La Salle Alumnus Battling Cancer Looks Forward to Benefit Concert Tonight (Sierra Madre Patch article)

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La Salle Alumnus Battling Cancer Looks Forward to Benefit Concert Tonight

Several friends and family have organized a benefit art concert to help the 23-year-old, who was diagnosed with cancer last October without health insurance

By Justin Chapman, Sierra Madre Patch, 2/26/2011

Although Gino Buccola has been struggling with an unfortunate tragedy since Oct. 22 when he was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a cancer that grew from a tumor on his neck, he has received nothing but undying support from family, co-workers, former classmates at , and friends, some of whom have organized a benefit art concert, which will take place Saturday night, to raise money for his mounting medical bills.

Buccola, who spent weeks in and out of the hospital at his own expense, got a job last February as a production assistant at TVG Network, one of the largest horse racing television networks that is headquartered in Santa Monica. His career goal is to be a horse race analyst on television.

But since he worked part-time he never received health insurance benefits from that company. He is now on his parent's health insurance but that was finalized after the surgery, diagnosis, and treatment.

He told Patch that "there's no retroactive coverage" since his diagnosis and treatment happened before he got on his parent's health insurance. "I didn't have insurance for ten months, and that was the worst part. That's when I went through all the chemo and treatments, during that short period."

According to Buccola's sister, Chanel, he has undergone five rounds of chemotherapy at City of Hope in Duarte, but his doctors have temporarily stopped treatment because they are optimistic about his progress. In the meantime, unfortunately, Buccola and his family have to pay for that expensive treatment out of their own pockets.

"(His specific cancer) is very curable and the doctors are very optimistic about it," Chanel told Patch. "They really like how he's responding to the treatment at the moment, and he's looking good right now. Although he still has little nodes inside that they still have to clear up, the neck tumor has decreased massively."

Buccola was living in an apartment in Pasadena until he was diagnosed, at which point he moved back in with his family in Temple City. He has also slowly started getting back to work in the past couple weeks, and tries to maintain a positive attitude.

"He knew he had to have a positive attitude to get through this," said Chanel. "He's been getting a lot of support from lots of different people, from friends to La Salle classmates to co-workers at the racetrack. The support has really boosted his spirits. He definitely has his tough days but he tries to maintain a positive attitude."

Indeed, despite the horrific series of events that Buccola has had to endure the past few months, he acknowledges that the situation is getting better.

"The first month was the worst," he said. "After that I thought it was going to be bad. I lost my hair, I lost my car, I lost my apartment. Not being able to do every day activities, that was rough. But as it goes on it's been getting better. My doctors say things are getting better and I've met a whole bunch of people who have supported me and held fundraisers to help me."

The type of cancer that Buccola developed, Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, at such a young age can most definitely be fatal if not treated properly. The cancer cells move very rapidly, as they did with Buccola, which he described as "very very scary." However, he feels he has received as much as support as can be expected and he's overwhelmed by the number of people who have reached out to him to offer a helping hand.

"I'm absolutely getting the support I need (emotionally and psychologically)," he said. "This is the third or fourth fundraiser they've had for me. My parents always made sure someone stayed the night with me when I was in the hospital, and my girlfriend has also been very supportive."

Buccola's ultimate passion, however, is horse racing. Since mid-January he has held partial ownership of a horse that the main owner, Mark Verge, and its trainer, Doug O'Neill, decided to name after him in early January: "Fight on Gino," a three-year-old Gelding out of Moscow Ballet will be ready to race at Santa Anita Park in a couple of weeks, according to Buccola.

Jenny Luna, a former classmate of Buccola's who performed in and worked on plays with him in La Salle's theatre department, helped organize Saturday's benefit concert.

"The goal of the benefit is to raise money for Gino, but it's also a community awareness event," said Luna. "We're trying to make it as cool and fun as possible, but also very La Salle-based, especially people who know Gino, so that we can create awareness of his condition and so people can start talking and maybe go to other events. We just want to raise money for him and his family because his situation sucks. And we want him alive."

Luna expects a good-sized crowd at Saturday's benefit and hopes it will be a big success. There has been a lot of outreach to the La Salle community to gather support for this important event. Most of the art that will be auctioned off was donated by students, faculty, and staff from La Salle. Luna said that the theatre department has been instrumental in making this event possible.

"The theatre department is really what's making this whole thing happen," she said. "They've donated money, space, lighting, and food."

The benefit concert takes place Saturday from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the St. James Methodist Church, and will include performances from Nick Guarna and Joey Cleveland, Adam Barnes, Jenny Luna, Sam Broderick, and Eddie Trager and Brad Steele, among others. There will be a $5 cover charge and organizers will be accepting donations and auctioning off art pieces and photo prints from Barnes, Jessica Luna, Alyssa Stefek, and more. Food and drinks will also be available for purchase. Any artists of all stripes are welcome to participate in the event. All proceeds will benefit Buccola's medical bills fund.

Then on March 24 another benefit is being held to celebrate Buccola's 24th birthday. The party and fundraiser will take place at Santa Anita Park from 1 to 5 p.m. There will be a cost of $10.50 per person for admission, parking and a race program. The party will be held at on the 5th floor with a $10 cover. All proceeds from this event will also benefit Buccola's fund.



Horse-Owner Battling Cancer Looks Forward to Saturday Benefit Concert (Arcadia Patch article)

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Horse-Owner Battling Cancer Looks Forward to Saturday Benefit Concert

Gino Buccola, a 23-year-old Santa Anita Park regular, was diagnosed with cancer last October without health insurance

By Justin Chapman, Arcadia Patch, 2/26/2011

Although Gino Buccola has been struggling with an unfortunate tragedy since Oct. 22 when he was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a cancer that grew from a tumor on his neck, he has received nothing but undying support from family, co-workers, former classmates at , and friends, some of whom have organized a benefit art concert, which will take place Saturday night, to raise money for his mounting medical bills.

Buccola, who spent weeks in and out of the hospital at his own expense, got a job last February as a production assistant at TVG Network, one of the largest horse racing television networks that is headquartered in Santa Monica. His career goal is to be a horse race analyst on television.

But since he worked part-time he never received health insurance benefits from that company. He is now on his parent's health insurance but that was finalized after the surgery, diagnosis, and treatment.

He told Patch that "there's no retroactive coverage" since his diagnosis and treatment happened before he got on his parent's health insurance. "I didn't have insurance for ten months, and that was the worst part. That's when I went through all the chemo and treatments, during that short period."

According to Buccola's sister, Chanel, he has undergone five rounds of chemotherapy at City of Hope in Duarte, but his doctors have temporarily stopped treatment because they are optimistic about his progress. In the meantime, unfortunately, Buccola and his family have to pay for that expensive treatment out of their own pockets.

"(His specific cancer) is very curable and the doctors are very optimistic about it," Chanel told Patch. "They really like how he's responding to the treatment at the moment, and he's looking good right now. Although he still has little nodes inside that they still have to clear up, the neck tumor has decreased massively."

Buccola was living in an apartment in Pasadena until he was diagnosed, at which point he moved back in with his family in Temple City. He has also slowly started getting back to work in the past couple weeks, and tries to maintain a positive attitude.

"He knew he had to have a positive attitude to get through this," said Chanel. "He's been getting a lot of support from lots of different people, from friends to La Salle classmates to co-workers at the racetrack. The support has really boosted his spirits. He definitely has his tough days but he tries to maintain a positive attitude."

Indeed, despite the horrific series of events that Buccola has had to endure the past few months, he acknowledges that the situation is getting better.

"The first month was the worst," he said. "After that I thought it was going to be bad. I lost my hair, I lost my car, I lost my apartment. Not being able to do every day activities, that was rough. But as it goes on it's been getting better. My doctors say things are getting better and I've met a whole bunch of people who have supported me and held fundraisers to help me."

The type of cancer that Buccola developed, Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, at such a young age can most definitely be fatal if not treated properly. The cancer cells move very rapidly, as they did with Buccola, which he described as "very very scary." However, he feels he has received as much as support as can be expected and he's overwhelmed by the number of people who have reached out to him to offer a helping hand.

"I'm absolutely getting the support I need (emotionally and psychologically)," he said. "This is the third or fourth fundraiser they've had for me. My parents always made sure someone stayed the night with me when I was in the hospital, and my girlfriend has also been very supportive."

Buccola's ultimate passion, however, is horse racing. Since mid-January he has held partial ownership of a horse that the main owner, Mark Verge, and its trainer, Doug O'Neill, decided to name after him in early January: "Fight on Gino," a three-year-old Gelding out of Moscow Ballet will be ready to race at Santa Anita Park in a couple of weeks, according to Buccola.

Jenny Luna, a former classmate of Buccola's who performed in and worked on plays with him in La Salle's theatre department, helped organize Saturday's benefit concert.

"The goal of the benefit is to raise money for Gino, but it's also a community awareness event," said Luna. "We're trying to make it as cool and fun as possible, but also very La Salle-based, especially people who know Gino, so that we can create awareness of his condition and so people can start talking and maybe go to other events. We just want to raise money for him and his family because his situation sucks. And we want him alive."

Luna expects a good-sized crowd at Saturday's benefit and hopes it will be a big success. There has been a lot of outreach to the La Salle community to gather support for this important event. Most of the art that will be auctioned off was donated by students, faculty, and staff from La Salle. Luna said that the theatre department has been instrumental in making this event possible.

"The theatre department is really what's making this whole thing happen," she said. "They've donated money, space, lighting, and food."

The benefit concert takes place Saturday from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the St. James Methodist Church, and will include performances from Nick Guarna and Joey Cleveland, Adam Barnes, Jenny Luna, Sam Broderick, and Eddie Trager and Brad Steele, among others. There will be a $5 cover charge and organizers will be accepting donations and auctioning off art pieces and photo prints from Barnes, Jessica Luna, Alyssa Stefek, and more. Food and drinks will also be available for purchase. Any artists of all stripes are welcome to participate in the event. All proceeds will benefit Buccola's medical bills fund.

Then on March 24 another benefit is being held to celebrate Buccola's 24th birthday. The party and fundraiser will take place at Santa Anita Park from 1 to 5 p.m. There will be a cost of $10.50 per person for admission, parking and a race program. The party will be held at on the 5th floor with a $10 cover. All proceeds from this event will also benefit Buccola's fund.



Officials Say Rubio Canyon Wall Will Finally Be Removed Within a Week (Altadena Patch article)

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Officials Say Rubio Canyon Wall Will Finally Be Removed Within a Week

The illegally built wall in the Rubio Canyon streambed that neighbors and activists said could cause damage to infrastructure will finally be removed in about a week or so, according to county and state officials

By Justin Chapman, Altadena Patch, 2/18/2011

The seemingly never ending saga of the illegally built wall in the streambed at the bottom of Rubio Canyon may be nearing an end, according to county and state officials, after the homeowners worked out a mitigation plan with LA County Public Works and the California Department of Fish and Game.
Months after the county issued a stop-work order to Moninder and Ruchi Birdi for building a 10-foot retaining wall in the Rubio Canyon streambed in September, the wall and all the tools used to build it remain to this day. This has had many Altadenans concerned, especially in the midst of winter and a storm on the way this weekend.
That stream, located just north of where Rubio Canyon Road turns into East Loma Alta Drive, is what's called a blue-line stream. It has certain legal standing and even if you own the property, as the Birdi's do, you cannot do work on it. Essentially it is undevelopable land.
After submitting a mitigation plan to the county and Fish and Game, the Birdi's promised to remove the wall about a week or so from now. The exact date of the wall's removal, however, depends on the weather, according to state regulations.
"Part of the stipulation is that (Moninder Birdi) can't (remove the wall) when it's raining or about to rain," said Andrew Hughan, Public Information Officer for Fish and Game. "It's about to rain so he might wait until the weather subdues a little bit. Once he removes the wall he has seven days to submit to our department what's called a 'Final Wall Demolition and Debris and Removal Plan.' He's good to go as far as we're concerned to take the wall down, and once he's done and submits the plan, we'll be happy."
Mitch Miller of county Public Works reiterated that the Birdi's received approval from Fish and Game to remove the wall, as well as the county's blessing.
"The county issued its permit to the Birdi's a month ago," said Miller. "The removal of the wall should start within the next week or so."
As Patch in November, officials from Public Works claimed that the wall was supposed to be removed three months ago. The delay comes to no surprise to some local activists, such as Paul Ayers, staff counsel of the Save the Altadena Trails nonprofit organization, who said at the time he was doubtful that the county would even do anything about the situation.
"They should have regulatory agencies swarming all over them," Ayers . "Unfortunately my experience is the county won't do anything. At the end of the day what usually happens is there's some kind of casualty and there's a lawsuit."
Ayers added that he doesn't think the Birdi's are bad people intentionally working against the public interest; they were just ignorant about the rules they were violating.
"I would like to think the county will do something about this, but you really have to rattle favors at them to get anything done," Ayers said.
The Birdi's had hired workers that, according to Moninder Birdi, misinterpreted his instructions by grading the streambed and building the stone wall in a position that could divert the entire stream to the east, potentially causing untold property damage during the rainy season to local neighbors and infrastructure and pipes that connect to mains that run into Pasadena, which are owned by the Rubio Canyon Land and Water Association.
The property, which includes the Birdi's home and an old octagonal building that once was a Boy Scout facility and the gateway to Camp Huntington before the bridge and dam to the south were built, is still littered with tools, wheelbarrows and other equipment surrounding that building.
"(Mr. Birdi) was cited for the stream abatement thing, and late last year I looked at this issue and if I remember right the homeowner was stuck between county and state regulations," said Hughan in response to why the removal of the wall has taken longer than initially expected by all parties involved. "This homeowner put up the wall and now he has to take it down. He's had to go back and forth with county agencies and the state several times. Our biologist is well aware of the situation now, and she's going to be keeping an eye on it more carefully now that a schedule has been set."













Murder Trial for 2007 Altadena Shooting to Begin in March (Altadena Patch article)

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Murder Trial for 2007 Altadena Shooting to Begin in March

Although her partner has already changed her plea to guilty, Mesha Arshaz Dean maintains that she shot and killed 32-year-old Monroe Miles in Altadena out of self-defense almost four years ago

By Justin Chapman, Altadena Patch, 2/11/2011

It's been almost four years since a 22-year-old woman's attempt to take back custody of her child led to her friend allegedly shooting a 32-year-old Altadena resident, and the trial is set to begin at last.
Mesha Arshaz Dean, now 26,  stands accused of shooting and killing Monroe Miles, 32, after she and Vanessa Marie Ochoa attempted to take Ochoa's child from his father's home in Altadena.  
Monroe Miles, the child's uncle, was chasing after the two women and attempting to stop them by force.  According to Dean's attorney, she plans to argue she shot Miles in self-defense as he was hitting her and trying to impede their escape.
Last Wednesday Dean appeared in LA Superior Court for a trial date scheduling and readiness hearing.  
Though Dean's fate is still up in the air, Ochoa has already accepted responsibility for the events of that day.
Though she originally pleaded not guilty, she changed her plea on May 20, 2010, to guilty on all three counts that they have both been charged with: kidnapping, endangering the life of a child, and murder. She will receive 14 years and four months in state prison when she is sentenced March 9, according to court documents.
Dean, though,  is the one who admittedly pulled the trigger that day, though she maintains that she did so out of self-defense. She will go to trial March 22, about a week after Ochoa has been sentenced and locked up. They are both currently being housed in the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood.
Though the relationship between Dean and Ochoa is not explicity spelled out in court documents, various media reports have described them as being romantically involved.
So what set this unfortunate chain of events in motion? Court documents indicate that on Sunday, March 18, 2007, Dean and Ochoa arrived at 4023 Canyon Dell Drive in northwest Altadena, the home of Ochoa's 4-year-old child's father, Mark Miles, who has custody of the child and was not home.
The child's grandfather let Ochoa in when she asked to see her son, Manaen Miles. She then grabbed the child and ran outside, where Dean was waiting in the driver's seat of her silver Nissan sedan, holding a loaded gun.
The boy's uncle, Monroe Miles, ran after Ochoa and recognized Dean.  According to later testimony by LA County Sheriff's Department Detective Elizabeth Smith, the boy's father and Monroe's brother, Mark Miles, told her in a conversation on the day of the murder and abduction that several months prior, Dean had shot him. The incident was never reported.
According to Dean, when Monroe saw her in the car, he yelled out, "Is that the bitch who attacked my brother?"
Smith testified at Dean's preliminary hearing that Ochoa tried to bargain with Mark Miles to keep him from reporting Dean to the police.
"Mark told me he refused to tell police who shot him," Smith testified. "Mark told me Vanessa told him he could have custody of (the boy) if he wouldn't tell police Mesha Dean shot him."
But despite that bargaining, the question of how to split custody of the child was never resolved.  During the preliminary hearing, defense attorneys brought up the fact that there was no official court order determining who had the legal right to custody of the child.
Dean told Las Vegas Channel 8 Eyewitness News reporter Alyson McCarthy in a jail interview that she feared for her life as Monroe got into the car after chasing Ochoa and the child out of his house and began punching Dean while Ochoa shielded her son with her own body as she climbed into the vehicle.
 She then admitted that was when she fired the gun at Monroe Miles, but said she thought her life was in danger.
Monroe Miles died about an hour after being shot in the neck and the back of the head. After the shooting occurred, Dean and Ochoa drove the child across state lines to their home in Henderson, Nevada.
They were arrested there a couple days later on March 20, 2007. An Amber Alert went out the night of the shooting, which helped Las Vegas police locate the women and take back the child, who was unharmed.
In her guilty plea, Ochoa also admitted the allegation that Dean was armed during the commission of the crime, as well as the fact that the victim of the kidnapping was under the age of 14 years and "was kidnapped with the intent to permanently deprive the father of custody of that child."
After the child was recovered, he was transferred to the care of his great uncle, Dan Mack, and his wife Sandra, until a family court hearing master requested the child's birth certificate in order to award full custody to his father, Mark Miles, who got his son back about a week later.
Nearly four years later, however, Dean's trial date has just been set. According to her defense attorney, Ed Murphy, this murder case has special circumstances.
"The normal time that a special murder case takes to go to trial is two to three years from the day of the shooting," Murphy told Patch. "So we're about a year late, right? The delay is certainly not a result of the defense requesting postponements. That's for sure."
Court documents indicate that both the original prosecuting attorney, Mary Murray, and the attorney who later replaced her, Tamu Usher, requested extension after extension for a variety of reasons, including waiting for DNA evidence to be analyzed.  In addition, Murphy was involved in several other murder trials that were already taking place.
Murphy estimates that the trial will take about five to six weeks.

How to Comply with Arcadia's Fruit Fly Quarantine (Arcadia Patch article)

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How to Comply with Arcadia's Fruit Fly Quarantine

USDA officials say processing homegrown fruits and signing compliance agreements are the best tools to ending the Oriental Fruit Fly quarantine, which includes Arcadia

By Justin Chapman, Arcadia Patch, 1/18/2011

A little-known fruit fly quarantine in the Arcadia area and beyond is restricting the ability of local produce exchanges and farmer's markets to freely exchange citrus fruits grown in the area.
Officials from the US Department of Agriculture gave a presentation in Altadena last week on the Oriental Fruit Fly (OFF) quarantine area, which includes Arcadia.
The Oriental Fruit Fly poses no human health risk, meaning you can eat your own fruits without any threat to your health. 
However, it can be very damaging to homegrown fruits, so the USDA prohibits fruit that could be infested by fruit fly larva to be moved within or out of the area.
That means fruit cannot be shared even among neighbors, unless it has been treated, fumigated, or processed.
So what does that mean for fruit growers who want to avoid the use of pesticides?
Basically, you have to process it. Any method you can think of to use fruit that isn't eating it raw right off the tree would qualify.
According to USDA Plant Health Safeguarding Specialist Ernesto Marines, who gave the presentation, "processing can include freezing, juicing, dehydration, puréeing, or cooking the host material."
He added that processing is the best option for residents who want to share their locally grown fruits as long as the method used ensures that the life cycle of the fruit flies ends.
"Pre-harvest treatments require the use of pesticides, which most people don't want to use, and that's fantastic," Marines said. "Post-harvest treatments are too expensive and not economically viable."
The quarantine was declared Aug. 5, 2010, and is expected to end May 23, though that is only a target date and is flexible depending on whether more fruit flies are detected. The quarantine area totals 89 square miles.
The quarantine was issued after seven adult flies were detected on Sept. 20, 2010. Marines said three of the flies were female, and two of those had mated. The best way to combat the Oriental Fruit Fly, said Marines, is to sign compliance agreements with USDA so officials can better monitor the situation in the quarantine area.
The compliance agreements not only apply to residents, but also farmer's markets, nurseries, grocery stores, yard maintenance, and any entity or business that grows or sells host material.
"It's beneficial for growers, harvesters, and businesses to enter into compliance agreements with us," said Marines. "That way you can be informed about the situation sooner.
"The earlier you're informed, the more options you have under our regulations about when and where you can grow, sell, and share," he added. "Compliance agreements are the best means of handling this kind of situation. It's a tool of convenience."
Kristin Petherbridge of RIPE, an Altadena based produce co-operativce, said she hopes to organize another community meeting in the near future to get more residents and businesses to sign compliance agreements with USDA.
"It was intimidating at first when Ernesto Marines was telling me about the quarantine," said Petherbridge. "I thought this was going to be such a hassle and that we'd have to go through a lot of red tape, but then you get to find out more information and it really just becomes about being educated about what's involved and learning about the proper procedures to comply and then doing it. So I'm not quite as intimidated about it anymore."
Learn more about the Oriental Fruit Fly, the quarantine, and compliance agreements at cdfa.ca.gov.



Danny's Farm Owners Not Giving Up on Goal of Helping Autistic Kids (Altadena Patch article)

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Danny's Farm Owners Not Giving Up on Goal of Helping Autistic Kids

Cathy Gott said the zoning issue that forced Danny's Farm to move to the Almansor Center in South Pasadena will mean they can still help local autistic kids. They are also not ruling out a move back to Altadena

By Justin Chapman, Altadena Patch, 1/12/2011

Although Cathy and Jim Gott are very disappointed that they had to close down their beloved petting zoo and activity center for autistic children this week because of a violation of an L.A. County zoning code, Cathy said this will not stop their mission to serve children with special needs, as well as employ adults with special needs.
The Almansor Center in South Pasadena has already opened its doors to the Gotts' mission by creating a smaller scale of Danny's Farm in terms of what animals will be available there, including bunnies, guinea pigs and even some domestic animals such as cats.
"We're trying to be positive in that at least we have a place to go," said Cathy. "We continue to serve children; it's just at Almansor now.  Thank God we can keep our special needs staff. We're a family, we can stay together, and we are still fulfilling our mission by employing adults with mental problems."
The Gotts have been working over the last few weeks to make the transition as their Altadena farm was being shut down.  The closure of the property was originally reported on Sunday on the Altadenablog.
Gott said that although the animals will be smaller, the location benefits them in terms of the clients they can serve. They can reach out to more children in their goal to address autism.
Even though their Altadena property is a licensed day-care facility and licensed to serve children with autism, the property was never zoned to host the number of animals it had, and likely never will be, according to county officials.
"Danny's Farm, which included a petting zoo, a day care and an activity center, it was not a use that was permitted by the underlying permit, the nonconforming review," said Oscar Gomez, the Supervising Regional Planner with the county Department of Regional Planning. "It was also not listed as permitted by the zone of the property. The zoning is R-1, which is low-density, single-family residential. So you can see how you wouldn't want a petting zoo right next to your backyard."
Although the nonconforming use permit did not allow any activity except boarding horses in stables and giving horseback riding lessons, Gomez said the county worked with the Gotts for a long time to help them find a more suitable place.
And though the Gotts would love to remain in Altadena, they are fully aware that they cannot operate Danny's Farm, which is named after their autistic son, at its original location.
"Regardless of how much money or power or clout or anything of the sort, that property is a nonconforming use site (NCR)," said Cathy. "It can never be altered, and it is only zoned for private equestrian boarding stables and horse riding lessons, and that's it. I'm a fighter. I would get the community together in a heartbeat to save that site for Danny's Farm, but there's nothing to fight for. We have wonderful donors and community support, as well as support from the county and the Department of Disability.  Everyone loves what we were doing, we just can't do it at that spot."
She added that they never wanted to move because they love that spot, and that they've tried every available option, even meeting with Supervisor Michael Antonovich, who she said has been very supportive of their mission since the beginning, almost three years ago.
"Antonovich is very supportive in what we do with our mission," said Cathy. "I'm not angry at the county. They supported us from the beginning; they gave us money and came out on our opening day. They've been wonderful."
So why was Danny's Farm allowed to operate for nearly three years if they were violating a zoning code? Apparently the county was unaware of the violation until a neighbor filed several complaints.
The Gotts then received a cease-and-desist letter last month giving them 30 days to vacate the property. All of the animals that could not be transferred to the Almansor Center have found safe homes where the Gotts can visit them. They hope someday to bring them back to another Altadena location.
"It's just amazing how this has brought such a beautiful part of our community together," said Cathy. "We'd love to someday be in Altadena. There are some Altadena properties that are agriculture and commercial mixed-use sites, but they're occupied by other people. I'm happy to meet with anyone to talk about any kind of possibilities. I'm very open-minded, but right now I didn't have any other choice. We have nowhere else to go in Altadena at the moment." 
The Gotts know the man who filed the complaints and even spoke with him, but they are not angry at him because they now know they were not in compliance.
"I want to do it by the books regardless if someone complains or not," said Cathy. "This was built from our hearts. The Altadena Stables totally embraced us and were very accepting of the population we served and our employees. It's been very positive, and although it's changing, we're going to continue. We're not going to let this stop us. We just have to do it correctly without violating codes."


Karen Klages: Altadena Teacher of the Year (Altadena Patch article)

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Karen Klages: Altadena Teacher of the Year

Long-time music teacher Karen Klages believes music and performing arts are essential to a child's growth as a human being

By Justin Chapman, Altadena Patch, 12/23/2010

Although there were several excellent nominations for our Altadena Teacher of the Year Award from our dear readers, we chose Karen Klages, Pasadena Unified's District Music Specialist, for her long career teaching music to kids at .
While she has spent 20 years at Eliot, her career with PUSD is almost a quarter of a century long. She also teaches music at and Elementaries, but she enjoys the middle school level the best.
"The great thing is by the end of the program we get to see this huge growth spurt in terms of their musical abilities and passion," said Klages. "As a musician I'm still growing, too, of course."
Klages doesn't just teach band at all levels as well as the string program, jazz band and marching band, she also creates an ensemble that marches in local parades and events such as the Black History Parade, the Latino Heritage Parade, the Altadena Arts Council and other events.
"If we get a call, we'll go," she said. "It's important for the kids to get out there in front of people, and if they're feeling shy at first they get over it because they're in a group. And to me that's kind of the beauty of music; it brings them out of themselves and makes them part of a bigger picture, which is huge especially for middle school kids."
While most kids who come into her classroom start from scratch and don't take private lessons, instruments and instruction is provided to them, as well as a venue for these kids to excel. Dillor Zaarour, one of Klages' students, said her teaching method proves she knows what she's doing.
"She teaches by taking one group of students at a time," said Zaarour. "Like she'll take those who play trumpet and work with them, and she does that with each individual group of instrument players. Then we come together as a whole, and it comes together really nice. She does a fabulous job."
Nadine Isenberg, who was among those who nominated Klages and whose daughter was in Klages' class for two years, said Klages is extremely supportive of her students.
"Karen expands what the kids already know how to do," said Isenberg. "If they've already played one instrument, she pushes them to play multiple. That's so wonderful because it broadens their horizons and talents. She also takes them to high schools and gives them an opportunity to march with high school bands. That allows them to see if they want to continue and what their future can hold as far as their music at the next level. Then they're ahead of the game when they start high school."
Klages also helps out other teachers as the District Music Specialist. There are five part time elementary music teachers including Klages, who helps coordinate the music programs and classes. There are about 15 music teachers district wide. Eliot feeds primarily into Muir High and Pasadena High School, so Klages said it's important that they all work together and forge relationships with those high school music teachers.
She said the music program district wide hasn't been hit too hard by budget cuts so far, but she is concerned about the future.
"Last year we lost two music teachers," she said.  "We managed to make most of that cut in our elementary program. But we do a lot of after school stuff and when you're running a middle school program you just have to do that extra stuff. Budget cuts have us all running around more. We're still meeting the kids' needs, it's just we're sweating it more, and making it happen. Though I am worried about this year because they said there will be more cuts, and I don't see where more cuts can be made."
Sandi Holden, a music teacher at and president of that school's PTA, gave a wholehearted second to Klages' nomination for Teacher of the Year because of her professionalism and commitment to her students.
"It's not an easy job," said Holden, who was a former music consultant under Klages. What Karen does is a thankless job sometimes. But she keeps a very steady and chilled out response to whatever negativity comes her way. She keeps a real even keel and forges ahead. I like that about her."
Gene Stevenson, head of the Altadena Arts Council who also nominated Klages, praised her years of great work as well as the opportunities she provides for students to perform for the community.
"As far as I and the board of the Arts Council are concerned, she is the ultimate in what you would expect in an educator," said Stevenson. All three of his children were students of Klages. "I have the utmost respect for her for involving herself and her students in community events and organizations, and utilizing those opportunities to show the community just how creative the students are and how they evolve academically because of the music program."
Klages believes that music, and other performing arts, are critical to a child's development.
"I think performing arts in general, whether it's drama, music, singing, band or orchestra, being a part of a larger thing is incredibly essential for students' growth as human beings," she said. "Especially at this age when everything is so social, this is a way for them to relax a little in this environment and be part of something where we're all working together. And music is so academic. It's so tied to math; when you look at a sheet of music you're solving a problem. Kids that are learning in here, we're helping them with their academics. We don't know whether it's causal, but definitely the kids that are in music programs tend to do better academically, because they learn that focus and discipline."
Stevenson claimed that Klages took the example set down by her mother and has carried on that spirit in her own right as an excellent educator. To Klages, it's all about the children.
"The most rewarding thing for me is watching the kids' progress," said Klages. "Some of them come in here having never touched an instrument, and then to see them when they're playing in high school, it's just great."