By Mary O’KEEFE

Engineers from the Department of Los Angeles County Public Works joined Crescenta Valley Town Council member Robbyn Battles and California Highway Patrol Office Ming-Yang hsu on Tuesday for a traffic evaluation field trip.

Battles worked closely with the public works department last year to bring some safety changes to Monte Vista Elementary including a new crosswalk, cut hedges near streets to improve visibility, an extended sidewalk and she arranged for an additional school drop off site at Two Strike Park.

She and Officer hsu have now targeted three more areas for traffic evaluation: Rosemont Avenue in front of Rosemont Middle School, El Sereno and Mountain avenues near Mountain Avenue Elementary and Foothill Boulevard and Glenwood Avenue above Crescenta Valley High School and La Crescenta Elementary.

On Tuesday the team of traffic evaluators were at Glenwood Avenue and Foothill Boulevard in the afternoon as CVHS students were walking home.

“You got all the Rosemont [Middle School] traffic coming down [west] on Foothill and CVHS and [La Crescenta] Elementary coming up to Foothill,” Battles said.

All the traffic crossing and turning and all the while pedestrians, mostly students, play a waiting game to cross. As the team watched kids would begin to leave the curb, then pull back. Drivers in one lane would stop while others flew through the crosswalk.

At one point Officer hsu had to talk to one of the students who began to walk using the crosswalk then darted in a diagonal to another side.

For the most part however the danger seem to come from drivers not pedestrians taking risks.

Natalia Acosta, a tenth grader from CVHS, was one of the students that use the crosswalk at Glenwood Avenue regularly. She and a friend first waited to find a break in the traffic, but none came. They then made small advances into the crosswalk, paused for cars that did not stop then finally ran across the street. Acosta said this crosswalk dance is sometimes scary.

“I am afraid sometimes. I try to wait for a big break in the traffic but I have to get home,” she said.

She has seen kids come close to getting hit and have been walking across the street when cars don’t stop until the last minute.

“Sometimes they come all the way into the crosswalk. It’s like they don’t see me,” she added.

One of the problems that Anish Saraiya, senior civil engineer for public works, is looking at is the visibility. Battles pointed out that because of the slope of the road and the light pole at the end of the crosswalk on the south side of Foothill Boulevard it is difficult to see anyone who is preparing to cross.

The team had done the same type of evaluation at Rosemont Middle School and near Mountain Avenue.

“It’s hard to find a solution when [parents dropping their kids off] are the problem,” Saraiya said.

Saraiya is in the process of review what they have learned from their traffic field trips and will have a plan put together.

“We work closely with the CHP and [CVTC],” he added.

By Brandon HENSLEY

It’s been a month-long tour of appearances across Glendale and La Crecenta for candidates in the April 5 elections, so what was another forum to speak last week?

Five candidates running for the Glendale Unified District school board spoke to the audience at the CV Town Council March 17 inside the La Crescenta Library community room.

Dan Cabrera, Jennifer Freemon, Nayiri Nahabedian, Todd Hunt and Vahik Satoorian spoke briefly – they were allotted three minutes – to garner votes for the election.  Mary Boger, Ami Fox and Ingrid Gunnell were not at the meeting due to their busy schedule, although Gunnell’s husband filled in for his wife.

Cabrera, a recently retired Glendale High teacher,  mostly thanked the Town Council just for having meetings that allow free speech. He said, “People are getting shot in the streets just to have meetings like this.”

“More than anything I want to thank you for having meetings like this,” Cabrera continued. “I hope every single person here is registered and votes.”

Freemon, a parent and former teacher herself, said the board needs to have a variety of new voices. She said it is important “that we have some of those younger parents that are bringing a new set of expectations.”

Freemon said she wants to communicate more with the community, and wants to find out “what people are passionate about.”

Nahabedian, the lone incumbent who spoke, praised the Crescenta Valley area for various reasons. She acknowledged Linda Evans, former CV High principal who was in attendance, and recognized the work of the CV Drug and Alcohol Prevention Coalition.

“I have been a fierce advocate for smaller classrooms, for safer school and for excellence in teaching and learning,” Nahabedian said, when it came time for her to discuss her accomplishments.

Hunt ran for a school board position in 2007 and lost. He said he’s back to try it again.

“I believe I will bring a voice that our schools up here in the northern part of the district need down at the headquarters and the flatlands,” he said, while noting that he lives in La Crescenta.

Hunt said “a lot of people talk a big game,” but he wants to be consistent and follow through with his actions, while adding that he has the knowledge to help balance a budget.

Satoorian, who said he has been a treasurer for several nonprofit programs over the years, advocated for more after school programs. Most of all, he said he wanted to plan ahead for kids graduating in 2015 and beyond.

“I want to see that for the next four years and five years what the board is going to do, what teachers are going to do to make sure that our students will [fulfill their potential].”

Then Evans got up and talked about her endorsement for Measure S. She cited how Measure K, the late 1990s bond the district received, helped CV High usher in the new century.

“It completely transformed what we were able to do as a high school,” she said.

And that was her reasoning for supporting Measure S. She said there are pockets of advanced technology at CV High, but, “Measure S would allow us to bring that technology to more classrooms.”

Evans talked about her granddaughter, who will be born this spring.

“And when I’m out and I’ve got my [Measure S] button on … I’m doing this for her too, and for all of the children,” she said.

Tami Carlson, president of the Glendale Teachers Association, was also on hand to talk about the bond. She called it a “great measure,” but was mostly concerned about increasing class sizes and the potential number of teachers that may lose their jobs.

Carlson said around 60 teachers have been notified they may be laid-off after this school year, which would increase class size.

“No matter how great the  technology is or how beautiful the building is if we don’t have teachers in the classroom to work with students the education in our schools won’t be as great as they have been,” she said.

If passed, the bond does not allow for any money from it to go toward class size. Carlson wanted that changed. She said if Measure S passes, the district would have almost $20 million to spend on class sizes.

“It won’t take that much. It won’t even take probably half that” to keep sizes where they are, she said.

A Measure S panel will be held at the La Crescenta Library on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

The next CV Town Council will be held April 21 at the library at 7 p.m.

By Brandon HENSLEY

Candidates for the Glendale Community College Board of Trustees were present during the CV Town Council meeting Feb. 17 to discuss key financial matters pertaining to the college.

Inside the La Crescenta Library community room, challenger Vartan Gharpetian and incumbents Vahe Peroomian and Tony Tartaglia introduced themselves and took questions from the audience before turning the mic over to GCC President/Superintendant Dawn Lindsay.

The topic of the night for the three candidates was money. The college is facing budget problems. It took a 6% cut recently and could face a 6%-to-14% cut next year, said Tartaglia, current president of the board. The current budget is around $84 million, and 89% of that consists of salaries and benefits.

Tartaglia explained the Board’s
role. “[The Board of Trustees is] responsible for fiscal prudency and policy making.”

“The first thing is not to waste any money,” said Gharpetian when asked how to come up with solutions for the current financial challenges. Gharpetian, who is on the foundation board of Glendale Adventist Medical Center, cited $300,000 paid in fees to former school President Audre Levy, who left in 2009.

“I think in this economy, getting funds from outside sources is very important, but on the other hand, we need to be responsible with the funds that we have and not waste it,” Gharpetian said. “If I am your employee, and you are asking me to take a pay cut and you are going out and spending money on issues that are not important to that business, I would not take that pay cut.”

Tartaglia said the board runs a tight ship. “I think we’re one of the best managed facilities that I know of … when I see things not being handled appropriately, I immediately go to the superintendent,” he said.

Tartaglia spent 13 years on the Glendale College Foundation Board, and helped raise $2.5 million. Since joining the board in 2007, he helped establish a fiscal reserve of 5% for the college. He said his goals for the future include finishing the additions to the Garfield campus and maintaining accreditation. Accreditors have told GCC to make necessary changes to maintain eligibility.

Tartaglia and Peroomian also noted the development of the Verdugo Power Academy, a training program that leads to jobs in the electric power industry.

Glendale Community College may also face the realization that it can’t keep holding winter or summer sessions. It has been able to for the time being, but budget problems may force its hand. And with student enrollment soaring, those classes fill up too quickly.

“We chose to educate 3,000 extra full-time students instead of closing our doors,” said Peroomian of the winter session.

Peroomian, a physics professor at UCLA, said the school is looking for other avenues of funding, but sacrifices have been made in the meantime.

“Our faculty, our staff and our management were one of only two districts in the entire state that decided to take pay cuts rather than going the more drastic layoff route,” he said.

When Lindsay got up to speak, she talked about and understood the need for transparency in this time of financial crisis.

“We know the community owns us, pays for our salaries, pays for the educational experiences and we are here to serve you and everybody else that chooses to come to Glendale,” she said.

Toward the end of the meeting, the council elected to close its executive meetings off from the public after councilmember Robbyn Battles brought the issue up.

It was announced the annual Arbor Day celebration will take place at Two Strike Park again on March 19 at 9 a.m.

The next CV Town Council meeting will be at the La Crescenta Library
on March 17 at 7 p.m. It will include
a presentation on Measure S by members of the Glendale Unified School District.

By Brandon HENSLEY

Members of the Glendale Unified School District were on hand during the CV Town Council meeting on Jan. 20 to further inform parents and other residents of the new
bond measure the district hopes will pass on the April 5 ballot.

Inside the La Crescenta Library community room Superintendent Dr. Richard Sheehan and Deputy Superintendent John Garcia presented a slideshow explaining why Measure S is needed for the area’s schools.

Sheehan said since 2002, all of the local schools – from elementary to high school – have shown progress in test scores.

“Several of our schools rank in the top 10% nationally,” Sheehan said. “Twenty-three of the GUSD campuses are California Distinguished schools, we have National Blue Ribbon schools but beyond that they offer so much more.”

But the “so much more” part now needs improving. Measure K was passed in 1997, giving funding to Glendale schools to improve buildings and school technology.

Now Measure S is here. It would generate around $270 million, and no new taxes would be added to residents. The state would also not be allowed to take away any of the funds, which is important considering the current budget of GUSD.

Sheehan said the district is spending $19 million more a year than the state is giving them.

“The state budget is so uncertain from year to year, we don’t know what to plan for,” he said.

A big upgrade for CV High School would be the science labs. The school’s labs were updated several years before Measure K passed, said Garcia, so those labs have not been updated now for 20 years.

“Here we are 13 years after [Measure K],” said Garcia, “they’re now outdated. It’s a traditional science lab and that’s fine but that’s not where science is these days. You can do virtual dissections; you can do labs with partners all over the globe.”

The district hosted a tech-fair on Tuesday at CV High to demonstrate the need for new technology. On Feb. 8, teachers from CV, Clark and Hoover High School will go to Mt. San Antonio College to observe that school’s science labs, which are on the cutting edge according to Sheehan.

Measure S money would also go into school security, including lighting and fencing.

As far as energy goes, Garcia said the big push is toward solar energy, which would alleviate utility bills the district pays.

“That technology continues to move very, very quickly and is becoming more cost-efficient,” said Garcia.

In the end, Garcia also said property values are tied to the reputation of area schools, and the goal is to keep Glendale and La Crescenta a desired place to raise a family.

“Relatively speaking, in the last year the real estate values in Glendale and La Crescenta increased about 1.25%, and that is in marked contrast to the vast majority of L.A. County,” said Garcia.

Toward the beginning of the meeting, council corresponding secretary Robbyn Battles presented certificates of appreciation to the area’s elementary school’s crossing guards, who stood up in a line and received a big round of applause.

“Every single day, for about 33 minutes a day, these people take so much abuse and step in front of cars. They get yelled at. They do the most important thing and that is to protect the safety of our children.”

This was also the first official meeting for the newly sworn in members of the Town Council, as President Cheryl Davis officially introduced members Odalis Suarez, Dr. Young Suh, Harry Leon and Charly Shelton.

The next Town Council meeting will be held inside the La Crescenta Library community room on Feb. 17 at 7 p.m.

By Mary O’KEEFE

Residents of Crescenta Valley may take for granted that the Foothill (210) Freeway exit at La Crescenta Avenue is clean.  Drivers may think that those who exit or travel along the freeway do not litter and respect their natural surroundings. Those drivers would be wrong.  The exit is littered with old tires, empty soda and beer cans and cigarette butts – lots of cigarette butts.

The reason many do not see the clutter and garbage is because once a month a band of yellow and orange vested CV Town Council and CV Chamber of Commerce members walk the exit picking up garbage and pulling weeds. Last Saturday was no exception.

Councilmember Harry Leon walked up the exit carrying a blown out tire.

“[Chamber member] Steve [Pierce] found this on the side of the road,” Leon explained.

CVTC President Cheryl
Davis said members clean the exit monthly to help Caltrans and to keep it clean and safe.

By Mary O’KEEFE

They are the first to walk out into a busy street full of drivers that are seemingly all in a hurry. They are armed only with a handheld stop sign and a yellow vest. These are the crossing guards that have become so much a part of the elementary school landscape that at times it is easy to take them for granted but on Thursday night the Crescenta Valley Town Council will do what they can to remedy that oversight.

“[We] have never been honored like this before from a city,” said Janice Payne, area supervisor for All City Management Services, the company that contracts with the school district for crossing guards.

Payne said she was surprised and pleased when she was notified her guards would be honored.

CVTC member Robbyn Battles said the idea to honor the guards came out of the first council executive meeting of the year.

“We wanted to honor those that made an impact in the community. It was Harry Leon that brought up the idea for the crossing guard and then I just ran with it,” Battles said.

President Cheryl Davis said it was perfect timing to honor the guards that help the community kids.

“[Glendale Unified School District’s] Superintendent Richard Sheehan is going to be at our meeting on Thursday,” Davis said.

Battles agreed that it would be a perfect time assuming that more parents will be in the audience to hear Sheehan speak.

“[The crossing guards] get yelled at and almost hit by cars everyday,” Battles said.

Battles has worked on making the path to elementary school safe. She worked with Monte Vista Elementary parents and Principal Dr. Susan Hoge to develop an additional student drop off area for parents as well as clearing traffic sightlines.  She worked with Los Angeles Public Works, California Highway Patrol and other agencies to build a sidewalk so children would not have to walk onto the street.

In her continuing effort for school safety she is now in the process of looking into another crossing guard for Mountain Avenue Elementary.

“The parents really want another guard at El Sereno and Mountain avenues,” Battles said.

She has started discussions with Mountain Avenue Principal Rebeca Witt on the possibility of getting another crossing guard and what the school and the council can do together to make the walk to school safer.

“Our crossing guards need to be honored for what they do,” Battles said.

By Brandon HENSLEY

Before everyone could get to the drinks and Christmas treats in the back of the room, some had to say goodbye while others said hello during the Dec. 16 Crescenta Valley Town Council meeting.

Inside the La Crescenta Library community room, a jam-packed audience saw the newly elected council members take office while the outgoing members shook hands and were commended for a job well done.

The CVTC elections were held in November. Dr. Young Suh, Harry Leon, Odalis Suarez and Charly Shelton were the newly elected officers. Current president Cheryl Davis and Charles Beatty were reelected.

L.A. County Supervisor Mike Antonovich was there for the installation of the new officers and to bid farewell to the old ones.  As Antonovich said each of their names, Frank Beyt, Kim Mattersteig and Kevin Kroeker stood up from their seat on the council and shook hands with the supervisor, and then received a plaque commemorating their service.

Outgoing councilmember Silvana Casalegno was not in attendance.

“This is a very community-involved entity and I really enjoyed being a part of that,” said Mattersteig after the meeting.

Mattersteig has been a part of Crescenta Valley for seven years, and a part of community service since 1991.

“This is actually something that’s always been in the back of my mind as something I wanted to aspire to, to serve on a council,” she said.

“I have learned of different organizations, and the different ways to become involved in the community, and the different things that are out there in this particular community that I can put my skills and knowledge into and also learn from them and grow.”

New councilmember Young Suh is an anesthesiologist and has served on missions around the world to assist with eye surgeries. Suh has been president of the Korean-American Federation of Los Angeles and president of the Korean-American Federation of Southwest states.

Suarez graduated Cum Laude from USC. She has a law degree and her own firm in Glendale. She is also a former commissioner on the Glendale Design Review Board.

Before the installation of the new members, Davis gave her president’s year-end report, where she touched on the highlights and lowlights of the past year, including last winter’s flooding, the drive to get a dog park open, and the opening of the La Crescenta Library.

“It’s beautiful, and it’s the center of our community,” Davis said of the library.

Davis said the theme for the council was ACT, which stands for accountability, communication and teamwork, “and we continually challenged ourselves to not do things a certain way just because that’s the way it’s always been done.”

Davis also thanked those who played a major role in safety during the rainy season last year.

“So a very special thank you to our first responders; Public Works, the Sheriff’s Department, L.A. County Fire and the CHP for remaining so vigilant and keeping us safe 24/7,” she said.

The next CVTC meeting will be held Jan. 20 at the La Crescenta Library at 7 p.m.  It will feature Glendale Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Richard Sheehan, Glendale Community College President Dawn Lindsey and Board of Trustees member Ann Ransford.

On Wednesday Nov. 18, members of Crescenta Valley Armenian Community Center, Armenian National Committee-Crescenta Valley and Armenian Cultural Foundation-Crescenta Valley board members attended the CV Town Council meeting held in the La Crescenta Library and presented President Cheryl Davis and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Captain David Silversparre with certificates of excellence.

This was an acknowledgement for their work during last year’s Station Fire, mud slides and community outreach efforts when the town council and affiliated agencies worked tirelessly to evacuate and safe guard their constituencies.

The event was coordinated by CVTC’s newly elected member Harry Leon.

At conclusion, Arick Gevorkian, chair of CV Armenian Community Center, and board members of Homenetmen “Shant” chapter presented every member of council with Navasartian gold medals and recognized their championship service to the community.

“It is my honor and privilege to stand in this beautiful new library and express the gratitude of the Armenian American communities of the foothills for your dedication, and commitment that has made our vibrant little town the envy of all,” Gevorkian said. “Truly you have made this town the ‘crown jewel’ of any jewel city and we commend you for that.”

Also honored that evening were CVTC and Crescenta Valley Drug and Alcohol Prevention Coalition members Kim Mattersteig and Robbyn Battles with certificates of appreciation for their public service.

Lisa Yeghiayan was honored by the Crescenta Valley High School Armenian Parents Club for her outstanding service as a volunteer at Crescenta Valley High School and with her work with Prom Plus.

At the end of the meeting every CVTC member present was awarded a medal.

“For the past 35 years Homenetmen scouts and athletes have held pan-Armenian Olympics in Southern California during the Fourth of July weekend,” Gevorkian said.

The medals are for champions and, he added, “You are all champions in our
eyes.”

By Mary O’KEEFE

The Moreton Bay Fig tree appears to be safe from the chopping block but the other trees along the lot did not escape the axe.

There continues to be speculation on what will happen to the property in the 2600 block Foothill Boulevard. Rumors abound from putting in a new parking lot to extensive remodeling and raising the sign post several feet.

“I am pretty sure the [owners] are not going to develop the property,” said Wayne Yee, the owner’s friend and an attorney.

The property was the site of a spontaneous recent protest when community members were surprised to find the Moreton Bay Fig tree, an iconic symbol of the Crescenta Valley, was in the process of being cut down.  The tree had been on the community’s radar due to the neighboring development that threatened the health of the tree.  After protests and enthusiastic community involvement, that developer, members of the Crescenta Valley Town Council, Historical Society of Crescenta Valley and design review board came to an agreement.  All seemed to be calm until Friday, Nov. 19 when owners of New Star Realty began chopping the Moreton Bay.

After some discussion the owner, Jinny Nam, agreed to save the fig tree but other trees on the property were taken out.  During that weekend protest to save the tree, several community members voiced concerned about the future of the big blue house/building on the property.

“As far as I know there has been no plans submitted to Regional Planning [concerning the property],” said Cheryl Davis, CVTC president.

Plans for specific remodeling or construction must first be submitted to the Los Angeles County Regional Planning office.  Those plans will be reviewed and, since Oct. 2009, will also have to comply with the region’s Community Standards District ordinance.  The development next to the Moreton Bay property had approved plans before the CSD went into affect.

“I had a discussion the morning [of Nov. 22] with Mr. Yee and told him about the [ordinance] and sent him a copy of the CSD before Thanksgiving,” Davis said.

Yee said he had read articles concerning the property next door and understood the community’s concern.  As far as the Nam property he said he was “pretty certain” that no major remodeling has been planned.

“They haven’t even hired anyone to do anything, “he said. “If there is anything there might be some [construction] on the inside.”

Dr. Young Seok Suh, newly elected CVTC member, advised caution and diligence concerning the property.  Suh said he had been in contact with Moon Nam, Jinny’s husband and co-owner, on several occasions before the Nov. 19 tree cutting.

“Mr. Nam assured me a couple of times he would preserve the Moreton Bay Fig tree,” Suh said.

He added his conversations were in Korean to avoid any misunderstanding.  The last discussion he had with Nam was on Nov. 17.  He last spoke to the company’s regional manager on Nov. 18 and again received assurance of saving the tree. That all changed on Nov. 19.

Suh, Davis and Yee are now keeping the lines of communication open and hope there will not be another misunderstanding.  There is now an agreement to save the tree. The historical society will be hiring an arborist to bring the tree back to health.

By Mary O’KEEFE and

Brandon HENSLEY

An example of community activism and old fashioned vigilance could be seen last weekend as the fate of an iconic Crescenta Valley tree hung in the balance.

On Saturday, over 70 people gathered at the property in the 2600 block of Foothill Boulevard where the Moreton Bay Fig tree has existed for over 100 years.  It had survived fires, decades of “great floods” and the evolution of Foothill Boulevard but it couldn’t survive an email.

The new owner of the property, Jinny Nam of New Star Realty, had received an email from the L.A. County Planning Department that she had the right to cut the Morton Bay tree down. She hired a tree service and on Friday the tree began to be chopped.

That would seem like the end, however Crescenta Valley residents who have been keeping a watchful eye on the tree came to its rescue.

The tree trimming stopped late on Friday due to darkness.  The next morning, about 15 tree defenders showed up before 7 a.m. to keep the tree cutters at bay. And by 3 p.m. they were 70 strong and not backing down.

They stood by the tree that lay in pieces on the ground. White sap dripped from its cut branches and trickled down like blood from the trunk that had yet to be chopped.

After a rain-soaked protest, the owner of the property said what’s left of the Moreton Bay Fig tree will stand.

Nam told members of the CV Town Council, the Historical Society of Crescenta Valley and concerned citizens on the site Saturday afternoon that she will make sure no more cutting of the tree will happen.

Steve Pierce of the CV Chamber of Commerce asked her, ““Will you please ensure that the workers that come in understand that this tree is not to be touched any further? … Do we have your word on that?”

“Yes,” replied Nam, who recently purchased the realty building. She said she will still cut other trees on her property, but as for the Morton Bay Fig, “This one will stay.”

The tree is on Nam’s property and she does have the right to remove it. But to many the Morton Bay is not just any tree, it has become a symbol of the Crescenta Valley and, after a weekend of protests, a metaphor for saving the past while promoting the future.

There seemed to be some miscommunication between Nam and newly elected Crescenta Valley Town Council member Dr. Young Seok Suh who said he had spoken to the owner of the property about the tree.

“She [Nam] said she would not cut the tree down until we [spoke],” Suh said.

On Friday Nam said she had not spoken with anyone but Suh insisted they had a conversation and a verbal agreement earlier that week.

When asked why she felt the tree needed to come down she attributed it to two main issues.

“[It creates] too much trash [leaves] from the tree. Actually we were told (by Above and Beyond Tree Service) that the tree couldn’t live longer than five years.”

But owner of Above and Beyond remembers the conversation differently.

“I am the only person with my company that spoke to the owner,” said Brian Ordelheide, owner of the tree company. “I did not make that statement.”

Ordelheide did tell the owner that the tree had obvious signs of distress.  He gave her estimates for removal and for pruning.

“I wasn’t hired to prepare or make a report,” he added.

Ordelheide added that Nam had the right to cut the tree down.

“Whatever agreement [made between CVTC and Nam] it was at their discretion,” Ordelheide said.

It was not the legality of the matter as much as the community spirit that is at the base of the grassroots effort to save the tree.

A task the community members thought they had mastered after a long battle with the neighboring developer who during construction had damaged the Moreton Bay’s ever reaching root system. Residents and CVTC members had hammered out an agreement with the developer next door, the old Plumb Crazy property.  Arborists were hired and the tree was in the process of being brought back to good health.

Ordelheide said he understood the emotions that charged the protests and outrage.

“I am a tree guy.  I get involved with neighbors and trees all the time,” he said. “Trees evoke a very emotional reaction.”

The biggest reaction is usually from those who are trying to save the tree.  At times that reaction can be “nasty,” he added.

On Friday community members that were surprised to see the tree being cut became very emotional.  Many took that frustration out on the tree workers, Ordelheide said.

“My guys were cursed at and [discriminating] statements were yelled at them,” he said. “I understand they feel passionate about their cause.”

He added that his guys were doing a job; they knew the email cleared the way for cutting. The history was unknown to them.

“We were stuck in the middle,” Ordelheide said.

Nam has agreed to save the Moreton Bay but is removing all other trees but a small oak in the back of the property. This lead to speculation by some in the Saturday afternoon crowd that a plan was afoot to flatten the big blue house property for another development.

“Things are going to be left alone for awhile,” said Wayne Yee, Nam’s friend and an attorney.

Yee was thrust into the middle of the community crowd on Saturday.  He, Toyon and Davis spoke at length. Toyon agreed to hire an arborist at the expense of the Historical Society of Crescenta Valley.

“I will be talking to Richard [Toyon] and his arborist,” Yee said.

As far as the buildings fate he added, “I don’t think it is going to be torn down.”

The property owner is looking for tenants to rent the building, he added.