New website allows users to conduct estate planning, minus the lawyer

10:34 am, Aug 26th, 2010 Written by Megan O'Neil thoughts Add a Comment
Purchasing airline tickets, ordering Christmas gifts, studying for graduate school entrance exams - many of life's most tedious tasks can be expedited on the Internet. And now, a new website, http://www.willstotrust.com, launched by La Cañada attorney Robert Smith, coaches users through the estate planning process, allowing them to bypass their lawyer's office completely. "The big advantage to the people in the public is the difference in price," Smith said. "If you go to a lawyer, he can charge up to $2,500. My plan for a family is about $1,000. A husband and wife can get a complete plan [on the website] for less than $250." WillstoTrust starts by walking the user through a brief survey to assess things such as assets and beneficiaries, and to verify that they are a candidate for online estate planning. The survey also helps determine what type of trust would be most suitable. The site then provides a list of estate planning documents that are typically discussed in conference with an estate planning lawyer, Smith said. Continue reading here.
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La Cañada resident faces Lou Gehrig’s disease with grace, courage

9:51 am, Aug 26th, 2010 Written by Megan O'Neil la cañada Add a Comment
It began with a case of what is known as "drop foot." In early 2009, La Cañada Flintridge resident Bonnie Hine noticed she was unable to flex her toes, and then her ankle, in the routine motions used during walking. Her balance suffered, and she found herself falling while performing common household tasks. The problems persisted, and Hine, 68, knew that whatever was going on, it was more than natural aging. She repeatedly searched the Internet for clues to her symptoms and eventually made an appointment with a neurologist. After a battery of examinations and tests, she was given a definitive diagnosis - amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, so named for the baseball star who succumbed to it in 1941. "Anybody who has ALS knows the date [of their diagnosis]," Hine said. "It is just horrendous - Nov. 3, 2009." Continue reading here.
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Effects of Station fire still linger

From the Glendale News-Press Ann Benriter stepped gingerly around bits of charred debris and twisted metal that littered the site where her house once stood in the Vogel Flats community in Big Tujunga Canyon. Off to one side were the remnants of two motorcycles, the tires and seats burned away. Her husband, John, hasn't been able to bring himself to remove them. "I don't care what anyone says, they had no intention of saving us," Benriter said. "All they did was save the ranger station. Every one of these water tanks, every pool, was all full of water. They never did anything." ...Continue Reading: Anger, frustration still flaring over Station fire PHOTOS: Residents still grapple with rebuilding
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Gas leak prompts road closures, evacuations in La Cañada

3:38 pm, Aug 19th, 2010 Written by Megan O'Neil la cañada news Add a Comment
[caption id="attachment_20492" align="alignleft" width="300" caption=" Technicians work to clamp a gas line on Chevy Chase Drive Thursday. (Megan O'Neil/Valley Sun)"][/caption] From the La Cañada Valley Sun Southern California Gas Company workers are struggling to seal a natural gas pipeline on Chevy Chase Drive that was punctured Thursday morning by work crews digging in the street with a backhoe. The rupture prompted the closure of Chevy Chase Drive between Descanso Drive and Berkshire Avenue. A portion of Hamsptead Road is also closed. And seven homes were evacuated because of the risk of an explosion, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Scott Gibson said. "It was pretty high pressure, it was permeating the whole area with natural gas," Gibson said. Los Angeles County fire crews, including a hazmat team, are on scene ready with fire retardant foam in case a fire should ignite. ... Continue Reading: Gas leak prompts road closures, evacuations
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Suit alleges Farmers did not honor insurance Station fire insurance claims

10:26 am, Aug 19th, 2010 Written by Megan O'Neil la cañada news Add a Comment
[caption id="attachment_20475" align="alignleft" width="300" caption=" A resident cleans up post rains after Station fire. (Raul Roa/News-Press)"][/caption] From the La Cañada Valley Sun A lawsuit filed Tuesday accuses Farmers Insurance Group of refusing to honor claims filed by policyholders whose homes were damaged by the Station fire. The plaintiffs, comprising more than 1,100 homeowners in the Station fire burn area, allege that the insurance company denied or minimized payouts on claims for damage stemming from fire, smoke, ash, soot and wind. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. Farmers Insurance spokesman Jerry Davies said the company's legal team was reviewing the lawsuit, but declined to comment further. The Station fire broke out on Aug. 26 along Angeles Crest Highway two miles north of La Cañada Flintridge. It raged uncontained for more than a month, destroying 160,000 acres of forest, 89 homes and killed two Los Angeles County firefighters. It also blanketed foothill communities in a thick cloud of ash and left many homes and vehicles smelling of smoke for weeks. ... Continue Reading: Suit alleges Farmers did not honor insurance claims
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La Cañada sees uptick in distressed home sales

5:19 pm, Aug 18th, 2010 Written by Megan O'Neil la cañada news Add a Comment
There were five distressed home sales — four foreclosures and one short sale — in La Cañada Flintridge in July for a total loss to investors of more than $1 million, according to recently released real estate data. "These numbers are staggering," said Phyllis Harb, a longtime real estate agent in the San Gabriel and Crescenta-Cañada valleys. In June, there was one distressed home sale in La Cañada. The latest figures bring the total number of distressed home sales to 24 for the year. The five homes were bought between 2003 and 2005, during the real estate upswing. The devaluation of the market combined with additional debt from refinancing meant that by this year all were worth less than what was owed. ... Continue Reading: LCF sees uptick in distressed home sales
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Fire seriously damages La Cañada home

4:15 pm, Aug 17th, 2010 Written by Megan O'Neil la cañada news Add a Comment
A home in the 5000 block of Fallhaven Lane in La Cañada Flintridge was seriously damaged and a family cat was killed Tuesday after a fire broke out in a laundry room. Los Angeles County firefighters responded to a call of a house fire at about 3:40 a.m., said L.A. County Fire Capt. Adrian Murrieta. The fire, believed to have originated with the water heater, burned through the laundry room located at the rear of the house. It also scorched an adjoining room and the attic, and threatened the roof before being extinguished by firefighters shortly after 4 a.m., Murrieta said. ... Continue Reading: Fire seriously damages La Cañada home
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La Cañada moves one step closer to sound walls

10:29 am, Aug 13th, 2010 Written by Megan O'Neil la cañada news Add a Comment
[caption id="attachment_20240" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Noise pollution caused by the freeway traffic is an ongoing concern in La Cañada. (Raul Roa/Valley Sun)"][/caption] From the La Cañada Valley Sun La Cañada Flintridge will solidify in the coming weeks an agreement with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority that will allow the city to spend an estimated $2.8 million in Measure R funding to design 21 segments of sound wall, according to a city official. And $250,000 in federal funds earmarked for the project by Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas) will cover design costs for two more segments. The agreement, expected to be finalized in September, is a coup for officials and residents who have spent years fighting to reduce noise pollution caused by traffic on the 210 Freeway. "We will have those completed designs within three years," said Ann Wilson, senior management analyst with the city. "That is a huge step for the city and moves us much closer to the construction of the entire project." ... Continue Reading: La Cañada moves one step closer to sound walls
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Sport Chalet reports 10th straight quarterly loss

10:19 am, Aug 5th, 2010 Written by Megan O'Neil la cañada news Add a Comment
From the La Cañada Valley Sun One day after Sport Chalet reported a net loss of $1.9 million in its first quarter — the 10th consecutive quarterly loss for the retailer — Chairman and Chief Executive Craig Levra told shareholders the company is being positioned to make gains despite a stagnant retail climate. "We will do better," Levra said of the sporting goods chain. "We are not sure when the economy will do better." The remarks were made Tuesday during Sport Chalet's annual stockholders meeting at the corporate headquarters in La Cañada Flintridge. Results released Monday reported that in the first quarter ending June 27, Sport Chalet sales increased by 0.4% to $79.7 million, up from $79.4 million for the first quarter last year. ... Continue reading: Sport Chalet reports 10th straight quarterly loss
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La Cañada aims to join conservation effort

10:08 am, Aug 5th, 2010 Written by Megan O'Neil la cañada news Add a Comment
From the La Cañada Valley Sun The city of La Cañada Flintridge is planning to join local water agencies in an aggressive public education campaign designed to promote water conservation in the foothills. The city last year launched its Blue Ribbon Water Committee, a 16-member panel of water experts and public officials, to research and develop an action plan in response to the state's ongoing water shortage. According to the report, 87% of water in La Cañada is imported from the Metropolitan Water District, leaving the community vulnerable to rationing and rate hikes. Among the city's water conservation priorities will be to create a "water page" on its website that will provide critical information and links, said Patrick Clarke, a city planner and committee member. Other outreach efforts will include brochures, fliers and news articles, Clarke said, as well as providing businesses with free or low-cost water-saving devices. ... Continue reading: City aims to join conservation effort
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Live grenade found at GCC Garfield Campus

Written by Raul Roa on Sep 2nd, 2010 at 4:59 pm

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A live grenade was found at GCC Garfield campus on Thursday.  Click on photo for a gallery. [caption id="attachment_20908" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Crowds were evacuated after a live granade was found by construction workers at the Glendale Community College Garfield Campus construction site on Thursday, September 2, 2010. (Raul Roa/News-Press)"][/caption]

Menagerie: The Art of Animals exhibit at Forest Lawn Glendale

Written by Raul Roa on Sep 2nd, 2010 at 3:31 pm

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Menagerie: The Art of Animals exhibit at Forest Lawn Glendale [caption id="attachment_20898" align="alignnone" width="600" caption="Andreas Deja's wire sculpture of a frog is part of the Glendale Forest Lawn Museum exhibit "Menagerie: The Art of Animals," in Glendale on Thursday, September 2, 2010. (Raul Roa/News-Press)"][/caption]

Officials investigate possible bomb, evacuate GCC satellite campus [Updated]

Written by Jason Wells on Sep 2nd, 2010 at 1:46 pm

post thumbnail [caption id="attachment_20904" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="A member of the L.A. County Bomb Squad prepares to detonate a live grenade that was found by construction workers at the Glendale Community College Garfield Campus construction site. (Raul Roa/News-Press)"][/caption] [Updated 2:54 p.m. Bomb squad officers have detonated the grenade device in a pit covered with sandbags. No injuries were [...]

Harley ‘novice’ breaks speed record

Written by Bill Kisliuk on Sep 2nd, 2010 at 9:23 am

From the Glendale News-Press Rachel Keown has gone from rookie to record-holder. The newly-minted motorcycle racer, who works at Harley-Davidson of Glendale, broke the speed record for a 1,000 cc motorcycle this week at the BUB Racing Inc. Motorcycle Speed Trials at Bonneville Salt Flats outside Salt Lake City. The final results won’t become official [...]

Bill could help smokers kick the habit

Written by Melanie Hicken on Sep 2nd, 2010 at 9:21 am

From the Glendale News-Press Smokers in Glendale, which has one of the highest smoking rates in Los Angeles County, could gain free access to tools to help them quit smoking under a bill passed by state legislators Tuesday. County officials and health care representatives gathered on the steps of the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration [...]

CV drug, alcohol prevention program awarded $625,000 grant

Written by Veronica Rocha on Sep 2nd, 2010 at 9:20 am

From the Glendale News-Press LA CRESCENTA — The Crescenta Valley Drug and Alcohol Prevention Coalition on Tuesday was awarded a major federal grant that will total $625,000 over the next five years as they work to thwart substance abuse among local teens. The Office of National Drug Control Policy selected the coalition and 168 other [...]

Woman kidnapped, savings stolen

Written by Veronica Rocha on Sep 2nd, 2010 at 9:18 am

From the Glendale News-Press SOUTH GLENDALE — Two women kidnapped another woman Wednesday afternoon, forced her to withdraw her bank savings and then burglarized her Pacific Avenue home, police said. The Glendale woman, who was unharmed in the incident, was walking home about noon at Pacific Avenue and Oak Street when she was approached by [...]

Kindergarten age change passes Legislature

Written by Max Zimbert on Sep 1st, 2010 at 2:17 pm

A state bill that increases the minimum age to start kindergarten passed the state Legislature Tuesday. To begin kindergarten, students must turn 5 years old by Sept. 1 of the school year. Previous law set the minimum at 5 years by Dec. 2 of the school year. If signed into law by the governor, it [...]

Stabbing victim recovering at home

Written by Veronica Rocha on Sep 1st, 2010 at 9:35 am

From the Glendale News-Press GLENDALE — A Glendale man who was stabbed last week after a road-rage incident was recovering from his injuries at home Tuesday, police said. The man was released Saturday from a local hospital after having sustained a stab wound that sliced his liver, Glendale Police Det. Keith Soboleski said. “He is [...]

Dehydrated hikers rescued in Verdugo

Written by Times Community News on Sep 1st, 2010 at 9:33 am

Two hikers were rescued by helicopter Sunday night after reporting they got lost while trekking the Verdugo Mountains, police said. They called emergency dispatchers for help, but the calls kept disconnecting, police said. A helicopter was dispatched about 11 p.m. to the area to look for the hikers, who were severely dehydrated. The helicopter crew [...]