Queen Skittles queen of the 32nd Doo Dah Parade.

Love a parade but have a nice wide irreverent streak?  Wanna be queen of the Doo Dah Parade (or a dude and make it a Dood Dah Queen again) then you need to head on over to the Pasadena American Legion hall on Saturday.  This is an incredibly fun evening of music and silliness as they go about the serious business of picking out the new Queen for the 34th Doo Dah Parade which will take place 4/30 (more on that to come).  Entry Form and more info can be found on the Doo Dah Web.  They even have a nifty Facebook invite.

Deets.  Admission $5. American Legion Bar 179 North Vinedo St Pasadena, CA   Saturday April 2, 2PM doors open with music and stuff.  4PM Queen hopefuls check in.  5PM the Queen Try outs begin. MAP HERE

Image is courtesy of Julie Klima, aka Queen Skittles and used with her permission.  More of her work can be seen at her Web Site.

I’ve never cared much for the term “la-la-land” as it was ‘most always used in a derogatory manner.  How dare you disparage the city I love in that manner.  Well the Oxford Dictionary folks have taken it a step further and given the term credibility without noting in the definition its a “derogatory” noun.  Their exact definition:

la-la land n. can refer either to Los Angeles (in which case its etymology is influenced by the common initialism for that city), or to a state of being out of touch with reality—and sometimes to both simultaneously.

What say you on this addition to the dictionary?  More power to the haters or are you non plussed over the addition?

Pic by me of the L.A. iconic palms in Venice Beach, taken with my beloved “che-ez snap” that shoots in all of .3 megapixels.

While this doesn’t directly relate to Los Angeles, I don’t really care. Unless you’ve been living under a rock the last 24 hours, you know some serious shit went down in Japan. Stuff that could easily happen here in Los Angeles. YOU can help. Donate to the Red Cross. There’s a direct link HERE. You’re welcome to click on the Japan tab, but remember there’s bad things happening elsewhere. Why not make a general donation? The money will go where it’s needed most.

C’mon. Skip the Starbucks once and spend that money to help those in need. Who knows? It could be you seeking out the Red Cross after a huge quake here. Wouldn’t you want them to have enough supplies for you?

I’d heard of the house fire in the Hollywood Hills Wednesday night and of the firefighter on-scene who was gravely injured as a result of the blaze.  It just so happens that the day after the tragedy, a morning bike ride took me past the LAFD training center in Elysian Park. Veering into the parking lot I found myself before the 9/11 memorial and saying a prayer for the firefighter’s recovery.

It’s a prayer that went unanswered and I was saddened to hear that Glen L. Allen, a 36-year veteran of the department, succumbed to his injuries yesterday. He is the 61st Los Angeles firefighter to die in the line of duty in the department’s 125-year history.

The department is a collective force of many but its core strength comes from individuals like Glen Allen who without fail are ready to plunge headlong into danger, to risk their lives in service of others. It’s important to remember not just those heroes who we lost yesterday, but those who will not hesitate to put the uniform on and endanger themselves similarly tomorrow. To Firefighter Allen and to all emergency personnel who answer the call, who put the lives of others ahead of their own, all I can say as a proud citizen of this city is thank you from the bottom of my heart.

My thoughts are with Allen’s family and friends and my hopes are ever for the safety of all his fellow firefighters.

I do, and its not far from where I live.  40 years ago this week was the San Fernando Quake that caused extensive damage and some loss of life here in LA.  As a result of that quake legislation was pass requiring you to disclose earthquake faults near or on your property when you sold it.

The California Geological Survey has had the task forever of mapping those surface faults that put homes and humans at risk. Up until this week you had to either buy their CD or paper maps to get the information.  Now you can download the forms in PDF format, if only out of morbid curiosity, to find what faults are near your home.  The link to the CGS site HERE. Metro Los Angeles is covered in the maps.  Although the map isn’t labeled by street, it does drill down to street level when mapping out the known surface fault lines.

Of course knowing where the faults around you is half the battle.  The bigger one we seem to get lax with is quake preparedness…check out CA Shakeout for more information on how to prepare for quakes, especially big ones.

Have to be in Pasadena on Friday?  Behave yourself and be extra sensitive to the red lights as Pasadena Police are running a special enforcement detail from 6AM to 1PM, perfect for the morning commute and lunch traffic. Don’t see a cop? Don’t worry the numerous red light cams are always on in Pasadena to enforce the law. (Missing your front plate…don’t worry the system will grab your rear plate too!)

Ignore the warning only if you have an extra $500 to spend on a ticket, more if you are illegible for traffic school and use that route to avoid a point on your license.

The purpose of this crack down is to raise awareness of the dangers of running red lights.  The cost of overtime for all of the extra officers on patrol is being underwritten by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Now you may go back to doing whatever you do during the day at work.

Image from a Creative Commons Share-Alike or GFDL License by the author, JOE RAVI

Have you ever wanted to start your own taxi or livery business?  Ever just want to take cop car for a spin and couldn’t fearing the consequences?  Well you can if you buy one of these retired beauties from the CHP.  The potential uses are there, it just takes a little creative thinking.

They are sold out of Torrance with lists updated daily.  They even start as low as $2,500, arrest history not included.  For all your retired cruiser shopping needs its as easy as a quick phone call to 310-538-0469 for daily updated listings.

I’d probably skip the old Taurus sedans and go straight for the Crown Vic…been in a few over the years and can tell you they ride and handle much differently than the straight up civilian version.  Just remember caveat emptor as these cars though well maintained have had a lot of hard miles put on them.

Pics courtesy CHP Southern via twitter and used with their permission.

Pictured above leading a charge westward toward downtown across the 4th Street Viaduct during CycLAvia last October is Highland Park-based blogger Waltarrrr. I find this image I captured of him on that glorious day rather iconic in that for the past 4.5 years he’s been trumpeting to greater Los Angeles all about the present and past of the multifaceted communities of Northeast Los Angeles. And I present it to you today so that you can join me in saying goodbye not to him, but rather to his indispensable 90042 blog, whose hibernation he announced yesterday:

What I can say is this blog is going to sleep for a while. The weekly posts just won’t be there anymore. Instead, I plan to focus on my first love, Art. I’m a painter by trade. As a byproduct of putting my efforts into writing and researching this blog, I haven’t actually made a painting in some time. In my studio sits a pile of blank canvases awaiting my attention. This year I resolved to start painting rather than writing, to start sketching rather than tweeting. I’m a craftsperson, a maker. At this juncture I need to create tangible objects more than web posts.

It has been a fun trip, but the time has come to put the blog to rest. Thanks for sharing the ride.

I’ve had the pleasure of his company on numerous bike rides and various long walks. The favorite story I like to tell about him happened in October 2008 when I’d planned to walk the entire length of Western Avenue from Griffith Park to the land’s end. Waltarrrr was very much looking forward to it, but as the day approached a conflict arose that prevented him from joining us. So he did the entire thing himself a week earlier than us, adding untold distance by venturing off on explorations down countless side streets until he was forced to stop around Torrance. Set on completing the journey, he returned the next day to where he’d turned back by the 405 Freeway and walked the rest of the way to the sea. His Flickr photoset of the two-day trek is here.

While I’m going to miss 90042 immensely, I’m also going to hope there’s ultimately a parallel to draw between his amazing journey and his blogging: he knew when to quit but came back to where he left off and kept going.

Hat tip to the folks over at Total Traffic Los Angeles for twittering a link to their site outlining all the parking, road closures and Mass Transit options for the Rose Parade on Saturday morning.  Here in the SGV traffic will suck prior to and especially right after the parade, if you can take Mass Transit use that option.   Complete list from Total Traffic Los Angeles HERE.

The Metro Gold Line has several stops in Pasadena, none more than a couple of blocks from the parade route.  Metro Gold Line will have free fares for those travelling into Pasadena New Years Eve, along with extended hours according to the Pasadena Star News.  The Gold Line schedule HERE.

Time to bring this series to an end.  To save you a lot of scrolling here’s a list of Charities, Non-profits, and other organizations that we here at Blogging. LA believe in enough to spend time helping them or donating directly to them.    Each post has ways that you can help them out if you so desire.

If you have one that you feel passionate about drop me a note at frazgo(at)mail(dot)com and I will post it for you.

• The Foothill Unity Center
• Esperanza Community Housing
• Vineyard Christian Fellowship/Westside
• UCLA Blood and Platelets Center
• Kiva.org
• Help a Mother Out
• Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
• The LA Gay and Lesbian Center
• The LA Concervancy
• The Library Foundation of Los Angeles
• Monrovia Association of Fine Arts

Image by IronRodArt from flickr used via creative commons licence.

Anyone with kids will tell you that among the first thing cut from a public schools budget is art. I was made painfully aware of it when my oldest started kindergarten. The absence prevents a well rounded education and cuts of a small percentage of kids from their most effective way to communicate.

I got involved with the Monrovia Association of Fine Arts (MAFA) several years ago as I liked their mission statement and felt that I could help make a difference in the community. I don’t know how much of an impact I have had, but I know that the group has made an impact on the community both in the schools and the area at large. The mission statement is quite simple and direct:

“Enhance the lives of those within our community through interaction with the arts. Increase the opportunities of our children through art education”.

For a group of a dozen faithful art lovers we manage to do a lot during the year. We either do it ourselves or work with other non-profits in the area to help bring art to many who would not have had the opportunity if it weren’t for MAFA. Some of our activities:

• Local Galleries including CTGY Credit Union (formerly Focus One), Monrovia City Hall and Community Center
• Donated over $50,000 to MUSD for art education.
• Provided art teachers and funding for Art in the Village After School Program.
• Work with local schools in fund raising to grow their art programs.
• Host the Monrovia Summer Art Walks.
• Host the “Black Tie Event” giving out the “Hearts in the Arts” and “Renaissance” Awards to those in the community working in the arts or helping to bring art to the community.
• Host October “Celebrate the Arts” 2 day art show.
• Work with the Boys and Girls Club of the Foothills with art filled field trips or events.
• Work with Foothill Unity Center’s “Back to School” and “Holiday” events with art supplies, art projects and keepsakes.
• Provide Mini-grants to local schools and non-profits for art education and activities

Member Lisa Barrios helps my son Joey with an Art Project.

Our members come from all over the LA area, not just Monrovia. Our members represent a varied media selection ranging from traditional painting to photography to cutting edge digital art. Both artists and art lovers are invited to join and help us meet our goals outlined in the mission statement.

One of the areas we have worked hard at is providing emerging artists and students with venues that are either free or affordable as a way to show case their art. Between the galleries that are fee free, or nominal fees of the Summer Art Walks and Celebrate the Arts we have many options for them to share their work and cultivate followers and collectors. These events and galleries are open to all artists in the LA Area. I am quite proud of our efforts to be inclusive of all media types and giving newer artists an opportunity to grow.

In order for MAFA to grow we need help with fund raising to support all of our projects. We look to a future where we have more of an impact than just the communities in our immediate area, but through out the San Gabriel Valley. If you have an art lover on your list consider one of our artists or make a donation direct to MAFA in their name. If you are an artist or art lover come join us in the fun we have putting together events that bring art to the schools and community.

MAFA meets every 2nd Tuesday at 7PM. Our meeting location is provided by the Paint n Play Art Studio and Gallery located at 418 S Myrtle Avenue, Monrovia CA 91016. This address is also our mailing address. More information about MAFA can be found on the Web Site.  If you have any questions you can write me at frank (at)monroviafinearts (dot) org.

Full drainage basin on Sawpit Creek

I got the tip off from a friend a bit further up the hill from me that the Sawpit Drainage Basin here in Monrovia is full.  I popped over on my way back from a few early morning errands and not only was it full, it was actually starting to drain off the spillway.  This the first time in several years (2005?) that that has happened here.  Then again, we’ve had a relentless 6 days of rain, and with my informal measuring system not too unlike Will Campbells, we have measured close to 17″ in the Foothills since it all started.

LA has been under a series of watches and warnings since it all started.  Today is being forewarned as the worst of the storm since it all started.  Details of watches/warnings affecting us all via Accuweather are HERE.

At the rate the rain is falling, I may wait for a lull in the activity and check out the ducks and their ponds along the San Gabriel River later this morning if I can make the time to do so.

Sawpit Spillway and drainage area.

San Gabriel River looking south from Encanto Park bridge.

So much for JPL’s prediction earlier this fall for a La Nina winter punctuated with colder and dryer than usual conditions.  The rain that started on Friday has already dumped nearly 9 inches of rain on my corner of LA in the Foothills and looks to be worse. The Folks at the National Weather Service via the good folks at Accuweather has issued a flash flood watch until Thursday morning.  Its been reported there that we can expect more rain this week than we have received any other week in recent years.  How’s that for a La Nina?

In the brief lull from the rain this morning I took a walk along the San Gabriel River near Duarte.  The river is the highest its been in years and appears to be cutting a new channel not unlike what it did after the heavy rains in ’05.  The only critters out this morning were families of ducks in two large ponds that have formed in the river.

Where are your favorite places to enjoy the rain here in the LA area?  What’s your favorite rainy day song?  Enjoy my favorite after the last image.

Looking north from the bridge towards Azusa and Fish Canyons.

I wrote about Joan Whitenack a few weeks ago who heads the Foothill Unity Center for our nice list. Now on to the Foothill Unity Center itself.

The center takes care of folks in the foothill communities of the San Gabriel Valley. Aside from feeding and clothing those families in immediate distress, they also provide other service such as dentist check ups and free haircuts by working with other groups in the SGV.  Events such as the Thanksgiving and Holiday Distribution Parties as well as the Back to School reach into the thousands the number of families they help.

Aside from donations of food, cash and other emergency type supplies they are in need of labor to help in the Monrovia and Pasadena Centers.  That would include not only sorting donations as they arrive, but labor in the warehouses to package the stuff for distribution to those in need. Even those with social working talents are needed to help with preparing files to track what help is best needed for their clients to ensure they get it.

All year long they are in need of food donations, toiletries, packing material and stuff for distribution to their clients. They need cash too to help fund their activities such as transportation and clothing vouchers. This time of year they need help with their Holiday Distribution Event. This year it is to be held on December 19 and 20 at the Ayers Hall in the LA Arboretum with the preparations for the event taking place on the 18th. Volunteers are needed prior to the event to help with wrapping, sorting and decorating. On the days of the event they need adult volunteers to help with the distribution. Finally they need help with tear down on the 21st. For more information on the specifics of where they need help for this event visit their web site HERE.

Help them fulfill their mission statement however you can.

Foothill Unity Center, Inc. envisions a community where. . .

All have their basic needs met, including the need to give
All get the necessary support to become self-sufficient
All are treated with love and dignity … all the time

We provide critical support, in the form of food, clothing, motel vouchers, and referrals/advocacy to our neighbors in crisis. As the need for food brings people to us, we listen to their problems and help them find solutions. We work with other agencies to provide long-term shelter, counseling, medical, educational, employment and spiritual assistance depending on the person’s needs.

In this way, Foothill Unity Center helps people return self-sufficiency. All services are provided with love and dignity, regardless of race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, citizenship, sexual orientation, physical or emotional disabilities or veteran’s status.

If you have someone on your list that has everything, consider making a gift to the Foothill Unity Center in their name this Holiday Season.

For more complete information on the Foothill Unity Center visit their web site.

Monrovia Center: 415 W. Chestnut Ave., Monrovia 91016 Phone: (626) 358-3486 / Fax: (626) 358-8224 Hours: 9:00am – 5:00pm Monday through Friday.

Pasadena Center: 191 N. Oak Ave., Pasadena 91107 Phone: (626) 584-7420 / Fax: (626) 584-7422 Hours: 9:00am – 5:00pm Monday through Friday.

Westboro Baptist Church arrives in LA to Spread Hate for the Holidays

If you were planning on attending “The Laramie Project” a play memorializing the tragic hate killing of Matthew Shepard several years ago be prepared to meet protesters from the Westboro church.  ABC7 has a news clip HERE. The production company, Mechanicals Theatre Group, is prepared and has a plan in place to counter the group.

They ask that you wear a Yellow Ribbon, such as worn at Matthew Shepard’s murder trial all those years ago, in peaceful response to the protesters from this so called church.  Full official statement here from their web site HERE.

Don’t you just “love” them abusing their freedoms of religion and speech to spread a message of hate during the holidays?