Taking hits, but not backing downPasadena Star News, Tuesday September 25 2007 Guest View P Opinion 4 

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/opinions/ci_6987119

I’VE got a book on the market called “They’re Your Kids, Not Your Friends.” The publishers in Mexico who picked up the rights went along with that title, calling the Spanish version, “Son Tus Hijos, No Tus Amigos.”

Just like I never believed my kids should be my friends, I don’t believe readers of this column have to be my friends.

My kids didn’t like the approach I took to life, and that’s putting it mildly in regard to their feelings about the approach I took to their lives.

Just like those I’ve been hearing from in the community who claim I don’t understand and don’t want to listen to reason when it comes to my recent column calling for the ouster of all those associated with Nia Charter School, my kids always said I didn’t understand or want to hear their point of view.

The angry community members who believe I’ve betrayed them, my ancestors and my ethnicity by outing a black pimping institution, know right from wrong just as my kids usually did. Funny, with all the accusations, I didn’t hear anyone claim Nia was doing a good job.

I don’t write because I want people, black or white, to like me. I write because I have a viewpoint, and while most people aren’t willing to say the emperor is not wearing clothes, I don’t know how to pretend he’s fully dressed.

One curt remark thrown my way reminded me that people who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Another well-wisher called me petty for having stored up my anger regarding my daughter’s experience at Nia not being what I had “dreamed” it would be.

“Some people, and I guess you’re one,” my detractor reminded me, “get (ticked) off when they don’t get special treatment.”

Adequate education, in America, isn’t classified as special treatment – at least it shouldn’t be.

Writing an opinion column reminds me of the saying, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” I plan to stay right next to the hot stove.

Readers often remind me of the joy one finds in raising kids. Mine claimed to hate me on a very regular basis. Well, that was only until they grew up, moved out and learned life was a whole lot tougher than growing up under the “Captain,” as their friends named me.

That’s not to say I expect complaining readers to grow up – I don’t. But I do hope they will recognize that I’m not biting my nails because they hate what I write.

Was my column that pointed out the lack of learning that takes place at Nia an attack on a black educational institution that has and continues to fail the most vulnerable students in our school district?

Maybe.

Do I write by assignment that which the Star-News dictates?

Get real.

I’m an opinion columnist. I write what I think, and the Star-News hasn’t got an idea what I’ll write about next. They certainly don’t know what I’m going to say, because even I don’t know that until I fire-up my iMac.

Oh, and about kids and readers, I love you all. It’s the rocks that get thrown my way and my inability to know how to write what people want to read that keeps my adrenalin pumping.

shirlee@talkaboutparenting.org

Shirlee Smith is host and producer of the award-winning cable show “Talk About Parenting with Shirlee Smith” and is a resident of Altadena.

From Monica Hubbard’s Altadena Women’s Network:

Saturday, September 29, Congressman Adam Schiff invites
constituents to meet him at Coffee Gallery, 2029 N Lake Avenue,
between 2-3:30 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

Monica is hosting the October 3 Chamber of Commerce mixer and would love
to see women business members there.  Amy’s Patio Café is
providing the treats.  I’ll have some brochures about my nonprofit
consulting practice on hand.  And it will be a great opportunity to
network.  If you can come, please e-mail me or phone 626-797-5912.

The Altadena Chamber of Commerce is soliciting nominations for its
Citizen of the Year award. This award has been presented since 1945 in
recognition of “faithful, untiring interest and service in community
activities.”  Applications are available at the Community Center and
other community gathering places, or e-mail altadenachamber@yahoo.com

Finally, Altadenans all over town are signing on to neighborhood discussion
e-groups, blogs and Web sites to share information and learn what’s
going on in the community. For a list of these blogs and e-groups,
visit a page on Tom Hubbard’s Web site, “Community Building, Part
I.”  (Full disclosure — Monica’s husband is running for a seat on the
Altadena Library Board and this information is posted on his campaign
site.  http://tomhubbard.net/2007/09/community-building-part-i.html)

What a lovely day yesterday. Rainy, cold, and gray. I know, but it’s gorgeous in contrast to the 100+ temps of late, the drought and just plain “ugh” of A“ugh”ust. Listening to rain all night long, falling steadily for the first time in months.

In Feburary USA Today said LA was on track for the driest year ever (6/30/2006-07). It’s been a brute since then. The fires have ravaged the city, Griffith Park especially, and mudslides along Forest Lawn Drive wiped out cars today as a result.

Brings me to the GW problem. That’s Global Warming. I sat in on the 50 Years in Space celebration at Caltech this week, and the information is staggering. Here’s one tidbit. For 400,000 years our cycles of ice/melt have been fairly steady, with C02 levels staying between 180 and 300 ppm. Since 1957, when levels started being recorded at Mauna Loa, C02 has steadiliy increased at such a rapid rate that we are now at 400ppm and rising — rapidly. And even with all the improvements we could make on creating greenhouse gases, the increase will contine for years. But, we can stop a SUDDEN climate shift that would be catastrophic worldwide. How? More to come…

From Elliot Gold: 

Saturday Sept 22 2007

Elliot

Thanks — you are vigilant!

This just in from Monica Hubbard/Altadena Women’s Network:
Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Metropolitan Transit Authority recently cut their Immediate Needs Program
by 66%. This program supplies Taxi Coupons to senior citizens.

The Altadena Senior Center will host a public meeting on Tuesday, October
2 at 1 p.m. so that our older residents, those who care for them, and
others who are impacted, will have an opportunity to voice their concerns.

Supervisor Michael Antonovich’s office and the MTA will be represented at
that meeting.

Claudia Curry, director of the Altadena Senior Center, urges all
interested citizens to attend this meeting so their concerns can be
heard.  If you have questions, please direct them to:

Claudia F. Curry, Director, Altadena Senior Center
560 E. Mariposa St., Altadena, Calif.  91001
(626) 798-0505 tel
(626) 794-6742 fax

Please feel free to share this information with your respective e-mail
distribution lists as well.

Best wishes,
Monica Hubbard
Pepper Drive Neighbors Co-Captain
Altadena Women’s Network

1843 Pepper Drive, Altadena, CA 91001-3436
tel 626-797-5912 ~ fax 626-797-0210

Just testing out how to link from Flickr to here! All because of the fabulous Susan Kitchens! This was blooming in my backyard and I’m enjoying the hell out of my new Nikon. I started photography in high school with a Minolta 101, then got a Nikon Fm, a Canon digital and now a Nikon D40 as a birthday gift from my wonderful husband. 

Just read this and want to alert all animal lovers out there. Adopt or buy your pets from legitimate sources to protect the health of children, current pets and wildlife.

http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_6908718

Yes, it’s a little early to start talking about Christmas Tree Lane, but I can’t help it. The weather is cooling off a bit, and I went to see if there was a site for the lane, but the one currently in search engines no longer works (www.christmastreelane.net). So I thought I’d fill the void with this Wikipedia post for now. Susan Kitchens has some pix on her site (www.2020hindsight.org), and I know I have some from past years when Ian Whitcomb entertained and marching bands paraded down the lane. I’ll look for those. More likely I’ll take new ones this year.

I do have one of the old large, round, clear red lightbulbs that I put on my own tree every year, and pack back up in its plastic case. The lighting ceremony is one of those classic community events, full of kitch and pride and joy. And I love that Altadena has been glorifying what was to have been the Woodbury Estate driveway since 1956, when Altadena got Pasadena off our territory!

When I first moved to Altadena in 1995, one of my biggest thrills was driving silently down Santa Rosa with my 240SX’s lights off to not disturb drivers coming the other way. I opened my sunroof and was instantly in a zone of holiday magic. No one was racing down the street, no horns, no indication of life anwhere else. Just the magic of that canopy of Christmas lights overhead. I can’t wait til the lighting ceremony this year — December 8. Don’t miss! I hope to have some AltadenaAboveItAll merchandise there and I’ll surely be taking LOTS of pictures, as well as interviewing the celebrants! In the meantime, send me your Christmas Tree Lane stories and I’ll post them here!

Christmas Tree Lane

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Christmas Tree Lane is mile long (.7 mi.) boulevard of deodar cedar trees in Altadena, California. The trees on the Lane, Santa Rosa Avenue, have been lighted annually as a Christmas Holiday display since 1920. It is recognized as the oldest large-scale outdoor Christmas display in the world and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places (1990), and is designated California Historical Landmark No. 990 (1990).

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History

Planting the Lane

Deodars were introduced in 1883 to Southern California by Altadena founder John P. Woodbury who first saw a stand of the deodars in Italy. Proclaiming them the most beautiful trees he had ever seen, he returned with seeds. With assurance from a friend of his at the Department of Agriculture that the trees would do well in California, John had his brother Frederick raise them at the Altadena ranch. In two years they were transplanted to Santa Rosa Avenue which would become a driveway from Pasadena up the near mile stretch to Woodbury’s planned estate. The mansion was never realized, but the deodar legacy was left and it flourished for over a century to follow.

[edit] First Lighting

In 1920 Altadena resident and Pasadena businessman Frederick C. Nash came up with an idea of lighting the trees for the holidays. He sought assistance from his organization The Pasadena Kiwanis Club and from the City of Pasadena to initially light a 1/4 mile section of the roadway. Over the next few years the lighting expanded until the entire row of trees, 150 in all, were lighted. The boulevard at that time was referred to as the “Avenue of the Deodars.” Though many pedestrians would walk along the lighted street, it was really a spectacle to behold from the seats of slowly passing automobiles.

In 1927 the newer Altadena Kiwanis Club began the custom of taking less fortunate children for rides along what they joyfully called “Christmas Tree Street.” It was estimated that annually more than 50,000 automobiles travel the avenue during the weeks of the lighting, and modern statistics show that number has not changed much.

Lighting went on for the next three decades with Mr. Tom Hoag, the foreman of the Woodbury Ranch who saw to the planting of the lane, doing the honor of “pulling the switch” for each lighting ceremony. In the years 1943 and 44 the Lane was let go dark, not for anything to do with the war effort, but for the fact that the winter snow packs were low and conservation of electricity became a concern (see discussion note). During that period Mr. Hoag died.

The Lane had its share of postcards which were published internationally, but after the war many of the cards came up with the caption, “Christmas Tree Lane.” It is supposed that is where the street actually took its present-day name.

[edit] Christmas Tree Lane Association

Same intersection in 1959.

In 1956 the residents of Altadena had voted on a measure to stop Pasadena annexation of Altadena lands. This ended a half century of Altadena being bit-by-bit turned into Pasadena, and it also ended the City of Pasadena’s involvement with Christmas Tree Lane. The Altadena community was left on its own to take care of the annual lighting. From a concerned citizenry the Altadenans formed the Christmas Tree Lane Association (CTLA). The original members were able to enlist the assistance of Local 11 of the Electrical Worker’s Union to string the trees each year. Boy Scouts of the San Gabriel Valley Council manned the side street blockades which directed traffic to the top of the Lane.

In 1964 the CTLA was able to enlist the assistance of Southern California Edison to install a permanent grid along the trees with special throw switches in three intersection locations with no cost attached the installations or use of electricity. In 1966 the Women’s Auxiliary was formed to help with fund-raising and keeping the Lane ready each year. In 1973, done more as a public relations move, the Lane was left dark during the Energy Crisis brought on by the world wide panic of low fuel availability.

[edit] Landmark Status

One of the several signs indicating Christmas Tree Lane as a California State Landmark.

Over time age, disease and weather began to take toll on several of the trees. By 1990 there were but 135 of the original trees still standing. Nevertheless, that year Christmas Tree Lane was listed in the National Register of Historic Places and became California State Landmark No. 990. Of particular interest to those who were reviewing the application, it was noted that Christmas Tree Lane brought about the singularly significant social convergence of two relatively new commodities: the outdoor electric light and the automobile. Christmas Tree Lane is also recognized as the only botanical landmark on the State Registry.

In 1994 a more vigorous Board of Directors of the Christmas Tree Lane Association,instigated by Frank Crunk, forester of the Lane and assisted by new Lane residents Janice and Max Jouanicot and others, began repairing and replacing the strings of lights and re-planting those trees that had been lost over the years.

[edit] Deregulation threatens Lane

In the year 2000 the State’s electrical utilities were deregulated. Because of this Southern California Edison gave notice that it would have to charge for electrical use. To this point the electrical supply had been provided freely to the Lane. However, the permitting and installation of power meters is a function of Los Angeles County Public Works. Part and parcel to the permitting process is the inspection and upgrading of the electrical systems. Public Works was not at all accepting of the fifty-year-old electrical grid, and the County Engineer declared the electrical system unsafe. Cursory estimates for rewiring the grids ran from nearly eighty thousand dollars, based on material costs and volunteer labor, into the millions and looked to require months of work, depending on what the County engineers would accept. This put the annual lighting of the Lane in jeopardy.

The Board of Christmas Tree Lane Association,under the leadership of long term CTLA board member George Lewis,CTLA President Jan Jouanicot, Board member Stephen Bailey and Altadena Town Councilman Steve Lamb, appealed to the office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. Nelson Nelson, a Public Works administrator, met with the CTLA Board and other concerned community members, and approved an acceptable plan at an estimated cost of $130,000 which was provided by Supervisor Antonovich. The Lane that year was lighted on schedule.

[edit] Annual schedule

The Lanes lights are now put up every year by a small group of volunteers who start working in mid-October on weekends and most years finish just in time for the lighting.

The volunteers are made up of locals, members of the Christmas Tree Lane Association, and service organizations though anyone is welcome to join. All the light bubs are put on to lines and then put on the trees by hand with the help of pulleys and ladders.

The Lane is generally lighted at a “Lighting Ceremony” on the second Saturday of December unless otherwise indicated. The lights will go on at dark and will turn off around midnight. The lighting will continue to January 1st, or 2nd if its on a weekend.

Then starting in the end of January or early February depending on the weather, all the lights are taken down by the same small group and everything is stored until the next year.

[edit] Directions to…

Christmas Tree Lane is located in the unincorporated community of Altadena, California. The most popular route is downhill from Altadena Drive. In the past, all traffic was directed to the top and the Lane ran one way during visiting hours. The Lane operates in both directions now. Though there has also been a custom to drive with the headlights dimmed, the California Highway Patrol has stated unequivocally that there are no special exceptions made for dimming car lights while driving on the Lane, and that general public and pedestrian safety requires car lights to be left on.

Freeway accessing: Westbound 210 Freeway (Foothill Fwy) to Lake Avenue. Drive north (right turn) to Altadena Drive, the very last light going up the hill approximately 3 miles from the Freeway. Turn left one block to Santa Rosa. The lighted trees are a give-away. Uphill motorists can turn left at Woodbury Road, about 2.2 miles up from the Freeway, and drive 4 blocks to Santa Rosa.

Eastbound 210 from the direction of La Canada Flintridge, take the Windsor Avenue off-ramp, turn left to Woodbury, then right for about 2 miles to Santa Rosa Avenue. The tall lighted trees will be a landmark. You can also take Marengo Avenue north to Altadena Drive and turn right to Santa Rosa if you prefer the downhill route.

Eastbound SR 134 (Ventura Freeway) can use either the Lake Avenue approach as above, or take the 210 north to Lincoln Avenue. Turn right to Woodbury; turn right to Santa Rosa Avenue.

Shirlee’s been there and seen the agony.

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/search/ci_6897254?IADID=Search-www.pasadenastarnews.com-www.pasadenastarnews.com

First, let me say that I admire anyone willing to become an educator, and especially those who are willing to start an entire new school. Education is, of course, the most important element of our lives. Especially a solid, innovative, thorough education of youth. I attended the community meeting that Nia Charter School held last night. I was shocked to hear all the mistakes that NIA made, but also shocking that PUSD would allow a school to be set up with as little care as NIA administrators admit to. They were new, all their teachers were new, and so no one knew what was truly involved in setting up a school that was prepared to actually educate students in a responsible way. They didn’t understand assessing students upon enrollment (how do you know what to teach students if you dont’ know what they know?), when to stop enrollment, how to test well, and more.

Here is the link to the Pasadena Now article, which sums up the content of the community meeting. http://www.pasadenalivingmagazine.com/_ArticleManager/publish/niameeting.shtml  

The lack of PUSD involvement, assistance and supervision of a school that began in a church, then begged for space until they were given space — after school had already started — at Edison last year, is appalling. I am certain Nia administrators and teachers want the best for their students, but the way they began, and the catch-up they are having to make, is embarrassing at the least, and tragic for any students who were caught in a perfect storm of inexperience, naivete, and, as it appears, seemingly disregard by PUSD. I need more information about the structure and responsibilities of PUSD and the schools themselves before I can comment further. I’m glad Nia finally is embracing the community, but it took Elliot Gold and a lot of community members to rattle the cage and get them to speak up.