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Holiday Tree Lighting in MacDonald Park
Vol. 24, No. 1 Spr ing 201 1 March– May 201 1
On December 5th we had our first tree decorat-
ing and lighting ceremony in MacDonald Park. Bun-
galow Heaven residents were encouraged to bring a
hand made ornament and an unwrapped toy, both for
donation. There were cookies and hot cider for every-
one to enjoy. Before the official lighting of the Christ-
mas tree we had a very special guest show up. It was
none other than Santa himself. He sat with the chil-
dren and made sure to listen to each and every one of
their Christmas wishes. Carols were sung by all and as
the sun began to set, and the rain began to gently fall,
the lights on the tree were turned on.
Now you may be thinking, how can we have a
decorated, lit up Christmas tree in MacDonald park?
After the event was over, several of the organizers
drove the tree, decorations, lights and all to Union Sta-
tion Homeless Family Shelter at 825 E. Orange Grove
Boulevard to sit for the rest of the holiday in their din-
ning room. Several of the children who lived there
greeted the tree with much enthusiasm.
The donated toys were taken to Toys for Tots.
In all 72 toys were donated. Next year the toy dona-
tion will be going to the Union Station Homeless Fam-
ily Shelter.
Article by Molly Marchetti, Photos by Andrea Townsend & Jim Staub
Bungalow Heaven Fights back
Bungalow Heaven has had an overwhelming number
of burglaries since the beginning of the year. Thanks to our
neighborhood watch and some observant residents the police
have actually caught some of the perpetrators. Despite that,
our continued vigilance is needed every day to keep our
neighborhood and the residents safe.
It cannot be stressed enough that if you see anything
or anyone suspicious please call the police department (626-
744-4545 –put it in your cell phone), not 911 unless reporting
an actual crime.
If you are a Bungalow Heaven resident, you can join
the moderated Neighborhood Watch of Bungalow Heaven page
on Facebook. You can also become involved in the Neighbor-
hood Watch organization of Bungalow Heaven by contacting
Scott Hardin at [email protected]/ or Kristy Clougherty
at [email protected]/794-9200.
Here are some helpful tips for keeping your house intruder free.
(As well as the ones on page three.):
If someone comes to your house and says they are
selling alarm systems, do not say that you don’t have
one, say that you are happy with the one that you
have.
Keep a camera (cheap) by the front door. If anyone
who comes to your door doesn’t seem legitimate snap
a picture. Also if you see a suspicious looking car
get a shot of their license plate. You may never use
it, but if you need it, you’ll be glad to have it.
There is a crime map on the Pasadena Police depart-
ment’s home page, check it out to see where and
when crime has been happening.
When you call to report anything suspicious ask for
an incident number.
If you don’t want people coming to your door to sell
you anything, put a sign in your window saying “No
Solicitors, you will be photographed”.
If you are going out of town let your neighbors know
in case they see anything suspicious during the time
you are gone. Also if you are having workers come
to your house, it’s good to tell your neighbors. A lot
of burglaries are performed by individuals posing as
people working on a house.
Do not call 911 from your cell phone even if report-
ing a crime. Call towers near a freeway will auto-
matically reroute your 911 call to CHP.
2
Upcoming Local Events MARCH
Whale Watching Cruises-Gray Whale Migration
309 Palm Street, Newport Beach, CA 92661
Saturday March 18, 2011 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm
This event repeats daily until May 15, 2011
Cost: Payment required - $15 Per Person
The California Gray Whale makes the most spectacular and
longest mass migration of any marine mammal. Tens of thou-
sands of gray whales migrate annually along the Orange
County coast from the months of December through April.
Multiple whale watching cruises daily to view these giants.
Photographic Interpretation of Mudbound
by Hillary Jordan: the 2011 One City, One Story Exhibits on view throughout the current month,
during library hours.
Pasadena Central Library
285 E Walnut Street
Pasadena, CA 91101
http://www.pasadenapubliclibrary.net/ All Ages - Free
Created by Michael Kluch's Pasadena High School students
Sponsored by Samy's Cameras
APRIL
22nd Annual Bungalow Heaven Home Tour
Sunday April 10, 2011 10:00 am-4:00 pm
McDonald Park / Around Bungalow Heaven
[email protected]/www.bungalowheaven.org
Films at the Library: Ladies in Lavender Wednesday, February 16, 2011 at 1:00 - 4:00 p.m FREE
Pasadena Central Library, 285 E. Walnut Street,Pasadena
626-744-4066 http://www.pasadenapubliclibrary.net
It's 1936, and two sisters, Janet and Ursula Widdington
(Maggie Smith and Judi Dench), are at their beach house in
Cornwall for some rest and relaxation. But their idyll is inter-
rupted when they chance upon a mystery man awash on the
beach and decide to nurse him back to health. Turns out he's
Andrea (Daniel Bruhl), a violinist who was bound for Amer-
ica when his ship encountered trouble. Before long, he takes
the quiet fishing village by storm.
MAY
Pasadena Marathon May 15, 2011
Sponsored by Kaiser Permanente
Cost to participate varies, Spectators are FREE
http://www.pasadenamarathon.org/(626) 797-7238
Start and Finish at Pasadena City College
1570 East Colorado Boulevard
Pasadena, CA 91106
Start Times: Bike Tour - 5:45 a.m.,
Marathon - 6:30 a.m., Half Marathon - 6:30 a.m.
10K - 7:30 a.m., 5K - 7:30 a.m.
1K Wheelchair Stroll - 8:00 a.m.
1K / 0.5K Kids Run - 9:00 a.m.
Crime Watch Below is a reprint from the email news of some helpful tips about
making your home less of a target.
3
12 THINGS YOUR BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU:
1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window
to make my return a little easier.
3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste ... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always
make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.
4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes
you to remove it.
5. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see that it’s not set. That
makes it too easy.
6. Security companies alarm the window over the sink and the windows on the second floor. When they don’t, it means easy access to the
master bedroom and your jewelry. Not to mention that most people don’t put motion detectors on the second floor either.
7. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door-understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day
off because of bad weather.
8. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)
9. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.
10. Helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.
11. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with
me.
12. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town,
you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.com.)
8 MORE THINGS A BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU:
1. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.
2. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.
3. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to
hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.
4. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?
5. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or
walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.
6. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.
7. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation.
8. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.
Home Tour is Coming April 10, 2011
Spring is fast approaching, so here are some tips
to maintain a flourishing garden:
1) Prepare for Pasadena's likely ten day ban on outdoor
watering. It is scheduled to take place from March 18 to 27
as the Metropolitan Water District upgrades a treatment
plant in La Verne. To prepare, you should thoroughly water
your outdoor plants in the days leading up to the ban; Pasa-
dena Water and Power will be waiving water restrictions
the week of March 11 to 17 to facilitate this.
2) It’s time to plant tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, peppers
and eggplants! Make sure that you plant them so that they
get eight hours or more of sun. Keep an eye out for pow-
dery mildew, a particularly damaging fungal disease, which
often appears as white spots on the leaves.
3) If you are looking to lower your water bill, consider tear-
ing out grass and replacing it with succulent landscaping.
Metropolitan Water & Power is offering homeowners $1
per square foot of lawn removed as an added incentive. For
more information, visit socalwatersmart.com.
By Molly Marchetti
Keeping the annual Bungalow Heaven Home Tour
fresh and yet historical after 22 years can be a bit of a challenge,
but directors Mary Gandsey and Rosemary Hyde have done just
that. They’ve not only managed to bring back the Living His-
tory house, one of the homes on the tour with live actors por-
traying people of the time period in which it was built (in this
case 1912), they’ve added a twist: the actors will be portraying
life in that house during the 1950s.
Another great addition to this year’s tour will be the
return of the garden tour by Elizabeth Neaves. There will be a
small additional fee of $5 for her lectures, but anyone who’s
attended one in the past can tell you it is well worth it. She will
speak about front yards, historic landscaping brought into the
present with a focus on conservation. There will only be two
one hour lectures so be sure to sign up in the park as soon as you
get there.
For you architectural fans out there, two of the houses
on the tour are ones designed by Norman Foote Marsh, famed
architect of many churches in Southern California, Pasadena
High School and co-designer of the city of Venice California.
Another return for the tour is the donated cookies and
flowers. Some of you may not know that all of the cookies on
the tour are baked by Bungalow Heaven residents and all of the
flowers are taken (with permission of course) from Bungalow
Heaven yards. Ellen Lamel arranges all of the flowers with a
few assistants but can always use more gardens to choose from.
You may think that you don’t have anything bouquet worthy in
your front yard, but Ellen is very creative and needs more than
just flowers. If you would like to volunteer your yard for flow-
ers/foliage email her at: [email protected] or call her at:
398-0850. If you would like to bake cookies for the tour contact
Lisa Storrie Lombardi at: [email protected] or call her at: 791-
4206. There are many ways to volunteer and the Home Tour’s
success depends on the volunteers, so please help out. You can
find out how to volunteer by contacting Mary Gandsey: 797-
3090 or Rosemary Hyde: 345-1421 or email home-
4
Spring Gardening Tips
By Dan Allen
Last year’s Living History Home owners Glenn & Sharon
Pictured: Dan Allen & Julia Hejl and their raised bed garden
Longfellow Elementary: It takes a Community
5
It comes as no surprise that the public schools in
Pasadena struggle with budget cuts and the effect of losing
Measure CC. But what many may not know is how this affects
the students directly and what is being done to counteract the
fact that schools are working with less.
Longfellow Elementary is one of three schools that
are home to Bungalow Heaven residents. Surprisingly, since
the cuts, many important factors have remained the same. Stu-
dents continue to receive the same high curriculum standards
with highly qualified, dedicated teachers. The school utilizes
several best practices including Independent Learning Plans
(ILP’s) for each student and data driven instruction. Students
thrive in a warm, engaging environment and all in combination
have led to increased test scores and more so happy, successful
children.
However, it is a fact that the number one set back to
budget cuts is having fewer adults present. Curriculum is the
same, but the challenge for teachers is maintaining focus on
student needs with having more students in the same period of
time. Adding fuel to the fire, staff reductions in 2010 included
several classroom teachers, resource teachers, and aides hitting
student teacher ratios hard.
At Longfellow this is where volunteers play a role.
Many parents and community members, some located here in
Bungalow Heaven, spend hours at the school tutoring, provid-
ing additional math and science programs, hosting book clubs,
small writing groups, supplemental art lessons, organized
sports and games, teacher support groups, Library projects,
computer resources, and simply being in the classroom to help
teachers. These types of activities tremendously help teachers
and students with enrichment and creative time management.
With further cuts looming it is critical that schools
continue to solicit help from the community. The possibili-
ties of what one can give are almost endless. Are you a mu-
sician, a cook, enjoy reading, writing, history, science, gar-
dening? Did you know that Longfellow has 8 new raised
garden beds, a room stocked and ready for science lessons,
a fully functional and only partially utilized computer lab,
Cabinets full of art supplies, a closet full of musical instru-
ments and on and on it goes. Please consider taking a tour
or better yet, giving a bit of your time to help Longfellow
live up to it’s potential. Contact the school directly for a
glimpse of great things to come.
Longfellow Elementary,
1065 E Washington Blvd,
Pasadena CA 91104,
626-396-5720
By Kristy Clougherty
Haiku Contest Winners
Our winners of the Spring Haiku contest are :
Mike Townsend & Laura Ratliff.
Congratulations Mike and Laura!
Here are Mike’s and Laura’s winning entries:
Untitled
By Mike Townsend
Bungalow Heaven
A suburban fantasy
Still preserved in time
“California Spring”
By Laura Ratliff
Flowers blossoming,
Plants and trees are bearing fruit
It’s February!
