A Greene & Greene Adventure at Pasadena's Bolton House

While much of my life revolves around the natural environment of the Arroyo Seco River corridor, the region's built environment, especially the Arts & Crafts Movement architecture so prevalent here, drives much of what we often refer to as 'Arroyo Culture.'

The Cultural Heritage Committee of the Pasadena-Foothills Association of Realtors just hosted its Winter Home Tour, and I was able to join other Greene & Greene architectural enthusiasts for an intimate tour of Pasadena's Bolton House.

Built in 1906 by Henry Greene and Charles Greene for Dr. William T. Bolton, this grand example of both early Craftsman architecture and furniture was restored by Architect Tim Andersen and was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Current owner Tom Reitze led a lively discussion of Greene & Greene character details found in the home, followed by a personal tour of the public rooms and master suite.  He pointed out a number of unique features, including the sliding doors on the china cabinets to keep glassware and china from falling out during an earthquake.

Thank you, Katie Adams Barnett, who spent many youthful years at the Bolton House, for arranging this informative and delightful tour.

Hahamongna Bloggers to be Honored with Arroyo Verde Award

Who knew that the small effort of 23 Pasadena area bloggers who collectively spoke out on our blogs last July about the City of Pasadena's plan to put soccer fields in the Hahamongna Watershed Park would have such an impact?

In recognition of the outreach, debate, and conversations generated from all our posts, the Arroyo Seco Foundation is honoring the "Hahamongna Bloggers" with the 2010 Best Advocacy Arroyo Verde Award.

This and all 2010 Arroyo Verde Awards will be presented on Thursday, December 8th, in a celebration from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at Kidspace Museum, Brookside Park, Pasadena.

The event is free and open to the public.

Special thanks to Petrea Burchard for organizing this blogging effort!

To read my Hahamongna Blog on the soccer field controversy, scroll down to the July 2010 archive and click, An Open Letter to the Pasadena City Council on the Hahamongna Athletic Fields.

Beginnings and Endings Along the Arroyo Seco

This past weekend was a poignant mix of beginnings and endings along the Arroyo Seco and adjacent Los Angeles River Elysian Valley region.

We celebrated a terrific new beginning with the Official Opening and Dedication of the Los Angeles River Bicycle Path which now offers walkers and bicylists a riverfront alternate transportation corridor with vistas of the LA River, White Heron, ducks, and local mountains. Many years in the making, this Bicycle Path (or as I'd prefer to call it, the River Path), now starts just northwest of the Arroyo Seco-Los Angeles River Confluence, winds its way through Elysian Valley/Frogtown and connects with the existing River Bike Path section to allow total connectivity to Griffith Park. At a more subtle level, this path facilitates wildlife migration between Griffith Park and the LA River.  The Dedication Ceremony, attended by approximately 300 people, included words of praise from Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti and other public officials.

Another beginning at the other end of the watershed is the new Ale House on North Fair Oaks Avenue in Altadena, at the site of the old Pub. More living room than pub, the Ale House features a relaxed, non-hip, neighborhood hangout serving excellent British Ales, a variety of wines, and a yummy cheese plate to nosh on. Gail behind the bar keeps the atmosphere warm and friendly. It's a little stealth adventure to find it, since the old neon Pub sign is the only clue to its location, which probably is part of its charm. Think 'Cheers,' Altadena style.

On the endings side of the equation, this weekend saw final 'ArtBenders' for two landmark art studio/galleries at either end of the Arroyo Seco watershed. On the northmost end, Ben McGinty held his final 'show' and public gathering at his eclectic Gallery at the End of the World on Upper Lake in Altadena.  While Ben will continue to be a fixture at flea markets and art shows with his wares, the Gallery's closing marks his 15+ year journey to try to re-create the type of Altadena business neighborhood community that first brought artists to Altadena 100 years ago. The bittersweet farewell party brought together artists, locals and Arroyo art lovers for one final toast to Ben.

Down at the south end of the watershed just north of the confluence, Los Angeles Artist Icon Frank Romero and his wife Sharon geared up for their 29th Annual Xmas Art Sale, the last time the sale will be held at the Romero Frogtown Art Studio where Frank has held court for the past 30 years.  The Romeros have recently sold the studio to a promising young artist and will be relocating their studio to a new location soon. While the new location is not yet finalized, reliable sources indicate the Arroyo Seco region is the studio's likely new home.

LA County Dumps on Oaks and Sycamores in Arcadia

In the latest version of 'your tax dollars at work,' the Los Angeles County Flood Control District intends to start to clear 11.3 acres of old-growth oak and sycamore trees in Arcadia to create a dumping area for tons of debris dredged from the Santa Anita Dam.

This planned action should alarm Southern California nature lovers for two reasons:

First, this effort destroys a historic plantation of trees whose growth has taken decades to achieve in an area quickly losing tree canopies.

Secondly, this plan sets a precedent that could lead to similar old growth tree destruction in the Hahamongna Watershed Park in Pasadena next year when the County uses 'emergency funds' from FEMA to remove 1.2 million cubic feet of sediment from behind Devils Gate Dam.

Fortunately, open space activist Christle Balvin and the Sierra Club 'got wind' of the County's plan and have requested a meeting with the County to discuss alternatives to this tree removal.

And they need your help, to prove to the County that these trees matter. They've arranged an 'inspection tour' of the sediment disposal site for Saturday, December 4th at 9:30am at the end of Elkins Avenue in Arcadia. This is a case where body count may be the difference in protecting tree count. For more information, call 626-476-7324.

Los Angeles River December Celebrations

Saturday, December 4th is a day of celebation
along the Los Angeles River in Elysian Valley/Frogtown, just north of Downtown Los Angeles.

First, the long-awaited Los Angeles River Bicycle Path officially opens with a family festival from 10am to 2pm at Crystal Park by Fletcher Drive, with dedication ceremony at noon. This new Class I bikeway connects the Griffith Park bike path along The River through historic Elysian Valley at a comfortable grade for cyclists of all ages and skills. This new path is one of the few riverfront public spaces where the residents can enjoy the softbed section of the Los Angeles River, including sightings of Blue Heron, ducks, and bucolic vistas.

The second event is the 29th Annual Frank Romero Art Gallery Xmas Art Sale from 7pm to midnight, at Frank's iconic studio at 1625 Blake Avenue. This year's event is bittersweet, as it will be the last time it will be held in Frogtown, since Frank has recently sold this landmark to a promising young artist.

Both events are FREE and family friendly, so come down to the Los Angeles River and discover the heart of Los Angeles.