At a La Crescenta devotional are (from left ) Ashlyn Adelman, Jennifer Flynn, Mike Duarte, Afsaneh Tanara, JimThomas, Archie Morris, Michele Morris (holding grandson) Zachary Kincade (5), Ida Thomas, Thea Komen and Sepeeden Tanara.

By Shana LiVIGNI

The Bahá’í faith
is a monotheistic
religion founded
by Bahá’u’lláh
in nineteenthcentury
Persia, emphasizing
the spiritual unity of all
humankind. There are an
estimated five to six million
Bahá’ís around the world in
more than 200 countries and
territories. Bahá’í tenets include
that women and men
are equals; that all prejudice
– racial, religious, national,
or economic – is destructive
and must be overcome; that
each individual must investigate
truth for themselves,
without preconceptions;
that science and religion
are in harmony; that economic
problems are linked to
spiritual problems; that the
family and its unity are very
important. Bahá’í writings
say, “If love and agreement
are manifest in a single family,
that family will advance,
become illumined and spiritual”;
that there is one God;
that all major religions come
from God; that world peace is
the crying need of our time.
In the Bahá’í faith, religious
history is seen to have
unfolded through a series of
divine messengers, each of
whom established a religion
that was suited to the needs
of the time and the capacity
of the people. These messengers
have included Abraham,
Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad
and others, and most recently
the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh.
In Bahá’í belief, each consecutive
messenger prophesied
of messengers to follow, and
Bahá’u’lláh’s life and teachings
fulfilled the end-time
promises of previous scriptures.
Humanity is understood
to be in a process of
collective evolution, and the
need of the present time is for
the gradual establishment of
peace, justice and unity on a
global scale.
Fifteen-year-old Ashlyn
Adelman was born into the
Bahá’í faith. Her grandmother
was a Methodist when she
married and ended up renting
a home from a Bahá’í.
Ashlyn’s grandma was invited
to the devotionals –
there are no local churches or
masses – and she eventually
converted.
“At first, I wasn’t really
sure if I liked the Bahá’í faith,
but then I came to realize, in
learning about other religious
faiths, that Bahá’ís are
really tolerant,” Ashlyn said.
“With the independent investigation
of the truth, they
do believe in all the world’s
religions and they also believe
in progressive revelations.
I found things in other
religions that I don’t really
believe in and there’s nothing
in the Bahá’í faith that I
have a major issue with.”
Ashlyn elaborated on the
term “progressive revelation.”
“Progressive revelation is
that every prophet gave messages
that were right and
true for that day and age,”
she said. “Every thousand
years or so, a new prophet
will come and reveal the new
message. It’s like going from
first grade to second grade.
There’s always more to build
on. You will never know everything
but you can learn
more.”
The following are some of
the Bahá’í goals for humanity:
the independent search
after truth, unfettered by
superstition or tradition; the
oneness of the entire human
race, the pivotal principle
and fundamental doctrine of
the faith; the basic unity of
all religions; the condemnation
of all forms of prejudice,
whether religious, racial,
class or national; the harmony
which must exist between
religion and science; the
equality of men and women,
the two wings on which the
bird of humankind is able to
soar; the introduction of compulsory
education; the adoption
of a universal auxiliary
language; the abolition of
the extremes of wealth and
poverty; the institution of a
world tribunal for the adjudication
of disputes between
nations; the exaltation of
work, performed in the spirit
of service, to the rank of worship;
the glorification of justice
as the ruling principle in
human society, and of religion
as a bulwark for the protection
of all peoples and nations;
and the establishment
of a permanent and universal
peace as the supreme goal
of all mankind—these stand
out as the essential elements.
“One of the good ways to
start becoming familiar with
this faith is to attend a few
devotionals that we have every
week in the community,”
explained Jim Thomas. “Occasionally,
we have a ‘fireside’
talk when we share
readings from different religions
including Christianity
and Judaism as well as
Bahá’í reading and prayers.
There are other events that
we are involved in that people
are welcome to attend.”
Anyone who would like information
on La Crescenta
Bahá’í activities and practices
can call (818) 606-7812.
For national information,

By Mary O’KEEFE

Approval was given on Monday morning, March 8, for the Station Fire area to be given a federal disaster designation. Congressman David Dreier was instrumental in securing the designation, which he said will assist the area in recouping costs associated with the fire and subsequent floods.
“This will basically help in the reimbursement to the city and the county for [costs incurred] for the last several weeks,”  Dreier said. Many overtime hours have been logged by personnel from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, L.A. County Fire Department and public works.
In what he said was a “very strong conversation,” Dreier reported on a meeting last Thursday with FEMA [administrators] that impacted the decision.
Dreier has toured Crescenta Valley and La Cañada to first see the devastation from the fire and later witnessed the damage due to the flood and mudflow.  He has been working on the designation to help the county and city.
Dreier met with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger over the weekend about the designation request.
“We are meeting with the California Emergency Agency now,” he added.

By Jim Chase

One of the few
things that
comes close
to my love
of watching
stormy, rainy weather is
watching the Olympics – specifically,
the Winter Olympics.
With the closing ceremonies
taking place this
weekend (has it been two
weeks already?) I thought
I’d take the occasion to unplug
my eyeballs from NBC
and MSNBC (yes, I watch in
spite of serious moral questions
about patronizing the
cable station that employs
such dangerously defamatory
and ultra-biased liberal
loonies as Keith Olbermann,
Rachel Maddow and Chris
Matthews) and write about
my infatuation with the
quadrennial winter sporting
event.
I watch the Olympics the
way many of my guy friends
watch football or basketball
– riveted to the tube day in
and day out. Not wanting
to miss a single moment of
competition, I flip back and
forth between the two NBC
affiliates like Norway’s Aksel
Lund Svindal between Super
G slalom gates.
My appreciation for the
winter games might be because
so many of the athletes
are not yet gajillionaires represented
by an entourage of
agents, publicists and managers.
In interviews they
don’t brag about the socially
responsible electric car they
just added to their multimillion-
dollar stable of cars,
or how the landing lights
on the helipad at their new
Telluride vacation mansion
are 100% solar powered –
because it’s the responsible
thing for a concerned citizen
of the earth to do, you see.
For so many of these Olympic
athletes (certainly not
all, I realize), they come not
with press agents in tow, but
with their family members,
including parents who have
mortgaged homes, worked
multiple jobs and lived out
of their family cars in order
to make it possible for their
Olympic hopeful to train
with the right coach, practice
on the best ice and enter
the necessary competitions
to realize their dream. Upon
winning a medal, they don’t
look for the “I’m goin’ to Disneyland”
camera, but rather
wrap their country’s flag
around their shoulders and
search the crowded bleachers
for moms and dads and
sisters and brothers and fiancés.
Maybe I watch so intently
because – rightly or wrongly
– I feel that I could actually
participate in some of
the sports. After all, back in
the day, I would ski to the
limits of my downhill ability
and wonder, what if I had
done this since grade school?
How good could I have been?
Good enough? Probably, most
likely, not. But I do know
how good it feels to go really,
really fast. I’m with the
Olympians in spirit if not
ability. Even so, I do think I
could be talked into attempting
a downhill, giant slalom,
ski-jump or even a half-pipe
event – once. Then I’d have
the next two or three years
immobilized in a full body
cast to wonder what in the
wide world of sports had ever
possessed me to try such an
idiotic thing.
What about figure skating,
you say? Well, have you seen
me? Not only can I not skate
backward, I can’t lift my dog
over my head much less another
entire person. Besides,
the thought of my ample
physique covered in stretchy
lace, sequins and feathers
gives even me the heebie jeebies.
On the other hand – if it’s
late enough at night and
I’m still watching – I can
certainly imagine trying an
event like bobsledding, luge,
or that ultimate sport of Walter
Mitty types everywhere –
curling. I mean, what’s not to
love about a sport where the
maximum physical exertion
involves pushing a 44-pound
granite rock across the ice at
glacial speeds while wearing
bedroom slippers with Teflon
soles as your teammates yell
and scream at the defenseless
rock while frantically
sweeping the ice in front of it
with tiny little brooms. Yep, I
was born to curl.
In fact, I think I’ll start
checking Sport Chalet ads
for a sale on curling brooms.
I mean, 2014 isn’t that far
away, right?
I’ll see you ‘round town.

By Mary DAWSON

Do you want some adventure in your life, something new?  Walk down to the 2400 block of Honolulu Avenue. There are new things going on. The Black Cow is in the 2200 block, my store is in the 2300 block, The Wine Cave is in the 2400 block. So often I have had people come in and say, “I never knew this was here. I never thought to cross the street.” There are three blocks composing The Montrose Shopping Park. This spring make it your goal to check out all three. When you do you will discover The Wine Cave (2427 Honolulu Ave.). Owned by Scott Starkey, The Wine Cave opened in November. Some of you may know Scott from his restaurant Milano’s in Glendale. When he lost his lease there he decided to do something new that he was passionate about.

Ninety-five percent of the wines you will find at The Wine Cave you will not find in other stores. Why? Because they are small production, gourmet, boutique wines. Did you know there are over 4000 wineries just in the state of California alone? The Wine Cave specializes in hard to find boutique wines from the Paso Robles region. If you do find them elsewhere Steve says you will probably pay a lot more than you do at TWC.  Prices here are very reasonable. Most bottles are in the $15-$30 range. They also carry good wines in the $8-$10 range, too. Now here is something new to try in Montrose. On a nice evening stroll on down to TWC and do a tasting. Depending on the wines, a three flight tasting will run you $8 -$15. Relax, enjoy yourself, and meet your neighbors. Doesn’t that sound like fun?! Here’s another great idea: Buy a bottle of wine at TWC and take it across the street to DiFranco’s to enjoy with your Italian dinner. There is no corkage fee at DiFranco’s.

The Wine Cave is open Monday – Friday from noon ‘til 10 and Saturday from 2 – 11 ish. You will find the two wine experts Scott and resident sommelier Doug Simmons on hand to help with your selections. On Friday, March 12 at 5:00 pm they will be celebrating their grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony by the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce. A donation of $2 from every bottle sold will be made to The Glendale Center For The Arts and The Alex Theater. When you buy a case of wine you get 10% off.

Have you joined Facebook yet? It’s free and The Montrose Shopping Park and so many of our businesses are on there. When you become a FB fan of TWC you will find out about all the special events they do, tastings, artists featured, etc. Please tell Scott you read about him here at the Crescenta Valley Weekly.

By Ted Ayala

Just when I was about to get to writing my column this week, I was startled with the news of the 8.8 earthquake in Chile. I have a vested interest in this event—my family is from Chile. Fortunately they’re all fine. Chile is the second most active seismic zone in the world after Japan. So they’re used to this by now. Withstanding earthquakes runs in the blood with us. I’ve been known to sleep through tremblers myself. Good luck snapping me out of my siesta if that quake is anything less than an 8.0. Take stock of the good things in your life right now and say a prayer for the Chileans whose lives have been affected by this disaster.

On to a lighter note: Our May 8 Art-Walk is looming on the horizon. Artists of all kinds are welcome to participate in an event that has become a local favorite. A fee of $40 is all it takes to book a spot and show off your crafts to the community. Whether you do oil painting, sculpture, watercolors, or just dabble with crayons and finger paints as I like to do, you’re sure to have lots of fun at the Art Walk. We’re also looking for acoustic musicians to provide a lively sonic backdrop and aural stimulation for our artists. For further details, please contact me at tayala@montrosechamber.org or call me at the MVCCC’s office at (818) 249-7171. Artist’s smock and beret not included with purchase.

Our golf classic to be held at the Verdugo Hills Golf Course (6433 La Tuna Canyon Road in Tujunga) is coming up on April 22. I know I’m excited as I usually don’t venture beyond the putt-putt course. Better leave my Nerf golf clubs at home then. The lunch begins at 11:00 a.m.; shotgun at noon. We’ll be holding a raffle and dinner after the event. We have some really great prizes lined up for our raffle, but can always use more. If you’re a business that would love to donate and get plenty of exposure and advertising, contact us at the chamber.

If you’ve seen me walking down the Montrose streets in my black trench coat, you can already tell by my thick layer of white shag that has accrued on my treasured garment that I’m a cat person. I go out of my way to help needy pets, much to the detriment of my clothing. Thank goodness for organizations like Second Acts that helps animals in need. Second Acts is celebrating its second anniversary as a non-profit and is inviting everyone to join the fun. Visit the website at www.secondactsfoundation.com to find out how you can help and win prizes, too. Now if only I can get them to help me with my dry cleaning…

Visit the Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce’s website at www.montrosechamber.org to find out about all our latest events. Or contact us via phone us at (818) 249-7171 or by e-mail at tayala@montrosechamber.org. Our offices at 3516 N. Verdugo Road are open Mondays through Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You can also find us on Facebook. And once again – don’t forget to shop Montrose!

By Julie Rabago

Hopefully you are not too busy to join us at Walgreens this Saturday, March 6 at 11 a.m. for their grand opening and ribbon cutting. They are located at 3001 Foothill Blvd. in La Crescenta and they have some fun surprises planned for this celebration. Everyone is welcome. It is a great time to see this new beautiful store and is sure to be a fun event.

We hope you join us at our monthly mixer on Wednesday, March 10 at 6 p.m. at Bob Smith Toyota. It is our pre-smart mixer where we will have all the information ready for you to join a team or find a team for our upcoming Smart-a-Thon luncheon on Wednesday, March 24.

If you are still not busy enough, you can purchase tickets to our second annual Day at the Races at Santa Anita Park being held on Sunday, March 21. This fun day of races, barbecue tri-tip provided by Schreiners, drinks, silent auction, raffle and handicapping advice by Rick Dinger is a fundraiser for the CV Chamber and the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s support group. Tickets are only $25 and the gates open at 11 a.m.

Just to make sure your schedule is full enough, we also have a fun night planned at The Wine Cave for March 12. At 5 p.m. you can officially welcome The Wine Cave to the Crescenta Valley at their ribbon cutting, then stay and enjoy wines from around the world and the fantastic photography art on the walls. Please join us to welcome this new business. Plus it is a great way to make sure your social calendar is busy, busy, busy.

Do you wish you had more hours in a day? Especially if you are like me and intend to attend all these great events. Susan Ward at About.com says that if you use these five time management techniques consistently you’ll have more time, accomplish more, and feel better: 1: Recognize you can’t do it all. Too many of us are stretched too thin. Decide what roles and activities are most important to you. 2: Prioritize. Review the list of what you have to do at the day’s start and then pick out the things that you “must do” that day. 3: Learn to say “yes” and “no” and learn to make quick decisions. 4: Unplug. Set aside particular times of day to read or listen and respond to email and phone calls. 5: Take time off. When you take time off, you return to your work refreshed and more productive, able to accomplish so much more in the amount of time available.

You are going to need these techniques to keep up with all the great things the Crescenta Valley Chamber has in store for you! See you soon.

Important Chamber dates: March 6 – Walgreens grand opening and ribbon cutting; March 10 – CV Chamber mixer at Bob Smith Toyota; March 12 – Grand opening at The Wine Cave; March 21 – Day at the Races; March 24 – Smart-a-Thon. April 17 – Hometown Country Fair. Please call our office for more details on any event. How to reach us: (818) 248-4957 / crescentachamber@aol.com /www.LaCrescenta.org / 3131 Foothill Blvd. Ste D.

By Charly SHELTON

Well, we made it. Oscar weekend. The big night is this Sunday, March 7. Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin co-host the Oscars on ABC, starting at 5 p.m. Some nominees may seem like obvious choices for who the winner may be, others are a complete toss-up.

For instance, Disney’s Animated “Up” would not be nominated for best short subject documentary because it is neither short nor documentary, but it is nominated for Best Picture because it was voted as one of the ten best films since last February. What Best Picture means is obvious, but Sound Editing, Visual Effects, and many other aspects of the Oscars that most people ignore while they wait for Best Actor and Actress have been included in this column so you can have a better understanding of all things Oscar. This is the fifth and final installment of the column. Last week, we covered Cinematography, Special Effects, Sound, Shorts, and Editing. This week, we jump into the last, and some would say biggest, of categories: Best Animated Feature, Best Directing and Best Picture of the Year.

Best Animated feature was added as a category for the 74th annual Academy Awards in 2002, and has since been one of my favorite ones because animated films rarely got recognition up to that point. The nominees in this category are “Coraline,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “The Princess and the Frog,” “The Secret of the Kells” and “Up.”   In 1991, “Beauty and the Beast” was the first animated film nominated for Best Picture, but lost to “Silence of the Lambs.” It was the only animated film to be nominated for that category until this year, when “Up” (2009) was announced as one of the ten nominees.

But up until 2001, animated films got little recognition except for their music and even then they were rarely judged among their peers but rather among live action films. The first round of animated films to be nominated included “Shrek”  (released in 2001) and “Monsters Inc.” (2001), along with “Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius” (2001). Other films up for Best Animated feature over the years have included “Ice Age” (2002), “The Incredibles” (2004), “Finding Nemo” (2003), “Brother Bear” (2003), “Ratatouille” (2007) and last year’s nominees “Wall-E” (2008), “Bolt” (2008) and “Kung-Fu Panda” (2008). “Wall-E” won last year.

“Up” is up against so many heavy hitter movies, it probably won’t win Best Picture but has a great shot at Best Animated Feature. Just being nominated for Best Picture shows that the Academy respects this film. It is a shoo-in for best animated. Granted, “Princess and the Frog” was a great film and the first hand-drawn animated film from Disney in several years, but it is probably going to lose to “Up.”

Best Director and Best Picture are two categories that go together.  Not always, but most of the time when a director wins Best Director, his film will win the Best Picture award. This year looks like a race between two films. The heavy hitters for director this year are Kathryn Bigelow for “The Hurt Locker” and James Cameron for “Avatar.”  The latter is the highest grossing film of all time and critically acclaimed.  “The Hurt Locker” director Bigelow won the Director’s Guild of America Award and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award both times she faced Cameron.

Other nominees in this field are also impressive and include Quentin Tarantino for “Inglourious Basterds,” Lee Daniels for “Precious,” and Jason Reitman for “Up in the Air.” The deviation between Best Director and Best Picture may come between Cameron and his film  “Avatar,” and Kathryn Bigelow, director of “The Hurt Locker.”  Though “Avatar” is the juggernaut that seems that it cannot be stopped but “The Hurt Locker” may be the one to throw a wrench in the works and swoop in the for the win at least in the director category.

For the rest of this article analysis for Best Picture, as well as the previous articles in this series and a chance to cast your ballot , visit our website at cvweekly.com.

T

he annual American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event takes place May 15-16 on the Clark Magnet High School campus. This is the tenth year of the 24-hour foothills event, a major fundraising campaign for the American Cancer Society.

Local business J’s Maid Service is launching a special offer to customers who donate to the American Cancer Society. To any customer who donates to the Foothills Relay for Life Cancer Walk, the local home cleaning company will give 50% of that donation back to the customer. For example, anyone who donates $200 will be offered $100 towards future cleaning services. Donate the maximum $1,000 and receive a $500 credit – plus the entire donation is tax deductable.

Relay for Life is a 24-hour overnight event with team members, families and friends camping out, taking turns walking the track for 24- hours straight. It unites the Foothill communities in a common effort to raise funds for cancer research, education, advocacy and patient services. Because of the generosity of volunteers and donations by local businesses, the Relay is able to give 97% of the funds raised directly to the American Cancer Society. The J’s Team raised over $20,000 last year and the company hopes for an even bigger success this year.

The president of J’s Maintenance and J’s Maid Service, Ed Waldheim, was touched by cancer and since then the company has been active in the American Cancer Society’s fight to find a cure.

“So many people in each of our lives suffer from this terrible disease and we are doing our part to help find a solution,” said Waldheim.

The event gets larger every year and in its tenth year of participation the J’s Maintenance team, appropriately named Team Clean Sweep, is eager to begin fundraising. A donation of any size will make a difference in the lives of people facing cancer and in the lives of people who love them.

For more information on the Relay for Life Cancer Walk visit www.FoothillsRelayForLife.com

To donate and for cleaning appointments, contact J’s Maid Service at (818) 247-8778 ext 225, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 .m. or e-mail jsmaids@aol.com.

Donations can be mailed to 3550 Foothill Blvd., La Crescenta 91214.

Auto enthusiasts are invited to attend the Glendale Elks Annual Charity Car Show being held on Sunday, March 21 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

The annual event, now in its fifteenth consecutive year, draws car buffs from throughout Southern California. There is no admission charge for the public. Prizes will be awarded to autos in seven classes: 1930 and earlier; 1931-1942; 1946-1954; 1955-1963; 1964-1975; Special Interest 1976 and up and a People’s Choice Award.

The event will be held at the Glendale Elks Lodge, 120 E. Colorado St., approximately one half block east of Brand Boulevard. The parking lot will be open at 8 a.m. for contestants and at 9 a.m. to the public. Breakfast will be served from 8 to 11 a.m. and lunch from noon till 2 p.m. A low entry fee of $25 per vehicle (prior to March 21) promises the traditional high turnout.

The first 150 cars to submit applications will be accepted. Plaques will be awarded to all entries. The event also features raffle prizes, music and food and drinks for sale and welcomes vendors. All proceeds from the event are donated to area charities that support the youth in our  community.

For more information, contact George McCullough (818) 970-3114.

By Brandon HENSLEY

For football fans, the bowl season may be over. Now it’s academia’s turn.

The National Science Bowl held its regional competition at JPL on Saturday, with Crescenta Valley High School among its participants in a field of 24 high schools from the L.A., Orange and Riverside counties.

“It’s a great opportunity for the students to come and be challenged in an academic competition and test their knowledge in different areas of science,” said Kim Lievense, head of public relations at JPL, and who is the regional coordinator for the competition.

Arcadia High School was the winner, and punched their ticket to Washington, D.C., to compete in the national competition that runs from April 29 through May 4.

The schools were divided into four divisions, with the top two teams from each division advancing to double elimination rounds. Each match was divided into two eight-minute halves, with each school having to answer toss-up or bonus questions, and the first team to hit the buzzer and answer correctly getting the points. The questions ranged from any area in science, be it chemistry, biology or physics.

CV, whose students included captain Yoon Lee, Varun Bhadha, Chris Cha and Sam Kim, participated through the Crescenta Valley Science and Medicine Academy. It had been 10 years since the Falcons had been in the competition. Perhaps inexperience played a role; CV was eliminated quickly, their lone victory in five matches coming against Wilson Classical.

“It was fun. It was kind of cool being the first ones, we’re like the pioneers,” said Bhadha.

So why re-enter the competition after a decade-long layoff? CV coach Orenda Tuason, a teacher in the Science and Medicine Academy, said Lee e-mailed her last summer notifying her of the competition, and suggested the academy pay the registration fee and Tuason come on board as coach, and so it began.

The academy features some of CV’s best and brightest minds. According to its website, the academy “is a career pathway program offering students the opportunity to explore various careers available in the fields of science and medicine.”

Students in the academy take classes after regular school hours, attend field trips, and do research in whatever field they are interested in.

According to Kim, a chemistry standout interested in cardiology, the team met only once in the last two months to practice due to time constraints, and they didn’t have practice buzzers to use, unlike other schools. Tuason said her students knew a lot of the answers but couldn’t signal in time, thus contributing to their early exit.

“A lot of it is strategy, being able to answer quickly,” she said.

Tuason said she was impressed with her students, though, considering the circumstances, and noted that most of their matches were highly competitive. “I sat there, and I was just like, ‘Wow, these kids are so good,’” she said.

“It was a good experience to see what the top schools are like and what our expectations should be,” Kim said.

To make things better for next year (considering there will be a next year could be a victory in itself), Kim and Bhadha, both juniors, are going to start recruiting earlier for anyone looking to join the academy and the Science Bowl team. They hope the academy will also provide the necessary practice equipment, such as buzzers.

“Now we know what to expect so we want a variety of students with different skills, and then we want to get them ready with the right equipment and get them set up,” Kim said.

So instead of the weekend being about CV losing, the long-term attitude is that this is the start of something bigger.

“I think what we got out of this was the enthusiasm and the motivation to come back stronger next year,” said Tuason.

“We did pretty well for being [first-timers], so it was fun,” said Bhadha.

But they are Science Bowl newbies no more. By next year, the team hopes to not just be armed with brain power, but with more practice time and proper resources. It doesn’t take a genius to see good things are in store for CV.