Stay In

The sign keeps no one out of nowhere; it's a remnant of the old days, but of which old days I'm not sure.

A skilled rider leads young student riders across the northern part of Hahamongna Watershed Park with NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab in the background. I took the photo last Sunday. The ground was wet, but it's practically arid compared to a week or two before when the flood waters rushed through. That could all be changing as you read this because we're expecting more heavy rain this weekend.

It's been a long time since we've had so much rain in such a short period of time.

You know. When it rains, it pours.

Stay cozy.

Roberts Camp

Since we're coming up on the weekend, maybe you're thinking of a hike in Big Santa Anita Canyon. And since I had a very long day and am so tired I can't think, I'm putting up another picture I took there last week.

Bellis and I wondered if these steps were once part of Roberts Camp (1912-1931) because the commemorative sign for the camp was close by. If so, the steps seem to be all that's left. The sign says the Camp was a lodge for hikers and could accommodate as many as 200 people. The lodge finally closed in 1931 because the popularity of hiking declined in the 1920s.

Can anybody think of a reason why?
click to enlarge

New Blog in Town

Do you know what a "Preventorium" was? Roberta Martinez does, and you'll find a 1922 photo of of one on page 60 in her book, Latinos in Pasadena.

I finally bought my copy of the book and I've been nosing through it. Pasadena's Latino history goes way back to before Pasadena was Pasadena. Roberta's book is loaded with photos and history, the integral parts of our town's beginnings and growth. I'm just starting to dig in.

Roberta Martinez is blogging these days at Pasadena Latina. I've just added her to my San Gabriel Valley Blogroll. I try to keep it up-to-date but I may have to stop! There are so many blogs in the SGV now. My roll is getting too big and I'm not talking about the one at my waistline. That's a different post.

This town is full of fab Latinas, so why does Roberta get to claim the title of Pasadena Latina? That's easy. She wrote the book.

iPhone Wednesday #4 - Genius

I've downloaded some iPhone photo apps but haven't used them much. I didn't do anything special. These photos were taken with the iPhone, then uploaded and edited on the computer. These plants have their own genius and don't need much editing.
The apps I've got include: CameraBag, AutoStitch (at which John is a genius), TiltShift (look at this bit of genius from Kim in Seattle), PS Mobile and Best Camera. Anybody out there tried these? Link us to your results if you like.

Unfortunately, iPhoto no longer recognizes my iPhone so I can't upload any more photos right now. Time for a visit to the Genius Bar.

Measure CC Forum

Longfellow School

At the City Council meeting I attended three weeks ago, the council chamber was crowded with citizens eager to learn the fate of Hahamongna Watershed Park. But before we could discuss that there were other items on the agenda. One was whether or not the council should recommend the passing of Measure CC to benefit Pasadena schools.

Measure CC is a parcel tax that levies $120 per year on each taxable parcel of property for five years. If passed, it would raise about $7 million a year for those five years. The money would be used in the classroom, not for school maintenance or repairs (that was measure TT).

The Council, after citizen comment and a brief debate, voted unanimously to support the parcel tax. The council chamber erupted in applause.

I don't have kids. Why should I spend ten bucks a month on Pasadena's schools? We have enough rocket scientists in this town. Hell, there's practically a rocket scientist on every block. What Pasadena needs is more juvenile delinquents and petty criminals. And hookers! I never see any hookers around here. We don't have a single prostitute on our block. There's a juvenile delinquent around the corner, and he comes all the way down the street to steal bikes from the neighbor kids with absolutely no competition whatsoever.

Some people say our property values will go down if our schools don't keep up. Well, that's a boon, isn't it? If property values go down then maybe I can pay lower property taxes and put a little less money into the Los Angeles County coffers. 'Cause LA sure doesn't need the money. And while we're at it, neither does the State of California.

Oh--and the school libraries are going to close. Well, nyah, nyah, nyah. When I was a kid I had to walk all the way down the hall in my clean, gorgeous school to check out a book from the library. All the way down the friggin' hall! By myself! Without a sweater! In winter! Why do these kids need to read, anyway? Didn't we already decide they were going to grow up to be criminals? I mean, I suppose we could give them jobs as janitors and busboys, but how many janitors is Pasadena going to need when nobody wants to move here because the schools are so crappy?

Question: How many rocket scientists does it take to clean up the Rose Bowl after a U2 concert?
Answer: Doesn't matter. Even a thousand of them will never get the job done because those people have to count and categorize everything.

Why complicate things? Let's populate Pasadena with a citizenry that can't count.



Longfellow PTA is hosting a forum on the parcel tax on Feb. 24 at 6:30 PM in the auditorium, 1065 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena.
PUSD Board President Tom Selinske, as well as Darla Dyson of Invest in PUSD Kids, will be available to answer questions.
This forum is open to everyone in the community. Refreshments, childcare and Spanish translation will be available.
For more information contact Steve Cole, president@ptalongfellow.org.

Zen Monday: #85

Zen Monday is the day you experience the photo and give us your thoughts rather than me telling you what I think the photo's about. There's no right or wrong. It means what you think it means, or what you want it to mean.

I look for a photo worth contemplating or, failing that, something odd or silly. And I stay out of the comments box to avoid influencing the intellectual path of the discussion, unless I change my mind. Because, you know, when I get in there everything goes downhill.

As I post each new Zen Monday photo I add a label to last week's to identify it if necessary.

Sunset Over Mud Flats

Nature has made changes in the landscape. Who am I to argue? Like I have a say in the matter anyway.