LA County passes new amendments to dog regulations

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has just passed an amendment to its existing dog regulations.

The new amendment is more stringent and less tolerant of so-called dangerous dogs and re-defines what is considered an aggressive dog. It also re-defines what is considered a severe injury from aggressive dogs.

Full Story http://www.myabc7.com/wap/news/text.jsp?sid=11&nid=56377408&cid=3&scid=-1&ith=1&title=Los+Angeles

ANTONOVICH INCREASES REWARD FOR INFORMATION IN DODGER STADIUM BEATING CASE TO $25,000

LOS ANGELES COUNTY – The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion by County Mayor Michael D. Antonovich to increase the reward to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the attack on Bryan Stow, the San Francisco Giants fan beaten in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium on March 31. 

TOURNAMENT OF ROSES® FOUNDATION NAMES NEW PRESIDENT

Jacqueline Howard to Lead the Tournament of Roses Foundation                                                                          

                                                                             

PASADENA, Calif. (July 8, 2011) – The Tournament of Roses® Foundation has elected Jacqueline Howard as its new president.  Howard is an adjunct professor in the Education Department at California State University, Northridge and an adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Education at National University.  She was appointed to the Tournament of Roses Foundation Board in July 2007 when the board expanded from nine to 13 members.  She served as secretary in May 2008 and became vice president in May 2009.  Former Foundation President Wellington Chen held the office since May 2009 and will remain on the board.

In addition to volunteering on the Tournament of Roses Foundation Board, Howard is a member of the Pasadena/Altadena Links and was recently elected as vice director of the Western Area of Links, Inc.  She founded “Pasadena’s BEST Program,” a five-year, after-school program for latch-key children.  Howard was also the co-founder of “Links, Inc. Saturday School,” an academic enrichment program for at-risk students.

Professionally, Howard served for more than 30 years in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).  While employed with LAUSD, she was a classroom teacher, reading specialist, curriculum advisor, personnel advisor, assistant principal and elementary principal.

Howard is a graduate of Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.  She holds a Master of Arts Degree in Curriculum Design and Development and a Master of Science Degree in Administrative Services from California State University, Los Angeles.  She is married to Charles Howard and has two children and three grandsons.

The Tournament of Roses Foundation is a tax exempt, non-profit public benefit corporation established in 1983 to receive and manage contributions from the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, its supporters, and the general public. The Foundation supports charities in the Pasadena area by funding sports and recreation, visual and performing arts, and volunteer motivation and leadership development. The thirteen member board of directors is comprised of community leaders and Tournament members, appointed by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.  Organizations or individuals interested in making a contribution or requesting a grant application may contact the Foundation at (626) 449-4100 or visit our website at www.tournamentofroses.com/pasadena-tournament-of-roses/foundation.

CA Abolition Bill Passes Committee

The bill to abolish the death penalty in California has successfully passed committee and is en route to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Senator Hancock, author of the bill, stated, “Capital punishment is an expensive failure and an example of the dysfunction of our prison system. California’s death row is the largest and the most expensive in the United States”. Click here to keep the bill moving toward abolition!

Altadena Crime Blotter

Friday, July 8th
4:30 PM – A petty theft occurred in the 200-block of E. Palm St. Suspect(s) stole a purse that was placed on top of the victim’s vehicle. Loss: blk/gry Coach purse containing personal items.

Monday, July 11th
Between 5:50 PM & 6:30 PM – A petty theft from a vehicle occurred at Millard Campground. Suspect(s) entered an unlocked blk Nissan Pathfinder. Loss: beige purse containing a red wallet & a pink Samsung Fascinate cell phone.

Friday, July 15th
8:33 AM – A vehicle was reported stolen in the 20-block of E. Woodbury Rd. Loss: wht/blu ’99 Chevrolet Silverado 1500.

Lieutenant Joseph Dempsey
626-798-1131
jedempse@lasd.org

Partner to prevent or report crime by contacting your local Sheriff’s station. Or if you wish to remain Anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org

To receive detailed, up-to-date information directly from the Los Angeles County via e-mail and/or text, register for "Nixle" alerts at http://www.Nixle.com and register for "LASD - Altadena, Los Angeles County Sheriff" and “LASD – HQ Newsroom (SHB), Los Angeles County Sheriff” or, text your zip code to 888777 to receive text alerts only. Standard text messaging rates may apply, depending on your calling plan.

For a listing of previous posts from Altadena Sheriff’s Station:

http://local.nixle.com/lasd---altadena-station-los-angeles-county-sheriff/

League of California Cities, California Redevelopment Association and Two Cities File Lawsuit in State Supreme Court to Overturn Unconstitutional Redevelopment Elimination Legislation (AB 1x26/27)

Today, the League of California Cities (League), the California Redevelopment Association (CRA) and the cities of San Jose and Union City filed a petition with the California Supreme Court, challenging the constitutionality of AB 1X 26 and AB 1X 27, the two redevelopment bills passed as part of the state budget in June. AB 1x 26 eliminates redevelopment agencies. AB 1x 27 allows agencies to continue to exist (albeit on life-support) if they agree to pay their share of $1.7 billion this year and $400 million annually in perpetuity.

 

The lawsuit also requested the California Supreme Court to issue a stay to prevent the legislation from going into effect until the Court can rule on the merits of these claims.

 

The central claim in the lawsuit is that AB 1X 26/27 violate Proposition 22, the constitutional amendment passed by 61 percent of California voters in November 2010, just eight months ago. Prop. 22 was passed by voters to “conclusively and completely prohibit State politicians in Sacramento from seizing, diverting, shifting, borrowing, transferring, suspending, or otherwise taking or interfering with” revenue dedicated to local government. The revenues protected by Prop. 22 specifically include the annual increments of property taxes allocated to California’s 400 redevelopment agencies.

 

“California voters overwhelmingly passed Prop. 22 just eight months ago to stop State raids, shifts and diversions of local redevelopment funds,” saidChris McKenzie, executive director, League of California Cities. “The Governor and legislature have blatantly ignored the voters and violated the State Constitution. We must now go to the Supreme Court to uphold the voters’ will and the Constitution by overturning this unconstitutional legislation. We are confident the Courts will uphold the will of the voters.”

 

Unless nullified, AB 1X 26/27 will result in the elimination of redevelopment agencies or force “ransom” payments by local agencies that will greatly reduce the ability of local agencies to pursue revitalization and job-creation projects. The measures will kill hundreds of thousands of jobs and leave many communities with no opportunity to revitalize downtrodden areas with high unemployment, high crime and significant blight.

 

John Shirey, executive director, California Redevelopment Association, said: “Since the budget bills passed, many redevelopment agencies have notified us that they cannot afford the ransom payment and will cease to exist. And those agencies that are planning on making the payment tell us that it will greatly diminish their ability to pursue vital local projects. This legislation is a job-killer and an opportunity killer for many local communities in need. Fortunately, voters passed Prop. 22 to put a stop to these types of destructive raids by the legislature. We must now go to the Courts to protect our local communities and economies.”

 

Joining as co-petitioners are the cities of San Jose and Union City. In declarations provided to the Court each city says that it currently anticipates being unable to make the payment required to avoid redevelopment agency elimination.

 

The city of San Jose declares that, unless overturned, AB 1X 26/27 could result in the forced termination of its redevelopment agency and kill hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of vital redevelopment projects. These include the Strong Neighborhoods Initiative, a project to revitalize 20 of the city’s most disadvantaged and struggling residential neighborhoods; a flood control project needed to protect industrial properties; and several interchange widening projects near Hwy 101.

 

The city of Union City does not currently believe it will be able to pay the funds required to avoid elimination of its redevelopment agency. Elimination will kill the “Station District Plan” to create a transit-oriented development near BART and multiple rail lines, with planned housing, office, commercial development and pedestrian and roadway connections on formerly contaminated industrial land. This project has been in the planning and implementation process for several decades, and the agency has spent tens of millions of dollars. The Station District Project will remain unfinished if the agency is dissolved.

 

The cities of Brentwood, Oakland, Modesto, West Sacramento, and Guadalupe also filed declarations in support of the lawsuit.

 

The Petitioners’ counsel are Howard Rice Nemerovski Canady Falk & Rabkin, located in San Francisco. The petition was filed directly in the state’s highest court because expedited resolution is needed. Under the terms of AB 1X 27, cities with redevelopment agencies intending to make the “ransom” payment must notify the state by October 1. The petition asks the Supreme Court to make an initial ruling on the request for stay by Aug. 15. 

 

For a full copy of the press release please visit the Coalition’s website.

NASA TO ANNOUNCE LANDING SITE FOR NEW MARS ROVER

WASHINGTON -- NASA and the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum will host a news

conference at 10 a.m. EDT, Friday, July 22 to announce the selected landing site for the agency's latest

Mars rover. NASA Television and the agency's website will provide live coverage of the event that

will be held at the museum's Moving Beyond Earth Gallery. In addition, the event will be carried live

on Ustream, with a live chat available, at http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl .

The news conference participants are:

-- John Grant, geologist, National Air and Space Museum, Washington

-- Michael Meyer, Mars Exploration Program lead scientist, NASA Headquarters, Washington

-- John Grotzinger, Mars Science Laboratory project scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena,

Calif.

-- Dawn Sumner, geologist, UC Davis, Calif.

-- Michael Watkins, Mars Science Laboratory project engineer, JPL

To participate, reporters must contact Isabel Lara at larai@si.edu by 1 p.m. PDT (4 p.m. EDT)

Thursday, July 21.

The Mars Science Laboratory, or Curiosity, will land on the surface of Mars in August 2012. Curiosity

is being assembled and readied for a November launch at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Curiosity is about twice as long and more than five times as heavy as any previous Mars rover.

The rover will study whether the landing region had environmental conditions favorable for supporting

microbial life and for preserving clues about whether life existed.

July 22 is Mars Day at the National Air and Space Museum. The annual event marks the July 20, 1976

landing of Viking 1, the first spacecraft to operate on Mars. The day will feature displays, family

activities and presentations by scientists from the museum's Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, the

Museum of Natural History and NASA. Visitors will learn about the latest Mars research, missions and

see a life-size model of Curiosity.

For NASA TV streaming video, scheduling and downlink information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv .

For more information about the new rover, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/msl .

JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Science

Laboratory mission for NASA.

Altadena Sheriff's Station - Community Day in the Park

This event is designed to show law enforcement’s appreciation to the citizens of Altadena. Our mission is to build strong, positive relationships with the community we serve. This event will allow the citizens of Altadena an opportunity to come together, interact and bond. This will be a festive family atmosphere filled with food, fun, and safety information. Please come celebrate with us as we continue to grow as a community.

Location: Charles White Park
77 Mountain View St.
Altadena, CA 91001

Date: Saturday, August 6, 2011 

2011 National Night Out in Altadena

Join the Altadena Sheriff’s Station, the Altadena Sheriff’s Support Group and all the Neighborhood Watch Groups for a Community Potluck and Barbecue.

Learn about Neigborhood Watch Programs, CERT training and other safety tips to help keep the Altadena Community Safe.

For further information, contact Deputies Greg Gabriel, LaMark Williams or Sgt. Mike Randenberg at (626) 296-2134

To receive detailed, up-to-date information directly from the Los Angeles County via e-mail and/or text, register for "Nixle" alerts at http://www.Nixle.com and register for "LASD - Altadena, Los Angeles County Sheriff" and “LASD – HQ Newsroom (SHB), Los Angeles County Sheriff” or, text your zip code to 888777 to receive text alerts only. Standard text messaging rates may apply, depending on your calling plan.

For a listing of previous posts from Altadena Sheriff’s Station:

http://local.nixle.com/lasd---altadena-station-los-angeles-county-sheriff/

Deputies seek robbers who met with Chihuahua Counterattack

Two suspects, one armed with a rifle, got an unexpected canine counterattack on July 7th, when they entered an Altadena smoke shop to rob it at 7:30PM.

The men entered Ace Smoke Shop on North Lake Avenue, with Suspect #2 pointing a rifle at the victim. Both suspects repeatedly ordered the victim to give them his money, telling him to put it into a backpack that Suspect #1 placed on the front counter.

Fearing for his life, the victim gave the suspects his cash, placing it in their backpack.

During the robbery, the victim’s pet Chihuahua attacked the suspects by barking and jumping on them. The dog appeared to create such a nervous distraction to the suspects that Suspect #2 even pointed his rifle at the dog. The suspects hurriedly fled the location on foot, last seen running southbound on Maiden Lane from Mariposa Street, with the victim’s money in their backpack and the dog chasing after them.

The robbery victim and the dog were not injured.

Surveillance footage of the robbery is available for viewing on the LASD youtube below. Please advise the Sheriff’s Department if you think you may know one or both of the suspects:
http://www.youtube.com/LACountySheriff

Suspect #1: MH/18-25 years, 5’06”-5’10”/150-180 pounds; wearing a black, hooded sweatshirt; white shorts; black shoes; and a red bandana; carrying a black/gray backpack

Suspect #2: MH/18-25 years, 5’06”-5’10”/150-180 pounds, wearing a black jacket with yellow trim, dark shirt, dark pants, and a black ski mask, armed with a rifle

Weapon: Rifle, dark in color, unknown make/model

Detectives at Altadena Sheriff’s Station are asking the public’s assistance in identifying the suspects. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Detective Binder at 626-296-2114 or 626-798-1131. If you prefer to provide information ANONYMOUSLY, you may call "Crime Stoppers" by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.


To receive detailed, up-to-date information directly from the Los Angeles County via e-mail and/or text, register for "Nixle" alerts at http://www.Nixle.com and register for "LASD - Altadena, Los Angeles County Sheriff" and “LASD – HQ Newsroom (SHB), Los Angeles County Sheriff” or, text your zip code to 888777 to receive text alerts only. Standard text messaging rates may apply, depending on your calling plan.

For a listing of previous posts from Altadena Sheriff’s Station:

http://local.nixle.com/lasd---altadena-station-los-angeles-county-sheriff/ 

Supreme Court asked to invalidate actions by Gov. Jerry Brown

A group representing Los Angeles and other cities asked the state Supreme Court on Monday to invalidate action by Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature that will dissolve redevelopment agencies in California unless they pay the state $1.7 billion.


Full Story http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/07/cities-ask-state-supreme-court-to-block-raid-on-redevelopment-money.html

Carmageddon a success

The success of "Carmageddon" has given way to a political and lifestyle question: If L.A. residents can cut their driving for one weekend, why can't they drive less the rest of the time?

The closure of the 405 Freeway over the Sepulveda Pass came with the threat of epic gridlock -- but the exact opposite happened. Streets and freeways were clear. Caltrans statistics show there were significantly fewer cars on some freeways and significantly less traffic, even in areas far from the 405.

Full Story http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/07/carmageddon-success-has-some-hoping-la-will-ditch-cars-more-often.html

SUPERSCOOPER FIREFIGHTING AIRCRAFT LEASE CONTRACT APPROVED FOR DUTY IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY

LOS ANGELES COUNTY – To prepare for the 2011 fire season, County Mayor Michael D. Antonovich announced that the Board of Supervisors authorized a contract to lease two CL-415 SuperScoopers fire-fighting aircraft from the Government of Quebec for use by the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

“To ensure our County Fire Department has the tools they need to be fully prepared for fire season, these vital aircraft have been requested to supplement the Department’s water-dropping helicopters and other fire-suppression machinery,” said Antonovich. 

SuperScoopers are a fixed-wing aircraft that can carry up to 1,620 gallons of water and takes only 12 seconds to scoop water from a lake and inject it with fire-resistant foam – a combination up to 3 times more effective than water alone.  They can be airborne in as little as five minutes and fly three hours before refueling.

The SuperScoopers are expected to arrive on Monday, September 1, 2011, and will be placed into service through November 31, 2011.

Amazon is battling the online tax in several states

Reporting from New York— 

Amazon.com Inc. has insisted that California's new law requiring it to collect sales taxes from customers in the state would hurt the company's ability to compete in the nation's biggest retail market.

Nevertheless, in New York, the company and other out-of-state, Internet-only retailers have paid $250 million in sales taxes over three years, thanks to a similar law that state adopted in 2008.



Full Story http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-amazon-taxes-20110719,0,5661341.story

Homeowners pay new fee to live near fire zones

Fire season may seem distant on a day like today, but California is already planning for it. The Los Angeles Times reports that Gov. Jerry Brown and the state legislature re now requiring “rural homeowners who rely on state firefighters to pay a $150 annual fee for fire-prevention services.” 


Full Story http://www.scpr.org/blogs/environment/2011/07/19/morning-greens-homeowners-pay-new-fee-live-near-fi/