Chevy Chase Library - Check It Out

Submitted by: Eileen Young

I like to read.  I like convenience.  I like to save money.  How do I combine these three elements?  I use the Chevy Chase branch of the Glendale Public Library.  This hidden gem is in jeopardy of being closed due to the the looming budget crisis.  I am urging the residents of our canyon to use the library, it’s an amazing resource that is being underutilized.  The hours are a bit wonky, but did you know that you can request books online and they will be shipped to that branch?  You can even request books from the Pasadena Library system as well.

I read the book section of the Los Angeles Times and make a list of books I find interesting, then I put them on my library request list and I get an email or phone call alerting me when they are available for pick up.  Visit the library in person or online at http://library.ci.glendale.ca.us .

The library is located at 3301 E Chevy Chase Dr. (818) 548-2046.‎

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Canyon Smog

Submitted by Randall WiseCanyon Resident

‘Tis the season to be jolly Light the fire And hang the holly…

Many of us in the canyon enjoy using our fireplaces in the winter. The glow of a fire is cheery and it warms the soul as well as the house.

But there are several ways we can enjoy this pleasure. We can load up the fireplace with wood and paper or we can use gas logs or we can have gas logs that also efficiently produce heat for the house.

While gas logs are good the best combination is a gas log fireplace with a firebox designed to produce heat for the house. These units are made in various sizes and can be inserted into an existing fireplace. The gas heats the firebox and a fan then circulates air from the room around the hot box returning warm air to the room. Because the box is sealed – typically with a glass front so we can enjoy the fire – warm air from the room is not sucked up the chimney and out of the house.

Unfortunately a wood burning fireplace is the least desirable option. While it is warm to stand in front of a fire, the warm air rising up the chimney actually sucks warm air out of the room. It also creates soot and ash and finally it creates SMOG in our beautiful canyon.  Just one wood fire burning in our canyon can fill half the canyon with smoke.

So if you have a wood burning fireplace and you haven’t investigated other options now might be the time. The advantages in efficiency, safety (soot buildup in a chimney is a fire hazard), convenience and improvement to our environment are worth considering.

Email Subscriptions Now Activated

You asked and we listened. The Glenoaks Canyon Home Owners Association website now allows you to subscribe to postings. So, anytime something new is posted to the site, you will get an email notifying you of the posting and providing a link directly to the new item. If you want to be notified, enter your email address here. Or enter it on the side panel on the left.

We will continue to add new functionality to the site, so this will be a great way for you to know when there is something worth looking at.

Welcome to the new GOCHA website

On behalf of the GOCHA board, I would like to personally welcome you to our new website. I have created the site to act like a blog that will have the latest and greatest information, as it happens, about our canyon. Everyone visiting the site can add comments to each post enabling us to create a dialog about specific events and happenings in and around our community. I will continue to add information and functionality to the site as we go along. The site will only be as good as we, the community want to make it. I encourage everyone reading this to add comments, email me ideas for topics so that we can continue to build and make this a great site.

Please let me know what you think so far by adding comments to this post.