Learn About the Solar System at the Chevy Chase Library

Kids will be invited to perform a "planetary rap" song as part of a program on the solar system this Saturday, April 16, at the Chevy Chase Library.  A guest speaker from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory will lead the session about the planets from 3 to 4 p.m.  All ages are invited, and a craft and snack will also be provided. Upcoming dates and themes are: April 16- Planets April 30- Animals May 14- Art

This series is organized by a La Canada high school student as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award Project.

Chevy Chase Library, 3301 East Chevy Chase Drive, (818) 548-2046

Read With Me at the Chevy Chase Library

Parents and children, come to the Chevy Chase Library on Saturdays from 3- 4 PM to listen to stories, make crafts and learn about the world. This is a Gold Award Project by a local high school Girl Scout with the help of the Chevy Chase Library Volunteers. Suggested ages are from Kindergarten to third grade. Siblings are welcome. Dates and themes are: March 26- Under the Sea April 2- Ancient Greece April 16- Planets April 30- Animals May 14- Art

Attend any or all sessions at the library, 3301 East Chevy Chase Drive, (818) 548-2046

Please see flyer for more info: Read With Me at the Chevy Chase Library

Glendale Police Warn of Callers Posing as GWP Reps

The Glendale PD has issued a bulletin to all Glendale Water & Power customers. It has been reported that GWP customers are receiving calls from 818-548-3301.  Callers are identifying themselves as the Glendale Community Hotline and asking customers to pay a balance they owe over the phone with a credit card to avoid service cancellation the same day.  So far, callers are stating their names are Linda James or Michelle Williams.  This is not standard GWP procedure.  Payments are not taken over the phone. If you receive a such a phone call, DO NOT give out credit card or other personal information.  Please write down any information the caller gives you, and then call GWP at (818) 548-3300.  Please share immediately with any GWP customers that you know.

City Council Ponders Curfew Measures

UPDATE: CBS News also did a story about the curfew measure. Check out the report below.

You can also read the online CBS report here.

[Glendale News-Press] Thanks to the efforts of GOCHA, a curfew measure for Glendale fire trails has been put before City Council. The City Council will vote on the curfew measure at its next meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, March 8 at City Hall. Read the full article at the Glendale News-Press site (via: Glendale-News-Press).

JPL Scientist Jorge Vazquez to Speak on NASA's Latest Mission

On Saturday, March 12 at 3pm, Jorge Vazquez will speak at the Chevy Chase Library on NASA's latest mission: Aquarius. Mission Aquarius will measure the salt content of the ocean from space to learn more about its effect on water, and consequently, on our global climate. Don't miss this opportunity to learn about the water cycle, the "ocean conveyor belt," and why the ocean is salty.

Chevy Chase Library 3301 E. Chevy Chase Dr. 818-548-2046

See attached flyer for more information.

Aquarius Flyer

City Council Candidates Forum to be Held March 10th

Election day is April 5th and this is a very critical election. The Verdugo Woodlands West Homeowner's Association is sponsoring a City Council Candidates Forum. All City Council Candidates will be in attendance. The Forum will be held Thursday, March 10th at 7pm at the First Congregational Church (Cañada and Wabasso).  Please see the flyer for more information. City Council Candidate Forum

Snow in Glenoaks Canyon

Well, we didn't get any snow in the canyon in last night's storm, but check out these pictures of Arch Place after a snow storm in 1949. [nggallery id=9]

Glendale PD Alert on Auto Burglaries

[GPD] The following is an APB Bulletin from the Glendale Police Department. Please note that none of these crimes have been reported in our canyon. We just want everyone to know what is going on in Glendale.

Glendale is experiencing an increase in burglaries to vehicles that contain tools and equipment.  There have been 23 of these incidents this year, mostly in the North, West and South Command areas, between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Victim vehicles were usually Chevrolet or GMC cargo-type vans that were parked on the street.  The most common method to enter the van was to punch through a door lock.  Vans with “cages” in the cargo area were still broken into.  Commonly stolen items are hand and power tools and equipment, along with GPS units that were left in the vehicle.

In one instance, a male in dark clothing was found committing a burglary to a work van.  He ran to a nearby waiting vehicle (a gold 4-door sedan) and escaped.

If you drive a vehicle that contains tools and equipment, you can reduce your chance of being victimized by parking in a garage or other secured area.  If this is not possible, park off the street in a driveway, particularly if the van is parked overnight at your residence.  An vehicle alarm would help significantly, and always remove valuables from sight.

Lastly, record all makes, models and serial numbers for tools and equipment.  Frequently, victims of vehicle burglaries cannot provide adequate information on stolen items.  If you become a victim, serial numbers can be entered into a nationwide database.  When a burglar is caught and items recovered, serial numbers can be checked to see if the item was stolen.

As always, be a good witness and call the police if you see anything suspicious.

To learn more of the police department's Area Command strategy, please follow this link: http://www.ci.glendale.ca.us/police/area_command.asp

[Update] Arbor Day Celebration - Tree Planting

[UPDATE] Further ceremonies for all trees planted in Glendale will be commemorated on Arbor Day, March 1, 2011 at Casa Adobe de San Rafael Park. The ceremony will start at 10 a.m. and the park is located at 1330 Dorothy Dr. Hope to see you there.

A California Sycamore tree will be planted in honor of Glenoaks Canyon Resident of the Year Clarence Hall on Monday, December 13, 2010 at 10:00am. The tree will be planted at the Scholl Canyon Golf and Tennis Complex near the tennis courts.

Dr. Clarence Hall has achieved a world-wide reputation as a UCLA professor of paleontology and geology. The study of earthquake faults is one of Dr. Hall’s specialties.

Clarence Hall is a true multi-decade native of Glenoaks Canyon. When Clarence was born, he was brought from the hospital to a home in the 1900 block of Glenoaks Blvd. The house is now gone. It was taken by the 2 Freeway. While he was still a young boy, Clarence’s parents moved the family up the Canyon to a beautiful house they built at the corner of Ashburton and Hollister Terrace.

Clarence went to Glenoaks Elementary School followed by Wilson Junior High School and Glendale High School and then enrolled at Glendale Community College. Clarence went on to Stanford University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree, a Masters of Science, and a Ph.D., all in the field of geology. In 1956 he was selected for the position of Assistant Professor at UCLA in the Department of Earth and Space Sciences. He has been at UCLA ever since, serving as Chairman of the Department of Geology, Chairman of the Department of Earth and Space Sciences, and Dean of the Division of Physical Sciences at UCLA. Clarence also served as Director of the White Mountain Research Station in California, where the oldest trees in the world live and are studied.

Clarence has performed geological mapping in many parts of California and in the Brooks Range of Alaska and the Pyrenees of France. He has researched the major fault systems of California. He has done important work in paleontology as well as geology. Clarence has published more than 70 scientific studies on geology and on the plants and animals that existed hundreds of millions of years ago.

Recently Clarence provided, for the benefit of GOCHA ,expert testimony on the geological stability of property that was being considered for development in our canyon.

His latest project is revising his 500-plus-page textbook entitled Introduction to the Geology of Southern California and Its Native Plants. You can order the first edition of this book at amazon.com or at Barnes and Noble. It is invaluable if you enjoy exploring our state and learning why the land looks the way it does. Clarence is currently teaching a course about the geology, plants, and animals of California, which involves overnight field trips to Yosemite Valley and Death Valley among other highlights.

We are proud of the extraordinary service our native son, Dr. Clarence Hall, has given to the scientific world at large, to the scientific understanding of the land we know as California, to UCLA, and to our own small canyon.

Winter 2011 Digital Echo Now Available

While our tireless neighborhood walkers have been busy delivering the Echo right to your door, we also want to bring it right to your computer screen.You can read it here:

Echo Winter 2011

Please remember that if you haven't done so, it is time to renew your GOCHA membership. You can do so by downloading the new membership form and sending it along with a check to GOCHA.

2011 GOCHA Membership Form