly enough time to do anything about it. I will again attest that given his level-headed-ness and willingness to resolve the issue, I find it utterly credible that, despite other neighbors expressing facts to the contrary, he and his family were utterly unaware that there was an issue until after things had escalated unnecessarily.

I deeply regret that the facts got distorted in our little neighborhood game of whisper-down-the-lane. There was a great deal of unnecessary distress inflicted on the Chhabra family. I personally recommend that if you were involved in the "campaign" to abate the barking dog, you contact me for their phone number, or visit them in person and express your gratitude for promptly addressing the problem and your condolences for the un-neighborly manner with which the problem was handled. Mohan indicated that he would greatly appreciate the sentiment if people would call and offer an apology for escalating the issue in an impersonal manner without doing him the courtesy of talking to him in person or even leaving an anonymous note in his mailbox, for those that might not cherish the idea of a possible "confrontation" with him. I can tell you, however, such a fear is utterly groundless, as he is an utterly civil and understanding person, who is completely motivated to be a good neighbor, despite feeling a bit put upon at the moment.

New speed limit?

The new crop
As you are most likely aware, a new generation of children is growing up amongst us. We have at least half a dozen children of pre-school and kindergarten age living on Stonehill Drive, and another handful of grand-children in that same age range who visit and play here on a regular basis.

Why the new sign?
You probably noticed the home-made sign that went up on Stonehill Drive recently. For those of you who hadn’t heard, a car accident occurred on Stonehill Drive not too long ago. One of our neighbors was backing out of his driveway, and was hit by a gardening truck that was traveling down the hill. There was major damage to the vehicle. Thankfully this time it was a car that was hit and no one was hurt.

Speeding downhill?
It is easy to forget how steep our street is. On a flat road, stopping distance is proportional to the square of the speed. Translation? Doubling your speed quadruples your stopping distance in the best of conditions. When traveling downhill, as on our street, stopping distances are more than quadrupled when speed is doubled. With summer on the way and so many children (and pets) in the neighborhood, combined with the steep hill and numerous “blind” front yards due to tall shrubs, etc, it is a good time to take a moment to remind your guests, visitors and workers to keep their speed in check. Please remind them that even mid-day during the week, there is a good chance that children might dart out from behind a hedge.

Pedestrian/car accidents
Pedestrian fatalities are the second-leading cause of motor vehicle-related deaths, following occupant fatalities. Pedestrian-related fatalities account for about 13% of all motor vehicle-related deaths. On average, one pedestrian in the United States is killed in a traffic crash every 101 minutes.

Who is at risk for pedestrian Injuries?
Children 15 years and younger represented 23% of the total population and accounted for 30% of all nonfatal pedestrian injuries, 11% of all pedestrian fatalities, and 18% of non-traffic related fatalities (this includes incidents in drive-ways and other non-public roads). Among children between the ages of 5 and 9 who were killed in traffic crashes, 25% were pedestrians.

Speeding Accidents
Speeding is defined as traveling faster than the posted speed limit, or traveling too fast for the road conditions even at speeds under the posted limit. It's a major road safety problem because it dramatically increases braking distance and significantly increases crash severity.

Prima Facie Speed Limits
The 2005 California Vehicle Code states:

• 22352. (a) The prima facie limits are as follows and shall be applicable unless changed as authorized in this code and, if so changed, only when signs have been erected giving notice thereof: […]
• (2) Twenty-five miles per hour:
• (A) On any highway other than a state highway, in any business or residence district unless a different speed is determined by local authority under procedures set forth in this code. […]

Basic Speed Law
The 2005 California Vehicle Code states:

• 22350. No person shall drive a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent having due regard for weather, visibility, the traffic on, and the surface and width of, the highway, and in no event at a speed which endangers the safety of persons or property.
• Amended Ch. 252, Stats. 1963. Effective September 20, 1963.
• 360. "Highway" is a way or place of whatever nature, publicly maintained and open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel. Highway includes street.

Common Sense
Despite the fact that California law defines the prima facie speed limit to be 25 mph on Stonehill Drive, given the Basic Speed Law, it might be argued that the prima facie speed limit is not “reasonable or prudent having due regard for weather, visibility, the traffic on, and the surface and width of, the highway,” or that the prima facie speed limit is “a speed which endangers the safety of persons or property.” As such, common sense suggests that 15 mph might be the “reasonable or prudent” speed limit on Stonehill Drive.


Thanks for helping out :)

Stonehill Fire Fighters

More pictures here

Stonehill Drive is at high risk of fire. Our proximity to the National Forest puts us in the path of seasonal wildfires. 1993 was the last major fire in the area. It claimed many houses in the immediate vicinity. There were no houses lost on Stonehill Drive, due to the coordinated efforts of the residents. Dr. Dan Gollnick, who lives at the very top of the street has installed a fully equipped fire house on his property. Dr. Gollnick played a major roll in the fire fighting effort of 1993, but he did not do it alone. If you have not had a tour of the fire house, please contact him to arrange one. When the next fire comes, you will be glad you did.

How To Protect Your Home

There are basic measures that you should take on your property. The following was written by Bruce Keene of the National Parks Service

Though people can never fully protect their homes and adjacent wildlands against wildfires, you can take steps to reduce the risk.

For example:

* Remove combustible vegetation from the vicinity of any structure. Thin out continuous tree and brush cover and remove dead limbs, fallen trees, leaves, twigs and evergreen tree cones within 30 feet of the structure to create a " safety zone of low fuel density all around the home" (NFPA). Likewise, prune trees branches to 10 feet above the ground and remove leaves and twigs from beneath trees, in the yard, on roofs, patios and landscaped shrubs.

* Limit the number and density of landscaped vegetation and do not use highly flammable landscaping near structures. Maintain a greenbelt or noncombustible zone around the home; avoid using bark or wood chip mulch in the safety zone.

* Stack firewood uphill at least 15 feet from a house. Fire risks increase when wooden decks, patios and woodpiles are placed close to structures or when flammable materials are stored near structures.

* Be aware that roofs and walls made of untreated flammable materials such as wood shanks and shingles pose a significant fire threat. Wind­carried embers or the intense heat from a nearby fire can ignite such fuel sources. Fire does not need to "burn over" a structure for it to catch fire.

* Clean roof and gutters. Remove pine needles and leaves to eliminate fuel sources.

* Prepare for water shortages. Lack of piped water to protect against fire is a major problem in wildland/urban interface settings. To protect a structure, develop an external water supply, such as a small pond, well or pool, for fighting fires. Publications such as Planning for Water Supply and Distribution in the Wildland/Urban Interface (see references in this section) provide valuable information for preparation of homes and protection systems in the event of wildland fire.

* Choose home location wisely. Building structures in canyons and on slopes increases the chances that those homes will be destroyed by wildfire. Canyons and slopes serve to channel fires up in elevation, similar to the way chimneys channel fireplace emissions. When upland slopes and canyons are selected for home sites, downhill or lower elevation areas should be clear of excess fuel, to add an additional element of protection. If a home is on the crest of a steep hill, thin the fuel sources at least 100 feet below the crest.

* Mow tall grass and keep it to a maximum height of two inches within the home safety zone. Avoid tall grass around driveways, areas susceptible to ignition by automobile exhaust systems.

* Inspect and clean chimneys regularly. Equip chimneys for woodburning heating units with spark arresters.

* Avoid all outdoor burning to decrease the likelihood of fire ignition near a home structure.

* Prevent mishaps with outdoor cooking grills by carefully maintaining the grill and using caution during grill use.

* Have the right tools. Equip home with smoke detectors. Keep these tools in good working order and store hi an easily accessible area of the house.

Source: National Parks Service

Other Links:
HomeFirefightingSystems.com
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

Stripes on Loma Alta: News Flash

It looks like our phone calls paid off. I called Mr. Ashburn to thank him for being so responsive and getting the stripes installed, and he told me that the leafleting campaign definitely made a big impact. He said with the dozens of calls he received from the community in favor and with no one calling with opposition, he had a very easy time getting it approved.

Stripes On Loma Alta

The Problem

Hey... We've all been there. With Loma Alta being such a nice wide road, it is easy to swing wide and try to catch that flat spot just right. The thing is, we are all lucky that no-one has gotten very badly hurt. One of our neighbors recently escaped with his life at this intersection after he had to ditch his motorcycle and slid under a truck that was Dip Dodging. Thank God he slid under the truck behind the rear wheels and was able to walk away.


A Dip Dodger at the intersection of Loma Alta and Stonehill Drive


Tell-tale tire marks from a Dip Dodger

The Solution
Last year I attended an LA County Community meeting and met the Traffic Engineer, Pat Ashburn, who is responsible for roads in our area. At that time, I submitted drawings suggesting the addition of a "curb lane" to protect the many pedestrians, joggers, dog-walkers, cyclists and other motorists from "Dip Dodgers". Since this could be done simply with white stripes and perhaps some "Bots Dots" at intersections, it would be an extremely cost effective way to dramatically improve our safety and quality of life in this neighborhood. Last year he agreed.

I have recently been in touch with Mr. Ashburn, as have one or two other neighbors. He still concurs that this is a good idea and that indeed this would be a perfect time to add white stripes to delineate "curb lanes" for the length of Loma Alta from Noyes School to the new Rubio Canyon Bridge. This 1 mile stretch of road is already a major pedestrian corridor. Please make your voice heard by calling Pat Ashburn and telling him your concerns about safety. Let him know what you think about adding two white stripes to the existing striping plan. The more people her hears from, the more likely it is that something will get done about it.

Call Pat Ashburn
Traffic Engineering
LA County Dept of Public Works
(Direct Line) 626.300.4739


PS: download the pdf Flyer that was distributed in mailboxes here (1.1MB)