NEWS
By Sara Cardine, sara.cardine@latimes.com | March 20, 2014
Last week, as City Hall went about its business, two elected officials took that business to the nation's capital, representing La Cañada in the National League of Cities (NLC) Conference in Washington, D.C. The annual event allows some 1,500 local representatives to network and speak to members of Congress and heads of federal agencies about issues relevant to their communities. This year, City Council member Dave Spence and Mayor Pro Tem Mike Davitt headed to the Hill to seek ideas and relationships that could be of local benefit.
NEWS
By Joe Puglia | November 13, 2013
Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition - the moratorium is over! After two months of staying mum due to the school board elections, I can finally write my wife's name, Kaitzer. I write these columns looking for the yin and yang of an issue; it brings humor to the story. Kaitzer is definitely the yang. During the campaign there was a lot of humor about the yang. The ancients believed the world was divided in half: man and woman. The gods and goddesses kept the world stable bringing harmony when they were in balance.
NEWS
October 24, 2013
I was a bit disappointed to see Rex Nishimura's letter published this week . He begins by acknowledging that the school board election is fundamentally a nonpartisan race. The text of his letter further demonstrates his understanding of the nonpartisan nature of this election. However, by innuendo and what he no doubt considers to be clever semantics, he then makes clear the political affiliation of a candidate of whom he disapproves. I am actually grateful to Nishimura for reinforcing my decision to vote for Dan Jeffries: It's not so much that I agree with his political affiliation, not relevant in this election, but that Nishimura's candidate, Kevork Kurdoghlian, is encumbered by unethical supporters.
NEWS
By Carol Cormaci | May 8, 2013
It had been some time since we'd visited the Target store near Vroman's in Pasadena, so after a casual dinner the other night here at Magpie's, my husband and I ventured across the Arroyo in hunt of some bargains. Some might not call that a date night, but coming home carrying treasures like my new Mossimo ballet flats (only $12!) is the best kind of aphrodisiac known to this woman. Our arms were quite literally filled because we forgot to take any cloth grocery bags into the store with us, and because it is located in Pasadena, this particular Target does not package purchased items in plastic bags anymore.
NEWS
By Daniel Siegal, daniel.siegal@latimes.com | December 12, 2012
Anthony Portantino, who for the past six years has represented La Cañada Flintridge in the state Assembly, enters this holiday season with a new task: Figure out what to do next. Portantino's job ended officially on Dec. 1, when the new legislative year began. Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D- Silver Lake) now represents La Cañada, while new Assemblyman Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) represents other parts of Portantino's old district. At Zeli Coffee Bar in La Cañada on Tuesday, Portantino said that with his mother in his native New Jersey facing declining health and his youngest daughter, Bella, growing up, he's grateful for the chance to step back.
NEWS
By Joe Piasecki, joe.piasecki@latimes.com | March 30, 2011
If the state Legislature were a high school cafeteria, you wouldn’t find Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D- La Cañada Flintridge) sitting with the popular kids. But that’s just fine by him. During his five years in Sacramento, Portantino — now fundraising for a congressional bid in 2012 — has clashed with the Assembly’s Democratic leadership on a number of occasions. When many Democrats cried foul over legislative pay cuts ordered by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Portantino argued lawmakers should also give up their state-provided cars.
NEWS
By Joe Piasecki, joe.piasecki@latimes.com | February 22, 2011
Support from vast friend networks has always been an asset to those seeking political office. For the first time in the history of La Cañada Flintridge elections, Facebook friends count too. Four of the seven City Council candidates in the March 8 election are using the popular social networking site to communicate with potential voters, posting notices about upcoming events, photos from the campaign trail and even newspaper coverage of...
NEWS
By Joe Piasecki, joe.piasecki@latimes.com | February 11, 2011
Jacqueline Harris would like to have a word with you. Since announcing her bid for City Council last year, the longtime volunteer Girl Scouts leader, mother of three and 19-year La Cañada Flintridge resident has worked to build a grassroots campaign one conversation at a time. Foregoing the usual campaign signs, mailers, ballot statements and fundraising efforts, Harris said she has instead spent her time going door-to-door to more than 2,000 homes. Her effort is one to bring politics back to the people, she explained, believing current council members and city government as a whole have become disconnected from residents.
ENTERTAINMENT
By Joe Piasecki, joe.piasecki@latimes.com | February 9, 2011
Jacqueline Harris would like to have a word with you. Since announcing her bid for City Council last year, the longtime volunteer Girl Scouts leader, mother of three and 19-year La Cañada Flintridge resident has worked to build a grassroots campaign one conversation at a time. Foregoing the usual campaign signs, mailers, ballot statements and fundraising efforts, Harris said she has instead spent her time going door-to-door to more than 2,000 homes. Her effort is one to bring politics back to the people, she explained, believing current council members and city government as a whole have become disconnected from residents.
NEWS
By Joe Piasecki, joe.piasecki@latimes.com | December 15, 2010
Author and syndicated radio talk show host Dennis Prager is one of the better conversationalists you'd ever meet, but he pulls no punches for political correctness' sake. "Ask me anything," he invites during an afternoon meal at Ichiban Japanese Restaurant in La Cañada Flintridge — a favorite dining spot of his since moving here in 2007— handling chopsticks almost as deftly as he articulates deeply conservative politics and confident moral beliefs, relishing food and idea alike.