Candidates discuss water restrictions

Last night, I attended candidate forums for the Crescenta Valley Water District Board of Directors and the Crescenta Valley Town Council.

During the water district forum, incumbent Charles Beatty, one of six residents vying for three spots on the board, was asked about if he is in favor of changing the current water restrictions for Crescenta Valley customers.

Currently, residents are limited to watering their lawns twice a week.

Beatty said in talking with community members, he heard how confusing the restrictions are and suggested they should be changed to three days a week — in line with Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena.

Most of the other candidates disagreed with Beatty and said they supported sticking with the current restrictions.

What do you think? Should Crescenta Valley residents be restricted to three or two days a week?

To learn more about the candidates, read my article in tomorrow’s News Press or www.glendalenewspress.com.

Deer hit by car, then shot by police

Glendale Police had to kill a large deer Wednesday night after a motorist hit the buck near Oakmont Country Club and broke its legs, officials said.

The motorist hit deer while driving on Verdugo Road, police said.

Animal Control went to the animal’s aid, but deer was unable to stand and  dying from its injuries, police said.

Since the deer was too large to take to the Animal Control facility, an officer had to shoot the animal, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

Rest in peace, full-grown deer.

Creative Commons

Castro involved in big win

Glendale resident Juan Castro was on the field to celebrate the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2-1 win against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Two of the National League Division Series on Friday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.

Juan Castro

Castro, a utility infielder for the Dodgers, played for the first time in the postseason when he pinch ran for pinch-hitter Jim Thome in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Making his second trip to the playoffs after a stint earlier in his career with the Cincinnati Reds, Castro was eventually stranded at third base when Manny Ramirez popped out to end the eighth.

Castro stayed in to play third base in the top of the ninth.

Glendale Community College basketball schedules unveiled

The Glendale Community College men’s and women’s basketball schedules were released this week.

The men’s team will tip off  its schedule Nov. 6 by hosting the Tip-Off Classic.

The tournament will conclude Nov. 7, though it’s not been announced what other teams are involved in the tournament.

Glendale college will also host the Vaquero Classic from Dec. 16-19 and will kick off Western State Conference South Division action Jan. 6 on the road against Los Angeles Valley College.

GCC Coach Monica Hang

The women’s program will not start until Nov. 20, when it hosts the Vaquero Shootout from Nov. 20-22.

Teams and times have yet to be determined.

Like the men’s team, the women’s squad will begin conference action Jan. 6 at L.A. Valley College.

Salvo sisters return to Sacred Heart

Rachel and Rebecca Salvo, former standouts on the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy volleyball team, returned to their former facility as members of the Haverford College women’s volleyball team this week.

Rachel, left, and Rebecca Salvo. (David Sinclair)

The Salvos and Haverford practiced Wednesday and Thursday at Flintridge Sacred Heart in preparation for the California Lutheran University Tournament in Thousand Oaks.

The sisters are former All-Area and All-Mission League standouts and have excelled at Haverford the past several seasons.

The tournament begins today and concludes Saturday.

Burroughs win leaves two unbeaten teams in league

Burroughs High's Dalton Williams scored a touchdown against Pasadena (Roger/Wilson The Leader).

The Burroughs High football team had a great deal of motivation going into Thursday’s Pacific League game with Pasadena at Memorial Field.

A win would put the Indians in elite company.

Burroughs took care of business, getting three touchdowns from Dalton Williams to gain a 35-12 victory.

The win was important for the Indians (4-2, 3-0 in league) because it kept them undefeated in league. … Continue Reading

Two dead in La Cañada; may be murder-suicide

From La Cañada Valley Sun

A man and a woman have been reported dead in what may be a murder-suicide case in La Cañada Flintridge today.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies are on the scene, an apartment building at 4511 ½ Lasheart Drive, across the street from La Cañada Flintridge City Hall.

Traffic barriers are in place in the neighborhood, slowing down the afternoon pick-up at La Cañada Elementary School.

According to sheriff’s homicide investigator Steve Lankford, at about 11 a.m. today the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station received more than one call from neighbors who reported hearing gunshots.

Arriving at the scene, deputies found one man and one woman dead on the floor of the apartment’s front room. A handgun was found with them, Lankford said.

“At this point we haven’t found any narcotics or alcohol that might have been involved in the incident,” Lankford said, adding that he’d been advised that Crescenta Valley Station patrol units had responded to the same apartment complex on prior occasions.

Check back for updates.

Public input meetings for cell-sites announced

Glendale residents protesting T-Mobile cellular phone antennas in their neighborhoods wait for the Glendale city council to address the issue on Wednesday, January 7, 2009. (Roger Wilson/News-Press)

One year after north Glendale residents succeeded in preventing the construction of a T-Mobile micro-cellular antenna site in the city right-of-way, officials announced a series of public input meetings on a draft ordinance to regulate the wireless telecommunication equipment.

The City Council in January imposed a moratorium on all micro-cell sites in residential zones to allow the City Attorney’s Office enough time to draft the ordinance, which should address public concerns over compatibility issues.

Included in the draft proposal are two types of permits for cellular antennas on public and private property, which would require more widespread community notification, preferred positioning, certain design elements and safety and monitoring standards. The equipment would also be required to comply with federal radio frequency regulations.

City officials will include the public remarks in a draft proposal to the Planning Commission, which will make a recommendation to the City Council.

The planned meetings are scheduled for:
• 6:30 p.m., Oct. 28, Pacific Park Sycamore community room, second floor, 501 S. Pacific Ave.
• 6:30 p.m., Nov. 2, Brand Library, 1601 W. Mountain St.
• 11 a.m., Nov. 7, Sparr Heights Community Center, 1613 Glencoe Way.

Redesigns and open houses

I want to let you know about – and invite you to – two open houses we’ll be having this month. Both open houses will be from 6 to 8 p.m. The first open house, on Thursday, Oct. 22., will be at the new La Cañada Valley Sun offices, 727 Foothill Blvd. in La Cañada Flintridge. The second, on Thursday, Oct. 29, will be at the Glendale News-Press and Burbank Leader offices, 221 N. Brand Blvd, 2nd floor in Glendale.

The reason for the event is two-fold. First, though I’ve been in the editor’s chair for a little more than six month now, I have yet to meet many of you. Reporters and editors will be on hand to meet you and answer your questions. Food and beverages will be provided.

Second, we’re going to be presenting mockups of a significant redesign of all three papers. We’ve updated our fonts, expanded our police blotter, and added numerous graphical elements to give the paper a more modern and newsy feel. And, to allay any fears: Content is in no way being reduced. In many ways, it is being expanded.

In addition, we’re changing the size of The Valley Sun. On Nov. 4, it will grow to a broadsheet, allowing for more news and features to be on the front page. The redesigns of the News-Press and Leader will launch on Nov. 2 and 3, respectively.

I hope to see you there!

Former Landlady: Balloon boy dad's a deadbeat

From NBC Los Angeles:

First the nation sat riveted to the story of 6-year-old Falcon Heene, who, they thought, was sailing over Colorado in a runaway balloon.  Turned out Falcon was safe at home, hiding in the attic. Reporters asked Falcon’s dad, Richard Heene, why Falcon would hide like that.

“He said it’s because I yelled at him,” said Richard Heene, who lived in Burbank a few years ago. “I’m sorry I yelled at him.”

His former landlady is dubious. When Heene rented a home from Carrie Cavalier in Burbank a few years ago, he wasn’t exactly the picture of responsibility.

Heene lived in Burbank for a few years, trying to live the Hollywood dream. He met Cavalier before she rented him her home, and she took headshots for him, so he could pursue an acting career that never got off the ground.

“So, of course, you know, I let him rent it,” she said. “And he was supposed to pay me money and the rent was late.”

Things went sour soon after she rented the house. By the time he skipped town in 2007, moving the family to Colorado, Heene owed Cavalier $6,000, she said.

“He was supposed to pay me security and last month’s rent, and then I said, ‘wWhy don’t you fix my roof?” she said.

He claimed he fixed the roof, Cavalier said — but it still leaked.

“He just never followed through with it, ” she says.

When Heene left, she took pictures of the damage he left behind. She’s still waiting for her rent money.