Trees

In recent weeks some 30 trees have been cut down in the area on Valley Sun Lane between Hill Street and Cornishon Avenue in preparation for a parking area that has not received required approvals from the city. Parking spaces currenlty run along a fenced area in the alley. On the north side of the fence is a strip of land, then the property slopes downhill toward the 210 Freeway. The parking spaces are reserved for the Foothill Boulevard businesses that run parallel to Valley Sun Lane.

Sometimes the most unique getaways are off the beaten path a bit, and take a little extra effort to find. Such is the case with the Lazy Z Resort, a place well known by the families who have been visiting the resort since it opened in the 1940s, but not such a household name for most people. The Lazy Z is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills — Mark Twain country — where interestingly enough a small town was named after a couple of well-known writers: Twain and Brett Harte.

There are two things La Cañadans take very seriously; sewers and trees. While the first subject is one of debate and oftentimes headache, the latter is one of community pride. For the past decade various sections of the city at various times have dealt with the construction of new sewers. These projects are borne of necessity, however many times the road to improvement is marred with trials and tribulations for local residents. Road closures, dust, dirt and noise fill neighborhoods as construction equipment and workers fill the streets.

Pierre Morillo will pay a $25,000 price for removing three protected Chinese elm trees from his La Cañada Flintridge property without permission, the Planning Commission decided Tuesday night. The commission voted 4-0 to require Morillo to place at least three new protected trees on his St. Katherine Drive property, with the remaining money used to plant trees throughout the city. Commissioner Arun Jain was absent from the meeting. The commission reduced the proposed restitution from $45,000, which a city arborist said is the value of the removed trees.

La Cañadans formed Walk for Hope team On Sunday, Nov. 9, nearly 80 La Cañada residents walked in the City of Hope’s 12th Annual “Walk for Hope” to cure breast cancer. State Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, also from La Cañada, was the keynote speaker, and walked along with the La Cañada team, named “Cheers to Friendship.” The local team raised more than $6,000 for the fight against breast cancer.   Gift program for foster kids underway Friends of Foster Children presents Annual Sugar Plum Tree, where holiday shoppers will have the opportunity to fulfill gift wishes for children in the foster care system by selecting tags listing three wishes off the Sugar Plum Trees, checking them out and returning them with unwrapped gifts to the Sugar Plum Tree tables.

Ten Years Ago A reception was held at Oakmont Country Club in honor of Dr. Mervyn Purdy, who retired after a 50-year career as a physician. For 36 of those years, Purdy was also the La Cañada school district physician. Twenty Years Ago Noel Ryan, 12, won the championship in his age group of the 1990 Pepsi West-L.A. County Parks and Recreation Basketball Parks and Recreation competition. A sixth-grader at La Cañada Elementary School, Ryan defeated a 13-year-old Alhambra boy by 16 points during the finals, held at halftime during a L.A. Clippers game.

Temple Sinai of Glendale will hold its annual Tu B'Shevat Seder and Dinner at 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12, at the temple, 1212 Pacific Ave. The holiday, also known as "New Year for Trees," was originally created as a way of calculating the age of fruit trees. Thus, it is customary to celebrate by enjoying fruits grown in the Holy Land during biblical times, such as figs, grapes, dates and olives. In modern times, Tu B'Shevat has come to symbolize the Jewish commitment to protecting the earth and its bounty.

Students in Nicole MacLennan?s second grade class at Paradise Canyon Elementary School For Earth Day wrote letters pretending that they were the earth and trying to persuade people to take care of them. ? Dear Jack, Plant seeds, help the world. Feed the animals, give them your food, be nice to me. Recycle, don?t, don?t kill me! I made this world please respect me. From, Earth. ? By Dylan, 7 ? Dear Humans, Please take care of me because I?

At about 9 a.m. on Tuesday, November 16, a professionally licensed, bonded, and insured tree service company who has maintained my trees for more than 10 years was pruning 90' tall eucalyptus trees behind my home. They had pruned the same trees in June 1999 and were familiar with them. Every large branch was carefully roped down to ground level. Smaller branches were allowed to fall directly. It was a perfectly planned job. Unfortunately, one small branch ricocheted and fell across the high voltage line knocking out power, as I understand, to all of La Cañada.

The city of La Cañada Flintridge has been a participant of the “Tree City USA” program for approximately 25 years. The city takes pride in preserving and protecting trees because trees provide significant benefits to the community. Consequently, the city has laws protecting certain trees. The tree ordinance is something that the community wanted in order to protect trees, and today, continues to be supported by a majority of citizens. It is the responsibility of property owners to do their due diligence to obtain information on city regulations and to hire qualified licensed contractors or arborists when performing work on protected trees.

Pierre Morillo will pay a $25,000 price for removing three protected Chinese elm trees from his La Cañada Flintridge property without permission, the Planning Commission decided Tuesday night. The commission voted 4-0 to require Morillo to place at least three new protected trees on his St. Katherine Drive property, with the remaining money used to plant trees throughout the city. Commissioner Arun Jain was absent from the meeting. The commission reduced the proposed restitution from $45,000, which a city arborist said is the value of the removed trees.

For La Cañada homeowners used to enjoying backyard-grown oranges and lemons, news of a citrus disease's recent appearance in Hacienda Heights is raising an alarm. The disease, called huanglongbing, or citrus greening, is an incurable bacterial infection that attacks the vascular system of citrus plants, slowly killing them. One infected tree in Hacienda Heights so far is the only documented case of HLB in California. But because its insect carrier, the Asian citrus psyllid, has been in the state since 2008 and Los Angeles since 2009, California Department of Food and Agriculture authorities are being vigilant about its spread.

High winds that scoured the area Friday night were blamed for a small brush fire that was quickly extinguished by firefighters. Heavy gusts first downed a tree, which in turn knocked over a secondary power line at 5212 Jessen Drive, according to Stephanie English, community service representative for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The live wires ignited some dry brush on the hillside behind the home. English said that after Fire Station 19 received a call at 7:08 p.m., eight fire engines, three helicopters and Forest Service crews were deployed to the fire, which was stopped after burning about a quarter of an acre.

A La Cañada Flintridge resident who is facing thousands of dollars in city fines for excessively trimming oaks on his property says the punishment is unfair. _________________________ FOR THE RECORD: This story incorrectly states that Franklin Wang will have to pay a $3,650 fine. In fact, that figure was the city staff's recommendation, and the Planning Commission reduced the fine to $2,000. _________________________ The Planning Commission on Tuesday held Franklin Wang responsible for hiring a pruning service not approved by the city, and for over-pruning six coastal live oak trees, a species protected by city ordinance.

A program that helps teens learn about the inner workings of democracy will benefit from the proceeds of the annual Christmas tree sale currently underway at the Crescenta-Cañada YMCA. When families arrive at the Y's parking lot to select a freshly-cut fir tree for their living room, they're also supporting the local youth, as proceeds from the annual sale can raise up to $60,000 for the Y's Youth and Government program. Rick Dennis, the Y's executive director, community, said that it costs the 128 members of the Crescenta Cañada delegation $1,100 each to participate in the program, and that the sale is a way for the participants to reduce their out-of-pocket expenses.

When Coco Kleinert drifted asleep to the sound of howling winds at about 2 a.m. Thursday, she was still expecting the upcoming workday to unfold as usual. But when she awoke four hours later, she realized she would not be going to her office that morning, as a massive tree uprooted by the storm had fallen across the road, blocking the only exit from her cozy neighborhood. “My roommate thought she heard [the tree fall] at 5, but there was constant noise all night,” Kleinert said.

For La Cañada Flintridge residents wondering what do with that downed tree in the yard, the city has posted a Wind Storm Update on their website . For downed city trees or private trees that are blocking a public right-of-way (like a street or sidewalk), contact the city's Public Works Department at (818) 790-8882. For downed private trees on private property, the city has asked residents to contact a local tree service company for assistance. -- Daniel Siegal , Times Community News Twitter: @ValleySunDan

La Cañada Girl Scout Troop 5881 will be kicking off the holiday season at the 17th annual Christmas tree lighting today at Glenola Park, from 6:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Scouts will be singing Christmas Carols, and canned or nonperishable food will be collected for a food drive Glenola Park is located at the intersection of Angeles Crest Highway and Vista Del Valle Lane. For more information, contact Martha Likins at liknsmartha@hotmail.com --  Daniel Siegal , Times Community News Twitter:  @ValleySunDan

Really? The Planning Commission cannot give a variance to the tree ordinance? When real property damage exists, a resident should not have to incur the expense of appeals simply to get someone to use common sense. City Council, are you listening? It is time to bring some sanity to our tree ordinance, which has been overly burdensome for years. Carolyn Stradling La Cañada Flintridge